Delays were not uncommon in his area of expertise.
They were a constant after all.
Research and experimentation was a tricky field of study that often resulted in errors occurring in every facet of all aspects that were not carefully controlled and regulated. As a result, to truly advance it required a great deal of patience as one carefully navigated through all the unforeseen errors to come out the other end.
Nathaniel Essex was no stranger to such things.
Scott Summers' escape from the orphanage had been one such unforeseen error.
Unfortunate, but not disastrous.
He had in the time that Scott had been at his orphanage, acquired much of the data he needed to put his other plans into motion. While Nathaniel had certainly intended to continue his research trying to satisfy his own independent intellectual curiosity of Scott himself, losing him was not a hindrance. After all, it had always been in his plans to let Scott go free and out into the world so that he might procreate with Jean Grey and produce the offspring with the strength he required for his goals.
Instead, Nathaniel had simply taken a backseat and studied Scott from a distance.
Yet it was while watching that Nathaniel realised that there was truly far more to meet the eyes about Scott than he had ever truly realised. The way he acted and the way he moved, the experience and skill he possessed, they were far more than a boy his age should possess. Scott certainly should not possess such things with the difficulties he had faced so the fact that he did only piqued Nathaniel's interest even more.
Once more, his intellectual curiosity was stocked and he wanted answers.
It was why he had gathered together the Marauders and sent them to capture Scott as he left New York and once more in the town of Dunfee. But both times, Scott had evaded capture and proved himself far more skilled than his past experiences should allow him to be. A fact backed up by Sabretooth who in his time working alongside the Mutant, Nathaniel had learned to take his word for in these matters.
Scott Summers was an anomaly.
One who had vast experience in dealing with superpowered foes and all facets of combat.
An anomaly Nathaniel wanted to understand.
One he needed to acquire.
But an anomaly that had continued to evade him at every turn, outmanoeuvring the Marauders and getting to safety within the home of one Charles Xavier. A powerful telepath that Nathaniel had been wary of approaching and with Sabretooth's old rival, Wolverine also being present and a host of young Mutants there, it would make capturing Scott even harder.
A direct approach would no longer be viable.
Instead, he needed a new one.
'I'll send Victor to Bayville first.' Nathaniel thought to himself, leaning back into his chair. 'And in the meantime keep the rest of the Marauders in reserve until an opportunity presents itself. However, it is clear that Scott knows how to combat Mutants and having faced Blockbuster, Prism, as well as having encountered the improvements I've made on Tombstone and Rhino. He will be better prepared should they come for him again. If I am to succeed, I will need more members.'
Nathaniel had lived a long time and he was owed many favours by many Mutants across the world.
To acquire Scott it would be a cheap cost to cash in those favours and build up his Marauders power.
-X-
There was a strange feeling of nervousness that had befallen him since Scott had gotten in the car after their plane landed. His fingers flexed and tensed as they clasped together while he gazed upon the world outside passing them by. This uncomfortable feeling of anxiety bubbled within him as the car approached a large mansion reminded him so much of every time he ran into Jean Grey.
That anticipation and excitement to see her.
Yet the dread and fear.
The sadness and heartbreak.
The anger and love.
They were all the emotions of Cyclops and he could feel them within him and Scott hated it.
He felt so out of control in moments such as these.
Taking a deep breath as the car came to a stop, Scott tried to calm his nerves as he stepped out of the car and helped Xavier into his wheelchair. "Scott, make sure that you remain silent and simply observe." Xavier reminded him as the two were directed up to the entrance and brought inside. "Winston is a firm man and certain in his beliefs. It is what has allowed him to expand Frost Enterprises to such a vast extent."
Scott didn't need to be told that.
"This won't succeed."
Charles smiled lightly. "But we won't know until we try."
"You have tried before." Scott pointed out, reminding Xaiver of the many times he had tried to reach out in the past to Winston about Emma only to be rebuffed. The only reason Charles was being entertained with an in-person meeting this time was because Scott imagined Winston had grown tired of this whole charade.
From the memories of Cyclops, he knew from his interactions with Emma Frost just what kind of man her father was and he knew that this endeavour to recruit Emma would fail. Charles hoped that Winston could be reasoned with to see that Emma being placed in the Xavier Mansion and taught to use her powers by him would be better. But knowing the kind of man Winston was, he would never allow a valuable resource in his daughter to go elsewhere to learn and develop her powers.
-X-
Sighing tiredly, Emma ran the brush through her hair, untangling the small knots that had formed, frowning when she ran into a particularly thick one. However, before she had a chance to untangle it, there was a loud knock at the door that made her frown deepen even further. She had been home for nought more than an hour and already her peace was being disturbed.
"Yes?" She called.
"Miss Frost." The maid on the other side replied. "Your father summons you to the front parlour."
'Guests?' Emma wondered, tugging her brush through the last knot before getting to her feet. She hadn't even had a chance to get changed out of her school uniform yet which meant she would have to go like this and no doubt after said meeting she would be scolded for doing so. However, she was beyond the point of caring at this moment in time, especially if he was pawning her off to some heir or middle-aged man like she suspected.
