(Mordecai's POV)
After the shit show in the tundra, we all packed up , and started to head back to Sanctuary. Despite me not knowing these guys, the ride back was actually enjoyable. Seeing how they all acted around each other reminded me of the old days, when I first met Brick and the others.
Hell I still miss the big guy. And seeing these guys acting like one big dysfunctional family, made me wish I had a bottle of rakk ale.
Sighing I look back down at what I was working on. Mr rifle lay in my lap while I ran a rag over it lovingly, careful not to let it jostle in the back of the truck. With one final swipe, I smile at the shine that now covers it.
"Ummm guys... We got a problem." That guy Axton yells over the rumbling of the truck and I immediately stand up, with my rifle at the ready.
"What is it?" I hear Maya ask calmly despite Axton's uneasy tone, its that kid Gaige that answers her back. "I dunno. There's rakks circling up aheag, and a few skags." She informs the blue haired woman from her spot in the gunner's seat.
Maya glances at me and I give her a sharp nod. Looking up at my shoulder Bloodwing caws at me questioningly. "Go scout up ahead girl." And with a stretch of her wings, she takes off towards where the animals are circling.
Pulling up my rifle I look through the scope and find the rakks that Gaige had mentioned. Slowly I tilt the rifle down until I spot the skags, bounding around some heap in the snow. "Looks like those skags caught some poor bastard." I mutter thinking about all the dead bandits I've come across, being torn apart by skag and stalker alike. Nearing the crumpled form I lower my gun and wait for us to come to a stop.
When the skags hear us approaching in truck, they all scatter off into the tundra. Axton pulls up right in front of the body and hops down out of the drivers seat.
I see Blood hovering just a few feet away as I wait patiently with the others.
I watch as soldier boy crouches beside the body and puts his hand at their neck. I don't see why the guy is checking for a pulse, they're more than likely dead.If it wasn't the skags then the cold would have surely did them in.
"Holy shit guys, she's breathing!"
Or not. Quickly hopping out of the truck, I jog over to him and the fallen girl. Sure enough when I reach them, I see its a girl and she's barely breathing. And no wonder too, the kid looks like she was beat to hell and back. Bleeding from just about everywhere, I'm surprised she isn't dead yet.
"Is she okay?" I hear Salvador call from the truck along with the others, but I ignore them as I turn to look at the former DAHL soldier.
"Grab her and lets go. Zed can patch her up in Sanctuary." Axton stares at me for a moment, before he snaps out of it and carefully gathers the girl into his arms. But when we start to head back to the truck, something falls from the girls pockets. Stooping down I make a grab for the object, but am quickly beaten to it by Bloodwing. Swooping in she grabs the item and hovers in front of me.
Grinning I grab a treat from my bag and hold it out to her. Happy with her treat, she drops the item into my hand and happily perches on my shoulder.
Inspecting the item I see that its a battered Echo, with a note taped on the front. Simply reading watch me on the paper, I feel a chill go down my spine.
{Timeskip}
We finally got back and we brought the girl to Zed's. He told us it was a miracle that she didn't die from the hypothermia first, seeing how her skin was tinted blue. Shaking my head I take one last look at the kid and feel a sense of familiarity, but just couldn't place it. Leaving her there, I head through town to find Lilith and Roland.
Entering the building I duck past Tannis on the way to the stairs and thankfully I'm not caught by the scientist. Reaching the top of the stairs I see both Roland and Lilith in the room, both talking about something I could honestly care less about.
Clearing my throat they both nearly jump out of their skins, and I can't help but laugh at them.
"Mordecai, ahem. We didn't think you would be back so soon. Did you get the Vault key?" Roland asks me and I just sigh at his statement. Ever since all that shit happened, he has been obsessed with that damn key. Part of me wants to tell him, had they not jumped the gun back then... Then we wouldn't have as big a target on us as we do now.
But that was an argument for another day.
"No it wasn't there, but we did get a new power core." I tell them while grabbing a bottle of rakk ale off the table. "Besides we have a bigger problem."
I pull the Echo out from my storage and toss it over to Roland. Inspecting the device he seems confused, so I elaborate. "We found a girl out in the tundra, beaten to hell and back. Hell I'm surprised she wasn't dead when we found her." Nodding my head at the Echo Roland was holding I continue. "That was with her when we found her."
We all sit in silence for a moment before Lilith speaks up. "Well are you just gonna stand there all day, or are we gonna see whats on it?" Looking at Lilith I try to reign in my anger. She's acting like its a game, when she wasn't the one who found a dying girl in the tundra. Roland didn't respond either and walked over to the table in the middle of the room. Plugging the Echo into the holo projection, he hit the play button.
The screen was black for a moment, before it moved and we were all greeted by a famliar face.
"Hey there kiddo's! Looks like you found my little present." Jack says with a feral grin and hear Lilith growl in the back of her throat. "So you're probably wondering what the hell right? Well I'll let you in on a little secret." He stage whispers and over the Echo I can hear a faint whimpering. My heart clenches at the sight he shows us.
There laying on the floor is the same girl, beaten and bloody trying to pick herself up. "Hey kitten, hows about you give your little bandit friends a smile!" Jack teases and once the girl gets to her knees, she looks up at the screen.
I hear Lilith gasp and Roland let out a quiet 'no'. The girl looking back at us was really just a kid, a little older than Gaige. I clench my fists in anger as I hear her gasp in pain when her arm nearly buckles. "Awwww look at you. Bet you're wishing you hadn't of done that shit now huh?" Jack growls at her as he aits the Echo down facing her, while walking over to her side.
Crouching down beside her, he grabs her face and makes her look at him. "Looks like you made a lot of enemies kitten. Had that bandit from Old Haven not ratted on you, alllll of this could have been avoided." He coo's at her and I can see a few tears escape her swollen eyes.
Giving her face a small pat, he gets up to grab the Echo again.
Looking at the camera, he grins wolfishly. "Turns out this little brat helped a couple of you bandit scum escape from Old Haven. And now she gets to see what happens to back stabbing traitors." After the words escape his mouth we hear an ear piercing scream through the device. Turning around Jack smiles at the girl, before looking back at the screen.
"Keep the kid or kill her, its up to you. I don't really care. Message here is clear. Don't. Fuck. With. Me."
AN ~ Hey guys I'm back with another chapter, I hope it doesn't feel rushed this time.