After Alex staged a grand explosion in Opportunity, solely to enrage Handsome Jack, he remained seated in the bar, in the company of Moxxi and four mischievous girls — Anya, Tina, Jinx, and Nyaruko. The girls were noisily playing a board game, getting more and more carried away with each passing minute, their emotions running wild. Luckily, Moxxi’s bar was nearly empty at the time — after the recent events, the people of Sanctuary had far more pressing concerns than hanging around and gawking at the hostess.

Alex passed the time in lighthearted conversation with Moxxi. Their topics were simple, almost domestic, as though both wanted a short break from endless dangers. Still, Moxxi couldn’t resist a bit of teasing and playful flirting, always trying to provoke a reaction from him. It amused her how he sometimes tensed, sometimes brushed it off, and it only made their talk more entertaining.

She listened to his story about the past — how Alex worked as a mercenary, how he took down enemies while still caring for his daughters. Even about Tina, who technically just became friends with his three girls, he spoke with warmth and care. The contrast between his ferocity in battle and his tenderness with children struck Moxxi deeply.

She, so used to men chasing only carnal pleasures, suddenly saw someone who didn’t try to lure her into bed with smooth words or tricks. And if Alex had been one of those men, his gaze would’ve long betrayed his intentions. But he looked at her differently — straight, open, almost homelike.

As a woman with experience, Moxxi knew well: if so many women gathered around one man, it meant there was something special about him that made them stay. And that “something” made her regard Alex with growing interest.

Alex, meanwhile, realized that Moxxi wasn’t the carefree woman he only knew from his past life — from the game. She was a living person with her own story, thoughts, and choices. He knew he had no right to judge her past: on Pandora, only the strong survived, and Moxxi had used every trait she had — cunning, flirtation, manipulation — not just to live, but to get what she wanted. Her caution mixed with ruthlessness, and her ability to laugh in the face of danger only made her more alluring.

Even sitting beside Anya, Nyaruko, Jinx, and Tina, she spoke freely of her past. Though she veiled her words carefully — Alex’s sharp look made it clear her stories weren’t exactly things the daughters should hear in full detail.

“So, sweet thing,” Moxxi drawled, lazily running the tip of her foot along Alex’s thigh, “what are you up to now? Last time you said you had to quit your job…”

“Hmm…” Alex rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “That’s not easy to explain. Hard to put in a few words. And it would take some time.”

“We’ve got time,” she replied with a soft smile. “The bar’s closed, no guests, none coming. So go on, tell me.”

Her voice carried genuine interest. She already knew about his past, and now she wanted to understand what he lived for in the present. Alex hesitated, wondering if he should reveal the truth, when he felt a light tug on his sleeve. He turned and met Anya’s eyes. The little girl stroked her tummy and looked up at him pleadingly.

“Daddy, I’m hungry,” she said softly. Nyaruko, Jinx, and Tina all nodded in unison, confirming they were hungry too.

“Of course, sweetheart,” Alex gently patted her hair. “I’ll cook something. But we’ll need a place to spread out.”

“I’d offer my apartment, but…” Moxxi waved a hand at the half-ruined bar. “As you can see, not exactly the best conditions.”

“Don’t worry,” Alex replied with a smile. “I know a place where we can have dinner. And if you’d like — you’re welcome to join us.”

“Ohh, inviting me to dinner?” Her lips curved into a playful smirk. “How sweet of you, sugar.”

And it was clear she had no intention of refusing.

Alex only smiled and rose from the table. Anya, Nyaruko, Jinx, and Tina immediately set the board game aside — their minds were now occupied by one thing only: food. Alex gallantly offered Moxxi his arm to help her up. She smiled in return and thought to herself that the gesture was unexpectedly sweet for a man like him.

Leaving the bar, they walked through the Sanctuary. Alex held Moxxi’s arm, and their odd pair instantly drew the gazes of passersby. Moxxi was too famous for her appearing next to a stranger to go unnoticed. People whispered and exchanged looks — a mix of curiosity and bewilderment.

“You’re not planning to cook right here, are you?” Moxxi squinted as they approached the Crimson Raiders’ headquarters. “As far as I know, there’s nothing inside suitable for a kitchen.”

Alex only smiled mysteriously and led everyone up to the second floor.

They arrived just as Lilith, Brick, Mordecai, Maya, Akston, Salvador, and Zer0 were discussing plans to oppose Jack. But the moment they noticed Alex entering with Moxxi on his arm, the conversation abruptly fell silent. Lilith froze especially: her gaze slid from Moxxi to Alex, full of suspicion and a hint of jealousy.

