The most infuriating thing about the X men franchise (other than squeezing characters in with no single idea if they would further use them or not) is how they jump through plot lines without properly resolving any single one of them.
It is infuriating how they left the wolverine/Sabretooth brethern story just like that.
It would have been interesting to see what would happen.
An alternate To X2 plotline.
The sabretooth of X1 is practically non existent.
If the characters are a bit OOC, let it go.
Stalker
He wonders which part of him loves his brother: the animal or the human.
He watches his brother as he falls and ebbs along the tides of time, as he twists and turns,as he goes back and forth through the dark crevices of the world.
He watches as wolverine searches who he was, as he tries to piece together fragments of his past life.
He watches silently.
Over the last decades, He has become that sort of guy with the big black coat, the one who watches from the shadows, the creepy stalker with the infuriating smile.
"Stay out of my way, freak" Wolverine shouts perplexed.
A mere stranger, just another feral freak.
Still, He follows his brother and they beat the hell out of each other, just like the old times, except that Jimmy doesn't remember.
He follows him and will follow him to the ends of earth
he will look after his brother.
His brother finds Solace in this circus school .
The runt tends to have a penchant for psychic sluts, who desert him and run off to marry other guys, particularly one with weird looking glasses, one whom he kidnapped before.
It is so cold out there. The snow is heavy this year.
He watches from the window in the silence of the night as Jimmy turns uncomfortably in his sheets.
He watches when he rises damped with sweat, disturbed from his light slumber.
This night, it is different.
He sleeps deeply.
"May be you should knock on the door and ask to get in"
He knows that calm deep voice.
The man on the wheel chair.
"get out of my way, wheels"
"You are standing on my property, plus I am not holding you back, walk away if you like"
That man's calmness and subtlity pushes his buttons more than Wade's blabbering.
He can feel this man trying to nibble through his mind, trying to get in.
"I am immune to your telepathy's bull"
A voice rings in his head 'a trial wouldn't hurt'
He walks away.
He keeps coming back at night to check on his brother, despite himself, until the inevitable happens.
"How many times should I tell you to stay away from me?"
"Well, well, Look what the cat brought"
Defense posts both, then...
"Logan" the professor calls.
Wolverine doesn't take his eyes off his opponent.
He knows he needs this distraction to leap out of sight, and he needs to know why the bloody hell he has been following him.
"Logan, he is my guest, please, Mr. Creed, inside"
"I am not your guest"
"The invitation is extended still"
'This maybe your chance to help your brother learn who he was'
'I don..., None of your business' he shouted in his head.
'Or perhaps just be close by without your pride getting hurt in the way'
The professor's eyes were fixed. Logan knew this was the 'telepathy is going on' mode whereas Sabretooth was contemplating.
'Fine, Professor" Victor growled
A little warmth was good, he had to admit.
The mansion was huge, It reminded him of the Howlett's home, his brother's home.
"Well, I expect you to abide by certain rules during your stay"
He has walked willingly into a trap, Damn.
"He means watch your tongue, limit swearing and Alcohol use and please try your best to keep the places you use tidy" Logan intercepted.
Sabretooth looked over to him, bewildered, appaled.
"been there before"
"Ororo" the professor called
It took virtually no time for her to show up.
"Tell me she isn't a mind control freak as well" he muttered under his breath.
"Ororo, this is Victor Creed aka Sabretooth, this is Ororo Monroe or Storm"
Her eyes widened.
"It isn't like you expect them to shake hands and ..." Logan said
"Pleasure" She said
"All mine"
"Now please show Victor his rooms and the kitchen"
'Then follow me' he transmitted.
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Language, Logan"
"You are letting this stranger in"
"I'd like to remind you that this is my house, plus this man is of great importance"
"He seems like a rabid dog to me"
Ororo chuckled.
"Now, there you are here, knock some common sense into him"
"I know enough not to argue with the Professor, he always have iron clad reasons, Now, Logan, go keep watchful eyes upon our guest"
"Sometimes I want to knock your head half, both of you"
He left the teacher and student alone.
"Now Professor, you may care to explain?"
