[Borderlands] Risk it All [1-on-1 RP]

Naira couldn’t fault Jack for that answer. A lot of people had a hard time not paying attention to someone they thought was quite attractive. Not many outright admitted to it though, at least not ones trying to flirt with someone. Naira shook her head at that, an amused roll of the eyes following after.

A chuckle escaped her when he mentioned it being difficult to behave. She didn’t doubt that for an instant, not with all that she knew of this place and Pandora. If anything, behaving seemed to be the less chosen option in this place.

It was silent between them for a time after that. Jack needed to work, to hurry and get her into the database before she was found. How she hadn’t been was a miracle in itself though one Naira wasn’t about to question. For once something seemed to be going her way without strings attached in some manner.

Instead of bothering Jack, she merely listened to the clacking of keys and the occasional muttering from Jack. It seemed he was hitting a few roadblocks along the way and though Naira didn’t like just sitting here and waiting it wasn’t like she know how she could help either. However it wasn’t like just sitting quietly and waiting was something Naira excelled at.

“So, any progress…?” she ventured finally.


As predicted, Naeva commented on the experience Zer0 had. He merely gave a brief nod in answer to this observation. There wasn’t a need to become a braggart about it. That just wasn’t something that Zer0 had in him, if he was honest about it.

He grunted, glancing at Naeva when she asked about what he might teach her. It seemed obvious to him. “How to fire a gun, then perhaps we will try more. From there we will see.”

If she had truly never done such a thing before then it was important to get on it immediately. First, he’d need to find a gun for her. That would be simple, especially with how people were eyeing them even now. Pick a fight and take the dead’s arsenal; it couldn’t get any easier than that.

All of that could be taken care of away from the city however. For now there were too many here that even Zer0 would have a problem with fighting and keeping an eye on Naeva. Once they were out in the dying fields that surrounded the city then they could worry about it. At least out there they would have the space for target practice without anyone immediately overhearing the gunfire.

“All will be dealt with. In time,” he told her.

Perhaps she was merely eager to be able to protect herself or maybe it helped her from thinking about her lost friend. Zer0 couldn’t say he knew for sure which it was. For all he knew it might not eve either of them anyways.

From the sounds of it Jack hadn’t tripped across any glaring problems. Perhaps she’d really be in the clear for now. Naira didn’t want to get her hopes up too high yet though. Jack didn’t seem like the cunning man she knew him to be before this situation, it was quite possible he messed up somewhere.

At the mention of having to add in personal information, Naira noticeably didn’t answer right away. She scratched at her head, more in a bid to subtly play with her hair instead of answering. What was she supposed to tell him, that she was from Earth? Naira wasn’t even sure Earth was a planet in this universe.

“I can answer what I can, I guess,” Naira said finally, sounding uncertain even of that. “Everything else can be made up or something…”

Dropping her hand to her lap she easily rolled the chair closer to see the screen. From her vantage point it was hard to make out where Jack had been typing last. It all was a giant batch of coding across the screen and much more complex than the basic html that Naira knew how to use. Just looking at all of it made her eyes strain.

“What’s the first thing?” she wondered, gesturing to the screen.

She didn’t miss the curious look on Jack’s face. No doubt about it, he was definitely wondering about her again. Naira didn’t have plans to give much away, only the bare bones if she could help it. His curiosity would have to remain unfulfilled if Naira had any say about it.


Zer0 shook his head, dots crossing his helmet one by one. They quickly faded from view, the red glare across his helmet gone with them. Whether Naira noticed the emote this time or not didn’t matter to him. If nothing else it was merely habit for him now.

“A small problem. Just do not shoot yourself or me,” Zer0 advised. After that it was just the basics and her accuracy to worry about.

Snippets of conversations reached Zer0 though none of them were even remotely interesting. For the most part it was all things that he’d heard at some time or another. There was no new mentions of another strange woman or bursts of light heralding an arrival of anyone else just as odd. A shame, really, though nothing that Zer0 could do about it at this moment.

