Remnant, Population: Zer0
…
…
…
I sigh.
I found myself alone, on a cart on a train. I was on the planet Pandora, presumably one of the most…psychotic planets in the Galaxy.
The thought of a challenge brought me here. To test my skills, to feel the rush of adrenaline against a powerful foe, to feel triumphant with loot in sight, and after questioning the locals, I managed to find out about this. It shall be my masterpiece, the ultimate challenge.
I was Zer0, the Assassin, but for now, a Vault Hunter.
I wore a skin-tight Black suit, a red "0" over my left chest, as well as a helmet that covered my face. Not a single spec of skin was visible to the naked eye. I glance outside through the windows, observing the quickly passing by Skags, Stalkers, and Spiderants crawling through the Desert terrain.
However, I noticed that the train was slowly stopping.
I glance closer outside, and noticed it was stopping by a train station.
…
Once the train came to a closing halt, I heard the door in the first cart opening, and closing. I heard two masculine voices chatting with each other. I instinctively digistruct a kunai, twirling it in my hand.
After several moments, the doors to my cart open, revealing two men. One seemed like a Commando, based on his weaponry around his chest and belt, along with what looked like a Military Jacket, and several bits of other Military gear on him.
The other was rather short compared to me, with whipped-up Blue hair, and a beard that covered the sides of his face. He had a somewhat more robust structure compared to him, and the Commando that stood beside him. He wore an orange shirt with braces on his arms.
The two stopped chatting when they noticed my presence, twirling my kunai.
…
"Hello amigo." The one in the orange shirt greeted nonchalantly.
"Greetings." I greet back. He sat down, but the other one seemed a bit more cautious at me. Seemed like some sort of survivalist, or perhaps it was just Military training.
"So…What's your name, Mr. Black Cyborg Ninja Dude?" The Military man asked, somewhat reluctantly.
"My name is Zer0."
"0" Was displayed over my visor.
"What about you two, your names?" I questioned, eyebrow raised under my helmet. The short one proudly introduced himself.
"Salvador, amigo. I consider myself as a Professional Gunzerker." The orange-shirted man chuckled. I tilted my head at that.
"Define, Gunzerker."
"?"
He chuckled again.
"Let's just say…Expect to see a lot of bullets in a fight." He cryptically answered. He turned to his partner beside him.
"Axton. Former Dahl Commando. Nice to meet you." The Commando introduced himself, nodding. I nod back, continuing to twirl my Kunai.
The duo continued to talk about guns and ammo among other things, and I absentmindedly ignored them, continuing to twirl my kunai.
"Hey." Axton said, turning to me.
"?"
"What are you doing here? You a Vault Hunter?" He asked. I nodded.
"That is what I am." I responded. Salvador chuckled.
"Looks like we'll be working together for a while then."
…
I resist the urge to groan. I didn't like working in a group often. Many of the times I did on previous Assassinations, I missed opportunities of a kill when I tried to save them, mostly because I did not want the rest of the group to go against me.
When I was partnered with only one though…
I was assured my kill.
…
"I suppose we will." I respond.
…
"So..." The Gunzerker started.
"What's your favorite type of weapon? I like Assault Rifles." Salvador stated. I raise an eyebrow under my helmet.
"?"
"Well, if we're gonna be working together, we might as well get to know each other. As my abuelita used to say, Un equipo sin confianza es un equipo de idiotas muertos, or, a team without trust is a dead team of idiots." He quoted. I silently agreed to that.
…
"…I prefer Sniper Rifles/ Accurate, and fast." I spoke.
"Eh, guess that fits your whole Ninja look, what's next, you carry a Katana?" Axton joked. I lightly chuckle, and clutch the handle as the blade digistructed before them. The blade was long, nearly as long as my own arm.
"You would be correct." I spoke. Salvador let out a loud laugh.
"Now that's a katana." He said, pointing at my blade. Axton coughed.
"No Homo." He said quickly, before coughing again. Salvador seemed to ignore it, and resumed chatting with Axton as I un-digistructed my kunai, and waited for the train to reach its destination. I wasn't interested in anything they had to say, other than the occasional talk about the Vault, which was either about wondering what's inside, or wondering where it is.
…
…
…
I sigh, and out of boredom, I glance outside the window, where I notice the train…stopping, again.
"?"
"Seems like the train is stopping." I spoke, interrupting the duo's conversation.
"What? Are we there already?" Salvador asked.
"Must be another Train station." Axton guessed, shrugging. I turn my head and raise an eyebrow under my helmet.
"More Vault Hunters, then?" I question. Axton shrugged again.
I heard the doors open in the next cart and-
"I AM THE CONDOCTOR OF THE POOP TRAIN!"
"WOAH!"
"PENDEJO!"
I said nothing in response, but flashed a "O_O"
…
In came our cart…A Psycho. There's no other word I can use to describe him, he was a hulk of meat, and he wore a psycho mask, that's it. He roared and crashed into the cart. I heard a feminine groan from behind him, from which was…
A Siren.
…
That alone was enough to peek my interest. There could only be Six Sirens in the known Universe, so having one of them in the same area…was interesting, to say the least. Perhaps this Siren could be a challenge, perhaps she could even be more of one than the Vault. Unlikely, but plausible.
It seems as though the Dahl Commander had a different response, in which he winked at her. She rolled her eyes, and so did I, although I noticed the Maliwan SMG in her hands. It seems as though she was another Vault Hunter.
"Hm. Vault Hunters too?" I question, digsitructing a kunai and twirling it in my hand. The Siren nodded.
"Yeah. Name's Maya. That Psycho is…Krieg, I'm guessing." She guessed, Shrugging. The Psycho roared and hit his own head a few times with his buzz axe, on the blunt end.
"I'M HERE TO SHANK AND SMILE!" He screamed, laughing. Axton nervously laughed, but Salvador laughed heartedly.
"Salvador. Gunzerker." He said simply. Maya nodded, and turned her head towards me.
"What about you?" She asked, head tilted.
"I am Zer0, just Zer0." I respond. She rolled her eyes, and smiled a bit.
"Great, black suit, ninja look, barely speaks, and emo name, we got the whole Edgelord package." She joked. Axton and Salvador shared a laugh. At that, I clutch my kunai, consider throwing the it in my hand between her eyes.
Instead, it found itself grazing her cheek, stopping at the corners of the wall.
The laughing stopped after that.
…
…
…
"DO NOT MESS WITH MR. NINJA MAN!" The Psycho exclaimed. Seems as though he had some brains after all. Maya said nothing, but sat down on the opposite side of the cart, and the Psycho sat beside her.
Axton and Salvador seemed a bit more reluctant to sit on my side, so the former moved on to their side, but Salvador stayed.
"What? I just want to get to know our most recent addition better." Axton said, waving his eyebrows at Maya, who sighed, but was smiling.
"Eh. Whatever you say amigo." Salvador spoke. I crossed my arms and digistructed another kunai, twirling it in my hand again. We all waited in silence, other than the occasional attempt of the Commando to flirt with the Siren. Attempt, being the main word.
…
..
…
"Um, hi?"
The five of us turned to the other end of the small cart, where we found…a teenager. She had bright orange hair, some sort of mechanic look, and…a robot arm.
…
"HELLO TINY CHILD!" Krieg exclaimed, making the girl recoil back. The Psycho seemed to…argue with himself after that, hearing a faint huff.
"So…You guys Vault Hunters too?" She asked.
