I struggled to gain consciousness. Where am I? I opened my eyes and attempted to sit up. I immediately fell back again as pain shot through my body. I rested for a minute and tried to get my bearings. I looked around cautiously, observing everything like Wolvie had once taught me to. It seemed that I was in some sort of holding cell. There were bars on the window. I carefully sat up and crawled over to the doors to test them. I attempted to spring a claw open, but nothing happened.

The collar! I felt it around my neck. I carefully examined my body and found with horror and disgust that nobody had even bothered to clean my wounds or even remove the bullets in them. I stared at the bullet holes that riddled my body. They covered my arms, legs, and there were some in my chest. I could feel that nothing vital had been shot. Those were some seriously good marksmen! They hadn't hit anything that would kill me, although I did feel a few bullets that had entered my skull, but not my brain. I could feel some of the wounds still oozing blood, so I sat still and tried to wipe the blood away. I was careful to avoid deepening any of the bullets.

I looked forlornly out the window. My only hope was that the X-Men would find me. I sat down in a yoga pose and attempted to contact Jean, Emma, or the Professor.

Hello? I tried, lowering my mental shields. I glanced around to see if anyone was approaching. Jean? Professor? Anybody?

I waited for an answer. I didn't really expect one, so after ten minutes of waiting I sighed and stood up. I wandered around my cell. I stood up and walked over to the cell door. I cautiously pulled out a strand of hair and tossed it at the metal. It disintegrated with a light puff of smoke. "Whoa." I said. I decided that touching it would not be a good idea, so instead I moved as far away from it as I could. I inspected the opposite wall. It was solid concrete. I sighed and sat down on the floor. I tried to look innocent and scared, suspicious that there was a hidden camera somewhere watching me. I had a feeling that these guys would not hesitate to hurt or kill me, so I didn't want to attract anyone's attention.

It seems like I had anyway. Stryker walked into the hallway outside my cell. I raised my head and half-heartedly growled at him, but I barely had the strength to get up. It came out as more of a whine.

"Well well! Luna! Glad to see you're awake. You're really no use to us asleep, now are you?" he smiled and chuckled.

"Why did you kidnap me? What use am I? "

"You can be very useful, Luna. Very useful indeed." Again with the irritating laugh. "For one thing, we need a test subject. For another, well, let's just say that we suspect an old friend of ours to come to your rescue."

"Wolvie! No! You're using me as bait!" I said. "You knew that I would come after you, so you concocted this whole scheme just to get Wolvie to rescue me! Well it ain't gonna work! I'll... I'll..." I stopped, wondering what I could possibly do.

Stryker snorted. "You'll what? Stutter at me?" he grinned a very cruel grin. "Now then, you're also probably wondering why we didn't bother cleaning you up..."

"No." I interrupted. "I've already figured that one out. As soon as you get Wolvie, you're gonna dump me in the streets to die." I shook my head. "You're sick, twisted people!"

He ignored my remark and looked at his watch. "Well, I hate to cut this chat short, but I really must be going." He turned on his heel and walked off. I spat at him, then curled into a ball and drifted off into a light sleep.

***********************************************************************************

I looked up when I heard footsteps in the cell. A man in a white lab coat came in with a needle and drew blood from my arm. I could feel the metal sink into my skin and leech what little blood I still had. I looked at him. "Why?" I whispered. He didn't answer, just turned and left, pressing a button outside the cell on the way out. I closed my eyes and fell back into a deep, dreamless sleep.

I woke up with a start. I had been stuck in this cell for over a week, according to a guard that had passed by. Several times a day, and more than a few time during the night, someone came in to take blood from me. I couldn't do anything, so I just let them. I was tired and knew that I looked terrible. They hadn't given me anything to eat or drink, and I wasn't about to ask them for some. I didn't trust these people at all.

I had decided to leave the bullets in, at least until I received contact from the X-Men. It was the only reminder I had that people still cared. As soon as I received word, I would work on the bullets. It was the only plan I could think of, so I stuck with it. I lowered my shields, preparing to attempt another contact.

I suddenly heard a noise, like somebody whispering.

Luna? I realized that it was the Professor's voice. An image of him appeared in my mind.

I closed my eyes and projected an image of myself in my mind. Professor?

Luna, thank goodness you're alright!

Alright wouldn't have been the word I would have chosen...

I meant thank goodness we've located you. There's no time for sarcastic remarks, Luna. I've pinpointed your location and am about to send Wolverine to get you.

No! I interrupted him. Tell Wolvie not to come lookin' fer me! It's a trap!

There was silence for a minute, then He wants to know if you're absolutely sure.

Of course I am! That rat Stryker said so himself! He said that I was bait and the only thing he really wants is Wolvie. Once they get him, well... I let the rest of the sentence hang in the air. I'm sorry. I never should have run off on my own...

No, you shouldn't have. But at least you are learning from your mistakes. Unlike some...

"Don't bet on it..." I muttered out loud. I could feel my strength ebbing away from my body, but I struggled to hang on to the connection.

Luna, I know you're tired, but just hang on for a minute. Wolverine said that he's on his way to retrieve you.

No! No! No! Please Professor, tell him to stay there! I'll find a way out! I don't want him to get caught too. I suddenly heard Wolvie's voice in my head. I realized that the Professor was somehow channeling Wolvie's thoughts to my head.

I've gotten through worse, darlin'. Don't worry about me... The voice was gone.

"If I don't, who will?" I whispered.

I collapsed onto the floor from exhaustion and cried, ignoring the sting of my tears in the bullet wounds.

***********************************************************************************

I woke up and flicked my eyes towards the window. I looked and saw that night had arrived while I had been asleep. There was a faint tinge of dawn on the horizon. Well, might as well work on gettin' these bullets out. I thought grimly. I spotted a somewhat loose-looking bullet and dug my nail under it, wedging it out from underneath. It hurt, but I didn't give up. I figured that if I could only work on getting that one stupid bullet out, then I could keep from going crazy long enough for Wolvie to get here. I had left my watch at the school, so I had to rely on my internal body clock, which was telling me that it was about two in the morning.

I worked my nail further under the bullet and slowly pushed upwards until the bullet came out with a sickening sucking sound. I grimaced and put it in my pocket. I worked on the next one and after about twenty minutes or so, I had manged to get four more out. I could only hope that these were the carbonadium bullets Stryker had mentioned. I finally stopped and rested, leaning my head against the wall. I lifted my head when I heard a soft growl outside my door.

"Luna?"

I looked over at the door, then slowly crawled towards it. "Wolvie?" I whispered. I was terrified that it was an illusion, that my mind was playing cruel tricks on me. "Is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me darlin'.Hang on, I'll getcha outta here." I could see that he had some sort of remote in his hand and he pressed a button on it. The door swung silently open and Wolverine stepped into the room. I could hardly stand, so I remained on the floor and looked up at him. He leaned over and carefully picked me up. I knew that he had seen the bullets and collar already. I carefully leaned into him as he made his way to the exit. He slipped out the door and ran towards the front gate. It seemed like he had somehow managed to stop the security guards from stopping him and we passed through the gate without trouble. I shivered in the cold air and he held me tighter. We eventually made it to the front gate and he looked around.

"Alright darlin', I hate ta do this, but I can't climb this fence with ya in my arms."

I nodded and wearily started to climb the fence. I was almost free and wouldn't let a stupid fence stop me! I swayed when I got to the top. I tried desperately to keep my balance, but I was too tired and I fell to the ground on the other side of the fence. I lay on the ground and could feel Wolverine gather me again in his arms.

"Just hang on, darlin'." I faintly heard him say. "You're almost home..."