A Piece of My Mind (Emma Frost)

In a completely different hospital wing, a rather irritated Emma Frost waited for twenty minutes before she got to see the doctor stupid enough to waste her time by making her go down there and talk to him in person about her results. "One might think the best hospital in New York might have realized we're in the technology era by now," she told the man who greeted her with a friendly smile that soon faded as the White Queen entered the room. The man grew serious and stood up while gesturing for her to sit down. She wasn't in the mood to obey and her hostile expression made that part clear. "Suit yourself, Miss Frost. I just thought that you might want to sit down to hear this..." the man said pushing his glasses up his nose.

"You've already wasted enough of my time, Doctor. Just go straight to the point." She ordered irritated. The man seemed uncomfortable but nodded anyway, intimidated. He handed Emma a folder and started fidgeting. "The test results from your annual check up came back. Your MRI showed a lump in your left lung." For the first time in a while, the blond seemed shocked, but it lasted only for a second before she crossed her arms across her chest and seemed as composed and irritated as usual. "Is cancer the word you're looking for? If it is, just say so." She defied him, making an effort to remain impassive, but her heart was beating like crazy inside her chest.

The comment made the man even more uncomfortable with Emma's directness and he avoided her gaze. "No. It could be a number of things. We'd like to make a biopsy and more blood-work to rule everything else out, but there's nothing to worry..." Emma interrupted him: "Great. I'll call tomorrow to schedule an appointment." And, with that, the woman left the office with long strides. One could think she was trying to run away from a ghost as fast as possible without raising suspicions.

Still upset, Emma walked down the halls with her mind racing through a million ideas and memories. She had walked through half the premises when something brought her back to reality. Between trying to remember if there was anyone in her family who had had cancer and trying to figure out how she'd be able to live with something like that, Emma sensed someone coming the opposite direction. He was close enough so that she would run into him soon, so the telepath paced her walk to a much slower pace and looked up. She immediately recognized Tony Stark and one of her eyebrows shot up. That was an odd place to find someone like him. Her ice blue eyes gazed at the man, wondering if he would speak to her now that they were coming closer and closer. 

"Mr.Stark," she greeted him with a quick nod, more out of curiosity than politeness. She desperately needed to take her mind off the worrying news and finding someone like Stark in a hospital was interesting enough to do the trick for a few minutes at least.

Precisely because that hospital was extremely expensive, Emma had never thought she would run into someone she knew. Friends was one of the many things Ms. Frost didn't do. Someone from Frost Enterprises, perhaps, but not someone remotely interesting or important, like the people who knew about her gift. Xavier's pockets were deep, but not deep enough that his students were sent to a first class institution like that. Tony Stark was a logical option for running into someone she knew, but in the few minutes of her life Emma had actually stopped to consider the man, she had thought it nearly impossible to get hurt inside a suit capable of all the wonders the world knew Ironman for.

The idea of him ending up in a hospital deserved at least a half smile if not a witty remark on her part, but Emma was still too shocked to be superior. Maybe she even had overheard something about him being rescued on the news and wasn't fully paying attention. With two girls missing at the school and the responsibilities that came with being a teacher and a CEO at Frost Enterprises, the White Queen's mind usually had little room for issues that weren't her immediate concern. A good example was Tony's earlier stunt, which she didn't see from her doctor's office in the other side of the building.

A proud yet friendly smile bloomed in Emma's face. She respected that man. His company both competed and cooperated with hers often and he had proven his value during the various times their paths had crossed. A worthy ally or adversary, depending on the circumstances. It was a difficult thing to come by. "Yes. It is strange to see you outside of a meeting room." She admitted slightly amused. Not that Emma thought he lived in one, but thanks to her disdain when it came to other people's private thoughts she knew Tony wasn't one to go out of the workshop much when a new project had him obsessed.

"I think I have a few minutes to hear how you managed to escape my old friend's playground. He must be losing his touch in his old age." Emma joked. She was actually glad that Stark had gotten help in time. Even a woman who hated having competition could appreciate that humanity might have lost a brilliant mind if the businessman had died.

Tony's words reminded Emma of her fears and the fact that there was a chance she, too would be spending enough time in that hospital to feel sick of it. No. She wouldn't think like that, she was a Frost.

Her eyes flashed down to Stark's suitcase and then back to his face. "I can see you take medical advice very seriously." Emma said with a half-smile.

