Whoa! Another bit of a wait for this chapter; sorry about that folks! I knew I say this from time to time but real life is extremely busy right now. But I wanted to make sure to get this chapter out today as a Happy Cap 2 Movie Day present! Whoo! I'm 6 minutes late but shhh….
Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter: shine lots, kittygirl998939, ramen-is-my-goddess, kingdomheartslover13, WhiteNoiseReflection, Veuve Noir, Guest, Silver wolf, Black-Luna, and Agent Ruby Red! You folks keep me going!
Chapter 9
Peter had no idea where he was. All he knew was that wherever they had taken him it was a long ways away from his house because it felt like they had driven for hours. After his phone call with his parents he had been taken to a round empty room where the only light was coming down from a skylight up on the ceiling but it was almost dark out so it was hard to see anything. Anything except for a weird thing sitting in the middle of the room that looked like a—Peter's eyes widened as they dragged him over to the weird box made up of wires and metal bars. It looked like a cage because it was one.
He yelped as the guards roughly pushed him inside and slammed the door shut behind him. A whimper burst out of Peter as his head banged on the metal bars and he pushed away from them to crouch in the middle of the cage as the guards made sure the lock would hold before leaving the room and leaving Peter alone. The cage was small and it was so dark that it was difficult to see. But he could tell the cage was small, just tall enough for him to sit up straight, and it was cube-shaped so not big enough for him to lie down. He felt cramped and trapped and he didn't want to be here. He wanted his dads!
Wiping his hands over his face, Peter winced as his eyes dried and adjusted to the light filtering in through the grimy skylight. There was a bird flying in circles overhead, just barely visible through the dirty plastic. Probably a vulture. Peter grunted and closed his eyes. It was a few hours too early. But just seeing it made him miss Clint. It even made him miss Loki.
Wait.
Peter's eyes flashed opened again and he stared hard at the bird. It was impossible to tell how big it was but now that he really looked at it there was no way it was a vulture. Or a hawk. But even from where he was sitting he could see the sunlight glinting off of sleek, black feathers.
Hope sprang up in his chest and he watched as the bird circled a few more times before landing on the roof next to the skylight. The bird tilted his head and cawed once and Peter blinked back and tears pricked his eyes. Reaching up, Peter grabbed at the bars on the top of the cage but before he could try and catch its attention the bird seemed to startle and flew away as fast as it had come.
A small, choked noise burst past Peter's lips and he slumped back down, gathering his legs up close to his chest and burying his face against his knees, feeling more alone than ever. He had thought that maybe, maybe someone was coming to get him. But what if they didn't? What if they didn't know where he was or couldn't find him? His whole body started to shake at the thought and he bit his lip to try to stay quiet as tears rolled down his cheeks. He wanted to go home! He didn't want to be here anymore!
Sniffling, he shook his head. If he could shift, if he could just shift he might be able to squeeze his way out through the bars or force his way out through the top. Maybe he'd be strong enough to break out. He had seen his Pop and Uncle Bruce shift. Uncle Bruce was special but they were both so strong. If he could just shift he should be able to bend the bars and run.
Peter closed his eyes and tried to feel the Wolf inside of him. It was there. He just had to bring it out. All he had to do was—Peter winced as his muscles pulled tight around his chest then gasped as his rib cage expanded, bent, then snapped back into place. It wasn't working. It shouldn't be that hard! He couldn't remember shifting, but there was a faded memory in his head about being little in his Wolf form and looking up and seeing flashes of his Aunt and Uncle's faces. If he could shift as a baby, he had to be able to shift now.
Sucking in a deep breath, Peter tried again, focusing everything he had on pulling his Wolf out. "Come on, come on! Aghh!" A sharp scream burst from his lungs as his ribs cracked and bent again and every soft part of his body seemed to cramp up as the rest of his bones began to change. Then he felt something in his legs and arms split, like, like it was forming eight legs instead of four, and he panicked.
As soon he lost control the pain intensified so much that he couldn't even breathe, he couldn't hear, he couldn't even smell. All he could feel was his heart pounding so fast in his chest he thought it was going to blow, just like his Dad's before his eyes rolled back in his head and he everything went dark.
.
Peter sucked in large gasps of air, tears blinding him as sapped back awake and he shuddered. It hurt. It hurt really bad! It felt like he had broken every bone and muscle in his body at the same time. Curling in on himself, he shook so hard it made his teeth rattle and futilely tried to make the quivering stop.
The pain subsided slowly but it left him sore and achy and he couldn't bring himself to fight against it as another man came in and pushed a needle into his arm to draw blood. The man left quickly, not taking the time to tell Peter what all that blood was for before he turned around and walked out.
After that it was quiet for a long time. The skylight started to turn dark and soon he could barely see at all, his eyes struggling to adjust to the barely-there light of the moon seeping in through the dirty plastic panel in the ceiling. The only thing that finally lulled Peter to sleep was his exhaustion and absolute stillness of the room around him.
Peter slept fitfully and started awake from a nightmare with a small yelp and almost banged his head against the top of the cage as he tried to jump up. The impact scared him and he called out for his dads only to remember where he was and how he had gotten there. Tears pricked at his eyes again but Peter squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. He didn't want to act like a baby. His Pop had said that he had to stay calm so he was going to try. His Pop was never wrong so maybe if he stayed calm things would be okay.
He still jumped as he heard a door screech open and footsteps echo out from the next room and his heart pounded in his chest as he pressed himself back against the wall of the cage, the metal bars cold as they dug into his back. It was only then that he realized that it had gotten brighter in the room and that it must be morning. The pale light allowed him to see who it was who was coming in just as his nose caught their scent. It was that man who smirked a lot, who his Dad had called Hammer.
