Bees.

These automated transit buses always reminded Kalen of bees. Perhaps it was the bright yellow safety bars the office workers clung to like drones. Bumping and shuffling against each other, swaying in time with the shifting of the ponderous vehicle. Or maybe the hum whenever a bus pulled away from the curb, it's powerful, electric engine whirring to life. But now, more than ever, he thought of bees when he looked down the rows of seats to find her.

His Queen Bee.

Kalen stared at her between the collar shirted drones as they slid up and down the aisle, leaving the mobile hive to flit about, disappearing into the darkening city streets. She sat reading a book. Another of her trashy romance novels judging by the worn and tattered cover. Just another thing that he found fascinating about her. While everyone else sat or stood, faces glued to digital pads or plugged into virtual web-space she poured through an antiquated paperback.

A overweight woman slumped into an open seat, immediately obstructing his view. Kalen's heart beat rose, his skin prickling at being denied the sight of her. He craned his neck, leaning over slightly. Trying to catch a glimpse of her again. The man on his right cleared his throat grumpily as he invaded his personal space and Kalen shrunk back with a weak apologetic smile.

Damn it. She would be getting off soon. He closed his eyes and bought up her image in his mind. Her silky, chocolate colored skin. The way she nibbled on her lip as her amber eyes danced over the pages. Her chestnut brown hair, streaked with a few blonde highlights.

Kalen balled his hands into fists. It was a risk but he had to get closer to her. His breathing slowed as he concentrated. Senses stretching out, nostrils flaring. The stink of humanity nearly caused him to gag. Sweat, grime and the pungent sting of perfumes and deodorants mixed together to assault his nasal passages. He sifted through them, determined to find her.

There she was.

Her skin smelled of coconut and honey. He took it in. The scent of her drowning out the world. Kalen sighed audibly and relaxed, bathing in her presence, losing himself in her. His other senses heightened unconsciously and he listened to her breath, the slight rustle of her clothing as she shifted in her seat.

A sharp pain knifed through his left hand causing Kalen to grunt loudly.

"No." he whispered, covering one hand with the other, feeling the bones shift and crack beneath the skin. A few of the drones glanced in his direction, but, not wanting to get involved, turned away just as quickly. He lowered his head not daring to open his eyes as his pulse started to race. Muscles in his back tensed, pulling him upright in the plastic chair. His thumb popped audibly, and in a panic, he shoved the hand into his pocket wincing as razor sharp nails tore through the denim material like tissue paper, opening a gash on his upper thigh.

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An electronic ping sounded, signaling an approaching stop. Kalen sucked in a lungful of air as the bus slowed, turned, and finally halted with a pneumatic hiss. There was chime when the doors slid open and he stood up immediately, shuffling from the seat. Kalen kept his right hand rubbing at his forehead to shield his eyes, pushing past passengers and out onto the street.

"Watch it, jerk!" someone said.

Kalen didn't bother to look back as he strode forward, ignoring the angry protest, oblivious to the direction he was headed as his sneaker clad feet splashed through shallow puddles of dirty rainwater. He collided into what felt like a wall made of studded leather, bounced off it and fell back onto his ass.

"S'up, meat?" A deep voice boomed.

Kalen kept his head down as he clambered to his feet. The smell of tobacco, cheap alcohol and illicit drugs bombarding his overtaxed senses. Multiple pairs of steel capped boots, decorated with glinting chrome chains and studs shuffled around him.

"Sorry." he said trying to step back, instead bumping into another of the gang. A shove from behind sent him stumbling forward.

"He don't seem to sorry to me. He keeps doing it." someone said, a chorus of laughter following.

Kalen grit his teeth, muscles continuing to tighten like steel coils, the coppery taste of blood filling his mouth as he struggled to keep himself calm. With a mechanical whir a steel blue hand griped his jacket and pulled him forward, lifting him off his feet.

"Give us some money, bitch. Maybe then we'll accept your apology."

This one was obviously the leader. A monster of a man dressed in a tattered synth-leather jacket, the right sleeve torn off at the shoulder off to expose a bulky, menacing looking cybernetic arm. Kalen's skin felt like it was on fire, adrenaline flooding his bloodstream, his heart jack-hammering in his chest. He looked up into the face of the brute holding him.

"Let go of me." he snarled, his eyes shining golden red in the glow of the flickering streetlights.

The linebacker sized cyber-ganger flinched as if jolted by an electrical shock. He recovered quickly, no doubt bolstered by the presence of the other gangers surrounding their prey. An amused snort escaped his wide, flat nose.

"Nice optics you is sporting. Can't even see any scars." he grunted, "Set like them must have set you back a bit."

A skinny Puerto Rican woman wearing a studded dog collar poked Kalen in the ribs. "So, what? You rich, white boy?"

Kalen glanced around at the others, taking them in. To his right were two more gangers. The first's forearms so covered in wristwatches Kalen couldn't see his skin beneath the bands. While the other, twirled a metal baseball bat in his hands. The scratches and dents covering its surface a clear sign he wouldn't hesitate to use it.

Kalen could tell the money was just an excuse. His nose twitched at the rank smell of their unwashed bodies, the amphetamines in their bloodstreams seeping from their pores. These lowlife scumbags were jacked up and looking to hurt someone. His senses expanded tenfold at the impending danger. The creak of leather as the linebacker shifted his weight. The clicking of a metal stud as the woman waggled her tongue over her teeth. And then something else. A tapping on the cracked pavement as someone drew closer.

The sweet scent of coconut and honey.

"Hey, you! Leave him alone and get out of here!"

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