Story: Persona (all chapters)

Sage left the mansion quietly, knowing that whoever was monitoring the security systems was watching her, but not wanting to wake anyone unnecessarily. After all, she reasoned, she left the mansion at the same time every morning, and nobody she knew, other than perhaps Ororo and Logan, liked to be awake before six AM.

She slipped her shades on, setting them for a data review, nothing too trying, and slowly headed for the beginning of her morning running route. She always liked to start the morning with a gentle walk, followed by a two-mile run. She had done so ever since she came out of the club, as not only did it give her a chance to clear her mind but it also reminded her of the freedom she now possessed.

Breaking into a run as she reached her starting point Sage began the data review and sighed gently. It was nice not to be doing a dozen things at once or having to save the world again. It was nice, but she knew it probably wouldn’t last.

Keeping her pace steady, Sage checked the time on her glasses as she reached her one-mile marker. It wasn’t bad. She was staying consistently 2.342 seconds ahead of her personal best. Perhaps today she would be able to maintain it until the end of the run and set a new time for herself.

Breathing easily and keeping her pace steady Sage turned a corner and ran down an alley. Normally, this would be no place for a woman, but the combination of the daytime and her own dangerousness made Sage confident that she would not meet anything down it that she couldn’t handle.

The first she knew about the ambush was the low whining noise, and then the sharp, piercing sensation in her neck. Sage made no noise as she turned and spotted the sniper on the roof of one of the tall buildings to one side of the alley. Trying to get into a defensive position, she was dismayed when she found her body shutting down and out of her control.

Reaching slowly, painfully, up to her neck Sage pulled out the dart and her eyes widened at the familiar insignia. As her body slipped away faster now she heard a familiarly paced step approach where she was kneeling, and a familiar laugh boomed out as she fell onto her face. Her mind now slipping into darkness, she felt herself pulled upright and the voice whispered to her, “Don’t worry Tessa, it won’t do any permanent damage.”

****

Emma sighed impatiently as she waited for the last of the traffic to clear from in front of her limo. The damnable rush hour traffic was going to make her late for an appointment she already wanted over and done with as quickly as possible. She hated meeting accountants.

Tapping her fingers against the armrest she sighed again. She was seriously contemplating getting out and walking when the Limo started to move forwards.

“Finally,” she hissed to herself. It wouldn’t do to let the driver see her off balance. She had a reputation to maintain after all.

Arriving at the exclusive restaurant she graciously allowed the driver to aid her out of the car, and as she headed into the building she meticulously smoothed her suit. The girl at the desk didn’t even need to be told her name, and Emma suppressed a smirk at this. Power had its privileges.

“This way, Ms Frost,” the girl said politely, leading her to a table situated off to one side and away from the main doors. It was prominent enough to let people know she was there, but private enough to allow a discreet conversation with the man who was already sat there, looking decidedly nervous.

“Ms Frost…” he gushed as he stood. She motioned him to sit as she did. A quick surface scan of his thoughts brought up several inconsistencies in the accounting of one of her holdings that had him sweating. It was nothing too major, so she decided to put him at ease.

“Mr Franklin, while I’m sure our business is urgent I believe it can wait until we’ve at least had something to eat. After all, it would be a shame to waste such a fine restaurant on nothing but business.”

He nodded appreciatively as she called the waiter over.

“I’ll have the French onion soup, to start,” she said, having been to this restaurant many times and knowing what she liked. She waited to Franklin to order, and then prompted him on several subjects to get an accurate mark on where the problem with her business lay.

Finally, the soup arrived, and Emma tucked into it, enjoying the rich onion taste mixed with the set of herbs this restaurant used.

By her third mouthful Emma had started to feel uncomfortably hot, which she passed off as the glare from the lights. By the sixth, things were starting to blur slightly, which she passed off as being stressed. She never took her eighth. Instead, she flopped boneless back into her chair.

Franklin panicked. His employer had just passed out. He tried to rouse her, and when that failed, he called for the staff. When they failed to wake her, an ambulance was called, which arrived not long after. Emma was soon tied down to the gurney and loaded into the back. Nothing seemed out of place, but anyone who looked into the back of the ambulance would have seen a tall, well dressed man laughing to himself.

