A L E X

I ascended the lift with a bottle of wine in one hand and a steaming bag in the other. My lips twisted as I ran her words through me again. Did it mean something more.

Of course it did. But she wasn't to know that until she dragged me back to my old home. I could have kicked in any door and hoped it was empty and tell her that was my home. Or I could have left the damn ring in that hole. I'm sure if I had shone the light brightly enough I would have made out the old blood of my father.

The fact that I had wanted to get her something as unique and personal to me as that metal was beyond explanation. I just knew I would. But now she had that part of me hanging around her neck–at least the dress was safely in a wardrobe. It didn't start declaring its love for anyone out of sight.

The lift pinged and stopped before my floor.

The doors drew back and showed me the face of my second. I groaned and tried to close the doors on him. He left a gloved hand on the frame and glared.

"Where have you been? We have proposals to go through." He growled.

I almost laughed at his choice of words. Why was everything about god damn lifelong commitments today?

"I've been busy." I emphasised, pressing the button again.

He shouldered his way between the frame and kicked his foot into the opposite side of the door. It protested politely back.

"Xavier is fine. Can we move to the task of dismantling the Imperials?"

"Is there a rush?" I said exasperated, widening my arms with dinner in them.

"There is when the faceless maker goes missing in the dead of night." He growled back.

I dropped the bag strode out of the lift without another word from him. The doors closed behind us and took good food with them to the floor I should have been on.

"Move." I snapped as a tech stumbled before me. I took the holo from his hands as he dodged Proximo's towering presence next. I swiped furiously at the inner feeds and drew up Sector 48 traffic. "How long ago?"

"Five hours. Imperial crafts."

"So Sector 1 has faceless tech now..." I uttered in a dark voice, looking up at his tattooed face. "Do we have a way to counter it?"

"They trick retina scans and biometrics–" He grunted, "Unless we could scan DNA in real time, no we don't."

I threw the screen onto a long table before pulling up a security feed of the faceless maker's street. "How the hell do we even know they have the right person? He–she–whatever the fuck doesn't have a damn face." I seethed.

"Is that a risk we're about to take? Any one of us could be infiltrated now, Scorpion. I mean anyone." He stated slowly.

"The faces take time to fabricate... And you need the original. They have mine they don't have yours or Makayla's."

Proximo scoffed, "The faceless slipped into the Emperor's face fairly easily and I'm sure as shit they didn't meet him up close."

I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Proximo, how are we going to make threats with satellite weapons and demand the sectors are abolished when we don't even know who's standing in front of us?" I stilled and more paranoia crept into my bones as I eyed him.

He rolled his eyes before I even bothered questioning him.

"The scar on your left hand is from a poisoned blade meant for my beautiful face." He deadpanned.

I smirked and tried to focus. No one could impersonate my second and get away with it alive. He crossed his arms and watched me with dark calculation. I sighed and said two simple words.

"Nebula. Cake."

He snorted and lost the dark look. 

"We need to lock down the base. In and out security clearances until we find out exactly who the hell we're dealing with."

He nodded steps ahead and typing into his wrist. I threw up 3D parameters of the base and started putting the entrances and exits on lockdown. My comm feed was already blowing up in response but I ignored it. Proximo and I worked like this in silence for over an hour as techies rushed us with boosted security feeds and issued encrypted digital clearances to personnel.

If they were already here we needed to find them. If they weren't, they'd be locked out. That would do for the next few days but it complicated everything else beyond–

A bag landed on the holo desk in front of me and I raised my eyes as Makayla leant against it with an expectant look.

"You know you could always tell me if you're going to stand me up–"

I drew a blade from my thigh and angled it at her neck before she finished her words. Proximo did the same and stood behind her ready. Those blue eyes that could easily be fabricated widened in shock and she stared at me with a lost expression.

"Alex..."

"Show me the ring." I stated, keeping the weapon level despite my instincts screaming at me to throw it across the room. But they couldn't fabricate that ring.

She drew it slowly out from her collar and I relaxed instantly. Proximo noticed my recognition and sheathed his own. He didn't know the story there but it was enough to see me relax.

"I'm sorry." I murmured, sheathing the dagger and taking her hand.

