In the heart of the Arid Badlands, the fast travel station just outside the remnants of Fryestone flared to life before depositing a heavily armed group of five in a flash of digital pixels. The Doomslayer and the for former Vault Hunters stood ready for the operation that was going to put a definite impact into Handsome Jack's plans.
"We're on the ground. VEGA, anything on your end?" asked Roland.
"Our presence is currently undetected." replied the AI, masking the team to ensure Jack didn't detect them until they wanted him to.
Mason scanned the desert stretched out before them, seeing the Hyperion spaceport a couple kilometers out with his HUD's enhanced vision. "He'll figure something's up when his property starts blowing up." he commented, his HAR in hand at the ready.
"Then what are we sticking around for? Let's go smash some stuff." said Brick in excitement.
"Easy big guy, we still have a job to do." said Lilith.
"Everyone knows what to do. Let's get this done and get back." said Roland. The team going over the plan one last time before they went their separate ways. Mason, Roland and Brick hitting up a still functioning Catch-A-Ride and summoning the slayer's technical that they all piled into and set off toward their target.
The Commander behind the wheel with the slayer riding shotgun, foot on the dash braced against the seat and scanning their surroundings through the precision scope of his heavy rifle with Brick taking up the bed of the technical.
All of them had been ready and dead set when they got up that morning. Armed to the teeth and ready to cause as much collateral damage as possible. Tina had still wanted to go with them, and was pouting when the team set off for the day. Mason had been glad Moxxi had been happy to take the little explosive expert for the day. Being a mother, despite her natural flirty nature, she knew her way around children as well as she did a gun.
The slayer was however surprised that the woman refused any form of payment for watching his little ward. Although the smoldering look and wink she sent his way when she said something about paying her back in another way gave him an idea of what she had in mind.
Not that he minded the prospect she was insinuating, but Mason had his sights set on a certain red-headed badass at the moment.
"You are approaching the port's main gate. Preparation for breach is advised." VEGA reported over their echos.
"HA HA! Then let's go knock on their door!" Brick exclaimed, more than ready for the coming bloodshed.
"On it." Mason switched his HAR for his Gauss cannon, attaching the siege mod to the weapon's barrel before bracing it on the overhead rack and taking aim at the entrance gate of the spaceport that was fast approaching. Arcs of energy discharging around the barrel as it charged for several seconds.
Roland gripped the steering wheel, mentally preparing himself as the large cannon fired. Shaking the vehicle when it did as the powerful beam of energy lanced through the air and blew a hole through the gate ahead of them.
Alarms immediately blared as the trio barreled through the smoldering gate. The technical mowing down a pair of loaders that were stomping over to repair the damage as the raiders jumped out and opened fire on the personnel around them.
Guards, combat engineers and different variations of loaders immediately converged on the intruders. Roland threw down his scorpion turret and took cover with assault rifle in hand. "I think we got their attention!" he shouted over the alarms as he fired on their enemies
Mason brought out his chaingun and opened fire on a cluster of fuel tanks. The following explosion taking out a group of soldiers and loaders that had been too close and sending fire and shrapnel in all directions. "Then lets keep it that way!" he shouted, switching to his rocket launcher and firing a salvo of explosives into the side of a building.
X
Lilith and Mordecai saw the explosions from their place just outside the data cache. "Damn. I give it two minutes before Jack starts throwing a shit-fit." said the hunter as Bloodwing swooped down and landed on his shoulder.
"Then we better get started before he finds out what's really up." replied the Siren, grabbing her partner's arm and flaming them both just outside the shielded entrance to the facility. "We're in place VEGA. Do your thing."
A few seconds passed before the shields flickered before shutting down completely and allowing the duo entry. "Plug me into the console connected to the main server, and I will start the data mine. I have deactivated as many of the security measures as possible and scrambled transmissions to avoid detection, but it is only a matter of time before the systems report something amiss."
Lilith attached her echo to the console VEGA had mentioned as the AI sliced into the servers and started pulling information. Sifting through the files available at an alarming speed to find only what they needed. "Just grab anything you think's important. We'll handle anything that might come up."
"Ask and you shall receive, Lil." said Mordecai, preparing his rifle as a couple loaders unfolded from the walls. The Siren powered up and brought out her SMG as they prepared for their own fight.
X
Jack grit his teeth, watching the feeds where the bandit scum of Sanctuary were laying waste to one of his spaceports.
For the last few weeks the bastards had been taking out dozens of his facilities and outposts while killing hundreds of his employees. He could have cared less about the slack-jawed morons on his payroll, but the repetitive set backs were not only costing him money, but precious resources in finding the Vault and laying waste to the scum of Pandora one and for all.
