"I'm what?" said Katherine Pryde as she looked at the SHIELD doctor and at Genesis who had manifested himself, after asking permission to join them. Genesis believed it wasn't right that she was alone, and even though he was a computer programme that looked like Forge, he still had a piece of Forge's soul, and he knew she needed someone there, a familiar face.

"Kate, you're pregnant," the doctor said. "Genesis asked us to examine you to confirm it, but he found out from Cerebro who scanned you while you were at Xavier's. He also asked to make sure there was no injury to the baby after the fight with Iceman. From what we can tell, you're about two months down."

"I'm having a baby," Kate, muttered not really hearing the doctor as the enormity of what was going on sank in. Under the influence of the Shadow King she had seduced David North and later been with Pete Wisdom and in neither case had they used protection. The question now was who was the father and how could she tell them?

"Yes, you're having a baby," the doctor said with a smile. "This is a usual reaction. Sometimes they ask how and then I draw diagrams." He chuckled at his own joke. "I'll give you a moment for the news to sink in, then I'll come back and give you some more details of what to expect." Genesis nodded to the doctor who left.

"Kate," he said and she looked up. "Are you okay?"

"It's just a shock," she answered. "I mean, I never though I'd be pregnant until I was much older. There's so much to do, to be done." She looked at Genesis. "It's strange. You look like Forge which is comforting, but I know you're a computer programme which is also reassuring."

"Thank you," Genesis replied. "However, in light of your condition, I am tempted to take you off active duty. There has already been one near miss with your child and the part of me that is Forge knows how he would have felt if anything were to happen."

"Not yet," said Kate. "There's a lot of decisions to make. What about the father? Who is it?" She paused a moment. "That sounded so much better in my head."

"They don't know," said Genesis, checking with the doctors at the same time as he spoke with her. "The manipulation of your DNA by Arnim Zola did something the medical team cannot identify as yet who her father of your child is - it could be either Maverick or Wisdom."

"Oh, God," said Kate and she sat down, her hand resting over her belly.

"I think the best way to handle this is a mission that is not strenuous. I have just the thing for you and X-Force. An undercover operation in China will ensure the safety of the baby and give you time to consider your options." Kate looked at Genesis who was looking at her. She knew what he meant, because it had been what she had meant.

"It'll also give Lydia a chance to heal as well," she said and Genesis nodded. Lydia had been in surgery ever since she had got back to the Helicarrier and though it had been a serious injury she was doing recovering and given time she would be back to herself. Pete hadn't left her side since he'd got back from Washington,

"X-Force will be there to co-ordinate and act if necessary," Genesis continued. "That means no risk taking by you, and that is and order from the SHIELD Director." Shadowcat nodded - it should be easy enough.

HUNTING SEASON
Part 2: Timing

by David Wheatley

Author's Note: This issue is continued from Soldier X #6

"Never believe a computer you've not programmed yourself," Kate muttered, as she stood there in a former strong hold of the villain the Yellow Claw. X-Force had been in China a month, had gained valuable inroads to the Illuminati and then and NSA team had come in and screwed it up. They'd taken the NSA mutant squad down, but it was too late and now they had been confronted by the Mandarin and the Illuminati forces.

"Isn't that Fu Manchu?" Pete shouted. "Are we his prisoners or yours?"

"It does not matter," Fu Manchu hissed. "You are our prisoners and for your attempts at subverting our organisation, you will die. Kill them!" he commanded his people and the Illuminati came forward and X-Force went to work as Maverick got to his feet and stood before the Mandarin.

"Taking you down will be a pleasure," North said and the Mandarin shook his head.

"I do not think so," he said and he fired his impact beam at Maverick who countered it with a bio-kinetic blast. Mutant powers met alien technology, throwing both Maverick and the Mandarin back, but where as Maverick only had the one energy attack, the Mandarin had another nine and North figure they could really do with William Bourne getting up.

The Hurricane of Potential's powers would be really useful about now, but Bourne hadn't got up yet. Maverick was still standing because of his ability to absorb impacts. The rest of the Soldier X unit hadn't woken up yet after being taken down by X-Force, and while they didn't really need them just yet, they would have been handy. It didn't make sense to Maverick that there wasn't more co-operation between the various teams out there, and this whole thing could have been avoided.

He hated politics and he dodged another blast from the Mandarin, rolled drew his gun and fired at him but the bullets were met by a burst of intense heat and they melted away to nothing and the Mandarin gave a low laugh.

