Fic
Deception Of A Familiar Heart...
***
The work day was slow, the hot dusty air of the construction site was filled with the constant noise of drills and hammers, so loud the city sounds of traffic and voices seemed like a distant, low hum. All every worker could think about was getting the work done and over with as soon as possible and earn their pay.,
James went about his work mechanically, his thoughts elsewhere. The argument of the previous night still weighed heavily on his mind. Victor had told him to think, and think he did, he thought about it all night, was still thinking about it. He may be slow to finding the deeper meaning of things but he wasn’t completely incompetent at piecing things together. He thought he knew what Victor had meant, but there was some strange undertone to everything he did, unspoken meanings James wasn’t sure he wanted to know.
Relief from his thoughts came at approximately twelve o’clock noon, when his girl arrived. He bounded over to her happily and placed a light kiss on her puckered lips. She had brought him lunch and he gratefully took the brown paper bag she held out to him. He briefly wondered if this would be a good time to introduce her to his brother, but decided it was a bad idea.
Victor watched as James led the woman over to a bench where he started on the bag lunch. Doesn’t even bother to introduce me, he thought bitterly. He hadn’t spoken to James at all that day, when he left after their fight he hadn’t come back till the early hours of the morning and even left early for work. He was sure the entire thing had been dismissed from his brother’s mind.
Only on the way home from work did James finally speak to his brother, only to tell him that he had scheduled another night out, it was a few days off so he could use his pay to take her somewhere really nice. James noted the deepness of Victor’s scowl at this information.
When they entered their apartment the first thing James did was open up a beer. Victor could tell there was something on his mind, he could always read the little signs when his brother was troubled, like now as he was taking large gulps of the beer, his body language speaking of frustration and unease. It was apparent that his brother could read him just as well when James turned to him and stated, "you really have a problem with me havin a girl don’t ya."
Victor shrugged in response, "its your life why should you care."
James downed the rest of the beer, slammed down the bottle and leaned forward with his hands spread on the counter top. He breathed a deep sigh before speaking, "that kiss, wasn’t just to teach me, was it?"
Victor was silent for a long while, James could almost hear him thinking, going over all the possible answers that might defuse the situation. It seemed like any answer he could give would have the same awkward outcome. James was expecting him to stay silent, say nothing and leave it at that, it was the easiest way to deal with an awkward situation, with silence or a laugh.
Just as it seemed that silence would be the only forthcoming answer James heard Victor move, deliberately slow, like a hunting cat stalking toward its prey.
Victor pressed his body against his brother’s back, placing his hands on the counter on either side of him. James breathed in deep through his nose, he could smell the dreaded answer as clearly as he could feel it pressed against his backside.
Victor’s nose brushed against the back of James’s ear, warm breath caressed the skin as he whispered into it, "no Jimmy, it wasn’t."
James closed his eyes and felt the pounding of his own heart. His older brother had pretty well just admitted to an incestuous desire for him. Now it was his turn to choose a response. Silence? Laughter?
His thoughts were interrupted by the wet press of a tongue on the back of his ear, teeth following to trace the edge. It felt good. Despite the feeling of discomfort twisting his gut, the desire for pleasure momentarily won him over as a pair of hands slid up his arms and down over his sides to lovingly grip his hips. The rest of the world seemed to fade into the background, only the sounds of rough hands against fabric and the breathing of an open mouth at his neck, echoed painfully loud in his ears.
Victor’s desire had won him over and he lost himself in the moment, just feeling his brother’s body so close, so warm. He had expected James to be angry and strike him, and he knew that once his little brother’s mind finished processing his words and touch, that would likely come to pass. So he took what he could get while his brother remained passive.
The hands moved over his front, went low and cupped him through his jeans. James felt his cock twitch at the sudden, bold touch. He pushed Victor away, "we cant do that Victor!" he said firmly, without meeting his brother’s gaze, though he could feel the intensity of his eyes upon him.
"Why not?" Victor purred, "we’re brothers."
"Exactly! We’re brothers for god’s sake! And besides your not... Im not..." James stammered over his response.
"Not what Jimmy? Homosexual?" Victor replied, though he knew it was an argument he couldn’t possibly win, he wouldn’t go down without a fight. "We don’t have to be."
James rubbed a hand over his face, he couldn’t believe he was having this conversation. "Look Victor, I love you, you’re my brother," he said in a calm tone, "but we cant do that, an I’ve got a girl now."
There he goes, on about that damn girl again, Victor thought angrily. "It wont last," he told his brother again.
"How do you know...!?" James bit off the argument before it could start, and forced himself to keep calm. Victor could see he was on the edge of control. "Maybe you should go out an find a girl of your own."
"Women," Victor snorted with contempt, "frail, weak, only good for a fuck. If you haven’t got what they want you aint got no chance, an if you do have what they want they take it an leave! And what the hell have I got that any woman wants!?" Victor stepped up close to his younger brother, seeming threatening. "I don’t want no girl!" He captured James’s mouth in a rough, biting kiss, almost chewing on his lips.
Stunned, it took James a moment to react. He tore away from the kiss, the younger man’s blood smeared over both their lips, and threw a right hook that connected solidly with Victor’s jaw.
Victor turned back on James with a bloody laugh, it was all he could do. The punch had hurt more than just physically. He spat a mouthful of blood onto the tile floor.
James’s face was red with fury and he was visibly shaking from the barely held rage, "Im sorry Victor, but it cant be that way," he forced himself to say. He kept his stance wide, braced for an attack.
An attack never came. Victor just stared at him coldly, all arguments had been made, there was nothing left to be said.
James started toward his room. "Goodnight Jimmy," Victor threw at him, before he closed the door.
James didn’t sleep that night. He lay on his side staring over at the door, as though he expected his brother to burst in any moment and try to rape him, like he had done with so many women. If he were a boy then he would have been scared, alone with no protection. Victor was his protection, had been for years since they had run away together.
Goddamit Victor, why did you have to screw things up, James thought, things were going fine until this. But James still wasn’t as disgusted as he knew he should be.
The night was no less long and troubled for Victor. He wanted to go to his brother, to tear at his flesh with teeth and claws, feel it yield and watch in frustration as the marks knit back together. The thoughts exited him, but all he could do was put a hand to himself, he may have already gone too far. His thoughts were laid bare, Jimmy knew how he felt, but he didn’t
feel the same.
Jimmy would never feel the same as long as his delusions of a normal human life remained, as long as he believed anyone other than his own flesh and blood would accept him. Victor would fix that, he would make his brother see the truth of the world.
Victor knew what he wanted now, and he would do anything to get it.
***
The next few days passed slowly, the brothers hardly spoke two words to each other. Victor wasn’t giving James time to think, he knew his little brother wasn’t thinking, he was thinking for himself. The feral was never one to plan things, he made them up as he went along, more brawn than brains but he still had a fair amount of both. Ideas came and went, a few nasty ones stuck, but there was one unescapable conclusion. To save Jimmy from pain he would have to cause pain. Scarlet had to go.
The night of James’s date arrived, dressed his cleanest he left at the hour of six before Victor could even say, "have fun."
Victor watched him from the window, waiting until James was a ways down the street, before climbing out onto the fire escape. He Jumped over to the building across from him, claws finding easy purchase in the brickwork, and scaled the wall as if he were a cat climbing a tree.
This was a concrete jungle, trees replaced with tall buildings and everywhere was prey, but just one predator, he was made for it.
When he reached the roof he started to run, as his run reached its full speed he lunged forward, his paws griping the edge of the building before his feet came up beside them, and with a mighty leap he soared through the air to land on the roof of the next building. He continued his run on all fours, like a great cat, leaping from rooftop to rooftop. He caught sight of his brother on the sidewalk below crossing the street. It was too far for the feral to jump, so he climbed down to the alley and bolted across the street, nearly being hit be a car, he was in the next alley and up the wall before the driver could roll down his window to yell at him.
He kept a fair distance away as he followed his brother, to ensure that he would not be detected by James’s keen senses. He stopped when his brother crossed another street and walked up the front steps of a run down looking duplex. Victor watched from the roof across the street.
A short man answered the door after James had knocked. The man called into the house for someone, then turned back to James. They shared a few words before the woman came out, she was in the same red dress he had seen her in on Jimmy’s first date.
Victor smirked. The man was obviously the woman’s father, and Jimmy had daddy’s approval. They clearly weren’t rich, that was probably the reason she put up with James, used to the lower class.
James offered Scarlet his arm, which she took, and bid goodnight to the old man. They set off down the street. Victor followed until they reached their destination, a Japanese place this time, James always liked to try new things.
Victor watched as they took their seats, by the window seemed to be their favorite spot no matter where they went. He sank back into the shadows of the alley and thought about his next move. He had no plan when he followed them tonight, but he was confident that one would reveal itself.
Sure enough the plan came, as a large man entered the far end of the alley, he was dragging a female with him. She was resisting his every move on her, slapping at his hands and pleading with him to stop, the man laughed, her struggles encouraging him further. She finally got the break she needed and promptly put her knee to his tenders. The man doubled over in pain and the woman bolted toward Victor.
Victor grabbed her by the arm as she ran past and yanked her back, "where do you think your going?" he asked her, digging his claws into her skin. In the light flooding into the alley he could see her clearly, she looked up at him with frightened blue eyes behind the short blonde hair that hung around her face.
"Let go," she screamed at him. The man at the end of the alley looked up, having recovered from his injury, and started jogging towards them. Victor loosened his grip on her arm just enough, the knee came up.
Suppressing his fierce growl of fury he doubled over. It was something he’d never done before, he let a woman kick him in the balls and get away with it. He watched bitterly as she ran out into the street, he would have loved to fuck her hard enough that she bled and kill her slow, but letting her go was necessary.
"Damn, you let her get away!" the man said as he reached Victor. He was a bit taller than Victor was, a strong looking man in a grey suit and bowler hat. His accent was thick, he had the overall look of a gangster.
"Picked a feisty one," Victor said.
"Ya, and a real doll, shame to let her get away," the man answered, he looked out into the street as if contemplating going after the woman, but she was already gone.
The man didn’t seem at all intimidated by Victor, like most people would be, and seemed in no hurry to go anywhere. It was clear he considered Victor to be a man of like mind, which would make the next part of the mutant’s plan easier.
"Damn shame," Victor agreed, "but it just might be your lucky day." The man cocked his head slightly in confusion. Victor motioned around the corner to the restaurant, "see that pretty gal by the window, in the red dress?"
The man gave a whistle, "sure is a looker."
"An a real slut too, and that runt of a man she’s with aint no good," Victor reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a roll of bills, "I’ve got fifty bucks for ya to go pick her up, and an extra twenty for every hit ya land on the runt."
