Chapter 6 Part One
"Yvette...you don't have to do this."
"Rhys, I'm sorry. I really am, but this has to be done. There's no other way."
"No, there's another way...there has to be!"
"...This is for the best."
"Y-Yvette...no! No! Don't!"
It stung, an unimaginable burn surging through his veins. The feeling of metal stabbing into his skin was like no other.
"Aaagh! Yvette, why!?"
"Oh for God's sake, you big baby! It's just a needle!"
Yvette's cold fingers applied pressure to the spot on his shoulder where the needle stuck in, slowly withdrawing the syringe and swapping it swiftly with a cotton ball and a band aid, giving the spot a nice smack. Rhys whined and jerked his arm from Yvette's reach, giving her his best betrayed look.
"At least now you won't get Krom's Fever. I heard that one of the symptoms is uncontrollably explosive bowels." Vaughn stated, leaning against the wall on the other side of the small white room, watching Rhys' fear of needles with a poorly hidden smirk.
"Sounds better than this." Rhys grumbled, leaning away when Yvette pulled out yet another syringe, the twisted smile on her painted lips just as frightening as the glimmering needle.
"If you're going down there for a week you're going to need the proper shots. Pandoran viruses aren't like the ones we are use to." Yvette said matter-of-factly.
"Vaughn and I were there like two weeks and we didn't get anything."
"Which was a miracle, mind you." Vaughn snorted, shrugging when Rhys shot him a who's side are you on? glare.
"This one's for the Rakk Mumps." And without warning Yvette stuck the needle in the crease of Rhys' elbow while he wasn't paying attention, ripping a high-pitched yelp from the tall man.
"What is wrong with you!?" Rhys shrieked, "That's not how you give someone a shot!"
"It is when they're being a huge bitch about it."
Vaughn let out a loud laugh and Rhys sputtered indignantly.
"Seriously, Rhys." Yvette said, suddenly more composed and serious. "Be careful down there. Especially with who you're going with."
Rhys blinked, glare switching to a curious look. He glanced between Yvette to Vaughn, both now wearing a completely different face, one more solemn and concerned. "I'll be okay. It's just a routine check in on some of the Eridium mines. Jack does these all the time." He offered a smile of reassurance at his two best friends.
"Is there anything wooden in this room? I need to knock on it." Vaughn adjusted his spectacles on the bridge of his nose with his middle finger, fixing his position on the wall to lean more comfortably.
"Cut it out," Rhys replied with a roll of his eyes, "nothing's going to happen. I'll be fine. You guys worry too much."
"Can you blame us?" Yvette said. She finished applying another band aid and threw the wrappers in the waste bin next to her. "You're going to Pandora with Handsome Jack."
Vaughn added, "Yeah. I mean, six months ago Hyperion announced his return. The planet is still in an all-out uproar over the news. It's like throwing a couple of lambs in a lions den."
"Okay, one; don't let Jack hear you comparing him to a lamb. And two," Rhys stood up from his chair, shoving his exposed arm through the sleeve of his shirt, "we'll be out in the desert, surrounded by heavy security, loader bots, the works. Nothing is going to go wrong. This won't be like last time."
Both Yvette and Vaughn exchanged worried glances, Rhys being in the middle only scoffed at the two and finished buttoning his shirt.
"Wait, you still have one more." Yvette reached for the table.
"Ugh, please, no more of this. I feel like a pin cushion."
"Hush, Cry Baby. This one is going in your port." She produced a small flash drive from the tray on the table, piquing both Rhys and Vaughn's interest as they stared at the woman curiously. It was a small, sleek, simple black drive with a yellow H printed on the flat of the devise.
"I didn't know we had those." Vaughn said.
"You'll need vaccinations for every type of virus on Pandora."
Manicured nails gripped Rhys' jaw softly, holding him still as Yvette leaned in close and clicked the flash drive into Rhys' port. He flinched, not expecting the suddenness of it all, eyes straining to his left where Yvette's hand held the tiny object to his temple.
"Am I, uh, suppose to feel anything?"
"You may hear some ringing every now and then. Just ignore it."
"Okay. How long does this–"
"Rhys."
Blurs of colors swarmed his vision, spinning around him like a carousel. He could hear frantic sirens blaring in his ear, voices shouting fearfully, commotion of movement bringing everything in one clustered noise in all direction.
"Rhys!"
Jack? Somewhere through the blurred movement and blaring noise he could hear him shouting, calling out to him. Where was he?
