Brand Allegiance

by StormyBrains

What if every corporation that provides Pandora with weapons each sends a representative to hunt vaults for them? This is a tale of the Corporate Vault Hunt, where we meet the new corporate vault hunters going on adventures, killing bandits and wildlife, looting the loot, being awesome, and finally reaching their ultimate prize: the Vault. WARNING: It may blow your mind!

37. Breakfast Club

Author's note: Hello, readers! Wow, it's like over three months since I've last posted a chapter. Sorry if my short break turned out to be more of a mini-hiatus to some of you readers. But a lot has been going on lately. I got a part-time job over the month. A little game called "Overwatch" had just entered into my life (Well, it didn't actually enter far enough since my incredibly old laptop couldn't run the damn game without lagging like a motherf*cker and I don't have the money to buy a new computer! God damn it! That iinfuriates me!) And … also … uh … my grandmother just went to the hospital. I don't like to go into the details, but basically, it's pretty bad … yeah.

Regardless of the excuses, I'm sorry that it took so long for me to post these chapters. There are times when I feel like I just want to give up … that I just don't have the energy to do it anymore … but your encouragement kept me going, and I truly appreciate all of you for that. I initially did fanfiction to blow off some steam in a way no other activity could. And because of that, I used to never give a sh*t about what people think of my work. But, gradually over time, I started to care. I began to have this desire to treat this type of writing as an artform. An outlet of creativity. An indication of my potential. A journey to my own soul. An opportunity to genuinely connect with the world … to all of you.

Worst case scenario, it might take me months or even years to put together the next chapter, but I swear on my life that I will use my last dying breath to finish this fanfic if I have to. Again, sorry for the delay. I wish my grandmother gets better or at least gets herself a nice spot in heaven. Enjoy the reads, MOTHERF*CKERS!

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Chapter 37: Breakfast Club

As the hot-as-flames bartender and the binge-drinking mercenary are about to have a heated conversation, there is someone else walking down the streets of Sanctuary, cautiously scanning every inch of the city hoping to find a place to shop (and also to make sure someone doesn't mug him, shank him, and/or have surprise butt-sex with him, which are all, unfortunately, very likely possibilities when you're on Pandora). That meticulously economic man is none other than Brandon, the corporate vault hunting representative of Tediore. He is of course accompanied by his sarcastically cheerful older sister, Xiao Lan, who was just abruptly woken up from her beauty sleep by Brandon and is still a bit tired from all this commotion. Xiao Lan Chen is definitely not a morning person.

" *Yawn* You know I'm not a morning person, Brandon." Xiao Lan complained in a tired voice. She is currently dressed in her usual red formal-wear and sporting a half-asleep look on her face. "Why do you have to drag me along in this shopping trip anyway?"

"Because if I'm going to die the 18 levels of hell, I'm dragging you along with me." Brandon replied with morbid sarcasm while displaying an uncaring look towards his sister.

"Oh~! How wonderful that I get to spend all of eternity in hell with my little brother~!" Xiao Lan exclaimed, fluttering her eyelids in a melodramatic fashion. Sarcasm must have been hereditary in this family. "We get to play Chinese poker all night long, like we always do when we were kids, and I'll always win~!"

"Yeah, well that's not the only reason I brought you with me." Brandon explained, returning to a more serious tone as he slightly re-adjusts his black neck-tie. "I've heard Pandora is a shady place in more ways than one. There's no telling if and when I might get conned while doing business here. It's better to have someone by my side as a second pair of eyes to make sure that happens less often. The economy, sis … the economy takes no prisoners." Brandon clenched his fist as he described the economy. (I feel you, man. The economy can be quite a b*tch sometimes …) "In fact, there's this one time when I was doing business with a merchant from Pandora a couple of months ago. I was still working for Tediore at the time, and I had to sell a shipment of guns to that merchant. However, I severely underestimate that guy's bargaining skills. It's kind of a long story, but let's just say I ended up paying for it and it made me look bad in front of all of my higher-ups at Tediore."

"Wow! A workaholic such as yourself could actually make mistakes at your job? How unprecedented!" Xiao Lan remarked with playful exaggeration. "Anyway, if you have such a bad history with Pandoran merchants, why even come here to shop? We got all of the essentials right back at Blue Moby. What could you possibly need that you're willing to become this desperate?"

"Why, I'm buying guns, of course." Brandon answered flatly.

"Wait, really? Guns? Haven't you been provided with guns from Tediore already?" Xiao Lan questioned with a raised eyebrow. "Also, isn't it against the rules of the corporate vault hunt to use guns that are not provided to you?"

"No, it's against the rules to use guns from another brand." Brandon corrected. "I've checked the rules and I'm pretty sure that as long as it has Tediore's brand name on it, I am allowed to use it. Besides, when I came here to do this corporate vault hunt thing, Tediore only provided me with cheap and crappy versions of their guns. None of them were above a green-rarity! How dare they?! And here I was, risking my neck just to improve their corporate image! Those cheapskate bastards …"

"Hmm, I don't know. Tediore sorta reminds me of another cheapsake bastard I knew …" By that, Xiao Lan is implying Brandon is a cheapskate bastard.

"Hey! I'm economically and financially smart! I'm not a cheapskate! There is a difference!" Brandon furiously argued. "Anyway, given the reputation of Pandora, it's safe to say that I'm going to need a major upgrade on my firepower if I'm ever going to get out of this alive. If that means I am better prepared for the fight, I'm willing to take the risk in dealing with these sleazy Pandoran merchants once again."

By the time the brother-sister pair had finished their casual conversations, they came across a large advertisement sign saying "GUNS" with a picture of Marcus's face labeled on it. Beyond that lies an alleyway which leads downstairs to a merchant stand. Guess if you looking for guns, there's not a more obvious sign than that. Brandon and Xiao Lan strolled down the stairs only to hear a sudden gun-shot going off from inside the shop, which causes the two to jolt a little in astonishment.

"Oww! Aaaahhhhh! My knee! I used to be an adventurer, you know!" A random dude just collapsed on the floor in front of Marcus's stand, clutching onto his bloody knee and screaming in pain. Brandon and Xian Lan's faces went pale in fright as they saw this abrupt and moderately f*cked-up occurrence.

"I don't care if you are the son of a dragon or something, I'm not changing my one-and-only policy of this store." Marcus announced from the other side of the counter, separated by a cage-like fence. He is holding onto a gun with a smoking barrel, which is presumably used to shoot the poor bastard who is squirming on the ground right now. "… NO REFUNDS!"

"Oww … you won't get away with this! I'll be back! And I WILL GET MY REFUND!" The random dude stated in loud but pretentious rage before he gets up and limps out of the store.

"Pfft, well good luck with that!" Marcus shouted back at the random dude. Almost immediately, the presence of Brandon and Xiao Lan has caught the attention of Marcus, at which he instantly shifts his tone of voice from angry to friendly, a habit formed over the years to attract customers. "Oh! … *Clears throat* Well, hello there, customers! Didn't see you there. Oh, don't worry about that guy. He constantly buys guns on a tab and doesn't pay up. Sometimes, you have to be a little ruthless to your customers once in a while to show them you mean business. To show that you won't be pushed around, you know. But don't worry! As long as you have the money for my products and services, I can be a perfectly reasonable guy." Marcus then habitually displays a totally fabricated fat smile, showing his one golden tooth among his regular row of teeth.

"Yeah … I'm sure you can be." Brandon murmured nervously as he adjusts his thick-framed nerdy glasses.

"Hmm, you two don't seem like the locals. Came from another planet, I presume." Marcus deducted, as the clean and neat clothing that Brandon and Xiao Lan are wearing indicates to Marcus that they might be loaded with cash. Well, loaded with more cash than an average citizen of Pandora, anyway. "What can I get you for?"

" *Sigh* I'll get straight to the point. I need guns from the Tediore brand only. I want the best ones you got." Brandon demanded straightforwardly.

"Tediore, eh? Sure, they have fast reload speeds, but they are generally considered cheap cookie cutter crap compared to the other brands." Marcus compared with casual honesty, which mildly hurts Brandon's pride since he is supposed to be a representative of Tediore. "If you want, I could interest you in some of the other brands, like Dahl, or Jakobs, or Maliwan."

"Actually, he is one of the representatives of the Corporate Vault Hunt. I'm sure you've heard about it, right?" Xiao Lan butted into the conversation as she pats Brandon on the shoulder. "A competition among corporation-hired professionals to find the vault and all that nonsense? The rules restrict him to only using the brand of guns that falls apart like wet cardboard on a rainy day." Xiao Lan's stinging remarks only deepened Brandon's embarrassment towards his association with the brand. "It's such a shame, really. It's not like his life depends on it or anything … oh wait, yes it is. And I'll be damned if I have to rely my life on a gun that is more effective at being thrown than it is at actual shooting." Salt the wounds, Xiao Lan Chen. Salt the motherf*ckin' crap out of them wounds.

"The Corporate Vault Hunt? Ah, yes, I've heard about it on the ECHO-net. Can't believe that is actually happening on a place like Sanctuary." Marcus comprehended as he rubs his chin. "Well, if that's the case, have I got something nice for you! As they always say on Pandora: 'If you're not buying guns from Marcus, you might as well be dead.' My prices cannot be beat anywhere else on this planet."

"Wait a minute … Marcus? Marcus Kincaid?!" Brandon blurted out loud. Both of his hands slam on the counter in shocking revelation as his widened eyes are fixated at the overweight merchant.

"Uh, yes … do I know you?" Marcus asked with mild confusion and unease.

"You sleazy scoundrel!" Brandon shouted out loud as he pointed an incriminating finger at Marcus. "You're the Pandoran merchant who I sold guns to at almost nothing!"

