The Hunter and the Hunted
This is my third fan fic using the Elder Brothers, but it's set in an alternate universe and I don't own any of the Marvel X-Men characters. No profit is being made on this fan fiction and I don't own anything anyway. In my movie verse, Victor and James never worked for Stryker. Stryker, Scott, Jean, Deathstrike, John Wraith, and the Professor are all alive and well.
I would also like to give a special thanks to GypsyWitchBaby for letting me borrow her Lupa character. She is a bit different here, but it's the same Lupa you'll all know and love from The Feral and The Dreaming Animal.
Rex, Medusa, Nina, Mika, Banger, Gaza, Black Bear, Grizzly, Hannock, and Haggar are creations of my crazy little mind. As are all the members of the Packs and Clans.
I'm in the process of finding a beta reader. This is a non beta read story. There will be spelling, grammatical, and context errors. I'm writing these stories for pure pleasure and my own brand of therapy from the real world. I am Dyslexic and truly can't "see" some of the glaring errors that offend some readers. If you can't stand spelling mistakes, grammatical error, and words used in the wrong context – my stories might not be for you. If you are interested in being a beta reader, please let me know.
Summary: Someone is hunting down Feral Mutants. Can the X-Men help and get to the bottom of this mystery before more Ferals disappear?
Chapter 8: Traitors and Hope (Revised)
Victor was trying to process what he had been told by Haggar. The Witch Doctor's eyes were full of unshed tears. "The Cleava is Feral forged? One of OUR own made and created this weapon specifically to KILL Jimmy and GAVE it ta Stryker!" Victor roared.
Several of the X-Men on the Blackbird were staring at them in shock as well. Tears flowed down Yuri's face as she held Jimmy's head in her lap. His blood was running down her pants. His eyes were closed again. His blood had soaked thru the bandages and flowed over her hands. Haggar quickly continued. "A Cleava Blade can only be created to kill a specific Feral. The handle of this Cleava Blade is forged with the hairs of a Dog, a Wolf, a Wolverine, and a Badger. In short it is to kill James' Feral Canine Beast. The Blood curse on the Cleava Blade is specifically for James. It was dipped in magic that bore something of his body: a hair, a nail, a piece of skin, anything from his body would do. The problem Victor is to break this Cleava Blade Curse and make the Cure I need the Love and Blood of three things: a Blood relative, a Mate, and a Child. James has no Cubs or Pups for me to undo the Cleava Blade Curse. If I pull the blade from his neck without the cure he will bleed out in minutes vs bleeding out in hours. The broken Cleava Blade you gave me confirmed its Creator."
Victor ROARED his rage and his claws extended to their full length. "Haggar – you said that you could prove which Feral betrayed us and murdered my Brother?"
"A Cleava Blade can only be destroyed by its Creator. In additional the broken Cleava Blade you gave me; the Feral bone used as blade is a Falcon's talon. The handle of that Cleava Blade was forged with hairs of a Cat, a Tiger, a Loin, and a Saber. It was designed to kill your Feral Feline Beast. I believe the Blood curse on that Cleava Blade was specifically for you. Falcona was able to break that Cleava's blade. That Cleava is the twin to the one in James' neck. They were forged at the same time over 18 years ago. In her haste to eliminate the second Cleava Blade she has condemned herself and has proven her guilt by being able to break the Cleava Blade."
"How long does Jimmy have? And can ya take his pain away?" Victor asked quietly.
"I can't stop the Cleava Blade Curse, so he will continue to bleed until he is dry. I can stop the pain. He has 7 hours at most and 6 hours at the least." Haggar replied with her head hung low.
Victor formerly inquired. "Do ya Witch Doctor - give ya consent to be absent for the Trial of the Traitor Falcona? And do ya give yur consent for The Seeker's Mate to assume his seat on the Council of the Clans in his place? I intend to lay the Falcon Bitch's broken and dead body at Jimmy's feet before he DIES. What say ya Elder?"
Haggar answered. "I concede my place on Council to attend to The Seeker and I approve both the Trial of the Traitor and the The Seeker's Mate assuming his seat on the Clans Council. Provide my Accounts and make the Council of 11 to avenge the murder of an Elder Brother; A Founder of the Packs and Clans." Haggar's eyes glowed a bright green as she spoke.