"And I keep thinking my family is a sick mess." Emma thought with a disgusted face, but it was to be expected. She wasn't just joking when accusing Magneto of becoming softer with age. That was a change that she had seen slowly taking place for some time now and it certainly didn't suit her old ally. In Emma's eyes, it was worrisome news and she took mental note to do some research about it until she found either a reason to really worry or to be reassured enough to dismiss the matter entirely.

As for Tony Stark, they've had some unpleasant exchanges in the past, mainly because of their egos, since they both felt so important, they expected the other to be the one at fault if something went south because of a mistake. What proud person would take the blame even if he or she was to blame? None. She understood that, and the Avengers had helped the X-Men enough times in the past few years that she managed to let go off that ugly business that had pissed her off so much. Emma wasn't the forgiving kind, but she was a strategist and knew that the X-Men were better with the Avengers as their allies than when both groups held grudges against each others. "Magneto going senile, that's fabulous." Emma complained. "As if wasn't bad enough when all that brutal power was used predictably." She went on thinking out loud. A resentful psycho was always easier to deal with than a madman. At least you knew what to expect from the former.

"The creator of the first miniature arch reactor can't escape a hospital... well, I guess we all have limitations." She had imagined a man like him would have come with a huge entourage and several party girls. On a separate note, Emma thought that if his comrades in arms' first option was a hospital where they couldn't deal with any problems derived from his arch reactor failing, the average IQ in the Avengers would make The Hulk 'the smart one' in the group. Maybe they weren't all that lucky to have them as allies after all. Those contemptuous thoughts reassured Emma, who felt she was once again recovering her composure after the huge shock she had just suffered a little while ago. She'd think of something, the White Queen told herself. Worst case scenario, she could spend a lot more time in her diamond form until they found a way to get rid of whatever it was she had... if she had something to begin with. There was still a chance it was something inoffensive, the blond thought, trying to quiet down the voice inside her had that just had remembered someone mentioning one of her grandfathers had died of cancer.

Emma looked at Tony and raised an eyebrow. It was a black and yellow suitcase. Men were clearly color-dumb. "If you were going for subtlety, I'm sorry to tell you yellow was the wrong choice. You're lucky most people here have more important things to worry about than your luggage." Emma informed. "Are you planning to leave with style or just going for a ride to kill the time?" She asked out of curiosity, unable to figure why else he'd need his suit while hospitalized. Anyway, the idea seemed interesting enough to get a half-smile out of her.

"Hmm... let's see. I'm a businesswoman, a teacher, and X-Men... oh and I don't do sharing. Please, catch up, darling." Emma wondered if there was something else behind his question, like maybe he knew... but why would he use his influence to run a background check on her now? He didn't seem to have done that when things were iffy. "There is a way around your wasp of a suitcase, though." Emma said with a self-sufficient smile. Then waited to see if Tony was interested enough to ask.

The White Queen didn't have much in common with Magneto nowadays, but they had worked together for several years and she knew how his mind worked, not only because she was a mind-reader, but because of the long time they had been in the same fraction. She was a good judge of character all things considered and had always paid especial attention to everyone who could be of interest to her, be it because they could be a potential threat or a possible... well not ally but tool perhaps and at that point in her life, Emma thought she knew what to expect from Magneto. Hearing that he had allowed his son to convince him of something that went against his personality did poke her curiosity. After all, it could all have been plotted from the beginning, staged to cover a more important operative going on somewhere else or a plot to make the X-Men and the Avengers trust Quicksilver so he could betray them later on his father's behalf. She had sensed just how desperate for paternal approval the mutant was in the past and she doubted he had changed significantly in that regard. So, where did that left her old boss? He was either senile or up to something. Emma didn't know which possibility she would prefer if she had to pick one. They both meant a lot of troubles and she had better things to worry about at the time... namely, herself.

Emma thought the conversation was going one direction and then Mr.Stark was talking about something odd and she got confused. Not for long. Tony's word-choice lacked some basic social skills as long as the blond was concerned. "What do you mean someone like me?" Emma asked not too pleased. There were so many bad things people said about her, she couldn't actually tell which one he was actually referring to. "And it would depend on whether or not it's relevant to me." She informed less pleasantly than before, still offended by the 'someone like her' comment. One would think the people you regularly do business with would at least be polite, she thought slightly outraged. The woman was known for saying some ugly truths quite bluntly, but she still believed that a certain level of hypocrisy was to be maintained in order for a relationship to thrive. Not that she was interested in having one with Tony Stark the multimillionaire womanizer, but things were different when it came to Mr.Stark, the president of Stark Industries. Frost Enterprises focused on developing technologies for everyday use and, even some that the military had found a better application for. Both companies didn't take care of the exact same niche, but they at least were in the same branch of the tree and that meant an exchange of ideas, parts, components and so on. Whatever differences the White Queen had with Ironman, they were put aside at the conference room.

