Note: Sorry this took so long to do. I've been busy with life, drama, nearly dieing myself and being surrounded by it off and on. Also been writing other fictions that I simply consider better and to which I have a deeper love for. I enjoy To the Top, but 'In the Path of' is a series I've been working on for years. I'm on the fourth one. I've developed the characters through 8-9 years of their life-span at this point and all kinds of drama and growth and friendships and loves. Its the first fiction I think of when I want to write.

This story also has been a bit difficult. I know what I want to do. But capturing what it is that makes it Pandaren without being too dumb or too insane is difficult. It needs to be at a fast pace, it needs to be intelligent, it needs to be utterly insane and stupid and all at the same time. It needs to have steady character development. It needs a lot of things and is a bit hard to balance so many 'extreme' aspects while still actually being extreme in the way that Borderlands tends to be.

-Rhys-

The rest of the evening went well. Amazingly so in the I'm-amazed-it-went-well-at-all sense. We were undisturbed and while it wasn't the most comfortable accommodations, we made do and slept. Felix wanted us to get an early start on sleeping to get an early start on the day. He said we were too high-strung to play our parts right.

So the last order of business was getting STFU-69 to issue a statement that anyone who disturbs their almighty Rhys and his family will die. Sasha's idea. I don't know whether to feel bad or find it funny in an ironic way that one Psycho actually went for it and immediately died of a heart attack after declaring that my awesomeness was too much for his flesh to behold. (All I was doing was looking at myself in a mirror to see how bad some of the cuts and bruises were that I've gotten here.) Having a dead psycho as a welcome mat is not the most pleasant of greetings, but it got the point across.

"Well, this works." Fiona said. She looked down at the body in almost amusement.

"Hm." I hummed. I did my best to ignore it, but it still affected me. I'm not cold-blooded yet.

Vaughn looked uncomfortable with it. "Anyone else get the bad feeling that this guy only died because of how overly-hyped we are making Rhys?"

"Overly-hyped?" I turn to him, an eyebrow raised. "Are you insulting me?"

"No."

"Well, don't be fooled." I snap my jacket and make myself crisp. "God is not mocked."

Sasha snorted before crying from laughter while leaning over the table. Okay, now I am being mocked. I glare at her. "Well, your 'godness', we better get started." Fiona tugs on my arm and we step over the body.

"Right." I rub my hands together. "Down to business."

We step outside and within the span of 1.2 seconds STFU-69 is in our face. "SALUTATIONS! I HOPE YOUR REST WAS UNEVENTFUL AS A FLOCK OF BABIES IN A LANDMINE!"

Fiona puts her hand on the robot's mouthpiece. "Shhhhh, look. It has been a very taxing night, actually, and a little quiet would be nice."

The robot manages to turn its head to the side in confusion. "Taxing? Surely the one single insignificant little blasphemer could not ruin the evening of a diety such as him."

"Not on him, no. Very little can get under his skin, but you see… I was trying to… please him. Shall we say?" I snap my head up. Okay, what? "Wifely duties. I'm sure you understand."

"What?" I blurt out.

Fiona narrows her eyes at me. Right, shutting up. She leans down over the robot and whispers, "As the high priestess of Jack, surely you understand the burden pleasing a god can have on us girls?"

I thought the robot distinguished itself as male.

"Oh yes." The robot bowed its head in exhaustion. "It does make these old gears ache having to please him all… night… long."

All it did was stand guard… My eye is twitching. Are these people screwing with me on purpose?

"See! We understand each other perfectly!" Fiona fawns over the droid, and with a little charm, has the droid rolling away in a conversation.

My eye is still twitching as I watch them go, and all I can think is: What the hell?

"Trust me, there is all kinds of part of that you don't want to touch." Sasha whispers.

"For once, you and I are in complete agreement."

"Nice," She punches me in the shoulder.

"OW!" I rub my shoulder. "What the hell?" I have a moment where she isn't a total bitch to me, and we agree on something, AND SHE HITS ME!?

She points at my face. "Your face was twitching, now it isn't." She pats me on the bruised shoulder. "I did my job."

"Do you think it is right to be punching your 'god' though?"

"Do you think it is right for a god to have an eye-twitch? Because, sorry, but that is freaky."

I open my mouth to retort, but she just flashes a victorious smile and I close it. I don't know what to say. Its not worth it anyway. "fine, whatever. Just… go do your thing."

