Wally followed Kevin out onto the sea, which started churning around him and then disappearing into a kind of dry bed and then grass.

Wally might not have been affected personally, but he was still finding this really dizzying to watch.

Kevin got out almost half a mile from shore before he stopped, not even sure where he was going--not without a boat to guide him, and they were long gone.

Stuck, Kevin started to cry...well, cry/whimper and moan. He was a teenager after all.

"Hey, Kevin!" Wally finally got closer. "What's going on, man?"

"Go away!" Kevin turned to him, the orange light around him looking angry.

"Kevin, it's just a little misunderstanding," Wally said.

A wall rose up in front of him, made of stones.

"I said go away!" Kevin yelled.

Wally sighed.

Shine appeared next to him, out of a portal.

The wind whipped her hair, as it was getting pretty stormy, probably because of Kevin messing with the atmosphere.

"I came to see if you wanted me to help now," she said. Whether intentionally or not, she sounded pretty smug.

Wally rolled his eyes. "Do you have to rub it in?"

"You've been doing fine," Shine said. "But there is no time." She shrugged. "Anyway, I'm tired of missing the action, even if casting evil out of Rogue was more than enough excitement for one day for me. There is someone else flying around here. You remember who Angel is?"

"Yeah, doesn't he, like, die--?" Wally said.

"Only in the movie," Shine said. "Here, he's alive. And furious. So he might be in danger."

"Did you say you cast evil out of Rogue?" Wally suddenly noted her earlier sentence.

"Yeah, overdue probably," Shine said. "She absorbed more of it from Angel."

"But Angel's a good guy..."

"Apocalypse."

"I really need to get caught up..." Wally muttered.

Kevin seemed to be moving away again.

"I think I know how to stop him," Shine said. "If you'll take me closer, before all this becomes water again."

"Well...he doesn't seem dangerous," Wally said begrudgingly, and he really hoped Shine wouldn't say something else like, "Oh really, you don't say?!"

If he'd been Scott, Shine would have, but she just looked at him and shrugged. "Okay."

She does love me, Wally thought wryly. At least she's sparing my pride a little... I'd never hear the end of this from Sheyera if she was here.

He hoped Shine didn't repeat this story to his League friends, actually...

Wally sped Shine around the wall and headed Kevin off.

"Kevin!" Shine called.

Kevin looked up. "Miss...Shine? Go away!"

Wally was out of ideas after his last attempt hadn't gone as planned.

But Shine, as always, had the last approach anyone would except.

Standing up straighter, she looked Kevin squarely in the eye and said in the perfect, angry mom tone:

"Kevin MacTaggert, you stop this running right this instant, young man!"

Kevin actually flinched under the orange.

"What?" he said, bewildered.

"You've caused enough trouble as it is," Shine said, "with all this running around and reshaping the island. So you can't control your power? So what? Be responsible and let us help you and stop running away like a child who doesn't want to come in from playing around. You get over here right now and let us help, or so help me, we'll drag your butt back to the island and do this the hard way."

Silence.

Wally wasn't sure if she was going to get killed or if Kevin was going to cry.

As it was, Kevin just stared at her in shock.

Then, meekly, like a kid, he slumped and started shuffling closer, resentfully like a teenager...so a bit of both.

"Come on now." Shine crossed her arms. "Don't be taking all day about it."

"I'm coming!" Kevin said, real mature.

Wally's jaw dropped.

Kevin finally came within range, and Shine nodded at Wally. "Whatever you did before, you should just do it again."

"Uh...sure..." Wally said.

He reached out and took Kevin's hand. The orange light vanished, as if it knew better now too.

Kevin reappeared, looking upset.

"Why are you yelling at me?" he said.

"I'm not yelling," Shine said. "You'd know if I was yelling. I'm just being firm. Sometimes that is a thing people do when they care about you, because we are not always wise enough to know what's good for us on our own. That is what your mother has been trying to tell you--but, Kevin, if you're not happy, and you're not sure this is right for you, you have to tell her. She loves you. She'll listen. If you never talk about it, nothing ever changes."

