Falcon/Elite

The regular squads were followed by a team dressed in black t-shirts. All of them were male, with short hair and hardened expressions. But as they swept by, and I scanned their faces, one in particular caught my eye. My stomach flopped.

He was tall, six-three maybe, with a look that could kill. His dark eyes were set under a heavy brow and over a set of prominent cheekbones. They were focused solely ahead, as though we were nothing more than furniture.

The word "Elite" stretched in white across his broad shoulders in the back. The rest of the group had the same word across their backs.

"So they do exist," Jack murmured. "Rumor had it that they were, well, just that - rumors."

I didn't answer. I was still staring at where they'd disappeared into the cafeteria.

"Falcon?"

"What? Yeah, of course."

Jack rolled her eyes.

"Let's go cadets."

Wolf led us into the cafeteria and dismissed us to get lunch. Jack and I grabbed our lunches, two meat and veggie wraps with potato chips and a sports drink, then took our seats. I noticed the middle table, which had been deserted for the past several weeks, now had occupants - the Elite.

"What do you think they did to get put on the Elite squad?"

Jack shrugged. "Wolf said they were the best. Exceptional."

"Huh," I mused. "How long does it take to make Elite?"

She laughed. "Are you kidding? No female has ever made the Elite squad."

Whippet took a seat with us. "She's right," he said. "You don't stand a chance."

"Oh really? And how do y'all know so much? After all, they were just rumors weren't they?"

"Just because they were rumors doesn't mean there wasn't fact mixed in," Whippet said.

I rolled my eyes, their comments smarting. "Whatever."

As I ate, ignoring the conversation around me, my gaze wandered back to the middle table. There were five of them at the table for six. The largest one looked to be six-six, somewhere between 200 and 250 pounds, and was probably also the oldest one. His jaw was square, his hair short and light. Next to him was a redhead, solidly built like the others, and next to the redhead was an empty seat. Facing them was the guy that had caught my attention in the hallway and another male, Asian, with black hair, dark eyes, and a snake tattooed on his arm. At the end of that side was a final male, with short blonde air and striking blue eyes.

None of them were talking. Despite the chatter around them, they kept their attention focused on their food and each other.

"Who are these people?" I wondered aloud. "They behave like - "

The door to the cafeteria swung open suddenly, knocking back against the wall and startling the entire room - except the middle table, I noted.

A female swept into the room, long blond hair pulled into a ponytail, allowing the entire room tho see the big, white "Elite" across the back of her black shirt. I glanced at Jack and Whippet, both of whom were staring.

"What were you saying?" I muttered, a smug smile crossing my face as the girl slid into the empty seat at the middle table.

"Shit."