Not Long After!
The sleek hum of an engine echoed softly alongside the sound of water crashing against the luxury vehicle. Maxim sat in the driver's seat, steering carefully as he drove throughout Massachusetts.
Alongside him, Storm sat curiously, her white hair cascading down her shoulders as she looked outside the windows at the blurred scenery, and occasionally glanced back throughout the car, admiring its uniqueness.
"You've been quiet since we left Madripoor." Maxim said, turning to look at Ororo as they stopped at a red light.
"Just admiring the vehicle and gathering my thoughts." She said as she looked around the interior of the car. It was truly luxurious, just the seat she sat on felt more comfortable than any seat back at the school.
The sound echoing from the radio was clear, a soft melodic instrumental song, and the air conditioning was the perfect temperature.
"The car? It was designed by A.N.G.E.L, it's limited supply at the moment as we work out kinks, but it should be available to you all soon." Maxim said.
"That A.N.G.E.L is quite marvelous, Hank is constantly intrigued by it, asking as many questions when he can." Storm said.
"It's natural to be curious. It's good to relax right now, after all, meeting Emma Frost isn't something one does lightly." Maxim said.
Storm chuckled softly, "True. She's as formidable as she is unpredictable."
A moment of silence passed before she spoke again, her tone more inquisitive. "Why did you choose me to accompany you? There are others who might have been more... diplomatic."
Maxim turned to face her, his expression thoughtful. "Because you command respect, Ororo, and I think that's valuable when conducting these kind of...expeditions."
She raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in her eyes, "Why thank you."
He smirked, "Just stating facts."
As they finished speaking, the car had begun to slow down as they approached the gates of Massachusetts Academy, the grand structure looming ahead.
Storm immediately adjusted her posture in her seat, straightening it as her eyes narrowed while she scanned the approaching entrance, preparing herself for what lies ahead.
Meanwhile Maxim reached for a small console beside the steering wheel, tapping once to dim the radio, "Looks like we're here."
The gates were already beginning to open, not entirely but enough to reveal a figure stepping out from a booth nestled beside the entryway. The man who emerged was tall, lean, wearing a sharply tailored security guard uniform.
Storm glanced at Maxim, "I assume they were expecting us?"
"No," he replied calmly. "But it won't matter."
The guard strode forward and raised a hand, signaling for them to stop. The window on Maxim's side hissed down with a quiet click, revealing the pair inside.
The guard looked between Maxim and Storm, his tone immediately firm, "Names?"
Maxim offered a faint smile, fingers resting on the steering wheel, "Tell Emma Frost that Maxim Novikov and Ororo Munroe have arrived."
The guard didn't move, "I wasn't informed of any such meeting. You'll have to—"
Maxim's eyes met his. Just for a second. Just long enough.
The golden glint of the embedded Mind Stone in his body flared beneath his skin, hidden to the world, but focused like a scalpel. It didn't flood the guard's mind with pressure or pain.
It was a whisper, a simple reshaping of thought, so seamless that the man wouldn't even know his mind had been effected in such a way.
'You don't need confirmation. You know who they are. Let them in.'
The effect was instant. The guard blinked once, then stepped back, "Ah. Of course. My apologies, Mr. Maxim. Miss Munroe. Please proceed through the gate."
He turned and pressed a button on his device, and the wrought iron doors groaned as they began to swing fully open.
Storm's gaze snapped toward Maxim, her brow slightly raised, "You didn't say anything."
"I didn't need to," Maxim replied, tapping the console again to raise the window. The car rolled forward smoothly, passing the now-smiling guard as if nothing had happened.
Storm folded her arms across her chest, regarding him with new scrutiny. "That wasn't telepathy."
"It's whatever you think of it as." Maxim said, and Storm remained quiet for a moment in thought after hearing it.
"You're more interesting than I expected." She finally said as she removed the seatbelt, preparing to leave the vehicle soon.
"Hopefully not in a bad way." Maxim responded.
"That remains to be seen." She said.
With that, the duo remained quiet as they drove deeper and deeper into the estate. They could see the occasional student who was on a break walking around. Some of them were mutants and some weren't.
