"People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that's what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life. A soul mate's purpose is to shake you up, tear apart your ego a little bit, show you your obstacles and addictions, break your heart open so new light can get in, make you so desperate and out of control that you have to transform your life."

― Elizabeth Gilbert

– S C O R P I O N –

As the bottle went down and the minutes spun around us in lost pieces of time we talked closely. Side by side in bar stools. We talked for an eternity and possibly no time at all.

She told me of her regrets, her loves, her hates, the people that had touched her life, the thoughts that crossed her mind the first time we met... I had to laugh when she told me my eyes had reminded her of a demon.

She pressed her bare feet into the base of my stool and I lay my own on either side of hers. Her blonde locks tumbled down one side in more of a tangle than the start of the night but it made her just as carelessly beautiful.

Every time she laughed and cast her eyes up at me under her dark lashes from the glass I had to take my own drink. She could undress me with a single look. But I was just as happy being let further into her mind... for once we had time for us and no one else.

"You weren't that bad." She allowed.

"I didn't really do myself any favours ordering you to go like that." I said with a smirk, laying one elbow on the bar.

She grinned and shook her head, letting a hand fall onto my knee. "Go. Before I change my mind." She giggled between another sip.

I plucked the glass from her fingers and raised it out of reach while she pouted deeply.

"Are you drunk, Miss Xavier?" I teased.

"You've seen it all before." She shrugged with a wink.

I lowered it into her hand slowly without letting go. "Yes, you've got quite the mouth on you when you drink." I grinned.

She raised an eyebrow at me with a slow smile. "You know, I never remembered what I said to you that night when you stepped in on my trip to Sector 48."

My jaw went slack and I made to dramatically palm my face. She stole the glass from my hand and started tracing circles on my knee with her other hand making me lose my focus.

"Let me give you a hint." I murmured as I leaned forward, setting both my elbows on my knees and leaving my hands on her thighs. She smirked around her glass. "You told me you could do whatever you wanted, you threw me off you and then you started laughing." A hand went up to her face as she failed to contain another snicker. "Yet the Queen of the Underworld stood there like a fool and took you with her." I mused, with humour.

"You're my fool." She told me, lowering her glass back to the bar.

I watched her and she watched me back. I couldn't read her mind but I didn't need to. But there was something stopping me from totally letting go of all restraint for the night.

"I want to know what's going through that mind of yours." I said quietly.

"Nothing clean." She stated candidly.

I bit down on my tongue trying to control my smile. "I meant the Makayla that has buried herself in smiles and alcohol–"

She interrupted me with a finger against my lips. Then pulled herself off her stool to stand before me closely. She moved her hand to draw my jaw up to meet her eyes.

"You said whatever it took to bring myself back. Well I want all of you." She whispered onto my mouth. It made my entire body erupt into flames. Every injury, every distant thought, concern–melted into oblivion under her darkened gaze.

I swallowed and she draped her arms over my shoulders, pressing her chest against me... fuck.

"That's what you need?" I asked, trying to focus on what this unpredictable, stunning woman–

She grinned at me with far too much mischief in her eyes. "Watching you get so hesitant... I should seduce you more often." She decided as she held my jaw under her hand and my breathing increased.

"So much has happened, I want to make sure this is not–" I began.

Her lips shut me up as she kissed me deeply. Her teeth took my lower lip and tugged making my hands react with a will of their own. I let out a low moan as her tongue glided against mine. My hands ran down her waist and settled below her thighs. Now she smiled as I drew her legs up and around me on the bar stool. Her hands found their way below my t-shirt and she didn't hesitate to rip it over my head before securing my lips once again. Our breathing was ragged in seconds.

I pulled us apart with my tattered remains of self control.

"Makayla–you're sure you feel–"

"Alex. I really need the ruthless you right now." She practically growled onto my lips making my blood race. She tore her own shirt off and my hesitation melted again. Why was it so impossible to do the right thing...

