(Two)
Molly walked down the lower level hallway, her arms full of boxes. She was helping out, earning her keep by bringing some supplies from Henry's lab to the Lucky Dragon. She was often in lab with Henry and enjoyed doing what she could for the busy doctor. As she moved down the long hallway, she heard the bell ring for the elevator, but didn't pay it much mind. The boxes she carried were stacked awkwardly and she dropped one, growling under her breath with impatience. As she bent to pick it up, she caught sight of the group coming out of the corner of her eye. She turned to face them, perhaps someone would help her, but she froze when saw who was with them - Sabretooth. Their eyes locked, hers and the Lion Man.
Logan had sometimes wondered just why it was that SHIELD had been compelled to lock up and restrain Molly the way that they had. She was such a good kid, quiet and compassionate, quick to laugh and smile. All of that vanished as he watched her transform from the girl he knew into something quite different.
They say that scent is one of the strongest triggers for memory and it was no different in this case. Molly's eyes widened as she caught Creed's smell, an odor she would never forget - blood, sweat, lust, testosterone and anger - she would never forget it as long as she lived, the smell of the man who had murdered her family. She dropped the rest of the boxes she had been carrying, not stopping in the least at the sound of breaking glass, her tiny fists white knuckle tight. Her throat had been damaged, but it didn't mean she wasn't capable of making noise. A twisted, choking hiss of animal rage wrenched itself from her throat and she launched herself at him, at the Lion Man.
Jean was on the ball, still at work with Creed so close and receptive to the thoughts of those around her. Not that Molly was hiding anything, her mouth couldn't shout but her mind did – it was screaming, Killed my mother! Killed my sister! You will die for this! You'll die right now!
Molly's mental outcry was full of rage and the justifiable need for vengeance. Jean would have loved nothing more than to throw her arms around the girl to comfort her, but first she had to contain this situation from going from bad to worse. Molly would just have to wait. Jean raised a telekinetic shield, forming it in Molly's path, using it to block the girl from her prey and hopefully stop the fight from happening. Jean knew Creed had wanted to be captured, it was the only way he could successfully make it to Kimble, and she had no idea how he would react to anyone getting in his way.
Molly hit the barrier painfully, but it didn't slow her rage. She was crazed, no longer sane. Her eyes were wild, her mouth open wide, revealing sharp fangs. She flung herself at the barrier again and again, scratching at it with her claws and biting at it like a rabid dog. They all knew she had claws, they were too big to hide, but now in her fury, she extended them fully and began to punish the wall in front of her, making large rents in it in her desperation to punish her sister's killer. Logan was amazed, he had no idea she was capable of causing so much damage with her hands.
Henry backed up, cool and calm in spite of his own surprise at Molly's inexplicable explosion into violence, and quickly reached for the nearest intercom box. "Karen Richards, please report to Med Bay immediately!"
Molly continued to abuse the barrier before her. She was barking now, snarling and foaming at the mouth in her rage. If she could have articulated fully, her noise would have been deafening. Her anger and fear was so powerful, the scent of her desire for murder made it past the barrier to those who could smell it and realize what it was. She was fury, the enraged daughter of a madman hellbent on delivering the death Sabretooth had only narrowly avoided at the hands of Zander's sword.
Creed had been surrounded by X-men as he was taken down to the lower level and the holding area. With their attention diverted by the snarling bundle of feral rage in front of them, this would have been a prime opportunity for escape if that was what was on his mind. It wasn't. He stood in place, not moving except to cock his head at her in perplexed wonder. For this girl to freak out like that, she must recognize him, but he had no clue who she was. She was young and not that bad looking. Maybe he had picked her up once, maybe she was a whore he had used. It wasn't out of the question for one of them to have survived the encounter. In fact, he seemed to recall going after one of them some years later to finish the job. He not only wiped out the woman, but she'd had a couple of kids, too. Twins. Little blonde girls as pretty as you please. Their blood had tasted so sweet. So sweet.
"I see you've still got your way with the women," Cyclops joked dryly.
Creed didn't even hear him. He was looking at the way Molly's claws were cutting right through that shield as if it were paper. The only thing keeping her from breaking through was the fact that Jean could repair it just as quickly. Those claws, so like his own, or perhaps...
"Who's that?" Creed joked wryly to Wolverine, covering his confusion. "Wildchild's freaky little sister 'r somethin'?"
