The day before the visit, Xavier retreated to his study to escape the frantic housecleaning Jean was putting all of the team through.
Jean apparently had the instinct of many women that the house becomes a pigsty once you are expecting company, and even though Shine, Wally, and their new team of helpers had been working on it all week as part of training, she was still determined it would be spotless.
Xavier tried to read and ignore the yelling of:
"Make sure you do that!"
"Don't play with that!"
"Careful!"
And of course:
"I was! I was!"
[Sound familiar to anyone else?]
That was when he got a phone call of a most surprising nature.
***
"Shine, Jean says I cleaned the windows wrong," Wally complained. "I did it just fine all the other weeks. I hate doing windows anyway, they're a pain."
"They looked fine to me," Shine said.
"I know, right?!" Wally said. "How much longer do we have to do these chores anyway...I mean, I don't mind helping, but we're doing a bunch of other stuff."
"That's why we're delegating," Shine reminded him.
"Okay, but she's scaring the Morlocks." Wally said. "They're hiding in one of the rooms now."
Shine put down her duster.
"I'll go talk to them," she said. "You finish this, I'm sure you'll do it faster than I would anyway."
"Yeah, but it doesn't mean I want to," Wally said.
"Think of it as high intensity training," Shine said. "Think how little we're going to mind cleaning our own house when we're back in it, because it's so tiny. Who ever said big houses were better?"
"Not this guy," Wally put his hand up. "But fine. Since you asked me so nicely."
"Please and thank you," Shine kissed his cheek before going in search of the now intimidated Morlocks.
She was still trying to coax them out from under the table they were hiding under when Xavier interrupted.
"Pardon me, Mrs. West, but, I need a word."
Shine got the feeling all people do when they hear that.
She followed Xavier into his study.
She saw Mystique in the corner trying to put a book back, and then freezing when she heard them coming.
Xavier never noticed her, so he must have really been distracted.
Mystique turned into a panther and slunk around the furniture and out the door.
Shine asked herself at what point in her life she'd started accepting seeing things like that as a normal, everyday occurrence.
"Did I do something wrong, Professor?" She asked.
"No, no, quite the opposite," Xavier leaned on his hands. "I just have had a call from Moira, you remember Moira right?"
"It would be hard to forget that, Sir," Shine said.
"Yes...it was concerning Kevin," Xavier said.
Shine sat down. "Is he having trouble again?"
"Not...exactly," Xavier said. "But...Moira says ever since you visited and spoke to him, you and your husband, he has been talking about how what you said to him made sense, and it worked. And now, he has finally asked if he can go and get your help with controlling his powers...he wants to be able to roam around the world freely, and Moira and Banshee's treatment is...well, it's working, but he thinks it is not enough."
"It isn't," Shine said. "One emotional outburst would undo all of their work."
"Yes...but whatever you do is not science," Xavier said. "I doubt very much if you could keep his power in check the rest of the time. I told her I believe it is unwise, she said if I don't at least ask you, Kevin is going to be crushed. I have a fair idea of what your husband will say...but you sometimes surprise me with being more cautious and aware of dangers to your interference."
"I find that funny, he was the one who thought getting involved there might be a bad idea," Shine put her hands on her knee.
"Indeed..." Xavier mused. "Mrs. West, don't you think you might be overextending yourself, here? All these new students, and a prisoner. And if they stay longer, we'll have to have some kind of regular curriculum. Do you have plans for that?"
"Actually, I do have some ideas." Shine said. "You always wanted to turn this into a school, right? Well, they may not be paying students, but they're a start. Those kids have a deplorable education that consists of street slang and survival tips and, of course, some of our biblical teachings. But that won't get you by in this world, they must learn actual skills. House cleaning is a start, basic life skills, that's important. And most of them are taking to it quite well, but it won't be enough. They'll want to learn to read. And while I love teaching, I have a clear mission to teach my faith and principles, I can't do everything. Storm has been a great help, but English is not her first language, and it's not Kurt's either. We need people who can handle that. And history, history is important. And then there's science...you see what I mean?"
