Predatory

Certain Death

The next morning, I had just woken up, and was currently engaged in scrubbing the sin out of my armor.  When I heard a firm knock on the door. Seeing as Dawnstar was currently still asleep, (she had just come back very early this morning and crashed onto her berth, from whence she came I didn't ask because I wasn't sure I wanted to find out) I ran to get the door. I opened it, to reveal the captain. 

"Here's your schedules, don't lose them." He said gruffly, he turned as if to leave, then looked back at me with nervous optics. "Oh, and uh, Dreadflight, is it? Good luck. You are going to seriously need it." Then he turned and left. I closed the door. Confused. Why would the captain wish me good luck? He never cared about me much. In fact he particularly disliked me. Strange. 

I looked over at Dawnstar. She was still sound asleep. I rolled my optics. I set her schedule down and began to glance over mine. After a few moments of reading, Dawnstar was most rudely awakened.... by the sound of my screaming.

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

"I still think it's a typo," I said. Dawnstar and I were on our way to breakfast. She was clearly still tired, but also concerned by this new revelation. 

She shook her helm, "For your sake Dread, I sincerely hope so."

 I sighed. I would ask the captain if he was sure that my schedule was right. And if it was.....well, I didn't want to think about it if it was. 

We found our way to the dining hall/cafeteria area about fifteen ticks early. All the other trainees were there, save for the seeker twins. Deciding to sit by ourselves, Dawnstar and I sat at our own table in a corner. I pulled out my schedule and stared at the mentor designation one more time to make sure I was not dreaming, stuck in some nightmarish wasteland.

Mentor:  Tarn

I still hoped it was a typo, but something deep down, I knew my fate was sealed. Dawnstar put her hand on my shoulder. 

"I'm sure it's fine, Dread!" She reassured, but she was clearly not convinced of her own words. I felt like curling up in a hole and dying. It would be better than the next two to three solar cycles of my existence. 

Suddenly, the captain appeared in front of our table. 

"Dreadflight, there's been a change in plans. You start training today instead of tomorrow. Which means that you need to come with me to the combat room for a combat overview with.....him." He trailed off, giving me a sparkling grin so white, I knew it was fake. Primus I hated this mech.  

"You mean it's not a typo?" I asked, pained. 

"Nope. No typo's" He said cheerily, he checked the time on his internal datapad laoded into his arm. "Oh! And look, he wants to meet with you before breakfast! Isn't that swell?"

"Before Breakfast?????!!!!", I practically screeched. Breakfast started in less than ten ticks! I grabbed my schedule and the bag that I kept my spare ammo, datapad with the frequency plug in and refillable energon bottle that I never let get empty, and bolted out of the cafeteria, throwing a "Pray for me, Dawnstar!!" behind me as I entered the hallway.

 I bolted round hundreds of corners, through hall after hall, past door after door and down way too many flights of stairs. According to my internal blueprint of the building, the cafeteria had been on the  hundred-and-fourth floor, but the combat room in question was on level ninety-nine. 

I ran at full speed. Praying the whole time that I would make it.

My legs were screaming at me and very quickly beginning to cramp.

But I couldn't afford to stop. My life probably depended on it. 

My intakes were getting more and more forced.

 I could feel the energon pounding through my helm, thundering in my audio receptors.

 I finally rounded the final corner to the combat room and as I did, I slid to a stop and my legs, (very angry with me right now) suddenly refused to stand upright and buckled beneath me.

 I glanced at the clock on my wrist. It just clicked over to breakfast time. I took a deep breath and prepared myself to look up. I really wanted to keep my optics shut but reality wasn't having any of that today.

 I started to try and get up, my legs still aching horribly, but I didn't listen to them, after all, pain is just weakness leaving the body. 

Pulling myself together, I opened my optics.