Chapter 5. Let's Plan a Rescue

AN: Thank you for the lovely reviews! I am trying to get better with my editing and checking, definitely hope you guys will see the improvement in the coming chapters! I absolutely love this pairing too, and I can only hope I am doing them justice! I have been trying to add breaks in between scenes, but for some reason I havent been able to get them to show up? It will be something I will keep trying to tweak. Anyway, without further ado, chapter 5!

Maya awoke early morning, stretching out all of the kinks and aches that riddled her body from yesterday's events. Almost as if he knew she was awake, there was a knock at her door.

"Maya?" came Axton's voice. "Lilith wants us in the War Room in twenty minutes just so you know."

"Thanks, be right there!" she called. She pushed herself off the bed and made her way to the shower. Even though she had one last night, she figured she might as well have another, since here in Pandora, you never know when your next one might be. She was in and out in record time, and today donned a yellow jumpsuit with grey and black markings, and pinned her hair up in an intricate bun. She hastily put on some makeup and checked her watch. Eighteen minutes, not bad.

She walked into the war room of the HQ, to find Axton there alone.

"Hey you! How did you sleep?"

"Fine." She lied. "so what's the word?"

Axton scratched at the stubble on his chin. "no idea, waiting on Lilith to see what she wants to do. She should be here any minute."

Maya nodded and took a seat at the table. Axton was watching her.

"She's uh, pretty hot eh?"

Mayas face immediately flared up. "what? No! What makes you say that? I don't think that! Nor have I ever said it." She was mortified. Axton was just staring at her, mouth hanging open as he listened to her rant. He broke out in a grin.

"Maya!"

"Shut up! You don't know what you're talking about." She hissed.

He snorted. "oh but I think I do, I think somebody's head over heels ever since hearing a certain Sirens Song huh?"

She looked to him, eyes pleading. "please Axton.."

His face softened. "Hey hey, Maya I'm sorry. I didn't mean to tease you like that, I didn't know. Listen, I know that where you're from, you're sheltered from certain, uhm, things. If you ever want to talk, or ever need help sorting out these feelings, you can come to me. You don't have to be alone in the dark about these things."

She forced her eyes to meet his. "thank you.."

Just then, the door to the war room opened, and there she stood in all her glory; the red haired goddess herself. "morning all" she stated quickly before hurrying to sit down. "sorry I'm late, mornings were never my thing. Anyway, we should probably get straight to business."

While Lilith went on about the location of the bloodshot stronghold, Maya was too busy practically drooling over the Siren. She had on a tight leather jacket, unbuttoned revealing her tattooed chest underneath. Her pants to match left little to the imagination too. She struggled to listen.

"You can't just roll up there in a runner and expect to be let through the gate. You'll have to go to the Dust, speak to Ellie, scooter's sister. She will hook you up with a bandit technical. When you go up to the gate, honk your horn and they should let you in. Its gonna be crawling with bloodshots in there, so once your in I suggest you have your weapons at the ready. They took Roland, he has to be there somewhere. If he's not, find a bloodshot and beat him senseless till he tells you. Got it?"

She and Axton nodded in agreement. "I'll go ready the runner if you want to grab the extra ammo Maya?"

"Yeah…sure…" she trailed off. But she hadn't stood up. She was still staring intently at the map.

Axton looked from Maya to Lilith. "Uhhh okay then! See you outside shortly!" and he disappeared down the stairs.

Lilith looked back to Maya. "You okay killer?"

Maya slowly tore her eyes from the map. "huh what? Sorry uhm, I was just a little err…lost in thought."

Lilith noted that Maya wasn't looking at her. "you can tell me Maya" she said softly.

"NO! shit-" she bumped into the table as she attempted to escape downstairs. "I mean no, no. I'm fine really. Just a little tired I didn't sleep well. But I'll be fine! We will echo you with updates along the way okay? Bye!" Maya rambled before slipping down the stairs.

Lilith sighed. I hope she didn't hear me last night. Is that why she's acting so weird?

She didn't dwell on it too long. They were on a mission, and she and Angel needed to be on guard in case any problems arise. Be safe, Maya.

