*Disclaimer: see first chapter
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Morigan landed in a backalley and shapeshifted back to human. It had taken her three days, without food or rest, to reach America, and now she was in New York City. She walked out of the alley, unsure of where to go next. Her plan had only gotten as far as getting away from Ireland, and she had no idea what she was going to do now. She had no food, no home, no money, and only the clothes on her back.
"Well, what do we have here?" asked a boy, walking out from the shadows. "Looks like a little girl, missing her parents."
"I don't mean you any trouble," Morigan said, prepared to bolt. "You go on with your business, and I'll go on with mine."
"Oh, I don't think you understand, girly. You've intruded on our territory, and you gotta pay the price." Some other boys stepped out of the shadows, surrounding Morigan. One of them raised a fist, but suddenly, dropped to the ground.
A flash of turquoise and scarlet sped through her line of vision, knocking the two of the boys down, and making the others run away, shouting curses. Morigan wondered what the turquoise and scarlet thing would do to her, and she dashed off down the street, but didn't make it far before she collapsed of sheer exhaustion.
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Morigan woke up on a lumpy mattress in a small, cozy room. "W-where am I?" she asked drowsily.
"You're in my home," answered a strange voice. "Here, drink this," the voice said, putting a bowl of hot soup in Morigan's hands. Morigan opened her eyes, adjusting to the dim light. The only other person in the room was a turquoise-skinned woman with short scarlet hair, and oddly- textured skin. "Who are you?" she asked after she finished the soup.
"I'm Mystique," the woman said, taking the bowl and placing it in a small sink on the opposite side of the room. "I brought you here after you passed out. I know you're a mutant, like me."
Morigan sat bolt upright. "I-I'm not a mutant, I don't know what you're talking about," she said evasively.
"I saw you shapeshift from seagull form in that alley," Mystique said as she washed some dishes. "I followed you, interested because I had never met another shapeshifter. When those thugs were about to kill you, I attacked them and brought you here."
"You're a shapeshifter, too? I thought I was the only one. I've never met someone who wasn't a normal human before."
"There're a lot more mutants out there, all with different powers, but as far as I know, we're the only 'shifters. Look, you can't stay here. I know a place where you can go, where you'll be with other mutants. It's not that far away."
"Why can't I stay here?" Morigan asked.
"Because I have amends to make, and this is just a temporary place for me. The Xavier Institute is a school, a refuge for people like us, especially young ones. You can trust Professor Xavier."
Morigan watched Mystique warily. "Are you sure? How far away is it? Why do you have to make amends?"
Mystique shook her head and sighed. "So many questions. You will be safe at the institute, I promise. It's only about two week's journey northwest, if you go by foot. As for why I have to make amends, well, it's a long story."
"So? Tell me. I don't mind long stories."
"All right," Mystique said, sitting down in a chair. "It all started with revenge. I wanted to make humans pay for how I had been treated when I was younger. A mutant named Magneto was looking for other mutants to help him wage war against the humans. I joined up, thinking that I could get revenge. I didn't really do much thinking after that, I just did what I was told. I did a lot of things during that time that I'm sick with myself for doing, like murder. Eventually, I left. I was really depressed, and I felt hollow inside. I decided I needed to make amends for all the horrors I'd committed. I still need to do that."
"You killed people?" Morigan was shocked.
"Look, what I did was horrible, and I've put that behind me. Promise me you'll never get revenge, promise."
"Okay. I, Morigan, promise never to get revenge. Is that okay?"
"Thanks."
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Morigan landed in a backalley and shapeshifted back to human. It had taken her three days, without food or rest, to reach America, and now she was in New York City. She walked out of the alley, unsure of where to go next. Her plan had only gotten as far as getting away from Ireland, and she had no idea what she was going to do now. She had no food, no home, no money, and only the clothes on her back.
"Well, what do we have here?" asked a boy, walking out from the shadows. "Looks like a little girl, missing her parents."
"I don't mean you any trouble," Morigan said, prepared to bolt. "You go on with your business, and I'll go on with mine."
"Oh, I don't think you understand, girly. You've intruded on our territory, and you gotta pay the price." Some other boys stepped out of the shadows, surrounding Morigan. One of them raised a fist, but suddenly, dropped to the ground.
A flash of turquoise and scarlet sped through her line of vision, knocking the two of the boys down, and making the others run away, shouting curses. Morigan wondered what the turquoise and scarlet thing would do to her, and she dashed off down the street, but didn't make it far before she collapsed of sheer exhaustion.
**************************************************************************** ********************************************************************
Morigan woke up on a lumpy mattress in a small, cozy room. "W-where am I?" she asked drowsily.
"You're in my home," answered a strange voice. "Here, drink this," the voice said, putting a bowl of hot soup in Morigan's hands. Morigan opened her eyes, adjusting to the dim light. The only other person in the room was a turquoise-skinned woman with short scarlet hair, and oddly- textured skin. "Who are you?" she asked after she finished the soup.
"I'm Mystique," the woman said, taking the bowl and placing it in a small sink on the opposite side of the room. "I brought you here after you passed out. I know you're a mutant, like me."
Morigan sat bolt upright. "I-I'm not a mutant, I don't know what you're talking about," she said evasively.
"I saw you shapeshift from seagull form in that alley," Mystique said as she washed some dishes. "I followed you, interested because I had never met another shapeshifter. When those thugs were about to kill you, I attacked them and brought you here."
"You're a shapeshifter, too? I thought I was the only one. I've never met someone who wasn't a normal human before."
"There're a lot more mutants out there, all with different powers, but as far as I know, we're the only 'shifters. Look, you can't stay here. I know a place where you can go, where you'll be with other mutants. It's not that far away."
"Why can't I stay here?" Morigan asked.
"Because I have amends to make, and this is just a temporary place for me. The Xavier Institute is a school, a refuge for people like us, especially young ones. You can trust Professor Xavier."
Morigan watched Mystique warily. "Are you sure? How far away is it? Why do you have to make amends?"
Mystique shook her head and sighed. "So many questions. You will be safe at the institute, I promise. It's only about two week's journey northwest, if you go by foot. As for why I have to make amends, well, it's a long story."
"So? Tell me. I don't mind long stories."
"All right," Mystique said, sitting down in a chair. "It all started with revenge. I wanted to make humans pay for how I had been treated when I was younger. A mutant named Magneto was looking for other mutants to help him wage war against the humans. I joined up, thinking that I could get revenge. I didn't really do much thinking after that, I just did what I was told. I did a lot of things during that time that I'm sick with myself for doing, like murder. Eventually, I left. I was really depressed, and I felt hollow inside. I decided I needed to make amends for all the horrors I'd committed. I still need to do that."
"You killed people?" Morigan was shocked.
"Look, what I did was horrible, and I've put that behind me. Promise me you'll never get revenge, promise."
"Okay. I, Morigan, promise never to get revenge. Is that okay?"
"Thanks."
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