(Ager Sonus – Inner Sanctum)

"Close... so... close!"

"Impossible" was a word that lost its meaning. In the past, it was used to describe actions only heroes of myth, or those with suicidal tendencies, could pull off, and even they would have to face many difficulties to make them happen. But then, "impossible" became just another word people threw around in a conversation, without any deeper meaning attached to it. Same for words like "love", "courage", and "Hell".

Hell.

What an interesting word it is. Four letters together form a name for a plane of existence beyond a border where life ends and afterlife begins. Hell is a kingdom of the sinner, of the traitor, where torment eternal is as mundane as night and day. It is where the moral filth lies awake. And yet, over the course of its history, Humanity applied that word to specific locations that were inhospitable, hostile, or alien. Pandora was one.

Many quickly shared the same sentiment. After all, was there a better word to describe that little ball of sand, that planet where death is ever present? Even those with rich vocabularies had a hard time writing down the threats of local flora and fauna, the bandits that roamed free, or the Vault Hunters that sought glory and personal gain.

Living in that last category is, without a doubt, a difficult lifestyle. Reasons may vary; from angry megacorporations who put bounties on those heads they deem dangerous, to jobs gathered from the local populace, to the incessant search for new Vaults, hence the title. Does it pay off? Depends from person to person. Here is an important piece of information for everyone who wishes to choose this career over others: to this day, there has yet to be a Vault Hunter that died of old age.

"Hah... ha... close..."

Braylon died too, or at least he thought he did. He found a Vault, he opened a Vault, he died and went to Hell. A simple, easy, rational explanation. Except it was not so simple, nor was it easy, and it was everything but rational. It wasn't even Hell, but the Vault that threw all the logic out of the window.

But what exactly is a Vault?

Many years ago, during the era where a corporation known as Dahl built the first ever human settlements, people from all over the galaxy were brought on that wasteland to mine precious metals for the corporation. It was a time, a better time, when people, either out of boredom or unfounded rumors they heard from their comrades, started talking about things that would soon turn into legends. One of them was the legendary alien artifact known as the "Vault".

It was the buzzword on everyone's tongue, yet none knew what it was. They all told different stories. Alien technology, power beyond imagination, enough money to last a lifetime... women... The Vault was real, it was a fact, but no one ever found it. How absurd!

All of that changed when four talented Vault Hunters set their feet on Pandora. What started as an enthusiastic search for the unknown alien legacy turned out to be a dark secret that required the sacrifice of an entire alien species. Why, it was nothing but a glorified cage for an eldritch monster that could destroy the whole universe. Contrary to common sense, the Vault Hunters succeeded in defeating it and sealing the Vault for another century. A new problem arose, though, because that event drew massive attention from all directions. The deadly planet became even more popular once the word about the existence of more Vaults got out.

Every day, thousands died on its surface in search for them. Thousands more by the corporations who tried to claim the planet as their own. With force, if necessary. Over the span of several years, three more Vaults were found, each a story for themselves. What most failed to know, however, was the fact that there was a fifth Vault, one that should have never seen the light of day. For a good reason.

This Vault was discovered by Braylon Monocriffe, a young Vault Hunter, with his group. They fought for it. They bled for it. With some difficulties, they opened it. Now he was in Hell.

Literally.

"*Gasp!*"

Thin legs carried his charred frame to the dirt black shore, struggling with each step in the hot lava that turned him into that state. When the dry sandlike material caressed the feet, the frail body finally gave in and collapsed. If feet refused to walk further inland, towards the edge of a forest, then the hands would suffice. There was no use in feeling shame for crawling like a maggot and wailing in pain was pointless. No one was there to hear him scream.

But Humans are stubborn little things. Even after being broken, they find the strength to stand back up. At the nearest tree, a leafless phantom just like the cousins around it, Braylon shook, then shook some more, until the legs rose up. He cared not for the countless eyes that infested the ashen gray skin of the tree, most of which stared at him without blinking, nor for the legs and arms that were its branches.

Pressing the burnt back against the twisted parody of a planet, his gaze returned to those who didn't make it out of the fiery lake, too busy to twist and moan in pain to ever come up with such an idea. He was the lucky one. If luck included having a demon intruding into one's thoughts with its venomous tongue.

"I suggest you get moving, mortal. You are close to the exit, so stop wasting my time."

How ironic. The very being that dedicates its life and soul to bring the mortal to ruin was now his ally. Out of interest, of course, not out of pity. There was certainly something to be gained from the collaboration, otherwise the voice would never come to him. And he had an eternal reminder of that deal he struck; a five-pointed star turned upside down, carved on the back of his left hand.

