[All right, we're all caught up now. No more catching up scenes. Fasten your seatbelts.]

Shine's plan was mad enough on its own, but things took a weird and unearthly turn almost immediately.

Warren took her towards the Temple's front area.

No guards shot at him; they knew who he was, and they didn't question him carrying someone.

But the distance to the Temple seemed to get oddly greater as they went.

The air wavered as if with heat waves.

"What's going on?" Warren looked down. "I feel like we're not moving."

Shine suddenly put a hand to her head. "Ow...I just got a headache.... I don't feel good all of the sudden."

"Uh...if you're gonna throw up, please don't do it on me," Warren said.

"Something deeper than just that," Shine said.

She looked up suddenly, and her eyes gleamed gold, startling Warren, though he'd seen it before.

"Holy crap..." she said.

"What?" Warren said.

"You don't see that?" Shine said.

What she saw was...hard to describe.

Below them, she'd been looking at the Temple's courtyard, when it seemed to kind of roll and change...and it became laid out very differently, like a totally new city.

People lined it--there had been some out before, gathering for a speech, it seemed--but now there were way more, and she didn't recognize them as the same ones.

Also the color was different: blues, light grey...all very alien looking somehow.

The whole thing gave Shine a sense of vertigo and inertia at the same time.

She glanced at Warren. He seemed the same.

"Lord, open his eyes..." she said, putting a hand on his head.

"What are you doing?" Warren said.

Then he blinked, and suddenly he was seeing it too.

Then it switched back to what it was before...and then they flew a little farther and it switched again.

"What is this?" Warren asked.

Shine looked up suddenly. "Oh...Warren..." She pointed.

Warren looked up, and then he almost had a heart attack.

Where before there had only been clouds of pollution and dust, now he saw floating objects, shaped like pyramids...looking like alien technology maybe.

The podium was now way above their heads instead of below them.

"Okay...so...what's happening?" Warren said.

"The Merging..." Shine said, faintly. "Either it's just stronger around the Temple...which makes sense...or it just suddenly amped up. I can sense it so strong.... It's like I'm on a shifting deck right now...one foot in each plane.... I can't take this..." She started breathing hard. "Ah, is this what Emma feels like?"

"Shine?" Warren said. "Careful, don't squirm so much!"

* * *

Speaking of Emma...

They just snuck past some guards that Dust had well bribed to be looking the other way, and made their way through one of of the courtyards towards where they could hopefully get in a side door, when Emma stopped short.

She saw the same thing Shine and Warren did...only for her it was more in her mind than with her eyes.

"Hey..." Domino was behind her. "What's wrong with you? You can't stop here. The patrol will be back."

"Why is it shifting?" Emma said, like she couldn't hear her at all. "What is this place? Who are all these people?"

"Okay, Frost is losing it," Domino said.

Scott turned back. "Emma? What is it?"

He grabbed her arm. "Do you see Apocalypse again?"

"I don't see him anywhere," Emma said, like she was far away. "Just everyone else.... Oh dear..." She swayed and grabbed Scott's arm like it was a railing. "It's changing again.... No, it's changing back..."

 She went pale.

"I don't see any change," Forge said.

Wally suddenly fell over, where he had been with Logan and Storm.

He clutched his stomach. "I feel sick..."

"Something is wrong," Storm said.

"Terrible timing," Dust said. "Carry them. We cannot pay them not to look a second time!"

Not sure what else to do, the X-men picked up their ailing companions and followed Dust to the side door. It was massive.

https://youtu.be/-hXJL2NT1-k

["Vertigo": Alice Merton]

Emma started shaking while this was happening.

Wally shuddered also.

"They're..." Logan shook his head. "Somethin' about this place is affectin' 'em."

"It must be dimensional," Storm said. "We know only the DJs and Emma can pick up on that clearly. If it was just Emma, I would assume it was only her condition, but...Mr. West hardly ever seems affected. It must be bad."

"Look up there." Domino pointed. "Looks like Fly Boy might be having some trouble with the other lady too. She's twisting."

