Author's Note: I am going to warn you, this chapter is dark in the end. DrArchangel: I know it's cliche but sometimes you can use them to your advantage if you spin it right. Zabon95: Thank you for the information. I am revising Chapter 6 now. I am usually a very good speller and I know my proper grammar needs work. Yes, cliffhangers suck but they keep you reading. :-)
Borderlands and its characters are sole property of Gearbox games and 2/K.
The Unexpected Hostage
Vertigo . . .
Time loss . . .
Axton comes to in darkness. His world is spinning behind closed eyelids. His green eyes open into slits and the view is fuzzy and bright. The painful vision is more disorienting so his eyes clamp shut. The Commando rolls over to his side to rack his memory in the obscurity of his brain, trying in vain to remember the last thing he did. Knuckles rub the fuzz away and he manages to open his eyes slowly, allowing his pupils to adjust to the light.
He grunts in frustration while rubbing a lowered hand over his chest. The friction of fibers from his black undershirt against his chest is soothing but eventually, he props himself up on his elbows and looks around at his naturally lit studio. He feels emptiness in the apartment.
The bed sheets are made up with only a few wrinkles from his tossed sleeping. His jacket and boots are the only clothing missing from his body.
"That's right I wasn't feeling well." Axton thinks to himself as the sight of his boots and jacket by the door jogs his memory. "Where's Maya?" He looks around again hoping to find his lover. The thought of the Siren causes the man to remember being at Moxxi's bar waiting for lovely lady to have a wonderful evening. "I left because something made me sick."
Finally, he remembers Madd Moxxi being the last person he spoke to. "Maybe Maya's still there." He swings his legs over the side of the bed hulls his body into a sitting position. He allots his mind some time to catch up before standing up but the allotted time wasn't enough and a dizzy spell brings the soldier falling to his hands and knees with an ungraceful thud. Axton brings a masculine hand up to the side of the face and exhales slowly. Bringing a knee up to his chest and placing a firm foot on the ground, the Commando slowly picks himself off the ground. With boots laced up and jacket zipped: Axton regains his composure and exits the domicile.
The blinding brightness of the day reminds the disoriented man, when he left the bar it was dark which makes him wonder: how long he was out? He looks to his echo device and can't understand how he lost almost twenty hours or more.
Axton casually walks into the pub, trying his best to keep the stumbling at bay as he scans the bar for blue hair but to no avail. The Commando leans into the bar addressing the brunette bar matron, "Have you seen Maya?" He places his left hand on his metallic rank and tilts his head as a stabbing pain pierces his temple like a hangover.
Moxxi places a pensive finger to her chin and shakes her head. "Sorry, sweetie, the last I seen her, she was going to check on you."
"Sephi! Order up!" Moxxi clanks four bottles on the bar.
The short blonde bounds her way to the bar to pick up her waiting order. She looks over to Axton, who is still easing the pain in his head while trying to recollect what happened to him. She wrinkles her nose in disgust, "Geez, what happened, you look like hell?"
The confused man shakes his head in defeat. "I wish I knew." He only thinks to himself. He turns and walks out the bar without his usual polite 'good-bye' but customers are keeping the two women too busy to notice or care.
Aimlessly, Axton wanders Sanctuary trying to jog his memory. He walks up to Dr. Zed's and the memory of working on the roof is clear, so he moves on. Maybe, it is habit but as soon as Axton arrives at the second floor of headquarters, his memory is fuzzy as to which path he trampled over.
No words are spoken, and the ex-Dahl military man clunks his boots over to the couch. He flumps down on the couch in a daze and Lilith stares at him in silence.
Axton places elbows to knees and creates blinders with his hands and he leans forward as if in prayer mode. The room remains silent. Neither, Mordecai, Gaige nor Lilith is sure what to say and have forgotten all about the laughable conversation they were having. They sit in silence waiting for someone to speak.
Axton closes his eyes in thought, "When did you guys last see Maya?" the monotone question breaks the silence.
"Wha- what?" Lilith asks in return very confused.