"Sir! We can't avoid the next one! It's a seeker!" It was the shuttle's pilot, voice shredded with sheer panic. What was going on? Before he could make sense of his surroundings a hard force came down on his back, throwing him off balance and he collided with the unforgiving metal of the floor beneath him.
"Jack…!?"
"Rhys." The voice that replied was not Jack's anymore. This voice was strangely tranquil compared to everything else around him, pitch light and unwavering.
"Get your ass up, Sleeping Beauty!"
Rhys launched himself up, hands grabbing his chest to quell his frantic heart. "Explosive needles..!" He shouted incoherently and ripped the leather jacket off of him. The blur of his dreams dissipated to the dark walls of the cave, the fire's dim ember glow allowing enough light for Rhys to see Jack's broad silhouette standing over him, hands on his hips and body tilted towards him. The orange glare of the dying flame shined in his eyes, the only part of Jack's features he could clearly make out.
"Rise and shine, sweet cheeks." That tone meant nothing good, and Rhys could see it clearly in the glimmer of a pearly white grin. It reminded Rhys fondly of an ancient children's folktale he'd been told as a kid; something about a little girl falling down a hole and a grinning, disappearing cat.
Jack chose then to lean down, nearly hovering above Rhys. His eyes burned through the darkness.
"We gotta train to catch."
The Hyperion Transit SK7 was a beauty only few on Helios had ever witnessed in person. Rhys had only seen these trains in company issued magazines; a whole multi page article explaining the vast capabilities and technological advances about the SK model line.
Rhys never was a car guy, that was Vaughn's department, but trains intrigued him greatly.
Even from yards away, perched upon a cliff staring down at the silver body gleaming at the florescent construction lights that shined above it, it was an amazing sight.
A gust of night air whipped through Rhys' hair and blew a few of his brown locks into his face. He ran his flesh hand over his hair to straighten it back into place. He scrunched his shoulders, hugging the brown leather jacket to himself closer and lavishing in the warmth trapped within with the scent of musk, singed leather, and gunpowder. The fact that he was still wearing the jacket still came as much as a shock to him as the moment he awoke, shimmying off the jacket to hand it back only to have it pushed back in his arms with a grunted keep it for now. He was thankful for the subtle act of generosity, because with only a light undershirt and business slacks, the desert night air could easily cut through the thin fabric to chill his bones.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" came a chuckle from his left. Rhys glanced over to look at a brightly smiling Jack, his signature hands-on-hips posture giving off a proud air. He stood at the very edge of the cliff looking down like a looming hawk who'd caught their field mouse.
Rhys glanced back down at the train station, imitating Jack's smile. "An actual Hyperion Transit SK7," he whispered breathlessly, "fastest speed recorded was 483 kilometers per hour, maximum operating speed at 395. Can take you from Trash Cove to Lockdown Palace in just 8 hours." He flinched when his reply was a sharp snort. He looked up and saw Jack staring at him with one eyebrow quirked.
He blanched at the stare, rubbing one hand on the back of his neck and smiled awkwardly. "Oh, uh, did I just go full nerd again? Sorry..."
"Yeah, kinda did. Didn't know you were into trains, kiddo." His tone was less antagonistic and more...light, as if he was impressed, his gaze curious instead of judging. Rhys practically beamed when he realized this.
"Well," he couldn't hold back the affectatious tone, chuckling, "I know some things about trains. Especially the SK line. They broke ground for the advancement of travel on Pandora. I thought they were all scrapped after you die..." his words dwindled when Jack shot him a daring look, "..d-were gone for a while."
"How'd you find this one?" Good save.
"She called out to me, like a big beautiful harpy." Jack folded his arms over his chest and smirked like a proud parent. "Literally. Few hours after you passed out in a sex coma I kept hearing something from the East, like a horn blowing. Knew instantly what it was."
"The thing about the SK7," he continued, "is that I designed this specific train to operate as a Automaton in the event that if something were to ever happen to me and these scum suckers were to tear it apart in some psychotic revolution, this cargo train could act on its own, could run continuously and never stay in the same spot for very long. She makes random, untimed stops to charge so you can never plan her next rest stop. She's not an easy bitch to take down, I can tell ya that."
Rhys listened to Jack quietly, mouth slightly ajar and eyes sparkling. He wasn't sure if the sex coma comment had caused the feint blush on his cheeks, or if it was Jack going on about his brilliant advancements and creations. Most likely the latter. Getting to know Jack and personally working under him had taken away some of the luster that was the amazing, impenetrable Hero of Hyperion, but in these moments he realized that behind the mask, literally, of arrogance and power, Jack was an extremely intelligent man, whose brilliance in engineering and programming knew no bounds. His flaws lied in his incapability to relate to others, to dictate and control to the point of abuse, but to never be able to keep the affection of another being for very long due to his serious trust issues, but for what he lacked in other areas he made up for in coding and engineering. Truly, it was something Rhys could only describe as astounding.
