A/N: Shortest chapter right here. I'm not quite sure how I feel about this chapter. I tried a little something new by my standards.
OH! Before I forget. If you have a Pandora account (or you can make one cause its free), follow the "Hidden Orchestra" Station it has some really nice ambiance music that kinda sounds like the BGM in Borderlands.
The Raiders began preparing for their next mission. Triple checking their equipment, stocking up on health-hypos, food, and ammunition, purchasing and selling guns, shields, relics and grenade mods. Sienna never said where she was taken from, only that she was supposed to be going to Liar's Burg, and that's where the Raiders were going to go if they were to try and unravel the truth behind these "Phantoms".
Maya flipped through the old book she had at her side at all times, its pages filled with techniques for Sirens, taking in all the knowledge she could cram into her mind before setting on the upcoming expedition. She trailed her fingers over every word, so absorbed in the information that she almost didn't hear Krieg walk up behind her.
"Alright. Just…give it to her. Try not to say anything about eating flesh, meat bicycles, and anything else inappropriate. Okay?"
"Heya Krieg." The Siren turned her head and grinned, shutting her book. The Psycho just stood there, his head slightly twitching in thought as if he was trying to plan out his next few steps. He really was trying to control himself-Maya could sense it too-and he knew that with the current situation every little thing was vital. The people who let him stay in Sanctuary after nearly going completely insane twice needed him to be as cooperative and focused as possible.
"Thing…" He grunted harshly, cutting off what he was going to sat next, practicing control. Krieg held out a leather bound book, his hands shaking violently as he attempted to maintain control. Maya looked at the tome; her eyes widened at the insignia on the cover. It was a Legendary Binder tome, there were only a handful that remained in the universe ever since Maliwan ceased distribution on the account that "these 'mods' are way too strong for any adventurer".
The Siren snatched the old book and furiously skimmed through the pages. "Thank you so so so soooo much!" Maya smiled, "How did you find this?"
Krieg twitched, "No...NO. We can do thi-" "SQUEALING PIGS FALL BEFORE THE GREAT KING OF THE ORIGINAL 150. ALL FELL TO THE SLAUGHTER OF JOYS. THEY RODE AROUND ON THE GRANDEST BACON-GLIDERS. BUT I RULED ALL!" The conscious side cheered triumphantly in his twisted tale, striking a "heroic" pose. The Siren just raised her brow and pursed her lips.
"WOOOOOW. Way to go. We almost had it." The inner Krieg sighed sarcastically.
"Well...Thank you again." Maya cleared her throat and patted her companion on the shoulder, "Are you all set?" Krieg nodded, "Alright, then let's go tell Roland."
Everyone gathered at Pierce Station, determination in their eyes. No one was going to ruin their "Best Year on Pandora", not even some two-bit Bandit clan with their act together. Roland turned to the Fast Travel and typed in the code for Liar's Burg, but nothing happened. He tried again. Still nothing.
"A'ight. Lemme see what's up with this junk." Gaige huffed and cracked her knuckled before opening up the main interface. All the other locations were intact; just Liar's Burg was off the map, "Ahh probably some Bandit tried to steal some parts for a gun. I'll fix it when we get there. We'll just go to Southern Shelf Bay." Without another thought the Mecromancer punched in the coordinates, engulfing the group in the familiar blue light of the Fast Travel. As the vault hunters were transported, the tunnel-like system seemed to static up followed by a soft chuckle. In a flash the tube divided in multiple directions, leaving the helpless mercenaries to the mercy of the Fast Travel.
"Cut and chop…split the meat." Krieg groaned as he materialized in the familiar town of Fyrestone. A few blue pixels floated next to him before creating the form of his favorite Raider.
"…What…the…hell…" Maya exhaled, leaning over trying to catch her breath.
"…Well. This could have been worse." The inner voice chuckled.
"Where is everyone else?" The Siren asked, looking around the scrapyard of a town. At that moment both their ECHOs' jumped to life.
"DAMN IT GAIGE! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?!" Axton screamed over the airways.
"Nothing! Sheesh! Not my fault these Fast Travels are shit!" Gaige retorted.
"I thought we were going to Southern Shelf! Not Eridium Blight." The Commando groaned.
"WOOOOOHOOOOO!" Salvador hollered, gunshot firing in the distance.
"Aw yeah brother." Mordecai laughed, his own shots firing.
"Everyone." Roland declared, hushing the others over the airwaves, "Find a way to Three Horns. The Happy Pig Motel. Leave reports. AW SHIT!" All ECHOs fell silent.
"…Bad…Ass…" Lilith muttered.
Maya shut off her ECHO, "Well…Looks like we need to find a way to Three horns." Krieg pointed to the Fast Travel.
"Yeah. I wish. But who knows what would happen this time…" The Siren shook her head and checked the ammo in her gun then looked up at the sky, it would only be hours until sun would set and being out in the Badlands at night was more dangerous than being out in the day. After assessing the supplies both she and Krieg had, Maya spoke again.
"We should take it easy getting back to Three Horns, with what we're going after in Liar's Burg...We need to save what we have. Alright?"
"Salt the meat!" Krieg "agreed".
"So...I suggest we set up a camp here since those JNK-Loaders seem to have gone. Get more supplies, yadda yadda. You...Okay there Krieg?" Maya glanced up at the Psycho who was furiously scrounging around the demolished ruins. He was digging through a scrap pile of destroyed Loaders, obviously determined to find something.
"What the hell are you even lookin...Oh." Krieg pulled a brightly lit power core from the mound and raised it triumphantly before practically skipping off to a small-partly intact-hut that was scrawled on in what looked like a Bandit's handwriting. Those guys were terrible spellers. Maya followed the hulking man, curious as to what he was trying to accomplish. The Psycho crudely hung the power core to the shanty attached to the hut like some sort of porch light. The Siren exhaled sharply as she approached her friend from behind taking in the sloppily written "Kriegs" above the entryway.
