Eventually, the next Game was coming up, tomorrow, actually. Which doesn't explain the fact that Cameron was unable to sleep. It's been approximately four-fiveish months since the deaths of his family, the Jackals. Has it really been? It certainly felt like eight or nine months at this point. It led him to thinking he was forgetting them altogether—something he never wants to do.

Maybe the next time they get a break in the off-season, he'll go out and see them. Something like that will rekindle the flame. So, by rolling around in his bed, he found himself thinking. What would Mom think of me now? What would Eve or Marcy or Kendrick think? All this time thinking and all of it going nowhere made Cameron frustrated. That frustration led to keeping his brain active. Keeping his brain active led to him still being up...you get the picture?

Casting a look at his equipment, having noticed that Ramya put her sigil on it, he thought back to their interactions, which are pretty sparse up to this point. Even more so with the other Legends. He doesn't know how old Ramya is—and he's not stupid enough to ask—but he doesn't...vibe...the same with the other Legends as he does with her. Maybe it's because they have a common interest in mechanics. Hers is greater than his but that was beside the point.

Even after all that, he doesn't want to let go of the past.

Shooting up from his bed, he put his head in his hands. "Of course...I'm hanging on but I'm scared to let go." This put him at a loss. Something he didn't need right at the moment. So, instead of sleeping, he prepared his gear for tomorrow, laying out everything before finally succumbing to sleep.

So, the next time he was on the dropship, he was not surprised to see Mirage, but he was surprised to see Valkyrie standing. "Aren't the squads supposed to be fixed?"

"That was only a mock Game, Maverick. The teams are always scrambled. It's supposed to let those who haven't won in a while get a chance."

"Sounds fixed," Maverick commented, not that he particularly cared.

Valkyrie snorted, "Life's like that." She leaned close to him, "By the way, I've got your number."

Maverick stilled as she said that, and once she pulled away, she noticed that she just poked a wound that was still in the process of bleeding. She didn't let it show on her face as she slid on a helmet, a Pilot's helmet. "You remind me of my Dad's coworker from years ago. Her name was Sloan. Used the same gear you have right now. Died to some rookie Pilot. Right before the Typhon incident."

Maverick admittedly, never heard of the damn incident, but didn't bother to ask, so he just nodded tersely.

Mirage showed up and misinterpreted the situation, "I wouldn't try anything with her. Pretty sure she's swinging a different way."

In order to hide what was really going on, "I didn't have plans to. She's not my type anyway. Whoever gets their hands on her will be a happy person." His tone was so bland that even Maverick didn't believe what he just said.

Mirage either willfully missed it or would bring it up later, so he said, "Well then, here's to a new season!"

All of the Legends put themselves on a platform that stuck out of the dropship. Kings' Canyon rolled into view. Everyone stood on their platforms watching as they came in over Gauntlet. Further up was the Airbase. "Hey look, it's the Mirage Voyage!" Mirage pointed out his party yacht.

"You seriously bought a yacht," Maverick complained, drowning out Valkyrie saying she was jumpmaster.

"Yeah, and it's fun!" Mirage poorly defended.

I wonder how much blood is on it, the newest Legend thought. What he thought was weirder was that they didn't announce that he was here. Must be a misconception. "So, where are we going, o'jumpmaster?"

Valkyrie pointed to a spot that had multiple floors, a high fence, and open air. "The Cage. Follow my lead boys." She jumped out, but not without pulling them with her. Good thing Maverick had his shades on because he would have dropped them otherwise. Her grip was strong and his jumpkit follow her movements. Through their shared comm, "You can break off and dive straight down if you want."

Maverick nodded, doing so, "It looks like we have another squad following us."

"Copy that, Maverick," Valkyrie responded. "Great start to your debut. Try not to die first, ok?"

Maverick grinned diving down further. Mirage appeared next to him...doing a dance with his hologram. Not the weirdest thing he's seen in his life. Definitely in his top twenty. Ignoring that now, Maverick turned his body to begin a proper descent. The thrusters from his jumpkit slowed him considerably.

