They outran the enemy for a  few more blocks, they didn't know they'd almost caught up to where Scott and Emma had hidden themselves, they all hoped they were much farther away than that.

Hank was slowing down. All he really had was his physical prowess is this situation, and the long day was taking its toll on him, all this hard fighting was getting to be too much.

He was also older than most of them, which might not be helping his recovery time.

Logan was still going strong, but he was not finding it so easy to take these enhanced mutants down. He held them off, but they just got back up and doubled down.

Havoc was the problem for the others right now. They could dodge the fire and the power attacks, but his laser rings were hard to predict, they acted like boomerangs sometimes.

It was getting dark now, the moon was starting to move out of thie line of sight, and the shadows were long.

"We really need to to end this," Morph said.

"Shine," Storm was getting tired...she and Logan had evaded the building collapsing on them before, but it hadn't done anything for her nerves. "Can you not portal us to the others?"

"But without holding down these ones?" Shine said. "And Scott and Emma..."

"Ow!" Rogue suddenly got clipped by one of the lasers and hit the side of a building.

"Rogue!" Mystique said.

"I've got her," Kurt said.

He poofed to get her.

Pryo began to shoot fire at the area, try to turn it into an inferno...he'd left half the streets they'd been on burning, the smoke was only helped by the rain Storm had made to try to counter it...but that rain was slowing down.

"You know, they're right, you have to get us out of here," Mystique said.

"It'll make me tired to do that," Shine said. "Not good for a fight...it's dangerous to try it at all."

"Do you or do you not have more authority than this rift?" Mystique said.

"I do," Shine said. "But it could still kick back."

"Well maybe you should try having some faith," Mystique said. "You always have the most doubts about your own gifts, it's kind of strange. Kurt can't take us all that far away. We have to lose these people."

Shine stared at her then she looked up at the sky.

"All right fine," she said. "But can we find some way to throw them off first?"

Mystique picked up a piece of rubble and threw it down one of the other streets away from them.

The enemy mutants turned that direction, assuming they'd gone that way, and hurrying down the street.

"Problem solved?" Mystique asked. "Oldest trick in the book."

"I love you," Shine said. "Morph can you flag Logan down."

Morph replied to this by making an actual flag out of his hands and waved Logan over.

Logan finally ripped a part of  the machinery of the metal dogs, and stepped toward them.

Storm was spent, she sank down.

"I can't do anymore..." she said.

Logan helped her stand up, putting her arm over his neck. "Get us out of here, Likstar."

"We still don't have Scott and Emma," Shine said. "I hope they're already to the other end of the city."

Kurt brought Rogue, and Hank took her.

Shine open a portal...it looked sturdy enough.

Hank took Rogue through, and Logan helped Storm.

Just as the others were about to follow, one of Havoc's rings suddenly came looking back around, may he'd sent it out to clear a path, but it came right toward them, like it knew they were there.

One could hear the air humming as it got closer.

"Look out!" Kurt grabbed Mystique and Morph and poofed them out of range.

"Ahh!" Shine had to duck the other direction and she tripped and fell into the portal head long.

It snapped shut.

"Uh oh," Morph said.

"Oh no..." Kurt said.

"There they are!" the enemy mutants had spotted them now.

"Better run," Morph sprouted wings, scooped Mystique up and flew, Kurt poofed after them.

They began chasing them down more streets...oddly enough, almost in a full circle back around to the starting point.

Morph dodged their attacks, but he wasn't very good at flying, and Kurt was getting tired.

"If we can't lose them, we're just going to run out of juice," Morph said.

"There, that structure," Kurt pointed to what must have been an old parking garage. "I will take us in there, may buy us few minutes."

He grabbed them and took them into it.

They got behind some of the pillars.

"Just sit down," Mystique told Morph. "I'll check and see if they're following us."

She shifted into one of the hunter looking animals to avoid detection and scurried to the edge of the building.

Kurt sat down also...he looked bushed.

"This might be a weird time to ask this," Morph said. "But how do you feel about your...you know, your mom and I...kind of being a thing?"

"I had noticed it," Kurt said. "But vhy vould my opinion matter?"

"It's not weird?" Morph said.

"I suppose it's a little strange," Kurt said. "But, I have few opinions on these sorts of things, I do not really understand them so vell, being a monk. If it seems right to you, that is all I know."

"I just mean because she's your mother...I know you haven't really known her that long but..." Morph said.

