Hey there, Ashes here! Just wanted to thank y'all for the kind reviews on this story! :) Also I apologize for it being pretty dark and not exactly smutty in the beginning. This story is kinda more a love story than I expected it to be. But I promise smut eventually!
Only Monsters Rob Graves
Axton stood at the window. The rain was still coming down pretty hard.
The wind was blowing sheets of it upon the windows of the bedroom. Slapping the water against the glass harshly.
He breathed out nervously.
He looked to the middle of the room. To the collection of objects he could only describe as... a grave robbing kit.
A shovel, a body bag dragged out of the lab, a raincoat, rain boots, and a lantern...yeah definitely a grave robbing kit.
God grave robbing sounded so awful.
Axton shuddered.
He'd seen a lot of death before...but this...this was in an entirely different ball park.
It was well passed two in the morning. He'd spent the hours waiting for the others to go to bed, and mustering up the courage to go through with it.
He could do this. He had to.
Axton took a deep breath in and started across the room.
He slung the heavy black raincoat over his shoulders, and pulled on the rain boots.
He picked up the shovel and bag, then headed for the door.
If he was going to go. He had to go now.
He shut the door to the house softly, trying his best to be as quiet as possible and then looked out into the rainy night.
He stood in the stoop, watching the water drain off from the roof, drizzling down in patterned sheets.
The dripping of rain was all that kissed his sensitive ears.
He was going straight to hell for this.
He took a deep breath, and ventured out into the night, raincoat flapping around his calves, boots sloshing in the overly wet earth. His mouth was but a thin line on his face, his breathing heavy.
A poor, lost soul, mad with loss, mad with determination...or maybe just plain mad in general.
The cemetery loomed at the bottom of a great hill. The road twisting and turning down toward it. Like a great serpent leading those to their final resting place.
No.
Not final, Axton though dazedly.
A wicked grin parted his lips.
The gods thought they could take, could steal as they pleased. No...no...he would change that.
He would defy them.
He could change the chain of events that life held. If this worked...he could bring others back. He could bring those that deserved a second chance back from the other realm.
He would help anybody that was worthy of the great machine.
But only those that understood it. Only those that respected it.
Some would shun it, he knew this.
But that was because they did not see...did not see it's true beauty.
Axton laughed maniacally to himself.
God it was beautiful.
Axton's paced slowed steadily, each step waning until finally he stood anchored to the spot.
There it was.
Lightning jetted across the sky, lighting up the scene before him.
A large iron fence stood between him, and the graves.
It loomed over his head like a living creature.
The protector of the graveyard.
Axton looked up at the wicked trees seeming to hover over the cemetery possessively.
Their branches hung like boney fingers, clawing at the sky.
Axton felt chills run down his spine.
He shook his head and pushed the gate open. It squealed sickly as it allowed him passage.
He stepped carefully, avoiding walking on gravestones. His feet sloshed in the wet earth, creating nasty suction noises with each step.
Axton paused for a moment.
His eyes squinting in the now pouring rain.
He gently pushed the tip of the shovel into the earth, staring down at the plot beneath his feet.
The massive wicked tree was the only marker the grave had.
The fresh dirt had been melted away by the constant rain.
Axton felt a lump form in his throat.
He'd get him back tonight.
No matter the cost.
Axton slung the body bag over a nearby headstone and gripped the heavy shovel in both hands.
He looked down at the unmarked grave as the rain fell around him. Puddling around his feet, soaking into the ground.
Thunder grumbled just over the mountains to his right.
There was no moon tonight. The lantern served as his only lighting in the darkness. It was a black night. Black as death...
Axton grimaced and set the lantern down next to the grave site.
He lifted the shovel and more lightening flickered across the wicked sky.
Axton breath out.
"I'm bringing you home Jack." He whispered as he plunged the shovel into the earth with all his strength.
And he began to dig.
Minutes passed.
Hours passed.
Axton looked up from the hole in the earth, muddy, wet, and exhausted.
His arms ached from shoveling over and over again.
They felt like they may fall off at any moment.
He wiped the rain from his brow with the back of his hand and breathed out raggedly.
He was mad with determination now.
Pushing his body too hard, forcing it even when he knew he shouldn't.
He knew this wasn't going to be easy...evil deeds never were.