"Perhaps, but I shall tell you a story first"
"How can you manage to trust an animal like that around students?" She asked
"Something fishy is going on, we need to know what and he might have a clue, Plus Wolverine needs to know about his past now"
"Don't tell me you think he is redeemable"
"No, he isn't, but he loves his brother strong enough to reign himself a bit" the professor replied
"Now send them off to me before they kill each other" he preceeded.
When she reaches them, she finds their claws at each other's neck.
At least they had the decency to stop when she arrived,
"The professor requests your presence both of you"
"Sit down , please"
"what do you want from me?" Victor started
"Why do you think I want something from you?"
"Well, a wise man like you wouldn't let an animal like me near his students unless you want something grave"
"You seem to have more than adequate information about animals"
"That is what I am after all"
"You certainly know that the only animal that kills for pleasure is man then, other animals kill for food or if they are afraid, tell me Sabretooth, all whom you have killed, you killed for what?"
He does what he is good at and lunges towards the professor only to be stopped by Wolverine
"Don't even think about it" Wolverine stops him.
And before they resume their neverending fight
"Stryker is back on the radar" the doctor blasts
"What the hell are you saying?"
"William stryker, He visited Erik today"
Panic and fear, the only words that could describe what was itched on Sabretooth's face
"Who is the guy?" Wolverine sets in
"The one who gave you your shiny claws"
"How do you know that?"
"I helped him do it"
That is why his scent was familiar this Victor, He was part of whatever that made him this,
And with all his strength he just stroke whereas Sabretooth dodged
"Predictable"
"I am gonna cut your head half and see if that works"
" Heard that before"
"I want my office intact, you are both free to leave" the professor said
Logan rushed towards the door
"And logan, Jean and Scott are coming tonight"
"Ah, great" he muttered under his breath.
He didn't want to stay that night in the mansion, so after saying his 'welcomes', he took his gear and beer to the outside.
"It is quite cold, shouldn't you be in your cosy bed under the comfy blankets, doggy"
Sabretooth was lying on the lawn, bottles of beer scattered around
He was pretty tipsy.
"you don't shut up, Do you?"
"I just hate pathetics and you always seem to look like one"
"Coming from the guy who has been stalking me for decades"
"You remind me of my brother"
"You had a brother"
"I Do"
"Where is he?"
"Away where I can't retrieve him"
"Dead?"
"No"
"you seem like an excellent tracker to me, you couldn't trackyour own brother"
"I know where he is, I just can't fetch him"
For the first time ever Wolverine feels something in this guy's tone, honesty maybe sorrow as well.
"You were on good terms?"
"Mostly, but not of late"
"How bad is it between you?"
"Too bad runt, I got carried away into my world that I never saw him. I thought I was doing both of us good but I screwed him up pretty bad, It doesn't matter anymore though, Stryker had him driven away for good"
"Who is this Stryker?"
"A dangerous animal who works in the army, a mad dog "
"Madder than you"
"You have no idea"
"So, we have met before this Stryker business?"
"We did"
"So what do you know about me?"
"Not much, your name is James, you are a canadian, you fought in the civil war, the 2 WWs, in Vietnam, you were given those claws by Stryker, you were a wimp back then and now still"
"You can't just talk with me without pushing my buttons"
"Where is the fun then?"
"You know how I lost my memory?"
"Why does it bother you?"
"makes you feel out of place"
"It is a gift, trust me, the weight of memories make you feel old, so freaking old, losing your memories makes you innocent again, you forget all what you have done, a fresh start "
"You are welcome to swap places if you like"
"Not until I find him"
He watches them from the window and reminsces.
He misses his friend. He misses Erik.
"I am surprised they haven't killed each other off yet" Storm said
"They are just talking"
"Did he tell him?"
"I don't think he did"
It was early dawn when Storm woke them up
"Wake up pups, Professor Xavier wants you both".
"There you are, Scott, Jean, This is Victor Creed, you know him as Sabretooth"
"We met before?" Scott asked
"Guess by yourself kid"
"Me and Scott are going to go visit Erik, the rest of you, stay here and take care of the school, But before that, Victor, You know where we can find Stryker?"
"3 mile island or Alkali lake"
"I have been there, no sign of anything"
"The dam in the site"
The night passed, they haven't returned yet.
