Chapter 22

It was that fucking metal again.

Victor had suspected as soon as he made the first damned call yesterday, but the x-rays confirmed it.

The Kid had hit a growth spurt recently, and the adamantium coating her claws prevented them from growing. The only upshot was that those fuckers had only coated her claws and not her whole goddamned skeleton like his idiot brother.

He hadn't even had the pleasure of ending their operation once and for all. The damned goody two shoes X-Men had done so months prior, and with far less bloodshed than Sabretooth deemed appropriate.

Victor stormed out of the mansion, claws flexing and of half a mind to rend anything, or anyone, unfortunate enough to get in his path. He realized that impotent rage and impulse wouldn't solve the problem this time, but he knew someone that could.

"Victor, you just caught me on the way out."

Brown fedora atop his head and jacket folded neatly over his arm, the elderly mutant was in the process of pulling the front door closed.

"I got a proposal for you, Erik. It's more important than your grocery shopping or whatever the hell old farts like us do these days."

The metal wielder took Victor's measure and inclined his head for Victor to follow him back to his study. The metal door swooshed closed behind them.

"And how is retirement to the farm?" Magneto inquired, his tone toeing the line between polite interest and derision.

Erik Lensherr approached the category most people would consider "friends". That wasn't in Victor's vocabulary, but their longstanding acquaintanceship spared the younger mutant of his wrath with regard to needling small talk.

"You and I both know that mutants like us never really retire. I ain't here to shoot the breeze. I need a favor," Victor paused, "and I'm prepared to offer one in return."

Victor did not do favors as a matter of principle. Erik knew that. He never wanted to owe anyone for anything and had gone to great pains in their last joint venture to make sure that they were completely square.

"This is aberrant behavior for you," Magneto commented, "If you are willing to offer your services with a blank check, then I am definitely intrigued. What is it you require of me?"

There was no way of going about this that could possibly play down his investment in the situation. He wasn't sure it was exactly wise to give the old bucket-head ammunition over him, but there really was no other reasonable alternative.

"I need you to remove some adamantium from a kid's bones."

There. Out. Simple.

"Mmm. That does sound like a task uniquely suited to my skill set. I suppose this child is of some personal importance to yourself?"

The old bastard was still sharp. Unfortunate, but Victor was used to the other mutant's mental chess games and would figure out how to outmaneuver him, if it came down to it.

He was abstractly glad he hadn't gotten bucket-head involved with the Kid at the start. For once, Wheels seemed to have been the right call.

"Will you do it or not?" Victor snapped, nearing the end of his patience.

"I see. This is rather more interesting than I was expecting." The metal wielding mutant steepled his fingers, unperturbed by Victor's outburst. They both know that what he found interesting had little to do with the task at hand.

"As enticing as your offer is, I'm afraid I will have to decline."

Sabretooth felt his claws lengthening as the black rage he had quelled earlier bubbled to the surface.

"Oh?"

"I spoke with Charles already, not a half hour ago."

Victor blinked, once, as he digested this information.

"Unfortunately, for us both, you've been beaten to the punch. This is, of course, assuming you have the same child in common and there isn't a second, adamantium enhanced, little terror I need to be aware of."

That wheelchair fucker could have said something before Victor stormed out pointlessly.

"He did however mention a most interesting development..."

This was a trap. The old man let the bait dangle, but Victor wasn't biting.

Sensing this, Erik continued, unnecessarily. Victor knew what he already wanted to know, and the kid would be all right.

"It seems that the girl is not the only one having issues with adamantium."

Sabretooth froze. So this was what the manipulative old codger had sent him out to do.

"Of course, I agreed to coax the alloy from the girl's system out of the goodness of my heart, but your brother has been a thorn in my side for far too long. The procedure would be delicate due to the virus and likely drawn out over a period of months. My good will only extends so far, you understand."

Virus? Victor grimaced.

"No. I'm not doing this." He declared.

He'd been played by the damned telepath. Victor had been out of the mutant loop longer than he realized, if Xavier and Magneto were seeing eye-to-eye.

"Completely understandable for us both, of course."

There was nothing Victor hated more than being manipulated. It could be a fun enough game of playing the fool and letting the enemy underestimate him when the stakes only involved him, but actually being manipulated was something else entirely.

Victor shoved back his chair, likely gouging the wood floor in his haste.

"See you 'round, bucket head."