AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry this took so long. Strange how things seem to happen out of the blue. I'm getting a baby corn snake next week, still deciding a name, and yesterday had something unexpected happen. Me and my boyfriend were heading home from the country and spotted a kitten along the highway. Tiny little guy, so we pulled over and I had to chase him through a ditch. Then took a small trek through the woods and finally caught him. Now he is happily gorging himself on wet cat food and lording over the rest us measly humans from a super soft blanket.
And thank you for all the kind reviews! I'll try to get another chapter done and over to my beta this week, but things have been super hectic in my life recently.
Chapter 28
"He hasn't come back yet."
"Victor said it might take him a while."
"A whole day?"
"Look Frosty, just cool your heels, alright?"
"I have no idea why I allow you talk me into these situations." Loki snapped irritated with Logan. Steve sat on a boulder watching the two. He had set his pack down on the ground at his feet as the two argued. He had refused to join the discussion, but strangely enough had agreed when Victor stated he could track the pack of ferals, but would need to do it alone. When he found them, he would contact the trio and let them know if the Cajun was still among the Lupines or not.
"He's probably already halfway to Europe by now thanks to you. I can barely sense him." Loki hissed. Logan frowned clenching his fists to prevent himself from punching the demi-god in the jaw.
"If you're so fuckin' worried he ran off, why don't you do that magic trick of yours to follow him?" Logan spat. Loki's glare was icy as he gazed at the Canadian, seriously considering tossing him off the side of the cliff.
"Because, as I've said before-"
"Your powers are limited because Daddy doesn't trust you. Cry me a fucking river, Frosty, and drown in it." Logan snarled. Loki's eyes flashed dangerously for an instant, showing their true color. When he moved as if to hurt the man, Steve had got up to intercept him. Putting a hand on Loki's chest, he prevented the demi-god from killing the Canadian.
"Mr. Loki, please, calm down. We're all stressed. I'm sure Victor will be back soon. But we also have to consider maybe something else happened to him." Steve insisted. Logan frowned as did Loki, who no doubt actually had meant to start a fight. He glanced down at Steve with a quirked brow and the blond backed away. Looking off to the side, Loki realized what he had just done.
"Perhaps… After all, Wolverine is in charge. Would he still seek revenge after all this time?" Loki asked, directing the question at Logan. The man had to take a minute to think about it before he answered.
"Yeah, he would probably. Whenever I…Wolverine thinks about Sabretooth hurting Remy the way he did, it always gets his blood boiling. For him it's a matter of the upmost disrespect. Not only does he care about Remy, but he considers the Cajun his. Anyone who touches him or harms him gets the death penalty." Logan explained, his heart sinking at the idea. Memories were beginning to come back to him now of the Cajun. Still, a part of him desperately reached for what he and Victor had. Whenever he tried to shake it off, it only made him frustrated.
"He thinks of Mr. LeBeau as a possession?" Steve asked stiffly. Logan glanced at his friend, not for the first time wondering why the soldier had been dragged into this. It had been Thor originally who had told the American about his predicament, having no one else to confide in. But why had Loki decided to trust him?
"In a way, yes. Don't get me wrong, he'd never hurt him. But when it comes to an animal, well, logic and emotion don't always add up. They just do what they want. Rest of the world and the consequences be damned." Logan explained.
Loki let out a soft sigh, rubbing his hands together as if to warm them. Steve wandered away from him to peer down over the side of the living area. They had come across a cave that had a few of Remy's possessions in it. A few scattered cards had been found, as well as shirts which Victor had confirmed bore the Cajun's scent. When Logan had sniffed them and could smell nothing. Just a faint musk as if the red eyed man had cuddled with a wild animal.
"I can't wait any longer. We have to go after him." Loki said tensely. Steve and Logan each exchanged a look, but they knew the trickster was right. Victor had said to give him at least a day or two to bring the Cajun back to them. To be so close and yet so far from Remy was wearing on them now.
"Can you find him?" Steve questioned. Loki nodded, dropping his human glamour altogether as he began to mutter a spell. He splayed his hands out in front of him as if he were feeling for something. The Jotun tribal etchings on his hands began to glow as his black on red eyes glinted. How Remy ever called the small frost giant beautiful, Logan could never tell why. Loki was as alien to him as if he had been a fish.
"This way, and do be quiet. I can't allow for my concentration to break." Loki whispered.
Steve unzipped his pack, taking out his Captain America shield. In a second he was at Loki's side, shield held up as if expecting an attack. Logan went to the trickster's other side, claws drawn as they walked quietly. When he risked a glance at the demi-god, he saw blood dripping from where black tattoos glowed along the trickster's wrists. Whatever Odin had done to bind the magic user was having a bad effect on the frost giant. Yet Loki seemed unaware of the pain. He was using every ounce of magic he could to track their Cajun.
Beneath their feet, the entire Pack stirred. A low roar came from the crowd when Remy was confronted with Sabretooth for the first time in years. Instinctively he began to draw back, trying to escape those amber eyes gazing at him. Wolverine grabbed his arm, nearly ripping Remy's arm from its socket as he dragged him forward. Sabretooth laughed, his fangs flashing in the faint light as he leaned forward, grinning at his former prisoner.
"You givin' him to me, runt? I'll be more than glad to take a bite if you're done with him." Sabretooth mocked. Wolverine stopped only a few feet away from him, still keeping his mate by his side. Remy's mouth had gone dry when he saw the feral. When the blond grinned at him, the Cajun looked away unable to look him in the eye.
"Wolverine, please…" Remy whispered quietly. All he got in answer was a growl as his partner yanked him around, forcing him to look into his dark blue eyes.