She salutes me mockingly and walks off. I swear there is no arguing with this woman! Aggravated, I kick the body. The body jumps up and grabs my shoulders. Its screaming. I'm screaming. Everybody is screaming. I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT WE ARE SCREAMING ABOUT?! WHY IS IT ALIVE AND SCREAMING?! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!

"I LIVE!" The psycho yells. "I have been returned for a refund!" The formerly dead-psycho runs off.

I see Vaughn standing in reach watching all this in complete bewilderment, and like a drowning man, I grab onto his shoulders. "Vaughn! Bro! Buddy! Pal! Stay with me! I need some kind of sanity in my life!"

Vaughn leans back as far away from me as he can. "Bro, both of your eyes are twitching."

"I realize that! That's the kind of day I've had and its only just started!"

"No can do." Felix exits the hut and pushed Vaughn along. Vaughn smiles apologetically and heads off to do something. I'm guessing Felix gave him orders. Otherwise he'll just find something to do to help.

"So I just do my own thing, alone?" I question. "Do you have any idea what can happen in that span of time! Its been minutes, and already I had to listen to a conversation between a girl-pretending-to-be-my-wife and a high-priest-insane-droid-that-thinks-its-my-lover talk shop about pleasing me all night, I got punched by Sasha because apparently that fixes insanity, and watched a guy rise from the dead?! Oh, and let's not forget that most of what comes out of their mouth is so illogical I can barely follow it!"

"Neither can they, that's why." Felix replies simply. "And that's why I'll be the one tagging along."

…

"I'd rather have Sasha, no offense." I say in blunt honesty.

"And she is too soft and gullible to handle your bullshit." Felix walks up to me and whispers harshly, "Unless you have forgotten that you are the one that got us into this mess in the first place! All because you weren't on a tight enough leash. I gave you an inch of room to breathe, and the first thing you do is try and escape-"

"That's not what I was trying to do!" I defend myself.

"Oh really? A Hyperion, who already has proven himself to be the type to run rather than fight, and is the enslaved prisoner of a group of Pandoran scum that ruined his life, wouldn't run for his life at the first opportunity? How dumb do you think I am?" Felix raises an eyebrow.

Okay, I can see why he would think I was running. He turned his back and I disappeared. If I try and say that I walked off because I'm a perfectionist and wanted to prove I could actually do something done right, he would laugh in my face.

"I… I would never do that." I say lamely.

"Oh?"

"First of all, I am here on Pandora because I chose to fight." Felix looks at me confused. "Long story. Basically I am an enemy of Vasquez and was trying to screw him. Second, I would never leave my bro."

He scoffs. "Not even if it means your death? Please. Either you are very naive or you are bullshitting me. I know how far a man is willing to go to live." He points his thumb back over his shoulder towards the scene of the village. "Pandora is living proof of that. Now, I won't deny you and the other Hyperion are close. Anyone with eyes and half a brain-cell can see that. But… survival tears even families apart." His eyes downcast briefly, before he hardens and whatever emotion was there disappears before a steel wall. He nods his head toward the antenna. "So save it and get to work."

"Right." I sigh.

We head over to the throne and I do my best to ignore all the insanity. Some Psycho's tear their shirts open, present their chests (not that the females aren't worth a glance at) and beg me to spit on them. Others proclaim my glory and 'Jack'ness. More of them throw themselves on the ground in front of me wanting me to step on them like some kind of body-rug. The rest pass out at the sight of me.

I can appreciate praise and receiving recognition. I won't deny that have a bronze statue in my honor would be totally badass. But the extent to which these people do it is mad and actually gets in my way at times.

In the distance I see Sasha is succeeding at herding a whole horde of villagers to look for anything computer-ish looking, as well as food and water. Vaughn volunteers to lead a group because, as I can attest to, he is the only one with the slightest inkling of what kind of parts we would be looking for. He would still be wrong, but the difference is that Vaughn would get me the wrong computer part while the others would get a collection of shoes, string, and lamps and ask if they can jam it into the socket.

The psycho's attending to my throne salute. One has a door for a shield and a dildo on a stick for a spear, while the other has a shoe on his head, the correct weapons and shield, but is turned around and saluting me with his back turned by slapping himself in the face. He has his tongue out and his eyes crossed. We ignore them and circle around to the antenna.

