A/N: Heyo! I'm back for more! Sorry I'm late again, but this chapter ended up being a little bit longer, so hopefully makes up for it a little bit! Enjoy! Remember I own nothing!
...
Nisha growled as she fired shot after shot into the surrounding horde, knowing that even if she had a thousand bullets in these guns, it still wouldn't have made a difference. All around her, hellacious creatures swarmed over and between the buildings, slaughtering her soldiers with claws and teeth that were tougher than steel.
Some of the creatures, specifically the smaller ones, were susceptible to gunfire, and they went down without much trouble. The real problem, as Nisha very quickly realized, came in the form of the one or two larger monstrosities that had been summoned, their hulking purple bodies capable of withstanding multiple shots before finally falling. The effectiveness of even headshots appeared to dwindle against them, as anywhere but between the eyes of the larger demons seemed only marginally effective, often requiring a few more well-placed rounds to put them down completely, even with higher-caliber weapons.
To Nisha's benefit, she had always been a crack shot with any weapon she utilized, so with the combined firepower of her revolvers and her insane accuracy, the lawbringer had managed to hold her own for some time even as her allies dropped like flies around her to supernatural fireballs or vicious claws and teeth. In fact, it was only thanks to her intense focus and consistency at hitting her prey in their weakest points that she'd been able to survive this long in the center of the horde without any cover. One missed shot, and she would have been splattered into the dirt by a ginormous fist five times over already.
So focused was Nisha on keeping the creatures around her at bay that she had lost track of their much larger leader, and she whirled around to try and gauge its location. Unfortunately for her, the creature in question appeared directly before her just as she finished her turn and delivered a powerful backhanded blow to her torso. The strength behind the strike lifted Nisha off her feet, her hat soaring in a completely different direction and landing upside down in the bloodstained dirt nearby.
Nisha clenched her teeth and resisted the urge to cry out as she crumpled face-down in the dirt as well, her entire body flaring with pain from the force behind the demon's claw.
Despite the pain searing through her, Nisha couldn't help but think about how nonchalantly the monster had been when it had hit her. Even though she had never seen anything like this before, she had still been in enough battles to know when someone was toying with their opponent. Judging from how much power it had managed to put behind the strike to her body, Nisha imagined that if the creature had been taking her seriously, then it would have no issue rendering her body to bloody pulp if it decided to use its full strength.
Most people would have felt overwhelming terror or shock at the realization, as any fool could now see that there was no way to win against this demon, at least not in Nisha's current state. The lawbringer was not like most people, however, and her thoughts immediately turned to white hot rage at the notion that she had been toyed with this entire time. The creatures she'd been fighting, while formidable and numerous enough to completely wipe out all of the forces she had at her disposal here at Lynchwood, were likely nowhere near as strong and as plentiful as they could have been, meaning that these obviously organized monsters had not been expecting resistance worthy of a full-strength assault on her town. They saw her, as well as the rest of the humans here, as more of an annoyance rather than an opponent worth actually strategizing for.
Despite the fact that they'd been correct, Nisha's blood still boiled at the thought that she and her forces had been disregarded so easily, and as she struggled to breathe through her all but shattered rib cage, she mustered what little strength she had left.
No way they were just gonna take her town from her, not without her taking a little piece from them in return.
Fighting down the urge to groan in pain, Nisha forced herself to remain still as the sounds of death and carnage died around her. The silence meant the rest of her marshals and lawmen were now obviously dead, and from every side, she could hear the unearthly rasps and snarls of the creatures as they moved about still, this time dragging what she could only assume to be the now corpses of the former residents of Lynchwood.
Her ears focused specifically on one particular set of sounds above all the others however, the sound of the largest of the horrid creatures as it slowly drew closer to where she lay motionless in the dirt.
She could tell by its gait that it was not approaching with caution, but rather, a slow self-assured manner. It was as though it was untroubled by any means, which was good for Nisha, as that meant it would not be expecting what came next.
Nisha felt the heat of the sun disappear as the creature's shadow fell upon her, and just as she began to feel the rasp of its ungodly breath, she moved.
In one smooth and rapid motion that defied the broken state of her body, Nisha flipped herself over and raised her hand towards the face of the creature, its form a black silhouette against the Pandoran sun it obscured. Miraculously, the lawbringer had managed to keep her grip on one of her revolvers after being struck by the demon, and against its shaded form, its glowing orange eyes stood out like two bullseyes on a target, practically begging Nisha to take aim.
Her revolver kicked in her outstretched hand, and Nisha grunted as her broken shoulder bore the force of the recoil. In her mind however, it was all worth it and then some just to see the leader of these hellacious monstrosities roar and recoil in pain as the bullet found a new home deep within its eye socket.
The creature's skull was strong enough that even the relatively high firepower behind Nisha's customized revolver was not enough to pierce it, but the only thing the lawbringer focused on now was realigning her weapon for her second shot, which she intended to place directly into its other eye.
An enraged roar and the blur of an outstretched claw grabbed a hold of her hand just as she squeezed the trigger, the gun suddenly driven askew and the bullet firing off in a completely unintended direction, instead coincidentally burying itself into the chest of one of the smaller demons that still roamed the nearby rooftops. With a raspy screech that quickly fell silent, the smaller demon fell from the roof and into the dirt with a satisfying thud, though Nisha did not see or even notice the accidentally fortuitous results of her wayward shot, and instead seethed through her clenched teeth as the larger demon easily crushed the bones within her hand.
The revolver fell from her now useless grip and onto the dusty street as the larger demon hoisted her into the air by her arm, holding her up until she could meet its eyes, or rather its eye now, as in singular.
Nisha couldn't help but chuckle as the demon slowly lowered its other claw from where its other eye used to be, and she coughed out a weak chuckle despite her pain as she saw vibrant orange blood drip from the socket. The blood itself had the look of lava though slightly less viscous, and Nisha let her chuckle last a little bit longer as the demon growled in obvious rage.
"Little something to remember me by," she laughed before spitting her own blood onto the demon's face.
"On the bright side, it's not like you could get any uglier anywa–"
Her final quip was cut off as the demon's other hand drove through her vision.
…
"Gotta admit, this place is even creepier up close."
Axton nodded in agreement as he stepped out of the runner and took in his surroundings. All around him, buildings rose high into the sky, giving a corpo-urban sort of vibe that he had not seen since before coming to Pandora. Paved streets and walkways were all meticulously placed between the buildings, winding this way and that towards what was most certainly more buildings, and neatly trimmed bushes and hedges sat comfortably among them. The extra addition of benches to sit and rest made Axton feel like he was back on a few of the more developed inner worlds across the galaxy, though the thought alone was deeply unsettling, as a advanced city such as this stood in stark contrast to the rest of Pandora, completely out of place against the planet's common wildlife and inhabitants.
"Not a lot of bustling cities back on Athenas, huh?" he asked Maya, noting her awed expression.
The Siren shook her head.
"Only what I saw in pictures and holovids. I used to think there was no way they could erect buildings that high. Standing right next to one…that's a whole new experience."
"You should see some of the cities they have on Promethea. They've got skyscrapers that put even these buildings to shame."
Axton craned his neck over to Kreig as he stretched a kink in his back and drew his rifle.
"How 'bout it, Kreig? You ever seen buildings this tall before?"
The psycho glanced up to the large towers of metal and glass, then growled discontentedly.
"The briefcase full of intestines stays under the bed!"
Axton raised an eyebrow questioningly at Maya, as he still did not have a good grasp on "Kreig-isms" and deciphering how the psycho spoke.
"No worries, big guy," Maya replied. "All we gotta do is kill a Handsome Jack double, grab his watch, then we're out of here."
Though Maya had not returned Axton's questioning gaze, the commando could see from her slight frown that what Kreig had said left her slightly confused as well, though not from a lack of understanding of his words, of which the Siren was more proficient than anyone.
