Borderlands 1. Intro: Mason as 'The Courier'

**A/N: Hello fellow writers and gamers. Ever since I first started on this site, I've been trying my best to think outside the box and bring for stories that would leave their mark on the internet world. So far, my best work 'Crysis Effect' has earned many marks since I first posted it. And with it, I've had many more ideas come to life.**

**And this here is one of them. I've become a strong fan of the Borderlands series, but the number of stories posted with it have yet to crest 800. Though it's to be expected I guess, most categories don't get much attention due to a low fan-base. So, I intend on leaving a new mark here.**

**So to my fans already out there, and the few others I hope to gain, wish me the best of luck.**

**(I don't own Borderlands)**

_**There are many stories out there. Some great, others not so much. Chances are you've heard a great deal of them. **_

_** Well...have you heard the story of a random man from another universe that would become a hero to a whole planet? **_

_** I can tell by your silence that you probably have not, so allow me to enlighten you;**_

_** The planet Pandora, one of the borderland worlds of the galaxy. Many say that it is a desolate, savage and deadly wasteland where only fools would go to look for anything of value. But, the many would not know the legend of the Vault.**_

_** A mystical treasure trove of alien descent that contained riches and power beyond imagination. Countless have gone in search of it, and all have either failed or perished trying.**_

_** These folks were known as Vault Hunters, and despite the danger, they persued the legend without fear. One group in particular would stop at nothing to attain it, with the aid of a Guardian Angel, they would traverse across Pandora's never ending wastes in search of the Vault.**_

_** However, they had no idea of the anomaly that would appear, and offer help in the form of skills and a strength all his own. Arriving from another universe through unknown mean, with the guidence of his own guardian angel, and with the intent of aiding the Vault Hunters on their journey.**_

_** Taken from the life he was more than happy to leave behind, he would spend three years on Pandora's unforgiving surface before meeting the four that would search for the Vault. Growing accustomed to life on the borderland world, making a name for himself amongst the people that lived there, and putting his mark in the history of Pandora as a whole.**_

_** This is the story of that hero, the story of the Fifth Vault Hunter. His origins unknown to those lucky enough to be close to him. His drive to protect the 'not so wicked' never ending. And the fear he could involk in his enemies unbound. **_

_** This is the story, of The Courier.**_

_**X**_

Nighttime over Pandora was clear, the stars shining brightly in the ink-black sky along with the moon reaching its apex tell those on the planet how late it was.

The streets of Old Haven were as silent as they usually were, save for the various bandits, thieves and murderers that were still skulking around looking for their next target. A few recently killed bodies litering the streets, along with a few that had been there a while that were in the process of rotting.

Things around here were a bit more quiet, ever since the Crimson Lance started moving in and attempting to bring 'order' to the hostile settlement.

Though none of this affected the lone man walking down one of the many desolate streets. The appearence attracting the attention of a handful of others, but they just ignored him and went on with their business as he passed by them without worry or care. Either out of weariness or uncaring was hard to tell, but neither mattered to him as he continued toward his destination.

The light from the moon, and the handful of lights and fires around illuminating him. His form standing at 6'1'' with a lean build, dressed in a pair of ripped jeans with armored knees and shins tucked into steel -toed combat boots. He was outfitted with a black, light armored chest piece with various compartments lining it along with pouches and hard cases around his belt, all hidden beneath a long, sleeveless, black duster.

His arms were bare, save for the fingerless gloves on his hands and the bandages wrapped around his forearms.

On his head was a grey skull-cap with a pair of tinted visor-like sunglasses perched on his forehead allowing his dark-green eyes to be visible as they stared forward. Looking bored, but vary aware of the dozens of possible threats that were around him.

Though he was far from worried. He was more than equiped for anything that could/would throw themselves at him. A pair of Valdof machine pistols in leg holsters on each thigh within easy reach, both capable of shooting electric rounds to stun and kill their targets.

A Dahl, burst-fire assault rifle sat on his back beside a Hyperion sniper rifle. All of them with their safeties off and fully loaded, just incase. Though he also had a few hidden weapons that would be hard to detect.

His steps were long and full of purpose, stopping when he reached the front of the building he was expecting to find. Pulling out his Echo, he checked the coordinates given to him to make sure they were accurate before replacing it and stepping through the door.

The bright lights inside took a moment for his eyes to adjust to, his ears bombarded with loud laughter and the sharp clink of glasses. The smell of smoke and alcohol heavy in the air as he strode through the crowded bar toward the front where the barkeep was serving drinks.

He took a stool on the far end out of sight of the other patrons, but in clear view of the bartender as he waited. Being sure to keep an eye on those around him, one hand on the top of the bar with the other on his left leg.

Within drawing distance of one of his pistols.

It took ten minutes before the bartender, a woman a few years his senior approached. Her hair was dirty blonde and held up in a messy bun, her clothes dirty and worn, and with the way she held herself he could tell that she'd had trouble in the past in terms of customer violence. That...and the eye patch that covered her left eye.

"Something I can get for ya, sweetness?" she asked kindly with a hint of a country accent.

"No." he said meeting her gaze. "But I got something for you." reaching into his duster, he saw her tense up. Hands reaching for under the bar where he knew that there was a weapon to defend herself.

One false move, and his head would be nothing more than a red mist of bone and grey matter.

Holding up his other hand to show he wasn't armed, he pulled out a small package and laid it out on the counter. "From Marcus. Just as you both agreed." he said calmly as she stopped reaching for the concealed gun and instead went for the package.

"Is this-" she stopped when he held his hand up.

"First rule; no questions. Whatever you and Marcus agreed on is your business, not mine." he explained clearly. "Second rule; complete the assignment by any means, so long as no harm comes to me or anyone deemed innocent. I've done this, as you can see. Third rule; you get the package, I get my payment, and we part ways. No trouble. Contradiction of any of these rules may force me to enact my fourth rule, something neither of us want to happen."

The bartender nodded slowly as she took the package into the backroom. She was gone for a few minutes before returning with a lightly packed envelope. "Everything's there, all counted." she said as he took the envelope and tested its weight.

Nodding to himself, he slipped the payment into his coat. A bottle of Rakk ale was set on the bar top infront of him a moment later. "On the house." said the bartender as she went back to her other customers.

Shrugging, he picked up the ale and put it to his lips. The cool bubble of the drink going down smooth with three swallows before he set it back down on the wood surface. It would be a three day journey to return to New Haven to complete his current contract, and the less time he spent in Crimson Lance territory the better.

With the bounty on his head, he was suprised no one had tried anything yet. Picking up the beer, he went for another drink when he felt the barrel of a gun at the back of his neck.

He sighed as he set the beer back down. Murphy's Law was a goddamn bitch. "Don't fucking move." said a gravely voice behind him, the gun's barrel digging in a little deeper. "Get up, move outside. Now!"

Raising his hands, he rose from the barstool and allowed his captor to lead him through the establishment and back out into the dark streets. Several thugs coming out of surrounding alley ways and surrounding them. "You must be dumb as shit to come out here. You have any idea how many folks would love to cash in on that bounty of yours?" asked the gunman when they stopped, the others forming a half-circle around them. "Full payment, Dead or Alive. Now that's a good score.

He looked over his shoulder. It was just a common bandit. Dressed in leather and denim with a red mask covering his face. A simple sidearm was all he was packing and nothing else.

There were seven in total, all of them similarly armed or had knifes or axes on hand. "You look like a smart bunch." he said without a hint of anxiousness. "So I'm giving you two options." he looked to each one directly in the eye. "Option one; you walk away without any bloodshed."

The thugs all laughed, "He's fuckin' stupid man!" said one of them twirling his axe.

"And what's the other option?" asked the one holding the gun to his head.

"Option two...I kill you here and now." was the reply causing another chorus of laughter. He heard the hammer of the gun behind him cock back.

"You know what, dead's a lot less trouble." said the thug as his finger tightened on the trigger.

He was in motion seconds before the gun went off. Spinning around and forcing the arm to the side as it fired, the round punching through one of the thugs on the right as he pulled one of his own pistols and fired a short burst into the man's head.

The leader fell with his skull a pulpy mass, the rest of the group went to attack as he dropped low, spinning around with both pistols in hand as he opened fire. Electric rounds zapped and tore through bodies, dropping them convusling to the ground before they went still.

Silence filled the streets once more, all seven thugs laying dead in pools of blood as he rose back to his full height. Dumping the spent clips from his weapons and loading fresh ones before re-holstering them again. "Should'a taken option one. But then again, no one ever does around here." he muttered as he began looting through the corpses.

It may not have been moral, but on Pandora, everything's fair game. And if you didn't take it, someone else would.

After collecting the few guns, and the small amount of cash the thugs had on them, he put everything into various pockets to be carried. He looked down at a piece of paper he'd taken off one of the bodies.

A black and white image of himself looked back on the wanted poster along with the bounty "75,000,000,000, huh? Makes me wonder how many people I pissed off in the last three years." he said to himself again as he tossed the poster aside.

His duster flapped in the wind as he made his way toward the entrance to Old Haven where his Runner was waiting for him. On the ground, the poster laid in the light of a nearby street lamp;

**WANTED:**

**MASON**

**"THE COURIER"**

**$75,000,000,000**

**DEAD OR ALIVE**

**By order of the Crimson Lance**

_**X**_

After three days travel, the trip back to the small town of Fyrestone was uneventful. A small pack of Skag had attempted to intercept him but had cleared out quickly when he ran down their Alpha. The front of his red and black painted Runner still had it's blood in clear view when he pulled up to the Catch-A-Ride station outside the small town as the sun began to set.

Stepping out, Mason pulled out the small bag of loot he'd collected on his assignment and headed toward the main gate. His vehicle digistructing behind him into the station as he entered Fyrestone in time for a small, box-shaped robot greeted him.

"Welcome to Fyrestone traveler! How can I-Mason! How was your travels?" squaked the Claptrap after it saw who had come.

"The usual, Clap." the man replied taping his fist softly on the bot's head. "Everything quiet around here?"

The Claptrap rolled along beside him as they walked through town, the few residents that were still awake were out and about saw him pass by and wave to him in a friendly manner. "No trouble at all." said the bot. "Ever since you cleared out Nine-Toes, Sledge and all the other bandits around here things have been great!"

Mason nodded, "Good. If there's ever any trouble in the future, call me on my echo any time." he said as they stopped infront of a small house fashioned with metal walls and a wooden frame.

"I will definitely do that!" the Claptrap chirped happily. "Oh! I almost forgot! Dr. Zed wanted to speak to you first thing in the morning. He said that he has an easy job for you."

A sigh escaped the Courier's lips. "No rest for the wicked." he muttered before turning to his escort. "Let him know I'll see him before noon. I'm tapping out for the night."

The Claptrap gave a salute before wheeling off to its little shed to go into recharge. Mason turned to the door of his home and punched the proper code into the keypad beside the frame. The red light on the door lock changed from red to green as the locks disengaged and he stepped inside.

No bigger than a one bedroom apartment with only the essentials. There was a living room/kitchen/entrance room with an old couch and coffee table, a fridge in the corner with a small hallway that led to a lone bedroom with a bathroom across the way.

It wasn't much, but considering where he was living, it was more than enough.

After relocking his door, Mason tossed the bag of loot on the couch before making his way to the bedroom. Kicking off his boots and laying them at the foot of his bed before removing his guns, armor, shield generator, money and the handful of medical supplies he had on him. Placing all the items into an armored chest in the corner of the room before stipping down to just his jeans and laying in the bed.

Reaching under his pillow, he pulled out a standard Repeater Pistol and checked to see if it was loaded and the safety off before replacing it as he got comfortable. He normally didn't crash out right after an assignment, but he was feeling more tired than usual and decided to turn in early to catch up on sleep.

Staring at the ceiling, the Courier slowly closed his eyes and drifted to sleep quickly.

_**X**_

_He'd been expecting a dreamless sleep, the same he had been getting for the last few years. But this time was different. Instead he found himself standing on a metal platform suspended high in the air, overlooking a vast blue sky. In the distance, there were a handful of metal-like buildings that shifted in on themselves as they floated in the air due to whatever was powering them._

_ Taking a deep breath, Mason turned and was greeted with another sight. A female figure stood before him, standing almost seven feet in height wearing a long, flowing blue-white dress. The top of her head bore a strange crown, her skin pale to the point of almost being ethreal. Her face angular, but had a nose similar to that of a serpent, along with a pair of eyes filled with wisdom that surpassed anything that he could possibly understand in a million lifetimes._

_**"Mason."**_ _she spoke. Her voice reverberating around him and through his very being at the same time. _

_ Mason straightened up even more to prepare himself. It had been a long time since his 'guardian angel' had spoken to him directly. And he knew that whatever she had to say had to be very important._

_ The Librarian approached him, __**"It is almost time, young one."**_

**A/N: I was hoping to end this chapter at the introduction, but I wanted to take it a step further with this ending. And if you're a fan of Crysis Effect, you should know of this particular twist well by now.**

**Tell me what you think, my inbox is always open. (P.S. - This is a side project while I gather more info to continue Crysis Effect. So if you're waiting for updates with that, enjoy this in the meantime and I'll get back to it soon.)**


	2. How It All Began

**A/N: Hello to all, I come bringing the next chapter for this newly started series. With a nice supply of reviews, messages and the surprising list of Favs and Follows, I took my time putting this particular installment together to help fill in the gaps of how everything came to be as it is.**

**Granted, the chapter jumps around a bit, but it provides much needed insight to Mason's background. Throughout the course of the story there will be more flashbacks that will explain things even more as time goes on. So any questions you may have will be answered soon enough.**

**But for now, let's get on with it!**

**(I don't own Borderlands)**

_**Previously:**_

_** "Mason."**_ _she spoke. Her voice reverberating around him and through his very being at the same time. _

_ Mason straightened up even more to prepare himself. It had been a long time since his 'guardian angel' had spoken to him directly. And he knew that whatever she had to say had to be very important._

_ The Librarian approached him, __**"It is almost time, young one."**_

_**X**_

_**3 YEARS AGO**_

Mason Vickers had what many would have called a rough life. Bouncing from foster home to foster home since he was four years old before being thrown out into the world when he turned 18 would do that to a person.

Yet through his strife and pain he had gained a good amount of knowledge and skills that would help him survive the streets of Atlanta Georgia. Graduating high school was simple in comparison, yet he managed despite what was against him.

At the current age of 20, Mason had gotten himself a job in a package delivery organization. And in his spare time learned the fine art of Parkour which he had managed to excel at given his environment. This had given him the skills to make deliveries quickly and effectively which had granted him a lot of good tips.

With the money earned, he got himself a simple one bedroom apartment on the outside of the city close to work and had given himself a stable life. However, he still hated it. Even growing up as a kid he wanted to make something of himself instead of just simply getting by. No memories of his past life with a family that had either died or abandoned him for one reason or another, and a long list of families who took him in, treated him like shit, then pushed him off on the next group down the list.

It wasn't easy, but he thrived. And continued with his own life the way he wanted it to be. However, after a while he just wanted to make more out of his existence. Even if it meant leaving what little he had behind.