"I did na want to talk about it," Kevin said.

"Boys," Shine sighed. "They never do. I'm sorry, kid, but you're just gonna have to do things you don't like sometimes. If no one's ever told you that before, let me be the first--I won't be the last. We all do. You think Wally and I wanted to come out here today and do this? No, we had about a hundred other things going on, and another crisis to deal with, but we came out because our friends are important to us, and so are you. It's not your fault you have this power of yours, but what you do with it, and how much responsibility you choose to take over it, that is all you, kid."

"Yeah," Wally agreed. "I was trying to tell you that before, only I got interrupted."

"What's...responsibility?" Kevin asked.

"Oh, for the love of parenting, Moira..." Shine muttered to herself.

"It's when you know it's your job to do something," Wally said. "And you do it."

"Oh..." Kevin said. "So...it's my 'responsibility' to learn to control my power."

"Or to seek help from people who can," Shine said.

Kevin nodded. "How did yer do that?" he asked.

"I...still really don't know," Wally said.

"It's a gift," Shine said. "That is our power, our responsibility." She smiled. "Can we go home now?"

"All right..." Kevin agreed humbly.

The water closed around them right then, but Wally grabbed both Shine and the kid and dashed out of it and to shore.

Then back to the castle.

Kevin walked in meekly.

"Shine..." Wally said, "I have to ask, how did you know that would work on him? I mean, he was mad--and scared. I'd never have thought to act like that."

"I had a bit of a tip off," Shine said. "I noticed that before he only listened to Xavier when Xavier spoke to him like he was actually in charge. He's still a kid; the begging and worry only upset him, makes him feel nervous and unstable. Adults like to be given freedom, but kids like to be given rules. Kevin is just barely changing from kid to adult, and a good, firm approach is still effective on him... Once he's a little older, it won't work anymore, but for now, I guessed right. Must have been Divine inspiration. I didn't think of it until now."

"You...you aren't going to rub this in later, right?" Wally said.

"Rub what in?" Shine said flatly. "You did it, didn't you? I just helped clean up the X-men messing it up. Bratty teens are something I'm good with after all."

She walked inside.

Wally looked up at the sky. "I can't tell if she's scarier when she's not being petty or when she is... You figure it out."

The sky didn't answer him.

* * *

Moira wanted to go out after Kevin even after they'd all gone back inside, but the others told her to at least give it a few minutes.

So she made them tea instead.

Storm looked like she could use a sedative more than tea. She was still shaking and sitting real quiet in a chair.

Banshee got her a blanket, but she didn't seem much better.

When Hank rejoined them, he and Mystique did, but no Morph.

This news didn't go over well.

The others all thought Mystique had done something also, until Jean confirmed she was telling the truth about it.

Then they asked her what she'd seen.

Mystique answered rather meekly for her. She seemed dead tired now... Most of them were.

"I didn't think that Kevin's mental power might trigger Morph," Xavier said. "But it makes sense. His dark persona was created by Sinister out of his trauma, and, we all know, Proteus can be traumatizing."

Moira covered her mouth. "Oh...I'm so sorry, Charles... Kevin didn't mean to do it, you must believe me. I doubt he even knew Morph was here."

"Dat don't make it better," Gambit said. "Intentional or not, Morph is still not doing good."

"Do you think he'll shake it off in time?" Jean asked Xavier. "That he would only struggle momentarily with it?"

"We can hope, but even I don't know that," Xavier said.

Mystique snorted.

"What?" Scott said.

"You all really think that this is just because of that kid?" Mystique said. "Come on, things like this don't just happen."

"What would you know about it?" Scott said. "Unless you know more about Sinister than you are letting on."

[Leaving out comic book canon here--it was too disturbing to think about and not really confirmed by the show at all.]

Mystique smirked in a dead sort of way. "Sinister is not your problem."

"Don't mind her," Rogue said. "She's just sour from earlier. Archangel like to kill her... Did he ever come back here?"

