Wolverine was on the ground, still traumatized by what Proteus had done to him. The X-Men were dealing with the aftermath of their battle with Proteus when they noticed something was going on with Wolverine.
"Wolverine!" Rogue went up to him with Danny. "What did he do to you?"
"I'm fine." Wolverine said briskly. "I don't need your help."
Danny pulled out a Fenton Thermos and poured coffee on Wolverine. Wolverine jumped up as he grabbed Danny and glared at the supernatural X-Man.
"What was that for?" Wolverine raged.
"I didn't know what to do." Danny said as he shrugged. "I just needed to snap you out of it."
"You wanna talk about it?" Rogue offered as she tried to calm the angry mutant down.
"No." Wolverine refused as he turned his back to them. "Not now, not ever."
"I didn't even know you had coffee in that." Rogue said to Danny as she looked at the Fenton Thermos.
"Well, it is a thermos." Danny replied.
Meanwhile, Moira was getting even more fearful about what would happen to her son as Xavier tried to help her through it.
"It's just a matter of time before someone gets hurt." Moira said worriedly.
"Moira, don't worry." Xavier comforted her. "We will stop Kevin before that happens."
"Might I suggest we find Proteus's father, Joseph MacTaggart, and prepare to confront him there?" Beast suggested.
"Yes." Xavier agreed. "And if needed, we can try to afford Mr. MacTaggart some protection."
"Joe won't accept your help." Moira pointed out.
"He's the least of our worries." Xavier said.
"So, what's your name, kid?" Dan asked as the two were walking the streets.
"Kevin." Proteus responded. "What's yours?"
"Dan." Dan replied. "But you can call me dad if you like."
"Really?" Proteus said in excitement.
"Really." Dan nodded, hiding his annoyance with the mutant. "Now Kevin, what are you doing out here alone?"
"I was searching for my father." Proteus said in anger. "The one who abandoned me when I decided to make one. So I made you."
"Well, you made this body, but my consciousness came from somewhere else." Dan revealed.
"Where?" Proteus asked curiously.
"Amity Park." Dan answered, thinking he could get this kid to take him there so he could be back at full strength. "I'm currently locked up in there. I was wondering if you could help me get my real body back. That way I could be a proper father."
"Sure. Anything for you, father?" They kept walking when they saw a TV that had Joe on it.
"Elect me, and I'll return Scotland back to its former place of family values. For me, family is very important. The children are the future and should be cherished."
This line of hypocrisy set off Proteus as he punched his fist through the television, causing it to explode.
"Liar!" Proteus yelled. "You talk about family, but you abandoned me! Liar! Liar!"
"Never mind that fool; come with me, Kevin." Dan said, trying to make sure the fool wasn't distracted. "Help me get my body back, and I'll be the father you always dreamed of having."
"No!" Proteus refused. "Not yet! He has to pay! He abandoned me, and he can't get away with it! I'll destroy him!"
Dan was about to yell at this kid to take him back to Amity Park, but he reigned in his temper. Not a good decision to piss off the one who's sustaining your new body. And this kid seemed easier to manipulate than that stupid redneck.
"Alright, kid." Dan relented. "We'll do it your way. We'll take out your old man, and then you can help me get my body back."
"Okay." Proteus said in glee.
Proteus then noticed a couple walking the streets.
"You don't understand, Maeve." The man said. "I really care. I'm a lad on the way up, Maeve. I think we should save Wales, even the whole of Britain, if that's what it takes."
"Oh, it's a keen mind you have, Thomas." Maeve told him. "You'll go far in politics. With me, however, you'll not get far at all. Good night to you." She left him all alone.
Thomas rubbed the back of his head before he noticed a shadow being cast over him. Turning around, he saw Proteus.
"No!" He screamed before Proteus possessed him.
Dan simply rolled his eyes at the human's fear.
"Now can we get a move on?" Dan asked, trying to hold back his irritation.