Mason, of course, had no way of knowing that such an event was not only possible, but coming his way at 55 MPH.

X

_Mason groaned, the dull ache in his head fading away as he came back to reality. Eyes swimming into focus, he found himself in a dark room surrounded by metal walls and humming machinery._

_ "What the hell...?" he wondered as he sat up, holding his head as he tried to figure out what happened and how he got there. "The last thing I remember...was..."_

_ Memories of screeching tires, someone screaming and a painful impact. The sound of heavy rain hitting asphalt all around him, then nothing._

_ Mason groaned again as everything came back to him. He was on a delivery when there was an accident. It was raining, and a car lost control on one of the main roads heading toward a woman who was crossing a street. He pushed her out of the way...and..._

_ "I got hit." he muttered to himself while looking around the room again. He was still wearing his jeans, black t-shirt and denim jacket from earlier, he was at least glad of that. _

_ "So, where am I now? Heaven? Hell? Purgatory? Because this definitely isn't a hospital." he asked the empty room not hoping for a response._

_**"Somewhere beyond all three."**__ Mason was on his feet, vertigo making him dizzy for only a moment as he looked around for the source of the female voice that echoed all around him. __**"This way."**__ the voice spoke again as a wall lit up with an array of lights before a hidden door split apart and slid into the wall around it revealing an exit._

_ Staring at the opening for several moments, he found himself moving forward and out of the room. The hallway beyond was set up in a similar fashion, strange lights and machinery running along the walls all leading in the same direction as if guiding him._

_ His footsteps mixing with the low hum that resounded softly through the corridors. Mason's mind was hazy, his movements guided by an unseen force as he followed along the path set out for him. _

_ Moments passed before he found himself in a room twice the size as the one he had woke up in, the center being taken up by a small chasm that lead down into nothing but pitch blackness. The only source of light that wasn't coming from the walls came from a strange device that hovered in the air before him._

_ The device was the size of his palm, and had a bright glowing green switch in the center that seemed to call to him as he reached out and pressed it._

_ In an instant, the device closed in on itself and burst of light, a moment later a bright-blue bridge made of light appeared across the chasm to the otherside where another door appeared. _

_ Mason looked at the 'bridge' skeptically for a few moments before bending down and reaching out with his hand. When he set it on the projection he was met with a very warm, very _solid_ surface. "Okay...whole new level of weird." he muttered as he stood back up and tested the bridge with his foot before making his way across._

_ When he reached the door, it slid open causing bright light to spill into the dark room. Blinding him for almost a minute before it faded enough for him to see...the sight taking his breath away completely. _

_ Beyond the doorway was a metal platform that acted like a balcony, one that overlooked an endless blue sky with a handful of clouds floating freely. In the distance were a couple of odd looking buildings that shifted in on themselves at various intervals as they hovered in mid-air due to an unseen force._

_ Mason was slackjawed as he stepped to the edge fo the platform and looked out at everything before him. Never in his life had he seen such a thing._

_ "Is...is this heaven?" he wondered as he looked down toward the ground only to see a haze of white blocking it from view. "Because, it definitely fits the profile." he added while running a hand through his shaggy black hair._

_ The full weight of the situation came down on him as he stared out at the endless void before him. "Guess I really did die back there." he said with a defeated sigh._

_**"Indeed, young one. But what is death, but another part of life."**__ Mason spun around hearing the voice and found a very tall, womanly figure standing there. More than a full head higher than his six-foot frame wearing a long, flowing dress. Her features were human, save for her nose which resembled a serpents._

_ An ethreal glow surrounded her form that reflected in her eyes that drew Mason in like a pair of beacons filled with knowledge and experience far beyond his lifetime._

_ The being smiled at him as she seemed to glide closer. __**"Welcome, Mason Vickers."**_

_Mason swallowed, unable to turn away from the entity. "Who are you? Where am I?" he asked keeping his voice as level as possible._

_**"I am a being that has seen and experienced many things."**__ she answered. __**"I have gone by many names, but one that is the most accurate would be the one I bare now. I am The Librarian."**_

_** "And as to where you are now, this is a realm beyond universes. One where I am able to watch the ebb and flow of various worlds and the events that take place within them."**_

_ Listening closely, Mason understood the jist of what she was explaining to him. "So this is like Purgatory...right?" he asked causing her to smile at him._

_**"Not in so many words. But it would be a proper metaphor given the events that have taken place in your home universe."**__ she said as she moved past him and stood at the edge of the platform. __**"There are countless universes that exist. Each one more different than the last, all due to the actions of those that live within them."**_

_"Why am I here?" he asked coming up to stand beside her. _

_ The Librarian turned to him, __**"You are part of something far greater than you can possibly realize. Your death, although tragic, has been foreseen for some time now. But with it, a new path opens up before you. One that only you alone can choose to take."**_

_Mason tilted his head confused, "Hold on a minute. Are you telling me that you knew I was going to die and wind up here?"_

_ The Librarian nodded sadly, __**"Yes. Though the actions that brought you here were not of my doing. It is a curse to see a young life ended when they have so much more to live for. But it was an inevitablility that could not be stopped."**_

_The young man closed his eyes and breathed deeply. Taking a moment or two to gather his thoughts before asking the next question on his mind. "You said something about another path to be taken, what did you mean by that?"_

_**"Even though your life has come to an end, your existence doesn't have to." **__said the Librarian. __**"As I have explained, I witness the flow of the various universes from this realm. And due to this, I have seen how certain events that will affect them greatly. You were not the first to pass through here, another had lost his life on the field of battle and was guided down a path that would ensure the survival of a dimension that faces a great darkness."**_

_ Mason's eyes widened when he realized where she was going with this. The Librarian nodded, __**"This is why you are here. I have watched you throughout most of your life, your strength of will unbreakable even though the world seemed to be against you. Your never ending morals of right and wrong, along with the steps you take to survive in a harsh world. It is these traits that are needed to help save another realm in great danger."**_

_ She stepped away from the edge and stood in the center of the platform. __**"There is a planet, the danger on its surface is only matched by the savagery of those that inhabit it. Deep within its confines, lies a powerful secret. One that would tip the balance in the favor of those that would discover it. Many have sought it out, and have either lost their lives, or lost their minds in their attempts and all have failed."**_

_The omnipotent being paused before looking back at Mason who remained rooted to his spot. __**"However, this secret will not remain buried for much longer. The persistence of certain parties involved will stop at nothing to attain it, and will resort to drastic and devious means to do so."**_

_ "What does all of this have to do with me?" asked Mason when he regained his voice._

_**"In this world, four hunters will rise and unlock the secrets contained within this planet. Exposing it to their universe at large and set in motion a series of events that could either save or destroy their realm."**__ she explained. __**"This involves you, Mason, because in order for these hunters to save their world, and their universe, they will need the assistance of one who is outside their realm. One who follows a different path but can still due what is needed when the time reveals itself."**_

_ The Librarian approached him again and stood before him, __**"This is the path now open to you, young one. The choice of whether or not to take it is entirely yours to make. It will be a dangerous task, this I can say now. I will not force you to if you decided to allow your soul to pass on to the afterlife."**_

_Mason stood in thought for several minutes, weighing the pros and cons in his mind as he pulled over the being's words. He was basically being offered the chance to live again. Albeit in another universe on a planet that sounds more dangerous than anything he'd ever heard of before. _

_ It seemed too good to be true. Helping to save a whole universe? Despite the Librarian's words he couldn't help but wonder what made him so special, he was pretty much just a kid lost in the DCF web who managed to make a life for himself. One that could have been better, but still._

_ "What'll happen if I decide to get sent to this place?" he asked._

_**"Given the flow of time, you will be sent three years before the hunters go on their journey. This will give you ample time to train yourself in the harsh environment and gain the knowledge you will need to succeed."**__ came the reply. __**"You would also need to gain the favor of those that would be considered allies for what lies ahead."**_

_ Mason nodded before squaring his shoulders, "As much as going to the other side seems appealing, I think I have a lot more fight left in me. So lets do this." _

_ The Librarian smiled at him, __**"Very well. Prepare yourself, young one, the journey ahead will test you in ways that you cannot possibly fathom." **__a bright light began to envelope the platform. _

_**"Always remember, I will be watching over you."**__ her voice faded into the void as Mason was lost in the darkness once more._

_**X**_

Mason's eyes snapped open, the warmth of a bright sun reflecting on his face through a dirty window and the loud rumble of a diesel engine bringing him back to the land of the living as he lifted his head.

He was sitting on an old, rusty looking bus that was traveling through a large desert. When he looked around, he found that he was the only one on board save for the driver who was focused solely on the dirt road ahead of them.

He was alive again. The Librarian wasn't pulling his leg when he chose to come back into another universe. Looking down at himself, he was still in the same outfit thankfully, and he took notice of the dark-green backpack in the spot next to him with the word 'DAHL' imprinted on the back of it.

With a shrug, he decided to just roll with it for the time being as he opened the bag and began going through the contents. Finding some spare clothes, a little food, water, and a handful of bills that must pass for currency in this place. At the bottom there was a handheld device that resembled a cellphone and a pistol with a couple of clips of ammunition.

"Guess she wasn't kidding if I'm being supplied like this." he said to himself as he ejected the clip and checked it over before slipping it back in place. He'd never really fired a gun before, though one of his foster parents was a cop and he picked up the various points of gun safety and maintenance which gave him more than enough info in how to use one.

With how things had gone up to this point, he had no reason to distrust what he had been told before coming here. And if this place was as dangerous as he was warned, he better pick up the idea in using it fast.

Outside, the bus passed by a sign that had several panels missing from it, but the words were still able to spell out 'Welcome to Pandora'. "Finally awake I see." said the driver, who was dressed in a tan leather jacket and had a Hispanic accent. "That's good, it's another beautiful day full of opprotunity, after all!" he exclaimed jovally.

The bus hit a bump, jostling Mason a bit but he managed to keep himself stable as he slipped the pistol in an inside pocket within his denim jacket along with the clips. "If you say so." he replied leaning back in his seat.

The driver looked in the rear-view at him, "Looking a bit young to be wandering this far out into the Badlands, amigo. You hoping to find something out here?"

"Maybe. Depends on where the wind takes me I guess." was the reply causing the driver to laugh.

"The wind around here will take you many places, my friend. So long as it isn't filled with bullets." He said as he pulled the bus to a stop beside a small station that was set up outside a cluster of buildings behind a wall fashioned out of large, rusty, metal sheets. "Here we are, the town of Fyrestone." he turned in his seat and looked at Mason. "Oh, the name's Marcus Kincaid. No need to worry about goodbyes, I have a feeling you and I will be doing business sometime in the near future. Now, get the hell off my bus."

Mason rolled his eyes at the man's bluntness as he stood up, grabbed his pack and stepped out into the hot and dry desert air. The door closing behind him as the vehicle rumbled away

Shielding his eyes from the bright glare of the sun, he looked toward the makeshift settlement and wondered what he was supposed to do now. And as if triggered by his thoughts, the phone-like device in his pack chimed.

Digging it out, he booted the device up and found it to be almost exactly like a phone from his world, having the same features but a bit more primitive in design. It took him a moment or two to figure it out, and when he did he brought up a message that had come through for him. It was short, and had no sender listed.

_**"Follow the robot." - ?**_

"Follow the what?" he wondered.

"Greetings traveler!" Mason almost jumped as he snapped his head around to face the loud, chirping voice that had called out. Rolling toward him across the sand from the settlement was a robot that was half his size and shaped like a yellow box. A lone optic sat in the center of its frame was locked on to him and two thin arms with a set of clamps on the end of each that clacked sporatically.

"Welcome to Fyrestone. I am CL4P-TP, but you can call me by my locally designated name, 'Claptrap'. Please follow me." with that the robot began to wheel its way toward the depot. Mason watched him go for a moment before following after him. With no other way of knowing where to go, he thought it best to stick close to the thing and learn what he could for the time being.

They stopped beside a tall metal post that came online and displayed a screen with a hand print on it when they got close enough. "Step right up! All new arrivals must input their information here." explained Claptrap motioning to the device. "When you use this device, your DNA profile is automatically identified and stored. Please, activate it now."

Shrugging, Mason raised his hand and placed his palm over the hand print on the screen. There was a loud hum as the green lights on the station blinked a few times, a moment later the screen enlarged showing an image of his face along with a detailed list containing his eye, skin and hair color, blood type, everything that one would normally find in a medical file.

"Excellent!" chirped Claptrap. "Now that your DNA is registered, you'll be able to travel Pandora with little difficulty thanks to our fast travel network. And as a bonus, you have the best in horrific death and dismemberment insurance! As long as you have the funds for it, of course."

Mason's attention snapped to the robot as he felt uneasy with how upbeat it sounded when the mention of death and dismemberment was made. "Uh...right. Where am I supposed to go from here?" he asked.

"Now, we head into the peaceful town of Fyrestone!" replied Claptrap as it began leading him to the settlement.

Though, the robot paused when the sound of revving engines and gunfire could be heard just beyond the gate they were about to pass through. "Oh no! Not again! RUUUUUUUUNNNNNNN!" Claptrap spun and zoomed toward a small shed off to the side just as a vehicle with mounted guns dropped into the area behind the gate.

Mason dropped into cover pulling out his pistol as two more flew overhead and landed on the ground taking off after the first one. The passengers hollard and yelled something as they fired weapons into the air a nearby gas tank exploded shaking the ground while sending smoke and fire into the air before they all disappeared out of sight.

"So much for 'peaceful'." he said to himself. Several seconds ticking by as everything seemed to settle back into a state of calm. The shed door slid open and Claptrap wheeled itself outside. "Are...are they gone?" it asked hesitantly.

"Yeah," Mason replied standing up. "I think so."

The robot wiped its forehead, "Whew! Those bandits really have it in for us Claptraps. Using us as target practice is not part of our programming." it said wheeling toward a rusty panel beside the gate and punched in a series of buttons. "Annnnnnnnd...open!"

The gate slowly began to rise. Claptrap zoomed toward the opening and managed to bang its head on the bottom of the still rising blockade. Muttering a dull, 'ouch' before continuing on.

Still standing in the same spot, Mason shook his head as he slowly followed. Gun still in hand as he wondered what he had gotten himself into.

_**X**_

_**Present Day:**_

Three years had passed like nothing. Though it was hard to tell since the days on the planet were close to 90 hours compared to the standard 24 he knew back on his version of Earth.

In that time Mason had not only managed to thrive on Pandora's surface, but he had also made a name for himself that was revered and hunted after by the various factions that inhabited the planet.

He had a lot of adventures, met a lot of interesting people, and fighting bandits, raiders, deranged lunatics, wildlife and anything else that tried to kill him...which turned out to be just about everything depending on the mood some of them were in.

In the beginning he did small jobs around Fyrestone. After that he branched out and did harder and longer jobs that took him farther out into the badlands until he had gotten enough funds and experience to get proper equipment and weaponry to handle bigger threats.

