- SKYLAR BANES - 

The clock chimed, and I was going to be late. Scowling, I raced towards the door, snitching my keys off the counter on my way out. Before slipping through the door, I checked myself in the mirror, ensuring I was somewhat presentable. Not that it mattered in the long run; a heavy training exercise was planned for today anyway. I slid a stubborn strand behind my ear, then quickly walked towards the bus station and started sprinting when I saw the bus approaching. I'd be exhausted by the time I arrived at the base.

I was hired a month ago. Leading up to getting stationed at the base, I had gone through a series of tiring exercises, all to help us survive on the battlefield. And now I was qualified to start working at the base.

The bus came to a stop, and I hopped in, taking a seat at the front next to an elderly lady.

Arriving at my designation, I flashed my ID and then walked through the gates. It buzzed with people. Some had just ended their shifts, and others, like me, had just started one. My team was all people from my age category: the youngest was nineteen, and the oldest was twenty-three. We were all fairly young and inexperienced, but N.E.S.T offered an intern training program and preferred hiring young people with a senior at the head of each team.

My cousin, Rachel, was one of the team members. My uncle and cousin also worked for N.E.S.T., which is why I joined the team.

Scowling at the stubborn strand escaping my ear again, I tucked it back and took the stairs toward the training room. The Main Hangar is the base's central point. Several stairs and hallways could be taken towards other designations, like the training halls, Debriefing Rooms, shooting range, and other important hangars.

Last night, I studied the base map for a good hour, marking every location I had to be to ensure I didn't get lost. I refused to embarrass myself by asking someone the way.

I hurried past a woman in a suit towards the main hangar. The rest of the team was already waiting. "Took you long enough," Rachel scolded, pinning me with a glare as I stepped beside her. Our relationship has always been strained and difficult. Neither she nor my uncle liked having me in their home, and if I could afford to leave, I would've done that a long time ago. "Stuck in traffic; not everyone has the luxury of a car," I grumbled. She huffed. Rachel had left at six. I won't lie. Getting up early in the morning is a challenge I can't seem to adjust to.

Silence fell as our Senior clasped his hands behind him. Captain Reynolds had served the military for twenty-two years, with seven years' experience here at N.E.S.T. He was part of the council and directly answered to Lennox. He looked at each one of us before his eyes landed on me. "Glad you could make it in time, Miss Banes." I smiled tightly, lowering my head. "Before we start, I have been asked to give a message." Reynolds notched his chin up. "The last couple of weeks we have been camping with a problem." I frowned. "There's an Autobot here, who arrived a year ago, killing humans. The order is to leave him be, don't talk to him, don't look at him, don't take pictures of his alt-mode and don't provoke him. Decide otherwise and meet your fate."

I shifted on my feet. Rachel beside him leaned over. "I have seen him this morning. I might give him your name." I couldn't help but snort. "And I might give him yours, now shut up." Her lips curled in a sneer. "Then why is he here if he does that stuff?" Jake asked from down the line. I bit my bottom lip as his green eyes met my blue ones. I knew Rachel's anger and jealousy came from my hookups with Jake. A handsome young soldier of twenty-two, with coppery hair and vibrant green eyes, covered in tattoos. We certainly weren't in a relationship, but I couldn't call us friends. After months, we ended up in this grey zone neither of us could figure out.

"Because he is a skilled warrior and has never failed a mission. It seems an asset for the Autobots, but so much for us.

We were paired up to spare and begin our training. Jake instantly sought me out, gesturing for me to follow. "I was positive you would come late today." His lips twisted in a grin. I rolled my eyes, taking a stance. "I had one minute left." Jake and I started. Some basic hand-to-hand combat. He wrapped his hand around my neck, pulling me against his chest. My elbow connected with his ribs. "Cheap shot, sweetheart," he brawled. Rolling my eyes, I twisted my leg, trying to let him lose his balance, but he knew me too well.

Jake laughed. "Sloppy, Sky. Are you tired?" I was, but I was too stubborn to admit it. Jake let go, and I quickly recovered. I immediately attacked again, swinging my leg in a wide arc over the ground. He dodged it, as expected. While he was regaining his footing, I kicked my shin into his knee, sending him down. I twisted his arm behind him, my free arm wrapped around his neck.

All he could do was laugh. Like this was all some sort of joke to him. Perhaps he truly saw it that way. We both had troubled pasts, we both used each other as an escape, and we both didn't care about dying. I loosened my grip. "That was perfectly executed," he purred.

I wiped the sweat from my forehead. "Keep it up like this, and you can win a fight from Sunstreaker," he purred in my ear. Nudging his ribs with my elbow, I turned, taking a stance again. "Seems like you need a new challenge," Rachel said from the sidelines, frowning. "Is that so?" Jake growled, eyes still fixated on me. I wasn't sure if Rachel had been talking to me or him, but it didn't matter.

Jake attacked again. Each fight becomes fiercer. We forgot about the others, about everything but ourselves. At that, we matched perfectly. I gave a high kick, and he grabbed my leg, yanking hard enough to send me to the floor. Scowling, I recovered, using my free leg to kick him off balance before he could straddle me and claim his win.

