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

Rhys seemed to be taking things in stride, but then maybe all of Hyperion’s employees learned to do such overtime. For a high-standing company there was all sorts of violence within the ranks as it was, especially with Jack’s death… She shook her head, driving the thought away. She couldn’t be distracting herself with thoughts of him while she was busy like this.

”Yeah, worse, just what we need. Let’s try to avoid that too if we can, all right?” A pause followed. “Wait, no promises? Jeez…”

Naira rolled her eyes though said nothing. Perhaps this was his way of coping with things he had no experience in. It was more than obvious that these two had never had to deal with anything like fighting off bandits after all. Vaughn and Rhys might very well still be shaken from the situation before.

“We’ll focus on what we came for and nothing more.”

Up ahead there was a makeshift table, two people seated at it already. The blond stood as they approached, confusion apparent on his face. No doubt he’d been expecting Vasquez—that was good, they’d gotten here before him then, before word could make it through. Perhaps this would go smoothly after all.

”Well, can’t say this was who I was expecting. Where’s Vasquez?” The tone in his voice wasn’t one that Naira appreciated and, unbidden, her arms folded over her chest, eyes narrowing. This might take a bit of tact and yet she would like nothing more than to put this man in his place.

Still…

“Vasquez is on my payroll. He’s merely our middle man,” Naira answered. She turned to nod to Rhys. He’d overheard the call between Vasquez and presumably this man before them. Naira would leave it in his hand and interject if necessary. She just hoped it wouldn’t be a mistake.


It was strangely quiet in this place now. The show before had ended as abruptly as it had begun as most firefights did. Still, Zer0 couldn’t shake the feeling that something was here they needed. Perhaps it was only due to the arrival of Naira and two of her employees. If Hyperion were rooting around here then something was worth a fair share here.

But what?

Zer0 hoped they had not caught scent of the Gortys Project. That was theirs and he’d cut down any who tried to take it from them. Still, Naeva would not be so happy with him if Naira was on the receiving end of his blade or pistol… A troubling thought.

“A wonderful distraction it would prove to be,” he agreed. There was much to take in and dwell over. Much of it had no answers however.

He stopped, observing the cooling corpses that littered the streets. Perhaps caught in the crossfire of the loader bot or taken down by Naira? It was difficult to say. Naira had become something of a fierce fighter during the time Handsome Jack’s reign over Pandora had tormented many. He shook the thought away, moving on.

“He will surely arrive if he is here,” Zer0 pointed out. A bandit always reveled in a good ambush and to hear he missed out—Bossa Nova might be out to find some poor soul to take it out on.

Without further adieu, Naira seated herself at the plain little table, regardless of the odd stare she received from the woman. These dealers were at least not dressed like the local bandits and psychos. They were clean and well dressed and looked ready for business—at least as ready as most would look on Pandora.

At Rhys’ words, she spotted the looks upon the woman and man’s faces; shock and wariness. Good, then they knew not to try anything ridiculous. Naira pretend not to notice, however, instead fussing with the way her shirt and coat lay about her until she felt satisfied. Best lower the guards if she was able, but then Hyperion raised all sorts of hackles about Pandora. Jack had not been above intimidation and threats but she regarded the art of those underestimating her to be a valid tactic as well.

”I’m August, but I figure you know that already… Seriously though, thought I’d be dealing with Vasquez…”

”Yes, well, you know, he was just the puppet, the pigeon!”

”We’re buying the key. Now I suggest you sit and carry on with our deal before I grow frustrated and take my business elsewhere,” Naira threatened calmly, a smile on her face. She couldn’t afford to let this key go yet if they thought she would…

August looked torn for a moment, brow furrowed and still looking a bit jittery. He didn’t seem to be able to sit still even as his partner remained silent on the matter. Finally he said, “Yeah, well… Guess if you’ve got the money any Hyperion bootlicker’s as good as any…”


She had something of a point, however, easy was what he wished for in the aspect of finding whom he wished to right now. This was less a challenge and more of an annoyance at this rate.  With the right kind of motivation they might draw him out… That required knowing where in this junkyard of a town Bassa Nova hid himself away at now.

“Perhaps this one is smarter than we give him credit for,” Zero pointed out. “An anomaly, indeed.”

He glanced about then, seeking anything that might be a clue to where this bandit lay in wait. So far nothing and yet… He watched more intently, head cocked to one side. Movement from the streets nearby had caught his attention. A strange sight now that the bandits in the firefight before had hidden away to lick their wounds.

But this one was not of the same stature as the others, no this one was nearly twice as tall and rather bulky in size. His bicep alone looked to be enough to outstrip the size of an average man’s head. Zer0 scoffed, more out of relief and amusement at this observation, than in annoyance.

“A strange sight to see. It would appear they’ve come. My patience had waned,” Zero noted. Already Killer was shifting into his proper mode, prepared to fight back against the bandits as they neared, their raucous voices drawing attention to them all the more.

Things were moving smoothly enough. Naira made sure there was some kind of intimidation factor here. If anything, that seemed to put these two in their place quickly. They knew who they were dealing with. Now it was just a matter of getting the key.

"Look, we can just get this done quick and easy," Rhys urged, "You get the money, we get the key."

He hated to think that they might get caught up anymore than what has already happened. They needed to get back, to stop wasting time. The sooner they got the key, the better.

The woman nearby shook her head. A skeptical look overtook her expression before she spoke; "I don't like this."

For a moment, Rhys's blood ran cold. This couldn't fall apart now! If Vasquez found out, they'd all be killed. They'd gone too far for this to cave in now!

"What? Seriously, it's fine," he urged quickly.

"We were supposed to be dealing with Vasquez. You people aren't Vasquez. We can't deal to people we didn't agree on."

This couldn't be happening. Everything would fall under because one woman was catching on way too quickly.


The whole thing was too quiet for her. She couldn't imagine how Zer0 felt about it all. If something didn't show up soon, he'd take matters into his own hands. He was often the type, after all.

