Chapter 4: The Thousand Cuts

Axton.

I dropped my Runner out of High and into Low, steering it into Sanctuary's massive parking garage. The lights were off, except for a dim glow emanating from a floor lamp.

There were two other vehicles, a purple Runner, and a yellow Bandit Technical. Brick and Maya, I thought, removing my goggles and mask, clambering stiffly from the cockpit. Thirty-two hundred miles I'd traveled in the last week. All to find out that New Haven had not heard anything out of the ordinary, though raised their militia at my request. Mordecai and Lilith, upon hearing Zero's warning of spies in Sanctuary, had decided it too late to turn back, and proceeded onwards to Thousand Cuts. The rest of us had arranged to meet in secret, in Scooter's garage. He, at least, we could be sure of as to not be a spy. I doubted Scooter was even smart enough to understand how to spy on someone.

Maya and Brick stepped out from between their vehicles, clearly hiding from whoever they thought I might have been, probably planning to ambush me was I not Axton. Salvador was with Brick, his face screwed up in an attempt at seriousness.

"Axton," Brick said quietly, his deep voice low and conspiratorial, "We're just waiting on Zero before we-"

"I'm here," Zero's dark voice came from the shadows.

"Alright then," Maya said, leaning against her Runner, "Let's not waste any time. Lilith and Mordecai are on their way to kill this 'General Rex' at Thousand Cuts. Claptrap has agreed to set his Runner teams to patrol the Arid Badlands, and the Fyrestone area for anything suspicious. That leaves our southeastern coast pretty well monitored."

I stepped forward, lighting a cigarette and taking a deep pull before speaking, "Mr. Johns hadn't seen or heard anything suspicious, but they're raising their militia at New Haven. The only news they've got is that they're going to retake Old Haven, because of its secure walls, and set up shop there. He said they'll send word via the ECHO if they learn anything new."

Brick nodded, then gestured to Salvador. "Hey," Sal said, "Imma leave the talkin' to you."

Brick snorted, "Tannis only knows what we told you already, that a Hyperion general, Rex, fixed up some of the mechs, and took over leadership of some bandit tribe in Thousand Cuts. It doesn't sound that serious."

Zero, nimble as a cat, stepped into Maya's Runner, kicking his feet up above the controls, "I just overheard two obvious spies. They said they're planning to take Sanctuary, and that they were serving a 'General'."

The hangar fell silent for a moment, then I said, "This General seems to be formidable, at least enough that we should take notice if he can get spies into Sanctuary. He probably has some idea about these crazy shield-skags and superweapons being in the hands of common raiders."

"I agree," Maya put in, "And I'm not sure that Mordecai and Lilith should have gone alone."

Brick raised a massive hand, "They'll be fine, I know them two. We should be doing something until they return, though."

"Like what?" Salvador asked, wiping dirt off his assault rifle, "Mord and Lil are already doin' the fighting. "

"We can monitor Pandora from the Command Building," I said, waving a hand to dismiss Sal's dim comment, "If anything happens, Tannis, Claptrap, or Johns will let us know. We can wait."

Maya nodded, as did Brick.

"We've already had spies," Zero inquired, "We need the city to be on its guard. We should raise our own militia, just in case Rex is more than we think he is."

"Well said," I conceded. I picked up my own rifle, slinging it over my shoulder, "We'll need the local businesses to help out, and you all know the drill. Brick, will you talk to Zed?"

"Yeah."

"Salvador, head on over to Marcus, let him know it's okay to open the Militia Crates."

"You got it."

"I'm going to organize the milita around the walls. Maya, will you set up Runner Patrols with Scooter?"

"I can do that."

"Zero, we'll need sharpshooters."

"Affirmative."

I nodded, seeing the plan unfold in my mind's eye. "Remember, guys, this isn't a sure-thing. We're just being safe in case Rex is a real threat. We don't want to get caught with our pants down."

.

.

Mordecai.

