C110 I’m Star-Lord (Patreon)
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Sabertooth’s eyes widened in disbelief as he watched Toad get knocked out like he was a powerless child. ‘This isn’t good…’ Realizing he was the only one left from the group Magneto had sent to capture Rogue, he felt a flicker of panic.
He glanced at Juggernaut, hoping he would wake up, but the massive mutant remained unmoving. Truthfully, Sabertooth wasn’t even sure if Juggernaut was alive after what Rogue had done to him.
Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted as the Professor rolled his chair a bit closer. "Why did Erik send you here?" Xavier asked, his voice calm but firm. "He should know to stay away from my school and my students."
Sabertooth refused to answer, his eyes beginning to wander as he contemplated escaping and leaving his comrades behind.
But, the Professor’s question didn’t go unanswered. Through rigid breaths, Storm said, "They came here to capture Rogue. They even knew about her powers somehow."
Peter raised an eyebrow. ‘Someone in the school could be leaking info to Magneto, or perhaps that listening device from earlier was actually Magneto’s?’
Xavier’s face grew more alarmed as he came to the same conclusion. ‘Either we have a spy in our midst, or the listening device was Erik’s doing…’ He really hoped it was the latter. Because ousting a spy would be quite difficult. ‘I’d have to use my abilities to find them, and I don’t like reading people’s minds without their permission. It just isn’t right.’
Meanwhile, Sabertooth was about to make a break for it when his eyes landed on a familiar face. "James…" he growled towards Wolverine.
As soon as the name left his lips, Wolverine’s eyes widened. A horrible migraine drilled into his head, causing his ears to ring. He groaned in pain and nearly fell over, his hands grasping his head.
Beside him, Peter glanced over, his brow raised in curiosity. "Hey? You alright?"
Wolverine couldn’t answer. His mind was a whirlwind as memories began to surface, recalling exactly what had happened that led him to waking up in that hospital bed…
-Flashback-
A few days ago, Wolverine found himself in a dimly lit bar, the kind where fights broke out as often as drinks were poured. He had just finished an illegal cage match, which he won, of course, his pocket packed with prize money.
He made his way to the bar, taking a seat and ordering himself a beer. The bartender quickly brought it over, knowing not to keep the night's champion waiting.
Wolverine took a long, satisfying sip, savoring the cold, bitter taste. “…”
As he set his beer down, out of nowhere, a young girl slid onto the stool next to him. She ordered a shot of vodka, her voice steady but tinged with a hint of anxiety.
Wolverine’s keen senses told him she was too young to be drinking, but the bartender, who didn’t care whether she was of age or not, brought her shot over without question.
But before she could take it, Wolverine intercepted the shot, downing it in one gulp. Instantly, the girl glared at him, her eyes blazing with indignation. "Hey, thief! That was mine!"
Wolverine ignored her and turned his icy stare on the bartender. "Get her a juice instead."
The bartender, recognizing the dangerous glint in Wolverine’s eyes, quickly nodded and scrambled to comply. Rogue, still glaring, watched as her shot was replaced with a glass of juice. She crossed her arms and refused to touch it.
Wolverine took another sip of his beer, unfazed by her defiance. He casually drank, seemingly indifferent to the daggers she was staring at him.
As a whole minute passed and she hadn't so much as touched her glass, Wolverine couldn't help but scoff. Chugging the rest of his beer, he got up to leave.
Seeing him go, Rogue's panic flared. She quickly chugged her juice, wincing at the sweetness, and rushed after him. "Hey, wait!" she shouted, her voice echoing in the dim bar as she pushed through the door after him.
As Wolverine stepped out of the bar, he was greeted by a snow-filled landscape somewhere in North America. The cold air bit at his exposed skin, but he hardly noticed. He had no vehicle and didn't bother with the parking lot; instead, he started walking down the highway, his breath visible in the frosty air.
Rogue rushed to follow him, shouting as she tried to keep up. "Hey, wait! Where are you going? Are you planning on hitchhiking? Why aren’t you answering me? Do you plan to just walk until you freeze to death?"
She bombarded him with questions, none of which he answered. Yet, despite the silence, she continued following him, determined not to turn back. She trailed him like a duckling would follow its mother, her footsteps crunching in the snow.
Rogue had watched him fighting at the bar and noticed something no one else did: how quickly he healed. Her curiosity was piqued. Questions raced through her mind. Who was he? Was he like her? Could there really be others like her?
