I really hope within a week of GoT coming out... I mean, GoT ep3 came about a week later than tftb ep2, so... maybe?
I don't know though. Seems like it keeps getting pushed back again and again...
Sasha's eyes drifted across the skyline, where a blanket of piercing blue met the dusty yellow earth beneath wavy curtains of heat. A speck of black and a cloud of smoke broke out between the blue and yellow, accompanied with a faint rumble growing ever louder. Whatever it was, it was company, and on Pandora company usually meant trouble.
Sudden white light darted into her vision. She desperately tried to blink it away, shielding her eyes with her free arm and burying her face into her sleeve.
A slight shift of her hands and it was gone.
Rhys was right about something; the Atlas Silver reflected any light it was exposed to, which wasn't so great in the Badlands. Shiny things draw too much attention. And with that dark dot gaining speed, she had to hide herself and her glowing weapon somewhere out of sight.
Quickly, she flung herself down towards the closest patch of brush, kneeling into the rocks. She lowered her gun to the ground, hovering over it to dim the shine of silver in her shadow. Through the dead and tangled branches she watched the black dot come closer – a car, filled with boisterous passengers and emblazoned with a red "M" across its side. They seemed too caught up in their own rambunctious rally to notice her.
"Ahh! Sasha! Sasha help!"
She whipped her head back to the rocky outcrop she left Rhys by. He was further away now, but she could still make out his flailing limbs in that bright teal shirt of his fleeing the cave. Behind him, two wild skags tore at the terrain, starting the chase.
That was going to attract more attention than the Atlas Silver ever could.
"Rhys!" Her body instinctively lurched forward, stumbling into the dirt before she could hold herself back. Why should she risk her neck for some Hyperion lackey?
Well, for one, he was still important to the Gortys Project, the key to a vault that could get her and Fiona off this godforsaken rock. He couldn't very well survive without her help, not here.
That, and she still felt the obligation of a pinky promise. He trusted her after all, a welcome surprise given the type of people who usually come down from Helios.
"Oh, for the love of…"
Sasha sighed and shook her head, picking up her gun.
First, she waited for the car to rip pass her, concealing her in a thick trail of desert dust. The roar of the engine erupted, deafening in her ears.
Her sight of Rhys had vanished, lost behind the silt-laden air. Still, he quickly kept pace through the dissipating cover of the dust cloud towards his direction, blinking agitated eyes. It didn't last long. The landscape settled. She was out in the open.
Rhys was missing. The two skags had perched atop a large boulder and seemed just as confused as she was.
Splat
In an instant, and with a quick flinch and a wince, she watched as the car collided with one of the skags, launching off the boulder and well into the air.
Well. One less to deal with.
Sasha lifted her gun, locking her sights on the remaining skag. But it was already off, chasing after the murderous car with blind rage. A mess of blood and bandits circled around the desert. Not an unusual sight on Pandora. Hopefully Rhys wasn't lost in any of it.
She shifted towards the angled boulder, crouching just behind it, tilting her head to listen for the unmistakable sound of Rhys' screaming. Instead, she heard muffled boasting.
"See?"
Leaning towards the voice, she hesitantly peeked around the boulder. There stood a tall, seemingly self-assured man coated in skag blood.
"There's nothing you can't handle."
He took a confident step to the side, turning his head to face the barrel of her loaded gun.
"AHH!"
He jumped back, his confidence instantly drained. As well it should. Cockiness didn't suit him.
"Rhys! You couldn't stay by the cave for 10 minutes like I asked?"
Rhys recovered, straightening himself. "Oh sorry, that was kind of hard to do since it was FULL OF SKAGS THAT WERE TRYING TO KILL ME!"
"Shit." Sasha just realized her gun was still on Rhys. It fell to her hips. "Must have been a skag den."
"You couldn't have checked that cave first before you left me there?"
His snarky quips grated her nerves. "Hey, it's hot out here and I just wanted to get out of the sun. Excuse me for trying to keep us alive!"
Rhys crossed his arms. "Well, we are. Not like you helped me back there."
"I ran out here in the open to save your ass!" The Atlas Silver rose and readied while her blood boiled, as if it had a mind of its own. "And without me you would have been dead! In that arena I could have let you die and taken the money for myself and my sister. We would have been better off!"
"Whoa, hey, careful with that." Rhys gently pushed the barrel away from him. "You're right, okay? You saved us back there. It's just been a long day and I'm tired of being stuck on this planet."
"Yeah, well…" she allowed herself a breath, attempting to cool her temper. It was becoming a habit lately. "That makes two of us."
They turned back to face the outcrop that had once promised shelter. "No point in staying there anymore if skags are living in it. Come on, we'll have to find something else soon."
