Mutually Assured Destruction is Not Love

-

Watching the Vault Hunters fight is an experience of gore, bodies, screams, yelling, guns, explosions and the acrid smell of gun-powder mixing with blood.

The confrontation in The Highlands, near the Hyperion Extraction Plant, has been waging for almost two hours and the Vault Hunters are exhausted against the seemingly unending waves of Loaders Jack is sending and Stalkers investigating the stench of blood.

Zer0’s sword got stuck in a Loader’s arm and his sniper-rifle ran out of ammo half way through the battle. Salvador threw him a spare sniper rifle and Zer0 responded with a smiley emoticon that faded quickly to nothingness as he continues to duck, hide and kill his way out of the worst situations to take out as many enemies as possible. Even the human/machine/cybernetic ... masked and armoured assassin is tired.

The purple energy of Maya’s phaselocking died out quickly as she finds her abilities tire her out more quickly than she likes. So she finds a shotgun and took out her frustrations with explosive rounds. She has a bloody ring of corpses around her and it almost looks like she is trying to build a wall out of them there are so many.

On a good day Salvador's way of fighting is brutal and this day has been decidedly Not Good. Infact, he is making the massacre of Ovejas look like walk in the park. It is difficult to tell exactly how many he has killed because of the amount of grenades he has thrown and it is possible that he has ripped some tails off Stalkers and he is using them as weapons but no one wants to ask.

The turret Axton deployed half way through the battle has run out of bullets and a Loader had clipped the barrel with a wildly-flailing arm as it went down. Axton doesn’t even want to think about the damage done to his poor Missus. He picked up a shotgun with fire damage and has been taking his frustrations out with wrathful glee. Honestly he isn’t sure how his shield is even attempting to still work because the amount of crap that has been thrown at it is something else. Literally crap; both slag and corrosion has been trying to eat through his back at one point.

The confrontation has lasted longer than anyone wants, but they have to keep fighting because there isn’t another choice really. Separated from the other Vault Hunters, he doesn’t notice the Hyperion Engineer leaping at his back. He doesn’t notice until pain blossoms in his head and then he doesn’t notice anything at all.

-

Jack watches the massacre, sees them all fighting so hard; gun switching, brutal melee, fighting for their stupid bandit lives. He hates it. Hates that they won't die like they should. His hands have curled into fists against the console he is watching the carnage on, wondering if a large bombardment from Helios would be worth the collateral damage. So when he sees that one of the bandits has fallen, his first response it to smile, cold and full of menace. The other Hyperion workers flinch away from his excited shout of "Oh! Grab the Commando and take him into the Facility!"

No one asks where Jack is going or what he is going to do; they have seen the consequences of annoying Handsome Jack; the last blood stain is still visible on the desk.

-

Through the terror the manager feels, she can only describe Handsome Jack’s entrance as ‘swanning in like a cat that got the cream, canary and has nuked the planet’. Jack walks into the middle of the office, arms open in a parody of welcoming and a grin that is lethal at the sight of the bound and unconscious Vault Hunter slumped in a corner. “Surprise inspection time! Oh tut tut, is this a bandit in your facility?" Jack shakes his head at the nervous looking woman, "Don't you know the only good type of bandit is a dead bandit?"

Axton certainly looks like he is on his way to becoming a ‘dead bandit’; the blood coating the side of his face is still wet and the wound is just a dark mess of dirt, blood and hair. The usual tan colour Axton has has paled under the blood-loss and severity of his injuries; broken ribs and a nearly perforated lung never do well for one’s complexion. The broken fingers also aren’t helping matters. Okay so the broken fingers might be broken because Jack decides this will be a hell of a lot more fun if Axton is actually awake and nothing says ‘hello’ quite like broken bones.

There is a strangled yell of pain Axton makes as the second finger is broken and he comes into consciousness swearing something vicious.

"Well now ain't you just darlin' pumpkin. Not lookin' so good there bandit." Amusement couldn’t be more apparent in Jack’s voice.

Pain and tiredness make Axtons speak without thinking "At least I ain't playing at being a Jack'o'lantern." Then his words register and even Axton realises that this was a bad move and almost apologizes.

Jack is a lot stronger than he looks; he has a grip on Axton’s neck that is keeping the Commando on his toes as Jack crushes his throat. Through the strangulation Axton thinks that the rage is breathtaking. The cold burning fury in Jack’s clenched jaw through to the way his voice is almost shaking with anger as he hisses “You strangle so pretty Vault Hunter.”

Jack’s hands tighten around his neck and Axton knows he shouldn’t be admiring the asshole and he is going to blame this all on the oxygen deprivation when he’s free. But as his vision starts to tunnel and sparks of light skitter across the room Axton wants to respond to the rage with his own. He wants to punch Jack in the throat so badly; wants to crush his windpipe in retaliation, but instead he manages to drive a fist into Jack’s abdomen.

Jack staggers backwards, diaphragm seizing around the impact site and Axton collapses to the floor as soon as Jack lets him go. Bright flecks of colours spark across Axton’s still tunneled vision as his brains tries to reboot with the oxygen he can manage to get through his rapidly-swelling throat. Axton tries to stand - to get away from Jack because the man is swearing in a breathless rage of hatred and oh god Axton just punched a madman megalomaniac tyrant, he is beyond dead, but Axton’s body is still not getting enough oxygen and his brain is full of cotton wool and Jesus he can’t tell if the blood on his hands is an enemy’s or his and if it’s his is from his fingers or his head and - Through the high whining buzzing that comes with nearly passing out, Axton can hear Handsome Jack laughing. Gasping and breathless, but honestly and unexpectedly amused laughter.

