The Tiger's Eye

Meeting the roommates

Lynn's POV
I laid in my bed the next morning after a restless night, I tossed and turned all night and got no sleep. Meghan woke up and started to go about her routine while I stared angrily at the bottom of Eliza's bunk before she asked "how'd you sleep?" I replied clearly annoyed at the fact "I didn't" she stopped before asking "like not even a little bit?" I shook my head no "I couldn't sleep, I'm antsy. I want to get back to hunting" she sat on the edge of my bed and put her hand on my shoulder "Try to get some sleep, you've got 6 days to recollect before you return to the field" I groaned and replied "I want to return now, I don't want to wait" Meghan looked at me and asked "did I ever tell you about my brother? How he died?" I shook my head no as she continued starting to tear up "I joined the navy, obviously, my brother however joined the marines. He wanted to be on the front lines and see combat, he lost his team in an IED blast. He started doing the same thing you're doing, he wanted to make the enemies pay and he pushed too hard and he got killed. All because he was too hungry"
I sat up as she started crying, the memory must still be painful. I pulled her into a hug and whispered "I'll be fine, I know you, Erik and Craig have my back. I'll try to ease up on my war path, okay?" She nodded sniffling as the door opened and I heard an accent "that was worse then havin a roo kick me in my willy" and a female voice replied "Max, why can't you speak normally?" He replied in exasperation "I am speaking normally ya wanker!" Meghan pulled me out of my bed as the two turned the corner and Eliza asked "This is him?" Max asked "so he's the cunt that took on 50 masks and survived?" I rubbed my neck as Eliza walked forward and extended her hand "Eliza Cohen, Callsign Ash" I shook her hand "Lynn King, Callsign King" Max walked forward and shook my hand "Max Goose, Callsign Mozzie" I heard Eliza ask "So I heard you lost your team, that true?" Meghan yelled "Eliza! Have some empathy!" I looked at the ground clenching my fists as I whispered in pain and my sight grew red "I'll make them know pain"
      Meghan crouched infront of me and gripped my hands making me look at her "Hey, calm down. We're all friends here, just breathe." My vision slowly cleared as I focused on her, she smiled as I nodded "I'm good" Max asked dumbly "what the bloody hell am I watching?" I looked forward as Meghan replied "I'm just starting to get him to relax and recollect himself after the mission, he's been dying to get back in the field to go and get revenge on the Masks. To the point it's worrying Erik, Craig and I that he'll get himself killed to take some masks with him" I spoke as I looked over bored "I'm going to make them know my pain, they took everything from me. I'll take the world from them" Eliza spoke slowly "that's not creepy at all, well I'm sure you're a good guy. I hope I get to know you better in the future, I watched your classes selection. You all have some promise" I replied in monotone "I'm looking forward to getting to know you"
I sat down and looked at my picture with Manfred and Zao, I sighed seeing the blood stain covering Zao's face. I heard Eliza next to me "are those your friends?" I replied sadly "they were" she nodded before speaking "I'm sorry about your loss, you seem pretty close to them" I smiled at the memory "they were my brothers, we did everything together" Max spoke again with a suggestion "anyone wanna watch a movie with me?" Meghan spoke "yeah, that sounds like a good idea." Eliza spoke "I wanna get some food so you guys can go ahead. I'm gonna head down to the canteen" Meghan looked at me and asked "are you gonna watch this with us?" I shrugged as she asked "do you wanna watch it?" I replied "I'm pretty indifferent with it, what are we watching?" Max answered "how about American sniper? That's always a good one" Meghan excitedly spoke "I remember that battle, it was so busy. We made progress too" I sighed and replied "then American Sniper it is" Max asked "anyone want popcorn?" Meghan raised her hand and called "aye" as I laid back on my bed kicking myself over being in base and not hunting down the surviving masks that are responsible for killing my friends.