"There are ten rings and you cannot dodge them all!" and the disintegrator ring flared as did the ice blast

"Probably not," Maverick said dodging the blasts, which hit some of the Illuminati, killing them and he fired his own bio-kinetic blast and the Mandarin staggered. "I just have to survive the ones I don't!

X-Force and Soldier X united as one to fight the Illuminati, because in effect they were on the same mission and their objectives had combined, even if their sponsors and methods were different. Lydia and Galatea who had been sparring moments earlier were fighting side by side. Both had different moves, but what Galatea lacked in finesse she made up for in brute force. Lydia knew she had been fortunate before that her combat training had been designed by people like Captain America who had fought many people like her before, and that had been the edge she'd needed.

Lydia winced as she stretched a little too far, the effects of her injury still not 100% gone, but she had wanted to come on this mission. Neither she nor Kate had wanted to be left behind due to their respective conditions. That was something that was getting to her as well. She knew that it wasn't her Pete that had been intimate with her, but a Pete according to the Shadow King, but it was still possible he was the father of her child. It was something that was hanging over her relationship with Wisdom, even though they weren't talking about it.

Not yet.

That frustration, that niggling feeling that the man she loved had fathered a child with someone else... it got to her and she fought with a little more tenacity than normal, letting her negativity free and in to the faces of those around her. The SHIELD uniforms protected them from bullets, and the others seemed to be taking things well too as it was and Lydia took a moment to rest and see what the others were doing

Whisper was still out, unable to stand on his leg, as was Vector, but they had been telekinetically moved somewhere safe, and though Vector was starting to stir, Whisper had it together enough to keep them covered with his gravity powers and soon they'd be in on the fight. Velocity was hurtling around the place and taking people out before they knew he was there, as Siryn unleashed her sonic attack on people. Marcus, Enigma and Madelyne Pyror were keeping people off guard telepathically and the Illuminati were being beaten back. It was a team effort and Lydia wondered if the battle would have been easier if either team had been missing, though if Soldier X hadn't been there then this wouldn't have been happening in the first place.

Then there was Pete who was using a combination of hot knives and punches to inflict as much damage as he could, because he could see that Shadowcat was staring down Fu Manchu. The so-called Celestial One was a master of the mystic arts, technologically gifted and Master of the Si-Fan martial arts and he could see why she was going after him. Fu Manchu was more of a planner than a doer, but Shadowcat was going to appeal to his sense of honour and challenge him - thus keeping him occupied in the same way Maverick was keeping the Mandarin busy.

The two of them bowed to each other and then the fight began. Manchu was a master of the art, older than he looked by a long way but for his age he was still spry and vicious. He struck out at her and Kate almost bent back double to avoid the shot, turning it in to a handstand and bringing up her feet to kick Fu Manchu in the jaw but he twisted out of the way avoiding the kick and as she landed on to her feet, he swept at her, to knock the supports from under her and bringing his elbow down to where her midsection should have been.

However Kate was ready and she rolled as she landed so that the shot struck the floor of the room, but if Manchu felt the pain of the connection then he didn't show it and the battle continued as Shadowcat leapt to her feet as Manchu leapt up and both of them faced each other. Manchu reacted the quicker of the pair and he struck out his hand out flat and his fingers pointed at Kate's throat, the strike moving with the precision and speed of a cobra, but Shadowcat saw it and she drew her arms up and together, catching the hand in-between her forearms, then raising her elbows up, slamming Manchu in the jaw. As he fell back he kicked out with his legs, kicking towards her gut.

Pete was watching and he gasped and a bolt of fear went through him. "KATE PHASE!" he shouted and just as the kick was about to connect, Manchu's legs passed through her and Pete could breathe again. The baby growing inside her had already taken a shot like that and survived, but this was an attack by someone that meant to do her serious harm and would have no qualms about killing the baby to do so. Kate then moved, taking the advantage her phase had caused and she moved as quickly as Manchu, who wasn't expecting her to be standing when he got up and the double kick connected in a one-two, hitting him in the jaw and crotch. Manchu was reeling from that attack and Shadowcat pressed the attack with a hand-chop against the old man's neck and Fu Manchu hit the floor

"Yes!" said Wisdom, but as his attention was on Fu Manchu, it wasn't on the Mandarin who lashed out with his electro-beam, covering Maverick in black light so he couldn't interfere and Shadowcat was dropped and Fu Manchu stood, shakily but with a focus and he raised his foot above Shadowcat, his obvious intent to stamp on her head and Pete threw five hot knives towards the old man which he twisted, shifted and dodged without losing his balance, then he suddenly toppled over as Whisper focused and used his gravity powers to give him a slight nudge and Fu Manchu found himself held in place unable to fight the increased gravity about him.

