[Exegesis: a critical explanation or interpretation of a text or portion of a text, especially of the Bible.]

A pause had gone by while all this was being taken in, and all you could hear was a clock ticking and a breeze outside.

"You shouldn't think that God caused that pain in our lives," Shine added, since she was saying nothing. "God cannot stop it all, but I believe all of us get mercies, even you, Raven. In Kurt...the fact that he has turned out better than he should have... I'm not saying this to judge you. I have made mistakes I am also glad I am not paying for now the way I could have. So I just know.... Suffering is the norm in this world. But mercy is not. It's rare because it's not common or easy. But it's rare like a jewel. The rarity doesn't mean it's not real, it means that it costs a lot of effort to get to where you can see it, sometimes. And people give up. But those who really want happiness and peace will always find it. 'Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled' [Matt 5]."

The sort of peace and radiance in Shine's whole expression when she said these things, which she seemed unaware of, was always somewhat mysterious for people who had never experienced it. Mystique was no different.

It reminded her of Kurt also. When he spoke of Gott.

Perhaps for the first time the idea really entered her psyche that these people might really just have access to something she didn't, and couldn't understand. If it was just one of them, you could put it down to them being crazy, but all of them seemed to be like this...when they really believed it...

It freaked her out. But it made her jealous too, in a way.

"I'm sorry, I've gone on too long." Shine interpreted her silence as annoyance. [There's that trauma.]

"No," Mystique surprisingly contradicted her. "It's not that... You just don't talk like anyone I've ever met. I don't understand you."

But she said it without scorn, Shine noted.

"You know...I can't help it," Shine said. "I suppose it's what comes of trying to be like Jesus... You start to sound weird to everyone else. A lot of what He said sounded odd...but it started to make sense after a while. Maybe I'm like that... I mean, that's what my husband tells me anyway. He said that I make more sense the longer he knows me."

"Funny, it's usually the other way around," Mystique said.

"You don't need to tell me I'm lucky," Shine said humorously. "I mean, good looking, nice, smart, and actually is into me? What more can woman ask for? And he does chores."

Mystique rolled her eyes.

"I know you'd rather have the guy who can pay someone else to do chores," Shine said. "But it means more when it's personal... Anyway I never understood why rich people are too good to clean their own house at least a little bit. I mean, you live there."

"Not all of them object to that, shockingly," Mystique said dryly.

"Well, I'd hope not," Shine said. "But anyway...I just realized I never really answered you about why I want to be friends... You know...I have many reasons. But I figure the easiest answer is that I don't want to be enemies with anyone, and apathy is even worse than hatred, so my only options are friendship or better. And as much as that sounds like it has no real preferences involved, it does. There are people it's work to even be not enemies with. It's not work with you." She stood up.

Mystique gazed at her like she was crazy. "I have made it difficult on purpose," she said.

"Oh, you tried," Shine said, like it was funny. "But I just find that entertaining."

"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?

https://youtu.be/QNjz7OPMPhU

* * *

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?"

"I guess because I don't understand it," Morph said. "You've been helping Rogue...but like Xavier says, none of us know if there's a price or if it's permanent."

"A price?" Shine looked hurt.

"I mean...a give and take," Morph said. 

"Peddling again," Wally said to Shine.

"Do you know," Shine said, "I was just rereading 2 Corinthians, and Paul says some false teachers were peddling the Gospel. He criticized it. I had forgotten all about that... Paul spent a good part of the book explaining how we are not to do this, and we shouldn't support people who do. When did we ever ask for anything in return, Kevin?"

She used his real name.

[Yep, same as the kid's. I thought it was odd. But given the rich internet history of the name Kevin, it could not be more fitting for Morph.]

https://youtu.be/ZgaCh_S8gDE

https://youtu.be/cqj99sp8y5E

Morph blinked, then seemed to accept that of course she knew.

"Yeah, I can't say this enough, but that whole thing is really insulting to us." Wally looked miffed. "We're not gonna ask for anything in return, and neither is God."

