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John Kesler hadn’t meant for it to happen, at least not really. Kaplan had just, been there. After the day he had, well anyone would have done the same thing, right? Even if it was motivated by hate, it was still an accident. He hadn’t meant to hurt him this badly. Wasn’t Kaplan suppose to be some mutant or something? They had healing abilities and stuff. He’d get right back up. So why was he still laying on the ground, bleeding like that? Was his leg and arm supposed to be jutted out at those angles? Kesler was sure that head wounds didn’t bleed that badly normally, and what about the nose? Did it always look so smashed?
A few students pushed John to the ground and pinned him there. He recognized one of them as the quarterback, but he didn’t understand why he was helping Kaplan. Had the queer gotten to their star player? He didn’t really have time to think about that as sirens and cries were now drowning out all other noises and thoughts. The cops and ambulance? Wasn’t Kaplan was a mutant! Didn’t they know that? Apparently no one knew, or seemed to care. John watched as the paramedics fretted about Billy, and he could hear one of them mention a need for emergency air transport. That had the hands holding him to the ground tightening. Suddenly he was hauled to his feet, handcuffed, and shoved into the back of a police car. He saw one of the new photographers nearby glaring at him as if he’d just killed his only son, and frowned. What was with these people? Billy Kaplan was a freak! He had deserved to get hit. Hell he deserved much much more.
Peter’s hands were shaking as he moved through the crowd towards Billy’s prone body. The police had let him through once they had seen that he didn’t have his camera, and the pain in his face. He couldn’t look at the boy, but he couldn’t leave him. The policeman closest to him was cursing and seemed about as panicked as Peter himself was, and Peter realized who the man was, Cassie Lang’s step-dad. Billy was in safe hands until the Avengers could get to him, and well Peter had nowhere else to go. He talked his way into the ambulance with Blake and sat at Billy’s side. He leaned down and whispered to the boy, hoping he could hear him. “Everything will be okay Billy... the Avengers are on their way...”
Clint was the first one to hear the 911 call. He’d been getting himself a beer and getting ready to relax when the scanner had bubbled to life. Why Steve and Tony had gotten it installed in the Tower was anyone's guess, but now Clint was glad for it. As the words registered in his mind, the beer fell from his hands and he was pulling up his cowl and running out the door before any of the others had gotten over their shock. The words were still ringing in his ears as he jumped down the stairwell and landed with a flare.
“911 what is your emergency?”
“We need an ambulance at the Middle High School. A boy’s been hit by a car and... oh god...”
“Sir?”
“The bastard ran him over on purpose! Multiple times.. I.. I can’t get a pulse... There’s so much blood...”
“Help is on the way sir.”
Steve had his hands full as he held Wanda and Tommy close to him. Both had been with him when Clint had called in a panic. Wanda had gasped and passed out in his arms, and Tommy had grabbed him to stay on his feet. It had been easy to get them to the hospital but now, waiting was never either of their strong points. Tommy was shaking with rage and a multitude of other emotions Steve couldn’t even pin point, while Wanda was just crying. She’d just gotten her boys back and now was faced with losing one of them, over some stupid act of violence. Steve was keeping his own rage caged up, but the moment they got word that Billy was okay, he would go out and beat the living hell out of anyone who even looked at him funny.
“Where is he!?” Teddy’s scream broke the gathered Avengers out of their depressed worry, and four of them had to grab Teddy before he barreled through the emergency room doors. Carol petted his hair back and held on tighter than the others, but Luke wasn’t letting go either. “Please... tell me he’s not...” Carol shook her head fast and Teddy collapsed into her arms, sobbing and clinging to her. Most of the Avengers had to look away but one was finally spurred into movements.
Logan was on his feet and moving through the door before anyone had noticed he was even sitting there. He had smelt the blood a mile away and had ditched his own team to check it out. After seeing the boy, he had followed after the ambulance in silence. Sure he hadn’t been the best of support of Billy, but that didn’t mean he didn’t care for the kid. It was hard being a mutant in the world, and Logan knew that. He also knew that it wasn’t easy for Billy even before he was a mutant. It made him feel for the kid more than the others. He owed Billy, and he was going to help him in the only way he knew how.
“Foley, get Pixie and get to St. Luke’s asap!”
“What’s going on Logan?”
“It’s Wiccan... he’s... it’s bad Josh. Just get here.”
