Chapter Thirty-Three:
Tyron stared at his clenched fist, his foot tapping rapidly on the ground. Blood dripped from a cut on his cheek and his eye was swollen shut. At least one woman was nice to him and offered him a makeshift ice pack as he waited in the jail cell bitterly.
He heard footsteps and then someone coming his direction. Tyron looked up out of curiousity, and then jumped to his feet, surprised.
Tony was coming his way, hands in his pockets and glasses over his eyes that made him look like a slight douchebag, but Tyron didn't mention that. "I should leave you here, you know," Tony said as the officer grabbed a key off a hook and pulled the door open. It was a bit retro, but he prefered that to a high-security prison.
"But ya didn't," Tyron said, as he made his way out of the small cell.
"I told you not to go there alone!" Tony snapped at him, "We had a plan."
"Me goin' alone was the plan," Tyron's eyes narrowed. "Look, I'll explain it later―"
"You'll explain it now, if you want to go home," Tony snapped. Tyron sent a wary glance at the police officer, who rose and eyebrow at him, unwavering. Tony noticed and gritted his teeth. "Fine," He grumbled and turned to leave the station.
Tyron followed dutifully and saw as a young boy came behind them to Tony's side. It took him a few seconds to realize who it was. "'Ey," Tyron said and the boy stopped and turned to the him, "Ya tha' kid from th' Ring," he said, almost forgetting that he protected the boy.
"He's a long story too," Tony said as the boy turned back around, not saying a word. They stepped out into the chilly night ― the seasons were changing and they were bound to see snow soon. Happy was in the car, but he stepped out and opened the door for them as they came near it.
The boy slipped into the front seat with Happy, who didn't complain at all as Tony and Tyron moved to the back. The barrier between the two seats provided minimal privacy, but that was enough for him.
"Tell me why you couldn't wait for me ― or better yet, call me ― before you ran off to play hero," Tony demanded, angrier than Tyron's ever seen him.
"Baron's mutation s'to absorb memories," Tyron said simply, a little bit unhinged by his anger. The ice pack he held to his was melting quickly. "I only told ya 'bout 'im 'cause I knew a soon as he saw th' memory, he'd flip."
"Tyron-"
"I had to, Tony," Tyron said. "'E's gone now. I had to do it."
"You could've been killed," Tony said.
"An'!?" Tyron looked back at him, desperation in his eyes. "So wha'?" Tony stared, his brown eyes softening.
"What do you mean 'so what'? You could have died, Tyron. Don't you understand that? That man-"
"He's already killed me," Tyron said, turning away. "I don' care 'bout tha' anymore. I needed to see 'im locked away. I needed 'im gone."
"Tyron, we could have helped," Tony said.
"Ya couldn't 'ave done anythin'," Tyron snapped, getting angry. "I 'ad to stop 'im. An', if y'all got 'urt 'cause I was bein' a dumbass-"
"Tyron, you don't have to worry about us like that," Tony said. "We can handle ourselves."
"It was m'fight," Tyron said. "He raped me."
"I know he did," Tony said, a little more gently. "But, you have to think a little more of yourself. Tyron-"
"It don' matter anyway," Tyron said, moving to look out the window as Happy slowly made his way through New York traffic.
"I want you to see someone," Tony finally said. Tyron glanced at him and then scoffed.
"Hell no," he said, turning away.
"Tyron, you aren't in a good state of mind," Tony said. "Being able to talk to someone, it'll help."
"I can't, Tony," Tyron said, shaking his head. "If anyone finds out m'a mutant, or worse wha' I've done, I'll be killed."
"You were under duress. You had no choice. You're the victim here, you were forced to do all that."
"I am a mutant!" Tyron said in simple terms. "It doesn't matter! None of tha' matters! I snitched on Baron an' now he's gonna have the Feds on me, an' I don'..." Tyron turned away, inhaling for a moment.
"I know you're upset," Tony said gently. "But this is what I mean. We can find you someone who you can talk to that won't run their mouths. I just don't want you in this kind of mental state, alright?"
