Chaos' Heir

Khan's perspective went through another change. Bret had looked like a drunken liar mere minutes ago, but the latest revelations had transformed his image once again. Behind his harsh behavior and casual tone, he was nothing more than a father who had given everything to save his son.

Khan wasn't even a clueless kid anymore. He was no scientist, but his superficial knowledge in the field made him imagine the agonizing process Bret had endured to save him. Performing a transplant while cutting away his organs wasn't only unheard of. It went far above crazy, but Bret had described it without showing any regret or pain.

"Don't waste time feeling bad about it," Bret snorted, holding the bottle with both hands. "Protecting his child is a father's job."

Bret's firm stance acted as a mirror. Khan saw his own determination reflected in that older, dirty face. People had often told him he had taken from his mother, but he noticed parts of himself in his father now.

"I'm sorry I had to take such a roundabout way about it," Bret continued, scratching his greasy hair. "I only thought about increasing your survival chances. If that makes you hate me, so be it."

Another realization hit Khan. His life had revolved around the Nak after the Second Impact, but something similar had happened to his father. Bret's every step after that tragic event had existed for Khan. The consequences didn't matter as long as he could create a path for him.

Khan couldn't help but review his life in the Global Army. Part of his bottomless desperation came from his lack of answers. He might not have struggled so much if his father had told him everything from the beginning. Actually, that knowledge might have led him down a reckless path due to his past naivety.

Desperation might have turned into hatred, making Khan jump on the first ship to search for the Nak's star system. He might have ventured into journeys he wasn't prepared for out of pure rage and desire for vengeance instead of slowly accumulating power.

The discovery of the lie had also worked in Khan's favor. Losing trust in his father forced him to look for alternative explanations and explore different approaches to mana that ultimately compensated for his condition. The journey had not been easy by any means, but Bret had still played a small part in it.

That selflessness shocked Khan to the core. He hated that behavior but couldn't bring himself to feel angry at Bret. The weight that had been on his mind ever since meeting Zalpa vanished, and his coldness slightly retreated, making space for a tone he hadn't used in years.

"Dad," Khan called as if he had regressed to the kid he was before enlisting into the Global Army.

"Don't," Bret scolded. "This petty trick was all I could do to protect you from yourself and the big dogs in the Global Army. I won't take any merit or sadness for what you have achieved on your own."

Once again, Khan felt speechless. Bret was cutting him out to avoid giving birth to any sense of guilt. Even after all that time, he still looked out for his son.

"So," Bret exclaimed, changing the topic. "Did you see the star system?"

"That," Khan nodded, "And more."

Khan didn't go through every detail but explained the visions triggered by the blue plant's toxic substance. He was probably the only one aware of that universal threat, and his father seemed the right person to share that knowledge with.

"Scarlet eyes, huh," Bret muttered once the tale ended. "It would make sense for them to be the mana's sworn enemies since the Nak embody that energy."

"Does the Global Army know anything about this?" Khan questioned.

"No," Bret shook his head. "We mostly focused on applications of the Nak mutations. We looked deeper into it only when problems arose."

It felt strange to talk openly about those topics with Bret. Khan wasn't his equal in the scientific field, but his findings allowed him to keep up. It was a new experience, something neither Khan nor Bret had the chance to create years ago.

"You did good looking into alien theories," Bret eventually praised. "I knew you would have had a broader perspective with your background, but you surpassed my expectations."

The general shock was waning, and Khan's playful side came out to jab back at his father. His eyes started glowing, and Bret froze for a second.

"How curious," Bret whispered, leaning on the table to inspect Khan's eyes closer. "What triggers it?"

"Strong emotions," Khan explained, "Usually. I don't really know why they started doing this."

"Mutations coupled with unorthodox training methods," Bret declared. "Your Nak genes probably facilitated certain transformations to adapt to your abilities."

"It's troublesome," Khan sighed, his eyes going dark. "I can't lie like I used to anymore."

"Do you need to?" Bret asked.

"No," Khan firmly replied.

"That's my boy," Bret laughed. "Your mother would be proud. She would have killed me if she knew I raised a scoundrel."

Bret didn't do it on purpose, but the word "scoundrel" made Khan think about the romantic aspect of his life. His face didn't change, but his father noticed something, and a teasing smile soon broadened.

"She would have been proud about that, too," Bret snickered. "She always knew women would have chased her boy around. Admittedly, she didn't predict alien girls to join the fray."

Khan feigned ignorance and reached forward to steal the bottle from Bret's hands. The latter only smiled while Khan took a long sip, but that prolonged stare made him feel awkward. His life didn't teach him how to deal with his father's inquiring curiosity.

