Chapter 2: Finding the Firehawk
Angel's voice came to her, "the Firehawk should be around here somewhere. Stay alert. That's weird, the bloodshot bandit clan seems to be attacking the Firehawk's lair. They probably left landmarks for their reinforcements. They should lead you to the Firehawk. That or just…follow the screaming"
Sure enough, there was a sign ahead, a flayed body nailed to it. Nice touch she thought. She could hear the commotion a little ways down the hill. She quickly went to a nearby ammo machine and purchased some more bullets. She would need all the firepower she could get.
A voice came over her echo,
"Step off vault hunter, this is between the bloodshots and the Firehawk. Once my boys bring his ass back to me, he's gonna pay for every bloodshot he killed! Were gonna string him up from his own fucking intestines!"
"well that was…needlessly graphic" Angel quipped.
"No worries, I got this" Maya vowed.
She rounded the corner and skidded to a crouch behind some empty ammo boxes. Bandits surrounded the area, but she could make short work of them.
She stood and phaselocked the nearest psycho, trapping him in the air.
"STRIP THE FLESH, SALT THE WOUND!" She heard in the distance. The camp was in an uproar. It was time.
She removed her pistol and put one right between the eyes of the phaselocked psycho. "I love my powers!" she exclaimed. She loved the fight. She was ready.
Whirling behind she shot an incoming psycho, unsheathing her Maliwan SMG and riddled some bloodshots that were firing in the distance. One by one they fell. She slung her SMG and pulled out a sniper. Locking the final targets up in the towers, she blew their heads off with ease. A rumbling came from her left, as a Goliath ducked through a small door. "YOU DIE NOW!" it boomed.
"Ah fuck"
Maya doubled back and crouched for some cover, inserting a new mag into her assault rifle. She took a few deep breaths, and fired off some rounds over the slabs of cover.
*POP*POP*POP*
"Why are you so mean!?" the beast cried, before letting off his own barrage of shots.
She felt ripped flesh, burning hot, searing through her left shoulder. She hissed through clenched teeth. "fuck sakes!" She unclipped a grenade from her belt, lobbing it over her slowly deteriorating cover to the Goliath.
*BOOM*
"OWWWWWW" she dared to peer over her cover, to see the Goliath doubled over, bloody and in pain. Relieved, Maya stepped out from her cover, ready to finish him off, until-
"GONNA FLOSS WITH YOUR SPINE!" The Goliath exploded, growing in size, his head burst forth from his body. Maya was stunned, until the large red goliath started barreling towards her, snapping her from her trance.
"Oh fuck, oh fuck, OH FUCK!" she cried as she turned heel and ran.
Think Maya think! He was hot on her heels. Suddenly she had an idea. Unclipping a grenade as she ran, she dropped it behind her and heard the telltale BOOM. "Arrrrghhh!" the Goliath had slowed, hands flying up to his dangling head. Now was her chance.
She ripped her assault rifle from her back, aimed her hand at the large beast, phaselocking him before emptying her clip.
"I can take it, I CAN TAKE IT ALL!" the goliath bellowed, but it was too late. She hit him with a critical, before slamming him into the ground, abruptly ending his life.
"Holy fucking shit!" she slumped to the ground, catching her breath. She pulled out a health vial, she would need as much strength as she could. She hasn't even crossed the Firehawk yet. She flexed her fingers and stood up shakily. "its okay, I'm okay. I'm a fucking badass. Let's go Maya" she scolded herself. There was no time to waste.
She continued with relative ease, cutting down bandits and spiderants alike. One particularly persistent Badass Psycho gave her a challenge, but she was ready. She would lure him towards her, and he was clumsy. Swinging his club to and fro, she waited for an opening before she emptied her pistol in his head in lightening speed. He offered up some pretty good loot in the end when he was no longer moving. All the while she was passing the bloodshots Firehawk signs, she knew she must be close.
She came to a large entranceway , something that resembled a giant snake-like monster made of jagged rock with fire for eyes. A bandit made Firehawk sign hung next to it. She trudged her feet through the snow, making her way through the entrance.
"This is it" came Angel's voice. " The Firehawk's hideout. Be careful friend, there are bound to be traps everywhere."
She heard the cries of a bloodshot. As she walked through she saw a bandit getting burnt to a crisp by a makeshift flamethrower mounted to the cave wall. Coming through behind him was another Badass Psycho was running towards her. She made short work of him, phaselocking him still and cracking his skull on the cave wall.
"See, traps," said angel. "don't let that happen to you."
"This Firehawk must be a sick fuck" Maya muttered disdainfully. Still, she trudged on, down through the path avoiding the blasting fire coming from different corners of the walkway. She came to an opening, iron stairs leading up to a platform. "this must be the Firehawk's lair" she said to herself. "Let's see what he can do."
She bolted up the platform smack dab into 2 bandits. Stepping back she phaselocked one, when all of a sudden there was a burst of fire in the center of the platform.
The light was blinding, Maya shielded her eyes, squeezing them shut in protection from the sudden brightness. It was tremendous. The light dulled slightly, and squinting she saw that the bandits were turned to ash. And what lay ahead of her, that was..well…not quite what she was expecting.
In the middle of the platform there was a woman, glorious giant wings unfurling from her back, glowing red and orange, as though made of fire. She turned, and Maya's jaw dropped.
Eyes like burning embers, hair as red as blood. Those eyes, Maya thought. She was beautiful. What the fuck Maya? What is this…feeling? Maya was unsettled, yet in awe. Her eyes explored her all over, eyes honing in on the blue tattoos! Another Siren? So there are others? How many? What were her powers? So many questions! This was exactly what I came to Pandora for! She was like a goddess. The mysterious woman smirked, heating up Mayas face, as she just became aware she was staring. The wings on her back disappeared as if they were never there.
"Sup?"