Chapter 52: The Warlock, Soldier and Assassin

Pov: Gaige 

Date: Y4, M5

I never thought it would end like this.

The sound of my father's voice echoes in my ears, but it doesn't quite reach me. My mind is a whirlpool of thoughts and guilt, everything crashing together at once. The shuttle's engines hum steadily, but it's the silence between my father and me that's deafening. The only thing that's certain is that I'm running. From everything.

From them, the people who think I killed Marcy. From my mistakes.

My eyes are locked on the fast-fading skyline of Eden-5 below. It's just a blur now—no longer my home, no longer anything I recognise. My body shakes with fear and adrenaline, my heart still trying to catch up with the storm I've created. I should feel relieved to be away from the chaos, but all I feel is... empty.

The shuttle cabin is small, the faint smell of recycled air doing little to calm my racing thoughts. My father sits across from me, his brow furrowed, hands gripping the armrests of his seat. He's tense, not looking at me.

"Gaige," he starts, his voice cracking with something like sadness. "We can't keep running. Not like this."

His words hit harder than I expect. I want to yell, to tell him that we have no choice. That it's all we can do. But I just... I can't. Because deep down, I know he's right. We've been running from the consequences of my actions for too long, and now, it's too much.

His eyes meet mine, and there's something in them—something I can't describe, something I've seen in his gaze before. "We need to split up. You... you have to go your own way."

The words land like a slap. I freeze, staring at him. "What? No—Dad, we can't—"

"We can't keep running together. I... I don't know how much longer I can keep covering for you, Gaige," he says, his voice rough, almost resigned. "The family we're running from—they've got too many resources. Too much power. I can't protect you anymore."

I open my mouth to argue, to plead with him to understand, but the words get stuck in my throat. He's right. I'm not a child anymore, and I haven't been for a long time. I made the mistake, I killed Marcy by accident—I did that. My pride, my need to prove myself, my lack of control. The fallout is on me, and I can't keep dragging him down with me.

"So what? You're just going to leave me? You're just going to abandon me?" I almost shout the words, but I choke on the bitterness.

My father looks away, as if he can't bear to see the hurt on my face. "I'm not abandoning you, Gaige. I'm trying to give you a chance. A chance to start fresh. You're better off on your own. Go to Pandora. Start over there."

His voice softens as he continues, "I'm not like you, Gaige. I'm not as strong. I can't do what you can. But you—you—you have a chance to make something of yourself. I need you to take that chance."

It's like he's talking to a stranger, someone he doesn't recognize. Maybe that's because... I'm not that person anymore.

I take a step back, the weight of his words crashing down on me like a tidal wave. I can feel the lump in my throat, but I won't let the tears fall. Not now. I won't let him see me break.

"You want me to just go?" I ask, trying to control the shaking in my voice. "Just run off to Pandora? I don't even know anything about that planet. How am I supposed to survive there? I... I'm wanted for murder!"

He doesn't flinch. Doesn't even look like he's hesitating. "You'll figure it out. You always do. You've got Deathtrap with you, right? He'll protect you. And you're smart, Gaige. Smarter than anyone gives you credit for."

I swallow hard. It feels like a knife twisting in my gut, but I know he's right. I know it. The weight of the reality settles in: This is the end of the road for us. Our paths are going in opposite directions now, and no amount of pleading will change that.

I don't know how long we stand there, looking at each other, both of us trying to come to terms with what's happening.

Finally, he sighs, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "You're strong, Gaige. Just... don't let this break you. Don't let them win. Don't let Marcy's death be the end of you. That's not what she would want for you."

Marcy.

That's what this is all about. My mistake. My failure. I can still see her face—the shock, the confusion, just before it all went wrong. I never meant to hurt her.

I nod, barely able to speak through the lump in my throat. "I won't let it break me, Dad. I'll figure it out."

The silence lingers for a long time, but I know it's time. It's time for us to part ways. I make my way to the shuttle's exit hatch, my fingers numb as I open it.

He stops me before I can leave, though. "Gaige, one last thing." His voice is firm, but there's a softness underneath. "Take care of yourself. I love you."

"I love you too," I say, my voice barely a whisper. And then, with one last look, I step into the unknown.

As the shuttle picks up speed and Eden-5 fades from view, a strange sense of emptiness settles over me. There's no going back. I'm on my own now.

I glance over at the small bag I packed—the one with the little things I managed to grab before fleeing. Inside, there are a few tools, some cash, and Deathtrap's control module. That's it. No family. No home. No safety net. Just me. Just Deathtrap and me.