The second landing was far better than the first. So, when he did stabilize his feet, he ran for the entrance to Market. According to his map, he landed just outside of Market, and at six o'clock was Salvage. Which is where Skull Town and Thunderdome used to be. Maverick couldn't believe that an explosion took out the cliffside like that.

It was more firepower than anything the Jackals ever used that's for damn sure. Refocusing on the task at hand, Maverick opened the door and rushed inside to find a level two EVO shield. Promptly putting that on, he rushed for a overlook room to his right. Pushing the door open, Maverick was greeted with a Shield Battery, a Med-Kit, and two weapons. One of them was a Wingman, and the other was a Sentinel, much to his dismay. An energy weapon would feel great right about now.

Picking up the weapons and the ammo, he situated the sniper rifle over his back and kept the Wingman in his right hand. Before he left the room, he tested the Vortex Shield. Seeing it work as intended, he left the room. "Where is that other squad? Did they not follow? Or did they land Salvage?"

Mirage's voice followed up, "Landed Salvage, now hurry up and loot. We gotta move in about a half hour."

"That's plenty of time," Maverick retorted. Hearing his squadmates laugh and chuckle at his expense.

"You really don't know much about the Ring, do you?" Valkyrie asked.

Maverick's tone shifted to a monotone, "It is as if I said I never paid much attention to the Games?"

Valkyrie then chimed in with, "Then why are you here?"

Maverick paused before he answered. There were plenty of answers to that question but the only thing he could say was, "It was either here or a ditch with my name on it. One of my own making."

That shut them both right up. Meanwhile, Valkyrie mused at that response. She honestly thought she had him pegged as just a mercenary for hire. However, that didn't seem to be the case. It seemed he was in something deep. Recalling a new article that she read, a whole town was liberated by some cooperation only a few months ago.

Scratching that off for later, Valkyrie picked up her own gear. Mirage had arrived next to her, the normally humour-filled Legend—don't tell him that—was waiting. "What's on your mind, Valk?"

Valkyrie hummed, "Is it a coincidence that Maverick showed up after a whole gang was wiped out a few months ago?"

"Bold talk for something that shouldn't be dragged into the Games, Valk," Mirage said. "The kid's got secrets. We all got 'em. I'm certainly not going to pe-per-p...convince him to tell us. He's still trying to find his place. Not everyone can be you, Valk."

"True."

The door opened again and out stepped Maverick, looking loaded up. "You missed a backpack," he said before tossing it to Mirage, who caught it with ease. "So, we have to make it to...Containment in a half-hour? Oh, that Crash Site looks lovely. That from Fuze?"

"Yep, you shoulda seen it," Mirage said, smiling.

"Mirage, people died that day," Valkyrie reprimanded him.

The smile fell, "Right…"

Maverick strode forward, "Well, we better get going." Checking his weapons, getting basic attachments for the sniper and only a sight for the Wingman, he set off in a slightly faster walking pace than his normal one. Not exactly a jog but there was purpose in his strides. The conversation the two more experienced Legends had was not heard by the new blood, much to their relief.

"Another stupid question, which be prepared for a lot of them, how many people are here? Just the eighteen of us?"

Valkyrie had the answer, "No, and this is a valid one, there's just other people who volunteer for a Game and get paid. People who are willing to shoulder the risks flock to these."

[First Blood] A system PA said aloud across the entire arena.

The Trickster checked a watch, "That was pretty slow in comparison. Everyone must have landed in separate areas…"

"Has it been faster?" Maverick asked, checking over his shoulder.

Valkyrie was definitely smirking under her helmet, "Knocked a man out of the sky and beat him to death before we hit the ground."

That set of images made him pause, "Remind me not to fuck with you if you're riding the wave."

Instead of being mad, Valkyrie chuckled, "Smart man, unlike someone here."

"Hey!" said the not so smart man. Maverick let out a dry chuckle.

