Borderlands: Apex Predator

After finishing their meal, Maxwell and Moxxi headed to the Odyssey's Upper Deck, where the fighters and jets landed on the runway. The strong wind ruffled their clothes and hair.

"Even from up here, Sanctuary looks massive. I really can't rely entirely on my knowledge," Maxwell commented, his eyes fixed on the city below.

"Well, you can't expect less from a corporation. Anyway, I'll start working on the Marvins." Moxxi kissed Maxwell on the cheek before stepping away. "Have fun down there, but try not to get yourself killed."

Maxwell touched the spot where she kissed him, feeling lucky that Moxxi was as perverted as he was and grateful for Angel's innocence in tolerating sharing the same man. The world of Borderlands wasn't a Xianxia or a setting where polygamy was common, so he felt reassured about the chances of dating the female characters he admired.

Shaking his head, Maxwell stopped daydreaming and turned his attention to Sanctuary, his mood souring quickly as he observed the place infested with a clan of criminals.

Sanctuary's bandits relentlessly fired at the Odyssey. Bullets, rockets, and grenades exploded against the ship's shields, causing no significant damage. But even an ant's bite could irritate, and Maxwell's patience was running thin.

"Angel," Maxwell murmured, his jaw clenched. "Enough playing around with them. Use the light artillery. Fire without worrying about the buildings. I don't need all of Sanctuary, just the excavator machine underneath the city."

Two rotary cannons emerged from the sides of the ship, their multiple barrels spinning with a threatening hum. Within seconds, they reached maximum speed and unleashed a storm of fire and metal.

*BRRRRRR*

The barrage of bullets rained down on the bandits below, the deafening sound echoing across the area. The weapons adjusted their angles automatically, relentlessly tracking targets and turning any threat into dust and debris.

"Holy crap, that's light artillery?" Maxwell could only imagine the devastation the heavier cannons would cause.

"According to the ship's database, it's light artillery—Avenger 20mm Vulcan cannons used against aircraft and armored vehicles. The smaller aircraft handle minor targets."

"Goodness, Angel, 20mm rounds are the size of my hand." A bead of sweat formed on Maxwell's forehead.

Seeing that enough damage had been done to the enemy ranks, Maxwell wanted to take advantage of the chaos and dust that had been stirred up.

"Cease fire."

"Max, there are still bandits down there—" Angel couldn't understand why Maxwell wanted to stop. They just needed to keep firing for a few more minutes, and she was sure she could wipe them all out.

"This kind of ammunition isn't cheap, girl. I'll handle the rest." Maxwell walked to the edge of the Odyssey's upper deck, the strong wind blowing his hair back as he surveyed the chaos below. Black smoke rose from flaming debris, and the screams of injured bandits still echoed through the ruins.

Donning his helmet, Maxwell stepped forward, gravity doing the rest.

"I think you're turning into an adrenaline junkie." Angel mentally rolled her eyes, they had dropships on the Odyssey.

The wind roared around him as he fell, but Maxwell was calm. He began laughing before spinning in the air. He performed a sideways pirouette followed by a perfect backflip, each move synchronized with the wind's roar.

The Jumpkit mounted on his back and waist activated at the exact moment, the thrusters emitting a bluish glow as they stabilized his descent. What should have been a deadly impact turned into a smooth landing, with Maxwell rolling to dissipate the remaining momentum.

The bandits were stunned. Some froze mid-action, staring at Maxwell as if he were a supernatural entity, a chill running down their spines. Maybe it was the adrenaline, but they swore they saw Maxwell's eyes glowing red.

He drew his Wingman from his waist, spinning it stylishly before pulling the trigger, sending the hammer crashing down on the primer and propelling deadly metal slugs. Each shot was a perfect hit skulls exploding, bodies collapsing, blood and gunpowder filling the air.

"RAAAAHHH!" A Psycho emerged from the wreckage, leaping with his sawblade axe raised high above his head for a fatal strike.

Maxwell snorted before vanishing.

"HUH? HE DISAPPEARED!"

A chill ran across the Psycho's neck. The sharp pain made him aware of the jet of blood flowing from the wound. He clutched the cut with both hands, the blood filling his mouth and choking him.

Maxwell blew the smoke from the Wingman's barrel before holstering it. The dust was still thick, but his minimap detected no hostile movement.

"Angel," Maxwell called, his tone devoid of any joy from the massacre. "The area is secure. Lower the ship. I'll look for the entrance in the meantime."

 ...

A few hours later.

A line of Marvins, perfectly aligned service robots, marched out of the Odyssey. Their mechanical footsteps beat steadily as the sun gleamed off their freshly polished frames.

"You know, this is pretty impressive, though I think they'd look better in red," Moxxi began, breaking the silence. "Anyway, how exactly do you plan to mine without the Vault open? You said the Vault needs to be open for this Eridium to surface."

