Alt Mystique led them into a wing of the lower levels that was more like a lab.

It didn't take that long to get there; this area wasn't that big.

"What is with this decor? It just screams bad guy," Morph commented.

No reply.

They came into an outer hallway to many smaller rooms and a lab.

From in here, they could hear people yelling in pain, or in protest.

"Well, she's here somewhere," Alt Mystique said. "And this is where I get off. It's been a real treat getting coerced by you, but I can't get caught."

"Are you sure you von't come vith us?" Kurt said. "Vhy go back to them? You vill not be safe."

"You think I want to be what you are?" Alt Mystique said. "Doomed. They'll tear you apart. Honestly that other me is not worth this."

"Sure she is," Morph said.

Alt Mystique gave him a strange look. "And what did she ever really do for you? She's probably turned on all of you by now."

"Even so, she is my mother," Kurt said. "Ve can't judge people based on vhat ve think they are capable of, alvays. Sometimes ve have to allow them a chance to be more than that. Gott gives us that chance every day."

"You never give that a rest, do you?" Alt Mystique said.

"It sustains me," Kurt said quite seriously.

"Do you know the Nightcrawler from where you live?" Morph asked her.

Alt Mystique looked coolly at him. "Not really...and you think I'm at fault for that?"

"I imagine it veighs on you," Kurt said.

"If you're at all alike the one we know," Morph added.

"Get it through your heads--we are not the same person," Alt Mystique said bitterly. "And I'm not a lost, little lamb that needs to be taken in by the X-men of all people. Or to rely on something so flimsy to get by."

They just stared at her.

"You know, I think your act might work on someone else, but we're probably two of the worst people to try it on," Morph mused.

"Ja...forgive me, Fraulein, but, you sound a little envious," Kurt said. "I understand. I vas once also...but ve have vhat ve need, I think. Not vhat everyone else has. Perhaps you just have not gotten vhat you need yet. But I ask, is this it?"

Alt Mystique blinked at him. Then she looked sad.

"Well, whatever it is, you're not going to win this one," she said grimly.

"What if we do?" Morph said, then, "Sorry, we gotta go.... We can't wait, Kurt. I'm sorry for her and all, but..."

"No, go," Kurt said. "I vill come also."

Morph ran into the lab.

"I believe you know this is vrong," Kurt pressed. "Vould you ever consider helping us? Who knows vhat they vill do to you even by tomorrow? Even my mother saw the signs and got out before ve even met."

"And yet she's back in." Alt Mystique sounded near tears. "There is no escaping. You don't get it--it's go or be dragged with these people. Even if I wanted to help you, I wouldn't get that chance. They have telepaths serving them 24/7. Who could actually resist them?"

"But ve are," Kurt said.

"They have worse in mind for you, then," Mystique said. "Whatever it is, it's going to be horrible. Anyway...you don't want my help."

She looked down. "I already helped them torture your mother."

"Vhat?" Kurt said.

"Yeah..." Mystique said. "Even though she's basically me, and I knew exactly what it felt like." She laughed bitterly and hollowly. "I stood there. If I showed weakness, it'd be me next in those machines, so I did it. Now you hate me, right?"

Kurt stared at her and shook his head. "You sound just like her. I am angry...but I also feel that you must be like her, then...deep down, tormented by the things you do to people, and vishing that you could stop. Trapped inside yourself, like all of us are without grace. Ve all do vhat ve hate. I am no better than you.... My anger is because of my personal pain in this matter, not because of being a more righteous person. I vill ask Gott to help me forgive you also."

Alt Mystique just looked at him like he was mad.

"You'll change your mind about that," she said. "And I'm out of here."

"There is no one you care about in your vorld?" Kurt asked, as she started walking away. "One you vould vant to spare this. Even for a moment?"

She slowed, but then she kept walking.

Kurt didn't follow her.

He went after Morph.

* * *

Morph saw a lot of people hooked up to various machines, and he tried to crack the code to get them out of it.

Sinister was not that adept a programmer in some ways--it wasn't that hard.

But even once he got some unlocked, they didn't leave.

Morph didn't have time to talk them into it. He kept looking.

After checking a lot of rooms, he was starting to think Mystique had just been moved.

