A/N: Well, after a 3 day hiatus...HERE'S ANOTHER STORY! I had so much fun writing this chapter up! I hope you all enjoy this story as much as the last (maybe even more). This is going to be a KriegxMaya story, but there will be another pairing or two in here. Also, since this is a KriegxMaya based story, it's going to follow them mostly (I hope). But I spent like a week and a half fleshing out the new timeline/plot (yeah that's right, I've been planning this since about half way through the last one). So enjoy the first chapter of "Ghosts and Raiders".
Moxxi's bar was booming with excitement. It was the start of a new year. Everyone in sanctuary was swarmed under blurring lights and booming baselines as the excitement kept rising. Citizens bumped into one another without a care as their bodies thrashed about to the music. It really was something to celebrate, living a whole year on Pandora meant that you had survived another year without falling prey to bandits, skags, rakks, the skull shivers, and most importantly to Hyperion. But that was all over now. Handsome Jack was dead, the majority of Hyperion troops had either been killed or were left for dead out in the wastelands, and everything seemed about as right as it could get with the world.
"Alright. If I could just have everyone's attention." Roland declared, standing up on the bar counter. A wave of calmness seemed to wash over the crowd as the others fell silent and their eyes focused on the leader, "It's been one hell of a year. And I think you all know why. But we did it. We made it through another year. And maybe this one won't be as chaotic as the last." A chuckle floated around the room.
"SPEECH! SPEECH!" Salvador chanted, pumping his fist in the air.
"I'm getting there." Roland laughed, "Anyways. While it may have been a year of miracles, let's not forget our fallen." Everyone bowed their heads, and if one listened close enough, they would hear Mordecai utter the name "Bloodwing" under his breath, "With all that said and done, and the Vault Key ours, I think it's safe to say...good work everyone, here's to another year!" And with that the Soldier raised a bottle and laughed. The room erupted in cheers and laughter as the party started back up again with some nonsensical song from the eighties.
From outside the bar, CL4P-TP was propped up against a dumpster, pouring alcohol into his circuits.
"Seriously...is this what we're doing now? What the *Hic* is a 'Wang Chung' anyways?" The robot slurred as a Bandit-looking man strolled past him and into the building. He held a pistol down by his side and smoothly walked past the party-goers, ignoring their strange looks and suspicious glares.
In one swift motion the Bandit stopped behind Zer0-whom was sitting up at the bar -and pressed the barrel of his gun to the Assassin's helmet with a click. The crowd fell silent once more.
A florescent "LOL" popped up over the visor followed by a scoff as Zer0 rose from his seat to face his "attacker".
The man wasn't anyone worth noticing. Just the run of the mill Bandit who probably tried to mess around with the Fast-Travel and ended up in Sanctuary who was probably on some self-proclaimed suicide quest to fulfill some "greater destiny" he had thought up upon arriving. Zer0 glanced over the Bandit once, then twice, just to give the guy his five seconds of fame before wasting him. There was nothing really exciting, average over-layers of clothing, eccentric patched littered his chest—one of which being a really shitty looking ghost, and a face mask with two "scary" white eyes painted on it.
The Bandit dropped his gun when Zer0 drew his blade and fell to his knees. A chuckle echoed from the Assassin before he picked the unfortunate bandit up by the collar and hurled him into the dumpster outside.
" AHA! I give that ahhhhh…a nine!" Salvador laughed.
"No way! It was totally a ten! I think the guy shit himself!" Gaige corrected.
"Alright alright. Ten!"
Maya just rolled her eyes at her companions, shook her head, and smiled; glad to see everyone was having the time of their lives. She glanced around for a moment, looking for the head vault hunter, whom she found sitting at a booth with Lilith, the two of them talking and laughing all the while. The Siren focused he gaze on Roland who could feel her eyes burning into the side of his head. He turned to look at her. Maya made a pointing motion to the top of the roof and the Soldier nodded, allowing her access to wherever she was going.
The Siren hopped from her seat on the ledge of a booth and sauntered outside where she saw CL4P-TP woozily singing along to the song.
"Ayyyyyy where'ya goiiiin?" The annoying little robot slurred in a metallic laugh.
"Away from you." Maya retorted almost instantly, turning to face the ladder that led up to the top of the building. As the Siren scaled the ladder, she could hear a gruff humming-almost drowned out by the bass-come from the roof.
"Glad to see you're having a good time." She smiled, pushing herself up onto the platform.
Krieg was humming his own tune and doing what looked like a mix between the chicken dance and the cha cha slide. Even if it looked ridiculous, he was having fun and not murdering anyone. Maya brought a hand up to her mouth, trying to stifle her laugh.
"I SUMMONED THE GODDESS AND THE SKIES SMILED DOWN IN GRAAACE" The psycho grumbled, thrashing about with a jump-turn to face the Siren.
She couldn't hold it in, Maya burst out laughing, clutching her stomach as she nearly doubled over. Krieg instinctively ran over to the Siren, his eyes filled with worry. He cautiously held out his hands preparing to catch her if she should collapse.
"Damn...even her laugh is beautiful" The inner Krieg sighed," Hey. She's fine, give her space." But the motor half refused to budge.
Maya stabilized herself on the Psycho as her laughing subsided followed by a tear. It really was an adventure with him; Krieg was so unpredictable-usually in the positive sense of the word-that he kept her on edge. The Siren regained her composure and stood up straight, tucking a stray hair behind her ear.