"You've known her less time than I have," Kurt pointed out.

"Yeah...funny thing, huh," Morph said.

"But I think if you care for her, is gut thing," Kurt said. "She has never been fortunate with finding people to trust, it seems. I cannot see you ever doing what my own father and his village did. Perhaps also you have some things alike...I suppose as far as companionship goes, trust is what I think is important. We cannot have peace with people where there is no trust. My brethren believe this."

"Yeah, I think so," Morph said.

"You trust her?" Kurt said.

"You know it's nuts, but I think I do," Morph said. "No disrespect and all, but your mom has been kind of nuts ever since I met her, but that's sort of what I'm used to. And behind that, she's like the rest of us, I think. Just wants somewhere to fit, for real. But my favorite thing about her is that I never have to feel like the weird one when she's around. We're both equally messed up works-in-progress, as they like to say."

"I think we all are that," Kurt said. "These are vise vords. Accepting someone how they are is difficult. I'm happy for both of you for that reason, I understand you've had difficulties with vhat happened because of Sinister. But lately you seem more sure of yourself. Even coming on this must have been difficult."

"Yeah, but I couldn't have left you guys on your own with it," Morph said. 

"Vell that is gut enough for me," Kurt said.

"Yeah but if it works out in the long run, wouldn't I kind of be like your...you know? Dad-in-law or something?" Morph said

Kurt got a strange look. "Is that how that vorks?"

"I don't know, it is?" Morph wasn't sure.

"Vell...you'd be the only one I knew," Kurt said. "But I don't object to be being related...though in that particular way, I never thought of. I prefer to think of us as brothers in Christ."

"Yeah...or maybe like cousins?" Morph said. "Or like, step family? Maybe not putting a label on it would be best."

"Ja, I think that might be best," Kurt agreed.

There was a pause, they listened, but the didn't hear anyone coming closer.

"But things are better with you guys now right?" Morph asked.

"Vith my mother and I? They have improved," Kurt said. "But she is a difficult voman to read...I think in some vays, I make her ashamed. Starting over again might be easier if I vas not around."

"I guess it could be, but easy can be overrated," Morph said. "Take it from me...I thought it was easier to pretend all the difficult stuff just wasn't happening...that didn't end well. But a big part of figuring that out was all with Mystique. She can be a little morbid about it, but at least she doesn't pretend bad stuff isn't real...Maybe it's okay if it's not as easy, it can still be good, right?"

"That is true," Kurt said, not very confidently.

"If...if it helps at all, you know, she does love you," Morph said. "I've seen her get worried about you and stuff. Just doesn't know how to say it or show it, I think. I mean, she probably never got that from her family, so maybe it just...doesn't translate well for her."

Kurt nodded slowly. "I have learned that she does not understand these things vell, and truthfully, neither do I. My adoptive parents were kind, but things were always strange in my life. They did their best, and I am grateful. But I don't know if a normal family life is one I've ever had either."

"Well, same, at least for a long time," Morph said. "We're all alike there. I kind of see the X-men as my new family. A weird one, but, you know, family is family. If you stick around longer, you can be a part of that too."

"I appreciate that," Kurt said. "I don't know vhat I will do, if this all ends vell...But shouldn't she have been back by now?"

"I'm here," Mystique startled them by coming around the pillar. "You two have been chattering away enough to draw anyone who was close enough, but they turned. I think they're knocking down one building at a time now, trying to flush us out. But bad news, I found Scott and Emma. They didn't see me, too busy making out, but, they're not that far from us."

"They were supposed to run--did you just say making out?" Morph said.

"Some people don't have the slightest self control," Mystique sniffed. "Why run for safety when you can do something else?"

"Uh...didn't we do that exact thing at Genosha?" Morph said.

"Aren't they supposed to be smarter than that?" Mystique said.

"I feel like I shouldn't be hearing any of this," Kurt covered his ears.

"Oh relax," Mystique rolled her eyes. "That's not the important part, the problem is they're going to be trapped in there. Frost is basically useless, and Scott can't fight those things off himself. Kurt, you're just going to have to do get them and get them out of here. We'll have to keep the others attention on us.

"And you two vill ve all right on your own?" Kurt said.

"Well sure, we can handle them," Morph wasn't actually sure, but, they had to get Scott and Emma out first of all.

"Do you have the energy for it?" Mystique said.

