"Lyla, talk to us about the procedure."

"What procedure, Professor?"

"The adamantium bonding." Charles said and I froze.

"No." I answered and turned to walk away.

"Lyla, it's important that we-"

"You promised me that I'd never have to talk about that again! You promised me, Charles!"

"Ravager, we need to figure out what Magneto wants with you and Logan. Considering-"

"He practically killed me last year!" I yelled. "Maybe he wants to finish the job or take me out to a candlelit dinner and ballroom dancing... You never know with that man... Not to mention that he already knows everything about what they did to me. Him, Jean and Alex are the only people I've told."

"Told you she wouldn't talk about it and that it was a bad idea." Scott called out. "And if Logan sulking in that corner is any indication, we shouldn't even mention it."

"Lyla, Logan barely remembers what happened and-"

"And I wish I could forget." I protested and crossed my arms. "But y'know what, Professor? Why don't I just show you what happened? And show everyone as well because I'm never talking about this again."

"Wait, Lyla don't." Scott pleaded but I already pulled out a chair and sat in front of Charles and next to Jean, placing both of their hands on my head.

"You both are going to dig and dig deep... And I want you to feel everything, Professor. Because this will be the last time this conversation will come up."

。✯ ＼ ｜ ／✯ 。

Twelve years ago
Alkali Lake

"NO! NO, LET ME GO!"

"Easy, kid. All you're gonna feel is the pain of a thousand needles." A doctor said as two guards dragged me inside the room in literal chains.

"Let go of me!" I screamed and yanked back the chains, causing both guards to fall and hit their heads. "DADDY! DADDY, HELP ME!"

"Strap her down. Her tank's ready." Stryker ordered and I yanked the chain again before swinging it to hit a few other guards.

I took the opportunity to run out of the room, trying to ignore the rapid footsteps behind me. Once I turned the corner, a doctor grabbed my arms and injected me with something, causing me to fall limp and be dragged back into the room.

"If you resist, it'll only get worse."

"Rot in hell, why don't you?" I snarled and started to struggle again until I noticed the tank next to me. "Daddy?"

There's no heartbeat.

"Now's your chance!" Stryker yelled and I was strapped down to a table and an oxygen mask was placed on me before I could properly react. "Hold her still!"

"No, no, no! Please!" I begged, sowing my claws to try and break the restraints but I was slowly being lowered into the tank.

"Just breathe, Weapon X-2. This will all be over soon." He laughed as I was injected with countless needles. "She has more fight than her dad... She's gonna be our perfect weapon."

The pain was completely unbearable. My entire body felt as if it were on fire while more needles dug onto my skin until I felt it reach the bone.

"Body temperature 110 and raising. Heartbeat's over 200."

"Her blood pressure's through the roof. She won't make it!"

"Wait... Is Logan... Is he waking up!?"

I couldn't breathe. All I could do was thrash around in hopes that some of the needles broke, but it never happened.

And then, darkness.

。✯ ＼ ｜ ／✯ 。

"Lyla... Lyla, it's Dad. Please wake up, moonlight."

I jolted awake with a scream and a sharp pain all over my body, but especially my arms. I glanced down to see my claws covered in metal.

"Lyla!" Dad sighed in relief and hugged me tight. "This never should've happened to you... I'm so sorry, my moonlight. I'm so-"

"And here we have the creation of both Weapon X! Both father and daughter have survived and-"

"What did you do to me!?" I yelled and lunged off the table and practically decapitated one of the guards that pointed at gun at me.

"Lockdown! Erase their memories!" Stryker ordered as Dad grabbed my arm and dragged me away, trying to shield me from the dead bodies around us.

"Daddy, what's-"

"Keep running, Lyla!"

Every corner we turned, more guards tried to stop us but Dad dug his claws into their chests to kill them.

"You won't escape, Howletts!" Stryker yelled as a scientist grabbed my arm. "WE OWN YOU!"

I turned around and slashed his entire face before piercing his chest, feeling his heart beat on my claws.

"Where's the exit?" I asked, twisting my hand and he screamed in pain. "Where is it!?"

"Down the... Down the hall to the left is the emergency exit." He choked out as Dad slashed his neck.

"Let's go." He ordered and we both sprinted down the hall. "Once the door opens, you run and don't turn back, Lyla. You run like hell and I'll find you."

"But what if-"

"I'll always find you, my moonlight." Dad assured and picked me up when someone shot my leg. "But I need you to be safe first, okay?"