Axton inhale and exhales heavily with slight irritation. "I repea-"
"No, I heard it," Lilith stands up from the couch and assumes her usual hip-cocked stance. "The last we saw her she was going to check on you, killer." Lilith's golden eyes don't sway from the back of Axton's bowed head.
Axton places his hands together and leans his lips into his thumb to stroke it in thought. He bits his thumb before raising his gaze up to Lilith. His worried intensity pierces the phasewalker's gaze. "Unless, Maya is off somewhere none of us knows about; we have a problem because she didn't come home and I can't remember anything after leaving Moxxi's." Axton blinks slowly allowing the information to absorb into his audiences' brain.
"Did you try to Echo her?" Gaige asks trying to be helpful as she steps over to be included in the conversation.
Axton smiles and can't believe he didn't think of it. "No, I didn't." He pulls out his echo device and tries to contact the Siren but no answer.
Gaige turns to the holographic map. "Maybe, we can locate her." The Mechromancer steps over to her worried friend and pulls him to the table.
"But, this thing can't locate people." Mordecai steps up to the side across from teen.
Gaige juts up a finger in a 'hold just a sec' mode before kneeling down to the circuit panel. She takes out her modified echo device and slips out the wires to find the one she needs. With a pocket knife the engineer exposes the metal wiring. Gaige turns her attention to the wires in the circuit board. Her blue eyes locate the necessary wire and splice them together.
Satisfied, the petite girl stands up and programs the map. The image on the table changes as Gaige continues to punch in commands. Gaige frowns with a few curse words under her breathe. She shakes her head and raises an eyebrow. "Sorry, but her echo signal isn't showing." She flips screens and her head and body sway to the right in a thoughtful motion. Her hands become busy again and by the scrunched-up look on her face, her brain is busier. "That ain't good." She exhales sharply not lifting her attention from the machine and leaving her audience hanging.
"What is it?" Axton leans into the table, impatient.
The Mechromancer looks up to the Commando, "I programed my echo so I could find you guys, anywhere on Pandora; even if, the echo is disabled." She diverts her eyes back to the map to reassess the data, "She is either not on Pandora or her Echo is completely destroyed." Gaige informs Axton with a sympathetic look accompanied by a shrug and silence sprawls throughout of the room, once again.
"Dammint!" Axton pounds his fist into the side of the table starring in to the light with intensity, making both of the women jump from the sharp interruption. He already fears the worst case scenario and thinks about Hyperion's inactivity. "We've been lulled into a state of comfort." He thinks to himself and exhales sharply through his nose before standing up placing his hands on his waist.
Before anyone can properly react to the Commando's actions, a fuzzy image cuts into the map. A thin, scarecrow face of a man with slicked back blonde hair with tiny horns styled into it, brown eyes and a devilish curve in his thin lips comes into focus.
"Who's that?" Gaige simply asks.
20 hours earlier:
The light flickers on, revealing the nude form of Maya's sleeping lover face down in the pillow. The white sheet covers his legs, leaving his firm ass and back exposed. The Siren feels a pang of hurt deep in her soul as her eyes follow his right arm draped over a sleeping blonde and is bent at the elbow, allowing his hand to cup a rather large breast. The woman's heavy breathing is released through a satisfied smile and both of their bodies have moisture beaded on their skin.
Maya stands in the doorway not sure how to deal with this gut wrenching scene. Her fight-or-flight instinct kicks in and against her usual behavior she decides to back out of the apartment slowly and shut the door. Uncontrollable tears stream down her face, as she runs. In her current state of hurt and confusion she wants nothing to do with anyone and makes her way to Pierce Station. She punches in any destination just so she can escape the flying city and her heartache.
The Siren doesn't make any attempt to realize where she whizzed herself off to. All she feels is the bitter, cold wind greet her soaked face, chest and hands. She feels the ice and snow crunch under her boots and walks in a daze before sitting down next to a small ridge. She looks up at the brightly lit moon base while bring her knees up to her chest and resting her mouth on them.