"I've rested a little, I hope so, I vill pray," Kurt said. "Ve are not too far from the far end of the city now, as long as they cannot track us."

"It's weird that none of them can seem to do that," Morph said. 

"Probably not used to needing to," Mystique said. 

She took her gun and fired some shots at the side of the street.

"That should get them over here...go Kurt."

"Right...vait..." Kurt paused. "If they are still...I'm not actually sure vhat making out is, English is such a strange language, but I get the feeling it's not something I vant to see--"

"This is the end of the world Kurt, grow up," Mystique said, shoving him. "You could see worse things than that if you don't go. That building right there, three down from us." She pointed. "First level. It's partially collapsed. Close your eyes if you're so squeamish. I mean, how do you think you got here anyway?"

"Mother!" Kurt was shocked.

"Go!" Mystique said.

Kurt went half just so he wouldn't hear her say anything else.

Morph cracked up.

"And what are you laughing at?" Mystique said.

"That has to be the most normal conversation I've seen you guys have, and it was still weird," Morph said. "You have to appreciate that...Wait, Scott and Emma have a thing?"

"Do you live under a rock?" Mystique said.

"Oh sure I thought there might be something there," Morph said. "I mean, you kept making jabs about it, but I didn't think Scott would...I mean what about Jean?"

"What about her?" Mystique scoffed at the idea. "If he's smart, he'll forget all about her."

"What do you have against Jean all of the sudden?" Morph said.

"After I heard more about that one, I just think she's a vixen," Mystique said. "Not that I should judge...but if Cyclops doesn't care for that, then, Frost is his better option."

"I guess, but Emma can be a little tricky too" Morph said. "And...scary."

"She's mostly harmless," Mystique dismissed it. "She just likes to act superior. Under it she's soft. One of those villains who never really can commit to the idea of being a villain. I always hated people like her."

"Really? 'Cause I got the impression you're actually kind of fond of her in your own weird way," Morph said. "You seemed pretty worried while she was unconscious."

"Of course," Mystique said. "I can't let someone else kill her, I haven't had my chance yet." She seemed to be kidding...Morph hoped.

"Sure," he said.

"Oh, shut up."

"Well, you know, I hope it it works out for them," Morph said. "There'll be some silver lining in all this, at least. I felt bad for her, being stuck here with all these problems, so,...uh oh, tell me that's not them."

He didn't mean Scott and Emma, he meant the enemy mutants.

But it was them.

They were circling around outside.

The two shapeshifters got down.

"So...how long before they just blow this place up?" Morph said.

They heard one of the mutants yell: "Come out, come out, wherever you are."

Morph shuddered. "You know the ones who still talk kind of normal are almost worse than the ones who just yell mechanical war cries."

"Morph!" the same one called. They thought it was Havoc. "Give it up already. Can't run forever."

"Uh...how did he know who I was?" Morph asked. "None of them ever used our names before."

Mystique swallowed. "Because they're looking for you specifically...and Frost, probably. Both of you."

"But why me?" Morph said. "They can't even use the Talis..."

"That Talis!" Mystique swore suddenly. "Of course...I bet they can sense it, somehow...or Apocalypse can...that has to be how they know it's you. How could we be that dense?"

"But how would they?" Morph didn't get it. Hardly anyone knew about that.

"For all we know, they could have known as soon as we took Frost out of that hideout," Mystique said.

That felt like ages ago, was it really only about a month and a half?

Well, that and 50 years now.

"Come on Morph," Havoc called. "We go way back, don't we?"

"Do we?" Morph muttered. "I don't know that I've ever met him in person. Sounds like he'd have wreaked havoc, I'd remember that."

"Something about it sounds off," Mystique said. "Almost like it's not him talking.

"We're not gonna hurt you," Havoc called. "Your old friends just want to talk to you. Come willingly, and we might not blow up the building your team is hiding in right now."

"I have this weird feeling we're cornered," Morph said.

"Yeah," Mystique said.

"You have till the count of three to show yourself," Havoc said. "We've already put bombs outside half the buildings on this street."

"So, that's why he was stalling," Mystique said, frowning. "Figures."

"Be a good time for Kurt to come back..." Morph didn't see any sign of him.

"Morph, what Shine did earlier," Mystique said. "Do you think it gave you some new kind of ability? Maybe to do the kind of things that they do."

"I don't know, I don't feel any different," Morph said.