Naeva tapped her cane against her boot again. Silence. More and more silence. When Zer0 spoke, it was very brief before he too fell silent. She glanced at him then, watching for what he had seen. It wasn't a few moments later did Killer react in turn

Something was in his sights. He crouched, shaking his robotic haunches. An subtle alarm subtle alarm resounded, something of a low, grainy growl. Naeva snorted lightly. It seemed far too much of a wait.

"It better be good at this rate," she finally replied to Zer0.

The sounds of shouts and music grew louder by the minute. Naeva snapped the cane, it's solid form becoming more of a whip. She'd rely on it in between use of her pistols.

"Go crazy," she urged lightly, "I'll be right behind you."

Killer didn't wait. Programmed to attack, he rushed on the first bandit he could, easily sinking robotic teeth into his victim. Things were finally starting to get interesting.

That woman, the one who'd stood off to the side so quietly thus far, had begun to shake her head wildly. Naira's brow furrowed in confusion even before the other woman had begun to speak up, her voice hurried and a sense of urgency in her. What was happening, why the sudden change in demeanor? It seemed so strange...

Naira didn't have time to think about it further than that before Rhys and August were speaking up, attempting to sooth the woman's growing panic.

"C'mon, Sasha, they got the cash so what's it matter, right?" August said, hands raised as if to further placate his partner. It seemed Sasha was having none of this, however. "Isn't it all about just unloading this thing anyways? Don't be scaring me now!"

"Hey, this, this isn't supposed to happen, huh?" Vaughn pointed out unhelpfully.

Already, Naira rose to her feet, fingertips trailing on the tabletop. She couldn't let a Vault key just get away because some woman decided to act up now! This could be a key... There was that woman yet to kill and Vaults were a source of valuable information and relics! If this got away... No, Naira wasn't going to let that happen.

"Come now, am I not the better choice to deal with than Vasquez? He is on my payroll, after all. I merely decided to step in and see things for myself!" she argued. At least part of that was true, Vasquez was lower than her on the Hyperion hierarchy, at least at the moment. If he kept at what he was doing, well... Naira couldn't let that happen either.


He wasn’t expecting much but a gaggle of bandits, as per usual on this planet. Nonetheless, bandits at least put up something of a fight, as boring as it might be at times. Something was better than nothing. Still, it would be nice to have something of a bigger challenge, especially since Neva and Killer were at his side more times than not in recent days.

The growling from Killer alerted Zer0 to the fact that there was something in its range, whatever sensors Neva had installed easily picking the persons or animals up. Well, at least the person he’d caught in his sights hadn’t disappeared entirely then. They might just be in luck after all.

“A Vault to be found / There is sure to be something/ There had better be,” he echoed. Then again Moxxi’s intel was usually never wrong, that much he’d found out over the months that had passed.

Not a second later did Zer0 pull the trigger even as Killer darted forward at Neva’s command. Not yet realizing Zer0 was there in the distance, well, the bandit stood no chance. Even his shield stood no match against the caliber of rifle Zer0 held in his hands. One shot, a fountain of blood from the forehead, and the bandit fell comically to the ground.

“One shot fired now / It heralds the call to fight / Let the bloodshed flow.”

Already there were cries and calls to rally against the threesome. Zer0 was confident that the bandits would serve little resistance. They had faced down a Vault’s guardian and lived to tell the tale, common filth was nothing in comparison.

The deal seemed to be heading south with this woman's sudden change of heart. Rhys didn't want to admit it but his heart was pounding in his ears again. If this didn't work, they were dead. There was no if, ands, or buts about it!

Steadily, each of them gave their reason for reassurance. Even Naira was on her feet, throwing out a few words with the usual confidence. Rhys had no doubt she had dealt with this kind of thing in the past. Even so, the big boss could be a daunting figure to most.

"Hey come on," Rhys finally spoke up despite the woman still backing away, "Look, getting this key is going to screw over the biggest ass on Hyperion. I need you to trust us on this. It's going to be fine."

He watched as the woman stopped at the vent, case still guarded behind her. There was a long pause as she glanced between both Naira and him. His heart pounded so hard, it was all he found he could really hear.

"It's all we've got here," he pressed more, feeling her gaze bore in between him and Naira once again.

"I don't think dealing with Hyperion goons is such a great idea but..." she started and for a moment, Rhys felt like his heart might have stopped, "You promise this is going to screw with them on top?"

Rhys was able to exhale a long breath of air, a smile tugging at his lips before he spoke up again, "Absolutely!"

He watched the woman shrug, appearing more confident not as she strode forward, pulling the case from behind her back. "Works for me!"


Zer0 was itching for a fight, that much was clear to Naeva. He had been for a while now. She'd long since learned that while he appreciated her aid and own skills, he was perfectly capable of handling himself.

There was mild annoyance in his tone when he spoke of the Vault. For the most part, Naeva could understand, but left it as is. They were on a wild goose chase for this project, after all, and dealing with mislead after mislead was tiring.

A short whistle left her as he took his first shot, one bandit down. Naeva had grabbed her own pistol, bladed cane in the other hand. She barely motioned to Killer before his programming took over and bounded toward one of the emerging bandits, sinking metal teeth and claws into flesh.

"Nice shot," she compliments lightly, "as always."

Naeva would raise her own pistol, firing a few rounds into a mans chest. She had found herself partial to elemental weapons over the years, so the man would be feeling quite the spark throughout his body.

"Come on now!" she boosted, "Surely you can do more than that!"

Already, she had pressed a button on her cane, letting it release into a whip. Any bandit who fancied close combat would end up getting torn apart if she swung it fast enough.

Rhys was speaking hurriedly to Sasha, trying to help with the deal in his own way. Still, he had a curious tactic, too honest and too rushed... Naira glanced at him from the corner of her eye but otherwise remained stoic about it. Perhaps his boyish honesty was helping. Sasha had stopped at any rate, backed up against the wall with the Vault Key guarded behind her, looking as if she were actually listening to him.

Even so, Sasha certainly gave in quickly after that. A frown overtook Naira's features. Hyperion was not favored among Pandorans but this seemed a bit too easy. It was entirely possible that Naira was merely paranoid of a traitorous deal but she couldn't shake the suspicious feeling that weighed in on her shoulders.

