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

It only took a second for Jack to answer back, commenting on the fact that he’d be picking something out for her if he did go to search for something. Naira paused in pulling the t-shirt over her head to think about that. She couldn’t remember what the sheriff of Lynchwood had looked like but if Moxxi was any indication as to what Jack preferred in women… If she could help it she’d rather not go around showing off her panties or bra.

Naira shook her head and called back, “I think I’ll make do, actually.”

With that decided she tugged the shirt over her head, frowning at the length of it. Instead of trying one of the other shirts on, she merely took one of the hair ties from her around her wrist and used it to bunny tail it near her hip so it fit a little more to her tastes. At least this way it was still decent to wear. With that decided upon Naira reached for the pair of dark colored pants and her jacket, slipping those on afterwards.

Only after she’d put her boots back on did she look herself over as best she could. It wasn’t a very fashionable outfit but it would do for now. At the very least the Hyperion logo splashed across the chest of the shirt wasn’t overly large and garish. ’Still, a little consciousness about fashion wouldn’t hurt…’ Naira shoved the thought away, it could be dealt with later.

Finally, she stepped out of the room, leaving her old clothes on the bed for now. There wasn’t much use in carrying around a dirty pair of jeans and a shirt all day. Holding out her arms she said, “Soooo, what’s the verdict? Not the most fashionable but a cutie like me makes it better, no?”

She chuckled at her own joke, well aware that her hair was still not brushed as it was. At some point she’d need to get a brush though for now her fingers would have to do. She’d tug it back into a ponytail soon enough to mask that fact however.


Before she’d even spoken up Zer0 had an idea of what she might say. Her brow had furrowed again as she contemplated his words. Only seconds had passed before she’d decided that it was too much for her. He did not bother to argue the case, however. In time she’d learn how things were around these parts.

When he’d given his assessment of what others felt about shooting her or others around them Naeva seemed to falter. Or maybe it was the fact that he’d stood, ready to move on. Zer0 decided a moment later that it was perhaps a combination of both, or it was before he’d distracted her by fixing a stray lock of her hair. All at once her face had turned red and she’d fussed with it further, smoothing her hair back down yet again.

Zer0 allowed a chuckle to escape him though he did not do anything further in response. Already her ears had turned red as well, an indication of just how much stock she put into how her hair looked. If that were the case then Zer0 would show a rare shred of humanity and refrain from mentioning it, or rather making fun off her for it.

“Let us move on, I am sure you will want food soon enough,” he pointed out, gesturing for her to rise to her feet too.

If he had to he’d venture back into the city to find her something while she waited somewhere safer. That was only if she had no compunctions about that plan and to hold onto his pistol for a precaution. Though her aim needed a lot of work, she would at least have something to use to try to turn others away if they’d find her. Zer0 would mention that plan a little later, however, when she was less flustered.

He waited patiently for her to rise to her feet and stretch. She was moving a little sluggishly. It was easy to tell that she was no so accustomed ot moving about in the mornings like this. In time she might be, if this agreement between them worked out in his favor sooner rather than later. His curiosity helped to keep him patient though they’d found no clues the day before.

It didn’t surprise her that Jack busted out another compliment, laughing a little as he did so. Hearing him flirt with her was still strange and Naira wasn’t sure if she’d ever really get used to it. For now she supposed it was rather harmless, especially since he didn’t seem to be rather psychopathic at this point in his life after all.

“Well, a few hearts will have to be broken then,” she joked, running a hand through her hair. Naira had never really been one to go out and pursue a relationship. Mostly she was rather introverted and content with being by herself or her friends.

Jack didn’t waste too much time before proposing getting breakfast first. Naira couldn’t help but to agree to that plan, her stomach empty as it was. She’d been so tired the night before she’d barely worried about it but at this rate her stomach would be growling loudly in no time. As such she fell instep with Jack, not quite recalling where the cafeteria was here.

She glanced at him curiously as he lowered his voice, only aware of the passing glances in that moment. At least they were only mildly curious, only looking up to see who was passing by them in that moment rather than the fact that she or Jack stood out. No one bothered to say or do anything to them even with Jack speaking quietly to her.

“Oh, your little secret, huh?” Naira shot back curiously, eyebrow raised.


It was strange to find Naeva looking so fascinated by something as simple as a quiet chuckle. She seemed to stare at him for a long moment after he’d done so, perhaps attempting to peer past his helmet and to see what he looked like behind it. Zer0 merely waited, only mentioning that they needed to get moving and to get food for the day as well.