“ Oh Kiddo! ” There is the voice; heavily amused yet still laced with the ‘you’re a dead-man walking’ violence-fury-anger, “We’re gunna have so much fun together!”

“Ain’t fun ‘less I’ve got a gun.” Axton croaks out, wincing in pain as his abused throat is made to swallow.

Jack laughs again as he pushes himself away from the wall he had had to lean against to catch his breath, “Kinky! But I’m the one calling the shots here -”

A large shaking explosion rocks through the foundations of the buildings, cutting Jack off.

“Sir! We’re reporting massive explosions at the main entrance; I think the Gunzerker rammed a vehicle full or EXP Loaders into the wall and then shot an RPG at it! There’s fire everywhere!” The panicked engineer bursts into the room, yelling in terror.

Jack looks over in annoyance, but shrugs and moves back over to Axton, who is still on the floor. “Well Kiddo, it’s your lucky day! Seeing as how I’m such a big goddamn Hero, I’m going to let you live.”

Axton stares at his broken fingers, contemplating if the pain would be would be worth flipping Jack off. Instead he just coughs, a rasping wheeze of a sound. Jack leans down and pats Axton on the cheek before leaving, heading back to the safety of Helios.

The remaining workers look at each other, then at the door. Axton laughs (or well, bubbles blood on his lips) and the workers run for the door. Hearing the Vault Hunters yelling his name, Axton lets the darkness encroach on his vision again and he passes out; a relief from the pain.

-

The first few times it happens, Axton doesn’t realise that Jack is Echo-ing him directly, instead of the general broadcast he usually does. It’s only when Axton makes an offhand comment to the others about how annoying Jack is being at the moment, Maya responds with an odd look and says “But Jack hasn’t actually done anything in days.” Axton hasn’t responded to Jack yet as the memories of the broken fingers and strangulation are still fresh enough that he doesn’t want to. It’s just… Jack keeps talking as if he’s expecting a response. He asks questions and even seems to pause as if waiting for Axton to chime in. Axton might have had a fair few Rakk ales in an attempt to figure out what Jack’s game is when Jack Echo’s again.

“Hellooo Commando! I’d say it is too early to be drinking, but honestly I’d be driven to drink if I was bandit scum like you.”

“Jesus fucking Christ,” the words escape Axton in a drunken rush before he can really think about it, “You’re such a goddamn asshole.” There is nothing but dead air on the Echo and the pounding music of Moxxi’s bar as Axton drops his head onto the table, desperately wishing the words out of existence.

A low sigh comes across the Echo, “Wow.” Jack seems honestly surprised, though who knows if it’s at Axton’s response or the fact he even responded.

Axton groans again, “You fuckin’ choked me and keep trying to kill us. You expect me to be happy?”

“I didn’t choke you; I strangled you - Why is it so hard for people to know the difference?!” Jack yells, annoyed, “And anyway, I thought you liked that. Don’t tell me our first date wasn’t fun for you after all?”

Axton finishes his ale in one long pull. “You need to work on your dating skills if you think that was good.” Then the fact that he is talking to Handsome Jack about dating catches up to him and he disconnects without a word. Axton stands up, walks to the bar and just looks at Moxxi with such an expression of ‘what the fuck is wrong with me’ that she doesn’t even charge him for the next bottle.

-

“You know Bandit, I’m impressed. You fight like you got something to live for. What the hell could be so important to someone like you?”

There is silence from Axton’s end; he isn’t sure how to respond to the backhanded compliment Jack has given.

“Oh you ain’t ignoring me are you?” There is a pause where Jack is waiting for Axton’s answer, but eventually Jack just sighs, “Well what did I expect from a murdering brute really?”

“...Was thinkin’ of you actually. I mean, seeing as how you love your own voice damn so much, I figured I’d just let you talk.” There is another pause as Axton closes his eyes in disbelief that he said something stupid again.

Though Axton can’t see him, Jack is staring out his office window, a surprised smile on his face, “Well now. I was going to say that it’s nice to see you found your voice. Such a kind brute you are. But you ain’t answered my question.”

“Why do I fight? Nothing… noble ,” the sarcasm in the word is heavy and it makes Jack laugh, “like you. Ain’t trying to save no one. Just don’t want to be bored.”

“And I bet you don’t mind the pay.”

Axton laughs as well; a startled sound he doesn’t mean to let out, “You would think of the money. Jesus.”

Before Jack can reply the other Vault Hunters come of the building and Axton disconnects before they can see the smile on his face.

-

Jack’s voice is oddly hoarse and low when he answers the Echo, “What the hell?”

“Opportunity’s laws suck.” Axton says, grinning at the fire of a burning bandit technical vehicle.

“Well hello to you too Vault Hunter. It’s the middle of the fucking night,” Well that explains why Jack sounds so unlike his normally well put together self. “Did you know verbal littering is punishable by death?”

Axton shrugs before remembering Jack can’t see him and laughs, “You’re already trying to kill me.”

