Prey Drive Chapter 5

By Cadet Deming

I don't own the rights to X-Men or the Wolverine Origins Movie, Marvel and Fox Studios do, so please don't sue. I work in litigation so you wouldn't want to anyhow. Based on movie continuity. Thanks to the people that are leaving reviews, they're encouraging. Rated T for adult language, adult situations, and violence. Horror/Comedy. Takes place in the 1970's

One Minute Later

Tabitha hoped the cops wouldn't notice them. As Murphy's Law would have it, the hostess led them past their table. Three of the cops turned and give Victor and her dirty looks.

She instinctively grabbed his knee, and murmured, "I think we'd better go now."

One of the cops said loudly: "Do we have a vagrant problem here?"

He approached them, with his friends snickering behind him. His stride was arrogant. She could feel Victor stiffening in response.

"Were you two hobos looking to dine and dash? And in front of an officer of the law, the nerve."

"We were about to pay. And we're not homeless," said Victor standing up to his full height behind the table.

The two glared at each other in a parody of animals facing off over territory.

"Could've fooled me. You both smell like you haven't showered in 2 months, you've got the dirty nails of a hobo, and your girl looks like a junkie with sunglasses on inside at dusk. I've got probable cause to arrest you for vagrancy. Plus you look like one of those mutants."

"For the record, I last showered a few days ago. What are you going to do? Book me for being a mutant?" Victor sneered.

"Look we were just leaving. We'll go quietly," she said.

"Hey they didn't pay," interjected the waiter.

"Enough probable cause for me. You're both under arrest for theft."

"Oh you are so not getting a tip," Tabitha said to the waiter.

"You're gonna have to catch us first," said Victor.

With reflexes so quick he seemed to move in fast-forward, he threw the table into the cops, knocking them over. She heard screaming from all over the diner. Victor grabbed her and she felt herself falling backwards. Glass shattered all around her, and they both tumbled through a broken window. She felt a few shards prick her skin, but he had actually protected her, taking the brunt of the impact himself.

"If you're gonna use your powers, you better start doing it now," he grunted.

She heard the bullets as the cops started to fire at them. Victor came between her and the guns, but she knew he couldn't hold them off forever.

"I don't know…I can't," she said.

"Do it!" he screamed.

She focused, creating a ball in her hands. She felt its warmth, its heat, and most importantly its power. She aimed, and propelled it through the open window. She heard the gunfire stop briefly, and then everything exploded.

The diner went up in flames. She smelled burning rubber and smoke. She breathed in ashes and choked a little.

"Yeeeee-hawwwwww! See your powers are pretty cool after all!" said Victor, grinning from ear to ear.

He seemed giddy.

"You think this is fun?" she asked.

"I haven't seen an explosion like that since my second tour in 'Nam."

Victor stretched like a cat and wiped off the shards of glass that were sticking to his now torn trench coat.

"There were innocent people in there" she said.

"I didn't see any of them coming to our aid. As much as I'd love to stay and watch the barbecue, we got to get out of here before reinforcements come."

"Um, I think I blew up your car. I don't know my own strength sometimes."

"Normally I'd rip your throat open for that, but I'll forgive you," he said.

"Are there any cars parked farther away we can hotwire?" she asked.

He flashed his claws out and said: "I'm not the right size for wire-work."

"I meant me. What do you think I was in Juvie for?"

He smiled. "Embracing your inner bad girl. I like that."

They came to a Toyota that had been parked far enough away to avoid the blast.

"Oh look, a Japanese car!" she said.

"Fuck you Tabby," he said, as he smashed his hand through the driver's side window.

He unlocked the door and opened it. She saw his arm was torn up, but already starting to regenerate.

"Are you like a starfish, where if someone cuts off your arm, it'll grow back?" she asked.

"I never tried it. Even I have limits."

She quickly hotwired the car and they took off again. They crossed over the state border.

"The cop was right about one thing. We both need to shower. And I need to sleep," he said.

Several Hours Later, at the Sandy Tree Motel

Victor Creed walked out to a pay phone in the parking lot of the sleazy motel he'd gotten them for the night. Tabitha was in the shower. He could have made the call from inside the room, but figured it would be safer to use this one. He still kept an eye on the door to their room, to make sure she didn't escape.

Victor dialed Stryker. He was hoping he hadn't seen any news yet about the explosion at the diner. He didn't want Stryker to make the connection and realize Tabitha was out of the Adamantium cuffs. It didn't seem to be a good idea for his boss to know about everything.

"It's Creed," he said.

"Where the hell are you? Agent Zero has already bagged two new marks for me, and Wade bagged four in the same period of time!"

Did he know? Was he testing him, to see if he'd volunteer any information?

"Quality over quantity. I'm almost to New York. What exactly are you planning to do with all these mutants, Sir?"

"You know better than to question orders."

"I ain't questioning. I'm just curious is all."

"You know what curiosity did to the cat, Victor. Why do you care?"

"Well, I got a little rough with this one; I just wanted to make sure you didn't need them back scratch-free, if you know what I mean."

Stryker laughed evilly on the other end of the line and replied: "Oh don't worry, I'll let you keep playing with your new toy, if her condition holds up, that is. I'll see you soon. Over and out."

Victor hung up the phone. Then he ripped it from its hinges and threw it on the ground.

To Be Continued