Alex and his three little daughters stood before the massive iron gates. Behind them stretched a snow-covered wasteland, dotted with drifts and cut by sharp boulders. Savage Pandora fauna prowled that white wilderness.
Skags roamed there — predatory beasts like space dogs whose bodies were covered in tough scales that acted like armor. Each Skag could mutate into a new, even more dangerous form: fire, acid, and many other variations.
But they weren't the only ones stalking the snow. Bullymongs also ruled here — massive four-armed monstrosities resembling gorillas. Their aggression knew no bounds: anyone daring to set foot in their territory became a target.
Glancing over the valley, Alex smirked: Pandora was undoubtedly insane, but interesting. His priority, however, remained the same — reach the Sanctuary, where those who refused to bow to the local tyrant, Handsome Jack, were hiding.
Jack kept his own daughter — a siren named Angel — captive, as if chained. He justified it as care, but in truth he used her power to open another Vault of the ancient civilization. In reality, Jack blamed his daughter for his wife's death. In a fit of rage and terror, when bandits attacked them both, Angel unleashed her power and wiped everyone out — enemies and mother alike. Since then the father had turned her into a prisoner and her abilities into an instrument of his greed.
Alex pondered. Maybe he should free Angel? In any case, he was already planning to beat up "Not-So-Handsome" Jack and shove a golden statuette somewhere very unpleasant. Saving the girl would be a pleasant addition to that little adventure.
He felt sorry for Angel. Parents should protect and guide their children, not turn them into prisoners. But there was a problem: although Alex knew Pandora's location names, he had no idea how to get everywhere. One wrong turn and he could get lost, walk into an ambush, or a blast. Considering most locals seemed a bit unhinged, trouble was inevitable.
To orient himself, Alex decided to find out what stage things were at. His daughters had mentioned Lilith — a siren who was still in the Sanctuary. That meant the Sanctuary hadn't been lifted into the sky yet, Angel was alive, and she could be rescued.
"Little princesses, have you heard of a girl named Angel? Or maybe you met her during your… little adventures spreading chaos on Pandora?" Alex asked, watching his daughters pick weapons off the corpses of the bandits he'd just turned into bloody stains on the snow.
"Mmm… I don't remember. What about you?" Nyaruko shook her head, looking at her sisters.
"Hmm… I think I heard the name, but I don't recall where. Anya, do you remember anything?" Jinx asked, stuffing a gun into her bag.
"Yes. Big sister Maya said she heard a voice in her head from a girl named Angel. I think it was Angel who helped Maya and her friends get into the Sanctuary," Anya said thoughtfully.
"Oh! Right! When you said that I remembered too. Uncle-not-a-gnome Salvador mentioned it as well when I tried to steal his shotgun," Jinx added with a serious look.
Alex barely stifled a laugh. His daughter had called Salvador "uncle-not-a-gnome" — very much in her style. That Jinx had tried to swipe someone's weapon didn't surprise him either. In their family it was almost a rule: if a gun lies unattended — it's nobody's. And if the weapon had an owner — his fault for not watching it.
Most importantly, Alex was now sure: Angel was alive. That was good. Unlike Handsome Jack, Alex didn't need siren powers to open another Vault. Any door on this planet would swing open for him if he wanted it to.
"Daddy, why are you asking about this girl? Do you want her to be our new mommy?" Jinx squinted her pink eyes mischievously.
"No, of course not," Alex smiled softly. "She just has a very sad fate. I want to help."
"So we're playing heroes again? Save the good and whack the bad with a stick?" Anya clapped her hands excitedly.
"I'm in! Bad guys need hitting, good guys need helping!" Jinx shouted enthusiastically, throwing her hands up.
"Hooray!" Anya and Nyaruko chimed in together.
Alex paused for a moment, looking at his three daughters, who had suddenly decided he should play the role of the Hero — rescuing the maiden from the Villain's clutches and, in the finale, saving everyone else. Yet he had come into this world only to beat up a certain arrogant bastard who dared threaten his girls, have some fun, and maybe snatch a couple of local creatures for his collection. But seeing the delight sparkling in his daughters' eyes, Alex thought: why not play the hero for a bit? Save someone, defeat the "main villain" — after all, he was here to have fun with his family.
