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"A new vault appeared. / I am going to fight it. / Do you wish to come?" Zer0 abruptly opened the door to my room and said.

I didn't have my helmet on so I quickly reached to put it back on. I know he already knows what I look like, but something about being seen makes me feel... Unsafe.

Once I had my helmet back on, I approached him.
"Maybe, it depends on if I'm needed here, but I am quite curious as to what a real Vault Monster looks like. I will ask Claire if I can go, but if they need me here I will not."

He nods and follows me out as I head to Claire's house.

I knock on her door and wait for a response.

The door opens and I see Claire with messy hair and an upset look on her face.

"What- Y/n, Zer0?! It's the middle of the night! What could be so important for you two to bother me at this time?"

"I apologize, I forgot that you sleep during these hours. I was just... Uh..." I look at Zer0 and ask "Zer0, what was that word again? The one you told me about earlier?"

He thinks for a moment. "It was 'excited.'"

"Ah right, I got excited. Zer0 has invited me to fight a vault with him and I am very interested in what a Vault Monster looks like. Would it be alright if I go?" I ask her.

"Oh?" She gives a strange look to Zer0 who turns away his head. "Hmm he invited you to fight a vault together you said? Sounds like the perfect date for a vault hunter." She had a large grin on her face and she laughed as Zer0's visor showed "///////" on it.

I tilt my head in confusion. "Date? What does the date have to do with anything? Are Vault Monsters weaker on certain days?"

"Wow... Rick was right you are super oblivious." She grins at me.

"I do not understand..."

"Don't worry about it sugar. We'll be fine while your gone, so you two enjoy your date." She sends a wink at Zer0, who tensed up when she said the word date again, and she closes the door on us.

I turn to face Zer0.
He seems to know what I'm going to ask before I say anything because he stops me.
"We have to go soon / I will explain this later."

He walks away before I can question him any further.

We decide to go separately. The vehicle they are using to pick people up only has room for one more, so I tell Zer0 to go while I grab a car from the Catch-A-Ride and drive to the base.

I arrive later than them. Seeing the fallen remains of Helios being used as a base fills me with an emotion I'm unfamiliar with.
The old employees stop and stare at me as I walk inside. Zer0 must've explained that I was coming and that I used to work for Hyperion, but I'm not sure if he mentioned just who I am.

I hear whispers of people thinking I was dead.

Whispers of fear.

Whispers of corporate shackles coming back.

I don't like the emotion that rises in my chest. It makes me want to cry and throw up. But I ignore it and continue.

Once inside I walk down the hall that I hear talking coming from. As I enter the room all talking ceases and I see two faces I wasn't expecting to see.

I also see Zer0 perk up at my appearance.

"I- uh- what... What are you doing here? How are you alive?!" Rhys yells out. Vaughn stares at me in shocked silence.

"Do you know each other? / This is the fiend I mentioned. / He will be useful."
A "?" appears on his helmet as he questions Rhys.

"You didn't mention him being a crazy super-soldier made by Hyperion that is out for my neck!" Rhys squeaks out.

I approach him quickly, remaining quiet as I approach. He stumbles back slightly but doesn't back away. I kneel before him and see Zer0's visor pop up a "???" As he watches.

"I have found you. Please allow me to dedicate myself to your service, it has become clear to me that you are the one I'm meant to serve." I explain.

"Uh..-wh... What? Me? So this means that you aren't going to kill me?" He chokes out.

"Unless you wish for me to, I will not harm you."

"Okay, is this super weird to anyone else? Cause this is super weird to me." A woman in a nice hat says.

"I apologize / Y/n has strange ways of thinking. / You get used to it." He stares at me for a little bit before looking elsewhere.

I stand up and stare down at Rhys. My attention quickly shifts to Vaughn as they continue to speak about the vault. I don't pay too much attention as I focus on the man next to me. He has changed a lot. Similar to Jack, but just more stable. I don't pay attention to time as it passes.

"Um... Zer0 called you Y/n right?" Vaughn gets my attention.

"Yes, that is correct."

"You'll stay in here with me and Yvette in case The Traveller decides to attack us. If it does you'll have to help hold it off or distract it while we try to figure something out." He explains my role and I nod.

"Understood," I confirm.

"Sounds good to me!" A new voice calls out. Apparently, they know her since they don't start attacking.

Rhys greets her and they act rather strange.

I'll ask Zer0 about it later.

Once the two are done, the group starts leaving. I decide that it's probably best for me to follow Vaughn.

We watch from the control area where the moonbeam controls are. The robot, which I learned is the vault key, is quite impressive. Probably the biggest robot I've seen.

The fight rages on, a lot of parts of the plan changed, but it was still done.

I thought the lady with the nice hair was going to die, but some watch thing saved her, and everyone but Athena, Zer0, and I didn't join in.
I start to listen as Zer0 says something.

"It was looking grim. / That's quite the turn of events." He says.

Athena shoots him a look. "Do you always talk in haiku?" She asks.

"It's inconsistent," Zer0 responds.

So that's why his speech sounds strange.

I follow behind him as he approaches Rhys and the lady with the nice hat.

"I quite enjoyed this. / Perhaps we'll do it again." He says to her.

Rhys speaks up. "Wow… that… that sounds… awesome." He sounds... Excited?

"I'm talking to her." Zer0 clarifies.

Rhys gives a look to the lady. "Yeah. Of course."

Soon there is talk of a wedding between Athena and the nice engineer lady.

What is a wedding?

~~~~~~~this is where cannon dialogue ends~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Right after that everyone starts running around looting the vault, but Zer0 starts walking away. He motions for me to follow him.

We both make our way up to one of the ledges that slightly hung over the crater in the ground that the vault appeared in.

He sits down and I take it as an invitation to sit next to him.

He doesn't say anything.

I wait for him to speak and watch the people below us. He seems to appreciate the silence.

"About the date thing. /"

He starts and I give him my full attention.

"Dates are time spent with loved ones. / Someone that you kiss."

"Oh! That type of love."

"Yes, Claire was joking. People joke about dating. It's a common joke."

"That makes more sense. Since you are not in love with me and I am not in love with you." I nod in understanding.

He hesitates for a second.
"Yeah..."

I look back at the remains of the Vault Monster.

I decide to not question him any more. Something doesn't feel right about this moment. The way he's staring at the ground, how distant he seems, and he didn't even bother completing the haiku earlier.

There's a heavy feeling in my chest that I don't like.

"Are you staying here? / To be with Rhys like you said?" He breaks the silence.

"Yes. I finally found him, so why would I leave?"

"I have jobs to do. / I guess this is where we part..."

He goes silent again but it seems like something he isn't saying.

My attention is brought back to him as I feel his hand suddenly grab my arm.

"/ Come with me instead."
Something in his voice sounds familiar. My thoughts drift to when Jack asked me to hold him. The tone in his voice sounds similar.

"...I can't."

His grip tightens for a moment before he completely lets go. He stands up and uses his ability to disappear.

The heavy feeling in my chest is worse now.

It hurts.

---

Sunny: I was originally planning on making this a nice and sweet chapter where some feels develop, but I'm evil  >:)