|Borderlands| Begin Anew |1-on-1 rp|

Naeva had resisted a roll of her eyes but scoffed good naturedly in response. A brief pat on his back at least acknowledged his worry and annoyance. Between the two, she'd been the patient one, far more forgiving. Maybe it wasn't deserved but...well, she felt better about it at the end of the day.

As she struggled to her feet, an audible shout as Rhys disappeared from a fall startled her. Now if he had died from that fall after she'd gone through the trouble of saving him, then she would be angry. Coming to the newly made hole slowly, Naeva was relieved to see the boy on his feet, uninjured.

It took him a moment of glancing around before he announced there might not be a safe way down. Zer0 urged to look for loot however. If anyone could get down there and back up, it'd be him.

"Uhh...it doesn't look like much. There are some chests down here but other than that..."

He was cut off by the other young woman who had asked him how much his robotic arm was worth. "Where?!" The excitement in her tone wasn't hard to miss and she immediately jumped down despite any dangers in doing so.

"Or you can come look for yourself...that's fine."

Naeva nodded down before she glanced back at Zer0, "You should go look for yourself. We still need a Core and we don't know what might be down there."

There was a pause for a long moment before she rolled her eyes and continued, "I'll be fine. No ones around and besides, that Loader Bot might be able to scare any stragglers off if they're dumb enough to come at me."

"What?" the thing spoke as if it were protesting being used for such a thing. Naeva shook her head at that, trying to ignore its words.

Sasha's sudden excitement was a bit surprising after the hit she'd taken from Felix's betrayal. Already she'd leapt down to inspect the chests. Chests meant firearms and shields, after all. Naira offered another sigh and a shrug before following after. One by one they dropped down to Rhys' level, the landing a shock on the knees and ankles but otherwise not entirely bad.

Already Sasha had found a rare, un-released model of Atlas' weapon tech and Vaughn some sort of high-tech watch. Both had taken to gushing over the pieces of technology, quite pleased with the finds. Naira didn't have it in her to tell Vaughn that they'd most likely have to sell that watch to make up for the ten million they'd lost. Not right now, anyways. Best let the man have his moment while he could.

Instead she turned to Rhys even as Fiona dropped down after them all, glancing about at what remained in the rubble. Naira hardly spared her a moment just yet. "Looks like you've stumbled upon a good find," Naira noted.

"Now it's a matter of what else is hiding in here," Fiona pointed out. Already she was gesturing to a glowing orange button, perhaps meant to open a hidden door along the wall or something.

Up above Zer0 and Naeva still remained.

Zer0 glanced at Naeva as she spoke, hearing the group below speaking and rummaging about. It sounded as if there was much yet not found by the bandits if two of their number gushing over their finds were any indicator. Zer0 grew antsy, wondering all the more if the Gortys core they sought was down below as well. He couldn't know for sure until he was there and yet...

He shook his head at Naeva's insistence, glancing at the loader bot. It didn't seem too likely to do much but stand there for the moment. Zer0 scoffed.

"It would be foolish / for bandits to return yet. / Though I worry still." This was, perhaps the closest he would verbally express such things, his voice hushed so as not to be overheard by even the loader bot nearby.

Rhys glanced around the place briefly, allowing the pair who found items to gush over what they discovered. Rhys wasn't sure if those would help or not but who could say in the end? They were already in a bind, might as well try to look up.

It was Naira who spoke up, followed by Fiona. One last case needed to be open. Briefly, Rhys glanced up at the pair still lingering about. They were still looking for that core, weren't they.

"Hey, there's one last case," he called up, watching the pair as they talked in hushed tones for a moment, "I don't know if it's the core but you never know."

It was Naeva who glanced down at Rhys, understandably so and answered, "He'll be down in a minute."

Rhys was loath to admit that he was a little afraid of that but could do nothing about it. Instead, he glanced back at the button, approaching it. He offered a shrug of his shoulder, a slight smile following after.

"It's all we've got so...would you ladies like to do the honors or...?" he asked, waiting on a decision.

Naeva had answered for Zer0 even if he disagreed. His words still rang in her ears, hushed as they had been. Zer0 wasn't one who spoke affectionately but he did show it. She couldn't recall a time that he claimed he had been worried, even if she knew from his reactions alone.

"I know you do," she replied, her tone equally as quiet, "I often feel incredibly lucky that I've got someone like you worrying over me."

Truth be told, there was a lot more to say there. Maybe this wasn't the best time. They needed privacy for such things and right now, they were pressed for that and time as it was.

"It'll be quick. Just take a look and come right back up if it's nothing. We'll figure out what to do next from there."

It didn't escape Naira's notice how Rhys didn't quite seem to enjoy the thought of Zer0 joining them down here. She offered a pat to his back, silently offering support. Zer0 would do nothing now that Naeva had put her share in against hurting Rhys and if he did anyways then Naira would retaliate quickly enough.

Fiona stepped up to Rhys' other side, the three of them eyeing that brilliant orange button. It sure stuck out amidst all the white and gray. Atlas sure had little creativity with interior decorating, that was for sure. Still, it made it easier to find their hidden treasure troves around this room.

"I don't know," Naira answered, a hand coming to her mouth in thought. It had long become a habit after meeting Jack. "Seems so greedy..."

"No kidding. It is the last one, after all and the best part is opening it," Fiona agreed, trailing off.

Sparing a glance up at Rhys, it seemed even he had hoped for this sort of compromise. It was good to know they each had the same thought, that it would only be fair to press the button as one and to find out what it hid. But was it a door to more or something else? There was no way of knowing what else Atlas would have hidden down here. Well, the best way was to press the button together...

