Schiller took Rocket Raccoon into the laboratory, successfully interrupting the two men's argument—they both screamed at once.
"Get out! Get out right now, you furry creature!! Stay away from my culture dishes!!!"
"Schiller!! Take that raccoon and leave immediately!! His fur will stick to every precision instrument and keep them from functioning properly!! Get him out!!"
Schiller and the raccoon were thrown out of the laboratory together. He could only pat the raccoon's head and say, "I think you could sue them for racial discrimination."
"On the condition that I admit I'm a raccoon, right? You're not much better than they are."
"I'm stating a fact. You are a raccoon."
At that point, Stark and Reed both came to the door. Through the laboratory's observation window, Schiller said to them, "We just wanted to ask how your virus research was going..."
The two seemed to mutter to each other inside. After a while, Susan came out. The blonde beauty smiled at Schiller and said, "Mr. Richards has determined that it really is a virus. But remarkably, it is dormant in Mutants carrying the X-gene, meaning it does not manifest."
"And then?"
"However, the virus will continue attacking their immune systems. During that time, they may develop a fever, break out in cold sweats, or sneeze, but it isn't serious. After about a week, they will develop antibodies to the virus."
"Antibodies?"
"That's right. In other words, they will no longer be infected by this virus."
"So Lyra was telling the truth," Schiller murmured. Then he asked, "Did you find out anything else?"
"Of course. The most important discovery is that this virus appears to be a branch of a broader viral family. Mr. Richards believes that its structure shows it was stripped from another viral organism and selectively cultivated."
"It