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The metal end of the leather belt snapped across the trousers he was wearing, ripping fabric and, the next hit ripping through his skin. Over and over until he could feel the fabric embedding in the lashes.
The goal was simple, to use his powers to stop the metal from hitting him over and over but the most Erik had been able to do was wrap the metal bed frame around his wrists so he didn’t have to worry about the impact turning him onto his back. The last thing he wanted was his weight on his back, his stomach, and other sensitive areas exposed.
With his face pressed against the bed, he could see nothing, but the bed under his face was wet, soaked through with his tears that he had been fighting but couldn’t anymore. If he had to venture a guess, he would say the bed around his backside was just as wet but with blood. Thanks to the screaming pain and slight bounce from the force, he couldn’t be certain.
After a moment, the pain stopped coming and Erik paused to realize that he had finally done it. The metal was held still against the ceiling, no longer coming down on him. A small sigh of relief left him but it didn’t last. Shaw grabbed his shoulder and flipped him onto his back and the pressure on his fresh wounds made him scream. But that was nothing compared to when the man grabbed his trousers and started to rip them down, the material coming out of each injury the quick movement pulling against each lash-
“Darling, Erik, come on, you’re safe,” He heard the voice and looked around, thinking it made him feel safe and helped to relax a little. His screaming had stopped but the pain seemed to still be there. Another moment and he opened his eyes slowly, looking over at Charles.
“You were having a nightmare,” Charles said softly, his thumbs brushing over Erik’s cheeks, wiping tears.
Erik cleared his throat, not needing to ask to know he was actually screaming out loud. Even sitting on the couch with no current injuries, he could still feel the sting over his ass. A reminder of what his life used to be before he got free, before he found Charles.
“I didn’t mean to sleep,” Erik said, starting to feel guilty as he stood up from the couch and Charles reached for him, taking Erik’s hand in his own.
“You need to take care of yourself, love,” Charles said softly, “No one is going to blame you for sleeping a little. Even if you do have nightmares.”
Erik shook his head, “I can’t. I can’t just sit here, Charles. He has our son, he could be doing the same things to Pietro that he had done to me. I have to go. I have to be doing something.”
Charles sighed but he and Erik both knew that no amount of convincing would get through him. They’d already been going for three days and had only just sat down. Still, Erik couldn’t just rest, not when their son was in danger, out there somewhere, knowing his fathers were going to come for him.
How was anyone supposed to sleep while knowing that? How could Erik let himself fall asleep?
Erik had hated the idea since the beginning. Since his boy had come into the world, he had been hesitant to let him out of his sight. It was at the convincing of Charles that he agreed to send him to school, though if Erik had it his way, the boy would’ve been homeschooled.
Of course, Charles had his good points in the argument, that it wasn’t healthy for Erik or Pietro to spend every second of every day together. And Pietro needed to spend time with other kids his age, learn to socialize, and make friends.
Erik’s points consisted of himself and Charles being able to teach him anything and everything he needed to know. Erik had the life skills and Charles was a professor, after all. Plus, Erik would then be able to keep his son safe from the world.
Alas, Charles had won the argument and Pietro had been going to a local private school for the last two years with no issue. Charles had been heard on multiple occasions reminding Erik that he was right and that the school was as safe as anywhere for the boy to be. Though Erik still didn’t quite believe him.
It wasn’t one of the times he wanted to be right, but still, he was. He had gone to the school to pick up Pietro one evening and hadn’t been able to find him. The teachers all seemed convinced that he was just having and took off searching the school but Erik knew the metal Pietro wore and couldn’t find it throughout the school anywhere.
Immediately, he informed Charles. Maybe the police would’ve been the smarter choice, but Erik didn’t trust any of them and he was panicking. His son was gone and he didn’t know what to do but Charles would know. Charles could be level-headed and take things like this on with ease.
Some part of him had been hoping that Charles would be able to find Pietro in the school. That his telepathy would pick up on their son’s thoughts and he would come out telling them all about how he lost the metal bracelet he always wore.
Not that it happened that way. What commenced was a search of both of them, the police, and various other people, some from Pietro’s school—parents, teachers, other kids—some of Charles’s colleagues and students. Anyone they could gather.
Erik knew as soon as it happened though who it was. There was only ever one person who would take his son, the one he had been trying to protect him from all along. Sebastian Shaw. He had been trying to get back at Erik since he was a teenager and first managed to escape him. Now he would be going after Pietro to get back at Erik. A younger child, an easier target, and Erik couldn’t help but think about everything the man could be doing to his sweet little son. The one he had tried to protect and had let down. Even if Charles was telling him it wasn’t his fault, Erik could find no one else to blame but himself.
