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Charles was tired. No, scratch that, exhausted. Honestly, he hadn’t been this tired in a very long time and his eyes and arms were starting to burn but the wailing coming from the infant in his arms told him that there would be no rest for him anytime soon.
“What’s wrong, sweetheart? Hmm?” he asked, gently bouncing the wailing infant in his arms as he sighed. He had done everything from changing his diaper to feeding him a bottle and nothing seemed to calm him down.
“Ollie, please. Please, sweetheart” he murmured as he continued to bounce the infant in his arms, but Ollie wouldn’t calm down, causing Charles to let out a soft whine as he leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling. His arms were burning, his vision was blurring, and all he wanted to do was sleep, but his little boy was crying and nothing seemed to soothe him and the more he listened to Ollie’s cries, the more he felt like crying himself.
“Well. This explains why you weren’t on patrol tonight” a smooth voice mused, making Charles look over to see a pair of bright blue eyes staring at him from the shadows. At the sight of the eyes, Charles gasped and took a step back, only to trip on the foot of the rocking chair that was by the window and nearly fall when the figure in the shadows suddenly appeared before him and grasped him by the arms, making him look at those blue eyes in shock.
“Max” he breathed. The figure, otherwise known as Max Verstappen or the Prince of Darkness, chuckled.
“Careful, Charles” he purred, just as Ollie let out another wail, making Charles and Max look down at him before Charles gave Max a shove and righted himself, gently bouncing Ollie in his arms again.
“Shh, shh. Shh” he soothed before he looked at Max, who was staring at Ollie with a soft expression, and frowned.
“What are you doing here?” he demanded. Max looked at him before he smiled slightly.
“Like I said, you weren’t on patrol tonight, so I wanted to make sure you were, you know, still alive” he replied before he chuckled darkly.
“Like I would ever let you die by a hand other than mine” he murmured. Charles huffed.
“Well, as you can see, I’m perfectly fine, so you can leave now” he grumbled before he turned his attention back to Ollie, who was still wailing.
“Shh, shh. Shh, sweetheart, shh” he soothed. While he was soothing, or at least trying to, Ollie, Max studied him for a moment before he tilted his head curiously.
“When’s the last time you properly slept?” he asked. Charles looked up at him in surprise before he sighed.
“Why do you care?” he replied. Max crossed his arms.
“Because I want you to be in the best possible shape when we fight. It’s not fun when my opponent’s weak. So answer me. When’s the last time you properly slept?” he demanded. Charles shut his eyes and shook his head.
“I don’t…I can’t remember” he replied before he looked at him and waved him away.
“Go away. I’m fine” he assured. Max gave him a look.
“No, you’re not. You’re practically dead on your feet” he stated before he held out his arms.
“Let me” he offered, only for Charles to take a step back, his green eyes wide and slightly feral as he held Ollie close to him, a bright aura beginning to glow around him.
“Don’t you dare” he snarled. Max sighed.
“Charles—” he started when Charles took another step away, the aura growing brighter as he snarled.
“Stay back” he ordered. Max was quiet and looked at him for a moment before he took a step towards him, causing his eyes to widen.
“Max—” he warned.
“Charlie” Max interrupted, causing Charles to look at him in surprise; he hadn’t heard that nickname since they were both in the academy…all those years ago. Max then took another step forward, his eyes never leaving his.
“I wouldn’t hurt him. You know I wouldn’t” he murmured, and Charles knew he was right. He would never hurt Ollie. Not in a million years. Why? Because he was Charles’ son. And even though they were rivals, and even though Max would never admit it, he cared about Charles. The fact that he was even in his apartment said enough about the kind of person he was beneath the persona. He then let out a heavy and tired sigh.
“Just don’t…hurt him” he whispered. Max shook his head.
“Never” he replied before he reached out and took Ollie from him, carefully cradling him close.
“Hello there” he cooed, his usually powerful and intimidating voice soft and gentle as he flashed the infant a smile. At his smile, Ollie stopped wailing and blinked at him in surprise, as if he couldn’t believe another person besides Charles was holding him, before his face scrunched up and he let out another wail, causing both Max and Charles to flinch at the sound before Charles sighed heavily and shook his head.
“It’s no use…I don’t know what’s wrong and he won’t stop crying” he whimpered, nearly in tears himself. Max hummed.
“He doesn’t have a fever does he?” he asked. Charles shook his head.
“No, I checked. His temperature’s perfectly fine” he replied. Max hummed again.
“I see” he murmured before he looked down at Ollie, whose face was ruddy and red, and gently wiped away his tears with his thumb as he began to rock him.
“Shh. Shh. It’s alright. It’s alright” he soothed, making sure to keep his voice low and comforting before he looked over at Charles, who looked like he was going to collapse any second, and waved his hand, watching as Charles’ body moved, on its own volition, towards the rocking chair before it sat down, making him look up at him with wide eyes.
“You!” he started just as Max shot him a look.
“Hush” he hissed. Charles blinked before he barred his teeth.
“Don’t you dare tell me to hush in my own home” he snarled, just as Ollie snuffled, making both him and Max look at him to see him curling against Max’s chest, finally calm.
“He…he stopped crying” he whispered before he looked at Max with wide eyes.
“How…what did you do?” he asked. Max shook his head.
“I didn’t do anything. I think he just tired himself out” he replied, causing Charles to let out a sigh of relief before he collapsed back into the rocking chair and shut his eyes.
“Fuck” he whispered. Max chuckled.
“Language, Charlie” he teased, making Charles crack open an eye and glare at him before he shut his eye again and let out another sigh.
“Thank you, Max” he whispered. Max raised an eyebrow.
“For what?” he asked. Charles smiled tiredly.
“For being here. I’m sure it’s beneath you, but…it means a lot” he murmured. Max was quiet before he hummed and looked out the window, gently rocking Ollie in his arms as Charles slowly opened his eyes and looked at him in quiet awe. He never thought the Prince of Darkness would ever be standing in his apartment and rocking his son in his arms, so to see him, his rival, standing before him in the soft light of the moon was…something.
“You know” Max started, making Charles look up at him as he looked over at him.
