– M A K A Y L A –

It took all of my self control to make sure the gun didn't shake in my hand.

I was as good as dead if I showed even an inch of weakness now. It's incredible how much of a turn the day had taken. One minute I'm seething in the confines of my craft awaiting etiquette lessons from a stuck up Sector 1'er. Now I'm levelling a gun at the most dangerous person in Merridian and I'd do anything to get back in that craft and have a boring existence again.

The heavily tinted windows gave nothing away on the outside. But I was sure with a gun to her head, Scorpion, wouldn't do anything stupid...

The interior was tense. The five guards inside held their hands close to places where weapons were no doubt concealed and ready to fire at the moment of opportunity. Scorpion did no such thing. She simply watched me with an emotionless expression.

Was she angry? Betrayed? Maybe just surprised. It seemed like whatever moment we had at the ball the other night was long gone. There was a different woman in place here; a killer.

I felt the craft slow and drop in height preparing to land.

I flexed my finger on the trigger and maintained aim between her eyes. Scorpion remained seated and even leaned back to place her arms across the seat backs. It was infuriating that she wasn't even taking this seriously...

"Well?" I demanded after a moment of silence.

She watched me and said nothing. Then she jerked her head towards the door.

"Go. No one will stop you." She said with a small smirk. "You have my word."

I eyed her with suspicion. Then flicked my eyes towards the mahogany panelled door. A guard opened it for me and I stared in disbelief. She's really letting me go after that stunt?

Outside was bright and I could only make out a rooftop on the building we perched on. I kept my gun trained on her as I backed out of the door. "If anyone moves, you'll be the first to know..." I warned as I continued my retreat.

She barked a laugh and leant her head back. My feet hit the ground of the rooftop. I felt like there was a hideous joke that I wasn't in on.

"And the moment you set foot away from that rooftop, you'll be the first to die." She stated with an uncaring expression and a challenge in her eyes.

I balked at that and flicked my eyes around.

This was definitely not Sector 1... It was the most intimidating landscape I had ever seen. Plumes of dark smoke shadowed every inch of the surrounding buildings and the thin slits of windows in the other towers mimicked prison windows.

"Where have you taken me?" I couldn't stop the shake in my voice now. My hair whipped around my face in chaos as the fusion engines began to fire up and climb in height.

"Oh, no where in particular, princess!" Scorpion called down to me as the craft continued to rise. She stood in the open doorway and gazed down coldly. Yet she was still stunning with the mask of a predator back on and her hood shrouding those golden eyes.

"A little place called Sector 52! Perhaps you've heard of it?" She shouted with a savage grin.

My god. No.

Anyway but there. This had to be a sick joke. No one could be that cruel. Leave me of all people in this place.

"You know I won't last the night!" I cried desperately.

She held up a fist and the craft turned in preparation to bolt off.

"No, Makayla." She shouted down. "You won't last past the hour." She finished. Then the craft engines burst to life and they disappeared into a mess of hideously dark buildings and smoke.

She left me.

And now I was going to die.

– S C O R P I O N –

"That was brutal even by your standards." Proximo chuckled to my right.

I flashed him a humourless smile. My eyes drifted out of the window and I felt a stab of anxiety. I wasn't lying when I said that she wouldn't even last the hour. Sector 52 was... Well it was my upbringing and look how I turned out.

"She needed to see the real Underworld." I muttered as I watched a stream of craft traffic dive down dark tower allies.

"So, how long will you give her?" He asked quietly. "Surely you don't mean to actually let her die. She holds too much value."

I remained silent.

She did hold value. So much more than Proximo would ever know. But I wasn't ready to make that little detail obvious. Weakness is a quick spreading fire to a leader's hold. I will never let myself become like the other Underworld rulers. Pathetic. Weak.

I gritted my teeth and glared out at the setting sun.

"Give her an hour." I almost growled.

I could feel Proximo's silent surprise at my words. "You have more faith in her than I." He murmured incredulously.

"Or I just don't care." I stated, turning to level him with an indifferent look. "If she dies, the Emperor loses a daughter and a sole heir to the city. If she lives then the Underworld has the Emperor's daughter as a hostage."

Proximo went quiet and dropped his head in agreement. "Very well. Your logic is sound."

I turned my head to face the evening sky once again.

If she survived the hour then maybe she was more than her pompous reputation gave out. But I couldn't help the fear that wrapped its cold fingers around my heart. If she did die then I would have to live with the sole responsibility. My blackened soul would tint a shade darker once again...

– M A K A Y L A –

I couldn't believe how naive I had been.

Monsters have hearts? Ha. What a joke. She was as hideous as the rumours had claimed. For whatever moronic reason, I had actually let her lead me to believe she was something good underneath all the dark cloaks and shaded words.

She was nothing more than another killer.

If I ever saw her again, I'd make sure my fusion gun shot true.

My gun.

I realised as I pulled it from inside my jacket once again. This could see me to safety surely. All I had to do was make it to a craft that would get me back to Sector 1. There had to be someone desperate enough to just take my credits and fly me back without extra motives.

It sounded like a long shot even in theory...

I groaned and took in the rooftop desperately. Air vents... neon signs... Ah. Door! I ran towards the metal slides and hit the panel to the right. A groan sounded and the rusted things slid to the sides. I darted through without a thought and descended the stairs.

God. Was there no lift? How many flights will I have to go down?

Many stairs later I was at ground level once again. But this only increased my heart rate. I could hear the sounds of the outside world now... Rooms to the left and right down the hallway told me that I wasn't alone.

Bass shook the ground as heavy music blared and wails of a baby screeched the opposite side. I jogged down the dirty hall eager to breath in fresh air again. A group of people slumped against the lobby walls in a daze. Their eyes didn't even take me in. They just stared off into space as they passed around a suspect looked metal tube and puffed smoke out of it.

I threw open the doors and exited the building.

What little sun made it through the maze of buildings, was beginning to disappear again and shadows were filling the streets.

But it was not quiet. Hundreds of people in arrays of tattered and dark clothing pushed and strode down the street. Strange looking land vehicles roared down the roads and beeps and music pulsed throughout the air.

This was complete madness. Noise. Chaos.

A shoulder hit me and sent me into the side of the building. The man didn't even turn to acknowledge me. I surpassed a reaction and tried to weave casually into the crowd.

But of course, eyes soon found me. My clothes... they just didn't belong. My expensive fabrics and appearance couldn't be more obvious. So, I hunched down and pressed on. I searched the roads for a craft that could get me the hell out of here but every person here seemed to use the strange land vehicles.

They looked so dangerous and slow...

I spent another ten minutes like this before someone decided to interrupt.

She was in a tattered dress and had her hair wrapped up tightly above her head. She had a pale, sickly complexion and sunken in eyes. I gave her a weak smile and tried to move around her but she grabbed my arm firmly.

I flinched and move a hand towards the inside of my jacket.

The woman was clearly familiar with the move and her eyes widened in terror. I felt guilt wash over me at my own reaction.

"I'm sorry--I--I just really needed help--m--my son. He's terribly ill and I need help." She got out between a trembling lip.

My stomach plummeted. I had just been about to threaten a mother with a gun and she was simply in need.

"Forgive me." I instantly responded trying to offer her a smile. "What sort of help? Does he need medicine?" I asked.

She looked around frantically as the crowds continued to stream past us.

"Please." She returned those tired eyes to me. "Please just come. I just need someone to help him." She whispered.

I couldn't walk away. I just couldn't.

So, against my better judgement and logic, I dropped her a nod and allowed her to lead me to her family.