(part two of three)
They circled each other warily. Logan tried to keep his breathing steady, and concentrated on balancing thought with blood instinct.
Sabretooth raised his face to the air and sniffed appreciatively. "Maybe after I've killed you, I'll make some use of your whore. She's quite the good ride, from what I could hear."
That was not something he could tolerate. Logan leapt forward with a roar, intending to bury his claws deep in rank flesh, but the bigger mutant laughed and threw him over his shoulder. His head hit the wall with a crack, hard enough to make his vision go double.
"Best you got, runt?" both of the Sabretooths taunted.
"You touch her, Creed, and I swear I'll--" He broke off as a third voice entered the fray.
"Logan?" Marie's, half-asleep still and ringing with alarm.
He shouted, "Get out of here, Marie!" and noted with a detached coolness that Sabretooth had planned this well. Logan was sprawled against the opposite wall, and Sabretooth stood between him and the bedroom door.
Naturally the fool girl didn't listen to him and stepped nearly into the enemy's arms. But he'd forgotten about her acquired powers, and was pleasantly surprised when she slammed a fist hard enough under Sabretooth's ribs to knock him breathless against the wall. The pure fighter in him had to grin in delight at her strength and skill.
"You alright?" She started towards him, eyes wide with worry, and he shouted a warning. Too late. Sabretooth threw her to the ground, and Logan felt his blood grow cold at the crunch of bone and her soft gasp of pain. He struggled to his feet as Sabretooth growled at her.
"I remember you, girly. Remember your scent all over town a few months ago. What, decided half of New York wasn't exciting enough, and had to get this old bastard to sate you?" Logan froze, affected by the words as had been the speaker's intent. She looked up at him, tears in her eyes.
"I . . ." He started forward, but stopped as Sabretooth clucked in warning and drew one ugly black nail to her throat. He'd never make it before her blood was spilling all over the cabin floor.
Addressing Rogue again, Sabretooth said, "Not that you didn't find other muties to share your bed."
"I never!" she cried.
His muscles screaming in protest, wanting to rush to her side, Logan could only stand and watch in black hatred as his enemy gripped his lover's hair and drew her head back.
"Such pretty green eyes," he crooned, "that don't remember yellow ones . . . or did she make them brown that night?"
A horrible shock of understanding made her go slack in his grip. "No . . ."
He laughed roughly and looked over at Logan, a purely feral grin turning his features into a demon mask. Logan was still, waiting for the moment when Sabretooth's thoughts wandered . . . when he could attack without Marie getting hurt . . .
The moment didn't come. Sabretooth bent over her again and took her face in both hands. She struggled, but something was definitely broken and she only got sharp pains in her organs from splintered bone.
*Control, control* . . . but the pain was too great, and her shields collapsed, and Sabretooth roared as his energy flowed into the motionless girl.
Logan broke forward as though he'd been physically restrained, and pulled them apart desperately. Sabretooth was out already, but it was the furthest concern from his mind as he lifted a shaking hand to Marie's head, not daring to touch her skin. "Come on, baby."
Her eyes snapped open and she kicked viciously, throwing him against the wall yet again.
This time he didn't get up, only stared at her in uncomprehending shock, at the lovely features twisted by a hate not her own.
"Isn't this swell?" she rasped, getting to her feet as though she were much heavier. "The three of us, all here together."
"Fight it, Marie," he pleaded as she walked placidly to where he lay. "You're stronger than this."
For just an instant she paused, and her expression changed, softened into a confused frown. "Logan? I--" Then she snarled, shook her head irritably, and hit him hard. "Nice try. But not nice enough."
God, this was a mess. Anything he did would be hurting his Marie, and he couldn't let her kill him . . . not so much for his own sake, but when she came to, she'd have to live with that. He stole a loathing glance at Creed, hating him even more for putting this turn of events into play.
She'd reached his side, and leaned over him, smiling almost gently. "It'll all be over soon, runt--well, no, it won't. I'm going make it last for a long time, long enough for this little girl to wake up and watch."
*Whatever's out there,* he thought fervently, *give me some kinda strength.* Then he raised a hand to her face, looming so close over his, and pressed his lips to hers.