I scan it with my eye and before long every metal plate and every nail is revealed to me, as well as the model of the nails. Thankfully they are a modern model, so I can handle it without extra tools so far. One of my cybernetic fingers is a screwdriver. Useful for maintenance on myself. I unscrew the nails for the plate and glance inside. It actually doesn't look half-bad. Its covered in dust, but there are no worms, roaches, or cheese oozing out of it. No green slime.

It only shows my lowered expectations that I expect green slime to come oozing out of it. On Helios, the worst you can expect is a thin layer of dust because everyone who knows anything knows how to do basic computer maintenance.

I begin inspecting the parts plugged in and follow the wiring. It is old and the heat has caused a number of circuits to melt. I'll need to redo those. Some chips are damaged. Overall its quite doable with the right parts to fix it.

"What's the verdict?" Felix asks from where he is leaning against the back of my throne.

"Well… nothing has jumped out at me. Already that is an improvement. The air-flow is good." I insert a cybernetic finger in and insert it into a slot. "The conduits could use some repair and a bunch of chips need replacing-"

"Layman terms, Hyperion."

I take a moment to sum it up. "I can fix it by the end of the day if I get the right chips and a soldering iron."

"A what?"

"A soldering iron. Um…" I look for a way to explain it, but rather opt to present a picture on my arm. I flash an image above my palm of the tool. Psycho's in the distance gasp and pass out from the 'god-like' power I am presenting. "That is really getting old. Okay, well this is a soldering iron. Vaughn knows what it is, so he and Sasha would be able to find it easily with their goon-army."

"Okay, I'll be right back. You. Stay. Here." He points from me to the ground where we are. He glares at me. He walks off. He returns a minute later after having told Vaughn what I needed to find me waving to my loyal followers. "Don't encourage them."

"Not trying to. But those aren't doing anything too weird yet. 'Yet' being the primary word." I look to see Sasha nad Vaughn leave. "You would think Sasha's instructions to discipline would involve more telling them to not be insane and less shepherding."

"It wouldn't do much good." Felix replies. He sits down, a fair distance away from me with his gun on his lap, and leans back. "They wouldn't understand. Their madness is set too far in right now, but one day hopefully."

"Hopefully?" I raise an eyebrow. "You mean they aren't like that naturally?"

Felix looks heavily at me. Not with anger or spite or hatred, but as though I don't understand and can't ever hope to. "No…"

"O…kay…" I gulp and look at his gun. "Look, do you really think that is necessary? I know you think I may run, but-"

"Don't think too highly of yourself, it's not for you. It's for them." Felix keeps his eyes on the Psychos around us.

"Riiiiight… and you say there is hope for them?"

He is silent a moment. "When you find yourself locked onto an unpleasant train of thought, heading for the places in your past where the screaming, the pain, the death, the guilt, the fear, and burden is unbearable, just remember there's always madness to provide an emergency exit, Hyperion. I don't deny some are born insane, but most of this is the doing of the wars that have plagued Pandora. You treat people, your victims, like animals… and they will become animals."

I stare at him a long moment, and for the first time since I arrived on Pandora… something actually clicks. Something fits into place.

And I don't like the feeling it leaves in me.

What would Jack do?

For once, I don't know what Jack would do. Well, he probably wouldn't care enough about these people to look, because looking creates empathy, and empathy gets in the way of progress. We can't have that.

"Thing is," I find myself in conversation. "Is that a lot of these Pscyho's are not from Pandora. What you say makes it sound like they are victims, but they are people taken from insane asylums and brought here. Along with criminals, bandits, and gangs. The first corporations were willing to go as far as to hire criminals, psychopaths, and cutthroat murderers to get what they wanted alongside their hired army. These people aren't the victims, they are the perpetrators."

Felix raises an eyebrow at me. "Is that truly what you think? Where did you hear that?"

"History class. I had an education." I defend myself.

"An education." Felix scoffs. He looks at me in disgust. "So you sat in a nice safe little classroom where Jack-manufactored droids told you what life was? Why am I not surprised. No wonder you Hyperions are brainwashed."

"Yes." I answer heatedly. While he tries to make it sound bad, yes, those are the facts. I was in a classroom with other children. My teachers were the same as all the other kids: droids. "But I didn't learn what life was from the classroom. I learned what life was from the barrel of a Pandoran gun because when I was a child it was Pandarens who attacked Helios and slaughtered."

