Emma Frost: Wendigo Queen

It was a grueling 2 hours of flight time heading from the Xavier mansion in New York to the Northeastern Rockies out over British Columbia. During the flight, the X-men traded notes on why they were heading out so far. Sitting anxiously in their seats, Wolverine, Colossus, the White queen and with Cyclops at the controls, they all murmured over the mission at hand.

“So does everyone know what we’re in for?” Cyclops asked over his shoulder, making sure everyone was alert as they passed the U.S. Canadian border and flew over the high mountains.

“What’s to know?” Scoffed Emma, checking her well manicured fingernails. “A bunch of mutant hating buggers fled police custody and fled the border to squat in the middle of nowhere in the mountains of Canada to avoid arrest.”

“And we’re going to be the ones to bring them back over to the states to be prosecuted.”

“WITHOUT either country knowing about it…” Grumbled Logan, taking a puff of his cigar as he leaned back in his seat. “So why aren’t the Mounties getting involved again?”

“Because they don’t know where the group is… And they are hesitant to speak to a self funded, paramilitary group comprised of mutants from another country for help because it might make an international incident. Which is a shame because Charles was able to find them in minutes.” Said the White Queen and not without a hint of dark humour on the subject.

“Which is why we are going in by stealth, we’ll apprehend the group, drop them off on the doorsteps of the nearest U.S. police station back over the border and erase any memory of them seeing us.”

“The perfect plan…” Chuckled Logan, exhaling a ring of smoke. “What could go wrong?”

“Somethingk can go wrong?” Asked Piotr, blinking back at his friends in their seats behind him. “Like Vwat?”

“Oh, nothing much. Except we’ll be out in the middle of the mountains trying to find what is essentially a biker gang of heavily armed thugs, in minus 10-degree weather, its snowing and by the look of the sun going down, it’ll be nighttime.”

Looking down at her attire and frowning, one consisting of stylish low riding white dress pants, matching white halter top and cape, Emma Frost tossed her platinum blonde hair over her bare shoulder, with a sigh. “Well… Guess I under dressed for the occasion.”

“We’re coming on the location of their little camp site now, just as Xavier pointed out from Cerebro. I’m going to land a short distance away; we’ll approach on foot and hopefully catch them all by surprise.”

“As silent as a jet-black jumbo jet can be out here.”

Silently, the large black bird landed just a few hundred yards away from the campsite they were looking for, the engines cooling, the exiting ramp extended down for the X-Men to depart and make their way through the cold to their destination.

“Brrr… Well, THIS is scenic.” Emma chattered with clenched teeth as she hugged herself to keep warm.

“It only for a few minutes Emma.” Explained Colossus as he took on a metallic exterior, no longer effected by the cold as he strode forward and up ahead. “Come, we will find the criminals and bring them to justice, ya?”

“Sure thing bub, just follow the guy who has a nose for this kinda…” Sniffing the air, Logan paused. “That’s funny.”

“What is?”

Sniffing the air again, Wolverine had a look of confusion on his face as he looked around, haunching low like an animal to get a better scent as the wind changed. “I don’t smell’em.”

Heading into where the campsite was located, the X-men looked up to find a cabin up ahead where smoke was still trailing out of the brick chimney from the roof. Just outside there was a truck with the driver door wide open and the engine still going but the truck and interior were caked with the falling snow. Looking inside the truck, apart from a few centimeters of snow, there was no one there.

“This is weird, ya?”

“Couldn’t have gotten far, not in this weather… And without their truck.”

Still undeterred, the X-men took their positions and looked around the cabin, checking the windows to look inside for anyone in there. Not finding anyone, Cyclops blasted the cabin door to splinters, and they all charged in… Only to find the cabin empty. The fire was still burning in the campfire, and there was a pile of clothes and guns on the ground along with hundreds of spent shells on the floor, but the cabin was completely empty.

“Nothing… Do you sense anyone here Emma?”

“Maybe they’re out and hiding, dah?”

Bringing her hands to her forehead, the White Queen closed her eyes and tried to feel out with her telepathy, trying to find the minds of anyone nearby. Opening her eyes, she shook her head and shrugged.

“Nothing, not even an errant thought of disappointment about the weather… Save for yours truly.”

Looking around, Scott kicked an empty beer can on the floor aside. “Just where the heck did they all go?!”

“I don’t know… And I don’t like it!” Wolverine snorted, still sniffing the air the entire time they were there. “I’d have smelled it if they up and went off somewhere, but they didn’t. It’s like something up and scooped them off the face of the earth.”

Stepping outside of the cabin and spreading out to find anything that showed the terrorist group’s whereabouts, the X-men still found nothing, and the fresh falling snow wasn’t making things any easier.

“Friend Cyclops, I found something.” Called out Piotr, waving Cyclops over to the side of a tree where they both looked at the deep scars of a claw mark into the bark. “You think it is bear?”