"If she falls from that height, she'll get killed for sure," Forge said.

"And all the mutants in that courtyard we just snuck around will notice," Domino said. "Just as an aside."

Older Rogue shook her head. "Emma...come on." She shook her. "Maybe I should take some of 'er power."

"She might not survive that," Scott said.

"Just 'er power...I won't take 'er energy," Older Rogue said. "Maybe I can do it..."

But before she could, Emma grabbed her wrist and blinked furiously. "Don't touch me!"

"Emma, we got no choice," Rogue said.

"It won't help," Emma said. "I know what's going on.... I just can't see it that clearly.... Ah..." She put a hand to her head and winced. "Why is is so strong all of the sudden?"

"Emma, we can't take ya inside like this," Rogue insisted. "Just let me try."

Emma shook her head. "Just weaken my defenses to it."

"You don't have any defenses to it." Scott was getting short tempered with fright.

"To be fair, the big guy is just the same, and he's not a telepath," Forge said. "Maybe it won't help."

"It did before," Scott said.

Emma pushed herself up against the wall and then stumbled like the wall wasn't here.

Because to her, it wasn't.

She ended up just hitting it instead and falling backwards, then she shook like the ground was moving under her.

"It's like seeing someone have a seizure," Domino said. "I hate medical drama..."

"Oh, yeah, me too," Forge said. "This is freaking me out."

"Sorry, Sugar." Marie-Rogue decided enough was enough. She grabbed Emma's forehead. 

For a moment she saw what Emma saw.

"Whoa..." She swayed and fell over. "What in tarnation is this...? Floatin' objects.... No, it's normal again.... No, it's not.... It's happenin' too fast--I think I might be sick..."

"All of us are caught between two worlds right now," Storm reasoned. "But not all of us are sensitive to it. Perhaps we just don't feel it, but we all must be off balance...with the memories we share with our other selves."

"I don't feel different," Scott said.

"Well, ya never had much in yer head anyway," Logan said.

"Not helpin!" Young Rogue snapped. "What do we do?"

She put a hand on Wally's arm. "Come on, Mr. West, we need y'all..."

Wally covered his head. "Only God could ground us...same in both worlds...doesn't change..."

He groaned then.

"I wish Kurt was here," Storm said. "I'm sure he'd know what to do."

Morph tapped his chin. "Maybe a song would help.... I mean...they already use them."

"No more singing, please," Domino said.

"You have a better idea?" Morph said, morphing into someone with a microphone. "Captain Morph is on the case!... Uh...huh...what song...?"

"He can't be serious," Young Rogue said.

"Well, Sugar--" Older Rogue was frowning. "--if ya don't have a better solution, maybe just zip the lip?"

"Oh, I got it!" Morph snapped his fingers. "21 Pilates don't fail me now!"

"'I'm taking over my body, back in control, no more shotty. I bet a lot of me was lost, T's uncrossed and I's undotted. I fought it a lot. And it seems a lot like flesh is all I got. Not anymore, flesh out the door, swat.

"I must've forgot, you can't trust me, I'm open a moment and close when you show it. Before you know it, I'm lost at sea, and now that I write and think about it, and the story unfolds, you should take my life. You should take my soul.

 "You are surrounding all my surroundings, sounding down the mountain range of my left-side brain. You are surrounding all my surroundings, twisting the kaleidoscope behind both of my eyes. And I'll be holding on to you [2x]

"Remember the moment. You know exactly where you're going, 'cause the next moment, before you know it, time is slowing and it's frozen still. And the window sill looks really nice, right? You think twice about your life. It probably happens at night, right?

"Fight it, take the pain, ignite it, tie a noose around your mind, loose enough to breathe fine and tie it to a tree. Tell it, 'You belong to me. This ain't a noose, this is a leash. And I have news for you: you must obey me.'