I pause before I continue, "So does that make me the bad guy or the victim, old man? You are right. Pandarens have suffered. Its been a war. But don't think the damage hasn't been on both sides."

He hardens himself again. He says icily, "Even in times of war there are war crimes, Hyperion. And being a nice little educated smart-man such as yourself, you would know that." He glares at me so strongly that I decide I've pushed him far enough.

-Fiona-

Fiona walked along with the droid. She figured the droid was the main problem for them, and so keeping the droid isolated would keep it under control. They made a journey through the mountain in the immediate area. The droid was happy to engage her in conversation.

Fiona asked, "So, tell me. Where did this all begin?"

"Where did what begin?"

"Well," Fiona considered how to word it. She would have to make stuff up. "Rhys came to you in his glory to end what Jack started, but I, being just a mortal wife, don't know when it started. What gave you the signs that Rhys would come? What happened to start your movement? Did Jack say something before my time or?" Fiona wasn't sure where to go with it, but she decided that if she could get to the crux of where the whole 'religion' began, they could sort-of predict where it would go.

That and with the droid being the high priest, it would work to engage it in conversation on a religious note.

"Oh! I see! You want to see…" The droid looked both ways. They were alone. Still, it wheeled up to Fiona and whispered with its hand to its mouthpiece. "The Nutritional Information?"

Fiona had a hard time following. "Uh… Sure."

The droid turned back around and headed towards the village, only to make a detour a bit to the south. "Long ago, this was a barren wasteland. I was but a simple wanderer. No purpose. No memory. Nothing."

Yeah, that is what happens when Jack decommissions all of the droid models and wipes their memory cores, Fiona thought.

"When an object fell on my head." The droid explained. It reached a hut guarded by a couple of Psychos, and it wheeled in. Fiona followed. On a stand was a pedestal, and upon the pedastal was a glass case…

"Is that a lemonade bottle?" Fiona wondered. She leaned in closer for a look. It was from Helios all right. It had Jack's big face on it with a thumb's up.

"Yes, it is!" The droid chiped in happily. "This holy object was sent by Jack and was the very beginning of this mountain! Ever since, we have safe-guarded his messages he continues to send!"

"So Jack sends you… scripture." Fiona glanced around at the trash all around her. "A mountain of scripture."

"Indeed!"

The room full of Psycho worshippers bowed and chanted. The droid looked up to Fiona and asked, "Come! Will you join us for holy worship?"

"Sure." Fiona smiled, while trying not to wince inside. "I am sure the great Rhys would appreciate me putting in some extra minutes."

"Minutes!? PFT! This is going to last hours!"

"… yippee." Fiona muttered quietly. None of the less she took up her place by the acolytes and emitted them as best she could.

The high priest stood before them all and declared, "Praise the holy nutrional information!"

The acolytes in turn chanted, "Serving size one bottle, amount per serving, calories 140, total fat 0 grams, sodium forty-five grams, total carbohydrates 39 grams, sugars 39 grams, protein 0 grams! Not a significant source of fat calorories, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesteral, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron! Percent daily values are based on a 2000 calorie diet!"

And then they repeated it, over and over.

Fiona stifled a groan.

STFU-69 took up the glass case with the lemonade bottle and presented it above its head. "The holy message of Jack! AS it was written and delivered into our bosom! Ever since the day of judgement when citrus rained form the sky, since the day when the planet's surface became a barren desolate wasteland! For eons we have lived surrounded by his holy words and his promises, awaiting the return of Jack! As it is written: Return for a refund when applicable! Jack will return for a refund! We need only make it applicable!"

-Rhys-

"Oh, yes! Thanks guys." I reach up and take the tools and hardware from Vaughn and Sasha. Their gathering of goons gives me all manner of gifts, none of it really useful. What am I going to do with a tissue? Actualy that is a bit useful to wipe off some of the oil and dust.

I inspect the sodering iron. I can plug it into my arm if need be. "A little bent, but it will work nicely. Thanks."

"Can we finally get this show on the road?" Felix demands.

"We can now that we have this." I wave the sodering iron for emphasis.

"What is it?" Sasha asks. She looks at the tool curiously.

"It's a sodering iron, it will help me make repairs."

"Oh, can I see?"

The question catches me off guard, and I have trouble wrapping my head around it for a moment. I swear her way of approaching me is different in each time. She has to be bipolar or something.