“Don’t mind us,” Alex said calmly. “We only need the balcony. Continue planning how to beat Not-Handsome Jack.”

Moxxi caught the looks from Lilith and Maya and a sly smile touched her lips. She looked as if to hint, “If you don’t hurry, the chance will be gone.” Lilith, however, took it as an outright provocation.

Alex walked out onto the balcony and without hesitation began to clear it out: he simply tossed all the junk over the railing. The girls, seeing this, happily joined in — squealing and laughing as they threw boxes down.

“What are you doing?!” Lilith couldn’t contain herself and rushed closer. “Why are you throwing our stuff out?!”

“Making space,” Alex answered calmly, tossing out the last box.

No sooner had Lilith started to ask another question than he produced a table, chairs, and kitchen utensils out of thin air. Then a charcoal grill appeared, neatly placed against the wall. The girls immediately sat at the table, eagerly anticipating dinner.

The highlight was his outfit: a white apron and a headband with blue bunny ears. Seeing a stern mercenary turned into a cook like that was utterly unexpected — everyone in the room oscillated between shock and laughter.

Moxxi, meanwhile, made herself comfortable, resting her cheek on her hand and watching with pleasure.

Alex brought out meat and fish, marinated them, and prepared a light salad of cabbage and tomatoes. A simple dish, but even that looked appetizing. First he put steaks on the grill. The smell of sizzling meat quickly filled the balcony, and many stomachs — including those at the table — complained loudly.

When the steaks reached perfect doneness, Alex carefully wrapped them in foil to “let the meat rest.” Next on the grill went fish and shrimp.

“I don’t know exactly what you’re cooking, but it smells divine. Mind sharing?” Brick couldn’t help himself; he stepped closer and tried to swipe a piece.

Smack! Alex’s metal spatula came down hard on his hand.

“Don’t touch. It’s for the kids,” Alex said without looking. “Wait your turn. Or do you want to wake up tomorrow in a skag nest?”

“We’re friends, y’know,” Brick grumbled, rubbing his reddened palm.

“I wasn’t talking about myself,” Alex said, nodding the spatula toward the table.

The four little gremlins simultaneously lifted their heads from their cheesy toasts and stared at Brick. Their eyes shone with such a hungry, mischievous light that a chill ran down his spine.

Brick turned to look at Anya, Nyaruko, Jinx, and Tina. The intense stares from the four made it clear: try to bite into a piece of their food and you’ll wake up in a skag nest in your underwear. Brick jerked back and took a step away from the table. He considered himself tough and reckless, but testing a skag nest was one gamble not worth taking.

While the seafood finished on the grill, Alex pulled bottles of good wine and a glass from his inventory and carefully set them in front of Moxxi.

“How sweet of you to offer me a drink, sugar,” Moxxi said with a small smile.

“Glad you like it. Lilith, Maya — sit down, it’ll be ready soon. If you want anything to drink — say so,” Alex replied and turned to the sirens.

“And what about me? Are you deliberately ignoring me? Or do you like playing the ‘neglect’ game?” Tannis jabbed, darting a finger at him.

“Do I need to invite you?” Alex asked calmly.

“No, of course not. I would’ve sat down anyway,” Tannis waved him off and plopped into a free chair.

Alex simply shrugged and set a cold beer in front of Tannis; she immediately popped the cap. He put drinks he chose in front of Lilith and Maya. In that moment Alex’s gaze fell on a group of guys at a table — clearly missing something festive. Alex sighed, pulled a keg of cool ale from his inventory — a gift from the dwarves of Erebor — and the whole male section cheered.

“I never thought a man who can cook could be so attractive,” Moxxi said, pouring wine into her glass.

“You want a man who can kill and shoot, not just cook,” Lilith replied sarcastically, taking a sip of whiskey.

“Who knows, Lilith. Maybe you just haven’t looked closely enough,” Moxxi smiled. “Aren’t you curious what he really is like?”

“I’m curious too,” Maya added quietly, “how he uses abilities similar to ours without being a siren.”

“That’s because our daddy is the coolest,” Anya chimed in with her cheeks full.

Moxxi, Maya and Lilith turned to the kids and saw Anya, Nyaruko and Jinx nodding with cheeks full and hamster-like eyes. Lilith was about to point out that “coolness isn’t a measure of strength,” but she held back — not wanting to spoil the mood.

