Disclaimer: "I have a degree in computer engineering; you're gonna have to do better than 'You wanna see my underwear?'"
(An: READ THIS! All rightey then. This is part of a trilogy. Tri-lo-gy. Which means that to remotely get most of this you'll have to go back and read "Big Boom" and "Hyperborean Wanderer." Don't expect any more canon tieins from here on out; I may mention an ep event or two, but none of what I did in HW... because that was really annoying. I'd also suggest reading the link in my bio; it's where I got all the stuff about Warlock and will probably make more sense than any explanations I give. It'll be confusing, anyway, though; thanks to insensitive jerks (a.k.a. Marvel execs) a lot about Warlock never really got explained. There isn't a gap between this story and the last... we begin where we last left Morph.)
Morph slid onto the bus stop bench, massaging his temples and yawning. It was two in the morning; the next bus came in half an hour. He just had to sit here, wait, and try not to lose his nerve.
Sit. And wait. These were not two of Morph's favorite activities.
He leaned his head back against the bench and closed his eyes.
TEN MINUTES LATER...
Morph was awakened by a big explosion right next to his bench. "HOLY CRAP!" Morph yelled, jumping about five feet off the bench and landing in the bushes. After a moment, he poked his head out. Lodged in the tree was a weird piece of shiny rock... or was it metal? All Morph knew was that he'd never seen anything like it. The tree was smoking slightly, but the... thing... looked to be all right. Ok, Morph, deduction time. There's a thingy in the tree that looks like the only place it could've come from is the freaking sky... What do you do next?
He thought for a moment, taking a closer look at the lump. It was black metal, but kind of lumpy, and it had a weird yellow pattern on it. Poke it. Morph nodded in utter agreement with himself and prodded the blob. The effect was something like an electric shock- a bright light, a yelp from Morph, and a voice from the blob. Morph blinked, sucking his finger. Ok, maybe that wasn't the best idea.
"Query: is Self-Friend all right?" asked the blob.
"...HOLY CRAP!" said Morph for the second time in less than five minutes.
The blob (which had pulled itself into a vaguely human shape) blinked at him. It offered him a hand up. Morph accepted it, still blinking. "Repeat query: is Self-Friend all right?"
Morph nodded. "...Ok, buddy, let's get straight to the point: what the hell are you?"
The thing appeared to mull this over. "Self is a member of the Technarchy race. Self believes that Self-Friend's race would refer to us as... aliens."
Morph stared.
After a moment, the alien said, "Query: is Self-Friend sure that Self-Friend has sustained no injuries?"
Morph shook himself. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, pal. What's your name?"
"Self's title is Warlock."
"Warlock, huh?" He nodded. "Well, I'm Morph." Morph sat back down on the bus stop and gestured for him to do the same.
"Thank you for helping Self, Self-Friend Morph."
"So why're you here? Got blown off course at Orion's Belt? Missed the exit at the moons of Venus? Shoulda taken a left turn at Albequerque?"
Warlock blinked. "Self... does not understand."
"Well, I can give you a break, I guess- s'pose those not of our galaxy haven't heard of the wonders of classic cartoons. How'd you get here?"
"The Technarchy are capable of space travel. It's quite easy."
Morph stroked his chin. "Sounds handy. Why'd you come?"
Warlock pulled on one of his wirelike hairs, clearly thinking. "Self... did not want to stay with the Technarchy."
"Got tired of the Prime Directive? Bugged by the Hive Mind? Didn't like Plan Eight from the Outer Rim?"
Warlock shifted uncomfortably. "Self and Self's..." He paused, tugging his hair again. "Self is not sure of word."
"Well, considering you speak English at all, I'm willing to let you go. Uh... describe it."
"Self is referring to the Magus. Self was made from the Magus's genetic code."
"So... he's like your father?"
Warlock beamed at him, nodding. "Yes! That is word! Self's father. Self and Self's father do not get along."
"So you ditched the scene. Totally get you. I'm doing the same thing."
"Self-Friend Morph is 'ditching the... scene?'"
"Yep," Morph said, and immediately felt guilty again. He shook himself. "But this is about you, my friend, not me." He glanced at his watch. It's an ungodly hour of the night. Ride the bus with a bunch of whackos, or show an alien around town... DUH! "It's late night and the town is ours. You want something?"
Warlock seemed to think about how to phrase his next statement. "Yes... Self needs to... recharge."
"What, like plug yourself in?"
Warlock blinked.
"Do you eat or what?"
'Lock tugged his hair. "The Technarchy survive by absorbing the lifeglow of other beings. We do not... eat... as Self-Friend Morph seems to suggest."
"So... how can I help?"
"Self believes that a source of electricity would replace Self's energy."
"Got a plug or something?"
Warlock stretched his arm, and it turned into a plug.
"Well, you're just a bundle of laughs, aren't you," Morph commented. A little gingerly, he took Warlock's hand and plugged it into the streetlight. (1)
Warlock sighed blissfully and the dim yellow lines on his body slowly changed to a bright white.
"Wish I could do that," Morph commented, yawning. He glanced at 'Lock. "So... you're like on an interstellar road trip, huh?"
"Self... supposes Self-Friend Morph could say that...
"How about you and I go discuss Earthspeak over a danish, hmm?"
"All right... query: what is a danish?"
"You've got a lot to learn, pal."
Morph sighed as he glanced back at the bus stop. After all, I can always just take another one...
THE NEXT MORNING, AT THE INSTITUTE...
Rob came out of his room, looking around. He tapped Bobby on the shoulder. "Have you seen Morph?"
"Nope, sorry man... he's your roomate, after all."
"Yeah, but I haven't seen him all morning; I just thought that for once he got up earlier than I did."
Bobby snorted.
"I know, but still."
Bobby shrugged. "Sorry, dude, haven't seen hide nor hair of the Morphster."
Rob paused to give Bobby the WTF eyebrow for the nickname before heading into the makeshift common room, where the senior X-men were lounging. He leaned on the back of the couch and prodded Scott. "I think Morph's left."
Scott tilted back his head and looked at Rob. "What?"
"He wasn't in the room this morning and nobody's seen him."
Rogue, over on the floor, growled.
"Chere," said Remy, looking up from his magazine, "as much as y' know I adore y', might I suggest anger management?"
Rogue glared at him. "Why don't Ah practice on you!" (2)
Remy got the hint and quickly decided there was somewhere else he had to be.
"We'd better tell the professor," said Kitty, watching Rogue chase Remy off with the rest of them.
"Yep," Kurt agreed.
In perfect tandem, Kitty, Kurt, Jean, Scott, and Evan all got up and walked out, leaving behind a rather confused Roberto.
(Wow, I didn't think I'd be done with this so quickly. I only made up the outline two days ago, mind.)
(1) To explain: Warlock's race usually gets energy from two sources: lifeglow (sapped from other beings) or electricity. 'Lock, being a peaceful creature, prefers the latter. And the reason he didn't absorb Morph that second time is 'cause he can restrain that urge.
(2) This actually happened to me, once; I made the mistake of suggesting this treatment to a friend's rather violent older sister... she, uh, still, hasn't forgotten, and I have the mark to prove it.