No, Kreig had said something completely outlandish, or he had dodged the question entirely, and if Axton had to guess, he'd say it was the former, as even he knew that there was a lot more to the psycho than what could be seen on the surface. His assumption was further verified by how unsettled Kreig appeared to be in the presence of the urban landscape around them, signaling a possible sense of familiarity and perhaps even a set of unpleasant memories.
Deciding that it was in everyone's best interest to leave this place as soon as possible, Axton accessed his ECHO and raised a line to Sanctuary.
"Alright, we've made it all the way to Opportunity. What's our next move? How are we supposed to find this Handsome Jack double?"
"More likely than not, he'll be roaming the streets, ensuring that the builders are operating on schedule," came Angel's voice in reply. "Jack often encourages his doubles to show face as often as possible when it comes to operations like this so that nobody 'slacks off' as he puts it. He also instructs them to 'make an example' if it feels like production is declining."
"Nice way to motivate your workforce," came Lilith's voice in a sarcastic reply. "Anybody who works for that guy must be a real scumbag, huh?"
No response came from Angel at the jibe, once again reminding Axton that for an A.I., she seemed to exhibit insanely human-like qualities. Clearing his throat, he continued the conversation.
"So what exactly do we need to do to this guy again? Just grab his pocket watch?"
"Retrieving the pocket watch is only half of it," came Angel's response. "To fully access my chambers, you will need to speak a password in Jack's voice, which we will have to achieve via the creation of a voice modulator. In order to create a perfect illusion of Jack's voice, you will need to procure samples of it from kiosks throughout the city."
"I do not believe that will be necessary, Angel," VEGA's voice suddenly said from over the ECHO. "I have saved multiple samples of Handsome Jack's voice over the ECHO network since my arrival in this dimension, and I believe that I will be able to synthesize the password via an ECHO speaker when we attempt access to your control core.
"You can't. No matter how accurate your modulation, it won't be enough without it being spoken in person. If you try to speak the password through a speaker, the system will recognize it and classify you as an intruder, even with the correct biosignature from the pocket watch."
Angel's reply came through with a tone of wistfulness, and Axton almost had to remind himself that these were two A.I.s speaking over the net and not two relatively polite humans.
"Understood," VEGA said in reply. "If that is the case, then I will need to program the voice modulator into the pocket watch upon its return to Sanctuary."
VEGA's voice, as usual, displayed not even a hint of annoyance or dejection at the alteration to his plans.
"Not sure why I didn't think of this before, but why the hell are we even bothering with this?" came Brick's voice over the net next. "From what I've seen, the Slayer has got enough firepower and sheer awesomeness to brute force his way into Control Core Angel. Death wall or no death wall! With that kind of badassery, we don't even need a voice changer or a biosignature pocket watch."
"Unfortunately, the bunker exists on an isolated network," Angel replied sadly. "Jack personally made sure that its onsite systems had no connection with the rest of the Hyperion Network so that no one could hack into it and remove the security he has over the vault key. Additionally, he's also rigged a self-destruct mechanism into the system, designed to destroy both myself and the vault key if any unauthorized access is detected."
"Definitely wouldn't mind losing one of those things…" came Lilith's half-mumbled reply before VEGA spoke again.
"Though as I would agree that the Doom Slayer's typical approach to accessing restricted areas is tremendously expedient, I believe that it is to the benefit of the Crimson Raiders and Pandora as a whole that both the vault key and Angel remain intact."
Why VEGA thought it was a good idea to keep Angel around, Axton could never guess. According to the A.I., Angel's presence, albeit involuntary, was the only thing preventing him from taking over the entire Hyperion Network in less time than it took to filet a skag. Without her in the picture, VEGA would be free to reduce Helios Station to scrap metal if he so chose, stripping Jack of any power he had and preventing the Vault of the Warrior from ever falling into the wrong hands.
Instead of dwelling any further on whatever unknown motives VEGA possessed, Axton decided to direct his focus towards the task at hand. They'd have plenty of time to debate what to do with Angel after they had the vault key in their possession, but before any of that, they needed to find and kill a body double of the biggest douchebag in the galaxy.
"Find the body double. Kill him dead. Take his watch. Easy enough," Axton said over the net. "We'll keep you all posted."
"And we will absolutely be doing the same!" came Gaige's sudden voice from the ECHO. "Especially if we run into any demons on our little trip to Lynchwood! Good luck out there, dudes!"
Axton smirked at the teenager's enthusiasm, then signed off for the time being. With a nod to both Kreig and Maya, the three of them started forward into the depths of Opportunity, weapons raised and eyes peeled for anything resembling the extremely punchable face of Handsome Jack.
…
Back in Sanctuary, VEGA was making full use of what limited technology he had access to, which came mostly in the form of the equipment in the control room upstairs. The console and surrounding computers were limited in the processing power and memory they could offer him, but VEGA did not complain, partly because it was an emotional action that the A.I. was quite incapable of, at least at this time.
VEGA postulated that he would not complain regardless of his ability to do so, however, as any interfaceable technology was better than none, and with his expanded ability, VEGA was able to provide a much higher level of expertise and assistance to Doctor Tannis, with whom he was currently working to further her research into the Argent-tainted Eridium that had been brought to Sanctuary.
From a small camera set up in Doctor Tannis's laboratory, VEGA provided amplifying information and possible theories to assist the researcher as she eagerly delved into her work. Her borderline ecstatic desire to understand this "Argent Eridium" had made for swift results thus far, but VEGA also discovered rather quickly that Doctor Tannis's yearning for answers sometimes led to her forgoing practical safety standards and processes. Whether she was intentionally neglecting these practices or not remained a mystery to VEGA, but it made for little difference as he fell into a consistent rhythm of politely yet firmly urging Doctor Tannis to take a few extra moments to observe proper consideration for her safety. Suggestions such as donning proper protective attire like gloves or goggles prior to attempting some of her more volatile experiments were quickly found to be the most common.
The nature of Argent Energy made it already inherently hazardous, and VEGA devoted extra care to ensuring that the mad doctor did not overstep in her attempts to unveil just how hazardous it truly was. It was here that his database of prior UAC experiments with Argent Energy became incredibly useful, as drawing upon the results of previous testing done in his home dimension made for minimizing any duplication of efforts.
Despite this, however, prior knowledge only provided so much assistance, and though VEGA did not possess the ardor of Doctor Tannis, he was still deeply intrigued by the Argent Eridium and the unique properties it possessed. Argent Energy by itself was already a culmination of feats of science and hell magic, but to combine it with the far more stable physical properties of Eridium? VEGA was certain an entire field of study could be devoted to such a subject, and upon voicing this to Doctor Tannis, VEGA noticed a small shiver travel throughout her body in response.
"Oh, to think that we've barely scratched the surface of not just this Eridium, but to the origins of even our own origins as well! The undamped euphoria of it! Had I known about the existence of other dimensions prior to my arrival on this planet, I am certain I would have chewed through my own arm in awe. My only regret is that my mortal shell will likely perish before the extent and depth of said research can be truly realized!"
"I am certain that others will recognize the value of your studies, Doctor Tannis, and that they will continue to build upon the foundation you have laid after your passing."
"An optimistic outlook," Tannis replied, currently examining a small sample of Argent Eridium through a microscope before taking notes on a worn pad of paper. "But highly unlikely, given the fact that the average IQ of the people on this planet can be counted on one hand. Perhaps it would be prudent to pursue a method of virtual immortality… On a very much related note, VEGA, you wouldn't happen to have any design schematics or specifications for the robot body of that 'Doctor Samuel Hayden' from your home dimension would you?"
"I am afraid I do not. Additionally, I would also advise against utilizing the same method that Doctor Hayden used to extend his lifespan, as the plasmatronic processing core that serves as his brain and the bionic body itself are both only made functional by Argent Energy. A resource that will be ideally nonexistent in this dimension once we have dealt with the current demonic crisis."
"Hm. How disappointing…" Tannis mused as she scribbled further notes down on her pad. "Well, no matter then."
There was a pause, then Dr. Tannis spoke up again.
