shout-out to Shiva16draig giving the idea for newpapers company and the media company.
****
It had been three years since that day at Charles's school. For the first time, I found myself with nothing to do, so I made a decision: I was going to Switzerland for a vacation.
A hundred years have passed, and I'm still wondering what to do with my tomorrows. But for now, I'm doing nothing. After all this time, I'm finally taking a vacation.
But before I leave, I need to meet with Emma. I'll instruct her to acquire a newspaper and a media conglomerate. In the future, whoever controls the narrative, controls the world.
Houston hasn't been a mere town for almost twenty years, it grew into a city long ago. I'm proud of what we've built and proud that, until now, we have stood strong together. Now, with Emma joining us, we might become even stronger.
I asked Emma if she wanted to keep her current face or change her appearance entirely. Or, she could simply do nothing. Because of her second mutation, she will live a long life, perhaps as long as I will.
She told me she didn't care. It wasn't as if anyone actually knew what she looked like, all this time, the people she controlled never saw her true face. She was always shifting the perceptions in their minds.
When I told her what I had planned, she grinned so widely that I felt a surge of goosebumps. For a fleeting second, I felt a genuine flash of fear for this woman—Emma Frost.
I was certain she would go after Frost International, her father's company. Although it was a massive multibillion-dollar conglomerate, it had only been thirty years since its founding.
In the original stories, Emma eventually seized the company from her eldest sister, Adrienne. Adrienne was Emma's primary rival, a woman just as cold and ruthlessly ambitious as their father.
Following Winston's death, Adrienne seized control of Frost International. Eventually, she became the Headmistress of the Massachusetts Academy, only to betray Emma by inciting a violent student riot.
Ultimately, Emma killed Adrienne to protect her students. It was a cold, calculated act of fratricide that marked the most significant turning point in her moral journey.
Christian was the eldest child and the rightful heir to the Frost fortune. He possessed the ability to manifest 'solid' energy constructs from his mind, similar to a Green Lantern, but far more sinister.
Cordelia is the youngest sister and the undisputed 'wild child' of the family. Because she was so young when her father's influence waned, she grew up without his rigid control. Simply put, she is uncontrollable.
She never cared about the family business, she just wanted power and fame. She once tried to join the Hellfire Club by betraying Emma, but she was never as smart or powerful as her older sister. She mostly appears as a minor villain or a nuisance.
While that is how things unfolded in the comics, this timeline is different. We'll just have to wait and see how everything plays out this time.
****
She and her siblings are all cut from the same cloth. Everyone craves power and control, even Christian. Though he's a 'rich kid' at heart, he still demands control over his immediate surroundings.
That was Winston's first and only priority: control. His children were always at the forefront of that display, they grew up watching the world say 'yes' to their father's every whim. Now that they've entered the real world, their hunger for power has only become more prominent.
What a chaotic family. While Emma remains a wildcard, deep down she is the only Frost who actually cares about the mutant race as a whole. Her perspective has shifted slightly in this timeline, but her instinct remains the same: protect the mutant children first, and the adults second.
I told her point-blank that her father was a piece of shit, and she didn't even try to correct me. That silence spoke volumes about how much their views conflicted. It was that same defiance that kept her from following in his footsteps, leading her to the club and dance at the pole instead. I don't care about her past, though, I only care about what she's going to do now.
Well, my job is finished for now, and I'm ready for my vacation. Oh, I almost forgot, I need to tell Emma to buy a plot of land in Monaco. If she can't find anything available, she should offer to build a mansion-style apartment complex right on the sea. It would be absolutely beautiful.
****
Emma pov
From the Hellfire Club to here in Houston, one of the most powerful cities in the world, Emma's worldview has shifted drastically. She never suspected that this city itself was built by a mutant, a genius so advanced that the term genius feels like an insult. He stands shoulder-to-shoulder with a mind like Howard Stark's.
While Stark pioneered the weapons industry, James Howlett pioneered a society, and no one know he even exist. In this rich and famous city, everyone is welcome. Race doesn't matter, if you come here to work, you are accepted all the same.
When she was detained in James Howlett's lab, the sheer scale of the machinery stunned her. Each device looked more expensive than her father's entire research facility. It was clear that the technology here was on a different level of sophistication.
