Saul was born to Zebadiah and Victoria Creed, in a family where cruelty and violence were as natural as breathing. From a young age, Saul was frequently beaten and bullied by his older brother, Victor, whose twisted sense of power over his siblings knew no limits. Every year on Saul's birthday, Victor maintained a cruel tradition: he would beat Saul senseless, a constant reminder of who held control in their household. But the worst came one night when Victor gave Saul a choice—either he could take the beating himself or maim their younger sister, Clara.
Saul, terrified and broken, chose to follow Victor's dark demand. With trembling hands, he used acid to scar Clara, forever disfiguring her and straining their relationship beyond repair. The guilt haunted him, but his cowardice kept him tethered to Victor's domination. Clara, though she healed physically, never forgave him for the betrayal, and Saul's resentment toward Victor only grew deeper.
Years passed, and the memory of that night lingered between them like a festering wound. Clara's kindness had always been her strength, but even that couldn't heal the damage Saul had inflicted. They drifted apart, though the ties of family kept them within each other's orbit. Eventually, the two set out on their own, working for a traveling circus. Saul became a skilled tracker, while Clara, ever graceful and calm despite the scars, worked as an animal tamer.
It was in this circus that they encountered Logan.
Logan, recently captured and put on display as a savage beast, had been subjected to horrifying experiments at the hands of Mr. Sinister, the notorious scientist who manipulated those with mutant abilities for his own dark purposes. Logan's animalistic nature made him the perfect subject, and his healing factor allowed Sinister to push the boundaries of torture and manipulation. Bound in a steel cage, Logan was displayed like a freak, his body battered but his spirit unbroken.
Clara, who had always harbored empathy for the broken and abused, saw something in Logan—something worth saving. "We can't leave him like this.." she whispered to Saul one evening, her eyes filled with sorrow as they watched Logan pacing in his cage.
Saul, ever pragmatic and wary of getting involved in things beyond their control, shook his head. "This isn't our fight, Clara. He's dangerous. Besides, you know who's behind this—Sinister. You really want to cross him?"
Clara's expression hardened. "We crossed a line long ago, Saul, when we stopped fighting for what was right. He deserves a chance, just like we did."
Saul hesitated, his mind flashing back to that fateful day when he scarred his own sister. He looked into Clara's eyes and saw the same fire of determination she had always possessed. As much as he wanted to stay out of it, he couldn't deny her.
"Fine," he muttered reluctantly. "But if this goes wrong, we're both in deep."
Later that night, under the cover of darkness, Clara and Saul approached Logan's cage. The circus grounds were quiet, save for the distant chirping of crickets and the rustle of wind through the tents. Clara moved quickly, picking the lock while Saul kept watch. Inside the cage, Logan's eyes gleamed with suspicion as he watched them.
"What the hell do you want?" Logan growled, his voice hoarse but laced with aggression.
"We're getting you out," Clara said softly, ignoring his hostility. "You don't deserve this."
Logan's lips twisted into a sneer. "I don't need your help, lady. I can take care of myself."
Saul rolled his eyes from where he stood near the entrance, whispering under his breath, "Sure, that's why you're stuck in a cage like an animal."
Clara shot her brother a look, silencing him. "You don't have to trust us," she told Logan, her tone calm and steady. "Just know that we're not here to hurt you."
Logan didn't respond, but he didn't resist either as they unlocked the chains binding him. He flexed his arms, his muscles rippling as he tested his freedom. His eyes, though fierce, softened slightly as he glanced at Clara.
For weeks, Logan stayed with Clara and Saul at a small safe house hidden deep in the woods, far from the prying eyes of Sinister's agents. During this time, Clara and Logan grew close. Logan, though hardened by years of pain and violence, found solace in Clara's gentle presence. She saw the man behind the beast, and slowly, they began to develop feelings for each other.
But Saul—wracked by jealousy and a deep-rooted sense of inferiority—watched from the shadows, his resentment festering. He had already lost Clara once, to his own cowardice and Victor's manipulation, and now, he felt like he was losing her again—to Logan. The anger gnawed at him, twisting his sense of loyalty and family.
One fateful night, unable to stand the growing bond between Clara and Logan, Saul made a decision that would change everything. He slipped away from the safe house, making his way to Mr. Sinister's compound. Desperation clouded his judgment, and he betrayed his sister and Logan, selling them out to save himself.
When Sinister's men stormed the cabin, Logan fought back with a ferocity unmatched. But in the chaos, Clara was seemingly killed, her lifeless body cradled in Logan's arms as he let out a primal scream of rage and despair. His heart, already scarred by years of suffering, shattered completely.
With Clara gone, Logan's wrath knew no bounds. He tracked Saul to Sinister's compound, where the full extent of Saul's betrayal was revealed. Sinister had planned to wipe Logan's mind clean with a potion, erasing his memories and turning him into nothing more than a puppet. And Saul—Saul had been part of that plan all along.
"You sold us out.." Logan snarled, his claws extended as he stalked toward Saul.
Saul, cornered and trembling, stammered, "I—I didn't have a choice, James! You were taking her away from me!"
Logan's eyes blazed with fury. "She was never yours to control!"
In a fit of rage, Logan grabbed Saul and shoved him into the vat of Sinister's mind-wipe elixir. Saul thrashed and screamed, but Logan's grip was unrelenting. The liquid filled Saul's lungs, and with a final gasp, he went limp, sinking beneath the surface.
As the last bubbles escaped the vat, Logan stepped back, his hands shaking. The reality of what he had done began to sink in. But before he could fully comprehend the weight of his actions, Clara—alive, thanks to her healing factor—appeared. Her face was pale, her eyes filled with sorrow as she looked at the lifeless body of her brother.
"James..." she whispered, her voice trembling.
Logan turned to her, his heart heavy with regret. "Clara, I—"
"I don't condone this," Clara interrupted, her voice cold. "I don't condone what you've become."
Logan stared at her, the realization hitting him like a ton of bricks. He had crossed a line—one he could never come back from. Clara, the one person who had seen the good in him, now saw him as a monster.
"Leave, Jame... Logan." she said, tears welling in her eyes. "Leave, and don't come back."
Without another word, Logan turned and disappeared into the night, leaving Clara behind to mourn not only the loss of her brother but also the man she she loved.
The End