Chapter 65 – His Name Was Revenant
It had been about a month since the video of the newest Apex contestant had aired and now the Legends were sitting on a transport ship flying to World's Edge. Ajay did not have a good feeling about the match. The teams were sent to her in a text message like an afterthought just an hour before the match. The first team was: Bangalore, Wattson, and Bloodhound. The second team was: Octane, Crypto, and Pathfinder. The third team was: Wraith, Mirage, and Caustic. Which left her, Gibraltar, and Revenant. That was the monster's name, Revenant. Ajay sat in her normal seat on the transport ship. Her face was flat and lacked any emotion.
Ajay was so engulfed in her thoughts that she hardly even noticed that Makoa had sat down next to her. "Ajay?" She looked over to him and forced a smile. "Does that sound okay?" He smiled as he spoke. Ajay noticed that he always seemed to be smiling. "Sorry Makoa I was tryin to get my head in the game." He nodded, "I understand. It feels kind of strange fighting with someone who did all of that stuff on that video. But Cheryl said it was all fake anyway. What a way to promote something huh? I guess we have to get the job done." Ajay sighed and nodded. Cheryl Amacci was the head of the legal department for Hammond Robotics. Cheryl told The Legends that it was a good way to promote the Apex games and get better ratings. Ajay thought it sounded like a cover up for something that had to do with The Syndicate.
The thought that another major company was in bed with The Syndicate didn't sit well with Ajay but her thoughts were halted as the countdown clock began. Both Makoa and Ajay stood up to meet Revenant at the front of the ship. Makoa smiled, "How's it going Revenant?" The robotic looking skeleton just stood there and smirked at him. When the transport ship ramp opened Revenant immediately fell out backwards, spun in the air and headed towards Refinery. Lifeline shook her head and jumped out with Gibraltar. They both followed Revenant to Refinery.
Lifeline and Gibraltar both landed in the middle of Refinery, ground level, while Revenant was at the top of the building looting everything he could get his greedy hands on. Lifeline and Gibraltar began opening bins and grabbing what they could. Lifeline found level one armor evo armor? She shrugged and equipped it. She managed to find a P2020 and the hammer point hop-up for it. She threw on a level one backpack and filled it with light ammo and a few shield cells. She managed to find a level two heavy magazine but didn't have a weapon for it. "Level two heavy mag here." She spoke into the comms device and set a location via pinging it. Gibraltar tagged it in response, "I need it!" Revenant hopped down from the top of the building and snatched it. He laughed as Lifeline stood in front of him.
With clenched fists Lifeline's whole body shook with anger. "What are you going to do about little combat medic?" Revenant turned around and began to walk away, laughing at her as he did. Lifeline was done with this monster. She ran at him and knocked him over. His robotic body made a hard clunk noise as he hit the ground. She sat on his back with a leg to either side of him, pinning him to the ground. She pulled out her P2020 and cocked it. She forced the barrel of the gun to the back of his head as he laughed. Revenant didn't bother to get up, "Just do it already." His voice was low as he spoke to her.
"Whoa!" Gibraltar pulled Lifeline off of Revenant like she weighed nothing. "It's okay it's just a mag. If he needs it then it's fine." Lifeline kicked her legs like a child as Gibraltar held her against him, "What he needs ta do is learn some manners!" She fought against Gibraltar's arm that was looped around her waist. "Calm down Lifeline." His voice was soothing. Revenant got up off the ground making small metal grinding noises as he did.
Revenant turned and looked directly into Lifeline's eyes, "There's still time to run." He smirked at her. She pushed full force against Gibraltar as Revenant began to walk away toward Epicenter. She finally stopped struggling against Gibraltar. "Are you good now?" Gibraltar's voice was soft. She nodded and he let go of her. They began following their ill-mannered teammate towards Epicenter.
By the time that Lifeline and Gibraltar made it to Epicenter everything was looted by Revenant. They took what they could get and headed towards Capitol City where Revenant made it clear that he was going. "One more squad left." Gibraltar announced to the team. As they made it into Capitol City they both heard Revenant over the comms device yell, "I'm down! Pick me up!" Lifeline sighed and began running towards him with Gibraltar at her side. Gibraltar threw out his strike and dome shield while Lifeline picked up Revenant and threw out her D.O.C. drone to heal him.
Without a 'thank you' Revenant began a motion of five hand signals and began raising something out of the ground. "Summoning a Death Totem." Revenant yelled. The totem was larger than Revenant and in the shape of a diamond. It was ash and brown colored with smoke dripping like water and then rising from it. "It's the shadow situation all over again." Lifeline's stomach dropped and her shoulder ached. She stood there almost paralyzed with fear and pain as she looked at the totem. She could feel the raw power that the totem emitted and she didn't know if she was strong enough to fight it and the team that stood before them. "Come on Ajay get ya shit together."
