The Lamp still burns

The radio on Erik’s desk crackled loudly. He reached for it right when Dola’s voice came through, “Everyone.Jet incoming. Looks like the X-Men. Landing to the south.”

Charles’s merry gang? What were they doing here? Erik put the radio on his belt and walked outside, before taking to the air and swiftly made his way south. He touched ground directly in front of Mystique and Beast, wearing their uniforms.

“Erik.”, Beast nodded at him.

“Such distinguished visitors on an early Sunday morning. What can we do for the X-Men today?”

“We need your help finding Peter.”, Mystique told him, not even reacting to his teasing tone.

“Peter? Your Quicksilver?”

“Just the one.”

“He’s been missing for a week.”, Beast sighed, “We haven’t been able to locate him.”

“And you thought I could?”

“You owe him. He busted you out of the Pentagon. And I won’t even mention Cairo.”, Mystique hissed at him. Honestly, she was uncharacteristically hostile right now. Interesting. It wasn’t like Erik had planned to say no. She was right, he owed Peter. And he actually really liked the kid. Still, she must really like the speedster to get THIS worked-up right from the get-go and not at least try to play nice.

He COULD try to rile her up more and find out what was going on, but… missing for a week? Maybe they didn’t have the time.

“You should have come earlier.”, he grumbled at her instead, “A week?”

Erik reached for his radio just as Mystique grumbled something obviously derogatory. Beast placed a hand on her arm as if to hold her back. More and more interesting developments. There was definitely something else going on here.

“Corey, we’re headed for the office. Get started on every intel we have right now. Someone took Quicksilver a week ago.”

“On it, Boss.”

Erik gestured for the two X-Men to follow him and took off. Past the guard tower and into the main settlement, where there was a suspicious amount of people just… doing stuff. Smooth, they weren’t, the nosy bastards.

The door to the office was open, so Erik just waltzed in, finding Corey and Betje standing over several boxes of files.

“Where was he taken?”, Betje didn’t bother with pleasantries. She never did and Erik really appreciated that about her.

“DC. Last Sunday.”, Beast replied.

“Bah, and you don’t even call!”, she huffed and walked over to one of the desks, reaching for the phone.

“Betje does most communication.”, Erik explained with a bright smile, “She is our most approachable member.”

“Well, if you are the standard, everyone is an improvement.”

“Okay. Honestly. What is it now? I know we haven’t talked in a bit… Didn’t you guys like the wedding present I send? I would have given you a better one, if you had invited me, you know?”

Apparently his attempt at humor wasn’t appreciated. Mystique actually took a step forward, as if to punch him. Beast quickly grabbed her arm.

“Emotions are running high, Erik, everyone is very worried about Peter. That’s all!”, Beast hurried, “Maybe it’s best if we get back to the search, and you call us, if you or your people find anything.”

Erik just nodded as those two left to make the 15-minute track back to the jet.

Strange. Very strange.

“I like her.”, Corey declared over one of the boxes, “She seems unhinged.”

“There is something else going on. The timing is weird.”

“How?”

“Why didn’t they call immediately, if they thought we could help?”

“Maybe they didn’t think we would care about someone taking one of their X-Men? It’s not exactly our business.”

“Then why do they ask now? And not just a call… they came here. Why?”

“I don’t know. They are your friends, not mine.”

“Mh.”, Erik would have to think about that. Something was strange here. Very strange. 

“I started the telephone chain. Someone should get back to us soon.”, Betje walked over, “Do you want me to radio you, when we have something?”

“No. I’ll help look through the files.” 

Whatever else was going on, Mystique was right. He did owe the kid. So he would do everything he could to find him.

Two hours and six phone calls later, they were still pouring over the files. Nothing had seemed to fit. They’d made a note of everything, of course, but… 

The phone rang again.

“Where? Portland? Could be… Thank you, Paris.”, Betje hung up, “Paris had heard reports about a suspicious convoy arriving at a facility outside Portland late last Sunday. Armored vehicle. Could have been a containment unit. Nothing specific, so they were still trying to get more intel.”