"I did na even know he left," Moira said. "Why was he anxious to kill...?" Then she looked more closely at Mystique and seemed to remember where she'd heard that name before. Her eyes got huge.

Mystique thought the woman with the out of control son really shouldn't look at her like she was a monster.

Right then Kevin came walking in, making most of them jump.

"Kevin!" Moira rushed forward. "Are you all right, son?"

"I think so..." Kevin let her hug him. "I feel calmer... I'm...sorry... I did na mean to cause so much trouble."

"Oh, it's all right," Moira said.

The other didn't think it was.

Shine and Wally walked in a moment later.

"How did yer do it?" Moira asked.

"That would be telling," Wally said.

Moira raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, honestly, I don't really know," Wally said. "I just did."

"Everyone," Shine said, "Kevin was frightened. He didn't mean it personally. Please treat it accordingly. But it's all right if he knows how damaging his power can be. He'll have to face it head on."

Kevin winced.

"We shouldn't frighten him more," Moira said.

"I think you had better stop sheltering him so much," Shine said flatly, making the others gasp or choke on their words.

"Excuse me," Moira said, "but he is my son. I don't think you should tell me how to take care of him."

"If he's going to keep causing problems for all of us, perhaps someone should," Shine said. "You can't do this alone, Moira, so stop trying. We have to meet the world, and at his age, it's already been overdue. Stop fearing how people will be afraid of him and teach him to deal with it when they are."

"I--" Moira looked quite angry.

"Shine--" Xavier began.

Shine turned to give him a very warning look. "What?" she said.

Xavier hesitated. "Well...uh..."

"A fine bunch," Shine said. "You asked us to help. We help. And then you want to ignore our authority on how to make the problem better. Well, don't go to the doctor if you don't want to take his prescription. Waste of time and money. I'd like to see you pull this with anyone else."

Mystique smirked.

"Why did you come?" Scott said sternly. "You said you weren't going to. Are you going back on your word?"

"Oh, no, Scott," Shine said, icy. "We said we were not coming for you, and we didn't. We came here for Logan and Rogue and to help a poor kid out who was having a rough time. Helping you was the unfortunate side effect of all that."

Scott looked stunned...and...then...was it possible? He actually looked kind of ashamed.

"Yeah, if it was up to Scott, we wouldn't be here," Wally couldn't help but add. "But we didn't feel right about ditching people who weren't being such jackasses about it."

"Let's not rub it in too much," Shine suggested.

"Well, you got to say it," Wally said.

"I know, but a tirade isn't going to help right now," Shine said.

"Whatever, hon," Wally said, still a little miffed.

"I'm confused," Banshee said. "I thought you all asked them to come here."

"We did," Rogue said. "But they didn't want to because Scott got a bee in his bonnet about how he asked 'em and was a real pill about it, but they came around afterward because the rest of us were goin'."

"I see," Banshee said.

"Is that what he meant by you weren't supposed to be here?" Kevin looked relieved. "I thought he meant you were criminals."

"Oh, it's the same thing to him." Shine couldn't resist one last dig. "But--wait, where's Logan?"

"And Morph?" Wally said.

Then the news had to be broken to them, but Xavier sent Moira and Kevin away first so Kevin wouldn't have to hear it--it might have scared him.

"Aww...poor Morph," Wally said. "That's so not right."

"Did he say where he was going?" Shine asked Mystique, who shook her head.

"He did not," she said. "But I think he meant to leave the island, probably."

"All the boats are gone," Wally said.

"He don't need boats," Rogue said. "I never knew this, but apparently Morph can turn into animals. He could just swim."

"He can?!" Wally's eyes got huge. "That's awesome! Hey, why can't you do that?" he asked Mystique.

"I can." Mystique was offended. "It's just a pain--why does it matter anyway?"

[There is some contention among comic readers about how extensive Mystique's powers are. Basically, originally, she could only convert to things with her approximate body mass, unlike Morph, who was more flexible and OP. But she was altered later with radiation, but that would have been post the events of this show, and this story is an alternate timeline, so it's safe to say her abilities here are much more limited. But she could probably still grow wings and other stuff, if they were small or she made her body smaller to compensate. It's an equivalent exchange.]