"Got the idea after a bad breakup, so yeah, I was pretty hammered when I designed her. Kinda proud about that one."
Truly astounding.
"C'mon, pumpkin, we'll miss her if we stand here talking all night. Let's get going." Rhys felt a grip on his elbow tug him forward. They began down the incline on the side of the cliff.
"W-Wait, we're getting on that thing?" Rhys stuttered, not sure if more anxious or excited.
"Weren't you listening, dumdum? The SK7 is fully self-operational. And she never stays in one spot for very long. Pick those spider ant legs up and get going, kiddo. This is our ticket home."
Rhys nodded and as soon as Jack let go of his hold to hurry down the side of the cliff he made to follow right behind, but stopped just short after only a few steps.
"Are you sure this is the right way down?"
"Don't question my direction when you're more backasswards than a blind skag, kitten."
Rhys shrugged. Why did he even bother…
A small noise sounded behind him, so meager he almost missed it had it not spiked in volume so suddenly after he heard it. Ringing? Buzzing? Strangely it sounded like a combination of both, like a strange and abrupt tinnitus in his ear. Subconsciously he inserted a finger in his ear and wagged it trying to rid himself of the noise, but it didn't stop.
There was a direction to the noise, stemming not in his head but from behind him. He turned to look around, staring blankly into the darkness. Eyes scanned the surrounding area; where the hell was that noise coming from?
He quickly glanced ahead to Jack, the man now farther ahead and silhouette disappearing into the dark. Obviously he didn't hear it or he would have inquired about it. It was only him that the noise was calling to...
Was it calling to him? A chill creeped up Rhys' spine; he'd rather not think of it like that.
"Rhys! Train! Now!"
The sound stopped, leaving nothing but an overbearing silence. He shook his head; what the hell was that all of a sudden? Perhaps the dehydration was finally catching up to him, or the lack of sleep, or hell, why not both? His brain could only take so much deprivation.
Rhys hurried his pace toward Jack's angry shout, hoping to God there was some water stored on the train. He was starting to lose his mind, shivering when for a split second he could have sworn he saw the outline of silhouettes in the pitch black night around him. Hallucinations, he told himself, that's all they were.
The train station was a small, partially completed building that looked as if it hadn't been occupied in some time, giving off the haunting ghost-town like vibe. It was quiet save for the light humming of the train's motors. The loading bay extended out between the incomplete building and the train, no roof, instead tall piers with guarded florescent light fixtures perched high above them, probably giving light the overnight construction.
Rhys' eyes searched over everything around him in awe. He'd never been in a legitimate train station before. Even if it was partially built and abandoned, a little graffiti hear and there, it was still an amazing experience. He wondered around aimlessly before stopping in front of the door to the train. He smiled softly, raising his flesh hand to flatten it against the cool metal, could feel the hum against his fingers. He retracted his hand hastily when Jack came jogging into his line of vision.
"Okay, so, good news first; she seems to be running fine. Wonderful! Bad news; she doesn't seem to be at full capacity. Not so wonderful."
Rhys tilted his head. "What does that mean?"
"It means," Jack stopped only a few feet from Rhys, sighing to catch his breath and shrugged, "either she's coded to operate on an energy saver, or she hasn't been serviced well in a while, but the ride won't be as fast as you're expecting, kiddo. A little bumpier too."
Rhys shrugged, turning his attention back to the door. "As long as it can get us out of this desert, I'm fine with that." He placed his metal hand on the handle of the door, the other hand on the opening. Relying on the strength of his cybernetic hand he tried wrenching the door open. One heave, a few jerks, he even tried shaking it a little. But the door simply wouldn't open.
"Heh, little tougher than I thought. Just needs some mmph," he gave another jerk. Nothing. "Maybe a little...nngh," he put his foot on side of the door and pulled again. Still nothing. Damn door.
"I don't ungh think we're gonna hmmph be able to get in this way, Jack. I think this door's jammed or...ouch! Oh, oh my ribs..."
A hand reached over Rhys' side and touched the smooth metal exterior, watching as bright digital numbers materialized. Fingers danced upon the numbers until there was a green light and a soft ding. The door moved on it's own then, taking Rhys with it as it shifted out and to the side. Jack withdrew one of his pistols, Rita from what Rhys could tell, and pointed it into the entrance.