Erik reached for one of the Friends of Humanity files. Portland. Yes. That would fit.

Steel-enforced building. Three stories. Rumors about experimentation. They had wanted to raid it, but hadn’t gotten around to it. They had to be more careful now, if they didn’t want to make enough of a stink to endanger Genosha.

“Let’s check it out. Corey, call Ariki and Tanya. Toad, too. And tell Becca to get one of the jets ready.”

“Want me to call Xavier?”

Erik’s first instinct was to say no. They were keeping something from him, after all, he could feel it with every fiber of his being.

His second instinct was to say no, because he didn't owe them a call. Him and his people could damn well do it alone.

But…

Peter was a member of their team and he had promised to call, so…

“Yes. Give them the address. We’ll meet there.”

The five of them had just made it up into the air, when Corey's voice came out of the radio: “Just heard back from Xavier. His people are still out. They are hurrying towards Portland, but will probably be behind you. They are asking you to wait and want me to remind you that there is strength in numbers.”

“Sure.”, Erik replied shortly.

“We’re not waiting, are we?”, Toad asked.

“If they have any sense whatsoever, the FoH will know once our jet comes near them. If they don't have Quicksilver, they'll have others. We can't risk their lives.”

“So we’re going to go through the front-door and hope this isn't a trap?”, Tanya asked. She was a telepath, but her strength lay in sending messages directly to other people. Nothing nearly as useful as Charles. Obviously. She could also throw a punch with the best of them.

“Why would they expect us? We aren't exactly X-Men.”, Erik dismissed her. Still… 

“You could go nuclear on them.”, Toad grinned a little sinisterly. Maximum casualty was Toad’s default setting. But he was useful and loyal to a t. If Erik told him to do something, he’d do it. No questions asked.

Ariki shook his head, “We are trying to look less threatening, remember?”

“I saw the plan.”, Toad gestured towards one of the files, “Steel-reinforced concrete. You could just take the whole thing apart. No one would even have time to react.”

“We could also NOT do that.”, Ariki replied, “Because I quite like my freedom AND my home.”

“We could land the jet far enough that they might not notice us and… Erik could fly over. He’s the one best suited for surprising them.”, Tanya shrugged, “That would also mean we could wait for the X-Men. Don't they have a teleporter?”

“We’re not waiting.”, Erik declared. He couldn't wait. It was important. Mystique was up to something, and he wouldn't give her the chance to get away with it. Not even close.

In the end they decided to land the jet directly in-front of the facility by basically having Erik drop the thing out of the sky at a speed and angle not humanly possible and just taking the front-door. Not as clandestine as Erik would have preferred, but it was the middle of the day, so their options were limited.

And holding the kid in a building full of metal was an invitation, anyway. 

The moment they exited the jet running at full pelt, alarms started blaring, security doors closed. Erik took the entrance’s massive door and just pushed it inwards, hopefully crushing at least some defenders.

Yupp. He’d gotten some.

They were a well-oiled machine, the four of them. 

Security kept running at them, but there wasn't much that could stop the mutants.

Something hit Erik in the arm, and he turned to see a man with a plastic gun, before Toad took the thing off him.

“Sorry, Boss!”

Plastic guns, eh? So they had at least considered that he might show up. At least it had only been a glancing shot.

Tanya was standing over one of the men on the floor, her hands pressed to his head.

“Basement level!”, she declared, “There are around 20 mutants here, all of them downstairs. Including Quicksilver.”

Handy.

The corridor was empty now, so they sprinted down the stairs and through another set of doors. There was a man in a lab coat, pointing a plastic gun. Erik reached for one of the metal doors to use as a shield and pushed him into the wall. Idiots. All of them.

“I told you to wait.”, a voice said through the now missing door. Another scientist. 

“Move.”, he told his team, “I’m right behind you.”

They gave the eerily calm woman a strange look, but hurried along, opening doors and disarming guards and scientists alike.

“Technically, you asked me to wait.”, Erik told Charles.

“Ah. Yes.”

“And I chose to politely decline.”