"I buy guns from a lot of places. You have to be more specific." Marcus demanded while crossing his arms, attempting to be defensive.

"Remember me?! Brandon?! Mr. Chen?!" Brandon clarified with much ferocity. "A couple of months ago, I was the Tediore salesman who sold you a shipment of guns that was delivered on Pandora! You keep yammering about the guns being poor quality and second-hand, even though they are brand-new and straight from the assembly line! You ended up threatening to cancel the transaction unless I gave you a huge discount, remember?!"

"Aaahhh, so this is the Pandoran merchant who conned you a couple of months ago." Xiao Lan commented at the side. "My, my, the universe sure is smaller than it looks, running into old acquaintances like that so easily."

"Ohhhhhh … come to think of it, I do remember you." Marcus realized, his memories starting to come back to him as he scratches his head. "The salesman with a nervous and stuttering voice. Honestly, when I first called you, I thought you were an intern or something."

"MY SALES PITCH WAS A WORK IN PROGRESS, OKAY?!" Brandon shouted with a hint of humiliation mixed with his rage. "And stop trying to change the subject! That sale was totally unreasonable! There was practically no revenue coming back to me!" Brandon continues to quarrel, his anger gradually growing by the second. "And do you know what's the worst part is?! … All of the money was in the form of cash! But not in the regular paper currency that normal people use, oh no! It was in the form … of BOBBLEHEADS! WITH YOUR UGLY FAT HEAD ON IT!" Brandon pulled on his hair and gritted his teeth in frustration as he roared those words. "Let me ask you, merchant. Under what universe does BOBBLEHEADS … COUNTS … AS … CURRENCY?!"

" *Gasp* You use bobbleheads as money? How adorable~!" Xiao Lan added with a mockingly cute tone.

"What could I say? It was all the rage a couple of years back." Marcus shrugged. "Pandoran locals back then certainly have no problem using it."

" *Deep exhale* I got scolded by my superiors for having a sale that pretty much breaks even on paper." Brandon continued to rant, his red-faced anger slowly transforming into tear-jerking sadness. " *Sniff* I ended up having to pull money out of my own pocket just to fill up the profit margins. I was this close into losing my job, and you know how rough the job market is in this godforsaken economy." Brandon took out a packet of tissues to blow his nose in as he continues to cry miserably, which admittedly makes Marcus slightly uncomfortable and sympathetic. " *Sniff* … *Sob* … It was the most terrible moment I've ever had during my time working at Tediore … *Sniff* and I've had some pretty bad moments after that … DO YOU UNDERSTAND HOW I FEEL?!"

" *Sigh* Listen. Back then … the Crimson Raiders had it rough." Marcus empathetically tried to calm down the weeping salesman. "They were going up against Hyperion, so they needed all the firepower they can get. Most of which is provided by me, of course. If it makes you feel any better, those guns that I bought from you ended up saving a lot of people."

" *Sniff* Well, guess what, it didn't make me feel better enough." Brandon pursues his argument, returning to a more scornful tone. "I've got a wife and three kids, for crying out loud! I need to put food on the table and pay my mortgages and put my kids through college! We can't all be heroes here! Some of us cannot afford to be!"

"Oh, I'm sure your wife can skip a few meals here and there." Xiao Lan pointed out with stinging sarcasm. "Last time I saw her, she has quite a bit of a muffin-top around her waist."

Brandon was instantly alerted by his sister's comment as he slowly creaks his head around to look at Xiao Lan in the eyes.

"Did … did you just imply that my wife was fat?" Brandon asked with a blank face.

"And what if I did, little brother?" Xiao Lan asked back, in a more innocent manner.

"HOW DARE YOU?! MARY WAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN I'VE EVER LAID MY EYES UPON!" Brandon now goes on full-rampage mode, with figurative flames breathing out of every word he speaks. Maybe rage-induced figurative fire-breathing is also hereditary among the family. No one insults her wife like that, not even his sister. "ALSO, SHE WAS THE BEST WIFE A MAN LIKE ME CAN EVER ASK FOR! SHE HAD GONE THROUGH SWEAT, BLOOD, AND TEARS TO RAISE OUR KIDS AND SHE HASN'T COMPLAINED ONE BIT! SO, SHE … IS … NOT … FAT … ALRIGHT?!"

"Calm down, little brother, I was only joking." Xiao Lan dropped a sweat of nervousness as she tries to soothe her pissed-off brother.

"Geez, and people thought I was a bit chubby …" Marcus playfully stacked onto Xiao Lan's fat joke as he rubs his own belly.

"Mr. Kincaid …" Brandon refocuses his attention towards Marcus, with a killer glare more terrifying than that of a psycho's. The salesman's voice could easily indicate a sort of killer intent within him. Who knew a wimp such as Brandon could be so intimidating if given the right motivation. "… I am not even close to being done with you yet."

"Alright, alright, I get your point. Sheesh …" Marcus pleaded submissively, his open-palmed hands held up in front of him to indicate his act of surrender in this argument. "Tell you what. As an apology for what I did, I'll give you a major discount on all the guns you buy from me."

"How major are we talking about?" Xiao Lan asked with innocent cheer.

"50 percent off." Marcus boasted with a sparkling smile.

"Hmm …" Brandon adjusts his thick-framed glasses as he considers his economic decisions. "… make that 80."

"Oh, come on. You're killing me here. I might as well give you the guns for free." Marcus complained. "… how about … 55?"

"75." Brandon continued the bargain, his eyes brimmed with steadfast determination.

"60." Marcus pressed on.

"70! And the first gun is free. Take it or leave it." Brandon bargained as he crossed his arms in a confident manner, which suddenly ramps up his coolness by ten-fold.

"Seriously? I cannot make a deal like this." Marcus objected.

"Fine. Be that way." Brandon replied dismissively as he turns around and proceeds to walk out the shop. However, before he completely walks out, Brandon turn his head back to Marcus to say something more. "Oh, and good luck handling the fact that a world-famous corporate vault hunter from a corporation that is notorious for making cheap sub-standard guns … is not buying guns from your store." Brandon's confidence has risen to astronomical levels as he folds his arms and displays a self-reassuring smile. "That's right. A representative from Tediore is willing to risk it with his own crappy set of guns … instead of buying guns from you. Think how bad it will make you look by comparison." Brandon then slowly walks closer to Marcus, his aura of calucated fear amplifies with every step. "If word gets out about it … I wonder what that will do to your store's reputation."

Marcus gritted his teeth in desperation. He didn't know that Brandon suddenly got so good with negotiations within the short period of time since they have met from before. Is this really the same person whom he did business a couple of months back? Regardless, Marcus dread of the idea that his store's popularity would suddenly drop because of this incident. In the end, he has no choice but to accept the deal.

" *Sigh* You drive a hard bargain, Mr. Chen. Alright, it's a deal, then. 70 percent off and the first gun is free." Marcus accepted the deal reluctantly as he shakes Brandon's hand to confirm the exchange. "Come towards the back at the shooting range. Let me show you what I have."

With that, Brandon and Xiao Lan walk further into the store to come across Marcus's shooting range that is adjacent to the shop. In the meantime, Marcus brings out a crate holding a set of the best Tediore guns he could ever get his hands on in Pandora. There's probably around a dozen of these cleanly polished guns, all having at least a blue rarity or higher. Not too shabby, if Brandon could say so himself.

"Here it is. I brought this out from my finest collection. Take your pick." Marcus bragged as he shows Brandon his Tediore gun collection.

"Woah! This is quite impressive." Brandon's eyes pretty much sparkled as he glances through the various types of high-quality Tediore guns. It's almost like he's a little boy inside a candy shop, in which all the candy is free. As Brandon glances at the collection, he slowly brushes his fingers on the surface of the guns to make sure what he's touching is real. "Let's see … Deliverance, Baby Maker, Gunerang … these are some high-quality special edition Tediore firearms! You buy these from retail, they'll probably cost more than an average car! How did you get your hands on one of these?!"

"Well, let's just say I've got … connections." Marcus answered hesitantly with shifty eyes as he scratches the back of his head. "It's best that you don't ask too many questions about it. Granted, the method of which I acquired them is perfectly legal, so it's not like I've got anything to hide."

"Yeah … I'm sure." Brandon replied with a suspicious stare at Marcus. Brandon sees Marcus as nothing more than a shady business dealer from a backwater planet, and this transaction has not made it any less true. Regardless, that is not Brandon's main concern right now. All Brandon should focus on is to find a gun that best suits his style of shooting, just so he could at least survive the vault hunt and be with his family again. As Brandon takes his time to analyze the arsenal, he finally picks up one of the Tediore SMGs. After picking it up and establishing the "feel" of the gun in his hand, Brandon took the SMG to the firing range and take aim. However, upon aiming at one of the paper targets down the range, he paused for a couple of seconds, seemingly unable to pull the trigger. Both Marcus and Xiao Lan thought this is strange for Brandon to suddenly have cold feet, even when it's just practice.

"What's wrong? You're too scared to shoot?" Marcus asked.

"Maybe it's one of his anxieties again. He is always nervous when performing under pressure, even when he was young." Xiao Lan suspected with care-free cheer before shifting to a more mocking tone. "It's a wonder how he is able to maintain performance for his wife. I feel kind of sorry for Mary."

"Will you shut up?! Your stingy comments are not helping." Brandon retorted back at his sister, who seems to have no problem teasing him whenever the opportunity arises. Brandon knows he has to keep his nervousness under control if he is ever going to survive this vault hunt. As he grabs hold on the reality of the situation, Brandon takes a deep breath and decides to try again. " *Deep exhale* … Okay, maybe this would help."

