Chapter Text
What does one feel after their mate’s ‘death’? How should one feel? And if one has not really known their fated one beforehand, should it be sadness? Confusion? Emptiness? Why is there a hole in a place that was never really filled before? Charles doesn't know what he should feel but he knows anger is the direct emotion he settles for since he heard the news of the Dutch Lion’s passing.
Two months fly by, and there’s still no body to be found, should that give him hope or should he despair that there’s no news of life within Red Bull’s grounds. Lorenzo has no reason to lie to him but for good measures, Charles has deployed some of his best men to find The Dutch Lion yet everything remains fruitless. Has the Dutch Lion really fallen? Part of him believes it, the other part refuses it.
Ferrari seems to be celebrating the news, a letter of commandment comes through for Lorenzo for being the one who shot him but they remain vigilant by staying away from Monaco, Max’s reputation so fearful that no one wants to take any risks, not unless they have a death wish. Despite having no news of his mate, Charles has made progress in his quest to find the truth from both his mate’s side and Ferrari’s.
He learned more about himself, or rather about ‘Perfect Omegas’. The hypersensitivity to his fated mate is probably what triggered all of this in the first place. He was too young to remember but Max arriving in Monaco, meeting him by chance and having close enough proximity had instantly triggered his inner Omega. There’s still much to learn but there’s too little in the world and Charles is a fry cry from being to ‘perfect’.
Charles also found out where Max has been getting his intel about him for the last couple of years. At first he suspected a mole or a spy in his household, but the answer turns out to be a more unique approach.
Instead of threatening for intel, Max simply got it from a trustworthy source. Who? Pierre Gasly. Charles’ good friend. Was Pierre directly involved? No. He wasn’t. He was just doing what he does best… talking. Somewhere down the twist and turns of investigating, Charles recognizes one of the young men in the picture, he was there at the docks that day, waiting for Max.
Japanese. Short. Serious-looking.
Yuki Tsunoda is his name and Max cleaned his record nicely, barely has any documents in Monaco, he owns a chain of restaurants in France but that’s actually just locations for money laundry— Unfortunately, Pierre is one of the most loyal customers in those restaurants and based on what Charles has found out about… apparently… he’s got a little crush on Tsunoda.
If this wasn’t so damn depressing, Charles would’ve supported his good friend in chasing for love but this young man is actually part of a fearsome gang… so he’ll hold on to that secret for a while.
Was it planned? Was it coincidental? Charles doesn’t know yet but he does know that Pierre has been taking Yuki to Ferrari events as his +1 and wherever Charles complains to his friend, that info must have been relayed to Yuki’s ears which in turns goes to Max’s.
Thinking about it now, he remembers Pierre saying he wants to introduce him to someone at one of the many parties but there's always some kind of timing issue that comes between them. That’s probably just Tsunoda hiding or avoiding it altogether, staying hidden but still getting the correct intel because why would Charles lie to his best friend?
It’s so…simple… yet so fucking stupid.
He wonders how many more of these ‘simple’ yet effective traps are laying around; how he was unaware of his mate’s existence for so many years and that gave Max a lot of time to plan and act in the shadows.
Still, at least he’s gaining on Max with every step… and Charles has real plans to use Pierre wisely for his own gain but not right now… not when he’s still planning the pieces on his chessboard.
Ferrari’s initial suspicions on him waver thanks to Lorenzo’s lies. Charles knows a whole bunch of them want to see him to inspect for themselves but with Max’s life or death still unconfirmed without a body, it is a stalemate. With each passing week, they will have more confidence and when they finally set foot in Monaco, Charles knows it will be harder to lie altogether. What should he do? Can he say he feels hurt for the betrayal from Ferrari? It does hurt but it is not sadness, more so anger. Angry because they took from him a life he didn’t know he could have and it becomes all too easy to pin his mate’s death on them too.
The drugs Max pumped into him didn’t cause the fatal blow, it was the proximity he shared with him. The touches, hugs, kisses and of course, the sex. Every part of that Alpha called upon him and like he was supposed to, his Omega answered.