She started in a new direction. Rhys remained firmly planted, stationary in his spot.
"What's the matter?"
"Uh, Yvette is sending my coordinates to Vaughn to help him find us."
"And…?"
"She recorded the coordinates when I was standing over there." He extended a sheepish finger, pointing behind him. Her line of sight followed the direction until she rested upon the skag den, now cast in dark shadows under the orange setting sun.
"Oh no, we are not staying there. Call your friend back and change the coordinates once we find somewhere else to stay."
"I don't think I can do that."
"Why not?"
Rhys opened his palm, revealing a screen of static. "I think Hyperion cut off communication between us."
"Oh for the love of-" She had to start keeping a tally of every time she said that today. "Fine, we'll go check it out. Maybe if we're lucky you drew out all the skags and it'll be fine. If not, well, here."
She shoved her Maliwan SMG into Rhys' chest and let go, waiting for him to take hold of it. He didn't. Rhys stared as the gun slipped through his arms and dropped into the sand with a thud.
"Why didn't you take it?"
"You wanted me to take it?"
"Yes! What part of 'here' and then giving it to you did you not understand?"
"I'm not, uh…" He restrained his protest, hunching over to pick it up from the ground. "Why?"
"If there are any skags left in there we gotta clear them out."
"Me too?"
"'Me too?'" Sasha mocked in a poor imitation of Rhys' voice. "Yes, you too. I've got two guns and we're both stuck in this mess together, like it or not."
With a faint gulp he inspected her firearm, hesitantly running his shaking fingers over the trigger.
"Please tell me you know how to use a gun."
"I do." He seemed to strain under the full weight of it in his arms. "Just never had to use one like this."
"What, actually killing things? It's Pandora, you better get used to it." Sasha readied her gun, cautiously stepping towards the cave. "Come on."
Rhys followed close behind her as they approached. The wetness of his heavy breath and loud scuffing of his shoes as they scraped against the rocky earth did nothing to convince her that he could handle himself. Here she was, in the middle of the desert, infiltrating a skag den with a Hyperion boy that could barely hold a gun. He was going to be the death of her.
Her fingers squeezed tighter on the Atlas Silver, constricting cool metal in her hands.
Deep breaths. Relax.
The ditch finally sloped down before them, welcoming them into the ominous dark hole in the rock side. "Okay Rhys," Sasha whispered, "give me a light and stay quiet."
He nodded and opened his hand again, projecting a bright screen into the darkness. The red walls illuminated in the dull light.
A pillar of warm sunlight stood in the middle of the cave, capturing the pirouetting specks of dust that floated gently in the stagnant air. Sasha glanced up to find a round opening in the ceiling of the cave, letting in the rays of sun.
Another step and her foot landed on bone.
Crunch
Rhys and Sasha were statues, their guns aimed blindly in the dim light. Nothing stirred.
"Maybe it's empty?" Sasha pressed her foot down harder, filling the room with growing snaps and crackles. The sounds sent chills up Rhys' spine.
"Would you stop that?" he forcefully whispered, placing a halting palm on her shoulder. A grin spread on her face as she let up on the shattered bone.
"There's nothing in here Rhys. Skags would have heard us by now." They allowed their voices to return to a normal volume.
The two wandered into the depth of the cave. It wasn't huge, perhaps somewhat larger than Felix's hideout. Sasha spread her fingers into the stream of light that filtered through the rocks above, examining the dancing shadows cast between them.
"What's that?" Rhys interrupted, pointing to a corner of the cave. An unusual blinking red light emitted from the darkness, catching her attention. Skags and skeletons were about all she expected to find here.
"Let's find out, shall we?"
Rhys lit the way again, settling his focus on the red dot. A box shape formed around it, reflecting the light with a shine like metal, dimmed by accumulating dust. It had been here a while.
"A safe?" Sasha asked, kneeling down to touch it. The model looked similar to Felix's, but without the DNA scanner. Just a worn number keypad.
An equally dusty chest sat beside it, supporting several glass beakers and spiraling tubes filled with strange multi-colored liquids. A red "M" had been painted on the chest.
"That's weird," they commented in unison. They shared a small chuckle before Sasha continued, "You recognize the 'M'?"
"Yeah, it was on the bandit car out there."
She nodded. "I saw it too." A hesitant hand grazed the side of the chest and over the paint. It was old and cracked, chipping at her faintest touch. "Whatever 'M' stands for has been around awhile."
With sure, fast movements, she began to clear the top of the chest, grabbing the beakers and setting them aside.
"What are you doing?" Rhys asked, surveying the liquid residue in a beaker. His nose scrunched at the smell.
"Careful with those, we don't know what's inside of them. And I'm looking for a code to this safe."
