I don't know why I did this. The idea just stuck in my head, and I couldn't get it out. And since I did it, I thought I'd put it out there.

I know I butchered George R.R. Martin's words… and probably several X-men comics as well, because I truthfully never read any and all that I know that aren't from the movies I only skimmed over online. And I'm painfully aware that any underlying meaning (that I probably missed in the first place) and/or character development in this wonderful scene between Sansa Stark and Sandor Clegane from ASOIAF is mauled away by me changing the surroundings and characters.

But, it is what it is. If there's anything that seems artistic or anything like it it's most likely been copied word-by-word from the book. Still, I had to do this to be able to go to sleep - couldn't stop thinking about it.

One-shot scene from the A Song Of Ice And Fire series by George R.R. Martin, taking place during some made-up war (it could resemble something that actually happened in the comics, I have no idea) in the X-men universe, starring Kitty Pryde as Sansa and Victor Creed as the Hound.

(I always think of Victor as the Liev Schreiber version, but whatever floats your boat).

I do not own the X-men characters nor the basic storyline and dialogue from George R.R. Martin's novel.

The city was a war-zone.

From the roof of the abandoned apartment building Kitty Pryde saw all of the destruction, and she tried her best to be brave. She stepped closer to the edge to be able to take it all in. A need to be alone had made her phase through the barred door to the roof, but when the screeches from the streets reached her she suddenly wished she had taken someone with her.

Wanting to be the adult she should be, had to be, she had sneaked up the stairs when everyone else were sleeping, to come to terms with this new reality by herself. She needed to be strong now, she knew, but the sheer horror in those far-away voices sent a stab through her. Clutching her stomach she almost sobbed, feeling very little like a brave X-man and very much like a scared little girl.

Kitty could have fallen then, but a shadow moved from behind her without warning and grabbed hold of her arm. Something sharp almost pierced her flesh as the strong fingers steadied her. Taking a hasty step backwards, away from the edge and away from the shadow, she cried out:
"Let go of me. Let go."
"Do you think kittens can fly? Or did you just want to end up in a wheelchair like that bald friend of yours?"
Kitty twisted in his grasp, but the strong fingers didn't budge.
"I wouldn't have fallen. I was just – just startled, that's all."
"I think you mean I scared you. And I still do."
Kitty sent him an angry glare, but her heart was still thumping loudly in her ears. She tried to take a calming breath, but it was shaky.
"I thought I was alone up here." She said, averting her eyes.
"Are you even scared of looking at me?" She had just been thinking of phasing through his hand when Creed released her, and his voice was a mocking purr. "You didn't mind my face when FOH had you, though. Remember?"

Kitty remembered it all too well.

They had caught up with her out of nowhere, suddenly on every side of her. She had been scouting for provisions for the base camp, having more ease doing so since she could get into places unnoticed. It had been her first solo mission since the siege of the city, and she had been scared out of her mind during the whole time. When they encircled her she - the girl who once beat the mighty Juggernaut - had been immobilized with fear. She remembered the sight of red laser dots dancing on her chest and the knowledge that she would die.

And then one dot had suddenly swung uncontrollably up and down on her chest, and then disappeared. An inhumane shriek had come from one of the FOH soldiers. The other dots vanished soon enough as the soldiers who had been aiming at her swirled their guns to the new threat.
Creed was on them with claws and teeth, ripping limbs of the soldiers as if they were rag dolls. His rough voice called at her to move, but she hadn't been able to, frozen solid as she was. She could see the first soldier where he was on the ground, blood pumping out of the stump of his arm. But the other soldiers were still around, and they kept firing. Creed leapt at them, his hands a blur of razor-sharp claws that trailed a red mist as he struck. When the soldiers realized he wasn't going down they broke. As they turned and ran before him he had laughed, his beastly face for a moment transformed.

