Zane retracted his wristblades from another, dead COV fucker, dropping the body to the ground. "We ain' any closer to this damn clue are we, Mara Mar?" The two of them walked down the drab, wooden hallway, heading for the theater. Their search, so far, was next to fruitless; at the very least they got to murder a lot of COV fuckers.

"Don't think we are, old man," The Siren retorted. "But, thankfully, if it's this hard for us it'll be next to impossible for the COV; especially with one of their precious gods occupied and distracted."

"Yeah…weird how the moron doesn' remember he can teleport…or…can he not do that?"

"Tyreen, Zane. That bitch is the one who teleports. Her parasite of a brother just clings to her while she does it." The older man nodded, still…annoyed over things.

"Well, let's hope we can get rid of 'em and avenge everyone they fucked with. Sooner we do that, sooner we can finally get some downtime."

"What? I thought you liked killing and kicking ass?" Amara teased.

"I do, but I also wanna drink, and Moxxi's has Happy Hour at two. I wanna try this drink she made called Trophy Hunter and—"

"Get back here, Jakobs!" Troy shouted in his earpiece. Guess the moron left his ECHO open.

"Say, rat-boy," Wainwright shouted back, still in ECHO feed. "Ain'tcha the one who has to suck at your sister's teat for sustenance? Didn' know you two were close like THAT!"

"Rgh…die in a gutter!"

"You first."

"Y'know, with all the insults FL4K's lobbed at these two clowns," Zane turned to another ECHO frequency. "I'm surprised they haven't grown thicker skin."

"Thick skin only protects so much, Zane; that's when your insulters start digging into the skin." Amara commented.

From there, they went through the traditional song and dance Zane enjoyed; rushing through mobs of idiotic COV and sending them to a fiery, acidic, or even shocking grave. Was always still a treat, of course, but after a while, the Operative found himself entering the theater at last, carefully reloading his pistol as he kept his eyes out.

"Keep ya gun loaded, Mara," Zane grunted. "Somethin' 'bout this don' sit right."

"You say that as if anything here should sit right."

"True, but now it's even worse." The lights all collectively turned on in the old, antique theater, and a Goliath dropped onto the stage. The bulky, engorged man staggered forward, looking about, as Zane lined his iron sights up with the fucker's head.

"Hey, Vault Thieves, wanna see somethin' your soon-to-be-dead Siren friend couldn't do?" Troy said in his ECHO. Zane's worries were made very apparent when magenta energy engulfed the COV fucker, causing him to convulse, twitch, and spasm. His guns clattered to the ground as he was suspended in the air. "Yes! Feel my power rush THROUGH YOU!" The Goliath dropped back to the ground, skin a deep purple color as he was fully muscular now, causing a slight crater into the ground when he landed. He was much bigger than a normal Goliath, now, and clearly much more dangerous too.

"What…what the fuck is that thing?" Amara was already loading slugs into her shotgun.

"That, Vault Thieves, is my Anointed. My champion! So…feel free to die screaming to him. Cause, let's face it, you ain't killing him." The fucker fucking teleported across the room; Zane threw himself left just as the Goliath's fist swiped past him.

"Fuckin' hell; didn' know Sirens could do this sorta shit!"

"Me neither; all the more reason we need to kill these COV monsters before it's too late." Amara was already dumping slug after slug into the monster's back, but it had little to no effect. Zane dropped his digiclone and backpedaled, only for the Anointed to crush it in a flash, sending hard light scattering throughout the room.

"Makes me wish we brought Moze with us…" Zane sighed as he switched to his SMG, open firing and peppering the monster with flaming rounds. The Goliath staggered back this time, only for its skull of a head to ignite suddenly. "…aaaaaand that ain' good." The Operative leapt off a seat just as waves of fire seared the spot he stood moments ago. Amara's fist collided with the Anointed's head, the Siren raining blow after blow into the fiend's head as Zane kept shooting at it, tucking his SMG against his chest so he could fire both it and his handgun at the same time.

