M A K A Y L A

As soon as I saw the thin boy among the muscular forms of the newer recruits my heart dropped. As much as Alex had done her best to harden my heart she couldn't stop the fear I instantly had for the boy that was scarcely fifteen. It was the same knee-jerk response that had gotten me into so much trouble in Sector 52 once...

"–the next person to take their eyes off training loses one!" Proximo barked, making the men and women flinch collectively and soon find other things to focus on.

He tucked his hands behind him as he walked to me with a slow smirk.

"Makayla Xavier, you're still alive." He noted with a knowing look.

I rolled my eyes and kept my hands in my cargo pockets. I wish I had such garments in Sector 1. They were beyond comfortable. Cocktail dresses may look the part but you could hardly walk down the streets of the outer Sectors without being abducted, trafficked or had a certain gang with an affinity for organ snatching after you. It might be entertaining to see Alex's response however....

"You should be thanking me." I stated, scanning the young fighters as they worked hand to hand. Especially the smaller one–Lee. Proximo followed my gaze and grinned wickedly.

"So, she told you about that wisp."

"How could drag him here for this?" I demanded, irritated as he was knocked off his feet.

"Oh, I did nothing of the sort. He begged Scorpion to join the ranks. The only reason she gave him the time of day was because of his... assistance that day." He drawled, smirking when he took a jab to the jaw and almost fell again.

"You're really going to pit him against that?" I gestured an arm to his opponent, "–he's got 50 pounds on him."

Proximo grunted and rolled his shoulder. "Size is irrelevant."

I eyed his towered form and snorted.

"You're right, if I let Alex go for you, you wouldn't be standing here."

His lip twitched and he cast me a dark look. "You're right, Division 52 wouldn't respond well if I killed Scorpion."

I grinned back and he matched it. Strong words. No intent. I had known as much when he drew that blade... I just wasn't so sure about how far she would go.

"We'll need you to get us some more intelligence from your dear, Sector 1 friend." He said suddenly. 

My mind snapped back to Velron. That uneasy expression, those weapons coordinates, the bruising on his face...

"God damn it–I'm a terrible friend." I muttered.

"No time for friends, Makayla. I need you focused."

I turned to him and reached for his arm, stopping when he cut those steel eyes down to me.

"I need to know that you'll let him go when we get what we–"

He barked out a laugh.

"He has too much information on us now, Makayla. Regardless if I actually approved of the man–I couldn't release that much intell to the wind. Our enemies could easily collect."

My blood cooled and my heart stuttered.

"So–you–please don't kill him." I spoke quickly trying to come up with a valuable reason to keep him alive–

"I'm not going to."

I paused and scanned his face. He was watching the recruits again however and frowned suddenly. He strode off quickly and intently. I could only stare as he caught a fist from the recruit about to swing a small blade and twisted his arm around into an excruciating angle.

The boy or possibly man yelled out in pain and anger. A poor emotion to choose around Proximo.

"You want to cheat hmm?" He murmured in lethal quiet. "Why don't we show the class?" He drawled, dropping his arm and snapping a finger. A Division agent was at his side in moments with a fusion gun. Those close in the room stilled and watched the spectacle but seasoned agents continued their training around us.

Proximo levelled the gun at his head and the male that was clearly a boy now dropped to his knees in terror. Proximo wore an expression that was mildly bored. He glanced around at the faces staring either sternly or too fearful to move.

"Is this fair?" He noted.

Silence.

He clicked off the safety and crouched down to the boy pressing it more intently to his forehead. His eyes were wide. His sweat dripping. His fear evident–even my anxiety was spiking to new highs. But I had seen a gun to my head enough times now and it was just as intimidating as the first time.

"Did I ask you to use weapons in this training exercise?" He asked slowly.

Silence and shaking.

He lost his patience and shot a round above them. It scorched a hole in the ceiling and he levelled it back on him.

"N-no." A mutter-like whisper.

Proximo dropped his aim and threw it behind him to the agent–who caught it and holstered it like this was a regular affair. 