This spark of hope pushed her forward, determined to follow him and get some answers…
As time passed and they continued walking, Wolverine’s annoyance grew. He wished she would just go away, but she was persistent. After nearly an hour, a small snowstorm began to blow in, and he noticed her slowing down. The gap between them started to widen.
Unlike him, with his animalistic mutation that kept his body heat higher than that of a normal human, she was vulnerable to the cold. The icy wind and snow began to take their toll on her.
Wolverine continued walking, but eventually, he couldn't see her behind him anymore. The snow obscured his vision, and the howling wind blocked his enhanced hearing. He paused, waiting for a good minute, but she still didn't catch up. Worry gnawed at him.
"Damn it," he muttered under his breath. He turned around and began trudging back through the snow, cursing aloud as he went. "Stupid kid…"
As Wolverine trudged back through the snow, he expected to find Rogue collapsed on the road. But instead, he found signs of a struggle in the snow. There were drag marks and large footprints, much larger than hers, leading off into the snowy woods.
"F*ck," Wolverine muttered, realizing that this was becoming far more trouble than he had anticipated. He should have just stayed in the bar and drank himself to death.
But he couldn’t leave the girl to whatever or whoever had taken her. His conscience wouldn’t allow it. With a resigned sigh, he followed the large footprints into the woods.
The snowstorm continued to rage, the wind howling through the trees and whipping snowflakes into his face. The large footprints were clear despite the snow, and he moved quickly, his enhanced senses keeping him on the trail. The deeper he went into the forest, the more alert he became, his animal instincts sharpening his focus.
After a tense and arduous trek through the woods, he finally saw a clearing ahead. His keen eyes spotted a figure standing in the middle of it, holding something—no, someone. As he got closer, he recognized Rogue, tied up and held by a large, menacing figure with wild, blonde hair and feral eyes.
The figure turned to face him, a wicked grin spreading across his face. Wolverine’s blood boiled as he saw Rogue held by the stranger's clawed hand.
"About time you showed up," the man growled, his voice dripping with malice. "Took you long enough, James."
“My name’s Logan, not James.” Wolverine's eyes narrowed, his claws extending with a familiar, metallic snikt. "Now let the kid go," he snarled, his voice low and dangerous.
The man laughed, a cold, cruel sound. "I don't think so. She’s the bait, and you’re the catch. Been a while since I had a good fight."
Wolverine's muscles tensed, ready for the inevitable clash. The snowstorm swirled around them, the wind howling through the trees, setting the stage for their brutal confrontation.
-Flashback End-
Wolverine's mind was a whirlwind as memories began to surface, triggered by the sight of Sabertooth. He recalled meeting Rogue in the bar and the ensuing events that led them into the snowy woods.
As he followed the footprints, the snowstorm raged on, and he found Rogue in the grasp of Sabertooth.
They fought fiercely in the clearing. Sabertooth's strength and savagery were overwhelming. And despite Wolverine's best efforts, he was overpowered. Sabertooth's claws tore through his flesh, leaving deep, grievous wounds.
The battle seemed hopeless until, out of nowhere, a giant metal man with a Russian accent appeared. But that’s all he can remember, as he seemed to have passed out soon after.
As these memories flooded back, Wolverine's migraine began to fade. He groaned one last time before looking up, his eyes narrowing in Sabertooth’s direction.
Peter watched as Wolverine seemed to recover from his migraine, his expression shifting from pain to a venomous glare directed at the only remaining enemy.
"Do you know that guy?" Peter asked, noting the intensity of Wolverine's gaze. ‘Are they brothers in this universe too?’
Wolverine growled as he spoke, "Yeah, we have a score to settle."
Peter nodded, glancing down at Toad. "Okay, then I’ll leave him to you. I’ve already dealt with one anyway. Wouldn’t want to hog all the fun, now would I?"
Wolverine smirked, almost chuckling. "You know, you’re not too bad."
Peter couldn’t help but smile. "Thanks, you’re not a complete piece of sh*t either," Wolverine smirked in response. Peter then introduced himself simply, "Peter."
Wolverine didn’t take his eyes off Sabertooth as he replied, "Logan." He began walking toward Sabertooth, his metal claws sliding out of his knuckles with a familiar metallic snikt. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’m gonna cut that f*cker into pieces…”
…
On the other hand, although Sabertooth wanted to fight Wolverine, especially after their last confrontation was interrupted, he quickly assessed the situation and saw no real victory in this scenario.