There was a list of places Shaw could be, places where he could be keeping Pietro and Erik fully intended on searching each one. He just hoped the man hadn’t found a new place since Erik’s time with him or he may never be able to save his son.
At first, Charles had talked him out of going out searching on his own, reminding him it could hurt the investigation and make it more difficult for the professionals to do their job. But it had been three days, they were nowhere closer than they were in the beginning and none of them would take Erik’s advice. He was sick and tired of waiting around, he’d take matters into his own hands.
It had gotten things done all this time, and Erik was confident that it would work just this one time more. And, if nothing else, at least he won’t be sitting around feeling useless and guilty for not doing more.
With that in mind, he walked around the house, getting some things ready. An overnight bag with a couple of outfits, his passport, and anything else he thought he may need while traveling light.
“Erik, love, what are you doing?” Charles asked, watching him from the doorway. They both knew exactly what he was doing—packing, getting ready to find his son—so Erik just looked over at Charles. An explanation as to why seemed necessary though.
“I can’t do this. I can’t just sit here while Piet is out there. I know Shaw, I know it was him and I know he has more people on his side than you’d think, people he can pay off, people who agree with what he’s doing. Give them some information on mutants along with a couple of grand and he’s free to do with us what he wants. The police are some of them, on his side. Charles, they’re not looking for him, they’ll let Shaw have him to do as he pleases, never mind that he’s a little boy being hurt. It’s me Shaw really wants. I imagine he’ll be right here. I think he is ready and willing to let me find him. And I need to find him, I need to find Pietro.”
Charles nodded, not trying to argue with him or talk him out of it, but that didn’t mean there were no questions, “What are you going to do when you get there? Trade yourself for Piet? How is he going to get home then? And what if Shaw tricks you and just keeps you both?”
“Are you trying to stop me?” Erik asked, throwing the bag over his shoulder as he turned to look down at Charles who only shook his head.
“No, I’m not. But I know you rush into things without thinking them through. You’ll run head-first into danger like it’s nothing. What I’m asking of you is that you let me come too. I have an idea and, if it comes down to it, I’ll be able to help.”
“Yeah, so he can get a hold of you too and have all three of us,” Erik replied, sarcastically, brushing past Charles to leave the room, then down the hall but Charles was rolling along right behind him.
“No, not like that. All I need is my powers, I can stay safely away, I just need to know he’s there. If I can get to his mind I can keep him from using his powers and then you can…do what you need to do. Plus I may be able to help you find him.”
At the front door, Erik turned to look at Charles and sigh, “What is this about, Charles? Why are you wanting to go too?”
“Because he’s not just your son. He’s ours and I want to help him just as much as you do. I’m tired of being in his house and being helpless. Piet deserves the best and that includes both of his parents searching for him. If you have a good idea where he’ll be, let me help you, and him. We can save our boy together. I love him and I love you and this is tearing us both apart.”
Again, Erik sighed and nodded, “If you promise you can help from afar, then okay, Schatz. I don’t want to worry about Shaw getting both of you and this way if he gets me, Pietro will have a way home.”
“And just in case, I’m messaging Raven and letting her know where we’re going,” Charles said, already starting for the bedroom to pack his own bag, calling the words over his shoulder. “If something goes wrong, I’m sure she’d be more than happy to help find us.”
Erik watched him go without a word. He had to admit, it wasn’t the worst plan, letting someone know where they were going and what they were going to do. Maybe it was best that Charles went with him. After all, his husband was the one who seemed more logically driven. Erik was known to let his pain and anger get away from him until horrible things happened.
Charles was always the one to even him out and help him stay calm in any situation and Erik would be forever grateful to him for that.
Erik had been right. Shaw had been hiding out at the first place he looked, the place that was the most obvious to him. The same place he had been kept when he was younger. Erik couldn’t decide if it was just because the choice was an obvious one, to choose here, or if Shaw was doing it as a way to bring back the memories, maybe make him weaker, less prepared. A way to get him in the mindset of a helpless little child.
But what Erik was sure Shaw hadn’t considered was that he had taken Erik’s son and nothing was going to get in the way of him getting his boy back. He would stop at nothing to stay focused and keep his attention on taking Shaw out in any way possible. And he and Charles had worked out the best way they saw to do just that.
The plan was simple, for Charles to locate Shaw, hold him still, and let Erik take care of him, as Charles kept saying. Erik knew he meant to kill him but his husband wasn’t exactly comfortable saying those exact words and Erik wasn’t going to push him.