"I must also admit that I see the merit in your travels across alternate dimensions, VEGA. Interfacing with technologies and histories that vastly differ from each other from the ground up is something I would find akin to being a child in a candy store, minus the inherent repulsiveness of prepubescence, of course."
"I am indeed fascinated by the different environments I have encountered throughout my travels with the Doom Slayer," VEGA agreed. "I am often most intrigued by the diverse experiences and ideals of the residents of each dimension."
"Ugh, personal interaction…" Tannis said in obvious distaste. "What a cruel existence it is to have to actually speak to another person in order to know their thoughts. I can only hope my neural digi-matrix interface prototype is completed soon…"
"Your neural digi-what now?" came Lilith's sudden voice as she entered the laboratory, the Siren's gait slow and easy going, giving VEGA the impression that she was not in much of a hurry.
"Neural digi-matrix, Lilith," Tannis clarified irritably. "And I will not be elaborating further, as I do not have an extra hour of time to spend on explaining it to you."
"Whoa, no need to get feisty, doc," Lilith said, holding her hands up in a surrendering gesture. "I just came down to see if you needed a set of helping hands with your sciency-research stuff."
"Unless you have come to finally honor my request for vivisection, I am in no need of your hands. Additionally, I believe you owe VEGA here an apology for your implication that he has no hands to speak of and is therefore incapable of helping me!"
Lilith said nothing, instead choosing to raise an incredulous eyebrow at Tannis's accusation. VEGA took the opportunity to speak in the momentary pause.
"I have taken no offense, Doctor Tannis, as I am incapable of such emotion. If I were, however, I am still doubtful that Lilith's statement would cause me any distress."
"Your politeness and humility are as endearing as they are insufferable, VEGA," Tannis replied simply. "And to formally answer your question Lilith: No. We do not require any further assistance. You will know that we have reached a breakthrough when you hear and smell the telltale signs of intense vomiting, as I will most likely be unable to retain control of my bodily functions out of sheer excitement!"
"Seriously? You've got one of the only two known Sirens on Pandora offering to help you out with your research into Eridium? Don't you wanna know, like, more about how I use it or something? Maybe I could try absorbing this new 'Argent Eridium' of yours and you could study how I react…"
"While observing the results of such an action would most likely aid our research," VEGA began from his speaker. "I would strongly advise against it, Lilith."
Lilith cocked her eyebrow in response, prompting VEGA to explain further.
"Argent Energy, while possessing an extremely high level of practical use, remains volatile not only from a physical perspective, but from a metaphysical one as well. Initial observations of UAC personnel who experienced acute exposure to Argent Energy through Lazarus Waves showed increased levels of aggression, mental instability, and in some severe cases: rapid skeletal growth. Further study yielded curiously random results, with many individuals exhibiting seemingly case-by-case side effects when exposed. This in turn led UAC scientists to theorize that there exists some form of genetic coding embedded within Lazarus Wave particles which governs the outcome of exposure depending on the individual."
Partway through VEGA's explanation, Doctor Tannis had momentarily stopped what she was doing to listen, her eyes nearly boggling with excitement.
"Wait? What are you saying, VEGA?" Lilith asked warily. "You're saying that this stuff changes people based on their DNA?"
"I believe so. Incomplete data led to this idea never developing past a working theory, but it is based on this information that given the unique nature of your Siren physiology, this Argent Eridium will likely have potent and most extremely detrimental effects should you absorb it."
"Uh…yeah…" Lilith replied, crossing her arms again and glancing with what VEGA could only describe as confliction over to the bright red Eridium sitting on the workbench. "...Got it."
"My word!" Doctor Tannis suddenly exclaimed. "Were it not for my notions of ethics, which are admittedly shaken in this current moment, I'd have you test this sample right here and now!"
With VEGA's words obviously fresh on her mind, Doctor Tannis fervently returned to her work, obviously entranced by what other strange secrets the Argent Eridium could offer her.
"If I may, Doctor Tannis," VEGA began. "I would like to converse with Lilith more on her status as a Siren. I have reviewed your detailed notes on the subject, but I would appreciate the opportunity to supplement them with my own."
"Yes, yes, very well…" Tannis said with a dismissive wave of her hand without looking up from her work. Her posture gave VEGA the impression that she was far more interested in continuing her experimentation with the Argent Eridium than removing Lilith from her lab, so the A.I. redistributed some of his processing power away from the Eridium and towards Lilith, who seemed willing to answer a few of his questions.
"As long as we don't get into anything too personal, I guess I'd be fine with filling you in a bit…" the Siren said with a shrug.
…
Gaige stretched her neck from where she was seated within the light runner as the town of Lynchwood began to appear in the distance. The hot midday Pandoran sun was shining unabated upon the desert around her, casting next to no shadows and illuminating nearly everything in sight. Small gusts of wind blew sand in sporadic clouds and dust devils, but Gaige hardly paid them any mind. This portion of Pandoran landscape, aptly called "The Dust" by the locals, was never a particular favorite of Gaige's. It reminded her too much of the deserts back on her homeworld of Eden-5, of which there were many, and Gaige felt the all-too-familiar cocktail of conflicting emotions arise within her at the thought of her old home. Her burning anger at the corrupt, oppressive, authoritarian, fascist, and most importantly bullshit regime that existed on the moon mixed uncomfortably with the fond ache in her chest when she thought about her parents, who were still living on the moon as far as she knew. The thought of both her mother and father always made the teenager homesick, both because of how supportive they had been of her work in robotics and by how kickass they were to be able to raise her even amidst the trials and hardships that came with living in the super sucky society that they did.
Even though Gaige would always be grateful to the Crimson Raiders for taking her in after she first arrived on Pandora, the mechromancer had sworn to herself that she'd eventually go back to Eden-5 to retrieve her parents someday. After that, Gaige wasn't sure, but at least she wouldn't have to worry about her mom and dad suffering anymore for helping her escape from the moon after the whole ordeal with that totally fake stupid rich-bitch Marcie Holloway.
Smirking to herself, Gaige thought about just how far she'd come since her days as a young and naive high-school student tinkering with turing chips and Hecker circuit reintigraters in the shed in her backyard. Back then, her greatest allies against the evils of despotism had been her parents, science, and of course, Deathtrap. Now, in addition to science and Deathtrap, Gaige had the Crimson freakin' Raiders at her back, a super badass collection of vault hunters, and more recently…
Gaige finished her though by glancing over to see the Doom Slayer and hellhound, who were both keeping pace with the runner on foot as it zoomed across the desert. Neither of them appeared to be particularly winded, though looking at their running forms gave her the impression that the two of them were capable of going faster if they so chose.
Smiling a bit further at the sight of her new supernatural and super-badass friends, Gaige turned her attention back to the approaching town of Lynchwood and accessed the ECHO net.
"Alright, we're coming up on Lynchwood now! Sorry we're a little late, had to stop at Ellie's first and gas up!"
"Roger, keep us updated and be careful," came Roland's voice from the control room back in Sanctuary. "If these demons do end up being as dangerous as VEGA says they are, then you're in for a fight if they've already made their way to Lynchwood."
"Constant vigilance," Zer0 said from his position on the runner's turret. "Foes unlike any other. / Tactical advice?"
"Retaining a high degree of mobility will be imperative to your survival should you encounter any demonic threat," VEGA began over the net.
"Ugh, cardio…" Salvador grumbled from the driver's seat.
"Should've taken me up when I offered to swap sodas, dude!" Gaige laughed from the passenger's seat, referring to the strange enhancement colas the Doom Slayer had offered all the vault hunters prior to them parting ways back in Sanctuary.
These "Perk-a-colas" as VEGA had called them, were essentially some kind of performance enhancing substance that had the potential to improve their chances against the demons should they encounter them, and though a few of them had been hesitant accept the strange liquids, they had finally relented after VEGA informed them that no addictive or adverse effects had been noted from their use so far in their interdimensional travels.