"Now, wait, are you sure, Sasha?" August wondered. His brow was furrowed deeply, a troubled look settling in over his expression.

Naira inwardly cursed. This deal couldn't get more complex! And here she'd thought dealing with the other Hyperion higher-ups was tiring and stressful; at least they at least stuck to their guns on a decision! These two were so wishy-washy!

"Hey, c'mon, she said it was all right... right? So what's the problem?" Vaughn pointed out, sounding more uncertain than confident on his point.

"I would have thought you'd talked through and planned for any discrepancies," Naira tutted disapprovingly. She was quickly growing tired of this pair and their shoddy dealing skills. "Your partner has given her consent, was that not what you wanted a moment ago as well, August?"

"Now you wait here! This is my deal and we aren't finishing it until I give the say so. Got it?"

Naira blinked before coolly replying. "Is that so? And is it not the money that you wanted? At least that you can stash away with easier success of others not knowing; a Vault Key, however? I wonder how long it will be before others find out you have it and come hunting you down for it."


Zer0 offered a chuckle, low and perhaps a little dark in nature in response to Neva's thanks. She'd grown so much since he'd first run right into her. Who would have known that that her pacifism and distaste for killing would end up morphing until she'd become his partner and companion? Zer0 certainly hadn't thought so. Quite an interesting tale if nothing else, however.

Killer had already darted forward, sinking fang and claw into a bandit's leg. He would be otherwise distracted until Killer finished the job or one of his buddies kicked the animatronic skag away. Now all that was left was for Neva to properly enter the fray as well, though she took her time. Not that Zer0 minded, already he was lining up another shot as gunfire echoed out in response to the first kill.

"You have humbled me," he answered before another pull of the trigger rendered another bandit dead.

Now it was only time to wait for Bassa Nova to make an appearance. Surely, with enough of a ruckus he would be drawn out, eager to draw blood himself. Most bandits were, at any rate. Either way Zer0 would find him and reveal what he knew of the Gortys Project. This was their only lead and Zer0 would be damned if it slipped through his fingers now.

The group of enemies before them, their attentions were divided among the three of them now. They'd long since grown used to keep a fair bit of distance between them, using cover as needed when their shields ran dry. It made it more difficult for focused fire to keep them both pinned when facing bandits.[/color]

Rhys didn't get to celebrate or feel relief very long. It was August who spoke up next, expressing doubt against this deal now. What was more, it was Naira who began to speak again, antagonizing the man. Rhys wasn't sure about how this was going to go if she kept prodding.

For a moment, his words were caught on his tongue. August was getting agitated and if it kept on going like this, they'd leave without a key. Who knew, they might not leave at all!

"She said it's alright, so it's fine," Rhys added quickly, "We're not here to cause trouble, we're just here to get the key. Look, we've got the money, that's what you want!"

He glanced at Vaughn, as if to silently tell him to show the pair the money. It was the most that he knew how to do apart from beg August to continue the deal.

"August, I said it's fine. The feelings gone! Come on, this money could keep us set for a long time!"

Even as she tried to reason with August, the man was shaking his head again. Rhys glanced at the people between him. What could he do now? The case was about to walk right out of here and they'd all be screwed!


For a moment, Naeva spared him a quick smile. He sounded like he was having a good time. Years ago, she would have coward at all of this, even toward him for such slaughter. Things changed and she learned to adapt. That was the best thing she could do for herself.

Shouts and gunshots would ring out, nearly deafening them. Even so, she could still make out his words. Humbling as it might have been, Naeva knew he was trained for this kind of life and didn't have much in him to accept loss.

"I hardly think you're one to be humbled too often," she called back, lightness in her tone.

Naeva took cover when she needed to, her shield eating bullets until it couldn't anymore. She lined up a shot with her pistol, shooting a man in the back. A quick flash of electricity would course through his body before he feel onto the ground. Killer easily took other bandits to the ground, weaving through some without a second thought.

The battle seemed to go on for several minutes, Naeva's ears ringing a little. Even so, she could hear the sound of loud music over the gun fire. For a moment, she stopped, ducking under cover and looking around. The music sounded like it was getting closer.

"You hear that?" she called to Zer0 over the gun fire, "Sounds like we've got company!"

Everything was falling apart and no one seemed able to settle on the deal as it had been hashed out between August and Vasquez. Naira could feel her heart beginning to race, annoyance mingling with an anxiety that she might miss this chance. A Vault was the best option for all three of them here! What was it with these two? Whatever it was it grated against Naira's nerves immensely.

"Yeah, what Rhys said! We've got the cash right here!" Vaughn pitched in. Naira didn't have to turn around to know he was probably holding up the case, still cuffed to his wrist protectively.

"Look, I said we're done here! This deal is off," August snapped, tossing them all a look.

Naira barely took note of the way his partner, Sasha, looked worried, perhaps even afraid. Rhys at her side was all but gnawing at his lip or nails in anxiety and Naira figured Vaughn might be the same. Stepping around the table, Naira reached for her pistol, leveling it at August as he'd turned to leave, the Vault key case in hand. She couldn't let this key get away so easily.

"Now, let's be reasonable here, shall we? I don't want to shoot you but if you leave with that Vault Key then you'll leave me no choice," Naira informed coolly.

"Uh, is-is that really the way we should do things? Couldn't we just keep talkin' this all out?" Vaughn wondered warily.


Zer0 perked up, swinging his rifle to and fro carefully among the bandits. That noise... it was too unmistakable as the type of 'music' that Moxxi had described to them as the sort Bassa Nova enjoyed. It was so loud already, the bass vibrating deep in his chest. It was annoying and yet it still let them know that their target had arrived and was coming their way.

"So it seems he's come / Finally, our prey revealed / Let us go meet him." With that said Zer0 quickly targeted a bandit, knocking out his shield and leaving him open for Killer.

Even if he was impatient after so long of waiting and seeking this particular man out Zer0 did not rush his shots. That would do them no good and the music's increasing volume told him all he needed to know; the ruckus now had summoned Bassa Nova as they'd hoped for. A sly smirk played on his lips behind the mask Zer0 wore, hidden from all. Instead, the helmet blossomed a happy emoticon out for all to see even as the large man arrived, bursting forth from a side alley.

