CHAPTER SEVENTY:

If He Makes The HULK Scared...

LAST TIME:

...That was when the door to the debriefing room slid open and Sabretooth stalked in. He was six feet of pure, primitive muscle, his claws yellow and lengthened, amber eyes full of threat. "Not unless they're a shapeshifter." Victor growled.

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NOW

The instant the feral walked in, it was as if there was suddenly a huge, pressure-sensitive ticking time bomb right in the middle of the room...a time bomb with dirty blonde hair and sharp, yellow claws.

Faster than a split-second, Clint had an arrow drawn and poised and the behemoth. Natasha scooted her chair away from the table in order to be more ready to go into action in a split second and Bruce began unbuttoning his white business shirt, anticipating that he might have to 'go green'.

Tony started humming 'the cat came back' under his breath, preparing to summon his suit at a moments notice.

Nick Fury pinched the bridge of his nose. "At ease gentlemen...and lady." he added at Natashas brief glare. "Mr. Creed is here by invitation...for once."

No-one really relaxed.

"He has an...invested interest in my infinity serum." Nick Fury informed them.

"Well, that's intriguing," Natasha commented "considering that, from what I understand, Mr. Creed is basically immortal."

"A lot of aging problems going on here." Tony commented. "Have you guys ever thought about face cream?"

The Sabretooth let out a low warning growl towards the billionaire. "That reminds me, I've got a bone ta pick with ya, tin-can. I hear you've invented a new kind of taser just fer ferals."

Tony held up both hands and shrugged. "What can I say? Genius never rests."

"The point right now is the serum." Fury tried to get the conversation back on track. "Why do you think there's a shapeshifter involved?"

Victor stalked over to a free chair and sprawled out on it like the lounging wild-cat that he was. "Gold eyes." he said simply. "Most shapeshifting mutants that I know of have gold eyes that show on camera, somethin' about the light reflecting off the lens makes it show up."

"You have gold eyes." Hawkeye pointed out.

"Gold GLOWINGeyes." Victor specified.

"So, what, you're thinking Mystique?" Nick Fury asked. "The only problem with that is that she got shot with the cure defending Magneto. She's human now."

Victor tilted his head to the side. "And where in the rule-book does it say there can only be one shape-shifting mutant on the planet?"

Silence greeted this statement.

Finally, Tony broke the silence (as he often did). "Well, what do ya know. Pussy-cat DOEShave a brain."

Sabretooth sent him a hair-raising warning growl that made everyone tense. Then, faster than a flash of lightning, Victor went from a lounging lion to a pouncing one. He vaulted over the large table as if it were a pebble and had Tony Stark pinned against the wall by his throat.

The others immediately tried to retaliate. Clint let loose an arrow that flew straight into Victors throat, but the fast healing feral simply pulled it out with one hand and tossed it aside. Within a second he was already unharmed.

Thor was next to try, raising his mighty hammer Mojliner, and Bruce was already starting to turn a sour-apple green, when Sabretooth roared;

"ENOUGH!"

Every person in the room froze, such was the power in Sabretooths voice; deep and animalistic and brimming with dominance, a throwback to a time before time.

Even the inhuman Asgardian was white and shaking a little though he, at least, was still capable of independent movement.

Thor gulped. "You are indeed a force to be reckoned with, Sabretooth."

Victor curled his lip at the blonde, exposing sharp fangs. "Of course I am, I'm a class five (5) feral." He turned his predators gaze back to the Man of Iron. "Now, if everyones done with their little toys we can get back ta business and, Tin-Man, don't cross me."

Abruptly, Victor let go of his hold around Tonys throat.

Tony Stark, never one to go without getting in a last word (generally along with a good punch or a repulsor blast) was inches away from activating his suit when Bruce Banners still slightly green hand came down on his.

The two scientists shared a quick look, and Tony was, for once, shaken in his highly expensive shoes. The reason wasn't Sabretooths former grip on his throat, but the fact that 'The Hulk' was still very present in Bruce Banner, and Tony had never seen fear in the green rage-monsters eyes...

...until now.