Chapter length: 2,068
Words in Zero's Language and her thoughts are in italics
Zero didn't recognize the voice, but the image of the female guardian with long red hair popped into her head. She was the one that usually watched over the night division during their breakfast and lunch hours. I think her name was Forty-something.
"It's too bad." Another unfamiliar voice responded. "I hear she was a great Captain, and one of the hardest workers in the Barrier. I was at least hoping to meet her before we had to kill her. I would have let her know they chose Lieutenant Ninety-Five as her replacement. Such a shame."
"This place must be some kind of fucked up, with her looking like this." The female responded again, her voice light and joyful, sounding completely out of place in the wreckage and dead bodies. "She's just a burnt crisp. Of all the people that assimilate, I never thought Captain Zero would be one of them, but it looks like she got hers though, didn't she?" The woman laughed loudly.
"Let's just grab the tracker and go." The third person cut in. "I don't want to stay here longer than I have to."
"You've been no fun since you became Captain."
The first man turned back to the woman, tension running through his body that even Zero could see. "Leave it, Forty-Two. Just take the tracker and get out of here. You keep this attitude up and I'll make a report."
Forty-Two made a noise of disgust and poked her tongue out at the man, sparkling silver before fading into nothingness.
The first man put his hand on the other man's shoulder in comfort. "I'm very sorry, Thirteen. She doesn't know your history with Captain Zero."
Zero inhaled sharply and could feel her companions eyes on her. Thirteen… Zero stared at her former best-friend's back, tears leaking from her eyes.
"I loved her once, long ago." He croaked. "I thought maybe one day, back when we were still threaders together, that maybe they'd let us marry, like I'd seen in the threads."
Don't cry, Zero banished the memories of her and Thirteen together. Not here. Not while you're still in danger.
The other man made a pitying noise and patted Thirteen's back once more. "I'll leave you to say goodbye then. Don't take too long, I'll tell the Weaver you heard a noise and went to make sure everything was okay."
Thirteen didn't respond as the man sparkled like Forty-Two had, then dissolved into nothing. Instead, he turned from the body and looked out at the surrounding area then back at her supposed body.
She could fuzzily remember his body on hers, laughing and exchanging stories of their worlds. His mouth hot on her neck-
"I know you're alive Zero."
Against her will, Zero's body froze.
"You did an excellent job hiding the tracker, but I know for a fact that you know about the barcode and tracker. You're smart enough to not get caught by us. Don't worry, your secret is safe with me, love."
Zero hesitantly stepped out from her hiding place. Danica hissed in her direction as she left the safety of the trees cover.
"It's okay," Zero murmured to them. "Know him. He's safe. Stay there though."
Thirteen was turned away from her, staring at the body again. His hair was shorter than she'd last seen him, four years ago when they were both still Lieutenants.
Guardian regulation cut. Didn't Forty-Two mention he was a Captain now?
Other than his hair, Thirteen was just as she remembered; broad shoulders, tall build, the smatter of freckles that lined his neck that became more identifiable as she got closer. She reached about three feet away from him before she made her presence known.
"Thirteen." He turned to Zero, his honey-brown eyes meeting her green ones.
"Hey," He smiled sadly. "It probably wasn't the best idea to show yourself, I hadn't meant for you to come out. How am I supposed to trick myself into thinking you're dead now?" His voice caught and Zero crumbled.
"Oh, Thirteen." She closed the gap between them, wrapping her arms around him and squeezing like there was no tomorrow.
"I'm so sorry." Zero pressed her face into his guardian leathers and breathed in his scent, committing it to memory.
"I know, Zero." He murmured into her ear, his breath tickling the skin. He drew back and kissed her forehead. "I've missed you so much. I wish they'd never reassigned me, but we've been dealt our cards and here we are now. I can't stay long. Weaver Ninety-Seven will suspect something soon if I don't leave soon, that rat bastard. Do me a favor before I go?"
Zero laughed. "What would you like?"
"A kiss, for old times' sake. Something for us to remember each other by, and to let us let go."
Zero smiled and cupped his cheek, rubbing her thumb across the stubble of his three o'clock beard. "You are awake we have an audience right? I wasn't dumb enough to come alone, you know."
"No," Thirteen whispered, leaning in halfway to her. "No, dumb would never describe you."
She reached up the rest of the way and pressed her lips to his, drawing his body closer to hers, his arms wrapped around her waist like a comfortable and familiar blanket. His lips were just as soft as they'd been the last time they'd kissed, and butterflies circled in her stomach, crying to be released.
But before she could think of deepening the kiss, Thirteen drew back, releasing her waist and untangling her hands from his neck which had crept there without Zero's permission. They stepped away from each other, looking away as they both brushed tears from their eyes.
Thirteen cleared his throat, and when she turned back to him, he wiped away a stray tear she missed.
"I have to go now, to make sure they do everything right." He smiled. "Tell your new friends I said to take care of you. Thank them for me. And you be good and forget about me alright? Don't be afraid to move on and live without me."
Zero scoffed, but smiled back softly. "As if I could forget you after a kiss like that. But I will, if you will."
His lips twitched into a grin. "Goodbye Zero."
"Goodbye Thirteen."
Like the others, he sparkled and disappeared, leaving Zero completely and utterly alone among the dead. She cleared her throat and called out to the others. "It's okay. He's gone tie up ends for me. They won't come back."