"Come on now," Bret teased. "Tell your dad all about your harem."

"What harem?" Khan coughed.

"I heard much about your exploits," Bret chuckled. "Major Khan, stealing hearts wherever he goes."

"It's not like that," Khan stated, surprised he could still use such a childish tone. "I barely had three girlfriends."

"I read differently," Bret kept pressuring Khan.

Khan opened his mouth to reply, but his memories betrayed him. He had only been in three official relationships, but Delia had happened. As for Jenna, he didn't even know how to begin to explain her.

'Should I count Martha, too?' Khan wondered, surprised about the panic he was experiencing. He could deal with fifth-level warriors and alien monsters without breaking a sweat, but his father was putting him on the spot.

"This is funnier than I expected," Bret laughed. "I've waited twenty years for this moment. Start with the alien girl."

"Her name was Liiza," Khan corrected, his tone turning more serious as his eyes went to the table. "[Liiza]. She saved me after Istrone's mess. I owe her everything."

Bret saw the deep meaning hidden behind Khan's short explanation. He had also read about the Istrone's crisis. His son had it rough, and he didn't want the conversation to turn bitter.

"Was she your first?" Bret asked.

"Dad!" Khan scolded, embarrassment rising into his mind. For some reason, talking with his father about those details didn't feel right.

"I'm simply a concerned father," Bret argued. "And hand over that bottle."

"I need it more than you now," Khan snorted, taking a long sip out of spite.

"The machines in my belly hurt badly," Bret exclaimed, his expression growing old and tired. "Booze is the only thing keeping the pain at bay."

Khan froze for a second before a snort escaped his mouth. "Who do you think you are talking to? I learned that scam from you."

"Hand over the bottle, you ungrateful kid," Bret scoffed, vitality immediately returning to his expression. "And move to the next girl, too."

Khan groaned but still handed over the bottle. Yet, thinking about his second relationship left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Cora was truly good," Khan helplessly said. "I couldn't make it work."

"What?" Bret wondered. "Did the alien girl leave you with strange kinks?"

"I just couldn't love her," Khan admitted, feigning ignorance at the second question. "It wasn't fair, but I tried anyway."

"And what about this fiancée I keep hearing about?" Bret asked. "I talked with her. You sure picked a feisty one."

Khan proudly smirked, nodding at the bottle in Bret's hands. The latter gave back the booze, and Khan became pensive as he stared at the smelly liquid.

"Nitis changed me," Khan explained. "I didn't think I could feel such things anymore. Monica proved me wrong."

"She sounds nice," Bret commented.

"She is," Khan nodded. "She is far more than that to me. I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for her."

Bret fell silent, but his experienced mind connected dots Khan couldn't possibly see. Khan had lived without a motherly figure basically all his life, so his maturity came from the women who had accompanied him throughout the years. He didn't do that on purpose. He wasn't using his female friends and girlfriends. Khan was simply more willing to learn from them.

"Do you love her?" Bret asked.

"Yes," Khan said, showing no doubts. "I want to spend the rest of my life with her."

"Good," Bret nodded before slamming his hand on the table. "Hurry up and give me some grandchildren!"

"What grandchildren?!" Khan cursed. "Why can't you mind your own business, old man?"

"Everyone says you get constant action," Bret snorted. "Can't you tear a condom at least once?"

"She is on birth control," Khan explained. "Not going to happen."

"Birth control?" Bret repeated before wearing a knowing smile. "Nice."

Khan wore a similar smile before shaking his head. His reaction had been instinctive. He almost felt he was talking to George now.

"So," Bret uttered. "I'll have to wait years to become a grandfather."

Some loneliness invaded Bret's expression, capturing Khan's attention. That wasn't a pretense. Bret seemed to care about the matter truly, and Khan could sort of understand why after witnessing the state of his body.

"I'll bring Monica here sometimes," Khan announced, "Introduce her to you."

"That would be nice," Bret said. "I'll have to fill in for your mother and tease her."

"Only I get to tease her," Khan warned. "Still, sure. She'd like to meet you, too."

Bret nodded. He looked satisfied with that development, but Khan thought of something else. He didn't necessarily have to bring Monica to the Slums.

"You know," Khan uttered. "You don't have to stay here anymore. I could get you a nice flat anywhere with my connections and status. The Nognes family wouldn't dare to say anything either."

"No," Bret promptly refused.

"Come on, Dad," Khan heaved a helpless sigh. "It's not just for you. I need people I can trust, and your brain can help."

"I know," Bret stated. "I also know I'm being selfish asking you this, but I want to stay here."

"Why?" Khan questioned.

"Your mother died here," Bret explained. "I want to spend the rest of my days and die here with her."

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