“You don’t have to do this by yourself” he reminded. Charles nodded.
“I know. But I…have my reasons” he replied, causing Max to hum before he looked down at Ollie in his arms.
“What’s his name? I don’t think you ever said” he murmured. Charles smiled and slowly pushed himself to his feet before he walked over and stood beside him, looking down at Ollie as well.
“Ollie” he whispered. Max smiled slightly.
“Ollie” he repeated before he realized how close Charles was standing, causing him to stiffen slightly before he glanced over at Charles, just to gauge his reaction or his realization, but the hero wasn’t paying attention at all to the literal zero space between them and instead was just staring at Ollie, the fondest smile Max had ever seen on his face. While he continued to look at Ollie, Max continued to look at him until he softly cleared his throat, making Charles look up at him with wide eyes as he motioned to Ollie.
“We should probably put him to bed” he murmured, causing Charles to nod before he reached out and took Ollie back from him, gently placing a kiss to his hair before he turned and headed into the master bedroom, Max right on his heels as he stepped inside and made his way over to the bassinet that was by his bed, placing Ollie inside.
“Sweet dreams, sweetheart” he whispered before he turned and looked at Max, who was standing at the entrance of the bedroom, and smiled slightly.
“Thank you, again” he thanked. Max nodded.
“Get some rest” he instructed before he melted into the shadows, causing Charles to smile a little wider before he turned and crawled into bed, letting out a heavy sigh of relief before he shut his eyes, sleep taking him almost immediately.
~*~*~*~*~*~
The next morning, when Charles woke up, he felt, for the first time in a long time, actually well rested. He then stretched, which felt wonderful, before he sat up and looked over into the bassinet to find Ollie still asleep, which in his eyes was an absolute miracle because normally he would be waking Charles up with his cries demanding for food.
“Good morning Ollie” he whispered before he slowly slipped out of bed and made his way towards the kitchen, about to brew a pot of coffee when there was a loud knock at his apartment door, making him look over at it in surprise before he walked over to it and opened it, only to find one of the Academy leaders, Mattia Binotto, standing there.
“M-Mattia” he breathed. Mattia frowned.
“You didn’t patrol last night” he stated, making Charles blink before he nodded.
“O-Oh, yes. I wasn’t feeling well last night” he lied, silently praying that Ollie wouldn’t make any sudden noises at that very moment. Mattia hummed.
“Well, whether you’re feeling better or not, you’re patrolling tonight. You know the city looks up to you and for you to not be out there giving them a sense of peace makes you…and the Academy look bad, don’t you?” he asked. Charles was quiet before he nodded.
“I know. I’ll patrol tonight, don’t worry” he assured. Mattia nodded.
“Good. And we will know if you don’t. You know that, right?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. Charles nodded.
“Of course” he replied as a cold chill went down his spine. If the Academy knew that he didn’t patrol last night, what else did they know? Did they know about Ollie? He then smiled slightly.
“Don’t worry, Mattia, I’ll be on patrol tonight. I promise” he assured. Mattia nodded.
“Good” he replied before he turned and walked away, Charles watching him leave until he was sure he was gone before he shut the door and let out a shuddering breath. Fucking Mattia…this was absolutely not how he wanted to start his morning. Just then, a soft whine came from the bedroom, making him turn before he smiled softly and made his way into the bedroom and over to the bassinet, smiling down at Ollie who looked up at him with big brown eyes.
“Good morning” he cooed before he reached down and scooped Ollie into his arms, Ollie letting out a content gurgle as Charles smiled.
“Thank you for keeping quiet for me” he thanked. Ollie gurgled again, making Charles giggle before he pressed a kiss to his cheek and looked at him.
“Are you hungry, baby? Let’s go eat breakfast hmm?” he suggested. Ollie made a noise that sounded like an agreement, causing Charles to smile.
“Alright. Let’s go” he declared.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Later that evening, Charles took to the air, a light shiver going down his spine as he floated over the city, his eyes peeled for any sort of crime.
“Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to show up” a voice purred, making Charles look over to see Max floating a little ways away from him.
“I’m not in the mood tonight Max. I just want to do a quick patrol and then I will leave” he declared, only for Max to chuckle softly.
“You don’t get to decide whether or not we fight. You appear before me, you’re asking for a fight” he replied before he threw out a hand, sending shadow like tendrils towards him. However, instead of blocking them like he was expecting, Charles’ eyes just widened in horror before he quickly turned his back to him as he curled in on himself, as if he was protecting something. At the sight of his back, Max’s eyes widened and he quickly waved his hand, calling off his attack as he floated over to him, his blue eyes bright with a mixture of anger and confusion.
“What are you doing? Face me” he ordered, making Charles glance over at him before he slowly turned to face him, revealing Ollie cradled close to his chest. At the sight of the infant, Max’s eyes widened in shock before he looked at him in disbelief.
“You brought Ollie?! Have you lost your mind?!” he hissed.
“I had to!” Charles snapped. Max blinked.
“What do you mean, you had to?” he demanded. Charles let out a shuddering breath.
“Mattia…Mattia came by my apartment this morning. Said that he knew that I didn’t patrol last night. So I promised him that I would patrol tonight” he explained before he let out another shuddering breath.
“He said he and the Academy would know if I didn’t patrol, so I had to come. Which means I had to bring Ollie too” he continued before he shook his head.
“I can’t…I can’t let Mattia know about Ollie. I don’t know what he or the Academy will do to him if they know but—” he started when Max held up a hand.
“Charles. You don’t have to explain it to me. I understand” he assured. Charles looked at him in surprise.
“You do?” he asked. Max smirked.
“You forget, I went to the Academy for a while too. I know how they operate. I know exactly what they’ll do to Ollie if they find out about him. So yes, I understand” he assured. Charles nodded slowly.
“Oh” he murmured, just as Ollie let out a soft whine, making him and Max look at him before Max frowned.
“Isn’t he cold?” he asked. Charles huffed.
“You seem to forget that I run warmer because of my powers. He’s perfectly fine” he replied, making Max look at him before he reached out and pressed the back of his hand against his cheek, humming softly.
