X-24: WOLVERINE REBORN
CHAPTER VI
Blood. Dirt. Gunpowder. All of it filled John's nose as he received another punch to the face from Pretty Boy who was proving to be more of a challenge than he thought. He was fast and strong with the skills to coincide with it. John had blood coming from his nose and head as he went for another attack that Pretty Boy easily dodged. He hit John in the face then kicked him the leg making go to one knee then kneed him in the face. John fell hard to his back as he began to breathe harder. He stood back up taking a stance.
"Just come quietly," Pretty Boy said. "You can't against me. You have memories going back what a few months. You lack experience, training, and control. You're just going off instinct and that will only take you so far."
"It'll take me far enough to kill you," John said charging at his opponent.
Before he could throw a strike a bullet came flying hitting him in the leg. John fell to the ground right at Pretty Boy's feet.
"Seems you didn't make it far at all," he remarked walking past him. "Let's get him tied up," he commanded some Reavers. "And where the hell is Deathstrike."
Victor dodged a strike from the one armed Deathstrike as she continued the assault despite losing her arm. She used her long nails to swipe and slash at Victor who was able to keep up despite his age. He lifted his arms blocking a kick from Deathstrike who fell to the ground tossing dirt into Victor's eyes. He backed away hoping to gain distance but she was too quick as she shoves he nails deep into his stomach.
He coughed up blood as he looked down at her seeing her hate filled eyes. She pulled out her nails kicking him in the face then jumping up kick over the head. Victor didn't have to gain composure as she rushed him again. This time he was ready as he charged back at her. She went for another strike with her nails but Victor dodged the attack scratching her across the face. He hit her again from the other side and then again and again. He grabbed her by the head and flung her into a steel beam. He leaped pinning her to the ground then proceeded to punch her over and over again. Victor grasped her by the face lifting her in the air then bashed he head against the wall leaving blood on it. The eyes in Deathstrike head went white as Victor dropped her on the ground.
Dani was in awe at what she just saw. Sabretooth just went all out for the first time in who knows how long. Victor stood up cracking his neck as his wounds began to slowly heal. In his prime they would be done already but the years have started to take their toll.
"Look!" Dani pointed seeing then carrying a struggling John to a van.
"I got him," Victor said running towards them.
The Reavers noticed him coming and raised their guns. Victor tore out there throats with a single slash as he rushed to John. Skullbuster saw him coming and took aim with his sniper rifle. He fired only for Victor to duck and it only grazed the side of his head. He fired again this time nailing the feral mutant right in the chest.
Victor fell on his back hard wincing in pain he looked up to see them toss John in the van. Dani couldn't let them get away with John. She through her options in her head hoping to come up with something. She closed her eyes thinking out her options then everything went quiet as she opened them. She was seeing things differently than before. She looked at the people around her and was seeing different colors radiate off of them. She looked closer at one of the men holding John and saw something deep inside him. Something he doesn't want anyone else to know about. How does she know this? He eyes glowed a bright purple as the man holding Joh suddenly let go and began to panic running away screaming.
Deathstrike who was regaining consciousness saw the girl's eyes and she remembered the forest. She got up picking up her severed arm and ran full speed in the opposite direction. Deathstrike was not about to go through that again.
"What the hell is his…," Pretty Boys stopped midsentence and looked over at Dani. The rest of the men all lost their minds one by one as some ran and others fell to the ground.
Victor took advantage of this getting up to move towards John. John struggled to get free of the advanced metal shackles but couldn't break free. Victor came over and started searching the Reavers for the keys and finally found them taking them. He unshackled John who got to his feet.
Skullbuster was holding his head in pain as visions came rushing in of things he buried long ago. He saw John was free and tried aiming his gun but couldn't get a good shot.
"Let's get out of here," Victor said.
"I don't think so," Pretty Boy said stepping in their way. He was holding his head while pointing a gun at them.
Victor rushed him catching a bullet to the shoulder but backhanded him sending him flying. "We have to get moving."
John rushed to Dani jumping over the downed Reavers. He saw her eyes glowing the sam purple glow as in the forest.
"Dani," John said grabbing her shoulders.
She looked at John but he eyes slowly moved to a man that was standing behind him. She's never seen him before but he seemed familiar. He was wearing a dark blue suit and looked pretty old. He was completely bald but had the warmest smile Dani had ever seen. He suddenly looked at Dani and grinned.
"You can see me can't you?" he asked.
"DANI!" John yelled.
Her eyes went back to normal as everything returned to how I should be. The man that stood next to John was gone.
"I'm a mutant," she said trembling with fear and excitement.
"Let's get going," John said as the three of them ran towards the car they came in before the Reavers could get up.
