Hey everyone :)
This story assumes you've read my Handsome Jack backstory rewrite known as The End. If you haven't, here's a summary:
The ending of BL2 was wrong and dumb. A better ending would have been revealing that Jack is a siren. That way I can canonically write in a shower scene and the lunar satellite can end up blowing up.
Fade from black to the inside of a cage made of H-tech. The view focuses on a simple reclined chair made of what looks like scrap metal welded together. The chair faces a pool of brightly glowing slag. There is a table next to the chair. A wine glass and bottle are on the table.
"Oh, good. You're awake."
The camera pans around. It's Maya inside the cage. And it's Jack in the chair.
Jack reaches over, picks up the wine glass, and takes a sip.
A pause.
"Or maybe not. Heh."
"Urgh... what did... ugh... what did you do to me?"
Jack grins. He downs the rest of the wine and hauls himself to his feet.
"Oh, good, you really are awake this time."
Hysteria begins to rise in Maya. "Let me out of here, now." She tries to stand up.
"Ah ah ah ah, you shouldn't stand up right now. You're going to be a bit light headed."
"What did you DO?"
Jack falters. He drops his over the top smile and instead stares at the ground.
"It was an accident."
"... An accident? What?"
"Here, I'll explain everything in a bit. Let me get you out of there."
Maya tenses up. "... You're going to set me free?"
"Yeah. Is that a problem?"
"..."
"Look, we're the only ones here. It's an island, Maya. And there's only one way off - a ship that only my bio-signature can fly. You're stuck here, so the cage is kind of redundant."
"I could... ugh... I could swim..."
"Yeah, no. The slag pollution's so intense here you'd fry. Even I can't touch the stuff for too long."
Maya at this point grimaces and collapses. Jack cringes. He grabs the wine glass again, dumps the rest on the ground, and dips it in the slag. He frowns a bit, turns away, and takes a sip.
Maya's eyes widen.
"Did you just... drink slag?"
"You don't?"
"Of course I don't!"
"Right, right. You're a purist, aren't you. Lilith could learn a thing from you, you know."
Jack laughs a little. Maya is visibly angered.
"You shut up about Lilith, you asshole."
"Hey, at least I'm not dying of Eridium poisoning. Could be worse, pumpkin."
"... what..."
"Have you seen her recently? I mean, sure, it's boosting her powers, but the stuff she's using isn't pure. It's addictive, and it's eating away at her inside. I'd tell her to swap to pure Eridium, rather than the unprocessed crap she's using, but apparently shooting her boyfriend in the chest means I'm not allowed to give advice."
Maya looks like she's about to say something, but stops.
"This stuff, on the other hand... it's pure, processed and safe. And a hellova lot more effective, too." He takes another sip.
He walks over to the cage and presses the release. The cage is stuck, though. After a few more button presses, he sighs heavily, steps to the front of the cage, and rips a huge hole in the side with his hand.
"Get up, Maya."
"Ugh... how did you just..."
"I'm trying to explain that. Please, let's talk, okay?"
Maya's eyes flicker open, and focus on Jack. She leaps to her feet, and spends her remaining energy diving toward Jack.
As soon as her hands touch him, her pupils dilate.
Jack's right eye suddenly starts to shine with purple and pink light. Purple and pink tattoos glow through his clothes. His left eye doesn't glow, but a ring of tattoos around it does.
Maya starts to scream in terror.
"NO!" Jack grabs Maya's hands and tears them off his chest. He lets go and staggers back. His eye and tattoos slowly fade back to normal.
Maya snaps back to reality and falls away.
"I'm so sorry. I tried to warn you... I tried..." Jack trails off.
"You... you're a siren..."
"... Yeah."
"Oh my god."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't even try it."
"No, I am. Really."
"..." Maya slowly lowers herself to the ground. She sighs upon sitting down. She stares straight ahead into the pool of Eridium.
Jack looks forlornly at the Eridium, then sits down on the ground near Maya.
They sit in silence. Jack finally blurts out "do you mind if I tell you a story?"
Maya closes her eyes. "Only if you tell me what you did."
"I'm trying."
"Then tell me the story."
"Okay."