     Meghan sat next to me causing me to look over as my eyes watered with tears of frustration as they started to slide down my cheek marking my face like a map of my pain, she asked gently "you okay?" I mumbled "no, I should be out there hunting down those fucking dogs but instead I'm laying in bed about to watch a movie. It feels like I'm betraying them, y'know?" She wiped my tears before speaking "I get it, think of it like this. You've got time to get ready to hit the field again, you've got a week to push your limits so when you're on your next mission you can crush the masks" I spoke to the bottom of the bed above me "I miss them, I hate knowing I'll have to keep doing things that remind me of them." Meghan answered "I know you do, you three were so close it was almost awe inspiring." I asked her quietly "why am I the only one who survived? Why didn't I die there with them?" Meghan gasped before Max spoke "Oi mate, listen to me. You didn't die there because someone needs to make those fuckers pay, you're still here because your friends you lost need to be avenged. Don't think of it as why am I here alone, think of it as 'I'll avenge them"
I sat up and looked at him "I try but I can't stop feeling like I should've died there" he replied simply "then you have to find a reason to keep pushing forward, do what you think your friends would want you to. Do whatever you need to to find a reason to keep going, you didn't come this far to break now" Meghan stood and ruffled my hair the way my mother used to before speaking "Even if you have to lean on Craig, Erik and I, do it. I'd rather have you lean on us and keep going than break down and quit" I replied as the movie got pulled up "I'll try, I'm definitely not quitting. I'd never be able to live with myself if I didn't get a shot at payback. I just need.... I don't know what I need but I need to get better. I need that next level to kick the masks into their hole"
Max handed Meghan a bag of popcorn before sitting on his bed with his own bag and starting the movie, I scooted back on my bed so my back was against the wall as Meghan shifted so she was perpendicular to me with her legs crossing mine. I cocked an eyebrow as she simply smiled before looking at the tv again, I shrugged before watching the movie as we watched I noticed my mind had focused on it. I was kinda glad at the fact but decided not to dwell on it instead spending time with my new roommates. Towards the end of the movie when Chris Kyle kills the Iraqi sniper we heard a knock at the door, Max called "it's open!" followed by the door opening and footsteps until Mike appeared and looked at the scene with me and Meghan before he spoke "get up boy, come with me. Harry wants to talk to you" I patted meghan's leg as she moved them and I stood following Mike out the door. He looked at me and spoke "so you and Meghan huh?" I shrugged "she seems to want to fix me"
     He asked "do you know why?" I replied simply "not a fuckin clue, she should know a lost cause when she sees one" he replied knowingly "I think you know, you just don't want to acknowledge it" I looked over as I replied "I think we're both lying to ourselves" he spoke like he was reliving a memory "She won't give up on you because her feelings won't let her, she doesn't want to lose you again." I chuckled dryly "her feelings, I wish she'd accept the fact that I'm a lost cause" Mike replied blandly "Well lad, she loves you too much to accept that fact. Just like you love her too much to force her to" I stopped in place for a second as he looked back at me and asked "Am I wrong?" I sighed and started walking again "No, you're not" he looked forward and replied "you should tell her, we know all too well how fast a life can be sniffed out. With your hunger to kill the masks, you're on a fast track to dying" I answered with determination "I'm not going to let myself die before I get my hands on the leader of the masks. The one who started this all, I'll use these two blood covered hands to snap his neck like a fuckin twig laughing in glee as I do it"
Mike spoke "while I admire the tenacity you want to kill masks, you have to recognize you're going to die with regrets if you don't tell her. Even if you do survive, she won't wait for you forever. She'll settle down and start a family and you'll be left in the dust of your own pursuit because you couldn't be honest with yourself" I snapped angrily "I am being honest with myself! Everyone's that's ever loved me or been close to me is fucking dead! I can't lose her.... I can't lose anyone else so I'll stay in isolation and I'll go until I fucking drop and when I drop I'll drag myself to the next mask using my fucking arms and teeth, I'll never stop until those fucking rats are 6 feet under and I can piss on the grave!"
Mike looked at me and spoke evenly "listen to yourself, you sound like a fucking psycho. You have to know this isn't good for yourself, let Meghan help. She wants to be there with you, she want to prove you wrong, let her. We both know you want to be proven wrong, you want to have someone, you don't want to be alone." I punched a wall as my anger consumed me, the anger at the masks was there but it was mostly anger at myself, I keep saying I want to get better but I force myself to stay in this hell. Mike spoke like a father "Lad, you need to let us help. We're a team, team's work together, you're trying to play hero to keep her safe. Playing hero makes sure you never come home" I looked at him with my eyes turning a red cloudy mess as my eyes turned bloodshot from squeezing my eyelids shut "I'll talk to her, I'll get it off my chest and when my vulnerability is used against me and I break. I want you to remember this" he nodded and looked at the door to Harry's office "and when I'm proven right, I'll expect you to remember this. Come on, we're keeping Harry waiting" I blinked quickly before taking deep breaths calming down as I straightened my PT gear and Mike opened the door walking inside.