What if they didn't find her? The Merging was getting worse all the time.... She could slip into the other plane.... Maybe it was too late.

Then he stepped into a tiny aisle with some back rooms, and finally he found a closed door.

Picking the lock, he looked inside.

To his huge relief, and slight fear, he finally saw her.

Mystique was lying on a table, seemingly unconscious.

A computer was running a program.

Morph didn't waste time looking at what it was. He shut it down and then unlocked her restraints.

She didn't seem aware of any of this.

Morph had been trying not to get emotional up until this point, but this was scaring him.

"Mystique." He touched her arm.

She stirred.

"Hey, it's me," Morph said. "Sorry I'm late--traffic was really bad on the way here. People couldn't stay in their planes, but--"

You know, this really wasn't the time for humor.

She was looking at him like she didn't think he was really there.

Maybe the program was still lingering.

"Hey." Morph gently put a hand to her cheek. "It's okay... I'm here."

She looked at his hand like she was registering it was real, then back at him.

"Yeah, see?" Morph said.

Mystique looked down and saw the restraints were off.

She looked up.

Then suddenly she grabbed his arm, and, yanking it, she used one leg to knee him in the stomach, then she punched him so hard he flew back into the computers.

"Get away from me!" she said in a deadly voice. "Aren't you tired of this yet?"

"Tired of what?" Morph wasn't really hurt, but he was definitely shocked. He started to stumble up.

Mystique held up a gun.

His laser?

Had she slipped that off him while he was distracted?

Wow...sneaky.

And wait, was she actually going to fire it?

She did.

Morph was not as immune to lasers as much as bullets--they burned, and the impact made him go down again.

Mystique, not waiting to make sure she killed him, ran out of the room without another word.

Morph struggled to get up.

Something was wrong... Something was really wrong.

"Morph?" Kurt poofed in, panting. "There you are...all the way back here. Vhat happened?" He registered the shot. "Are you all right?"

"I think so..." Morph pulled himself up using the table.

"Who did that?" Kurt said.

Then he looked at the table and the computer. "Mother..."

"Yeah, she hits pretty hard," Morph said. "Not that that's not normal for her, but this seemed like she really meant it, if you know what I'm saying. I'm not sure she knew who I was.... Maybe she was still in it.... I don't know what that program was."

"You friends of the blue shape-shifter?" Someone startled them.

It was on one of the other prisoners. They were stumbling in.

"Ja...do you know vhat she vas subjected to?" Kurt asked.

"I heard her scream a lot," the prisoner said. "Between my own, anyway... Maybe we were on the same program. Lord Sinister tries all different kinds of things to break people. You could ask one of the psycho assistants. They all went to watch the War Games in their lunch room, I think. Only time we don't have them watching us in person... They'll be here though. They must have seen you on the monitors."

"Then you should go, now," Kurt said.

"I'll never get away," he said hollowly. "And your friend won't either. Depend on it, whatever she was before, she's not it now. No one who leaves here is ever themselves ever again."

"Well, I've been one of Sinister's victims before," Morph said, "and I got myself back. We're not just giving up that easy. Thanks for the tip. Kurt, follow her. I'm going after those goons. I can take 'em all on at once, probably."

"If you're sure," Kurt said.

"You're faster. You can catch up," Morph said. "She can't be far yet."

"Very vell," Kurt said.

He poofed away.

Morph went in search of the lunch room.

It was just down the hall.

There were about half a dozen assistants in there, looking at screens displaying the Arena.

Morph only shot a brief glance that way and thought vaguely that it looked kind of brutal and reminded him of one of his missions with the Exiles--a not so pleasant one.

Turning into a dinosaur, he proceeded to wreck the room.

None of the assistants were ready for that, and almost before they really could fight back, Morph had knocked most of them out and into the monitors.

Grabbing one smaller one, he turned back to human form.

"All right," he said, angrily, "what did you do to Mystique?"

"The blue shape-shifter?" The assistant was seriously freaking out after seeing that. She'd never seen a shape-shifter do that kind of damage.

"Yeah, her," Morph said. "And don't make me ask twice."

"We just did what Lord Sinister told us," the woman sputtered. "He handled it personally, but we prepped.... I heard it was the Nightmare program."