"Mrs. West, while I agree everyone should have an education, the chances of most of those mutants ever being able to have a real job amongst humans is slim," Xavier said.
"Then perhaps they could have one among mutants," Shine said. "Plenty of mutants out there lead fairly normal lives. The point is, if an opportunity comes, they must take it. And you hold this philosophy, don't you? They need to be ready."
Xavier nodded. "That's fair. I would like to do something to help them...of course there's counseling also."
Shine gave him a stone cold look. "Well, given how well that has worked out, perhaps sticking to what actually is practical would be best."
"I know your opinion of my methods, but they do get results," Xavier said.
"Yes, just so much as performing a lobotomy will inhibit certain brain functions, both good and bad," Shine said flatly. "Your method removes responsibility, in cases like Rogue's, and removes initiative, in cases like Logan's. You try to carry people, where they must learn to walk on their own. All we do is take the chains off that are stopping them. Logan and Rogue are making excellent progress under our instruction, because they are doing it for themselves. Logan is putting up with those Morlocks beautifully, isn't he? And Rogue, she's got more spring in her step and she's taking an interest in helping other people grow for the first time in her life. Anyone can see the difference. I've never seen Storm this happy, either."
"Well, I'm glad they like it," Xavier said. "But enthusiasm is not the same as deep healing."
"True enough, time will tell," Shine wasn't worried about it. "But before you go poking around in any one else's head, I think we should try the more time honored way of changing lives. And that brings us back to my point. And to Kevin Mactaggert. He wants to come here? We have the equipment to take care of him, and his power, and Moira could help with that too, I think. I'd be happy to start teaching him, but I can't handle so many new students without back up, if we're going to cover more subjects, as I think we should...Xavier, we're only here for a short time, you guys need a structure for once we're gone."
"And I have long considered it, but the world seemed too unwelcoming," Xavier said. "You're suggesting it's time to open our doors up more as a school?"
"Oh...not fully," Shine said. "Give it another few years maybe...but this is a good start...and you can practice methods. The Morlocks, luckily, have nothing to compare you to, so if you mess up, they'll be pretty forgiving, and you can start over. As far as I'm concerned, Kevin M. can come here if he wants. But the others might be too uneasy about it, so ask them. And ask Wally. He liked the kid all right, but I'm not sure he'd want to live here with him."
She got up. "I'd better go before Jean finds me slacking off in here."
"Very well," Xavier said. "But remember this is dangerous business."
"I never forget," Shine left the room.
***
Despite Xavier's concerns, and Shine's doubts, the X-men were all right with the idea of Kevin Mactaggert, or Proteus, as he was also going to be called, joining them, if he was kept under control.
Logan was the only one not so okay with it.
Storm had her bad memories, but she told herself that Proteus would be more under control...and tried to push aside her misgivings.
The others just thought the kid needed help, and not all of them had seen his powers up close.
Morph mentioned the whole thing to Mystique when they were hunting for new reading material...he'd finally returned the other book. But Shine had many more recommendations.
"So you're letting that menace come here?" Mystique said dryly. "Glad I'm leaving soon then."
Morph frowned. "He's just a kid."
"And hell is just a sauna," Mystique said. [References!]
"While that was funny, is that really fair?" Morph said.
"Well if the bleeding hearts around here can't refuse, that's their business," Mystique dismissed it. "Perhaps he's pitiable, but people can die for that kind of pity. I certainly couldn't help him. Surprised you're so sure about it.
"Without the chip in my head, there's no reason his power would affect me weirdly, I think," Morph said. "At least...well, he'll be under control...Kevin's not a bad kid, you know, he was nice when I was there before. A bit naive and clueless, but what do you expect? He's lived on one island his whole life, at least since they moved there, and he's never been 'socialized' or whatever."
"He's lucky," Mystique said. "The real world will chew up and spit out a kid like that."
"Always so optimistic," Morph rolled his eyes.
