Maya couldn’t recall the last time she’s had such a pleasant sleep. Most nights these days were usually met with horrible nightmares where the psychopath was kept from those she loved, invisible chains always holding her down against the ground. It didn’t matter how much she struggled or how ragged her wrists would become. She’d run them to the bone if need be, and yet even if she did, Maya was never able to keep those close to her heart.

They always seemed to get away from her, leaving her in the dust as they went on towards better futures. Lives without her, where her bloodied hands could not reach them. It was torture, the idea of being forgotten by those she held dear. So much so that Maya often dreaded sleep.

This time though, things were different. She and Lyza had shared a passionate night, something the both of them needed after an admittable troublesome day. And while there were no beta casualties this time around the two had enjoyed the sensation of their flesh well enough.

No matter the number of times Maya got to enjoy it she never could quite believe how soft Lyza’s touch was. The older woman was experienced. Only a few years younger than Maya but still more than a master with her hands. Why she almost believed Lyza had other lovers before her. But, at least according to the designer, that wasn’t the case.

Perhaps a fling here or there, but nothing meaningful. No one quite like Maya.

It made Maya feel special. Cared for and secured despite her fears. As though no matter how bad things turned out, no matter how deranged she might become, Maya would always have her.

It was a shame to think she had almost made the same mistake she did with Six. They had met a few times in the beginning, simple get-togethers, and nothing more before finally a spark of romance was ignited between the two. Maya wasn’t sure of how she could explain it, or when it actually occurred. Odds are Lyza didn’t know either. At some point, the two of them just hit it off really well.

Like…really well.

Meager meetings turned into late dates, which then would eventually evolve into something more immaculate. Maya wouldn’t easily forget the first night the two of them made love. While the ‘love marks’ they made back then had healed up nicely, needing a trained eye now to see the scars, she couldn’t forget the sensation of the designer’s tongue exploring every inch of her mouth.

They were most definitely intoxicated at that time, but what they had done had occurred with as clear a mind as either one of them could muster. And though it was just the first of many, each time felt absolutely magical. As though a slice of heaven had come to embrace them in those dear moments.

Maya never wanted them to end. Though at one point she had come dangerously close to ending them herself. Just life Six, a simple knife to the throat and that would have been another relationship gone. With someone she actually found herself caring a great deal about. The last time Maya had actually felt such affection for another being was Six, and most anyone who knew him was well aware of how that story ended.

Maya was glad then that unlike with Six, she had resisted the temptation to kill Lyza. Had she done so then she never would have gotten to see the cute face of the designer as she slept. Not many people knew this, but they often slept with such an angered yet soft expression. As though someone had told them something so incredibly stupid they just couldn’t decide on whether they should reprimand them or laugh.

Lyza oh so hated getting up when she knew it could be avoided. The poor thing never got as many hours of sleep as she should. It showed in the bags under their eyes. Lyza worked so hard, and Maya knew no way to offer her any sort of leverage. At least no way that didn’t involve gutting someone and leaving them to bleed out.

So, on this day when Maya knew she could get more sleep than usual, she chose not to wake up her partner. Instead, they’d let her remain as is. Barely clothed and with more than a few bite marks on their visible body. The rest was buried beneath a stained blanket. Lyza would have her peace today. She needed it.

Maya pushed aside a bit of hair that covered the designer’s eyes. She was lovely when she slept. After all, she’s been through because of her family she deserved a little bit more rest.

She’d give Lyza the whole world if she could if it only meant they could rest even longer, away from the troubles of the globe.

But the best Maya could do now was whip the both of them up some breakfast.

Maya sat upright; a mistake she immediately regretted as the moment she did her back popped something fierce. She stretched to alleviate the sudden sensation, only to be met with stinging pain as she reopened some newly made wounds. Several deep scratches on her back along with some rather gnarly bite marks on her neck.

Indeed, it was a truly intimate night. Both of them had been exhausted by the time everything was said and done. Maya decided against taking a shower as that would only cause her wounds to sting more. Besides, Lyza’s said that she’s enjoyed the thought of showering together after such a night. It’d be a shame to ruin such a desire.