Eventually Naeva agreed to the idea and mentioned for him to take the lead. Without other prompting he did just that, turning and striding away. His pace was quick though not so much that Naeva would not be able to keep up. So long as she was able to be in his sight then it would be fine if they ran into any trouble: Zer0 had a quick trigger finger after all.

“Then we shall move fast. There’s little to fret about, much less to linger.”

The haiku was not his best, far from it though Zer0 had to admit he was a little preoccupied. Keeping an eye on Naeva and for threats and for possible clues was more than what Zer0 usually was seeking at one time. It made him wonder if he was getting sloppy.

“Food will be a simple thing to acquire, so long as I am alone,” Zer0 pointed out after a minute or two.

He glanced towards her then, noting the mix of emotions that seemed to try to combat one another for dominance. Wariness, fear and perhaps an attempt at confidence had been seen in one form or another there.

Naira waved a dismissive hand at the comment. She wasn’t out to look for a significant other or a fling, if someone had their feelings hurt because of that it wasn’t her fault. All the same, she didn’t mention that. It wasn’t like she and Jack knew one another well enough to divulge that sort of thing, and even if they were something like that would just ruin the otherwise good mood.

Her lack of an actual response was left alone in favor of the newer topic. Jack was tossing her an amused look as it was, declaring that for him this had become fun. How it had Naira couldn’t say and she didn’t get the chance to wonder about it out loud before Jack seemed to grow rather insightful. At least, it sounded that way though Naira wondered if he had some other motive in mind behind that thought of his.

Despite what Jack might have intended Naira put on a faux expression worry, clasping her hands to her chest for effect. “You’ve caught me! I’m secretly a dragon,” she confessed. “I just can’t help but to hoard expensive, shiny things and breathing fire on occasion! It’s a real problem.”

A moment passed before she dropped her hands and offered a cheeky grin. If Jack had been searching for some kind of reaction from her Naira hoped he hadn’t gotten it. There was no telling when Jack was supposed to go off the deep end, after all.

Their pace did not break as they talked, even when sometimes other employees glanced their way. It was as if Naira had always been here, the day’s events before not known by anyone other than she and Jack. ’Unless someone else was watching the security feed,’ a more rational part of herself pointed out.


Zer0 found himself more approving of Naeva when she mentioned that she had no qualms with moving swiftly. Already he had them moving at a good pace, his long stride accommodating him nicely. He did not need to have to pull her weight on top of things. Bit by bit she’d learn how to at least defend herself around parts like these.

“That is good to hear, less things to worry about, time left to focus.”

Things were more or less going smoothly now, with a new day to contend with. That was, until Zer0 mentioned going on alone once they’d found a relatively defensible spot for her to remain at. He spared her a quick glance, noting the way she took to biting at her lip. At the rate she was going she might very well end up wounding herself that way.

He shook his head and went to wave a dismissive hand about her worries. “I do not linger longer than necessary,” he told her simply.

She would see soon enough, after all. If Zer0 had no reason to stay in a single spot other than for rest or information than he was most likely on the move. Waiting rarely did anything unless one knew exactly what they were waiting to pass them by.

A moment or two passed before Zer0 shook his head. Guessing from what he’d seen of Naeva thus far, he would chance the thought that she might not be all that assured by his previous statement.

“There is nothing to say to assuage your worry, I assume?” he wondered.

Naira was glad that Jack didn’t pry for anything further after her joke. If he’d picked up on anything from her he didn’t mention it or act like it. With that in mind Naira tried to forget about it. Until she had another way to survive, to get away from Helios and everything Hyperion than she had to trust Jack enough that he wouldn’t shoot her or anything.

“Dragons come in all shapes and sizes, you know~!” Naira pointed out. Truthfully, she didn’t even know if this universe had any planets that had dragons. For all it mattered they might just be fictional here too.

No sooner had she said this did they round a corner, their destination in sight up ahead. The sliding doors were easily seen through from here and already Naira spotted a few people seated at various tables. Whether anyone was causing trouble in there or not, Naira couldn’t say.

Only seconds later did they actually enter the cafeteria area properly. It looked better furnished than what Naira had been expecting, but then Hyperion seemed to like showing off their wealth from time to time. At least it had seemed like it, or maybe that was only when Jack took over. Naira shook the thought away as soon as it had come. She couldn’t worry about that sort of thing right now.