You know what? I'm in a really good mood now that they got me this. They got me metal I can use, they got me a suction tube, they got me a sodering iron, and a bunch of chips. We can do this! I pat the ground by me. "I kinda have to fix it, but why don't you see for yourself what it is? Make yourself comfortable guys."

Vaughn smiles hesitantly while eyeing the proximity of the Psycho's all around him, as they all fall flat on their butts to watch. I didn't mean them, I meant Sasha and Vaughn… but whatever. Vaughn sits down. He is already familiar with how ti works. Sasha though, her curiosity is kinda cute. I don't get people very often asking as though I am the smart one. Or asking for things in general. In Helios, asking questions imply ignorance, something you don't know, somewhere you are vulnerable and can be exploited.

Perhaps it's the same way between Helios and Pandora, but in different ways. Helios war is about information and knowledge. Pandora is about fighting physically.

I snap myself out of my thoughts and put the board in my lap. With the side of my body being cybernetic, what I am about to do won't hurt me beyond a few minor stings. I turn my head to the side so my flesh won't get stung, I turn on my eye, and I begin.

The sodering iron flares to life. Its tip begins to glow, and I lower it onto the metal. A gentle touch and the iron melts a tiny bit, and as I lift it magnetically pulls the melted material off. I wipe a bit of the excess on myself (something that makes Sasha and Felix hiss in sympathized pain, except it doesn't hurt since its cybernetic) and I lower it onto the panel. The melted metal gribs the plate where I want it to, and I merge a pair of lines together that were broken. It still leaves several more, and a few lines that need to be cut to be repaired properly. I bring the sodering iron to the plate and cut a line, and in the process sparks fly. I hear a 'thump' as some Psycho's pass out. When I am done with the line I bring the iron up and use a suction tube to gently pull the melted metal off the plate.

And I continue with the next little part. My cyborg eye lets me zoom in and be precise. I create grid-lines for precision in my field of view, and I even pull up the plate's original manufacturing map so I can follow it and see what it is supposed to be and how to go about properly repairing it.

The process continues for some time. It is very fine meticulous work and I have to move my arm very slowly and carefully. I take a moment to stretch my neck since I am bending over so much for so long, and I notice Felix is bored out of his mind, Vaughn is a little bored (he has seen this done a hundred times on my arm), but Sasha is utterly fascinated. I pause and see how big her eyes are, how focused she is on my arm. I haven't seen a person this focused on something I've done in… actually ever. Its like she is actually trying to understand what it is she is seeing, as though she enjoys working with electronics and finds it beautiful.

A ting of guilt hits me, because that's impossible. She is Pandoran. I told Felix I have an education, but then… that is just something I held over his head. He most likely didn't, she didn't, and she never will. Everything these people learn they teach themselves. I can appreciate the… desire. When you see something that fascinates you, you want to delve into it, master that field and know that it is that area that your mind works well in. Some people love law and are born lawyers. Others would find it boring.

Her fascination will not go anywhere or go further no matter what she may want. I'm just getting her hopes up showing her this.

I return to my work before I feel more guilt. At one point a spark hits me in the face on the side that is still flesh, and I flinch a bit. It stings, but that is to be expected. I don't have much access to proper face-masks like I would in an actual workshop.

But despite it all, I finish. I wipe the sweat off my face, and push the plate back into place inside the antenna. "Okay, Vaughn. Let her rip."

"Letting it rip… let's hope it doesn't… actually rip." Vaughn turns it on.

It comes on. The antenna spins! I let out a whoop of victory, and Vaughn throws me a fist that I bump with my own fist. "Booyah! Got it going!"

"Impressive." Felix allows. "But does it mean the briefcase is transmitting?"

I snap my pointing finger at Vaughn. "If you don't mind, good sir."

"Not at all." Vaughn replies cheerfully. He pulls up his datapad. "Let us see… Yep! We got a signal!"

Felix claps his hands together and rubs them in anticipation. "Then let's get this going. Rhys, Sasha. Go grab Fiona and meet us at the caravan. Four-eyes, you got a lock on that signal?"

"I do."

"Good, come with me. We need to get the caravan ready to move."

Felix immediately heads off, and Vaughn follows after him. This leaves Sasha and I standing there, and I just smile at my work. I chuckle and point at the spinning antenna. "You know. I've done this kind of stuff a hundred times, but this time feels different."

"Why is that?" Sasha steps down from the throne perch and I follow after her.

