5586/Astral Flux: Making a House Call

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Astral Flux: Making a House Call
Date of Scene: 18 October 2018
Location: Unknown
Synopsis: Emma goes calling on a possible link to the Shadow King, only to run into some unexpected obstacles. She makes another plan.
Cast of Characters: Emma Frost, Lex Luthor
Tinyplot: Astral Flux


Emma Frost has posed:
When Betsy had severed the connection between Emma and the Shadow King, it had not only been a shock, but left Emma scrambling for solutions to the problem of how to get back to her beloved. If it weren't so dangerous, and perhaps a little bit pathetic, one might almost laugh at the thought of Emma Frost being besotted with someone. And yet, there you have it, Emma was: she'd never encountered a mind like the Shadow King's before, and likely never would again, and she was utterly enthralled with it. To the point of blindly following him, and seeking out any connection with that mind she might.

Which is what found her heading into the desert, seeking out the one mind she knew existed that none of the other telepaths, in particular, Betsy, were aware of. And because they weren't aware, they weren't looking for this particular mind either.

Emma intended on rejoining her King via that mind.

However, she had to get to it first.. She'd travelled to the location, and rented herself an all terrain vehicle, and set out to find the physical location of the body based on that prior connection blip she had. She hadn't entertained the notion that the man might not be there anymore, or may have expired. In Emma's mind, he was going to be there. She was going to make that connection. And she was going to rejoin her beloved.

Lex Luthor has posed:
    The place where Ron is only has a few references to it. Emma had to really dig deep to find records of it on the western edge of Egypt. Officially classified as 'abandoned Ford vehicle factory', the archived documentation for it dates back to the 80s. Why he was out here? That's the question, isn't it?

When Emma gets within sight of the factory, it becomes clear that it has all the markers of being 'abandoned'. The parking lot is cracked, uneven, and completely out of date. The main complex building itself is completely exposed to the elements, with broken windows and a back door hanging off it's hinges. The utility building itself off to the side is completely enclosed, but definitely beaten down by the heat. The black and grey steel and brick of the buildings have become dull.

It is, for all intents and purposes, giving no sign of being occupied.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma is not a dumb woman. Normally, she'd have taken time with something like this, and not impetuously and impulsively headed out on what could be a fool's mission. She certainly normally would have checked things out for safety, or other circumstances that might trigger an alert to danger.

However, Emma was not herself these days. Or, at least not entirely herself. Her need to get back to the link overrode many of her better instincts, and while she had been careful to cover her tracks to get here, making vague noises about a vacation, and the safety of the children at Xavier's, yada yada, she'd been much less careful about pondering why Ron would be found in an abandoned factory.

Certainly, she should have questionned the abandoned part.

However, she get to within sight of the place before she even considers that she should have been more careful.

Still, she does have certain weapons at her disposal, such as her mind, and that she employs now, reaching out psychically to ascertain what she may be up against on that front. Physically? Well, that one she may be slightly less in luck about, though there always is her diamond form to fall back upon if she needs to.

First things first, though: are there any other active minds about, and most importantly, are any of them ones she should be worried about.

Lex Luthor has posed:
    There are, in fact, no minds about that Emma can feel... but coming close to the facility triggers a LexCorp covert spy satellite overwatch alarm. The alarm is forwarded to his office in LexCorp, and Lex has to interrupt a business meeting when it comes up. "We'll finish this later." Lex commands from his chair, sending his subsidiary overseers away.

"Mercy, Hope. Go watch the doors." The two bodyguards move over to the door as Lex presses a button to shift the office into lockdown mode. Another button is pressed. and the holographic suit built into the walls activates, bringing up an overhead isometric view of the facility from above. "Harmony. Identify the visitor." Lex states out loud; a complicated and effective host of identification software gets to work tagging Emma Frost and her vehicle. "Sooner than I anticipated..."

Emma Frost has posed:
Yes. Satellites.

Now, see, those are things Emma should have thought about. It's not like she's unfamiliar with the tech or engineering world. In fact, she's otherwise rather savvy about the matter. However.. besotted.. enthralled.. ever so slightly desperate..

She's likely going to regret all of this some day, but today? Today she has one goal in mind: Finding Ron.

