Hey everyone! Welcome to my very first borderlands fic and second fic ever!
Okay just a note. All my AN's to follow will be at the end of the chapters (Including this one) They just contain my musings about the chapter and reasons for doing certain things. They will never contain spoilers. I think they can be beneficial to read.
Okay, now the disclaimer. I own nothing! All Borderlands characters, worlds, ect, belong to gearbox.
It was cold, bitterly cold. Every inch of her body hurt like hell. Her ears were filled with a loud ringing, slowly it gave way but only to be replaced by howling wind. Maya very slowly opened her eyes to take in her situation. She was laying in the midst of a destroyed train, large bits of scrap and a few fires were the only things that broke up the white tundra surrounding her.
She sighed to herself, not even a week on Pandora and already everything was going to hell. As if the bounty on her head wasn't enough, apparently she was now trying to be killed for being classified as a Vault Hunter. But she wasn't dead, and now she was going to absolutely destroy this Handsome Jack guy. Not only for petty revenge, although that was a VERY nice incentive. But also because she felt that would give her some of the answers she came here for. He was the one who put the bounties on Siren's after all, he must know something about them.
But first she needed to actually get moving. Groaning Maya pushed herself to her feet, her body screaming in protest the entire time, every single inch of her hurt. Luckily it didn't feel like anything was broken….or missing. Although her SMG was nowhere to be seen and it would be almost impossible to find it in the snow. Screw it, she had her powers, guns were nothing compared to that. As she trudged forward she could make out faint voices…shouting. She strained to hear against the howling wind.
"-ya! Maya!" The voice was distinctly male, one that she recognized. That soldier from the train, another of the Vault Hunters.
"Chica!" Another of the Vault Hunters, that short, burly man who spoke horrid English.
Maya instantly cursed herself for forgetting about them so quickly. She may not have known them that well but right now they were all in the same boat, plus none of them had seemed particularly horrid.
"Here!" She shouted back, moving at a quicker pace towards the noise. It wasn't long before she found the small group. The Commando, Axton, the Gunzerker Salvador, and that weird silent black armoured one, Zero. But there also appeared to be a new member, a small robot in Hyperion colors, it waved a small arm in greeting.
"Huzzah! Another minion to serve me!" It shouted excitedly, "My army grows ever more powerful! Now come minions, I Claptrap shall lead you out of this storm and to shelter!" The small robot then sped off into the blizzard.
The group of Vault Hunters simply stared at it for a moment before following along. Maya was utterly confused, but if it would get her out of this storm then she would play along for now.
"Hey, you okay?" Asked Axton, dropping back a few steps to walk beside her. Aside from a few scrapes and bruises he looked to be in good shape from the explosion, they all did.
"Yeah, I'm good." She said, not willing to show any weakness in front of the group. She could work through the pain, after a good rest she would be fine.
"Well glad you made it, it's nice having another good looking person to chat with." He said, a grin on his face.
Maya simply rolled her eyes and kept walking. It hadn't taken long to figure out that the Commando was a shameless flirt. But he appeared to be the harmless kind at least, he never said anything TOO offensive. During the train ride he had given her all kinds of compliments but she had never paid them much mind, he would probably flirt with that Claptrap unit if it had a female voice.
Luckily the walk to their shelter wasn't far. It was surprisingly homey. With several old sofa's surrounding a large bonfire. The entire group quickly made their way over to the roaring fire, getting as close as possible to heat their freezing bodies. Maya relished the heat as it coursed through her body, that alone was helping to dull some of her pain.
"Hey robot," Said Axton, "I don't suppose you have anything to eat in this place?"
"Hunger is a sign of weakness! You must be the weakest minion. From now on you shall be known as Cannon Fodder!"
"Why you little-" Axton immediately grabbed his pistol and aimed it at the small robot who sped away screaming.
"Bad minion! Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad!"
The Gunzerker burst into laughter at the sight. He reached into one of the containers at his belt and pulled free several large sticks of…some kind of meat that frankly, Maya was scared to identify.
"Here you go," He tossed one of the sticks to Axton, "Chica?" He tossed her one as well before turning to their final companion, who deftly snatched it out of the air.
"Thanks," Said Axton, not even bothering to look at the meat before taking a bite.