…
"Many different – Vault Hunters present." I noted, continuing to twirl my kunai.
"Hey there kid, what's your name?" Maya asked politely.
"Gaige, Ace Mechromancer." She boasted. Axton chuckled a bit.
"Look, not to judge, but what is someone like you doing on Pandora Vault Hunting?" Axton asked, a cheeky grin on his face. Gaige pouted, and snapped her fingers. I raise an eyebrow under my helmet, but noticed…something, digistructing behind Gaige.
When it was complete, it showed a large, floating robot, with thick metal arms, and a single eye over the middle of its body. It was as large as Krieg, and I could tell it was armed with weapons, based on its claws alone.
"Meet Deathtrap, the Awesomest Death Machine out there, developed and built by yours truly." She boasted. I admit, I was indeed, impressed, and based on everyone else's expressions, so were they.
"MURDER BUDDY!" Krieg exclaimed, jumping to hug the robot, which had no reaction to the contact.
"Damn. You made that yourself?" Axton asked. Gaige beamed and nodded.
"Gotta admit, that's pretty impressive kid." Maya said.
"Ese es un gran robot asesino." (That's one big murderbot.) Salvador said quietly with a smile. I say nothing, but display an emoticon.
"O_o"
"I'll take that one was a compliment." Gaige said, pointing at me. I roll my eyes under my helmet, and question her.
"How did you get on the train?/ Were you always there?" I question. Gaige nervously scratched the back of her head.
"Well, I might have hitched a ride on this train without anyone noticing…I've been in the caboose for a while, and I heard you guys talking about Vault Hunting, so I came along." She explained.
"Well, that explains how you got on the train." Axton said. "I'm Axton."
"Maya. Yes, I know, I'm a Siren."
"Salvador."
"I AM THE CONDUCTOR OF THE POOP TRAIN!"
"He means Krieg." Maya clarified. I question her trust in this psycho.
"Zer0, just Zer0."
…
"So…what are you guys doing on Pandora? Besides the whole Vault thing of course." Gaige said, sitting beside me. Axton shrugged.
"Not much really. The Vault sounded interesting, and I could use a change of pace." The Commando replied.
"Same goes for me." Salvador replied.
"I'm…actually hoping to learn more about Sirens. I heard Vaults had some sort of relation to us, same goes for Eridium, so I decided to check it out." Maya said. She turned to Krieg, answering for him.
"Krieg…kinda just tagged along with me, I guess."
"PRETTY LADY HAS MAGIC MURDERING POWERS! YAY!" The Psycho exclaimed. I lightly chuckle noticing Axton's glare at him.
"I desire a challenge." I answer simply, not going any further.
After that, the conversation shifted to something else, which I had no interest in, so I digistructed a kunai and went back to-
*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*
-LINE-BREAK-
I groaned.
I and the other five Vault Hunters ended up on a trapped train, attacked by loaders and several Hyperion men. After promptly dealing with them, we headed to the first cart…filled to the brim with explosives. The train exploded, separating into its various carts, and forced us to drop our weaponry due to the explosion. We all landed in some sort of glacier, found by…
"Hello there New Minions!"
…This thing.
I turned my head towards its direction. We were sheltered inside an Icy cavern, with several chests and lockers scattered around. The small Hyperion Unit rolling towards us was Claptrap, the last of the CL4P-TP line, according to him.
Axton was with Maya at the edge of the room, trying to flirt with her, Salvador was trying to fix his broken arm as best he could, Gaige's Deathtrap robot was damaged in the explosion, so she tried to fix it, and Krieg stood on the small stairs…talking to himself.
"What do you want, Claptrap?" Maya asked. Claptrap spun and jumped.
"DEAD EVERYWHERE! BLOOD AND OIL MIX LIKE JELLY AND STRAWBERRIES!" Krieg exclaimed, jumping.
"Sorry about the mess. Everything Jack kills, he dumps here – bandits, Vault Hunters, Claptrap units… If I sound pleased about this, it's only because my programmers made this my default tone of voice! I'm actually quite depressed!" Claptrap said. I…somewhat feel bad for the Hyperion Unit, but shrug it off.
"That's…fucked up." Axton said.
"So…sorry? I guess?" Gaige followed up.
"Anyways! There's a few weapons in the cabinet! Go check it out! Although…we should be pretty safe here!" Claptrap exclaimed.
I instantly stood up and walked over to the cabinet. There were only six weapons there, one for each of us. There were two Vladof Assault Rifles, a Jakobs pistol, a Dahl pistol, a Torque Shotgun, and a Bandit SMG. All of them were relatively weak, but still somewhat useful. I decided to take the Jakobs pistol, since it seemed the closest thing to a Sniper Rifle there.
Axton and the rest walked up to the cabinet, and picked their own weapons.
"You know you could have waited for us, you know?" Maya said. I didn't care much for them.
It'd be likely they'd just be a distraction. I've seen what they could do in combat on the train.
Axton and Salvador were guns blazing, the former being slightly more tactical with his turret for defence. The Siren…was an interesting one. I had not seen much other than her Phaselock skills, but time shall tell. The Psycho fought with his Buzz Axe, with admittedly impressive strength, but reckless movements. As for the teenage girl…she couldn't aim, at all. Many of her bullets ricochet off of the walls, and her Deathtrap did most of the killing.
"You shouldn't sell them so short, you know."
Ah yes, the Angel. An odd encounter that all of us had. Some sort of holographic woman project in front of our HUDs, occasionally appearing. Her existence confuses me, but I best remain wary.
"I'm only talking to you right now, you should try and work with them. You will be working with them all for quite some time." She reminded. I roll my eyes and ignore her words.
"Not bad, could be better, but not bad." Axton said, inspecting his Vladof Assault Rifle. Claptrap jumped.
"Right? Although here, we shouldn't really need that too much, we should be safe…"
Literally two seconds later, a Bullymong's roar was heard.
-LINE-BREAK-
Sanctuary.
A Haven of Killers, Terrorists and Insane Vault Hunters.
Or a town of Survivalists, Freedom Fighters, and Treasure Seekers.
It all depends on your point of view.
…
I and the other five Vault Hunters arrived to this Haven of Survivalists, at the request of the Angel, and Claptrap. Maya, walking to my left, elbowed me.
"You alright there, killer?" She asked with a playful smile.
"I'm…not quite used to/ Being seen so publicly/ I'm an Assassin." I said, as I defensively crossed my arms.
"And here I thought you were a number." Gaige joked. I rolled my eyes under my helmet.
"-_-"
"You ever take that helmet off pal?" Axton asked jokingly.
"No."
"Whatever. Anyways, Salvador, you've been on Pandora a while, right? Ever heard about Sanctuary?" The Commando asked the Gunzerker, who shrugged.
"Ehhhhhh I haven't heard much. I try to stay out of anything Hyperion, that is, until I learned about Vault Hunting." He answered. Gaige took a deep breath and just glanced around the entrance.
"It's still surprising how they've been able to make a working shield given their resources. They must have some strong people to get cores like those." She said.
"THE SKY EXPLODES LIKE A DARK YESTERDAY BALL!" Krieg exclaimed, referring to the Moonshots impacting the shield.
"Whatever, let's stay focused people, let's go meet this mechanic." Axton said. He seemed to be the leader of the group. I and the rest had no objection to that, but it annoyed me when he scolded me for uncooperation, much like the Captain Flynt moment in the past.