"Entertain my faith. [10x] 

 [4x] Lean with it, rock with it. When we gonna stop with it? Lyrics that mean nothing. We were gifted with thought. Is it time to move our feet to an introspective beat? It ain't the speakers that bump hearts, it's our hearts that make the beat. 

 "And I'll be holding on to you. [8x]"

https://youtu.be/hVuovXov4yA

[I could see Morph doing this rap.

Fun fact number who knows what: After already writing the Bucket List chapter, I found out that in the comics, Morph did actually imitate famous singers, and do a one-man show. At least in his dreams. I attribute the fact that my sister and I guessed this to our keen skill with characterization, or maybe some kind of 6th sense.]

While no one had high hopes for this plan working, it actually did.

Wally and Emma were able to just listen to something consistent instead of the confusion of the others talking, and they focused on that instead of the shaking, closing their eyes.

The disorientation passed slowly.

Luckily they were well hidden, and the guards were more focused on the crowd gathering in the courtyard than on the service entrances.

Wally sat up. "I'm okay now...and I didn't throw up, which is a plus. Hey, nice thinking, Morph."

"Happy to help." Morph took a bow.

"I literally cannot believe that worked," Domino said.

"That is why you fail," Morph imitated Yoda, startling her further.

Emma sat up slowly. "Well, that was entertaining," she said. "Every reason why I don't go on carnival rides."

Wally laughed weakly. "If you're making jokes, Frosty, things are bad."

"Not as bad as they will be if you ever refer to me by that adjective again," Emma said warningly.

"This is too much." Scott, now that the moment was over, was freaking out even more. "You can't keep doing this... She can't come with us, that does it."

"Uh, Scott..." Morph said, "a little late for that, isn't it?"

"Besides, I'm being affected too," Wally said.

"But not as much," Scott said.

Wally already looked better, while Emma still looked white as a sheet, and not just in her clothes.

"Scott, I'm fine," she said crossly.

"No, you're not," Scott said. "This is suicide. I'm not letting you do it."

"Letting me?" Emma said strangely. "Who's letting me? I chose to come here. I don't need anyone's permission."

"That, and Shine was in charge, and she let her come," Morph said.

"Morph, shut up," Scott said.

That was so harsh from him, it kind of hurt Morph's feelings a little, but he just clamped his mouth shut and looked away.

"You cannot keep arguing," Dust warned. "And here is where I leave you. Inside that door you will find the heart of the Temple. You must find a way to the lower levels. Watch out for Exodus. He may just be a rumor, but it's said there's a powerful telepath by that name who guards Apocalypse personally."

"And ya couldn't mention this before?" Older Rogue asked.

"I had forgotten until now," Dust said. "Perhaps one of the unsettling things about this, is that memory is becoming unreliable... If I remember now, perhaps that means he is here."

"And that's even more reason," Scott said. "Come on...the rest of you have to agree."

"We can't leave her behind now," Storm said, "even if we did, Scott. I'm sorry."

Scott kicked at the pavement.

"What is wrong with you?" Emma said sharply, getting to her feet. "Who here isn't risking their lives? I'm not a fragile doll... Now, we're wasting time."

She turned towards the the Temple.

Scott got in her way.

Emma gave him a look that could have frozen fire.

"Okay, time out." Wally got between them. "Emma, maybe you need to cool off...or warm up, really. Give us a minute. The rest of you go on. I mean, scope ahead, Logan. Right...I'm not used to giving orders, but that seems smart. And, Domino, you just keep an eye on the guards for now, okay?"

"Fine!" Emma said sharply, and then she walked over to Storm and Rogue.

Storm pursed her lips. "This way."

They walked in the door cautiously.

Nothing stopped them right off.

"If I may," Storm said to Emma, "your anger is unwarranted."

"You may not," Emma said. "I've never been so...ugh, insulted. As if I don't know what could happen to me."

"Must be nice to have yer man around to worry about ya," Rogue said in a low voice.

Emma paused to glance at her.

"Well...but Logan would never stop you," she addressed Storm.

"No..." Storm said. "At times...I do sometimes feel that is because we were no more than friends, however... He might now. Try to understand how Scott feels. You don't want to spend this last time we have fighting."