"You're going to watch me kill him." Wolverine snarled. Remy felt a strange tingling all over when the feral said that. Gazing into his eyes he knew the feral meant what he said. None of the gentleness from before was there. He had little to no control over the situation at this point. In a cave was his step son cowered crying, alone in the dark. He had no one else but Gambit who had ever bothered to care about him for most of his life.
Loki, who he had loved beyond a doubt. A demi-god from Asgard who had been ashamed of himself. Only to have a human, a mortal none the less, offer him friendship without asking anything in return. His only demand that the trickster smile once in a while. To seek out his own happiness.
Sabretooth who had raped and tortured him for months on end. There were times when Remy had truly believed he would never escape. That his life would amount to nothing else but a scream in the dark. He would spend the rest of his days as the punching bag of Sabretooth. His body dumped into a ditch somewhere. Nothing but food for the crows and maggots.
At the center of this chaos was Logan himself. Everything which had ever happened to Remy, had ever led him to make a new friendship or betrayal had been this one man. A man divided by his own faults to the point where he had stopped caring. Had built his walls thick and high to prevent any from entering. Not only to protect himself, but to lock out those who may get to close.
Yet here Remy knew it was his fault. He had seen Logan as nothing more than an amusing distraction. Content in his position as a mutant and master thief to break in. To his astonishment all he needed was patience. A bit of time to talk kindly to the beast inside, to lure it out into the open. Stroke it when it dared to peer out at him, growling and snarling. Until the day came Gambit realized with a start he had tamed the creature. Even when he angered it, Remy was the only one spared by its wrath.
"Carcajou, let me kill him fo' you instead." Gambit said. For a second Wolverine continued to glare at him. Then the slow realization as the words began to sink in.
Taking a step back, Remy pushed his partner's hand away. All he had to do was touch the feral's wrist and Wolverine released his hold. A deadly calm had descended over the Cajun as he surveyed his partner. He knew now what it was he had to do.
"You… Wish to do it yourself?" Wolverine asked him slowly. Remy gazed directly into his eyes, refusing to look away as he remembered all their years spent together fighting by each other's side. The countless missions where he would walk up to Logan laughing as he leaned on the older man. Either too drunk to care or celebrating a new victory.
"Yes, cher. Why not? You presented me wit' de hide of a mountain lion as a gift, yes? Allow me to give you de head of a Sabretooth in return." Gambit insisted with a shrug of his shoulders. As if it mattered to him whether he cared about the feral living or not. He saw a flicker of distrust overcome Wolverine's face as One Eye approached. Growling, his second in command leaned over to whisper something into his Alpha's ear.
Remy waited patiently crossing his arms as he gazed at the two ferals. Victor had smirked at the demand, remaining silent as his fate was discussed among the two. After a moment Wolverine snarled and snapped at One Eye who backed off. On the inside Gambit hid the temptation to smirk at One Eye. He had been right then. Wolverine would deny him nothing. It was only a matter of how he asked.
"Bring my mate his staff. Now." Wolverine threatened One Eye. When his second in command made to say something else, the feral turned on him. His claws unsheathed in the blink of an eye as he slashed at the other feral. One Eye roared, backing off in alarm as he gave way to his Alpha's fury. Remy winked at the second in command, basking in his small victory. He made his face impassive when Wolverine turned back around to leer at him.
"Trouble in paradise?" Remy asked as the feral growled. His partner only snorted in reply, gazing at him with those dark blue eyes. A hint of respect crossed his features as he watched his mate.
"Some people just don't know how to listen." Wolverine replied. Gambit nodded his head, wishing he had a smoke as he stood waiting there. In front of them, Sabretooth laughed and smirked at the two lovers as he pulled at his bonds. There was no give from the stakes.
"Gonna do the job yerself? Never expected you to be a killer, Cajun. If you actually manage to do it, I might not even come back and haunt ya."
"Shut up, Creed. No one wants t' hear ya." Gambit snapped coldly. His anger only seemed to fuel the savage feral more. When Remy raised his eyes, he saw Romulus gazing down at them. A frown creased the ancient feral's features as he watched the proceedings. The Cajun's attention was drawn back, however, when One Eye walked up to him. The feral shoved the Bo staff into the Cajun's hands, backing away before Remy had even managed to get a good grip on it.
Silence fell over the Pack as they held their breath. Gambit twirled the staff, testing it on the ground. Strong as ever. He gazed at Sabretooth who now seemed to realize this may not be a game after all. Remy really meant to kill him. When the younger man straightened up, staff in hand, Sabretooth bared his fangs.
Remy walked over to the feral. He felt strangely out of sync with the rest of the world. He felt if he looked to the right he would see a shadow of himself gazing back at him. Watching with smoldering eyes for him to make the choice. Never had he killed another in cold blood. Out of vengeance.
"Good-bye, cher." Gambit said quietly. He charged his staff, moving in a blur as he ran directly at Sabretooth.
From above Loki, Logan, and Steve heard the first roar of pain. Loki gasped, the glow dropping as he rushed to the edge to peer into the cavern below them. Logan and Steve rushed after him being careful not to fall in as well. What they saw made the blood freeze in their veins.
Below them Gambit hit Sabretooth systematically. His staff crackling with energy each time he delivered a blow to the blond feral's head. Blood had begun to pour down from several cuts in Sabretooth's head as he roared. His claws dug into his palms, drawing even more blood as he yanked ineffectually at his bonds. Yet the Cajun did not let up in his assault. Continuing to deliver punishment without hesitation, his red on black eyes blazed like those of a demon.
"REMY!" Logan screamed. He saw the flash of red blades as Gambit turned the middle of the staff. A red blade popped out from each end of the staff dull red in the pale lights of the fire. Below he saw his Cajun jerk around at the sound of his name, raising his eyes to see who had called out to him.
"Logan?"