Zer0 did not miss the note of appreciation within Naeva's voice as she answered. Even after all this time she still rather wore her heart on her sleeve, so unlike himself but for very rare occasions. He did not dwell on this for long, already having moved to help her seat herself without further mishap once they'd reached the hole's edge. Now he had remained crouched at her side, peering down at the group below.

He let out a sound that sounded much like a scoff. He could see Naira, the Hyperion boy and the short-haired Pandoran moving to press something along the wall though other than that nothing new had occurred.

"If you are sure then / I will go, if only to / see. It will be quick."

Below a whirring sound had reached his ears, the gushing over found loot of Atlas' quieting. Something important must have been found...

The sounds of the case emerging and opening to reveal strange pieces of something drew Sasha and Vaughn's attention. Naira could hear their steps behind them, cautious as they were, even while she, Fiona and Rhys eyed the items before them. What were they? Naira couldn't say for sure but they seemed to go together, one piece being larger than the other two. Rhys was quick to call dibs for the largest one after the machine had declared for an identification reset.

Fiona scoffed though she looked and sounded amused all the same. "Hey, you're just lucky there's more than one or I might've had to stab you."

"My, my! Look at us all getting along," Naira joked along, reaching for one of the smaller pieces.

Fiona didn't seem to mind Rhys' dib for the largest piece as she too took the small one left. It was then that they stood, glancing at the metal pieces in their hands. It certainly wasn't very heavy nor did anything particularly interesting happen when they were taken from the case. What were their purpose? It seemed everyone was thinking this as Vaughn was first to speak up after this.

"So, uh... What are they?"

Behind them the muffled sound of a person landing alerted Naira to Zer0's arrival among them. It was he who would answer Vaughn, his words precious as always. "The Gortys Core; You've / found it for me. How lovely. / As was promised then?"

Naira blinked, glancing down at the piece in her hand. This little thing? Her heart sunk then. This had been their last chance to make up the money they'd lost easily enough but she had promised.

"Now wait a minute, I didn't promise anyth--!!" Fiona's retort was cut short as the pieces in their hands jerked together, fitting effortlessly with one another. As if it had bit them alll, the three let go, allowing the core to float between them all, all eyes fixated on it.

Zer0 was the first to approach when all three pieces had been hashed out. This thing? This was the core he and his partner were looking for? Rhys suddenly went from confident to feeling low once again.

Fiona was the one who shouted a protest first before Rhys nearly jumped in surprise. The core fused together, suddenly hovering in mid air. Above them, he could hear Naeva call out; "Everything alright?"

"Uhhh..."

If Rhys was honest, he didn't know how to respond to that question. The core hovered, projecting a map of what Rhys assumed was Pandora. The map spun a few times before pausing, a large and familiar symbol prominent on it.

"Is that...?" Sasha's words echoed out before Fiona had finished them. A new voice joined in however, starling Rhys.

"'͇͓̰ͅỊ̟̲̳ş̞̮̫ ̺̼͉̫t̠̹̺̯h̨̬̗̖a͉͉̯͖t̢̲̦ͅ ̰̗̖͜a̭͙̙̬ ͓͓̭͜v͕͓̤̩a̻̰̖̳u̹̖̠͜l̡̖̘ͅt͉̙̗̦?̝̤̹̠' ͈̱͈̤I̪͇̦͜ ̖̲̘͜c̼̖̞̫ą̱̣̼ṋ̢̙̦ ͔̺̱͈s̳̬̟͖e̘̳̝̫e̲̲̖̠ ̧̘̼̱t̢̞̜̺h̯̦̰̣e͔̤̲̤ ̜͕̭̩b̲̬͖͔r̡̹̘̦ą̢͉͖į͓̝͙n̞̣͚̜s̡̹̮̣ ̠̲̤̮o̻̮͉̲f̝̦̪̩ ̡̻̫̹t̡͉̯̼h̪͕͇̩e͉̗̪͓ ̬͉̳̗o̧̫͎̟p̫̞̭͍e̖̣͈͈r̡̢͚̰a̝̼͈͙t͕̤̬̼i̢̠̩͇o̹̺̭̹n̝̹̙ͅ ̙̘̱̩h̖̫͙͔e̟͙̯̺r̼͖̺͔e̢̮͉͜!̨͖̪͜"

The voice echoed in his head sounding distorted and strange for a moment. It was getting clearer...much clearer than before. This wasn't a virus. This was something inside his head! What the heck was going on?

"T͇͚͚̝h̗̲̞ͅi̜̩̭͜s̨͉̜̼,̦̥͔͚ ̡̠̪͎k̝͙̲̺i̜̝̪̩d̨͍̠͜d̨͚̹͉o͇͍̪̼'͎̮̠͔s̘̹̝ͅ,͍̱͍̗ ͈͕̯͜i̭̘͈̦s̺͔̱͚ ͉̦̱̞t͓̞̦̰h͚͓̩͜e̱̼̙̹ ̧̞͇ͅĢ̩̭̥o̢͓̬̦r͉͚̰̤t̨̪͉̥y̧͉̟ͅs̮̞̮̠ ͓̜̞͉P̢̳͉͕r̞͔͖̪o͈͚͇̘j͔̮͍ͅe̜̹̙̠c̦̖̮͜ṯ̨͎͖ ̡̰̘̮a̞̪̼̩n̡̬̬ͅd̠͇̦͓ ̹̺̫͜i͙̞͈̮t̢͓͉͉'̢̠̥̪s̺͕̯̦ ̣͖̟ͅģ͔̣͈o̫̞͓͍n̪̺͚̟n̲̼̱ͅa̟̠̩̩ ̡̡̦̣t̡̲̰̻a̡̖̼ͅk̜̙̝͕e̙͙̯̗ ̥̗͖̥u̧̜̣̪s̢̜̹̜ ̺̮̟͜straight to a Vault."