“Maybe some poached eggs? Or French toast?” Maya wondered. She had her mind set on something sweet upon thinking into it further. It felt fitting in some ways. Lyza enjoyed her sweets and Maya enjoyed making her happy. A shame though that they had no living betas left. After a night of lovemaking feeling, one of them squirming from within her would have been a euphoric sensation.

Maya ultimately decided on something simple. Nothing too fancy or messy. ‘Pancakes will be fine.” She reached for her phone on the bedside table, hoping that it wasn’t too late into the day for breakfast. She wasn’t exactly certain of the time the two had finally fallen asleep, only that both were too tired to care for it at the moment. Now though it’d be embarrassing to have slept most of the day away when there was still plenty they could do.

Maya’s attention was immediately directed towards the several missed calls on her phone, along with a couple of dozen of voicemails. As well as accompanying texts, all of which had come from Roxanne.

That was odd for a variety of reasons. Roxanne was terrified of Maya, and they were both aware of it. Maya was often the threat Lyza would use to keep the beta scientist in line. All she needed to do was give the word and Maya would happily rip out their heart. But, of course, they had their uses. And unfortunately for Maya, Roxanne and Lyza were on rather good terms. Well enough that the designer was allowed to visit and even see Six.

Maya held clear envy over that but never enough to act out against her lover. She’d have her chance of claiming her dear Six once again, of this she was certain. What she wasn’t certain of though was why Roxanne was trying to contact her. For a whole year, she had avoided the psychopath.

She thought about giving them a call but ultimately decided to just read their texts. Maya wasn’t privy to what they wanted but she had the suspicion that if she heard Roxanne’s voice she’d only grow irritated.

What she saw though was interesting; reflective of an offer. One she couldn’t possibly think about tossing aside. She rushed breakfast, making only enough for Lyza before getting dressed after making sure she still had time.

9’o clock; more than enough. Plenty to head out and come back before Lyza expected anything was amiss. She’d make it up to her later but for now, a quick kiss on the cheek would suffice.

It was enough to earn a small smile from the still-sleeping beauty. Maya hoped they’d keep it in the days to come. Lyza would no doubt feel some sense of betrayal in regards to what Maya had planned but this was just too important a matter to overlook.

She didn’t care about what she wore, only that she needed to appear decent enough to not throw Roxanne off. She didn’t want to seem desperate though with her current rate of movement she couldn’t be seen as anything but.

But could she be blamed?

After all, if what Roxanne was offering was true then desperation was only the tip of the proverbial iceberg for Maya. There were so many emotions swelling up inside her that she couldn’t even identify them all.

Chief among them though was hope.

Hope that at long last her year-long wait would finally come to an end.

Roxanne had her reservations, being up so early in the morning. Already she got barely any hours of sleep as is, though the faults were usually her own. Up each night, late at work tinkering away at her latest gadgets and gizmos. Making wonders in a high-end apartment, all you’re your greatest creation was off procuring valuable information.

Roxanne wondered just what Six had found, if at all anything. He was in hell’s mouth in a manner of speaking. The very last place a beta like him should be. She had to admire his bravery, even if it seemed unlikely that he would come up with anything useful. She only went along with this scheme to get the beta out of her hair, for a short while anyway. She cared for him, true, but it was more pride in a project than an actual close relationship with another human. She was good at playing the role of a caring friend, but now she needed to indulge in some old habits of hers. 

Anything Six found out was already likely known to Roxanne. Not that she had approximate knowledge of who’s hands were at work here in Los Demonios, but rather they were more educated guesses.

Still, her assumptions in the past were more often than not right.

She was good at that. Hiding certain things known to be true and only revealing them when the time was ripe. If need be she’d tell Lyza some of what she believed was happening. The true extent of Lynette’s reach as well as why and how Roxanne became shrunken down. She prayed that the designer would at the very least understand the worth of such knowledge, otherwise it’d be her life on the line once more.

But that’s just how things were these days, and as Roxanne leaned into her seat and enjoyed her cup of coffee she couldn’t help but reminisce over the days when she didn’t have to stall to preserve her life, even if only a few months more. Right now, the greatest threat to her safety was on her way to meet her at some random barely memorable coffee shop.