She glanced Jack’s way when he spoke up under his breath. He seemed almost wary that someone might hear him despite no one being close enough for it. When Naira turned to survey the large room again she could see why; way too many people here were scowling at each other or into their food.

“Ah, they’ll live… or they won’t,” she answered. Only when Jack gestured for her to get her food before him did she move to do so.


Zer0 eventually received answer as to what exactly was worrying Naeva so much about being left alone for a short time. Clearly they would need a lot of work before she was capable of really defending herself. In the meantime she would have to make due, perhaps hide and come out only when he’d come back. For the moment they needed such a spot…

He shook his head, still eyeing their surroundings as they walked. “No small feat for you. In time, it will be normal. Merely wait and see.”

Naeva didn’t seem to want to respond to that. Perhaps she thought she might never grow accustomed to using a weapon against someone, much less holding on. Instead she was gesturing for him to go on ahead.

“We will find you a spot to remain at,” Zer0 informed her simply. “No use in leaving you out in the open, so vulnerable.”

While he didn’t look at her when he mentioned this, he would not doubt that the thought of it worried her greatly. Perhaps she’d help him seek out a place in this area for her to hide at. It would help to have that extra pair of eyes though she might not know what was most defensible or not. Zer0 would have to chance that.

He gestured towards her then. Perhaps easing her nerves might be in order. If she were to be his traveling companion and a sort of ally then they would need to trust each other, to some degree.

“It is a simple thing, I assure you.”

Jack’s approval of her attitude was a little startling. Naira found she could only blink at him, taking in his response while he didn’t seem to notice. Or maybe he had and that’s why he was grinning too. Naira couldn’t say for sure, but at least her confidence would be beneficial here.

“It takes a lot to run me off once I’m comfy somewhere,” Naira rebutted after a moment. “And your chair was pretty comfy.”

Their talk lulled for the time being as they picked their food. Naira took a little bit of everything that caught her eye, but especially so of the sausages. It had been too long since she’d last had any for breakfast. Not since she was a kid and visiting her grandmother, actually.

Once they sat at a table, clear of other people she noticed, did Jack start speaking up. Maybe he just didn’t want anyone else butting into their conversation or overhearing him. Considering the place was fairly empty right now it would be easier for someone to hear them. It made Naira wonder if people worked their own hour here or if they ran in shifts like other jobs. It was hard to figure out without just asking.

Naira had already speared one of her sausages with her fork before Jack had spoken up this time. She munched on her food thoughtfully, wondering what she was even supposed to do. If anything even needed designing or prepping for a new design or cleaned up… Eventually someone who was in charge of all that would have to realize she was on the payroll and throw her work but when?

“I’ll just go sob grossly in the corner of your office if the meanies find me,” Naira joked dryly before spearing another sausage.


It took some time before Naeva said anything more. Perhaps his own statement had left her sour or maybe she was brooding over something. It was hard to tell sometimes, but then it wasn’t like Zer0 was a people person anyways. Never before had he needed to distinguish between the two in this kind of a situation.

He said nothing in return though he did spare a nod. Best not to let her think Zer0 was ignoring her. Instead he was busy trying to find a safe spot for her to remain at. So far there were the occasional tree or a large outcropping of rock or boulders. Nothing really secure, however, could be seen. He’d hate to drag her back into the city and have her hide out in a building.

At some point Naeva picked up her pace to walk more fully at his side, glancing about as well. It seemed she wanted some place to remain at safely though wasn’t sure what to seek out for it. Zer0 resisted a shake of his head, reminding himself that she might have never needed to know such things. Of course she’d need to learn now.

“Some place that will keep you out of sight, that is not obvious and easy for you to slip into or away from if need be,” he answered. It was wordier than he usually was but it was vital for Naeva to learn if she would remain allied with him like this.

Even as he told her such things he never stopped searching for such a place. The more he looked the more it was becoming obvious that an abandoned building at the edge of the city might be their only bet. At least the darkness in those would shelter her somewhat. He merely hoped she would not become overly paranoid and shoot at nothing while he was away.

“A predicament we seem to be in, however,” he pointed out.

Naira had to stop to swallow her food first before she could answer Jack. He seemed a little intrigued at the idea that she might very well camp in his office just to sit in his chair. Or maybe he was just humoring her, it was a little hard to tell actually.

“Mmhmm, unless someone else has a comfier chair that I end up sitting in.”