He cried out weakly and thrust the shovel down hard.
It thunked against something hard. Axton paused and looked down.
The moment of truth had come upon him.
He could stop. He could just shove all the dirt back in and forget he had ever thought this was a good idea.
No.
He would not stop.
He wouldn't...until Jack was alive.
Axton scraped the dirt back with the shovel blade revealing the plain wood of the coffin.
He outwardly groaned.
He'd refused to look at Jack when they'd buried him.
He just couldn't handle it.
And now here he was.
He'd have to see him in death...before he could see him in life again.
Axton felt like he was going to vomit from the nerves.
He carefully popped the coffin latch, took a deep breath...and opened it.
He stood still for a moment.
Not sure whether to cry or to be horrified.
There he was.
The presence of death itself.
All the color was gone from him.
His eyes were closed almost peacefully...it really just looked like he was sleeping.
Axton reached a hand down carefully, almost fearing he'd suddenly wake up.
Everything about this was wrong.
So very fucking wrong.
The racing of his heart and the bile threatening to come up from his stomach told him so.
He was absent of his mask.
Something that was far out of the norm.
He'd lost it in the fight...and Axton had taken it to the castle. For fear it would be destroyed. It was gruesome, but Axton just couldn't bare the thought of some bandits using the mask as a fucking trophy, or an object of mockery.
Axton had seen the scars before.
Months back.
He'd asked Jack why he wore the mask.
It was just a curious question really, but it turned to guilt when Jack got emotional about it.
He was sensitive about his face.
Weeks later, he'd taken the mask off for Axton and explained.
Axton remembered kissing his scars and telling him he was gorgeous.
Jack had said nothing, but the kiss he gave Axton had said it all.
Jack stopped sleeping with the mask on after that.
Aton relished in the good memories fondly and then looked back down into the coffin.
They'd make more memories like that.
Axton reached down into the earth and hauled him up, carefully hoisting the limp form up over his shoulder.
He laid him gently in the body bag and began filling in the grave. He patted the earth with the shovel and then lifted Jack into his arms, cradling him like precious cargo.
It was easier to handle once his face was covered.
Axton just kept telling himself he was sleeping.
A deep, deep sleep.
But it was only sleep.
Nothing more.
Axton must have looked like some kind of horror, trudging up the hill, body slung over both arms, rain falling around him.
It was all worth it.
It was worth it for him.
Meanwhile:
Maya carefully shut the door to her room.
She left a sleeping Zero sprawled out on the bed snoring softly in the throws of heavy slumber.
She had business to attend to.
Every since that day's encounter with Axton she couldn't rest.
Something strange was going on with the commando...and she was going to find out what.
She knew he was depressed and lost...but today suddenly he had changed. That sorrow and mourning had morphed into determination and secrets. But...why?
She had to find out.
Maya trudged up the stairs and slowly opened Axton's door. She peered inside.
Nothing.
He wasn't there.
She chewed her lip and narrowed her eyes.
The laboratory?
Maya slunk across the room and pried the lab door open. All the lights were on...but no Axton.
Maya looked around cautiously.
What the fuck was he hiding?
She immediately headed over to the Freezer, wherever Axton was, she didn't want him returning and finding her snooping.
She jerked the door open and looked inside.
She pulled out one of the white plastic little packages. It was labeled "Kidney".
Another was labeled "Heart", "Large intestine", "small intestine" and so on.
Maya placed the little package back, confusion spreading across her face.
"Organs?" She whispered lowly.
She turned slowly to look at the massive machine sitting center in the room.
"Bullshit he doesn't know what this is for..." She whispered walking up to it.
And that was when she noticed it.
The little leather notebook, sitting closed on the desk just beside the machine.
Maya knitted her eyebrows together.
Was Axton keeping a diary or something?
She picked the small book up and read the front slowly.
"Resurrection..." She whispered her eyes widening.
She frantically opened the book, flipping through the pages, seeing flashes of dead test subjects.
She covered her mouth to stifle a gasp as she fell on the last chapter.
And as if on cue, there was a thud to her right.
Maya wheeled around, eyes wavering in her sockets.
There Axton stood, soaking, muddy, rain jacket slung around his shoulders...holding a body bag in his strong arms.
