In the wake of Mystique’s sudden flight, Thaddeus had had a choice to make. He’d immediately dropped the idea of going to football practice after all. Not only would he be late, but everyone would wonder why his detention got cut short. More than that though? He just wasn’t in the mood at that point.
 
Which meant he could either go home… or go somewhere else. The ice cream parlor immediately came to mind. He wasn’t a drinker or a smoker, but one of Thaddeus’ few vices was sweets. Rarely. He was still a football player after all, the school’s star quarterback. He was on a very strict diet ninety-nine percent of the time. That was why sneaking over to the ice cream parlor ever so often was such a treat.
 
His choices were pretty simple, in the end. Either go home and be faced with having to explain to his parents why he wasn’t at football practice… or go and have some ice cream. In the end, was it really a choice at all? Of course he picks the parlor over going home and being confronted by his parents.
 
As Thaddeus hops in his car however, he can’t help but glance at his arms as his hands come to rest upon the steering wheel. He quickly pulls out and gets himself on the road, making sure to observe all the traffic laws and what not that he would have ignored just six months ago before his life began to change. However, there’s no denying he’s a little distracted during the drive.
 
On the way to the ice cream parlor, he stares intently at his arms… and watches as they shift and slowly change in skin tone. He can feel it in the back of his head, what precisely he got from Mystique. Not that he’d known he would be getting anything except for another boost. But that was just it… he’d never fucked a mutant before, had he? And yet… here he was, reaping the rewards of what just happened between him and the blue-skinned shapeshifter.
 
Not only was the flat boost to his abilities bigger than anything he’d  ever received from any of the girls at his school, but also… he’d gotten a little something from her beyond that. He’d gotten a little taste of her powers.
 
… Emphasis on little. What had taken Mystique less than a second to do back in that classroom takes Thaddeus over five minutes to mimic, and then another five minutes to change back. He spends the whole ten minute drive to the ice cream parlor playing around with it. It’s actually really intuitive, like he just knows how to do this now in the back of his head. But it’s very, very slow.
 
He doesn’t know what that means. Doesn’t know whether that means he can make his new power stronger if he fucks Mystique more, or if he will eventually lose access to this because it’s only temporary. Frankly, for all that he does know, he’s still woefully ignorant in several ways that feel like they matter far too much.
 
Like for instance… why did she run away from him like that? Had he stolen some part of her power, and she’d felt as much? But then… no, she would have reacted with aggression if he’d wronged her, or so he feels. Just from their interactions, Thaddeus definitely got the impression that she was the kind to face her enemies head on, not run from them in fear.
 
And yet… that didn’t change the fact that she’d definitely ran from HIM. Had he lost his chance at joining the Brotherhood of Mutants? Did he even want to join the Brotherhood, in the end?
 
Getting out of his car, Thaddeus sighs and heads into the ice cream parlor. It takes him only a moment to get his favorite, birthday cake ice cream with caramel and marshmallow toppings. Was it a little childish? Maybe, but it was his go-to and he wouldn’t change it for the world. Sitting down in a back booth, Thaddeus looks around but doesn’t see anyone he knows from school, thankfully. It makes sense, everyone he knows has after-school activities like sports or cheer practice to attend, and those won’t be out for another half hour.
 
As he begins nursing his ice cream however, the doorbell chimes, drawing his attention… to one of the most beautiful women Thaddeus has ever seen as she steps into the parlor. Honestly, her looks and her entire wardrobe are super out of place, not just in an establishment like this, but rather, out of place in this entire town.
 
Eyes follow the gorgeous blonde in an all-white suit, as she goes up to the counter and orders an ice cream. And then, to Thaddeus’ surprise, they all slide right off of her the moment she has her ice cream in hand. No one pays her the slightest bit of attention more, he notices. Probably for the best, given she makes her way over to his booth and sits down across from him with a slight smirk on his face.
 
“Hello Chad. Or do you prefer Thaddeus? I imagine you don’t go by your OTHER middle name, that’s for sure.”
 
