P R O X I M O



I couldn't sleep. Not after our trip to Sector 1 in the dead of the night.

Scorpion still didn't look at me as she wordlessly exited the stealth craft with blood still staining a dagger on her forearm. I watched her cloaked back as she disappeared behind a set of glass doors. Little did she know it would help to know of as many secrets Xavier collected as possible. You could never have too few bullets of information if the need arose to pull the trigger.

I was prepared for such inevitabilities.

The question of her true lineage was still a curious mystery to me. One for another time.

"Would you like the ship refuelled, Sir?" An engineer asked interrupting my thoughts. She was waiting on my descent from the ramp. I cast my eyes down upon the woman who tucked her hands quickly behind her.

"No. I have more use of it for tonight." I murmured. She pressed a fist to her chest and turned sharply back to other crafts. I turned on my heel and hit the hatch button with a fist.

"Comm link, Dazz."

"Unavailable." A robotic voice informed me cheerily.

I sent a sigh through my nose. Her silence after being paid was predictable yet also out of sorts. I'd never been unable to reach her comm line directly.

I swung into the pilot chair and input coordinates for the Crypt. The hatch doors began opening above me once more and I pushed the thruster down and rose back into the sky. I crossed the air between buildings quickly towards Sector 48. Mostly land vehicles roamed the streets and a heavy presence of our men and women in red and black.

The rain picked up as I neared the building and set the craft down on a rooftop nearby. The wheels grounded and the ramp opened to me. The rain hit my hood in the night and I quickly caught the silhouette of a man slumped against a wall.

I eyed him before switching quickly to thermal vision. Nothing warm. He was dead.

I grunted, striding past him to the door he lay near. A familiar sight in these Sectors. I shouldered the door open heavily before jogging down the dirty stairs. I quickly glanced down and lost patience seeing the number. I threw myself over the bannister and dropped quickly between the stairwells.

My boots activated with thrust the moment before the ground and I dropped in a heavy crouch.

A man choked suddenly on the bottle in his hand as he stared at me with wide eyes. I pressed a gloved finger to my lips and pulled my hood lower.

When I opened the door to street level I took long strides towards my destination. The Crypt was busy tonight. I could see the patrons pouring in and out of Kuzo's establishment quickly. It was a big fight night after all...

A set of bouncers glanced at my half tattooed face briefly and pulled the doors open wordlessly. The queue of people protested loudly in the rain as I ducked into the dimly lit room. Voices were loud and cash was quick in hands. I shouldered my way easily towards the back room. Another armed guard. Another nod.

I passed through and took a set of stairs to the announcers box. He was already bellowing fuel to the gamblers below. But the moment he turned and caught my shadow he set down the mic quickly and paled. His stark white hair was spiked at horrific angles and his sense of dress was even more hideous... The shear amount of leather.

"Proximo!" He announced, like he still had a microphone. "I trust our cut has reached you safely–"

"That's not why I'm here." I told him in a dark voice. I watched his eye dart to the weapons on my back and under my cloak. He swallowed and clenched the desk behind him.

"I'm looking for my sister." I stated.

His body visibly relaxed and he let out a breathy laugh. Too relaxed. "Dazz–of course–your sister–"

"Stop filling the air with worthless noise and start telling me when she was last seen." I told him darkly. "I know she frequents here."

"Of course Proximo!" He rushed out quickly, sweating down his temples. "But I've not seen her in weeks–crazy since she's a regular." He got out, glancing back at my gun.

I gave him a slow smile and closed the space in three quick strides. He flinched into the desk and knocked over several holo screens. But I didn't touch him yet. I dragged my eyes over him slowly and flicked a blade between my fingers impatiently.

"Why is it that Kuzo told me himself that she was here this week then?" I lied simply, calmly waiting for his facade to slip.

I saw the rapid panic enter his face from his own lie he'd just tangled himself in. I seized his throat and had my gun to his forehead in a flash.

"I hear announcers in this Sector are highly replaceable." I told him calmly. "Would you like to lie to me again?"

He shook his head staring at the cool barrel against his head.

"I was–paid–not to notify the dealings. I swear I thought it was just–dirty gambling–"

"Who. Was. Dazz. With." I snarled, pulling the safety back slowly. The fusion cell hummed ready to burn through anything.