She had seen her father's labs before, but a single machine in this room could challenge every genius in the the lab of her father's. To reach it, she had to descend twenty floors underground, she couldn't help but wonder how reinforced the walls had to be to support the crushing weight of the land above.
****
Once while having lunch at the mall, a massive complex packed with every shop imaginable, Emma was struck by the variety. From classic American breakfasts and Italian pizzas to Turkish delights and bodega-style chopped cheese, the world was on a plate.
More importantly, she saw everyone working together. Despite their differences, they coexisted. There were small skirmishes here and there, but nothing the local police couldn't handle with ease.
Emma realized why the town had survived: the 17 family heads owned the most vital companies here, but their reach extended far beyond the city limits. Every major American brand had an investment from them, just enough to secure a board seat. All those shares were held by the company Emma now helmed.
The power was staggering, with a single word, she could make someone company disappear. Even the government was wary of the 17 families. Yet, they weren't greedy. They didn't seek to control every detail, they only took enough to ensure stability. But within the walls of this town? Their control was 100% absolute.
The center of town was reserved for governance, but Emma hadn't realized that Robin, the Mayor, was actually one of the 17 family heads. While a politician is technically barred from running a business, nothing stops them from investing their own capital. She had initially assumed he was just the successful mayor of a thriving town, she never suspected that his family held a seat at the most powerful table in the world.
By having Robin as the Mayor, the 17 families don't just influence the law, they are the law. It's a perfect circle: the money funds the politics, and the politics protects the money.
Knowing Robin was one of the 17 changed everything. Emma's plans were approved at lightning speed because the Mayor himself was clearing the path. While the government held onto specific plots for national autonomy, every surrounding acre was already owned by the families.
This created a unique urban design: the city center was strictly for business and governance, while all housing was moved to the outskirts. But the transit system was the true stroke of genius. Unlike the aging infrastructure of New York, Houston's public transport was on another level. Whether by high-speed train or the subterranean subway system, you could reach the heart of the city from anywhere in minutes.
The city planning was a masterclass in efficiency. Residential areas formed a protective ring around the outskirts, allowing the town center to utilize high-rise parking structures to save space. Emma learned that every inch of the city had a clear strategic direction, often executed by university students.
Through a competitive grant system, students submit designs for city improvements, winners receive massive cash prizes and full scholarships. It's a true meritocracy, wealth doesn't matter, only capability. She heard of one group that prioritized teamwork over ego, they submitted a joint project, and to their shock, every member was awarded a scholarship. Now, everyone tries to find a shortcut to that success, but the board sees everything. In this town, effort is rewarded, but deception is a dead end.
Precision has become the university's hallmark. Because the rewards are so life-changing, students approach their work with a level of care that borders on obsession. They aren't just completing assignments, they are auditioning for their careers. Consequently, the University of Houston boasts the highest acceptance rate for graduates entering the global workforce, as companies recognize the unparalleled discipline of its students.
When Emma voiced her concerns to the board, about student mental health, the 17 heads simply smiled. They told her that James had expressed the exact same sentiment. Her attitude didn't worry them, it reassured them that the company was in the right hands. This philosophy of excellence extends to the campus itself. The University of Houston provides the most luxurious environment imaginable, students often study amidst nature rather than in traditional classrooms.
With access to saunas, massages, and world-class amenities, the environment is undeniably 'overboard.' But the board believes that to produce the best, you must provide the best. Consequently, the acceptance rate is incredibly low. Power and money can't buy a seat here, if you aren't the best, you simply aren't picked.
Beyond the classrooms, the University of Houston dominates the field with the most elite football program in America. Their rivalry with Notre Dame is legendary, a clash of traditions that pushes their athletes to the absolute limit. This culture of excellence is why the university's athletes consistently bring home Olympic gold.
They didn't stop at football; they had teams for everything running, swimming, jumping, and every other sport featured in the Olympics. The university offered courses for them all. While not every sport was as widely celebrated as the others, the students still had the freedom to choose whatever path they desired. It was a place of total opportunity, provided you had the drive to pursue it.
They are backed by an unparalleled support system: world-class trainers, top-tier medical staff, professional masseurs, and personalized dietary regimens. When everything an athlete needs is provided at the highest standard, the result is a sports program that isn't just successful, it's terrifying.