"I think we're getting' somewhere!" Zane called, watching the Anointed slow down gradually, though this led to its attacks worsening. The Operative's eyes widened as the thing teleported once more, now out of sight.

"…" Zane threw down his barrier just in time to feel a fist meet it, smashing through the hard light and colliding with him. His shields soaked up the impact, but they didn't stop the force as the old man went flying, everything spinning until he felt his back collide with a wall. "Fuck…that'd have killed me if I didn' get a better shield," He huffed, feeling his shields gradually recharge as the Anointed teleported again, this time right in front of him, fist raised.

"No you don't!" A ghostly hand clamped down on its fist, causing the fiend to turn in time for Amara's foot to slam into the Anointed's head, sending it to the ground so, finally ending things, she emptied her shotgun into its head. The dying fiend convulsed and quaked, skin hardening even more until, in a few moments, it was encased in purple crystal…but thankfully, it stopped moving.

"Psh, whatever! Kill as many Anointed as you want." Troy chided. "I keep makin' 'em; my army's endless, after all! But, you know what? I got more important crap to do."

"Well, least that rat-bastard's quiet," Zane coughed a bit, patting his chest and inspecting himself for any damages that went unnoticed in the commotion. Thankfully, he found none…an amazing feat, considering the shit they just fought. "Good work, Mara Mar. Looks like we're…" Zane trailed off as he saw Amara staring at the dead body of the Goliath, a dark look in her eyes. "Amara? Ya good?"

"…honestly, no." She sighed. "If he can just churn these things out endlessly then what chance do we have? Look how much effort it took to kill a single one. I'm just…augh…I'm worried, now."

"Well, let ol' Zane fix that." The Operative cleared his throat. "If he works like his skank of a sister, he needs power to fuel this weird lil' shite of his. Power he'll have to drain from their underlings. And, even there, there's still the HIGH chance the lil' shit was bluffin'; tryin' to scare us when, really, he can only shite out one or two've these every so often."

"And what if this is the one time they're not bluffing?"

"Then my theory still holds ground. He ain' gonna make an army without killin' himself, or pissin' off his big sister. And, if and when that happens, we might as well just kick back and watch the COV take itself apart like pissed off skags."

"Augh…I guess you're right. Thanks, old man."

"Hey, um, if you two're done…"

"…Wainwright, how long've ya been listenin'?" Zane questioned.

"Few minutes; didn' wanna interrupt. I always love me some good character development…even though this is real…anyhow! We can get down to business. The trapdoor to my father's study has a trick latch. Y'all just gotta figure out the solution. Head up to the technician's booth; shouldn't be hard to guess."

"You take a breather, Amara," Zane was already moving. "I'll go get this trapdoor thing figured out." The Operative got to walking, mind still playing over things and figuring them out. In all seriousness, he was a little worried that, for once, the twins weren't fucking around and were serious about their threat. Which, if so, that meant they could potentially be fielding an army of super soldiers! However, try as he might, Zane honestly couldn't feel any fear from such a revelation; only annoyance. Besides, he had his theories as well, especially the theory of them clashing.

From what he saw and heard, Tyreen was calling the shots and was undisputed. If Troy got to be as strong as her, he had a hunch she wouldn't take that lying down…


"How much longer til we reach the AO?" Moze asked Axton as the Commando brought the dropship close to the manor. She was rearmed and resupplied for the mission at hand, and she didn't plan to leave until they recovered that clue. She just hoped Troy pissed off or, better yet, got tagged and taken out by her team.

Of course, all things considered, she doubted it'd be that easy.

"Eh, not long. ETA's about five minutes." Axton responded, chuckling. "Y'know, it's been a while since I've been able to sling these military terms around. Feels good, y'know?"

"Not as much; wasn't too fond of my contract, or who I worked for."

"Lemme guess, Vladof?"

Moze's eyes narrowed. "…how'd you know?"

"Your mech; looked like one of their Iron Bear mech suits. And you were all military-like, so that meant you either stole one, or you earned one. And I crossed the former off the list, 'cause Vladof've killed you by now."

