Above the sky was a mix of purple and blue, swirling together like paint. Giving off a beautiful gaze upon the overall horrible dirt land below. Stars glittering down over the dark and empty landscape of Pandora. The moon and Helios gave off most of the light back down to the ground though it wasn't enough to see where he was going. Luckily the headlights seemed to light up enough of the road for Rhys to see the path ahead.
Rhys drove ahead, keeping an eye out for possible hostiles, his gun ready at his side. During the night was a dangerous time to drive, but Rhys didn't have time to be hesitant anymore. After yesterday, he needed to find a high paying job and he needed to do it fast. If he didn't he'd never see Vaughn again.
Rhys ran a hand over his jaw. Mad that things had turned out this way. Upset that now he had to work alone for awhile. He'd get Vaughn back. Whether he found a good job or not because when push came to shove Rhys wasn't afraid to run into that camp guns blazing. Besides this had mainly been Vaughn's fault. Rhys had always been pretty good at negotiating their way out of a situation. But Vaughn wasn't nearly as great. They'd seen right through their plan to steal and run.
Rhys cursed under his breath. He couldn't lie to himself about it forever. It was partially his fault as well. Fuck no it was all his fault. He'd picked a bad Bandit gang to mess with. He was lucky that Vaughn was still alive. That the king hadn't just ripped out his throat at that very moment and let the guy bleed out. Fuck maybe he did the second Rhys left the place. Maybe the guy waited until they had left and killed Vaughn the second Rhys drove away. Sitting in wait for Rhys to return to kill him too and take whatever Rhys had dug up. That plan seemed more like the plan of some bandit lord. But Rhys needed to have a little bit of faith. He had to hold his hopes up that none of the deal was a lie. Besides the King had given him an echo link to his own communicator. Said Rhys could call him if he found anything.
Damn Rhys hoped he found something to use. Otherwise, he'd never see Vaughn again.
Skaggs could be seen in the distance. Barely visible in the dark of the night. Rhys paused before his echo eye hummed, turning on and scanning over the area. They focused on the distance skags locating ,at least three of them. This was just what Rhys needed. Some good, old stress relief.
The car let out a loud screech at the sharp turn. Rhys picked up speed, slamming his feet down onto the pedal as he was launched forward. The shitty little skags didn't even stand a chance as the car bolted in their direction. Air was achieved as the car used the creatures as a ramp, sending Rhys up into the air. It was nice. Running over vermin like skags that plagued Pandora like rats was something that a lot of people down here used their free time for. Quick, free fun, that was what murdering those skags felt like. A moment of freedom from all the bullshit that this place dishes out.
Rhys came down after a few seconds, bouncing in the seat from the momentum. A laugh escaping him as he kept going. He wasn't headed anywhere specific. The whole car seemed unaffected from his latest hit and run. Rhys was too busy laughing to notice the turn that was coming up.
Last second response was all Rhys had as he saw the cliff up ahead. His laughter cut off by the fact the car was skidding towards it. His hands worked quickly. Grabbing the wheel to try and prevent it from plummeting down. Foot slammed on to the breaks as the loud screech of the car filled the air again. The man already knew it was too late to avoid the decline and that the most he could do was avoid letting the car flip. As long as he could stay against the ground he should be fine.
When that first tire went over the edge Rhys could feel his whole body tense. The car tipped within seconds and all the man could do was hold on tight as the machine spilled over the edge. The way down was a rough one. The car bouncing and sliding down the steep cliff. The wheels straining to try and grip onto the rock wall but it all was a useless effort. Everything felt like it was happening in slow motion yet all at once. When the car finally was at rest on the ground Rhys' head was still spinning. Feeling as if he was still in motion.
Taking a deep breath Rhys couldn't help but laugh. Nothing about today was going right. Fuck he'd lost his best friend and had no money to his name to get him back. Now he was plummeting down the side of a cliff. It seemed like the world was out to get him today. Ready to find any sign of weakness and use it to make him sink. But that was what living in Pandora was all about. Death at every turn. Never being able to care about anyone because they'd die and leave you alone. That what this world was about. This was the world Rhys was trapped in.