Brandon then puts down the gun and proceeds to face Xiao Lan and Marcus, who are watching from the far back. As Brandon stares at them, he sports a warm welcoming smile on his face, which suddenly creeps Xiao Lan out a little.

"Umm … little brother? What are you-?" Xiao Lan asked nervously before being interrupted.

"Is your life severely inadequate in terms of household protection?" Brandon suddenly blurted out, changing his previous tone of nervousness into a tone of confident salesman suave, similar to what you see in typical bullsh*t infomercials. The way he is presenting himself … is he trying to act out a sales-pitch? "Does your family need a safe and reliable self-defense firearm for an incredibly low price? Well, have I got a gun for YOU?!"

"What the hell …?" Marcus asked rhetorically, with a dumbfounded 'WTF?!' expression on his face.

"Introducing Tediore's brand of firearms!" Brandon continues his handsome salesman persona while holding onto the Tediore SMG like he is presenting it to an audience. "Safe, reliable, and easy to use! It's the perfect brand of firearms for the whole family! Just take a look at how effectively and efficiently it decimates this paper target!"

Immediately afterwards, Brandon uses the Tediore SMG to shoot at the paper target down range in controlled bursts with surprisingly good accuracy … without even looking at the targets himself. As Brandon is putting up a brave smile, all he has to rely on is his peripheral vision to see the targets. Even with that limitation, the groupings of the shots are remarkably tight. The heads and hearts of the paper targets was pretty much shot with bullseye perfection at up to 20 meters down range. Even Xiao Lan and Marcus were amazed at Brandon's actual shooting skills.

"And that's not all!" Brandon continued. "With Tediore's special-patented insta-digistruct reloading system, you don't need to reload! All you need to do is THROW!" With that statement, Brandon skillfully reload-throws that Tediore SMG into the target, blowing it up into smithereens. "This unique reloading system gives Tediore's guns the fastest reloading speed out of all manufacturers, making the hassle of reloading your weapons through clumsy box magazines a thing of the past! So what are you waiting for?! Order yourself a Tediore firearm today!" With that Brandon ends his infomercial-like performance with a wink, a shiny smile, and a thumbs-up.

Both Xiao Lan and Marcus were awestruck when they saw how Brandon presented himself like that. They know he works for Tediore on sales, but … this … this is something else.

"Wow …" Xiao Lan uttered in wide-eyed amazement.

"Gotta hand it to your brother." Marcus whispered to Xiao Lan. "His sales pitch could give mine a run for the money."

"Ehehehe … Well, to be fair, I've only been working on that pitch for a couple of weeks or so." Brandon noted with slight embarrassment, returning to his usual nervous self. "Of course, I wouldn't have the resolve to practice if it weren't for the encouragement of my wife." Brandon then shows off a slight blush and lightly scratches his cheek with his index finger as he said the next phrase. "Mary can be quite an angel sometimes. She's always there for me, being the source of my motivation when things seem desperate. That's why I fell in love with her."

"Well, I've got to hand it to you, little brother. I didn't think you could accomplish anything successful in your life." Xiao Lan praised amazingly as she step towards the firing range to carefully look at the decimated paper target. Even though it's a compliment, the fact that Xiao Lan never expected any sort of success out of her own brother mildly ticks Brandon off. "How did you become so good with shooting guns, anyway? I thought you wouldn't even touch anything that would so much as emit a puppy's bark, much less a gun-shot."

"Well, as a Tediore sales representative, it's pretty much mandatory for us to be exceptionally skilled at using the products that we'll eventually sell to our customers, obviously." Brandon explained. "You gotta 'wow' them by showing off your skills using these weapons in order to draw more buyers. That's like Sales 101. You wouldn't believe the rigorous training we had to do to reach this level of marksmanship. We practically have to shoot a ping-pong ball from across the street before we are qualified to be sales rep."

"That still wouldn't explain how you became such an unbearable coward when fighting against regular soldiers and bandits in real life." Xiao Lan reconsidered.

"Well, you see … shooting in front of a friendly audience is once thing." Brandon replied with dimming confidence. "Shooting people in a real life-and-death scenario … with real blood and gore … that's another thing entirely."

"Aaahhh, I see." Xiao Lan realized with mocking cheer as she wraps an arm over Brandon's shoulder. "In the end, you're still just the same sacredly-cat brother I know. *Giggles*." This comment made Brandon's self-esteem dip even lower, knowing that his shooting skills could never be applied in real-life because of his tendency for flight in a fight-or-flight response.

"Look, this is quite impressive and all, but you still got to pick a gun." Marcus pressured Brandon.

"Alright, alright. Just give me a couple more rounds of practice before I made up my mind." Brandon replied with mild annoyance. "The selection of a self-defense firearm is an important one. It cannot be rushed."

"Fine, whatever." Marcus shrugged and allowed Brandon to take his time in the gun-selection process. "… you know the bullets you use in the range aren't free, right? You still gotta pay for those."

"Aww, C'MON!" Brandon exclaimed while being incredibly pissed.

---

While the Pandoran morning sun continues to brightly radiate heat on Sanctuary, the Hyperion corporate vault hunter is impatiently waiting near the entrance of the Blue Moby airship while her 'companions' are out exploring the rest of Sanctuary for a while. Time is of the essence in terms of bringing down the Atlas corporation and retrieving the vault key, which means that every minute counts. However, it doesn't seem to come across any of the other corporate vault hunters' minds to be so urgent that they have to sacrifice time catching up with their old friends and maybe have a cup of breakfast tea or something. Efficiency is the key to success in every mission Selena partakes during her time in the Hyperion task force … and efficiency is exactly what's lacking in this disorganized and undisciplined group at the moment. While Selena is leaning against the wall of a building and casually toying with her bright-orange holographic wrist-computer to pass the time, there is someone quietly gazing at the Hyperion specialist from a far but observable distance. That someone … is Krieg.

Selena was long aware of the bandit's presence from her proximity, but she just doesn't care enough to pay much attention to him or tell him to go away. As Selena continues to ignore Krieg's passive stalking, Krieg couldn't help but continue his relatively harmless act as he stands statue-still while alluringly stares at the Hyperion female blonde even longer. Krieg couldn't quite explain it, but there is just something about Selena that's been bugging him lately. Maybe she was someone he knew from a long time ago. Maybe she just looks like someone he knew. Maybe he's just crazy. It's most likely just crazy, Krieg thought.

"Hey, Krieg. There you are." A female voice spoke up from behind Krieg. It was Maya. As Maya is approaching Krieg with a warm welcome, the large psycho only reacted by turning his head for a brief gaze towards the siren before returning to his long gawk towards the Hyperion specialist. Maya is bewildered by Krieg's behavior. She never saw Krieg becoming so interested in another person before. Whatever is going on between Krieg and Selena, if there is even anything going on at all, Krieg wouldn't say it. Or perhaps he couldn't because of how shattered his mind has become. Maya still wanted what's best for Krieg though, and decides to at least try to ask Krieg about the whole issue while placing a tender hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong, Krieg? Is she someone you knew? Someone from your past memories?"

Krieg remained silent. There is just no way for him to formulate his thoughts coherently to recall crucial memories. It's frustrating sometimes how something as simple as long-term memory can be so difficult to Krieg. He could only let out a hopeless grunt before lowering his head in disappointment.

"It's alright, Krieg." Maya comforted Krieg tamely. "You don't have answer right away if you couldn't. Take your time."

Krieg's heart found ease whenever he listens to Maya's voice. It's like she is the light guiding Krieg's soul out of the chaotic darkness. Krieg feels like he own Maya everything. If it weren't for her, Krieg might still be the same psychotic murdering maniac holed up in God-knows-where on this wretched planet of Pandora. Of course, there are the other vault hunters who have emotionally supported him, such as Axton, Salvador, Zer0, and Gaige, but Maya was the beginning of it all. It's like it was fate that dragged Krieg to that train station where she met Maya for the first time.

"PRETTY LADY AND BLOOD BEAST, A MEAT BICYCLE BUILT FOR TWO!" Krieg blurted out with seemingly recovered joy. "BLOOD BEAST NEEDS BLOOD AS FUEL FOR FLAMES TO SCORCH THE FUSE!"

"Hmm, sounds like you're hungry." Maya easily deducted. "Head over to the bar to get something to eat. I'll catch up with you later."

"BLOOD RUNS THROUGH MY VEINS LIKE CHOLESTEROL!" Krieg shouted in his usual raving tone as he heads to the bar like Maya had suggested.

When Krieg was finally gone, Maya stayed to look at the brooding Hyperion female in the white-and-yellow jumpsuit. There is something going here that Krieg doesn't know yet and Selena doesn't let on. Maya's curiosity is growing by the minute and she is desperate for answers. However, it's not like Selena is going to talk cooperatively even if Maya asks politely. In fact, judging by the way Selena persistently maintains her scary sour-face at pretty much everything, she is more likely to slice someone open than to have a peaceful conversation. However, Maya is willing to risk that possibility.

"Hey, you there." Maya spoke to Selena as she approaches her. Selena only responded by giving her an angry look like she usually does to pretty much everyone she meets. Those fierce-looking eyes could easily make any other bestial predator froze in fright. It's like some kind of nonverbal signal … a mental deterrent … to warn anyone who approaches her to not screw with her or she will screw with them a hundred times over. Even someone like Maya could feel a slight heaviness on her shoulders just by looking into those fearsome blue eyes. Regardless, Maya is determined to press on the conversation, albeit with a bit more polite approach. "I believe we have gotten off on the wrong foot. Sorry if I phaselocked you from back then. It was a force-of-habit when I feel like one of my friends was being threatened and … uh … you know … things … just sorta happened."

Real smooth, Maya. Real smooth.

