Family

Kai is sitting in his bed with Remi. They're both watching TV.

Kai: How was the zoo?

Remi: The kids liked it. Genki knew something was up.

Kai: He always knows. When we had our first fight he got all upset even though he didn't even see us fight.

Remi goes silent for a second.

Remi: Kai, why was there a bloody sword in our house?

Kai: Couldn't avoid that conversation forever.

Remi: Just tell me. Did you do something? Are people after you? I have to do a story about the attack on the police department and a fight at a theatre. You know about both of the attacks and you won't tell me anything!

Kai: It has to do with Cal.

Remi: You told me Cal's dead.

Kai: He is. It doesn't have to do with him coming back from the dead. Remi, just let me handle it.

Remi: Why? Why do you want to handle it on your own? We always work together.

Kai: Because you can't help. If I tell you what's going on you'll want to join in. The city doesn't need more mutants showing up. Just let me handle it.

Remi: Fine. Handle it yourself!

Remi lays down and turns away from him.

Kai: Goodnight.

Kai lays down. When Kai wakes up Remi has already left the bed. Kai checks his phone.

Kai: Thank god it's saturday.

Kai walks downstairs and sees the kids eating and watching TV in the living room. Remi is in the kitchen.

Kai: What's for breakfast?

Remi: Make it yourself. This is for the kids.

Kai: And this is why Genki always knows when we have a fight.

Remi glares at Kai. Kai puts his hands up.

Kai: Too far.

Remi: The kids are going to swim in the pool today-

Kai: I remember. I'm cooking food on the grill and you're making the sides.

Remi: Just stay out of the kitchen.

Remi grabs a plate and leaves the kitchen.

Kai: I'm not telling you for your own good Remi!

Kai mumbles.

Kai: Soul Master will just control her along with everyone else.

Later that day, Kai is cooking on the grill. He finishes cooking the last burger and turns off the grill.

Kai: The foods done! Come get it!

Kai sits down in one of the chairs as the kids all get out of the pool to get food. Kai starts thinking to himself. He starts feeling really tired.

Beast: Someone is trying to contact you through meditation.

Kai lays back in the chair. He feels like he's falling. The world turns black. He lands on a thin layer of water. As he hits the water, it moves around, but he does not fall in. He stands on the water seeing only black and the movement of waves. A shadowy figure comes out from the darkness. The closer the shadow gets, the wisps of darkness leave him. Stick appears out of the shadows.

Kai: You haven't died? How old are you now, 115?

Stick: Don't ask a man his age.

Stick starts to circle around Kai.

Stick: Of course I haven't died yet. I will never die. We are the same in that regard.

Kai: Why are you here Stick?

Stick: I'm always here when you need me. That's what I do. That's who I am. That's what fathers do.

Kai: You only come when you want something. You just like showing up willing to trade for it. You're not my father. Slade is.

Stick: Who are you more like? You may have the same hardships as Slade did, but you two are very different people. You think that you have stopped the conversion, but it never stopped. It just became better at hiding.

Kai: What are you talking about?

Stick: You think you're a family man. How long will that last? You're already trying to put your mask back on. What ever happened to Fang, hm?

Kai: He's not strong enough to take on these new villains.

Stick: The villains never became weaker Kai. So what changed?

Kai: What do you mean? The villains have been weaker ever since the war died down.

Stick: Have they been, or like the conversion are they just better at hiding?

Kai: What the hell do you mean conversion? You've talked yourself into a circle and you've explained none of it!

Stick: I have a mission for you Kai.

Kai: We gave you something for our freedom already. Terra and I already struck a deal with you.

Stick: I told you I would leave you when I die.

Kai: Where do I meet you?

Stick: You know where. The same place I captured you.

Stick disappears into the shadows. Kai falls and hits the water. He sinks into the dark waters until he can't breath. He wakes up with a deep breath in the real world.

The twins run by Kai. They stop at the pool holding their food.

Kai: Wait!

Kai shakes his head and the twins turn around.

Kai: Where's your mother?

Caleb: Mom's inside.

Rachel: She just said that daddy.

Kai: Yeah, I was just playing with you. Making sure you were on top of your game. Now go eat.

They both sit down by the pool and eat. Kai walks to the house.

Kai: I'm getting some major deja vu.

Kai walks inside the house. He hears murmuring from the kitchen. He hears someone on the phone. Kai walks inside the kitchen. Remi is standing there on the phone.

Remi: Yeah, thank you. Talk to you later, bye.