The man thought for a moment, the man in the restaurant didn’t seem like a runt to him, but the girl sure was beautiful and this man was going to pay him to pick her up and pick a fight with somebody, no self respecting gangster would pass up that opportunity.
He took the money and gave Victor a grin, "ya better have more cash on ya, your gonna owe me quite a bit by the time I get through with him." Victor returned the grin and stood by the corner to watch the exchange.
Victor had no intention of paying the man, he wouldn’t have to. Jimmy was strong and a veteran of many wars, no novice to fighting, the gangster would surely get more than he bargained for.
A sixth sense told James that trouble was approaching, having just sat down to enjoy their meal he hoped it wasn’t approaching them. But as his luck would have it, a large man walked right up to their table and addressed Scarlet.
"Hello pretty lady," he said in his overly thick New Yorker accent, "your lookin mighty fine this evening."
Scarlet’s blushed pink cheeks reddened and she shyly replied, "oh, thank you," she gave him a small smile and looked back down at her plate, trying to ignore the man’s presence, but he was so close the smell of his cologne made her want to sneeze.
"Were busy here pal, would you mind finding your own table," James said, as politely as possible.
The man ignored the woman’s date and continued to hit on her, "pretty thing like you deserves a better date than this guy, why don’t you come on home with me."
"Hey!" James stood up to put the man’s full attention on him, "she’s with me pal, and that’s where she’s gonna stay!"
The gangster turned to face him, pointed a finger and said, "stay out of it pal," he turned back to Scarlet, the finger came up to twine through a strand of her auburn hair, "what do ya say sweetheart, how bout it?"
The man nearly bit his tongue in mid sentence as a fist connected with the side of his jaw, he stumbled back. "Clearly you didn’t hear me the first time," James said, the punch was a warning, he hadn’t put full force behind it. He didn’t want to make a scene in public, especially in front of Scarlet, but he wasn’t going to give this man another warning. "Im not going to ask you again mister, leave us alone!"
More than a few people at surrounding tables had gasped out in surprise when the punch was thrown, Scarlet was startled and nearly everyone was looking their way. Typical of people, they don’t care until it comes to blows, then all they do is watch for their own amusement.
The man wiped a bit of spit from the side of his mouth with the back of his hand and grinned. He was glad James was the one to start the fight, the punch had barely hurt him, he was certain he would earn some good money and take home a beautiful prize.
"You just made a big mistake mister!" the man said, and he punched James hard the gut.
James doubled over, more gasps went around the room, he wasn’t expecting the man to start an actual fight in a public place, but this was New York. James could feel his anger rising, this man had no idea that it was himself who had made the mistake.
The feral caught the next punch that was aimed at him and returned the favor, much harder than before. The man was taken aback by the look on his face, something about it told him he shouldn’t continue this, but he wasn’t about to give up on his prize.
"James, maybe we should just leave," Scarlet said, hoping to end this before it got out of hand. She was scared, and she didn’t like the look on James’s face.
The gangster chuckled, "you’ll be leaving all right, you in an ambulance, and her with me."
With a primal snarl James lunged forward. The man quickly stepped aside narrowly avoiding the first punch, but the second came in fast at his ribs and he could feel them crack under its weight. The feral man lunged at the gangster again and the two crashed into a nearby table, its occupants jumping up and out of harms way as the table and their dinner went crashing to the floor, along with the two combatants.
James didn’t notice the split lip the man had given him heal over, didn’t notice much of anything as he rained down blow after blow on the struggling gangster beneath him. He was consumed by rage, snarling and growling like a rabid wolf, how dare this man challenge him for what’s his, Scarlet belonged to him. His fists tightened and his arm began to tingle, the familiar sting of something forcing its way between his bones and out his flesh.
James stopped the punch, a look of horror on his face when he noticed the tips of his claws protruding from between his knuckles, just inches from the man’s face. The gangster beneath him was cross eyed staring at them, his face beaten and bloody. James relaxed his hand and the barely showing claws retreated inside, then stood up from the man and backed away.
The gangster realized then that the fight was over for him, his only prize from this would be his life. He picked himself up from the floor and ran out the door and down the street, completely forgetting about the man in the alley.
Victor smirked, judging by the gangster’s reaction he had seen a hint of claw, but the rest hadn’t, or maybe he was just a coward. Either way his plan had the desired effect, Jimmy had lost control and his girl was scared. He could see her pressed against the window.
The two left shortly after. Victor could see Scarlet was shaken, both her hands were in front of her, holding her small hand bag between her and James as if it would offer some sort of protection. James was also distressed from the ordeal, he paced a few steps back and forth on the sidewalk, not knowing what to do. "Im sorry," James finally said, "Ill take you home." Scarlet didn’t say anything in response, she just followed, keeping a few good inches between them as they walked.
Victor’s triumphant grin took up most of his face, things had worked out better than he thought they would. This had been a good way to spend his paycheck.
He took to the rooftops once more, the night breeze seeming all the more cool and sweet as he ran. He would be home long before James, it would be as if he had never left at all, he would be there waiting as always for his little brother.
***
James had come straight home from his date after walking Scarlet back to her place. The distress was apparent in his features and body language, Victor might have been genuinely concerned had he not known the cause of his little brother’s distress. As it was he had to try hard not to smile, it wasn’t upsetting his brother that made him so happy, it was the success of tonight’s unplanned events.
James had predictably gone to the refrigerator first, but found it empty, he slammed the door in frustration.
"Date went bad?" Victor asked, drawing his brother’s attention. He had helped himself to the remaining beer upon his return, three bottles sat empty on the coffee table, a fourth one unopened in his hand which he held out to his brother and motioned to the spot next to him on the couch.
James took the offered bottle without hesitation and sat down. He opened the beer and downed half the bottle in one gulp.
"You didn’t answer the question," Victor said after a moment.
"Do I need to?" James asked, he knew Victor could already tell it went badly.
"Tell me about it," Victor said.
"I don’t want to talk about it." Of course that was the expected answer, Victor knew James wouldn’t pour his heart out on the first question, but with a little bit of prodding he could get his way.
"What happened, she leave you?" Victor was sure to act like he normally would in this situation, as if he knew nothing, not overly concerned just neutrally curious.
"No," James replied first, then quieter, "I don’t know."
Victor snorted, "How can you not know if the girl left ya?"
"Its complicated."
"Then explain!"
James slammed down the bottle and rubbed his hands over his face. "I messed up," he said. It was hard to admit that his brother had been right, that Victor’s prediction had come true, "I lost control, I showed her the animal."
And what a magnificent beast it was, Victor thought. "I told you it would happen."
"Ya you did, so just leave it!" James snapped.
Victor’s voice softened to the level of sensitive conversation, "what happened?" he asked. It was clear James was more than a little upset, Victor could feel him shaking through the couch.
James rested his elbows on his knees and folded his hands, he sighed, trying to calm himself enough to speak. "There was this gangster, he came into the restaurant we were in and started hitin on Scarlet, an I asked him to leave, the basterd wouldn’t quit. I got angry an hit him."
"Didn’t like him movin in on your territory," Victor concluded. He knew, because he was the same way.
"More than that, I beat the shit out of the guy, I completely lost control and, god, I almost let the claws out." James hid his face in his hands in shame, beating up the gangster and nearly showing everyone in the place he was a mutant didn’t scare him as much as the fact that Victor was right, not only about how he would lose control but about why it would happen. There was a moment in that fight when he thought of Scarlet as nothing more than a possession, his territory. He had fought to protect what he had considered as his, it was the way animals thought, and what if the gangster had been an innocent person, would he have killed him simply because he got too close? And Scarlet wasn’t a possession, she was a person, it made him angry at himself that he would think of her that way.
"Well, if you almost let the claws out then you didn’t completely lose control," Victor said, though clearly it didn’t make his little brother feel any better.
Victor sighed and moved closer to drape an arm around his brother’s bent shoulders. He was relieved when James didn’t pull away. "Look Jimmy, don’t go beatin yourself up over this shit, the guy deserved what he got, an any girl is damn lucky to have someone to fight for em." Victor would play the nice guy, he would be the caring big brother, he didn’t even need to pretend, Victor had always cared for James more than anyone else in the world.
His words seemed to have a slight impact, James was no cheerier, but he leaned slightly into his brother. "I don’t want to lose her Vic."
His heartfelt admittance touched Victor’s heart, it jumped suddenly, only in anger. He couldn’t lose his brother to this woman, or to anyone.
"If she’d throw you away because of a little over protective violence she’s not worth it," Victor said.
"Maybe she just needs some time, and I have to try harder." Victor’s anger spiked. At this moment his brother reminded him of the young, weak James Howlett, trying so hard to please his father. His hand flexed on James’s shoulder, the claws lengthening and digging in. "Ouch, what’s wrong with you?" James asked.
Victor relaxed and retracted his claws, "nothing," he said, "just hate seein you upset over some broad."
"When did you get so sensitive?"
Victor gave his brother a serious glare, "its called caring Jimmy, I’ve always cared for you."
"Sorry," James apologized. He knew Victor cared for him, but given how things were of late, he doubted Victor would be particularly upset over the prospect of him and Scarlet breaking up. "She’s not some broad, she cares for me, she’s the only woman I’ve ever met that I can get along with. She’s probably just shaken over what happened tonight, Ill give her some time, then Ill bring her some flowers."
Victor fought the flexing of his claws this time, by now he was seething with rage. All Jimmy wanted to do was please this woman. It was likely that if left alone she wouldn’t bother with James again, but he was going to go out of his way to bring her flowers! It was nearly sickening. There was the possibility that she wouldn’t forgive tonight’s incident, but what if she did, what if she was every bit the girl Jimmy said she was? No, he wouldn’t take any chances, she needed to go, permanently!
Victor forced a light chuckle, "I’ve said it before Jimmy, you’re too nice for your own good."
"And you’re a heartless basterd," James said with a small smile.
"Now that’s not true Jimmy," Victor put his lips to his brother’s ear, "I only have a heart for you."
James frowned, "you should be a romance novelist," he said, but he didn’t pull away from his brother, he could feel Victor smile against his ear. James’s frown deepened and his brow furrowed, "you’re really in love with me?"
"I’ve always loved you Jimmy." James didn’t bother repeating himself, Victor knew what he meant, and the way he was behaving now was a good enough answer. The hand that had been resting on James’s shoulder came up to twine a clawed finger through his hair as Victor’s nose nuzzled behind his ear. "Something wrong Jimmy?" Victor asked, noting his brother’s stiffness as James forced himself to keep still.
