Chapter 30: For Sanctuary
"I know you think I'm a monster. You think I enslaved Angel. But you didn't see what she did to her mother. I had to restrain Angel's power. You get that? I had to!"
As they approached the doors of the Info Stockade Jack had begun his plea. Maya wasn't too sure why he cared what they thought of him, seeing as he wanted them to all die a painful death.
"Maybe we got him running scared? He's starting to realize we've foiled his plans this far, maybe he's worried we'll actually find him and The Warrior?" Axton suggested.
"I'm not sure," Maya replied. "if he was scared, I don't think he'd ever admit it."
"And I'm sure you had to exploit her for profit and power too!" came Liliths weak, but angry voice.
"Lilith!" Maya cried, stopping in her tracks.
"Don't listen to him Maya, he killed Angel long before we pulled the plug…Maya…where are you?"
The line wasn't secure, she couldn't give away their location. "We're coming for you Lilith," she said tearfully.
"Give me that!- no more talking to your little lover!" Jack sneered, and Liliths echo went dead.
"He knows…" Maya said softly. "Fuck…Axton, he knows about Lilith and I. He could use that against us."
"He already has Lilith, he's already using it against you," he said darkly. "All the more reason we gotta move, now."
They went to move towards the door, before Jack's voice stopped them once again. "Lilith has quite the little mouth on her, doesn't she? And as it turns out when that Eridium is pumping through her body, I can stab her over, and over, AND OVER and it just heals right back up! I'm told its agonizing. Ahahaha, she looks pissed!"
Maya saw red, she knew that Jack knew about their relationship, and was purposely trying to rile her up. And it worked.
"Listen here you little FUCK!" Maya screamed into the echo, "I'm fucking coming for you, you hear me!? Anything you do to her, I will do to you tenfold, you better fucking PRAY someone else finds you before I do! Pray for your miserable life Jack, because I'm fucking coming!"
Her hands and her voice were shaking. Axton gently grabbed her echo and switched it off for the time being, so they wouldn't have to hear Jack's nasty rebuttal. Starting an argument would only waste more time. He grabbed Maya and pulled her into him, whispering soothing words in her ear until she calmed.
"I'm sick of this Axton," Maya said, pushing herself from him. "All my life I feel like I've been…been tortured, first by brother Sophis and now this. I'm tired of getting beat down at every turn I take. I can't handle it anymore." She looked to the Info Stockade. "I'm taking my fucking life back. For me, for Lilith, and for all of the Crimson Raiders. For those we lost…" she trailed off. "I won't let him have this hold over me, never again."
"Great job amigos, now that you're in, there oughta be an info terminal nearby. Find it."
Mordecai's task might be easier said than done; the Info Stockade was massive, hallways and doors led every which way and direction. Luckily, their echo was able to pick up the closest one, but it was a vague determination. It appeared that the terminal was on an upper level, and getting there would prove no easy feat. This place was bound to be heavily guarded with Jack's minions.
"Welp, if we're going up, might as well take those stairs," Axton said, leading the way to the stairs to their left. They went up cautiously with their weapons raised, peeking around the corners at the top of the flight.
Surprisingly, there was nothing save for a few ammo boxes. They rummaged through them quickly, grabbing as much as they could carry. Maya was feeling more weighed down than they usually were, but they needed any extra ammo they could get.
According to the echo, they were still too low. They would have to try another level. They rounded a corner down a hallway, leading to another set of stairs. They ascended, once again cautiously, and found large energy windows with the Hyperion emblem blazed across them. After examining them a moment, they turned to continue on, until loaders began to be shot down from Helios, first one, then another. And a third. Suddenly the explosions were all around shaking the entire level.
"Fall back!" Maya yelled, and they ran back down the stairs to the previous floor.
"How many do you think are up there?" Maya said breathlessly.
"Too many!" Axton replied. He unclipped a grenade and climbed to the middle of the stair set. The shuffling and occasional robotic voice could be heard from the loaders. He tossed the grenade to the third level and jumped back down to Maya. The explosion went off and the loaders began to scramble and panic, their voices drawing nearer.
"Throw another!"
Axton tossed another in the opposite direction, destroying some more loaders that had been wandering the level.
"Let's go!"
They burst through the entrance to the third floor and began spraying. Axton took the right, tossing out his turret and taking down a few remaining loaders. Maya took the left, her back to him, as she phaselocked an iron loader and blasted another to pieces with her shotgun. She took the Ion loader and tossed it out of the open door way that led to an outside platform, listening for the satisfying crunch of metal as the loader was thrown to the ground below.
"Fuck there it is!" Maya exclaimed, bolting across the room to a control panel tucked in the corner. A large screen was mounted to the top, cycling through various security cameras.