Logan couldn't help but chuckle softly at the memory Sabretooth had brought up, the description certainly fit. Wildchild was a feral mutant they both had worked with in the Weapon X program. He had been a brutal wreck of a man and almost as bad in his savage appetites as Sabretooth himself. Needless to say he hadn't done well and was shipped off to God knows where. Wildchild had been young then, a teenager, blonde and clawed as if he had come from Creed's own loins. He hadn't, it was only his misfortune to resemble the monster killing machine that was Victor Creed. If Logan had been with Jean, Cyclops and Angel in Jael's lair, he might have recognized Wildchild under the filth that covered the monster, Grog, but as it was, Wolverine hadn't seen nor thought of Wildchild in years.
The memory flashback or the short laugh it had brought didn't mean Logan didn't care about Molly's anger. It was either laugh at the situation some or go crazy. He was torn up at Molly's violent reaction, but he couldn't do anything to stop it. He wasn't going to let go of Victor, not even for her. It was much too dangerous. He didn't like the way Creed's mental gears were shifting, either. Given enough time, even a dodo head like Sabretooth might figure out who Molly really was. He had to get Creed into a cell, now. As soon as his half brother was safely put away, he would come back for his niece and try to comfort her.
The elevator dinged behind him and Karen came out. She had responded quickly to Henry's call, she had thankfully been very close by. Karen was fast on her feet, taking in the situation and reacting immediately to Molly's meltdown. "My God!" she gasped and brushed past the group to where Molly was.
Creed couldn't help but smile as she passed him. She was beautiful. He looked back at Logan again. "She's hot, huh? Like a wild Irish Rose."
Wolverine couldn't stop the dark look that crossed his face.
Creed saw it and began to laugh. "Oh, I see. She's yers. Of course she is. Tell me, James, does she taste as sweet as Rose? Didja steal her away from someone else, too?"
"The only one that took Rose from you was yerself, Dog! You fucked that up, not me!" Wolverine snarled before he could stop himself.
"What is this, some kind of lover's spat?" Scott joked in irritation. He wanted only to get Creed into a holding cell and as far away from Molly as possible. This was already taking too much time. "We don't have time for this!"
Karen was busy trying to talk Molly down, but her head turned at the sound of Wolverine's voice. She saw he was all ripped up, but after six days of him coming into the house like that from fighting off all the bounty seekers had made her quite numb to it. "Don't wait for me," she said calmly.
"My shield's the only thing holding her back!" Jean protested.
Molly was slowing down. She wasn't a healer and didn't share her father's endurance, she was quickly running out of steam. Her hands were bloody from her work, the pain was working itself through. Karen thought it might be worth the risk. "Drop the shield, Jean, please. And, Logan, get that piece of shit out of here," she said, not afraid to look Creed in the face as she spoke.
Sabretooth smiled at her and blew her a kiss, he couldn't help it.
Logan grabbed him roughly and jerked him towards Security, not being the least bit gentle. He was possessive of his women, Molly and Karen both, and hadn't liked that last exchange one bit. Too many times Sabretooth had killed the women he loved, he wasn't going to stand for it again.
Once Creed was out of sight, Jean dropped the shield and Molly lurched forward. She had no more strength and fell to her knees, caught by Karen's arms coming around her. Molly was mentally gone, she lashed out feebly with her claws, her eyes glazed and unseeing, and Karen was barely able to keep her in check. Scott and Henry came to assist while Jean quickly followed Logan, knowing she was needed more with him.
"Easy, girl," Karen said to her uncooperative charge. "He's gone."
Molly gave a wheezing snarl of denial, her throat raw from her noise. She went limp and closed her eyes, tears leaking down her cheeks.
Henry gave Scott a tap on the shoulder. "Call Maylee and have her come down to give Karen a hand. I have to go to Security. I don't know what Kimble's going to do when he sees Creed."
"All right."
Scott helped Karen to lift Molly and they carried her into Med Bay.
(break)
Sabretooth allowed himself to be led along without resistance until he came to the holding cells. He was familiar with this room, having spent some time in here before and made no attempt to hide that he was looking for someone else who was here. He finally caught sight of Kimble there, curled up in one of the cells and he gave a mighty jerk in Kimble's direction, nearly knocking Logan right off his feet. He shouted loudly, "Hey, Kim! Wake up! Kimble!"
Kimble was lying still across his bunk, his battered body not even registering the sound at first. He had been becoming more and more slow and sluggish as his body shivered without the plasma heat. He had been still and almost lifeless for the last couple of days, the only movement the steady rise and fall of his ragged breathing. He was shutting down, blanking out and becoming harder and harder to revive. His injures were severe and the pain no incentive to wake. He stirred now, however, slowly coming to life at the sound of his former Master's voice as Creed continued to shout and drag his way even closer, Wolverine unable to hold him back once his goal was in sight.