“Oh yeah. Well how about you die already then.” There is rustling on Jack’s end and Axton feels himself almost blushing when he realises that it’s Jack’s bedding making the noise; that the man is in bed while they’re talking.

Axton manages to find the words over his brain stalling; “Nah. Doesn’t sound that much fun.”

Jack groans and disconnects before anything else can be said, not even wanting to question Axton’s line of thinking.

-

Axton likes, more than is probably smart, how Jack talks over the Echo because the Hyperion bastard is so emotive with his voice. Hell, when Jack laughs, when he can’t help but laugh because the story he is telling was too much. When his laughter will interrupt his own words, Axton will feel a shiver race down his spine because that laugh is electric and almost as bad as the energy Axton feels when Jack snarls with anger.

Axton’s voice isn’t easy on the ears in a conventional sense Jack supposes (it isn’t nearly as great as his own that’s for sure), but Jack doesn’t mind listening to the ex-soldier swear something foul. Kid can really swear and in the middle of a battle he doesn’t go as bat-shit insane as the Gunzerker. No, Axton still holds some of that military training that makes his shouts fall just on the edge of a command and Jack does love hearing people being yelled at before they die.

-

The thing is that Jack keeps bringing it up. Their “date” and about how much Axton would enjoy it if Jack finished what he started. Privately Axton isn’t sure if Jack understand how bad his innuendos are (no seriously even Moxxi is more subtle at times).

But when Axton is dealing with a stray Wormhole Thesher while the others are collecting a ride, he finds himself once again answering Jack, “You’re a nagging hypocrite. You ain’t exactly pulling your weight in this relationship; why have I always gotta come to you?”

In the following silence Axton almost lets the Thesher kill him because what the actual fuck that was not a sensible thing to say.

“Well shit Pumpkin, if that’s really how you feel. Be seeing you soon Vault Hunter.” Jack signs off.

Axton looks at the Thresher corpse and sighs.

-

More and more Axton feels disappointment when their conversations end quickly, but Axton also doesn’t like thinking about why. It’s one thing to find them mildly amusing in a ‘what can you do, laugh or cry’ sort of way, but his growing urge to call Jack is worrying.

Sitting in the middle of the Crimson Raider Resistance Axton says, "Well I didn't think this through." It isn’t a conventional greeting, but then it is the first time he has ever called Jack.

If Jack is startled, he hides it well with amusement and derision, "Oh Kiddo, do tell me more about what you thought."

"Well I'm smart enough to not have been killed by the Great Handsome Jack. That's gotta count for somethin'!" Axton shoots back, used to the banter by now and unafraid because what is Jack going to do, kill him?

Jack’s laugh is actually quite nice when it’s not in relation to murder or tyranny, "Aw but it's so much fun playing with you Pumpkin! Seriously. For a bandit you're pretty interesting."

"Not bad yourself." Then again, Axton’s brain-to-mouth filter really needs some work.

The silence only lasts a few moments before Jack is laughing again, not quite so nice now, "Well obviously! I'm 'the Great Handsome Jack' after all! Such a shame you're just an ex-Dahl bandit."

Axton groans at the mention of his old profession. "Ah hell the whole military gig weren't really my thing and them fancy clothes choked me worse than you did."

"Mmm still didn’t choke you -” Axton knows this but just likes to fuck with Jack’s obsession with distinction, “Well, it's been real fun Kitten, buuuut I do have a planet to run and bandits to kill!"

"Jesus Christ. You gotta have a condition - you can't help but be a fuckin' asshole every single conversation."

"Oh you love me. How could anyone not?"

Jack hangs up laughing and Axton doesn’t say "Yeah I do."

(But it’s true.)

-

“Oh Kitten are you really ignoring me?”

-

“Wow, I mean, even for you this is a stupid reaction.”

-

“Really Commando, this only reflects badly on you.”

-

Their last conversation changes something. Jack calls a lot more and Axton goes back to not responding. Axton wouldn’t call it ignoring because that seems childish, but he is carefully not responding.

Because Axton realises that hell, Jack ain’t that bad to talk to and there are all of these feelings but honestly if he thinks about it too much he ends up drinking with Mordecai, shit is fucked up and Dr. Zed is normally needed.

The Vault Hunters have set up camp in an abandoned shack in Three Horn Valley because they’re out and about picking up odd jobs and none of them mind roughing it.

A fire is keeping the chill away from the broken windows and Zer0 is tending it because Salvador lit the last one with a fire shotgun and a grenade.

In the idle post-meal lull Salvador and Maya are chatting.

“Hell it seems like Jack’s gone past crazy and just decided to take-over via a tidal wave of blood and internal organs at this point!” Salvador exclaims, throwing his arms up in as if to show the size of the wave. “Pretty sure he ain’t bothering sending Loaders; he’s just shooting shit out’ta that cannon to crush people to iddy-little bits!”

Jack has been a lot more violent and aggressive recently and the sudden increase has startled them all.

Maya laughs and leans back against the wall she’s decided to sleep against, “Yeah! I mean I’d get it if we’d fucked up something big, but we ain’t exactly done much to piss him off recently.”

“He’s throwing a tantrum over somethin’ though!” Salvador agrees.

Axton is sitting further away from the fire than any of the others and he can just feel his temper rising. Not at the fact that they’re gossiping about Jack because the guy is an asshole, but Axton doesn’t want to hear about him right now.