"Draw a weapon without my say again and I will use one on you. Clear?"

He nodded his head rapidly, flopping some jet black locks over his eyes. Proximo rose quickly and turned back to me with the same calm as he maintained before. They slowly started moving into their training routines again behind him.

"As I was saying Miss Xavier... I am not going to kill him. But I might scare him a little." He promised with a dark look.

I shook my head and scanned the recruits again. It wasn't my place to judge Proximo's training and even if I did I knew better than to say it. He would only take it out on them to prove a point. Or me...

"I think I'll make that one's acquaintance later." I said, nodding over at Lee as he finally landed a punch and gave off a triumphant grin. It was received with a kick to the stomach. I pinched the bridge of my nose and Proximo snorted. "If anything is left..."

"Speak to Archeon. He's been relocated to a room instead of a cell. But do not think it does not have adequate security as well." Proximo added casually.

I glanced at him. That meant if I was thinking of getting him out it would earn him a swift death. That meant personnel and door locks. At least he was being treated like a human. I was sure he did much worse to the Division's enemies. Maybe he wanted something from me for this. Proximo did nothing out of kindness–he did it in calculation. 

"I'll do that now." I stated, turning from him.

But to my utter surprise I felt a large hand catch my upper arm. Even more of a shock was the contemplative look crossing the usually hard eyes of Scorpion's second.

"I haven't forgotten what you did last night. For once, it was not moronic. It was more helpful than you know yet."

A compliment given with a backhand–but a compliment all the same... Maybe this was the reason for his lax treatment of a Sector 1 elite member he would usually torture. 

I nodded to him wordlessly and he released my arm suddenly remembering himself. He turned his half tattooed face back to the recruits again. I scanned it remembering Alex's words. There was no sign of the scars underneath it to me. Perhaps the slightest discolouration but his features were unaffected. It was vicious but complimentary to someone with hard cut features–

"What are you still doing here?"

I chuckled and turned from him.

"You're in danger of becoming less of an asshole, Proximo."

He acted like he hadn't heard me.

* * * * * 

I was on my way to the lift when I caught sight of a tall woman. Unmistakable. Dark hair and an even darker look–not aggressive but almost cat-like.

She already had the eyes of several personnel on her and a few were asking her questions. She flicked a long nailed hand around almost dismissing them but then she caught sight of me and a more knowing look crossed her.

"Makayla Xavier!" She called in a smooth drawl.

I paused and scanned the guards that took me in suddenly and dropped nods my way.

"Is she with you?" A burly man grunted uncomfortable, "–we had no clearance for her craft but she said–"

"Sure. She is."

The men relaxed and sauntered away from her instantly. I crossed my arms and waited for them to disappear down glass hallways before cutting her a look.

"Don't tell me you're another Sector 1 born I need to look out for?" I asked, at a loss when she waltzed up with catwalk-grade grace. Her clothing was... revealing.

"Not quite." She murmured, trailing those long nails against the glass as she approached. This was trouble if ever I saw it. Dark eyes, dark hair, dark thoughts–

"I'm looking for Proxy..."

I almost choked and I wasn't even drinking.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh you don't know him? And he told me he was so powerful around here..." She mused, smirking at some techies that past us with gawking looks at her figure.

"I know of him." I said curtly. "I'm just trying to figure out where you come in."

She scanned my face and suddenly smirked.

"You're not what I expected." She ran her eyes down me deliberately making me feel instantly uncomfortable. She dipped her head down to me slowly and I took a step back to gain some distance.

I cleared my throat.

"Remind me how you know me?" I asked slowly, thinking of every event, every international charity gala that could have put me in front of this cat-like woman–

A voice cut through the air like a dagger to the throat.

"Yes. Remind me exactly how you know her?" 

I spun my head around and saw Scorpion herself, propped against the clouded floor lit glass with an expression darker than the streets of Division 52. 

The confident woman's expression instantly shifted. Her confidence obliterated under the piercing golden gaze of the Underworld's ruler. She ripped her eyes off me and levelled them at Scorpion with unease.