I don't know what's waiting for me on Pandora, but I don't have any other choice. I'm not going to give up. I can't.

This is my life now. Just mine.

And maybe, just maybe, Pandora will be the place where I can start again.

---

Pov: Third Person

Date: Y4 M5

The shuttle hurtled through space, its grimy interior vibrating under the roar of the engines. Gaige huddled against the wall, half-hidden in the dim light, adjusting her scarf to better conceal her face.

She kept her head down, hoping her distinctive red hair and mechanical arm didn't give her away. She wasn't exactly the most inconspicuous figure, even among mercenaries. Gaige could feel eyes on her, the silent glances from the others who sat clustered around the cabin.

"I fricken hate it here..."  she thought bitterly the warm embrace of her home raptured after her little accident. 

Across from her, a bulky man named Rook watched her with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. He was one of the bigger guys onboard, with scarred skin and a rough appearance that made Gaige instinctively clutch her toolbag a little tighter. She was used to people staring—especially bounty hunters.

The posters plastered all over Promethea and Eden 1 -5 with her face had made her notorious in certain circles. She was trying to lie low, to get to Pandora without attracting unwanted attention, but it was harder than she'd expected.

One of the mercs, a sharp-eyed woman with dark braids and a nasty smile, nudged her friend beside her. "What's a kid like you doing out here?" she sneered, her voice dripping with mockery. "Aren't you a little… soft for this line of work?"

Gaige didn't respond immediately, just gave a small shrug, trying to keep her face impassive. "Just here for the vault, like everyone else," she mumbled.

The woman's gaze lingered a bit too long on Gaige's arm, and Gaige shifted slightly, folding her arm out of sight. She couldn't risk anything drawing more attention to herself, even though her robotic arm was hard to miss. It pulsed faintly under her sleeve, quiet reminders of her past creeping in.

Axton, leaning against the wall nearby and giving his rifle one last check, noticed the exchange. He let out a low chuckle and stepped forward. "Back off," he said to the woman, giving her a casual but warning glance. "We're all here for the same thing, aren't we? Don't make this personal."

The woman scowled but looked away, muttering something under her breath as she returned her focus to her gear. Gaige shot Axton a quick, grateful glance, though she immediately tried to cover it with a neutral expression.

"Thanks," she muttered under her breath, just loud enough for him to hear.

Axton offered a small nod. "Just keep your head down, kid," he said, his voice low but not unkind. "This crowd isn't the friendliest. Best not to give them a reason to look closer."

From his seat across the shuttle, Zer0 observed the exchange silently, his visor faintly reflecting the lights that flickered in the cabin. He hadn't said much since they'd boarded, preferring to keep to himself, his masked face impossible to read. Gaige caught him watching her, his expression unreadable beneath his helmet. 

Another merc, a wiry man with a scar above his eye named Cutter, joined the group, taking a seat close to Gaige. His tone was friendly, though a little too smooth. "So, what's your story?" he asked her. "You don't look like you've been running with bounty hunters for long."

Gaige glanced away, clutching her bag tighter. She wanted to say something that would make her seem tough, maybe brag about her inventions or the things she'd been through. But her mind went blank. "Not much of a story," she mumbled, hoping the guy would lose interest.

Cutter didn't seem to take the hint. He leaned closer, eyeing her with a look that felt invasive. "You sure? Because I swear I've seen you somewhere before. Maybe on one of those wanted posters?"

Gaige's heart raced, and she forced herself to stay calm, but she felt her hands tremble slightly. Cutter's gaze bore into her, as if he were piecing together the details in his head.

Axton shifted beside her, stepping in smoothly. "Not everyone's got time to dig up dirt on strangers," he said, his voice calm but firm. "Might want to keep that curiosity in check."

Cutter held up his hands, feigning innocence. "Just making conversation," he said, though the look he gave Gaige told her this wasn't over.

Gaige tried to push down her panic, focusing instead on the dense jungle planet they were heading toward. She barely recognized Pandora from the descriptions she'd read. Outside the small viewing port, the green expanse below looked alien, like something out of a dream, thick with mutated trees and strange plants that glowed in patches. But her awe was short-lived as a loud, ominous clanking noise broke through her thoughts.

The shuttle shuddered violently, throwing them all into a tense silence.

"Brace yourselves!" the pilot's voice crackled over the comm. "We're taking some heavy turbulence!"

