Kiss of the Phoenix

I'm Not Alone Any More

He makes a sound of acknowledgment, before turning to walk up the ramp into the plane. "C'mon, Sang, let's get seated, the plane's gonna take off soon."

I can feel the hurt coming off of Rogue in waves, and I give her shoulder a gentle squeeze, sending her comforting thoughts, before following Logan up the ramp. I get seated beside him, my Dad and Emma in deep of conversation as Rogue climb into the cockpit. I breathe in deeply as the plane takes off, my eyes fluttering closed.

It's time to go bring my new friend home.

It's time for me to no longer be alone.

~~~

The area is a mess as we land, the ground a patchwork of broken ground and pits of lava. Logan swears as the plane touches the ground, the earth rumbling and groaning underneath us. "Jesus Christ, Emma, do you know what this kid's powers are?"

She shakes her head as she unbuckles her seatbelt, shakily getting up from her seat. Her body turns into her diamond form, and I can see myself reflected in her skin a million times over. "No, I have no idea," she responds in her posh British accent, turning slightly to see Rogue climb out of the cockpit, her skin a little green.

I move towards the door, but I'm stopped by my Dad, and I can tell he's glaring at me even though he's wearing his stupid vizor. He opens the door, and we step into what looks like a war zone.

You can tell it was a neighborhood before Dakota Lee happened. All the buildings are either on fire, in ruble, or both. And right in the middle of this chaos is Dakota.

His body is made out of pure lava and magma, his body burning the asphalt road as he curls up into himself. Heat pours off of him, and the air seems to be full of static, bolts of light occasionally shooting off of him. Steam billows off of his body, like your breath on a cold winter's day. The area around him is a bubbling mess of asphalt and lava and magma and dirt and soil and- and what looks like bone. We cautiously make our way over to him, Rogue and Logan situating themselves protectively around me while my Dad and Emma take the lead.

There's something in me that's crying out when we get close enough to see him. His whole body is shaking with sobs, the tears falling from what I think is his face sizzling off of his molten arms. Help him, something whispers inside of me as I unconsciously move away from my two protectors, up to the two frontrunners.

"Dakota?" my Dad calls, stopping right outside the bubbling pit of lava. "Can you hear me?" Silence. "Dakota, my name is Scott Summers, and I'm a mutant like you, and I can help-"

"No one can help," I hear coming from the mess of magma, and I flashback to my own powers manifested and how useless I felt and how I alone I felt. "God has forsaken me."

You have to help him, Sang, that little voice is more insistent as I try and keep myself from jumping across the boiling pit and helping him. I'm now standing next to my Dad. This your destiny, this what you are made for. Help him.

"Hey, Dad," I say, my gaze locked on the boy. "I think I can help him."

I don't wait for a reply as my powers latch onto Dakota's, and I feel my body burst into flames as I step onto the magma. I don't fall. I can hear screaming behind me as my feet sizzle on the lava. I don't stop.

I can hear Dakota's thoughts as I make my way across the flames. He thinks I look like Jesus, or some avenging angel of fire and flame. My lips quirk into a smile as I make my way through his mind. Likes to be called Kota. Very religious. Been taught by his church that being is a mutant means you're going to hell (now, isn't that familiar). His mother and sister are the most important things to him and they aren't here. He killed his father when he tried to kill his family. He killed a man today with his flames. He feels like he's on fire. His skin feels like it's boiling. He wants to die. He is scared. He wonders if God still loves him. He is scared.