The tide was turning but then Madelyne screamed, and the two telepaths that were linked with her also cried out and the Mandarin put his hand to his head, feedback hitting him from the mento-intensifier.

"What the hell?" asked Pete, clicking his fingers at Terry, who hit the Mandarin with a sonic assault to keep up the punishment. The telepaths were not well and Madelyne seemed to be discorporating.

"Nate," she moaned. "Please, it's killing me..."

"Our Nate?" said Pete, clearing a Path and coming over. "Nate 'shouldn't exist but I do' Nate?"

"I think so," said Lydia, keeping enemies off them.

"He and Cable are doing something…" Marcus said. "It's having an effect on the astral plane and it's hitting us all."

"My son, my lover... NOOOOO!," Madelyne cried and there was a flash and she faded away to nothing, leaving not even a trace.

"And again - what the hell?" Pete said.

"Something went down," said Raven. "Cable and X-Man did something and in doing it, it caused Madelyne to cease to exist. Whatever's happened... Ah don't think it's good news..."

"Why am I not surprised?" said Pete with a sigh..

"LOOK OUT!" shouted Enigma and she pushed Wisdom out of the way as the Mandarin fired his matter rearranger ring. It was a wild shot, but it would have hit Pete in the back and instead it just caught Maria, her arm turning to an almost liquid state, flesh and bone simply dripping to the floor. She cried out in pain and Marcus turned off her pain receptors but she was in a severe state of emotional shock and it was going to take as much as he could to keep her from slipping away from them.

"Terry!" Pete said, but she was on the floor, shielding her eyes. The flash had obviously been from the White Light ring and she'd been blinded. "Oh this isn't good," he said as he fired as many hot knives as he could at the Mandarin who met them with his own heat blast and everyone dived out of the way as the air itslef ignited under the attack and then it died and the Mandarin suddenly looked horrified.

"This cannot be!" he said, holding up his hands and staring at the rings. "Why have they ceased to function?!"

"That'd be me," said the Hurrican of Potential, his teeth gritted as he used everything he had to dampened the Mandarin's powers. "I manipulate energy sources and guess what your rings are…"

"You pit your will against mine?" the Mandarin sneered. "You will not win."

"Unless he's given a hand," said Pete. "Mav, wide burst on the rest of the Illuminati. Lydia, you're with me!" The two SHIELD agents ran forward and attacked the Mandarin, who was an incredible martial artist in his own right, but without his rings, and having to fight a battle on three fronts, he was being taxed quite badly. He swiped a shot at Wisdom who ducked, knowing that the Mandarin was quite capable of killing him with a single blow if it came to it, but he was the distraction and Lydia slammed her fist in to the Mandarin's face, and the Asian crime lord fell to the floor as Pete started booting him as hard as he could in the chest, but then Bourne lost his focus and the Mandarin summoned his last reserves of mental energy and cast the heroes away from him with the vortex beam and he flew up in to the air, but his ascent was slow and his breathing was ragged. The British man had wounded him and that was not something he would forget soon.

"Twice X-Force and SHIELD have interfered in the operations of the Illuminati - there will not be a third!"

"So swears the Mandarin?" asked Maverick as he hit him with a bio blast and the villain was thrown through the hole in the wall he had made earlier and the team went after him but the Mandarin was gone.

"Damn it," said Pete, slamming his fist against the rock. "He got away…"

"Hey, we weren't geared up for a fight with the Mandarin," said Maverick. "We got away with it, learnt a lot about Illuminati operations in China and at home and we captured Fu Manchu. That's a good day's work." Then he went to check on Kate.

"I wanted him," said Pete, mostly to himself. "Next time, I'll have him." He turned to look at the rest of the room. The Illuminati troops had been subdued and the people in Soldier X had worked well. They'd taken their hits, and lost their boss for a reason that Pete didn't quite understand, but they'd worked well. It was a shame he had to do this.

"Sorry, people, but consider yourselves in SHIELD custody," he said to the Hurricane of Potential.

"You can't, we work for the NSA," said Bourne.

Pete shook his head. "Well, you did."

Director H was interrupted from his reading of reports by a telephone call. He was expecting contact from his NSA agents with Solider X and he picked up the line quickly.

