Disclaimer: "Calvin Tower. Which word is profanity in your language, O Hyperborean Wanderer?"
(An: Well, here it is, the ending... the shortness burns, I know. This may just be the only completely serious chapter in this mess.)
Three people left the Institute after what the media had dubbed "The Day of Reckoning."
The first was Rahne. She was sitting in the rigged-up version of the dorms when Amara leaned in, with the phone. "You've got a call," she said, tossing it to her.
Amara waved at Sam as he walked by, holding a frisbee. He'd been pretty surprised to find it, a little battered but not wrecked, out behind the Institute. He peered into Rahne's room. She was pretty involved in her conversation, seeming upset.
"But- Moira-" She scowled at the phone. "Yeah, I know ye helped build it- that's why ye should trust me here!" The person on the other end of the line said something and Rahne's face dropped. "Please... don't..." After a moment, Rahne whispered, "F-fine... I'll start packing... when's the flight?" She bit her lip and nodded. "Aye, I know... I'll be waitin'. Bye." She turned off the phone and flopped back on her bed, her eyes closed tight.
Sam came in and sat next to her. "What's up?"
Rahne winced at his voice. She rolled over away from him. "That was Moira. She's my guardian. She- she wants me to come home."
Sam stared at her. Rahne? Not here? The thought was pretty much alien to him. "For how long?"
"I dunno- she wouldn't say. She just kept goin' on about how I wasn't safe here-"
"At the mansion?"
"Aye, that's what I said," Rahne agreed, "but she and the Professor go way back, ye know, and she says she knows the place inside out. Accordin' to her, if Magneto attacks, even when we rebuild the mansion, it wouldn't hold again." She sat up and hugged her knees to her chest. "I don't wanna go," she whispered.
Sam, without even thinking about it, put an arm around her. "When're you leavin'?"
Rahne angrily swiped at her eyes. "Tomorrow, really early." She looked at the clock. Sam glanced at her and she looked like she was going to say something more. Then she bit her lip again and looked away. "I should probably start packing..."
"Yeah..." Sam hugged her for a moment. "I'm gonna miss you..." He got up and left, embarrassed.
Rahne stared after him, then at the frisbee. She buried her face in her pillow and started to cry.
THE NEXT DAY...
To be blunt, the X-men's first day back hadn't gone well for Morph. He'd ditched the shape he usually assumed to blend in to show his support for his fellow mutants. Noble idea in theory, bad idea in practice, Morph thought as he slammed his locker shut. It was already showing signs of giving up: two bomblike things, a dead rat, and graffiti were a little much for one locker to bear.
He put his hands behind his head and walked out of the school. He was introspective today, and that didn't happen often. Usually I just ditch a town and move on before I can think too much... But, then again, Bayville wasn't really like other towns he'd come across.
It was pretty weird (to him) how fast he'd gotten used to life at the mansion- if one could really do that. He liked living from day to day. Always have, always will, so why am I sticking around?
He started for the mansion, noticing the small (well, not so small) skirmish by where Scott usually picked them up.
Rahne's gone. Jubes's gone. Everybody's freaking over the whole "mutant" thing. Nobody would notice if I left...
Morph stopped short in the middle of the sidewalk and threw up his hands. What am I thinking? The other people on the street immediately shrunk back. "Relax, I'm not the one with the flashy powers," Morph said, putting his hands in his pockets. He preened. "That's what the striking good looks are for."
The others stared at him for a moment, then semi-relaxed.
Morph sighed and kept walking. After all, I know where I'm not wanted...
AT THE INSTITUTE...
Morph sat down on a rock by the woods. It was only after everyone had found out about his whole "tortured past" thing that he'd started having these thoughts. He didn't hate being tied down- but he did hate the funny looks he got occasionally.
Let's look at this logically, hmm? Morph mused, shifting to a more comfortable spot. On the one hand, not leaving. On the other, doing what I've gotten used to doing and leaving. Staying here and helping the X-men, versus leaving and helping myself. Staying, going, staying, going... oh for crying out loud. "Who am I kidding?" Morph asked of the sky. He shook his head.
LATER THAT NIGHT...
Morph stared at the ceiling. It was long after midnight. Everyone else was asleep. Ororo had just made her nightly patrol. It's now or never, boyo. He slipped out of bed, and paused, spotting his X-suit. It's a burn to leave this... but I got along without it before.
He grabbed his bag, and stopped for a moment. He grabbed his communicator off the dresser and headed out, dropping it in.
There was one more thing that delayed him, the group shot of the X-men that somebody'd placed near the exit. "Don't look at me like that," he said. "I never said I was sticking around. Hank said it: I'm a wanderer. I'm just doing what I do best." He glared at the picture before walking out into the night.
(You wanna know why that ending sucked so much? Because I changed it last minute. However, it lends more easily to the sequel. It'll be called "Interstellar Road Trip", and it'll be about Warlock... and Morph, yeah. Trust me, it'll be better. It should be out in a few days.)