Lions Sleep Tonight
by
Ghost


Disclaimer: Not Mine.

Author's Note: Hi, this is Ghost. This is just a little X-Men Movieverse story I came up with and wrote down. It's really quite strange, but I'm posting it anyway. I don't know if it's any good. Please give me feedback, or I am soon to die.

"Sigh" Were did classic Sabretooth go? What happened with the way he looked during the Mutant Massacre? He was so cool back then. I miss him.

Archiving: Kielle, it's all yours. :) Otherwise ask me.

---

I am Logan, also known as Wolverine. I am a mutant, and if you're wise you don't want me as an enemy. About a month ago I was a loner, travelling around in my truck, fighting in bars for money. I didn't know who I was and couldn't remember anything for the past fifteen years. I couldn't even tell if I was man or beast. Then I ran into Rogue, and later Xavier and his X-Men. I helped them defeat Magneto and his henchmen, and since then I've found a home with them. I'm still not really clear on who I am, but I do know what I am. I am an X-Man. A man, not a beast.

But even though X-Men are fine people I'm still somewhat of a lone wolf, and that was why I ended up in that third-rate eating house in the middle of nowhere. I had just finished my grub and were just sitting there, thinking. I didn't find much on my little trip back to Canada, only a few clues. As the professor helped me put them together, we only ran into more clues, weak traces and questions. Sometimes you need to take a break and return to a place were you feel at home. So I stole One-Eye's bike again and hit the road.

Suddenly the door opened behind my back and yet another customer stepped in. He was large -- I could almost hear the floor protest under his weight. I could also feel his scent. It was a scent I recognised. I concentrated on not turning around and keeping my claws in my arms. I expected to hear the sound of roars and furniture being ripped apart. Victor Creed, aka Sabretooth, had arrived.

Nothing. He just walked right in. No screams, no roars, no carnage. Weird. I was sure he knew I was there; his sense of smell is just as keen as mine. His footsteps were coming closer.

"Hi there, Wolverine."

I looked up. There he stood, even though it was hard to recognise him. First of all, he had got himself a haircut. His golden hair was now much shorter and pointed up in two tops similar to my own. He wasn't dressed the same way either. He now wore a large brown jacket, jeans, and boots. All of this took most of that bear-like wildman demeanor away and replaced it with a aura of predatory strength. He still looked strong enough to tear the place apart, but without the furs and the hair he seemed slimmer and more agile. A perfect carnivore in human shape. The only thing giving him away except for his smell was those pitch-black eyes.

"Nice hairdo, bub."

"It curls naturally," he answered. "Don't think I'm some sort of fan of yours."

I looked around. No one seemed to pay any attention to us. Yet. "So, are we going to fight each other now?"

"I'm not sure," he said.

This did surprise me a bit.

"What do you mean, not sure?" I asked. "I thought you wanted to eat my liver. Last time we met I stabbed you and threw you off the Statue of Liberty."

"You wouldn't have won if it hadn't been for that one-eyed idiot Summers," he snapped. "Sure, I still hate your guts, but I've been thinking and I asked myself 'What is it all about?'"

"You've got to be kidding me!" I said. "Sabretooth, you'd stab a person in the back for fun. Are you telling me you're turning good?"

"I didn't say that," he responded. "It's just that...I don't know, lately I've been feeling depressed. Even killing people can't seem to cheer me up anymore."

"I can't express my compassion in words," I said sarcastically and smiled.

"May I sit down?" he asked and sat down in front of me before I had a chance to say no.

A waitress came over to our table. "Eh, will it be anything more?" she asked nervously. Sabretooth turned his black eyes towards her and smiled. It's times like that I'm glad I'm not a telepath like Xavier.

"I'll have another beer," I said.

"Same here," Sabretooth said. The waitress hurried away and I could sense the smell of fear filling the room. Most people had now noticed Goldielock's eyes and the mood was dropping rapidly. Sabretooth had also noticed, and he loved it.

"So," he said. "Did you find what you were looking for in Canada?"

"How do you know about that?"

"A little bird whispered into my ear."

"I hope it tasted well."

The waitress returned with our beers and then almost ran away.

Sabretooth gobbled most of his beer up in one sweep. "Ah! You didn't answer my question, Clawboy."

"I don't need to either."

Rage flamed in his eyes for a moment, but died away. "I guess so."

