"Well, Jimmy? How do you like your little present?" Victor snickered, his face appearing in the small space in the wall. "Aren't you going to unwrap it and see what it can do? Don't worry, I haven't used this one yet. She's all yours."
"This isn't funny, Victor," Logan snarled, his mind already running through the possibilities, trying to think of a way he could get the poor woman to safety. But the room was small, and the reinforced door was securely locked; there was no way he'd be able to break out through the walls with only his bone claws as a weapon. Bone was no match for solid concrete. With a sickening jolt, Logan now realised where Victor had been for the past few hours; out on a hunt for fresh meat. Only the meat was human, and clearly very, very scared. "Let me out of here, and let this woman go. You've gone far enough."

"It's not going to be as simple as that," Victor snickered, clearly enjoying every moment of this. It horrified Logan to know that his own brother was gaining some kind of twisted pleasure from this torment, but for now, he was powerless to do anything but go along with Victor's game, whatever it was. "We're not going to let you out of there unless you show me what you can do."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Logan snarled, although he knew full well what his half-brother was trying to suggest. "If you think I'd even consider doing anything to her…"

"Wouldn't you?" Victor gloated, his voice oily and smug. He knew full well what Logan thought of the way he treated women, and he took a sick kind of pride in the fact that he could violate them so easily, gloating over his conquests to the rest of the squad. "How do you know whether you'd enjoy it or not, Jimmy? You've never even tried it before."

"I'm not a monster, Victor."

"Of course you're not. It's perfectly normal for a human being to slice someone's guts open with a set of bone claws," Victor chuckled nastily. "Now, if you don't try and catch her – if you don't try and show her that you're a real man…" Logan heard the sound of a large weapon being cocked, and the next thing he knew, another face had shown itself at the small window, along with the barrel of a large rifle; Dukes. Fred Dukes. He was in on this with Victor, and from the smile on his features, he was enjoying himself just as much as his depraved half-brother. "…you never know, Jimmy. This thing just might go off. If it hits you, we both know you'll get up again, but her? I don't think she'll be as lucky."

"You wouldn't dare!" Logan hissed, the look on his face one of horror and disbelief. Victor had played a few tricks on him before, sure, but nothing that even touched upon this. Nothing that had ever endangered anyone else's life.

"Wouldn't I?" Victor smiled, exposing his wickedly sharp teeth. "It's almost as if you don't know your own brother, Jimmy…"

At that moment, there came the sounds of a sharp yelp and a brief scuffle from outside the building; although Logan couldn't hear exactly what was happening, he could make out what he thought to be Bradley's voice, sounding confused and more than a little scared. Victor frowned and ducked out of sight, leaving Logan alone with the terrified woman, her blade held out towards him, babbling words which were unintelligible but clearly conveyed her sense of fear and resentment.

"Just back off, lady," Logan murmured, speaking firmly but softly in a tone which he hoped would be understood, even if his words wouldn't. "I don't mean you any harm. I just want the both of us to get out of here in one piece, you understand?" Again, a string of phrases which he couldn't make out. "Alright. Fine. I'm going to come towards you and get the knife, just put the knife down…" Angrily, she slashed at him, opening up a wound across his forearm which started to heal almost as soon as it had been made; she stared at him in utter disbelief, and started to scream. Closing his eyes, and wishing he was a million miles away, Logan just sighed.


Meanwhile, outside the hut, Dukes had the barrel of his weapon trained upon a terrified Bradley as Victor's claws closed around the small man's throat.

"So you're telling me you just happened to be taking a walk in this direction?" Victor growled, his face so close to Bradley's own that spittle flecked his cheek. "Sure you did, Bradley. You always were the first to volunteer to go for a walk alone in the dark, weren't you?"

