nextgenerationmarvel | Lines Are Drawn

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Lines Are Drawn

Her favorite wine, her favorite cheese, a 40 year old bottle of cachaça for Marcelo, and a packet of fine tea to go with one of his wedding gifts. They were as well-chosen bribes as he could gather without seeming suspect. Alistaire announced he would be stopping by to see his favorite aunt a few hours in advance, already knowing her schedule. He really didn't mean to spy on her, but it just seemed like common sense, for the barely half a dozen people he knew that he'd find their deaths regrettable.

The best skeleton keys his money could buy and his own mutant gift let him bypass security (again, he really doesn't mean to be rude, he just doesn't have the patience for doormen, security, intercoms...), and he knocked at Stephanie and Marcelo's door in the husband's building.

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Stephanie was in the midst of playing with Sancho, when she heard the knock on the door. She immediately went stiff. There'd been no buzzer from the door, and Marcelo wasn't going to be home for long hours yet. Either something had happened- possibly to him, or there was an intruder at the door. Alistaire had mentioned coming over, but he hadn't given a particular time, nor had he come in the last few hours.

The door didn't break down immediately, nor did it open like it would have if it were Marcelo, so she did her best to shoo Sancho away, and quickly brought out her phone, texting Marcelo.

-Someone at the door.-

Then she balled her hands into a fist and punched the floor. It was an extremely sturdy flooring that could stand up to her, so it didn't break. She did it another couple of times to make sure she had that energy spike running through her in case she needed to defend herself.

She got to her feet and went over to get a video view of outside the door, waiting to see who it was.

-Nevermind I'm okay. It's Alice. WTF.-

Needless to say, she was pissed off. No advance call, not even a token compliance with the security that they desperately needed. As if he didn't know they were living under assassination threats. She walked to the door and pressed the buzzer to talk.

"What is it? And why the hell did you just waltz by the doorman, Alistaire? "

Somewhat begrudgingly, she opened the door.

Edited 2014-10-20 23:19 (UTC)

Alistaire, one arm laden with gifts, blinks. He was clearly trying to make sense of something.

"...I don't like security." He states simply. After another moment's pause, "I'm sorry. May I come in?"

Stephanie was almost dumbstruck by his 'explanation' and it took her about five seconds or so to finally decide to open the door. It was clear from her expression that she was extremely annoyed, however.

"You don't like security. That's wonderful, Alistaire, because neither do I. Except my father wants to murder my husband and quite possibly me too, and we need every bit of security we can get.

I want to be very, very clear with you. If you come visit here, you will comply fully with our security measures."

She sighed. "Come on in."

He shifts his weight from one foot to the other as he chooses his words, stepping over the threshold with a nod of the head.

"Your father is the reason I'm here. I'd like to help, if you'll hear me out."

He holds up the basket. "I brought wine."

"I see." Stephanie replied coolly. "And what are you wanting to help with, Alistaire? You are after all, the most likely- really the only Shaw left in a position to inherit his various positions."

She closed the door behind them.

"Of course, I could be wrong. Perhaps you've come up with a scheme to reconcile me to my dear father." She raised an eyebrow skeptically.

He watches the door shut before he speaks again.

"Oh absolutely not. He's insane, and he needs to be removed. Permanently."

Alistaire puts the basket down on a table and paces across the room and back. "I took the position of Black King because it would have been an act of rebellion not to. One he wouldn't have allowed. He doesn't respect me as much as he does you, in his perverse way, so he most likely would have had me killed, if not do it himself."

He goes quiet for a minute, raising a hand in polite obstruction if Stephanie tries to interject just yet.

"I'm.. not satisfied with who I am, Auntie. I want to be different. I want to have emotions." He lets out something resembling a sigh. "It's all just starting to seem so... so repetitious. I tried asking our dear friend Brooke for advice, but it wasn't what I was hoping for. She did offer one vital piece though...

I want to work with you. Not around you."

Stephanie raised her eyebrow slightly at that. It was quite a confession coming from Alistaire, but he could either be attempting to flatter her or be misreading the situation.

"If several assassination attempts on my husband is what he calls respect, I'd rather have his scorn. Maybe he would leave us alone then." But it was obvious that she didn't believe he ever would. After Shinobi had turned out to be such a failure, she'd been his great hope for a Shaw dynasty.

"You want to change." Stephanie replied, looking at him intently. "And what, may I asked, triggered this Damascene conversion?"

Her face remained impassive when he referred to Brooke as 'our dear friend'. She knew full well how Brooke felt about Alistaire- she wondered how that conversation had actually gone. She doubted that Alistaire would simply make it up- it would be easy enough to check.

"What happened to wanting to rule the Hellfire Club?" Stephanie asked, her eyebrow raising again.