Even if he managed to beat Wolverine, which he was confident in achieving, two other threats were waiting to pounce: Peter and Xavier. Not to mention Rogue and Storm, who, despite their injuries, could still pose a minor threat.
Seeing no way out of this situation, Sabertooth turned and ran as fast as he could. Wolverine, shocked and enraged, yelled after him, "Get back here and fight, you coward!"
Sabertooth leaped with his enhanced strength, vaulting over a house in an attempt to break the line of sight and escape. But luck was not on his side.
Just as Sabertooth was flying over the house, he stopped mid-air, as if caught by an invisible hand. This sudden halt surprised him and everyone else who thought he would escape.
"Where do you think you’re going?" Peter called out, his hand held out in a grasping motion.
Sabertooth began to thrash against the telekinetic hold, but Peter swiped his hand to the side. In response, Sabertooth was hurled and slammed into the pavement in front of Wolverine, the impact cracking the ground beneath him. “Ugh!”
Peter turned to Wolverine and said, "He's all yours. We won't interfere."
Wolverine glanced back for a second and nodded. "Thanks." He turned his attention back to Sabertooth, who was already picking himself up off the ground.
Realizing that escape was no longer an option, Sabertooth decided to give in to his animal instincts. "At least they said they won’t interfere," he muttered to himself.
Sabertooth snarled, his feral eyes locking onto Wolverine. "You remember what happened last time, don’t you? I beat you down like the dog you are."
Wolverine growled, his fists tightening. "Last time doesn’t matter. This time, I’m putting you down for good."
Sabertooth laughed, a deep, guttural sound. "You can try, runt."
With that, the fight began.
Sabertooth lunged first, his claws slashing through the air. Wolverine dodged, narrowly avoiding the vicious swipe. He countered with a quick strike of his own, his claws aiming for Sabertooth’s midsection.
Sabertooth twisted away, but not fast enough—Wolverine’s claws grazed his side, drawing blood. “!”
“Argh!” Roaring in anger, Sabertooth retaliated with a powerful backhand that sent Wolverine staggering. He followed up with a flurry of slashes, each one aiming to disembowel or decapitate. Wolverine blocked and parried, his own claws flashing in the sun's light.
Their movements were a blur, each attack and counterattack delivered with lethal precision. The sound of metal clashing against bone filled the air, punctuated by grunts of pain and exertion.
Soon enough, Sabertooth managed to land a solid hit, his claws raking across Wolverine's chest, tearing through flesh and muscle.
Wolverine staggered back, but his healing factor kicked in almost immediately, closing the wounds as quickly as they appeared. He snarled and launched himself at Sabertooth, driving his claws into the larger mutant's shoulder and ripping downward.
Sabertooth howled in pain, but his wounds began to heal just as quickly. He grabbed Wolverine by the throat and slammed him into the ground, shaking the earth with the force of the impact.
Wolverine gasped for breath, but he didn’t stay down for long. With a roar, he slashed at Sabertooth’s face, leaving deep, bloody gashes.
The two feral mutants grappled and rolled, each trying to gain the upper hand. Wolverine managed to pin Sabertooth momentarily, driving his claws into his enemy's ribs. But Sabertooth, with a burst of strength, threw Wolverine off and surged to his feet.
"You think you can beat me, mutt?" Sabertooth taunted, blood dripping from his wounds. "You’re nothing compared to me."
Wolverine wiped the blood from his face, his eyes burning with determination. "I’m not just gonna beat you. I’m gonna kill you."
He charged at Sabertooth, claws ready. Sabertooth met him head-on, their bodies colliding with bone-crushing force. They exchanged brutal blows, each one landing with a sickening impact. Wolverine’s claws slashed and stabbed, while Sabertooth's claws tore and ripped.
Despite their healing factors, the sheer ferocity of their attacks began to take its toll. Both combatants were covered in blood and wounds, their breaths ragged. But Wolverine’s determination never wavered.
In a final, desperate move, Wolverine tackled Sabertooth to the ground, pinning him down with his claws. He drove his fists into Sabertooth’s face over and over, his claws stabbing deep into the head. Blood and brain matter splattered with each impact, as Sabertooth’s attempts to fight back grew weaker and weaker.
"Stay down, you b*stard!" Wolverine roared, continuing to pummel Sabertooth until, even after healing, the larger mutant lay unmoving, completely unconscious.
Victorious, Wolverine stood over Sabertooth’s limp form, panting heavily, his fists and claws dripping with blood.
“Damn, that was gruesome… and bada*s.”
A/N: 2464 words :) 4/4 done ✅