X-Men 1st Redemptions

22: X-posed--1

"I'll be fine. I've been doing this longer than you have," Mystique sniffed.

Even though she was the one who kept almost getting her cover blown--but Morph didn't bother arguing. He didn't like her much, but he had no choice but to play nice for now.

[I didn't write this to ship them, but if you did, would that be multi-shipping?]

* * *

Shine started dusting the hallway. After all, they still had a deal to hold up.

Anyway, it was therapeutic.

She saw Rogue come out of her room... Huh, when had she gone back into it?

"Oh, hi," Rogue said. "How was the city?"

"Fine," Shine said, "like I said before."

"Hmm?" Rogue said, then she rubbed her eyes. "Ah, nevermind..."

"You seemed jumpy before," Shine noted. "What was that about?"

"Did I?" Rogue didn't remember acting jumpy. "Ah, well, it's been tense... You know, I flew by that church. It's even worse in daylight." 

"I'm sure." Shine hadn't seen it yet.

"So, you gonna be okay?" Rogue asked.

"Ah...personally, I wouldn't care," Shine said. "It's just a building, but I feel bad for all the members and Rev Billings. He's been cool about it, but I can't help but wonder if he'd have second thoughts."

"Wouldn't you?" Rogue said. "This sorta thing kinda makes it hard to believe any of this is worth it."

"Why?" Shine said, absently running a duster over a table.

"People...hate it," Rogue said. "It feels like we just make it worse for others by interferin'."

"How can you say that?" Shine said. "When is change ever not resisted? We just made some people real mad, that's all." She raised an eyebrow. "It's not like it's your responsibility in any way. Why should you feel guilty?"

"Who says I do?" Rogue said.

Shine gave her a look that said, "Get real."

Rogue sighed.

"I guess it's not like we made it happen, but you ever think we just don't know what to do?"

"Rarely." Shine said that like it wasn't bragging.

"Y'see, how can you be that sure?" Rogue said.

Shine shrugged. "Whenever I think an idea sounds risky, I whip out my Bible and theology and weigh it. If it matches up, I do it anyway. What makes sense to me doesn't always make sense to God. Or vice versa. So I feel sure."

"Sounds a bit risky to live life based on a book, no offense," Rogue said meekly. "I know it's important to ya, but it's...well, old, and I bet it don't even talk about mutants."

"I don't know about that. Samson had the strength of 10 men," Shine said. "And other people had the gift of foretelling the future. Both of those seem very much like something a mutant would do to me. The Bible makes no distinction of persons, it just says God gave them those gifts--and whether or not they used it His way. And when they didn't, sometimes He removed them. Other times, He didn't. He gives all of us gifts, and He expects us to make use of them. When we don't, they're empty."

Rogue tilted her head. "We don't get a choice. We're stuck with our 'gifts' from birth."

"That's not actually true," Shine said. "Particularly in your case, I'd say. Acquired some of your powers later, didn't you?"