Claptrap - Sidestory Chapter 3 - The Devil on your Shoulder

The Vault hunters approached the Preservation before the break of dawn. The sun was still a distance away in time; thus, the sky was a clear navy blue, and the air crisp with a chill mixed with the moisture of the nearby river and sea.

“Hope this is worth it. Hate to waste all this effort for nothing.” Axton grumbled, still smarting over the last mission they had done.

“Even if it’s nothing, we still strike at Jack for whatever he’s doing here. That’s worth the effort.” Maya replied as she double-checked her ammunition.

“Si señorita Maya. We can make lot of trouble for la Estúpido Jack! It will be lot’s o’ Fun!” Salvador loudly agreed.

“I don’t know. Deathtrap could open that door if I worked on him a little. I’m with Axton, and think we’re wasting our time, but…Jack is doing something here.” Gaige hesitated as she looked over the distant facility before looing up at the tall assassin beside her.

“What do you think Zero?”

The black clad assassin’s helmet created a thinking emoji before answering.

“Failure is a blade, Slow to cut the throat of life, Ends with Misery.”  Zero spoke as he gazed towards the empty sky.

“In other words, if it hurts jack, it’s a good thing to do.” Maya grinned as she led on beside Axton who rolled his eyes a bit.

“Or you can hurt Jack in a good way, by taking another option.”

Everyone jerked, in Gaige’s and Salvador’s case, tripped, as the source of one of their other issues made itself known.

Out from behind a boulder, the burning body of the “Devil of Pandora” made itself seen. Maya shuddered at the sight despite having seen it more than a dozen times at this point.

“What the hell do you want?” Axton growled; gun aimed at the figure despite it being a projection.

“Lots of things Soldier. The closing of the cycle. Better days past in the present. Krispy Crème Donuts.” The figure motioned his hand in a dismissive manner before staring at them with that deep red eye that set their nerves on edge.

“At this moment however, I want you to reconsider your current course. You’ll only help Jack by going in there. I can give you a better path.”

“Better path?!” Axton laughed out of incredulity. “Every. Single. Time. We did something you suggested, it made things worse in some way. Mostly for us!”

The devil chuckled darkly as the flames flared slightly. “Being the hero doesn’t mean it’s always going to be in your favor. The road to his end has been slowly paved long before any of you came, but you’re helping make that happen.”

He appeared in front of Maya, that eye staring directly into her soul as she stepped back.

“Isn’t a little hardship and inconvenience worth the price of doing things in a meaningful way?”

She was about to shout a denial when she was stopped by Krieg suddenly stepping before her.

“FIRES of the Dark Soul burn all to ASH! The REVENGE Pedestal of Blue eyes Cries for EXPLOSIVE RELEASE, but the PAIN TRAIN keeps all the BLEEDERS to the Show, Tickets to the Final Stop for all Players!” the psychotic member shouted out incoherently.

The devil stared at the man, its head leaning to the side as seconds passed before he blinked and nodded.

“Point well made Krieg. You’re likely the only one, inside and out, who actually gets it.” He said in kindly tone, making the other Hunters stare in various states of shock, surprise, and confusion. The big man himself simply blinked, as if unsure he heard correctly himself.

“But that is my cross to bear. For all of you, the time is now. Will you go and take my option, or will you take this road you already have set upon?”

“We’ll take our chances here, thanks.” Maya spoke up, glaring at the apparition. The group behind her agreed, telling the being to get lost in various ways.

The being only chuckled. “That’s one.” It said before fading away.

They were all silent before Gaige spoke up.

“Well…that’s ominous.”

===

The group ran through the corridor of Bloodwing’s enclosure, hoping to finally end their little trek through this wild ride of a rescue, only to feel their spirits drop as they spotted the blood splatter, and white feathers about it.

“Shit.” Maya hissed.

“They kill her?” Gaige asked mostly to no one, when suddenly their Echo activated.

“Looking for Bloodwing? Oh, I moved her a few hours ago. Somewhere a little more…dramatic.”

“Where is she Jack?” Maya shouted in demand. Only to receive silence. “Dammit!”

“That guy really knows how to piss people off.” Axton grumbled as he reloaded his rifle. The Echo activated again as Mordecai chimed in.

“Bloodwing ain’t there? Dammit. Jack’s playin’ games with us. Waitaminute, waitaminute…I’m seein’ some commotion in the Observation Wing. Maybe they moved her there. Just keep pushing through the preserve, amigos.”

As the Echo cut off Maya turned to the group and nodded.

“Alright. Let’s get to it. Then we can-“

“Fall into Jack’s Trap.”