James sighed, sometimes he hated the way Victor used his name in almost every sentence he spoke to him. Jimmy, it was his nickname, the one Victor had given him and only he was allowed to use. It was a reminder of their childhood, when he had first received the name, and everyday since. The name said in a tone soft or harsh was just for him, and he never noticed before how his heart skipped a beat every time he heard it. It made him feel loved.
James came out of his thoughts to notice that Victor was pressed up beside him, breathing on the back of his ear, it seemed to be the place of focus and he couldn’t deny it had a wonderful effect. "Im grateful for your love Victor," James said, "but we cant have that kind of relationship," but still he did not pull away.
Victor ignored the statement and continued with the erotic puffs of breath on his brother’s neck. "Were so alike, you and me Jimmy," he said in his deep purring voice, "the only two animals of the same kind in a world of different species, no matter where you go or who your with we’ll always be soul mates." though the tone was seductive the words were true, the humanity spoke it but the beast felt it.
Soul mates, that felt right to James in every way. A soul mate could be a brother or a friend. James could think of no one better as a soul mate, no matter what they went through they had always been together since the beginning. Perhaps they didn’t have the same morals, but whatever evils Victor did there was an understanding between them, James understood that Victor’s beast was not his own but still a kindred spirit.
"Yeah, but lets keep this brotherly," James said.
"I am being brotherly," Victor insisted, as far as he was concerned there was no boundary line on brotherly love.
"No, your being a pervert."
"And your not resisting," Victor was right, James hadn’t moved to push him away like the first time, "give it a chance little brother, it could feel good."
James wasn’t sure anymore whether he was uncomfortable with his brother’s advances or not. His own beast told him it was right, to take his pleasure was a natural thing. But his humanity was the side he strived to keep to, and it was undecided. James finally concluded that it was awkward but he wasn’t disgusted.
"Come on Jimmy, give in to it." Victor gently guided him back against the armrest of the couch as he took his brother’s lips between his own. James seemed compliant at first, but after a few seconds into the kiss he turned his face away.
"Victor, no," he didn’t want to encourage his brother’s perverse behavior.
Victor bared his teeth and growled, a clawed hand lightly brushed through course facial hair to grip his brother’s jaw and turn it to face him, "humor me Jimmy, just let yourself feel good for once. You can think of it as teaching if it makes you feel better about it."
"I remember the last time you tried to teach me how to kiss."
"Doesn’t work so good if you don’t stick around to learn."
James sighed through his nose, he could smell Victor’s arousal and knew he was the cause. Victor was only asking him for a kiss and he didn’t want to start a fight, he’d done enough fighting for the night. He had almost forgot about the fight, Victor had a way with changing subjects, perhaps it was better to take his mind off of it. He would indulge his brother’s fantasies this time, it was just a kiss between loving brother’s.
When it was clear James would no longer resist Victor put their lips together again, moving them slow. The younger man made a shy attempt at returning the kiss and became more enthusiastic as it deepened. Soon both men were giving passion to the kiss, their mouths open and relishing the taste of beer on their tongues.
Victor let a moan escape his throat, kissing his brother like this and feeling his body underneath him gave him the satisfaction he had been craving, but there was a need for more. The growing pressure in his groin as it was pressed to his brother’s leg nearly broke his concentration in the kiss, he was so hard it was painful. He pressed himself tighter against his brother, trying to gain friction, he wondered if he could get away with grinding.
The smell of Victor’s lust became heavy in the room, like an aphrodisiac, James wasn’t consciously aware of it as it gave rise to his own desire, he could hear nothing but the wet sounds of their mouths and the rush of air as they breathed through their noses. He had given in to pleasure. Hands roamed over the strong back of the larger man’s body, feeling the vibrations through it as Victor’s breathing became the constant rumble of a big cat’s purring.
It felt good to give in and succumb to the teachings of the body above him, soft, wet lips never breaking contact. How he would love to throw Scarlet down beneath him and kiss her like this.
Scarlet
As his humanity intervened with the beast’s pleasure James suddenly became aware of everything, the brush of claws on bare skin, his brother’s body grinding against him... "stop," he said, turning his head and pushing Victor off, "that’s enough."
Victor fought the urge to roar in frustration, he had been so close to release. "What’s wrong? Thought we were having fun."
"Im... Im just tired." James got up and headed for his room.
Victor would let him go, James had given in to the kiss, that was more than he could have hoped for. "You gonna finish your beer?" Victor called after him. James didn’t answer.
Despite his calm demeanor Victor was furious, bothered by his straining erection and the fact that his brother was still haunted by pathetic morals, or maybe it was that damn woman.
He grabbed the bottle from the coffee table and downed the rest of the now warm beer.
***
Barely a day passed since the incident at the restaurant. James was still holding off on seeing Scarlet, giving her time to think things over.
As the brothers made their way home from work that evening James stopped to look at the arrangements in the window of a florist shop. Victor waited for James as he examined the flowers, trying to decide which one Scarlet would like best, he suspected it would come down to which one smelled the sweetest rather than visual beauty, they were all beautiful.
"Most of those will be gone by tomorrow," Victor told him. It was out of place to see his brother putting serious thought into a gift for someone, they rarely gave gifts to each other and when they did it was a random choice. The most prized gift Victor had been given from James was a silver belt buckle in the shape of a tiger’s fangs, James had randomly picked it up because it reminded him of Victor’s own fanged smile. Gifts of thought were the ones that meant something, Victor wore the buckle everyday he wore pants and James kept the lighter Victor had given him even though he rarely used it.
"Just pricing them," James replied, "for when I see Scarlet." Neither of them knew how much longer James would wait, Victor knew he had to act soon before his brother did. Scarlet might give James a second chance, but Victor wouldn’t.
They bought four cases of cheap beer, each man carrying two, and left the rest of the money aside to pay the landlord. They didn’t bother with anything else, their fridge was stocked with bacon and their cupboards with bread and cans.
When they arrived at the apartment James took out a beer for himself and placed it in freezer to get it cool faster, then put the rest in the fridge. "You hungry?" he asked.
"Not really," Victor replied, taking off his work clothes, "what we got?"
James opened the cupboard to see exactly what they had, and sighed, "spam, spam and more spam."
Victor made a disgusted face, "I don’t like spam." The spam seemed like a good idea to stock up on at the time, the stuff never went bad, but its contents were questionable and the taste was nothing like any meat they’d ever had.
"Maybe we shoulda picked up somethin else." James took out a can of spam and opened it, spreading its contents on a slice of bread. "Its not that bad, sure you don’t want some?"
"No, I don’t." Victor had changed into some clean clothes and was lacing up his boots. "Im gonna go out."
"Where?" James asked through a mouthful of spam.
"Don’t know yet."
"Want me to come with you?"
"Nah, you stay here and get some rest, you’ve been complaining how tired you were all day," Victor walked over and ruffled his little brother’s hair, he turned his nose up at the stench of dirt and sweat, "and you need a shower."
"Could use one yourself," James retorted. But James was tired, his thoughts had kept him awake most of the previous night. Staying in for the night sounded like a good idea.
Victor chuckled, "I might just get one, it looks like rain tonight." he threw on his jacket and headed for the door, "I wont be out too long, enjoy your spam."
"I will," James said to the closing door.
It did indeed seem like the sky would open up at any minute, dark clouds hung above the city illuminated by the orange rays of the setting sun. the air was moist and thick and its pressure suggested a thunder storm. The conditions were perfect for Victor as he set out, again with no plan but with a clear destination.
He walked briskly down the street a ways, but the pace was still too slow. His heart pounded with the excitement of what was to come, a demand for action and speed. The feral couldn’t resist taking to the rooftops as he had done before, leaping from building to building with all four powerful limbs propelling him.
When he reached his destination he dropped down between two identical duplexes and studied the target one across the street. By now the sun had set and his eyes nearly glowed with malice in the darkness, a deep growl resounded in his chest mirroring the distant thunder. Through the window on the left he could see his prey, standing at the kitchen sink washing dishes, her old man nowhere in sight.
Victor’s teeth flashed in a wicked grin, he licked his lips in anticipation and moved out from the shadows. The street was quiet and not a single car had passed since he arrived, he had no qualms about simply walking across the street and up to the front door. He raised his hand to knock when he heard voices inside, the old man speaking to his daughter. So she wasn’t alone, that was fine, he would just have to kill them both.
Rationality took over then and he started to rethink his course of action. Senseless murder would likely cause a scene, and even if he disposed of the bodies their sudden disappearance might warrant his brother’s suspicion. He wouldn’t achieve his goal by simply killing the girl, he needed Jimmy to believe she left because of him.
Hearing someone coming Victor swiftly moved around the side of the building. The woman came out with a trash bag. She was dressed in working clothes, jeans and a button up blouse, not bad looking. She put the bag in the bin at the bottom of the steps and went back inside.
Victor’s primal urges told him to attack right then, when his prey was unsuspecting and vulnerable, but he held back.
Looking around the feral man spotted an open window above him, a single leap of his powerful legs took him up to the window and he slipped inside. The room was a small bathroom with an open door across from the window. He stuck his head cautiously out into the hallway and sniffed the air. With no recent scent of life on this floor he exited the bathroom and crept silently towards the two rooms at the front of the building, entering the one that smelled like it belonged to a female and closing the door behind him.
It was typical of any female’s room, with flowered wallpaper and a dominating scent of perfume. The perfume tickled his nose and disrupted his sense of smell, he wouldn’t be able to smell anyone coming so he would have to rely on his ears. The most prominent feature of the room was a mahogany vanity desk, its quality suggesting it was an old family heirloom.
The desk proved to have other uses rather than just a place to apply makeup, upon it were framed photographs, one likely of Scarlets mother the other of someone who could be a sister or a friend, but the most interesting item was an open letter.
Victor picked up the letter, unfolded the paper and read it. It was about nothing that concerned him or his brother, but it did reveal that Scarlet had a close friend on the mainland. That little piece of information could work in his favor.
Victor’s keen ears picked up footsteps in the hallway, he placed the letter back on the desk and looked around for a hiding place.
Scarlet stalked into her room, going straight to her vanity desk and picking up a hair brush. She was frustrated as usual, she had been doing things for her father all day, every time she threw off the rubber gloves to take a rest there was something else that needed doing right away. She loved the old man dearly but wished he would get off his lazy ass and do something for himself for once. Not only that, she hadn’t seen her man in a few days, and wondered what would happen when she did, their last date hadn’t gone so well.