Nights are horrible alone, his scent changed so much that Charles forgets his own. It is damaging, mentally more so than physically. If it was just sex, he could’ve found a substitute but he knows it’s more than that. He aches for that smile, that laugh and that stupid stupid voice. The more he wants, the more disgust he feels towards himself. It’s a real effort to remind himself of the negatives, he wants so much to paint the Dutch Lion as a villain but the question remains… if Ferrari hadn’t done what they did to him… would Max have resorted to such acts?
Was it forced? Acted out of defense? Acted out of aggression? The more excuses he digs for the blonde, the more he realizes how insane the animalistic pull is. An Omega without an Alpha. A Perfect Omega without his mate. From what he learned, there should be some kind of instinctual pull now that they’ve met and somewhat rekindled the connection but he doesn’t know how to directly tell without an actual bite bond–
As much as he wants to rush it all, Charles knows a fight is like a chessboard and he must be patient for the kill, otherwise, he might lose it all.
-O-O-O-
Two months flew by, no body found and no new news either. Ferrari have started to plan an overtake of Red Bull’s territory in other countries, just because they know the Dutch Lion isn’t there to retaliate anymore and from what Charles is understanding, Max is just letting it all happen. No moves, no orders as if the gang is still in a mourning period. Curse his mate for having so much patience in waiting for a good kill.
The Omega on the other hand, thought long and hard about his next move. Firmly deciding that he will not take either side; not Max’s and not Ferrari’s because neither have really proven to be a good answer. Instead, Charles packs up his belongings, he leaves a letter to his eldest brother and another to his most trusted assistant, Bryan before he leaves in the dead of night.
Where does he go? He shows up at Pierre’s doorsteps, and what does he do? He looks absolutely distraught, running into the other’s arms upon contact.
“Charles! What’s wrong? What happened?!”
He’s worried, of course, and Charles feels bad for lying, really he does but he thinks after all the information that was leaked out to Max, this is the least Pierre can do for him. The other Alpha sits him down for a warm cup of tea, and Charles tells him that Ferrari has been drugging him since he was pup, that he was denied Pierre’s friendship because he was an Alpha. His best friend was enraged with this new information, cursing the gang and all those who participated.
Then he revealed that he’s an Omega and Pierre almost fainted from the news. Charles doesn’t plan to stay long, he doesn’t give the other a chance to ask questions, he feigns his fear. “...I don’t know what they’ll do when they find out I’m no longer an Alpha… I know they won’t stop at anything… and if it was just me… I… I’d be okay… to go through the torture, the pain but….” Charles bites his bottom lip, puts a hand on his flat stomach.
Pierre looks at his stomach, then back at him, then back down and then back up.
“Charles…. You…” The words don’t come out.
“I’m… pregnant.”
“W-who… who’s the father?! When did this happen? Wait– why… how….”
“I don’t have much time, Pierre. I can only say this… the lesser you know, the better. I don’t want them wringing information out of you.” Eventually, Lorenzo and the rest would track his movements here and Pierre Gasly will be brought for questioning and interrogation but if he’s a valuable informant to Red Bull, Tsunoda would not allow him to fall into enemy hands.
Charles is betting on it.
“...I just…. I need someone to know before I go… because if anything happens to me-”
“Charles! What are you planning? You cannot leave! You’re pregnant! You need to be safe-”
“There’s no place of refuge anymore… don’t you get it? Ferrari will find me and they won’t want this baby… so… I… I have to go.”
“Please, you have to tell me where you’re going. When the coast is clear, I’ll find you…When Ferrari is off my back… I will come and protect you, Charles. I promise. I swear! Please!!”
Charles acts like he’s fighting for an answer, like he wants to but he can’t. Pierre continues pleading, wanting to be a good friend, a good man in that sense. It’s all part of Charles’ ploy, “....France… I’m going to France. I… I can’t put your life in danger, I’m sorry Pierre.” He turns away, rushes out the door but his friend grabs his hand, begs him to not go alone, not when he has so much to shoulder, not when he has a child in him, not when he’s just an Omega– Charles yanks his hand away, leaves without another word.
