Storm
Red, like wine spilled on a white carpet. Soaking up in the snow. All Weapon X was looking at was the blood and how it splayed out like tentacles, reaching out to almost grasp him. Sabertooth was fighting tooth by tooth ripping off limps and had flesh between his teeth, for a moment X saw what everyone feared. Hydra really did take every piece of them, their dignity, their humanity, and now.
It was a silent sob, a faint whisper, “please.”
Weapon X was limping to her voice, the right of his leg had been blown off by a machine gun, and the collar still itched at his throat. So he limped through the haze of bullets and gun smoke the pain though was just a familiar ache. Was it this war, or the last. Had the battles just blended together. He had lost track of every fight, as all the pain was felt the same, so he but pressed on until his knee caps gave out beneath his metal body.
He leaned over her, blood was pouring from her eyes and mouth, her stomach was heaving for air, as she wept. Tasting salt he figured it was hers until he felt the coolness of the air hit the tear marks on his face, he was in an ocean, and he was drowning. He forgot he could drown. But his hands shook as he held the only anchor he could think of.
“Seventeen” his voice cracked, “Seventeen stay with me you hear. You aren’t leavin!”
Seventeen held Weapon X’s face so gently as the gashes on her palm had been cracked open from her power rubbed against the unshaven bristles of his face. The pain made her beg, “please.”
“I’m right here, try breathing bub.” He looked down to see some of the bullets have teared her skin away and he started putting pressure on everything that he could. But he only had two hands.
“Please kill me.”
Weapon X’s eyes met hers, “don’t say that.”
“X, I-”
“Don’t you dare say that! I’m gonna get you out of here I promise.”
“I know….I know, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize don’t you fucking dare.”
“I can try- at least let me try.” Seventeen moved her shaking hands from his warm face, to the cold metal collar that was tightened against his throat.
The copper from her fingertips made Weapon X sick as something twisted inside him.
A flash of blue a cool unending blue, like waves crashing against his aching neck, her powers tore the color apart, and the blue turned into a hazy red. The blood from her palms coated his throat, and he felt the weight of his metal bones sit in him. His flesh stitched itself up and his leg was healed, and now he was angry.
Like his consciousness closed up behind a locked door and something much larger and darker took it’s place. A growl, an animal resurfaced and took over his mind and body. Seventeen who was wrapped safely in his arms, was laid back on the ground, as something much darker came to the surface.
Once his fingertips left her embrace, Weapon X became what he was meant to do, destroy all that was in his path. His hands ripped apart flesh of the men candid in leather boring the symbol of HYDRA. He became what they created, he became what he feared he always was. A monster.
Men screamed out in agony as if they were ambushed by starving wolves. Hell-bent on revenge, Sabertooth and Weapon X took back the long nights they were trapped in a cage, beaten, bruised, and poked. They took it back with an eye for an eye, bloodied and oozing from their fingertips as they clawed and gouged their enemies from face to throat. Their work was messy and in unison, as one brother took the left and the other the right. Guns were drawn and ammunition fell faster then the men were reloading. They were shaking so much, it fumbled between their gloved fingertips, and got lost in the depths of the snow.
Others threw down their weapons and tried to scatter, but Sabertooth enjoyed the chase, like a predator to prey he’d pounce, and tear a man’s entire torso in half. Having someone’s skull hang from his jaw, as the rest of the victim, was left bloody with guts splaying on the white carpet of the tundra. Like a child spilling spaghetti on the floor. Entrails winding together tangling over Sabertooths’ boots. He wasn’t even rage filled, he knew what he signed up for, not even having a pot to piss in. But he enjoyed the excuse it gave him to wipe someone else's blood from his lips. Dig his claws into someone’s bone and hearing them beg, yes Sabertooth loved it when they begged. Men whimpered at his knees begging for god, cursing him, bargaining. Sabertooth would entertain them, giving them a notion maybe they could live, escape, just to fuck them over in the end, so he could get off on their expression. Of horror.
Weapon X killed more quickly like he had somewhere to be, metal claws slashed through men. Cutting off limbs, but he’d rarely ever finish the job he’d let them bleed out against the ground as he started the next onslaught of violence.
He was so preoccupied killing every last person that he didn’t realize they were gone until no one approached him. He stood there low to the ground feet separated and knees crunched. That’s when his eyes came back from the wreckage and he could feel the weight of blood on him and how it stained his teeth and tongue. Nothing was left but the bodies of those who held them down.
Sabertooth lit the cigar that was stuffed in his mouth, and when he drew it back from his lips and exhaled he said, “well that was fucking worth it.” He spat on a limp body that was buried beneath his foot.