“The others are five minutes out. Maybe ten.”

“Fine. We’ll wait for them outside.”

Erik didn't have time for Charles' shenanigans. He had a mission: find the kid.

“Boss!”, Ariki yelled and Erik hurried after the voice.

Peter was lying on a slap, strapped down enough to make it impossible for him to move.

Poor kid.

Ariki had just managed to take off the chinstrap, when Erik used his powers to take off the rest.

“Peter! Are you alright?”, he asked, honestly concerned for the boy, as he pulled two IVs out of his hands.

“Dad? What are you doing here?”, Peter slurred his voice, his eyes half closed.

“No, kid, it's Erik. Can you look at me? Are you hurt?”

“Ow. Everything hurts.”

“Okay. Ariki?”

“I’ll carry him.”

“Who told you?”, Peter asked, “Oh shit, no, no. Not my back!”

Ariki let Peter slide back down and turned him around, so they could look at his back. 

“Looks like they gave him a lumbar puncture.”, Erik sighed, “Carrying him like that will hurt like a bitch. Fine. We’ll have to carry him between us. Peter? Do you have anything else we need to know?”

“They drugged me.”

“Yeah, we figured.”, Ariki grinned a little at Peter’s incredulous tone.

“That was mean of them. And I was bored. I hate being bored. It's the worst. Didn't think you’d come. Told Raven not to tell you.”

“You told Raven not to tell me, should you ever be kidnapped?”, that was a strange idea. Oddly specific.

“No, man. Wanted to tell you myself. Some day.”

“You wanted to tell me yourself, if you got kidnapped?”

“I think he’s too out of it to make sense.”, Ariki shook his head, as they hoisted Peter up between them and carefully moved him out of the room. Tanya and Toad were leading a small group of scared and pissed-off looking mutants. At least none of them seemed unable to move.

“Is that all?”, Erik asked.

“No. The others are already outside. Most had MICs on. Took them off, so they can protect themselves.”, Tanya shook her head.

“Why didn't they give one to Quicksilver?”, Toad asked, “That's strange.”

“He’s drugged. And his mutation is controllable once you get him motionless.”, Erik explained.

“Assholes.”, Peter informed them wholeheartedly.

“Agreed.”, this time even Erik cracked a little smile, “Let's get out of here.”

Later, Erik would never quite know how it happened. Him, Peter and Akiri in the back… they thought they had gotten everyone, when a loud bang cut through the air and poor Peter sagged even more.

The shooter stood frozen.

“Too late.”, he said, “I’m sorry, my friend, I noticed him too late.”

Charles.

“Peter!”, Erik let go, Ariki now holding him up by himself, so Erik could take a closer look.

Peter’s hospital gown was turning red. There was a small bullet wound in his back, not too far off from where his heart would be.

“Fuck! Peter, can you hear me?”, Erik turned around to look at the boy slumped in Ariki’s arms.

“I’m sorry, Dad”, Peter said, “She shouldn't have told you. Not fair for you to lose another kid.”

The words crashed over Erik like a bucket of cold water.

What? What had he just said?

It was nothing. Nothing. The kid was high AND injured. He was seeing his father, that was understandable.

To lose another kid.

No. No. No. Coincidence.

“Let me through!”, someone yelled. A man. One of the other mutants.

“Let me see!”

Carefully Ariki let Peter slide to the floor and held him on his side. 

“Boss?”, Toad asked, “Is… is that kid yours?”

“Of course not!”, Erik yelled and kneeled down next to Peter.

They told me you control metal. My Mom once knew a guy who could do that.

“ It's pretty bad.”, the newcomer said, “I managed to repair some of the arteries, but my powers are limited. I need equipment, not just my powers.”

Erik grabbed the boy off the floor. It didn't matter anymore, if it hurt. He just took him in his arms and ran. Ran faster than he could ever remember running. Down the corridor, up the stairs.

I’m your… I’m here for my family, too.

Fuck, no. No. Simply no.

Mystique's weird behavior. She had acted like he should CARE about Peter. Like he had done something.