Rhys glanced around before his gaze centered beside him. There was a hand on his shoulder and to his shock, Jack, THE Handsome Jack was at his side, studying the map in front of him. So startled, Rhys jumped, moving back a tad, a shout leaving him, catching everyone's attention.

"Okay, seriously, what's up?" Naeva's voice rung out again but no one answered, eyes trained instead on Rhys.

The possession of the core was all but forgotten as the hologram burst forth from the core, a map of Pandora laid out for their eyes. But there, the symbol of a Vault was laid out for them as well. Was this what the Gortys project was about then, a way to find a new Vault? Naira's heart raced, stepping closer to the hologram despite it hovering over them all.

"If we find a Vault after all," Naira began, her words hushed. Things were looking up again! Hyperion was a sucker for Vaults and the things hidden away inside after the one they'd found on Elpis, after all!

"It's our lucky day. / The Vault location is here. / Now to process it," Zer0 called up to Naeva, allowing her to be filled in quickly enough. Still, not being able to see the hologram itself had to be a bummer. Naira didn't tack that onto Zero's answer, however.

"So, we're going for a Vault, after all? But what about Zer0 and Naeva?" Vaughn wondered. He'd already tossed Zer0 a wary look, perhaps afraid that the Vault Hunter might strike at them to keep the contents of the Vault to himself and Naeva. Zer0 did not move to do such a thing, however.

A shout from Rhys sounded out, startling them all. Each one of them in turn jerked to glance at him and it was easy to see just how pale his face had grown. What was wrong now? Naira's brow furrowed, head tilted to one side as she tried to piece it out. From above Naeva called out again, asking for answers though no one clarified this time, not directly at least. Rhys had darted away, up a set of nearby stairs and out of sight with a hurried excuse.

Naira glanced around towards Vaughn, seeking answers that the accountant clearly didn't have. For her efforts she received a shrug in reply. With that, she gestured towards where Rhys had disappeared at and said "Well, I'll see what that's about. Why don't you all see about finding our way out then."

Rhys didn't have a moment to think. The hologram of Jack was staring straight at him, eyebrow raised in question. What was more, no one else seemed to see Jack, all eyes squarely on Rhys instead...

Rhys didn't know what to do, so he took off without a second thought heading up a cat walk. It was the most he could think of at the moment. If Jack...if Jack was inside his head...Just what happened here?

"Wh-what are yo-" Rhys started before he was cut off by the previously dead Hyperion president.

"Wha-what?" the man mocked in response, "Hey dum-dum, I wasn't done yet. Why in the hell are you dragging me away from the Vault map?"

"You...You're dead. You can't be real. Handsome Jack is dead..."

For a moment, this seemed to stun the man appearing before Rhys as a hologram. He paused, eyebrows raised briefly as if shocked by this. A moment later, he was shaking his head, coming up on Rhys.

"What? No I'm not. Get over here kid, come on, let me just give you a good strangle. Won't hurt much, promise!"

Rhys was backing up quickly but paused when he heard another pair of footsteps. Naira had come up the catwalk, looking at him questioningly. Jack halted as well, for a moment just staring before a grin lined his lips. He started toward Naira, arms open as if to accept an embrace.

"There's my girl! Hey, what are you doing down here with this idiot?"

Instead of receiving an answer, Naira had turned to Rhys instead, speaking to him. In fact, she passed through Jack, leaving the lifeless hologram confused and maybe even hurt... "What in the hell?"


Naeva tried to listen in on the conversation below but she was at a complete loss. It was the sound of Rhys' friends voice that got her talking again. Really, what did he expected out of the two?

"Hey, remember, I just saved your friends life," she called down, "And Zer0's not an attack dog, it's not like he's going to stab you in the back unless you give him reason...or I ask, so...Don't make me ask."

"Comforting." the other young woman called out, leaving Naeva to grin.

"Isn't it though? Anyways, Zer0, grab the core. We'll figure out what to do next once your back up here."

Things might be working themselves out now. Naeva was glad. After all of this and the trouble they went through, it was good to know it was all worth it.

No one seemed to be bothered with Naira's plan and she didn't put much thought into the conversations that followed after she'd headed for Rhys. The core and the ensuing Vault could be dealt with later, after she knew just what was wrong with her employee. It wasn't like Zer0 could quickly make off with the Gortys core before a new proposition was hashed out, not with Naeva injured as she was anyways. With that in mind, Naira had headed up the steps after Rhys.

She could hear Rhys muttering something to himself though the words were lost even as Naira reached the top step. The sight that greeted her was even stranger to boot though she hardly faltered in her steps. Rhys stood there, looking for all the world as if something was about to hit him, hands even raised in defense though nothing was there. As she came to a halt she noticed his eyes flicker to some point over her shoulder at something only he could see.

Naira planted a hand on her hip, staring Rhys down despite the fact that he was taller than her. "Here's what's going to happen; you're going to explain exactly what your little freak out down there was about and then we're going to go make sure we're not left out of the Vault hunting shtick. So, begin."

With that she waited, noting once again that Rhys still seemed to be glancing at something that she couldn't see.


Zer0 hardly found reason to comment on Naeva's confidence nor the banter between this group and her. He wished to move quickly and yet Naeva was injured and they were without medical supplies. It seemed they might yet be stuck for a time despite finding the core they needed to. Zer0 scoffed, already reaching for the thing before Naeva had instructed him to.

"Hey! I told you, I never promised anything!"

