(Hell, Mephistos domain, Five Days Later)
Within the deepest and foulest depths of hell, a single being sits upon a throne made up of human skulls and bones.
This being is six and a half feet tall, although can be bigger if so desired, has red skin, and pointed ears showing through his black hair. He wears a dark red cloak that has the collar shaped like devil horns, wears dark red pants and does not wear a king of lies himself, Mephistopheles.
At the moment, if one were to just look at said king's face then it would appear he is sleeping with his head resting on his right fist. However if they look to his left hand resting at the armchair, they would see a single finger tapping on the skull that is placed in front of the armchair. The demon is actually waiting for something.
He is finger stops tapping and slowly, a smile, twisted as he is, begins to form on his face. "So it would seem that the time has finally come." he announces into the realm.
"Yes, the time has indeed come." a voice familiar disembodied voice speaks from behind his throne.
Out from behind Uatu, The Watcher walks out and stands to the left of Mephistos throne with a blank look on his face. Looking ahead and not to the powerful demon, Uatu says, "Your presence has been requested." One can actually feel the disgust when he speaks to red demon.
With the sick smile still on his on his face, the Devil opens his eyes and sets his gaze on the being beside him. "Oh is that vile and distaste in your voice Watcher, and here I believed your job was to merely be an objective observer." He said to the great observer with amusement in voice.
It wasn't everyday that The Watcher shows such emotion to someone, or in this case about someone. Mephistopheles takes great pleasure in being able to achieve such an accomplishment.
Afterall it takes a great amount of effort to be disgusted by one whose sole purpose is simply a sentry.
Uatu turns back around and pauses for a moment, "I am tasked to take you to them," He says with displeasure. He then walks away and says, "Let us be on our way."
Mephisto places both his hands on the skulls at the front of the armchairs and pushes himself up to stand. He then walks around to the back of his throne and follows The Watcher.
All the while he still has the same smile he had when he spoke.
'At long last, my greatest insult to him shall come into full fruition.' he thought to himself with glee as he left his domain.
*****
(Utopia)
Utopia, built on the remains of Asteroid M, now stands as a shining beacon of what the rest of the world can look like. Well not so much standing as floating over the San Francisco bay.
When M-day happened and mutants were put on the brink of total extinction, many humans took it as a sign from God to eradicate whatever remaining mutants were left. Since there were only a few hundred or so remaining and chances of there ever being anymore were small and dwindling, the mutants decided to huddle together and formed their own city, away from the mainland. One they call Utopia.
Standing outside at the top of his silver stairs that lead to nowhere, one Scott Summers, popularly known as Cyclops, looks out into the city he and his fellow phoenix empowered teammates improved upon.
Scott is a little over six feet tall, wearing an all concealing black uniform, leaving only his mouth exposed, with a red phoenix symbol on his front and back. His eyes are covered by his ruby quartz visor. His form is muscular with broad shoulders, but still relatively slim.
As the leader of the X-Men continues to look out the into the city, his beloved White Queen, Emma Frost, watches him while drinking a glass of wine. She is a little shorter than Cyclops, at five-ten, has blue eyes and blond hair. Her attire, which complements her curvy form, consists of a gold phoenix symbol across her chest and its tails covering her crotch, with straps hugging her sides and hips. White long sleeves and white boots that reach past her knees.
Emma continues to watch her beloved for a few more moments in silence, watching him as he looks to their creation, then she breaks the silence and asks, "...Something on your mind beloved?"
"You can't tell." Scott responded sarcastically.
Emma rolls her eyes, "I can," she says to him, pauses to sip some of her wine, smacks her lips when finished and continues to talk, "But I thought I would be polite this time, and ask instead."
He stays silent for a few moments and finally speaks, "Namors actions in Wakanda have made things even more difficult for us."
She scoffs at that, "Hardly," she says waving her hand dismissively, "The Avengers, or anyone else for that matter, are of no consequence to us."
He turns to her, "I don't mean we'll be having trouble fighting them Emma," he says to her sternly, "I mean we'll have trouble convincing them what we are doing is right." He turns back around and gestures to Utopia, "Look at what we accomplished in our own home and what we are achieving with the rest of the world. Right now we are spreading this all over the world. Barren wastelands are now prospering, any weapons of mass destruction are being rid of, and we're also dealing with those who bring nothing but pain and misery to the world."
The telepath gets an annoyed look on her face, "Those we can find at least." she says begrudgingly, "Doom is still somehow hiding from us."
"He can't hide forever Emma, we will eventually find him."
Emma huffs slightly, "Even if we do, all we're going to do is put him in a box above ground," she pauses, sips her wine, and then continues, "When in fact what we should be doing to him and those like him is put them in a box underground, where they belong."
Sensing his romantic partners instability, Scott looks to her worryingly and says, "You don't mean that Emma."
The slowly maddening White Queen tilts her head to the side, as if thinking, "Hmm, no I suppose you're right," she says uncaringly, "I wouldn't want to waste a coffin on them, their bodies can be more useful as fertilizer, don't you think so."
"Emma," Cyclops calmly calls her by name, "That is not how we do things."
"True that isn't how we used to do things," she responds uncaringly. She then sarcastically says, "Then again we've never ran the world like we are doing so now."
"We are not running the world," he sternly tells her, "We are guiding it."
Emma looks at him, amused by what he said, and says, "It's funny how often those two tend to overlap one another. Afterall, is it not the responsibility of a king and queen to guide their kingdoms into prosperity."
Scott stays silent at that, having no response because what she said makes sense. Although most rulers in history didn't actually guide their kingdoms, the few that did are prime examples of what it means to be leaders. And frankly, Scott can't see much of a difference between himself and the kings that existed.
Well there is one difference.
"We will give up this power when the time comes," he said to her with pride, "When we find Hope, we will prepare her, and when she's ready to accept it, we will give this power to her, Emma. It's wasn't meant for us, it was meant for her. She is the only one that can save us, that's the Phoenix Forces purpose, and Hopes destiny." With that said, Scott walks off.
Yes, that is the difference between him and a king, he is not meant to have this power and so he is willing give it up when the time is right.
"I'm afraid it might not be that simple, Scott," she said when her lover was far enough to not hear her.
When they were captured by Mr. Sinister and she spoke to the Phoenix, it revealed that apparently someone very specific has to die. At first, Emma was worried about who, but when the fire bird told her, she immediately lost any sense of worry.
'The world won't be missing him much anyway,' she thought to herself as she down the last bit of wine she had in her glass and then walks down the steps, 'I certainly won't.'