****

Sage woke up slowly, despite her nakedness and the unknown hand that was stroking her hair, and realised with a panicked start that she couldn’t move. Painfully slowly she forced her eyes open, the only part of her body that would respond to her thoughts.

The hand moved from her slightly damp hair and instead took her own, limp hand from the covers. “Tessa, darling, its good to see you awake.” She immediately recognised the voice, although she was put slightly off balance by the tenderness in it. Sebastian Shaw was never tender.

Fighting harder, Sage tried to forcer her body to do anything, to move in any way, but nothing came of it. It was all she could do to roll her eyes until she could see Shaw. He was sat beside her bed, holding her hand, an almost loving expression on his face. “I took the liberty of having you bathed. I didn’t want you to feel like a prisoner, Tessa.”

She tried to speak, but all of the muscles in her throat were also paralysed. Sage was starting to get extremely uncomfortable with this loss of control. It brought back too many memories, and apparently Shaw was able to pick up on that.

“I’m sorry you can’t move darling, but it is a side effect of the tranquilliser I had concocted for you.” His free hand brushed across her face, and he sighed. “It will wear off soon enough. I love you Tessa. Love you still, despite everything, and I thought you loved me too, after all, it was much more a partnership than a slave/master relationship, wasn’t it?”

Sage looked at him, incredulous. Did he honestly believe all that drivel that he was spouting? She knew that he did, unfortunately. She had played him that way deliberately for Xavier’s damnable dream.

He sighed again, and continued. “But, you betrayed me Tessa.” The grip on her hand tightened slightly. “You broke my heart. I’ve only loved twice in my life. One that died, and one that lied. I even used Lady Mastermind to try and undo the brainwashing the X-Men put you through.”

He was delusional, Sage thought with sudden clarity, completely and utterly delusional.

He leant down and kissed her gently on the forehead before getting up and moving over to a small table. He looked at her, almost sadly, before picking up a small syringe. “I initially had this developed for the Wolverine, Tessa.” He explained. “It contains a mix of sensory enhancers, powerful hallucinogenic agents, uninhibitors and libido enhancers designed to send the animal feral in a heartbeat. It is my intention to capture him, and then breed him. I’m sure you’ll agree that his offspring will be a valuable asset.”

He sat back beside her again, the wistful look back on his face. It scared her more than any physical torture he could put her through, since this made him unpredictable. “I wonder what it will do to a mind like yours? Although we’ve lowered the doses significantly, it is still a potent mix.” He leant in and kissed her forehead again, and as he pulled away Sage could swear she saw unshed tears glinting in his eyes.

“I hate to do this to you, darling Tessa. I do love you.” He paused slightly, and his face hardened imperceptibly. “But, you betrayed me Tessa, and I simply cannot allow that.”

Taking her unresisting arm he slid the needle in gently, and Sage felt the aching cold as the mix was pushed into her bloodstream. Leaning down one last time he kissed her full on the lips, a passionate, almost bruising kiss, before pulling her up into a semi-seated position. From there she could see a television monitor. “Enjoy the show Tessa,” he said, getting ready to leave. The last thing she heard before the drugs took effect was a whispered “I love you.”

****

Emma was woken by the sting of a bucket of ice cold water slapping across her naked body. Intending to sit up and chastise whichever student thought it appropriate to douse the headmistress, she instead jerked her arms painfully against the restraints she was in.

‘Restraints?’ That thought had her fully awake, eyes open and mind reaching for… nothing. Where the comforting ‘noise’ of her telepathy normally blanketed her mind there was nothing. A laugh caught her attention and dragged her focus back to the room she was in and the company she was keeping.

Correction, make that cell she was in. “Sebastian,” she spat, looking up at the elegantly dressed brute. Taking in the rest of her surroundings she realised that she was in a Hellfire holding cell, and that not only was she wet and naked but she was being ogled by the guard who had just doused her. “What is the…” She never finished the demand, as Shaw’s hand cracked across her face, knocking her down almost flat to the ground.

“Shut up Emma. You may not speak until spoken to.”

The tone of his voice surprised her. It was the tone normally reserved for slaves, not the White Queen, not Emma Frost. “I am the White…” The hand cracked across her face again, knocking her down from where she’d struggled into a kneeling position. She felt the blood running down her cheek from where one of his rings had tipped her skin. How dare he.