While cooking, Alex told them he’d just made a “little interference” for Jack: he’d blown up part of the construction sites in Opportunity. Everyone looked at him: when did he have time? Alex shrugged and admitted he did it about half an hour ago. Moxxi confirmed — she’d pressed the detonator.

Brick burst into loud laughter and couldn’t get enough of it; Mordecai snorted; Zer0’s mask lit up with <3 and he quietly recited a haiku:

“Night.A shadow slips, vengeance done.Only the moon sees the truth.”

“I didn’t catch a word of what you said,” Brick grinned, “but I agree: Jack is definitely furious now. Turn on any Hyperion news — he keeps boasting about his ‘new beginning’ and the city. Blah-blah-blah.”

“Maybe the city would be a ‘new beginning,'” Lilith said evenly, “but certainly not in the form Jack is building it.”

“It wouldn’t be,” Alex said, placing plates of food on the table.

He set the plates down and paused.

“Why do you think that?” Maya asked, spooning salad while watching him closely.

Alex smiled, glanced around at the gathered people, and said calmly, “Because people who want a ‘new beginning’ build it on other people’s bones. And Jack is exactly the sort who doesn’t even regard other lives as expendable material. He has a goal — and he doesn’t see obstacles.”

He fell silent, then added, “And because he has too much ambition and too few values. That combination is more dangerous than any weapon.”

Everyone else also turned their heads toward Alex, waiting for him to continue. Before speaking, he calmly set the plates of food on the table, sliding a generous portion of meat toward the group of guys.

“Opportunity, as Jack named this city, would never have become a new beginning for this planet,” he finally said, leaning against the balcony railing and lighting a cigarette. “A city built on corpses will always reek of death. I’ve already seen a place like that.”

“And where was that?” Lilith asked, watching him closely.

“In a city called Night City,” Alex replied, exhaling smoke into the night sky. “That’s where I met my four wives. One of them is Jinx’s biological mother. From the outside, the city looked like a dream: clean streets, safe transport, freedom. Everything as it was meant to be. But it all went downhill very quickly.”

“What happened?” Maya asked, setting her glass on the table.

“Four years later the first gang moved in. They killed the founder and took over the district. Then others followed. And soon the city turned into a breeding ground for violence, drugs, and death. The big corporations decided to seize control — launched a massive purge. Gang leaders were wiped out, thousands died… The city looked ‘cleansed,’ but in reality, it had just switched owners. People were left to live under the boot of corporate security forces.”

He flicked ash down below, his eyes never leaving the group before him.

“And, of course, it all repeated again. Ordinary people rose against the corporations, the corps answered with war. And once again — mountains of corpses. When I lived there as a merc, the city was already divided: eight gangs, each controlling its own territory. Shootouts every day. Kidnappings in the streets were normal: organs, slavery, anything you can imagine. And at the center of it all sat the corps — using the gangs to cover their dirty work without dirtying their own hands. And, as one of my friends said: all it takes is a spark near the fuse — and the whole Night City will flare up like a Christmas tree.”

“Mom Lucyna, Mom Kiwi, Mom Becca, and Mom Gloria said they’d never go back there,” Anya mumbled with her mouth full.

“Sweetheart, don’t talk with your mouth full,” Alex immediately replied, nodding toward the tiny fairy drone Navi that hovered behind him. “Don’t forget: your mom Alcina is watching.”

Anya instantly fell silent, lowering her eyes. She loved her strict mom, of course, but etiquette lessons during meals were pure punishment. Even Nyaruko and Jinx straightened up and began eating a bit more “refined.” They might have been little gremlins, but even they had enough sense to fear Alcina.

At that very moment Alcina was indeed sitting in the mansion’s living room with a glass of wine in her hand. Seeing the girls behave properly, she nodded with satisfaction. But inwardly she decided: once they got home, there would be another lesson. Her gaze fell on Tina, who was happily wolfing down food while whistling to herself. Alcina swirled her glass and smirked: if her husband was going to adopt Tina — then she had another pupil. And she intended to reform the girl, whether Tina liked it or not. At that moment, Anya, Nyaruko, Jinx, and Tina all simultaneously felt an unpleasant chill run down their spines.

Meanwhile, Alex returned to the table and pulled out photographs from Night City. He first showed the beautiful ones — glowing streets, bright lights, smiling faces. But soon came very different shots: grim alleys, corpses behind police tape, traces of gunfights. The contrast was so sharp that many at the table struggled to believe it was the same city.