Nearby, the X-Men and Moira were still looking for Proteus.
"MacTaggart's campaign office should be in the next block." Beast said.
"He's here." Wolverine smelled his scent. "Over there!" He pointed at Proteus, who decided the jig was up, so he left his new body.
Moira and the X-Men were inching their way to Proteus.
"Kevin!" Moira tried to get him to come back. "It's time to come home."
"But he doesn't want to come home." Dan stepped out of a corner.
The X-Men all widened their eyes at seeing Dan back.
"Who's this?" Moira asked in fear as she looked at the appearance of this monster, but the X-Men were too focused on Dan to explain.
"You!" Danny cried with rage and fear. He was wondering how Dan managed to escape this time.
Dan smirked at seeing his counterpart. "Hello, Danny."
"How the hell did you get out?" Rogue asked in disbelief.
Dan gestured to Proteus. "Thanks to my new adoptive son here."
"Son?" Everyone gasped at this revelation.
"Kevin, get away from him!" Danny commanded as he got in front of Proteus and stared Dan down. "You don't know what he's capable of!"
"I know what he's capable of." Proteus said. "He's going to help me get revenge on the one who abandoned me."
"Listen to him, Kevin!" Rogue told the confused mutant. "He's a monster."
Danny charged at Dan and pushed him up against a wall. "Leave the kid alone, Dan. This is between you and me."
"It will be soon enough." He pushed Danny off of him. "For now, stay out of my way." He was about to fire an ecto-blast when he remembered his new body was limited.
Danny noticed this as he realized that Dan seemed a lot weaker than before. "Not as tough as before, are you?" He mocked. "You losing your touch, old man?"
Dan glared at Danny. "I swear you'll know true agony when this is all over, Danny." He then called out to Proteus. "Kevin, protect me! Don't let them take me away from you!"
"Stay away from my father!" Proteus grabbed Danny and threw him away from his new father. "Just leave us alone!"
"I wish I could!" Wolverine charged at him before Proteus let out an electric blast that pushed them all back.
"Good job, kid. Now let's get out of here before they get up." Dan said.
Proteus nodded as he and Dan left.
"This kid has some temper." Rogue commented as she got up.
"What kid doesn't?" Danny responded. "I'm more worried about what Dan will make him do. That fucking bastard is manipulating him. He'll make Kevin commit all kinds of atrocities and acts of evil."
"How could he have gotten out?" Rogue asked fearfully.
"I don't know, but he didn't trigger my ghost sense, which is weird because he's done that before." Danny tried to think of a reason for that. "And he felt much weaker. Unless." He tried to think of an explanation before the answer finally came to him.
He turned to the rest of the X-Men. "I think I know what happened. Last time we were with Kevin, I was about to get through to him when I had to help Rogue. Maybe he wanted a new father, so he used his powers to create one. He made one by recreating my energy. Since the body was exactly like my ecto-signature, which is also similar to Dan's, he was able to implant his consciousness into it. That's why I can't sense him because that temporary body shares my ecto-signature. And he can't leave Kevin without that body fading away."
"So he's gonna manipulate that poor boy." Rogue was horrified at that innocent kid being used by Dan for his own nefarious purposes.
"And if Kevin does reach Joe, he's going to find out that Joe left me because of him!" Moira said in fear. "Joe didn't want a mutant for a child. It's gonna make him crazy. There'll be no way to stop him short of..."
"Destroying him?" Xavier finished. "We will find another way."
Proteus and Dan were flying in the sky when Dan decided to see if he could get something from the kid.
"You think you can give me some more power so I can defend myself if they come back?" Dan asked, trying to seem like the caring father that Proteus wanted him to be.
"Of course, father." Proteus grabbed Dan's hand, and the evil phantom glowed with power.
Dan inspected his hand as it glowed with energy.
He gave an evil smirk to Proteus. "Nice one, kid. Now come on, let's go make that bastard pay."
Moira and the X-Men were currently talking to Joe in his campaign office.