"And what is that??" Morph asked.

"It's...to persuade certain people to join us. Lord Sinister uses hallucinations to stimulate their fear and terror," the woman sputtered. "It centers around certain things, ones he wanted them to hate...or just avoid... .Deals with rebels that way a lot. It's very effective."

"I'll just be it is." Morph was furious. "And is there a way to undo it?"

"No, of course not." The woman wasn't too bright. "All of Sinister's methods are lasting. Overexposure to that simulation has caused death in extreme cases, but normally it works just fine to persuade people...most only need a few days...some less.... The physical damage is low--you shouldn't be so upset."

"I don't know what's worse," Morph said, "that Sinister got a hold of one of my friends, or that there really are people sick enough to help him."

He flung her into the wall angrily. "You're so lucky I'm a good guy. Or I'd set this place on fire.... And I wouldn't be here if we come back."

The woman gasped.

Morph ran out of the room.

He heard more guards coming, and he turned into a metallic dog and ran right by them, looking for Kurt.

* * *

Kurt found Mystique easily enough. She was only in the outer corridors, and he appeared in the hallway.

"Mother!" he called. "Mother, stop!"

Mystique turned, eyes full of hostility. She just shot at him, not even saying anything.

"Mother! Please." Kurt dodged. "You don't know vhat you're doing! I'm sure...this isn't you."

She ignored him and ran faster, then she shifted into one of the soldiers while rounding a corner and lost him.

Kurt crawled along the ceiling, and then suddenly he was stopped by the Alt Mystique, who was in one of the hallways.

She grabbed him by his tail, which hurt--and just kind of felt personal, honestly.

"Hey!" Kurt said.

"You're wasting your time," Alt Mystique said. "Don't follow her. She'd kill you now. Without hesitation."

"I don't know vhy you think I vill listen to you." Kurt rubbed his tail. "You already made it clear vhat you think."

"I've seen the visions of those programs before," Alt Mystique insisted. "It's too late.... She's gone."

She looked down. "I've had it happen with me.... You can't get it back."

She sighed. "If it meant anything, I'd say I'm sorry it turned out like that, but then, it doesn't mean anything."

"You vere not sorry before," Kurt said, "I thought...or vere you?"

"I'm just telling you it's a waste of time," Alt Mystique said. "If you want to help your other friends, the ones who still can be helped, you should be looking for them. They're probably here somewhere. Your mother is gone."

"You're vrong," Kurt said. "I have seen people helped before who seemed like they vould never come back. She is not gone.... But vhere is she trying to run to?"

"You really want to know?" Alt Mystique said. "She's not fully assimilated yet...enough to hate you...but not chipped...so she won't know where Sinister is. She'll probably just blindly try to get out of there. If she keeps going down, she'll hit the boiler area. One of them just blew up yesterday, but she got picked up from the prisoner's labor division.... It's all she'll remember to find. But that room is dangerous, a lot of backup furnaces. If you go through it, you can get to the tinkering room where they fix up tools and other, smaller machines. Out of there there's an exit out of the Factory, but it just takes you to the yard of the prison area of the Temple. She makes it that far, they'll just shoot her. But it's all she'll know to do. So you're wasting your time to go after her.She won't listen to you, and she'll probably kill you."

"Thanks for the varning," Kurt said. "I vill go find her now. Vhy did you not leave?"

"I was leaving," Alt Mystique said. Defensively. "You just caught up to me. And don't think this means I feel sorry for you. If you want to chase ghosts, that keeps you out of our hair, that's all. Takes care of my problem."

"I don't know if I believe you," Kurt said. "But I have no time."

He sped off down the hall.

Morph caught up to him.

"There's a bunch more of those guards on my tail," he said. "I gave them the slip, but then more actual mutant ones showed up, and I think they were suspicious.  Did you lose her?"

"I did, but I vas told she vent farther down," Kurt said. "I hope that vas a reliable tip. She vas in disguise."

"We have to get to her," Morph said, afraid. "They did something really bad, Kurt."

"I know. We must pray," Kurt said. "Pray that ve are not too late and that ve can help her. Perhaps only Gott can help her now."

They hurried.

https://youtu.be/w5i-cwLH7s0

The floor plan actually came in handy for once.

