Xmen Big Bang: Companion to Beasts (1/2)

[chibifukurou]

Title: Companion to Beasts
Author(s): chibifukurou 
Artist: sparrowshellcat
Verse: X-men Origins: Wolverine
Disclaimer: This story was written for entertainment purposes. No copyright infrindgment is intended
Type: Gen
Word Count: 16,000
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Victor Creed, Remy Lebeau, and James Logan
Warnings: Mentions of past Medical Experimentation; Less than Healthy relationships 
Spoilers: Mild Spoilers for Xmen Origins
Summary: Victor didn't go looking for anything beyond a quick fuck usually, but he was bored. Centuries had passed since he and Jimmy had first left home, and nothing ever changed. Jimmy was pissed about him giving his inner Beast it's due again.

When he went to a Government Center that supposedly offered assistance to people in mental distress he was just looking for a way to pass the time until Jimmy cooled off and enjoying the thrill of sticking it to the system that had left him and his brother at Stryker's mercy. 

He wasn't expected that decision, and a fateful meeting with one of the Centers employees, a mechanically augmented Empath named Remy Lebeau to change the course of his future.
Author’s Notes: A big Thank You to Madame Marigold/Smoking Cougar for coming through for me as always. And another BIG THANK YOU to Sparrowshellcat for all of their beautiful art, make sure to go check it out.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Ao3 | Art Master Post

= = = =

Victor didn't often seek emotional support. He wasn't the type of man who needed to be supported or cared for.

He'd grown up in a broken home with a man who was more of a beast than a man. His brother had been the only highlight of his life, and he'd' taken after their father more than he wanted to admit.

He thought that Vic was the monster and maybe he was, but he'd long since learned that you had to give into the beast to make sure it didn't make you give into it. Cause if the beast chose the price there was no doubt that it would be much higher than what Vic would pick.

So he hunted when he needed to, he had sex when he needed to, and he fed when he needed to. It was as simple as that. If he was anything, it was too cautious.

He made sure that things were taken care of in a timely matter so that they didn't come back to bite him in the ass.

His brother might be the more civilized of the pair of them but he was also the less cautious, trying to act like he was human. Every few decades he got it into his head that he was a better man than Vic. Jimmy would go haring off after some bitch or dame and try to act the part of a family man. The only time Vic had ever seen it work out was when the dame had been just as messed up as his brother. He'd like Spring Waters. She'd been a tough broad and if she hadn't been a human, he'd have gladly welcomed her into the family. But she was a human and he didn't want her hurting his brother. There wasn't much point when she died a few decades after she got together with Jimmy.

It always worked that way though,

They'd die and Jimmy would get upset and yell that Victor was a monster and he wished his brother had never made him a monster too. Never mind that they'd both been born the way they were. Then he'd go running off and leave Vic to have the world, and his inner beast all on his own.

Vic hadn't bothered blaming him for it in a few centuries. Obviously there just didn't seem to be any point. He was a monster just like his brother claimed. The only difference was that he accepted it. The whores and the booze had been a progression of his loneliness. He was a pack beast and if he'd been abandoned by his pack then he needed to find a surrogate.

Once he'd even managed to settle down with a whore for a few months trying to understand what his brother saw in the quiet life. He'd ended up being robbed blind and with just as little insight as ever. This time though it was different. It had been a few decades since Jimmy's last trip away from Vic and there had been a lovely little technological advancement. Atoma's the new and improved Atomic companions, made to help anyone who needed emotional or physical support. They existed only for their partner, or companions' whims. At least that was how the stories went.

Vic had long since learned things weren't' that simple. Slaves were supposed to happily serve their masters not that long ago, and everyone knew how that turned out. He figured that in another few decades the Atoma's would be fighting for freedom, just like the slaves, woman, and mutants before them. Until that happened though he didn't feel much guilt in seeking one out for a bit of Companionship of his own.

The Atoma whore houses were different then the ones he usually frequented, more clinic than a brothel. Astringent scent and all. When he asked to meet with a Companion, the woman at the front desk, who'd gone so far as to wear scrubs, asked him why he needed one. He'd had to think for a second, coming up with a convenient lie.

It ended up that he didn't have to. While he was still trying to decide if he should claim to be distraught spouse whose wife had just died, or a parent who'd lost their kid, a lanky auburn haired kid came out from the back, to lean casually against the front desk. Like it was an everyday thing, having a six foot nine man,with claws, trying to make his way onto the premises to meet with one of their ladies.

"Let him in Gloria. We can feel him all the way from the back."

"You know that' isn't how it works." The woman, Gloria, said. Giving the young man a look over the top edge of her glasses.

Vic tried to figure out if saying something would help or hurt his chances of getting to see someone.

"Just let him through."

