HOPE.

“So are we all just totally fine with the fact that my mother spontaneously combusted? Everyone seems way too calm with everything that’s just happened.”

“I don’t regret what I’ve done and in fact— I would do it again if it was necessary.”

“Of course we aren’t.” Exodus practically scoffed when he replied. He took a moment to gather his hair and pull it back into a bun as he thought. He might be on the Council, but it was no secret that he would do as Hope asked no matter the circumstances. “They are fools if they do not see the right path. And the Avengers chose wrong the second they took you.”

Nate emitted a soft scoff of a laugh, shaking his head. “A lot of it is my fault, kid. That’s just the hand I was dealt. But I’m not gonna let you blame yourself for any of that. Not your childhood, and not this.” Things were a bit of a mess right now. But Hope was here, alive, and that was the most important thing. “Seems like you’ve got your mind made up on what to do next, hm?”

“And you still aren’t. I don’t think you ever could be.” Hope? A damsel in distress? No. Not with the life she was thrown into, that they were both thrown into. Nate wasn’t the perfect father, he knew that, but with the world they survived he figured he did a pretty good job. “But I’m always going to protect you anyway. I shouldn’t have even let them get their hands on you.”

He failed her. There was no way of getting around that. That was his guilt to live with though, and Hope didn’t need to hear any more about it. She was already dealing with enough.

“Anger we can work with.” His expression stayed soft and understanding, and just mildly concerned. Nate was no stranger to feeling this much at a young age— that’s exactly how he had been growing up. But he was arrogant, he pushed people’s buttons. He was angry and he was scared, and he felt things deeper than he cared to admit. He didn’t want Hope to end up like that.

He sighed. “Lucky is a pretty relative term. I don’t want you to stop being angry— you have every right to be. But I do worry about you.” That was something he didn’t say enough. “I’m stickin’ around for a while and I’ve got your back. You don’t have to figure everything out on your own.”

“Nah. I’d rather die again first.” Hope shudders in mock disgust. There’s nothing against those who have been shoved into that role, but it’s not Hope’s thing. She was raised to be smart and protect herself. Getting kidnapped feels like letting her dad down. Even though she knows he doesn’t look at it like that, Hope’s main goals her entire life have to been to make him proud and stay alive. 

It’s hard to be so loved. That sounds vain to say, but Hope carries the weight of others love on her shoulders. She was the goddamn messiah, the chosen one who was born after the Decimation. There weren’t supposed to be any more mutants, but there was. There was Hope. She’s spent her entire life grappling with what that means. Nate’s never made her feel like she has to be anything, but the pressure from others remains. The messiah, one of the Five. The list goes on. If Cable hadn’t raised her to have a good head on her shoulders, she’d have developed a complex.

Anger is easy for her to understand. It’s got less strings than love does. Both are primal emotions, but anger hits differently when it turns everything red. She doesn’t respond to that comment. They’ll find a way to shape her anger, to make it useful. It won’t burn out.

“He’s a softy. He may not show it, but he is. Don’t worry too much about him though.” Nate knew because that was him. The old man was more gruff than he was at this point, but some things didn’t change much over the decades. Then he gave her a one-shouldered shrug. “Eh. It doesn’t necessarily weird me out. There are certain things about my life that are fixed, and you’re one of them. I figured it would be much more strange to meet the young and annoying version of your dad.”

“Perhaps we could all use a little boring.” It was an ironic statement coming from him. Max couldn’t even settle on a name, let alone, let himself sit still for very long. He had gone to Arrako to retire and yet he found himself seated on their council. His choice— no one else’s. “I’ve gone about my life making the choices I did so that mutant children could have a normal life. It appears that I haven’t succeeded.”

“You want my two cents? It’s just a different kind of mess everywhere I go. That’s all I’ve got to say.”

Daisy pretended to ponder that thought, a half smile tugging on her lips as she just shrugged her shoulders. “From what I’ve seen now that I’m working underneath Hill, pretty often. She can be kind of… brash.”

“It’s your timeline, I got it. I don’t want it anyway.” He threw up his hands in surrender. Nate knew he wouldn’t be able to stay here forever. But he wasn’t itching to leave just yet. So he nodded. “You have my word. Trust me, I’m not tryin’ to get in anyone’s way. Not with everything going on. Even though you and I don’t really know each other.. I was sorry to hear about what happened. Pleasant Hill and everything. Your old man must be happy that you’re back.”

He doesn’t respond to that. “This is not chill. In what universe is this face chill?” 

“Yeah, well half of those people don’t have eyes.” Marc shot back with a raised brow as he examined the girl up and down. He couldn’t help but to give her a once over after how insane that man had been acting. The scoff was automatic at her comment as he just shook his head. “I’m no good Samaritan. Seriously, it was no trouble.” Far from it, actually. Usually Marc was the one people needed saving from. “‘Sides, you were two seconds from kicking his ass yourself. My name’s Marc.” He left the surname out, deciding that was too much information.

“It shouldn’t be surprising to me, that you all will choose your own before thinking of the greater good any day. Pleasant Hill just furthered that.”

“On the contrary— I admire your passion. And you are far more than just a good solider.” Exodus lightened his tone, becoming almost submissive when he answered her. “If that is what you wish, you shall have it. They deserve to pay for what they’ve done. And I will follow you. You know that.”

“I never felt young, either. That tends to happen when someone doesn’t have what could be classified as a normal childhood. And now it seems that you can add resurrection to the list.”

“I’m so sorry about that!” Gabby cried, pulling Jonathan from the ground with a clump of fabric still in his mouth, one of her hands fighting with his clenched jaw in an attempt to free the torn cloth while her other hand held the untamed beast off the ground. “I was trying to get a hotdog for us- Cause he was hungry- And, I thought he was going to be patient and not TRY TO EAT SOMEONE’S LEG!” She yelled, lightly swatting the beast on the nose before immediately following it up with a kiss and turning her attention to… Well, she couldn’t tell, too much fur in the way. “He’s usually so well-behaved, and cute, and cuddly, and- He must’ve smelled something, that’s totally not your fault, he just gets really rah at some certain scents!”