The Cougar

Betrayal

          ~~~~~~C.J.'s POV~~~~~~

   I drove through the woods, not looking back for a second. I couldn't do anything. I couldn't cry. I couldn't go ask for help. All I could do was tell myself I was doing this for Sylvia. I cringed at the thought of doing whatever Stryker told me, and prayed to God that the X-Men, my friends, Lyle, would take me back after this.

   I slowed to a stop. I had to organize my thoughts. My brain felt like it was about to explode. I looked down at my wrist and looked down at the device he had given me, and I hesitantly pressed one of the buttons. A red dot started to blink on what looked like a small map. I took a deep breath, got back on the motorcycle, and started following the red dot.

          ~~~~~~Third person POV~~~~~~

   The X-Men stood scattered through the main halls of the lowers levels of the institute. They sat there not saying anything. They honestly didn't even know what was going on. Most of them thought she had gone completely hysterical.

   "What are we planning on doing?" asked Storm breaking the awkward silence that flooded the room.

   "Well, for starters we need to get her back here. Safe," Scott replied. Most everyone nodded in agreement.

   "She acts like she's gone insane," Bobby said. Logan kept to himself. He didn't think that at all actually. He hadn't seen her that determined before. She knew exactly what she was doing.

   "I don't think so," he said. "This is what I've been afraid of the whole time. That she is just working with Stryker to get information on us," he said with a sigh. "On me."

   "Logan, I don't know," Kitty said. "She been pretty good and also hasn't been asking about stuff that isn't her business. If anything, she's kept to herself the entire time."

   "No offense, kid, but you don't know Stryker. She probably been sneaking around without raising any red flags," Logan replied to Kitty.

   "You're both wrong," said a small voice from the hall. They all turned around to see Lyle standing at the end of the hall.

   "Lyle, you-," Scott started but was quickly cut off.

   "No!" he said. "You all need to listen. C.J. wasn't perfect. She has her flaws and her secrets. But I never trusted someone more in my life, and that's saying something. She wouldn't do this to us… She wouldn't do this to me," the last part he said as any happiness that was in his expression faded. Lyle wanted anything but to believe that C.J., who he considered his girlfriend, had betrayed him.

   Logan looked sadly at the boy. "I'm going to try and track her," he said simply wanting to know what the hell was going on. "I'll let you guys know when I find something." With that, Logan walked out.

          ~~~~~~C.J.'s POV~~~~~~

   I pulled up to an old, abandoned, three-story building in the Bronx. 'Yeah, this is the exact place I want to be. Like no one would jump at the sight of a fourteen year old girl walking into an abandoned building,' I thought to myself as I carefully walked in. I was also armed with two knives, to put into a mugger's chest or Stryker's. Either way, I didn't care.

   There were four people in the building, Stryker, Sabertooth, Emma, and… Sylvia. I automatically started sprinting up the stairs. I got to the roof to see them all there. I subconsciously noted that Sylvia was unconscious, and Stryker had the barrel of his gun to her head.

   "How you doing, Princess," Sabertooth said with a smirk.

   "I thought I told you not to call me that," I said through my teeth. I didn't even focus on my so called 'father'. Even if I was working with Stryker, I didn't want to even put him in this situation. "Look, Stryker, I'm here. Now let her go."

   "Not so fast," he said. "Put your weapons down."

   "What weapons?" I replied back to him.

   "Don't play dumb. I trained you little girl. You'll do good to remember that," he said. He started chuckling. "Also, I'd keep in mind that I have I telepath in the room."

   "How could I," I said sarcastically. "Emma, always good to see you." She simply nodded at me.

   I took the knives out and slowly set them on the floor.

   "What do you want from me, Stryker?" I asked.

   "For now all you have to do is wait, my child. I could ask nothing more," he said. He took his gun away from her head. "You have five minutes."

   I ran up to Sylvia and woke her up.

   "Sylvia, Sylvia, look at me," I said. She weakly lifted her head and her eyes snapped into mine. I grabbed her hand. "Hey," I said putting on a reassuring smile. "Hey, I promise, I going to get us out of this, okay?" She stared at me for a minute and smiled slightly.

   "I believe you," she said as she drifted back to unconsciousness.