“So you do” he murmured, causing Charles to look at him with wide eyes as he pulled his hand away before he cleared his throat and shifted Ollie in his arms.
“Has it been…quiet?” he asked. Max shrugged.
“So far. But you know how things are around here; peace never lasts very long” he replied. Charles hummed.
“Well, hopefully just for tonight…it’ll be peaceful” he murmured. Max hummed before he looked at him.
“Fly with me?” he asked. Charles nodded.
“Alright” he agreed before they both began to fly through the air, Charles flying backwards as to prevent the cool night air from hitting Ollie in the face. They flew in silence for a while, both of them just enjoying the night, before Max looked over at Charles and held out his arms.
“Want me to take Ollie?” he asked. Charles looked over at him and smiled as he shook his head.
“No, I’m okay” he assured. Max hummed and nodded before he cleared his throat.
“I…apologize about earlier” he murmured, making Charles look over at him in confusion.
“For what?” he asked.
“For attacking you. Without…knowing” Max replied. Charles was quiet before he shook his head.
“You don’t have to apologize for anything. You thought tonight would be like any normal night; it’s not your fault” he assured. Max hummed again before he looked at him again.
“Why did Mattia come to your house?” he asked. Charles sighed heavily.
“I have no idea. I mean…I guess I’m considered the “face” of the Academy but…there are other heroes that can go out and patrol…it doesn’t always have to be me” he grumbled. Max nodded.
“I agree. Mattia has always treated you differently…has always held you to a higher standard. What he does to you, he doesn’t do to any other hero, I’ve noticed” he mused, just as Ollie began to fuss, making him and Charles look at him before Charles looked over at him and smiled weakly.
“I should go” he murmured. Max nodded before he held out his hand.
“I’ll send you” he offered, only for Charles to shake his head.
“No, it’s okay—” he started when Max flew over and placed a hand on his arm.
“I don’t mind” he murmured. Charles was quiet before he nodded.
“Alright” he agreed. Max nodded before he quickly shadow-traveled them back to Charles’ apartment, Charles letting out a soft noise of sickness as he clutched Ollie close.
“I don’t know how you do that every time…don’t you get nauseous?” he asked. Max chuckled.
“No” he replied before his smile fell and he looked at him.
“If you ever…need help. With Ollie. Just…whisper my name and I’ll come” he offered, making Charles look at him in shock before he shook his head.
“I couldn’t ask that of you—” he breathed when Max shook his head.
“I don’t mind. Really” he promised. Charles was quiet before he huffed.
“I thought we were rivals” he murmured. Max tsked.
“We are. But you shouldn’t have to take care of Ollie by yourself. And I…want to help” he explained, causing Charles to look at him before he smiled slightly and hummed.
“Well. I’ll think about it. Thank you” he thanked. Max nodded before he disappeared in a flash of smoke, Charles staring at the place he had been standing before he turned and headed into the bedroom to put Ollie down for the evening.
~*~*~*~*~*~
The next day, when Charles was getting ready for the morning, there was a knock on his front door, making him freeze before he turned and looked over at it with wide eyes; oh god, was that Mattia? Just then, there was another knock on his door, causing him to shut his eyes and take a deep breath before he walked over to the door and opened it to find another hero standing before him.
“Carlos? What are you doing here?” he asked. The hero, Carlos Sainz Jr., smiled.
“I came to check on you. Mattia made an off-handed comment that you weren’t feeling well when I asked where you were, so I thought I’d drop by and check on you” he explained. Charles smiled slightly.
“Thank you, Carlos, but I’m fine, really” he assured. Carlos frowned.
“You are not sick?” he asked. Charles shook his head.
“No, I—” he started, just as a cry pierced the air, making him and Carlos freeze before he turned and looked back towards the bedroom.
“Shit” he whispered before he looked back at Carlos, who looked at him in confusion, just as another cry rang out, making him shut his eyes for a moment before he turned and rushed back into the bedroom and over to Ollie’s bassinet, carefully scooping him into his arms.
“Good morning sleepyhead. Did you sleep well?” he asked. Ollie just gurgled, making him smile before his eyes widened and he quickly exited the bedroom to see Carlos still standing outside his apartment, his eyes wide at the sight of Ollie in his arms.
“Get in here. And shut the door” he ordered. Carlos nodded and quickly stepped inside, quietly closing the door behind him before he slowly walked over to him and Ollie before he smiled.
“And who’s this?” he asked, a soft lilt in his Spanish accent.
“Ollie” Charles answered before he looked at him.
“Carlos, you cannot tell Mattia. Mattia cannot know about Ollie, no one can know about Ollie. Please. I—” he started when Carlos shook his head.
“Charles, I will not tell. I promise” he promised. Charles smiled weakly.
“Thank you” he whispered. Carlos nodded before he looked at Ollie, who was looking at him curiously, and smiled.
“Hello there” he cooed before he looked at Charles.
“May I?” he asked. Charles nodded and carefully handed Ollie over to him, watching as he took his son and cradled him close before he smiled.
“He is so cute!” he declared before he looked at Charles and raised an eyebrow.
“You have been taking care of him all by yourself?” he asked. Charles nodded.
“Yeah. I found him one day during my patrol crying in a dumpster and I just…I couldn’t leave him, so I decided to take him home and raise him as my son” he explained. Carlos nodded slowly as he gently rubbed Ollie’s back before he looked at him.
“Isn’t it hard to patrol with a child so young?” he asked. Charles nodded.
“It is but…I’ll manage” he assured. Carlos hummed.
“I’m sure you can, but would you like for us to cover your patrols for you so that you can take care of Ollie?” he asked. Charles looked at him in shock.
“Carlos, I couldn’t ask that of you or the others—” he started when Carlos shook his head.
“I don’t mind and I’m sure the others wouldn’t either, especially because if our situations were reversed, you would go out of your way to somehow cover all of our patrols so I think we should extend the same courtesy to you” he explained, making Charles blink before he smiled weakly.
“Thank you, Carlos. Really” he thanked. Carlos nodded before he handed Ollie back to him and crossed his arms.
