Chapter Five- Academy Years: Non-Existent

This can't be happening. After everything I've seen happen. After all the fights. After all of nearly fatal alcohol poisonings. After all of the death defying stunts. A fucking car accident?

My hands clench into fists as I stare at the motionless body lying on Bones's bed. I had been in a fit of disbelief when Hikaru contacted me on my PADD, demanding that Bones and I get up to Bones's dorm room. I had been completely shell shocked at the sight of a familiar petite, ebony-haired woman resting in Hikaru's arms, her body covered in cuts and blood.

This just can't be happening. Not like this. It isn't supposed to end like this. Kyra was supposed to make it through everything. Who was going to save my ass in the next bar fight? Who was going to spend countless hours arguing with me, just for argument's sake? Who was going to lay out with me in the middle of the night while I nurse a bottle of Jack and stare up at the night sky? Who was going to help me get out of my father's shadow?

A burning sensation tickles behind my eyes as I stare down at the strongest woman I've ever known. How could this happen? My teeth clamp down on my bottom lip to fight the tremble that threatens to form on my face. My only constant. A sense of self-loathing fills my mind as I stare at the blank face, my mind flickering to the familiar blood that trailed from the crescent moon scar on her temple. After everything she's done, I never showed my appreciation.

Thinking back to the past year, I feel my fist shake as the self-hatred continues to grow. I've treated her like shit. As if she would always be there when someone else wasn't. The countless, nameless women will never mean as much to me as she does. My eyes close as I fight back the burning sensation prickling the edges of my eyes, my hand reaching up to grasp her tiny hand.

Feeling the cool hand, I grasp it tightly as my hand shakes, my forehead coming to rest against it. Silent pleas fill my mind as I beg whatever deity exists to allow her to live. Anything. They can take my life instead if it means she will wake up. The can take away my dreams if it means I can stare into those beautiful, exotic silver-violet eyes just once more.

"Jim?" I don't bother lifting my head as I feel Bones rest a hand on my shoulder, "I need to ask you some questions."

Finally lifting my head, I blink back the burning sensation once more as I stare up at Bones, "W-what?"

I inwardly wince at the hoarse voice that leaves my lips, watching as the doctor's gaze softens, "You are placed on her emergency contact as the only person. I need some questions answered." Nodding, I watch him inhale before glancing back at Kyra's pale form on the bed, "I went to pull her medical file, and the only thing I was able to find was the physical assessment she was forced to take upon her arrival at the Academy."

What? I look up at Bones, who nods, "That right. I understand she's not completely human, but there is absolutely no birth records of her, nor any medical records. No vaccination reports, no shot records."

Now that I think about it, she's never been sick. She often took care of me whenever I had been sick, but she never so much had a cough or sneeze. Whenever she received any injury from a stupid stunt or even a fight we had been in, she always fixed herself. She never once had any indication of wanting to go to a hospital, not that I blame her, but no birth records.

"So you're saying..."

Bones nods, "It's like she doesn't even exist. Surely someone in the Academy would've noticed the lack of birth records."

True, but who would look over the lack of birth records? An uneasy feeling settles in the pit of my stomach as I gaze back down at my very first friend.

'What are you hiding from me, Kam?' I ask inwardly as I once again bow my head, resting my forehead against the back of her hand.

If she doesn't wake up from this, I'll never forgive myself for how I've been acting. God, it could have been my own mother and I wouldn't feel this mixed up. My own mother never showed compassion toward me, and while Kyra never outwardly expresses herself, I still have the knowledge that she cares. Like they say, 'actions speak louder than words'. Well, if that's true, Kyra's compassion could be heard from the top of the Academy roof, her actions screaming out what her eyes won't say.

God, I'm a fucking idiot. A single traitorous tear escapes the corner of my eye, trailing down my cheek.

A drop of water registers in my mind, the nerves on the back of my hand tingling in my mind, bringing me from the seemingly never ending darkness. Opening my eyes, I find myself staring at a ceiling, the lights dim as to not agitate anyone. A heavy weight on my right hand causes me to turn my head, the sight before me causing my stomach to twist into an unforgiving tight knot.

"J-JT?" I mumble, my voice crackling from the lack of use.

The blonde head snaps up almost instantly, beautiful blue eyes wide with concern causing the knot in my stomach to clench even tighter, "Kam...you're ok."

Forcing myself up, I feel a hand on my shoulder, glancing over at my left to see Leon peering down at me, his brown eyes full of the same concern. Why are they looking at me like this? I'm fine.

'I'm sure they won't understand your abilities, Pup.'

My hand twitches in Jim's before I shrug Leon's hand off my shoulder, "I'm fine. C-can I get a glass of water?"

Leon glares down at me, "You need to lay back. You'll pull the stitches out of your side."