I and the five entered the garage, revealing a mechanic sat down against some sort of vehicle. He raised his head at us, and groaned.
"Ooooooooooooh Crap, is you Hyperion? I heard all of 'you are robots and eat metal out of the garbage and stuff? Knew you wired death machines would go after me after Roland went missing." He started. The rest of us just glanced at each other, with a face saying "What?"
"Now if you're about to kill me, you should probably know…" He quickly stood from his seat and landed on a wheel.
"You'll never take me alive you robotic sumbitch!"
Scooter:
Catch-A-Ride!
…
…
…
"What?" I spoke, pretty much summing up all of our thoughts in that moment.
-LINE-BREAK-
Two Bloodshot Bruisers stood in front of I and the other five. We rush towards them, preparing to strike them down…
Instead, however, a being with wings of fire crashed down onto them, landing between them, incinerating them into nothingness in a mere instant. She raised her head, and I knew who she was based on the tattoos and the skin.
Another Siren.
The Firehawk.
"Sup?"
Lilith:
A.K.A. The Firehawk
She says nonchalantly…before slumping down to her knees.
Several Minutes Later…
"That was Awesome!"
Maya exclaimed to the other Siren, who recoiled back from surprise. I and them had just dealt with several hordes of Bandits and Psychos. I was inspecting the drops, and so were the others, other than Maya, questioning her about Sirens.
"It's the first time I met another Siren!" She exclaimed. Lilith chuckled.
"Guess that makes two of us. We didn't really properly introduce ourselves, name's Lilith."
"O-oh! Maya, nice to meet you, now how-"
I ignored their conversation, it becoming a bit meaningless to me at the moment.
"Hey."
I raised my head, finding the Dahl Commando in front of me.
"I'll trade ya that Vladof Assault Rifle for this Vladof Sniper Rifle." He suggested. I had no interest in Assault Rifles, so we traded.
"Awesome."
"A fair trade, I'd say." I spoke, each of us inspecting our weapons. He turned back to me.
"Thanks. Although I have to say, I didn't really trust you before, you know, with the whole "Lone Wolf" Kind of thing, but I think that you're pretty good, I guess. Although we've only known each other for just more than a week." He said. I did nothing in response, and walked off, un-digistructing the rifle. I passed by the Sirens' conversation.
"Well, it's nice to meet another Siren, that's for sure. How did you make those wings though?" Maya asked with curiosity.
"Take it easy, I still need to take a break. Gimme a minute." She said, lying down on the floor once more. Maya sighed with joy, and walked back to give her some space. I was going to ignore her…but something about that face that she made afterwards reminded me a lot of…
"It's good to see that you have/ Your motivation." I commented. Maya tilted her head towards me.
"Um, thanks?"
":)"
And with that, I checked the other side for loot.
-LINE-BREAK-
I and the five other Vault Hunters stood at the entrance of Frostburn Canyon, chasing after the Constructor that took Roland.
"Vault Hunter! I need your help!" Roland exclaimed from his prison across the map. The few seconds and recordings I've heard made him gain my respect, and he was certainly deserving of the help.
"Let's go guys!" Axton commanded, rushing through the heaps of Loaders, Assault Rifle in hand. I cock my Sniper Rifle, and was on the move.
I quickly activated Decepti0n, cleanly cutting through the Hyperion Loaders from behind, tearing their Legs from their bodies. With my extended time, I quickly jumped over several wreckages, finding a good viewpoint from above. I digistruct my rifle and aim it down.
"A beautiful day/ To rain hell on Hyperion." I say, cocking my rifle.
"0"
I start firing each of my bullets in the center of their one red eye, each Loader down after every shot. I stalk one EXP Loader approaching Gaige, ending its life before it could reach her Radius. My focus shifts to her, as Deathtrap un-digistructs, a GUN Loader standing before her. She shoots with her SMG, but somehow, somehow, every shot misses…
…
I inwardly face-palm at this, and sigh, aiming my rifle.
*BANG*
The Loader went down. I could see the confusion on Gaige's face, until I jumped down from my vantage point, right beside her.
"Thanks for that." She thanked me with a smile. I shook my head.
"If you will survive – On Pandora, you/ Need to learn how to shoot guns." I said.
"-_-"
Gaige pouted at me.
"Hey! I know how to shoot!...Aiming is something I can't do." She admitted, scratching the back of her head. I roll my eyes, why she considered Vault Hunting was beyond me.
"Come on!" I hear Maya yell out, as we advanced. I turned back to Gaige, realizing that she would likely die out here, leaving me to most likely take the blame, and reluctantly give her a spare Sniper Rifle.
"Calm your own breathing – Just you and the bot." I advised somewhat cryptically. She seemed annoyed by this and-
"WARNING: ENEMY DETECTED!"
"GAH!"
She turned around in a panic, firing the Sniper I just gave her, missing. I groan and activate Decepti0n, faking my disappearance. This seemed to only bring her into an even bigger panicked state.
She had a terrified look on her face, one of hopelessness, but took a deep breath, eyes closed.
…
The GUN Loader aimed its weapon at Gaige as Gaige opened her eyes, and aimed hers.
*BANG*
And the Loader falls down with one clean bullet in the eye. Gaige smiles at herself as I pat her head, letting my presence be known again.
"That, is how you aim a shot." I said.
"=)"
The Mechromancer nodded.
"Thanks."
-LINE-BREAK-
"You picked up the Rocket Launcher ammo."
"What?" I questioned.
"0"
I and the five other Vault Hunters stood in the Freezing plains of Three Horns Divide, attempting to intercept the train housing the Vault Key. A random Bandit dropped some Rocket Launcher ammo, and I happened to pick it up. Axton was now confronting me about it.
"You picked up the Rocket Launcher Ammo. I need it, I'm running low and my Rocket Launcher uses a lot." He said. Admittedly, I saw his point. His Tediore Launcher had saved our lives in the past, but in all honesty.
…
"…I don't know how to/ Pass you the rocket ammo." I admitted.
"¯\_('_')_/¯"
"…Wait really?" Gaige questioned.
"VOICE IN HEAD SAYS ROCKETS TOO BOOMY! ROCKETS STUPID MOVE!" Krieg exclaimed. Salvador chuckled lightly, and Maya sighed.
"Eh, whatever, it's not gonna matter, we'll find some more later." Axton says. The Siren followed up.
"Cut to us later screaming saying something like; "Axton! I wish you had some Rocket Launcher Ammo!" Or something." She joked. I rolled my eyes. That was extremely unlikely.
Several Minutes Later…
Wilhelm is becoming more annoying every second we have to fight against it, and the bots surrounding us did not help.
"How many of these guys are there?!" Gaige yelled out as Deathtrap decimated a few Surveyors and Loaders, before she herself sniped a Surveyor.
"Goddamn it!" Maya swore, taking damage. "Gaige! Get Deathtrap to focus on the Loaders! I'll Phase him and we attack with everything we've got!" She ordered. Axton, despite being leader, agreed to it.
Maya Phaselocked the Hyperion Soldier as Axton throwed down his turret and everyone else shot him down. It was so close, likely several more shots…only to no avail as he crashed down on us all. My body crashed against the snow, but I could hear Gaige playfully yell out-
"Oh god! Axton it sure would be great if you had some Rocket Launcher ammo!"
"AAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!"
"D=く"
I cried out in frustration, and I could tell Axton was laughing.
-LINE-BREAK-
"Are…you sure?"
