Author's Note: This story and its characters are based entirely on the Marvel Universe as sketched in the movie "X-Men Origins: Wolverine". The story doesn't acknowledge any of the storylines from the three previous X-Men movies, except where they didn't clash with my view of the characters. Most known Marvel characters have more or less loose ties with their official backgrounds, but I altered their backgrounds and personalities wherever and however I thought fitted this story. I do not own any of the known Marvel characters in this story. All other characters are mine, including any mutant not previously mentioned in any Marvel or other comic (most noteworthy: Caroline O'Reilly or 'Herd'). Victor and Scott are the main characters and protagonists. Wolverine is 'out of the picture' for the most part.

In regards to the children that were being held captive: Some of them have been confirmed to be in the movie (Pietro, Wanda, Emma), others (like Mortimer, David, Jack, Jhimon, Zhau, Sean, Nicole and Claudette) are in my opinion the most likely candidates to fit the powers or appearances as seen in the movie. Jack Hannigan is the name I've given to the mutant Fever Pitch, since he doesn't have any offically confirmed identity and I thought it would be silly to keep referring to the kid as 'that burning boy' or something like that (especially since the aliases are only chosen after their powers manifest most of the time). Anyway, enough from me already, enjoy the story!


X-Men Adversaries: Sabretooth

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Victor tried to clear his mind by closing his eyes for a minute. He sat underneath a tree at the edge of the clearing where just minutes before a mysterious mutant had appeared out of nowhere and had whisked away the freed mutant children. He hadn't actually seen it happen, but the overabundance of scents that lingered in the air told him all he needed to know. However, going after the children and their benefactor was the last thing he was concerned with at this time. Everything that had happened in the last couple of hours kept going through his mind. One sentence repeated itself over and over again: Why the hell did I do that?

Never before in his life had the feral mutant felt this conflicted about his actions. The look on his face when I helped him... And the fight, back to back, just like in the old days... Why'd it feel so right? Ever since Logan had walked out on him, Victor had acted like the beast he'd always thought he was, rounding up, torturing or killing whomever Stryker told him to. Going from one assignment to the other, enjoying the hunt, revelling in the resistance and ultimately the fear in his victims' eyes... He'd never given any of it a second thought. Not since Jimmy walked away from it all. Feelings he'd thought he'd buried when Logan had left him had hit him today with the impact of a six-tonne truck. The years of hatred, of trying to seek revenge... They vanished almost completely when I saw how that retched abomination was about to kill him! No one comes between us, no one! And I didn't lie when I told you, Jimmy... We're brothers. And brothers look out for each other. We're more than just brothers, the bond we share goes beyond anything a mere human could ever understand. Not even that bitch school teacher of yours knew you like I know you. We're the same, like two sides of the same coin.

Every time he'd come up against Logan, even after his brother had gotten the adamantium, he'd felt more alive than ever. The thrill of the fight against an equal had left Victor craving for more every time. It was like a drug and he had to have his shots on a regular basis. So... And now what? Stryker's gone, the facility is gone, any chance I'd ever have of getting that adamantium is gone. Even you're gone, Jimmy. You wrecked everything, like you did before, and you walked away without a care in the world. I was supposed to watch over you, not the other way around! Fuck you! I should've left you in that forest to die or I should've... I should have... killed you when I had the chance...

Even to himself those words sounded hollow. Just like he knew they could never again be the brothers they once were, Victor knew he could never 'just' kill Logan. He's a part of me. And I'm a part of him. We're bound by our heritage and no one can come between us. Even if we hate each other's guts!

"But that doesn't mean I can't hurt you, Jimmy..."

His words were lost in the silence, heard by no one but a few lonely animals. A smile appeared on his face and he stood up. I can hurt you like no one else can. I can find you anywhere. Your scent's always been easy to follow. And I will track you down! But... I have other things to concern myself with for now. I'll just let you think you're safe, let you think I'm not after you anymore. And when you'll least expect it, I'll hunt you down and kill everyone in my path. For now... I think I'll pay a visit to a new friend who's taken some of my acquintances with him. He smelled the air around him intently, storing every scent in his memory, even that of the fuel of the helicopter. A-ha, got you!

During their time in the army, both Victor and Logan had picked up considerable knowledge of army technology. Even though he didn't know the exact type of helicopter that had been used, he knew the flight range of most current models. And taking a whole bunch of children with you requires a larger helicopter, which narrows the range of models down considerably. I'm guessing it's one of those Super Puma's, which would mean that they're not far from here, around eight hundred and fifty kilometers maximum. He sniffed the air once more to find the direction the helicopter had taken off in. Across the water. Of course. He couldn't fly too high and he would have had to keep away from main roads and crowded areas, so it shouldn't be too hard to figure out which routes he could've taken. Besides… Hiding escaped mutant children means having a large building, a safe place. And there aren't many of those around in these parts.

"Well, let's see where you're hiding, mystery man."

The savage grin on his face didn't fade as he made his way out of the small park in silence.