"You got the stick?" Maya asked Axton and he nodded, tossing it to her. She plugged it into the panel.
"There!" Mordecai explained over the echo as the screen stopped on an image of what looked like a large metal Hyperion door. "Jack's sent all of the Eridium hes mined straight to the Hero's Pass. That must be where The Warrior's buried! Get back to Sanctuary, it's time to get ready for the final assault."
Maya looked to Axton, her jaw set in determination. His look matched her own, and no words were needed. He nodded and together they left the Info Stockade to find the nearest fast travel station.
Maya and Axton trudged up the stairs of the HQ, their bones and muscle screaming with every step. They entered the War Room to be greeted by Brick and Mordecai. They were standing around the table, a look of determination set on their faces.
"This ends now," Mordecai said darkly as they approached. "Jack, Lilith, and The Warrior are at Hero's Pass. So that's where we're headed. This is the final fight amigos, so if you gotta prepare do it now. Honestly, I would suggest grabbing a quick shower and changing into something new. Get a bite to eat too, stockpile your ammo. You're gonna need any ounce of strength you can get. I understand sleep is out of the question, which is why I'm suggesting you eat something at least."
Maya and Axton nodded in agreement, and turned to leave.
"And guys?"
They turned back to Mordecai expectantly, surprised to see his eyes shining with emotion.
"We appreciate everything you two have done for the Crimson Raiders, what you've done for us. You will always have a home here, and we will always have your backs. We're family now."
Maya's own eyes began to shine with emotion, before she felt herself smushed into Axton and lifted off her feet.
"Agggghhh two Slabs if I've ever seen them!" Brick said cheerfully as he scooped the pair up in his big arms. "Let's show Jack what we're made of huh?!"
Maya chuckled as he lowered them down. "We plan on it Brick, believe me. Axton," she said turning to her friend. "I'm gonna go grab a shower and I'll meet you at Moxxi's sound good?"
"Yup, I'll see you there!" and he was gone down the stairs to head to his room.
"Maya," Mordecai said gently, resting a hand on her shoulder. "I havent seen someone so badass since the days I used to run with Lilith. She's very proud of you you know, we all are."
Maya sniffed and looked away smiling, "stop it Mordecai, you're gonna make me cry. And I cant show up to Hero's Pass looking like I've been crying."
"Theres nothing wrong with crying Maya. God knows I've spent countless nights doing just that myself. You got this, you hear me? Jack doesn't have shit on you. You can do this."
"I know," Maya said, wiping her eyes. "I will."
With that, she left the room, making her way down the stairs and back out into the street, towards hers and Liliths loft. She willed her feet to move, part of her dreading to see the shared space they called home. To see it missing her lover.
She said a greeting to Zed, letting him know she will be back down to see him once she was done upstairs. She creaked open the door to their room, and the smell of their life overwhelmed her senses.
It was just how they left it. The bed was made, albeit a bit messy. Some of Lilith's things were strewn about, the pan still on the drying rack from when they last shared a meal together. She sat on their bed, running her hands along the soft sheets beneath her, the memories of the new beginnings they shared in this bed hitting her with such a force that it nearly took her breath away. She reached a trembling hand to Liliths pillow, knowing what she was about to do was going to break her heart but she couldn't stop. She pulled the fluffy pillow to her and hugged it close, lowering her head and breathed in that familiar, intoxicating scent that was Lilith. She started to inevitably sob against the pillow, clutching it ever tighter, her tears straining the blood red color of the pillow case, turning it to a dark mahogany. She kept holding it tight, breathing in and out hard, trying to imprint the smell into her memory. She wasn't sure how long she sat there, but she knew that time was of the essence. She placed it gently back in its spot on Lilith's side of the bed and sighed. She was absolutely miserable, the feeling only matched by the day she left Athena.
She pulled herself from her thoughts and looked down to her attire. Blood, sweat, dirt, tears and more stained what was once a yellow jumpsuit. The back had been burned completely through from her run in with the EXP loader and the Bunker. That fight seemed so long ago.
She peeled the filthy layers from herself and tossed them into the bin. She would have to get a new set made, there was no salvaging this one unfortunately. She made her way to the bathroom and inspected herself in the mirror and almost laughed.
She was covered head to toe in ugly, purple bruises. There were far too many lacerations to count, and the dried blood made her look as though she had just been born, a thought that tickled her. She turned to look at her back, and it was about as ugly as it felt. It was raw and peeling, large blisters had formed and threatened to pop. That's gonna hurt in the shower, she thought. I'll definitely have to stop at Zeds and get patched up a bit.
