Hey, everyone. I know it's been a while since you've heard from me, so I'm gonna get right to it. I've recently changed jobs, and life has been stressful lately. I've also been struggling with a lack of confidence in my writing, but I've managed to push through it and crank out this chapter for you guys.

I hope you all enjoy, and hopefully I won't keep you waiting so long for the next one. Peace out. :)

Alexia didn't know what to say. She hadn't seen or heard from Noël since her first night in Los Santos, when Noël, the little hellspawn that she was, had attempted to ram her off the road in an effort to win that first street race. She still remembered that night well: the smell of gasoline in the sizzling air, the crunching of metal against metal, the feeling of Noël's fingers grasping her throat – this last one got under Alexia's skin the most. She'd pulled the girl out of a smoking car, and all she'd gotten in return had been an attempted strangling.

Alexia stared Noël down, and Noël returned the gesture, her little hands clenched tight by her sides. In between the two girls was Lester, who looked between them like a confused puppy, trying to gauge the situation.

"Wait, you two...have had dealings before?"

"Not really," said Alexia, not breaking eye contact. "We were in a street race together one time."

"Yeah, and she cheated me out of victory!" Noël shouted, pointing at Alexia. "I had that fucking race in the bag, you goth piece of shit!"

"Calm down," Alexia snarled.

"Bullshit, I'll calm down!" Noël's head whipped over to look at Lester. "Hey, why'd you invite this loser? Everyone in the crew hates her for what she did!"

"I saved your life!" Alexia yelled.

"Yeah, after ramming me into a fucking wall, you mean!"

"Well, you started it!"

"Fuck you!"

"No, fuck you-!"

"ENOUGH! Enough!" Lester stepped between the two girls and shoved them apart. Alexia stumbled back, her face flushed red and her chest tight with rage. She took a deep, shuddering breath, trying desperately to calm herself down before she did something she'd regret to a little girl.

Lester sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Oh boy, this is a real headache…"

"I'll say!" Noël piped up. "I'm not doing this job with her!"

"And I'm not doing it with her!" Alexia answered. "You don't know what she's like, Lester! This little brat tried to kill me!"

"Actually, I do know what Noël is like," said Lester. "Because I've been watching her as closely as I've been watching you."

"And yet you had no idea about the race we were both in?"

Lester's eyes narrowed. "Well, I can't claim omnipresence, now can I?" he retorted. "My domain is the cyber world - not this milieu of blood, guts, and nitrous oxide that you Skulls so vociferously occupy!"

"What? Speak fucking English, man, I'm eight years old!" Noël whined.

"Look, the point is that I didn't make this choice on a whim," Lester explained. "I invited you two here because of your specific skillsets: Noël, you know cars, and Alexia, you're proficient with guns. You're gonna need both of those skills for this job I have planned."

"What I'm gonna need is her gone!" Noël charged. "If she stays, I walk! Plain and simple!"

"So you're gonna go, then?" said Lester, shaking his head. "Well, I must say, I'm disappointed. I thought you were a tough girl, Noël."

"Say that again?" Noël's tiny hands balled into fists.

"You heard me. You're really gonna let some hurt feelings over a street race get in the way of a six-figure paycheck?"

"Six f-!"

Noël's mouth fell open, as did Alexia's. Lester, looking like he'd expected this reaction, smiled victoriously at the girls.

"That's right," he proclaimed. "The bank we're hitting might be small, but it's holding some illicit funds in a safe deposit box. We get that box, we can make some serious coin." He sighed. "But if you really can't work with Alexia, I can call someone else-"

"W-wait, hold on, hold on!"

Noël sighed deeply, her arms dropping to her sides. Begrudgingly, her eyes rose to meet Alexia's.

There was tension in the air for a moment as the girls sized each other up. This was the first time Alexia had seen the girl during the daytime. The long blonde pigtails, the freckles on her cheeks, the little bib dress she wore, all of it was so unlike a criminal. However, one look at Noël's cold, dark eyes obliterated the notion that she was unfit to be a Skull.

This girl's a fucking psychopath, Alexia realized, her stomach tightening. I mean, it's good money, but do I really wanna work with her?