He leaves behind a very distraught and confused man who’s obviously worrying for his friend. The intel will fester with him for a couple of days, maybe until Ferrari stops interrogating him, Charles knows Pierre will do his best to keep his secret safe but eventually it will get the better of him. WIth time, he’ll want to make his moves and he has his connections… he’ll have to ask someone at some point and who better than someone close to him? Who also happens to have a chain of restaurants in France? That’s why Charles picked that location- He could’ve flown anywhere but he’d rather go somewhere Ferrari has territory in and Red Bull does too– in a way, he’d be safe on either side of the war.
Ferrari would want him safe, Red Bull would want no harm either.
He’s not actually pregnant, but when Max believes he is… and he’s under threat of Ferrari… surely… surely… the Dutch Lion will start sharpening his claws.
The Monegasque drives out to an alley not claimed by Ferrari and he takes his gun with him. He set the bait for Max, now it is time to set the bait for Lorenzo and everyone else in red. If Charles is somehow kidnapped by Red Bull, they’ll do all they can to go after him… he aims the gun at the sky; when they find his bullet shells on the ground, they’ll know he was here, that he was fighting someone, that he was taken out of his will–
He pulls the trigger twice.
-O-O-O-
The second gun shot rings in the air like lightning piercing through.
He sees the shock in Yuki’s eyes and barely a shout from Daniel.
All he hears is Charles’ sweet voice, finally… finally….
“Max!!!”
Max falls…the impact of the bullet forces him forward but his team is there to catch him. Instantly, there’s noise everywhere, everyone panics on both sides. He’s rushed to the car, someone slams the gas and the car speeds off. In the background, someone barks orders to keep Christian’s wound from bleeding out, the scent of fresh blood fills the room but that’s not all…
It takes moments too long before Daniel groans with a roll of his eyes “God, Max… keep it in your pants, you know we can smell your arousal.”
The Alpha chuckles as he moves his supposedly limp body from his gang member and lays quite comfortably on the sofa seat. “Did you hear it? He called my name.”
“Jesus… you’re one deranged man. You’re lucky you’re my boss.”
Ignoring the insult, he check-ins on Christian’s wound and he’s sure the other will survive this so he pays it not much attention anymore.
“Are you guys going to tell us the plan? Cause that kinda shocked me.” Yuki says, glancing at the mirror to look at Max’s blue eyes and then Daniel’s.
“Sorry, mate. Couldn’t tell too many people so we could keep the acting ‘authentic’. Boss was wearing a bulletproof vest the whole time… wanted that Leclerc guy to shoot him. Part of his… big plan… Why are you faking your death again?” Daniel explains, watching him shrug off the heavy vest hidden inside his shirt.
“Because…” Max grins widely, “... Death is… the end isn’t it? Because Charles hates me now…hates me with his entire being but what’s the point of hating a dead man? What does that achieve? So, instead… I’ll dump the entirety of it on Ferrari… make him think, make him find out, make him realize that they’re still alive for him to have revenge on. Me? I’m just his poor mate with no other options— He’ll worry about me… think about life or death like it’s an ultimatum… he won’t even be able to hate me for long… he’ll just want me alive first… “ Max chuckles, a low rumble in his chest as he goes through his thought of manipulation.
“I know my little Omega… he will not go out without a fight… but that’s what I want. I want him to fight Ferrari, I want him to fight me. I’m backing him against the wall… it’s okay if he doesn’t choose me… so long as he doesn’t choose them as well, I win.”
“How are you sure he’ll do just that?” Yuki sighs loudly, shaking his head but unable to go against the big boss.
“He’ll be desperate enough… maybe not a week or two, maybe a month, more… he’ll start to feel it. He’ll miss me. He’ll want his Alpha, he’ll have enough time to leave Ferrari, to play neutral… and when it all goes to hell. He’ll want me. He’ll need me. He’ll count on the fact that I’ll be there to save him… and I’ll show Charles… that I am the only one in this world who is there by his side. And when that happens… he’ll forgive me.”
The lion waits, not because it isn’t hungry, but because it’s waiting for bigger, tastier, prey.