Marvel: The Infinite Crown

{Chapter: 124 - The Blonde Bombshell And Her Offer}

"Yeah, I know it," Aiden replied, his voice low. "It's the club that plays both sides. Not mutant or human. Just… rich."

Emma tilted her head, intrigued. "A cynic. Even better. You'll fit right in."

Aiden's gaze hardened. "You came after my people. You tried to control one of them. Then invited me to sit at your table. That's not exactly a stellar pitch."

"Please," Emma said, flipping her platinum hair over one shoulder. "Everyone knows you're dangerous, Aiden. That's not in dispute. But I'm not Magneto—I don't throw lives at a problem just to see what sticks. I needed to know if you were worth the risk. So I tested the waters."

Aiden scoffed. "With mind control?"

"I dabble," she said with a smirk, then gestured to the plush sofa. "Sit. I promise—this isn't an ambush."

Aiden sat, but not because she told him to. He sat because he'd already sensed the mental intrusion—a delicate psychic probe that had tried to slip past his mind like a thief in the dark. But the reality ring pulsed softly on his hand, repelling the attempt with ease. Emma might be powerful, but he was protected.

"You have power. You've caught our attention," Emma said, her voice smooth as silk stretched over steel. "Your influence is growing. And the company you keep? Let's just say, it's… unconventional. But intriguing."

Aiden didn't take the offered hand. "Skip the seduction. I don't drink with people who play with my head."

Emma's eyes glittered, her smirk widening ever so slightly. "Oh, darling. I'd be disappointed if you had fallen for it."

He gave her a hard look, then slowly sat down, legs crossed, arms still folded. "You tried to enter my mind. Just now. I felt it."

"I felt that," he said dryly. "Try again and I'll start rearranging furniture—with your body."

"And I failed," she admitted, unapologetic. "But I was curious. I wanted to know how deep the protection went."

"Try it again," Aiden said coldly, "and I'll show you how deep you go."

Emma chuckled. "Touché."

Aiden's voice lowered. "Why am I here?"

Emma walked slowly toward him, hands clasped behind her back. Every movement she made was calculated, every word honed like a scalpel. "Because you're more than just a mutant—or whatever label the powerful people try to pin on you. You're a variable. A wild card. And right now, wild cards are more valuable than kings."

"You assume I want to play your game."

"You're already playing," she said. "Whether you know it or not. We don't care about bloodlines or birthrights. We care about potential. You've taken Pyro's powers. Then the Human Torch's. That made us pay attention. Your ability is… unique. Terrifying, yes—but valuable. You're a walking game-changer."

"Men like you, Aiden, tend to be hunted. Feared. But we don't fear power. We cultivate it."

"The others—Xavier, Magneto, the Avengers—they're watching. Waiting. Trying to decide whether you're a threat or a tool."

Aiden's eyes flicked briefly to Azazel, then back. "You going to keep talking in riddles, or are we done?"

Emma gave a theatrical sigh, as though disappointed in his lack of patience. "Fine. Here it is, plain and simple: We want you to join the Hellfire Club."

Aiden arched an eyebrow. "You recruit non-mutants now? That desperate?"

"We recruit power," Emma said crisply. "Race, genetics, background—irrelevant. You have something no one else does. You can take what makes others special. Pyro. Then the Human Torch. You've been busy."

"I didn't exactly ask for their powers," Aiden muttered.

"No, but you wield them better," Emma said. "And that's what terrifies people. You've become a threat without drawing a line in the sand. You don't kneel to Xavier. You didn't run to Magneto. You didn't beg SHIELD for protection. You stood alone. That's why they're watching you. That's why we're interested."

Aiden leaned back, voice casual but sharp. "And now you want me to become your pet monster?"

Emma's smile thinned, but her tone remained patient. "Not a monster. An ally. You're clever enough to know how this world works. The more power you have, the more people will try to cut you down before you grow too big to stop."

She paused. "We can help you grow faster."

"How generous," Aiden said dryly. "And what would this... charity cost me?"