"Humans, freaks, forces of nature, what next?" Mystique said. "I wouldn't be shocked if Sabretooth came back here and they gave him his own apartment and a few books and said we start at 8 am."
Morph laughed. "I could kind of see that...can he read?"
"I don't know," Mystique didn't think that was a joke, but Morph started cracking up trying to picture Sabretooth reading.
***
After that, Friday finally arrived.
The house was shining like a new penny, as Rogue said, and everyone else felt starched and ironed within an inch of their lives.
Which was probably lost on the Billings, and Trinity, when Gambit picked them up and brought them back--he made them wear blindfolds.
Trinity thought the whole thing was like a movie, and was okay with it, but Anne and Mike only felt like they were being kidnapped--and Gambit's usual mocking manner with them didn't help.
But once they were pulling at last into the driveway, Anne said. "What a beautiful house."
"Yeah, well, all places da same ta Gambit," Gambit was determined not to agreed with anything they said, apparently.
"It certainly looks big enough for all of you," Mike said. "And a few more. Planning on expanding?"
"Get out o' da car," Gambit said.
He went to park it.
"He doesn't seem to want us here," Anne said nervously.
"Jewels!" Trinity waved at the window.
Jubilee came out and Trinity ran up.
"Oh-my-gosh-your-house-is-so-big-you-could-fit-my-entire-house-in-one-floor-of-it!" Trinity said really fast.
"I know right! You have to come see the balcony and the tower, it's the bees knees!" Jubilee said back.
Ryan followed, "Oh...hi Trinity," he said nervously. Anyone outside his circle make him shy.
"Hi," Trinity barely noticed. "You guys are so lucky!"
"Come on," Jubilee led her inside in a hurry. "You gotta see the fun part."
"Jubilee don't take her in the basement!" Xavier warned, coming out to meet the others. "Hello, you must be the Billings. I'm Charles Xavier."
They all stared at his "wheel" chair.
"Extraordinary," Mike sad. "How advanced technology do you have?"
"Oh this? This is just my everyday chair," Xavier made a little joke. "Now you must come in."
"Hello," Jean was wearing an apron. "Welcome to the mansion."
Anne looked nervous, and only more so as they came in and saw a bunch of Morlocks staring at them.
One little girl, Cindy, waved at them.
"Whoa guys, they're not an exhibit," Wally said to the Morlocks. "Give them a little room to sit down, huh?"
The Morlocks cleared out.
"I guess we make them uncomfortable," Anne said.
"Oh, don't worry about that, they're like that with everyone," Wally waved it off. "You'll get used to 'em. You guys want any snacks."
"Dinner is almost ready," Jean said. "But we have coffee, tea, hot chocolate, juice...or water."
"Water is the wild option," Wally said.
"Uhh, tea would be lovely," Anne said. "Where'd the girls go?"
They heard a shriek from upstairs, but it sounded like one of excitement.
"I think Jubilee is showing Trinity her room," Wally said. "Kid's got it all tricked out with video game stuff they gave her last Christmas. If we stick around till Christmas, Shine wants to do it properly with the nativity and stuff."
"How cute," Mike said. "That was our kids' favorite part of the year when they were little."
Not everyone knew the guests were there, and Morph and Mystique came walking down the hall and into the room, arguing about something, as usual.
"How can you say Arnold is annoying? He's a cute kid," Morph was saying, offended.
"He's a brat!" Mystique was arguing back. "And the whole thing is unrealistic. They are too happy all the time, like a bi-racial family is just some running gag." She imitated one of the characters on "Different Strokes" making a crazy face.
She didn't realize humans were watching as she did so.
Mike just about fell over. Anne blinked.
"Oh, that's Mystique," Wally said. "She's a temporary guest."
Mystique looked over and froze.
"Oh, hi," Morph waved. "Haven't you guys met already? Oh, she probably looked like this," he turned into the disguise Mystique had been using at the church meetings.
Anne looked like she might faint.
Mystique scowled. "Didn't expect me to be blue?"
