Chapter 14
Even when he was storming out of the mansion, Castiel’s brain never stopped thinking.
Sure, his heart was being torn apart from the harsh words directed at him from the most important person in his life, but that didn’t mean his mind will stop working at finding out what’s happening.
He tried to calm his frustrated and hurt emotions enough, to recap everything from the beginning.
Four children were attacked. Their souls are intact but had no life force. A cloaked figure with no eyes and no physical presence, steals away the children’s life forces. It might also be more than one.
The one with no eyes must have liked Charles a little too much or something from what the telepath told them earlier. Maybe it was its hand that gripped Charles’ foot and dragged him into that hole along with Steve and Dean.
He was outside the mansion, when he reached that point and just stood there and frowned in deep thought.
Wait. That’s-
“Mr. Cas!” he was pulled out of his thoughts at the familiar, little voice. He looked up to see Jean, Ororo and many other children ran up to him, the moment they noticed his presence in the large field around the mansion.
He gave them a small smile when they reached him and looked up at him with wide, hopeful eyes. Like he somehow had all the answers in the world.
In the past months, he got the chance to know most of the children in the school. They were all good kids, adored their two father figures and considered the mansion their home, which must be hard to see their home being attacked like that.
They, for some reason, love him. Of course, they all adore Tony and Steve. The genius was so good with children and the soldier’s kind nature was like a magnet to the little ones. Dean, obviously, had always been amazing with kids, even when he tried to deny it. Each one of the team were loved by all the children in that school, it was really nice and sweet.
“Mr. Cas, are you okay?” Jean looked up at him with a concerned frown on her little face. “You look really down and upset.”
Like Charles, Jean was also unable to breach the wall around his mind, which was a relief at the moment.
“Yes, I am alright.” Castiel nodded at her with a smile as he crouched down to be at their level. “You don’t have to be worried.”
“Are we allowed to go back inside?” Ororo asked hopefully, and the other kids nodded along excitedly.
“No, I am sorry, not yet.” He winced a little at the sad looks they gave him. “But soon. I promise.”
They nodded sadly, while Jean took his hand and pulled at him, until he stood up and followed her when she pulled him a few feet away from the other kids.
“Mr. Cas, is the professor alright?” she asked in worry, staring straight at his eyes.
“What makes you feel like something is wrong with him?” He looked down at her in confusion and concern.
“I-I can no longer feel his brain brush against mine like usual. In fact, I can’t feel anyone’s mind in the mansion anymore. It’s like there’s a huge cloud covering the school completely now and I can’t reach anyone inside.” She explained seriously, which doesn’t match her age at all.
Castiel frowned at her words and his brain started to work fast again at this new information.
What Jean was saying indicates a few things. Maybe Charles was currently unconscious or something, but that didn’t explain why she couldn’t feel him anymore.
Unless Charles himself was not in control of his own powers at the moment.
That thought made him freeze suddenly.
The hole. Cloaked monster with no eyes.
Why was Dean the only one actually burned from the acidic liquid in that hole? Why Steve looked like he was pulled from inside a frozen lake instead? Why there was no trace of burns on either Charles and Steve?
Why was Dean the only one that was dragged right back in the hole when they were pulling him out? The others were pulled out smoothly enough, so why Dean? Also, why was he the only one seemingly his old self, while his two companions were acting strange and withdrawn?
After the hole, Charles couldn’t see. Steve couldn’t speak. Dean felt a raging pain in his ears and had trouble hearing.
Couldn’t see. Couldn’t speak. Couldn’t hear.
Blind. Mute. Deaf.
Castiel’s eyes widened, as he felt his entire body freeze and dread filling him as realization dawned on him.
He finally knew what’s happening. And it was worse than he thought.
He needs to go back inside. Now.
In the next second, he found himself sprinting back towards the mansion as fast as he could, while he felt his heart pounding hard in his chest.
His family. His family was in grave danger. His fucker of a husband was in deep trouble!
He was at the door and was about to reach for it, but suddenly he hit some invisible force that threw him a few feet back. He frowned and tried again, only to get the same result.
His eyes widened when he realized what that means.
The mansion was now warded. Against Angels.
They waited for him to leave to lock him out.
He couldn’t get inside.
***
“How are you feeling?”
Sam asked carefully, as he looked Dean over for any sign of pain.
His brother was just sitting there on the couch, staring down at his feet, a sad pained look on his face.
They were still in Tony and Steve’s room. The others had spread out, a team went to try and cover the hole more thoroughly and another team was checking the mansion again for any sign of the monsters. So, the ones in the room right now are Steve, who was still on the bed staring at all of them with deep attention without making any move, Charles with a new wheelchair, but with his eyes covered in bandages after Bruce applied some kind of teardrops in them that he thought might help. There was also Erik, who seemed to be tensed as hell as he stood in the middle of the room looking lost and not knowing what to do. Tony was sitting next to Dean on the couch, trailing his worried eyes between Steve, Dean and Charles, seeming to be torn about how to make them feel better.