Zer0's attention focused on him and only him, tucking the rifle away over his shoulder and reaching for his pistol. Already his hologram had burst forth, swinging at anything and nothing at all for a mere distraction. A discreet "Cover me!" to Naeva, all but drowned out by the plethora of wild gunfire, was given before Zer0 dashed forward under safety of his cloaking device.

Once close enough to Bassa Nova, the device that hid Zer0 from all eyes quickly nearing its expiration for this brief session, Zer0 leapt foward, slashing wildly at the man. Annoyance flared in Zer0 as a shield deflected his blows, weakening under them and yet holding strong. His swings grew more wild as he fought to remain atop Bassa Nova, ignoring hte ringing in his ears from the deafening music and the thrashing of the bandit.

Rhys's heart was in his throat now, glancing between all of them. What were they going to do now? Without the key, they couldn't go back. Who knew what would happen if they did? Maybe Naira's position would be fine but the rest of them? They were totally screwed.

Rhys turned back to August as he walked pass. In an act of desperation, he tried to reach out. Maybe that wasn't the best idea to do here but Rhys was out of ideas.

"Come on man, we need that key!" he shouted, aware that there might have been some tremble in his voice.

It was at this point Naira said something about shooting the man that immediately set off Rhys's alarm bells. She wouldn't do that, would she? His heart pounded, as he glanced as his friend, backing up immediately.

"Whoa, whoa! No one is shooting anyone unless you want a bullet in your chest," the woman's voice rang out as she turned her attention back toward her partner, "August, think about this."

There wasn't much time to talk in between. Too many voices were ringing out and among them, Rhys heard something else. He paused, glancing around for a minute before he looked at his partners and said, "H-hey. Do you guys here that?"


It didn't take them long to receive an answer on who it was. Zer0 seemed pleased with the outcome, a familiar smiling emoji appearing in front of his mask. If it had been any other situation, she would have laughed. Right now, she was too focused on taking out a few bandits scattered around her.

Already, he was heading toward the man known as Bossa Nova, music playing loudly in the area. Naeva's ears rang, already annoyed with the bullet fire. Now she had to hear this overly loud dubstep on top of it.

"Got it!" she called back over her shoulder, doing as he asked.

Zer0 would take care of Bossa Nova, provided things actually went there way. She hoped that they would. They'd spent too much time in this wasteland, chasing leads that had led them no where. This was a break that they needed.

"This all better be worth it," she grumbled, taking out a psycho near by.

Her head was already pounding thanks to this god forsaken music. If it had been any other time, she would have just liked to see the bandit dead and leave without information. Right now, that would be entirely up to Zer0.

There was too much noise, everyone responding to everyone else and it was only growing more and more aggravating. The more this situation grew out of control the more high strung Naira felt herself becoming. This could be her chance to figure out how best to kill a Siren! As close as she was there was no way she could allow it to slip past her without a fight.

Sasha's threat was hardly one of concern at the moment. A bullet to the chest? Ha! Her shield would eat it up easily. Despite this and Rhys and Vaughn's cries for a deal to be done with them anyways there seemed to be no changing of August's mind.

"Like there's anyway we'd let you just run off with this key after that! Get back to your high and mighty Helios already!" August snapped again, waving her off as if the matter was done with.

Whatever might have been shouted by anyone else next was interrupted by Rhys. At his question everyone grew silent, curious looks crossing each face in turn. What did it matter what that sound was? Though this was the initial feeling in the air the deep bass and the thrum of the dubstep could be heard despite the muffled sound of it.

"Is that... music?"

No sooner had those words left Vaughn's lips then the wall to their left seemed to explode inwards. Startled shouts and cries of "What the-?!" could be heard just barely above the din of noise the music provided on its own. A large hulking frame crashed further into the large room, a leaner man atop him and the flash of a blade in the light told Naira enough. She dove out of the way. Surely Vaughn and Rhys were able enough to dodge away from the clash as well!

Zer0 hardly noted the pain in his back as they crashed through the wall of the building nor the sounds of other people. They did not sound like the cries of gung-ho bandits but this was lost to him at the moment. Bassa Nova was struggling, pushing him away despite Zer0's attempts to batter through the damnable shield.

He was tossed aside finally though Bassa Nova's attempts to wound him in this manner were for naught. In the fray Zer0 had been momentarily lost to the enemy's eyes. Despite this Zer0 strove to strike again before halting, his blade tip near the throat of someone else--a woman. Her firearm was leveled at him, the muzzle glowed red with the exclamation point emoji that burst from his helmet. She was all too familiar, the friend of Naeva she'd searched for for so long before--

"You?" she uttered in surprise.

The words barely got out of Vaughn's mouth when a vehicle came crashing through the sign. Rhys almost fell backwards, so startled by the sudden appearance of this man, blasting music so loud it made his ears ring. Other bandits were already storming the area, leaving his heart pounding wildly.

He grabbed Vaughn's arm and dragged him out of the way of any gun fire. Naira was proving she could handle herself just fine against another figure that Rhys only briefly laid eyes on.

"This is all going to hell in a hand basket!" he shouted quickly, "We need to get out of here, with or without the key!"

At this point, there was no point in risking their lives. There was too much going on. Rhys would rather walk out of this alive without the key than be dead with it. They could deal with the rest later.

"Naira! Naira, come on, lets get out of here!" he shouted for the woman. Even so, she stood, gun pointed at a man in a stand off that left Rhys completely confused.

"Zer0!" another voice called out over the fray, "Bossa Nova's gon-"

This new woman's voice trailed off as she stared at Naira for a long time. Rhys caught sight of a robotic looking animal at her side, nipping at the heels of a psycho who was desperately trying to beat the thing. Rhys wasn't sure what was going on here but whatever it was, things just escalated quickly.

Zer0 could make out the voice of someone calling for Naira, the woman who now stood against him. It was a shock to see her back on Pandora after the last time they'd faced off, deep within the Vault where Handsome Jack was slain for good. Now she was here, surprise still plastered over her features as she pointed a gun at him. If either so much as moved a slash or a shot would end things.