"Oh...no," Mike said slowly. "Just didn't expect you to be two people...I mean...one...uh...so, Morph was it? Your power is also..."
"Yep, we're like twins," Morph joked. "If one of us was a sourpuss all the time and the other had an impeccable sense of humor, of course."
"Don't flatter yourself," Mystique said sourly.
"See what I mean?" Morph said. "You two ever watch Different Strokes?"
"Uh, yes actually," Anne said. "It was a good show to teach the kids about what we were fighting for in the 60s...in a way that wasn't too upsetting for the younger ones. I liked it."
"And did you think Arnold was a brat?" Morph asked.
"The cute little one?" Anne said. "He...well...yes sometimes, but other times he was adorable."
"See, you've seriously got a problem," Morph said to Mystique.
Mike and Anne seemed to be recovering from their surprise.
"Sorry, I guess we never explained that shape-shifting was one of their powers," Wally said. "To be fair, you'd hardly notice if it was."
"Yes...is he also blue?" Mike asked. "I mean...are you?"
"Nope," Morph said. "More like playdough."
Anne and Mike clearly couldn't picture that.
"This look not what you preferred?" Mystique was not being very friendly.
"Perhaps you should go about your business," Jean said tightly to her. She didn't like how she was killing the mood.
"Who said I wanted to stay?" Mystique said snidely, and walked away.
"Nice work, Jean," Morph said.
"She was being rude," Jean said. "They are our guests."
"Hey anyone can feel awkward," Morph said. "I wasn't exactly ready myself. Nice seeing you guys again."
He went off.
"Morph guards her," Wally told them. "She's sort of on probation. It's a long story."
"Oh..." Anne said.
"Yeah it's a lot to take in," Wally said. "Maybe you should sit down."
They sat down.
"I didn't meant to offend her," Mike said. "I just didn't expect to have met her in another... form."
"Don't worry about it, everyone has that reaction," Wally said. "I think she likes it, personally, scaring people. Morph is just trying to make it funny, they're totally different about their powers, even if they're almost the same power. Morph's cool, though. "
"He likes Different Strokes a lot," Anne said.
"Yeah, it was okay," Wally said. "A little old for me. And cheesy."
"A little...old?" Anne said. "But you can't be more than 30 or so, Mr. West."
Wally realized his mistake. "Oh, well, I'm hip, you know?"
"Is it just me or did that blue woman resemble Kurt a little?" Mike said. "Are they related?"
"Actually, yes, she's his mom," Wally said. "But don't bring that up to her, she wouldn't like talking about it."
"Oh..." Anne said.
Hank walked in right then.
"Are our guests here...oh I see they are."
Anne almost fell off her chair.
"That's Dr. Hank McCoy," Wally said. "He's been in the news."
"I do think he looks a little familiar," Mike said, somehow managing not to sound entirely freaked out.
"He's works at an institute for the blind," Wally added. "But he works for us for free."
"Sort of," Hank said. "I'm not sure we've been properly introduced, you must be the Reverend Billings, and his lovely wife."
"Yes, but you can call me Mike," Mike said.
"Well you can call me Hank then," Hank said.
"Anne," Anne managed. "Forgive me, I wasn't prepared for someone so...tall..."
"Or blue, I daresay," Hank said. "But 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder', after all."
"He doesn't shed too much," Wally said.
"Is he also related to Kurt?" Mike asked.
"Nope," Wally said. "Crazy right? Blue is just a really common color for mutants, for some reason. I've met a lot of green people, personally."
"My robust color is unnerving to many," Hank said. "I apologize."
"Oh, don't apologize," Mike said. "That is just how you look. Should I apologize for being a little bald?...Though I wish apologizing would make it better..."
Anne laughed. "Just wear a hat, dear."
"A good hat does bring an outfit together," Hank had a taste for hats himself.
Wally snickered. "I figured you two would get along. Both of you are all book-ish and stuff."
