Author's Note: Hello everyone! :3 I came up with his idea because I had DBZ on my mind so much and because I was playing Borderlands. xD. But I also wanted to write a fun story that allowed me to de-stress while I was working on my rewrite of the entire DB/Z/GT series. So I figured, why not take four DBZ characters, put them in Borderlands, take away any of their original powers, and replace them with the powers of the four characters of Borderlands? Sounds fun, right? I thought so. (: They'll go through the whole game as if they were the actual vault hunters. So, should be lots of fun to do. Let me know what you think? I love reviews and feedback. They make me happy.
You'll notice some slight changes and liberties I took with a few things here and there. I'm sure you'll be able to point them out if you're a huge fan of either categories. But nothing serious. (:
The THEME SONG for the ENTIRE story is Eyes Open by Taylor Swift. I thought it fit very well. I made 'Borderland' inspired outfits for all of the characters (includes hairstyles for the girls), and the way to see those are at the bottom of the chapter. :3
Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or Borderlands. Each belong to their respective owners, creators, etc. I am merely playing around with them for my personal amusement.
Keep Your Eyes Open
Chapter One: Fresh Off The Bus
There was sunlight filtering in through the thick panels on the windowpane, casting the inside of the desolate and quiet bus in an early morning ambient. There were only a few occupants on the desolate bus that looked fresh out of a junkyard, but as it was, it was the only mode of transportation. The bench on the back of the bus was still in place, as was a few other benches on each side of the bus. Aside from that, however, was bare and dirty. The bus driver using a bolted in upside down trash can as a little side table next to him. It remained quiet as the bus rolled along, every occupant keeping to himself. There were, however, four particular bus riders that were seemingly sleeping at peace. Two of them, a male and female, took up the back seat. She had her back against one window, while he had his back against the other. In front of the bank bench and to the right, another male and female couple sat, his head leaning against the window and her head leaning on his shoulder.
The female with her back to the window was the first one to wake, and she groggily opened her eyes. Her eyes were crystal blue, and only a shade or two darker than her hair, which was currently up in a tightly curled and edgy pig tailed Mohawk. Her eyes landed on the male across from her, her husband, and she blinked a few times. Of course, it was normal for a wife to see her husband when waking up in the morning. However, her eyes immediately went to the clothes he was wearing and she frowned. That was different. She then realized that she was moving, and her eyes snapped to her surrounding environment, and her eyes slowly widened into the size of small saucers. Her heart started to race as she reached across to touch her husband, and her eyes landed on her gloved arms, and then to her own clothing. They were not the clothing she went to bed with. Was she dreaming? She wasn't sure. This felt a little too real. Pulling her long legs off of the bench and scooting closer to her sleeping husband, she placed a hand on his shoulder and leaned in close.
"Vegeta?" she whispered, cocking her head to the side a little. "Wake up, please," she said quietly, gently shaking him. She watched as his eyebrows furrowed and he murmured in his sleep a little, his black flame styled hair getting crushed on the side from the window. She shook him again. "Vegeta," she said sharply. His eyelids slowly opened, blinking a few times to clear the sleep out of them, and finally revealed onyx colored eyes. He turned them to his wife and stared at her for a few moments, and slowly but surely recognition showed on his face. And then it was confusion. From her hair to her clothing, she looked entirely different. Alien smells assaulted his sensitive nose then, and his head turned sharply to take in the bus in its entirety. His entire body tensed and instinctively placed an arm in front of his wife, narrowing his eyes a little before looking at her.
"What the hell is this?" he asked, his voice clipped. Bulma could only shrug in response.
"I have no idea. I just woke up, too," she explained. Vegeta, irritated now, took another look around the bus. Nobody was paying attention to the two of them, and from what he could see; there was no immediate threat. He turned to look through the slits in the boards on the windows, narrowing his eyes at what he saw. Looking all the way out to the horizon and the only thing Vegeta could see were mountaintops in the distance and barren wasteland. He could also see a massive moon in the early morning light that was the size of Jupiter looming in the distance. This was definitely not Earth. "It's Goku and Chi-Chi!" Bulma exclaimed, capturing Vegeta's attention as he looked to her and followed her line of site to the sleeping couple in front of them. Even from behind Vegeta could definitely tell it was the younger Saiyan in front of him. That hair was unmistakable, after all.
"I don't like this," Vegeta growled out, reaching a hand out and smacking the back of the younger Saiyan's head. Goku let out startled yelp and rubbed the back of his head, turning quickly to glare at whoever hit him, only to have his eyes change to confusion as he caught site of Vegeta and then Bulma.
"Vegeta? What are you doing in my house? And jeez, Bulma, what did you do to your hair?" Goku asked, raising an eyebrow in the heiress's direction. Bulma crossed her arms, offended, and glared at him.
"No matter what I do to my hair, it looks amazing. That's what," she said sharply.