"Fine." She slipped a small stack of papers down onto a clipboard and secured them into place with a loud 'snap' that made him have to bite back an instinctive growl. She obviously wasn't too happy with what she was doing.

But Vic couldn't care less. He was getting what he wanted, and he could feel his beast beginning to calm down now that he knew he was going to get a chance to slake his needs.

It liked the scent of the man, who instead of continuing to lean against the desk, followed him to sit in the waiting room chairs only two chairs down from him. One, chair sitting between them to give him the illusion of privacy as he filled out the forms.

Giving that the man was shuffling cards in between giving him knowing looks. Victor had his doubts as to the validity of the clinic's claims about keeping their client's information private. Not that it mattered. He was filling the form with a load of hogwash anyway. According to the papers. He was Mister Victor, an ex-soldier who'd come to New Orleans on business.

The truth was a lot less kosher and a lot more fun, though if the lady at the front desk tried to call his contacts, Striker would be sure to say he was a soldier, just to make sure nobody went digging for further answers.

About halfway through, while he was trying to figure out what to say on his medical and insurance papers. At over two hundred years old he'd never bothered to get all the new fangled vaccines that were required whenever he came to a place like this. It wasn't like it mattered his healing factor would make sure he didn't catch, or spread anything that was going to cause any real harm.

The young man lit up a cigarette, the smoky scent helping to mask the smell of lemon cleaners that was soaked into the vinyl and cheap, laminate woods of the waiting room chairs. "So" He leaned over and made a bit show of looking at Vic's paperwork. "So, Mister Victor, why do you want to meet with me today?"

Vic stared. He hadn't realized this kid was an Atoma. He looked human and Vic had just assumed that he was some orderly come to make sure he dint' continue to harass Gloria or make trouble for any of the other clients.

He sniffed the air delicately, trying to get a scent that would prove that this guy was just playing at being human, but he smelled as real as he looked. Though that might have something to do with the cigarette smoke that covered up most of the more personal odor that clung to his skin. Vic would get a better read on him once they were in the back and he could get his hands on the boy. "I'm here on business."

"So your paperwork says. But you don't get that sad from business." He waggled his eyebrows. "Do you , 'Cher? No, that's the type of sadness you have when your Mo Cheri leaves you for another." The boy curled his lanky body back into his own chair pointedly looking away from the paperwork he seemed to know was as fake as Vic's supposed name.

"I'm not that kind of man. I don't fall in love."

His chuckle was earthy, with a hint of growl from the cigarette." Non? Then why you here?"

"There wasn't really an answer to that. Not even a lie that would cover all of the reasons ." It sounded like fun." He showed his teeth, as a sign to stop asking questions.

"Then I suggest you find somewhere else to be." He winked. "This place is anything but fun. It'll suck the life right out of you." He stood up then, lanky legs stretching and popping as he arched his back like a cat, fingers raised towards the ceiling. "When you're done with those." He pointed a finger at Vic's clipboard. "You go the Gloria and ask for Remy. He'll show you what it means to come to one of these places."

"Vic watched him go, and tried to figure out if this 'Remy' was the same young man he'd been dealing with. It seemed like it from the way he'd been flirting, but most people didn't talk like hey weren't even in the room. Well most people who weren't' Wade. Then again, what did Vic know about Atomas? They could all be just as crazy as Death-pool.

It only took him another ten minutes to fill out the paperwork. If he'd been answering any questions truthfully it might have taken longer, but he wasn't in the mood to admit that he was an illegal alien from Canada, from back when Canada and America had been at war. Or that he didn't have a social security number because he didn't pay taxes or have insurance.

He was a ghost in the wind, and Gloria could suck his dick if she thought he was going to blow his anonymity for a chance at one of her whores, no matter what their talents for. He plunked the paperwork down in front of her, scraping one of his nails deliberately against the metal clip to make sure she didn't bother trying at the game of ignoring him until he gave up and when away.

She gave him the same look over her glasses that she'd give the boy, the maybe Remy. Obviously whatever you learned when you went to the school to be a Madame involved having ice water in four veins. Because that was the exact same look he usually got when he went to a whore house and the Madame thought he was buying a girl. The only difference was the fact that she was wearing ridiculous yellow and smiley face scrubs and the fact that they were glaring at each other over a desk and a clipboard, instead of a bed and bourbon. "He said to ask for Remy."

"Did he now." Her lips pinched together.

"That going to be a problem?" He'd make sure it wasn't if he had to. He wasn't one for hitting women, unless they hit him first, but he wouldn't feel guilty about it either.

"No, no problem except that he has another appointment in an hour."

"I'll be fast."

She snorted. "You act like you're going to have a choice. It's up to the Atoma how long the sessions last. And Remy is a thorough automaton."

"I'm sure it won't' take that long and if it does I'll tell him to stop." Well he would unless he was having fun, then all bets were off.

