DISCLAIMER: All characters in this story are property of Marvel Inc., and
I'm
not making a profit from this, so don't sue me. 

Many people asked for a deeper insight into my new universe, especially the
origin of the Inner Circle. Hell, I didn't even expect to be writing this
story, as I thought no-one would like Yin-Yang. I'm writing this before I
start the story, so bear with me if I don't go this way immediately. I'll
just write what comes to me. All my independent stuff is like this, raw and
written like the first time I thought of it. No editing, only what my
twisted mind comes up with straight away. 

X-Men: Yin Yang Part 2/?- Is Most Certainly Not Gold

Morpheus, oneill@cambus.u-net.com	

{{blahblahbla}} is thoughts
^^blahblahbla^^ is telepathy

==============

	Charles stood atop the roof of his Westchester mansion, thinking about his
estranged son, and how he could ruin everything that Charles' Hellfire Club
had planned for.

	When he was younger, his teachers expected Charles Francis Xavier to grow
into a mature, responsible man. He was considered trustworthy among his
peers, and a classmate called Norman Osborne even thought he'd become
President. He was top of every class he took, and got a lucrative position
in Israel teaching young geniuses how to use their intellect to best use.
While there, he married Gabrielle Haller and had a son by her, David. His
life was perfect.

	That all changed the night his old friend, Erik Magnus Lehnsherr,
contacted him with an offer of membership in a powerful elite club in
America, named the Hellfire Club. Apparently, Erik had learned that Charles
was a mutant, and knew of his vast power. He said that he had joined forces
with someone called Ennur Sabah, who offered Erik the world, if he would
recruit the man named Charles Xavier to his cause. 

	Charles had been getting more and more bored with his perfect life for
months at that time, and jumped at an exciting opportunity like this. He
wanted to take Gabrielle and David with him, but she accused him of being
mad, and refused. She added that she knew of how Charle's used his
telepathic powers to further his own selfish needs and ambitions, and told
him that she couldn't live with him anymore; she wanted a divorce. Charles
could barely comprehend this, and became so enraged that he shut down her
mind in front of David. The shock to Charles' system of her death through
their psi-link knocked him unconscious, and when he awoke, David was gone. 

	Charles found him in the care of the government, but he wasn't allowed to
take him back. David told them what happened, and they tried to arrest him,
but Charles was not going to let this happen. He knew a manhunt would ensue
if he stole David away, so he fled, leaving all trace of his past life
behind. He joined up with Erik, Sebastian, and the alien like demi-god
Apocalypse, to create the Inner Circle of the Hellfire Club, the pact that
would soon control half of America.

	The sole thing each of the Inner Circle had in common was their desire to
rule. None would have accomplished it alone, but their combined power and
influence had helped them gather a number of mutants who envisioned the
same destiny for homo-superior.

	The only man who remained a mystery was Ennur Sabah, who had arrogantly
taken the name Apocalypse, as a testament to his power. His real name was
En Sabah Nur, and he claimed to be from Egyptian times. Charles thought he
must have some sort of time-travelling powers, but when he claimed he was
immortal, he proved it. Erik slaughtered him, taking him apart on an almost
molecular level, by ripping the iron in his blood outwards. A few days
later, Ennur reappeared healthier than before, with no apparent trace of
Erik's attack. This made him even more respected than usual, but he was
still not dominant over the other powerful men in the Inner Circle.

	You may ask, why did he change his name? Well, Apocalypse has an alter-ego
as a respected business man in Egypt, and his real name is known throughout
the land there, where the legend of Apocalypse was passed down from
generation to generation. He keeps up the facade so that he can keep his
business running there. If he didn't, he would lose a substantial part of
his income, and if he did, he would be ejected from the Inner Circle. This
would happen because each member has to inject capital into the funds to
keep the Club running. Sebastian Shaw has dozen's of business empires to
run, Charles has his inherited fortune, and Erik has a small fortune of
Nazi gold which he "acquired" when he started out campaigning for mutant
rights.

========

Author's note: That's the story of the Inner Circle. Well, not all of it,
but enough to hopefully explain Chuck's membership. Now, onto another
corner of the Yin Yang world. Also, I'm writing this piece with Oasis' Be
Here Now blaring from my computer, so it may be a bit influenced by that.

=======

 	Somewhere not that far away, but an eternity away, two geniuses were
confused. Forge and Nathaniel Essex were surprsingly alike, if you cared to
look closely. Both had goatee beards, ponytails, pale skin, and both were
outstanding geniuses in their respective fields. Today, they were combining
their vast intellects to attempt to find a solution to an extremely
confounding problem. The Juggernaut, once an indestructible and unstoppable
engine of destruction, now with his powers failing him, reverting his
natural physiology gradually back to human.

	He was powered by the Crimson Gem of Cytorrak, which he found years ago in
an ruined temple. After an encounter with the sorceress Dr.Strange, who
convinced him to use his power for good, Marko was granted the ability to
transform back to human form if he so wished. An amulet that Strange gifted
him gave him this ability, but now when Marko tried to change to his
Juggernaut persona, he could not, and was slowly losing his powers.

	Cain Marko sat against the cavern wall, and Essex seemed to have thought
of something. "I think I might have an idea why your powers are deserting
you. First, let's go through what we know. It started. . .when. . .a few
weeks ago?"

