Age of Sabertooth! Chapter 5: Blood brings the End

'Sabertooth, Holocaust we have trouble' says Sinister.
'What's up Sinister?' asks Sabertooth.
'My equipment is telling me we have to horsemen down and two injured. I'm guessing it explains that great energy spike in the middle of the city' says Sinister.
'Which are injured and which are dead?' Sabertooth asks.
'Your guess is as good as mine. We just have to wait and we find the answer to that one' says Sinister.
Roughly a minute later Iceman bursts in looking slightly roughed up. Iceman explains what happened between him Cyclops, Phoenix and Rampage. Sinister, Sabertooth and Holocaust are quite glad with the outcome of that one. It is not long before Juggernaut follows suit, breaking into the base.
'Ah Juggernaut, I'm glad to see you back. I knew those wimps couldn't take you down' says Sabertooth.
'You don't look one hundred percent Juggernaut' Sinister says noticing Cain swaying slightly. 'What's that on your other arm Juggy?' asks Sabertooth.
Juggernaut turns and faces them properly. Sabertooth, Sinister, Holocaust, Monolith, Iceman and all the surrounding skrulls and acolytes gasp at the sight of a one armed Juggernaut.
'What?' asks Holocaust. 'I thought this guy had a healing factor like Creed.'
'I think I know what happened' says Sinister. 'I noticed when I was working with Juggernaut making his enhancements, that his healing factor will only work to a certain degree. Once something like this happens the healing factor realises that it can't heal the arm completely and just heals the wound over.'
The group reconsiders their position, how to strike next. The mutual feeling is that they should wait and let Juggernaut and Iceman heal before making the next move. But Sabertooth has still got one card he hasn't dealt yet. Sabertooth tells Holocaust his plan then tells Sinister to have his equipment ready for two adamantium transplants.
Sabertooth's plan leads Holocaust and him to a back alley in New York were Bullseye is busy wasting a couple of punks who tried to beat him for his money. Bullseye finishes giving them a hiding when Holocaust and Sabertooth confront him.
'Hello Bullseye, how are you today?' Sabertooth asks.
'Cut the crap Sabertooth, why are you here?' says Bullseye And who's the jabroni with you.'
'We've got a proposition for you Bullseye' says Sabertooth. 'How would you like to join forces with us?'
'Depends on who us is' says Bullseye.
'I'm talking me, Holocaust here, Sinister, Juggernaut, Monolith and Iceman' says Sabertooth.
'Well with an array like that one how could I resist' says Bullseye.
'I knew you'd take the deal. But there is one condition' Sabertooth says getting a inquisitive look from Bullseye. 'Your adamantium is mine.'
'What!' yells Bullseye. 'Are you nuts? You think I'll just give you the adamantium.'
'Well you don't exactly have a choice' says Sabertooth. 'If you don't give it to us, we'll just have to come and get it.'
Bullseye gives Sabertooth an furious glare, holding his gaze with him for about a minute. Reluctantly, Bullseye agrees to Sabertooth's conditions, not having any choice really. So Sabertooth and Holocaust return with an adamantium skeleton and one Bullseye. Before half of the adamantium is transferred into Sabertooth, he reveals the rest of the plan. The second half is given to the newest horseman, Whildchild.

'What is the body count?' asks Wolverine.
Xaiver tries to ignore how Wolverine says that. 'Cecila, Venom...' Xaiver continues the list, Wolverine showing no emotion until he mentions Jean. Shinkt! Is the noise that fills the air. Wolverine pulls his mask back over his head.
'Hey wait Wolverine, I've got something planned' says Gambit.
'What you got Cajun?' Wolverine says in a low voice.
All the X-men have a quater of an hour break before setting back to the task at hand. Gambit, Wolverine, Colossus, Rogue, Xaiver, Cable, Rampage, Rock and Jubilee gather for the job. Steel is the only one who is in bad enough condition to consider sitting this one out. Magneto is contacted and he plans to join the fight.
The X-men purposely attract the attention of the skrull and acolyte guards who they plan to get rid of before the real fight begins. Gambit charges up three car tyres that were picked up along the way to the fight. Rogue, Colossus and Rock throw a charged tyre each into the fray of skrulls and acolytes. It doesn't take much longer for the group of about fifty guards to be disposed of. The X-men continue moving towards where Sabertooth and his lot have gathered.