Braylon the Vault Hunter removed himself from the tree, testing his legs once again. After finding out they were stable enough to hold his weight, he ventured deeper into the eldritch forest.

An unbelievably dark forest, at that. The only light that ever perforated into the forest was the one coming from the eternally crimson and cloudy sky. Here the trees were a far more common sight, with people glued to their surface, where some were nothing but statues while others wriggled and twisted. Dead bushes were thrown into the mix, along with flowers made of flesh and other impossibilities. Screams and cries were the orchestra that such a place offered, unlike a normal forest on a normal world.

"Turn right." The voice commanded once again. Braylon followed orders without giving them too much of a thought.

Walking barefoot in the middle of a supernatural forest is a task not many are willing to take. Those who do, often find lots of trouble on their path. For Braylon, trouble came in the form of a skeletal horned snake that rose up and hissed threateningly. Braylon turned around and ran as fast as he could, or, at least, tried to. It was more of a fast walk than an actual run. He cursed himself mentally for being so weak.

Like a moth to a flame, he was drawn to the light of a torch barely hidden behind a rock decorated with bones. Upon coming closer, a satyr-like creature let out a bleat of distress as it rushed from behind a tree, knocking over the torch. It ignored the Human, running deep into the forest without ever looking back, leaving behind a fire that started to grow. The vegetation erupted into a wall of flame, enough to ward off his chaser, who was somewhere behind him. Indeed, he was being hunted the whole time, which in itself was another reason for him to move forward. The forest abruptly ended several moments later. He got out.

"You are not here to sightsee, mortal. Remember that you are as useful as you are disposable. If they catch you, there won't be a second chance. So get moving!"

The ground, chiseled out of some orange stonelike material, was cold to the touch. To contrast that, the lake of fire, further down the beach, blew out warm air that would make him sweat if he could. He was in a park, decorated with silvery-gray statues depicting various monstrosities in even more varying poses. Further away, in the lake, a giant mountain-like island stood out like a sore thumb, yet radiating with overwhelmingly terrifying presence. A gigantic moth-like creature circled around its peak with two pairs of wings that had shapes one could connect to eyes, eternally looking down upon the righteously condemned souls. The hellish sky stretched to the horizon, booming here and there as if massive cannons were fired on a battlefield that no one could see.

A sudden wave of weakness snuck upon him. Legs began shaking once more. They would betray him and he would fall on the ground. The demon would come and that would be it. By God, he refused to accept such a fate. His defiance manifested when he leaned on the nearest statue, where his eyes fell upon a fountain. The statue on top of it, depicting a demon slicing the throat of an alien, sent shivers down his spine. But even that failed to be as captivating as the object that levitated slightly above ground, in front of the fountain filled with blood. For a moment, he played witht he idea that it might have been a fake, just like the rest of that place, which would disappear the moment he turned his head. The shimmering blue light of the object felt like it was the only real thing he saw for a long period of time, its purpose unknown.

Come on, he motivated himself, put some more strength in those legs! You want to get out, don't you? You still have a life to live and nothing would stop you from living it. I am well aware of its meaninglessness, but I simply don't give a damn. Come on!

Gritting his teeth, and ignoring the pain as much as he could, the young Vault Hunter took a step forward. Then another. Then another...

He fell down on the gravel, screaming in pain as some of the tiny rocks opened several wounds on his naked frame, or adding salt to the ones already existing.

"I'm losing my patience here. See that blue sphere?" The voice asked, seemingly not caring of Braylon's suffering. It most certainly didn't. "All you need to do is touch it."

Truly, the object was a blue sphere, the size of a basketball with an agonized face screaming soundlessly. He raised one trembling hand towards the source of the blue light, touching it with the tips of his fingers. As he did, it turned into gas of the same color that enveloped his body. Every wound he had, every damaged muscle, every broken bone, all of it was suddenly gone, replaced by a feeling of blissfulness as his body began transforming into what it was before the nightmare began. It was the first time he was happy that he could breathe the air around him, albeit it reeking of sulphur and negativity.

"Don't worry about it. It was a soul of some nobody forever locked in that small jail of theirs. Now, keep going."