He'd ducked and dodged death more times than he could possibly remember. Having to get patched up by Dr. Zed, Fyrestone's lead and only physician, on several occasions. The man was good at his work for someone who didn't have a license to do any of the things he did.

That, and the man had a tendency to butcher more than half the people that came to see him. But Mason made due with what and who he had to work with. And Zed was a fountain of information about certain parts of Pandora and was more than happy to share, so long as he did a few side jobs in exchange.

Overtime, given the types of jobs he did and the way he went about it, people had begun referring to him simply as 'The Courier'. It had stuck after a while, and Mason had been thankful given the number of enemies he had made since he had gotten there.

Soon, he began to think of Pandora as his new home. Even if it was a deadly, barren ball of dirt filled with psychos and murders. And every chance he got he dug up every scrap of information that he could. He learned about the various corporations that ran the galaxy, the Atlas corporation and their private army the Crimson Lance being the ones that were in current control of different sectors of the planet.

The same ones that had put a high bounty on his head for standing against them and defying their rules.

He had also leaned about the mystical females known as the Sirens. And how their origins were almost as vague as anything revolving around something that caught his interest greatly...the legend of the Vault, and the alien race known as the Eridians.

It was mostly just rumors and stories shared by the various folks around Pandora. The Vault was said to be an ancient treasure trove that would grant whoever that opened it untold riches, fame and power. Left behind by the Eridians whose existence only thrived from the various ruins that were discovered across the planet.

It didn't take very long for him to piece together that this was what the Librarian had him sent here to look for. The power of the Vault and the secrets that the Eridians had left behind. With that in mind be sought out the Vault, and any information he could find about it, like many others before him.

Marcus Kincaid, the bus driver that had brought him to Fyrestone and one of the biggest arms dealers on Pandora, provided the best source of information on the matter. Even though he was as crooked as a hillbilly's smile when it came to business, the man definitely knew his stuff. Especially since he learned it all from his father and his father before him, anything was useful in the end.

He kept the words of the being that had granted him this new life close to heart, knowing that one day she would be contacting him again when the time came to go about what was asked of him...to find the Vault, and prevent it and what it contained from falling into the wrong hands.

And it seemed that the time had come.

_**X**_

_The two beings gazed at one another for several moments. The last time the two of them had spoken was after he had taken down a bandit leader who had a knack for crushing people beneath the massive hammer he wielded which had given him his name. They both spoke briefly in regards to the strange object that he found in the man's loot, and the meaning behind it._

_ Mason sighed. "The Vault Hunters you told me about are on their way?" he asked turning to look back out at the sky._

_ Silently, the omnipotent being glided across the platform and stood beside him. Her height dwarfing his by over a foot. __**"Yes. They are currently on their way toward Fyrestone and are searching for a way to locate the Vault, and a way to open it. Their unknown guide is aiding them as we speak."**_

_ "Then I take it they know of what I have?" the Courier asked getting a nod. "Can't say I'm surprised."_

_**"Given that one of the Hunters is a former Crimson Lance operative, he is bound to find the information about you and lead his fellow Hunters to you to gain the piece of the key."**__ said the Librarian as she turned to her charge. _

_"Then it really is time." Mason took a deep breath as he turned to face the older being. "I've been waiting and searching all this time and only managed to scratch the surface. But the real question is if they will trust me enough to join them."_

_ The Librarian hummed, __**"You have managed to get several to aid you in your time on Pandora. The hunters will be no different, even more so when they discover who you are and what you're capable of. There is strength in numbers, after all."**_

_ The Courier nodded, "Then I best get to it then."_

_ A bright light began to fill the area as the omnipotent being spoke one last time. __**"Take heed, Mason. The task ahead is more dangerous than any you have faced thus far. Stay vigilant, stay focused, and keep your companions close."**_

_**X**_

Green eyes snapped open just as the orange glow of the sun began to peek over the horizon through the small window in the bedroom. Sitting up, Mason ran a hand through his hair, having changed his shaggy look to a short mowhawk with the rest of his head cleanly shaved, before getting out of bed and heading over to the locked chest that held his weapons and armor.

Removing everything and laying it out on the bed, he pressed his hand into a section at the bottom. The section popping up to reveal a safe imbedded in the floor underneath.

Punching in a four digit combination and causing the thick door to pop open, a soft purple glow emitting from within.

The Courier reached in and and removed the skateboard sized, triangle-shaped rock covered in runes that looked alien in nature that were the cause of the odd glow. The stone warm to the touch and surprisingly light weight as he flipped it over in his hands, his eyes scanning its surface sharply like he had when he first got it.

From what he was able to gather, it was an Eridian Artifact given the runes covering it. But there was so much more to it considering the Atlas Corporation had upped his bounty when he refused to hand it over to them after he had taken it from the bandit leader Sledge two years ago.

Commandant Steele had all but ordered her men to kill him on sight to get it, which was why he kept the artifact hidden away. And since he knew that it was a piece of the key that opened the Vault, it was even more crucial to keep it safe.

Replacing the key-piece in its place. He resealed the safe, covered it up and then locked the chest before he pulled on his usual attire, checking his weapons and making sure they were loaded before making his way to the kitchen. Helping himself to some leftover Skag meat he had cooked not too long ago on his way out the door while the rest of the citizens of Fyrestone had begun starting their day as well.

The hologram neon light above the building at the end of the sand covered street marking Zed's place of business. The garage/warehouse door of the small building was open revealing the good doctor moving boxes of supplies around.

"Mornin' Zed." he said standing in the doorway.

"Mason, back from your job already?" asked Zed dusting his hands off. His usual scrubs and surgical mask in place, many people in town wondering if the man slept in the damn thing given that no one has really seen the lower half of his face.

"Easy in and out, got some guns to trade with the shop keep as a bonus." replied the Courier. "Claptrap said something about you having a job for me?"

The doctor nodded, "It ain't a big one. Ol' T.K. hasn't checked in for a day or two, the man may be off his rocker but he always calls up regularly."

T.K. Baha was a bit of a hermit out here. The man was as blind as he was crazy, blowing Skags apart with his double barrel whenever they got on his property with surprising aim even though he couldn't see. Some believed his hatred of the dog-like creatures stemmed from the fact that one had taken his leg leaving him with a prosthetic.

Mason just believed that the man was nuts, but despite that he was a good person at heart...somewhat. "That it pretty odd, I'll swing by his place after I offload the loot I picked up."

"Thanks, knew I could count on ya." said Zed. "Oh! By the way, your shield upgrade came in the other day." he picked up a box and sat it on the nearby counter. Pulling out a personal shield system with a glowing blue generator in the middle. "Maliwan special. Should give any bastard with enough brains to knock it out a nice zap."

Looking the shield over carefully to be sure that it was what he had ordered before unclipping the one attached to his belt and swapping them. Pulling his sunglasses on as his echo connected with the system.

The glasses acted as a HUD that displayed his vitals, shields and compass. When everything synced up, the shield bar filling up and showing a larger capacity compared to his last one. "Nice, how much do I owe you?" Mason asked when everything was set.

Zed picked up the older shield and put it in the box, "Your old shield and doing this job should be more than enough. You've earned yourself a discount or two this month."

The Courier flashed a smirk as he lifted his sunglasses back on his forehead over his skull cap. "Thanks, Zed. I'll call ahead after I check on T.K." he left the clinic and made his way toward the shop on the other side of the open space of the town. Selling the weapons he picked up from his last job before making his way toward the entrance of the settlement he came through the night before.

It was only a half-hour walk from here to T.K.'s place, Mason thought it would be a good idea to stretch his legs. And what better way than traversing through Skag infested hills here in the badlands.

"Just another day on Pandora." he said putting his sunglasses back on and put his hands in his pockets as he made his way through the hills of the Arid Badlands.

X

Back at Fyrestone, a familiar bus pulled up at the depot outside of the settlement, the doors opening to allow four individuals to step out into the warm air. Three men, one woman, all armed to the teeth as they all looked at the welcome sign ahead of them.

"So, this is the place our 'Guardian Angel' was telling us about?" asked one of the men. He wore leather armor with a helmet and goggles over his face. Revolver on his hip and sniper rifle along his back beside a sheathed machete. A white feathered bird with blood-red eyes sitting on his shoulder trilled softly which prompted him to stroke it's chin.

The one at the head of their group, a dark-skinned man wearing armor holding an assault rifle nodded. "Yeah, this is it. "

"So what are we waiting for?" asked the woman with crimson-red hair and ember colored eyes, putting a hand on her hip while the third man who resembled a wall of muscle with scars across his face slammed his fist into his palm with a grunt o f agreement.

The group looked to the side and saw Claptrap wheeling its way toward them. Having seen their arrival from one of its many posts around the settlement. "Welcome to Fyrestone!" the robot greeted excitedly.

**A/N: And another one added to the pool. For those that have played Borderlands, you probably might see some changes made to the original plot thanks to Mason's intervention. For those that have not, you will be greatly entertained. **

**I can honestly say that this story will be a hell of a challenge. Unlike past work of mine that already had a long existing plot and dialogue to go with them from their original scripts, Borderlands is completely open and random when it comes to what people say and do, not to mention the ways people can go about their tasks.**

**Meaning that ideas are completely limitless, and this story can go dozens of different ways. But thankfully I love a challenge, so let's see where this goes. Review or message me with your thoughts and I'll get back to you ASAP.**


	3. The Vault Hunters

**A/N: Here we are once again, can't tell you how badly I'm hoping for summer to get here and to be rid of all this cold goddamn weather. ****That out of the way, I come baring the next installment of what I hope is another great story. **

**I'm hitting my stride slowly, reviewing my past saved games in the first Borderlands and making sure that things stay on track. But as I said before, the amount of changes and dialogue that can be added is limitless, so I'm taking it one step at a time for now as I try to get a good pattern going for content. **

**For now, there will be a bit of introduction in this chapter. Along with some good fighting. So enjoy!**

**(I don't own Borderlands)**

The team of four that had just arrived at the settlement moved along the dirt coated streets, the citizens that were out and about gave them a passing glance before going back to their jobs.

Each one of the hunters were an expert in a certain trait that would be beyond beneficial for their current objective. Locate the Vault.

Roland, the dark-skinned man in armor, was a soldier. A former member of the Crimson Lance who couldn't take what they and the Atlas organization was doing to people. When one of his fellow soldiers was viciously beating a prisoner he attacked him, thus resulting in his defection from both Atlas and the Lance.

Next came Mordecai, the hunter, with his faithful companion Bloodwing. One of the best in his field in regards to taking down dangerous animals. Wanted for poaching and possession of endangered species. His part in this little excursion was for what was in it, the belief that the universe owes him everything.

Then there was Brick. A man practically made of muscle with only the classification being a Berserker given how he pummels, crushes, and tears apart his enemies limb from limb...or generally just anyone who pisses him off which was why he had his own bounty as high as he did.

And finally, the woman, Lilith. A Siren, one of six women in the galaxy gifted with powers of unknown origin which was marked by the tattoos on the left side of her body. She, like the others, was also wanted by Atlas for conspiracy, theft, murder, and witchcraft. But it didn't halt her motive to go to Pandora to learn about her kind and her powers.

All of them had their reasons for seeking out the Vault and what it may contain. Each with a different background that gave them the drive to find it at any cost, coming together to work as a single unit to succeed.

After they had gotten on the bus to head out here, all four of them had been contacted by a being that they could only refer to as a 'Guardian Angel'. She told them that if they wanted to find the Vault then they would have to travel to the town of Fyrestone and seek out the one known as 'The Courier'.

Roland knew the name, doing a bit of research on his echo on the trip out here and found that he was a mercenary that was also wanted by Atlas for theft, illegal transportation of supplies, murder, sabotage, and destruction of company property. An impressive rap-sheet with the bounty to prove it, which made the four of them ready for anything when they found him.

The Hunters paused briefly when a distorted image of a woman with black hair and blue eyes appeared in their field of vision. _**"Good, you have arrived at Fyrestone. Now you can take your first steps to finding the Vault."**_ said the Guardian Angel. _**"Finding the Courier is crucial to your journey. In his possession is an Eridian artifact that is infact a piece of the key that will open the Vault. His skills are impressive, but try and refrain from shooting him if you can."**_

When the image faded, the group looked to one another. "Guess that explains why we need to find him." said Roland. "If he's got a piece of the key, then we need to get a hold of it to get anywhere."

"Think he'll give us trouble?" asked Brick as he cracked his knuckles. The nuts and bolts taped to his knuckles rattling together as he did so.

"We'll try talking with him first, not everyone out here is a maniac with a gun." replied the soldier. "Besides, the Lance and Atlas are after him too. We might be able to strike a deal."

They headed over to what looked like a clinic where the doctor was currently working with a patient. "And that should do it." he said stepping back to admire his work. "Now keep a close eye on the leg and come back if it needs to be amputated." The patient got up and left the clinic as the doctor turned to the hunters that stood at his door. "Welcome to Fyrestone, name's Zed." he introduced. "What can I do for ya?"

"We're looking for someone from around here." said Lilith.

"A lot of folks come from around here." said Zed as he turned to the counter and started going through his supplies. "This someone gotta name?"

Roland took it from there. "The Courier, we were told that he lives here in town." The mention of the name caused the doctor's back to straighten. His hand still in the box with the medical supplies, moving toward the opposite side and wrapping around the handle of a pistol he had hidden there.

"That fella? He comes around every so often. What do you need from him, if ya don't mind my asking?" asked Zed, keeping his tone stable as he kept his back to them.

"Just to talk, he might be able to help us." said the soldier, he and the others knew that he had a hand on a weapon and were ready. But he wanted to defuse the situation quick so that there wasn't any unneeded bloodshed. "We're searching for the Vault."

Zed relaxed slightly and released his hold on the gun and turned to them, "The Vault, huh? Another group after that old story? And how does the Courier fit into all of this, last time I checked he wasn't really searching for it."

A bold-face lie. He knew that Mason was looking for the Vault in his own way. But the two of them had become friends since he arrived at Fyrestone three years ago. It'd be a cold day in hell if he sent a group of mercs after him when he had the power to either learn what they wanted, or stop them all together.

"Look, amigo." said Mordecai from his spot leaning against the large door frame, Bloodwing flapping her wings along with her master's agitation. "We're not here to cause trouble, all we want is to talk with this one guy. Whether or not it'll come to blows and bullets is up to him. Now, are you gonna help us or not?"

Zed clicked his tongue and sighed, these guys looked rough but spoke with honesty. He had that skill when it came to people he meets, and even if he was wrong he knew Mason could handle himself. "He left about fifteen minutes ago out to Skag Gulley on a job to check on another resident to the town."

"Why all the secrecy?" asked Lilith crossing her arms under her breasts.

"The man has done a lot of good for the people of this town." lamented the doctor. "A lot of people have come through here looking for him, the bounty on his head is a hell of a hefty one, after all. But he goes out of his way to be sure that nothing happens to us."

"Christ, he even took out all the bandits and raiders in the surrounding hills and settlements. None of those maniacs have come even close to here in over a year. The man's a godsend to these folks, despite what he may or may not do on the side for a living."