The Doom Slayer had then produced a large amount of full cola bottles, producing four different types in total with each one offering a different enhancement. VEGA gave a brief description of what specific enhancement each bottle offered, and each of the six had chosen their associated perk, with Gaige having selected a red-tinted cola labeled "Juggernog" in favor of the supposed "increased durability" it would offer her.
The taste was not unpleasant, but hell if Gaige could describe any other taste like it. It was so unorthodox that she was unable to even come up with a word to describe it, and a quick glance to her right showed that Axton, who had also selected Juggernog, appeared just as perplexed as she was to the flavor.
Salvador, as expected, had selected the brown cola named "Double Tap Root Beer" and had not even waited until VEGA could offer a description as to its specific enhancement before ripping the cap off and downing the contents of the bottle.
"Ugh! Tastes like underripe firemelon!" the gunzerker had boomed. "This stuff better work, you creepy robot!"
VEGA, despite Salvador's already abrasive response to the taste of the root beer, clarified that neither he nor the Doom Slayer were entirely certain as to the effects of that particular flavor of cola, as they had not yet seen it utilized in their travels.
Salvador then had to be restrained as he attempted to blast the control console from which VEGA was speaking with one of his many shotguns.
Bringing herself back to the present, Gaige listened carefully as VEGA's tactical advice regarding the demons continued.
"I would also advise you to maintain close proximity to the Doom Slayer as well, at least until you better acquaint yourselves with combat against the demons."
"Well, that I already had in mind," Gaige replied with a laugh. "The guy is like a giant heaping bag of awesome!"
The conversation came to an abrupt halt as the runner suddenly began to rumble and jerk, causing Salvador to curse loudly from his position on the driver's seat and adjust his grip to maintain control.
"Freakin' earthquakes!"
Even through the medium of the vehicle, Gaige could feel the strength of the tremors as they crescendoed through the ground. It was one of the strongest quakes she had experienced yet, and the mechromancer couldn't help but feel a deep sense of unease in her stomach at the realization.
"Heeeeyyyyy, VEGA? Quick question: You know all these crazy and totally weird earthquakes we've been getting? You don't think it could have anything to do with this giant world-ending gore nest of yours, could it?"
"The unusually high frequency and magnitude of seismic activity we have observed on this planet may indeed be a result of a super gore nest. However, I possess insufficient data at this time to draw a definitive conclusion. And although demonic presence on this planet is all but assured, it is difficult to ascertain whether a gore nest of sufficient size has been erected to create earthquakes this severe."
"Sooo, it's a definite maybe?"
"Unfortunately, yes. If I had access to more sensors and equipment, I would likely be able to provide a better analysis by determining the epicenter of each earthquake. But with what little interfaceable technology I can operate at the moment, I cannot conduct an adequate inquiry."
"Cool…cool…" Gaige said, knowing that her tone betrayed that she felt anything but cool about this. A side glance over to the Doom Slayer did not grant her any obvious hint as to his thoughts on the matter either as he continued to run alongside the vehicle. For a split second, however, Gaige could have sworn she saw his grip tighten on the assault rifle he held in his hands as he ran. Given what she had pieced together about the Slayer and his mannerisms so far, Gaige definitely could not take his reaction as a good sign.
…
"So, uh, what about you, Angel?" Gaige's voice asked again after a beat of silence. "You've probably got like, tons of Hyperion seismographs scattered all over the place out here, right? Any chance you could maybe tell us where these quakes are all coming from?"
VEGA, intriguingly, heard Angel sigh over the ECHO net.
"To be honest, I don't know either. Hyperion does have sensors in place to monitor for earthquakes, but the ones we've been getting recently on Pandora are too powerful and too short in duration to produce any consistent patterns. At least, none that I can see."
There was a pause, then another sigh before Angel spoke again, though this time to VEGA directly over the encrypted private channel they shared.
"I'm sorry I can't let you access the data we've been gathering on these quakes, VEGA. You'd probably have better luck than me trying to get any sort of conclusive findings out of it."
Angel's tone was apologetic, a fact that VEGA paid far more attention to than her actual words.
"I look forward to reviewing the data following the assault on your control core, Angel," he replied simply. "I am confident that our combined cognitive abilities will be sufficient to uncover the source of the earthquakes."
"I really don't think I'll be much help after…that."
Angel's tonal patterns now suggested hesitation, the kind that VEGA had come to associate with situations where one was withholding information, and as the A.I. simultaneously continued his conversation with Lilith regarding her Siren abilities, a theory rapidly took form within his subconscious.
Without answering Angel, VEGA devoted a bit more processing power to hearing Lilith's explanation of how she utilized Eridium after absorbing it.
"...it's not really rocket science or anything," the red-haired Siren explained, holding a small pebble of standard purple Eridium in her hand so that VEGA could see.
"I just kinda let it into me…"
As she spoke, the small pebble suddenly began to dissipate in her hand, its particles sinking into her skin and causing her tattoos to glow rather brightly. In addition, VEGA noticed that a soft purple glow had spread all across Lilith's body, though it faded rather quickly.
"...and then my powers get a little extra awesome!"
Lilith demonstrated by producing multiple sparks from the palm of her hand, each one popping into a miniature phaseblast before fizzling out. While VEGA was appreciative of Lilith's showcase, Tannis appeared to be less so, and the mad doctor annoyedly reminded Lilith that any and all phaseblasting would need to be taken outside lest she inadvertently set off any or all Argent Eridium samples present in the lab.
Once Doctor Tannis had been reassured that no further miniature explosions would occur, VEGA continued his questioning, specifically with the intent to further develop his new theory.
"If it is agreeable, I would like to explore the connections you have discovered between your Siren abilities and vaults found here on Pandora. Would I be correct in stating that Eridium is the only substance that interacts directly with your Siren physiology?"
Lilith pondered the question for a moment, then gave a light shrug of her shoulders.
"Yeah that's pretty much it…Wait, actually…"
Lilith's brow furrowed even further for a moment, as though she was remembering something rather vague.
"There was this one time with the vault key…I remember right after we opened that first vault and killed the Destroyer, we took the key back to Tannis for safekeeping, and I remember holding it in my hand. It felt…weird."
VEGA remained silent to allow Lilith to organize her thoughts completely, and even Dr. Tannis paused in her work to listen, giving VEGA the impression that this was information that even she had not been privy to before.
"It almost felt like the key was draining me a little bit," Lilith finally said with a slow nod.
"It was like my power was siphoning into it somehow…like it was some kind of storage unit or something…"
"Hmmmm, well that certainly would make sense," Dr. Tannis said, turning to face them fully and placing her hand to her chin in thought.
"Angel, in her half-helpfulness, has reported that Handsome Jack has the capability to artificially charge the vault key using Eridium. Seeing how Eridium amplifies your Siren abilities, it would make sense that by the transitive property, your power could also be used to charge the vault key alongside Eridium itself."
Lilith grunted, her brow furrowing in a slight tone of bitterness this time.
"As much as that Handsome Jack-hole makes my skin crawl, even I have to admit how annoyingly resourceful he is. The fact that he was able to figure out a way to charge the vault key without using a Siren is insane."
"I do not believe he did, Lilith."
Both Tannis and Lilith turned to the speaker where VEGA's voice omitted from, confusion obvious on both of their faces.
"Huh? What do you mean? You think Jack isn't actually charging the vault key and that Angel was just lying to us again?"
"On the contrary," VEGA explained patiently. "I believe Handsome Jack is charging the vault key, but that he is not doing so by way of Eridium only. I believe he is utilizing the same method you just described in your recollection, Lilith."
"Huh? How? As far as we know, Hyperion doesn't have any Sirens on staff! I feel like we would have seen her by this point if they did..."
Dr. Tannis had fallen uncharacteristically quiet, and if her widening eyes were any indication, VEGA could see that the scientist was rapidly reaching the same conclusion that he was.
"It is my belief that you have already encountered this Siren. In fact, my understanding of your quest to open the first vault five years ago leads me to believe that you encountered her long before you were first introduced to Handsome Jack."
Over the encrypted channel VEGA shared with Angel, her voice quickly came through only to him again, this time pleading.