"Is this really important?" Scott said. "We need to get Morph back."

"Surely you could bring him," Jean said to Shine, meekly. "Please."

Shine shook her head.

"Are you punishing us still?" Xavier said, almost sharply.

"I would never do that," Shine said, offended now. "I just won't do that to Morph. He must be in distress. Forcing him to come back would make it worse. Perhaps he will call us. We had better just go to the mansion so he has the chance to do so. We should pick up Logan also."

"Are you sure?" Jean said. "Maybe he wants to be found."

"Do as you wish." Shine was salty now. "But that is what I think is best. I think I'll just go wait in the Blackbird, if that's all right. I'm exhausted."

She walked out.

Wally sighed.

"She seems stressed," Jean said.

"Gee, I wonder why," Wally said.

"All right, Mr. West," Jean said, "I understand. We were not fair to you. I am sorry... Can we just put it to rest?"

"Sure, Jean," Wally said flatly. "Maybe I'll wait outside too."

He left also.

"What was that?" Rogue said. "I ain't never thought they were hesitant to let stuff go before."

"Dey tired of de same go around," Gambit said, aptly. "Dey ain't ready to accept yet dat, sometime, people never treat you any different, no matter how many time you prove you are. Jus' like with mutants."

"Should we really be on that level?" Hank said. "We have hurt their feelings, I can see. Perhaps, we were a bit abrupt. It was a long week for us all... And what are we going to do about Sabretooth?"

Sabretooth was, in fact, sulking out in the hall, waiting for them.

Mystique hoped they didn't decide to let him stay at the mansion. Unbelievably, she almost wanted to go back there; anything was better than this spooky island. Too many memories... Wasn't this the room Apocalypse used to brainwash people in? Or was it the one next to it...?

Thunder crashed outside.

Storm looked up. "I think the boy's emotions have triggered a bit of a weather anomaly," she said wearily. "It may go on for a while. But we should have no trouble flying..."

"Moira might like some time to herself with the lad," Xavier said. "It would be delicate to just go quietly."

So they did.

* * *

Logan did not find Morph. He had apparently left the island. His trail ended at the shoreline.

Logan was in a sour mood when the others picked him up.

Mystique would have likely suffered for it, if Jean hadn't told him it was not her.

Kurt only reappeared when they were leaving.

"Where did you go?" Shine asked him. "You were behind us, and then..."

"The lands shifting made it impossible for me," Kurt said. "I couldn't see anywhere to go to...so I retreated, and then it happened again. I decided to pray instead. I only just now realized it vas all over."

"Well, perhaps it was best," Shine said.

"But where is Morph?" Kurt asked.

Only answer was Storm crying and Rogue looking peeved.

"We're not sure," Scott then said.

Kurt looked concerned, but, tactfully, he asked no more questions till later.

The tension on the plane was palpable. Even Jubilee couldn't relieve it.

They got back to the mansion...almost hoping Morph would be there, but he was not. No messages on the phone from him either. Just one for Jubilee, reminding her to turn in the last of her paperwork for the camp...which was coming up next weekend.

Sabretooth had come with them because he needed a ride, but he said he wasn't sticking around.

Maybe out of respect of the fact that they'd lost a teammate, he did not try to fight them before going.

Shine told him that if he wanted to continue their talk, he should look them up later. Preferably in a few days.

It hardly seems believable that the crazy day ended at all, especially in a draw at best. Everyone was numb from it.

Mystique, left to herself finally, wondered why she'd said what she'd said. And what had gotten into her. She didn't know if she regretted it, but it felt like another person had been reacting that way... She was left with her usual empty, numb feeling that made it seem she was just made of stone.

She had yet to recognize that this feeling was just long suppressed guilt and anger in of itself.

No one came to talk to her, and while she expected as much, it added to the unrealness...as if none of it had happened at all.

* * *

Shine and Wally had to have a long talk once they were alone.

