Borderlands: Apex Predator

*knock* *knock* *knock*

The muffled sound of hurried knocking at the door made Moxxi stir, her half-open eyes searching for any hint of light in the dark room. She reached out for the empty glass by her bedside, lamenting that the whiskey bottle was just out of reach.

"If it's not important, you'd better be ready to face my wrath before breakfast!" Her husky voice echoed as she slipped a hand under the pillow, feeling the cold metal beneath her fingers.

The door creaked open slowly, revealing a young assistant, visibly nervous, sweat dripping from her forehead. "Ms. Moxxi, sorry to interrupt, but... th-there's something you need to see immediately."

Moxxi sighed, sitting up and grabbing the red silk robe lying nearby. "Can it wait until I'm dressed, or is it some sore loser mad about the end of the Underdome?"

The girl swallowed hard, fumbling with her hands nervously. "It's not that. No one would dare… it's just that there's… a warship. Hovering outside the bar."

The glass slipped from Moxxi's hand, landing on the carpet. She froze for a moment before slowly turning to face the assistant. "A warship? What do you mean, a warship?"

"Just… massive! The logo isn't from any known corporation."

Moxxi stood up straight, tying the robe tightly around her waist to cover her assets. Grabbing her Jakobs revolver from under the pillow, she opened her bedroom door and strode toward the bar entrance, the assistant scurrying behind her.

Opening the doors to the outside, Moxxi paused for a moment, raising a hand to shield her eyes, waiting for them to adjust to the natural light. When her vision cleared, she could see the blurry, nebulous outline of the ship in the distance.

"I really need to get glasses," she muttered in frustration. Unable to see far, she decided to move closer.

A crowd had gathered outside The Red Light, with civilians, mercenaries, and onlookers vying for a better view of the colossal object hovering in the sky.

"Is it an attack?!" someone shouted.

"Doesn't look like it! Must be Dahl or Hyperion!"

"Maybe it's aliens..."

Pushing her way through the crowd, Moxxi used her elbows, dodged flailing arms, and ignored the protests.

As she squeezed through, Moxxi frowned deeply when she felt a hand brush against her backside.

"Son of a…" A cruel smile curled on her lips. "You're gonna dance for me now."

With a quick motion, she drew her revolver, aiming at the ground between the man's feet and firing repeatedly, ending with a shot to his head.

The thud of the now-headless body and the gunfire silenced everyone nearby, forming a circle around her and the unfortunate man.

Blowing the smoke from the barrel, Moxxi spun the gun before holstering it on her hip.

Crossing her arms, she looked up, narrowing her eyes. "Well, well, well… who decided to park a floating fortress at my doorstep?"

Hovering majestically over the desert was the Odyssey. Its imposing silhouette blocked out most of the visible sky, its engines glowing with a pulsating blue light that slowly dimmed as the ship hovered just meters above the ground.

Now close enough, Moxxi could make out the warship's logo.

"Ouroboros," she murmured, tilting her head. "Now, that's new to me."

The assistant stepped forward, her voice still trembling. "What should we do, ma'am? Should we evacuate?"

Moxxi let out a low, humorless laugh. "Evacuate? Darling, this is my bar. You can run off with your tail between your legs if you're scared."

Though her exterior remained calm and frivolous, internally, Moxxi was nervous.

"Dammit, Max. What kind of mess have you gotten into now?" she cursed him silently for not taking his ECHO communicator, leaving her to deal with this alone.

A booming sound from amplified speakers echoed, forcing everyone to cover their ears.

"ATTENTION, CONSUMERS OF ILLICIT GOODS AT THE ESTABLISHMENT KNOWN AS THE RED LIGHT! THIS IS THE CAPTAIN OF THE ODYSSEY SPEAKING."

"WE ARE HERE FOR ONE PURPOSE ONLY. HAND OVER MOXXI IMMEDIATELY, OR PREPARE TO FACE THE CONSEQUENCES. YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES."

A bead of sweat rolled down Moxxi's temple as she immediately recognized the voice. She understood Maxwell liked to be dramatic, but this was absurd, even for him. Her assistant, a short-haired young woman with frightened eyes, turned pale as a ghost beside her.

"W-what? They're demanding… y-you?" the assistant stammered, tears threatening to spill.

People backed away from Moxxi as if she were a ticking bomb, creating a wide circle around her, leaving only her and the assistant in the center.

Despite the rising tension, Moxxi fought back a laugh. Outwardly, however, she wore the opposite expression. She let her face adopt a look of helplessness, her lips trembling slightly, her eyes downcast as if she were completely defeated.

"Stay here," she told her assistant, who looked on the verge of collapsing. "Take care of my bar in my absence… Uh, what's your name again?"

"It's Jeanette, ma'am."

"Great, I'm counting on you, Jeannetty."

Without another word, Moxxi stepped forward.

"Is she really surrendering?"

"So that's how it ends for the queen of The Red Light! Tsk I didn't even get to sample her."

"Pathetic."

"Maybe she thinks she can seduce their commander."

Moxxi finally reached the base of the ship, and the Odyssey seemed to react to her presence. A metallic ladder descended slowly, touching the ground with a soft thud that kicked up a small cloud of dust.

At the top of the ladder stood a single figure. Maxwell, of course, arms crossed, wearing a smug smile. His helmet was off, his face visible to everyone.