He glanced at Naeva when she spoke up about wanting to know him better. Another shake of the head followed this. What was he supposed to tell her about himself? He was hardly very interesting, merely an assassin out to partake in the most challenging strife he could locate.

“You might be a clue to bigger and more challenging things,” he said shortly after a minute or two had passed.

Naira didn’t miss the way Jack raised an eyebrow at her. It wasn’t anything that really bothered her, especially so if he wasn’t going to go prying for answers if she didn’t answer something obvious. At least, she hoped he wouldn’t go trying to get those answers. Naira wasn’t sure how well the topic would go over if he found out he was supposed to be fictional in the place she’d come from.

She rolled the chair a little bit further, taking up the keyboard. Now that she knew where to type in all of this coding it wouldn’t be too difficult. Finding home row was simple and years spent lazing in front of a computer began to show as she began to type quickly. While she typed she was all too aware of Jack’s attention on her answers. Maybe he was trying to figure her out though Naira couldn’t say that with any sort of certainty.

As she went Naira skipped over one or two of the necessary bits of information. Jack could easily make something up for those and she’d just have to remember what they were in case anyone bothered to ask about it. If Jack did try to get the real answers from her she’d just have to dodge around the questions as best she could.

It took a few minutes to fill out what was needed—at least what Naira felt she could fill out without any sort of questions arising—before she sat back and nudged the keyboard towards Jack. He was still leaning against the desk, glancing over her answers with what looked like mild interest. Naira couldn’t say what he’d see as interesting in all of that.

“Enjoy making shit up,” she said. She’d left things such as where she’d come from and work history blank.


Zer0 couldn’t say that he could guess at where Naeva might have hailed from. Any places that seemed less than even remotely interesting to him were bypassed immediately. That left many dangerous locales for him to visit instead. Perhaps in his travels he might have heard of a place that had no need for shields though Zer0 couldn’t think of any.

When asked about what he was after through helping her Zer0 had been honest. He wasn’t sure what might come of things from here on out and he was well aware that it might be for naught. All the same, Naeva seemed to have ideas of what awaited them at the end of this puzzle.

“A siren, you say? What makes you think that’s what waits? Did you see one there?” It was a lot of questions but she hadn’t exactly mentioned seeing anyone doing anything much less a siren. If she had it changed a few things, leaving Zer0 with some idea of what might have happened. Or, rather, it left him with possibilities of what had happened.

Zer0 had kept his voice down. Sirens were a rarity and many would kill just to see one—or to have the chance to kill one. It really all depended on the person. With their powers and their low number of six at any given time in the universe it made that tricky for any actively seeking one out.

For all Zer0 knew though Naeva might have been jumping to conclusions. It wasn’t like she had really given him much info earlier.

Jack seemed way more at ease now that things were nearly completed and no one had barged into his office for her. To be honest that lapse in trouble left Naira equal parts relaxed and tense. It had to have been a matter of time, she had been sure of it. Yet no one else had seemed to notice her on the cameras, or maybe someone was going to try to use it as blackmail later. It was hard to say when nothing happened.

Naira blinked as Jack turned to her briefly, smirking. Despite herself a smile tugged at her lips at the obvious attempt to flirt. It wouldn’t hurt to joke around a little, would it? Naira hoped that it wouldn’t.

“But of course! I’m so great that it’s a shock that no one’s promoted me as queen yet,” she answered with a smug air to try to complete the effect of the joke. She wasn’t sure how effective she was about it however.

It wasn’t long before he’d finished what he’d started, looking over her information and adding to things here and there. Naira couldn’t pretend to know what he was adding, seeing no point in trying to peer over his shoulder or around him to. It was still a little too weird just being in the same room as him.

He seemed quite pleased with this work, congratulating her on her new status within Hyperion. She rolled her eyes though a smile tugged at her lips.

“Oh, good, my dream come true; always wanted to be a grunt when I grew up,” she joked.


At his brief interrogation Naeva was quick to admit that she wasn’t sure and was merely guessing. Zer0 shook his head at that. He couldn’t be so sure a siren was involved when he’d had yet to meet one personally much yet to see their powers in use. What were mere stories to him right now were not enough to be certain of such things.