His anger mounted even more when he saw who was leading the attack. The bastard Roland himself...and his new best friend, the armored freak who was almost as big of a pain in the ass as dumbass resistance leader himself.
Honestly, how hard was it to kill ONE asshole?!
Clenching his fists, Jack brought up his echo; "Angel." he said in a sharp, calm tone.
"Yes, Jack?" asked the young Siren.
"It's time for these fucks to get the message about who owns this planet...send Wilhelm." the CEO said with a sadistic grin.
Angel recoiled in her bunker as she was forced to comply. Praying beyond all hope that what was about to happen wouldn't be a repeat of the New Haven incident.
"Please...survive this. All of you."
X
Another combat engineer had his arm torn off before the limb came back around and bashed against his head. Tossing the severed arm aside, Mason grabbed another soldier by the head and threw them into the side of a crate.
A surveyor drone swooped down and attempted to fire an electric pulse shot at him, but a flaming chunk of salvage flew through the air and sliced it clean in half. "Bullseye!" Brick whooped before punching a soldier hard enough to snap his neck.
Roland reloaded his rifle, tossing a couple grenades into an open doorway. The explosions blowing out the windows and sending robot and human body parts flying.
"Status!" he said into his earpiece as they kept up the assault.
"Data mine in progress. Estimated time of completion: Five minutes." reported VEGA. "Lilith and Mordecai are currently engaged against security loaders guarding the main server."
"Atleast things aren't boring!" said Lilith among gunfire and explosions in the background.
"Stay focused and hang tight, we're almost there." Roland said back, ending the transmission and taking out an EXP-loader that attempted to charge him.
Mason overheard the call, combat shotgun in hand with the burst-mod in place as he mowed down everything that crossed his path. "Hey, Mase! Got 23!" Brick called out as he dropped the dead body in his hands.
The slayer fired a burst from his shotgun, blowing apart a combat loader and an engineer at the same time. "26! Catch up big man!" he shouted back. The berserker laughed loudly as he spear-tackled another robot, crushing it with his bulk.
Roland rolled his eyes. Ever since the two of them started working together, Mason and Brick would make a competition out of how many kills they could rack up. Last he checked, the slayer was in the lead, though Brick was desperate to catch up to the other man's body count.
Although, given Mason's track record, it was a pipe dream at best. But that didn't stop Brick from trying.
Stomping his boot down on the head of another loader that he had knocked over, the slayer brought out his HAR. Firing precision shots that blew the heads off a couple of snipers that were lined up on a balcony above the port's main floor.
"Hey out there! We interrupt your regular bout of random violence to bring you dipshits the following message." Jack's voice suddenly came through their echos, making them pause. "You know, it takes a lot to piss me off. After all the bullshit you savages put me through over the years, even more in the last couple of weeks, I've tried to be a good sport. But now...enough's enough. I've given you limpdicks plenty of chances to give up, but you just keep pissing on my generosity."
"So, with that being said. Roland, I think its time I reintroduce you to an 'old friend'. You might remember him from New Haven. Or, more or less, what was left of it."
Roland felt his stomach drop. "...No. He can't possibly mean-"
The ground shook from a thunderous impact as something was sent down from Helios. All of the fighting stopped and attention was centered on the newly formed crater as a large frame slowly rose up from it.
At first glance, someone would consider it another loader. But in the center of the frame was a Human torso...or what could barely pass for a flesh and blood torso at least. Countless wires and hoses connected what had once been Human to a pair of massive mechanical arms and legs that made him stand almost 20 feet high.
The still Human head was bald with a pair of cybernetic eyes and a long black beard with a silver streak running down the middle. A large mortar cannon was mounted on the right shoulder, giving it the appearance of a literal walking tank.
"Oh shit." Brick said, sounding nervous himself at the new arrival.
"I think you all know Wilhelm." Jack introduced, sounding happy and sadistic with the appearance of his strongest enforcer. "Wilhelm...KILL THESE FUCKERS!"
"Acknowledged."Wilhelm stated in a deep, digitized voice. His cannon coming online before firing at the closest target. Which happened to be Mason.
The slayer crossed his arms just as the explosive struck, the blast sending him flying across the port and crashing through a Hyperion cargo ship.
"MASON!" Roland shouted after him before diving behind a large crate when another mortar shot got too close. "Lilith! Mordecai! Jack sent Wilhelm!"
"WHAT?!" Mordecai shouted over the comms.
"You guys need to get the hell out of there! We could barely escape the last time that cyber-freak came around!" Lilith said next
Brick attempted to hit the cyborg with the rocket launcher he'd brought with him. Wilhelm side-stepped the rockets, a pair of sentry drones launched from his back. One opening fire on the Vault Hunters while the other produced a shield around the cyborg for added protection.