Peter hunched up his shoulders as Hammer sauntered closer. Part of him wanted to curl up on himself but the other part stubbornly refused to do so. With his Pop's advice in his head, Peter wanted to act just like his Pop would so he stayed where he was and glared at the human as he crouched down next to the cage. The man didn't look like he would be able to reach through the bars so hopefully he would be alright.
Hammer just looked like he had seen something funny as he stared back at Peter and finally spoke. "Sorry I can't offer you better accommodations but I can't exactly risk having you run all over the place, can I? It was pretty obvious to my men that you were a Shifter from the way you fought them off back at Tony's place so I had to make some last-minute additions to the room."'
Peter swallowed thickly and sniffed the air in front of him again. Hammer didn't smell scared or even anxious, just sort of happy and it made Peter tense up. If Hammer was happy that wasn't good for him. He didn't know if he was supposed to say anything or not so he just glared back, afraid that if he said the wrong thing he'd get hurt. He was so little when Hydra took him that he couldn't remember a lot but he did remember that it had hurt and he didn't know if Hammer was the same type of person or not. He was still so sore from trying to shift that he didn't want to hurt more.
Hammer took his silence in stride. "So I sent someone in here to take a blood sample so we could figure out exactly what you were. Imagine my surprise when the results came back. It was like an early Christmas!" Peter started as Hammer clapped his hands together and his smile widened. "See, I thought that you were just some Wolf runt Tony picked up for charity, or at worst some bastard kid of his boyfriend. But, no, it is so much better! You, my friend, are a freak among beasts. Wolf and Spider DNA? Who could have dreamed of such a thing? No wonder Tony has kept you buried from the public! You are absolutely side-show material."
Some of the blood drained from Peter's face and he wanted to cry again. But he didn't. It was close but he didn't and shook his head instead. "I-It's not my fault. I didn't do it."
Hammer snorted. "Uh, yeah, I figured that one out, unless you're the world's youngest biochemist. But whoever did do it was a genius, like a real-world Dr. Frankenstein. Which would make you the Monster. If Tony doesn't come after you I might just have to take you back to my laboratory and have them dissect you to see what makes you tick. Technically we're not working on anything with Shifters but who could pass up an opportunity like this?"
Tensing up at the word dissection, Peter narrowed his eyes again as some of his fear hardened into anger at the idea that his Dad wouldn't come for him. His dads would always come for him. They saved people, that was his Pop's job, and they were both going to save him. "My dads are going to stop you! They're gonna come get me!"
"They might try. But I'll have a little surprise waiting for them. You see," Hammer smiled in a way that made a shiver curl down Peter's spine, "I rigged this baby myself. All I have to do is press this button and boom! There will be little bits of baby Monster everywhere."
Peter jumped back as Hammer waved his hands to emphasize the blast. He now noticed the wiring twining up the outside of the cage's bars, leading to a black box mounted on the top side with a little green light on it, an unlit red light next to it. Seeing Peter flinch, Hammer laughed again before patting the outside of the cage and moving to stand back on his feet. "Hopefully it won't come to that. The clean-up would be a mess. In the meantime though, just settle back and try to relax. I'll let you know if Tony decides to come pick you up."
Peter wanted to say something brave or smart as the man left but all his words stuck in his throat as he watched Hammer turn around and walk out of the room.
O~O
Peter didn't know how many hours had gone by but it was still light outside when something else broke the eerie silence that had settled over the room. It took a second for him to place where the noise was coming from but after a minute he tilted his head and stared back up at the skylight. He couldn't see anything there but there was a hard tapping sound from the roof right beside it.
Tilting his head, Peter decided that he should wait to figure out what it was before he spoke. It might be good but it might be bad. So far all of the people Hammer were with seemed to be human and this didn't sound human but he wasn't sure.
The tapping noise grew louder before something sounded like it snapped and a second later the skylight tilted up and opened just wide enough for a black shape to squeeze through. It was the bird he had seen earlier and now that he could see it well enough there was no doubt it was a Raven far too large to be a normal animal.
The bird swooped down and landed deftly on top of Peter's cage, its talons wrapping around the thick metal bars. Peter stared up at it as it cocked its head to the side then bent down to peck at the wiring leading to the bomb Hammer had pointed out. Sucking in a gasp, Peter surged up and gripped the bars next to where the Raven was standing. "No, wait, it might…!"
Peter's warning died on his lips as the Raven plucked at a wire casing with the edge of its beak until it cut through the thin plastic cover then nipped at the wiring inside. Feeling hopeful since the bomb hadn't already blown up, Peter still held his breath as the Bird snapped at the rest of the wires and didn't exhale until he heard the faint hum of an electrical current fall silent and the little light on top of the box flickered out.
The next thing he knew there was a ruffle of feathers and pale human hands reached out and snapped the mechanism on the outside of the cage that kept it locked. It hadn't been made to withstand the strength of a Shifter from the outside. The loud sound of the lock breaking made Peter jump but soon the door to his cage was swinging open and he tumbled out.
Loki caught him before Peter hit the floor and held him upright until Peter was able to regain his balance and straighten up. Peter gasped as he fell into the older Shifter's arms, the unusual sensation of being supported by the Raven making him scramble to right himself faster. Loki let out a low laugh as Peter did so. "Here now, little one. Do not be afraid. I am here to help." Standing up on his own, Peter gave Loki an uncertain look and the Bird quirked a brow. "You don't trust me."
Peter bit his lip then shook his head. His Dad didn't trust Loki and even Pop was careful around him. That was enough to put Peter on guard. He was better than Hammer though, that much Peter was sure of.