"Guilty as charged," Mike said. "Though I mainly read theology these days, and whatever I can find about mutants."
"I would be happy to recommend some material on that, written by yours truly and our own Professor," Hank said.
"I'm afraid my writing is rather dry," Xavier said.
Wally didn't want to listen to them talk about science, so he left them to just get acquainted.
***
"I think this is going well," he found Shine in the kitchen finishing up some salad. Jean wouldn't let her touch the roast.
"Good, Raven walked in here looking like a storm cloud, so I wasn't sure," Shine said.
"Ah, she's just mad she got caught goofing off while they were here," Wally said. "She and the M-man were arguing about that weird show he keeps watching."
"Ah, I see," Shine said. Then "Hey!" She swatted his hand as he tried to sneak some of the dessert.
"How is it that I'm faster than the speed of sound, and yet you can still see me do that?" Wally said.
"Because the guilty move slower," Shine said. "And you purposely do it so I can stop you!"
"Well I'm low on sugar!" Wally whined. "Unless you know, you want to give me some sugar..."
"Wally! I'm trying to finish this!" Shine cried as he leaned in.
"Oh, come on," Wally said.
"Stop teasing me!" Shine was turning red. "What would Jean say if she came in?"
"Probably be jealous that Scott doesn't come in and try it with her," Wally said.
"Wally wait!" Shine cried, but she was weakening.
"Ugh, you two make me sick," Logan killed the moment by coming in. "Are those two strait laced ministers here yet?"
"Dude, way to kill the mood," Wally pouted.
"Maybe it deserves to die," Logan said.
"One of these days, Logan," Shine said, "You're going to be in this situation, and we're going to stomp on it on purpose just to pay you back for all your rude comments."
"Now that kind of revenge wouldn't be real Christian of you, would it?" Logan said.
Shine blinked because that was a good retort, and she couldn't argue with it.
"He's learning," Wally said "That would be so cute if he wasn't interrupting."
"If you're gonna make out at least have the decency to do it in a shed like the other idiots around here," Logan said.
"What other idiots?" Shine asked. "Also, it's a known rule amongst couples that you don't steal each other's hideaway spots. It's weird. Not that you'd know, Mr. alone in the woods guy."
Jean came back in.
"How's it coming Shine?--You boys aren't distracting her are you?"
She narrowed her eyes at Mr. West. "Wally! The kitchen is no place for that."
"For what?" Wally said.
"Out!" Shine shoved him. "Out now! Before she reads any more. And you too Logan. Keep your morbid curiosity to yourself."
"Who said anything about--" Logan said, but Jean used her power to shove both of them out the door.
"She's mean," Wally said.
"I think you deserved it," Logan said.
"You know you could help a brother out," Wally said. "One of these days, you might just want a wing man, and where will I be then?"
"Probably in the kitchen," Logan said.
Wally choked on a laugh.
[It was just kissing for all of you with your minds in the gutter, please grow up.]
***
Jubilee showed Trinity over the house, even the Rec room, where Morph and Mystique had gone to hide from the guests.
"I think we scared them," Morph said.
"Whoa...she looks like Kurt," Trinity didn't have much of a filter.
Mystique looked her up and down.
"I'm Kurt's mother," she said, surprisingly not meanly, just dully.
"Oh, that makes sense," Trinity said.
"But Hank, despite being blue, is not his dad," Morph said.
"Ew," Mystique said.
[Shots fired movies...that never made any sense to me, or anyone else]
"Who's Hank?" Trinity asked.
"You haven't met him yet, he's probably upstairs," Jubilee said.
"Didn't the Professor say not to bring her down here?" Morph said.
"Uh...well...right..." Jubilee had forgotten. "I'm not taking her in the important rooms, okay, just this one, with all the games."
"Yeah, it's nice," Trinity said. "Our youth group has table tennis, but they said that pool was for gambling."
"I guess it is for some people," Morph said. "But I always just used it for swimming."
Mystique face palmed.
"That was really bad," Jubilee was laughing anyway.