"We still need resources for construction and repair," Maxwell crossed his arms. "I also plan to start manufacturing ammunition to save money in the long run. How are our reserves?"

"It's true," Moxxi sighed, adjusting her helmet. "Considerably reduced. It's not like we have an infinite stock of rare materials around here. And these toys don't come cheap, Max."

Maxwell shrugged, shaking his head as he watched the Marvins disappear toward the excavator. "They'll be worth every gram of resource invested. These guys will handle the heavy lifting while we focus on other matters."

"Speaking of which," Maxwell continued, turning his attention to Moxxi, "how's the programming on the Marvins? Everything working as planned?"

"Angel's a genius when it comes to programming and technology. I didn't even need to get my hands dirty this time. She practically did everything herself, and I just watched. Honestly, I don't know what we'd do without her." Moxxi chuckled softly, placing a hand on her hip.

"Really? Huh, glad to hear you two are getting along." Maxwell smiled, even though Moxxi couldn't see it through his helmet. He turned, heading into the Odyssey.

"Follow me. I think it's time to show you the Titans. I don't have the blueprints yet, but I've got the simulator ready."

Moxxi raised an eyebrow, a mischievous smile forming on her painted-red lips. "Oh, so we're finally getting to see these Titans. You sure know how to keep a girl curious, Max. Let's see what you've got!"

Maxwell led Moxxi to the training hangar, instructing her to enter one of the simulators. The simulator's doors closed as she pulled the lever.

Bright white lights appeared, and Moxxi looked curiously at one of them. The light seemed to notice her gaze, blinking before disappearing.

"Before we start, we need to calibrate the machine so you'll be comfortable. Look at all the lights, using only your head movements."

Understanding the task, Moxxi looked at one of the lights until they all turned off.

"How are you feeling?" Maxwell's voice echoed in Moxxi's helmet.

"I'm okay, you can continue."

"Alright. Initializing Neural Link. It won't be the same as with a Titan, but it'll be a good start for both of us."

*Buzz* *Buzz* *Buzz*

Moxxi squinted as two green lights scanned her body before aiming directly at her eyes. She felt her body gradually go numb until she lost all sensation, and her vision turned completely white.

"UGH." Moxxi blinked, her vision adapting to the new environment. She was in a roofless room, the sun providing pleasant warmth while the surrounding cherry trees cast cool shadows. Some leaves fell into a small stream to her left, lazily carried by the current.

"This is incredible, isn't it? If I didn't know it was a simulation, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference from real life."

Lowering her gaze, she saw Maxwell sitting on a long orange beam that stretched across both walls. What she didn't expect to see was a girl with long black hair wearing a flowing white dress sitting a bit farther away, dipping her feet into the water. She looked like a delicate creature. Small and slender, with big, innocent blue eyes.

"Yes, it's a beautiful place. I thought the simulations would take place in a more military-like setting." Moxxi approached, sitting between the two. "I feel better here, my back pain is gone, and I can breathe more easily."

"Well, these aren't our real bodies, so we don't have any disabilities or illnesses," Maxwell said, blowing a few cherry blossoms off his shoulder, a sense of guilt growing in his chest. "I'll arrange for your Regeneration as soon as possible, but I'll provide the best nanites I can get for you after we're done here."

"I'm practically a grandma, I can wait." Moxxi waved her hand dismissively, though she couldn't fully grasp everything he was saying. She knew it was something valuable. Turning, she looked at the girl, knowing it could only be one person.

"Angel? I didn't expect to see you here." Moxxi leaned over Angel. "Now I understand why Maxwell wants to save you. Such a beautiful and innocent girl, I want to hug you tightly!"

"Same here. I had to use all my willpower not to kiss those adorable lips."

"P-Pleased to meet you, M-Moxxi," Angel stammered, feeling shy under Moxxi's sincere gaze and Maxwell's affectionate one. It was the first time her true form had been seen.

"I was thinking— HMMM!?" Angel's eyes widened as she felt a pair of arms wrap around her head, smothering her against Moxxi's ample chest.

"So cute. You're young enough to be my daughter. Maxwell is an unforgivable pervert, corrupting such an innocent girl."

Maxwell rolled his eyes, feeling a twinge of jealousy toward Angel.

"Now, this place is called The Pilot's Gauntlet. It's where pilots take their first steps toward becoming capable of piloting a Titan."

"I would like to know if you want to take this path?"

"All pilots must go through the training, right? So I want to see how the best soldiers of our corporation will be made."

Angel takes advantage of the distraction and silently disappears, not wanting to call out to Moxxi.

"At your command, ma'am." Putting on his helmet, Maxwell gets up and begins jogging lightly. He could have used teleportation, but he preferred to serve as a reference for Moxxi.

