Brothers Look Out For Each Other
"We're brothers, Jimmy. You realize that?"
Those were the first words of consequence since that moment that had sent his world spiraling into something no one could foresee. Victor had done everything to take care of him once they were on the run. He'd protected him from everything he could until he could really and truly take care of himself.
He had been different then. More... human. Now that was an odd thought. Neither of them had ever been human in the least? Why compare him to a human now? Better human than what he would later become he supposed.
Logan had watched - been forced to watch - as his big brother Victor had transformed from who he was to what he was. The wars had been what changed him, he had realized afterwards. The hatred and killing poured out in front of him brought out a side of him that was never meant to be uncovered. Logan had seen the signs even though he had been too slow to recognize them for what they were.
The Civil War had been their first - simply serving their country in doing what had to be done. The second World War had been the last before Victor changed. It was there that the signs came forward with a more noticeable volume.
He smiled.
That's where you could see it the clearest. Death was rising in plumes over the shores of Normandy, yet Victor was smiling as he fired his weapon. It wasn't a grim smile either, but a hungry one. Fighting became everything Victor was and stood for. It was what he did best, and it wasn't very nice, putting it as lightly as possible.
He became eager to hunt, relishing the rush it gave him. He had been born with an animal inside him, and it wanted out by any means necessary. He couldn't stop himself from what he was becoming even though he had been capable of resisting.
He hadn't helped, either, Logan often thought. He had only made him feel as though he had to embrace that other side. He left him - hurt him - and hadn't given it another moment of doubt. He wasn't the complete culprit, and Victor wasn't blameless, either. He'd simply never considered that his brother felt pain on an emotional level. He'd always thought he was so untouchable, but he'd been wrong.
"Nobody kills you but me."
He wasn't consumed by the animal after all. He still loved his brother. He was still going to take care of him even if he was trying to kill him periodically. He was going to take care of his own.
"We're brothers, and brothers look out for each other."
Logan only wished he could have looked out for Victor better. All those years, and he was wishing he had taken the chance to save him from himself.