"Poor feller," Rogue said. "It's tough on men, Sugar...not bein' able to protect people. Tough on me too, but I guess I feel less like I have to, more just that I want to. But we all know, Scottie, both ours and yers, they feel real responsible for us. It's just who he is."

"And if I'm not wrong, you like that about him," Storm said. 

"Well...but--" Emma said.

"And is now the time to argue over your pride?" Storm said. "We allowed you to come, it's true...but we all know what kind of risk you are taking. I respect that, Emma, but we are only friends...so...I don't have to feel responsible for you... It's another matter for teammates and people who are special to us."

"Yeah, gal, ya want that, ya get all of it. That's the fun part," Rogue said. "And take it from me...don't realize that too late." She frowned to herself. "I just hope it ain't too late fer me."

"I'm sorry." Emma felt guilty. "I should not be complaining about this...not when you don't even know what happened to..." She trailed off.

"Naw, it's okay. Makes me a feel a little better about how stupid I am," Rogue said dully. "I guess we all are... Geez, it's a wonder any of us even have a man."

"Am I included in this?" Storm asked. 

"Oh, let us have this, gal," Rogue said.

"If you ladies are done with the girl talk, the coast is clear fer now," Logan said. "It's too easy, in fact. Somethin' ain't right."

"Well, we knew that," Storm said. "But so far, so good... I suppose we'll be ambushed whenever they think we're close enough."

* * *

But first, Wally had to talk some sense into Scott.

"Bro, I feel it," he said. "Believe me. I go through this every day sometimes... My wife literally just went up there with some guy who was brainwashed 24 hours ago. You think I feel great about that? But you can't act like her father, okay?"

"Look...I just..." Scott seemed on the edge of losing it. "I just... You don't understand... With Jean, I lose her for a year and half, and it almost destroyed me...for multiple reasons...but at least I hoped she was alive... Emma already died once... I didn't know how to handle that... I think I was still in shock...Then I came here, and she was alive, and I was relieved...and then I found out the truth, and I didn't know what I felt, but now..."

"I know," Wally said seriously.

He patted his shoulder sadly. "I get it, man...really."

Scott sighed.

"I just don't think I can do this again..." he said, sounding very sad. "Not three times...especially not after finally coming to my senses about it."

"That's rough," Wally said. [Zuko?]

"For the record--" Morph was still with them. "--I know how you feel. I mean...I lost so many teammates...including the girl I liked..." He sighed. "And now I don't know what happened to the first actual girlfriend I ever had. Maybe she's okay...maybe not... All I can think about since she went missing is...is it going to be like the Exiles all over again? Losing person after person, and for what? So I could get my life back and they didn't get theirs--it's not fair!" He suddenly banged the wall angrily.

That surprised them.

"Dude..." Wally said.

"Yeah, I know," Morph said. "Not what you expect from the happy guy, right? But this stuff trips me up."

"If we were girls, we'd probably hug it out or something," Wally said. "But since it's weird for bros to do that now...I mean, I don't know...I guess there's nothing to say here...but we have one day... Guys...if you want to save them, you have to let them do this for themselves too. Scott, whatever you feel, Emma is not going to let you control her. You know that, right? She doesn't even listen to us most of the time. Shine just got to where she'll sometimes take her advice, and Shine is...scarier than you are."

Scott frowned at him.

"Still...it's like no one ever thinks about how difficult it is to watch this," he said. "I mean...I know it's selfish to feel like that, but--"

"No, I get it," Wally said. "Being left behind...there are times, yeah. I mean, I feel like that with Shine...but the thing is, she could feel that way with me too. Your girls take risks all the time, and you do too, Scottie. A lot of them."

"Yeah, but--" Scott said.

"And are you better than them?" Wally said.

"Well, no..." Scott said.