The Sabretooth tried to pull away, but the Marie was coming back, and she recognized the taste and leaned against him.
"Love you," he murmured just before he passed out.
Her eyes opened, staring down at him in horror. His personality had not invaded her head like Sabretooth's, because it was already so much a part of her. She knelt beside him, carefully wiping a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth.
"Oh, Logan," she whispered, feeling her own bones whine in protest, her mind screaming at the intrusions she hadn't felt in so long.
Blindly she reached up to the nearby desk and groped for the communicator. Her last scrap of energy was spent in flicking it on, breathing for help, unable to answer Scott's frantic calls for explanation. The little metal thing fell to the floor with a clatter as she collapsed between the two men.
~~~~~~~~
"Get up, you great stupid lump of fur!"
Sabretooth groaned as a foot kicked at his shoulder.
"We have to get the fuck out of here!" She kicked him again, and this time he woke, and growled at her.
Mystique was in a greater state of agitation than he'd ever seen before. "They're going to be here any moment!" Arms crossed over her chest, she glared at him.
His head rolled to the side, seeing Logan and Rogue side by side. Another growl stemmed deep within his throat and he got up, started to them, drew back an arm--
--only to have it grabbed by Mystique. "Don't even think about it," she hissed. "We'll have enough trouble keeping them off our trail as it is."
He snarled at her. "Why do you care?"
"I don't. I'd just as soon leave you here and let the X-Men have their way with you. But Magneto gave his orders, and our first duty is to him." A meaningful look at the two prone mutants.
Sabretooth snorted. "Like you haven't pursued your own interests at all in the past few years." He offered a meaningful look of his own, directed at the unconscious girl.
"*I* didn't get Xavier's whole damned team on my tail. The chopper's outside. Let's go!" She tugged on his arm again and walked off.
He gazed at his archenemy for a moment, feeling the familiar swell of hatred warm his blood. "There'll be a next time, Logan," he said softly, dark eyes glinting. "You and that little bitch of yours can count on it."
He turned and followed Mystique to the helicopter.
(next part half-written, coming soon)
They circled each other warily. Logan tried to keep his breathing steady, and concentrated on balancing thought with blood instinct.
Sabretooth raised his face to the air and sniffed appreciatively. "Maybe after I've killed you, I'll make some use of your whore. She's quite the good ride, from what I could hear."
That was not something he could tolerate. Logan leapt forward with a roar, intending to bury his claws deep in rank flesh, but the bigger mutant laughed and threw him over his shoulder. His head hit the wall with a crack, hard enough to make his vision go double.
"Best you got, runt?" both of the Sabretooths taunted.
"You touch her, Creed, and I swear I'll--" He broke off as a third voice entered the fray.
"Logan?" Marie's, half-asleep still and ringing with alarm.
He shouted, "Get out of here, Marie!" and noted with a detached coolness that Sabretooth had planned this well. Logan was sprawled against the opposite wall, and Sabretooth stood between him and the bedroom door.
Naturally the fool girl didn't listen to him and stepped nearly into the enemy's arms. But he'd forgotten about her acquired powers, and was pleasantly surprised when she slammed a fist hard enough under Sabretooth's ribs to knock him breathless against the wall. The pure fighter in him had to grin in delight at her strength and skill.
"You alright?" She started towards him, eyes wide with worry, and he shouted a warning. Too late. Sabretooth threw her to the ground, and Logan felt his blood grow cold at the crunch of bone and her soft gasp of pain. He struggled to his feet as Sabretooth growled at her.
"I remember you, girly. Remember your scent all over town a few months ago. What, decided half of New York wasn't exciting enough, and had to get this old bastard to sate you?" Logan froze, affected by the words as had been the speaker's intent. She looked up at him, tears in her eyes.
"I . . ." He started forward, but stopped as Sabretooth clucked in warning and drew one ugly black nail to her throat. He'd never make it before her blood was spilling all over the cabin floor.
Addressing Rogue again, Sabretooth said, "Not that you didn't find other muties to share your bed."
"I never!" she cried.
His muscles screaming in protest, wanting to rush to her side, Logan could only stand and watch in black hatred as his enemy gripped his lover's hair and drew her head back.
