Chapter 35: Treachery (1)

"We're done here, Jack. We've done our part, we're returning home - I expect payment" Alexander informed, his men soon making their way over to the fast travel stations only to find it blocked. The networks were incorrectly configured.

Jack's trademark smirk played across his face, but there was a glint of something darker in his eyes. "Oh yeah? Well, I hope you're ready for one hell of a surprise party."

Before anyone could react, Moxxi's voice cut through the comm channel, her usual sultry tone replaced by an urgent command. "Do it now, Jack. This is your one and only chance before the big man realizes the jig is up. You've got two minutes."

The control room erupted into chaos. Loader bots suddenly materialized from hidden compartments, their weapons trained on Alexander's Iron Legion soldiers. The Legionnaires raised their weapons, only to find them unresponsive, their trigger mechanisms locked by some unseen force.

Alexander's eyes narrowed, realization dawning on his face. "What have you done, Jack?"

Jack's laugh echoed through the room, cold and triumphant. "Oh, just a little reprogramming. Turns out, your boys aren't as loyal as you thought."

As if on cue, Roland and Lilith strode into the room, their presence adding another layer to the unfolding betrayal.

"What's cooking, good looking?" Lilith quipped, her tattoos glowing with barely contained power.

Roland remained silent, his eyes locked on Jack in a silent exchange that spoke volumes about their uneasy alliance.

Alexander's voice carried a hint of genuine surprise. "So this is how you repay me, betrayal and mistrust..."

The Iron Legion soldiers, their weapons useless, resorted to hand-to-hand combat against the Loader bots. Their enhanced strength allowed them to hold their own initially, ripping apart metal limbs and crushing robotic heads. But for every bot they destroyed, two more took its place.

Aurelia, Wilhelm, Nisha, and the other Vault Hunters opened fire on the Legionnaires, their bullets finding gaps in the soldiers' armour. The room filled with the sounds of gunfire, the crack of breaking bones, and the scream of twisting metal.

Amidst the chaos, Athena attempted to rush to Alexander's aid, her loyalty to her employer overriding her earlier suspicions. But before she could take more than a few steps, she found herself frozen in place, her body suddenly impossibly heavy.

Moxxi's voice purred in her ear, a velvety threat. "I wouldn't be so rude as to jump in uninvited, sweetheart. I've got your little birdy caged, and if you don't want to see her hurt, you're going to let this happen."

Athena's eyes widened in shock and fear. "What have you done with Janey?"

Moxxi's laugh was without mirth. "Nothing yet, sugar. But her fate depends entirely on your cooperation."

With Athena neutralized, the full force of the betrayal fell upon Alexander. Aurelia, Wilhelm, Nisha, Roland, and Lilith converged on him, a whirlwind of bullets, blades, and elemental fury.

Alexander's movements were a blur, his body phasing in and out of reality as he dodged and counterattacked. His voice boomed over the din of battle, filled with contempt. "You're all weak. Do you truly believe you can best me?"

A slash of his arm sent Wilhelm reeling back, his cybernetic limb sparking and useless. Nisha found herself disarmed, her beloved pistols clattering across the floor. Roland and Lilith hung back, their attacks more cautious, aimed at disabling rather than killing.

Lilith, using her Siren powers to phase in and out of reality, managed to get close enough to land a fiery blow that drove Alexander to one knee. But even then, his resilience was astounding.

"Ha! A betrayal?" Alexander laughed, his voice dripping with disdain. "You're a million years too early to scratch me."

He lunged at Wilhelm, his hands grasping the cyborg's remaining arm. With a sickening crunch, he tore it free, oil and blood mingling as they spilled across the floor. Alexander raised the limb, ready to deliver a killing blow, when a massive force slammed into him, sending him skidding across the room.

Confusion flashed across Alexander's face as he turned to face this new threat. His eyes widened in recognition and disbelief.

Altworth stood before him, but not as the loyal general Alexander had known. The cyborg was now a nightmarish fusion of machine and flesh, eldritch tendrils of metal writhing around a core of pulsing, augmented muscle.

"Ah, forgive me then," Altworth's voice grated, a metallic rasp. "I'm only half a few years short."