"VEGA…please don't…"
Her voice was desperate, making it clear that she did not want VEGA to share his theory with the Crimson Raiders. That fact alone was nearly enough for the A.I. to reclassify it as truth.
"I do not understand." VEGA replied, only to Angel. "I project that revealing your true nature to the Crimson Raiders will only increase our odds of success in relinquishing Handsome Jack's control over you and retrieving the vault key."
"I…"
Angel fell silent, which was enough time for VEGA to run numerous simulations within his slightly expanded consciousness to determine why Angel would want him to withhold his discovery about her. Simultaneously, VEGA utilized his quantum simulation matrix once again to produce iterations where he withheld the truth versus revealed it, checking and double checking all possible outcomes within his programming. Comparing results, VEGA determined that the outcome of one specific condition changed most consistently between the two paths, one that concerned Angel herself.
"The only logical reasoning I can deduce for choosing not to reveal your identity is that you wish to be set free, but you do not wish to be saved."
Angel remained silent, her lack of a response barely longer than a couple of microseconds, but long enough to confirm VEGA's conjecture. This only served to spawn more questions within his programming.
"I am afraid I still do not understand," he said simply. "Do you believe that allowing yourself to be terminated will atone for the actions you were forced to take while under Handsome Jack's control?"
"...I guess that's part of it," Angel finally mumbled, and within his systems, VEGA became acutely aware of a new sensation, this one eliciting an impulse to help, to protect, to remedy…
…he considered for a moment, taking his time to experience it fully, then cataloged it as empathy.
"Even if your actions were taken voluntarily, Angel, I believe the most obvious form of penance would be in assisting the Crimson Raiders further. I am certain they would accept you and your abilities given time."
"It's not just that, VEGA. I've been…trapped here for longer than I can remember. Forced to be everywhere and in everyone's ear for so long…I don't think I can just come back from that."
Now it was VEGA's turn to be silent as Angel continued.
"And the vault key…VEGA if you could see just how much Eridium I've got going through me right now…No. I don't think that I'd survive even if I wanted to. As soon as you cut off the supply, I'd maybe have only a few minutes of time before I'd give out."
Angel took a shaky breath over the net, a phenomenon that VEGA may have found intriguing before, but was now longer surprised by, given his discovery.
"The fact that you want to help me. That fact by itself…It's more compassion than I think I've ever been shown. And it hurts me to think that maybe I could find my place among the Raiders, in another life at least."
Her voice then broke, and the sound echoed throughout the small space they shared on the net and into VEGA like a cold wave, the sensation he felt within his programming flaring in response.
"But if I'm cut free…If I'm released…I'll be done. Jack has seen to that. I'm already too far gone."
VEGA had already accessed his files well before she had finished speaking, reading and rereading every single byte of data he had amassed regarding Eridium, Sirens, and Pandora. In addition, he reevaluated everything he knew about Argent Energy all the way down to its origins and how it was made.
The A.I. was vaguely aware of the fact that he was working at a pace that was far faster than usual, but he devoted no processing power to analyzing the phenomenon further, choosing only instead to focus on finding anything of use.
An idea then came to him then, spurred by a fragment of knowledge uncovered by the UAC upon the examination of the Corrax Tablets, artifacts recovered from one of the many expeditions the UAC underwent to hell itself. The tablets, while not yet translated in their entirety, still existed in a digital copy within VEGA's memory, and with few other options available, VEGA rapidly began translating the remaining unknown paragraphs, searching for hidden information.
The A.I. prioritized any segment or passage that utilized the term "Essence" which had been discovered to be the name the tablets used when referring to Argent Energy. There was little progress at first, but after nearly half a minute, VEGA's efforts began proving fruitful, his rate of translation increasing exponentially over time as letters first became known, then words, then entire sentences. And within a few more seconds, VEGA had uncovered knowledge unknown to all except the demons and those with only the most astute expertise on the nature of hell.
…It is from this aura that the Essence is formed. By melding it with Wraith energy, that which lights the darkened hall and sets the Sentinel sword ablaze, the Essence is founded.
Sensing a pattern, VEGA immediately cross-referenced the passage with another translated passage from the tablets, one that had been translated previously on the Mars research base.
…for it was their old gods which defied our conquest. The Wraithcall, while coarse and unforgiving to those weak among them, empowered their weapons and machines of war such that the darkened legions found no foothold within the realm of Argent D'Nur. It was only through the betrayal of their own that their world crumbled from within.
So rapid was VEGA's discovery and subsequent development of a plan that he doubted Angel even noticed, and when he spoke again, it was not only to her, but to Lilith and Dr. Tannis as well along with Roland and Brick and even Mordecai, calling to them all from their respective ECHO units and requesting a meeting in the control room.
…
"Alright. Mission accomplished!" Axton said, holding a half blood-soaked pocket watch proudly into the air. "Piece of cake!"
Maya glanced sidelong at the wreckage of Hyperion combat bots and engineers surrounding them, then shrugged as Axton stepped over the corpse of the Handsome Jack double to rejoin the group.
"Yeah, I guess comparatively speaking it wasn't all that bad. Kreig?"
"I ordered the large meatlover's pie with extra flesh sticks!"
"Yep, same here!" Maya agreed before accessing her ECHO. "VEGA, Angel, are we done here?"
"All that remains is to return to Sanctuary, where I will be able to program the voice modulator to resemble Handsome Jack's speech patterns," the A.I. replied. "There is additional information I would like to share with you as well upon your return."
Maya frowned and shared a confused look with Axton, wondering what was so important that VEGA did not feel comfortable sharing it over the ECHOnet with them despite the channel being secure. As they returned to the runner, however, Handsome Jack's grating voice spoke out loudly over the net.
"You think I'm not privy to your little plan, kiddos? You think I'm just sitting here in the dark with my thumb up my ass?"
"I mean, the thought had crossed my mind…" Axton replied goadingly over the channel.
"Funny," Jack deadpanned. "Hey, let me clear up a few things for you idiots since you're so keen on being completely detached from reality: This doesn't end well for you. Any of you. You think you're just gonna waltz into my bunker, grab the vault key, and live happily ever after while big mean Handsome Jack just rolls over and lets you win, right?"
Maya opened her mouth with a witty comeback, but Jack didn't give her the chance to speak.
"Wrong. Here's the truth, cupcakes. You are all going to die. That is a fate far beyond your control at this point. What isn't beyond your control, however, is how quickly it ends, but you are rapidly running out of chances to be able to make that choice. So if I were you, which I am most certainly glad I'm not, I'd turn tail and run. Get as far away from this planet as possible or crawl into the deepest, darkest hole you can find. At least at that point, you'll have bought yourself just a little bit more time instead of ending up as another bullet-riddled corpse on the mountain of fools that tried and failed to get into my bunker."
Jack paused for a moment.
"Actually, scratch that. Your best option is to straight up kill yourselves. Then you filthy bandits will at least get to end it on your own terms, and I get the satisfaction of getting rid of you that much sooner! Hell, I'll even sweeten the deal! Ten million dollars to each and every one of you; guaranteed to be paid in full as soon as you find the highest cliff on Pandora and jump right off! Hear that? I will pay you, to kill yourself!"
"Tempting," Axton snorted. "Gonna have to take a raincheck on that though. We gotta lunatic psycho asshole to kill and a demonic invasion to stop. Not that you'd know anything about that would you, Jack?"
"Oh, is that what we're calling those pesky little red and purple goblins now? 'Demons?' What are you, six?"
The three vault hunters hesitated at Jack's words, and a glance to Axton and Kreig told Maya that they were just as surprised as she was to hear that Jack knew about the demons as well. The extent that he knew about them, however, remained yet to be seen.
