– M A K A Y L A –

I didn't have time to answer her.

An explosion shattered the side of the wall sending pieces of furniture and rubble rushing towards us. I was thrown back into the wall heavily.

My vision blurred and I coughed loudly against the dusty air. The room was spinning now and flames could be see from the hole in the wall.

"Makayla!" Alex shouted over the chaos.

Her face came into view and then I felt her pull me to my feet.

"Al—" I coughed again, "—what the hell—"

Another explosion rocked the ground beneath us. Alex took my hand and held her other up to her ear. Whatever it was she heard... it wasn't good.

She drew her brows together in focus. Then they darted to mine.

"It's them. We're out of time." She growled over the rattle of more explosions and now gunfire.

"I am getting you out of here." She vowed. Then she tugged my arm towards the walk in wardrobe. I didn't argue. But I also couldn't contain my surprise when she pulled out a keypad and flashed her gloved hand across it and a hidden passage opened before us from the shelves.

She led us in quickly and the floors lit up in a neon blue light that lead the way.

She stopped before a small lift that could scarcely fit in a person. I pressed into it closely and turned to find her activate the glass door behind me.

The realisation hit me like a slap. She stood on the other side of the glass with a grim expression.

"Alex, NO!" I screamed as I beat a fist against the door. She couldn't possibly do this to me. Completely disregard her own life for mine again.

"I'm sorry, Makayla. But I made a promise. I will not allow your life to be endangered because of me again." She stated in finality.

I punched the glass directly this time in complete rage.

"This is not your choice to make." I growled. "It's my damn decision who I risk my life for!" I shouted as I stared into those burning golden irises.

"I'm sorry." Is all she said before hitting her screen once and the lift descended into darkness with me in it.

– S C O R P I O N –

"She's out of the picture." I snapped into the comm link.

"Then you'd better get to the rooftop before they take this whole tower down!" Proximo roared down the link.

"Where the hell are our counter strikes!" I demanded.

"Six units are closing in, possibly minutes away." He responded quickly.

"We don't have min—"

I was thrown sideways when the hallway wall blew out beside me. I hit the ground heavily and groaned into the plush red carpet I would likely never see again. All of it. Everything I had done to earn this keep... taken from me.

I tried to push myself up quickly but gasped as pain lanced through my side. I grit my teeth and pushed past it. If I wasn't dead, it was likely nothing serious.

Using what was left of the bannister I got to my feet. My eyes searched for the lift. It was still intact at the other end of the hall and likely my only shot now.

Bodies littered the place and the few that were on their feet were running for the front entrance to try to combat the enemy. But I knew that was futile. They had damn fusion tanks.

"Scorpion, I have two squadrons on the roof with crafts. Your window is closing." He told me calmly.

I grit my teeth as my side stabbed into me again. This time I knew it was blood that was running down my waist.

"Get them all out of here! We do not have the numbers and are on the back foot! Get the hell out of here!" I commanded.

"You cannot expect me—" he began.

"You will do as I say, Proximo. Go. Now." I snarled back.

Silence was on the other end. I had just reached the lift now and staggered inside. I took my hand from my side and slapped the screen for the top floor. Blood smeared across it. I risked a look down and saw far too much blood leaving the wound. Shrapnel must have found its way inside. Fuck.

The lift raced skywards and I prayed to any of the gods that hated me to help. Somehow the lift made it to the rooftop. But what I saw was no relief.

Enemy aircraft lined the sky and sent rockets flying towards my building. Soldiers were shooting from the sides of them and others were abseiling down from lines.

When the doors opened I was already shooting. I drew both fusion pistols holstered at my sides and took four rebels out in my first breath.

The aircraft shifted in response and I had to dive behind a nearby wall to avoid the rain of bullets from one. It wouldn't be long before they targeted me with rockets...

An explosion sounded and I thought it was all over for me. But it wasn't the enemy rockets. It was my own fighters that blasted through the skies now.

A vengeful grin lit up my face. I turned my head skyward to see five fighter crafts race above to engage the rebels. Two had already fallen and my odds just massively improved.

"Hope we weren't too late." A smug Proximo sounded in my ear.

"Don't expect a thank you." I retorted with a grin still in place. "Now get me the hell out of here."

"Your wish, my command." He stated. I then watched one of the crafts break from formation and glide towards me.

Rockets continued to fly above and below. If we weren't quick we could risk both our asses.

"Time to go!" He called. I watched as his ship landed heavily on the rooftop. I holstered my weapons and sprinted for the craft. Half a rooftop.

Bang. More concrete flew across the roof. I jumped a hole and slid past a line of fire. I was metres now. Another much larger explosion sounded right before the craft and Proximo had to punch the thrusters just to keep it from going off the edge of the roof.

"SCORPION MOVE!" He roared at me.

I ignored my burning ribs and my raw lungs and pumped my legs as fast as they would carry me. The moment before I prepared for the jump another bang much louder than the ground sounded.

I crashed to the rooftop floor.

"SCORPION! MOVE—DAMN IT NO!" Some voice raged in my ear but I couldn't make sense of it or what had just happened to me.

I rolled onto my back and couldn't breathe properly. I tried to gasp in air that wouldn't come. I felt warmth leak across my shoulder and chest.

Then a hooded figure came into sight. A strange purple eyed—Hades. I thought with a cold that spread through me rapidly.

"My dear, dear friend." A voice colder than death drawled from a above me. He pressed a boot down on my wounded side and I screamed in raw agony. The sound pleased him far too much.

"You are indeed, a hard woman to come by." He told me as he crouched down to analyse me. "The Underworld's Queen no less. You and I will have such fun." He said quietly as flames soared above him and my ships fell in chaos. Only a strangled cry of rage left my lips and I spat blood at his face.

It darkened like a storm and he looked ready to drag my body over the flames of hell and back.

He dragged a black glove over his pierced and tattooed face wiping away my blood.

I hoped to god that Proximo had the sense to get the hell away.

Hades suddenly stood and nodded down to me in command. Rebels soon surrounded me and before I could call out threats a gun hit me in the head and blackness followed.