"Ha! Holy crap, you should see your face right now! I spin around and deliver that sick ass line, and you're all "Oh no! It's Handsome Jack; the most powerful and most gorgeous man I've ever met! I'm super terrified, yet strangely attracted!" Literally you look like you're going shit yourself, cupcake. I'm dying," Jack cackled as he began to search within the desk.

"But seriously, Mox has got to have a mirror in here somewhere. This is too priceless; it would be a waste if I were the only one to see it."

Elizabeth stood there dumbfounded as she watched the grown man giggle to himself. She struggled to find the right words to say. She contorted her mouth into a series of shapes trying to form some type of cognitive sentence but none came. She simply asked, "Where's Moxxi?"

"Killed her and stuffed her body into a trash compactor."

Elizabeth made an audible squeak as she jumped back and Jack laughed again. "For real, you think I'm that bad of a dude? That's hilarious!" He supported himself on the desk as he wiped a solitary tear from his eye.

"I mean I would do it, but maybe not to Moxxi. Well, if she pissed me off I'd bust her head open like a cantaloupe, but that's only because we got history. She ever tell you that? We used to date actually. Got down and dirty most of the time. Not gonna lie, probably in this chair."

"Where's Moxxi?" She repeated herself. Jack raised an eyebrow at her and his amusement faded.

"I bet you're real fun at parties. She stepped out for a bit. I told her she didn't have to be in here for this. She just needed to deliver and she did that flawlessly. Now you're all mine and we get a chance to talk. Doesn't that sound great, pumpkin?" He said flatly, scrunching his face and intertwining his fingers underneath his chin, "Take a seat."

Her mouth stretched into a pained half smile as she sat. Yeah, great.

"What's with the face, pumpkin? You didn't really shit yourself did you?"

"So, what do you want exactly? You got me here. You must want something other than an audience to practice your witty one-liners on," She boldly said, trying to suppress a smile. He snorted slightly and looked her once over. Her smirk fell as his eyes scanned her; her cheeks turning red hot in response.

"You make me want to strangle you, but at the same time you make me laugh. For your sake I hope you keep that up," Jack said standing and suddenly towering over her, but she refused to flinch. Her body betrayed her defiance as it shook in what she could only assume was fear. Or… was it excitement?

This was honestly the most exhilarating thing to ever happen to her. The only rush she ever seemed to get anymore was when she had to order pizza over the phone and not online, but this; this was something else entirely. And as much as she hated to admit it, she craved the spontaneity. Despite the possibility of dying, she found it enthralling. Maybe she was crazy.

"You pissed me off the other day, and I'm not gonna lie when I say I spent a good chunk of my precious time planning on how to murder your ass. But it didn't matter which angle I went from, it all seemed all wrong," He rubbed his chin and stepped around the desk. His scent grew stronger as he circled around her. It was a lure that managed to pull her into him.

"Y-you… you were planning on killing me?" She asked incredulously, "For ignoring you after you called me stupid?" Jack waved his hand nonchalantly, "Details."

"I wanted to make you suffer, but strangulation and blunt force trauma didn't seem justifiable. Death in this case seemed a little too naughty even for my tastes. Despite what you may think, kitten, I am a good guy," Jack grinned; his canines pressing into the bottom of his lip. For once, Elizabeth knew to hold her tongue.

"Still, I wanted some payback. Call it petty, but you did cross me, pumpkin, and I have a reputation to uphold. Can't have people going around calling Handsome Jack a bitch now can I? Way too many throats to rip out; it'd just get messy. You know how it is," Jack said.

"No? I really don't," She said, squinting.

"No? Shame. Anyhoo, long story short, I wanted some good old-fashioned revenge and I wanted it to be muy dulce." He said with a shiver, his eyes focusing on something far away, "So that got me thinking." She dared to steal a glance up at him as he leaned over her left shoulder from behind. He clutched his large hands on the back of her chair and his eyes came level with hers. They were unfaltering as they challenged each other.

"You sure do like to turn your nose up at me; try to ruffle my feathers. You try and act like I don't get to you, but we both know that just isn't true now, is it? Your stubborn act is cute and all, but I terrify the shit out of you and honestly, that just tickles me," He said, "So, believe me when I say I don't want to break your legs. No, no, no, far from it. What I want is to break you; you and that attitude of yours. That is the revenge I want," He whispered. His breath was hot against her face and it made her heart shake her entire chest.