"V-Victor…" Bradley's voice came out in a choked gasp, his own hands desperately trying to pull the other mutant's away from his throat, even though he knew he didn't stand a chance. Victor's eyes were filled with the same kind of ferocity as they did when he was on the hunt, a half-crazed, animalistic stare that would have caused fear in even the most experienced of soldiers. And even though Bradley knew logically that Victor would never get away with attacking another member of Team X, that didn't stop him from wondering what would happen if he did… "Victor… please, man! I c-can't… can't breathe!"

"That's not my problem." With a sneer, Creed let the smaller man drop to the floor, where he clutched at his throat and began to cough. "Now, how about you stop playing the fool and tell me why you really came out here. Isn't it past your bedtime?"

"I… I just wondered where Logan had gone," Bradley answered lamely. It was the truth; after Logan had left to gone and look for Victor and Dukes, Bradley had started to run over various possibilities in his mind as to what could have happened to the other mutant, none of which were pleasant. If he were being honest with himself, Bradley had to admit that agreeing to be a member of Team X had been one of the most foolish decisions of his life, but he was in way too deep to be able to back out now. The things they'd seen, the things they'd done… he couldn't go back to a normal life, not now. Especially knowing that half of the people he was working with were vicious, cold-blooded killers who wouldn't hesitate to snap each others' necks given half a chance. Of all of them, only John Wraith and James Logan had shown him any kind of hospitality, and he supposed that was why he'd come out to look for Logan tonight; if Logan got hurt, or even killed, that only left Wraith to watch his back. And against the rest of the team, Wraith didn't stand much of a chance, either. Besides, whatever Victor and Dukes were up to here, it didn't look good. Swallowing nervously, Bradley staggered to his feet and stared uncertainly up at Victor Creed, summoning every last ounce of courage that he had. "I… I think you should stop whatever's going on in there."

"Do you." Victor leaned down and grinned at the smaller man, his large hands twitching as his nails began to grow, horribly curved talons emerging from his calloused fingers. "And why, do you think, should I should listen to you?"

"Because if you don't…" He was visibly shaking now, but determined to carry on nonetheless, refusing to allow Victor's scare tactics to put him off. "If you don't…"

"Then you'll what, Bradley?" Victor hissed, looming over the smaller man; tall, wide and menacing, he was every inch the overbearing bully. "What will you do if I don't stop? Tune yourself into the BBC World Service and bore me to death?" Even Dukes snickered at that one. "Or maybe you'll use those amazing powers of yours to make your torch keep flashing in my face. That's some terrifying stuff you got there, limey. I'm already pissing my pants."

"I'm going to tell Stryker what's going on." Even though Victor's words had speared him like poisoned barbs, Bradley stuck to his guns. "I know he likes you, but I don't care what you say, he won't like what's happening here."

"That's just fine by me," Victor laughed, his chuckle echoed by Dukes. "Run along to teacher and tell him that class is almost finished." Bradley didn't need telling twice. Gulping, barely even able to believe that he'd practically stood up to the two largest members of the team, he turned on his heel and scurried back into the night. "Pathetic," Victor murmured as he and Dukes returned to their entertainment. As they took up their positions by the small window, they could see Logan engaged in some kind of tussle with the woman, only just managing to keep her at bay.

"Give her a kiss, little brother!" Victor taunted, Dukes backing him up with smacking noises. "Show her you really care."

"I swear, Victor, when I get out of here, you are going to pay for what you've done!" Logan snarled, a cold, vicious kind of resentment building up inside him; how could his own brother have come up with something as disgusting as this? His own flesh and blood? "You're getting way out of hand, and you can't even see that what you're doing is wrong!"

"Oh, I know it's wrong, Jimmy," the older mutant smiled, watching Logan and the woman circle each other warily, "But it's still a lot of fun."


"Victor. Dukes. Would you care to explain what's going on here?" Stryker suddenly appeared from the darkness, impressively stealthy by his standards, with Agent Zero and Bradley in tow; neither of them looked particularly pleased, and Bradley looked positively terrified. "Some of us have actually worked rather hard today and are trying to sleep."

