xp_logs | Emma and Kurt - common cause

Kurt knew the layout of the Snow Valley offices quite well by now and, armed with the email confirming the time and place of their meeting, he had no trouble making his way to the room Emma had claimed as her own. He knocked politely on the door frame, waiting to be acknowledged.

Emma looked up from yet another spreadsheet on yet another aspect of the finances of Snow Valley. She loved money and its movement - possibly even, she was willing to admit, to a slightly unhealthy extent. But right now she would have welcomed any intrusion into her thought processes on trust re-structuring and the intricacies of margin calls. Her smile was, therefore, genuinely warm as was her greeting. "Kurt," she said. "Such a pleasure. Do come in."

She was probably going to enjoy this meeting a great deal. Kurt hoped so, anyway, smiling back as he stepped into the office. "Good morning, Emma. It has been a long time."

"Several years, if I remember correctly," said Emma. "Time does run away on us sometimes. Particularly when we're so busy saving the world." Emma looked down at all the paperwork on her desk. "But Snow Valley appears to have called me back from my idle outside pursuits for a little while." She looked back up at Kurt, indicated that he should sit. "Now, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

He sat quite willingly, tail curling around the chair leg. "A business matter, as I said. In that I want to put my father out of business - and for that, I will need your help."

Emma sat back in her chair, all feline grace and poise and unreadable stare. "Ah," she said delicately. "I believe your father is a remarkably unpleasant man, but you've been aware of that for some time. Is there any particular action of his that's brought about the desire to bring his empire crashing about his ears? If crashing is your intent, of course. Sometimes something more subtle can be more satisfying."

"Crashing, collapsing quietly", he said with a casual gesture. "Either will do, as long as he is stripped of money and as much power as possible. And yes, there have been recent incidents. He threatened my family, and he almost had an innocent girl lynched - either because she was a mutant, or because I had become involved with her situation, I do not know. Either way, I will not let it continue."

"I have a - certain sympathy for that position," said Emma quietly. "Do you want him to know what you've done or do you not care so long as he is broken? Because you've chosen a very good time for the second option. If Bear Stearns and Carlyle can break so easily, your father's companies may hang on a whisper. If you want him to know what you've done but not leave a trail - that is somewhat more difficult."

"It would be a benefit for him to know it was me", Kurt said slowly. "To teach him just what resources his naive amateur of a son can call on. But if it is not possible, it is not strictly necessary."

"It's possible, just more difficult. And riskier," replied Emma. "But if you're willing to take a little more time and some more effort, we could do it." She smiled, but it was entirely without humour. "I stood in front of my father once and showed him what he was. What he really was. What he had done. And I broke him. I do understand the attraction, Kurt."

His own smile mirrored hers. "I intend to destroy my father in every way available to me, for what he has done and would do. Time and effort, I can offer to the cause."

"Well, the cause had best start with information, I think," said Emma. "There are a number of options, but some of them depend on the company structures, which stock exchanges they're listed on, whether your father has private and public companies, how extensively they're leveraged, which country they are incorporated in, even your father's nature. Do you have any idea of his holdings? Or any particular plans for an approach?"

"I have all the public information available", he said calmly. "I will be happy to make up a file for you with all the details you need. As for my father's nature... well, I believe you summed it up best yourself. Remarkably unpleasant."

Emma looked at Kurt for a moment, then smiled suddenly. "Sometimes I forget that other people don't share my - interests," she said. "Of course, Kurt, the public information is a good start. I'll have to do some more in-depth research before I can start developing a plan of attack for you."

"Then I will deliver it within the next few days", he said with a smile in return. "As I understand it, you and your people are better placed to do the deeper research than I am - which is why I came to you, of course."

"The joy of minions. Very well paid minions," said Emma. "Speaking of which . . ." Emma reached into a desk drawer, took out what was obviously an Easter egg but wrapped in extremely expensive looking parchment, tied with silk ribbon. Her eyes went far away for a moment. "One of my private holdings," she said. "A cocoa farm on the Ivory Coast. With a Belgian chocolatier on site who makes me the most exquisite 70% dark chocolate in a variety of interesting shapes." Her focus returned to Kurt. "Happy Easter."

He blinked, not having expected any kind of gift, but reached to accept the egg readily. "Thank you, Emma. I shall have to see what I can find to match it in return."

"The opportunity to take down somebody else's business? You may have already done so," smiled Emma.