“You are nothing, Emma. You forfeited any title here when you left to join the X-Men.” He kicked her, drawing the breath from her body. “You are less than nothing, Emma, darling.” The sarcasm dripped from his voice, in a mockery of her own.

She tried futilely to reach for his mind, but this only caused him to laugh again and lean down to tap her neck, or more specifically the thin metal collar around it.

“Inhibitor Emma, you should have guessed by now.” He laughed again at the dismayed expression on her face. “You’ve been a thorn in my side for far too long Emma. Far. Too. Long.” He punctuated each word of the last line with a kick, and laughed at her gasps. “As the White Queen I could accept that, after all, I foiled many of your plans. But to have it continue once you’d betrayed us to the X-Men, that was something I cannot abide. Not and maintain my position. You understand that I’m sure, darling.”

So, this was about some scheme of his that she’d inadvertently foiled. How pathetically male and typically Shaw. Emma told him as much, and was surprised when he didn’t hit her again. “So what are you going to do with me, Sebastian?” She demanded, the tone of her voice making it more than a question.

“I’m going to get my justice Emma, but before that, I’m going to have some fun.” At her horrified and sickened look he chuckled. “Don’t worry Emma darling. I wouldn’t lower myself to that.” He leaned in closer and whispered, “Not when I have people to do if for me.” Standing back up he beckoned, and the guard who had previously been watching her brought over an object, held in a leather glove.

Passing another leather glove over to Shaw, Emma watched as he transferred the brand over. She could feel the heat radiating off of it already. Shrinking back desperately as Shaw approached her; she wasn’t expecting the waves of agony as the metal touched her flesh. Blindly, falling into unconsciousness, Emma heard someone screaming, and realised it was herself.

****

“Dress her.” Shaw commanded to the guardsman as he put the branding iron back into its container. He was feeling rather satisfied with himself and watched as his guards dressed Emma in all her While Queen finery, removing the restraints but leaving the inhibitor flush against her skin.

All in all it had been a good day for Sebastian Shaw. He was coming close to neutralising one of his most annoying political opponents and he was punishing Tessa for her betrayal at the same time. Two birds with one stone? A good day indeed.

His thoughts turned to Tessa, and he felt a pang of regret for how he was using the woman that he loved, but she had betrayed him so bitterly. Besides, she would survive this, no doubt about it. And, once her precious, sanctimonious X-Men found out what she’d done, well she would have no choice but to come back to him. He would be the only one who could protect her.

Laughing, he instructed his guards to take Emma to the transport truck, while he went to collect Tessa. He hoped that, in her confused and uninhibited state, she believed the video he had prepared for her. So useful that Emma had left so much of her Hellfire clothing behind, so much easier to create a facsimile of her to enrage Tessa.

Looking in on Tessa, the set, cold, and dare he say it, feral expression on her face had him chuckling again. Oh yes, the game had only just begun and he was going to enjoy this. Yes, he was going to enjoy this.

Sage was thankful when they let her out of the back of the van. The stench of the guards and the diesel, the sound of the engine, all of the sensations had been driving her to distraction. That was only to be expected, considering what was in her bloodstream. She barely noticed that she was naked.

But now she was outside, in what she quickly realised to be a forest, things were a lot clearer. It was easier to focus, there weren’t as many strong, pungent odours, and her mind was sharpening once again.

Sage had spent the entire journey fuming and furious, the urge to hurt someone building in her until she thought she would explode, and with the regained mental clarity she realised just who it was that she should be directing this at.

Emma Frost. The fucking White Queen. They had been opponents during their time in the Hellfire Club, but Sage had still managed to save her life, at great personal cost. And how did that bitch pay her back? By setting her up and handing her back to the club. Sage set off through the forest, determined to find her way out of this and get back to the mansion. Heaven help Frost when she caught up with her, because there was going to be hell to pay.

The guards had left her in a small clearing, with a dirt track leading out of it, but Sage knew better than to head in that direction, she knew how these games were played. She had, after all, had a hand in designing more than her fair share of them during her time with Shaw. Instead, she headed in the opposite direction, intending to head deeper into the forest before looping around and doubling back towards the road.

She had been walking for exactly 15 minutes, almost enjoying the sensations that the sensory enhancements were affording her, when she heard the clanking of chain links. It broke through the idyllic noise of the forest like a bell tolling, and piqued her interest. It might, she reasoned, be someone that knew the area, and data was data.