Kimble gave a sharp cry when it finally registered that Creed was actually here. His surprise and joy was more than he could contain. He began to shout and cry, flailing a bit as he tried to get his wounded, leaden body to rise. When his feet touched the floor, the pain was too great and he fell from the bed onto his knees, howling in pain and crying horribly. He was pitiful and loud as he crawled to the door of his cell crying, "Kristalay! Yer alive! Thank th' spirits! Master! Kristalay!"
Logan tried to shove a resistant Sabretooth towards a cell, but it was like moving a brick wall. Jean finally came in and gave him a hand, tossing the large blonde man into the cubicle with all of the muscle of her telekinetic power. Logan cursed his brother and activated the security screen, locking him inside. He could hear Kimble wailing and crying and the thought of all that misplaced devotion sickened him. He couldn't conceive of why Kimble would feel this way about someone who had so thoroughly brutalized him and treated him like a slave. Logan moved to the security desk and used the intercom to call the Professor and let him know what was going on. He called for Fallen as well, Kimble was a wreck.
Kimble had crawled to the door of his cell and was held in place only by the invisible containment field. He shoved himself against it, flailing recklessly, his eyes bloodshot and wild. He caught Henry's arrival out of the corner of one eye and began to plead in a plaintive whine, "Lemmie out! Lemmie out, please! I cain'ts do nuthin! Lemmie out! Lemmie sees him!"
Henry didn't respond immediately, he was waiting for the Professor, but the depth of Kimble's pain was hurting him. He looked at Logan and Jean. "Maybe we should let him out."
"Wait for the Professor," Scott ordered firmly after walking into the room just a moment behind Jean. He had seen Molly safely settled and came right back here,not wanting to take any chances. He didn't trust either Kimble or Sabretooth. He didn't know if the pilot's helplessness was an act or if Sabretooth had come here to retrieve him.
"Why is he so fucked up!" Sabretooth demanded, adding to the noise and confusion. "Can't ya see he's sufferin'? Why haven't you fixed him up!" Gone now was the humor he had displayed out in the hallway, he was horrified at the thought that Kimble hadn't been repaired in all this time. It had been almost a week since the Rally. Kimble's pain must have been horrible.
Henry turned to him. "There is much about Kimble we do not know. We don't really know what to do for him. Maybe you can help us now that you're here."
"Plasma, ya fuckin' idiots! He needs the plasma!"
"He's suffered significant chemical degradation from the use of plasma. I am reluctant to use that as his only source of healing."
"It's the only thing that works. Ya gotta get someone down here ta heal him up!"
"Plasma don't grow on trees, bub. We don't got anyone right now," Logan snapped, wanting to shut Creed down. Kimble's racket alone was enough to make his hackles rise, he didn't want to hear any more crap from Sabretooth on how Kimble was being cared for. The guy hadn't done such a bang up job of it himself.
At that moment, the Professor came in with Fallen. Kimble's former Mistress had left Seth behind in spite of his protests, she didn't want anyone to know Kimble wasn't the only Siskan here. As she entered, she immediately covered her ears at the sound of Kimble's wailing and crying. He was hysterical now, scrabbling at the invisible door of his cell with both hands as if he could claw his way out. "Lemmie out! Lemmie out, please! Kristalay!"
"Let me go over there!" Creed bellowed over Kimble's noise with his deeper rumble. "I ain't gonna do nuthin'! I just wanna talk ta him, that's all!"
The Professor nodded. "Let Victor out. He can't do anything with all of us here. Perhaps if we let him say goodbye, Kimble can have some closure."
"Goodbye?" Henry asked in confusion.
"I've called SHIELD, they'll be here in thirty minutes to pick up Creed."
If Sabretooth was disturbed by the announcement of his coming incarceration, he gave no sign, he stood calm and quiet as he waited to be released. Henry went to Creed's cell and cautiously disarmed the protective shield. The big man walked out and moved quickly to where Kimble lay against his containment field. He crouched down so he could put his large clawed hands against the barrier over Kimble's. "Hey, kid."
Kimble bumped his head against the invisible shield, scrunching as close as he could get. He sobbed loudly, "Master..!"
"Quiet now. I can't hear ya over all that racket," Victor complained gruffly.
"Yes, Master," Kimble breathed lovingly, calming down at once.