She drew us together again and her lips hungrily devoured mine in the best way possible. This time I picked her up as I walked from the stool and onto the first piece of furniture I could make out between her lips. We fell onto a long, plush couch. Makayla pressed on top of me and went for my zip before I could even take in the next breath.

I smiled into her lips and she bit down on my own. It was a side of her I had not seen with such force before. What she wanted I was more than happy to give her. If she wanted to lose herself tonight I could do that–

Her hand suddenly when beneath the cargo pants and my mind went with it. I sucked in a breath around her lips as she started drawing circles with her fingers against me.

"Fuck." I grit out between her relentless lips. "You're–driving–me–" I dragged in another breath as her fingers dipped into me and pulled out. She grinned into the kiss as I realised the game she played. Like she thought she was the only one that could play it...

I rolled us over and pinned her beneath me with far more darkness in my eyes. She only seemed to welcome it. Expected it. I obliged her.

I claimed both her hands and pinned them above her as she tilted her head to meet my lips. Our kiss consumed and devoured. But it was not enough. I pulled down the zip of her own pants and tore them off her. She wrapped her legs around me and I dragged my body slowly down against her making her groan into my lips.

The rest of our clothes were gone in the next few moments. Our skin becoming slick against each other as she showed me the side of herself that burned and raged. I couldn't get enough and I could tell her thoughts were the same because it was a long, long night.

I felt her nails drag against my back countless times as she moaned for me. Felt her shiver against me in waves of pleasure. Felt my own body call back to hers in response. If I were to die from the intensity, I would die happily.

We both finally came back to reality from our pure high. Dragging in breaths like they were our last. Grinning and laughing with no other reason that sheer ecstasy. Her hair was pure chaos and some strands stuck to her face–I was sure I was no better.

"That. Is what–I needed." She got out between breaths.

I laughed and she lay her head against my chest. I held her close in my arms and watched the steady rise and fall of her breathing return slightly to normal.

"Talking is overrated." I smirked, as my own breathing slowed with hers.

"Nothing is overrated with you." She stated, laying her arm across my stomach. Our legs tangled and our body heat felt like a live charge.

"I was kidding you know–"

"Shhhh." She whispered, "I can hear your heartbeat."

I stilled as she left her head against my chest and tapped out a rhythm against my skin making it tingle.

"It beats only for you. No other reason." I murmured in response.

She stilled as well, before raising her head and resting it on my shoulder. She kissed it before looking up at me.

"You're the most important thing in my life. The only thing that makes sense to me now. I'd lose myself if I lost you, Alex." She told with nothing but the truth spoken in those crystal blue eyes.

I took my hand from her and placed it against her cheek. My thumb ran along it as she closed her eyes and exhaled.

"There is no more me without you, Makayla Xavier. I will follow you to the ends of the earth–space included." I smirked as she smiled so softly at me it cracked my being.

I couldn't have struck this kind of luck... couldn't have found this woman in this corner of the universe and get to keep her. Nothing this good could last could it? No one got this lucky and kept it. I had conflicting thoughts about this as I stared at the open glass ceiling above us. A sea of stars billions of light years from every corner of the blackness winking back at us.

– P R O X I M O –

I slipped into the cool leather interior of a Division 52 armoured fusion craft. They were early. Efficiency was always prioritised in times of high stakes. I made a mental note to reward the drivers.

The rest of our personal guard seated themselves and dropped their nano sleeves. I nodded to them as they watched me with wary but excited eyes.

"What does this mean. He's–well he's out of power. The upper classes will be a mess–" Maccenzie began.

"We could seize control in the confusion." Kartuga interrupted in a grunt with burning black eyes beneath the pain of his injuries.

I leant an arm over the back of the seat I lounged on. My legs sprawled wide and the burning of the fusion round bit into my thigh just that bit less. No other dared take a seat near me in this state.