"You as well," he noted, ignoring the companion who had called for her.

Finally, Naira moved. Zer0 tensed, ready to stab or slash in response though her pistol moved away from him to some point over his shoulder. A pull of the trigger later and Zer0 inclined his head enough to glance behind him. A psycho lay at the ground, mask cracked and blood oozing from the fatal shot.

"You take care of her!" Naira was shouting, even as she turned to dart after the two other Hyperion workers.

Zer0 scoffed, turning to more fully survey the chaos around them. Nearby what looked like a shattered Vault key lay amongst the feet of a bandit's corpse. Ah, so that's why Naira had come here, hmm? A faulty key passed off for the real deal. Things seemed to be growing more and more complex by the second.

"An order, is it? / I need not the reminder / She is my partner," Zer0 called even if Naira had already disappeared out the doorway with her companions. With that said, he re-entered the fray properly, slicing and stabbing at all in his way in tandem with Naeva's movements and attacks.


Naira cursed inwardly as she ran hard after Rhys, Vaughn and even Sasha. The very lattermost of which was being prodded towards a vehicle once they were outside. Whose...? Naira had no time to dwell on that before Rhys, Vaughn and she had darted inside after Sasha and this new woman. Any tiffs that might occur with them hitching a ride so impromptly and uninvited could be dealt with later, when the current danger was behind them all.

Already someone was at the wheel, the vehicle quickly moving and building up speed upon the closing of the door behind them all. A brief moment passed before the realization that Hyperion employees and come along with created a little scene with the women.

"Hey! Who said you could come along?" the new woman shouted, pointing at each of them in turn.

Naira shook her head. "Come now, let's leave the hostilities behind now. No deal in the works, no reason for pulling guns on one another," she reasoned. As a show of good faith, perhaps a rarity on Naira's case nowadays, she holstered her pistol.

The woman scoffed though Naira gave her no time to answer right away. Already Naira had turned to Rhys and Vaughn, glancing between the pair. Neither seemed to be injured though they were obviously a little shaken up. Better that than anything worse, however.

"Everyone all right?"

Vaughn straightened slightly, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Y-Yeah, more or less. Gonna need a lot of therapy after this though..."

It did not take long for the chaos to fall silent. Bassa Nova had so clearly fled though to where Zer0 could not yet say. If they found him once, however, they would find him again in time. Even so it was somewhat annoying to think of. Instead the pair and the robotic skag remained, standing amidst corpses. Already Naeva was moving to inspect the pieces of the false key, eyeing it as she spoke up.

Zer0 shook his head though she wouldn't have seen it. "A false key was made / Perhaps a deal made too / We only can guess."

Whatever thoughts ran through Naeva's head at the glimpse of her old friend so close he could not say. The last they had seen of her aside from today the young woman had been fleeing the last opened Vault, nursing a heavily burned arm. Surprising that no grudge seemed to be held against Zer0... A thought to be mulled ove for later, however.

"But what of your thoughts? / Do you wish to follow her? / Or to find our prey?"

That was the question, after all. Even after all this time Naeva seemed to hold Naira in good esteem despite her alliance and relationship with Handsome Jack. It was an odd thing to think of though Zer0 could not guess as to why they remained to this day. Perhaps it wasn't important though they were nagging.


"Hey, yeah! You seemed awfully chummy with them for the circumstances," Vaughn pitched in after Rhys.

Naira allowed a sardonic, perhaps yet sad smile to reach her lips. The memories were still fresh of that last encounter. If she noticed her hand had strayed to her gauntlet Naira did not act upon it. Instead she answered softly, "But of course. The one in black was a Vault Hunter who aided in Jack's death..."

"Who said you could act all buddy-buddy in here?" the unnamed woman shouted. "You Hyperion goons aren't wanted here! It's your fault this went down like this!"

Naira shook her head, pushing the memories and pain away. Now wasn't the time, not in front of these Pandoran strangers and not in front of her employees. The wounds were still so tender it seemed... The affronted woman at least aided in drawing Naira from those memories even if she was not aware of that. It mattered not however.

"Well, at least now I know what was up with that odd behavior of yours, little Sasha," she pointed out instead. "A fake key! I should shoot you were you stand for that!"

Naeva tossed the shard of the fake key aside. Given that the thing was all a hoax, there wasn't much reason to worry about it. Whoever had made it hadn't expected it to go so badly. That was a shame, really. Most people around here knew to expect the unexpected. No one was really safe.

Zer0 filled in the information she had missed. With everything that had gone on, she hadn't seen anything, only arriving in time to see Naira dart away. Naeva wasn't surprised that she didn't outright shoot Zer0. Killing him would inevitably damage Naeva too. It was easy to tell that there was some part of Naira that still cared.

He asked her for her thoughts on the matter, what they should do. Naeva shook her head in response. They had a job to do, after all. Then again, they had no idea where Bossa Nova had gone either. All they could do was track him from this point on.

"Call it a gut feeling," she started, sparing a glance back at him, "But something tells me if we keep after Bossa Nova, we're going to find Naira anyways. I watched Bossa Nova take a brief case. Could be the money they were using to make a deal. With a fake key, someone's going to want that money back."

It was a rational thought, especially if the money belonged to Hyperion. Naira would probably chase it down just for the hell of it. She always loved a good fight as it was.

"Besides, Bossa Nova is our only lead to the Gortys Project. After chasing him this long and with all this trouble, I'd rather see that to it's end."


What Naira parted with wasn't much but it was clear for a brief second on her face that it was painful. It was no big secret that she and Jack had been close. It was hard to believe that she didn't outright kill that guy given the circumstances. Instead, she'd shot around him.

"Yea but why did yo-" Rhys started only to be cut off by this new woman. He blinked, surprised. He'd forgotten where they were, "What? I thought we were over this already."

Clearly that wasn't the case and Naira took the reigns once again. She was quick to prod the elephant in the room. The key had been fake and they had nearly bought it from a bunch of con artists! They still had to address that!