"Yes. It's the only way."
Angel, the Siren replied to Maya, the Siren. The Latter held a sad look on her face, it wasn't one of sadness that she would lose an opportunity to talk to another Siren. It was one of sympathy for the other Siren.
"Is…it really?" Axton asked, a sad look on his face as well, the others bared a similar expression, even the Psycho. Admittedly, so did I. To be used by your father in torture and captivity, until you're not needed and are disposed of…
Maya raised her Sniper Rifle, wanting to end it quickly.
"I'm…so sorry-"
"YOU GET THE HELL AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER!"
-LINE-BREAK-
Roland was dead.
Angel was dead.
And Lilith was in the hands of Handsome Jack.
…
I and the five…All six of us were in Moxxi's bar, contemplating on what to do next. Mordecai was there too, so was Brick.
Axton took a large swig of his beer, Maya was next with her Whiskey, Salvador shared a beer with Axton, Mordecai went for Scotch, Gaige, despite being a bit young for drinking, went for Vodka, Krieg just slurped up whatever was in his, Brick was with Salvador, and I had my wine, swirling it in my glass.
"Man…this really sucks." Gaige spoke, head rested on the counter. Mordecai sighed.
"First Bloodwing…now Roland, then Lilith." Mordecai said, before promptly throwing his bottle towards the wall.
"I'M SICK AND TIRED OF THIS SHIT!" He raged, wailing in his seat on the counter. Moxxi sighed, not even trying to stop him, but also seemed to be missing Roland. I honestly could not blame her.
In this planet of Psychos and Bandits, Roland kept calm. He kept order and issued a group that would fight for something. I honestly don't remember fighting for a cause in a long time…and now he's gone. Everyone in Sanctuary looked up to him, most of all Gaige. Axton slammed his drink down on the table.
"Well, Roland's dead, let's drink to him…for the fourth time." He said. We all raised our respective drinks, in sorrow.
"To Roland." We chorused as we drank them down. I raised the glass to my helmet as the drink…phased through, entering my mouth, and swallowed. We all waited in silence for a minute.
…
"Wanna make it a fifth?" Salvador asked.
Moxxi, finally having enough, slammed her palm down the counter.
"Well, Roland's dead. You can do one of two things." She said, raising a finger.
"One, you could keep on drinking, drink down your wine, vodka, whatever and let Handsome Jack kill Lilith, and take over this Godforsaken planet. You really want that? You want what Roland fought for years to be broken down in one swing?" She asked. Brick burped, but raised his head, slamming a fist down.
"HELL NO!" He exclaimed, his voice echoing throughout the bar. Moxxi smiled.
"Then how about you all go make that Ugly-Son of a Whore pay. Make him regret he ever set foot on this planet. And to start: Stop drinking and get your asses out there."
…
We all glanced at each other, and nodded.
"Time to go to work."
-LINE-BREAK-
A Monster.
A Beast.
An Absolute being of power.
The Warrior.
"WAARRIOOOOOOR!" Handsome Jack yelled out from the center of the area, an insane smile on his face, bleeding as he stood under Lilith's protective barrier.
The Warrior roared, jumping down from its position, landing just behind Jack, it's fearsome size causing magma to splash all around the area.
"Kill."
...
…
…
The six of us merely stared at the Vault Monster, its Wings of Eridium Shining, and it's molten core blinding. We stared in awe, and terror, and that includes me. I have never seen such a beast of this size.
Glancing around, several Rakks screeched at the sight of the beast, Several Crystalisks coming out of the ground, and the entire Cave erupted with Magma at its appearance.
Me and the other five stood around the platform , I was at the back, Axton was by the Control Panel, Maya was just beside Lilith's barrier, Krieg was to the left, Gaige to the right, and Salvador was with Axton.
…
…
…
"Well, we're fucked, aren't we?" Axton started, with a terrified, but joking face. Maya chuckled at that.
"Yeah, guess we are." She agreed, clenching her fist with a Phaselock Orb in her hand. The Psycho roared into the air and pulled out his Buzz Axe.
"RED RUM! RED RUM! RED RUM!" Krieg yelled out, raising his Buzz Axe high in the air. Gaige sighed, and digistructed Deathtrap. The duo looked at each other, and nodded.
"You guys ready to die?" She asked nonchalantly, turning back to us, with a smile, yet I could tell there was fear present in her voice.
Salvador let out a hearty laugh, and pulled out two of his Vladof Spinguns.
"Today is a good day to die, amigos." He said, loading his weapons. Axton sighed, and digistructed his Hammer Buster Assault Rifle, clutching it in his hands.
"Hey, on the off chance we don't make it out of here alive, I just want you all to know, out of everyone I've ever met…" He drawled, cocking his weapon.
"I hated you all the least." He spoke with a smile. The Siren nodded.
"A-men." Maya finished, before turning to me.
"How about you? Zer0, Mister, "Cyborg-Ninja-Dude", Got anything to say?" She asked with a light smile, digistructing the Murdering Slagga.
…
I lightly chuckle, and digistruct the Razrez Lyuda Sniper Rifle in my hands, aiming at the Warrior's mouth, speaking solemnly.
"As the birds will tell/ It is a beautiful day/ For burning in hell."
*BANG*
…
…
…
There was no doubt in my mind that day.
It was one of the most exhilarating days in my entire life.
Three Months Later…
…
I sighed.
I sat down on one of Sanctuary's many rooftops, in boredom.
"Hmm. I wonder what/ The others are doing now/ On other planets." I spoke, twirling a kunai. After the Warrior's defeat and Jack's death, a map was brought up from within the Vault Key, revealing Vaults on multiple planets, ripe for the looting.
Of course, this didn't mean Sanctuary was safe. Hyperion sent several Moonshots and Loaders to Santuary, which was ultimately pointless with the Shield and the fact that it was floating in the Sky.
Hyperion had no way of actually reaching Sanctuary, since the Fast-Travel System didn't allow anyone who wasn't registered into Santuary with a DNA sample, or were accompanying someone who was. Of course, this lead to the occasional "Prostitute whore who tagged along with this random peasant was actually a Hyperion Spy", but those were disposed of as quickly as they came…to Sanctuary.
The six of us had spent our time on Pandora eliminating Boss monsters, such as Terramorphous, Vermivirous, and so on and so forth. Until, one day…
Some time in the Past…
"Alright, here's the drill: " Mordecai started, laying down some plans onto the main table in the Crimson Raiders HQ. I and the Five others stood around it, along with Lilith and Brick.
"Hyperion Corporation's actually stopped attacking Pandora for a while. Without Jack, they have next to no direction of where to go next. Tiny Tina also reported in that some of their Loaders got…sentient." He said. Axton tilted his head.
"Sentient how?" Lilith answered.
"Sentient like they have a free will. When Tiny Tina spotted one near her cave, it wasn't really doing anything other than…lying around. It wasn't even shooting at the Local bandits. Right now it's…Using her own words, her new Tea Partner. Something about fluffy something or something." She said, shrugging.
Tiny Tina was a…unique one to say the least. Although she had earned my respect after that game of Bunkers and Badasses.
"So, what are we gonna do about those new Vaults?" Salvador asked. Brick cracked his knuckles.
"I called dibs."
"You can't call dibs on all of those Vaults!" Gaige exclaimed, pouting a bit.
"Says you."
"Dibs on half of them." I called, arms crossed.
