Where This Road Lies
Wolverine is sniffing the air as he pushes his way through the thick woods. He'd recognize Sabretooth's stench from a mile away. And the beast like man had made no attempt at covering his tracks. He either wants to be found or doesn't care who is following him. Whatever the reasons, Wolverine intends on taking advantage of his opportunity.
The other X-Men are following him as fast as they can. Only the young Cajun boy is keeping up well. The others have been left huffing and puffing far behind. He glances back and smiles. The kid's got guts. Gambit had faced Sabretooth before and survived. But his fear of the giant man is obvious. He wants to stick close to Wolverine to be safe, knowing that the feral X-Man would do everything in his power to protect him.
"Keep it going, kid," Wolverine calls behind him. "We'll wait for the others once we've gutted and hung Sabretooth out t' dry!"
Gambit catches up to Wolverine. He is breathing heavily and leans on his quarter staff when Wolverine stops. "You smell him?"
"Tryin' t' catch his scent now. He's close… and there're other scents with him… an' blood… He hurt someone recently," Wolverine reports. He shakes his head.
"Not dead, is dey?" Gambit asks, looking very concerned. He is very sensitive about death, understanding it better than most boys his age. He bows his head slightly, as though praying for them.
Wolverine sniffs again. "No. Alive. But hurt… not even too badly. Like Sabretooth is slowly bleedin' him… her."
Gambit clenches his fists. "He hurtin' a girl?" Dat… monster…"
Wolverine nods. He hears the others approaching. "We'll let 'em catch up, all right? Don't wanna over step our boundaries, would we?"
Gambit wrinkles his nose, showing his displeasure at all the rules that accompany being an X-Man. He sits down at the base of a tree and sighs. "I don't wanna face Sabretooth again, homme."
"If all goes the way I want it to… y' won't have to…" Wolverine says with a growl.
"Y' not a big fan o' Sabretooth, neither…" Gambit says quietly. "Why?"
Wolverine shrugs. "There are all kinds o' monsters in this world, kid… on one hand, there's the ones that do bad things and don't care nothing about what they do. They do it cuz they have to fer whatever reason…" he sneers. "Then there's the ones like Sabretooth… they kill and torture and maim… just' fer the pleasure of it. He's the kinda monster that ya gotta kill cuz there ain't no way o' helpin' him… not like the monsters Xavier recruits."
Gambit's eyes widen. "Xavier recruits de monsters, too?"
Wolverine sees the other X-Men approaching. His eyes linger on Marvel Girl momentarily. He shakes his head. "How d' ya think I got to join this bunch, kid?"
THE CABIN:
Rogue is very close to passing out. The blood that had rushed to her head as she hangs upside down is now dripping from a deep gash in her neck. She can feel herself getting weaker and weaker as Sabretooth pushes her back and forth. She vomits again and Sabretooth laughs. "Y' went through months o' Weapon X training and y' can't handle a little blood loss?"
"Let her go!" Warren shouts, forcing himself to his feet. It's a bit tough, being tied up but he manages. He leaps at Sabretooth, who just knocks him down again. "Leave her alone!"
Sabretooth grins. "I wouldn't be so quick t' get my attention, bird boy…" he bares his teeth menacingly. "You're next."
"You couldn't beat me in a fair fight!" Warren snaps. He hears Jennifer snickers beside him. "What?"
"You think he cares about fair?" Jennifer asks. "He cares about blood and violence… it's what he was programmed to yearn for…"
Sabretooth backhands Jennifer suddenly. She hadn't even seen him move toward her. She reels back and bangs her head against the wall. Glaring up, she sits up and keeps quiet.
Sabretooth looks back at Rogue, who is starting to pass out. He slaps her face and she cries out. She is dizzy and can't see anything. She closes her eyes. "Leave me alone… please."
"You heard the lady, big man," Donovan's voice is slurred as though she's just woken up. Shards of stone explode from her body as she breaks through the rest of her stone shell. She launches herself at the very surprised mutant.
"Donny!" Rogue exclaims weakly. She forces herself to open her eyes and gaze at the suddenly feral girl.
Warren gets up and yanks at his bonds. Jennifer does the same thing but they are unable to free themselves. Sabretooth fights Donovan viciously. She pushes him back through the wall of the cabin. He lands right in front of Wolverine. "Long time, no see, Sabretooth…"
Sabretooth forgets all about Donovan. "Wolverine! What're you doin' here?"
Wolverine's adamantium claws burst from his knuckles. He attacks as Sabretooth starts to stand up. Donovan decides that letting Wolverine take out Sabretooth is probably better than getting tossed around again. She hurries back to the cabin, where the Beast and Colossus are freeing Warren and Jennifer. Marvel Girl is using her telekinesis to lower Rogue to the ground gently.
"Don't let her go!" Warren and Donovan shout as Beast tears away Jennifer's bonds. Jennifer takes the opportunity to grab at Donovan.
Donovan is much stronger than Jennifer. She flings the woman over her shoulder easily and drops her to the ground. Jennifer gets up angrily. "Don't forget that I can take your powers away, Donny!"
Donovan curls her lip. "I don't remember anything you've ever done…"
She's lying, Donovan. You've never met this girl in your life. She was using your amnesia to take advantage of you, Mandy's voice says in Donovan's mind. Donovan roars and throws herself at Jennifer.
"I warned you, Donny!" Jennifer gasps. She tries to concentrate on Donovan but finds she's unable to. "Oh no…"
Donovan has Jennifer pinned against a wall. She raises a rock hard fist and punches a hole into the wall by Jennifer's head. "Who are you? How dare you take advantage of me?!"
"Donny, what's the matter with you?" Jennifer demands. "We're partners!"
"Donovan, stop!" Rogue screams. She's seen more killing and pain than she ever wants to. "You're too good for that, Donny. You know you are, even if you don't remember anything else!"
Donovan glances at Rogue. She tilts her head slightly, studying the girl's soft features and pleading expression. "You're Rogue…"
Rogue grins despite the situation. "Yeah. You remember me!"
She's responsible for your lack of memory. She and Boost collaborated to get the money you made from working for Warren, Mandy says in Donovan's mind. Don't trust her!
Sabretooth suddenly crashes back into to the cabin. Wolverine is still chasing after him. Sabretooth grabs Marvel Girl and grips her by the throat. "Don't move, runt! I'll tear this girl a new breathin' hole!"
Wolverine freezes. His eyes narrow and he growls menacingly. He glances over at Cyclops, who is preparing to hit Sabretooth with an optic blast. With his super senses, he can see Sabretooth's grip tighten on Marvel Girl's neck. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, One Eye. Yer jus' gonna piss off the lunk and get yer lady friend dead."
Cyclops lowers his hand. Colossus is holding onto Warren tightly. Not knowing who the enemies are makes him wary of everyone not on his team right now, despite seeing some of the newcomers restrained. Beast is crouched in a corner behind Sabretooth but he knows that moving will trigger the larger mutant's keen senses and get Marvel Girl killed.
Storm had been trying to help Marvel Girl with Rogue when Sabretooth grabbed her teammate. She is now holding up a very weak Rogue on her own. Donovan is still holding Jennifer against a wall, though she doesn't seem to be focusing on either Jennifer or Sabretooth. Gambit is cowering by the door of the cabin, refusing to look at his longtime enemy.
No one moves and no one notices that Kitty Pryde is approaching the cabin, using her phasing power to go through trees, rather than go around them.