Once my leg healed and we saw the door, Dad set me down and shielded me while I tried to pry it open.

"Shoot to kill. I've had enough." I heard Stryker whisper and I tensed.

"You leave my kid alone." Dad snarled as I turned to see everyone pointing guns at us. "As if that'll do shit to us."

"Daddy..."

"Close your eyes and cover your ears, Lyla." He ordered, guiding me to a corner and I covered my ears but kept my eyes open. "Let my girl go, Stryker. Let her go and I'll do whatever you want."

"Better idea. How about we kill both of you." Stryker smirked and gave a nod.

Dad widened his eyes and turned to shield me as everyone started shouting at us. One particular shot went through his forehead and he tensed, making eye contact with me before falling limp on the ground.

"DAD!" I cried and everyone lowered their guns. "Daddy... Daddy, wake up, please... Please wake up."

"Oh my God..." One of the soldiers whispered and I looked up, making all of them take a step back.

"He's dead, Lyla." Stryker simply said as I tried to stop the blood coming from his chest. "And it's all your fault for trying to leave."

"Fuck you." I snarled, feeling my claws grow and slowly stood up. "You killed my dad."

"You killed him. It's all your fault."

"Shut up."

"Logan's dead because of you."

"I SAID SHUT UP!" I screamed and several guards shot me down until I was on my knees.

Stryker just smiled and crouched down before grabbing my face.

"You belong to us now, X-2." He said, brushing the hair from my face. "Remember this... Every scream, every fight, every defiance and we'll beat it out of you until there's nothing left but obedience."

"You're going to pay for this... And I'm gonna be the one who kills you."

"Well then... If you're gonna act like an animal, then I guess it's only fair that we treat you like one. At least until you learn to obey."

"Fuck you."

"X-2, when we're done with you, you're going to forget you're anything other than our perfect weapon."

。✯ ＼ ｜ ／✯ 。

Present day

"Oh my God..."

"Lyla, I'm..." Jean gasped and reached out for my hands but I jerked them away. "I'm so sorry, Claws."

"Don't ever make me relive that ever again." I shakily said and stood up. "Some things are best left buried, Professor."

"Lyla, I knew it was horrible." Charles sighed uneasily. "But the pain... I never knew it was-"

"I remember it." Dad finally spoke, not looking up from his hands. "I remember the pain, the... The screams and all the bloodshed that followed. I remembered all of it."

"That wasn't even half of it." I said, stepping back when Scott tried to reach out to me. "It was the torture that came after. The raw meat, the baths with a pressure hose in the freezing cold, the cage with no sunlight until Charles and Erik found me... I was an animal, so they treated me like one."

"When I regained consciousness, I knew something was missing." Dad admitted and stood up. "I should've went back, Lyla. I should've-"

"You didn't know and I thought you were dead. We both didn't know any better... It's perfectly fine."

"It's not. I'm your father, kid. I should've protected you better, hid you better."

"Logan, you didn't know." Scott frowned, slightly opening his arms and I didn't flinch this time. "You protected her as much as you could. You didn't fail as a father."

"How the hell would you know, Summers?"

"You're here now, aren't you? And you raised an amazing woman who fought back until the last moment. And she still does."

"I just want to forget that ever happened, honestly." I shuddered and he tightened his grip on me. "Magneto wants the adamantium. Dad and I are practically indestructible, me more than him because of the Phoenix. He either wants the adamantium in us or to use our regenerative abilities for something else."

"That man just can't learn his lesson, can he?" Jean sighed and I smiled slightly. "What is he planning?"

"Hell if I know. But I don't like it... I got reports of Genosha and something just doesn't sit right with me."

"What do you mean?"

"I love the idea, don't get me wrong. A place where all mutants can coexist in peace sounds like a dream, but that's all it is... A dream that's gonna turn into a nightmare if and when it comes to fruition."

"So I'm not the only one who can't sleep because of it?" Jean asked and I shook my head. "Oh, thank God!"

"All I know is that the UN will get involved eventually all we'll get screwed over again." I shrugged and stepped back. "Isn't there a way we can negotiate? Preferably with me and Dad on the other side of the Solar System when it happens."

"I'm afraid it's too late." Charles said. "I can try and meet with him in a middle ground to see if I can talk sense into him."

"And you better keep me out of it! I don't need to feel the metal in my bones stretch again... I've had enough of that."