“I’ll have to work out a reason as to why you’re not patrolling and why the others should cover for you…I’m afraid that if I say you’re sick, people will come to visit and that’ll be completely counterproductive to you not wanting people to know about Ollie” he murmured before he looked at him.
“But I’ll figure it out. Don’t worry” he assured. Charles laughed.
“I’m sure you will. But thank you for stopping by. I appreciate it” he thanked. Carlos nodded.
“Of course. Take care, Charles” he bid before he looked at Ollie and waved.
“Bye Ollie” he cooed. Ollie, however, just looked at him, causing him to chuckle softly before he turned and headed out of the apartment, quietly closing the door behind him as Charles stared after him, a small smile on his face; he was grateful to have friends like Carlos.
He then turned, about to get Ollie ready for the day, when he froze, his eyes wide in shock to see Max standing there, shadows angrily swirling around him.
“Max? What are you doing here?” he asked.
“So you’ll take his offered help, but you won’t take mine?” Max hissed. Charles frowned.
“What are you talking about?” he demanded. Max pointed to the door.
“Carlos. And his offer. You’ll take his help but not mine?” he snarled. Charles blinked before his eyes widened in realization and he huffed.
“It’s different” he argued. Max growled.
“How? How is it different?” he demanded. Charles shook his head.
“Because…” he started.
“Because I’m not a hero? Is that it? Would you have taken my help if I was a hero? Like you? Like Carlos?” Max demanded. Charles frowned.
“What’s gotten into you? Why are you so angry about this?” he asked. Max growled, the shadows growing larger as his anger grew, as he looked at him.
“Answer me” he hissed. Charles snarled.
“No. I won’t answer you if this is how you’re going to speak to me” he snapped, his eyes flashing as a bright aura began to surround him. Max snarled and took a step towards him, just as Ollie let out a shriek, absolutely terrified of the power that was radiating off of Charles and Max as they practically surrounded him. At his shriek, Max and Charles looked at him with wide eyes before Charles looked at Max, tears in his beautiful green eyes.
“Get out” he whispered. Max looked at him and frowned.
“What?” he asked. Charles pointed at him.
“Get out! Get out of here! Stay away from us! I don’t ever want to see you again!” he shouted, making Max look at him with a mixture of hurt and shock before his face shuttered and a mask of cold indifference took its place.
“Fine” he replied, his voice flat and void of emotions, before he disappeared in a flash of shadows, Charles staring at the spot where he had just been standing before he let out a shuddering breath and rested his forehead against Ollie’s as he gently rubbed his son’s back.
“Sorry. Papa’s sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you” he murmured before he pressed a kiss to his baby hair and smiled weakly at him.
“Let’s get you ready for the day, yeah?” he asked. Ollie gurgled, his brown eyes twinkling with mirth that wasn’t there a moment ago, causing Charles’ smile to grow slightly before he pressed another kiss to his hair.
“Yeah. Come on, let’s go” he murmured.
~*~*~*~*~*~
After his fight with Max, Charles never saw him again, which was a little irritating in his opinion because Max had never really listened to his requests before, so why the fuck did he have to listen to this one this time?
“Stupid villain” he grumbled, just as his phone buzzed, causing him to pull it out of his pocket and look at the text on it before he quickly typed a quick reply and placed it back in his pocket. He had been getting regular updates from Carlos and the other heroes of the Academy as Carlos had kept his promise and had gotten the others to cover for Charles and do his patrols for him. What lie he told the others, Charles had no idea, but he was really grateful to him as he was able to focus on Ollie and didn’t have to worry about bringing him on patrol or have to worry about potentially risking his life if he had to step in and stop a crime.
“Thank you Carlos” he murmured before he looked down at Ollie, who was playing with his toys on the carpet in front of the couch, and smiled as he slipped off the couch and joined him on the ground.
“Are you having fun baby?” he asked.
“A!” Ollie replied, making Charles’ smile widen.
“Good. I’m glad” he murmured before he reached out and gently petted his hair.
“You’ve gotten so big. You were just a little thing when I found you” he continued, just as there was a knock at the door, making him look over at it in surprise before he pushed himself to his feet and walked over to it, opening it to reveal Mattia standing before him.
“Mattia” he breathed as Mattia narrowed his eyes.
“I have heard that you’ve been sick. But you do not look sick” he observed, causing Charles to gulp just as Ollie made a noise, making him freeze as Mattia looked at him.
“What was that?” he demanded. Charles blinked before he quickly shook his head.
“Nothing” he replied, just as Mattia suddenly teleported into his apartment, making him spin around to see him standing before Ollie, who was looking up at him with curious brown eyes.
“I knew you were hiding something from me” he murmured before he turned to look at Charles, who was looking at him with wide eyes, and pointed to Ollie.
“What is this?” he hissed. Charles blinked before he snarled.
“He’s my son” he snapped. Mattia’s eyes widened.
“Your son?” he repeated before he shook his head.
“No. This is unacceptable. You cannot have a son!” he exclaimed before he turned back to Ollie, who was still looking at him with curious eyes, and held out his hand, just as Charles took a step forward, the ground beginning to shake beneath him as his eyes began to glow.
“Don’t you touch him” he snarled, just as Mattia spun around and threw out a hand, causing his eyes to widen in shock as it felt like an invisible hand had grabbed him by the throat, before he waved his hand and sent him flying into one of the walls of his apartment, causing Ollie to scream as he hit the ground with a groan, his vision swimming for a moment before his eyes fluttered shut and everything went black.
~*~*~*~*~*~
When Charles woke up a little while later, he found himself lying on the floor of one of the many glass cells that the Academy kept underground in their prison for whenever a hero went “rogue” and needed to be contained. He then looked around, just as he noticed Mattia standing outside of the cell, a blank look on his face.
“Mattia” he growled before he pushed himself to his feet and rushed over to the wall of the cell, banging on the power resistant glass.
“Where’s Ollie?” he demanded. Mattia, however, just looked at him, causing Charles’ eyes to flash.
“Where’s my son?!” he shouted.
“I took care of him” Mattia answered before he turned and walked off, causing Charles to stare after him in horror before he banged on the cell again.
