Knights of King *HIATUS*

Chapter 4

Lights on King were completely shut off, any sensible person would be asleep at the moment. The time on a set clock would be somewhere around three am. The Graffiti towns were quiet, just a few kids kicking cans against the backs of houses as they made their way back home after a night of partying. The barracks were bare besides the cadets posted for watch, though albeit; even they were falling asleep. The only room lit up and filled with noise was a private training room. A girl was punching and kicking a bag near the back of the room. Her hair was stuck to the back of her neck and forehead with sweat.

Aquarius pants as she lands hard kick after hard kick to the back. The tops of her feet were red and nearly raw from the harsh, unforgiving bag. That didn't stop her. There was something that each of the Zodiac members had come realized about their close friend; she didn't stop. When Aquarius got into training she would continue to train until she was forced to stop by orders from Palace or she passed out. As much as the others hated to admit it, the latter happened more often.

This time was different for some reason. The air around her was thick with inner pain. Something had happened, and none of them could figure out what it was. The first to wake after Aquarius left was Libra; nothing really got past his mind, even when he was asleep. He could taste the pain in Aquarius which caused him to wake up and exit his room in a near panic. Upon seeing the logs of Aquarius leaving the Zodiac bunks he woke Leo and Cancer.

The leader of the Zodiac was grumpy when being woken up earlier than normal. Cancer was partially asleep but upon hearing Libra's recount of what his mind reading picked up she was immediately awake and set on finding her friend somewhere on King. The short, dark skinned girl had a glowing tablet in her hand as she quickly read through the logs of all the different special access locked rooms that Aquarius could have slipped into to get away. Her hair was down from it's typical twin bun style, her chocolate brown curls framing her face like a poofy halo.

Libra tapped a portion on the holographic map. "She may have been going to one of the bars, several are all nighters."

Cancer shook her head, voice heavily with sleep still. "She doesn't drink unless it's celebration."

Leo yawned. "She's in the training room."

"There are no logs of her entering the training room, she couldn't be." Libra retorts.

Leaning forward, some of his hair falling into his face, Leo types something and several security cameras appear on the holo. He sits back, a satisfied smirk as Libra narrows his tired eyes.

The cameras show Aquarius training with the heavy bags, throwing punches and kicks. They all lean forward and watch her train, eyes wide. It was no secret, Aquarius trained the hardest out of all of them. Even when they were kids and when they came aboard King, she was always the toughest. Aries nearly passed her once but even he had to stop and take a break.

"It's like she's just an engine that never stops running, ya know." Aries commented after. "She's not human."

Scorpio shook his head. "No she's not, technically none of us are."

Hours of research later turned up the facts that the Alien DNA Aquarius had in her blood was not a species known for their strength or perseverance. She was doing this by her own sheer will and by her own choice. That alone deemed her a monster in Aries' eyes.

While the group of three continued to watch their friend train Cancer frowned. "Look at her feet."

The two boys lean forward to get a closer look and Libra's eyes widen. "She's pushing herself to hard."

Cancer nods. "She won't be able to teach tomorrow. Not with her feet like that." The girl sits back, her curly hair bouncing around her built frame.