Redemption

Chapter Twenty

"You," Laura hissed.

"Yes," I said, taking a dramatically low bow. "Me."

"As soon as my arms heal, I'll kill you," threatened Laura.

"Do you really think I'll let that happen?" I asked, putting the Muramasa blade to Laura's throat. "I'm not that stupid."

As I look into my older half-brother's eyes, I realize he's not joking. He's actually going to kill me. Then I hear Gabby's scream. Then all I see is red, and then Daken's face. But he's still smiling. And the Muramasa blade is only inches from my neck.

I turned the boat around at the sound of a child's scream. It was Gabby's scream. Something inside me told me that this was all wrong, that I shouldn't be doing this. I turn my gaze to Daken. He is standing over Laura with a sword to her neck. Laura has seized up, a sign that she has gone into her rage state. But the state doesn't last for long. Daken's sword went into her neck and she fell, head rolling around on the dock.

Something is definitely wrong. I shouldn't be here. Daken is a killer. He killed Laura. Daken looked up and met my eyes. He knew what I was thinking. His smile only grew wider as he shook his head. You won't leave, he seemed to be telling me, you can't leave, because where else do you have to go? 

I have the X-men to go back to. I revved the engine and turned the boat in the direction of Utopia island. But the boat won't move. I turn to see Jean pulling the boat toward the dock, still holding Gabby in the air. Daken's psychotic smile grows closer. Laura's blood continues to pool.

I take a deep whiff of salty air. Rogue draws closer, a look of utter terror painted across her face. Soon, her scent joins the salt. I have her. I can feel her fear, her anger. She feels tricked, lied to. I never lied to her, not really. I only withheld the truth. Part of it at least. The boat reached the dock and I grabbed Rogue, roughly pulling her out.

"Thinking about running back to Logan, are you?" I seethed. "Thinking about abandoning me?"

"You're insane Daken!" Rogue said, actually spitting in my face. "I can't believe I actually trusted you."

I whipped the spit off my face and looked her dead in the eye.

"You should have stayed on that island, Rogue," I said. "You should have stayed with the precious do-goody X-men."

I grabbed her by the throat and pulled her off her feet into the air.

"You're exactly like the rest of them," I said. "Prissy little princesses and princes, their only problem is the school lunch and what people think of them."

"That's not true!" Rogue said.

My fist tightened, making Rogue gasp for air.

"You're a monster," gasped Rogue. "I hate you. No wonder Logan let Romulus take you. He didn't want to have to deal with your insanity." 

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" I bellowed, making Rogue flinch. "YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT SHIT!" 

"Daken, stop!" I ordered. "This has gone too far."

I let Gabby go and she fell to the ground. I felt the Dark Phoenix leaving me.

"Let her go," I demanded. "You need help."

He looked directly at me and I stepped back. The sureness I had seen in his eyes earlier was gone. Now all that was left was a little boy, alone, angry, scared, cold, looking for someone to blame. Then his gaze hardened and he became what Logan and Scott had warned. He became the Dark Wolverine.

He dropped Rogue into the water.

"No!" Gabby and I yelled at the same time.

"Let's see if your princess Rogue can swim," he said. "I bet she can't since you never bothered to teach her."

I roared and sent him shooting up into the air.

I laughed away the pain. The clouds in the sky were looking pretty. I looked down at Jean and I knew that tapping into her emotions would be useless. She would just turn back. She would just turn back and leave me. Like Rogue did. Like Romulus did. Like my father did. Just Like my mother did.

The pain seemed to stop. I felt a trickle of blood come out of my nose. My head tilted slightly to the side. I had changed somehow. I suddenly had no control over my body. Blood began to trickle out of the side of my mouth.

Jean saw what was happening and instantly dropped me. I landed on my feet and straightened up, whipping away the blood. Jean pushed Gabby behind me. What is happening to me? Well, whatever's happening to me, I like it. I like it a lot.

The water of the bay is cold and muddy. I kicked toward the top and soon my head broke the surface. I looked at the dock. Laura's decapitated head is staring right back at me.