She regretted telling him as soon as Rhys' eyebrow rose into that smug Hyperion face he put on during the deal. She recognized it. It meant he was about to say something stupid.
"You know, I could probably hack it."
"This isn't a computer Rhys. I'm a con artist. I know not to smack safes." She lifted the lid of the chest, blowing away the stirred dust. "Just keep the light on this and I'll figure it out myself."
He shone the light into the chest, letting out an audible indignant sigh. "Fine."
Piles and piles of papers sat on the bottom of the chest. All pages were covered inch by inch with equations, formulas, figures, charts, diagrams; numbers Sasha didn't even know existed. She knew what Rhys was going to say, 'you should –'
"You should let me hack it."
Yep. Not like she was about to give him the satisfaction.
"There has to be something in here, Rhys."
Sasha dug into the papers, burying her head into the chest. Loose paper shifted in her hands, occasionally leaving behind shallow cuts in her skin. Each one was nearly black from the layers of ink scrawled over them, turning her fingertips a dingy coal. On second thought, maybe she should let Rhys hack into –
Finally, her hand met a new hard surface amongst the piles. She wrapped her fingers around its edges and pulled it up, releasing it from its grave of parchment.
A dartboard. Complete with a picture of Handsome Jack taped over the target. Several darts were already embedded in the board, impaling the image of Jack's eyes.
"Huh, well would you look at that." Rhys' demeanor changed as soon as he saw it. Quick and nervous fingers ran through his hair and rubbed the back of his head. "We should put that back."
"Rhys, Jack's dead. He's not your boss anymore. Why are you so afraid of him?"
"I-I'm not… afraid of him." His eyes focused on a spot in the darkness, away from Sasha. "I'm not," he repeated, more firmly a second time.
"Okay, I get it. I'll put it back if it bothers you so much."
The dartboard had almost rejoined the mountains of paper when Sasha noticed a corner of thick yellow peeking out from under the white. Hastily, she yanked the yellow from the pile, producing a folder file weighted down by the paperclips and clippings attached to it. At least this looked promising.
"Let's see," Sasha muttered, laying it down on the floor. The cover read "Prototype".
"Prototype? Prototype of what?" Rhys asked.
Sasha replied with a shrug. "How should I know?"
A flip of the cover and several more papers spread out, less ink-covered than the rest. No numbers. Just rough sketches of a woman outfitted in different high-tech garments and armed with guns. The woman reappeared on every page, her simple charcoal eyes almost piercing through the paper. Sometimes a man and another girl were included next to her.
"Who are they?" Rhys asked. Again Sasha shrugged.
"Never seen them before."
Another logo appeared on the corner of the pages. Two diamonds, and the lines bolded with three different colors. A purple "X" joined the diamonds in the middle. The top remaining edges were red, and the bottom edges were blue.
"Look," Rhys gestured to the symbol, tracing his finger over the top of the diamonds. "It's the red 'M'."
Sasha squinted closer at the symbol, following her eyes along the path he traced. Ignoring the purple lines that overlapped, there was indeed a red 'M'.
"I wonder what happened to X… and… W?" That had to be the last part painted in blue.
"This might be a clue." Rhys took a folded scrap of paper from the file. The title read in large purple letters, "TO: X"
Tentatively, he opened the note and started to read.
X,
Don't worry about where I am. I had to relocate. Info is in the safe.
Code is 4 digits. Date of his death.
~W
"Well that was lucky," Sasha remarked, taking the note from him. "Too bad we don't know what date they're talking about."
The lettering towards the end was thicker, more rushed than the rest, as if the ink had been pressed harder and harder into the paper. Rhys' gaze lingered on the dartboard still resting against the chest, then back to the keypad on the safe.
"I think I know."
In four presses of the key, the red blinking light flickered green, and the door to the safe popped open with a click.
"Wow Rhys, how did you get that?"
"It... wasn't hard." He gestured to the dartboard.
"Oh. Right. Jack."
"Yeah."
"Well, let's not waste any time. Open it!" Sasha leaned into him, eager to see what treasures might await them behind the small metal door.
With a flick of the wrist, the door flung back. Rhys showered the light into the safe for a better look.
A single letter.
"Are you kidding me? All that for a letter?" Sasha grunted, but took it anyways. "Might as well read what it has to say."
Ray,
Sorry for all the trouble getting this, I just didn't want anyone else to find it. My new location is to the south, a cabin hidden behind that large rock formation that looks like an hourglass, you know the one. I'll have our sign on it.
I'm well stocked but I'd like to have a regular drop of supplies. I can't keep gathering stuff on my own. You need to tell M to help me out.
Leave everything as you found it. It'll be easier for me to find things again if I ever come back here.
See you soon,
Wave
"Well, I guess we know who X and W are now." The letter up was folded up and stuffed it into Sasha's pocket. "Time to go find a hidden cabin."