	"After I had stopped that nuclear meltdown in Britain. 'Member? I got the
mother of all headaches after that, and one of the new guys. . .the Morlock
healer, whassisname? Glow? Whatever, he cured it, jus' lie that. It was the
morning after that, I woke up, and I banged my head off a stalagtite. I was
actually bleeding! I still can't believe it. I mean, after Chuck abandoned
me to find that gem in 'Nam, I found what he was looking for and found
this." Cain pointed to his chest, and the red glow which was a permanent
feature of his costume abruptly dulled down to a meagre haze. "Ever since I
got this, I've never been hurt in my life. Not once, until now. And I keep
goin' back to normal, without wanting to. It's bit by bit, but it's
happenin'. I don' know how much longer I'll be the Juggernaut. An' that
would kill me. I need to pay for all the stupid things I did when I first
got the power, ya know."

	"We'll find a way, Cain" Forge said, attempting to sound sincere for his
sake. "There's one way we might be able to restore your powers, and I think
Essex knows it as well. But it's risky."

	"It is. You said that Glow healed you for a headache, and then you were
fine?" Cain nodded. "Therein lies your problem. See, Glow's powers are
based in a low-level radiation, which he uses to remove the source of pain.
In your case, the Gem was trying to filter radiation out of your system,
something it does naturally. I've psi-scanned the Gem and it is sentient.
It knew that the radiation would harm you so it eradicated it.
Unfortunately, it leaves th--"

	"Waitaminute! Are ya saying that my Gem is alive? Yer nuts."

	"I appreciate that it is a radical and startling claim, but Jean and Jono
verified it for me. It *is* alive."

	"Whoa. . .what were ya saying, Essex? Sorry for buttin' in like that."

	"It's understandable Cain. Where was I. . .ah, yes. While the Gem was
purging your metabolism the radiation you absorbed, it gave you a headache.
No lasting effects, just a bit uncomfortable. When Glow healed you, his
powers homed in on the source of the trouble which was the gem. They
removed the essence of the gem that was healing you, and also the
radiation. What went wrong seems to be that Glow removed the area of the
gem which gave you your invulenrability. It seems that the healing is
inextricably linked to your being invincible."

	"So what can ya do about it?"

	"Only one thing," Forge said, "Which is where the risk comes in. Glow may
still retain the portion of the gem inside him which he removed. The
problem is that since the gem is sentient, if Glow tried to reattach the
essence he possesses to you, the backlash between two sentients would kill
you. The only way I--"

	"We." Essex added, confirming to Forge his theory.

	"--can think of is for you to. . ."

	"What?" Cain asked anxiously.

	"You. . .would need. .to die, for the process to be completed."

	"Ex squeez me? Did you just say I have to die?"

	"I'm afraid so Cain," Essex picked up the discussion, "We think that if
your life forces are not registering, then the Gem would accept its other
half back without damaging your mind, since you'd be dead. Then, once the
Gem is restored to its former glory, it will regain its healing powers and
regenerate you."

	Cain sat dumbfounded momentarily, then asked, "Risk factor?"

	"Not favourable. Since all we have about the nature of the gem is
theories, we can't anticipate how it will react for definite. We will do
all we can, but the decision is yours. Do you want to keep your power?"

	"I. . .don't know. Doc Strange convinced me to use my power to help
people, and showed me what Chuck's doin' jus' now, and I can't say I like
it. I feel like I've got a duty or somethin', to keep him in line, and try
and get him back 'fore he's too far gone. Some sorta screwy moral
conscience, must be in the blood. So, I guess what I'm saying is that I've
got no choice but to go through with it. Let's do it."

==============

There. Done. Too short for ya? I just wanted this out cos I've been behind
on my stories, and this provides a stop gap for anyone who wants it. Not
that I think people read my stuff. Nah, nobody does, dunno why I even do
it. Anyway, next on the agenda is a roll call. There's a lot of characters
in my world, and if you want to see how someone got somewhere, then write
to me, and let me know who. I'll try to work it into the next installment.

Roll Call
*********

Rebellion: Essex, Wolverine, Storm, Forge, Maverick, Jean Grey, Havok,
Deadpool, Daredevil, Iceman, Hawkeye, Banshee, Clear-Cut, Chrome, Doom,
Blink, M, Iron Man, Shang-Chi, Morph, Sunfire, Callisto, Glow (original),
Boost, Speed Demon, Legion, Maggot, Spiderman, Chamber, Gambit, Marrow,
Abyss, Juggernaut, Wisdom, Sabra.

Hellfire Club: Angel, Hank McCoy, Shinobi Shaw, Quicksilver, Scarlett
Witch, Reed Richards, Emma Frost, Roberto daCosta, Mikhail Rasputin. Paige
Guthrie as slave

Inner Circle: Ennur Sabah (Apocalypse), Erik Magnus Lehnsherr (Magneto),
Charles Francis Xavier (Mutant X), Sebastian Shaw.

Marauders: Warpath, Thunderbird, Moonstar, Colossus, Jubilee, Polaris,
Wildchild, Omega Red, Scratch, Deflector (Reyes), Fenris, Sack, Vessel,
Skin, Nightcrawler, Unuscionne, Caliban, Aurora, Northstar, Pyro,
Avalanche, Spoor, Rictor, Dazzler, Meltdown, Siryn, Black Tom, Shadowcat,
Multiple Man, Random, Strong Guy, Firestar, Gauntlet, Tusk, Wolfsbane,
Feral, Magma. There's loads more, but far too many to go into here.

Externals: Gideon, Mimic, Cannonball, Nemesis, Exodus, Candra, Selene,
Crule, Absalom.

==========

So, that's the end of this. . .what could you call the things I put
together? Package. That'll do. Please send me comments to help me go on