"Is this where you stayed before? When...they exiled you?" Krieg nodded roughly and pulled another core from his satchel, nearly forgetting he had it there since his last visit to Fyrestone, and held it out to Maya as if to say "take it". Maya complied and carefully took the glowing core, instantly feeling its warmth against her palms.
"Show her how we're so much more." Krieg's subconscious ordered, his motor half nodding once more before tugging the Siren on the wrist.
"What? Need to show me something? Lead the way." Maya only grew more curious, following the Psycho as he led her outside the walls of the town, instantly taking note of the faint glow around the base of the outer walls that began to radiate brighter as the sun set. Every time Maya was required to pass the town on their quest to stop Handsome Jack she never noticed any glowing around Fyrestone, and she was rather good with remembering details of where she visited.
"Did you do this?" Krieg only grunted in response, "Why?" Maya finished. The Psycho pointed sharply to the sky in the direction of sanctuary.
"NORTH STAR. THE NEVER ENDING LIGHT. BRING BACK." She wasn't sure if she had spent too much time around the Psycho or if he was becoming slightly more coherent, but Maya actually somewhat understood what he meant.
"I...see..." The Siren mumbled. An awkward silence rose between the two, only to be broken by a slight chuckle, "Let's set up in your uh...hut and rest up for the long trek tomorrow." The two headed back into the town and to Krieg's little slice of Fyrestone.
Krieg spent the next few minutes trying to rearrange the shelter so that both he and Maya could share the space and not be sleeping on top of one another.
"Although I don't think we would really mind." The inner voice confessed, "But. Can't let this be too awkward. Don't wanna hurt her with an accidental night terror." The Psycho awkwardly offered her the cot by picking her up by the arms and placing her on the lumpy mattress. Maya smirked amused as the other slightly psychotic vault hunter spread out a tarp on the dusty floor and sprawled out on his back staring at the uninteresting ceiling. The Siren took this as a signal that they were done for the day and that they needed to sleep. She flopped over onto her back and closed her eyes, hoping to fall asleep. But she just couldn't too many questions plagued her thoughts. Questions that she had developed over the time she had spent with Krieg. Like where he came from, how did he end up this way...
"Why is he coherent some days, but others he's near impossible to understand? Does he really understand us? Why am I so curious...Maybe..." Maya rolled over to see Krieg mindlessly spinning the blade on his Buzz Axe.
"Hey Krieg." She asked a little above a whisper.
"...I know you're dying to kill things, but this feels nice too. Did we always have a thirst for blood? Or were we civil? I bet they don't even think we understand...or maybe they do...I dunno. We have to focus tomorrow okay? We ha-"
"Krieg? Hello?" Maya asked slightly louder, the Psycho turned his head to the Siren and raised a brow.
"Ah. Okay. Uh. So this might be a little rude. But do you understand me?" A knot formed in her throat, if he really did understand that may have been insulting... Krieg nodded slowly and returned to laying on his back.
"I thought so. Uh. Night Krieg." Maya rolled to face the wall and curled up, her eyes fluttering shut as she fell into a deep slumber.
"Good job."
Maya awoke with a start, from what she could tell it was still night time. She looked at the time on her ECHO. She had only been asleep for an hour or so before being awakened by the sounds of distressed gasping. The Siren looked down to where Krieg was only to see him lying flat on the floor as if he was being restrained. His head thrashed about as he grunted frantically. Maya crawled from the cot and kneeled next to the Psycho.
Krieg could only feel pain. Both parts of him knew he was dreaming, but couldn't wake up. Within his dreaming subconscious he registered he was suspended in the air on a table of some sort. His wrists and ankles restrained. A figure approached him, the same one he saw before he lost consciousness days ago. The same bony frame, the same messy ginger hair, the same purple streaked coat. She had a knife in her hand. Her face was obscured but he could tell she was in pain. As if against the woman's will, she plunged the knife deep in his chest and dragged it down.
From the outside Krieg screamed and arched his back. Maya panicked and quickly took one of Krieg's hands in her own. Within his dream a bright light radiated from his palm, the one Maya held. A soft voice echoed in his mind.
"Shh...It's okay...It's okay. Calm down." The Siren whispered, Krieg fell limp as his dream tore away into a strangely soothing darkness consisting of only him and the growing light in his hand. Instinctively he pulled the light closer to his chest like that night when he was first exiled here, not realizing what he was actually doing.
Maya didn't resist when she felt herself be pulled into Krieg's grasp, now being awkwardly held like a security object by the wall of muscle. Her heart raced, sure in the little free-time she had she read a few light novels and listened to many of Moxxi's stories about her nightly escapades, but she didn't quite understand what was so comforting about being held against another being until now. It was nice she decided, she didn't feel alone or in danger. Maya shuffled around to get more comfortable and pressed herself closer to the sleeping Psycho, feeling every ridge, rise, and scar on his skin, and fell asleep in moments.
A/N: Boopy doop! Chapter 4 ladies and gents. I uh...Fluff. Because...yes. This is a KriegMaya story and I was in a fluff mood. Our heroes are all spread across Pandora! (dun dun duuuun) I'm gonna say this now. I am horrible at writing romance. (or at least i feel like it) Sooo uh...bear with this chapter. Trying to keep it at a pace so we aren't getting right into everything all at once.
I honestly love reading your reviews and reactions to the story. Like it fills me with warm fuzzies! And also makes me feel like a big bad guy cause I just wanna be like [static noises that last for like 10 minutes]. But I cant!
You all rock. Like. Yes. Have an awesome day.
-Ryzi