“Mattia! MATTIA!” he roared. Mattia, however, just kept walking, causing Charles to growl low in his throat before he shut his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down but he was just so overcome with anger that he couldn’t help but take another deep breath before he let out a loud scream, his powers exploding out of him. However, because of the properties of the cell, the glass just absorbed his powers instead of exploding because of them, causing him to growl before he punched the wall of his cell, rage coursing through his veins. Ollie couldn’t be…no. He didn’t even want to finish that sentence. He then took a deep breath and shook his head as he ran a hand through his hair before he began to pace the length of the cell, wondering just how he was going to get out of there as well as figure out where Ollie was (and if he was okay) when he stopped; Max. Max said that if he whispered his name then he would come but…after their fight, Charles wasn’t sure that he would show up even if he did whisper his name, causing him to hang his head and sigh heavily. God damn it, Charles. Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed throughout the prison, making him look up to see a young man with dirty blonde hair patrolling, causing his eyes to widen before he banged on the glass wall.
“Logan!” he called out. The young man, a young hero from America known as “Soldier Boy” or Logan Sargeant, however, didn’t hear him, causing him to growl softly (damn the thick, almost soundproof glass) before he banged on the glass again.
“LOGAN!” he shouted. Thankfully Logan heard him that time, causing him to look over at him in a mixture of confusion and surprise before he quickly jogged over to the cell and frowned.
“Charles? What are you doing here?” he asked. Charles shook his head.
“No time for that now. I need you to do me a favor, please” he requested. Logan nodded.
“Of course. What is it?” he asked.
“I need you to find Max” Charles replied, causing Logan to look at him in shock.
“Max? As in Max Verstappen? The Prince of Darkness?!” he exclaimed. Charles nodded.
“Yes. Please, Logan, I need you to find him. Please” he begged. Logan was quiet before he nodded.
“Alright. I’ll go find him” he promised. Charles smiled slightly.
“Thank you” he thanked. Logan nodded again before he turned and rushed off, Charles watching him leave before he took a step back and sunk to the ground of the cell, letting out a shuddering breath. He hoped Logan would be able to convince Max to help him…or else Charles didn’t know what he was going to do.
~*~*~*~*~*~
After leaving the Academy, Logan quickly made his way towards the part of the city that Max claimed as “his” territory, silently hoping that Charles knew what the fuck he was doing.
“Well well well…what do we have here?” a voice purred, making Logan stop and look around with wide eyes, just as Max stepped out of the shadows and slowly made his way over to him, his blue eyes glowing brightly.
“What’s a young hero like you doing in a place like this?” he sneered. Logan gulped, he had never been so close to a villain as powerful as him before, before he cleared his throat and looked at him.
“Charles sent me” he replied. Max raised an eyebrow.
“Charles sent you? Now why would he do that? Is he too afraid to face me himself after our fight?” he asked. Logan shook his head.
“No. He’s…he’s in the Academy’s prison” he replied, causing Max’s eyes to widen before he suddenly appeared before him, causing him to flinch and take a fearful step back as Max looked him in the eyes, his blue eyes glowing brighter.
“Why is he in the prison?” he hissed. Logan shook his head.
“I-I don’t know. All I know is that he practically begged me to get you” he explained, causing Max to look at him for a moment before he reached out and grabbed him by the arm, causing him to flinch and look at him in shock.
“What are you—” he started.
“Hold on” Max ordered before he shadow-traveled them to the Academy’s prison, Logan letting out a soft noise of sickness once they arrived.
“Oh my god” he croaked, just as Max looked at him.
“Where is he?” he demanded. Logan blinked, still waiting for the sickness to pass, before he took a breath and motioned with his head.
“Follow me” he instructed before he slipped his arm out of Max’s grasp and led him over to Charles’ cell, Max immediately walking over to the cell before he knocked on the glass.
“Charlie!” he exclaimed. At the nickname, Charles lifted his head, and the moment he saw him, he quickly pushed himself to his feet and rushed over to him.
“Max” he replied before he shook his head, tears in his eyes.
“Mattia. Mattia he—” he started before he let out a sob, causing Max to frown.
“What? Charles, what happened?” he demanded. Charles didn’t answer and instead just let out another sob, causing Max to growl softly before he took a deep breath and knocked on the glass again.
“Charlie. Charlie, look at me” he ordered. He then waited a moment, patiently waiting for Charles to compose himself, and once he had calmed down and looked at him, he nodded.
“What happened? Tell me” he ordered. Charles sniffled.
“Mattia…Mattia came by the apartment. I…I haven’t been doing patrol recently, because Carlos and the other heroes offered to cover my patrols so that I could take care of Ollie by saying that I was sick. And I guess…I guess Mattia saw through the lie and came to see if I was actually sick. And when we were talking Ollie…Ollie made a noise, which Mattia heard. He then…teleported into my house and…and he tried to hurt him! He was going to hurt him and I couldn’t—I tried to stop him but he used his powers and threw me into a wall, knocking me out. When I woke up, I was here and Ollie…I don’t know what he did with him. He said he took care of him but…” he started before he looked into Max’s eyes, which were bright and blue and full of simmering rage that was ready to boil over, and shook his head.
“Max—” he started when Max shook his head.
“Say no more. I’ll take care of it. I’ll take care of Mattia” he growled before he chuckled darkly.
“In fact…I think I’ll take care of the whole fucking Academy” he declared before he turned and looked at Logan, who balked a little under his gaze, raising an eyebrow.
“Do you have a way to contact the other heroes?” he asked. Logan blinked before he nodded.
“Yeah” he replied. Max nodded.
“Good. Call them” he ordered before he waved his hand and summoned a small ball of shadows, whispering something to it before he waved his hand and sent the shadows off, Charles and Logan watching the shadows leave before Logan reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out a small device, pressing the button the device.
“What is that?” Charles asked. Logan looked over at him and held up the device.
“It’s a distress signal. You press the button, and it alerts the other heroes that you need backup” he replied, making Charles and Max stare at the device in shock before Charles shook his head.
“I never got a device like that” he stated, causing Logan and Max to look at him before Max huffed.
