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

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.

Threaded | Flat

Alistaire and Stephanie Shaw had each been sent a confidential summons to appear at a reception room in Shaw Industries Towers, one done in a Colonial style that belied the ultramodern image of most of Shaw Tower. The summons had been served by Reginald Crane, the primary member of the Shaw Industries legal team and the point man for the ongoing case regarding the lost assets of the Shaw Empire.

The day before the summons was due, he had arranged for the release of a significant portion of the missing assets and proper alternative medical care for any wounded Shaw retainers. More than enough to make sure that the Institute had no need to lay a claim on either of them and for both of them to resume their full previous lifestyles. It would not do for Shaws to be living on means that appeared at all limited. There was a family reputation to uphold.

They would be ushered into the room by Mr. Crane, a middle-aged man with pale grey eyes, a strangely soothing speaking voice and no discernable emotions on his face or in his bearing and told to sit while they awaited a guest. And then Alistaire and Stephanie Shaw were left alone for a brief time, as they awaited this mysterious guest, whom Crane rose up to get.

Stephanie first tried to send a text, but it came out completely garbled. Her hands were shaking too hard to type out anything coherent. So she immediately afterwards speed-dialed Marcelo's phone, hoping that he would pick up. She'd managed to walk out of the meeting, but the moment she had left the eyes of either Sebastian or Alistaire she'd literally collapsed into a sobbing mess under a tree.

A few days after Alistaire revealed to her that Sebastian Shaw was indeed alive, Alisa managed to make an appointment to see the man himself. She had to be sure it was not just him, but that the Enforcer branch of the Thieves Guild would continue their business with him. While not 100%, Alisa managed to get out of her rehabilitation facility to make this meeting happen. She just had to use crutches for the time being, as she was still unsteady on her new prosthetic leg.

She remained quiet, sitting with her back straight in her chair, and toying with the long black skirt she wore. It had a long slit up on the side, showing off her good leg, and hopefully taking away from the other that wore the blade. Once she saw someone come out and give her the single to go into the room Sebastian was in, Alisa looped her arms through her crutches and made her way inside.

"When your daughter made dat speech about you, I t'ought you would be rollin' over in your grave. Not punchin' a hole an' gettin' out o' it to stand here before de world once more." Alisa managed a small smile before bowing her head in respect. "You may not remember me, but we met years ago an' you practically paid for my education. My name is Alisa B. LeBeau, your grandson's personal bodyguard an' high rankin' T'ieves Guild Enforcer. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance once more, M'sieur Shaw, Sir."

Gathering the Children (forward dated slightly, to when Alistaire is able to move some)

Aftermath Thread (part I, Marcelo)

Meeting with the King