He stared at her; his eyes travelling back and forth between both of her pupils. They seemed to wait for a response. The slits of her eyes thinned as she repeated slowly, "Your… point?"

Jack gave her cheek a quick double pat before he sauntered back behind the desk; his arms crossing behind his back as his right hand wrapped around the thickest part of his forearm. As she gazed down at those tantalizing, exposed arms, she noticed a blue tattoo on his wrist.

She marveled at how powerful he looked as he had his back to her. The image of Ares, the God of War, suddenly popped into her mind, and at once she was back in her Greek and Roman Studies class. She could practically still see the hellish God projected across the screen at the front of her classroom, brutally mutilating the frightened people of Greece.

Once she was brought back to reality, she let herself indulge in his impressive back muscles which folded his suit jacket neatly. As much as she hated to admit it, he definitely commanded attention.

He kept his back to her as he looked up at Moxxi's array of automotive posters plastered to the wall; his jawline set. Elizabeth had always respected Moxxi's limitless interest with machinery and engineering- and limitless talent to boot. Whenever she had car troubles- or any kind of trouble for that matter- she never hesitated to go to Mox. She had always seemed to be there for the girl when she needed her. Where was she now?

"I've been reading up on you," He said severing the uneasy quiet of the room, but unfortunately replacing it with an equal amount of uneasiness. The disclaimer came quickly, "Nothing creepy, all business."

He took a folder from the desk and opened it, licking his fingers to flip through the notes, "I noticed that you're a student at Opportunity University." He paused and looked back at her with a grin, "My University."

Elizabeth couldn't have felt more naked even if she had stripped down right there. He had been researching her? This guy was seriously crazy.

"Yes, I'm going to be graduating," She said under her breath, keeping her head down.

"Elizabeth Berry," She shuddered at the way her name slipped off his tongue, "Graduating with a Bachelor's in Psychology at the age of twenty-four. Skipped a year and decided Psych was a safe bet, huh?" He scoffed. She remained silent as he continued to obliterate her calm front.

"Despite living in the wonderful, prosperous city of Opportunity you consider New Haven home," Jack shook his head disapprovingly as he gagged.

"Don't get me wrong, New Haven's great. Especially if you like having thieves and murderers sneak into your home in the middle of the night to hide underneath your bed and wait for you take to take a piss, so they can do horrible, unspeakable things to you. If that's your thing, I'm not one to judge. Frankly, I'd be a little impressed and more than slightly turned on."

Elizabeth stared down at her hands grasping the fabric at her knees. The whole room seemed to spin as her finger nails dug deeper into the denim of her jeans. As she tried to keep a hold on what little reality she had left, her knuckles blanched from her tightened grip. Her elbows locked as straight as an arrow and her shoulders were drawn up to her cheeks defensively. At this point, she wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and never wake up.

Jack cleared his throat, obviously disappointed from her reaction, or lack thereof.

"Daughter of Marcia and Gerald Berry; now, that little tidbit happens to be my favorite; extra spicy stuff. So, I'll come back to it later, okay? Don't let me forget," He said as he wagged his finger.

"Let's see, you're going on your fourth year in the High-rise Chamber Choir," Jack said. He then leaned across the table; a few papers shifting under the weight of his hand, "You'll sing me a little something sometime won't you, precious?"

This time he didn't wait for a response as he faced the wall once more. Her eyes burned into the back of his head, and she hoped to God he could feel it.

Yeah, I'll sing you something. I'll sing over your corpse when your mother finds your bloated body wading in the river, She thought bitterly then backed that wreck of a train up, Holy shit, where did that come from? Little dark, reel it back now, Elizabeth.

"A frequent member of the Feminism Activism Club- thank you for letting me know we have that by the way, I'll be sure to remove that as soon as possible- and you're a solid 3.2 student. Overall, you're pretty average, babe," He said turning his torso around, his eyebrows and arms raising simultaneously as his palms turned upward toward the ceiling, "It was definitely good reading material before beddy bye. Put me right to sleep."