"We're just trying to get Logan to lighten up a bit, Sir," Victor offered, already feeling disappointment as he knew that the game had come to an abrupt end. Stryker also couldn't help but notice the fact that, no matter how he phrased it, the way Victor addressed his commanding officer always seemed to come out as sounding patronising.

"Are you." Stryker glared at the large mutant, gun in hand. "And how, exactly, are you doing this?"

At that moment, there was a particularly loud scream from inside the room, loud enough to cause Stryker to wince and make Zero reach for his sidearm. Victor's mouth twitched into a grin, although he didn't break eye contact with his commanding officer for even a second.

"Nothing that a little loving wouldn't cure, Sir," Victor sneered.

"Victor, Fred, you step away from that wall right now. Zero, take the door. I'm sure it's nothing you can't handle." Stryker barked his orders abruptly, and even though he struggled to give the impression that he was in complete control of the situation, he couldn't help but feel like his aura of command was slipping, that the wild beasts he'd hand-picked for his squad were ready at any moment to turn around and savagely bite the hand that had been feeding them. "Now, when this is all cleared up, I'm sure you gentlemen can fill me on what exactly is happening."

Like an attack dog called to heel, Victor slunk away from the small window he'd been peering through, glaring at Stryker from beneath his heavy brows but not daring to question the man's authority… at least, not yet. Dukes just shrugged and moved to stand beside Creed, his expression reverting to one of vacant boredom now that the show was over.

"I'm ready, Sir." Zero nodded at Stryker, and their commanding officer gave a nod; faster than the eye could see, Zero had draw his gun and used it to shoot off the padlock which had been keeping the door closed, throwing the door open to reveal the scene inside; Logan was holding the woman at a distance, his arms showing multiple wounds from the knife she'd been wielding, his attention focused so much on not hurting her that it took him a moment to register Zero's presence in the doorway.

"Zero." Logan's voice was tired and filled with relief. "I swear, it's not what it looks like. Victor…"

"We know, Logan," Zero replied without a hint of feeling. "Just put her down and get out of here."

He didn't need telling twice. With a grunt of effort, Logan pushed the woman away from him with enough force that he'd have room to make a run for it but not so hard that she'd get hurt; that done, he raced for the door and out through it, Zero levelling his pistol at the woman who still cowered inside, her knife held out towards him, defiant yet cautious. Strings of phrases in the local dialect burst from her mouth, none of which Logan or Creed could understand, but it was clear that at least half of them were unflattering insults. Stumbling, cursing under his breath, Logan moved out to stand beside Stryker, grateful for once for the man's presence. He'd intervened - this time, at least. Possibly because he was concerned for Logan's wellbeing rather than that of the woman.

"Logan." Stryker spoke calmy, but with an air of authority. "It's been a long night. Get some rest."

"I'm fine, sir. Victor..."

"Will be dealt with. Go to the barracks, clean yourself up, and get a full night's sleep. We move out at 10:00am sharp tomorrow morning, and I need everyone in the best shape they can possibly be."

"But I..."

"Rest, Logan. Sleep. That's an order." He fixed the clawed mutant with a glare, and although Logan was aching, burning with a desire to punish Victor for what he'd tried to do, he did as he was told and retreated in the direction of the concrete barracks, leaving Stryker, Bradley and Zero to deal with the trapped woman - and with a sullen-looking Victor Creed. Stryker swiftly delivered instructions to Zero and Bradley to lead the woman away, presumably to safety, before taking Victor to one side; the commadind officer wore a tired look, weary of having to deal with Victor's recurring misdemeanours. This wasn't the first time the feral mutant had gone off on his own and done whatever the hell he'd wanted.

"You're going to let that woman go," Victor growled irritably as Stryker approached him. It was a statement, not a question. "I found her. She's mine."

"She's not a toy, Victor."

"You always let me have them before," he murmured petulantly, like a child being denied something as simple as a fairground ride or a handful of sweets. "You said we had privileges, Stryker. Special privileges. And I want mine now."

"Victor. Please. You're embarrassing yourself."