"I wish you could come down into the bar, but-"
"We're afraid we might hurt someone."
"-you might accidently hu...I mean...make everyone jealous with your awesome dance skills." Maya corrected herself, unsure if the mention of harming others might trigger some reaction.
"Ask her to stay for a bit, company's always nice. Just don-"
"POUND DOWN, MAKE 'EM BLEEEED"
"...do that."
The Siren raised a brow and cocked her head slightly. Krieg stepped back a pace and sat down, harshly patting his hand down on the roof, signaling Maya to take a seat. Maya complied and found a spot next to the Psycho.
"WASSAP SHAWTIES?" Tiny Tina's voice called as she found her way up on the roof, "I tells ya, that is one sick party goin on!" The thirteen-year-old munched on a slice of pizza she had taken, eyeing up the two vault hunters and smirking, "Well well. What have we heeeere?" The demolitions expert began rattling off on some tale about "Madam Laquan-Shaquisha" and her husband and how they met.
"Calm...Down...I can't...We know her...Don't we...yes...I feel..." The stern inner voice began to falter. Krieg kept shaking his head, a soft painful groan passing his lips, his breathing became labored and he grabbed his head.
"-An so I's all...Hey...is he...okay?" Tina asked, all bravado now gone from her voice as she took a few steps back toward the ladder, ready to flee.
"Tina...I think he needs to be alone for a little. Okay?" Maya asked, her left hand twitching, preparing to Phase Lock her friend to keep him from going on a rampage.
"Yeah...Uh...See ya shawty..." Tina scaled down the ladder and back into the bar where the party was as lively as ever.
"Heya Roland?" Ellie asked, pushing her way through the crowd toward the leader of the Raiders, "Imma get goin' I think Scooter's tryin' ta make a move and stuff."
Roland waved his hand, "It was great to see you Ellie. Happy new year."
"You too." She bade farewell before heading out of the bar and to the station.
"Sooo...You really think this year is going to be better than the last?" Lilith asked, taking a sip of cola.
"Well I don't think it could get much worse." Roland replied with a smile. The Firehawk shrugged and rapped her knuckles against the table.
"So you don't jinx us." She clarified in which Roland let out a soft "ah" with a nod. The Soldier turned his head to look at the crowd, and to avoid the awkward tension around him and the Siren.
Axton and Salvador were having a staring contest of sorts while arm wrestling. The dwarf spat in his opponents face causing the Commando to slug him in the jaw. The two brawled it out for a moment or two before resuming their previous battle of strength. Mordecai was slouched over in the corner of the bar, going for a new record of bottles downed before he passed out in an alcoholic coma; it was a surprise that he hadn't gone into liver failure yet. Zer0 was in the back by the Jukebox drumming his fingers to the rhythm of the beat, a bright music note bobbed in front of his visor. Gaige was proudly telling her own tales of her beloved Death-Trap to Brick who had a sleeping Tina curled up against his arm.
"Yeah. You're right. This will be a good year." Lilith sighed contently, patting her companion on the shoulder.
The voices of the crowd were drowned out by the music, all voices but one.
"DAMN IT SCOOTER! WHAT'DYA DO TO THE FAST TRAVEL?" Ellie screamed at her brother, storming back into the bar and swatting him upside the head.
"Gahhh! I din't do nothin Els. NOOOOTHIN! It's prolly just actin up. I'll look at it after the FIREWORKS!" The mechanic emphasized his last word.
"Why yes Sir Reginald...I-FIREWORKS!" Tina was startled from her slumber, "RIGHT-O!" The spunky teen hopped from the booth and skipped outside.
After Krieg's little episode, he and Maya sat in silence as he recovered to the best of his ability. Both sides of the Psycho felt bad for his outburst, the calmer "saner" side felt bad for nearly blacking out over something so stranger, and the obnoxious "insane" side just felt bad for scaring his "pretty blue lady". The Siren on the other hand was trying to piece together why her companion reacted so strangely, maybe he still hadn't gotten over scaring Tina that one time? Maybe he had a bad incident with smaller people? Maybe he was just bad with kids? Who knew? And since he couldn't use his words very well, Maya was left guessing.
Krieg glanced over at the woman sitting next to him and let out an inaudible sigh. Without any warning, the Psycho draped his arm around the Siren, making her jolt and look up at him, but Krieg just stared off into the distance as if he wasn't doing anything.
"5...4...3...2...1!" A collective chant echoed around Sanctuary.
Rockets shot up in the sky, illuminating the dark expanse with florescent color. Krieg jumped to his feet and threw his fist in the air.
"BURN! BURN THE SKY! HAHAHA! SO RED! LIKE BLOOD!" He cackled.
More and more explosions lit up the night sky, earning cheers from the crowd. Green streaked the sky, orange danced, blue erupted. Huge flowering bursts, long streaming glitter trails, and flash bangs nearly deafened everyone in a mile radius of the bar. Smoke drifted away like the ghosts of last year. The scent of gun powder and burnt paper filled the air. It truly was something to celebrate.
One final rocket went off, the explosion in the shape of the Vault symbol, hollers and cheers erupted, applause boomed like thunder.
"Happy New Year's Sanctuary." Roland saluted and smiled.
A/N: Weoop! Fluff. Cuteness, all that jazz. Explosions. Cookie points to those who get what this first chapter is based off of. This series is going to start out a little slow, but with reasons. I hope you enjoyed. If you did, leave a review. Share it with others, share the meaty-bicycle love.
-Ryzi