Once Jack was sure the coast was clear he lowered his gun, set his shoulders, and tilted his head to meet Rhys' squinted glare, the younger man's body still gripping the door.
"You know," Rhys huffed and removed himself from the door, "you could have said something a little earlier."
"Nah, wanted to see how you were at problem solving these kinds of situations. Like, as if I would design this freakin thing and not make it withstand a stringbean trying to caveman his way in with his weak boy arm and busted ribs."
They crept slowly into the train, Jack leading the way with his gun at the ready. The inside of the train was surprisingly not as sleek and upgraded as Rhys would have imagined, but it was still a marveling site. The ceiling was lit by dim LED lights allowing Rhys to see the rest of the interior. Two long rows of seats adorned each side of the train allowing a roomy carpeted walkway between them. Above the rows of seats were luggage compartments, and implanted in the back of each seat was a small flat screen, for entertainment or instructions he wasn't sure the reason.
Rhys ran his flesh hand down the side of one of the seats, enjoying the soft leather under his fingertips. Jack stepped around him to pop open every luggage compartment and inspecting inside, searching for something Rhys wasn't sure of.
"What are you looking for?"
"These compartments usually contained small snacks, little bottles of booz, blankets, ya know that first class luxury crap. Seems like this place's been cleaned out." He threw the open the last compartment and finding nothing decided to shove it closed with a huff.
The blaring sound of a horn met Rhys' ears, and he felt the momentum of the train's movement nudge him back.
"So, what's our next destination?"
Jack shrugged. "Dunno, just glad to be out of that freakin desert. I got sand in so many places it'll take months to clean it all off." He walked up to the door at the head of the room that lead to the next area.
"There should be a communicator in the control room. We send a signal to those douchebags on Helios, time a shuttle down as the train comes to it's next stop. We hop on the shuttle, get home, strangle the morons that pronounced us dead, airlock half the board, Jack eats steak and hibernates for a week. Sound like a plan, Rhysie?"
"Sounds like a good one to me." Rhys laughed, finding himself in a much lighter mood than he's been in for the past couple days. This was it; their ticket home. In hopefully less than a day he'll be showered and snuggled in his bed. It was practically in arms reach. He never thought a simple shower would sound so tantalizing.
"I could just taste that steak now. Mooing on my freakin plate. Poor some gravy on that bitch. God, I can't wait!" Jack chuckled, and Rhys smiled knowing that was the most genuine laugh he'd heard from the man in a while. "How about you, cupcake?"
"Hm? Oh, obviously my bed, binge on EchoFlix for a few days..." of all the things Rhys could do once he got home, one thought popped into his head, one that paused him in mid sentence. Last night. What would come out of that? Would they resume their Boss and Assistant routine, as if fucking in some dank cave never happened?
Jack hadn't mentioned one thing about what they did, no filthy joke, antagonizing jab, nothing. What nerved Rhys the most about the man's behavior was the clear lack of acknowledgement of their sex, their hot, random, dirty sex. It was weird, it was needy, but it was so good. But Jack had yet to say anything about it, if he liked it, hated it, he couldn't make heads or tails with Jack acting so...nonchalant.
A thought in the back of his head rose to sit on his tongue, a newfound yearn to say what was on his mind. His hand left the leather seat to rub anxiously at the back of his neck and watched Jack open the door and peer inside the next room.
"Hey Jack..." damn, he couldn't stop himself. But he had to know. If Jack wasn't going to say anything, then Rhys would, as much discomfort as it gave him. His courage stemmed from his high hopes of getting home soon. He swallowed down the fluttery feeling crawling up his chest and into his throat.
"Yeah, pumpkin?" Jack answered, still scoping the next room with his gun raised cautiously.
"I was, I mean I wanted to...ah" C'mon, Rhys, just spit it out. Don't puke.
"What was that, princess?" Jack turned with a raised brow, and Rhys swallowed again.
"I mean, this is random and all, but..." he chuckled nervously, "I was thinking, about when we get back to Helios, and last night, and...where we stand with, ya know, what happened, uh, between us..."
"Where we stand?" Usually when asked that question it was self explanatory, but Jack had a nasty knack of pointing out a simple statement or question for more elaboration. Whether it was genuine or not, he was never prepared to have to explain it.
Rhys blinked, his chest tightening. "Yeah, the uh, the sex. And after." Ugh, when he made it sound like that, it sounded uncomfortable, and it made him almost forget what he was asking.
Jack sighed, closed his eyes, and scratched his head with the end of his gun. The fluttering in Rhys' chest dropped to his stomach like a brick. He knew that look, and right now he wished he could have just punched himself in the mouth.
