Chapter 55 – Fight Or Fright
The hum of the transport ship wasn't as welcoming as it used to be. The details for the Halloween event were pretty vague. All of the Legends were dressed up for the event, but it was nothing that they picked out for themselves. All their costumes were provided by Apex. The costumes were more or less mandated for them to wear. Ajay was wearing a costume called Green Widow. She was a tone of green with orange and black clothing and cobweb lined skin. The event that they were playing tonight was called Fight or Fright. Besides not having teams and being back in Kings Canyon during the night, that was all they were told.
Ajay noticed that MRVN was the only one that wasn't wearing a costume. She wasn't the only one that noticed because Makoa beat her to the question, "Hey MRVN, where's your costume?" MRVN looked around, "Did you guys all come from a children's party?" Makoa laughed and smacked MRVN on the back, "You don't have a costume for the Halloween event?" MRVN tapped his screen but it was blank, "I am Octane's legs." MRVN began running in place. Makoa and Octavio laughed at MRVN. "Break a leg MRVN. Mine are made of steel." MRVN clapped at Octavio's joke.
The only thing that made the situation better for Ajay was a gift from Apex given to her from Blisk. She knew it had to be some backhanded gift though. It was a set of drumsticks with all of her Lifeline traits painted on them. They were called shock sticks because they could apparently shock any Legend she struck with them. She was told that she could use them in place of a weapon or her fists but the damage was pretty minimal. She held the brightly colored shock sticks in her hands and began drumming in the air around her. It was a skill that she would never forget from the band that she used to play in ages ago; she almost missed playing.
Ajay decided that for once she would not be the last one out of the transport ship. As the ramp opened she hopped out and that's when she heard the ominous laugh that struck her to the core. She swallowed hard as she heard the announcer's voice and laugh, "It's the same voice from my apartment." Her right shoulder ached and her body cried in agony as she landed on the roof of Market. She wondered if Crypto heard it too or he had ever heard it. She shook her head and hoped down into market. She collected level one body armor, a level one backpack, and a Ghostly Graveyard R301. She didn't hear it, so she didn't expect it when she was stuck down by a Ghouls and Ghost Peacekeeper by Wattson on the other end of it.
Her eyes burned as she opened them. Her body twitched when she stretched out her arms and looked at them. Her arms were black and orange tinged. Her skin looked like smoke was lingering from it. She tried to talk but she could not get out the words. Instead her words came out in the form of a screech noise. The ominous voice rang through her ears. "Time for a second chance in the shadows." She evaluated her HUD and the only thing she could do was melee and jump. She grasped her head in pain as she tilted her head inwards towards her chest. She heard the voice in head again "Join me in the shadows. Let me watch your face while you go. Put on your mask and go kill them my little Judge Jury Executioner. Kill them all." The voice echoed a laugh into her core. Lifeline just stood there as the voice laughed in her head. She was paralyzed with fear. "When it all goes dark, you don't wake up anywhere else."
It wasn't long before the match was over and Ajay was sitting in the transport ship. She held her head in her hands, hutched over herself in the same seat that she always sat in. It didn't take long for the ship to land. Everyone exited the ship except for Octavio, "Che?" He knelt down in front of her. Ajay rocked back and forth. "Che, what's wrong?" Octavio pulled her hands from her face to find tears pouring from her eyes. "Che..." He pulled Ajay to her feet and held her tightly. Ajay cried into Octavio for a few minutes before she regained some of her composure. As they walked out of the ship the hot air hit her face and she sank to her knees and lost it, throwing up all over the ground.
Octavio knelt down with her and rubbed her back until she was done. Ajay wiped her mouth against her arm. She shook as she stood up. Octavio helped her inside and into the bathroom. She was silent as she entered by herself. She rinsed her mouth out and splashed her face with cold water. She sighed as she looked at herself in the mirror. Her vision flashed with her smoke tinged skin. She closed her eyes tight and pushed the thought from her head and opened her eyes. "Get ya shit together." She stood up straight and put on her best poker face as she left the bathroom and entered into the debriefing room.
Debriefing was quick as usual. Ajay made her way out of the building to where Octavio, Natalie, and Hyeon Kim were waiting for her by the car. She got into the car and motioned for Hyeon Kim to sit up front with Octavio as she climbed into the back with Natalie. Octavio frowned a bit as everyone got situated. They drove in silence as Ajay curled up in the back seat. Natalie tentatively placed a hand on Ajay's shoulder. Ajay started sobbing again which made Octavio tense up as he drove, mostly because he didn't know what was wrong or what he could do to fix it.