The trio continued to walk onward to Containment. The thing was, there was no one around. Of course, shots can be heard in the distance and more people are dropping dead; the thing was, it was far too quiet. Putting the Wingman in his holster, he brought out the Sentinel. It only had its iron sights but considering that there were no such things as attachments back home, he could make do.

Following his lead, Valkyrie and Mirage brought out their own weapons, a Hemlock and R-99 respectively. The trio did not speak and trusted their instincts. At least until Maverick spoke up, "Did we ever find out what happened to that team at-"

A bullet tore through his chest.

Leaning against the wall, Maverick covered the wound on reflex...if there...was a hole? His confusion aside, he leveled the Sentinel in the direction of the shot, seeing the glint of a sniper. Ducking down, the second bullet whizzed over his head. In his crouch, he brought up the rifle, aimed, and fired.

To say he was satisfied at hearing the sound of a hit, hearing the shield shatter, and on top of that, the damage report said it was a headshot...was liberating in of itself. Racking the bolt, he heard Valkyrie send off a Missile Swarm in their direction. Mirage sent a decoy out to give the illusion that he was rushing in.

Thank Gods he did, as it was immediately gunned down from a position slightly to the enemy's right. They were hiding on the outskirts of Salvage, inside a building. There was one lying prone with a rifle, most likely the sniper.

Maverick decided to charge his shields, and pulled out the Battery, momentarily confused before he saw the top. First, he slid behind a rock, then checked the top again. Going on a hunch, he twisted and pulled, the Battery lit up in blue sparks as a result. After about five seconds, the Battery made a hissing noise before feeling extra light. Checking his shields, he found they were full. Nice.

Rechambering the Sentinel, Maverick peeked over the rock and saw the sniper once more, firing. His bullet slammed into the opposing sniper and was notified that he 'downed' one. "One's down."

Apparently, that was the key words for both Valkyrie and Mirage to charge forward, using bits of cover that were called rocks before a grenade was thrown by Mirage. An explosion followed soon after, blowing away a door and knocking someone else on their ass. "Second one's down."

Valkyrie used her jets to fly over the building, "Wings up." She was the eyes in the sky. Well, she was only about fifteen to twenty meters off the ground but that's beside the point.

Maverick rechambered once more, scanning for the third member. Movement from where he downed the first, "He's reviving his friend." That wasn't going to happen. Maverick released a small breath before pulling the trigger. The recoil was nothing, but he did see the bullet hit their head and kill them. Out popped three boxes, one of them purple, and two blue.

"Not bad, hotshot. That was a whole squad," Valkyrie praised him. "That's two for you, yeah?"

"Yeah…okay, more questions. That bullet I was hit with, it didn't bust my gut why?" Maverick genuinely wanted an answer.

He closed the distance so that their replies were not through the comms. "Bullets here are real enough to hurt, but not real enough to kill. They knock you out when you've been 'damaged' enough. When you get downed, one of us can revive you."

"Then how the hell is this a bloodsport?"

Mirage pointed to the cliffside they were at before Maverick got shot, "You see that?" Maverick turned around. What he saw was a nice blood splatter coating that cliff, "That's what it would look like if a bullet like that crossed you. In fact, you'd be dead."

I'm beginning to see that there's more to this...like it wasn't obvious. He's a novice, alright?

"Loot up, we got about twenty minutes, and we've wasted enough time here," Valkyrie said as she tossed Maverick a Volt SMG. On reflex, he caught it. "Use that, I think it'll be more effective, if your little show proved anything."

"Well, I'm not complaining," Maverick said, disregarding the Wingman for the Volt. The Sniper was better for long to mid-range engagements. The Volt for close to mid-range. It was a healthy way to control the fight, even if he was expecting for it to not be that way. The Games are supposed to be unexpected. Once he grabbed the Volt properly, he felt a surge in his arm going to the weapon. A smirk, "Oh, well, I felt that."