Her frustrations flew aside to curiosity when she glanced down at the desktop, to the letter her dear friend Mary Anne had sent her. Scarlet wasn’t the most perceptible person in the world, but she could have sworn she had left the paper folded when she had finished reading it earlier. She dismissed it as her having forgotten how she had left it and continued to brush her hair.
Scarlet immediately dropped the hairbrush when she looked back up into the mirror and her mouth opened in shock. She would have released a high pitched scream had not a large hand clamped tightly over her mouth.
She starred wide eyed at the intruder in the mirror, he leered back at her, exposing his pointed canines. The hand that covered the entire lower half of her face smelled like dust and dirt, the points of his nails dug into the side of her face. To her horror she saw that the man’s fingernails were hideous claws.
The man put his mouth next to her ear, starring her in the eyes through the mirror, and spoke in a deep voice, "hello Scarlet."
Scarlet was terrified, she had no idea how this man could have possibly gotten in, she didn’t know him but her knew her.
Without thinking she grabbed the closest sharp object off the desk, a nail file, and swung it at the man’s face.
The bold move surprised Victor, the sharp end of the nail file catching him just below the eye and tearing a gash across his cheek bone, he momentarily let go of the woman’s face. Momentarily was enough for her to wrench herself free and make for the door. But Victor caught her by the arm and pulled her back to face him, putting his other hand over her mouth so she wouldn’t scream.
Scarlet watched in horror as the cut on his cheek healed itself, she knew then that this man must be a mutant, no normal human could heal so quickly. A whole new wave of terror washed over her.
"You scream and I’ll kill you!" Victor growled, "understand?" Scarlet nodded and he took his hand away from her mouth.
"Who are you?" Scarlet asked, still wide eyed with fright.
"We’re not going to talk here," Victor replied. He could see her inching toward the items on her desk, even though there was nothing there that could possibly help her. She had guts, he’d give her that, guts he’d have fun tearing out. But guts and brains were very different things and clearly she lacked the latter.
Victor grabbed her by the arm, nearly dislocating it, and threw her across the room onto the bed. She let out a shriek and he was on her in an instant, claws digging into her face with more force as he held her mouth shut.
"Don’t even think about trying anything sweetheart!" he growled menacingly in her face, "you aint got a hope in hell of even hurtin me!" Scarlet’s eyes welled with tears and she nodded again, this time sincere.
Victor could smell the fear pouring off her, and he was loving it. He took a deep breath in through his nose, the stench of her fear completely overpowered the scent of perfume. He thought about taking her right then, but that would be adding insult to injury, even if Jimmy would never know, and he had to get this done and be home before morning.
"What do you want from me," Scarlet sobbed out when he released her. If it was sex he wanted she wished he would just take it and leave. But she wasn’t so lucky.
"You’re going to do exactly as I tell you," Victor purred, "if you don’t, I’ll kill you and your daddy," he lengthened his claws in front of her eyes to emphasize the threat, then added "slowly and painfully."
"Just tell me what you want," Scarlet pleaded. She didn’t want to die, and she certainly didn’t want her father to die because of her.
Victor got up and walked over to the desk. "It seems my dear brother has been courting you for a while."
Scarlet looked confused, then realization dawned on her, "James," she gasped in disbelief, "you’re... his brother..."
"Yes, and you are an interference."
"If you want me to leave him I will, I’ll never see him again..."
"That’s not enough!" Victor cut her off. It would have been easy just to leave it at that, she would leave James for good, goal accomplished. But he wanted more, and he couldn’t take the risk that she would tell his brother what he had done. He tapped the letter on the desk with a claw, "I see you have a close friend outside the city."
So he was the one who unfolded the letter, Scarlet made a mental note for the future that the little details were important. But what could her friend have to do with this, she didn’t want to bring trouble to her too.
"pack you suitcase," Victor ordered, "and don’t tell me you don’t have one, I was in the closet." The look of confusion was again on Scarlet’s face, she opened her mouth to ask why but he silenced her, "do it!"
She did as she was told, getting the suitcase from the closet and packing it full of random clothes. She didn’t take her time with folding things, the mutant man was watching her impatiently. When she had finished she closed the case and held out her hands in a "what now" gesture.
"Do you have any paper?" the mutant asked.
"There’s a notebook in the desk," Scarlet replied, "bottom drawer" she added when he went looking for it.
Victor tore out a piece of the paper and set it and a pencil in the desk, he pulled out the chair and bade her to sit. "Now, I want you to write a letter to James, in your own words, your going to break his heart." She looked up at him, appalled, James had been good to her, she didn’t want to hurt him, and why would this man want to hurt his own brother if he was indeed his brother? Victor put a clawed hand on her shoulder, "do it!" she reluctantly picked up the pencil. "Tell him that you’ve gone away because your afraid, tell him you can never be with someone like him." Victor read over her shoulder as she wrote, "tell him you saw his claws." It was clear by her pause that she didn’t know what he was talking about, but she wrote it none the less. It was turning out to be quite the heartbreaking letter.
When she had finished writing she put the pencil down with shaking hands. Victor ordered her to call a cab and clean herself up. She still didn’t know what more he wanted of her, but she would find out soon enough. When she had done everything he asked she stood before him and waited for further instructions.
"Take your suitcase out to the cab and tell daddy your going to stay with your friend, give him the letter and tell him to give it to James when he comes along," Victor told her, he could hear the cab driver pull up, "I’ll be waiting for you outside, don’t try anything, I’ll be watching and listening to every word you say."
Scarlet wanted to ask why, what this was all about, but it was clear the man would not answer her, and with his viable threats she had no choice but to comply with his wishes. She took her suitcase by the handle and started out the door, she could feel the mutant man following her down the hall but when she risked a glance over her shoulder he had gone.
Her father was sitting at the kitchen table, he was holding a newspaper in his hands and was looking out the window, "there’s a cab outside," he said to her.
"I know daddy," Scarlet replied.
Her father looked at her suitcase, then at her, "you’re going somewhere?"
Scarlet almost let out the terrified tears that still stung behind her eyes, she didn’t know where she was going or if she would return. "Yes, Im going to stay with Mary Anne."
"Oh," he wasn’t worried, his Scarlet was a big girl now, she could come and go as she pleased. "A bit sudden isn’t it, and to be going this late."
"Im taking the ferry, it will be on its last run for the day."
"oh," he said again, though he was almost sure the ferry ended its last run at six o’clock in the afternoon. "But why so late?"
"Im scared daddy..." Scarlet blurted out, though she could hardly bring herself to say such a thing about the man she had been so close to for the past weeks, but apparently they hadn’t been close enough, "...of James."
He folded the newspaper and got up to put his hands on his daughter’s shoulders, "why, what’s he done?"
Scarlet took a steadying breath before answering, "he’s a violent man, I don’t want to be with him anymore, but Im afraid he might do something, so Im going to stay with Mary Anne."
"We should call the police!"
"No! He’s too dangerous, just please give him this when he comes looking for me," she handed him the letter, "and don’t let him in the house what ever you do!"
Victor smirked as he listened, unseen from the side of the window. The girl had done good, perhaps she did have an amount of brains in her pretty head. Victor got in the backseat of the cab, "wait up for my lady friend," he said to the driver.
Scarlet came out when she had finished saying her goodbys and got into the taxi, where she knew her kidnapper would be waiting for her.
"Where to?" the driver asked.
"The docks," Victor replied, "the lady has a boat to catch." the driver complied without question, he could see things weren’t right with the situation from the moment the woman entered the car, had suspected something from the moment the man told him to wait for her. He could see the woman’s discomfort and fear for the male passenger, but he didn’t seem to care. Victor scoffed inwardly, it was predictable, the only people who drove cabs were the lowlifes who couldn’t find a better job and were lucky enough to even know how to drive, they’d turn a blind eye to crime as long as they got paid.
After a ride in silence they reached the docks. They owed the driver seven fifty but Victor was a dollar short, "you got a dollar sweetheart? Im a little short," the woman emptied the change from her pockets and handed it over. The taxi driver drove off with a fairly generous tip.
Victor picked up Scarlet’s suitcase and led her to a secluded spot, behind a warehouse close to the water. The place was pretty deserted so he wasn’t worried about being seen or overheard.
"Alright mister, I’ve done everything you asked, are you going to tell me what this is about?" Scarlet demanded.
"Aint nothin to tell sweetheart."
"Stop calling me that!" she screeched in outrage, this man had brought her all the way out here and he had nothing to say to her? She was no ones sweetheart anymore, and at this point was sure she never would be again.
Victor smiled evilly at her, but that’s what you are," he mocked and stepped forward to twine a claw through a strand of her hair, "you must have a sweet heart indeed to have been with my dear brother for so long..."
She slapped his hand away, "Im not with your brother! I could never be with someone related to a monster like you!"
Victor’s back hand slap sent her sprawling to the ground, "you bitch," he growled, "you’d throw a man away on account of who he’s related to?" With a hand on her cheek Scarlet looked up at him through teary eyes. Victor felt no pity for her. He grabbed her by the neck and slammed her against the side of the warehouse, she gasped out in pain. "You’re the same as all those other no good whores," he snarled in her face, by now she was sobbing uncontrollably, "I cant have some dirty whore come between me and my brother."
"Damn you and your brother, monsters," Scarlet chocked out.
"Brace yourself sweetheart, your about to learn how much of a monster I really am!"
Scarlet’s eyes widened in fear behind the hair that clung to her tear stained face. More tears seemed forced from her eyes as the feral man’s grip on her throat tightened, screaming was impossible but she tried anyway, forcing a strangled squeak from her parted lips. Her eyes opened all the wider when she felt the terrible pain of claws slicing open her midsection and reaching inside to pull out her insides.
Victor let go of the woman’s throat and stepped away, allowing her to look down. Not even the thick scent of blood in the air could mask the smell of her pain and terror as she stared wide eyed at him, at the bloody end of intestine he held in his claws. Her eyes followed the organ down to her stomach where the rest of it was still attached, she was unable to scream for the pain had stolen her voice. Victor yanked the organ and Scarlet fell forwards, into the puddle of liquid as red as her name.
The feral man went into frenzy, slashing every part of the woman he could reach, mutilating her into something unrecognizable, he didn’t stop for many minutes.
When he did stop he surveyed his work, Scarlet no longer looked like a woman, blood was everywhere including on himself. He loved the smell.
Now he needed to get rid of the evidence. He searched the area, and inside the warehouse. He managed to find a cinder block and a chain. He wrapped the chain around what was left of the body and tied it to the cinder block, then threw it into the water. He threw the suitcase in after her and washed his hands.
He started for home, feeling triumphant. A clap of thunder sounded overhead followed by a flash of lightening. He didn’t have to worry about the blood, it started to rain.
