|NOTES: This is my first fic I'm writing, so I apologize about any typos and grammar errors ^^; This is going to be loosely based off Borderlands 2, but I've made some changes of course. The biggest change is I've made Gaige 20, simply for my preference over her being 18. My roommate and I have been playing borderlands 2 for quite some time now as Gaige and Krieg and some things that happen will be based off our stupid little laughs and headcanons. Feel free to leave comments and such and I hope y'all enjoy!|

"I SAID I was told to come here! Now if you don't let me in, i'm going to personally strangle you with my bare hands!" Gaige and the guards of Sanctuary had been arguing back and forth for the past at least fifteen minutes, and she was beginning to become irritated. A light tinge of regret tugged at the back of her mind. Maybe it wasn't a good idea for her to answer that ad after all. A few days ago, while the small redhead was looking for a new job that interested her, a 'vault hunter search' had came across her Echo, and even though she had finally managed to settle into a home, she answered it. The payout sounded promising as well as the guns and not to mention the bragging rights to being able to say she killed off Handsome Jack. So she responded to the woman named Tannis and set out the next morning, armed and ready. However , it was already off to a rough start and over the span of another five minutes, Gaige was screaming at both guards and about to start wrestling with one, before a woman with pixie cut black hair appeared at the top of the watch tower. "Let her in. She's the other vault hunter I told you about." Then, just as quickly as she had appeared, she was gone. Grumbling angrily, Gaige walked into the now open gates as the guards apologized.

Gaige huffed as she trudged along the streets of Sanctuary. In her mecha hand loosely hung a large backpack filled with a few things, but mostly ammo and grenades, in her flesh one, her echo. She could feel people staring at her as she walked, but it didn't bother her much. The young girl had come to accept the fact that seeing a twenty year old girl who stood no more than 5'3" with a sniper rifle that almost rivaled her height and a rocket launcher that almost rivaled her weight could be a strange sight. She just thought it made her look tough. Having been on her own for the past two years, the weight of her weaponry had become almost a part of her and bored no significant barrier. Her sneaker clad feet drug along the ground as she mouthed the Echo coordinates silently to herself. To say it had been a long journey would be an understatement. From having to leave home and hunt down the nearest fast travel, which was a good several miles away, to almost killing off the guards before they realized who she was and allowed her into Sanctuary, she had to admit she just wanted to rest.

"Here are the coordinates to your temporary living arrangements. There, you will find your partner for this fight as well as a home prepared to the best of our abilities. I'll more then likely be running a little late, so let yourself in and make yourself at home. I'll be there shortly after the guards alert me of your arrival to brief you on what you're signing up for." Tannis' message replayed on Gaige's Echo as she stopped at the metal door to her new home. Tucking the small device into the side pouch of her backpack, she turned the doorknob and took half a step in.

The house wasn't anything fancy, but it was decent. A couch sat in the middle of the living room, a bookshelf half filled with books and decor as well as a radio on a coffee table joining it. Off to the left was a kitchen separated by a bar and straight ahead was a hall with what looked like three doors. Shrugging, she took a couple more steps in only to be greeted by a rather large and muscular hand grabbing bruisingly at her throat. The suddenness didn't give her any time to react, her ammo thudding to the ground as her feet left the floor. With a grunt, Gaige's flesh hand grabbed for her Torgue pistol as her mecha one grabbed roughly at her attacker's wrist, her back now pressed into the wall. "Let me go!" She managed to choke out around her gasps for air. Raising the gun, she took a look at her attacker. A psycho mask was strapped firmly to his face, only revealing a shaved head and single brown eye behind it. His arms were rather large and muscular, covered with straps and crude bandages. Orange pants hung low on his hips as he growled something about blood and was that an eight pack? Was that even possible? Not that that debate was an important matter at the time. Her cold, mechanical fingers dug harder into his skin, though it didn't seem to phase him in the slightest, and with almost a foot advantage over her, Gaige could tell she wasn't exactly in the favorable position here. How the hell did a psycho make it in here? Just as she was about to pull the trigger, Tannis stepped into the home, arms crossed.

