– M A K A Y L A –

We arrived in the dead of night.

The city may as well be dead for the quiet that this place held. There was no bustle, no buzz of fusion crafts. It seems so basic and simple compared to the chaos of the inner Sectors. But it unsettled me more than calmed me.

Hades stepped out of the strange vehicle we were in that drove on the ground. He offered me a hand and I ignored it.

"Don't let the blonde hair fool you. I can get myself out of my own seat and everything." I muttered dryly.

He snorted and turned on his heel.

"I can see why she likes you." He stated ahead of me.

I watched his back in surprise as he moved beneath his black hood. Then my eyes flicked around the shadows distrustingly. Yes, definitely creepy. What the hell was I doing here anyway... Answers are worth nothing if you're dead.

I caught up to him swiftly deciding that he was the better choice than the darkness around us. He didn't speak. It seemed like he only opened his mouth when he had a purpose rather than to fill the space with noise.

After walking a few more metres down the narrow and tattered streets we arrived upon an even more haphazardly constructed building. It can't of been more that two floors high. It genuinely looked as if someone had gone through a scrapheap to put the roof together.

"Homely." I said.

"I think so." He said quietly with a smile. Was that pride in his voice? Oh, god he probably did put the thing together and here I was...

"I like the--err... lights." I said lamely.

He turned his tattooed face to mine. His violet eyes flashed in amusement. "It's a shit hole." He deadpanned.

I flinched, not expecting the forwardness.

"Rule of thumb around here, Makayla." He began as he eyed me more seriously. "Speak the truth. It saves everyone time."

I almost missed a step under his scrutiny. "I'll remember that."

He nodded and then swept the door back. Strange music hit us in the face. A mixture of metal drums and strings being plucked in a contagious beat. People drank and chatted completely care free. They didn't freeze on the spot or whisper in fear when Hades entered, but raised a few glasses and called out in greeting. These were his people then. Fear didn't dictate them, but respect or camaraderie.

Maybe Alex could learn something from him...

I mentally slapped myself at the thought. Run the Underworld like this? Ha. What a world that would be. You can't lead the wolves if you act like a sheep. Alex wouldn't last the night in those Sectors if she jollied into a bar all smiles and waves.

A pang of guilt hit me squarely in the chest when I thought of her. What did she think of me now? Our fight before seemed so pathetic and shortsighted now. I didn't deserve her worry or focus. In fact the longer I stood in this foreign place with these strange people, the more I wanted to run right back there.

She felt like home.

A hand shook my shoulder, shaking me out of my thoughts. I blinked at him.

His violet eyes found mine. "And she's back in the room." He taunted.

"I have to go." I said suddenly. I didn't feel right here and this all was too much. My decision was made at the wrong time.

His eyebrows drew together sharply. But he caught my arm before I could turn all the way towards the door. My eyes dropped to his hand in a glare.

"Calm yourself, Makayla." He said in a smooth tone.

"Stop saying that. Stop acting like you know me, or anything about my life." I growled in a low voice. Even still, a few heads turned in my direction and I knew this could turn dangerous at any moment if I made a scene.

He raised his hands slowly. "I understand. Truly. You are in a strange place with few answers and you want to run straight back to the first sign of familiarity." I watched his strangely marked, yet savagely beautiful face. "But I beseech you to stifle that fear so that I can show you the truth." He said firmly.

I analysed those eyes. They gave nothing away. Nothing. Anyone that held a leash so firmly over their emotions like he did concerned me. Its was as if he wasn't--

The door burst open before I could finish the thought.

A man with sweat pouring down his face and a broken, bloody nose stumbled in. The music cut off and the room fell into quiet.

"Kaius?" Hades whispered.

"They're coming." He only replied before the familiar buzz of fusion crafts sounded from outside. Then shouts filled the air all at once. The room broke into chaos.

"—the guns!"

"Get to the armoury!"

"Division 52 crafts!"

Hades didn't hesitate. He dropped down swiftly and launched me onto his shoulder. I was still in shock and disbelief as I heard guns going off around me. Then reality hit.

"Hades! No! You have no idea what they'll do!" I punched my fists into his back but it may as well of been granite.

