The foyer of the theatre was filled with low chatter, laughs and fancy people. Everywhere she looked, Maggie could see jewelry, tuxedos and gold. It was safe to say that the net worth of everybody in the room combined was more than the rest of National City would ever earn.

"Let's register." Alex whispered to her. Maggie gave a slight nod, as she linked her arm with Alex's once again, and they walked over to the desk. A woman in a black dress nodded at them politely. "Good evening."

"Hello." Alex smiled. "It's our first time."

"Please fill out this form with your personal information, and I'll get you a bidder card." The woman pushed a sheet of paper towards them on the desk.

Alex started filling out the information. Maggie, over her shoulder, could see that she was filling in the location of a DEO safehouse. Quick thinking; she appreciated it.

She placed a kiss on Alex's cheek. "Babe, I'm going to go see if I can get us a glass of champagne."

She waited for Alex's nod of approval, before turning around. Just before the entrance to the foyer, she stopped. "Sawyer, checking in. We're in the foyer, no visual yet."

"Maggie, there's a lot of static on your microphone feeds. There has to be a jammer installed somewhere to block signals, probably to prevent anyone from blabbing about the location or the event… We can't hear anything."

Shit. "We'll try to locate the jammer, but it'll have to wait. We have to find the alien first."

After that, she walked inside and looked around. She spotted CEO's, celebrities, politicians… It seemed like everyone that had money was in on this. Art made from suffering.

The latest trend of the 1%, Maggie huffed to herself.

A waiter passed by quickly with a tray of champagne, and Maggie smiled politely as she took two glasses.

One last sweep around the room showed that the alien wasn't present, so she went back to Alex. Her girlfriend had just finished filling out the form, and got a white card in return with a big number on it.

270.

Maggie stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of the number. Her badge number. The number had been on the note on Ian's body, along with the other clues.

Was it really just a coincidence? Or… Was something much bigger going on here?

She didn't like it one bit.

Alex didn't seem to notice her distress, as she turned around and smiled. "All set, babe. Let's go!"

Maggie could only nod as she followed Alex into the foyer, handing her the glass.

According to a list on the wall, the Ragh'tah's work wasn't the only work auctioned. There were about four artists that evening. But Alex vaguely recognized the name 'The Other Half', so that had to be theirs. And the preview of that collection was in a ballroom upstairs.

Alex nudged Maggie, and leaned closer to her. "Ballroom on the second floor. That's where we'll find her."

Of course she'd be next to her work, explaining it to potential buyers instead of mingling here.

Maggie nodded. "How are we going to play it?"

"The second we walk into that ballroom, she'll know we're onto her. So let's go to the second floor, hang around there for a bit, see who comes in and out, and catch her on her way downstairs."

For lack of a better plan, Maggie nodded. The stun gun in her clutch wouldn't do much against a spray of acid of toxin, and Alex's alien gun in a holster hidden at her thigh was only to be pulled out in case of an absolute emergency. They were going for stealthy, but Maggie's gut told her that wouldn't work. The 270 was still spooking her.

"Babe, did you take that number?" Maggie asked as they moved towards the stairs, hands linked together. Alex took a sip of her champagne, and frowned. "Woah… that is expensive stuff… And no, she just gave it to me. Why?"

"Nothing. Just curious."

Alex let it slide. On their way up, they encountered a few more faces that they recognized. But thank God there wasn't anybody around that they were actually acquainted with.

On the first floor, they were stopped by an old man holding a glass of whiskey and eyeing them both. "Well, look at you beautiful ladies!"

Alex and Maggie shared look – neither of them recognized the man from somewhere. But he didn't seem to mind. "You look ravishing!"

He reached for Maggie's hand and kissed the back of it a few times. The detective frowned, but chuckled in amusement. "Thank you, sir…?"

"Oh! Robert Baker, darling. And you are...?"

Maggie glanced at Alex to meet her eyes. Robert Baker – a famous arthouse director. Lena had dragged the both of them into her home theatre one night to watch some of his films. She hadn't been a huge fan, but she'd appreciated the art in his work.

"Maggie Danvers, private investigator." Maggie attempted to put on a sultry voice, keeping the mystique of the whole P.I. thing going. The man widened his eyes. "A private detective?! Darling, you have to come with me! There are things I need to talk about!"

