Chapter Text
Chapter One: Let’s March Boys
Axton has been to many places in his life, seen all sorts of fucked up things and done a fair few more. But hands-down, the ultimate worst thing ever is to wake up and see a fucking CL4P-TP unit in a frozen fucking wasteland.
“Son of a skag-fucking bastard!” Axton yells as soon as he has enough oxygen in his lungs to do so, despite the fact that it makes him cough like he’d been punched in the throat. But well, surviving a twisted joke of a call-out, being tricked and lied to about treasure and fame, and having a train blow up when you’re still kind of on it, will drive a person to swearing a little bit.
Also CL4P-TP. That is always more than enough reason for swearing.
His words are snatched away by the howling wind of the arctic tundra they’ve ended up in and his struggles to even breathe in, the air is so cold.
When one of the other Vault Hunters - the dangerously thin looking and helmet wearing Zer0 offers Axton a hand up, he takes it.
The Commando staggers to his feet and shudders and the pins-and-needles settle into his hands as blood starts to sluggishly flow into them again.The assassin's hand are shaking slightly as Axton squeezes them once in thanks before managing a smile.
“Well my chevron hurts like good god-damn because it’s fucking brass moneys out here, but other than that I’m peaches. How’re you holding up?” He taps the metal in his head twice with a ‘what can you do?’ sort of smile.
A slightly flickering smiley face appears in front of the helmet which makes Axton laugh quietly. The Assassin looks like he won’t do well in the cold; not enough meat on his bones to keep him warm, but at least all of his extremities are covered.
Axton really wishes he had some gloves. He untucks his rolled up sleeves and tugs them down as far as they go and flexes his hands stiffly. The movement makes him wince, which fucking hurts in it’s own right because it makes his face contorts around the metal imbedded in his forehead; a burning that feels like the skin around the metal is melting.
The other Vault Hunters have been roused by CL4P-TP and Axton really didn’t expect them all to survive because there had been a lot of explosives in the train and a lot of people without shields.
‘Note to self; punch the next person who says “You won’t need a shield” in the face. With a shield unit. ’ Axton thinks as he casts around in the snow, hoping one of the bodies will have something salvageable.
He comes up short and the only saving grace (because fuck his life) is that CL4P-TP has an ECHO unit and a place to stay.
Joy.
Axton has seen a lot in his short and bloody life; from military life to becoming a bandit mercenary and then this shit-show. He never really wanted to be a Vault Hunter, because it sounds fun and all but number 1 on the list of things Not To Do, is ‘Piss off Handsome Jack’, and becoming a Vault Hunter is pretty much the easiest way to do that.
“‘Take the job’ he said. ‘It’ll be fun’ he said.” Axton mutters as he trudges behind the robot, shoulders hunched over in a futile attempt to retain some warmth. The clacking of his teeth as he shivers sends him into silence as he continues to rant in his mind. ‘What could you wrong when you work for a man who has, just a few days ago said “I am almost certainly positive that you’ll survive. Like, 60-ish percent. Rounded up. From 48 percent. Which was kind of generous now that I think about it Kiddo”. But hey whatever gets me my pay-cheque. ’
Being forced to follow the most annoying robot on all of the planets is possibly the worst start to a day that he has ever had.
Admittedly, the walk to CL4P-TP’s place isn’t the hardest, and even though it’s a hell-hole of a place to live, anything is better than being stuck in the freezing wind.
Just when Axton thinks they might be able to start a fire and leech some of the ice from their blood, the whole crappy place shakes and the largest Bullymong Axton has seen swings into view.
It can’t be proven, but Axton is pretty sure no one really feels bad for the CL4P-TP. In fact, he is pretty sure that given a bit more time, he could convince them to just leave the useless hunk of junk behind, but the Gunzerker seems to have taken a kind sort of pity on the machine and Axton doesn’t want to make waves in the group.
When the whole KunckDragger - CL4P-TP eye fiasco is finally dealt with (dealt with being a loose summation because the stupid robot is still alive and now even more annoying than ever) and Axton really thinks the other Vault Hunters might come around to his suggestions of putting the robot down for the greater good of their own sanity.
Especially when CL4P-TP can’t open the door that blocks their way to Liarsberg. Zer0 flicks his sword and Axton smiles at the assassin, spinning his axe in agreement.
“Are we sure there’s no way around it?” Maya asks, but Axton hears the beep that signifies an incoming ECHO on his private line.
He unobtrusively moves away from the others just in time to hear, “Wow Pumpkin. I leave you alone for half a day and you already need my help? That’s kind of pathetic.”