I shrug. "I don't know. Doing it in a filthy-" wasteland. "mountain? Having an audience?" I want to say I meant that in reference to the psycho's, but I think we both know how hard she was focused on my work. She was on the edge of her seat the entire time.

"Maybe being here has given me a newfound perspective on life!" I consider jokingly.

She rolls her eyes. "Now you are just waxing philosophical. What kind of Hyperion are you?"

"Right," I cough into my hand and make my voice as deep as I can. "Damn the apes! Damn them all to hell!"

"Are you calling me an ape?" She drops her tone a bit.

"No, Sasha that was a movie reference. You know… Planet of the Apes?..." She looks lost. "Seriously? Okay, you have to see it. No kid should grow up without having seen all seven planet of the apes!"

"There are seven planets with apes?"

"No, seven movies. Eight if you count the weird rip-off and then the 21st century versions, but those don't count. Seven original classics!"

We stop long enough to ask for where Fiona and the high priest are, and between the gibberish we manage to get some idea of where to go. We leave the village.

"So…" Sasha hesitates. She doesn't follow it up, and I look over curiously. She fidgets with her hands. Its kinda cute actually.

Wait wait wait. 'Cute'? Really? This is b1 we are talking about. She doesn't do cute. She does 'I'm going to take your eyes out with a spoon and beat you up with your own arm'. My arm is still sore from earlier. She has spent every moment throwing sandwiches in my face, yelling at me, hitting me, shooting in my direction, or generally being a brat. Yeah, something has to be seriously wrong with me if 'cute' is a word to pops into my head when in this woman's presence.

"Look…" She sighs. "You said you wanted a fresh start a few days ago… and even gave me the cool scalpel thing."

I nod. That's more like it. So what I said finally is going somewhere. "Did you get it working."

"No." She looks aggravated at it. "But the thing is… what you did back there. That was… that was cool."

"Thanks." I nod. Okay, so a compliment. That's something. First Grandpa Cranky calls me by my name instead of 'Hyperion' or 'cyborg', and now Sasha is giving me a compliment and bringing up my attempt at neutrality. "Nice to know it is 'cool'. Will you continue to try and make the thing work?"

"Yeah, I'll see how you got it working. But what I really want to know is… can you show me to do that?"

I slow down briefly. Did I hear that right? She wants me to show her how to use a sodering iron and make repairs? Is that more than just simple appreciation, but a desire to learn from the master? IS she actually putting me in a position of superiority? My Hyperion instincts tell me this is a weakness to exploit. She has revealed she is dumb in repairs. I already know they are dumb when it comes to computers. I can sabotage them.

I push aside those instincts. That won't get me anywhere. I have that option available if they turn on me, but until then I want to avoid making more enemies. I need allies. If Vaugh and I are going to get the ten-million dollars and make an attempt and getting our lives back to some semblance of normal, I can't screw them over. Not yet.

Sasha sees me hesitate and turns defiance and embarrassed, "Sorry, it's stupid to ask."

"No, no its not. I just…" I scratch my head and look for words. "I'm not used to hearing someone wanting me to teach them or show them… anything. In Hyperion you learn from robots, and then you teach yourself."

"How?"

"Well, with the Echo-net… But then you guys don't have libraries full of texts exactly at your disposal…" To do it or not to do it. If I teach her, even a little, then I lose an edge. My value in their family as a prisoner is that I am the repair guy. If they get another, then they don't need me, and they'll kill me. In addition, I will lose an edge I can use to reverse the tables on them.

But if I do it, I might gain… some sympathy. Maybe even an ally.

I jumble the options in my head. I sigh. "I'll teach you a bit when we have time."

If anyone sees the glow in the air or surprise on my face by the completely unabashed and extremely wide smile on her face or the spark in her eye, I'll deny all of it. It was like being hit by a grenade. One moment she was a little embrassed, meek, and hesitant. The next moment she is hyper and happy and giddy and like a little kid being told she can see the Jack-museum. In all of it I was left dumbfounded.

I've seen appreciation. But it is always controlled. This girl is just a ball of raw emotion!

I appreciate that she isn't hugging me or doing something extremely girly. That would have left me more overwhelmed.

In the distance we see a hut and we trudge our way up to it.

-Fiona-

Fiona had no idea how long she sat there… on her knees… bored… surrounded by the endless chanting of text off a stupid lemonade bottle! It took all of her self-control to keep the smile on her face, appear humble and yet diety and in control and surperior all at once, and to not run from the boredom. Did she mention she was bored?