Logan shot Jean a hard look. It made him sick to hear Kimble speak to Creed this way and he couldn't hide it. Worse than that was Kimble's well trained obedience, there had never been any hesitation in Kimble's response to the order. It'll be over for him, soon, Jean soothed telepathically, trying to ease Wolverine's jangled nerves. SHIELD is already on their way over. Take it easy.
I'm good, Red. It just makes me want to puke.
"Hey, kid. Ya look like shit," Sabretooth joked gently with Kimble in his low growl. He had only wanted the pilot to be steady, he wasn't here to boss him around. Not anymore. Now that they were close to one another, Creed had a really good view of the damage done to the Siskan and couldn't help but feel a surge of guilt. There was only one reason Kimble looked like this, all of these injuries were a direct result of his own hands – the bullet wounds, the bruises, the scratches. Even Kimble's poor ruined feet were from the chase. It was neglect on the worst scale, perhaps even worse than what his men had done because Kimble had loved him more than anyone else had ever done. It was a betrayal of the worst kind, to abuse the one who loved him so. If he had only listened to Kimble, none of this would have happened. Sabretooth had never thought he was capable of feeling such guilt or remorse but Kimble had done a lot of work on humanizing the monster inside the man. It was causing him pain now and for the first time perhaps, he understood the true price of love.
Kimble didn't seem to notice his Master's guilt, he only wanted to apologize, as if the brutality against him had never taken place. "I thought you wuz dead. I'm so sorry, Master! I didn't means ta hurts ya so bad. Zander gots away from me, is all."
"I told ya it was okay. You worry too much, ya always have," Victor said, his voice gentle. He didn't want to hear the apology he didn't deserve. Kimble had had every right to do what he had done, every mark and bruise on that bright white skin only shouted the truth of this.
"Ya come fer me? Gonna takes me outta here?" Kimble asked, the childlike hope in his voice breaking Creed's heart with every word.
He wouldn't lie to Kimble, not over this. "Sorry, kid. Ain't gonna happen. I got SHIELD and Jael hot on my tracks, there ain't no safe place fer me now. 'S why I come here, in case ya had the stupid idea of comin' after me. I came ta tell ya that I can't be your Master no more. I'm goin' away fer a while. You best stay here and let these X-men guys look after ya."
"R-Remy said he wuz my Master now. I-I don't wants him ta be. I wants you. Let's just go, okay?" Kimble pleaded, not wanting to hear what Victor was really saying.
"I told ya I can't be yer Master no more and I meant it. If that Cajun wants ta take ya on, that's cool with me. You always was sweet on him. Maybe he'll do a better job of takin' care of ya than I did. I'm just glad yer gonna be okay."
"You...Yer not mad at me fer what Zander done ta ya?"
Creed grinned his toothy smile. "Naw, look at me. I'm fine."
"Yer all covered in blood."
"That's from the runt an' me sayin' hello, that's all. I'm fine."
"Y-ya gots a scar..." Kimble said in breathless wonder, looking at Victor's chest.
It was true. Creed's shirt had been ripped and shredded during his brief skirmish with Wolverine outside and his chest and belly were exposed. There upon his lightly furred torso was an ugly star shaped, melted scar, bright red and angry, where Zander had so viciously skewered him. It seemed the damage there had been so severe it left a large mark, a message not to be ignored. Sabretooth just tossed it off like it was nothing. "Guess next time when ya tell me not ta kill yer favorite, I'll listen. Now you pay attention ta me and stay put. Get some rest. Let the Cajun do fer you."
"Yes, Master." Kimble paused and wiped at his face. "Kin I says sumpthin'?"
"Whatever ya want, kid."
"When ya gits out of that SHIELD place, promise me ya won' kills nobody."
"What do ya care 'bout that?"
"Cuz it'll start the screamin's again. What if I ain't there ta stops it? Who's gonna takes yer pain? Don' kill no more, it ain't no good fer you," Kimble insisted, looking up into Creed's tawny cat like eyes.
Sabretooth was lost for words. Even now, all this slave wanted to do was care for him. Creed felt a tightness in his chest that robbed him of his breath. He was not prepared for how painful this was turning out to be. He had no reason to doubt he was never coming back but hid it from Kimble, not wanting to cause him further pain. SHIELD was certain to put him to death, the same fate that awaited him if Jael were to catch him. He had some vague memory of something promised to him in return for this favor to Kimble, something that shimmered in the back of his mind like golden glitter, like the gleaming gold of lion's fur, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Either way, he was screwed for sure now that he had been captured, and he knew it. His whole purpose for being here was to say goodbye. "Can't promise ya that... but...I promise ya I'll try."