I appraised them silently as the two assassins debated the reshuffle of power in Sectors 1 to 10. It was a predictable thought process. To jump into aggressive dominance while the enemy was scattered. Little did they consider that it was also the time when the Silver Sun were at their most dangerous.

The inner workings of Merridian was a time bomb now. Not one that Division 52 was about to step into. The power hungry would crawl out of the shadows when the news hit the city that the Emperor had fallen. Members of the outer continents may even step in. This was the perfect time to solidify our own territory and allegiances while the rich ate themselves.

"–you can't run a city with two leaders. If we've learnt anything it is that Scorpion should have full control." Kartuga ranted.

I chuckled, gazing out the window as the towers flew by towards the outer Sectors. His head turned to me and he looked questioningly at the tattooed side of my hooded face.

"You disagree, Proximo?"

"There's nothing wrong with a little ambition, James Kartuga." I uttered in a deep timbre. "While you may only see the benefits of striking the iron hot, there are variables you are ignoring. But I appreciate your thought process none the less."

He shifted his weight onto his good leg on the chair and pulled his hood lower over his black hair.

"I mean only to encourage our rule." He noted cautiously at my amused expression. Usually when I wore smirks like this it was a danger to the receiver.

"We have that in mind in every action we take." I responded simply, turning to face him fully and watching his eyes drop briefly down at my intensity. "Our new base of operations will fortify our networking and coordination abilities and become the new power house for all our territories. In times of uncertainty we are the only strength in the storm. Our numbers will outweigh the Silver Sun tenfold and they will no longer dare to step into our path again without complete and utter desolation to themselves." I finished as if discussing the colour of my cloak and turning back to the window.

I felt all eyes of the personal guard on me now that weren't already in other crafts. I had answered any doubts that shouldn't have even crawled into his mind. But it was for his skill with a weapon we acquired him–not his intelligence. Or lack of.

"I understand." He said in a quieter voice with a nod. He and the rest of the guard suddenly found more interesting things to watch away from my direction and the confines became peaceful once again.

Some time later we dropped into the rooftop landing hatch of our new base of operations. This had been a frequent affair as of recent. I had overseen the entire schedule of weapons supplies, holo-screens, surveillance and personnel to fully prepare for our evacuation to a fortified base. It was only practical after the city became a fire of comm feeds and security in the streets.

Hundreds were already fitting the upper floors with conspicuous security scans and weaponry. Additional to the inventory Dazz had already run by me in the week before. The rest were fifty feet below ground...

As soon as the roof hatch clanked shut and the anti air aimed invisible laser turrets outside, I opened the doors. White floor lighting activated along the edges and I made my way for the lift with our guard trailing behind.

We passed workers as they welded and constructed false stone pillars along the way.

"Wait until Scorpion gets a load of this." Maccenzie muttered alongside Kartuga behind.

"Previous ops didn't have plasma grappling guns like those–that's for sure." He retorted with a snort.

We piled into the lift and it flew downwards. When we emerged, so did the sudden luxury. Genuine hardwood floors, lit by lines of floor to ceiling lights greeted us. It was polished to perfection–as was the clouded glass around the hallway.

Mag levitation frames fitted with some of the salvaged oil paintings from the previous century sat upon the walls and luscious plants kept at a controlled temperature filled the ceiling in vines and greenery.

I shot the nearest architect a look and he dropped his holo screen from his face to come to my side. A shaven head and red neon snake wound its way around his neck in gloss ink.

"Sir, I hope you are pleased with the standards that have been maintained." He said formally.

"Be sure to keep the humidity controlled in all rooms with plant life." I said by way of greeting, to which he instantly started noting down on the screen. "I want all water run through ceiling pipes to take the exit tunnel into the sewer lines and drawn from the mains. This includes smoke and any debris. Heating should be run through floors only and the ventilation tunnels should be no larger than a foot squared." I ended, resuming my walk as he quickly swiped and nodded at the screen.