"Then it's not for you to say," Wally said. "It sucks, but we have to let people be who they are, or they're kind of just there serving us, not doing what they need to do. Yeah...it's great to be with someone...but the hard part about what we believe sometimes is that God calls each of us, and not always at the time in the same way. I mean, even with Misty...maybe she was doing what she needed to do. Buying us time. We met Cristy, didn't we? Gave Forge time to escape.... Maybe she saved our lives, sort of.... I'm upset that she's gone, but I know she did what she thought she had to do, and, as a hero, I have respect for that. That was her choice. And it's Emma's choice to try to do what she can and not just lay down and take this. And, I'm guessing, that's kind of what you like about her, when it's not driving you crazy."

Scott sighed again.

"And I wouldn't have fallen for Shine if she wasn't the person she is," Wally said. "And you know that woman has never given me any crap over it, except maybe once or twice when what I did was unusually crazy.... It's hard to let people go...but you can't hang onto them, Scottie. You have to know what. And...it'll be okay, one way or the other...in the end. You'll see."

"Yeah, man, you're tougher than you think," Morph said. "At least you better be."

Wally frowned at him.

"That came out wrong," Morph admitted. "But you know what I mean."

"And did losing those people make you better, Morph?" Scott asked bitterly.

Morph winced. "I don't know... I don't know if losing people makes you better. That's kind of sick...but choosing to move on anyway, and find new things...and coming back to my real family, and...you know, finally trying with someone else...that made me better. People die...you know...and if you're me, and you can expect to live longer than the average person anyway, you just have to face that fact. Look at Logan...but he's still going...because it's important to him to value people anyway. Life isn't just one person, Scott... It's tough to lose them, but...there's a lot of good people out there to care about, and I wouldn't want to miss out on that."

Scott was looking down a little.

He straightened. "Yeah...I guess that's a good point... Sorry... I can't believe I actually complained about that."

"Bro, after what you've been though, I'm not judging you," Wally said. "I could cry myself, but I'm gonna try not to. And I have you weirdos here to help me, is the good thing. That's why we need friends. And sometimes they gotta kick us in the pants, so come on, let's go." He motioned at Domino.

"Not a second too soon. The patrols are turning this way," she said.

"And we're gone." Wally shooed them inside.

* * *

The team began to find their way along the inner corridors.

Emma and Scott glanced at each other and fell back a little.

"I'm sorry for snapping," Emma said in a quiet voice. "Perhaps it was an overreaction. I understand your concern.... I suppose it just reminds me of how much I am concerned, and I'm trying to forget about it."

"I'm sorry for losing it," Scott said. "It's not fair to put what I'm dealing with here on you too.... I just...if this doesn't work...everything is going to be gone. I'm having a hard time coping with that."

"Myself also," Emma said. "But it's better not to think about it.... Let's not fight, all right? I don't expect you to agree with me, but things are too desperate to be worth fighting about it."

"Agreed," Scott said. "I'll try to keep it to myself."

"I don't mind it," Emma said quietly. "I mean, I don't mind that it's difficult. It's to be expected.... I just hate being expected to change my actions because of that, that's all. Sometimes you do what you have to do."

"Yeah...well, I know that...its just not easy," Scott muttered.

Emma gently patted his shoulder. "It'll be all right." She tried to look cheerful...not succeeding very well.

This was too painful, really, for both of them to want to keep talking about it, and they fell silent after that.

Storm sighed, glancing back at them. 

"It's too cruel," she said to Logan.

"It's war," Logan said.

"And...is that all?" Storm said oddly. "No one is allowed to have feelings?"

"No...if we focused on our feelin's in war, we'd be crushed every day," Logan said. "That's how bad they are. Some of it never goes away...if you're lucky, ya find someone who understands that."

Storm smiled faintly. "Lucky...I suppose so. But a few feelings here and there, Logan, are all right, I think. Even in war."

"Maybe you're right, Darlin'," Logan said. "But, right now, I'm tryin' to keep everyone alive."

"Yes, I'm aware, Tough Guy," Storm said drolly. "And speaking of which--any change?"

[Well, they are perfect together, right?]

