AN: I've had some people requesting to see more magic get used in this story. I'll try to add more scenes of Harry doing it when alone or when it's subtle, but it'll remain that way until a specific story point I have planned. So, don't worry, it won't stay this light on the spell casting forever.
Deadshot
Chapter 12
-Harry-
Exiting the cave, the ramshackle bandit town within left as ruins from the Goliath's rampage, Harry looked about. The icy canyon was filled with the scattered corpses of Spider ants roused from the cacophony of screams and gunfire and cut down by the bandits, the human corpses of the marauders that failed to keep up lay scattered as well. "Let me explain something to you losers." Jack's voice piped up, the prick as smug as ever "Even if you DO rescue Roland from this Firehawk guy, the Crimson Raiders ain't exactly long for this world. You know what, I think you might just deserve a little hint, even if you've been a salty little bitch."
"Only salty one here is you Joe." Harry rolled his eyes, "And let me guess, you're gonna say something like-" Harry cleared his throat before doing a mocking impersonation of the Hyperion CEO "My secret involves you and your friends dying while I laugh because I don't have an original bone in my body, hur hur hur."
"…No!" Jack's protest wasn't very convincing.
"Hmmm, maybe this will get him to leave us alone." Harry smirked "Hey guys, let's give our 'favorite' stalker a little concert, shall we? Sing along! It's a small world after all!"
"Gaaaaah!" a loud click from the Echo was heard before any of his friends could start to join.
"…He gone?" Axton blinked confused, none of them sure how to feel about it being that easy.
"He's gone…for now at least." Angel chuckled, "I'll have to keep that trick in mind."
"Glad to be of service milady!" Harry grinned, giving a quick salute with a couple fingers, "It's like always say, 'be the little shit you wanna see in the world'."
"Hopefully that's the only thing that's 'little' when it comes to you." Angel smirked as she batt her eyelashes at him playfully.
"That's a promise." Harry smirked, ignoring Gaige gagging behind him. Checking his bullets, he frowned, "Running low on sniper rounds. Maya, you up for laying down covering fire?"
"I can handle that." The siren nodded, "You have something in mind?"
"Yeah, you stay up here to lay down cover fire with Krieg cutting down anyone who gets past you. Gaige, you go right while Sal goes left. I want the perimeters on lock down to keep these bastards in place. Axton, you're to get to the most central point and let out your turret while standing by to guard it." Harry broke down his plan, assessing the landscape and what was needed.
"What about you?" Axton frowned even as everyone readied their weapons to follow his orders, the bandits bellow having not noticed them yet.
"I still have my pistol…and this little beauty I fixed up back in Sanctuary." Harry smirked as he pulled out a hilt, a knightly broadsword's blade digistructing itself in a flash "A little gift from my old trainer. It got busted up back on the train incident but she's back and ready to cut a bitch."
"…A sword?" Axton raised a skeptical eyebrow "You know most of these guys have armor, right? Even I only use my axe as a backup to get some room." A swing of his blade cut through one of the steel poles in the ground, the severed top half falling to the snow with a thud "…Shutting up now."
"Thought so." Harry smirked, exceptionally glad he'd figured out how to imbue a cutting charm into the blade even when it would deconstruct and reconstruct every time he used it "Come on you lot, we've got work to do."
-Angel-
Smiling to herself, Angel watched as Harry and his team started cutting through the last group of bandits between them and the Firehawk. Seeing him moving like a whirlwind with his sword was a sight to see, even if her confusion on how his sword so easily cut through everything kept making her head hurt.
She saw Maya sniping everyone she could and, while not as good a sniper as Harry, was still doing a decent job with Krieg chopping down anyone who got close to the bluenette. Salvador and Gaige just cleared people off upper walkways before cackling as they did a bullet rain on the valley below. Axton at least was being conservative with his shots to save ammunition for later.
