Redemption

Chapter Thirty-four ~ The Mercy Seat

I stared at the empty air where my mother had been. My arms were still up, wrapped around a woman that had done so much to my life, yet so little.

"Mom?" I said, my voice quiet, shaky.

I looked at my father, his eyes were sparkling, and tears were falling down his face. Jean Grey was standing behind him. I felt the Dark Phoenix clawing at my grief, desperately attempting to whisper in my ear. But my ears would not hear, they could not hear. They were filled with a ringing, and Itsu's, my mother's, last words. I love you, my son.

One little thing can change so much. My father, Logan, in a matter of seconds, had pulled me into a hug. I didn't register what had happened but all I knew was that I hugged him back.

"She's gone," I said, my voice cracking.

"I know," said Logan, not letting me go. "I love you, Daken."

That was the moment where I started to cry.

"Why? Why do you love me?" I asked. "I'm a monster. I've killed Laura and Gabby and so many other people. I don't belong in this world."

Logan pulled away from me and put my tear-stained face in his hands.

"You belong in this world," he said. "You were angry when you killed Laura and Gabby. You may not be — like the rest of us — but we can help change that. We can get you somewhere where you can get the help that you need."

I pulled away, "Who's 'we'? You're the only person here who actually gives the smallest fuck about me."

"That's not true," I said, wheeling my way forward, past Jean, toward the father and son. "I, as you put it, give a fuck about you."

"I was going to destroy your school," said Daken in a quiet voice. He didn't look like the villian he was, more like one of the students at my school when I first found them, helpless, alone, scared.

"We all have our rough spots," I said, a gentle smile on my face. "Take Jean for example, when she was Dark Phoenix, she sided with Magneto and tried to eradicate all non-mutants, and would kill her friends in the process. Look where she is now." I gestured to Jean. "She is standing among us like it never happened. That could be you. You could finally have a home, a family, a father."

"No one will ever let me come here," I said. "One of my allies killed Scott, and I killed Gabby and Laura. I destroyed part of the X-men single handedly. No one will let me in, they all hate me."

I looked at Jean. I didn't have to read her mind to know what she thought. Her features showed it completely.

Do not let him in.

"He will be accepted," said Logan, "I will make sure of it."

"No," said Jean. "I will not allow him to be near any of my students and friends." 

"He's my son!" Logan argued. "I get to decide where he goes."

"These are my students he will be near!"

"They're mine too!"

"What about Rogue?" asked Jean. "Daken traumatized her." 

Logan opened his mouth then closed it, unable to think up something to say.

"Aha!" Jean said. "That's what stops you, Logan! Rogue! You will do anything for her, even if it means killing your son."

"Is it true?" Daken asked.

"What? No!" said Logan hurriedly. "Rogue is just . . . a friend of mine."

Daken stared at him, the hope that had been in his eyes now gone.

"Thank you for showing me your true colors, dad," said Daken. "Now I know who you really care about. I can't believe I actually fucking trusted you."

He turned and was gone.

"Daken! No!" Logan yelled after him but he didn't stop. Logan turned on Jean. "You made him run away!"

"Good riddance," spat Jean.

"Logan," said Professor X, "go after him. I'll explain the situation to the students and the X-men."

Logan nodded and ran after his son.

I had reached the cliff edge of Utopia island when I remembered there was no way for me to get off the island. I collapsed to the ground. My pants would probably be getting grass stains on them.

He only said those things to put you away. He never cared, Logan doesn't love you. He chose a scrappy little mutant girl over his own son. What kind of father is that?  

I looked out over the water. The weather was nice. The yellow sun beat down on me from the pale blue sky. Birds flew over the water and there were a few boats. I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself down.

You should have killed him when you had the chance, Daken. He killed your mother.

"He didn't kill my mom," I whispered.

What?

"My dad didn't kill my mom," I said. "Romulus did."

It took saying it out loud for it to fully sink in. My whole life had been a lie. I had been raised on a lie that Romulus had hand-fed me since I was a baby. I expected to feel hurt, betrayed, but all I felt was numbness.

"I think it's time for you to go," I said.

You can't just send me away like that! I choose you for a reason! I believed you could do great things and you still can! 

"I am no longer your puppet,"