Of course, the helmet Shaw was wearing was a slight impediment to that plan. Not that it lasted. It might have been enough to keep Charles from using his powers but it would seem—at least to Erik—that he hadn’t taken into account his ability to manipulate and move metal. It was simple enough to fix, a raised hand, the helmet raised, and then went flying as Erik swept his hand to the side
Not that he succeeded in doing that before there were a couple of punches thrown and Erik could feel the bruise forming on his cheekbone, but that wasn’t going to make him hesitate.
It only took a moment before Charles was holding Shaw still. What Erik really wanted to do was use the moment to his advantage and take his anger out on the man in front of him, slowly kill him, punch him, beat him, and let him feel the pain Erik felt. But he couldn’t allow that side of himself to take over. There wasn’t enough time. He needed to get this done and find Pietro.
“The second he’s dead, Charles, let go,” Erik reminded him, wanting to make him as quick as possible and as painless for the man he loved. It hurt him to think about hurting Charles but for their son, Charles had insisted.
“Yeah, I know,” Charles replied, his mental voice strained, a sound that Erik hated because he knew Charles was struggling, “Just quick, I can’t hold him for long.”
Erik didn’t wait. His hand went up, calling one of the guns he could feel inside the desk positioned behind him and it was in his hand a second later. He aimed it as carefully as possible and took his shot. The scream from Charles was heard but only lasted a second before it was over.
“Erik,” He heard, weakly and then there was nothing. No one else was in his head for the first time in years and Erik had to run to find his son and then to his partner, though he wished he could split himself in half and go to each of them at the same time. He knew Charles wouldn’t forgive him if he went for him first. And Erik knew Pietro may need the help first. After all, they’ve come this far for the boy. He just needed to get him and then get to Charles.
As he found Pietro, he had to admit, his son had certainly looked better. The only thing Erik could do was walk to him slowly, not wanting to scare him—he remembered getting rescued all too well, a happy but terrifying time—he gently picked him up into his arms. “Hey, buddy, it’s me, it’s your Vati” He whispered to him, “We have to go find your daddy, but you’re safe now.”
Pietro’s eyes were closed and he wasn’t responding to anything. Erik wasn’t even sure he was hearing what was being said, but talking to him and letting him know what was going on felt like the right choice. He could tell the little boy was still breathing, after all, he could feel his chest rising and falling against Erik’s, the soft breath over his cheek as he carried him to find Charles.
It was a fight to not run to his love but he had Pietro to think about and worried about how much it could hurt him to shake him around so much. He had to take too much time, and so much control. He hated it but, eventually, he reached the place where he left Charles and found him lying on the grass.
“Schatz,” Erik said softly, balancing Pietro on his leg as he squatted down next to his partner, making sure he was breathing too. A breath of relief left him when he felt the breath against the back of his hand and he gently shook Charles’s shoulder.
“Come on, old friend, wake up. We need to get out of here,” Erik continued until bright blue eyes opened to look up at Erik. There was a pained look on his face but they could handle that when they were somewhere safe. “Are you okay?”
Charles nodded slowly and held his arms up. Erik worked carefully and slowly to wrap an arm around Charles and lift him up, his powers pulling his chair closer so he could lower him down onto it while never losing his hold of their boy who was in Erik’s other arm. With Erik using his powers, he helped Charles move the chair with more ease, not quite pushing him but making it so less effort was needed.
Together, the three of them left the area to find the nearest hospital and just hoped too many questions weren’t asked because Erik didn’t want to cause any more stress on Charles’s powers so soon.
Erik and Charles were sitting on each side of the little boy in the hospital, just waiting for him to wake up.
The last twenty-four hours had been chaos, but at least they hadn’t been as bad as the seventy-six before that. A mix of talking to the doctors who had plenty of questions about the injuries of the seven-year-old, and police, trying to get out of any consequences for committing murder—Erik wasn’t exactly happy about it, keeping an eye on Charles as he used his powers on them both, and anyone else who asked, growing a little more pale with each memory alter—and getting Pietro the help he needed.
Now it was just a bit of waiting with all the stress finally fading away and Charles no longer having to use his powers constantly. He was finally starting to get a little color back, and had taken a couple of naps in his chair—which couldn’t have been comfortable but the man hadn’t complained.
The best they could tell, the boy didn’t have any life-threatening injuries, though he did have a broken leg that was going to require surgery soon and had been hit over the head a couple of times at least—a couple of black eyes and a potentially broken nose as a result—the doctors were wanting to keep a watch on him for a while. Potentially do a few more tests to make sure everything was fine.
