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super lion - I know and I try and look over it,but if it's like if I type bite,but forget the -e it doesn't get marked.
Calm down. It's just a date. Calm down. It's just a date.
Lorette repeated that over in her head as she smoothed out her dress. It was a golden single shoulder dress that she'd manage to find. It stopped at her knees and had a knot in the waist. A small gold necklace hung from her neck with a leopard charm hanging from it. Her shows were simple golden ones as well and her hair hung straight down. She hated doing it anyway other than a ponytail.
A horn was blown from outside. It was him. She picked up her bag which was large enough to hold her clothes, a change of shoes, and a toothbrush just in case. No turning back now. Grabbing her keys, she opened the door and was shocked at what she saw. It was Victor but different. He stood in front of a black Ford F-150 with tinted windows. Victor himself stood outside the passenger door facing her in a black striped suit. His hair was pulled back, exposing his sideburns, and he wore a black dress shirt and tie. His jaw twitched and his eyes widened when he saw her. This made him a little less nervous as she walked up to him. Questions swarmed in her mind. Where had he gotten this? How was he paying for this? Was he rich? If so,why was he taking her out?
"I'll answer everything on the way," he said. Lorette was snapped out of her trance and looked at him from over the truck's hood. She blinked and wondered how he'd moved so quietly.
Shaking her head, Lorette climbed in next to him. Victor started up and pulled out.
"Well? Yer entitled ta a lot o' questions,"he said with his eyes still on the road.
"I only have three really. First off, how'd you get in the alley that night?"
"I walked there...after I pulled myself out out of the Hudson."There was a hint of humor in his voice.
"Second, who are you really,Victor?"
His shoulders sagged, and he tried to relax. He'd known this was coming.
"My name is Victor Creed, but I sometimes go by Sabertooth." He paused and looked at the look of realization on her face.
"You're...Sabertooth?"
She'd seen him on the news with Magneto and those other mutants when they where on the statue.
"Yes."
She was on a date with Sabertooth. The maniac mutant killer they described on the news had slept on her couch, and she'd helped him. Lorette looked at him for the first time in the car. His jaw was clenched and there was a small gleam on sadness in his eyes. He expected her to walk out. The car stopped in the parking lot of the restaurant. He looked at her before speaking.
"I'm not gonna bullshit with ya on this. I can take ya home, and we'll ferget about this if ya don't wanna go out with me. Don't try an' call the cops, 'cause as far as they know I'm dead."
Lorette thought about this. Could she really get involved with a guy this dangerous? He had powers like hers and probably way more experience using them. He could kill her in to many ways to count,yet somehow she felt safe around him. That night the couch was nice, but there would be no going back.
Aw, what the hell! Lorette looked back at him and kissed him. It was quick,but it got the message across. She wasn't leaving yet. Victor smiled, showing his sharp teeth. He got out and opened the door on her side. He took her hand in his and tingles shot through her as she stepped out.
"Ya said ya had three questions,"said Victor. His hand released her and found its way around her waist.
"Huh? Oh, my last question was how did you pay for all this? This restaurant is one of the most expensive I know, and the suit and car don't look cheap."
"Guess."They made it in, and the receptionist looked up."Reservations under Creed." His voice was different. It held no room for argument and held force behind it.
The man checked the book and spoke up quickly."Yes sir. Table 5 is clear and ready by the window."
Victor held her waist again and lead her to their table.
"Well?"
"You don't look right for an office worker. You've been in the army I guess, but that's all I can think of."
A chuckle escaped him the waiter came with menus and asked for their drink choices. Once he was gone Victor answered "Yer right about one part. I was an' fought in a few wars."
"How many?"
"All but Revolutionary."
Lorette looked up at him. "How? You barely look 40."
Another smile came. "All the because of my healing factor. Ya have a good hundred years ta look forward ta."
"What about now? If you were in the army then, what do you do now?" The waiter came again asking for their orders and giving each their drink. Surprisingly, among the order were two steaks instead of one.
"Yer not gonna like it."
"Just tell me."
"Mercenary an' assassin."
Lorette nearly choked. "That's the reason you worked for Magneto, isn't it?"
Victor chuckled. "I don't seem like a terrorist?"
She starts laughing with him. "No. You look like someone who'd get their hands dirty to gain something, but not sacrifice something really important to you, like your self respect."
It's his turn to blink. She had him figured out after one night. No one had ever found out about him that fast.
"Yer not a telepath are ya?" He'd heard of people having more than one power. A telepathic feral was asking for trouble.
