The Queen and Her Prince (Helion)

Emma couldn't really say that she was happy about her current situation. She was honest enough with herself to realize it wasn't anything good. She didn't know where she and Scott were currently standing, and she didn't really care. Not after everything that had happened. The X-men had taken her back, sure. But she hesitated in saying 'welcomed' for a reason. She still felt so out of place among them. With the new leadership, the new team and students. Altogether she didn't feel like she belonged anymore. It was like her first day with the mutants all over again. Unwanted, thought to be unneeded. She tried to push away the thoughts that kept nagging at her, constant with their sting.

Instead of focusing so heavily on what she couldn't change, why not focus on the task at hand? She hadn't waited to see who the new Headmaster and Mistress would give this mission too. She was bored, lonely, and stuck in her room for far too long. So she had decided to bring it upon herself. Emma had made them aware by flying down the driveway in her red convertible, a slight psychic message left in the aftershock of her engine.

If they wanted to send someone along anyways, then why try and stop them? As far as she was concerned, however, she could handle this on her own. Her costume had been dawned once more, and she felt her cape trailing behind her now. Just a few more blocks and she'd be there. Emma was smart enough to cut the engine before she actually arrived. The warehouses that stood around her were eerie and old. A perfect spot for this anti-mutant gang to hold up. In her opinion, they should have went after the group a long time ago. Now there were innocent mutants being held as hostages.

Even if the gang was unaware that the X-men knew. The White Queen scanned the area quickly, as she took her first step toward the targeted building. The minds that swarmed in and around it gave her a perfect map of the place. Getting in would be the fun part. To be fair, she could walk right in and out without the humans even noticing her. But then she'd be just as bored as before. And nothing would really be accomplished, would it?

They'd either assume that it was the X-men and come looking for a fight, or assume it was another mutant and capture or injure more next time. No, Emma wanted things to go off with a bang. It was like flicking a mental switch. She picked the guards and other such members that were closest to the mutants she had been sent to rescue, and just like that, they were out. They'd stay in this sort of coma until Emma flicked the switch on again, in which time she'd already be gone. The rest of the gang members were going to be dealt with in other such methods.

Like the ones currently aiming their rifles at her chest. Emma turned to diamond the moment the first bullet was fired and felt it ping off her harmlessly. The thought of dialing in on their radios never came to mind, thanks to the block she had already placed. She'd get to take down each set, group, couple, pair or lonesome gang member as she pleased. Now this is what Emma considered to be a good time.

It felt strange, being in costume again. The old black and red felt foreign to him after spending so much time rehabilitating, recovering from the loss of his hands, both mentally and physically. Admittedly, the mental part took a whole lot longer than he cared to admit. Though the gloves were helping; it almost made it look like nothing had happened, that he still had his hands. Now, if only those gloves were just a little longer, so that they could cover the hint of metal protruding from his wrists.

Julian Keller flew through the air, his body coated in telekinetic energy, as he pursued his troublesome partner. He wished he knew whom it was that he had been partnered with on this assignment; unfortunately, the higher-ups hadn't deemed it upon themselves to inform him of such a thing. All he knew was that the person had decided to be stubborn and leave without him, and he was one of the few mutants available who could catch up quickly enough to provide efficient help.

Well, at least he was doing this for a good cause. It would feel good, taking out the anti-mutant group that had been terrorizing the area lately. Julian had been told that there were hostages, which only served to further his righteous anger. He was never good at keeping a lid on it when it came to harming innocents, but that didn't mean he was going to act like a human wrecking ball either. He just hoped his partner was handling themself alright.

Hellion finally arrived at the old warehouse the anti-mutant group was said to be hiding in--why did it always have to be a creepy, dilapidated warehouse?--and found that the door was already open. It looked like he would just need to follow the trail of destruction to find his wayward partner. Except, there wasn't any destruction to be found. Any guards he passed were simply knocked unconscious, with nary a bruise or a scrape to be found. Oh no. No. It couldn't be.

Gunfire suddenly drew Julian's attention, and he surrounded himself with a telekinetic shield before flying over to investigate. Oh no.

It was her. He couldn't believe it. For a moment Julian just floated in the corner, dumbstruck, as he watched Emma Frost fight off the crowd of anti-mutant gangsters. Why he was not told that Emma was going to be his partner, he couldn't fathom. This had to be some sort of sick prank.

But he was here, and he might as well save some captive mutants while he had the chance. Throwing himself into the fray, Hellion began to draw a bit of the gunfire himself as he alighted next to Emma. With a moment's concentration, his telekinetic shield expanded until a green dome covered both him and his telepathic partner. Another moment, and the guns firing at them suddenly glowed green and whipped out of the thugs' hands.

Hellion glanced at Emma out of the corner of his glowing green eyes, giving her a look so frosty the sun would feel cold. "Well? Are you going to knock them out, or what?" he snapped, implying that he was only providing her cover for that purpose.