"You should be. What the hell was that about?" She demanded, letting me lead her to the feed of sector 48.

"They have the faceless tech."

She closed her eyes.

"You mean the Empress has it..." She murmured.

I tightened my grip on her hand and kept it on the table as I swiped past more holograms.

"They took the maker five hours ago. They could have already infiltrated our base but we don't know yet. You've got a new security clearance that cannot be fabricated." I added, scanning the landing bay and watching more crafts drop in to secure the building.

"Great. She can look like you now." She muttered. I glanced at her. 

"She can look like anyone apparently... The faceless remade your father without even meeting him directly." I ventured. 

She flinched at that so I moved my hand to grip her shoulder.

"You may as well tell her now, Scorpion." Proximo grunted.

Her frown met me and I flexed my fingers against her before nodding.

"The timing is bad I admit... But you need to know what's going on–"

"What the hell is going on?" Art demanded from the entrance of the room.

I sighed through my nose and flicked a hand to a chair. "Why don't you sit down and shut up so I can tell you?" I paused and eyed Proximo quickly before he nodded and we both drew blades on him.

Artella stilled and raised his hands to us before the chair.

"Proximo–I'm not–"

"Where did you first meet me?"

"Have you both lost your minds–"

Proximo pressed the edge of the blade to his throat and asked more slowly.

"Where. Did we first meet?"

His dark eyes frowned a moment before he tilted his jaw up and glared into Proximo's eyes.

"Sector 50. In a shit hole bar we levelled. I gave you Lazuras' target."

He dropped the blade from his skin and didn't bother to apologise. 

"Good."

"Have we collectively lost our minds today or are we going to make sense?" He snapped from the chair. Makayla took his side and crossed her arms.

"I second that." She stated.

"Our base could be compromised with Imperials." Proximo deadpanned, glaring at the desk holo. "The faceless maker has been taken hours ago and we are playing catch up stopping any leaks getting in."

As if to emphasis his point another tech passed him a new list of information and he dismissed him with a grunt. I continued before Proximo could start turning his anger on them.

"The timing is poor... because Proximo and I were discussing our original objective as Division 52. It's not something small. It's nothing short of irradiating the Sectors and bringing down the Imperials–the Division would follow after that."

I was met with stunned silence.

Only the frantic tapping and comm lines as Proximo murmured orders down the feeds. Artella was the first to react.

"I thought you two shouldn't be alone in a room together for this reason." He stated.

Makayla was still silent as she stared ahead at the holo desk and considered what my words meant. What it meant for Merridian if no one was left to rule. She was raised on the other side of the coin. We both knew they had their flaws on each side.

"Proximo this is insanity!" Art growled, pacing around the desk and planting a fist.

I let them argue. I was more concerned with the lack of reaction from Makayla. I was used to fire and questioning not distant calm. I walked over to the chair she leant her weight on and stood in her line of sight until her eyes focused on me.

"Makayla?"

"We were going to have dinner and talk..." She mumbled, "–not dismantle empires."

I gave her a rueful smile.

"It's not too late for the former."

She sighed and scanned my face, "Only say that if you mean it."

"I just locked down our base of operations. We're not going anywhere soon." I said easily.

"Tell that to Artella." She remarked dryly. I turned and watched him slam his hand into the desk and shout something in my second's face. I snorted and faced Makayla again.

"I'm so glad you're more reasonable..."

"Who said I'm still not pissed off that you dropped us from the sky barely an hour ago?" She smirked back, "This is just an added bonus."

I smiled and grazed her cheek with my knuckles, feeling her sigh in the deepest part of me.

"The Empress can play all the games she wants. But she's not getting in the same room as you." I told her in a low voice. She surprised me with a light laugh.

"If she gets in the same room as me, Alex. I'll shoot her myself."

I raised an eyebrow and appreciated the darkness promised from her in an instant. Oh, she would not be forgetting her hate for that woman any time soon. Xavier would not bluff on it.

"I don't doubt it." I murmured, lingering before her as the promise of our night hung in my mind. "–I haven't forgotten that conversation Makayla..." I pulled the ring back slowly out of her collar and she watched my face as I stared at the gold band, "We should talk–alone. when this is taken care of tonight."