"Yeah, hang on here! Can't we compromise? We need the Vault!"

He hardly spared their concerns any mind. A promise had been made and Zer0 intended to honor it; it was not his fault that the case of money had been destroyed earlier. Already he'd made to snatch up the Gortys core, his fingers coming into contact with the cool metal--

A shock ran through his fingers, Zer0 jerking his hand back in alarm. That was strange... and even maddening. The frowning face that burst from his helmet was quickly followed by the acronym "FML" even before anyone had spoken further.

"Hey, what just...?" the one called Vaughn began.

"It seems we have a / problem. Now the promise needs / new terms to be made..."

Naira was demanding answers, sternly so. Rhys was at a loss as what to tell her however. What could he say? 'Jack is in my head and is currently trying to grab you?'. He really was trying but his hologram body just phased right through her.

"I..." he started, swallowing thickly.

It was Jack who suddenly turned to him, anger and tension in his shoulders as he pointed at Rhys and spoke again, "You tell her exactly what's going on. Tell her...You tell her I'm here or so help me I will find a way to kill you!"

Rhys stood rigid, both Naira and Jack staring him down. In that moment, he realized just how much they looked alike with that stare.

Rhys' mouth was open but no words were coming out. He really couldn't find the right thing to say here. What could he say? There was no rational explanation for this.

"You're...not going to believe me anyways..." he finally answered, trailing off much to Jack's annoyance.


A brief argument seemed to be cropping up but whether or not one hadn't agreed didn't matter. Rhys and Naira had, the third party would be easy to cut out of the deal if need be. It wasn't as if they hadn't had to do things like that before...

"You weren't there for the original deal in the first place. There was an agreement and it's going to be held," Naeva called down.

"Now hold on a minute!" the other woman was going to argue before a sharp static like noise rung out. Zer0's own words followed, leaving Naeva to try and peer down below again.

"What's the matter? What happened?" she asked, eyebrows knitted together in confusion. Why did they have to make new terms? It wasn't like Zer0 was afraid of these people...What suddenly made things different.

"Ha! That core just shocked him! Someone else try to pick it up! Maybe only the original three can!"

It was that explanation that made Naeva sigh. At this rate they'd just have to escort the entire group back to Moxxi with the core to show her. What a pain...

The seconds ticked by and Rhys looked paler and stood far more tense than before. What was his problem? Well, part of it might well be the fact that the current president of Hyperion in Jack's stead was now staring him down for answers. Aside from that, however, Naira hadn't a clue. Even more bizarre was that Rhys kept looking away, more directly at nothing as if something there had caught his attention.

"Well?" she snapped as he opened and closed his mouth. Her patience was for naught now, far too many surprises and slides down the hill today for her liking. It probably didn't help that she'd missed her usual dose of medication with the sudden planning and trip to Pandora.

Eventually Rhys did answer though it didn't illuminate the situation any. Naira's scowl deepened and she huffed at that. They didn't have time for this!

In a rush she answered, the words tumbling from her lips matter-of-factly; "I lived on the planet Earth for twenty-four years of my life before suddenly and with no reason waking up on Helios thanks to residual energy fucking with my life upon the opening of a Vault. Try me."


It wasn't at all surprising just how up in arms this group grew over a simple deal though Zer0 would have ordinarily dealt with it with the use of his blade. Now, however, things seemed more complex. Without being able to pick up the core, what could he do? Unless Naira chose to break ties with these people and come with he and Naeva for the duration of the hunt for this Vault... but no, Zer0 knew even before finishing the thought that it was highly unlikely to come to that.

"That's, really advanced stuff right there if that's the case," Vaughn was saying, eyeing the core from a distance.

Zer0 refused to budge from his spot next to the core, even as Fiona neared it. He stared her down though she hardly seemed to let this bother her much besides the wary look upon her face. Good, at least she was not entirely unaware of the danger he presented then.

"Well, if you're right, Sasha, then I should be able to..." Fiona began, reaching for it. Zer0 half-hoped that it might shock her as well and yet she stood fully, the core within her grasp and a prideful grin upon her lips. "Well, would you look at that? Seems like the ball's in our field now."

"Hey, we really shouldn't antagonize the guy with a sword..."

It took some time even after Naira parted with that information before Rhys spoke again. His voice was shaky and he still looked ready for something to try to hit him. What he said, however, caught her attention. 'Jack?' Her brow furrowed briefly, confusion there for but a second before it felt like her heart was squeezed too tightly. Nonetheless she forced the lump in her throat down and schooled her expression even as she moved towards Rhys.

Rhys had only time to blink before she'd struck, slapping him hard across the cheek. He was lucky she'd opted for her un-armored hand.

"Perhaps the hits to your head today have fucked with it, kid, but leave your delusions to yourself!" Naira snapped, her voice hushed if only to keep the others from overhearing. "Jack. Is. Dead. Left to rot in a Vault because the Board won't allow an excursion to recover his body for fear of another Vault guardian inside it! So whatever the real problem is, you'd better get a handle on it or I will!"

With that, Naira spun on her heel, hardly bothered by the fact that her coat hit Rhys in the process. Her steps were quick and though she did her best she could feel the tightness in her shoulders and the clench of her jaw. It would be obvious now that something was the matter but Naira would deal with it as it came.


Fiona held up her hands, core still grasped tightly in one, as Zer0 flashed his blade in warning upon Naeva's words. "Okay, okay! We'll hash this out later, when we're out of this place."

"Bandits may return, / it may be useful to search / for an exit now," Zer0 announced. Though they'd cleared out what had been here that didn't mean that those that had fled wouldn't come back soon. Zer0 could easily make his way out and back to Naeva but these fools were stuck here unless there was another way out. And surely there must be with the way this place was hidden so well.

