Hello, everyone! Thank you for all your kind words and support. I thought I could get this published over winter break but... No excuses, I was playing pokemon. Anyway, here is the next chapter, enjoy.

United

Be Gaige.

"Holy smokes, you guys are alive?" You shout and holster your gun. Everyone follows suit, relieved to find comrades instead of bandits. "I thought you guys were goners for sure! Bring it in, numbskulls!"

You embrace your friends and laugh with them. But there is one you don't know. "Who's the hunk?" You ask, looking at Krieg.

"This is Krieg," Maya answers for him. Krieg shouts something about a bicycle made of meat. "He saved my life, twice."

"I wish I had abs like that," Salvador laughed and lightly punched Krieg's arm. Krieg glared, but did nothing else.

Axton pulls Maya away from the group. They look like they're arguing in hushed tones, but you decide not to get involved.

You look at the new Vault Hunter, Krieg. Damn, he has a nice body, but his voice sets you at unease. "So, Krieg, where are you from?"

Krieg growls and mumbles something incoherent. You get the feeling that he is not much of a people person.

Be Axton.

"What the hell were you thinking?" You whisper intensely. "He could be a killer!"

"You're a killer, Axton! Besides, he saved my life!" Maya whispers back harshly.

"He could be using you to get more victims, Maya. Did you think of that?"

Maya grows angry. She balls her hands into shaking fists and her tattoos glow. She is scary when she is mad. "You are not in charge of me, Axton. Stop trying to tell me what to do. You do not know me, or what I am capable of."

You stare, wide eyed, at the Siren that is straight-up threatening your life. "Look, all I'm saying in the guy can't even form a sentence that isn't about meat. He's psychotic!"

"I don't care," she says. Her eyes glow now, her anger rising, exponentially. "If he wanted to kill us, he would have by now. So leave him alone, Axton." She bumps your shoulder as she walks past, nocking you on your ass.

"Women!" You groan loudly, throwing your hands up.

Be Maya.

"Men!" You shout angrily.

"Tell me about it," Gaige points her thumb as Zero and Salvador, who protest by saying 'Hey!' in unison. "Whoa, babe," Gaige says, astounded, "Your tats are glowing."

You take a deep breath, calming yourself down and dimming your Siren Markings. "Sorry. I am calm now."

"Maya, what did military boy say, eh?" Salvador asks.

"Nothing of any importance," You respond. "Krieg will continue on with me, in search of the Vault."

Zero finally speaks up. "With all honesty/ I thought it would be very wise/ To stay as a group."

Everyone there, even Krieg, looks at him stupidly.

"What?"

Be Zero.

"What?" You ask the group of people staring at you, like a bunch of buffoons. "Power in numbers/ A group is more efficient/ We stay together?" As you utter the last line, you place your hand in the middle of the group.

Gaige, ever eager, is the first to place her hand in with you. "Alright! Let's go find the Vault and tear that handsome jackass a new one!"

"I'm in, too," Axton declares as he stacks his hand atop Gaige's. "It'll be nice to work with a team again."

Salvador is next, his large hand almost enveloping all the other three. "Count me in!"

Maya's petite hand is the next in the pile. "A group of trustworthy friends can be of use."

Now, with five out of six Hunters in the group, you and the other four look to Krieg, awaiting a response.

Be Krieg.

You look at the group of people who are now considering you a friend. Inside, you cry. No one had ever called you a friend since your… accident. You can't remember the last time you were happy like this.

You will yourself to place your hand in the pile. A single tear falls from your eye as you calmly say, "Thank you."

Everyone grins and laughs, celebrating their new companionship. Your body celebrates in a way that for once, isn't violent. You embrace Maya, whispering thanks. After a moment of shock, she hugs you back.

Be Gaige.

"How cute," you say, nudging Salvador and Zero. "I should take a picture," You make a box with your two pointer fingers and thumbs, and make a clicking noise.

Krieg releases Maya, who blushes furiously. You laugh with Salvador, and Zero displays "LOL" in his face plate. Axton merely shakes his head.

After the laughing dies down, you start to get serious. "Okay, homies, what's the plan from here?"

"I'm sure we all have similar, yet separate, agendas," Maya chimes in. "I, for one, want to learn more about the Sirens. The Vault may hold the answers."

"I just want some action!" Axton exclaims.

"A challenge," Zero says somberly.

"I want revenge," Salvador says. "Jack slaughtered my village, so I'm going to tear out his heart."

"I'm following the pretty lady!" Krieg shouts, causing Maya's cheeks to turn red yet again.

"Sounds like you are all prime candidates for the Crimson Raiders."

"Who said that?" You say, whirling around with your shotgun. "Where are you?"

"I'm on your echo, Vault Hunter."

You grab your Echo, a handy device much like a cell phone that monitors vitals, on which is displayed a black man wearing a soldier's uniform. "My name is Roland," the man says, "Leader of the Crimson Raiders. You six just faced down Handsome Jack and lived. Not only that, but you all fought back, and were able to survive the tundra. That is the kind of bad-assery we need here with the Raiders."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Chief," you interrupt. "Who are the Crimson Raiders, some kind of bandit clan?"

"They're the anti-Hyperion resistance!" Salvador shouts, working his way into the echo's camera view. "They're the only rebel group that Jack hasn't wiped off the planet."

"That's right," Roland says, a smirk playing at his lips. "We're close to stopping Jack, but we need all the help we can get. We can't let Jack open the Vault."