"Look around you, Kakarot. Does it look like we're in your home?" Vegeta asked with annoyance. Goku looked around himself then, and frowned. He too looked out the window, and then turned to his own wife. Waking her was easy enough, explaining to her that he no idea what was going on was a bit different, however.
"This is a little freaky," Chi-Chi said, frowning and biting on her bottom lip, leaning over Goku to look out of the window the best she could. "Yeah, this isn't Earth. Can't be," she insisted, sighing and sitting back again. Vegeta, still agitated, suddenly stood up.
"He has to know where we are," he said, motioning towards the driver. Stepping out into the isle, Vegeta had no problem stomping up to the front of the bus, the other three in two. The other occupants on the bus may have peeked a look at the four strangers, but none of them were bold enough to really look at them or even acknowledge their existence. Unlike the strangers, they knew what happened when you started asking too many questions around here. Reaching the driver, Vegeta gripped onto the metal bar behind him and sent a heavy glare his way.
"You will tell me where the hell we are. And you will tell me now," Vegeta said through clenched teeth. Vegeta was intimidating on any day of the week, and with the exception to those who knew him well enough, it wasn't easy to tell that Vegeta could restrain himself physically. He already looked like he wanted to blow a hole through a wall. The bus driver glanced up at him with a slightly nervous expression, and then turned his eye back onto the road.
"Take it easy there, we're still on the way to Fyrestone. Won't be there for another ten minutes though," he said, the overweight man said, running a hand through his short brain hair. Vegeta, not pleased by this answer, grit hit teeth and tried again.
"What planet are we on?" he growled out. The bus driver blinked a few times and then gave Vegeta and the three behind him questioning glances. "Don't make me ask you again," Vegeta threatened. The driver narrowed his eyes at the quartet.
"You're on Pandora," he said with suspicion. Vegeta's eyebrows furrowed as he thought the name over. It had such a familiar ring to it, but he couldn't quite place where he heard of this planet before. "From the looks of you, I'd say you were Vault Hunters," the driver stated with a shrug. "Perhaps, I am wrong?" he suggested. The four looked at one another for a second before they turned towards the driver.
"No, you're right. We're vault hunters," Bulma said, trying not to make them stand out too much. The last thing they needed was to startle a local and have things get hectic. The driver looked at them all before laughing, shaking his head.
"We think we've hit a bit of a dead end, though," Chi-Chi said carefully, eyeing the floor for a minute before sighing and sitting in the one open seat behind the driver. He looked in the rear view mirror at the raven-haired girl before smiling, and then looked towards the other three.
"You look like you know something about it," Vegeta stated, crossing his arms. The driver laughed and nodded.
"So... You want to hear a story, eh? One about treasure hunters? Hah, have I got a story for you! Pandora... This is our home. But make no mistake - this is not a planet of peace and love. They say it's a wasteland; that it's dangerous, that only a fool would search for something of value here. Then perhaps I am a fool. But do not be fooled by what Pandora appears to be. There was a legend... Many people tell it. The legend of the Vault. My father would always go on about the Vault; even with his dying breath. Advanced alien technology. Infinite wealth. Fame. Power. Women," he said, giving Bulma and Chi-Chi knowing stares. Goku, not understanding the intent, missed it completely. Vegeta, however, set a hard glare on the driver.
"You keep staring at my wife like that and I'm going put your head through that window shield," he said darkly. Bulma placed a comforting hand on his lower back and ignored the driver's stare and snort.
"No need to get so defensive. Hah! Anyways, so you can understand why some little kiddos who hear the stories grow up to become Vault hunters. Well, I have a story you may not believe. But I tell you it is true. The legend of the Vault is real! And it is here on Pandora. And a... let's call her a 'guardian angel,' appeared to guide the Vault hunters to their prize. The tale begins right here on Pandora, with the brave Vault hunters, the guardian angel and most importantly, me. My name is Marcus Kincaid, the best weapons dealer on Pandora," he finished, introducing himself to the group. A knowing look suddenly came over Vegeta's face and he turned around to face his wife, gripping her arm above her elbow and pulling her in close he could whisper in her ear.
"That artifact you found the other day, just where did you say you got it?" he asked her. Bulma blinked a few times, going over the past few days in her head. She and her father had found a smooth piece of stone on one of their archeological dig sites, and it had grooves in it that were lit up. It was fascinating, and Bulma had picked it up. She brought it home with her and showed Vegeta, and several other people as well. Including Goku and Chi-Chi. Frowning, she reached into her pocket, doubtful the small stone would be there, but was pleasantly surprised to feel that it was. Pulling it out of her pocket, she showed it to him, and then leaned past him to show Marcus.
"Hey, have you seen something like this before?" she asked him. Marcus looked at the stone, and then at the blue haired 'vault hunter'.