"But imagine to my surprise when I found that you, my dear, received my Hyperion for Hope Scholarship," He pivoted on his heel, pointed a single finger at her, and gave a cheesy wink. The pose reminded her of a game show host who was about to announce her prize, but she had a feeling she wasn't about to get a new car.

"Should've told me you had 'rents who worked for me. Made my night when I read that. Just picture me sitting on my king size sipping away at some chamomile tea from my gold and diamond encrusted coffee mug, which alone costs more than you and your whole family combined," He gave an arrogant cackle and shrugged, "I should know, I did the math."

"You've got to be shitting me," Elizabeth murmured as she rubbed her tired eyes and cursed every penny she had ever received from Opportunity. Since her parents worked for Hyperion, she was granted a five-thousand dollar Scholarship to attend the school. At the time it was a no-brainer to apply, but now she felt like flipping burgers and walking dogs wouldn't have been so bad.

She regained what little composure she had left and pressed, "Your point?" She was growing sick of this game he was hosting. Whatever he had in store for her would be better than listening to him drone on like a douche.

"You, my lucky lady, are going to be working for your bestest buddy in the entire goddamn world, Handsome goddamn Jack," He said and threw down double deuces like he had just released a shit storm unto her, "Boom! Best revenge!"

She blinked. This was it? This was the big punchline, the big reveal? She was wary for the catch. Truthfully, she didn't know how to take it, so she just blinked again. He seemed less than enthused at her indifference.

"You know, I took a good five minutes out of my day to plan this, the least you could do is act a little more distraught. It's just polite, kid."

She perked at his words and put the back of her hand to her forehead melodramatically and moaned in grievance. He glared on as she dared a, "Woe is me."

"You keep bringing my hype train down, pumpkin, and I don't appreciate it. See, I don't think you understand what type of hell I'm going to put you through..." He warned, his eyes darkening under the furrow of his brow like a storm cloud shadowing a valley.

"Well, for one, do you normally conjugate your name with an expletive? It seems like a normal thing," She said plainly, making his face sour, "And two, I work for Moxxi."

"You worked for Moxxi. Now you don't. Now you work for me, capiche? Let me know if I'm going too fast for you, babe. You know what? I'll just slow it down. Don't want to overheat that pretty little head of yours," He said, mockingly. Each word he uttered was painfully slow and deliberate. Every single one seemed like a slap in the face.

"Mox works for me, yeah? That means vicariously- oh, sorry. Big word! That means you do too. Wherever I want you, you're going to be. She's already handed over your paperwork, so you're all mine. Welcome to the Hyperion life kid," He shook his balled fists in excitement, "Oh, I can't wait to see you crumble under the beautiful monotony of it all!"

Mox already handed her over? Just like that? Her grip tightened on her jeans and she could hear the grind of teeth echo inside her head.

"Yeah, I get that, but what's in it for you?" She asked, subconsciously trying to pick his brain. The Psych major in her longed to solve the puzzle that was Handsome Jack, but each time she thought she got closer to completion another piece would come up missing.

"I mean, not to offend but your plan isn't exactly what I would call "sweet" revenge. Pretty annoying at best," She spoke genuinely, but the look he gave her was proof enough she had provoked him.

"Oh, you're one of those. All quiet until you got some smart ass comment to make. No wonder I wanted to kill you. Okay, so what exactly is your type of revenge?" Jack asked. What was he doing? Was he playing with her?

The dull expression on his face screamed frustration. Someone's obviously not a fan of sharing the spotlight, Elizabeth thought. He had made such a grandeur of things, she was sure he was dissatisfied on how unaffected she seemed. Now that was sweet revenge. She mused a bit before carefully answering. The slow tapping of her finger on her chin made his frown deepen.

"Depends on the scenario and depends on the person. In my opinion, it's ideal if you're able to remove yourself from the situation completely and move on with your life without resorting to something petty. Of course slashing tires and smashing bottles over heads would feel good for a while, but in the end nothing changes," She said, forgetting for a moment who the hell she was actually talking to.