Moving cautiously, aware that it could just as easily be a Hellfire trap, Sage entered another clearing, and what she found there made her smile. Discounting the fact that it was definitely a Hellfire set-up, Sage found herself looking down at Emma Frost, staked out and inhibited, in full White Queen regalia. It was perfect. This, she thought, was an ideal opportunity.

****

Emma had come too, to find herself outside, in a small clearing. She was once again dressed, in her Hellfire clothing, of al things. She was still restrained, and she winced in pain as she tried to shift, the fabric of her cloak was rubbing against the raw, weeping brand. Damn Shaw and his petty machismos. Pushing outward with her mind, she realised that she was also still wearing the inhibitor collar.

She didn’t know how much time had passed since she had fallen unconscious, and staked out with no access to a clock or watch meant that time rapidly lost all meaning.

It could have been ten minutes, or ten hours from when she awoke to when she heard the foliage moving near her left side. Emma prayed that it wasn’t a wild animal, and breathed a sigh of relief when it was Tessa, who emerged into the clearing and stood looking at her. Tessa, who appeared completely unfazed about being naked.

Emma sighed in exasperation, and when Tessa didn’t make a move to release her snapped out, “Tessa, darling, if you’ve quite finished admiring the view, would you be a pet and release me from these?” For extra emphasis, she rattled the restraints slightly, not noticing the narrowing of Tessa’s eyes of the grin that spread across her face. Not until she spoke.

“No.” It was almost purred, a complete opposite to her normal cool tones, and Emma looked at her in surprise, noticing a few inconsistencies in the way that Tessa was reacting.

“Now isn’t the time to play around, Tessa. This is a Hellfire club set up and we need to get out of here.” She tried.

“You’d know all about set ups, wouldn’t you Emma.” Tessa stalked towards Emma, and Emma fought down a sudden wave of fear. This wasn’t like Tessa at all, and it was unsettling because it looked like she was scenting the air. “I like your fear Emma, it smells divine…” she laughed, kneeling beside her.

“Tessa, what…” Emma wasn’t expecting the sharp, strong slap that cut her off, or the back-handed one that followed it. Looking up in shock and finally able to see Tessa’s eyes properly, Emma realised that something in them was missing.

****

Tessa. That name echoed around Sage’s head and brought with it a rush of unbidden memories, all of them revolving around Emma’s use of that name. Tessa. How she hated it.

Looking at the shock on Emma’s face she smiled again. The white bitch hadn’t been expecting that, no, she had expected Sage to fall back into old behaviour patterns and obey her every whim. Well, not this time. She was free of all that now, free of the rigid confines of the club and, out here; she was free even of the constraints of being an X-Man. It was just Sage and Emma, and Sage was the one in control this time.

Coming out of the drug induced haze of thoughts and half-grasped memories, Sage realised that she had been hitting Emma, and if the already developing splits and bruises were anything to go by it had been quite a beating. She was sad that she had missed doing it.

Another smile crossed her lips as Emma whimpered, such a delicate and delicious sound. Admiring her handiwork, Sage realised that all of the blows had been centred on those areas most likely to cause pain.

“What are you on,” Emma managed to spit at her, the blood from her split lip was running down her cheek, and Sage had the overwhelming urge to lick it off of her. “We’re on the same side, and I don’t expect you to obey me,” it sounded like Emma’s usually haughty tones, but she could tell with her enhanced hearing that Emma was scared.

Sage realised that while she had been lost in the haze she had been saying everything out loud, and that Emma now knew what she was thinking. Shaking off the feeling that this should worry her she continued playing with her prey.

“You gave me back to the club Emma, and quite frankly whatever happens between us here is nothing more than you deserve.” She sneered down at Emma, not even attempting to hide the slight lecherous cast to her face, “and I owe you so very much.” She leant down further and kissed Emma hard, causing a whimper of pain from the already split lips.

Emma pulled away from her as much as the ground allowed and looked up at her incredulous and disbelieving, but underneath the rapidly thinning veneer of arrogance Sage could see the fear, could even smell it hot and spicy on Emma’s skin.

“Just what do you think you are doing Tessa,” she felt her face harden at Emma’s tone and she tensed to strike her again, which she was sure Emma picked up on, as the next statement was much different. “This isn’t like you Sage, please...”