"Not much," Emma said. "Just help ensure the Hellfire Club's continued strength and influence. Defend its interests. Act when called upon. You'd have freedom. Autonomy. No leash. You're not a subordinate. You'd be a king."

"And I'm supposed to believe there's no catch?"

Emma walked to the bar, poured herself a drink, and took a slow sip before replying. "Of course there's a catch. There always is. But for someone like you? It's barely a scratch. We offer protection, access, and resources beyond your imagining."

She set the glass down and turned.

"You want more powers? We can find them. You want specific abilities—rare, dangerous, hidden behind vaults? We have eyes everywhere. Names, locations, weaknesses… Consider it a buffet. You pick. We deliver."

"And in return, I make sure your club keeps climbing the ladder?"

Emma gave a single nod. "That's the deal."

Aiden paused. "And if I say no?"

Azazel finally stepped forward, his voice deep and calmly menacing. "Then nothing changes—yet. We won't threaten you. That's not how we operate. But others… won't be as polite. You're already a target. Sooner or later, someone will try to end you. We're not savages. But the world? It is watching you, Aiden. And it's sharpening its knives."

Frederick Slade leaned against the wall, finally speaking in his gravelly tone. "You'll be a target. Sooner or later, someone's going to try to take what you have. The X-Men won't protect you. SHIELD certainly won't.

Slade continues. "What the Hellfire offers is more than protection. It's foresight. We see the moves coming before the pieces hit the board."

Emma leaned forward again, voice dropping. "You can fight every battle alone, Aiden. Or… you can stand beside the few who already rule."

There was a long silence.

Then Aiden chuckled.

"You came to me after trying to invade my mind. You call that respect?"

Emma shrugged. "I call that honesty. You're too dangerous to approach blindly. You proved that already. But we came anyway. Because we know something most don't…"

Her eyes locked on his.

"You're going to change the world, Aiden. The only question is—will you change it for you… or for someone else?"

"The Hellfire Club still needs help and shelter from others?"

Aiden's voice was cool and measured as he shifted the conversation with a raised brow. He leaned back slightly, resting his hands on the armrests of the ornate couch as if he had just caught the White Queen in a contradiction.

The room had grown quieter, heavier, as the weight of the discussion settled between them.

Emma tilted her head and offered a coy smile, unfazed by his probing question. Her legs crossed slowly, deliberately, as she replied, "Even empires need alliances, darling. We don't beg for shelter—we broker partnerships. Strategic ones."

Aiden narrowed his eyes.

The conditions Emma laid out had been tempting. Almost suspiciously generous. Resources beyond what he could acquire on his own. Political and financial muscle. Rare information. Influence. The kind of infrastructure that took decades to build—handed to him in exchange for his occasional assistance.

It sounded like he had the upper hand. But Aiden wasn't one to be deceived by appearances.

Emma Frost wasn't just some socialite in white silk. She was the woman holding the Hellfire Club together with her bare hands. With the Black King absent and the Black Queen lurking in the shadows like a ghost, it was Emma who kept this ancient order from crumbling into obscurity. And she hadn't just maintained it—she'd evolved it.

Aiden respected ability. And Emma? She reeked of it.

"You've been holding this place up all by yourself," Aiden said calmly. "No Black King beside you. No full council. Just you. That's not just impressive—it's exhausting. You're pushing uphill every single day."

Emma's smile twitched. "And now you understand why I'm interested in help."

She exhaled softly, her voice turning a shade more vulnerable. "Do you have any idea what it's like to keep a centuries-old institution afloat, while every vulture in the power circuit waits for you to slip up? I'm managing expectations from shareholders, mutants, diplomats, spies, and enemies—some of whom wear the same insignia as me."

Her tone dropped, sincere.

"I won't lie. It's stressful. It's lonely. And yes… I want help. Your help."

Aiden's gaze remained fixed, unmoved.

Emma took another breath and leaned forward, elbows on her knees. "With you by my side—even if just symbolically—it changes the game. You're unpredictable. Dangerous. Powerful Influential People talk about you in whispers. That's a kind of power even I can't buy."

*****

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