Even Warren Buffett once tried to force his way in, hoping to invest in the city's success. The Board wasn't interested. Their total autonomy exists because they've secured protection from every angle, they've been lobbying Congress for far longer than Buffett has even been in business. He thought he could use his reputation to pressure them, but he was 'dreaming high and executing low.' It didn't take long for him to realize just how terrifying the Board's connections truly were.
After Buffett's failure, no one else dared to challenge the board. It wasn't just their money people feared, it was their lives. Rumors whispered that while the town appeared free of organized crime, it was only because any gangster who tried to set up shop simply vanished overnight. Behind the polished exterior of the 17 Families stands a wall of shadow soldiers. For the heads of Houston, that protection is the THRUSH organization, a force so efficient that crime doesn't just fail, it ceases to exist.
The government attempted to investigate the city once, but they couldn't find a shred of evidence linking the 17 Families to THRUSH. After the inquiry was closed, the board revealed the truth to Emma: James hadn't secured their autonomy just through political protection or the ability to make people disappear. It was because the technology THRUSH utilized was far more dangerous than anyone imagined, it was essentially alien to this world. That was when she finally understood how this organization could operate with such absolute power, standing completely outside the reach of government oversight.
The realization hit her like a physical blow: the man helming THRUSH was none other than Isaiah fucking Bradley. The legendary 'Black Captain America,' whose sudden disappearance had once sent the government into a blind panic, was alive and well in Houston. Emma was scared shitless.
That was a goddamn super soldier. Even to her, he was far more dangerous than Sebastian Shaw. While Shaw was a powerhouse who could absorb kinetic energy, he was still just a man, one slit to the throat and he'd die all the same. But Isaiah Bradley? He was something else entirely. He wasn't just a mutant or a man with a gift, he was a perfected weapon with the discipline to match.
Seeing that James Howlett had not only found Bradley but recruited him to lead his private black ops was more terrifying than anything Shaw or her father had ever done. But it wasn't just the man, it was the hardware. Isaiah personally demonstrated the 'Judge Dredd gun' a weapon so sophisticated it looked like something out of a fever dream. Now she understood why the 17 Families had held this town for so long. They didn't just have money, they had the ultimate deterrent.
The layers of protection were absolute. From ordinary citizens to high-tier supers, Houston was a fortress that no one could breach. Emma finally understood the gravity of what James Howlett had placed in her hands. When he asked whether she would become a tyrant or a protector, it wasn't a hypothetical question, it was a warning. She now held the power to save the world or crush it under her heel, and for the first time in her life, the choice actually belonged to her.
She loved it. She liked it so much that she momentarily lost her composure, her body flickering in and out of its diamond form from pure excitement. But beneath the joy was a sobering realization: this power was a test. Despite her history of villainy, James hadn't judged her. Instead, he had handed her a platform to change, a chance to prove she could protect a people rather than simply control them.
She did have a phone, though a novel contraption for 1965. (looked like a brick-style Nokia 3310.) It wasn't just for calls, it could send messages like a portable telegraph. However, when she realized it was powered by a nuclear cell, she nearly dropped it. She stood there, staring blankly at the device in her hand, before finally deciding she simply didn't care anymore. The fact that it connected through a satellite, allowing her to reach anyone, anywhere on the planet, was just one more impossibility. At that moment, Emma had officially reached her limit for the 'shock factor' of this town.
Speaking of mutants, she need to secure my supply of C-Synth technology. She's heard rumors that this tech is used to create Carbonadium, a resilient metal capable of neutralizing mutant healing factors and powers. It's the ultimate equalizer. In a town this powerful, you don't just need soldiers, you need the material science to ensure that no matter what kind of 'super-powerfull mutant or human' walks through the gates, they can be brought down to earth.
Save it, and box it just for the precaution.
****
James pov
A week of vacation was more than enough, boredom had already set in. I returned in my private jet, a marvel of engineering powered by my own nuclear fission reactor. No fuel, zero emissions, and meeting the highest green energy standards. Me, James Howlett had personally approved the design. As I touched down, I couldn't help but grin.