Moxxi followed behind. Normally, running at this pace would have exhausted her, but her body felt unusually vigorous. Excited, she ran faster to catch up with Maxwell, who looked like a monkey running along the walls and sliding across the floor.

Moxxi finally catches up to Maxwell, who has stopped. Approaching him, she noticed part of the path was missing, leaving only a vertical wall connecting the way. The strangest thing was a stream defying gravity, continuing its flow up the wall.

"I guess I'll need to try that wall-running thing," Moxxi murmured. She had seen Maxwell running on walls in the Underdome, something even she thought was really cool.

"Don't worry about falling. You'll automatically respawn here. Good luck!" Maxwell jumps onto the wall, his jump kit leaving a trail along the way. He crosses effortlessly, waving at Moxxi from the other side.

"Okay, I can do this." Moxxi takes a deep breath and runs to gain momentum.

Jumping onto the wall, she recalls Maxwell's movements, trying to replicate them exactly. Her jump kit activates the instant her feet touch the wall. Her heart races, she's doing it!

*stumble*

Moxxi's feet get tangled, breaking her momentum. Gravity, unforgiving, pulls her down.

"KYAAA!"

"Uh?" Moxxi feels her vision shift; she was back at the starting point.

"Old dogs can't learn new tricks," Moxxi muttered, feeling a bit dejected. But seeing Maxwell wave from the other side renewed her determination. She tries again. After a few failures, she finally manages her first successful wall run.

*Clap* *clap* *clap* *clap*

"Congratulations! Using the jump kit can be tricky at first, but you did a great job." Maxwell applauds enthusiastically.

Moxxi was grateful the helmet hid her blush. She tapped Maxwell and took off running.

"Tag! You're it!"

"...Wait, I didn't know we were playing tag!"

"Eat dust!"

"Hahaha!"

The picturesque scene of the pair chasing each other, running along concrete walls, continued until they stopped in a large open room without a roof. At its center was a garden with a large sword embedded in the ground.

Suddenly, several weapon racks fell from the sky. Angel appeared again, her feet stepping on the grass, fingers curling at the funny sensation.

"Are these all Ouroboros weapons?" Moxxi hurried to the racks, her eyes sparkling. Each weapon looked more interesting than the last. "They seem inspired by Dahl and Vladof."

"Pick one. We're about to go through the pilot evaluation," Maxwell said, grabbing a CAR. He didn't need to take Moxxi to a firing range, she was as accurate with a gun as he was.

Moxxi appeared after a few minutes, holding an X-55 Devotion with an RE-45 Auto as her secondary weapon.

"How does this Pilot Evaluation work?"

"You have two minutes to complete the run. There will be some enemies you need to eliminate along the way. See you on the other side!" Maxwell punctuated his words before running off, his body disappearing as he entered.

"Uh, I've been through some clan wars. This shouldn't be too hard..."

 ...

A few minutes later, Moxxi emerged on the other side, looking worn out. During the run, she realized pilots didn't have one particular item that made a huge difference in a firefight.

A shield.

She had been hit multiple times by the enemies, shocking her even more with how realistic the pain felt.

"One minute and twelve seconds, not bad." Maxwell commented, seeing Moxxi's name appear on the board. Since they were the only two who had entered the Pilot's Gauntlet, there were only two names listed.

Moxxi raised her head, noticing she was in second place on the board. Her eyes moved higher, seeing Maxwell's name in the first place. What she hadn't expected was his time:

Ten seconds and thirty milliseconds.

"You've got to be kidding me," Moxxi muttered, doubting they had run the same course.

"If it's in the game, you use it," Maxwell shrugged. Octane used a grenade to win a race and lost his legs; why wouldn't he use that tactic in a simulation?

"Well, we've had our fun. Now let's get to the real deal. Angel! We need space."

"Alright~"

Moxxi's vision turned white again. She recovered faster this time. Looking around, she realized they had been transported to a plain. Grass and trees swayed in the breeze, with a few floating rocks scattered around.

A hand touched Moxxi's shoulder, and a soft whisper echoed in her ear.

"Do you see the interface for a large robot in the lower-left corner of your visor? Activate it to call your first Titan."

Moxxi did exactly as Maxwell instructed. A blue marker appeared on the grass, and a timer popped up slightly above the marked area.

"Standby for Titanfall!" Maxwell couldn't resist.

7.00

6.54

5.49

3.81

2.69

1.06

0.00

*SWOOOOOSH*

A sound of something slicing through the wind echoed. Moxxi looked up just in time to see a fiery object hurtling toward the designated spot. A huge dust cloud rose as the object struck the ground.

*BOOOOOOOOOOOM*

Slowly, the dust settled, revealing the monstrous colossus, the steel stallion, the harbinger of war.

The Titan.