Both groups gather inside a rather large office apartment. Part of the base that was built to run operations by Sinister. Both groups being an odd one hundred meters apart. Gambit needs the group to stall Sabertooth's group from attacking for a few more seconds.
'Welcome X-men' says Sabertooth. 'I'm glad you've decided to join our presence on such a glorious occasion. We've been expecting you. I have a lovely surpass for you, two actually. Not only have I managed to get a full adamantium skeleton now, I know someone else who just needs your half now.'
Wildchild steps out sporting new adamantium claws and a whole new look. Whildchild is bearly recognisable to the X-men. In a black get up and a new darker look.
'Now aren't you glad we were all here to celebrate this joyous occasion' says Sinister.
'Cut the crap Sinister' says Wolverine in a very low tone. 'Prepare to battle.'
'What's the matter boy, come tell Daddy what's wrong' Sabertooth says with a huge grin on his face.
'I kicked your ass last time Sabertooth, I'll do it again this time. And don't expect that wimp Sinister to come and save your sorry carcass this time' Wolverine says.
'Now!' Gambit yells out, being the signal for the X-men to charge.
Gambit telepathically detonates the card that he had hidden up the sleeve in Juggernaut's shoulder. The blast is enough to take of the second arm of Juggernaut and knocks down those standing around him. Including Holocaust, Sinister and Monolith. Sabertooth's lot get up and jump through into the next room along, this one being better for a battle.
Colossus and Rock break right through the wall to meet their opponents. Sabertooth takes this opportunity to finally finish what he started with Colossus the last to times. Sabertooth reaches inside the cold steel exterior of Colossus down to mess up all his insides. Colossus drops like a stone, not to get up again. Sabertooth kicks Rock in the head, Rock doesn't move, only to retaliate. Rock head butts Sabertooth.
Rogue who comes flying in tells Rock to join him while double teaming an already shaken up no armed Juggernaut. Rock and Rogue go in hard and grab hold of a leg each. Rock and Rogue pull Juggernaut's feet out from under him. Juggernaut gets his pay back when he lies on his back and sends Rock and Rogue flying with a hard boot. Eventually a hard steel wall breaks their fall. The remaining X-men follow through into this new room.
'Meet the newest horseman' Sabertooth says once everyone is in view of a dark figure standing behind Sabertooth.
The figure moves out of the way of Sabertooth, enough light shines on him to reveal who the figure is. Almost a duplicate of the one he was standing behind only moments before.
'Whildchild' Wolverine cries out.
'He doesn't exactly have my looks but there's always hope' says Sabertooth.
The battle takes into full flight, the war ends here. Everyone picks a person to battle with. Wolverine leaps forward to attack Sabertooth along with Xaiver. Gambit and Jubilee make a move on Wildchild. Cable and Rogue go for Juggernaut. Rock and a just arrived Exodus close down on Holocaust. Rampage prepares to rumble with Iceman.
Wolverine launches himself at Sabertooth when three skrulls put themselves in front of Sabertooth. Sabertooth uses this time to take out Xaiver. Xaiver tries desperately to use his attacks against Sabertooth. The ground breaks open underneath Sabertooth feet, not that it slows him down much. Sabertooth dives and grabs hold of Xaiver's hoverchair and tips him out of it. In a horrible display Sabertooth lifts the hover chair above Xaiver's head, and does the horrible deed of brining it down on top of Xavier's head.
Whildchild shows an amazing display as he dodges several charged items and plasma blasts. Rogue and Cable battle against a seemingly indestructible Juggernaut. Juggernaut doesn't seem to be affected by any of Cable's blasts and Rogue's blows don't even make a scratch. Rock feels the power of Holocaust's blasts, sending him flying. Rock gets straight back up and gives a good couple of punches into the armour of Holocaust. Holocaust lets Rock take a large shot to his already bruised and battered body.
Rampage and Iceman go head to head. Rampage being extremely inexperienced with his new powers starts to lose fast. Iceman decides to take the attack from afar plan and freezes Rampage solid. Rampage along with the Phoenix blows away the layer of ice that was coating his body. Rampage sends a burst of energy that rips up the ground and everything in its way as it heads towards Iceman. As the energy blast slams into Iceman, Iceman is slammed violently into the wall.
