Sky's heart rate soared. He could just make out the line of something in the darkness. It was just a shape, an outline. It slinked about on the edges of his vision, just out of reach of the light.

"Do you know who I am yet?" It's voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard. "Have you figured it out?"

Sky shook his head. "How am I supposed to figure out something from nothing? That's all you are, nothing. This is just a dream." He fought to control the tremble in his voice. Tates were not allowed to get scared.

It laughed. "Oh so young. So foolish. Very well, believe your little lies. But-" A cold, thin hand pushed Sky's neck forward at a painful angle, bones digging into his skin. "Remember this, Grandson of Chanthum Tate…" It hissed in his ear.

Sky screamed as a sharp pain bloomed from his chin and traveled down to his collarbone.

Warm hands pressed into his back, and Sky jerked awake, back in his bed, with Bridge leaning over him.

"You were screaming again. Were you dreaming? I had a terrible dream once." Bridge's eyes went wide.

"I'm fine. Nothing's wrong." Sky said as he sat up.

Bridge stared at Sky's pillow

"Sky? What's that?" Bridge asked.

Sky looked down and saw a dark stain on his usually blue pillowcase.

"Sky…" he heard Bridge whisper, "your neck…"

Sky raised a hand to his neck and felt something sticky and wet. He pulled his fingers away to see that blood coated his hand. A searing pain tore through him. He pressed his hand to his neck and stumbled to their shared bathroom. Blood seeped through his fingers and down his neck, soaking his white shirt. He grabbed a towel and turned on the facet. He carefully cleaned the gash, wincing as the towel wiped away the blood. He held the towel to his wound and Bridge appeared at the door.

"You need to see Kat. She can help clean that up."

Sky shook his head. "I'm fine. I just need the kit."

Knowing it was pointless to argue, Bridge reluctantly fished out the First-Aid kit and unpacked a compress and gauze. Sky peeled away the towel and Bridge applied the compress.

"What happened to you? How did you get this? Or, wait, do you want me to guess? I mean I could guess but that would take forever." Bridge began wrapping the gauze.

Sky grunted. "There's nothing to tell. I woke up and this was here," he insisted, visions from his nightmare flashing across his mind.

Bridge frowned. "It's fine if you don't want to tell me. It's just all a little strange. You never have nightmares, now two nights in a row?" He finished wrapping and stood back to look at Sky through the mirror.

Sky shrugged. "It's whatever." He checked his watch. "2 o'clock, Bridge. Let's go back to sleep." He left Bridge in the bathroom and left his questions unanswered.

Sky walked back to his bed and threw the bloody pillow on the ground. He heard Bridge crawl into his own bed and listened as his breathing slowed to sleep.

But Sky couldn't sleep. He didn't want to go back. At the same time, he wondered if it was real or if he was going insane. His hand touched the gauze around his neck. His wound sure felt real enough. What was happening to him?

He rolled over and eventually dozed off into short bursts of unfit rest.

Sky woke up to the sound of boots walking down the hallway outside his door. He sat up in a confused haze. No one was usually up when Sky took his morning jogs. Sky checked his watch.

0900!

Sky bolted out of bed and hurriedly threw on his uniform, straightening it to hide his bandage just before dashing out the door.

Sky arrived at the cafeteria and scarfed down an apple and some pancakes before rushing out the door and to the training facilities.

His teammates were just about to start an active shooter exercise. He slid over next to Syd and grabbed a blaster.

"Where have you been?" She hissed.

Sky shrugged. "Abs took a lot out of me this morning."

Syd stopped and looked at him. "Yesterday, you said you had cardio this morning."

Sky grimaced as he realized his mistake. "Oh well yeah, I uh…" but he was saved from having to answer as Jack came around to debrief on the scenario.

"Good of you to join us Sky," he said and Sky scowled. "Today we will be against four heavily armed shooters in the simulation room. This one is in a densely populated area so watch your shots. Our objective is to stop the threats by any means necessary. Bridge, you're with Z, I'm with Syd, and Sky, you're our eyes from up top," he addressed the group. "We won't always be able to evacuate everyone before a battle, so let's take this seriously and get it done."