Maya and Axton sat in the bandit technical, which Ellie had built for them, discussing last minute plans before they rolled up to the bloodshot gate.

"let's do what we do best buddy" Maya said with conviction.

"No worries on my end, I got your back."

There was a comfortable silence, but for the sound of fresh mags clicking into their guns, grenades being clipped on, and med packs being checked.

"Axton.."

He looked up from his tasks. She was looking at him strangely. Like she was dreading what was coming next.

"What is it?" he asked concerned.

"uhm, uhh I…I think the boss Big Maw is right on the other side. So uhm..just be careful and keep an eye out. Holler if you see him."

She chickened out. She wanted to tell Axton of the strange feelings she was experiencing, how she couldn't stop thinking of Lilith, how when she did she got all warm. Those feelings in her…breasts and core. At the last minute, she heard Brother Sophis voice scolding her…

She must have been no more than twelve years old. She had went to the bathroom after morning prayer, and it happened.

"Is that…blood?!" she cried. Her stomach hurt so bad. "what the fuck is happening to me?"

She ran from the bathroom crying. "Brother Sophis, HELP!"

She found him in his study, a small room off the main chapel. She had burst through the door, tears streaming.

"B-Brother S-s-sSophis." She whimpered. "I went to the-the bathroom and I'm b-bleeding…"

He came around his desk and embraced her. "hush my child, do not cry. You have received the first sin of blood. It happens to every young woman. It is completely natural."

She wiped her tears. "what? It…it is?"

He nodded gravely. "but with such sin comes many changes child. Your body is now ready to reproduce-"

"reproduce?"

"Yes child, bear children."

"Oh…how?"

"Do not ask such questions!" he said sharply. " that is not for you to know! You have a great gift, you are among Gods Maya. You will not waste your time with such things!"

She trembled, frightened of his outburst. "o-okay…"

"Also, you will not give in to perverted temptations. You are to never touch your breasts, nor your privates, other than for washing. For it is a great sin child. You will suffer for eternity if you do, do I make myself clear? Do not give your body to anyone else, for that is the greatest sin of all. Heed these words, Maya, or you will peril in the after life. That kind of behavior is beneath you, such perverted desires are only among bandits and scum and sinners. Promise me! Vow it to The Order!"

Touching her private areas other than for washing? Obviously, what else was she supposed to do with them? Maya was very confused, but she had never seen Brother Sophis so irate. So she agreed, "yes Brother Sophis. I vow to the Order."

"Good. Now clean yourself up, go find the handmaiden. And we will never speak of such things again."

She came back to the present, Axton was looking at her.

"Maya?"

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Are you ready?"

She cocked her weapon. "Ready."

Axton honked the horn.

A voice crackled over the Echo "Ehh, looks like one of ours. Let em in while I get Hyperion back on the horn!"

The large door slowly lowered into the ground , leaving the jutted top poking out. There's no way they could get the runner inside.

"Alright, let's go." Maya whispered.

Quietly, they exited the vehicle and made their way on foot. Shortly after stepping over the threshold, they found some cover not too deep in the stronghold. They needed to scope the place out first.

She pulled out her sniper and peered through the scope,

" We have two nomads on the balcony straight ahead, I'm counting…four psychos patrolling, a marauder on the far left. No sign of Bad Maw.."

Axton sighed. "well, you know how these things usually work. Bad Maws probably going to sit on his fat ass until he hears a commotion. So I suppose we just…"

"Go in guns blazin?"

"Exactly."

Maya took aim at one of the Nomads. "here we go,"

Axton smiled. "God I love my job"

Axton stood and threw his turret, in a blast the gun was mowing down enemies left and right. Meanwhile, Maya took her shot, obliterating the Nomads head with a critical. She pulled out her SMG and went to work on the incoming psychos. They came fast but not fast enough; she phaselocked the first, setting him aflame with her elemental weapon.

"ArrRRRRRHHHGGGGGGG!" his screams didn't last long.

She unclipped and lobbed a grenade at the remaining three, setting off a glorious explosion and sending limbs and masks alike shooting in every direction. She looked to Axton to see how he was fairing, just as he blew a nomads chest open with his shotgun.

He turned and waved to her, "having fun sis?!"