Not the first place Roxanne wished to speak to her would-be murderer, but she was both tired and hungry. A small pastry and drink were enough to remedy both of those issues. She only hoped that Maya was in a much better mood than herself.

At least she went through the effort of dressing herself up nicely. A warm sweater and skirt with leggings. Winter boots that kept her feet toasty at this time of the year. Nothing too grand, she wanted to make Maya feel comfortable.

At least for a short while anyway. Roxanne had much to say and she only hoped Maya wouldn’t retaliate with violence.

Nervous didn’t even begin to describe how Roxanne felt. She was terrified not just of Maya but of Lyza as well. Maya was an attack dog and nothing more. Dangerous but only when given instructions to be so. Predictable in some ways, though it was best not to undermine her ‘handiwork’. A prolific killer like her had a likely large repertoire of skills.

Lyza though? While not as immediately dangerous as Maya, she was the one who held the leash. She only needed to say attack for Maya to do so. Keeping secrets from the designer was already a risk Roxanne had taken, but now to have their lover work behind their back? It was a death sentence if the eldest Vermont sister found out about her treachery. But then, any slight spite against that family always had its fair share of repercussions.

Roxanne knew the Vermonts very well and by extension the former matriarch of the family; Leilani Vermont. A cruel businesswoman who, unfortunately, was fairly close to Josephine Minerva. The two went back quite a few years though rarely made their connections public. It was hidden even from their own family. Probably the only one who knew now was Lynette, and that’s only because she inherited her mother’s seat.

Roxanne on the other hand came to know such knowledge without any of her superiors finding out. At the time they had other matters to concern themselves with. They didn’t need to worry over what a ‘simple’ scientist like herself knew.

“Bastards…all of them”

Only when both Minerva and Leilani were dead did she, along with her peers, become seen as a possible threat. All were executed through means that made their deaths appear as suicides. Any connections they had were silenced, along with possible friends and family. The only one who was actually shrunken down was Roxanne.

It was VERY possible her family was dead too, however. An unfortunate but expected outcome that didn’t bother Roxanne as much as it probably should. Even when a lesser beta she had assumed they were gone. Any sort of sorrow she had for them was likely cried out of her the first few months of her new hell.

Now though, she had a chance to get even. Not revenge, she didn’t desire that. Revenge would be too quick, too simple. She wanted to put everyone who wronged her through the same torment she experienced. Only, unlike her, they wouldn’t have some miracles fall onto their laps.

But to even get there she had to survive today, and with the sudden ring of the bell on the shop’s door, she knew her next battle was afoot.

She wore as convincing a smile as she could when turning to face Maya. It quickly wavered when she saw the state the psychopath was in, however. They were, for lack of a better word, an absolute mess.

Maya appeared to simply have tossed on the first things she saw as clothing. A shirt too big, jeans too tight and torn, and a serious case of bedhead. The cherry on top perhaps had to be the oversized jacket that was only needed for the most extreme of cold. While the day started off with a decent chill, that jacket was more useful for a blizzard.

It was more than enough to earn quite a few stares from the shop’s patrons. About a dozen in total, each a witness in case the talk didn’t go as planned. At the very least, Roxanne was sure to pick an area populated while still seating a decent distance away from any prying eyes. There was even a fair amount of regular-sized individuals to hold Maya back should she ‘snap’.

The look in Maya’s eyes, manic and yet determined, was enough to put off any of the onlookers. There was an unsettling aura around her, fit to intimidate even the wildest of animals. Perhaps, at this moment, Maya was wilder than any known animal. A danger not just to Roxanne but to each patron present. If things went south then it’s likely to result in one hell of a bloodbath before finally she was put down.

Still, despite the threat posed to her, Roxanne held her smile and offered Maya a seat. She was slow in taking up the scientist’s offer, calculating and watching for any ulterior motive. Based off the text she read she knew what their intentions were but didn’t know just how much they’d affect her.

There was still one question on Maya’s mind that did away with any sense of caution she might have had.

“Where’s Six?” her tone was low, barely a whisper, but still more than enough to carry grievous amounts of weight.

Right down to that matter at hand. Roxanne chuckle. Despite her thoughts on Maya and the overall danger she posed, she had to respect the fact that despite their mental state they knew to stay on a goal placed in front of them.

