Soldiers For Life

Eight: Tragedy And Loss

{Axton}

It's been roughly a year since Juniper told me we were having a son, and we all loved Xiper. He was just barely four months old, his head sporting a mix of honey gold and sandy blonde hair, his eyes were hetrochromic, so he had his left eye be pine green like mine, and his right eye be perfectly blue, like his Mommy's. He was always smiling, and when I had to leave, I'd make sure to echo them both when we got there, and when we left.  I was enjoying being a father, for the most part. Today was a sunny one, with the heat coming down hard like bullets. It was bright and perfect. I was in the Headquarters, fixing up Sweetheart and listening to Juniper cooing over Xiper. Maya and Gaige were constantly trying to help out, and they all took to call themselves either his 'aunt' or 'uncle'. Brick was the one to surprise us all with his gentle nature with Xiper, and how he loved to watch over him.   

" Hey Ax, I was wondering, do you want to go out for a picnic? Just the three of us?" 

" Whatever for and where?" 

" The Tundra Express. It's so pretty there,  and if you want, we can have Morty do sniper patrol. Keep the varkids and such away." 

" That actually doesn't sound too bad. I know a nice little farm out there we could go and sit. Sure, it's crawling with varkids, but name a part of it that area that isn't?" 

" Or we could go and hang at Tina's?"

" Tina would love to see Xiper. Sure, picnic at Tina's. Sounds fun."

" I'll get Xiper ready for the fast travel to the Tundra. You call ahead and let her know." 

{Handsome Jack}

I had intercepted a call between Axton and someone he called Tiny Tina, and mentioned he was coming to visit the Tundra Express with Juniper and Xiper. This was my chance and opening. I called for a car to be readied and for soldiers to be armed to the teeth. I know this Tina was an explosives expert. She's been a thorn in my shoe for years. I grabbed a pistol and made my way to the loading bay where the car was waiting, taking off for the Tundra Express as fast as I could.

{Axton}

We had just gotten to the Tundra Express, when loaders came from everywhere, as did soldiers and of course, Handsome Jack himself. 

" The fuck do you want?" 

Juniper was trying to hide behind me, keeping Xiper out of Jack's view at the same time. 

" Oh, just wanted to say hi to my ex-wife, oh and I'll be taking the baby." 

I pulled out my Vladof Assault Rifle, only to have a Hyperion pistol placed to Juniper's head by Jack. 

" You will give me the child, or I shoot her and your little friend Tina after I cripple you. Now hand him over." 

" June Bug, get out of here with Xi. Take him and go." 

" Axton, I can't risk it. We have to hand Xiper over. It's all we can do. I'm sorry, but it's his only chance to survive this." 

I tasted bile in my mouth as Juniper cautiously handed Jack our son, who held him just like I would. 

" Well, look at that, he even has my eyes, heh. It's gonna be perfectly easy from here. Now, Juniper, I know you and Axton here are gonna try to save him, so, let me give this as a warning." 

Jack shot Juniper, and everything slowed to a halt. In the time it took for me to turn and fire at Jack, he was gone, leaving me with a dead or dying wife, no son, and my paradise shattered. I rush to Juniper, and find it was direct to the head, her hair coated in shade of crimson I never wanted to see, her Pandora blue sky eyes were dull and lifeless, her skin growing cold. I held her close as I sobbed for my now missing and shattered family.

{Handsome Jack}

The baby was calm, collected, and overall happy. He didn't seem to know it was me who killed his mother, or that I had just stolen him from his father. He shared my gaze, his hair the same shade of blonde as his mother's. He was going to become my son, my special little bandit slayer and Vault Hunter destroyer. 

" I will call you Leon, for you will be my mighty lion, the lion of Hyperion." 

He gave a gurgled giggle and a toothless smile, and it reminded me of Angel, when I first held her. I knew she was living in Sanctuary, working with the tramp Moxxi at the bar for safety reasons. She and the other ladies of the Raiders were close friends. I won't fail this time. I won't let Leon fall like that. I will love this boy as if he were my own, raise him as if he were my own, and show him how Hyperion worked, and how to be the prince of such a legacy.

" I promise Leon, one day you'll destroy all of those bandits in Sanctuary, including the mutt who gave you life." 

Leon fell asleep, and I watched as the sun set on what I'd call a new chapter in my life.