Transformers: The Cross

Chapter 14 - Deal

     When five in the morning came, I was met with Miko's squinted eyes and disheveled hair. She'd already flicked the lamp on, the light invasively chasing away the fatigue in my eyes.

     Sighing, I sat up and rubbed my hands down my face, then watched as my roommate wordlessly stalked over to her dresser, pulling out two pairs of socks. She tossed one over her shoulder, and it landed at the foot of my bed.

     If those were meant for me, Miko was clearly not a morning person; I was already wearing the socks she'd given me last night.

     With another sigh, I slipped out from under the comforter and tried my best to ignore the way the air sunk it's chilling teeth into my skin. Goosebumps arose, and my hands moved to rub my arms as I shuffled over to Miko, who seemed to be slouching against her dresser, half-awake.

     I tapped her shoulder, and she responded with a zombie-ish grunt.

     "Miko."

     Through the slits of my eyes I glared at her through the harsh light. Her neck was bent at an almost ninety degree angle trying to sleep while standing up.

     "Miko," I called again, this time shaking her shoulder. Her head rose slowly, looking a little disoriented. "I need to brush my teeth."

     She grunted again, but this time began to lumber toward the bathroom. I followed her, wondering how the hell she even got out of bed.

     The both of us were finally ready when Miko finished her ridiculously long shower. I had been ready for a while, having taken my shower last night and deciding that the clothes I wore for pajamas were good enough for exercise. After watching the endless steam filter out from under the door, she emerged, and I stood, enjoying the coolness of my jungle boots in my toes.

     Miko had tied her hair into a bun, a few rebellious strands dangling around her now glowing face, eyes wide and absorbing. After shoving on her tennis shoes, she handed me a hair tie after one look at my twists and said, "You're gonna need this."

     Knowing exactly what she meant, I secured the front half of my hair toward the back in a ponytail, then tiptoed behind her through the small corridor and out onto Barrack Lane.

     We walked in a comfortable silen-

     "Did you sleep well?"

     I didn't know how to answer her. There really was no 'sleeping well' for me. The only positive thing about last night was that I hadn't had the nightmare. I'd dreamed of nothing, which happened occasionally.

     I shrugged. "I slept fine."

     Miko stepped lightly in her tennis shoes, almost seeming to bounce as she led me down another path, taking a turn. In the darkness, the buildings were beginning to thin out as land claimed the space between; I could smell the distinct scent of sea salt in the morning breeze.

     "So...when I train..." Miko began uncertainly. "I don't...it's not a morning jog type of thing. It's more specific, so I don't know if you can participate or not. I just wanted to tell you so you wouldn't be unprepared or shocked. Or if you had your own routine that's cool or whatever."

     "You got a punching bag?"

     "Yeah..."

     "That's all I need," I affirmed.

     Soon enough, Miko's gaze stopped burning into the side of my head and she brought us closer to one of the dispersed buildings. It was long, flat, and void of anything visually interesting. Through the small windows of the door in the center I could see light protruding through it and hear the faint noise of metal clanging against metal. Weights.