She turned on the water and waited for it to heat up, as she absentmindedly picked at various specks of dirt and blood that had embedded under her fingernails. She thought to her time with Lilith in the shower, her face and core getting warm at the mere pleasant memory.
Now is not the time Maya!
She shook her head and ran her hands over her face roughly before getting up and stepping into the warm shower. Just as she thought, the water burned her wounds to no end, but it was satisfying watching the rust colored water go down the drain along with all the dirt and filth that layered her body. She squeezed shampoo in her hand and scrubbed her hair hard, wincing as she felt every little knot pull through her fingers. She had almost forgotten her true hair color.
She definitely needed more time to get completely clean, but she couldn't spend anymore in here, since she spent so much reminiscing on their bed. Once she was acceptably clean, she stepped back out and dried herself off before making her way back to the living area. She went through her closet, wondering which outfit would be best to tackle such a mission. The thought seemed silly, but it was actually of great importance. She wanted to be intimidating to Jack, heroic to Lilith.
She went with her traditional monk garb. It represented who she was, while also providing the mobility she needed. She finished getting ready and looked in the mirror. Her hair flowed a magnificent blue, her makeup sharp, and her hood was raised giving her a menacing, mysterious look. She wouldn't pick a fight with herself in a back alley, that's for sure. She took one last look around their loft. She vowed she wouldn't be back unless she had Lilith in tow.
She made her way downstairs to Zeds. He was just washing his hands at a sink when he turned at the sound of her entering.
"Hey there Kiddo, gotta say you're looking much better after getting cleaned up."
"Thanks Zed, I feel better. Mind giving me a once over? I think I could use some health boosters, I got a nasty burn on my back."
"Hop on up."
She complied with the requested and hopped onto one of the clean beds. She pulled off her top and he whistled as he inspected her back.
"She's nasty alright. I'm gonna have to pop these blisters and I'll apply some antibacterial cream and throw a bandage on. With some health boosters it should clear up in a couple hours and you can remove the bandages. Just gimme a sec," he said as he bustled around the drawers. He pulled out a nasty looking needle, some gauze, tape, and boosters.
"Hold your breath now, that's it, one, two-"
On three he stuck one of the large blisters with the needle, the sting was immediate as the air touched the newly opened blister and she felt a warm ooze on her back being quickly swept up by a towel.
"One more to go," and he stuck the other, repeating the process. Maya swallowed to avoid being sick. She by no means had a weak stomach, but the thought of her own back blisters being popped was less than desirable.
The sound of tape being torn echoed through the room and the warm soft gauze was pressed to her back.
"Just stick that there and voila," he exclaimed. "You're good to go."
"Thanks Zed," she said as she jumped down and dressed.
"Give em hell for us kid. Sanctuary is rooting for you and Axton."
She gave him a small smile as she headed out the door, "we will. I'll be back with Lilith, I promise."
"I know you will."
She found herself at Moxxi's watching Axton devour a pizza like there was no tomorrow. She absentmindedly nibbled on her slice, growing more anxious by the minute.
"You should eat more Maya," Axton said with a mouthful of food. "You'll need it, and we havent eaten in days already."
She sighed, knowing he was right, and willed herself to eat more. "I know it's just hard, I'm…I'm scared Axton."
He downed his entire cup of water and wiped his mouth. "I am too Maya. I mean fuck, we are about to face an ancient monster and Handsome Jack himself. It's normal I'd say," he reached across the table and took her hand. "But I'll be with you every step of the way, as always."
She smiled at him, giving his hand a squeeze. "Thank you, I don't know where I'd be if it wasn't for you."
"Hey now don't get sappy on me! We got a war to win," he shoved the remainder of his slice into his mouth. "Come on, let's go get ammo and get the runner ready."
She went to the ammo machine just outside of the HQ, while Axton went to the catch a ride to ready a vehicle. She packed her bag with as much as she could fit, along with some courtesy health boosters Zed was kind enough to give her. Axton pulled up with the runner, and Brick and Mordecai came downstairs to meet them in the street. In fact, the entire city had come to the main square to see them off.
"Axton, Maya, we won't waste your time saying the shit we've already said. So all that's left to say is good luck, and see you soon," Mordecai said with conviction. "link up with Claptrap once you get there, he will get you in to where you gotta go. I'll echo you."
They nodded to the pair and looked to the crowd, who erupted into glorious cheering.
"For Sanctuary!"
"Fuck his ass up!"
"Fuck Hyperion!"
Maya and Axton waved to the crowd of hopeful faces, their hearts warmed by the display of affection by the city. It gave Maya a boost of confidence, seeing exactly what they were fighting for. That they were not alone, they had the whole city behind them, supporting them. With that, they climbed into the runner and took off. Maya watched as the faces waving them off grew smaller, until they were gone.