Shooting the doctor a glare of my own, I hold his gaze until he looks away, obviously getting up to get me a drink like I requested. Glancing back at Jim, I force a soft smile on my face for his sake alone.

"JT, what's wrong?"

His blue eyes seem to brighten more as he clenches my hand, "You were hit by a car," I stare blankly at him, "I...I thought I was going to lose you. God damn it, Kam, I thought you were actually going to die."

The guilt that forms on his features causes me to reach up, my hand cupping his cheek. Running the pad of my thumb along the single wet trail under his eye, I feel a real smile form on my lips. Thinking back to the vague memories of my mother, I remember how she responded when I had found myself so distraught. Dropping my hand from his cheek down to the back of his shoulder, I pull him toward me, clasping my arms around him loosely.

"I'm fine, JT. Haven't I told ye' many times, something so simple cannot take me away from you," I whisper, feeling a pair of trembling arms wrap around my waist gently.

"God, Kam, I couldn't stop thinking the way I've been treating you lately. Such negative thoughts I've been thinking toward you, and you've never done anything to receive them. I hated the fact that the last thought I had before your accident had been if you were cheating on Bones," he whispers, and while no tears leave his eyes, I can hear the sorrow deeply laced in his voice.

Tightening my hold on him out of instinct alone, I press my lips against the side of his head, "JT, it's impossible for me to be cheatin' on Leon. We aren't even a couple."

Jim's head snaps up instantly, his face inches from my own and the tight knot in my stomach releases into a steady hum, "What?"

"Jim, I didn't even know what people were talking about. Leon actually had to explain it to me," I explain, and if his shocked face wasn't inches from my own, I'd probably find this very entertaining.

Realization flickers in the beautiful blue eyes and my gaze moves to his lips as his tongue runs along them. For a Human, he has very attractive features. It's no wonder why so many women chase after him. Did the room get really warm? A strange feeling slowly forms in my stomach, my gaze moving back up to the beautiful cerulean eyes.

"Kyra," His voice is deeper than usual, or is my hearing becoming as fuzzy as my stomach feels.

I don't think I like this feeling. Something in my chest tightens causing my lips to part, a soft breath leaving my lips, "Jim...what's goin' on?"

A calloused hand gently cups the side of my face, the rough pad of a thumb brushing along the scar along my temple, "Kyra..." his devious tongue slides along his bottom lip once again, "say something. Anything.."

"Like what?" I whisper, my insides trembling in such a way that I'm surprised my body hasn't followed.

"Say something to keep me from possibly making the biggest mistake of my life," he whispers, his beautiful blue eyes slowly swirling to a deeper shade.

What the hell? What's going on?

'Can't you smell it on him? He's aroused.'

Sure enough, I feel my eyes widen as the scent of sweat, tears, blood, and meadows mixes with a familiar spicy scent I catch when men stare at me with that hungry look in their eyes. The same hungry look currently filling the beautiful blue eyes of my best friend.

"Damn it, Jim, if you're going to do something, can you please keep it out of my room, let alone my bed," Leon's gruff voice breaks through my thoughts.

Jim pulls back abruptly, my hand moving to clench at the chest of my shirt, my eyes squeezing shut, "Ki-Ki, you alright, darlin'?"

Leon's voice seems to swirl in my head, causing me to shake it, trying to get rid of the fuzziness, "Something doesn't feel right."

I instantly feel a sense of concern fill the room, as Jim leans over, "What do you mean?"

Trying to fold into myself, I shake my head, "I don't know." Opening my eyes, I look up at Leon, "Thank ye' for takin' care of me, Leon."

Leon's eyes flicker with something unreadable, "You're welcome, but do you mind explaining how there is no sign of you ever existing? Or maybe you'd like to explain to me how you seem to be able to move easily enough after being hit with a car?"

Car!

'I think we've established being hit with a car, Pup.'

Inwardly growling, I think back to the moment, 'No. Not the second car. The first car. I was in complete control of the bike, an' yet there was a car that hit the back end of my bike.'

'A set up to look like an accident?'

"Ye' mean ye went through my file?" I ask, trying to shake off the sudden feeling of anger.

"File? What file? You seem to be under the impression that you have a file. See, Darlin', I was unable to find anything other than the physical assessment test you took to attend the Academy. Other than that, you have no file. Not even a birth record."

I fight the urge to sit up straighter, masking the sudden understanding that fills my mind with a mask of confusion, "What? Are ye' tryin' to tell me I don't exist, at all?"

I grab my head, fighting off the growing headache, feeling a second hand come to rest on my shoulder, "Come on Bones, she just woke up. Give the girl a break."

'Already deceiving those closest to you. I told you, we aren't supposed to be here.'

