Chapter 9: Bad Girls Club

Maze followed Natalie to the locked closet in the corner of the apartment. Within it was Natalie's bladed collection. While it lacked anything Hell-forged, it was still an impressive spread. Maze's fingers trailed across the sharpened edge of a great sword in the center of the display. Next to her, Natalie pulled on a leather holster designed to hold a large number of small to medium sized blades. She watched Maze and chuckled after a moment.

"It was forged in the old hills of Europe. Attracts too much attention for today I'm afraid."

"So you do use it. I thought I caught the faint smell of blood on it." Maze responded, turning to watch the New Girl secure the last couple of daggers to her holster.

"It's a favorite for night jobs or any of the random historical events. If you're done molesting my tools; we have work to do and a kid to save." Natalie remarked calmly.

Maze motioned for her to lead the way, looking over one last piece before they left. With one last check on her snoring roommate, Natalie guided Maze out the window and down the fire escape.

"So where is your car?" She asked Maze when they reached the street level.

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Lucifer drove his car in silence. The detective was next to him, biting part of her nail. He wished he could think of anything to say to reassure her. The meet-up point was normally a couple hours away, but the need to stay on the back roads to avoid the lieutenant's wrath was greatly increasing their travel time. Lucifer's recommendation to hit a drive-through – so she could eat – had been met with a scowl. The silence was punctuated by her occasional attempt to call Maze.

The phone slammed into his dash. "Fuck!" Roared the detective.

"I understand that you're upset, Detective, but please this car is an antique. And I just had the dash waxed."

"I'm sorry. I just- I don't understand her, Lucifer! After everything we've been through together, I thought that she would at least turn her phone on if something happened to Trixie."

"She does care, if that's what you're asking. Maze is a true demon, but you already decided to be her friend despite that."

A soft crackle of laughter escaped the detective, and Lucifer couldn't help the tiny reactive smile that followed.

"Oh, she's not that bad, Lucifer. Just confused, and I think scared to actually let anyone in."

"You could have a point there. Sometimes fear can make people do strange things, to protect the ones you care about." He commented softly.

Chloe paused as she reached for her phone. She tried to think of something, anything to say. Instead, she watched him, looking for a sign of what he wasn't saying. They had been dancing around them for months. Even her new Ex, the kidnapping bastard, had just been another attempt to distract herself from him.

"Chloe?" He began softly.

"Yes?" She whispered.

"Well, I, that is we-" he paused to clear his throat, and gather his courage to tell her this time. "In all honestly the last time we danced this number it almost ended horribly. Just in case, I wanted to... Well, I wanted to tell you that I-"

The ring of her phone cut through his confession. The detective mumble apologies as she swiped to answer it.

"Maze! Where are you?! What's going on?!"

"Hi to you too. Look, I got Trix, so where are you so I can meet up with you? Apparently, someone thinks I'm unqualified to help with the job!"

In the background of the call, distinct yelling could be heard from Maze's someone.

"What do you mean, you have Trixie? Maze, what is going on?!"

"Look, if the kid wasn't knocked out, I'd put her on to prove it. But yes, I have the kid, now focus! Where am I taking her, Chloe?"

"I- um, we're," She turned the phone away from her ear for a moment, "Lucifer, where are we exactly?"

Lucifer leaned closer the phone, "Hello Maze, good work! We're on the way to you, using that old back road with the silly looking bridge."

"The one you made us stop and take that stupid photo at?"

The detective raised an eyebrow inquisitively. He shifted uncomfortably, but smiled nonetheless. "Yes, thank you for the reminder, that bridge."

"Alright, I'm on my way, you can call off the Hounds of Chloe."

"Maze, I …. Thank you, thank you so much."

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"Don't worry about it, I wasn't gonna let anything happen to my favorite munchkin." Maze commented into her phone before hanging up. Trixie was bundled up in the back of her car. New Girl was pretty sure the kid was drugged with something to keep her quiet, and would be fine once she woke up.

"Good, now, go." Natalie said firmly.

"How are you going to get back if I leave?" Maze asked with a victorious smirk.

A shrug met her, "I'll be fine, I do this all the time. But you, you make way too much noise with your 'let's break all their bones' routine. This will be so much smoother, if you just take the kid and keep that damn cop out of my way."

"Don't let Lucifer here you say that, he'll fire you, contract or not."

After a moment, Natalie made a shooing motion, "Well? Go, off with you."

"Fine." Maze sighed as she entered her car, "You're no fun."

"It's called work and it's not fun."

Maze stuck her tongue out in a final rebellion as she started the car.

"Still coming by for noon daiquiris later?" Natalie called out to the retreating car.

"You know it, bitch! And it better be good rum!" Maze hollered back as she turned out to leave.

With a cold smile, Natalie turned back to the warehouse. Maze just didn't share her idea of fun. Slipping a serrated blade from her holster, she began her stalk back inside. By now, they should have figured out that someone is attacking them. There should be fortifications, heavier arms, and if they found that the room with the child had already been raided – potential fleeing. She would have to make this quick.