"All right, well, I don't know who this Moxxi is but I'd rather not be dragged anywhere else if we can help it."

Zer0 hardly bothered with the grumbling as he turned to Neava. She had a point though it would be a hassle. It would be easier to just deal with Naira who seemed more than happy to hash out deal terms before. With any luck that might remain the same.

"Anything above?"

Rhys wasn't sure what he expected but it wasn't the slap across his face. His cheek burned and he stumbled a little, startled by the action. In that moment, he couldn't really blame her for what she did. This was Jack, after all...

Speaking of him, he was howling with laughter, maybe at the situation or maybe at the dumbfounded expression on Rhys' face. He didn't really know. All that he could manage was placing a hand on his cheek, trying to cool the skin despite it not working.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute!" Jack quickly urged Rhys. Rhys shot a look at the hologram, unsure of what he was getting at now, "Listen, she needs to know I'm here! You can't just let her walk away! Look just...call her 'Little Bunny!' Do it, damn it, she'll know it's me!"

Rhys was hesitant for a moment, eyeing the hologram warily. What was he supposed to do? If Naira didn't believe that, would she even bat an eye at this.

"I'm not lying," Rhy defended a moment after, "I'm...I'm not...L-Little Bunny..."

The words came out hesitant and if it had been a different situation, he might have even been embarrassed. Right now, he didn't have it in him to feel that. All he knew was that she might go off on him again if she wanted to.


From the sounds of it, Zer0 had quickly ended any other argument, something Naeva was grateful for. Right now, they didn't have time to argue and this was far bigger than them. Whether they liked it or not, they were involved and they'd do what she and Zer0 said.

Zer0 called up, asking if any bandits were near. Time was being wasted and the bandits could return at any given moment. Naeva spared a glance around. Apart from the rakks circling over head, it was quiet.

"Nothing yet, Zer0," she responded, "But the rakks are circling and that's bound to gather attention eventually. Best find a way back up quick."

The situation would be even more dire given that she couldn't rightly walk. If anything showed up now, she'd be a sitting duck for whoever wanted to attack. Naeva shook those thoughts away as soon as they had come.

"Well...lets grab the other two and get moving..." the other woman said.

Naeva shook her head at that, glancing back around just in case, "Best plan I've heard thus far.

Naira didn't expect much after she started away. From the day's events she already knew Rhys was mostly bluster with little substance when it came to things like this. As such she didn't think much of it when he began to stutter something out. Her response was a knee-jerk reaction, nothing more to begin with.

"How many times have I told you not to--" Naira trailed off, her steps coming to a halt as realization hit. That nickname wasn't one that had been said where others could've heard before. "--call me... Little Bunny...?"

For a moment she eyed Rhys with newfound confusion and wariness before she'd started towards him again. Rhys had little time to react before she took his chin in her hand, twisting his head this way and that to inspect him further. There was little there that could be mistaken for Jack, Rhys' features were far softer than Jack's after all, yet still Naira examined the man. It wasn't until she spotted the plug at Rhys' temple did it click.

Understanding dawned on her face then. Rhys' chin still in hand, Naira sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose with the other. "Of course. Nakayama must have kept his data on Jack in his ID chip for safe-keeping..."

If that was the case then the project he and Jack had been working on behind the scenes must have worked to some degree. Still, Naira would have expected to have heard of that if that had been the case. She attempted not to let that show on her face however.


Rakks circling meant that already the dead had been spotted. Skags would come soon once blood was scent as well and then a new battle might yet occur. Zer0 knew even before assessing the others still with him that if such a battle were to occur they would not escape unscathed. Most would be lost to the skags. This group was pitifully ill-equipped.

"We don't even have a way out yet," Fiona argued. "Just leave 'em until we do. Two less Hyperion stooges for us to deal with right now."

Vaughn's shout of "Hey!" went otherwise ignored. Zer0 scoffed, glancing about for that way out. He was not quite into the idea of aiding each one out of this place one-by-one. It would be time-consuming to do so. For a moment he eyed the loader bot above, standing eerily still for the time being. Still, with the beams and shafts that protruded from the hole, the bulky loader bot might only injure those it carried out on them...

Zer0 scoffed a third time in perhaps as many minutes now. "Then find your way out. / We don't have time for this now. / Seek for your exit."

Naira had finally paused, the words that left her slow as if the realization had just dawned on her slowly. It was obviously a lot to take in, Rhys had no doubt about that. The term of endearment seemed to be one only used by Jack, after all.

Rhys didn't get much time to think it through again. She approached him, hand raised and for a moment, Rhys thought he might receive another slap to the face. Instead, she cupped his jaw, studying him carefully.

"Whoa, baby, what's up with this?!" Jack cried, hand coming down to tear Naira away from Rhys. Once more, it merely phased through her..

"Ah-ha...ha...What?" Rhys started, a little stunned by the implication, "Are you telling me I basically injected a data version of Jack into my skull via Nakayama's ID chip?"

"Guy was crazy but he knew how to work. So from the sounds of it, you're stuck with me, kid."

Rhys wasn't sure how a day could go from bad to worse but somehow, it had. What was more, it didn't sound like he could do anything about it. This was out of their power...

Before he could protest anymore, Sasha's voice rang out, "You two want to get a move on. Rakks are circling and the other Vault Hunter says Naira won't leave the Hyperion cronies behind."

Rhys shot a look at the woman as she disappeared once again, probably not seeing it in the first place. He heaved a heavy sigh, a shake of his head following after. What was he going to do about all of this? He really didn't know.