They each took their places as the simulation began the countdown.

A mechanical sounding voice counted. "3...2...1…"

Just like that, the world around them shifted from an empty room into downtown New Tech City, and the stillness of the stiff room morphed into madness. People running everywhere, some looking disoriented and others overcome by fear. The team was immediately jostled by civilians running screaming from some unknown source ahead.

Sky didn't bother watching to see what his teammates did. He needed to find a way up to a rooftop, fast. A little further on down the alley he saw a fire escape ladder hanging limply. Sky had to shoulder his way through the thronging masses, pushing people out of the way left and right. He leapt up and grabbed hold of the broken end of the ladder and hoisted himself to the fire escape. He pounded up the stairs, the clanging of the rickety fire escape barely noticed above the commotion below.

The gravel of the roof crunched under his feet as he flew to the edge of the building. He brought his binoculars to his eyes and scanned the surrounding area.

"Jack, I can't see the shooters from here. I'll need to climb to a different building, so you guys won't be covered for a few minutes at least." Sky spoke into the head piece.

"Alright, go fast Sky. We need you up there," Jack's voice came back.

Sky slung the binoculars back around his shoulder and looked around for a taller building.

His eyes fell on one just two blocks away, Jagah Inc. He frowned. He wouldn't be able to stay on the rooftops. He had to go back into the fray.

In a flash, he was back down the fire escape and on the street again. If possible, it seemed as if there were even more people than before. He struggled to make it to Jagah Inc., but finally burst through the doors.

"S.P.D." he shouted. "I need to utilize your roof, is there an access point?"

A shy looking receptionist pointed to the back. "There's a staircase that'll take you right up, sir," she replied in a small voice.

He nodded to her. "Thank you."

His boots thudded on the polished floors and he crashed through the door to the stairs. He glanced up and groaned, starting up what looked to the about 20 floors.

About floor 17, Jack came into Sky's ear.

"Sky! Where are you? We need you right now! We can't identify the shooters there's too much chaos out here!"

"Almost...there…" he wheezed.

Sky exploded into the sunlight on the roof and sprinted to the raised ledge. He pulled out his binoculars and tried to catch his breath as he scanned again. The building was perfectly placed to offer him a view of the plaza down below. Two green-skinned aliens stood in the plaza, injured civilians littering the ground around them.

"...Jack…" he huffed. "Found them. Tyran Plaza. Two suspects. Hurry, lots of downed civs."

"On our way. Bridge and Z should be closer." He said.

"We're here." Z replied. "But we can't get a clean shot. They're each holding a civ as a human shield. Bridge is trying to talk them down but they aren't responding."

Three shots rang out, but not from the plaza.

"Guys, we found the other two shooters." Jack said. "We can't get back to you. We need to cover these shooters. Sky, if Bridge's talking isn't working. Then take a shot as soon as you see it. Z, move in a do the same. There's nothing else we can do but hope we can get shots at them both. Oh sh-" Three more shots.

"Z," Sky called. "Flashbang. Blind them. Hopefully then we can get to them and end this safely."

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"Do it! Bridge, duck and close your eyes." He hissed.

"Bang away, cover!" Z shouted.

Sky covered his eyes until he saw the flash from beneath his lids. He opened his eyes and whipped his rifle into place just in time to see Bridge take down one of the suspects, but the other still refused to give up, waving his guns around wildly.

"Take the shot!" Z screamed.

Sky lined up the crosshairs and slowed his breathing until it seemed like time was standing still.

His finger laid on the trigger.

But he froze in terror as razor sharp claws dug into his shoulder.

Author's note: Hey guys! Thanks for reading and getting this far! Sorry for the oddly long breaks, it's been a wild semester! Feel free to leave a comment below or give a review! Hopefully I'll get a new chapter out soon to make up for the long break I had! Thank you all so much!