“Even more reason to burn the Academy to the fucking ground” he muttered, just as a large group of heroes appeared before them, their eyes wide in shock at the sight of Max standing there.
“What the hell is Verstappen doing here?” one of the heroes, Daniel Ricciardo, demanded, just as a few others joined them, the villains that Max summoned.
“What the hell are they doing here?!” Yuki Tsunoda, another hero, demanded. Before Max could answer, Carlos looked over and noticed Charles in the glass cell, causing his eyes to widen in shock.
“Charles? What—why are you in the cell?” he asked, making everyone look over at the cell as well as Max motioned to it.
“This is why I’m here” he declared before he looked at them.
“And I need your help. All of you” he stated, making all of them look at him in shock.
“Our help? What do you need our help for?” Lando Norris, a British hero, demanded. Max huffed.
“I’m going to take down the Academy. And I need your help to do so” he explained, causing everyone to look at him before Daniel crossed his arms.
“I mean, I’m all for taking down an establishment but…why?” he asked.
“Mattia took my son” Charles answered, making everyone look over at him before one of the villains, Kevin Magnussen, frowned.
“Your son?” he repeated. Charles nodded.
“Yes. My son, Ollie” he explained before he quickly recapped what had happened and how he had ended up in the glass cell. Once they all understood the situation, everyone’s face was dark with murderous rage before another hero, Oscar Piastri, cleared his throat.
“If we’re taking down Mattia…then I want to take down James too” he declared, making everyone look at him in confusion.
“Why him?” Nico Hulkenberg, another villain, inquired.
“Because he’s shit” George Russell, another British hero, spat.
“And because he acts like a caring leader when really, he mistreats the heroes under his care. He did it to George and now he’s doing it to Logan, but worse” Oscar explained, causing everyone to nod slowly before Max chuckled.
“Well…that’s why I said we’re taking down the entire Academy. There are very few who will be safe from us when we’re done” he declared before he looked at the others.
“Shall we go wreak havoc?” he asked. The others nodded before they all turned and began to make their way towards the entrance of the prison, just as Charles looked at Logan.
“Logan!” he called out, making the young American look over at him before he jogged over to the cell and raised a curious eyebrow.
“Yeah?” he asked. Charles smiled weakly at him.
“I need you to find Ollie for me” he requested. Logan blinked.
“Do you think he’s here?” he asked. Charles let out a shuddering breath before he shook his head.
“I don’t…I don’t know. I don’t know but I have to have hope that he is, that he’s okay” he whispered before he looked at him.
“Will you? Look for him?” he asked. Logan nodded.
“I’ll try and look for him. Don’t worry Charles” he promised, making Charles smile weakly.
“Thank you” he thanked. Logan nodded before he turned and rushed out of the prison, Charles watching him leave before he let out a heavy sigh and rested his forehead against the glass of his cell; he hoped Ollie was here. He hoped Logan would be able to find him…and bring him home.
~*~*~*~*~*~
While Logan was off searching for where Ollie might be, Max and the others made their way through the Academy, Max looking around curiously.
“It’s certainly changed since I’ve been here” he murmured, making Alex Albon, another young hero, look at him curiously.
“You attended the Academy?” he asked. Max nodded.
“When I was younger. Charles and I were in the same class” he explained.
“Why’d you leave?” Daniel asked. Max chuckled.
“Oh, I was a menace. Never liked following the rules and got into fights a lot. Mainly with Charles. Also, my powers scared the leaders of the Academy…thought I was going to become too powerful. So they gave me an ultimatum: either take drugs to suppress my powers…or leave. So I left” he replied. Everyone looked at him in horror.
“You…they wanted you to suppress your powers?” Sergio “Checo” Perez, one of the older villains, breathed. Max nodded.
“Yes, they did. And you know that being on suppressants for so long can do irreversible damage to one’s body and their powers and I refused to play along with their games so…I left. But I left Charles behind…I should have taken him with me. Cuz look what Mattia did to him” he growled. Silence then fell over all of them before Max cleared his throat and turned to look at them.
“Carlos, Checo, with me. The rest of you…I don’t care where you go or what you do. Just…tear this place apart” he ordered. The others nodded before they quickly turned and took off to wreak havoc as Max looked over at Carlos.
“You know the Academy better than me. Where would Mattia be?” he asked. Carlos was quiet before he looked back at him.
“Follow me” he ordered.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile, Logan continued to make his way through the Academy, searching high and low for any place that Ollie might be.
“Where the fuck can you hide a baby anyways?” he muttered before he paused. The Academy did have an infirmary…and outright killing a child just went against everything that heroes stood for so…
“He might be there” he murmured before he ran to the infirmary and burst inside, looking around before he noticed a nurse standing beside a hospital bed with a syringe in hand, a small figure on the bed before her.
‘That must be—’ he started before he quickly rushed over to the nurse and grabbed her wrist, making her look over at him with wide eyes.
“What are you—” she started when he tightened his grip.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you” he warned, causing her eyes to widen even further as he looked down at the infant, Ollie, in the bed and frowned slightly.
“Is he alive?” he demanded. The nurse nodded.
“He’s just sleeping. I was told to give him a sedative to put him to sleep before I was to give him this” she explained, motioning to the syringe in her hand. Logan hummed and looked at the syringe before he took it out of her hand and held it up.
“What is it?” he inquired.
“A lethal dose of morphine. I was told to make it “as peaceful as possible”” she explained, causing Logan to growl softly before he looked at her.
“Who told you to do this?” he demanded. The nurse didn’t answer, causing him to growl a little louder before he tightened his grasp on her wrist and pressed the tip of the syringe to her throat.
“Who” he snarled.
“M-Mattia” the nurse stammered, making Logan look at her before he took a step back and dropped the syringe on the ground, quickly smashing it with the heel of his boot before he took a step forward and scooped Ollie, who was still fast asleep, into his arms, cradling him close.
“I’m taking him now. And I suggest getting out before this whole place comes crashing down” he suggested before he turned and headed out of the infirmary, Ollie held protectively in his arms.