Selena didn't even bat an eyelash when Maya made a pathetic attempt to start a conversation with her. The Hyperion female just remained quiet, refusing to socially interact with any of the vault hunters as much as possible. If it's not within the necessity of the mission, Selena couldn't give less of a f*ck.

"Hey, look, if this is about Krieg suddenly approaching you without warning … I'm sorry, alright?" Maya continued apologetically, trying to get on Selena's good side. "Krieg can be a little … uh, what's the word for it? … he can be a little bit unstable sometimes, but he's not a bad person. If there were any misunderstandings between us, allow me to clear it all up right here, right now, okay?"

Selena continues to remain hushed as she toys around with her wrist computer further, acting like Maya is not even there.

"You're not saying anything." Maya spoke faintly with a mixture of curiosity and frustration. "Does that mean you're okay with it?"

Selena still remained speechless, preferring to give her wrist computer more attention than she gives to Maya.

" *Deep sigh* I just don't get you people from Hyperion sometimes." Maya rolled her eyes, exhausted with options. "Listen, I know you know something about Krieg, and you're not telling me. Please. I need to know."

"I do not know anything. Leave me alone." Selena warned in a bored tone, finally breaking her silence.

" *Deep exhale* Alright, you finally talked. Well, that's a start." Maya reassured herself with mild relief. "Well, you may say that you don't know anything, but is that really true? Come on, Krieg is a subject from one of those horrible Eridium experiments. There's gotta be some mention of him in one of those records within Hyperion's database. Something about his past. Whether he has family, or friends, or associates. Something like that?"

"Why should I care?" Selena asked semi-rhetorically with morbid cynicism. "And more importantly … why should you?"

This has struck Maya by surprise. She didn't really think Selena would ask a question like that … about why Maya would be so concerned about Krieg. The truth was … Maya doesn't know the answer to that either. Perhaps it was all those times Krieg literally blocked bullets for Maya. Perhaps it was merely sympathy, of how there might still be some shred of humanity within Krieg that is being constricted with all that psychotic rage. But one thing is for sure, Maya wants to help Krieg in any way possible, and she won't be afraid to reach her hand into a skag's throat to get it.

"Because Krieg is my friend." Maya declared bravely. "Perhaps the first friend I have ever met in my entire life, even before I left Athenas. For most of my life, I was surrounded by people who are either afraid of me, want to kill me, or exploit me. Krieg was one of the first people who did none of that. Of course, I met up with a bunch of other vault hunters who actually treated me like a friend instead of a demi-god, but Krieg still holds a special place in my heart. He has done so much for me. It's about time that I do something for him, and uncovering more about his past so that he could finally get some closure is as good of a place as any."

Despite of the rarity of the occurrence, Selena was emotionally moved, even if it was by a little bit. Selena would never have guessed that the relationship between Krieg and Maya would be so intimate. Regardless, Selena remains firm to her no-talk policy. Or rather, it may be for Krieg's sake that Selena does not leak out that info. Who knows how Krieg might emotionally handle the information about his past? Is it even safe to let him know at the moment? In any case, whether it's to protect Krieg or to protect her mission, Selena persists on her refusal to leak out any useful information.

"That is quite a speech you just gave. Did you get that out of a fortune cookie?" Selena commented with cold-hearted sarcasm, which made Maya slightly infuriated from within. Selena then returns to a tone of rigid seriousness. "Listen here, siren. I know nothing about your violently psychotic friend. And even if I do know something, I won't tell you. Because the truth is … we are not friends. We are only associates, bonded by a temporary alliance for the sake of a common goal … the vault. Anything that diverges even slightly from that goal is considered irrelevant. So do both of us a favor and stop wasting your breath trying to pry answers out of me. From this point on, if you ever try to exchange words with me that isn't related to either the vault or taking down Atlas … I won't guarantee your safety."

With that, Selena effectively ended the conversation. It's not like Maya could say anything more. Selena made it crystal clear that Maya won't get any clues from her. The blonde specialist is as stubborn as she is deadly. With that being said, Maya decides to leave Selena alone and slowly stroll towards the bar in relative silence. But as Maya turns around, she is surprised to see Lilith, staring back at her from a moderate distance. Given how Lilith looks at Maya, it's clear that Lilith has overheard the conversation.

"Oh … hey, Lil." Maya greeted Lilith with low spirit. "You heard all of that?"

"I've heard enough." Lilith responded with mild stiffness in her voice before returning to a more lighthearted tone. "C'mon. Let's get something to eat at the bar."

"Wait … you're not mad?" Maya asked with mild concern as both of them are casually walking towards their destination.

"Why would I be?" Lilith shrugged with disregard. "I might hate Hyperion to the core, but that doesn't mean I should stop you from playing nice with them in order to find out more about your boyfriend's past."

"How many times do I have to say it?!" Maya clarified out loud with a sudden burst of embarrassment, her face turning as red as a cherry in an instant. "Krieg is not my BOYFRIEND! We're just friends, okay?! There's nothing between me and Krieg!"

"Suuuuure, Maya. Keep telling yourself that.~" Lilith replied playfully with a mischievous wink and smile, which prompted Maya to smack her forehead in embarrassment.

" *Sigh* … Anyway, what is your take on Selena?" Maya asked seriously. "Do you think she's telling the truth?"

"I think she's a stalker on cloak, turning rabid at any moment." Lilith phrased metaphorically with a mean look. "If I remembered correctly, Blake claimed that she was tortured by Handsome Jack into becoming an obsessive Jack-lover. I don't believe it."

"You saying he's lying?" Maya suspected.

"I'm saying that things don't add up." Lilith explained her suspicions. "If what Blake said is true and that the b*tch over there is crazy, why would he want her on the Corporate Vault Hunt? No one would rely on a crazy person to do important stuff for them, no matter how skilled they are. Plus, from the looks of it, I highly doubt that she is crazy at all."

"What makes you say that?" Maya asked.

"I don't know. It's just the little things." Lilith answered. "The way she talks. The way she moves. The way she stares at people. She looks way too coordinated to be considered insane, and I've seen my fair share of insane people."

"You think that this might all be just an act?" Maya considered. "That she was only pretending to have an unhealthy obsession with Jack? What would be the purpose of that?"

"Who knows?" Lilith shrugged. "Anyway, it's probably best that we keep a close eye on her, make sure she doesn't try anything funny while we work together to open the vault."

"Got it." Maya agreed with determination.

---

"Tell me where she is or I will tear your anus out and make you eat it!" Moxxi screamed at the top of her lungs as she continues to tightly grip onto Oleg's collar, causing a widespread commotion from the surrounding area.

By the time Lilith and Maya arrived inside the bar through the front entrance, there was already a large group of familiar people gathering around Moxxi and Oleg's location. Mordecai was already inside the bar when it happened, so obviously he cannot ignore whatever is happening. Krieg just arrived at the bar a bit earlier and was therefore just as clueless regarding the current situation. Scooter and Ellie are desperately trying to calm their mother down as well as figuring out what the heck is going on. Axton and Eugene were accompanying the pair of mechanics by chance, since they all came from Scooter's garage and were looking to get something to eat after their maintenance work on their mechanical companions. Zer0 and Kazuki were also at the scene, hopefully trying to help with the situation without making it worse. Naturally, this sudden commotion has caused Lilith and Maya to be both curious and concerned, prompting them to approach and investigate.

"Please, Moxxi. Just relax." Mordecai attempts to diffuse the situation. "It's not often that you acted that way. Tell us what's going on."

"Hey, Moxxi! Calm your engines! Please!" Ellie shouted at Moxxi as she tries to pull her away from the mildly appalled Oleg. Ellie was afraid that if she doesn't try to break them apart, the seductive bartender might actually shred the large Vladof mercenary into pieces.

"Yeah, mama! Why not chill and tell us what's happenin'?" Scooter added, attempting to support Ellie in deterring their mother away from the drunken giant.

"Hey!" Lilith shouted as she and Maya arrived at the scene. "Is someone going to fill me in here? I'm not sure Moxxi's usually this hot-tempered."

"THE CLOWN QUEEN TRIES TO STRIP THE FLESH OF THE KOALA!" Krieg explains in his typical cryptic speech. "BONES WILL BREAK AND OIL BLOOD WILL SET ON FIRE!"

"I'm just as clueless as you are." Axton replied. "I don't know what has gotten into her. But it looks like it has something to do with that Vladof guy."

"Intriguing indeed/ Moxxi has a beef with him/ Clarity needed." Zer0 added.

"Maybe Oleg drank all her liquor and didn't pay up. You should have seen how much that big guy can drink." Eugene jokingly hypothesized. "Or maybe Oleg is staring at those pair of coconuts for too long and expects it to be a free sightseeing tour, when in fact … it isn't."

"Eugene-san! Now is not the time to fool around!" Kazuki criticized. "A rioting situation needs to be resolved or someone might get hurt."

"Let go of me!" Moxxi shakes off from her children's grasp before finally letting go of Oleg's collar. After a few seconds of silent pause, she slowly kneels down on the floor, tears drenching down her cheeks. This has taken many of the bystanders by surprise, especially Scooter and Ellie. For most of their lives, they do not think of their mother as someone who cries her problems away. To them, she is always the type of mother who is powerfully confident as well as drop-dead gorgeous. To see Moxxi cry like that … it's rarer than getting a pearlescent. " *Sob* … this man … she might know where your sister is! … *Cries* …"

This statement has sent shockwaves to everyone who is listening, especially to the two mechanic siblings standing right beside their mother. Their faces became ghostly pale, their jaws were essentially left hanging loose, and their eyes broadened in unanticipated shock. It's been a long time since Moxxi has even mentioned her. Perhaps too long. Perhaps it's because it brought back too many painful memories.