In one photo, Alex was posing next to Kiwi and Falco in front of a high-rise with the inscription: “Glory to the Pasta Monster.” Big grins, two fingers raised in a victory sign. Next to them was a girl in a red coat with short blonde hair and a red mask. On the other side, a man with a mustache smiled cheerfully at the camera.

“This girl… one of your wives?” Lilith asked, pointing at Kiwi.

“Yes, that’s Kiwi,” Alex nodded with a slight smile. “At first, she met me with a gun aimed at me. But then… we made peace. And after that came love, and everything else.”

“And the mask? Was she ashamed of her face?” slurred Bric, having had a little too much to drink.

“No. She had lung problems. The mask filtered the air. But now it’s all fine, I cured her,” Alex replied, not going into details.

“Bric, maybe stop asking dumb questions after a few drinks? What does it matter to you what she looks like?” Lilith snapped, giving him a blank look.

“I just asked!” Bric protested, slapping his chest. “And… he still didn’t say how many women he’s married to. As a man, I need to know!”

Alex smirked, looking at him calmly:

“As I said… that’s a secret. So I don’t break your heart.”

Bric grumbled about how there was no need to hide it — that’s not manly. Alex just smirked and shook his head. His family was unusual: not only humans, but also goddesses, demigoddesses, members of fantastic races, a former apostle of a god who became his wife and his own apostle, and even a ghost-girl living in his shadow. And that’s not even counting Nyaruko’s mother — an entity whose name cannot be spoken in the presence of mortals.

He was about to steer the conversation elsewhere, but Bric, as usual, caused trouble: he grabbed the last piece of meat and wouldn’t share it. Mordecai immediately flared up, accusing him of greed.

“You greedy brute! Share it with the rest!” Mordecai exclaimed, ready to strike Bric.

“Well, since you’re a hunter, go catch your own,” Bric waved him off, loudly chewing the meat with the expression of someone who doesn’t care what anyone says.

Their quarrel was quickly threatening to turn into a nighttime hunt on Pandora’s wildlife, but Lilith intervened in time and managed to calm both… at least partially. The atmosphere gradually became more friendly: glasses clinked, stories poured out one after another. The moon was already shining brightly in the sky, but no one was going to sleep. No one, that is, except Anya, Nyaruko, Jinx, and Tina, who had passed out right at the table.

Smiling, Alex carefully picked up the girls. Lilith, Maya, and Moxxi helped him carry them downstairs to put them to bed. Once the little ones were tucked in, Lilith looked at their peaceful faces and quietly said:

“When they’re asleep, they’re so sweet… But the moment they wake up — they already want to blow something up.”

“That’s the beauty of parenthood,” Alex replied softly, stroking each of their heads.

Making sure the girls were sound asleep, they returned upstairs. Life was in full swing there: Bric and Salvador had started a contest, determined to see who was stronger. The others watched eagerly until the table they were wrestling on split in half. Both fell to the floor with a crash, looking equally ridiculous, which finally settled the argument — a draw. Laughter erupted across the room, and the group continued drinking and chatting late into the night.

For Alex, this was precious: he saw not game characters, but real people, with their own habits and personalities. The thought of one day offering them jobs in the guild crossed his mind more often. But first, he had to close the matter with the last Vault, deal with Handsome Jack, and prevent future problems from appearing in the form of the Calypso twins.

When everyone had fallen asleep wherever they were, Alex found a bed for himself on the first floor. Before closing his eyes, he managed to write to Lucina and Elise — to check how things were going in the other world. The reply was short: their second lesson had just begun. Alex exhaled in relief, closed his eyes, and instantly fell asleep. He didn’t even notice the girls slipping into his bed one by one, drawn by the warmth of his body.

Morning greeted him with a weight on his chest. Without opening his eyes, Alex immediately realized: he couldn’t be at home. None of his wives would appear in another world just to sleep beside him. Carefully opening his eyes, he saw fiery red hair on the left, blue on the right, and dark blonde curls cozily resting on his chest.

“Lilith, Maya… and Moxxi?!” he thought, just as the first of them stirred.

Moxxi lazily opened her eyes, propped herself on her elbows against his chest, and smiled mischievously. Alex narrowed his gaze: had she deliberately ended up in his bed?

She yawned in response, sat on his waist, and shifted slightly.

“No morning reaction? I thought I was lucky,” she said with a sly grin.

“I prefer coffee in the morning. So be a dear and get off — I need to wake the girls and make them breakfast,” Alex replied calmly.

