X-Men 1st Redemptions

73: X-egesis

"You do realize that also sounds crazy," Mystique said.

"So I'm told...but if it's crazy in your favor, then why does it matter?" Shine said. "Look, I find the fact that God bothers with any of us crazy at times, but if He's not too good to like people when it makes no sense, I figure I'm justified. Anyway, one thing I do like about people who have very few good qualities is that they aren't self righteous about it. I hate that trait above most. Perhaps for personal reasons. Do I seem self righteous to you?"

"You seem like most people would think you were," Mystique said. "But when you get down to what you really think, you're probably just ridiculously committed to what you believe, and that comes off as being self righteous to people who don't have that."

"I agree entirely with that assessment," Shine said. "Though I've been told I do act kind of arrogant sometimes... At this point I figure we all have our quirks. I can't bother with trying to please everyone. And you shouldn't either, by the way."

She opened the door. "Oh...one more reason to like being friends with you--I don't know that many people who are good at playing others the way I am. I like to have someone in on the joke every now and then. You can keep up. It's fun."

"You see, that is crazy," Mystique said. "That doesn't even sound like something a good person would say."

"Oh, please," Shine said. "Jesus was real tricky. I can be if I want. And I can enjoy it too. If anyone has a problem with it, they can step off."

She shut the door.

Mystique thought about the possibility of leaving. She wasn't as glad about it as she'd have thought.... Any place she'd stayed at this long perhaps began to feel like just another hideout. But she fully intended to go once she was allowed anyway. She just had to play nice for a few more weeks, that was all. How much more could happen then had happened already?

* * *

After some time to rest, Shine and Wally sat with Morph in the rec room to talk about what happened.

He told them how it had started and how he'd been fighting it out for days and just about succumbed.

Wally could relate...at least to part of it. 

Shine cried on Morph's behalf, to his embarrassment.

She got it under control quickly, and Wally passed her some tissue.

"It must have been very difficult," Shine said. "We have heard this sort of thing before, but it would be sad if we got so used to it we were not still moved...so...I'm sorry to hear all this."

"Will I be okay now?" Morph asked, trying to hide just how nervous that question made him. "Did you get rid of it?"

They didn't answer right away, and he knew the answer had to be not what he wanted to hear.

"D---," he swore, before he thought.

Wally looked surprised, but then shrugged. "Well, that does sum it up, huh?"

"Dark Morph ought to be damned," Shine said. "Hell is where such things belong...but being as we are not Christ, Morph, we cannot do this for you. There may be a way to keep him in check, but, if you want him gone, totally, there is only one way. Only one way for all of us."

Morph swallowed. "What if I'm still not sure about that?"

"Do you have anything to lose?" Wally asked, point blank. "What would even hold you back? A lot of us think we're able to control ourselves, so we don't want any help from God, but you already know you can't. Why would you not want help?"