Their relationship continues while both of them are trying to find a place in a much larger group. X-Factor’s younger charges include children with very different needs and expe…

Their relationship continues while both of them are trying to find a place in a much larger group. X-Factor’s younger charges include children with very different needs and experiences. Rusty and Sally have each other, but they also have Artie, Leech, Boom-Boom, Rictor and eventually the other people brought into that younger circle. Inferno gives them work to do together under conditions that are much worse than a training session. The X-Terminators are trying to help children while New York is being overrun. Rusty can bring offensive power to a fight, and Sally can protect people. Those abilities work together without making either character’s contribution interchangeable with the other’s. You see the same practical teamwork when they’re caught up with the Vulture. Rusty gets Sally out, and Sally can shield him while they work their way through the danger. They know what the other person can do, and they’re used to relying on it. The frustrating part is how often their progress is interrupted by somebody coming after them again. They can learn, help people and become more capable, and still end up treated as problems to be locked away. That affects the relationship too. They keep having to make decisions while under pressure, with very little chance to establish anything stable. Their involvement with the Mutant Liberation Front comes after all of that. They already have a lot of shared history by the time they get there. They’ve seen each other frightened, guilty and in danger. They’ve also seen each other step in and help. Their powers make the early connection possible, but the relationship develops through the choices they make once they have that connection.