When you can't even say my name

Before he could turn back to enter the bar again, someone had approached Maxwell from behind like a shadow, the blade vibrating dangerously against his throat. The heat was unbearable, but he remained still, knowing it was Athena. He knew that a single wrong move would mean his death.

"This isn't the first time I've been this close to death, and I doubt it will be the last..." he thought, amusement in his eyes. Until now, he had only faced monsters and amateurs, but it seemed that the true Vault Hunter Mode had begun now that he had risen to the corporate league.

Minerva stepped forward, but Maxwell raised a hand, signaling her to wait. He had yet to explain Atlas's situation with Ouroboros.

"Athena, lower that sword!" Minerva ordered, her posture rigid. The Lance Assassins squad was on high alert, and the four assassins were slowly surrounding Athena.

Despite being surrounded, Athena did not retreat, knowing there was someone behind her who needed protection.

"Why the hell are the Lance Assassins here? And what's your connection to them?"

The heat from the blade had already broken Maxwell's shield. His visor detected lethal temperature levels, red warnings flashing in his peripheral vision. But he felt no fear, he couldn't feel fear.

"My girls? Looks like Knoxx sent them here to protect me." Maxwell looked from the corner of his eye, barely making out Athena's vague silhouette. "Did you think you'd just drink a few beers, shake my hand, and say thanks before leaving Pandora? I didn't ask for anything in return for rescuing your sister, Athena, and I know that's been bugging you..."

She narrowed her eyes.

"You killed your own allies. You may have had a reason, but murder is still murder." He tilted his head slightly, watching the tension grow in her muscles. "And if you really want freedom... then you'll have to pay for it."

The blade pressed even closer to his throat.

"And what exactly does that mean?" Athena asked, her voice quieter but loaded with threat.

Maxwell smirked slightly. "Simple. You will serve in my army before you're set free."

For a moment, Athena wanted to lose control and cut down the arrogant man right there.

However, even if she managed to get out alive, there was Minerva and four other assassins. Athena wasn't sure if she could escape while keeping her sister safe.

"Serve me for fifty years," Maxwell continued, unfazed. "After fifty years of service, I'll personally take care of your retirement—with a good home and ownership of a Titan. No worries about bills, food, or healthcare. That's the exclusive treatment for Apex Predators."

"..." Athena gritted her teeth. Was this guy insane? Athena was twenty-six years old, it would be a miracle if she could even hold a gun for fifty years, let alone continue working as an assassin.

"That's too long. You're no different from the others, wanting slaves to serve you until they can no longer stand."

"I'm thirty-four."

"..." Athena paused. She almost dropped the Plasma Sword right there.

Almost.

"You're lying. That's impossible. Medicine has made great strides in slowing aging, but those kinds of treatments are only sold to the elite."

Maxwell laughed.

"Impossible? Humanity has already colonized six galaxies, artificial intelligence and sentient robots live among us, and glowing boxes can store weapons and vehicles while also transmitting information from other planets in seconds."

"And here you are, saying the absurd thing is me looking young? Right now, there's a bunch of scientists researching immortality using the corpse of a Vault Monster. Reversing aging isn't that hard if you've got the money for it, Athena."

"..." Athena seemed to be in internal conflict, but she didn't have all the time in the world to consider the offer.

*Click*

Something cold touched the back of Athena's head. The sound of a revolver being cocked echoed in the bar.

"Why don't we all go inside and have a nice glass of whiskey while we talk this over? We're going in, shall we?"

Athena froze. No one present doubted the woman whose first name was Mad.

"I hope you don't betray my trust."

With a heavy sigh, Athena shut off the Plasma Sword and put it away.

Moxxi twirled the revolver between her fingers before holstering it and patted Maxwell on the shoulder. "Come on, let's go inside. We'll all be one big happy family soon enough."

No one disagreed.

Before entering, Minerva grasped Moxxi's arm in a firm handshake, shaking it vigorously. She couldn't face Knoxx again if their mission ended in failure before a single cycle had passed.

 ...

As everyone began to relax, the Lance Assassins loosened up after a few drinks. Minerva refused alcohol and only accepted water, as an Omega Assassin, she had to stay sober at all times. Still, she allowed her squad to unwind and get to know their new leader, even letting them remove their helmets.

Maxwell seemed distant, his left eye twitching as if he had just heard some terrible news.

"Sir? Did you hear what I just said?"

"Huh? Oh, you're... Aphrodite?" Maxwell shook his head, snapping back to reality.

"I'm Eris, sir!" Eris puffed out her cheeks, blowing away the dark blue hair that covered her face. "Aphrodite is the dumb one, her brain nutrients went straight to her boobs."

Maxwell shrugged, they had the same hair color. Their faces were almost identical, with only a difference in height and weight.

"HEY!" Aphrodite shouted indignantly, clearly drunk. She pulled a Plasma Sword from her cleavage and pointed it at Eris, who merely gestured for her to proceed, a wild grin on her face.

*Bonk* *Bonk*

With a single motion, Minerva struck both Eris and Aphrodite on the head with the sheath of her Plasma Sword, putting an end to the commotion.

Maxwell smiled at the scene, inwardly relieved that the events of the DLC had not occurred and the Lance Assassins were safe. His main goal had been Knoxx and Athena, but it was good that more people from Atlas had survived.

"Is something wrong, sir?" Hestia timidly tugged on Maxwell's sleeve.