The three edged out of the tree line. Danica looked concerned, Varric looked warily concerned, and Iron Bull just looked wary.
"Are you okay?" Danica asked placing a hand on Zero's shoulder as they reached her.
"No, not right now, but the danger's gone and will be in time." She tried to smile, but it probably came out as a grimace. "Should probably go talk to Leliana now. Now that everything is taken care of, can answer your questions without fear of guardians. Wouldn't like Leliana angry with me."
Danica and Varric laughed and Zero could see the wariness drain from the Dwarf and some from the Qunari who had a strange glint in his eye.
Danica smiled. "I'm sure after your explanation you'll be okay."
"Sure." She wasn't. But there was no way she was going to argue with Danica over that. They all turned to walk back to Haven. "Thirteen said 'thank you for taking care of me'."
"He was someone important to you, wasn't he?" Varric asked her as they walked down the path.
"Yes." She finally admitted. "He very important to me. Were best friends back when we both Lieutenants and later more, until time when he was reassigned to become guardian. Threaders and guardians not allowed to be together, so we let each other go. He went to guardians and I became Captain."
"Did you love him?"
"Varric, don't press her about it if she doesn't want to talk." Danica cut in, giving the Dwarf a stern look.
Zero chuckled. "It's okay. Did when we were together, very much so, but eventually left to go separate ways. I haven't seen him in four years now, but still love him, even if not romantically anymore."
"How did you get here?" Bull asked.
"Don't answer that." Danica cut in again, rubbing her forehead and giving the three of them an exasperated look. "Leliana WILL be mad at you if she isn't one of the first people told about how you got here and all that. You guys will find out eventually, just drop it for now."
"Alright then," Bull sighed. "I'll wait until Red gives the go ahead then."
"Red? Is that Leliana?"
"Yeah. That's her nickname. Haven't you ever had a nickname?"
Zero shook her head, then paused. "I guess? Zero is only last two numbers of full name. Does that count?"
In sync, the other three stopped to a halt, and Zero had to keep herself from running into Danica, who had turned to look at her.
"What, did I say something wrong?"
"What's your full name?" Danica asked slowly, her carefully blank face confusing Zero even more.
"In your language would be Captain 027435800. It takes too long to say threaders full name and no one has patience to memorize full names so we go by last two numbers of our assigned name."
"Your telling me Cero doesn't mean 'sky' or 'deer' or reference some kind of flower?" Varric demanded.
"Yes?"
"Holy shit. That's it, I'm going to find the best nickname for you and no one is ever allowed to call you anything else ever again."
"Agreed." Bull and Danica chimed in, starting back down the path.
"So what happens when two people have the same last two digits in their name?" Bull asked, not looking as off-put as the others about the revelation about her name.
Must be because he's Qunari. Don't they go by numbers until a certain age? Then they get proper names or something like that.
"They usually not put in the same place, but it happens so when it does, qualifier is given. Like if there was another Zero when I was threader, I'd be Zero Green or Zero Black depending on what the other Zero looked like. If I was Captain and they were a threader, wouldn't matter because Captain is qualifier."
The rest of the walk back to Haven was quiet. Leliana and Solas were standing at the gates, waiting for their return patiently. Leliana didn't look too happy, but she didn't look angry either, which Zero took as a good sign.
As they walked up, she decided to get it over with.
"Now that the danger taken care of, can answer the questions you have. Learned enough that I can speak better than when we last saw each other." Zero smiled tentatively.
If her willingness to speak shocked the Leliana, it didn't show as she nodded.
But then again, she's spymaster now. She's not the same lay sister I studied with the Hero. As much as I know about those people, I don't actually know them. Ten years have passed since the Hero; things are different and I have to remember that.
"All right then. You, Danica, and I will meet with the other advisors to tell us what we'd like to know." Leliana smiled pleasantly, but the words were sharp and the veiled threat of 'or else' hung unsaid.
Still, Zero nodded. "Of course."
Bull patted her back as he passed, sending her stumbling forwards. "Take it easy, okay? I'll see you around, maybe."
"What he said. Don't push yourself too hard, Blackjack." Varric patted her hand as he too passed.
"Blackjack?" Her lips twitched to a small grin. "That's the nickname you've given me maybe?"
"It's on a trial basis right now, but I'm not calling you Cero now that I know what it means." He blanched and she giggled. "We'll call you Jack for short."
"I like it." Danica announced. "It's what we'll be calling you from now on."
"Blackjack." Zero tried out the new name. "I like it too. Thanks Varric."
He smiled at her and walked back to his spot near his campfire and tent. Leliana and Danica headed back to the Chantry, Zero trailing after them in thought.
Blackjack, huh? I can get behind that.
Sorry this chapter is so short :( I wanted it to be a little longer but the next stopping point is at the end of next chapter. Good news though, next chapter is like 3000 words!
As always, thanks so much for all your support! I feel bad that we're still so early in the story, so I'm going to start recommending other fics that are much further than mine are!
This week I'm recommending Lyrium's Bane by therutherfordwife on AO3. I've fallen in love with Ilaria and you might just see her here and Jack (as she's now going to be called) in LB!
If you have any fics you wanna suggest pm me or drop a link in the comments! I'm always game for new fics!
-Jade