OLD WOUNDS

By Kyle Trainer, Philip Amoroso, David Wheatley, and Eric J. Moreels

It goes like this: I’m the best.

Don’t let anyone else fool you, but I’m the best. You might have heard of Wolverine, who always says he’s the best at whatever it is the guy does, but that’s bull!

Anything he can do, I can do better. Anything he can beat, I can beat better. He’s like a miniature version of me. There’s no one better then Victor Creed. People call me Sabretooth, and I’m probably the deadliest guy you’ll find on this continent. Anyone else more-so, its’ because they’ve copied from me.

I have a long history with Wolverine. I used to be good and tight with the runt, but then I did some things Logan found rather unentertaining, so we’re as good as enemies get. But no matter how many times that adamantium has helped him when he fights me, he hasn’t got it anymore.

I’ll find him again…

Y’see, the nose never lies. My sense of smell, along with all my other senses, are heightened. My fingers end in sharpened claws, and I have animalistic reflexes. This is where I get the codename from. My body is bulked up and stronger than most of the people I’ve met. I can jump higher then most buildings can be stretched, and move faster then practically everyone I know. And I’m the best fighter around.

I’d also been enhanced by adamantium claws and bones. I had ’em, Logan don’t. I didn’t need it, but it scared the hell out of the runt. Before when we fought, he didn’t fear me. Now he does… or did.

The adamantium’s useless now! Screwed up by the magnetic witch Polaris from X-Factor. And that’s what brings me back here, to get the adamantium fixed up…

“Hey! What’s that?”

The voices carried over to me would be missed by most people, but I turn my head and mull through what I can do. The scents of those people mix with the other scents I’ve smelt, and for now, I’ll content myself to reign havoc on these guys.

“Is that one of the new patients?”

They’re security guards – four of ’em, each armed with more weaponry then you’d think they could hold.

“I don’t think so…”

They begin charging up their guns, walking over to me from the corner of a small facility.

Appetisers.

“WATCH OUT!” the one in the lead screams to his friend as I leap onto him. They wear thick body armour, and I guess they’re used as testing agents against the Weapon X patients.

Weapon X…

I thought I was done with these guys. But then again, so do most of the people here, I’d assume. Word of its’ opening up again reached me, and I figured this was the best place to fix my adamantium. If I don’t got it, the runt won’t fear me…

“I’ve got him!”

Another fires a blast into my side, and I fall to the ground, smoke rising from his barrel. They think I’m down, even though I’m just kneeling in the snow next to some trees.

“Good shot!”

“Yeah,” I stand, agreeing with him, a sinister glint coming to my eye as I smile. “Great shot!”

I swing out, my hand slamming the weapon against his chest. It explodes, and he goes flying even farther, his partners looking back at him.

“HELP!” they begin screaming into communicators, turning away from me. I step up to the two of them, and they turn back, rushing into me.

They faint, but I don’t show them any mercy.

“What was that?”

Someone else walks over to us, hearing the noise they make.

“You there!”

I pick him up and throw him back in the direction he came. Continuing my walk, I smile, knowing I have time to visit them all. All those people I smell here. Time to take care of all of them… to give them all they deserve…

To give them what everyone who crosses me deserves…

Something makes a sound above me, and someone crashes down on top of me.

Expecting to find the superheroes somewhere behind me, I turn, only finding a man wearing a ridiculous suit of armor. He has a number of cannons attached to all sides of it, various weapon launchers, and four large open weapons sticking over his shoulders and around his waist. One on each shoulder and both sides of his hip. His face is covered in a blast-helmet, an opening for his mouth where a communicator hangs. A small microphone, which connects to an antenna coming from his helmet. He lands as his suits’ boot-jets shut off.

“You there!” He holds up a hand, and seven small pistols pop out. “You’ve trespassed on site 4381 of the Weapon X project. Leave immediately!”

