Emma Grace Frost (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
icecoldfrost) wrote2012-12-20 02:56 pm
icecoldfrost) wrote2012-12-20 02:56 pm
The Hellfire Club, Emma's New York, Thursday Afternoon.
It was a box that Leland put on his desk, and Shaw raised one eyebrow in silent question.
"The Frost girl," Harry answered bluntly. "Bloody hell, Shaw, you could have warned me that she was a slippery one. I'm not quite convinced she's real after all this."
"First, her associates from the robbery that night, the ones that spanked our boy Buckman rather hard in his wallet a few years ago? Not a single one can be found. Anywhere. I ended up passing these security photos to your Tess as a last resort, and she says the taller boy in leather 'has an 89% chance of being a genetic member of Clan Starsmore,' but none of our London contacts recognized him. Most likely some forgotten bastard of a bastard, but it raises questions as to how she's drawing these people to her. That's the best we've got."
"Although she's been seen a few times since running into the Worthington boy out on the town, and they proceed to lead the press on a merry chase." He slid the photo out of the file and flipped it at Shaw. "They clearly hadn't met before the party that night, but it would be worth watching him to get to her, or both of them. She's been at some of the same parties as Stark, too, but it's the same deal. Her best girlfriend at such events seems to be that Southern girl, Candy."
"For all that she was named the Frost heiress at thirteen - which isn't even acknowledged anymore, despite it being publicly announced at the time - it's like she dropped off the grid for years. The oldest one - Adrienne - is currently Winston's girl, but the friends of the family are rather mum on the subject. Rather like how no one's talking about how the boy died." Leland's teeth flashed white against his beard. "I like her. She's smart, gorgeous, and I'm willing to lay good money that either she's a mutant of some sort or has someone with powers working for her. It's the only way to explain the sheer amount of money she's making. If you decide to go the classic seduction route to get her into the Club, I volunteer."
"Of course you do, Harry, but let's stick with appealing to her ambition, first. She's barely twenty, I don't want an opportunistic lawsuit from Winston Frost mucking things up," Shaw replied. "We'll find some other sweet and tender little plaything for you to break. What else do you have?"
Leland reached into the box, rifling through for a moment before tossing a thick file on Shaw's desk. "Her financials. For all that the girl is living like a college coed in Brooklyn of all places, she's making a killing on the market. Wakandan steel and adamantium. Investing in Pym's particle research. It's through different brokers and accounts, but it's all her. And she's not touching a dime of it, although she's hurting for liquid cash. The girl's living like a pauper, eating ramen and in a shit neighborhood, although you wouldn't know it from her clothes and expensive tastes in parties. For someone passing herself off as a spoiled socialite princess, Miss Frost hasn't had contact with her family in years, and her school bills? Paid in cash. By her."
"If you had to guess," Shaw said, steepling his fingers. "What's she up to, Harry?"
"Hostile takeover of Frost Industries," the larger man answered bluntly. "She's sharp, ambitious, and I'm willing to bet has more Daddy Issues than your average rock star, knowing Winston. She's actually finished her BA in Business, and has put in to start the ESU MBA program in the summer. She's got two other declared majors she's still working on, but the Dean of the program is giving a tentative acceptance of the plan. Frost isn't going to know what hit him once she stops playing dumb and starts playing for keeps."
"She's already playing for keeps, he just hasn't realised it yet," Shaw replied, half to himself. "Keep an eye on her, Harry. Chat her up at the parties, offer a steady acquaintanceship, but don't get her in your bed yet. She needs a father more than another man trying to get in her pants, and that's how we'll get her."
"Well if you won't let me bed her, then I've got another option for you." Harry didn't seem at all offended by Shaw's assessment, and pulled out a much thinner file from the box. "Dossiers of all the girls vying for lower-level positions at the Club, most of them working as dancers or hostesses to get their foot in the door. You had Tess cut her off from her old school, why not lock up what little money she's using? Get her one of our girls as a roommate, then into a job..."
"I can see where you're going," Shaw mused. "And I can't say I would mind our Miss Frost working in one of our more exclusive rooms."