On the way back to Houston, as the mountainous horizon began to shift, a thought started popping into my head. I reached for the phone and called Emma.
I waited for the satellite link to click over. "Emma, how are you? Is everything alright at the office?" I asked, my eyes fixed on the horizon as the nuclear-powered jet hummed silently around me.
waited until the line clicked, but before I could even finish my greeting, her voice exploded through the receiver.
"You didn't tell me a fucking super soldier was working for you! Are you crazy, James?" Emma yelled.
I had to pull the phone away from my ear to keep from being deafened by her scream. Even over a satellite uplink, her fury was crystal clear.
"Well, it's not that I didn't want to tell you, I actually just forgot," I replied casually. "Sorry, sorry."
I wasn't even lying. Isaiah had lived in the city for so many years now that he had simply become part of the city. He was one of us, a staple of the community, so I hadn't given his presence a second thought.
I heard her heavy sigh echo through the satellite link. "Fine," she muttered, her voice full of weary resignation. "Now, what do you want? I'm busy here."
She had officially given up on trying to make sense of my world and was ready to get back to work.
"Emma, be a dear and buy a mountain in Switzerland for us," I said, my voice full of excitement. "I want to build the most luxurious resort hidden right inside the peak. It'll be a technological marvel, the kind of place where the whole world will want to spend their vacation."
"And put this on the agenda," I said, a wide grin spreading across my face. "Buy a plot of land in Monaco. And if they tell you there's no land left, tell them we'll just build the house right on top of the ocean itself."
On the other end of the line, Emma finally just gave up. To her, my 'willy-nilly' attitude toward buying a mountain and a plot of land in monaco was like watching someone pick out a new car. She sighed one last time, muttered, "I'll see what I can do", and promptly hung up on me.
I looked at my phone with a puzzled expression. Was she actually angry? Well, whatever, it wasn't like I cared all that much. I couldn't help but let out a little chuckle. 'Ehehehe.
I had bought so many gifts for everyone that I'm pretty sure I emptied half the gift shops in town. It was the best feeling in the world, and honestly? I can't wait to do it again. There's nothing quite like the thrill of coming back with a plane full of treasures for the people back home.
****
Emma Frost office
"You absolute shit! Buying a mountain? In Switzerland? You're a crazy boss!" Emma fumed.
She was so frustrated she almost threw her phone, but she caught herself when she remembered the nuclear reactor inside. Instead, she grabbed something else to hurl across the room.
While buying a plot of land was manageable enough, the mountain was a different story entirely. That was just bat-shit crazy.
Not even her father had been rich enough to pull off the things James did. But that was the thing, wasn't it? James was that rich. He and the 17 Families could actually back up every word they said. Paradoxically, they didn't actually spend much on themselves, James included. Emma knew because she could see exactly where the money flowed. They were the most disciplined trillionaires she had ever encountered. Compared to them, her own family looked 'bat-shit crazy' over their mere billions. This wasn't a billion-dollar empire, this was full-blown, trillion-dollar power.
If the money were her only problem, she could have handled it. But it was the people, every single member of the 17 Families was... kind. That was what truly unsettled her. Despite growing up shielded by their parents, by James, and by a shadow organization, they weren't naive. They understood exactly how the world worked. They even had a goddamn breakdown of the global power structure in their presentations, featuring information the government didn't even know existed.
She realized then that she hadn't just 'tricked' her way in, they had accepted her because James gave her the chance. They knew exactly who she was and what she could do. It clicked for her why Robin hadn't looked shocked when she first walked into his office with Azazel, to him, her arrival wasn't a surprise, it was an inevitability.
When I informed the board that James wanted to buy a mountain in Switzerland to build a world-class, seven-star hotel, one carved right inside the mountain into the peak with views looking out over the Alps, they were actually thrilled. They approved the project instantly, without a second thought. It was as if they had been waiting for a challenge this grand.
When everyone finally left the room, Emma remained in her seat, staring into space with a completely blank expression. She had always thought she was rich. But this? This wasn't just being 'rich.' This was a glimpse into the wealth of the true masters of the world, the kind of money that sits at the very top of the food chain.
The next day, she was already en route to Switzerland, flying in her own private jet, a gift from James, that she was free to customize however she pleased. Her mission was to meet with the Swiss President and discuss a massive investment in their country.
