With the turn of a wheel, a flame appears at the tip of the lighter. Part of the flame seperates from the lighter, and turns into a small, fiery insect which flies to the tip of the cigarette that sits between the lips of St. John Allerdyce. He sucks on the small tube, pulling the smoke deep into his lungs, before expelling it.

"You want one?"

"No thank you," replies his... companion. She stands before the bed with her back to him, and her long, purple hair spilling down her naked back, barely reaching her rear. John thinks that's a good thing. He wouldn't want his view to be obstructed.

He shifts beneath the white sheet of the bed with a yawn, then flicks off some of the cigarette's ash in a tray on the nightstand. Also on the stand are several empty bottles. He cringes in pain as he moves his arms, however.

"Christ luv, did you have to be so rough?" he asks, examining the scratches on his shoulder.

Betsy Braddock looks over her shoulder at him with a slight grin. It's a very seductive image, thinks Pyro. One that would be perfectly suitable for a pornographic magazine or steamy advertisement.

"Aww... poor baby," she says. She turns around and Pyro's eyes take in every inch of her body as she slowly crawls across the bed, seductively coming closer to him. Her bare breasts press up against his naked chest, and she takes the cigarette from his mouth. She takes a slight drag on it, then puts it out in the ash tray.

"Filthy habit," she says before devouring his mouth in a kiss. Pyro seems surprised at first, but then wraps his arms around her and pulls her down beneath him.

"Tell me something, babe," he says between kisses. "Why this?"

"You mean to tell me you don't enjoy it, Mr. Allerdyce?"

"Not that, but you're supposed to be commited to Worthington."

"We're not married if that's what you mean," she says, her hands exploring the flesh of his back.

"Well... yeah..."

"What are you worried about, Johnny-boy?" asks Psylocke. "Since when do you have a conscious?"

Pyro grins in response to her question and slides inside of her. Betsy cries out in pleasure, and digs her nails into his back, drawing blood. Pyro grits his teeth and ignores the pain. He knows from past experience with Psylocke that she's just getting warmed up.

---

Rogue closes her eyes as rays of light scan across her naked body. Various cords are attached to her, as well as an IV extending from her arm. In the next room, Moira MacTaggert, an expert in genetics, watches a computer screen as info runs across the monitor at incredible speeds. Rogue's teammate, Clarice Ferguson, rests her arms on the back of Moira's chair and watches the info over the scientist's shoulder.

"So what's it all mean?" asks Blink.

"Good question, lass," replies Moira. "It seems that Rogue's DNA is in a constant state of flux. Take a look at how it never remains consistant, it's always changing."

"What's that all mean?" asks Blink.

"I'll not be sure before I've had a chance to properly analyze the results," replies Moira. "But I can safely say that I've never seen such a thing in all my life."

Moira enters some commands into the keyboard. In the next room, the machines surrounding Rogue begin to deactivate and return to their compartments. She steps off the padded table and grabs a robe hanging on the wall. She walks into the next room, and Moira and Blink turn to face her.

"What's the prognosis, doc?" asks Rogue.

"Yuir DNA has been permanently altered," says Moira. "Here, take a look at this."

Moira brings up an image of a brain on the computer monitor and with a pen, points to one section of the brain.

"This is a CAT scan of a normal mutant brain," she says. "The spot I'm pointing to is the active x-gene. Notice the shape and size of it."

She brings up an image of another brain on the monitor.

"Now this is the scan of yuir brain," says Moira. She points to the x-gene. "See the difference?"

"The x-gene..." says Rogue. "It's moving?"

"Precisely," replies Moira. "Yuir x-gene is nae consistant, it's always changing. Always in a state of flux. As is yuir DNA."

"Has it always been that way?" asks Rogue.

"The image of the normal scan I brought up?" replies Moira. "It was yuir brain prior to the... incident with Apocalypse."

"So Apocalypse did this?" asks Blink.

"Wish I could answer that," replies Moira. "But the fact o' the matter is that I can't. Despite all his technology, Apocalypse cannae create mutant powers."

"Explain Warren, then," says Rogue.

"He didn't give Archangel any additional powers, just improved on what was already there," says Moira. "If Apocalypse gave metal wings to anyone else, they wouldn't be able to fly unless they had the same hollow bones Warren has."

"So what did he do then?" asks Blink.

"Jump-started evolution," replies Moira.

"How's that possible?" asks Blink.

"Apocalypse had Celestrial technology in his possession," replies Moira. "That would explain how he was able to engineer his Horsemen and improve their natural abilities. He simply took Rogue's absorption powers an' boosted them."

"So now I can access every power I've ever absorbed?" asks Rogue.

"Obviously the effect wasn't as temporary as ye thought, lass," replies Moira.

"Wait... somethin' doesn't make sense, though," says Rogue. "When we were fighting the Sentinels, I flew. An' when I extended the claws I absorbed from Wolverine, I lost my ability to fly."

"Yuir body isn't built to handle more than one x-gene manifestation at a time," says Moira. "Each mutant has a different x-gene, an' you can only mimic one x-gene at a time. You can't manifest the x-genes of, say, Colossus and Wolverine at the same time because they're completely different. No x-gene is that malleable."