Loki smiled again and patted his shoulder. "That is wise of you. But my intentions are to free you so it would be in your best interest to cooperate."
"Where're my dads?"
He tilted his head as he pulled Peter further away from the cage. "On their way, I suspect. I took the liberty of following you when you were taken from your home."
A sense of relief rolled through Peter when the Raven said that they were on their way and that he had been watching all along. He hadn't been able to help him not get caught but he was here now and that was enough. It was enough because he wasn't alone anymore. Loki froze up as Peter threw his arms around the older Shifter's neck in a tight hug. "Thank you!" Peter could feel himself shaking again but he didn't care. He was so scared and even seeing Loki felt like the best thing in the world. He was the last pack member Peter could have wished to find him but he was familiar and he smelled a little like Thor and home.
It took a long moment for Loki to react and when he did he carefully reached up and pried Peter's hands off of him, holding onto them for a moment as if he didn't quite know what to do before lowering them back down to Peter's sides. "Do not thank me yet, do so after we escape. This would be much simpler if you were five years younger but I am afraid you are too heavy to fly the both of us out again."
Some of Peter's joy left him but he was still more hopeful than he had been for hours. "Can you get us out another way?" He knew Loki wasn't as strong as his dads but he was smart and sneaky and Peter knew those things were important too.
"That is what we are both about to discover." Some of the color drained from Peter's face and he scrambled to follow as the Raven turned and moved quickly over to the door he had been brought through. Loki checked back to make sure Peter was behind him. "Stay close, little one. I will not be able to keep both of my eyes on you."
Peter nodded and immediately inched closer. He didn't like being babied but he knew better than to fight against this and it actually felt kind of nice to be babied right now, even by the Raven. The door out had been left unlocked, probably because they never expected that he would be able to get out of the cage in the first place. He let Loki go out first but stayed close on his heels as the lithe man slunk out. For the first minute they didn't encounter anyone. The scent of human was so thick in the air from all their coming and going that it was impossible for Peter to tell how close or far they might be. He could see Loki's eyes flashing about and gave in to relying on watching the older Shifter.
The first man they came across didn't know what hit him. Peter turned his head and squeezed his eyes shut as Loki silently stepped up behind the human and coolly reached out and slapped a hand over the large man's nose and mouth. He struggled but Loki was stronger and held on tight to the man until he stopped fighting. Peter couldn't see it but he could hear it as his boots stopped scuffing on the hard floor and the sound of the fabric on his clothing stop moving. Peter only then glanced back and saw Loki lowering the human to the ground.
"I-is he, is he dead?"
The Bird glanced over at him but had already started to walk again as he answered. "He us just sleeping. He will be fine in an hour or so."
Peter knew Loki lied but didn't want to check if he was telling the truth or not so he skirted around the body without looking down. He just kept his eyes on the Raven's back as he led him further into the building, towards the way he came. "Won't that Hammer guy find us?"
"I almost wish he would but unfortunately he has left for the day."
"Really? Were you watching?" He suddenly had so many questions that he wanted to know if Loki could answer. When had Hammer left? Where did he go? Why did he go? Did it have to do with him or his dads? "Whe—?"
"Hey!" Peter cut himself off with a gasp as a sharp shout echoing down the hall from the direction they were moving in. His eyes snapped to the sound and saw three men racing towards them. He wasn't worried until he saw that they had guns. And they sounded angry. "Stop where you are and get on the ground!"
Letting out a yelp, Peter reached out and tugged on Loki's hand as he kept striding forward. "Wait, he said stop!" What was Loki doing? He was going to get hurt and then Peter would be alone again!
The smile that spread across Loki's face at Peter's words was frightening, the Raven's eyes narrowing in anticipation. "I am aware. Just stay behind me, Peter."
The human male in front of the others raised his gun up and pointed it straight at them. "This is your last warning, freak! Down on the ground, now!"
Peter looked over at the men then at Loki with wide eyes, his heart slamming in his chest, but before he could decide what to do he heard the gun go off.
Moving impossibly fast, Loki threw himself over Peter and shielded him from the gunfire, ducking out of the way to avoid the bullets himself. Then, just as quick, he pushed himself up and yanked Peter back onto his feet and they were running back the way they came. Easily outpacing the men, they were quick enough that they were both able to dodge the next round of shots but just barely. Peter shouted as he felt a whiff of air skim over his hair and scrambled to catch back up with Loki as he gracefully slid into the room with the cage and slammed the door shut.
After he pulled a low table over to brace the door, Loki herded Peter to the center of the room, back towards the cage. Peter instinctively shied away from the cage but let the Raven pull him forward until he was standing in the small patch of light drifting down from the ceiling. "Can you get the skylight open?"
Peter looked up at it. It wasn't too high up. "Y-yes?"
"Do it."
Nodding, he clamored up on top of his cage so that he was a little taller then carefully aimed and shot a web up at the center of the skylight and tugged hard. The skylight creaked but then Loki grabbed onto the web too and together they pulled the skylight out of its frame and down to the floor. It let out a loud bang as it hit the ground. By now the men who had been chasing after them were knocking on the far side of the door and Peter heard them begin to shout at each other at the sound of the skylight crashing down. Biting his lip, Peter turned back to Loki. "What now?"
"Now you run."
"What?"
"Go! Run south, towards the road. I will keep them occupied for as long as I am able."
"What about you?"
"Do not worry about me. Just go!"