She paused for a moment, looking at the ladder as if it led to her inevitable doom. Then, with an audible sigh, she began climbing the steps slowly. Her flowing robe made her look like a desolate rose, helpless as she walked into the predator's lair.

Reaching the top, near Maxwell, Moxxi raised her hands dramatically, crossing her wrists as if ready to be bound.

"Do it already," she said, her voice low and melancholic, looking at him with false sorrow in her eyes.

"Do it already? I give the orders here, ma'am," Maxwell said, tilting his head, his grin widening. "You're my prisoner now, you'll do everything I demand."

Maxwell's hands pulled her by the waist, the thin fabric of her robe letting him feel her body press against his.

"Kyaa!" Moxxi let out a playful squeal as Maxwell buried his face in her neck, planting a firm kiss on the spot.

"I was starting to miss you," Maxwell whispered into her ear, his breath warm before pulling away with a teasing bite on her earlobe.

"I missed you too," Moxxi replied, giving him a brief kiss and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Max, you're so mean, scaring me like this first thing in the morning."

"I couldn't resist," Maxwell said, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear gently. "Let me make it up to you with a tour of the Odyssey."

"Well, that sounds reasonable." Moxxi tapped a finger to her lips, pouting slightly. "But I look terrible, you scoundrel. My clothes are all back at the bar."

"I have some outfits that might fit you. Besides, we can shop later. I still need to make a few stops before heading to my island."

"Island?!" she exclaimed, grabbing Maxwell's hands excitedly and dragging him inside. The Odyssey's doors closed automatically behind them.

The crowd outside, now in complete silence, stood confused, unsure of what had just transpired.

"Did Moxxi have a lover with so much wealth?"

"Looks like the bitch finally found a fool to retire with."

"Damn, those Hodunks are screwed!"

With its goal achieved, the Odyssey began to rise slowly, moving at a steady pace.

_________

Maxwell had shown almost the entire ship to Moxxi, which had taken nearly an hour. They were currently in the high-ranking officers' quarters.

"How do I look?" Moxxi asked, spinning to show off the female pilot uniform, a Pulse Blade model, that she was now wearing.

"Beautiful and irresistible," Maxwell replied with a satisfied nod, looking around the quarters filled with closets housing various pilot suits, all standard IMC models, though the system had kept the classic colors intact.

Moxxi just laughed at the compliment, feeling like a teenager again. Taking off her helmet, she let her short hair fall freely and sat down on Maxwell's lap.

"So, what's the plan now? What stage of your scheme are we in?"

Sighing as he felt the light, soft weight of the succubus on his lap, Maxwell summoned every ounce of his fragile willpower not to tear off Moxxi's clothes and give in to temptation right then and there.

"Well, my current plans are pretty simple," he began. "Conquer Sanctuary and capture some prisoners. I want some MRVNs created to operate Sanctuary by the time we get there..." Maxwell paused for a moment, remembering something important. "Oh, and I need to find four Vault Hunters to open the Vault for me."

"If you need me to create more MRVNs, I'm always available," Moxxi replied, processing the information. "But why do you want Sanctuary? That place is crawling with psychos and bandits."

"Sanctuary is a giant mining machine. Dahl used it to extract golden crystals from underground creatures. I intend to use it to mine Eridium."

"Alright, but what about the Vault? Why can't we open it ourselves?" Moxxi asked, confused by Maxwell's decision to let others handle the treasure.

"Because there's nothing in there worth risking our lives for. The Vaults were built by the Eridians more as prisons for monsters than as treasure chests," Maxwell explained, attempting to get up as Moxxi's body heat became increasingly unbearable.

"That's valuable information," Moxxi responded, now understanding. "So you want to hire Vault Hunters to do the heavy lifting, while the real treasure is the mineral that appears after the Vault is opened." She shifted her weight further onto Maxwell, pinning him in place.

Moving even closer, Moxxi slid her fingers across Maxwell's chest, her lips dangerously close to his ear. Her voice became a sultry whisper, sending shivers down Maxwell's spine.

"At this speed, it'll take hours to reach Sanctuary, and we still have unfinished business. Or is the great Maxwell afraid of a small, fragile woman?"

Maxwell closed his eyes for a moment, trying to control his breathing, which was becoming increasingly short and heated. His hands fidgeted, wanting to touch her but hesitating.

"I... I just don't want to rush things with you," he murmured, his voice rough. "I don't want to hurt you."

A satisfied smile lit up Moxxi's lips, soft yet predatory. She had expected no less from Maxwell, but still, hearing those words made her heart race. Pressing her hand against his chest, Moxxi gave a firm push, making him fall back onto the bed.

Propped up on his elbows, Maxwell could only watch as Moxxi adjusted herself over him, her eyes burning with a mix of amusement, desire, and love.

She leaned in, capturing his lips in a deep, fiery kiss. Between kisses, a low chuckle escaped her throat, a sound that made every fiber of Maxwell's being ignite.

Moxxi let out a soft moan, her voice controlled, which only served to excite Maxwell even more. She murmured again, their breaths mingling, warm and uneven:

"Be rough… gentle… harsh or tender. It doesn't matter. I've already decided..." She held his face in her hands, her thumbs softly caressing his cheeks as their eyes met, burning with mutual longing.

"... I'm yours."

"Take me."