"Great," says Rogue. "So now, instead of having just one power to learn how to control, I've got lord knows how many."

"Not necessarily..." says Moira. "Take a look at this section."

She points to another section of Rogue's brain on the monitor with her pen.

"This is another section of the brain which is specific to mutants," she says. "It allows them to control their abilities. The reason why Cyclops can't control his optic blast is because this part of his brain was damaged. In yuir brain, this section shows far more activity. Almost as if it's working overtime."

Moira pivots in her chair and faces Rogue.

"In short, when ye absorb a person's abilities, ye also absorb their level of control."

"Just another day in the life of the X-Men..." mutters Blink. "Hey, I just realized something. Where's Warlock? I thought that he'd come back to Muir after the Sentinel thing."

"Funny ye should mention that," says Moira. "I found a note from him the other morn. Said he was off to find himself and his place in the world. Funny, I did nae even realize he'd returned after his disappearence..."

"I'm sure he'll come back eventually," says Rogue. "But we should probably head back t' Australia. Thanks for your help, Moira. We'll be in touch."

Rogue turns to Blink, and the younger mutant nods. A portal opens up and they both step through it.

---

Somewhere between dimensions. At some sort of docking station, where a metal ship pulls up to the pier. One of the deckhands calls out to the others.

"GET THE SPRING LINE READY! THEY'RE BACK!"

Crew ran to the ship, working to fasten it tight to the pier.

"Don't screw up any of the moorings!"

A small door on the hull opens, and a boarding plank extends down. The first man to step on the plank is large, with reddish-colored skin and dressed in gold armor complete with a cape. Behind him is a woman in white with a pale-colored face and red paint over her eyes. She also wore a bandana. Next to her is a smaller, lanky man with pale yellow skin and goggles. Finally, the last one to disembark is a man about the same size as the first, except he has green skin, a blonde goatee, and a metal plate on the right side of his face. His right eye is also covered with an eyepatch, and has large guns strapped to his body. When the man in gold steps on the pier, the deckhands salute. He salutes them as well, then removes his hand.

"At ease," he says.

"Captain, I trust your voyage was enjoyable?"

"Where's Voge?" he asks.

"In his office, sir," replies the hand. The captain offers no reply to the hand and brushes past him. The rest of the hands quickly clear a path for him.

"Something wrong with the Captain?" asks the hand.

"Don't ask," replies the woman. She walks past him, and the other two men follow her. "Just don't ask."

---

The obese, blue-skinned man sits behind a large desk, examining some of the paperwork. The door to his office suddenly bursts open, and he sees the man in gold standing there. He immediately stands.

"Killian!" he exclaims. "How goes it?"

"Don't patronize me, Voge," replies Killian.

"I'm sorry?"

"That last mission you sent us on," says Killian. "It was a bust."

"How so?" asks Voge.

"You sent us to a dimension filled with giants," replies Killian. "How the hell do you expect us to enslave a giant?"

"Giants?" asks Voge.

"Yes Tullamore, giants," replies Killian. "The kind that are sixty feet tall and try and step on seven foot pirates."

"Aheh... this must be the fault of the scouting party," says Voge as his hand reaches for the phone. "Can't trust those people, I suppose. I'll see to it that they're replaced immedia—"

Before Voge's hand can reach the phone, it suddenly turns to a gaseous state and evaporates. He looks up to Killian, whose eyes are glowing a bright orange.

"This would mark scouting party number three you've fired," says Killian.

"Really?" asks Voge. "I had no idea, I must be slipping in my old age."

"Molecular control is an interesting thing, Tullamore," says Killian. "I wonder... if I manipulated your molecules, could I give you a backbone?"

"Umm..." mutters Voge.

"Listen and listen good, because I'm only going to go over this once," says Killian. "We're through with you, Voge."

"What are you talking about?" asks Voge.

"We joined up with you because we believed that your slave trade organization would increase our profit margins," replies Killian. "But our bank accounts aren't exactly bulging."

"I'm paying you all I can," says Voge. "I mean... slave trade hasn't been very profitable as of late..."

"I'm not interested in your excuses, fatboy," says Killian. "Listen and listen good. We're turning in our letters of resignation."

"B—but... we have a contract..." says Voge. "You can't just break it."

Killian points his hand at Voge, and an energy blast emits from it. It leaves a gaping hole in Tullamore Voge's chest.

"So sue me."

---

Killian exits the building whice houses the office that belongs to the now-late Tullamore Voge. Standing on the pier awaiting him are the three members which comprise his crew. The woman is Bloody Bess. The small man is Sea Dog, and the larger man is Broadside.

"How'd it go?" asks Bess.

The building behind them suddenly explodes, and various crew members rush around in a panic. However, Killian and his associates remain unphased. Killian smiles at his shipmates.

"I think it went pretty well myself."

He walks past them towards the ship, and the shipmates follow.

"Now let's get moving," he says. "The Crimson Pirates are free agents once again, and it's time for us to have some fun."