The Vault Hunters digistructed, but they fell out of the sky. It was dark and cold. They all felt odd, and each looked around at the others. Each was in different clothes. And no one had any guns or relics or mods.
Axton was in some sort of armor. He found a sword strapped on his back.
Gaige was in a leather skirt and a plate shirt. Her arm was made of wood and metal, and the wires were ropes. Daggers came out of her boots, and she skillfully flipped them in the air.
Maya's clothes were stained metal, and it was light. Her tattoos hadn't changed. A large staff sat next to her.
Sal was in a tunic, and knives strapped to his chest replaced his ammo. The hammer on his back was very large and stone carved.
Zero was in an assassin's uniform, and he looked almost the same except for the mask over his face instead of his high tech helmet. A bow and a short sword were pulled from his new gear.
Krieg looked exactly the same, except his shorts were brown and leather. His buzz axe's head was clean and no longer rotated. A great sword rested on his back.
"Where are we? What are we wearing?" Maya looked down at her clothes. The Vault Hunters heard a voice in the distance.
"Well, Cullen, we can't just abort the whole mission because there are disturbances. If it's a rift, we'll be fine, and if it's magic then we'll take care of the mages. Worst comes to worst, we have to retreat." It was female, and a faint torch glowed deeper in the forest. The dark surrounded the group, and a male voice came from the direction of the torch.
"I know, Inquisitor, but what about the spirits and apostates out here?"
"Are you scared, commander? Morrigan and I were apostates. Do we unease you, too?"
"A little. I don't trust her, but you saved us all."
"You still have the mind of a templar." The torch light broke over the hill, and it shone over the Vault Hunters. Each shielded their eyes, and the woman looked them over. She put out the torch and reached for her staff.
"Inquisitor?"
"Cullen, lets take them. I feel the ripples in the veil are coming from them." The woman and Cullen helped the Vault Hunters up, and each was fascinated by the two.
"What is up with your ears, girl? It's like you took a cheese grater to them." Gaige looked over the Inquisitor, and she gave an irritated look.
"I'm an elf."
"A what?" The Inquisitor and Cullen looked at each other.
"Follow me, please. Uh, who are you guys? You look so confused." Cullen motioned at them to follow, and he inspected Maya quite thoroughly. "What's up with your arm?" The inquisitor hit him. "Don't be rude. I don't think they know where they are."
"But, they have to. How else did they get there?" The elf looked at the Commander in irritation.
"Remember that time I didn't barely know who the heck I was? Is it really impossible? Maybe they're just drunk."
"Right, right. Forgot about that." The Inquisitor opened a map, and she pushed a button over a place called Skyhold. The group transported to the middle of the castle.
Later…
"I don't know where they came from, Cassandra. They keep saying they came from Sanctuary, on Pandora, but i've never heard of either of those. They just fell out of the sky, much like I did, but they seem to have come from nowhere. At least I knew what an elf was."
"I'd talk to Morrigan, as much as I hate to suggest it. Her and Solas would have the best idea on what's going on. Both have done studies on the matter, and I suggest visiting both. I would get input from them separate though. We don't need any confrontation between them. Most people already hate Morrigan."
"I like Morrigan. I'd trust her with my life, and I trusted her when we fought Corypheus. She means well."
"I know, but most others still think of her as an apostate. As a rogue mage who could turn into a bear and murder us all if she pleased, and she has shown the ability to."
"Thanks for the advice."
"Of course."
A few minutes later...
The inquisitor opened the door to the Gardens. She was greeted, and she greeted the nobles like wise. She moved to the pavilion, where Morrigan sat, picking at flowers.
"Morrigan?" She shot upward and dropped the flower.
"What? Oh, Inquisitor. Excuse me. I, uh… I was gardening."
"It's alright. I have a few questions. The people that Cullen and I found while scouting, what do you think? Do you have an idea of where they came from?"
"Yes. Sometimes the Universes line up with one another, and people from one universe may somehow enter ours. These people are not from the fade, as you assumed. They are from a place known as Pandora, in a part of their galaxy known as the Borderlands. I've done a few studies on the matter, but never seen it. I have questions."
"They are in the main hall if you want to talk."
"Then I will be in the main hall if you need me."
"Be nice."
"I will." Morrigan left the pavilion and went into the main hallway. The Inquisitor followed into the main hall, crossed it, and entered Solas's room. Solas was reading something, and the Inquisitor put a hand over the page.