It was fine, it truly was, but now he had a whole new set of problems. For starters, if what the voice said was true, he had just used someone's soul to mend his fleshy shell. The mere thought made him bed over and vomit , for it was nothing like killing a person physically. It was a murder on a whole new level, one that gifted the killer with all the memories, emotions and pain the soul absorbed like a sponge during its brief mortal life. Second, now that his meat shield was restored, his mind went into something that could best be described as wide range of emotions, from hatred and sorrow to happiness and ecstasy, suddenly barraged his brain in a synchronized attack. First he would cry, then he would laugh. The brain wasn't supposed to work like that, to feel two conflicting emotions at once. It didn't help that he heard a bull-like cry coming from the forest behind him.

"Oh no. They found me?!"

The increasingly-loud clopping was the confirmation he needed to get up and reach the exit. Still slightly stunned by the after-effects of the "soulsphere", he walked towards a set of stairs that could be found behind the fountain. Curiosity got the better of him, so he turned his head around.

There it was. The mastodontic hunter in search of its puny prey. A monstrous combination of brown-furred goat legs and red-skinned humanoid upper body, with a physique that would make most mortals jealous and with a strength to crush a truck as if it were the most basic of tin cans. All mixed with a pair of black horns and hooves. Its mere presence urged mortals to go for the nearest shelter.

For Braylon there was no shelter to hide in. His only insurance was his own pair of legs, which sprinted up the stairs as soon as his eyes met with the monster's.

"Faster, mortal! Don't make me regret my choice!" Screamed the voice in his head. It wasn't exactly helping to improve the situation. Again, it probably cared not.

Because his body got restored, he wasn't as weak as before, which allowed him to pass the stairs and jump to a tiny floating island-platform.

"Over there!"

He suddenly felt the urge to move his head towards another floating island higher above. A bright light emanated from something he couldn't see. The only way to reach it was to jump from island to island. Nobody said acquiring freedom would be easy.

The first few islands were easy to reach because they were really close to each other. But as the number of islands he passed grew, so did the difficulty to reach them. After he grabbed the edge of an island and climbed his way to the top, he saw the beast, down to earth, staring at him as if he were a pest that annoyed him. For a moment Braylon thought he was safe. That changed after the demon's hands burst into green flames.

"Uh-oh, not good!"

Not good indeed. The powerful demon clenched his right fist and positioned himself, throwing a green fireball at the mortal teenager. Hadn't he jumped to another island, he would have been pulverized.

"He can throw fireballs?!"

"Why are you surprised? Everything above mortals can pull such tricks."

"You never told me this!"

"I did, however, tell you to be quick, didn't I? Besides, you are in no position to win a combat against my oh so beloved comrade. Not now, at least."

Only one jump divided him from his liberty. One jump to end it all. He could now see his proverbial ticket. It was a rift in reality itself, as if the fabric that built it was torn apart, forming an oval-shaped gate filled with purple light and charged with black electricity. Even light seemed to be absorbed by the phenomena, though whether it actually was or wasn't, remained unknown.

"The rift is about to disappear!"

Braylon took two steps backwards and sprinted forward. When he reached the edge, he jumped, and barely missed a fireball that was way too close for his liking. Landing harshly, he got up and dashed towards the rift, screaming as he approached the blinding light.

The following fraction of a second was one of the longest in Braylon's life. All that light was gone, as if a light bulb went out. The unbearable heat plagued him no more, same with the cursed noise that could be heard everywhere in Hell. Time and space twisted in an unnatural manner as the traveler went through the tunnel, pulled by an unfathomable force towards the other side. And just like before, reality came back with all of its vibrant colors.

Blue sky, pure water. It took another second to process the new information. He was no longer in Hell, but somewhere else. Somewhere unknown. Somewhere that had no ground to stand on.

No, he was falling.

"Oh shiiiii-oof!"

The feeling of warm sand coming in contact with skin and face was a change he wholeheartedly accepted. It was almost unreal how "true" it felt. Even with the cold air, and him being utterly naked, the hands couldn't stop playing with the sand of the beach.

"Ah... you landed there... hmm... this might be more entertaining than I thought it would."

"Yeah, I'm dying of laughter already." Braylon was amazed at how deep his voice sounded. Probably for the fact that his throat needed some "training" before his voice could return to normal.

"Hold on. I'm sending you that toy of yours."

Braylon witnessed a bright, orange flash appearing out of nowhere few meters away from him. When it disappeared, it left behind a large red chest that could be found anywhere on Pandora. Weirdly enough, people called them "loot chests".

He approached said loot chests and opened it. It contained a silvery, bracer-like device with a rectangular screen on top.

"How..." He tried to ask as he picked it up.

"It wasn't easy, I'll admit. I had to use a favor or two to get it. Don't even think I am some kind of charity. I simply need you to stay alive if I want you to complete my plan."

