Chapter 111 – Schemes

[2009 – September]

The rest of the first period went by rather quickly, which gave us a few minutes of time to get to our next class during which I gently fed Jean a granola bar piece by piece and a few apple slices.

I obviously knew that Jean didn't have to eat at all, strictly speaking, considering that she was the inheritor of the Phoenix Force and could even survive in the cold void that was outer space without any issues. This didn't stop me from caring about her though.

And while I was the same in that I didn't 'need' to eat thanks to Body Supremacy and my barriers, which could shield me from things like hunger or nutritional deficits, this likewise didn't stop Jean from feeding me a few apple slices as well while smiling up at me with her warm, vibrant green eyes.

Jean also unwrapped a second granola bar and practically force-fed it to Laura, who looked almost tormented due to the bland taste, even though she obediently ate it all in the end. I couldn't help but laugh at her expression as I passed her a bottle of orange juice which she almost emptied in revenge, using it to cleanse her palate.

We shared the apple slices that I had prepared the day before with the other three of our little group, though I wasn't too surprised when I noticed that Pietro practically ate half of them by himself, as he used his Superspeed to grab several of them when no one was looking.

Next on the agenda was homeroom and then AP Calculus, and it was at this point that I started to zone out and do my own thing while listening to the class with one ear. Instead of giving my full focus to what was going on in class, I started to speed-read one of the textbooks I brought which was about the Korean language.

Asian languages in general were more difficult than the ones with European origins, and I had been studying this one for a few days now. Thankfully my memory and mental capabilities were nothing to scoff at and I was almost done with Korean, after which I planned to turn my attention to Japanese.

I had already learned more than half-a-dozen languages, amongst which were Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish, German, Latin, and Sanskrit. It wouldn't be long before I could communicate with people from all over the world, which was an exciting prospect that naturally roused my wanderlust.

When lunch finally came around, there was some banter and teasing between Pietro, Ellie, and me as we sat together around one end of the long lunch tables in the canteen. I sat sideways on the long bench with Jean between my legs, as she leaned against my chest while listening to Yukio talk about the most recent and juiciest gossip that wasn't about Jean and me.

I wasn't one to enjoy gossip, so I wasn't really paying much attention, instead, I focused on combing through Jean's hair with my fingers while talking with Pietro and Ellie about which extracurriculars they were going to take, or if they had chosen any at all.

I was a bit surprised to find out that Ellie and Yukio were on the volleyball team, though she explained that since the team only trained together thrice a week, it wasn't a problem for them to attend even as specially enrolled students, even though they could only make it to two of the scheduled training sessions.

I knew that both of them were pretty competitive, even though they didn't act like it most of the time. Added to the fact that they were both in tip-top shape which was definitely owed to their rigorous training as X-Men trainees, I was sure that they weren't bad players at all.

Pietro on the other hand wasn't part of any sports club, which was something that did not come as a surprise. With his speed, any kind of sport was probably boring as hell, especially team sports.

…

Knocking on the closed office door, I waited a moment until I heard a clear female voice asking me to enter before entering.

"Ah, Elijah!", Emma called out with a smile, "How was your first day at your new school?"

Smiling lightly, I replied: "It was fine. Some of the classes are a bit boring but I guess everyone feels that way. Still, you mentioned a package in your message."

Emma had sent me a message during history class which had been the last class of the day, saying that I should come to her office after we were back at the mansion because a package had arrived for me.

The Massachusetts Academy was a very old and prestigious private school with many of the students coming from influential and wealthy families. As such, any package that arrived at the school and was addressed to a student had to go through a series of tests to make sure nothing harmful or dangerous made its way into the school grounds.

From what Emma had told me, over the years there had been several packages addressed to students whose parents were public figures of some renown, that had been booby-trapped with explosives, not to mention the many letters covered in poisonous substances.

None of the above though had ever made their way into the hands of a student, as the personnel hired by Emma was naturally worth their salt. These safety standards alone were an attractive aspect of the academy, and one of the reasons why this school was such a popular choice for the upper class.

Therefore, being the Headmistress of the Massachusetts Academy gave Emma a lot of influence, which was naturally the reason she had taken up the post in the first place.

"Yes, the package.", she said with a smile before opening one of the many drawers of the giant wooden desk and pulling out a rectangular object that had been wrapped in some brown paper with a cord tied around in a cross-shape.

Taking it from her hands, I realized that it was rather heavy and seemed like one solid object - a book if I had to guess.

I thanked Emma before I pulled out and read the card that had been placed under the cord, it read: 'I came across this book in the library after your visit. May it enlighten you on your chosen path. – From a friend, The Ancient One.'

Raising an eyebrow at this rather unexpected development, I placed the package aside for now as I faced Emma again.

"She seems to be rather fond of you, considering the help she has provided you.", she stated quietly, not even trying to hide the fact that she had read the card before handing me the package.