"I'm here to see Prox–"

Alex lost her patience and shrugged off the glass. She walked easily, her bruising all but gone from her face. She walked like she owned every inch of the space around us. She did. Her eyes only took in the woman in front of us and her steps didn't stop until she was inches away from her. She had already flinched under the proximity even though she was inches taller in those heels...

"Do I need to repeat the question?" Alex murmured calmly.

"I know of her–through your second, Scorpion." She tipped her head down and averted her eyes, "That's why I'm here."

Alex snorted and eyed her up and down.

"And what does Proximo need of your services now?" She cut out with heavy implication. Wait–was she a.... I eyed her more intently and took in her skin tight clothing properly.

"I need his help...Scorpion."

Alex went silent. She seemed to consider something.

Then she drew up her wrist and made a call.

"Proximo. Why is one of Kuzo's strippers in my base of operations?" She said simply.

It was enough to make me blush and want to find the elevator now but I held my ground behind the pair of them. Proximo's response was choked, if not entirely out of character.

"You–what?" He demanded.

She scanned the woman's face before her and Proximo's response became more of a growl.

"That is a complication."

"No shit." Alex deadpanned. "Deal with it." She finished.

Just like that she cut the comm and waved over a pair of guards. They jogged over stiffly and she gestured to the woman... of the night.

"Make sure she stays here until my second cleans up his mess."

My eyes widened. I'd never seen Alex take such a firm distaste to anyone in the time I'd known her. Sure she had ended people faster but she never seemed as insulted by their existence as she did now–

"You."

I caught a burning pair of golden irises and snapped out of it.

"With me." She stated, pacing past me as her guards secured the woman dutifully and awaited her second in command.

I shook my head and went after her.

"What in the hell was that..." I muttered, coming up beside her.

"Proximo mixing business with pleasure–apparently." She grunted, hitting the elevator button and glancing at me. "She shouldn't know you."

I shifted weight onto my other foot and watched the doors open for us. Alex gestured a hand and I stepped inside.

"How are you feeling?" I asked instead.

She gave me a flat look that said it wasn't worth asking. I smirked and tucked my hands into my pockets as the doors closed.

"You have an issue with Proximo having a love interest?" I quipped.

"That was no love interest." She sighed, "–that was trouble."

"Why? Because she is a... woman of the night?"

"A–what?" Alex's expression morphed from irritation to amusement in a flash.

I felt my cheeks heat. "You know what I mean!" I hissed.

Her grin was quick and full of promise.

"Oh, no Miss Xavier. I think I need to know."

I shifted my boots and crossed my arms with a puff. In Sector 1 such things were so ludicrous we need not even mention it. It was just something not discussed. Why was this so funny–

"You are. Adorable." She concluded.

My face heated even more and I ignored her entirely and focused on the other side of the lift. Alex moved and casually stepped beside me to stand against my shoulder. My lips twitched and I fought a smile as the lift doors pinged and a few guards stepped inside with quick snap salutes. Their conversation was of rotations but it was strained under the watchful eyes of their leader.

It took me back to a similar situation. What seemed like an age ago. In a different lift and a different destination. We were only just figuring each other out but now–

It pinged quickly and they exited swiftly.

The doors closed.

"I always did wonder about your... experience." She noted easily, tilting her head at me.

I was sure my face was redder than the red stripe down my combat shirt. What the hell was that supposed to mean? What was she implying that my experience was obvious because of what we...

"Can you–just stop." I half growled.

It only made her smile wider. She shook her head. "Have you ever... spent any time with a lady of the night?"

"No." I hissed, focusing so intently on the numbers as they climbed to whatever floor she sought. "And I would hope you haven't." I growled.

It finally dinged again and I almost threw myself out of the lift. She laughed loudly behind me and I wanted to draw one of many weapons on my body. I barely took in the surroundings. I briefly noticed a large indoor pool that glowed an enticing blue and had multiple rock features, tropical plants–this was inside a base of operations...