I rubbed dirt from my beard, adjusting my sword in its sheath.

Thousand Cuts was in the western section of the Highlands, south of the Dead Sands where Sanctuary resided. The air was thin, due to the altitude, and it made it hard to trudge up one side of the mountain, then down the other, in one day.

"Lil, let's stop for a second."

Lilith's shoulders dropped, and she threw herself down on a flat shelf of rock protruding from the mountainside. "Yeah, agreed. " She sounded exhausted.

I felt the same way. Plopping down on the ground beside Lilith, I lay my rifle across my lap, peeling my goggles. Hellfire landed a few feet away, scratching at the ground. He'd been flying recon ahead of us, due to our lack of visibility on the path that wound through the Highlands. "How far, boy?"

Hellfire chimed a response in his musical tone.

"That close, eh?" I removed my canteen, taking a large swig.

Lilith stood up, starting forward off the beaten path and into the rocky crags to the right. "Where you going?" I asked, mildly concerned. She had not spoken to me about anything other than business after the incident at her house back in Sanctuary.

"Taking a piss," She replied coldly.

I nodded curtly, tearing my eyes from her direction. What the hell did she expect? I'd been close to both her and Roland during the First Vault Hunt. Even with him dead and gone, I wouldn't betray him so much as to even consider something with Lilith. Yeah, she was attractive. She was smokin' hot. But she was Roland's, always would be.

"Women," I spat, "Always causing a fucking problem."

"We're good at that."

I snapped to my feet. Lilith had walked up behind me while I was thinking... Her face bore a hurt expression.

"Lil, I only meant-"

"No, just... let's go, we're almost there."

She set off, slinging her sub-machine gun over her shoulder.

Hellfire landed on my shoulder, and I set off behind her with a sigh.

First we get into it with supped-up raiders, then kamikaze skags attacking Fyrestone, then spies in Sanctuary, and now a pissed off Lilith?

Fucking great.

It was hours before we reached Thousand Cuts, Hellfire's sense of direction having been slightly skewed.

Thousand Cuts was essentially an uncountable number if crevices carved into the flat of several plateaus and mountainsides, creating what appeared to be islands of traversable terrain. The camp in question, for it was unmistakable, sat at the bottom of a ravine, on a flat plate of stone. On one side, a steep, rocky slope was the only accessible route to the camp, and on the other was a several hundred foot drop into the fault below.

However, instead of the camp being bustling with raiders, psychos, and mechs as expected, it was empty. Not even a single plume of smoke from their usual fires could be seen over the top of the slope. Lilith and I had stopped less than a hundred yards from where the steep decline began. Silently wishing our Speeder would have been able to handle this route to spare my feet, I knelt down behind a random pile of discarded car parts, a clothes washer, and some crumpled up sheet metal. Lilith landed at my side.

"There's nobody there," I confirmed, scanning the camp through my scope, "I can't see anyone."

Lilith hissed, not unlike a desert snake. "That's not right, Tannis wouldn't lie. How are we sure this is the right camp?"

I wanted very much to use the same "retard" tone that Maya had used with me, though refrained. "Because there's a Hyperion sign pitched at the edge of the tents. Normal raiders or psychos don't'-"

"I get it." Her tone was quite dismissive.

"Anyways," I chose my words with care, "There isn't anyone here. Do you think he moved or-''

A bruiser stepped out of the tent closest to the center of the camp, machine gun in hand. He was barking orders back into the same tent. A second raider, a skinny male with only a handgun, warily crept from the makeshift hut, cautiously keeping pace with the bruiser. The two entered a larger shack, this one made from the bones of some animal and draped with canvas.

"There's a raider, a weak one by the looks of it, and a bruiser. Other than them two, I don't see anything."

Lilith pulled the slide back on her SMG, loading in a shell. "Why don't we go in and see what we can find out? Maybe they know where Rex went. How strong does that bruiser look?"

I eyed him carefully through my scope. "About mid level, he's doesn't have as many battle scars as the ones we find challenging."