I wasn't offended by that though, as I understood Emma's character very well. She wasn't deliberately nosy, nor was she malicious in her actions.

Emma simply needed to feel in control. For the same reason, she was constantly trying to amass more power and influence through the Academy, Frost International, and obviously the Hellfire Club. It was no doubt a consequence of her past that made her this way.

It was enough for me that she was upfront in her actions, as the trust we shared wasn't built on the fact that she didn't spy on me, but on the fact that she was honest with me.

"She might be.", I replied, before shaking my head with a sigh, "Though trying to see through the motives of someone like her is a fruitless task. Still, I understand her well enough to know that she won't try to harm me without reason."

Nodding in acknowledgment, Emma added lightly: "I am sure you know what you are doing."

"Hmm.", I just hummed in response, before changing the topic, "There is something else I wanted to ask you about."

Raising her perfectly shaped eyebrow in question, Emma just leaned back and waited for me to continue, her red business suit and black blouse hugging her curves tightly while her blonde hair was styled into a perfectly neat bun.

The way she reclined in the chair and at the same time held herself up was in equal measures charming and formal. It was a strange mix but when she did it, a strange harmony could be espied in her actions.

The way she carried herself, the sheer effort and dedication behind every action, I couldn't help but admire her for this. Still, her eyes were clear as she looked at me with patience while a hidden warmth shone in her crystal gaze.

"From the information you gave me about the Hellfire Club, I remember that you have ties with Oscorp and Norman Osborn. I wanted to ask you about the Club's involvement in what happened to Mary and Richard Parker.", I inquired calmly.

Obviously, I wasn't looking to uncover the truth and deliver justice. I just wanted to have the full picture of the events that I knew would unfold themselves soon enough. I wasn't sure if this was curiosity or condescension on my part, as in a way, I looked at the conflict between Peter and Oscorp with the eyes of a bystander.

I still wasn't sure if I should interfere just based on the fact that Peter was a 'good' guy. I liked this version of Spider-Man the most, but after mulling it over, I realized that involving myself in this conflict simply because of that seemed a bit lacking.

Frowning lightly, Emma thought about my words for a moment before grabbing her tablet and opening some documents.

"Osborn is an important member of the Club, his company has many military contracts which contribute a lot to the influence we have. Oscorp Industries has nearly half as many contracts as Frost Enterprises, which is considered a lot if you take into account that Norman Osborn has built it up from the ground, while Frost Enterprises has a long history. Not to mention that the Club is very interested in the research done by Oscorp Industries.", Emma explained.

"I do remember that the Norman used the Club's resources to take care of the Parkers after Richard Parker hid away his research results. Still, he didn't manage to recover the data even then, which was something he had almost been demoted for in the Club. It has cost him a fair amount of shares of his company and several favors to retain his position as the Black Bishop."

"Still, is there any particular reason why you are interested in this? Is it because of your new classmate?", Emma asked as she looked up from the tablet.

Shaking my head, I answered, "I was just curious. Though, I do have some impressions of Dr. Connors' research – interspecies genetics, not an uninteresting topic. Is the Hellfire Club still monitoring the progress on that?"

"We are, but nothing in-depth as it's most likely a dead-end. Connors is smart, a genius even. But he is not Richard Parker, so it is unlikely that he will be able to succeed. Not to mention that there are more promising projects that have entered the Club's eyes in the last decade.", Emma stated with a light shrug.

I understood what she tried to say. The Hellfire Club may have an enormous amount of resources and was constantly expanding its influence in the dark, but they still had to prioritize if they wanted to ensure that their resources were used in the most efficient way.

Emma told me a few more details about the Club's dealings with Osborn, and she even mentioned that he has been trying to hide away some of the most promising projects from the Hellfire Club. Admittedly though, with little success as Emma knew all about his 'Special Projects'.

Naturally hiding something from a telepath of her power was an impossible task for a normal human, especially one that wasn't aware of her status as a mutant. In fact, most of the members of the Hellfire Club didn't know that Emma was a mutant and even if they did, they were not aware of what kind of ability she had. And even fewer members knew about Selene's existence.

The reason that Emma allowed Norman Osborn to even act independently was not only because she had full confidence in taking back control at any time, but also because she saw Osborn's actions as an experiment. He was testing the capabilities of the 'Special Projects' for the Hellfire Club while being completely oblivious.

Naturally, Emma didn't say this part out loud but I could guess as much.

This was the true nature of the Hellfire Club, schemes hidden away in schemes. Their plans and actions were so widespread and multi-layered, that even high-ranking members like Norman Osborn were nothing but pawns in the grand scheme of things.

I was indifferent to this, though I admired Emma's terrifying intellect. I wasn't one for machinations and plots but that didn't mean that I was blind to how dangerous an opponent Emma was in these fields.