Sage cut her off with another hard backhand. “None of your whining Emma, not now. You can beg me later, but first,” Sage changed her position so that instead of being beside Emma she was straddling her chest. “First I want you to serve me, bitch.”

Emma’s look was comical to say the least, and Sage threw her head back and laughed, a sound so unlike her normal restrained chuckle, tinged with madness. She wasn’t restrained now, that was the whole point, and she felt so good despite something in the back of her mind whispering that it wasn’t like her to act this way.

Below her Emma started to struggle against her bonds, but Sage knew it was futile. Whoever had tied them had been a master and she wouldn’t be getting out of them unless Sage released her. Sage had no intention of doing that until she was satisfied, which wasn’t happening.

She slapped Emma again, once more for the fun of it and because Emma had never been merciful to her. “I said serve me,” she growled before dipping into another crushing kiss. Emma would serve her, this was her revenge and she would get what she wanted from it.

Pulling back she shifted position again, lowering herself over Emma’s face. Emma would have no choice but to serve her, or she would suffocate and if Emma even thought about biting, well… Sage held back a feral grin; they all knew what happened to those who bit.

She gasped as Emma started to suckle and lick, her tongue as skilled as Sage had hoped. This was revenge, sweet revenge and she was enjoying it almost too much. She gasped again as Emma slipped her tongue inside, deep and hot, the sensations doubled by the sensory enhancers Sebastian had given her.

Pushing thoughts of him aside, she wanted to enjoy this after all, Sage focused again on the sensations she was getting from Emma’s mouth on her. Soon she was coming hard, grinding herself into Emma’s face cutting off her air completely.

Sighing as the orgasm ended she settled for a moment and watched as Emma’s eyes widened at finding herself still deprived of air. Watching carefully, revelling in the sensations of holding the White Queen’s life in her hands and Emma’s renewed struggles, she waited until she saw the first signs of a blackout before moving.

Settling back beside Emma, Sage caught a glint of something familiar tucked into Emma’s tall boot and a harsh grin crossed her face as she reached for it.

****

Sebastian laughed to himself as he watched Sage force Emma to serve her from the tiny camera he’d had planted. This was exactly the retribution he had wanted, and the further from her normal controlled self Sage went the closer she got to being his again.

His laughter doubled as he watched Sage discover the knife he’d tucked into Emma’s boot. He knew Sage would recognise the knife; he’d been surprised to find it in Emma’s former apartment, and he’d planted it deliberately to push the feral rage further. He wanted his money’s worth from this little set up and boy was he getting it.

Sebastian turned his full attention back to the screen, intent on seeing how his game played out, and enjoying every minute of it.

Emma watched with fear as Sage leant down and tugged a knife from her boot. She was gasping for air from the brutal ‘service’ that Sage had subjected her to. They both recognised the knife, it was part of their shared history, and much like the ‘service’ was part of their time in the club.

She had used the knife on Sage the first time she had met her, had pressed the knife to her throat and commanded her to obey every word and whim. It was part of Tessa’s initiation and had been a shock for the new girl in the club.

“I remember this Emma, don’t you,” Sage purred at her, a dangerous smile on her face. She paused, noticing something else, and the smile widened.  “I see Sebastian has marked you,” she pushed hard on the brand and Emma screamed despite herself. “I guess it’s my turn now.”

She pushed again on the brand, and Emma whimpered, mentally begging Sage to stop this torture, but she wouldn’t utter a word out loud, not now, not while Sage was acting like this. Emma was sure that any sign of weakness would be exploited.

She screamed again as Sage began to cut into her inner thigh, using deliberately slow and deep marks to ensure a visible scar. “Please Sage, stop this,” she pleaded, angry at herself for being reduced to this and angry at Sage for being so human. Sage said nothing, just kept cutting and smiling as she carved her own sigil into Emma’s flesh.

Then it was over, no new pain overlying the old burning of the cuts and no new tears joining those already streaming down her face. Sage was watching her again, much as she had while suffocating her, a feral, terrifying look on her face. Emma wondered what else she was planning to do to her. Wasn’t what she’d already been through enough?

As Sage removed her underwear with the knife and painstaking precision, Emma realised that to Sage’s unfettered mind it probably wasn’t enough, and that what was coming was going to be worse than what had come before.

