A New Face & A New Twist To The Story

The explosion somewhat heated them before landing into the thick snow. Maya was the first one up out of the blistering cold snow, then Axton. 'You okay?' Axton asked the siren, 'Yeah, just a scarred pride.' She said getting a laugh from the Commando. Axton helped Zero up as Maya tried her best to wrap her arms around Salvador's arm. The four stood up to look at the wreckage, Sal was the first to speak up with a whistle. 'Dayum homes, that some cold shit.' He said looking at the inferno of a train. 'When are we allowed to kill Jack?' Maya asked, 'When we find him, track him then kill him…wait…what's that?' Axton said pointing. Everyone looked up at…a second train.

But this one had a man on top of it. He was dressed in a dark yellow shirt. A single strap backpack, a belt that went to his right hip to his left thigh holding a nice pistol, black boots that met his whole calf and black combat jeans. He was shooting at combat engineers and the big Hyperion robots, he was handling himself pretty well, the weapon he was using at the moment was an assault rifle that was silver, Vladof make they thought. He was just unloading clip after clip into the oncoming hoards of enemies.

He was moving back as they advanced towards him, a combat engineer ran after him, the man in dark yellow used his shoulder and flipped the half robot half man on his back onto the roof of the train and stomped on his skull. 'Damn. This guy is going hard.' Maya said admiring the man in his bravery. 'Guys? Hey, guys forget something?' Gaige said trying to get her foot out of the snow. Zero ran over and helped her up, she looked at the scene of the man on the train.

The man looked like he ran out of ammo, he pulled out a thick rod that fit neatly in his hand, it morphed into a combat knife and he stabbed at the next oncoming enemy, then it morphed into a sword as his rifle disappeared into his backpack. He showed skill, elegance and respect in his use of the katana similar to the one Zero carried, but the man's was gold, like the rest of his equipment. He looked as he swung a paint brush along a delicate canvas. Zero was glued to the man as soon as his katana appeared. Axton tugged on Maya's arm before he piped up, 'We have to go now.' He said trying to turn away from the man. 'Why what's wrong?' Maya asked him putting her hand in his. 'That man is part of an elite commando squad, highly dangerous and extremely unpredictable. I know, they are the only ones with that prototype, the golden rod.' He said, but just as he finished the train ran over us, then exploded along the track.

The five companions armed and equipped after their meet and greet at Sanctuary. Roland sent them to find the "Firehawk" or something like that. The five hunters waltz into very bad neighborhood, especially for girls. But they held their own.

Blood splattering the rock and dirt, bodies falling into the ground, bullets falling until a soft TINK! On the rocky earth and pain. Lots of pain. Axton crouched behind a rock while Zero snipped from a few feet away, then Sal came in praying and spraying but carving a nice window for Maya to come in and splatter most of the remaining bandits. She used her powers causing her tattoos to glow a bright sky blue. Then Gaige making sure no bandits were left.

They jogged slowly and gingerly into new areas covering most of their corners and surroundings. This was routine for Axton, up down left to right, it was the life style of a soldier. More bandits as they made way into the lair of the Firehawk. A hoard of bandits and thugs made way to them. They all sprang into formation and shot at the oncoming shit-for-brains. Bodies falling, bullets tinking, steady breathes and pounding heartbeats filled the ears of them. They reloaded and no bandits were left. Then Badass Psychos ran at them from nowhere, before they could react they all flew away hitting the metal of the floor.

They looked up to see the Psychos dead and a…siren? In the middle of the room.

'Alright let's get moving. This place gives me the fucking creeps.' Axton said getting the six hunters moving. Lilith was the name the Siren had; she was a friend of Roland's so they could trust her. They moved in a pack and just before they pressed the fast travel, they heard a man yell. And like the good little hunters they were, they went to look for the sound. They all looked through scopes of snipers to see what was going on. Bandits had captured somebody. The man had black burnt bits of T-Shirt on his shirt. His head was covered but his shirt was mostly covered with black burnt marks and holes. They pushed the man to his knees and lifted the bag off his head. Axton caught his breath, t was the man.