"Yeah... Listen, kiddo," and here it comes. Rhys flinched slightly and braced for it. 'Stupid, he thought to himself, you should have just puked.'
"Let me just say, first off, you were great. Like, one of the best I've had. But you're also my PA, kiddo." Jack took a step toward Rhys, and it made the younger man almost want to step back. "And I'm not all entirely sure of what those bandits were drinking, but that shit was strong enough to make me forget that little tidbit. You following me, Rhysie?"
Rhys winced at Jack's voice, the softness in the last few words. He'd rather the loud, angry booming, or the antagonistic laugh any day over this.
"Yeah," Rhys replied, shrugging and pretended like the weight in his gut wasn't there. "I totally get you."
Shit. Jack must have picked up on the falter in Rhys' tone, for he let out another long sigh and walked forward until he was standing directly in front of Rhys, strangely bigger than normal. Probably because he felt three inches tall in front of the older man.
He felt a firm hand on his shoulder, squeezing slightly. Rhys kept his stare down, biting the inside of his cheek in growing embarrassment.
"Rhysie, you're a good kid. One of the best PA's I've had in a while. I made the right decision by appointing you that position when you got me back to Hyperion." He paused. "Look at me, pumpkin."
Damn that tone. Don't feel bad for me, you asshole. Rhys raised his head to meet Jack's eyes.
"This is gonna sound dickish, cupcake, but last night was more about the frustration and crazy Pandoran alcohol. When we get back, this" he waved his other hand between them, "won't be continuing. For the good of the company. You understand?"
Rhys couldn't argue that what Jack just said was extremely dickish, and he bit down on the inside of his cheek to keep from saying anything he really shouldn't. After all those moments; the heated stares during meetings, the whispered innuendos, all meant nothing for the past six months. The days spent listening to Jack's AI whispering hopes and dreams into his head, promises for him on a job well done, that he was so proud of his baby boy.Did they ever mean anything?
And the sex, the touches, the words they exchanged, was all to quell the man's pent up frustration and alcohol mudded mind?
So he'd been used. Great. Like he should be surprised. When Handsome Jack wanted something, whether sober or not, angry or happy, he got what he wanted. And Rhys, as usual, was left with nothing but the cleanup.
He really fell for it this time.
Rhys suddenly let out a sharp laugh, surprising both men. He tried his hardest to make it sound genuine. "I get it, Jack. You don't have to explain." He took a step back and slid out of the other man's grip on his shoulder. "I completely agree with you. Last night? Psh, never happened, right?"
Jack squinted his eyes, giving Rhys a cautious look. "Kiddo..."
"Right." Rhys smiled, inwardly pleading with Jack to just nod and forget this whole conversation. "Well, I'm glad we got that out of the way," he turned away from Jack's scrutiny, "I'm gonna...go check out the back of the train, just to make sure everything's good."
"Okay," Jack acknowledged, a bit warily. "You wanna take one of my guns?"
I'd probably slap you with it. "Nope, I'm good thanks. I'll meet you in the control room."
Jack was right, there was no arguing with his point. Jack was his boss, and as his Personal Adviser it was his responsibility to keep Jack in line, ensuring his decisions were planned and acted out accordingly to his wishes, to assist the man with his schedule, providing helpful information in favor of executive decisions. Not fucking the man while stuck in the middle of nowhere, emotions high and alcohol a dirty variable.
But the pain in his chest argued differently. The rejection still hurt, despite how appropriate the decision was. And it frustrated him that his emotions couldn't agree with the decision made.
The door separating this room to the next one suddenly slid open, which was weird considering Rhys hadn't made it to the handle yet. He glanced up, and met two angry brown eyes and the mouth of a long barreled pistol.
For a moment no one said anything, Rhys staring at the new presence staring back just as quietly.
He inhaled deeply, and it was possibly the longest breath Rhys had ever taken. He instantly became aware of the sheathed sword dangling to his waist. Would he have time to reach for it, to unsheathe it and defend himself?
He answered his own question, as when his fingers twitched for the sword the man in front of him cocked his gun and aimed it at Rhys' forehead.
"Sorry, kid."
"RHYS! DOWN!"
Rhys was too petrified to move, but he knees gave way when Jack's hand grabbed the back of the leather jacket around the young man and hoisted him down. Something whizzed past his head, and he felt a burn in his shoulder instantly. He was pulled behind two of the leather seats, an onslaught of bullets meant for him shredded through the fabric and sent stuffing flying everywhere.