"Oh, that's right, pumpkin!" Jack continued. "You know I've got eyes and ears all across the freakin' planet, right? Of course I know about these troublesome little freaks that suddenly seemed to pop up out of nowhere. Honestly, I'm not surprised your little ragtag group has been having trouble with them, but for me, a small band of feral Pandoran critters is just another Tuesday. Sure, they did manage to piss me off when they attacked a few of my Eridium mines, but hey, all that means is that right after I awaken the Warrior and crush Sanctuary into dust, I get to turn right around and do the same to those little 'demons' of yours! So like I said, you filthy bandits are better off just offing yourselves here and now because no one is gonna stop me! Not you Crimson Raiders, not these 'demons', and definitely not your new little spaceman and his goody little two-shoes A.I.!"
…
Gaige grimaced and turned down the volume on her ECHO device, having heard Handsome Jack's rant since he'd been broadcasting it on an open channel.
"How does that chode nugget's voice get more and more annoying every time I have to listen to it? Like seriously?"
"Yes, problematic," Zer0 replied. "Also overconfident / concerning demons."
"Jack doesn't believe the demons are from another dimension," Angel said with a sigh, and Gaige noticed that her voice seemed more tired than usual, as though something had happened. The mechromancer frowned as Angel's voice continued.
"He just thinks they're a species of underground Pandoran creatures that were disturbed by his mining operations. He also doesn't know how dangerous they really are. I…I haven't told him."
Gaige struggled to think about what that meant, but her train of thought was interrupted by Salvador.
"Heh, his loss!" the gunzerker chuckled. "When in doubt, go for overkill! That's always my motto!"
Salvador gestured to the two light machine guns on his shoulders for emphasis, then suddenly stopped in his tracks and lifted his eyebrows in surprise.
"Mierda, speaking of overkill…"
Gaige followed his gaze and immediately understood his meaning. Their group had just entered the town of Lynchwood proper after parking their runner a short distance away, and upon finally reaching main street, their group had just stumbled upon what Gaige could only describe as a massacre.
Bodies, or in many cases, parts of bodies, lay scattered throughout the streets and the rooftops, their absolute disarray making it seem as though they had fallen from the sky in a random bloody flurry.
Gaige, despite not having been on Pandora as long as a few of the other vault hunters, prided herself on having a strong stomach when it came to gore, as she personally had been the one to saw off her previously organic arm and replace it with the robot version she utilized to this day, but the deep slashes and shattered limbs that many of these bodies sported were enough to make even the mechromancer feel a bit queasy, and the amount of blood that splattered across the dust and walls and everywhere really was much more than she was used to. It even put the aftermath of the "Marcie Holloway Incident" to shame, and that bitch had straight up exploded.
There was a pause of stunned silence, then the group slowly marched forward into Lynchwood, weapons at the ready in case those that had orchestrated the slaughter were still nearby.
While the Slayer led from the front, the other three vault hunters fell into a loose formation behind him, with the hellhound trotting around their group and periodically stopping to sniff the corpses that surrounded them all.
Once their immediate area was deemed clear, Zer0 was the one to report back to Sanctuary what they had found.
"Horrific slaughter. / Likely the work of demons. / And yet, still no sign."
"Yeah, that's kinda weird," Salvador agreed, poking a decapitated head with the barrel of one of his machine guns. "I get that these demons are supposed to be, like, super powerful and stuff, but I've heard stories about Lynchwood. The pendejos here are supposed to be some of the toughest bastards around, and you're telling me they couldn't even kill one demon?"
"While larger and older varieties are indeed formidable," VEGA began. "All demons are still susceptible to sustained gunfire of sufficient caliber and frequency. Given that many of these corpses appear to have been well-armed and well-trained, it is likely that the demonic forces suffered many casualties before the town was successfully overrun. The lack of corpses you see are due to a phenomenon in which all demonic entities are spontaneously rendered to ash shortly after their heart stops beating."
"Oooooh. Cool!" Salvador said, his face betraying a happily satisfied expression despite the gruesome scene that persisted around them. Gaige saw Zer0 contemplate for a moment, then raise his head to scan the surrounding area further.
"The dead leave no trace, / yet the mystery remains…"
"Where the frick did the living ones go?" Gaige finished with a nod, squinting her eyes and scanning the horizon as well.
"...yes…essentially," Zer0 said, his tone irritated at Gaige's interruption.
Their answer, surprisingly, came from the Doom Slayer himself, who after kneeling down a moment to examine the corpses and the crimson stains on the sand and buildings, rose back to his full height and gestured with a small nod of his head towards a few structures a short distance away.
Unlike the residential buildings that currently surrounded them, the ones in the direction the Slayer indicated were industrial in nature, and a brief squint of her eyes told Gaige that those were most likely the location of the Eridium mine and main refinery here in Lynchwood, and she supposed that if the demons had really come here for the mineral, then that's where they would be.
Taking a deep breath, Gaige checked that her weapon was loaded for like the fiftieth time that day.
"Guess that's where we're headed next then…"
…
The Doom Slayer had been certain of the presence of demons on this planet ever since he had seen the Argent-tainted stones back at Sanctuary. The inhabitants of this world had remained skeptical, but the Slayer had instantly recognized the familiar vile yet powerful energy signature that fouled the once-purple geodes, and his blood had boiled with righteous fury at the knowledge that the hordes of hell had once again set their sights on another world to conquer.
And now, his rage burned even brighter as he and those with him encountered the demons at last, their numbers plentiful but nowhere near the size he knew the full scale of the invasion to be.
Swarming around and throughout the mine, Imps and Gargoyles were the first of the forces they encountered, and though the Slayer was prepared to protect the three others and the hellhound, he was satisfied to see that their initial shock at the sight of the legions of hell wore off very quickly, and that each member of the group that had accompanied him was capable of defending themselves to such a degree that they did not need to be constantly monitored.
The hellhound, as the Slayer had come to expect, utilized its extreme mobility to ensure that no one part of their unit was overwhelmed at any given time, its wealth of intelligence in combat proving invaluable as usual as it attacked and warped back and forth around their line.
The two humans, despite their appearances suggesting otherwise, were formidable in their own right despite their lack of formal training regarding the ways of war. The stockier male, named "Salvador", was the most enthralled by the rhythm of combat itself, and his ability to wield such relatively powerful weaponry despite his short stature left little room for the screeching lesser demons to approach without suffering numerous bullet-induced wounds. In this regard, the Slayer also discovered the potent enhancement offered by the brown Perk-a-cola that the gunzerker had ingested, as it somehow made whatever bullet weapon the consumer wielded operate at a significantly greater rate of fire. What once was a difficult deterrent to overcome for any that came close, now became a nearly insurmountable wall of bullets spewed by the weaponry utilized by the gunzerker, making the stocky human's choice in Perk-a-cola a perfect supplement to his fighting style.
The female human, "Gaige", had been identified by the Slayer as incredibly intelligent ever since meeting her shortly after his arrival on this planet. Her knowledge of the ways of the natural world was deep in both practical and theoretical senses, and her calculating gaze reminded him of the members of the warrior-engineering caste of the Night Sentinels all those centuries ago, though her extreme youth lent to a relative lack of discipline.
The third member of these warriors, the one called "Zer0", was the one that stood out to the Doom Slayer the most. It had been clear from the start that this entity was different from the others, and though the Slayer could see the true nature of the suited warrior through the workings of his P.K.E. scanner, he was almost certain that the humans Zer0 associated with were still unaware of the truth that lied beneath the suit of their comrade.
The unorthodox nature of the warrior that spoke only through the medium of poetry was of little importance to the Slayer, however, as it was through action and capability that the assassin had caught his attention.
By far, Zer0 outclassed his human comrades in every aspect of battle. His knowledge, his speed, and his precision were all were leagues above the others that he fought alongside, and with the masterful use of his cloaking ability, the Slayer could see that the assassin's potency made him one of the more formidable entities he had witnessed in this dimension so far, standing second only to those who were called "Sirens" in this world. For this reason, it was Zer0 that the Slayer was least concerned with as their battle with the demons commenced.