Roland looked over his shoulder, the people of Fyrestone were still going about the business, but they would glance their way every so often. Some of them looked tense, while others did their best to pretend that they weren't listening in.

The doctor wasn't kidding, the man certainly did leave his mark with these folks.

"Like I said, we just wanna talk to him." said the soldier. "Where's he headed?"

_**X**_

Out in the badlands, a pack of skags snorted and sniffed at the sand dunes. Their heads opening in half revealing their jagged maws and long tongues as they searched around for their next meal.

One of them broke off from the pack and headed toward a nearby pile of rocks, sniffing around it a few moments, it suddenly stopped and started growling. The spikes sticking out of its armored hide rising slightly while hunching down as it slowly skulked around the cluster of boulders.

When it peeked around the end, a gunshot echoed out and its head exploded in a mist of blood and bone. The rest of the pack snapped to attention as their fellow skag fell dead to the ground. More gunshots ripped through the air and each one fell dead with a well placed bullet in their heads or necks, their blood staining the sand as it leaked in pools from their bodies.

On the top of a hill over fifty yards away, Mason took his eye from the scope of the sniper rifle as he ejected the spent clip and loaded a fresh one. Slipping the weapon on his back as he started moving again in the direction of T.K. Baha's place.

Skag Gulley lived up to its name, the hills and desert were riddled with tunnels and dens belonging to the canine aliens. Which made it imperative that you had at least one weapon on you at all times to deal with them.

Technically, it was no different than anywhere else.

The Courier walked along the beaten path that wove through the hills that led to the old farm where the blind hermit lived. His first interaction with T.K. was an odd one at the time. Doing odd jobs around town after he first arrived, he came to the farm and ended up having a double barrel aimed at his head.

T.K. ranted and raved about skags and bandits before laughing his ass off and giving out a few jobs for Mason to do. The man was crazy as sin, but he was a riot when he really got going.

Shaking his head at the memories, the Courier came to the top of the hill where the farm was situated. The ranshackle home put together with scraps surrounded by a broken wooden fence. An old, rusted shed where a car could be parked a few feet away with a lone windmill beside it that was slowly turning with the slight draft.

Mason stopped immediately. Something was wrong, he could feel it in the air as he pulled out his assault rifle and approached the home slowly.

"T.K.?" he called out to the house while stepping on to the porch with the rotting boards. There was no answer as he glanced briefly at the old rocking chair where the man could usually be found at this time of day. "Yo, T.K.! It's Mason!" he tried again, but again wasn't answered.

Moving to the front door, he saw it was already open and moving slightly. With his AR raised, he nudged the door open with the barrel and peered through the crack.

It was dark inside, the windows covered and no lights on. But the smell hit him full blast a moment later. A strange combination of rotten eggs, copper and bad meat.

His boot kicked the door open with a loud crack and he stormed the house. Sweeping his rifle left and right for movement but found none, save for the slight sway of something in the middle of the main room.

Mason slowly lowered his weapon, raising his sunglasses when he found the form of T.K. Baha. Dangling from the broken ceiling fan by his good leg, his false one broken and speared through his chest staining his usual tropic shirt dark-red. His blackened glasses laid in a pool of blood on the floor below him, his scarred, vacant eyes starring at him unblinking from his position as the fan slowly spun him around.

Stepping toward the body, the Courier shook his head sadly. "Dammit..." he muttered pinching the bridge of his nose. T.K. didn't deserve this.

The man didn't have enemies, he lived alone since his wife was killed and barely came to town more than once a week. It wasn't uncommon for bandits to leave their mark after they took someone out or raided a settlement, and from the looks of things he'd been like this for a while, a day or two maybe. And whoever did it was leaving a very clear message, but the question was to who?

A soft creak was heard somewhere behind him snapping him back into focus, there was another soon after slowly getting closer. Footsteps, someone was in the house and attempting to sneak up on him.

Gripping his rifle, he kept himself motionless as he let whoever was there get closer. He could also pick up a faint, metallic clicking and a bout of heavy breathing. They weren't exactly being stealthy, which would fall back badly on them.

When the steps were right behind him he swung his rifle back, smashing the stock hard against the mask covered face of a psycho right as he was raising his buzzaxe. The blow sending the unstable man crashing to the floor where he rolled backwards back to his feet.

"So, which branch of genetic throwbacks did you spawn from?" asked Mason as he faced the lunatic.

The psycho cackled like a hyena as he raised his buzzaxe, "Strip the flesh!" he screamed as he charged forward blindly. The Courier snapped his weapon up and fired two quick bursts, the rounds punching through the man's bare torso spraying fountains of blood in the air as they exited out his back as the rest of him fell face forward.

When the body hit the ground the window shattered and another psycho leapt through the opening. "Pain! Kill!" he was silence with a burst of gunfire through the head that blew out the back of his skull and painted the wall with his grey matter while two more came through the window and the open doorway.

"Looks like it's one of them days." said Mason as he emptied the rest of his clip into the attacking maniacs. Dropping them like flies given they had no armor or shields to protect themselves. One of the psychos managed to light himself on fire and come at him like a deranged tiki torch.

With not enough time to reload, the Courier scooped up a dropped buzzaxe and swung low. The serrated edges slicing into the burning man's kneecap, tearing at flesh and tendons as it sent him crashing to the floor. Mason capitalized as he spun around and buried the weapon into the back of the psycho's skull, his body still burning sending the pugnant smell of burning flesh into the air.

Hearing more of them coming from the front, Mason quickly reloaded his AR and kicked out the back door. The action sending another psycho flying back and over the edge of the small cliff at the back of the house. Two more coming around the corner, both roughly half the size of a regular man with their battle cries sounding like they'd been sucking on helium tanks.

Two quick trigger pulls was enough to put them down as another group filled the old house. The Courier reached under his coat and pulled out a protean grenade, flicking off the safety latch and pressing the fuse button before tossing it inside.

"Sorry T.K." he said to the deceased man before he sprinted from the house as the explosive went off, shaking the building on its non-existent foundation and killing the men inside.

The victory was short lived, however, as a barrage of rounds peppered the ground around him and forcing him into cover behind a pile of rocks. Two runners were parked in front of the property with half a dozen bandits standing around them with weapons drawn and aimed in his direction. One of them sitting on the turret of the lead vehicle, "Come on out Courier! You'll be able to join that old blind fucker in hell for what you did to our boss!" he called out.

Mason moved slowly along the rock, finding a gap in the middle big enough for his weapon to fit through as he set it up and looked down the sights. He should have figured that this was some kind of revenge scheem from one of the bandit clans he took out, and T.K. was the one to pay the price while they set up this trap.

Killing them would be more than justifiable.

"We can do this two ways jackass!" the bandit from the turret shouted. "You come out and we plug ya! Or-" whatever he said next was cut off when his head exploded in a shower of blood and bone fragments, his body draping over the gunner seat like a rag doll.

The rest of the bandits paid no attention to this fact and instead fired at where Mason was hidden. More rounds burst from the break in the rocks, some catching the attacking raiders and sending them to the dirt, either wounded or dead he couldn't tell as he stopped to reload.

Pulling out another grenade, he primed it and tossed it over his cover. The device bouncing along the dirt and rolling under one of the runners before it went off. The explosive detonating close to the fuel tank causing an even bigger blast as it flipped the vehicle over right on top of a thug who couldn't get out of the way in time.

The remaining three bandits dove for cover, avoiding flames and chunks of debris as they tried to get back to their feet. One of them bringing his weapon up only to find the barrel of a pistol in his face. "Too slow." said Mason as he put a round between his eyes.

He snapped up his other pistol and fired the whole clip into one of the others. The electric charged rounds taking down the man's shields and peppering his body sending him into convulsions before he fell dead.

The Courier looked up and saw the last bandit attempting to run for the hills, his pistol went off and he went down in a heap with a bullet wound to the leg as he headed in the man's direction.

"I only have one question." he said as he gave the bandit a swift kick in the stomach flipping him over. "And I only want one answer. Get that? One question, one answer. You're life depends on what I get."

He took the groan of pain as an open invitation. "Who's pulling your leash?"

"F-Fuck you!" the bandit spat, only to freeze when Mason dug the barrel of his pistol into his stomach.

"Strike one." said the Courier as he fired. The man screamed in agony when the bullet punched through his insides. "Who's pulling your leash?" he asked again.

The thug said nothing as he put a hand to his bleeding stomach. Mason grabbed the collar of his jacket and pulled him up to eye level. "I'm not getting an answer, so maybe when I shot you in the belly I didn't aim high enough." he fired a second time making the bandit scream again. "That's strike two. I won't ask a third time, so you'd better start talking unless you want things to get even more nasty."

"R-Raxor! He was...one of Sledge's lead guys." the bandit coughed and wheezed through the pain and blood loss. "After you...killed off Sledge and Nine-Toes...any of us that were left...joined up with him."

Mason tilted his head, "Congrats, you just earned a few extra minutes. Now, where can I find him?"

"S-Sledge's old hideout...in the mines..." the thug was getting weaker, the amount of blood he was losing making it hard for him to make a clear enough sentence. The Courier took pity on him and shot him in the head, he had all the info he needed for now anyway.

Standing back to his full height, Mason rolled his shoulders as he came down from his 'battle state' and started thinking about his next move. Whoever the hell Raxor is, he just made a big fucking mistake in killing T.K. and sending his goons after him. He'd make sure that the bastard paid for it in spades.

"Ahem." he turned when he heard someone clearing their throat. Finding himself in the presence of four other individuals, none of them baring a resemblance to bandits or raiders. If anything they looked like mercenaries which put him on edge.

But since they weren't putting bullets in him, he could assume that they weren't here to kill him. As far as he knew anyway.

"Something I can help you with?" he asked while keeping his pistols in hand just in case.

The one in armor, which could have been the leader looked around at the carnage before going back to him, "Names Roland. This is Mordecai, Lilith and Brick." he introduced himself and his friends.

Mason nodded, "Are you guys here to kill me? Cause that's not gonna work out, for any of us." he said not taking his eyes off the soldier's as tension started to fill the air from the slight stand off.

Brick tensed, but a wave from Roland calmed him a bit, "No, we just wanna talk. We heard that you might be able to help us with something. We're looking for the Vault."

The Courier's mind snapped into focus then, the Librarian's words from the night before flooding back making him relax a bit more. "That old legend?" he asked, deciding to play it safe. "What would I know about that?"

"A reliable source tells us different." said Lilith. When Mason turned to regard her, he immediately took notice of the light-blue markings covering her pale skin that was visible and realized that she was a Siren.

He also couldn't help but notice that she was a hell of a looker. Nice curves, a heart-shaped face, and her blood-red hair was pretty exotic. But it was her ember colored eyes that made his mind go blank, his heart doing a slight jolt that lasted for the briefest of seconds, though it felt like much longer to him as he blinked back into focus.

"Is that right?" he asked, turning back to Roland. Missing when Lilith blinked several times when their locked gazes broke.

The soldier nodded, "We were informed that you were in possession of an Eridian artifact that could help with finding it. "

They knew about the key piece, this made him curious since it wasn't common knowledge. Telling folks that you have something of that importance was like asking for a bullet to the head. "And what would be this source?" the Courier asked, holstering his guns and crossing his arms.

"That's need to know." said Roland.

Mason scratched his cheek and shook his head. "You see...that's a problem for me." he said as he began pacing, "Knowledge about that particular artifact isn't common, only about two or three others know I have it. So when four people I don't know come up to me asking about it, that makes me very curious." he stopped and regarded the hunters. "Keeping secrets like that is not a good way to earn one's trust."

Before anything else could be said, a distorted image of a woman with black hair and blue eyes appeared on his HUD. _**"I will speak for myself."**_ she said as her attention focused on the Courier, _**"Hello, Mason. I am the one who told the Vault hunters of you and what is in your possession."**_

"And who would you be?" he asked, wondering if this was some kind of artificial intelligence or another being like the Librarian. Either way, this must have been the so called 'guide' he had been informed him of.

_**"I am the Guardian Angel of the hunters."**_ she replied, _**"Here to guide them on their path to discovering the Vault. Despite what some may believe, the Vault is very real. And the artifact that you have is a part of the key that will open it. I have also been keeping an eye on you since you started your career as 'The Courier'. Your skills would be invaluable in helping the others in their quest."**_

The Vault hunters looked to one another briefly before going back to Mason as he thought about things. In all honesty, he knew his answer before the question was even asked, but he still had to make a show of things before voicing anything.

_**"The choice is ultimately yours. But you should think carefully about it."**_ with that the Guardian Angel faded leaving them alone.

"Well, I'd be lying if I said I didn't have my own reasons for finding the Vault." he said honestly as he looked to the others. "But I have a feeling you guys won't welcome me with open arms without a bit more trust. So how bout a compromise?"

"What kind of 'compromise'?" asked Mordecai.

Mason motioned to the vacant house with his chin, smoke rising from the shattered windows along with the smell of charred flesh. "A friend of mine was killed by these assholes. Help me put them and their leader six feet under, and I'll help you find the Vault. Sound good?"

Everyone looked toward Roland, being the leader of the group given his past experiences they waited on his decision before voicing their own thoughts. As for the soldier in question, he thought about it long and hard.

The four of them had watched him tear the bandits apart on his own, his skills definitely lived up to the reputation. On top of that their guide said that he would be invaluable in finding the Vault, if helping him was the only way to get the help they needed as well as the piece of the key then maybe...

"Deal." said Roland holding out his hand and shaking it with the Courier. "Where do we start?"

Mason walked past them, "I'll give you the full overview on the way back to Fyrestone." he pulled out one of his pistols again and shot the bloodied and battered bandit that was attempting to crawl out from under the overturned runner. "When we get there you may wanna take the time to get better gear and weapons, the local shop should have everything your looking for." he finished as he put the weapon away and kept walking.

The now group of five made their way back to town, the Courier telling them about Sledge and Nine-Toes and how the remaining dregs of both bandit clans were now under the same banner to get back at him for what he had done to take both out.

Along the way, Lilith kept her gaze on the back of Mason's head. Trying to make sense of the warm jolt she felt when their eyes locked.

_**X**_

_ In her plain of existence, the Librarian watched her newest charge's first interactions with the Vault Hunters. Everything seemed to be going smoothly. _

_ She hummed when she saw the brief exchange between Mason and the young Siren. A small smile coming to her lips, __**"This was certainly unexpected."**__ she said to herself as she continued to observe._

**A/N: And there we have it. With the first two bosses dead before the story really started, there's a lot of room to throw in new hostiles wherever I can fit them. Therefore, there will be a couple different bosses and missions than there would have been in the original canon. Along with new problems for the hunters to overcome before they find the Vault.**

**I'm already working on the next chapter, so keep the reviews coming and I won't let you down.**


	4. Raxor's Edge

**A/N: Been a few days, and after managing to beat Borderlands 2 and begin work on the Presequel I've gotten more than enough inspiration to keep this particular story going for a while. **

**As a side note from the previous chapter, the psycho at T.K.'s house was NOT Kreig. He won't be making an appearance until the next game, so no he didn't die for those of you who nearly lost it last time.**

**This installment does a bit of jumping around, given that it goes into a couple of flashbacks. But it has a good amount of combat, and Mason's action skill is revealed! so here we go folks!**

**I don't own Borderlands.**

On the dirt road leading through the large hills of the arid badlands, a small convoy of vehicles powered their way on the sun-baked stretch of shattered asphalt heading in the same direction. Mason at the head as he took the time to explain to the Vault hunters about what had transpired between him and the bandit clans that once surrounded Fyrestone as they headed toward the headstone mining site.