It was silent between them for a few minutes, the clanking of silverware on plates and other employees chatting with each other the only sounds in that time. Jack eventually broke that silence and though Naira rebutted with a joke to the concern he didn’t seem to mind. Maybe he appreciated it even, he was kind of an asshole, at least from what Naira had seen of his sense of humor later in his life.

But how much later was later? Naira pushed the thought away. There’d be plenty of time to dwell on that later, hopefully after she’d tracked down Naeva if she were around too.

Naira chuckled at Jack’s comment. He really did fancy a bit of flirting here and there, it seemed. It all was rather harmless so Naira didn’t see any harm in indulging a little. She wasn’t so much of an introvert that she didn’t like flirting a little, even if she had little or no intentions of pursuing a relationship. If nothing else it kept things light.

“Well, if the offer’s there, maybe I will,” she noted.


Naeva only confirmed what Zer0 was seeing out here. No matter which way he looked there were no good places that would keep Naeva relatively safe from bandits and scavengers. Zer0 scoffed, shaking his head. Of course that would happen, when what they needed was discretion. Having her so close to the bandits again without him nearby did not sit well with him when Naeva was so inexperienced.

“Silence does not last, a storm will soon be brewing, waiting to sweep by,” Zero pointed out. Nonetheless it was quiet. Moving in now and finding her a place to remain at briefly while that was the case was beneficial.

He gestured for Naeva to follow after him, his strides covering much ground as they headed back towards the city. It would be some time before they reached the boarder yet again and then they’d be leaving immediately after Zer0 procured supplies. If he was on his own that wouldn’t be necessary but with Naeva there were precautions that needed to be taken.

“Though it is quiet, keep hold of that pistol,” Zer0 advised as they walked.

Right now he was here and would protect her quite easily but as she’d wait she’d be on her own. So long as she could shoot someone, even just to incapacitate then it might be enough of a signal for Zer0 to come running. He would not be far, that was for sure.

Naira chuckled again at Jack’s comment. She had to admit that the conversations helped her forget about her worries, even if many of them were about him. She wouldn’t be admitting that out loud anytime soon though. It wasn’t something that needed to be mentioned, especially so when she needed to keep an eye on when Jack would steadily slide towards crazy.

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll live! A bit of jealousy isn’t always a horrible thing,” Naira argued lightly.

She didn’t bother to elaborate on that bit of logic, instead choosing to work on her pancakes. They weren’t the best, in fact they looked more like the microwavable kind but she wouldn’t turn her nose up at them. They tasted fine, at least, drowned in syrup like they were.

The silence stretched on long enough that Jack was able to finish eating. Naira grew a little bit self-conscious at that, well aware that she’d piled food onto her plate. Still, she had been starving and she wasn’t one to turn her nose up at food. Her active metabolism made it hard to keep weight on as it was, she didn’t need to go about skimping on food when she could get it too.

She was mopping up the last bit of sticky syrup with a bite of pancake before they’d spoken again. Jack was quick to flirt back with her, confirming that not only was it a joke but an actual offer to boot. Naira chuckled in response, pausing long enough to finish her food before saying anything.

“We’ll see what happens, hmm?”

Naira nodded as Jack mentioned that they’d start off once she was ready. There wasn’t any point in sticking around here any longer, besides she was a little curious as to what kind of office she’d even have. She wasn’t even sure if she liked the idea of having a little room to herself for how many hours. It wasn’t like she had a reliable source of music to listen to while waiting for work—if any even came her way anytime soon—to pass the time.


Despite the situation Naeva seemed to be taking things well enough, at least for someone like her. Perhaps there was promise in her after all. Zer0 kept that thought to himself. It was still too early to say.

The buildings before them were steadily growing closer. It would not be long before they reached the very outskirts of the city and they would be seeking a temporary place for Naeva to hide at. Zero would need to make sure nothing lurked in any areas that would be suitable for her. Somewhere full of noise would not due, it might very well leave her jumpy and trigger-happy. It was hard to imagine that she might end up like that but Zer0 would rather be prepared for the possibility than to ignore it altogether.

“Quick is the plan,” Zer0 noted simply and left it at that.

Time passed too slowly for Zer0 then, making their way back by foot. Perhaps he should see about snatching a vehicle when they were ready to leave yet again. At least then they would make more headway. They would need to if they were to quickly search for clues.