She snorted again, but didn't try to make him change his mind or telling him that he wasn't going to have much choice again. Either she didn't care one way or the other about Remy's next appointment or she thought he was being stupid and reckless enough that Remy was going to toss him out on his ass as soon as possible to get rid of him. Vic didn't care which it was as long as he finally got back to meet with his Companion for the hour. He hadn't expected things to take this long when he'd come in. It if he'd gone to a whore house he'd have been in and almost out by now. After spending a fun filled hour tucking his lady of the hour's brains outs. This Atoma crap had better be worth it, or he wasn't going to be happy. He'd make sure both the Remy, and Gloria knew it too.

"She handed him a key card with the numbers 233 on it." Just take that back and push in into the slot next the the door with the number 233 on it. It will let us know when you check out."

"And they said you'll charge me for however long Remy decides he wants to keep me?"

"If Remy doesn't think he can help you, you'll be out in five minutes free of charge. So I really wouldn't worry about him trying to make this last longer than it needs to. It would be a waste of all three of our times for him to do so. Particularly when he has another client to help so soon. "

"That's good then.

"Though it was still strange that they didn't want a deposit down at least. Maybe Gloria liked to keep plausible deny-ability by never touching the money. It would be a smart way to run the business, though he'd never run into a successful warehouse that ran on that kind of principle. It never ended up working out. The whores couldn't trust someone who wasn't in the dirt just as far as they were and it tended to give the Madame airs, thinking that they was better than their workers. Not that they usually didn't think that anyway, but it was a different kind of better.

Taking the card from Gloria's fingers, he headed back down the hallway, following the path the boy had taken before. He could still smell the faint traces of the nicotine smoke from where the kid had gone, and he didn't bother being surprised when the smoke led all the way to room 233 and disappeared behind the door. If the boy had been going for a sense of mystery had failed miserably, though that probably had more to do with Vic than with him. Most of his clients probably couldn't smell him a mile away. He pushed the card into its' slot and waited for a moment until it was obvious that he wasn't getting the card back and the door clicked open.

The boy, now quite obviously Remy, was waiting for him on a bed. The room h ad the same clinical feel as the rest of the building. Right down to the scent of starch and the bright white walls, furniture, and sheets. Obviously someone had gone to a lot of trouble to make this place look like a legitimate treatment facility.

Too bad legitimate places didn't sell their good like whore houses, he'd have liked the idea of thumbing his nose at society by using a sanctioned way of getting his needs fulfilled. There was a certain amount of irony to that plan and it would have been fucking hilarious. Being able to bypass his brothers fucked up sense of propriety. His brother spends a few centuries trying to knock some civility into his head, only to have him be all civilized by getting his needs fulfilled.

That was the kind of shit that was just too funny to make sense to anyone else. It was like thumbing his nose as both his brother and society at the same time.

Remy smiled at him around his cigarette, his eyes didn't twinkle and he didn't even appear all that happy, but for some reason it felt like Vic had just taken the best hit of drugs he'd ever had. Like slaking his blood-lust and cuddling his brother at the same time. "What the hell was that?"

"Don't you like it? It's why you came here right, to feel good?"

"Don't be stupid. I'm just here for a good fuck."

"We don't fuck." The boy was frowning around his cigarette now, and when Vic moved closer to the bed, he backed away, making sure there was plenty of space between them. He pulled the cigarette out of his mouth with an intentionally lazy move that was probably supposed to cover the way he grabbed something out of his nightstand . A tazer most likely or something else small and easy to carry that could take a out a man of Vic's size. Pepper spray was more likely now that he had a chance to think about it. It would fit the clinical feel of the place better than something as militaristic as a tazer.

"If we're not here to fuck then what are we supposed to be doing? I certainly didn't go to all this trouble just to have you make me feel like I was mainlining some drug. If I wanted that kind of a buzz, I'd have paid for it and not wasted my time fucking around, sweetheart." He spit the pet name out out of habit. It was the one he tended to use on the whores he dealt with when they tried to rob him blind or drug him so that they wouldn't have to spend time with him. "Tell me what it is you think we're supposed to be doing if it ain’t fucking. Or are you just too high and mighty to have a good time?"

Remy didn't react to his words or his derision. If he had Victor would have been happier. It would have made a good excuse to go storming out of here in a huff. And would have made sure he didn't have to pay as much as a penny to anyone in this building.

"No, I don't think I'm too good for you. Mister Victor. Atoma's simply aren't built with the ability to have a sexual relationship with their companions. It was considered a safety feature to make sure that they weren't used as government sanctioned whores."

Well shit. So much for thumbing his nose at society by fulfilling his needs in a government sanctioned way. "Then why bother making you at all?"

"We are supposed to be companions for those who cannot survive the perils of the modern world without assistance. "

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I can survive the world just fine."