Mystique was, it was true, blindly trying to find her way to the one area of this place she recognized.

How she'd known to come this far was hard to say, perhaps some shared memory with her other self.

She was panicking, thinking she had to get out of here.

For her, every inch of the place was hostile, every corner could be hiding something that wanted to harm her, and any person she met was an enemy.

She hadn't recognized Morph before...or if she did, it was like a dream where you just know the person who looks familiar is, in fact, actually an enemy in disguise and they're going to lash out at you.

Same with Kurt.... She thought he was taunting her when he called her "mother."

Sinister was right...she couldn't take that much mental duress before snapping...not with his methods.

Somewhere, deep down, in her soul perhaps, a small part of her was trying to tell her this wasn't right.

But it was too faint for her to notice it.

* * *

"Hello." Selene looked at a panel. "Well...look at that," she said. "The shape-shifter has made a break for it...but she's not fully submitted to our will yet. I think it might be time to pay her a personal visit myself, since Lord Sinister is busy. Might need some backup for those other two buffoons though."

She snapped her fingers. "And I know just the person to reintroduce them to."

* * *

Kurt finally spotted Mystique again, while climbing over the walls.

She'd gone into one of the boiler rooms, all right. She was just running a catwalk now.

"If I just grab her, maybe ve could subdue her," he said. "If I get the gun avay."

"Yeah...but be careful--she might freak out," Morph said grimly. "I gotta say, Kurt...this is the worst."

"I know how you feel, but ve must not give in to fear and despair," Kurt said. "I vill save her...Gott villing."

He poofed into the air over her head.

Mystique looked up and frantically shot at him.

Kurt just barely dodged, and, landing next to her, he grabbed the gun. "It's all right, Mother. I am not here to hurt you," he said.

Mystique kicked at him.

Kurt wasn't prepared, but he at least kept his hold on the weapon.

Finding herself now weaponless, Mystique backed up and looked around.

Then she jumped off the edge of the catwalk and to the one below it, nimbly enough.

"That would have been so cool if it was under different circumstances," Morph muttered, sprouting wings so that he could fly down there.

Mystique saw him coming and took off running again.

She sure was fast for someone in heels...

Morph was trying not to think too hard about this.

But before he really could try to catch her, something else happened.

A doorway opened above their heads, and as Kurt was picking himself up, suddenly someone came flying out of it and knocked into him, slamming him into the catwalk hard.

The heat in this room was already almost unbearable, that getting the air knocked out of him like that and trying to breathe in was agony.

Morph looked up.

Angel?

Angel it was...

But...he'd been with Shine, right?

Then he thought, no, it wasn't that one. It was theirs...

What was going on?

Angel lifted his wings and shot feathers at Morph, who had to jump, but one still nailed him and pinned him to the ground.

Wincing, he plucked it out of his leg. He was okay...still hurt though.

Angel flew over Kurt and then slammed him again into the catwalk, angrily. 

"Submit to Apocalypse, rebel," he said.

Uh oh...he was under it again.

But how? Morph wondered.

Maybe he didn't really want to know.

"Warren...buddy," he called, "hey...don't you remember us?"

Warren angrily zeroed in on him.

"Or not..." Morph said.

Angel flew down at him.

Mystique was going down to the next level of catwalks, now.

But Warren noticed her, and he shot feathers at her.

She shrieked and rolled out of the way, one clipping her side.

"Hey, leave her alone!" Morph said. "You want to pick on someone, try someone your own size."

He morphed into Angel, the older version of him, and flew up.

Well, it worked--Warren chased him.

Kurt was gasping.

"Kurt, you okay?" Morph called.

"I think he might have broken a few ribs..." Kurt answered in a feeble voice. "Gott help me..."

Well...that wasn't good.

Morph figured he'd have to stop Angel, and he'd have to do it fast. Mystique was getting away.

He flew closer to the boilers...

Wow, those were hot.

The furnaces below them were too...and on fire.

Morph wasn't immune to fire, and it kind of made him nervous to be this close to one of the few things that could seriously hurt him.

He might melt, actually.

The heat wasn't feeling too good already. He felt kind of dizzy.

Angel suddenly cut him off--he was a smoother flyer with his metal wings, unfortunately.