“Fine, that’s on me,” Moxxi smiled, running a finger across his chest. “But what about these two? They seem to really enjoy hugging you.”

“Enough talking, Moxxi… you’re disturbing my sleep,” Lilith mumbled sleepily without opening her eyes.

“Disturbing your sleep… or disturbing your new pillow-hug?” Moxxi teased, her voice full of mischief.

“What do you mean?” Lilith asked, slowly opening her eyes and meeting Alex’s gaze… then froze.

Opening her eyes fully, Lilith saw Alex’s face very close to hers. Gradually, she realized that she had been hugging his arm with her head resting on his shoulder. But she felt no embarrassment — she simply removed her hand and got out of bed. Stretching, Lilith displayed her slender body. She wore a light, loose tank top and short shorts, perfectly accentuating her figure.

When her movement woke Lilith, Maya stirred too. She yawned drowsily, sat up and stretched, not even noticing that she had spent the whole night hugging Alex in her sleep. Neither she nor Lilith reacted to the fact that they’d woken up beside him. If anything, it was a pleasant bonus for them: they’d slept well, and there was also a handsome guy next to them.

When Alex finally freed himself, he got up from the couch and went to wake his “little gremlins.” Anya, Nyaruko, Jinx and Tina resisted with all their might, grumbling and trying to hide under the covers, but he still managed to get them on their feet.

After that Alex went back out to the balcony of the Crimson Raiders’ headquarters, where he’d cooked dinner the night before, and now started preparing breakfast. He made coffee for himself and the women, and poured warm cocoa and cereal with milk for the kids.

“Where are the guys? Why don’t I see them?” he asked, noticing that Brick, Mordecai, Salvador, Akston and Zer0 were absent.

“Who knows. They’re adults, they’ll manage,” Lilith replied indifferently, sipping coffee from her mug.

Alex just shrugged. He had no intention of babysitting a bunch of grown men. He had his own business. Leaning back in his chair, he looked off into the distance, thinking through his next moves.

He had to reach the Bunker where Jack was keeping Angel and using her power to fuel the Vault Key and speed up its opening. Then find the Vault itself — that wouldn’t be a problem: the Key would point the way. After that, deal with Jack himself, seize “Helios,” and finally track down the main Vault where the Destroyer had been sealed.

But Alex understood perfectly well: the moment he showed up at the Bunker, Jack would know about it. That meant he needed a diversion. The best method — sabotage. Alex even smirked to himself: theoretically he could pull the whole thing off without leaving this very balcony. But where’s the fun in that? What kind of adventure is it if you do everything from home? Power for power loses its meaning — and he craved adventure. Even saving worlds was for him only part of the road.

“What are you planning to do?” Lilith asked, watching him.

“In what sense?” Alex raised an eyebrow and turned to her.

“You’ve had that thoughtful look while you were drinking coffee. So I asked — what are you planning to do?” Lilith said, taking a sip from her cup.

“Nothing special. As usual: I’ll start a bloodbath and leave mountains of corpses behind,” Alex yawned.

“Could you be a little more specific?” Moxxi intervened, looking at him with genuine interest.

“First I’ll go to the Bunker. That’s where Jack is holding Angel. I free the girl, grab the Key, and cut down anyone in my way. Then I open the Vault — see what’s inside. Maybe I’ll find clues I need for my search. After that I’ll beat Jack thoroughly and, for dessert, shove his golden statue where the sun doesn’t shine. And, of course, I steal Helios. That’s why I came here,” Alex said, listing his plans for the day.

“I don’t even want to ask why you’d shove a golden statuette up Jack’s backside,” Lilith grimaced. “But what exactly are you looking for in the Vault? You said it wasn’t interesting to you.”

“Let’s put it this way… it’s related to my main job. When we open it — I’ll explain. It all depends on whether I find the traces I need there. If not, I’ll have to search other Vaults on Pandora,” Alex replied, avoiding a direct answer to Lilith’s question.

“Alright. But how do you plan to get into the Bunker? You do realize that the second we show up, Jack will throw everything he has at us,” Maya noted calmly.

“Simple. A diversion. Judging by his reaction yesterday when I blew up his ‘city of dreams,’ Jack can’t stand it when someone breaks his toys. So I’ll start destroying them one by one. While he’s running around in a panic, I’ll calmly get to the Bunker. That’s the plan,” Alex said, lazily stirring his coffee.

To be continued…

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep