Before the War

A Plan Is Set

"He can't though, not without the last pieces," Rhys protested as Tim began to gather up his belongings, and Tim snorted a little.

"He's the head of a major corporation, I'm assuming he can hire other people to find it for him," Tim replied as he examined his pistol. "Besides, we have bigger concerns than him at the moment..."

"Such as what?" Rhys asked incredulously. "Betraying us again? Oh wait...."

"I didn't have a choice Rhys!" Tim replied sharply, mismatched eyes of green and blue looking at him with a sharpness that was a pale imitation of Handsome Jack. Didn't mean it was any less unnerving, though. "In case you didn't notice, I'm actually a dead man walking. The longer I stay on Pandora, the greater chances I'm going to die at the hands of Vault Hunters who thought they didn't finish their job the first time!"

"So why didn't you try to leave before?" Rhys asked just as sharply.

"I couldn't afford it," Tim spat out in response. "Being a bounty hunter pays well, but not well enough to afford a shuttle off Pandora."

"So Thesus offered to pay you enough so you could leave," Rhys supplied as he bristled. "So he gets what in exchange? Fiona? I mean, what the hell does he want with Fiona?"

"Like I said, I think he intends to open the Vault," Tim replied.

"But how can he do that when the first pieces are imprinted on me and Fiona? He'd barely be able to assemble Gortys!" Rhys protested.

Tim only shrugged in response as he looked at Rhys, and Rhys gritted his teeth in frustration as he tried to figure out if there was some loophole to the first pieces. Just because they had shocked everyone else that had tried to touch them didn't mean...wait, yes it did. So then how the hell would...

It dawned on him rapidly and he felt his stomach sink in mild horror.

"Timothy?" Rhys asked slowly, and the other man nodded in response. "What's the corporation Thesus runs?"

"Atlas, why?" Tim replied innocently as Rhys' eyes widened.

"I know how he's going to open the Vault," Rhys replied quickly as he went to flip over the car. He struggled for a few moments, his feet digging into the dirt as Tim watched him with confusion. "You going to stand there or you going to.....argh, help me?"

"You're not going to try to go after him, are you?" Tim asked as he crossed his arms. Rhys continued to struggle, though the truck moved slightly and Rhys took that as a sign of progress. "If he wants a Vault that desperately, I say we leave it be. Trust me, I know from personal experience..."

Rhys stopped pushing as his eyes narrowed.

"You don't strike me as a coward," Rhys declared, hoping it would rile the other man up, but Tim only shrugged.

"There's a difference between cowardice and practicality, Rhys," Tim replied. "And trust me when I say, getting between a man and his Vault never ends well."

Rhys released his grip on the car and sighed to himself. He squared his shoulders and clenched his fists, riling himself up as he tried to make his markings begin to glow. He gritted his teeth as he felt them remain the same temperature, clenching his fists tighter as he groaned a little.

"What are you doing?" Tim asked just as Rhys felt the faintest spark.

Rhys focused on the look on Fiona's face as they dragged her away, the anger bubbling up inside him before he turned towards Tim. Tim's eyes widened as he took in the glowing markings.

"Rhys, don't," he warned. "Y-you don't know how to control it yet..."

"Perfect, I wasn't hoping to remain in control," Rhys snarled as he advanced. Tim took a few steps back as Rhys approached him rapidly. As Tim opened his mouth to protest Rhys dashed forward, easily able to slip the pistol out of Tim's holster as Tim took a step back.