The Demon Within

Zer0 awaited the train at the station. He looked over the five others that awaited the same train. Being an assassin, he could read people. One was a soldier, Dahl by the looks of it. Zer0 thought the guy was a little full of himself by the way he stood.

The next was a short man, probably an anger issue due to his relative size and the size of his muscles. The next man looked like a cross between a bruiser and a psycho. His head would twitch like he was having an internal conflict, schizophrenic probably. A small girl, probably a teenager, sat and fiddled with her metal arm. He wasn't sure what would cause a girl to be on this god forsaken hell hole.

The last person was a siren. His mind would wander to her then something else, then back to her. She intrigued him, made him think. The train rolled up and all of them entered the car. "Anyway," the soldier sighed "I'm Axton."

"I am Salvador!" the short man bellowed. "Gaige." The girl introduced. The large man twitched his head and bellowed "KRIEG!" Zer0 looked to the woman. "My name is Maya." She introduced.

Maya He thought Maya. He realized everyone was staring at him. "If you wish to know" He haikued "My name is unimportant/ But it is Zer0." They all looked at him with strange looks. "WHY NUMBER MAN TALK LIKE THAT!?" Krieg bellowed.

"This is just haiku/ It is a Japanese poem/ It is how I talk."

"YOU MAKE MY HEAD HURT"

I highly doubt my talking is the only thing making your head hurt. He thought. Maya stepped forward and held out her gloved hand. "It is nice to meet you, Zer0." He proclaimed. He took her hand and shook it. She turned his hand and announced "You only have four fingers."

"Yes."

"Why is that?"

He drew his hand back and sat on a crate, he was done talking. "What's your problem?" Salvador asked. "Yeah, it was just a question, freak." Axton added. "Leave him alone!" Maya defended. "If he doesn't feel like answering he doesn't have to." Zer0 looked at her with astonishment.

This woman I just met is defending me? He thought. How curious. A " " holo popped onto his helmet. Gaige flipped when she saw this, running over to him and exclaimed "A holo projector? How awesome!" Zer0 was surprised yet again at her reaction. "Is it a neural uplink to visualize your emotions?" Gaige questioned.

"Why, indeed it is/ You are a very smart girl/ How did you know that?"

"I designed my arm myself, plus Deathtrap."

"?"

She raised her mechanical arm and a large robot digistructed from out of the ground. "Impressive." Zer0 had to admit. At that point, Zer0 noticed at the other end of the car, the sign that read "Welcome Vault Hunters" fell to reveal another that read "To your doom. (Nothing personal)". Loaders dropped down and began firing. Zer0 saw Axton run to the back and throw out a turret, attaching it to the roof of the car.

More loaders dropped down at the other end and Axton pulled out a rocket launcher. He blasted a few of the loaders. He saw Maya raise her other hand and phase lock a loader. What power He thought how impressive. He saw Salvador pull out two assault rifles and began firing the wildly.

Zer0 jumped through a hole in the ceiling and saw two engineers charging him. Too easy. He thought. He deployed his hologram and turned invisible. He ran around the engineers as one punched his hologram. Zer0 came back around and plunged his sword into the other engineer's back.

He did a flip and shoved the other one into the blade. Doing a recovery roll, he stood up and admired his work. He pulled his blade out and jumped back into the car. Everyone was prepared to enter the last car as Axton kicked the door in. The car was filled with dynamite and explosives as a Jack dummy turned to face them.

"It's cute that y'all think you're the heroes of this story," The dummy mocked, "but you're not. Welcome to Pandora kiddos!" The explosives went off, bathing the car in flames. Zer0 flew back and slammed into the back of the car as the train derailed and crashed into the ground. The car split open and threw the Vault Hunters out and onto the cold, snow covered ground. He was still conscious and looked around.

The others were all spread across the frozen field, knocked out cold. He felt a splitting pain in his arm and looked down to see a nasty gash. A thick, black liquid started to ooze from the wound and started covering his hand. When it would have dripped down his finger tip, instead solidified into black claws. Yes. A dark voice in his head growled. It has been too long since I have been free.

Zer0 grabbed his arm and applied pressure to the wound. You are not free! Zer0 barked in his head. I am still in control! For now. The voice growled again. This planet will break you, and I will be free.

As long as I breathe, you will stay locked inside me.

We will see how long that lasts. I will wear you down, I will scratch at the wall that separates us, I will be free and when I do… I will kill everything you hold dear.

You will do no such thing D3m0n! I am the one in control! Now get back!

For now, Zer0, you are in control FOR NOW. You have been able to suppress me for a long time, but now that I have a taste… I will want more. Until we meet again.

The black liquid retreated back into the wound and Zer0 collapsed. That was close Zer0 thought too close. I have to be more careful. Zer0 passed out as he saw a small shadow approaching the unconscious Vault Hunters.

So what do you guys think? This isn't a priority story and won't get updated as often as New Pandora or Two Assassins. Probably as often as Hunters of Middle Earth, but I will update it sometimes. Let me know what all of you think.

-Chief