Salvador makes the mistake of saying “‘ey Ax, you think -”

Axton stares at him, face set in a soldier’s mask of ‘don’t fucking tempt me’’. Salvador trails off, looking at Maya who whistles lowly.

“Wow, between you and Jack’s bitch face we’re gunna immolate!” She jokes, smiling encouragingly at the Commando in the hopes some banter will help his mood.

Instead Axton stands up suddenly. He grabs his bag “Christ I can’t -” he turns away with a frustrated noise “I-I just need to… Go.” He shrugs and sets off out the door.

The others don’t try and stop him. They are, in the end, all broken people searching for purpose through violence and war. They understand the need to be alone sometimes, that everyone needs a break every so often and time to work through the demons alone.

He hits up a Catch-A-Ride station and speeds over to the Happy Pig Hotel. As soon as he has checked the perimeter to make sure no bandits have decided to make it their home he decides to gets some sleep. As he is walking past the job board, it flares to life and bathes him in the yellow glow of a waiting job.

HEP; our first date; time to finish what we started . The curiosity sinks in and he looks at the reward. Learning the difference between strangling and choking .

Axton isn't stupid, so he goes to the fast travel machine and hops over to the Hyperion Extraction Plant.

When faced with a choice, Axton doesn’t often make the “right” one - the whole “...protecting the dignitary assigned to your command, blah blah, gave him to the enemy, blah blah and blew it up. With the dignitary still inside” as case and point. Axton makes the choices that will be the most fun. Which is why he finds himself oddly unsure about actually getting closer to the Extraction Plant.

No Loaders greet him, which makes him think it might not be a trap. In fact, there are no Hyperion workers there at all, just a group of curious Stalkers. The lure of mindless violence draws him in and he begins killing them.

In an ironic turn the last remaining creatures are killed by Jack while he’s still invisible.

"Wasn't sure you'd turn up. You've been pretty rude Kiddo." Jack drawls, leaning against a stack of boxes in a careful show of nonchalance.

"Well here I am. You just gonna insult me?" Axton fidgets with the turret box, tapping it before gently throwing it up and catching it. He isn’t nervous, but he doesn’t know what to expect. Doesn’t really know why he came; Jack could easily kill him, could easily have set a trap that Axton will have walked into willingly. Hell, the whole thing has been billed as Jack strangling Axton, there’s no way this will end well.

When Jack gestures into the plant, Axton almost refuses, but eventually follows him in because he’s come this far and a fight would be perfect right now if this meeting goes bad.

Jack leads him to a small room close to the main door and once they’re both inside, he moves in close to Axton. "I don't like being ignored."

"I don't like you. We all hav'ta deal with our issues."

"Now that ain't true now is it?"

"What?"

"You do like me." Jack moves in until they're almost touching and takes the turret-box from Axton, letting it fall to the floor. Axton doesn't protest because damn Jack's eyes are pretty this close up.

Then Jack kisses him. Axton reacts on automatic with a hand around the nape of Jack's neck and kisses back.

"This ain't..." he doesn't finish the whispered sentence against Jack's lips because Axton decides to kiss him instead.

"This changes nothing. We're just having some fun." Jack mutters back.

'This changes nothing' is the lie Axton clings to as Jack, the Hyperion President, pushes him into a chair and settles on top of him with ease.

They can't be bothered to take clothes off, so the offending items just get rucked up out of the way and words become moans and harsh gasps.

Afterwards, when they're both spent and panting, Axton thinks he hears a soft "It can't change anything. Not now." but Axton is in bed with the vicious 'hero' of a horror story of his own making.

Jack pulls away first and the first thing he does is smooth his hair away from the mask before straightening his clothes. Axton realises that it hasn’t actually changed his feelings. Axton still hates Jack, will still try and stop him, kill him and Jack will react the same.

They're both too entrenched in their plans and ways to let something like this change them.

They don't talk as they get ready to leave. It unnerves Axton at how quiet Jack is; it makes him seem... lost. Distracted by thoughts. This makes him seem like a person, rather than the monster wearing human skin Jack seems to be most of the time.

"Catch you soon, Kiddo." Jack says with a light-hearted tone contrary to the expression he is wearing. He turns his back on Axton and heads over to the fast-travel terminal without further acknowledgement.

As soon as Jack has selected his choice, Axton calls out quickly, "Ain't dead yet, Gramps," and as Jack fades out of the room, Axton cracks the fuck up at Jack’s expression.

-

“Why the hell do you keep calling Jack?”

“Why the hell do you keep answering Kiddo?”

-

“The hell did you do with that diamond horse anyway?”

Jack drags a hand down his face, blinking rapidly as his eyes try to readjust after the pressure, “Seriously, were you raised by bandits? Where are your manners?”

Axton is silent in disbelief before he smiles, “Sir, sorry Sir! I’d say ‘Good Morning’ Sir, but I’m underground and don’t know if it is Sir.”

In the space after he’s spoken, Axton thinks Jack might have stopped breathing. “Shall I rephrase my question Sir? The hell did you do with that diamond horse Sir?”

Now Axton is pretty sure Jack isn’t breathing, “Shit did I break you? I was Military - ‘course I know manners. Just don’t fuckin’ care for them.”

“Uhng.” The noise is choked in Jack’s throat and he hastily coughs, “Butt Stallion is at Opportunity, why?”