"What … did you just say?" Ellie growled grimly. You can tell from the facial expression of the rotund mechanic that she is just a shove away from full-on rampaging wrath.

"Sister?! You mean our old sis' Adelynn? The original 'Scooter'?" Scooter spoke wealky with ample astonishment, not believing the words coming out of his own mouth. "But … I thought she was dead."

Within an instant, it was now Ellie's turn to grab hold on Oleg's collar for interrogation's sake. Meanwhile, Moxxi could hardly hold back her guzzling tears as she shamefully covers her face with both of her hands. The tears mixes quite well with the make-up she is currently wearing, creating a uncanny layer of ruined cosmetics smeared all over the bartender's otherwise lovable complexion.

"Now listen here, you merc!" Ellie threatened Oleg with a heated frown. "You tell me where she is right now or I'LL SHOVE YOU INTO A CAR COMPACTOR AND FLATTEN YOU LIKE A PANCAKE!"

"Woah woah, easy there, El." Eugene nudges himself between the hefty mechanic and the gargantuan alcoholic. "No need to be violent. Perhaps we can clear out any misunderstandings if we can just calmly sit down and talk this all out."

"Calm?! You want me to be CALM?!" Ellie flared out with her blood boiling. "Let me tell you a story, Commando! A long time ago, there used to be four of us! Four children standing beside Moxxi to endure the hardships with her while she was being nothin' more than a horribly mistreated baby-maker for the Hodunk Clan! That b*tch Adelynn was the eldest child of us all! And when Moxxi was too busy playing nice to the Hodunk pigs just so we won't get kicked out of the clan and fed to the skags, Adelynn was next in line to babysit us when we were still children! Then, one day, she had enough! She wanted to leave Pandora to explore all the wonders of the galaxies out there! Worst of all, she wants to do it WITHOUT US! She tried to ABANDON US! Our own sister thinks we were too much of a baggage for her, so she thought 'WHY EVEN BOTHER?!' Too bad before she could get off the planet, she got into a nasty car accident and blew up in our faces! Moxxi and the others thought she was dead, but I KNEW, I F*CKIN' KNEW she was alive! She was too clever to die like that! Also, if she was really dead, WE WOULD HAVE FOUND HER CORPSE BY NOW!"

Moxxi could only uncontrollably weep with more intensity as Ellie explains her entire family backstory to the vault hunters. Meanwhile, Scooter was kneeling besides Moxxi, trying to pat on her back to comfort her while holding back his own tears. There is literally nothing the vault hunters could say that can follow up with Ellie's intense words of bitterness. Hunting skags and killing bandits seems easy compared to dealing with the drama of this convoluted family dynamic. However, after a moment of awkward silence, someone has to break the tension … and it might as well be Oleg.

" *Sigh* …" Oleg slowly got up from his seat and tread towards the kneeled-down Moxxi in order to speak to her face-to-face in a soft tone. "Can we talk … in private? I'll tell you everything I know … about her."

" *Sniff* … alright … *Sniff* … Sorry if I scolded you earlier, I was just-" Moxxi is finally calming down her sobbing as she got up from the floor with Scooter's help.

"It's alright." Oleg replied tenderly, accepting Moxxi's apology. Oleg's eyes where then shifted towards the two siblings. "You two should come as well, since you're part of the family."

"Uh … alright." Scooter timidly agreed.

"Hmph! You better have something to say that I like to hear." Ellie added with residual anger.

---

With that, Oleg, Moxxi, Scooter, and Ellie exited the bar in order to get some fresh air and peacefully talk it all out. Oleg would presumably explain to the family how he came to know this mysterious 'Adelynn' and hopefully give Moxxi's family some peace of mind. With that group moving away from the bar, the atmosphere gradually returned to a more temperate volume as the patrons inside resume to their regular activities.

"Man … that was something else." Eugene spoke with mild awe as he and the rest of the vault hunters gather together to sit by the bar table, each occupying a bar stool.

"Tell me about it." Axton followed up, relieved that the earlier argument did not escalate to full-on violence. "I didn't know Moxxi had a long-lost daughter with such a complex story behind it."

"Neither did we." Mordecai supplemented, referring to the original vault hunters who have known Moxxi for the longest among the group and yet remain uninformed of this incident. "Even when I was dating her, I never heard her mentioning of a daughter other than Ellie. Judging from what I've heard from Ellie herself just now, I could understand why."

"Moxxi's got some tragic memories from under her masquerade and she doesn't want to dig up old wounds." Lilith interpreted. "Understandable. Though you have to wonder just how many layers Moxxi actually keeps hidden from us."

"Excuse me for being impolite, but we should not dwell on this topic any longer." Kazuki pleaded in a soft but refined voice. "It is intrusive for us to gossip on other people's past miseries."

"The past haunts us all/ Even shroud by denial/ It will still exist." Zer0 spoke wisely.

"Sounds like you have a troubled past of your own, Zer0. Care to share it with us?" Maya asked Zer0 teasingly with a raised eyebrow. Zer0 only replied with mute words and a red holographic emoticon of a disgruntled frown on his helmet, leaving Maya with a small but prideful smile in response of being able to get under the ninja assassin's skin.

"Man, forget about all that sh*t … I just want to know how old Moxxi actually is." Eugene raised a topic with sly curiosity.

"Woah, there! Slow down, Eugene. You do NOT want to hit that." Axton warned with moderate severity.

"Hey! Who said anything about hitting on her? I was just curious, that's all." Eugene pleaded innocence. "I mean, if even Scooter is not her oldest offspring, then she must have been packing in more years than I expected. I'm pretty sure this question had come across all yo' minds at some point. But that don't mean I'm trying to tap that ass, though … even if it IS a nice-lookin' ass.~"

"Dude, whenever I hear you say something like that, it always means the opposite of what you said! Always!" Axton stated with intense suspicion towards his long-time war-buddy.

"Well, it wouldn't surprise me that you would succeed if you do give it a go at her." Mordecai uttered cynically. "She already had a couple of ex-husbands as well as God-knows how many side-partners on top of that. 'The hottest damsel without distress on Pandora' might not mean much to the rest of the universe, but it's still an impressive title to be had within the local Pandora community."

"Number of sex-partners notwithstanding, age is scared to a woman." Lilith added to the conversation. "You cannot just ask her casually about it and expect a straight answer."

"Of course I can. I ask plenty of women about their age all the time and pretty much always gets a straight answer." Eugene boasted as he takes out his comb to fix his hair in a poised manner. "As a demonstration … hey, blue-haired Siren, how old are you?"

"27." Maya answered flatly.

"A'ight, How 'bout you, Princess of the Maliwan kingdom?" Eugene asked with humorous charm.

"24." Kazuki answered swiftly and politely, without no attempt to withhold anything.

"See, it's that easy. Seems like a woman's age is less sacred than you think." Eugene argued with finesse before slightly lowering his glasses to wink at Lilith. "By the way, red-head … what is your age?"

"Ugh …" Lilith replied with a tired dry heave before rolling her eyes dismissively in response to Eugene's nonsensical conduct. After a while, Lilith starts to catch a whiff something in the air. Something … aromatic and savory. " *Sniff* … hey guys, something smells good in here. Who's cookin'?"

"Oh, that must have been Jakobs." Mordecai explained. "He asked Moxxi a while ago to borrow the kitchen to whip up some breakfast for us."

While all of the vault hunters were comfortably sitting side-by-side next to the bar table, Monty emerged from the door behind the bar, pushing out a small cart containing what appears to be multiple large rectangular metal trays stacked in racks. Each tray has six regular-sized circular plates containing what appears to be some sort of Western-style breakfast. Judging from the looks of this rather delicately-crafted dish, you would typically see food like this cooked in 5-star restaurants, not in some backwater bar on Pandora.

"Howdy, fellas." Monty greeted everyone in a cordial manner as he carefully transfers the trays onto the counter. "Sorry I took so long, but creatin' the perfect flavor requires quite a bit of focus and patience. Kinda like sniping, actually. *Chuckles* Know what I'm sayin'." Monty then scans across the room, as if trying to look for something. "Where's Miss Moxxi? I've heard quite a bit of commotion a while ago. Thought there was gonna be trouble or somethin'."

"It's … nothing, really. Don't worry about it." Mordecai reassured with slight doubt. "We'll tell you about it some other time."

"Oh well. I guess we'll save that conversation for later, then." Monty shrugged passively as he hands out the breakfast dishes to everyone. "In the meantime, I let you have a taste straight from one of my ol' family recipies, back when my mama used to make it-"

"ROCKKKKKET … DYNAMOOOOO … TAKKKKKKEOFF!" A voice of pre-adolescent explosiveness is heard from near the entrance from the far-back of the bar. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a blindingly fast blur zips across the bar before energetically crashing into the wooden bar furniture itself. The crash was so ground-shakenly powerful that it pretty much left a cracked dent on the side of the bar counter, causing wooden debris and dust to fly everywhere. Despite of that, the reckless committer of this bold and reckless act remains relatively unharmed, probably due to the fact that the impact was cushioned by his thick layer of facial muscles combined with an abnormally large ego. (Warning: For those of you out there with an abnormally large ego, do not try this at home. I'm looking at you, Donald Trump. Though, it would be funny to see your face slam into a wall … that you have probably demanded Mexicans to build for you.) Guess who this blind-eye turner of collateral damage is. Go on, guess. "EXXXTREME LANDING SUCCESS! TO THE EXTREME!" Yep … I probably don't even need to say his name out loud, as this hyper-energetic teen has already picked up one of the plates of breakfast just so he could carefully observe it contents with fine appreciation (as well as salivating all over it) " *Sniff* *Sniff* … Awesome! Breakfast is HERE! My EXTREMELY sensitive nose hasn't failed me yet! I could smell this kind of food from a mile away, which, in my humbly moderated opinion of humbleness … is TOTALLY EXTREME!"