"Moira wanted custody." Joe said, not caring about what happened to his son. "Kevin is not my problem anymore. What do you want me to do? Put him on telly?"
Danny glared at Joe, angered by his lack of care for his offspring. "So much for family values."
"No, Mr. MacTaggert." Xavier responded to Joe's question. "You're in grave danger. Your son is furious with you."
"He knows you didn't want him." Moira pleaded. "We have to get you out of here."
"Are you nuts?" Joe retorted. "The vote's tomorrow."
"Asshole!" Danny grabbed him by his tie. "There are more important things at stake than your stupid election. And by the way, you're sure as hell not getting my vote." He let go of the man.
"There are cameras everywhere I go." Joe said, still refusing to see the danger he was in. "I don't want people to remember I'm divorced, much less find out I'm the father of some sort of..."
"What?" Danny asked as he got in Joe's face. "Mutant? You've got a problem with people who are different, you sorry excuse for a man?"
"Don't talk to me like that!" Joe roared, angered by this man's disrespect.
"I'll talk to you anyway I want." Danny replied. "You had an amazing kid, but you ruined it because of your stupid prejudice. And now it's coming back to haunt you."
"Joe, he's a boy." Moira said. "And he needs his father."
"Well, tell him that Xavier's his father." Joe retorted. "You always wanted it that way."
"You idiot!" Danny cried. "He's coming for you whether you like it or not, and he's gonna kill you for abandoning him. I'm here to make sure that doesn't happen. Not because I give a shit what happens to you, but because that boy has been through enough. He doesn't need blood on his hands as well."
Joe was a bit timid at seeing Danny's rage, so he cleared his throat before speaking. "I appreciate your offer of protection, but I have my own." Two bodyguards came out to stand behind him.
"Whatever you have is not enough!" Danny tried to make the idiot see reason. "He's not alone! He's with someone else. Someone horrible. He may be weak right now, but his mind is just as deadly, and he's feeding all his hate into your son. Trying to make him commit atrocities. Starting by killing you."
"You have to listen to him." Rogue joined in. "That monster is gonna corrupt your poor son."
Dan and Proteus phased through the gates to Joe's home before entering the lavish place.
Looking at the photographs, Proteus saw Joe with other children. Dan heard footsteps coming, so he turned them invisible as two children ran in, playing a game of tag before they left.
The two then phased upstairs into Joe's office.
"Where is he?" Proteus asked impatiently as he looked at a campaign poster for Joe.
"Look at the top." Dan said as he read what it said. "Come to union hall today. That's where he'll be."
Dan turned to leave, with Proteus calling out to him.
"Father?"
Dan rolled his eyes before turning around and putting a smile on his face. "Yes, son?"
"You won't ever leave me, will you?" Proteus asked.
"Never. I'll always be by your side." Dan lied as he turned around to leave the place, with Proteus following.
"If the boy shows up, keep him out of sight until after the vote." Joe said to his bodyguard as the two were alone in his office. "If you don't, all our work will be for nothing."
"How bad is he?" The bodyguard asked.
"How should I know?" Joe said in an annoyed voice. "I haven't seen him since he was crawling."
Rogue and Danny were watching from the air vent with looks of disgust on their faces.
"Ought to just let Proteus get a good look at dear old dad." Rogue muttered.
"I'm tempted as well." Danny said. "Such a rotten excuse for a dad."
Joe's bodyguard was confused by his boss's fear over one kid. "How much trouble can one boy be?"
"And don't get careless." Joe warned the man before he left.
Rogue and Danny left the air vents as Rogue activated her communicator.
"Professor, we got to change shifts." Rogue said. "I need a shower after babysitting this slime." She then gave Danny a sexy look. "Preferably with you."
They heard Joe leaving his office, so Danny phased the two out of the building as they watched from the window.
"I know this sucks, Rogue." Danny told her. "But remember, we aren't doing this for him. We're doing this to help Kevin and get him away from Dan's influence. Who knows what that monster will make him do? I won't let him lay a finger on that boy."