"Don't you start too Zer0!" Maya scolded. I shrug.
"I need the challenge, Maya."
":P"
Maya groaned as the other Siren continued.
"Whatever, thing is, Hyperion's still sending Loaders and workers down here for some reason, and Opportunity is still a thing, you know. So, if we are going to be hunting these Vaults, some of us will have to stay behind, just in case Hyperion does something fishy." Lilith reminded.
…
…
…
"Not it!/I WANT TO SEE THE INSIDES OF A BURNING STAR!"
…
Literally all of us yelled it. I groan, facepalming.
"-_-"
"- A hard choice - Who goes and who stays?" I question. Salvador shrugged.
"How about we draw straws?" He suggested. Brick cracked his knuckles.
"How about we do a challenge? Whoever can't do it, stays, and those who can, go." He suggested. I was inclined to agree, as it would likely guarantee my departure to other worlds.
"Okay, so how do we decide?" Gaige asked.
"VOICE SAYS RANDOM VOICE BOX SCREAMS THE CALL!" Krieg yelled out. We gaze towards the radio, and shrug. Mordecai pressed the on button and-
"I WANT YOU TO BLOW UP THE OCEAN!"
…
God-damnit Mr. Torgue.
"Let's do it!" Brick instantly agreed, punching his fists together. Lilith shook her head.
"How about we just draw straws?" She suggested, bringing back the Gunerzerker's idea.
"Fine, have it your way." Brick complied, as Mordecai pulled got some random straws from downstairs.
"Alright, we pull all at the same time to avoid bias, alright?" He suggested. We placed our fingers on our respective straws.
Present…
And of course, Fate was not kind to me.
"T_T"
Axton, Maya, Gaige, Krieg and Salvador took a Spaceship and flew off to other planets. Although Pandora had its own share of Vaults still unopened, it was nothing compared to the Warrior's Vault,.
…
Yet, for some reason…I didn't feel too bad about loosing the chance. Why? I did not know. I should be furious that I didn't come along…yet all I feel is a minor sting. My memories drawl back to our first day in Sanctuary.
"This your home now, Vault Hunter."
"Home."
Home.
I have not had one for quite some time. Assassinations always made me move from planet to planet, perhaps even through multiple in a week. Sanctuary had people that I grew fond of over time. Scooter, Zed, Moxxi, even Claptrap although admittedly, he annoys me greatly still.
That changed during his birthday party…but that was a story for another time.
The last time I had a home was…
…
Sighing, I rechecked the weapons I had on hand.
The Maggie. I received this weapon after the mission, where the group split into two, eventually betraying both the Zafords and the Hodunks, killing them all and getting their weapons. I had to duel Salvador for this weapon, and I must say it was worth it.
Murdering Slagga. The other weapon, and was originally Maya's. According to her, it was a parting gift, a memory, she spoke. It was the weapon that she used against the Warrior, so it seemed to be giving up a lot of memories for her. Why she gave it to me was odd, but perhaps it was trust. Who knows.
Razrez Lyuda. The weapon I used against the Warrior, and his long-time Sniper Rifle. Simple, but I wish that it was an electric variation. Krieg was the one who got the final blow on him, but since Sniper Rifles weren't his style, he gave it to me, by quote: "VOICE SAYS YOU MAKE HEADS EXPLODE IN BLOOD TO DESERVING!"
Doc's Striker. A unique Shotgun to say the least. I usually had the Quad to switch to, however this was a bit more accurate. However, I constantly interchange the Quad and the Striker, the former of which used to belong to Axton.
My Own gear has also been upgraded several times, with Gaige's assistance. My Decepti0n skill lasted longer, and provided more options for my decoy, and my katana was longer, sharper, and more durable than before. I thanked Gaige for that.
"Yo Slab!"
I raised his head, hearing the familiar voice through my ECHO Device.
"Greetings, Brick." I greeted.
"Come on over! Tannis says she's got a new Vault for you!" He yelled out. I raised an eyebrow under my helmet. It was odd that Brick would reject a New Vault, but I shrugged it off.
I quickly jump from rooftop to rooftop, heading for the Crimson Raider's HQ balcony.
I reach my destination, and jump through the balcony, right behind Lilith.
"Greetings."
"GAH!" The Siren spun in surprise, nearly phaselocking me. She calmed down and placed a hand on her hip.
"Can't you use the door like everyone else?" She asked. I shrug.
":P"
Lilith sighed, but gestured for me to come in, which I did. Tannis stood there, along with Brick and Mordecai.
"'Sup amigo." Mordecai greeted, somewhat drunk.
"Greetings Numbered Assassin Zer0 Vault Hunter." Tannis started. "I believe we have a new adventure of Vault Hunting laying in store for an approximately adequate amount of time to satisfy your challenging need of killing and looting of the various artifacts and weaponry surrounding the Vaults and its various mysteries."
…
"What?"
"?"
"She's saying she's found you a challenge." Lilith summarized. I raise an eyebrow under my helmet.
"A challenge, you say?" I question. Tannis nodded, and pressed something on the holographic desk, displaying another Vault Symbol.
"According to my studies, the Eridium Blight could potentially hold another Vault, Brick has found some sort of small Research facility underneath Thousand Cuts, that seemed to specifically studied this Vault in particular. After quick calculations and researching their research, I, and they, have theorized that this Vault could possibly be a Portal, perhaps even Wormhole, to another world." She spoke quickly. I manage to understand this time, but tilted my head.
"Portal to another world?/ Sounds like fairytales." I pointed out as Tannis shrugged.
"Well it's what they researched. Although it seems like they did not have the potential to do as such given their small facility, and that it requires quite a pricy amount of Eridium to power and enter." She responded.
"How much?" I question.
"?"
"Around 110 Eridium Nuggets, or 72.5 Eridium Bars." She answered.
I instantly digistruct 73 bars onto the desk…which quickly caused some to fall of…majority to fall off.
"Where'd all of this come from?" Lilith asked. I shrug, honestly not knowing the answer. I turn my head to the Slab King.
"I'm quite surprised that/ You aren't calling dibs here." I said…before a look of horror and realization dawned on his face.
…
...
...
"Dibs." I call out. The Slab King swore.
"FUCK!" And punched a hole in the wall. Lilith rolled her eyes.
"Wouldn't matter. If this thing really is a portal, then we're not letting your slabs getting out of control while you're gone." She said. Brick groaned, but saw her point.
"Back to the portal?" I request. Tannis nodded.
"It seems as though there is a way through and back, and the notes speak of that to get back, one must simply insert the same amount of Eridium into…wherever the portal leads to. We're still not fully aware, since most of Brick's Slabs damaged several pages, but we shall see. Here is the location on your map." Tannis said. My ECHOLog quickly intakes the info, and I nod.
"What is my purpose/ Once I get through the portal?" I question.
"Just make sure that the world isn't a threat to ours, or that Hyperion doesn't get to the other side first...Anymore of them, I mean. A few of the pages say that some sort of monster kind roams the land, and if the other side opens the portal themselves, it could be bad." Lilith answered. I nod in understanding, and quickly check my ECHO map.
"I suppose I'm off." I finish my Haiku. I was about to jump off via the Balcony, but-
"Hey." Mordecai stopped me. I turned my head at him.
"?"
"You got enough Eridium to make a trip back and forth right?" He asked. I checked, and I had a surplus of it, so I nodded.
"Good."
…
He sighed.
