Marvel owns the X-men, no profit is to be made by this work.
He had been willing to see how things were going to play out and slip back on his way and check again in a few months to a year tops, but something about seeing his baby brother stumbling out of that bar looking like a wounded dog was enough to make him growl in irritation and flick off his half smoked butt.
Wandering down the back alleys lined with filth hidden behind the bright and gleaming storefronts on the other side, Victor just had to wonder about his baby brother for the mumbling he was hearing alone. It took him straight back to the last time he had really made a play to get back in his good graces after that falling out they had that had taken decades to build to a head. What was a couple of worldwide wars and some supposed police actions between family, even after the firing squad his baby brother was still at his side, but maybe that was just because of the shared cell and leg irons he had to muse.
"Tyger, Tyger burning bright..." Victor said softly as he clenched another cigarette between his lips to lit up.
That got a reaction if the 'snickt' of Logan's claws tearing free was any indication, a desperate lunge easily dodged met with a kick to the chest that hurt a lot more than he remembered it to. Drawing on his cigarette and staring down at his brother, Victor raised his brow in genuine interest at how easily Logan had dug into the yielding asphalt to slow his tumble.
"You killed her!" Logan roared as he lunged again with fists poised at Victor.
Taking both sets of adamantium laced claws to his chest, he grabbed him by the head and head him there to stare deep into those steely grey eyes filled with confusion and rage. Down in there somewhere had to be the man he longed to meet again, the brother that has seen him through a civil war they had no business to be in other than the fact that it was something to do at the time.
"Lets just see how thick this skull o' yers is now..." Victor questioned.
Throwing Logan at the nearest wall only to hear a metallic ringing, it set his own teeth on edge thinking just what it must sound like in the own man's head. A shake of his head and a flash of teeth was all Logan did before pressing his next attack, an attack Victor met gleefully seeing more and more of his brother with every flash of claws and roar of anger.
"I killed her alright runt, gutted her and left her fer dead fer you ta find." Victor lied, swearing he felt the roar of rage right in his bones as the beast pulled at his chain.
The fight was turning out to be everything the one in the bar wasn't, filled with the bestial and raw emotions of his brother driven to his limits and letting go. Try as he might Victor knew deep down they had the same hungry animal gnawing at their insides and Jimmy was just better at suffering the pain and keeping it caged up. He had to let his out otherwise it'd eat him alive, but that didn't mean he had to let it rule him. Like throwing Christians to the Lions, he fed victim after victim to that Sabretoothed beast locked deep in his soul that was always looking for the next meal to sate its hunger.
"I killed her just like you killed our dear ol' daddy Jimmy, ran my claws right on through her." Victor pressed.
Breathing in the scent of his brother and drinking its intoxicating aroma, like they said you knew your own and deep under all that guilt and honour was an animal, a wolverine that would take down a deer by clawing its way on up to tear out its throat. Met with the sudden tang of salt that meant only one thing, he stared down to Logan seeing the first tear fall down his cheek.
"I killed her..." Logan whispered as his claws vanished.
"Who...?" Victor asked ignoring the familiar itch of his flesh mending itself from mortal wound to scab in seconds.
"Jeannie, I...killed her." Logan croaked.
Roaring loud enough to shake the very windows that lined the alleyway, he took his brother up bodily and slammed his flesh into the brick wall hard enough to shatter it. Throwing him limply down into the trash where he belonged, Victor had to wonder just what it would take to bring the man he longed to have at his side back even if it meant having him try and chain down his beast seeing all too much of his own in it running free.
"This isn't over Jimmy, this ain't gonna be over till ya remember just who ya are." Victor promised as he stalked off.
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Kicking open the door to the bar and looking around to the mess and ruin, Jubilee had to fight for control as she felt the itch in her hands and the pressure in her chest. Logan had been here sure enough but he was long gone. It had cost her two speeding tickets to try and keep pace with him, a third cop pulling her over and giving her a warning and a side order of 'Daddy know's best' that had her swallowing her pride with a grimace if only to get out of another one. Heading to the bar she ordered up two beers and a shot of whisky, having her boilermaker first and then finally tasting the second of the lagers.
