Chapter 284: Arc Ten. Chapter Two-Hundred Seventy-Seven. A Diamond In The Rough

Emma had a glass in her hand as she watched the president's speech, and as he finished and she click off the TV, she drained it and sunk back down into her couch.

A shit ending to an even shittier day.

As Octave had refused to create a Symbiote for her, she had wondered why, and as she and Selene had gone over the records of the Hellfire Club, released that moron Wade from the storage facility of the bar where they had kept the ‘others’ she made a horrifying discovery.

Emma Frost was dead.

The person sitting drinking scotch in the afternoon wasn’t her. She was a perfect clone, made to think she was born in the 80s, made to think she had lived a life of her own but the truth was that Emma Frost had died sometime in 1997, of something as boring as old age. 

Like Charles and Erik, she had been part of the original X-Men feud. Shaw was trying to start a world war in the ‘60s against Charles and a vengeful Erik. Emma had been in her thirties in 1962, and now over sixty years later, she would have been almost a hundred. Emma had passed on, and Octave had known, maybe there was something wrong with her, maybe the Symbiote was just a fussy bitch and didn't want a defective host. 

Emma stared at the bottom of her glass and disappointed it was empty, levitated the bottle over and poured another one.

What bothered her more though, was that she didn't care. She wasn't drinking because she was upset, she was drinking because she wasn’t the only clone Shaw had made of Emma. 

Psylocke was Emma, Anne Marie was Emma, there was so many fucking Emmas in the world she was angry she wasn't as special as she thought. They got amazing powers and she was created to suck dick and do anal. They were fighters, they were warriors, and she was a pair of tits. And while she thought they were a fantastic pair, it still pissed her off. 

There were six of them in total. Four accounted for, once she discovered that Madame Hydra was also another fucking clone. Even she got to lead Shaw’s little chemical empire, leading while she had been on her back, fucking world leaders and debasing herself. 

She felt a twinge of anger at Peter, not for killing him, but for making it too quick. Now she knew the truth she wished she had been there when he killed Shaw, wished she could have seen the light fade from that prick's eyes as his life's work spat in his face.

She had been made to be a pet to the rich elite. A powerful telepath to spy on their enemies, a powerful telekinetic to protect them, and if that failed her diamond form was the ultimate defence, to act as a living shield as well as being stunningly beautiful. Of course, it had all been wrapped up in a slim and toned body, delicious curves, and an ample chest. She didn't hate who Shaw had made her, she hated she never got the choice.

She was just about to scream and throw the glass across the room when Peter intruded into her thoughts,

Emma, it's bad. Sentinels are attacking Augments over the city, stay safe and be careful. I think Felicia is heading your way, she’ll help.

Hmm, she thought, at least he was nice enough to give me a warning. 

Her time with Felicia had been her way of getting back into a more normal life, and she had hoped it would lead to Peter joining them but the stupid idiot grew a conscience. What was wrong with screwing beautiful people all day? Life was short, and beauty faded, as she knew all too well. 

She didn't care about the labels. Poly, harem, or whatever the idiots wanted to call it. Monogamy was boring. Gay, straight, bi, pan, or whatever the latest faddy label was Emma didn’t care about that either. She took who she wanted, when she wanted, and anyone else’s opinion be damned.

Liv had also provided a willing partner, and a most welcome one, sharing in her tastes and opinions, and had been very forthcoming on how she could get Peter if she so desired. And she admitted it, to herself at least, that she did. 

He was handsome, wealthy, powerful, and becoming very influential. He stayed out of his partner's lives unless they asked him in, and like Shaw, he was going to be around for a very very long time. Getting in on the ground floor with AIM was a start, and now she wanted more.

She wanted someone who valued her opinion. Someone who looked at the package, nodded in appreciation, but was more interested in what was inside, and he was. He had set her up with Pepper, who had arranged for her to consult some of the best cosmetics retailers on the market. Peter had assigned her a budget and allowed her to run her own company, and the one time she had gone to him for advice he had laughed and admitted he knew nothing about how to run a business and sent her back to Pepper. 

She knew why so many flocked to him, and why so many were willing to share. He wasn’t perfect, in fact, everyone had their complaints, but he would do very nicely, in all departments.

But now it was all being threatened by the same people she had been made to serve. Now those stupid government shitheads had actually done what Shaw warned them all about. They couldn't control Augments so they would contain them. She would never allow that to happen, she had just broken free from one misogynistic asshole and she wasn't about to let more ruin her life.

She stood and stripped from her pale cream silk pyjamas, ignored underwear as it wasn't cold and she did like to show a bit of skin. As Emma called over her clothes and squeezed into a white tube top, tight leather pants, and a fur-lined cream half jacket she spied herself in the mirror.

“I am fucking fabulous. Now, let's relieve some of this tension and show Peter just what he is missing.”

Elektra, did Peter send a warning?

No, but I know from Matt, we have Sentinels at the bar, and I have heard from Felicia they sent the military to Peter's work. Are you coming?

Oh not just yet, maybe once I’ve dealt with this mess,

Elektra laughed, Now is not the time Emma, we have problems.