Whimpering, Peter gave a shaky nod and obeyed. He shot another web up at the now empty hole in the ceiling and quickly climbed up it. After that, it was easy to pull himself through the square opening, his hands sticking tight to the building's metal roof as he wiggled his way up. As soon as he pulled his legs through he heard the door to the room below give as the humans finally managed to get through. Peter's heart leapt up into his throat as more gunshots rang out and he wondered if Loki would be alright. He always was. He would be, wouldn't he?
All of Peter's thoughts snapped back to getting away as an angry voice called up after him, "He's escaping on the roof! Get someone up there now!"
Peter scrambled up onto his feet then took off across the roof. The building was long and flat with nothing around but tall trees and he didn't know where he was supposed to go! What did Loki say? East? Which way was east? He was panicking, knowing he'd be found for sure if he just stood there.
So he ran.
Even on the slippery roof he was running far faster than any human would have been able to but there were a lot of them and they had already gotten a head start. They must have heard the other man's call because some of them were already climbing ladders up on the roof ahead of him. Not all of them had guns but a lot of them didn't look like they needed them. Like the guy who suddenly launched himself so he was standing right in front of Peter; he was easily as tall as Pop was.
Peter skittered to a stop as the man gave him a frightening smile. "Where do you think you're going, little monster?"
Swallowing, he put his hands up in front of his face and tried to make himself smaller. Wait, he was supposed to be brave, right? Like his dads? He could do this. He could! Taking a short breath, Peter straightened up and moved his arms like he had seen Natasha do when she was training. "G-get out of my way!"
The man's smile only grew. "You're stupid but you've got guts. I know you can't shift anymore. Maybe you're a little strong but you're still just a punk kid. Now you get down on the ground before I get the chance to do some damage."
Peter started in surprise then threw his hand forward and shot a web right at the man's face. It hit with such force that it knocked the man back onto his butt and Peter could hear his muffled scream as he clawed at the web covering his eyes, nose, and mouth. Peter watched in horror, glued to the spot with wide eyes. He had never aimed it at a person before. Could he, could he breathe? Was he going to die?
Peter's question was answered as the man screamed again and then managed to tear at the webbing just enough to open up a small cut in the sticky fibers and let air through. Jumping as the man gasped for breath, Peter yelled and shot another web out, trapping the man against the roof in a tangle of limbs. The more he struggled against it the more caught up in the web he seemed to get but Peter didn't wait around to see if he was going to be able to get out of it. Instead he ran again.
But instead of continuing on straight, where more men were ready and waiting for him now, Peter dove to the right, ran a few steps, and jumped. It was about a ten foot drop but he landed safely, a soft grunt knocked out of him as he hit the ground, rolled, then scrambled back to his feet. The only thing standing between him and the trees now was a concrete wall. If he had been human he would be stuck but he had been doing more complicated exercises than that since he was four years old.
Peter could hear the men racing after him and ran faster still. He had to go where they couldn't follow. Launching himself at one of the walls, Peter stuck fast and began to climb hand over hand straight up the vertical concrete wall. He heard someone shout out in surprise behind him but didn't stop to see the shocked look he knew must be on their faces, worried that they would go get the ladders they had used to get on the roof.
When he reached the top of the wall, there was a sea of trees in front of him and instead of jumping down, Peter shot out a strand of web to a thick tree trunk and swung off from the wall. The next few seconds was a blur of branches and leaves as he slung web after web, desperately trying to get further and further away while at the same trying not to get torn up by the trees. It didn't take long before the leaves got too thick and he started getting more and more scratched up by twigs and branches, forcing him to fall back to the forest floor.
And he kept running.
As he ran, he thought a couple times about Loki, if the Raven was alright. But he had heard stories about how Loki had escaped from not just his dads, but from Thor, Natasha, and Clint before. There was no way a bunch of people who weren't even Shifters would be able to get him. He was too quick. Too sneaky.
For all the things Loki was, Peter was definitely not.
He ran and ran and ran but it started to get hard. With every step he took he stopped worrying less about Loki and more about himself. If he was going the right way, towards the road. He wasn't sure. He should've run into it already. Right? Shouldn't he have found it by now?
Tripping on a rock, Peter tumbled to the ground, twigs and sharp pebbles scrapping on his palms. A wet cough rolled up in his throat and he pressed his face against his sleeve, panting against the dirty fabric as he curled up on the ground. He didn't know what to do. He didn't even know if he was heading south and it was already starting to get dark again!
He had never been out in the forest before; his backyard didn't count. It wasn't right that he didn't know what to do. He was a Wolf, wasn't this all supposed to be instinct? Wasn't it supposed to be easy? Was he so messed up that he couldn't figure it out? The smells were all wrong and he didn't recognize anything. He couldn't even see the moon and the stars, the sky was all clouded over. He was hungry. He was thirsty. He was so tired. But if he stopped would they find him? Would they kill him?
Crawling over to rest a tree, Peter felt moss on the trunk as his hand slid over it and tried to think. His Pop had taken him for more walks than he could count in their backyard and told him a bunch of things about the woods as they hiked through them. But did he say that moss grew on the north side or the south side of stuff? Why didn't he pay more attention? The one thing he remembered was that if he ever got lost his Pop had said that he should stay exactly where he was and wait for them to find him, which was the one thing he knew he couldn't do now. He was no good at this nature thing! If he was in the city, he could just ask someone for directions.
Heaving a shuddering breath, Peter let his eyes close, just for a while. He was exhausted and his body felt like lead from his fingertips all the way to his eyelids. He just needed a little break. Then he'd start running again…
.
O~O
Frowning, Peter scrunched up his nose and nuzzled against his sleeve, his arm propped up under his head.
He was cold. Why was he cold?