Before Axton could say anything he was hit over the head with an object.

He had awoken to see him, Salvador and Zero on their knees next to the Hyperion Commando whose eyes were closed. Axton looked up to see the women being taken from them. Lilith and Maya were somehow un-able to use their powers at the moment while the men had secured, and Axton had no idea how in the holy hell they did it, Deathtrap. Gaiges robot. Axton leaned forward to feel his hands bound by rope. He leaned forward again, 'Get your fucking hands off of them!' He screamed to the bandits, one bandit walked over to Axton and slapped him. The bandit pulled his hair back and whispered into his ear, 'Ello mate. You see, were going to have a bit of fun with the lasses while you boys watch then kill you and keep the lasses for…"personal" matters.' He said laughing. He had an Australian accent, Axton grit his teeth as they were just about to tear the clothing off the girls, when the Hyperion Commando jumped onto his feet and opened his eyes.

The Bandits made way towards him, the highly trained Elite soldier was already moving to action before they could think of teamwork. He had used his shoulder and bashed a guy in the head then kicked his knee out from under him and kicked him in the head making his head fly into the rock walk smashing his head open. They pointed their guns at him, he looked around and kicked a table up so the bullets had a thin layer of some kind of…wall. The commando jumped in the air after running along a wall and kicked a bandit in the face causing him to shoot one of his fellow bandits dead. The man head-butted another bandit and kneed him in the balls before kneeing his head into the wall, then rolling on the, now flat table, and jumping to get his hands in front of him.

He caught a bandits head and brought it along his knee and stomped on his head. Then the last bandit held out a weird looking glowing device, he pulled the trigger and three prongs flung out towards the commando but he was too quick, he had moved his body away causing the metal prongs to just skim his cheek and log themselves into the wall. The commando used his hands to punch the bandit in the gut then elbow him so he looked at the commando while covering his nose, then the commando looped his hands around the bandit's neck and snapped it.

The commando was breathing heavy with sweat dripped down his shortish long brown hair, he crouched by a body of a bandit and found his metal rod in his hand. It morphed into a knife and he cut his way out of his bindings. He went to the table he left untouched and took back his belongings even the earpiece that was hooked into his back. He cocked his pistol and holstered it in his thigh holster and cocked the pin of the Vladof assault rifle and was about to move on when Maya had whelped.

He stopped in his tracks and made his rifle disappear. Axton grit his teeth when the man neared Maya, he jumped from his hole in the dirt and ran after the man. The man had flipped Axton via arm, onto his back and pressed his hand on his shoulder about to break it before, 'No!' Maya screamed, she regretted it when the man let Axton go. He walked behind Maya, 'Don't you fucking touch her! You here me? I'll kill y-' Axton was cut off by the man's rough voice. It was deep but just about close to Axtons voice. 'Hush up Axton. Im cutting her bindings.' He said cutting through the rope that was bounding Maya. Maya had used her strength and crawled over to Axton taking him in her arms.

He cut through everyone's bindings when he got to Lilith. She stared at the man, glowy eyed and sort of…whelped back in fear. He caught her arm gently and cut her free, she looked in his pale brown eyes, and he brushed some dirt from her lip and got her on her feet. 'The rope kept you from using your powers, its new Hyperion tech on trying to capture sirens. Then bandits are ruthless, they rape, kill and torture all prisoners except the men.' He said. Everyone stared at him, until finally someone broke the silence. 'What do they do to the men?' Salvador asked, the man looked up into the sky with his back turned to the hunters then he looked back at them. He pointed towards some crosses, holding men up with nails through their hand and feet and…"male" reproductive organs inside the orifice that we eat with. When everyone looked they turned away just as fast, 'They put us on a journey of suffering and agony then…rid of us like bags of empty flesh.' He said.

The hunters got their equipment, they whispered amongst themselves about the man, but Lilith was still starring at the man. 'Y-Y-You want to come with us?' She asked, everyone looked at her as she shrunk down to size. 'I work on my own now, to avenge my family and re-take my honor from Jack.' He said looking back at them, 'Were going to kill Jack too. Just…if you do join…you have to talk to Roland.' Gaige said piping up. 'Roland? You man Roland the Captain of the Crimson Raiders Roland?' He asked, 'Yeah…why?' Axton said getting the courage. 'I was going to meet him.' He said.

