Disclaimer: I don't own Borderlands

(A/N: Back again. Let's continue huh? Please tell me if you like what I'm doing or not. I have a lot of ideas and they're all going to get used eventually, but if none of you guys out there like this long drawn out filer tournament then I shouldn't be writing it.

Dria'5 Broken Ca5tle5: Sir, do you require medical attention?)

Chapter 36: Predator vs. Hunter

Torgue shouted his self-appointed lines as he did at the beginning of every fight. Tex and Smokey stood a little ways away from each other just like in the other fights, but something wrong. Smokey wasn't even looking at Tex. It was as if he was gazing through her with his hundred yard stare. Tex knew something was different, but it was of little concern to her. She was here to win, not to make friends. Upon the final shout Tex transformed, and started to sprint too her prey like the apex she was. Smokey just stood there, ever waiting, unreadable, a statue of pain and death. She leapt into the air ready to pounce. She couldn't react or fall in time to avoid the cowboy boot clad heel that collided with the side of her face. She was knocked to the side as Smokey followed through on his reverse spin kick and returned to a relaxed stance. His eyes remained half lidded and the frown on his face remained undisturbed. Tex stood up one more and took a swipe at the sadist with her claws only for her prey to dodge out of the way and hook his arm around hers in an arm bar. Normally the stronger fighter in the situation would be able to bend her arm out of the lock, but Smokey had wrapped his leg around her waist for leverage and Tex soon found herself on the ground. She could feel the tendons in her elbow about to break when she threw her now hardened skull back in the slender man's face, forcing him to release. She shook him off onto the ground and the whipped around and pounced, ready to sink her fangs into him. Her attack was cut short when Smokey's whip wrapped around her muzzle and forced it shut. She raised her claws and dug them into the sadist's rib cage, making him squirm on the ground, before he forced the heel of his boot into her pelvis freeing the knife blade hidden in the tip of his boot. He wound back and kicked the blade into her rib cage, forcing her to reel back. She retreated to think of a new plan of attack, but felt the sting of Smokey's whip on her back in the process. She stumbled and almost fell from the pain as he struck again. She felt her control start to slip from her grasp as a feral glint appeared in her amber eyes. One more hit did it. She howled and charged at her rival, no longer considering prey. They were both predators on this battlefield. This time Tex's attack succeeded and the two fighters became tangled in a mass of swinging limbs. Smokey put up a good fight with his fists and knife boot, but ultimately he couldn't fend against the animal, and choked as a pair of fangs ripped through his jugulars. She pulled away from the dying man under her, and found the he had the same scowl on his face. Now she was surprised, but whether or not she should be impressed or not she was unsure. Shaking the almost haunting expression on her opponent's face she thrusted a claw into his forehead to end the fight. It would've have taken three minutes for the gash on his neck to actually kill him. Smokey's eyes widened for that one moment before he was devoured by the familiar blue light. Smokey felt his form reconstitute on the other side of the machine; he absolutely hated it. He took in a breath and held it, just standing in front of the machine as if he was contemplating something. With a dismissive wave he let the breath out and strolled away from the machine back to the barracks.

Violette sat on her bead reading a book called The Book Thief. She enjoyed the quiet; it was something she had noticed a distinct lack of since she took up the job of vault hunter. Saphyre lay down on the bed silently with a completely straight face. This didn't worry the young engineer, it wasn't often that her psychotic companion would enter these short catatonic states, but it was normal.

"You feel her trying to break through again don't you?" Saphyre's sane half asked casually.

"She wants to kill gear maiden," Saphyre answered sadly, her thoughts seeming to echo in her head.

"It's okay, she hasn't gotten through yet, she won't anytime soon,"

"Time opens all wounds!" She shouted urgently, her mindscape now turning to an eerie red. Smokey walked through the door, closing it behind him to keep the AC in. The sound drew Violette's attention for a moment, before she looked back to the page as to not lose her place. Violette couldn't tell if Smokey was being pissey or respectful as he silently sat down on the bed. A moment of thought was all it took to remember that Smokey and respectful didn't belong in the same sentence. Shrugging this off she returned to her book; the only sounds after that was the click from Smokey's zippo. Five minutes, ten minutes, fifteen minutes; time kept going and there wasn't a single noise other than Violette turning the page three times. Finally she decided to look up from her book to check on the man in the room, only to find him hunched over on a bed staring at his feet. Smokey got the feeling on the back of his neck that everyone gets when someone's looking at them. He looked up at the young woman across from him blankly, and she quickly looked back at her book to avoid further embarrassment. He smirked and sat up, spitting on his fore arm and then stubbing his cigarette out on it. He stayed silent for a moment longer before engaging in conversation.

"So, what are you doing here?" Has asked casually.

"Excuse me?" Violette asked, not really understanding the question.

"I mean why are you here? As in on this planet; no offence but it doesn't take a second look to tell that you don't belong here," Smokey said honestly. Violette folded the corner of the page she was on to mark her place with a bemused smile on her face.

"Heh-heh yeah I guess you're right. Under normal circumstances I'd probably be as far away from here as possible. Yet here I am." She said triumphantly.

"Yeah why?" He reiterated in hopes that he would get an actual answer this time.

"Well since you're my team mate I guess I can tell you," She put a hand to her chin for a moment, choosing her words carefully. "Four years ago an S&S assassin killed my parents right in front of me. I still don't know why, but in the middle of the night I heard a noise in the living room. I went out to see what happened and that's when the shooting started. I watched from around the corner, thanks to my brother. If it weren't for him I probably would've charged head first into certain death like the stupid kid I was," Smokey listened intently, feeling an inexplicable pang of something in his chest. Sympathy maybe. "Turns out my parents were total badasses. They put up an awesome fight and had a pair of really good guns, but that assassin was really good at his job. He had shock transfusion grenades and wrist mounted fire SMG's they didn't stand a chance. In the end I had to watch them turn into ashes right before my eyes screaming all the while," Something struck in Smokey's mind. H felt a thick fog lift off a memory that had remained in the back of his head for years. He remembered his sister; god he hopped she was okay. "My brother was tough, he got in a lot of fights and I can't remember him losing any of them,"

"Heh small world," Smokey chuckled inwardly.

"While I was in shell shock he ran past me and sucker punched the guy so hard it knocked his left eye out of its socket. After that he got knocked out. I couldn't help but cry out, and immediately regretted it," Smokey found himself getting angrier as the story went on. He didn't know why, though it probably had something to do with the memory. The fog had been replaced with confusion; it was as if the memory was playing out of order and he was having trouble decoding it. "He strode right up to me and said feel free to come find me if you want. Then he knocked me out. When I woke up the cops were there and my brother was gone." The confusion started to thin at the end of the story. "I even changed my name in case he ever tried to come and finish the job," She said with a sad smile. That's when everything clicked.

"A-Anya?" Smokey asked meekly hopping that just maybe he was right. Violette stiffened at her birth name, and she stared at Smokey with wide eyes until realization hit her as well.

"Nathen?"

(A/N: Yeah you read write. I've been planning this for a while so I hope it worked.)