"I swear, all you vault hunters are the fucking same. Can't leave you alone for five minutes before you're trying to kill each other. That's your partner, now I recommend you two kiss and make up and cut your shit out or else we're all good as dead." The psycho, who she could only assume was her wonderful new partner, dropped her without warning. As air flooded her lungs, Gaige fell flat on her bottom, her flesh hand moving to rub the bruising skin around her neck. "What do you mean partner? He's a fucking psycho, that's not exactly partner material." The redhead immediately began to argue as the man went to perch himself on the armrest of the couch. "Gaige, he's different. There's more to him than meets the eye. He saved Maya and has only been help ever since. You just have to trust him." Tannis tried to explain, but her words fell on deaf ears. "Trust? I trust him about as far as I can throw him!"

"This conversation is over, Gaige. Either you accept working with him, or leave and i'll find someone else." Gaige fell silent and she simply stared at the other woman. "Now this is where you two will be staying while in town. Rest tonight and be prepared to begin your journey tomorrow. This isn't going to be easy and I can't promise that you, or any of us for that matter, will come out alive and whole. This is what you're signing up for. Both of you understand this and accept this. If you do not, then I expect you to leave now." She paused and when neither of them left, she nodded. "Good. Now get to know each other, we need you two to get along as well as possible or else this whole effort is a waist. Learn to play nice." Gaige finally stood, lifting up her bag with ease. "What's his name? I can't talk to him if I don't know that." Tannis let out a soft laugh. "That's where your bonding begins. He's not a man of many words, but get him to tell you that and it won't be a bad time spent together. Sort of at least. I'll be here tomorrow morning around seven to introduce you to the others and we'll go from there. The kitchen is fully stocked for you two. Bathroom is down the hall, along with the bedrooms. Get a good night's rest. It might be the last good one you get for a while." With that said, she turned on her heel and began to walk out only to pause and turn back to the younger girl. "Gaige, by the way, I better not see any Deathtrap accidents with him. Make sure he knows he isn't hostile." Gaige clenched her jaw. "As long as he doesn't hurt me, there won't be any problems." Tannis simply gave her a stern look before finally leaving. Well wasn't this just great? Stuck on a life or death mission with an unnamed psycho as a partner and a leader with no people skills. This already had a promising start.

Glaring over at her partner, Gaige drug her ammo bag over to the nearest room before kicking the door open with a nudge of her foot. It was a good sized room, a large bed in the center. Setting her bag down on the bed, Gaige began to remove her weapons from her back. Gently, she sat her entire collection down, only keeping a pistol at her hip. This place was supposed to be safe, a pistol should've been more than enough. Besides, she always had Death Trap too. With a sigh, she turned to head back to the living room. Tannis was right and she had to at least try to get along with him or else she was good as dead out there against Hyperion and Jack. "Hey there, buddy. Name's Gaige and you arrrreeeee-?" She offered him her flesh hand for a shake, but he simply responded with staring at her. It was a few more moments of silence before she finally pulled her hand back. "Well, talkative aren't we?" Her voice was sarcastically perky as she moved to sit on the opposite end of the couch. She waited patiently for him to speak up, but he never did. Sighing, her fingers began to mess with one of her pigtails. "Where you from? I'm from Eden-5. Kind of. I don't live there anymore, I live alone now in the middle of nowhere ish." By answering her own question, she hoped it would prompt him to speak up, but a grunt was his only response. This was going to be harder than she thought.

After an hour or so of questions and silence, the redhead finally gave up. It was pointless to try and get more than a few grunts as response and the occasional comment that made no sense whatsoever and was related to gore in some fashion. Fully frustrated, she kicked up from the couch, smoothing out her skirt. "As much as I LOVED that conversation, I'm going out for some fresh air." When there was a no longer surprising silence following her words, she simply walked outside. The sun was slowly beginning to sink out of sight, casting a pink and yellow glow around the buildings. Walking further into the town, she looked around at all the buildings. They looked alike for the most part, pieced together homes for the residents that managed to make it in. However, one building stood out among the others. It had double doors and a large neon sign attached to the wall that read 'Moxxi's'. Loud music blared through the open doors and she had to admit, she was curious.