"I keep gettin' somethin'...not sure if it's human or not," Logan sniffed. "Or where exactly it is. It's all over the place. But nothin' that's familiar."

It was so funny he said that, because, in fact, nothing was familiar about it.

But someone was there, and they found that out just a second later.

They stepped through one arched doorway, which was leading them to a side wing of the Temple, it looked like, that would take them to one of the lower levels eventually.

And out of nowhere, a wave of psionic force hit Storm, Logan, and the younger Rogue, who was right behind them.

They all fell over, heads pounding.

"Get back!" Emma saw what it was right off.

The others fell back.

Telekinetic force raised Logan up before he could get up and smacked him into the wall hard. The stone made a sickening, thudding sound.

Storm pushed herself up, and wind began to pick up around her.

Telekinetic force threw her back also.

Scott dodged as she flew past them.

"Storm!" Older Rogue went after her.

"So why can't you fly?" Domino asked Younger Rogue, who was getting up.

"Shut up," she said.

Finally, out of the shadows stepped the person behind this.

For a second, Scott has almost thought it'd be Jean, because no one else he knew of was telepathic and telekinetic--but it didn't seem like her power.

Emma knew it wasn't her--she could sense that much. But she had no idea who this person was.

A tallish man with long hair, and the garb of Apocalypse's archaic/alien style, and a staff in one hand.

He looked at them stonily.

"Intruders," he said. "You desecrate the Temple of the mighty Apocalypse."

"Oh, great, one of these," Domino muttered.

"I'm sorry--" Wally put his hand up like he was in class. "--Mr., uh, Staff Guy, but...I don't remember you at all, I mean...not even from the movies, so, uh...who are you? Just before you tear us apart."

"I am called Exodus," Exodus said.

"And you're a telepath?" Emma said, shocked. "I've never heard of you."

"Not many have," Exodus said somberly. "I served the great Apocalypse a long time ago. But until recently he did not call me out of time. I came here to protect him from assaults like this one. Some of you are wanted alive. Some I'm free to kill. If you wish to surrender now, I will give you five seconds."

"Wow, that long?" Wally said.

"Four seconds," Exodus said.

"Emma?" Scott said. "How strong is he?"

"Based on those two attacks alone?" Emma said. "He must be almost as strong as Jean."

"And that means?" Forge said.

"That even if I had my powers, we wouldn't have a chance," Emma said.

"Two seconds," Exodus said.

"Wait a second," Older Rogue said, "which of us do ya want alive?"

"Code name: Rogue. Code name: White Queen. Code Name: The Flash. Code Name: Storm. Code Name: Wolverine," Exodus recited.

"Which Rogue?" Younger Rogue asked.

"Either," Exodus said.

"Something's not right with this guy," Morph said.

"Code Name: Morph," Exodus said.

Then suddenly he looked at Forge. "Talis located. Master."

"Oh...I forgot about that," Forge said.

"Oh no..." Morph said. "Didn't I take that back from you?"

"Not permanently, if you did," Forge said.

Morph had given it to him to see if he could make some kind of clasp lock for it so it couldn't be lost again--and forgotten to ask for it back afterwards.

Telekinetic force lifted Forge up.

"Frosty--" Wally was behind her suddenly. "--Telepaths are weak to physical attacks, right? If you can get past their minds? Except you, you know, with the diamond."

"I used to have an advantage, yes," Emma said. "But mostly, if you could get past it, yes."

"And can you use telepathy and telekinesis at the same time," Wally asked.

"I don't know Jean's power that well, but I believe she only used one at a time, most of the time," Emma said. "If she did use both, it would probably weaken both of them. One can hope it's the same with him, but he's enhanced..."

"Okay, I think I may have a way out of this," Wally said. "I'm going to hit him as fast as I can. Once he's focused on that, hit him telepathically if you can, just once or twice. Then the rest of us hit him physically while he's trying to block you. If we do it fast enough, maybe he won't get in your head. It's crazy, but--"

"That's easily the smartest idea I've ever heard from you," Emma said. "But strike while he's distracted. I don't think he's probing our minds right this moment. He seems to be in touch with his master."

