Chapter Five

"I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hate so stubbornly is because they sense once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with the pain."

-James Arthur Baldwin

It was forty five minutes later, when Brennan came back to Sanctuary with Noah Kilmartin. He was already showing symptoms of the flu, Noah at first thought nothing of it, but when Brennan had come to get him and was told the whole story he was afraid, not for him, but for his son. And when the two of them walked into the lab, Noah was broken hearted to see his son in such a painful state. However before father and son could say anything to each other, Shalimar busted into the lab with the biggest smile on her face.

"I found him!" She shouted even though she wanted to add 'I told you so' it wasn't over yet. She barely even noticed Noah, standing off to the side she was to happy that this whole thing was coming to an end.

"Where?" Jesse said quietly.

"Sky rise building located in Downtown."

"Lets go." He tried to get up but was stopped by Brennan and surprising by his father.

"Where do you think your going?" Brennan asked with a smile.

"To meet this bastard." Jesse said getting frustrated, he didn't see the humor behind his actions.

"You are in no condition to be going anywhere." Noah spoke up for the first time.

"Think about it, by the time you get there, force him to give you the cure and fly all the way back here it will be too late. So I am coming and I'm going to confront Taylor, alone." There was a long pause as everyone was thinking how this was going to be the final showdown and that most likely someone would not make it out. Jesse looked over at Brennan knowing he would be the one to okay it and he saw the wheels turning in the elementals head, weighing out the options. "Either you let me come with your, or I'll get there by myself. Though I really don't feel like driving."

"Fine, but you are only going to get five minutes with him before we bust in there."

"Deal." With help from his father and Brennan, Jesse slowly got up from the chair. The movements caused his world to spin but he tired to act alright. If anyone saw him sway or how his face wrinkled due from pain that was caused by each step no one said anything.

It took them longer than anybody wanted to get to the office building. It was past office hours but for them, the lights to Taylor's office were all on indicating he was still there. All four of them walked down the hallway and stopped a few feet from the two oak doors.

"Are you sure about this Jess, you can barely stand on your own." Shalimar asked in hoping that he would change his mind in going alone.

"Yes Shal." There was an edge in his voice on the repeated pointing out how he was nearing death.

"If your not back in five minutes, we're coming in." Brennan reminded him one last time. Jesse gave a short nod before he slowly walked into the office.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"How much longer do you think they have?" Taylor's assistant asked as he stood behind his boss.

"Kilmartin has a hour if he's lucky, while his father another five before slipping into a coma." Taylor said as he stared out the paramecia window at the city night lights. "He has a much peaceful death, unlike his son. I just wish that I could see him take his last painful breaths."

"You just might get your wish." The two men spun around at the sound of a third voice. There they saw Jesse near the closed doors. Taylor's assistant scurried to the nearest corner to get out of the way of the two men.

A smile appeared on Taylor's face. "Ah, Jesse Kilmartin. How wonderful for you to stop by."

"Where is it?" Jesse straight up demanded.

"Where is what?" Taylor played dumb.

"The antivirus. Where is it?"

The smile faded as his eyes buried with anger. "Why would I give it to you! You murdered my father and you have the nerve to crawl here and demand it!"

"I want if for my dad, not for me."

"And why would I do that?"

"Because your quail is with me, not him."

"You are precisely correct. It is with you and you get to die knowing your actions to me killed your father."

"I didn't do anything--"

"Wrong! You murdered my father! A great and loyal soldier"

"Your father killed himself."

"Liar!"

"He used me, put millions of lives at risk." Taylor started pashing like a caged tiger. Each word from Jesse brought him closer to the edge. "H was killed by a laser defense weapon that he killed soldiers for."

"Do you think that I would believe you. He never did anything wrong."

"I know how you feel--"

"You'll be dead before you could ever--"

"Its hard to believe when you are told that your dad has done something terrible. Why would it be true, his your dad. Then you find out the hard way, that what they told you was true that your father was using you all along to blackmail a corporation--"

"Shut Up!" Taylor pulled out a gun from his desk drawer and pointed it at Jesse's head. "My father is dead and you killed him! And now I'm just returning the favor." He cocked the gun but before he could squished the trigger, Taylor's body was suddenly covered in blue electricity. The bolts didn't die down until Taylor was on the floor.

Jesse turned to see everyone by the door including Adam and Emma. Yet before anyone could say anything or move pain shot through Jesse's whole body as his powers began their vicious assault on the young mutant. Adam Emma and Noah were all frozen in the sight that was before them. Brennan and Shalimar dashed to Jesse's side before he could collapse onto the floor. Emma was brought to tears at the strong amount of pain that Jesse radiated. As Brennan and Shalimar slowly eased Jesse onto the floor the three on lookers snapped out of their shock and ran over to Jesse. Emma immediately sent Jesse an telekinetic blast to try and stop the attack. Everyone seemed to let out a breath when the phasing and massing stopped. But that did not last long, parts of his body began to phase and mass, however Jesse didn't care it was not as painful as before and he could breathe a bit.

"I'm sorry dad it's my fault." Jesse gasped between breaths of air. "I couldn't make him see--" sharp pain forced Jesse to stop talking.

Suddenly Taylor's assistant appeared with a vile that had an orange liquid. "Here, here is the antivirus Taylor had one created."

"Just one?" Adam spoke up as he took the vile from him. "Dose he have any files on--"

"No he destroyed them all so nothing could be tied back to him just in case. However I don't know if it will work on him." He said pointing to Jesse "He might be too far gone."

"Dad you take it." Jesse said.

"No, I don't deserve it."

"No one should die Noah." Shalimar spoke up, even though she couldn't believe that Jesse didn't want to save himself. Tears threaten to fall that he was giving up his life for a man that wasn't really part of his adult life. Yet that was the kind of person Jesse was. "Maybe we can split the dosage?"

"It has to be all of it." The assistant told.

"This was my fault."

"Jesse I can't live my life knowing I'm alive because I let my son die. I've done things in my life that I am not proud of and most of that are things I've done to you. I can't let you save me, you have no right or duty to do so."

"Dad…" Jesse whispered though painful waves as hot tears streamed down his face.

"I'm very proud of you Jesse. Good-bye my son, I always loved you." Noah grabbed the syringed from Adam and stuck the needle into his son's arm. Just as the last amount of liquid entered his vein, Jesse's body became covered in the red glowing massed formed. Jesse let out a painful cry before it disappeared and Jesse's body laid on the office floor unmoving.