Wait—
Shaking himself off, a jolt of fear ran through Peter when he realized he had dozed off. He pushed himself up onto his feet so quickly that it made his vision swim and he shook his head again to try and clear it and figure out what had woken him. The forest around him was quiet and dark though there was the barest hint of dark blue along one edge of the sky that Peter couldn't tell if it was the sun setting or rising. But the change in light probably wouldn't have woken him up. So, what ha—
Peter's thoughts trailed off as the wind changed just so and a subtle scent reached his nose. It was familiar, but wrong…but what was it? Peter rested a hand on the tree he had slept against and scented the air again. He couldn't quite get it.
"H-hello? Who's there?" The scent was definitely canine, not a Wolf but…Frowning, Peter pushed himself up and away from the tree. "Pop…?"
There was a muffled growl from the bushes, the quick sound of crackling leaves, then a rustle behind him. Peter whipped around, his nose sucking in deep breaths of air with every inhale as the hair on the back of his neck stood up. He was being surrounded. He was being hunted, and not by humans. He must have been able to outrun them.
Swallowing down his fear, Peter growled warningly in his throat, though it sounded weak even to his own ears. The sound was answered by a deeper, more menacing snarl from the underbrush and Peter's heart jumped up into his throat as a wolf stalked out from amongst the leaves. It looked so small and lean compared to his Pop but Peter knew that was because this wasn't a Shifter. It was solely an animal and even if it lacked the strength and intelligence of a Shifter it would be able to tear him up. Especially because real wolves, like Shifter Wolves, usually traveled in packs. And Peter was their newest prey.
Peter's instincts were all scrambled, his human and Wolf sides each telling him to do something different. His human side wanted to run but he knew that wasn't smart. They would be able to catch him, especially because his legs barely felt like they could support his weight. So he went with his Wolf side. He knew he was a beta, he was young, and he was sick and injured. Slowly, cautiously, Peter lowered himself to the ground, whimpers slipping past his lips as he hunkered down, tucking himself into as small of a target as possible. He wasn't submitting, he was begging them not to hurt him.
The one that had come though the foliage stalked closer and rustling behind him told Peter than other wolves were slipping out too but he didn't dare turn around to look. He was shaking head to toe now and he could hear the first wolf coming closer. If they were hungry they would kill him and eat him. They might not even kill him first. Peter's whimpers grew louder and more desperate and he squeezed his eyes shut as tears slipped down his cheeks. He didn't want to get eaten.
His only warning before it happened was the sound of the first wolf's claws digging into the ground before it leapt at him. Peter braced himself for pain but wasn't prepared for the flash of gold that flew over him and slammed so hard into the wolf that the ground shook when they fell back down to it.
Peter gasped and jerked his head up to see an enormous gold Wolf tearing into the smaller grey wolf's flank. "Pop!"
There was a sharp snarl and five wolves rushed passed him and jumped at his Pop's back and legs. The alpha thrashed and knocked some of them off and kicked out at another before lurching back enough to yelp at Peter. Peter didn't need to be told twice; this was his chance to run. But as soon as he moved two other wolves turned their attention on him. His Pop tried to distract them but he was too bogged down with the rest of the pack to react fast enough.
Just like before, Peter knew he wouldn't be able to outrun them but he knew he had to do something. If Pop was here the rest of the pack had to be close. He just had to be okay long enough for them to come. The whole time he was thinking, Peter's eyes were looking around the woods for something, anything to help, before he suddenly realized he was looking right at his answer. As the two wolves raced over, Peter turned on his heels and sprinted towards the nearest tree. Taking a quick breath, he shot a web out to the highest, thickest branch he could see and pulled himself up, grabbing hold of the branch and flipping around it like it was one of his practice bars in the Gym back home.
The wolves that had been chasing him leapt after him, snapping their jaws and growling as their claws scraped at the bark. But they couldn't reach him. He heard his Pop let out an aborted, triumphant howl before the yelps and cries of the other wolves increased. Peter couldn't see everything that was happening through the branches but he was able to see enough. And while his Pop was the strongest, there were so many wolves that they were able to bite and tear at his fur. Peter felt the fear that had washed away slowly build back up in his chest. What if the wolves bit him one time too many? What if something happened?
All of Peter's "what ifs?" were extinguished immediately as a roar so loud that it shook the tree Peter was sitting in and echoed through the forest. Thor bounded into the small clearing a heartbeat later and dug his long curved claws into the side of a wolf that had attached itself to his Pop's back. And Thor didn't come alone. A second after Thor ran in, Clint and Natasha emerged from the trees in their human forms with their weapons drawn. As Peter looked over at them he could see Uncle Bruce hanging back amongst the shadows, a handgun clutched in one hand and a large bag in the other. But where was-?
"Peter!"
Peter's gaze darted down to the base of the tree he was in to find that somehow his Dad had managed to get there without even him noticing. "Dad!"
O~O
Something in Tony's chest healed at the sight of Peter looking frightened and exhausted but in one-piece. Maybe a little dirty and bruised but otherwise unharmed. Digging his fingers into the bark, he scrambled up the tree, climbing up hand over hand with a deadly grace. Tony hissed as one of the wolves leapt at his heels but he didn't even have the chance to turn around before Steve was there, tearing into the wolf's side with his front claws and biting down hard on its throat.
Knowing that his mate had it well in hand, Tony pulled himself the rest of the way up and gingerly rested himself against the large branch Peter was sitting on. He moved cautiously to look for any signs that the limb was going to give under its weight but it held its own and a second later he was tugging on Peter and pulling him into his arms. Peter had started to tear up and gripped onto him so tight it almost hurt but Tony wasn't about to push him away.
