6 Months Later: The Hellfire Club

[ngm_hellfire]

The fall of Sebastian Shaw did not change much of the societal face of the Hellfire Club; it was still where the people who mattered gathered, just with one less cranky meglomaniac. But the effect on the Inner Circle and the plans Shaw had for them quickly disintegrated. His loss of power left a vacuum that nature only allowed for a moment.

Selene had waited for years, if not decades, for the opportunity. She had a lifespan long enough that while her whims could seem mercurial, the patience for her machinations to unfold seemed boundless. Once Shaw was arrested for his unfortunate assault on an international businessman, the poisoned whispers she had been planting since he slaughtered her followers took hold. Shaw's name was worth nothing, and someone of prominence needed to take control. Selene did it with smooth efficiency.

All of Shaw's promises were quickly discarded.

She was named Lady Paramount with her promises of righting what Shaw had taken so wrong. She embodied the hedonistic past of the Inner Circle but her alliances showed how she could rehabilitate the Inner Circle from the path it had been set on. Her dark yet silken touch seemed a balm after the iron grip.

All other chapters of the Hellfire Club around the world were still subordinate to the power of the New York chapter. However, Selene reversed much of what Shaw ordered. All other chapters would reform their ranking to her wishes. Once the more classically game rankings were applied, they formally acknowledged the New York chapter was in charge. Then it was in the other Clubs' hands to impress her and reap rewards from doing so. Selene's proper feudalistic system was more palatable than what had been put in place previously.

For the young, rich blood of New York, invitations were sent out for some functions held at the Club. After a couple, Selene had more secret invitations to those of Hellfire lineage, like Worthingtons, Wyngardes, Braddocks, and Frosts, as well as to those newer to society that showed promise Selene was looking for.

Selene kept tabs on the recipients of those special invitations and what they had done in the time after her ascension. When she had all of the international business settled, invitations to the young blood of New York City went out. They would be allowed, one by one, into one of the inner sanctum parlors where the Lady Paramount and Black Queen of New York City sat casually on the lone chair in the room.

One of her slender fingers idly tapped the rim of the wine glass with a very deep red liquid in it. The gatekeeper to the Inner Circle was ready.

Comments

[kinetic_assault]

"I'm tired of people persecuting mutants. I can't fight them with the current tools I have. I need new tools." Brianna said.

[ngm_hellfire]

"And your father's... affiliates haven't provided the tools you need?" Though, on the whole, Selene was more cognizant of what Candra's group did. Though someone's bodyguard was rather loose-lipped about her affiliation in the halls of this very building. she grabbed her wine glass from its mid-air perch.

"Though I can assure you, the Inner Circle can provide you more resources and tools to help with your goal. Our former resident Sentinel manufacturer had a recent precipitous fall. Shaw's undoing should help you in that regard."

[kinetic_assault]

"I'm working on my father's affiliates, soon to be mine, but diversifying my options is best." Brianna said.

"Sebastian Shaw wasn't anyone I cared to associate with, so you won't see any tears from me on that." he said.

[ngm_hellfire]

"Very few cried over his losses, but he is firmly in the past for us. We're moving forward toward betterment." While an affiliation to the Thieves' Guild could be either a benefit or detriment, Selene did have to give the girl some praise for having the courage to face her.

"How hard was it to sneak this meeting past your parents? Or your girlfriend for that matter?"

[kinetic_assault]

"I don't think talking about my parents or girlfriend is beneficial. Besides, as I said, I'm charting my own course.

I'm going to do what I need to do to protect my people. They'll understand." Brianna said.

[ngm_hellfire]

"Beneficial to whom? You or me? Because I do have concerns if they try to storm the Club thinking I kidnapped or brainwashed you. I am trying to repair our reputation after it was ground into the dirt."

Though the avoidance informed Selene enough about some of the girl's intentions.

"What I offer will not be about just you. It will also have consequences for the others who have accepted a place in the Inner Circle."

[kinetic_assault]

"It doesn't help either of us, Lady Paramount. But I understand what you mean. I've worked very hard over the last few months to keep my intentions from the people in my life." Brianna said.

"The X-Men won't come looking for trouble. I hope we won't go looking for it from them, either?"

[ngm_hellfire]

"The last time I went looking for trouble with the X-Men, I paid the price for it. I have no intention of any further meddling with them, their school, or any of their affairs." Though she had recruited some definite protection against certain ones with a noticeable loathing of Selene.

She swirled the dark liquid around her glass and then took a sip. "Does that settle those concerns?"

[kinetic_assault]

"That settles it, then. We're not going after the X-Men and they won't come looking for us." Brianna said with a nod.

[ngm_hellfire]

She watched the girl levelly for a moment. This would be interesting to see how vengeance twisted after what had happened to her girlfriend. That had been a rather tasty sampling of soul.

"Then do you pledge your service alongside the other members of the Inner Circle of the Hellfire Club?"

[kinetic_assault]

"I pledge my service alongside the other members oft he Inner Circle of the Hellfire Club." Brianna said.

She readied herself for what was coming. The Club was going to use her, one way or the other. She planned to use it as well.

And someday soon she'd bring Selene down for what she'd done to Kayla. But she needed to get to a proper place.

[ngm_hellfire]

Selene set her glass aside on the invisible table again. The Black Queen rose smoothly from her throne.

"Then welcome to the Inner Circle, White Knight."

She offered her hand to Brianna. On one of her fingers was a ring with a stylized chess piece cameo: the Black Queen on a field of red.

[kinetic_assault]

White was a good color. White Knight was a good piece. This didn't have to be a negative.

"Thank you, Lady Paramount. I look forward to a profitable relationship for everyone." she said, shaking hands with the woman before her. She noted the ring on Selene's finger and found a goal to aspire to someday in the future.