He watched, taking it in. The world outside was too bright for him, even with his protection. Humans walked by, mindless, clutching at Eridium that was out of their reach. Their doom was imminent, unless they were to change things. That's exactly what he planned to do.
He followed her, watching her form as she walked. Her stride was different than the others here- confident, not to be messed with. A skull next to her name. Badass. He didn't plan on rubbing her the wrong way. But still, her step interested him. She had something the others didn't, at the very least.
She made her way to Moxxi's, him following. His footsteps were quiet, silent due to his years of training. He had perfected his art, but he wanted something more. A challenge, of course. But more than that. He was bored. Provoking things that weren't meant to be provoked. The Vault was one thing, sure, but when it was all over wouldn't it have just been another battle for him? A battle won, of course. But he craved something he didn't know.
The blasting bass of pop music turned him from his thoughts and they grew near to Moxxi's place. Maya went up the steps first, him following. At the front bar, swinging her hips slightly, stood Mad Moxxi, attractive as ever. She was humming along with the music as lights flashed against her skin. She'd always been flashy, and her bar matched her quite well. Loud music, flashing lights, good drink; no wonder a good fourth of Sanctuary's population spent their nights here. There was always entertainment, from the slot machines near the front counter to the dartboards scattered about the walls, the rusty charismatic piano sitting in the side room to the pizza that never seemed to deplete. As if that wasn't appealing enough, the giant LED leg complete with swinging action, fishnets, and a stiletto boot that hung outside the building was like a landmark, always flickering day or night.
The shelves of whiskey were appealing enough for Maya, as she ordered a bottle for herself. "Anything for you, sugar?" Moxxi asked Zero with half lidded eyes. The assassin was certainly attractive, with that toned body, mysterious demeanor, and deep voice, but he was definitely too young for Moxxi. Of course, she thought mischievously, Maya seemed to be around his age.
He shook his head, and Moxxi shrugged. "Have a seat, loves. I'll be right on that whiskey." She winked before whisking herself off to the back room. Maya slung herself up on the barstool, slipping a hundred dollar bill in the over-glamorized tip jar. Zero sat down on the stool with no problem, resting his forearms on the counter gently. The thumping music was enough to get his blood pumping, much like the heat of battle, but he still remained silent and calm as usual.
Maya reached over to the slot machine, slipping money into it and pushing the lever down lazily with one hand. The slots spun and spun until the first row landed on the Eridium block… then the second… and then there was the psycho's goddamn face and the machine popped out a measly five hundred dollars, half of what she'd paid. She groaned in frustration and took the money, slapping it into the tip jar. The glowing lips that adorned the jar glowed warmingly as Zero snickered under the mask. Immediately, Maya turned and looked at him, an eyebrow raised. "Do you find that funny?"
He raised a hand off the counter, but slowly lowered it again, choosing his words carefully. "When you get angry/Your markings glow a bright blue/It's interesting."
Maya's hand instinctively flew to cover the Siren markings on her arm, rubbing them slightly. "I can't control that," she remarked, bitterness and snark in her voice. Zero sat up straight, his hands moving again as an exclamation point appeared on his mask.
"I did not mean that/It glows like the morning sky/Aesthetically!" He scrambled to make an excuse, but Maya shook her head. "I understand…. Sorry. I've been worked up lately. It's been too quiet from Hyperion's side. I fear they'll strike at any moment. It's got me paranoid." Right on time, Moxxi returned from the back room with a large glass of whiskey and a basket of chicken wings.
"Here you go, sweetie. A little something extra for the nice tip and the work you do around here." She smiled warmly, setting the items down on the counter in front of the Vault Hunters.
"Thanks, Moxxi. You always know how to host a good time," Maya complimented, drawing the whiskey closer to her and taking a sip of it. Moxxi was about to respond when she heard the sound of vile retching coming from the other room. She tiredly rolled her eyes and went off to clean up whatever had been done and shoot the poor drunkard in the foot for ruining the carpet.
Maya pulled the chicken wings closer and glanced over at Zero. "Want one?" She offered them to him. He took one, examining it before quickly spinning his stool until his back was to her. She saw his mask shift slightly and a few seconds later, he spun back around, the chicken wing eaten, bone and all. She stared for a second before just shaking her head and taking a wing, nibbling around the bone in between drinks of whiskey. He wasn't much of a talker but she definitely felt more comfortable around him than the others- Axton always had something up his sleeve, Salvador was loud and obnoxious. Mordecai was a good guy until he drank (which was almost all the time), then he grew easily cross and derogatory. Lilith had been alright to talk to but she wasn't here, and Brick was always busy with his team of slabs. Zero was silent yet somehow understanding, and tended to notice details the others didn't, much like Maya. He was interesting.