– S C O R P I O N –

The doors from the lift slid open to reveal the morning sun shining brightly upon the rooftop. I inhaled and allowed a small smile onto my face.

"Alex..." Makayla trailed off beside me. I turned to see her looking perplexed at something across the roof.

Ah. That.

"I imagine you're wondering what that iconic piece of design is." I said grinning back at her.

She flicked her eyes warily between myself and it. "What is it? And why is it where the fusion craft should be." She said with a bit more fear spiking in her voice. I was momentarily distracted by the way the sun set her blonde hair on fire as it danced in waves between the strands.

"That is one of the only fusion cycles currently in existence." I say proudly looking back at the sleek curving features. It sported my famous colours of black and red. The design was originally taken off of pre-30th century vehicles that ran along the ground on two wheels. Motorbikes. A lot of them were in fact still used among the poorer sectors. But most are now relics of the past.

Well, my engineers had given the concept a far greater ambition. It was one of the fastest available fusion machines currently on the legal and black markets. Outrunning anything if necessary... not that I would inform Makayla of that little fact. The aim was to convince her to get on it ideally.

"Fusion cycle." She tasted the word with a sour expression.

I rolled my eyes and strode past her, allowing all of my arrogance to grace my walk. My red cloak flickered to the side like a proud flag in the wind. I could hear her mutter something behind me which I only assumed was an insult. I grinned under my hood as I neared my cycle.

It remained hovering inches from the steel roof. The fusion engines hummed on either end, begging to be unleashed through the maze of the city. I didn't hesitate. In a swift jump I swung one leg over the side and secured the front handles. The machine fit me better than any piece of clothing--it was practically an extension of myself.

Makayla stood with her arms crossed and a pair of exceedingly skeptical blue eyes on me.

"Not a chance." She stated.

"Nothing will endanger you Makayla, I swear it." I said exasperated.

"We're inside some of the most dangerous sectors of the city and you want me to travel through them on that?" She threw her hands skyward. "Why don't I just add the targets to our backs now while we're at it!"

I snickered and dipped my hooded head over the front of the cycle.

"Alex!" She shouted accusingly. "I'm being serious."

"That's what I find amusing." I responded with a smirk.

She growled under her breath before turning back the way we came and striding towards the lift. I sighed and jumped off the cycle. It continued its hum and hover, awaiting orders.

I caught up to her easily and appeared in front of her before she could enter the glass doors. Her expression darkened. I placed a hand reassuringly on her shoulder. To my complete and utter shock she shifted swiftly and locked my arm in a move only Proximo could have taught. My arm was behind my back and my neck held down with her other arm.

"Now I know they didn't teach you that in art school." I said quietly. But I wasn't a fan of being vulnerable...

In a heartbeat I had twisted a leg behind her and shifted my weight to knock her off balance. She gasped before she realised, but I didn't give her time. I spun and caught her in the same breath before she could fall.

"You can't blame a girl for trying." She said a bit breathless as I gazed down at her. Before she could continue I blurted out.

"Do you not trust me."

"That has nothing to do with—"

"Yes or no." I stated flatly.

"Obviously. How else would I be here." She exhaled with a small smile.

I moved closer to her until mere inches separated us. Her eyes widened a fraction but stayed on me. Even when I brought a hand up to move her chaotic hair away from her face.

"Would I let anything harm you." I stated, looking at her closely.

She paused before answering. "Well, that depends on your mood." She shrugged easily.

I laughed before shaking my head. I set her back on her feet and drew back. "The answer I believe you are looking for is no. I just want one day where I can show you the city that you haven't yet seen. Show you how I have seen the world and not have the threat of an empire weighing down on us or death hanging over our heads." I paused and watched her eyes take in my words.

I think I saw relief in them or maybe even content. I offered her my hand. "So, if you could just trust that this day will not involve any of our pasts, that would be greatly appreciated."

She looked down at my hand and then up at me.

"I'll drive." She stated.

My jaw hung open. It didn't take a moment before she burst into hysterics and walked around me towards the cycle. "Come on then, Scorpion. As much fun as it is taunting you... we're wasting light." She called over her shoulder.

I shook my head as I jogged to catch up with her. God help us all if Makayla Xavier was behind the wheel of a fusion cycle. The entire empire would be at its knees by sundown. I snorted at the thought.

Makayla looked at me questioningly. I just shook my head and held a firm grip on the ignition key bar.

* * * * * *

After the first 10 minutes of sailing through the skies and buildings of Sector 48, Makayla finally started to relax her death grip around my waist.

I spoke into the comm linked to her in our helmets. "I was under the impression you weren't going to let me breath for the entire journey."

She poked me in the ribs.

"Eyes on the sky."

"Yes ma'am." I mock saluted with a hand.

"Where are we going anyway?"

"Verde." I stated simply knowing she had no clue as to where and what that meant.

She sighed into the comm. "Always as cryptic as ever."

"Trust me, you will approve." I replied with sureness.

"What is it with you and your trust issues today?" She said wryly with a smile in her voice.