***
***
The work day was slow, the hot dusty air of the construction site was filled with the constant noise of drills and hammers, so loud the city sounds of traffic and voices seemed like a distant, low hum. All every worker could think about was getting the work done and over with as soon as possible and earn their pay.,
James went about his work mechanically, his thoughts elsewhere. The argument of the previous night still weighed heavily on his mind. Victor had told him to think, and think he did, he thought about it all night, was still thinking about it. He may be slow to finding the deeper meaning of things but he wasn’t completely incompetent at piecing things together. He thought he knew what Victor had meant, but there was some strange undertone to everything he did, unspoken meanings James wasn’t sure he wanted to know.
Relief from his thoughts came at approximately twelve o’clock noon, when his girl arrived. He bounded over to her happily and placed a light kiss on her puckered lips. She had brought him lunch and he gratefully took the brown paper bag she held out to him. He briefly wondered if this would be a good time to introduce her to his brother, but decided it was a bad idea.
Victor watched as James led the woman over to a bench where he started on the bag lunch. Doesn’t even bother to introduce me, he thought bitterly. He hadn’t spoken to James at all that day, when he left after their fight he hadn’t come back till the early hours of the morning and even left early for work. He was sure the entire thing had been dismissed from his brother’s mind.
Only on the way home from work did James finally speak to his brother, only to tell him that he had scheduled another night out, it was a few days off so he could use his pay to take her somewhere really nice. James noted the deepness of Victor’s scowl at this information.
When they entered their apartment the first thing James did was open up a beer. Victor could tell there was something on his mind, he could always read the little signs when his brother was troubled, like now as he was taking large gulps of the beer, his body language speaking of frustration and unease. It was apparent that his brother could read him just as well when James turned to him and stated, "you really have a problem with me havin a girl don’t ya."
Victor shrugged in response, "its your life why should you care."
James downed the rest of the beer, slammed down the bottle and leaned forward with his hands spread on the counter top. He breathed a deep sigh before speaking, "that kiss, wasn’t just to teach me, was it?"
Victor was silent for a long while, James could almost hear him thinking, going over all the possible answers that might defuse the situation. It seemed like any answer he could give would have the same awkward outcome. James was expecting him to stay silent, say nothing and leave it at that, it was the easiest way to deal with an awkward situation, with silence or a laugh.
Just as it seemed that silence would be the only forthcoming answer James heard Victor move, deliberately slow, like a hunting cat stalking toward its prey.
Victor pressed his body against his brother’s back, placing his hands on the counter on either side of him. James breathed in deep through his nose, he could smell the dreaded answer as clearly as he could feel it pressed against his backside.
Victor’s nose brushed against the back of James’s ear, warm breath caressed the skin as he whispered into it, "no Jimmy, it wasn’t."
James closed his eyes and felt the pounding of his own heart. His older brother had pretty well just admitted to an incestuous desire for him. Now it was his turn to choose a response. Silence? Laughter?
His thoughts were interrupted by the wet press of a tongue on the back of his ear, teeth following to trace the edge. It felt good. Despite the feeling of discomfort twisting his gut, the desire for pleasure momentarily won him over as a pair of hands slid up his arms and down over his sides to lovingly grip his hips. The rest of the world seemed to fade into the background, only the sounds of rough hands against fabric and the breathing of an open mouth at his neck, echoed painfully loud in his ears.
Victor’s desire had won him over and he lost himself in the moment, just feeling his brother’s body so close, so warm. He had expected James to be angry and strike him, and he knew that once his little brother’s mind finished processing his words and touch, that would likely come to pass. So he took what he could get while his brother remained passive.
The hands moved over his front, went low and cupped him through his jeans. James felt his cock twitch at the sudden, bold touch. He pushed Victor away, "we cant do that Victor!" he said firmly, without meeting his brother’s gaze, though he could feel the intensity of his eyes upon him.
"Why not?" Victor purred, "we’re brothers."
"Exactly! We’re brothers for god’s sake! And besides your not... Im not..." James stammered over his response.
"Not what Jimmy? Homosexual?" Victor replied, though he knew it was an argument he couldn’t possibly win, he wouldn’t go down without a fight. "We don’t have to be."
James rubbed a hand over his face, he couldn’t believe he was having this conversation. "Look Victor, I love you, you’re my brother," he said in a calm tone, "but we cant do that, an I’ve got a girl now."
There he goes, on about that damn girl again, Victor thought angrily. "It wont last," he told his brother again.
"How do you know...!?" James bit off the argument before it could start, and forced himself to keep calm. Victor could see he was on the edge of control. "Maybe you should go out an find a girl of your own."
"Women," Victor snorted with contempt, "frail, weak, only good for a fuck. If you haven’t got what they want you aint got no chance, an if you do have what they want they take it an leave! And what the hell have I got that any woman wants!?" Victor stepped up close to his younger brother, seeming threatening. "I don’t want no girl!" He captured James’s mouth in a rough, biting kiss, almost chewing on his lips.
Stunned, it took James a moment to react. He tore away from the kiss, the younger man’s blood smeared over both their lips, and threw a right hook that connected solidly with Victor’s jaw.
Victor turned back on James with a bloody laugh, it was all he could do. The punch had hurt more than just physically. He spat a mouthful of blood onto the tile floor.
James’s face was red with fury and he was visibly shaking from the barely held rage, "Im sorry Victor, but it cant be that way," he forced himself to say. He kept his stance wide, braced for an attack.
An attack never came. Victor just stared at him coldly, all arguments had been made, there was nothing left to be said.
James started toward his room. "Goodnight Jimmy," Victor threw at him, before he closed the door.
James didn’t sleep that night. He lay on his side staring over at the door, as though he expected his brother to burst in any moment and try to rape him, like he had done with so many women. If he were a boy then he would have been scared, alone with no protection. Victor was his protection, had been for years since they had run away together.
Goddamit Victor, why did you have to screw things up, James thought, things were going fine until this. But James still wasn’t as disgusted as he knew he should be.
The night was no less long and troubled for Victor. He wanted to go to his brother, to tear at his flesh with teeth and claws, feel it yield and watch in frustration as the marks knit back together. The thoughts exited him, but all he could do was put a hand to himself, he may have already gone too far. His thoughts were laid bare, Jimmy knew how he felt, but he didn’t
feel the same.
Jimmy would never feel the same as long as his delusions of a normal human life remained, as long as he believed anyone other than his own flesh and blood would accept him. Victor would fix that, he would make his brother see the truth of the world.
Victor knew what he wanted now, and he would do anything to get it.
***
The next few days passed slowly, the brothers hardly spoke two words to each other. Victor wasn’t giving James time to think, he knew his little brother wasn’t thinking, he was thinking for himself. The feral was never one to plan things, he made them up as he went along, more brawn than brains but he still had a fair amount of both. Ideas came and went, a few nasty ones stuck, but there was one unescapable conclusion. To save Jimmy from pain he would have to cause pain. Scarlet had to go.
The night of James’s date arrived, dressed his cleanest he left at the hour of six before Victor could even say, "have fun."
Victor watched him from the window, waiting until James was a ways down the street, before climbing out onto the fire escape. He Jumped over to the building across from him, claws finding easy purchase in the brickwork, and scaled the wall as if he were a cat climbing a tree.
This was a concrete jungle, trees replaced with tall buildings and everywhere was prey, but just one predator, he was made for it.
When he reached the roof he started to run, as his run reached its full speed he lunged forward, his paws griping the edge of the building before his feet came up beside them, and with a mighty leap he soared through the air to land on the roof of the next building. He continued his run on all fours, like a great cat, leaping from rooftop to rooftop. He caught sight of his brother on the sidewalk below crossing the street. It was too far for the feral to jump, so he climbed down to the alley and bolted across the street, nearly being hit be a car, he was in the next alley and up the wall before the driver could roll down his window to yell at him.
He kept a fair distance away as he followed his brother, to ensure that he would not be detected by James’s keen senses. He stopped when his brother crossed another street and walked up the front steps of a run down looking duplex. Victor watched from the roof across the street.
A short man answered the door after James had knocked. The man called into the house for someone, then turned back to James. They shared a few words before the woman came out, she was in the same red dress he had seen her in on Jimmy’s first date.
Victor smirked. The man was obviously the woman’s father, and Jimmy had daddy’s approval. They clearly weren’t rich, that was probably the reason she put up with James, used to the lower class.
James offered Scarlet his arm, which she took, and bid goodnight to the old man. They set off down the street. Victor followed until they reached their destination, a Japanese place this time, James always liked to try new things.
Victor watched as they took their seats, by the window seemed to be their favorite spot no matter where they went. He sank back into the shadows of the alley and thought about his next move. He had no plan when he followed them tonight, but he was confident that one would reveal itself.
Sure enough the plan came, as a large man entered the far end of the alley, he was dragging a female with him. She was resisting his every move on her, slapping at his hands and pleading with him to stop, the man laughed, her struggles encouraging him further. She finally got the break she needed and promptly put her knee to his tenders. The man doubled over in pain and the woman bolted toward Victor.
Victor grabbed her by the arm as she ran past and yanked her back, "where do you think your going?" he asked her, digging his claws into her skin. In the light flooding into the alley he could see her clearly, she looked up at him with frightened blue eyes behind the short blonde hair that hung around her face.
"Let go," she screamed at him. The man at the end of the alley looked up, having recovered from his injury, and started jogging towards them. Victor loosened his grip on her arm just enough, the knee came up.
Suppressing his fierce growl of fury he doubled over. It was something he’d never done before, he let a woman kick him in the balls and get away with it. He watched bitterly as she ran out into the street, he would have loved to fuck her hard enough that she bled and kill her slow, but letting her go was necessary.
"Damn, you let her get away!" the man said as he reached Victor. He was a bit taller than Victor was, a strong looking man in a grey suit and bowler hat. His accent was thick, he had the overall look of a gangster.
"Picked a feisty one," Victor said.
"Ya, and a real doll, shame to let her get away," the man answered, he looked out into the street as if contemplating going after the woman, but she was already gone.
The man didn’t seem at all intimidated by Victor, like most people would be, and seemed in no hurry to go anywhere. It was clear he considered Victor to be a man of like mind, which would make the next part of the mutant’s plan easier.
"Damn shame," Victor agreed, "but it just might be your lucky day." The man cocked his head slightly in confusion. Victor motioned around the corner to the restaurant, "see that pretty gal by the window, in the red dress?"
The man gave a whistle, "sure is a looker."
"An a real slut too, and that runt of a man she’s with aint no good," Victor reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a roll of bills, "I’ve got fifty bucks for ya to go pick her up, and an extra twenty for every hit ya land on the runt."