A crack of lightening illuminated his figure.
His face was lacking of emotion.
Hard, determined...frightening.
Maya cried out softly in shock.
Axton's expression was dark as he looked at her.
They stood there for a moment staring each other down.
Neither spoke, nor moved.
As if waiting for the other to do something.
To end the standoff that seemed to last an eternity.
"God...God no Axton-Axton you can't!" She stuttered looking to him and then to figure in his arms.
Axton said nothing and entered the room.
"Axton...Axton listen to me...you cannot...cannot do this." She whispered as Axton laid the bag down on the long table next to the machine.
She stepped backward fearfully.
"No...No I can't do this...not without your help." Axton whispered looking at her sternly.
Maya's mouth gaped open a little as she tried to form words, but everything was escaping her miserably.
"Axton what the fuck are you talking about...?" Maya whispered.
Axton grabbed the notebook off the table and waved it in front of him.
"Doctor Maine, the scientist that this lab belonged to, he did it Maya...he brought the dead back. He lost his wife...and he brought her back." Axton whispered his voice crazed as he looked at her.
Maya scrambled away from him.
"Axton, you can't be serious. That Machine...that's what it does?" She whispered looking to the large mechanical beast.
Axton ran his hand down the entrance to it.
"Yes...this..this is The Waking. He designed her...this machine...this machine is a miracle Maya." Axton mused staring dazedly at the machine.
Maya shook her head.
"No, No Axton that machine is playing god, and you have no fucking business in that! Have you gone mad!?" She cried desperately.
Axton chuckled lowly.
"I don't know...maybe I have. If the Doctor can do it...I can too...but the machine...The Waking...it is not strong enough by itself...for a human resurrection to be successful...it needs a Siren's power." Axton explained slowly, his large, pleading eyes resting on Maya expectantly.
Maya just stared at him.
She did not say a word for a very long time. The pause of silence hung over the pair like heavy drapes.
"You expect me to help bring Jack back from the dead." She whispered softly.
Axton looked at the floor and then to the body bag on the table.
"Maya...please...it's...it's my last hope." Axton whispered.
"Axton...what you are asking me to do...it's it's unthinkable...and how do you even know it will work?" She sighed looking at him and shaking her head.
Axton clutched the notebook desperately.
"It will work. I know it will...I have to try..." Axton said softly.
Maya cursed under her breath and looked away from the commando, crossing her arms across her thin chest.
"Axton...it's- it's not natural..." She whispered.
"I don't care. I'll be the one pulling the switch. I'll be the one going to hell for it, if it comes down to that." Axton said down casting his eyes.
Maya sighed and brushed her fingers through her wispy blue hair.
She looked back to the commando, his eyes begging her, needing her, waiting for a response.
"You really love him don't you..." She whispered looking at him with soft eyes.
"Yeah... I do." He whispered sadly.
He avoided further eye contact with Maya.
He shouldn't have put this on her.
She had been such a good friend to him through all of this. She had kept his darkest secrets wrapped and tucked away from other's prying eyes.
How dare he ask so much of her.
It was too much.
Too sudden.
Too awful.
Friend's do not ask friend's to deal in the darkest of arts.
Maya made a small unsure noise under her breath. The kind one makes when tossing over an idea in their head. The kind of idea any moral soul knows is wrong doing at its very finest. But you still consider it. The tell tale battle between good and bad. Just because something can be done...should it be?
Maya's eyes flicked up to the table with the body bag splayed across it.
She flicked her wrist and a small energy ball began to form, glowing forth from her open palm. It licked and swayed as it hugged to her hand. Like a candle flame in the open air.
Her tattoos glowered weakly and slowly she looked up to Axton.
He was watching her with intent eyes, waiting, watching...hoping.
"Well...Vault Hunters aren't exactly known for playing on the safe side of the tracks, huh?" She mused looking over at Axton slowly.
Axton looked at her hopefully.
"But Axton...if anything goes wrong...you gotta be prepared to stop. You have to be prepared for anything...even if this doesn't work. We have no idea what is going to happen." Maya whispered sternly.
Axton nodded darkly.
"I understand. I take full responsibility...for whatever happens." Axton whispered softly and then paused for a moment.
He rested his hand on the body bag.