Whildchild in between jumping around cards and plasma blasts manages to get a claw across Jubilee's chest. Jubilee falls in pain, only to slowly bleed to death as the battle rages on. Exodus purposely takes a blast in from Holocaust just redirect back at his armour. Exodus drop kicks Holocaust down to the ground. Rogue manages to finally get through to Juggernaut with a power punch straight to the face. Cable sends a telepathic blast right in the eyes of Juggernaut for Rogue to get in the low blow.
Wolverine is surrounded with more and more skrulls, then acolytes as Sabertooth stands back and laughs. Sinister who until now had been standing back prepares to stop Rock in his trails. It is then that a badly injured Steel turns up and saves Rock's hide by sending a electric blast to the back of Sinister's head. Sinister retaliates by knocking Steel down with a punch. Then Sinister grabs hold of Steel by the neck and snaps it.
A now furious Juggernaut heads Rogue onto the ground then starts to crush her with his foot. Cable tries to get him of but to no use, as Juggernaut is to powerful. Cable runs, jumps onto the leg of Juggernaut that he is kneeling on Rogue with and dives towards Juggernaut's head. Cable shoves the psimitar into the head of Juggernaut and begins pumping all the juice he has got into it. Juggernaut falls, but seconds to late as an already battered Rogue as taken all she can take, Rogue dies there.
Iceman sends a fury of icicles Rampage's way, only a few of them are managed to be dodged. Rampage realising he is mortally wounded devices a plan while Iceman prepares to fire a second burst of icicles. Rampage stands straight in the way of the icicles and makes a mind link with Iceman. The Icicles finish of Rampage who currently has a mind link with Iceman. Iceman not being able to break the link with Rampage goes down with him.
Holocaust floors Rock with a boot to the head, then pins his arms with his foot. Holocaust goes up to point blank and blasts the remaining energy Rock had in him away. Sinister picks a steel pipe that had been broken of from part of the building and smashes it across Exodus' head. Knowing full well that if he had tried anything else, Exodus would have just absorbed it, Sinister beats Exodus out of the fight with the steel pipe. It is at about this time a large amount of acolytes and skrulls begin filling the building.
Gambit calls over Cable and Wolverine, the only two remaining X-men. Gambit tells them all to get of there while he does his work. Gambit charges a large part of concrete and Cable telekinetically throws it at the hordes of attackers. This was just a plan to keep them all back for a minute while Gambit pulls out a deck of pre-charged cards. These cards were charged during the fifteen minute rest they had and on the way here.
The cards, being charged to their full potential and a little further are thrown out all over the building. Gambit runs out and joins Cable and Wolverine. Only Sabertooth, Whildchild and Sinister make out before Gambit gives the telepathic order to the cards to do there thing. The explosion isn't exactly a small one, blowing the whole building to nothing. The skrulls, acolytes and anyone else who was in there still alive, isn't now.
Everyone seems to pair up, Wolverine and Sabertooth, Cable and Sinister, Gambit and Whildchild. Wolverine and Sabertooth continue their classic battle. Wolverine booting Sabertooth in the face, Creed slashes Logan open. Wolverine shoves his claw through Sabertooth's stomach, Creed punches Logan in the head. Wolverine kicks Sabertooth's leg, making Creed fall to his knee. Wolverine then uppercuts Sabertooth away.
Sinister tries his hardest to take Cable down but Cable plays it safe and attacks from afar and shields all of Sinister's attacks. Cable uses his psimitar to send huge blasts of focused energy at Sinister. These shots hit Sinister, rip of bits of his shoulder, stomach and thigh but they just heal themselves quickly. Sinister may heal quickly but the pain that it inflicts and the energy that is being drained is just to much.
Whildchild has a hard time now that Gambit has got his space and all the bits of debris that can be used as weapons against him. After a avoiding five bits of charged concrete that Gambit launched he moves in for the kill. Gambit had been anticipating this and pulls out his staff and rams it into Whildchild's neck. Whildchild falls to his hands and knees and is struck hard again on the back by Gambit's staff.
Sabertooth dives back up to his feet for another round with Wolverine. Sabertooth head butts Wolverine and it is unclear of who gets hurt worse by it. Sabertooth kicks Wolverine in the mid section and Logan manages to get his claws across the face of Creed leaving three scratch marks. Sabertooth drop kicks Wolverine who falls but not before managing to get a low blow on Creed with his foot.