'I'll be the judge of that. Why don't ye' go back to where ever the hell ye' came from.'

'Oh, I will for now, but don't worry. I'll be back when it's time.'

Time? Time for what?

A few days pass and I find myself hidden in the Archives, the surrounding silence a sense of comfort versus the past few days, where Jim, Leon and Hikaru have been constantly up my ass. Recent events and the things I learned from Leon about my lack of existing on Earth, I went back to reading the information given to me by Captain Pike.

Completed Subject 049: Subject has shown similiar signs of accelerated regenrative abilites as Subject 043. Differences pertain to increased irritation and strength. Intelligence level reported to be 99.98 percent Intelligence Quality.

Completed Subject 049: Subject escaped from the compound and is now to be deemed highly dangerous and if we cannot retreive Subject 049, 049 is to be terminated on sight.

Completed Subject 043: Subject has shown signs of accelerated regenerative abilies. First to show signs of a difference in abilities than the previously deemed fail subjects. Increased speed capabilites are proven throughout test simulation, shows signs of future capabilites in Reconn.

Completed Subject 043: Subject deemed to be dead after a failed mission. Any signs of Subject 043, terminate on sight.

One missing, one deemed to be dead. My teeth clamp down on bottom lip. From what I read days ago in Pike's office, it seems as though the completed subject are not like Subject 051. Subject 051 isn't complete, or at least not from what I've noticed.

Something isn't right.

Reading through more information, most of them about the failed experiments, or experiments not deemed completed, I try to search for something that stands out. Freezing after a moment, I scroll back up the screen and read over the information.

This may be the last thing I ever enter on this. DeFranks is slowly losing his mind. I'm sure I'm a dead man in any case, but if anyone is able to read this, the experiments...it's not normal. I was able to help the two completed Subjects establish new identies, as well as find a way to get the rumored perfected Subject out of this facility. I fear that with the abilities the Subjects, DeFranks will have an unbeatable army at his disposal, and I for one am not looking forward to the outcome.

Hopefully, DeFranks never learns of the Amythest.

My entire body freezes. 'Amythest?'

'It is who we are.'

I've been so wrong. I'm not the hybrid brat of some strange alien species and a Human. I'm not even Human.

I'm the lost Subject 051.

My eyebrows narrow as I begin a wide search for anything under the name DeFranks. Aiden DeFranks, and I feel anger rage through my body at the information I find.

This man is going to feel my wrath.

It's been months since the accident Kam was in and something strange has been going on. Kam has competed in more than fifty different fighting tournaments, way more than Hikaru has even bothered trying to compete in. She's become more recluse than usual and something about her nonchalant attitude has me worried.

The near kiss still flashes through my mind and I can't help but curse my idiocy. As if Kyra McCloud, a gorgeous, although strange, woman, who actually has some sense of standards, would ever lower said standards to kiss the infamous Academy 'bad boy'. Is this the punishment? Her distance? Is this the outcome of my almost-kiss? I know she's never been comfortable with emotions, but I...I could have sworn she felt 'something' for me.

I stare at the starlit sky, my mind whirling with untraceable thoughts, that I didn't even hear someone take the empty place in the grass beside me.

"Somethin' wrong, JT?" a soft voice asks.

"The test," I sigh, remembering my second failed attempt at the damn test. "It's completely unbeatable. There's no possible outcome, other than death. It makes me think...all the things I watch in the simulation, was it the same my father went through," another sigh leaves my lips, "Once again, I'm faced with my father, and nobody seems to realize how much the test bothers me."

"Something unbeatable? Now, that right there is not something I ever thought was in your vocabulary, luv," Kyra responds softly.

I run a hand through my hair, "That's just it. If it was in real life, you and I both know I would've found a fuckin' way to get out of the situation. During both times of taking that damn test, I have a hundred different scenarios running through my mind and instantly I pick out which are the most likely to succeed."

A small smile forms on Kyra's lips, "Of course ye' do. That's the thing. The test is giving you a no-way-out scenario. Both of us know that there is no such thing. Ye' can either accept the fate placed before ye, or ye can fight like mad to get through and find another way to finish the outcome."

"I know. I mean, if it was in real life, you know how quickly I'd have someone dismant-" Oh my God!

Without thinking, I whirl around, grabbing both sides of the beautiful face, slamming my lips against the full ruby red lips. Pulling back, I can't help the large grin that forms on my face as I stare into the wide, confused silver-violet eyes.

"That's it! Kam! How the hell can I be so fuckin' stupid? If I can't find a way out through the simulation, I'm going to make the impossible possible."

Jumping up from my seat on the grass, I dash off toward my dorm. Entering the room, I know I have a million different things I have to do before I can think of the test.

'Wait a minute,' I freeze at my study desk, 'Did I just kiss Kam?'