It had been his first real test when he was sent to Pandora from his Earth, and it was one that he overcame with everything he had. Despite the wounds he sustained, the blood he lost and the number of people he killed.

He had never taken a life before his time on this place. Never had a reason or an instinct to. But on Pandora, the slightest hesitation was a death sentence. It was a small flaw that he had to overcome real quick or his time would have been cut very short.

His first kill had been a random bandit trying to rape one of the women in Fyrestone. The next was the man's partner who was shooting at him a moment later. After he had taken out seven it didn't really affect him anymore, and each one made him stronger mentally and emotionally as he kept going.

Overtime, he'd also gotten stronger physically as well. Staying in the best shape he could and honing his parkour abilities thanks to the buildings around Fyrestone. All the while doing odd jobs for the citizens to earn the respect and reputation they all give him now.

Then one day, he struck back hard against the bandits attacking the town. He killed Nine-Toes first, which had sent a hell of a message to Sledge who ordered his men to track him down and kill him.

But by then, Mason had developed the mentality he needed to survive on the hostile world. Which led him directly to Sledge's doorstep;

_**X **_

_**FLASHBACK**_

_ Mason stood hunched over, blood dripping from his head and left arm that hung limply at his side. An old SMG clenched in his hand as he glared at the one across from him._

_ The bandit leader, Sledge, towered over him. His massive form littered with bullet wounds, his makeshift armor covered in dents and breaks, some parts falling off with blood coating certain areas. His custom shotgun clenched in his right hand with a massive warhammer in the other as he growled deep in his chest at the one that had invaded his domain and decimated his people._

_ "Sledge gonna make you suffer! Sledge kill little FUCKER!" he roared as he charged like a raging bull. Firing his shotgun as he raised his hammer to strike._

_ The blast had taken down his shields, the energy barrier shattering when the rounds made contact. Mason threw himself aside when the hammer came down, the metal floor of the mill warping inward from the impact as he emptied the SMG's clip into the exposed part of the bandit leader where his armor had fallen off._

_ Blood splashed across the floor as each bullet made contact with flesh. Sledge grunted as he staggered to the side, his shield having dropped a while ago making him more vulnerable. "Sledge, hurt. Sledge, leak." Dropping his shotgun as he gripped the wound as he turned to attack the young man who had finished reloading._

_ A second barrage came from the little machine gun, peppering him in the head and denting his helmet and staggering him again. _

_ Mason dropped the SMG and pulled out the Torgue revolver he had holstered behind him. Raising it with his good arm and firing one of the explosive rounds in the chamber, hitting Sledge in the chest and knocking him back allowing him to stand again. Another round followed, hitting the bigger man in the knee and blowing out his kneecap completely._

_ When the bandit leader dropped with a bellow of agony, Mason fired more rounds from the revolver as he moved closer until he was standing right in front of him. One round in the chamber as he pointed it at the visor of Sledge's helmet, and pulling the trigger without another thought._

_ One of the strongest men in the Arid Badlands died in that instant. His head exploding in a cloud of gore, the rest of his body hitting the ground like the dead weight that it was with blood spraying out of the jagged neck while the limbs twitched slightly._

_ Lowering the still smoking barrel, Mason collapsed to the floor. All the adrenaline that had been running through his system and keeping him going draining out of him as he propped himself against a rusted wall for support. _

_ It had taken him weeks. Seeking out and eliminating every bandit camp in the hills and wastes surrounding Fyrestone before he managed to track down the one calling all the shots. Nine-Toes had been small in comparison, and now that he and Sledge both were gone along with the majority of their respected bands of assholes the people living out here didn't have to be afraid anymore._

_ Taking a deep breath, Mason reached into the stachel on his belt. A grenade and a couple clips of ammunition falling out as he removed a syringe with a glowing orange fluid inside it. Pulling the cap off with his teeth, he plunged the needle into his shoulder and injected the anshen into his bloodstream._

_ A numb feeling flooded through his body, the blood dripping from his wounds lessened while the injuries themselves sealed up a bit from the healing agent. He sat back and relaxed, coming down from all of the combat he'd been in after all this time now that it was all over._

_ Minutes ticked by before he stood up again. He wasn't back to full just yet, a few more shots of anshen and a good night's sleep would be perfect when he got back to town. But for now...the victor go the spoils. _

_ Picking up the dropped shotgun belonging to the bandit leader, he headed over to the makeshift throne he'd been sitting on when Mason made his appearance. Going through the lockboxes, chests and lockers along the walls and shelves and taking everything of value before going over to the large chest that was behind the throne itself._

_ The locks spinning and disengaging when he pushed the right button, the lid opening to reveal its contents. His eyes looking over the piles of cash that laid out before him before locking on to the strange stone with the glowing runes on it._

_ "Hello, what's this?" he said picking it up._

_**FLASHBACK END**_

_**X**_

Mason sat behind the wheel of his runner, driving down the long winding roads toward the old mill where Raxor had assumed control. Behind him, the four Vault Hunters followed in their own runners, two per vehicle as he finished his explination via echo.

'You took out an entire bandit clan on your own?' asked Roland over the transmission.

"Had no other options. Sledge needed to be taken out or the people of Fyrestone would have suffered more. It was worth the risk." he said back as he took a turn that would lead them directly to the mill.

'That's ballsy.' said Brick.

'I'd call it crazy.' added Lilith. 'But at least it worked, for the time being anyway.'

The Courier steeled his gaze, "Won't be making that mistake again. This time, I'm going to be sure that there aren't any left to form another clan." he pulled his runner over beside an old shack that housed a couple vending machines for medical supplies and ammo. A still active Catch-A-Ride station was beside the old mining tunnel, the auto recording echoing along the stone walls around it as he got out and looked around.

The others pulled up moments later and parked beside him as they all got out. "That tunnel should take us to the headstone mine, and the old steel mill where Raxor should be holed up. It's the only way in or out of the area." he explained.

Roland and the others nodded as they took out their weapons. They'd gotten a few upgrades back at Fyrestone before coming out here. New shields, guns, ammo and medical supplies. The soldier had gotten himself a new assault rifle and a shotgun for the missions ahead.

Brick was given a shotgun with explosive rounds and an old rocket launcher. Mordecai had kept his sniper rifle, but got a better revolver that fired corrosive rounds. And lastly, Lilith had gotten herself a new Maliwan SMG with flame rounds and a machine pistol.

Most of it paid for by the salvage picked up from the bandits Mason had taken out outside T.K.'s house, he paid the difference as a sign of goodwill for his future partners in the search of the Vault.

"How do we play this?" asked Roland as they approached the tunnel. The Courier leading them in, assault rifle in hand as they navigated the abandoned mine toward the mill.

"There's a lot of walkways and old buildings surrounding the old mill. Good spots for ambushes and snipers." Mason started explaining. "I'm not sure how many there could be, but if they're anything like the ones that attacked me at T.K.'s place then I doubt they'll have any good coordination among them. Most bandits out here usually rely on brute strength and shoot with the 'spray and pray' method."

The group moved together toward the light at the end of the low lit tunnel, weapons ready as they stepped out into the open space of the site.

The old, rusted buildings that covered the area was still there from Mason's last visit. Bullet holes and scorch marks from explosives still visible even after the last couple years, along with the bloodstains from the men he had killed.

"The mill's just up ahead, through the yards." said the Courier pointing to the path leading through the structures. "If there are any bandits out here, they'll be spread out around the main building."

Mordecai looked to Bloodwing, "Go on ahead and check it out for us, girl." the bird of prey screeched before extending her wings and taking flight. Roland nodded to the hunter as they began moving in a loose formation. He and Mason leading, Lilith and Mordecai in the middle with Brick bringing up the rear.

Everything was quiet, save for the light clang of metal on metal from the nearby shacks as they came up to the open gate that led farther into the yards. Moving into cover, they checked the surrounding area and found a couple of bandits wandering around, weapons in hand as they stood guard.

_"Not nearly as many as last time."_ Mason thought to himself as he aimed his assault rifle at the closest target. The others around him doing the same before they opened fire.

The bandits fell dead riddled with bullet holes before they even realised what had happened. A handful of others came running out of the surrounding shacks and readied weapons, but the hunters were faster.

Mordecai raised his sniper rifle and fired, the round blowing out the back of a bandit's head and throwing his corpse back before sighting the next and pulling the trigger.

Three psychos came running down the hill ahead of them, Brick met them as he charged like a rhino straight into the them. His massive fists shattering bone and tearing through skin as he pummeled the deranged raiders like they were flies.

When the last of them fell, the group began working their way up through the mining site. "So, this guy Sledge just had a piece of the Vault key just hanging around?" asked Lilith after she finished reloading as they moved through the various buildings, keeping an eye out for more hostiles.

"Either he knew of its value given that it's Eridian in nature, or he thought it _could_ be worth something and would sell it." said the Courier switching to his sniper rifle. "Or he could have thought it was something like a trophy and just hung on to it. Either way, it's in my possession now."

"Anything you can tell us about it?" asked Roland sweeping his AR checking for movement.

Mason shrugged, "Nothing you don't already know. But I've heard talk about someone out here on Pandora who might-" he stopped talking when he saw Bloodwing swoop down and settle back on Mordecai's shoulder.

The bird chirped and tapped her talons a number of times on the hunter's shoulder as he nodded, being the only one who could understand her. "Bloodwing says that they got about a dozen more up ahead."

"What's the layout?" asked Roland.

The Courier pulled out his echo and projected a 3D map of the area. "This is the yard." he said pointing to the next open area not too far away from where the five marks that noted their location where stationed. "There's a walkway that goes all the way around the outside, and there's a lot of machinery and crates scattered around to use for cover."

"There's a path, here. That should take us to the mills main entrance. That's how we'll get in. The number of jerkoffs around here isn't nearly as bad as it was the last time I was here, so we should be able to get there no problem."

Nodding once Mason was finished, the soldier turned to the gathered group. "Alright, Mordecai, you and Bloodwing take that upper landing, give us sniper support. The rest of us will work our way to the mill's entrance from the ground. For this we'll need to split up, Brick and I will head left. Lilith, you and Mason go right. We'll divide their attention that way making them easier to pick off."

Everyone agreed with the plan and got ready, Mordecai moving to the upper landing and readying his sniper rifle as they prepared. Lilith looked over at Mason as he drew his assault rifle. A part of her felt uneasy around him, given her past it wasn't a surprise that she wouldn't be overly trusting.

But another part, one that was both new and foreign to her, didn't want to leave his side. It was strange, even for her being a Siren and all.

Pushing the thoughts to the side, she got ready as Mordecai gave them the signal that he was ready. Everyone else flashing a thumbs up before they stormed the yard guns blazing.

The bandits that were stationed there were taken completely by surprise. Several being cut down before they realized what was happening and began mounting a defense. Another dozen pouring out of the mill and charging the killing field as the two sides exchanged fire back and forth.

Roland threw his hand out, a scorpion turret with an energy barrier around it digi-structed before him and began spraying .50 cal rounds into the attacking thugs while he dropped down behind the barrier to reload. Brick fired his shotgun one handed, using the other to grab a psycho by the head and crush it before hurling the corpse back at his comrades.

On the other side of the yard, Mason slid into cover behind a metal crate as rounds bounced off the other side. Springing up, he fired a few controlled bursts before jumping up and getting atop the crate.

Three bandits ran to his cover, not aware of his change in position before he jumped down. Both heels of his boots connecting with the skull of the thug in the middle with a loud crunch and stunning the other two long enough for him to snap his leg out and trip one of them.

Spinning while he was in the process of standing, the Courier pulled a knife had hidden in his sleeve and stabbed the still standing thug in the throat while aiming his AR at the prone figure on the ground and shooting him before he got up.

Mason felt bullets impact his shields and spun around to see a Bruiser coming down the stairs of the mill shooting at him. Using the corpse on the end of his blade as a shield, he backtracked while spraying rounds in the larger man's direction until he was safely behind cover.

The Bruiser paused to reload, a flash of purple made him look to the side just before a blast of energy sent him flying. Lilith stood in the epicenter of the blast as the energy faded away, her glowing eyes fading back to normal as she raised her SMG and emptied the clip into the bandit. The flaming rounds setting him ablaze forcing him to scream as his flesh burned to a crisp.

Hearing more gunfire, the Siren channeled her powers once more. Her tattoos and eyes glowing before she vanished in a flash of purple light. At the same time, two grenades landing in the spot she had been in and detonating without hitting its target.

Stunned, the two bandits that threw the explosives looked around for the red-headed woman only for her to appear in a blast of power that sent them hurdling from their spot and hitting the ground. Allowing Mordecai to sight them with his rifle and put them down before they could move.

Blowing a piece of hair out of her face, Lilith turned around just in time to see a psycho right in her face. Buzzaxe raised to hack her up, and at this range her shields wouldn't protect her. And after phasewalking twice, she needed time to recharge.

A burst from a rifle echoed and the deranged thug's head exploded in a fountain of blood and bone. Spraying the Siren's front with gore as the headless form collapsed to the ground.

Blinking, Lilith looked over her shoulder and found Mason lowering his rifle. A smirk on his face. "You missed one." he said casually.

The red-head sent a smirk back...whipping out her pistol and firing at him.

The bullet whizzing past his ear and punching through a bandits right eye as he attempted to sneak up on the Courier with knife in hand. Mason didn't even have to turn around when he heard the body hit the dirt, instead focusing on the hot woman as she blew the smoke from the barrel of her sidearm before looking his way.

"So did you." she said sending a wink at him before strutting toward the mill. Casually wiping the blood from her top as she went.

_"...damn."_ Mason thought as he watched the Siren's hips move side to side as she walked. Shaking his head, he moved up toward the main building as the others all regrouped.