His heart was pounding, air rushing in and out of his lungs with each frantic breath. His hand scrambled to his shoulder, trembling fingers feeling over the ripped leather and hissed when he touched heated flesh.
Jack reached over the seat and fired off two shots before dropping back down. He quickly turned to Rhys and grabbed his shoulder. "Lemme see." He barked, and slapped away Rhys' hand to inspect for himself. Rhys watched the man's face, eyes wild and lips pulled in a snarl. When he saw Rhys' shoulder the rage on his features seemed to falter somewhat.
"You're fine. Just a flesh wound. Bullet zipped right by you."
Rhys nodded hastily, barely listening through the gunfire.
"Boys!" The man shouted, "I got two over here! One looks Hyperion, the other..." Just as the man turned and aimed, Jack was already over the top of the seat, finger on the trigger.
"Holy shit it's Handsome-" the sound of a gunshot cut the man off, followed by a haunting splatter.
"Stupid bastard." Jack hissed. They could hear shouts farther down the train. Damn, there were more of them, and coming fast.
Rhys had finally controlled his breathing, but panic still surged through him. Shit, this was bad. Judging by the many voices, there must have been a large group of bandits on this train. With only him and Jack and who knew how many of them, things were turning grim.
And they were stuck on a moving train.
"Dammit...like sitting ducks." Jack growled, and instantly his eyes lit up and glanced above Rhys to the ceiling of the train.
"The turrets." Jack mumbled to himself loud enough for Rhys to hear.
"Jack...?"
"Rhys, get to the control room. We can trigger the security system. I had turrets built into the walls. If we can activate them then we won't have to worry about these scum suckers."
"You had turrets built in to the walls? In the passenger bays?!"
Jack rolled his eyes. "I was drunk when I designed this damn thing, remember? I don't know, it sounded cool at the time."
A random gunshot ricochet off the wall of the train close by their heads, and both men ducked.
"Okay, I'm down." Rhys quickly decided. "How do I go about triggering the security?"
"You're gonna have to hack the CPU, Rhysie. Get in there and override some of the energy conservation-"
"You want me to hack the train?" Rhys sputtered incredulously. Okay, yeah, he had no problem hacking systems he was vaguely familiar with. From an Atlas base to top secret Hyperion databases and everything in between, with a little sweat it was no big hassle. But there was one significant difference between all those times and now.
"Jack...I-I can't, not without my echo..." was Jack insane, or did he forget that one important factor? His arm, his eye, his port, nothing was working. Without his echo implants, there was no way he could break into the train's database.
"You don't need it, kitten." Strong fingers gripped his jaw tightly and forced him to look into Jack's eyes. They were wild, glowing, intense. "You're a smart kid, Rhys. I know you can hack that shit no problem," Jack leaned in and took Rhys' breath away when he smirked, "so if you prove me wrong, kiddo, I'll shove my foot so far up your ass you'll be choking on my shoelaces."
If Jack's hand wasn't clutching his jaw Rhys was sure his mouth would drop. Jack believed in him. Handsome Jack had just admitted he had faith in him, trusted him.
It lit fire in his body, every inch of him burned and he returned Jack's smirk with a confident one of this own and nodded.
Jack huffed approvingly. He moved his hand from Rhys' jaw to cup his face. "That's my boy." Their moment was cut short by a screaming psycho barreling through the door waving a hacksaw above his head.
"TEAR THE FLESH, RIDE THE CORPSE LIKE A PONY-!"
A bullet to the neck shut that shit up.
"Get going, kiddo!" Jack hopped over the seats and stood with shoulders set. In one fluid motion he held Nisha in one hand and Lucy in the other, a grin splitting his face with the promise of mass murder. He stalked toward the door, not before being halted by Rhys' alarmed shout.
"What are you doing?" He realized as soon as he said it when Jack gave him a look he'd only seen very few times, the horrifying telltale sign that Jack had just done something truly gruesome or had every intention of.
"No, Jack."
"Aw, is Rhysie worried about ol Jack? Don't be, pumpkin, just get your ass moving. I'll meet you up there once I get a chance. I'll give you the signal to set off the turrets."
"It's too reckless. You'll get yourself killed!"
"If you don't get to that fucking control room, dumbass, we'll both be dead!" A slew of gunshots rang out when the bandits began flooding into the next room. Rhys looked to Jack, then at the bandits, and back to Jack.
"Don't die, asshole."
"Ditto, sweetcheeks."
And with that, Rhys bolted down the isle, sprinting out of the oncoming commotion to the front of the train. He turned back only once, watching Jack stand just outside the door duel wielding two pistols and aimed at the ready as bandits ran toward him.