Rogue smiled. "You're a good man. I wish Daddy cared enough."
Danny placed his hands on Rogue's cheeks. "Rogue, your father was an idiot for not realizing how wonderful his mutant daughter was. He's the problem, not you."
Rogue thanked him with a short make out session.
"You always know what to say to cheer me up, sugar." She said.
The next day, Joe was at the union hall to a crowd of roaring applause.
"Joe MacTaggert." Joe shook hands with a prospective voter. "Appreciate your support. Hope you'll be with me on election day."
"MacTaggert, how are you doing? Good man." He shook hands with another person.
Danny and Rogue were watching on the catwalk.
"Joe MacTaggert." Danny said in a mocking voice. "Appreciate you falling for my lies. Hope you'll turn your back so I can press my knife into it even further."
Rogue giggled.
They saw Joe approach a man. "It's in the bag, Bill." He said.
"I don't go along with abandoning kids." Rogue said
"Political campaigns are designedly made to paralyze what slight powers of celebration man can normally muster." Beast quoted from his position. "James Harvey Robinson."
"Just remember to report the least sign of a disturbance." Xavier said over his communicator, fearing for Kevin now that he is in Dan's company. "Is that understood?"
"Certainly, professor." Beast answered.
Xavier then tried to see where Logan was. "Logan, are you there? Are you all right?"
"Yeah." Logan said. "Yeah, I'm here. No angry boy clouds in the basement. Or any trace of Casper's evil doppelganger." He heard a noise. "Hold it!" He flashed his claws, only to realize it was a rat. "All clear."
"Are you holding up okay, Logan?" Xavier asked, remembering what Proteus did to him.
Logan brushed off Xavier's concern. "Worry about that kid if I find him first!"
Joe was at the podium as the people clapped for him.
"Thank you!" Joe said in appreciation. "I take that as support not just for me but for my platform for every family in Scotland, for our children!"
"Guess he likes children if they ain't his." Rogue glared. "I've seen that happen before." She then heard voices from the past.
"My own flesh and blood, a mutant!" Her father snarled with hate.
"Daddy please!" Rogue begged.
"You're a disgrace!" He walked away from her. "I'm ashamed to be seen with you! You ain't my daughter! Not anymore."
"Daddy!" Rogue called out to him. "Daddy, please!"
Danny noticed his girlfriend's discomfort as he kissed her cheek. "You're not a disgrace. And I'm proud to be seen with you. You'll always be my girlfriend. Always."
Rogue kissed him in thanks. "Thank you, Danny. But I don't know if I agree with always being your girlfriend." She put her hands on his chest. "Someday I might just want to move up to the next level. You know what I mean?" She winked at him, making him blush.
Beast was looking over Joe from behind the curtain. "I wonder, professor, if Proteus and Dan might not wish to avoid so public a location..."
Xavier groaned as he felt Proteus's presence. "He's here!" Xavier cried. "Proteus and Dan are in the hall!"
"I know that without my children, I would simply cease to exist." Joe said. "They're my life. Our children are more than our future. They are..."
"A resource for an unscrupulous politician to use to get into office?" Dan asked as he walked into the room with people crying out in fear of his appearance. "Because that's how it seems to me. Unless you truly mean that, in which case, how about I introduce you to your kid? The one who was born as a mutant that you abandoned and kept a secret ever since."
He gestured to Proteus, who walked in.
"Joe MacTaggert, it's me, Kevin!"
Danny and Rogue got in front of them.
"Sugar, you got to get away from him!" Rogue beseeched Kevin.
"Dan's just using you!" Danny shouted.
"Don't believe it, my son." Dan told Proteus.
Moira went to run to Kevin, but Xavier held her back, not because he was afraid of what Proteus would do but because of what Dan would do to her. "Moira, stay back! I'll help them." He pulled out his communicator. "Where are you, Logan? Wolverine!"