The burned image of Axton's arm slung over the busty boobs belonging to Moxxi's employee causes the sting of more tears. She wipes her freshly stained face on her pants, smudging her make up. With a hiccup and a moan the woman tries to think of how to deal with this new situation. She loves Axton so much that a part of her wants to believe her tired eyes were tricking her. But, she realizes it was no trick of a weary brain. Both parties were sprawled out on the bed in full view for whoever walked through the door. That didn't make sense, He said he loved her on multiple occasions and he seemed so sincere with his conviction. Maybe, her inexperience with sex drove him to this? But, if they were fooling around on the side, why would they fall asleep after wards? Did he just mess up? How does she deal with this? The tough woman could bring down a power hungry dictator but she couldn't figure out why this hurt so much or why this didn't make any sense. Her questions swirl around her brain and the frustration causes her to scream and it echoes throughout the tiny ridge. It falls silent; again and Maya sits in the cold snow and mills over her thoughts.
After a few minutes, a familiar feminine voice breaks the silence, "You know it's dangerous for a woman to be out here in the dark," The tone is deep, sinister and sultry, "And off her guard."
Maya whirls around in her seat, slightly frightened because she realizes who the voice belongs to and she remembers her being able to take down Mordecai; a man much larger and cunning then she. Maya swings her glowing arm around for protection.
A feint click of a gun is heard, followed by a prick in the siren's sleeved arm and then, a numbing sensation. Maya's glowing arm goes limp along with the rest of her body, causing old angles as she lay face down with the side of her face crunched into the snow.
Blair rolls her onto her back with her foot and then crouches down beside Maya's head. The Siren is aware of everything around her but can't even move the muscles in her face. The only things she can do are breath, look and listen.
She looks away from the thin and maliciously smiling face above her the best she can.
"Guess who predicted, exactly, what you would do if soldier boy broke your heart?" Blair pats the side of Maya's face, making the siren look into her brown and red flecked eyes. "That's right . . . me." Blair smiles with self-satisfaction.
"Now," the auburn ninja starts, as she runs her left hand down Maya's body. The sadistic girl is intentionally making her paralyzed victim uncomfortable as she grabs the echo off Maya's belt. "We can't have anyone finding you." Blair stands up and throws the device on the ground to stomp it to pieces. She sighs, "That was fun." The violent woman states, as she picks up the pieces of the echo device and proceeds to throw said pieces in different directions.
With a wild look in her eye, Blair pulls out a syringe from her pack and kneels beside the scared siren. Blair picks up her tattooed wrist and checks her pulse.
"Oohh . . . how sexy is this? My new pet is scarred." She looks into Maya's eyes and strokes her cold cheek with the syringe held between her fingers. "Don't worry Maya, I take good care of my pets as long as they behave." The last thing Maya sees before succumbing to the tranquilizer is Blair's possessive smile.
18 hours later:
Maya slowly opens her eyes and realizes, she is able to move her muscles but is strapped to a metal chair bolted to the floor. The Siren looks down at her body which is no longer dressed in her outfit. The toned Siren is barefoot with shorts that barely cover the top of her thigh and a white T-shirt that only hugs her chest area leaving her torso exposed.
As her senses clear up, she tries to speak but can't even shut her mouth due to the ball gag buckled to her face. She tries to move her hands but they are tied down behind her in chains. She tries to phaselock but a sleeve, covering her forearm and hand, thwarts her abilities. She tries to move her legs but they are chained to the chair. She wiggles around and scrunches up her face, trying frantically to free herself. She gives it her all before breathing heavily and slumps her posture in defeat.
Frustrated, she looks around at her surroundings. The room is rather large with a plain cement floor underneath. The walls are painted in the traditional striped Hyperion colors. In front of her a large wall sized screen and a smaller monitor are hooked up to some electronic equipment. A yellow, padded office chair with the 'Hyperion' logo embroidered in the back with white thread sits to her right, and next to it sits an all-white desk. On the desk, rests a lonely dagger in a black leather sheath.
