"When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid." 

― Audre Lorde

S C O R P I O N 

I offered her a dramatic bow when her fusion craft landed inside the bay again. The most amusing part was the pair of recruits stood on either side of Makayla. One I knew as Lee but the other was a mystery to me.

She strode forward with the confidence of royalty and didn't hesitate to take the side of my face with her hand.

"I think I'd like to go find that dress now."

I glanced over her shoulder and saw the men with fists on their chests and disbelief in one of their eyes. "Who's the meat with blonde hair?" I drawled.

"A friend." She said innocently. "Oh and put him on Proximo's personal guard programme please."

I sighed through my nose and met those blue eyes. "Making promises are we?"

"He was very helpful today."

I eyed him again a bit more intently and he dropped his eyes from me. A strong build, an attractive male... And a dead one if his idea of friendship got too creative.

"Fine. But it's not my fault if he gets broken." I quipped, turning for my luxury fusion craft.

I heard him release a breath once my attention was away.

She chuckled and kept up with my walk as we left the amateurs behind us. An engineer dropped me a curt bow before prepping the craft and flagging a driver. "Will you require your personal guard, Scorpion?"

I gave him a slow smile as I thought it over.

"No. My enemies are mostly dead now."

He swallowed and kept his eyes on the launch panel. "Very good, commander."

"Stop scaring everyone." Makayla muttered, jumping in ahead of me. I grinned at her back and followed quickly behind in a trademark red cloak. The engines hummed around us as I went for the glasses and offered her one as she sat back in the plush seats.

"Non-alcoholic." She ordered.

"So a virgin cocktail?" I drawled.

She gave me a wordless glare. 

"Two virgins it is!" I answered, throwing ice into the tumblers.

"I'm shocked you even know what the word means." She muttered.

I fought a smile and lost as I filled them and the craft rose. I turned and offered her one before leaning back and letting my arm hang across the back of her chair. A small smile tugged her lip as she sipped it.

"It's good."

"Virgins do taste good–"

"Okay enough!" She shoved me a foot away from her and I chuckled into my glass. I briefly readjusted the pistols inside my cloak and relaxed again. There wasn't a chance in hell someone would catch me off guard again with her.

"How much did Proximo tell you?" I asked, throwing back the rest of the sweet drink.

Makayla crunched a cube of ice in her teeth making me focus on her mouth a moment.

"He told me that we were going to Sector 1. I don't seem to believe him." She said with a sharp look. I crossed my legs and leant towards her.

"What makes you think I'm not invited?"

"How about the dead Emperor." She returned without missing a beat.

"It seems like the new Empress isn't concerned with that." I quipped, setting down the glass.

"Empress?" Makayla demanded.

"An elected one it appears. She doesn't see the value in becoming enemies with Division 52. So I am attending with my people to show we can be civilised." I drawled.

She rolled her eyes and set her own glass down, before turning to me in the seat and matching my cool look.

"Where have I seen this before? Oh yes, the trap my father laid out for you... I can't imagine the apple has fallen far from the tree with this one."

"She is quite convincing."

Something shifted in Makayla's demeanour and she raised an eyebrow with a glare. "Yes, you're rather fond of Sector 1 girls aren't you?"

A lazy smile took my lips.

"If only it was that simple." I murmured. 

She looked out the window as we flew through the Sectors ignoring my quip. 

"She sent you an invitation then?" Her voice was still curt.

"And informed me I could bring whoever I liked." I added seriously. 

She nodded with a calculating look.

"Say it." I stated, staring at the side of her face. Her eyes cut to me briefly before returning outside. The seconds moved by until I sighed. "Makayla..."

"I think I know what she wants. It's so incredibly Sector 1." She drawled a bit bitterly.

I raised an eyebrow and waited. She finally rolled her eyes and turned away from the window.

"An alliance. Joint power over the city in exchange for peace."

"Why does it sound like a bit more than that?" I probed, watching her closely.

"Because in Sector 1 it usually involves a much closer partnership with the other party." She emphasised.

I waited a moment. Then couldn't stop the laugh that left me.

"Was that drink spiked or are you suggesting she wants my hand in marriage?" I deadpanned.

"It's exactly what happened to Velron's parents." She answered, detached.

I couldn't even believe I was hearing her correctly let alone that she was considering it as a possible outcome. I was the furthest thing possible from those silver spooned creatures in the glass towers–it wasn't worth writing down.

"Why exactly do you think I would consider such a proposition?" I said slowly.

"I never said that." She said too quickly. "I just know how Sector 1 works..."

"Then you should know how I work." I deadpanned, leaning forward on my arms and gaining her attention more closely. "I would throw my title away in a heartbeat. Without a second thought. Makayla." She met my eyes. "If it was between you and it."

She shut her eyes and nodded. "I know. I just really..."

"What?"

Her eyes opened. "I really hate it when you're involved with the upper sectors."

I frowned. "I've walked into that tower twice now and I'm still here."

"It's hard to explain." She murmured, folding her arms around her stomach. "Being in a room with upper Merridian is like being in a room full of snakes with fake smiles–I can only imagine what that Empress will say to you alone."

"Oh, you'll be right beside me the entire night." I answered without a doubt. "I need my dance partner." This finally coaxed a smile out of her. I lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles.

"Miss Xavier."