Axton frowns in annoyance, but before he can respond, Handsome Jack continues, “Well never let it be said I’m not generous. Angel! Open the door for Axton and his new friends!”
“Let me get that for you.” The woman’s voice that comes from the panel makes them all turn to stare as the door opens.
Angel continues to talk, but Axton focuses on Jack who has started speaking again, “Now get going Axton. And remember, keep me in the loop Kiddo; a lot is resting on you fooling these idiots.”
After Jack disconnects, Angel says softly on the same private line, “Jack has eyes on you and I will do as much as possible, but you’re on your own mostly.”
Axton lefts the others go ahead in front of him, so that he can raise two fingers in a mock salute. As he follows his new companions, the Commando begins to sing.
“Let’s March boys,
Let’s March boys …”
-
The ship finally docks (read: crashes against land and CL4P-TP declares a perfect docking) and Axton has never been more happy to get away from the robot.
That's not to say that he hasn't enjoyed his time getting to know the other Vault Hunters on the journey.
Salvador got terribly seasick and moaned about how he was a desert person, not a sea and ice person.
Maya on the other hand absolutely loved the colder temperatures, once she had re-appropriated some gear to stave off the cold a bit better. Axton had given her his jacket because he had a frost shield and knew from experience that while not the best solution, it would keep him from freezing to death.
Zer0 was surprisingly sluggish for the journey. Axton couldn't decide if it was because machines really don't do well in the cold or if it was because really thin people don't do well in the cold. Either way, Axton thought that the sooner they got away from snow and ice the better.
The four of them have been living in close quarters for a while now and nothing forms bonds quite like living together (and a mutual hatred of CL4P-TP). Still Axton can't help but miss having his own space to just talk to his friends; something he really really can't do in front of this lot. Getting to know people doesn't mean trusting them. That and his friends are either A) a secret, or B) infamous as fuck and just knowing her is shady as good-goddamn.
Of course as soon as they get onto land what happens?
Roland, the fearsome, brave and strong leader of the Crimson Raiders gets kidnapped.
Axton can just hear Nisha laughing at him from Lynchwood, can feel Angel's sympathy and can hear the glee in Jack's voice as he preaches about how he's making the world a better place (lies all lies he's just waiting to burn the world and raise his image from the ashes).
Axton rather pointedly doesn't think about how he ended up running around trying to save the leader of the people he's trying to destroy because he made peace with his choices in life about so many years ago. That and he is firmly in the belief that "Fuckit I'm gunna do it anyway" is normally the best choice/answer in any situation.
-
They've set up camp for the night in a bandit outpost they've cleared out in the Frozen Wastes and Salvador is on first watch, so Axton takes this opportunity to put enough distance between himself and the others that he can open an ECHO link.
Before he can get any further than taking a deep breath, Jack speaks.
"I swear to god Kiddo you want to think really fucking carefully about it what comes out of your mouth. "
Axton pauses, nods, thinks 'Fuckit I'm gunna do it anyway' and starts to sing.
"There’s a woman in the house with a voice so sweet
that it soothes the sleeping demon beneath her feet... "
Jack sighs like he is painfully disappointed by Axton's existence, "You are the worst fucking person I know which is saying a lot. I own Hyperion. I've spent time with Nakamura."
"Ouch." Axton clutches his chest like the words wounded him "So mean Jack."
"Well now Pumpkin, I know that my voice is irresistible, but was there actually a reason for this little tête -à- tête ?"
"You know the Bloodshots have him."
"And if they kill him then you'll still be let in because you tried so hard to save him and everyone loves a martyr."
"... You gotta be dead to be a martyr."
"Well maybe we'll be lucky and you'll finally kick it."
"Wow. That's not childish at all. Back me up Angel."
There is a muffled snort of laughter from the teenager, "Ah, no I am not getting in the way of your squab - uh argument!"
She has to almost yell the last word as Jack makes a loud disapproving noise and Axton chokes on his own laughter.
"Well. Nice to know my loyal employees are so respectful. " Jack makes a show of sounding offended.
Axton laughs harder, but manages to gasp "The fuck - we ain't your employees. You don't even pay us!"
Jack makes and even louder noise of indignation and Angel actually laughs. It's a sound they don't hear that often these days.
That thought sobers Axton and the smile falls from his face. He can't remember the last the three of them laughed and joked together. He can't even remember the last time they had ECHOed so many times in so few days.
While he'd been enlisted their contact had been much more sporadic; maybe once a month at best and even then just snatches of a conversation.
No, it wasn't until his rather unexpected departure from the military that he started to spend more time with them again.
Angel mutters something about sleep and clicks off the line, leaving Axton and Jack in silence.
