Y/N's Pov

"At least the school knows how to reward their students" I said followed by a deep inhale of the fresh ocean breeze.

As i stared out at the vast, open sea, the sound of waves crashing against the sides of the deck filling the air. A couple of days had passed since the award ceremony, and Optinessa's announcement still echoed in my mind—a one-week vacation for students who had averages of 90 and above, to a private island the school owned. Of course, that included me, as well as Sam, Jack, Cade, and a handful of the others.

Bee had barely passed with a 90, but she made it along with Smokescreen, Arcee.

And Optinessa, who scored the highest with a 99. The Deceptigals were there too—Starscream, Soundwave, and Knockout.

And then there was Megatron, who had also scored a 99. Because of the rounding, Optinessa had beaten her by just .1 of a point, and every time I passed by Megatron, she looked like she was about to explode. I couldn't help but wonder if that tension would follow us to the island.

Before I could think too much about it, I felt a pair of arms wrap around me from behind, followed by a familiar giggle—Bee.

"Hey, Y/N!" she said, hugging me tightly. "You've been staring out here for a while. What's up?"

I smirked, shrugging off the weight of my thoughts. "Just thinking about how lucky we are to get a break like this," I said. "Didn't expect the school to own an island."

Bee laughed, spinning around to stand next to me. "Right? It's crazy, but it's gonna be awesome. You're gonna make the most of this, aren't you?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I just hope I don't get dragged into too much drama."

Bee grinned and punched my arm lightly. "Drama follows you everywhere, Y/N. Might as well have fun with it!"

Bee and I were in the middle of a conversation when suddenly, Optinessa's voice came through the cruise's speaker system.

"Good morning, students," her calm yet commanding tone filled the air, immediately catching everyone's attention. "Please gather at the front deck immediately."

Bee sighed and rolled her eyes, her cheerful demeanor still present but slightly diminished by the abrupt interruption. "Looks like our fun will have to wait."

We made our way to the front deck, where Optinessa was already standing in front of a stage. Behind her, a large screen illuminated the area, and as more students gathered, the screen came to life.

There, a virtual figure of our principal, Quintessa, appeared—already dressed in a stylish beach outfit. She greeted the students with a radiant smile.

"Congratulations to everyone here for earning honors, high honors, and the highest honors during the first midterm awarding. As promised, you get to enjoy a week at our private island!" Quintessa announced, her tone filled with enthusiasm.

Cheers erupted from the students. Bee punched my arm playfully, and I smiled, thinking this was finally a well-deserved break.

"The island is equipped with air-conditioned five-star hotels, five-course meals, and of course... the sea!" Quintessa continued.

Everyone was buzzing with excitement. I could hear Cade and Jack behind me talking about hitting the beach first, and even Sam looked eager to explore.

But then, Quintessa paused, her smile widening. A slight chuckle escaped her lips before turning into full-blown laughter. "However, there's a catch," she said, her voice sharp as she dropped the bombshell. "Before you can access these lavish facilities and truly relax... you must prove yourselves."

The once joyful atmosphere turned tense. The screen zoomed out, and the island came into view, showcasing its luxurious resorts and pristine beaches.

"In order to enjoy the accommodations, you must participate in a series of tests that will begin the moment you set foot on the island. Starting today, you'll be divided into groups to forage food, build shelter, and set up camp."

There was a collective gasp from the crowd. The freshers, like me, Cade, Jack, and Sam, looked stunned. This wasn't what we signed up for. The thought of having to build shelters and forage wasn't exactly what we imagined when we heard the word 'vacation.'

Quintessa continued, "Only after successfully completing these tasks will you gain access to the hotels and the five-course meals that the island offers." She then added with a smirk, "Oh, and for your information, this island isn't just any resort. It's reserved for only the wealthiest and most powerful clients around the world. But today, you get to earn your stay."

I turned to Bee, expecting her to be shocked, but instead, she just chuckled, unfazed. That's when I realized—she and the other Autogals and Deceptigals already knew. They were second years, or even higher. Of course, they'd been through this before.

Meanwhile, my thoughts were racing. This wasn't going to be a vacation—it was another test. A big one.

After Quintessa's announcement, I started putting two and two together. Almost all of the twenty male students this year were freshmen, just like me. It hit me—that was probably the reason Quintessa had mentioned during orientation that this was the year they finally accepted male students. I was beginning to understand why the island test might be a lot harder for us new guys.

The assembly wrapped up, and I found myself walking back inside the ship with Bee by my side. Since I was bunking with her during this trip, she naturally stuck close. My thoughts wandered as I mulled over the upcoming island activities. I couldn't help but feel a little glum.