Eventually they were in the city proper and Zer0 was seeking out an emptied building for Naeva to hide inside. Something on the first floor would be best, allowing her to quickly escape if she needed to. Just because they were taking precautions did not mean everything would go smoothly, after all.

Jack hadn’t waited long before starting them off, leading her down the halls and only stopping once he reached a specific door. What marked this door from the rest was only the letter and numbers attached to the door itself, no name under it. Naira would have to do her bet to recall the number, even as Jack handed her the key card he’d used to unlock the door.

From there Naira could only figure things out as the day went. At least the computer was a familiar thing to her, even if some of the applications weren’t called the same or had differences from what she’d expected. With some toying around Naira was able to figure these things out, passing some time as she waited for, well, anything to come her way.

Part of her worried about what would happen if someone came wandering in here and saw her just sitting by and messing about with the apps she’d most likely be using for design work here. All the same she couldn’t do much without an assignment, which left her wondering just how much Jack had managed to get done yesterday. An office of her own—however small it was, much like his had been—and a room to boot, next thing she knew she’d find out she had an employee e-mail too at this rate.

Time passed slowly like this, with no kind of contact for some time. Naira began to wonder if she should go bother Jack when she eventually heard a ding from her computer. Blinking, she’d turned to see an e-mail alert in the corner of the screen. Something about a dieline being needed if the subject was correct.

With that to keep her busy time passed a little longer. Several hours had passed while she worked on the dieline design. Some box needed for some product. What product Hyperion would be shipping out she couldn’t say. From the looks on the images that were provided it looked like the little loader bots she and Naeva had sometimes found in boxes along with loot.


It honestly had not taken long to find a place for Naeva to hide out in while he was seeking out supplies. She was clearly unhappy to be left alone though she had put on a brave face and relented, pistol gripped loosely in her hands. Zer0 wondered if she really would be able to pull the trigger or not against someone else. With that thought hanging over his head he had moved on, hurrying as he’d promised to gather the things they’d need.

Though Zer0 tried not to stray too far he had to eventually. Food vendors were offering perishable food, leering at Zer0 as if challenging him to set one foot out of line. Zer0 scoffed at the very thought of them taking him on competently.

He rarely lingered very long once he began to find what he needed. Much of it was easy to swipe, such as a bag from a passed out man. The drool that clung to his cheek mingled with blood—perhaps punched in the jaw at one point today if not the night before. Zer0’s observation was quickly forgotten as he had gone about filling the bag with provisions from here and there. Mostly he focused on getting nonperishable food even if he’d be able to take down whatever animal they might run into to eat as well. Better prepared now than need these things later.

Hours passed despite Zero’s best efforts to be swift. All the same he had enough, heading back to meet with Naeva once more. He barely paused even as some leered at him, perhaps eager to see what was in the bag he carried. It might have only been the way that he’d taken to gripping his katana in his free hand that kept them at bay. The dim gray light of the day gleamed off the blade like a warning beacon to all.

Up ahead he could spot the building Naeva was to remain at. With any luck nothing had happened.

Naira worked diligently, using the resources that had been e-mailed to her. It was something to do and she was on a payroll. ’At least I won’t be totally poor here,’ she’d supposed as she started. Better than sitting there for who knew how long until the workday was considered done for her.

It wasn’t too long before she ran into a problem however. Running a hunch, she’d printed off a small-scale version of the dieline to fold up into its final box shape. The process was a little tedious but sometimes necessary, just to make sure all the dimensions were correct. At the very least it had killed more time, even if Naira’s frustration began to rise in the process.

She leaned back in her chair, ignoring the creak it produced. In her hands was now a lopsided paper box. Whoever had been tasked with creating the actual dieline had done little work on making sure it all lined up correctly. It ran at a slant, at the top when it was clearly not supposed to.

Naira nodded her head to herself, mostly in time with the tapping of her finger on the armrest. Now not only did she have to come up with the box’s design but she had to figure out how to fix the dieline before she could do that.

“Great first day,” she grumbled under her breath.


Zer0 had eventually found the building again, making sure that no one was following him along the way. The last thing he needed was for Naeva to grow trigger happy if someone tried to jump him on the way in and shoot Zer0 instead. He would call to her before he reached the room she’d hunkered down in, after all, just to make sure. Precautions were for the best when it came to someone who was not well versed in situations like these.

Once inside he threw out a happy emote that Naeva would not be able to see from her position. Still, the red glow it cast down the hallway would be visible to her.