"3..." Havoc called.

"But there was a difference," Mystique said. "There has to be. We saw it...but those weapons, they're like extensions of you right? Not like regular weapons."

"I don't see what that has to do with anything," Morph said.

"2..." Havoc said.

"Nevermind," Mystique said. "There's only one thing to do now."

She kissed him.

Slowly pulling out her stun gun at the same time.

Then she used it on Morph.

That was enough to make him immobile for a few seconds.

"What was that?" he sputtered.

"I'm sorry," Mystique plucked the Talis link off his wrist while he couldn't stop her. "If this works it won't matter in the long run. Try calling it back."

"1!" Havoc called.

"Are you crazy? What are you doing?" Morph said.

"Just stay quiet," Mystique hissed.

She ran for the exit.

"Raven!" Morph called. "Come back, dang it..." he tried to get up but was still too numb.

***

"And time's up--" Havoc broke off as Morph came into view.

"Told ya he'd show," Pyro said.

"Does he have it?" The voice of their overseeing officer said into their minds.

Havoc adjusted his visor which had signal readings.

"Yeah, he's got it," he said. "Still not sure what it is..."

"Then just restrain him and get rid of the rest of them."

"What about the Telepath?"

"Negative, new orders, only one of them at a time. No tricks. They power each other up otherwise."

"No problem," Pyro said. "The telepath is on her last limb, anyone can see that. Pick her up anytime once we've nabbed the rest of them. This guy's the more valuable catch."

He use fire to propel himself over to Morph and grabbed him by his neck.

"Watch him," Havoc warned. "All right, Nitro, blow the rest of them up."

"What?" Morph said. "But you said--"

"The master doesn't like to leave lose ends," Havoc replied.

The mutant with the bombs, which might have been made out of his own energy, snapped his fingers.

All the bombs on the street blew up.

Morph swallowed. "You lying, backstabbing--"

"Shut up," Pyro said, tightening his grip. "What you get for defying Apocalypse's will. You're lucky we need you alive. All right, you can take us now."

"Watch you tone, worm," the overseer's voice said warningly.

A portal opened and they all jumped into it.

"Better have been right about being able to survive a building falling on you..." Morph-but-really-Mystique muttered.

***

The real Morph recovered from the paralysis just before the building blew up, and had time to adjust himself accordingly, but it took way longer to wiggle out of the wreckage, which was pretty bad.

Finally he did, and he didn't find anyone outside.

He didn't think Mystique would have still been in it, but where did she go? Where were the bad guys?

Frantically he grew wings again and flew down the street looking.

He found Wally and Shine instead, they were running toward him.

Wally slowed and put Shine down.

"Hey guys...what happened?" Morph said.

"We were going to ask you that," Shine said. "Kurt brought Scott and Emma to us a few minutes ago, said you were in trouble, we came to find you. I used my Sight..." she pointed to her eyes. "It's not working very well, but I saw you all right, and I thought I saw Raven, but then she wasn't here.... Why isn't she with you?"

"She did something really stupid." Morph explained in a few words.

"Uh oh, I think she must have faked them out," Wally said.

"But would they buy that?" Shine asked. "They couldn't tell?"

"Who knows? They couldn't seem to tell the rest of our powers," Wally said. "If they didn't use any mutation blocking-technology here, they'd never know."

"And she took the Talis?" Shine said. "How could she do that?"

"Well...no one ever tried," Morph said. "But I guess you could take it off... Most people don't even seem to notice it."

He was mad. "I can't believe she did that... Why would she do it?"

"I'm not sure," Shine said, tears coming into her eyes. "She.... But what will they do when they find out it's her? Oh, Raven..." She started to cry.

Wally put an arm around her shoulder. "Shine, we have to go. There might still be people looking for us here, even if they left.... The fastest way to find her is to get to where we're going. You know that."

Shine shook her head. "I can't take much more of this..." she said. 

Wally hugged her to his chest.

Morph had no words of wisdom. He felt like his stomach had sunk into his toes.

"Did she do that just to protect me?" he asked.

Wally shrugged. "They want you for some reason...can't be a good one, buddy... Maybe she thought she's collateral damage in comparison... That's messed up, but it sounds like her."

It did, kind of.

"She picks now to do the unselfish thing," Shine sobbed. "Stupid, stupid, stupid... We all know Apocalypse will never just take it easy on her, not after her past choices... They're going to kill her, Wally..."

