Chapter 45

Like Kharkov informed, the Searchers arrived in the morning. Parking the jeep beside Axton's pickup truck, they exited and somewhat worn from work. No longer wearing their AE formal uniform but still wore their usual battle attire for rugged adventure. With them, they also brought all the ingredients to have a hearty meal. Courtesy of Kharkov, he bought all the ingredients from a grocery store and the skag bought was a fresh game. Maya and Axton already woke up and did not expect for Searcher Red to cook breakfast in the morning.

"Woah, I thought we would eat together, not cook together." Axton looked at The Searchers as they opened their vehicle boot and took out the ingredients. "You sure you can cook quick?"

"Yeah, we can. You didn't mess up the kitchen right?" Searcher Red already had his hand full of ingredients.

"Yeah, everything is still the same." Axton answered. "You need a hand?"

"Set the fire and bowls, that will be more than enough." Red quickly moved to the motel room.

Axton looked at Maya and she explained. "Searcher Red likes to cook by himself, it's not like he doesn't want any help, he's just so fast that you just can't keep up."

"He's that good huh?" Axton was impressed.

Searcher Kharkov approached the two with a Skag on his shoulder and a smile on his face. "How are you two? Doing well?"

"It's still morning Searcher Kharkov, so I don't know yet." Maya shrugged.

"I'm good." Axton smiled. "By the way, I did what you asked. One head, two arms and two legs, still intact and still fresh."

Kharkov laughed and lightly punched his chest. "You are very funny my friend! Thank you very much, nice to see Maya safe as always."

"Ugh..." Maya rolled her eyes.

"Is there anything we can help?" Axton asked, looking at the man holding the skag by the shoulder. "Or do you have everything covered like Red?"

"Fortunately so…" Kharkov grimaced. "Both of us are already covered when it comes to our well being, so everything here is already set."

"If that's the case." Axton said. "If you don't mind, I'll do my other stuff."

"Oh please do, you are still the Strategic Adviser to the Resistance. Right?"

Axton was rather surprised but it reminded that both of them were once enemies at one point. "Yeah, sure am. Sorry if I'm not helping."

"No, no my friend, don't think like that. It's just that I don't want you to be needlessly occupied. Please, carry out your responsibilities if you need to. Furthermore, making breakfast is quick so you don't need to feel bad about it."

"Alright, copy that." Axton nodded.

"As for you Maya." Kharkov shifted his focus to the Siren. "Pack up your things, we will move as soon as we finish eating. Unfortunately, we are behind schedule and we need to continue your training as soon as possible. Can we do that?"

"Oh." Maya raised her brow."Alright, I will pack then. Is there something going on?"

"What is life without its challenges?" The Skag that he was holding was getting heavier so he moved to the other shoulder. "The company that we currently work for is going through some financial troubles. Red and I had to do a few errands so that's why you see rushing things. Courtesy of your friend here."

They both looked at Axton and the man only shrugged. "No offence Kharkov, there was nothing personal to it."

"None taken." Kharkov nodded, unfazed. "We already know the business of the battlefield. We were busy doing all the things that were needed, suffice to say it went better than expected. Now we can safely say that your training will not be disturbed by our business side of things."

"That is good." Maya was grateful. "Hopefully I don't make it harder for you both."

"There's nothing to worry about." Kharkov moved past Maya and Axton. "Just be prepared for the next part of your training. As for breakfast, it won't be too long."

The food was prepared not long after they arrived and Searcher Red had prepared perhaps the heartiest breakfast. All the skag meat was cut thin slices, mixed with vegetables and bread. The breakfast was a big pot of Skag gravy. With coffee as the beverage. Maya prepared the bowls and filled the food for everyone. Since they were going to continue back to Tretho, they have to eat all the food that they can eat.

By the second bowl Axton already had enough, Searcher Red was a great cook but his stomach was not big enough. For the others, the second bowl was just a start. And Axton could not believe with his eyes as for the slender and fit among people have the appetite larger than Ellie; who was morbidly obese. It was not an enjoyable experience, Axton sat beside as she ate her fourth bowl and there was certainly effort to force the food in when they couldn't. They took their time and munch slowly, bit by bit, bowl by bowl. They ate and ate until the big pot left nothing but the unwanted fat.

