"I wish I hadn't cried so much,"

said Alice as she swam about, trying to find her way out,

"I shall be punished for it now, I suppose,

by being drowned in my own tears!" -Lewis Carroll

Grenade smoke wafted through Terra's hair as she stepped through the scattered wreckage of a truck and pulled two limp bodies from their unbuckled seats. The dumbasses didn't realize she had tossed a grenade in their backseat as they passed each other. She set them out on the road and crouched to sift through their pockets. She pulled out a wallet from the man's back pocket and smirked at the stack of bills, mostly twenties. The fucker must have thought he was going to resupply or trade with the next village. It might've been for food, but also could've been for weapons and ammo. Either way, the natives had to go. It was just a coincidence that it was really fun to blow shit up.

"Alright. We're done here." She waved the stack in front of Vaas' nose and hopped on the passenger side of the jeep. He floored it, smirking as he felt the thump of two bodies under the tires.

"You done? How much does a sniper even cost?"

She flipped through the bills with her thumb, "the best ones? A lot. Let's get back." Hoyt's suppliers didn't just give these snipers away, especially to new recruits, so Terra had to take it upon herself to raise the money. She finally had enough and was eager to get her hands on one.
Vaas looked over at her and the sun falling behind the ocean... sometimes it was hard to imagine what she was like before all this.

"Take a picture Vaas, it'll last longer."

"Fuck you, perra." He smirked, setting his eyes back on the road. They pulled into the compound and the music was already blasting. She stared at the entrance with a pensive eye, absently humming the bass line. Vaas opened his door and saw she wasn't moving.

"Eh! The fuck you doing?"

Her mood had changed and she stared at the compound with an uneasiness, "I dunno, Vaas ... I hate this place."
He leaned against the door frame, an impatient tension growing between them, "Terra, just get the fuck out."
She sighed, clenching the wad of cash tighter, "No."

"Why are you testing me? What the fuck do I have to do?"

"I'm tired of these assholes treating me like I'm some stripper. I've made my kills. You fucking trained me, personally, and they still think they can slap my ass, or whistle at me. It takes every fucking muscle not to shoot them all in the crotch."

"Fucking christ, Terra. Who gives a fuck?"
Before he could stop her she threw the stack of cash expertly at his face, pissing him off.

"I give a fuck, Vaas! That's it, give me the key." She held out her hand expectantly, waving her fingers. Her rubbed the bridge of his nose and seethed with anger,

"All I fucking do for you… I fucking give you everything, and you treat me like shit."

"No, no, don't turn this around-"

"Well, GUESS WHAT, Terra? You don't get to blame the ground for hurting when you fucking let yourself fall. You're on my island. I'm the king, and you work for me, or you can go fuck yourself."

"Ha. That's rich, Vaas. What, should I thank you for not shoving a bullet through my skull? For not for not slaughtering me like an animal? Oh, thank you so much! You're the best." Her sarcasm deepened his irritation and his words spewed like venom.

"You were NOTHING!" He banged his fist onto the hood and she jumped a little, "You wanted me to kill you 'cause you knew you were fucking useless. I saved you, perra, so put on a fucking smile and get the fuck inside before I drag you by your hair."
Dark, challenging shadows danced around her eyes and she opened her door.

"Finally!" He said and started marching toward the compound. She slammed her door and walked in the opposite direction towards the jungle.

"You FUCK!" He started charging toward her like a bull but she didn't bother to run or even look back. She knew he was stronger, but she felt confident he wouldn't hurt her. But then again, it wasn't beneath him. He tugged her shoulder, forcing her to look at him. "I'm really trying, you know, but I'm starting to wonder if you're even worth it."
She looked down, a sliver of guilt flashing across her eyes. "I'm sorry, I just… I'm trying to adjust."

"Christ, hermana." He smiled, relieved he finally tamed her, "you fucking bipolar? Come here," he pulled her into his arm and she wrapped hers around his muscular waist and they started walking back. Vaas really had a soft spot for her. She had once been just another reject, but he decided to make something useful out of her instead, and he was proud of his work. "Listen, I'll make you a deal. You can shoot the next guy who whistles at you in the balls, but you have to promise me something."
She looked up at him, "and what would that be?"

"You come with me tomorrow. I want to see if you're ready to really get out there. Maybe I'll even let you use a real gun."

"Oh, I don't know if you're ready for that, hermano." She teased, mimicking a Spanish accent.
They entered the compound together and saw the others partying casually, drugs and drinks getting passed out. They both got by relatively unnoticed and Vaas went his way to get high while Terra went down the hall to her room where she crashed on the bed. She started thinking about Vaas. She felt a mixture of everything. Odi et amo, as they say. The day they met she was a reject, not even good enough for the slave trade. Too much of a temper, they said, she wouldn't last long. He was about to shoot her in the head when he looked in her eyes and saw the emptiness. So he tucked the pistol back into his belt. Perhaps he thought of her as a challenge, or a game. Maybe he saw potential. Either way, he realized that she wanted him to shoot her, but he wasn't going to let her get by that easy.