“Then it is a false lead,” he said simply. Until there was more concrete evidence to follow it would remain as such. Zer0 had no desire to try to track down something that the universe only hosted six of at any given time.

If she was bothered by this assessment Zer0 did not catch it. For the most part he was busy watching those that passed around them. The street was narrower than the original one he’d taken them down after all. It was a little more difficult to step around people who might grab out at Naeva without warning.

“Focus on remembering, it is your best bet now.”

Zer0 would place money on this being the best option overall. If she could just recall the finer details the better shot they’d have of moving on and perhaps finding that challenge that Zer0 craved. If this bothered her she hadn’t made any mentions to it. Perhaps she didn’t care so long as she was being protected.

Naira was surprised when Jack clasped her shoulder, patting it a time or two as he laughed. She wasn’t sure how well getting along with Jack would fair for her. He was a clever man that was true, especially so when he’d rise up in the ranks as he would if nothing changed with her being here. Naira shook the thought away. Until trouble came she’d have to just roll with the punches.

“Safety in numbers, or so I’m told,” she pointed out in return. If nothing else Jack seemed to have her back—for now.

Now that the information portion was complete Jack had taken to leaning against his desk. He looked all too at ease there, smirking at her a little. He probably felt it was a deserved bit of rest after having to run all the way to his office and dodging around his fellow employees.

“Can’t say that’s unfamiliar,” Naira admitted, pushing her glasses back up her nose. Factory jobs, retail—none of it was what anyone really wanted to do in life and yet that was exactly where Naira had fallen. Only occasionally had she gotten design offers.

Jack didn’t comment on that. Maybe he knew about that all too well himself, with his status here. It seemed like an unavoidable fact of life for all too many. Instead he offered her the chance to ask questions about Hyperion and the like. For a second she said nothing, merely thinking things over. What to ask first…

“Well, maybe you can explain where Hyperion has their employees live or whatever. Can’t imagine it’d be practical to send them out in ships every day.”


Naeva’s attention seemed to be every which way. Any little movement from someone had her turning their way, perhaps paranoid that they were after her. For the most part none were. Zer0 was both pleased and disappointed about this. A little fight or two might have livened the day up further for him.

Despite all of that the conversation did not halt. At the very least Naeva agreed to tell him of anything she could remember in the coming days.

Glancing around them he could spot all sorts of graffiti. From rather derogatory or crude remarks to actual images they all provided a splash of color to this dreadfully dull city. None of them offered any kind of insight to which way was the best path out of the city itself however. Zer0 offered a frowning emote at this observation.

“Keep an eye open for exits,” Zer0 advised. Two pairs of eyes were better than one.

Their pace he kept quick, despite the urge to do a little fighting calling to him. There was, strangely, something more important at the moment. Zer0 had to keep telling himself that though. It was certainly not something he was used to after all.

Zer0 flexed his fingers, itching for something exciting. Instead he spoke to Naeva again, if only to learn something more about her. “Perhaps there is some skill outside of combat you delve into?”

Jack had a point and though not often as violent as Pandora it was the same in the reality that Naira had come from. It was either work dead end jobs or end up on the streets, or worse. It just seemed like the stakes were much closer to ‘or worse’ around these parts than she’d ever really hoped for.

“True enough. I think I’ll tough it out until adventure calls,” Naira answered lightly. ’Or rather until I’m better prepared.’ Whatever Jack made of her comment she couldn’t say. With any luck she might be able to bail before whatever happened to make him snap occurred. At least, that was the plan.

When prompted for any questions she had about how Hyperion worked it furthered the conversation forward. At least this way she was not forced to try to hand wave any kind of explanation for her previous comment.

She nodded, rising from the worn computer chair and gesturing for Jack to take the lead. At least now they wouldn’t be in a rush and have to avoid everyone. Even still, Naira wasn’t all too eager to meet any other Hyperion employees if she could help it, at least not until she had a firearm and a shield to protect herself with.

“That might not be so bad of an idea,” she pointed out. “Assuming you won’t get in trouble for being away from your office right now.”