Wolverine was about to leave the basement until he remembered what Proteus did to him. "I can't." He slammed the door shut and ran away.
Proteus wrapped Beast up in chains as Dan and Danny were fighting while the people were running.
Proteus was about to drop a piano on Beast when Rogue caught it, only for it to wrap around her.
"Where are you, Logan?" Xavier asked, wondering where he was.
"Blast it!" Rogue broke out of her prison.
Dan blasted Danny across the room.
"Seems he's gotten stronger since last time." He muttered to himself. "But not strong enough."
He flew back and kicked Dan in the head.
"I'm not gonna let you hurt that kid!" Danny vowed.
"Hurt him?" Dan repeated. "I'm not hurting him; in fact, I'm helping him. Helping him see the truth of this world. Go on, Kevin! Kill him! Make me proud!"
During all this chaos, Joe was yelling at his bodyguard. "I paid you to keep this from happening!"
"That's no boy!" The bodyguard responded. Joe pushed him aside as he left the building.
Danny pulled out a thermos and was about to suck Dan up when Dan blasted it out of his hand. Dan then fired another ecto-blast at the device, destroying it.
"Nice try, but I saw that coming from a mile away." Dan said. "You think you would have some new tricks after all this time."
"How about this?" Danny duplicated himself as he and his copies surrounded Dan.
"So you finally got that trick down, huh?" Dan asked as they fought.
Xavier was trying to connect with Kevin's mind. "Talk to me, Kevin. Stop fighting us, and I'll listen."
"Where is he?" Proteus demanded, referring to Joe.
"You frightened him, Kevin!" Xavier replied. "He ran away because..."
"Shut up!" Proteus roared as he used his powers to flood the room. He then used his powers to turn the lights of a chandelier into bats as they swarmed the X-Men.
"Get them off of me!" Rogue cried as she tried to swat them away.
Danny saw his friends were in trouble and was going to rescue them when Dan grabbed him in a choke hold as he blasted his copies out of existence.
Beast tried to carry Xavier away, but Proteus turned the water into ice as they slipped toward a hole in the floor with fire coming out of it.
Logan came in and was about to help the two when Dan blasted him back.
"No!" Danny broke out of Dan's grip and saved Xavier and Beast from burning to death before he put the fire out with his ice powers. He then blasted away the bats that were attacking Rogue.
"Better talk to your boy, Danny." Logan said to him. "Cause he ain't listening to any of us."
"Kevin, stop!" Danny implored. "You can't keep doing this!"
Proteus was distracted, causing the room to return to normal.
"That's more like it." Rogue murmured.
"Kevin, please listen." Danny said.
"No, don't listen to him!" Dan came up to Proteus's side. "He's the one who trapped me. Stick with me, Kevin, and you'll never be alone again. I will protect you, and you will want for nothing ever again. Just help me get my body back."
"No!" Danny shouted. "He's deceiving you, Kevin! He only brings misery and despair wherever he goes."
"Who are you going to believe?" Dan asked Proteus. "Him? Or your own father, who adopted you despite how different you are."
"Stay away from us!" Proteus knocked them back as Dan phased the two through the roof as they flew away.
"Fascinating." Beast said. "His power seems limited only by his imagination."
"And that temper." Rogue added.
"I've got to save him from Dan." Danny said desperately. "I have to stop them."
"Stopping them is beyond our power." Xavier said as he was lifted back into his chair. "We must continue to try to reason with him."
"No, Charles." Moira said solemnly. "You're tried. It is I that must do something now." She headed out.
"Moira! Wait!" Xavier called out to her, but she had already left.
"Do you wish me to bring her back?" Beast asked.
"If only I had more time with him." Danny scolded himself.
"Even with more time, Danny, what more could we accomplish?" Beast asked as they left the building. "Proteus attacks with the speed of thought, and Dan has managed to gain his loyalty. Though a young man, he has the immature emotions of a child."