"As for the permanence of it," Shine said, "unless you intend to live forever, I see no way to test it. People who are changed forever know they are when it happens. People who have not been changed doubt it and say it will not last. But just because it does not last for them does not mean it will not last for someone else. Your change did not last, Kevin, because you went about all this the wrong way. But if you don't want to believe that, then you can do as you want. Only that is not about us and our offer then, it's about you. Perhaps, I think you are just afraid if you try what we have said, and try believing in something bigger than yourself and man's invention, and it does work, you will not just be healed--you will be different than before. And you want to go back just to how it was, is that right?"

Yeah...that was about right.

"I liked it before," Morph slowly admitted. "I'm not sure I want to be what all of you are...different. I mean, I like you, don't get me wrong, but...you're weird."

Of course as soon as he said it, he saw just how hypocritical and shallow it sounded.

They just stared at him.

Things work out very oddly sometimes. Normally one would think that line would have pushed both parties further way.

But instead, Morph just got a look of understanding as it clicked how stupid that was, and then Shine started to laugh, and then Wally started chuckling also.

"That was so dumb," Morph said.

"Oh, yeah, it was." Wally smacked the side of his chair. "We're weird--that was classic."

Shine started dabbing her eyes. "I don't know why that cracked me up...but dang, Morph, tell it how it is..."

"Well, you guys are so serious," Morph said, now unable to take this seriously as much. "And you act so happy all the time. It's not natural. You can't blame me for thinking it's kind of weird."

"And we like you," Shine said, warming up to it.

"Yeah, and you make friends with people like Mystique," Morph said. "And Sabretooth. I mean, that's weird, isn't it?"

"Weirder that it works, but yes," Shine said.

"I mean, we're kind of nutty," Wally admitted. "But, hey, in my defense I was always the weird one even before this job."

"Yeah, me too," Shine said. "Might as well use it to some purpose...and who's normal anyway? Everyone else is just judgmental, that's all."

"When you put it like that, I guess I can't get much weirder than I am," Morph said. "Maybe it is ego...I guess I should have just let that go ages ago. I thought I could do this alone...but he's getting out of control...isn't he?"

They all became serious again. 

"Yeah," Shine said. "And I can tell you a few things that would help, even on your own, to do. One would be to start talking about it. Not to bottle it all up. You will start to feel Dark Morph come to the surface if you do this, but as you feel it, you will learn to stop it. Build up a tolerance and self control. Waiting till it bursts out the rest of the time is not going to work. I imagine you got it more under control before by trying that at first."

"Sort of," Morph said. "And...but he could..."

"And that's the other thing," Shine said. "He's going to--let's just not even bother lying about it. Even if it didn't show outside, those feelings would still happen. And that is okay. But...and you won't like this--it is time you told your friends the truth about it. What is the real reason you have been ready to accept us and even our misguided friend Mystique? Could you relate a little too much?"

Morph looked uncomfortable. "Uh...what do you mean by that?"

"The X-men abandoned you," Shine said, straight up. "And that wasn't right. We need to stop making excuses for them. Logan won't. But you never talked to them about that, did you? And they ought to know it bugged you. You could forgive them, if you just did that."

"Oh, but there's no need to bring that up," Morph said way too quickly. "I understand why they did it."

Because you're not that important to them, Dark Morph's voice suddenly said in his head. 

"Shut up!" Morph said aloud.

Both of them seemed to know he didn't mean them.

"Why do you think he's speaking right now?" Shine said, just as if she'd heard it. "Because you are not. You have not been honest about it, Kevin."

"I..." Morph put a hand to his head. "They did what they thought was right."

"And it's fine to come to that conclusion, after acknowledging the pain, but not before it," Shine said. "There is an order to things. Psalms shows us one. Many psalms begin with crying out to God because of injustice. Psalms 26, 37, 35 are some of the best.... Here, listen to this for a moment."

She pulled out her Bible and read a few verses:

"'Fierce witnesses rise up;
They ask me things that I do not know.
12 They reward me evil for good,
To the sorrow of my soul.
13 But as for me, when they were sick,
My clothing was sackcloth;
I humbled myself with fasting;
And my prayer would return to my own heart...