They got in with Victor taking the driving seat and took off out the town.
Pretty Boy and some of the others finally get to their feet as they groaned. Skullbuster came up holding his head dragging his gun on the ground. After counting the remaining of their group Pretty Boy and Skullbuster went to the back of their car to talk.
"Deathstrike took off," Skullbuster informed. "Want me to track her down?"
"No, if she wants to come back she'll find us. We need to call Creed and tell him everything."
"Are we dropping this job?" Skullbuster asked. "By the time this is over there are a few ways this will end. One, we and everyone under us is dead. Two, we actually manage to pull off the job but will spend a large amount of the money rebuilding. Three, we get fired from this job and all of this was for nothing and we lose money and image."
Pretty Boy slammed the trunk of the car and thought long and hard about what to do. "There is an option four."
"And what's that?" Skullbuster wondered.
"We finish the job. Get our payday, payoff all our…remaining men. Then split the rest between us and go our separate ways."
"No more Reavers?"
"We don't have a lot of men left so our cut has doubled and if Deathstrike doesn't come back then triple. You've been talking about retiring for a while anyway and I've done the mercenary thing long enough. Maybe it's time to see what else life has to offer."
"So option four then," Skullbuster said.
"Option four."
John, Victor, and Dani pulled up to Rose's house and as if at once took a deep breath. The tension finally lifted and they were not out the fire but it was not as hot. Victor took a look at John still finding it weird how someone that looked so much like Logan was sitting here next to him. The looked alike and had similarities but it's clear they are two different people. John is green, naïve, unsure of the world he's going to have to adjust to very quickly. Victor hopped out the truck as Dani took the wheel.
"Thanks for the help," Dani said to him.
"Don't mention it," he said. He looked to John and just shook his head with a small grin. "That's what family is for."
Victor left heading inside Rose's houses leaving Dani and John in the car. Dani looked at Joh who was still wounded from the fight very slowly healing from his wounds.
"Guess we're going to Texas," he said.
"Be sure to rest."
"No issue there," he said closing his eyes.
"I should cancel this job," Graydon said sitting at his desk on the phone with Pretty Boy. "You have failed to deliver any results."
"To be fair we keep running into unforeseen complications. First discovering the girl is a mutant may I add a powerful one and also…
"Also what? I'm getting tired of excuses."
"Ever heard of the mutant that went…Sabretooth because I'm pretty sure he just ripped through my men."
Graydon's face changed as he stood up from the table walking towards the many screens on his wall. Pretty Boy was still talking but Graydon drowned him out not hearing what he was saying.
"Do we have a deal…do we have a deal…Hello?"
"Do the job if you want but I won't hold my breath," Graydon hung up the phone. His breathing was increasing as a knot formed in is throat. "So you are alive."
"Are you sure about this?" Rose asked as Victor packed a bag.
"Yeah, I've been hiding out to long. It's time to get my head out my ass. That girl is proof that mutants can still be born. Someone needs to start fighting back against this." Victor dropped everything and walked over to Rose. "Thank you for everything."
"It was trouble," she said.
"We both know that's a lie," he said with a chuckle. "You take care of yourself."
"You to…Sabretooth."
"Don't call me that," he said bringing her in for a hug.
With a big bag Victor headed down the road. Rose watched until Victor was out of sight. He was like a second father in many ways. Finding him in that ditch all beat up and bleeding raised a bunch of red flags but he was a good person or at least trying to be. He did lie about who he was all the time he was here but she guesses she can understand his point of view. She hopes he can find whatever he looking for.
John and Dani got a room and a small hotel in the middle of nowhere. John was sleeping in the bed as Dani took a much needed shower and washed her hair. She got into bed and reflected on the day she and John had. Discovering she is a mutant is insane and what was with that guy shadowing John. What was he? Who was he? Is he there now?
She concentrated like she did at the construction site and slowly opened her eyes and…nothing. Guess she was still getting the hang of it. She closed her eyes and drifted into a deep sleep wondering what problems tomorrow will bring.
Victor sat in a bar with a beer in front of him. He had his bag in the seat next to him. The place was pretty big but there weren't a lot of people inside. He took a big gulp of his beer and looked to the TV to see the bullshit news that been going on for years. He took another drink from his beer before shooting from his seat dropping it on the floor. He smelled something bad in the air and it was coming closer.
"What's your problem grandpa?" the bartender asked.
Victor didn't say anything as whatever it was got closer and closer. The doors to the bar slowly opened and someone with heavy footsteps walked in. He was tall and was wearing a baggy coat. His hair was long and dirty blonde. Victor's pulse increased more and more as he realized what he was staring at.
"Those son of a bitches cloned me."