Author's Note: Here is the next chapter. I hope you enjoyed. Responses: Dr. Arch angel: Sorry, like I said, it had to be done. Fizzy cash man:Yup. Lurking T: Thanks but dont know about that. I really enjoy your stories. they flow well and it is really interesting how you wove your own ideas into the original plot and your new one keeps me enthralled. I would definitely say the same to you. Platinum Shark: Thank you. I hope I can keep your attention. :-)
Borderlands is the sole property of Gearbox games and 2/K.
The Unexpected Blast from the Past
"I see you're delighted to see me, Nyx." The mystery woman addresses with a smile.
"Nyx?" Axton asks the woman in confusion. "Her name's Blair." He informs her while looking at the back of her head.
"Blair, huh? No wonder you wanted the name Nyx." The woman teases her opponent.
It is obvious by the look on her face that Blair is unhappy to see this old acquaintance. "What are you doing here Athena?" The redhead asks with an irritated tone in her voice.
"Hey Athena, didn't recognize you." Brick greets with a smile. "How ya been?"
"Nice to see you again Brick. It's been what, four years?" Athena responds with a cordial tone but she does not turn her head keeping her eyes trained on Blair.
"You know each other?" Axton ask looking back at Brick.
"We'll talk later." Athena cuts off Brick before he can respond.
Brick bends down to Axton's ear and fills him in on how he knows the woman.
"You won't get a later, Athena." Blair threatens as she tightens her grip on her swords and advances.
"We'll see." Athena retorts as and meets Blair head on and parries her strikes with strength, speed and grace.
Axton watches the two women duel with their swords. Energy from the clashing plasma swords can be felt throughout the entire cannon. The Commando can tell these two women have a bad history by the intensity of their fighting. Not only are they exchanging blows with their swords but is mixed with various forms of Martial arts.
After a few minutes of intense fighting, Blair uses a tachi-dori technique on one of Athena's thrusts, relieving her of a sword. Athena promptly and nimbly flips away from her opponent's next strike and breathes heavily.
"Getting old and slow, Athena." Blair snickers as she kicks Athena's sword away and continues to advance.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, Nyx," Athena warns with a grin as she takes a kendo stance with her remaining weapon.
The redhead charges with furious war scream. Athena is still as her opponent charges her. Blair makes a down swing at Athena's head with her right. The skilled assassin parries the sword and removes her right hand to catch Blair's left wrist slashing up. Blair's face winces in pain as her wrist is disabled from Athena executing a pressure point with the grip on her wrist.
The white plasma sword falls worthlessly to the ground, making the redhead withdraw and she bounces a few steps back. Blair shakes her wrist to regain feeling but her fingers remain limp.
"You were always such a bitch!" Blair says slightly angry with the disadvantage.
"Hmm . . ." Athena grins and advances, "At least I'm not crazy." The older woman says as she thrusts her sword at Blair's head with her right hand.
Blair evades the lethal strike by dodging to her right but the blade nicks her cheek leaving a burn. She ignores the pain and thrusts her sword across to stab her attacker in the side.
Athena's quick reflexes allow her bring her left hand down and catches Blair's wrist preventing the plasma blade from impaling her. But, the heat from the sword rips through her body suit creating a burn on her skin. Athena winces from the contact but drives the pain into her hand and tightens her grip. Blair is prepared this time and drops her sword to twist her wrist; keeping Athena from disabling her only working hand. Feeling the inability to disable her other hand, Athena pulls back her sword and runs the blade through Blair's right shoulder, all the way to the hilt. Athena releases her grip on the sword to punch Blair in the face to knock her out.
Blair screams from the searing pain but bows low to avoid the punch. Blair brings her left leg back and coils it behind her. Before Athena can react, she finds her face at the wrong end of Blair's scorpion kick and she is forced to fall back and lands on her ass while bringing a hand up to the point of impacted.
Blair steps back a few paces and slumps in her stance with the sword still in her shoulder.
Her breaths are heavy but she manages to speak through the pain, "I-I can't . . . erg . . . I can't believe after all . . . erg . . . this time . . . goddammit!" She brings her limp hand up to her shoulder as her breathing becomes shallower. "YOU'RE TOO OLD TO BEAT ME, YOU HAG!" Blair screams in frustration.