If Sam was being honest, he felt bad for Tony the most. His husband, his best friend and his brother are broken to pieces and his attention was scattered on who he should be with at the moment, so he was just stranded in the middle anxious, confused and panicked.
These feelings were the same in all of them, but Sam was very aware of Tony’s top four closest people to him, which included his big brother somehow. Thank God, Rhodey wasn’t here, if he had got hurt too, Tony might have actually lost it.
“Is Cas back?” Dean asked instead of answering Sam’s earlier question, looking up at his brother hopefully.
“No, Dean, he did not.” Sam sighed tiredly, while pinching the bridge of his nose. “Honestly, if you were him, would you be back so soon after the very romantic words you said?” he couldn’t help but add snarkily. He, more than anyone, knows his brother’s nature of showing his love by being an overprotective son of a bitch, but even he knew he had gone too far in what he said to Castiel earlier. The angel didn’t want to see Dean in pain. He always placed the hunter first before his own wellbeing. Dean knew that. Dean hated that. But that didn’t justify what he said.
Dean looked down at his hands, shoulders hunched on themselves in defeat.
“Why do I keep doing that?” Dean murmured quietly, fists clinched in frustration. “Why can’t I just shut up? One day, he really might not come back.”
“Come one, Dean, it’s Cas.” Tony patted him on the shoulder reassuringly. “He will always come back to kick you in the ass, so you can get your shit together.”
“Yeah, but one day, he might actually get sick of my shit.” Dean shook his head with a sigh. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Sure, I am always angry, but right now, I just feel something boiling inside me at the slightest provocation. I mean, who would shout at his husband for healing him from second degree burns all over their body?!”
“You are over stressed from what happened in that hole, you will soon just go back to your usual angry self.” Erik stated in a failed attempt of reassurance, eyes trained on his motionless husband, who was still as a statue in the corner of the room.
Erik was right. Whatever happened in that hole, it did a number on the three of them. Neither Steve or Charles are alright and his brother was breaking apart.
God, it’d have been nice to have Cas here so he’d help him deal with all of this, and try to understand and fix it.
All through the past years, Castiel’s presence was a constant thing in Sam’s life just like Dean’s. He was his other brother, a steady wall that Sam always felt more confident and steady when he was there. a smart, resourceful brain, that helps him see everything with different angles. Sometimes, it was easier to talk to Cas than to his own brother, when he was being bitch.
Castiel was a very important part of Sam’s life. His absence right now, was making things hard on both Winchesters.
Sam was startled when his eyes trailed over Charles to see a small, barley there, smile on his face, that disappeared very fast that Sam thought he imagined it.
From the frown on Erik’s face, he too seemed to notice it.
“Darling, I’d like to go to our room now, if you don’t mind.” Charles said suddenly, smiling gently at Erik’s general direction.
“Yes, of course. Whatever you need.” Erik was immediately at his side, leaning down to carry him up into his arms easily.
“Charles, do you need anythi-“ Tony started, getting up to his feet.
“No, thank you, my friend. I can already feel the teardrops doing their magic. I will be more than fine.” Charles interrupted him with a smile, as Erik carried him out of the room.
“Uhm, okay.” Tony murmured with a frown as he watched them leave helplessly, while sitting back down on the couch slowly. After they left, he paused for a second, before looking back at them. “Does Charles seem-I don’t know, alright to you? I have a feeling something is off with him, but not sure what exactly.”
“He seems fine to me.” Dean just shrugged without looking up. “As fine as anyone, who would go through what happened in that hole, will be. I say he is handling it better than me and Steve right now.”
“Yeah, that’s what is confusing me actually.” Tony frowned, looking tensed. “Why is Charles seemed to be taking it much easier than the both of you? he can’t see, for crying out loud! Why isn’t he freaking out?”
“I don’t know anything anymore really.” Sam sighed with a shake of his head. “Everything is just confusing.”
“Me and Cas’ room is the one next door to this one, right?” Dean asked suddenly with a sudden frown on his face, looking up at Tony.
“Yeah, why?”
“I need to go grab something from there.” he announced, getting up to his feet and marching out of the room.
Sam and Tony blinked at his retreated back in confusion. Startled at his sudden departure.
“Anyway, I need to go check with Natasha.” Sam shrugged as he looked at Tony. “You stay with Steve. We will be back soon.”
“Alright.” Tony nodded with a tired sigh.
***
Tony went back to his place beside Steve, who looked like he finally managed to fall asleep.
He sat beside him on the bed and just trailed his fingers through his hair softly. It was painful to see his husband like this. Steve was always this steady rock that Tony just knows it will be there as long as he lived. When that rock falls, it’s when Tony really start to freak out.
At times like this, he was painfully reminded that Steve was not invincible. No matter how many times the soldier denies it.
His husband was breakable and it was scary as hell.