He sits down, unwrapping one of the cheeses and the cutting board he had brought, nodding at the question about his desire. "I truly do. Perhaps out of vanity, but that doesn't make it less sincere a wish.

I don't know where it started. I still enjoy all the things I ever have. I don't think I'm lonely, if that's something I'm even capable of. It just feels like it's time for a change. Time for my own evolution to progress."

A flick of his wrist and he's holding a knife, as he shears off a piece of brie for each of them as she asks about the Club.

"I still want it. I just want it to be something else than fodder for his personal vanity and mad dreams." He places the cheese into his mouth, letting it melt and biting down at the rind. "I may have gotten my fair share of inheritances, Aunt Stephanie, and have my hands on all the right old money, but you know that's not how I live. I'm new money. I'm neon and fashion and technology to advance leisure. More electric vehicles and plasma screens than the old leather and lace.

I'm never going to be the war profiteer or captain of finance or industry. I do my damages and make my fortunes from screens I can hold in my hand and push the content to social media."

He looks at his Aunt. The one blood relative on this world he can trust, and more than that, would be saddened by her death. "But I need help. I'm not the 'how' person for things like this. I'm barely the 'why' person; but with all the conviction I'm capable of, I tell you that Sebastian Shaw needs to exit this world. It's the only way you can ever be safe, and I can ever be more than his shade."

Stephanie for her part wasn't particularly hungry, but she did feel the desire to have a drink. Just one, and not that admittedly lovely wine that Alistaire had brought. She went off to the drink cabinet and got out a brandy snifter and some Armagnac.

"Do you want something?" Stephanie asked Alistaire. If he did, she'd pour it, if not, she came back with two fingers of Armagnac in a snifter, which she took a small sip of.

She looked at him intently. "Nobody has ever been the Lord of the Hellfire Club without it blackening their soul. Father may never have been a good man- let's be honest, but there was a time when his ambitions were not remotely so mad or cruel. Consider, Alistaire, who has actually redeemed themselves from the circles of the Hellfire Club.

Emma Frost. Sage. They got out."

Another small sip of her drink. "Suppose you remove Father. And now you're vying for leadership of the global Club with Selene and Essex. If you're fortunate, Essex will have decided his purpose has been served and he'll move on. Selene will not, she's viewed that club as her birthright since she was first inducted into it, and we both know that.

Even supposing you have the power, ambition and ruthlessness to defeat hers, Alistaire- do you really believe that you can play that game of thrones and work towards becoming a better man at the same time?"

"I want everything." Alistaire gives a lazy half-smile. "But for now I'll settle for scotch."

He gives his aunt his full attention, and holds back a comment about how one could make an argument about how 'out' Emma Frost would ever be. He takes his own drink and sips it graciously.

"But he is fully mad now, which is our problem. And your husband's." He grunts. "I see your points though... Sebastian poses the most direct threat to the two, or three, of us, but we're all so much spare parts so far as Essex cares. Selene... I can probably handle her." He shrugs. "It's the pursuit she truly loves. If she ever actually took over the world, she'd be bored by the afternoon."

He shrugs again at the final question.

"There are two ways of looking at it, Auntie... maybe a good man, or at least one who wants to be, is what it actually takes to effect change... and the alternative.." He sips the last of his scotch. "My soul isn't really in such sterling condition that it would be considered a loss. By anyone.

But as I've said, I'm not the 'how' in all this. I'm coming to you because I don't know where to start, and your judgment in matters of morality and/or ethics is leagues past mine."

If Alistaire was looking to impress her with the urge to be a changed man, that lazy manner of saying he wanted everything didn't strike the right chord.

As for Emma, belonging in name to the Hellfire Club was not remotely the same as being among its ruling elite, which she hadn't for some time.

"The first thing that a recovering addict is supposed to do, Alistaire, is change their environment." She took a careful sip of her drink. "You can be influential and powerful without the Hellfire Club. The truth is, its actual social cachet is declined considerably. Too many years spent primarily as a den of supervillainy I imagine."

She set down her drink. "But as it happens, you are there and potentially in a place to find out about how Father's Inner Circle actually operates. If something is to be done about him, it needs to be with proper information."

Alistaire's expression is calm, but his eyes show an annoyed glint. His dear Aunt has a most obnoxious habit of being accurate about things. "Do you truly believe I could just walk away?"

Ah, and then she gets to an angle he's more comfortable with.

"I'm the Black King of New York... I should be able to secure quite a great deal of information. Where should I focus my efforts?

"No, I don't." Stephanie replied. Alistaire could take that as he wished, really.

"Crane. I may not know everything my father's up to, but he's predictable enough on the big strokes. I feel like I have a decent grasp on Essex and Selene's motives. But Crane is a man I do not understand. How he fits into everything, what he wants, his connections with the other major players."