"It's an Eridian stone. Now where did you get something like that?" he asked her. Narrowing her eyes at him, Bulma leaned back towards her husband again.
"Don't worry about it," she said offhandedly, looking to Vegeta who was staring at the stone with newfound fascination.
"He said Eridian…" Vegeta said quietly, taking the stone from her and rolling it over in his palm. "Pandora…" he muttered, mostly talking to himself. Goku and Chi-Chi continued to talk to Marcus, leaving Bulma and Vegeta the freedom to speak without being interrupted or overheard. "I was fifteen. Freeza wanted Pandora to be purged, so we could sell it. But…something stopped him. He of course heard about the vault, and the things that were in it, and was interested. But I don't believe he ever had a chance to pursue it," Vegeta said, frowning with distaste of speaking of the dead tyrant.
"What stopped him from purging the planet?" Bulma asked him quietly. Vegeta shook his head a little.
"I can't remember, it was only mentioned once. I can't quite put my finger on it," he answered. "In any case, I'm interested in this alien technology. I do know that the Eridian people were the ones who created the vault in the first place. I can't imagine anything other than this object being the cause for our being here," he finished, holding the stone out to Bulma, who took it and pocketed it once more.
"So you think the alien technology in the vault will get us back home?" she asked him. He shrugged.
"Worth a shot," he told her. "How come we were the only ones to be transported though?" he asked, narrowing his eyes a little. Bulma thought about it, and then snapped her fingers with a small smile.
"I think us four were the only ones who actually touched the stone. Huh, well how about that," she said, sighing a little. Goku then sat back on the bench he was leaning against, hard. He gripped his head, closing his eyes for a moment, and breathed deep through his nose.
"Goku? Are you alright?" Chi-Chi asked, leaning down to place a hand on his knee and the other on his chest. Looking up at him, she cocked her head to the side to get a better look at his face. He looked like he was in a bit of pain. "Goku?" she asked again. Goku suddenly blinked a few times and looked at his wife, getting a hold of himself, he smiled and placed his hand on the side of her face. He leaned in and kissed her for a moment, before pulling back and looking at the others.
"We need to get off at this stop," he said quietly. Vegeta narrowed his eyes a little as Goku stared at him.
'It was her. The guardian angel that Marcus was talking about. She contacted me,' Goku told him telepathically.
'Why would she contact you?' Vegeta thought back.
'Saiyans have telepathic abilities, right? You said it was stronger in some Saiyans than in others, like my father. He had visions. Stuff like that is genetic, isn't it?' Goku asked him. Getting a shrug from Vegeta was his only response. The girls, unable to hear that conversation, stared at the boys in confusion and mild annoyance. It wasn't uncommon for the two Saiyans to telepathically talk to one another, but it was real annoying when they wanted to know what was being said.
"Time to gather your stuff! Who's getting' off the bus?" Marcus asked with a laugh. The group was starting to find him to be rather obnoxious. A few minutes went by and the bus finally rolled to a stop, and the four stood close to the door. When it opened, Goku and Chi-Chi stepped off, while Bulma took one last look around the bus, just to make sure nothing was transported with them. Some capsules would be really helpful. But alas, there was nothing. "Well, we're here! Don't worry about saying goodbye, I'm sure we'll doing this all again soon enough," Marcus stated, laughing once more for quite some time as he stared at Bulma. Vegeta snarled in his direction, a low hiss coming out of his throat. Marcus cleared his throat and looked at the pair. "Get off my bus," he said flatly. Bulma rolled her eyes and stepped off, Vegeta right behind her. The door shut, and the bus took off, and the group looked around.
"Okay! Well, the guardian lady said we'd be greeted by a little…robot," Goku said, just as a square looking robot with two thin metal arms with clamps on the end and a single wheel on the bottom rolled up to them. Goku smiled and looked at the other three, who were giving him odd looks. "What?" he asked innocently. The others rolled their eyes.
They had a long road ahead of them.
Final A/N: Wooh! Well, yeah. There's that. xD. Don't take this all too seriously, guys. It's meant to just be a fun crossover. So some explanations will be vague and won't make much since. Like, how did the Eridian stone get to Earth in the first place? Who cares? lol. Maybe it was in Freeza's ship when he landed on Earth. How come those four were the only ones who touched the stone? 'Cause I said so. What are the chances of this happening? Doesn't matter. lol. Just let it go, and the story will work just fine. (:
OUTFITS:
CHI-CHI: wwwDOTpolyvoreDOTcom/cgi/set?id=53627459 (replace the DOT with an actual period)
GOKU: wwwDOTpolyvoreDOTcom/cgi/set?id=53629386 (replace the DOT with an actual period)
BULMA: wwwDOTpolyvoreDOTcom/cgi/set?id=53624876 (replace the DOT with an actual period)
VEGETA: wwwDOTpolyvoreDOTcom/cgi/set?id=53628648 (replace the DOT with an actual period)