"Alright," she pounced up to a half crouch, "Let's go in and take him out."

"Wait!" I growled. Five...No, seven more raiders emerged from tents, quickly moving to the hut the bruiser just entered. "We've got seven more bandits in the camp. Seems like they don't want anyone to know they're there, for sure."

Lilith's face was devoid of emotion, "It's a trap. People like us show up, see it's 'empty', and when they walk in, bam. They're had."

I peered at the slope, my mind running a thousand miles an hour. I cleared my head, picking apart the environment, formulating a plan.

The slope.

Lilith.

Lilith slides down the slope.

Destroyed Runner.

Use as cover.

Provide sniper support.

Throw out Hellfire.

Lilith and Hellfire clear camp.

Proceed with interrogation of survivors.

"Lilith, I've got it. You slide down the slope, dumping fire on the camp. They come out, you make them take cover with your rain of bullets. I'll throw out Hellfire to distract them from you, while you distract them from my sniper fire. They won't know who to focus on."

She turned her head, staring at me for a moment with her amber eyes. I noticed, not for the first time, but for the first time in such a fashion, that her tribal tattoos on her chest and arms were no longer gaudy and obscene, but only increasing to her beauty.

Get your mind where it belongs.

"Mordecai," her voice was cold, yet at the same time, not, "Perhaps you are little more than a drunken, duck-loving sniper who puts his sword in every girl that walks."

She placed her hand on my arm.

I couldn't shake it. I couldn't deny it. I liked Lilith. But she couldn't know this. Again, my mind traveled back to Roland. He was a firm, driven man, bound by respect and morals, not unlike Axton. To him, this would have been a clear form of shattering trust, demolishing the respective boundaries between a friend, and his woman. No, Lilith must remain clueless as to my feelings. Besides, hers for me were probably just confused rebounding thoughts, built off the sorrow she had for Roland's death.

"Oh, being nice to me now? I must admit, it's a nice change."

Her gaze broke, and she turned back to the camp, "Don't get your hopes up. I'm moving in."

And she was off.

"Son of a bitch," I spat, following behind her.

The only two left were the bruiser, and the small raider we'd seen earlier. Lilith had performed brilliantly, leveling two of the seven before the others could react. Hellfire had picked off two by igniting himself and dive-bombing them, and before I could so much as fire a shot on the other three, Lilith entered her Phasewalk, breaking their necks. The entire sweep was nearly silent, due to the silencer built into Lilith's SMG. I picked myself up, having just slid down the slope, hitting a rock halfway down and finishing out the remainder on my face.

"Graceful," Lilith pointed out, her voice still in a whisper.

Go fuck yourself, I thought.

The two of us set off for the main tent at a low tactical crouch, Lilith taking point, her SMG pressed tight against her shoulder. I shouldered my rifle, drawing my belt dagger instead. Hellfire soared high overhead, keeping watch. Lilith placed a hand on the tent flap that served as a door, and shot me a glance that said, Ready?

I nodded.

Lilith tore the flap back, and the pair of us charged inside.

The scene that met our eyes was shocking, even with what we'd seen.

The building was, at least appeared to be, a sort of auditorium. There were three rows of chairs, an aisle up the center, and at the end of the aisle was a table. At the back of the shack, a Hyperion Fast Travel booth had been set up, looking somehow functional. The ceiling was adorned with bodies. When I took a more analytical glance, I could see that they were children's bodies, each stuck with knives and forks, as if they'd been target practice.

Occupying the table at the end of the aisle, were the bruiser and raider. I stopped dead in my tracks upon realizing that the bruiser was standing behind the raider, who was bent over and bare from the waist down. The bruiser had seized his hips, and was violently pounding away.

"What in the goddamn?" I cried in shock.

Lilith fired twice, and the bruiser dropped.