Thaddeus sits, back ramrod straight, eyes wide, and face aflame at both her forwardness, her cavalier attitude, her beauty… and the mention of his other middle name. No… no, he did not want to go by that. Swallowing thickly, he takes a spoonful of his ice cream to give himself time to think. In the end though, despite the pause, he still finds that the best he can come up with is…
 
“Thaddeus is fine…”
 
Look, he’s had a long day. And this woman… she’s drop-dead gorgeous. And he’s seen some beautiful ladies today so-
 
Blinking, Thaddeus looks down at where the blonde has placed a hand atop his in an almost reassuring manner. He grows even hotter, as she smiles at him knowingly.
 
“You’ve had a rough day, Thaddeus.”
 
The ice cream cone in her hand comes up, and she takes a long lick from it.
 
“Don’t worry. I’m here to make it better.”
 
He’s no virgin. Fuck, he just got done plowing a shapeshifting blue beauty less than an hour ago. On top of that, all of his boosts to his intelligence tell him that he’s being seduced. Doesn’t mean it’s not working though.
 
“Y-Yeah? Uh… how, exactly?”
 
She grins at him then, tilting her head to the side.
 
“Sorry, where are my manners? My name, Thaddeus, is Emma Frost. I’m here representing a third option. Specifically, the option where you’re not outed as a mutant.”
 
Thaddeus’ eyes widen at that, and he quickly looks around. It would be the height of cosmic irony if those were the words that actually DID out him as a mutant. And yet… no one is looking in their direction. No one is paying them the slightest bit of mind. There isn’t even anyone averting their eyes but clearly trying to listen in. It’s almost like they don’t even exist.
 
“You don’t need to worry, Thaddeus. They don’t even remember we’re here. Not right now.”
 
Oh. O-Oh, now he was beginning to understand. Licking his lips, which are suddenly very dry, Thaddeus looks across the table at Emma Frost. Smiling at him still, she finally pulls her hand back from his, though she continues to lick her ice cream cone in ways that can only be described as downright scandalous.
 
“The interests that I represent know who’s approached you today, Thaddeus. They know who’s made what offers. And they want you to know that your choices aren’t quite as limited as these people want you to think they are. We want you to be able to live the life you deserve to live. We want you to do what YOU want to do, and be who YOU want to be.”
 
His whole mouth is dry by now. It certainly sounds nice. But at the same time… he’s smart enough to know there’s plenty he’s not being told.
 
“What… what does that mean exactly? Who are you? What are you offering? And what exactly do you want from me?”
 
Emma smirks, nodding at him approvingly, as if to say she’s pleased with his questioning.
 
“Allow me to answer those in the reverse. What we want from you… is for you to see your true potential realized, Thaddeus. In order to do that, we want you to stay… unaffiliated. Your potential would be wasted at the Xavier Institute. They’d keep you confined to that school almost all the time, and only pull you out for their silly acts of vigilantism.”
 
Tilting her head to the opposite side, Emma takes another lick of her ice cream.
 
“Meanwhile, your potential would be outright squandered with the Brotherhood. They’re the opposite extreme, and they won’t hold back just because you have greatness growing within you. They’ll use you up and you’ll either end up in a cell being experimented on when their antics get you caught by the authorities, or dead, martyred by their self-righteous crusade.”
 
Thaddeus can only blink as Emma ruthlessly and viciously tears both of his previous options to shreds like… like they’re nothing. He has to admit, she certainly has a way with words. Very… persuasive. But of course, she’s just getting started.
 
“As for what we’re offering, it’s quite simple. If you allow the interests I represent to sponsor you, you can have it all. You can take the football scholarship and have a professional football career without worrying about being outed as a mutant. Faking tests and falsifying results is well within our power, and on top of that we can provide you with training to keep your abilities seeming just shy of abnormal, rather than truly superhuman.”
 
Emma leans forward at that, flashing him a bit of extra skin down the top of her suit jacket as she takes another lick from her ice cream cone.
 