There is writing on the handle and Maya focuses her attention in an attempt to read it. A click of a door behind her distracts her focus. The blue-haired siren straightens her posture to appear calm and collected, even though, deep inside she knows this is bad.
A pair of heels clicks on the cement floor and the sound approaches the chair. The clicking ceases right behind her and a hand unbuckles the gag in her mouth. Without dropping the strap, the woman walks to the front of her captive revealing her identity as Blair. The brown eyed woman is sporting a long, white, buttoned up lab coat and white, calf-strapped heels. Her auburn hair is down, wavy and rests right on her shoulders.
Blair looks down at Maya in a stoic manner and Maya retorts with a glare, before, being jerked forward as the ball-gag is ripped out of her mouth. The siren stretches her stiff jaw before shutting it. Blair's stoic face turns into a silent grin and Maya notices it.
"You shouldn't be so smug, bitc-." Maya is interrupted with a hard back-hand to the face.
"Tsk . . . tsk . . . tsk . . . don't you remember what I told you about my pets?" Blair finally breaks her silence.
Maya, quickly, recovers from the hit and remembers Blair's words clearly. "You take good care of them as long as they behave." She answers without stammering her words and she looks up at her capture, keeping eye contact to show strength.
"That's correct." Blair steps over to the desk and trades the clipboard under her arm and the ball gag for the dagger. She turns around while unsheathing the dagger, "Calling your Master names and bossing her around isn't behaving, you know?" She asks in a calm but dark voice.
The sheath is discarded without care and Blair looks down at her pet. Within a second the woman's face turns to anger and she scoffs, "I told those idiots to put you in a tight tank-top not t-shirt. Fucking morons!" She crosses her arms and brings her right hand up to her chin. She taps her foot in thought.
After, the briefest of moments; "Oh well, I can fix that." She sits in her comfortable chair and rolls over to Maya's right side.
Maya only has vile thoughts in her head. So, to keep herself in one piece she clenches her jaw shut.
Blair takes her knife and slashes off a sleeve. She withdraws her knife, taking a moment to examine her work. She stands up for a better angle. The fashion expert wanna-be places the knife at the right side of her collar and uses the sharp edge, to cut the shirt down then across her chest, under her arm, around her back and up to the starting point. She slashes the unwanted fabric away from Maya's skin, fashioning a one strap tank top. Blair is pleased with her design and places the tip of the knife between her teeth. "That looks much better. More skin to work with."
Frustrated and slightly annoyed, Maya looks up at Blair with hate and anger in her eyes.
Blair presses the flat of the blade next to her pursed bottom lip, "Aaww . . . don't look at me like that, Maya." Blair smiles and walks over to the desk to put down the dagger.
The sadistic woman turns around and leans against the desk with her legs and arms crossed. "The person you should be mad at is Axton back in Sanctuary." She observes Maya's reaction as she inwardly recoils and looks down at the floor with the mention of his name and Blair grins. "That's right; if it weren't for him you wouldn't've been so distraught and left yourself vulnerable." She places an innocent hand over her chest. "It's not my fault men are weak between the knees. It's just how they are. One of the many reason I prefer women. Even then . . . well, I have standards." She looks at Maya approvingly.
She picks up the clipboard, holding it to her chest and inhales deeply pushing off the desk, to sit into her padded chair and cross her legs looking as professional as possible while eyeing Maya's body. "Maybe it was your tits." Maya looks at the redhead in disbelief and Blair puckers her lips in a thoughtful manner. "Compared to that other chick . . ." Blair places a hand over Maya's right breast and feels her up. "Yours are so modest." Blair shrugs her shoulders. "Whatever the reason, I was just doing my job . . . speaking of which, I ran some tests and did a thorough examination of you, while sedated." She smiles warmly and looks down at her clip board.
"YOU DID WHAT?" Maya's brain short-circuits at the thought of someone experimenting on her.
The outburst earns the siren another hard back hand to the face. "Bad Maya! No raising your voice to me! And certainly, no stupid questions, I don't keep idiot pets." Blair stands up momentarily to straighten her lab coat.