"Alright, my little potatoes. We'll play heroes. But I'm warning you now: I'm not going to say any of those dumb lines all these so-called heroes love. Don't forget — your daddy is the Demon King. And I keep things short with villains," Alex said calmly.
"Umu-umu. We agree!" Nyaruko, Jinx, and Anya nodded in unison.
"That's better. Now we need to reach the Sanctuary — that's where we'll begin our journey," Alex said with a kind smile.
"Oh, right! One second, daddy, I'll open the gates," Jinx replied cheerfully and ran up to the panel by the massive iron doors.
Alex raised an eyebrow in surprise as his daughter rummaged through her bag and pulled out a strange device that looked like a tablet. Looking closer, he realized it was an ECHO module, connected to the ECHO network once created by the Dahl Corporation. After leaving Pandora, they had left the network to the locals, and over time the devices evolved, becoming universal assistants: digital inventory, communication, data access — all in one. No wonder Vault Hunters couldn't do without them.
"Jinx, where did you get an ECHO module? And why do you even need it? I already made you smartphones that are way better than this junk," Alex asked curiously, watching his daughter skillfully unlock the gate.
"Big sister Lilith gave one to each of us. So we took them! Plus, this thing is great for hacking doors," Jinx answered brightly, tucking the device back into her bag.
"Daddy, the smartphones you made for us are super cool! But we just like collecting rare stuff, just like you," Anya added, holding Alex's hand tightly.
Alex simply nodded in agreement. Items collected during travels really did become symbols of the places you'd been. It was a good habit to keep.
Behind him came the rumble of machinery as the iron gates began slowly sliding open. Alex lifted his daughters into his arms and looked ahead. A long stone bridge stretched before them, leading straight to a small town known as the Sanctuary.
Crossing the bridge took only a few minutes. Stopping at the entrance, Alex let his gaze linger on the Sanctuary — a place he had visited hundreds of times back when he played the video game tied to this world. A faint nostalgia swept over him: so much time had passed since he last saw those familiar walls, even if only in digital form. And now, before him stood the real Sanctuary, stirring a strange feeling in him — as if past and present had merged into one point.
A loud shout to the right abruptly snapped him out of his thoughts. Alex and the girls turned their heads in unison. Seeing the source of the noise, Anya, Nyaruko and Jinx beamed with joy, while Alex barely held back a laugh.
Waving her arms and shaking the poor security guard by the power core was none other than the mad demolitionist Tina. She'd planted her feet in his chest, grabbed his collar and was furiously shaking him, screaming the whole time:"I know you know where Claptrap went! Tell me now! Or I swear I'll tie you to my new boom-boom rocket!"
"Tina, I've told you for the tenth time!" the guard choked out through the shaking. "I don't know where that chatty tin can went! Let me go! Don't make me complain to Lilith that you're interfering with my work!"
"Are you a little baby? Why are you whining? You just stand here all day!" Tina wouldn't let up. "You have no idea how much I need Claptrap! Without him I can't catch the Legendary Skag Mordecai talked about! And without the Legendary Skag I won't win the Trainer Championship! So if I don't catch him — you'll be my Pokémon! And just try not to bring me victory!"
For a second Alex froze, as if a short circuit had run through his head. Pokémon? On Pandora? How did Tina even know about them? And why did she plan to use Claptrap to catch a Legendary Skag?
He glanced at his daughters — and everything clicked. The girls grinned and simultaneously pulled three golden trophies from their bags. Each one bore the inscription, "Champion among Pokémon Trainers." Alex looked closer and realized: his little princesses had won three tournaments in three different regions.
Pride and surprise warred inside him. On the one hand, he was happy for his daughters. On the other, he wondered how many Pokémon they had managed to catch. Seeing they'd actually stunned their father, the girls tucked the trophies away and gave each other high fives.
Then, laughing, they bounded over to Tina, leaving Alex standing in mild stupefaction."Tina! We're back!" Anya, Nyaruko and Jinx yelled as they ran up to the demolitionist, who was still shaking the poor guard.
"Anya! Nyaruko! Jinx!" Tina squealed, jumping off the unfortunate man. "Why so early? I was so close to catching the Legendary Skag — then those cups would've been mine!"