" *Sigh* For the love of God, K.C., can you not break everything you see when you make an entrance?" Lilith complained as she sees K.C. proudly making flexing poses while holding onto that dish. It's almost like he is a male fitness model and the plate is the central object of attention. (Why would you need male fitness models to advertise breakfast? … I have no idea …)

"Not break everything I see when I make an entrance?!" K.C. puts down the plate on the table before continue on his loud rant like he usually does, almost acting like everyone in the room has impaired hearing or something. "Badass siren lady, you should be thankful that I didn't EXPLODE everything I see, because it would be totally cool to have superpowers in which you can make things EXPLODE by just staring at them for long enough! Explo-vision! It's like Heat-vision, but with EXPLOSIONS! That would be totally EXTREME! … and would also be a very cool idea for a superhero movie so DIBS ON THE TRADEMARK! Don't get any ideas, Marvel … or DC … or maybe Pixar, I don't know … Anyway, for the universe did not begin with a whimper, but with a BANG! And with a BANG, I shall start my day by committing to my EXTREME daily routine of naked sun-bathing, daily exercise, and eating a healthy breakfas-"

"BUNNYYYYY … CARTWHEEEEEL … HOPPPPP!" Another speedy figure has entered the bar in an overly exaggerated and acrobatic fashion, as this figure cartwheels so fast across the bar, no human eye could detect its motion. The figure seems to be a bit skinnier than K.C. but maintains the same height and same level of childish mischief. As she swiftly cartwheels towards the group of vault hunters, she jumps high up like a majestic soaring bird before crash-landing onto K.C., causing both to become mangled while lying down on the floor. Guess who?

"Oomph … Tina! You're on top of me!" K.C. exclaimed as he is pretty much squashed by the maniac 13-year old girl who is pressing her badonkadonk on his *boom chika wow wo-[censored]*.

"Oops! Sorry, K.C." Tina apologized merrily as she lends a hand to help K.C. up from the floor. "Next time … you can be on top of me, if you know what I'm sayin'? *Snort* *Giggles*." This statement made K.C. suddenly shy as f*ck and turned his face as red as a chili pepper.

"Boy oh Boy! Do I smell something good!" Another manly voice has entered the scene as well, originated from none other than Brick. The tall muscular King of Slabs had just entered the bar, accompanied by Salvador and Gaige.

"Estoy de acuerdo! (I agree!) I'm so hungry, I could eat an entire rakk-hive!" Salvador expressed enthusiastically as his stomach is virtually growling like a lion.

"Ewww, gross. No one in their right minds would eat something that looks like the gateway of which their very existence comes from." Gaige vividly described. (By that, she means rakk-hives' mouths look like big-ass v G!na$, obviously …) "Then again, fixing Deathtrap for an entire morning does work up a sweat. Now all I need is something to replenish my calories."

"Duly noted." Brick followed up the comment with his own gruff mannerisms. "Next time we encounter a rakk-hive, we'll just punch it so hard, it turns into meat pulp, and then let the other animals eat the meat, and then we eat the animals! The Circle of Life!" Just as the trio is approaching the bar, they are greeted by the other vault hunters who are already hanging out by the bar counter.

"Hey, guys. Took you long enough. You wouldn't believe what just happened with Moxxi just a while ago." Lilith filled-in the incoming group who just missed out on the commotion.

"What do you mean? What just happened with Moxxi?" Gaige asked with peppy intrigue. " *Gasp* … is she pregnant?! Who's the father?! How many months is the baby?! You gotta tell me all the juicy gossip!"

"Um … what? No … no, heck NO! Of course not. Jesus chr- … where in the world did you get that idea?" Lilith elucidated the nosy and rather disappointed Gaige. "Anyway, I'll tell you guys about it later. First, we gotta eat."

"Agreed!" Brick concurred with Lilith before focusing his attention to Monty, who he assumes was the one who cooked all this food since he can sort of infer that Monty has a real knack for cooking. "So slab! What's cookin'?"

"Well, why don't you try it for yourself?" Monty explained as he hands Brick a plate. The other vault hunters who already have their plates are now focusing their gaze upon their own respective share of food.

On the plate, you can clearly see that even though the breakfast was in the form of a typical Wester-style recipe, the food has some outer-worldly traits to it. Upon a closer insecption, it seems to comprise of one abnormally large poached egg (at least twice as large than your typical chicken egg, with the yolk showing hints of neon-green instead of your usual yellow), a couple strips of thick-cut bacon (with a hue of grey layered on top of the usual bacon-red), a piece of toast (just regular old toast, nothing special … sorry), and a side of hash-browns (made with shredded potatoes … that appears to be purple).

"Hmm … looks interesting … let's dig in." Lilith commented with a hint of hesitation that can be shared with some of the other potential eaters. They have eaten snacks made from Monty before, but do they trust him enough on this particular dish? After a brief moment of consideration, most of the vault hunters who possesses a dish of Monty's meal decides to finally give it a try and courageously fork down a bite of the breakfast, only to find out that … it taste surprisingly good. "Mmm … this tastes surprisingly good, actually."

The other vault hunters couldn't agree more as they are allured to continue devouring the food with increasing passion. Each bite they took washes away their hunger and their doubts further and further. Despite the initially off-putting appearance, the food has an extraordinary blend of taste and texture. The eggs are poached just well enough for the yolk to reveal its semi-liquid center oozing out when you puncture it. The thick-cut bacon has a smoky savory flavor that is harmoniously enhanced with the oiliness of the fat, making it mouth-wateringly good. The purple hash-browns has just the right levels of crunchiness, saltiness, and nuttiness to be considered a food for the heavens. And the toast … the TOAST! … the MOTHERF*CKIN' TOAST! (The author has briefly fainted while foaming in his mouth ... because describing this food is just too intense for him.) … Everyone who is ferociously chomping down on Monty's specialty breakfast couldn't help but praise the wild-Westerner with a storm of positive comments as they eat.

"Mmm, thish ish DELICHIOUS! I'vhe nevher tashted foohd thish goohd in myh entirhe lifhe!" Brick strongly approved with his mouth full, causing his speech to slur a little bit.

"OH MAYH GAWD! Thish ish betther than CRUHUMPHETS!" Tina added to the wave of compliments, also with her mouth full of food, as she is on the verge to shedding tears of mother-humping joy. "Heyh K.C., herhe's ah phiece of bachon!" Tina knew her puppy-love boyfriend loves eating meat more than anything else, so she was considerate enough to share a portion of her bacon to K.C.

"Mmm, thankhs Tinha!" K.C. thanked happily with his mouth also stuffed with food. He uses his teeth to grab the strips of fatty bacon from Tina before sharing back some of his own food in return, sorta like a cute-loving couple. "Herhe, Tinha! I'll givhe you mah toast!" K.C. grabbed the toast on his plate and carefully handed it to Tina. Bite by bite, Tina devoured most of the toast while it's still being held by K.C., with her saliva messily slobbering all over K.C.'s hand.

"NOM NOM NOM *Munch* … THIS SCRUMPSCOUS MEAT PUPPET MAKES ME CONDUCT POOP TRAIN TO FLAY BOBS AND GUY FERRIES! … NOM NOM … *choke cough* …" Krieg shouted in delight as he munches on the breakfast while only partially lifting up his mask to allow him to eat the food. At one point, he almost choked on the food because he was eating too fast.

"Slow down, Krieg. There's no need to rush. Eat it slowly, alright, big guy?" Maya advised Krieg with genuine concern as she pauses eating in order to pat Krieg on the back to ease his choking. Lilith shot Maya a teasing smiley face, indicating what both sirens already know is implied, of which Maya only responded with a dismissive eye-roll.

"Mm-mmm, *burps* Estaba delicioso! (It was delicious!)." Salvador praised highly, already finished with his own plate in a matter of seconds. The speed of his eating is proportional to how much he enjoys the food, so you can obviously tell he enjoys the food very much. "Gotta say, I do not know many people who can cook better than my abuela, but I'm certain that you are one of them! Seconds, please!"

" *Chuckles* Well, sure thing, Truxican partner. Here you go." Monty appreciated the praise in kind as he handed Salvador another plate.

However as soon as Salvador got his hands on it, the second plate of breakfast was immediately snatched by someone else without warning. Someone who proceed to amazingly empty all of the contents of the plate into her mouth and consumed it in one fell swoop. That intercepting thief of Salvador's extra share of breakfast is none other than Mama Jaws, who came by the bar just a while ago and is tempted to bully the dual gun-wielding dwarf while also grabbing something to eat. Two rakks with one shotgun blast, as they say on Pandora. The way Mama Jaws eat that breakfast is savagely inhuman, as she chews up food similar how buzzsaws shred sheet-metal. It was unrefined and messy. And it really pisses Salvador off.

"Hey! That was my plate, you puta!" Salvador complained vocally.

"You're way too freakin' slow, even for a skaglicker." Mama Jaws countered with attitude. "Besides, others need to eat, y' know. Midge midge! Grab the plates!" The moment she gave the command, her three iconic midgets pop up out of nowhere and began stealing the additional plates of breakfast from the counter, each carrying one plate that they balance over their heads. Once they have what they need, they make a run for it like it's nobody's business.

"Hey! No fair! They took all the plates!" Salvador yelled.

"Hehehe! So long, orange skag-turd." Mama Jaws waved Salvador good-bye as she sticks out her tongue at him as an insult. Immediately afterwards, Mama Jaws bolted out of the bar, following her midget minions. "Smell ya later!"

"Wait! Come back with my food! Hey!" Salvador shouted as he ran after her, thereby exiting the bar.