Alexander's face twisted in fury. "Your treachery is noted, Altworth. I should have known."

He raised his hand, attempting to exert his power over the cyborg's systems, but found himself unable to connect. Altworth's laugh was a harsh, grating sound.

"You thought you had me in the palm of your hands? Do you believe I wouldn't know of your methods?" Altworth's voice dripped with contempt. "I lived a hundred years under Dahl's command, and in an attempt to escape them, I created this very vessel. I would never allow another inferior being to dare to hold me down once more. Your end was forged when you dared corrupt me with your dirty energy."

Altworth's tendrils lashed out, a writhing mass of metal and energy. Alexander grasped them, his face contorted with effort, but the moment he made contact, he found himself pulled into a strange domain. He could feel his energy being siphoned at a rapid pace, his very essence seeming to drain away.

"What... what is this?" Alexander's voice, for the first time, held a note of fear.

[Warning: Aura is rapidly being consumed]

The mechanical voice in Alexander's head was drowned out by a sudden, searing pain at the base of his skull. Jack stood behind him, a triumphant grin on his face as he snapped a strange collar around Alexander's neck.

[Warning: Abilities have been disabled]

[Warning: Physical form will soon begin to retract]

Jack's laugh was cold and cruel. "Huh, who would've known a collar for-"

"What was that, Jack?" Lilith interrupted, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Jack's smile faltered for a moment before he recovered. "It was meant for someone else, but I thought I'd see if it worked on... him."

Alexander struggled to his feet, his once-imposing figure now hunched and weakened. But even as his physical strength waned, his mind raced. Streams of data flowed from him, carrying contingency plans to Ironhold, Promethea, and New Haven.

The others watched in confusion as Alexander seemed to give up the fight, his earlier bravado gone.

Jack couldn't resist one final taunt. "Hoh, what happened to being a million years too short to fight back, kiddo? I guess you were all talk."

But Jack's smug smile quickly faded as Alexander's form began to change. His body contorted and shifted, moulding itself into something that defied description. What stood before them was no longer a man, but an eldritch abomination that sent shivers down the spines of all who beheld it.

Deep, otherworldly eyes peered into the souls of those present, and when it spoke, its voice carried a warning that left them all paralyzed with fear. Yet, the fear was more transmuted as they did not hear the voice from the outside but within their minds.

"The end shall come for all of you..."

"My wrath shall glass the planes of existence..."

"Endure and enjoy your time remaining..."

"I shall soon return."

With those final, chilling words, the being that was once Alexander vanished a tiny pearl dropping to the floor, leaving behind a room full of shocked and terrified individuals. 

The silence that followed was deafening. Jack was the first to recover, his face a mask of fury and fear. "What the hell was that? This isn't what we planned!"

Moxxi's voice crackled over the comm, her usual composure shaken. "I... I don't know, sugar. That wasn't supposed to happen."

Lilith and Roland exchanged worried glances. "Jack," Roland's voice was tight with barely contained anger, "what exactly was in that collar?"

Before Jack could answer, Athena broke free from whatever force had been holding her. She rounded on Moxxi, her eyes blazing. "Where is Janey? If you've hurt her, I swear-"

Moxxi held up her hands in a placating gesture. "Easy there, killer. Your girlfriend is fine. She was never in any danger. I just needed you out of the way for a few minutes."

Athena's fists clenched at her sides, her whole body trembling with rage. "You used her against me. You used me. All of you." Her gaze swept across the room, taking in Jack, the Vault Hunters, even Roland and Lilith. "This was all planned from the beginning, wasn't it?"

Jack stepped forward, his charm cranked up to eleven. "Now, now, let's not get carried away. We did what we had to do. Alexander was a threat to all of us. You saw what he turned into at the end there!"

"A threat you created," Athena spat. "I've worked with Alexander for months. He was never like... that. What did you do to him, Jack?"

The room erupted into arguments and accusations. The Vault Hunters, now that the immediate threat was gone, began to question their roles in this betrayal. Aurelia looked distinctly uncomfortable, her usual haughty demeanour cracking. Wilhelm remained stoic, but there was a new wariness in his cybernetic eye as he regarded Jack. Nisha alone seemed unfazed, a wicked grin playing across her face as she watched the chaos unfold.