"Yea, that's right," he pointed out quickly after, "...The money. What happened to the money?"

Rhys's heart seemed to jump into his throat all over again. Where did it go? The case wasn't on Vaughn's wrist anymore. After the key had shattered, there wasn't a chance to even realize what had happened.

"Seriously, this is bad!"

Sasha had shaken her head a moment later despite being accused of lying to them all. It was clear this was all pre-planned and they had fallen for it.

"We offered you a key, you nearly got one," she responded quickly, crossing her arms over her chest,
"I never said it was legit. And besides, it doesn't matter now. The things gone, the money is gone to who knows where. No one wins and I think it's time for you three to be leaving!"

Naeva took her time in answering, tossing away the piece of the fake key she'd toyed with. He was not about to force her to follow Bossa Nova if she wished to catch up and speak to Naira first hand. Her companions had not seemed the type to know how a battle flowed and how to deal with it so if anything where to go amiss... Well, after this encounter Zer0 wasn't sure if Naira would attack he or Naeva even now.

He nodded at her choice, a little more content in this decision. They had followed Bossa Nova for too long now to let him slip by into hiding again. For such a loud, large bandit Bossa Nova was certainly elusive when he had a mind to be. It was somewhat agitating.

"So be it." It was a short statement, not made in the usual haiku formatting he so preferred. "Let us move onwards / Bossa Nova will not wait / And neither shall we."

He gestured for Naeva to follow even as he took the time to sheath his katana. The blade would need cleaning tonight lest the metal rust. Zer0 was not a man to allow such a thing, not to his preferred equipment. If anything he might even be a little sentimental over the blade now after so many years of service it had given him.

"Killer can be used / Our prey could not have gone far / Let us move quickly."


Naira's heart leapt in her chest at Rhys' observation. She spun around, staring at the wrist the case of money had been at previously. Vaughn shook his head holding his hands up at the scrutiny he was now receiving. Of course he'd be worried with Naira on his case, so high up in the Hyperion hierarchy as she was.

"Don't look at me! it got lost in that scuffle back there," Vaughn all but shouted, perhaps worried of what might happen to him if he didn't get it out there now.

"Oh, good, so you're all even more useless to us than before!" the woman mocked, moving closer to them by a step. She didn't intend to try to shove them out of the moving camper, did she?

Naira turned back to the Pandorans, scoffing as she did so. Without that money they couldn't head back to Helios now! She might be able to salvage the situation but she had promised recompense to at least Rhys for their aid in this matter. She did not make promises so lightly. With that in mind and with knowing that there was no way they could salvage everything if they returned ten million in the hole and with no key to show for it... No.

"And you're still to blame for the key being falsified," Naira accused further. "So, pray tell why I shouldn't just take your lives to repay me the time you lost me?"

"Wait, wait! Let's not get violent here everyone! The case has a tracker!" Vaughn shouted, holding up his hands to attempt to placate everyone. "All we'd need is the proper credentials and we can track it!"

Zer0 seemed pleased with her answer and she didn't blame him for that. They'd been tracking Bossa Nova too long to let him slip out of their grasp. This was for the best. Naira might end up there too, so Naeva would save her questions for later.

She knelt down to Killer, checking for any significant damages. For the most part, he'd come out unscathed. Naeva would check over him better when the time came.

"I imagine he won't," she echoed his words, quickly switching Killer into tracking mode, "We'll find him either way now. He won't get far."

Tire tracks in the dust would serve as a start until they were covered. Killer would take care of the rest. They only needed to catch up now.

Naeva rose to her feet and followed after Zer0. If they could see this to it's end, Naeva would put her worries on what Naira was doing here. Until then, she'd simply push those questions into the back of her mind.

Killer ran on ahead, already seeking out signatures and the like to aid them in finding Bossa Nova and his gang of bandits.

"He has to be doing something with that case," she mused aloud, "I don't even think he's aware it has money in it."


Things were turning on their heads too quickly for Rhys to be comfortable with. If it kept on like this, he was sure someone was going to end up dead. What was more, the case was gone and they only had a small chance to get it back.

That's when Vaughn mentioned the right credentials to track the case! They had Naira! That's all they needed to get that money back!

"We can use Naira's!" he quickly blurted out, "You're high up in the company, if we use your authenticity, we can find it!"

"And where does that leave us?" Sasha interjected, "What, do you just want us to take you to the money? Fat chance!"

Rhys was already waving his hands, trying to keep calm on this matter. He didn't want to see anyone with a bullet in them! At this rate, Naira might be the first to fire and he couldn't let that happen!

"Listen, the deal was a bust, there's no key, and our ticket back home is that brief case," he said quickly, "I'm going to agree with Naira here and say you owe us something for our wasted time alone."

For a moment Zer0 waited while Naeva took to tending to Killer. Any damage accrued in combat needed repairing as soon as possible lest they grow worse and more complex to fix. Neither of them wished to spend more time later on such a useful tool needing those repairs. For the most part the robotic skag seemed in good shape aside from a ding or a scratch along its metallic hide.

Only once Naeva had stood did he start them off, already finding the marks in the dirt road to mark Bossa Nova's trail. The man was quite large, larger than any of his bandit compatriots, and so his footprints were easy to make out among all the ones scattered about this area. It would be when the man clearly took to using a vehicle to travel that things would grow more complex.

"He's of simple thoughts / Hyperion goods to sell / Or perhaps to keep." They were mere thoughts on the matter but no less legitimate because of it. Despite Hyperion's dastardly acts upon others upon Pandora's surface their products were still well-made. Anyone would be daft to disagree.

Their pace was even yet swift, not yet a jog yet close enough for some. Moving quickly was key if they wished to catch up in a timely manner. If they waited too long it was entirely possible that Bossa Nova might be able to become elusive yet again. The thought was agitating in itself, Zer0 didn't want to entertain the idea further if he didn't have to.

"Let's not dwell further / We shall find him once again / The prize will be ours."