A loud smashing roar and explosion reverberate through the Echo. “Was just wondering if she’s related to the Crystalisks. Sir.”

“Uhn.” Another involuntary noise escapes Jack.

“Wow. That’ll be fun next time. Great conversation though.”

The venom in Jack’s parting “Go to hell.” makes Axton laugh.

-

“Amigo, you smile a lot more now days!” Salvador claps him on the back, a move that nearly sends Axton staggering. The pair are in The Dusts blowing shit up for Ellie. It had been Maya’s idea to separate and take jobs in pairs, and Axton loved chilling with Sal and a lot of explosives.

“Havin’ a lot of fun is all!” Axton smiles wider, “No COs breathing down my neck, no firing squad at my back - hell this planet really ain’t too bad.”

Salvador laughs before hoisting the rocket launcher back up onto his shoulder “Yeah yeah, but that ain’t all. You don’t have to talk to me though; I’m happy you’re happy.”

It takes Axton a moment to respond with honest and clear thankfulness in his tone “Sal, ain’t many people like you. Hell even I’d be more nosey.”

“Ax, ain’t no one like us. We special snowflakes strapped to dynamite.”

There is wonderful explosion that Axton watches as Salvador lines up another shot, looking down the aiming sight before shrugging and pulling the trigger. Axton tosses up and catches a grenade, pulls the pin and throws it.

Motherfucking dynamite.

-

At first, it amuses Jack; watching the Vault Hunters play into his plan so perfectly. When the… meetings with Axton start, it only serves to amuse him even more when he watches and hears Axton fight through the bandit scum.

Hell, the Vault Hunters are doing a pretty bang up job of clearing out every insane bandit on the planet - Jack could almost leave it all to them!

Axton is having fun. Pure and simple fun in violence with others that excel in fighting and enjoy it just as much. The others Vault Hunters had just been people on a train in the beginning. But as they continue to survive together, fight and bleed together, Axton realizes that they are something more important that the whole of the Dahl army had been to him.

Pandora is so much fun and Jack is the mastermind behind it all. He orchestrates the fun through explosions and violence and it is everything he promised in that stupid Hyperion Truth Broadcast.

-

Burning eyes and wounding hands.

Gentle isn’t best understood by either.

Affection doesn’t have a place here.

To care is one thing, but it’s a private - don’t show, can’t show - thing. It isn’t for them.

Care, familiarity, affection, release - it changes nothing. It can’t change anything.

-

“Varkids. A Super Badass Varkid. I - I think it teamed up with the Badass Pyre Thresher, or at least they weren’t fighting each other.” Axton voice sounds as close to traumatised as Jack’s ever heard.

“What the hell Kiddo?”

“The Varkid got set on fire. It was charging me on fire .” He stresses the last two points with a note of hysteria.

Jack leans back in his office chair and blinks up at the ceiling, not quite sure what this conversation is, “Where the fuck even are you?”

“Caustic Caverns. Hell. Why haven’t you blown it up yet? Fucking nuke it off this planet!”

Jack runs a hand over his mask, pushing any unruly hair out of his eyes before resting his hand on the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes. “God why are you even there? That place will mutate you worse than slag. Damn Kiddo, sucks to be you!”

There is a pause before Axton speaks again, but he’s clearly not talking to Jack anymore; “Fuck! Fucking Crystalisks fuck off! Jesu -”

The Echo cuts off suddenly and Jack slowly opens his eyes. He stands up and goes over to the draw that holds all of his junk food snacks. “Hey Blake?” he yells, “We got eyes in the Caustic Cavern?”

-

Jack is tension and lithe muscles, fury in his eyes that Axton doesn't know how to deal with.

Axton is anger and brashness, words spoken without care and Jack hates and loves the honesty.

They don’t talk about love, plans or their future.

Neither can mistake the purpose of their meetings; they always have sex and sometimes the conversations are optional.

They aren’t sane during these meetings; nothing can cure Jack’s madness or Axton’s bloodlust and when you put two raging fires they’ll feed off each other until all the oxygen is gone.

Both will go to their graves without ever saying how much their relationship means to them.

-

Jack’s voice is cheerful as he says “You damn scum are going to die and I’ll make you beg long and hard for mercy before I put my boot through your chests.”

The Vault Hunters just smile at each other because pissing Jack off is fun and Maya responds with “Yeah sure whatever, we’re so scared and all that. You’re just talk.”

“Oh I’m not just talk, hey Pumpkin?” Jack’s sudden voice in his ear almost startles Axton, who had been admiring the cadence of Jack’s furious-calm voice.

“Now you can’t reply because the other bandits are there right? Well then, shall we have some fun?”

“Ax, mi amigo, you good?” Salvador claps a hand on Axton’s shoulder in support, which nearly knocks him over..

“Y-yeah I’m just - was thinking - “

Jack laughs, a low purr of noise “You? Thinking? Nah you’re better on your knees. Don’t worry your pretty little head with thoughts and suck my cock instead.”

With those words ringing in his ears and loud enough that Axton almost swears the others can hear, he stumbles away from the Gunzerker “Okay I’ve got a thing to be doing somewhere not here!” He rushes through the words to escape his friends, Jack laughing in his ears.

-

“Sooo -” Jack begins the Echo drawing the word out in a way that aggravates Axton even more than normal, “How ya doing? Having fun with those Loaders?”