Axton doesn't mind.
He leans back on the roof he'd made his way on top of, bracing his arms against the metal so that he can stare up at the sky. He can't avoid seeing Helios in orbit and wonders where Jack is. Is still working in his office as time has no meaning in space and he loves standing in front of the massive windows, observing the planet he sees as his? Or is he resting in his lavish quarters, stretched out across one of the supple leather sofas, wine glass in one hand, glasses perched on his his nose as he reads a report and lazily track's Axton's progress?
Axton sighs. "Gotta go and break bread with the enemy. Night Jack."
"Don't - " the word sounds rushed, unusual for Jack's normally composed taunting, "Don't go getting attached. Joke all you want about your fucking pay but you - you are mine."
Axton laughs, a harsh mockery of the previous amusement. "Never been anything else, huh?"
He disconnects the call, closes his eyes and sighs deeply. Then he shakes himself and clambers down to join the others.
-
(Then)
Axton and Angel met each other properly on her 15th birthday.
Technically he’s known her since birth, but he hadn’t seen her since her second birthday and he didn’t think she even remembered him as she never appeared in any of the ECHO messages since.
It was just past mid-morning and Axton had managed to drag himself out of his hotel room in Concordia. He had maybe 7 hours before the shuttle was scheduled to take him up to the giant (and kind of garish) Helios space station, which was just enough time to get seriously fucked up on some Elpis special brew.
Axton wanted to get past the ‘fuck my marriage ended what the fuck’ stage, and get into the ‘fuck everything and fuck everything’ stage.
His heart was doing its best to repair itself by patching itself back together with alcohol. At 21 he had been married for three years and then in one conversation divorced, court martialed, dishonourably discharged and advised to go AWOL. He’d consider it quite a feat if he wasn’t so stupidly heartbroken.
He had the ring in his hand, staring at it as he thought about just throwing it off the roof of the station, when a crying teenager ECHOed him.
“Dad says I can’t stay here any longer,” She hiccuped the words over the Echo and Axton froze, “I’m not even supposed to call him Dad anymore and I just can’t - “
“Um.” Axton blinked and looked down at the Rakk-ale bottle, then to the ring in his hand. He slipped the chain back around his neck and took a swig, “What?”
“Supposed to call him Sir.” Her voice wavered again and she sobbed “It’s my birthday and all he cares about are the stupid Vaults!”
Axton’s nails dug into his palm and he spits “The fuck did Jack do? Angel what’s wrong?”
Angel didn’t respond, she only sobbed harder
He took a long breath and sighed it out before saying in a gentle voice, “Happy birthday Angel.”
It was the wrong/right thing to say; her breath hitched again and she started crying even harder but he could hear the whispered “Thank you.”
“Angel, not that I um. I don’t want to be rude but uh. Why’d you call me?” He’d heard a lot about her from Jack, but never really talked all too much with her. He hadn’t ever really felt he was great with kids and he’d missed so much of her life being on deployment that he didn’t know where he stood with her.
After a few moments where the teen got her crying under control, she managed to hiccup out, “D-ad always talks about how you’re so courageous and you’re a soldier and I thought that if anyone could -” Her voice broke and she continued in a barely held together rush “help me it would be you because Dad always forgives you!”
He didn’t have a response to that. He stared at the duffle bag that contained his entire worldly possessions and swore again. “I don’t even know where you are.”
The hopeful thread to her voice was his undoing, “I… Knew you were in Concordia so I...” The ECHO cut out and there was a timid knock to his hotel room door.
Angel, standing outside his room began to cry in earnest and to his horror Axton heard her repeat “I’m sorry” over and over as she tried to cover her face with her hands.
He didn’t need to think very hard about grabbing her into a hug, “Ah fuck don’t cry. Look it’s your birthday right? Surely we can go do something to make you smile a bit an’ then figure this whole shit with Jack out tomorrow or something.”
“Really? Y-you’re not taking me back?”
He moved away so that she could see the truth on his face when he said, “Angel when I was your age I was able to join Dhal and kill people. You wan'ing to stay in a city with me for a couple of days ain’t exactly breaking a law.”
“I just thought that - what with my Dad being your friend…”
Axton laughed, “Yeah he’s my friend. That’s why I know he’s a fucking asshole sometimes.”
Angel wiped the last of the tears from her eyes and managed a shaky smile.
“But. You gotta ECHO him and let him know you’re safe. Don’t gotta say where you are - just that you’ll ECHO every day ‘till you go back.”
“Deal.”
“Then you and me Angel - let’s go have some fun!”
[Chapter One End]
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'Let's March Boys' by Graveyard Train can be found here!