Naeva shook her head at the young woman's words. There was no way Naira would agree with that and she wouldn't come with them if the two Hyperion workers weren't with her. Naeva had known her long enough to know she put her loyalties first, everything else came second.

"Don't worry, you're not getting left behind," she quickly reassure, "I doubt Naira would allow that and besides, I've put too much effort in keeping one of you alive today. I'd rather that effort not go to waste."

It hadn't been necessary and she knew it. Naeva had only done it for Naira. The fact that the kid she protected wasn't a complete jerk just aided matters.

Naeva glanced at the loader bot still standing nearby. It hadn't done a thing. Maybe it needed an order to move. She wasn't entirely sure. If they needed a way up, however, the bot probably could find something.

"Hey, useless hunk of junk, go find something they can climb up and be quick on it," she urged the loader bot quickly. Surprisingly, it moved, though it seemed to have it's own thoughts on the matter, "Why must the innocent be punished so cruelly?"

Naeva shook her head again, peering down the hole. Zer0 would get up the easiest, having skills far greater than the small group below, "You're welcome. Now, let's get a move on. I'd rather not be around when more skags decide this place is good for an easy meal."

It was clear that Rhys didn't really know how to react to this new contact though Naira still observed him carefully even after the moment of clarity had hit her. It bothered her to know that Jack was there in a way she could not see or speak with. The fact that the AI might well be 'outdated', so to speak, hardly mattered. Jack was Jack and it seemed Nakayama had finally made huge strides in his attempt to clone the man before both men had died.

"For the most part, yes," Naira answered coolly, finally releasing Rhys' chin. Her hand instead went to her mouth in thought, her gaze still firmly upon Rhys. "It is theoretically possible that we could move the AI to a new container, provided the piece of tech had a plug for it, though I'm not sure if that's the greatest idea to try right now in this delicate situation..."

She wasn't able to say more before Sasha's voice rang out behind them, urging them to return and head out with them. Naira hardly had the time to turn and glimpse Sasha before she'd disappeared back down the catwalk's steps however.

"We'll be there when we're there!" Naira called after the other woman. It seemed to go ignored.

Running a hand through her hair, Naira sighed. Having Jack back, even just a digital version of him, was a weight off her shoulders but only marginally so. There was still so many other things to worry about and solve and if she didn't make it back up onto Helios soon... 'Damn,' she cursed inwardly. Her head was pounding all the more with this day, a continual throb at her temples that made it hard to fully concentrate. All of this just added to it.

The sooner she could take the medication and rest...

"For now, mention this to no one else. Jack wasn't popular upon Pandora, though for good reason, even with the amount of damage control I took to. If this AI was Nakayama's pet project than this Jack may well have more... exaggerated... aspects of his personality that Nakayama perceived over others. Then again, with that pet name..."

Only Jack or herself could have released that name to Nakayama for the AI to know it too... Had Jack really begun to aid Nakayama in his cloning attempts with AI towards the end?


Sasha had gone to call for Naira and the Hyperion boy though Fiona and Vaughn seemed more apt to glance around. The core was still held tightly in Fiona's hand, as if wary of Zer0 trying to snatch it successfully. This time he managed to withhold his scoff at that thought. Even as the two looked, Zer0 heard Vaughn muttering to himself.

"Well, that's-that's a relief," he was saying, his gaze anywhere but on Zer0.

It seemed that though the loader boat had moved per Naeva's wishes that it was slow to do as asked, however. Seconds ticked to minutes and eventually Zer0 did leap for his own freedom from this hidden room, away from the other Pandorans and the Hyperion workers. Best be with Naeva in case anything arrived while they waited for the loader bot to bring back something for the others to use as an exit.

A leap and a bound later and he was there at her side, crouching down to reach eye level with her. Only then did he speak again. "They are taking their / time. Perhaps we should have left / when we had the chance."

But even then they would have missed out on the Gortys core. Zer0 was loathe to admit that staying and having to sit through all of this was necessary for their search for a new Vault.

Naira finally released her grip on his jaw and once again. Rhys' hand came up to rub it. His cheek still smarted from the slap itself. This was really turning out to be an odd day all around...But to know Rhys has become something of an unwilling shell for Jack...that was scary thought right there.

"Yea well...I didn't exactly plan on saying anything," he responded, "You hit pretty hard, you know."

"She hits harder than that, let me tell you," Jack mentioned, once again leaving Rhys feeling awkward.

Rhys started following Naira back into the main area. It was strange to have Jack trailing behind him, hologram or not. This was like some freaky dream, one he didn't exactly want to be apart of. He shook the thought away in favor of noting those around them.

"So uh...how do we get out of here?" he asked a moment after. Zer0 had already gotten out on his own, speaking with Naeva in hushed tone again.


It didn't take much for Zer0 to get out on his own. A well aimed leap was all it took and he was crouching beside her again. Despite his features being covered, Naeva could feel the agitation ebbing off of him. He normally didn't have to deal with so many, especially when it all came down to agreements.

"Not much we can do about that now," she answered him with a shrug of her shoulder, "At least the core was there, right under our feet. Bossa Nova probably never knew."

The lead would have gone cold if they had left. Zer0 would have probably been in a fouler mood if he discovered all of this afterward. Now, it was just dealing with these stragglers.

"We'll figure something out, somehow. We always do," she mused.

They'd been in worse binds in the past. This was just another one with a few more people they couldn't exactly just kill or leave behind. In that, Zer0 might have been worse off. He'd rather deal with them with a blade to their throat than a compromise.

Her musings were broken when Rhys answered. He'd taken to rubbing at his jaw now making her wonder briefly if she'd grasped him harder than she'd thought. It was possible, given how tired, stressed and just tense she was. Nonetheless she said nothing of it.