As they talked, the Vault Hunter placed the device on his left arm, thus triggering its activation. The screen flashed to life. He still remembered the name. Personal Digistruct Assistant, PDA for short. A technological wonder, a miracle of science, and one of the reasons why he became famous throughout the galaxy, for better or worse.

Systems online. Warning! Error! Lost connection to the owner. Rebooting the systems. Please wait...

Braylon felt as if hundreds of mosquitoes stabbed his arm, followed by a feeling that something started traveling through his arm.

Systems online. Playing "Introduction". A warm welcome to you, my newest owner! My name is Personal Digistruct Assistant, model A7-938412. You can, however, call me as you wish! Now before we begin, allow me to get a quick scan of your genetic code... please wait... and done! You may be wondering why did I perform a scan of your DNA, with or without your permission. It is all for your safety, because now you, and only you, are allowed to use all of my features, as the system will only accept you as its legal owner.

You may also wonder why did you feel as if your skin got pierced by tiny needles. You must know that the PDA doesn't take its owner's life for granted, so it installed dozens of tiny tubes which will connect themselves to every important part of your body! Heart, lungs, liver, even brain, all of them are now directly connected to the device, making transportations of informations and resources a reality. Don't worry, it won't hurt you anymore!

And now for the basics you need to know. You can access your PDA features either through your thoughts, verbally or by typing on the screen, whichever is easier for you. Should you need important information that you never knew about, but the database has it stored, the AI will download that information into your brain through the help of a chip that the nanobots are building right now.

You also need to know that you probably aren't the first owner of this device. In fact, the device has an in-built battery that will last for several thousands of years, can survive up to ten thousand degrees either positive or negative, it is bullet and waterproof and immune to most acids known to mankind. This means that there is a high chance that someone already used this device. Don't be sad though! The more owners it had, the more of its features are unlocked and free for you to use!

Please note that, should you wish so, the PDA will automatically block and remove any and all information it acquired during its time of activity. If you are impatient, you can skip the tutorials by tapping on the button that will appear on the screen. Doing so you will allow the PDA to download all commands directly into your brain. Skipping tutorials. Downloading instructions... please wait...

Braylon let out a sigh. First time was always the worst.

Instructions downloaded. Basic scans completed. Systems online. Hello, Braylon Monocriffe!

The Vault Hunter wasted no more time and decided to reinstall every implant he had before losing the PDA, effectively returning to his transhuman form, for the implants drastically changed and improved his body.

Beginning installation sequence.

Installing Implant Y-017 "Monocyte Breeder". Improving treatment of physical injuries.

Installing Implant B-015 "Subdermal Armor". Silghtly increasing resistance to damage.

Installing Implant C-066 "Thermal Adaptor". Improving resistance to temperature changes caused by elemental ammunition.

Installing Implant A-045 "Cationic Insulator". Shields will now have increased performance.

Installing Implant X-077 "Hazmat Protection Agent". Improving resistance to corrosive chemicals.

Installing Implant O-012 "Reflex Booster". Enhancing physical agility.

Installing Implant L-090 "L.O.G.I.C.". Increased mental performance of the owner.

Installing Implant D-019 "Digestive Filtration System". Any toxins or harmful agents will be removed from consumed food and liquids.

Warning! Following implants may cause harm. Enabling forced comatose.

"I can feel it. This is going to be an interesting day." He said out lout before dropping down like a rock.

Hello and welcome to the rewrite of my previous fic "A Chance to Live". This was the first of many chapters of the story. As you may have noted from the description, this is a triple crossover (Borderlands, RWBY and Doom), so why the change? Well, the very original idea was to make a crossover between Borderlands and Doom, but then it got changed to Borderlands and RWBY, now I decided to make it a triple crossover, because why not?

So what can you expect from this rewrite? Why I made it a triple crossover?

First of all, I will start with the second question. This fic is not going to be just a crossover between those three I mentioned. The trio build the "main" story, but because my method of writing is making stuff up as I go, there might be a possibility that other things may pop up in the mix (although not something terribly big that will make a giant impact, more like items or one-time events or whatever, which may or may not count as references).

As for expectations, there will be action, bloody action, soundtracks for atmosphere and many more. Also, some characters and/or scenes will make a return, since they are important. Like one reader mentioned in the other story, I decided to leave it on the site instead of deleting it. If you feel like it, go take a read over there.

This is all I can think of for now. Should I remember to mention something, I will write it down here, after the chapter. As always, feedback would be appreciated. See you next chapter, where things will start to get interesting.