nextgenerationmarvel | A Constant Disappointment

Dolemeck had adjusted well within the school. He was happy to have been able to go swimming (even if he just floated there), he was making new friends, had access to an amazing art room with sewing machine, and had almost everything he could ask for. Professor Franklin's suggested reading for his citizenship class was helping him quite a bit. He was understanding more and more about the country that will soon become his home.

Just as he was about to call it a day, Dolemeck took out his ear buds and turned off his music player. He then looked over at his phone and realized he had missed a phone call just a few minutes ago.

"Not often I get one of these. Perhaps it's Bobbi asking if I want to go pick berries, again." He thought to himself as he looked at the number it came from, and then played the message.

Hey, Dole! I was asked to come to the States to perform on the Late Show! Would you like to have dinner afterwards at the Oyster Bar? It's been awhile since he spent time together, son. I thought this would be a great opportunity to see how you are doing in your new school. Give me a call back when you can, little one.

He nearly dropped the phone after hearing the message. His Father was in the country, and he wanted to spend time with him! While he was used to the disappointment of his Father bailing at the last minute, he was hopeful this time. Enough that he tried to walk as quickly as he could with his leg braces on to Professor Franklin's office.

"Professor Franklin!" He busted into the room, forgetting to knock in his excitement. "My Da is in the country! He's going to do a gig for the "Late Show" and then meet me at the Oyster bar in the City! Can I please have permission to go?"

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Dolemeck was shaking, and in tears as he was confronting his Father. There were a few alcohol bottles around the room, signs of a party, and other activities.

"You bloody promised me! You... you promised me you would stop doing such things!" Dolemeck was yelling at his Father, who was putting on a robe and stumbling out of bed.

"You need to calm down..." Sigfried's words were a bit slurred as he walked towards Dolemeck. More like stumbled. "The show ended early and I just thought I would have a little fun... there was no harm. You are being stupid!"

"I'm being stupid!? You were having sex with women you just met, you are drunk, and you forgot about seeing me in a restaurant! If I had gone there by me-self, I would not know how to get back to the bloody school! You put me in danger... and for what!? This!?" he used his powers to lift one of the alcohol bottles from the floor and smash it up against a wall. "You promised you would never drink or party again. Someone in the state you are in right now nearly killed me, and you promised! It's obvious... you do not even love me enough to keep your word. You just said those things for the press, didn't you!?"

"Would you just shut up? Who are you to tell me wot I can and cannot do!" Sigfried fired back at Dolemeck, waving a finger in his son's face. "You are bloody nothing, that is wot you are! if it wosn't for me... you would not even be here!"

"Does Mum even know what you are doing!?" Dolemeck shouted once more. "You are not just betraying me, but her! Dayton was right when he warned me about idolizing you! You do not care about us, just yourse- "

Before Dolemeck could finish that sentence, Sigfried sent a mean left hook toward his son's face. he looked wide eyed, a doe in headlights as he could not focus enough to protect himself.

Edited 2014-06-13 01:15 (UTC)

To say that Franklin was disgusted with the scene was an understatement. This drunk was Dolemeck's father and the kid deserved so much better than that. Why raise his hopes in the first place if only to dash them so completely?

He tensed up when Dolemeck lifted up the bottle. He couldn't blame him, not really, but provoking a drunk wasn't a particularly wise thing to do. His lip curled with disgust as Sigfried spoke again.

And just as Sigfried wound up to punch Dolemeck, he'd already turned into a far more durable state, carbon steel, catching the punch in midswing. Fast as the actual blow might've been, drunk as he was- he couldn't be more obvious telegraphing it.

It probably hurt a lot. Franklin didn't particularly care. He shrugged the man off.

"You're pathetic. Get help." He looked over at Dolemeck. "We're going back, okay?" He shifted back into his normal form and put his hand on the kid's shoulder.

"Aye..." He gave a nod of his head to Franklin, before looking back down at his Father after his punch was caught and he fell to the floor. He swallowed hard before speaking once more. "Do not... do not call me, again. Do not ever get my hopes up, anymore. I know why Dayton has legal guardianship of me, now. What he was protecting me from all these years. Good bye, Sigfried."

Just as Sigfried began to yell nonsense and calling him names, Dolemeck left the room. He turned back to Garret, giving the man a quick hug before leaving. Garret looked just as pained as Dolemeck did, even sighing as he began to head back into Sigfried's room. He spoke to Franklin before disappearing.

"You take care of that lad. He needs a good role model... not a fairytale, aye?"

Franklin let Dolemeck say his piece before leaving the room with him. He nodded towards Garret.

"We will, I promise you." Franklin locked eyes with him for a moment, before going onto the elevator with Dolemeck. And just as soon as the doors closed, there was a flash of light and they were in the elevator at Xavier's.

"I'm sorry you had to see that." Franklin spoke at last, putting his hand on Dolemeck's shoulder.

He was about ready to break down into sobs. His whole body trembled as he fought them off.

"No, it is I who am the sorry one. You should have... you should have never seen that, Professor Franklin." His voiced quivered much like his body. "I never understood why Dayton never wanted me to spend much time with Da. Now, I wished he told me the truth. I did not... I never wanted to find this out."

"I only saw the man on stage. The performer... not what was behind all the smoke and mirrors. What does that say about me?"

Franklin turned slightly so he was facing Dolemeck fully.

"Hey. Don't apologize to me." Franklin said, softly but surely. "I'm okay." It wasn't his father there, after all, just a mean drunk. "Your brother was trying to protect you. Maybe it wasn't the best thing to do, but ... some things you only know in hindsight."

His eyes met Dolemeck's. "You wanted to believe the best about your father, because you love him. You're not the one who needs to be saying anything about themselves."

"Why doesn't he love me back, then?" He was now wiping tears from his eyes. "He just... he used me for press back home. To claim sobriety after I was nearly killed. He even did a whole campaign about it! All while... while he was living a lie! I was just a prop to him, he never cared."

Fighting back tears was a losing battle.

"Please... please do not tell anyone about this. I do not want them to know. I just..."

"I don't know what he feels in his heart." Franklin replied. "But the way he treated you there is inexcusable, and it's his fault, not yours."

"Don't hold back. Let it out. You'll feel better afterwards." There was more than one occasion in his life where he should have cried, but stubborn pride stopped him from doing so.

Dolemeck did just that, he broke down and let it all out. His hands moved to cover his face. It was impossible to stop the tears that came out, or the sobs that wracked his body. Everything he knew about his father, everything he was lead to believe was a painful illusion. And now that the illusion was gone, the reality hurt unlike anything he had ever experienced.

"Why? Why did Dayton not just tell me the truth?" He slammed his fist up against the elevator's side. "It would have been better than finding out like this! Then falling for another broken promise, another disappointment! Instead... I spent years waiting for Da to show up to events, award ceremonies, birthdays... just waiting for him! He's too in love with himself to love Mum, me brothers, or even me. I do not matter to him, I never did! I was just... just something to garner him praise and publicity! Just an object... not a son."

Edited 2014-06-15 07:37 (UTC)

A Constant Disappointment

Re: The Oyster Bar

Re: The Oyster Bar

Re: The Oyster Bar

Re: The Oyster Bar

Re: The Oyster Bar

Re: The Oyster Bar

Re: The Oyster Bar

Re: The Oyster Bar

Re: The Oyster Bar