That was a lie. You couldn’t tell their ages by just looking at them. She knew they’d all been created decades before what they looked like.

No one really knew their beginnings, only that one moment humans were in charge, the next, KCs were, with extraordinary abilities and the conversion of soldiers began. They could go for longer than a human, could regulate their bodies as they needed, go without food and water for a long time, could heal themselves, were stronger, more determined and never gave up. The nano’s in their blood repaired everything including aging. Fighting them was practically impossible. Unless you had an edge. An edge the SCs gave you or some mad skills like her people.

It didn’t hurt that they were every woman’s dream either and had the looks to match. Her uncles just didn’t do it for her. That was not who they were to each other. Hawk and Comet called her over, Spike and Crash stepped back.

Taking her on, 2 on 1. They didn’t make it easy on her, the fight tough pushing her to be inventive. After every hit, they’d stop and dissect the action going at it again showing her how her response could be improved to avoid the hit and practiced it over and over again until they were satisfied she’d got it, then moved on to the next. Even so, they caught her several times as she swung out, hit and deflected.

She stalled at the last one, it hurt like a bitch, and she held it in with a slight flinch. Hawk called a halt immediately.

“Everyone out!” Rang out. She groaned bending over catching her breath, she was too tired for this shit. Hearing the voice they all stepped back dripping. Her uncles looked at her.

“You okay?” Crash asked as they crowded her looking at her arm. Spike hadn’t pulled any punches. She nodded flexing it rolling her eyes.

“I’m good. I need to build this muscle back up fast. Pain makes me better right? Pain means I’m still alive.” It was what they always told her when young.

They all stood tall and smiled down on her. Then nodded and started to file out ahead of her.

Marcus grabbed her other arm as she went to pass too at the back of the line.

“Not you.” Much to her annoyance her quad kept going.

“Yeah I’m good, thanks for asking!” she called after them to sniggers.

Fuckers…

Pulling her arm free she walked away grabbing some water drinking it down. And heard the door close. “Like I said we need to talk.”

“Fuck sake Marcus, take a hint! We really don’t.”

“Sarah.”

Oh my god….. seriously….

She took a steading breath. “Like I said, we really don’t.”

He pulled her round to face him, taking her hurt arm gently in his hand. “How bad?”

“It will be fine, I’m out of practice, need to rebuild some muscle, some ice will do it. It was a good solid hit, saw it coming too late.”

“They trained you well. You’re a bit rusty. Too long in the FHA.”

She gave a nod. He was right. She sighed. “Yeah I know. What do you want Marcus. I’m just not up for this. You need to stay the fuck away from me.” She tried to move away.

His hand was on her throat lightning fast. “Stop pushing me Moon. This is hard enough.” His scent hit her.

Fuck…. she didn’t need to smell that. Not again….

“Let go.”

He closed his eyes. “No. Your scent…. God damn it…. they’re right. It’s fucking delicious.”

She dropped the water bottle and broke his grip, stepping away.

He was on her in a flash. He blocked her and she fought back. He gave her no quarter, but she wouldn’t give up. Until she realised, he’d backed off several times to prevent hurting her, then she stopped. He wasn’t going to really fight her, and there was no point to this, she let him cage her in.

“Fight if you’re going to fight. Fight to win. I don’t do half assed.” She told him.

She saw his jaw clench. “You done now? I don’t want to hurt you.” She reluctantly gave a nod. “Sarah. You rejected being her bodyguard. Why?”