Iceman had been on guard duty when this group arrived, punishment for some prank no doubt, and he snorted his disbelief from behind Logan at those words, but Wolverine was standing quiet with his arms crossed. Logan was stunned by what he was seeing now. He could sense no deception coming from the man he had regarded only as an unstoppable death machine. The rage that was always present behind Creed's eyes was gone, replaced by what could only be described as a lucid kind of sanity he had never seen before. This was the explanation for the change in Creed's smell. The anger and insanity were gone, reducing him to an almost normal state. Such a drastic change in hormone levels changed his scent, just as if he had taken a drug. Could Kimble really be responsible for that? Remy said Kimble could heal, that he had some sort of soothing quality during close contact. The nose never lies, it had to be true. In Sabretooth's case, the affects of that seemed to be lasting. Logan had never witnessed the depth of emotion and sadness from Creed as he saw now.
Kimble scrunched even closer against the hard, unyielding barrier that separated him from the only one he believed could really ever be his Master. "I loves ya, Kristalay."
Sabretooth lowered his eyes and sniffed, trying to maintain some kind of control in front of his enemies. The truth was, his heart was breaking in a way he had never believed possible. "I know it. I'll be seein' ya again, just not fer a real long time. You gotta take care. Let these guys watch over ya. You gotta find yer angel."
Kimble shivered. "You knows about that?"
"Sure. Jael told me. 'S why I nabbed ya in the first place."
It was Kimble's turn to look away. "There ain't no angels fer monsters like me."
"Checknasay rehan talef," Lin said softly, popping up for the first time as he spoke his sad mantra. It hadn't gone unnoticed by some in the room that he hadn't spoken until now. Kimble's love for his Master had held the latent personality in check until his own insecurities got in the way.
Creed growled sharply, he didn't know what Lin had said, but the way he had lowered his eyes and slumped his shoulders in shame was telling enough. "You listen up, pup. Yer no monster. I'm qualified ta say that so you listen up good. Yer no monster, you just been helpin' one, that's all."
Kimble looked back at him, unbelieving.
"No it's true. You've helped me in a way no one's ever been able ta do and I appreciate it more'n I can say. Yer the only one who ever gave a shit about me. The only one. If it wasn't fer you, Mary never woulda come to me. I know you were jealous of her, but it never meant I didn't care about ya. That's why I have to set ya free. You got too much ta do ta be hangin' on ta me. Go on, find yer angel. Do what you were meant to do. Stay here and keep safe. Will ya do that for me?"
Kimble started to cry again, sobbing loudly. "No, don' leave us, please! I'm sorry I gots so mad about Mary!"
"This ain't got nuthin' ta do with her, kid. I'm goin' ta jail. I have ta let ya go."
Kimble wasn't listening. He continued to cry and plead. "Don' leave us...we gots ta have a Master. There ain't no livin' without one!"
"Then my last order as yer Master is fer you ta stop lettin' that kinda thinkin' rot yer brain, pup. You shoved a sword through my guts, nearly cut me in half. You don't want Remy fer yer Master? Makes no difference ta me. You can take care of yerself just fine. You don' need nobody."
Kimble sobbed and lowered his head, defeated. The Master didn't understand. No one did.
"You listenin' ta me?"
"Yes, Master," Kimble said softly, merely being obedient.
"I'm not yer Master. Not no more."
"Kristalay," Kimble whimpered, his heart as hopelessly shattered as his mind.
"All right. Kristalay," Creed repeated, accepting Kimble's moniker. It meant something more now than it had before, he felt a twinge inside that resonated pleasantly. He didn't really remember the dream of light and the glory he had felt there, he just knew that this name was now his and he would never take another. "That'll do."
Kristalay withdrew, already hardening on the outside as he put up his defenses. "Now go on, get some rest. I'll come find ya when I can."
"I wants ta touch ya...please," Kimble insisted, not wanting Victor to leave him yet.
Kristalay looked up at Henry. Against his better judgment, the doctor punched in the code and set Kimble free. Immediately, the pilot scrambled over and dove in the arms of his former Master, trembling with joy. "I loves ya... I missed ya so bad!"
"I know," Kristalay replied softly, his voice thick with emotion. He had been good until he felt the Siskan come against him. Up close like this, it was hard to deny the love he felt nor the desire. Kimble held the key to his emotional freedom, Kimble had killed his terrible rage. Now, he was never going to feel that rush ever again, Kimble's special magic power smashing into his brain. It was just as well that he was going to his death, he didn't want to live without it. He closed his eyes as he felt the impossible happen. He shuddered as the hot salty tears finally spilled down his cheeks, something he hadn't thought he would ever be capable of doing.