"So I've been told," Naira answered, turning and starting off towards the others. If they waited any longer over here she worried that they might come poking around or attempt to eavesdrop. That was the last thing she needed to deal with on top of everything else.

Out in that room full of goodies the group still there was gathered around what looked to be a little television. Whatever had been playing on it had long since ended though they all seemed rather at odds. Zer0 was noticeably missing though easily found up on the ledge of the hole with Naeva. Glancing around at the room she spotted a newly open little cove though a man's body was half hanging out of it. From it it seemed as if one of them had taken to gouging out the missing eye if the discarded spork on the floor was any indication.

Naira leaned against the catwalk railing, wondering just what they'd missed but not too entirely bothered by it, and called out; "You know, a baby spoon would've worked better for eyeball scooping, right?"


"So it seems we wait."

Naeva wasn't wrong about the fact that they'd wriggled out of tougher situations however it did not help to ease Zer0's mood right now. Down below they were still struggling for an exit while their loader bot seemed to take its sweet time in making one for them. Zer0 wasn't even sure if the blasted thing had gone anywhere useful either in the time that followed. All he could do was sit with Naeva and wait.

How long did Naira and that Hyperion boy remain out of sight, down that catwalk? Zer0 didn't know but the rakks overhead had doubled in number by the time they emerged. The boy looked shaken still though less so. Zer0 wondered what they'd spoken about briefly before Naira's voice had caught everyone's attention.

Silence reigned for a long moment and Zer0 cocked his head to one side, merely observing as he had been with Naeva for minutes now. He'd heard the commotion below about an eyeball being needed and had even been asked by Fiona to come down to take care of matters at the time. Zer0 had blatantly ignored the call for aid.

"I think I'm gonna be sick all over again," Fiona declared finally, a hand coming to her mouth.

"I think I'm suddenly more afraid of my boss now than I was before," added Vaughn.

Turning to Naeva, Zer0 would murmur his own observation for her ears only; "Has she always been / this way? If not, I fear your / friend has changed now."

Rhys shook his head at that. Really, what more was there to say? He bite his tongue and followed after, still uncertain of Jack's presence beside him. That was going to take some time to get used to...

Rhys paused, blinking when Naira spoke up. "What about a baby...spoon...?"

He trailed off when he saw what had happened. Rhys tried to close eyes eyes for a moment, a shake of his head followed. Beside him, Jack was howling with laughter again.

"Ah man, I take it back, you guys might be pretty great!" Jack shouted though only Rhys could here.

Rhys didn't get to dwell on it or the situation for long. Loader bot had returned, letting down a ladder for the group to use to get back up above. Silently, Rhys thanked whatever lucky stars he had left.

"That was just...disgusting and I don't know how to feel about these situations anymore..." he commented, ignoring whatever else Naira might bring up.

The time they waited seemed to tick by slowly. At one point, there seemed to be some kind of ruckus, leaving Naeva to raise an eyebrow. Fiona even urged Zer0 to come back down to help with something but he seemed to refuse for good reason. Rakks above had doubled, bloating out bits of the sky.

Eventually, the loader bot returned, dropping a ladder down for them all to climb up. The comments that arose left her shaking her head. Zer0's own words reaching her nearly made her laugh.

She spared a grin in return, offering a shrug of her shoulders, "No, this is about normal...Naira used to say a lot of things back home but could never act on them..."

There was no change in Naira apart from her demeanor. Even that had been broken a time or two at this point. She was still Naira despite all that she was trying to hide behind a frowning face.

"Come on, help me up so we can get out of here," she urged, "We've put the injury off long enough and it feels swollen. I just hope it's not a fracture or break."

Naira straightened, ignoring the inquiry from Vaughn that followed his original comment. Something about wondering how she'd have known that. There wasn't any reason in delving into those answers anytime soon. Instead she clapped a hand over Rhys' shoulder briefly giving him a good shake.

"Ah, you'll get used to it. Or you won't, in which case you'll probably die on this planet," Naira told him. "Try not to do the dying part though, it's a pain in the ass fulfilling a promise if the other guy's dead."

With that she'd moved down the catwalk steps, towards the ladder that had been unceremoniously dropped down for them to climb out with. It seemed that they'd sent Loader Bot out to fish out what it could to aid them while she'd dealt with Rhys. Well, at least they had a way out now though they might've missed a thing or two while it happened. She'd ask about the eyeball thing later, if she remembered to.

"So, uh, just be glad you missed the eye thing," she heard Vaughn saying to Rhys. Lower still he said, "So, what was that back there anyway?"

"Let's just get out of here already before the bandits return or some skags show up," Fiona called, already heading up the ladder.

Sasha seemed hot on her heals, next in line to head up. Naira would wait patiently for them to reach the top first before attempting it herself. There was no telling just how sturdy that ladder was with more than two people on it at once. Instead she glanced upwards to where Naeva, Zer0 and the loader bot already were. They seemed comfortable enough though Zer0 was already helping Naeva to her feet, her arm slung over his shoulders for further aid.

"Where'd you find the ladder?" she called up to them.

"It was your robot, / it ventured off with Naeva's / orders to do so." This answer would suffice though Zer0 was still unsure as to why the loader bot even listened to Naeva. A Hyperion robot doing as a non-Hyperion employee told it to... Odd, really, but he didn't dwell on it for now. They were finally making their way up out of the previously hidden room and so they would be able to move on.

Already the two Pandorans were up on ground level once more, Naira following suit now. With the caravan still in working order they would be able to travel swiftly from this place to somewhere more safe. The night was still rather young, after all.