"What?" Rhys stood up as she did, suddenly aware of the gun still in his hands. "We can't leave, Yvette said – "
"I know. You're staying here. I'll go find this place."
"Why?"
Sasha walked towards the mouth of the cave, swinging her gun casually by her side. "They said they had supplies. We'll need something if we want to survive out here. And judging by the state this stuff was in I bet this old cabin of theirs has been abandoned anyways."
Rhys shifted uncomfortably. "I guess. But what if that last skag comes back?"
"You have a gun now. How well are you at aiming?"
His head slightly hung. "I'm not sure. Not very, probably."
Sasha sighed and returned to him, bending down to retrieve the dartboard from the ground. "You need a target to practice with while I'm gone." Rhys watched as She leaned the dartboard above a rock standing at eye-level. "Here, try to shoot the middle of this."
Silence. Rhys' face began to tick. Beads of sweat gathered on his forehead.
"Go on, Rhys, what are you waiting for?"
"Can we find a different target to practice on?"
Sasha looked back at the Handsome-Jack-themed dartboard. "Oh come on. The man is dead. It wouldn't even matter if he wasn't."
"I would just feel more comfortable if – "
"Comfortable?!" That hot-blooded temper of hers shot fire through her veins. "Jack sure didn't care if anyone was comfortable. He was a monster, and you sure as hell don't owe him anything after what he did. It's a picture, Rhys!"
A finger trembled on the trigger.
"Just shoot the damn board!"
Startled by her outburst, Rhys closed his eyes and pulled the trigger. An electrified explosion echoed throughout the cave.
The bullet landed 3 feet from the target, hitting the rock wall behind it.
"That wasn't even close."
"… I know."
Sasha rolled her eyes again. It was foolish of her; she couldn't honestly expect a man who had worked his whole career at Hyperion to shoot accurately, let alone shoot accurately at Hyperion's former CEO. Even if it was just a picture.
"Here, let me show you."
She took the Maliwan SMG from him and urged his hands to ghost her movements. Following her lead, he pressed against her, lightly resting his hands over the gun and narrowly avoiding contact with hers.
With a controlled squeeze, she sent the bullet straight into Jack's head. The shock elemental effect flashed the room in a purple light.
"That's how it's done. See? Not so bad." She smirked as she handed him the gun again. "You'll be fine, just practice and keep a look out. I'll try to be back before nightfall."
He returned the smile. It was that cheesy, shiny Hyperion smile, but perhaps she caught a glimmer of genuine appreciation. "Thanks, Sasha."
"Don't hurt yourself."
She winked and turned back to the mouth of the cave and stopped a moment. She had been so ready to leave before. Now there was something… something holding her back.
A glance at Rhys, now preoccupied with his target practice littered with curses. He would be fine. She assured him that, didn't she? Sasha forced her first step from the cave.
He said he could handle anything, she reminded herself, hoping to get some assurance too.
She was five feet from the cave, then 10, then 50, but every step she took couldn't change the fact she knew that was a lie.
I figured a lot of mushy crap couldn't happen without some good 'ol multi-chapter character development, so it can still look in character whenever it does happen.
I think that Sasha's trip to the cabin won't go as smoothly as she planned. Plus I bet Jack will be displeased by Rhys' choice of the shooting target. Seriously, can't wait for the next part.
If you truly believe in those words, you must either be a fool or brainwashed. If you cannot be saved from the cruel fate of living a lie, then I shall personally be the one who will relieve you of this harsh burden. draws sword
Well having fun with fanfiction from a good videogame its not about being Rhyona or Rhysha and despite I prefer Rhysa am open minded so am j… moreust gonna check the fanfiction around there, thanks for the advice , maybe I can do some fanfiction too , who knows
Well having fun with fanfiction from a good videogame its not about being Rhyona or Rhysha and despite I prefer Rhysa am open minded so am j… moreust gonna check the fanfiction around there, thanks for the advice , maybe I can do some fanfiction too , who knows
Comments
I really hope within a week of GoT coming out... I mean, GoT ep3 came about a week later than tftb ep2, so... maybe?
I don't know though. Seems like it keeps getting pushed back again and again...
Sorry for the long wait.
Also on Fanfiction
Sasha's eyes drifted across the skyline, where a blanket of piercing blue met the dusty yellow earth beneath wavy curtains of heat. A speck of black and a cloud of smoke broke out between the blue and yellow, accompanied with a faint rumble growing ever louder. Whatever it was, it was company, and on Pandora company usually meant trouble.
Sudden white light darted into her vision. She desperately tried to blink it away, shielding her eyes with her free arm and burying her face into her sleeve.
A slight shift of her hands and it was gone.