"Yuri – Leave Jimmy with Lupa and Haggar; I need yur presence to complete the Council of 11 and the Trial of the Traitor Falcona. Ya will be back before he dies I SWEAR IT Little Sister. Let us tell the others Elder now of the Traitorous actions on Falcona. Gateway - take us to the Meadow Clearing now."
Back at the Meadow Clearing:
Stryker was still frozen from the Medusa's glare. Falcona kept trying to talk the others into letting her kill Stryker, but the other knew Sabertooth wanted the Honor of that kill wouldn't her talons anywhere near Stryker's stone figure. The Hunter Scanner was still sifting through his thoughts for the Account of the deaths of their Pack Brothers and Pack Sisters; plus the torture of all of the runaway Mutant children that had been found at Stryker's base.
Sabertooth and Deathstrike materialized in the clearing with Gateway in tow. They approached Stryker's stone figure. Falcona, T-Rex, Grizzly, and Dragon Fly all ensured nothing had happened during his absents. Medusa moved forward and Sabertooth said. "No Medusa - do not unfreeze this piece of Human Shit yet." His hands moved with lightning speed and pulled several feathers from Falcona's wings. He was holding her Pin feathers and she couldn't fly without them. He grabbed her by the neck and lifted her from the ground. His claws ready to pierce her neck and break it if she moved an inch. Falcona froze in Sabertooth's grip.
Sabertooth addressed the shocked Elders. "The Cleava Blade in The Seeker's neck is FERAL created and was given to William Stryker over 18 years ago with its twin blade. BOTH Cleava Blades were created from a Falcon's Talon. One Falcon Talon for each blade. Witch Doctor has confirmed the Cleava Blade can only be destroyed by its CREATOR. Flacona destroyed the Cleava Blade from the Assassin."
As the other Elders processed the full meaning of what Sabertooth had said. He continued to speak. "I'm calling for a special Elder Council. I'm calling for the immediate REMOVAL of Falcona as an Elder. We need 11 Elders to hold chambers. I propose that The Seeker's Mate be allowed to sit in his seat on Clans Council. I understand Deathstrike is NOT of age for the Council under normal circumstance but it IS her right as his Mate. If anyone wished to challenge her right to The Seeker's seat, I will be her Champion. Falcona is gonna be tried as the TRAITOR she is to the Clans and the Packs. She gonna be tried for Murder of The Seeker; an Elder Brother and a Founder of the Packs and Clans. Lastly she gonna be tried for the Murder of our 8 Pack Brothers and Pack Sisters who died at the hands of William Stryker. What say ya?"
All the Elders agreed to Deathstrike taking The Seeker's place on the Council so the Trials could take place. Sabertooth had Medusa freeze Falcona to stone. Her objections were hurting everyone's ears once she had found her voice again. Dragon Fly spoke. "If Haggar knows the origins of the Cleava Blade, she can make the Cure to the Cleava Blade Curse, can she not?"
"No, the Falcon Bitch chose the Cleava Blade Curse well. The Cure requires the Blood and the Love of three things: a Blood relative, a Mate, and a Child. Jimmy has no cubs or pups. He and Yuri ain't had a Baby yet. I want the Trials completed and the sentences carried out before the sun sets on this day. I will lay my Brother's Murderer's Body at his feet before he dies this day. Haggar gives him 6 to 7 hours of life and I want the Trials completed in 3 hours. Scanner – I need to know when Falcona MET William Stryker and how he came in procession of the two Cleava Blades made from Falcon Talons."
Several of the Elder growled or hissed their agreement. Justice would be swift this day. Dragon Fly spoke again. "Victor – wait. You've over looked something! James was Father to several children. Most of us were lead to the Packs by HIM personally. If the Cleava Blade Curse calls for the Love and Blood of Child that call him Father, there are HUNDREDS of Pack members that can stand at his side. Hell, half of the Clans Council can stand at his side."
Victor rounded on Yuri. "The Cure requires that it be a Child not at the age of majority. If I know my Brother he picked up Strays and brought them home to Xavier's much like he did with the Packs. Yuri - who at Xavier's would have the Love of Child for him and consider him their Father?" Victor's eyes burned into Yuri's.
Yuri's eyes were growing wide and you could see hope in them. "The Rogue, Jubilee, and Colossus all consider him a Father figure and have love for him in their heart."