She wasn’t sure entirely how Hyperion worked in this fashion. Were employees able to just work at their leisure, as long as they were able to get their workload done or were they working as one would normally expect? Nair supposed she’d find out now.


Zer0 didn’t know how useful Naeva’s ability with computers would be to them along the way. Usually if something barred his way he merely found a way around it or sliced it to pieces. There was little need for discretion when he had holographic decoys at his disposal, however shortly they lasted with each use.

All the same he said, “Perhaps you might find opportunity to exercise the skill again.” Despite that he couldn’t say how good she was. Perhaps she could only do very basic hacking as it was.

Up ahead there was a bout of cheering that could be heard. Several people were gathered around something or other though Zer0 wasn’t able to tell until they were closer. Two midgets were stabbing at each other and Zer0 saw money exchanging hands between several of the onlookers.

Zer0 had them keep their distance, ready to reach for his gun or sword if needed. For the most part they all seemed wrapped up in their blood sport. At least that was going for them. Naeva looked nervous enough as it was as they passed the group.

“It seems you will have much to learn however,” he pointed out.

Naira scoffed in good humor at Jack’s comment. Instead of outright answering his thought she offered a shrug and a slight shake of the head. “Maybe you’ll find out one day.”

Instead of dwelling on that opportunity, if it ever arose and if she was ever prepared enough for it, Naira had instead taken up Jack’s offer to ask him questions. At the very least it would get them moving and allow her time to learn some of Helios’s layout. Instead of just wandering around aimlessly it was beneficial to let Jack lead her around.

As he headed out of his little office Jack was speaking again, assuring her that there wasn’t much to worry about now. Naira nodded, if only to show she understood. He seemed quite talkative now, now that there was little to get them locked away or killed because of her presence here.

“I’ll take your word on that. You seem like you know what you’re talking about so far,” she admitted. It was still so strange to be putting any kind of trust in Jack though that was a thought she kept to herself.

Already he was explaining things that couldn’t be seen right away and without Naira prompting him to. Naira was appreciative of that fact, taking care to try to memorize what he felt he needed to tell her about. Her brow furrowed at the mention of someone just launching rockets off willy-nilly because she liked to. For a second she side-eyed Jack, wondering how serious he was about that. It wasn’t a moment later did she decided that he wasn’t joking around. This was a universe full of loonies after all.

“Well, this place sure is colorful.” She paused, glancing at the darkly painted walls. “At least with its employees.”


“If that is the case then we will teach you many useful skills along the way,” Zer0 answered.

They left the group and their sport behind them quickly. There was no point in lingering when Zer0 had his sights set on the city limits and what lay before them from there. At least out there it would be easier to teach Naeva before someone else tried to threaten and intimidate her.

Up ahead he could see signs and graffiti that declared “Pis Off” or “Turn Back NOW” and other such declarations. Zer0 surmised that they must be heading in the right direction.

“We are not too far, soon we will be out of here, do not grow worried.”

Whether or not his haiku did anything for Naeva, Zer0 couldn’t say. Perhaps nothing would sooth her worries until they were away from these people and their violent ways. Zer0 couldn’t promise that it would remain that way, not with his wish for great strife to combat.

He would have quickened his pace if he was sure that Naeva would be able to keep up with him. For the most part she seemed to already be walking quite quickly to stay at his side. Zer0 relented with his want to be out quickly and to start teaching her in order to keep her in at least his peripheral vision.

Naira chuckled at Jack’s confident answer. Of course he’d have to know a thing or two to survive within Hyperion. Not everyone had to have such a dangerous job but then who knew what kind of backstabbers and crazies lurked the halls and planned to rise in the ranks. She shook her head at the thought.

The conversation moved forward, Jack explaining a few oddballs he knew of within the company. When she didn’t answer right away he glanced at her, a movement Naira caught from the corner of her eye. Her bewilderment must have been a sight to see because he quickly took to laughing.

“Yeah, well… seems like a waste of resources to me,” she defended. Then again, maybe the higher ups here had enough money to toss around for them that they didn’t mind it too much.