He looked up at the mill in his trek as he began remembering his time here again. Defeating Sledge and freeing the badlands was hell, but it didn't compare to what came shortly after his victory out here;

_**X**_

_**FLASHBACK**_

_ After collecting the last of the loot around Sledge's 'throne room'. Mason began to make his way toward the exit when his echo suddenly went off._

_ 'This is Commander Steele of the Atlas Corporation Crimson Lance, D Company, 3rd Starborne Brigade.' said a woman's Russian accented voice over the transmission. 'I've just been informed that you have been killing the locals here on Pandora for the last few weeks and causing a lot of disturbance.'_

_ 'This planet is under the authority of the Atlas Corporation, and any Eridian artifacts found here are Atlas property; possession of such property carries a stiff penalty. I invite you to turn yourself in at once to the nearest Lance outpost and surrender any information or artifacts in your possession. Consider this you one and only warning.'_

_ When the transmission ended, Mason was looking around. If this Commander Steele knew he was out here taking out bandits, and was now in possession of something that their corporation wanted, then they must be watching him somehow._

_ Looking down at the glowing stone that he found among Sledge's belongings, he slipped it into his stachel before continuing on his way out of the mill and the headstone mines. If the Atlas corporation was after this thing, then he had to find a way to keep it safe and out of their hands._

_ And if they were intending on coming after him if he didn't comply with their demands. Then he better up his training to a whole new level if he intended to survive what they would eventually throw at him._

_**FLASHBACK END**_

_**X**_

Mason snapped back to the present as he ended the life of the bandit that was in his sights.

The Lance and Atlas had been hunting him ever since that incident. Hellbent on claiming the Eridian artifact he was keeping from them. Thankfully they didn't know where he had set up shop and took advantage of it as much as possible while throwing the corporation and their attack dogs off his trail.

"Well, that was fun." said Brick picking off a piece of skin from his makeshift gauntlets when they finished off the last of the bandits. The path leading to the mill's entrance had a good number of them guarding the way, but for the five of them it all too easy as they moped up the meager resistance and was now looking at the large building before them.

Mason put away his assault rifle and drew his pistols as he led the hunters into the mill. Down the same halls he had gone down years prior and approaching the end where a door on the left and a door on the right sat waiting.

"Alright," he said clicking the safeties off on both guns, "Let's finish this." he slammed his fist on the door panel causing the one on the left to slide open. Roland doing the same to the one on the right as they entered the room with weapons ready.

Everything was exactly the same as it had been the last time the Courier had been there. Save for the lone man sitting on Sledge's old throne wearing makeshift armor with spikes sticking out of it at very points with large sawblades sticking out of the shoulders.

The mask he wore was similar to that of a psycho, but the eyes glowed bright red instead of blue and was cracked down the middle.

"Heh, was hopin' for you jack-offs to get here." said the man leaping from his seat, brandishing a large sword with a long whirling sawblade that sent out sparks as it revved loudly.

**RAXOR**

**Slice and dice, BITCH!**

The Vault Hunters brought their weapons up, but Mason stepped ahead of them. "This asshole's mine." he said as he stepped forward. The others looked to Roland who just nodded.

"We'll keep any stragglers off your back." he said making the Courier nod in return as Raxor spun his buzzsword in preparation for a coming fight.

Lilith turned to the soldier, "You sure this is a good idea?"

"Man's gotta prove himself." added Brick, "Besides, seeing him in action up till now. I kinda wanna see what he's got." Mordecai nodded in agreement. The Siren shook her head before turning to watch the two combatants stand before one another.

"Been waitin' a long time for this. I knew killing that dumb blind bastard would get you to come here. Gonna feel so good to turn the infamous 'Courier' into a pile of rotten meat!" the bandit leader charged with his weapon revving loudly before swinging it in a wide arc.

Mason jumped back, the spinning blades of the weapon missing him by inches as he let loose a barrage of electric rounds from his pistols. The rounds struck the man's shields and drained them like crazy, though most of them were deflected when he spun his buzzsword before him and deflected them.

Raxor bellowed a warcry and charged with his weapon ready to take him down. The Courier ducked and weaved around the strikes, the weapon carving into the metal wall that was behind him sending out sparks and shards of metal.

Launching both feet out, he kicked the bandit leader away, rolling backwards back on to his feet he emptied both clips into the man's shields taking them out completely and leaving him vulnerable.

"Catch this asshole!" Raxor shouted pulling a grenade from behind his back and tossing it at Mason. The device hit the ground and popped into the air before a bunch of smaller explosives shot out of it.

"Fuck!" the Courier cursed as he threw himself to the side. The half-dozen smaller grenades all exploded when they hit the ground. Shaking the whole mill from the multiple blasts, burning and damaging every surface they came in contact with.

The smoke slowly started to clear, Raxor stood chuckling expecting to see the one who killed his old boss as nothing more than a bloody smear across the ground. The Vault Hunters looked on, expecting to see the same until everything became visible again.

Raxor's good mood fell when he found Mason standing tall. Smoke trailing from his trench coat, shield generator humming as it recharged as he glared at the bandit leader from behind his sunglasses. Reaching up, he removed the badly damaged skull cap from his head and threw it aside. "That was my last hat, motherfucker!"

He grabbed the shoulder of his coat and threw it off, exposing his armored upper half and the leather strapped rig that he kept hidden beneath it. Reaching behind his back, he pulled out a pair of large kukri knives, their sharp blades glinting in the low light of the room with 'Tedorei' imprinted on the metal.

Spinning the knives on his hands, Mason held them both in reverse grip as he stood ready. "Let's dance."

The bandit leader raised his buzzsword and charged again, but this time he was met with sparks when the whirling blade connected with the knives that had their blades crossed. Pushing the attacking weapon back, the Courier slashed his kukris in wide, spinning arcs. Hitting the weak points on Raxor's armor and managing to slice through and hit flesh.

Stumbling back, the masked man held on to his bleeding arm as he shouted to the room. "Soften them up!" Out of the nearby vents, a handful of psychos leapt out and went on the attack. However, they were met with a salvo of bullets from the Vault Hunters who stuck to their word about keeping the stragglers out of the fight.

Mason flipped one of his knives so that he was holding the blade, then throwing it at a psycho that crawled our of the vent to his left. The weapon piercing through his throat making him choke on his own blood before he collapsed dead to the floor.

The kukri burst into a cluster of pixels before digi-structing back to the Courier's hand in time for Raxor to come at him for another strike. The whirling blades of the buzzsword coming close to his neck as he avoided taking the blow.

"Would you just fuckin' die already!" the bandit leader roared as he kept swinging, only for his opponent to dodge or deflect the attacks.

When the next strike missed, Mason ran toward the nearest wall with Raxor right on his ass the whole way. The Courier leaping up and running along the metal surface as the buzzsword cleaved into the surface where he had been standing as he went up several feet before kicking off.

Spinning in mid-air, he threw both knives down at his target. One piercing the man's shoulder, the other digging through the eye-piece making him scream in agony as the blade destroyed the eyeball underneath.

Mason landed back on his feet behind the bandit leader as he tried to pull the kukri out of his face. Digi-structing both weapons back to his hands as he ran up and drove them both into the weak part of his armor on his lower back. Yanking them free, he spun around to Raxor's front and driving one of them deep into his stomach, blood gushing out of the wounds as he dropped the buzzsword.

"Compared to Sledge, your a joke." the Courier said to the man's bloodied and damaged mask. The knife driving a bit deeper making more crimson ooze out from the mouth piece. "This is for T.K." he growled before ramming the other knife up through Raxor's lower jaw, his body went rigid as his brain was punctured.

Pulling the blood drenched blades free, the bandit leader fell backwards and didn't get back up. Mason took the time to glare down at the corpse before wiping his kukri's off on the man's armor and sheathing them on his lower back. Going over to collect his discarded coat and weapons.

"Damn." said Mordecai with a light whistle as the Courier came over to join them. "That was brutal."

"That was nothing compared to what they did to the old man." Mason replied. "Let's gather up their shit and head back to Fyrestone, we're all done here."

Roland patted his shoulder, "That was some serious shit back there. You still interested in helping find the Vault? Could definitely use someone of your skillset looking for it."

The Courier grinned at him, "Roland, I was already on board before we even got here. Besides, it's been a while since I was on a worthwhile, kickass adventure. If you guys don't mind having me around, then I'll watch your back the whole way."

Grinning, the soldier held out his hand, the two shook before they went about collecting the loot around the room. When everything of value was lifted, the group of hunters made their way back to the tunnel and back to their runners.

The once group of four, now five, Vault Hunters would soon set out in search of the greatest secret in all of Pandora. One that will test their skills, their strengths, and push them to the brink.

And they were more than ready for it.

**A/N: And with that done and over with, Mason has officially joined with the other Vault Hunters. And encase no one fully understood his action skill, I'll offer an overview like in the game;**

**Action Skill: Parkour Mastery - **

**Mason will forgo his guns and use a pair of kukri knives for close-range attacks while using his free-running skills to avoid enemy attacks for a short period of time. He is also able to throw his knives and summon them back to his hands via digi-structing.**

**When I came up with this ability, I was doing the best I could to consider his latent abilities and his other skills to make it. Kind of like how the other characters have action skills based on who they are and what their skillsets are. **

**With the badlands now cleared once again, the next chapter will go right into the hunt for the Vault. And if you're a fan of the series like me, it'll be one hell of a ride. Not to mention there will be some changes along the way thanks to Mason's interference, so things will be even more interesting.**

**Till next time, review and give me your support guys!**


	5. First Steps

**A/N: Another day, another installment ready and waiting. After starting on Borderlands: The Presequal I've begun gathering more details in the story that I can add to this fic later down the line. But for now I still have to get the ball rolling for the Vault Hunters in the first part of the series.**

**There won't be any fighting and mostly dialogue, but I really wanted to get some good teamwork started among the group before they set out after the Vault. So enjoy the peace before the chaos begins!**

**I don't own Borderlands**

With Raxor's corpse cooling back at the headstone mine, the five Vault Hunters returned back to Fyrestone while the sun was still high. Parking their runners at the Catch-A-Ride outside, they headed toward the town store and sold off the stuff they managed to loot from the bandits. Walking away with a nice chunk of cash they split evenly amongst themselves.

After grabbing a few beers from the shop, Mason led them to his place and welcomed them in so that they could kick back and think about their next course of action.

The four original hunters sat around the living room talking as the Courier came into the room, they all went silent as he placed the Vault key piece on the coffee table in the middle.

"So, this is the piece of the key?" asked Mordecai as he ran his fingers over the surface, Bloodwing looked down from her perch on one of the beams in the ceiling and trilled in addition.

Mason nodded, "Yeah, it's hard to tell how many more there are. But this is definitely part of what's needed to open the Vault."

Roland set his beer aside and picked up the artifact, looking over the runes that glowed as he examined every spare inch. "You said something back at the mine about someone here on Pandora that might know more about this?" he asked.

"Yeah. An Eridian archeologist by the name of Patricia Tannis." explained the Courier. "From what I could gather, she came here with the Dahl corporation years ago and was looking into various dig sites that had been uncovered. Though when things started to go south in their expeditions the corporation pulled out, but Tannis stayed behind. Even after her team was killed off one after the other and she started to lose her mind."

"How do you know all of this?" asked Lilith as she looked over the artifact as well.

"There was a post on the Fyrestone Bounty Board over a year ago. Tannis was asking someone to find a bunch of echo files she left lying around and send it to her. I learned a bit about her and how unstable she is mentally." said Mason. "Though despite this, she's one of the smartest people on the planet and about the only one that would have more information about the Eridians and the Vault."

Roland removed his hat and ran a hand over his buzzed head, "How can we know for sure that she knows anything about the Vault?"

The Courier took out his echo and went through the various files he'd saved over the years. Finding the one he was looking for, he started playing it;

_'Patricia Tannis, Day 401. After being on this backwater savage planet over a year with only my trusty echo to keep me company I have made more discoveries than I ever had before! The death of my colleagues, depressing and slightly refreshing as it may be, has effected me deeply. But it all has paid off._

_ I have found evidence that the legendary Vault is real! In one of my many digs I discovered an artifact that glows with strange runes I have never seen before! It could be possible that it has a connection to the Vault itself, more tests will have to be taken to be sure if I am correct. And if I am, like I know I am, then this will be the greatest discoveries of the century!'_

"Sounds like she's off her rocker." said Brick chugging the rest of his beer. Raxor's buzzsword, which had been renamed 'Ripper', laying across his lap as he ran an old rag over it to clean it.

"That may be, but if she knows about the Vault, and if the artifact she found is another piece of the key, then finding her would be our best first step." said Mason.

"Any idea where she could be?" asked Roland.

The Courier shook his head, "No. She was using an encrypted channel when I did that small job for her. For someone that's been isolated by herself for so long she knows how to keep herself out of sight. Even Atlas hasn't been able to find her."

"So how are we supposed to find her?" asked Mordecai.

Taking a deep breath, Mason leaned against the wall beside the hallway. "I know someone who can help us. Though she's a bit of a...double-edged sword, I guess is the best term I can use."

"Can she be trusted?" asked Lilith.

"Depends on who you are and how you look at the situation." came the reply. "But she can be trusted as long as you're on her good side. She'll help us find Tannis, but she doesn't give anything away for free."

"If it's what it takes to get closer to our goal, then let's do it." said Roland.

Mason nodded, "I'll give her a call later. On wheels it should take us little over a week to reach where her place is set up. We gather up supplies and ammunition, we can set out first thing tomorrow morning."

Roland agreed, as did the others, "We're going to need a bigger ride. Three runners will stretch out a bit while we're traveling."

"I got a solution to that too." said the Courier as he motioned to the door beside the small kitchen that led to the garage. The Vault Hunters all followed after him as he went inside and switched the lights on to reveal a truck-sized vehicle with massive wheels, heavy armored plating with a rusty paint job and a mounted .50 cal turret.

"Picked this up on one of my jobs. It was an old technical used by a bandit clan out in the Dust that I managed to salvage. Been working on it off an on for a few months, a few more adjustments and she'll be good to go." he explained. "It's got enough room for all of us, supplies, and then some."

Brick and Mordecai checked out the truck first and were impressed with the set up. "You're just ready for everything, huh?" asked Lilith as she checked the technical out as well.

Mason shrugged, "When you need it, and don't have it, you sing a different tune. I've been on dozens of assignments, each one I came back with either salvage, loot, or a good chunk of cash. And here on Pandora, if you're not prepared, you're dead."

"Smart words to live by." said Roland as he observed the .50 cal gun on the truck. "I gotta ask, you a Pandora native?"

The Courier shook his head, "No, I'm from Earth originally." The four other Vault Hunters looked at him like he'd grown a second head. "...what?"

"You're from Earth?" asked Lilith getting a nod in response. "Why the hell would you come out to a place that's like the rotten asshole of the galaxy?"

Going over to the side of the garage, Mason began gathering a few tools that he needed to finish setting up the truck. "That's a long story in an of itself." he said removing his trench coat and tossing it on top of the door leading into the large room. "I was an orphan, never knew my folks and was bounced from foster home to foster home till I was thrown out into the world at 18. Did a bunch of odd jobs, but it wasn't much of a living. I always wanted something more out of life."

"When I heard the rumors about Pandora, it seemed like a chance of a lifetime. And since I didn't have any family or close friends back home, I thought that it could be my chance to make something of myself. So I gathered up what little belongings I had and came out to the Borderland planets. I've been here for three years now, and as you can see my efforts speak for themselves."

He'd spent a lot of time coming up with this story. It all wasn't far from the truth, but the part about him dying and an omnipotent being giving him a second chance along with a mission to locate an ancient alien secret would have made him look crazier than most of the folks out here...Maybe.

"How does searching for the Vault come into all of this?" asked Roland now interested.