"I say we nail him." Wolverine said.
Danny pushed Wolverine to the ground. "Fuck you!"
"What are you talking about?" Rogue said to Wolverine. "And by the way, when he and Dan were tossing us around, where were you hiding?"
Wolverine got up and threatened Rogue with his claws. "Back off, cornpone."
"Don't talk to my girlfriend like that!" Danny said as he got in Wolverine's face.
"Danny, Rogue, your anger serves no purpose." Beast tried to calm them down. "Wolverine could not prevent his hesitation."
"Hey, I was still plenty scared of Dan, but you don't see me leaving you guys alone at his mercy." Danny said.
"Yes, but unlike you, Wolverine has never experienced fear before." Beast explained. "He must not know how to react to it."
"So what you're saying is that I need to pour more coffee on him?" Danny asked.
Beast couldn't help but chuckle. "Not exactly."
"You saying that I'm a coward, Blue Boy?" Wolverine threatened Beast.
Xavier was about to break this up, but Danny beat him to it.
"Shut up!" Danny shouted. "Just shut up, Wolverine! Did you hear what Moira said? She may try to destroy her own son! We have to help Kevin before it comes to that! You might feel like it's the right thing to do. But we X-Men aren't going to start killing innocents. That poor kid is alone, and now he's Dan's puppet. We have to get him away from Dan before he destroys any trace left of that innocent boy. And that's what we're going to do. So you can either help us save Kevin and stop Dan, or you can piss off back home. Your choice."
Everyone was surprised at Danny's attitude. Especially Rogue. She kind of liked it.
Wolverine sighed as he relented. "Fine, but how do we stop them? You might be able to handle Dan, but how do we deal with Proteus? He can alter reality."
"Well, I guess we should fight fire with fire." Danny said as he got an idea. "Or, in this case, reality-warping with reality-warping."
"What are you talking about, Spooky?" Rogue asked.
Danny grinned cheekily. "I think I have something that can even the odds against Kevin. I just need to make a quick trip back home."
"Let's go. I want my body back." Dan tried to pull him in the direction of Amity Park, but Proteus refused.
"No!" Proteus still wanted revenge on Joe. "We don't go anywhere else until I make my father pay!"
Dan let out a heavy sigh. He was going to kill this kid when this was all over. Slowly and painfully.
"Fine." Dan said. "Can you at least give me more power?"
"I..." Proteus hesitated as he recalled Danny's words and Dan's recent mood. Maybe he was right. Maybe Dan can't be trusted. "I can't."
"Why not?" Dan demanded as he flashed his red eyes, which frightened Proteus.
"Because I don't have enough power." Proteus lied. "Come on, let's go find my father." He flew past Dan to try and find Joe.
"First chance I get, I'm fucking ripping you limb by limb, boy." Dan promised quietly before he went to join him.
Danny and Rogue were in their room when Danny pulled out a box. He opened it, revealing a gauntlet made of metal and four colorful gems.
"What is that?" Rogue asked.
"During the Dark Phantom Phoenix incident, I remember taking this gem from Freakshow." Danny pulled out the red triangle gem he had taken. "I didn't know what if was until I read this book." He flashed the book that he picked out with Rogue at the bookstore before Dani arrived.
"It's one of the gems that powers this artifact called the Reality Gauntlet, which allows one to control reality." Danny was placing the gems into the gauntlet as he slipped it on. "I did some research on the author and found out he's Freakshow. I had Vlad look up where he was, and he was being held by the GIW. Hacking into their files, we found out that they also possessed the gauntlet and the other gems, so I broke in and stole them."
Danny was trying to type in the code, as the book said it was needed to activate all the gems, but Freakshow didn't know it.
Danny kept trying random sequences until he got it right. "I kept them all here so later I could find a way to destroy them. But now, we can use it to level the playing field."