"This is about to become a war zone, we leave now!" He shouted back as he ran through the bodies of his rebels. More men and women poured down stair cases and side doors with large fusion guns. No. They will all die. Hades was sending them all to their deaths!

"Let me stop this! I can stop this!" I begged him as he pushed through a back door and made for a latch in the floor. He was going to slip us away underground...

To hell with that.

In that moment I used all of my strength to haul myself up from his back and twist sharply to throw both of us to the ground. He grunted in surprise before surging forward rapidly to grab me. I kicked him in the face with both feet. I felt the crunch and didn't bother to see the broken face of him as I scrambled to my feet and ran in the direction we came.

"MAKAYLA!" The roar sounded behind me as I slammed the door shut.

The room was a nightmare. Fusion rounds lit the room up like a sea of raging stars. Bodies dropped and huddled behind anything they could find. I wasn't stupid enough to stand there however. I had to be seen, had to stop this before it was a complete slaughter house.

I ducked behind a heavily crowded bar. A rebel near me shoved a fusion rifle in my hand obviously mistaking me for one of theirs.

"Take the gunners on your left window!" He bellowed at me. "On three!"

Wait what? Damn it I wasn't here to kill them.

"—two, THREE!" He shot up from his position and unloaded the flashing rounds. Instead of unleashing hell with him I flicked the gun over my shoulder and moved further down the bar. Bottles smashed above us and some rounds went straight through the bar entirely. Thank god most of it was metal...

I was almost at the other end of it before a woman spotted me and suddenly froze.

My eyes widened too as I waited for her to end me. "You're her. You're his daughter..." She shouted in disbelief.

"Look, there's there's no time. I need to—"

"End this." She finished for me.

"Yes... you--you're not going to take me back to Hades?"

"We won't change anything if we're all dead. This isn't our fight. There is a much bigger war to be had and this won't—" Bullets sprayed a couple of inches above our heads in that moment.

"Great. Same goal. Chat later. Help me stop Scorpion tearing this place apart." I summarised quickly.

She grinned under a shower of glass.

"Take that gun off your shoulder then, we'll need a distraction." She shouted above the chaos with a challenge in her eyes.

– S C O R P I O N –

We landed in full force.

After some consideration it was decided that the less time we gave them, the more damage we would do. I summoned ten of our crafts to drop in with nine soldiers each within.

We'd wipe them off the face of the earth and them some...

The darkness disappeared all at once. Our crafts hovered above with spotlights on the darkened streets and building, while my soldiers abseiled down onto the roof and ground. We tore through windows and doors alike.

But return fire was slightly quicker than I expected... and more aggressive.

I loaded my own rifle and watched Proximo do the same. He dropped me a nod and I secured my rope before flinging myself out into the night and pulling the trigger as I descended.

It was perfection.

When my feet hit the ground and my target fell from the second story balcony I grinned. This was who I was. And I had been lost for a while but now I was a queen, defending my throne again.

Proximo shouldered his favourite weapon of all. A 50 calibre fusion sniper. Possibly the most deadly hand held weapon money could buy.

Bang. A body fell from the roof. Click. Charge. Bang. Another bolt went straight through two others aiming their sights from a window.

God he was glorious. But there was a reason he was my second.

"My turn." I called over my shoulder with a smirk as I drew two automatic fusion pistols.

I saw him briefly shake his head as he knew what was about to happen. Because there was a reason five daggers sat over my throne...

I sprinted to the side and activated the propulsion thrusters on my heels the moment I jumped. I landed on a low rooftop near to the rebel structure. I didn't stop my run, I lined myself up between the rood edge and the balcony I sought. My feet left the ground again and I punched the thrusters. Two guards sighted me mid jump but it was too late for them. With both pistols drawn I unleashed showers of fusion shots into them from above. They both hit the ground before I did.

Now securely on the balcony I tossed the pistols to the ground and drew my daggers.

Another rebel burst through a door with his gun levelled at me. But before I could sink a blade into his throat he was thrown back by a large shot to the chest. I rolled my eyes and spoke into my comm.

"I had him, damn it."

"Apologies, Scorpion, but it was getting a bit quiet for my liking." Proximo returned calmly.

I turned to the darkness below where I knew he'd be and flashed him the finger. He probably had his crosshairs on it right now. I thought with a grin. Without more delay I went through the open door the rebel had so kindly left open for me.