Finally the endless chanting was broken by a psycho bursting in and hooting. Literally. The psycho was hooting and hollering and not saying a single thing.

"What's that?!" The high-priest droid exclaimed as though it actually understood a word of the animal noises. "Great Rhys has revived the beacon?!"

Fiona considered this. Had they revived the antenna? Dang how long had she been sitting there?

"Great Rhys has proven himself!" STFU-69 declared. "We must free the Jack from within him!"

Fiona felt a chill go down her spine. The droid pulled out a knife and pointed it into the air. The psycho worshippers yelled and beat their chests and slammed their faces into the ground. It was to this scene that the curtain opened again and Fiona turned to see Rhys and Sasha. The two looked in on the scene in a mixture of dumbfoundedness and aloofness. The entire hut-temple looked back at them. Fiona felt the situation snap.

"Run!" Fiona yelled and ran.

"GET HIM! THE TIME FOR JACK HAS COME!" The high-priest pointed its knife.

Rhys and Sasha turned and bolted down the mountain with Fiona. The psychos immediately followed.

"What have you gotten into them?!" Rhys yelled.

"Nothing! I kept it pacified all this time!" Fiona yelled back.

"This is pacified?!"

"Shut up, Hyperion! They're worshipping a bottle of lemonade! What else can you expect?"

Rhys jumped over a Psycho that lunged for him. "Well that just about fits with everything I would expect from these people!"

They ran, scrambled, jumped, and rolled down the hill fast as their legs could carry them. The howls and screams of psychopaths followed. Under normal circumstances it would be for their blood. Today it was for the release of Rhys from his fleshly prison. Same thing one would suppose.

-Vaughn-

Vaughn helped the old man down. The old man grumbled about it, but Vaughn could see he was having difficulties. He could see the man was agile for his age and very strong, but the old man could do only so much against age.

The old man didn't ask. He didn't say thanks. That's fine, because Vaughn didn't offer. He simply helped the man down as they went and moved on.

"Pretty fit for a nerd, aren't you?" Felix stopped to catch his breath.

Vaughn shrugged. "I always found activity helps me think. Studies have found that doing repetitive actions helps your thought process by 35%."

"And that is precisely why you are a nerd."

Felix sat down ontop the refrigerator next on their way down, threw his legs over the edge, and dropped. The ground shifted under his feet and the fridge toppled over, but Vaughn shoved his hands against it and kept it firm. Felix scitted away in a moment of panic, but as he saw the Hyperion had taken care of it, he simply nodded in thanks. Vaughn let it drop.

"You not like your friend much either."

"How so?" Vaughn wondered.

"Dependable."

Vaughn grit his teeth, but otherwise said nothing for a moment. "I know… he messed up. But believe me, Rhys is the most dependable guy I know."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. You take a thousand guys from the same crop back on Helios, and they will be efficent. They will never make a mistake. But they also will leave you in a jam. Rhys… he is ambitious. He makes mistakes because he…" Vaughn wasn't sure how to describe it. "He tries too hard to be something that he isn't. Yet when the chips are down he won't let you down."

"Hmm." Felix grunted in reply. "I don't see it."

"If you don't trust him so much, why leave him back there?" Vaughn pointed back with his thumb.

"I don't trust him. I don't trust you for that matter, but you at least cooperate and don't give me trouble. I left him back there with Sasha. She has her issues, most girls do, but she can control him fine."

Vaughn felt concerned by it. Not that it wasn't somewhat warranted from the guy's point of view. Vaughn knew Rhys was doing his best, and life was just taking a crap all over him. Rhys was the type to take oppurtunities when he saw it, but he sometimes lacked… caution.

But for Sasha to be watching him? Vaughn thought Sasha was okay. A bit highly strung, granted, the biggest concern was that the two of them couldn't be in the same conversation, much less the same room, without butting heads and chewing each other out. Vaughn wasn't concerned with Sasha watching him, in as much as it was shooting him.

A series of shots fired in the distance and the two of them halted. Felix looked back. Vaughn felt a chill down his spine. The shots continued in short bursts.

The two of them shared a glance and turned around to go back.

-Sasha-

Well everything was going to shit.