"No. A little bit of an empath, but not a telepath."
"A little?"
"I can only sense really strong emotions and give them a nudge to a different one but not with subtle ones."
"Hm"
The food arrived shortly after. They both ate in a comfortable silence. Once down they waited for the check and Victor pulled the tie from his hair and stuffed it in his jacket pocket.
Lorette laughed. "Finally tamed your hair, Fluffy?"
"Fluffy?"
She grinned harder at the look on his face. "That's what we used to call the cat around our house in Montana. It's hair could be found everywhere outside."
He glared at her grinning face."We?"
The grin left her face and Victor mentally kicked himself for bringing it up"Me and my brother Simon."
At that point the waiter came with the bill. Victor pulled out a card and handed it to him without looking at the bill at all.
"I didn't mean ta bring it up."
Lorette could feel the big wave of curiosity coming from him. He'd told her his secrets,so now it was her turn.
"It's fine. Just the way he died bothers me."
"How?"
The waiter returned with Victor's card and Victor left a tip on the table. Both rose from the table and walked out. It had gotten later and the chilling night air had set in. Lorette went close to Victor's side. He was always extra warm, and it was time to fess up.
"It was about three years ago. We would always get together in the summer to see mom and pop in Montana. We were on our way when a black van cuts us off. Then another comes straight behind us. One pulls along side of us and lets the window down. They start shooting at us. I pushed Simon down and got a shot in the head and black out."
She paused and got in Victor's truck thinking about that afternoon.
"I wake up later and see that he crashed. I'm still healing ,but...he was human and didn't make it. It turns out I was the target of mutant hate group. He was just collateral damage."
"Damn." was all Victor could say.
"I'll say. When I got our stuff it turns out he'd gotten me three gifts for my birthday with our parents. The necklace I'm wearing now is one of them. He'd always called me a leopard because I could climb tree with my claws." A bitter chuckle escaped her. "The others were a gym subscription to the one I work at now and a black iPod. Engraved on the back is From Achilles to the Leopard."
"Achilles?" he asked
A small smile graced her lips."Simon loved mythology. I bought him books all the time for Christmas."
"Did ya ever find out who killed him?" asked Victor finally getting to a real question. He pulled in to the apartment parking lot and looked a the widening smile on Lorette's face that was pure feral.
"Yep. It took that gym subscription and used it to let loose anger. Joseph gave me a job as a trainer and free work out days. I went out one day to have a drink about two months after Simon passed. I overheard a guy saying how he 'offed some mutie scum and a mutie lover a while back.' I start seething and he starts hitting on me drunk."
Victor starts chuckling and shaking his head.
"If yer gonna kill somebody ya don't brag about it."
"I know!" she exclaims getting her bag and getting out.
"Then what happened?" he wanted to hear what she did and he hopped it wasn't pretty.
"Well, the bar had an upstairs so he asks me to show him a good time. I lead him upstairs and lock the door. After that I don't remember."
"Don't remember?"
"Nope. I felt this clawing in the back of my skull telling me to rip him to pieces, and I let go."
"Yer beast. The naggin' in yer head when ya get angry or just randomly to kill until yer tired."
"Yes."
"All ferals have one. Mine got me inta trouble."
They enter and Victor wakes Russel up for the keys. Lorette held the elevator and he goes for he penthouse.
"Trouble?"
"Ya might wanna change first." he quickly changed the subject.
There was a spike of nervousness in her scent when the door opened. His apartment was large. A small kitchen was to the right and a couch and two chairs in front of a large TV to the left.
"The bathroom is the first door on the left of that right."
"That makes no sense," she said
"Blame the architects then," he replied taking a left instead to the Master bedroom.
Lorette changed quickly and realized this bathroom had almost never been used. Once she finished she found him lazing on the couch in a shirt and flannel pajamas, flipping through channels on TV. She grinning and with a running leap, landed directly on his lap.
"WHAT THE FUCK?" he yelled startled.
Lorette started laughing at the glare he gave her. His eyes narrowed farther.
"You die now."
Uh-oh, but it was to late. Victor knew that all women were ticklish somewhere. He just needed to find out where. He pulling her into a bear hug with her arms held by his thrown across her, and experimented on her right side. About an inch from her waist she squirmed.
"Stop!"
"Yer ticklish, aren't ya Lori?" he whispered in her ear. His voice was low and it took all she had to suppress a shiver.
"Yes."
"Well, lets see if I can make ya scream."
There was a spike in his scent. The Canadian pine and musky scent that he gave off changed. It was different. It was primal. It called to her.
TBC