"I might as well just admit it," Wally said. "I realized that you were right. I was kind of assuming all kinds of horrible things would happen, but Kevin was just a kid. I feel stupid now. Sounds like the real danger was with Angel, actually."

Shine was too tired to gloat.

"I could have handled it better, looking back," she said. "I realize, I didn't sound like I was considering your feelings at all. I get in that mode a lot of the time."

"Well, we all do," Wally said.

"But I should know better," Shine said.

"Well, I should know better than to let paranoia make any decisions for me," Wally said. "What is it with this world and bringing it out?"

"The amount of missions we've been on, I'm sure--it's taken its toll," Shine said. "We have grace for each one, but that doesn't mean the amount of grace we need doesn't increase. Things tend to get harder, not easier, in life. I have noticed it too, but I've also seen that we're getting support from our friends here that we don't often get. Maybe it's supposed to balance it out. I'm feeling a lot of frustrations on this mission, but it also feels huge to accomplish something. They are both open and closed at the same time, so much like normal life at home, really. And that is why I think it's been rough. That sense of escapism from our own world's problems just isn't so strong. They are too much like us."

"Maybe that is it," Wally said. "I feel like I'm in the League, sort of. I like them though... I admit, the League and I have gotten a little distant with time, as we've been doing this... I don't feel like...I fit in there so much anymore. Maybe I didn't even before, once we expanded... Do the others really need me as much?"

"We do change our roles over time," Shine admitted. "But...do you mean you almost feel like leaving it?"

"I don't know," Wally said. "I always thought I'd always be in it, but Batman's always kind of kept his own thing going, and I've spent more and more time on my own stuff and doing this, and it feels like the JL is a hobby more now."

"All you original 7 have cut back," Shine said. "Benefits of having new blood, I guess. But I did not realize it was this far... Should we talk about this when we get home? I mean...have you considered moving to my world more?"

She tended to spend more of her time in his, for obvious reasons.

Wally shrugged. "That doesn't sound right either. I mean, I couldn't use my powers in your world. Admit it, I'd always be behind you."

"I don't know about that."

"I'd feel like it," Wally said.

"I'm not so powerful there anyway," Shine said.

"No, but I like being a superhero," Wally said. "That's not what I'm questioning--it's whether I want to keep doing it with the team. Regularly, anyway. Maybe I could go solo again more...or change it up."

"How does this tie in to the X-men?" Shine asked.

"I dunno, seeing them reminds me of how it used to be," Wally said. "I like how close they are, and, to be honest, I kind of feel like they value each member a little more than we did. I mean, we cared and all, but all of us thought we could swing it alone too. The X-men think they need this group. I kind of dig that."

"I always did like that," Shine admitted. "Few people get to have something like this... It's hard, isn't it, not being part of their circle?" She smiled a little sadly. "And we're constantly reminded of it."

"Yeah...is that wrong?" Wally asked, looking at the ceiling. "Wanting to be that close to our students?"

"I can't answer that," Shine said, leaning on her stomach. "But I can say, when I thought that was off limits, I ended up dating you, so is it totally wrong? I don't think it could be. But is it what's meant to happen? I don't know that either. Two months in, and I like it here, but I do not feel like they've fully accepted us. Some of them are starting to, the girls mostly, but Scott will not. Xavier won't."

"Maybe if you give them a chance," Wally said, "try to be friends with them, you know, it would be different."

"But I am not here to make friends," Shine said. "If it were that simple...but you know, I choose not to do it that way for a reason. I realized ages ago friends do not take each other seriously as teachers, often. And to get people's attention, you must be more than a friend. A prophet has no honor in his own country. It's all right to be friends after they've accepted the rest, but first? Makes it too easy to forget why we're here."

"I guess we're different there," Wally said. "I always thought I could be friends with people even without the rest... I'm not really a teacher though."

Shine was silent.

Then she said, "And you don't like that I do that."

Wally thought. "Sometimes, no," he said.

Shine looked upset.