The feeling of cold metal sliding into her confirmed her fears and she stilled, too scared to move a muscle for fear of Sage slipping and slicing her up inside. “You can beg for me now Emma, and you’d better do a good job. You wouldn’t want me to get distracted.”

Sage laughed coldly as Emma started to beg and plead, her voice breaking with the tears that were falling and the fear that kept spiking as the knife moved in and out. It seemed like hours to Emma, but she was sure only minutes had passed when Sage stopped and pulled the knife out properly.

She grinned as she held it up to the light, and Emma looked on in horror as she licked it off, eyes closed and a blissful look on her face. “You taste nice Emma, spicy with fear. I wonder if all of you tastes so good.”

****

Sage laughed again as she pressed her fingers into Emma’s cuts and covered them in fresh blood, ready to taste. Looking down at them, she had a flash of memory of another time, of other blood on her fingers, of another life when she cared about what happened to Emma.

What the hell was she doing here? What the hell had she done to Emma? She was playing directly into Sebastian’s hands, fulfilling his sick little fantasy and hurting a team-mate at the same time. This was not like her, and she could feel the cold logic coming back to the forefront of her mind.

Looking at Emma she could tell how scared the other woman was, how truly and mortally afraid Emma was of her and instead of delighting her it sickened Sage to her stomach. But she would not vomit, now wasn’t the time. Now she had to get them both out of there.

Moving quickly she slashed the ropes holding Emma to the chains, ignoring the flinch and the answering flash of shame it brought her. “I’m sorry Emma. There is no time to explain.” The cold logic was slipping, the heat of the drugs pouring back into her mind. “You have to run, please.”

Emma didn’t need telling twice. Despite the obvious pain her injuries were causing her Sage watched as she scrabbled up and staggered off into the forest, heading away from her as fast as possible.

Sage had only a moment to think that perhaps, given her current mental state, telling Emma to run had not been one of her better plans when the heat from the drugs washed away all traces of control again and the hunt was on.

****

Sebastian was almost disappointed when both Sage and Emma disappeared out of his camera’s line of sight, but he knew what was coming now. Sage was hunting Emma, it was the opening move to the end of the game and there would be no way that Emma could escape this alive.

He had made sure of that by arming Sage, not that she needed it, and effectively neutering Emma by taking away her telepathy. He didn’t need to see the kill, that was a bit much even by his standards of debauchery. No, it was enough to know that the feral, uninhibited Sage would take care of his problems once and for all.

And then she would be all his again, would be by his side forever, as the perfect partner and companion. She would be his and Emma would be worm food.

****

It was when she hit the river that Emma realised that she couldn’t run anymore. The blood running from her wounds and the descent into the river bed took her legs out from underneath her. The shock of the cold water on sensitive bare flesh kept her there and nothing she could do would make her move.

She knew Sage was after her, could hear her coming through the forest, could hear the taunts and jibes and threats that proceeded her like a tidal wave. There was no need for stealth when there was just the two of them alone like this.

Emma shook her head and forced herself to get to the bank of the river. She counted herself lucky that it was only shallow and that she hadn’t fallen far, and she would not be beaten like this. She was a Frost, and she would not go down without a fight.

Sage appeared like a phantom at the edge of the river, materialising out of the forest almost silently despite the earlier commotion. Emma was glad that the shock of the cold water had helped numb her mind because if she had seen Sage like this whilst being tied down she never would have attempted to run.

It was clear from the other woman’s posture that Sage meant to kill her, meant to use that knife she was clutching for its deadliest purposes. Emma sat and let her come, a plan forming in her mind.

“Not going to fight me White Queen?” Sage crowed, already savouring the kill. “So you are going to die with dignity instead of begging. What a foolish assumption.” She was next to Emma now, whispering in her ear and still Emma did nothing. “I’ll make you wish for death a hundred times over before I let you die.”

Sage made to push Emma down into the water and that’s when she made her move. Her hand whipped up, rock clutched tightly in it, and impacted against the side of Sage’s head, stunning the feral woman. Emma lashed out a second time, and this blow sent Sage down into unconsciousness and the water.

Emma dragged the still form of her team-mate up onto the river bank, after all it wouldn’t do to have her drown, and set about removing the twice damned collar from around her neck. It was high time that they both go home.