As Salvador and Mama Jaws are having their little conflict, the other vault hunters didn't really care and just continued eating, figuring that the gunzerker and the mother of bandits will always be fighting no matter what.

"Gotta say, that's some fine cooking skills you got there." Lilith noted, being one of the few eaters who is decent enough to not speak with her mouth full. "Surprised Mordecai is still as thin as he is when he met you."

"That's the thing." Mordecai replys to Lilith's comment with a hint of dread. "It's because Monty's cooking is so good that all other food taste like crap by comparison. Take Lilith's cooking for example."

Brick nearly spat out his food when Mordecai mention that. While trying not to choke on the food cramped in his mouth, the Slab King couldn't resist the urge to laugh out loud on that comment. It was not a well-known thing among the rest of the Crimson Raiders, but back in the vault hunting days of the old gang five years ago, the vault hunters used to take turns preparing meals for the whole group as they traveled together. One day, when it was Lilith's turn to do the cooking, they couldn't find anything to light a fire, so Lilith decided to use her phase powers to burn the skag meat in order to cook it. The results were … less than desirable. After that, Lilith lost all her privileges to cook for the team. It was perhaps one of the most embarrassing moments for Lilith during her time on Pandora.

"Mordecai!" Lilith exclaimed, knowing full well what Mordecai is referring to. "I told you never to mention that incident again! Also, Brick! Stop laughing!" Lilith gritted her teeth in humiliated anger as Brick fails to hold back his hearty laughter. The other vault hunters could only stare with blank and curious eyes.

"How could I not? The food poisoning was so intense that I thought I was a goner." Mordecai continued the story while feeding some of his bacon to Talon, who likes it so much that he spread his cute little wings in joy. "Good thing Bloodwing followed her instinct and decided not to eat your burnt crap. I should have listened to her …"

"Oh screw you, Mordecai!" Lilith yelled in a pissed-off manner as she threw a fork at Mordecai, of which bird-tamer easily dodged by ducking.

"HAHAHAHAhehehe … ! Slab, I don't know how you do it, but you made me feel like eating was fun again." Brick laughed as he patted Monty on the back as a friendly complimentary gesture. "What's your secret, by the way? Maybe you can teach Lilith a few tricks of your own, so that she won't screw up again."

"BRICK!" Lilith's rage was redirected towards Brick as she threw another fork at the berserker, of which he blocked with his forearm. Brick said 'Oww!' in response to the fork throw, not because he actually feels any actual pain from it (because that guy might as well be made of bricks … hey, now I get how he got his name!), but for the sake of playful sarcasm. Because if a motherf*ckin' siren throws a fork at you, you have no choice but to say 'Oww!'

"Well, it's nothin' special really. All I did was took the ingredients from all around Pandora and prepare them with the usual methods that many other chefs use." Monty explained with friendly casualness. "Had to experiment a little to get the flavors just right, but it was well worth the time. See, instead of the regular eggs comin' from chickens, I got these specifically from the nests of some spiderants and then poached them to perfection. I don't have regular ol' swine bacon on stock, so I carved these fatty meats out of a chubby skag's belly, and then fry 'em nice and crisp. As for the toast … well, it's just regular ol' toast. Anybody can make those. But for the hash-browns, well that the special part. It's not made from any variety of potato … but from a special Pandoran-grown variety known locally as the 'Eridium tater', which has become quite popular among Pandorans due to its eerie color, oddly enough. The spud probably got its name and popularity from the fact that the shade of color ya'll seein' here is similar to the glowing purple seen on Eridium. But don't worry about the superstition that the potato got its color from absorbing all the Eriduim runoff from the surrounding soil, because I can assure you all that it is pure myth and I've eaten potatoes like these for a while now, without any health problems."

The moment Monty first mentioned of the Eridium runoff thing, everyone who is currently chewing on the food has slowed down its chewing in order for their brain to process all those facts … particularly that part about them possibly putting Eriduim run-off crap in their mouths.

"You know … you probably should have mentioned that small fact before you served your food to us." Lilith said with rather uncaring eyes as she's eating her share of purple potato hash-browns at a regular speed, unlike the other eaters. "But why do I care? I absorb Eridium into my body all the time and I feel fine." The other vault hunters darted narrow-eyed stares at Lilith, thinking that they wouldn't call having a slight "addictive problem" to the purple substance as fine, but … whatever, the hash-browns are so good, they are to die for anyway.

"Ah, yes, the Eridium tater. Also known by its botanical name, Solanum purpura." A rather gentlemanly and sophisticated voice spoke up from the far side of the counter, with the dim light barely obstructing the view of the character. From the moment this man starts speaking, it caught the attention of all the vault hunters in the vicinity, particularly Monty. Whoever this knowledgeable person is, he is apparently sipping a cup of tea using a British-style tea-cup-and-bag style. After taking a sip from the tea cup in the classiest way possible, the man continues his explanation. "Although its unique color is quite uncommon among its species, the tuberous crop has enjoyed a fair share of popularity way before the Eridium run-off myth incident. Some of the farmers who sell them claim it to be an entirely new variety, but other experts suggest that it may just be a re-branding of another potato cultivar of similar appearance, the Solanum andigenum, which has a couple of rather fascinating nicknames such as the Lion's Paw, the Vitilette, and the Purple Majesty. For those who are familiar of the crop, however, it is highly prized not only for its color, which is derived from the flavonoid more commonly found in berries, but also for its hardiness against colder climates and disease. I'd say you vault hunters should be grateful having the opportunity to sample a delicacy such as this."

"Well, I'll be damned …" Monty muttered under his breath, with a mild smile indicating that he is impressed with the man's knowledge.

"Wow! That's an awfully lot of information on POTATOES!" K.C. exclaimed. "Who are you, some kind of EXTREME potato expert?!"

" *Gasp* … Sir Hammerlock?!" Gaige stated in amusement as he shoves away K.C. to get a better look at her somewhat-crush. Indeed, it was Sir Hammerlock. Broken monocole, classy mustache, prosthetic limbs and all. (I mean, just look at that fabulous mustache! … If I could only rub my cheeks on it … one can only dream~)

"Hello, Hammy!" Tina greeted in a cutesy voice.

"Good morning to you all, vault hunters." Sir Hammerlock greeted as he raise his tea cup towards them as a welcoming gesture.

"Oh hey there, Hammerlock." Lilith replied casually.

"Woah, you guys actually know this dude?" Eugene asked with surprise.

"Well, yeah. He's a kind of a researcher on nature and stuff." Axton explained. "Came here on Pandora to write a book of some sort. He sometimes gives us a few paying jobs and we hang out on occasion."

"Speaking of which, what are you doing here?" Maya asked. "I thought you're still at the lodge from Hunter's Grotto."

"Why, I would often visit Sanctuary from time to time, mind you." Sir Hammerlock explained. "There are no other places on Pandora that has the same amount of companionship as Sanctuary. That and … there are no other places with the availability of alcoholic beverages that even comes close to that of Miss Moxxi's quality. I stopped by yesterday before hearing the commotion with the Crimson Raiders going up against Atlas and what not. Also, I am aware that the fast-travel network is somehow malfunctioning and … now, I am apparently stuck here for the moment."

"I see." Lilith considered. "Well, if you didn't know already, we have a group of corporate vault hunters helping us into fixing the problem, so you wouldn't have to worry about it for too long."

"Well, that's quite interesting." Sir Hammerlock commented in a gentlemanly fashion. "Regardless, I do wish you all luck in the success of your mission. It is quite nice to have a new group of vault hunters added to this lovely bunch, if I do say so myself."

"Well, I wouldn't say 'added' is the right word." Eugene interjected in a smooth manner. "Think of it as more of a temporary alliance."

"And I wouldn't call it lovely, either." Axton added in sarcastic criticism. "Some of the people in the group have enough crazy in them to make another Gaige."

"Hey!" Gaige shouted out, feeling teasingly insulted as she throws mini hammer punches to the wise-cracking commando. "What's that supposed to mean?!"

" *Chuckles* Well, no matter. I suppose you'll have to take all the help you can get. Vault hunting and fine breakfast cuisine, Ho!" Sir Hammerlock cheered optimistically as he raises his cup of tea right before taking another sip.

"… Sir Hammerlock?" Monty uttered out in seemingly quiet awe as he slowly approaches the gentlemanly scholar. "As in … Sir Alistair Hammerlock?"

"Why, um… yes." Sir Hammerlock replied with slight embarrassed hesitation. "… I usually don't use my first name in front of other people. Who do I have the pleasure of acquaintance?"

"Montgomery Jakobs the Fifth. But you can call me Monty." Monty introduced himself with blossoming wonder as he eagerly shakes one of Sir Hamerlock's hands. "You're the one who wrote all those almanacs, right? I am you biggest fan. I've bought and read all your editions. Your style of writing and level of detail is truly amazing."

"Why, how delightful?!" Sir Hammerlock responded with equal joy. "I wasn't aware my almanacs have readers, much less fans. Why, it is truly a delight to meet one of my fans in person."

"Yes, it's an honor to meet you as well, Sir." Monty praised with radiating, almost childish joy. "Your books might be considered by many to be a cult classic, but to me, they are enjoyable to read nonetheless."

" *Laughs* Well, I'm quite flattered!" Sir Hammerlock replied with a slight unpreparedness of meeting a true fan of his work. "Say, which part of my books do you consider to be your favorite?"

"Well … it's hard to pick just one." Monty considered. "But if I had to choose, it would be the part where you describe the excruciatingly frustrating process of making 'ailuropoda melanoleuca' breed while in captivity … followed by the bit where you insulted your sister, Aurelia."