"It's nothing, just some unexpected setbacks in my plans."

"Hmm, I see." Hestia nodded in understanding and returned her attention to her drink. But a hand nudged her, making her turn to the last squad member.

"What is it, Persephone?" Hestia leaned in to hear better, the bar's noise made Persephone's voice nearly inaudible.

"Hmm, right. That's true!" Hestia refocused on Maxwell, leaning slightly forward. "Apologies, sir! If there's anything I can do to help, I'm available!"

Maxwell ruffled Hestia's hair.

"Listen up."

The bar instantly fell silent, all eyes on Maxwell.

"The Vault Hunters chickened out and aren't heading to Crimson Armory. I think they need some motivation. I need you to recover the Vault Key and capture one of them. They have a strong sense of camaraderie—they won't run if a member is missing. I highly recommend using the element of surprise to immobilize the Siren. She's the only woman in the group and can turn intangible and invisible. Be careful with her. I'll give you more details on the way."

"YES, SIR!" they all shouted in unison.

"Who here can pilot a jet?"

Minerva raised her hand.

"Perfect. Moxxi will take you all to Goblin. Dismissed."

Athena approached, confused.

"Why didn't you send me with them?"

"I need someone to play chess with me."

"Can't your wife play with you?"

"I'd end up letting her win. I prefer playing with someone who doesn't share my bed."

"Makes sense. I'll play black."

 ...

In the shadows of a narrow alley, four hooded figures moved discreetly, avoiding eye contact with passersby. Their cloaks concealed not only their identities but also the scars and marks of their last battle.

Lilith leaned against the wall, her face twisted in pain beneath the hood. The wound in her abdomen had yet to fully heal, and every step felt like a monumental effort. Biting her lip to contain the pain, she looked at the others.

"We have to get out of here. Now." Her voice was low but carried urgency.

Mordecai, ever watchful, kept his eyes on the crowd around them. "Easy to say. But how? The bounty on our heads doubled after the Destroyer. At any moment, a bounty hunter could find us."

Brick clenched his fists, though he couldn't hide the slight tremor of pain. "We can just crush anyone who tries to take us."

"That's not a plan, Brick." Roland crossed his arms, a bandage covering his right eye. "We need a way off this planet without drawing attention."

Lilith grunted, pressing a hand against her wound. "Then the only option is to steal a ship."

Mordecai let out a short laugh. "Steal a ship from Atlas? Are you serious? That thing's got more security than the Vault."

Roland sighed. "Not impossible. If we find a less guarded hangar, we can grab something small and fast."

"And how exactly do we pilot it?" Mordecai raised an eyebrow. "In case you haven't noticed, most combat ships have biometric locks, voice recognition, and passcodes."

Brick grinned confidently. "I can smash the panel until it starts."

"Terrible idea." Roland shook his head. "We'll figure something out, but Lilith can probably sneak in and get the access codes. As for the biometrics… well, we'll need to cut off a few soldiers' hands."

"Nice."

"So we're putting even more on Lilith? She saved our asses back there with the tentacle monster and almost died in the process. You okay with this, Lilith?"

"..."

"Lilith?"

"Lilith? What's wrong?"

No response.

Turning around, Roland and the others were met with an alarming sight. A Lance Assassin held Lilith from behind, pressing a cloth against her mouth and nose. Her eyes were full of shock and fury, but her movements were already weakening.

"Shit!" Mordecai growled, quickly raising his rifle to fire.

But before he could pull the trigger, a figure dropped from the rooftops in a golden blur. Minerva landed beside him, her movements fluid and unpredictable. With a single precise kick, she sent Mordecai's rifle flying. Before he could react, she teleported behind him, her arm wrapping around his neck in a tight chokehold.

Bloodwing screeched, diving from above to aid his master. But before he could reach Minerva, a shot rang out.

*BANG!*

Bloodwing was struck mid-air, his body falling to the ground. Her left wing was hit, she wouldn't die, but she certainly wouldn't fly for the next few months.

"No!" Mordecai struggled desperately, but Minerva tightened her grip, further restricting his movements.

"Good work, Persephone. Focus on the others."

Roland was already in a combat stance, but before he could act, another shot came from above. His shield flared brightly before shattering with a sharp electric crackle. The second bullet hit his vest, forcing him to retreat into cover.

"Suppressing fire," Persephone murmured to Hestia beside her.

"Noted." Hestia, wielding an S&S submachine gun, unleashed a hail of bullets, giving Roland no space to deploy his Scorpion turret.

Brick, watching his friends being taken down, roared in fury and charged like an enraged bull. But the squad already knew exactly how to handle each of them.

A flashbang exploded directly in front of him.

"ARGH!" Brick staggered back, his vision completely white.

"Come on, big guy, is that all you got?"

Brick was forced to his knees as a brutal kick struck the back of his leg. His shield absorbed the damage but not the impact. Before his vision could return, a burning sensation spread through his torso, making him cough up blood.

"HAHAHA!" Eris' laughter rang in Brick's ears, only fueling his rage.

"Vault Key secured!" Amid the chaos, Aphrodite, still holding Lilith, shouted.

Minerva, still holding Mordecai firmly, smiled at the confirmation.

"Tactical retreat! We're taking the skinny one as a hostage."

Mordecai felt the world spin as he was dragged back. He tried to resist, but the lack of air and Minerva's unnatural strength made any attempt futile.