Sinister stops going on the offensive and starts going on the defensive, diving out of the way of all Cable's attacks. Soon he decides to use brawn against Cable and tries to beat him. Using fists and fury Sinister starts to break through Cable's defences but is unsuccessful. Cable strikes Sinister with the psimitar then jabs him with it. Cable leaves himself open to an attack from Sinister who jumps at the opportunity, kicking Cable back.
Whildchild manages to get back to his feet and out of Gambit's way. Gambit throws three more pieces of concrete at Whildchild which he manages to dodge. Whildchild may have been able to dodge the explosions but a piece of metal that was lying around is picked up by the explosion and thrown into the back of Whildchild's leg. Whildchild cries out in pain and reaches to pull it out. As Whildchild is pulling it out Gambit strikes Whildchild over the head with his staff.
'Kyle, you're just a novice and you don't know what to do with that adamantium do you?' says Gambit. 'It's just making you slow and sloppy.'
Sabertooth shoves Wolverine into the way of a piece of charged concrete that Gambit throws. The explosion knocks Wolverine over. Sabertooth uses this time to grab hold of Cable and shoves his own psimitar into his chest. It is at this time that Magneto and Polaris turn up.
'Sorry about the delay people' Magneto says. 'But we were kept busy with Bullseye, Monolith and some of Sabertooth's acolytes and skrulls.'
Cable tries to get some rest while Magneto and Polaris take his position against Sinister. Magneto gets straight to work, strengthening his power with the help of Polaris. Sinister body may be almost completely resistant to injury but Magneto is pushing him to the limit. Magneto uses his magnetism to rip away a Siniter's body, only for it to heal itself again. Sinister hasn't even the time to think about striking back let alone trying to get out of his magnetic grip.
Whildchild now infuriated with Gambit's cocky ways. Whildchild dives once again at Gambit after dodging a charged card but ends up with the butt of Gambit's staff in his face. Without the healing factor of Sabertooth or Wolverine, Whildchild's wounds slowly begin to catch up on him. Gambit boots Whildchild in the gut then in the head sending him down again.
Sabertooth picks up a piece of concrete about the size of a microwave, raises it above his head. The plan being to throw it at Wolverine, and Wolverine not liking this plan decides to step in. Wolverine grabs hold of the concrete slab and overpowers Sabertooth, brining it down on Creed's head. Sabertooth would have fallen then and there but Wolverine knees Creed in his stomach. Wolverine elbows Sabertooth on the back, finally brining him down.
Sinister shows signs of weakening, his knees are slowly giving out on him. With Magneto's relentless assault on Sinister's body, Sinister has almost taken enough. Magneto isn't about to go lightly either, Magneto ups the power. After more time with Sinister still standing, Magneto decides to finish it. Magneto draws the energies out of the earth with the assistance of Polaris. Magneto uses everything he's got and rips Sinister to bits. Not even Sinister's injury resistant body can take it, it's all over for Sinister.
Whildchild being thoroughly beaten by now has slowed right down. Whildchild knows it's now or never, avoids a couple more cards then takes what he feels may be his last shot. And it is his last shot, Gambit boots Whildchild in the throat bringing Kyle to his knees. Gambit raises a card but wonders whether he should give Wildchild mercy, could they possibly bring this on back to the right side. That's when Gambit makes eye contact with Whildchild, he doesn't like what he sees. Whildchild is more animal than man, considering Sinister modelled him against Sabertooth, Gambit isn't suprised.
Gambit raises a maximum charged card a brings it down right in front of Whildchild. It is enough to finish of Whildchild. Sabertooth sees this turns around, furious with the death of Whildchild. Sabertooth prepares to strike Gambit but forgets about Wolverine. Wolverine slashes Sabertooth's back twice badly. Sabertooth turns to strike Wolverine but Gambit goes for the double team idea and smashes the staff across Creed's head.
Wolverine slams a claw into Sabertooth's throat sending Creed down to the ground. Wolverine starts laying into Sabertooth with his boot for a few seconds before moving onto the claws. Gambit starts to join in with his staff. Any attempts by Sabertooth to stand up again are short lived as he is pummelled until Magneto decides to hop in and hurry the process up.