The now seven companions made it to Sanctuary, they all walked together. Maya was close to Axton, Sal talking to Zero as Gaige was talking to Lilith leaving the Hyperion to himself. Lilith slowed down to match the speed of the Hyperion, 'You know, we can't keep calling you Commando or Hyperion. You have to have a name.' She said looking at the man; he was a few feet taller than Lilith so she was looking up at him. 'My name is Harley but my friends called me Hex.' He said looking at the siren, smiling. 'Okay Hex. Im-' She was cut off, 'Your Lilith, that's Maya, that's Salvador, that's Zero, that's Gaige and that's Axton.' He said looking down at her again, her mouth slightly open. 'I had dossiers on all of you. Before…before…' He never finished, Lilith had stopped and placed her hand on his arm. She squeezed his arm feeling his muscles and caressing his arm. 'Before I was cut.' He said looking at her, she was confused but she thought to ask Axton or Roland for a military term.

They walked into HQ and were greeted by Roland. Roland had made his way to Hex and looked at him and grit his teeth. 'Hyperion, you brought Hyperion here?' He asked looking at them, 'He saved our lives and is willing to join our cause.' Axton said sitting down on the couch. Everyone found a spot to relax, while Hex stood looking at Roland. 'He saved your lives? So you can vouch for him?' He asked, everyone nodded. 'I see you have proven yourself, but you have yet to prove your trust with me.' He said walking to the tactics board.

Everyone was taking it easy after having gown through a mission. Axton and Salvador played video games, as Gaige and Maya were talking and giggling and Lilith and Roland were talking. Hex and Zero were nowhere to be seen. Axton had found Zero meditating in his room, and Hex sitting on the balcony roof right outside of the balcony of the HQ. Roland took this as an opportunity. He called a quick discreet meeting, 'I don't know about this guy. I mean Hyperion?' He said out towards his followers who sat down on chairs where Tannis worked. 'He saved our skins and proved himself in the battlefield…twice.' Gaige said holding out her hand. 'I know but…Im getting bad vibes from him.' Roland said again, 'So am I. But we have to look on the side of availability. We need recruits, he can get us things and places as an inside man and plus he can be a huge asset to the team.' Axton said, Roland thought without speaking and made his decision. 'We'll keep him. But we have to be cautious.' He said, Lilith squealed in happiness. She cleared her throat, 'I mean…uhh…yeah okay sure.' She tried hiding her later outburst.

They all got up and Hex had dropped down from the roof, 'Nice night.' He took off his shirt, his dog tags were dangling in view, somehow they had missed them. 'And good idea for the cautious part, that was my favorite part, but im not going to sell you out. I was burnt like you two, I want the same revenge as you two. Jack is a heartless creature who gets his kicks on killing innocent people.' Hex said walking behind them then turning to face them. He turned and walked away downstairs.

As darkness filled the sky, white specs of stars looked like little faces in the skies as well as the moon that replaced the yellow inferno that lit the world. Axton slept on a bed as Maya slept close nearby, Salvador slept on another bunk bed, Gaige took the top bunk over Sal, Roland usually found some odd place to sleep. Lilith found the couch, like always, and Zero a chair with the red insignia floating mere inches from his helmet. But on remained, Hex was sitting over the edge of the balcony. His feet dangled in the air with his hands firmly on the stone so he wouldn't fall off. He looked up in the sky, just…staring. He sat there….thinking of what had happened to him. The horror and pain that he was forced to carry on his shoulders by Jack.

Jack trusted Hex before, until he thought of him as a loose end that needed to be cut. Hex wasn't always the smart, self-defensive multifunctional fifty-five million dollar killing machine Hyperion had trained him and expected of him to be. No…Jack pushed him into that position. Jack took away everything from him and gave nothing but innocent blood, agony, pain and thirst for revenge. Jack made Hex who he is. And Hex embraced it.

