After a quick shower and my clothes were clean, I stepped outside to see Zer0.

"Quite adaptable/As if you were native/Encouraging change." He complimented.

"Stuck around to watch?" I asked.

He nodded. "Never Left This Place/Coupling was already dealt with/Got Curious." He explained.

"Well, I dunno, but to be honest? I've yet to struggle over the crimes I've committed, I don't know why, but I don't doubt there will be a day it all comes crashing down. it's only been a few bandits and some predators. But it will grow." I replied.

I got a nod in reply. "Life on Pandora/Is soaked in opposers blood/Those who would harm yours."

"Right, wanna get back to it then?" He shrugged and made to move towards the vendors. Being an international assassin meant he pretty much always had cash to burn.

I stole pretty much everything but the clothes the bandits wore and sold 'em. I had a couple thousand free cause of it. This Marcus guys bandit guns for high prices? Doesn't he know they have a tendency to jam?.

I turned to Zer0 clip something to his waist. A blue wave of energy covered his person for a second before vanishing. "Some kinda insurance?" I ask.

He nods. "Kinetic Shield/Mine broke when the train blew up/A welcome relief."

"Kinetic shield?" I ask.

He nods.

"Assuming it does what it says on the box?"

He nods again.

"Sweet, would've been useful butchering mongs earlier but whatever. Glad to have one available now. Didn't see 'em at Marcus'. That mean I gotta buy 'em from Zed?" I ask.

He nods a third time.

I walk up to the shop as a holo menu flashed to life. "I am legally obligated to tell you: I ain't a real doctor." The machine states.

"Yeah, no duh. any sane doctor would stay as far away from this shit hole as possible, that only leaves the medically uninclined." I muttered as I browsed through the shields.

I saw a shield listed in a blue box, it was worth pretty much everything I had. What made it special was a shock blast upon depletion and a large capacity for the brand. Or so Zer0 told me in his riddling mannerisms.

So I bought it. It was an interesting feeling wearing a shield. It gave me this weird feeling, like a current of plasma seeping through me. Hmm, that's not quite right, I can't put it into words. But it leaves me feeling...unimpressed. Or maybe more disappointed? Another thing I'm unsure about.

Food for thought when I have a little spare time I guess. Healed and shielded we departed towards the lair of Captain Flynt.

We were immediately met with resistance in the form of a basecamp at the foot of the mountain. not a major problem but more a nuisance and time waster.

Then another a third the way up. Then a large living outpost halfway that stretched all the way up connecting to the entrance of Flynt's Zonegeon? Lets call it a Zonegeon. A zone and a dungeon, its got mobs, a boss, no way back, and loot. also traps. it fits both criteria.

We were working our way through a clearing when a large man in size and stature showed up with a metal helmet on his head. Immediately. The second I locked eyes on him, I felt a shiver down my spine. I heard the crack of a rifle as dread licked my spine.

A Brain rattling metal ping echoed throughout the out post. Then sounds of yelling, muscle and skin ripping, and joints popping filled the silence. Now standing there was an eight foot tall genetic monstrosity. Face awash with rage.

I turned around to see where Zer0 shot from only to be unable to locate him. "Ah shit." I muttered and immediately put distance between us.

I summoned my weapon and took it in both hands. The Monstrosity? Mm, not quite. The Abomination? A little better? I'll think on it. The tall angry asshole ripped an echo off a corpse and got a gun out of it. Guess Zer0 did something to his device as well.

Dread was starting to fade as power began to flow through my veins. My body temperature raised just slightly as my heart started to beat in anticipation. a bounced on the balls of my feet a couple times and gave a small few stretches.

By the time he turned back to me I was beginning my pursuit. I dodge a few sprays of bullets and the shield took care of the rest. I strafed left and right as I ate at the gap between us.

Reaching melee range I started with a horizontal slash only to get kicked back instead. My shield was starting to suffer but I continued forward. I got within range as he pulled the trigger.

I felt a instinct pull at me and I slammed the blade into the ground and swung my body in a crescent shape landing behind him. I brought the blade down in a helm splitter and was surprised to see it barely bite in.

I pulled back and kicked him in the back of the knee causing him to fall. I swing for his neck. He adjusts his posture and it hits low barely getting into his collarbone.

I kick his back and he is now laying on his front. I use both hands in an attempt to force the blade through the back of his skull. I hear an uncomfortable popping and cracking as his arm turns around in its socket and rips my foot off of him sending me onto my back.

I take a single deep measured breath before rolling backwards and pushing myself back go my feet. The other guy is also back to stance. Now we are exactly where we started.

In a moment of potential idiocy I did the one thing I shouldn't have probably. I threw the blade with all my force at it and then immediately made for his position.

The blade sliced through the air impacting, and managing to cleave through his right shoulder.

Then something magical happened. The blade returned to my hand. I don't know why but I threw it again. Then he became less lopsided. But then yet again and I have no idea why this amazed me so much, but it returned again. This thing was great, who needs guns? I reached my opposition and then split him cleanly at the waist.

Somehow he was squirming still so I cleaved his top half in two. There he finally died, angry as the day he was mutated.

A fell back on my ass and panted. My heart was pounding I could feel it as much as I could hear it. I had worked up a decent sweat. I hadn't even realized until my cheeks hurt that I had been smiling...no that was too kind a word thinking back on Zer0's words of feeling Pandoran born and raised.

There is no doubt in my mind something far more feral took over my face within those moments. Pandora is a cruel place without judgment that draws out one's truest self. In a land of lawlessness desire devours all.

So what is my truest self? Is it one who Slaughters? One who enjoys inflicting suffering upon others? Do I do this feeling like I'm making the world a better place? I almost scoff at that. No, that much I know, before I forgot it all? Or maybe before I came to be? I'm not sure which but I could tell by some inkling in my brain. I was no saint.

I had no concrete proof, not even memories, just vague feelings like someone yelling topical words at me through a solid wall. Things I would ponder about would cause strange rumbling in my brain. Various outcries of vague feeling responding to my trains of thought.

All this thinking made me curious, Who was I? More importantly though, who would I be by the time this was all over?