From The Dead (Narrative, will be followed by threads)

[ngm_parents]

It had been a delicate piece of work, feigning his own death, and even more delicate to ensure that he had the funds he needed to operate his long-term schemes while leaving the publicly-known, above-ground wealth of Shaw Industries alone, and keeping other Shaws from knowing. The financial chaos surrounding his estate provided a useful smokescreen, aided and abetted by close allies among the Shaw Industries top brass and elsewhere. But now the time had come to reemerge, to make his presence known. To let his wayward family know that Sebastian Shaw was not dead. To take the reins of the Shaw empire and shape the future.

Shinobi Shaw had been a treacherous little worm, and he needed to be eliminated. Alistaire had performed that function, though with a decided lack of finesse. Too much collateral damage. He would have to speak to the boy about that, though it was in his own interest to make sure that the incident be covered up. The boy's connections to Selene were far more problematic- Sebastian would have to determine where his loyalties truly lay and act accordingly. The Black Queen had been quiet as of late, but she was very much alive and would no doubt seek to undermine his plans once she got word of them.

Then there was the girl. Stephanie, a latterly-arrived bastard child from a fairly unremarkable liason with a Spanish woman. The girl had shown real talent, particularly for business. And she seemed to have admirably ambitious plans for a sizeable area of the city. Ones that he could support in its broad strokes, though there were many signs of excess sentimentality in its conception. Perhaps, though, it could be turned towards something genuinely useful, as long as it was remembered that the primary goal of the Club was to build a mutant elite and sustain it.

Worst of all, both of them had outed themselves as mutants, which would make things considerably more difficult. Stephanie had even gone so far as to say that he himself was a mutant, which would throw all manner of his past actions into a harsh public light if people cared to look. In his mind, they had both made a serious tactical mistake there, though perhaps it was understandable enough given the circumstances at the time. Sebastian was confidant he would be able to handle any issues relating to it.

There was potential, then, for the Shaw dynasty, but it would have to be carefully constrained and guided. The Shaw name had taken a frightful battering in the last few years and that would have to be put to rights. As for the Hellfire Club, the New York branch had faded into virtual oblivion. That would also have to be put to rights, though during his imposed exile, he had been created Lord Paramount of the international Hellfire Club, the ultimate authority of all the otherwise autonomous Hellfire Clubs around the world.

It was settled, then, that the children would have to learn how to manage affairs in their fiefdom of New York, but quickly, as Sebastian had a global empire to run and could not spare more than the necessary time. The girl could be trusted with the bulk of his interest in Shaw Industries- his men had positive reports on her skill, and Alistaire was well-known to be an excellent host. Perhaps the boy could turn his talents towards making the New York Hellfire club an essential destination for New York's elite again.

The rest of the ranks of the Club remained frightfully empty. New nobility would have to be created, possibly from the next generation of the traditional mutant elite, but possibly also previously unaffiliated individuals. Soon, Sebastian would reveal himself to the younger Shaws. And then the Hellfire Club's grand plans for the future of mutantkind could truly begin to unfold, with the Shaws at the forefront of it, just as it should be.

Comments

[vesper_verde]

Marcelo wasn't particularly comforted by those assertions. Not that he thought Stephanie would give him up, but that down the line, he could be used against her. He swallowed a little harder but kept the pair of them moving.

"Let's get home. Somewhere safe to sort this out." The worry niggling about recent events at Veridian Dynamics and the angry phone call with his father were smothered by his worry about Stephanie.

Of course the joy of getting his in pain girlfriend comfortably into his sports car and getting the parking ticket seemed par for the course now that the day had turned so oddly. He still wasn't getting how Sebastian Shaw was alive.

[pyroprincess]

"He made me watch." Stephanie muttered quietly. "He destroyed several of his enemies. People who supported an enemy of his. He murdered them at a party. And I had to see, the aftermath." She closed her eyes. "I don't. I don't want to be a part of these bloody games."

But she didn't know how she was going to have much of a choice about it. Especially if she wanted to get anything done with her ambitions. Ambitions to help others, who needed it. She wondered, briefly, irrationally, for the first time in years, if souls were a real thing and if it was worth selling it to help other people. To keep someone she loved by her side.

