Soldiers For Life

Two: Welcome To The Crimson Raiders

~Axton~

I woke up to a pounding head and someone putting a cool wet thing to said pounding limb. 

" Morning, trooper. You damn near couldn't walk back last night." 

" Gaige, how did I manage to get back here?" 

" Juniper, the new recruit, she helped along with Maya to bring you back." 

Juniper was her name? That's rather pretty, to be quite honest. Gaige placed the cool rag back in the bowl of water she had, and gave me a small smile. I carefully sat up, and thankfully, didn't toss my cookies everywhere.  

" Where is she by the way?" 

" Which one, doof?" 

" Juniper.." 

" She's upstairs with Lilith and Morty. Tina is also here, so be ready." 

" Oh god, just what I need. Your girlfriend pestering me." 

" Oh shut up. You love Tina." 

" I do. Alright, let's face the day." 

" Dude, it's noon." 

" Well shit."

I got up, looked in the fragmented mirror of the bathroom, and washed the grime off me from the day before. I made my way upstairs, and was greeted by dodging a chair thrown by Lilith. 

" Listen! We can't go up from this side it's too exposed!" 

" Exactly! That's why Jack will never think to put security there!" 

" Ladies! Enough! I already have a headache, please, can we not add a chair related head injury to it!?"

Lilith gave me a sympathetic look, and sighed.

" Sorry, Axton. Alright, little miss Hyperion, why don't you explain to Axton just what the idea you are trying to push is."  

" Fine. There is a sheer cliff side to the side of where Jack is holding his catalyst for the Vault Key, if we climb it, instead of trying to fight our way up past his death wall and other shit, we might have a chance at slowing Jack way down." 

" Lil, she has a point. Why waste the ammo and the fucking health packs?"

" Because that's how Roland died! He climbed that cliff and fell thanks to a few fucking turrets. one got his shoulder and he fell. I am not losing any more people to that fucking cliff side!"

" Lilith, Roland didn't die on that cliff! I was with him. He was shot point blank in the head by a Badass Loader on a train heist. We didn't see it until too late. You are projecting and it's honestly hindering your ability to lead us all." 

" Lil, he's right. You need to go take five. Axton, you tell us where to go and how." 

Lilith left, and for the next few minutes, I talked with Juniper and Mordecai about the best ways to breach the BNK3R, and once we finally had a plan in place, we had to correspond it to what Juniper knew about Jack's scheduled. 

" The best time to strike will be in three days. He has to head back up onto Helios for a business meeting. If he's up on Helios he's going to have a harder time trying to stop us." 

" Perfect. In three days time, we'll strike and take out his catalyst." 

I looked over the newest addition, and thanks to Zed, she was getting stronger and healthier looking. Her hair was a shade of maroon you didn't find in nature, and her eyes were a piercing blue almost as if the Pandora sky lived there. She had changed into a mismatch of clothes we had left over, and honestly, the rough Pandorian look suited her. 

" What? Do I have something on my face?" 

" No, just taking in the view is all, sweetheart." 

" Listen, I just got out of a very intimate and personal relationship. I do not want to start in on the dating train again. Sorry, cowboy." 

" Oh no, it's fine. I get it. I got divorced not even a few months ago. I'm not serious about anything right now. Just giving a compliment." 

" Divorced? Is that the reason for the ring?" 

" Yeah." 

I fidget with the small gold band, the lone diamond winking at me with a mocking tone. I let the small trinket drop from my fingers, and I let out a very painful sigh. Juniper gave me a knowing look, one that understands the heartbreak. I watched as her right hand touched her left, and I noticed that there was a very obvious tan line on her ring finger.

" Believe me, with time, it hurts less. Trust me." 

" Oh god, do I hope so." 

I gave her a smile, and heard Brick coming up the stairs, and he places a Echo on the table. 

" Found this out in the Nexus. Listen to it." 

I hit play, and it was Jack's voice, as well as Juniper's, and her entire demeanor ran frigid and frozen. She looked extremely scared, and hurt.   

" Yo, June, how we doing on that whole plan to blow up Sanctuary?" 

" Jack, it can't be done. I've told you this. Between the shields and everything, it won't work. If moon shots don't work, what makes you think explosives will?"

" I don't know June, this is why I got you to do all of this! Out of all my soldiers you're the smartest, easily!" 

" Flattery won't get you what you want this time, Jack." 

" Really? Works most of the time." 

You can hear slight bit of laughter on Juniper's end before she speaks.

" Jack, just because you are my spouse to be doesn't mean you can just charm your way into my military strategy." 

" Oh come on, princess. Just try to figure it out?" 

" I already know that it won't work, so please, give it up." 

" Fine. Now, come with me." 

" Where to?" 

" It's a surprise you'll never wanna forget, babe."

The echo ends there, and Juniper looked terrified. 

" So that's how you know his schedule like you do. You were his bride."

" Yeah, and you wanna know what the surprise was? He brought me out into the Arid Nexus and left me there to die! All because he didn't get what he wanted! I was treated like second hand trash by the very man I called my soon to be husband! He ditched my ass the second I couldn't give him what he wanted." 

I watched her fall to her knees in tears, and I actually felt for the girl. No wonder she was so hellbent on killing him, on helping us. I walked over, and sat down next to her, letting her cry it out in my shoulder. 

" We'll make him bleed, I promise you that, darlin'."