Rhys was right about something; the Atlas Silver reflected any light it was exposed to, which wasn't so great in the Badlands. Shiny things draw too much attention. And with that dark dot gaining speed, she had to hide herself and her glowing weapon somewhere out of sight.
Quickly, she flung herself down towards the closest patch of brush, kneeling into the rocks. She lowered her gun to the ground, hovering over it to dim the shine of silver in her shadow. Through the dead and tangled branches she watched the black dot come closer – a car, filled with boisterous passengers and emblazoned with a red "M" across its side. They seemed too caught up in their own rambunctious rally to notice her.
"Ahh! Sasha! Sasha help!"
She whipped her head back to the rocky outcrop she left Rhys by. He was further away now, but she could still make out his flailing limbs in that bright teal shirt of his fleeing the cave. Behind him, two wild skags tore at the terrain, starting the chase.
That was going to attract more attention than the Atlas Silver ever could.
"Rhys!" Her body instinctively lurched forward, stumbling into the dirt before she could hold herself back. Why should she risk her neck for some Hyperion lackey?
Well, for one, he was still important to the Gortys Project, the key to a vault that could get her and Fiona off this godforsaken rock. He couldn't very well survive without her help, not here.
That, and she still felt the obligation of a pinky promise. He trusted her after all, a welcome surprise given the type of people who usually come down from Helios.
"Oh, for the love of…"
Sasha sighed and shook her head, picking up her gun.
First, she waited for the car to rip pass her, concealing her in a thick trail of desert dust. The roar of the engine erupted, deafening in her ears.
Her sight of Rhys had vanished, lost behind the silt-laden air. Still, he quickly kept pace through the dissipating cover of the dust cloud towards his direction, blinking agitated eyes. It didn't last long. The landscape settled. She was out in the open.
Rhys was missing. The two skags had perched atop a large boulder and seemed just as confused as she was.
Splat
In an instant, and with a quick flinch and a wince, she watched as the car collided with one of the skags, launching off the boulder and well into the air.
Well. One less to deal with.
Sasha lifted her gun, locking her sights on the remaining skag. But it was already off, chasing after the murderous car with blind rage. A mess of blood and bandits circled around the desert. Not an unusual sight on Pandora. Hopefully Rhys wasn't lost in any of it.
She shifted towards the angled boulder, crouching just behind it, tilting her head to listen for the unmistakable sound of Rhys' screaming. Instead, she heard muffled boasting.
"See?"
Leaning towards the voice, she hesitantly peeked around the boulder. There stood a tall, seemingly self-assured man coated in skag blood.
"There's nothing you can't handle."
He took a confident step to the side, turning his head to face the barrel of her loaded gun.
"AHH!"
He jumped back, his confidence instantly drained. As well it should. Cockiness didn't suit him.
"Rhys! You couldn't stay by the cave for 10 minutes like I asked?"
Rhys recovered, straightening himself. "Oh sorry, that was kind of hard to do since it was FULL OF SKAGS THAT WERE TRYING TO KILL ME!"
"Shit." Sasha just realized her gun was still on Rhys. It fell to her hips. "Must have been a skag den."
"You couldn't have checked that cave first before you left me there?"
His snarky quips grated her nerves. "Hey, it's hot out here and I just wanted to get out of the sun. Excuse me for trying to keep us alive!"
Rhys crossed his arms. "Well, we are. Not like you helped me back there."
"I ran out here in the open to save your ass!" The Atlas Silver rose and readied while her blood boiled, as if it had a mind of its own. "And without me you would have been dead! In that arena I could have let you die and taken the money for myself and my sister. We would have been better off!"
"Whoa, hey, careful with that." Rhys gently pushed the barrel away from him. "You're right, okay? You saved us back there. It's just been a long day and I'm tired of being stuck on this planet."
"Yeah, well…" she allowed herself a breath, attempting to cool her temper. It was becoming a habit lately. "That makes two of us."
They turned back to face the outcrop that had once promised shelter. "No point in staying there anymore if skags are living in it. Come on, we'll have to find something else soon."
She started in a new direction. Rhys remained firmly planted, stationary in his spot.
"What's the matter?"
"Uh, Yvette is sending my coordinates to Vaughn to help him find us."
"And…?"
"She recorded the coordinates when I was standing over there." He extended a sheepish finger, pointing behind him. Her line of sight followed the direction until she rested upon the skag den, now cast in dark shadows under the orange setting sun.
"Oh no, we are not staying there. Call your friend back and change the coordinates once we find somewhere else to stay."
"I don't think I can do that."
"Why not?"
Rhys opened his palm, revealing a screen of static. "I think Hyperion cut off communication between us."