Not that she's entirely stupid about the matter. She keeps her mind scanning in case there are surprises along the way. She, herself, employs shielding, so she knows these things can be done. And.. she's not without damaging capabilities in her own right when it comes down to it, beyond sheer attack of mind on mind, Emma has a few other tricks up her sleeves.

She approaches the facility cautiously.

Lex Luthor has posed:
    It sits there like an eyesore in the Sahara. There's no one around for almost fifty miles; an intentional isolation on Luthors part. So far, nothing untoward is going on.

Back at his office, the AI has identified Emma Frost and her ATV. Frowning to himself, he hits a button on his desk, and a set of files appears above the overwatch hologram. Ten seconds later, and the intercom is hit for the facility where Ron is being held proper.

His voice is distorted in every way possible as it filters into the prison. "This is the client. We have a potential high threat telepath incoming by the name of Emma Frost. All security to covert fight positions. Set turrets to high alert. Use of portable Psi-nullifiers is authorized in case she breaches initial entry."

Emma Frost has posed:
That eyesore in the desert... Another of those things that Emma really should have tweaked on. But then again, she's on high alert with her telepathic senses, and totally prepared to blast anything that strikes out at her.

That, and there's the ace up her sleeve of that diamond form. It's pretty impenetrable. Mind you, she is a bit cocky at the best of times. Her current mental state isnt helping, leaving Emma both hyper aware, and less worried than she should be.

Still, she approaches, aware that at some point she's likely to encounter either nothing.. or some sort of field protecting the place.. It's really rather late in the game that she thinks about the fact that this all could be a very complex illusion she's being given, but it does occur to her. A technical illusion she won't be able to see through, but a psychic one? Most definitely.

Emma pauses in her approach and switches tactics, checking for the illusions that she can discern. At the very least, she's refocused her attention on being more careful, and the concept that this might not be all it seems, this abandoned factory, and may well be something altogether different.

Lex Luthor has posed:
    There's definitely no psionic presence here. There also doesn't appear to be any technology immediately obvious. The outside is, for all intents and purposes, giving the appearance of being abandoned.

Emma Frost has posed:
Cautious, but feeling more secure in her safety, Emma continues along until she either reaches the nearest and most obvious door to the place, or she's stopped. Her shields are up. and she is mentally cloaked from any cerebro or other such devices as well.

And as an added measure (one she rightly should have employed earlier, more fool Emma) she's disguised herself to the mind visually as well, appearing as a non-descript middle-aged man in a rather scruffy mechanics uniform, an illusion that extends about the entire building, and some distance up and down as well (say a good 50').

Anyone within those bounds would see the illusion, even upon their screens; however, this only works on minds. The video cameras themselves faithfully record Emma.

Lex Luthor has posed:
    The door opens easily... and noisily. Their last maintenance cycle was in the 90s, by all accounts. Inside is a mass of debris, dust, and general mess from lack of maintenance. The structure itself still seems solid after all this time.

The middle area has a complicated set of conveyer belts and stripped down machinery.

Any worthwhile parts have obviously been taken already, leaving the shell of the production facility behind. To the back right from where Emma is, is an small room with a closed door. Looks like an office.

Emma Frost has posed:
There's a certain idle interest from Emma for the equipment she's seeing - she is an electrical engineer after all, but ultimately, she has a mission, and the most likely possibility for finding Ron is in that office. Though she does have to admit to herself that it's looking very likely that he's been moved.

However, she won't know unless she tries, so to the office door it is!

Lex Luthor has posed:
    Inside the office... is mostly empty. There's a stripped out stand for a security camera, four very worn looking white walls, and cheap carpeting that looks completely heat worn. There are patches here and there that have been ruined and tugged and shredded. It looks like something made a nest out of this room once upon a time, judging from the remnants of an animal shelter of some kind as well.

Back in the LexCorp head office, Lex has switched from the sky satellite, to the covert bug in the 'stripped' camera in the office. The stand itself has been fitted with a covert, static camera, allowing him to watch Emma's progress.

As she enters the room, he frowns visibly.

Emma Frost has posed:
It's all just a little too.. pat. And disturbingly so. There's really nothing out of place to indicate that this isn't just an abandoned place. Other than it doesn't feel right.