"Did you say the Vault?" Maya stands behind Salvador to get in the echo's view.

"Yes, I did. We want to open it before Jack can," Roland explains. "I won't lie to you. It will be a dangerous challenge."

"Did you say danger?" Axton asks, struggling to get in the view.

"A challenge?" Zero says, balancing precariously with the group.

Krieg jumps into the rest of the group, shouting something about nipple salads, causing everyone to lose their balance and fall one on top of another.

You land at the very bottom, of course. "Will we get to fight Jack?" You wheeze out.

"Definitely."

You all answer at the same time: "We're in!"

"Great," Roland says hesitantly, almost as if he regrets the decision now. "Come to Sanctuary. I'll mark it on your echo map." And with that, Roland leaves you with a blinking diamond on your echo.

Be Salvador.

"Oh, we are totally going to Sanctuary!" You shout as you push Axton and Maya off you.

"Hell yes!" Axton agrees.

"How do we know we can trust them?" Maya asks as she stands, brushing the snow from her clothes. "What if they are actually bandits? What if they try to rob us?"

"Then we will kill them/ No one deceives me like that/ I will slice their throats."

"The echo-net says that they check out. Roland, the guy we talked to, founded them five years ago after he and three others opened the Vault. They have been fighting Jack ever since."

"Plus," you say, "I've seen them with my own two eyes! Hot damn, they can work!"

"So you can vouch for them?" Maya asks accusingly.

"Shoot me if I'm wrong," you say, shrugging her off.

Be Roland.

You just got off the echo with the six new Vault Hunters. Besides their little balance mishap, they seem competent enough. They must be skilled if they survived an encounter with Jack. However, their hike to Sanctuary is what worries you. The trip is long and hard, full of danger. If they can make it to Sanctuary, then they really will be worthy of the title of Crimson Raider.

Sanctuary may not be perfect, but it is the safest place from Jack. Your shield is running low on power, though. If you don't find a new power core soon, you'll be susceptible to Hyperion's mortars.

You look out over the small city. Everyone seems to carry along on their own business, but you know that they are all scared to death. Hyperion is almost too powerful a force to handle. Handsome Jack seems to have infinite resources. He's taking most of the planet's eridium, and never runs out of money and guns.

The ground starts to shake and people scream. The Hyperion moon base has launched another assault. You hope the shield will hold.

Be Krieg.

You stare out of a blank eye at the men and women who have accepted you as a friend. They walk cautiously; looking in all directions for trouble, whereas you watch forward, not worried about anything except stopping yourself from killing them. Even though your skin is still numb from the cold, you can feel the air just barely warm up. You are getting closer and closer to the end of the tundra. "Got to be close! Need someplace safe! NEED SACTUARY!"

Axton throws you a dirty look, and it takes all your will power not to cut him in half. "Will you stay quiet?" He asks viciously.

You say no more, but not because he told you to. You cease to speak because you are afraid he will make you kill him. You are not the best with arguments, so you might just end up letting your axe talk for you.

You look at the spinning blade of your axe. Its edges are long and sharp, perfect for rending flesh. They glow red hot, burning and igniting your enemies. Of course, you have a tendency to light yourself on fire, as well. But the fire does not bother you. It makes you feel the pain you deserve.

The group stops moving, but you fail to notice and bump into Salvador, who turns with both guns pointed at your face and a look of murder in his eyes. Before you can raise your axe in response, he smiles and brings his guns to his sides. "Careful, amigo," he says, "I'm a little trigger happy."

You nod and loosen your grip on your axe. No one seems to pay much mind except Axton. He looks at you with a glare that says that he does not trust you. You can't say you blame him. Nevertheless, he better back off before things get ugly.

Be Zero.

It appears that your idea went over rather well with the rest of the group. Now you are working with others, for the very first time, no less. They seem to be able to handle themselves. You feel like you made a good decision.

In the distance, a loud roar rings out. The group stops and listens. The roar sounds again, louder this time. Whatever it is, it's getting closer. "Ready for combat/ I fear that this may be huge/ Time to go to work." With that, you vanish.

"Time to go to work, babe!" You shout as you throw out your turret.

Gaige summons Deathtrap right as a giant, 15 meter-tall bullymong rushes at the group. It roars and drool and foam flies from its mouth. It is quite the hideous sight.

"Die!" you shout as you thrust your sword into the Bullymong's head. You leave a deep gash, but you are caught by its fist before you can do any serious damage. It throws you to the ground, and your legs give out. "I'm down!"

Be Axton.

"Zero's down!" You shout. Your turret shoots at the Bullymong, but it doesn't slow down. You add your own bullets to the fray.

Out of the corner of your eye, you see Krieg running over to Zero. You want to stop the psychopath, but Salvador and Maya are in your way. You can see Krieg towering over the crumpled form the downed assassin. Krieg pulls him up to his feet and, running at the now phase-locked Bullymong, pulls out a live bundle of dynamite. He jumps onto the 'mong's head, holds the bundle near its eye, and lets it go off.

"That idiot just killed himself," you say, dumbfounded.

"Krieg, no!" Maya shouts, a sob threatening to rise from her throat.

Gaige just stares, wide eyed.

But out of the smoke and fire walks Krieg the Psycho, burned and cut, but alive. "I LIIIIIIVE!" He shouts.

Everyone, save for you, rushes to him, cheering and whooping. Krieg looks startled by the greeting. Zero is the first to return to you. "I could have sworn then/ I heard a different voice/ 'You don't deserve this.'"