C114 Brothers?
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Peter walked down the halls of the Red Room with a smile on his face, having just left Rocket after a long and enlightening conversation. He wasn't the smartest person around, but Rocket’s ingenious ideas on how to counter Magneto’s magnetic abilities had boosted his confidence tremendously.
Because at the end of the day, if Magneto couldn’t use his power, then he was just an ordinary man, and Peter could kill any ordinary man with a twitch of his fingers. Not that he planned to kill Magneto—unless, of course, Magneto betrayed him and tried to kill him first.
As Peter walked, he decided it was time to set the date, location, and time for his meeting with Magneto. Pulling out his phone, he made the call. But, instead of Magneto answering, the woman from before picked up.
Before she could say anything, Peter cut her off. "Central Park in New York City, Saturday, 9 AM."
She tried to respond, but Peter hung up the phone before she could, a smile spreading across his face. He knew she was probably pissed off, and that thought amused him to no end. ‘Mystique is gonna kick my a*s when we first meet... or at least she’ll try.”
As Peter hung up the phone, he noticed two figures standing at the end of the hall, seemingly waiting for him. It was Logan and Peggy.
Peggy immediately noticed the smile on Peter’s face and said, "I'm guessing you came to a decision?"
Peter nodded. "Yeah, and I just set the meeting with Magneto. Where’s the Professor?"
Peggy looked at him, worry evident in her eyes, before replying, "Fury and Coulson flew him back to the school. He was worried about the children, so I had them take him back." She then asked, "Are you sure it’s a good idea to meet Magneto?"
Peter nodded again. "Yeah, I’ll be fine. And if it doesn’t go well, then you’ll have one less mutant terrorist to worry about."
Peggy furrowed her brow. "And you’re capable of doing that? You know, there’s a reason why we leave him be and let him operate unhindered. Magneto is one of the most powerful individuals on this planet."
Peter shrugged. "We’ll see. I haven’t seen his powers in action, so I’ll never know for sure. But I’m not going to this meeting to start a fight or kill anyone, so hopefully, it doesn’t go down that path."
Peggy nodded, still worried. "Where are you meeting? I’ll make some arrangements to assist you, should the need arise."
Peter shook his head. "I’d rather you didn’t do anything. Surrounding the area with snipers and agents would only put those people at risk and get in my way if a fight breaks out."
Peggy frowned, insisting, "At least let me come along."
But once again, Peter refused. "I’ll be fine alone, Peggy. I’d rather not bring along any potential hostages that can be used against me. I’ll be going alone."
Peggy seemed frustrated with his refusal, but she also understood his point. “Fine...” She agreed through gritted teeth, her reluctance palpable.
As an old, powerless woman, Peggy knew she would just get in the way if a fight broke out between superpowered individuals. Realizing this, she couldn’t help but regret not taking up Professor Erskine's offer all those years ago.
If she had, then she might have been able to come along, but sadly, it was Steve who became Captain America and not her. Thinking of Steve, the man she lost, Peggy’s mood turned somber, looking off into the distance as her mind wandered back, reminiscing about the past.
As she turned silent, Peter said, "Anyway, I’ll see you two later. I need to head back to Xavier’s school to deal with a few things." But as he tried to walk off, Logan spoke up, stopping him.
"You said I could speak with Sabretooth. Now's as good a time as any," Logan insisted.
Peter paused and glanced back, reluctantly nodding. He had to go back and figure out what was going on with Carol Danvers and try to convince Xavier that his plans to recruit Magneto weren’t idiotic, but he had made a promise, and he intended to keep it.
"Peggy, take Logan to the sparring room down the hall," Peter instructed, turning back the way he came. "I'll bring Sabretooth to you."
Peggy broke from her somber thoughts and nodded, gesturing for Logan to follow her.
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Minutes later, Peter dragged a restrained and still unconscious Sabretooth into the room where Peggy and Logan were waiting. As the door opened and Peter walked in, he tossed Sabretooth’s unconscious body into the center of the room.
“!?” The force of the crash jolted him awake as he hit the hard metal floor with a loud thud. *Bang*
.
Finally, after another few minutes of torture, Sabretooth gasped out, "Alright! I give. I give. You win this round..."
Logan paused, his grip loosening slightly. "Explain."
Sabretooth, bloody but healing swiftly, glared up at him. "What’s there to explain? We’re brothers, you a*shole."
Logan's mind raced, trying to process the information. "How? Why don’t I remember you?"
Sabretooth chuckled bitterly, wincing from the pain. "How am I supposed to know? I haven’t seen you in years. One minute you’re James Howlett, the next you’re running around calling yourself Logan."
Logan's frustration boiled over, his head aching as he tried to recall even a sliver of a memory that could back up Sabertooth’s claims. ‘Why can’t I remember?!’ His fists clenched, and he screamed in anger as he brought his fist down again, this time with all his strength, hitting Sabretooth squarely in the face.
“Ugh!” The force of the blow knocked Sabretooth out cold, his body going limp in an instant.
The room fell silent, the echoes of the confrontation lingering in the air. Logan stood over his unconscious brother, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
Seeing that Sabretooth was knocked out and Logan was finished, Peter walked up and patted Logan on the shoulder, trying to comfort him. “Hey, it’s—“
Logan, still tense from what just happened, turned rapidly and extended his metal claws at Peter. Peter raised an eyebrow and, with a thought, used the Force to stop Logan in his tracks, the pointy claws inches away from his face.
Realizing his mistake, Logan immediately pulled back and apologized, his claws retracting. "Sorry, reflex."
Peter smiled. "Hey, it's okay. You've had a stressful and revealing day. Just remember, whether he's really your brother or not, you're not alone in this. I'll help you figure everything out."
Peter then turned to Peggy. "Could you find a room for Logan?"
Logan shook his head. "You don’t have to."
Peter shook his head, smiling. "It’s fine. We have plenty of space, and I’m sure you’d want to remain close to your brother." He motioned to Sabretooth.
Logan muttered, "If he’s actually my brother and not just a liar."
Peter nodded thoughtfully. "Although you two don’t look very similar, your mutations are both animalistic. So the possibility of you two being related is there."
Logan frowned, considering Peter's words. Peggy, seeing the doubt in his face, added, "I can schedule a blood test to see if you’re truly related."
Logan perked up at that. "Thanks, Peggy."
Peggy smiled warmly. "Happy to help." She then walked over and gently pulled Logan along, taking him to find a room for the night.
As they left, Peter dragged Sabretooth out as well, returning to the ship to lock him up.
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Meanwhile, as the sun began to set over Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, in the dimly lit infirmary, Carol Danvers began to stir. Her eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the low light. ‘W-Where am I?’
Sitting up, Carol's gaze drifted around the room, a sense of unease settling over her. Her head throbbed with a dull pain, causing her to reach up to touch the back of her neck, feeling a small, unfamiliar lump beneath her skin.
She tried to sit up, but her movements were sluggish, her body refusing to fully cooperate. ‘What’s wrong with me?’
A cold shiver ran down her spine. Something was wrong—terribly wrong. She could feel an eerie presence in her mind, like a shadow lurking just out of sight. Her thoughts were muddled, her memories hazy.
Carol clutched the edge of the bed, trying to steady herself. Her heart pounded in her chest, a growing sense of dread overwhelming her as her eyes began to gloss over, her movements becoming robotic.
Soon enough, a chilling realization dawned on her: she was not in control.
A/N: 2145 words :)