Maggie frowned. "Actually, sir…" She considered her options quickly. She didn't have fake business cards, she couldn't write down her phone number for the man to call her later…

Before she could make up another excuse, the man had already pulled her a few steps forward with a surprisingly strong grip for a man his age. "I'm sure your friend wouldn't mind if I borrowed you for a few minutes?"

Maggie threw a look over her shoulder, and mouthed a 'go' to Alex. The agent was less than thrilled, and wouldn't give her up without a fight. "Mister Baker, if you wouldn't mind, we've had a long day and we just want to go check out some of the artwork together."

"Have you seen the paintings?" Robert's eyes lit up. "In the ballroom? Absolutely gorgeous. Raw, human, fragile… so very animalistic."

"No, we haven't." Alex snapped. "We were just about to go up and see them. Maggie, dear, you can call him tomorrow."

"At least let me join you. I have two of miss Hayes' works hanging in my living room at home from an earlier collection. They're sublime."

Robert didn't leave room for an argument as he walked up the stairs. Maggie stayed close to Alex, leaning in to whisper. "We need a distraction."

"If he can confirm she's inside without us walking in…" Alex whispered back, not liking the situation at all.

The man lead the way towards the ballroom, and entered through the door with a wide smile and a loud "Jade, darling!"

Alex pulled Maggie into a nearby deserted hallway. Surely, the area would be off-limits, and if there were guards patrolling, they were busted. But for now, they turned the corner to be out of sight.

Alex tapped her earpiece. "Danvers checking in. Target is in the ballroom on the second floor. No visual confirmation. We cannot engage."

"If he blabs about us, we're screwed, Alex." Maggie bit her lip. "And our paintings are probably hanging up there – he'll recognize us! Fuck!"

"Easy." Alex put both hands on her shoulders. "We'll find a way."

She seemed to think about it for a few seconds. "We need to get in the theatre."

"What?!" Maggie frowned.

"… There are people walking in and out of that ballroom, we'll never have her alone. But right before the auction starts, she'll probably walk down from here to a backstage area to get on the stage, right?" Alex sighed. "If we can grab her then, nobody will see. Two against one, we drag her into the van outside, and done."

Maggie looked down at her watch. "The action starts in twenty minutes."

Alex nodded slowly, before speaking into her earpiece again. "Agent Danvers checking in, expected extraction time twenty-five minutes. Alpha-one, be advised. We are heading your way."

"Al…-ge… Si-…Lo…." Came Winn's voice on the other side, over a loud bout of static. Both of them winced at the loud white noise in their ears.

"No coms." Alex grunted. "Must be that jammer."

Maggie threw Alex an uncomfortable look, as a voice in the back of her head told her that things were about to go very, very wrong.

A few minutes later, the pair looked up at a bell ringing through the building. Probably an indication that the auction was about to start.

Maggie threw a careful look around the corner, and saw that the last people were trickling out of the ballroom. The alien was probably alone now.

She signaled at Alex that the coast was clear, before moving in.

But two steps in, she froze at the sight of a man appearing into the hallway and looking around quickly, before heading into the ballroom.

Maggie hadn't imagined the gun in a holster on his belt.

"Shit…" She cursed, as she moved forward.

"Maggie?!" Came Alex's hushed but confused voice behind her. It was too complicated to explain, but she needed to get in closer – to see what the man was up to.

She stopped next to the door to the ballroom, and listened intensely.

"…Not much time left." It was the male voice.

A weak chuckle, as a female voice replied. "You should have thought of that before you got yourself in this mess."

"She's onto us. She found Jade's body. You shouldn't have killed her."

"We both know she was dead the second she started resisting, Rick."

Maggie's stomach dropped. Rick…

It couldn't be…

"…Yeah, well, there's nothing I can do. She knows you did it, she's probably on her way here to kill you."

"Oh, don't worry, Rick." The alien chuckled, and a shiver ran up Maggie's spine. "… I'm pretty sure Sawyer won't be stupid enough to come after me alone. And if she is, well… that just makes it easier for you."

"I told you, I don't want her hurt. She's just onto us. I can't have her sniffing around in that cold case any longer."

"Well, then, do something, Rick! God, for a police chief you've got zero balls. You've had me doing all of your dirty work, it's time to take it into your own hands. I need to go downstairs. If you happen to see Sawyer or that half-legged girlfriend of hers, send them my regards."