When the officials heard she represented the Houston Investment Company, they were ecstatic. They knew exactly who was backing her. If they didn't, they might as well have shut down the government and gone to bed, they'd probably be safer that way.
When she slid the proposal across the table, a seven-star hotel carved into the heart of the mountain, complete with its own internal train station, the President almost passed out from pure joy.
The Houston Group and the Swiss government shared a singular vision: that rail power is the backbone of a country's economy. Because the Houston Group had previously sought the expertise of Swiss engineering firms for their own underground tunnel projects, the President saw this as a beautiful, mutual partnership. They weren't just approving a hotel, they were welcoming a fellow titan of industry.
It was exactly as she expected: her plan was approved on the spot, without a second thought. She had already come to terms with her new reality the day before, watching the company board mirror James's 'willy-nilly' attitude toward world-altering decisions. She realized now that in this circle, the impossible wasn't just probable, it was the standard.
Once she got to know everyone and began playing the political game, everything fell into place. She knew it was a necessity, after all, if she was going to manage an empire of this scale, she needed to weave her own web of connections. She wasn't just James's representative anymore. she was becoming a power in her own right within the city's elite circle.
Since she was already there, she figured she might as well take a day or two for a vacation. After all, she wasn't alone. She had her own entourage, someone as powerful as Emma Frost simply didn't travel without one.
Her entire security detail had been personally trained by Isaiah Bradley. Emma was well aware that with her telepathy and diamond form, she didn't technically need protection, but she also knew it wasn't a bad thing to have people looking out for her. It was a luxury she was starting to appreciate.
After three days of vacation, Emma returned home and she didn't come back empty-handed. While James had bought gifts for a hundred or so people he knew, Emma took it to an entirely different level. She bought gift for everyone she know at home, and she bought everything. Every gift shop in every town she visited was stripped bare.
She was far more extravagant than James ever was. By the time she left, almost the entire country had heard of her. She wasn't just a visitor, she was a legend who had swept through the Alps, leaving a trail of Swiss francs and wide-eyed shopkeepers in her wake.
Almost everyone in the company, from the janitors to the board, received a gift from her, everyone except James. Emma wasn't in the mood to talk to him, she was convinced that if she saw his face, especially if he was wearing that insufferable grin, she'd punch him.
Still, she was secretly thankful for the card he'd given her. It was linked to one of his personal accounts, funds that usually sat idle or buried in investments. She figured since the money wasn't moving, she might as well put it to use. By the time she was done, she seemed even more 'willy-nilly' with the finances than James himself.
The following day, Emma headed to the University to issue a new challenge: the design and construction of the seven-star hotel and internal train station within the Swiss mountain. The news sparked jubilant cheers from the students, who saw it as the ultimate opportunity to showcase their capabilities.
The chance they had been waiting for had finally arrived. The contest had officially begun.
****
Agent pov
Today, we were tasked with following the new President of the main company, a woman named Emma Frost. While her file was in the headquarters' database, we had never actually seen her face-to-face. The only reason she even came down here was to meet with the Director, our very own super-soldier, the pride and joy of this organization. Watching the two of them together at helm was like seeing the brain and the muscle of the Houston backbone finally merge.
Today, she had a meeting with the Swiss President about acquiring a mountain, we still don't have the full picture. When word trickled down that the Big Boss had tasked her with building a hotel inside a mountain in Switzerland, we all thought he'd finally gone crazy. We figured that after living for so long, he'd simply lost his grip on reality.
To be honest, we weren't even that shocked. Once he showed us the 'Judge Gun' as he calls it, we all just accepted that the man is capable of anything. After seeing that kind of tech, building a hotel inside a mountain didn't seem impossible anymore. It was just another day on the job in Houston.
We were issued our new carbon-weave suits. At first, none of us believed it. Who would believe that a thin piece of fabric could actually stop a bullet? It felt like wearing a regular suit, not armor. But after the first live-fire test, we realized the truth. While getting hit still hurts like a hellish mule kick and leaves a nasty bruise, knowing you'll walk away from a firefight alive is the greatest blessing we could ask for.