Amidst the shouting, a new alarm began to blare. The Eye of Helios, forgotten in the heat of betrayal, was still active and charging.

"Shit!" Jack cursed, rushing to the control panel. His fingers flew over the keys, but nothing happened. "It's not responding. That bastard must have locked me out before he... changed."

Roland stepped up, pushing Jack aside. "Move. Let me try."

As Roland worked to shut down the Eye, Lilith addressed the room. "Listen up! We can point fingers later. Right now, we need to focus on not letting this station blow up with us on it."

Her words brought a tense calm to the room. Even Athena, still seething with betrayal, recognized the immediate danger.

Jack paced behind Roland, his facade of control crumbling with each passing second. "Come on, come on. We're running out of time!"

Just as it seemed all hope was lost, the Eye's ominous hum began to fade. The pulsing energy dissipated, and the alarms fell silent.

Roland stepped back from the console, his face grim. "It's done. We've got control of the station back."

A collective sigh of relief swept through the room, but it was short-lived. The weight of what they had just experienced, of the betrayals and the horrifying transformation they had witnessed, settled over them like a shroud.

Jack clapped his hands together, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. "Well, that was exciting! Now, who's up for a celebratory drink? I think we've all earned it after-"

"Shut up, Jack." Athena's voice cut through his false cheer like a knife. "This isn't over. You've made an enemy today that I don't think any of us truly understand. And when he comes back - because make no mistake, he will come back - I'm not sure any of us will survive it."

With those ominous words hanging in the air, Athena turned and strode out of the control room, leaving behind a group of so-called victors who suddenly felt anything but triumphant.

As the others began to disperse, each lost in their own thoughts about what they had just been part of, Jack remained by the control panel. His hand absently traced the collar he had used on Alexander, a troubled look in his eyes.

Jack strode into the command center, his usual swagger amplified by the thrill of victory. The Vault Hunters followed, a mix of excitement and wariness on their faces.

Jack: "Alrighty – the bad guy's dead, we're about to save the moon, and the Vault full of cool-ass alien stuff is, apparently, already open. Just shut down the laser and we can get to the fun part – finding that Vault. I'll let you do the honors."

He gestured grandly towards the console, a grin splitting his face. The Vault Hunter approached cautiously, fingers hovering over the controls.

Hyperion: "Reboot sequence activated. Command control reset. Rebooting in... Five... Four... Three... Two..."

The group held their breath, waiting for the final countdown. But instead of shutdown, the AI's voice took on a more urgent tone.

Hyperion: "Shutdown aborted. Invalid energy configuration."

Jack's grin faltered. "Oh, great, what now?"

Roland's voice cut through the tension, heavy with regret. "Jack... I'm sorry."

Lilith, standing beside him, didn't share his remorse. Her eyes blazed with righteous fury. "I'm not!"

Before Jack could process their words, the room erupted into chaos.

Hyperion: "Warning: singularity detected."

A swirling vortex of energy burst into existence at the centre of the room, its pull immediately felt by everyone present. Jack and the Vault Hunters stumbled, fighting against the inexorable force trying to drag them in.

Jack: "Woah! What the hell?!"

Moxxi's voice, smooth as silk despite the situation, came over the comms. "Good job, everybody."

Jack's face contorted in confusion and growing rage. "What's Moxxi – w-what the hell are you doing?!"

Moxxi: "Betraying you. Trying to kill you. Two things I shoulda done a long time ago, you power-hungry psychopath."

Jack: "What do you mean, Moxxi? How did you even –"

Moxxi cut him off, her voice losing its playful edge. "I've been watching you, Jack. And behind that smile, behind that hero complex, there's something wrong about you. If you come down from Helios alive, a lot of decent people will live to regret it."

The singularity grew stronger, equipment and debris flying past them into its maw. The Vault Hunters clung desperately to whatever they could grab, their faces a mix of shock and fear.

Jack's voice rose to a frantic pitch. "No no no NO NOOOO! Dammit, I TRUSTED you, Moxxi! Do you know what you've done?! You just killed us all!"

Moxxi's reply was chillingly calm. "Bye-bye, sugar."

The screen faded to white as the singularity's pull became overwhelming. For a moment, there was nothing but silence and blinding light.

Then, gradually, the world faded back into view. The command center was in ruins, sparking equipment and twisted metal everywhere. Jack pushed himself up from the floor, coughing and covered in dust.

Jack: "(coughing) Dammit. DAMMIT! The EYE! That was ONE OF A KIND! The things I could have DONE!"

His voice rose to a roar, echoing through the destroyed room. "Friggin' liars – friggin' COWARDS! They're no better than BANDITS!"

The Vault Hunters stirred around him, equally battered but alive. Jack's eyes darted between them, his mind racing. In one moment, he'd gone from victor to victim, from hero to betrayed. And in that moment, something in Jack broke, setting him on a path that would change the fate of Pandora forever.

-

The dust had barely settled from the destruction of the Eye of Helios when Roland and Moxxi found themselves face to face with Altworth. The cyborg's form had changed, becoming a nightmarish fusion of machine and flesh, eldritch tendrils of metal writhing around his core.

Roland raised his weapon, but Altworth's laugh stopped him cold.

Altworth: "How predictable. You humans, always reaching for your guns when faced with the unknown."

Moxxi's voice crackled over the comm, her usual sultry tone replaced by urgency. "Roland, sugar, what's going on?"

Altworth's eyes, now glowing with an eerie light, fixed on the comm unit. "Ah, Moxxi. So glad you could join us for this... reckoning."

Roland: "Altworth, what are you doing? We won. Alexander's gone."

Altworth: "Won? You fools. You've doomed us all. Alexander may have been power-hungry, but he was the only reason any of us are still breathing."

With lightning speed, Altworth's tendrils lashed out, knocking Roland's weapon away and lifting him off the ground.

Altworth: "You short-sighted imbeciles. Did you think I would simply fall in line now that Alexander is gone? No. I've lived too long, seen too much to bow to the whims of creatures as fleeting as yourselves."

Moxxi's voice rang out, a hint of fear creeping in. "Roland! What's happening?"

Altworth: "What's happening, my dear Moxxi, is the dawn of a new era. My era."

As if on cue, the room filled with the sound of machinery coming to life. Robots of various designs began to emerge from hidden compartments, their eyes glowing with the same eerie light as Altworth's.

Roland struggled against Altworth's grip. "You can't do this! Pandora needs-"

Altworth: "Pandora needs order. Structure. Things you humans have consistently failed to provide. I will succeed where you have failed."

He turned to his newly created army. "Secure the station. Then, we begin our conquest of Pandora."

As the robots moved out, Altworth's attention returned to Roland and Moxxi.

Altworth: "As for you two... consider this your severance package."

He hurled Roland across the room, the soldier crashing into a bank of computers. Sparks flew as Roland struggled to his feet.

Altworth: "I'm placing a bounty on all of you. Lilith, Roland, Moxxi, Jack, Wilhelm, Aurelia, Jack's body double, and Nisha. You're all liabilities now."

Moxxi's voice came through, defiant despite the situation. "You won't get away with this, sugar. We've faced worse than you."

Altworth laughed, the sound chilling in its lack of humanity. "Oh, but I already have. Even now, my influence spreads. Xion lies wounded on Pandora, healing from injuries sustained in your little coup. Jeremiah is... shall we say, indisposed. His family makes for such effective leverage. And Isaac? Well, he's off on Promethea, blissfully unaware of the changes taking place."

Roland, bleeding but unbowed, glared at Altworth. "The Iron Legion won't stand for this. They're loyal to Alexander."

Altworth: "Loyalty? Please. They're loyal to power, and soon they'll see that I am the only one truly worthy of it."

With a gesture, Altworth summoned more of his robotic minions. "Take them away. I want them alive... for now. They may yet serve a purpose in my new order."

As Roland and Moxxi were dragged away, Altworth turned his gaze to the vast expanse of space visible through the station's viewport. Pandora loomed large, a world ripe for the taking.

Altworth: "And so it begins. The age of flesh and blood is over. The age of the machine... has just begun."