“You can be your own man, Thaddeus. Do your own thing. You won’t be tied down by the expectations of others, nor will you be pigeonholed by your status as a mutant. We won’t allow it.”
 
In a way, her offer is very appealing. And he thinks there’s a kernel of truth to what Emma Frost is saying. She herself is obviously a mutant in her own right. And yet… it’s quite clear she’s doing very well for herself. Her fashion is that of an incredibly rich person from the city, and her entire attitude screams ‘royalty’ to him for some reason.
 
She’s like a Queen deigning to come down and move amongst the peasants just so she can grant him this offer. There’s just a couple of questions more that Thaddeus needs answered. Before he can ask the first, Emma is already preempting him.
 
“As for who ‘we’ are… I’m afraid that that’s one of the only things I can’t tell you. At least not until you say yes. The interests I represent… the organization I’m a part of is very reclusive by design. We don’t go around in spandex like Charles Xavier’s X-men, nor do we go around committing terrorist attacks like the Brotherhood of Mutants. We are… the more intelligent choice. By keeping ourselves hidden, by keeping the masquerade intact, we live amongst the humans much more peacefully and amicably.”
 
That… that made sense. Thaddeus finds himself subconsciously nodding along with her words. Though… it still doesn’t answer his final question. This one, he actually manages to get out.
 
“And what… what would your organization’s expectations for me be, exactly? What are your interests in me personally? Why am I getting this offer?”
 
Admittedly, he had a pretty good idea of why he was getting this offer. If they knew anything about his mutation, and it seemed like they did, then they probably wanted him for exactly what Emma Frost had initially stated. His… potential. But even still, what did they want to use his potential FOR, exactly?
 
“I understand your suspicions, Thaddeus. It’s not paranoia if they really are out to get you… and I won’t deny that there are people in this world who are out to get you. However, I and the organization I represent only want what’s best for you. We only wish to see you succeed.”
 
She seems honest. Credible. Genuine, even. Maybe he just wants to believe her. He doesn’t know for sure. But he does know… he can’t possibly make this decision here and now, in an ice cream parlor. Right? Looking down at his cup, which by now is very empty of the saccharine treat he’d sat down with, Thaddeus licks his lips, tasting the last remnants of ice cream, caramel, and marshmallow. Letting out a low breath, he meets the beautiful blonde’s light blue eyes.
 
“I think… I think I need more time to think about all of this. I can’t make a decision here and now. There’s just too much to consider.”
 
Even before he’s done speaking, Emma is nodding along with his words, her gaze turning sympathetic. She reaches out again and places her hand atop his, something Thaddeus finds he appreciates just as much as the first time. And then… she shakes her head.
 
“That’s a very reasonable response, Thaddeus. A mature response from a very mature young man. Unfortunately… this offer is time sensitive. I am not authorized to stick around. Any longer and the risk of discovery by the others who are after you is too great.”
 
Oh.
 
“Now, obviously if you were to agree, then discovery would no longer be relevant. We would immediately move in to secure your freedom and make sure that the Professor and the Brotherhood both backed off post-haste. However, if you’re on the fence, then we cannot afford to commit the resources that would be necessary to do so, you see.”
 
Letting out a sigh, Emma rubs circles into the back of Thaddeus’ hand.
 
“I wish we had more time. It would only be fair… but the world is a remarkably unfair place. This offer is good now and only now. Otherwise, my organization will require me to pull out… and you will be forced to choose between the X-Men and the Brotherhood.”
 
He doesn’t like it. A mulish part of him even wonders for a second whether or not he could just go it alone on his own. Why not, right? Why not just spurn all of their offers and be his own man? Except… no. Thaddeus isn’t stupid. If he tried to do this without the backing of Ms. Frost’s organization, he would almost certainly be caught out as a mutant at some point. And then he would be ostracized at best and experimented on at worst.
 
His choices are Professor Xavier and his X-Men, Mystique and her Brotherhood, or Emma Frost and Mystery Option Three. And the last of those three choices is a door that’s already closing quite fast.