Roxanne let the question hang for a few moments, testing to see if Maya would force the answer out of her. As she enjoyed her drink she kept an eye on the serial killer, watching for any minor movements. Their fingers curled into a fist, perhaps wanting to beat out the information from her, but nothing more besides that. Good. Maya knew how to keep herself composed, at least to some extent.

Finally, it seemed there was no reason to keep them waiting. “He’s stuck at Lynette’s house.”

The intense gaze of Maya’s faltered for a few seconds before returning. There was anger in her eyes; rage as clear as day. But there was also…concern.  For his well-being no doubt, though considering their history with one another Roxanne found that rather surprising. Useful even.

Perhaps things will go smoother than she had hoped.

Maya tried to speak but quickly found herself silenced by the scientist. Despite the situation, she was in the ash-haired woman carried a sense of authority she hadn’t possessed for quite a few years. In the time she’s been allowed to keep her full size, Roxanne had gone through efforts to reinvent herself. To better fit the harsher conditions of these day’s standards of living. She needed to appear strong even in the face of adversity.

“Before you ask, it was his plan to go there.” Roxanne explained. “In the year we’ve worked under Lynette we’ve been unable to find anything that could help us against her. Six assumed that perhaps she was more likely to give us useful information from a more comfortable position. Honestly, the thinking was sound. Thinking it would be safe to invade her own home though? Not so much, no, but we were out of options.”

“So you and Lyza just let him go? Despite the fact that he’s not invulnerable anymore?” Maya asked. The very idea that her Six was at Lynette’s house was almost enough to make her act out in retrieving him.  

“It took some convincing, on both our parts. I wasn’t the most keen on it but was far more accepting of the idea than Lyza.” Roxanne continued. “Judging by what he’s been through before, what he survived mentally, he seemed most fitting for the job. In the end, he was a better pick than Lyza. She offered up herself to take Six’s place. She would have much rather preferred becoming a beta than letting him go in such a dangerous environment.”

Maya needed a second to process that, blinking in surprise. “Lyza actually offered to take Six’s place? Why? I know she has a thing for him now but to take that sort of risk? It doesn’t make sense.”

“Doesn’t it though?” Roxanne stirred her coffee, now finding it a bit too light for her tastes. She gestured for one of the waiters to fetch her a small cup of cream. “Six’s been through a lot I imagine, likely in no small part due to your efforts. Take into account what you’ve done to him, what Minerva did to him, and even what Lyza had done to him, and that all worked to steel himself for most any sort of situation.”

Maya wanted to retort but held her tongue when she noticed the waiter Roxanne had gestured to approach. Even then, she wasn’t sure of what she would say. As much as Maya hated to admit it, Roxanne was right. Her Six had really been through a lot, and she was no more an instigator of the torment he’s endured than anyone else. Perhaps the greatest one in fact.

When the barista did leave Maya steeled herself. Though she knew she was at fault, that didn’t change why she was here.

“Even if I did hurt him, break him, abuse him, it doesn’t change anything. He’s mine. I’m far from the only one at fault here.” Maya thought. If anything, the fact that Lyza was once a tormentor of Six as well only aided in guiding Maya’s original intentions. She wanted her first love back.

“Are you just going to list off what he’s been through? Our are you going to tell me what exactly you want?”

“I’m getting to that.” Roxanne assured with an unsteady chuckle. Her nervousness was beginning to break through the longer this went on. “He’s only been there for a day now, and while that’s hardly any time for him to find anything useful I think, he doesn’t really have a viable way home. That’s why I wanted to talk to you.”

Maya snickered. “What, am I going to be his fucking uber?”

“Something like that.” Roxanne replied with a grin. “Seeing as you’re here, and in record time, I take it you’re interested in my offer? I am fully willing to let you see Six, even retrieve him, so long as he comes back to me at the end of the day of his ‘rescue’. Let’s say…a week or two from now?”

“That’s how long you want to give him? Are you sure? Not sooner?”

“Too soon and he might not come back with anything useful. Too late though and he might not come back at all. What I’m asking is for you to go to Lynette’s house, find Six, and bring him home. Preferably with him still intact. That would mean having to hold back on any of your…’urges’.”