“You’re -” the Echo cuts off as Axton continues to fight the robots, “Seriously? You sent these bots and now -” an explosion sends Axton stumbling forward; he thinks Salvador might have lobbed a cluster grenade.

Jack doesn’t take the hint, “Now I wanted to know if you’re gunna take that job posting?”

One full clip of corrosion bullets later Axton has a pile of rubble at his feet and an even bigger hatred for the Repair-Surveyor drones.

“I’ve seen you look at the board a few times.”

Axton still doesn’t say anything, but he does look around to see the others finishing off the last straggling few Loaders.

“Kiddo.” The word is a softly spoken warning that sends shivers through Axton.

“I’m not.” The Commando mutters, “Taking the job. Seeing you. Not tomorrow I mean.”

This time, Jack doesn’t respond, but instead a Constructor and some Badass Loaders crash into the ground around the Vault Hunters.

Axton huffs in annoyance, but Salvador’s whoop of glee draws a smile back to his face.

Jack doesn’t talk to him again for a total of three days.

-

“Sir…?” Angel begins, but her voice is unsure and trails off quickly.

“What’s up Darling?” Jack is still distracted by the live feed on his screen and the tablet of mining information on his desk.

She hesitates again before continuing, “You’ve been spending a lot of time watching the Commando.”

“Your point?” His tone is less inviting now, but he hasn’t told her to stop.

“I simply… I want to know… Why? Do you have something planned for him?” She takes care to hide the worry from her voice. She has become so very fond of these Vault Hunters.

Jack hums in response, either not listening or not wanting to answer. Eventually the silence wears on him and he says “Don’t worry. Plan’s still the same.”

It isn’t a comforting response for either of them.

-

“Wait wait wait are you telling me the son of a bitch actually took the shotgun?”

“Well the men advancing on us gave him some motivation but hell he hadn’t ever shot before and -” Axton loses his composure and starts to laugh now, trying to get the words out before the fit gets worse, “the fucking recoil -”

Jack interrupts while Axton laughs harder, “Oh god please tell me he -”

“Fucking toppled right over onto the landmine -”

Now Jack gives in and start laughing as well, the both of them gasping for breath as their laughter gets louder.

“An’ Sarah fuckin’ rocks up with our squad an’ I’m standing there like ‘fucking what?’ because apparently y’could see the explosion for miles an’ everyone else was dead -”

The laughter peters out as Axton remembers the scene and Jack imagines it.

After a moment Jack asks, “How in the hell are you still alive?”

“Damn good shield. Apparently -” He draws the word out, sarcasm and annoyance clear in his voice “I should’a given the asshat my shield ‘cause he was a bigwig. Fucking dressing down was something else.”

Still breathless Jack manages to say “Met him once. SO glad he - I-I mean did he explode or what?”

“Yep. I had to pick teeth out of my hair and intestines fucking ruin your clothes!”

That sets them both off laughing again and honestly they’re practically dying with the laughter.

-

The less said about Lynchwood the better.

Suffice to say; Jack gets rather pissed off, Maya kills the Sheriff, Axton gets blackout drunk with Deputy Winger and Zer0 and Salvador become worryingly obsessed with Dunkino.

The worst part is how much Axton likes Nisha; she reminds him of his ex-wife. In another life Axton would have loved to get drunk with her and make Jack’s life hell.

-

The only time they talk about the whole fucked up situation in which they are trying to kill each other goes something like this;

“You know the only reason I’m here is because you called?”

“Well no shit kiddo how else would you know where I was?”

“No I mean - the reason I’m fightin’ you. Was ‘cause you called us to that train and tried to kill us. You hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t have started fighting back.”

Jack stares at Axton as if daring him to continue.

Axton shrugs, regret almost colouring his words, “Figure I would have ended up in Lynchwood, fallen in with The Sheriff. Seemed like my kind of place. Too late now though. But I didn’t have a reason until you gave me one.”

The clench of Jack’s hand makes Axton think they’re going to have another fight, but instead Jack just - just turns around and leaves.

“Jack wait - ” Axton sighs, “The fuck did you expect?” He doesn’t know who he’s talking to.

-

The last time they sleep together is nothing special. Just the familiarity of two people who know each other intimately.

There are no soft touches or whispered confessions of love.

They fight, bicker and fuck. Jack punches him in the throat and Axton kicks him in the back of the knee. Axton sucks deep vicious bruises into Jack’s neck and gets hand shaped-bruises on his arms and a bloody welt on his shoulder. When Jack has come, he just catches his breath against Axton's neck, not bothering to help Axton reach climax.

When Axton does, it is with the feeling of Jack's mask hinge digging into his shoulder.

They part with insults and fondness despite the fact that they are going back to a world where they have to kill each other.

Years later, Axton won't be able to recall the exact details of this meeting, but will always remember the feeling of the hinge biting into his shoulder with fondness.

-

“Paradise” from blood and ashes.

Or

Continuation in blood and violence.

No one wins, not really.

-

“Have you ever met Handsome Jack?” Angel has a habit of catching Axton on the unaware, but normally the other Vault Hunters are around. This time, he’s on his own because he was about to go to sleep. Clearly the AI has other ideas.

“Hello to you too Angel. Kinda hard to have not met Jack what with him call us all here and trying to kill us.”