"Age means nothing, Nyx." Athena states in an 'a matter of fact-like' tone while rubbing the side of her nose and she stumbles to her feet. "You always became too cocky when you think you have the upper hand and it seems you never learned. You're just a psychopath whom I should've disposed of a long time ago." Athena says as she smirks and leans back into a combat stance to gather the required energy to finish the fight.
"I might be a psychopath . . . but . . . erg-shi- . . . I know when to retreat." She smiles and brings her right hand down to her electronic black belt, "I'll be k-keeping the s-sword . . . for now?" Blair sputters as she breathes heavily and presses the button to her teleportation device. With a yellow flash, Blair disappears.
"Damn it!" Axton yells as he runs towards the yellow flash while firing off several rounds, hoping to make a hit.
"I never saw a personal teleporter like that before or I would've smashed it." Athena says as she looks on with regret. "I thought it was a regular belt."
Brick walks up beside Athena and places a large hand on her shoulder, "Don't beat yourself up. You kicked her ass good, HAHAHA!" Brick laughs thoroughly satisfied with the outcome of the fight he just witnessed.
Axton turns around dissatisfied, "Damn she got away." He whispers and shakes his head. The Commando looks up from his dismay at the female assassin, "That was a hell of a fight; too bad you couldn't finish her off." Axton compliments with disappointment in his voice.
"I'm not very happy either." Athena says as she rests a hand on her left hip. "She isn't happy which means she is going to be looking for an outlet for her anger." Athena informs Axton. "And now we can't interrogate her, damn it." The brunette curses in a passing breath.
Axton runs a worried hand through his sandy-brown hair. His mind wonders to the image of Maya bound and gagged to the chair wearing those bloodied clothes because Blair thought it entertaining to torture her for hours.
"What's she going to do to you now?" Axton thinks as he closes eyes and bows his head. He opens his greens eyes and looks to Athena. "I have an idea who."
"Yeah, the Siren . . . Maya, right?" Athena asks as she retrieves her sword and sheathes it.
"Yeah? How'd you know that?" Axton ask wondering who this woman is.
"I have been keeping my echo on alert for Hyperion messages since I came back to Pandora and I saw the last feed." Athena explains. "Hyperion has something major in store for your girlfriend, soldier. Nyx is not only a well-trained assassin but she knows the body inside and out from her medical traini-."
"Wait, wait, wait." Axton interrupts. "How do you know her?"
"All assassins know each other and I was her trainer about eleven years ago." Athena answers, "Part of my contract with the Atlas Corporation was to train new assassins. I had the privilege of training her and another girl when they were twenty; she had straight black hair, then. I never knew their real names, it was policy. I originally wanted to give them the names Selene and Eos because of their hair color, ha, funny how that turns out." Athena says as she shakes her head.
"How's that?" Brick asks.
"Considering? They were Hyperion?" Athena looks at the men's faces with a raised eyebrow who do, obviously, not understand the irony. "Oh, not important. Anyway, they wanted different names so I let them choose."
"Well, we know her name." Axton interjects.
Athena nods her head, "Nyx and Hemera, night and day. Hemera: born from Nyx, goddess of day and mother of the sea. Nyx: goddess of the night, born from Chaos and the mother of doom, death, and deceit. Should've known she was trouble."
"But, it's just a name." Axton says shrugging his shoulders not impressed.
"There is power in a name, soldier." Athena says as she starts to walk and motions to the men to follow. "She disappeared for a while and I found out; she took medical training to further her knowledge of the body. Anyway, Nyx has lived up to her name and has tortured and broke men twice her age and size."
"Assassin and a doctor?" Axton asks confused.
"Yeah, and that isn't the extent of her skills. Her required Atlas IQ test came back two hundred and ten." Athena informs the Commando.
"Wh-what?" Axton asks he stops in his tracks making Athena and Brick stop, also.
Athena looks back at the shocked man. "Yeah, Atlas really wanted her as an asset which is why they didn't look into her background or care she was a sadistic, domineering psychopath, big mistake . . . C'mon, we gotta get back to Sanctuary." Athena turns and continues to walk.
