Author's note- Thanks for Reading!
Chapter 1
He felt searing pain as the nerves in his arm were ripped apart by three gleaming knives. In response; just like every other time, he felt his own claws return the favor by tearing deep into his opponents arm. The blood spurted everywhere, his mind nearly drowning in the scent, as his claws where yanked out and he flew into a nearby tree.
Lunging up quickly, he moved around him and jumped forward to get a hold on Jimmy's shoulder. Heavier or not, he could still lift him and fling him into the same tree he'd just been thrown into himself.
He paused the smell of rain coming washing away the red in his vision as the blood seemed to become less noticeable. Now, he carefully watched Jimmy getting up from the tree, grunting. His wild, yellow eyes narrowed and his fingers twitched reflexively. It was always like this, emotionless.
When they used to fight, there had been reason behind it; mostly traitorous anger, but still there was a reason they both tore each other into shreds. Almost as if willing to see who could kill the other first, what could actually fall them. Now, though, it was just some twisted grudge, embedded into their instincts, past memories. It had seemed to be the only thing that survived between the two over the centuries.
How fitting of animals.
He suddenly moved, and Victor lunged to the side as he felt Jimmy's claws streak angrily through his flank. He landed on his hands, letting out a roar in anger. He didn't bother to check how deep the cuts were. He didn't bother to care, he always healed. Always, and he'd always get back up to return the hit. Because he was stronger, he was better at this.
Which meant he shouldn't be suddenly getting slower. Jimmy's hit shouldn't have made a hit. Victor was getting slower and it aggravated him to no end. He could only assume it was because of his lack of any emotion asides from boredom and tinted anger. He couldn't even get really angry, he couldn't rage and force his instincts to do his dirty work for him. Just that painful twitch that seemed to be what ruled his human emotions. Anger, but a dulled sort. Not the usual animalistic rage... it was useless, and it made him weak.
He couldn't shake it today, he kept trying. That only further annoyed him. Normally all he had to do was think of this traitorous little runt thinking how he was now, all justified and cuddly with the X-clowns, and it was enough to pull him into a killing spree. Wouldn't work right now, then again Victor had picked today of all days to pick a fight with Jimmy.
He wouldn't think on why, he didn't want to. It should be pointless, it was pointless, he thought with a snarl as he pounced off the ground, launching himself at his brother. His claws sunk satisfyingly into his chest and arm, tearing at the meat there. Victor wasn't even sure if your birthday counted if you didn't remember it. June fifth was just another, annoying, sticky day to him, but Victor remembered. He was the only one who did. He snarled away from the sting of Jimmy's claws as they sliced his leg. He shoved James in the dirt as his ten claws dug into his back in return.
He was getting tired of it already and a good scrap wasn't something he bored of. But, it didn't feel like a fight. It was, but... he wasn't into it. Instead he was left looking over his brothers face, searching for the inevitable as James got up off the ground. Searching for any hint of pain or even reasonable anger. He looked every time and every time he failed to see his Jimmy's wary look.
The look of worry that he was on the wrong side, or doing something wrong. Looking to Victor for help and guidance. The look he gave him that first winter when his eyes asked the question neither would speak. Would they survive? It was a look that made him pull through whatever was happening. He had done it because James had needed him to, because he was older and stronger, he had owed it to him.
That was no longer there. Jimmy's eyes stayed blank.
There was no anger, heated through the pain of betrayal. Their back and forth game was no longer there. James didn't remember walking away, abandoning Victor. Didn't remember Victor 'killing' her. So much for 'love'. All those years. None of it was there. The back and forth until the real reason was lost in newer reasons to hate one another. Their hate never seemed to stop, only build up.
At least there had been the hate. Now there was nothing. The final betrayal. He only saw the blank, angry stare of an enemy whose hate was unfounded. It angered him, after all he'd done for this runt, all he'd put up with and gone through, for him to just forget Victor!
"What do you want Creed?" His brother snarled at him. Anger laced through him, that dull useless anger, and his fingers twitched for him to stop the talking. But he shrugged in response instead, a taunting smirk curving up his face, determined to make the runt suffer. If he didn't remember, he would pay for it. only serving to make James angrier.
"What's so funny?" James snarled again, demanding an answer. He didn't get to have answers.
He did this. It was his fault, Victor had wanted things to be better. James was the one that turned away, forced Victor to do things to show him he was being weak. But he had to over think everything, had to try to deny what they were, what they had been for near on two hundred years.
It seemed as if things were so simple back before Stryker and Team X. They had gone where they wanted, fought on whichever side they fancied that year, and stayed close. They were all each other had, they watched everyone die around them and they took it all in strides. They stuck together no matter what. Like they had promised. There was nobody else on the planet like them. No one with claws, fangs and animals clawing for control at their conscious.
Two of a kind. Someone had told them that at some point, though he couldn't remember who, they didn't matter.
Now he looked at them and Jimmy didn't remember shit. He didn't even remember his own god damned name. It was his fault he didn't know though, and if Victor had to deal with it, so would the runt. Victor would make sure of it.
"Nothin' at all," He said in a mock-casual voice, holding back the urge to add his name at the end. He wasn't Jimmy anymore, he had lost Jimmy. Lost him to whatever the hell happened to him after that day on the platform with Wade.
"I mean it, Creed."
"Now I'm real 'fraid," He chuckled mirthlessly at him, tauntingly as they circled one another.
Victor wondered how things changed so quickly. Even in hate, they had been brothers, but now centuries of brotherhood were gone. It was just gone, no recognition, no memories, it had all been for fucking nothing. Why he was even thinking about it? It was the day, he told himself, because he didn't like the feeling of being tired of getting torn up for no reason. They were animals, it was what they did. But... even animals had reasons, as deliciously simple as they were.
They'd been tearing into each other quite frequently the past four years. After Jimmy realized how stupid he was for thinking he'd killed Victor. Did he really forget enough to think that throwing him off a statue and into the ocean would kill Victor Creed? The fearsome Sabertooth?
He'd had worse things happen to him. Much. But the satisfaction of Jimmy's face had been near priceless when Victor blind sighted him and bunch of his little X-men. Fighting the good fight... but Victor knew what it was, why Jimmy was really there. He might not even know, he could say it was to do good things, to help them, but Victor knew. He was hiding again. Just like he always did, trying to hide what he was through hero antics. Finding a battle with a 'worthy' cause when any battle would do so long as he got one.
With that thought... he stopped. Victor stood from his crouch and James edged back slightly, eyeing him quickly for the sudden break in their dance. This wasn't right though... and Victor wanted no part in letting him hide, memory or no. This was useless and he was wasting his time.
He backed slowly into the tree line, half wondering if James wouldn't stop him. He didn't and Victor felt his age for a moment. His brother disappeared from sight and after another few feet, he turned and crouched lower into a run. He was done playing a useless game of cat and mouse with James, he could go to hell for all it mattered... why should Victor bother himself with him if he continued to choose to be weak. Years of that choice... and look where it got him. With nothing, just like Victor told him.
Victor was far off into the New York wilderness when he slowed his pace, all feelings of battle swept away, leaving him with an unwelcome tightness.
"Happy Birthday Jimmy," He said grudgingly, the tinted pain clear in his voice, though he chose to ignore it. Damn fool couldn't even remember his own god damned birthday...