I'm a compulsive liar. The X-men belong to me

----------

"This is completely unacceptable," Emma yelled. "How DARE you try to pull a stunt like that while I'm not around."

"For one, he needed to prove his loyalty," Shaw began, calm despite the sheer anger emanating from his partner. "Two, there should not have been a loss of control in the first place. I was under the impression that you had him under your will."

Emma stepped back for a moment and turned her face away. "You knew the extent of his powers. I could not achieve full-"

"Full what? Control? You were sitting in the limousine twenty feet away from him. If anyone should be angry here, it should be me. He is merely a boy, and he was wrapped around your finger to begin with. There is no excuse for your lack of responsibility."

"You don't know what it's like. I'd try to see into him, but it was like hitting a brick wall. Even while I was keeping him unconscious, I could not enter his mind. it was like something I've never seen before."

Shaw sighed. "There is no sense in arguing it now. We underestimated his power and overestimated his loyalty. We won't make that mistake again."

* * *

Touch had run to a part of the city he'd never seen before. He'd jumped onto the top of a bus and rode it cloaked for about an hour, than deactivated it. He was aware that he'd need everything he had if he hoped to survive, let alone attack Shaw.

He got off the bus in one of the less likeable places in the city. The smell of the sewers hit him quite powerfully, but he decided that it was better than death.

Thankful for his body once again, Touch managed to fit in just right among these people. A few of them even seemed to recognize him, though it wasn't as good as positive as he'd liked. The body's memories had been erased much like his own in that last jump that he'd only been told about by those who saved him, but a chill remained when he realized some distantly recognizable faces started following him. He found himself picking up pace, and even darting down an alley, but he soon came to a dead end.

The group had accumulated to twelve people by the time he turned around to handle them. Touch approached them slowly, keeping his hand on his hip incase he needed to pull out one of the many weapons he'd been equipped with before he left.

A single member of the crowd stepped forward with a scowl on his face. He appeared to be the same age as Touch's body, approximately seventeen, and held many of the same dark features. The figure extended his hand out and thrust it towards Touch's abdomen.

Touch fell back and wrapped his leg around the arm of his opposition, and pinned the man on the ground.

"Casey, what the hell was that about," the man squeaked. "Is that any way to treat your best friend?"

Touch stood up quickly and looked at the faces of the other people in the group. They were just as shocked as the man on the ground appeared to be. He quickly helped the man up from the ground and shook his hand.

"I'm so sorry isearches his mind/i Eric. I barely recognized you!" Touch started, realizing the error of his ways. They must know this body. Casey. He breathed a sigh of relief.

The crowd enveloped him, chattering away as they led him into a nearby apartment building. They asked him hundreds of questions - where he'd been, why he hadn't come back earlier. It had been several months, and they apparently missed him greatly. He talked back, though he mostly let the body take over, barely needing to do any actions. The mind he was in control of filled with old memories, and chattered excitedly with his old friends and family. Dinner was eaten and the conversation went long into the morning, when finally enough people had left where it was just Casey and Eric talking.

"What's wrong Casey," Eric began, waiting for the rest of the people to leave before he began.

"There is this gang after me. called the Hellfire Club." Touch decided to take over the conversation - he saw an opportunity for assistance. "I did a job for them, and found out they were out to cause more trouble than it was worth. They are out searching for me now. and might possibly kill me."

Eric grew quiet. "I sort of figured that's why we hadn't seen you." He looked as if he was thinking. "I can get some of the old gang together and we'll take care of this. You've done enough for us." Touch smiled. He and this consciousness he had invaded had long been roommates. It was as if they were becoming one though.

"We'll start in the morning though. I'll take the couch, go ahead and take the bed."

Touch headed off towards the bedroom.

"We missed you Casey."

Touch looked back. "Missed you too Eric."

* * *

The morning never came for Touch. Neither did the afternoon. He wasn't awakened until approximately six in the evening. As he entered the living room of the apartment, he saw four people, two of which Casey recognized as friends. The other two looked to be in their mid-twenties, and were dressed as most everyone else in the neighborhood: dark shirts, blue jeans, and things of that nature. Touch shook hands with the two he recognized and became acquainted with the ones he hadn't met before. They seemed like fine enough individuals, though they didn't talk much. As Touch became slightly more nervous, Eric entered the room.

"These are some of the best guys that I've run rounds with," Eric began. "We've done banks, warehouses, even some other side jobs. He's even heard of this place you mentioned." Eric gestured towards the taller of the two strangers.

"Is there a plan?" Touch said hesitantly. This was getting taken of rather readily for him.

"Of course. This Shaw character you mentioned is the owner of several industries around the city. He must have a corporate office. We looked it up and he does, and it's right near where you said this 'Hellfire Club' was. We should be able to get into his building and take him rather easily."

Touch was impressed. Casey had worked with these men before, and they were quite capable at breaking into a building. He was surprised at their resolve in wanting to help him so much, and he was quite happy with the results.

"But we must act quickly," Eric continued. "The longer we wait, the more of a chance there will be that he'll find us. We'll go tonight."

The all left the building and hopped on the subway to move back up down. Touch was beginning to get a little disoriented from all this action. Things were moving fast, and his mind was working overtime to absorb everything that was happening. He felt it in his bones that there was something he was missing. he'd find it soon enough.