"Such pretty green eyes," he crooned, "that don't remember yellow ones . . . or did she make them brown that night?"
A horrible shock of understanding made her go slack in his grip. "No . . ."
He laughed roughly and looked over at Logan, a purely feral grin turning his features into a demon mask. Logan was still, waiting for the moment when Sabretooth's thoughts wandered . . . when he could attack without Marie getting hurt . . .
The moment didn't come. Sabretooth bent over her again and took her face in both hands. She struggled, but something was definitely broken and she only got sharp pains in her organs from splintered bone.
*Control, control* . . . but the pain was too great, and her shields collapsed, and Sabretooth roared as his energy flowed into the motionless girl.
Logan broke forward as though he'd been physically restrained, and pulled them apart desperately. Sabretooth was out already, but it was the furthest concern from his mind as he lifted a shaking hand to Marie's head, not daring to touch her skin. "Come on, baby."
Her eyes snapped open and she kicked viciously, throwing him against the wall yet again.
This time he didn't get up, only stared at her in uncomprehending shock, at the lovely features twisted by a hate not her own.
"Isn't this swell?" she rasped, getting to her feet as though she were much heavier. "The three of us, all here together."
"Fight it, Marie," he pleaded as she walked placidly to where he lay. "You're stronger than this."
For just an instant she paused, and her expression changed, softened into a confused frown. "Logan? I--" Then she snarled, shook her head irritably, and hit him hard. "Nice try. But not nice enough."
God, this was a mess. Anything he did would be hurting his Marie, and he couldn't let her kill him . . . not so much for his own sake, but when she came to, she'd have to live with that. He stole a loathing glance at Creed, hating him even more for putting this turn of events into play.
She'd reached his side, and leaned over him, smiling almost gently. "It'll all be over soon, runt--well, no, it won't. I'm going make it last for a long time, long enough for this little girl to wake up and watch."
*Whatever's out there,* he thought fervently, *give me some kinda strength.* Then he raised a hand to her face, looming so close over his, and pressed his lips to hers.
The Sabretooth tried to pull away, but the Marie was coming back, and she recognized the taste and leaned against him.
"Love you," he murmured just before he passed out.
Her eyes opened, staring down at him in horror. His personality had not invaded her head like Sabretooth's, because it was already so much a part of her. She knelt beside him, carefully wiping a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth.
"Oh, Logan," she whispered, feeling her own bones whine in protest, her mind screaming at the intrusions she hadn't felt in so long.
Blindly she reached up to the nearby desk and groped for the communicator. Her last scrap of energy was spent in flicking it on, breathing for help, unable to answer Scott's frantic calls for explanation. The little metal thing fell to the floor with a clatter as she collapsed between the two men.
~~~~~~~~
"Get up, you great stupid lump of fur!"
Sabretooth groaned as a foot kicked at his shoulder.
"We have to get the fuck out of here!" She kicked him again, and this time he woke, and growled at her.
Mystique was in a greater state of agitation than he'd ever seen before. "They're going to be here any moment!" Arms crossed over her chest, she glared at him.
His head rolled to the side, seeing Logan and Rogue side by side. Another growl stemmed deep within his throat and he got up, started to them, drew back an arm--
--only to have it grabbed by Mystique. "Don't even think about it," she hissed. "We'll have enough trouble keeping them off our trail as it is."
He snarled at her. "Why do you care?"
"I don't. I'd just as soon leave you here and let the X-Men have their way with you. But Magneto gave his orders, and our first duty is to him." A meaningful look at the two prone mutants.
Sabretooth snorted. "Like you haven't pursued your own interests at all in the past few years." He offered a meaningful look of his own, directed at the unconscious girl.
"*I* didn't get Xavier's whole damned team on my tail. The chopper's outside. Let's go!" She tugged on his arm again and walked off.
He gazed at his archenemy for a moment, feeling the familiar swell of hatred warm his blood. "There'll be a next time, Logan," he said softly, dark eyes glinting. "You and that little bitch of yours can count on it."
He turned and followed Mystique to the helicopter.
(next part half-written, coming soon)