Fluffing up her hair slightly, Emma rose to her feet and stepped out of her room, following the maid who guided her to the front parlour. There she knocked on the door and waited for just a moment before one of her father's guards opened the door to let her inside.
As she expected, her father was sitting in the large leather chair in the very centre of the room, two guards stood behind him with an additional four in the corners of the room. Passing the two guards at the door, Emma stepped to look upon the two individuals who had turned to face her. One was an older man, younger than her father but bolding and sat in a wheelchair with a kindly smile on his face. The other was a young boy not much older than her, his arms clasped in front of him as he stood behind the wheelchair.
He was attractive.
That was the first thing Emma noted about him as she moved past them both to stand beside her father.
Very much her type.
"My daughter, Emma Frost." Winston said bluntly.
Charles smiled kindly. "Greetings, Emma." He said politely. "I am Professor Charles Xavier and this is Scott Summers."
As she knew her father expected of her, Emma simply inclined her head slightly, not saying a word.
"I am curious as to why you have come all this way, Xavier." Emma doubted that for a second, if anything her father knew precisely what Charles Xavier wanted and had already decided on what his response would be, this was nothing more than a formality. A farce meant to put Charles Xavier in his place for getting on her father's nerves, she would have almost pitied the man if it was not for the fact it had forced her to be in this position in the first place.
"As we spoke earlier, I am aware of your daughter's gifts." Emma thought to keep her surprise from showing, her gaze narrowing in upon the wheelchair-bound man as she sent out a small telepathic probe to brush against his mind. 'You need not worry, Miss Frost. I too am like yourself.' Charles never gave any indication of his conversation with Emma though as he continued. "Am I right to assume we are amongst those you trust?"
"You are." Winston replied.
'You're a telepath?''I am.' Charles replied. "I have developed an institute that is uniquely tailored toward helping young Mutants develop and control their powers. I wish to induct Miss Frost into this school of mine to help her control her powers whatever they should be."
'You're wasting your time.' Emma told him.
"And I am supposed to believe that this is the truth?" Winston wondered with a raised brow.
Charles then indicated toward Scott. "Scott Summers here is one of my students, a fellow Mutant who has shown great talent at controlling and using his powers." Here, both Winston and Emma looked toward the young teen, Emma reaching out with a telepathic probe to try and grasp some understanding of him only for her to be blocked by firm defences that were the strongest she had ever encountered. There was no opening or gap for her probe to slip inside and allow her to read his thoughts, something that had never happened before.
Winston ignores Charles, turning his attention fully to Scott. "What are your powers?"
Scott remained silent for a moment. "I would prefer not to say."
Emma was shocked by this response.
Her entire life she had been surrounded by people who followed her father's orders, it was natural for her to see people answer his questions without hesitation and follow his orders to the letter. Yet before her stood a boy not much older than her, maybe a year or two and he had refused, he had rebelled against the system that she had known for so long.
She knew better than anyone that rebellion of that kind would only anger her father.
"There's no need to hide it." Winston continued, his lips thinning. "It is respectful to answer questions when asked."
"It is respectful to not continue pressing for an answer after I have told you I would like not to say." This time Emma was unable to hide her shock as her eyes widened heavily, gazing upon Scott with a measure of bewilderment. Around the room the guards shifted though made no threatening move toward the guests as Winston chuckled lowly.
"You think I am undeserving of respect?"
"Scott." Charles warned not liking the way in which the situation was unfolding.
"Let the boy speak." Winston stopped Charles in that moment. "I am curious to know what he has to say on why I am undeserving of respect?"
"I did not say you were undeserving of respect." Scott calmly pointed out as Charles frowned heavily.
'Is he mad?' Emma asked.
'On that I am not sure.' Charles replied.
"Only that you showed the lack of respect toward us first." Scott continued. "It was you who ignored our attempts to contact you even though we followed the correct procedures put in place. It was you who continued to press for an answer I did not wish to give. It is you who treats your family as tools to be used. Those are reasons for me to not show you the proper respect. But I suppose those mean nothing to you so I guess one needs to look no further than the current stagnation of your companies and your unwillingness to accept or embrace change as another."
That made Emma breathe in sharply.
If there was one thing her father hated more than anything, it was the stark reminder of his recent stagnation. Only their pharmectucial company was showing any measure of growth but it was small with many of their other subsidiaries either stagnant or on the decline. It was one thing that had driven her father into rage filled outbursts which had directly led Emma to moving into a dormitory as a means to escape said anger. But it was also the reason she had been called back, Emma now truly being used as a tool to give Frost Enterprises a means to grow.
As she expected, Winston was enraged and the guards each stepped forward only to startle when Scott's eyes flashed red. One guard reached for their gun only for a beam of red energy to punch into his wrist causing it to snap and the gun to clatter to the floor.