Opening the hood of the technical, the Courier started working on the engine as he continued with the story he had thought up. "Like anyone else out here, I heard the rumors and legend surrounding it. And as the old saying goes, 'every myth has a bit of truth in it', or some shit like that. Though it wasn't until I took out Sledge and found that Vault key piece when I fully realized that it just might be real after all. So I started my own search for it."

He looked up after tightening a few bolts, "Then you guys show up out of the blue asking about it, along with that Guardian Angel of yours. Call it fate, coincidence, or hell just some big ass stroke of luck, but I figured the five of us stand a better chance than anyone else who has ever tried."

Lilith leaned against the side of the truck and asked something that had been bugging her since they had met. "How were you so calm around us at first? We could have been there to kill you or capture you."

Mason paused, setting the wrench he was holding aside before removing his sunglasses and looking her straight in the eye. The Siren felt the jolt from before shoot through her being when she looked into the dark, almost emerald green orbs that locked with her ember ones.

"Because, after three years on this mudball of death and violence I've become a good judge of character." he replied, trying to ignore a similar jolt he'd felt when he looked in her eyes. Smiling, he ran his hand through his short mowhawk, "You're all a good bunch. Even tiny over there who I watched pummel a guy into a meat smoothie not even two hours ago." he said pointing at Brick.

The Berserker chuckled while cracking his knuckles. "So, how long before we get to hit some shit?"

"I just have to replace two more parts, a buddy of mine on the other side of town can help me with that." replied the Courier. "Like I said, she'll be ready to go first thing in the morning. You guys can crash here tonight, I got enough space."

"Then we'll take the time getting the stuff we'll need while you finish up." said Roland turning to the others. "We'll need food, water, med-supplies and ammo. I got the bullets. Mordecai, take Brick and handle the rations. Make sure there's enough for the five of us."

The other two guys nodded before heading out. "Lilith, think you can get the enough anshen for the trip?" asked the soldier.

Lilith gave him a mock salute, "You got it boss." Roland rolled his eyes before looking toward Mason.

"Thanks, Mason."

The younger man waved him off. "We're a team now, Roland. You don't have to thank me and you never will. Just watch my back, and I'll watch yours. Deal?"

"Deal." replied the soldier before he left to gather what they needed. Leaving just the Courier and the Siren. The two of them sitting in silence as the former continued work on the car.

Lilith looked around the garage a moment before making her way out as well. "Need anything while we're out?" she asked over her shoulder.

"I'm good." he replied while removing a damaged part. The Siren shrugged and went to leave when he called out again, "Hay, Lilith." she turned to face him again while he grabbed a couple other tools from the box. "If you want, you can crash in my bed tonight. I'll probably be working on this beast all night anyway so I'll crash out here."

For a moment, she was stunned at the invitation. She was expecting to stake a claim on the couch for the night since he offered them a place to stay. And she could tell that he wasn't attempting anything on her, like so many guys had tried and painfully failed before, the sincerity in his words making a bit of color rise in her cheeks.

"T-Thanks." Lilith said, turning away while she got her blood rushing under control. Mentally berating herself for feeling so weird. She looked back at him after a moment, "What's with all the hospitality?" she couldn't help but ask.

Mason set the tools aside and removed the other damaged part that needed to be replaced. "Figured you'd want some privacy while you slept. Can't be easy being the only woman in a group of guys, so I thought you could have at least one night of peace from the snoring."

The Siren smiled as she leaned against the door frame. "You know, I can't remember the last time I talked to someone that wasn't either afraid of me or trying to use me in some way."

The Courier looked up at where she had been standing, "You mean because you're a Siren?" she nodded. "I've honestly never had the pleasure of meeting one, until now that is. Personally, I don't know why people treat you and the others like you so differently."

"Because we're considered the 'witches' of the galaxy." replied Lilith. "Our powers scare a lot of people, others want to use us to make them stronger in some way. It's one of the reasons why I came here to Pandora to find the Vault in the first place. If there's supposed to be unlimited knowledge in it, then maybe I can learn more about what I am and why I'm here."

"What if the answers aren't what you're looking for?" Mason asked. "We humans have been looking for answers like that since we first started questioning our existence. And to this day we still don't have those answers, even after we've reached the stars. But that doesn't change who we are as a species or individuals."

The Siren looked surprised, "I've...never heard someone talk like that before." she admitted.

Mason smirked, "I've got a way with words. Kinda have to given my line of work. But if you want my honest opinion about the Sirens. The way I see it, your just kickass women with awesome powers. Seeing you in action today is proof of that."

Lilith's face started to burn again, bar Roland, Mordecai and Brick, she'd never met anyone who spoke with that much honesty. For as long as she could remember no one ever showed her equality or respect on such a level. It actually left her more than a bit flustered.

"Thanks, um, I better go and uh, get that medical stuff for the trip...yeah." she did an about face a left. Doing everything in her power to get herself back under control as she stepped out into the town.

Back in the garage, the Courier blew out a slow steady breath while trying to calm his heart rate. He'd been around a lot of women while on Pandora, but none of them had the same effect on him like Lilith did. And the messed up thing was that he'd only known her for a day.

Weirder things have happened to him before, but this seemed beyond the norm.

Sighing, he wiped his hands off on an old rag before taking out his echo. Finding the number he had saved in the contacts list and pressing it while steeling himself for the call he thought he wouldn't have to make for a long time.

'Hello?' came the low, seductive voice of a woman on the other end.

"Hay, it's Mason." said the Courier.

'Mason? Well isn't this a nice surprise. Haven't heard from you in a good long while, sugar. Did you miss me?'

Mason rolled his eyes, "I need a favor. Me and a few friends need to find someone." he replied calmly.

'Oh, all business then. Shame. You know my _services_ don't come cheap, yes?'

"I'm very aware, and we'll handle any job you can dish out. But this is important and you're the only one who's got enough dirt on half of Pandora to know how to locate the one we're after."

There was silence on the other end of the line while he waited for a response. 'Alright, I'll help. And I have the perfect job lined up for you and your _friends_. When can I be expecting you?'

"The guys I'm with don't have your place marked on their Fast-Travel profiles, so it should be a week, ten days tops if the bandits out in the wastes give us a problem." said Mason.

'Alright then.' the woman answered before her voice dipped lower. 'Better not keep a lady waiting too long, sugar. It's bad luck.'

He ended the call there and shook his head. "Maker help me when it comes to THAT woman." he muttered to himself before going back to the technical. It was going to be a long night.

_**X**_

_ Gasps and moans of pleasure echoed off the walls, the loud creaking of a bed's springs joining the tempo as the two figures moved together in a strong, steady rhythm._

_ Neither figure could be seen in the dark room, but the light of the moon coming through the window shined off their naked bodies as they continued focusing on each other. The woman straddling the man as she bounced her hips up and down. Sharp mewls coming from her open mouth as she threw her head back in lust._

_ A beautiful pressure building deep within both of them as they reached they're peak together. The woman's eyes glowed a bright, burning orange that matched the markings that covered the left side of her body. A pair of ethreal flaming wings extended from her back and stretched out wide as her climax started to fade as she rested her glowing left hand over the man's heart._

_ Everything was still, the glow steadily fading until the room was dark once more. The two laying together catching their breath, but staying as close as physically possible._

_ They looked at one another in the darkness. The woman's hand remaining on the man's chest as her ember eyes locked with his emerald-green ones as they leaned forward and shared an intimate kiss. _

_ When her hand moved, a faintly glowing hand print was left behind._

_**X**_

Lilith bolted upright taking in deep, heaving breaths as she tried to calm herself. That dream...it was beyond anything she'd ever had before. Sure she'd had sex dreams before, but none of them were nowhere near that intense.

Feeling uncomfortable, she threw the sheets off of her and turned so that she was sitting on the side of the bed with her feet on the floor. Her long pale legs covered in a thin sheen of sweat like the rest of her, the tank top and panties she wore clinging to her form. Her body still tingling from the visions she'd seen.

Wiping the sweat from her forehead and sweeping a few damp strands of red hair out of her face. The Siren blinked when she saw her tattoos glowing bright orange before slowly fading back to their original light-blue tone.

"What the hell's going on with me?" she wondered out loud while looking at her hand in disbelief and confusion.

_**X**_

In the garage, Mason was sitting up in the bed of the truck in a similar fashion. Trying to calm himself down as he tried to make sense of the dream he head that left him both confused and aroused.

"The fucking hell was all that about?" he wondered, scratching the back of his head. Dreams like that weren't uncommon, but that was too vivid for just a simple dream. That much was for certain.

Getting out of the back of the technical where he had crashed out, he made his way over to the fridge he had set up in the corner and took out a bottle of water. Downing half the bottle, he made his way back to the vehicle when something caught his attention.

Seeing his reflection in the dirty window, he narrowed his eyes when he saw something off. Looking down, he saw an odd glow coming from beneath his shirt. "What the fuck?" The Courier removed his shirt and felt his breath stolen from him.

Sitting in the center of his chest, above where his heart was, laid a bright-orange hand print. The ethreal light slowly faded leaving it a light-blue color that contrasted with his sun-tanned skin. A small array of odd tribal markings also appeared surrounding the hand print and branched out in six directions by only an inch, covering the very center of his chest.

It was almost like a tattoo, but something deep within his soul told him that it was something else. Something far more important.

He just wished he knew what it was.

**A/N: I figured this would go a long way for the sake of the story. I also thought Mason and Lilith deserved a small moment together...even though that one moment exploded into something else. **

**That being said, any thoughts on what's happening between them. Of course I know, but I just want to hear your thoughts on the subject. Reviews have been just barely trickling in, but given the level of popularity in this category I'm not surprised.**

**Still, I like to hear your thoughts, so drop them when you have the time and I'll get back to you ASAP. Till next time guys!**


	6. Road Rage

**A/N: What's up guys. Been a lot of things going on these days, so I'm still taking as much time as I need with this. **

**I've gotten a couple of PMs asking what Mason's hair style looks like, to answer that think John 'Soap' Mactavish's hair in Call of Duty. The man's a badass and I wanted my OC to have a bit of his style. On another note, I have yet to decide whether or not to use the New-U stations.**

**Unlike the Fast-Travel stations, the respawning points would mess with the story too much and throw too many things off. So the choice is still up in the air, but leaning toward a negative on that one.**

**This next installment's got a good amount of kickass fire fighting in it with an awesome song to go with it. So strap yourself in boys and girls! **

**I don't own Borderlands.**

Three days had passed since the Arid Badlands were cleared of bandits once more. And in that time the five Vault Hunters had been on the road heading in the direction of the DAHL Headland which would take them to the person that would help them find Patricia Tannis.

The old bandit technical worked like a charm after the adjustments Mason made to it. After sending the coordinates to his information source to the others, they set out the morning after everything was set. Swapping drivers every so often so that they were refreshed.

All the while they got to know on another as they headed deeper into the Pandorian wastelands. Sharing stories back and forth as they got a feel for one another and allowed Mason to understand his new team better. Though not everything was without a bit of tension.

Lilith had been abnormally silent for most of the trip, Mason right there with her as they still tried to come to grips with what they experienced the night before they had left. Though, neither of them knew that the other had the same exact dream or the outcome.

The Courier did his best to hide the strange markings that appeared on his chest when he had woken up. He didn't feel any different, though he did feel a slight pull whenever he got too close to Lilith. None of it could be explained, he'd never heard of this happening to anyone before and even less since a Siren was somehow involved.

And it wasn't like he could ask anybody about it, especially Lilith who seemed to be avoiding eye contact with him every chance she got. But they had managed despite the slight discomfort.

Currently, Roland was behind the wheel, Mordecai and Bloodwing riding shotgun with Mason in the turret leaving Brick and Lilith riding in the back with the supplies. Music was blasting over the radio as the soldier drove around the many rocks and sand dunes that made up the headlands.

They'd passed through the gate that was unlocked for them by one of the many Claptraps that stood vigil at the various checkpoints around Pandora hours ago, and were now heading deeper into the desert.

"So where are we headed now?" asked Mordecai looking over his shoulder at Mason.

"A place called Lucky's Last Chance Watering Hole." Mason exclaimed back. "We're making good time, but this beast takes up a lot of gas. We're not going anywhere else without a refill soon."

"How much farther do we have until we reach that informant of yours?" asked Roland from the driver's seat.

Mason shrugged, "Depends on how much trouble the local bandits give us. We should be there in less than a week, less then that if we drive straight through the next couple of nights."

Brick groaned from the back, "Man...I'm getting bored here!" Lilith just rolled her eyes and went back to the book she had borrowed back at Fyrestone. Subtly sending a glance at the back of the Courier's head at the same time. Like him, she too had been feeling the strange pull in her chest whenever she was close enough to him.

It confused her beyond belief. She'd first gotten the feeling after getting up the next day after the dream and got together with the others before they left. Seeing Mason coming in from the garage it was almost like a magnet had been switched on somewhere within her being, her tattoos had even flashed for a brief moment at the same time which she was thankful that no one noticed at the time.

The Siren had seen and experienced many strange things in her life in regards to her powers, but nothing like this had ever happened before. A sudden attraction to someone she just met was a whole new level of odd, even for her. She never wanted answers about her origins more than she did at that moment.

The technical rolled over a few more hills, the shocks bouncing hard but not bouncing the hunters too much as they stayed their course.

Another hour came and went with still no trouble, but the Courier kept his eyes on the surrounding dunes. He'd been through the headlands dozens of times, and he had been bull-rushed by at least two or three groups of bandits each time. This place was a regular hunting ground for the bastards, and this time wouldn't prove any different.

Turning the .50 cal in a full circle, his eyes caught a cloud of dust being kicked up almost 100 meters away from them. Looking a bit closer, he saw the telltale shape of a runner heading in their direction. "Got a target!" he called to the others making them all perk up.

"How far?!" asked Roland as he kept the truck steady.

"70 meters and closing from the North-West!" Mason turned and saw more clouds rising above other dunes and hills not far behind, "And they got friends!"

A total of five runners were barreling towards them over the sand, the group drawing steadily closer as Roland hit the gas a bit harder to put some distance between them. The Vault hunters took up their weapons and readied to fight, Mason swinging the turret around and getting them in his sights.

'Hello! How's it goin' out there dipshits?!' a voice suddenly burst out through their echos.

"Oh you've got to be fucking kidding me." the Courier muttered before picking up his echo. "Turn around and head back under the rock you crawled out from under, Rip-Jaw. There's nothing to hunt out here."

'I beg ta differ! There's plenty ta hunt out here!' exclaimed the bandit leader from behind the wheel of the lead runner. 'One rusty old technical with five of the most wanted pissants on Pandora! Atlas'll pay us shit-loads bringing your burnin' corpses in all at once!'

Lilith kept her SMG leveled on the railing of the truck as the runners began to surround them in a 'V' formation. "They got us boxed in!" she called to the front. Roland looked to both sides, eyes narrowing as a plan started to form in his head.