****

It was a week before Sage saw Emma again, a week in which she was subjected to a multitude of tests by Dr McCoy in whose isolation lab she’d awoken eight hours after Emma had knocked her out.

The most frustrating thing about her time in the lab was that she wasn’t sure what had happened in the time between being in the bed in Sebastian’s apartment and waking up back in the mansion. All that she knew was that both Emma and she had been suffering hyperthermia and she had been inebriated with some drug.

Henry wasn’t telling her anything either. She wasn’t sure what Emma had told him of the time that she had lost, but he had just told her to talk to Emma when she asked for details to fill in the blanks in her memory banks.

So now she was on her way to see Emma, who had been released two days earlier, and was recuperating in her room, and generally making everybody’s life miserable while she did.

Knocking on the door Sage was unsurprised when she felt the slight brush of a probe against her mental shields. Henry had told her that Emma had been a little twitchy since coming back to the mansion and was double checking everybody before they were allowed close to her. A little bit of paranoia was healthy after all.

“Come in Sage,” Emma called through the door, and she was startled to hear Emma use her new name when for so long she had delighted in calling her Tessa and reminding her of the past. Heading in she saw Emma reclining on the sofa and shut the door behind her, not wanting them to be disturbed.

“Hello Emma, how are you doing?” she asked, wanting to get the formality of enquiring about her health out of the way quickly so that she could find out what the hell had happened out there. Part of her was genuinely interested in Emma’s health but she needed to fill the gaps desperately.

“I’ve been better. But that isn’t the real reason you’re here and we both know it darling.” Emma gave her a wan smile and gestured to the armchair. “Have a seat and ask your questions.”

Sage sat and dove straight in, cutting directly to the point. “I don’t remember what happened seven days ago between us, but from the expression on Henry’s face it probably wasn’t good. I need to know.”

Emma looked at her; an odd expression on her face, one Sage couldn’t read. “Do you really want to know?” she frowned. “It would be so much easier for you to never know, to not have to live with what happened.”

“Please Emma, I need to know.” As much as it pained her to ask Emma for anything, she was the only one who could fill in the gaps. “Please, show me.” Sage deliberately lowered her shields, a sign of trust that she had not given anyone in a very long time and Emma obliged, showing her everything.

One thought echoed through as Sage felt everything. ‘We’re even now; I know who you really are.’

****

Sebastian smiled in pleasure as he regarded the figure standing outside of his inner city apartment. Only one person could possibly know that he was here at this time of day and his darling Tessa had come home to him.

Opening the door he let her in, unsurprised at the slightly unfocused look on her face. She was apparently in shock, but he supposed being ousted from the X-Men and told never to return would do that. He had been shocked that it took them so long to do so, but then they would’ve had to see to her health first. Damned bleeding hearts.

“Tessa,” he said in welcome and pulled her into a crushing hug. He could see that underneath the heavy leather coat she was dressed in her Hellfire uniform, just as he’d always liked to see her. “It’s so good to have you back my love. Please, make yourself at home.”

“Thank you Sebastian,” she smiled at him shyly, as if not sure where she stood with him. He kissed her possessively, she was his after all and she had to know it, and then pulled back with a nod to the kitchen.

“Why don’t you make us some coffee and then we can discuss the terms of your return to my side, and to the Hellfire club.” He watched her go, a feeling of pride growing when she returned minutes later with two steaming mugs of coffee. She still remembered everything she’d been taught.

He took a large gulp of the coffee, an imported delicacy from a warmer land, and swallowed, only noticing that something was wrong far too late to do anything about it. Sage’s smirk, which had been the first give away, broadened at his dismayed expression.

Sebastian began to choke, a warm solidness closing over his airway almost instantly. He tried to gasp out something, anything, only to find that he could not move his throat.

Sage leant down, and delicately touched two fingers to his temple, establishing a very tight mental connection. Over it she showed him the candle wax she’s mixed in with his coffee, the wax that was now scorching his throat, solidifying and killing him.

As the darkness swept him away the last thing Sebastian Shaw saw was a fragment of Sage’s memory, a smiling Emma Frost, a feeling of welcome and a thought she had left for Sage. ‘We’re even now; I know who you really are as you know who I really am. And I do not judge you for it.’