"About time," he said.

"I was thinking that myself," said a voice he didn't know and on the computer screen on his desk appeared the face of Forge.

"Genesis," said Director H.

"And you are Director H, or do you prefer to be called Mr Denti?"

"Very good," said Carl Denti. "You've managed to get through some very tough firewalls to get that."

"Actually I have connections to a lot of places," said Genesis. "It was not that hard."

"What do you want? The NSA doesn't fall under the jurisdiction of SHIELD."

"No, it does not, but it does fall under the jurisdiction of the President of the United States and he has ordered you to be shut down, after advice from SHIELD."

"You can't do this!" said Denti, standing.

"I can, and I have," said Genesis. "The Soldier X project has been cancelled and is being superceded by a SHIELD agency, that the President is very favourable towards."

"President's change," Denti said. "So do Directors, and I understand that the UN are looking for ways to replace you."

"And my lawyers are also looking at a defence."

"How can a computer have lawyers?"

"Any one or thing can have a lawyer, if you pay them enough," Genesis answered, "and SHIELD has extensive legal connections."

"You've not heard the last of this!" Denti swore.

"Maybe not, but by then it will be done and dusted," Genesis said. "Consider this and execution…" The image faded and the phone line went dead and Denti sat back in his chair, the blood draining from his face. Nobody knew that he was the X-Cutioner; there was nothing to connect him other than a tenuous connection to Fred Duncan. Could Genesis know the truth? Was an overly ambitious computer programme actually threatening him? And what could he do if he were?

Suddenly Carl Denti felt a little less safer than he had done a few minutes ago.

It was a day or so later when the team were back aboard the Helicarrier. Soldier X had been taken away to somewhere else and nobody really cared where. There were rumours, but then there'd always been rumours, and then Genesis called them all down to the X-Force office

"Wonder what he has to tell us?" said Pete as he and Lydia met with the others on the way to the office.

"Well, I'm intrigued," said Maverick. "We've had a debrief over China, he told us to take it easy for a little while. I wonder where we're heading now?"

"I need to tell you two something as well," said Kate, her voice soft but her tone firm and she looked at them. It could only be about one thing.

Lydia looked uncomfortable and Pete held her hand. "No," she said. "Catch me up," he nodded and the three of them went in to an empty room. They knew she had seen the doctors after the China incident and she'd spoken with them about the baby at length and both men figured that they were going to get an answer to the question that was hanging over them as to who the father was.

"So," Pete said. "What is it?" Kate looked at both of them, thinking they had no idea and she muttered a prayer for strength.

"There's no easy way to say this, so I'll just come out with it." Her voice trembled as she spoke. "I'm not keeping the baby. It's not been easy, in fact I..." Her voice broke and she composed herself and started again.

"This isn't easy for me, believe me it isn't, but I'm not ready to be a mother yet. There's so much for me to do, and... It's the right thing to do. I've made an appointment and the termination is scheduled for next week. One of you is the father, and so you've a right to know, but please don't try and change my mind. You won't."

"Oh, Kate," said David, looking at her. "Are you okay? I mean... I don't know what to say. It's... oh, Kate." She could see that the decision moved him, and she knew that he cared about her a lot, maybe even loved her, but he was supportive of her. He understood the reasons and she looked at Pete, who so far had said nothing, but she knew him well enough to know he wasn't happy.

"Thanks for telling us, Kit," he said, finally, shaking his head. "Real good of you. Now, let's go see what Genesis wants." He stood up and walked out of the door.

"Oh shit," Kate muttered and she went after him, followed by Maverick. "Pete..."

"Don't," he said, turning on his heel, his tone dark and menacing and his finger raised and pointed it in the air. "Just don't. In fact, don't talk to me at all. Not for a while." He turned away from them and continued walking.

"Pete," North started to go after him but Kate put her hand on his shoulder and Wisdom kept on walking, as if he hadn't even heard his name called.

"Leave it," she said. "He's hurting."

"So am I," said Maverick. "So are you. It's no excuse to behave like that."

"I know him better than you do, and he'll get over it, but it will take him time." Pete had lost so much in his life and she had hoped he'd take it better than this and she knew she should have known better. "Last time I hurt him that badly it was years before we saw each other again." Her words were spoken as if she were talking to someone else and then she looked at David. "You know I didn't want it to be like this, right?"

"None of us did," said North, putting his arms around her and he kissed her forehead. "Life never quite works the way you think it will." He brushed away a tear that was rolling down her cheek and he hoped he wasn't crying himself. "Come on, let's go to the briefing."