Remi hangs up the phone.

Remi: Owen had to clue me into the attack at the NYPD because you won't. Apparently there is a woman you won't tell me about.

Kai: Remi, I have to go talk to Stick.

Remi: You don't have to do anything. No, you're not talking to him.

Kai: It's not either of our choices. I have no idea what Stick wants, nor do I know what he's capable of.

Remi walks up to Kai.

Remi: Will you tell me what you guys talk about when you get home?

Kai: Whatever you want to hear.

Remi: Just leave. I'll make up an excuse for the kids.

Kai kisses Remi on the forehead.

Kai: Thank you.

Remi: Yeah.

Kai leaves the house. He drives over to Sticks building. Kai walks inside and down the hall. Everywhere is completely empty. Kai walks inside a big room. Stick is standing at the window. The room is empty. There is no furniture in the entire building.

Kai: This place feels kind of dead.

Stick: I'm no longer staying here.

Kai: Like, in New York?

Stick: Yes. The team I put together died years ago.

Kai: Az is dead.

Stick: Yes. There is nothing left for me in New York. Except for you and Terra, but neither of you want me here.

Kai: Are you having a late life crisis or something? Wait a minute, did you call me here to just get one more thing out of me before you left.

Stick: Of course I have. You were one of my biggest failures. I didn't train you early enough, nor did I train you enough. You were trained to hold a weapon. I would have trained you to be my weapon.

Kai: What do you want me to do Stick?

Stick: Simple, I want Caleb.

Kai: No.

Stick: I gave you everything and you took it all from me. I want another try.

Kai: Hell no.

Stick: I didn't think that was going to work. I'll get him eventually. Then get me Cal's sword. I'll add it to my collection.

Kai: Fine, I'll get you Cal's sword.

Kai leaves the building and gets in his car. He drives off to the police department. Kai goes into storage. He grabs the sword and comes back into the main part of the building. Owen looks at him funny.

Owen: What are you doing?

Kai: I got a better place to put it.

Owen: Alright, whatever you say.

Kai leaves the police department. Kai pulls up to Stick building. Kai gets out and starts walking to the room Stick is in.

Kai: This feels like a chore. It's like I'm picking up his dry cleaning.

Kai sees Stick standing there chuckling.

Kai: What?

Stick: Life has become so much easier for you. You have friends, family, a job. All meaningless to an immortal. When you get older, I'll be there. You'll know when the time has come, and I'll lead you to what you have to do. When you become like me. That is the conversion.

Kai hands Stick Cal's sword.

Kai: I'll never be like you.

Kai starts walking away.

Stick: What you want doesn't change the natural order of things. Life will always be life.

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Caleb and Rachel are sitting on the couch.

Caleb: Now we have to find him again. He said he doesn't need to find our dad to kill him. What does that even mean?

Rachel: I have no idea. Caleb.

Caleb: Yeah.

Rachel: The more I think about Dad. The more I think about Mom, and I hate it.

Caleb: Maybe we both need counseling.

——————————————————————————————————————————

In 2045, two years before Caleb and Rachel were sitting on the couch together they were rushing to the hospital. They both were in the same car. Caleb was driving them to their mother's hospital. Caleb parked the car and they both speed walked inside. They quickly checked in and walked to their mother's room. When they walked in she looked awful.

Rachel: Mom!

Rachel went over to her mother's side and hugged her.

Remi: It's okay Rachel.

Caleb stands in front of the bed shocked.

Remi: Come here.

Caleb walks over and hugs his mother.

Rachel: What happened?

Caleb: Why didn't you tell us anything?

Remi: Sit down.

The twins sit down on opposite sides of the bed.

Remi: I have cancer.

Caleb: We'll get you the treatments. Dad has a ton of money.

Remi: The doctors say there's nothing they can do. They say my brain tumor has already spread.

Rachel: We can't do anything?

Remi: It's going to be okay.

Caleb: Why isn't dad here?

Remi: Caleb, he's busy. He-

Caleb: He's always busy!

Remi sighs.

Remi: I want you both to know I love you. I tried everything to help you get into college, and enjoy life. I want you both to settle down and have kids. I just wish I could be there to see it. I wish I could have been a grandma.

Rachel is trying not to cry.

Rachel: No, mom, please.

Remi: Your parents are always going to have to leave you eventually. I wish I could have stayed a little longer.

Caleb: We'll stay with you the whole night. It doesn't matter.

Remi: I love you both.