But then, the Big Boss did something truly impossible: he gave us a way to extend our lives, just enough for us to live healthily past a hundred years old. That was the day all our doubts vanished. We were finally convinced that we hadn't made a mistake when we joined this organization.
But the real miracle was the healing capsule. It was designed to be injected directly into the bloodstream to repair injuries, no matter how severe. As long as you didn't lose your head, you had a chance. Even if a hand was severed, if you could get the limb and the person back to the doctors, the capsule's technology would allow for a perfect reattachment. It turned what should have been fatal tragedies into temporary setbacks.
It's the reason our casualty rate is practically non-existent. To this day, our total body count is only two, and both of those losses happened before the healing capsule was even invented. Since then, we've faced everything from construction accidents to combat, and we've all come home. We don't just carry those capsules, we carry the memory of the two we couldn't save.
It's hard to fathom how chaotic things would get if this technology were ever exposed to the rest of the world. It would spark a literal war in Houston. That's why we're so incredibly careful during our missions, we never use these tools out in the open. We can't risk the trouble that would follow if anyone outside the organization realized we had conquered death.
Most of us agents were orphans adopted into the organization. At first, we were terrified, we thought we were just being groomed as 'disposable' tools to be thrown away when we were no longer useful. But that never happened. Instead, we found a real family here.
While we have to keep things professional in the office, it doesn't stop the occasional kiss in the stairwell or a secret tryst in the breakrooms. Of course, all of that ceases the second Director Isaiah Bradley walks in. He doesn't lecture us, he just gives us that look and says, 'If you want to have sex, go home.' That's usually enough to clear the room.
Sometimes, we didn't mind the discipline. This is our workplace, after all, and Director Isaiah was right to keep us focused. But then he said the craziest thing: he, a legendary super-soldier, would train us himself. He promised we would become the 'elite of the elite' within the organization. The team currently following President Frost is made up of exactly those people, the best he ever produced.
She is cut from the exact same cloth as the Big Boss, she's just as crazy as he is. For the sake of our own sanity, we've stopped caring about the details. We are simply here to protect her.
****
Still Emma frost Pov.
After three months of an extensive and ruthless elimination process, they finally selected a winning group. Consisting of twenty-three elite students, this team didn't just stop at writing a conceptual proposal, they went as far as creating a fully realized, physical model of the hotel itself. Their dedication and vision proved they were ready to handle the scale of a Houston Group project.
From that day forward, they became the second group in the University's history to receive the prestigious full scholarship. It was a life-changing achievement, marking their transition from ordinary students to the next generation of elite architects and engineers for the 17 Families.
As soon as the project launched, Emma reached out to the R&D center with a massive list of demands. She needed custom elevators, high-speed escalators, and steel beams reinforced enough to support the weight of an entire mountain not to mention a fully integrated train station inside the hotel itself. The R&D staff was under so much pressure that they almost went bald overnight trying to keep up with the sheer scale of her vision.
She did give them one out, though: if they hit a wall they couldn't climb, they were to tell her immediately. She promised to call in 'someone' for help and that someone was James himself. It only made sense, after all, he was the man who had started all this madness in the first place.
Two years passed, and Emma received intelligence from her agents about an impending war between the United States and Vietnam. The Communist party had established a level of control in the region that the American government simply couldn't tolerate, especially given its proximity to their bases in Korea. Not long after the reports hit her desk, the conflict officially erupted.
But then she heard even more disturbing news: the government was actually drafting mutants from across the country, including students from Charles Xavier's school. The CIA had managed to obtain intel from a 'trusted source' about individuals awakening to their powers. Emma was a hundred percent certain that source was Bolivar Trask. It was clear now, the war in Vietnam was being used as a cover to test mutant capabilities on the battlefield.
When she broke the news to James, his reaction wasn't what she expected. He told her simply that he would be disappearing for a while because he had something he needed to handle personally. While Emma knew better than to pry, she couldn't help but feel curious. She wondered what could be so significant that James himself felt the need to make the first move.
She pushed the thought from her mind, she had her own weight to carry here, and she had chores and responsibilities that wouldn't wait. Besides, she knew James. She trusted that he would handle everything with his usual precision, working behind the scenes as he always did to ensure the world kept turning exactly the way he wanted it to.
to be continued -