Seeing Through the Trauma

Pain (18)

There, kneeling on the ground with his arms held up uncomfortably by black chains, was a bruised and bloody MK, blood dripping down his ruined shirt and back and creating a dirty puddle under his knees.

He looked so small like that, trembling in place as his arms shook with the effort of keeping him up and Wukong felt his own knees wobble at the awful sight, his heart lurching as he stumbled forward. 

"MK!" He breathed out and the boy's eyes snapped open, his scared gaze widening at the sight of Wukong as his breathing hitched. Somehow he hadn't heard them come in or heard Macaque tackle and kill the man beside him and Wukong didn't know if he should feel glad for it or cry at the knowledge that MK had probably been trying to tune out everything that was happening around him, retreating from the pain.  

"Baba?" His sweet boy's voice shook, ever so small and vulnerable as he looked up at Wukong with one working eye like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. It tugged at his heartstrings painfully and his knees almost buckled as MK leaned forward tiredly, reaching like he wanted to hug him only for the chains to jangle and pull him back. 

MK grunted at the feeling, tears welling up at the corner of his eyes and a moment later Wukong was moving forward, sliding to his knees as he wrapped his arms around his little boy, holding him close and cradling the back of his head. 

"I'm here. It's okay. I'm here Little Sky." Wukong soothed, running his claws through his cub's dirty fur and hair and feeling tears slide down his own cheeks at the feeling of dried blood in them and the way MK would wince and shake whenever he ran his hands over an open wound.

He could feel eyes on them both, glancing to the side to see Macaque standing there, staring at them both and hugging his arms to his chest protectively, biting his lip like he wanted to join. He could see the longing and sorrow in the demon's eyes and Wukong's heart softened as he moved over, stretching out an arm in an open invitation. 

Macaque sent him a grateful look, quickly falling to his knees too and hugging MK from the other side, the boy shaking harder and crying louder as he tried to hug them back, the chains not allowing him to hold them as well. 

It made Wukong frown, anger building inside him especially as he saw the cut marks on his wrist from where his kid had been tugging against the chains and he stood up even though he wanted nothing more than to hold his kid forever, standing tall and glaring at Yama. The king was behind them all, staring at the scene with an interested look on his face. It made his blood boil. 

"Let him go." He said, hissing the demand out through clenched teeth and Yama raised an eyebrow. 

"You know, I've been thinking. Why would I do that when I can use him as leverage against you if you ever try to escape?" The lying, conniving bastard said and he said it so smugly like he was the one in control here and MK whimpered loudly at the sound of the man's voice, making Wukong glance back only to find MK staring at the King in horror, burying his face into Macaque's shoulder as his chains rattled with all his movement like he was trying to get away.

"I'm sorry, please don't hurt me anymore. I'm sorry." MK sobbed and Wukong saw red, an enraged fog clouding his vision as he realized he'd been lied to and he lunged forward, snarling as he knocked the man to the floor. 

"You bastard!" He'd known he'd had the kid hurt based on what he'd said before but to hear MK so afraid, begging not to be hurt while he shook in chains with lacerations on his body and blood beneath his feet while Wukong had put his damned name in the stupid book like asked, made Wukong's instincts snap and he couldn't hear anything over the sound of his thundering heartbeat in his chest as he raised his claws and swiped at the man's face, feeling something wet on his hands and sinking into his fur as he opened his mouth and bent down, sharp jaws snapping around something soft and crunching through in a quick movement.