[vesper_verde]

"He ... what?" Marcelo almost pulled right out into someone. He got a New York City salute. He let out a breath. He probably was not helping Stephanie nearly getting into a car accident.

He reached over to take her hand before carefully pulling out into traffic. "Stephanie, I'll help how I can. Anything you need, I'll give."

[pyroprincess]

"I ... I'll stop saying horrible things until you get home. A car accident wouldn't help things." Stephanie took his hand, careful not to squeeze too tightly. "I know you will, but I just, I just need you. To be here. No matter what comes." She let out a breath and lapsed into silence for the rest of the ride home.

[vesper_verde]

"It would be a little distracting, wouldn't it?" A trace of levity never hurt. He hoped it was a small reminder not everything was doom and gloom. When he stopped at a stoplight, he leaned over and brought her hand holding his to his mouth. He gave it a soft kiss.

"I'm here for you, Steph. No matter what." He was much more careful driving until he finally parked his Tesla in the garage.

[pyroprincess]

"I know." Stephanie said softly and when they parked, she impulsively kissed him, long and sweet. "You're the best thing in my life." Slowly, a little reluctantly she peeled away from him enough to take off her seatbelt. "This probably makes no sense to you. It doesn't make much sense to me." She was just glad to be home, and glad that home was far away from Shaw property.

[vesper_verde]

Well, he was now positive her lips worked. He blinked to himself before getting out of the car. He went around to the passenger's side to help Stephanie out.

"Well, we'll take it from the top. Sort it out. And cuddle. I find that last part usually helps get you more centered." He gave her a gentle smile.

[pyroprincess]

Stephanie was grateful for the help and got out of the car, leaning on her cane a little for support, trying her best to ignore the screaming pain of her joints. They went up and against all her logical intuitions, she couldn't help but feel a primal relief. She was home. Somewhere safe, away from the Hellfire Club. Away from a father whom she feared now far more than she idolized.

"The top is that, somehow, my father either faked his death or came back from the dead. I don't know how. It is him. He's changed, though, become a little leaner- a lot harder in temperament. And he was never exactly soft."

[vesper_verde]

"If he's back, what's wrong?" It was a simple line for Marcelo to draw. Stephanie's reactions were not joyous. He ushered her over to the couch. "I might be a little slow on this. I can still remember his funeral."

He was disturbed by someone coming back. Possibly because a part of him wondered why it couldn't be his own mother. Though he tried to squash the unreasonable jealousy. "And what do you want to drink?"

[pyroprincess]

"He wants to bring me into the Hellfire Club. I spent the last few years trying to build myself as an independent woman, carrying on a legacy, yes- but in my own way, and now that's all gone." Stephanie looked down for a minute, suddenly choked with guilt. Both because she wasn't overjoyed that he was back and because she knew that Marcelo would do virtually anything to bring his mother back.

"I know I should be happier than this. I know that. He's my father. I should be- I shouldn't feel angry and resentful and afraid."

[vesper_verde]

Marcelo went to the liquor cabinet. They both needed something stronger than tea. He'd left Stephanie's favorites alone when he had used the cabinet for "medicinal purposes" so hers was easy to locate and pour. His stuff was looking bare, but he grabbed a bottle from the back and poured himself a drink.

He moved over to the couch and settled in beside Stephanie. He set his own drink on the coffee table and held out Steph's glass to her.

"You should only be happy if it's a joyous return. If he faked his death and came back to be commanding and dismissive of what you've done. He's a giant fucking caralho de asa."

[pyroprincess]

"... dick with wings?" Stephanie couldn't help but laugh slightly at his brazenness in pronouncing him such, even though she hoped against hope he would never be so foolish as to say that to Sebastian's face. "He spoke of us having potential, but he clearly does not believe we are capable of being independent." She accepted the drink and took a long sip of it.

"Brooke will probably be ecstatic about this. She's always wanted to be part of the Hellfire Club." She managed a wan smile that wasn't really a smile.

[vesper_verde]

"Caralho de asa," he confirmed. "Peça da puta merda. Punheteiro. Cagalhão. Take your pick." He shrugged after picked up his own glass.