Once in her seat, again, the redhead reads the chart aloud. "Name: Maya, no last name known. Place of Origin: Athenas. Race: Siren. Age: twenty-seven. Sex: Female. Height: one hundred and seventy point eighteen centimeters. Weight: Fifty eight point nine kilos, making your BMI: normal. Eye color: Gray-blue. Natural hair color: brown. I think that's everything." Blair scan down the page, "Oh and the most exciting part: your Eridium tests came back positive." She looks up from her page with a delighted smile while Maya looks confused at the last bit of information.
"Positive?" Maya bravely asks. "Why is that so exciting?"
Blairs nods her head and a smile come to her face, "Aww . . . How thoughtful, you wanna know why I'm excited?" Blair doesn't wait for her subject to answer and rolls over to the desk and picks up the dagger and rolls back over. The redhead leans over propping herself on her knees with her elbows, intentionally, giving her pet a view of her ample cleavage. Maya tilts her head away slightly, uninterested. The Siren's gaze diverts to the blade being positioned above her left thigh.
"I can do this . . ." Blair digs the blade into Maya's left thigh tracing the outlines of her tattoos.
Maya knows the woman is just trying to break her but she refuses to scream. Instead, Maya's eyes furrow in pain and she breathes deep through her nose. Maya's mind wanders to the first night she kissed Axton and how he had traced her birthmarks with his fingers. Her jaw clenches shut and her heart pounds faster, as Blair digs a bit deeper still tracing the swirling blue lines. The blood flows, with gravity guiding it to the floor.
"Not going to scream for me, Mm?" Her brown eyes look up at Maya's distorted face with a sigh, ". . . shame, screaming is such a turn on." Blair licks the blade as she quickly stands up and walks over to the desk.
Blair giggles slightly and places the knife on the desk, "I wonder if it's because you're a siren." Blair muses to herself out loud. She opens a drawer and retrieves a pair of tongs, "You taste so good." Blair emphasizes 'you' and 'good' in an orgasmic tone and shuts the drawer with a smack causing Maya to flinch internally. Still panting from the pain in her leg, Maya watches her capture as she bends slightly to open the next drawer down. The tip of the tongs disappears into the drawer and reappears with a purplish-pink, glowing stone. Maya recognizes the rock as a raw hunk of eridium.
Blair walks over to Maya and places the eridium on her sliced up thigh. "Wait for it . . ." Blair orders and Maya looks down at her leg as the eridium sublimates and her sliced tattoos glow. The purple vapors are sucked into her body creating an intense stinging sensation causing Maya to fling her head back with a grimace and she tenses up her quivering muscles. The sensation becomes tolerable and Maya looks down at her thigh to see her cuts close up and vanish; leaving blood on the floor and on her pale skin.
"And that means; I can cut into you as much as I want." The women's eyes meet. Blair is grinning from ear-to-ear while Maya's face is worn from the torture she has just endured. "I just found my new favorite pet." Blair places the tongs behind her back and pats the blue hair with her left hand. Maya pulls away from the contact but Blair laces her fingers in the short hair and grabs hold pulling her head back. She peers in Maya's eyes with a harsh stare, "You WILL NOT pull away from me! OK?" She raises an eyebrow.
Maya protests by looking away. Maya's defiance cause a flicker of anger in Blair's eyes and the woman tightens her grip. Blair places her right knee between her thighs, intentionally touching her groin and the Siren's repulsed face is placed inches away from Blair's chest. "You are my wild pussy cat, now but I will tame you." Blair leans back and pulls Maya's head back. She crushes their lips together briefly and finishes up her inmate moment by running her tongue along Maya's face from chin to cheekbone.
With a sadistic laugh, Blair returns to the desk, trading the tongs for the ball-gag and dagger. "I have two hours," Blair faces Maya with a lustful smile, "Let's find out if I can make you scream."