"I can't go back there." Axton admits as he starts to walk again. "After, Blair-."
"I saw the feed. I know but I'll smooth everything over." Athena promises to both Brick and Axton. "We aren't going to stop Hyperion completely, if we keep our forces fractured."
"Fuck Hyperion, I just want Maya back." Axton thinks to himself as the trio continues on their way.
A few hours later, Maya is lying back onto her bed with her arms behind her head and staring at the ceiling. Or, anything, to keep her mind off the fact Hyperion wants her to resurrect the dead and not just any dead; Handsome Jack, the man who wished to rule Pandora.
The thought makes the Siren's skin crawl and she turns her blue eyes towards the coffin. Her whole being is wishing the coffin and its contents will disappear and she can wake up from this nightmare.
She would roll over and her blue eyes would fall on Axton. His warm, muscular body would be right there to hug her. He would make her feel better by whispering wonderful things to her while kissing her. She yearns for the Commando's touch, so hard, she can imagine his arms wrapped around her.
"Fuck!" Maya thinks to herself as the room, the coffin and that damn bastard just won't fade away with his coffin. "How can I get out of here?" Maya asks in thought as she thinks of her advantages. "My powers work, they have to enter the room to get me. If I stay alert maybe I can fight my way out of here." The siren plans in her brain as she balls her right hand into a fist and pounds it into the mattress.
Just as Maya sits up, a door opens up in the adjacent room. Blair stumbles into the room as she looks completely pale and angry about something. She is wearing a lab coat along with the two other workers that follow her into the room. It is apparent the two men are her minions by the way she orders them around. Her right arm is in a sling and her left wrist is wrapped and hanging worthlessly by her side. Behind her, steps in Mr. Blake.
Blair walks up to the side of the glass window and with great strain, presses some buttons on the wall with her right hand. "Get in there and retrieve the Siren." The redhead orders her minions with anger in her eyes.
Maya watches as a door appear on the wall next to the glass that leads out to the room. The two men in lab coats step in and Maya grins.
The siren raises her phaselocking hand but nothing happens. "What the fuck?" Maya questions with a puzzled look directed at her hand.
"I pumped a temporary neural relaxer into your cell to keep you from phaselocking my workers." Blair explains, "Be a good girl and cooperate."
"Yeah, ok." Maya replies.
The Siren takes a swing at one of the approaching men. Her fist connects with the first man's nose and she promptly grabs a hold of his shoulders and brings a knee up to his stomach to knock the wind out of him. He falls to into the yellow carpeting in a fetal position gasping for breath.
The Siren turns her attention to next guy but he is already too close and he thrusts an electronic choker around her neck. Maya goes to punch the man but the halo around her neck brings the sassy Siren to her knees with an electronic charge. The man bends down to pick up the Siren as the shock ceases. Maya recovers and stands up swiftly, upper cutting the man in the jaw with her head and knocking him unconscious in front of her.
Maya steps to exits the room but the first man uncoils from his pain. He grabs ahold of Maya's ankle and makes her face plant into the carpet.
"That's enough, Maya!" Mr. Blake commands as he steps into the room. The intrusion and another shock prevent Maya from kicking the worker in the face.
After the shock passes, she looks up from Mr. Blake's shinning, tapping, black dress shoes to his glowering scowl. Without a word spoken, Mr. Blake bends down and grabs the scruff of her shirt and forces Maya to her feet.
"You will listen and behave, dear." Mr. Blake orders as he wraps a hand around her arm like a child and drags her into the lab. "It is time we put you to work for the Corporation." The blonde man brings a hand up to her collar and presses a button. "Now, this collar will automatically reinforce positive behavior." Mr. Blake informs with a smile.
Maya rips her arm free of Mr. Blake's thin fingers and winds back to punch him. She is halted by a stinging sensation entering her neck, "What the hell?" The Siren asks through gritted teeth. She brings her fingers up to the collar, "Damn it! Is this the same thing Jack used on Lilith?"
"The same. I was hoping to use your boyfriend as motivation but I guess this will have due." Blair answers irritated as she steps closer to Maya. "I had it reprogrammed with two new modes. Both modes, reinforce positive emotions which you need to heal while phaselocking. That is how it works right?"