"'22 ...Do not keep silence.
O Lord, do not be far from me.
23 Stir up Yourself, and awake to my vindication,
To my cause, my God and my Lord.
24 Vindicate me, O Lord my God, according to Your righteousness;
And let them not rejoice over me.

"'26 Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion
Who rejoice at my hurt'."

Shine shut the book. "It goes on, but you get the idea. David prayed that. But in the end, he always comes back to saying God will make it right, and he will praise Him. We go through all our feelings, and we rest on the truth. That is how we do things." She shrugged. "And even if you have no faith in God, many therapists would agree with this approach--honesty, mourning, and then acceptance and positive encouragement to yourself. I think it works best with faith, but it has comforted people without it, I think the way a knock off brand can be good enough for many people, but the original article just tastes and works better, and once you try it you know that."

Morph was surprised to hear that such things were in the Bible and said so. "I always thought it was just a book about how to live right."

"It is," Wally said. "It's just more than that too. A lot more. I thought exactly the same thing before I met Shine, then she started quoting it to me, and I was like 'that's in there?' and I started reading it out of curiosity, and the whole thing is crazy. The stories in there are wild... I mean, I've watched movies that weren't that interesting...and then there's that one book."

"We don't talk about that book with the newbies," Shine said.

[Cue the 'We Don't Talk About Bruno' references.]

"Why? Do you have to be initiated?" Morph said.

"Oh, we're not like that," Shine said. "You can read it, and we can't stop you, but we just find if we try to explain it, people get weird ideas without some more context. But no, anyone can read the Bible--we're not a cult. It's just a question of if they will understand why things are in there...and even Christians wonder that at times. Scholars have expanded on it all, but most of us don't research it. I have, but it's a long book; no one is going to get everything."

"There is still some stuff..." Wally said. "I mean...in the first half, it's just weird."

"Ezekiel is the weirdest book, if you ask me," Shine said.

[For the newbie like Morph, Ezekiel had a lot of the biblical parts that make people think we're crazy. Like the many-eyed, many-winged, and wheeled stuff.]

Morph gave them an odd look.

"Nevermind," Shine said. "You start at the simplest level and work you way up with all things, including Spiritual things. All we need right now is knowledge about humans beings. And all you need to know is that you have these problems. And you need to admit them. Remember when we first talked about you staying here this time? You weren't ready then to hear more of this, but it's been a couple months, and I think that you have two choices here. Is it even really a question anymore?"

Morph was waiting for a while, then he finally said, "No. I guess it's not... Do I have to like that?"

"No," Wally said. "I mean...I don't see why you would like that... Who likes being messed up?"

"No one," Morph said. "I just wish I didn't need this. I guess to you that sounds lame, but..."

https://youtu.be/qkSPe7mvELo

"Oh, no," Shine laughed. "You can be in it for years and wish that. Lord have mercy on all of us for our foolishness--I pray that all the time. But anyway...one more thing: About that chip Sinister put in your mind...did you get it removed at the island?"

"They were going to," Morph said. "But...uh...it's kind of been absorbed...so they couldn't without causing brain damage... It's pretty gross."

"Ew," Wally agreed.

Shine whispered something to him.

"I think so," he said back. "But it's your call."

"I think I could either get it out, or break it enough for it no longer to work," Shine said aloud. "If that would help."

Morph blinked. "That would stop it, wouldn't it?"

"I don't think it would." Shine crushed that hope. But if she had not been honest, it would have been worse.

"But I bet it would stop him from being able to just take over your mind like that." Wally snapped his fingers. "He might still be there, but you could live here and not worry about going out of control like that at any time. You could work on the rest after that."

"Yeah, you need breathing room," Shine said.

Morph nodded. "It has to help, right? You should do it...but how? Can you summon it?"

"No...uh, I'd have to cut it," Shine said. "And that is going to look weird, I know. But let me reassure you, my sword doesn't affect the physical body...at least the edge of it does not. I was able to do this before and not hurt the person. So, while it looks wrong, it will not hurt you."