Tyron didn't say anything for a few seconds. Tony was starting to take this as an agreement before Tyron said something, "I don' want 'em to know m'name," He said.
"What?" Tony blinked.
"Th' shrink. I don' want 'em to know m'name."
"Okay... We can do that." Tyron nodded and leaned his head against the window pane. "Hey," he turned to Tony who was watching him carefully. "You know, I am a little proud of you."
"Really?" Tyron didn't sound convinced.
"Yeah. You faced your greatest fear by yourself," Tony shrugged. "I mean, I wish you would've called me, but you did it. I'm proud of you."
Tyron didn't say anything for a minute. "He almost did it again," he said, his voice practically a whisper. His hands were clutching the sides of his sweater, his nails digging into the cloth. Tony could see them trembling slightly, but didn't say anything about it. "I was... He 'ad m'an'-an' I..." Tyron couldn't finish his sentence. He felt sick. He could remember the events playing out in his head.
"Scream for me, will you?" Baron whispered, sending shudders through his body again.
"Tyron, you don't..." Tony started to say, but didn't finish.
"I began to panic, I... I was fifteen an' back on 'is bed again an' he was pullin' off 'is pants an' I..." Tears filled his eyes and he squeezed them shut, desperately trying to keep them off his face. "I was scared," he finally admitted. "I was scared he'd rape m'again an' I couldn't... I was so scared."
"I understand," Tony said quietly, as Tyron began to shake from sobbing. His eyes squeezed shut tight he clenched his arms. Tony watched him pitifully, but didn't say anything else. He knew the Tyron was absolutely terrifed of Baron, especially after what he was subjected to for the past few years. Returning to the place where he was abused couldn't have been easy, and almost being raped again must have really sent him off.
Tony reminded himself that Tyron was only a kid. He was an avenger, but he was a still a teenager. He's suffered through things Tony could only imagine.
"God," Tyron muttered, trying to calm himself down. "M'bein' stupid 'gain." He sniffed, rubbing at his still swollen eye.
"You're not being stupid for being scared," Tony told him, "And especially not for crying. Boys can cry too, Tyron." Tyron sniffed again and smiled at Tony.
"Thanks," he whispered. "S'been a long week."
"I'm sure," Tony said. "Did you and Steve make up, yet?"
Tyron grimaced, "We're... Gettin' 'ere," he said. "It'll take us a bit, but we will. I jus'... Gotta get over some shit."
"Like what?"
"His reaction," Tyron admitted. "Tha's wha' really s'messin' m'up. I... I couldn't." Tyron sighed, leaning his head back, and then winced. He sent a hand to the back of his head and his fingers came back sticky with silver blood.
Tony noticed and immediately decided to freak out. "You're bleeding!"
"S'nothin'," he lied. He probably had a minor concussion, he had been feeling a little dizzy for the past hour or so. Tyron turned, seeing the blood on the back of the cushion.
"That is not nothing!" Tony snapped, "Turn around."
"Ya don'-"
"Don't make me repeat myself," he warned, and Tyron sighed, turning for him. Tony grimaced. "Happy," Happy rolled the partition down some to hear him. "Take us to the ER."
"No!" Tyron nearly screamed, turning arlund. He jumped so high the top of his head hit the roof. "No!" He repeated himself, more seriously. "We're not goin' to th' hospital."
"Tyrin, you have a concussion-"
"I have silver blood!" He snapped. "If we go to th' hospital, they'd know m'a mutant an' they'll test me!"
"What's wrong with that?" Tony asked, his eyebrows furrowing.
"If they 'ave m'on record they can list m'as 'Subhuman'," Tyron explained. The term 'Subhuman' made his gut twist, as if he just swore in front of his mother. "An' if they decide m'too dangerous, they'll kill me."
"They won't kill you," Tony frowned.
"They will," Tyron insisted. "If 'ey decide ya too dangerous for society an' ya don' got th' money to be stuck in jail, 'ey kill ya."
"Tyron-"
"Ya take m'to any hospital, I will jump outta this car m'self," Tyron's voice was fierce and unwavering. He might have agreed to the 'Shrink' but he was not going to be allowed to be practically murdered for a stupid reason.