Emma seemed a tad surprised to hear that he had tried to pull a stunt earlier and wondered if he had been too discreet in his new toy or she had been too distracted to even notice. She sympathized with him for like a second, before the man made it clear to her eyes that he had never learned to delegate tasks. Having a little trouble relinquishing power, Mr.Stark? She asked herself. "If the company has been built right, you could take an entire year off and find it still standing at your return." At least, that was what she believed and most of her college teachers and even her father had agreed with Emma on that one. "Maybe it's time to learn how to delegate." But then, she remembered the Avengers had brought him to a regular hospital, not his sick bay. If his employees were anything like his friends, maybe he was right in wanting to be orchestra-man and handling all by himself. It was what she did after all, even if the woman wasn't anywhere near ready to admit something like that. Her defense was that she did delegate from time to time... only when she didn't have a chance, but she still did.

Emma gave him a half-smile. "Oh, right. I forgot you were all about the looks." She teased, from a superficial millionaire to another. "Didn't you read the memo? Frost Enterprises is presenting a nano-paint that can change colors when electrically charged." Emma announced with a note of pride. After all, she had been working on that project personally. It didn't take a huge amount of electricity to make the change happen, only a micro charge that the human body couldn't feel. The military had already placed a huge order for God only knew what obscure purpose and SHIELD seemed interested in it too. She didn't read that file yet. "Well, if you're out of the hospital by the weekend come and see for yourself. Frost Enterprises is making a demonstration at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center." Emma informed.

(OOC: I'll pretend Emma didn't say that so she doesn't get mad at Tony for something he didn't really do IC

"Yeah, we all know you have control issues, Mr.Stark, but after what you've told me, I don't blame you." Emma said in her usual snarky tone, though she did feel kinda sorry for him, in the meaning that she wouldn't trade places with him for anything in the world. One would think that a man intelligent enough to create a miniature arc reactor like he did would be smart enough to surround himself of the right people, those capable of stepping up if he was unable to take care of things himself as it was bound to happen at some time because he was as human as the next person. She had her very own control issues, so she kind of understood that, but at least Emma had had the good sense of picking competent people to work with her. She wouldn't have been able to take Frost Enterprises to where it was today without working a lot of people halfway to death. Her life was too busy first as a member of the Hellfire Club and then, as an X-Man. And, speaking of that, she wouldn't have joined that team if she thought the other members would take her to a hospital if she had the same kind of issues Tony did, that was for sure.

His joke earned a half smile from Emma, who told herself another joke about old people and technology regarding her previous one about Magneto getting senile. The White Queen stared at Tony Stark for a long moment, trying to figure out if he was still too shaken from his experience to understand she was only talking about paint that changed colors when charged with a little electricity or the man had such a beautiful mind, he already thought a way to modify the concept she had just mentioned to make something more complex that would indeed help him change the way his Ironman suit worked in less time than it took right now. The woman suppressed a shiver at the idea that the second was true.

"I am, thanks." Emma said with a self-pleased smile. It had taken some serious hard work to discover that technology and she had been very involved personally in the process, which had meant long working hours even after even longer training sessions with the team or even coming home all sore and bruised from a mission only to take a quick shower and change into her civilian clothes so she could go to work. "Maybe you and your fiancee would like to join the scientific team and other special guests at the party afterwards." She invited. After all, a lot other public personalities would be there and it would be wrong of her not to invite him personally since they had run into each other and considering he didn't have time to read the news, he probably would get the invitation the following month or something.

On her side of things, Emma had felt a nagging little feeling at the back of her head, in the area where she usually blocked all that annoying background noise that was the thoughts of those around her. She didn't pay much attention to it at first because she was busy talking to Tony and because she had a meeting after that, but when the lights flickered and the feeling of people's fear and distress started to leak into her consciousness she got alert as well and looked around with both her eyes and her mind, trying to find the source of the problem. Maybe if there was someone behind it she could pick up that person's mind and they'd have some intel on the enemy. "I'm already on it." She said still combing the very crowded place in search of the only few minds that didn't distillate panic. It was like trying to walk in the water, pushing the useless fearful thoughts aside to advance and get to other minds to single out whoever was behind all that.

(OOC: And since it's your villain I didn't add anything else because I've no idea what you've got on mind, but it sounds promising)