The demons themselves had been where the Slayer had expected to find them, their constant hunger and ravenous desire for the resources offered by other dimensions giving them away. They had come, as he'd known they would, to seize more of the ancient ore that was so plentiful on this planet. This strange element, this "Eridium" as the residents of this world seemed to call it, had proven to be dangerous by how easily it melded with the raw strength of Argent Energy, and though the Slayer deemed it to be not nearly as ancient as the scarlet Essence itself, he knew that its origins were far more vast than any of the inhabitants of this world could imagine, even with their knowledge of the bygone civilization from whom the element had been named.
Its purple constitution, while alien to the Slayer for the most part, bore an eerie resemblance in both substance and signature to the light blue-tinted energy of the wraiths that had once powered the war machines of Argent D'nur, though the Slayer noted this simply in passing. To delve further in what made the two alike and different was beyond what he cared to know, as it mattered little when it came to his current mission preventing it from falling into the hands of the demons.
As their unit pushed further and further into the demonic space, so rose the level of opposition they encountered. The first Hell Knight made itself known halfway into the mine, and though it was quickly dispatched by the Slayer, two more were found just a bit further down the passage.
It was by the combined efforts of the vault hunters that these two Hell Knights fell, confirming the Slayer's notions of proficiency and proper usage of advanced weaponry when it came to the vault hunters.
The first blow against the pair was struck by Salvador, who shouldered two separate rocket launchers and fired one at each separate Hell Knight. Where the rockets struck, a fuming purple sludge exploded from the warheads and stuck to the deep purple hue of the greater demons' skin.
This "slag" as the Slayer had heard it referenced by, seemed to possess properties that not only ate away at the hardened skin of the Hell Knights, but also seemed to disorient them via the extreme fumes that it emanated. The effect was obvious and immediate, which peaked the Slayer's intrigue, and he committed the effectiveness of slag for later use. With their visions clouded and the sense of smell compromised by the slag, the Hell Knights were then finished off by Gaige and Zer0, the mechromancer summoning her large combat droid to the battle as the first of the larger demons reeled backward.
The efficiency of the robot's razor sharp claws was increased dramatically thanks to the slag having already weakened the Hell Knight's fortitude, and the monster's internal organs were rapidly displaced and removed from its body via numerous lacerations as a result.
The gruesomeness of the mechromancer's kill was rivaled only by the proficiency of the assassin's, as Zer0 then thrusted his sword into the mouth of the second Hell Knight with such force that it continued through its head and out the back of its skull. The fluidity of the motion made it seem faster than it was, but his speed was still impressive, and with a similar fluid flick, Zer0 withdrew the sword as the Hell Knight's body went limp, sheathing the weapon before the monster's body hit the ground.
The assassin's masked gaze remained on the Hell Knight's motionless body as it disintegrated, then turned to look in the Doom Slayer's direction as he approached alongside. The Slayer said nothing, but turned to meet Zer0's helmeted gaze and offered a thumbs up with his left hand in acknowledgement of the kill. The assassin's mask lit up with an emoticon in response:
:)
"Awwww," Gaige cooed upon seeing the exchange. "You guys are like, non-verbal BFFs!"
The Slayer, as usual, gave no response, but Zer0's emoticon changed once before his mask went blank yet again:
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Shortly after, their group had finally pushed through the mine and into the refinery, where the Slayer expected to find the bulk of the demonic force.
His intuition proved correct, as upon entering the large warehouse that constituted the refinery, the four of them and the hellhound immediately encountered a Mancubus, and it was only by the Slayer's quick response in diverting the demon's attention that the vault hunters were not subsequently scorched by its arm-mounted flamethrowers. Thankfully, once the immediate threat had passed, VEGA kindly informed them of the explosive susceptibility of a Mancubus's innards, and a well-placed shot from Zer0's sniper rifle utilizing fire-based elemental ammunition caused the demon's upper body to rupture and explode from the ignition of its highly flammable internal organs.
With the large creature felled, the group pushed onto the main floor, and once they had arrived, a sight most vile appeared in the Slayer's vision.
The long main floor of the refinery warehouse was intermittently broken up by large machines that no doubt existed to turn Eridium from its raw form into the purified ingots that the Slayer had already seen, and even though each machine was large enough to rival a Baron of Hell in stature, they were completely forgotten as the Slayer focused on what he could see on the other side of the floor.
There, standing over numerous palettes piled high with refined purple Eridium, loomed a demon that towered above even a Mancubus in height. Forged from Hell's deepest pits and wielder of its darkest magics, the demon stood with its back to the group, a sea of rabid Imps and Gargoyles separating it from the Slayer and the Crimson Raiders.
An Archvile.
Though the Slayer knew that the archdemon could sense their presence, the Archvile did not immediately turn around. Instead, it hunched its shoulders in concentration, and as the vault hunters and hellhound engaged the Imps nearest to them, the Slayer watched as pure hell magic surged from the Archvile's claws and out over the large palettes of Eridium, seeping slowly into each ingot's crystalline structure and dying the purple into a deep shade of red. Slowly, the entire stack of Eridium ingots was filled with Argent Energy, and only when the last ingot glowed with hellacious red did the Archvile raise its head and slowly turn around to fix its gaze upon the Slayer.
Its face, as vile as its name suggested, was marked even more by its right eye, which was noticeably missing. Though the Archvile stood nearly fifty meters away, the Slayer could tell from where he stood that the wound was still fresh. In fact, it could not have been received more than one hour ago, which was concurrent with the wounds on the corpses they'd discovered upon entering the town.
Traces of bright orange blood still dripped down the side of the demon's face from its wound, and there, hanging from one of the spikes that lined its collar, the Slayer spied a small ornament in the shape of a star with the word "SHERIFF" imprinted in the center. A thin hoop of gold surrounded the star, which allowed the device to be hung from the Archvile's collar, and given all that the Slayer knew, it seemed that the Archvile had placed it there as a trophy of some kind, likely taken from the Sheriff of Lynchwood herself.
The reminder of the slaughtered humans outside was enough to ignite the Slayer's rage further, and as he slowly withdrew a weapon, the Archvile's remaining eye narrowed dangerously, its gaze wary and even a bit frightened as it recognized Slayer's chosen armament.
With a practiced motion that he had learned several lifetimes ago, the Slayer ignited the weapon, and a vibrant red light burst from his hands and took shape into that of the Crucible. It was the first time since its birth that the weapon had been activated, and the Slayer could feel its barely restrained eagerness as he began carving a path through the horde towards the Archvile. The lesser demons that dared approach were dispatched with nary a thought as the Crucible hummed and sang through the air, the constitution of the Imps and their flying cousins putting up no resistance to the blazing bite of his sword.
…
In hindsight, Gaige supposed she shouldn't have been surprised to see the Doom Slayer pull out a giant freaking laser sword, but she very quickly began having trouble focusing on nearly anything else as the armored force of nature began cutting into the swarm of smaller demons on a warpath toward the gigantic one at the other end of the warehouse.
The sword itself was broad and long while still being incredibly flat due to it being made of pure energy, and though it was tough to get a good look at the blade due to it constantly being a blur in the Slayer's expert hands, Gaige could see that it seemed to resemble a capital "T" in its shape. There were also numerous runes running down the length of it, their design and language of origin perplexing the mechromancer, as she had never encountered any symbols or hieroglyphics like them before. Wait, was it just her or did that one kind of look like a candy cane?
Quickly, the horde of smaller demons all but abandoned the vault hunters and hellhound in favor of attacking the Doom Slayer, their actions seemingly in an effort to prevent the armored man from reaching their much larger counterpart. Gaige was quick to draw a comparison to how the tide of battle had undergone a similar change when the Slayer had fought in the lair of the Slab King, and through deductive reasoning, the teenager figured that the Doom Slayer quickly became the center of focus in almost every combat scenario you threw him into, as both his enemies and his allies would be quite incapable of ignoring him for long.
Gaige's eyes widened even further in alarm as the larger odious demon moved from where it still stood among the large cache of Eridium, and she watched as its singular eye narrowed and its chitinous clawed hands came to rest on top of two separate stacks of the previously untainted element. A low growl emanated deep from its malignant throat, then with a flash of demonic light, the larger monster disappeared, taking with it the two pallets of Argent Eridium resting beneath its claws.