The man thought for a moment, the man in the restaurant didn’t seem like a runt to him, but the girl sure was beautiful and this man was going to pay him to pick her up and pick a fight with somebody, no self respecting gangster would pass up that opportunity.
He took the money and gave Victor a grin, "ya better have more cash on ya, your gonna owe me quite a bit by the time I get through with him." Victor returned the grin and stood by the corner to watch the exchange.
Victor had no intention of paying the man, he wouldn’t have to. Jimmy was strong and a veteran of many wars, no novice to fighting, the gangster would surely get more than he bargained for.
A sixth sense told James that trouble was approaching, having just sat down to enjoy their meal he hoped it wasn’t approaching them. But as his luck would have it, a large man walked right up to their table and addressed Scarlet.
"Hello pretty lady," he said in his overly thick New Yorker accent, "your lookin mighty fine this evening."
Scarlet’s blushed pink cheeks reddened and she shyly replied, "oh, thank you," she gave him a small smile and looked back down at her plate, trying to ignore the man’s presence, but he was so close the smell of his cologne made her want to sneeze.
"Were busy here pal, would you mind finding your own table," James said, as politely as possible.
The man ignored the woman’s date and continued to hit on her, "pretty thing like you deserves a better date than this guy, why don’t you come on home with me."
"Hey!" James stood up to put the man’s full attention on him, "she’s with me pal, and that’s where she’s gonna stay!"
The gangster turned to face him, pointed a finger and said, "stay out of it pal," he turned back to Scarlet, the finger came up to twine through a strand of her auburn hair, "what do ya say sweetheart, how bout it?"
The man nearly bit his tongue in mid sentence as a fist connected with the side of his jaw, he stumbled back. "Clearly you didn’t hear me the first time," James said, the punch was a warning, he hadn’t put full force behind it. He didn’t want to make a scene in public, especially in front of Scarlet, but he wasn’t going to give this man another warning. "Im not going to ask you again mister, leave us alone!"
More than a few people at surrounding tables had gasped out in surprise when the punch was thrown, Scarlet was startled and nearly everyone was looking their way. Typical of people, they don’t care until it comes to blows, then all they do is watch for their own amusement.
The man wiped a bit of spit from the side of his mouth with the back of his hand and grinned. He was glad James was the one to start the fight, the punch had barely hurt him, he was certain he would earn some good money and take home a beautiful prize.
"You just made a big mistake mister!" the man said, and he punched James hard the gut.
James doubled over, more gasps went around the room, he wasn’t expecting the man to start an actual fight in a public place, but this was New York. James could feel his anger rising, this man had no idea that it was himself who had made the mistake.
The feral caught the next punch that was aimed at him and returned the favor, much harder than before. The man was taken aback by the look on his face, something about it told him he shouldn’t continue this, but he wasn’t about to give up on his prize.
"James, maybe we should just leave," Scarlet said, hoping to end this before it got out of hand. She was scared, and she didn’t like the look on James’s face.
The gangster chuckled, "you’ll be leaving all right, you in an ambulance, and her with me."
With a primal snarl James lunged forward. The man quickly stepped aside narrowly avoiding the first punch, but the second came in fast at his ribs and he could feel them crack under its weight. The feral man lunged at the gangster again and the two crashed into a nearby table, its occupants jumping up and out of harms way as the table and their dinner went crashing to the floor, along with the two combatants.
James didn’t notice the split lip the man had given him heal over, didn’t notice much of anything as he rained down blow after blow on the struggling gangster beneath him. He was consumed by rage, snarling and growling like a rabid wolf, how dare this man challenge him for what’s his, Scarlet belonged to him. His fists tightened and his arm began to tingle, the familiar sting of something forcing its way between his bones and out his flesh.
James stopped the punch, a look of horror on his face when he noticed the tips of his claws protruding from between his knuckles, just inches from the man’s face. The gangster beneath him was cross eyed staring at them, his face beaten and bloody. James relaxed his hand and the barely showing claws retreated inside, then stood up from the man and backed away.
The gangster realized then that the fight was over for him, his only prize from this would be his life. He picked himself up from the floor and ran out the door and down the street, completely forgetting about the man in the alley.
Victor smirked, judging by the gangster’s reaction he had seen a hint of claw, but the rest hadn’t, or maybe he was just a coward. Either way his plan had the desired effect, Jimmy had lost control and his girl was scared. He could see her pressed against the window.
The two left shortly after. Victor could see Scarlet was shaken, both her hands were in front of her, holding her small hand bag between her and James as if it would offer some sort of protection. James was also distressed from the ordeal, he paced a few steps back and forth on the sidewalk, not knowing what to do. "Im sorry," James finally said, "Ill take you home." Scarlet didn’t say anything in response, she just followed, keeping a few good inches between them as they walked.
Victor’s triumphant grin took up most of his face, things had worked out better than he thought they would. This had been a good way to spend his paycheck.
He took to the rooftops once more, the night breeze seeming all the more cool and sweet as he ran. He would be home long before James, it would be as if he had never left at all, he would be there waiting as always for his little brother.
***
James had come straight home from his date after walking Scarlet back to her place. The distress was apparent in his features and body language, Victor might have been genuinely concerned had he not known the cause of his little brother’s distress. As it was he had to try hard not to smile, it wasn’t upsetting his brother that made him so happy, it was the success of tonight’s unplanned events.
James had predictably gone to the refrigerator first, but found it empty, he slammed the door in frustration.
"Date went bad?" Victor asked, drawing his brother’s attention. He had helped himself to the remaining beer upon his return, three bottles sat empty on the coffee table, a fourth one unopened in his hand which he held out to his brother and motioned to the spot next to him on the couch.
James took the offered bottle without hesitation and sat down. He opened the beer and downed half the bottle in one gulp.
"You didn’t answer the question," Victor said after a moment.
"Do I need to?" James asked, he knew Victor could already tell it went badly.
"Tell me about it," Victor said.
"I don’t want to talk about it." Of course that was the expected answer, Victor knew James wouldn’t pour his heart out on the first question, but with a little bit of prodding he could get his way.
"What happened, she leave you?" Victor was sure to act like he normally would in this situation, as if he knew nothing, not overly concerned just neutrally curious.
"No," James replied first, then quieter, "I don’t know."
Victor snorted, "How can you not know if the girl left ya?"
"Its complicated."
"Then explain!"
James slammed down the bottle and rubbed his hands over his face. "I messed up," he said. It was hard to admit that his brother had been right, that Victor’s prediction had come true, "I lost control, I showed her the animal."
And what a magnificent beast it was, Victor thought. "I told you it would happen."
"Ya you did, so just leave it!" James snapped.
Victor’s voice softened to the level of sensitive conversation, "what happened?" he asked. It was clear James was more than a little upset, Victor could feel him shaking through the couch.
James rested his elbows on his knees and folded his hands, he sighed, trying to calm himself enough to speak. "There was this gangster, he came into the restaurant we were in and started hitin on Scarlet, an I asked him to leave, the basterd wouldn’t quit. I got angry an hit him."
"Didn’t like him movin in on your territory," Victor concluded. He knew, because he was the same way.
"More than that, I beat the shit out of the guy, I completely lost control and, god, I almost let the claws out." James hid his face in his hands in shame, beating up the gangster and nearly showing everyone in the place he was a mutant didn’t scare him as much as the fact that Victor was right, not only about how he would lose control but about why it would happen. There was a moment in that fight when he thought of Scarlet as nothing more than a possession, his territory. He had fought to protect what he had considered as his, it was the way animals thought, and what if the gangster had been an innocent person, would he have killed him simply because he got too close? And Scarlet wasn’t a possession, she was a person, it made him angry at himself that he would think of her that way.
"Well, if you almost let the claws out then you didn’t completely lose control," Victor said, though clearly it didn’t make his little brother feel any better.
Victor sighed and moved closer to drape an arm around his brother’s bent shoulders. He was relieved when James didn’t pull away. "Look Jimmy, don’t go beatin yourself up over this shit, the guy deserved what he got, an any girl is damn lucky to have someone to fight for em." Victor would play the nice guy, he would be the caring big brother, he didn’t even need to pretend, Victor had always cared for James more than anyone else in the world.
His words seemed to have a slight impact, James was no cheerier, but he leaned slightly into his brother. "I don’t want to lose her Vic."
His heartfelt admittance touched Victor’s heart, it jumped suddenly, only in anger. He couldn’t lose his brother to this woman, or to anyone.
"If she’d throw you away because of a little over protective violence she’s not worth it," Victor said.
"Maybe she just needs some time, and I have to try harder." Victor’s anger spiked. At this moment his brother reminded him of the young, weak James Howlett, trying so hard to please his father. His hand flexed on James’s shoulder, the claws lengthening and digging in. "Ouch, what’s wrong with you?" James asked.
Victor relaxed and retracted his claws, "nothing," he said, "just hate seein you upset over some broad."
"When did you get so sensitive?"
Victor gave his brother a serious glare, "its called caring Jimmy, I’ve always cared for you."
"Sorry," James apologized. He knew Victor cared for him, but given how things were of late, he doubted Victor would be particularly upset over the prospect of him and Scarlet breaking up. "She’s not some broad, she cares for me, she’s the only woman I’ve ever met that I can get along with. She’s probably just shaken over what happened tonight, Ill give her some time, then Ill bring her some flowers."
Victor fought the flexing of his claws this time, by now he was seething with rage. All Jimmy wanted to do was please this woman. It was likely that if left alone she wouldn’t bother with James again, but he was going to go out of his way to bring her flowers! It was nearly sickening. There was the possibility that she wouldn’t forgive tonight’s incident, but what if she did, what if she was every bit the girl Jimmy said she was? No, he wouldn’t take any chances, she needed to go, permanently!
Victor forced a light chuckle, "I’ve said it before Jimmy, you’re too nice for your own good."
"And you’re a heartless basterd," James said with a small smile.
"Now that’s not true Jimmy," Victor put his lips to his brother’s ear, "I only have a heart for you."
James frowned, "you should be a romance novelist," he said, but he didn’t pull away from his brother, he could feel Victor smile against his ear. James’s frown deepened and his brow furrowed, "you’re really in love with me?"
"I’ve always loved you Jimmy." James didn’t bother repeating himself, Victor knew what he meant, and the way he was behaving now was a good enough answer. The hand that had been resting on James’s shoulder came up to twine a clawed finger through his hair as Victor’s nose nuzzled behind his ear. "Something wrong Jimmy?" Victor asked, noting his brother’s stiffness as James forced himself to keep still.