"Then maybe you shouldn't have come here." Remy had relaxed at least a little. Whatever he'd grabbed from the nightstand was still hidden behind his back, but he'd gone back to smoking his cigarette and had sauntered over to the window to sprawl against the sill. Acting like they were just buddies and he wasn't intentionally avoiding to the part of the room that was nearest to Vic. "You might have been betters served by going to a whore house if all you wanted was a fuck without any emotional strings attached."

"What? You think just because you can make me feel like I'm happy I'm going to get emotionally attached. You obviously don't know me too well."

"Joy is one of the simpler emotions we offer." Remy's lips curled around his cigarette as he pulled it out of his mouth and blew out a perfect ring of smoke. "And not one of the ones I prefer to give to my clients. It isn't' something I tend to feel naturally and I don't like sharing that kind of chemical happiness with anyone."

"Then why bother?"

"Because it's what people want. They want to feel happy again. To forget about what they lost. That's not what Atomas were made for. Not by a long shot." He didn't meet Vic's eyes as he said it. He continued to stare out the window instead.

Vic followed his gaze, and noticed for the first time the thin mesh built into the window pane. "They got you locked in?"

"That got the Remy's attention back on him. "What did you think this place was exactly Mister Victor? Did you think we'd want to be here, to have appointments and schedules to keep while we feed our clients addictions?"

"I hadn't thought much about it."

Remy snorted.

"So why are you here, since you don't want to be here and you're not planning on showing me a good time?" He still couldn't believe that claptrap about being unable to have sex. Surely whoever had made the Atomas hadn't been that cruel. Sex was one of the main joys in life.

"Because I don't have a choice. Atomas are made to bond with one person and live their lifetime working and serving them until they die or are able to come to grips with whatever kept them from being able to experience the joys that are part of the world around them."

"That doesn't sound much at all like this place." He couldn't see anyone bonding here.

"No it doesn't."

"So?"

He grimaced. "There were a limited number of approved companions for Atomas. They made far more of us than they ever planned on using for our original purpose. We're not really alive so it only made sense to make enough that they'd have a wide variety of ways to experiment on us."

"What the hell does that mean?" Visions of Strykers experiments on mutants danced through his head. This was sounding more and more like something he should have stayed far away from.

"It means that we're not alive enough to matter. We're just whores, experiments running the maze for some bastards amusement."

"Look, I'm sorry for you." He wasn't really but he wasn't not sorry either. It was a sick life these Atomas were having to live but no sicker than the lives of any mutant who fell into government hands and he'd never been one to worry about things that weren't going to change. Governments had been doing the same thing as long as he'd been alive and that wasn't likely to change before he died. Which wasn't likely going to be for another millennium. "I feel bad for you, but I didn't come here to listen to you bitch about your life. If I wanted that I'd have gone to a bar, and listened to the other bastards talking about their horrible lives." He didn't really care about what the rest of the bar flies he put up with were talking about. They were just humans and he couldn't have cared less about them if he tried. And he had tried. "I came here to get away from all that shit and if you can't help me the I'll just be on my way." If he was lucky, as soon as he got out of this building he'd be able to put the memory of the kids' strange red eyes and sad face out of his head and act like this had just been a just a stupid idea or a bad drug trip. Then he'd go to a whore house and spend his money there.

"Fiene, 'Chere. We'll do things your way. Lay down on the bed."

Vice smiled, not bothering to hide his fangs. It looked like things were finally going his way. "Now we're talking."

"Shut up and lay down."

Vic did as he was told, too amused at seeing the man who'd just been claiming that he couldn't fuck bow to his whims, to bother getting upset about being ordered around by a whore. He did keep an eye on the other man's hidden hand though, just to make sure whatever he'd gotten to defend himself from Vic didn't end up anywhere near Vic's private areas. Luckily for Remy, since he'd have lost if his hand if he'd tried anything, the weapon, Vic still hadn't been able to piece together what it was, ended up right back in the nightstand when Remy leaned over Vic so that their faces were right next to each other, Noses almost brushing. Vic could already tell this was going to be a fun afternoon."So how do you want me, baby?"

"Just hold on tight, this is going to feel a bit strange." Then Remy grabbed his head, fingers brushing against his temples and it felt like his mind was turning inside out."

He tried to yell for the other man to stop, but his mouth was full of cotton and all that came out was a low purr, he usually only let loose when he and Jimmy were curled up together in a pile, and Vic was surrounded by the scent of pack. The scent seemed to be pulled from his memory to surround him and Remy in a cloud of good feelings. He should be pissed, he knew he should be pissed, but instead, he rolled the two of them over and cuddled against Remy's chest like a large dog. The thought that he should rip into Remy for making him feel this way and act like a bitch in heat, flitted through his head. Only to disappear again as long fingers threaded threw his head and eased him to sleep, while a deep feeling of contentment swelled in his chest and ran down through his fingers and toes leaving him limp and happily purring against Remy's chest as he slowly fell to sleep.

