M A K A Y L A



I woke to the sound of a shower in the other room. Rolling myself over I tapped the wrist holo on the side desk and saw it was only 7am. I groaned and pulled a pillow over my head.

Did she ever lie in...

I heard another door open towards the front of the flat but didn't put much thought into it. Maybe Alex had a cleaning crew now–

A low voice suddenly cleared his throat. My eyes flew open and I turned to see Alex's second stood there impassively staring me down. I glanced towards the bathroom before glaring at the towering man with vicious tattoos down the side of his face.

"Can I help you, Proximo?" I demanded, suddenly remembering his earlier words and my very bare body under the sheets.

"You can put some clothes on and join me in the surveillance hall." He stated unbothered by my appearance.

"You could have commed–"

"You do not seem to respond effectively to comms." He grunted, tucking his hands behind him and raising an eyebrow.

"Can this not wait a few hours?" I asked exasperated by his utter nonchalance at any of my feelings clearly directed at his cool demeanour–but when has he ever...

"I'll see you in five minutes." He summarised for me, turning on his boot and striding quickly away. "Scorpion does not need to be involved." He added over his shoulder.

This made me frown. When I heard the front door close I jumped out of bed and started throwing clothes on. I didn't bother with sheaths and weapons. I pulled a skin tight, long sleeved top over me and pulled my hair up into a chaotic ponytail.

I secured my wrist holo and still heard the water running when I crossed the room and hit the lift at the end of the hall.

The surveillance floor was much busier than the day we had walked its glass halls. Division members seemed intent on finding something–or someone. A man in thick glasses almost walked through me as I dodged him and caught a thick smell of coffee in the air.

"Makayla!" Proximo called, gaining the attention of several techs around me.

I caught his calculating steel eyes and paced towards where he was huddled with others around a large hologram table.

"Kill the lights." Proximo ordered as I neared.

The room instantly became dark around our area and I looked at the blue glow of outer sectors. Proximo typed quickly into the desk and others took details and notes on holo pads. I waited impatiently until he finally raised his eyes to me and several techs dispersed around him.

"I think you owe me an explanation." I deadpanned crossing my arms.

He scoffed, "I need not lecture you on importance of Division affairs–"

"Not that." I cut in with a dark glare. "You last night. Landing that bomb on me when I was completely unprepared to deal with it!" I hissed.

He leant back against the desk and crossed him thick arms between us–the effect was much more intimidating than I had a hope to achieve.

"Do not keep secrets from me or our leader and you will not find yourself in trouble." He said simply, watching me closely.

"Like you don't keep your own secrets." I scoffed.

A dark smirk cut across his face like a predator. "My secrets do not compromise the Division."

"Neither did my own! That was between me and her–"

"Scorpion is the Division Makayla. She needs to know more about this city and it's people more than any other, but–" He paused and relaxed his stance, "–you stray us from the point."

I sighed and dropped my own arms to place my hands against the table. I nodded curtly.

"What do you need?"

"A contact in Sector 1 to get me some information on inner political circles." He answered without delay. The hologram morphed in front of us until it highlighted several buildings in red. "My focus is currently divided heavily on our sectors to cover rebel outbreaks and certain other traitors... but I am completely blind in upper Merridian and cannot afford to be any longer."

I waited silently as I hoped he didn't say what I think he was going to say.

"I'm sure Scorpion told you of our little visit to the dear President's second son last night–"

"Wait–you were there too?" I demanded. Sincerely hoping she didn't let Proximo give him a heart attack too.

"I piloted." He dismissed with a hand wave. "He is sufficiently threatened by us as it stands now and is primed to start providing insight on the new path of the Silver Sun–"

"You threaten to kill him last night and now you want me to ask him to work with us?" I asked in disbelief.

Proximo cast a glance to me with impatience. "Obviously. Why else would I let Scorpion know about your little indiscretion?"

I wanted to slap him hard. I grit my teeth and sighed through my nose.