"No matter what." Axton finished breathing out slowly.
His whole body felt like it was coming apart with nerves.
His eyes flicked up to meet Maya's intense gaze.
Her energy was radiating around her like christmas lights. Flashing and swaying, sending light dancing over the laboratory and all it's horrid machines. All it's beasts that played god, and made the impossible...possible.
Axton called it a miracle, she called it a monstrosity. But either way, there in front of her stood her best friend and companion. She'd help him until the very end. She'd do anything for him.
Even if it meant this.
"Just tell me what to do. You're running this show." Maya sighed looking at him, a small smile tugging at her lips.
"You're the mad scientist." She chuckled.
Axton smiled at her widely.
The small sense of humor was strained, and nervous but there was the Maya he knew and loved. The Maya that loved him.
That she did.
She loved Axton, in a way that only best friends can.
Maya shot him a dark look.
"Whatever happens though. I'm here Axton." She said clenching her fists as they glowed blue.
His lips were but a thin line across his strong face.
He nodded understandingly.
Axton looked to the machine, and then to the body bag.
It was time.
And with that...Axton was in motion.
He threw open the machines door with a loud clatter.
He shoved the notebook in his back pocket and approached the table.
He ripped the body bag's zipper down, allowing it to yawn open.
Maya felt a little sick as the bag opened.
She'd seen plenty of death...but this made her stomach turn.
Axton lifted Jack into his arms, his limp head jerking back as he did so. The bullet wound in his chest gaped, dried blood still clinging to his clothing.
Axton seemed unfazed as he tenderly laid Jack's body down on the table of the machine.
Axton paused for a moment, his hand gently touching Jack's cold palm.
Axton slammed the door closed and looked to Maya.
He grabbed two heavy wires connected with some kind of handle and handed it to Maya.
"When I say so. You let loose of everything you have." Axton said darkly.
Maya simply nodded meekly.
She was trying to ignore the grizzly scene through the glass windows of The Waking.
This was the very man that had tried to kill them numerous times. The man that had tried to destroy this planet. The man who had done more evil than the six vault hunters all combined. And here they were...going to bring him back. Would he be the same? Would they just be awakening the same evil they had killed off?
Maya looked away in dismay.
Axton was filling a tray with the fresh organs, a look of determination splattered across his face as he was up to his elbows in blood.
Axton looked to Maya again.
"Do not let it go until I tell you." He instructed his eyes sparkling with something dark. Something intense.
Something that Maya had never seen in him before.
It was frightening and dangerous.
Axton grabbed the massive handle of the monstrous mechanical beast and heaved it down. The machine gave a sickening growl as its mechanics whirred to life. The wires at the top illuminated and sparked slightly, sending little embers down on Axton's feet.
Axton pushed up the first lever and the tray of organs was sucked into the machine. It began making hissing sounds and the glass fogged, shielding everything inside from prying eyes. Axton paused on the second lever, waiting as the machine worked.
Maya kept her eyes fixed solely on Axton, gripping the handle for dear life.
Her breath was coming in short pants, her nerves getting the best of her as she waiting for the signal from her counterpart.
Suddenly the light bar on the machine flashed green.
Axton pushed up the second lever and the noises coming from the machine intensified.
Axton looked to Maya, eyes wild.
"Get ready." He snarled, his palm wavering over the third, and final lever.
The lights on the machine flashed green and it gave off a buzzer-like noise.
"NOW!" Axton bellowed pointing to Maya.
Blue energy flamed around her body, exploding in a massive ball of light. Her hands seared the handle as she gripped it, sending massive amounts of energy through the wires. The entire machine was illuminated blue and glass tube was bathed in light.
Axton shielded his eyes from the blinding light and then looked into the glass chamber, body shaking, breath ragged.
The glass chamber glowered blue as the energy entered it.
The blue flow of flames entered Jack's body with a jolt, engulfing him, taking him.
Axton was barely breathing, his eyes fixated on the chamber.
And then...movement.
Jack's fingers flinched, ever so slightly, but the movement was there.
Axton drew in a sharp breath.
Jack's fingers curled and straightened, as if testing the life now flowing through his bones.
His hand lifted, grabbing at the air, fisting around something that didn't exist.
It hung there, stopping, pausing...