"Dad! Dad..."
"Hey, it's alright now. It's alright. Come here." Peter was a little big for this but Tony made it work and pulled the little Wolf close to his chest, always making sure to keep his balance against the tree. "Don't worry, I've got you."
It didn't take long for Steve, Thor, Natasha, and Clint to chase the wolves away. The ones that survived anyway. None of them were pulling any punches and just the noises echoing out from below told Tony that Steve was being particularly vicious. No surprise there. Tony would be down there himself happily tearing the animals apart if he felt it was even partially healthy enough to do it. People might think that Steve would have been lenient with a wolf pack since they were so familiar, but, at least under these circumstances, they couldn't be more wrong. Anything that came between an alpha and their child was as good as dead.
He waited a few extra minutes longer than he needed to as the growls and yelps trailed off and could sense his pack scour the nearby woods to look from stragglers. But they must not have found anything because a few seconds later Steve walked up to the base of the tree in his human form. There were a few scratches and gouges on his skin but Tony knew they'd heal up quick. The alpha Wolf probably didn't even feel them. Pulling Peter closer against him, Tony leaned forward so that he could see Steve's face. "We good? Is it all clear down there?"
"Yeah…" Steve let out a breath, his blue eyes scanning around before nodding, "yeah, the ones left took off."
Thor came up from behind him, his hands on his hips as he observed the damage around him. There was probably more than one dead wolf down there. "I do not believe they will be returning to this place for a long while."
Tony snorted. "Good. Having Shifter Wolves around is enough. No one needs a stupider, bitier version around."
The sight of Steve seemed to break down what little strength Peter had left, tears beginning to slip down his cheeks. "Pop…"
His broken whimper made both Tony and Steve's eyes go soft and Steve reached his hands up towards them. "It's okay, buddy. Come here." Tony wanted to protest, wanted to say that he would just carry Peter down but he knew he wouldn't be fooling anyone. So Tony loosened his grip enough for Peter to give a little hop and jump into Steve's waiting arms below.
Easily catching him, Steve pulled the boy against his chest and leaned down to bury his nose against the top of Peter's head. Tony couldn't blame him; he had been doing the same thing just a second ago. It was an alpha's job—no matter the species—to protect and ensure the safety of those who depended on them. Steve and Tony had both failed Peter once but just holding him and inhaling his scent made all the difference in the world.
As Tony climbed back down the others gathered around, almost forming a barrier around Peter to protect him from any more danger and from the side of the bloodied pelts a few feet away. Bruce stepped in close, the bag he had been carrying already open at his feet. He urged Peter away from Steve just far enough to wrap a blanket around his small shoulders then passed him a water bottle and a peanut butter and banana sandwich. "Take small sips of water. And I know it's not your favorite but it has a lot of protein and vitamins in there."
Peter didn't really seem to care that it wasn't his favorite and quickly grabbed the sandwich, taking big enough bites to tell Tony that Hammer hadn't bothered to feed him. The dick. Steve glanced over at him as Tony felt his temper rising, probably scenting his anger in the air and stiffly shook his head. This wasn't time to get angry. This was about making sure that Peter was alright. By now Bruce had his first aid kit out and was checking the boy over for injuries, cleaning and patching some small scrapes on his arms and face. Steve seemed completely oblivious to his own wounds, his focus entirely on his son. "Are you okay, Peter? They didn't hurt you, did they?"
Peter shakily shook his head and tried to talk around his sandwich. "…I'm okay."
Steve didn't look convinced until Bruce glanced up and nodded. "He's okay, Steve."
There seemed to be a shared breath of relief shared between all of them. Then Natasha tilted her head to the side and narrowed her eyes curiously. "What were you dong out here?"
Peter gave a weak shrug. "I was trying to find the highway."
Tony shared a look with Steve but it was Clint who broke the news and pointed back over his shoulder. "Kid, the highway is about fifty miles that way."
Peter hung his head though he seemed too relieved to be truly ashamed. "I got lost."
Tony didn't want to think about what could have happened if they hadn't been able to find him. Peter could have been wandering out here in the wilderness for days by himself. A series of terrible scenarios, each more horrifying than the last, flashed through his mind and he physically shook his head to try and clear it. He couldn't think like that. Peter was okay. Peter was okay now. But he did have a question. "How did you escape? I figured Hammer would have had you locked up?" Tony was trying not to compare all of this to when he had been kidnapped as a teen. He had been abused far more than Peter had—and thank fucking god Peter hadn't had to go through anything like that—but Tony had an advantage in that he had been able to shift. It had almost ended up killing him, but it was his Cat form that had allowed him to break out and run.
Peter nodded and spoke after taking a long sip of water. "He did. But then Loki found me and let me out."
A bright, prideful smile lit Thor's face as Tony started in surprise. "Loki did? He must have been here all along."
Steve managed a smile at the happiness in Thor's voice but it faded quickly, the Wolf still too tense from the last few days to hold the expression for long. "Do you remember which direction you came from, Peter?"
"Um…No. No, I'm sorry, I…I got lost."
Steve met Tony's eyes and Tony sighed, knowing what Steve was about to say before he fully opened his mouth. "That's alright. We'll worry about it later. The most important thing right now is to get you back home." Tony knew Steve wanted to hunt down Hammer as badly as he did. They had both been planning on a full-out battle where at least one of them would be able to tear into the man. But depending on how long Peter had been running for they could have over a hundred square miles to search to find wherever Peter had been held and right now they didn't have that kind of time.