"They tooks my collar away," Kimble whispered. "It wuz so pretty with the tag an' all."
"I told ya, ya don't need it no more." Kristalay squeezed Kimble tightly and choked on a single wrenching sob. He would take a thousand beatings over this terrible ripping of his heart. He would rather be burned alive.
Kimble looked up at him, startled to hear it. Anyone might have mistaken the sound for a cough or Kristalay clearing his throat, but not this one. He pulled back and wiped his Master's cheeks. "For me? Kristalay..."
Kristalay tried to fight his raging emotions, a battle he still wasn't used to even having. "You gonna do what I asked? I can't stand ta see ya like this. Yer all bruised up an' broken."
"Yes, Kristalay. I promise."
"All right, then," Kristalay said and gathered himself, willing his emotions back into submission. He was well aware of the crowd around them and how this must look, but he had had so much he had needed to say to Kimble and now it was done. It was finished.
Kimble leaned in to kiss him, to show he had understood it all, but stopped when he saw the look in his former Master's eyes. Not here, not in front of them. Kimble nodded with a pained smile and withdrew. He was disappointed but he wouldn't argue, he was a Courtesan obeying the rules of his Master, he wouldn't ruin this moment with his own needs and desires.
Satisfied now that his deed was done, Kristalay reached out and scooped Kimble up gently, lifting him with care not to bump his feet. He lay the pilot down on his bunk and fussed over him, confused that there were no blankets in here. He could feel the heat was cranked up in the tiny room, so he guessed these X guys knew what they were doing. He smoothed Kimble's hair back and gave him one last look.
Kimble shivered, not liking what he saw there. "Am I never gonna sees ya again?"
Kristalay didn't answer immediately. He knew the chances of that were slim. For him, there would be no trial. His illustrious career spanned decades, the slaughter of innocents well documented. SHIELD would destroy him if they could, or at least have a great deal of fun trying. He couldn't stop the twitch of pain the thought gave him. It would be terrible... and exactly what he deserved. "Sure, kid. Just not for a while."
Kimble saw the lie and the tears which had always come to him so easily, spilled out of him again. "No, no! You gots ta run then, don' let them kills ya!"
"There ain't nowhere fer me ta run. I done this world a lot of damage. Time fer me to pay."
"N-no!" Kimble shrieked, his voice flooded with panic.
"Quit that shit!" Kristalay snarled suddenly, not wanting to hear him cry anymore. Another traitorous tear leaked from him and he wiped it away.
Kimble cowered, ever obedient. He was trembling violently now, but his mouth was closed.
"None of this was yer fault, you remember that. What's happening now is from my own doin', my own claws, kid. This ain't you. I came all this way just ta make sure ya know it. There ain't gonna be no feelin' guilty 'bout me. Understand?"
"I done this..."
"No! I did this, I done the killin' that put me here. You done nuthin' bad, only good things from the first day ya ever come ta be with me. You done a lot of good fer me, be happy with that. These folks love ya, they're gonna take good care of ya. You gotta be strong, find yer angel. Be happy," Kristalay said, backing away to the door. Kimble started to speak, but Kristalay held up a finger. "We said goodbye, you an' me. I heard every word ya said and I ain't never gonna forget."
Kimble couldn't contain his pain, he turned away and broke down again into terrible wracking sobs. His real Master wasn't dead by his hand after all, but he was as good as gone. Nothing had changed in a meaningful way for the Siskan. What did it matter who pulled the switch when the end result was that he was once more alone with no one to love and care for him for real?
Kristalay backed up and walked calmly to his cell. He moved all the way to the back and stood in one corner, turning his back on the others. He was at a complete loss as he heard Kimble continue to bawl. The sound of it had always wrenched at his ice cold heart, melting away his self imposed defenses and wounding him. No one else had ever affected him this way. He covered his face and willed himself not to break down and cry again. He wouldn't give the X-men the satisfaction of watching him fall apart, least of all his half brother. He had accomplished what he came here to do, but he felt no peace.
Henry gave Kimble's former Master a minute to compose himself before coming over. He stood now in his cell with his eyes closed, trying his best to block it all out. He didn't move as he heard Beast clear his throat behind him. "What."
"Tell me what happened when Kimble was with you. He has said nothing about what went on."