Mr. Blake reclaims the Siren's arm and forces her into a metal arm chair. He straps an elastic band around her torso, legs and her right arm, securing her to the chair.
Maya looks up to Blair standing in front of her. "How did you know that?"
"I'll keep that a secret." Blair answers with her index finger in front her smiling mouth and she winks playfully.
Maya's nose wrinkles in anger and the collar stings her. "Erg . . . How'd you get the sling?" The sensation stops. "Axton give it to you?" Maya smiles with the thought of Axton beating her.
"That incompetent idiot wouldn't have been able to beat me. I baited him really well too." Blair exhales with irritation. "No! Unfortunately, there was some interference and now you are going to heal me or that collar is going to give you an unwanted headache."
"Go jump in a skag pit, bitch. I'll take the headache." Maya responds and looks away in defiance and the collar stings her again.
"Damn it." Mr. Blake stands behind Maya. "I was hoping you would just cooperate but I'll have to force you like Jack would." The desperate man pulls on the collar changing the setting. "Maya, be a good girl and heal Blair." The man commands in a soft tone.
Maya's arm involuntarily starts to glow. Her hand rises in front of her. "Ugh . . . fuck!" The siren protests and a flash of white light fill the room.
Mr. Blake pats Maya on the head, "Good girl." He compliments as he walks over to his daughter.
Blair removes the sling and pulls her lab coat and shirt collar to the side. She rips off the bloody bandage and a white scar is all that remains of her stab wound. The red head raises her left hand and flexes her finger tips into a fist.
With a left hook, Blair punches Maya in the cheek. "That's for roughing up my men and assuming a man could best me in combat." The redhead says as she extends her right arm and revolves her shoulder in a circle.
Blair balls her right hand into a fist. Maya closes her eyes and prepares herself for the next punch. Instead, the pleased woman praises Maya with a cordial pat on her cheek making the Siren open her eyes. "Thanks for patching me up, Kitty. You did a wonderful job. Amazing how that works." Blair straightens her posture and continues to inspect her range of motion with various stances.
Maya looks up at the women with a bitter hate in her eyes. "Fuck you." She whispers under breath.
"You can curse as much as you want dear, that doesn't change a thing." Mr. Blake whispers into Maya's ear as he straps down her other arm.
"Blair?" The thin man addresses his daughter. "Go recover your men and start the experiments. The sooner we get this jack ass alive the sooner we can recover the money and I can secure my position as C.E.O." The blonde man turns to exit the lab.
"But, I thought you were happy Jack was dead." Maya cranes her neck to address Mr. Blake. "Why would you want to resurrect him?"
"It would only be temporary." Mr. Blake turns and faces the Siren. "The security vault Jack had built can't be opened by anybody but him, alive. It takes a retinal, finger, neural and voice scan all at once while monitoring vital signs for a full minute and compares it to a record. It is the latest and greatest in security technology and it's the biggest pain in my ass."
"Why not just use a body double like we used when we excessed Angel?" Maya asks trying to figure a way out of resurrecting Handsome Jack.
"We tried that already, it terminated the target on sight." Mr. Blake answers with a regretful sigh. "And our cloning technology is still being perfected."
"Geez, sounds like accessing Angel's chambers was easier, then, opening this vault." The blue haired siren whispers.
"Yeah, it would seem Handsome Jack cared more about money and power than he did his own daughter." Mr. Blakes shakes his head in disgrace, "What kind of father experiments on his own daughter for money? Then, when shit goes wrong and she needs eridium to stay alive, blames and locks up my daughter for his thoughtless greed!" The blonde man yells but he quickly regains his composure and looks to the clear coffin. "Mark my words, Maya, as soon as that vault opens and Hyperion recovers its money that bastard is going to get a bullet in his head; BY ME!" Mr. Blake turns his brown eyes to Maya and smiles, "Then, we will finish exterminating the rift raft on this planet and if you're good, you get to stay out of the line of fire and out live your friends."
"I don't understand the wait." Maya prods. Trying to figure out, with all off their resources and chances, why haven't they killed anyone yet by their own hands.