Maya bit her tongue. She was hoping for a bit of one-on-one time with Six. But, understandably, that’d only get in the way of Roxanne’s plans. At the very least she could make sure that he was safe and sound.

And if she had made a detour, say to a hotel, and forced the beta to keep his lips shut about it then who’s to say she really did anything other than instructed?

Roxanne could tell that Maya was thinking. That was good. It meant she was likely considering the offer. Even more, Maya was most likely thinking of how best to bend it to her own desire. Just as Roxanne had hoped.

“So…say I do decide to help you. What’s stopping me from getting Six first and THEN telling Lyza? I’m not sure she’d appreciate you going behind her back. Might even decide you’re not worth the trouble of keeping around. How do you think that’d end for you?”

Maya was smiling, waiting to see what sort of expression Roxanne might have at this apparent wall in her plan. Instead, she was met only with a piercing red glare that would have torn through her body if it could There was no nervousness from the scientist this time. What Maya had said reminded her of how she was backstabbed by previous benefactors. Just like now, back then she had discussed more than she should have. Her own words were used against her, and she found herself tossed to the curb.

Though it wasn’t Maya’s intention to do so, the possible chance of betrayal was enough to spark a rare emotion from Roxanne. Rage.

Maya was even thrown back a bit by this before quickly regaining her composure. She hadn’t seen Roxanne in over a year. She fully expected them to act cowardly after nearly killing her last time. Rather, they seemed ready to throw the table they sat at to the side and strangle her. Maya knew she could take her in a fight, but Roxanne’s anger was enough to make her hesitate.

Just as sudden as it had come, Roxanne’s anger evaporated. She cleared her throat as she realized she had lost her composure.

“My apologies…you reminded me of someone I greatly dislike…” Roxanne calmed her nerves, certain that she had startled even Maya. “To answer your question, nothing’s stopping you. Nothing save for my trust…and Six’s.”

Roxanne smiled faintly as Maya’s previous confidence diminished. “See, your ‘one and only’ trusts me a great deal. Enough that I was the first person he came to for this plan of his. And while I can imagine there are plenty of things you’d wanna do to him, would breaking his trust be something among them? Again, after what you did before?”

Maya’s eyes went wide in astonishment.

“Oh, I know what you did to Six. I am, after all, one of the people who made him what he is now.” Roxanne explained. “It’s as I’ve said before, Minerva had very deep connections in global events. Nothing went unnoticed by her. And at one point I was a part of that intricate system of shadowy powers. I know EVERYTHING about his past. His family, his friends, his name. All lack thereof…because of you.”

Now it was Maya’s turn to feel rage. She grits her teeth so hard it was a wonder they didn’t crack.

“Don’t you dare blame me for all of that.” She didn’t dare shout, otherwise, she’d draw unwanted attention to herself. “You don’t know what he went through.”

“But I do,” Roxanne assured. “It took some time to remember everything, but I assure you I eventually did. Your dearly beloved Six has had a horrible life, even before he met you.”

“Shut up”

“His parents treated him as though he didn’t exist, as was the case of those that could be considered his ‘friends’. Really, they were more acquaintances than anything. Never paid him any time of day, only talking with him because they felt sorry for him. He never felt like he belonged; as though he were some mistake.”

Maya’s breathing was quickening. Her vision was fracturing. The longer Roxanne talked the worse it would become. She wasn’t even sure if the scientist was aware of this, but even if she were that didn’t seem to stop her.

“That was, of course, until he met you, Maya. The first person that made him feel like he fit in.” Roxanne said with a widening smile. “College years, early 2029. You two met in…June was it?”

“How do you know that?” Maya still had some sanity to fight back against her growing mania. She couldn’t break here, not out of a need to stay hidden amongst so many people but now for pride. Roxanne was egging her one. Trying to rile her up, see just how far she could go. Maya’s never had to hold herself back quite like this.

“I told you, I was once part of a network that spans over the entire globe.” Roxanne reminded. “Maybe I wasn’t at the top, but I was in a position that allowed for an almost constant influx of information. From the greatest scientific feat of the time kept hidden from the public to the most minor love story between a serial killer and a college student. You had to imagine what you were doing when you tried to kill him?”