Alexia didn't have time to consider this as Noël trudged over to her. The little girl's hand shot out as if by a spring-locked mechanism, and she held Alexia's gaze begrudgingly, like someone was forcing her eyes to look at her former rival.

"I, um…I-I guess we have a truce, then?"

Alexia looked down at Noël's hand briefly, her arms crossed defensively over her chest. She had to admit, it felt good to see the bratty little girl having to grovel at her feet for the sake of money. She held her gaze for a while longer, and Noël began to sweat, her face turning red.

"Look, I know I've been a jerk to you, okay? And I guess I shouldn't have choked you out after the race, y'know, after you saved my life." The little girl swallowed. "I'll admit, I really don't get you, goth girl. But hey, we're both rookies, right? We both really need the money."

"Sure," Alexia said, nodding.

"I'll try and behave myself, okay?" Noël promised. "No more flipping you off or calling you a bitch, at least until the job's done. I give you my word."

Alexia frowned. "Seriously? You want me to take your word after you tried to kill me?"

"That wasn't personal!" Noël protested. "It was a street race, not a fucking tea party! What'd you expect from the Skulls?"

"You went overboard," said Alexia. "Lamar didn't race like that."

"And that's why he lost! Look, I keep my racing life and my professional life separate. Lester here'll tell you, I can get shit done."

Lester nodded. "She's done a few jobs for me in the past week. I would say she's very capable for someone her age."

"See? Now, do we have a truce, or what?"

Alexia looked down and considered Noël for a moment. If nothing else, the little girl was at least honest. She didn't try to hide her dislike of her potential partner, and for that, Alexia supposed she should commend Noël.

Maybe she won't shoot me in the back so she can get all the money, Alexia thought cautiously.

Noël's hateful eyes shone with intensity, her little hand stretched out, waiting for Alexia's approval. She was certainly a strange case: eight years old, and already robbing banks and street racing? How Noël had gotten into this life of murder and deceit, Alexia didn't know. But as rookies, they were both looking to prove themselves, and in the Skulls, the easiest way to do that was by making money.

Recognizing the desire in Noël's eyes, Alexia reached out her hand and took Noël's, pumping it up and down a couple of times.

"Truce," said Alexia.

"Temporary truce," Noël corrected. "After this, I'm not talking to your ass again."

"Ditto." Alexia's eyes narrowed as she withdrew her hand.

"Well, I'm glad you two at least understand each other," said Lester. "That's important on a job like this. Now, come on – let's go scope this place out."

Lester shuffled to the door of his office, his cane thumping the hardwood floor as he went.

Alexia and Noël looked at each other and shrugged. Following behind Lester, Alexia held the door open for Noël, and she mumbled something vaguely resembling a thank you. As tenuous as this truce was, Alexia had some hope that maybe, just maybe, it could all work out. After all, Paige had told her this was a relatively simple job, as far as heists went.

Lester eventually made it to his car, a blue 2010 Declasse Asea, huffing laboriously as he climbed in the back. Seeing an opportunity, Noël smiled as she bounded for the driver's seat, shutting the door quickly behind her. However, she was quickly followed by Alexia, who flung the driver's side door open.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"What's it look like I'm doing?" Noël answered. "I'm driving."

"Uh, no you're not. We're scoping this place out. A little girl driving a car is gonna draw attention."

"She's right, Noël," Lester answered from the back. "If a cop sees you driving, we'll all be pulled over and ID'd. Besides, from what I've heard, you're not exactly the most courteous driver."

Noël stuttered, but quickly realized she was outnumbered. Wringing her tiny hands in frustration, she stepped out of the car, brushing roughly past Alexia as she went.

"Man…this is bullshit!" Noël shouted.

"It'll only be bullshit if we get arrested," Alexia snapped. "Come on. You can sit up front with me, if you want."

Noël's face turned crimson. She looked like she was going to explode, but she quickly resigned herself to Alexia's offer, hiding her face behind her bangs as she trudged toward the passenger seat.