At the center was the main building and Maxim pulled the vehicle into a stone-paved circle drive right before it. He didn't park immediately. Instead, he let the car idle for a moment, eyes scanning the structure.
"She built this place to impress," he murmured.
"It's always been part of her charm," Storm added, already unbuckling her seatbelt. "Grandeur. Mystery. A little bit of intimidation."
Maxim finally put the car in park and shut off the engine. He reached for the door handle, then paused, glancing at Storm. "One last thing before we go in."
"Yes?"
"I'll do the talking at first. Emma and I—if there's any friction, I'd rather it fall on me than on you. She respects power more than courtesy. If it becomes about diplomacy, you take over."
Storm nodded once, her expression unreadable. "Understood."
The duo stepped outside the car at the same time, the soft crunch of gravel barely audible beneath their feet. Maxim closed and locked the car doors behind him, adjusting his black coat as he walked with Storm alongside him.
As they entered through the main door, the soft click of shoes echoed across the marble floor as a woman descended from the upper floor.
She was tall and statuesque, with auburn hair and emerald eyes. Her clothes were tailored white, and adapted to fit the current surroundings. Maxim immediately knew she was a mutant.
Maxim and Storm stopped near the center of the foyer, letting her approach.
"I wasn't informed of any guests arriving today," the woman said with a smooth, poised tone, hands folded in front of her. "I am Amara Travers, assistant to Headmistress Frost. State your business, please."
Maxim took a single step forward, offering a polite smile, "We're here to speak with Emma. It's urgent."
Amara's eyes flicked to Storm, then back to Maxim. "Be that as it may, Miss Frost does not receive walk-ins, no matter how... striking their entrance. You'll need to schedule a formal—"
His gaze met hers. Just long enough, as per usual.
The faintest pulse of golden light flickered under his skin, buried so deep that even the chandeliers failed to reflect it. The Mind Stone's influence stretched out, precise and discreet. Amara didn't tense. She didn't react at all. Her posture softened slightly, her resistance evaporating like mist on glass.
'You will take us to Emma Frost. Now. No questions.'
The change was imperceptible. Amara's lips parted slightly, blinking once before nodding with calm composure. "Of course. My apologies. Please, this way."
Storm cast a sidelong glance toward Maxim as they began to follow the assistant up the stairs. Her voice was low, amused, "You do that too well."
Maxim didn't look away from the stairwell. "Practice makes perfect."
Once they arrived upstairs, Amara led them down the hall and paused before a tall set of double doors with golden handles. The engraved plaque beside it read:
HEADMISTRESS EMMA FROST
Amara reached for the handles.
Before she could knock, Maxim raised a hand. "Thank you. We'll take it from here."
The assistant nodded once and walked away without a word, her heels clicking against the floor in a distant rhythm that quickly faded.
Storm inhaled slowly, "You really are something else, Maxim."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
Without hesitation, Maxim pushed the doors open.
The room beyond was every bit the throne it was meant to be. Vast windows stretched from floor to ceiling, letting in light that reflected off crystal fixtures, gleaming bookshelves, and white leather chairs.
The carpet was thick and pale gray, and at the far end of the room, behind an imposing white marble desk, sat Emma Frost.
She hadn't risen yet. A crystal tumbler sat beside her elbow, untouched, and a digital tablet glowed softly with a flickering page of notes. Her gaze lifted immediately at the sound of the doors opening.
And then she froze.
Emma Frost rarely looked surprised. But now? There was a flicker of unmistakable calculation in her icy blue eyes. Her posture shifted slightly, no longer the relaxed posture of a headmistress in her den, but the subtle straightening of someone realizing a chessboard had just changed.
She set the tablet down.
"Well," she said, voice like winter glass. "I certainly didn't expect the ruler of Madripoor at my doorstep." Emma said.
Her eyes shifted to Storm.
"And Ororo... I can't decide if I'm honored or threatened."
Storm smiled, unbothered. "That depends entirely on how this goes."
Maxim stepped forward, folding his hands behind his back. "We came to talk. Not threaten. Not posture. Just talk."
Emma leaned back in her chair slowly, never taking her eyes off either of them. "Then talk."
Her eyes flicked once more to Maxim, and something cold and curious settled into her expression.
"What could possibly be important enough for you to walk through my door after all this time?"