The Calm Before the Storm: Ch 2 Disclaimer: The X-Men belong to Marvel, the Coda to Wildstorm, and the story to me. That night, at the arboretum of Shinobi Shaw's penthouse, he met alone with Ororo Munroe for an intimate dinner, the butterflies and birds flitting around them as they concluded their meal... Voices drifted above the soft Mozart piano concerto that served as atmosphere along with the candles. One butterfly landed on a wine flute, sipping the sweet dessert wine that had been imbibed. "Was everything to your satisfaction?" he asked as they walked around the glassed in structure atop one of Manhattan's skyscrapers. "It was wonderful, thank you," Ororo replied with a smile, something she did too rarely these days. He laughed and replied, "My pleasure, but now that the body's sustained, it's time to feed the soul..." Ororo walked around the arboretum, laughing as she gazed at the beautiful statuary, landscaping and architecture of the place, "Your home is *so* beautiful, so serene...something I'd never have associated with the Lord Shinobi Shaw I've heard so much about...." He chuckled softly, "..and all of it bad, I bet?" She took an interest in his roses, examining them closely as he continued to speak, "It's your comrades' conceit that allows them to think they truly known me." She looked up at him, raising a quizzical eyebrow, "hmmmm.... Then I would be interested to hear you explain your behavior with Remy and Elisabeth. And more, I am intrigued to discover what surprises you have in store for me?" He shook his head and paced to the balcony edge that overlooked 7th Avenue, "It was...a regrettable incident. However it proved to be a pivotal point in my life, Ororo, when Liz's psychic probing seared into my subconscious, opening up years of painfully repressed memories...the bitter truth dawned. My life up to this point was a sham. I realised I'll never live up to my role as Sebastian Shaw's son and heir, and now I find myself realising that I'm my own man... free of my father's expectations, even the Upstarts were a distraction...my way of trying to rebel against him...but those days are over. I've now set my life on a different path, to hopefully help all humans.. all beings..toward a more benevolent interaction in the new millennium, and I would like you as one of my advisors." Ororo blushed under her olive skin, "Me?! You are an incorrigible flatterer, I will give you that...." "And I make no apologies, Ororo," he replied, looking her straight in the eyes, his voice firm. She walked beside him, past a statue of Shiva on his lotus, "But..are you serious? This transition from renegade to philanthropist is hard to accept..." "Please, hear me out," he said softly, "The Hellfire Club has always been about guiding society through those who have power, the previous Inner Circle's modus operandi covertly endeavoured to *dominate* over humanity and mutants and any who stood against them.. but times have changed. Who wants to live in a world that's dying on its feet? Mankind fears paranormals, hero or villain, it's irrelevant. We have something they don't have. End of story... Ultimately their enmity will become manifest, possibly resulting in a Holocaust that will make Hitler look benign. What's really needed is a radical shift in perspective on everyone's part. A subtle, pro-active mandate to improve everyone's lot... socially, economially and politically, elevating them to a higher quality of life...rather like Star Trek, if you will. Yes, some might see it as a form of benign dictatorship, but consider the alternatives: famine, war, poverty... high crime rates. I do not presume to call myself a good leader, but join me, Ororo, your special gifts will prove I'm on the level...." Ororo's conditioning kicked in, despite Liz and Emma's attempts to locate, and begin eradicating it, she was immediately suspicious, leading the co- habiting telepaths to curse under their collective breath... "This is an unexpected..twist..The Hellfire Club as a global benefactor?!" the weather elemental said suddenly, her eyes glowing white as Shinobi clasped her hand. "Why *not*?" he asked, praying to his mother's ancestors that Liz was able to make some headway with the woman who'd once been White Bishop, "The X-Men haven't succeeded in stopping any of the planet's wars or environmental catastrophes... Aren't you sick of fighting battle after battle but doing nothing to stem the endless cycle of human despair....Hunhhhhh!!" He was suddenly held aloft by a gust of wind as Storm declared her disbelief, "That is enough! You are getting carried away, Shaw!" She then dropped him to the ground as he hit the floor, momentarily stunned by the impact. He quickly recovered his aplomb, "I suppose so...but can't you see the potential