As they walked Jack continued to point out various pathways that led to areas she might need most in the coming days. There were a few people out and about though none of them paid she or Jack any mind. Naira was glad for that fact, though she was in the system she didn’t have any kind of employee ID or whatever Hyperion used to identify their workers by.

Or maybe it was because she was walking alongside Jack that they didn’t bother her. He wasn’t high up on the corporate ladder here—not yet anyways—and so maybe they didn’t see her as any kind of threat.

The time passed in this fashion though Naira couldn’t say what time it actually was. Out in space like this even if they were near windows she couldn’t’ tell the time through that. For the moment it didn’t seem to matter however.


It was quiet for a time before Naeva spoke up to inquire about his haikus. Zer0 did not answer right away; instead he cocked his head to one side and debated on what to tell her. It wasn’t like he was fond of giving away information about himself. That just made it easier for others to track him.

“Perhaps it is both or perhaps it is neither,” he answered cryptically. Zer0 could hear her sigh soon after.

Despite any annoyance she felt from her answer Zer0 pushed them on, steadily growing closer to the city’s limits. There were a few less bandits and scavengers lingering around here. From the looks of things Zer0 surmised they preferred the inner city, perhaps finding it easier to prey on one another there and to conduct their blood sports.

Soon enough Zer0 could spy the outer lying region that surrounded the city. He picked up his pace then, undoubtedly Naeva would prefer to be away from this derelict place.

All that would be needed was to find a firearm that Naeva would be capable of using. Something with less kick behind it, at least. He’d have to keep an eye out for one though if they had to Zer0 supposed it wouldn’t hurt to allow her to use his pistol for practice. It would at least get her familiar with a gun.

“Now to find a gun, the places here shall suffice, we will have time here.”

Naira didn’t have to be told about the amount of people who were missing a few screws though she didn’t mention that. Maybe it’d be too much to mention without prompting. At least this way if she said anything about it she’d already have Jack’s word about it to fall back on for knowing it.

The conversation rolled on after that, mostly consisting of Jack pointing out specific hallways or rooms to her. There was a lot to take in just on this one floor. Naira couldn’t imagine how many other floors Helios had within it to explore—assuming she had clearance for them. A place like this seemed like it’d be rife with corporate secrets.

Eventually Jack mentioned the living areas that prompted this little tour. Naira glanced up at him, noticing just how much he seemed to talk with his hands. It had been something that was lost before when he’d only really spoken to the player through Echoes.

“Well, at least there’s that,” she admitted lightly. Naira could be the antsy type sometimes, often bobbing a leg or shifting position in her seat many times.


They were entering an area where the buildings were growing smaller in number, allowing for more of a view of the outlying area. It wasn’t at all impressive though that wasn’t what Zer0 was looking for. Once he was sure that Naeva had a basic grasp of firing at least a pistol then they would move on and seek more clues as to her missing ally.

He shook his head at Naeva’s nervousness. Even if the gun misfired or she shot poorly the shields would eat a bullet easily. It wasn’t like she was going to go firing rapidly to kill after all.

“You worry for nothing. Precautions are set already, before we’ve even begun,” he pointed out. Whether or not she recalled the shield hanging from her belt loop Zer0 couldn’t say.

Despite his words Naeva still seemed uneasy about even the thought of firing a gun. He tried not to let this annoy him, so well versed in combat that it was what he loved and yearned for more of in his life. Sometimes it was strange to think that others did not as well.

“If it helps we will be out in the open where no on else is standing about,” he noted, gesturing to the land around them now. There was little in the way of interesting landmarks but then this planet seemed to have residents that did not care much for preserving nature. There were groupings of large trees every so often across the otherwise craggy land and boulders bearing occasional graffiti here or there.

With all the running around Helios she did that day it was a relief to be shown to an empty room she could stay in. Presumably Jack had already ‘occupied’ it when he’d input her information earlier that day. It was also clearly a room that had been unoccupied for some time, a layer of dust covering everything.

