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Part IX

     Beast's fingers drummed across the top of his desk. For nearly an hour,
he had sat on his stool with a pencil in his mouth flabbergasted at his lack
of attention to detail. He was a scientist for nine years now and not once
had he made such an error. To add to the problem, he was working with the
deadliest virus mutants faced: The Legacy Virus.
     A knock from the door interrupted his brooding. "Enter," he said,
slipping his glasses on.
     "Ah heah ya wanted ta see me," Rogue said, peeking her head inside. She
wore jeans and a red long sleeve blouse and a pair of gloves. 
     Ever since Rogue's first kiss, she had been cursed with the inability
to physically touch someone without disastrous effects. With mutants, she
could steal their powers or knock them into a coma, like she had with
Gambit. To humans, her touch could be lethal. Since she learned of her
power, she consistently ensured every portion of her skin that may come into
contact with any person was covered. It was a terrible burden to carry and
Beast often wondered how such an innocent girl handled the weight.
     "Please take a seat. Joseph will be joining us momentarily."
     "What seems ta be the problem?" Rogue closed the door behind her and
navigated her way through the jumbled mess that composed the doctor's
laboratory. It's amazing, she thought, that someone so smart could live in a
room that defied organization. She sat down on a chair across from him and
crossed her legs.
     "This is very difficult for me to ask of you. I haven't deduced the
correct way to phrase the query."
     "Try the direct approach."
     "I believe Joseph has discovered a way to inhibit your powers."
     "Ah've heard that one before."
     "The theory has some merit."
     Rogue's interest was peeked but to be disappointed again, after so many
previous attempt and failures would do nothing to help her. None of her
friends could fathom what she went through on a continual basis. When she
used her powers she absorbed that persons memories and powers. Usually over
a short period of time, she forgot those memories and lost the powers. There
was one detail she didn't explain to everyone. When she recalled a certain
memory within that time span, she remembered it herself. That's why she had
not forgotten selective memories from Gambit and Belladonna. She had still
avoided a confrontation with Remy and she knew it would happen soon. If you
loved someone, you weren't supposed to keep secrets from them. Sometimes she
wished she had never kissed him and lived in an ignorant bliss.
     "Go fah it."
     "Joseph has sumized that the potential to make skin-to-skin contact may
result after touching his person."
     "Ah don't get it."
     "Joseph of course has the ability to control or bend magnetic flux
lines. Surrounding every individual is a faint magnetic aura. Perhaps if you
were to borrow Joseph's power, you could reshape the flux lines, creating a
micro thin, transparent shield around you body."
     "With the exception of Carol, Ah can't retain control for more then a
few minutes."
     "We will probably need Forge's assistance on the construction of a
device that would enable us to perform the experiment. If the man who can
invent anything is at a loss, then I will not propose this again."
     Rogue took several minutes to absorb what Beast had said. She had been
waiting for this opportunity for years. Another failure would be just one
more to her tragic life. Beast hadn't gone over the specifics of the
experiment but more then likely the details would confuse her. "Shaw. Ah'd
love the chance for a normal life."
     "Outstanding."
     Beast went on to explain the intricate details of the experiment but
Rogue's thoughts traveled elsewhere. Every excuse she had not to have a
normal relationship would be used up. She had a very important decision to
make and hoped she wouldn't disappoint someone too much.


     Wild Child sat cross legged at the top of a small hill, watching the
sun descend on the horizon. Strewn about him were several apple cores and
half a ham and cheese sandwich. He often came up here, when he knew nobody
was watching, for the peace and serenity and to brood over things. Lately,
the visits had become increasingly frequent due to the changes his team was
going through.
     Kyle sighed and felt around for his sandwich. What was the government
thinking? When Mystique became a member of X-Factor, Kyle accepted it. She
had previously worked for the government, heading Freedom Force but was
still a criminal and self preservationist at heart.
     And Sabretooth. Wild Child nearly growled at the thought of Victor
Creed. There was a man who had NO business being on X-Factor. Every time
Kyle thought he could brush off that man's insults, Creed came out with
another remark that managed to irk him. Creed found every possible angle to
humiliate or irritate him, bringing out a feral side of him he thought he
had banished during his days on Alpha Flight. It explained his three visits
to the hill top this week alone.
     He finished his sandwich and picked up one of the apple cores. For no
justifiable reason, he hurled the core towards the setting sun. He wished
Lorna was here to talk to. Of all the members of X-Factor, she was the most
understanding. It was too bad she was off somewhere, settling a problem she
didn't care to share with him. 
     He could talk to Shard but his feelings for her seemed out of line. How
could he explain that he was falling in love with a holograph. She appeared
to express emotions during battle and normal conversations but what would
she want with his ugly mug.
     Now Deadpool was looking for a position on X-Factor. What was Valerie
thinking? Forge said something was bothering her but had refused to explain.
The team was going to hell and he was seriously debating about staying. He'd
been in the superhero business too long to know where to begin outside of
it. Maybe he could reform Alpha Flight.
     "Whatcha doin' sitting here all by yourself?"
     In one fluid motion Wild Child bolted upright, grabbing the nearest
weapon, which happened to be an apple core. He looked around and saw nobody.
     "I hope your not planning on using that on me."
     Shard sat on a lower branch of a nearby tree, twirling her blonde pony
tail. "You know," she said hoping down soundlessly, "If Val found out you
were resorting to such lethal measures, she might mistake you for Sabretooth."
     "Very funny." Kyle dropped the core to the ground, where a squirrel
could finish it off when he left. "I thought you and Forge were working on a
device to make your form permanently solid."
     "We were but I got bored. There's not too much I can do to help. My
electronics knowledge is no where near as great as Genesis's."
     "I've heard you use that term before. What exactly do you mean by Genesis?"
     "In my time, Forge along with the rest of the X-Men, were our
inspiration in the XSE. Genesis is a more...glorified name for Forge."
     "That's it! According to Wolverine, Bishop's eyes nearly popped out of
his head at the sight of him."
     "That's were part of the catch-22 of my being here comes in. Every
action I make or anything of the future I tell of, can alter the events.
Unless my time line hasn't changed already with my just being here, Forge
will invent a very important machine that will save thousands of lives."
     "Maybe you're supposed to tell him of the invention, so he can go about
creating it."
     "That's were part of the catch-22 of my being here comes in. Every
action I make or anything of the future I tell of, can alter the events.
Unless my time line hasn't changed already with-"
     "Shard," Kyle interrupted her from repeating herself.
     "What," she asked and looked around confused.
     "Are you okay?"
     "Of course I am. Why wouldn't-  Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be."
     Kyle nearly jumped away from her, as if she were a leper, when he saw
what was happening to her left arm. From her hand to just above her elbow a
series of racing binary numbers had replaced the normal looking extremity.
"Your arm! Shard, what's... what's happening?"
     Shard glanced at her arm and noticed nothing wrong. "What are you
talking about?"
     Before he could explain, the numbers were replaced by her arm. "There
was some glitch in your body. A bunch of ones and zeroes replaced your arm
for a few seconds and you were repeating yourself."
     "I was?"
     "Yes. I think you should talk to Forge to see if your programming is
functioning correctly."
     "I didn't notice anything but if it will alleviate your concerns, I'll go."
     "I'll go with you if you want the company."
     "I'd be honored."

End Part IX

Next: X-Force's mission and the beginings of a bad night out for Gambit and
Wolverine