That vault, Tim did not remember what he ever expected. What appeared to be a technological pocket universe; he didn't expect that. While he did count on the thing being guarded, he could never have dreamed by what though. He was more grateful than he could say to have the other four vault hunters with him to fight the sentinel and the the sentinel on steroids.
When it went down with a bang Tim actually cried out in relief and laid down on the floor.
"Oooooh myyyyyy gooooood I'm so glad that's over!"
Everyone around him was celebrating in some fashion and looking over the smorgasbord of money, weapons and treasures the sentinel had practically wept. Tim heard quick footsteps coming up to him.
"Hey buttercup, get up." Jack swept up next to him and extended a hand, "Don't go soft on me now."
He grasped it and let Jack haul him up, then put an arm around his waist and bring him in close. Jack lightly touched his nose to Tim's and held his gaze with a burning intensity.
"It only starts here kiddo. Step one complete. Step two is getting whatever weapon is in here down to Pandora."
"Step three; profit?" Tim quipped.
Jack chuckled.
"Something like that. You're gonna be my right hand man ya know." before Tim could respond Jack devoured his mouth, Tim could hear Nisha give a jealous gasp and Claptrap screamed 'ew!'. Neither one of them gave a shit. When Jack pulled away Tim little out a little satisfied hum.
"Right hand man huh? That entails what exactly?"
"Lots of wonderful things." Jack said with a devious grin, "By the way, I still owe you a high five and a turbomansion for killing Zarpe-nuts. So-"
Tim lifted a hand and Jack smacked with gusto.
"The turbomansion will take a little longer." Jack said, walking towards the center of the vault.
"I can wait." Tim said. 'I think I have a boyfriend.' he thought. 'I think that's what he meant. That's a different way of asking, well more like telling someone you're with them.'
"Keep an eye out for the red one; I don't wanna get interrupted."
Jack surveyed the vault and his eyes came to rest on the tiny vault symbol hovering over the spot where the sentinel had collapsed.
"What?!" he yelled in outrage, "That's it, that's what we've been busting our asses for?"
Tim knew better than to judge the little thing like that. Literature 101, the magical maguffins are always deceptively small.
"Jack, I think…" Tim came closer and was reaching out to him when Jack waved him away and reached out to touch the symbol.
"What kind of weapon…"
The moment he made contact the began to spin, light radiating from it's center. The light went straight to Jack's mismatched eye and he was lifted up and placed in a stone throne. Knowledge, more than knowledge, pure truth flooded into Jack's small and barely comprehending mind. He laughed in rapture and screamed that he could understand everything, see everything.
Tim was not inspired by this. He was terrified he knew in his gut and in his head this was bad. He didn't know how much so until the worst began to unfold. Jack's vision continued and suddenly a violet rip appeared and out stepped Lilith. Tim didn't have time to wonder where she'd come from or how she'd followed them.
"Hello handsome."
With those words she punched the vault symbol in front of Jack's face. It exploded like a hand grenade but with the force of a full bomb. It exploded right into Jack's face. Tim and the others were knocked onto their asses. The wind left his lungs and no matter how much he wanted to he could no move a muscle as Lilith sauntered past; her work done.
When he managed to get up he could hear Jack's anguished cries. He couldn't get to him quick enough. Jack was writhing about on his hands and knees, screaming, crying, growling, and clutching his face. Tim was choked by the smell of burning flesh as he got close, he could hear the wounds still sizzling. Steaming drops fell to the floor beneath Jack's face, some ruby colored, others clear.
"Jack! Talk to me!"
Jack sucked in quick breaths and tried to control his screams.
"That bitch!" he kept hissing. "She'll pay! They'll all pay!"
"Yes she will." Tim cursed lowly. He put his hands on Jack's shoulders and tried to bring him close.
"Stay with me boss."
"You're gunna find me a doctor." Jack said, still not taking his hands away from his face.
"Yes, yes I will, I'm taking you straight back to Helios. Here," He tried to get Jack's arm over his shoulders, "lean on me."
Jack yanked himself away and crawled towards the throne. He kept talking as if he hadn't even heard Tim.
"You're gonna find me a doctor, then...then we're gonna wake the Warrior."
"What?" Tim watched as Jack finally put his hands down. That face that Tim had been crafted to mirror perfectly was now marred beyond all recognition. The vault symbol was seared over it, blinding Jack's green eye and pressed into his once flawless skin. He remaining eye wept profusely and a trail of blood oozed from the ruined eye making a long rivulet of red down the wound.
Despite what must have been excruciating pain, Jack began to laugh as he sat back in the throne.
"Its gonna be so good. We're going to scorch the freakin planet in fire. There's going to be screaming! Bandits dying left and right! I can't wait!"
Jack kept laughing and raving and Tim began to reach out to him again. Then he heard people running away. The other vault hunters were making a break for it. He understood. Here they had witnessed the birth of a madman. They wanted nothing to do with that.
Tim looked back to Jack. Again something deep into him implored him to reach out.
"Jack, look at me!" he screamed. Jack still didn't hear him.
In a split second he saw everything that would happen. Hyperion would be Jack's, Pandora would be Jack's, every vault would be Jack's. But so would every death, every travesty, every atrocity, every massacre, every horrible thing that could happen would. And he would be in the center of it all, a madman for a lover, clinging to some pipe dream of happiness. Jack had made him do bad things, he'd make him do still worse. He might even do worse to Tim himself.
Tim wasn't sure how long knelt there thinking about all this. When he did get up Jack was still lost to him. He wanted to reach out and touch him he knew that's stir the man back to reality, at least as close as Jack might be able to get now.
But he didn't. He made himself turn; slowly and take the first step to the exit. He walked calmly, deliberately, his heart screaming and pounding inside his chest like it wanted to escape. He knew full well what he was doing. He knew it would hurt the most right now and he knew that if he avoided the pain and stayed he'd hurt for years to come.
Just before he reached the exit he heard Jack start screaming for his followers. He tuned around; Jack's voice was still joyous and he didn't yet realize what was going on. Tim stepped out of the chamber and left his first behind. If he heard Jack call for him angered or hurt he'd turn back. His resolve would have crumbled. He needed to leave now and cut ties with Hyperion and everything else. He would have to hide well and likely die young; but lets be honest; that's what he would have ended up doing no matter what, right?