"Die," he said.

"Uh, no?" Morph said nervously.

Angel threw feathers at him.

Morph ducked.

The feathers sliced into the side of the boiler and cut it open.

Steam and heat began escaping from it, enough almost to make you pass out.

Morph swerved to get away, and Angel attacked him in mid-air and sent him hurtling down to the ground level.

They landed just in front of Mystique, who was trying to steal out.

She jumped back.

Morph was gasping now... At least he didn't have breakable bones...but, dang, had that hurt...

Angel looked up and locked on Mystique.

She screamed and ran for the door.

He flew around and landed in front of her, like an angel of death, all right. He just advanced.

Mystique backed up.

No need for her hallucination-induced paranoia--he was clearly actually there for blood.

He grabbed her by her arms, and she didn't even shift to try to fight him. She couldn't focus that much.

He picked her up and flew towards the rim of the boilers.

Slicing them open more, he let more heat out.

"Vhat are you doing?" Kurt called. "Stop!"

He poofed up there and yanked Mystique out of Angel's hands.

Then he poofed her back to the catwalk and winced.

Mystique, instead of being thankful, kicked him in the stomach.

Kurt actually blacked out from how much that hurt. He slumped over.

Mystique at least didn't stay to finish him off. She was more interested in getting away. Angel shot feathers and pinned her dress down.

She gasped.

Morph pushed himself up and flew back up there.

"Angel, aren't you forgetting someone?!" he called.

Angel looked up.

Morph turned one arm into a claw, and, latching onto Angel, he yanked him up and spun him into a wall.

Angel slumped to the floor.

"Well, that wasn't so bad," Morph said.

Mystique was still running.

He flew after her. "Hey, wait!" He headed her off at the stairs.

She ran down the catwalk...but it just stopped suddenly at the boiler's edge.

It looked like part of it had started to melt from the steam, actually. Not great material here. Morph thought they should write a note to the health department, if one existed.

Mystique turned to him, with no recognition whatsoever. "Stay away from me!"

She looked haunted.

https://youtu.be/96MiYk9VYvc

Morph felt heavy.

Not this...not again.

How many times...?

No, he couldn't start feeling sorry for himself now. Stay calm.

"Mystique," he said slowly, "I know you're really scared right now."

"I'm not scared of you," she said. Lying, obviously.

"You are...but that's okay." Morph lost the wings. "It's okay.... It makes sense.... You...you just need to try, okay? Try to remember what happened before they caught you.... You remember--the X-men? Shine? Wally? Kurt?... Me? Your friends."

Mystique backed up more.

"I have no friends," she said. "And I know what this is...more torture.... Drop the disguise, then.... What are you really? Just get on with it."

Morph held up his  hands 👐 "This is me, okay? This isn't...it isn't a hallucination. This is real."

"What is real?" Mystique said, bitterly, still backing up.

"Hey...careful," Morph said. "You're right on the edge!"

"Don't try to distract me--" Mystique stepped one step too far.

Morph barely managed to dash forward and extend his arms enough to catch her and pull her back up.

Mystique frantically started trying to break free from him.

Morph let go. Now he was between her and the furnace.

"Okay...that was close..." he said. "That was crazy. See that?... I wasn't trying to hurt you, I was trying to help.... Please...please you have to try to remember me.... Remember what's real."

Mystique eyed him warily. "This is going on longer than the others. What's in store now?"

"You know it was a simulation, right? The...the nightmare part," Morph insisted. "You think this is part of it...but it's not."

"Shut up!" Mystique cried, rushing him suddenly.

Morph ducked and grabbed her arms before she could shove him off the edge.

"Mystique," he cried. "Stop!"

"Let go of me!" She panicked further. "Enough of this.... Fiend, just show...your...real form."

She was a lot stronger than she looked, though Morph could have reinforced himself to be stronger than that--but he didn't get the time. She wrenched free and hit the railing of the catwalk.

"I don't know how to reach you!" Morph was getting more and more frantic. "I wish I did! I wish I was good at this stuff! But I've been there, okay? You don't know what's going on right now? Who's friend and who's not? I get that! But we were trying so hard to save you. Did the scary people do that?"

"Stop talking." Mystique covered her ears. "I'm not going to listen."