Exodus was giving a field report.

Ironically, that might have been what cost him.

Wally dashed forward.

Emma telepathically said into everyone's minds what he'd just said.

That effort alone made her wince, but since it wasn't probing or blocking, it wasn't that bad.

Wally ran at Exodus,

Who looked down at him.

Now, if he'd used telekinesis to stop him, Wally might have been KO-ed.

But Exodus, assuming it to be unnecessary and already having Forge dangling anyway, instead used his mind.

He grabbed Forge with one hand while he did it, so maybe it was true--he couldn't use both with that much force at the same time.

But the telepathic blow had no effect on Wally, much to his surprise, and Wally slammed into him at full speed.

The force of that sent Exodus hurling across the floor.

Wally ran after him and landed several punches before he was slammed with telekinetic force up into the ceiling.

Older Rogue dove after him as he fell.

At the moment, Emma mustered all her strength to hit Exodus with a psionic blow.

Unprotected from it, it stung him just for a second before he pushed back.

But in that moment, Forge used the gun in his arm to blast him.

With the enhancements, and armor, that blast didn't kill Exodus, but it did made him hit the ground hard, enough to crack it.

Domino shot his arm that was holding Forge, and Forge dropped to the ground.

Morph shot his other arm with his laser gun before he could raise it at them.

Rogue put Wally down, and he ran circles around Exodus, trying to suck up air.

Exodus then grabbed Wally by his feet and held him upside down.

But Younger Rogue was ready by then. She'd snuck closer, and she reached out and grabbed Exodus' head.

Veins appeared as she drained some of his power.

He hissed.

Wally fell to the floor with a painful thud.

Logan, now up and coming, came and sliced some of Exodus' armor off.

"Should we just kill 'im?" he said.

Young Rogue fell over.

"What's wrong with you?" Old Rogue asked.

"So many feelings..." Young Rogue said. "Normally I just get memories and light emotions...but dang...this guy has problems..."

"I feel that," Older Rogue said, crossing her arms. "Ya don't know how to expel it either, do ya, Sugar?"

"You can expel it?" Young Rogue said. "Wait..." She sat up. "That's right.... How did you do that?"

"Oh, it's a long story," Rogue said. "Shine taught me how."

"What?" Young Rogue said.

"He's not out yet," Emma warned. "You didn't drain that much power, not from one of them."

Logan kicked him in the head. "Pass out already."

"We shouldn't kill him," Wally said. "He might just be a pawn, like the others."

"I don't know about that." Emma walked up. "I'm not seeing the same kind of scrambled thinking.... Not that I can look too deeply without risking an attack, but, even on the surface, normally I can tell. He may just work for Apocalypse."

Domino frowned, then she pointed her gun at him. "I say we just kill him."

"I'm not okay with that," Wally said.

"Perhaps he should have been dead a long time ago," Emma said. "If he's out of time. We don't really know. We let him go, and he'll have this whole place after us, if he hasn't already."

"I don't like the idea of killing him either," Storm said.

Domino glanced at her, then she shot Exodus anyway.

Not in the head...in both legs.

"If they get him to a medic, he might survive that," she said. "But he won't be following us...happy?"

"That was...gross." Older Rogue covered her mouth.

"I'm compromising," Domino said.

"Uh...I guess it's better than killing him," Wally said. "Let's get out of here."

They all ran down the hallway, checking the floor plans.

"That was way too close," Forge said.

"Did we just take down one of Apocalypse's right hand men in 2 minutes flat?" Older Rogue said.

"I guess that's the power of having someone immune to telepathy on our side," Storm said. "I wish I'd actually helped."

"Oh, you'll get your chance," Wally said. "Plenty more baddies where that guy game from. Great teamwork, everybody."

"Sure..." Logan muttered.

[Well...that happened. Guess we're past the wasting time point. Crap is about to go down.]