here? If we pooled our skills, we *could* change the world!" "And why should I believe a leopard such as you could change his spots?" she replied, trying to lighten the mood, leaning closer to his face. "I guess you'll just have to trust your instincts, Munroe," he replied, looking her deeply in the eye, a faint smile playing across his lips. The weather elemental smiled at him, appraising him, and his words, "You are quite persuasive, Mr. Shaw... And given your parentage, one could say that you were not only born with the silver spoon in your mouth, but the silver tongue as well..." She arose and went to the door of the arboretum as he got to his feet, "Unfortunately, I am not open to suggestion, just yet. Let me sleep on it. Perhaps I will have a change of heart come morning, then we can discuss your proposal more in depth. Good night, Shinobi..." "Good night, Ms. Munroe," he replied with a satisfied smile, "Sweet dreams..." She closed the door as the butler showed her out...and a familiar bell-like voice emerged from where the statue of Shiva had been, the image rippling and disappearing as the face of the Otherworlder telepath appeared, "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were taking an unhealthy interest in your work... or is that vice versa?" The Duchess of Avalon unfolded herself from the comfortable cushions she'd been reclining in as Shinobi reached up and helped her down, "She's a tough one.. one that requires a little more play acting on my part...and Liz, you of all people, should know that I always put business before pleasure!" "Did she take the bait?" Liz asked, rubbing her temples wearily, laying her aching head on his shoulder as he steadied her in an embrace. "She literally swallowed it whole, luv," he replied, "The neuro micro-toxins in her meal will boost the primary dose she received from the pin in her dress, add in the contact variant worked into her outfit, they're re-engineering her cerebral chemistry, suppressing her conditioning and firing her subconscious primal triggers, unleashing her true nature. The fact that she *didn't* dismiss my offer indicates she's becoming more open-minded, which should make your work easier, Liz." The weary telepath nodded, knowing her work was only beginning... it was time to let Emma take over, and rest herself, "Soon... soon, she'll be free, Shee." And then she used the teleportation ring she'd been given by the Silver Samurai, back when she was undergoing Coda training, to "move" back to the boathouse again, thankful for the mobility it gave her. Emma soothed Liz's tired psyche into a gentle slumber as she meditated for the time it would take Ororo to drive back to the estate. It wouldn't do to let their shared body remain in this fatigued state, because the most extensive psi surgery was yet to come. She had already made arrangements for herself and Redd to be removed to her penthouse flat that sat atop the Chase Manhattan building, with appropriate medical staff in place, so there would be one less worry to tax Liz's strength once they moved out, and she was sure that Remy and Cable would appreciate the extra space in the overly "cozy" boathouse. So Emma Frost then settled into her "bunkie's" body and relaxed as much as she could, doing some Tai Chi and yoga to limber stiff muscles that would never feel "right" to her. She left Liz's body lying comfortably on the bed, affording the Coda warrior as much rest as she could, knowing that trying to focus and control the increasing levels of psionic power wasn't an easy task. Emma carefully extricated herself from the Otherworlder's sleeping body, her own psyche moving back into her own body, which had benefited greatly from the tedious psychic surgery they'd jointly done to repair the damaged neural pathways, though some of the damage to her spine couldn't be undone. She had accepted that she might have to wear leg braces and walk with a cane, until McCoy had been persuaded to use the advanced alien technology to do the repairs...she had come away in much better condition than she had arrived in. Emma spent nearly an hour "centring" in her own body, getting used to how it felt again, and slowly sat up under her own willpower. She felt nauseated and dizzy at first, but used her newfound telekinetic powers to levitate herself down the stairs, and indulged in a hot bath and light meal before repeating the Tai Chi and yoga exercises she'd performed with Liz's body. She and Liz were as ready as they were ever going to be, she figured. She sensed Ororo's arrival, and carefully reconstructed her psi shields in a new pattern that should hold until she and Liz could finish their task... Emma almost wished she could see the look on Ol' Cueball's face, not if, but when he tried to probe Ororo...