Sabretooth strode through the abandoned loading and unloading area, his military boots crunching on the cracked concrete with each step, crushing pebbles. He pulled out a map and gestured; he was almost out of the area. In about two hours, he'd reach the address Bullseye had mentioned. Thinking this, Sabretooth licked his lips. How would he torture that arrogant man now?
The Sabretooth smelled a few unpleasant odors drifting through the air. He frantically sniffed, the smell getting closer and closer.
A figure suddenly emerged from the shadows of the stacked containers and blocked his way thirty meters away.
The man was short, with his hands hanging at his sides. He wore a faded denim jacket, his beard covered half his face, and he had a cigar in his mouth, staring at him with an unfriendly gaze.
The Sabretooth paused for a moment, then grinned.
" Logan, instead of changing diapers for those brats at Xavier's School, what are you doing here blocking my way?"
Wolverine spat his cigar onto the ground and then spat. "Someone called me and said a mad dog escaped from its cage. I came to see if it was you."
"Mad dog?" The Sabretooth tilted its head, raised its hand to examine it, and its sharp nails instantly sprang out, gleaming coldly in the moonlight. "Then you've come to the wrong place. I don't have time to play with you today. Get lost."
"Where are you going, Victor?" Wolverine's Adamantium claws snapped out. "To find that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.? When did you become so obedient? So loyal to the Brotherhood? You really are a good dog."
"Fuck, I'm not anyone's dog." Sabretooth's eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint flashing in his vertical pupils. "Even if Pyro a piece of trash, he's still Mutants. He got beaten into a vegetable, Brotherhood didn't utter a sound. I can't afford to lose face like that. If you had any guts, you should have come with me, instead of standing here speaking up for an outsider."
"I don't care about outsiders." Wolverine took a step forward. "What I care about is you. You made a move in downtown New York City; it's not you who dies, it's the reputation of Mutants."
"Reputation?" Sabretooth let out a short, cold laugh. "Since when have you started caring about reputation? Have you been at Xavier's School for too long and been brainwashed by that old bald monk in the wheelchair?"
Wolverine didn't speak again. His response was a low growl and a flash of silver light.
The Adamantium claws sliced through the air, aiming straight for the Sabretooth's throat.
Sabretooth dodged to the side, then swung his claw at Wolverine's ribs. Both were veterans who had lived for over a century, fought countless battles, and knew each other's moves so well that they could anticipate each other's moves before the other even made a strike. The alloy claws and sharp claws collided in mid-air, producing a piercing metallic scraping sound and Mars sparks flying.
Wolverine punched Sabretooth in the chin, causing Sabretooth's head to tilt back slightly. He then retaliated with an elbow to Wolverine's temple. Both staggered back half a step before lunging at each other again. Sabretooth's claws pierced Wolverine's shoulder, Wolverine's claws tore open Sabretooth's chest. Blood splattered, leaving dark red the Spot on the concrete. The wounds began to heal within seconds, the flesh peeling back and growing back, leaving only a tear in their clothes.
This is a battle between two Beast with self-healing abilities—no probing, no holding back, every move is aimed at killing the other.
Just then, Wolverine's ears twitched. He heard a sound that shouldn't have come up in this place: the clicking of metal joints as a chair leg opened.
He jumped back abruptly and turned to look in the direction the sound came from.
On the second-floor platform of the old warehouse, a burly man over two meters tall had appeared out of nowhere, steadily placing a folding stool against the railing. He was carrying a plastic bag. Sitting on the stool, he pulled a packet of spiced melon seeds from the bag, tore open the packaging, grabbed a handful, crossed his legs, and adopted a posture like someone waiting for the opening credits in a movie theater, even waving to Wolverine below.
Wolverine was stunned. He had seen all sorts of reactions. Some people screamed and ran away when they saw him fighting, some were so scared that their legs went weak and they collapsed to the ground, and some people, oblivious to their own mortality, pulled out their phones to record. But he had never seen anyone like this before. Not only did they not know when they arrived, but they also pulled up a chair, sat down, and started eating sunflower seeds.
"Who the hell is this?" Wolverine turned to look at Sabretooth.
Sabretooth's expression became incredibly interesting in that instant. That guy was Lin Xiao, exactly like the one in Bullseye's photo, his prey. But shouldn't this prey be praying to God in his mansion right now? When did he get here? And he's even eating sunflower seeds.
"He's that agent," Sabretooth's voice squeezed out from between his teeth.
Wolverine's brows furrowed. The situation Storm described on the phone didn't match the scene before him at all. A person being chased shouldn't be hiding; why would he be sitting on a stool eating sunflower seeds? His gaze towards Lin Xiao shifted from displeasure to scrutiny, and then to an undeniable admiration. This guy's got guts, though he's incredibly annoying, he's definitely got guts, and he's not afraid of death.
"Hey!" Wolverine yelled at Lin Xiao, "What are you looking at? Get lost, or don't get involved if you don't want to die!"