James sighed, sometimes he hated the way Victor used his name in almost every sentence he spoke to him. Jimmy, it was his nickname, the one Victor had given him and only he was allowed to use. It was a reminder of their childhood, when he had first received the name, and everyday since. The name said in a tone soft or harsh was just for him, and he never noticed before how his heart skipped a beat every time he heard it. It made him feel loved.
James came out of his thoughts to notice that Victor was pressed up beside him, breathing on the back of his ear, it seemed to be the place of focus and he couldn’t deny it had a wonderful effect. "Im grateful for your love Victor," James said, "but we cant have that kind of relationship," but still he did not pull away.
Victor ignored the statement and continued with the erotic puffs of breath on his brother’s neck. "Were so alike, you and me Jimmy," he said in his deep purring voice, "the only two animals of the same kind in a world of different species, no matter where you go or who your with we’ll always be soul mates." though the tone was seductive the words were true, the humanity spoke it but the beast felt it.
Soul mates, that felt right to James in every way. A soul mate could be a brother or a friend. James could think of no one better as a soul mate, no matter what they went through they had always been together since the beginning. Perhaps they didn’t have the same morals, but whatever evils Victor did there was an understanding between them, James understood that Victor’s beast was not his own but still a kindred spirit.
"Yeah, but lets keep this brotherly," James said.
"I am being brotherly," Victor insisted, as far as he was concerned there was no boundary line on brotherly love.
"No, your being a pervert."
"And your not resisting," Victor was right, James hadn’t moved to push him away like the first time, "give it a chance little brother, it could feel good."
James wasn’t sure anymore whether he was uncomfortable with his brother’s advances or not. His own beast told him it was right, to take his pleasure was a natural thing. But his humanity was the side he strived to keep to, and it was undecided. James finally concluded that it was awkward but he wasn’t disgusted.
"Come on Jimmy, give in to it." Victor gently guided him back against the armrest of the couch as he took his brother’s lips between his own. James seemed compliant at first, but after a few seconds into the kiss he turned his face away.
"Victor, no," he didn’t want to encourage his brother’s perverse behavior.
Victor bared his teeth and growled, a clawed hand lightly brushed through course facial hair to grip his brother’s jaw and turn it to face him, "humor me Jimmy, just let yourself feel good for once. You can think of it as teaching if it makes you feel better about it."
"I remember the last time you tried to teach me how to kiss."
"Doesn’t work so good if you don’t stick around to learn."
James sighed through his nose, he could smell Victor’s arousal and knew he was the cause. Victor was only asking him for a kiss and he didn’t want to start a fight, he’d done enough fighting for the night. He had almost forgot about the fight, Victor had a way with changing subjects, perhaps it was better to take his mind off of it. He would indulge his brother’s fantasies this time, it was just a kiss between loving brother’s.
When it was clear James would no longer resist Victor put their lips together again, moving them slow. The younger man made a shy attempt at returning the kiss and became more enthusiastic as it deepened. Soon both men were giving passion to the kiss, their mouths open and relishing the taste of beer on their tongues.
Victor let a moan escape his throat, kissing his brother like this and feeling his body underneath him gave him the satisfaction he had been craving, but there was a need for more. The growing pressure in his groin as it was pressed to his brother’s leg nearly broke his concentration in the kiss, he was so hard it was painful. He pressed himself tighter against his brother, trying to gain friction, he wondered if he could get away with grinding.
The smell of Victor’s lust became heavy in the room, like an aphrodisiac, James wasn’t consciously aware of it as it gave rise to his own desire, he could hear nothing but the wet sounds of their mouths and the rush of air as they breathed through their noses. He had given in to pleasure. Hands roamed over the strong back of the larger man’s body, feeling the vibrations through it as Victor’s breathing became the constant rumble of a big cat’s purring.
It felt good to give in and succumb to the teachings of the body above him, soft, wet lips never breaking contact. How he would love to throw Scarlet down beneath him and kiss her like this.
Scarlet
As his humanity intervened with the beast’s pleasure James suddenly became aware of everything, the brush of claws on bare skin, his brother’s body grinding against him... "stop," he said, turning his head and pushing Victor off, "that’s enough."
Victor fought the urge to roar in frustration, he had been so close to release. "What’s wrong? Thought we were having fun."
"Im... Im just tired." James got up and headed for his room.
Victor would let him go, James had given in to the kiss, that was more than he could have hoped for. "You gonna finish your beer?" Victor called after him. James didn’t answer.
Despite his calm demeanor Victor was furious, bothered by his straining erection and the fact that his brother was still haunted by pathetic morals, or maybe it was that damn woman.
He grabbed the bottle from the coffee table and downed the rest of the now warm beer.
***
Barely a day passed since the incident at the restaurant. James was still holding off on seeing Scarlet, giving her time to think things over.
As the brothers made their way home from work that evening James stopped to look at the arrangements in the window of a florist shop. Victor waited for James as he examined the flowers, trying to decide which one Scarlet would like best, he suspected it would come down to which one smelled the sweetest rather than visual beauty, they were all beautiful.
"Most of those will be gone by tomorrow," Victor told him. It was out of place to see his brother putting serious thought into a gift for someone, they rarely gave gifts to each other and when they did it was a random choice. The most prized gift Victor had been given from James was a silver belt buckle in the shape of a tiger’s fangs, James had randomly picked it up because it reminded him of Victor’s own fanged smile. Gifts of thought were the ones that meant something, Victor wore the buckle everyday he wore pants and James kept the lighter Victor had given him even though he rarely used it.
"Just pricing them," James replied, "for when I see Scarlet." Neither of them knew how much longer James would wait, Victor knew he had to act soon before his brother did. Scarlet might give James a second chance, but Victor wouldn’t.
They bought four cases of cheap beer, each man carrying two, and left the rest of the money aside to pay the landlord. They didn’t bother with anything else, their fridge was stocked with bacon and their cupboards with bread and cans.
When they arrived at the apartment James took out a beer for himself and placed it in freezer to get it cool faster, then put the rest in the fridge. "You hungry?" he asked.
"Not really," Victor replied, taking off his work clothes, "what we got?"
James opened the cupboard to see exactly what they had, and sighed, "spam, spam and more spam."
Victor made a disgusted face, "I don’t like spam." The spam seemed like a good idea to stock up on at the time, the stuff never went bad, but its contents were questionable and the taste was nothing like any meat they’d ever had.
"Maybe we shoulda picked up somethin else." James took out a can of spam and opened it, spreading its contents on a slice of bread. "Its not that bad, sure you don’t want some?"
"No, I don’t." Victor had changed into some clean clothes and was lacing up his boots. "Im gonna go out."
"Where?" James asked through a mouthful of spam.
"Don’t know yet."
"Want me to come with you?"
"Nah, you stay here and get some rest, you’ve been complaining how tired you were all day," Victor walked over and ruffled his little brother’s hair, he turned his nose up at the stench of dirt and sweat, "and you need a shower."
"Could use one yourself," James retorted. But James was tired, his thoughts had kept him awake most of the previous night. Staying in for the night sounded like a good idea.
Victor chuckled, "I might just get one, it looks like rain tonight." he threw on his jacket and headed for the door, "I wont be out too long, enjoy your spam."
"I will," James said to the closing door.
It did indeed seem like the sky would open up at any minute, dark clouds hung above the city illuminated by the orange rays of the setting sun. the air was moist and thick and its pressure suggested a thunder storm. The conditions were perfect for Victor as he set out, again with no plan but with a clear destination.
He walked briskly down the street a ways, but the pace was still too slow. His heart pounded with the excitement of what was to come, a demand for action and speed. The feral couldn’t resist taking to the rooftops as he had done before, leaping from building to building with all four powerful limbs propelling him.
When he reached his destination he dropped down between two identical duplexes and studied the target one across the street. By now the sun had set and his eyes nearly glowed with malice in the darkness, a deep growl resounded in his chest mirroring the distant thunder. Through the window on the left he could see his prey, standing at the kitchen sink washing dishes, her old man nowhere in sight.
Victor’s teeth flashed in a wicked grin, he licked his lips in anticipation and moved out from the shadows. The street was quiet and not a single car had passed since he arrived, he had no qualms about simply walking across the street and up to the front door. He raised his hand to knock when he heard voices inside, the old man speaking to his daughter. So she wasn’t alone, that was fine, he would just have to kill them both.
Rationality took over then and he started to rethink his course of action. Senseless murder would likely cause a scene, and even if he disposed of the bodies their sudden disappearance might warrant his brother’s suspicion. He wouldn’t achieve his goal by simply killing the girl, he needed Jimmy to believe she left because of him.
Hearing someone coming Victor swiftly moved around the side of the building. The woman came out with a trash bag. She was dressed in working clothes, jeans and a button up blouse, not bad looking. She put the bag in the bin at the bottom of the steps and went back inside.
Victor’s primal urges told him to attack right then, when his prey was unsuspecting and vulnerable, but he held back.
Looking around the feral man spotted an open window above him, a single leap of his powerful legs took him up to the window and he slipped inside. The room was a small bathroom with an open door across from the window. He stuck his head cautiously out into the hallway and sniffed the air. With no recent scent of life on this floor he exited the bathroom and crept silently towards the two rooms at the front of the building, entering the one that smelled like it belonged to a female and closing the door behind him.
It was typical of any female’s room, with flowered wallpaper and a dominating scent of perfume. The perfume tickled his nose and disrupted his sense of smell, he wouldn’t be able to smell anyone coming so he would have to rely on his ears. The most prominent feature of the room was a mahogany vanity desk, its quality suggesting it was an old family heirloom.
The desk proved to have other uses rather than just a place to apply makeup, upon it were framed photographs, one likely of Scarlets mother the other of someone who could be a sister or a friend, but the most interesting item was an open letter.
Victor picked up the letter, unfolded the paper and read it. It was about nothing that concerned him or his brother, but it did reveal that Scarlet had a close friend on the mainland. That little piece of information could work in his favor.
Victor’s keen ears picked up footsteps in the hallway, he placed the letter back on the desk and looked around for a hiding place.
Scarlet stalked into her room, going straight to her vanity desk and picking up a hair brush. She was frustrated as usual, she had been doing things for her father all day, every time she threw off the rubber gloves to take a rest there was something else that needed doing right away. She loved the old man dearly but wished he would get off his lazy ass and do something for himself for once. Not only that, she hadn’t seen her man in a few days, and wondered what would happen when she did, their last date hadn’t gone so well.
