Updated PartTitle: Past's Present
Author: Duchess Curry
Fandom: X-Men (cartoons/comics)
Beta: Elerina
Pairings: Ethan/Nathan
Summary: How Cable met Valor.
Archive: Yes. Check it out, please. Or e-mail me for it Duchess_Curry@yahoo.com
Rating: NC-17
Parts: 1-?
Status: WIPSeries/Sequel: This is the final story, and the fringe-tail, bastard child of "Beyond Fighting, Beyond Fucking, Beyond Reach" which comes after "The Parting" which comes after "On Edge" which comes after "For Something…" which comes after "Anytime, Anywhere, Anyone …" Geeze, this is getting long.
Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN X-Men!!!!!!!!! They belong to Marvel Comics. (You all know this) I just own Ethan Howlett, aka: Valor. Oh, and some other random characters I made up; but at the moment, they're not important.
Author's Notes: This is part of a series that I wrote for a friend; that was based on a dream. It's not my best work, but if you really want to read it, just ask for it and I'll send it to you. This is the tail of it. It's based on the late-night musings of myself and my beta; when I wondered what happened to make Cable so pissed off at Apocalypse; and what would happen if half brothers met; not knowing who each other really is.
Warnings: A.U. / Slash. Same old same old from me.
Chapter 1
Light flared, and lazars screeched past Nathan Dayspring as he ducked, quickly checking the wiring on his arm; then standing and shooting back.
"We're losing Cable. We need more help, and we're almost out of ammo." A man yelled out.
"No we`re not!" Nathan yelled back. `We just can't' he thought. `I haven't fought this long, and got this close just to lose. But Sam's right; if we don't get help soon …' Nathan shook his head and took aim again, but fell backward, feeling something sting through his good shoulder. He yelled out in pain, writhing on the ground and holding his shoulder; his large hand covering with blood.
A thick shadow covered his face. Nathan raised his hand to fire at the man; but stopped when he heard "Easy there. I'm on your side." A man dressed in loose black pants that seemed weighed down with something, a thick black tank top, and an old fashioned leather coat. Amazingly, he pulled a thick, dark gun out from under his coat; one in each hand. His legs made a perfect v-shape as he aimed at those who were firing at him. Nathan felt his mouth go dry as the man fired several guns at the other side. Nathan wasn't the only one who couldn't stop looking at him. But the man's presence seemed to re-energize the group; giving them the willpower to fire off a great volley of lazar beams, killing off the rest of their attackers.
The warriors re-grouped around their wounded leader, as the man stood back, away from the group. "So what now Cable?"
"We won, now what?"
"Move forward and fight on so they don`t come back? Or fall back and regroup?"
Cable pried his eyes off the man, leaning against the ruins of a building. He looked at his companions. "Thank him. He's the one who helped us win." The man was polishing one of the guns with a dark rag; not paying attention to those he'd just helped. "Hey!" Cable yelled out. No response. "Hey you. Ya got a name?" The man looked up.
"I`m called Valor."
"Thanks for the help."
Valor stared at Nathan. "Don't be. I'm a mercenary. I fight for what I want to; not just for what's right like you do." Valor's ice blue stare cut through Cable's eyes, making his mouth feel dry again.
"If you are, then get out of here." Sam said coolly toward the man.
"Hold on" Cable said, standing up. "If you're a mercenary, then you fight for more than just what you want to; you fight for money to."
Valor smirked. "You can't pay the type of money I charge."
Cable stood, looking the man in the face, and trying not to get lost in his eyes again. "Try me. I come from a rich family."
The man let out several harsh laughs and grinned at him. "What's ya're name?"
"Cable." The man raised an eyebrow. "Dayspring, Nathan Dayspring."
The man nodded. "Ya do. My help is yours."
Nathan caught himself breathing harder as he looked Valor in the face. "Yeah." It came out harder than it should have. Valor smiled a little. "Yeah" Cable said, "Let's head back to my place to look over some stuff. We'll plan out from there." They started walking away from the battlefield, Cable and Valor last.
"That's some name, Valor. What's it really?"
Valor watched Nathan out of the corner of his eyes. "Ya really want ta die, just ta find out a name?"
"You're not as bad as you act."
Before Cable could think, he was pinned against a wall, one of Valor's guns to his throat. Cable's face was impassive, but his eyes showed his fear. Valor's glare cut through him again, making him shiver. Silently, the gun was taken away, and the arm from his chest. Nathan's breathing was deeper than it should have been again. `Stay there, so I can kiss you' Cable thought; then stopped; telling his mind to stop thinking that way.
"How far?"
"Not too much more." Nathan choked out; taking the lead again. Through winding streets, and half-destroyed buildings they trekked; taking secret roads and passages that others had long forgotten. Cable held open a door, and looked to Valor; the others having parted to their own dwellings. "Just upstairs."
Valor started past, then took a step back; staring into Cable's eyes again. "It's Ethan. Ethan Howlett."