"And so will the enemy squads. Looks like Ramya's modifications went well," Valkyrie said. Her eyes were scanning the horizon like she was expecting something.

"They did, we talked about it for I think like an hour or two just going back and forth," Maverick mumbled.

It wasn't soft enough for the Trickster, "Oh? Are you and Ramya gettin' cozy?"

"The fuck, Mirage?" Maverick shot out.

"Well, you did just say that you were talking for a few hours, and you were in her workshop...no one would know if you did it," Mirage said with a suggestive raising of his eyebrows.

"Is it against the rules to put a bullet in my own squadmate?" Maverick said.

Valkyrie just laughed, her chest being the only thing moving to display it, "U-Unfortunately, yes. It'd be funny because we'd all do it at least once."

"Hey!"

Gods, these two definitely remind me of the Jackals, and I don't know how to feel about that.

A glow overtook the sky, and that was the Ring, currently nipping at their heels. Not because they were slow, but because the Ring must have been set to move really fast. "So, anyone got a better idea?"

Valkyrie ducked before firing her Hemlock blindly across her right shoulder. "Yeah, I need about fifteen seconds."

"We have ten," Maverick said, running at a decent pace next to them, using the Vortex Shield to catch the incoming bullet storm. Someone got their hands on a Spitfire. Two someones. Having his now Purple EVO shield be cracked, the bullets hurt even more. Sure they don't actually hurt, but the fact is he could have someone throw a bucket of red paint on him and voila, you have what he would look like.

The shield couldn't be held up for much longer, as it was turning red. And then a third weapon joined the fray. Thankfully, they were in line of sight. Maverick aimed the shield so all of the bullets launched from Maverick to the poor sap who thought it was a good idea to stand in the open. That brought his kill count to five. They must have been the sole survivor of a previous fight.

It wasn't terrible for his first Game. More than Maverick expected to be fair. Valkyrie was at seven, Mirage at four. So, sixteen kills between the three of them was impressive.

What led them to their current predicament was that everyone decided to have a beautiful party at Eastern Bunker and the Ring invited everyone along. At first, everything was quiet but not eerily so. A comfortable silence.

Maverick was holding his Sentinel which he learned after Mirage showed him something that made his eyes light up. If he uses a shield cell's charge, then he can power up the Sentinel with energy, which combined with Maverick's ability to make energy shots do more damage...the result was his squadmates wondering if he was sane. Considering Revenant...that was a dangerous bar to cross.

He ended up taking out someone from one hundred and fifty meters away, with iron sights. Mirage was thoroughly impressed with his marksmanship. Maverick knew he wasn't good with precision weapons, but this felt good to use. Of course, he missed a few shots that he could've hit but he's not an aimbot. So it all worked out...mostly.

Anyway, the party started when two teams were running out of Bunker. The green gas only gave one indicator. Caustic. He was gassing up the bunker like the Fourth of July. A real rave, truly.

Those that managed to escape then had to deal with Caustic, Wattson, and Bloodhound. A deadly combo if one thinks about it. One can kill you by breathing, one can kill you by electricity, and one will hunt you down to kill you. The trio was going to try and sneak around but one of the two escaping teams started to shoot at them.

A lot of shit happened and here we are.

Valkyrie only needed eight seconds. Her upper thrusters activated and she held out two cables, "Latch on and get ready for burn!"

Maverick did not question it, grabbing it and latching himself to Valkyrie's contraption. Mirage did the same. "Whenever you're ready. I do not want to die by the Ring. If what I heard was true, then that shit hurts!"

A smirk from Valkyrie, not that anyone can see it, "We are a go for burn!" The force of the launch almost knocked Maverick and Mirage off their feet. Their jumpkits seemed to be sentient for a split second, activating when it noticed their pilots were off the ground and needed an assist. "This is the fun part! Hold on!"

"Hold onto what, exactly?!" Both men shouted as they flew off into the air, aiming towards their intended destination, Containment.