"That's not happening!" Jinx declared proudly, puffing out her chest. "You're nowhere near champion level yet!"
"We'll see!" Tina snorted. "I already caught a super-cool crab! I named him Sir Firefly!"
They bumped foreheads and began arguing about who deserved the champion title. The guard, swaying, removed his helmet and leaned over the abyss, vomiting after an hour of "flight" in Tina's hands.
Alex lit a cigarette and exhaled smoke quietly. He felt a bit sorry for the poor guy — by Tina's own admission, he clearly hadn't been the first of her victims, and he wouldn't be the last.
When he looked back at the girls, the argument had already ended. The four of them — Anya, Nyaruko, Jinx and Tina — were holding hands and hopping in a circle, laughing and swapping stories. Alex just shook his head. Even the wildest quarrel in their company somehow turned into a cheerful game within seconds.
"How was your trip home?" Tina asked, still spinning with the girls.
"We didn't go home! We went to Daddy's workplace!" Anya answered with a peal of laughter.
"Right…," Tina drawled. "Have you seen where Claptrap went? Without him my super-genius plan won't work!"
"What plan? Is it fun?" Jinx's eyes lit up — literally pink with excitement.
"Mordecai said he saw a Legendary Skag that can change elements!" Tina explained seriously. "But without Claptrap I can't catch it. I wanted to tie a Psycho to him and throw them straight into a Skag nest! Then the Legendary Skag would appear and I'd catch it!"
"Wow, how awesome!" Nyaruko admired. "We want to see it too! Daddy can catch it!"
"Daddy?" Tina stopped, surprised. "But he's at work!"
"No, we brought him with us! There he is!" Anya said, pointing at Alex.
Anya pointed toward where Alex was standing. Nyaruko and Jinx immediately stepped aside, clearing Tina's view. The girl shifted her gaze in that direction and saw a man by the bridge, leisurely taking a drag from his cigarette. He wore a black-and-red coat, black trousers, and matching boots. His hair, dark as night, was carelessly slicked back, with a few strands falling gently across his forehead.
When Alex turned, Tina saw his eyes — they shimmered with all the colors of the rainbow. The man looked straight at her and waved with a warm smile. After all, Tina was a friend of his three little princesses, so he was genuinely glad to greet her.
But Tina couldn't take her eyes off Alex. Then she slowly turned her stunned gaze to Nyaruko, Jinx, and Anya. The three of them puffed out their chests proudly, as if they had just won a great victory.
"You said your daddy looked cool… But this isn't just cool. This is super-duper cool! He's straight-up handsome!" Tina exclaimed, pointing at Alex.
"We told you, our daddy is the most handsome in the whole world!" Jinx replied with dignity. "And he's not just super-duper handsome, but also super-duper cool and super-duper strong! My daddy can kick anyone's butt!"
"When I grow up, I want to marry your daddy!" Tina declared with a wide grin.
"You can't!" Anya, Nyaruko, and Jinx shouted in unison, immediately dropping into fighting stances. "We won't let you become our daddy's wife!"
"And I said I will!" Tina shot back, taking a Shaolin monk stance.
Alex, who had just waved at Tina, turned his gaze back to the panorama of Sanctuary. He half-listened to the girls' chatter, until their argument's subject caught his attention. When he heard the word "marriage," Alex choked on his smoke and coughed.
Turning toward them, he saw a scene ripped straight out of an old kung fu movie: Anya, Nyaruko, Jinx, and Tina stood facing each other, imitating martial arts stances and fiercely arguing over who would become his wife.
Alex lifted his eyes skyward and met the gaze of the fairy-drone Navi hovering above him. He was sure the women in his family were rolling with laughter at that very moment."How did I even end up in a situation where a child seriously claims she wants to be my fiancée?" he thought wearily.
But he didn't have time to reflect — the girls had already swarmed him from all sides. Their quarrel turned into a chaotic "every girl for herself" battle, where the main prize was him. They shook him back and forth, and the noise was so deafening it would've made a normal person's ears ring long ago.
Alex glanced at the power-core guard — the man quickly turned away, pretending he hadn't seen a thing. Another guard by Sanctuary's gates also very pointedly looked in the opposite direction."Just what kind of trouble have these four little rascals caused here, if even the guards would rather not get involved?" Alex thought with irritation.