Tony wrapped a hand around Peter's back and they began to walk, taking it easy to ensure that Peter had gotten a bit of strength back from the food and water. Bruce accepted the empty water bottle back from Peter as he finished, the younger beta looking around at all of them with a sudden spark of curiosity in his tired eyes. "Wait, how did you find me?"
Tony smiled back, his arm tightened around Peter. They had driven into the area then quickly decided that they could make more progress on foot after the road they were on took them to a dead end. They were able to move about as fast—even Tony in his weakened state—but they were also able to catch things with senses other than their vision. And after an hour or two of desperate searching, it had worked. "Your Pop and Uncle Bruce caught your scent about ten miles off and we started following you. Then your Pop just suddenly took off."
Steve nodded in confirmation as Peter glanced over at him. "I heard you calling for us."
A blush spread across Peter's cheeks. "I, I didn't know…"
Those whimpering noises would haunt Tony for a while. Clint had been the first to hear them but Steve had been the first to hear them and react. It had taken Tony only a moment later to hear the sound and he had taken off after Steve as fast as he could manage, as had the others, but he had gotten a decent head start. Steve nodded again and Tony saw him swallow thickly as Bruce gently explained. "It was a cry of distress, the noise Shifter cubs make when they're calling for their parents."
Peter's blush deepened before he gave Tony and Steve each a weak smile. "I guess it worked."
O~O~O~O
By the time they got back to the mansion they were all exhausted but Steve didn't think that any of them were going to get any sleep unless the sorted something out first. Stopping Peter before he was able to disappear back into his room, Steve offered him a light smile. "Peter, do you want to sleep in our room tonight?"
Peter opened his mouth and Steve saw his lips began to form a refusal. But then he paused and really seemed to consider it. Some might think that Peter was too old for that sort of thing, and maybe he was, but he was still a Wolf. No matter what age they were Wolves naturally sought out comfort in groups. More than that though, Steve wanted to keep Peter as close as possible for as long as his son would allow it. They had come too close to losing him. And it was clear he wasn't the only one who was thinking like that. Tony appeared at his side, leaning heavily against him. "We've got plenty of room and we just changed the sheets out."
Peter let out a strained laugh at Tony's attempt to win him over. But now that Tony had spoken up Steve knew that Peter would accept. It wasn't every day that the Cat willingly invited people into his room. "Okay. Okay, yeah."
Steve nodded happily. "Alright. Why don't you go get ready and come to the room when you're done?"
He nodded back and together he and Tony watched Peter shuffle out of the room. Then Steve turned to Tony, his hand rubbing down his mate's back. "You're going to stay the whole night, right?"
It wasn't something the Cat usually did these days—even now when he was recovering from his surgery—but Steve didn't think that he had to explain to Tony why it was important to him and probably to Peter that tonight he make an exception. Tony proved him right as he immediately nodded, that serious, worried look still haunting his eyes. "Yeah. I'll grab my tablet in case I can't sleep but I'm not going anywhere tonight."
"Good."
They quickly went to their own room and got ready for sleep themselves. Their movements were mechanical, only remembering to do everything after a decade of habit. Tony had to take a bit of extra time taking all of his extra medication so Steve was alone in their bed when there was a light knock on the door. Steve sat up as the door cracked open and Peter peeked inside. "Hey, come on in."
Peter padded inside, closed the door behind him, and looked around as he clamored up onto the large bed. "Where's Dad?"
"The bathroom, he'll be out in a second."
Peter nodded then looked hesitantly at the bed beside Steve. "Um, where should I…?"
He was trying to decide where he should lie down. Smiling again, Steve helped him make up his mind by patting the mattress right beside him. "How about right in the middle?" That way he and Tony would be on either side of him in case anything happened. It was an irrational, instinctive fear but Steve was still happy when Peter nodded and crawled right into the middle of the mattress.
Peter plopped down and his little body seemed to deflate a bit as he relaxed against the sheets. Steve had to reach him to pull the blankets over him but he had almost finished when Tony stepped out of the bathroom. The annoyance on his mate's face at having to take so much medication instantly vanished from his face as he saw Peter and Tony made short work of flopping down on the opposite edge of the bed, tucking the blankets in a bit more around Peter on his side.
Peter let out a contented little noise and squirmed around a bit, making Tony chuckle tiredly. "This used to be easier when you were five years old…" Steve nestled closer because he knew that Peter wouldn't mind and wrapped his arm around his son. Peter squirmed a bit more but settled down when Tony rested his hand on top of Steve's on Peter's back. "As long as you don't kick me in the stomach like you used to."
Peter's eyes flickered back open but not far, all the trauma having sapped the boy's energy. "I kicked you?"
Steve instantly offered an explanation. "You were asleep." At the time it had been pretty cute actually.
Tony shrugged and closed his own eyes. "I'm used to it. All you dogs thrash around in your sleep. I don't know how when all you do is run around all day…" Tony's actions belayed his real concern despite his words and he scooted close enough to rest his chin on the top of Peter's head.
Steve smiled at his mate over their son's head and for the first time all night was really able to draw in a full breath of air. Peter was safe. Tony was here beside him. He could smell the rest of his pack in the surrounding rooms and knew that JARVIS was watching over them. Things were okay. They were okay. He heard Peter snuffle, Tony pulled the covers up around his shoulders, and then he was falling asleep knowing that Steve and Peter wouldn't be far behind.
O~O
Tony jolted awake to a small foot nailing him right in the stomach. He gasped out a cough and scowled until he remembered who was in his bed. His annoyed expression vanished and he grabbed onto Peter's shoulders, pulling the boy close as he thrashed, a cold sweat on Peter's face.