"One more word and I will show you what speed this cycle can really do." I stated in all seriousness.

Her silence spoke volumes. I smiled and kept my eyes on the sky ahead. We weren't far now anyway. I could see the towering building emerge from the stone and metal like a beacon. It was the tallest and most expensive structure in all sectors from 30 to 52. It was a true testament to the designers and architects who didn't have the budget of Sector 1 but went for it anyway.

To be honest it was more beautiful to me than any of the structures in the city.

In fact I didn't realise how nervous I was to await Makayla's reaction to it. this was the building my eyes always looked up to in awe as a child. The one diamond in the rough and a symbol that greatness could rise from anywhere. Would she see it that way...

Her silence gave nothing away as we neared it and wove our way between an increasing amount of fusion crafts of all expenses.

"Traffic gets a little heavy around these parts." I commented.

"I can see why." She said in her own awe stricken voice. I tried not to let the relief coat my voice when I responded.

"Not such a bad sight for an outer area." I said casually.

"Not a bad sight for anywhere. This is incredible, Alex." She said completely animated. "How did they achieve such height with those materials?" She said eyeing the base and surrounding arches that made up to giant shard.

She was no doubt given education into how her father's monstrous tower was constructed along with the ramifications of support and strength.

I smiled. "Have a conversation with some of my construction and engineer teams later tonight. They provide far better insight than my own." I told her. Honestly, I could tell this was something that would ignite her imagination as well as curiosity. The men and women that lived and breathed this subject would be the only ones to appease her on the matter.

"So, this is Verde?" She asked.

"No, Verde is a sky garden on the roof of this building." I confirmed.

She gasped excitedly.

"Surely, you of all people have been to a sky garden?" I said shocked.

We were beginning our descent with the other lines of crafts to the underground vehicle bay.

"Never! My maiden, Matty spoke of them but I never got to witness one in person. My father tended to decide on the location of events... It was more along the lines of the ball you attended." She trailed off, dismissing the notion.

"Then I will happily provide your first sky garden tour, Miss Xavier." I responded in a pompous voice.

She snorted and flicked the side of my helmet.

When we had finally landed the cycle, I called in a few of my personal guard to linger nearby until we returned. If that cycle were to go missing... well it wasn't even a possibility. It was unmistakable and a death sentence to steal.

A very enthusiastic man in a fine three piece suit, hurried towards us before we could make it ten steps away from the cycle. I inwardly groaned.

"Scorpion, what an absolute pleasure to see you again." He bowed curtly before me and then cut his eyes towards Makayla. They widened slightly. Obviously noticing her beauty. I stilled when they lingered a touch too long on her. "Apologies I do not know your name, Miss..."

"Avery." She lied smoothly.

His eyes brightened at this new information and he bowed once again before taking her hand and kissing it. My patience snapped and I moved my hand inside my cloak.

Makayla recognised the move however and subtly place her hand over my arm. She was the only person in the entire city that could do this. My anger melted away.

"I would love to make a better acquaintance, but unfortunately we are on a slim schedule so if you will excuse us." She said with an easy smile that slipped onto her face. That was the emperor's daughter, not Makayla. Such false smiles were reserved for strangers.

Before he could respond, Makayla linked her arm in mine and practically dragged me away from him before I decided to bury a fusion round into his fake teeth.

"Are you going to try to kill every person that shows a little too much interest, Alex?" She said casually beside me as we approached a grand elevator. I stepped inside with her and dropped my hood. The doors closed and we began the great climb to the top.

Without warning I turned quickly and pressed her against the wall. She gasped at the move and I only left an inch between us.

"That depends..." I whispered onto her mouth. "Do you plan to stop me each time?" I growled.

"I...I--what—" she tripped over her words as my eyes continued to stare darkly into her own. I didn't give her time to recover. I took her lips in my own and pressed her further into the wall of the lift. She groaned into the kiss and moved her soft lips perfectly with my own. Sometimes it surprised me when the pull she had on me just took hold of every thought and decision I owned. My body always reacted with a will of it's own around her. But she never took long to respond, or maybe she was already there. Felt the same charge and relentless longing I did.

She tangled her fingers through my hair in response and I almost moaned when I felt her nails graze my scalp. Both my hands held her hips against me and didn't allow any distance to separate us. Her intentions were similar as she managed to press herself closer still and draw my head down to deepen the kiss. I drew back only briefly to see her own eyes had darkened in desire and erratic breathing hit my face. I smirked at her right before I brought her lips back to my own.

The elevator suddenly chimed merrily and I slid away from her in a calm move as if nothing had happened.

The doors slid open and a crowd of drunken men and women chatted obnoxiously as they joined us. I cast a look over to Makayla who was now bright red and struggling to control her breathing.

I had to bite my lip down to prevent the laugh from coming out. I felt an elbow jab me in the side and a snigger slipped out of me. I heard Makayla's own giggle and it lasted all the way to the top floor until we all finally piled out.

But the crowd continued chanting and laughing, completely oblivious of the crime lord and the emperor's daughter behind them...