She nodded catching my hand with the gold before she kissed it and backed away.

"You know where to find me, Scorpion." She winked.

I grinned back at her as she turned on her heel and the blonde hair went with it. Her hips swayed with her movement, still adorned in leather riding gear. I shamelessly watched her until the lift took her out of my sight and my pissed off Second and his contractor glared back at me.

"What the fuck do you two want now?" I drawled.

* * * * *

I glared at my second with my hand supporting my head. He never used to talk this much. He was a perfect, silent, stoic presence. Now he was all... Human. It was disgusting.

Artella refused to let another soul into the room until we had a full inventory of all personnel inside the base. That took time. I was pretty sure it was nearing the early hours of the morning when my head slumped slightly onto my palm and I started back up.

"Do we have your attention, Scorpion?" Artella said in a low drawl.

I turned my glare up to him plainly.

"You lost it hours ago, buffoon."

Proximo smirked at his screen and I winked when he looked up.

"Become a powerful woman and you may get her attention..." Proximo murmured.

"And what gets your attention, Dartega hmm?" I drawled with a tired glance, "Contractors or strippers–"

"That's enough." Artella answered for us both.

He turned over an image of our people in sectors 30 and 20. The more dangerous ones given proximity to the inner sectors. I truly would have given it my full attention if I had slept longer than a few hours in the past two days. I probably would have flown there myself to make sure no one forgot why we ran the sectors and what we did to people moronic enough to switch sides... But my wrist holo glowed with text.

"Come to bed."

Those simple words were enough.

"I'm done here. Whatever can be done tomorrow will be done–otherwise you'll find me tomorrow morning... Or midday." I mumbled, pushing myself off the desk and throwing the men a low lidded glare daring them to argue.

Proximo was the first to shrug.

"I can't argue with the Division's leader." Artella added.

"She's right though–there's nothing more to do here tonight." Proximo rumbled, swiping away a hologram and crossing his arms against the wall.

I threw him a mock salute before smirking at Artella's serious expression.

"You take care of each other now... Who knows who's stabbing who in the back around here."

It made him stiffen and my second roll his eyes.

"Goodnight. Scorpion."

With that I walked the long hall to the lift and towards a much more inviting prospect. I sighed and pressed my head back against the glass as the doors closed. My muscles felt loose and faraway. I couldn't remember the last thing I ate either... Water maybe?

The lights of floors flashed by my lids as I went higher towards something. The light seemed blue and white. My body felt distant and everything was heavy.

I didn't recognise the moment my legs dropped me until I hit the floor. A groan left my lips and I blinked once staring at my legs sprawled before me. At least the cool glass was nice against my back. I leant into it and drifted a moment.

I heard the lift ping my floor.

I relaxed my head against the glass again and thought about how good sleep would feel when a voice broke the peace and hands took my face.

"–what's wrong? Alex?" She demanded.

I opened my eyes to her and mumbled what I thought was along the lines of fine. But it sounded closer to Proximo's worst grunt.

An arm went under my shoulders and dragged me to my feet. She was definitely stronger. Sector 1 Makayla could hardly hold a fusion rifle without shaking when I found her. I started smirking like a drunk. Drunk on sweet dehydration and empty energy stores.

"–need to drink something. Why did you leave it so long, Alex?"

I still had a faint smile on my face when she dropped me onto the bed and propped my back against the pillows. I shut my eyes and saw less of the blue and white in my vision. Reality spun less which meant I may as well be considered fine.

"Drink."

Something cool pressed my lips and water went into my mouth. I opened my eyes and inhaled some of it with a cough and frown. Then my senses started becoming aware of how much I needed that. I drank deeper until four gulps had gone down and the glass disappeared. 

I could finally focus on her face.

Concerned blue eyes glared back in the dim light.

"I may have ignored the basics..." I murmured.

"Like eating and drinking?" She said flatly. "I can see that. You're going to have some cold leftovers, then you're going to sleep."

"When did you become so demanding?" I groaned, tipping my head back.

I felt her weight leave the bed as she prepared the promised sustenance. I rolled my head towards her and the low table with the bag I should have taken up here. Too busy worrying about about a psychopath stealing faceless tech when I should just lie in bed with Makayla and let the Empress go and royally fuck herself.

