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

[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."