"I know," Morph said. "But the look on your face made it worth it," he shifted into Jubilee for a moment.
Trinity jumped.
"Morph! I didn't tell her you could do that yet, are you trying to give her a heart attack?!" Jubilee said. "Don't worry, when I first saw him do that on day one, I almost passed out."
"He...uh...transforms?" Trinity said faintly.
"Yeah, so does she," Jubilee said.
Mystique glared at her.
"She's also mean," Jubilee added.
Mystique slyly turned into a monster while Jubilee wasn't looking and when she looked back she jumped almost out of her skin.
Trinity took that surprisingly well.
"That's a useful power to have," she said. "So are you also blue, Mr...Morph was it?"
"You can call me Kevin if it's easier," Morph said.
"Wait, your name is Kevin?" Jubilee said.
"Yes, like the Mactaggert kid," Morph said. "Proteus. I think I wear it better, personally."
"If by that you mean it sounds juvenile," Mystique said.
"Should you really talk?" Morph shot back.
"What's your name?" Trinity asked.
"None of your business," Mystique said.
"But for short, we call her Mystique," Morph said.
"Oh...like that book?" Trinity said. "Which...uh...I wasn't allowed to read...at the bookstore..."
"This your little church friend" Mystique asked, rudely.
"Yes! So be nice to her," Jubilee said. "If you're physically capable of it, that is. This is Trinity...and don't go turning into her and making us think she did something bad, either."
"Ah, you caught me," Mystique said sarcastically.
"Oh don't worry, we'd see through it," Morph said. "She's a terrible actress."
Mystique hit him with a magazine. "Shut up about that already!"
"You guys fight like school kids, I swear," Jubilee said. "But they're not related, weird right?"
"And I'm not blue," Morph said. "I mean...I could be..." he turned blue.
"You're going to freak her out," Jubilee rushed Trinity out of the room. "Come on let's find less weird people to hang out with."
"Says the girl who wears yellow rubbers every day," Mystique said dryly.
"Do you think it's to help her power not go off?" Morph wondered. "I never asked. Also, that hurt."
"If it really hurt, you'd turn into clay," Mystique said.
"That's not how it works," Morph said.
"Whatever," Mystique didn't care. "What's the point of having a little human like that poking around this place? Is she stupid?"
"Trinity is a cool kid," Morph said. "She's a little weird...but so are all of us. She's been a good friend. Sorry if it bothers you that she's human, but isn't that kind of being a bigot?"
"And what good is it either way?" Mystique said.
"What good? She's just acting like a normal friend," Morph said. "What you think this is normal?" He gestured around. "All of us holing up here isn't normal. Not that I don't like it, but it does get a little stifling at times. I used to live pretty much normally, I guess, so it was...a bit of an adjustment. But you know, right? We can blend in, it's rough not to sometimes."
"Not really," Mystique said. "If I slip up, my condition is completely obvious, unlike you. Perhaps you find it carefree to live among humans. But they hate us anyway. And they hate it if we can look like them even more, and fool them."
"That's true, I guess," Morph said. "Don't know if I'd blame them. How'd it be if a human pretended to be a mutant...maybe that's why West didn't tell us about his powers at first."
Mystique had never asked herself such a question, but, it would have been infuriating.
Perhaps there was some truth in the idea that humans might resent the deception as well as the mutation, but she didn't think it was that alone.
Morph wondered just how much his experience must differ from his friends and he'd never realized it, just because he could look normal pretty much all of the time.
"Do you hate humans?" He asked out of nowhere.
Mystique wasn't paying attention much, but she looked up. "Hate...hate is a strong word...I despise them, but then, there's just as many mutants who are small minded and belligerent. I suppose the hatred just comes from the fact that they have the advantage."
Morph thought. "That's a very honest answer."
"Is it?" Mystique said carelessly. "I thought it was how all mutants felt."
"You know, I think it might be," Morph said. "Not me, really, but I bet the others do feel that way. If they didn't have an advantage over us, we probably wouldn't care that they hated us. I mean, who cares if someone who's weaker than them hates them? Some people get a real kick out of it."