The evening felt strange to Naeva, maybe due to only having Zer0 and Killer as company for so long. Having others around, even if they more or less stuck into their own groups, was foreign to her.

She tried not to complain, all things considered. They had to lick their wounds and by far, hers was the worst. Her leg was bruised, swollen a bit, and would take some time to heal but it didn't seem broken. That was a lucky break on her part, given what had fallen atop it.

"Well, I'm not dead or losing a leg, so I think that's what matters here," she had said. Zer0 didn't seem pleased regardless of her optimistic stand point, regarding Rhys.

They traveled in the caravan far from the stadium, tucked away for the night in hopes that nothing would find them again. Killer had been a little beaten up but otherwise fine, guarding the area carefully. Any heat signatures would be spotted immediately.

"Maybe it's because I've been traveling with Zer0 for so long but...Does anyone else feel weird about this? I feel weird..."

More so than that, she felt like she was rather out of place among Hyperion workers and scam artists. Truth be told, what she and Zer0 did was worse and yet still, she felt tension among this group that was far too suffocating.

"It's not every day we share a place with Hyperion scum and Vault Hunters," Sasha had answered, if a little more sarcastically than Naeva was comfortable with.

"Hey, I like to think we're all trying our best here," Rhys had shot back but even after, he seemed distracted. Naeva wondered about that...

Rhys ran a hand through his hair, trying to ignore the throbbing headache and the humid air. Jack wouldn't stop asking about what deal had been made between Naira and Zer0. He couldn't exactly answer with people around either.

"You can't let her give up the Vault to those two chuckle heads, I don't care how long she's known the one!" he had kept saying, "This could be her only chance to take things back and make it right again!"

Even as Jack said this, Rhys wasn't sure how to answer. A deal had been struck. What could he do about it? Really, Rhys would rather honor it than meet a death by Zer0's blade.

He shook his head as the lack of conversation. They all seemed tired or annoyed with each other. Despite Naeva's attempt to lighten the mood, it just seemed damp regardless. Rhys heaved a sigh at that.

What were they supposed to do here?

"Seriously, we're not so bad, are we? I mean, it's not like we've tried to kill you with our loader bot or anything, right?" Vaughn pointed out, gesturing to said robot as he did so. The loader bot didn't seem too enthused about the idea of being ordered to kill what it might now perceive as its allies.

Naira didn't bother to answer, staring into the campfire they'd started and had gotten roaring into life. They'd traveled far with the caravan but eventually they'd stopped so everyone could rest only to find that it was just a little too cramped in the vehicle with so many people. So, tentatively they'd made a little bonfire outside, lucky to find enough in the dark to make the fire with thanks to Rhys' flashlight. Any wildlife that lived out this far had yet to try to creep up on them, perhaps daunted by the number of them around the fire.

Zer0 glanced about discreetly, his visor aiding him with that marvelously so. He hardly had to turn his head to view them all, gathered around the fire as they were. Everyone seemed nervous, grouped with their usual partners. Even Naira and Naeva had not sat entirely next to one another, he'd noted. Odd, given how closely they regarded each other but perhaps it was the situation that called for such mannerisms.

"No, you haven't, but only because you seem to need us," Fiona quipped, tossing Vaughn a bemused look.

What had transpired before they'd run into this group before? Zer0 could only wonder and he wasn't entirely certain that he would receive the full answer to that if he even asked. Perhaps it was best not knowing. He sat back quietly, close to Naeva's injured side, and it was here that he was most content. He would silently observe for the time being.

"Hey, you're the ones who tried to throw Rhys out of a moving vehicle!" Vaughn pointed out, looking rather wounded about that. Naira couldn't blame him though she still made no further comment. For the time being she was lost in thought, a finger to her lips and her gaze focused firmly on the fire in front of her. How to deal with Zer0 and Naeva... the promise was made but it had to be changed now lest she...

No, she didn't want to think about what would happen if she failed. She was already on thin ice with the board of directors as it was, a fuck up like this would only warrant a firing if not being vented out of an airlock for her folly...

The tension only got thicker in the air as harsher arguments came up. Zer0 was silent, merely observing. He'd sat himself near Naeva and seemed intent to remain there. She didn't say it out loud but this gesture was appreciated. It made her feel safe.

Even so, she still felt a little tense, a nervous laugh bubbling out of her before she spoke again, "I'm suddenly remembering why I was a recluse."

"That's not exactly hard when you travel with him and a robot...Why did you make a robot skag anyways?"

It was at that moment, Naeva dead panned a tad, glancing at him. Was it really that odd? She thought it was doing herself a favor there.

"When it gets shot at, it's not at risk of actually dying." was her simply answer.

"A Vault Hunter is a softie for wildlife? Now I've heard everything."

Naeva rolled her eyes but didn't deny that truth. When Bloodwing was killed, she couldn't bring herself to try and tame her own companion so she relied on a robot to make up for that. Mordecai was still hurt by that but he was training Talon now.

Rhys couldn't help but let a scoff leave him in amusement. Maybe these Vault Hunters weren't as bad as he thought? Well, at least the one. At this point, he figured Zer0 would stab him if given the chance.

"Hey, dummy, I know you're playin' low key and all that jazz but..." Rhys heard Jack start, trailing off oddly before he would pick up again, "I'm worried about Naira. She looked worn out, drained. Ask her what's up. Hurry up, come on!"

Naira had been quiet the entire time which seemed strange. She had been so willing to speak up beforehand. Now she was oddly silent, completely engrossed in staring at the fire.

"Naira...Hey, Naira, are you okay?" he asked, ignoring whatever else might be being said at the moment.