"Okay...Spirit Sword, got it," Morph said. "Well, as long as it doesn't hurt..."

Shine pulled it out. "Here goes, then. Best to just get it over with, right?"

"I don't want to watch." Wally covered his eyes. "It looks pretty weird."

Shine rolled her eyes, either at his squeamishness, or at him covering his eyes over it.

She carefully passed her sword into Morph's cranium. She was right--he felt nothing at all.

Shine, however, felt the impact of something not human, but metallic. Electricity sizzled over the tip of her sword...which seemed smaller now.

In fact, Morph thought it looked almost as small as a knife now.

Then Shine pulled it out, and some tiny pieces of electric wiring fell onto the floor.

They didn't fall off her sword, they seemed to just fall out of Morph like they had fallen through a hole or had become intangible themselves.

"Whoa...that was weird," Wally said.

"I never do know exactly how it's going to work," Shine said, crushing the pieces into dust with her foot.

"Hank might have wanted to see those," Morph said.

"Hank can invent his own mind-altering chip if he's interested in doing so," Shine said.

"I meant to see if we could guard against them," Morph said.

"You all had chances enough for that with Sinister's labs. If he was interested, he could have ages ago," Shine said. "I never understood why you didn't try to figure out that mutation-blocking tech he had, for Rogue, but I guess it seems unethical."

"I never thought of that," Morph said. "I bet Rogue hasn't either."

"That seems weird that she'd not think of that," Wally said. "I don't get you guys sometimes. Maybe having a Speed Force is easier."

Shine shrugged, then she changed the subject. "After talking to Logan earlier, I think I know what book we should go over next. 1 John."

"Sure, honey," Wally said, with the air of one who didn't know why but was just going to agree anyway.

"What is that?" Morph asked.

"It's written by John, so it's a little mysterious," Shine said. "You should join us. It'll be real awkward for everyone to talk about it."

"In that case, count me in," Morph said. "That sounds kind of interesting... I mean, not that I enjoy watching people be uncomfortable, but..."

"I feel you," Wally said. [Lol.]

* * *

"5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us." [1 John 1]

That was the passage Shine opened with. So far, Morph wasn't seeing where it would shake things up.

Logan, Storm, and Rogue were either taking notes or just listening.

Rogue raised a hand like she was in school.

"You don't have to do that," Shine said.

"I didn't want to interrupt," Rogue said. "But I was just wonderin', what is with all this talk about blood? I mean it's in your songs, and it's all over this book. Ain't that kind of dark?"

"Oh, I don't know." Storm answered before Shine did. "Blood is a very important part of oaths and conquest and sorcery. It's not so strange."

"All of what you just said was strange, Sugar," Rogue said, with a weird look.

"Storm's right though--in every old culture, blood pays a huge symbolic role. We've gotten shy of it in the last few centuries, but that was an effect of Victorianism and the general over-sensitivity of our morals now," Shine said. "I'm always surprised by how visceral the Bible can be, but that is how all old writing is. They must have understood something we don't know. I think Jars of Clay put it real well in their song Liquid.... Oh, it hasn't been written yet, but the one verse goes 'Blood stained brow, are you dying for nothing? Flesh and blood, is it so elemental?' Now we are surprised by it, but what do we expect? We teach that Jesus died a very painful death for us, and if that means anything in the spirit, it means something physically too. Or it wouldn't make any sense to us. If Jesus just died in some spiritual sense for us all, no one would get that. We have to understand it was literally dying too, literal blood...and then it becomes Spiritual, because He is Spirit...if that answers your question."

https://youtu.be/YxWA_EnoIA8

"Sort of...but ain't blood cleansin' us makin' it sound like we take a bath in it or somethin'?" Rogue said.

"Aren't there cultures that did that?" Storm wondered.

"Storm," Wally said, "can I just say, you are definitely from another world as far as I'm concerned. Man, she reminds me of Sheyera."

"Don't worry, that's a compliment," Shine said, as Storm was puzzled. "Anyway, Rogue, I don't know how literally you want to take it. You can, if that helps you understand it. But if you prefer to think of it as symbolism, then it's never been our practice to wash in blood or nasty gross things like that. We're supposed to understand what it means in here." She pointed to her chest.