A whole skag which was similar to a cow; finished in one seating by three people.

"You have a cigarette my friend?" Kharkov asked. Leaned and sat back with his stomach full.

"Yeah I have some, don't know if you like the brand." Axton reached for his pocket.

"Fantastic." Kharkov stood up and passed his bowl to Red. "Let's smoke some place else, the other two don't smoke so we don't need to disturb them."

"Sure, no problem." He took out his pack and stood up.

"Don't worry, I will clean your bowl." Maya took Axton's bowl and stacked it on top of hers.

"Thanks Maya." Axton walked towards Kharkov

"Maya, have you prepared all your things?" Kharkov turned to her.

"Yes. Are we going right now?"

"We'll go as soon as the stomach settles down. In the meantime, help Red pack up the necessary things and put all your things in the jeep. We'll be back in a moment."

"Yes, Searcher Kharkov." Maya nodded.

They moved to the hill where Axton usually sniped. Maya looked at the two curiously as they walked away from the scene.

Maya put on the last thing on the boot, which was her books that Axton had bought back in Overlook. She will transfer all her personal books through Searcher Red ways that she still did not understand yet. She closed the boot and looked back at the motel. The once abandoned motel will now be abandoned again as there was no trace that they were there to begin with. Searcher Red had made good work by making the whole place look the same as they arrived. The younger man went to the jeep and sat at the front passenger seat with the door still open. She approached him to talk.

"So the motel is going to be left like it used to?" Maya said. "Don't you think that's a waste Red."

"Nope, don't think so Blue." He disagreed. "Pandora has a lot of abandoned buildings and this is one of them. Granted, Axton and I had to buy some extra stuff such as beds and others. Other than that, this place is no different than a tent we usually pitched up."

"Really huh?"

They both looked at the motel together and pondered.

"So did you guys kiss or something?" Red said.

"What!" Maya looked at him.

The man gave a blank face and shrugged. "The motel is no different than any other motel Maya. I'm guessing that you're getting sentimental because of that."

"First of all…" She tried to find a proper way to explain and took some time. "We didn't do anything that you might expect. Second, we're getting to know each other. Third- forget about it." She looked away.

"Alright Blue." He raised his hands. "Sorry if I pushed the limit. I don't know a thing about relationships."

"Apology accepted…" She sighed. "Look, it's complicated. We're not officially together but there's a chance that we might."

"So you already confessed?"

"Yes, yes I did." Maya looked at Red. "But the Siren Cause demands us to take our time. So we're not officially together but there's a big chance that we can. One day."

"That's good. I'm happy for you." He said. "Feelings… are complicated. In the end, you need to decide what you do with it. Fortunately, I've decided what to do with Nerdiac."

"Nerdiac? Who's that?"

"That girl you guys are setting me up. The maniac nerd with a robot monster, Nerdiac. Kharkov told me that you both, guess Axton too, want to pair me with Nerdiac. I appreciate the effort by the way."

Maya looked at him intrigued. "So you do have feelings towards Gaige?"

"I don't think so. I don't get it when it comes to feelings. I don't like her. But I've decided what to do with it nevertheless."

"Really? What is your decision?"

His lower lip curled. "Let's see what happens. The more I deny it, the more I focus on her because of you guys. So I don't want it to be a mistake if I were to like her. There, I talked to you about it, I talked to Kharkov about it. So yeah, that's that."

She let out a few laughs. "Thank you. It's sweet of you to give Gaige a nickname."

"She's annoying."

"They are always annoying at first."

"Hey, at least, I'm not afraid to talk about it." Red looked at his watch. "Do you mind calling Kharkov and the Commando? We're already off the schedule."

"Yeah sure." Maya playfully hit his leg and moved away. "It's okay Red, I've been there."

Searcher Red made a face and said nothing. He waited at the jeep and declined his seat.