The lethargic feel of the words suddenly transported her back to her old Philosophy class. She could still see her Professor at the front; always drunk, but somehow acutely aware of his surroundings. His laid back behavior had won her favor, and she was well aware of how much of a suck up she was around him. Thankfully, he didn't seem to mind. She still occasionally visited him to help grade papers or to take care of his incredibly intelligent, red Macaw, and he in return was always happy for the company.

When her surroundings came back into place, she could suddenly feel Jack's unfaltering gaze upon her and she stumbled over her words slightly, "N-Now, k-kindness, as cliché as it sounds, is almost the best type of revenge. Kindness is acid to the face compared to anything physical. It messes with the other person's head, because they're stuck on hating you but they don't know why. So, in the end they end up being the dick. That's my type of revenge."

There was a moment of silence as Elizabeth looked up at Jack expectantly. Her shoulders sank as a loud guffaw burst from Jack who had doubled over laughing. Elizabeth stared on, unamused.

"You've got to be kidding me! That's the best you got? Kindness?!" He howled as he held his gut, "What world have you been living in where kindness has ever been as satisfying as a punch to the goddamn balls, kiddo? It's like you stepped out of a children's book. I'm crying!"

She glowered up at him through the bottom of her lids; her head low and her mouth pinched with anger. Before she could think, she let a tidal wave crash through her lips.

"At least I'm not some lonely coward who can only kill or threaten people to get what he wants!" She yelled; the thump of the bassline from the next room surging her anger.

Her eyes widened as a hand slapped over her mouth, but it was too late. The words were out in the open, but they hadn't seemed to reach Jack quite yet. He looked as if he were still processing, his narrowed eyes making her stomach flop.

He stood straight, his face unreadable as he put his hands in the pockets of his dark slacks and made his way back around the desk. He sat down at the front of the desk overtaking her view of the whole back of the room and propped his feet on either side of her chair, effectively pinning her to the seat. She shook as he cocked his head to the side and leaned down toward her; their noses barely touching.

Jack's twisted grin revealed pink gums and his nose flared as a single strand of dark hair fell to his forehead. The shadows that darkened the creases of his pale, sculpted face reminded her of a marble bust. It was startling how animalistic he was when unhinged.

He must have noticed her uneasiness, because his default smug demeanor returned as he coolly smoothed the lock back into place. The animal was gone for now and replaced once again with the man, if she could even call him that.

"I think the last time we met- and correct me if I'm wrong here- I let you off with a warning for being a total bitch to me. Now, you know who I am and you're still acting like a thunderbitch. What's the deal, kiddo?" He probed, "Is Uncle Jacky making you upset? If you want to let off some steam, go ahead. Be my guest."

He turned his face to the side and patted his exposed cheek. She could clearly see the weird surgical markings at the side of his face again. He declared, "I'll even give you the first shot."

Despite feeling out of control herself, Elizabeth elected to ignore his antics as she attempted to reclaim the reigns of the spiraling situation, "W-What if I don't want to work for you? I'll just quit."

"Oh man, I hadn't thought of that. Well shucks, this day is just going to the pits. Boy, I was really hoping you'd want to work with your good old pal, Handsome Jack, but it looks like there's nothing I can do to change your mind," He groaned, sticking out his bottom lip. His pupils went skyward as he added, "I'm guessing your parents will be fine with unemployment too then, huh?"

She froze. There it was. The catch.

"You wouldn't," She said as she let out a breathy choke.

"Yeah," He scrunched his nose with a smirk and gave a curt nod, "I really would. You see, kiddo, you quit and I'll see to it that mommy and daddy never work in Pandora again." His voice raised pitch and his shoulders shrugged with a cartoonish languidness as if he were speaking to a toddler. God he was an ass. He continued, "And judging by their annual income, they really, really need that Handsome Jack dough in their life."

"You can't! We're struggling enough as it is; they'll die out there!" She begged. The surprise was clear on his face when she put a hand on his knee. She used this to her advantage. She gave a few dry sobs hoping to touch what was left of his heart or whatever the hell he had pumping away in his chest.

"My mother is sick and my father can hardly pay for her hospital bills. That's why I work overtime most days. If none of us can make any money, she'll die, Jack," Elizabeth said then added a sickly sweet, "sir."