"Oh for the love of-" She had to start keeping a tally of every time she said that today. "Fine, we'll go check it out. Maybe if we're lucky you drew out all the skags and it'll be fine. If not, well, here."
She shoved her Maliwan SMG into Rhys' chest and let go, waiting for him to take hold of it. He didn't. Rhys stared as the gun slipped through his arms and dropped into the sand with a thud.
"Why didn't you take it?"
"You wanted me to take it?"
"Yes! What part of 'here' and then giving it to you did you not understand?"
"I'm not, uh…" He restrained his protest, hunching over to pick it up from the ground. "Why?"
"If there are any skags left in there we gotta clear them out."
"Me too?"
"'Me too?'" Sasha mocked in a poor imitation of Rhys' voice. "Yes, you too. I've got two guns and we're both stuck in this mess together, like it or not."
With a faint gulp he inspected her firearm, hesitantly running his shaking fingers over the trigger.
"Please tell me you know how to use a gun."
"I do." He seemed to strain under the full weight of it in his arms. "Just never had to use one like this."
"What, actually killing things? It's Pandora, you better get used to it." Sasha readied her gun, cautiously stepping towards the cave. "Come on."
Rhys followed close behind her as they approached. The wetness of his heavy breath and loud scuffing of his shoes as they scraped against the rocky earth did nothing to convince her that he could handle himself. Here she was, in the middle of the desert, infiltrating a skag den with a Hyperion boy that could barely hold a gun. He was going to be the death of her.
Her fingers squeezed tighter on the Atlas Silver, constricting cool metal in her hands.
Deep breaths. Relax.
The ditch finally sloped down before them, welcoming them into the ominous dark hole in the rock side. "Okay Rhys," Sasha whispered, "give me a light and stay quiet."
He nodded and opened his hand again, projecting a bright screen into the darkness. The red walls illuminated in the dull light.
A pillar of warm sunlight stood in the middle of the cave, capturing the pirouetting specks of dust that floated gently in the stagnant air. Sasha glanced up to find a round opening in the ceiling of the cave, letting in the rays of sun.
Another step and her foot landed on bone.
Crunch
Rhys and Sasha were statues, their guns aimed blindly in the dim light. Nothing stirred.
"Maybe it's empty?" Sasha pressed her foot down harder, filling the room with growing snaps and crackles. The sounds sent chills up Rhys' spine.
"Would you stop that?" he forcefully whispered, placing a halting palm on her shoulder. A grin spread on her face as she let up on the shattered bone.
"There's nothing in here Rhys. Skags would have heard us by now." They allowed their voices to return to a normal volume.
The two wandered into the depth of the cave. It wasn't huge, perhaps somewhat larger than Felix's hideout. Sasha spread her fingers into the stream of light that filtered through the rocks above, examining the dancing shadows cast between them.
"What's that?" Rhys interrupted, pointing to a corner of the cave. An unusual blinking red light emitted from the darkness, catching her attention. Skags and skeletons were about all she expected to find here.
"Let's find out, shall we?"
Rhys lit the way again, settling his focus on the red dot. A box shape formed around it, reflecting the light with a shine like metal, dimmed by accumulating dust. It had been here a while.
"A safe?" Sasha asked, kneeling down to touch it. The model looked similar to Felix's, but without the DNA scanner. Just a worn number keypad.
An equally dusty chest sat beside it, supporting several glass beakers and spiraling tubes filled with strange multi-colored liquids. A red "M" had been painted on the chest.
"That's weird," they commented in unison. They shared a small chuckle before Sasha continued, "You recognize the 'M'?"
"Yeah, it was on the bandit car out there."
She nodded. "I saw it too." A hesitant hand grazed the side of the chest and over the paint. It was old and cracked, chipping at her faintest touch. "Whatever 'M' stands for has been around awhile."
With sure, fast movements, she began to clear the top of the chest, grabbing the beakers and setting them aside.
"What are you doing?" Rhys asked, surveying the liquid residue in a beaker. His nose scrunched at the smell.
"Careful with those, we don't know what's inside of them. And I'm looking for a code to this safe."
She regretted telling him as soon as Rhys' eyebrow rose into that smug Hyperion face he put on during the deal. She recognized it. It meant he was about to say something stupid.
"You know, I could probably hack it."
"This isn't a computer Rhys. I'm a con artist. I know not to smack safes." She lifted the lid of the chest, blowing away the stirred dust. "Just keep the light on this and I'll figure it out myself."
He shone the light into the chest, letting out an audible indignant sigh. "Fine."
Piles and piles of papers sat on the bottom of the chest. All pages were covered inch by inch with equations, formulas, figures, charts, diagrams; numbers Sasha didn't even know existed. She knew what Rhys was going to say, 'you should –'
"You should let me hack it."