"Alright! Let's make this personal!" Brick roared as he charged Wilhelm with his fists clenched. In response, the enforcers mechanical fist shot forward via extension, hitting the berserker in the chest and sending him hurdling back and slamming into a stack of crates that collapsed on top of him.
"Come on out, Roland." Wilhelm goaded as he smashed several other crates aside. "You're not getting away this time!"
The Commander rolled out of cover, shooting at the cyborg's joints attempting to hit a weak spot. Avoiding the shots fired from the sentries overhead as well as the blasts from the mortar cannon.
He and the others barely survived their first encounter with the man turned machine. No matter what they threw at him it barely made a scratch while Wilhelm had leveled all of New Haven in a matter of minutes. And that was with the four of them, plus the defenders of the settlement together.
Dropping his scorpion turret again, Roland dove back behind cover seconds before a mortar shot destroyed it. They needed a miracle, and a damn good one or they would be going back to Sanctuary in a bucket!
("BFG Division" - Doom 2016 OST)
A loud, metallic groan was heard from within the crumpled remains of the cargo ship. Seconds before a fist punched the door off the main compartment.
Mason stomped out of the ship, quickly surveying what was going on before bringing out his gauss cannon. Attaching the precision mod on the barrel and taking aim at Wilhelm who had his back turned to the slayer.
Sighting his target, he fired the deadly bolt. The assault sentry attacking Roland was instantly destroyed before Mason reaimed and destroyed the shield sentry next.
His drones destroyed, Wilhelm turned and locked his sights on the slayer. "Well, well. If it isn't the Crimson Raiders' new attack dog. You honestly think any of you are going to get out of here alive?"
Mason didn't say a word as he switched his gauss cannon with his double-barrel. In the next moment he was charging at the cyborg. Wilhelm grinned, bringing his right arm up high and bringing it down hard on the slayer when he got close.
Seeing the coming attack, Mason brought his left arm up to block. The ground cracking and splitting beneath him when the two limbs made contact. To the utter astonishment of the cyborg, the slayer didn't even buckle under the impact, this caused enough of a distraction for the super shotgun to be raised and fired point blank into Wilhelm's center of mass.
His shields absorbed the shot, but the power behind it was enough to send the cyborg staggering back a couple steps.
Mason was on the move immediately, sliding between Wilhelm's legs before kicking on his boot thrusters to launch himself backwards. Slamming his elbow into the cyborg's back and sending him falling forward.
Going with the momentum, the slayer flipped around, sending his super-shotgun to storage as he grabbed the mortar cannon. Armored fingers digging into the metal as he tore the weapon from Wilhelm's frame, swinging it around and smashing it against the enforcer's head.
Kicking on his boots again, Mason jumped away from Wilhelm as he crashed to the ground. Bringing out his rocket launcher and raining a barrage of missiles down on his prone form.
The slayer landed with the barrel of his launcher still smoking as he waited. Wilhelm slowly bringing himself back to his feet, his shields flickering.
"Heh, that the best you got?" the cyborg spat, sparks shooting out of his shoulder where his cannon once was.
Mason narrowed his eyes behind his visor, switching his rocket launcher for his plasma rifle and opening up with a salvo of bolts that slammed into Wilhelm's already weakened shields. A stun bomb quickly followed, shattering the barrier completely and leaving the enforcer reeling, giving the slayer time to close the gap between them and slammed his fist into Wilhelm's face. His left optic cracked along with his jaw as he was sent slamming into a wall.
X
Roland had believed nothing could surprise him anymore, especially after everything he had learned about the slayer that had joined them.
But seeing said man going toe to toe with the one that had beaten him and the others so easily, and WINNING...that was something that was beyond his wheelhouse.
"Roland what's going on out there?!" Lilith's voice cut through his thoughts and he quickly got on his echo.
"Mason's fighting Wilhelm!" said the Commander as the two metal titans continued to go at it.
"He's what?!" the Siren shouted.
"Lilith he's beating him!" Roland added.
"Please tell me you're recording this shit!" Mordecai threw in.
The pile of crates Brick had been thrown into moved, the berserker standing up holding his head a moment later with blood trickling down from his nose. "What'd I miss?" he asked, cracking his nose back in place. A loud crash snapped him to attention as he watched Mason taking on Wilhelm on his own. "What the hell?!"
Wilhelm swung his massive fists at the slayer only for his target to duck and weave around them. Getting in close and delivering an uppercut that nearly shattered the cyborg's teeth.
Jumping back, Mason went through his arsenal mentally to think of the best weapon to bring his opponent down;
Ballistics would talk too long and drain his ammo. His plasma weapons were in the same boat. He didn't want to waste anymore BFG rounds until he could replenish them. And his chainsaw would break on the enforcer's hard armored frame.