A reporter stood outside the union hall. "Earlier this evening, MacTaggert was victim of a vicious physical attack by two perpetrators. An attack he says was instigated by his opponent, Bill Wallace; however, witnesses say that one of the perpetrators was MacTaggert's son, whom he abandoned because he was a mutant."
Joe was at a press conference trying to deal with the issue.
"Good evening." He said nervously. "Thank you all for having me here tonight. Of course, after this afternoon, I'm thankful to be anywhere tonight. Now, where was I? Oh, yes. Telling you what you already know and pretending I just thought it up."
The X-Men were at the back, listening to his speech.
"Mmm, that boy's slick as hog fat." Rogue muttered.
"The only real hope for a solution to all this is there, behind that podium." Xavier said. "But MacTaggert decided long ago that his career was more important than his son."
"A real prince." Wolverine muttered.
"And I have a personal stake in that future, my love for my children." Joe said as people applauded his speech.
This moment was interrupted as the doors blew open as Dan walked in.
"MacTaggert, it's time to play." Dan said. "The courts say today it's your turn to look after your son." He looked at Proteus, who had entered the room. "Go get him, boy."
"Here now." Joe tried to play it cool. "A joke's a joke."
"The only joke here is you actually being a decent father." Dan said as Proteus approached Joe.
Wolverine took one look at Proteus, and his fear overwhelmed him as he ran.
"You're not real!" Joe cried as the ghost and mutant got closer to him. "You're a trick to ruin me!"
"The only thing getting ruined is you!" Proteus grabbed Joe by the throat.
"Well, Kevin, what do you want to do to him?" Dan asked, excited by the possibility of seeing someone in pain. "The possibilities are endless; you can melt him, turn him into a cockroach, and stomp on him, or you can turn him into a mutant. Make his skin green with eight eyes, four legs, and six arms. Give him snakes for tongues and an extra mouth on his stomach."
"Kevin, stop!" Danny flew up to him, wearing the Reality Gauntlet.
"I told you to stay away!" Proteus threw Joe into a wall as he glared at Danny.
"Sorry, Kevin, but this is for your own good." Danny raised the gauntlet.
Dan recognized this object. "The Reality Gauntlet?"
Danny was about to stop Proteus when Dan blasted the gauntlet off of him.
Proteus then grabbed Danny by the throat while Dan summoned copies to deal with the X-Men.
"Why won't you leave us alone?" Proteus demanded.
"Because I can't let him hurt you." Danny said.
"Hurt me?" Proteus was confused. "He's the one you trapped."
"Only because he killed my family." Danny revealed.
At this, Proteus paused. "What?"
"That monster took away my family and friends." Danny said as he gave Dan a hateful look. "I tried to stop him, but it was too late. You can't listen to him, Kevin. He doesn't care for anyone but himself. And you can't kill your father. I know you're angry at him. Believe me, I know; my father and mother hated me and constantly tried to hunt me down and dissect me."
Proteus was horrified and shocked at what Danny told him. "They did?"
"Yes, and so I know your pain." Danny said. "But you can't hurt him. Not because of him, but because of you. You shouldn't have to stain your hands with that idiot's blood. Just because he abandoned you doesn't mean it's the end of the world. When I lost the people I cared about, I thought it was all over, but it wasn't. I found other people who cared for me. It can happen to you. Your mother cares for you. The X-Men care for you. I care for you, Kevin."
"I..." Proteus was touched by Danny's words. He still cared for him. Even after everything he had done.
"Enough!" Dan grabbed hold of Proteus as he started to absorb the mutant's energy.
"What are you doing?" Proteus cried out in pain.
"Taking your energy, kid." Dan said as he blasted Danny away. "It's the only reason I stayed by your side. But now the game's over."
Danny got up as he tried to get back into the room, only to run into Banshee and Moira.
"Stop!" Danny got in front of them. "I need you to give me more time. I think I can finally save Kevin."
The two looked at each other before they reluctantly nodded.
"Please save my son, Danny." Moira said.