"Come on, boys! You want some'a Handsome Jack?!"
That was last thing Rhys heard before a symphony of gunshots drowned his ears.
When he reached the first door he swung it open and threw himself through in in one motion, running as fast as his legs could take him down the isle to the next door. They must have been closer to the control room than he thought, because after a few rooms he came to a door littered with obvious warning signs and specifications of what was in the room, aside from the giant red LED Main Control Room glowing bright above the door.
It took him no time to get through the door, using his metal arm to pry the heavy door open despite the pain in his ribs. He'd worry about the affects later.
Once he able to get in he stopped at the entrance, taking in the scenery around him. There were monitors everywhere, all filled with specific status readings. Multiple keyboards and labeled buttons were scattered about, a few very important looking levers in random spots. The area was small, could probably fit four people snuggly. Just above the screens and buttons was a wide rectangular window. In the dead of night Rhys was unable to see anything other than what the headlights could offer; tracks moving under the train so fast they were a blur.
"Wow." Rhys mumbled. The sight was overwhelming, and he began to panic. Where did he begin? There were so many screens, all telling him something different. This was where his echoeye would come in handy, and damn if he didn't wish for his tech to be working at this very moment. It would take twice as long to hack. Did he have that long? Shit. What if Jack made one wrong move and that was it?
"Dammit, dammit!" Rhys shouted. Frustrated tears gathered at the corners of his eyes. Nothing mattered now, Jack's something-of-a rejection, his dehydration, the pain in his ribs. He could care less about any of that. Jack needed him, had put his faith in him that they were going to get out of this alive.
He wiped the tears off on the leather sleeve and straightened up.
He would get them out of here.
It had taken a total of fifteen minutes. Too long for his liking, but he was already so close, he had just gotten through the last security wall, which was by far the most difficult one he'd come across. Rhys kept his eyes trained on the monitor with full concentration. His fingers danced over the keyboards. He had finally managed through the security walls to enable the turrets.
Of course, like in every important life or death scenario, he had to wait for something to warm up.
And so far, he was at 7%.
The sounds of gunshots were hard to ignore, and would distract him every so often. They had lessened somewhat over the last five minutes, and Rhys found that alarming because he still hadn't heard from Jack. A few times he wanted to abandon his post, to run and help him, to see if he was still fighting. He knew Jack would be undeniably pissed if he did, and knowing that kept him where he was.
He's alive, you idiot. He's fine. It's Handsome Jack, he's not gonna let a bunch of bandits take him down.
It was like a mantra to try and sooth his anxiety and dread, and for the most part it worked.
He's let that happen already.
"Shut up." Rhys growled to himself. The turrets were now at 24%. C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!
"Rhys!" came the familiar shout from outside the door. Rhys gasped, relief flooding every inch of his body. Thank God that big idiot was okay.
"In here!" He shouted back.
Jack wasn't too far, judging by the distance of his voice outside the door. 29%. He heard a thud against the metal, assuming Jack had thrown himself into it and began prying it open.
He had managed to get the door a foot open and shouted inside. "Jesus Christ, kiddo, what the hell's taking so-!" And suddenly Jack wasn't there. Rhys whirled back around and stared. "Jack?" He called out nervously.
35%.
"Jack?"
The door swung open in a blur, and Jack, literally, came flying in. Rhys moved out of the way in time for the bigger man to miss him, landing against the computer monitors and window with his back and the force of the impact ripped a pained shout from his lips. When he landed he caught himself with shaky legs, slumped back against the monitor behind him.
"Fuck! Jack! What the hell happened?" When Rhys tried to rush to him, he was stopped when Jack held a hand up for him to stop.
"Don't," he coughed, "get any closer, kiddo."
"What, why?" The younger man glanced back to the screen. 47%.
Jack used the monitor behind him for leverage to stand up, grunting a curse under his breath and arched his back. Rhys winced for him.
"I may have," he coughed again, "...may have pissed off a Goliath."
"A what?"
No sooner had he asked Rhys saw a large blur burst in, a gigantic arm the width of two of Rhys' thighs shooting past him, a massive hand wrapping around Jack's throat and shoving him back up the glass. Jack let out a sputtered gasp, hands shooting up to the large fingers tightening around his neck. Rhys let out a surprised shout and watched the monster of a man struggle against the small entrance of the room, getting stuck in the frame of the door.
He'd heard about these guys. Bits and pieces from some of the boasting soldiers on Hyperion that had survived from a squadron going up against these beasts. He'd been taught the slang term for these...men-not-men from Sasha and Fiona.
