Reviews are really needed if I'm gonna continue this. I need feedback people!

Fuzzy, that's what everything was right now. Fuzzy and unfocused as she tried desperately to fight off the shock, the guilt, and the trauma. The surrounding air turned thick and cold, it felt like she was choking on it. Words sliced through the fog reaching her like a slap in the face. Amused, and interested yet detached like he wasn't surprised that she had just committed double homicide. Wait, he!?

The smell of pine and earth laced with a certain spice forced the world to right itself and her animal snapped its jaws with ears and tail erect. There was a new threat on the scene, and this one was much more dangerous.

Rogue looked Victor over mouth a gaping, before her eyes hardened and she moved to stand in front of Max her skin practically humming with power. She took advantage of the adrenaline high still in effect and addressed Creed with a steady voice.

"Whah do ya want?" she asked in a steely voice and mentally applauded herself for sounding braver then she felt. Victor grinned baring his fangs.

"What makes ya think I want anythin' Stripes? I was just takin' a stroll when I happened upon this interesting little setup, didn't know Wheels was creating little killers now." Rogue bristled.

"Ya don' know shit Creed. So just keep it moving and leave us alone, we don' want any more troub-" she couldn't even finish. Max was a blur as she sprung around Rogue and cleared the distance between them and Sabertooth with a snarl that would have done the Wolverine proud. Creeds smirk didn't even have time to vanish before Max's fist collided with his jaw and then her heel with one of his knees.

"Max!" Marie's voice cracked from her high pitched squeal. What the fuck did she think she was doing?! Was she trying to get herself killed!?

Snarls sounded and Max like out a yelp when Victor's claws made contact with her arm as he tried to ward her off. Bitch could hit hard for a frail. His blood warmed at the thought of a feisty female. Max didn't let up, he caught her elbow when it aimed for his face but missed her knee as it sunk into his stomach, but dodged the left hook she followed with. He pulled her close so she couldn't have space to rear back to land another hit. He growled and jerked his upper body back when her head surged forward and he K-9's snapped inches from his throat. Damn, what a scrappy piece of tail. He shoved her back towards Rogue who then clutched onto Max's arm.

"Max no! Please! Let's just go!" she begged planting her feet and bracing to hold her friend back. Max was still growling with her eyes glittering gold and she was still breathing heavy.

"Please just let us go home," Rogue begged Victor, bravado gone and a desperate tone laced her voice. She couldn't watch what might happen if the two continued their brawling. Just the thought make her feel sick, and she knew she wouldn't be able to stop them. Victor was growling to, and his claws had lengthened all the way. He knew exactly what was wrong with Max. He knew she was feral now and had seen her change before the guys had attacked them. Whether the girl wanted to admit or not she had already decided to kill them before they'd even rounded the corner. He saw himself when he was younger, the animal taking over at even the slightest hint of danger that came lurking around him and James. He saw a loose cannon. The girl was wild and unstable and had little to no hold over her animal. He wondered idly at Xavier's idiocy, having a wild child stuffed in a school filled with potential victims.

"You can't take her back like this," he told Rogue, as he tried to steady his own breathing and pull his animal back into its cage. Rogue held onto Max tighter. She knew he was right. When Logan would get even remotely agitated he couldn't be around anybody or they'd suffer the brunt of his aggravation, if someone crossed Max right not there's no telling how bad her reaction would be. She stared at Victor warily, knowing that she didn't trust him, and at the same time knowing he was probably the only one that knew what was going on. Her intuition told her Creed wasn't interested in brutally raping and hurting them right now. She put herself in front of Max with her back to Victor and stared earnestly into her eyes.

"Max, ah know you're freaked out but please, please just calm down so we can think this through okay? It's alright, he… he's not gonna hurt us, I think." Max looked from Victor to Rogue and took in her calming scent and her anxiousness. She forced herself to breathe slowly and close her eyes as she waged with her inner feral to calm down. Gold was replaced with silver and her body sagged with relief and exhaustion. She offered a small nod and looked back to the man standing opposite of them. He was like her she realized stupidly.

Victor watched as she reined herself in before turning his attention back to the carnage she'd created off the side. Amature work, he dully noted but not bad for someone barely out of her teens. She'd done what she had to too make sure that they didn't get hurt and he knew he would've done the same, just better. He walked over to the bodies before crouching next to the skin head, careful to keep his long coat out of the pool of blood. He could feel the girls eyes on him and smelled their nervousness in the air. He'd seen this skin head before.

"What are you gonna do?" Rogue whispered. He looked over his shoulder at them. Stripes was scared, but other one, Max, kept a cool expression and a unnatural calm came over her scent. So not her first kill then?

"Nothin," he rumbled. "Made a pretty clean kill for someone that lost their shit," he said fixing Max with an even stare. She held it for a moment before looking back at the body.

Creed dug through the skin heads pockets and pulled out his wallet and a piece of paper, some shitty little business card. He recognized the signature. His eyebrows furrowed, just what the fuck was going on here? There was no way she was in the business, was there?

"How'd you get tangled up with a mob boss frail?" Max's eyes widened and she stared at the bodies. Anxiousness swelled within her and her body felt like it was about to fold in on itself from the stress. Nervous fear the scent barely there unshed tears made Creed's nose twitch. Damn sniveling female creatures, the lot of them.

"Max?" Rogue was looking at her again with a mix of confusion and apprehension. Mob boss? What the hell?

Max shrunk under Rogue's gaze, something Max never did. She found Victor's piercing her trying to figure her out and piecing together what he knew. Max swallowed.

"I don't know how they found me…" she whispered to herself.

" What are you talking-" Rogue started. Max grabbed her wrist and started backing away. Victor stood up and inhaled her tantalizing scent. She was to interesting for her own good.

"We need to go. Thank you for your help Mr. uh…"

"Creed," Victor supplied. "I'll see ya again soon, frail," he grinned, showing both his fangs. No way he was gonna leave this alone, it held to many possibilities. Max immediately narrowed her eyes into a challenging glare. His entire demeanor set her on edge, but yet, he was so… fascinating. She was scared to death how soon his soon meant.

'Can't wait.' Her animal purred. Max frowned inwardly before pulling Rogue along at a brisk walk. By the time they reached the institute Max was exhausted, irritated and she was looking worse for wear. Rogue opened her mouth to demand some answers but Max cut her off.

"Tomorrow alright? I promise. I just, I need some space and we both need to sleep."

"Max, we… we have to tell somebody," Rogue whispered, eyes on the ground. Max inhaled. Tell somebody that she just killed to men in order to save them or tell somebody that some really dangerous and powerful people were after her?

"I know. In the morning we'll tell the Professor, but please... I need to be alone."

"Okay," Rogue said softly, taking her hands. " Ah don'… ah don' blame you… for what you did. If you hadn't… we wouldn't have made it back. You did the right thing and you're still my friend. I'll be with you every step of the way, Ah promise." Tears rushed to Max's eyes and she nodded before sliding into her room. She stood by the door while she listened for Rogue enter her room, but instead continued down the hall. Logan. Rogue wouldn't purposely tell him anything until morning but just the fact that she was going to him this would be enough to get him thinking. Max grabbed a duffle bag out from under her bed and began quickly stuffing clothes into it.

Silently she berated herself. Stupid, she was so fuckin' stupid. What had she expected? That she could just hide out here with this band of do-gooders and everything would just be peachy?

Daylight was closing in. She couldn't stay here. She couldn't put anyone else in danger, she had to leave.