The shuttle plummeted as alarms screamed, and the lights flickered wildly. Gaige clutched her seat, her heart pounding as the descent grew more chaotic. Out the window, she could see small flashes in the sky—an ongoing space battle in Pandora's orbit, the sparks of distant explosions illuminating the atmosphere.

The shuttle continued to rattle, shaking more violently with every passing second. The engines began to whine, and something inside them exploded in a fiery mess, sending debris scattering across the cabin. Gaige gritted her teeth as her body was whipped around, her hand holding on for dear life as the shuttle careened downward.

One by one, the other mercs were thrown against walls and equipment. Gaige saw Cutter and a few others tumbling helplessly across the floor. Rook's large frame slammed into the wall with a sickening crack, his eyes wide in shock as he was thrown into the chaos.

Then, with a final, deafening roar, the shuttle tore through Pandora's dense jungle canopy, slamming into the ground. Gaige's head hit the side of the wall, her vision blurring, and she barely felt the impact as the world went dark.

---

Gaige groaned, blinking slowly as her vision came into focus. Her head throbbed, and she could taste blood in her mouth, but she was alive. She looked around, her heart sinking as she took in the wreckage. Bodies lay scattered across the ruined cabin, some crumpled and lifeless.

She forced herself to her feet, stumbling slightly, and spotted Axton nearby, brushing debris off his shoulder. Zer0 was already upright, impossibly calm and unscathed, his visor glowing softly in the dim light.

"Only three," Zer0 observed in his usual cryptic way. "Weak are those who seek / Crushed beneath Pandora's wrath/Comical perhaps."

Gaige swallowed hard, a pang of guilt gnawing at her. She knew it wasn't her fault, but she couldn't shake the feeling that maybe, somehow, this was a punishment—a reminder that she'd put herself in harm's way, that she was risking her life for something she didn't fully understand.

"I miss you, dad..."

As they began to step out of the wreckage, a strange figure appeared in the clearing. A Claptrap unit—only this one looked different, taller and sleeker, its frame covered in dark armour plating.

Gaige couldn't help but gape. The robot walked on two legs like a human, its glowing blue eye scanning them with an intensity she'd never seen in a Claptrap unit before.

"Greetings, Vault Hunters!" Claptrap announced in a cheery yet oddly ominous voice. "My friend has sent me to escort you through the forest, lest you get… overwhelmed." He tilted his head, his eye flickering with a mechanical wink.

Gaige, still dazed, managed a wry smile. "A Claptrap with legs? I thought I'd seen it all…"

Axton eyed the bot warily. "Who's this friend of yours?"

Claptrap's eye glowed a little brighter. "Ah, that's a secret, I'm afraid. But he's very invested in your safety—and he's given me all the upgrades needed to make sure you reach your destination."

As they followed Claptrap through the thick forest, Gaige couldn't help but be awestruck by the environment. It was nothing like the dry wasteland she'd imagined. The dense foliage was tangled and lush, bioluminescent fungi and mutated flowers casting eerie light along the forest floor.

Strange sounds echoed around them—animal calls, growls, and the occasional rustle of something far too large to be an ordinary creature.

Axton looked around, his hand on his rifle, as if expecting an ambush. "Pandora's changed... Someone's been playing gardener."

Claptrap stumbled over a root, catching himself just in time. "Oh, yes, the forest is the work of some advanced bioengineering. My friend has big plans for Pandora. Lots of building and… redecorating."

"Redecorating?" Gaige raised an eyebrow, feeling a mixture of fear and awe as they continued.

She tried to push her nerves down, focusing on the excitement and the promise of a vault somewhere in these wilds. But she couldn't shake the feeling that her presence here might still attract unwanted attention.

The forest was thick, dangerous, and alive in a way that was almost sinister. It wasn't long before they heard the distant sounds of shouting and gunfire echoing through the trees. Claptrap slowed, his head swivelling around, his eye blinking in an almost nervous pattern.

"Oh, um, I forgot to mention… the locals might not be too welcoming," he said sheepishly. "Some bandit factions have joined forces with an old enemy of mine—one I haven't exactly parted with on friendly terms."

Gaige exchanged a look with Axton, her fingers tightening around the wrench in her hand. She felt a thrill of nervous energy, knowing that their arrival on Pandora wasn't going to be easy, but feeling more determined than ever to prove she could handle it.

"Bring it on," she whispered, and the group pressed forward into the unknown.