A/N: Chapter twooo... GO!

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The masked assassin dashed over the rugged terrain, heading away from the facility's main building and towards one of the open containment areas, all the while still carrying Aki in his arms. He continued speeding down the hill before crossing over a small creek, hopping from rock to rock gracefully while also dogging a few skags...

He's so fast! Aki couldn't help but think, tightening her grip on his shoulders just as Handsome Jack's voice rang out from above.

"Whoahahaahaha... You didn't think you were gonna get out of here ALIVE, did ya?" Jack chuckled, sounding very confident about that statement as a few loaders crashed to the ground. "I'm gonna have a lot of fun watching my bots tear you apart bandit, then, I'm going to come down there and take back my property!" He threatened, making Aki cringe as she knew he was serious.

"Intruder in range. Deploying reinforcements." An automated voice repeated, causing the security system to dispatch even more loader bots around both trespassers as they made a mad dash for the exit...

"Vault hunter... Get down." The voice from earlier warned, the tone and seriousness of it making Aki and her rescuer glance towards each other for a split second before taking cover. In the next instant the battlefield was roaring with explosions as grenade after grenade hit the ground, sending everything that was exposed flying in different directions. Bits and pieces of machinery sailed through the air as the sniper above laughed, shouting and cursing while he continued to launch attacks.

"DIE ASSHOLES! SCREW YOU! VETE AL DIABLO YOU SONS OF BITCHES!!" He screamed, sending one more mortar through the security fence before chuckling. "Take THAT."

A very shocked :0 expression flashed across the assassin's mask as he peeked over the boulder him and Aki were currently hiding behind, the woman next to him also looking very surprised as they surveyed the damage.

"That sure was something..." Aki mumbled, still pretty shocked from the entire ordeal. "I can't thank you enough, um..." She trailed off, staring at the stranger's unique helmet while wondering what was actually underneath it. Whoever he is, he put his life on the line to save me... And looked amazing while doing it... Aki remembered, never seeing anyone with such talent in combat before.

"A test for my skills,/ A satisfying outcome.../ You are most welcome." The man behind the mask spoke, flashing another :) hologram across his helmet before standing. He helped Aki to her feet as well before looking her over, realizing there was no way he could leave the defenseless woman alone out here in enemy territory...

"Allow me to help,/ To escort you, somewhere safe.../" The swordsman explained quickly, feeling nervous for some reason while staring into the brilliant green eyes that were watching him. "And call me Zer0." He finished, cursing his own awkwardness internally while flashing the corresponding number across his mask.

"Nice to officially meet you Zer0..." Aki replied with a grin, her ears perking up happily while finally learning her hero's name. "I'm Aki."

With their introductions now taken care of, the pair disappeared through the facility's exit, heading towards Sanctuary and the rest of the resistance while Handsome Jack watched from above...

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Back at Sanctuary...

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Aki glanced around nervously at the residents of the city, noticing instantly how all of them stopped and stared as she and Zer0 walked by. I guess it's not every day that you see a genetically modified cat girl... The woman mused, knowing that she really was a strange sight indeed. You definitely don't see someone like Zer0 everyday either, Aki realized, continuing to follow said man as he lead her through Sanctuary's streets. I wonder what his story is...

Before she could wonder about that too long however, the pair arrived at the Crimson Raiders headquarters, both of them heading inside and upstairs towards a rather loud conversation...

"For the last time Lilith, you are NOT coming with us."

"Like hell I'm not!" A woman's voice argued, the harsh tone of it making Aki slightly nervous as her and Zer0 rounded the corner. "You're really going to trust what Angel says? After everything she's already lied to us about?!"

"I don't want to take any chances... I-"

The two people talking stopped as soon as they noticed the arrival of their comrade, everyone in the room feeling slightly apprehensive now that there was another variable present...

"So she's the 'experiment' huh..." A familiar voice spoke, causing Aki's ears to perk up as she recognized it as the one from earlier. She glanced over at the tall, slender man sitting in the shadows as he took a swig from the bottle he was holding, kicking his feet up against a nearby desk while leaning back in his chair. "Tch, how much bullshit are we gonna have to deal with?"

"Chill Mordecai, it's not her fault what happened..." The other woman in the room stated, sending a warning look towards her friend as he continued to drink. "Besides, we can use all the help we can get."

"You're right about that." A deep voice agreed, making everyone look towards the center of the room as the dark skinned man it belonged to began to speak. "If we're going to take down Jack once and for all, then we're going to need help... And someone who's already been on the inside in one of his compounds would be very useful... You got a name soldier?"

"Oh! Uh... Aki. My name is Aki." Said woman answered, glancing around at everyone else while they all eyed her up curiously.

"Well, welcome to the Crimson Raiders Aki... I'm Roland and this is Lilith," The soldier went on, gesturing to both himself and the red headed siren accordingly. "And that drunken scarecrow over there... That's Mordecai."

"Tch..."

"Looks like you've already met Zer0," Roland added, sending a nod towards the assassin before continuing. "There's a few more people that make up our resistance, but for now, if you don't mind, we have some business to attend to... We still need some help getting past the bunker and into Control Core Angel..."

"Another mission?/ I am ready whenever.../ But first, more ammo." Zer0 said smoothly, adjusting his rifle on his back as he spoke.

"Right. Good idea," Roland nodded, pulling a piece of paper towards himself before grabbing something to write with. "Go ahead and stock up on whatever you need, I'll get this letter done and let you know where to delivery it when you get back."

Zer0 nodded once in agreement before heading back towards the door, pausing briefly before glancing towards Aki. He sent the woman a rare :) emote and a wave before leaving, making Lilith raise a brow curiously as she observed the pair.

"You're more than welcome to stay here while you adjust," Roland added, continuing to write while Aki looked his way. "I know it's not much, but at least it's safer than being outside of Sanctuary, with the real bandits..."

"Thank you, really." Aki replied, truly grateful for the kindess. She was a stranger to them. A potential enemy even... And here this group was, offering her a place to stay despite knowing very little about her. "I'll do whatever I can to help out!" She piped up, glancing around at everyone before putting on a very determined face. "Handsome Jack needs to pay for everything he's done..."

The sniper in the corner raised his bottle at her words before taking another long drink, making Lilith shake her head before sighing.

"How about a little tour Aki?" The redhead offered, clasping her hands together in front of herself while sounding a bit stressed. "I could really go for a drink right about now... So first stop, Moxxi's!"

Aki nodded happily as herself and Lilith headed towards the doorway, the smaller of the two very curious about what other surprises the unique city had to offer...

Roland glanced up from his papers briefly while watching the pair go, letting out the breath he'd been holding as Mordecai hiccuped in the corner. At least with Lilith distracted for now, he didn't have to worry so much about her constantly arguing with him, giving the man some time to relax while he considered their next move. With the letter in his grasp finally finished, Roland approached the balcony overlooking Sanctuary, sending a little prayer to whatever was above them as he sighed.

Let's just hope the 'Slab King' decides to work with us on this one...

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A/N: I'm so excited to write cute little interactions/meetings between Aki and all the other characters ❀◕ u ◕❀ Let me know if you guys have any ideas or suggestions... See you in the next chapter!