"Solas? I have a few questions about our new guests."
"All I know is that they come from one of the other galaxies, and they are weird. One has magic tattoos, and another is a failed experiment of some type. The young girls fake arm would have been a lot more advanced in her world. You'd have better luck talking to Morrigan, even though I hate to say 'i don't know as much as her'. She is an odd type of apostate with the shapeshifting and such, but she's a good woman."
"Finally someone isn't calling her evil and all that crap."
"Evil? Oh, the people think that because she's an apostate she is going to kill us all? Templars fill peoples heads with nonsense."
"I know. I was an apostate and you're an apostate, yet no one thinks we will murder everyone, but Morrigan walks into a room and everybody screams their heads off." Solas nodded.
"It's sad really. I feel bad for her."
"And she helped save Ferelden from the sixth blight with the hero, but no one even acknowledges it." The Inquisitor sighed. "I should return to my guests."
"Yes." The Inquisitor left Solas to his reading, and returned to the Vault Hunters. Morrigan was speaking to them.
"So, your arm can 'phaselock' someone in the air. What does that mean?"
"Uh, Axton? mind if I…"
"No, no, don't…" Maya phaselocked Axton and he screamed at her to put him down. She removed the Phaselock and he fell to the ground.
"Wow. And it's your tattoos that allow you to do that? Amazing!"
"I was born with them. I trained in a place called the Abbey for most of my life. I can also punch people and they set on fire. She turned toward Axton and punched him, and he set on fire. She put it out and laughed at him. Morrigan was completely intrigued.
"Are there other Sirens?"
"There are six of us in the Universe. Or my Universe. I'm still confused about where we are exactly."
"A different Universe. My Universe." She put her hands over her chest and stared at her. "I want to see yours."
Morrigan looked over the others, and realized how desperate she had sounded. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to, uh, make you uncomfortable." She turned, and almost ran into The Inquisitor. "Oh, uh, sorry." She was quick to leave.
"Poor Morrigan." The Inquisitor turned to the Vault Hunters. "Hello. I'm Lady Lavellan, the Inquisitor. Please, join me." She motioned to a table. The Vault Hunters sat, and she stood at the end of the table. "I understand that you've changed quite a bit since you left Pandora. You don't wear armor in the Borderlands, do you? Or have other races or classes? You still seem a bit confused. Ugh, what am I doing? I haven't even asked your names."
She put her hand on the side of her head and moved it away. "What are your names?"
"Maya, Axton, Krieg, Salvador, Zer0, and me, Gaige. The Vault Hunters" Gaige motioned around the table.
"Younger Vault Hunters." Axton corrected her.
"Right." Lady Lavallen looked around.
"So, you are what in your world?"
"Siren. I'm crowd control and the healer. I keep people alive." Maya raised her hand slightly, and put it back down.
"Assassin. I confuse and elude, then strike from behind." Zer0 lifted the mask. It wasn't helping much, so there was no point to have it over his face.
"Psycho. Meat sack and distraction who runs in and murders everything without a scratch." Krieg smiled.
"Gunzerker. I shoot stuff, a lot." Salvador looked down, most likely because his ammo belts were gone.
"Mechromancer. I kill stuff with Deathtrap here. He's my best buddy, other than Ax, of course." Deathtrap was now a golem.
"Commando. I use my turret to shoot stuff and create cover fire for us." Axton didn't move much. He was trying to look sophisticated, unlike the others.
"Hey soldier boy, you can drop the formalities." Lady Lavellan laughed. He relaxed. "Based on what i'm seeing, I could guess what your classes are now. Maya is a Mage. Krieg, Salvador, and Axton are Warriors. Zer0 and Gaige are Rouges. Lets see what this Universe has already taught you. Stay here for a minute."
She walked away, and the Vault Hunters watched. She opened a door and entered the room, leaving the hall empty except for the group at the table and the dwarves.
After a few minutes, The Inquisitor returned with three people. Morrigan returned with her, along with the man who had found them and a redheaded woman in a dark outfit. The Inquisitor stood all the Vault Hunters up and introduced her companions.
"This is Cullen and Leliana, and you've meet Morrigan. I'm going to have them test you. See what you've learned since you fell from the sky. I've been informed that once you entered our world, your skills were altered. We want to see if my presumptions were correct."
She gestured for them to follow her, and the advisors followed. The Vault Hunters were confused, but they walked.