There is a distorted crackle Axton thinks would be a sigh from a human, “No I mean, have you met him in person?”

“Why’d you ask? Something going on?” Axton doesn’t know why Angel is asking these questions but the thought of someone knowing makes him feel pretty sick.

Angel slowly answers, as if sounding the words out, “He is… from my understanding that is, acting differently.”

“The crazy tyrant asshole is acting odd. How can you even tell?” He shouldn’t be amused by this because this is important, but Angel doesn’t even know the half of how Jack has been acting.

“Just.. odd. Disappears sometimes. Is distracted.” Her voice is distracted as she tries to figure out what is going on with Jack.

Axton sighs and then yawns, “Dunno. Look, normally I’d say get ‘em drunk and let ‘em talk to sort out shit like this, but maybe with Jack a hard hit to the head would be better. Or a bullet.”

The unamused silence is pretty chilling.

“Hey he threatens to torture us all the damn time. Rip our lungs out and the like. Look, as far as I know, Jack is odd, so I wouldn’t know if he were being even more so.”

Again there is the crackle of a sigh over the Echo.

-

Axon is relaxing; an opportunity he doesn’t get too often and given that he’s resting in The Highlands, normally relaxing means Stalkers creeping up. But Axton has cleared the Isotope Reclamation Tower and the Watermill house of all Stalkers and experience tells him that more won’t venture up for at least a day.

The other Vault Hunters have also gone off alone; Salvador to ‘party’ with Tina, Zero to The Fridge and Maya to Moxxi’s with Lilith to talk about “super serious Siren stuff”.

It hadn’t been a deliberate decision to come to the Highlands, but Axton just wants grass and sun and the feeling of freedom. The constant war for Pandora was absurdly fun, but sometimes he remembers why the Dahl military had been so stifling.

A rumbling moves Axton to open his eyes and reach for the turret box, wary of any vehicles. The off-roader that pulls up is nothing like the bandit technicals of The Dust or the Runner Axton prefers. This is a Hyperion vehicle; yellow and black and in top notch condition.

Axton doesn’t let go of the turret even when Jack climbs out of the driver’s seat. “Thinking of buying and settling down like the good house-wife you are Kiddo?”

“The last misogynist I knew got mortared off the side of a cliff.”

Jack is silent for a moment before offering an unopened bottle of whiskey, “Rakk ale has it’s place, but it’s too early to be in that much pain.” he gives a small shrug.

Realistically, Axton knows that he should thrown down the turret and be done with all of these affairs, but instead he asks, “We drinking straight or you bring all that fancy shit?”

The glare Jack gives him is only slightly a joke, but he flips a pen-knife out and works through the wax seal with ease. “You don’t want that’s fine Kiddo. Wouldn’t want to waste this on an idiot.”

Axton sighs, but alcohol is alcohol and anything is better than Rakk ale - even whiskey. So he clambers to his feet and mutters, “Roof’s got good views.” He doesn’t ask how Jack knows where he was or why he’s deviating from their normal set pattern. Just accepts that this is a thing that is happening.

They just climb onto the roof, sit next to each other and pass the bottle of damn good whiskey. They watch the sky darken and the flashes of Stalkers appearing and disappearing. The air isn’t exactly warm, but after enough whiskey it doesn’t bother them and they’re sitting close enough they can feel each other’s warm and it’s comforting in a way neither one of them can explain (or ever want to).

They drink the day and night away in quiet conversation. It will become a fond memory that isn’t tainted by their history later on.

(The next day everyone in Sanctuary makes fun of his hangover; even Moxxi gets in on the teasing once she questions him about where he got whiskey . Axton valiantly doesn’t say that at least he wasn’t so drunk that he called a moonshot for one Tadpole Thresher like Jack did.)

-

Then one day Axton helps kill Jack’s daughter.

Axton stares at the girl so desperate to die. He sees her. Sees his friend and it hurts (but nothing like the agonizing pain she screams).

Jack’s face fills all of the screens as he pleads with them and Axton…

Axton shoots the last injector knowing that it will kill her.

This changes nothing .

But it’s a truth and a lie all mixed into one. It won’t change the outcome of this goddamn story, but it will sure as hell make everything worse.

Something in Axton’s mind breaks with Angel’s death (he imagines a few more things break in Jack too).

What Axton and Jack had died with Angel.

What is left are the unspoken names of Angel, Roland and Lilith lingering like a gun to their heads. The whisper feeling of betrayal neither understand.

What they know is that it will not last.

-

The crackle of the Echo is so familiar now that Axton doesn’t even startle. He waits a few moments for Jack’s opening line, but there is nothing but dead air.

He thinks it is rather late at night, but he and Zer0 are in the Fridge waiting for the other two before taking on another round of Fink’s Slaughterhouse. Axton is on first watch for any Rats, so he quietly asks, “Jack?”

“You know the poem Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night ?” Jack’s voice is almost hollow.

“No…” Axton draws the word out, curiosity and confusion taking forefront as he tries to figure out what the hell Jack is on about.

There is a pause in which Jack just breathes slowly. In a calm, quiet and so very heavy voice he recites the poem, “Do not go gentle into that good night,” but as he continues through the poem the emotion gets stronger, though Axton can’t (doesn’t want to) place it.

“Though wise men at their end know dark is right, / Because their words had forked no lightning they / Do not go gentle into that good night.”