Naira carefully removed her boots and wiggled her toes freely before she’d lain back on the bed. She’d worry about how dusty the furniture was another day, assuming no one caught on to her.

Though she’d grown exhausted, her muscles still sore from the ‘trip’, it had took some time for her to actually fall asleep. There was no clock on the wall to listen to or a laptop to pull close to watch videos on for a while. She did have her old inactive phone on her, acting more as a music player and camera nowadays but its battery would be finite now without its charger cord. For the time being Naira didn’t want to waste it.

The last thought she had before finally drifting off was that Jack was most likely trying to find information on her now through Angel. Any worry she might have over that was lost in her drowsiness. By morning—at least Naira assume it was morning, there was no clock to tell the time in this room—the concern was forgotten about like a hazy dream.

When she did wake up Naira didn’t get up right away, convinced that all of the day before had just been a dream. It wasn’t until she realized that the mattress was too firm and the blankets didn’t feel as soft did she jerk into a seated position. Glancing around in bewilderment for a moment she soon groaned and flopped back onto the bed.

“Talk about unbelievable…” she grumbled.


Trying to teach Naeva to shoot a gun had been quite the ordeal. By the look on her face alone Zer0 could tell that she didn’t like holding the thing much less the thought of firing it. All the same Zer0 would not allow her to skip out on learning. Knowing this could possibly save her life on this planet and any others they went to.

The pistol he had wasn’t hard to use though even the recoil was enough to make her grit her teeth. It was something that was easy to note at the time though Zer0 had not commented on it. Best to have her learn it and be done with the ordeal as soon as possible. He’d rather not have to argue with her just so that she’d be able to protect herself if anything unforeseen happened.

Eventually though a rowdy bunch of bandits could be heard in the distance, tires squealing mingling with their uproarious calls. Zer0 would have loved dearly to go and fight them but instead he fought against the urge and moved Naeva onwards and away from the threat. She was no match for anything much less a bandit in a rover.

It was only growing near twilight when Zer0 eventually stopped them, allowing Naeva to rest. She was not cut out for such long distances as well it seemed. With that in mind this was for the best despite any impatience to move forward and find a clue or two. The night that followed did not provide much; there was little conversation and she was quickly asleep before he knew it, leaving him with his thoughts.

He woke early, preparing his equipment and making sure it was all in good shape. An assassin with broken down equipment was nothing. It was about the time that he’d sat and tugged out a whetstone to sharpen the blade of his katana did Naeva rouse. He tilted his head to one side, glancing at her while she woke.

“Awake now, I see. An early morning arrives, leaving us to plan,” he greeted.

Naira didn’t push herself back up right away. If anything she just wanted to go back to sleep and wake back up in her beaten up mattress, or maybe on Naeva’s couch. Instead she’d awoken to find that what should have been just a dream was reality. How this had happened she couldn’t say and finding answers about it couldn’t be easy.

A knock at the door broke her train of thought. Though she grunted and had to force herself up to answer it Naira did have to admit that maybe it was for the best. It wasn’t like sitting around and brooding about possibilities was going to give her any new insight on what to do. She wasn’t even sure if Naeva was in this situation too.

Opening the door she blinked around it to see Jack there, his eyebrow raised as he caught sight of her. Her bed hair was probably something that caught him off guard’ he definitely looked like the type who wouldn’t be a slob after all. Only when she saw it was just Jack at the door she opened it wider. It hadn’t taken long to see her clothes stuck out just a little bit, enough to draw attention to her compared to what the Hyperion employees wore here.

As he spoke up Naira took to combing her fingers through her hair in a bid to tame it a little. It was better than nothing at least.

“Well enough at least,” she admitted. “And you seem way to cheery for whatever time it is right now.”

He leaned into the room then, gesturing to the only other door here. The mention of a change of clothes left Naira uncertain. She was a tiny thing compared to most people, if only due to how scrawny she was. Still, she couldn’t keep running around in dirty clothes either…

“Well, give me a hot second to see what’s there and we’ll go from there, huh?” she offered, hand on her hip.