"You honour me, Scorpion." She smirked, watching as we grew ever closer to Sector 10. She raised her eyebrows noticing the more familiar and impressive structures that flashed past the craft. "Expending much on our little shopping trip?"

I glanced out the window nodding.

"Fit for a woman far finer than an Empress."

"Are you trying to flatter me, Scorpion?"

I turned back and met her with a wicked grin. "Is it working?"

She twisted her lips and watched as we descended between towering glass towers. The evening light caught them in warm glow and made everything gold. Half hit her face and I could only watch entranced. She may not call herself royalty–but she always was.

"It might. If I can choose what you wear." She blurted.

"Do you know my style..?" I drawled.

She laughed humourless. "I sized you up the moment we met, crime lord. I know what makes you look... the part." She finished, glancing at my hips briefly before turning her eyes to the streets opening before us.

"Then I choose your own." I answered simply.

She met my eyes in challenge and something a little more intense. Maybe it was the anxiety she had over this new woman in power of the upper sectors, perhaps it was the feeling that she wanted to remind me of just what we had–or it was just Makayla Xavier doing whatever the hell she wanted. 

She moved forward quickly and her lips brushed my ear and surrounded me in her sudden heat and perfume. My body went still in the chair as she whispered low.

"You'll be taking mine off the second we're out of there. You can put me in whatever you want."

The heat spiked across my body as she let her lip trail against me and drew back as soon as the driver opened the door. I took in a heavy breath as she slipped out and turned those piercing blue eyes back to mine with half her body cast in golden light. 

I was staring at Merridian's Empress.

* * * * *

"I've chosen well." She announced confidently as I opened the fusion craft door for her.

The clothes had already been sent off to my tailors for adjustments but I had to be curious at that knowing look she wore. The cut and colour of what she deemed to look the part for myself... could be anything.

But I made no hard and fast choices for Makayla's. It was stunning. There was no way around or past that. But of course it would be, nothing less would satisfy me and there was a reason these tailors were the best in almost every part of the city. It would certainly make a statement. The eyes of the entire room would be on her and not of that Empress wannabe.

Five days was the blink of an eye. Sector 1 bound once more.

"As have I." I murmured, slipping in beside her and nodding my driver onwards before the privacy glass clouded once again.

"What now?" She smirked.

That smirk. The one that was not entirely innocent. I rolled my eyes and bounced a leg on top of my other. "Now I take you to see my engineers you should have met a long time ago."

Her grin was instant and cracked a smile from me under my hood.

"You're getting it made again?"

The fusion cycle. One much faster.

"Of course I am." I scoffed. "Who would I be if not true to my word?"

But she was already racing ahead to what else they were supplying a select few in the Division with, how I came by propulsion boots–and for some reason, what could be made for others. I gave her a cooly amused look as she tried to be subtle. But I cut through it.

"Makayla, why do you think I would give personal guard-grade weaponry to a recruit?"

She blanched.

"No–I didn't say–"

"I know of your little favourite..." I drawled, propping my head against my hand and regarding her closely. "–Proximo told me of that colourful intervention you made."

"Lee deserves a chance." She pressed, finally giving up the subtly all together.

My expression turned serious.

"No one gets special treatment because then they would rely on it." I stated, watching that passionate royal think of her empathy and morals before cold logic. It was still adorable but it was not how you trained Division agents. 

"Alex–"

"Not on this, Xavier." I said finally. "You are not the rest of them. You break the rules for yourself but not for them."

She seemed to finally let the words sink in. Before relaxing into the chair and folding her arms with a put off look. I couldn't help the slow smile that took me at the sight of it. 

"God, you look just as you did when I had a man soak you in champagne that night." Her scowl only deepened. "It's that look. The one that says I'm not getting my way which is impossible–"

Her eyes flashed to mine in anger. "That's not what I was–"

"I've spoilt you too much." I interrupted with a hand flick. "I think I'll have Xafra deposit our new weapons and organise a demonstration for the recruits you want to coddle so much."

"Alex!" She hissed, straightening in her chair. I couldn't help it, she was playing the pampered Sector 1 that got whatever she wanted from me–of course I would never deny her–but Scorpion would. "I don't coddle anyone! Lee saved your life that counts for–"

I rolled forward and took her jaw in my hand stopping her words. Her breath caught as she took in the look in my eyes.

"Counts for what?" I murmured. "A child that made a good judgment call does not get rewarded twice. We earn every moment or we don't make it to the next. You did not waver in this craft when I stole you in it. You threw back a drink and levelled a gun to the head of the Underworld's leader."

Her anger melted into a schooled smirk under my grip and she scanned my face. It was that quick change in tune that let me know I read straight through her. The only difference was that I usually let her get away with it.

"I never said Lee was me. I'm saying you wouldn't be here without him, so I'm bound to make his life as easy as possible, Scorpion."

I grazed the edge of her jaw a moment before scanning those sapphire blue eyes.

"He's still too weak."

"Then make him better." She answered simply.

I snorted, "I don't have the time or patience."

"I think Mackenzie could do with a new assignment."

My expression grew darkly amused at that. "Then you can inform her, Xavier. You're close enough already."

"Fuck you, Alex."

I barked out a laugh and leant back, away from the dangerous heat of her altogether. She decided to kick her legs up into my lap regardless. I left my hand on her thigh and caught a smile from the corner of my sight.

"We're not changing course. I'm meeting your engineers." She ordered, unbothered.

My lips twitched. "Yes ma'am."