Wandering inside, she looked around. There were several tables inside, some empty, others with occupants. A bar took up the back wall, a woman standing behind it, preoccupied with wiping down some glasses. She wore a lot of makeup and showed a bit too much cleavage, but she somehow made it work. The woman looked up and tilted her head. "Welcome to Moxxi's, I'm Moxxi. I haven't seen you around here before, sugar. You must be one of the vault hunters." Somehow every word Moxxi spoke was sultry and seductive. Arching a brow, Gaige made her way up to the bar. "You would be correct. Name's Gaige." She hoisted herself onto a barstool, her feet dangling just a few inches off the ground. "Pleasure to meet you." She began to prepare some mystery drink. "You look a bit young to be a vault hunter." If she had a dollar for every time she heard that. "My age doesn't mean I'm not just as good as the others. I've held my own for this long and I can promise my kill count is close to, if not surpassing the others." Moxxi let out a soft chuckle, placing the drink in front of the younger girl. "I never said that you weren't as good as the others. Just making an observation. It's interesting to see someone your age be as skilled as you are." Looking inside the glass as Moxxi spoke, Gaige took a small drink. "It's fun, what can I say?"

"I can only imagine how your life is, kid. Out there on your own with a killer robot attached to your hip." Gaige laughed softly. "It's a living. I do work for hire. Don't care who or what, just as long as the payout is good. I've had my fair share of close calls, but nothing too bad." Swishing around the drink in the glass, Gaige gave a nonchalant shrug. "But that's all about to change. Now I'm in a battle against Hyperion and Handsome Jack and my close calls might be just enough to end it all. Whether it be me or him, who knows.." Her words trailed off as she took another drink. She didn't want to think of that. Not right now. Moxxi simply pressed her lips together, feeling sympathy for the younger girl. Being chased off from home as a fugitive at eighteen and having to make it on your own ever since? That wasn't much of a life. "Well, If you ever need anything, I'm here for you." Looking up, the two exchanged a smile. "Including drinks. Don't worry about paying here." Gaige picked up her glass and hopped off the barstool. "That means a lot. Thanks, Moxxi." With that said, she trudged to a table near the largest window, watching the outside world. It was so calm, but she knew it was just the calm before the storm to come. A hurricane of a storm.

While lost in her thoughts someone rudely bumped into her, nearly sending the redhead to the ground as her drink did. "Hey!" She shouted angrily, turning to see a rather drunken man plopping down beside her. "Hi there to you too, gorgeous." He smiled. "You made me spill my drink and you smell like a beer bottle." She scooted her stool away from him. "Now that's no way to talk to someone who's flirting." He chastised her like a child and her anger began to boil. "Well I'm not interested." Moxxi looked up from the bar, watching the two interact. "Well I am, kitten." He purred. That was it. Reaching for her gun, it was a shock when she felt nothing there. "Looking for this?" He smirked, holding up the pistol. He must've taken it when he bumped into her. "You piece of shit. I'm going to kill you!" She balled her hand into a fist, but before she could even swing, the gun was pressed to her chest. "Nah. I think I have the upper hand here." Gaige froze. While she was fast and her mechanical arm could do some good damage, she knew a bullet was faster and much more deadly.

"Good girl. Now how about we go to my place?" Gaige clenched her jaw tightly "I'd much sooner kill myself then go anywhere with you." Her eyes scanned over to Moxxi, hoping for some kind of help, only to find her simply wiping the bar down as she watched. Great, so much for back up. Right as she was about to take her chances and start swinging at the older man, he was suddenly lifted out his seat by the back of his collar. "LEAVE GIRL ALONE!" Gaige's partner was standing behind the unsuspecting man, easily holding him at least half a foot off the floor. The man was caught off guard, letting Gaige's pistol clatter to the floor. "Look man, I wasn't looking for trouble- I- I just wa-" Before he could finish, the large Psycho screamed once about blood before very easily tossing him out the nearby window, causing glass to come raining down both inside and out. Gaige simply sat in her stool, watching as the scene unfolded. "Dude, that was awesome! Thanks-" she paused realizing she still didn't know his name. "Krieg." His name left his lips as they looked at each other. "Krieg. Thanks, Krieg. You really saved me there. I owe you one, big guy." Without thinking, she jumped up and wrapped her arms around the large man. He tensed up immediately under her touch and began to try and pry her arms away.