Alexia couldn't help but smile a bit as she stepped into Lester's car, retrieving the keys from the dash. She started the engine as Noël climbed in after her and buckled her seatbelt, looking despondently out the window as she did.

"Okay, Alexia," said Lester. "Drive us to the Fleeca Bank franchise on the Great Ocean Highway. I'll give you directions as we go."

"Sure."

Shifting the little car into gear, Alexia pulled out of the parking lot, heading west on Vespucci Boulevard.

For a while, the car was silent, save for the low-pitched drone of the Asea's engine and Lester's semi-frequent sips of an inhaler – Lester wasn't exactly a picture of health, and the walk down the stairs seemed to have done a number on his wasted lungs. For the purpose of the job, Alexia was sure to drive like a grandmother through downtown, letting pedestrians pass and staying under the speed limit. Unlike Noël, she'd never been much of a racer.

As they stopped at a red light, Alexia looked over at her partner, who was still pouting, looking out at the gigantic buildings of downtown Los Santos. Alexia cleared her throat, rubbing the bandaged knuckles of her injured hand.

"So, um…what have you been up to, Noël? I haven't seen you around the compound or anything."

"We're making small talk now?"

Alexia shrugged. "Might as well. We're gonna be working together, right?"

Noël rolled her eyes. "Well, if you must know, I've been doing jobs for Lester – stealing security vans and computer equipment, taking out rival hackers, that sorta stuff. And I've also been street racing. The Skulls have meets all over the city."

"You been winning?"

"Of course I've been winning,"Noël said, glaring at Alexia. "You got lucky back there, goth girl. You may have taken me out, but that doesn't mean I can't race."

"Hey, sorry. I didn't mean it like that," said Alexia, putting her hand up. "How long have you been street racing, anyway?"

Noël shrugged. "I've been driving cars since I was five - I guess it's in my blood. I never met my dad, but from what people have told me, he was really good with cars, too."

"Damn, that's amazing."

"To you, maybe. It was through some of my dad's old friends that I got into street racing. They taught me a lot - while the other kids at school were learning fingerpainting and the alphabet, I was up all night learning transmissions, differentials, how to change fluids and tires. So whenever I'm not racing, the Skulls have been using me to fix up their armored vehicles."

"Like the Insurgents?" Alexia smiled. "Well, you're way smarter than me, then. I don't know shit about engines, or anything like that."

"Are you trying to flatter me, gothy?"

"No. Just making an observation."

"Hmph." Noël crossed her arms. "And what about you? What have you been up to?"

Alexia paused. It had only been a few days since the street race, but a lot had happened since then - the massacre, all the gunfights and robberies, flying in an attack helicopter, dodging fighter jets, getting tortured by Roses. Her mind flashed back to the torture session – to her and Damien, shirtless, chained up in that shed, and to the hot, burning agony of the blowtorch on her exposed stomach.

A car horn blared behind her – the light had turned green, and in the depths of the past, she hadn't noticed. Alexia put a hand up in apology as she accelerated through the intersection, her hands tightening on the wheel as the pain in her stomach flared.

"Oh, y'know, just rookie stuff," she said to Noël. "I've been trying to make money, same as anyone."

Noël scoffed. "Yeah. That's real informative, goth girl."

"Why do you keep calling me that?" Alexia asked. "I'm not a goth."

"Well, your hair's black. Your skin is pale. And you're pretty fuckin' whiney, so I'd say you're close enough."

"Now, just wait a minute-!"

"Nicknames are important on a job like this," Lester interrupted, his eyes glued to his phone screen. "You'll both be wearing masks when you take the score, but fake names are gonna make it harder for you to be ID'd by witnesses."

Alexia bent over the steering wheel and pouted as Noël grinned triumphantly.

"Alright," said Noël. "'Goth Girl' it is, then."

"And what about you, Alexia?" Lester asked, looking up. "What would you like to call Noël?"

Alexia thought for a moment, guiding the car gently into a turning lane that fed into the Great Ocean Highway. "Alright," she said. "You can call me 'Goth Girl'. But only if I get to call you 'Twerp'."

"'Twerp', wha-?" Noël's smile quickly faded, which Alexia had expected.