“And I have arrived. In hand, I have the supplies. There is no one else,” he called out.

Only when he heard her move about and answer did Zer0 stride forward, letting the emote die away. Without the red glow it seemed so much darker though it was little trouble to him. His helmet was well equipped for a great many thing. If a little thing like darkness could deter him he would never have made it far as an assassin.

Bag still slung over his shoulder he surveyed Naeva in the dark. She seemed unharmed and there was no sign of any other bodies nearby. It would seem she had been left undisturbed here—a thankful thing, to be sure.

“You may eat along the way, when we are not surrounded by potential threats,” Zer0 told her.

Naira didn’t get much of a chance to set about fixing the dieline before a knock on the door distracted her. Before she could call out to see who it was or to invite them in the door had slid open to reveal Jack. Once again she wasn’t given much of an opportunity to answer him when asked how she was before he’d figured it out for himself.

Despite the fact that it was easy to see she was irritated, Naira leaned forward on her desk, holding up the lopsided mess that was supposed to represent a box. “This is not a box. I’m going to eat the guy’s children who made the dieline for this sloppy garbage!”

A scoff left her as she leaned back in her chair, tossing the paper box away. It skittered along the desk before stopping against the monitor’s stand. It would remain there for some time before Naira would grow annoyed by it and crumple it up into the trash bin. For now it didn’t matter too much to her. Besides, Jack had something of a point; she was at least making money. If she could save a good portion of that up maybe she could find a way to get out and—if she was in this same predicament—maybe find Naeva.

“Yeah, yeah,” she grumbled. Pushing a hand through her bangs she shook away her annoyance, or tried to at least. “So, what brings you here?”

While she waited for his answer Naira took to fixing her sloppy ponytail. She’d thrown it up after awhile though it was coming loose as time passed. Now seemed like a good time to fix it before getting back to work, depending on how long Jack remained here with her. The distraction was a little welcome though, if she was honest about it.


Zer0 nodded as Naeva gave her assessment unprompted. She must have been relieved that nothing had happened in the time he’d been away. In a way, he was as well though he would not admit to it. It was a bit of a strange feeling, having it for someone living rather than for an item he was seeking finally being found.

“Then let us be off,” Zer0 announced, turning and starting them off. Though no one had followed him in it didn’t mean no one had seen him enter this place. He’d rather see a threat coming if he could help it. Besides, Naeva was anxious as it was.

Like that morning and the day before, Zer0’s strides were long though Naeva kept up well enough. Perhaps her desire to leave this city once and for all was enough to keep her willing to move swiftly. If she grew tired all she had to do was ask for a quick break. For the moment there was none, bandits and psychos and scavengers lurking all over the place on these streets.

He glanced at Naeva as they walked. She still held the pistol in her hand though she did not look at all eager to use it. At least there was no reason to think she’d turn it on him for any reason or to grow trigger-happy. There was a sense of relief in that observation as well.

“Perhaps if we are lucky we might acquire a vehicle for our travels here,” Zero said eventually.

Naira offered a sigh and a wry smile in return for Jack’s attempt at a joke. Though he seemed to be trying not to get on her bad side it was clear he found her complaint amusing. Of course it wasn’t every day someone heard complaints about something as mundane as boxes.

She watched as he strode forward, making himself comfortable on the edge of her desk. For the most part it seemed like he planned to stay for a little while, though whether or not that was a good thing Naira couldn’t say. For all she knew he might just be a distraction from work and she’d find herself thrown out an airlock or something. Naira wouldn’t have been surprised if any number of people ended up dead in Hyperion for repeated screw-ups.

“Admit it, you just wanted to see my cute face,” Naira joked. A bit of bantering and flirting might be just what she needed to forget her irritation with the nameless designer who couldn’t properly create a box dieline.

Honestly, it would have been a better day for her if she’d had music to listen to as she worked. Still, a smartphone wasn’t something that existed in this place if the Echoes were anything to go off of. Pulling it out would just create more questions. Naira tried to resist sighing at that. She’d have to go through the trouble of tracking down music again as well as saying goodbye forever to some of the remixes or covers from talented people online in her own universe.

Naira shook the thought away for now. She’d worry about it when she had some time to spare, maybe find music on her downtime. It was worth a try, at least.