Without another word, he fires. The weapons throw me backwards, even though this Tigerstryke-with-weapons seems to have more weapons then he can handle. I’m surprised – he reminds me of Tigerstryke… an old pal of mine…

“Yeah, thanks.”

He looks up at me, and I stand. This is a nice arm-up.

“My name is Four. I am a representative of the Weapon X security.”

He stands tall, proud of what he has done. “You will surrender!”

“That’s pretty rich! And unlikely!” I growl. This is going to be fun.

I leap for him, claws on both sides, and he has already stepped to the side and brought a leg up. Amazing! How can he move so fast? It hits me in the shoulder, and I fall to the ground.

“You will cease and desist, Victor Creed.” I can’t believe it. “Surprised? Hairy, you’re plastered all over the walls here. We’ve been waiting for a chance at you, and I’m the one to get it!”

He begins firing at me, and leaping into the air, I dance and avoid most of it. He rockets into me, slamming me onto the snow, and pulls back a fist.

Then I smell something. Something… familiar.

“Runt.” I whisper it to myself, and Four stares down at me.

“What did you call me!? I’m almost six…”

Before he finishes, I cannot believe it, but I have mercy on him. I jam snowballs into his cannons and throw the guy to the side. The snowballs melt, trickling water into the inner workings of the weapons, shutting them down, and some pressure on the sides causes him to fall over. I walk over to the guy I’ve been waiting for…

“Wolverine…”

I smile, the teeth in the light. I don’t see him, but he’s near. Saying his name will have got his attention.

*SHLUCKT*

He says nothing, but there’s a growl in his throat. I can see him looking down at me, claws bared, perched up in a tree.

Then I catch another scent… the scent of the man known as the Juggernaut – one o’ the largest guys I’ve ever seen. But why are these two working together?

“I thought I smelled you, Juggernaut…”

“Really…” Marko replies, unimpressed. I know of him through Sinister’s files – being a Marauder has its’ advantages. He’s big, strong, and virtually invulnerable… but not totally.

Then I figure it out… Marko’s father was part of this project the first time round. The two of them are here to shut the place down! Well, not before I get my problem sorted out first…

I spread my feet, bending a little and arching my back. One of them will make the first move.

“Then come on!” I’m talking mostly to Logan, but it applies to the Juggernaut as well. Logan’s the one I want, and Marko lets the runt answer.

“I’m waiting on you.”

He leaps down, claws first, and narrowly misses me. Fear’s thrown his timing. I step forward, and after he rolls and gets on his feet, I’m already flying towards him, foot extended. I hit him in the shoulder and send him reeling back. He doesn’t stop… he comes back, claws in the air, and I send my hands out to meet him.

I don’t have the adamantium any more, so I can’t snap them like last time, but I hold his claws in the air, and we’re locked until he kicks me in the side. I fall back, and he tries to land on me, rage spread across his face.

A cannon, some kind of security measure, hits him. As he shakes it off, a few nets shoot out and tie him to the ground, pinning his claws on the sides. I stand and smile.

“LOGAN!”

I forgot about his tag-team partner. The Juggernaut slams into me, REAL hard, and I go flying. I’m better before I hit the ground, but mad as hell. Logan’s standing back, watching the fight, a cigar lit. He thinks Juggernaut will win, and he’s keeping out of it, whilst his healing factor fixes the damage from the blast.

It all comes down to fear…

“Come on then!” The Juggernaut looks at the troubled Wolverine, then back to me. “Scared?”

More of a taunt to the runt, than to Marko. He charges, but this time I’m ready, and I dive between his legs. Once I’ve landed, I turn up and flip onto my stomach, bend my knees, and shoot after him. He hasn’t turned around yet, and I manage to grab onto his helmet and hold on tight.

Like a bucking bronco, he bends and tries to shake me off, unable to touch me. He keeps shaking and turning, and I’m still on. He tries backing into a tree, but I swing to the side, so only my hands get hit.

“GET OFFA ME!”