Yep. Not like she was about to give him the satisfaction.
"There has to be something in here, Rhys."
Sasha dug into the papers, burying her head into the chest. Loose paper shifted in her hands, occasionally leaving behind shallow cuts in her skin. Each one was nearly black from the layers of ink scrawled over them, turning her fingertips a dingy coal. On second thought, maybe she should let Rhys hack into –
Finally, her hand met a new hard surface amongst the piles. She wrapped her fingers around its edges and pulled it up, releasing it from its grave of parchment.
A dartboard. Complete with a picture of Handsome Jack taped over the target. Several darts were already embedded in the board, impaling the image of Jack's eyes.
"Huh, well would you look at that." Rhys' demeanor changed as soon as he saw it. Quick and nervous fingers ran through his hair and rubbed the back of his head. "We should put that back."
"Rhys, Jack's dead. He's not your boss anymore. Why are you so afraid of him?"
"I-I'm not… afraid of him." His eyes focused on a spot in the darkness, away from Sasha. "I'm not," he repeated, more firmly a second time.
"Okay, I get it. I'll put it back if it bothers you so much."
The dartboard had almost rejoined the mountains of paper when Sasha noticed a corner of thick yellow peeking out from under the white. Hastily, she yanked the yellow from the pile, producing a folder file weighted down by the paperclips and clippings attached to it. At least this looked promising.
"Let's see," Sasha muttered, laying it down on the floor. The cover read "Prototype".
"Prototype? Prototype of what?" Rhys asked.
Sasha replied with a shrug. "How should I know?"
A flip of the cover and several more papers spread out, less ink-covered than the rest. No numbers. Just rough sketches of a woman outfitted in different high-tech garments and armed with guns. The woman reappeared on every page, her simple charcoal eyes almost piercing through the paper. Sometimes a man and another girl were included next to her.
"Who are they?" Rhys asked. Again Sasha shrugged.
"Never seen them before."
Another logo appeared on the corner of the pages. Two diamonds, and the lines bolded with three different colors. A purple "X" joined the diamonds in the middle. The top remaining edges were red, and the bottom edges were blue.
"Look," Rhys gestured to the symbol, tracing his finger over the top of the diamonds. "It's the red 'M'."
Sasha squinted closer at the symbol, following her eyes along the path he traced. Ignoring the purple lines that overlapped, there was indeed a red 'M'.
"I wonder what happened to X… and… W?" That had to be the last part painted in blue.
"This might be a clue." Rhys took a folded scrap of paper from the file. The title read in large purple letters, "TO: X"
Tentatively, he opened the note and started to read.
X,
Don't worry about where I am. I had to relocate. Info is in the safe.
Code is 4 digits. Date of his death.
~W
"Well that was lucky," Sasha remarked, taking the note from him. "Too bad we don't know what date they're talking about."
The lettering towards the end was thicker, more rushed than the rest, as if the ink had been pressed harder and harder into the paper. Rhys' gaze lingered on the dartboard still resting against the chest, then back to the keypad on the safe.
"I think I know."
In four presses of the key, the red blinking light flickered green, and the door to the safe popped open with a click.
"Wow Rhys, how did you get that?"
"It... wasn't hard." He gestured to the dartboard.
"Oh. Right. Jack."
"Yeah."
"Well, let's not waste any time. Open it!" Sasha leaned into him, eager to see what treasures might await them behind the small metal door.
With a flick of the wrist, the door flung back. Rhys showered the light into the safe for a better look.
A single letter.
"Are you kidding me? All that for a letter?" Sasha grunted, but took it anyways. "Might as well read what it has to say."
Ray,
Sorry for all the trouble getting this, I just didn't want anyone else to find it. My new location is to the south, a cabin hidden behind that large rock formation that looks like an hourglass, you know the one. I'll have our sign on it.
I'm well stocked but I'd like to have a regular drop of supplies. I can't keep gathering stuff on my own. You need to tell M to help me out.
Leave everything as you found it. It'll be easier for me to find things again if I ever come back here.
See you soon,
Wave
"Well, I guess we know who X and W are now." The letter up was folded up and stuffed it into Sasha's pocket. "Time to go find a hidden cabin."
"What?" Rhys stood up as she did, suddenly aware of the gun still in his hands. "We can't leave, Yvette said – "
"I know. You're staying here. I'll go find this place."
"Why?"
Sasha walked towards the mouth of the cave, swinging her gun casually by her side. "They said they had supplies. We'll need something if we want to survive out here. And judging by the state this stuff was in I bet this old cabin of theirs has been abandoned anyways."
Rhys shifted uncomfortably. "I guess. But what if that last skag comes back?"
"You have a gun now. How well are you at aiming?"
His head slightly hung. "I'm not sure. Not very, probably."