"Give her to me, Stryker." The large mutant fixed Stryker with an intense, predatory glare, a look which Stryker returned with cold disinterest even though he felt his bowels beginning to turn to water. He was always so very careful to seem calm and in command, even though he knew that he wouldn't stand a chance against those hideous claws. Without a doubt, he could punish Victor Creed for this incident, have him sent down for threatening a superior officer, not to mention what he had done to James Logan a short while earlier; but the simple truth was that Stryker needed Victor Creed. Needed him to get certain things done. Stryker needed Victor to see him as an ally, if not a friend. Of all the members of Team X, Victor was proving to be surprisingly compliant as long as Stryker could keep on giving him what he wanted. And right now, Victor wanted female flesh.

"Victor. Walk with me." The military officer set off at a brisk pace away from the rest of the squad, Creed following a short distance behind before easily catching up with him. Satisfied that they were far enough away to speak privately, Stryker turned on his heel and stared at Victor, speaking in a tone which brooked no argument. "Now, listen to me, Victor. You're valuable to me. You're one of the best soldiers I've ever had, do you understand?"

Victor nodded silently, although the compliment didn't sink in as well as it was supposed to. He'd been told many times over the years that he was a good fighter, due to his combat expertise and ruthless manner when faced with any number of enemies; he also possessed enough animal cunning to realise that his superiors flattered him in an attempt to keep him under control, hoping that their honeyed words would keep him sweet. Still, he listened to what Stryker had to say. After all, it was always nice to be flattered.

"Good. Now, the last thing I want to do is give you preferential treatment, for reasons I'm sure that you're aware of. You're all valuable to me for your own reasons; Zero, Wraith, your brother, even Bradley. I need all of you. But I can't go around showering favours on any single one of you. It's a delicate balance." He smiled conspiratorially. "At least, I can't be seen to go around showering favours, if you see what I mean."

Victor snickered in response to his commanding officer's grin, understanding exactly how these things worked. Stryker had pretty much given him the go-ahead to do whatever he wanted so long as he wasn't caught by the rest of the squad doing it. Sure, that would cut down on some of his enjoyment, seeing as he liked to make the others squirm by sharing sordid details, but at least he'd still be able to experience those details in the first place.

"I see exactly what you mean, Sir," he purred, cruel delight shining in his eyes, even remembering to use the proper respect in addressing his commanding officer. A few moments ago, Victor had seemed like an attack dog being made to stay on its leash, but now that leash had been removed and he was free to hunt as he wanted.

"I'm glad we understand each other." Stryker turned his back to Victor, his gaze now set upon the floodlit camp a hundred metres away. "I ordered Zero to free her two hundred metres from the eastern edge of the camp after disarming her. Just so you know."

"Yes, Sir," Victor sneered, the desire to chase her down and claim her already bringing fire to his blood and a dull ache to his loins; watching Logan trapped in such a small space with the woman had aroused him more than his half-brother had realised. Seeing that girl trapped, fighting for her life, subject to his cruel whims with her fate balanced so precariously between life and death - it had stirred him into a lustful frenzy, and now he couldn't wait to spend his energies upon her, wanting to find her and bring her down brutally, claim her as his own. He was pacing now, restless and impatient, his ears already pricking up at the unfamiliar sounds of life in the surrounding foliage, his nostrils twitching as if trying to catch the scent of sweat and fear before slinking off into the night.


Stryker may have thought he and Victor were a safe enough distance away not to be heard, but he hadn't counted on Logan's superhuman senses; the brooding mutant stood in the shadows behind the makeshift barracks and sighed deeply. So Stryker was making extra allowances for Victor's increasingly violent and sadistic appetites, anything to try and keep the beast in check. If he didn't know better, he would have said Stryker was a little scared of his brother, scared of what he could do. Well, if their own commanding officer wouldn't mete out justice for what could only be described as war crimes, Logan would have to take matters into his own hands. Closing his eyes, he sighed and shook his head, bone claws already emerging from his clenched fists as he stepped out into the darkness.