Descending from a dropship is one thing but going up to come down is another. What's even better is that there was this giant red balloon just sitting there. Not menacingly, peacefully. As they reached their peak height, Valkyrie decided to be a little cheeky, "Should air pressure drop, oxygen masks will be provided. If you're traveling with a small child...this is a bloodsport. What's wrong with you?"

"Hilarious," Maverick deadpanned, actually, shouting as they descended back to the ground. Mirage looked a little frazzled and Maverick can bet that he's never had to do that before.

After disconnecting the cables, Maverick checked behind them. Thankfully, his weapons stayed attached to his body. "That was…" Mirage started before he paused, swallowing the lump in his throat, "...fun."

"Wow, have you never done that before?" Maverick asked. He was taking it better than him, or that was the adrenaline talking? Considering he still felt it in his system, the latter was looking more likely the possibility.

"No," he answered flatly.

"This a common occurrence, Valk?" Maverick asked the winged Legend.

"Mmhmm, usually happens on their first time or in situations like that. Now, we should get moving. I'm surprised that you haven't been like that."

"Not my first rodeo with adrenaline," Maverick said.

"You sound like Octane," she remarked.

The trio picked themselves up and then realized where the ring was going to be. Ending in Artillery. Just getting there is a hike in itself. Adding in engagements on the run, this was a bad recipe in the making. The terrain consisted of streams, mud, hills, and we can't forget the combatants that are out for blood. After charging his shield to the max, "I got about three cells and a couple of syringes. Nothing else major, unless by some mere stroke of luck that Containment is unlooted."

"Not a chance, that was the hot zone," Valkyrie said.

The men silently groaned but they moved on. They checked over themselves one last time before starting the trek with a light jog. Since time was of the essence, they had to make tracks. There were gunshots, explosions, and the like going off behind them. "Are they still figh-"

[Four Squads Remaining,] the PA voice said.

"Never mind then…"

Maverick kept an eye out with his Sentinel, now with a 2x HCOG "Bruiser" sight attached. His Volt had a 1x HCOG on it, as the 'iron' sights on it were...alright. Not his preference but they worked until he got a sight. Mirage still kept his R-99, and Valkyrie has her Hemlock with a RE-45 as her sidearm.

"So, does anyone got a story to tell while we walk?" Mirage asked, hating the silence.

Maverick snorted, "Nothing I have is pretty." Valkyrie took that under consideration when she would talk to Rampart later. "My entry to the Games was purely coincidental."

"Really?"

"Yep," Maverick said, leaving it at that. The Crimson Juggernaut almost died that day, and it probably should have. "By the way, is that a grenade?"

Looking to their left, a grenade slowly rolled towards them. "Move!" Maverick didn't know who shouted that but that was all the motivation he needed to. The grenade went off and as usual, shit went down hill. Apparently, two teams wanted them dead and ended up looking at them at the same time. "Time to go down swinging, yeah?" Valkyrie said.

Maverick smirked, "Not yet." The core on his chest welled up, having gained enough juice for a large beam. The only thing was that he couldn't get shot up like a Christmas ham, otherwise the charge dissipates. Having only taken about 30 damage to his shields from the grenade, he used a shield cell.

Once he discerned who was shooting and who was in line of sight, Maverick moved without a word. He dashed to the closest piece of cover he could find and in a move that surprised his opponent, unleashed the laser full onto their face. They didn't stand a chance.

The mark of the first ally down didn't snap him out of his reverie. The second unfortunate soul to get blasted died instantly too. Two death boxes came up before the laser died down. He sighed, before taking a bullet to his arm. Shit, I can't feel it.

Meaning, reloading was no longer an option.

The new blood grimaced as another combatant was gunned down. It was Mirage that was down, and thanks to his technology, he was invisible for a short time. Maverick managed to sneak over and stealthily revive him before sending him on his way. Valkyrie was then downed a short time later.

Man everything is going so fast. The adrenaline was pumping in his veins, making his reactions quicker and his movement more of a 'do first, think later' rather than thinking first. It's not his fault, as this happens to everyone. Adrenaline is a crazy drug.