Maggie had to dive behind a nearby pillar, and was just in time to hear the alien walk towards the stairs. From the other side of the hallway, she saw Alex's angry glare and realized that the agent had absolutely no idea what had just happened. And now, the alien was getting away.

But not for long.

Maggie motioned for Alex to come closer, as she positioned herself next to the doorway again. The second she heard footsteps heading into her direction from inside, she raised the stun gun.

The man was defenseless, as he thrashed about, before dropping to the ground.

Maggie didn't hesitate in grabbing him by the collar, and dragging him back into the ballroom.

Alex shut the door behind her, as she drew her own gun and pointed it at him.

Maggie chuckled dryly as she kicked the man over, to finally reveal his face.

God, she hadn't seen it coming. And the betrayal cut deep.

"Rick Cooper." She sneered. "You are under arrest for the murders of Brittany Armstrong, Caroline Woodson, Ella Sands and Florence Bates, sir."

"Sawyer." He grunted. "Should've known you'd be here already. You're always sticking your nose where it doesn't belong."

"In this case – right in your personal business. Where it should have been all this time, apparently." She scoffed. "You have thirty seconds to explain why you were helping that alien murder those women."

The Lieutenant glared up at her. "Look around you, Sawyer."

Maggie looked up, seeing the paintings surrounding her. The four missing women, in different states of distress. Another couple of people that she didn't recognize. But she and Alex were nowhere to be seen.

"This art makes millions, internationally. I get my cut, nobody asks questions. Just you."

But she wasn't about to let herself get played. "Why, Rick?! Why would you hurt those innocent people?!"

"They were not innocent!" Rick yelled back. "A prostitute that gave STD's to every one of her clients! A nurse that killed her patients! A lesbian that cheated on her wife with her boss! I know, Sawyer! Those women didn't deserve happiness, they deserved the pain they were causing others!"

The explanation took her off-guard. Did Rick really think he was some type of angel of death?!

No… She thought, remembering what she'd learned just a few days ago. The alien was probably keeping him sedated with her toxin. Making him do whatever she said. She was using him.

With all the alien drugs he was buying from her Scarlet identity, he was probably addicted to the taste.

"Alex, you need to get out of here, now, so we can catch that alien while she's still here."

"What?!" Came Alex's indignant reply from the door. "You're letting him walk away?!"

Maggie turned around to face her. "No. Alex, this isn't about him. It's about her, and she's getting away. Go. I'll stay here with him."

Alex opened her mouth to argue, but she saw the determination in Maggie's eyes. I'm right behind you.

It was a fucking two-man operation, and Alex refused to leave Maggie there by herself.

But they both knew what the other option was.

Shooting a bullet through Rick Cooper's brain.

Neither of them was willing to take that shot.

Instead, Alex gave a quick nod, and ran off, out of the ballroom with a raised gun.

"You've always been an overachiever." Cooper grunted from his spot on the floor.

"Shut up." Maggie hissed through her teeth.

"You deserve the best. If only you'd kept your nose out of that case. I wouldn't have to have done this."

"Rick, you're talking nonsense. She's fucking using you with that poison of hers."

"You killed that analyst back in Gotham."

Maggie froze upon hearing the words. Cooper smirked. "Yeah. I read the file. You murdered a cop. A friend. That makes you even lower than those other women."

"I did what I had to do to hold my cover, Rick." She shot back. "You would have done the same."

"I guess we'll never know."

Maggie saw red as she touched her earpiece. "Sawyer. We have a hostile down, it's Rick Cooper. Danvers went downstairs in pursuit of the target."

She hoped that someone would at least be able to understand what she was saying. "Repeat – we have one host-…"

She cut herself off when she saw Rick reaching for his gun.

Her eyes widening, she drew her own gun, but realized quickly that it was a lost cause. A stun gun wouldn't win against actual bullets.

Before she knew it, she was flung backwards by the force of something ripping through her torso. Her back hit the wall behind her, as she slid down.

As she started to feel the blood pouring out of her, she saw Rick getting up from the ground.

"Who knew that you turned out to be the murderer after all? That I happened to be here at the right time to hear you gush all about how you killed the Hayes family?! I had to put a bullet in you, for the safety of the public!"

He crouched down in front of her, glaring at her.

"Should have listened, Sawyer. Should have retired."

After that, the only sound was his footsteps leaving the room.

Then, complete silence.