Victor turned to Gateway. "Bring those three children to Haggar NOW and then come and get Yuri and myself!" Gateway disappeared before Victor had finished speaking. He turned to the other Elders. "Don't let ANYTHING happen to either Falcona or Stryker until we return. Scanner once you finished with Stryker's Accounts; do the same to the Falcon Bitch." Yuri hugged Dragon Fly her thanks for the suggestion that might save her Mate's life and then both Victor and Yuri were gone as Gateway returned for them; taking them to Haggar in the blink of an eye.
Back on the Blackbird:
Nothing Jean or Hank tried to do would stem the flow of blood from James neck. Haggar was chanting and floating a little above James as he lay on the foldout bed in medical bay. James was growing paler. He was sweating and shivering between labored breathes. Gateway appeared with The Rogue, Jubilee, and Colossus and left again. He returned a second time with Yuri and Victor.
"Haggar – these three Children consider James a Father figure and have love in their hearts for him. Do you still have time to break the Cleava Blade Curse? And make the Cure with our Blood?
"Yes!" Haggar exclaimed. She ripped medium sized metal bowl from the wall with her telekinetic grip. She also got three large bandages and ripped them in to long strips and put them in the bowl. She pulled a wicked looking knife from her belt and said a Voodoo incantation over the blade. She turned to the Children first. "I will need some of your Blood for the Cure to save his life. The Blood must be given freely." Three hands, one gloved, were shoved in her face. She got the Blood offering from each child's hands in the bowl and told the child not wipe the extra blood from the hand. She got Yuri and Victor's Blood as well and added it to the bowl. The bowl was floating above James now and the bandages were beginning to become red with the combined Blood offering. She turned to everyone. "When I call for his Blood, Victor you lay hands on him. When I call for his Mate, Yuri you lay hands on him. When I call for his Children, you three will lay hands on him. You all must touch him with the hand that has given the Blood. This will be done TWICE. Once to remove the Cleava Blade Curse and one to HEAL the Cleava wound with the Cure. Do you understand your roles? Once this begins I can't stop the Black Magic." Everyone nodded. "Gateway – take all of us outside the Blackbird. I will need to call down the sky to remove the Cleava Blade Curse."
The second they were outside; the Witch Doctor started to chant an incantation from the Days of Old. Her dark brown eyes began to glow with a Green light and became serpentine orbs. Her fangs grew in her mouth as she continued to chant. Her long black dread locks began to whip around her body. Her long white robes seemed to take on a life of their own. James' body was now floating at waist level. The Witch Doctor and the bowl with the Blood were both floating above him. Victor, Yuri, Rogue, Jubilee, and Piotr were standing in a circle around James floating body. The sky opened up with lightning as the Witch Doctor continued her chant. The Cleava Blade began to move from James' neck and pull free with a wet popping sound. Blood poured from the open wound at an alarming rate. The Witch Doctor voice rang out. "I call upon the Ancestors and the Goddess to remove the Cleava Blade Curse upon the youngest of the Elder Brothers. To remove the Cleava Blade Curse I have offer the LOVE of his Blood, his Mate, and his Children." Victor, Yuri, Rogue, Jubilee, and Piotr all placed their hands on James. His neck stopped shooting out blood. The wound was still anger looking and dripping blood. Witch Doctor's voice rang out again as the sky cracked with rolling thunder and lightning. "I call upon the Ancestors and the Goddess to allow the Cleava Cure to flow through the youngest of the Elder Brothers' body. I offer the Blood of his Blood, his Mate, and his Children. REMOVE the veil that prevents his healing. REMOVE the wound that robs him of LIFE. BREAK the Cleava Blade that has pierced his Soul and Body. Let the Cleava Blade become poison to its Creators!" The sky cracked open one more time and then the bandages that Witch Doctor had soaked in their Blood began to wrap around James neck wound. When they touched his skin, they became white and absorbed all the Blood from the Cleava blade. The bandages stayed in place without anything holding them and the blood stopped flowing from his neck. Witch Doctor floated down the ground and turned to Victor. "It is DONE Elder Brother. The blade can't harm your Brother again. The Cleava Curse has been removed and the Cleava Blade will now be poison its Creators; this will be you're final evidence at the Traitor's Trial. This Cleava Blade will only KILL its Creators."
….To Be Continued?
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