"You've heard of Magneto?" Mystique was actually interested in this subject. "He teaches mutants to think of it that way. They hate humans for being weaker than us. But the fact is we're still outnumbered. He thinks we can use our powers to usurp humans, but of course, people like the X-men, or that government pet group, the X-factor, won't allow it.
"Well, yeah, he wants to annihilate humans," Morph said. "All of them, that's messed up. Not all of them deserve it. Like that little girl with Jubilee, would you really kill her just for being human, she's a nice kid."
"So for every one like her there's a thousand more who want nothing to do with Mutants," Mystique said.
"But not all of those thousands are hostile," Morph said. "Come on, even when they have rallies, that's just a fraction of the population, some even put their necks out to help us. It's not fair, but just wiping them out isn't fair either. You would really side with Magneto?"
"I find Magneto's idea a little too simplistic," Mystique said. "Not because I like humans any more than he does, but because I doubt this takeover is possible for someone at his level. He's never succeeded yet. But the reason he wants it makes perfect sense. Kill or be killed, eat or be eaten, that's how it works."
"I find that weird coming from you," Morph said. "I mean, not that you don't do that, but that you think it makes perfect sense for Magneto. You know he used to be Xavier's friend?"
"I'm aware."
"So doesn't he see why a genocide is a bad thing?" Morph said. "After what happened to him."
Mystique tilted her head.
"That is actually a good question for once," she said, surprisingly. "But there are times someone is willing to do the same thing they suffered, in order to prevent it from ever happening to them again."
She looked somber. "I suppose that is why I abandoned Kurt."
Shine had said as much, hadn't she?"
"That's...heavy," Morph didn't feel so lighthearted anymore. She was such a buzzkill...but then, for a good reason.
Someone who'd done all that just couldn't have shaken it off, he supposed.
"Magneto must be the same," Mystique mused. "I've not seen much of him, but he's fair enough to other mutants. It is just humans he hates."
"I feel sorry for him," Morph said. "It's real sad he thinks that it's okay to make other people suffer that way who he doesn't even know."
Mystique frowned. "This is directed at me?"
"No," Morph said. "You're not defending yourself, are you?"
Mystique was speechless.
"Magneto does though," Morph shook his head. "If he just admitted he was doing it out of spite, who'd take him seriously? But he's put this nice face on it, convincing other mutants it's not all out genocide, what he's suggesting. I'll say this much for Sinister...he's a real creep, but he doesn't say he's doing humanity a favor...he thinks he is, probably, but he doesn't advertise it to all mutant kind or whatever. I think people like Magneto might be more dangerous even than Apocalypse.
Mystique laughed because that idea sounded ludicrous. "Don't flatter Magneto so much. He'll hide out in the wastelands to the end of his days probably, every time he fails, like a dog licking his wounds. He's not that brave."
"Apocalypse isn't brave," Morph said. "He's arrogant. I bet if he met his match, he'd cry like a little baby for mercy, he's probably just never met anyone as powerful as him."
"At that level, who has?" Mystique said. "Anything that powerful would be as bad as Apocalypse or worse anyway. Who could fight that?"
"I don't know, after how Shine and Wally defeated that External thing, I'm wondering if they could defeat Apocalypse too," Morph said. "If he ever does come back, that is."
Mystique had wondered this exact thing. But she didn't want to talk about it. Too close to home.
"What if they did, what would you do?" Morph wanted to know.
Mystique bristled. "Other than die?"
"They wouldn't kill you," Morph said. "Would you have to serve that, then? Going by the whole, whoever is gonna win rule you have."
"Probably," Mystique said. "But at that level, it wouldn't be much of a choice. Would it?"
"I think it's still a choice," Morph said.
"And that is where you're unbearably naive," Mystique was cutting.
"You know what, let's not talk about this," Morph actually was mad enough to drop it.
She shrugged. Like "fine with me."