– S C O R P I O N –

I didn't show it, but Kuzo was on my nerves already. His more than obvious glances at Makayla and then the bio scan of her...

I should have just let Proximo detonate that neural EMP and fried his request. Would have left quite the sting.

I stretched back into the chair and let my arm fall behind Makayla once more—who paid us no mind and started reassembling a plasma gun. I smirked.

"As much as it is a pleasure, Kuzo... I must admit I'm not here on business terms and have no intention of turning the night towards it."

He cleared his throat curtly getting the message.

"If you need anything..." he trailed off pointedly but I waved him off.

"Just your good hospitality."

At that he dropped me a nod and hurried to collect himself before swiftly making an exit from the Noir lounge.

I heard a snicker to my left.

My eyes caught a pair of light blue illuminated by the lighting below dancing with light.

"Yes, Makayla." I leaned in growling the last part in jest.

She flinched back and flicked my nose. "You promised no business tonight."

"That was me keeping my promise." I told her with a raised brow then threw my arm towards the curtained door Kuzo had swiftly left. "Was his leave too subtle? I could make him do it again—"

She grinned and interrupted me with a slow kiss. The heat clawed up me as I told myself to remain reserved and not escalate it.

When I felt her hand trail up my thigh Proximo cleared his throat. She drew back just as quickly and I threw a glare at him over her shoulder.

He winked before Makayla turned to face him.

"This is good." She perked up. "—if your idea is to melt the poor soul that intends to shoot it." He deadpanned without a smile.

I laughed loudly with my head back while Makayla deflated into the chair with a sulk. But I was cut short when she tore those cutely pissed off eyes to me.

I felt metal thrown into my lap and was still laughing when I looked down at the plasma gun. My eyes even saw the errors of assembly through the laughs.

"Proximo I disagree." He cut me a raised brow, and crossed his arms. His face said this should be good.

"Makayla's plot is clearly more deceiving and malicious. She wishes to give the enemy a chance to take back the weapon thinking they have the upper hand, only to be obliterated by the terrible, terrible assembly of such a weapon."

I felt the slap on my arm which only made me laugh more.

"You think it's so funny? You try taking that apart and putting it back together in the dark—"

Before she finished her sentence I had the hammer off and the energy magazine discarded. I felt Proximo watching me with a grin like his favourite show. I didn't hesitate with the tool under my fingers, it's smooth metal and combustible components all too familiar to me.

It was half a thought to have every component laid out on the table to Makayla's gawking face. Then without missing a beat I clipped the stock to the frame, moved the plasma cartridge under the hook, bolts, slots, clicks and a few moments later I had the thing in my hands ready to end a life at a moments notice.

Proximo kept his grin in place and drank a long sip. My personal guard even had an eye on the show with a few head shakes and smirks.

Then there was Makayla.

She said nothing for a few seconds before—"well a bit slow on the clock there if I had a blade..." she shrugged making sure to look anywhere but my smirking face.

When she continued her game I slammed a dagger within my cloak to the table. She didn't even flinch which only made me smile wider.

"Want to go again?" I asked slowly.

This made her turn. Her blue eyes held no fear as they traced over my face. They lingered in places... like my burning eyes before they turned and she picked up the blade slowly.

Even seeing it in her hands made my heart beat faster. I hadn't expected her to call my bluff. But the moment she turned the blade on me the moment my comm came to life.

"Having a good time are we, Scorpion?" A dark voice drawled.

My shock almost outweighed my irritation. But I kept my position at ease. The man itching to watch me squirm or wonder how he had got through my encrypted line make me pluck up my drink and sip as I watched Makayla's questioning look.

"Hades, do you have a life outside of observing mine?" I asked sweetly.

He chuckled on the other side.

"We need to talk."

"I don't remember asking to." I said calmly as I brushed a strand of Makayla's hair off her face. Her innocent eyes tried to decipher what I was hearing.

"I'm in Kuzo's." He stated.

"Fascinating. You will leave and we will have this conversation tomorrow. That's how plans work." I informed him calmly.

Proximo's keen grey eyes watched me attentively as I dropped him a signal to intrude on my comm. His eyes focused briefly as he silently joined the conversation.

"I'm glad you're feeling so at ease, Scorpion. But I didn't come here to waste my time with banter. You assured me we would work—"

"Yes" I cut in with lethal quiet. "This is me keeping that deal and not surrounding the building to take your head from your shoulders. Leave now. We will talk tomorrow." I finished in heavy implication.

There was a long pause over the line. Only the consistent beat of the music louder on his side. I prepared to raise my hand and give the order to neutralise the buffoon.

But he was smarter than that.

"I'll speak with you tomorrow, Scorpion. Do enjoy your evening." He practically pitted the last part that made me clench my teeth.

With that he left the comm link.

I returned my eyes to the stunning woman before me and placed a hand on her face.

"Before you say it. Before anyone else tries to get in the way of our time." I paused and took a breath before looking more intently into her eyes. "Would you like a dance in the underworld?" I said with a dark look.