Lin Xiao spat out two sunflower seed shells, his tone infuriatingly nonchalant. "I wasn't involved. I was just passing by, taking a break. You can fight all you want, just pretend I don't exist."
After saying that, he popped another sunflower seed into his mouth and chewed it with a loud crunch.
Once Sabretooth's attention was drawn to Lin Xiao, he didn't look away. He decided to ignore Wolverine and deal with this guy first.
The Sabretooth suddenly gathered its strength and leaped towards Lin Xiao. The concrete ground beneath its feet cracked as it kicked, and its ten claws, like ten short knives, opened wide in the moonlight, aiming straight for Lin Xiao's throat.
Sabretooth watched the man getting closer and closer, until it could even see the sunflower seed shells on his lips, the man neither dodged nor avoided it, appearing terrified. Good, just one more step forward and it could tear his throat apart instantly. Watching him fall to the ground, struggling in agony, a cruel smile curled at the Sabretooth's lips.
Just as the Sabretooth's claws were about to touch Lin Xiao, Wolverine crashed into him from the side.
The two rolled twice on the ground, knocking over a pile of discarded oil drums, and both fell off the platform. Their claws tore at each other's flesh as they tumbled, blood splattering everywhere. Wolverine Sabretooth to the ground, looked up at Lin Xiao, and roared, "Didn't you fucking hear me? I told you to get lost! This madman will kill you!"
Lin Xiao blinked, stood up, moved the stool back about three meters, and sat down again.
"Are you fucking crazy? I told you to get lost..."
Wolverine's voice abruptly stopped because he saw the guy pull something out of the plastic bag—a DV camera. He actually turned it on, pointed the viewfinder at the two of them, and pressed the record button with his thumb.
"It's alright, you guys continue, I know what I'm doing."
Wolverine's expression went through a complete cycle in a fraction of a second, from annoyance to confusion, from confusion to bewilderment, and then back to annoyance. He wanted to say something, but found that he had no idea what to say. Sabretooth also stopped struggling and stared blankly at Lin Xiao.
"Why did you stop fighting?" Lin Xiao poked half his head out from behind the DV camera and asked with a puzzled look.
The Sabretooth lay on the ground and suddenly let out a cold laugh. The laugh was low and muffled, sounding as if it were squeezed out from the depths of its chest, carrying a sense of sudden enlightenment after being fooled.
Logan, can't you see?
"What did you see?"
"This guy isn't a victim. He's a complete bastard. The two of us were risking our lives here for him, while he was up there filming and eating sunflower seeds. Don't you get it? He's making a fool of us."
Wolverine's face slowly darkened. There were two things he hated most in his life: being deceived and being used as a pawn. Now, both of these things had happened at the same time, and the culprit was sitting less than ten meters away, filming him as a souvenir.
Taking advantage of Wolverine's distraction, Sabretooth flipped him over with a paw and stood up. Instead of continuing his attack, he Wolverine off and gestured towards the second-floor platform with his chin. " Logan, call a truce. Let's beat that bastard up first. We'll settle our score later."
Wolverine got up from the ground and stretched his shoulder, which had been scratched by Sabretooth. The wound had healed, leaving only a hole in his clothes and a few dried bloodstains. He glanced at Sabretooth, then at Lin Xiao on the second-floor platform, and remained silent for a few seconds.
"... OK."
This single word represents the first genuine consensus reached between these two brothers who have fought for over a century, in their long and bloody history of conflict.
As Lin Xiao watched the two approach him from the left and right, a slight change in his smile finally appeared. He placed the DV camera on the metal stand beside him, keeping the lens pointed at the center of the area to ensure that everything that followed was recorded completely. He stood up, stretched his shoulders, and gestured to the two with both hands, indicating "don't be impulsive."
"Are you sure you want to gang up on me? I'm just a child! You can't treat me like this!"
Wolverine ignored him. Sabretooth ignored him too. The two accelerated simultaneously and charged towards Lin Xiao Lin Xiao, each throwing a punch at him.
With a loud bang, Lin Xiao was sent flying backward, crashing heavily into the guardrail.
Just as Lin Xiao was about to say something, the two of them reached out with their paws towards him.
Lin Xiao was furious, truly furious. "Let them punch me to vent their anger! Do they really think I'm easy to bully?" Lin Xiao roared, dodging the two men's claw attacks.
"Just because I'm not showing my teeth doesn't mean you think I'm Hello Kitty."
The two men ignored Lin Xiao's words and attacked one after the other. The Sabretooth arrived first, its claws slashing down from the right at a tricky angle with ferocious force, aiming directly for Lin Xiao's carotid artery. Almost simultaneously, Wolverine attacked from the left, his bony claws sweeping upwards, blocking Lin Xiao's retreat. Although the two had never coordinated before, they were both seasoned fighters; one blocked Lin Xiao's escape route while the other delivered the fatal blow, their coordination as if they had rehearsed hundreds of times.
