war & death — apocalypse arc.
so i give it to you, mutant father en sabah nur: my infinite mercy. a second chance.
it isn't my fault. i didn't brainwash myself. i didn't kill my parents. it is still my responsibility, what happened when i abused the vow i made to them. that i left vengeance take over me, that i let myself get swept up in it. i can't bring them them back, i know. i can still try to save who i can.
"today is the day that the akkaba nation seeks to reveal itself," en sabah nur's voice booms on every speaker, his face shown on every television. humanity stops to hear the leader of the new mutant nation declare their sovereignty.
almost no one can tear their eyes away from their screens, from the sight of en sabah nur flanked by his four horsemen. and no telepath is spared either, en sabah nur's voice booming. "we are the home of homo superior, and we are an empire that will last a millenia. we do not bow before human laws or homo inferior. all mutants, who can prove their mettle, are welcome within the arms of clan akkaba—and all those who would plot upon our downfall, i beckon you come. come and be humbled by my horsemen."
almost no one can tear their eyes away from their screens, from the sight of en sabah nur flanked by his four horsemen. and no telepath is spared either, en sabah nur's voice booming. "we are the home of homo superior, and we are an empire that will last a millenia. we do not bow before human laws or homo inferior. all mutants, who can prove their mettle, are welcome within the arms of clan akkaba—and all those who would plot upon our downfall, i beckon you come. come and be humbled by my horsemen."
those are his friends, aren't they? those are the x-men, and they're standing there, challenge en sabah nur, challenging the horsemen. michael can read joseph's face as clear as any book, can see the anger and pain there. that he holds against them, right or wrong, and he makes the connections, names to faces.
he crafts his plan more, as they clash large and small, as he finds out their weaknesses, as they see mutant father grow stronger, greedy.
not once though, do they comment about him not killing anyone, not once do they seem upset that even though he's destroyed the x-men's defenses, he hasn't killed anyone yet.
someone will, one day. so he has to act faster.
he crafts his plan more, as they clash large and small, as he finds out their weaknesses, as they see mutant father grow stronger, greedy.
not once though, do they comment about him not killing anyone, not once do they seem upset that even though he's destroyed the x-men's defenses, he hasn't killed anyone yet.
someone will, one day. so he has to act faster.
life seeds aren't supposed to be easy to get or find. michael knows that. he still embarks on the journey with a week to spare, away from everyone's prying eyes. it feels as if the only way to begin to make up for the river of blood spilled over the years. whether he was bruce or the bat or michael, none of it is conquerable in his mind. it hadn't been his direction yet it had been his hands that spilled the blood, had taken their lives in pursuit of vengance.
in pursuit of vengeance, and not justice.
vengeance had warped him, made him suspectible and he's paying for what he's done, as he goes deeper into akkaba, as he forces himself through the trials needed.
he'll never stop feeling the weight of it all on him, but it stands that he can do something right if he can get his hands on that life seed.
it doesn't matter what he does if he can't start to fix things with his own hands, the same as he fucked them up.
in pursuit of vengeance, and not justice.
vengeance had warped him, made him suspectible and he's paying for what he's done, as he goes deeper into akkaba, as he forces himself through the trials needed.
he'll never stop feeling the weight of it all on him, but it stands that he can do something right if he can get his hands on that life seed.
it doesn't matter what he does if he can't start to fix things with his own hands, the same as he fucked them up.
joseph gives him one more look from behind the gold mask. the x-men are waiting on them, waiting for one last skirmish. neither of them are really tired, neither of them are ready to give up the fight and yet. he can see that there are cracks. he can see that joseph is starting to doubt.
when bobby sends a hail of icicles at them, michael chooses to kiss joseph, draw him as close as he can, moving so that the icicles pierce his side instead.
he falls. joseph screams his name.
when bobby sends a hail of icicles at them, michael chooses to kiss joseph, draw him as close as he can, moving so that the icicles pierce his side instead.
he falls. joseph screams his name.
the wind picks up. michael looks at the graves in front of him, at his parent's names emblazoned there. feels that old weight in his chest, as he runs his fingers over the graves, feeling as if he's finally, truly come home. that the tears that slip down his face blend in with the rain, he doesn't mind.
it feels good to cry here, to be on familiar ground again, to be with his parents again. "i'm sorry i was—i'm trying to make it up to you. the both of you."
a twig snaps behind him, and joseph's hand grasps his. he's still getting uesd to his skin being pale again, and he looks past him, towards the ship waiting for them. "i'll be back soon. me, joe, and evan."
he puts down the flowers he brought for them, and joe keeps up with him. the ship doesn't rock very much when they board. the staff waits for them to sit down, and then the ship rises, heads away.
beside him, joe pulls him closer, wing extending to pull him closer. "you ready to see evan? i got him a new stuffed rabbit."
"you're spoiling him," michael says, looking at the news report that plays on the display.
it's nice to see that no one's reporting a catastrophe, and when the ship kicks off, he finds himself turning his head to doze off into joe's shoulder.
when he wakes up, they're back in akkaba, and joe already has evan in his arms, the grey skinned boy excited to see his parents.
it feels good to cry here, to be on familiar ground again, to be with his parents again. "i'm sorry i was—i'm trying to make it up to you. the both of you."
a twig snaps behind him, and joseph's hand grasps his. he's still getting uesd to his skin being pale again, and he looks past him, towards the ship waiting for them. "i'll be back soon. me, joe, and evan."
he puts down the flowers he brought for them, and joe keeps up with him. the ship doesn't rock very much when they board. the staff waits for them to sit down, and then the ship rises, heads away.
beside him, joe pulls him closer, wing extending to pull him closer. "you ready to see evan? i got him a new stuffed rabbit."
"you're spoiling him," michael says, looking at the news report that plays on the display.
it's nice to see that no one's reporting a catastrophe, and when the ship kicks off, he finds himself turning his head to doze off into joe's shoulder.
when he wakes up, they're back in akkaba, and joe already has evan in his arms, the grey skinned boy excited to see his parents.
second chances are hard to come by. vanishingly rare to come by.
most people might say that en sabah nur doesn't deserve it. that he is fully evil, irredeemable.
michael understands that.
still, he grunts, bleeding, and stabs the life seed into the mutantfather's gut.
light pours of him, as he screams, flails. michael doesn't let up though, doesn't let his shaking, tired body move until he hears the cries of a child.
the life seed clatters to the ground, and he looks down at the grey skinned, wailing child that used to be en sabah nur. and then he swaddles him carefully, holding him to his chest.
most people might say that en sabah nur doesn't deserve it. that he is fully evil, irredeemable.
michael understands that.
still, he grunts, bleeding, and stabs the life seed into the mutantfather's gut.
light pours of him, as he screams, flails. michael doesn't let up though, doesn't let his shaking, tired body move until he hears the cries of a child.
the life seed clatters to the ground, and he looks down at the grey skinned, wailing child that used to be en sabah nur. and then he swaddles him carefully, holding him to his chest.