The raider stared at us, his eyes shining with tears. I dropped my dagger, pointing at him like a bully on the playground. I roared with mirth, doubling over and leaning on a chair for support. Lilith darted to the raider's side, slamming his raised head back down on the table. Her face bore a barely concealed smile as he pressed her SMG at the back of the bandit's head.

"Where's General Rex?" she asked forcefully.

The raider didn't respond.

I couldn't resist. "Hey, Lil," she looked up at me, "That guy's had enough of an ass whoopin, lighten up on him." I collapsed, howling uncontrollably at my own lame joke.

Lilith pressed on, her own demeanor far more stable than my own. "Where is he, you little worm?"

"Oh, come on now," I cried in mock concern, "He's had enough of the worm for one day." I couldn't even stand upright, the incessant laughter now so strong it had lost all sound, leaving my mouth open in silence.

"He isn't here," the raider said, his voice high, embarrassed and afraid at the same time.

"Obviously," Lilith snarled, driving his head into the table, "Tell us where he is."

The bandit sniffed, clearly fighting more tears. "He'll kill me..."

I saw another opportunity. "By the looks of it, your cornhole's been killed already. Why not the rest of you?"

"Mordecai, enough," She fired a round into the table, "Tell me where the fuck he is!"

"Okay!"

The hilarity of the situation died a bit, and my choked laughing was reduced to a chuckle, now paying attention to the man's words.

"He's at Hero's Pass. He's gots a shipment headin there for his inner circle of men."

Lilith fired another round into the table, and the raider squealed in fright, "Why is this camp empty, it's big enough to hold hundreds of you slimy bastards."

The bandit's breathing was rapid, ragged. "I don't know, I swears. Rex just tolded the lot of us, the ones he don't make his favorites, to head to Sanctrary,"

"Sanctuary," Lilith corrected.

My humor was gone, replaced by intent listening.

"Whatever," the human humping-post pressed on, "Well there's gotta be two, nah, three hundred of 'em, and they a gonna burn it to the ground, tomorrow." He sounded hopeful, as if the information he'd given would spare his life.

Lilith prodded the man in the back of the head with her barrel, and fired. A crimson mist followed the suppressed snap-hiss of the gun, and the raider fell still. Lilith wiped her hands on her shirt, and stepped over to the Fast Travel station.

"We have to get back to Sanctuary, today."

I came up beside her. "I know. Is the Fast Travel working in the city?"

"Yes," she began typing on the touch screen monitor, plugging in the security password to travel to Sanctuary, "We'll have to trust the bandits' handiwork, get on the platform."

Brick.

The defenses were in place, the Runner patrols following Maya's lead, and the sharpshooters strategically placed.

Everyone had a job. Axton and I were controlling the militia (he the East and South sides, me the North and West), while Maya had dominion over the vehicles, and Zero over the snipers. Salvador was with Marcus, apparently the pair had come up with some brilliant idea and were working on it with a few of the other citizens. Whatever it was, he would be needed if there was an attack.

The walls had a sort of hallway that ran the length of the tops, allowing for us to move inside them all the way around the city, peering out through two-by-two rectangular windows. From here, we could deliver streams of fire without being hit as easily. This addition to the walls was Roland's idea, and a good one it was. I tapped my comm unit, "Axton, where you at?"

"I'm on the East side. I can't see anything from here."

"Me neither," I replied, peering through the window to my left.

"This is Zero," as if we'd have trouble understanding his fucking voice, "Lilith and Mordecai just teleported into the Command Building."

.

.

"How long has it been since the raider said this?" Zero asked.

He, Maya, Axton, and Lilith were gathered around the table in the main room.

"Six hours," Lilith replied, "The Fast Travel took us all over Hell's Half Acre before bringing us here.

"So they could be here any minute?" Axton asked.

Lilith shrugged. "The raider said they were attacking tomorrow, and that was at the end of the daylight, six hours ago. When sunrise comes, they should be here."

I was in the corner of the room, half listening.