The helicopters blade spun around above their heads. 'Five minutes!' The pilot screamed back at the Hyperion soldiers. Men dressed in golden battle armor and weapons were sitting on their chosen seats. 'Hey Harley? How's the sister and daughter?' James asked him. James had been Harley's friend from boot camp and they've stuck together almost inseparable. Harley's wife died of contracted illness and he had to pay of medical debts…forcing him into the armed forces.

'There fine. She'll turn thirteen in about two hours.' He told him through the headsets they were given. Harley took out a picture of a young girl hugging him, she was just barely holding onto him with her arms around his neck as he held her for the photo. Both laughing. He kissed the picture and put it in his pocket. 'Don't worry, we'll get through this.' James said to him patting his arm. Harley let his head back and it hit the metal of the helicopter to try and get some comfort before going into a battle that everyone even the man who sent them in, thought they weren't going to come out. This somehow…comforted Harley to know that if he got out of this he would get close to his next promotion from private third class to lance corporal. He would go straight up to lance corporal. Nothing stopping him…except death.

The green light over their heads turned to red. Everyone knew what this meant, the team cocked their weapons letting a fresh round into the chamber. Everybody worked as one, making sure they had everything they needed. When they got someone to check, that person would hit their head signaling they were good and then changed positions to make sure they were ready. Whenever one was sure, the hatch slowly opened as they got into formation.

'Okay men. This is a battle we were sent to finish, a battle were thought not to come out of. Let's show them otherwise, fight hard, stick together and keep your fucking heads down.' The Lieutenant said getting their blood pumping and ready to go to war. The buzzer went off, everyone tensed up. A roar of the first man in formation signaled the attack. Everyone ran out with at least one man next to them.

The bridge by T-Bone Junction was half was crumpled to nothing as Hyperion tried to exterminate Atlas Corps. Along with their joint ally the Crimson Lance. Old broken down cars used as cover as bodies bleed out to die and water the sands underneath the asphalt, bullets falling to the ground with the same old satisfying sound as ever. And screams…screams of friends, brothers and enemies filled the air. War was upon them.

Harley took a car next to James, as cover. They popped out of cover once and while to fire upon the enemy taking over the planet. James fired at a soldier advancing. Harley fired at a group and tossed a grenade. Blowing the Crimson Lance soldiers to bits, arms, legs even heads flew past them. Then they moved up as the pushed them back further up the bridge and away from T-Bone Junction. More bodies and blood, pain, suffering and death. The life they chose or that was chosen for them was a hard one to live with. Especially when friends die.

Harley fired at a huddled group of mixed Atlas and Crimson soldiers. But he didn't notice the man that flanked him from the left, James looked at the man and took action. Tackling him to the ground skimming Harley. Harley looked over as his friend struggled with the enemy, but prevailed as he took off the enemies helmet and caved in his skull with the enemies own helmet. James looked up breathing hard on his knees; he spread his arms out and let out a howl of victory in the sky. Then he turned to Harley smiling, Harley smiled back but the incoming rocket interrupted the friendship in victory. Missiles had come from the sky and littered the battlefield making sure no one was left.

A rocket had blown James in half and over the bridge, the explosion burnt Harley and James alike. But Harley was blocked by James and was blown to the side with his armor tearing of his body. His helmet broke in mid-flight along with his chest-plate, arm platting and greaves. Harley was disoriented. He tore off his helmet and tired to stand. He looked over to T-Bone Junction that was a fiery smoke in the distance. Along with other spots in the distance, most of which leading towards Fryestone and other known places that were now…gone. Hyperion super-troopers repelled down with Handsome Jack and his new attire. They shot Atlas and Lance survivors as if they were dogs. They even shot down Hyperion soldier down…alike. Harley looked to his bottom right hand corner of his eye to see his Lieutenant crawling with half his helmet burnt into his skull and half his bottom torso gone with a blood trail leading behind him.