"What are we doing here? I had–something I needed to do." I finished, unable to say aloud that I was about to go and see Velron.

"Come on, there's a bar." She called, waving a hand over her shoulder as she walked.

"Of course there is." I drawled.

"Would be boring if there wasn't." She winked, her red cloak swaying with her hips. I dragged my eyes up and those burning eyes were now on a simple wooden counter with bottle lit beverages behind. She took a position behind it and dropped her elbows down waiting for me.

I sighed and moved to take a seat before her.

"I rule the Underworld Makayla and I have spent time in the... Underworld." She allowed, with a knowing smirk that drove me mad.

I felt. A mixture of anger and betrayal despite the fact that I had not even met her then. That she had spent time with perhaps... many others. Women that filled her attention while she carved a name for herself in this city. Were any of them important? Meaningful? Did they go on trips to Verde or... For god's sake Makayla you are better than this.

"Double whiskey." I deadpanned, glaring at her smirk that read my mind too much.

She slapped a tumbler before me.

"You want to know how many."

"No I do not. Alex."

"It wasn't many."

"I didn't ask." I snapped, taking the glass as soon as it was filled and throwing it back.

"Why is teasing you this much fun?" She mused, watching the whisky fill the glass. 

I slapped my glass down in frustration and glared.

"What did you mean when you said 'my experience'?" I demanded suddenly.

Her face became that of innocence when she was anything but.

"There are rumours about those in Sector 1..." She quipped, tilting the liquid in her glass before taking a slow sip.

"Don't keep me in suspense, Scorpion." I cut out.

"That you all... prefer your virtues before marriage."

I choked on my own drink this time and realised she was serious.

"So you thought–I was?"

A virgin. Perfect.

Her grin was more wicked than her own morals. "No–I realised when I was with you, Xavier. But in that ballroom I was more than sure you were."

I stared her down and instead of sinking the rest of the liquid in the glass I placed my hands on the table. "You haven't met any of my nightly exploits."

"You Sector 1 and your aversion towards sex. Just say it." She grinned over her glass.

"Well I apologise if I haven't met any of Kuzo's ladies before!"

"So innocent." She groaned, shaking her head. "It's almost criminal being with you."

"You are the leader of criminals what the hell did you expect." I grumbled.

"But you always liked that about me." She answered as if we talked of the weather. Completely sure of it. Of course she was right. But she was still damned arrogant.

"I liked your contrasts." I allowed.

She raised an eyebrow.

"You could draw a gun as quickly as you could pick me a flower." I smirked. "You'd leave me alone in Sector 52 as quickly as you'd kiss me. You were hard to figure out." I shrugged, pushing my glass to her and standing.

"Where do you think you are going?" She murmured, scanning every inch of me and making me wish I wasn't prioritising Proximo's demands over what was right in front of me.

"I made a promise to your second. I intend to keep it." I answered cryptically.

"Tell me."

"Velron."

It didn't seem to hit her like the first time it did. Perhaps she understood the need for his information more than her hate for him. Or maybe she just trusted me enough to do this now. Even though I had no right to her trust after our last history together. The thought made me lean over the bar and grab her collar to pull her in before she could react.

Our lips hit and everything that had been said or not said between us melted away. As everything always did when I felt her on me. It consumed reality and myself in the best way. She took the back of my neck over the bar and secured my lips more fully, with more promise and more claim over me than any fleeting kiss I would share with any other. Maybe she felt she needed to remind me–but I needed no reminder to know what she felt like to me.

I pulled away and met her eyes before pecking her lips quickly once more and earning a smirk from her.

"I don't think I need to tell you what I'll do if he touches you."

"I wouldn't mind some touching later."

"Miss Xavier." She feigned shock and pushed me back. "I'm still pure."

My returning glare only made her smirk devilish. She finished the rest of her drink and watched me as I walked back for the lift again. Even when I turned to press the button those golden eyes still held the same amusement. 

I could show her just how much experience she was in for later.