Tony had been joking earlier about not wanting to get kicked but he instantly knew this was no laughing matter when he caught sight of Peter's face drawn up in fear. Steve had woken up too from the noise as Peter began to mumble and together they gently shook him awake. "Peter? Hey, Peter. Wake up, Pete."
"No….No! I don't want to go…!"
Steve wrapped his arms around him, not constricting, just making sure he didn't flail around too much and hurt himself. "Peter, wake up! You're having a nightmare."
Tony and Steve both watched tensely as their voices seemed to bring Peter back to himself, or at the very least wake him up. Sitting up, Tony reached out and brushed Peter's sweaty hair off of his face. "It's alright! It's alright, Peter." Peter's eyes snapped opened and he gasped, floundering until Steve hugged him a bit tighter and his eyes found Tony's. "It's alright, you're safe now. You're safe. We've got you."
Shaking his head, Peter squeezed his eyes shut again. "I don't want to go to sleep! I don't want to! I don't want to go back!" Large tears were rolling down his cheeks now and he gripped at Tony's arms. "I'm s-sorry!"
Tony's lips drew into a tight line and then his hands moved up to cup Peter's face. "Hey. Listen to me. I've been where you are now, Peter. I know what you're going through. Never be ashamed to cry, because it'll just build up inside if you don't. It will take a while but trust me when I say that you will be able to work through this, so don't be afraid that this will last forever. Okay?"
Steve nodded and scooted up so that he was resting back against the headboard so that Pete was resting against his stomach. "We both understand. we're going to do whatever it takes to make sure nothing like this ever happens to you again. And we're going to get the people who did it."
The conviction in Steve's voice caused Peter to reluctantly open his eyes again and he tilted his head back to look at Steve. "Promise?"
"I promise."
Tony was reminded all over again why he loved Steve so damn much. The Wolf sounded so sure that he left no room for doubt, even in Tony's mind. "And you know your Pop doesn't lie."
"Are, are you going to stay here tonight?"
It was Tony's turn to nod and, just like Steve, he made sure he didn't leave any room for doubt in Peter's mind. "We'll both stay all night. And things will be better in the morning."
O~O~O~O
The next morning the only thing that was better was that Peter had managed to sleep through the rest of the night and well into the next morning. Tony and Steve each woke up earlier but, as promised, neither of them moved from the bed until Peter slowly woke to the smell of someone—probably Bruce—making pancakes downstairs.
Tony had never been more grateful to the pack's Beta and they both encouraged Peter to go on ahead of them and grab some pancakes before Thor got to them. The tease was familiar and welcome and had Peter toddling out of bed and scrambling for the door to the hall. Steve had been ready to follow but Tony waved for him to stay put. They had some talking to do and for once Tony wanted to get the conversation started. But not with Peter around.
Steve got the message and waited until they heard Peter trotting down the stairs before turning back to Tony. "What is it?"
Getting up from the bed, Tony moved around to change into some clothes for the day. "It's Hammer."
A growl rolled up in Steve's throat at the mere mention of his name but he didn't speak for a few seconds as he took the time to make the bed. Finally he walked back over to stand beside Tony and choose his own outfit for the day. There was still a rumble in his voice as he spoke. "What about him?"
"We're going after this son of a bitch."
"If we call SHIELD, maybe they can—"
Tony slammed his dresser drawer shut then angrily tugged a shirt on over his head. "Fuck SHIELD. This isn't any of their business."
"Tony—"
"They wouldn't even let us go after Peter! Do you think they're going to let a team of special ops Shifter agents go after a human businessman without miles of red tape? This needs to happen now! We don't have the time to wait for them to talk it over, investigate it, and write up a small novel before giving us the green light to start. If they even let us do it!"
Steve remained irritatingly calm despite his growling. "I understand, Tony, I do. You know I do, but we need to think this through a little more first now that we have Peter back. We can't make ourselves judge, jury, and executioner."
"Why not? Isn't that what SHIELD does every day?"
"They exist to do a public service and—"
"And so do we! This is our service, taking out bad guys like the type who kidnap children because they got burned on a business deal!" Tony waved his hands in the air to emphasize his words as Steve changed out of his pajama pants and into a pair of kakis.
"We need a bigger reason, Tony! If we don't have one then what makes us different from them? What would make you different from Hammer if you just ran in to get revenge?"
"The difference would be that I would be alive and he wouldn't be."
Steve sighed. Tony knew he was worked up but he felt it was pretty damn reasonable. "There has to be another reason why we could legitimize a raid on his building now that Peter's safe. He's not like Hydra…He builds technology but I don't think any of it is purposefully designed to cause harm to civilian people."
"He's getting desperate. It'll only be a matter of time before he slips up!" And really ends up doing some damage. More damage than he had already done. He had destroyed tens of thousands of dollars of Tony's property and had almost killed not only Peter but Bruce and Tony.
"Then we'll wait for him to slip up. Like you said, he's getting desperate so it won't be long now until we are reinstated with SHIELD and are allowed to go after him. We have the video he sent you at the hospital and witnesses that Hammer was the one behind the kidnapping. If we take those to SHIELD and the police they'll have a warrant out on him within the hour."
Tony shook his head. He knew Steve was legally right. Probably morally right too. But that didn't mean that he was happy about it. He didn't want Hammer arrested, he wanted him dead, and he still wanted to be the one to do it. Just like Steve had said, Tony knew it wouldn't be long before the police nabbed him but if they were going to use the system Tony was going to make sure that the police and SHIELD had enough evidence to put the bastard away for life. And if Tony happened to run into Hammer personally along the way he would happily to take the chance to make the man regret the day he decided to drag Stark Industries and the Stark family into his dirty business.