Natalie cuddled up against Ajay's back side and pulled Ajay's hair from her face, trying to calm her. Ajay grabbed Natalie's hand and held it tight. Natalie closed her eyes as she rested her head against Ajay's back. Octavio looked over to Hyeon Kim for any indication of what might be going on but Hyeon Kim just looked back at him and shrugged. Ajay broke the silence half way through the long car ride, "The voice." Natalie spoke first as she lifted her head from Ajay's back, "What voice?" Ajay rubbed Natalie's hand, "The fucking announcer's voice." Ajay could only whisper. Natalie looked a little confused, "What about it? Was it too spooky?" Ajay swallowed hard and tried not to say anything mean to the naïve comment, "Nah. It was the monster that attacked me... The fucking mercenary from the Syndicate." Hyeon Kim grew tense in his seat.
Octavio kept driving as he listened to the conversation in the backseat. "They're doin this ta fuck with me." She closed her eyes and tried to control herself. She hated feeling like this. Natalie held Ajay's hand and used her other hand to rub her back. "Did the monster say anything to you?" Ajay nodded and Natalie waited patiently. "Join me in the shadows. Let me watch your face while you go. Put on your mask and go kill them my little Judge Jury Executioner. Kill them all." Ajay's body was tense as soon as she repeated it. The voice of the monster echoed through her head.
Hyeon Kim was holding a tight fist in his lap. "They're trying to brainwash you. Why else would they specifically talk to you like that?" He released his fist, "They are trying recruit you." Natalie continued to rub Ajay's back, "Did the monster say anything else to you" Ajay squeezed her eyes shut tightly, "When it all goes dark, you don't wake up anywhere else." Hyeon Kim quickly made another fist and pounded it into his thigh as they all grew silent again.
It wasn't too long before they pulled into the garage. Natalie helped Ajay out of the car and Octavio and Hyeon Kim unloaded everyone's belongings from the trunk. Octavio set their bags down in the kitchen. Hyeon Kim did the same with his and Natalie's stuff. "This is not good." Hyeon Kim said as Octavio looked at him. Octavio was silent as he began pouring them both drinks. Mila met them in the kitchen as Hyeon Kim began speaking to Octavio again, "If they get into her head they can break her Octavio. They will use her until she is no longer who she is." He downed his whole drink, "That's how they created that monster." Octavio poured him another drink as Hyeon Kim continued, "They will make her kill for them until she dies and then they will simulacrum her into some fucking robot. Then they will use her to kill again. Even if she dies they will bring her back again and again just to torture her. They will not let her rest. Ever."
Mila looked pale, "The Syndicate doesn't care. They will literally ghost her. They might even use her to make money in the arena." Octavio was silent as he finished his drink. Mila went to touch Octavio but hesitated as his demeanor didn't look so inviting, "If your next match is the same Fight or Fright theme then she needs to dip out. It might break her mentally. I can't imagine what she has been through to get here. She makes it look so easy but even the people that make it look easy have a breaking point and once they break they spiral fast."
Hyeon Kim looked over to find Natalie standing in the entryway of the kitchen, "How long have you been standing there?" Natalie leaned against the entry way, "Long enough. Don't you think Ajay should hear all of this? It's not very nice to talk behind someone's back." Octavio nodded, "Yeah, when she is ready." Natalie gave Octavio a stern look, "And when do you think that would be?" Octavio was becoming frustrated with her childish tone, "When I am ready to tell her." Natalie shook her head, "When is that?" Octavio set his glass down on the counter, rather loudly, "For fuck sakes Natalie. She almost died more than twice. She went through a mental nightmare; not once but twice! She also pulled a human being out and well organized mercenary syndicate. There are other things that you just don't know. She is my fucking wife and my best friend. I will know when to tell her." Natalie shrugged and pushed herself away from the entry way, "Don't wait too long." Hyeon Kim interrupted, "Where is Ajay?" Natalie sighed, "She's in the shower." Octavio walked by Natalie as she threw her hands up in the air at him.
The bedroom was dark when Octavio entered. The only light was the soft glow from the bathroom. Octavio closed the bedroom door and walked into the bathroom. He found Ajay sitting in the shower with her arms wrapped around her legs and her head pressed into knees. Octavio took off his clothes and stepped into the shower. The water that fell over Ajay was cold and it gave Octavio a sight chill. He sat down behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He placed his head against her back and listened to her heart beat which was stifled by her intermittent crying. After a few minutes Ajay turned the right side of her body into Octavio's chest and curled into him. Octavio held her tight against him. Shortly after, Ajay was finally able to stop crying.
The water became a deafening sound, so much so that Octavio turned it off. Ajay sat in his arms for what seemed like forever. They were both dry by the time Octavio picked up Ajay and carried her to their bed. He laid her down under the sheets and blankets and crawled into bed next to her. He curled up alongside her back and covered them both up. She had fallen asleep in the shower and he didn't have the heart to wake her up. He held her breasts against his arm, pulling her against him. She laid almost lifeless against him as he kissed her back and fell asleep.