"Look, you and the rest of the Vault Hunters were great. Hell, one of the best things that happened to this shithole of a Planet. Look, on the ridiculously low chance that you…die out there, I gotta say, we're gonna miss ya." The Drunk sniper said. I tilted my head at him.
"Um…thanks, I suppose." I responded.
"Yeah. Look, just make sure you don't get killed out there, killer. You're one hell of an asset to us, and a friend, I guess." Lilith said.
"Yeah. Stay safe Slab." Brick followed up…
…
So. This is what Home feels like.
I like it.
Shame I have to leave.
"❤️" (Using this because Less and Greater than Symbols don't work. ;-;)
And with that, I jumped off.
-LINE-BREAK-
"Hello Minion!"
Zer0 sighed. He turned his head towards the Sanctuary's…dump, and was met with the Hyperion Unit.
"What do you want now, Claptrap?" He questioned, head tilted.
"?"
"Today, marks the Seventh Month since I saved you all from that Glacier! And as seven is a royal number, I demand a gift! And that is in the form of a favor!" He exclaimed excitedly. The Assassin sighed, but shrugged. Wouldn't be a bad last farewell, considering how his other Minions already left.
"Fine, what is my task?" He questioned, walking towards Marcus' for some ammo for the trip.
"I want you to go to Eridium Blight! There, you will find the KING MONG! MUWAHAAHAHAHHAHAHAHAH!" Claptrap laughed out loud, raising his flimsy arms in the air. Zer0 sweatdropped at that.
"And I want you to take a sample of his hair, so I can add it to my new Mohawk!" He followed up. Sounded easy enough for Zer0.
"Sounds simple enough."
"But not just that! I want to be there when you do it, so I can scream on its dying corpse as it rots out!" He followed up. Zer0 sighed. He should have seen that coming.
The Assassin arrived to Marcus-Munitions, and made Claptrap wait outside.
Zer0 went down the stairs, finding the greedy salesman behind his counter, welcoming him with open arms.
"Hello there Vault Hunter! Here to do Business?" He greeted.
"I require some ammo/ I'll leave for some time." Zer0 responded. Marcus nodded, and pulled out some sort of cube.
"I have just the thing you're looking for, and you can be the first to test it out!" The Sales/Conman said, displaying it for Zer0, who tilted his head.
"This is a Special Ammo Digistruct Box. It creates whatever Ammo you need, for free! Of course, it counts the amount you owe me, and if you happen not to pay it, I send someone to kill you! It's very special, because it has its own miniature network inside, meaning it works anywhere, and even stores your weapons on planets without a digistruct network." He explained.
"Interesting." The Vault Hunter noted. "How much do you want?" He asked. Marcus scratched his chin, and came up with an answer.
"Nine Hundred Billion Dollars!"
…
Zer0 opened his account.
$999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999.99.
…
He blinked.
He didn't remember where he got so much money, but realized that the only thing he actually bought was ammo, anything else he had he received from drops and trading with the other Vault Hunters.
He turned to Marcus, and made the exchange.
"$"
-LINE-BREAK-
"Vamanos Minion!"
"Just shut up, Claptrap."
"O-Kay!"
The Assassin and Hyperion Unit fast-traveled to Eridium Blight. Zer0 glanced at the Poster board, having some memories of the past with previous missions. Shaking his head, he quickly digistructed a Bandit Technical Vehicle, and threw Claptrap to the back…upside down.
"Ow!"
"Sorry, Claptrap…Not really."
"You wound me Minion!"
Zer0 rolled my eyes and entered the driver's seat, activating the Boost and quickly driving through the Rocky terrain of Eridium Blight.
":D"
"Slow down Minion!" Claptrap said from behind.
""Vamanos" You said."
"You bring a valid point!"
…
Zer0 stopped driving, reaching the rocky clearing, where the Black Bullymong stood. It was much larger than any other he's seen, but Zer0 didn't have a high opinion of them to begin with. Unlike many other creatures, which evolved, cloaked or even flew, all Bullymongs did were roar and throw rocks.
"I'll wait here Minion!" Claptrap said.
"Very well." Zer0 complied, jumping out of his seat.
He digistructed his katana, and slowly walked towards the Beast that stood on two legs. The King Mong noticed his approach, and pounded his fists against his chest, as if he was accepting the Challenge of battle.
Zer0 smirked under his helmet…And dashed.
":)"
The King Mong roared to the sky above and got into its stance.
As Zer0 closed in on the Beast, the King Mong smashed down its four arms on the Assassin…only to find a decoy in its place.
The King Mong looked around in confusion, and-
*BANG*
-Recoiled back from a Sniper round right to his face. Zer0 smirked as he came out of cloak, and switched to Murdering Slagga, sprinting and shooting at the Beast. The King Mong recovered, and covered himself with two of his arms, and used the other two to hurl boulders at the Vault Hunter.
The Assassin continued springing, and leaped left and right to avoid the hurdles the Beast was throwing at him. The King Mong was under Slag, and charged towards Zer0, his fists intertwined with each other, preparing for another smash.
The Slagged King Mong raised his fists up, about to smash down at Zer0, before finding a grenade in front of his face, and the Assassin vanishing.
The Grenade split up into six, surrounding him. The Beast was confused as he pounded his chest…before the split grenades started shocking him, creating a dome of pain and electrocution. The Slagged King screeched in pain, starting to collapse, until the shocking finally ended.
He raised his head once more, searching for the Assassin, his hands rested on the ground.
"Your eyes deceive you."
The King Mong quickly turned around, but found nothing there. Huffing heavily, he cautiously glanced around.
"An illusion fools you all."
Again, the Beast cautiously looked around. He heard a shuffle of rocks from behind him, and turned around.
But it was too late.
Zer0 was midair, katana in hand, his hand drawn back.
"=)"
"I move for the kill."
*SHIIIIIIIIIIINK!*
…
…
…
And so the deed is done.
Zer0 un-digistructed his katana, leaving the Bullymong on its knees, dead.
"Good job Minion!" Claptrap praised, getting out of the vehicle. He then proceeded to…Teabag its corpse.
"Eh! Eh! Eh!"
Zer0 rolled his eyes, but noticed an orange shine in the corpse. Shuffling its arms around, he found a legendary Rocket Launcher.
The Badaboom.
Lifting it up to his level, he inspected it from all angles.
"Not bad." The Assassin commented, before digistructing it into his inventory. Claptrap continued to teabag it, and for one final touch, faceplanted it.
"Take this!"
*C-CRR-RAA-A-ACK!*
…
…
…
"God, damn it Claptrap."
And so the ground collapsed, leading them to who knows where.
-LINE-BREAK-
Zer0 landed first, legs stretched. He raised his head, and was surprised by what he saw.
The Vault Symbol.
The Vault he was supposed to be looking for.
…
This was lucky…
Too lucky…
His suspicions were proven correct…after the body of the King Mong fell on him, crushing him flat.
And them some rocks.
And some more rocks.
And-
"AAAAHHHHHHHHHH-"
-Then Claptrap fell on him.
":("
"Hey minion! Mind helping a guy up?" Claptrap said, despite lying on top of said minion. He groaned and stood up, getting rid of all the rubble on his back. He glanced around. Gazing around, he noticed the bleak surroundings of brown rocks and dirt, except for…
"Woah…what's this Minion?" Claptrap asked, referring to what stood before him. In front of him was a large underground clearing, not too large, but large. In the clearing, was some sort of stone structure.