Then he remembered. The one weapon he had yet to use. One that felt so right in his hands even when he had never remembered wielding it before.
Accessing the quantum pack, Mason brought out the Crucible. A flick of the wrist had the blade of argent energy snapping into existence, arcs of red static traveling the length of the weapon.
"You think that little lightsaber is gonna stop me?" Wilhelm said, spitting blood out of his mouth.
The slayer tightened his grip on the sword's hilt, he ran at the cyborg. Wilhelm swung a hard punch to cut him off, but Mason responded with an upward slash with the Crucible...
The argent blade sliced clean through the limb with no resistance. The stump glowing red and air smelling like burnt metal as the arm was sent flying.
Wilhelm was frozen in shock as he watched his arm clatter to the ground several meters away. This would be his final mistake as Mason came swung again, cleaving his legs off and dropping his height by a third. A second swing bisected his torso and taking both arms.
"Shi-" the cyborg never finished as one final slice removed his head, adding to the pile of salvage where he had been standing.
Silence reigned over the spaceport as the slayer stood over the remains of Jack's head enforcer. The Crucible hummed loudly in his hand as if relishing in the kill it had made.
Any surviving Hyperion personnel that had witnessed Wilhelm's demise immediately fled in terror. Not wanting to go up against the one who had taken him down so quickly. Though none were more surprised than two of the four Vault Hunters who had fought the cyborg.
Roland and Brick couldn't seem to blink. They both nearly died with the others fighting Wilhelm before, yet Mason had literally cut him down to size. Neither of them heard Lilith and Mordecai trying to get ahold of them for several moments before the Commander finally answered.
"Yeah...Yeah we're here."
"An update would be good, Rol!" Lilith demanded.
"Wilhelm's down." Roland said straight to the point, making the other end of the comm go dead silent.
"...You serious amigo? No bullshit?" Mordecai finally asked, sounding about as blown away as they rest of them.
"We're looking at his smoking remains right now, Mordi." said Brick. "Mase cut him up with that freaky-ass sword of his."
"The data mine is complete." VEGA cut in. "I recommend we regroup at the fast travel station and make our trip back to Sanctuary before Hyperion has a chance to regroup."
"I doubt they will at this point." said Mason as he approached the others, deactivating the Crucible and putting it away. "But we should be going. We still have a Vault Key to find."
Roland nodded as they piled back into the technical, leaving the burning remains of the spaceport and the cooling body of Wilhelm behind them. Meeting up with Lilith and Mordecai before teleporting back to Sanctuary.
X
Loud crashes and swearing could be heard in the corridor leading to Jack's office. The CEO smashing everything in sight in a blinding rage. The death of Wilhelm setting him off like a grenade strapped to a barrel of gasoline.
"FUCK!" Jack roared as he threw his computer monitor against the wall. "HOW FUCKING HARD IS IT TO KILL ONE FUCKING SAVAGE!" his chair was thrown next, cracking the large window behind him when it connected with the surface.
What the hell was this guy?! He just wouldn't. Fucking. DIE! And he seemed to pull a literal arsenal from out of nowhere. Where the hell did this guy come from?! And how do kill him when he's killed everything in his way?
"Angel?! Do you have anything on this asshole?! Anything at all?!" he demanded, bracing himself on his desk and breathing heavily.
"I'm sorry Jack, there's nothing." replied the Siren.
"Well keep looking! I swear to whatever the fuck is out there that this fucker is as good as dead! One way or another!" the CEO seethed.
X
Angel withdrew from her father's office, letting him stew in his rage with a sense of vindictiveness knowing one of his attack dogs were put down.
Taking a deep breath, she perked up when a message on a private channel appeared on one of her screens;
Collected information. Preparing for next stage. Thank you.
It was brief, a failsafe incase it was somehow intercepted. But Angel understood the meaning behind it clear as day and felt a great deal of hope blossom in her chest.
Her eyes trailed to the pedestal closeby where the Vault Key sat. Filling with the energy she was forced to feed into it via Eridium injections.
She just needed to hold out for a little longer...
A/N: Being stuck inside all the time and being laid off gives you plenty of time to do other things, that much is for sure.
This goes out to everyone who is affected by COVID-19, either those who are quarantined, infected or suffering a loss due to the disease. You are not alone. All of us, everywhere, are in this together. And even though we're divided physically in order to keep safe, that doesn't mean we can't reach out to one another through other means.
We will endure. And we will come back from this stronger than ever.
So to my brothers and sisters here on , let's show this virus that we can't be beat. That we are all INCORRUPTIBLE and UNYIELDING!