Chapter 15 – Medicine Is Fun

Ajay didn't get much rest. She downed two pills before scooping up D.O.C and securing her drone into her backpack. She swung her backpack over her shoulder and left her apartment. She took it easy on her way to HQ. She didn't bother with any training today, she was too sore. She hoped that she wouldn't be wielding any shotguns or snipers today. She was pretty sure she would rip her wound open if she had to use either of those weapons. The air was warm and inviting today, it felt good. She didn't really spend much time outside, she was too involved with her current career at Apex.

She entered HQ, for once she wasn't early. She made her way immediately to the loading area and then to the bathroom. She quickly changed her dressing with the supplies she had stashed in her backpack. She left the backroom and made her way to the dress screen and sifted through outfits. She had five minutes before she had to be on the transport ship. She decided on a common, Yellowjacket outfit. She made sure that D.O.C. was tucked away in her left pocket and made her way to the transport ship where all the other Legends were waiting. She had one minute to spare as she sat down in her seat.

The ship took off, it was always so quiet. Ajay realized it was almost time to launch. She stood up and took a look around she almost forgot that she was supposed to meet her partner. "Where the fuck was he?" Ajay made her way to the front of the ship as the timer began the 30 second count down. There, at the front of the line, was her partner. All the color drained from her face and familiar head spinning came back. Her partner held his hand out, "Hey there, I'm Mirage."

"Elliot..." His goggles covered his beautiful eyes. He was wearing the same colors as her; dumb luck. Except he was outfitted with some type of suit. It looked familiar to her. "That's what gives him his cloaking abilities." She took his hand to give it a firm shake, "Lifeline!" Her voice went high as the timer hit zero and he pulled her off the ship to jump. He held her hand during their descent. She couldn't even look at him right now. She managed to get her hand free and break from them. As they landed in Relay. She hit the ground hard outside of a building nearest to Wetlands. She noticed Mirage land two buildings deeper into Relay with two other dive trails. Lifeline hurried to grab an RE45 and an R99. She picked up what ammo she could. "No armor, no time."

She started running to the building that Mirage and the other two Legends landed in. Gunfire erupted. The sound of armor cracking broke through the gunfire. She noticed Gibraltar's dome of protection glitching through the building. Lifeline readied her RE45 as she opened the door. Her HUD popped up that Mirage was down. She quickly scanned the room and saw Bangalore down in the corner. Mirage had a decoy out and he was invisible somewhere. Gibraltar stood with his back to her. She quickly aimmed her RE45 at his head and unloaded the clip into the back of his head. Both Gibraltar and Bangalore turned into death boxes. Lifeline didn't have to go far to find Mirage. She helped him up, "I've got ya. Shield's up." She pulled D.O.C. out to heal him while they looted the death boxes.

After looting some of Relay they make their way to Wetlands, which didn't not appear to be looted on the lower level. They both entered a small building together. Lifeline felt Mirage right next her and then his hand on her shoulder turning her around. He gently removed her comms device from her ear, he had already taken has his out. "Lifeline..." She backed up until she could feel a wall behind her. "Not now. Not during a match." She didn't say anything. She just listened to him.

"I am sorry I couldn't tell you what my job was about." She cut him off, "Now is not the time ya hear?" She grab her comms device and placed it back into her ear as she pushed him away. Her words didn't seem to faze him because he just flashed a smile at her. They made their out Wetlands towards the Bunker area of the map. She knew of least one person that would be located in Bunker. "Mirage." They stopped at the top of the hill above Cascades and pointed to Bunker, pinging the location.

"Yep?" Mirage looked towards the location that Lifeline pinged. "Caustic likes to set up in there." Mirage nodded to her, "Yep." The sirens began to go off and the storm was coming. The ring was closing and it was going to close off Bunker. Lifeline pinged the pathway to the right of Bunker, "If we go now we can make it through there and to Pit. There is only one more team left." Mirage confirmed the location and they slid down the hill, running through the water.

The path was set between two small mountains. There was a set of stairs on the left leading up to a metal platform with the center cutout. The other side of the platform had stairs on the right. They could stay high or low. They decided to stay high. As they ran through the area, the storm closed off Bunker and Caustic died to the storm. "One enemy left." Lifeline spoke into the comms device. Before she could finish Mirage shot at someone at the front of the Pit entrance. The air hissed and cracked as a dark purple portal appeared. It was Wraith.

They made it to the portal in no time. Lifeline grabbed Mirage's shoulder and quickly spoke to him, "After ya exit the portal use ya tactical and then ya ultimate." Mirage looked a little confused, "After I exit... Whoa!" Lifeline pushed him into the portal which swallowed him and transported him into the Pit where Wraith was waiting. He did exactly what his teammate said and snuck around the backside of Wraith.

Lifeline waited five seconds and took the portal with her R99 readied. By the time she got there Mirage's ultimate was done and he was behind Wraith. Everyone fired their weapons. Wraith had a peacekeeper and Mirage had an R301. Life's armor was busted in one pull of the trigger. Another pull of the trigger and she was knocked. Mirage finished Wraith. Lifeline was a little sad as Wraith turned into a box, after all Wraith was her former teammate. Mirage offered Lifeline a hand to stand up. "We have our Apex Champions."

Mirage held Lifeline's hand. He didn't bother to pull away. She closed her eyes, inhaled, and held her breath. The familiar sound of the transport ship hummed in her ears. Her hands were empty and she was sitting alone. She let out the breath she was holding in. She folded her arms across her chest. "Good work kid." Anita tapped her shoulder. Ajay looked up to Anita as she walked away to talk to Makoa. She looked over to Renee who nodded at her. Ajay nodded back before her view was blocked by Elliot's ass, "Party at my place!" Elliot announced to everyone in the ship.

Ajay's eyes grew wide for a moment before turning back to normal. He sat down next to her. "We didn't have a proper introduction. The name is Elliot Witt." He held out his hand. She looked at him weird but then it hit her, none of the other Legends knew that they had some history so they had to put on a show. She took his hand to shake it but instead he took her hand and kissed the top of it. He let his lips linger for a moment before pulling away. "Ajay Che." She said; she was too tired to react to the kiss. When he released her hand she just dropped it, leaned back in her seat, and closed her eyes.

Ajay could feel eyes on her but she didn't move. Then she heard Elliot's voice, "I am sure you heard but there will be a victory party at my place tonight. Right after we land." She opened her eyes to look at him, "We have debriefing right after we land." He chuckled, "So mater-of-fact huh? Then it's settled. Party at my place after debriefing!" He announced. Everyone, except for Caustic, seemed excited. Elliot text the address to everyone except for Ajay because she already had it. What Ajay didn't know is that he told them to show up about an hour a half after debriefing.

The ship landed and they all went for debriefing. Mirage was first followed by Ajay. It didn't take long, it never did. After the debriefing Ajay changed and went to gather her backpack. She looked around everywhere, it was gone. She turned over almost everything. "Looking for this?" She found her backpack in the hands of Elliot. She stomped over, grabbed her backpack, and put it on. "Ooohhhh. Are you mad?" He looked at her and smiled. He noticed that she was wearing his shirt. "That's a nice shirt you are wearing." He licked his lips admiring her exposed shoulder and bra strap.

He stood there in some loose fitting shorts and a tee shirt. His goggles sat on his forehead. He blocked the doorway. She just stood there and waited for him to move but instead he grabbed her and threw her on his back, like his was giving her a piggyback ride. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on for dear life. He locked his arms around her legs and ran around shooting, "Victory lap!" Eventually he ran out of the building to his place with Ajay on his back.