They were Goliaths. They were human, but not human. Whatever they were, they were gigantic.
And this guy was a Badass Goliath.
He saw the large metal shield over the man's head, knowing from the stories as something one doesn't normally get too close to knock off and come back unscathed.
And this guy was currently strangling the life out of Jack.
"Jack!" The scream left his mouth before he realized it, desperate to say fuck the loading the screen and get to Jack. But the Goliath acted like Rhys didn't even exist, it's attention solely on the man he was clenching in his huge hand. Compared to him Rhys knew he couldn't stand a chance. It would take all of his strength just to pry off a few fingers.
"I'LL TEAR INTO YOU LIKE HONEY HAM!" His voice was just as massive as it's stature, loud and thundering in the small control room.
Jack squirmed in the giant man's grip, clawing and beating at the giant fingers. The Goliath didn't even flinch.
82%.
"Jesus, Jack! Please, where the hell are your guns!?" Rhys was desperate at this point. If he could grab just one gun, he could do something, anything, fuck, the cut circulation was starting to show red on Jack's face even through the mask.
"No..." he could hear Jack wheeze, "Rhys, the...turrets."
He wanted to scream at Jack, to shout and curse and ask why he was insisting on those damn turrets when he was currently dying. But all he could do was glance back at the screen. 90%.
It wasn't fast enough. In the ten percent he had left, it would be too late.
His eyes glanced around the room frantically, searching for anything, any fucking thing he could use to get the beast off of him. Think, Rhys, think dammit!He looked down and paused immediately.
The sword still clinging to his side.
He could use it. Hell, it was no gun but it was the only thing he had.
"POP YOUR HEAD LIKE A CHERRY!" The Badass Goliath roared.
"Rrgh...like you...have popped...any cherries...in your life, pal. Nngh!" Jack managed to gurgle out.
Because right now was totally the best fucking time to spend your last breath insulting a twelve foot tall, six hundred pound man who was currently crushing your windpipe.
93%.
Jack's fist began to slow to sluggish halfhearted swings, finally falling limp at his sides, eyes rolling up in the back of his head.
Rhys lunged, surging forward, hand going to the sword and yanking it out of it's sheath. His eyes were wild, his hands were trembling so bad he had to hold the sword with two hands to steady himself. He raised the sword above his head, and brought it down hard with an angry scream.
Warm blood splattered his face. The Badass Goliath let out a shrill scream and withdrew his arm, bringing back a bloody stub where his forearm would have been. Blood sprayed in all directions when the Goliath flailed his arm wildly, his scream drowning out the frantic beating of Rhys' heart. Jack sunk to the floor lifelessly, the severed arm still locked around his neck. He groaned once before a fit of hoarse coughs racked his body. Sluggishly he reached up and yanked the hand from around his throat and tossed it to the side, kicking it farther away from him with his foot.
Rhys glanced quickly to the monitor.
100%. ACTIVATE TURRETS. He threw his hand onto the activation button. The train hummed with the extra power flowing through it. He could hear the turrets coming from the walls, ammunition loading and aiming on their targets. He wasn't sure what had caused him to run forward then, but without thinking he charged the screaming Goliath and rammed his full weight into the large body, and the force combined with the flailing caused the large man to stumble out of the room and into the line of oncoming fire, the door sliding shut between them and the giant man getting torn apart by the rain of bullets.
Black spots in Rhys's vision shortened his victory, a pain like no other burned through the adrenaline in his veins and straight into his ribs. He screamed through clenched teeth and dropped to his knees, panting and cursing through the agony. No, he had no time for this. He had to get up, get to Jack, send a transmission to Helios and get them home.
He glanced over, and immediately met large blue and green eyes. Jack had been staring at him, a hand rubbing at the swollen purple and red skin of his neck. Rhys had never seen such a shocked expression on his face before, especially directed at him.
"Holy shit, Rhys..."
"Unauthorized Conductor."
The mechanical noise behind them meant nothing good, especially when dealing with Hyperion security. Both men turned and met eyes with a small turret aimed right at them.
"Unauthorized Conductor. Please state Hyperion ID Code."
"You gotta be fucking kidding me." Jack groaned hoarsely.
"ID Code was not found. Initiating Bandit Elimination Sequence."
Rhys turned to Jack, eyes wide and panicked. Jack lunged for him, putting a hand on his back and forcing him flat against the ground, his other hand producing a gun from his ankle holster.
"Wh-What are you...?"
"Stay down, kitten."
A single shot rang out through the small room.
A single shot...
"JACK!"