"Ugh, foraging for food? Building shelters? This doesn't feel like a vacation at all," I groaned, kicking an empty bottle along the way.

Bee nudged me with her elbow, her signature bright smile still glued to her face. "Come on, Y/N, it's not that bad! Besides, I might have a little spoiler for you..." She glanced around playfully, lowering her voice as if it were some secret.

"A spoiler?" I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. She leaned in a bit closer.

"Since I'm a secretary in the student council, I know some stuff the others don't." Her voice was teasing, and I could tell she was excited to share.

"The boys are going to be split into four groups, and either one or two Autogals or Deceptigals will be in charge of each group. Sooo... there's a good chance I might be in the same group as you!"

I couldn't help but smile, feeling a bit of the weight lift off my shoulders. "Really? That doesn't sound too bad."

Bee's eyes sparkled as if she fully embraced the lovestruck anime girl vibe. And I swear I could see little hearts floating above her head.

She clasped her hands together, tilting her head with a dreamy expression. "Just imagine it, Y/N! I'll catch food for you, build a shelter, and then when night falls... we'll snuggle by the fire for warmth!"

I blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in her tone. She was so earnest, so over the top. I could only watch with a confused, slightly surprised expression before I chuckled. "Uh, right. That sounds... nice?"

Bee gave a proud nod, clearly pleased with her scenario. Despite her teasing, it wasn't hard to see she was just trying to cheer me up, and honestly, it was working. I laughed again, shaking my head. "I guess I do hope you're the Autogal looking after my group then."

With Bee around, things always felt a bit brighter—even if we were about to be thrown into a survival test disguised as a vacation.

Timeskip

As we arrived on the beach,

the staff members were already there, all dressed in beach outfits, calling over their students. Bee and I headed straight for our homeroom teacher, Professor Ironhide.

He looked as gruff as ever, standing tall in his beach shirt and cargo shorts, a reminder of his days as an army general, which he had once shared with us. It was hard to imagine this guy leading survival training before teaching us, but it totally made sense when he started barking orders.

"Alright, listen up!" Ironhide's voice boomed over the sound of the waves. "We're splitting into groups for this survival test. Four boys, sixteen girls. As for who's leading your groups..." He paused, making us all wait, like he was enjoying dragging it out.

I could feel Sam tense up beside me, and even Bee was looking hopeful. "C'mon, just say it," Sam muttered under his breath, clearly nervous.

Ironhide smirked. "In our class, we have an Autogal and a Deceptigal leading the groups." He gestured toward Bee, who shot me a quick smile, clearly hoping she'd be in charge of our group.

Then, Ironhide's eyes landed on Megatron, standing off in the distance, arms crossed, looking as terrifying as ever.

"And leading the boys' group will be..."

"Please not Megatron"

"Please not Megatron!"

"Please not Megatron!!"

. . . .

"Bee!..."

YES!

. . . .

"You'll be in charge of the girls, Megatron the boys are in your hands!" Damn you professor Ironhide!!

"What?!" Sam and I shouted at the same time. I could feel my heart sink, and even Bee let out a frustrated groan. "You've gotta be kidding me!" she pouted, kicking at the sand. "There goes our chance to share s'mores and cuddle in the evening...dang it!."

Before I could even react, the air around us shifted, growing tense. I turned slowly, and there she was—Megatron, standing right behind us, grinning with that dangerous look on her face. Her sharp teeth glinted in the sunlight, and I could feel the temperature drop a little.

In one swift move, Megatron ripped off her academy uniform, revealing her beach attire underneath.

She was wearing a wide-brimmed sun hat, casting a shadow over her face, and sleek neon purple sunglasses that matched her intense eyes. Her top was a bold purple bra set, and below, she had a shimmering silver cover-up, the fabric lightly brushing against her legs as the breeze picked up. It was fierce and elegant all at once, and honestly, she looked like she was ready to conquer the entire island...and us.

She took a step forward, her grin widening. "So, I'm in charge of you four weaklings, huh? This ought to be fun." Her voice dripped with mockery, and her eyes locked onto me.

"Especially you, Y/N." She pointed right at me, that grin growing even more sinister. "Remember that little incident by the lockers? I told you you'd regret ever standing up to me. And now, here we are. You'll wish you'd never made it onto the honors list."

She cackled, the sound chilling as it echoed across the beach. Sam and I exchanged glances, both of us filled with dread. Yeah, this was definitely going to be one long week.

. . .

. . .