"Ugh…yeah, I did work for them, but then Darzaran Bay happened, and then…well this shit's happening."

"Always tends to happen to Vault Hunters who used to be soldiers; trouble has a habit of finding you, and it ain't nice with its visit, either. Like with the Handsome Jack shit. Lotta times out there where I thought we weren't gonna make it."

"Weren't New-U stations a thing, though?"

"Well yes, but actually no. They were reserved for Hyperion peeps. If WE used any, we'd risk either coming back as just a screaming head, get warped right into a Hyperion prison cell, or a slew of other things. If anything, I'd take these COV fuckers over Jack."

"Why's that?"

Axton shrugged. "These guys, at their core, are just bandits. Bandits are dumb as shit. Hyperion's goons? They were organized as shit. And Jack? He was always a few steps ahead of us. Like with him snaggin' Lilith or using that core we slapped into Sanctuary to make us vulnerable to orbital bombardment. Every time we went against Jack's forces we got by 'cause of skill and luck." Moze furrowed her brow at that. When the Commando put it like that, the COV felt no more than mere jabbers banging their sticks on trees. "Besides, these 'twin gods' seem pretty bad, too. Bad as in shitty."

"Yet they've managed to get Maya, though. I blame myself for that."

"But did she die, though?"

"Well, no."

"They suck, then, but what I meant is they seem more or less like dumb kids who discovered the ECHOnet; their plans are rushed and…well, frankly, have more holes than cheese in a shooting range. Y'all should take advantage of that."

"How so? They have every single bandit on Pandora working for them."

"I'd say eighty percent. And, also, at their heart, a bandit's only gonna work for the one who promises them the most loot." Moze never thought of it like that. She let that stew in her head as she dropped from the ship, landing in the murky waters of the swamp with a huff.

"Just make sure you're back to pick us up. And, if FL4K gets better, send them our way, too."

"Can do, soldier. Give 'em hell!" The ship flew off and Moze shouldered her rifle, moving on. She was gonna give them more than hell; she was bringing Ragnarök itself.

…heh…that sounded like something Amara would say.


Amara sighed in a mixture of frustration and relief as, after a good while of working, they had the trapdoor open. The Siren watched the trapdoor down below the technician booth slide open, which meant they could get the damn clue and begone from this weird place.

"Why the fuck was that so damn difficult?" She griped, shaking her head. "Why the fuck would he make the answer an outdated movie?!"

"Mara, I hate to break it to ya, but that movie isn't so old. And, even then, whaddya got against old movies?"

"Y'know, I'm not surprised; you were probably young when that movie was being filmed."

"Young and handsome, Mara, get it right." Zane chuckled as the two of them dropped into the trapdoor. "Oi, Wainwright, what're we lookin' for down here?"

"Honestly, I'm not entirely sure; my father said he kept all his records down there. I…guess…look for somethin' record like. Maybe he was bein' literal." The two of them searched for a while before, at the end of the study, Amara spotted a record set on the wall.

"You mean this thing?"

"Huh…so he was bein' literal, yet again…might explain why he said he was gonna beat that one guy with a jabber's tail…movin' on. That record's gotta be as old as Jakob's Corporation itself, and I got the only ligno-phonograph player in the entire system. If he wanted to leave me a message, that must be it!"

"Wait, you have the only one?" Zane asked. "Why the fuck do ya got the only one?"

"They didn' sell well, I guess. But, my daddy was always old fashioned. Guess he wanted as close to old fashioned as he could get. Anyways, bring it on back to the lodge. Let's see what he left." Amara plucked the record up and turned just in time to hear footsteps. The Siren's tattoos glowed sharply but, thankfully, she refrained from acting…namely because Moze came into view, tired and out of breath.

"Why the fuck is this place so damn big?!" She huffed.

"Heh, if I had a dollar for every time someone said that…" Zane chuckled and walked off. "Anyhow, Mozzy Moze, ya got here in time to leave. We gotta head back to the lodge."

