A/n: Okay before we begin- Warning. This is an extremely short chapter because I have strong intentions of leaving you with a cliffhanger and thus leaving you infuriated with me and this story. 100% honest here. It'll be boring if it just blindly follows the main questline, doesn't it? So I'm skipping a few missions after this chapter, namely Roland's amazing rescue, and finding Lilith. So we'll go straight to something ELSE in the next chapter, before we go on to… TINY TINA! YAYAYAY. So my headcanon for Zero is coming up. I view Zero as that grey-skinned dude with black hair as seen on one fanart pic which I lost somehow. If you have it, please post in the reviews section. So Zero is NOT an alien, okay? I don't hate that theory, it's just that in order for things to go well in this story, I need this to happen. If you only ship alien Zero and Maya, I'm sorry. Maybe I'll write something else to suit your needs next time, alright? Thanks dudes.

Zero watched as Maya slammed the door to The Crimson Raiders HQ. There was only one reason why she would be so enthusiastic to enter the building. She had found it- the answer to her problems, what she came for when she arrived on pandora. He was happy for her... partially. He could sense something was amiss. She came for knowledge about her siren lineage- which she found. Her secondary mission was the vault, and to rid Pandora of Hyperion forces. Yet he knew the moment she accomplished her primary goal, she would rethink her goals, and there was a high chance she would not continue once she got her questions answered. He still had the other three vault hunters, so why did this bother him?

This was not right. He was not being himself. He was an assassin, wanted across multiple planets- Pandora included. He had a bounty of over a billion dollars, but so did she. She had an even greater bounty, in fact. He mentally slapped himself.

Don't think about her. She is now a distraction. You start to falter.

Perhaps he should see what axton and Salvador were up to.

Zero had a drink with the other two vault hunters. He figured a strong drink would help get his mind off the issue. It didn't do much in the end. The more he drank the more he began to doubt his sanity. He thought years of inhumanely murdering assigned targets had left him without much emotion. Yet, here he was, disturbed by the potential loss of one of his allies. Taking a glance at Axton, he started to wonder- If Axton or Salvador were to be in Maya's position, leaving the team, would he feel the same? He found the answer to be no. This made him feel worst about himself.

With his experience, he had… become somewhat proficient with psychology and reading emotions. None of his targets had ever shown what he was going through. It called for further study. Or maybe not, given his reluctance.

"Hey guys…" Maya sighed. Zero was the only one who seemed to hear her voice, and he turned his head slightly, so he could faintly see her silhouette by the entrance to Moxxi's. Something was amiss. She had definitely spoken to the insane scientist, yet she behaved as though she had gotten nothing out of the talk. Zero was right, apparently.

Maya took a seat next to Zero, who was somewhat nervous given the proximity. Maya fiddled with her thumbs before finally speaking. "Tannis… S-She didn't exactly help…" Zero displayed a question mark, demanding for a deeper elaboration as to what she meant. "I came to Pandora to seek a purpose in life as a siren. I thought maybe we were destined to do something here. It seems I was wrong…"

Zero nodded slowly, taking another gulp of the rakk-ale. She was not in a good mood. Neither was he, so it was probably not a good time to mention she was why he wasn't in a good mood.

"So… Zero?" Maya began. Zero watched her carefully, and he felt his heart beat accelerate a little. A LITTLE. He wanted emphasis on that.

"I guess I should probably ask… Where did you come from?" She asked. She had never taken the chance to understand him. Mainly it was pointless bickering.

"I came from Eden after finishing a contract," Zero replied, dropping the haiku, though he continued in his monotonous tone. If they were getting to know each other- not romantically, It would be best to not make things confusing with haikus.

"I meant where you were born," Maya corrected herself, a genuine smile forming on her face.

"Athens," He finally managed to say, the thought of it not bringing back much memories. Most of his childhood memories were wiped out after… The incident. Maya nearly choked on her drink.

"Athens."

"Yes."

"You came from freakin' Athens? That's where I was born!" Maya looked ecstatic. Then she realised he probably wasn't. The damn cult had made every citizen of every age fear them, and she was their weapon. Zero, as a child, by right should have feared her.

Time passed, and as it grew later, Maya grew more sympathetic towards Zero. She had never taken the time to understand him, and she was glad she did. He was telling her about a contract, but then she cut him off.

"I need to go," She sighed, her voice cracking at the last word. He was left speechless. Why? He was right.

"Tannis was of no help. I'll still be on Pandora… I think. B-But I prefer to do this on my own. The vault was never my number 1 priority…" Zero remained silent, and didn't move a muscle.

"I'll… go now," Maya stood, the blue maliwan hanging at her side.

I've lost it. I ACTUALLY have… feelings for this guy I've been working with for the past few weeks.

"Be safe," was all Zero managed to say, given all the emotional turmoil he was facing. Was it happiness, sadness or something he didn't want to consider? So what made him feel even worse, was how Maya wrapped her arms around him, the side of her face pressed against the side of his mask. Axton and Salvador stared uncertainly at the scenario that was unfolding. After a few seconds, Maya left without a word. Zero was left alone at his stool, completely confused and in a crisis.

He hated rakk ale so much right now. Though perhaps he hated himself more.

Maya shuddered as the fast travel whirred to life, and everything around her faded to an overpowering shade of blue. Sanctuary was gone. So was Axton, Salvador, Gaige… and Zero. Zero, whom she thought of as a bastard at first, and then made her utterly confused, like a teenager of sorts.

'Damn him' she thought to herself, as the corners of her mouth turned upwards slightly. When she reappeared in the desert where they had met, she found herself upset. Here she was, alone, remembering how she had watched him from this very spot as he took out the bandits that had planned to kill her.

Damn she missed him already, but she would not go back.

A/n: You know school holidays, right? CRAP TON'A HOMEWORK. OH THE JOY. So I didn't exactly have the time to write something to make you shippers cry- which was what I tried my best to do. I DID make my classmates and my teacher cry once in an essay which involved the development of a mother's and son's relationship. In the end the mom got hit by a car and the son stabbed himself in the heart so yeah. But I ain't gonna let dat shit happen to our shippy group DON'T WORRY.

SPOILERS

Also, dear whoever it was that shouted NIPPLE SALADS in the reviews section… It's gon' be your lucky day.