"At least not at first," Wally went on, still thinking. "But I think I get it now. And I think you're right--it has to be that way sometimes. It's worked out well. But, I think, it's okay if there's exceptions to that too. Sometimes people need a friend first."

"I agree, in theory," Shine said. "But I don't know if I could in practice, because I just don't know how to do that. I'm not suited to it. You are."

"That is why we're a team." Wally finally put an arm around her shoulders.

"It's rough always having to be the one who's disliked," Shine said in a low voice. "I think...sometimes it would be nice if you were willing to play that card."

"I do sometimes," Wally said.

"Sometimes," Shine said. "I know...it's been an adjustment...and sometimes it would be nice if I would play more of the friends one. We are two extremes, aren't we?"

"Shine, I think you are friendly," Wally said. "I think I can be kind of blunt too. Like, we're not complete opposites--just that one of us is more comfortable doing one thing than the other. Which is fine. What we're talking about is if in this case, we could compromise a little more. Maybe we should cut Scott some slack."

Shine sighed. "Yeah...okay."

"I mean, he kind of grows on you," Wally said. "Sure, I'm still mad at him, but he's sort of the annoying guy who you wish didn't come around, but you kind of miss if he's not there, I guess. Feels incomplete." [In light of book 2 events this line is much funnier]

"It takes all kinds of people to make a world," Shine said. "I suppose I don't mind Scott's personality so much, if it wasn't always directed at blocking whatever we want... Sure, he's annoying, but I can tolerate annoying, even find it funny, if it wasn't for that negativity."

"Maybe if we loosen up a little, he'll eventually follow suit," Wally said.

"Okay," Shine said. "I suppose... Today was a close call..."

"Let's just forget about it," Wally said. "Let's talk about something stupid for a long time."

"Sure, we can talk about sci-fi," Shine said.

"Hey!" Wally said.

"Shots fired." Shine shrugged.

* * *

Jean and Scott actually had a similar conversation when they were alone.

"You seem troubled," Jean said. She could read it.

Scott shrugged.

"Scott, I sense that you're feeling remorse," Jean said. "Why? What's wrong? Is it Morph? We didn't know that would happen."

"It's not just that," Scott said. "Much as it...pains me to say this, I am wondering if I almost cost the team today."

"What?" Jean might well be stunned.

"Perhaps I could have gone about all that more gracefully," Scott said. "Sabretooth just left. In the end, he wasn't even a problem. I could have overreacted. I could have been a little too harsh on them."

Jean blinked in amazement.

"I was angry enough," Scott said. "They are so haughty. But they came. I didn't think they would. They saved us again. I can't approve their attitude, but it's what I would have done in their place. No matter how much you dislike your team, you should still help. Logan even came with them. This day went from a total disaster to...well, Morph is gone, but other than that, the crisis was averted. I have been wondering if I was unfair before."

Jean swallowed. "We all have been a little harsh to them," she said. "But it's true, maybe we owe them an apology."

"I don't know if I want to go that far," Scott said.

Jean had a rare moment of showing irritation with her husband. "Scott, if you were wrong, don't you think they'd like you to admit it? I've observed them these past 3 months: They are not petty, and they don't hold grudges. If you just said you were wrong, they would let it go, I'm sure of it."

"I don't like to apologize for what I do for the team," Scott said.

Jean bit her lip, then she said, "What about what you do for people, Scott?"

Scott looked confused. "Huh?"

"Aside from the team, you hurt their feelings," Jean said. "Why not just make it right with them over that? Asking them to help was not the issue, it was the way you did it, so they said, so...remedy that. Don't bother with the rest of it. That's not so bad, is it?"

Scott had too much pride to just swallow that, but he didn't jump to shoot it down.

"I'll think about it," he said sullenly.

Jean decided to just leave him to it.

[This is the most miraculous thing in this arc...

Okay, so I really don't like Cyclops, it's true...and I'm not alone in that, apparently.

But he's also not the absolute worst all the time, and I figure he has a limit to how much of a prick he can be, so let's hope this story will see him improve.]