= = = =

When he woke up it wasn't just his lust that was gone it was his blood lust as well. Rolling over he tried to locate the missing Atoma without much luck. However long he'd been asleep the sun had gone down enough that the window was only letting the dimmest trickle of light into the room. The room no longer smelled of fresh smoke, only a few stale trickles of the scent rose from the bed linens to spoof that Remy had ever been there.

Vic didn't like it, he didn't like waking up in strange places and he certainly didn't like waking up in strange places with no idea why or how he fell asleep in the first place. He never slept with his whore unless Jimmy was there to make sure they didn't rob him blind or kill him while he slept.

Even though there was no tale tell scent of sex in the air and he could still remember Remy's emphatic insistent that Atomas couldn’t have sex in the air, he couldn't imagine anything else that would not him out and feed his needs so strongly that didn't involve sex or blood. And if it had been blood there was no way he wouldn't smell it on the sheets even with the antiseptic smell that filled the room. Even bleach couldn't fully destroy the scent of blood.

Rolling out of the bed, he dug through the pockets of his pants, and found his knife, wallet, and keys exactly where he'd left them. So he hadn't had sex, he hadn't been robbed, and he didn't appear to have killed or maimed anyone.

So what had he done?

The door clicked open, drawing his attention, and making his claws extend instinctively. It was just Remy. He didn't look like he felt anywhere near as good as Vic felt.

When his protective instincts surged to the front he didn't even bother feeling embarrassed or trying to hold them in check. The Atoma had dark circles beneath his eyes and it looked like the door was the only thing holding him up. His buckled legs certainly weren't.

"What the hell happened to you?"

"My client' came while you were asleep."

"I thought I was your client." It was probably a no no to act so possessive but he didn't feel guilty for that either. Whatever the Atoma had done to him he felt like he was a boy again. The beast was still hiding under his skin but it wasn't controlling him. For now at least it was happy and content to just lie at the bottom of his consciousness. He owed Remy a lot for that. "Weren't you supposed to stay with me until we were done?"

"We were done." He tried to pull a cigarette to his lips but his fingers were shaking to hard. He could get the cigarette into his mouth but the lighter in his other hand shook too much when he raised his arm that high and when he lowered the cigarette to try and light it both his hands shook. It was pathetic.

Vic strode over to him, and wrapped an arm around his waist, taking his weight with ease. Even without his blood-lust giving him strength the Atoma was barely heavier than a child despite his lankiness. "If we were finished then why am I still asleep in your bed?"

"Yau' not."

"Funny." He growled, not meaning it. "He couldn't feel the body beside him shaking like a junky just waiting for their next fix. "Did you take anything to deal with your client?" It wouldn't be the first time he'd dealt with a whore who needed something a little extra to put up with the pain of meeting with a tough client.

"Naw, those things don't work on Remy."

And again with the talking like he wasn't in the room. He was either crazy or it was just normal for an Atoman to be so out of it. Vic wasn't sure he wanted to know what which one was the truth. "You did a number on yourself.

"Remy, did." He'd gone back to trying to light his cigarette.

With about the same about of luck. Vic finally felt too guilty to keep watching him struggle and grabbed the offending lighter out of his hands. "You shouldn't play with fire when you're shaking like that. You're going to get yourself burned."

"Remy not worried about that."

"I could tell." God save him from idiots and self-sacrificing bastards. "Look I don't know what your client did to you, but I doubt smoking its going to help you deal with it."

"It calms Remy's nerves." He waggled his fingers for the lighter.

Vic didn't have to raise it above his head very far to make sure that he couldn’t reach it. He might not be much taller than the Atoma but Remy wasn't able to sit up straight so it balanced out.

"Give it!" Remy pouted at him.

He could feel the beast stir in his mind at the disrespect he was being shown, but it was easy to push down. It didn't understand that he was playing. He could remember back when he could be amused like then as Jimmy. Funny how long ago that seemed now that he'd remembered it was possible to be anything but angry. It made him wonder how long his brother had been able to put up with him for so long. "No."

"Give it, or I'll make you." He collapsed into the Vic's side before he' could make good on his threat and Vic just sighed at the puppy eyes he was being given. He'd forgotten how much of a push over he'd used to be. "Fine." He grabbed the cigarette out of Remys' limp hand and put it to his own lips, steadying it as he raised the lighter to its tip and waited for it to catch. He took a few slow drags just to see the other man's eyes spark, before handing it over to Remy.

After a few puffs he managed a "Thanks, cher."