Down below it was carnage. Tables were tossed on their sides as shields and the bar had become a war trench in which rebels fired behind. I shook my head. Fools. All of you...

I pulled the heavy automatic rifle from my back and went to work. My sight found each target with deadly efficiency. Practiced ease. Tens of them fell under my hand. I then turned my attention to the bar.

The first man received a shot through the head. His friend got the shoulder and then the throat. The woman next to--

My blood froze.

The woman... who was very much not a rebel was crouched next to another rebel with a rifle in her hand.

Makayla. What the hell are you doing?

She nodded to the woman next to her as they both stood in unison and jumped over the bar and slid behind a long metal table. My mouth was open like a moron and I was wasting seconds doing nothing while the girl I loved was in the middle of a slaughter.

I smashed my thumb into my comm.

"STAND DOWN. EVERY DIVISION UNIT STAND THE FUCK DOWN!" I shouted down the link into every soldiers ear.

It didn't end. Maybe those on the outside heard me but everyone within was either too lost in the fighting or simply couldn't hear over the chaos.

I scanned the rows of rebels and then my own people, metres away. Then one of my own took aim at their table and fired some rounds. I didn't hesitate. I took aim with half a thought and shot him in the head. He dropped to the ground quickly.

Why is she getting closer? Does she have some insane death wish? That would explain a lot about her...

In that moment the woman she was with shot up and fired in quick bursts, killing three of mine. It took everything I had not to end her in that moment. For now though, she was the only thing protecting Makayla down there.

I couldn't stand by any longer.

I threw myself away from cover and over the bannister of the stairs. I activated my heel thrusters a moment before I hit the ground to prevent an impact.

A rebel whirled around but I punched a dagger through his throat. He gargled blood down his chin. I spun him around and used him as a human shield for a moment before I ducked behind a large pillar. Shots flew by from behind. Thankfully my soldiers didn't take long to identify who I was. But I was still across the room from her...

"Stand down! Anyone inside the building hold your fire!" I tried again.

No one inside responded. If I couldn't stop them, I'd have to get to her. I'd kill anyone between us.

I drew my rifle back into my hands and prepared to unleash hell, but the moment I did the rebel with Makayla shot up at the ceiling and brought the giant glass light above, crashing down. Sparks flew out in all directions and brought the room to a brief pause of shock.

That's when Makayla threw herself into the centre of the room and spread her arms out wide. Despite everything, the room remained frozen. Everyone took her in, realised who she was. I couldn't even muster up any words myself...

Whispers crept around on both sides.

"Are you all going to kill each other tonight?!" She demanded of the room. "Is that the end game? Will that ignite the change you all talk about so much in this damn city!" She shouted as she turned her head to get a look at the entire room. The rebels didn't have numbers on their side anymore and it was obvious. They were on the brink of losing this fight.

When her head finally turned to me she paused. Only for a moment. Only for a second for me to hold her gaze and see a light smile touch her lips. Then a shot fired out and shock passed over her beautiful face. More silence.

Red bloomed in a circle on a stomach and she dropped to her knees.

No, no, no. That can't--she hasn't--

But that was all it took to make the room explode again. Gunfire burst back into life with the shouts of betrayal on both sides.

I didn't give a shit. I couldn't care if the entire city burned around us.

Because Makayla's blue eyes were still open in shock as she slumped backwards onto the overturned table. So I ran over the bodies, between the fire on both sides. I shot as I ran and took the remaining few who fought on their side as I went. Blind rage and despair fuelled me. Then I was at her side. Dropping to my knees, I scooped her up and pulled her onto the other side of the table.

My people pushed forward around us but I couldn't even glance at them. I just stared down at her as her eyes drifted further away with every second.

"You're not dying tonight." I growled into her ear as my own tears hit her cheek. "You're too damn important. Do you hear me? Not because you're the damned emperor's daughter, because I love you."

She kept staring up at me with a slightly confused look. As if she couldn't decide if it was reality. "I can't let you go again." I whispered this time, barely holding onto my sanity.

I pulled her up into my arms and turned from this hell.

No. She is not being taken from this world. She's the only thing good in it. The only thing. I thought as I burst through the doors and back into the night.