Maya decided it would be wise to follow his actions and she took a blind bite. Tearing a chunk off the slightly tough meat she gave it a few tentative chews. It actually wasn't that bad.
"Thank you." She said to Salvador, giving him a polite smile. Despite his gruff appearance and apparent love of battle and carnage, he seemed to be a genuinely nice person.
"So anyone have any ideas on what the hell we do from here?" Asked Axton.
"Rip off Jack's arms and beat him to death with them?" Asked Salvador, grinning somewhat manically.
"Well I am all for that, but how do we go about doing it?"
"If the Cannon Fodder minion would stop trying to shoot me, I have a genius plan!" Shouted Claptrap from behind the corner where he was still hiding.
"Oh I am so shooting him," Axton growled, reaching for his pistol again.
"It can't hurt to hear his plan," Maya interjected, "I mean, obnoxious attitude aside, he probably has some useful information."
"Ah, I never could say no to a gorgeous lady." Axton answered with what she assumed was his trademark smile. "Alright, lets hear him out, but tomorrow, after nearly getting blown up I am in no mood to put up with him."
"Agreed," Maya nodded her head, only now realized just how tired she was. The warm fire and her aching body made sleep seem like a very compelling idea. She stretched out on the sofa, using her arms as a pillow she looked into the fire as she waited for her tired body to finally fall asleep.
"Let me know if you get cold, I got plenty of extra body heat," Axton gave her a wink and a smile as he lay on his own sofa.
Maya simply rolled her eyes at him. She was actually tempted to verbally accept his offer to see if he was just full of hot air. But then if he called her bluff…better to just ignore it. He probably meant no harm by it anyway. She shifted her eyes back to the fire, soaking in its warmth as she tried to sleep.
She lay there for probably ten minutes, but despite her exhaustion she couldn't quite manage to fall asleep. Judging from the loud snoring coming from Salvador, and the quite snoring coming from Axton, she seemed to be alone in that. Her eyes began to wander around the room, taking in what few details managed to stand out.
When her eyes fell to the opposite side if the room she was almost startled to see the black armoured man siting in a chair across from her. He wasn't doing anything strange, just sitting there, she was startled because she had actually forgotten about him. He was so quiet, he had only said his name on the train, Zero. That probably wasn't even his real name. Normally Maya would have just written him off as one of those guys trying WAY too hard to be a cliché of a badass ninja or something. But something about his movements told her that he was deadly. She hadn't gotten to see him fight on the train, he had quickly disappeared, but when he finally returned there was blood splattered on his armor and running along his sword.
Between all her apparent companions, he was the only one she really didn't have an opinion about. True she barely knew the others but first impressions were usually pretty accurate in her books. If she were to go with her initial reaction she would go with, poser. That's what she had first thought after seeing him for the first time, with his sword and refusing to speak more than his name. She had yet to see anything that proved otherwise, her gut told her something was off about him, told her that he was deadly. But maybe it was all just a façade. Time would tell she supposed.
Maya held in her sigh as she closed her eyes, still trying to force her body into sleep. Things had not gone how she had hoped. Then again, should she really have expected different? Pandora was renowned for being a brutal and savage planet. It really shouldn't come to a shock that Handsome Jack was trying to kill her, the majority of this planet wanted to kill her. Partially for the bounty but also because just about everyone she had met so far seemed to be some kind of raving lunatic bandit.
She had come here with the hope of finding some kind of link to her Siren heritage. Her research suggested that the vaults and eridium were very strong candidates to provide her answers. She had also heard rumours that one of the previous vault hunters had been a Siren. Maya desperately hoped that this unknown Siren was still alive. She had never met another of her kind before. After spending her whole life cooped up in the monastery she really didn't have much in the way of world experiences. All of her knowledge came from research she had done and what little experiences she had gained on her first week on this planet. Surely this other Siren would know more than her, could impart some kind of knowledge on her. Of course she had no way of knowing where this other Siren might be, it wouldn't be too much of a leap to assume this Siren was hiding her identity.
She had known her search for answers wouldn't be simple, but she wasn't planning on being thrown into this big of a mess. With the bounty on her head and the leader of an incredibly large and powerful cooperation out for her blood, things were going to get tricky. She didn't know why any of this was happening. Maya sighed to herself, yet more questions for her to answer. Still at least she had some leads, no matter how weak they may be. She yawned and her eyes began growing heavier, thankfully sleep was finally beginning to overtake her. She was grateful to put this day behind her.