Once more they all jerked as the apparition appeared among them in flames. Squatting over the pool of blood, a hand caressing a white feather.

“Of course, it’s obviously a trap, but like a hero you all have to rush towards it to save Bloodwing, despite all signs saying it’s a bad call.”

The Devil looked up at the glaring group as it cocked its head.

“Unless you hear my proposal for a better alternative.”

“Bah! As if El Diablo has a solution that one calls good!” Salvador shouted mockingly, as he waved his machinegun.

“Hear it before you slam it little man. Not all solutions require a bullet and fist. It’s how you got here after all.” The Devil replied as he gazed over all of them.

Axton stepped forward. “Well, let’s hear it.”

Maya gaped for a moment before her eyes flared in anger at the soldier. “What the hell?!”

“Hey, after everything we just did, I’m open to new options at this point. Plus, as much as I loath to admit it, he’s right. We’ve faced a literal army of robots, Hyperion Soldiers, and Slag empowered critters, just so we get a bird, in order to get a computer chip, for an outmoded robot that it may not work on.”

Axton spread his arms wide, as if gesturing to the enormity of the situation.

“Let’s at least hear what this guy has to say before we tell him where he can stick it.”

The Devil laughed as Maya glared at Axton before releasing an angry sigh.

“Fine! We’ll hear you out, make it quick.” She growled at the squatting figure.

“How gracious of you to give me a moment of your time.”He replied in an amused tone, though it came off more mockingly.

He stood and held out a hand, where a Hologram appeared. A structure not too dissimilar to the Preserve appeared.

“Not too far from here is a research facility that has a direct connection to Helios. Through this facility you will find a doctor who will give you access to the system, though not willingly. It’s fine though, they deserve whatever you do them for what they did to a few people you know.”

The image shifts to that of a middle-aged man with a balding head and permanent frown, plus the location of a computer.

“The lovely young Mechromancer here will be the one who gets to dig in the guts of Helios’s data-network and find the file you need to make Deathtrap open any door Hyperion has, plus more than a few files for blackmail material, and a certain file I personally want.”

“And how does this save Bloodwing?” Maya asked pointedly as Gaige looked queasy from being called lovely by someone she thinks of as a freak.

“That’s the thing. It doesn’t. She’s left here, and Mordecai has to find a different way to get her himself. She’ll be saved, but not here or by you. What you need is at the facility, for everything including her.” The Devil replied, as he crossed his arms.

“I take it there’s an army at this facility?” Axton asked with a soured expression.

“Naturally.”

The group was silent until Zer0 spoke up.

“Two paths, both have cost. A Betrayal, or Justice. The Soul is the Price.”

The Devil looked at the assassin directly before speaking.

“I was under the impression you cared little for such things as a soul.”

The Assassin’s faceplate created a shrugging emoji before replying.

“My life, a dark path. My choice was given freely. You, here, force the choice.”

“…Touché”.

“Bah! Why are we even discussing this!? It’s clear, me amigos, what must be done! We save d’bird! We keep our word to our compadre! We go back victorious! El Diablo leads us astray of the way Roland says. We go!” Salvador shouts, which made the group come around before they turn and leave.

Maya stared at the Devil for a moment before leaving herself.

“We don’t abandon our friends.”

The Devil just stared with his eye burning before sighing and fading away.

“That’s two.”

===

“That’s the last of them!” Gaige shouted as Deathtrap clawed through a Gunloader, while she peppered the distant corridor where Hyperion Combat Engineers were taking cover.

“Good! Here’s my party favor!” Axton replied with a wide grin as he through a turret that teleported across the hall and directly behind the enemy soldiers. They shouted in panic as the turret began firing explosive rounds in rapid succession that turned them into chunks.

“That’s my girl!” Axton cheered as he reloaded his rifle.

The Echo activated as Mordecai chimed in.

“If I know Bloodwing, they’re gonna have the biggest badass they can find protectin’ her. Shouldn’t be a problem for you guys but…just a heads up.”

“We’ll get her back Mordecai. You can count on it.” Maya replied confidently.

“Heh. I know you-“

“Will not.” The devil spoke loudly as he suddenly appeared before the group.

“What the? Oh…right. They told me you talked to them before. What the hell do you want? Why are you trying to stop us?” Mordecai growled over the transmission.

“I’m simply giving you all one last chance. A different choice. If you go in there, Bloodwing will die. To save her, all you have to do is walk away now.” The Devil replied bluntly and almost…pleadingly.

His words made them all pause.

“What do you mean die? Why would she die!?...wait…What did Jack do?!” Mordecai demanded.