It took her a second or two to register he was there, the sound of the blade against the whetstone ringing out in the silence around them. She didn’t seem to mind the noise. At least he wouldn’t have to bear seeing her cringe at it.

Even as he worked he caught the way that she took to trying to tame her unruly hair. It had begun to stick out at all odds and ends in her sleep and, though she had no mirror to aid her, she tried her best to correct it. Whether or not she’d be satisfied by the end result of how her hair laid afterwards Zer0 couldn’t say.

“To seek out clues around the city first,” he pointed out.

The entire time they’d walked the night before Zer0 had kept the city in sight to the right. Only occasionally did he move them further away from it if only to avoid the rambunctious bandits. Once they’d circled the cities and either found clues or found none at all then they would move on. Zer0 hoped the former would happen or else he was at a loss as to where any other clues would be.

Naeva had reseated herself more comfortably before he’d even spoken. Even now she watched him as he worked, running the whetstone along the blade carefully. A strange change in her demeanor considering how opposed she was to just holding and firing a gun at inanimate objects.

All the same Zer0 did not pause yet. The blade had not been tended to it in some time. Now he would need to upkeep his blade and gear better if only because Naeva had none.

Jack didn’t take long to disregard her unkempt appearance at the time. Instead he was joking about his good mood, the sound of his hands slapping his sides briefly echoing in the otherwise empty hall. Maybe any other employees that resided in the rooms around here had already left and started their day for all she knew.

She scoffed in good humor, a little smile tugging at her lips at Jack’s comment. “Yes, nothing more attractive then bed head and rumpled clothes,” she joked.

When she asked for a moment to dig through the closet Jack didn’t mind a short wait. She ducked back into the room, shutting the door behind her for the time being. Jack called out to her, mentioning the higher ups. She shook her head as she peered into the closet and called back.

“Oh, they’ll live. … Or they won’t. Not my problem either way!”

If Jack laughed at that she couldn’t hear it through the door. She supposed it didn’t matter either way. Instead she dug through the few clothes hanging in the closet, trying to find the ones that would fit best. They seemed to have male and female clothing in here though Naira had to wonder why. Maybe it was so whoever would have next occupied this room would have one or two sets of Hyperion related clothing for their first week or so.

She’d already tugged out the ones that would fit her best before Jack called out through the door again. She shook her head, undressing as she answered. “There’s something here but if you really want to go looking around I certainly won’t stop you!”


It didn’t take long for Naeva to answer him, barely thinking anything of his plan. Perhaps she felt that was best, or maybe she still had hopes that her ally was in or around the city. Zer0 was content to know she had no qualms on the notion; it might have been more difficult otherwise.

Several minutes had passed by, the gray light around them steadily becoming brighter though not entirely so. The sun still had a ways to rise before the early morning light was gone for the day. In that time Naeva had grown quiet and Zer0 had finished sharpening his katana. Only when he tucked the whetstone away did he realize the way Naeva stared off at nothing, her brow creased in thought and a frown tugging at her lips. Whatever was on her mind had her full attention.

Finally, Naeva snapped out of her thoughts, turning back to Zer0 and speaking up quite suddenly. He tipped his head to one side, a question mark bursting from his helmet. These things she asked were strange things, at least for him and many he’d run into in his life thus far.

“Should I feel that way? A useless thing to feel here, something to exploit.”

Zer0 watched as Naeva took his answer in, mulling over it for a moment. It didn’t take her too long to start talking again, trying to voice her thoughts on the matter. Instead of lecturing him as he might have expected she instead produced a rather interesting line of though. Yet again Zer0 took a moment to answer, thinking about it.

“A strange worry to consider, no one here would think twice of shooting you,” he pointed out simply. Maybe that would help put things in perspective easier for her.

He shook his head and stood then. Naeva was still seated on the ground, cross-legged. She looked a little content there and perhaps was not ready to move just yet. All the same it wasn’t like they had food supplies to eat here. Moving on would be best. All the same he studied her for a brief moment.

Reaching out, he tugged a stray lock of her hair back into place. She’d fussed with it so much that he thought it might break her heart if she’d found out she’d missed an errant lock in her endeavor.