Whatever words were caught on her tongue vanished and were replaced by a knowing look. One that recounted dancing in sector 1 with classical music and fake smiles. I offered no such thing here.

She took my hand but led the way out onto the much larger floor of Kuzo's club in sector 49.

It may as well have been the Emperors sky tower for all I cared. The company was better.

* * * * *

Bodies swayed, lost to the heavy beat of the dark room.

Ray lights tore through the air and painted faces in stark flashes. The Underworld was letting off steam from the harsh existence outside. I could already smell the mix of overused cologne, spilt liquor and sweat. These were familiar smells to me but to...

Makayla paused before the threshold of hundreds in a dense crowd between holo dancers and DJs. My guards halted as she surveyed the battlefield before her like a game of chess. Where to move next. I dropped my head lower to her ear. I imagine her training in etiquette and politeness from sector 1 was telling her how to act. How to move past people without causing offence... no such rules applied here.

"Go on, it's not like they all bite." I murmured.

She threw me a smirk before confidently striding off into the wall of bodies. I quickly dropped nods to my four personal guard. They took formation on the outer edges of the dance floor and watched for any threat. Proximo was in my ear.

"Relax, go enjoy yourself for once." He drawled. I hadn't seen him disappear but I know his attentive eyes were watching every inch of the building.

"Eyes on trouble." I responded as I watched Makayla turn her head over her shoulder and beckon me into the throng.

"I'm looking at the only trouble here." He retorted smoothly.

I rolled my eyes and cut our conversation there. In fact I cut my comm to them entirely, they could handle themselves for one night.

I dodged drunken revellers with half a thought, keeping my eyes only on that flash of blonde hair that moved smoothly through the shadows of people. Lights hit in reds, blues and purple. Tattoos would flash and disappear. Eyes would catch light and disappear. No one held an identity in this space. Not even Scorpion.

I lost her for a moment behind a tall group of men. When I ducked under them quickly she was missing. My heart flashed but I remained calmly turning as I scanned dozens of shadows. This was potentially not the smartest idea. I raised a hand to my head about to call it in and have more eyes looking when I felt a hand close around my wrist and pull it lightly back.

I grinned as I felt another hand place itself on my hip. But I remained facing away from her. She then pulled my hood back with her other hand and I felt her body press close against my back.

"Hands where I can see em" She said in her best attempt at a threatening voice.

I laughed, shaking my head. Her lips found my ear again, this time brushing against it with her lower lip. It made me... want certain things. "This isn't a joke, it's life and death."

Still facing the dancers in front of me that kept bumping into us, I lowered both my hands to rest on her hips behind me. She smiled against my ear and wrapped both her arms around my stomach.

I let her hold me like this for some moments until the music picked up and revellers began throwing themselves around in chaos to a new beat that picked up pace. I turned swiftly and wrapped her protectively in my arms as I felt drops of drink shower over dancers.

"What the hell!" Makayla shouted, looking at the ceiling as if contemplating bad weather conditions inside.

I laughed down at her total innocence, shaking my head. "You're in 49, they don't all drink whats in their glasses."

"They throw it?" She asked frowning at me.

I shrugged at her with a grin as I felt fresh droplets of the liquor rain over us. But this time I pulled my cloak off my shoulders and drew the hood over her head. She looked at me in shock briefly before wrapping her hands over the crimson fabric like her favourite garment and inhaling the scent.

I drew in close to her, mere inches from her face. "It has been washed." I said mockingly.

She shook her head, looking at me from under my own trademark of blood red... It was beautiful on her. Suddenly the most renowned item, usually the last thing my enemies saw, was now on the stunning woman of innocence and hope. I must have been gawking because her brow pinched and she drew a hand up to my face.

"I can take it off if you miss it that much, Scorpion." She teased.

I pressed my forehead against hers shaking it. "It suits you far better than the one that has worn it for so long." I told her over the music.

She gave me a grin. "Giving me the title so soon? Not even going to fight for it?"

"I would lose to you every time." I said with an honest smile.

She didn't have a witty retort for that. Only slight shock and something more in those crystalline irises. So she put her other hand on my cheek and drew me into her. The music reached its peak but neither of us cared. We weren't here for it but here to lose ourselves among the shadows for as long as we could. I felt the heat of her against me. Felt the fabric of my own hood graze my forehead as she pressed impossibly closer.

I felt every inch of her warmth and I secured my hands on her waist, keeping us out of the movement of the crowd but lost in the centre. Our kiss was everything. The way we moved with each other, the way hers claimed mine again when I moved to consume her lower lip. I felt her hands drift up to weave through my hair that hung loose.

She smiled into my lips when she heard the low sound I made in response. I needed more and this was just the beginning of our night. There was still so much time... I drew back a breath to look at her. Those blue eyes watched me beneath the stark red hood and she slowly smiled.

"Do you want to dance or–" I began.

Her thoughts were already steps ahead and she grabbed my hand before pushing–actually pushing–her way out of the crowds.

Wow. Makayla Xavier impolite. She must have had darker thoughts than I had all night. I smirked as I watched her red cloaked back find the edge of the crowd and pull be towards the exit.