victory_road | 1st Match // [video | action] New Bark Town

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1st Match // [video | action] New Bark Town

[The video feed starts off with an eye.

Just one, surrounded by what looks like a mask. After a moment, the eye pulls away and the rest of the mask, which completely covers the owner's face minus the one eye, is revealed.

The voice underneath the mask is guttural and growling, but perfectly audible despite the barrier.]

Mother said to have fun and be careful.

[He rolls his eye and grumbles a bit, quietly at first but quickly growing louder. As he speaks he changes from his indoor voice to his outdoor voice, barking out the words louder and louder as he brings the camera close to his face again:]

How can I HAVE FUN WITHOUT MY AXE!??

[Somebody mad.]

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[She raises her left arm - the armor piece is still there, but it's very clearly missing Aspis.]

No shield. I'm as pissed about it as you are.

[He growls wordlessly and fidgets in response for several moments. He's transitioning uncomfortably from mild confusion at his new, unexpected situation to active dislike - and anger, of course, always with the anger. There's nowhere to direct it, though, at least not anywhere within punching distance, and that just makes him fidget more, gaze wandering down and away from the video feed.]

Strip the flesh, salt the wound...

[He mutters it to himself, as if the sound of his own voice will help him process. It doesn't, not really, but the growl in his throat is comforting as it drowns out the echos in his brain.

He'd always liked Athena, had thought Lilith had been too hard on her, especially as her story neared its end. He understands making mistakes, and the drive to survive, and yeah, getting paid is something he knows all about, too, running missions out of Sanctuary and working with his team to stop Handsome Jack from beating them to their goal. So she'd worked for Jack for a little while. She knows what a stupid error that was, now. Why beat her up for it when she can do it on her own?

And his team isn't here, so...

Ease up there, buddy. Don't bust a vessel.

He looks back up at her, leaning forward towards the device again, but not obnoxiously close (probably). He pounds his own chest with one heavy fist.]

MEAT SHIELD SUBSTITUTE!

Fists and nails still work.

[He can totally eviscerate someone with his fingers, if need be, NBD.]

[God, it's... weird. She has to keep reminding herself that this is a Vault Hunter. That they're apparently supposed to be preparing for some war, so that... technically makes him an ally? She's got nothing against him, of course, and she could honestly give him a bit of respect for being part of the group that actually killed Jack, but...

Screams like that, the moment she heard them, she'd be reaching for one of her guns, for a grenade or Xiphos, any weapon. She was so used to killing psychos on sight that her hand actually twitches when he screams. But no... she can control herself. She's good.]

Yeah, no, that won't work either. This is a full planet of pacifists, apparently, so fighting is a no-go.

[Again, she sounds pretty bitter.]

If you found a red and white ball, toss it. Not... like a grenade. But if you throw it, a monster will come out of it. Don't kill it, because that's what we're supposed to use to defend ourselves here.

BOOOOORING.

[He rolls his eye, and his head rolls with it to fully express the extent of his exasperation. No fighting? What do people even do with themselves all day?

He tilts his head curiously and blinks at her next piece of advice, though.]

Tossed the ball, kept the chicken.

[He's not gonna hurt it, gosh!!! Do you think he's some kind of monster?

...okay, fair point. But still!]

[LOOK they're all used to Pandoran wildlife. Psycho or not she was gunna throw that warning out there anyway.]

Oh yeah, definitely boring. There's nothing worse than a place where you can't take care of things yourself.

[It feels like an insult, relying on an animal to do her fighting for her. She takes great pride in the abilities she honed as an ex-Lance Assassin turned merc turned.... whatever she is now, so it's hard to just give all of that up.]

... Right. Can't say I was expecting that.

[She was expecting something more.... vicious-looking. To suit him, at least.]

It breathes FIRE!

[Or. Well, it spits embers. It's still flippin' awesome, though!

And it's as cute as a little button. See, here it is! One little Torchic face peeking into the feed and giving a friendly little chirp! when it sees Athena.]

Too small to fight, too soft. Shouldn't have to! I already know how.