Emma floated out of the penthouse apartment window, and hovered over the New York skyline, stretching out her senses she felt for the most panicked areas, where she imagined the Sentinels were causing the most damage.

No darling. They have problems.

Elektra huffed as Emma cut the communications off. Hades let her read the minds of others, a nice trick when she was negotiating, but she had trouble grasping the intricacies of long-distance mental communication. She had been told by Liv that each Symbiote had its own strengths and weaknesses and that while Hades was fine she expended a lot of energy keeping Elektra alive and healing her. Hades was whole, she would just never be as strong as the others.

As Elektra stood outside of Bar Sinister, she ushered out the bar patrons and staff. While the Sentinels were rolled out everywhere was closing to keep their businesses and premises safe during the upheaval.

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Idiots, Elektra thought to herself as the first Sentinel scanned her.

“Scanning For Mutant DNA. Non-Human DNA Detected. Matching Sample Peter Parker. Alien DNA Detected, You Are To Report For Questioning. The Local Authorities Have Been Made Aware Of Your Location.”

“Not happening. I already know that you are not allowed to do this. The act only covers-” but the Sentinel interrupted her.

“Accomplices Of Peter Parker Are To Be Taken For Questioning, Refusal Of Orders Is Non-Compliance. Non-Compliance Will Be Treated As Threatening Behaviour And Suitable Countermeasures Will Be Deployed.”

Elektra couldn't believe what she had just heard, “You are kidding. No.” and as the Sentinel lifted a hand she flipped out of the way as a blast of energy scorched the ground where she was just standing.

Her clothing morphed into her armour, and two symbskin sai grew from her palms. Taking her stance, “I will not be taken for knowing someone, you have no right.”

The Sentinels were like fighting large target dummies, barely moving and as she danced around them her sai were replaced by twin blades that made short work of their armour. Even as it twisted and rippled, she simply switched tactics and went after the lesser armoured joints. She barely broke a sweat as the simple machines proved ineffective against anyone who fought back.

Whoever had designed these had been a poor architect. These were not for combat against normal people, and if the president was right, and these were Augments hunters. They were more suited for standing and acting like cannons, while troops or specialised units took care of the more physically powerful.

As she let out a slow breath and the Sentinels lay in sparking and flickering scrap, she knew these were not what she needed to be worried about. They had come directly to the bar, they had known to and whoever was pulling the strings of this farce knew what the club actually was.

Emma landed and walked over, a small smirk on her face as Elektra shrugged, “I thought you would leave something for me, darling, but I guess we can't all be a ninja warrior.” 

Elektra laughed, “We need to watch out. Matt called me to say that soldiers are also involved.” Emma frowned and raised a finger to her temple.

“Oh yes, and from the interference, they are Gamma Enhanced as Peter calls them. A lot tougher.”

Elektra frowned “What is a Gamma Enhanced?” This was news to her, as she never bothered to listen to Liv when she talked about work after their now weekly tea and indulgence evenings.

Emma sighed “Hulks, they are Hulks darling. You need to pay attention more.”

Elektra coughed “Hulks? We cannot fight Hulks. He trashed Harlem. He smashed up that helicarrier himself, Are you kidding me? And more than one?” 

Elektra was verging on hysterical at the thought of having to fight more than one of those things. She had never met Hulk but the film footage she had seen put him at monstrous levels, and even she was not stupid enough to attempt something like that.

She felt a wave of warmth pass over her, “You need to calm down, they won't be like Hulk, even they aren't that stupid. Just think, I don't know, giant? Maybe troll or yeti sized.”

“Emma, that isn't helping, they are still monsters!”

Emma snorted, “They are men, and men can be hurt and defeated. Nobody is perfect.”

Elektra raised an eyebrow, “oh sorry, were you done. I was expecting,” and she copied Emma's voice, “except me darling. I’m fabulous,”

Emma laughed, “Well, at least someone else admits it.” and Elektra shook her head, “but we won't have any soldiers here. I sent them all away.” and Elektra shrugged, “oh come on. Why fight when you don't have to? And I didn't kill them, they are just taking a small nap. Formula or not, a human mind is still a human mind.”

“Sometimes I worry about you, Emma. You seem so frail and yet so dangerous.” Elektra admitted,

“All the most wonderful things in life are, darling.”

As Hades rippled back into Elektra's normal tracksuit and top, Emma tilted her head to one side,

“I think I spoke too soon. I missed one.”

The black and white Shield coloured armour glided down to street level and landed with a thunk, Warmachine stood, the newer arcstar powered repulsors whined and powered up with coils of blue light, and were both raised at Elektra. 

“For the destruction of government property. Elektra Natchios. You are under arrest. Miss, for your safety, please stand to one side.”

Malisson

I did drop a few hints during the Shaw arc that Emma might not be the real Emma. Shaw called them Stepford Rogues (my version of the Stepford Cuckoos), he told Peter if he wanted a younger version he could make one, and then we had Rogue and Psylocke, both clones.

Just who are the other two?

It’s not like anyone else in the story is a clone, right?

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