"The rebels!" He cried, squinting his eyes against the bright fusion. "They've been–recruiting here–in the outer Sectors–"

I froze staring him down. "You're implying my sister is working with rebel scum?" I whispered quietly.

"I have evidence!"

I watched a droplet travel past his hairline and hit the gun. Then I yanked him from the desk and whirled him on the holo screens. "Show me. Before I show you the inside of that worthless skull."

He started frantically typing and swiping at the glass desk before the screens morphed into that of the past seven days. He pointed a finger to a shadow moving between crowds with a huddle of men. They sat in a booth and tossed drinks back for minutes as he sped up the feed. Then credit bars and weapons switched hands quickly under the low light.

I pressed a fist on the desk and glared at the slim woman that had my sister's face but nothing else. Her hair was not the stark blue. It was short. And black.

"This must be a fucking joke." I growled, slamming a dagger through the glass table. He flinched a foot before I grabbed him and secured him back in the chair.

"How many times?"

"Probably dozens this month alone." He said weakly.

I stared at the other screens sped up on time lapses. The credit bars. The weapons. The betrayal. I was about to turn away when I made out a taller figure. A strange swirl on his hand. Something I had seen before...

"Wait." I murmured, dipping my head closer. "That cannot be–"

The figure's head finally scanned the crowds away from the booth and a flashing light illuminated his face. I smashed the pause on the screen. Staring. Staring at a set of purple irises caught in the sudden light. A dead man.

Hades.

"Proximo..." He ventured.

I threw him out the way and palmed my uplink mod. It slipped into the side of the screen and took it all. Then I ripped it out and shoved it into my wrist screen. The upload began as soon as I turned from the desk. I stared at the announcer who retreated to the far side of the wall.

"I–I helped you–"

I levelled the fusion gun at his head and pulled the trigger.

"You betrayed me first." I murmured, turning from the room and sheathing the gun. There would be no further announcements in the Crypt tonight.

My sister. My own blood had betrayed me. I had no patience for any other betrayal. I needed to start pulling the trigger more than letting the cycle continue. But the moment Scorpion knew of this was the moment she was as good as dead. She didn't need an excuse to have my sister's head as it was let alone now... I would need to deal with this before it became too dangerous to ignore.

My sister needed to be ripped away from that purple-eyed idealist before it was too late. She needed to see me without seeing me.

I needed a new face.







M A K A Y L A



I felt the sheets move as Alex dropped into the bed. I sighed, disoriented in sleep and noticed the room was still dark. The only traces of light were the low amber glow of thin floor lights.

"Alex." I mumbled.

She threw something over her head and it hit the carpet with a dull thud before she climbed in next to me and I ran a hand over her stomach–that was a close fitted skin–a sort of combat material. I drew up more and stared at her in the dark.

"Where were you?" I asked, pushing hair out of my face.

"It was nothing." She murmured, pushing my shoulder back down and wrapping an arm securely around my waist. I frowned, tracing a hand along her arm and up her face checking for any injury. I felt her smile and kiss my hand when it brushed her skin.

"What time is it?" I muttered, pressing my cheek into her neck.

"Late." She murmured, kissing the side of my head.

"You still haven't answered me." I whispered, tracing my hand back down along the muscles of her stomach. She briefly tensed under my fingers.

"I was taking care of some work." She said a bit too casually.

I chuckled against her skin. "Am I going to have to torture information out of you?"

I felt her move her hand under my t-shirt at the threat and trail a line of fire over my skin.

"Why do I like the sound of that so much." She whispered, making a shiver break over my skin. Sleep was suddenly becoming a distant affair.

"Why are you so good at distracting me?" I asked right back as she moved herself on top of me more deliberately. I threaded my leg through hers. My own were bare while she still seemed outfitted to cause destruction tonight...

Her hand trailed up my hips and side until she skimmed the sensitive skin of my breast. I sighed and grabbed her hips tightly. Her body pressed down to mine and I kissed along her neck slowly making her breathe deeply. I moved my hands up behind her skin tight top and she leant back quickly ripping it over her head.

She pressed her warm chest down to me and I groaned, needing more of her.

"As distractions go... this is pretty good." I murmured, before pulling her head down to my lips.

