A/N: So, we're nearly at the end. This chapter is just leading up to the big final chapter. Also, there is a lot of indication in this chapter as to how I want to finish this story.

The final chapter is about half done, so it might be up some time during the week, i'll have to see.

Also, if you read this, please leave a review. This section has been sort of dead recently, and leaving a review lets me know that people are still reading this story.

Anyway, as always, please enjoy!

We all gathered in the Crimson Raider's HQ. Everyone, especially Maya, was still shaken up over the events that had just happened. Axton and Salvador had been sent out to the Arid Nexus Badlands to get information on where the Warrior and the Vault were buried. This left me with Maya, Brick, Zero and Mordecai. Everyone sat in silence for about an hour, waiting for Axton and Salvador.

While I waited, I thought, for the first time, about what things were like back at home. I thought about how my parents were doing without me. I wondered if things had cooled down with Marcie's dad. The more I thought about, the more I realised that I missed home. Home had been the last thing on my mind recently, but now that I got some time to think, I wanted to go back more than anything. I wanted to return to what things were like before all of this. There was two problems with leaving after all of this though, one, I didn't have a way off this planet, and two, the Vault Hunters would want me to stay with them here to help rebuild Pandora or whatever. I remembered Axton once saying that killing Jack was only the first step, that there was more to do, but I'd had enough.

Finally, the front door opened and Axton and Salvador walked in.

"Hero's pass," Axton said, "That's where Jack was sending all of his Eridium, that's gotta be where the Vault is."

"You'll have to go through the Eridium Blight to get there," Mordecai told us.

"I have an idea," Brick said loudly, he was incapable of talking quietly, "I'll see you guys out in Hero's Pass, I have to go get something."

"Alright then," Axton addressed us, "Everyone, except Mordecai, we're heading out to Hero's Pass shortly, gather all the weapons and ammo you need. Oh, and, talk to a few of the townspeople, they might have some things for you, it may not be much, but every bit counts."

Since everyone was off doing their own thing, I headed down to see Scooter. I hadn't talked to him in a while. As I rounded the corner to his garage, I heard a clang of metal coming from inside. I walked through the entrance and found the man himself, with his back to me, searching for something in a red toolbox and throwing everything that wasn't it behind him.

"Hey Scooter," I said.

He spun around and his face lit up when he saw me.

"Hey Gaige," he said, "You ain't seen my wrench around here have you? I've been lookin' everywhere for the damn thing."

"Here, just use mine," I smiled and grabbed that I kept strapped to my leg and tossed it to him. He caught it and returned the smile.

"Thanks, Gaige."

"No problem," I replied, "Anyway, were heading off soon to, y'know, kill Jack and stuff."

"So this is it then, huh?" he asked, "The big moment."

"Yeah, I guess," I said, looking around the room. It was then that I noticed the small black sphere, resting on a tabletop. I don't know why it caught my eye but it did. I walked over to it and picked it up with my human hand.

"What's this?" I asked.

"Oh, that thing?" Scooter replied, "I got it when I killed some bandit who was tryin' to hack my Catch-A-Ride system, It looked like he was using that thing to hack it but I don't know what it does."

I turned the sphere over into my robot arm, and as soon as it touched it, the sphere began to glow a bright blue colour. I realised what it was. I'd heard of these things a few times during my time on Pandora, but I wasn't really sure if they existed, let alone if I could get a hold of one.

"Uhh, that's pretty cool," Scooter's eyes widened.

"Can I keep this Scooter?"

"Sure thing, I don't need it."

There was a short silence.

"Anyway, Scooter, we're heading off pretty soon, I just wanted to see everyone before I left in case..." I trailed off.

"Well okay then," He said, "Good luck, give Jack a bullet from me, will ya?"

"Sure thing Scooter," I said as I turned to leave. After a few steps, Scooter called after me.

"Gaige," He called. I turned back around to face him.

"Yeah?"

"I-" It looked like he wanted to say something, but changed his mind. "You-you come back alive, you hear?"

I was shocked by his words.

"Y-yeah," I stammered, "Will do, Scooter."

"STAIRS?" Claptrap shouted in disbelief, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-"

"Claptrap, shut up!" I yelled at him, I was not in the mood for the annoying little robot at that moment, there was too much to focus on.

Claptrap stopped shouting and the Vault Hunters looked at me curiously.

"What?" I said flatly.

"Go on without me," Claptrap said dramatically, "Do your master proud!"

"You know, we could just carry you if-" Maya started, but was interrupted by Claptrap.

"I said, go on without me!" he repeated.

Maya sighed and we headed up the wide flight of steps into the heart of Hero's Pass.

Brick's stolen ship pulled up a few metres from the edge of the cliff next to us.

"They're swarming me Brick!" Mordecai called from inside as several Hyperion JET loaders landed on the side of the ship and made their way inside.

"Go on without me!"

"Like hell," Brick shouted, "I got you Mordecai!"

Brick made an impressive leap across the gap to land on the ship and ran inside to help Mordecai. Just as he entered, we heard a familiar boom sound. I looked up to see a moonblast shot leave the Hyperion ship and crash into Brick's ship. We heard Brick let out a scream as the ship fell out of the air and down into the lava below. We all stared in disbelief.

"Oh my God..." Maya gasped.

Axton shook his head, "Come on, we have to keep moving," he ordered.

After battling our way to the end of Hero's Pass, we entered a long, winding cave. At the end of the cave, there was an elevator that led down to the entrance to the Vault of The Warrior. Just before we entered the elevator, Axton stopped us.

"Okay, everyone," he began, "That handsome bastard is down there right now, about to wake the greatest alien power Pandora has ever known. Now, since the moment that train crashed up until now, we've survived everything this planet has to throw at us, and I don't intend to fail now. Just remember, no matter what happens down there, we're here to kill Jack, and by God, that's what we're going to do."