"We were going to but we realized we need your mental health in a stable condition in order for this to work." The man answers
Mr. Blake turns the knob and steps into the door. "Blair?" Mr. Blake calls to his daughter as he stands in the frame. "I want progress reports every hour while testing and remember only eight hour shifts at a time with twelve hours in between. We don't want our only way to recovering that money getting burnt out. Ok dear?"
"Yes Daddy." Blair answers with a smile as she helps her workers up from the floor.
"Thank you." Mr. Blake exits the lab, leaving Blair to do her work.
Luckily, Athena, Axton and Brick are able to get into headquarters without any problems. Athena and Brick decide to enter the tension filled room first, leaving Axton by the stairs like a child while Mom and Dad go talk with the grown-ups. He hates the idea of hiding in the shadows like a coward but if it means getting closer to Maya, the Commando is willing to swallow his pride. Stealthily, Axton ducks down and leans in by the door frame to hear the conversation and get a visual.
Before, anyone can say any greetings or explain their presence, Zero lunges at Athena in a flash with his sword. Just as quick, Athena unsheathes her red sword. The red and blue plasma swords clash with intensity.
"Wh-what are you doing Zero?" Lilith asks as she rushes over to break up the two assassins.
"She is Athena/ Assassin here to kill me/ But I won't let her." Zero tells Lilith in his usual poetic form.
"We know who she is, Zero." Lilith looks up to Zero as he turns his head and a question mark appears on his visor. "We helped her dispose of General Knoxx a few years ago."
"This isn't like six years ago when I was with the Atlas Corporation." Athena tells Zero as he turns his attention back to Athena. "I wised up and decided to bring Atlas and other corporations like them down." Athena says as she pushes a relaxed Zero away with a shove of her sword.
"Yeah, calm down, Slab." Brick orders as he crosses his arms and relaxes in his stance.
"Now that I'm finished with Atlas, I came back to Pandora because I heard Hyperion was becoming the next problem." Athena explains. "I heard you defeated Handsome Jack as I finished up with Atlas and came back to help you take care of the rest so they can't regroup and retaliate."
"We would appreciate any information you might have." Mordecai requests.
Athena crosses her arms and steps up to the Map table, "Well, I saw the last echo feed between you and Hyperion and I can tell you Nyx was playing you." Athena addresses the room.
"THANK YOU MYSTERIOUS LADY!" Gaige uncontrollably shouts out and everybody's attention diverts to Gaige. "Wait . . . Nyx? . . . You mean Blair, right?" The Mechromancer asks as she ignores everyone's stares and keeps her attention on Athena.
"Same person." Athena quickly answers. "Anyway, Axton did not betray you guys, he was set up by that sadistic psychopath."
"How can you be so sure?" Mordecai asks as he steps closer.
"If you knew her, you would understand how she works." Athena responds and turns to Axton to wave him into the room.
Axton stands up and joins the meeting, "I told you; I didn't do anything, damn it!" Axton says in cocky and childish manner as he stops in the door way and crosses his arms and leans against the frame.
Gaige rushes over to Axton. "Did you recover any of your memory or find anything?" The hyperactive redhead asks. "Cause I haven't been able to dig out the signal yet."
"Signal?" Lilith asks as she turns to Gaige and cocks her hips to the side and crosses her arms. "I thought you were trying to locate Axton's whereabouts."
"I lied." Gaige shrugs at Lilith. "I have been delaying you guys so you wouldn't destroy each other." Gaige informs Lilith with a confident smile.
Mordecai walks up to the teenager with a frown on his face, "I don't know whether to be pissed off or . . ."
"Lay off Mordi," Brick interjects. "The girl saved all of your skins with her quick thinking."
"But what if she was wrong and Axton did turn to Hyperion?" Lilith asks in a raised voice as she takes Mordecai's side in the argument.
"I can't believe you guys!" Axton shouts louder. "We should be looking for Maya!"
"An' we were looking for her by tryin' ta follow you, PUTA!" Salvador chimes in elevating the anger in the room.
"Don't call me a puta, ya 'ROID RAGING MIDGET!" Axton yells back getting into Salvador's face.