"Consider it done, Sir." His voice hit my back as I scanned the next hallway filled with workers. I turned to the personal guard behind me and the seven all paused.

"Familiarise yourselves with every square inch of this building." I ordered the hall. "Find your quarters and then roll surveillance shifts over the next 24 hours between you. I want check ins of any unexpected arrivals or otherwise."

"Sir."

"Yes, Proximo."

Voices filled the space in return before I dropped a fist to my chest and spun on my heel to the main elevated office area in the heart of the base. Footsteps dispersed behind me.

I took the oak stairs two at a time before my face and frame was scanned and the clouded doors opened for me. A fire was already lit in the square pit. I wasted no time on taking in the decadence already furnishing the room in a perfect contrast of modernity and history.

"Secure office." I said to the room.

The lights dimmed slightly and the windows tinted a darker shade that stopped all thermal and X-ray scans within. The glass had been shipped in from Xaphra as a moving in gift. Bullet proof up to 50 calibre fusion rifle rounds.

"Location request. ID number 6295." I stated to the wide holo screen as it flashed to life and I took a seat in the thick chair.

"Location unknown." A robotic voice told me far too happily.

"Last bio-scan location. ID 6295." I said more forcefully.

"ID 6295 scanned and confirmed at 21:23 local time. Sector 1, Imperial Tower, level 250." It chirped back at me. I let out a harsh puff of air and pushed back from the desk.

That should not have been the last. It had been over 7 hours since that time on the roof. More than enough time to land at outer coordinates–but I was asking the wrong questions of course.

"Flight history from Imperial Tower. Confirm launch coordinates." I demanded.

"Denied." It informed me in maddening cheer.

I resisted the urge to expend petty anger. I swiped at my wrist and commed quickly.

"What is it now?" Dazz drawled. "Need to know which account to send my credits–"

"Enough." I barked. "I need the launch coordinates from the Imperial Tower tonight."

She sighed over the comm and I heard a series of finger pressing. Gods knew why she still used such archaic tech like keyboards.

"Ohhhh... sheet."

"Dazz?" I demanded again.

"Sorry to tell you the good news first but your leader and her side hoe are no longer planet side."

I almost choked. I was also very close to sending one of ours to choke her to a slow death too.

"What do you mean, no longer planet side." I seethed. "Makayla was on that shuttle–a member of the Imperial family–she could have manually over ridden the coordinates."

"Well she didn't–"

I slammed the desk with a fist and punched the holo screen off the desk. The glass smashed loudly and scattered small ornaments.

"What the fuck has that woman done?" I snarled. "She has to be an infiltrator no one is that stupid–"

"Would you calm down you oversized, petit brained gorilla." She snapped but I picked up a small piece of stone and flung it into the bulletproof glass.

It didn't even scratch it.

"That may not have been the worst plan of action."

"Why is that?" I growled uttering thick sarcasm which she ignored completely.

"Because every member of the Silver Sun is chasing those two to their deaths and it is the one place that is currently untouchable. They are not going to send legions into space when the universal laws of space travel are emergency shuttles only. It would be an even bigger political scandal than his death currently is. Makayla Xavier knows that all too well." She finished in a puff. "Whether you think she's an international spy or not she's not a moron."

"I've met enough of those for a life time to know." She added quietly more to herself.

I evened my breathing and stared at the empty space of the desk.

"When are they planning re-entry. The skies will be watched."

"By Division 52 as well. They can pick any point to land giving you the upper hand to simply throw them into an armoured convoy before any other has time. Stop seeing every plan but your own as a dumpster fire for once–"

"If it was Scorpion's own planning I would not be concerned but this screams Makayla." I sighed, dragging a black gloved hand over my face.

"I think when your testosterone tantrum comes to its conclusion you'll see this is actually a good play." She said simply. "If you could go ahead and wire me my money and speak to me when you have a real issue I'd appreciate–"

"Yes fine. Have a lovely evening, sister." I snapped, terminating the line.