She smiled a bit. "I mean, I've been called worse than 'Goth Girl', so it doesn't bother me. But I can see 'Twerp' kinda bothers you, so I can change it if you-"

"N-No, it doesn't!" Noël pouted, crossing her arms. "You can call me 'Twerp'. Doesn't make you any less of a goth girl, though."

"Fine."

Alexia continued driving as the car reverted to silence. She wondered how long Noël was going to maintain the whole 'tough girl' act. By all accounts though, it was a paper-thin veneer; Noël really was bothered by Alexia, but she was too prideful to let it show.

But Alexia could tell: Noël hated her guts, and it was only the promise she'd made to behave herself that was keeping her from flipping her shit. How long this vow of abstention would last, Alexia didn't know.

Alexia looked to her left out at the glistening shoreline. The Great Ocean Highway was a winding two-lane road that hugged the western coast of San Andreas. The Pacific Ocean was brighter and less turbulent here than on the state's eastern coast. Rocky outcroppings and jagged coral reefs were replaced with clean, high-end beaches and luxury condos as the car entered Chumash, an affluent suburb of Los Santos. The people here were rich, but not so rich that they could afford to live in Banham Canyon, which soared up in castle-like peaks to the east. Before long, Alexia could see it: the Fleeca Bank franchise they were after.

"That's the place up there," Lester said, pointing. "Pull up, Alexia, and let's have a look."

Alexia drifted into the bicycle lane to her right, stopping the car in front of the bank's entrance. Externally at least, it wasn't much: two glass doors leading to probably the smallest bank lobby Alexia had ever seen. There was only one teller on duty, shielded behind what she assumed was bulletproof glass.

Lester smiled as the girls took in the bank they were about to rob. He held out his phone.

"Here, this should give you a better picture."

The two criminals craned their necks to look at Lester's phone screen. On it was black-and-white footage of the bank, marked by a security tag in the bottom right corner.

An interior look at the place provided the same impression as the exterior view. The lobby was small and very sparsely furnished. A small waiting area sat to the left of the entrance, next to the teller's box. To the right was a hallway that curved around to a staff-only area. With a touch of the screen, Lester showed them a view of this hallway, which terminated at a large vault door.

"The vault will be opened by a hack you initiate on the way," Lester explained. "When you go in, one of you is on crowd control, while the other runs to the vault and grabs the deposit box."

Another touch of the screen revealed a steel-walled room with a table in the center. Lining the walls were rows upon rows of what looked like small lockers.

"This here is the vault. We're after box 167. That's the one I know has illicit funds hidden inside."

"167…" Noël repeated. "Maybe while we're in there, we can grab some of the other boxes, too?"

"That won't be possible, Noël," Lester said. "As you can see, this bank's right on the highway, and that means the police response will be quick and hard. Besides, I can only disable the alarm for so long."

Lester put his phone away, shoving it into his front pocket.

"Now, to get the box out of the wall, you'll need an industrial power drill. Luckily though, I've got one of those lying around that you can use. In fact, I've got most everything you'll need for this job except…well, we'll talk about that later, we don' wanna hang around here too long. Take us back to the garment factory, Alexia."

"Sure thing."

Looking over her shoulder, Alexia made sure traffic was clear before making a U-turn, heading south back toward the city.

Lester chuckled a bit, leaning back in his seat. "Well, I know that wasn't the most exciting set-up mission, but it was necessary. Paige is waiting for us back at the factory with some heist equipment."

Noël yawned. "Please tell me I'll get to fucking shoot people soon."

"Yes, you will," said Lester. "For now though, Noël, I'm sending you an app for your phone – some hacking software. The day of the heist, you'll use it to open the bank vault remotely."

Noël's phone buzzed. She fetched it from the front pocket of her bib dress, squinting down as she opened the app.

"Go ahead and take it for a dry run while the software's not active," said Lester. "I've taken the liberty of making the interface as user-friendly as possible."

"Looks like a bunch of putrid green shit to me," Noël chided. "But I'll see what I can – OOH, puzzle game!"