By the end, Axton almost can’t take it, wants to tell Jack to stop because his voice is so cracked and broken it hurts; the sound hurts, but Jack finishes, “Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”

In the silence Axton has to swallow before he can even speak, “Jesus Jack the fuck -”

“Today was her birthday.”

And fucking really what can you say to that? Axton doesn’t want to ask which ‘her’ Jack is talking about because who would be better? His wife or his daughter? They’re both gone.

Jack hasn’t finished though, “We rage. Us on Pandora we rage against everything. You lot rage against me really, but this is -” he breaks off into a frustrated noise.

“You’re drunk.” It’s not a question and Axton doesn’t know why he even had to say it, so he quickly says “And yeah, we do. We - the Vault Hunters and Crimson Raiders, hell all bandits - we won’t go quiet into the night.”

Axton thinks he can hear a shuddering breath be drawn but it’s too quiet to really be sure. “Fuck. Think I drank too much.” Jack finally mutters.

“Go to sleep. We ain’t gone yet.” He forces amusement into his voice; an attempt at normalcy.

Jack’s words are soft,“Not gone quiet into the night. Not yet.” The click of disconnection is abrupt.

For the rest of his watch Axton can’t shake the sheer feeling of wrongness.

(The next morning he asks Zer0 if he knows about the poem. The assassin tilts his head to one side before saying “A poem of death / lamenting the passing life / a Father falling.”.)

-

Jack’s cracked and quiet voice reciting “ Do not go gentle into that good night / Rage, rage against the dying of the light .” stays with Axton through every goddamn battle afterwards until he closes his eyes for good.

-

The room is dingy and cold; an abandoned farmhouse that once housed feral bandits and no proper furniture anymore.

Without any explanation Jack says, "Hey Kiddo MAD - go," when they are catching their breath against the wall Axton is still pressing Jack to. Axton needs a moment to figure out what the hell Jack is talking about, but then he just laughs. It is a breathless sound, but warm and echos around the desolate room. He rubs his thumbs across the exposed flesh of Jack’s hips.

"Fun strategy if you got nothing to lose. Officer in Command hated the idea; apparently it ain't strategic'lly sound when there are other options." He responds with a smile gracing his face, half lost in a memory of his ex-wife yelling about the loss of troops not outweighing the resulting victory.

Jack's hands wander across Axton's abs, occasionally digging his nails in to feel the shudder it elects. "Wouldn't be much of a world left if we did; not with us favouring explosions and big ol' guns." Jack murmurs with a sly smile of his own.

Another soft laugh escapes Axton but after a pause the smile falls away to a regretful sigh, "I’m thinking I'd actually prefer mutually assured destruction to peace. So much more fun." Axton pushes away from the wall and Jack and heads over to the fast-travel machine first for once. With regret, acceptance, a whole myriad of emotions he mutters,

"But this can only end one of two ways. And it ain’t gunna matter what end we get ‘cause this ..."

‘ This changes nothing ’ are the unspoken words between them.

Axton leaves without finishing the sentence.

Jack doesn't need to say anything.

-

The last time they see each other, Axton puts a bullet in Jack's head.

-

The goddamn fury in his eyes, voice, gone there is nothing nothing left just the pain and the despair and the loss (wife, face, daughter, fight, warrior, dream, life) and the broken screamed words of it could have been a PARADISE .

Jack isn’t looking at Axton; he is staring at the floor, an arm pressed to his bloody abdomen. He doesn’t see the gun pointed to his head; doesn't see or hear the bullet that kills him. It’s a small mercy and poor consolation.

-

When Jack dies, Axton only feels disappointment.

The landscape is rock, fire and lava, the fallen body of The Warrior and his friends celebrating.

While the others laugh, patch up wounds, feel relief, Axton stands by Jack's body, looking fixatedly at the watch Jack had been so fond of. Blood covers most of Jack’s clothes and the watch has not been spared. Axton almost wants to take the watch as a memento of the man he knew. He could pass it off as the one they took from the body double, but Axton knows he doesn’t need it. The man he knew; the asshole, tyrant, murderer, father, lover, man is dead. Axton’s life and the future will always remind him of that.

This end is just a bitter confirmation that peace isn't what he wants; not without Jack to make it fun.

It isn't the mutually assured destruction they had talked about, not at all.

-

Salvador and Maya are in agreement that they should take Jack’s head back to Sanctuary; so that it can go on a pike and that people can be assured that Jack is actually dead.

Axton doesn’t say anything, just continues to look through the massive amount of loot that had dropped. He isn’t squeamish; he can deal with decapitation, but it doesn’t sit right with him, disrespecting Jack like that, despite the fact the man had been a complete asshole.

Luckily though Zer0 takes it on himself to be the voice of reason, “Shouldn’t we leave him / With the Warrior to sleep / A most fitting end?”.

The other two shrug, so Axton carefully picks the bloodied corpse up and walks to the edge. He kneels, mindful of the lava and rests Jack on the top of the molten rock, watching as fire ignites his clothes and consumes his body as he sinks.

His voice little more than a murmur, Axton says, “No regrets, because it changed nothing, right?”

-

(It’s a lie he tells himself for a very long time. It was a lie Jack told himself. They’re both liars until their deaths).

-

As it turns out, mutually assured destruction is not love, but they both break you the same way.