She made to reply when a voice, "WE GOT AN INTRUDER! GET EM DEADMAW!"

A huge groan of chains had the pair turning around. Across the camp, a giant drawbridge was slowly being lowered, God it was as big as a building. A huge figure of a man suddenly leapt from the top, a hulking Nomad, complete with a shield with..midget psychos attached?

Liliths voice came over the Echo, "watch out guys, that's a badass up ahead!"

Maya looked to Axton, "QUICK get to that cover over there! Now!"

Bullets rained on them, the hysterical laughter from the psychos eerily close. They skidded behind a dumpster, and Maya breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Bad Maw was quite a distance away. I'm going to have to phaselock him if we have a chance.

She turned to Axton, "here's what were gonna do. When I say go, I'm going to phaselock him, and you're going to have to use a sniper and hit him in the head as many times as you can. This can only work if you have a weapon with high damage. Are you ready?"

The soldier pulled his sniper over his head, putting it at the ready. He nodded to her.

"GO!"

Maya leapt from the cover and threw Bad Maw into a phaselock. God is he ever fucking heavy! This is..harder than I thought.

Meanwhile, Axton had his rifle up and he was sending out a steady stream of shots, carefully calculated, straight to the Nomads head. But Maya was running out of time, and his health wasn't going down fast enough.

10…9…8…7…

Her hands were trembling, and she could feel the perspiration break out all over her body,

"AAAAAHHHH AXTON YOU HAVE TO SHOOT FASTER!"

"IM TRYING!"

…6…5…4

"I cant Axton…Agh…I cant hold him…"

She could hear the blood rushing in her ears, something warm was running from her nose,

…3…2…1…

Liliths voice, like an angel, "WHAT THE FUCK MAYA! LET GO!"

And she did. She collapsed as did the Nomad, who took one final round to the head from Axton's rifle. It was all it took.

Axton ran to Maya, cradling her in his arms. He assessed her wounds, she had blood coming from her nose, and was unconscious but breathing. Her heart rate was slowed though, and she was pale and clammy.

"She's pushed herself too hard…" he whispered.

"A-Axton" Liliths voice trembled over the echo recorder. She cleared her throat. "Axton is she okay?"

"She's alive. I'm going to give her some med kits, and were going to rest a bit before we continue. I have to make sure she's okay."

Lilith audibly breathed a sigh of relief. "okay…okay please just..let me know when she wakes.

"will do."

Maya came too only a short while later, the med kits having healed her pretty much back to normal. She scrubbed at the dried blood on her upper lip. Axton was crouching a short distance away, studying the map. She shifted to a sitting position, catching the soldiers attention.

"Maya!" he gasped. "you're awake! How are you feeling? Are you hurt?"

She looked over herself. "No no, I think I'm okay. What happened? How long was I out?"

"Only about an hour. You phaselocked dead maw until I could get him in the head enough times. You pushed yourself way too hard but I must say, your power was incredible. You should probably message Lilith, she's been worried about you. We can get going whenever, as long as your up for it.

Maya groaned. How fucking embarrassing! Way to look weak in front on Lilith, you're supposed to be on your way to save her ex boyfriend, and you faint like an idiot. Bet she has real solid trust in you now eh?! Stupid stupid Maya!

"Yeah, ugh okay. Just let me call Lilith and then we can be on our way, okay?"

"Sure."

Maya walked a little ways away and connected to Lilith via Echo. "Lilith?"

"Maya? Phew, you really know how to give a girl a heart attack killer"

Maya felt tears well up in her eyes. She could not let her voice betray her. "I-I'm sorry."

It cracked anyway.

"Maya…its okay. I'm just relieved you're okay…I don't want to lose you."

Maya rubbed her eyes hard. She couldn't cry to Lilith. She could not let her see her in that light.

"Well, I'm fine. I'm going to continue on with Axton through the stronghold. I will keep you updated. I'm out."

Back at HQ, Lilith groaned and set her echo back down on the desk. Truth be told, she had been terrified of losing her. She was relieved when she heard her voice, her heart slowing back to normal. Before that call, she was about ready to set the place on fire. Maya, what is going through your head?