Redemption

Chapter Thirty-three

There was a scream. Logan whirled around, Daken's blood on his hands and stopped dead, his heart stopping to pump blood.

"I-Itsu?" he stuttered.

"Logan?" Itsu asked.

Logan looked back at Daken, who was heaving for breath, his wound healing. Logan turned back to Itsu.

"Itsu, I missed you so much," he said.

"How long has it been?" asked Itsu. "Since — since I died."

"Ages," said Logan. "I couldn't bear to count."

"But, Logan," said Itsu, "what happened to our son? Is he . . . dead?"

Logan didn't say anything, his mind was racing. 

My wound was healed.

Kill him, kill him NOW!

I looked up from my bloody hands at my father's back. He was talking to Itsu. Itsu had just asked a question, Logan hadn't responded yet.

What are you waiting for, kill him! You've been wanting to do this for ages!

I looked down at my hands to see that they were clasping the Muramasa blade.

I am the Dark Phoenix.

said the Dark Phoenix, answering my unspoken question.

I can do what I want.

I looked up from the Muramasa blade to the back of my father. I raised the blade, feeling a sense of calmness sweeping over me. The calmness was joined by a sense of victory, achievement. I stepped forward and raised the Muramasa blade.

Die motherfucker. 

I stepped out of the safe room and saw Daken raising the Muramasa blade over Logan's distracted back.

"No!" I yelled, sending Daken flying back into the wall.

Logan whirled and I noticed that he had been talking to a woman I had never seen before. How did she get onto the island? Daken pushed himself up and I saw that the Phoenix had gained full control over him.

"Please, Daken," said Logan, "please stop this. We can help you, I can help you."

"Is it just 'cause mom's here?" Daken asked. "Is it just because you want to look good for her?"

"No, it's not that," said Logan. "I love you, you're my son."

"LIAR!" Daken yelled, pain filling his voice. Logan went up in flames. "You've never cared about me! It's just been you and your pathetic do-gooder mutants! You killed mom and then Romulus! You've ruined my chances at a good life! I'm alone in this cursed world because of you! I hate you!"

Logan went up in flames.

Strike him down! He's powerless in the fire! Stab him with the Muramasa blade! Kill him!

I'm done listening to you. You are just some firebird.

And you are just some pathetic little boy with no home and no family! All the people you've managed to get to care about you dumped you or died. You are nothing without me. Admit it.

No. I am something without you.

Oh, yeah? What are you?

I am Daken Akihiro. I am a psychopath and Dark Wolverine. I am the son of Logan, Wolverine. And I am not alone. I have myself. 

The fire encasing Logan vanished. He was charred to the bone but he would survive. I could see the skin reforming. I ran up to the woman behind him.

"Are you okay?" I asked. She nodded. "I'm Jean."

"I'm Itsu,"

"You're Logan's wife," I said. "He's talked about you."

 Logan's flesh finished reforming. He heard Jean comforting Itsu.

"Daken . . ." he said. "Where's the Dark Phoenix?"

"It's gone," said Daken. "It's still in me, but not. I sent it away."

Logan smiled, "Daken . . . that's amazing!"

"I didn't do it for you," Daken said. "I didn't do it for mom either. I'm not going to kill you with some thing helping me do it. I'll kill you on my own."

"Don't kill him,"

Logan turned around to see Itsu, Jean at her side.

"He is your father," scolded Itsu, her eyes fixed on Daken.

"He killed you!" Daken said. 

"No, he didn't!" said Itsu, now standing next to Logan, their hands clasped together. "Romulus killed me."

She looked at Logan, "I don't have much time. Whatever brought me back is angry and they're sending me back soon."

"No!" said Logan. "You can't leave!"

"I have to," said Itsu. "I'm not meant here."

Logan shook his head, "You can't leave."

Itsu put her free hand on her husband's face, "I love you, Logan."

"I — I love you too," choked out Logan, tears forming in his eyes.

Itsu walked away from her husband toward Daken.

She pulled me into a hug, the Muramasa blade slipped from my fingers.

"Be nice to your father," Itsu whispered in my ear. "He loves you."

I hugged her back, "Don't leave mom, I need you."

"I will be watching over you," she said. "I love you, my son."

"I love you, too, mom,"

She slipped away, disappearing into thin air, just the way she had come.