She frowned.

Something was nagging at her.... Something about this was familiar...

A small voice in her head was saying, "This isn't right.... Listen.... Trust them."

Her head began to ache.

But the fear from the other voices drowned it out, like it wanted to choke it.

She straightened again.

Morph thought he saw a slight change, and took a step closer.

Mystique flinched.

Morph stopped.

What do I do? he wondered.

Then he heard this answer really clearly: Don't resist.

Morph was confused. Resist what?

Mystique suddenly, driven by the fear and panic in her mind to put an end to this, lashed out and shoved him back, to the very edge.

Morph looked down.

Oh...the boilers had caught fire.... They hadn't noticed.... Angel must have wrecked more than just one part of it with throwing those feathers around.... Maybe oil had leaked out somewhere.

Not good.

"Fire..." he said nervously.

Mystique grabbed him by his collar and held him like she was going to push him the rest of the way off.

Morph was going to push back--but then stopped.

And if he had, she certainly would have shoved him the rest of the way on reflex alone.

Morph swallowed... "Raven..." he said real quiet.

Mystique glared at him.

Morph began to give up.... It was like before.... People couldn't be reached.... Why...?

Perhaps because it felt like he was out of options, he actually felt tears kind of coming into his eyes. He probably hadn't really cried in a long time...but...memory, combined with the strain of this last 24 hours, would wear anyone's reserve down...

Mystique tightened her grip.

She frowned at him again. Why was this monster starting to cry?

Monsters don't cry...

The little voice pushing at her mind came back in full force: "He's not a monster.... Open your eyes, Raven...see what's around you."

Mystique began telling that voice to shut up, but then a horrible feeling came on her.

Something like guilt...something like fear of a new kind, that maybe she was missing something here...

She suddenly focused in on the small voice.

What's...going on? she said, mentally.

"Wake up," it replied.

Wake up...wake up...

Suddenly it was like the shutters opened in her mind's eye...letting the light in.

It was like the room refocused with a camera lens. The fear and panic aspect of it faded to being more quiet...and some of the recognition of things came in.

Mystique looked at Morph, and she realized it was Morph, and not fake.

"Morph..." she said in a low voice.

Morph was stunned. "Wait, what?"

Mystique started to pull him forward.

Then something horrible happened.

She instead pushed him forward, like it was her arm acting on its own, and Morph, not ready for this, fell downward.

Mystique cried out but was too slow to stop it.

Steam and smoke blinded her from seeing what happened, but...

She gasped and stumbled back.

Oh no...no...no...what had she done?

It was so sudden... Was this another nightmare?

She put her hand to her head, shaking. What happened to her...? How did she end up here?

No...she knew.

She succumbed.... Sinister put her under...and she snapped...

It was too late now...

Her heart sank into her stomach.

"Well...isn't that just a shame," she heard a familiar voice behind her.

She looked up.

Selene was there. She had just appeared out of one of the portals.

She didn't seem to mind the heat, but she looked at Mystique surreptitiously. "I guess true love doesn't win in the end, does it? Even after all that alleged change, you couldn't resist us anymore than you could before. How does it feel, Mystique...to see what you really are?"

Selene was enjoying this.

Of course she'd actually been the one to make Mystique drop Morph, just for laughs...but she wasn't about to tell her that. Let her believe she'd not broken out of it--served her right, the little upstart. Thinking she could be better than them.

But she would be useless now, for anything other than elimination. Sinister wouldn't like her being free; he'd destroy anyone like that. Selene knew what do do here...and she wasn't opposed to the idea.

Mystique had an almost vacant look in her eye. She just looked down.

She didn't even question Selene being there. With her grip on reality just barely being restored, it just seemed like part of the crazed nightmare.

"You're really pathetic." Selene slithered closer to her. "And sadly, now you're not even useful...ruined for either good or evil, wouldn't you say? Better to just let me put you out of your misery. All of us would like that better, right?"

She grabbed Mystique by the arm without warning and began to drain her life force.

Mystique couldn't have resisted that very well, but she didn't even try. She was in shock...

Selene felt that there wasn't much life in her... This would take a few minutes at most.

She smiled greedily.

[AHHHHHHH!

Also,

MORPH! Why?!]