As the minutes were rolling on, Marcelo was settling more and more into being unimpressed by Stephanie's father and more than a little angry at him. It probably wasn't a healthy view for him, but his anger was starting to simmer hot.

"If she's ecstatic about you being forced into something you have no desire to do, then I'm sure she'll get along well with your father." He took a drink of his and thought it tasted a little ashy.

[pyroprincess]

"I have to be careful." Stephanie replied as she smoothly drained her drink. "I ... you're right, but he's also my father. And he's a very powerful man who holds all the keys to my future plans." She frowned grimly, glaring at the glass. "I'm going to have to learn how to deal with this situation."

She looked at him. "It's not just about me. I don't claim to be some sort of mutant saviour, but I know that I have good ideas that will help, if they can be put into motion."

[vesper_verde]

"He might be your father, but he's certainly not your papai." He took another drink and grimaced. Still tasted terrible. Marcelo set the glass back on the coffee table.

He sighed as he leaned back into the couch. Never had he met a woman who could make him feel so powerless. His father? Yes. Every other woman he had been with? No. He rubbed his eyes. "If he's got all the keys..." He switched tracks. "I'll fund whatever you need that he won't do."

It was only money. It wasn't like he could take it with him when he died.

[pyroprincess]

"No. He isn't." Stephanie replied, pouring another drink for herself, sighing slightly before moving closer to Marcelo again, resting against him. "You're very generous." Stephanie nuzzled him quietly for a moment. She thought of saying something for a moment, but set it aside. They could talk about that sort of thing later, if it needed to come up.

"I want to keep you." She murmured quietly, instead, planting a soft kiss right where his pulse was.

[vesper_verde]

"I wouldn't be so generous if your ideas stunk. Good thing you're smart and have a sexy body. I'm putty in your hands." He smirked slightly and tried slipping his arm around her. He was trying to rein in his jumble of anger, helplessness, and other emotions that wouldn't be much use at the moment.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "You sure about that? Because you're not the only one who had an unwelcome surprise from a father. Though yours was far and away a worse one."

In the comparison, Marcelo's argument with his father was relatively tame. And loving. Which he found odd to think about an argument.

[pyroprincess]

"I'm positive. Like you said, I'm a smart woman. And I know what I want. And I want to keep you." She settled into his arms.

"So what happened with your father?" She looked up at him. "... did it have anything to do with my little speech?" She had a sinking feeling that it did.

[vesper_verde]

"Well, if that's what you want, I'll be sure and oblige. Let me go calm down the masses of women you're up against." He paused and just sat there. "Okay done. All yours."

He was glad they were calming down. They were together, and they would figure things out. Comfortably. On the couch. Because that sounded so nice at the moment.

"It had a small bit to do with it. The rest is on me. So... he'll be in New York for a visit... tomorrow morning."

[pyroprincess]

"Oh joy." Stephanie replied, frowning somewhat. "I don't have very long to make myself presentable, then. I suppose drinking ourselves to oblivion isn't an option." She sighed.

"I will be whatever you require to mollify your father as best we can. Bubbly, pleasant, absent, anything." She looked at him. "We'll deal with it." Her hand found his and squeezed gently.

[vesper_verde]

He chuckled dryly. "He knows that you were hospitalized recently. Just be you. That's presentable enough."

He placed a soft kiss on her temple. "He'll be staying at a hotel rather than here. Just in case he wants to do things I'd rather not know about. Though he does want to meet this woman I haven't dumped after two months. He thinks it's long overdue."

[pyroprincess]

"He's probably right. It is a bit unusual that after all this time, I haven't met your father yet." Stephanie kissed him. "I hope your father is a far kinder man than mine is."

"Two months, hmm? So the past competition has been rather uninspiring." She managed a small smile. "I kind of like the sounds of that."

[vesper_verde]

"We're in two different countries and a little busy." He was definitely not going to mention that when Steph had started going out with him he figured the relationship would last six months tops. "Though I can guarantee he is far kinder than your father. I learned how to be a man from him."

There was one relationship he really should tell Stephanie about, but after the day she had, he was not going to delve into the ex he had just before he came to the States. "Querida, you have, by far, been my longest relationship. I'm pretty sure we're well past the going out with me for the novelty of it."