"For now, we invited her to the Yule Ball, let's see if she takes the bait." Shaw smiled and Harry Leland shook his head in amusement. "Time to see if she's up for the slightly more sordid side of Hellfire."
"The Frost girl," Harry answered bluntly. "Bloody hell, Shaw, you could have warned me that she was a slippery one. I'm not quite convinced she's real after all this."
"First, her associates from the robbery that night, the ones that spanked our boy Buckman rather hard in his wallet a few years ago? Not a single one can be found. Anywhere. I ended up passing these security photos to your Tess as a last resort, and she says the taller boy in leather 'has an 89% chance of being a genetic member of Clan Starsmore,' but none of our London contacts recognized him. Most likely some forgotten bastard of a bastard, but it raises questions as to how she's drawing these people to her. That's the best we've got."
"Although she's been seen a few times since running into the Worthington boy out on the town, and they proceed to lead the press on a merry chase." He slid the photo out of the file and flipped it at Shaw. "They clearly hadn't met before the party that night, but it would be worth watching him to get to her, or both of them. She's been at some of the same parties as Stark, too, but it's the same deal. Her best girlfriend at such events seems to be that Southern girl, Candy."
"For all that she was named the Frost heiress at thirteen - which isn't even acknowledged anymore, despite it being publicly announced at the time - it's like she dropped off the grid for years. The oldest one - Adrienne - is currently Winston's girl, but the friends of the family are rather mum on the subject. Rather like how no one's talking about how the boy died." Leland's teeth flashed white against his beard. "I like her. She's smart, gorgeous, and I'm willing to lay good money that either she's a mutant of some sort or has someone with powers working for her. It's the only way to explain the sheer amount of money she's making. If you decide to go the classic seduction route to get her into the Club, I volunteer."
"Of course you do, Harry, but let's stick with appealing to her ambition, first. She's barely twenty, I don't want an opportunistic lawsuit from Winston Frost mucking things up," Shaw replied. "We'll find some other sweet and tender little plaything for you to break. What else do you have?"
Leland reached into the box, rifling through for a moment before tossing a thick file on Shaw's desk. "Her financials. For all that the girl is living like a college coed in Brooklyn of all places, she's making a killing on the market. Wakandan steel and adamantium. Investing in Pym's particle research. It's through different brokers and accounts, but it's all her. And she's not touching a dime of it, although she's hurting for liquid cash. The girl's living like a pauper, eating ramen and in a shit neighborhood, although you wouldn't know it from her clothes and expensive tastes in parties. For someone passing herself off as a spoiled socialite princess, Miss Frost hasn't had contact with her family in years, and her school bills? Paid in cash. By her."
"If you had to guess," Shaw said, steepling his fingers. "What's she up to, Harry?"
"Hostile takeover of Frost Industries," the larger man answered bluntly. "She's sharp, ambitious, and I'm willing to bet has more Daddy Issues than your average rock star, knowing Winston. She's actually finished her BA in Business, and has put in to start the ESU MBA program in the summer. She's got two other declared majors she's still working on, but the Dean of the program is giving a tentative acceptance of the plan. Frost isn't going to know what hit him once she stops playing dumb and starts playing for keeps."
"She's already playing for keeps, he just hasn't realised it yet," Shaw replied, half to himself. "Keep an eye on her, Harry. Chat her up at the parties, offer a steady acquaintanceship, but don't get her in your bed yet. She needs a father more than another man trying to get in her pants, and that's how we'll get her."
"Well if you won't let me bed her, then I've got another option for you." Harry didn't seem at all offended by Shaw's assessment, and pulled out a much thinner file from the box. "Dossiers of all the girls vying for lower-level positions at the Club, most of them working as dancers or hostesses to get their foot in the door. You had Tess cut her off from her old school, why not lock up what little money she's using? Get her one of our girls as a roommate, then into a job..."
"I can see where you're going," Shaw mused. "And I can't say I would mind our Miss Frost working in one of our more exclusive rooms."
"For now, we invited her to the Yule Ball, let's see if she takes the bait." Shaw smiled and Harry Leland shook his head in amusement. "Time to see if she's up for the slightly more sordid side of Hellfire."