An elated grin spread across Noël's face as she hunched over her phone, which displayed a 'connect-the-dots' style minigame on the screen. Alexia glanced quickly at the girl, who was happily playing her game, any traces of psychopathy or malice completely removed. It was the first time since they'd met that Noël actually looked like a child.

Alexia's shoulders relaxed, and an easy smile crept across her face. "So, um…you like puzzle games, Noël?"

At the sound of Alexia's voice, Noël's eyes immediately darkened, and her nose crinkled in disgust. "The only thing that puzzles me is why you're so whiney, goth girl."

An uneasy laugh escaped Alexia's throat. Noël, seeming to recognize the anxiety in Alexia's voice, put down her phone, having long completed the hacking game.

"Y'know, you're not a better racer than me!" Noël proclaimed. "You were just being reckless! Me though, I was using everything I had to my advantage!"

"…Wait, I'm the reckless one?"

"Damn right you are. Your racing lines were all over the place, your turns were sloppy, you almost got in a couple of wrecks – it was by the grace of fucking God that you didn't burn up in a car yourself!"

"Oh yeah?" Alexia laughed incredulously. "Well, maybe I wouldn't have had to be so reckless if I hadn't had a psychotic little girl on my fucking ass!"

"You can't take the heat, get outta the kitchen!"

"Ladies, can we please-?" Lester tried to interrupt.

"Why do you ram peoples' cars like that anyway, you little psycho?!" Alexia yelled. "You almost fucking killed Lamar, you know!"

"What do you mean 'why'? There's no rule against it!"

"But it's cheap! It's such a petty fucking move!"

"Ladies-!" Lester tried again.

"And I don't give a fuck!" Noël asserted. "Racing like that has made me a shitload of money, so if you don't like it, you can take your emo ass to the curb and go eat a fucking di-"

"LADIES!"

Alexia and Noël both stopped and looked back at Lester, who sat wheezing for breath. Sweat dripped down his red, bloated cheeks as he reached again for his inhaler.

"I suppose you two have forgotten about the whole 'truce' thing already? Either way, this street race seems like a rather delicate subject."

"I'm not a psycho, Lester!" Noël shouted. "I've done jobs for you, so you know I can get shit done! This bitch over here just wants to-"

"QUIET, Noël!" Lester roared, immediately shutting the girl up. "And this goes for both of you: if you can't get along, then I'll find two more criminals who can! Is that clear?"

Alexia nodded slowly in acquiescence, her eyes returning slowly to the road. Noël crossed her arms and pouted as she looked out the passenger side window.

The rest of the ride passed in tense silence. Alexia's fingers dug into the steering wheel as she drove; for just a moment, she thought she'd be able to get along with Noël. But as soon as she'd tried to fraternize with her, something else had taken over the little girl – another entity, spoiled and potty-mouthed, a decisive rebuttal of that brief glimpse of childlike innocence she'd seen in Noël while she was playing the hacking game.

Alexia glanced at her partner in her peripheral vision. Noël's eyes were glued to her phone, except this time, her face was set in that ferocious, unapproachable snarl that Alexia had first seen at the street race, one that was so unlike a child.

She didn't know if Noël was evil; as a criminal, she didn't feel she could say that about someone without being a massive hypocrite. However, one thing was obvious: the dominant side of Noël was a selfish, potty-mouthed little brat, one who callously rammed people out of the way in street races, including her fellow crew members, just so she could win some money.

As she drove through downtown, Alexia's anger toward Noël softened. Instead, she began to grow concerned for the little girl sitting beside her. Reese had told her the other night that even criminals had to be a little bit unselfish, for the sake of the crew. In this business of killers and thieves, Noël's attitude around the wrong people could get her killed, or worse.

Maybe I can teach her some manners, Alexia thought, then immediately rejected it. As if she'd ever listen to a 'goth girl' like me.

Before long, the garment factory was in sight. Alexia pulled into the parking lot and caught sight of Paige, who was leaning up against the side of a black SUV. The gothic woman glanced up briefly at the car as they entered before her eyes returned to her phone.