Kristalay wouldn't look at him. "That's private 'tween him an' me."
"Some of it, certainly. But not all of it. We know you had Leon in a cell and that you must have used someone else to power him. Tell me about the power supply."
"I had some chick named Mary. SHIELD took her already."
"Her plasma, was it the same as Leon's?"
"Don't know. I figure so, I guess."
"Was it the same in strength?"
Kristalay thought a minute before answering. "No, I think she mighta been stronger. She was makin' him high as a kite. Why?"
"Well, there are many kinds of bio-produced plasma. Some are produced by the body itself, but the stronger bio-producers usually require some solar input. Did Mary use the sun to power up?"
"Sometimes. Guess I never really thought much about it. She was always out sunnin' herself and had the windows open all the time. I just figured it was a chick thing."
"Well, it might not have been. We do have contact with one producer of bio-plasma, but it's solar based. If it's as compatible as I suspect, we could try bringing him here for the repair."
"Who ya thinkin' of?" Logan grumbled from close by.
"Neal Sharra."
"Thunderbird? Nobody's heard from him in weeks. He took off after Bin Laden. He's gone Muslim, tryin' ta find out what went wrong," Logan said, unable to hide a tone of disdain. He had never found religion in his long life, he had suffered too much so needlessly to maintain any kind of faith in a benevolent god.
"I'll double my efforts to find him. He must be around somewhere," Henry replied.
Kristalay interrupted them by asking, "Can ya give Kim somethin' ta make him sleep? I don't want him ta see me gettin' carted off. He knows I ain't ever comin' back from this."
"Only if ya promise not ta put up a fuss when SHIELD gets here," Logan demanded. He still couldn't believe that Sabretooth had just waltzed in here simply to say goodbye to his former house pet. There had to be more to this than that, he just couldn't figure out what.
"I promise," Kristalay said, locking his rival with his eyes so he would see his sincerity.
"I'll give him something. I have a tonic that puts him out pretty good," Henry said and departed. He would have given Kimble the tonic anyway, but if it kept Kristalay quiet as well, all the better.
Logan stood quiet and the two men stared each other down. Logan was still amazed at the sanity there in Kristalay's eyes. The wildness and anger was gone and it was like looking at a stranger. Kristalay was still challenging him to comment on his relationship with Kimble, but Logan didn't think it was worth it. Not with everyone still hanging around waiting. So instead he said, "I'm sorry."
Kristalay cocked his head, his eyes squinting a little. He wasn't sure what Logan was apologizing for. It certainly was out of character. Restored memories or not, they had done a lot of damage to each other over the years.
"I'm sorry for yer papa, for Rose...for all of it," Logan said. He knew Sabretooth was going to die and he had so much he wanted to say. He had never been good at this personal, emotional bullshit and his words were faltering and stumbling about like newborns, uncertain where they were going.
Kristalay nodded and another traitorous tear fell. He sniffed and looked away, knowing just how Logan felt. Damn, he was turning into a total wuss over this crap.
"Have you ever been happy?"
Kristalay turned back, startled by the unexpected question. He saw the need in Logan's eyes and so he answered, "Yeah. This past Christmas. I got this small place up in Maine. It ain't much, just a cabin in the woods, but it's real quiet. Got the trees all around. I ain't never had much need fer Christmas, but Mary wanted ta put up a tree. She an' Kim had such a good time. They was all drunk and laughin'," He smiled a little at the thought, his eyes glazing over for a moment. "Well, that night we had all the lights out 'cept fer the tree an' the fire. I was sittin' there, a little buzzed from smokin' an all an' I looked up and Kim was standin' there in the doorway, jus' lookin' at me. He had that smile... the one he always has fer me even though I ...even though I ain't always so nice. He come over and he... he just come over an' lay with me. Not foolin' around 'r nuthin'. He just wanted ta put his head in my lap so I would pet him. I mean, Leon wasn't there. He had no reason... no reason ta want ta be there from bein' forced. He was there 'cause that's what he really wanted. He didn't go ta Mary, he came ta me. He came ta me, understand?" He looked back at Logan and waited for the nod before he continued.
"Yeah, I been happy. He's the only one who ever loved me...ever. He seen past Sabretooth and saw Kristalay. He seen me. He's the only one in my whole stupid life that ever loved me."