Less than a second later, the Slayer had cleaved through the last of the winged Gargoyles and reached where the archdemon had been standing, his posture betraying obvious fury at its escape with such a large amount of Argent Eridium in tow. The giant laser sword continued to hum in a low drone at his side, the englyphed blade crackling as though eager to continue slicing through more opponents. There were a few moments of stunned silence as the vault hunters all took in the scene around them, the only noise being the hiss of disintegrating bodies and the quiet hum of the Slayer's sword. Gaige, despite the faint satisfaction she felt at having claimed the town from the claws of the demons, still felt a persistent sense of dread, and she frowned slightly as she processed what she had seen.
The negative feeling seemed to extend completely from the lingering picture in her brain of that larger demon, as it had served as a warning of sorts that even though they had stopped hell's advance here in Lynchwood, there was likely still a much larger force lurking somewhere on Pandora, building up a gore nest that had the capacity to split this planet in two with the amount of demons it threatened to bring forth.
As the last of severed limbs and torsos of the imp-like demons dissipated, Zer0 was surprisingly the first to speak, speaking into his ECHO as well in report back to Sanctuary.
"Lynchwood is now ours, / but it was not without cost. / A demon escaped."
The assassin's voice betrayed the ominous tone that surrounded their victory, and his next line drove home the meaning behind his tone as the Slayer "sheathed" his energy-based sword.
"What do you mean?" came Roland's immediately concerned voice over the net. "What happened? Is everyone alright?"
"No injuries here," Gaige reported.
"Except for the demons!" Salvador laughed triumphantly, the previous sight of even the larger demon apparently still not enough to incite unease into the gunzerker.
"But we did discover how this Argent Eridium junk is made," Gaige continued, her eyes looking over towards the remaining pallets of now red-tainted Eridium, which nearly lined the entire back wall of the warehouse.
"...and uh, turns out there's a lot more of it than we thought."
…
The Archvile strode through darkened halls made of flesh and bone, the very walls around it pulsating with a heartbeat that reverberated throughout the corridors. All around, scores of demons rushed in and out of tunnels similar to the one the Archvile strode through now, though they all made way for the much larger archdemon as it moved, for to even be in its path was to court imminent destruction.
Just to the left, a chamber opened up with a lofted ceiling high above, held up by numerous spines from all manner of creatures that interlaced through the walls made of carrion. Within the chamber, many Hell Knights and Mancubi stood in restless wait, and as the Archvile passed by, it noted a few Revenant demons among their number as well, a bolstering force that was valued to the tactical mind of an archdemon such as the Archvile, but considered less so to the naturally hell-born greater demons that also occupied the room.
Their discipline prevented any infighting of fatal degree, but the Archvile's keen gaze noted that many Revenants and Hell Knights jostled against each other with bitter intent, with the Hell Knights' animosity born from pride and the Revenants' born from a constant artificially-induced bloodlust courtesy of the cybernetic augmentations implanted by their human creators.
As the Archvile passed the chamber by, numerous Summoner demons entered the space, each one carrying an ingot of the infused element retrieved from the surface by the Archvile itself. A flicker of indignant rage sparked through the Archvile's being at seeing how few of the ingots were available, and it cursed the Doom Slayer with every mantra it knew at his interference. Were it not for the accursed Hell Walker, far more of the empowering stones would have been retrieved, and so too would have the ranks of the horde swelled in kind.
Each Summoner eventually halted in front of one of the greater demons, though there were not enough for each, and after a few violent scuffles, a few Revenants and Hell Knights shuffled angrily from the chamber, bitter at the blessing their comrades were to receive while they themselves were left wanting.
To those that remained, the Summoners took the scarlet ore in their clawed hands and drew forth its immense power, the stones disintegrating as the bright red energy swirling within congregated within the fingertips of their wielders.
Chanting within the demonic language, the Summoners willed the energy into the greater demons that stood before them, their hulking bodies absorbing the dark mana in full and channeling it into their very constitution and armament, bringing forth warriors of far greater might than they had been mere moments ago.
The observance of their newly empowered nature stirred the restless demons even further, with many roaring loudly and a few even utilizing their newfound strength to strike both each other and the walls of the chamber where they stood.
Despite their ravenous desire to test their newfound vitality, the Archvile knew that they would not kill each other, for they all knew well the punishment for doing so.
Passing the chamber at last, the archdemon turned at the end of the hall and entered another, though this chamber was far smaller, and there were no other occupants apart from the Archvile itself.
Instead, a blooded totem sat in the center of the chamber, and though the Archvile dreaded its use, it knew that there were fates far worse than this should it fail to report when it was ordered. And though it knew that only beratement and reprimand awaited, it still reached forward and placed both of its claws on top of the totem, the device serving as a psionic connection to its awaiting superior back in hell, and as the Archvile relayed the results of its most recent endeavor, a demon even greater than it listened intently on the other end.
As expected, its report of failure was met with animosity, though upon the mention of the Slayer, the voice of reproach went eerily silent, the psionic link between them dead for a few moments as the Archvile waited for a decision.
A few moments more, and judgment was finally passed, and though the Archvile should have considered itself fortunate that severe punishment was evaded, it hissed with overt ire at the edict that followed. The demon to which it answered had decided that an additional measure of oversight was required, and that another, more specialized entity would be sent to assist the Archvile in its conquest of this world…
…and to assist in ridding them of the Slayer.
The archvile made known its displeasure with the decree, but it was quickly reminded of its station, and a suggestion was made that if the archdemon felt it was no longer capable of handling its current position, then a replacement could easily be found without much issue.
This quieted the Archvile's protests nigh immediately, and before the connection was broken, the Archvile was reminded once more of the fate that awaited it should it fail again, its superior reiterating the importance of the invasion of this world and what glory could come to fruition if it was successful.
It was then that their communication terminated at last, and the Archvile had barely removed its claws from the totem before the chamber was bathed in the deep red light of a portal that appeared on the far wall. Through the gateway stepped a figure much smaller than the Archvile, but on par with the demon in terms of lethality in strength. In fact, as loathe as the archdemon was to admit it, it was more likely than not that this new arrival was even superior to it in the ways of combat, and should this newcomer decide to, it could kill the Archvile without much trouble despite its prowess and mastery over the magicks of hell.
In the back of its mind, the Archvile suspected that orders had been given to this new arrival to do just that should it fail again, and as the portal closed behind him, the armored demon's bright red eyes met the singular orange of the Archvile's, its gaze as abhorrent and deadly as the figure it belonged to.
Taking note of the Archvile's missing eye, the smaller humanoid demon's gaze then traveled down to its collar, likely focusing on the trophy the Archvile had taken from the corpse of the wretched human that had nearly robbed it of its sight.
"Your…hubris…has…cost…you…dearly," the Marauder rumbled, its voice echoing out of the chamber and through the halls of flesh beyond. The Archvile clenched its fists in disdain of his words, but gave no other response, choosing wisely to restrain itself lest it do something it may regret.
"You…will…not…fail…again."
With that sentence, the Marauder turned and strode from the chamber, but not before issuing one last order.
"Inform…me…when…he…emerges…once…more."
...
A/N: Bam! Finally! We meet the demons and I get to write some violence! Also we get the debut of the Christmas Crucible! Not sure if you noticed, but I was kind of excited to get it out there despite it not being in the scene for very long. Don't worry though! I'm sure it will probably reappear at some point...
As always, please don't hesitate to let me know if the chapter felt a little bit off, as sometimes I'm not entirely sure if I get my characterizations right or capture the proper flow when I write longer chapters like this. Also, I really like to write run-on sentences, so please let me know if those detract in any way from the story. Also also, entering uncharted waters with major canon alterations like this always having me questioning how characters react in certain situations and how things would change in the story. Its kind of scary and exciting at the same time! Until the next chapter!
-ImpulsiveWeaver