The next two hours are spent in a cycle of slicing Maya's exposed skin in various places: thighs, torso, chest, and shoulders and then, closing the cuts up with the seemingly endless supply of raw eridium coming from the desk drawer. All the while, Blair continues to run her mouth, reminding Maya that she wouldn't be here if it weren't for Axton breaking her heart. The combination of the emotional and physical trauma causes the Siren to internally weep and the little clothing that clad her body is stained with bloody streaks, cold sweat and tears.
"You are one tough pussy cat." Blair leans back into her chair after finishing a cycle. "What is it going to take, to make you squeal?" She removes the ball gag to hear Maya's answer.
Maya looks up through a few stray hairs, with her sweaty head hanging on her heaving chest. She grins and keeps a defiant silence as she straightens up her shoulders and looks at the mistress in an; 'I am better then you' glare.
The behavior isn't what Blair wanted and she thrusts the angry dagger into Maya's kidney, making Maya lurch forward with a wail and scream from the blinding pain.
"See? Was the so hard?" Blair smiles as she retracts the blade and stands up.
"Blair!" An angry voice comes from an opened door. "That's enough!" Footsteps quickly patter over to the women. The blonde man steps to the front of Maya and looks down at her fresh stab wound. "Are you trying to kill her?" The man scolds.
"Oh please." Blair scoffs at the man. "Even without eridium that wound is easily treated." Blair retrieves another piece of eridium and stuffs it in the wound without care, causing Maya to flinch in pain.
The thin man is less than pleased with Blair's attitude and walks up to her. He crosses his arms and starts to tap his foot. "Blair!" The sharp call makes the cold woman flinch. The man exhales into a calm stance and slides his hands into his suit pockets. "Blair? Dear," The two look at each other. "I know you're a genius but you can't be reckless with such a precious asset." He steps away and positions himself in front of the screen.
"Ugh," Blair rolls her eyes and shoves the tongs into the desk drawer, then, slams the drawer shut. "It was one thing for Jack to question my competence but my own father?" She huffs and flops into her office chair and crosses her arms. She has an irritated look on her face, "Next thing you know, you'll be locking me away like Jack did." She pouts and spins in her chair like a child.
Blair's father turns the top half of his body to address his daughter with a loving smile. "I have apologized a thousand times for that but I am your father and I care about you too much to lock you away, again." He turns his attention back to equipment setup. "You know that dear."
The man backs away from the media equipment satisfied with the angles. "Is she ready?"
"Just a minute, Dad." Blair rolls over to Maya and shoves the gag in to her mouth fastening it snuggly.
Blair leans in with a smile on her face, "Are you ready to the face man that broke your heart?" Blair whispers, "Just remember, you sit here nice and quiet like. Unless, you want me to take parts off of you that aren't important. If you don't care about your own safety, think of theirs, minus Axton of course, but I would kill the rest of them. They will stay alive as long as you behave, Kitty." Blair stands up and pats Maya's head with encouragement. The Siren's blue eyes are cast down with despair and it is exactly what Blair needs to see, causing her to grin with satisfaction.
She faces her dad. "All set, dad."
Blair walks over to the equipment. It takes her a few minutes but she hacks into the Crimson Raider's echo feed. Maya looks up to see the familiar faces. Each face is on a different corner of the big screen. Lilith, Gaige, Mordecai and Axton come into view. Her attention focuses on Axton momentarily but the emotional pain flooding into her skull with no way to release makes her slump into her chair.
"Who's that?" Gaige simply asks.
"Mr. Blake?" Lilith has a shocked look on her face.
"Greetings, Lilith, it's been awhile." Blake leans back in his stance while addressing his old acquaintance. "Mordecai, Axton and Gaige, also eh? Good." Mr. Blake pauses, "There should be two more? Zero and Salvador?" Mr. Blake asks. "This matter concerns them too."
"What's this about, Blake?" Mordecai asks impatiently.
"If you want to find out, Zero and Salvador must be present, also." Mr. Blake waves off with his hand, "I can wait."
Lilith can be heard ordering Zero and Salvador to stop whatever it is they are doing and run to headquarters, as fast as possible.