Revenant looked behind him and directly at Lifeline, "Join me in the shadows." He grabbed her wrist with one hand and touched the totem with the other hand. The totem ripped through the air with a thunderous sound and poured over him. She watched as Revenant turned into a shadow of himself. She could feel the power as he gripped her wrist tightly. He laughed his ominous laugh and released her. Off Revenant ran at the other team. Gibraltar touched the totem next and was absorbed by its shadowy smoke. He followed Revenant's lead.
Lifeline hesitated and walked closer to the totem. She raised her hand and felt it pull her closer to it. As her hand got closer to the totem it began to shake, almost, uncontrollably. Her fingertips barely grazed the shadowy smoke but it was too late. She screamed inward as the totem poured its smoke and ash over her and tore through her insides in a quick rush like scolding hot water. In an instant everything fell quiet around her except for her footsteps; even her thoughts were silenced. She began to walk away from the totem and towards the battle, and then she began to run towards her teammates. They were already fighting the other team, Wraith, Mirage, and Caustic.
Lifeline began to shoot her P2020 at Wraith who began to create a portal for her teammates to get away. Everything sounded so drown out, like she was under water. She busted Wraith's armor right before Wraith disappeared out of her view. Lifeline reloaded her gun and began shooting at Caustic while she ran for cover nearby. She busted his armor and heard and unfamiliar sound that came from her armor. She couldn't reach cover in time and before she knew it she was being ripped back to the totem. When she could make sense of reality she threw out her D.O.C. drone. Gibraltar and Revenant stood with her as D.O.C. healed all of them from the totems effects. She noticed that her armor was blue and missing one notch of armor. She replenished her armor as Revenant ran back to battle. Gibraltar followed shortly after.
By the time Lifeline made it back to battle both Revenant and Gibraltar were already down. She didn't have time to pick them up. A round from a charged peacekeeper hit her in the back and busted her armor in one hit. She fell to her knees from the force of the strike. She coughed and watched as blood splattered over the pavement in front of her. "Fuck, fuck, fuck." She closed her eyes as the second and final round off the peacekeeper struck her in the back. Neither of the shots from the gun were pleasant and it always seemed to be that gun in particular that hurt her physically while she was in the arena.
When she was finally able to open her eyes she was sitting in her usual seat on the transport ship but she felt incredibly weak and sore. The ship was almost back to HQ. "So much for getting used to it. That was a lie. It always takes me foreva to wake up." She could taste the familiar metallic taste of blood in her mouth again. She tried to take a deep breath but it hurt just like the rest of her body. Landing couldn't come soon enough because Ajay was getting really uncomfortable in her seat.
The transport ship landed and everyone began to exit. Ajay stood up and felt a bit dizzy. She stood there for a moment to regain her balance. She began walking towards the exit ramp of the ship but it felt like it was forever away. Octavio waited for her at the end of the ramp and caught her as she almost stumbled down it. "Was the battle that epic Che?" He laughed a little to lighten the mood. She, again, forced another smile and nodded. She coughed into her hand as they walked through the hanger. Her hand felt wet and she knew exactly what was in her hand by the taste in her mouth. She closed her hand tightly as they walked into the building for debriefing.
Ajay went in for debriefing followed by Octavio into the other debriefing room. The debriefing team had expanded from one room into two rooms as the team of Legends had. Everyone was finished with debriefing in no time and Elliot had already announced a party at his place. He picked up Natalie on his back and ran off with Renee following. Everyone started to clear out. Ajay wasn't too interested in going to Elliot's party because it only became a matter of time before everyone was drunk and wasted. Then whoever was awake would probably be involved in some sort of orgy.
As Ajay began to collect her backpack but Octavio stopped her and grabbed her by her wrist. She wanted to scream in pain from how sore she was. She gave him a confused look. He brought her hand to his face and looked at the dried blood. "What's this Che?" She pulled her arm away, "What does it look like?" Octavio frowned, "Why are you talking to me like that?" She felt bad, "I'm sorry." She picked up her backpack and threw it over her sore body while keeping a straight face. "I don know Silva. It happened after I got back from the totem and got shot from that damn peacekeeper."
They began to walk to leave the building. "What totem?" He looked concerned. "Revenant's ultimate is some fuckin totem that makes you a shadow of yourself. Like that Halloween event. Shortly after I got back from it I wasn't feelin so hot. Maybe I wasn't feelin good before I even touched the damn thing." He listened to her but really didn't have much to add. When they got outside of the building they found Makoa waiting for them. He was smiling like he always did. "Hey Ajay. You got a minute?" She looked over to Octavio. Makoa rubbed the back of his neck, "I mean would both of you like to grab a bite?" Octavio smiled, "Sure amigo. Where to?" Makoa laughed, "Great. I know a restaurant not far from here." He began walking and they followed him in awkward silence.