"I'm not even trying." She muttered, between our lips.

I smiled into the kiss but stopped when she drew her leg tightly between my own. I dragged my nails deliberately down her back and loved the low sound that came from her in response. She hooked her arms under my thighs and pulled me up against her body only to pin me against the back of the bed. I drew in a heavy breath as she assaulted my skin with her lips again.

"I think–you are." I said roughly.

I felt her teeth bite my lip and begin nipping down my neck to the sensitive part of my collarbone. I pushed my hands through her hair in response and pulled myself closer to her body that pressed me tightly already against the bed.

Her hand moved slowly up my thigh while she held me there and I burned against her. Whatever reason she had left for was no longer important... how could it be–

She slipped her hand past my shorts and grazed towards my centre. I sucked in a breath and pushed myself into her silently asking. But she remained teasing the skin near the middle of my legs without giving in.

I pulled my mouth from her lips and gripped her hair tightly.

"What are you waiting for?" I whispered in a pant.

Instead of responding she pulled my shorts off my legs entirely and dropped her head low to kiss the skin of my stomach. I leant my head back and closed my eyes as her lips drifted lower. She pressed me back down against the bed and kissed along me getting closer and lower.

It was quickly getting too much for me. Her lips taunted every part of my skin apart from the hottest part of me.

"Alex." I almost growled.

I heard her chuckle darkly. Then she kissed me right there. I sucked in a breath but it was not going to help me. Her tongue dragged slowly over my clit and I almost forgot my own name. My hands became claws that needed a grip on something–

I felt the slick movement of her tongue against me again and moaned out her name. She didn't stop. My hips moved against her while she deftly brought me close to madness. Just when I thought I'd have my release from the way her tongue moved in circles–she'd stop herself. Keeping me in this high pent up desire.

"Alex–I need–" I begged, between gulps of air.

I felt and heard her take off her remaining clothing before she met my eyes in the dark. Her own watched my desire filled face and drank it in. She dragged her body slowly against mine making me groan under her.

"You're mine." She whispered near my lips.

I kissed those lips hungrily and she responded with just as much lust. I was sure my nails left marks on her but she didn't complain. She'd never mark me when we were together like this... but I left many souvenirs on her skin. Bites... nails... She definitely did not complain–

I lost my thoughts again when her thigh met between my legs and I rocked my body against her. I pulled her head down to my level as we dragged in heavy breaths.

"And–you are–mine." I murmured right back onto her mouth.

She nodded in the darkness and kissed me deeply as she moved against me more deliberately. I wrapped my leg around her hip and she moved her hand between my legs as I gripped against her tightly. She dragged my name out through her breathing and I loved every syllable. We were lost to each other in total need. Her body fit mine perfectly like mine did to hers. I was glad she had dragged it out longer. Only now did I feel my impossible need for her build to the point I thought I would pass out.

We both reached our perfect high near the same moment. The same blissful movement. I couldn't think for a few seconds. Not past our heavy breathing. And definitely not past the hot, slick feel of her skin against my own. I slowly relaxed my hands from her hair and my nails from her back.

She ran her hands up the length of my bare legs before leaving them on my hips. Our breathing finally started to slow and she turned my body around only to pull me close against her. I sighed, feeling our chests still move but my body feeling content.

"Remind me to let you disappear more often." I muttered with a smirk.

I felt her laugh behind me and she tightened her arm around my stomach, pulling me closer to her body. I loved the feel of it.

"It won't happen again." She promised.

I sighed and drew her hand up from my stomach to kiss her knuckles.

"You don't need to make me promises."

She stilled under me briefly before speaking.

"I went to Sector 1."

It was my turn to still beneath her. Because there was only one reason she would go at all.

"Is he alive?" I whispered, glad that I didn't face her now.

She nodded against my shoulder. "He is still your friend." She murmured against my skin making me relax. "But the moment that's not true..." She trailed off not needing to end her words.

I turned to her then, twisting my body so that I could look inches from her face. She secured her arm around me while I watched her. "Thank you for understanding and not being... Scorpion tonight." I breathed.

This made her smile.

"Not completely true. I did... stab him."

I slapped her arm. Hard.

A familiar darkness filled her eyes at the move and I grinned when she pinned me below her again and our night got much hotter once again.