Kitty made herself look at that face now, really look. She was supposed to be an adult, and she couldn't cower before monsters the way she had when she was a child. His teeth were not the worst part, not even the way they looked with that predatory grin. It was his eyes. Kitty had never seen such hungry eyes before.
"I- I should have stayed," she said slowly. When Creed had laughed that way she had ran. "I never thanked you, for saving me. You were very brave."
"Brave?" His voice seemed to be a purr again, and he stepped closer to her. "A beast doesn't need courage to chase of rats. They had me thirty to one, and still they all ran."
He towered over her. Kitty hated the way he looked at her, as if he was about to jump her any minute. The thought sent a chill down her spine.
"Do you get off on scaring people?" She said; irritated with the way he was toying with her. Her word sent a grin to his face, and his teeth looked suddenly sharper than before.
"No, I get off on killing people." Kitty could see in the way his eyes shone that he was being completely truthful. She backed away from him.
"You can stare all you like, kitten, but don't act so shocked. You're fighting a war. Don't tell me none of the precious X-men ever killed a man."
"They've killed because they had to. They didn't enjoy it."
"They tell you that?" He laughed. "If so; they lied. There's nothing more delicious than a kill."
Creed raised a hand, and his wicked claws elongated in front of Kitty's terrified eyes.
"At least I admit to it. You don't escape death by not doing so. Your precious Iceboy found that out on the plaza. He had all the X-men behind him, and that pretty, pretty logo on his chest… but the FOH bullets went right through his chest all the same, didn't they?"
Kitty drew her arms around herself, biting her lip. Bobby's death was still a fresh wound. She felt cold all of a sudden. "Do you remember the way he danced when the bullets hit him?"
She gasped.
"Why are you so cruel? I was thanking you!"
"Yes, just as if I was one of your X-men you love so much. Who do you think survives in a war like this? Do you think the ones defending the innocent and hiding in abandoned buildings make it in the long run? Wars are won by killing." He encircled her throat with his hand, the claw of his thumb right over her throat. Kitty could feel the sharpness of its edge against her skin.
"I killed my first man when I was twelve. I've lost count of how many I've killed since then. Humans and mutants, mercenaries and trained soldiers, and women and children too - they're all prey and I'm the hunter. Let them have their weapons and politics and 'medication'. Let them have their heroes." Victor Creed grinned mockingly at the word. "As long as I have this," he said, releasing his throat and looking down at the deadly weapons on his fingers, "there's no man on earth I need to fear."
Except your brother, Kitty thought, but she didn't say it out loud. She had better sense than that. He was a beast, just like he said. Untamed and selfish, fighting no battles but his own. Yet he had saved her.
"Not even the sentinels?"
Creed's eyes went to the skyline, but no great shadows could be seen against the dark blue yet. Everyone knew the giant, man-shaped robots were coming. No one knew when.
"Machines." He muttered, and his claws retracted. "I remember times when men fought wars with their own bodies."
"Times have changed." Kitty said. And they truly had. Here she stood, in conversation with one of the X-men's sworn enemies. Logan's nemesis. Creed shot her an amused look.
"I guess they have, kitten."
She looked back at the skyline.
"What will you do when they come?"
"Fight. Kill. Die, maybe."
There was no knowing what the sentinels were capable of. Not even Logan had been sure he would survive them. She reflected on how it would feel, looking at possible death, for someone who had always thought of themselves as immortal.
"Aren't you afraid? God might send you to hell for all the evil you've done."
"What evil?" He laughed. "What god?"

"The one who made us all."
"All?" He mocked. "Tell me, kitten, what kind of god makes people like Graydon and the others in FOH? What kind of god puts children in their way?"
Graydon, the leader of FOH, had led the siege, Kitty knew. But she hadn't known Victor Creed knew who he was, too.
"That's why there are heroes, to protect the children."
Creed snorted.
"There are no true heroes, no more than there is a god. If you can't protect yourself, die and get out of the way of those who can. Guns and politics rule the world, don't ever believe anything else."
Kitty glared at him.
"You're awful."
"I'm honest. The world's what's awful. Now scamper off, kitten. I'm sick of you hissing at me."
She didn't say anything, she just ran for the door and phased right through it. She didn't know how he'd gotten up there in the first place, but she didn't care to find out either.

Afterwards she couldn't help wondering; if Creed didn't believe in protecting the weak, why had he saved her? But she tried not to think of it too much. Creed scared her half to death. Still, in some ways she wished some of the X-men could have a little of his ferocity.

There is a God, she told herself, and there are heroes. Perhaps Creed was more of a hero than he liked.

Sorry for OOC. I hope no one took offense, please just see it as a tribute to these four characters from two different universes!

P.S. The title of this story is almost exactly like the Hound's line, but in the story I changed it a bit. Creed speaking medieval would make him way too much out of character, but I still love the original line, so it got to be in the title instead.

Hugs to all.