Chapter 1: Becoming Herself Part I

Chapter Snippet:

"He's advertising out here?!" Angel scolded. Lawrence leaned forward to see what Angel was fussing over. An Atlas billboard was approaching on their left. "Why bother? Who is he even recruiting? Skags?"

Lawrence whistled low: "Recruitment numbers must be low 'cause he's really scraping the barrel."

The sign had clearly been painted over an old Hyperion billboard as part of the poster had ripped off from the Dust's dry winds, revealing the piss-coloured yellow underneath.

'Atlas: Pandora's ride to the future', the sign read in a thick, heavy red font, with the Atlas logo next to it and an image of what appeared to be a terraformed part of the Dust. The only thing missing was a bunch of smiling faces from a nuclear family and a barbecue.

Angel gave Lawrence a dubious look.

"He can't be serious."

"I think he is."

"Why couldn't he build his empire on another planet?"

"Border planets are not under UPA rule. He can do whatever the fuck he wants out here."

"That's what concerns me."

"You keeping tabs on them?" 

"No," Angel huffed. "But I should."

Lawrence didn't want to encourage the idea. Spying was the kind of work Jack had her do, but he couldn't deny it; he wanted to know what the corporate arms wannabe was up to.

Chapter 2 was posted a few days ago! Let me know how you feel about this abrupt 5 year jump in the comments :p (the benefit of being an Aussie is getting to write Janey dialogue easy-peasy)

link in reblog.

Chapter Snippet:

It was selfish, and Angel knew that, but if Lawrence was the topic of conversation, she'd rather risk frying her brain short-circuiting the comms tower than continue chatting.

"I can't go check on him," Janey said, and Angel clenched her hands into the comms dashboard. She didn't need a Siren's foresight to know where Janey was leading.

"Look, I would go, but I can't leave." Janey continued. "Not while Athena is all you know —" Janey made an absurd sound like she was mimicking an explosion.

"What?"

"Preggers. She's like a blown-up goon bag right now." 

Angel almost tipped herself off the chair as she tried to sit straight again.

"Oh, right!" Angel then mumbled an apology. She'd heard they'd been trying for a baby, yet she had no idea they'd been successful. Had it been that long since they last talked? Years maybe...

Author Notes: Last update before the year is out! Thanks all for sticking around for part 2. I would love to hear your thoughts on the story so far, it's going to start ramping up from now on.

Chapter Snippet:

Angel turned the door handle and pushed forward, yet the door barely moved. Angel looked through the gap to see what was blocking it. On the other side, dirt had blown in under the door and built up, causing the door to become lodged against it.

She pressed her shoulder into the door and gave it a firm shove, and it scraped over the build-up and flung open.

She almost stumbled inside. Gaige came to her side, weapon raised.

Angel glared at the gun and placed her hand over the top of the barrel.

"That's not needed."

Gaige's expression said otherwise.

"Are we gonna announce ourselves?" Gaige asked, voice quiet.

Lawrence's house was dark and quiet as Angel stepped forward. She did not want to call his name. What if he was here, merely drunk in bed, or…

She didn't want to think of alternatives.

Angel pushed past Gaige and marched through the living area, down the hall and straight to the bathroom. If he was here — if he had done something stupid, she would rather know now.

Gaige's panic call rang down the hall:

"Hold up! Angel, is it safe!?"

Angel continued on, ignoring Gaige. She had to know. Apprehension raged within her, and Angel hated the feeling. She winced as though in pain before grabbing the bathroom door handle. 

But my computer died. Took it to the Mac shop, and 130 dollarydoos later, I was told it was dead - they couldn't find what was wrong, but there were no signals of life. So I tell them to recycle it for me. I'm sad cause I would lose the cool stickers I had collected on the back, but I didn't have the time to go back and collect it just for that. I immediately suck it up, and ordered a new 4k dollardoo fucking loaded Mac and then 2 hrs later, I get a callback.

My Mac is alive. Apparently, Shane the (different) tech, walked past and gave it another shot, and with a press of his magic hands, it came back to us like a second coming. No fixing needed. It was just being a drama queen and refused to charge for 48 hours.

I guess my old mac wanted to deliver that fan fic to you all, after all.

Chapter 2 is posted! Thanks to those who gave me feedback on Chapter 1 and those who subbed. I hope to hear from you. This ship/fandom is shiny and new and I'm keen to explore and have fun. Also, big cheers to @nikoblasto for correcting my Spanish!

***

"Answer me."

When no response came, he grabbed an empty bottle from the chair's armrest and threw it.

"You're SUCH a goddamn walking aneurysm!" Peter yelled, just as Miguel swung around and cut the bottle clean in half, the talons on his hands not taking a scratch.

"You don't understand, do you?” Miguel said, voice dangerously low.

Peter struggled to listen. That small act of violence was all he had left. His head was rushing, and everything around him was beginning to darken.

"In every universe, we all lose someone," Miguel continued and strode closer.

Peter's grasp on the chair faltered, though he regained his position, straining to listen to his friend's words.

"But do you have any idea how many times I've had to watch you lose?" Miguel said, now standing far closer than Peter realised. "You fail, Peter. You never make it past here. Again and again. You fail."

Gaige's face lost colour and appeared even paler under the crimson light. She slowly stepped towards the far wall, glancing at Angel as though confirming what she was seeing was not an illusion.

Gaige plucked the photo that best captured Angel and Lawrence. He was smiling and holding up a dead baby Rak, and Angel was beaming next to him, sniper slung over her shoulder. They'd set the camera timer on the gorge and captured Angel's first Rak kill.

The few people Angel had shared her story with did not ask what Lawrence looked like; they'd all assumed he was just an average guy wearing a digi-cloaking device to deceive any onlookers. No one knew about Jack's other doppelganger project.

No one asked, and so Angel never told them. 

No one knew that her saviour looked permanently like Handsome Jack. That there was no disguise he could take off. 

"I thought…" Gaige's voice almost trembled. "He had a watch, you know? To look like him."

"Why didn't you tell me this? "