"Could you stop shaking me? I just had coffee… and you really don't want to see it make a comeback," he remarked calmly.
"Daddy, then tell her she can't be your wife!" Jinx demanded, tugging his arm. "And if she can, then only by standing in line!"
"In line?!" Tina protested, yanking on his other arm. "I'll blow everyone up — there won't be any line!"
Alex lifted his eyes to Navi in despair, silently asking for help. Above his head, a holographic sign lit up:
"We believe in you, you've got this! — With love, Jill."
Alex just sighed — clearly, the women in his family were enjoying the show.
"Alright, that's enough," he finally said, giving Tina an encouraging smile. "Listen, you're still way too young to be thinking about marriage. Grow up first — then we'll talk."
"He-he-he! Aww yeah! Now I've got myself a future husband!" Tina shouted joyfully, throwing her hands up and bouncing in place. "You're just awesome, I'm freaking out! Just looking at you makes me melt. This is so cool!!!"
Alex's eye twitched. He hadn't said a word about becoming Tina's "future husband." All he wanted was for the argument to end quickly. Anya, Nyaruko, and Jinx rolled their eyes in unison. They had already explained to Tina that if she seriously wanted to marry their daddy, she first had to grow up. And also—stand in line. They knew perfectly well how popular their father was. More than that, the girls themselves had long been pondering "candidates for the role of new mommy." Of course, they kept this little secret buried deep inside and would never admit it to anyone.
"Alright, fine. I guess we can enter the city now?" Alex sighed heavily.
"Let's go, Daddy!" Anya exclaimed, tugging his hand. "I'll introduce you to my older sister, Lilith. She's awesome!"
"Yes, she's really cool," Tina added, grabbing his other hand.
All Alex could do was nod. Anya and Tina pulled him forward, while Nyaruko and Jinx pushed from behind to make him go faster. When the whole group reached the gates, the guard posted there did his best to pretend he had turned into a statue and didn't notice the quartet.
Alex cast a sidelong glance at him and wondered how his daughters had managed to pester the poor man so much.
"Hey, why are you standing there like a statue? Open the gates!" Tina said, kicking the guard in the leg.
"Maybe he's asleep?" Jinx squinted, peeking from behind Alex. "We need to zap him with a stun gun to wake him up!"
The guard's whole body trembled at the very word "stun gun." Terrifying memories immediately flashed before his eyes—memories that had once forced him to see a doctor named Zed. One time, he had looked away for just a second and didn't open the gates at the request of these four. And for that, they had "woken him up" with a stun gun. He had been shaking for days afterward.
With difficulty controlling his trembling hand, the guard reached for the lever, and the iron gates slowly sank into the ground, opening a passage into the city.
Alex watched the poor man with pity: his hands shook so violently he could barely hit the switch. A thought crossed his mind: "I won't be thanking the people of Sanctuary for looking after my daughters. I'll have to apologize to everyone whose life Anya, Nyaruko, and Jinx, along with Tina, have managed to ruin."
Carefully freeing his hand from Anya's grip, Alex took a crate of good beer from his inventory and placed it next to the unfortunate guard. The man looked at Alex in surprise, receiving only a sheepish, apologetic smile in response. By that time, the four girls had already shoved Alex into the city.
"At least their dad's a nice guy," the guard muttered, pulling a can from the crate.
Once inside, Alex froze in place. Everything around him was painfully familiar. What he had previously only seen on a computer screen now stood before him in real life. To the left was Scooter's garage. A bit further on, steps led to the center of Sanctuary. To the right, another staircase led straight to Moxxi's bar, proudly bearing its name.
Alex barely resisted the urge to peek inside. Not that Moxxi wasn't attractive—on the contrary—but her unpredictability and ridiculously long list of romantic entanglements, with both men and women, made him approach her with caution rather than interest.
His thoughts were interrupted by a loud metallic clang. A wrench flew out of Scooter's workshop, bounced off his "Infinity," and froze right in front of his face.
"That's you!" Scooter shouted, rushing out with another wrench in hand. "You broke my station! And those four with you!"—he jabbed the wrench toward Alex and the girls.
Alex looked at Scooter, while Anya, Nyaruko, Jinx, and Tina all began whistling in unison, pretending nothing had happened and that they had nothing to do with it.
