Chapter 54: Murky Water

Author note:

We're going to wrap this series up. I'm gonna finish with Borderlands 2 and speed up the pace. It may feel forced but I really want to complete this story and move on back to Cyberpunk 2077 fanfic. After that, we'll move on to creating another fanfiction: Perhaps an Adventure Time or DC fanfic of some kind I'll make a poll of some kind. 

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POV: Gaige

Date: Y4 M6

The bioluminescent glow of Pandora's transformed forest had gradually faded behind them, replaced by the cold, calculated light of Ironhold's interior.

Gaige still couldn't believe what she was seeing.

When she had first heard stories about Pandora, it was a planet of lawlessness and dust—a place where only the insane dared tread, and yet here she was, standing within the heart of an empire that was both mesmerizing and terrifying.

The corridors were alive with an almost tangible energy. Everything hummed and buzzed, from the walls themselves to the tech embedded within them.

It was clear to Gaige that Alexander's technological prowess was something far beyond what she had anticipated.

Advanced displays of data covered every available wall space, cycling through information on Pandora's flora, fauna, and even the atmosphere.

It felt like they were inside a living machine, and she wondered what kind of mind could orchestrate something so meticulous.

Gaige's attention was pulled away from the tech when a patrol of soldiers marched past, their heavy boots echoing against the metal floor.

They were unlike any force she'd seen before, even during her time on Eden-5. These were not corporate security goons or ragtag bandits.

They were disciplined, and their armour gleamed with an eerie, alien elegance that made them look like they'd walked out of some otherworldly crusade.

It was unnerving.

These soldiers didn't speak, barely acknowledging her presence, and she couldn't shake the feeling that they were watching her, assessing her every move.

She adjusted her mechanical arm, feeling the comforting weight of her tools tucked away in the compartments she'd installed.

This place made her feel small, like a trespasser in a world far more advanced than the one she had left behind.

Claptrap had said Alexander was no ordinary leader, but Gaige didn't realise the full scope of his influence until now.

It was as if he had taken the chaos of Pandora and remade it in his image—a blend of ruthless efficiency and strange beauty.

She wanted to ask more questions and press for details, but Claptrap had gone silent, leading them deeper and deeper into the heart of the fortress without a word.

Finally, they arrived at the war room—a vast, circular chamber bathed in cold light. In the centre was a massive tactical display, a holographic map of Pandora hovering above a sleek, metallic table.

The air was thick with the scent of ozone and the faint hum of machinery, and Gaige felt the weight of the moment settle over her shoulders.

This wasn't a game, wasn't a scavenger hunt for loot and glory.

This was war.

As Tina moved to the centre of the room, Gaige couldn't help but marvel at how different she looked.

The girl who had once been a force of pure chaos was now composed and sharp, every movement measured.

Gaige didn't know whether to feel impressed or unnerved.

There was a sense of confidence in the way Tina handled the advanced technology, like she belonged here like she had been born for this.

Gaige had always prided herself on being a tech genius, on being able to outthink and outbuild anyone.

But now, watching Tina work, she felt something she hadn't experienced in a long time—a sense of doubt.

This wasn't the hyperactive girl who had a fondness for explosives and rabbit plushies; this was someone else entirely.

Someone who had grown up, perhaps too quickly, in the shadow of someone she was beginning to realise was far more dangerous than she'd thought.

"What do you make of all this?" Gaige asked, trying to hide the edge of unease in her voice.

She didn't expect an answer, not really, but she needed to fill the silence that had fallen over them. Needed to remind herself that she wasn't alone.

Tina barely glanced up from the console. "I think," she said quietly, "that this is just the beginning."

POV: Axton

Axton's military instincts were on high alert. He had been in some of the most fortified places in the galaxy, and seen enough tech to make any soldier's head spin, but nothing compared to this.

Ironhold was a fortress in every sense of the word, but it was also something more—something almost… alive.

There was a cold precision to it all, from the seamless integration of weapons systems in the walls to the glowing sigils etched into the metal.

He had heard the stories, the rumours about Alexander—how he had transformed Pandora into his personal empire, how he had somehow managed to keep the corporations at bay while remaking the planet in his image.

It was an insane thought to imagine that such a barren wasteland had transformed over a few short years. The weather had gone from skag breath to a cool breeze in what took others centuries. 

It was unnatural, supernatural to the Ex-soldier who noticed the uniform nature of the soldiers passing past him.

It reminded him of his first time on duty, the sight of the Dahl soldiers walking past in uniform. 

The presence, the vigour and more importantly the valour. 

Axton hadn't believed half of it, chalking it up to wild exaggerations by the kind of people who liked to spin legends out of gunfights and explosions.

But now, standing here, he was beginning to understand that the stories hadn't gone far enough.

Athena's voice cut through his thoughts.

She was standing near the centre console, staring at the tactical display with the kind of intensity he had only seen in veteran generals who had fought for years.

Axton liked Athena.

She was tough, unflinching, and had a no-nonsense attitude that reminded him of his best commanders back in Dahl.

Hell, she'd run a tough buck with how similar she was to his old ex-wife...

But even she seemed unsettled by what they were up against.

"You think we have enough firepower to hold them off?" Axton asked, moving to stand beside her.

His gaze followed hers, tracing the contours of the holographic battlefield.

He could see the movements of Vladoff's forces, the red markers indicating their relentless advance toward the fortress.

There were so many of them, and more kept appearing.

"If we hit them hard enough, maybe," Athena replied, her voice low. "But they're not coming at us like bandits. They're moving like a trained army, and they're packing some serious hardware."

Axton could see what she meant. Vladoff's forces weren't just throwing themselves at the walls; they were probing, testing defences, looking for weaknesses.

This wasn't the kind of chaotic, disorganized fight he was used to on Pandora. This was a proper war, and Axton felt the old, familiar thrill of a challenge rise within him.

He had missed this feeling, the buzz of anticipation before a big battle—the chance to prove himself, to show what he was capable of.

"Sweet armour, sweet cheeks.." He couldn't help but voice towards one of the soldiers walking past.

"I'm a male." 

"And?" 

"..."

POV: Zer0

From the moment he set foot in Ironhold, Zer0 had felt a sense of unease.

The fortress was impressive, no doubt, and Alexander's influence was everywhere, etched into the very walls with cold precision.

But there was something else, something beneath the surface—a hidden current that thrummed like a predator waiting to pounce.

He had seen empires rise and fall and watched as powerful men played their games of power and war, and he knew the signs when he saw them.

Ironhold was a place of power, but it was also a place of secrets.

The soldiers, the technology, and even the trees outside seemed to whisper of things unseen, things that the eye could not catch.

It was as if the fortress itself was alive, watching him, weighing him.

Zer0 moved like a shadow through the corridors, his form blending seamlessly into the darkness as he observed everything with cold detachment.

He had been brought here for a reason—recruited by forces he didn't yet fully understand. But he wasn't afraid.

The unknown was where he thrived, where he found purpose.

It was in the shadows that he found clarity, and this place was full of shadows.

He watched Gaige and Tina as they worked together, their movements synchronized, their expressions focused.

The young girl who had once been wild and chaotic was now a force of precision, and Gaige—who had always been so sure of herself—seemed almost unsure in this new environment.

Zer0 found it intriguing, the way they complemented each other, the way they both seemed to be growing in ways they couldn't yet see.

His visor flickered, running calculations, and processing data faster than any human could. He saw the weakness in the defences, the gaps in Vladoff's formation, the patterns in their movements.

He knew where they would strike, knew where the killing blow would come from.

But he said nothing.

This was not his fight to lead.

It was his fight to observe, to learn from.

He felt the familiar itch, the desire to draw his blade and join the battle, to cut through the lies and the chaos with a single stroke of steel.

But he held back, waiting.

He had seen too many battles won and lost because of impatience, too many lives thrown away in the pursuit of glory.

He would not make the same mistake.

As the girls moved to deploy the pulse grenade, Zer0's fingers twitched against the hilt of his blade.

The light from the explosion reflected in his visor, casting a brief flash of blue across his face, and he saw the cloaking fields collapse, revealing the hulking shapes of the artillery units.

He watched them fight and saw the way Tina moved with a grace that spoke of training far beyond her years.

Gaige was the same, her movements fluid and practised, every shot a calculated strike.

It was strange to see them like this, to see the chaos of Pandora distilled into something so precise, so deadly.

When the last of the artillery fell, Zer0 stepped forward, his movements silent and deliberate.

He felt the weight of his presence, the way the others looked at him as if waiting for some kind of judgment.

He didn't give it. Instead, he merely nodded a single, silent gesture of approval, before vanishing once more into the shadows.

The battle was won, but the war had only begun.

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