There was a plan in action now, Vaughn already nodding along with Rhys' observation. Even so, Naira's frown deepened instead. They didn't know, couldn't quite know. Naira went to speak on the matter, pitching in her two cents before Sasha beat her to the punch. It seemed despite the search for the case of money their con-artist companions, so to speak, were not yet happy about the situation. But of course they wouldn't be with nothing in it for them.

"No kidding! We came all the way down here and nearly died twice today for nothing!" Vaughn pointed out.

Naira shook her head, clearing her throat briefly. It was just loud enough to gather attention to her even if Sasha and her friend looked less than enthused about listening further. The pair probably would rather have pushed them out of the moving camper and be done with the entire ordeal then and there.

"Unfortunately," she began, feeling both embarrassed and stressed about what she was about to admit. "I don't have those credentials. I haven't for a month now..."

For all of a second or so it was quiet but for the sound of the tires on ground. It felt so much longer to Naira, even as she glanced warily at her two employees. Confusion was prevalent there on each of their faces and she imagined there might be a plethora of questions they wanted to ask now. Either way, it was Vaughn who broke that silence.

"Now, wait, you're still in your old position aren't you? Why wouldn't...?"

She heaved a sigh, closing her eyes to avoid their curious looks. She hated this situation she had been left in with Jack's death. There was enough stress on her shoulders already but with what a good chunk of Hyperion attempting to do...

"It came to my attention soon after Jack's death that the Board of Directors wished for me to act as nothing more than a figurehead in Jack's place. I declined." A pause, her expression growing stonier. Her next words were all but spat out with a venomous nature. "As such they've decided to attempt to push me out and replace me altogether. Someone decided to take away some of my power as if I wouldn't notice in the hopes it might drive me to agree."

"Ha! So you're useless even up there, go figure," the yet unnamed woman scoffed nastily. She seemed to ignore the equally nasty look Naira fired back at her.

Zer0 was already picking up his pace, no doubt eager to see what information Bossa Nova might have. If she was truthful, Naeva was too. They'd tracked him this far, it was too much to just come out empty handed now.

After all the years they'd been together, a quick pace had become second nature to Naeva. Things changed so fast, she barely had a moment to reflect on the person she was before. Maybe that was a good thing.

"They have no qualms with blood money, that's for sure," she replied.

It didn't matter where it came from, if it looked interesting, any bandit in this area would take it just for that. Some would use it for sport. Bossa Nova being a bandit lord, Naeva figured he'd do just that.

"Oh I certainly hope so. Otherwise Moxxi is gonna get an ear full, damn it."

Her intel was normally but that didn't mean it always was, one hundred percent of the time. If this ended up fruitless, she'd have two rather unhappy hunters on her hands.


Their way to the case was quickly disappearing and Rhys wasn't sure what to do. He didn't even know that Naira was being pushed out of the company, no one did! This was news to everyone but at the same time, it might not have been a big surprise...

"Then we're stuck?" he finally mused out loud.

The new woman was quick to berate them, Naira sending a glare that could kill at her. Rhys was wracking his brain trying to figure out something, anything they could do.

Then he remembered the drive they picked up earlier...

"Wait, wait, wait!" he shouted, halting whatever else might have been said, "I have Nakayama's drive! We can use that to get the right credentials to track the case!"

It might have been a stretch but already, he was pulling out the drive they had taken. He'd just need to upload it to make the tracker work. From there, it was a cake walk!

"Uh-huh, and how can we even be sure this is going to work out? What's in it for us, anyways?"

"Most do not," Zer0 agreed simply. What could be used on this planet was, it was as simple as that. Even junk could be valuable to some here though whether those people were sound of mind was the ultimate question. Zer0 always supposed it mattered very little so long as they did not interfere with him.

A chuckle escaped him at the tone of voice in which Naeva took when speaking of Moxxi. This intel had proven correct this time but they still had no knowledge about the Gortys Project further. For all either of them knew it had been falsified like that key back there. Zer0 would most certainly be displeased if that were the case.

"Only an earful? / I would suspect more from you / With all this time spent," Zer0 noted, perhaps prodding her on further. He even took a moment to reach out and run his fingers along her shoulder as if physically prodding her on as well.

His eyes remained rooted to the tracks they followed still despite their chatting. This was normal for them nowadays, after all these years. To glance away from the footprints might mean losing sight of them among all of the others and having to find them again. Too much time would be spent to do that, time Zer0 knew was better put to following Bossa Nova quickly. If they were lucky they'd even manage to find a vehicle to procure for the travel.

Killer strode along at Naeva's other side while they talked and tracked. His sensors would easily pick up any nearby threats in the area as they walked though Zer0 doubted they'd run into any right away now. Too much bloodshed already would have chased some of the more passive creatures and people away.


Rhys didn't give anyone much time to answer him before he'd already tugged out Nakayama's ID chip. Naira was a little surprised that it too hadn't been lost in the scuffle but perhaps it was best this way. They had no other way to track the money without those credentials and yet... Naira eyed the chip warily, recalling all too clearly how odd and obsessive Nakayama had been.

"Hey, that's right! Scientists have all sorts of high-level credentials," Vaughn cheered.

Naira shook her head. Nothing was easy it seemed, even more so nowadays; or... was that because she was still grieving? Naira couldn't say but all of this arguing and shouting wasn't doing her any favors. Her head was beginning to throb greatly in time with her heartbeat. They had a chance now, why not take it?

"We'll sort that all out later," she declared with a note of finality to her voice. "Rhys, I'll warn you now that Nakayama had quite a few screws loose so I can't guarantee that everything in that ID chip is legit..."

"Look, if you're going to do it then just do it! Or should we just push you out now and save us the trouble?"

"Now, now, Fiona," the old man driving finally said. "Let's see where this takes us shall we?"

Zer0 wasn't wrong. Bandits bet on far simpler things. In the past, she had wondered if that was a simple state of boredom. To this day, Naeva still couldn't make heads or tails at to why they did this. Maybe it was because they had no rules to tell them 'no'.

The thought was there and gone as he chuckled once again. That was a rare sound for most but with Naeva, she heard it often. In some regards, she felt special for that.

That touch was there and gone again, leaving a warmth in her. Who would of thought she'd love a man so cold or that he'd give anyone the time of day.