Beyond that niggling feeling, Emma has nothing to lose by investigating what there is there. The rug - can be moved. The walls - can be touched and fingered for anomalies and hidden switches or triggers. The stand, likewise, can be moved and checked behind and under.

She's systematic in her prodding, wanting to assure herself she's at least given it the complete college try before deciding what she's looking for isn't here and taking a different tack at her Shadow King problem.

Lex Luthor has posed:
    The room is just about exactly as it appears to be; an abandoned room. Twice, judging by the crude animal shelter that something built out of instinct. It's all very good camo. The security camera stand shows no signs of being used, and the carpeting actually has been aged over decades and shredded.

It's abandoned... right up until Emma moves the shelter material. Suddenly, a clean modern steel trap door is shown. It's about a foot wide, but has a visible latch to open it.

Back at the LexCorp office, Lex has pressed the intercom button again, "Tango has found entryway, prepare to neutralize intruder. Non-lethal measures are authorized."

Emma Frost has posed:
"Gotcha," Emma whispers triumphantly. "But just who is behind this."

Because abandoned factories don't just have modern, recently installed (by the looks of it) trap doors leading to what she can only surmise is a hidden lair of some sort.

Her psychic measures still fully employed, Emma opens the trap door, prepared for the possibility of trouble behind it, and equally prepared to investigate what's beyond, though she will pause before rushing in (should there not be anything jumping out at her) to reach out with her mind again to see if there are living beings she can detect in the space beyond.

Lex Luthor has posed:
    Behind the trap door... is a panel with one big red button on it.

So far, no living minds around her.

Emma Frost has posed:
There might not be any living minds, but if modern media has taught Emma nothing, it's that big red buttons bring no good, and quite often the goon squad.

Oh... she's going to press that button, but first she gathers herself together, preparing for a psionic blast.

While it might be a little late to put it this way, given her behaviours up to this point, really, it's better safe than sorry. And now that Emma has some sort of focus on her surroundings, she's remembering more and more of herself. Almost as if the anticipation of her reuinion is lending her strength.

Lex Luthor has posed:
    The press of the big red button opens a previously very well hidden wall that slides upwards, not out. The normal telltale signs on the floor of such entries are gone as the clicking sound of a mechanical anchor locks into place to show... a metallic elevator.

Inside are two buttons. One is marked G, the other P.

Emma Frost has posed:
Elevator it is. Though Emma isn't stupid enough to drop her protections or preparations at this point. If anything, she's even more wary now.

However, given the choice of G or P, she picks P, presuming that G means Ground - which is where she is. The button is pressed, and she waits.

Lex Luthor has posed:
    Inside the elevator, the hidden camera easily show Emma. The hologram suite having shifted into an extrapolated image of the White Queen in the elevator as she feels the elevator smoothly shift into going downward... taking about a twenty seconds to descend. Security at the complex is on high alert. Turrets have already spun up and have aimed at the elevator door.

When the elevator door opens, a veritable storm of rubber rounds is fired through the slit the instant Emma as line of sight on the dozen guards waiting for her. The machine guns on the turrets are firing twice as fast as the guards, the noise is deafening almost.

It appears that this is not as abandoned as it looks.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma was prepared for just such an occassion, and as the elevator doors open, a psionic blast is thrust outward, hitting any within it's field and range with a powerful psychic and physically painful blast.

And immediately upon the heels of that, Emma shifts from her telepathic capable form to that of her diamond self. It won't help her locate Ron, but it will protect her against these particular annoyances - or rather what she presumes are annoyances. Those null fields she sensed coming down were a bit of a tipoff.

Lex Luthor has posed:
    The rubber rounds bounce off of Emma and around her. The elevator is specially designed to minimize bounceback, so the guards shooting just unload.

At least, they do until that psionic blast hits them. There are a number of screams from inside the corridor as Emma shifts to diamond form, and she can hear words being shouted inside their helmets. The words are muffled... but they're retreating out of the corridor.

Instead, those turrets continue to fire rubber rounds at Emma at an extreme rate. The elevator and corridor are filled with them by this point. The corridor itself is about fourty feet long.

As Lex watches... he mutters to himself, "interesting..."