Sasha sighed and returned to him, bending down to retrieve the dartboard from the ground. "You need a target to practice with while I'm gone." Rhys watched as She leaned the dartboard above a rock standing at eye-level. "Here, try to shoot the middle of this."
Silence. Rhys' face began to tick. Beads of sweat gathered on his forehead.
"Go on, Rhys, what are you waiting for?"
"Can we find a different target to practice on?"
Sasha looked back at the Handsome-Jack-themed dartboard. "Oh come on. The man is dead. It wouldn't even matter if he wasn't."
"I would just feel more comfortable if – "
"Comfortable?!" That hot-blooded temper of hers shot fire through her veins. "Jack sure didn't care if anyone was comfortable. He was a monster, and you sure as hell don't owe him anything after what he did. It's a picture, Rhys!"
A finger trembled on the trigger.
"Just shoot the damn board!"
Startled by her outburst, Rhys closed his eyes and pulled the trigger. An electrified explosion echoed throughout the cave.
The bullet landed 3 feet from the target, hitting the rock wall behind it.
"That wasn't even close."
"… I know."
Sasha rolled her eyes again. It was foolish of her; she couldn't honestly expect a man who had worked his whole career at Hyperion to shoot accurately, let alone shoot accurately at Hyperion's former CEO. Even if it was just a picture.
"Here, let me show you."
She took the Maliwan SMG from him and urged his hands to ghost her movements. Following her lead, he pressed against her, lightly resting his hands over the gun and narrowly avoiding contact with hers.
With a controlled squeeze, she sent the bullet straight into Jack's head. The shock elemental effect flashed the room in a purple light.
"That's how it's done. See? Not so bad." She smirked as she handed him the gun again. "You'll be fine, just practice and keep a look out. I'll try to be back before nightfall."
He returned the smile. It was that cheesy, shiny Hyperion smile, but perhaps she caught a glimmer of genuine appreciation. "Thanks, Sasha."
"Don't hurt yourself."
She winked and turned back to the mouth of the cave and stopped a moment. She had been so ready to leave before. Now there was something… something holding her back.
A glance at Rhys, now preoccupied with his target practice littered with curses. He would be fine. She assured him that, didn't she? Sasha forced her first step from the cave.
He said he could handle anything, she reminded herself, hoping to get some assurance too.
She was five feet from the cave, then 10, then 50, but every step she took couldn't change the fact she knew that was a lie.
'Course Rhys wouldn't take a MALIWAN gun, Sasha.
Their weapons smell of farts and their barrels are smeared with plasmatic regret.
Poor dude. His idol's going to give him such a nagging in the next chapter.
Awesome work! I really like your style. Also the fact thtat you don't make them OCC with some mushy crap
Thank you!
I figured a lot of mushy crap couldn't happen without some good 'ol multi-chapter character development, so it can still look in character whenever it does happen.
Yaay, another chapter!
Love this.
I think that Sasha's trip to the cabin won't go as smoothly as she planned. Plus I bet Jack will be displeased by Rhys' choice of the shooting target.
Seriously, can't wait for the next part.
HERESY! Death to all who do not sail under our flag!
I only speak the truth!
If you truly believe in those words, you must either be a fool or brainwashed. If you cannot be saved from the cruel fate of living a lie, then I shall personally be the one who will relieve you of this harsh burden. draws sword
Fantastic work, I demand more.
If you like Timothy
https://www.telltalegames.com/community/discussion/94916/for-those-who-want-more-timothy-a-story-we-are-close-to-the-end
https://www.telltalegames.com/community/discussion/95043/for-those-who-want-more-timothy-a-story-finale
Hello all! May i join this thread?
Of course you can! Welcome aboard, IRunts!
Rhyiona and Rhysha the return :
Versus
More seriously, i would love to see something like that x)
Welcome ! Want our symbol ?
This is one of my favorite ERB's, and the funny thing is that Clyde is actually a very distant relative.
The real Clyde.
You mean Epiclloyd or the real Clyde ?
Grunpy I think yo need to up date out photo again with Nolonius, The Quing and iRunts.
Rhysha Question of the Day
How do their arguments end?
Look out dude they're masters of deception, thing that seem harmless might not be safe in reality.
That's easy Sasha pulls out her Atlas silver ending all arguments
Yes, the symbol would be nice.
But Rhys has the stun baton.
Indeed, Rhys lends her his stun baton, that usually calms her down.
The true story behind the Civil War.
lol. Perfect.
HIs stun baton calms her down you say?XD
Yes. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Do you have any color in mind?
Whoops misspelled you, apologies
Who is Grunpy?
Moaaaaaaar.
I would like to have the symbol too if it does not truoble you too much
Hmmm, Yellow