For the first time I notice something. I’m not actually touching his helmet, I’m holding some kind of energy right outside it. Very strange… but I don’t let go. He keeps turning, and swings his fists – the weapon that got Wolverine hits me and I fall off. He’s smarter than I think. He kept me focused on his movements the entire time, so I didn’t see him getting me towards that gun.

As I hit the ground, he turns to me, fist pulled back. He drops it on me, hitting me hard.

And again…

And again…

The damage is bad, and I’m not getting a chance to heal. The blast, the pounding… the healing factor’s having trouble keeping up. Logan’s just watching with that look in his eye.

The fear’s leaving him…

“Eugene? Eugene!”

James MacDonald Hudson, also known as Vindicator, shook his teammate Eugene Judd, a.k.a. Puck, trying to wake him after he was shot down whilst battling the new Weapon X.

The fight raged on around them as Alpha Flight, with Maverick’s assistance, attempted to bring down the newest man to bear the name Weapon X – a creation of the twisted scientist, Doctor Horatio Huxley.

Puck’s mouth slowly started to move as he regained consciousness. “Will you relax James! I’m okay, I just got caught off guard…”

“Are you right to fight?”

“Sure…” Puck replied rubbing his head, “Just give me a second to stop the ringing in my ears…”

“Will you two get your butts back over here!” called Maverick, as he dodged a kick from the leather-clad Weapon X. “We could use some help!”

Vindicator grabbed Puck’s arm, quickly pulling him to his feet. “Come on, Eugene, let’s put an end to this…”

Vindicator took to the air, as Puck cartwheeled in and unleashed a flurry of punches at Weapon X, none of which landed.

“Gonna have to do better than that, mate!” quipped Weapon X, as he dodged a blast fired at him by Vindicator.

Sighing, Puck somersaulted backwards, preparing for another attack…

Elsewhere

Deadpool was stalking intently through the corridors of the Weapon X project. He had recently encountered Garrison Kane, who was there to rescue his girlfriend Copycat. After a brief scuffle with Kane, which resulted in Deadpool letting Garrison leave with Copycat, he then ran into Black Tom Cassidy, one of the more recent Weapon X facility graduates and an old thorn in Deadpool’s side.

Deadpool had managed to get the upper hand on Black Tom though, until an explosion separated the pair. It seemed that all the fighting had caused the explosion, and Deadpool cursed the fates as he hunted down Black Tom once more.

He didn’t hear the sounds in front of him, because they were so soft that it would have taken amazing hearing to detect them. Before he can do anything, three guards leap out, and pin him down. One levels a stun weapon at him, and fires at point blank range.

“There.”

They all smile. Their new weapons and armour worked – they cannot be heard. And this Deadpool doesn’t seem like such a hard target. The one in the lead looks to his colleagues.

“Not so tough, is he?”

“Thanks, boys! I always thought that my own special brand of moisturiser would work! And now that I have your approval – Oh, *SNIFF!* It’s just *SNIFF!* – too much! Here, try this one out!”

Deadpool swings his arm to the side, knocking them all off him. He tosses a small object at them, which begins the secretion of the gas which will keep them there.

“Always did train the weakest fingers on the arm…”

I look up at the Juggernaut. He bends to help Wolverine, and as I get up, the two of them stare me down. The healing factor’s got a chance to do its’ thing, but now Logan’s coming towards me… coming to finish me.

I can’t let him see that the adamantium is practically gone, so I don’t bother with claws. I swing my fist and hit him in the arm, and he’s forced to use his other hand to swing at me. I reach up and grab his claws with my bare fingers, twisting his arm, and kick him, sending him flying. He comes back after me, slicing, clawing, fighting, and I retaliate, but not with the claws. We do this for a good few minutes. We keep fighting and fighting, until…

“Well, howdy boys, and you feminine types out there, especially the Jay Leno-ish guy. Oh wait, that’s Juggernaut!”

Deadpool steps out onto the field, levelling a weapon on us… Juggernaut runs forward, but Deadpool leaps to the side. Juggernaut turns to him, and Wolverine takes this advantage to swing his fist and smash it into the side of my head. I fall back, and he is on me again, but I kick him off me and over my head, so he lands behind me.