"What the fuck happened?" Jubilee spat the question with a growl of her frustration.
The bartender looked her up and down and then gave a glance to the blood that someone was mopping up, answering with a shrug and nodding to the few men down the bar still talking about whatever kerfuffle had broken out. Rubbing the bridge of her nose, Jubilee swore the moment she found Logan she was going to cash in Marie's vouchers and knee him in his family jewels a couple of times before she really got into tearing a strip off his behind. She didn't need this kinda shit happening when she was still missing a couple of nights of proper sleep.
"Yo, what the fuck?" Jubilee yelled down to the trio, tilting her head off to the mess of blood on the floors.
Looking irritated at first only to have their eyes fall lecherously over her, the men went back to ignoring her. Throwing her knuckles at the bar all the while, she pounded back her beer raised the empty to the bartender calling for another. Pissed off as she was she wouldn't mind another bar fight but thought it would be a shame without Vic there to enjoy it with her. By the look of things Logan already had his and was off ignoring her calls, she'd have to check in with Marie once more to see if he'd finally manned up to give her a call and see if she couldn't get any other vouchers for when she caught up to the bastard.
"Kids these days, no manners." One of the trio said loudly having another glance at her.
Grinding her teeth, Jubilee stripped a few bills off a wad of cash and threw them down for her drinks along with a tip. Where was Roguey when she needed her, people were about to need a paramedic and they didn't even know it Jubilee chuckled while slipping off her stool to walk up to the trio. They looked the sort of men who lived off petty crime. Theft, violence and intimidation likely their bread and butter. She knew a couple of men who could teach them a lesson in the latter points, figuring she'd have to sub in this time.
"Did you see a guy that looks like he could model underwear and kick your sorry ass at the same time?" Jubilee asked, slugging back her beer as she waited for an answer.
"I don't know who ya think you are girlie..." The wiry one of the bunch started.
The bar had seen one fight already today, two if you counted the fact that her one had fallen in those early hours of the morning when most people still considered it last night. Sighing in frustration, she bit her tongue having always hated being called 'girlie'. The pressure against her chest was suffocating and she was ready to just let it all out, no way in hell these boys didn't know just who and what Logan and Vic were. Problem was the boilermaker was going straight to her head and she didn't know if she could control it.
"You guys don't know just how lucky ya got..." Jubilee growled in her best impersonation of Logan as she stalked off.
Not three steps away from the bar she felt a hand take her by her shoulder and spin her about, the thought of any of these men touching her lighting her already short fuse. Clenching her teeth tight and knowing she was sparkling by the snaps and pops surrounding her, the hand was taken aback quickly as the two others started digging in their jackets for their tools of the trade. She didn't give them the chance throwing her hands wide and blasting them.
"Fuck..." Jubilee swore hearing the sound of a pump action shotgun down the bar reminding her all too much of a story Rogue had told her back when she had first met Logan.
"You can just keep your hands where I can see them missy." The bartender called out with the authority given to him by a 12 gauge.
Closing her eyes and clenching her fists, she'd only ever tired this in the Danger Room and right about now she wished she had some earbuds in as things were about to get loud. Inspired by one too many rounds of COD with the boys, her improvised Flash Bang went off and had her deaf and damn near blind but she was still in better shape than the rest of the folks. Racing out the door and bolting down the street, she had time to think maybe Ororo wasn't too wrong about her suggestion for some Anger Management sessions.
"When I find you Logan Ima kick yer ass!" Jubilee growled, fighting not to puke at the way the world was still spinning.
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Author's Note : Just a little something to try and get the ball rolling on this story again, work has been a real bother. Hope all you kind folks who have been following it enjoy. Toodles!