Magneto for the second time in just a short time takes the adamantium from Sabertooth's body. It is Sabertooth's undoing, this time there is no walking away from it. No Sinister to drag him away from it either, now it is time for death to come to Sabertooth. Magneto and Polaris make a quick exit while Wolverine, Gambit and an injured Cable clear the rubble. To their sadness, the only thing they find is the bodies of all their friends who fought by their sides only awhile before. Gambit and Wolverine carry the injured Cable out of there.

Wolverine's greatest enemy may finally be dead but it still isn't over, it never is. Wolverine forgets the idea of the X-men and joins up with the one man, the only man who could ever partner himself with Wolverine. Frank Castle, the Punisher. Wolverine takes the remaining adamantium from Sabertooth and the adamantium from Whildchild goes to Punisher. The scum in the city have never suffered so much.
This isn't the demon killing heaven sent Punisher. No, this is the guy that some call an animal, a sick freak, murdering psychopath... This is the real Frank Castle, along with Wolverine dealing to a pathetic New York City. Without the help of Daredevil and all the others who died in the short lived Age of Sabertooth, the city has slipped a little. But with the Punisher and Wolverine on the loose they slowly begin to change that.

Gambit goes back to his friends in the Thieves Guild and does his own thing. Tries to get over all that happened, all those he lost. Doing what he does, pretending it never happened. It's a new life for Gambit, because his old one fell apart on him. Gambit manages to put it all out of his life, but he will never forget.

Cable is strong, he heals quickly. For a brief minute he joins Punisher and Wolverine but has become soft over his years. Cable can't take the killing, the slaughtering, all the violence. Cable doesn't know what to do with himself with Apocalypse finally dead. But he goes back to his friends in X-force and helps them along. Cable has to stay strong, for his friends in X-force, and for himself.

Magneto is more convinced than ever that he was right all along. Magneto with Polaris at his side rules Genosha and prepares for the day when he and his kind get their revenge. The homospaien are slowly driven out of Genosha and the homosapien superior take over. It becomes the greatest refuge mutants on the planet, and just as well with what is to begin in New York.

Senator Kelly jumps at the events in the recent times. Senator Kelly manages to get in as President by using a campaign totally anti-mutant. The huge explosion in the center of New York city killed hundreds and injured hundreds other. Kelly throws every thing he can to get into presidency. The explosion, Graydon Creed, Onslaught, every anti-mutant issue you can think of and even a made up story about how a renegade mutant burst into Hulkbuster base and killed Bastion.
The facts are twisted on everything and the country buys it all, they love Kelly. Finally he has got the power he wants, finally he can get rid of the mutant menace, and in rational way, nothing like Bastion's war on mutants. Kelly and uses his contacts and finally gets the information he wants. The location of the X-men. The first targets in Kelly's new plan.
Kelly himself and a horde of sentinels burst into the Salem Center mansion. An anonymous source gave the information on Xaiver and the X-men's location. It is Kelly's greatest moment, as they storm the mansion. They find nothing, no X-men, no mutants. It isn't until they search the back of the mansion, in a small grave sight. There is a headstone for every X-man except for the one called Gambit and the one called Cable.
Not believing that they are truly the graves of the famous X-men, Kelly orders them to be dug up and have an autopsy done on them. One by one, they are revealed to be who they the grave stones say they are. The X-men are dead and Kelly doesn't know whether to rejoice or not. Kelly thinks of the pro's and con's of the situation. The X-men are dead, pro. I won't get to do the publicity stint I planned, con. I can make up a story about how we slaughtered them, pro. They may... Hey wait a minute.
'You, forget those two bodies' says Kelly. 'Dig up that one, Wolverine. He's a public hero now, along with that Punisher guy, he aint dead. And plus, no one could kill this guy, I don't see how we planned to. Dig him up now.'
So they begin to dig it up, and sure enough there is a coffin. It is cracked open and just as Kelly suspected, there is no body, just a note.
'How are you Kelly?' the note says. 'This is Wolverine here, as you may have guessed, I'm not that dead. But you are.'
Some of the men who are standing around are thinking what the hell. But Kelly is already running, not fast enough though. The winding up of the coffin triggers of a bomb planted earlier by Wolverine. The X-men may be gone, but their ideals live on as Kelly, the sentinels and all the others there are blown away.