I’m still the best…

“Nice try, Jugs!”

I hear Deadpool’s voice as Juggernaut chases him around, leaving me with Wolverine. I put them out of my mind, and focus on Logan.

He dashes forward again, both of us on our feet. He runs into me, but I push back, and he flips me over his shoulder. I’m up again, swinging my leg and hitting him in the side, where he has already healed from my previous scratch on that same inch. He dives for me, teeth bared, and once again, I step over him and, as he hits the ground, I’m on my feet.

I don’t need the adamantium… I’ve never needed the adamantium!

I bare my claws, the adamantium is gone, and Logan finally sees the truth. I let him stare at the naked bone a moment, to savour the effect, but there’s no fear in his eyes, not any more…

I’m about to finish this, once and for all, when the Juggernaut slams into me from behind, and I go flying.

I wonder why I hesitated? Why couldn’t I just kill him? What’s wrong with me? Why wasn’t he afraid?

The questions dance around my mind as I slam into a tree, and the darkness comes…

Wolverine and Juggernaut walk up to Sabretooth. He lies where he landed, at the base of a tree he slammed into. The bark is splintered, the branches have mostly fallen off, and Victor Creed lies in a crumpled heap at its’ base.

“Damn!” says Deadpool, coming up from behind, slowly.

Wolverine glances at him, but they keep staring at Creed.

“You really gave him a spanking there, claws!”

“I know…” replies Logan, but his voice is elsewhere. Creed had lost his adamantium. They were even again, yet Creed had the advantage. He had been losing, but they were even. A mixed feeling of satisfaction and fear enter him, but he pushes the fear aside. Creed wasn’t good enough to keep the adamantium, and that has to count for something.

He turns as a scent wafts across the air. “Maverick…”

The Juggernaut suddenly notices that someone’s missing. “Where’s Deadpool?”

“I caught the scent of Black Tom on him,” said Logan. “Is he still peeved at Tom for cutting off his hand?”

“Yeah,” replied Marko. “Speaking of which, I’d better get after that maniac before he hurts Tom!”

Marko headed off to find Tom and Deadpool, and Logan sighed. If it kept Deadpool out of the way, then what the hell? He could follow Maverick’s scent, and he could also sense others as well. It smelt like Alpha Flight.

The big finale to this little drama was coming, and Wolverine flipped the cigar stub away and moved off, not giving Sabretooth another thought. There would always be next time…

I wake up… painfully…

Logan’s gone, and so is Marko, but I have their scents. Marko’s with Deadpool, and the runt’s with Alpha Flight. Next time, I’ll end it. The adamantium’s not important, not now. I’m still the best!

The runt thinks he’s won, but without his friends, he was mine! And he will be again… just as soon as I catch up with the runt!

Let them tear down the Project – they wouldn’t have helped much anyway. I should have just gone to Sinister in the first place, but I was afraid.

Like everything in life, it all comes down to fear…

During the whole encounter, none of them was aware of the woman watching them from the roof of the Weapon X building. She spoke into the headset she was wearing as Sabretooth entered the compound.

“…Creed also showed up just as you predicted, and he’s inside now…”

“Don’t worry about him, he’s not that important to what’s going on. Does this mean that everyone who should be there is there?”

“Everyone you said would be here, is.”

“Excellent!” The voice on the other side of the communicator paused for a second, “Did you acquire the information I need?”

“Yes, sir! Do you want me to go back inside and make sure the program gets shut down?”

“No need, I’m sure that the heroes will take care of that. Report back to base immediately. The information you have is far more important…”

NEXT: The climactic conclusion! It all comes to a head as Alpha Flight and Maverick take on Huxley’s Weapon X, Sabretooth hunts down Wolverine, and Deadpool deals with Black Tom Cassidy and the Juggernaut! After all this mayhem, will the project itself remain intact?