New Perspective ~ A Handsome Jack x Reader Story

Chapter Five ~ Fake Friends Could Be The (Almost) End of You

          There was silence as you trudged through the sandy dunes. Glancing beside you, you eyed Jack as he walked, his eyes straight ahead. Thanks to what just happened, you could assume that his mind was on Helios and Hyperion's destruction. You faced forward, looking ahead to find that the sign you pointed at was now closer. What was he going to do now that Hyperion's station is gone? Sure, technically he's still its president, but what does that matter if there is no place to work? No employees, no offices, no loaders. Nothing... what was he going to do now that his whole life's work was gone? 

          You paused on this thought as you approached the dirt covered sign. You squinted at it, as the words were barely readable thanks to the dirt. Jack walked closer and reached up, grunting as he wiped off the grime, revealing the words. 

          You read the sign for a second, considering which way was best to go. "The Dust seems like the closest place to here," you said as Jack stepped back from the sign and back beside you. 

          "The Dust?" He repeated you, looking to the sand dunes all around. "The location sure fits the name, I can't go five minutes without having to hack out sand from my mouth..." Jack grumbled, shaking off any sand left on his clothes from when you both were previously pushed to the ground by the debris. "Well.. I suppose it's better than a boatload of nothing around here, huh?" He gestured to the vast desert around you. "Where to?"

          "It says it's just up ahead," you read, looking past the sign and pointing toward the distant hills of sand. Jack looked ahead, squinting his eyes. 

          "Ah.... because that looks different..." he sighed, fixing the position of his rifle that was resting beside him. "Alright, I guess.. what other choice do we have, huh?" He said as he began walking ahead, looking back at you. You stepped forward to catch up and began walking beside him. 

          "So," he started, looking beside him to you, "what will we do once we reach the Dust?" 

          You took a moment to think of an answer, not meeting his eyes just yet. Finally, you turned to face him. "We'll go back home.. to Sanctuary. To my friends. And I'll turn you in to them." Jack's friendly expression faltered, staring at you for a moment as if waiting for you to say that you're joking.

          "Ah... you're serious." He said simply, his eyebrows narrowing. You stared back at him, almost taken aback by his reaction. Not because it was outrageous, but because it wasn't. 

          "What, no witty comeback?" You asked, raising an eyebrow at him. He didn't tear his eyes away from you, yet he didn't speak, either. This made you uncomfortable. 

          "Sorry.. I was just confused.. you just called those bandits your friends, right?" 

          "Vault Hunters, and yeah... why?" You asked, keeping an odd eye on him. He chuckled and turned away from your gaze, looking forward again. 

          "Well, didn't they just leave you to die on the station?" He asked you, "Like just before? You were there struggling to get out with me and they didn't send anyone in to save you or even wait for you to come out, did they?" That made you stop, frozen in your tracks. They didn't... 

          Jack stopped as well, looking back at you. "You can go ahead and continue to call them your friends, even bring me to where they all are, but you'll always know that when your life was on the line, they didn't give a rat's ass." You growled slightly at that last part, meeting his eyes now. "I mean," he chuckled, "how do you know if you can even trust them? They're no good bandits who left you to die." 

          "You're wrong." You blurted angrily, glaring at his eyes. He met yours with a smirk, perhaps finding pleasure in your anger and aggravated state. "They are my friends, they probably tried to save me but were under a time restraint... they miss me, and they'll be happy to have me back." You told him assuredly. His expression didn't change, as he probably figured that you weren't attempting to convince him - you were trying to convince yourself. He is wrong... isn't he?

          Jack, perhaps satisfied with your aggressive statement, raised his hands up in defeat. "Alright, you've made your point... just be cautious, is all I'm saying." He told you, continuing to walk ahead. You stayed there for a moment, hesitantly walking to and beside him, allowing him to continue to talk. "They just don't seem like the best people. Though, I'm probably not the best person to give out judgement like that, huh?" He chuckled, looking down at his hands as you both trudged through the dunes. "I know I'm not the best person... I mean, I'm great! But at the same time... I'm not morally right." You stared at him as he allowed himself to admit. "I'm not someone you would want to be friends with. I guess I'm an asshole, is what I'm trying to say. But, it takes one to know one, and I know a lot about those bandit buddies of yours," he advised, now meeting your gaze, "and I know that they can't be trusted." 

          After a few moments of letting what he said sink in, you nodded. "Alright..." you answered, not sure of what else to say. Jack nodded back to you the slightest bit, as if content with your meager response. He then turned forward again, returning to what you two had done when you started - walking in silence.

          In the silence, you considered what he said. What does he know about your friends? He sure seems to have a solid opinion of them... you wonder what their relationship was before he was "Handsome Jack." For all you know, he could be right - maybe they can't be trusted... it hurts you to even think about it. But Jack seemed so sure in what he was saying, it's hard not to consider the possibility that maybe - just maybe - they don't care as much about you as you think they do. And that hurts.