DIVISION 52 - BOOK I

CHAPTER XXI

– M A K A Y L A –

A man with far too many tattoos and piercings placed a drink down in front of me.

I looked up at him only half-interested. I was not in the mood for the usual confrontations these Sectors were famous for. But he didn't take the hint and slouched into the booth next to me. He wore some form of hardened armour on one shoulder and a sling of bullets casually wrapped across his chest.

"So, what's your business?" He asked casually as he eyed the red stripe down my arm.

I took another long sip from my drink, careful to avoid the glowing blue one he had offered me just now. Why the hell was it that  no one ever left you be in this place. Everyone seemed to have an agenda...

Finally I tilted my head to look up at him.

"My business is none of yours." I said with a glare.

He chuckled. Then he tossed back the glowing substance in a single gulp.

"No one earns those colours without getting on Scorpion's good side." He said factually as he turned a pair of strange violet eyes on me.

I flinched as they bore into mine. It took me a moment to realise how perfectly shaped his face was underneath all the ink and metal. What exactly was his business?

"I don't work for Scorpion, if that's what you mean." I said firmly as I let my eyes scan about the dimly lit bar. It wouldn't be long before her people came looking. I'm surprised I had been out of her reach for this long.

He grinned devilishly back at me.

"Of course you don't." He dismissed wryly. "And I suppose that fusion pistol you're holding underneath the table is as innocent as you are too." He said eying me more intently. His purple gaze was daring me to make a move.

I sat there in shock. The man clearly missed nothing and had a very thinly veiled lethality about him. He wasn't here to flirt, there was something more about this encounter. I carefully placed the gun back in my holster around my hip.

He dropped me a nod. As if to appreciate my actions and not waste his time.

"I have no intention of fighting you..." I trailed off as I waited for an introduction.

"Hades."

I choked on my drink.

His grin only widened.

"You've heard of me?" He asked curiously as his irises seemed to glow in the shadows. If it wasn't for the vicious swirling tattoos I would probably say that he was beautiful... but such savagery couldn't be beautiful, it was more along the lines of... powerful? Intense? Maybe even glorious.

"No, but that's quite the name..." I scoffed as I averted my gaze back to the crowds. He watched them all too. No doubt seeing though many disguises--many agendas.

"I know who you are, Makayla." He said flatly.

My head snapped to him and I contemplated taking my pistol out the holster again. Those purple eyes remained watching the crowds as he spoke quietly.

"I also know that the Emperor is very... invested in having you returned." He said with a smile as if thinking back to a conversation he had.

"You're here to take me back?" I demanded.

His eyes then flashed to mine.

"Why would I do that? It would be much more profitable to capture you, cut off of a finger or two and simply wait for the credits to roll in." He finished in a bored tone.

I froze in my seat as I realised what he was implying.

But he glanced at my expression and soon started laughing loudly.

"I don't have any interest in the Emperor's money, Makayla." He said through chuckles. "Believe me, we wouldn't be having this conversation if I wanted that." He finished much more serious.

So I sat there, not daring to move as I awaited his words. After another moment he turned his darkly haired head to me again. He can't of been older than 25 and yet he held as much authority and lethality as a certain crime lord...

"The only things you need to know about me are—" he held up his fingers to count them off with black gloves, "—I'm not here to kill you, I do not work for Division 52 and..." He paused for effect and watched me closely, "—I want the Emperor to lose his throne." He finished slowly.

The air left my lungs.

My voice cracked when I finally found it.

"W-why would you tell me of all people?"

He drew his brows together. "Because you of all people know first hand that he does not deserve that title. Does not deserve to control city lives. He doesn't care for more than political stance and appearances." He said with a snort.

I wanted to jump to my father's defence. Wanted to tell him he was wrong... But he wasn't.

"That's what I thought." He smirked.

"Look I'm not the person—"

"You need do nothing but hear me out. I do not intend for any harm to come to him but I do plan to change who sits on that throne because we deserve more. All of us." He said with heavy meaning.

I shifted in my seat, completely at odds with my thoughts. I knew my father wasn't the most benevolent, fair ruler... knew that even perhaps someone else would lead the city better. He was nothing if not cruel at times.

Hades' eyes shifted around the room suddenly then as if someone had just alerted him of a new threat.

"There's no more time." He said a bit faster. "You either come with me now, allow me to show you what the city could be..." he paused darting his eyes between mine, "—or you wait for your master to find you again and dictate your life just like the emperor." He said with a knowing smile.

How the hell did he have so much information about my life? And what was his role in all of it... I had no stories or even rumours about Hades. Alex never mentioned him. Maybe for good reason.

I couldn't continue my analysis longer because he started to rise, drawing his black hood over him as he moved.

In that moment I chose. I had to know more and it seemed like his words made far too much sense to me.

I grabbed his arm before he took the first step. He didn't even look at me as he lead me towards a back exit. He slipped us through the crowds like we were a stream between rocks.

"They're here." Is all he murmured as he opened the door and led us out into the night.

Outside of the fear I had for following a dangerous stranger, I had a giddy kind of excitement... because once she followed the bread crumb trail here, once she discovered that I was long gone, I knew she how she would rage.

It was a childish retaliation I sought, as well as answers tonight.