Looking away for a moment, Angel confirmed that her little side program was still tormenting Jack, simulating the Vault Hunters voice still singing that song every time Jack called so he'd keep hanging up. She knew it wouldn't last forever but giving them some time away from the bastard was the least she could do. Feeling a mental 'beep' from the various scanning routines she kept running, Angel focused and saw there was yet another powerful figure heading to Pandora. Zane Flynt, one of the most skilled assassins in the six galaxies.
"Shit!" Angel hissed before rapidly correcting "I mean…crap." Focusing, she began hacking into Flynt's shuttle, listening in as the famous corporate assassin talked to himself while flying to Pandora.
"I just had to haaaaaaad to fall for Zero's friggin pouty face." Zane grumbled to himself, unaware of Angel listening in "Go help my apprentice Zane, it'll be fun!" the accented killer apparently mocked Harry's assassin mentor "One of these days I'll learn to tell that bugger no…" Angel noticed Zane had one of his holo copies out as he spoke, even the combat clone giving him a doubting look "Oh shut up."
Giggling to herself eagerly, Angel pulled out of Zane's systems and schooled her features before contacting Jack "Sir," her dull monotone didn't phase him as he looked up "you told me to inform you if Zane Flynt made any movements. He's currently flying towards Pandora, intending to find the new Vault Hunter 'Harry'."
"Excellent!" Jack cackled, rubbing his hands together, "Angel, be sure to make sure he has no resistance in getting to that little bastard. Ooooooooh, this is gonna be fucking beautiful! Angel, let me know when he gets close to cornering that insufferable little shit, I wanna see the carnage." Oh, somebody would be entertained alright.
"Understood Jack." She nodded before ending the call and laughing her ass off before projecting where Zane was likely to land and ensuring there wouldn't be any issues to harass him when he did so. Noting that Harry and his friends were just clearing out the stragglers and picking their way through the Firehawk's traps, all appropriately fire themed, Angel was feeling herself grow bored. Snooping through various databases she had access to, Angel felt a little idea growing the back of her mind. It would take some experimenting but if it worked…if it worked then she'd at least get a taste of freedom for the first time in years.
-Aurelia-
Smirking confidently, Aurelia strode out of her ship, a couple of her guards trailing behind her. The tall walls of Sanctuary stood ahead of her, the 'Crimson Raiders' lining the walls warily while a party was heading out to meet them. "Ah, hello again oh Chestacular one." Aurelia smirked amused as she saw Moxxi walking out with the familiar face of Athena at her side, Alistair trailing behind.
"Aurelia the Baroness." Moxxi observed her with a raised eyebrow, "Athena was already a surprise, but I truly never expected to see you again."
"Yes, well Jack made the poor decision to target my baby brother." She gave a cold smirk, "Nobody gets to torment Alistair but me."
"I can feel the love." Said baby brother rolled his eyes but had a pleased little smirk, "I'd heard rumors you were out…collection new followers. Wasn't sure how true those were."
"Completely." Aurelia snapped her fingers as some of her weapon designers hauled out a crate of guns, setting them down in front of the raiders, "And here, a little 'early Mercenary Day' present to show good faith." If nothing else then Aurelia was still a businesswoman, she knew that a little good faith went a long way in finding a viable business partner. "I am curious, if Athena is already here, has old Timothy arrived as well?"
"I haven't seen him since we escaped Jack." Athena frowned "Never even heard word of him since then. He's either dead or much better at hiding than I ever gave him credit for."
"For now, though, let's get you inside and see what we can do for each other." Moxxi nodded, gesturing for the guards to allow Aurelia's ship into the city itself.
-Harry-
"…Are you shitting me?!" Harry's eye was twitching up a storm as they finally got past all the various fire and spike themed booby traps, even having to keep their balance through a damned earthquake "All that work trying to conserve our ammo…AND THERE'S A FRIGGIN AMMO VENDOR HERE?!" behind him he could hear his sister cackling merrily at his rage "Shut up Gaige."
