The Wolf Inside

Chapter 8

Pain, that was the first thing Lunar thought of as she slowly opened her eyes, she felt like her side and throat were burning. Memories of what had happened flashed through her mind as she got up, clenching her teeth from the pain. That’s when she noticed she was back in her room and she wasn’t alone, leaning against the wall in the corner of her room was Cyclops, he seemed to be sleeping so she ignored him for the moment and went over to a mirror to look at the cut on her neck. After taking off the bandage Lunar revealed a not so shallow cut that was bright red in color and still had blood running out of it, she quickly put the bandage back on since it didn’t have too much blood on it yet. She knew the cuts on her side would be even worse and didn’t even bother looking at them, if she took those bandages off after moving around as much as she just had blood would probably start gushing out.

            Cyclops cleared his throat and Lunar spun around quickly in case she needed to fight before letting out a faint hiss of pain. “You shouldn’t move around so much, you lost a lot of blood.”

            “You’re not a doctor I don’t have to listen to your advice.” Lunar growled, not wanting to admit he was right.

            “I know someone who is.” Cyclops hesitated from saying Jean’s name before changing course to make another obvious point. “Besides it doesn’t take a doctor to know you need rest… You nearly died.”

            “You shouldn’t help me.” Lunar walked back over to her bed and sat down on the edge. “Stryker will want you killed once you lose your usefulness, I’ll probably be your executioner.”

            “Why do you help him? He experimented on our kind!” Cyclops exclaimed.

            “He saved my life and has never tried experimenting on me once.”

            “I saved your life to. Stryker could care less if you had died during that attack, care to tell me how that is loyalty?”

            “You don’t know Stryker’s real motives. No one really does except Stryker himself.” Lunar replied. “I don’t believe he would’ve let me die.”

            Cyclops shook his head in disbelief. “I can’t believe how brainwashed you are.”

            Lunar glared at him and he noticed her form starting to shift but stayed where he was, she had to listen to him. Lunar clenched her teeth in pain again and forced herself to calm down before speaking again. “Why do you say I’m brainwashed? I do everything out of free will and loyalty to my boss.”

            “Do you?” Cyclops risked getting closer until he was beside her. “I have experienced your boss’s cruelty first had. He sent a mutant to attack and capture me and so many other mutants to experiment on. I couldn’t see after he took my glasses but I could still hear what was happening around me… I had to hear mutants crying for their friends and family, screaming in pain, or worse… begging to be killed, a wish that was finally granted to them after hours of pleading and more experimentation.”

            “I never once saw or heard of Stryker doing that to our kind.” Lunar said, though she sounded less confident in what she had said.

            “… I heard you there.” Cyclops whispered. “Near the time we escaped. You were one of the ones who had screamed to be killed… I only recognized it as you because four days ago you begged me to kill you. Stryker said he wanted you to meet his son, later that same day I went looking for Xavier and found out what his son could do… You might not know you’re under his control but from the way you can’t remember dying and being forced to keep living I think you are.”

            Lunar was silent, she wanted to pass off his story as just that, a story. But when she looked closely at him she could see a haunted look beneath his normal features and had to admit that it was true. “Okay, let’s say I believe you. Let me just point out one mistake you made. We had that fight three days ago not four.”

            “You were out for an entire day. It’s been four, if you don’t believe me go find a calendar.”

            Her golden eyes widened as she realized what that meant. “Stryker’s going to finish his plan today! He’s going to use the Cerebro he built here and Professor X for it!”

            “What, what’s his plan?”

            “H-he didn’t tell anyone… I don’t know.”

            Cyclops grabbed her shoulders and made her look at him. “We have to stop him, are you going to help me or fight for Stryker?”

            “…I’ll help you…” Lunar agreed. “But after this is over… will you help me remember what really happened?”

            “Why does this sound familiar?” Cyclops thought back to what Xavier had promised Logan. “I’ll help, though I think the Professor will be able to help you more than I can.”

            “Great, let’s go fight.” Lunar grinned.

            Cyclops walked towards the door with her following behind slowly, a few seconds after they started walking down the hallway alarms began to go off and soldiers started running towards the main entrance. Cyclops watched them go, already guessing who they were trying to keep out. “Looks like the X-men are here…”

            “Now it’s a party.” Lunar smirked. “Or it will be once the fighting starts.”