"You think you're ready to go? You think you've had enough of this world, huh?" He asked, almost insulted. She didn't move, she didn't blink… she just stared at him, hollow.
He leaned in real close so that he could whisper and gain intensity. "You're on my island now. This is my little strip of paradise, okay? I can't have your shitty attitude pissing all over my sunshine."
Still, she didn't stir. As if she was just waiting for the end. He pulled out a handful of bullets from his pocket and held out his palm, "These bullets aren't free you know, I don't just hand them out to FUCKERS who don't want them!" He gripped her arm with his free hand and shoved her off the platform into the dirt where the dogs began barking eagerly for a meal and Vaas' men started cheering. She didn't notice that the fall had broken her arm, but she felt it go numb and wondered why. Vaas hopped down beside her, smiling.

"So, what to do hermana? How can I help you? What can I do to make you happy?"
The way he said it, as if there was some solution, really made her furious. She glared up at him through matted white hair and shadowy eyes,

"Put a bullet through my skull. End it. Don't waste your time."
To her surprise he started giggling, as if she just told him some joke. Through fits of laughter he spoke, "Wow! That's that's the worst thing I ever heard," he paused to regain his composure, "you really need a therapist." He stood up and circled around her, "good news though. I'm the next best thing. You know, I hope you packed a toothbrush...on my island there is no easy way out."

Vaas was her worst nightmare, yet her best friend. How did that work out, she thought, and drifted into a heavy sleep.

Terra woke with a start. Vaas was hovering over her and she almost punched him in the face.

"Fuck!"

He laughed, "Chill! It's just me, hermana. We got to go, get the fuck up."

"I thought I locked my door." She sat up and rubbed her eyes. He wiggled a chain of keys in front of her and she sighed with disapproval.

"Where are we going?"

"You forget? You're coming with me." He opened her door and lingered in the frame. "Look your best, brush your hair for once, fuck." He teased and she threw a pillow at him.
She began fixing herself up and kicked Vaas out so she could change. She slipped on a pair of brown shorts, a black tank top, and a pair of dirty, worn leather boots where she hid a few knives and strapped on a belt where she could holster a pistol.
She ran her fingers through her hair and tied it back in a ponytail and recalled how Vaas once nearly tore out her hair during training to teach her a lesson. God, it was hard to love that fucker.

She opened her door and Vaas was waiting patiently. His eyes flashed across her momentarily with a hint of wonderment. She really was beautiful. If she wasn't so stubborn and cold, he could've made a lot of money off of her. But fate had other things in store for his little reject.

"Alright, let's fucking go already." He said and pushed her forward down the hall. A lot of the pirates were still drowsy and hung over, but Vaas' entrance alerted them.

"You FUCKS! I don't pay you to fuck around!"

They started moving grudgingly. One guy kept an eye on Terra, making her itch under her skin.
Her hand hovered over the pistol on her belt. Vaas left her temporarily to give out orders, and she stood uncomfortably against a wall, her eyes scanning the compound.
A few men passing by grinned at her with yellow teeth, and one of them was particularly brave.

"You Vaas' entertainment?" He asked, leaning against the wall next to her. She fumed and imagined her face had turned beet red.

"You fucking new here?" She asked, her posture imposing despite her small frame.

"Yeah, why don't you - give me a tour." He reached for her waist but she twisted his wrist, the cartilage popping, and pulled her gun on him.

It was time to make an example.

"Listen up, fuckers!" She dragged him to the center of the courtyard and everyone was watching. He whined with pain. "Randy here thinks I'm the entertainment. So, I'll put on a show!"
She aimed her gun and shot his knee and he screamed. A few gasped or cursed while others stared in awe.

"My name is Terra Madness. You've all seen me around. I know you have because you fuckers can't stop staring, like I'm some fucking alien. Well, I am here to tell you that I am not a stripper, a prostitute, whore, or slave. I am a pirate." With little to no expression she pointed her gun at his crotch and pulled the trigger and many cringed and looked away, feeling his pain. The man screamed viciously and fell into shock as he bled out on the concrete. It was music to her ears.
She put the pistol back into her belt and walked away, as if nothing happened. But on the inside she was exhilarated, alive. Vaas caught up to her at the entrance of the compound, a proud gleam in his eye.

"I see you took up my offer. Next thing you know they'll be feeding you grapes off the vine."

"That's your job, Vaas." She joked.

"Yeah, in your fucking dreams, perra."

"The good ones." She winked and followed him into the jeep once more. They were off to see the new product and sort out the money makers from the rejects.

Hi! My name is Maggie and this is my first story ever on this website so let me know what you like and what you don't! :) I'll really appreciate any feedback. I'd say this was pretty experimental to me, so I'm definitely up for suggestions on plot or any other ideas. I'm also still trying to figure out this website so bear with me, and let me know if you want to read more.