Vic put an arm around him and held him until the cigarette was down to the filter and he'd managed to calm down so that there were only a few remaining shakes.

"Thanks, cher." This time it was a lot more honest.

He nodded but didn't remove his arm from around Remy's shoulder. Partially because he could still feel the other man's weight pressing against his side and partially because he didn't want Remy to run away before he could get his answers. "So what is it that you did to me?"

"I helped you."

"Yeah, I could tell that. What I meant was what did you do to my blood lust, my anger?"

"You didn't need it anymore."

"That doesn't mean you can just take it away?"

He looked up at him with a confused furrow between his brows, "If you didn't want to be fixed, why come?"

"I wanted to slake my lust." He surprised himself with his honesty but there wasn't much point in lying. Not when this man obviously knew him well enough to take his blood lust away."

"Remy did that?" It came out as more of a question than a statement, but it was true either way and Vic found himself feeling guilty for making him think that he hadn't helped.

"You did. I just what to know how? I haven't been like this in a long time."

"That bad?"

"No, it's good." He felt his lips curl up in the corners to reveal his fangs. He felt like grinning, too much to push them back down. "I just want to know how I can have it happen again."

"Remy helps you if you come back."

Did the Atoma even realize what he'd done? How amazing it was? Looking down into his confused eyes, Vic doubted it. So If he couldn’t find out what he wanted to know about how an Atoma could fix his mutant instinct, he'd have to find out what Remy did know and see if he could piece things together himself. "How long will it last, my feeling better?"

This at least he seemed to know. "You'll feel better for a few weeks, then you have to come back."

"How long until I get as bad as I was?"

"Don't know. Never met nobody like you." A wrinkle appeared between his brows as he tried to think about it.

"What's your best guess?"

"A month or two. You shouldn't let it get as bad as before."

"No I shouldn't, but it took me a few years until it got that bad." More than a few but that wasn't the type of thing he could be honest about with some stranger, even if it was Remy. "Don't know that I want to be making any commitments to come back.

"I can't be sure I can see you if you don't make an appointment. One of the other can help if you want?"

He didn't want. Bad enough that Remy had seen him so braised off, he didn't need anybody who was easier to spook getting a whiff of the beast that was inside him. He didn't want to end up in an asylum again. Or whatever it was they were calling the madhouses these days. The last time he'd been stuck in one it had gotten bad. The scent of fear and being caged up had driven him crazy. By the time that Jimmy managed to get him out he'd been clawing at his own skin just so that he could feel something. And whenever one of the workers was stupid enough to come in reach of his claws he'd made sure they paid for it."How would I set that up?"

"Whaa?"Remy asked.

It was only then, once he started to pay attention. That Vic noticed that he was now bearing almost all of Remy's weight. "I asked how I would set that up?"

Remy yawned in reply, his eyes already blinking shut. Vic grabbed the cigarette out of his limp fingers and used the bottom of his boot to stub it out. "We'll figure it out once you wake up." The Atoma was obviously worn out and Vic wasn't above taking advantage of the fact to take another nap with him.

= = = =

They did manage to sort it all out, once Remy woke up. He seemed more himself after the nap. The same snippy personality that he'd had when Vic had first met him. It made him want to hunt down the other client, Remy had dealt with, and skin them and that wasn’t even his beast talking. Though he suspected that once the blood-lust and the beast's other hungers came back he'd have to be careful that he didn't do anything stupid.

If he felt this possessive while in his right mind things wouldn't be pretty when he wasn't in control. That much he knew about his beast. Hopefully, everything would go to plan and he'd be able to find Jimmy before his madness got bad again.

HE wanted his brother to meet Remy, but even more than that, he wanted someone to bring him back here when he started to lose control again. He didn't feel guilty for any of the deaths he'd caused while he'd been driven by the beast's hunger, but that didn't mean he wanted to start acting like that again.

Remy led him back to Gloria's desk, The slight shaking of the hand that held his cigarette the only sign hat he wasn't feeling all the way back to normal. Vic didn't feel the need to take his illusion of being perfectly fine away.

Gloria either shared his interest in keeping Remy happy or just didn't care, because she didn't mention the way his signature wavered when he signed a contract to see Vic every two weeks for the next three months. Vic doubted he'd need to see Remy that much, but Gloria had insisted that the two week plan was the only one that would allow Victor to bring a partner when he next visited and he hadn't argued. He could always come and see Remy again without Jimmy, if it came to that.

= = = =

Jimmy had done a good job hiding from him this time. He'd left New Orleans and to all appearances the entire area surrounding it. Probably heading north. He always did when he was on his own.

He finally located Jimmy at a small bar in the upper Poconos. It wasn't much more than a clapboard shack,

Full of mountain men and cheap beer. The kind of place that they'd both ended up in more and more often as they'd gotten older.

