CHAPTER 48
Lillith and Mordecai stood back to back, weapons raised.
'Good knowing ya, Lil' Mordecai said, bracing himself as the mind controlled army advance on them.
'Yeah, yeah. Dont get all mushy on me now. Lets just take as many of these sons-of-bitches out as possible.'
'Sure thing Amigo' Mordecai raised both his revolvers as the army came into range. He heard Lillith cock her weapons. 'Ready when you are' He sighed, if he was going to die, it would be fighting, that's for sure. He always thought this planet would be the death of him. He felt a surreal calmness as he readied himself for the shower of bullets that was about to come.
'Sup, BITCHES!' Lillith screamed, but before she got a shot out, they were engulfed in a haze of purple light. The dizziness of the phasing unsteadied him, and he fell to his knees as they landed on a building rooftop nearby. They watched in disbelief as Duraph screamed in agony. A purple light emanated from between his armour plates. His scream turned to a gurgle, and suddenly he was gone. Blood splatter against the background of the sentry tower was all that remained of him.
'What the? Lil I thought you said..' He began, but gentle hands where helping him to a standing position. 'Babe, what are you doing here?' He yelled in disbelief as Montayva stood before him.
'No time to talk!' She yelled, as the mob below began firing on them.
'Grenade!' Lillith yelled, pulling the pins of two grenades and tossing them into the mob below. Blood and shrapnel burst up in a colourful explosion, sending dozens flying, and knocking many more to the ground. Mordecai snapped out of his shock, as Montayva and Lillith fired round after round, taking down the mob. Lillith threw her remaining two grenades, the blast covering the trio in blood, even from their rooftop vantage point.
'We cant stay here, they will overrun us soon enough, and I'm nearly outta ammo' Lillith told the pair, as she switched to an assault rifle. At the far end of the complex, the huge metal doors of the gateway groaned open. Willy and Axton appeared. With Duraph defeated, Angel had been able to hack into the system once again.
'You called for a distraction kid? Here we are!' Axtons voice came over Montayvas ECHO. They watched as Axton threw out his turret, and started firing at the mob from behind them. Willy lifted a launcher to his shoulders.
'Shit! Take cover!' Mordecai pulled the two women to the far side of the roof. The whole building shook beneath them as they were sprayed with rubble from the blast of the launcher. Montayva reached out to both Mordecai and Lillith, and once she had them in her grasp, she phased them once more. They reappeared on the western side of the complex, on the rooftop of an airiel drop off zone. Around the rooftops edges, were many ammo crates and chests.
'Thank god for that!' Lillith ran forward quickly, collecting as much ammunition as she could. Montayva had shouldered the sniper rifle Mordecai had given her, and was picking of the targets in the distance, one by one, critical after critical.
'Not bad!' Mordecai was impressed by her accuracy. She glanced up momentarily to give him a smile.
'Its not that I dont like using one, I just prefer close range.' She shrugged, and went back to picking off the army. Lillith joined the pair. Willy had let out numerous more explosions, he had obviously found somewhere he could resupply. It made a huge difference the the massive mob that Mordecai had once thought would be the death of him.
Maya and Gaige appeared then, at the opposite end of the two soldiers, the southern end. They finally had the army surrounded, the odds had finally turned! Mordecai watched as victim after victim erupted in explosions of green caustic waste as Maya shot at the hazardous waste barrels lining the complex. Gaige summoned her robot, and death trap went headlong into the assault, his deadly claw blades slashing victim after victim.
'I'm gonna have to get in closer.' Lillith went for the stairs at the front of the building.
'Dont worry, we'll keep you covered' Montayva said as she reloaded the rifle once again.
The fire-fight continued for another 15 minutes or so, and finally, the vault hunters emerged victorious. Mordecai watched through his scope as Axtons fist punched the air in victory. The victorious group congregated at the far end of the complex. Mordecai smiled as he watched the relieved group come together, and finally, he let himself breath again. But then he remembered why he was still alive.
'What the fuck was that?' He snapped angrily at Montayva, who recoiled at his sudden outburst. 'After all you promised me! You could of been killed! Look at you, still limping heavily, you're in no condition for battle!'
'I'm fine' She tried to tell him, but it wouldn't sedate the anger he felt.
'You promised me, and I trusted you!' he continued to yell.
'But you were almost killed' Montayvas eyes watered up, and Mordecai instantly felt bad, but he couldn't explain the rage it had induced in him with her betrayal.
'So what? At least you would still be alive' He lowered his voice some, but the anger still weighed heavily in his tone.
'But you cant...'
'please dont, just dont. If something had of happened to you...'
'Will you just listen to me for a minute!' Montayva screamed at him, and it was Mordecais turn to recoil. He waited for her to continue. A tear found its way down her cheek, and she stepped forward, taking his gloved hands in her own. 'You cant leave me, I cant let you die. Because...' She stammered as the lump in her throat choked her words.
'Because why?' Mordecai asked softly, reaching up to brush away her tears. Montayva lifted her gaze to meet his.
'Because you're going to be a father.' She sobbed, and waited for her words to sink in.
'Say, what?'