Maya checked the beat up SMG over again. It had definitely seen better days, but it was something to fall back on. She couldn't use her powers all the time. She glanced around at the rest of the group who were likewise checking over their 'new' equipment. The Claptrap unit had apparently gathered them while they all slept, even losing his eye in the process, apparently some giant bullymong had ambushed him. Maya had thanked the small robot, despite his obnoxious attitude the little guy was pretty helpful.
"Alright, this will do for now," Said Axton, racking the rifle and looking over the others, "Everyone ready to set out? We grab the robot's eye then make our way to Sanctuary I guess."
Claptrap had given them all ECHO units, almost immediately they had been contacted by the unknown being identified only as the 'Guardian Angel.' Maya wasn't quite sure what to think about her, she told them to follow Claptrap, but how could they really trust her? Everyone had been a bit reluctant but they all agreed heading to Sanctuary was there best bet for now. Salvador had backed up Angel's words by confirming that the city was indeed the head of the Crimson Raiders, the resistance against Jack and Hyperion. While Maya wasn't sure about this Angel person, she did trust the small native born Pandoran. Hyperion had tried to kill him too, what did he gain by lying?
"Let's go amigo's!" Laughed Salvador, hefting his two shotguns.
"Follow me minions! Even though I lost my eye, I know this glacier like the back of my hand." The little robot sped off, bumping into almost everything possible on his way out the door.
Axton groaned loudly but followed anyway, Maya and Salvador followed with Zero bringing up the rear. Outside the shelter it was freezing, but with the sun it was not as bitter as it had been last night. The Claptrap unit led the way, talking the whole time. Maya's body still hurt, every movement still produced a mild pain but she was doing much better after her rest. They hadn't made it far before all their communicators flared to life, stopping the group as they all looked at eachother in mild confusion.
"Hey there kiddo's, Handsome Jack here. Let me explain how things work on Pandora. Vault Hunters show up, Vault Hunters get killed. By me. I trust you can all see the issue right? If you could all just do me a favour and off yourselves right now, that would be great."
"This guy is a grade A asshole," Said Axton, trying to find a way to shut off the ECHO unit.
"No?" Jack still continued, "Okay, how about this. Zero, you're an assassin. How's about you kill those other three and I'll pay you their entire bounties plus a nice shiny crate made of gold full of more gold, mmkay? Thanks Pumpkin."
All of them turned towards the silent black clad assassin. No one drew any weapons, but all three of them had visibly tensed and eyed the assassin warily. Maya was ready to summon her powers in an instant. None of them had seen him in action yet, but underestimating him would be a mistake. She would much rather ere on the side of caution, she wouldn't die by making a stupid mistake. No one spoke, it was just one long staring contest, everyone against Zero. The wait was killing her. The tension in the air could be cut with a knife.
"You aren't seriously going to take him up on his offer are you?" Asked Maya, wanting to settle this as soon as possible.
"Not enough challenge/ Jack and the vault more worthy/ I will not kill you."
For a moment his words almost made the atmosphere more tense, his synthesized voice held no emotion, his posture did not relax. Not to mention he had just said they weren't worth his time to kill! Maya almost phaselocked his ass right then, she would show him who wasn't worthy. She had been training all her life for battle. How dare this little shit say she wasn't worth his time! Suddenly a smiley face flashed in front of his visor in bright red. Was that supposed to calm her?
"Come on minions!" Shouted Claptrap from up ahead, he must have noticed the lack of noise from the Vault Hunters.
"How about you go first?" Said Axton, staring right at Zero.
The response was twofold, first there was a loud gunshot from up ahead, then Zero's form flickered and disappeared.
"What the hell?" Maya spun towards the gunshot, running towards it, along with the others. Ahead, perched on the edge of a small bluff was Zero, firing into a group of charging Bullymongs. Claptrap was nearby, cowering in fear. Maya just stared dumbstruck for a moment, how had he done that?
"Protect me squire!" He shrieked.
The earlier situation was briefly forgotten as they all charged into the fray. Maya dropped one of the beasts with a burst to the face, Axton and Salvador each killed their own as well. Another crack from Zero's rifle and the last of the monsters fell. Then in an instant all the former tension seemed to return. The three of them warily eyed Zero as he nimbly leapt down and walked towards the group.
"What the hell was that?" Demanded Axton, his rifle was still held at the ready.
"Was a deception/ Jack's offer was expected/ precaution taken."
"So you don't intend to take him up on the offer?"
"No."
Maya was still wary of the assassin, despite his words. Not being able to see his face made it that much harder to discern if he was telling the truth, his synthesised voice also made it harder. He was still a complete unknown and now a potential threat. There was no way to tell if he would turn on them. True, there was also no guarantee that the others wouldn't either. But it was easier to trust someone who didn't hide behind a mask and disguise literally every aspect of themselves.
"Well for the moment, how about you take point? You know, until we can be certain you won't shoot us in the back."
As much as Maya hated treating someone like a common criminal, she agreed with Axton's idea. At the moment Zero was the biggest wild card. No one had actually SEEN him fighting Hyperion aboard the train, Jack had also just offered him a ludicrous amount of money to kill them all. It should be pretty understandable why there would be trust issues. Plus Maya was still a little pissed about the whole, not worth his time, thing.
Zero simply shrugged and continued ahead, everyone else taking up positions behind him. Claptrap was the only one who didn't seem to care as he sped up to move with the assassin. Maya found herself watching the assassin's movements very closely. Even with something as simple as walking, his every movement was graceful, he reminded her of a predator, like a great tiger, powerful and deadly.
His disappearing act unnerved her greatly. Apparently he could summon some kind of double, and then disappear. None of them had even noticed the switch. How were they supposed to defend against something like that? How would they know when they were talking to the real Zero or the decoy? She would need to watch him very closely, they all would.
"Hey! My eye just switched on! I can see a powerful group of minions and a handsome robot…which means that whoever has my eye…" Claptrap immediately hunkered down and began shaking.
Maya looked up to see a massive bullymong climb up onto the large glacial wall ahead of them, it snarled fiercely, beating its chest with all its arms, before leaping down, landing with a mighty thud. Zero reacted the quickest. In an instant the sniper rifle was in his hands and a shot rang out, striking the massive beast right in the face. It snarled in pain and charged the assassin. He smoothly rolled out of the way, firing at the beast again.
By now the others were running into the fray. Salvador firing his shotguns into the beast at near pointblank range. Axton was firing his rifle on full auto. Maya was readying her powers. She had never phaselocked something so big before, but she knew she could do it. Salvador was thrown back by one of the beasts massive arms. The short man just gave a brutal laugh, continuing to fire the entire time. Zero had backed up onto a small rise to Maya's left and was firing into the large animal, it was currently facing Axton so Zero was firing into the back of the animals legs, obviously trying to cripple it.
"They're coming out of the wall sphincters!" Shouted Claptrap.
Maya spun to looked at the robot, what the hell was he talking about? That was possibly one of the most repugnant things she had ever- Her eyes picked up movement along the glacier walls, large holes were dug into them, from which more bullymongs were emerging.
"Salvador, take out the new ones!" Shouted Axton, switching his fire from the massive bullymong to the smaller ones streaming from the walls.
Maya's attention went back to the massive alpha, only to find it charging right at her. She threw herself to the side, rolling in the snow and just barely avoiding getting crushed to death. She quickly leapt back to her feet, heart pounding in her ears she looked back to the alpha. It ripped a large chunk of ice from the ground and hurled it at her. She was forced to roll again, narrowly avoiding the projectile. Now she was getting pissed. Jumping to her feet she threw out her hand, her phaselock wrapping around the giant alpha and lifting it into the air where it struggled in vain to free itself.
Maya grinned at her power, firing her SMG one handed into the creature. The thing howled in pain and anger but still did not die. The next thing she knew, Zero leapt onto the creature, grabbing one of its arms and throwing himself up onto its shoulders. His glowing blue blade appeared in his hands and he slashed down into the creature's neck, with a single stroke he removed its head. Maya ended her phaselock, Zero nimbly did a backflip off the body as it crashed to the ground, he landed in a graceful, almost feline crouch, one leg stretched out to steady himself.
Okay, that was damn impressive. And very show offy! Maya almost had to force the last thought through her mind. She still didn't like this whole cliché assassin thing. Zero rose and looked back to her, a smiley face flashing across his visor again. Okay, that was kind of cute. Wait, no it wasn't! That must have just been the adrenaline…yeah that was a good reason.
"Everyone okay?" Asked Axton, jogging towards them with Salvador, they didn't appear to be wounded.
"Yeah, we are good," Maya gave him a polite smile.
"Excellent work minions! Now if you could retrieve my eye we can get moving." Claptrap said in his always excited voice. Maya walked over to the large corpse and pried the eye from the chain around its neck…stump "Now we just need to find someone to reinstall it for me. As much as I am sure you would love to ram your fist in my head, eye surgery is best done with delicate hands. I'm sure my buddy Hammerlock will help. Follow me minions!" And with that the small robot was speeding off again.
"How long do we have to follow this thing?" Grumbled Axton as they followed the peppy robot. Zero, of course was still in the lead, walking alongside the robot in question.
"At least until we get to Sanctuary," Said Maya, "Or until we meet someone more useful." She had to admit the robot may drive her to insanity before that.
Maya was torn between laughter and mild shock when she saw Zero's hand grab Claptrap's head and steer him away from a mound of ice he was about to bump into. She hadn't been expecting the assassin to be nice to the small robot. Maybe it was just because Claptrap was the only one not treating him with suspicion? That could be it. However she didn't sense any outwards hostility directed at any of them from the assassin. Maybe he just liked the little robot. Who knew? And why did she even care?! She supposed it was just because she liked solving mysteries, right now that was Zero. She also wanted to at least make up her mind on if they could trust him or not, therefore she was over analyzing every little action he made. Only time would prove his loyalty, as of now he hadn't done anything that could be perceived as hostile. She was still going to watch him closely though. They all would.
The bandit's eyes go wide, either from the sight of my blade or the way I just dismembered his comrade, I am not sure, likely both. I flip over him, landing at his back, instantly I sink my blade into his soft, weak flesh, I keep pushing until I bury the blade to the hilt, rupturing through his chest in a spray of hot blood that melts the snow around us.
I relish the kill, the surge of adrenaline as it courses through my body. The smell of the blood, the sound of his breath as it hitches, then begins slowing, the feel of his heart beat becoming fainter, even the steam rising from the melting snow. I savour every last detail of the kill. I can't see his eyes, but I don't need to, I'm so close that I hear everything, feel everything, even through my armor. I don't need to see the life drain from his eyes, the look of fear that fills them, I can feel it. It's like a drug, rushing through every cell in my body, making me feel alive, powerful. This is what I live for, the challenge, the hunt, and finally the kill. A part of me wishes I could feel the hot blood on my bare skin, my true skin. But that is easily dismissed, it's simply a fleeting desire that always flickers at the back of my mind. I have become accustomed my armor, it is my second skin, the skin I show the world, the skin every one of my victims sees.
Then, all too soon the moment is over. The bandit is hanging limply on my sword, only held up by my strength. I pull the blade out, producing another spurt of blood. But it doesn't stir me. The joy of the kill is gone, all too soon. Like so many others. That's why I came to this planet, to find a challenge. To find a kill that wouldn't be so easily forgotten. That is my dream, my ultimate goal in life, the perfect kill. One that will never fade from my mind, that can constantly bring me a rush with even just the memory.
This is what I was born to do. Fight, hunt, kill. I will find the worthiest adversaries and I will test myself against them, I will kill them. It is what sustains me, drives my every action, my every thought. I was born, raised, bred to do this, how could I deny what is in my blood? What fool would? No, I revel in it, nothing makes me feel more alive. I follow the call of blood, both mine and my foes. I do not fear death for I know that if I die it will be at the hands of a truly worthy opponent, what more could anyone ask? But I have not found my rival, I have never even come close.
I have been to a multitude of planets. Killed an uncountable number of foes, but still failed to make my dream a reality. I can only pray to the Reaper that Pandora offers what I seek. I have yet to be challenged by this planet. The bandit's I encounter during my first weeks were pathetic, just like the one laying at my feet. I have only been surprised once by this planet, which was on the train. The bomb was a surprise, a cunning trap. It has piqued my interest and aroused my hopes. Handsome Jack…I pray you don't disappoint.
The sound of talking captures my attention. My... 'Companions' have gathered around the Claptrap unit. I like the little robot, his absurdity makes me laugh. The others don't seem to care for him, they are often annoyed by him. Perhaps that's part of my reason for liking him. I finally make my way over, all of them turn to face me, eyes wary. That's part of the reason I haven't killed them, or at least abandoned them. They at least show enough intelligence to be cautious of me. Also, they would not provide much challenge.
I sized them all up the moment they came on the train. The Gunzerker would be the easiest to kill. Despite his strength he is reckless, poor with aim, thus his constant use of two weapons. I would dispatch him with a single round to the skull fired from a safe distance. While it is not the ideal kill, it is the most efficient, he is not worth the time of my blade.
The Commando would provide a moment of challenge. He was skilled, a veteran of many battles, that was obvious. However that was also his weakness. He was arrogant of his abilities, it would be easy to goad him. The wedding ring he wore around his neck, attached to a woman's dog tags, engraved with the name 'Sarah'. Whether it was an ex wife or she had died, it would be easy to exploit that connection, make him reckless. I could get in close, using my decoy to distract him, I could slide my blade into his heart before he even knew what was happening. Humans were fickle when it came to emotions, it was often easy to exploit personal attachments. I have never seen the point of them, they made one careless, drive them to make rash decisions
Finally there was the Siren. She had been a surprise. I have never encountered one before, but I have read all knowledge that there was on the anomaly. I have always wanted to face one, to test their mystic abilities for myself. She would no doubt provide the most challenge. I actually hadn't been counting her when I told them they were not a challenge, but watching her reaction had been very informative. She was quick to anger if her abilities were called into question. That's the biggest weakness I have witnessed. Still there was always the chance that her anger could fuel her powers. I still needed to observe her more. A task I didn't mind in the least.
I have always found her kind fascinating and the opportunity to watch one up close is not something I am about to pass up. She is the true reason I am staying. As I approach within striking distance I can feel them all tense more, I can't help but smile. I enjoy seeing the fear I bring in their eyes. Part of me wants to give them a reason to attack, not out of pure bloodlust, but because I want to see the Siren use her power again. There is a beauty to her power, one I respect and desire to see more of.
When she used it against the bullymong I was almost frozen in place, entranced. The way her tattoos glowed a glorious blue. I could feel her whole body ignite with power, in an instant, I had changed my opinion of her. She had gone from an idle curiosity to an obsession. I wanted, I needed to see her powers again. If she does not disappoint then I may have finally found my ultimate target. The only creatures capable of providing the challenge I lust after. Who will win, Jack, or the Sirens? Only one shall gain my full attention. I hope it's the Sirens. After all there are more of them. Scattered across the galaxy, oh what a hunt it would be.
"Hey, Hammerlock old buddy! Since we saved your town from bandits, hows about fixing up your old pal Claptrap?"
"Oh very well, I suppose I do owe you. Come over, I'll power down the electric gate for you. Do let Claptrap go first."
The group followed the excited robot, I took the lead beside him, knowing the others still didn't want me at their back. Another wise move. Claptrap immediately ran into the gate and was promptly electrocuted. The others laughed as he fell, stunned. I simply watched as the newcomer arrived. He was missing two full limbs, but appeared to move fine with the mechanical replacements. I could tell by his movements that he was experienced, while his movements were rigid, there was a certain dexterity there. His eyes shifted over all of us, I can feel him gauge me. A fellow hunter. I smile beneath my mask, perhaps he will prove interesting company.
"My apologies for the deception, but I feel my brain cells dying whenever Claptrap speaks. Now if you would just give me his eye."
The Siren handed this, Hammerlock, the robots eye and he quickly, and somewhat viciously installed it. Almost immediately the little robot jumped up and began celebrating.
"I can see! And boy, you all are a lot uglier than I remember you being."
I chuckled at the small robot, it has been a long time since I have done that. Once more the others just look annoyed. They have no sense of humor. I listen as Hammerlock and Claptrap explain the situation to us. How we need to get to sanctuary, but to do that we need Claptraps ship, which is held by a bandit named 'Captain Flint' But before we can get that, Hammerlock has asked us to rid the town of bullymongs. The group agreed to do it for a small reward, I remained silent. Killing animals was not nearly as challenging as human foes. Other than brute strength they often offered little else.
"Aright, we may as well split up, make things quicker." Said the Commando, he seemed to have taken the role of leader of the group. Unsurprising. Although I was curious who he would pair me with, would he take the risk himself?
Almost instantly I can feel their eyes on me, but they are trying to make it look like they aren't looking at me. It's amusing. Part of me wants to see who will take the risk, they are fearful of me, I know it. They can't hide that from me no matter how hard they try. I am surprised how long the silence stretches. I thought the Commando would volunteer to fight with me, to impress the Siren, whom he clearly lusted after. However it was more likely that he wanted to fight with her, more opportunity to impress. The idleness is starting to irritate me, I care not who I fight with, I am more effective on my own.
"I don't need any help/ the graveyard shall me my goal/ return when finished." I didn't even bother to wait for a response. I care not for their mistrust, I am here to satisfy my own goals. Trust is not required. Although I am disappointed at not being able to see the Siren in action again. Perhaps if I am swift I can watch her.
Spurred by this I quickly make my way to the graveyard where several bullymongs are roving. I waste no time in snapping up my rifle and shooting one through the skull. Immediately they all turn on me but I have already dropped another. They are mindless beasts and charge right for me. I simultaneously holster my rifle and pull free my revolver. I empty all six chambers in two point three seconds. Still haven't beat my record. Three of the creatures fall to my bullets, I draw my blade as they near.
Gunshots from the gulley draw my attention and I rush to meet the remaining creatures. I don't want to miss the Siren in action. It's easy to sidestep the paw the swipes at me, I slash the things throat. Rolling to the side I avoid the final creature as it tries to pummel me with all its arms. It roars in anger and I shove my sword into its open mouth. I don't even savour what little pleasure the kills gives me as I run towards the gulley. The continued gunfire tells me I'm not too late.
Crouching at the ledge I watch the battle below. Nearly a dozen bullymongs lay slain. Only five remain. The Gunzerker is blasting one to bits with his shotguns, the Commando is killing another with a short burst to the head. But I don't care about them. My eyes immediately fix on the Siren. Truly the Reaper is smiling on me for she activated her power right then. Her tattoos glow that brilliant blue light and the bullymong is lifted helpless into the air. I notice that a nearby creature seems to be sucked towards the ball of energy, despite its obvious efforts to get away. Fascinating. It's like a gravity field.
She quickly unloads her SMG's entire clip, killing both the creatures. Her aim is steady and she does not hesitate. Clearly she has been trained. I am starting to like her. With every passing battle I can see more of a challenge. The other two have killed the final creature and collect what little loot they offered. The Siren looks up and sees me, I feel our eyes lock and I smile, my mask instantly projects this. My hopes have risen, I begin to gain more confidence in my decision. This planet will over what I seek. Will it be you Siren?
Okay since you already had one at the beginning I will keep this short.
About the chapter. All of Zero's parts will be in the first person. I am mainly doing this to challenge myself as I have never written in the first person before. Let me know how I did on that, if people really dont like it I will change it.
Now for those who are already convinced this will be a Maya x Zero fic, just keep reading. Nothing is a guarantee, I know where it is going but I am not going to spoil anything. If you don't like them as a couple, still keep reading, like I said, I will not confirm or deny anything.
Most of the chapters will switch between Maya and Zero. However I will attempt to give everyone screen time. Most characters will get at least one of their own POV's. Also a fair warning, I am bad at writing humor. So you will probably notice a lack of it in the first few chapters. I will try to keep that element alive. There will definitely be a few chapters in the future that are purely humor driven.
The only issue I can see people having right now is how I moved Claptrap's eye theft to just a mere mention. To that I say...You got me, it was weak but I needed it to go down that way. I'll be better in the future!
Also for now I have no beta for this story, so all the editing was done by me. I did my best, but sorry in advanced.
Okay, that's all I got for now. OH! My future AN's will also address reviews that I think bring up good points and I think most could benefit from reading. That being said I greatly appreciate all reviews and CONSTRUCTIVE criticisms. Also, feel free to PM me if you have any questions about the story, I am always available for my readers!
Okay, that's it from me. Thank you all for reading!
Stay Classy.