[He's with you on the whole "animals doing the fighting is BS" thing, Athena, although it seems for possibly slightly different reasons.]

[... She's not sure if she's ever seen a psycho hold something that tiny and not threatening without crushing it in one hand. It's... certainly an interesting image.]

I understand. I'm not opposed to teaming up with others when I need to fight, but things like these creatures... [She shakes her head. Ridiculous.] They get stronger, though, if you let them fight. They grow, sometimes into bigger and badder monsters. I doubt that little thing will stay like that for long if you let him fight.

[Yeah, she's been doing her homework on this place. It works so differently from any planet she's ever been on, so she'd be stupid not to.]

[Just wait until you see him in person with the little bird riding on his head, Athena. Just wait.]

Hmmm...

[He mumbles and grumbles thoughtfully and quietly to himself as he turns his gaze from Athena to the small bird in his hand. The idea of his little buddy getting stronger as it grows up is appealing, but he doesn't want to risk it getting hurt fighting other Pokemon in order to do so.

'Tis a conundrum.

Eventually, he remembers he was talking to Athena, and looks back up at her.]

Where are the others?

[He means the other Vault Hunters, but since he failed to specify, Athena's free to interpret that as she wills.]

Back on Pandora, probably. There's nobody you would know here.

[... you know he'll probably make himself known soon, so what's the point in hiding it.]

Except Handsome Jack.

[All alone again. Great.

And.

What.

Athena doesn't have a funny bone in her body. She is the last person he would expect to go around making a joke like that.

He leans in real close to the device again.]

Wrong wrong WRONG!! Spat on his corpse and used his mask for TOILET PAPER!!

[HOW?]

Not wrong. He's here, and I've talked to him several times.

[... athena knows that psychos have a very... colorful language... but god. the chance of that happening is enough to make even her crack a smile.

BUT WAIT she can't get caught on that. There's something else, before he goes completely off...]

There's also another man here. A doppleganger of Jack. [Her voice drops to a low, dangerous tone. She's not necessarily threatening him, but she wants to make it clear that she means business.] Don't even lay a finger on him, understand? He's one of us. The one I traveled with.

[Oh, it happened, Athena. You can smile all you like, because Handsome Jack Face TP is fact.]

Gnghhnghhh...!!

[He has no reason to disbelieve her, and he grumbles angrily and drops his gaze as he tries and fails to come to terms with that information. So it takes him a few moments to react to her next statement, twitching his head back up and refocusing his eye on her, first wide, then narrow.]

Burn the original, keep the copy?

Exactly.

[Good. As long as they're clear on this situation.]

There area few others here. A couple of ex-Hyperions. [Emphasis on the ex. Her voice isn't as deadly as it was previously, but she makes it clear that they're not to be messed with either.] And a new Vault Hunter. I trained her myself.

No skags, no psychos, no loaders, only soft animals and soft people - nothing to maim, no one to kill.

[He's not going to attack anyone unless they attack him first. He sits up straight, popping his spine, and rolls his shoulders.]

Just Jack.

[Oh boy, is he gonna kill the stuffing out of Jack.]

Precisely.

... Apparently they have a competent police force on this planet. Not that that's ever stopped anyone before, but. That might put a wrench in any ideas you might be brewing in your head.

[Honestly, the idea of a police force actually doing their job is probably one of the weirdest things about this planet.]

[He shakes his head at that, and laughs - no, no, that does not put a single wrench in any of his ideas.]

Mnghahahahhaha! Sounds like a challenge!

A challenge that might actually be a challenge. From what I've been told, the police are actually a forced to be reckoned with on this planet.

[It's not even a warning; Athena just sounds amused. Who on Pandora has even heard of such a thing? Hell, even the Edens have shitty police!]

[He hasn't been here for very long, admittedly - a few hours, tops - but he's already drawing a few conclusions about this place, himself.]

Compared to what? A box of kittens?

[He'll believe in a competent police force when he sees one. And he doubts he will.]

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1st Match // [video | action] New Bark Town

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