ginbean | "GROWING PAINS"

Notes: Quick bit of gobbledygook. Such a sad moment. :(

SPOILER ALERT.

With the upgrade in hand and the blood of an ally on his helmet, Zer0 stands back and watches the lines of red streak through the air in the distance.

Mordecai is pissed.

It's almost hypnotic in a way, to watch each shot hit with deadly precision unmarred by the pleasant buzz of alcohol. As Jack's taunts continue to echo in his ear, the assassin makes himself comfortable in the shadow of the small cliff and waits for the massacre to end.

He wonders what such rage feels like. The kind where you lose a loved one to the hands of murder. He's certain he's caused such feelings himself at some point, if not every day. Yet he's never had to experience such an emotion himself. In a way, it worries him a little, because karma is unkind and now he has so much to lose.

As if such thoughts beckon her, Maya's voice pops up on the ECHO.

"Zer0? Are you alright? Roland just told us what happened."

"Fine. I am unhurt." He replies briskly, no trace of emotion in his distorted voice as he glances to the left and sees another loader go down, sparks flying out of it's eye. "Cannot say the same for the hunter." There's a pause and- suddenly? Zer0 finds he very much does not want to speak of Mordecai's sorrow. "Your mission?" He inquires then, genuinely wondering how the other four fared in Hammerlock's quest. Given his previous missions, it had seemed like a good idea at the time to send Zer0 alone for the infiltration task and leave the others to deal with the Thresher.

Now? Now it just seemed like a mistake. Perhaps if there had been more of them, one of them could have prevented Bloodwing's demise. Gaige, perhaps, with her knack for machinery, or Axton who seemed to have a sixth sense for Jack's schemes.

Well, what was done could not be undone. There was no soothing the hunter's rage now.

"Knocked us around a bit but we made it out okay." Maya replies quietly, seemingly choosing her next words with great care. "Is Mordecai-?" Zero's reply is instant.

"It is not my place
To speak of something like that
Go ask him yourself." The firm response, despite its spoken form, draws a sigh from Maya as she gives up on that line of questioning. The assassin is clearly not in the mood to discuss what happened. Anything else she might have to say, however, Zer0 will never know as a new voice butts in on the conversation.

"Zer0," Axton begins. "All finished over there?"

"Yes." His reply is quick and simplistic. Almost soldier-esque.

"Then come on home. We'll be waiting." The latter statement, oddly enough, sounds... kind. Before Zer0 can mull on that, Axton cuts the connection leaving him with a half formed question on his lips. Strange.

With the conversation complete, Zer0 inclines his head slightly and realizes Mordecai hasn't fired his rifle for some time now, which probably means Jack's assault has ended in failure once again. Getting to his feet and brushing off the dirt, he walks into the light and pauses to look up at the hunter's perch where he can just make out Mordecai's still form. The rage, it seems, has been replaced with grief.

Having something to lose is a hindrance, Zer0 thinks automatically. Uncharitably.

Walking on and leaving the hunter to his sorrow, Zer0 is still thinking that when an image flashes to the forefront of his mind. One of Axton, Maya, Salvador and Gaige sitting in Moxxi's, offering him a seat as one of them passes him a bottle and slaps him on the back. As the image clears, more a memory than anything, he stops in front of the fast travel station and realizes his hand is shaking slightly. Staring at the outstretched limb in surprise, he draws it closer for a moment and then closes and opens his fingers slowly, waiting for them to steady.

Fear? He wonders, amused and... uncertain. He's not used to that.

For a moment longer he ponders this newfound emotion, before deciding it doesn't matter. He has no reason to fear anything, least of all the death of one of his comrades. His resolve reaffirmed, Zer0 reaches for the fast travel panel once more and selects Sanctuary. As the machine slowly deconstructs him, he has one last thought before everything goes white.

It's not like there's anyone strong enough to take them away from me anyway.