~*~*~*~*~*~
While Logan headed out of the infirmary with Ollie, Max and Checo followed behind Carlos as he led them through the Academy just as the ground beneath them shook, causing Carlos to chuckle softly.
“Looks like Yuki got the party started” he mused before he looked over at them.
“Come on, Mattia’s office is this way” he declared, motioning for them to follow him as they continued down the corridor until they came upon a large closed wooden door, causing the three of them to stare at it before Max looked over at Checo.
“Hmm. Checo?” he asked. Checo nodded before he threw out a hand and shattered the solid door with a blast of telekinesis, allowing Max to enter the room as Mattia, who was sitting at his desk, looked up at him and smirked.
“Max Verstappen…I never thought you’d step foot in this establishment ever again” he admitted, just as Max growled, a low and dangerous sound.
“I wouldn’t have…if it weren’t for Charles” he replied, causing Mattia to hum and nod slowly.
“Charles…yes…you always had a soft spot for him” he mused, just as Max growled again, shadows beginning to swirl around him.
“Shut up, you fucking son of a bitch” he hissed before he threw out a hand, shooting out shadowlike tendrils towards him. Mattia however, just threw up a hand and blocked the attack with a quick forcefield before he threw out an attack of his own, only for Checo to throw up his own forcefield to protect them as Carlos blasted fireballs at Mattia, hoping that one of them connected with his stupid fucking face. Unfortunately, Mattia just waved the attack away, but due to his entire office being made of wood, the shelves and desks quickly caught fire, causing him to look around his burning office before he turned to look at the three men before him and growled.
“That’s how you want to play, huh? Fine then. Then we’ll do things your way” he snarled.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile, back in the prison, Charles paced the length of his cell, anxiety coursing through his veins like an electrical current. Why wasn’t Logan back yet? What if Ollie really was dead? What if Max and the others couldn’t take down the Academy and Mattia? What if Mattia actually killed Max? At that thought, Charles’ heart stuttered and he clutched at his chest; the thought of Ollie and Max both being dead…just then, the ground suddenly shuddered and shook, making him look up in shock; just what the hell was going on?! Just then, the ceiling in front of his cell suddenly crumbled and bodies tumbled through it, making him look at them with wide eyes before one of the bodies stood up, shadows swirling around them, and looked over at him, their blue eyes glowing brightly through the darkness of the shadows.
“Max” he breathed as the shadowy figure slowly made their way over to him before the shadows fell away and Max stood before him, his eyes bright and beautiful and blue.
“Charles” he replied before he placed a hand on the glass cell.
“Step back” he ordered. Charles frowned and opened his mouth to ask why but one look at Max’s face told him that it was better to just do as he said, so he quickly took a step back and watched as Max sent his powers into the power absorbing glass until a crack suddenly appeared in the glass, causing Charles’ eyes to widen in shock as Max looked over at the two figures who descended through the large hole in the ceiling.
“Carlos. Checo. Help me” he requested. The hero and villain nodded before they quickly walked over to the cell and placed their hands on the glass as well, both of them sending their powers into the glass as well until more cracks appeared on the glass, the sound of the cracking glass getting louder until the cell suddenly shattered, causing Charles to quickly cover his face with his arms to protect himself as glass sprayed everywhere before he lowered his arms and looked around at the shattered glass before he looked at Carlos, Max, and Checo, all of whom were looking back at him with various degrees of concern.
“Are you alright, Charles?” Carlos asked. Charles nodded.
“I’m fine” he replied before he looked at Max.
“Mattia. Did you—” he started when Max nodded.
“We did. He can’t hurt you or Ollie or anyone from the Academy ever again” he assured, just as the others entered the prison and walked over to them.
“Damn, looks like we missed all the fun” Daniel teased, making Charles looked over at them before he searched through the many faces, a frown soon gracing his face.
“Where’s Logan?” he asked. Everyone looked at him before they all looked around, Zhou Guanyu, a Chinese hero, shaking his head a moment later.
“We haven’t seen him” he replied, causing a cold chill to shoot through Charles’ spine. Oh God. Was he caught? Did he get injured somehow while trying to find Ollie? Just then, a throat cleared behind them, making all of them turn to see Logan, with a bundle in his arms, step out of the shadows, a sheepish smile on his face.
“Sorry I’m late…I was trying to avoid getting caught in the whole “bringing down the Academy” thing so I took the tunnels” he explained as he walked over to Charles and placed the bundle into his arms, Charles letting out a soft gasp at the sight of Ollie in his arms.
“Ollie!” he breathed before he looked at Logan with teary eyes.
“Thank you” he whispered. Logan blushed slightly and nodded.
“Sure. No problem” he replied as Charles looked down at Ollie again, just as he woke up from his drug induced slumber and looked up at him before he smiled sleepily and reached up, making grabby hands at his face.
“Ah” he exclaimed, making Charles’ eyes widen before he laughed weakly.
“Hello, mon cher” he whispered, pressing a loving kiss to his forehead before he looked at the others, all of whom were looking at them with mixtures of fond and curious looks, and smiled.
“Would you like to hold him?” he asked. Lando perked up.
“Can we?” he replied. Charles laughed.
“Of course” he replied before he carefully placed Ollie in Checo’s arms and watched as the villain carefully cradled the infant in his arms as if he had done it a thousand times before. They then waited for Ollie to scream or cry or be upset at someone other than Charles holding him, but instead Ollie just cooed, causing all of the heroes and villains to smile fondly at him as Checo looked at Charles and smiled.
“He’s so cute” he complimented, making Charles smile in return.
“Thank you” he thanked before he watched Checo carefully pass Ollie over to Nico, who carefully took the infant into his arms and smiled at him, Ollie cooing in reply. While the heroes and villains were all fawning and cooing over Ollie, Max looked over at Charles, who suddenly looked exhausted, and quietly slipped over to him, wrapping a firm arm around his waist.
“How are you feeling?” he asked softly. Charles hummed and looked up at him before he sighed.
“I’m tired. So very, very tired” he murmured. Max nodded slowly.
“I know. I’ll take you and Ollie home soon” he promised, just as Logan, who was carrying Ollie again, walked over to them and carefully deposited Ollie into Charles’ arms, a small smile on his face.