Wanted to tell you myself.

“Peter.”, he quietly asked the kid, as they made it out in the open, “Peter, am I, Erik, your Dad?”

“Sure you are. Didn't know it when we met. Mom never likes to… she's not a fan.”

Oh, shit. Shit. Shit.

“I’m sorry, Peter, I’m really sorry.”

Erik ran up the steps to the jet, right when the X-Men landed and Kurt teleported next to him.

“What happened?”

“Shot.”, was all Erik said, as he placed Peter onto the one medical bed they kept in the back. This wasn't their first rodeo, after all.

Becca appeared next to him, throwing open cabinets and pulling out medical equipment.

“Hey Dad?”, Peter asked, his eyes closed now.

“Yes?”

“I’m tired.”

“No. Peter, look at me! You’re not tired! Do you hear me? You are not going to sleep. You are not going anywhere. Peter, look at me!”, desperately Erik pulled at Peter's hand. It was cold. The kid was getting cold. His kid. Peter was his kid.

The mutant that had helped them before appeared by his side, moving to help Becca.

Everyone else seemed to stay outside. They couldn't help here anyway.

“Peter! Look at me, damn it!”

“You are bossy.”, Peter mumbled, but his eyes did actually open a tiny bit.

“Yes. Yes, I am. And I’m telling you now: you are not dying on me, okay? If you fucking DARE die, I will find a way to make it to whatever afterlife you believe in and pull you back here by your ear.”

“I believe you…”, Peter's words slurred a little, but he was still talking and that was all Erik needed.

“You have no idea how pissed off I’d be, if you died on me. And believe me. You don't want to see me mad.”

Silence.

“Peter? Peter!”

“Erik, you need to stand back!”, Becca yelled and suddenly someone was grabbing both his arms, pulling him backwards.

“Erik!”

He knew that voice. Beast.

“Erik! Let them work!” 

Mystique was standing there, in the middle of the plane. Pale. Human looking.

“You knew! You fucking knew and didn’t tell me!”

“He asked me not to, so I didn’t.”

“They had him for a week, before you came to me. A WEEK. We found him in under three hours. If you had just FUCKING called, he’d be okay!”

“And if you had waited, like we told you to, you wouldn’t have gone in there half-cocked, and he’d be fine, too!”

White-hot anger. Anger so all consuming, Erik couldn’t breathe. 

Moved the coin too late. Came back from work too late. Reacted too late. Always. Always wrong. Always too late. Never enough. Never in time. Never…

“Erik!”, someone was yelling again, but it sounded so far away, he couldn’t… he couldn’t…

Suddenly he was sitting in the mansion’s library. Charles was sitting across from him, chessboard between them. He was younger, years younger.

“I’m sorry, my friend, you lost control. I needed to stop you and fast.”

Erik looked around. This… wasn’t Charles’s office now. It had looked like this way back when. Before Cuba.

“You were messing with the equipment, and we couldn’t have that.”

“We’re in my head.”

“Yes.”

“Peter is my son.”

Charles blinked at him. Once. Twice.

“I didn’t know that.”

“Neither did I.”

“Now that you say it, though… he DOES have your nose. And your flair for the dramatic.”

“That’s not funny, Charles. He’s dying.”

“We don’t know that. I’m sure everyone is doing their best to stop that from happening. And their best is pretty extraordinary.”

“I can’t lose him, Charles. I just can’t do it.”

“Then we won’t even think about that.”

“ I can’t NOT think about it.”

“Then sit with me for a bit. And we’ll wait.”

“I should have waited for your people.”

“And I didn’t stop the shooter in time. And Raven didn’t tell you. And Peter didn’t tell you. So, so many decisions that all brought us here.”

“I can’t lose another child, Charles.”

“Losing one child must have been unimaginably painful, losing a second… Let’s not go there, before we have to. Please.”

“Third.”

“Sorry?”

“Third.”

Charles just stared at him. He had the same look he’d had back in Cairo. That damned pity Erik neither needed nor wanted.

“When… when did you…”

“Before we met.”