Lin Xiao did not retreat. He dodged the Sabretooth's claw attack to the side, and at the same time raised his right hand, using the back of his hand to block Wolverine's Adamantium claws. The Adamantium grazed his skin, leaving a shallow bloodstain. Blood seeped from the wound, trickling down his forearm a few centimeters before stopping, and the wound began to heal within a few breaths.
Wolverine's pupils contracted slightly; this guy's healing factor was no worse than his own.
Lin Xiao glanced down at the rapidly fading scratch on his arm, his eyes flickering. Wolverine's alloy was indeed formidable. But that was about it.
He looked up, grinned, and that lazy smile returned to his lips.
"It's my turn to fight back."
There were no fancy moves, just a single punch. His right arm shot out like a released spring. The punch landed on the Sabretooth's chest with a muffled "thud," shaking the very air. The Sabretooth flew backward, crashing through the metal frame behind it, then through the wooden crate behind it, finally slamming into a pile of discarded tires, where it remained motionless for several seconds.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Wolverine pounced from behind, his alloy claws aimed at the back of Lin Xiao's neck. Without turning his head, Lin Xiao reached back with his left hand, grabbing Wolverine's wrist and pulling him forward. Wolverine was flung over his head, tumbling through the air before his back slammed heavily onto the ground, causing several spiderweb-like cracks to appear in the concrete.
Wolverine grunted, and before he could even roll over, Lin Xiao's foot was already on his chest.
"Don't rush. One at a time, I'll give you all a perm."
The Sabretooth crawled out of the pile of tires, blood dripping from its mouth, but its vertical pupils were even brighter than before. It had been a long time since it had encountered an opponent that could make it bleed. It let out a low growl, got on all fours, and pounced on Lin Xiao like a real tiger. Its claws drew ten cold streaks in the air.
Lin Xiao didn't even dodge. He was already tired of the game and ready to end the fight. He raised his right hand, his index and middle fingers together, and drew an incomprehensible gesture in the air with his fingertips. A tiny arc of electricity crackled from his fingertips, and five different colored lightning bolts lit up around him. The five-colored lightning coiled upwards, growing brighter and denser, until finally enveloping him entirely in a net of lightning. Red, yellow, blue, white, and purple lightning bolts wrapped around his arms, illuminating the entire dimly lit warehouse.
A flicker of panic flashed in the Sabretooth's vertical pupils, but its body was already in mid-air, unable to stop.
" Five Thunder Spell."
Lin Xiao pointed his finger down slightly.
Five colors of lightning exploded simultaneously. Red lightning struck the Sabretooth's back, yellow lightning slammed into Wolverine's chest, blue and white lightning struck their limbs respectively, and purple lightning exploded directly above their heads, illuminating the entire warehouse as bright as day. Arcs of electricity crackled in the air.
Wolverine and Sabretooth let out a simultaneous scream as electricity coursed through their bones, causing them to convulse, their muscles to spasm, and their teeth to clench. Their healing factor frantically tried to repair the charred cells, only to have each repaired cell burned away by a new current, creating a cycle that inflicted excruciating pain on both of them.
After a long while, the warehouse was completely silent. Occasionally, the crackling sound of an electric shock could be heard from a corner, and the air was filled with the smell of burning.
After an unknown amount of time, Wolverine and Sabretooth lay on the ground, both looking as if they had just been pulled from a fire—their clothes were ripped to shreds, they were still smoking, their hair stood on end, and their faces were blackened as if covered in charcoal ash. They looked at each other, slowly raised their heads, and looked at the culprit before them.
Lin Xiao stood at the edge of the platform, the five-colored lightning in his hand not yet completely dissipated, a few tiny arcs of electricity dancing on his fingertips. He looked down at the two still smoking figures, a lazy smile still playing on his lips.
"Are you convinced?"
Wolverine and Sabretooth struggled to get up from the ground, but they had no strength. They looked at each other and saw the same expression on each other's faces—shock, humiliation, and a hint of relief that they were unwilling to admit but which was present at that moment. Relief that this guy hadn't gone for the kill.
Lin Xiao stretched out both hands, one in each hand, and pulled Wolverine and Sabretooth up from the ground. The movements were casual, as if he were lifting two burnt chickens.
"Alright. Class is over." He clapped his hands, took two White Rabbit Creamy Candy out of his pocket, and stuffed them into the two students' hands.
Today's lesson is: Don't bully the weak with numbers. Go back and review your lessons carefully. If you make the same mistake again, it won't be as simple as just getting a perm.
Wolverine looked down at the candy in his hand, then looked up at Lin Xiao's smug grin. His mouth opened and closed repeatedly, but he didn't utter a single word. He'd lived for almost two hundred years, been beaten, insulted, and chased all over the world. But he'd never been beaten up and then given a piece of candy. This kind of humiliation—forget it, too embarrassing.
The Sabretooth reacted even more directly. He tossed the candy into his mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and mumbled, "... This is fucking sweet."