The Devil shook his head as he tsked. “Did you think she would be untouched just because she’s yours? No. Villains have a way of corrupting whatever they touch. Bloodwing is no longer the being you remember. She’s now Jack’s to use. If you go in there, he will use her against you, and you will be forced to take her down. Then…Death.”

The group looked grim as the apparition held out his hand to them.

“Unless you back out this very moment. It hurts, I know, but to save others, sometimes you must take the hit, in order to help them down the line. Bloodwing will live, but only if you leave this place right now. Past me, there is no turning back.”

They stared at the Devil of Pandora, and he, at this moment, looked and sounded like a real demon. Damned if they do, damned if they don’t. They hated him this moment as much as they hated Jack.

“Guys…please. Don’t…he’s wrong. We can save Bloodwing! Don’t abandon her…” Mordecai pleaded; emotion filled in his tone.

Maya glowered at the being in front of her, as in emotions conflicted with her logic before making a decision.

“I already said it. We. Don’t. Abandon. Our Friends.”

The others in the group agreed in their own ways, and Mordecai sighed.

“Thank you…”

The Devil mere shook his head.

“And that’s three. No more chances. What comes next is all on your hands.” The Devil glared, with its eye brightly dominating their visions with its baleful light. A chill went down their spines as he finished his words and he disappeared in a pillar of flame.

Maya, her eyes narrowed, let out a breath before rolling her shoulders.

“Let’s go save Bloodwing.”

===

“I got the chip!” Gaige shouted as she ran back to Maya, handing the object to her.

“Good. All that’s left now is to move her.” Maya said, her eyes filled with concern and pride at what they accomplished. The Devil had failed in his prediction. They managed to take down Bloodwing without killing her.

“Ay, Dios, Mío! She’s a big one! You can probably ride her now Amigo!” Salvador laughed as he looked the giant panting bird over.

Axton however looked pensive, unlike the rest, save Zer0 who was always…himself, as he looked at Bloodwing.

“I don’t know…as hard as that was...It’s not like Jack to just leave it at that.”

“Dude. We totally won. Brighten up!” Gaige shouted.

The Echo lit up as Jack interrupted. “Actually, you didn’t kiddo. Cause I just remembered that last element! EXPLOSIIIIIIIVE!”

Bloodwing cried out as the collar around its neck suddenly began to beep loudly, and realizing what was happening, the group cried out as they collectively took cover. A moment later, a boom filled the air as Bloodwing’s head exploded in gore.

The group looked on in horror as Mordecai shouted out distraught.

“And THAT, kiddies, is why you don’t screw with me. Now you murder-happy lunatics, and your little friend Mordecai, turn yourselves in, or that dumbass bird is just the beginning.”

The group couldn’t reply, as they were in shock. Mordecai wasn’t.

“God Dammit Jack! I’M GONNA KILL YOU! YOU HEAR ME?”He screamed in rage, his breathing being all they heard after.

The group slowly collected themselves as Roland spoke to them about the loss, and the need to keep to the mission. None of them said anything and were walking to the door when they noticed a figure softly petting the now dead Bloodwing.

“I’m sorry girl. I tried.” The Devil said softly.

“You knew!” Maya snarled as she stomped towards the figure. She knew she couldn’t actually hurt him, but getting in his face suited her fine at the moment.

“You knew Jack would have done that!”

“Of course, I did. I told you she would dieif you came in here and faced her.” He replied in a chiding tone as he stepped through her. “I gave you all the chances to walk away, to find a different route, and you rejected them all.”

“You could have told us he would do this! We could have done something about it!” Maya shouted.

“No. You could not.” The Devil replied coldly as he turned to her, eye glaring and burning red.

“She was under his mind control even after you brought her down, so she’d still fight even after you brought her to Sanctuary. The Collar wasn’t the bomb, but the trigger, and if you tried to remove it, it would have gone off. If you tampered with it, it would have gone off. If you interfered with the signal from Jack, it would. Have. Gone. Off. There was literally no way for you to win here.” The Devil spoke, each moment his words hit harder and harder, until he seem to tower over the Siren.

Then he backed off, and scoffed.

“If you had taken my option, you not only would have gotten everything you needed, you would have been able to save her since the files to do so were in the data-banks on Helios…. No point to that now.”

“Why didn’t you just tell us this! We would have done so if you had-“

“And risk Jack changing everything because he happened to listen in on the details? Axton and Roland really need to teach you a thing or two about Operational Security girl.” The Devil spat.

The Devil stepped away from the group, looking upon Bloodwing, and its eye becoming a soft blue for a moment before becoming red again.

“Choices have Consequences. Remember that.”

The Devil faded in flames, leaving the group with frayed emotions, and regret.