Weapon X wiped the blood from his chin, “yea whatever” he limped across the snowy wasteland, “Seventeen!”
His voice echoed throughout the night sky, “Seventeen!” His voice cracked and trembled against the unending darkness.
No response, Weapon X waited and waited.
‘The thump the thump’ heartbeats. There were only two sets of heartbeats. Only two sets of heartbeats, only two.
Weapon X covered his mouth as he walked to where he remembered he left her. Looking down her body was still. So still. Leaning down he reached to move the hair back from her eyes and her body was cold. He watched her fingertips twitch against the snow and it gave him hope.
Quickly he scooped her up into his arms, and carried her closer to the base, where Sabertooth was now leaning against the door.
“Where do you think your goin?”
Weapon X ignored him, trying to get past to the metal door, “Sabertooth get out of my fucking way.”
“I got you outta this mess and I didn’t sign up for another.”
“Then move.” Weapon X growled.
Sabertooth took a draw from the Cuban as he stepped to the side of the door, “we gotta go.”
“Not without her.” Weapon X stepped into the base, as the sirens blared. Most of the men were dead anyway, the only people left were the lab coats.
Descending the stairs he started to grow a sickening feeling, that he should let go, but he remembered how she held his hand. How her fingertips would press against his knuckles messaging the metal behind skin, and how she made him feel like he could live. All he wanted to do was have her live now. He would give anything.
He walked into the familiar med bay where a lab coat was hiding behind a set of tools like the cowards they were. He placed her on the cold metal sheet, laying her down.
“Fix this, you made us now fucking fix this.” Weapon X yanked the scientist by the collar and placed him in front of the table. “Bring her back.”
The scientist was shaking, “I uh she’s dead, I don’t think I ca-”
Weapon X gave a shaky yell, “I don’t care what you have to do you piece of shit. For once in your fucking life, just make it work!”
The scientist set up the machinery around her, “it won’t be easy, I will do it I will just- don’t kill me.”
“If she doesn’t wake up I promise you bub” he grabbed the man by the neck and started slowly squeezing, “I will make you wish you were in hell.”
The scientist nodded, “okay-okay, I can do it, just stand back.”
Weapon X let him go and hesitantly backed away, he could’ve put his back to the wall, but he would still hear the drill and saws cutting through her bones, and the liquid pumping itself back into her veins. He could still hear it now the moment she woke up, the screaming that pinched right below his eardrum.
The screaming, the metal, the copper he tasted, and the salt made him collapse in on himself as he hugged his sides. Hoping and now praying that this would be worth it.
It was hours later when the scientist was wiping away blood from the syringes and scalpel he just used and put it on the metal tray next to the surgical bed. “I’m finished.”
Weapon X took his hand from his face and pushed himself off the ground and hesitantly approached the table.
Seventeen laid against the table and her arms and legs were strapped down including her head. She looked at him and her eyes were red from crying, her voice was hoarse, so much it was like a whisper cracked out of her throat, “I thought…we were friends.”
Weapon X felt bile rose up in his throat, his hands were clammy, his heart was in his in his mouth. Like it crawled up from his ribcage and just sat on his tongue. His words left him like a heave as it fell from his chapped lips, “I couldn’t loose you Seventeen….” The more he looked at her horrified face. Blood staining her cheeks, tear marks and sunken eyes. Fingertips caked with blood from scratching at the metal table, trying to claw her way out of the torture he made her endure, “I wanted to save you.”
Weapon X was not privy to emotions, he didn’t understand the churning of his gut like waves rolling onto shore, he didn’t understand why his eyes watered. Salt caking his face, and getting stuck on his chin, but he wept anyway. Whether he understood it or not, his body caved in on itself, as his world collapsed.
“I loved you.” It was breathy like it was her final words, and he caught her eyes. As her face scrunched and more tears fell from her and ran down the side of her face onto the cold metal operation table, “I loved you….James I really did, I did.”
James paused at his name the only person who knew him was strapped down in front of him. His hands shook as they reached for the leather straps on her wrist, his eyes were blurry, like he was trapped behind an opaque glass. James felt his feet sway as he stepped foreword to try to better the situation, and then he felt his knees buckle under the weight of his sin.
“I loved you and you did this to me?”
James struggled to get the straps off as the image of her shifted in his line of sight.
“I thought we were friends….” Her hand grabbed his wrist and snapped himself back in reality, where he and Charles stood in the office. As a voice like ghost entered their eardrums and invaded their minds, “James…james.” ’
Logan felt panic rise in him as the voice was haunting him and surrounded them in the room, looking over his shoulder, again and again. Nothing was there.