"No, maybe just torture," Wally said. Then, "Okay, so that didn't really sound much better, but...I bet they use her as bait, so we still have time to rescue her, okay? They'd have to, if they know she's been in on all this. She's too valuable to just kill right off. You two have to keep it together, for that, all right? You want to help Mystique, you have to believe that they're going to try to use her."

"And successfully?" Morph said.

"I hope not," Wally said "She's tougher than she thinks she is, right? She can hold out for a few hours... We have to get to D. C. by then. Let's not panic till we know for certain it's gone wrong."

"What about this hasn't gone wrong ever since we got here?" Shine said.

"Not everything," Wally said. "We made it this far... Shine, you can't quit on me now."

He took her chin in his hand. "Come on...we have to believe now, especially now...when it looks like it's getting more and more hopeless... This is like when the miracle is right about to happen, isn't it?"

Shine glanced at him.

Then slowly she nodded. "You're right..."

"That's my girl," Wally said. "Come on...we lost them for now. That blue lady bought us some time, dang her, so let's use it."

He took them and ran them back to the edge of the city.

* * *

The good news?

Kevin had had long enough to rest--he could transport them again. He didn't need that long to recover because he was so powerful. It was just the control that he struggled with.

The kids had passed the time either praying, pointing out random landmarks, or doing Bible trivia, for Trinity and Ryan.

Trinity said this whole thing reminded her of the stories in the Bible about Israel fighting its enemies and getting run off at first but then turning back and having overwhelming victory later.

Ryan said they'd better get to the victory part soon.

After Kurt, Emma, and Scott joined them, they had only to wait for the DJs and Morph to come back with Mystique.

And come back they did...but not with Mystique.

"Vhere...?" Kurt said.

"Where's Momma?" Rogue asked. "Morph?"

Morph shook his head.

"They killed 'er?" Logan didn't remember that all the kids were listening.

"Logan..." Storm looked grim.

"No...captured," Wally said. "It looks like she decoyed them. They wanted Morph, not sure why."

"She took the Talis link," Morph said.

"I'll just bet she did," Logan said. "What is she doin', ditchin' us to save herself? How in character for her."

"No, I don't think that's it," Morph said.

"Logan," Shine said, "don't say that."

"Why else would she take it?" Logan said.

"She thought they were using it to track me," Morph said. "Probably would have known she was fake without it."

"That makes so much sense,"  Shine said. "How did we miss that?"

"I never sensed that," Emma said. She still looked faint...but, notably, not quite as pale as before or as depressed.

No one was sure why--she seemed a little out of it still but not like before, more distracted.

"I don't think you can sense it..." Morph said. "Also she said something about trying to call it back, and...like Shine did something to it.... I don't know."

"Oh..." Shine said. "Like how I can do this."

She held out her hand, and her sword appeared in it.

"Raven is not stupid," she said. "It's probable, now that I did that, you can summon it back."

"For real?" Morph said. "But...then she won't have it."

"Exactly," Shine said. "And then they won't have it either."

"But they'll think they do?" Wally said. "But it's a long shot, if they notice it's gone.... Unless they just thought she put it away somewhere...but she won't be able to get it back for them..."

"It's a risky move, but she might be planning on them not being willing to kill her as long as they think she has it," Shine said. "Crazy plan, but...well...I suppose that's all we have left now.... But give it a while first.... We don't know how long it'll take them to get her to wherever it was they're going but probably longer than a few minutes. Then try. Just think of it. It should appear."

"She has to go and play hero now?" Emma said. "Typical. They always pick the worst possible times, people like her."

"It seems she bought us some time," Hank said. "They've all stopped chasing us. Perhaps that was what they wanted the whole time.... They don't see the rest of us as a problem.... I hope they are wrong about that, but also that they do not realize it."

"Let's get back on the road," Wally said. "Or all this is for nothing."

Perhaps fittingly, Kevin has just made another bus this time. Everyone got on, and they took off.

This ride was somber.

Most of them just fell asleep; they were exhausted, and it was dark.... Kevin sort of made headlights, but he kept turning them off by accident, and they resigned themselves to just using the moon mostly and hoping for the best.

[It's a surprising turn, isn't it?

Who's worried about Mystique now?

You should be... No way this idea is not going to backfire, right?

Wonder what's waiting at the Capital.]