“What happened?”

“Why does it matter now, Charles?”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“So I wouldn’t have to see that look on your face.”

“I thought I knew you. Back when we met, I was in your head. I… how did I not KNOW this?”

“Some things are too painful to even think about.”

There was a tear running down Charles’ face. What a strange thing, while they were still only talking in his head.

“Is that… is that why you went after Shaw so much?”

“Don’t mention that man to me.”, Erik hissed. The room shook. Charles looked around with concern on his face.

“How are you doing that?”

“Don’t EVER mention that man again.”

“I won’t, my friend. I’m sorry. Please try and calm yourself, you… Erik!”

“Tell me something. Something nice.”, Erik closed his eyes, wondering how that even worked, when he didn’t have a body.

“My students are driving me insane. We have one kid whose power it is to turn something red. That’s it. He can turn things red. He can’t turn them back. So last week, he lost control. Red walls. Red carpet. Red wheelchair.”

Erik snorted. Okay. That was a good one.

“One of my students has the power to let grass grow. Anywhere. It happens, when he’s bored.”

“So in classrooms.”

“Exactly.”

“One of our people has antlers. She keeps getting tangled up in things.”

“That’s also nice.”, Charles smiled.

“Last week, we had our first birth. We have families, older kids. This was the first one born in Genosha.”

“That’s so great! What’s their name?”

“Ahmed. He was born with tiny wings. His poor mother was not amused.”

They sat in silence for a bit.

“I’m sorry I didn’t see the shooter sooner, my friend. He was a mutant, even though apparently he didn’t know it. He just looked like one of the prisoners at first.”

“Don’t. I don’t want to… don’t.”

He’d just managed to… not constantly think about Peter dying while he was sitting next to a roaring fire. Damn you, Charles.

Peter was dying. Peter was his son. Peter… Peter… 

“There is something you need to know. Whatever happens, Erik, with Peter… you are needed here.”

Erik knew exactly what Charles was trying to do. Talk him off the ledge, stop him from…

“Peter has a twin.”

If Erik had a body, he would have choked.

“What?!”

“Her name is Wanda. She ran away twelve years ago. Peter hasn’t managed to find her. Neither have I. Maybe you will. You found Peter. You can find Wanda, too.”

A daughter. Erik had another daughter. Anya, Nina, Wanda… how well those names fit together… Anya, Nina, Wanda…

“What… what if you can’t find her, because…”

“No, that’s not what I meant. Erik!”

Anya and Nina dead, Peter dying, Wanda missing…

“Erik! Stop!”

With a sudden bout of vertigo, Erik arrived back in reality. He was sitting on one of the seats in the middle of the plane, Tanya across from him, looking concerned.

“Welcome back!”

“Peter?”, Erik’s voice was brittle, weaker than he would have liked.

“Stable. Still in the back. We’re all flying out to Westchester.”

“Hank isn’t a medical doctor.”

“No. But they have a medical facility, and they are closer than Genosha. Jimmy, the mutant we rescued, with the medical mutation? He’ll look after Peter. He’s a doctor, too. Not just a mutant.”

“How long was I out?”

“A while.”

Damn you, Charles. The whole jet was full of people, almost every seat taken, not just by his team, but the people they’d rescued, Peter in danger… and he’d been locked in his own damn psyche. 

“Did you get me out?”

“Huh?”

“Out of my head?”

“Oh. No. I do NOT have the power to go up against Xavier. Not even with close contact while he’s far away. And you were endangering…”

“The plane?”

“Everyone.”

“Fantastic.”

Carefully Erik got up and walked past all the worried looking faces, to come to stand next to a still unconscious Peter. 

Taking his son’s hand in his own, he did his best to take in every detail he could. His pale face, matted hair… 

He does have your nose.

“How is he?”, Erik asked a nervous looking Jimmy.

“Stable for now. I’ll need to operate later, to get the bullet out. But for now we stopped the bleeding. He’s a strong kid. He’ll pull through.”

“He will?”, Erik didn’t even dare to hope.