Taking a long breath Rhys leaned forward. Wrapping his hands around the wheel. He looked forward only to be stopped in his tracks. Moving his foot away from the gas to give himself more time to look ahead at the scene before him.
There was a huge Hyperion building. Obviously abandoned. That was present to anyone who lived on Pandora. It looked to be some tucked in laboratory that somehow hadn't gotten destroyed after the CEO's death. Probably due to the fact it was so nicely tucked into this valley, hidden to anyone looking down into the area. It was smart placement. No one would have ever found the place unless they were dumb enough to drive off the edge of the cliff.
The bright yellow paint was chipping off the exterior walls. Weather wearing down the building as it had most likely been abandoned for at least a year now, maybe longer. The entrance was large, surrounded by a few pieces of junk that may have fallen from above. The building showing no sign of life which made sense. Everyone knew that after the death of Handsome Jack many employees and scientists fled back to Helios in fear of what might become of them.
This building was good news for Rhys, however. Most of the employees had left in such a rush maybe something expensive laid inside those walls. Nestled deep within and just waiting for someone to come and scoop them up.
This was just what Rhys needed. Turning the car off he hopped out. A grin slowly becoming larger on his face as he got closer and closer. He'd found a way to save Vaughn. A way to get his friend back. Joy bubbled into his gut which soon caused his walk to turn into a small jog. Fueling him to go forward. He was so close to fixing everything.
He almost missed the whirling sound of a turret starting up. Coming from the side of the building. Rhys got out of the way just in time. Hiding behind a piece of junk just as the machine gun started to fire off. Barely missing the opportunity of being filled with lead. This didn't make sense. Why would the security systems still be present if no one was here. He didn't have much time to really think about it. Figuring that it had to just be the fact that Hyperion left in such a hurry the workers accidently left the shit on.
Well it looked as if it was time to bust out a back up plan. He quickly looked for a way to get inside. An opportunity opening up in the form of perfectly aligned garbage. Presenting an opening for Rhys to run straight through. Right towards a side door.
Adrenaline burst in him as he powered forward. Taking off without a second thought. The turret shot after him leaving a rhythmic sound of bangs and pops following him as it shot into the metal guards. Rhys couldn't lie that this felt more than just awesome. It felt amazing. The power and thrill of it all is what usually got him through everyday life down here.
He didn't hesitate to rip the door open. It wasn't budged or anything. Though the excitement may have gotten to him a little because he really didn't need to open it that hard. The effort leaving a slight sting in his shoulder. Though it wasn't enough to slow him down.
The door led into a pathway of narrow halls. Tightly packed and winded together from the looks of it. And judging by the looks of the place he shouldn't run into anymore turrets. Which would be thankful in this dense hallway system. His feet left soft clicking sounds as he headed down the hall. Heading deeper into the building, keeping an eye out for anything that seemed expensive.
A lot of the walls were lined with monitors. At one point of time they were probably used to display news and info to the workers who passed through these halls day in and day out. Now most of them were in bad conditions and a lot of them had thin cracks shooting across the displays like thin bolts of lightning. There was even one that was barely hanging onto the wall, crooked as it desperately tried to hold onto the last of it's wires. It felt great to see the company in such disarray. Especially after what they'd done to Vaughn and him.
A loud clatter was shot down the hall in a wave. Rhys jolted his head to the side, hand automatically darting to the gun at his side. Fingers working at the button holding the gun's holster closed as he took a few steps toward the unusual sound. Maybe a skag had found it's way inside. Or some Bullymong had broke through the back wall of the building. It seemed reasonable. Most people knew that the savage creatures of the planet were fairly hard to keep out. But at the same time if they had turrets in the front Rhys would imagine they'd have the same set up towards the back of the building.