A group of Psychos jumped them from the front and Sasha gave them a reason to back off after shooting the first two. Unfortunately it doesn't work that way. See, Psychos are called such because they are psychopaths. Psychopaths can only consider the positive spin to their actions, never the bad ones. So they see beautiful, young, tanned girl with gun? They think hot, gorgeous, meat. They don't think gun, death, run. Even with half of their friends down they can't think past how that means one less competitor to the cannibal bar.

Fiona shot off a round or two but neither hit. She needed a lot more practice.

Rhys was busy running just in front of them like a bafoon… a very distracting buffoon. He had the dumb idea that running back and forth waving your hands in the air was dodging bullets. Except… there were no bullets. The psychos were running at them with clubs and the like. So… yeah. Sasha couldn't figure out what the actual hell he was thinking.

Meanwhile behind them was a stampede of nutjobs. If they slowed down they were dead.

Sasha pointed her gun behind her back and let off a few rounds. She didn't know if they hit, but she could only hope. "Keep running!"

"Don't have to remind me!"

"Good! Because I thought you were going to stop and have a nice chat!"

They came across a rickety wooden bridge and ran across. Unfortunately a group of psychos were at the other end, and Sasha turned around to find there were a bunch, along with the dumb droid, back at the beginning. They were effectively surrounded. Sasha pointed her gun forward while Fiona pointed back. Rhys was stuck in the middle. "Shit." Sasha cursed.

"Language." Fiona muttered.

"Got a plan there, sis?" Sasha wondered while ignoring the ramblings of the droids and psychos. The enemies stepped onto the bridge and were coming at them.

"Actually, yes, but you won't like it."

"I think I will like being a wishbone even less."

"Great. Cyborg, grab the bridge. Sasha, shoot the ropes."

"What?!" Rhys and Sasha exclaimed.

"Just do it!"

Sasha growled, and looked the droid in the eye. She was not going to be food… She also didn't' have falling to her death as on her bucket list either. But then… if the odds were-

"Sasha!"

"Fine!" Sasha grabbed the wooden plates with one hand and shot the ropes holding the bridge one by one. Some took a series of bullets to be cut, and immediately the bridge swayed. The psychos were not deterred, but Rhys was muttering all kinds of panic under his breath. Sasha shot the last rope apart.

The bridge collapsed and swung hard to one side. The psychos fell, and the droid leaped. They hung on as tight as they could and Sasha swore as they impacted the side. Her fingers were jammed between the bridge and something sharp on the other side. The bridge bounced and she shifted her hand enough to get it out of the way, but she felt blood pouring down her finger tips.

Something small, metal, and tight grabbed onto her leg and Sasha screamed. She looked down to find the blasted robot had grabbed her. She kicked and tried to push it off, but it held tight. Sasha reached down with her gun. The droid climbed up her until it reached her shoulders and leaped up onto Fiona. "Get off!" Fiona exclaimed.

Sasha aimed up and fired a round or two into its back. She aimed just so it wouldn't richochet into her sister, but it also diminished the damage. It shrugged the impact off and climbed up.

"Get off them!" Rhys barked. He kicked at the robot on Fiona's back, but it instead grabbed his own leg. "Okay, now get off me! I don't like this any better!" The robot held tightly to his leg and continued to climb up, cackling happily.

Sasha fired up at it, but between the swinging bridge and Rhys's wild movements tryign to get the robot off, she couldn't make a clear shot and risk shooting him in the process, or her sister. There was too much in the way. She made the shots she was sure were clear, but they were still drastically off aim.

Rhys exclaimed, "Fiona! Take the shot!"

"I'm out! It only had six bullets!"

Sasha barked, "Why are you carrying a six-cylinder in a place like this?!"

"Can we discuss her choice in weaponary later!" Rhys cried. He continued to swing himself and shake the droid, but the droid was persistent. It reached up to his shoulders.

"At last." It cackled happily. "At last! I got the think he wanted! It's big! Nice and big! I told him I would go big! But he wouldn't believe me! But he gave me a bad wrist from all the computers, and I tried to get his rocket in here but it was just too big! That's why I don't go outside no more! But he had to have it his way! What, did he think there is a secret key to everything?! No! It's Tuesday! You take your medicine and then you get your meatloaf!"

The droid reached Rhys's head and clamped down around him. It pulled out its knife. Sasha found a clear shot and took it, because for once Rhys was holding still. The shots peppered the back of the droid and managed to do damage, but it persisted.

"JACK WILL COME FOR HIS REFUND!" The droid stabbed Rhys in the head.