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma is now a one woman wrecking crew. Or, really, more to the point, a one woman semi-indestructable force. Her diamond form affords her power, strength, speed, stamina and durability. And while she's psychically immune in this form, she's also unable to access her own telepathic abilities. She will have to shift back when (if) she finds Ron.

Emma steps off the elevator, intent on moving everything out of her path between her and forward.

Lex Luthor has posed:
    Emma makes good progress too, through that first corridor. At least until the room around her erupts into blue lightning briefly. A few seconds later, and the lightning solidifies. Emma will find that she is physically halted from going further than the door the mercenaries retreated through. Visual inspection of the walls and the door show a subtle 'vibration' in the air.

Seeing what's going on via remote monitoring, Lex presses the intercom button to security control at the off-the-books prison, "Retreat your personnel to sector 2, and bring up all sector 1 ordinance. If she manages to get through the field, I want to put her through field testing for weaknesses."

Emma Frost has posed:
The barrier is a surprise to Emma, one that has her appreciating the response of whoever her unknown opponent is. Initial testing of the barrier proves that it is solid, and very much so, however, even the most solid of energy barriers can possibly be brought down by a constant onslaught of pressure and attack. Which is what Emma does: she takes on the barrier with the full force of her form.

It's not superman or Hulk strong, but it's a decent force, and she's nearly tireless.

She keeps an awareness on her surroundings, though, as she does.

"You know, we could make this all much simpler by you merely showing your face." Not that she knows there's someone *to* show their face; for all she knows she's dealing with whatever lackey drew the short straw to watch the facility today. But even a lackey of that level could be useful and used. Emma loses nothing by trying.

Lex Luthor has posed:
    An electronically distorted voice answers Emma in her new energy cage, "amusing, coming from an intruder who came into this complex and just tried to psychically destroy the minds of those meant to keep her from advancing. If you wanted to talk, I'd wager you would have put your hands up." Lex gives in a statement, not a question. There's no way to tell who it is with the voice filter.

The security aren't around anymore at least... but Emma can hear the sounds of machinery and power flowing through the complex; this entire place is awakening... and it doesn't take a genius to realize it's a modern covert fortress. She'll be fighting in here for days, if she's lucky.

Emma Frost has posed:
There's a delighted tinkle of a laugh from Emma.

"So you say," she murmurs. She may only have a lackey, but they've engaged now. And engagement was always the hardest part of the battle. "You took me by surprise. How was I to know an abandoned factory was really an occupied fortress. Clever, by the way. However, you fail to appreciate that I can stay here for a near infinite time without any untoward results. I'm quite certain you'll become bored before I do. And your boss may not appreciate the game of chicken you're entering into."

She moves back from the walls of the cage, and holds up her hands in a gesture of supplication. "Sufficient?"

Not that she's surrendering, or even remotely considering such. It's very much an amused play and response to the suggestion of what she would have done. However, she expects the lackey to see it for an attempt at peaceful de-escalation of this encounter.

Lex, however, may appreciate it for more than that. They are, as it happens, over very like minds at times, Lex and Emma. Little do they know.

Lex Luthor has posed:
    "I want a full bioscan of her while she's sitting still." Lex barks out the command as soon as her hands are held up. A full medical and composition workup was just ordered, "you like toying with people. I can appreciate that." A moment passes, "We can keep you here for days, if not longer... and have this complex evacuated in ten minutes with the complex so thoroughly destroyed there will be no evidence of it's existence once we're gone." There's a feigned tone of 'boring' in his voice as he speaks. A carefully calculated 'show' to give Emma a sense of her opponent showing their hand already.

"So, we're at an impasse, with the ball decidedly in our court. What do you want?" Lex inquires through the electronic filter.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma's laugh in return is smug. "Oh, so it isn't some lackey I've got. I wondered. You may be many things I've yet to figure out, but you made a mistake there."

It's the boredom that does it. No lackey has that amount of affected disinterest when someone of her calibre infiltrates a base of this sort.

"What I want is something you have. No worries, I don't intend to hurt it. I just want to talk to it. A small conversation of no import to anyone but myself, and then you can keep your little toy for whatever nefarious purposes you may have. It doesn't matter to me."