Maya didn’t want to admit it. Hell, she didn’t even want to relive the memory. In the years since she killed Six the first time Maya often wondered just why was it that she hurt those, she cared most about.

“I broke his trust…” Maya acknowledged. “I killed him and left him for dead.”

For a time, Maya was faced with an odd sense of lucidity. As though her fractures, her coming snap, had retreated.

Roxanne’s smile softened, becoming little more than a sad smirk that worked to pity Maya. She saw the change in their expression when they accepted their sin. “You did…didn’t you? Winter, December 31st, 11:45 PM. You were both 22 at the time, dating for a full year just like you and Lyza. On new year’s eve you tore into his throat with a nice as the two of you waited for a fireworks display to begin. You kissed him though, before saying you were sorry. You made it quick.”

Maya fell silent, each word spoken is an all too powerful reminder of what happened. It was all word for word exactly what had happened. The two had planned the day for weeks. A day-long date that started from the first light of dawn and was meant to end at the stroke of midnight. She had never been quite as happy as that day, and neither was he. 

“I tried to…” Maya explained, now feeling the full weight of guilt upon her shoulders. “I really did…one quick stab into the side of his neck, the type that would bleed out without any sort of pain. I didn’t want him to suffer. I didn’t mean for him to hurt.”

“But you did”

Simple words, spoken in the back of Maya’s mind. Roxanne didn’t even need to do anything after that. The moment she saw the tears streaming from the psychopath’s eyes she knew she had won. What she hadn’t expected though was for Maya to practically throw herself on the table and take Roxanne’s hands into her own.

“What do I need to do!?” There was nothing discreet in her movements now. More than a few concerned customers turned to face the pair with some even deciding to leave the shop. But Maya didn’t care.

She had convinced herself that she was a monster. The type fit to do whatever she wanted to her property. What a fool Maya now believed herself to be. In the Six years since she had actually killed her beloved first love, all she’s been doing is repeating past mistakes. She was his tormentor, his abuser, his monster.

This meeting, though unorthodox and degrading, had deconstructed her. Reminded her of her errors.

She wouldn’t make them again. Not if she wanted her one and only back.

“How do I fix this!?”

Unsettled at first, Roxanne’s demeanor eventually softened. This was much better than she had hoped. She took a risk in trying to break Maya. Make her come around to her way of thinking and try to reclaim Six if only to keep him for herself. It would be a better situation than being trapped at Lynette’s. But this? It was a far more favorable result than Roxanne had previously hoped for.

She saw desperation; along with a desire to fix what had been broken. That could be used to better ease everyone’s situation, including the protobeta’s. Roxanne met Maya’s determined gaze with a kind smile, for once feeling as though the two were at an agreement of sorts. Before she could answer, Roxanne pointed toward the numerous patrons looking at them.

Some seemed ready to reach for their phones. Whether that was to record the two or to call the cops was yet to be known. Maya calmed down, even appearing embarrassed over something that seemed so trivial in comparison to everything else in her life currently. She saw their faces; she’d come for each one of them at some point. For now, all she wanted was to know how she could mend what’s been broken.

“You good?” Roxanne asked, still wearing her kind smile. It was genuine, just as it was with Six and the progress he’d made in his recovery.

Maya said nothing and only nodded. She didn’t know what to say anymore.

Still, she held onto Roxanne’s hands, hopeful of what they had to offer her.

“You’ll have Six back, I promise.” Roxanne assured her with a whisper. “And when we’ve learned what we can from him we’ll put Lyza on a throne.”

Maya looked at her in confusion. “A throne?”

“I told you, Maya. Despite everything, I’m on your and Lyza’s side.” Roxanne reminded. “I was once part of a network that spans countries. The whole world. When Minerva died that left a power vacuum. Luckily for us, I know just the person to fill in her absence.”

Maya’s eyes lit up upon the realization. It all clicked for her. The reason why Roxanne needed to meet with her; the reason that she needed to learn of any vulnerabilities Lynette might have. The reason why, even after working under their main rival for over a year now, she’d choose Lyza over her sister.

“You’re going to replace Saint Minerva…” Maya asked once she was certain everyone else’s attentions were away from the two of them.

Roxanne nodded. “And who better to help me than the woman who killed her.”