Maya walked to the sniping hill where Axton often did his shootings but it seemed there was no one there. She looked down at the ground and she saw cigarette butts being stepped and mushed. She looked at her surroundings and the two men were not there. She walked even further at the hill and fortunately they were there. Stood together side by side with shortened cigarettes in their mouth. She wanted to say hello and was informed at Kharkov but then she heard some of the conversations.

"I'm very much thankful that you didn't say many things about Alesia to her." Kharkov said.

"I've got no reason to." Axton replied. "I thought she already knew about her at the start, since both of them were Siren."

Maya stood still and listened.

"The same race doesn't make them entirely the same. We already discussed this in detail Axton."

"The Siren thing is none of my business, so I'm really careful if I was to talk about it. But in my opinion, she should know at least a bit about her seeing that Alesia is one of a kind."

"I understand your opinion. But let the dead rest quietly in their graves. That goes to you too my friend. Alesia is not Nyriad, she is gone just like the many others. It's time to move on."

"Noted. I'll try to use that advice."

"I hope that your recovery is going well, not only that, with the information given, I hope you could benefit from it. You are a great man with the help you gave to us." Kharkov shook Axton's hand. "I hope that we will meet again with some drinks hopefully."

"Don't mention it." Axton looked at him face to face. "It's not that you didn't do your part."

They both separated and finished their cigarettes.

The name of Alesia resurfaced again to a point that she could not ignore. But asking them about it immediately was not polite of her seeing it was a private conversation. She kept it in mind and will look at it at a later time. Maya walked again and approached the two.

"Searcher Kharkov." Maya called. "Red said that we need to move."

"Oh Maya." Kharkov turned to her. "My my, I forgot about that. Thank you for reminding me. I had a good conversation with your friend Axton here, so good that I forgot about the time."

The two men threw their cigarettes and stepped on it.

"Sorry that I took your time." Axton said.

"No my friend, this is certainly on me. Come now, let's be quick."

The jeep was already set; Kharkov and Red were already in their usual place. Once Maya got in the car, it was all throttle and no brakes. The Blue Siren wanted to say a few things to Axton before she continued her training to become a prophet. So they both stood close and talked perhaps the last time before she committed to The Siren Cause.

"So what's next, Axton?" She asked.

"What's next huh?" Axton looked at the motel. "I think I'm going to keep this place for myself. Red and I managed to make this place comfortable. I'm quite surprised. Though I don't know the next time I'll be here since I'm busy now with Overlook. I lock this place up so that no Psycho would tear this place apart. How about you? Ready with your Siren job?"

"Yes, I'm ready for the most part. Just I don't know what to say to you before I go…" She scratched her neck.

"Ahh Maya…" Axton shook his head. "You don't have to make it too formal."

Axton spanned his arms wide. "You want a hug?"

Maya did not hesitate to hug the man she cherished. Axton held her close and gave her time that she needed. He liked her long hair as he played with it light during the embrace. Maya liked his welcoming kindness as she wanted to hug him tighter and firmer.

From the jeep, Kharkov and Red looked at the two Vault Hunters.

Kharkov nudged Red. "See, love is not that bad my friend. I think you should give it a chance."

"Ughh enough with that love shit Kharkov." Red rolled his eyes.

Kharkov laughed. "You still young my brother, enjoy youth!"

As they both separated from the embrace, they looked at each other for a time but it was time to go.

"Time to go Maya, we don't want them to wait."

"Yeah." Maya took a deep breath to bear the anxiety. "Training, training and training."

Axton patted her back and insisted Maya go to the jeep. To take the first step.

"You will wait for me right?"

"I will. But don't be too long because we're getting older by the day." Axton said.

Before she took the first step, she glanced at Axton and kissed his cheek. He looked at Maya with a face full of shock, placing his palm on the place she just kissed. The Blue Siren smiled with bliss. He pinched her back but failed as she fled away to the jeep.

Axton shouted. "You pervert!"

She jumped into the jeep and closed the door. She lowered the door window and waved her hand goodbye. Axton raised his hand too. Kharkov sounded the horn and the jeep started to move. The Vault Hunters looked at each other until they could no longer see each other because of the distance. Perhaps she was anxious but never before in her life, she felt ready and confident. All of that thanks to the Dahl Commando named Axton.

Her journey leading the Siren race began.