It was the kind of bar where a bar fight wasn't just expected it was encouraged. One of

The few things that kept the life interesting when there wasn't anything but woods as far as anybody was likely to travel in any given month.

Vic considered starting a brawl. It was their usual way of greeting each other, but he decided to do something a little different. He was here to try to convince Jimmy to come back to

New Orleans with him so that they could both see Remy and hopefully find their respective sanity's.

So he sat down in the stool beside Jimmy. Slick as a weasel. Too bad Jimmy boy knew all of his tricks. He didn't even seem surprised to see him. But that was okay, particularly because Jimmy waved from a beer and slid it in front of him.

They sat beside each other sipping their beers. Then a brawl started over a pool game in the back of the bar and spread to their part of the bar. Then they were trading punches as the bar broke into chaos around them. They ended up outside, lying in the dirt next to each other as their wounds healed over. It felt good to lay in the dirt with his kid brother and just laugh over their various broken bones and busted lips. Like two pups playing together.

Jimmy rolled over to stare at him. "What did you do, Vic?"

"I went to see an Atoma."

"You're kidding right?"

He didn't reply.

Jimmy started laughing until he was flat on his back again. Vic took advantage to jump on him and start trying to strangle him. They rolled together in the dirt until Jimmy managed a particularly strong hit to his groin. They ended up right back where they started.

"So you really went to see an Atoma? Why? You aren't the type to get involved with new fads."

"I was tired of whores." Jimmy had the decency not to start back on their old argument over Vic finding a nice wife and settling down for at least a few decades.

"You seem different."

"I want you to meet him."

Jimmy rolled back to his feet. "I'm not coming to meet your whore Vic. I'm glad that you're doing better, but I left you for a reason. I don't want any part of your beast. I'm happy here."

"Are you? Because you don't seem very happy."

Jimmy stalked away and Vic could hear the growl of a bike starting and then the sound of someone driving away.

He didn't follow. For now, it was in his best interest to let Jimmy make his own decisions. He’d find Vic eventually. That was just how the two of them worked.

= = = =

He didn't feel as out of place the second time he went to the Atoma's building. The white clinical-ness of the places still grated against the his nerves with its falsehood, but it wasn't a struggle to go up to Gloria and slide his appointment cared across the counter for her to punch and put a second date on.

It was just a business transaction; right down to the money, he slid over the counter to her waiting hands. He only had to pay for ten, since they gave him two visits free for signing up.

It was like some cheap, bargain basement, medical care place. The types that seemed to pop up around the army's fields, promising relieve from whatever ailed you as long as you could provide gold stolen from some enemy camp, or your last book of cigarettes.

It turned his stomach that he might be thought of as one of those weak creatures. He'd never thought he'd sink so low. Even knowing that he was taking advantage of the government's system and doing something legal just for the heck of it didn't cheer him up this time. Maybe he was just not in the mood, now that his madness had started creeping back up on him, but there just didn't be the same kind of magic as the first time he'd come to the Center.

When Remy stepped out into the hallway and motioned for him to come in. He followed without reservation. He hated admitting that he might need help and what Remy was offering went so far, beyond what he could get, anywhere else, it wasn't even funny. This was his only chance at being the man he used to be before he'd lost control of his beast.

Well the only solution he'd actually consider. He didn't want to become one of Stryker's pet mercenaries. Kept on staff because they owed the other man for getting their powers under control.

Vic had lived with his own powers for years and this was the first time he'd let anyone but Jimmy near him when he was battling the beast. It didn't make for a comfortable situation.

"Have you had a good couple of weeks?"Remy asked.

He nodded. "Went up to visit with my brother. He seems to be doing well."

"That's good." This time his cigarette wasn't present, instead he poured the two of them think tumblers of scotch, only a finger's width for each of them. Vic could d have told him that his metabolism made it pointless for him to drink anything less than a liqueur store full of booze but he left the Atoma his illusions. "

"I think he might come down to see you the next time I come around."

Remy didn't object, though the way he gulped down his drink and went to grab another all within a minute, gave Vic the sneaking suspicion that Remy wasn't too pleased with the idea. Not that it mattered since it wasn't the type of thing he wasn't willing to negotiate on. He wanted Jimmy better too and no matter when he owed Remy, he'd always owe Jimmy more. That was just the way it was with brothers. "Look, I'm not trying to hurt your feelings." He didn't care if he did but he wasn't going to go out of his way to hurt the Atoma's feelings. It wasn't as if Remy had asked to be here. At least Vic couldn't think of any situation where Remy would ask to become a computer run virtual whore. "Let's just get this over. I'm not in the mood to deal with this right now."

Remy put his glass down finally."Let's get this over with then. I'm not here to force you to do what I want you to do. That's not how I work. "

"Sure it's not. You show me a glimpse of the man I could be and then you just take it away like it doesn't matter."