Noël stuck her tongue out. "Speaking of goth girls…" she muttered. "Hey Lester, you got some kind of fetish going on?"

"That's Paige, my assistant," Lester said tersely. "And she's a brilliant hacker, so I'd suggest holding your tongue, Noël."

"Whatever." Noël scoffed. "Let's just get this over with before I turn goth, too."

Noël flung open the passenger side door, slamming it closed behind her.

"Fucking brat," Alexia grumbled, looking back at Lester. "You really had to pair me up with her?"

Lester nodded. "It's just one job, Alexia. In this business, sometimes you have to put up with abrasive personalities, but trust me – the pay is gonna make this more than worth it."

"I hope so."

Alexia huffed as she opened the driver's side door and joined Noël. She wished she could have done this job with Jess or Damien, but both of them were busy with other matters, Jess with heading the flight squadron and Damien with assassinations. She thought back to Jess and how tired she looked the last time they'd met. She only hoped her friend was doing alright with this new responsibility that had been thrust on her.

Paige was there to meet them in the parking lot, her eyes scanning the nearby road for police.

"You guys have a good time?" Paige asked quickly. "Hope you're not too tired, Alexia, 'cause you're driving us back to your apartment."

"S-Sure," said Alexia. "What are we gonna do there?"

"Strategizing." Paige bumped the hood of her SUV. "Lester here wanted me to pack a bunch of incriminating heist equipment in the trunk – surveillance files, guns, masks, the drill. So if we all get arrested and charged with conspiracy today, you can thank him."

"It's not gonna come to that," Lester said, laughing uneasily. "Alexia here's a very careful driver."

"That true?"

Alexia nodded. "I-I've never gotten a ticket before in my life."

She smiled timidly and slinked back. It felt embarrassing to admit that in front of a bunch of criminals, but it was true. Speeding tickets were expensive, and her family was dirt poor – in her mind, it only made sense to drive slow.

Paige frowned. "Good. Don't start."

A set of keys were flung at Alexia's face, which she reached up and caught with her uninjured hand. It was obvious Paige didn't fully trust her, but in this business, Alexia supposed an abundance of caution was necessary.

As the four criminals climbed in the SUV, Alexia could feel Noël's hateful little eyes boring into her. She didn't know why this was. Perhaps Noël was still pissed that she hadn't been allowed to drive in this mission. Either that, or she was embarrassed that she'd been taken out in a race by someone who'd never gotten a speeding ticket.

Alexia looked over at her partner. "What?"

Noël shook her head. "I really don't get you, goth girl."

"I could say the same to you," said Alexia, cranking the engine. "Look, we don't have to get each other. We just have to work together."

"I guess…But I'm gonna be watching you, okay?"

"Watching me?"

"Yeah. Just for my own amusement," Noël said, shrugging. "Don't think I'm actually interested in you or anything."

"Then what are you interested in?"

"None of your fuckin' beeswax," Noël retorted. "Just drive, goth girl."

Alexia grimaced. Knowing she was being watched didn't make the prospect of working with Noël any easier. She started the engine, accelerating carefully out of the parking lot and towards her apartment downtown.

She can watch all she wants, Alexia thought as she drove. I've got nothing to hide – well, nothing more than any other criminal.

Alexia knew Noël had escaped from a mental institution. Just like Alexia didn't want to go to prison, Noël didn't want to be sent back to the mental hospital. Alexia hoped this shared fear of incarceration would help them connect, but she wasn't holding her breath.

What did Reese say she did? She killed her mother?

Alexia's blood ran cold at the thought. She'd had violent thoughts regarding her own mother, but she'd never acted on any of them. But Noël had actually gone through with it, had let her intrusive thoughts win – Alexia could only speculate what had caused Noël to go off the deep end, killing her own mother.

She looked over at the little girl, who sat buried in her smartphone. Lester and Paige were arguing in the back over something Alexia didn't care about. As she pulled the SUV into her apartment's garage, she was worried sick that Noël would try to kill her, just like she'd killed her mother.

Well, if she tries anything, I have The Zone, Alexia thought. But…damn, could I really pull the trigger on a little kid?