"No jest! Those are my favorite parts as well! Ha!" Sir Hammerlock cheered. "Why, it's such a rare and delightful occasion to meet someone I can truly consider as my intellectual peer. I wouldn't think I would meet someone who understands and apprecaites nature as much as I do. We naturalists are truly a dying breed."

"Amen to that, partner." Monty agreed while sporting a warm friendly smile. The nature-loving cowboy then proceed to hand the researcher a plate of his own breakfast. "Say, would you be so kind as to taste-test one of my dishes? I'd really appreciate your opinion on it."

"Why, absolutely! It would be my honor." Sir Hammerlock agreed willingly before grabbing the dish and a fork to try out Monty's cooking. As expected, the food impressed the gentlemanly scholar like it impressed pretty much everyone else. "Mmm-hmm … My God, this is exemplary! Truly exemplary!" Sir Hammerlock practically licked his lips as he chew the food slowly to capture the taste better. "I've never eaten breakfast this excellent in my entire life! And I have eaten plenty of high-class culinary dishes before, none of which could match the level of high-quality taste that you have perfected! This is truly fascinating, I tell you! Truly fascinating!"

"Glad you liked it partner." Monty responded with cheer.

As the two nature-enthusiasts are busy chatting with each other like buddies, the other vault hunters got mildly confused as to this weird coincidental connection between the Jakobs cowboy and the knowledgeable huntsman. Lilith and Brick did a non-verbal gesture towards Mordecai, suspecting he might know of this hidden relationship beforehand. However, Mordecai only mildly shrugged, indicating that he doesn't know all there is to know about Monty and, in all seriousness, he couldn't be bothered to keep track of the friends of his friends and who knows who.

---

While Monty and Hammerlock were having a lengthy and wildlife-based conversation with each other, the other vault hunters were busy doing small-talk amongst themselves. Among them were two other people in the bar who remain relatively silent as they sat there with the plates of breakfast left untouched in front of them. Those two are none other than Kazuki and Zer0. Kazuki herself was never that fond of Monty himself, being someone with such a loose-and-open social barrier and deplorable hygiene. Even with the high-praise from others, she wouldn't, in a thousand years, risk her palate and digestive health on the food made by that uncultured drifter. Zer0, on the other hand, seems to not be touching the plate for another reason …

"Zer0-sensei …" Kazuki said as she turns her head slightly to observe the seemingly motionless assassin. "Aren't you going to eat?"

Those words have more weight to it than you might think. Even with spending nearly four years with the personified enigma, Kazuki has never once saw Zer0 eaten anything. At least, there are no instances in which it requires him to remove his helmet in front of her. The odd nature behind it has given Kazuki a wide range of theories and speculation as to the reasoning behind it. Perhaps Zer0 is some sort of robot or cyborg who is not required to eat. Or maybe he does eat; just that he does it secretly so that he wouldn't risk exposing his face to others. Or maybe he eats it some other way, like vaporizing the food into some sort of aerosol of which he absorbs into his skin for nutrition. These are all wild theories for sure. But there's no confirmation on what the truth actually is. So until then, these could all be real possibilities.

"…" Zer0 expresses red holographic ellipses as he turns his head to meet Kazuki's gaze. "Why don't you eat first/ You seem quite hungry yourself/ After you, pupil."

"I'm … I'm not that hungry." Kazuki blushed in response to Zer0's mild concern towards her well-being. "Besides, it is rude for a pupil to eat before her master."

"In that case, I shall/ Take the first bite of this meal/ …" Zer0 then pick up his fork. However, instead of digging the fork into the food right away, he pressed both his hands together into what appears to be a standard ninjutsu hand sign while holding fork in between his thumb and index finger. " … Itadakimasu."

The moment Zer0 speak those last words, the plate has mysteriously vibrated slightly before the food on it has suddenly vanished in an instant, almost like some sort of disappearing magic trick. All of the food on the plate was completely gone without a trace, leaving only a clean plate. The way in which Zer0 dispatches the breakfast utterly baffles Kazuki. Zer0, on the other hand, maintains a cool and composed state throughout the entire act, like he does this on a regular basis. The assumption was that Zer0 has simply teleported the food into his stomach, but who knows what other ninja quackery this mysterious assassin have under his sleeve.

"Sensei … what just happened?" Kazuki asked while blinking in a dumbfounded manner.

"… I ate the breakfast." Zer0 replied casually. "Oishi-desu. (It is delicious.)"

"Is … is that how you always eat your food?" Kazuki asked with wide-eyes and a sweat drop.

Zer0 only nodded in response before saying, "Now it's your turn."

Kazuki hesitated at first, but sooner or later, she's going to have to stomach it. She doesn't care how great the food actually is. In the upper-class world where she was raised for most of her teenage years, everything, including eating, is about social image. Or at least that's how she was taught from her new mother after she was brought into the rather prestigious Akiyama family. Then again, Kazuki wouldn't dare to appear rude in front of her sensei. Seeing no other option, she decides to give the breakfast a try.

"Itadakimasu." Kazuki said as she placed her palms together, indicating an appropriate traditional Japanese custom of what people usually say right before eating a meal.

As she picks up the fork to take the first bite of food, she was surprised at how wrong she is. Based on her previous experience on high-quality cuisine, there is no doubt on her mind that this food is at a whole other level entirely. This food … doesn't belong on Pandora. Heck, it doesn't even belong on this realm of existence. The flavors melt in your mouth in such a way that it resonates with your soul in a much deeper level. This is food that is suitable for kings and emperors … no, they are suitable for gods to enjoy. The more Kazuki savors the small bit of food in her mouth, the more she is conflicted, even infuriated, as to how this seemingly moronic-looking cowboy could craft such a culinary masterpiece.

"So, how do you like it, princess? Was it good enough for your tongue?" Monty suddenly spoke to Kazuki, interrupting the train-of-thought that Kazuki almost lost herself into while tasting the food.

Kazuki could only stare back at Monty with a blank look, hardly able to process the words necessary to make a concise statement. The food was more than 'good enough'. It was great. It was excellent. In fact, it was beyond the level of positive rating that she has the words for. However, as someone who was properly raised in an aristocratic setting for almost half of her life, she refuses to admit her true opinions towards the dish, as it would imply that she might have a liking towards the filthy nature lover himself, which she wouldn't even dare associate to.

"It was … moderate." Kazuki commented dishonestly while trying her best to hide her true feelings. "Still needs a bit of improvement. I don't think it would be fitting to be served in high-class banquets anytime soon."

"Really? Well, gosh darn, I was sure I did all I could to bring the flavors out." Monty said with much concern as he took off his hat in order to scratch his head. "Now what did I do wrong …?"

"She likes quite much/ She's just having a hard time/ Speaking true of heart." Zer0 suddenly revealed out loud.

"Zer0-sensei!" Kazuki complained, annoyed that her sensei would reveal her true emotions like that.

"Oh really? … I see." Monty at first seems mildly annoyed that Kazuki has given him a false rating, but quickly forgiven her and is delighted that she enjoyed the meal. "Well, I'm glad she actually liked it. Nothing makes me happier than seeing someone appreciate my cooking whole-heartedly." Monty's bright warm smile is starkly contrasted to Kazuki's cold stern frown.

"… Zer0-sensei … baka (idiot)." Kazuki muttered to herself in a mean pouty face as she continues to finish her meal, as it is rude in her tradition to leave a plate of food unfinished.

---

After a lengthy morning of casual chatting and eating delicious breakfast (much lengthier than Selena has wished), the corporate vault hunters and the camera crew have finally gathered around outside the Blue Moby before taking off to kick some Crimson Knight's asses. Selena was obviously the first vault hunter to get back on the ship, as she is ever eager to complete the mission with a sense of urgency that doesn't seem to be shared by other corporate vault hunters. Meanwhile, Tina and K.C. are affectionately exchanging tight hugs and cheek-kisses, almost acting as if this might be the last time they will see each other even when it's not. Ever since their fateful reunion from yesterday, the pair has become two peas in a pod, not willing to part from each other for even a second. Only after some persuasion (and also some strenuous pulling) does Tina reluctantly let go of K.C. so that the explosively youthful corporate vault hunter could commit to his mission. Meanwhile, Oleg just got back from his "talk" with Moxxi and her family from back in the alleyway. You can still see remnants of the trail of tears streaking down Moxxi's cheeks, with Scooter and Ellie loyally accompanying their mother in close proximity. Oleg and Moxxi exchanged a brief moment of silent and awkward eye-contact before Oleg lumbers his way into the airship, vodka bottle in hand. Then there is Mama Jaws, who sticks out both her tongue and her middle finger to specifically taunt Salvador, of which the gunzerker fiercely responded with two flips of his own birds (let's call it "Flipping-the-bird: Gunzerker style"). If it wasn't for their peaceful agreement, these two would easily gone all-out on each other while wreaking havoc to anyone getting in the way. Given the major possibility of collateral damage resulting from their potential battle, it's a good thing real estate on Pandora is dirt cheap … because it is basically just dirt.

And so, one by one, the corporate vault hunters and the camera crew have all gotten aboard the Blue Moby, right before the airship itself takes off into the bright clear skies. Hopefully, it won't be too long before the two teams meet again. However, it's hard to predict what will happen on Pandora. After the airship has finally taken off, the corporate vault hunters all went to their separate locations within the ship that they feel accustomed to hanging out on. They all got settled down quite nicely as the atmosphere steadily reaches a moderately tranquil state.

However, this sense of quietness seems more like the calm before a storm, for deep within the darkest corners of the Blue Moby, there lies a shrouded eye. An eye that spies upon the vault hunters' regular activities without being spotted itself. An eye with a great possibility of malicious intent. An eye that stares but does not blink. An eye that pierces the soul and dissolves it from within. An eye … that bears the strange yet familiar glassy green round lens.