As he grew closer to the door that the sound had resonated from behind, the hunter could hear scuffling from the other side. It sounded like footprints. So maybe there was a worker who was left behind. Now the activation of the turrets made more sense since if Rhys was stuck here he would definitely establish the security system. Guess it sucks to be him because Rhys wasn't going to let some random worker keep him from what could be riches. He slid the gun out carefully, preparing it at his side. Rhys slowly counted down, readying himself to take down whatever was on the other side of this door.
Slamming against the door to open it, Rhys fixed his gun forward, pointing at the first shape he saw move in the room. Finger already prepared at the trigger. Inside the room was a large, hollowed out room. A dome like roof overhead that kept the sun out. The main light source of the area was the large monitors on the far side. The screens bright with scrolling text and occasional images. The console itself scattered with trash and random objects. Stuff that felt like it was added more recently. Added by the figure that was hunched over near the floor. Most likely retrieving the item that had fallen to the floor.
"Stand up nice and slow." Rhys warned, holding his gun in position as the figure had yet to move. "Put your hands up and face me."
Laughter. Why was laughter what filled the room next. Who the hell would laugh with a gun pointed at them. Rhys didn't really understand it but the laugh felt familiar. It also felt alarming. Some alarm went off in the back of his head. Telling him to run while he could. To escape. But why did this fear boil at his tips as the man slowly stood up straight. He hadn't turned around yet but the alarm just got louder and louder as everything became more and more familiar. When suddenly it felt like the whole world became silent.
Even with the slight beard that had started to grow on the end of that broad jaw, everything was unmistakable. The familiarity of the voice even seemed to settle in with the sight. This man looked and sounded just like Handsome Jack. The Handsome Jack. But that was impossible. Handsome Jack was dead. He had heard the Vault Hunters brag about it. Seen them halling around the iconic mask as a token of their victory. It had been real. That all was real. So what was this? Had Rhys hit his head hard on his way down? This couldn't be real. The bewilderment must have shown on his face because the dead man smirked.
"You look like you've seen a ghost, kiddo." It was unmistakably Jack's voice. What the hell was going on.
"What the hell are you?" Rhys asked, raising the gun a bit more to point the gun at his chest. He looked weirdly unnerved.
"I'm glad you don't have to ask who I am," The thing said with a nod. Tucking his hands into his pockets as if there was no threat. "It's good you know who I am."
Rhys glared a bit more. "You can't be THE Handsome Jack. He's dead. No you have to be something else." Rhys took a few steps closer. Using his echo eye to scan the man, trying to find some abnormity. A clone, an android. Hell maybe you're some delusional body double. But you can't be Handsome Jack. He's dead."
The guy nodded. Shrugging a bit. His eyes watching Rhys as he walked around him. Scanning him and watching him closely. Even though Rhys was in power with this situation the man's gaze still made him feel meek. Almost like he was prey. "You'd think so. Those damn bandits went back with my mask for show. I don't even want to imagine what they did with it… something savage I'd imagine."
Rhys was getting a bit fed up with this. He wasn't in the mood to screw around with this guy. He wanted answers and he wanted them now. "Spit it out," He demanded. "Stop dancing around the question and answer me!"
Jack laughed and made direct eye contact with his prey. "Ever heard of the New U stations?"
Rhys squinted at him. Gun still drawn and on point. Ready if this guy made a move. "Yeah… Who hasn't?"
"Well I had one of those print my ass back out. It's not very hard. I'm surprised none of you thought of that." Jack's eyes fell down to a label on Rhys' arm. The shreds of an old Hyperion garment. Looking it over with amusement. Though Rhys didn't notice the glance over.
"So you're the real thing huh?" Rhys asked. He was getting an idea. If this was true. Man did he have a plan now. "How did you end up here."