She took a sip of her wine, and spoke in a quiet but emphatic tone. "He is also mine. Mine and Marcelo's, to do with as we choose. Just as Shinobi was yours to deal with."

Alistaire gives a solid nod to each topic. "I'll start with him; and I understand your calling 'dibs'.

Stephanie... do you think there's any way back for Sebastian? My mind is essentially made up, but I've never been all that good at the whole 'forgiveness' thing.

I just want to make sure I'm going down the appropriate path."

Stephanie leaned back to consider it for a moment.

"When I first became reacquainted with my father, he was not what you would call a good man. He was ruthless, ambitious and feared by his enemies. But he understood the value of family. He treated those who served him well. He wasn't cruel for cruelty's sake.

When he came back, however, all I've seen evidence of is the cruelty, the brutality. He murdered a hundred people in order to send a message to Selene. He had his own daughter and- at least in part, heir mentally manipulated over a long period."

She set down her glass and shook her head. "I cannot forgive him what he has done to me. And I believe the world will be better without him."

"Then we're in agreement on the broad strokes." Alistaire nods, speaking quietly.

"I won't keep you out of the loop, but I'll try to spare you any of the particularly distasteful details." He stands up, walking to the window and looking out at the city. The city. His city, or so he liked to think.

The Black King of New York.

Could he walk away from it?

Did he really want to? Did the 'new' him he aspired to want to?

"And Marcelo? What part are you going to have him play in this, besides sharing dibs on Crane?"

His own soul was rather far down the path of thorns already; he'd rather not drag anyone else too far, if they still had a chance of staying who they were.

"It's needless to say that Shaw Industries will not be doing any business in Brazil while Father is in charge. That'll hurt more than he thinks. While I was on the board, I made quite a few deals with Brazilian companies. Short-term ones that have all either elapsed or will elapse soon. They'll vaporize immediately."

Stephanie finally decided to have a bite of the cheese. Admittedly, it was excellent.

"But he's not a man for cloak and dagger schemes. It's part of the reason I married him."

"I'll do what I can to imbalance the real estate holdings of the company. If we can move in tandem, we should imbalance him, at least for a bit. That'll give me a chance to go looking for information. He'll have to reallocate assets from the individual club chapters if he wants to shore up his personal ones, and that will probably displease enough of the Kings and Queens."

Alistaire joins her in eating for a bit.

"He is a good man. You deserve him." He pauses, and smirks. "And I can't say he doesn't deserve you; but I do reserve the right to change my mind."

She took another sip of her wine.

"He is. The best man I've ever met." She replied truthfully. "I still know some people on the board at Shaw Industries. They're traditionally loyal to a fault to Sebastian, but that loyalty is most likely predicated on continued success.

If the King's Men at Shaw Industries begin to question him, even slightly, then his position becomes dire. His power and influence ultimately stems from the company."

"Don't tell them I'm working with you. We compartmentalize everything we can." Alistaire says with insistence, as cold and serious as an advancing glacier.

"I can tank a few holdings. I'll take a significant hit, but Sebastian's cut will be next to nothing, and if I pick the properties that still carry the Shaw name, he'll take even more damage to his public perception.

"Let's not delude ourselves though. The war on Sebastian Shaw is going to start slowly, and then be all at once. We need to move quietly, and then decisively. The masterstroke has to be right before he realizes we're the ones behind everything.

"Anything less, and our lives are forfeit. And Marcelo's. And those we keep closest. He'll scorch the earth."

There were other reasons not to tell the Shaw Industries board. They were mostly serious-minded men (and a few women) who were slow to trust anyone outside their circle.

"The only thing that is more dangerous is doing nothing. He's already made his intentions plain."

She took another bite of the cheese.

"Aside from our grand conspiracies, how has everything been? Business is proceeding nicely, I imagine?"

"Very much so. The hotel re-opening lit up all the appropriate social media avenues. I've got two restaurants I'm testing menus for this week, and I've even made an investment in a public housing project.

On the other side of things... I think I've cleaned up the last of Shinobi's loose ends, and Alisa is doing better than she has in some time." Aside from the engagement issue, but that wasn't his to discuss. "I've also developed an interest in someone..."

"Oh?" Stephanie raised an eyebrow slightly. "You've never lacked for company before. Who is this special someone who has captured your interest?"

Alisa was not something Stephanie preferred to talk about. She didn't really have any malice towards the woman, but she was never particularly enamored with her.

"I've never been trying to be a better person before.

Tawakawa Reiko. She was the specialist I brought in to deal with Alisa's recovery after dispensing with Shinobi. She's very intelligent, and skilled. Of course she's lovely as well.

I intervened on her behalf when settling the loose ends in Japan. Her connections with the Yakuza have been severed."

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Lines Are Drawn

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