"Fine," Tony sighed, and Happy turned on his blinker, signally back to the main road. "But if you die between here and the Tower...!"
"Let m'die," Tyron said. "At least I'll finally be able to go to sleep." Tony rolled his eyes and Tyron closed his, inhaling deeply. It has been a long week, but it was finally over.
- 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 -
Tyron laid in bed, staring at the ceiling. He was tired beyond imagine. Since he refused to go to the hospital, Natasha insisted on patching him herself. He was too tired to argue, but now that he was lying down, ready to sleep... He couldn't find it.
Tyron groaned and covered his eyes with his palms. There was a knocking at his door and he sat up a bit - but not too much, his torso was beginning to feel sore from his run in with Baron and after being jumped.
Tyron had expected Natasha or Steve or Tony to enter his room, hell, he even the kid he rescued from the pit. Tony had made arrangements for him to live on Tyron's floor, which he definitely didn't mind. He was getting a bit lonely after all.
However, when Wanda opened the door, he gaped at her. "Wanda," he said, and then looked around at the mess that was his room. He hadn't had the chance to clean it. "I... Wha' are ya doin' 'ere?"
"I wanted to talk," she said, moving to sit down at his desk chair. Tyron watched her as she stared at her palms for a moment. Her vivid red hair seemed a bit darker and unkempt, now that he looked at her, and his pale complexion was even more... Gauntly looking. She had heavy bags under her eyes and her hands twisted her long fingers. Her cheeks were flushed red and her face that had once sported a few freckles seemed to dim and fade away.
The longer Tyron stared at her, the more he saw Pietro. The almond eyes and wrinkles from smiling. He remembered the glint of mischief that used to make his stomach feel full of butterflies. Now, it just made his stomach twist and his eyes turn back to the floor.
"What I did was... Nothing I expect you to forgive me for," Wanda began slowly. Tyron hadn't say anything. "It was low of me to use Pietro against you. It was wrong and I went too far to bring you home. I..."
"Don' worry, Wanda," Tyron told her softly. "I mean, yeah, m'pissed as hell, but... I'll get over it."
Wanda blinked at him, surprised, "I... But I..."
"I don't hate ya, Wanda," Tyron smiled at her. "Ya remind m'of him a lot," Wanda stiffened at the mention of her twin.
"I don't know how he fell in love with you," Wanda admitted, and Tyron's eyes dropped to the blankets before him. He had been wondering that too. Pietro was kind and selfless and a bit arrogant, but it didn't matter to Tyron. He had only known him for a week, and yet... The twist in his stomach when he recalled his first love was undeniable.
"I dunno either," Tyron replied honestly. Pietro had known that he'd done terrible, awful things. He knew that he was also subject to a lot of bad things as well. Tyron's life had basically been one huge fuck up. He felt like a stain on Pietro's purity and yet he still accepted him with open arms. "I was a terrible person - I am a terrible person. Like ya said, I've... I've done unforgiveable thin's, an' yet he..."
Wanda nodded, she didn't need to read his mind to understand what he was saying. "Sometimes, it's like a hole left in my heart," she said softly. "And, sometimes, I forget that it's there, and then I trip and fall right into it."
"Me too," Tyron agreed. "I feel like I've been left out. I mean. I only got a week wit' him, but it felt like years."
"I feel the opposite," Wanda said. "My years feel like weeks. Like, I've taken it all for granted."
Tyron couldn't do anything but agree. This was the only other person in the world who understood Pietro as intimately as he did. Of course, he didn't dare claim to know more than Wanda, but for the first time in a few weeks since he... Left, Tyron felt as if he were mending. It was small and just a little, but the effort was there.
Wanda smiled at him, and Tyron wondered if she felt the same way. He silently hoped she did.
She stood silently, "I don't want to overstay my welcome. You're supposed to be resting anyway. Thank you, Tyron."
"Yeah, you too," Tyron said with a small wave as she turned to leave the room. He laid back, his eyes staring back at the ceiling.