Jack gave a quick nod. "I'm so glad you asked. I wanted to make sure my body was made just like before. No mistakes, no fuck ups. So my scientists were working on a better system than the ones slapped around the whole damn planet. Luckily it activated after I died. Spat me right out. No one was here to see it though. Which is sad, I've gotta say." Jack gave a grin before rubbing his hands together. Fingers dragging over the joints as he took a step closer. Noting how Rhys slid the gun back into the holster. Popping the thing closed. "So, since you're here you can take me back to Helios, right sweetie?"
Rhys paused, staring in confusion over the other man. "Why would I do that?"
Jack paused, glaring for a moment as the question skimmed over his ears. "You're kidding me right? That shirt you tore the shit out of is definitely Hyperion. One that you'd only get if your ass lived up there."
Rhys paused, glancing at the old scraps of shirt that he'd kept for the sleeves of his new, Pandora fashion. "Sorry Jack but I haven't lived up on Helios for ages." Rhys watched as the smile faltered from the man's face. Obviously taken off guard. Rhys didn't hesitate to act. Grabbing Jack by the head with his prosthetic arm before moving to smash him against the ground. Not giving another second before pulling out his special handcuffs from his supply bag. Wrapping his arms behind Jack and closing them tight. "But I will be leaving with you. If you are what you say I can get sooo much money off of you."
Jack growled in pain on the ground. Pinned down as Rhys pinned his hands behind his back. Pausing as Rhys tugged him back onto his feet. "You weird, kinky fucker! Why do you even have these!"
"Sometimes I catch people for bounties. Whatever pays the best. And it's easier to handcuff someone then kill them. Well usually." Rhys remarked as he took a step back. Knowing Jack couldn't get too far with those cuffs on. "Now you said this was the New-U station? How do you turn them off?"
Jack snorted a laugh. "The machine's right here but you can't break into my firewall! I created it!" Jack yelled, growling as the hunter pulled up his mechanical hand. Firing up as the blue screen flashed above the metal palm of the hand. "You can't hack into it with that piece of-"
"Done." There was a loud flash on the screens of the computer. Lining with rows and rows of text as everything went dark for a moment. Then Jack heard it. They both did. The sound of the nearest station exploding.
"You fucker." Jack said though it sounded more astonished than pissed. "How the hell."
Rhys smirked before grabbing Jack by the handcuffs. "Let's get going. I don't have a lot of time to get to Sanctuary and get my cash."
"Sanctuary? They'll skin me alive there."
Rhys snorted as he dragged Jack out. Noting that he'd also shut down the security of the building, allowing him to drag the should be dead CEO out the front of the building and to his car. "That's the point." Rhys remarked before pushing the guy into the passenger's seat and heading over to hop into the driver's seat. "Everyone will pay big money to get a chance to kill you. Think they'll have a public execution? I'd think they would."
Jack glared at the bandit before he leaned back in the seat. Staring out the front of the car with a grim expression. Rhys took the silence as an achievement before taking off. Turning so that he could try to find a way out. To be fair, he had no idea how to get the hell out of this thing.
"You wouldn't happen to know how to get out of this valley, would you?"
Jack glanced over in both anger and bewilderment. "Are you kidding me? Did you?" Jack snorted before letting out a loud laugh. "Fuck did you just fall in here? Are you KIDDING me? You fell into this cliff and happened to find me?"
Rhys snorted and started to drive off. "Do you know how to get out, yes or no?"
Jack laughed for at least another minute. Rhys still had no idea how the guy could laugh so hard and not be immediately out of breath. When he finally settled down he rolled his eyes. "If you keep driving forward there will be an opening. There you can slip out and head up a small incline.
Rhys gave a nod. Speeding off at top speed down the path. A smile crossing his lips as he saw the mentioned path up ahead. "Thanks, now you better hold on tight, we've got a long, long ride together."
Jack only let out a grunt as he glared forward. Looking cross as they headed up, back onto the main desert of Pandora. Getting to Sanctuary would be quite the trip and lugging THE Handsome Jack with him sounded like it could present problems. But whatever was ahead of him. No matter what challenges the asshat in the passenger's seat gave him he was going to get Vaughn back. Even if it was the last thing he did.