His CO had stretched out his arm to his fellow soldier under his command and spat out blood then a low mumble between ragged breaths and gurgled blood, one word managed to slip out from his lips…run. Just before Harley could say anything a bullet had pierced his CO's head and made his brains meet the black road of the highway. Harley looked around and saw a metal cord that snapped, it supported the bridge, and used threw it over the edge of the bridge. He had grasped the stone and pulled himself over and grabbed onto the metal cord as he fell down to the hard sand.

Halfway down the makeshift rope he fell flat on his back. Harley woke up with him being drug from his man made crater. His arms were extended out and firmly grasped by Hyperion slaves. As Harley looked back he saw his so-called brothers pick up James from the ground and throw him in a bag like trash. Harley was distracted as they propped him on his knees and let him go. The two soldiers had moved away and raised their golden assault rifles at him, Harley looked up with his bloodied face and blackened eye. Jack looked at him, 'Hey.' Jack said trying to get Hex's attention as he looked around. 'I said hey!' He screamed punching Harley making him fall and spit out blood making the sand run red around him. 'The lone survivor huh? Well we'll have to change that.' Jack said as one of his soldiers took out his pistol and pressed it to Harley's head, 'Or you can join me and retake your honorable position in a very classified operation and become one of the first Hyperion Morphers? It's up to you…man these pretzels taste like shit.' Jack said shoveling a hand full of pretzels in his mouth.

Harley thought, he thought about James and his daughter and his sister. Then the way Jack made his new slaves put his brothers down like bags of nothing. He was about to make up his mind when, 'Sense you seem to live through my little bombing run and pretty much the impossible, if you ask me, you are fit to serve again.' Jack said, then motioned his hand towards his soldiers to get Harley back off from the ground. They had put Harley on his feet and let him walk at least until he fell to his knees, 'Sir, The new recruit is still disoriented and can barely walk. What should we do sir?' The soldier asked Jack, 'Pick him up and help him. Give him the mercy, soon he will never be shown mercy again and will forever be in pain.' Jack said still eating his pretzels. The soldier placed Harley down into a helicopter and strapped in down into a chair ever so gently.

Hex was brought of the flashback by a hand on his bare shoulder. He looked over to see Lilith and her red hair standing behind him in a bra and panties. 'Dude, come in its freezing.' She said still squinting. Hex smiled and got down, he helped Lilith back into HQ and pressed the button to shut the balcony doors. 'Now I can't see..' Lilith said, Hex took out his golden rod and it morphed into a lantern in his hand. 'Thanks.' She said, she was still cold shivering in Hex's eyes, she rubbed her arms together as she painfully walked over to the steps. Hex had to show something to help her or they would be no where by the time the sun came up. He had placed the lantern on the wall, his golden lantern had sprouted its own wooden bar to keep the lantern from falling on the ground. Hex had hugged Lilith into his chest to warm her at least a small portion. I mean a friend would hug another friend in freezing cold degrees illuminated by lantern light…right?

She had frozen in his chest, not able to move, talk her breath had caught in her throat making it hard to speak and breathe. Hex had hugged her and she had no idea how to react. He let go and stepped away, 'I…Im sorry. I was just trying to help. I didn't mean it to get so…weird.' He said looking at her. He hadn't ever had the luxury to be around women let alone hug one or even go on a date for about 6 years. He had lost count and could not remember holding a woman in his arms..since…since his wife and daughter had been died. Lilith looked at him, this time she was the one confused. But she showed gratitude and took his rough hand in hers and wrapped it around her back along with his other hand. She hugged him back taking all the heat from him she needed. She felt comforted and…safe. She pressed her head into his chest, Hex's breath now caught his throat didn't come out. He only snuggled his head in her red hair. He had used one arm to grab the lantern and walk down stairs with her in the other.

Hex had tucked her in with her blanket on the couch. She had snuggled in her warm blanket as Hex started to walk away, both of the two unaware of the figure looking at them from the top of the steps, then the figure vanished as Hex started to walk up the steps. He had found a blanket and pillow and laid them out on the floor and laid down. He touched his golden rod and the lantern flame extinguished. The dark figure looked at Hex from the corner of the room, just staring at him with his night-vision eyes. The figures eyes were white around the brown cornea, it stared at Hex then vanished away again…