Five stone pillars surrounded the structure, and the bottom was made up of several stones, with the design of the Vault symbol on it. It looked like a small ancient temple, an open one as several of the pillars were broken.
Zer0 walked over to the area, and noticed several pedestals around the platform, one much, much larger than the others.
"You made it Slab?" Brick asked from his ECHOLog device. Zer0 hummed a Yes response.
"Good. Remember; Stay safe, and good luck. You should be able to go back the way you came if you do it right, though there's no guarantee it will be the same way, it would most likely be in the same area. Again, good luck." Lilith followed up.
"Make sure our enemies aren't there, or anything that should be there, is there…" Tannis said.
"What?" Zer0 said, confused.
"Just make sure this world will not be a threat to ours, or at least make sure Hyperion remains unaware of its existence, we don't want to start an inter-dimensional war." Tannis clarified.
"Just come back alive." Lilith followed up.
"Stay safe Slab." Brick finished.
"Good luck amigo." Mordecai responded. I turn off my ECHOLog, and take a deep breath. I gaze at the Alien structure before me, and placed down the Eridium Bars, making sure that they all fit on the karge pedestal.
And with that, the whole area shook.
The Stone Pillars surrounding the area glowed a Pinkish-hue in between their cracks, and so did the Vault Symbol he had been standing on. Taking a deep breath, he prepared himself for this new adventure that awaited him as the platform began to rise, taking Zer0 with him through some sort if Portal that appeared over the pillars.
Zer0 digistructed his katana, pressing his helmet against it, as if a prayer…and then sheathing it again…
Of course, he forgot a certain Unit was coming along.
"W-W-What's happening?!" Claptrap exclaimed, now beside Zer0, who forgot about his presence.
...
"I guess you're coming along/ I now have regrets."
-LINE-BREAK-
"Wow…"
Was Jaune's reaction as a certain scythe wielder decapitated a giant nevermore.
Said scythe wielder jumped off of a cliff in a flurry of rose petals, landing on a stone bridge. She smiled.
"Alllllriiight team, let's get going!" Ruby announced to the seven others. They nodded and proceeded back to their destination, Beacon academy. They nodded and began walking back.
"Ugh, I think I'm gonna hurl…" Jaune said, holding his stomach. Pyrrha patted her partner's back.
"You'll be fine." She consoled with a smile. The heiress shook her head.
"I can't believe that dunce is her partner…" Weiss mumbled. Nora, getting bored, groaned.
"Reeeeen, can I ride another Ursa?" Nora asked her partner. He sighed.
"Nora, what did I say about riding Grimm?"
"…That I should do it more often?" Nora responded with a nervous smile, he sighed again.
"So are you two like a couple?" Yang asked bluntly, to which she received a slight elbow from her partner.
"What?"
"Oh we're not together, well I mean together-together, well I mean NOT together but together is not together-together but-…." Nora went on like this for a few minutes, speaking faster and faster until Ren placed his palm over her mouth.
"Nore. Please stop."
…
…
…
"Don't lick my hand." Ren said just before she stretched out her tongue. She slumped.
"M-Okay." She mumbled as Ren lifted his palm.
…
"With a tree on fire…several, actually.
"Woah!" Yang exclaimed.
"Is there a fire breathing Grimm nearby?" Blake said, readying her weapon. Weiss just glared at Ruby, who smiled nervously in response. Weiss sighed.
"Well, this dolt over here had gotten in the way of my attack-"
"It was an accident!"
"-And unless I wanted her to burn, I had to…redirect, my dust attack." Weiss finished.
"You know, you can call my sister as something besides a dolt, right?" Yang said, eyes glowing slightly red. Weiss crossed her arms.
"You're right, I could." She responded. Yang cocked Ember Celica, eyes red. This person had done nothing but demean her sister…well, she saved her life, sure, but she still acted like she was better than everyone else.
"Yang. Relax…" Blake tried to calm down her partner, only for her to burn even brighter, causing slight fear from everyone else, other than Weiss, who remained arms crossed.
"Well, maybe you should just stop acting all high and mighty and just be a little nicer. That's what you promised to do, after all." The brawler continued.
"True. But it doesn't change the fact that she was the who caused the fire, and is a dolt." Weiss retorted. Nora leaned in closer to Ren.
"Hey Ren. Do the thing." She whispered.
"I used up my aura in the fight, I can't use my semblance right now." He whispered back.
"Oh."
Meanwhile, the duo of Ice and Fire were arguing, the Red hooded girl conflicted on what to do, and the secret Faunus remaining neutral, but felt her ears twitch at the sound of rustling.
"She's just trying to help!"
"And I'm just trying to pass my initiation!"
"Guys! Can't we all just get along? Arguing with each other isn't going to do anything other than attract Grimm! So can we please just talk this out?" Ruby pleaded with her sister and partner. They both turned to her, and, seeing her point, the heiress sighed.
"I…suppose that I should be nicer, to all of you. Let's just finish the initiation for now." Weiss responded. Yang nodded, eyes turning back to lilac.
"Just be a bit nicer, that's not a lot to ask." She said. As the group was about to turn back, they heard shuffling in the trees...before promptly hearing an ear-piercing shriek.
…
"Um, I wasn't the only one who heard that, right?" Jaune asked.
"No. No you weren't." Blake responded, readying her weapon, so did the rest of them.
"Oh. Great."
...
"Where is it?" Pyrrha questioned, her weapons at the ready.
"Um, guys?" Nora started, pointing towards the sky. "Found it."
From above, a large Black and White creature appeared, crashing down in front of the eight. It was as tall as a Deathstalker's tail, but clearly much thinner. It stood on four, very fine and thin legs, armored with bone plating. It's slender but pure black body was lightly armored with bones, and two, large and curved claws formed from them, its claws covered in the Bone-like armor. It's neck was just as thin, until reaching the neck, where two large Red-Hexagonal-Eyes stood atop, and a small mouth laying in between.
"It's a Doichi!" Weiss exclaimed loudly.
"A what?!" Jaune responded, just as loud.
"A Giant Praying Mantis Grimm!" Ren clarified. Yang cocked her Gauntlets.
"We can take him!" She said with confidence, firing several rounds with her Ember Celica. The Doichi screeched, quickly leaping from left to right, as if it was sliding off of the grass. The Mantis screeched again, releasing venom from its mouth, aiming for the Blonde Brawler.
"Look out!" Blake screamed as the Team ran the opposite direction.
"How do we beat that thing?!" Ruby asked.
"It's fast and powerful! But frail after several hits! Although its speed makes that a troublesome task, and its venom keeps close range fighters away!" Pyrrha answered, turning back for a moment to fire several rounds, which the Grimm merely dodged as it grew closer and closer.
"We're still pretty sore after the first two!" Yang exclaimed.
"Well-" Jaune didn't get a chance to speak as the Doichi leaped in front of them, screeching some more venom out.
"RUN!"
Several Minutes Later...
The Beacon Teams scrambled, trying to avoid the beast that continued to hunt them down. After running everywhere, they found themselves…back to the temple. Needless to say, they were tired from all of that running.
"Are you kidding me?!" Jaune exclaimed, panting and falling to his knees. The Mistral Champion widened her eyes.
"It was smart. It sensed our exhaustion, and cut us off, until it trapped us here, where there's no other route to escape." Pyrrha noted, gesturing towards the high cliffs behind the temple. Ren, panting, looked around for the Grimm.