"Makayla get your emotions in line." He sighed running a hand over his buzz cut hair, "Velron is a key player sitting at the high table and if we don't start gaining intel on Silver Sun movements other's could start filling in the cracks." He finished darkly.

I slammed a hand against the glass and he didn't even flinch.

"How about you stop manipulating people and then asking them to be okay with it later on–"

"I have no interest in your outburst." He interrupted flatly. "If you have a problem with me speak directly." He said in a lethally calm tone.

I glared and he glared right back.

"I don't know what you want me to say to him." I finally muttered, watching his face instantly free itself from a glare and smirk victoriously.

"I can give you an encrypted line. You can either claim to be held against your will or that you're working directly with us–whichever sides his allegiance to us faster." He shrugged his large shoulders before swiping a hand across the hologram and searching for more red specs.

"And how do you think Scorpion will take this?" I asked slowly.

A wicked grin claimed his face and he raised his eyes to me slowly.

"Let me deal with Scorpion, Makayla. You just use those quick charms of yours to get us our man."

I sighed and pinched my nose. I had only just come back onto good terms with her about this. If she found out I was comming him directly... I may as well be signing off his death.

"I will only do this once you clear it past her–otherwise you can find yourself another informant." I said flatly.

He seemed ready to put up a fight. But nodded instead and set his arms behind his back with a stern look still not leaving his features. It was grim even for Proximo.

"You mentioned a traitor..." I ventured, watching his eyes light.

"I will deal with it." He almost growled.

I raised an eyebrow and was about to question it further when his eyes landed on me.

"That's all for now–why don't you enjoy the rest of your morning?" He stated with a dark smirk and a knowing gaze.

I rolled my eyes and backed off the desk.

"You're welcome." I muttered, heading back for the crimelord who was already striding down the hallway towards us. But her eyes were on Proximo with a fight already brewing–

"Alex–"

"You." She stated, gaining Proximo's attention with a grin.

"Good morning commander–"

"Don't bullshit me." She snapped, striding past me and setting a fist on the desk. "What are you dragging Makayla into now?"

"I need an inner circle contact in upper Merridian and Ms Xavier knows just the person."

She froze and I wanted to melt into a wall.

"You want me to work with Velron Archeon. After what I did last night?" She seethed.

"Unless you have another we can use–yes."

"Your damn sister has been useless enough where is she in all of this?!" She growled, setting a hand on the hilt of her gun.

This time it was Proximo's turn to show unconcealed anger. I eyed him curiously.

"Don't tell me..." Alex said watching him with a humourless smile.

"Information has come to light that she may be working with the rebels." He got out between his teeth.

Alex took a measured breath and shook her head at him slowly.

"I don't even need to tell you I told you so because this is so damn predictable. I'm sorry Proximo but this is one chance too many–"

"I know this." He growled, staring at the hologram of the city. "I blew a fusion round through the head of the man who let it happen under our noses last night."

Alex paced before the map shaking her head in deep thought.

"I'm blacklisting her. I can't let her compromise our new base of ops–she knows too much."

Proximo surprised me by meeting her gaze and dropping her a curt nod. Just like that. Siding to remove his sister from the picture entirely. I swallowed and stayed near the glass door–unsure of my presence at all in this internal war.

"Where was she last seen?"

"The Crypt. Two nights prior." He said in a low voice. "That's not all."

She paused her stride and stared at him waiting.

"Hades was also there."

Alex didn't say anything. Not for many seconds as the realisation hit her.

"Get me my personal guard." She finally answered, turning quickly into a leader that turned empires in her favour. "Get me that President's son here. By the week's end. I will eliminate Dazz myself and you will extract information from the President's son here." She finished without room for negotiation. "It's high time we stopped accepting attacks from all sides and took a hold of where this city is going." The darkness in her eyes was something to behold–but it also scared the life out of me.

But Proximo did not disagree with a word of it. He dropped his fist to his chest and agreed with every word. He knew the cost of power. I wasn't sure if I did.