He launched his fist at me, which I caught and twisted in the momentum before pushing him over completely. He eventually pinned me beneath him, hands right beside my head, hips locked onto mine, and his face inches away from me. We stared, panting. "I like wrestling with you, Banes."

Blood dribbled from my split lip down my chin into my neck. "In both ways," he whispered before pulling me to him. "You two, get some water." Reynolds had been watching us closely. Too out breath to reply I inclined my head and followed Jake.

I had an eerie feeling I couldn't seem to shake as we approached the door. I turned to look around, scanning the rest of my team and then the balconies. There were three around the training hall, all of which were of different heights and could be accessed by metal stairs installed around the place. I could've sworn to have seen a shadow vanishing. But it might as well be to blame on the dappled light streaming through the high, dirty windows.

"Sky!"

I quickly followed, dismissing it. Jake and I ventured deeper into the hallway, barely speaking until we reached the Mess Hall. It bustled with people. Either soldiers or technicians. "Let's grab a quick meal," he said, nudging me. Agreeing to that, we weaved through the sea of strange faces until reaching a massive island. It was a buffet, and we could walk around and get food. Some of it didn't even look that bad. "Is that pizza?"

Jake laughed. "We ate pizza like three days ago." Huffing, I brushed the stubborn strands from my face. "And I'll need it again if I want to kick your ass." He huffed. "You didn't best me. We are even." I chuckled. "Didn't look like it moments ago." The man in front of us twisted a little, studying us. He was tall, dressed in black for a change, with ebony hair falling in perfect waves and a scar cut across his left eye.

He studied Jake then looked me up and down, from the silver waves messily tied together to the sweat-slick skin and split lip. He blinked as if trying to process what he was seeing. The smaller man beside him started laughing. I curiously watched the strange interaction. "I know I look like Hell, but it isn't that bad," I said dryly.

    "You remind him of someone, lil'lady." I cocked my head. "Is that your natural hair?" The smaller of the two asked. I nodded. "I have never seen a human with natural silver hair like yours." I could take that as a compliment, I guess. "Authors then?" The smaller one nodded. "I am Jazz, third in command, this is Ironhide, weapons specialist." I looked between them. Both had the same electric blue eyes but Jazz honey brown hair and were shorter. Not less a warrior, I assumed.
    "I am Skylar, this is Jake."
    "Be careful around here, kiddo."
    "Reynolds told us about Sunstreaker," Jake said. "Good, then hopefully we don't have any incidents." I smiled tightly. "Hopefully not."

    I got the slices of pizza and water before settling down at the window overlooking the Main Hangar. I was relieved. From the look on Jake's face, he, too, was glad to have a moment of peace and quiet. "What do you think that was all about?" I shrugged, scooping up some cheese and dropping it back on the slices of pizza.

    "I suppose that mech is causing quite the trouble." That seemed quite an understatement later as we returned to the training hall and came across a petrified senior. His face was ashen, his eyes wide, and sweat gushing down his face. Jake and I leaped aside as the man dashed through the hallway. We exchanged looks. These men had seen terrible things during their serving. For them to appear so terrified—to have them run away—is disturbing. 

    We both peered around the corner, trying to see if he was there. Even we had no idea what he looked like. Nothing. "Do you hear that?" Jake whispered. I held my breath and listened to what appeared to be the sound of rain. That couldn't be. It was a clear day.

    Jake and I reached for our gun as we sneak into the hallway, approaching the sound. The sound came from the staircase. "Jake!" I hissed as he snatched the door handle. He slid it open, and immediately, we faced the staircase, raining down with blood and gore. Like a waterfall. My stomach churned at the sight of it. Jake leaped back, slamming into me, and we hit the opposite wall.

"Fuck." He ran a hand through his coppery hair. My heart was racing, eyes glued to the scene. "That's not just one person," Jake breathed, eyes searching for mine. I pushed away from him, approaching the staircase, and looked up. Sure enough, dangling from the top railing were four people. Their throats slid and, other than that, were left unmutilated.

The person who had done this was long gone. "We need to report this. Now." I nodded hazily, slamming the door shut. "I'll go." Before he could reply, I turned on my heels and ran towards the elevators. The door opened, and I slammed into a man. We both tumbled to the ground with a loud thud. "I am so sorry." I looked up at the man's face.

Icy eyes trained on me. He was tall, at least 6'7, with bulging muscles accented by his T-shirt. His deep brown hair was short but long enough to run a hand through. He was strikingly beautiful. His high cheekbones, sharp jawline, and remarkable eyes. Upon closer inspection, I could see golden rings around his irises. For a long time, we stared at each other.

I snapped out of my dais. "I am so sorry." He kept staring at me. "I heard it the first time." I was suddenly aware of every place our bodies touched. With my hands on his chest, I could feel his heart's steady, calm beat. How could he be this calm after I slammed into him?

"You can get off me now." I quickly scrambled to the side, getting back up on my feet. His voice was like a midnight storm. Seductive and lethal entwined. The man couldn't be much older than me, but he was different from the other team members.

He slowly got up, towering over me. "Careful where you go." The embarrassment flooded my cheeks. The man turned and disappeared.