“You should go home. You’ve had a long day” he suggested, making Charles look at him before he smiled slightly.
“Thank you” he thanked before he looked over at the others, his smile growing wider.
“All of you” he continued. The others nodded.
“Just note that this isn’t going to be a regular thing now” Lewis Hamilton, a British villain, warned, causing Charles to laugh weakly before he nodded.
“Oh, I know” he replied before he looked at them again.
“But thank you. All of you. Really” he thanked, just as Max looked at them.
“We’ll be going now” he declared before they disappeared in a flash of shadows, everyone staring at the place where they were just standing before Daniel cleared his throat.
“So…drinks?” he suggested.
~*~*~*~*~*~
While the heroes and villains were deciding if they were going to spend more time together, Max and Charles returned to Charles’ apartment, Charles practically dead on his feet once they arrived. At the sight of the tired green eyes, Max smiled softly before he carefully scooped Charles into his arms, causing Charles to let out a surprise yelp as he clutched Ollie close before he looked at Max in shock.
“What are you—” he started when Max smiled.
“You’re tired” he declared before he made his way towards the bedroom and carefully deposited Charles on the bed, Charles looking at him in shock as he took Ollie out of his arms and carried him over to his bassinet, placing him inside as Charles looked at him.
“You didn’t have to—” he started when Max looked back at him.
“Charles, when it comes to other people, I know I don’t have to, but when it comes to you, I want to. So let me. Okay?” he asked. Charles was quiet before he slowly laid down and shifted so that he was facing Ollie’s bassinet, his hand outstretched on the pillow closest to his son.
“Okay. Thank you” he whispered before he shut his eyes and allowed himself to drift off to sleep, his chest rising and falling with steady breaths. As he slept, Max watched him for a moment before he looked over at Ollie, who had fallen back asleep, and smiled softly as he reached out and gently petted the soft hair.
“Goodnight Ollie” he murmured before he looked over at Charles, who was still sleeping, and smiled wider.
“Goodnight Charlie” he whispered.
~*~*~*~*~*~
A few hours later, Charles was awoken by a sharp cry, causing him to shoot up with a gasp, only to see Max standing beside Ollie’s bassinet, Ollie in his arms as he gently rocked him, hushing him softly.
“Max?” he murmured. At his name, the villain looked up and when he realized Charles was awake, he smiled softly.
“Go back to sleep, Charlie. I’ve got him” he assured. Charles hummed but didn’t say anything as he watched Max rock Ollie back to sleep, the sight reminding him of the first time Max held Ollie in his apartment all those months ago. At the memory, Charles smiled slightly before he looked at Max and cleared his throat, making Max look up at him with a raised eyebrow.
“What?” he asked.
“Do you remember what you said to me all those months ago? About how I don’t have to do this by myself?” Charles asked. Max nodded.
“Yes, why?” he replied. Charles shook his head.
“I don’t want to do this by myself anymore. I want you to help me” he requested, making Max stare at him in shock.
“You…want me?” he asked. Charles nodded.
“Yes” he replied. Max was quiet before he looked down at Ollie, who had fallen back asleep, and carefully placed him back into the bassinet before he walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge of it, looking Charles in the eyes.
“Are you sure? You know what I am, don’t you?” he asked. Charles huffed.
“Of course I do. But you don’t scare me. You never have” he replied before he smirked.
“Besides, we were always a little predestined, don’t you think? The Prince of Darkness and the Prince of Light? Doesn’t it sound like something out of a fairytale?” he asked. Max scoffed.
“More like something out of Shakespeare” he countered before he looked him in the eyes, a hint of fear in his own eyes.
“But are you sure Charles? That you want me? I am the “Devil” as everyone so kindly likes to point out” he reminded, only for Charles to shake his head.
“The only “devil” I knew was Mattia, and he’s fucking dead. You’re not the Devil, Max. You never were. And yes, while you may be a villain, and we may be “rivals”…there’s no one I’d rather have here by my side, helping me raise Ollie. So yes, I want you” he stated before he looked at him hesitantly.
“Don’t you…want us?” he asked. Max was quiet before he reached out and cupped his face in his hands.
“I’ve wanted Ollie since the moment I met him and I’ve wanted you since we were twelve when we met in the Academy all those years ago. Of course I want you, Charlie” he assured, making Charles look at him with wide eyes before he smiled weakly, almost relieved.
“Okay” he whispered as Max leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his forehead.
“Now go back to sleep. I’ll watch over Ollie” he murmured, only for Charles to shake his head.
“Ollie’s asleep. You should rest too” he suggested, making Max raise an eyebrow at him.
“Can I?” he asked. Charles nodded and patted the bed beside him, causing Max to smile as he shifted onto the bed and laid down, Charles quickly laying down beside him before he scooted closer, causing Max to chuckle softly as he threw an arm over his waist and pulled him close.
“You’re quite the cuddler, aren’t you?” he teased. Charles chuckled softly and tucked himself against him.
“It’s where Ollie gets it from” he replied before he yawned and looked at Max, who was staring at him lovingly.
“What?” he asked. Max shook his head.
“Nothing. I just…didn’t think I’d ever get this” he murmured, causing Charles to look at him before he reached up and gently caressed his cheek.
“Well, you have it now” he declared, making Max smile.
“Yes, I do” he agreed before he pressed a kiss to his hair.
“Go to sleep. I won’t let anything happen to you or Ollie” he promised. Charles chuckled softly as he snuggled against him.
“I know you won’t” he murmured before he shut his eyes and drifted off to sleep, Max watching him sleep for a moment before he looked at the shadows in the room and murmured something to them, the shadows shifting in response.
“Good” he murmured before he pulled Charles closer and shut his eyes, letting out a soft breath as sleep took him and darkness surrounded them. Charles was his. Ollie was his. And Max wasn’t going to let anyone take them from him…unless they wanted to meet the man beneath the shadows and the darkness. And that man…contrary to what Charles had assured…was the Devil. Even more so than Mattia. But Max didn’t care. For Charles and Ollie, his family, he would show the world what it meant to be a villain.