Kristalay paused to wrestle his raging emotions under control. Lord, he wanted to just bawl right now and it was horrible for him. "Mary come ta me after that. She didn't love me so much as Kimble, at least I don't think so, but we didn't have all that much time. We only had a month. If Kimble hadn't...if he hadn't calmed me down so much, I woulda just clawed her up like I done everybody else. When I was with her I got the idea that maybe I could be normal like all the rest of you. A normal man with a normal life. Kim got a little jealous of that, an' I'm sorry. I would do anything fer him, anything. Shit, I busted up four of my best guys just cause they fucked with him somethin' awful."
Logan shuddered, he couldn't help it. He had a flash memory of the tape and it still made him cringe. No one should ever have to go through what Kimble had. At least those guys got what they deserved, he believed. The world was better off without them.
Kristalay continued. "Kimble calmed me down, got most of that out of me. I ain't really killed nobody since then. Not fer sport. Not 'cause I couldn't make myself stop."
"What about the Rally?" Wolverine couldn't help but say.
"I didn't kill no one up close. Ya knows the difference."
Logan nodded, but refused to excuse it.
" 'Sides, that was a job for Jael. Was bad enough I took his prize, I couldn't stiff the guy twice. Lookin' back on it, I shoulda run. I shoulda jus' taken Kim and Mary and run. It don't make no difference now, I guess. SHIELD's gonna put me down. Least I can count on ol' Fury ta do it right. I don't want there ta be nuthin' left of me. I just want it ta be done."
"Well, if it counts fer somthin', I'm sorry things worked out the way they did. We've wasted a lot of time, you an' me."
Kristalay nodded, but had one last question. "That girl in the hall. She knew me, I could tell. I ain't all that surprised that a girl would freak at the sight of me - I ain't that dumb - but why did she know me? I can see in yer eyes that ya know."
Wolverine hesitated. He knew Sabretooth wasn't coming back from this and there was something in the man's eyes. He was a dead man walking, he wasn't going to fight this. Logan swallowed and answered, "She's yer daughter."
Kristalay nodded, he suspected as much. He could see the memory now, the blonde haired twins. He should have known then, but he hadn't. The bloodlust had been on him then, but it hadn't stopped him from knowing those twins were probably his. "Kinda feel sorry fer the kid, havin' a no good rat bastard loser fer a dad."
Yeah, you pretty much know exactly what that's like, don't you, Dog? Logan couldn't help but think. "She don't know."
"Then don't tell her. Jus' take real good care of her and don't tell her nuthin'."
Wolverine nodded, seeing in Kristalay the truth. He wouldn't go after her even he were to escape.
Logan straightened up when the door opened to the holding cell area and Nick Fury himself came in. How could he not? Sabretooth was the ultimate prize.
"G'bye, James," Kristalay said, backing up a little. He couldn't help but be a little defensive. These men were taking him to his death.
"Bye, Victor." It was the first time he had ever called his brother by his first name to his face.
Fury came up, oblivious to the tender moment that had just transpired. "So this is Sabretooth, huh? I've seen you looking better, son," he said to Kristalay, his smile large and gloating.
Kristalay twitched and his lips pulled back to show his teeth, a reflexive automatic response to the taunt.
"Remember yer promise," Logan cautioned. He stepped back to allow Krsitalay to see past him to where Kimble lay in his bunk. Henry had dosed the pilot and he was out cold asleep and snoring softly.
Kristalay nodded and backed down.
Fury cocked an eyebrow. "Well, looks like you got this one tamed."
"Just get this over with, Nick," Logan snapped and walked away.
Fury snapped his fingers and two men came to the cell with large tranquilizer guns. Henry deactivated the shield to the cell and the men fired their darts quickly, not giving Kristalay a chance to charge. He didn't even try, not even when they reloaded and shot him again. Kristalay groaned from the sedatives and slumped against the back wall, sliding down to the floor.
Quick as a wink, the men came in and snapped a large restraining collar on him.
"Hey!" Henry protested. "You leave that on and the drugs will kill him!" The darts had been large, each one capable of taking Kristalay down by themselves.
Fury just looked at him like he was an idiot. "The fucker's goin' down anyways. What do you care?"
Henry had no logical response. It occurred to him that the drugs were a mercy killing compared to what Jael would have done. He backed off and said nothing more as Kristalay was loaded onto a gurney and strapped in. Even collared and sedated, he was gagged and his hands enclosed in large restraints he never would have been able to cut out of. Fury had some papers for the Professor to sign and then the notorious monster that was Sabretooth was gone.
Henry couldn't help but look in at Kimble, fearful he had seen any of this. The pilot was curled up now, balled up around a pillow he gripped tightly as if it was a protective shield. In spite of the noise that SHIELD had made Kimble never stirred.