Taming the Wild

Destiny Will Bring Us Together

"I asked a question, Azazel?" Shaw continued with the same deceptive calmness he apparently used whenever he was trying to intimidate someone. "Who is the idiot that made you believe this was Xavier?"

"No one, sir. I did that on my own." Azazel said, raising his hand slightly then pulling it back down by his side, realizing it was a stupid thing to take credit for. "I mean..."

"I don't want to know what you mean, Azazel, I wanted the job done well!" Shaw raised his voice now, his face enraged. "You failed me."

Erik witnessed as the burly man flinched, actually scared of Sebastian Shaw. Erik couldn't understand why. Shaw was just a man! Surely not that terrifying, despite his sick mind. It was unbelievable that this bulky guy would look so... frightened... of Shaw.

"He was in the same building!" the red-faced man - Azazel - said defensively.

Shaw lifted a finger at Azazel in a silencing gesture and the man instantly quieted down. "Shhh, I'll deal with you later." he all but whispered. Then he faced Erik again and smirked. "What do we have here? You're a mutant, I know that much. Who are you?"

"Fuck you!" Erik groaned, investing all the rage he had stored in for Shaw in these two words.

Shaw chuckled amused. "Oh, I like your spirit. But I'm afraid I'll have to break it in order to get the information I need. So. Better just talk to me like a good mutant boy. Who are you?"

"I already told you to fuck off."

Erik could be stubborn. Oh, Erik could be very stubborn! He despised this man! This man abducted his kids! This man whose twisted mutant farmhouses tortured hundreds of mutant brothers and sisters! Erik wouldn't even waste his spit on him!

"Hmm." Shaw said, furrowing his brow. "In that case, we'll have to spend some more time together. I guess you need a... different approach."

~*~

"I cannot believe we're on a rescue mission with Mystique!" Peter exclaimed excitedly.

"Whenever there's trouble, I'm there, kid." Raven chuckled at him, messing up his hair. "But I too can't believe Charles actually brought you two with him."

It was meant as a subtle criticism but Charles couldn't bring himself to frown at it.

"Seriously, Charles, bringing the kids with you?" she continued a little quieter when Peter returned to Wanda, riding her small horse ahead of Charles and Raven. "What were you thinking? This is dangerous."

"They wanted to come." Charles replied simply.

"So you just let them? Wow. You suck as a caretaker."

He had to laugh, he missed her teasing.

"This is funny to you?" Raven went on.

She had assumed the human face she used back in England - a young blonde girl with rosy cheeks and bright smile. Charles was smiling warmly at her as the four of them were crossing the prairie. It was pleasant to see her like that and feel at home, or as close to home as either of them could feel.

Raven noticed the way Charles was looking at her and rolled her eyes at him. "What?" she chuckled.

"I just... I was so worried about you." Charles managed, still too overcome with emotions.

This earned him another eye roll from his sister.

"I know, Charles. You made it more than clear." Raven said. "You're forgetting that I'm the more adventurous of the two of us. I was busy. I couldn't just abandon everyone and go hide at home. I had to fight." He nodded. He knew she was right. "Besides," she continued, shrugging. "That mansion was never my home. Not really."