Suddenly Jack's eyes flew open, his lone blue orb glowering with energy.
His back lurched up, and his head tilted back, mouth agape as he let loose a bone chilling yell.
Axton stood frozen, unsure of what to do.
Maya looked to him with concerned, glowing eyes.
"AXTON SHOULD I STOP?" She yelled in panic.
Axton slammed his hands down on the table.
"NO DON'T STOP!" He bellowed over Jack's screams.
Jack's hands scraped on the table, his eyes wild and frightened.
"JUST A LITTLE LONGER!" Axton insisted his eyes horrified.
Maya's energy was engulfing the room, flickering and growing like a living beast.
Jack's yells seemed to be growing in intensity.
"AXTON SOMEBODY IS GOING TO HEAR HIM!" Maya pleaded.
"NOT YET!" Axton snapped desperately.
Jack's body bucked as the energy overflowed around him.
The machine was sparking like mad, its mechanics whirring loudly, gears clattering together as it overworked itself.
Then finally...the lights on the machine began flashing green.
"CUT IT!" Axton screamed.
Maya let loose of the handle and the blue energy flowing around her cut off with a flash of light.
Maya stepped away from the now smoking machine, hands shaking with fear.
Axton ran over to the machine and pulled the doors open frantically.
He heaved the table out, and moved back quickly as Jack lurched off the table and clattered to the floor.
Jack hit the floor hard, busting his lip in the process.
He sat up dazedly, touching his fingers to his lip and coming away with blood.
He seemed confused and dazed by the sight of his own blood.
Axton took a step toward him cautiously.
"Jack..." Axton tried slowly attempting to move closer to the panicked other man.
Jack looked up at Axton with wild, fearful eyes.
He scrambled backward frantically.
"W-What happened!? Where the fuck am I!?" Jack bellowed attempting to stand, but his weak legs gave out on him and he ended up crashing to the floor again.
"Jack! JACK! Calm down...it's me...Axton!" Axton said, eyebrows furrowed together in concern.
Jack looked at him in confusion.
"But I...but where...where are they?" Jack sputtered looking from side to side in panic.
"Jack, it's just me and Maya...there's nobody else here. Who are you talking about?" Axton pushed kneeling down in front of Jack, approaching him as if approaching a wild animal.
Jack looked at Axton, his one good eye wide and frightened.
"The keepers." Jack whispered frantically.
Axton frowned deeply.
What the hell was he talking about?
He would touch on that subject later...he was sure there would be many questions from the reanimated man. He had just crossed the thresh hold from death back to the living. Axton could only imagine what kinds of things he had seen...
"No. No. Jack, it's me Axton, don't you remember?" Axton pressed.
Jack looked at him, slow realization slipping over his face.
"Axton...?" Jack whispered slowly.
A smile broke across Axton's face.
"Yes, Axton. I brought you back Jack." Axton whispered to the panicked man.
Jack frowned.
"Brought...brought me back?" Jack whispered slowly.
"Yes. Jack...you were...dead." Axton said softly.
Jack looked even more confused.
He looked down at himself, hands absentmindedly touching his chest, fingers grabbing at his tattered shirt.
"Dead?...I was dead?..." Jack questioned slowly, looking at Axton with hurt and confusion in his eye.
Axton nodded slowly.
"But, but that doesn't matter. I brought you back. Do you...do you remember me?...do you remember...us?" Axton pressed cautiously, concern spreading across his face.
Jack just stared at him blankly.
Axton frowned and slowly reached out to touch Jack's face.
Jack's expression softened at the touch.
"A-Axton...AXTON!" Jack seemed to be jolted back into reality, his memory flooding back to him.
Jack clambered to his knees and practically fell into Axton's lap, throwing his arm's around Axton's heavy shoulders.
Axton nearly fell backwards, arms returning the embrace put upon him.
Axton's big fingers came up to run through Jack's mud caked hair.
Axton felt the tears sliding down his cheeks as he held the other man tightly.
Jack buried his face in the crook of Axton's neck, shivering and shaking. Axton sobbed into Jack's shoulder, unashamed of the emotion coming over him in waves.
Jack was warm against him.
Axton could feel Jack's pounding heartbeat against his chest.
He was dirty and wet.
But he was warm
He was alive.