“If nothing unexpected happens, yes. He’s already healing. Dr McCoy knows his physiology better, of course, but… he says he might have a way of kickstarting his mutations so he’ll heal faster. But I’ll need to operate first.”

“Thank you. Jimmy, is it?”

“Yes. And you are welcome. You saved us, after all. Thank you for that. Magneto?”

“Erik. You can call me Erik. You just saved my son’s life, after all.”

“Erik.”, Jimmy agreed and smiled at him.

Erik carefully rested his hand on Peter’s cheek. He wasn’t as cold anymore. His hand, either. That was good. Great, even.

“I’m in your debt. Whatever you need. If it’s in my power, it’s yours.”

“How about a home?”

Erik looked up at the man.

“I was on my way to Genosha, when I was intercepted. Most of us were, I think.”, Jimmy gestured at the plane. 

“Then we’ll be honored to have you.”

***

Three hours later Erik was sitting in Charles’ mansion, outside the door to the lab and still feeling miserable. The X-Men were spread out on chairs and blankets, not leaving Peter either, before they knew he’d definitely be fine and Erik appreciated that. A lot. They were Peter’s friends. His son had people that cared about him. Charles was sitting next to him, close enough that Erik could feel his warmth. Erik had sent his people home for now. He’d follow, once… once.

“So… you are Peter’s father. Really?”, Kurt was the one to finally break the silence, which surprised Erik quite a lot, since the kid normally jumped, if Erik even looked at him.

“Really.”

“I did not see that coming.”

Erik couldn’t stop himself from throwing a withering glare at Mystique, who seemed to have calmed down a little, no longer meeting his gaze in challenge.

The door behind them opened, revealing a tired looking Hank.

“He’s fine.”, he declared, and a collective sigh went through the hallway. 

“Come on in then, Erik, I think you are first in line today.”

Erik nodded and got up. Hank didn’t move, though, instead standing directly in Erik’s way, “He’s still weak. And we gave him something for the pain, so he’s a little… out of it. Try not to upset him.”

“Wasn’t planning on it.”, Erik grumbled at him. Honestly, did they all think he was an idiot?

Finally, Hank let him pass and then Jimmy, too, left the room. Leaving Erik alone with his son on sick bed.

Slowly Erik walked closer, reaching for Peter’s left hand and squeezing it once. Warm. He was warm. Peter’s head moved to look at him.

“Hey there, Peter, how’s life been treating you lately?”

Erik used his powers to acquire a chair and sat down at eye-level with Peter.

“Peachy. Never been better. You… you saved me.”, his voice was a little hoarse, his eyes shaking. He had trouble focusing on Erik’s face.

“I did, yes.”

“I don’t remember much.”

“That’s okay. Being shot is nothing one needs to remember.”

“Speaking from experience?”

“Obviously.”

“You came for me. Why?”

“Because you were in trouble.”

“Huh.”

“Why does everyone think I don’t care?”

“I don’t know, man… I knew… I knew you’d come, if you knew. Raven told you?”

Ah. Loopy and missing memories.

“No, Peter, you did.”

“I did? I did. Oh. I called you Dad.”

“Yes. Took me a bit to realize what you meant, though.”

“I’m sorry. That wasn’t nice.”

“It’s alright. I don’t care about nice.”

“But you came. Before you knew?”

“Yes, Peter, you were always important. Now you are just… “ Everything? My reason? What was missing? “... More important.”

“That’s nice.”

“I need to tell you something.”

“You can do that later, when you feel like yourself.”

“No. No! I don’t want… I don’t want someone else to tell you.”

“Peter…”

“I have a sister. A twin sister. Wanda… her name is Wanda…”, his voice trailed off, there was a tear running down his cheek, “... she left me. She left me behind. She didn’t want me.”

“No, son, I’m sure she…”

“Don’t leave me, Dad.”

“Never.”

“Please don’t…” 

And just like that Peter fell back asleep and Erik… Erik was left sitting by his bed, vowing to never, ever leave that boy down.

“I got you, Peter. I promise you, I’ve got you.”