"Never!" the Mechromancer declared merrily, the rest of their idiots all snickering at his frustration.
"Anyway." Harry grit his teeth, reloading all his guns as he heard more bullets flying ahead "Sounds like they found the Firehawk in the next room so let's get ready." Getting nods, they opened the last set of doors and found a large cave full of walkways and screens. Some large bruisers were in the center, looking around as they entered.
"Hey, shoot em!" one of the thugs pointed at Harry and his friends as they entered, apparently happy to kill anything they could see, even if it wasn't the Firehawk. Before he could give an order though, a ball of orang light flew into the middle of the group of muscle-bound bandits, exploding outward in a fiery wave that send limbs and guns flying. Rising from this was a tall red-haired woman with glowing siren tattoos and eyes.
"Sup." The apparently Siren Firehawk smirked at them confidently…for all of about a second and a half before dropping like a rock. "How you lot doin?" the siren panted as she sat collapsed on the ground, "The Bandits call me the Firehawk but the name's Lilith, I work with the Raiders to keep the Bandit clans in line."
"But…we thought you'd captured Roland." Harry frowned as he and his friends approached the woman, his hand still ready to grab his pistol if needed.
"No, I called him out here to share some intel I found. It was these Bloodshots who captured him, it's what made the so damned cocky. Anyway, long story, lots of internal bleeding, can one of you help me up?"
"Maya." Harry ordered with a nod of his chin, knowing she could handle herself well, Krieg would tear this 'Firehawk' apart if she tried anything, and the rest of them could still get clear lines of sight for a shot.
"Huh, you're a suspicious little guy, aren't you?" Lilith smirked, having fully noticed what he was doing, "Call Moxxi if you don't believe me."
"…Yo Moxxi, you there?" Harry tapped his Echo, the bombastic bartender picking up.
"Hey there Sugar, you need me for something, or you just feelin lonely?" the clown themed woman was clearly smirking by her tone.
"Finally got to the Firehawk, and…" he trailed off, thinking how to ask.
"Redhaired Siren named Lilith? Don't worry, she's one of us. She was on Roland's old vault hunting team and helped found the Raiders. You can trust her, I promise." Moxxi assured him, "I have a few things to talk to you and the others about when you get back but for now help Lilith and she'll help you find Roland."
"Thanks Moxxi." Lilith grunted as she finally got to her feet, "Now, let's all talk about how we're going to rescue my boyfriend."
-Omake-
Stretching out, Harry got settled in a bed, the group having decided to spend the night in Lilith's lair while she returned to Sanctuary. It was late so going after Roland come morning seemed the safest idea. "Hey there handsome." The teasing and oh so familiar voice of Angel purred as she appeared in his temporary room, his Echo still projecting her as a 3d hologram for only him to see.
"Hey there Angel." Harry smirked, wishing he could actually touch this gorgeous tease, "Sorry, no hot tub for you to steal a show this time."
"Drat." Angel mock pouted before chuckling "Well, there's always your shower." He cursed himself silently at caving with a crimson blush while Angel snickered, feeling his magic roil in his gut with a bit leaking out in the familiar feel of accidental magic, even if he wasn't sure what the cause was.
"You're a tease." He rolled his eyes at her, trying to calm down his blush as Angel sashayed over.
"You know it." She smirked, reaching out a holographic finger to 'tap' his nose, only to let out a startled squeak when her finger actually made contact to his nose that he could feel, she probably could too if her response was any indication. It at least answered what his accidental magic did. "I…felt that." Angel gaped at her finger before looking up at him with a wild grin.
"…Oh boy, I really hope these rooms are sound-proof."
-One room over-
Laying sprawled on a large bed, Krieg remained soundly asleep, Maya laying on top of his chest and snoring happily. That being the only noise in the otherwise silent room…although the wall to the room next of them was banging and vibrating oddly had anyone been awake enough to notice it.