Okay, so she was lying through her teeth. Her mom was fine, but she desperately needed leverage. She wanted nothing to do with his "proposition", if you could even call it that. Her mouth formed a hard line as she studied him, waiting for any reaction. His hard stare forced the clockwork within her head to turn as she began to strategize her next move.

She sniffled a few more times before lowering her head slightly, but letting her eyes travel up to meet his. With a gentle squeeze of his knee, she pleaded with a pitiful brokenness that she, herself, couldn't help but be impressed by, "Please don't do this."

She could feel a giggle arise in her throat, but she dared not release it. Instead, she looked to the ground away from his view and smirked; her hair shielding her face from his watchful eye. She lifted her head back up to give him a heartbreaking pout. As she moped she proudly thought, Screw you, Handsome Jack.

He gave her a doleful look as his hand met her cheek with a surprising softness. It was startling how warm his touch was. As his hand slid down to her chin to raise it, he smiled mournfully. He let a dejected sigh dance off his tongue and the hope that she had him- hook, line, and sinker- bubbled within her gut.

"I've been around for a while and I've had a lot of people I care about hurt me. I don't really have anyone who wants to stay around me for very long. It can really wear on a guy, you know? It probably started with my parents. They weren't around much. I don't know, maybe that's the reason I lash out and push people away," He whispered looking down to the side.

She was quiet as a silent cringe shriveled her previous confidence down to a nub. She definitely didn't mean to open this can of worms. The moment Jack laid his head down to cradle his face within his hands, Elizabeth knew she had effed up. She tried to peek through his fingers, but his large hands covered his slender features entirely. As his shoulders shook silently, her belly turned hollow.

Then a sudden realization popped into her head hitting her like a crow bar to the face. As she gradually accepted the unwanted epiphany, she took in a slow breath. Uh oh, she thought, I'm the asshole.

"Jack, I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to- I didn't know, that is-" Elizabeth stumbled over her words looking frantically around the room. What could she say? She straightened her posture and placed an awkward hand on his shoulder. She was terrible at comforting people, but she would try regardless.

When she was younger, her father being the natural care-giver he was, had tried his best to teach Elizabeth how to be a more caring person herself, but she had obviously not inherited his talent. Still, her empathy was vast and she hated to see people in pain; even people as scummy as Handsome Jack.

As she ran her thumb over his shoulder in what she hoped was comfort, she said, "I won't leave, Jack. If that's what you want. I'm sorry I even brought this up. I won't-"

Suddenly, a harsh snicker spewed from in between his fingers; a snicker that managed to cut through her words, slicing them off at the seam. Her heart sank down to her toes as she saw the man's body shake with laughter, his head still in his hands.

"Jesus, I have literally never met someone so gullible! It's almost sweet how naïve you are, cupcake; naïve and just so stupid!" Jack kicked his heels back, hitting the front of the desk and his fists slapped down on to his thighs. He was laughing so hard she couldn't even hear it anymore. All that came from his throat was the occasional snort. The clanging of the desk filled the whole room as he raved on.

"I can't believe you bought that shit! "I'm Handsome Jack and my parents were abusive. I don't have any friends. Wah, wah, wah!" Oh God, I'm such a freaking rockstar!" He kicked one leg out and gave a quick strum of his air guitar.

The hilarity of it all passed her like a baseball that had narrowly missed nailing her straight in the skull. Although, she could still feel the cold sting of the wind graze her cheek like a razor. With a flare of her nose, she released her tender grip on his shoulder. She would allow him no such sympathies.

"Oh, come on. I've seen a lot of bad acting, but you babe, you take the cake. Don't be mad that I'm smarter than you. A sick mom? You think I haven't heard that one a million times before…" Jack said as he ran his fingers through his hair, "Well, I mean, some of them were probably true, but do you really think I give a rat's ass about some idiot's dying mother? Moms are overrated anyway. I didn't have one and look how successful I turned out!" He puffed up like a proud bird as his feathers took up the entire room, suffocating her.

Without her consent, her eyes rolled so far back into her head she swore she could see the gray matter of her brain.

Jack immediately caught the disrespect and the air around him thickened like a blood clot through an artery. He was a damn spring trap. One wrong move and he would flip entirely. She could only compare his temperament to that of a hurricane; civil and calm in the eye, but if you pressed too far against its designated boundaries, you were asking for trouble.