"So, you are immune to illusions, mindgames and all this hocus" Wolverine passes him beer
"Yep "
"Lucky you, mate"
My brother wouldn't have thought so, he thought that is why I was a sociopath, he had this idea that sometimes you have to live an illusion through to be human"
"well, he is a fool"
"you said it yourself"
"The mansion is under attack" Storm bellowed.
They were compromised and severely out numbered.
They managed to smuggle most of the kids through the tunnels.
Storm and Jean managed to save their jet.
Wolverine was staggering behind.
"Well, Well look what I have found, my first Experiment"
"You are Stryker"
"Wolverine"
He bolted sidewise and knocked Stryker to the ground before Deathstrike intervened.
"Run" he growled
"and his loser of a brother"
"What?" Logan was dumbfound
"I see you didn't tell him, scared to remind him of how you played him"
"I said run" He struggled beneath deathstrike's Adamantium grip.
Bobby turned out of know no where and snapped Wolverine out of it.
Victor couldn't run.
he struggled further before he was shot with sedatives
"that is my boy"
He woke up to find himself restrained by chains.
"What the hell do you want with me?"
"Nothing, I was going to give you your adamantuim bonding"
"You priorly said that I wouldn't take it"
"Time changes things, I need my favourite soldier Back"
"You know I wouldn't work for you"
"Since when Do I care about such minor Details"
He doesn't know what Stryker is aiming at.
He doesn't know whether he'd survive or not.
All he knows is He doesn't want his memory wiped out , he doesn't want to lose his brother.
Take everything from him but leave him his brother, even as a mere memory, a shadow.
It has been a long time since his eyes watered.
Immense pain.
That is all what it is about.
It is bloody all over his body.
His body is failing him, It doesn't heal as rapid.
He is left alone.
Wolverine recognises this scent,
The one that drives him to his brother.
He sees the Sabretooth battered on the ground.
He runs over to him
"Come on, Victor, get up we need to leave"
"I can't Jimmy"
He sinks to his level, " what do you mean?"
Victor looks sorrowfully at him, wolverine is taken aback by the desperate look that he is now mirroring. He reverts back to the little cub who was running scared after he stabbed his father, Victor thinks.
"I amnot healing any more"
Wolverine wastes no more time and carries him
"you weigh an awful lot , Mate, Rogue is gonna fix you"
"You remember me, Jimmy"
"I am trying here"
"Thank God you can't ,I don't want you to"
"Shut up, will you" Wolverine knows this talk, the one that never ends well.
"I don't want you to remember what you have been through...or what .I did to you"
"So why all the toil in tailing me all those decades then?"
He is trying to keep him awake, with him, he can feel him slipping.
"you are my son and my brother, my only family, my entire life"
"You sound like a drama queen, Victor"
All he needs is a minute, the jet is in sight now.
"Don't dwell much on the past, Jimmy. If you ever remember,Jimmy, think of the good times,.. Forgive me.."
He used to wonder which part of him loved his brother, he knows now.
Every fibre of his wretched being does.
He wants to believe the illusion he may survive and live eith his brother, but he knows better than to believe that.
he is done.
At least, he has talked to his brother.
He is happy about that.
"We are here" Wolverine tells him.
He calls over to rogue and quickly sets up a circuit, it is too late though.
He holds the half animal, half man in his arms.
His fellow kin, who now sports a look of tranquility on his dead face.
They leave the lake without two this night.
"He was a very tormented man, your brother"
"you know better than me, you are the one with the memory"
Wolverine was numb.
"I am Sorry it ended that way"
"It has nothing to do with you, It is me whom death follows like a shadow, not you"
"It isn't your fault"
"It always isn't"
It was one of those rare times when Charles was left tongue tied.
"Was he as atrocious as his reputation conveyed?"
That was a tough question.
"He was, but he went through a lot, Logan. You were his red light, his last streak of sanity, his atonement."
"How is Scott holding up, Professor?"
"Not so well"
"if you will excuse me, I have something to tell him"
"She made a choice, it was you" he tells him as he leaves.
That night, he dreams.
He dreams of two young boys treading a landscape across, he dreams of a boy hunting for his young complainy brother, he dreams of two brothers fighting against the world together.
He dreams of a boy he recognises.
He dreams of a boy called Victor Creed.
His brother.