"Ah, there is some debate about that," Kurt spoke up. "Whether it is real or symbolic."

"To that I say, Kurt: how is symbolism not real?" Shine shrugged.

"Interesting point," Kurt mused.

"Shall we continue?" Shine asked. They all nodded.

"'10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11 But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.' [chapter 2]

"'In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. 11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another...

"'13 Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you.'"

Here Shine paused to comment, "That one line has come to mind many times for me. We like to marvel, though, don't we?"

"Careful, Shine, the 4th Wall," Wally joked.

"Don't be so meta, hon," Shine said.

"Huh?" Rogue said.

"This line applies to mutants also," Kurt said, more soberly. "The vorld hates us, not because ve are gut, but for being different."

"True," Shine said, shrugging.

"It just ain't fair," Logan finally commented, darkly.

"Well, you can't let it make you bitter," Wally said. "We all have haters, but we shouldn't sink to their level."

"But how do you...not do that?" Rogue said, frowning. "I can't help but get angry at people, those trash humans--'scuse me, Shine, Wally--but they don't want nothin' to do with us, and they try to hunt us."

"It might happen to anyone to find themselves hunted and hated for doing nothing wrong," Shine said slowly. "I get in enough hot water with my own people, let alone strangers. You find discrimination based on color to be so pathetic, it's almost funny."

Storm shrugged.

[References a line Storm says in 'One Man's Worth'. Though this Storm would not remember it, she'd have the same opinion on it.]

"I agree," Shine said. "It is stupid. By comparison mutation seems more important, in that at least there's a power scale there, right? But even more stupid is to discriminate against someone for doing something that is right. And yet, people hate people who do good more than anyone else in the world. It's in this chapter too. So...look, if you guys are going to be hated anyway, might as well make it for the right reasons. Even other mutants don't like the X-men because they try to do the right thing."

"This is your idea of makin' us feel better?" Rogue said.

"I'm not really trying to make you feel better," Shine said, flatly.

Ah...here it was, Morph thought.

"I find it comforting," Kurt said, "to know that it vould not matter vhat I looked like. I have chosen a path that many people vill not understand and they vill hate, but...in this vay I feel I had some control in my life. I don't care if people hate me for being a Christian. Though I don't like being hated."

"If you like that, there's something wrong with you." Wally shook his head. "But I gotta agree. It's easier to put up with something if you chose it."

Shine nodded too.

"But choosin' it sounds crazy," Logan said.

"Everything not done for self preservation sounds crazy to most people," Shine said.

Morph laughed.

"What?" he said, when they looked at him oddly. "I thought that was a good line.... Loosen up a little."

Storm smiled. "Well, it is true."

"Maybe we should finish," Wally suggested.

 "'18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth...20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.' [1 John 3]

"'Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love...10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

"'7 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love Him because He first loved us.

"'If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?'" [1 John 4]

The X-Men glanced at each other and then at them.

Shine shut the book. "I think that about says it all," she said.

"Yep," Wally agreed, munching on some snacks.

"I think we're done," Shine said. "But as a fun little idea...how about all of you write at least a one paragraph essay on what all this means?"

"Like we're in school?" Morph said.

"Normally, I don't do this," Shine said. "But sometimes it's easier to say something if you're not on the spot and it's not out loud. And this can be a difficult subject to talk about. Love, and how we show it, and how we interpret all this about our fears and our faith. So for once, I think it might be useful. Anyone object?"

"No," Storm said. "I believe it might be easier, as you say." She was glad enough not to be asked on the spot what she thought.

"Sure, I guess," Rogue said. "But...I ain't that good at writin'."

"That is not the point," Shine said. "I'm not grading this, I just want your thoughts. We can talk about it privately or in a group again. Depends on what you prefer."

"Do I have to do this?" Wally said.

"Well, I will," Shine said.

"Say no more," Wally said, not real excited, but not going to slack off.

[Prime husband material right there, am I right?]