Chapter 2: Painkillers
"WHAT THE FUCK!" Mordecai screamed.
There came a rapping at the door.
I slammed my hands over my mouth had I really been that loud?
"Mordi you alright?" Came a voice from the corridor. Sounded like Lilith.
I didn't have the words to speak right now, too many things to deal with at once.
"Mordi if you don't answer I'm coming in!"
Oh shit... "I'm fine!" I scrambled up grabbing my goggles -don't think about it, don't think about it- and pulling them over my eyes. Opening the door enough to slip my head through but obscure the rest of the room.
"See perfectly fine" I gave her a tired grin "Just a ...bad dream is all"
She gave me a sceptical look before her eyes wandered down and replaced that scepticism with a grin of her own.
"Been a while since I saw that, this close"
I slammed the door and hid behind it, you remember your goggles but not your pants. Good job me.
"Go away Lil"
"Okay but you don't know what you're missing" she laughed "meeting in the map room in an hour. Don't be late, AGAIN!" and she walked away.
I slid down the door and ran a hand through my naturally messy hair. If I close my eyes tight enough maybe the images will go away...while I appreciate the effort brain, pictures of Lilith are NOT what I wanted.
I felt a weight on my shoulder and a familiar humming noise to accompany it. The same melody that Blood used to do to calm me down.
"Hey Blood" I mumbled to no one in particular
the humming stopped
"Yes Mordi?"
"Have I finally lost it?"
"Probably"
I turned and there she was, that girl, resting her head on my shoulder.
Took me about 10 seconds of staring for it to register in my brain.
I blinked and backwards crabbed my way across the floor.
"...who?"
Her excited expression finally dropped.
"Don't you recognise me Mordi?"
Of course I knew who it was; you don't tend to forget someone you've spent every day with for 17 years. But that was the problem, because
"I distinctly remember a certain someone being a bird yesterday."
"Oh right that... I had some time to think while you were asleep. I think it has something to do with the vault we opened a couple years ago" she flexed her fingers in front of her face with a rather cute curiosity.
At this point I had stopped freaking out enough to find myself some trousers and sat cross-legged across from...Bloodwing.
"Could it have been the eridium? Lilith did seem a bit different after that...but that was years ago. So why now?"
The girl...blood...gods this is weird... SHE gave a small smile.
"No idea. If it can do what it did to you then...it might affect me too...?"
"..."
"Sore topic?"
I nod. Short flashes of that year run through my head, you'd think I'd be over it by now...that dream certainly didn't help.
"You need a new name"
"What?"
"A new name. It might be weird calling you blood now you look like...this" I gesture to her new humanoid form.
"Oh...hmmm" she's surprisingly cute when she pulls that 'thinking' face. "How aboooout...Robin! You used to love them when we were back home."
"Sticking with the bird names are we?"
She pouted "you got a problem with that?"
I couldn't help but laugh.
"No, you're right actually, I quite like it"
"I guess that's that then"
"Hm, now we just need to figure out what to tell the others"
I stood and offered her a hand
"Am I gonna have to teach the lady to walk?"
She took my hand stuck her tongue out. "Shush you"
After a short session on basic movement skills and adorning more acceptable attire on both our parts (I still have some of lilIths 'old' clothes in a pile in the corner probably should give them back sometime, except that jumper. The far-too-long sleeves increase Robin's adorability) we stared at the door exiting the room.
"Robin... Wait outside the room till I mention you to come in. I'd rather have them in a good mood before I try to explain this and something goes wrong."
"I'm sure you'll be fine Mordi" she hugged me tightly, for a vicious killer my girl is very huggy, and we walked out of my room. Heading downstairs to HQ I left Robin itching at the new clothes by the door.
"So the drunkard finally decides to join us" Lilith said as I walked in.
"Amiga you know you're just as hung-over as me, which is a feat considering I'm always hung-over"
"Would you two shut it for a minute? We need to discuss something" Roland said.
I rolled my eyes "Yes boss"
I leant against the wall near the door, taking in the map room.
It's been the most part of 5 years since we opened the vault and we all have our separate missions now, but we still get together at HQ for our 'valter-versary'. Cheesy I know but on this blasted planet it's nice to celebrate something once in a while. This 'after meeting' was designed for reporting our progress over the past year or so but usually consisted of a speech by Roland and the rest of us swapping dumb stories, so the seriousness of Roland's tone kinda worried me... and I still feel ill from that dream.
"Mordecai? You in there?"
"Huh?" I blinked to Roland waving his hand in front of my face
"Oh good your still awake" he grinned and walked to his spot around the table, near Brick who stood intimidatingly by the balcony.
"Yeah sorry... Kinda distracted right now"
"Mhm...well as I was saying Jacks been getting more ambitious in finding this supposed 'second vault' and I have reason to believe he's sent a call out for 'new vault hunters'. So far none have arrived on Pandora, but it's only a matter of time." He sighed "Personally I don't fancy getting our ass's stomped by giant robots again and seeing as we have no information other than this, all we can do is wait for them to come. Anyway on to other matters, report time!" He sounded a lot more relaxed when he said that. That makes me all the more nervous.
"Crimson raider numbers have increased since last time blah blah-blah-blah..."
BORING. Next please.
"Lilith"
"Bandits and psycho-cultists still setting fire to each other"
"Right. Brick?"
"No problem with my Slabs. Rick got stuck in a fridge so we kicked it around. Fun times."
"Invite me next time huh?"
Brick grinned. This is terrifying on a guy his size.
I swear time must have slowed or something when Roland turned to me, I could chalk it up to the drinks last night but the pit in my stomach tells me I'm freaking out. I put the back of my head against the wall and I could hear Robins soft humming again. I couldn't help a small smile, its gunna be fine Mordi.