"I will." Danny was about to leave when he saw Wolverine run up to him.
"Casper, catch!" He threw the gauntlet at Danny, who caught it.
"Thanks, Logan." Danny said gratefully. "Now let's go save the kid."
"But you're my father." Proteus protested.
Dan punched him in the face. "Don't you ever call me that! I'd rather go back into that god-forsaken thermos than ever be your father. Lesson one of life, Kevin: love and acceptance make one weak. It's all about power and dominance. That's all that matters in this world. The only point in existing is to cause as much damage, chaos, and pain before it all ends."
Proteus felt betrayed. "I thought you cared?"
"Cared?" Dan laughed at that absurd thought. "Who would ever care for something like you?"
"I would." Danny said as he put the gauntlet back on. He used it to get rid of the copies that were fighting the X-Men before firing a beam at Proteus and Dan.
"No!" Dan raged as he felt himself getting weaker. "Damn you! Damn you, you bastard!"
There was an explosion that covered the whole room.
Dan woke up to find himself greeted by the familiar sight of darkness.
He screamed and raged, but no one could hear him.
Danny got up. He looked at his arm and saw that the explosion had permanently destroyed the gauntlet. He looked on stage and saw Kevin back in his regular form.
Danny ran up to him. "Kevin! Are you all right?"
Kevin had tears in his eyes as he hugged Danny. "I wish I had a father just like you." He whispered to him.
Joe had woken up and saw that Kevin was back to his normal form. "Kevin?" He approached his son cautiously. "Son, is that really you?"
Kevin avoided eye contact with Joe. "It is."
"Aye, child, though I've no right to the name." Joe said regretfully. "Can you forgive me?"
Kevin looked away, still hurt by his father's rejection.
Joe lowered his head in shame. "I understand, son. I don't blame you."
Moira then showed up. "I'm sure we can mend what has happened over time." She gave Danny a bright smile. "Thank you, Danny."
Xavier then arrived with the rest of the X-Men. "Yes, Danny, I don't think we could have done this without you."
"Indeed, though I am curious, did the gauntlet take away his powers?" Beast asked.
Xavier closed his eyes, as he could still sense Kevin's powers. "No, it seems that the gauntlet simply stabilized them."
"I don't know how Casper faced those two." Wolverine said to Rogue. "He never loses his cool."
"Forget it, hon." Rogue said, forgiving Wolverine for what happened earlier. "In our business, we all get shook up every now and again."
"I don't." Wolverine said before leaving.
Rogue rolled her eyes before she went up to Danny and wrapped an arm around him. "Nice job, sugar. I like a man who's good with kids."
Xavier was in his office when he noticed someone walk in. "Lilandra?"
Lilandra stood in the office as she smiled at the professor. "Hello, Charles."
"What are you doing here?" Xavier asked.
"One of your students told me that you were in one of your depressive moods." Lilandra said. "I know we hit a hard spot in our relationship, and I wanted to fix that."
Xavier smiled. "Thank you, Lilandra."
"Hey, Moira, how's he doing?" Danny asked as Moira and Kevin stepped down from the Blackbird.
He had been visiting Kevin for some time to check on how he was doing.
"He's doing extremely well." Moira said. "I must thank you for your help. He's much happier nowadays."
"And how's his relationship with Joe?" Danny whispered.
"It's slow, but I think over time they will be able to be close with each other." Moira whispered back. "Personally, I think he's more taken with you."
Danny smiled at the teenager. "Hey, Kevin, how are you doing?"
"Fine." Kevin said shyly.
"Well, how about we go out and explore the town?" Danny offered. "Maybe get some ice cream?"
"I would like that." Kevin said as he smiled at Danny.
Rogue was parking her car when she noticed Danny and Kevin get on his motorcycle and ride off as the two laughed.
Rogue had tears of joy in her eyes. Her father may not have accepted her, but she was sure any children she had would never have to fear rejection by their father.
"Now I want kids." Rogue said.