Megatron's harsh words echoed in my mind as Sam and I trekked deeper into the island's dense jungle. "If you don't find a place to camp, you won't get to eat dinner!" she'd barked at us like a drill sergeant. It felt like we were being punished before even failing, but that was Megatron for you—no mercy.

"This freaking sucks.." I muttered, glancing around at the trees, their thick canopies blocking out the sun.

Oh? You're wondering what if we get lost on our way back or stumble in a dangerous area?

Don't worry!

I glanced down fiddling with the waterproof watch on my wrist. Each student had been given one, complete with a tracking device that displayed a map of the island...man I really want to skip over to the south side where the resort and buffet was..

Megatron's location was marked with a chibi icon of her with a sharp grin. Even her cute icon managed to be intimidating. At least we wouldn't get lost... unless the watches malfunctioned.

Talk about subtle foreshadowing..I just hope the school cares enough for their students that they'll put out a search party or something..I really wish I was with Bee right now!

. . .

We kept walking, searching for the perfect camp spot—safe, flat, and near drinking water. "Oh, man..." Sam groaned behind me.

I turned around, confused. "Sam, what's up?"

"I gotta take a dump, man. Can't hold it!" Sam ducked behind a large bush, his face contorted in panic.

I couldn't help but laugh, leaning against a nearby tree. "You've got the worst timing, bro!"

So I decided to wait, and from time to time I could even hear Sam grumbling and cursing, still complaining about this 'trickcation' or so he said. I can't say I blame you bud, I understand.

. . .

. . .

After what felt like an eternity, Sam reappeared, looking relieved. "Feel better?" I teased.

"Shut up," he muttered.

"Lucky us," I said, stepping closer to a clearing. "Look at that—right next to a stream. This is perfect!"

Sam trudged over, wiping his hands on his shorts. "This'll do. All right, send the signal to boss lady."

I activated my watch, sending our coordinates back to Megatron and the other two guys. "Hopefully, she approves, or we'll be skipping dinner tonight."

Timeskip

Hours later, after some back-breaking work, we'd finally managed to set up camp. Sam and I shared one tent, while the other two boys huddled in the other.

I stretched out, feeling the ache in my muscles but grateful to finally sit down. Sam plopped beside me, panting. "I think I'm gonna die, dude."

"You're not alone."

We glanced across the stream at Megatron, who was lounging like some kind of queen. She sat in a foldable chair with one leg draped casually over the other, a solar-powered fan pointed right at her face. Behind her was... a blow-up tent that looked ridiculously high-tech. It was like a miniature modern house, complete with all the comforts we definitely didn't have.

She looked at us with that trademark smirk. "Not bad... for amateurs," she mocked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Sam rolled his eyes, groaning under his breath. "Oh, come on..." Well as expected of the leader of the Deceptigals, it probably only took her 5 minutes and she didn't even break a sweat.

After resting up, the sun was beginning to set, casting an orange glow across the campsite. Megatron gathered us all together, her posture as commanding as ever. She crossed her arms, standing tall in front of us with that all-too-familiar intense gaze.

"Listen up," she began, her voice sharp as she addressed me, Sam, and the other two boys. "Let me explain how this trip works and what you need to do if you ever want to make it to the south side of the island and actually experience that so-called 'vacation.'"

I could feel the anticipation building. Megatron had a way of keeping everyone on edge, and this was no different. She continued, her eyes sweeping over us.

"This time, things are a bit different. Before the school accepted male students, the groups were split between the two factions—Deceptigals versus Autogals. They'd battle it out in challenges, conquering territories with their watches, and the winning side took home all the glory. But now, since you boys are here, it's a bit more complicated."

Megatron tapped the screen of the tablet that had been given to her, its glowing display reflecting off her sunglasses. "You'll all be monitored through the cameras on your watches, and you'll earn points based on how much you contribute and cooperate with your group. Like what you just did—securing the campsite."

She smirked as she showed off the screen. "Congrats. 'Team Megatron' has already racked up 400 points for securing this spot within the first five hours after the challenge started. Not bad. Only 10 thousand points left" Sam and I exchanged glances, feeling a bit of pride in that accomplishment.

But just as we were starting to feel good about ourselves, Megatron's expression darkened. "Of course..." she paused, her voice dripping with frustration, "...we're still in second place." She swiped on the screen, and there it was, a bold reminder of who was leading. Optinessa.

Team Optinessa had 500 points. Megatron's hands tightened around the tablet, her annoyance palpable. "Once again... she one-upped me. As soon as the challenge starts, she's already ahead."I could see it in her eyes—that irritation, that burning frustration.

