Silence

Twenty-Two

I couldn't move from my seat. I could only stare at the place where Wade sat and announced that he had ruined my life. "Peter?" Matt came around to my side, squatting down to me. "He's right." I whispered brokenly and Matt huffed, standing up. "Judge?" Matt hobbled up to the podium and whispered quietly. "He may." She said and Matt came over to me. "When the jury comes in here to sentence Wilson, I want you to take your hearing aids out." I nodded.

Clint
Matt motioned for me to follow him outside, everyone stayed with Pete. "It is in my professional opinion that Peter does not go back to school in the fall. I feel that he should continue schooling online or with a personal tutor. He should have a regular scheduled talk with a professional and you might want to look into getting scar removal treatment." I nodded and put my hand in my hands. "Of all the things that he could've said up on that stand, he told Peter that his life will always be in his hands." Matt put his hand on my shoulder and I released out a shaky breath. "You've got to be there for him. Don't blame this on yourself or on him. It was Wilson's fault."

We walked back into the courtroom about the same time the jurors did. They sat down and Wade was brought in. Peter slipped out his hearing aids and Pietro grabbed my hand, squeezing it tightly. "Before we sentence you. We have one question for the attacker." The head juror said, standing up. "Why? Why would you do such a thing to a beloved hero?" Peter watched in interest and his hand twitched. Matt reached over to him and grabbed the hearing aids off the table, handing them to me. "I saw him as my counterpart. He completed my chaotic half and in a way, he is my yang. He can't be him without me and vice versa. So why wouldn't I take down the one person that stood as my equal? Break him down to the little weak freak that he is and make him mine." I sucked in a hard breath and put my face in Pietro's shoulder.

"Wade Wilson, you've been given a sentence of life, you will be registered as a sexually violent predator. It has come to our attention that you are in the legal system as being a mutate, powers unknown. You will be given to the Ice Box Prison in San Francisco, where you will spend the rest of your life." Wade's face turned into something none of us have seen the entire trial, fear.

Peter
Fear. I saw it. Everyone saw it. All I read was ice box prison and mutate. So this entire time, Wade was not some guy who had an upper hand? He was a mutant intent on taking me down. To make me his pet. A vibration echoed through the room and Wade was picked up and dragged out while he screamed.

Clint
"I'm going to kill him! No one can stop me from killing him! Watch your backs!" I handed Peter his hearing aids and the rest of us sat in stunned silence. He's a mutant. This entire time, someone less than human was attacking my son? I ought to have him put down.

Peter
I put the hearing aids in and stood up, turning to Dad. "For life." He breathed out and a sob broke through my chest. "I-I'm sa-safe." I cried and Dad pulled me into a tight hug, his hand playing with the ends of my hair.

We were able to leave after the judge pardoned us. Dad slipped my hearing aids out and put his arm around my shoulder. We left the courthouse, but this time I held my head high enough for the world to see that I won.

We got to the car and I climbed into the backseat with Bucky, Aunt Nat, Bruce and Steve. Tony sat in the front passenger seat with Dad as the driver. I sat in Bucky's lap and I stuck my hearing aids in. "How does a movie night sound?" Dad questioned, his eyes finding mine in the rearview. I wanted to say no. To let me be alone. But I understand that they were afraid I was going to hurt myself, so I would give them that piece of mind. "Yeah sure." The rest of the drive was silent and I stared out the window.

We got to the compound and Bruce wanted to look at my wounds. I sighed and pulled the shirt over my head, letting it rest in my hands. His fingers brushed over the scabs and I squeezed my hands into fists, biting through my lip. Bruce grabbed my arm and he did the exact thing to my arm that he did my stomach. "Alright. All don-Pete are you okay?" I nodded and pulled my shirt over my head. I went to my room and grabbed a hoodie from the closest and pulled that over my head too. "Peter!" I left the room, already wishing I had said I was tired. I got into the living room and plopped down on a bean bag. "What movie?" I tilted my head to look at Bucky and shrugged. "I don't really care." He rose an eyebrow at me and clicked on some movie that I didn't even recognize the title of. I closed my eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

Clint
Bucky sighed and stopped the movie. It hadn't even been ten minutes. "I knew that he was tired." He exited the movie and put on South Park. I leaned over the end of the couch, finding Peter curled up and asleep on a bean bag. "I think we should leave him." I muttered and everyone nodded in agreement. "What did Matt talk to you about?" Nat questioned, poking me with her foot. I hadn't noticed she came in after checking on Sage, who was asleep when we left and is still asleep. "He thinks, and I agree with him, Peter should continue school online. Minimize his interaction with too many people. He needs to talk to a professional at least once a week and scar treatment. We need to make sure that at any point, he seems to be faltering that we check on him." Sam sat up, looking hopeful. "I got my job at the VA back. Steve and Buck come in once a week to talk about some of their issues, why not have Peter come in? He knows and trusts me. It'll be just the two of us unless he decided he wants someone else in there." I smiled, "That's a great idea Sam. Thanks." He shrugged and I leaned against the couch. "Anymore ideas?"

"Have him keep a journal. Something he can draw, write or even write down ideas in. Keeps his head less crowded and gets some of the negative feelings out." Bucky suggested and I nodded. "Have him quit Queenie's. He said that was where a lot of the abuse happened, he can find a job elsewhere and if not, he can have his intern job back and I'll pay him." Tony recommended and Pepper grinned, patting her fiance on the chest. "We need to make sure he makes new friends too. He seems to have a lot of trouble finding people who like him or don't hurt him." I announced and looked at the sleeping boy. "Hey guys," Bruce called for everyone's attention. "I would suggest not to touch his wounds. He let me check the progress of his healing, but he was extremely uncomfortable and looked as if he was going to hit me. If he wants you to look at something or touch something, then that should be okay. I wouldn't be surprised if he develops PTSD. A lot of abuse victims develop it."