Sensing just how awkward and uncomfortable it all was, Gaige quickly let him go. Clearing her throat, the redhead glanced at her forgotten glass on the ground. "Yea, um I'm gonna go grab another drink. Want one?" When there was no response outside a blank stare, she took that as a no and quickly made her way up to the bar. "Thanks for the help." Gaige's words dripped with sarcasm as she hopped up onto a barstool. Moxxi let out a sultry chuckle, washing a couple glasses before setting a new one aside. "I knew you would be fine, sugar. I was going to intervene, but I saw big guy there outside the window and knew he would take care of it." Grabbing a couple bottles of liquor, she began to mix the ingredients expertly in the glass. Tracing the patterns of the wood with her cold, metal fingers, the younger girl propped her chin up in the palm of her much warmer, flesh one. Sensing the other girl falling victim to her thoughts, Moxxi spoke. "Krieg, huh? I didn't know he was your partner for all this. Interesting choice of you ask me." Gaige sighed. "I wish they would've told me. I can't believe they chose a Psycho to join me. Why couldn't they have chose Axton or Maya? Someone we know we can trust."

"Sweetheart, let me let you in on a little secret. Krieg is a great guy and deserves as much of a chance as you do. He's just misunderstood. An underdog, much like yourself. People simply look at the two of you, whether it be your age or size or the fact of what he is, and count you out before you're even in. They chose you two, because individually you are both very strong and powerful people. Together, imagine what you can do. Sure, he has his quirks, but you do too. We all do." Taking several small sips, Gaige looked up at her. "I guess you're right. I'm just- I don't know. I'm- I guess nervous? I've never been involved in something this big." Moxxi let out a soft laugh. "It's understandable to be nervous, but don't let it knock you out before you're even in. Just remember that." Before anything else could be said, krieg interrupted with a loud shout about bathing in blood before smashing a barstool against a wall. Then, as if nothing happened, he sat on another. Cringing, Gaige hopped off her seat. "Guess I should join him."

Drink in hand, the small girl took a seat across from the larger man, pulling her echo to her. "Girl's gun." Krieg picked up the once forgotten pistol from the floor, looking it over. Almost curiously, his fingers brushed over the large G engraved crudely in the paint. "Oh, yes. That's mine. Thanks." She carefully took it from him, reholstering it to her hip. Krieg watched her movements, but didn't say anything else. Accepting his silence, she knew she would probably be the one to do the most talking during their time together, not that she really minded. Going through the echonet, Gaige sipped at her drink throughout the evening, not quite realizing the time as it passed. Eleven thirty was slowly creeping up when Krieg stood up abruptly. "Home." It wasn't until she heard him speak that she finally looked up and realized that the sun had finally disappeared and the moon hung high in the sky. "Yea. That's probably a good idea, big guy." Taking her empty glass up to the bar, she gave a nervous smile to Moxxi. "I guess we should probably turn in for the night. Long day ahead of us tomorrow. Might be the last good night's sleep we get for a while." The older woman smiled gently, taking the dirty glass. "It'll be okay, sugar. Try not to think about it. I'll see you in the morning, seven am sharp."

"Wait, you're coming too?" Gaige looked at her confused. "Yes, I am. Jack and I had a little history together. I know a lot about him as a person that no one else has ever seen. Tannis thinks that what I know will help us have at least a smidge of an advantage." The redhead nodded. "Makes sense. I'll see you in the morning." Running off to Krieg's side, she stayed close to him as they walked in silence to their temporary home. Once inside and the door locked, the Psycho simply said 'sleep' before disappearing in his own room, slamming the door shut. "Doubt I can…" Gaige mumbled to herself before going to her own room. Grabbing a shirt and some clean clothes from her backpack, the small girl went to take a long shower in hopes of helping calm her nerves. Besides, who knew when she would have the next chance to have this luxury?

Time passed both too quickly and too slowly for the mechromancer. Her body was restless and sleep evaded her. Inventory of her ammo, grenades and guns had already been done, a G engraved crudely into the side of each one. Updates and minor repairs were done on DT as well as her mecha arm. All that was left was to be briefed in the morning, but that was too far away. The time ticked by, midnight having already come and gone. Burying her face in her hands, Gaige sighed before pulling the large gray shirt closer to her. It was much too big for her small frame, the material hanging loosely around her, but it was all she had left of home. The day she left for Pandora from Eden-5, she had done it in a rush. With only the bare essentials packed, Gaige had managed to take a shirt from her dad, finding a slight comfort in it. It was all she had left of home now. Despite all the washes and time that occurred over the past two years, somehow the familiar scent of his cologne still clung to the thin material. Closing her eyes, Gaige let memories of her and her father, of a normal life and better times, flood her mind, and eventually help lull her to sleep.