AN: holy shit guys i am so sorry. i start college soon and have no financial aid at all and it's been really rough. this is a poorly written chapter imo because i completely forgot what was supposed to happen here but i didn't want to stop where i was and screw you guys over. i know how it feels to like something- and i love all of you for liking it, or at least giving it a glance- and then having the author NEVER POST AGAIN. so... it might not be up to par. but i'm sorry i didn't post, really. forgive me with this, i'll try continuing, and i hope you won't be too rough. i remember all where i'm going with this, just... not this part.

So. I'd like to formally apologize. Perhaps going there was a poor idea on my part. I did not think that would... start, the way that it did.

Krieg groaned, arms folded. The two, after fleeing Sanctuary's family disaster, were sitting in Overlook. At least there, no one judged them... for their more monster-like qualities. Not that they could vocalize it, even if they did, and that was good enough for them.

So we are back to square one, then. We can't find Gaige, we can't get help... we can't die.

"And if she died?" Krieg muttered, kicking the earth beneath his feet, ripping out blades of grass from its spot and sending it hurting in the ar with its dirt debris.

...We don't know that, so we don't stop. Krieg, she tried to come back for us. I don't think that she'd stop looking either.

"How do you know that? Do you talk to them?"

The silence remained between the two of them. It bore into the inner Krieg's mind, though it was not Gaige who filled his thoughts- she was definitely a part of it, yes, way back in his head- but the more... peculiar woman in Sanctuary was who he couldn't help but think of, her and her demented son.

"Ma? Oh, I doubt she'd know anythin' bout respawn or yer friend," Scooter shrugged, fiddling with his hat and leaning back comfortably in his chair. "I don't know if I can fix somethin' like that. That's on Hyperion, man. Who's t'say that they didn't just shut that junk down ta get rid of ya Vault Hunters once an' for all? Shit's tough, y'know?"

Krieg stood, taking in the words though not giving a sign that anything had registered. He gave that blank stare, and Scooter returned it with one of his own.

"You want me t'speak a li'l slower?"

"No." But not at all would be appreciated. The inner Krieg did not comment on it at all, and was being relatively quiet...

Krieg left the building in the same state of pessimism that he had entered. Was the man even going to try to fix the respawn? It didn't matter to them... They didn't use it as often as the Vault Hunters did. If anything, the failure of the respawn was definitely keeping them on their toes. Still, it was dangerous and unfortunate for Gaige and Krieg, both Vault Hunters who had a tendency to desire the gore from up close. People like Zero, Axton and Maya... They could get away with range.

Let's just try Moxxi. Maybe she would've seen Gaige.

There was no real energy left in him to argue. Sanctuary drained him. It was mentally intoxicating, practically, and the voice agreed indefinitely. He didn't want to be here any longer... and he was beginning to slip in and out, which was dangerous enough. Leaving Krieg to his own devices in Sanctuary might mean a lot of lives lost, including their own when the inner Krieg was done.

Meanwhile, Krieg himself was wondering if their little deal extended past flesh. Claptrap wasn't fleshy. And he swore if he had to hear the little monstrosity scream 'CLAPTRAP BEAT BOX TIME, CHECK IT!' one more time, he was going to rip out any piece of hardware that allowed speech implanted in him and smash it with a hammer.

The bar was as lively as usual- and generally, it's liveliness did not mean much to begin with. The colors were different than the norm, at least, with its pink and red neon lights. It was the most noticeable and different thing in Sanctuary. Inside was a nice red, the chairs were comfortable- At least, more comfortable than the splintered, wooden benches that they had sat on before.

It was more welcoming than most rundown places in Sanctuary. And his last hope of getting any information out of the inhabitants, so Krieg- taking the advice of the inner voice, for once- was going to be very slow going in his motions, as to not startle anyone, to look as placid as possible as some 'monster' could be. But as slow as he agreed to, he still was on every alert, and swore that he felt shadows lurking behind them, though not ones of danger or threat...

"Hey sugar," Moxxi smiled, a glass in her hand. She moved forward, resting her arms on the table while the rest of her body relaxed. "You remind me of someone. One of my old husbands. Mr. Shank... Ah, he was a bulky one too. Doubt you use a knife like he did. ...Or have a boyfriend."

Her eyes glanced up and down Krieg's physique, laughing, while the man himself felt awkward about having this woman's eyes devouring him. "Oh, but you do remind me of him. What can I do you for?"

They were staring at each other for a long time- Krieg's eyes did not traverse to the woman's breasts, no, but he had no idea of what to say. For a moment, the voice was afraid that he would regress back to 'poop trains', and that would be the end of that. He would have to get them out of there, there would be no hope in finding information at that point. After a while, Moxxi gave an awkward smile and stood upright, wondering why the man had not said... a word. Sure, something sexual would be sure to pop into the conversation, whether it be intentional or a slip of the mind, but nothing? It was a little endearing that this man wasn't staring her breasts down... no, not her breasts, but her. That was still a little strange, though.

"Sugar?"

"Missing."

"What...?"

Krieg had managed to choke out one word, much to the dismay of the voice. He would've preferred their silent gaze, but they were making slow but sure progress on attempting to locate Gaige. Moxxi gave a vacant stare, leaning back against the shelves of liquor. "Sweetie, I don't know what you're trying to say..."

"Gaige... missing," he groaned. Although the voice was proud of Krieg's ability to keep that inner voice, there was no doubt that he was struggling. "Can't... find."

"Oh, you're talking about that little sweetheart. She... well, last I saw her, she was with you."

Krieg nodded with a sigh. Maybe she didn't return to Sanctuary, after all. It was with that, that Moxxi moved to rest a hand on Krieg's shoulder. She opened her mouth to say something, but that did not stop Krieg's flinch and immediate withdrawal, his general defensive mechanism to knock her hand away. She looked hurt, to be declined like that, and took her own hand into the other, frowning a little. "Sugar-"

That was when everything moved too fast, the climax that Krieg did not expect. No, he did not see Scooter, not since they left his workshop. But there he was, a gun aimed towards the man who seemed to have inflicted some sort of sadness on his mother. "HEY! You! Y'monster, what did you do?"

"Scooter, he didn't-"

"He came here when I told 'im y'knew anythin', why'd you come?!"

Krieg let out a groan, knowing the conflict was out of his control. His only alternative was to fight back, to take bullets and give them in return... but then it wouldn't matter any, because the voice would kill them both with the same gun he'd use to defend himself.

Instead, Krieg raised his arms defensively and slowly, his hands up and his face impassive.

"I saw th'way you looked at her! And you hit her!"

But... we didn't even do anything. We asked her a question!

Krieg shook his head. There was no point in reasoning with the insane, and the inner Krieg understood that, but...

"Get out!"

He gritted his teeth and began to leave the way he came. Moxxi was hollering at Scooter, but the faster they left, the better.

Krieg, on the edge of a rock in Overlook, shook his head. It was pointless to return- not that he was complaining, at least he knew that she had not made it there. But... she couldn't be in the Fridge. There was no sign, not even blood. So she wasn't dead, but there was no proof she was alright, either.

Do you wish we were... normal, sometimes?

"No."

I thought not.

"If we were..." Krieg began, frowning a tad, though as a part of his moment of thoughtfulness. "...How would we find her?"

They sat in a bout of silence, before the inner Krieg gave a soft laugh.

Yeah. You're right. Let's keep going, then.