"You have her, don't you, you bastard?" Axton ask in a low growl.
The Blonde man maintains his calm composure, "I know you have questions but I won't answer any of them until all parties are present." He ignores Axton's question with a snobbish tone.
Ten minutes creep by in silence.
Finally, Zero and Salvador make their presence known. Zero appears next to Gaige and Salvador to Lilith's left.
"Thank you for gracing us with your presence please keep all questions and comments for the end." Mr. Blake starts his speech.
"Whoa wait," Mordecai interrupts. "I have just one question before you start, Blake."
The thin man exhales with a calm irritation. "Just this once, Mordecai. Go ahead."
"Do you have a daughter?"
"So, kind of you to ask," Mr. Blake smiles with his response. "You will meet her in a few."
"WHERE'S MAYA?" Axton asks growing impatient.
"If you want to find out, no more interruptions or you stay in the dark." A silence falls on both sides of the monitor.
"Now," Content with their compliance, Mr. Blake breaks the silence, "I want to thank you all for killing Jack, if you hadn't, I wouldn't be in the position, I am now. But, in doing so you have tied up a substantial amount of the company's money and as a potential president, I cannot allow this." Mr. Blake side steps revealing his hostage, "To answer your question, Axton; Maya is here. I have claimed her as Hyperion property until we have reclaimed what Jack hid from us or until I see fit. Also, she perfectly fine."
Axton's angry face instantly slacks as he looks at Maya. She is chained down like an animal. He notices the blood all over her body and clothing and he notes physical torture but the lack of cuts has him confused. His eyes lift to her face noticing the ball-gag in her mouth to keep her from speaking; a sign of submission. She looks up at him briefly before averting her face in shame and disgust. He can tell she has been crying from the puffiness in her cheeks and he can tell by the lines under her eyes and their lack of light, someone has been torturing her emotionally, as well. He can only imagine what she has endured, so far, and it causes a fit of rage to swell up inside.
"JESUS!" Axton shouts and pounds the table, "How . . . how can you say she's fine? What have you done to her, you bastard?"
Gaige moves to Axton's side and tries to calm him down but Axton pushes her away and continues to look at Maya, already, thinking of possible places she could be and formulating plans to rescue her from where ever his better-half is.
"What?" Lilith is trying her best to stay calm to get information. She can understand both Axton's and, especially, Maya's situation. "What are you planning, exactly?" Lilith leans in to the table waiting for her answer.
"I got it from here, Dad . . . tsk, oh Lilith," Blair addresses the inquisitive Siren while changing the camera angle so only Maya can be seen. "You really shouldn't ask questions you know we won't answer." Blair answers playfully and slowly walks into the limelight and faces the camera. The curly, dark redhead brandishes a dagger in front of her face. "Oh yeah, if you couldn't figure it out, I'm Blair."
"You bitch!" Axton spits into the map. The Commando realizes Maya's torturer is this new person wearing a lab coat speckled with blood. "Don't you dare touch her! Or I will-"
"Wha? Kill me, pfft . . ." Blair laughs hysterically for a moment. "Do you have any idea how ridiculously idle that threat is? You won't even be able to find me, you pea-brained moron."
She resumes her laugh as she removes her lab coat revealing a white, leather mini shirt just barely topping off her toned legs and a white, form fitting, mesh tank clings to her flat, muscled stomach. Under the tank; a simple strap of leather is caressing her rather large chest. "Like it? I had it made just for this occasion and I had to wear the lab coat to keep it clean during our 'girl time'."
"Take that gag out of her mouth so I can talk her!" Axton demands because he wants to find out anything that would aid in rescuing her.
"Don't be telling me what to do, soldier." Blair walks over behind Maya and lays the blade on her collarbone. She glares at Axton. "You're in no position to threaten me." She makes a shallow cut along the ridge, freeing more of Maya's blood and it trickles down her chest and Maya's whimpers just loud enough to be heard through the echo feed. "If you try to interrupt me," The redhead switches hands and makes a shallow cut along her other collarbone, "I'll cause her more pain."