"So you're after our bounties, huh?" asked Mason seeing what the soldier had and knowing what he might have planned. "God must pity you for you're stupidity. Your merry band of second-rate thugs couldn't take me solo, what chance do you have against all five of us?"

Rip-Jaw chuckled, 'After my boys pump a few ounces of lead in your ass, maybe that'll put an end ta all that flappin' you like ta do so much.' The turrets on the runners on either side of the truck turned and locked on to them, the gunners pulling back the bolt handles and preparing to fire.

The Courier smirked as he set his echo down a new song clicking over the radio as he shouted out, "We'll see about that, ROLAND NOW!"

(A/N: Play 'Dragula' by Rob Zombie)

The soldier slammed on the breaks just as the turrets opened fire, the technical slowing instantly with the hail of gunfire criss-crossing in front of them.

Both runners were peppered with friendly fire, sparks and blood spraying through the air as both vehicles and their passengers were hit with the salvo. One of them bursting into flames and exploding when the fuel tank was hit multiple times.

Roland shifted the gears and punched the gas again, the technical surging forward as the four other bandit vehicles went after them, one lagging slightly behind with black smoke trailing from its frame.

Mason swung the turret around and opened fire, spraying .50 cal rounds in the direction of the pursuing runners and making them scatter. Mordecai stood up a bit, sniper rifle in hand as he looked down sight and firing at the closest runner. The round nailing the bandit at the gun straight through the head, blood and grey matter spraying through the air as the body was thrown from the turret.

Brick grabbed two grenades from their crate of supplies, priming them both before tossing them off the back of the truck. One of the explosives detonating uselessly against a rock, the second however managed to hit the right tire of one of the enemy vehicles. The explosion ripping the axel in half and sending the runner flipping end over end before crashing into the sand upside down.

"YEAH MOTHERFUCKERS!" the berserker shouted as he picked up his rocket launcher and started shooting with it.

Another runner came up along side the technical, a psycho that was riding on the side brandished his buzzaxe and jumped on to the side railing of the truck. Rising up, he found himself face to face with the barrel of an SMG just before his head exploded and burst into flames.

Lilith reaimed and emptied the rest of the clip at the driver forcing them to steer away to avoid the flaming rounds. Pulling out her own grenade, she tossed it after them. The device exploding in a burst of electricity that fired the engine and electrocuting the ones riding in the runner, causing them to lose control and slam into a rock formation.

At the front, Roland pulled out his sidearm and shot a midget psycho that had managed to land on the hood of the technical. The small body falling off and was run over by the large wheels below leaving a bloody smear in the dirt.

The truck lurched when the runner the little psycho had come from slammed into it. The driver pulling out his own sidearm and taking pot shots at the soldier who ducked down as the window beside him shattered. Spinning the wheel, he just barely managed to miss hitting a pillar of stone as the runner hit them again.

Above him, the roar of the turret of their technical bellowed out as the bandit vehicle shook from the rounds that struck it. Mason kept the heat on while Mordecai locked on to the driver's head and fired.

There was a burst of blood before the runner turned sharply to the right and went into a deadly barrel roll. Roland turned the technical out of the way as the doomed vehicle was ripped apart by the momentum and became a pile of salvage scattered across the ground.

"How many are left?!" called out the soldier as he kept the gas pedal punched.

"Just one more! And it should be-WHOA!" Mason shouted as something zoomed past his head. Spinning around he saw the last runner, which was painted with red splatters and had skulls mounted on the spikes along the sides. In the place of the usual turret was an automatic missile launcher.

Behind the wheel was a man dressed in bloody armor, his head covered in scars with a pair of cracked goggles covering his eyes. His lower jaw wasn't normal, instead it was metal plated with jagged teeth sticking up from it like half of a bear trap.

"I'M GONNA RIP YOU FUCKERS IN HALF!" he roared after them.

**RIP-JAW**

**He has the right-of-way...and one hell of an overbite!**

Rip-Jaw slammed his fist down on the console beside the steering wheel, sending two more rockets firing from the launcher straight at the Vault Hunters. Seeing the attack coming, Roland cranked the wheel left and right. The attacks hitting sand instead of their truck. "Ideas?!" he called back to the others.

Mason fired the turret at the bandit leader. "Keep shooting until he blows the fuck up!" he called back, the others getting the same thought and opened fire.

Rounds and explosives connected with the heavy plating on Rip-Jaw's runner, but unlike his men, his vehicle was built to withstand the punishment. Grinning with his half-metal mouth, the bandit cranked the throttle causing the runner's boosters to kick on and rocket him closer to his targets.

"The bastard's gaining!" shouted Brick as he reloaded his rocket launcher.

Roland swirved around a pile of rocks and kicked on the technical's thrusters, everyone grabbed on to something as they shot forward. Wind and sand whipping past them as they kept their distance while managing to dodge the missiles being fired at them.

Rip-Jaw pulled up along side them, the boosters of both vehicles dying off at the same time and were now going at their original speed. The bandit leader spun his wheel and slammed into the truck, the spikes on the sides scraping against the metal plating sending out sparks and barely missing the tires.

"Bloodwing, get him girl!" Mordecai shouted. His bird screeched before taking flight, doing a couple of circles before diving at the attacking runner. Slashing with her talons and stabbing with her sharp beak at Rip-Jaw's exposed flesh, tearing it open and spilling blood as he roared in pain and irritation at the attacking creature.

With the close distance, Mason took the opportunity to target the missile turret. The heavy rounds denting the metal as he attempted to either disable or destroy it. Lilith assisting with her SMG, trying to weaken the metal with the fire-infused rounds.

Managing to swat Bloodwing away, Rip-Jaw pulled away from the technical and flipped a switch on his console. A compartment on the side of the runner opened to reveal a spiked harpoon get into position and firing at them with a long chain attached.

The truck shook when the harpoon pierced the metal plating on the side, the chain locking as the two vehicles were now attached to one another. "Shit! Some one get that thing off us!" said Roland as he tried to maintain their course.

Brick reached over his shoulder and took out Ripper. Revving up the chainsaw blade of the sword-like weapon as he approached the side with the harpoon sticking out of it. Both hands on the hilt as he brought it down hard on the chain. The loud screech of metal on metal roared over the engines and gunfire as the links being cut into began to weaken.

The turret of Rip-Jaw's runner started turning again while it was still taking damage, centering on the berserker as a missile got ready to fire. Seeing this, Lilith set her SMG aside and pulled out another grenade. Her eyes and tattoos glowing before activating her phasewalk ability and vanishing in a burst of purple energy, reappearing on the enemy runner a moment later before jamming the explosive into a small space on the turret before phasewalking back to the technical.

A moment later, an explosion filled with both fire and acid spread out and ate quickly through the metal of the turret. The weapon falling to the side and off the runner just as it fired sending the missile harmlessly off into the distance.

Now enraged, Rip-Jaw torqued the wheel to the left hoping to yank the speared technical with him. Brick kept his feet firmly planted as he ground ripper even harder into the chain, the smell of burning metal filling the air just before the links shattered and the chain gave way allowing them to pull from the bandit leader's hold.

Mason continued to pepper the side of the runner with heavy slugs, smoke beginning to rise from various spots as the damage started to take it's toll. Though he could feel a shuddering run through their truck meaning that they had taken a fair amount as well.

They needed to wrap this up and fast.

Rip-Jaw activated his vehicle's boosters and shot ahead of them, turning around a ways up and began barreling back straight for them. Roland gripped the steering wheel as they found themselve's in a deadly game of chicken. The enemy runner's front-mounted chainguns roared to life and pelted the front of the technical.

The Vault hunters fired with all their weapons at once in the direction of the bandit leader. Several hitting their target and doing damage, but not enough to deter the deranged driver, and the space was closing very quickly.

_"Gotta take him out."_ thought the Courier as he reaimed the turret and let loose another stream of rounds. This time aiming for the front-right tire.

Seconds ticked by as the two vehicles closed in on each other. Rip-Jaw grinning as he was about to slam into the hunters, until he felt a rough shake through his runner. There was a loud creak of weakening metal before the tire Mason had been shooting at blew off the axel, the momentum the runner had been going at sending the vehicle into the air flipping forward.

The technical drove right under it, looking at Rip-Jaw's stunned face as he flew over them. Brick picked up his rocket launcher and aimed up, grinning as he pulled the trigger. The explosive projectile slamming into the runner and sending it spinning away from them and landing in a burning heap several meters away.

After a few moments, the team of five relaxed when they realized that there wasn't anymore coming after them. Bloodwing flew back down and perched herself on the back of Mordecai's seat as he finished reloading his sniper rifle. "So, how far is that 'Watering Hole' you mentioned again?" asked the hunter.

_**X**_

Thankfully, they were only a few miles from Lucky's Last Chance after their battle across the desert.

The place was run by an ex-bandit by the name of Lucky, who had gotten his name given the amount of times he nearly had been killed and managed to avoid it on multiple occasions. The Watering Hole was a combination gas station, bar and rest stop for folks traveling through the DAHL headlands. Though it was mostly frequented by bandits who put more than enough bullet holes in the metal shacks that made up the buildings.

Despite the rough company that went there, and the shadiness of the owner, it was the only place that the Vault Hunters could go since the truck needed to be checked over for damage, and needed to be refilled with gas since they were almost at empty after what transpired on the way there.

Mason gave the technical a good once over before filling up the tank. Thankfully the road battle didn't cause any damage to anything vital, and what damage there was could be fixed easily enough.

When everything was said and done, he made sure that their supplies were locked up tight so no one could steal them before heading over to the small bar where the others had gone to a little while ago.

It'd been a while since he'd been here. But from the looks of things nothing changed much since his last visit. Lucky had a nasty habit of pissing off various people and painting a bigger target on his back then there already was.

Even Scooter wanted the man dead for his own reason. And it took a lot to get on the mechanic's bad side.

Stepping out of the humid desert air into the stagnant atmosphere of the bar. The Courier made sure to look at the handful of other patrons at the counter and surrounding tables before making his way to the table in the back where the others were sitting around waiting for him.

"What's the damage?" asked Roland when he sat down.

"Mostly cosmetic, we're still good to go." replied Mason taking out a bottle of water and downing half the contents. "At least we took out Rip-Jaw. His gang's been harassing travelers coming through here for a while now."

"Another enemy of yours?" asked Mordecai, getting a nod from the Courier. "How did you manage to piss off so many bandit clans, anyway?"

Mason chuckled, "It wasn't easy, I _really_ had to work at it. Though to be honest, they weren't doing a good job at making friends anyway."

Brick downed the rest of what was in the mug in his hand before looking toward their newest member. "What kinda name is 'Courier' anyway? Been meanin' to ask that since we first met up."

"Honestly? It was just something the locals gave me that stuck since I mostly did high paid delivery jobs." came the reply.

"If that's the case, how did you end up doing mercenary work?" asked Roland.

The Courier leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "How does anyone fall into it? The need for money. The excitement. Some even do it trying to make a difference. For me, it's a combination of all three I guess. Whenever I was out on a job and found someone in trouble, I couldn't help myself but try and help them any way I could. Pandora may not be a place for heros, but that doesn't stop me from doing what I believe is right."

"Aren't you worried about working for the wrong people that could double cross you?" asked Lilith, the first real thing she's said to him since they left Fyrestone which kind of shocked Mason for a moment.

"No really. I follow a set of rules for every job I take." he said back.

"And they would be?" wondered Mordecai.

"Rule 1: No questions. Whatever the clients I'm working for are doing is their business, not mine. Rule 2: Complete the assignment by any means, so long as no harm comes to me or anyone deemed innocent. Rule 3: The package is delivered, I get paid. If anything contradicts any of these guidelines I enact Rule 4."

"Rule 4?" asked Roland.

Mason smirked, "Trust me when I say I've had to enact it more than once. Only because those that forced me to implement it wouldn't adhere to the first three."

Lilith leaned forward on the table, "What is it?"

"Now, that would be telling." replied the Courier as he took another swig from his water bottle. "But I have a feeling you'll see what it is before this little odyssey of ours is over."

The group fell into a small silence, enjoying the small break they were on. The few people that were in the bar slowly trickled out leaving them the only ones there. When Lucky left the bar to do something in the back, the Vault Hunters all drew in closer to have a private conversation.

"We're gonna need to pick up a few side jobs along the way." said Roland getting confused looks from some of his fellow hunters.

"What about finding the Vault?" asked Lilith confused.

"With the amount of ammo and fuel we're going to burn through, it wouldn't hurt to have extra funds coming our way." replied the soldier. "It's only going to get rougher from here on out, so the more prepared we are the better in my opinion."

The others nodded in agreement after hearing him out. "Where do we start?" asked Mordecai. Roland looked over to Mason, giving him the opening to continue since he'd been around these parts longer than they had.

"There's a bounty board set up here at the watering hole. Most people who have jobs that they can't do themselves for one reason or another send the jobs to it willing to hire anyone who needs work. There's one set up in every town, and there are always people off the street that can give us assignments. You'd be surprised what people will be willing to pay you for." he answered.

"Sounds good to me." said Brick as they all got up, paying their tab before heading out into the sun again. The Courier leading them to the bounty board that was set up beside the Catch-A-Ride where they parked the technical.

They were in luck, two jobs were currently posted on the board. One was to clear out pests at the local race track, the other was to deal with a small group of bandits that were taking up residence at the Fast-Travel hub located in the North-West of the headlands.

"We should split up, cover both jobs and get them done faster then taking them one at a time." said Roland turning to the others as they accepted the jobs. "Since the job clearing out the race track will need the bigger group, three of us will hit that one while the other two deal with the bandits."

"So who's going with who?" asked Mordecai.

The soldier motioned to him and Brick. "You two will come with me to handle the race track. I need your expertiese on exotic animals encase something comes up. Brick will be our back up." he turned to Mason and Lilith, "That leaves the two of you to handle the Fast-Travel hub, think you're up for it?"

If Lilith could have melted Roland's head with here gaze she would have. With what was going on with her, the last thing she wanted was to be alone around the one who was somehow causing it.

The thought made her feel a bit guilty, considering Mason didn't do anything to her. But the confusion regarding the situation wasn't making things easy on her.

"No problems boss." Mason said making her snap out of her thoughts. "Just stay in radio contact encase you need back up.

"Likewise." said the soldier nodding. "We'll take the technical since you have a back up runner. Meet back here in three hours, questions?" no one said anything. "Alright, let's get to it people."

The hunters all split up, Roland jumping into the driver's seat of the technical while Mordecai and Brick jumped in the back. The truck roaring to life as they pulled away from the watering hole. The Courier brought up his profile on the Catch-A-Ride terminal and digi-stucted his runner, jumping into the driver's seat and bringing it to life while the Siren climbed up into the turret seat.

When he was sure she was situated, he shifted into gear and headed in the direction displayed on his echo map. _"Looks like I'm back on the clock after all."_ he thought as he drove across the desert.

**A/N: Another big shot bites the dust, and the team's started doing side missions to bring in extra cash. And with Mason and Lilith now working together will they be able to overcome the strange awkwardness that has come between them.**

**Till next time, drop your reviews in the box and I'll update soon.**


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