Her frustrations flew aside to curiosity when she glanced down at the desktop, to the letter her dear friend Mary Anne had sent her. Scarlet wasn’t the most perceptible person in the world, but she could have sworn she had left the paper folded when she had finished reading it earlier. She dismissed it as her having forgotten how she had left it and continued to brush her hair.
Scarlet immediately dropped the hairbrush when she looked back up into the mirror and her mouth opened in shock. She would have released a high pitched scream had not a large hand clamped tightly over her mouth.
She starred wide eyed at the intruder in the mirror, he leered back at her, exposing his pointed canines. The hand that covered the entire lower half of her face smelled like dust and dirt, the points of his nails dug into the side of her face. To her horror she saw that the man’s fingernails were hideous claws.
The man put his mouth next to her ear, starring her in the eyes through the mirror, and spoke in a deep voice, "hello Scarlet."
Scarlet was terrified, she had no idea how this man could have possibly gotten in, she didn’t know him but her knew her.
Without thinking she grabbed the closest sharp object off the desk, a nail file, and swung it at the man’s face.
The bold move surprised Victor, the sharp end of the nail file catching him just below the eye and tearing a gash across his cheek bone, he momentarily let go of the woman’s face. Momentarily was enough for her to wrench herself free and make for the door. But Victor caught her by the arm and pulled her back to face him, putting his other hand over her mouth so she wouldn’t scream.
Scarlet watched in horror as the cut on his cheek healed itself, she knew then that this man must be a mutant, no normal human could heal so quickly. A whole new wave of terror washed over her.
"You scream and I’ll kill you!" Victor growled, "understand?" Scarlet nodded and he took his hand away from her mouth.
"Who are you?" Scarlet asked, still wide eyed with fright.
"We’re not going to talk here," Victor replied. He could see her inching toward the items on her desk, even though there was nothing there that could possibly help her. She had guts, he’d give her that, guts he’d have fun tearing out. But guts and brains were very different things and clearly she lacked the latter.
Victor grabbed her by the arm, nearly dislocating it, and threw her across the room onto the bed. She let out a shriek and he was on her in an instant, claws digging into her face with more force as he held her mouth shut.
"Don’t even think about trying anything sweetheart!" he growled menacingly in her face, "you aint got a hope in hell of even hurtin me!" Scarlet’s eyes welled with tears and she nodded again, this time sincere.
Victor could smell the fear pouring off her, and he was loving it. He took a deep breath in through his nose, the stench of her fear completely overpowered the scent of perfume. He thought about taking her right then, but that would be adding insult to injury, even if Jimmy would never know, and he had to get this done and be home before morning.
"What do you want from me," Scarlet sobbed out when he released her. If it was sex he wanted she wished he would just take it and leave. But she wasn’t so lucky.
"You’re going to do exactly as I tell you," Victor purred, "if you don’t, I’ll kill you and your daddy," he lengthened his claws in front of her eyes to emphasize the threat, then added "slowly and painfully."
"Just tell me what you want," Scarlet pleaded. She didn’t want to die, and she certainly didn’t want her father to die because of her.
Victor got up and walked over to the desk. "It seems my dear brother has been courting you for a while."
Scarlet looked confused, then realization dawned on her, "James," she gasped in disbelief, "you’re... his brother..."
"Yes, and you are an interference."
"If you want me to leave him I will, I’ll never see him again..."
"That’s not enough!" Victor cut her off. It would have been easy just to leave it at that, she would leave James for good, goal accomplished. But he wanted more, and he couldn’t take the risk that she would tell his brother what he had done. He tapped the letter on the desk with a claw, "I see you have a close friend outside the city."
So he was the one who unfolded the letter, Scarlet made a mental note for the future that the little details were important. But what could her friend have to do with this, she didn’t want to bring trouble to her too.
"pack you suitcase," Victor ordered, "and don’t tell me you don’t have one, I was in the closet." The look of confusion was again on Scarlet’s face, she opened her mouth to ask why but he silenced her, "do it!"
She did as she was told, getting the suitcase from the closet and packing it full of random clothes. She didn’t take her time with folding things, the mutant man was watching her impatiently. When she had finished she closed the case and held out her hands in a "what now" gesture.
"Do you have any paper?" the mutant asked.
"There’s a notebook in the desk," Scarlet replied, "bottom drawer" she added when he went looking for it.
Victor tore out a piece of the paper and set it and a pencil in the desk, he pulled out the chair and bade her to sit. "Now, I want you to write a letter to James, in your own words, your going to break his heart." She looked up at him, appalled, James had been good to her, she didn’t want to hurt him, and why would this man want to hurt his own brother if he was indeed his brother? Victor put a clawed hand on her shoulder, "do it!" she reluctantly picked up the pencil. "Tell him that you’ve gone away because your afraid, tell him you can never be with someone like him." Victor read over her shoulder as she wrote, "tell him you saw his claws." It was clear by her pause that she didn’t know what he was talking about, but she wrote it none the less. It was turning out to be quite the heartbreaking letter.
When she had finished writing she put the pencil down with shaking hands. Victor ordered her to call a cab and clean herself up. She still didn’t know what more he wanted of her, but she would find out soon enough. When she had done everything he asked she stood before him and waited for further instructions.
"Take your suitcase out to the cab and tell daddy your going to stay with your friend, give him the letter and tell him to give it to James when he comes along," Victor told her, he could hear the cab driver pull up, "I’ll be waiting for you outside, don’t try anything, I’ll be watching and listening to every word you say."
Scarlet wanted to ask why, what this was all about, but it was clear the man would not answer her, and with his viable threats she had no choice but to comply with his wishes. She took her suitcase by the handle and started out the door, she could feel the mutant man following her down the hall but when she risked a glance over her shoulder he had gone.
Her father was sitting at the kitchen table, he was holding a newspaper in his hands and was looking out the window, "there’s a cab outside," he said to her.
"I know daddy," Scarlet replied.
Her father looked at her suitcase, then at her, "you’re going somewhere?"
Scarlet almost let out the terrified tears that still stung behind her eyes, she didn’t know where she was going or if she would return. "Yes, Im going to stay with Mary Anne."
"Oh," he wasn’t worried, his Scarlet was a big girl now, she could come and go as she pleased. "A bit sudden isn’t it, and to be going this late."
"Im taking the ferry, it will be on its last run for the day."
"oh," he said again, though he was almost sure the ferry ended its last run at six o’clock in the afternoon. "But why so late?"
"Im scared daddy..." Scarlet blurted out, though she could hardly bring herself to say such a thing about the man she had been so close to for the past weeks, but apparently they hadn’t been close enough, "...of James."
He folded the newspaper and got up to put his hands on his daughter’s shoulders, "why, what’s he done?"
Scarlet took a steadying breath before answering, "he’s a violent man, I don’t want to be with him anymore, but Im afraid he might do something, so Im going to stay with Mary Anne."
"We should call the police!"
"No! He’s too dangerous, just please give him this when he comes looking for me," she handed him the letter, "and don’t let him in the house what ever you do!"
Victor smirked as he listened, unseen from the side of the window. The girl had done good, perhaps she did have an amount of brains in her pretty head. Victor got in the backseat of the cab, "wait up for my lady friend," he said to the driver.
Scarlet came out when she had finished saying her goodbys and got into the taxi, where she knew her kidnapper would be waiting for her.
"Where to?" the driver asked.
"The docks," Victor replied, "the lady has a boat to catch." the driver complied without question, he could see things weren’t right with the situation from the moment the woman entered the car, had suspected something from the moment the man told him to wait for her. He could see the woman’s discomfort and fear for the male passenger, but he didn’t seem to care. Victor scoffed inwardly, it was predictable, the only people who drove cabs were the lowlifes who couldn’t find a better job and were lucky enough to even know how to drive, they’d turn a blind eye to crime as long as they got paid.
After a ride in silence they reached the docks. They owed the driver seven fifty but Victor was a dollar short, "you got a dollar sweetheart? Im a little short," the woman emptied the change from her pockets and handed it over. The taxi driver drove off with a fairly generous tip.
Victor picked up Scarlet’s suitcase and led her to a secluded spot, behind a warehouse close to the water. The place was pretty deserted so he wasn’t worried about being seen or overheard.
"Alright mister, I’ve done everything you asked, are you going to tell me what this is about?" Scarlet demanded.
"Aint nothin to tell sweetheart."
"Stop calling me that!" she screeched in outrage, this man had brought her all the way out here and he had nothing to say to her? She was no ones sweetheart anymore, and at this point was sure she never would be again.
Victor smiled evilly at her, but that’s what you are," he mocked and stepped forward to twine a claw through a strand of her hair, "you must have a sweet heart indeed to have been with my dear brother for so long..."
She slapped his hand away, "Im not with your brother! I could never be with someone related to a monster like you!"
Victor’s back hand slap sent her sprawling to the ground, "you bitch," he growled, "you’d throw a man away on account of who he’s related to?" With a hand on her cheek Scarlet looked up at him through teary eyes. Victor felt no pity for her. He grabbed her by the neck and slammed her against the side of the warehouse, she gasped out in pain. "You’re the same as all those other no good whores," he snarled in her face, by now she was sobbing uncontrollably, "I cant have some dirty whore come between me and my brother."
"Damn you and your brother, monsters," Scarlet chocked out.
"Brace yourself sweetheart, your about to learn how much of a monster I really am!"
Scarlet’s eyes widened in fear behind the hair that clung to her tear stained face. More tears seemed forced from her eyes as the feral man’s grip on her throat tightened, screaming was impossible but she tried anyway, forcing a strangled squeak from her parted lips. Her eyes opened all the wider when she felt the terrible pain of claws slicing open her midsection and reaching inside to pull out her insides.
Victor let go of the woman’s throat and stepped away, allowing her to look down. Not even the thick scent of blood in the air could mask the smell of her pain and terror as she stared wide eyed at him, at the bloody end of intestine he held in his claws. Her eyes followed the organ down to her stomach where the rest of it was still attached, she was unable to scream for the pain had stolen her voice. Victor yanked the organ and Scarlet fell forwards, into the puddle of liquid as red as her name.
The feral man went into frenzy, slashing every part of the woman he could reach, mutilating her into something unrecognizable, he didn’t stop for many minutes.
When he did stop he surveyed his work, Scarlet no longer looked like a woman, blood was everywhere including on himself. He loved the smell.
Now he needed to get rid of the evidence. He searched the area, and inside the warehouse. He managed to find a cinder block and a chain. He wrapped the chain around what was left of the body and tied it to the cinder block, then threw it into the water. He threw the suitcase in after her and washed his hands.
He started for home, feeling triumphant. A clap of thunder sounded overhead followed by a flash of lightening. He didn’t have to worry about the blood, it started to rain.
***