"Mordecai? Man stop zoning out on us"
"Oh right sorry. My turn right?"
"Yeeeees"
I looked to the doorway before turning back to face them.
"Nothing much going on at the Tundra and all the info I have I send to you anyway. But...I err...how do I say this... have some other news...don't freak out okay?"
Roland looked concerned.
"Does this have to do with your zoning out?"
"Kinda...I guess it's related, although this is a lot more erm physical..."
Lilith gave a confused smirk "what?"
"NOT LIKE-Lilith why are you always-just-UGH let's just get this over with" I sighed. "Robin...can you come in please."
And with that she peeked round the door frame, with questioning, mildly terrified eyes
"Blood, please" I whisper
She walked in, bee lining straight to hide behind me hugging my arm. Damn it she's too cute.
I gently reposition her in front of me and ruffle her hair.
Finally daring a look at my co-workers I receive a mix of bewilderment and flat out confusion.
"Well at least you're not freaking out. That's good. Um okay... Guys this is Robin..."
Maybe I should clarify something. For almost all of the time I've known these guys, Brick had been the closest to Blood. Makes sense, after all he used to have a Dog. Anyway it didn't particularly surprise me when she ran over to him (slightly stumbling over her own feet on the way) and hugged him.
"I've always wanted to hug you Bricky! Wow you're like a big muscle-y bear! HUGGING IS SO FUN!"
"Robin" I said a bit more sternly than I'd meant to "Hugging the confused people with the guns and the muscles without warning is not a good idea!"
Drooping her head she turned to face me
"But Mooooordiiiiiii"
Before she could finish whatever she would have said Bricks arms had closed around her in a bear hug of his own. His usually deep and aggressive tone was suddenly calm, almost...happy?
"This is certainly an unexpected new trick little bird" he's a rather accepting guy under the blood fueled rage.
"...Bloodwing is a GIRL?" Roland rather rudely interrupted this weirdly beautiful moment.
"THAT'S what you choose to freak out about? Really Ro. Yes, she's always been a girl, but this uh... new form is recent, we don't really know why"
Lilith who had been remarkably quiet until now spoke.
"Is it Eridium related?"
Robin peeked over Bricks massive arms.
"I considered it, but this should have happened sooner if it was with all the radi-"
"ROBIN"
"-er...er... Radical powers Lilith got from it..." She stammered retreating back into the safety of the meat shield.
Lilith turned and gave me one of the most stomach turning looks since I broke up with her.
"While that may be true, that is clearly not what Robin here was going to say. So." She turned back to Robin.
"Care to retry that sentence killer?"
"...With all the radiation coming off me" Fuck, I hate being sober.
Wide eyes across the room all point at me. "What?"
"Mordi..." Robin whispers
"It's fine Blood" I sigh. "I suppose it's better to get it out there. To be honest I'm surprised no one found out till now"
Roland voiced his concern. "Wait. What radiation?"
Robin swaps her human meat shield in favour of my trembling hand.
"Mordi, don't. You'll just make yourself sick from the light"
"I'll deal with it. Always have" With closed eyes I tear off my goggles and let out a shaky laugh. "Took you seventeen years to take these off in public and you can't even do it with a tad bit of confidence"
I will my eyes to open and they do. The glowing purple absorbs the scene with crystal cut detail. Jeez it really is bright in here.
"That radiation"
"Holy shit" Lilith stares
"It's not that much actual radiation but still, there's probably enough of it to do something"
"How is that even possible? I thought only sirens had ties to Eridium. Don't start telling me you used to be a chick." Roland's ever insensitive personality strikes again.
"Oh god no. Absolutely positively NO." Now that really would be weird.
"Then you're not a 'secret' Siren?"
"It's not something easily hide-able Roland" Lilith shares her expertise on the matter.
"Then how?"
I look at the floor watching as the dust shifts between the tiny grooves in the floor.
"Ever seen an orphanage on Artemis?"
"Didn't think there were any"
"There aren't. Still get orphaned kids though. The lucky ones get to live with friends. Most of us though, get picked up by weapons companies like Hyperion. Taken to their 'facilities' for...for..."
Robin tightly grips my hand
"Human testing. They pump them full of chemicals and make them fight each other to see what happens. It's...brutal" she looks me in the eyes "But we got you out alive, Mordi. That's all that matters"
The air in the room suddenly felt stuffy.
"I need a drink" pulling on the goggles and plunging the world back into the dark grey I'm so very used to, I slipped away from the crowd seeking the mind numbing properties of the ale and the solace of my thoughts, only vaguely aware of the girl quickly running after me.
Hey guys! Sorry this took so long to write but I kept coming up with blanks half way through writing.
Anyway, the personalities of each character may not be exactly like they are in game but they're how I would view them.
Roland: The somewhat oblivious but loveable leader. (Totally like my Canadian friend. Yes Axel, its you)
Lilith: The kind hearted sexual flirt she is.
Mordecai: Randomly zones out, especially when bored. Nervous and easily frustrated, but doesn't like showing it (which ends up making him more frustrated) in many ways Mordecai is probably how I would react to all of this if I was in his shoes.
Robin/Bloodwing: Child-like curiousity and cuteness. Fearce protector of the one she cares most about.
And Brick: The silently intimidating meat mountain. Heart of gold, fists of pain.
x_x
Feel free to leave a review, telling me what I could improve on e.t.c.
Oh and that reminds me - To that one reviewer who asked if the other vault hunters will be in this.
Yes. I plan to include the 'second generation' vault hunters. Especially Zero, I have plans for our mysterious ninja friend.
Hugs for all! ~ wuv BlueRavenKnight