Fear shot through her from his terrifying stare. She instantly stiffened as her hands clasped one another in her lap and she looked at him attentively. The last thing she wanted was to make this worse than it already was.

He smirked yet again as he muttered a nauseating, "Good girl." That line sickened her. She didn't want to be obedient. She wanted to defy him; to make him mad. She wanted him to whine and bitch. Instead, she was doing exactly what he wanted. What he expected from her. What he expected from Pandora.

"So, what's it going to be, kitten: Dead parents and a life of eating and shitting in the street, or a chance to work with the greatest guy in all of Pandora?" He leveled the options out with his hands, his arms tilting back and forth; one clearly heavier than the other.

What other choice did she have?

"When do I start?"

Moxxi's Red Light: Bathroom

Tears streamed down the woman's face, effectively creating streaks of pale against the porcelain white of her makeup. How could she do this? She was supposed to be stronger than this. Why the hell was she still afraid of that jackass? He had no control over her. That's what she desperately wanted to convince herself.

A knock came from the bathroom door and she replied with a composed, "Occupied, sugar; will only take a minute." She then went back to wallowing in her own self-pity. She held her face within her hands, shielding her eyes from the harsh glare of the fluorescent lighting.

Here she was trapped in a bathroom stall while Jack was undoubtedly sinking his claws into that poor girl. She could only imagine the manipulation Jack was putting her through. Elizabeth was practically her second daughter and how had she repaid her? By throwing her to the sharks.

As she sat atop the lonely toilet, the cold ceramic chilling her exposed thighs underneath her form-fitting dress, she could still hear his voice burn within her head. He always seemed to stick there.

"I want you to call her. Call her and tell her to come here. That's all you have to do," Jack purred, "Your hands will be clean, Mox."

Moxxi wouldn't have said yes. She would have told him to leave and she would have told him keep his face out of her bar- she should have… that is until Jack brought Scooter and Ellie into the equation. He swayed her with a, "It'd be a shame if something were to happen."

If there was even the slightest chance that she could protect her children from the irrationality that was Handsome Jack, you bet your ass she would take it. Even so, it didn't numb the pain of the call any less.

"Why are you so obsessed with her? She's just a kid, Jack. Will ruining this kid's life really make you feel any better?" Moxxi pleaded; her accent slipping through but for once she did not care, "She hasn't done nothing- anything to you. Just leave her alone."

Jack toyed around with a few things strewn about Moxxi's office, appearing as though he hadn't heard her but the grin on his face was all too telling. He took a wrapped sweet from the jar she had sitting on her desk and waved it in her face, "What the hell is this? Hard candy, Mox. Really? What are you, some kind of a grandma?"

"Don't ignore me, Jack," Moxxi said, swatting his hand, "Are you going to kill her? Will I just be sending her off to the slaughter if I hand her over to you?"

He gave her a long stare before walking toward her filing cabinet. He noticed a small doll sitting on the top of the dusty cabinet and gently wrapped his fingers around it, taking it with him as he circled the room like a caged lion.

"You bruise me," He said, clutching his chest, "And no, I don't want anything like that. I just want somebody who's competent enough to organize my files, but stupid enough to try and cross me whenever I make her mad. You should have seen it; she's really cute when she's pissed."

"People are so boring nowadays. All of my employees are too scared of me to do anything, but her? She's still got that young, unbridled feistiness I'm looking for, and frankly, I just want to have her around to see all the dumb stuff she does. Call it selfish, but I think she could be a laugh riot. Something to make my day go by faster," He said, crossing his arms.

His grip tightened on the doll; the air trapped within it making the doll's brown eyes bulge. He placed his thumb on the head of the doll and began to press. "Then when I'm done, I'll kill her whole family and make her watch."

Moxxi gave an audible gasp as her shoulders tensed, "You're not serious…are you?"

Handsome Jack gave a low chuckle as the pressure from his thumb popped the doll's head clean off.

"I'll keep my options open. Man, it's good to be king."

I love writing Jack's character. He's just so deliciously nasty. Thanks for the reviews and favs guys! Hope you're enjoying!