"Oh, come on! What's the matter with you?"

"I told you, I don't know," he started tapping on the table with his clawed fingers. Tacketi-Tacketi-Tack. "Ever since that fight on the Statue of Liberty I have been feeling down. Almost bored."

After this statement he stoped tapping and just sat there, as if he had just realised something. I finished my beer. He did the same.

"Well, too bad for you, bub," I said and stood up. "Sorry I can't be of any service right now, but if you should ever feel suicidal I might be able to..."

It was now that I learned a valuable lesson that I would have great use for during the rest of my life. Never, under any circumstances, ever turn your back on Sabretooth.

I felt his large hand grab a hold of my neck. He half threw, half pushed me into another table, which immediately broke into splinters. I rolled back on my feet. Snikt! I didn't care if the other customers noticed my claws -- Sabretooth had already ruined our little masquerade.

I turned around to face him and barely caught a glimpse of claws and muscles as he rampaged me. I hit a wall and fell to the floor, feeling a bit groggy. The overgrown cat picked up a table and was going to throw it on me. That's it! No more Mr. Nice Guy!

I got up again and slashed towards him. He held the table as a shield and my claws split it in two. By now the other guest were struggling to get out before the two mad mutants killed them all. Sabretooth and I were all over the place and the interior became totally trashed. The strange thing was that Sabretooth was laughing all the time, as if he found it all incredibly amusing.

Suddenly I felt a burning pain in my thigh. We both looked up and noticed that the owner of the place were trying to shoot us with a rifle. I grabbed a hold of Sabretooth and turned him towards the man, making my enemy into a living shield. Sabretooth manifested his disapproval of that idea by grabbing a hold of me and throwing me straight at the man. I have to admit that it worked. I slammed into the owner with my entire weight of muscles, bone and adamantium. He hit his head in the wall and passed out.

Sabretooth came after me again. I grabbed the gun and tried to hit him with it. He ignored it totally and, as if his powers had mysteriously grown, somehow managed to pick me up and throw me into the kitchen. There I hardly had a chance to recover before that bastard hit me in the head with a frying pan. Hard. While struggling to retain consciousness I noticed that the handle of the frying pan had been slightly bent. I was finished, and he knew it. He picked me up and held me around the throat with one hand and in the other he held a really big carving knife.

"Well, well, Wolverine," he said. "What am I to do with you now? You are hard to kill, I'll grant you that, but stabbing this knife through your heart and leaving it there should do the trick."

I waited for him to give me the coup de grace. Instead he smiled and let go of me. I fell to the floor and heard him walk away, laughing silently for himself. I finally got up and staggered out of the place. Then I hoped on Cyclops's bike and rode back to Westchester. The others asked me what had happened, but I simply went to bed and fell asleep.

I woke up the next morning and met with the others in Xavier's office, where I gave them a debriefing of last night.

"Strange," Scott said when I was finished. "Why would Sabretooth spare your life?"

"I don't know," I answered.

"Maybe just to humiliate you," Storm proposed. "You know, so that you will always know that he beat you."

"I doubt that we will ever know," Charles said. "Now we must get along with the day. This is a school, and we have a bunch of youngsters out there to prepare for life."

We all nodded and started to leave.

"Logan, wait," Xavier said. "I want to speak with you some more."

I did as he said and stayed behind. When Jean left the room she closed the door.

"Now tell me," the professor said. "You do know why he spared you, don't you?"

"I...I think so," I answered and smiled slightly. "If he'd killed me there, who would he beat up next time he is depressed and need a good fight?"

"And how do you feel about that?"

"Actually, quite good," I said. "It was a good fight, even though I lost. And next time I'll be ready for him."

"That's the spirit." Xavier smiled. "Now get some rest. You might heal faster then most of us, but you need to give your body a chance."

"Thanks, Charlie," I said and left the room. I walked back to my room and fell into the bed. My body didn't ache any more, but I was really tired. I almost didn't hear her enter the room, but I couldn't miss the smell.

"Hello, Logan," Rogue said quietly and put a gloved hand on my shoulder. Her touch seemed to make it easier for me to relax. "Ah heard about what happened. Are you all right?"

"Yeah, Rogue," I said and looked into her warm, brown eyes. "I am all right."

Next time, Sabretooth, I will be ready for you. Oh yes, I will be ready!



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