Erik never was one for patience, but now, looking at his little boy who was out, looking so peaceful, as though he might be sleeping, he couldn’t decide how to feel. On one hand, he had his son back and he was—for the most part—okay, looking so small and fragile, though there, nonetheless. But he also wanted him to wake up now so Erik could assess if he was okay. But he could be in pain when he woke up. He just couldn’t decide what he wanted.
“It’s going to be okay,” Charles said softly from Pietro’s left side where he was holding to the boy's little hand the same way Erik was on his other side. “All things considered, I was afraid it would be much worse. I mean two broken bones isn’t good by any means but…”
Erik nodded. Anytime he thought about it he pictured the boy beat and bruised up, head to toe. Who knew what would’ve happened if they had been a few hours, or even minutes, later? He still wanted to find a way to kill Shaw a second time for daring to lay a hand on his son, putting him through all that pain and leaving marks on the boy though.
“We’ve got him back. We have our boy and we can keep him safe now, like you’ve wanted to do all along,” Charles offered, looking over at Erik who shook his head slowly, looking up from his son’s bruised face.
“No, there’s no need now. Shaw’s dead. I’m sure there are more people to protect him from but that was the biggest threat. The worst threat and now he’s gone. I think it’ll be okay from now on,” Erik admitted and Charles smiled a little at him.
“Wha’s goin’ on?” Pietro asked in a sleepy voice, his big brown eyes opening and then closing immediately at the light before opening slowly one again.
“Sorry, boychik, did we wake you?” Erik asked softly, his free hand sliding through his son’s messy silver hair, brushing it back gently from his face.
He hummed in confirmation, looking over at his Vati, “Where am I?” He asked softly, followed immediately by, “My head hurts.”
“You’re in the hospital, darling boy,” Charles supplied for him, giving his hand a gentle squeeze as the boy let out a quiet ‘Daddy’ as he turned his head to look at him.
Erik smiled a little at his son. The boy had always preferred Charles when he wasn’t feeling well. It didn’t bother Erik too much, there were other times when Pietro would come running to him, nightmares, when he was scared, or wanted someone to beat in a race.
“The bad man?” Pietro asked, looking over at Erik and they both knew what that meant and who he meant. He was looking to Erik for protection against Shaw, which Erik was all too happy to provide.
“He’s gone, you don’t have to worry about him anymore,” Erik replied, leaning over to press a kiss to Pietro’s forehead.
“When can we go home?” He asked, almost whining as he closed his eyes again. “I don’t like it here.”
That only made Erik smile a little more, he loved that boy more than anything, “Soon, Schatzchen,” Erik replied.
“Can I have ice cream for dinner when we go home?” The boy asked and, judging from the look on Charles’s face, Erik was ready to guess his son had a list of requests to make but Erik couldn’t find it in himself to refuse anything right now.
“If you have some fruit with it, we can talk about it,” Erik replied, “But this is a one-time deal, not a regular thing I’m going to allow,” He added before the boy got any ideas.
“And can I get Dino shoes? The light-up ones?” He asked looking exhausted but a small spark of excitement shone through. This was enough to ensure Erik that no matter what the doctors were afraid of, his little boy was going to be alright.
Erik nodded again, after all, he and Charles were never ones to refuse him clothes that he wanted, the same with food. If he wasn’t wrong, he suspected the little boy was near starving by now; it had been quite a while since he last ate, though Erik wasn’t sure when the last time was.
“ On it, love,” Charles said and kissed Pietro’s cheek before letting go of his hand, “I’ll be back in a minute, sweet boy. Your Vati will stay with you,” He said softly before leaving the room.
Finally, Erik answered, “Yes, you can have those Dino shoes you’ve been waiting for, when you get out. We can stop on the way home or Daddy or myself can run out and get them for you afterward,” He assures the boy. “For now, though, I know a little boy who needs rest, and your daddy will be back soon with something for you to eat. Do you know when you last had anything?”
Pietro paused to think about it then shook his head and winced, a small cry leaving him and Erik found himself leaning closer, holding his hand a little tighter, trying to find a way to help but knowing there wasn’t one.
“Just stay still, the pain will get better but it’s going to take a while,” He said softly, going back to gently brushing back Pietro’s hair, trying to help calm him down and comfort him.
The little boy settled back in the bed and, before long, his eyes were closing and he was drifting off to sleep once again. The only thing Erik could do was watch over him and give Charles a small smile when the man came in with a granola bar, Twinkie, and a bag of chips from a vending machine. They’d be waiting when he woke back up, both the snacks and his parents.