“On my way!”
Josh flung his phone off to the side and ditched his date at the table. He’s apologize to Julian later for this, but for now, he had to find Megan. She was hanging in the square which made things easy, and once he explained things to her, she had whisked them away. Appearing in the waiting room, Josh turned and fled through the doors of the emergency room just as Logan came back in with Tony Stark following behind him. A doctor was with them, and he looked worn out and grim.
“I’ve been informed that you are all Mr. Kaplan’s family?” With the collective nod, the doctor gulped and looked down at his pad. Logan’s claws slid out as Luke moved closer to hover over the doctor. “Um... Billy’s injuries were bad. We’ve had him in surgery for several hours and we’ve fixed the major issues. We still have to worry about his legs and his right arm. But I’m more concerned for the fractures in his jaw and nose. It’ll be a few months before he’ll be able to eat solid food again...” He was cut off as Josh marched back into the room, his hands were covered in blood and he was glaring right at the doctor. Tony’s hand clenched as his eyes narrowed. Most of the Avengers were now on edge and glaring at either Josh or the doctor.
“You liar! You haven’t done a damn thing yet. In fact, I just fixed his broken leg and jaw. His ribs were so badly crushed it’s a miracle his lungs hadn’t been punctured. I can only assume that his powers triggered and he prevented any real permanent damage to his brain and lungs! Your staff was actually in there talking about sports scores instead of performing their damn jobs! Why because he’s a mutant? Because he’s gay? Because he’s a fucking superhero and puts his life on the line for scum like you?” Josh was fuming and his hands had started to glow. Logan was growling and Wanda had stood up. Steve had tried to hold her back, but nothing was stopping her, not even the arrival of her father and brother with the rest of the X-Men and X-Factor.
“I could see not taking care of him because he’s a mutant... but to refuse him because he’s gay?!” Wanda’s eyes started to glow brightly as she advanced on the doctor. He had tried to backup and backed right into Shatterstar who was giving him the nastiest glare of them all. “He is a sixteen year old boy. Yes he’s in love with a boy. But you have no right, NO RIGHT, to refuse him medical aid because he loves another boy!” Wanda’s hand flew out and the blast had nearly all in the room ducking for cover. After getting Wanda back under control, and the doctor was kicked from the room, the Avengers noticed that they were down one member. During the whole scream out, Teddy hadn’t spoken, and now he was missing.
Teddy had Hulked out as soon as he entered the room, and that sent the medical staff fleeing. Teddy knew he only had a few moments alone before the Avengers followed the crowd of fleeing workers back to him. But if that’s all he had left, he was going to use it. He moved a chair over to the bed and sunk into it as he gently grabbed Billy’s hand. He was careful not to break it anymore than it was, and he was rewarded when one of Billy’s eyes opened and turned to look at him. Teddy could see the bruises still adorning Billy’s face to where his jaw and nose had been broken, but they would fade in a few days. Teddy leaned forward and moved a piece of Billy’s hair out of his face.
“Hey. You scared me you know that?” Teddy smiled and placed a soft kiss to Billy’s head. “I know you hurt, but we’re all here for you. Blake got Kesler all locked up and Stark said he’s never getting out. They’re going to charge him with like attempted manslaughter and a few hate crimes and junk. I think I heard something about Matt Murdock and Jen Walters taking up your case. Isn’t that cool? Daredevil and She-Hulk together.” Teddy watched as Billy tried a smile. It looked a bit more like a grimace, but Teddy knew what it really was. He smiled back and placed another kiss to Billy’s head, just as a few of the Avengers came into the room. Clint and Steve were helping to keep Wanda upright as she moved to Billy’s side, while Eli had an arm around Tommy’s waist holding him up. Teddy smiled as he saw Carol clinging to Tony and Luke holding Jessica as she clung to him.
“You’ll be okay Billy. Elixir said he’s going to swing by once a week and heal you up little by little. But, well, you’re going to have to be stuck in a wheelchair for a while. You’re real lucky Billy.” Steve petted some of Billy’s hair back as he gazed down at the boy. Billy tried a smile again and mouthed a thank you up at him. “You’re family Billy, and we look after our own.”
It was going to be a long time before Wiccan was seen flying with the Avengers again, but Billy was perfectly content with his family, and he was ready for the fight ahead of him.