God, how much he’d love to hear Steve’s sweet, gentle voice now, telling him it’s going to be okay.
He must have fallen asleep at some point against the headboard while sitting, because in the next second, he was startled awake by Steve sitting up on the bed abruptly.
“Steve?” Tony called out drowsily, while rubbing his eyes tiredly. “You okay? you feel better?”
Steve just remained sitting in place, completely frozen like a marble statue, giving no sign that he even heard Tony.
“Honey? Come on, look at me.” He reached out to place his hand on Steve’s shoulder, but he shrugged it off and got out of the bed, then started towards the door. “Woah, woah, Steve! Where are you going?!”
Tony scrambled to his feet to follow his husband, who was completely ignoring him and marching towards the door like his life depended on it.
“Steve, wait up! What’s going on with you? Come on, you didn’t become suddenly deaf too, did you? Steve, just look at me alr-“
he cut himself off with a sharp gasp, when Steve suddenly turned to grab him by the neck tightly and raising him from the floor easily.
“S-Steve, wh-what are-d-doin-“ Tony tried to choke out the words, his eyes staring desperately at his husband’s blank, cold face. He felt panic spread through his body when his eyes met Steve’s. They were so icy cold, that Tony felt a shiver run up his body violently just as Steve’s grip tightened on him.
That thing gripping him tightly by the neck and choking the life out of him was not his husband.
***
Erik laid Charles gently on their bed and made sure to cover him well.
“Do you need anything, love?” Erik murmured gently, while brushing the hair away from his husband’s forehead.
“A glass of water would be nice, darling.” Charles smiled up at him, before taking his hand gently to give his palm a kiss.
“Alright, I will be back in a minute.” He kissed him gently, before pulling away to go to the kitchen.
On his way there, he couldn’t help but notice how erringly quiet the mansion was without the buzzing of the children and the loud bickering of their family.
All the others were too busy dealing with all what was happening, that they were barely talking to each other at all. Only focusing on what’s going on.
He still couldn’t believe that barley a day ago or so they were all on a vacation, where everything was well and going fine. Maybe not perfect, but it was everything he needed at the moment.
Things went so terribly wrong so fast.
He had to admit, he felt a little better when Castiel was around, like it was a steady reassuring presence around that will manage to keep the darkness away. The moment he stepped out of the mansion, he could actually feel a dark loaming cloud surrounding everything and he was now completely on edge, expecting something to bounce on them at any moment.
While he filled up the glass of water, he felt a presence behind him. Without even thinking, he found himself flinging five knives at the intruder with his powers.
“Woah, woah, Erik! It’s me! It’s me!” he stopped the knives at the last second, when he heard the eldest Winchester’s panicked voice.
He turned to see Dean raising his hands in defense, as the five knives floated in the air a few inches away from him, his wide eyes trained on the knives in panic.
“Sorry. Not the right time to sneak up on me.” The mutant winced, as he moved the knives away and back to their place.
“I wasn’t sneaking up on you! I literally just walked into the kitchen! Making noise and everything!” Dean exclaimed in frustration, then sighed nervously. He was gripping a small flask in his hand tightly and looked to be on edge.
“Sorry.” Erik apologized again as he looked him over curiously. “What brought you here? I thought you were with Tony.”
“I need something from here.” He answered as he walked towards the salt, taking it all.
“You planning to cook?” the mutant raised an eyebrow at him in confusion.
“I just have a hunch, okay?” Dean snapped nervously, looking fidgety and unsteady. “I will explain when I am sure of it.”
With that he rushed out of the kitchen, with his large amount of salt.
Erik furrowed his brows in confusion, before shrugging with a sigh and took the glass of water to walk back to Charles.
He was still thinking about Dean’s strange behavior, when he opened the door of his and Charles’ room.
Only to flinch back violently with a gasp, the glass falling from his hands to shatter on the floor, as Erik stumbled back in utter shock to press himself against the wall and he stared at the scene with wide panicked eyes.
“Char-Charles?! You-you are-“ he couldn’t even finish his sentence, as his heart banged hard in his chest in both disbelieve and panic.
What’s the hell is going on?
Right in front of him, Charles was standing, actually standing, for the first time in years, eyes still covered, but his face was turned towards Erik’s general direction with a wide smirk on his face.
Charles was standing. Actually standing!
But Erik couldn’t find it in himself to feel joy, because that smirk on his face was definitely uncharacteristic.
Something is very wrong.
“You know, your lips are much softer and gentler than I thought.” Charles started in a mocking voice, as he reached up to remove the bandages from his eyes. “Which was a strange discovery, from such a bitter, bitter man like yourself.”
At that the bandages were fully removed, and Charles looked up at him.
Erik’s entire body flinched again more violently this time.
That’s not Charles. If the mocking words coming out of his mouth weren’t indication enough, then the eyes definitely are.
Because the eyes staring back at him, with a wide mocking smirk, were pitch black. Completely.