"…and y'all didn't bother to send me a message?"

"To be fair, we were havin' puzzle troubles." Amara frowned, and Zane shrugged. "But, fine, sorry. Next round's on me when we get to Sanctuary, 'kay?"

"I'll be sure to get the expensive drink, then." Amara mused as she got to walking. "C'mon, Moze…and where's FL4K?"

"Getting repaired. I'll radio Axton and let him know the murderous robot can come on back."

"That reminds me, Troy was here," Amara scowled. "Did they get injured confronting him?"

"Unfortunately. Yet when I talked to them, they said this was all part of their plan. Pissing the twins off and making them sloppy. Was…really trippy."

"Wait, that robot actually planned everythin' we've done out? And I thought I overplanned…" Zane grunted.

"Agreed…well, I hope they planned for things to work out, then. Because, apparently, Troy can make super soldiers."

"…fucking what?" Amara shook her head. She had quite the story for the Gunner, and thankfully, a lengthy time for her to tell it.

She wasn't going to leave anything out.


FL4K's metal fingers drummed on their chair as the Beastmaster sat in their seat, optic focused into the depths of space. Their ECHO was held up to their head, and a dial tone was ringing. They knew she would pick up soon, though. It was inevitable.

"Huh? Who the fuck is this?" Tyreen's voice answered.

FL4K mentally sneered. The VPN was working and scrambling their signal. "Someone you foolishly try to convert."

"Fuckin'…Vault Thief? How did—"

"Don't ask how I contacted you. Just know, for once, I'm going to give you some helpful advice."

"Oh yeah, and what's that?"

"Watch your brother. He's picked up quite a few new tricks."

"Psh, of course he has! What? You scared?"

"Scared for you, actually. He's already learned how to Phaselock people; to trap them in the astral energy Maya did, and he can even leech just like you."

"So? What's your point?"

"My point is the leech may soon no longer require its food source. The most you can do is teleport and drain, whereas he can fling people at one another. And when I encountered him down there, he said such wonderful things about you."

"…what kind of things?"

And now, she had a foot hovering over the beartrap. Time to make her drop her foot.

"He'll soon be stronger than his beloved sister. That he's tired of you viewing him as a liability, and soon he'll be calling the shots, and controlling the COV. Before you refute me, try to think. You have charisma, but he has cunning. And in the end, cunning always beats the charismatic. You've given him ample time to plan and think things out while you 'appeal to your fanbase'."

"S-So what, you think my baby bro's gonna turn on me?"

"Or simply use you as a puppet to further his goals. The ECHO chatter I've picked up from my friends tells me he can even bless followers with insane power. How long until your followers begin to worship him more, in exchange for this power? To venerate a god who doesn't leech them like mere snacks? Do you know what happens to a goddess without followers, Tyreen?" FL4K leaned back in their seat. "They fade." With that, they ended the call and leaned back. The Siren's foot was firmly snug in the beartrap. They had her right where they wanted her to be. Now, all they had to do was keep it up. Make her even more unsure of herself…and then, inevitably, they'd clash.

A smart hunter always killed two birds with one stone. A smarter hunter lets the birds kill each other before bringing a stone down on the victor's head. Honestly, they was rooting for Tyreen to be that bird; they imagined her skull would make an enticing crunch when it was crushed.


(Another chapter done, and more plot exposed. Sure, the last segment makes FL4K seem antagonistic, but with how they were depicted in the game, that last segment feels like something they'd do; intentionally make Tyreen and Troy clash. Plus, some reviewers wanted them to clash, so I found an amusing way to work that into the story.

Enjoy this chapter, and I hope you all are staying safe! Thanks for all the support and encouragement with this story, and hopefully, I can keep going to handle the DLCs, too!

Also, the Trophy Hunter is a drink made by AMC theaters to promote The Predator film. And, in my off-time, I plan to work on a legitimate novel for that franchise, so let's hope that becomes a reality.)