"And so we barged in," Mordecai said, the pair of us laughing so hard we could barely see one another through the veil of tears, "And the raider, he's...he's," he paused to cackle with mirth before continuing, "He's getting plowed, right in the stink, by the bruiser!"

I banged my fist on the reinforced table, buckling its legs. I roared laughing, my sides aching.

"Excuse me," Maya said cooly, "Can you two focus on the task at hand?"

Mordecai wiped his eyes, and began to clean Hellfire's feathers with a damp rag, causing steam to furl. "Ah, you need a sense of humor, lady."

"Not as bad as you need a twelve-step program."

"Skank."

"Futureless burnout."

Axton allowed himself a chuckle, shaking his head.

"Yeah, she's funny. She's just lashing out because she's pissed because she's like one of Scooter's Runners once she starts drinking."

Maya stared at him, "What?"

Mordecai had clearly planned this, "You know," He smirked, "Everyone gets a ride."

Maya's face flashed with hurt, before flushing with anger. She opened her mouth to retort, but Zero bolted upright from his seat, knocking it over.

"Mordecai!" he shouted, his hand falling to the hilt of his sword, which lay on the table.

Everyone's eyes, mine included, followed his hand. Mordecai fell silent, and you probably could have cut the tension in the room with a knife. Mord and Zero were friends, they trained together. I personally didn't care for the little slinky bastard, but even I wouldn't have said that about his woman. But then again, I liked Maya. Axton's hand rested on his sidearm, his eyes flicking between the two.

"Look," he said soothingly, "We're a team, we made a pact after Handsome Jack, remember?"

Maya's eyes shone with barely suppressed tears. Mordecai's was as stone, focused on Zero.

"How could you?" she asked, her voice a whisper, "I was drunk, Mordecai. I have no feelings for you, whatsoever."

Mordecai couldn't meet her eyes, a first for him in the entire time I'd known him. "Maya...I'm so-"

"Don't fucking apologize, it's who you are. You came to Pandora because you and your fucking bird didn't belong anywhere else!"

Mordecai's shoulders dropped. Maya had now gone too far.

"Maya, enough," Lilith cut in.

Maya glared at her. "Moving from the soldier to the drunk? What an improvement."

Lilith started around the table, but I darted across the room, seizing her arms. She kicked futilely, swearing at Maya. "Let me the fuck go, Brick, or I'll Phasewalk you across the city."

I knew she was bluffing. "You'll have to, then. Axton's right, we're a team."

Tears streaked down Maya's face now. "Lilith, I'm sorry."

Lilith stopped kicking, though did not respond.

"Everyone get some rest, now," I ordered, realizing that with Lilith and Mordecai emotionally out of the picture, I was in charge, "Return to your houses, and sleep til daylight. Anyone who doesn't, I'll personally throw over the walls."

Despite knowing it was a hollow threat, slowly, the room emptied

Maya.

The sun crept above the half ring of mountains that backed Sanctuary fifteen miles away.

I sat in my Runner, the engine humming out its one long note. Beside me, a second Runner in Sanctuary's customary red paint (in honor of Roland) left a cloud of dust in its wake. We were patrolling the Northeastern sector, each of us with a roof gunner. If Lilith was right, then we had less than an hour before the attack came, if it came. My ECHO headset buzzed, and I let the call in. "Maya here."

"Maya, it's Zero."

My heart lifted as it usually did at the sound of his voice, "What's up?"

"They're here, on the south side."

I waved to the other Runner, the pair of us slowing. "How many?"

"I count two fifty. Thirty Runners, five of those Skag-Riders. There seems to be some Rakks on leashes. The rest are foot infantry; raiders, mechs, psychos."

I sighed, "Now we know who was outfitting the bandits and animals."

Axton's voice cut in, "The battle is started."

I just wanted to thank those of you who read my work. Please leave a review, follow, favorite, etc. Everyone's opinions are valuable to me, and I do listen to them. Check out my other stories. Chapter Five coming soon!

"Without my fans, I'd be nowhere." – Jason David Frank.