DIVISION 52 - BOOK II

CHAPTER XXV

"The secret of flight is this -- you have to do it immediately, before your body realizes it is defying the laws." 

― Michael Cunningham

M A K A Y L A

I was so tired of people putting Alex in danger.

I was tired of the manipulation. The lies and the power plays. In the moment I held that gun trained on Dazz I saw so much of what she had been trying to tell me. Power did not just happen–our safety didn't–you had to take it. Playing the royal in places like this got you no where but on the wrong end of a gun.

So I pulled the trigger.

The fusion round hummed as it flashed, searing into its mark in the middle of her chest. It was not the reaction I expected from her–

It was almost trained. She turned a growl into more of a frustrated groan as she dropped to a knee. But the more shocking part of it all was the trademark flash of black from a Vanguard piece of armour–armour only the Division had access to.

"We don't have time for this." Alex snapped behind me drawing up her comm, "–Proximo we're compromised, mid floor, chutes are still an option."

I tore my eyes off Proximo's growling sister and reached for Alex's cloaked arm. But she withdrew quickly with a hard and almost... nervous look. She drew her comm back to her lips and moved past me for Dazz of all people.

To my disbelief they clasped arms and she pulled her to her feet.

What the hell happened...

"Confirmed we–can make the jump." Dazz suddenly grunted into a comm I didn't notice. She flashed me another cool look that verged more towards amusement than irritation.

"Acknowledged–area hot in 5 minutes." Alex nodded back to Dazz as if they worked together and didn't despise each other on a soul crushing level.

"What do you say, Xavier?" Dazz quipped, drawing my frown deeper, "–want to take another shot or come with me this time?"

My strides became quick fuelled by anger and disbelief. I couldn't meet Alex's eyes who had been even more bizarre since she had been dragged in here. I dropped the gun as I paced to throw a hand in her face.

"Maybe you can explain something to me. Because I seem to be missing the part where you two became best friends and not a lying piece of shit!" I snarled.

"Two minutes!" Alex called behind me–like she reported to her.

Dazz's expression remained cool. Her hands dipped into the pockets of those cargos she always wore–those tattoos along her collarbone–my eyes froze for a moment. Something like slow and painful realisation creeping in. Her expression merely waited like she expected it. I moved my hand up carefully while she watched me. Slipping my fingers to the place behind her neck.

Dazz's face fell away and I shut my eyes with a sigh.

"Tell me who the hell I just kissed, Scorpion." I said low.

Her real eyes watched me back, the burning gold ones.

"I thought you would have realised... But then again you have explored more lips than mine before."

I didn't have time to slap her. 

She drew both guns off her hips and levelled them over my shoulders as the lift opened behind us. It sang around me in a bright hum. I didn't break her stare. Four guards dropped dead before her guard moved. Her eyes dropped to my lips a moment before she holstered the pistols and turned away from me in all her swagger.