"I didn't want to bother you–I thought you'd be asleep." I mumbled.

She turned with a box stuffed full of various vegetables and some kind of meat. Her legs hit the foot of the bed before she decided on crawling across it until the box landed in my lap and a fork was offered to me.

"Thank you." I answered, meaning it.

When she was satisfied I wasn't going to dump it over the bed she sprawled out beside me on her back and released a long breath. I chewed two mouthfuls before I tried to speak and even then she beat me to it.

"Nope. At least half of that."

I rolled my eyes at her glare and complied with exaggerated chews. I went beyond half the box and consumed the rest without issue. I flung the empty box onto the side table before taking a long swig of water and finally levelling her with a calmer look.

"I'm fine."

"I don't want to find you passed out in a lift again, Alex."

"You won't."

"You're giving too much of yourself up. There's always the next powerful person ready to pull you into the game again–" She said with more fear in her voice than I wanted to hear.

"I'm trying to make the Empress the last one, Makayla. The last for all of us." I emphasised, rolling onto my side so I could watch the side of her face. She watched me back with concern written on every line.

"What then?" She said quietly. Almost daring me to make the future seem more real.

I pushed her loose hair back past her face and held it there.

"Then I'd like us to move on. I'm not sure where that takes us yet." I admitted, watching the softness return to those sky blue eyes I loved.

"What will your second do?" She blurted.

I chuckled and smoothed back several strands behind her. It was amusing that now she couldn't find it in her to say Proximo's name when the thought came of losing him from the picture.

"He won't be my second when this is over–his choice is his own. I imagine that lies with Artella if we make it out of this alive..." I mused.

She considered this as I continued running my hand through the smooth waves of her gold hair. Then she turned off her side and pushed me back into the sheets so her head could fit into the crook of my neck. I breathed in slowly, savouring the beautiful scent of her.

"He's good for him." She murmured beneath my jaw.

"Artella?"

She nodded, "There's no way either of them would let the other go peacefully into the light." She drawled, making me grin.

"Proximo would serve death to Death before he got near that man." I agreed.

"The same goes for you, Scorpion. Heaven or hell don't get you until I have a say in it."

I tilted my head down to her, "You mean hell is an option for me?" I dripped sarcasm.

She placed her hand on my stomach, briefly making my body tense and looked up to meet my eyes. "No... I'd just join you either way."

I took my hand from her hair and wrapped my arms around her securely. She relaxed against my body before I pulled the sheets over us. I knew she was tired and I knew I was tired but we had the energy to lie like this and enjoy our moment. I brushed her hair back slowly to the rhythm of her breathing. Her fingers traced lines over my stomach.

"I think we should stay close–" She readjusted her head on my chest before continuing, "–if we leave the city. We should stay together." She added.

"I'm not sure Proximo would leave Merridian behind..." I admitted.

"He would if you were involved, Alex." She answered in total sureness.

"It's up to him." I answered calmly. "We haven't dismantled anything yet and I won't ask him until I need to."

"The four of us in a new city..." Makayla mumbled against my chest, "–imagine the terror."

"Maybe I'll be a waitress."

She couldn't help the shaking laugh in response. And I couldn't help my next response.

"You'd make a good stripper–"

"Go to sleep before I put you to sleep. Scorpion." Her flat words held no barb. She was still laughing.

I smiled and wrapped both arms around her protest and rolled us both onto the other side. I felt myself drift once more against her warmth when her head turned and she spoke near my ear.

"You've still got your riding gear on. In our bed."

I smiled against the pillow as she worked her way out of my arms.

"I was half conscious woman–you're lucky I made it into the lift..." I muttered into the pillow.

I felt her weight shift and her hands loosen my belt. If my mind wasn't half way to oblivion I would have reacted differently. She pulled my leathers away from my legs and pushed my jacket off my shoulders. When my head hit the pillows again I couldn't raise it back up. But she was fine with that too. Makayla curved against the shape of my body and her head found the perfect space between my shoulder and neck.

I smiled when she kissed my lips. I had enough in me to hold her closer to my body as my mind drifted away. And I had enough in me to murmur a sentence before sweet nothing took everything else.

"I love you."