Scooter had reddish-brown hair, fair skin, and traces of oil and dirt on his face. Now, his expression showed only anger and hurt: he gripped the wrench tightly and pointed it threateningly at Alex.
Alex raised an eyebrow and looked at his four "walking disasters," who had plastered on the most innocent faces possible, as if embodying angelic ignorance. He sighed heavily.
"Uh… sorry for breaking your station," he said calmly. "But what do these four have to do with it?"
"What do they have to do with it?!!" Scooter bellowed. "They stole my baby! I built her bolt by bolt, slept in her, hugged her, kissed her! Every little bolt was placed with love. It took a whole year to assemble her! And these four disasters stole her… and all that's left is one wheel! Waaaaaaaah!"
He threw his head back and sobbed, dropping the wrench.
Alex watched Scooter cry, genuinely, as if someone had taken away his favorite toy. He understood the man perfectly: stealing a machine put together with such care was almost sacrilegious.
Alex gently nudged Anya, Nyaruko, Jinx, and Tina forward, hinting: "Time to disappear." They immediately gave him thumbs up and dashed away without waiting for a second hint.
"Uh-huh, of course," Alex muttered and lit a cigarette.
He approached Scooter, patted him on the shoulder, and guided him back into the workshop, seating him on a stool. Pulling a couple of beer cans from his inventory, he placed them in front of the sobbing mechanic.
"Go ahead, tell me your story," Alex said calmly.
Scooter opened a can, wiped his tears—smearing the machine oil further across his face—and began passionately recounting how he had assembled every part, talked to his machine, cherished each bolt. Alex listened silently, nodding and slowly taking a drag from his cigarette.
Meanwhile, a thought ran through his head:
"I came to Pandora with one goal… and instead, I'm consoling a grown man who's crying over a stolen car. Thanks, daughters."
"Your story is really touching," Alex finally said, putting out his cigarette. "And I understand your grief. But nothing can be changed now."
"I know…" Scooter sighed heavily and downed the can in one gulp. "It's just… so sad… I didn't even get a chance to ride her…"
"Listen. I can't return your baby. I can't fix the station either. But I can compensate you. What do you say?"
"I don't need money!" Scooter barked, slamming the can on the table in anger. "You can't buy new parts with money. They don't make them anymore!"
"I wasn't talking about money," Alex smiled. "How about a new car? Of course, it won't replace your baby, but in terms of coolness—it won't fall short."
Scooter's eyes lit up.
"You little rascal! I like the way you talk! Alright, show me what you've got!"
Alex smirked, walked over to the lift, and summoned a white armored jeep from his inventory—a real tank on wheels.
Seeing it, Scooter froze, eyes widening and jaw dropping. A second later, he squealed like a teenager at a concert and threw himself against the hood. He pressed his cheek to it, purred, and even kissed the metal.
Alex winced, watching the spectacle.
"Oh yes, baby!" Scooter cooed, caressing the jeep. "You're my one and only love now!"
Alex shuddered. One thought flashed through his mind: "The main thing—don't imagine what he plans to do alone with the car."
"Do you need anything else?" Scooter finally asked, turning to Alex but not breaking contact with the hood. "I mean, I don't mind you standing here… but I'd appreciate it if you left us alone."
"I don't even want to know what's on your mind," Alex snapped. "The main thing is that you like it. As for me… I'll be going."
He hurried out of the workshop, and right behind him, the metal shutters slammed down with a crash.
Alex lit another cigarette, trying to purge the unpleasant images from his mind. His gaze flicked toward the center of the Sanctuary, then to Moxxi's bar. He closed his eyes and dispersed mana across the city, sensing the familiar energy—Anya, Nyaruko, Jinx, and Tina were in the "headquarters," and people were already gathered around them.
"Hm… where to start?" he muttered, exhaling smoke. "Apologize to everyone those gremlins managed to annoy… or deal with problems as they come? Tough choice."
He tapped his foot rhythmically against the ground, swaying in time with his thoughts. One thing was clear: problems were now his daily responsibility. But at the same time, it was a chance to meet the locals and get a better look at the city.
"So, where to begin. Look around, or head straight to the girls…" he mumbled. "And meet those I've only seen on a screen before."
To be continued…
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