Charles reached for Logan’s hand and held it, Logan tried not to flinch as Charles overcame the voice, “relax I am here, it’s just us your going to be okay.”
Logan tried to breathe through it, he knows how to breathe, but everything feels caught up in his throat like he’s choking on basic air.
Charles tried to guide Logan to the open chair instead of standing, but the man remained stiff, and something out of Logan’s eyes changed the man’s expression to horrified.
Over his shoulder Logan saw it, Sabertooth. This time he was a child, blood stained his face, and his hands held organs which ran runny all over the carpet.
“Brother.” His expression was dull as he looked up at him and Charles. “Were not all that different after all.”
The organ that Sabertooth held was a heart, and it was something deep down that Logan feared. That gnawed at his mind, maybe Hydra really was successful. Maybe Logan became a monster. Or even worse was born heartless. He wouldn’t know the difference. He will never know.
“Logan. You care about people. You aren’t a monster.” Charles tugged at Logan and guided him to the chair.
Logan’s hands ran through his hair as he collapsed, “I ruined that girls life Charles…and I didn’t even know her name.”
Charles sighed, “you saved her…”
Logan shook his head, “no, that wasn’t savin….”
Charles nodded, “okay, it’s getting late and dinner is downstairs…,why don't we get some food huh?”
The silence dragged on as Logan rubbed his forehead with his hand, “no.”
“….do you want me to bring food up for you?”
“….I want to see.”
Charles sighed, “I think we had enough memory work for today.”
“Charles, I need to see if I left her down there.”
“Logan. I doubt you did, we can look tomorrow.”
“Today.”
Charles rolled his eyes knowing he was arguing against a wall. “Logan you pushed your mind far enough I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You can’t.”
“Just because you heal doesn’t mean you don’t hurt.”
Logan gave a glare, “Charles, I won’t be able to sleep, it’s just better to get it over with.”
Charles wheeled himself to face his friend, “if I hurt you, I am stopping immediately.”
“…Fine.”
Like they struck a deal within the confines of their mind they internally shook on it.
Charles put both hands in front of him, “we’ll finish what we started and then you are taking a long break.”
“Not what we agreed on.” He huffed.
“Logan.” Charles voice was stern and final and Logan hated that it would work on him so easily. As he gave in to Charles intrusion of the last memories of that women.
His thoughts didn’t leave off in that dank basement in Hydra, instead he heard the crackling of fire below his feet and the smell of burnt birch wood burning low into the coals.
His face was submerged in his jacket and he woke up to a lingering scent of a women going dull. Weapon X moved his head to look up from his bedding, “where’s Seventeen?”
Sabertooth sat close to him his legs presses up against his side as his older brother sharpened a knife in silence.
“Victor.”
“She’s prolly pissin.”
“Your lying.”
Sabertooth rolled his eyes and sighed, “James.”
He pushed himself off the ground and stood up looking down at Sabertooth, “where is she?”
Sabertooth stopped sharpening his knife and he put it down next to him, “she left.”
“Where?” He felt his heart race, “did she say where she was goin or did you just let her leave while were in the middle of fucking no where!” He looked around at the emptiness of civilization and how the forest was dark and full.
Sabertooth looked up at his brother, “she ain’t a kid she’s an adult, she’ll be fine.”
“Which direction?”
“I don’t know she got up and said goodbye I didn’t watch where she was goin.”
“Your lying again!”
Sabertooth stood up from the snow, “y’know what I am lying, and I’m gonna continue to lie to your fucking face, this is fuckin stupid.” Victor for once looked worried and he eye’d over James carefully and when his hands gripped his younger brother’s shoulders in wasn’t in violence it was soft. “You ain’t acting like yourself. You keep blamin yourself and havin her around is not makin it any better. If you want to live outta Hydra, you gotta be livin. I didn’t save your ass just for you to mope around and be sad and shit. What a fucking waste. So yes she did leave” he sighed, “I know which direction she went, she’s headin home, but James.”
Sabertooth used his brother’s name, apart of him hated it because he knew he couldn't claw his way back to how it used to be, but maybe viewing his brother as the little boy was better than a weapon. He didn’t think that Weapon X could handle what he’d became so playing into a past fairytale would be better. “Let’s move on. That’s what you wanted right?”
James thought about it for a moment, “…together?”
“Yes, this time I promise together. I won’t leave you behind, got it?”
James nodded, he felt small in the moment, and despite the wars and age, he felt like a young boy again. The first time they treaded out by themselves and Victor said that they wouldn’t be splitting, and apart of him hoped he meant it this time.