“Out here? Probably.”

“Guys, I think I found something over here.”

Gathering around where Logan was crouched and rummaging through the snow, the other four X-men looked over his shoulder as he pulled out a torn shirt out of the snow, along with another, a pair of pants, and a couple sets of shoes.

“I think I found our guys… Or what’s left of’em.” He made a face of disgust as he poked at the shoe with one of his claws like a stick and brought it up to look at, finding a rather large bite mark in the sole of it. Taking a sniff, Wolverine’s eyes went wide, and he tossed it back into the pile. “Figures… We’re getting out of here.”

“Logan, I call the shots here, I’m team…”

“No, we got a REAL problem out here Scott, and its not a bunch of drunk hicks with shotguns.”

“Then what is…”

At that moment a terrible howl echoed out over the forests and the mountain range, something that sounded like a wolf but was far deeper, like a bear, causing the birds in the trees to fly and disperse while the X-men prepared for anything. Anything turned out to be a massive hulking creature leaping out into the open and slamming down in front of where Logan had ducked out of the way with the same weight as a ton of bricks. Sending snow and gravel raining out from the landing as the white furred monster called out a roar that had everyone clutch at their ears from the intensity of it.

“WEEEEENIDOOOOOOOOO!”

Backhanding Scott as he reached up to take aim with his visor, the impact sent the blue and gold clad man reeling across the snow, coming to a stop at the wall of the cabin and going limp.

“WEEEEEEEENIDOOOOOOOO!” It roared again, charging towards Colossus like a rabid animal, frothing at the mouth and blandishing black claws as it lunged for the metal skinned Russian. The monster howled out as Wolverine collided into its side, unsheathing adamantium claws and driving them into the monster’s chest and side, causing it to rage and howl even louder.

Thrashing back and forth as they traded swipes and scratches, the Wendigo managed to grab Wolverine’s leg and throw him across the clearing until he disappeared into the trees, where the sound of metal hitting several trees that fell over indicate where he landed.

Seeing the horned monstrosity turn his gaze towards Colossus and Emma, Piotr raised his metal fists and raised his guard when the monster lunged for him, howling like a bear as Colossus grappled with him and avoided his jaws as he was pushed back and pinned against the truck. The monster was mindless with rage, wild eyed and howling as it tried to bite down at Piotr’s face and missing by only an inch.

“EMMA! SUBDUE THE BEAST!”

Trying to reach out with her telepathy, she found… Nothing, the monster was empty, save for blind rage and gnawing hunger so deep it was like staring into a black hole, it was too much for Emma to look at as she recoiled away and winced. But that was enough for the Wendigo to pry free of Piotr’s grasp and slam down on his shoulder with a clawed fist. Howling out, the monster pulled the metal skinned man back and threw him into the wall of the cabin, caving in the building and roaring out in triumph as it turned its attention to the White Queen with a hungry gaze.

“Wendigooooo…”

Barrelling towards the White Queen, the woman had only seconds to react as she turned her skin to diamond, just as the beast tackled her to the ground and bit her arm. Gnawing on the glassy surface of her bare arm but unable to cause any damage. But it was too powerful for Emma to fend off, and sooner or later her diamond protection was going to come down if her concentration faltered. Emma was scared for her life until she saw a red light behind the wild monster and in a yowl of pain it was blasted right off her. Looking up from where the blast came from, Emma smiled despite herself to find Scott back on his feet where red steam bloomed from his visor.

“Alright… Let’s go.”

Bellowing out a roar that made Emma clutch at her ears despite her diamond exterior, the beast charged towards Scott as he set the dial to his visor and fired again. At that moment a column of red light escaped his visor and captured the wendigo full on with enough driving to knock him off its feet and send it flying across the countryside, howling and screaming as it fly out a mile out over the trees and just kept right on flying until Scott stopped.

Getting up off the snow and seeing a blue gloved hand in front of her to get up, Emma smirked back at the man as she got back up to her feet.

“My hero.”

“Are you alright?”

Returning to normal, Emma winced and rolled her shoulder. “The bastard tried to bite me, thankfully my diamond skin was up when he tried. Where did you send him?”

“Well… He’s heading east, so… Manitoba?”

Hearing Logan stumble his way back into the clearing and shaking his head, the man groaned as he found the rest of his team gathering back together in the front of the cabin.

“Anyone see where that albino asshole went off to?”

“Scott says Manitoba.”

“Piotr, Logan, are you both okay there?” Asked Scott as he spotted the Wolverine give him the finger while Colossus nodded back.

“Well, this is a wash, guess we’ll have to head home empty handed.”

“Good thing too.” Scoffed Emma as she joined the rest f the X-men to head back to the black bird. “All this rough housing has done nothing but give me an appetite.”