…SUCH MEN ARE DANGEROUS
PART FIVE
‘Shit. This must be what Christmas morning feels like t’kids.’
He was actually excited. This was the day he would find out if all his sacrifice was worth it—if his plan would come together. Sink or swim, he felt it could be put off no longer. Ororo had been with him for many months. The couple had been out several times, but he was always careful to stay well away from Westchester County—the home of the X-Men.
Today that would change.
The excuse: he had to see someone about becoming a new supplier for his construction company. The man owned a string of hardware stores, the main of which was in Westchester. Victor had casually mentioned that there were several antique shops in the area, and asked if Storm might like to join him, knowing full well that she would. As luck would have it, both the hardware store and the largest of the antique shops was located right across the street from a quaint diner where they could have lunch.
"Harry’s Hideaway. That name—seems very familiar to me." Storm said as she read the wood carved sign across the street.
"We use ta eat there a lot… when we were dating. Place might stir up some memories for ya."
"Perhaps."
"Look. You go inta yer shop. I’ll get my business done and come get ya in about 30."
"Alright." Ororo agreed.
"Hey, how ‘bout a hug first?"
Ororo smiled and happily complied, hugging him as tightly as he was her. This burst of sudden affection was a surprise to her, but not unwelcome.
When she was safely inside Natalie’s Naturals Victor leaned against the front of the hardware store, and waited.
He knew they were in there. Today was exactly six months since the explosion that “killed” Storm. They were predictable fools as far as he was concerned; always marking important occasions with a romp down to Harry’s. All he had to do was wait.
Ten minutes later, he walked out into the middle of the street and stopped, as the X-Men emerged from Harry’s. The group also stopped upon seeing him.
"Creed." Wolverine hissed under his breath. He stepped forward. "What do ya want Creed?" He demanded. This was the wrong day for Creed to be messing with him.
"Me? I don’t want nothin’."
"Yeah, and I got box seats t’the ballet."
"That’s nice, runt. Maybe you could lend ‘em t’my wife an’ me one night. She’s inta that kind o’ stuff."
"Wife? What kind o’ wigged out sadistic mental case would marry you?"
"Aw, she ain’t that bad. In fact," he slowly began walking closer to Logan. "I think ya might’ve known her… once."
He was now standing no more than a foot away from Logan. He side-stepped slightly so that he was in a downwind position to the shorter man. Logan, whose eyes had been cautiously narrowed towards his rival felt as though he had just been given a shock of electricity. His eyes widened for a moment. He couldn’t move.
‘No.’ He sniffed again, trying to dismiss the scent as a figment of his imagination. But it was there again. ‘No!’
Something inside Wolverine snapped then. He dived at Sabretooth, slashing at the taller man’s face with his now extracted claws. The two fell to the ground, rolled over twice, ending with Wolverine on top.
He grabbed Sabretooth by the shirt collar with one hand and held claws to his throat with the other.
"WHEREISSHE?!?!"
Sabretooth smiled up at him. "I don’t know what the hell yer talkin’ about."
"Logan, what--" Jean began.
"Storm! Her scent’s all over him, an’ it’s fresh!"
"Yer losin’ it old man. The only frail I been around these past weeks is my wife."
"WHERE—IS--SHE?!"
Sabretooth grinned and Wolverine drew back his arm to slash.
He was violently blasted off Sabretooth by a bolt of lightening.
"Get away from him!!!"
The X-Men looked up in collective shock. The source of the lightening bolt was quickly advancing towards them. The sense of disbelief and confusion was heightened when Ororo Monroe crouched down and protectively began pulling Sabretooth away from them.
"Victor, what--"
"These are the X-Men, Sweets."
"Ororo?!?! …My god… we thought you were dead!"
"I am afraid you will have to try harder next time." The red headed woman. She recalled her dream. This was the woman who had thrown the knife.
"I don’t under--"
"What are you doing with--"
"What the hell is going--"
Ororo was helping Victor to his feet as the man used the back of his hand to wipe the blood from his face. The wound Logan had given him had almost completely healed but the blood it left behind made for a nice effect.
‘This can’t be right.’ Betsy tried to penetrate Ororo’s mind, to find out what was going on. Ororo grabbed her head as she felt the intrusion, and her wall went up.
"Stay out of my head, mind witch!"
"Ororo what--"
"Listen well, and understand what I say. I will not be a part of your cause—your dream. I will never be amongst your ranks again. You will never make me an X-Man."
"Sto--"
"Just leave me and my husband alone. Leave us be. We want nothing to do with any of you. We just want to be left alone!"
"You heard the lady. She’s with me an’ she’s stayin’ with me. Live with it."
The intended of that last comment knew very well that it was meant of him.
Sabretooth wrapped an arm protectively around Ororo’s shoulder. "Come on, Ro. Let’s go home." He turned her away from them and they began to walk away. Sabretooth looked back over his shoulder, a devilish grin on his face. Before he turned back he mouthed the words CheckMate back to the group.
"Are we just gonna let them go?!" Rogue asked in bewilderment.
"She—she’s doin’ this of her own free will, at least she thinks she is—what can we do?"
Logan stood up. He had been sitting exactly where he had landed, since the moment he first heard her voice. He watched as the happy couple got into an ATV and drove off. He then turned and began walking back to the mansion, never once uttering a word.
"Logan…?"
When it was clear he was not going to answer, the others followed in suit.
* * * * *
"How the hell did this happen?"
"What are we going to do?"
"What’s his plan?"
"What’s he done t’her?"
"Has she been with him this whole time?"
"He’s ain’t a telepath."
"Why is he doing this?"
"There’s just one thing I don’t understand."
"Just one?"
"Well, we can probably guess that his motive for doing this is to cause us, or more specifically Wolverine, a great deal of pain."
"Well, duh. Move on."
"What I don’t understand," Cyclops said continuing, ignoring Rogue’s remark. "While I’m thankful he didn’t, if he wanted to get at us, why didn’t he just kill her?"
"‘CAUSE THIS HURTS MORE!!!" Logan shouted. He was standing in a corner away from the group.
"She was with him, cause she wanted t’be with him. I could smell that. I could sense it. I could see it in her eyes." Logan closed his eyes and cringed inwardly as he recalled the brief moment when Ororo had actually looked at him. It was with a stranger’s eyes. Worse. It was a look of anger, of hatred.
"I don’t know how he did it, but somehow he’s got her believin’ she’s someone else. It’s his game. If we want her back we gotta play by his rules—‘least fer now." He moved from his position and headed for the door. "Don’t do nuthin’ yet. Let him make the next move. I’m gonna get Ororo back--"
He paused in the doorway. "—Or die tryin’."
To Be Continued…