It wasn’t until he’d mentioned finding a vehicle as a possible option did Naeva sound even remotely amused about anything. Being around so many potential threats would do that to someone, assuming they were unaccustomed to such things. It had long since become clear to Zer0 that Naeva was just that. Wherever she was from she had had little need for learning to defend herself.

“Another thing you are none too confident in?” Zer0 guessed. “No matter. I am well versed in driving if need be.”

He spared a brief nod to Naeva’s assessment that followed. Only when they had a better means of travel would they be able to race to find clues. With any luck, something that seemed to be avoiding them, they might find something quickly. Zer0 just hoped that it was all worth it for him in the end.

“A quest to see to, there is no reason to stop, we will continue on.”

Their pace was still quite quick and even, passing by many on the streets. There were more than there had been before but it was later in the afternoon here, no doubt more people had ventured out for the day. So far there had been no incidents. Perhaps they were smarter than Zer0 gave them credit for, unwilling to risk their lives against him for the time being.

Jack was quick to joke back though he soon admitted why he was really here. The concern he showed about it was a little bewildering to Naira. Was he really sincere about being concerned or did he just want to keep her around for something else? It was hard to tell. He was a clever guy, after all, who seemed to plan things out in advance.

She offered a shrug finally. “I kind of enjoy living, actually. As far as I know playing video games gets hard if you’re kinda dead.”

There was a moment where Naira wondered how much it was going to be to build up any kind of game collection in this place. Or even what kind of systems she could expect. She’d have to do a bit of looking around when she had the time. Venting with video games would help with her stay here, at least she hoped so if she could get her hands on some.

She didn’t like the sound of being told what to do all of the time but for now she’d have to to get by. It was an inevitable evil. Hopefully, in time, that would change.

“Talk about hell,“ Naira scoffed, holding her hands up in a mock shrug. Still, there wasn’t much she could do about it now.


Naeva seemed quite adamant about not driving, going so far as to elaborate the worst case scenario with her behind the wheel. Zero thought about it for a second or two before allowing an ellipsis to burst forth in red from his helmet. It hovered for a moment there before disappearing again. He’d rather not find out if what she said was true or not.

“An unpleasant end, one that we will avoid now, I will be driving.”

If that helped relieve any stress from her than it might be well worth it. It was enough that she was very uncertain about even holding a gun to begin with, the last thing he needed was to push Naeva further passed her comfort zone. Driving wasn’t exactly a necessity in survival anyways.

Now they needed to find clues, but where to start? It seemed like this was also on Naeva’s mind, no doubt more so due to her missing friend. This didn’t surprise Zero and perhaps it was proper motivation for Naeva anyways.

“A difficult task in itself,” Zero admitted. It was definitely an understatement.

Naira scoffed, a tired smirk playing on her lips. She wasn’t about to let stress and exhaustion beat her right now. She still had to get herself on solid footing and then seek answers, perhaps find Neva if she were in this same situation. If she failed now it would be unforgivable.

“Please! You say that as if there’s any doubt of my intelligence,” Naira accused, tossing her hair as she did so. There was a playful tone to her voice.

Jack didn’t hesitate before he’d gone on about his own greatness, albeit his ‘goodness’. Naira really wasn’t too sure how to take that. He honestly seemed to believe that he was a hero when it had all been just a game and even now he wasn’t going out of his way to be a psycho. Did something happen to change that? Naira supposed she might find out one day.

For now she could only take things in stride. He was offering her help after all.

“Oh, it’s the best,” she agreed teasingly. “And cute to boot!”

There wouldn’t be any harm with a bit of flirting, she didn’t think. At least that was how Naira justified it. Having a bit of fun would at least make the time pass by quicker and she wouldn’t be so stressed.


Zer0 wondered if he should have said anything what with Neva’s answer. In a way it was hard to deal with her, so sensitive as she was. Zer0 wondered if that was a bad thing or not. So accustomed to his ways and to the people he dealt with day to day it was hard to say. In time he might learn or think otherwise.

There was no time to dwell on that for now.

“When there is time and space there will be plenty of practice to be had,” he said instead. If she were worried about running them over a cliff or something Zer0 could locate an empty plain where there was nothing but rock and dirt to run over.

Up ahead there was the city limits again. It would be with some amount of relief that they’d leave this place once again. Until he was utterly sure of Neva’s ability to care for herself and to shoot a gun at any threats Zer0 would remain uneasy about such things. This might be his only chance for something of great challenge in recent days after all.

“But perhaps you like other things,” Zer0 mused briefly.