It was the same look she'd had during their kendo matches, the same fire that drove her rivalry with Optinessa. This was more than just a game to her."Don't get comfortable,"

Megatron snapped, pulling us back to the moment. "This is far from over. We're catching up, and when we do, I'll make sure Optinessa and her little band of Autogals get knocked off their pedestal!"

She giggled, before turning into a full blown manic laughter until suddenly..

One of the boys in our group, a lanky kid named Tyler, piped up. “Uh, hey, Megatron... isn’t Starscream on Team Optinessa too?”

The moment the words left his mouth, a heavy silence settled over the group. Sam and I looked over at Tyler as if our eyes told him 'he just effed up'

Megatron’s eyes narrowed to slits, and I could almost see steam billowing from her ears. Her glare was like a death sentence.

Without warning, she whipped the tablet from her side and hurled it at Tyler’s face with a resounding thwack. The device smacked him right on the nose, sending him stumbling backward.

“Find food!” she roared, her voice echoing across the campsite. “And don’t you dare come back until you’ve brought me a boar!”

Tyler’s eyes widened in terror, his expression a mix of shock and disbelief. “Uh… y-yes, ma’am!” he stammered before practically sprinting away, disappearing into the foliage as fast as his legs could carry him.

Megatron huffed and puffed, crossing her arms again and leaning back against a nearby tree. “Grah!! The same goes for you all, I'll do way worse if you talk back or annoy me understand? Stupid little brats...” she trailed of mumbling to her self as she let out a heavy sigh.

I couldn’t help but laugh, exchanging glances with Sam and the other boys. “Well, he’s definitely not coming back empty-handed,” I said, trying to lighten the mood.

Megatron shot me a look, but I could see the corners of her mouth twitching. Maybe deep down, she appreciated the distraction from the rivalry.

" The hell are you three still sitting there, Y/N get some fucking firewood! You Sam fill our canteens with water, and last one with the glasses! My back hurts so massage me pronto! "

Aaand there she goes again back to being her usual queen bee self, I don't know if we should be more worried about the Island or her.

Timeskip. . .

Night had fallen, and the campfire crackled warmly in the center of our little group. I tossed in another log from the firewood I collected earlier, which gave us a nice 25-point boost.

Sam had been working hard too, making sure our canteens and containers were filled with clean water, earning us 30 points for the effort. Even the kid with glasses, who had spent three grueling hours as Megatron’s personal gopher and masseuse, had scored us an additional 15 points.

But the real shock came when Tyler, the same guy who had nearly gotten himself killed by mentioning Starscream, stumbled back into camp.

And he didn’t return empty-handed—he had a freakin' adolescent boar, knocked unconscious and tied to a makeshift bamboo bed he crafted using his own shoelaces. Hardcore. That earned us a solid 70 points, putting us ahead of Optinessa’s team, at least for now.

Sam, who apparently knew his way around cooking game meat, worked his magic on the boar, roasting it over the fire and making a stew with the leftovers. Our first night on the island, and we were eating like kings. The camp was filled with laughter and the smell of sizzling meat. Not a bad start at all.

As we all settled in, ready to call it a night, I noticed something. Megatron, who’d been over on her side of the stream since we set up camp, still hadn’t eaten.

She sat there in her fold-up chair, facing away from us, just staring into the trees. Even though one of her rules was “Cross over to my side and you die,” I figured she needed to eat just like the rest of us.

So, against better judgment, I grabbed a plate of roasted boar and stew and walked over to her. "You need to eat dinner, you know," I said, offering her the plate.

Megatron didn’t even look at me. "Fuck off," she snapped, her voice harsh. She turned further away, practically hiding her face from view.

But I wasn’t going to just walk away. I was still annoyed with her for what she’d done earlier, but we needed her. “Look, I get it. You’re pissed, but we need you. We need our leader to actually eat and rest so we can survive and win this thing. If you burn yourself out, what’s the point?”

I left the plate beside her and turned back toward the fire, heading for the tent I was sharing with Sam.

He was already snoring softly when I slipped inside. Just as I was about to zip up the entrance, I glanced back, and there she was—Megatron, hesitantly picking up the plate. She took a bite, her expression softening at the taste.

“Goodnight,” I called out, a little louder than necessary, mostly just to mess with her.

Megatron’s eyes shot toward me, and her face turned beet red. Caught in the act, she growled, crushing the spoon in her hand before yelling, “Shut up!” like the tsundere ice queen she was, stomping off to her tent and zipping it up in a huff.

I couldn’t help but laugh to myself. Despite everything, she was kinda... adorable when she got all flustered like that.

Finally, I lay down and closed my eyes, the exhaustion of the day settling in.

To be continued...