Lilith, Mordecai, Zero and Salvador start arguing back and forth with Axton and Brick. All the while, Gaige is trying to harmonize the group so they can focus on finding their comrade but they ignore her and continue. The tempers quickly escalate to a boiling point and everyone's fists start to ball up.
"HEY!" Athena shouts at the top of her lungs. All of Sanctuary probably heard her and the vault hunters stop and look to Athena. "YOU GUYS ARE ALL BEING FUCKING RIDICULOUS!" The female assassin continues to shout at them. "The only one here who has any sense in their head is this girl," She points to Gaige who in turns smiles confidently. "And she's younger than any of you, GODDAMMIT!" Athena exclaims frustrated. "Do you guys want to stop Hyperion from whatever their doing or not?"
"Well, of course we do, Athena." Mordecai replies as he relaxes in his stance.
Athena looks at all their head nods with satisfaction. "Good!" The older woman exhales.
"And you Zero," Athena turns to address her fellow assassin. "Allowing your emotions to get the better of you and argue? The best assassins don't get caught up in quarrels and show emotions. You're one of the best which is why Atlas put you on a hit list so long ago. Unless, that changed in six years."
Zero slumps in his stance and a sad-face emoticon appear on his helmet as his former hit woman scolds him. "You're right Athena/ And, live up to your code name/ you are a wise one."
"Don't kiss my ass Zero. Just be yourself because in order to get Nyx, we'll need your assassin skills." Athena tells Zero to inspire him.
"Understood." Zero leans back and a smiley face emoticon appear on his helmet.
Lilith exhales as see leans her hips against the edge of the Map Table and crosses her arms, "What do you know about this Nyx . . . er . . . Blair, whatever the hell her name is?" The fiery haired Siren asks.
Everybody's attention is on Athena as she shares her history and knowledge of Blair with the group.
After listening for a few minutes, Gaige decides to get back on the Map and do more digging as she listens. She accesses the map bringing up the last images from Pierce Station when the Mechromancer was trying to buy time for Axton. Athena stops talking mid-sentence as an image catches her eye.
"Gaige, go back." Athena demands as she leans closer.
"What?" Gaige asks confused but she complies and goes back to the images. "They are just pics from the fast travel."
"Holy Shit!" Athena exclaims and her eyes widen. "Where is this girl?" Athena asks in a demanding tone as she points to a picture of a blonde.
Mordecai steps next to Athena and looks at the picture, "Oh, Sephi? She's ok. She wor-"
Athena grabs a hold of Mordecai interrupting him. "Where is she, Mordecai?" The desperate woman commands with fire in her voice.
The woman's cold grey eyes stare through the Hunter's goggles and into his soul making the man stiffen. "She should be at Moxxi's bar, working." Mordecai answers.
"Everything ok?" Axton asks as he steps closer.
"No, it isn't." Athena responds and grabs Axton by the jacket, "Take me to Moxxi's, right now!" Athena demands and drags the Commando out of headquarters and into the streets of Sanctuary.
Axton rips Athena's claw off his jacket and leads the assassin to Moxxi's bar. Brick, Gaige, Lilith, Mordecai, Salvador and Zero follow out of curiosity.
As soon as Athena and Axton enter the bar Athena's eyes lock on Sephi and Axton can feel the anger seethe out of Athena. Everyone else files into the bar behind the Commando.
"HEMERA!" Athena calls to the blonde and she steps in a bit closer.
Sephi stands by the bar, leaning in talking to Moxxi. The short girl's head spins around making her blonde hair bounce in front her face and her eyes shoot open and are wide from the shock. The look in her eye changes from sweet to murderous in seconds.
"Athena Sensei?" Sephi asks in utter shock. "Oh shit!" The blonde slams her palms onto the bar and lifts herself up to back flip behind the bar.
"What the hell are you doing, Sephi?" Moxxi asks as her employee wraps an arm around her neck and squeezes as the other hand grabs the Jakobs revolver hanging under the bar.
Sephi places the revolver to Moxxi's head and pulls back the hammer.
Author's Note: Until next time, thank you for reading and please review. I love hearing your thoughts.