"What do you want me to say? Should I feel guilty? If that's what you want, you can go somewhere else. You didn't' hire a whore. I might be an Atoma but I still have standards."

He could smell the scent of Remy's other clients on the sheets and in the very walls of the room and his beast was clawing at his skin trying to get free so that he could claim the Atoma properly. He wasn't about to let it though. He was a bastard but not a rapist. "I'm just not in the mood to drag this out more than I have to."

Remy gave him a sharp nod. "Go ahead and lay down on the bed for a bit. I'll try to make this quick but you might have some problems focusing for a few minutes after I'm done."

Vic did as asked even though he didn't want to. He just wanted things to go his way, but he wasn't stupid enough to think that avoiding down what he was asked really changed anything.

= = = =

Part 2

= = = =

Jimmy had always cleaned up nice, though the way he looked like some wet behind the ears solider as he tugged at the collar of his polo shirt was amusing. "If you keep doing that you're going to strangle yourself."

"Good. At least I wouldn't have to walk around dressed like this."

"You agreed to help."

Jimmy snorted, glaring at him in the mirror as

Vic rubbed product through his hair to get his usual tufts to lay flat for once. "Just be patient. I'm almost done."

"Why can't' I just go in dressed like normal?"

"I don't want anybody suspecting that you are with me since you're going to have to make an excuse to see Remy."

"I could still dress in something a little less douche."

True, but that wouldn't have been as funny and it felt good, maybe too good to be able to play harmless jokes on his brother again. "Don't worry about it you'll be fine. I doubt their going to care if you look like an idiot."

"Shut up!" Jimmy shoved him away and took over fixing his own hair, running his fingers through the strands until they stood on end.

"Aw, is Jimmy nervous about his first trip to an Atoma clinic?"

Jimmy leaped for him and they ended up tussling on the floor like a pair of pups. Vic had missed this too. More than even, he had realized.

= = = =

Waiting sucked. He stared at the front of the Atoma center waiting for James to come out. It was probably a good sign that his brother hadn't come out right away. It most likely meant that he'd managed to get in to see Remy. He'd been their long enough the first time had gone in but that didn't meant he felt all together comfortable with sitting outside while his brother went in to handled something he should have been about to handle himself. It had been eight horses already and it didn't look like anything this was going to happen any time soon.

He dug one of James's ever-present cigars out from between the trucks' seats and chomped on the end of it. Debating whether or not to light it up. James would be pissed if he did, but honestly, Vic was pissed enough for both of them right now.

He figured the worse one of them would end up was a broken arm or a leg. Nothing to really worry about and the nicotine would make him feel better for as long as he was going to smoke it even if the effects would wear off almost immediately thanks to his physiology.

He was gust cracking the door open so he at least wouldn't have to listen to James's bitching about him stinking up the back p of the truck. When there was a loud crash and every light in the CAC started flash red. That was it he'd had more than enough of waiting around for things to get settled he was going in. Dropping the cigar back into the cup holder he got out and headed words the door only to get bowled over when James, with an unconscious Remy over his shoulder, bowled into him full force. "What the hell!"

"We need to go now."

"What the hell were you thinking just grabbing him like that are. Are you trying to get us both killed?" And everybody though he was the crazy impulsive brother. "He's government property. You don't just run off with government property."

"He's like us."

"What?"

"He's like the other member of the weapon X project."

"That’s impossible we knew everybody in that project. They'd even been part of the project. There was no way they would have missed an Atoma fighting with them. "He's a robot. They wouldn't waste their time."

"He's not a robot."

"Just put him back, Jimmy. We don't need to get killed over this."

"You would'nt have sent me after him if you didn't think he was worth pissing the government off over. Anyway it's already done. There isn't much point in trying to figure out what to do about it now." With that, he headed towards the truck and wrenched the door open. Laying the unconscious Atoma down on the bench seat. We should go. I don't know what's keeping their rent a cops but I don't want to waste time fighting them."

"What makes you think it will be a rent a cop? This is government building we're breaking into."

Jimmy jut growled and Vic let it go. There wasn't much point trying to put Remy back anyway. Jimmy hadn't been subtle breaking out. It was only a matter of time until the government figured out who he was. Droppings Remy back onto the Center's doorstep wasn't going to change the fact that they made off with him in the first place."

"Did you at least get his agreement to come with us?"

"Not exactly."

"You're an idiot." That didn't stop Vic from getting into the drivers seat and tearing out of the parking lot, and into traffic, going at least above ten miles above the speed limit. "A complete moron."

He grabbed the cigar out of the cup holder and started chomping on it again. He didn't even bother to feel guilty. Jimmy was going to go around kidnapping government property then he couldn’t say much about Vic stealing the occasional cigar.

Part 2

= = = =