They entered the X-Force office and as they did so, Pete moved to the other side of the room. It was a casual move, but Kate knew it was a slight to her and she closed her eyes. The rest of the team were here and Genesis appeared.

"Thank you for coming," he said. "As you know. X-Force was SHIELD's way of promoting peace between humans and mutants, to show the world that mutant-kind was not a terrifying menace, but with the potential for good and evil as everyone else. The team has, since the formation, done a great many things, worked hard at this and given a lot for the team." He paused a moment. "That is why I am disbanding X-Force."

"What the hell?" said Pete, on his feet in a moment, a shade faster than the others. "You just said..."

"I know what I said," Genesis replied. "If you will allow me to finish. I am disbanding X-Force and putting in to place a new Agency - the XSE, based on the principles established by the X-Force project. The XSE will be a means of making sure that incidents like those with Apocalypse, with the Shadow King, with any rogue mutants, do not happen again. You will have full legal powers for detention, interrogation and incarceration. There is a base of operations already in place, that SHIELD use as a training facility in the Pacific Rim."

"You mean SF Island?" said Lydia. It was where she had been trained.

"Yes," Genesis said. "San Fiorentino Island will be the XSE headquarters and is almost operational. While you have been away for the last month I have had people working on this project and we are almost at completion. You will be much more than mutants with badges - you will be the law."

"You mention 'you' a lot," Maverick commented. "Define 'you'."

"X-Force will be the main command unit for the XSE. I am working on getting more members to work with us on this, more mutants should I say, but as the most experienced members of the XSE you will be responsible for setting up missions, going on them if necessary. You know the boundaries in which we can operate - the XSE will be a branch of SHIELD and SHIELD is still subject to the same laws as it always has been. The details of your command will be worked out, should you accept."

"What about the legal challenge the UN are putting up?" asked Teresa. "They think you cheated them. Will the project be threatened if they win?"

"They've been working on the legality of my role for a month or so now," Genesis admitted. "The basis of the argument is that as a computer programme I do not have any legal rights. My lawyers are quoting the roles of those like Machine Man, Vision, and other cybernetic life forms. It is a complex issue, and with something as subjective as this issue I cannot predict what will happen but we will know in due course. The XSE project has been in place for some time, though if I am removed from my post, the new Director may abandon it, though we have invested a great deal of time and effort thus far in to making it happen. Which leaves one question - are you willing to be a part of the project?"

Pete looked at his team, reading their reactions, staying a little longer on Shadowcat than he probably should have done.

"If we decide not to, what happens?" he asked.

"I am making the XSE happen," said Genesis. "If you choose not to be reassigned, there are other roles within SHIELD that you could play, or you can resign your commission. The choice is yours. In either event, X-Force is over."

The room was silent as they thought over it, going through their personal feelings on it, digesting what was going on and Genesis looked at them, knowing it was a lot to ask of them, but time was of the essence.

"What do you say? Are you in or are you out?"

Author's Notes

As people will know this is my last issue of X-Force, and what I intend to be the last of the series. Whether that happens or not it up for debate. Perhaps X-Force will continue as X-Force, though I'd like to see it continue as the XSE as that has much more potential as a series. It all depends if you can get writers and what people want to do and of course it depends on how the new EiC's of Chris Munn and Mike Shirley go with M2K as a whole. I know what I'd like, but it's out of my hands now though I will be interested to see what happens.

Now, with it being my last issue, there's a custom of saying a few things and it's not going to change now as there's a few things I'd like to say.

First off - much respect to Russ Anderson for taking a chance on the series a few years ago. 33 issues, three annuals and a special later, I hope I repaid the trust. He told me I had to blow him away - I like to think it happened.

Second - the series has been one of the most fun to write. James Bond, Mission Impossible, the action adventure flicks you see, that's what I wanted this to be. Pure fun. It's had it's serious moments, but it's always been fun.

Third - the series made M2K's SHIELD come to life and people worked with it. Thank you to all of those who did. Shared continuity is great isn't it?

Finally - thank you, the reader. I've had a lot of positive feedback on the series, which I appreciated a lot. I've also had some constructive comments which I've taken on board and in some cases used. Not always, but there have been times. It's been a blast to do this and whatever the future is (because it is an open ended cliffhanger...) I did exactly what I set out to do, from start to finish and if the future writer(s) have half as much fun as I did, they're in for a good time.

David Wheatley
12/18/03