She spared him a grin in return, well aware that he knew her patience only extended so far these days. Some were chewed out worse. On a particular bad day, she had outright shot at someone just to get them to leave.

"It'll depend on how generous my mood is at the time," she jested in return.

They kept an eye on those tracks, Killer occasionally moving forward when he noticed something. It would prove fruitless for a long while until he spotted something new. Bandits arriving at a stadium, runners taking off in it's direction. It was hardly subtle. This might just be the place they needed to be.


At this point, this was the only lead they had. Rhys would do what he could to get that money back. They might not have a key but at least they could still get the money.

It was Naira who warned him though, leaving him briefly questioning just what this guy got up to. True, he had heard the stories but Rhys never knew the man personally. In fact, not many did outside those who worked with him.

Eventually, Rhys waved off the concern, opting to say, "People up there have a ton of screws loose. Nakayama wasn't the first. It'll be fine!"

The other women had quieted and with that, he lifted the chip, placing it near his temple. The usual spark was there as it made it's connection. He'd done this before, so he expected much of the same.

When the chip took, Rhys didn't get a moment to process the harsh shook that entered his body. It was like he was being electrocuted from the inside out.

Rhys gritted his teeth, his heart pounding wildly before it was lights out. He wasn't even aware that he'd hit the ground by that point or the blackness that over took his vision.

They traveled a long while, the daylight hours changing to evening and then to night-time. Their luck hadn't quite held out as well as Zer0 might have hoped along their tracking of Bossa Nova. No vehicles were in sight along the way for them to use and cover more distance though at least the tracks they'd followed were still fresh and quite noticeable in the dirt. It was even easier upon the darkening of the sky as the lights of a stadium in the distance became the obvious end goal.

"Our prey is cocky / He has shown his hand to us / Now to find our way," Zer0 intoned. Now it was just a matter of tracking down Bossa Nova in the large stadium and the grouping of bandits.

They stood some ways in the distance, out of sight from any curious bandit or psycho eyes. They all seemed far too invested in what they were doing there to be bothered with what might lurk in the darkness around the stadium. It gave them ample time to recon the area and what they might be up to. Knowing how most of the bandit groupings were on Pandora Zer0 was willing to bet that it might be raucous and violent.

It didn't seem like anyone down there now was in any sort of rush. Perhaps they were waiting for something to begin. A stadium like this? Zer0 would be surprised if that wasn't the case.


Everyone but the old man driving the camper seemed to wait with bated breath as Rhys took to the deed. The spark that connected the plug at his temple and the ID chip wasn't so surprising, not with someone who had cybernetic implants. Besides, he was nowhere near the number of implants that Wilhelm had accumulated before inevitably becoming more robot than man. What was surprising was the way that Rhys seized up once the chip was implanted fully before tumbling to the camper floor.

Fiona and Sasha didn't seem all that concerned about Rhys' well-being though Vaughn was quick to kneel at his side and attempt to wake him. None of his attempts seemed to work and finally Vaughn left Rhys there as they traveled. Naira wasn't so sure what had happened. Nothing like that should have occurred. Had Nakayama messed with his ID chip?

However long they'd traveled Naira couldn't say. All she really learned was that the old man driving was named Felix and that with Vaughn's help with the program, they were able to track down the case of money. At least Rhys had gotten the credentials for it though she still worried with how long he'd been passed out now, still sprawled across the floor. As such she volunteered to remain behind in the camper as the others went ahead to survey the stadium they'd tracked the money to.

Now she sat near Rhys, arms resting on her knees while she waited. How long would he be out like this? Naira certainly hoped hadn't slipped into a coma or something.

With a stadium that large Bossa Nova could be anywhere inside of it and so too could any information dealing with the Gortys Project... Perhaps this was the place that would lead them to Gortys though it was hard to say. Moxxi had only told them to seek out Bossa Nova and that he would be able to lead them further to the Gortys Project. Whatever had been meant by it even Zer0 could not fully puzzle out.

"We find a way in / Past the bandits and psychos / Without the bloodshed," he answered quickly. In this way they could find the most suitable way to dispatch of enemies and seek out information. They'd be able to search far easier without being shot or stabbed at as well.

Even so, Zer0 knew the task would be difficult. The stadium was too well lit to sneak in with the shadows and his cloaking device was too short in duration to make the trip without being spotted. That wasn't even to say that Naeva had no similar ability to hide herself in plain sight either. This would take far more planning... Zer0 hummed, sounding more akin to a growl than anything.

He took the rifle into his hands, peering through the scope for a more detailed scan of the area. Any little detail could make a difference in the plan to sneak inside and root around for information. Perhaps they might catch a lucky break... Zer0 enjoyed a challenge yet he was growing agitated with the lack of leads to Gortys.

"What can be seen here? / Perhaps you see what I don't / Reveal your thoughts."


She'd been lost in thought by the time Rhys began to shift, pushing himself up. Naira blinked, surveying him as he sorted himself out, moving slowly at first. Whatever had happened it had certainly taken its toll on him though he wasn't in a coma as she'd briefly feared. That, at least, was a blessing. Now if they could retrieve the case of money they could at least salvage the situation.

It took him a moment to notice Naira there, a map briefly hovering over his cybernetic palm. It flickered out of existence as he got to his feet. Naira shook her head initially.

"It's a little more complex than just finding the case," Naira said after a moment, a thoughtful look crossing her features. "It's somewhere within a stadium nearby though there are dozens of psychos and bandits crawling all over the place. Sasha and I are the only ones who have any firearms on our person and there's not enough cover out there for a successful firefight."

Her shield would only be able to take so much and no bandit went around without a weapon nearby, not on Pandora. There was too much on this planet that could kill a man to warrant walking around without something to defend oneself with. She wasn't even sure if the other two women had shields of their own but she knew for a fact that Rhys and Vaughn did not. There was no way she was going to sacrifice their lives now because they might want to rush.

"More importantly right now, how do you feel?" she carried on, gesturing to him. "Feel any differently? Sick? Confused? That sort of reaction to an ID chip isn't normal and if there are any adverse effects I'd like to know now."