"Where is it-"
"LOOK OUT!"
Weiss screamed as she quickly pulled Yang out of the Grimm's landing spot, just as the Doichi landed, claws raised.
"Thanks." Yang thanked,.
"Don't mention it." Weiss said, panting, pulling out Myrtenaster. "Any ideas?" She asked the group. Nobody spoke, but they all pulled out their weapons, a bit reluctantly.
"Well, here goes..." Ruby trailed…
But with the power of Chapter 1 plot armor, the ground shook.
*RUMBLE*
*RU-R-UMBLE*
*R-R-R-R-R-U-U-UM-UMB-BLE*
"W-W-What's happening?!" Nora stuttered as the ground rumbled. The Grimm seemed confused as well, screeching to the air.
"It's coming from the temple!" Blake noted, turning around. The others did as well, noticing the area having a Pinkish-hue in its cracks, and some sort of symbol forming on the platform, a circle with an upside down V on it, also in a Pinkish-hue.
"What is this?!" Pyrrha questioned.
Meanwhile…
"Professor Ozpin!" Glynda exclaimed, glancing at their scrolls. The Beacon Headmaster had a look of interest on his face.
"Hmm. Well this is a certain twist of events."
"What is that?!" His assistant questioned, eyes glued to the screen. Ozpin honestly shrugged.
"We're about to find out."
Back with them…
The Stone floor opened, revealing a swirl of Pink and Purple, and from amidst it, the group could make out two figures appearing from below.
Once it fully emerged, they could see the duo clearly now. One wore a Skin-Tight Black suit, a "0" over his left chest, and a helmet with a large vizor, covering his entire head, no skin was shown throughout his body. The other was a small…robot, it stood on one large wheel, and had a single blue orb as its eye.
The tall figure raised its head, and glanced around.
...
…
…
"Greetings." Zer0 said simply. Claptrap simply rolled forwards and raised one of his arms, the other on his…"hip".
"Greetings future citizens of my Empire!" He exclaimed…as Zer0 facepalmed.
The students didn't have time to question it, as the Mantis screeched once more, spewing more venom just in front of the Hyperion Unit.
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Claptrap exclaimed, rolling to the back of the Temple, retracting into a tiny box.
"Protect me Squire!" He commanded. The Assassin groaned, rolling his eyes, but walked forwards. Just as he was about to digistruct his weapon though, he needed to make sure that he could.
"Can I kill that thing?" He asked.
"Yes! Please do!" Jaune begged quickly.
"Uh…sure?" Ruby responded, more of a question than an answer.
Zer0 sighed in relief, and digistructed his Razrez Lyuda, much to the confusion of the others.
"Wait, where did that thing come from..?" Weiss questioned, the others shrugged, other than Ruby, who stared at thing thing wide-eyed.
The Doichi screeched, spewing Venom at Zer0…who vanished, the venom just avoiding Claptrap.
"Wait! Where'd he go?!" Blake exclaimed.
The Doichi seemed to be asking the same question, as it moved its head left to right in search for the Assassin…
*BANG*
Only for a Sniper Round to knock him back, a clean Headshot.
"Precision." Zer0 spoke from within the trees in the upper cliff. Once the Doichi recovered, it screeched, and leapt over to the trees.
"Should we help him?!" Ruby asked the group.
"We're…a bit…tired…Ruby." Jaune reminded, breathing in.
Back with Zer0, the Doichi landed in a clearing with several trees surrounding the area, glanced around, and started spewing venom out everywhere, searching for the Assassin. The Grimm screeched, as it began jumping around the area, hoping to sense the Assassin's negative emotions, but to no avail. Again, it screeched, beginning to slice several trees in frustration.
*BANG*
"Yoo-hoo, stupid Mantis thing/ I was over here." Zer0 taunted as he landed another clean Headshot on the creature. It shrieked an Ear-piercing sound, finally slicing the right tree.
The Vault Hunter jumped off of the branch he was on, and began to quickly sprint back towards the temple, the Mantis pursuing the Assassin, spewing venom as he sprinted left and right.
The Grimm leapt into the sky, cutting Zer0 off as he landed down in front of him, slicing at the Vault Hunter with its large claws. Zer0 didn't stop sprinting, and merely slid under the Mantis and its strike, leaving a grenade in his path.
The Mantis quickly turned, both found itself…shocked. Six grenades from the original surrounded it, trapping it in a shocking field, making it shriek in pain as the Grimm was electrocuted.
":)"
Zer0 continued to sprint, heading back towards the bottom, where the others had apparently been observing.
"Woah…" Jaune said in amazement. Zer0 turned back, and digistructed Murdering Slagga, firing several rounds, making the Mantis become Slagged, forcing it to take even more damage as it cried out in pain.
Eventually, the grenades stopped electrocuting the Mantis, and the Doichi was clearly enraged by this, and jumped down extremely quickly, attempting to spew bursts of Venom at the Assassin.
"If you wish, go back." Zer0 warned to the students.
"I think we should take his advice-"
"AAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHH!" Jaune interrupted the Secret Faunus, running back from the falling Mantis, the rest following, other than Zer0, who began to leap left and right, avoiding the falling balls of Green Venom.
The Mantis zoomed down the cliff, and finally slashed at the Assassin, completely going through…his decoy's body. The Mantis, sensing something from behind, turned around…to find the Assassin mid-air, Katana in hand, and in that one moment, he only felt one feeling.
Bloodlust.
"=)"
"Not a bad challenge, Mantis."
*SHHHHIIIIIIIINNNKKKK!*
…
"Still, I reign supreme." Zer0 spoke as he un-digistructed his katana, the Grimm behind him fading away into ashes, much to Zer0's disappointment, half-expecting a weapon to come out of it.
Turning back towards the group of Students, Claptrap finally came back.
"Good job Minion! Another victory for Claptrap and his legion!" He exclaimed. Zer0 rolled his eyes underneath his helmet, and gazed back to the studdents.
"That…was…Awesome!" Nora exclaimed.
…
…
…
"What's next, I wonder." The Assassin spoke.
-LINE-BREAK-
Look at that! I actually managed to rewrite this in January! Hooray to me!
…
For those of you who are new, this is actually a rewritten Chapter 1, so yeah.
Anyways, for those of you who are caught up, expect slight edits to the other Chapters, but nothing drastic, just things to keep up the consistency.
If you guys have any ideas for where this story should go, which side Zer0 should be on, should Zer0 get a romance, etc.
Also, I know for a FACT I'm going to fuck up Zer0's personality/morality at some point, but that's kind of hard considering he has no defined characteristic, since even in Tales from the Borderlands he's kinda just there. He likes challenges, loot, and anything that can basically push his limits I guess.
Some might be complaining about Maya's sudden switch on Zer0, from being doubtful to playful, but I could only fit so much onto this before it became ridiculously long. I was actually tempted to do so, but this was getting really long.
Feel free to leave your criticism, tips, ideas, suggestions, or thoughts on the story so far in the reviews! Criticisms in particular is something I really need.
Anyways, thank you so much for reading, and have a great day.
Also, on the off chance you think this is a "Zer0 joins a Beacon Team story"…It's not. I know he's like…I don't know by how much but he's definitely around/over average Huntsman age.
Side note: If you see a word with multiple possible syllable pronunciations, like "Hy-per-i-on" and "Hy-per-ion" just go and use whatever fits in with Zer0's 5-7-5 rule.