There is an air of tension floating around the room and everyone remains silent not wanting their friend to endure anymore pain then, she already has.
"Good, it seems your aren't as stupid as I originally thought." Blair looks up at the faces. "I planned a little demonstration for all of you. I want to show you guys what us girls have been doing the past two hours." She smiles and places the blade above Maya's birthmarks on her chest. The Sadist digs the point of the dagger into her skin again. Blair whispers into her ear and commands Maya to look at the man responsible for putting her here.
Maya complies and her scared eyes meet with Axton's angry face as he watches her torture session. Blair continues to trace the blue swirling lines. Maya closes her eyes and flings her head to the side in agony from Blair pushing the blade in deeper as it approaches the breast cutting into the muscle. The Siren's breathing grows erratic and tears start to stream down her face but she holds in the scream.
Blair ceases her work and steps to the front of her victim. Maya looks up and she can tell Blair isn't pleased. "You're supposed to scream for me, damn it." Just to have her way, Blair thrusts the blade into her other kidney earning her the muffled scream she wanted.
The gruesome sight and sounds makes Gaige close her tear-filled eyes and cover her ears. Lilith, Salvador and Mordecai also turn their heads. Zero isn't fazed and Axton keeps his vision trained on Blair; thinking of every possible way to brutally and painfully slaughter the bitch.
"Good girl." Blair taps Maya's cheek, "Is there anything you want to ask Axton?"
Maya has been trying to stay strong so Blair can't win but deep inside, the siren is emotionally broken and it outweighs the physical pain. Blair's constant talking during the physical torture struck a chord. The Siren knew it was only a tactic to wear her down but she knew the horrible woman was right. Axton was a bastard for what he did and now she was in this perpetual hell.
Maya looks up and nods her head. Mentally, she isn't ready for this and all she wants to do is curl up in a ball and avoid the world but she doesn't want the opportunity to pass her by.
Blair sits in her comfy chair and a leans in starring Maya in the eye. "You're allowed only to speak to Axton, unless you want me to off one of your friends once were done, understand?" She whispers with authority.
Maya looks down with a submissive nod.
Blair steps out of view and walks over to the desk. She retrieves the tongs and piece of eridium and steps back into view and train her eyes on the Military man.
"I am allowing Maya only a few moments to speak her piece. So, I suggest you not interrupt." Blair directs her statement towards Axton, who nods in agreement.
Blair places the piece of eridium in Maya's stab wound with more care and it instantly starts absorbing into her body to heal. The sting of the eridium causes her to inhale sharply with pain but powers through the pain to address Axton properly.
Blair removes the ball-gag gently and stands behind her.
"How could you do that to me, Axton?" In a low voice, the chained Siren remains calm and looks up at Axton with tear filled eyes. "I trusted and loved you and you betrayed me. . . I'm here because of you, you bastard." Maya voice becomes hysterical near the end and the Siren looks down as she cries, with no one to comfort her. Blair straps the black ball in place, signaling her time is up.
Axton is dumbfounded "I-l don't understand. Maya? Look at me, Honey!" Axton tries to get her attention but the woman he loves keeps her head down and turned away. "Honey, I love you!" Axton becomes frustrated and looks to Blair. "What kind of shit have you filled her head with, Blair?"
"Me?" Blair asks innocently holding a hand to her chest. "I didn't do anything but collect what you offered." Blair looks up at Axton's confused and speechless face. "In which, as agreed, you have been given half of Maya's bounty and yours is expunged." Blair thinks quickly and a grin comes to her face, "Did I mention the medical exam I gave Maya when I brought her in? Good luck getting out of Sanctuary alive . . . Daddy." Blair winks at Axton before stepping off screen.
The statement causes Axton's face to relax in thought and he looks to Maya, who is, also, surprised and confused at Blair's words. They stare at each other momentarily before Blair cuts the feed.
Author's Note: This is my longest chapter, yet. It's ok to hate Blair. Please review.