Lex Luthor has posed:
    As the results of the scan show up on the holographic interface, Lex narrows his eyes. "Harmony, set temperature control for intruder containment to 700c and stand by." Diamonds might be hard... but they're still carbon, and the right kinetic force at high temperature will be enough to shatter Emma's form... if it works like conventional diamonds, anyway.

The intercom is pressed again, "what makes you think I'd trust you to leave this complex knowing it's locaton?" Lex inquires.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma, it seems, doesn't work like a conventional diamond - but it's certainly not an approach she's encountered before, the temperature raising.

"You don't," Emma says calmly. Really, if she's expecting that he's going to destroy her, she's not showing any fear of such a thing. More a confidence that she's got this well in hand and he can try. Nor is she about to be easily intimidated.

"Trust is a funny thing. I'm not certain I believe a person can earn it. So many factors go into whether or not we give our trust to another, don't they? Ultimately, we decide to. There is no proof that anyone won't break their word, or your heart." She says that last with a certain biting emphasis. "All you have is my word that I won't. And that there are few and far between who can forcibly take that information from me."

Lex Luthor has posed:
    About thirty seconds pass before Emma hears a reply, "Lucky for you, I don't need a statement of trust. I'll allow you into the complex if you agree to a blindfold and wearing a Psi-inhibitor. There's only one reason you could be here, and I have no problems with you being brought to him." Lex states over the PA system. "Consider it a gesture of good faith on your part."

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma remains unphased. "Well, then, we do appear to be at a stalemate. I have no intentions of allowing you that control over my person. A shame, really. Though, I am curious, just what do you intend on doing with it?"

She smiles a cold little smile that translates well, even through her diamond form.

"I know what I intended to do. But you? An enigma."

Lex Luthor has posed:
    "Ms. Frost. If I wanted to harm you, there are a million ways I could turn the entire complex of this place on you in lethal ways. My initial orders for the security of this place were to subdue you for questioning." A beat, "I could just as easily turn this place into a fortress it'd take days for you to get through, even with your considerable gifts. A siege is not in either of our interests, I'm sure."

Another pause, "The Psi-Inhibitor is meant to be insurance so you don't further damage this complex or the security with your abilities. The blindfold is meant to keep you from gaining anymore intelligence to relay to others than is necessary. The only other compromise I'm willing to indulge here is if you drop that organic diamond form and take a blindfold. Security can wear defensive Psi-inhibitors to keep you from their minds... and anything that even looks like an attempt to access their minds means the deal is off." The voice explains. "So. Make your choice, Ms. Frost." There's a tone of finality to him.

Emma Frost has posed:
"And if I truly wanted an altercation we wouldn't be having this conversation whatsoever." Emma shrugs lightly, the faintest of tinkles coming from her body movement. "I'm terribly afraid I can't allow what you suggest. You being a man of considerable power must understand that. A shame, really. Alliances are always much better than the alternative."

Lex Luthor has posed:
    "I can't allow you to gain intelligence for this complex with telepathy, and if you see what's going on around you, you can report that back to your allies. You don't want to give up your power in case I lead you into a trap with ill intentions. For my part, I can have this entire complex slow you down and have my asset moved in minutes before self-destructing this complex so thoroughly people will be sifting through the wreckage from orbit."

Lex sighs gently as he taps his fingers against his back. "What do you want with the asset, exactly?"

Emma Frost has posed:
"And why would I bother fighting my way through? You clearly overestimate my need to be here. In fact, I grow rather bored with this whole experience. I have no doubt you'll move the asset. And really, whether you blow up this base of yours or not is really your business, not mine."

She gives a small bit of a yawn, and stretches.

"Not that it's any concern of yours, but I wanted to talk to him. Nothing more. Nothing less. He has some information I need. No matter, I can bide my time."

Or, she reminds herself, she can find another connection back to her King. There were always other ways, even if they were more obvious and likely to put herself into more danger.

"Now, if you don't mind, I think this conversation is done. Consider a stalemate reached. I'll be reading the papers to see if you really do diminish this all to rubble. Though I do feel obligated to point out, that in a place known for drifting sands, you may have your work cut out for you in the thorough department."

And with that, her intent is clearly to leave.