He looked around and saw the Ring coming in. Has it been that long already? Time flies, I guess. Valkyrie's banner was active, something new to Maverick. Okay, after this, look up the rules and such. He couldn't hear his teammates, and saw they were both killed.

His decision was cut short as he had to go. Thankfully, there was a box that had some materials. Another problem, the Ring's damage was increased. Bullets and grenades were still flying high and they were not going to let up. Some of those bullets were even flying over his head, by mere centimeters. He peeks, he dies. If he stays, he dies. He really only has one option. His shield would help in that

That was: Fuck it, full power. The laser welled up once more and he peered around his cover and let her rip. Holding up his Vortex Shield to his left, he fired the Volt off to his right, laser out in front. He didn't get to see the aftermath as six seconds into his laser, Maverick felt light-headed.

Then he was looking at the orange sky.

The very next time Cameron woke up was looking at a familiar sight. The ceiling of the medbay. "Not bad for ya first official game," Ajay's voice came from Cameron's left. "Nine kills to wrap up your first official match. The people love ya already!"

"So I know I died, but how? Was I shot, burned out by the Ring?" Cameron said.

Ajay laughed, "Well, everyone turned to you and killed ya. They saw you as the biggest threat. You should see the highlights."

"Is it alright if I don't want to?" Cameron asked. He didn't bother trying to get up and just laid there. "How's Elliot and Kairi?"

"Pleased that you lived as long as you did, neither is upset in da slightest," she said, wrapping up his chest once more. "Nice tattoo by the way. Eva thought of gettin' it redone?"

"Unless I find the original artist who, by all accounts is probably dead, that's not happening. It was a gift from my mother. A sort of thank you…"

"Must've cared for you a big deal," Ajay murmured, stepping away. "Rest up for the night and we'll see how ya feel tomorrow, ok?"

"Sure."

Kairi brought her gear to Ramya's shop, "Ah, Kai, how the wings treatin' ya?" Ramya smirked.

"Beautiful as always. Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about the new blood," Kairi said, gaining the mechanic's full attention.

"What about him, mate?" Ramya tried to play it off and if Kairi noticed, she hoped that she wouldn't call her out on it. No matter the case. She turned her attention back to Kai's gear. A couple of scrapes that can be ignored for the time being, only superficial. All the gears and circuits are working.

"He's in a lot of pain," Kairi said, going over to the fridge that Ramya keeps here. She opened it up and grabbed a beer for herself and Ramya. "I think he might be the Crimson Juggernaut."

"You believe that rumor?"

"Rumors start with some version of the truth," she countered.

"Thought that was myths," Ramya retorted, grabbing the offered beer and popping the cap off with a screwdriver...Kairi wondered how that even worked. Then again...there are far more things that are outlandish in the Outlands.

Kairi brought the conversation back, "The rumor of the Juggernaut stated that there was always a red light coming from chest level. No one knew his face—assumed to be male, that's never been confirmed—and the fact that they appeared after some corporation took control of a whole city in a few weeks. Gangs ruled that city before they were snuffed out."

Ramya idly listened as she fixed up Kairi's wings, "So, what's the point?"

"I think our little Maverick is the Juggernaut."

The Sheila-wielding Legend put her beer down, "Really?" Interesting. Maybe I can get the story from him, if he's willing…

"Rams? You there?" Kairi asked, waving a hand in front of her face.

Ramya snapped out of her reverie, "Sorry Kai, just thinkin'."

Kairi hummed in disbelief but did not push the issue. Otherwise, they just chatted a little bit more before Ramya sent the winged Legend on her way back, beer in hand. The mechanic sat on her bench just thinking. Speaking aloud to herself, "So, the bloke is probably the Crimson Juggernaut, eh? Well, from what I heard, he did well in his first official game. I better get back to the complex. We'll be moving into temporary homes for the season."

The Indian woman headed back to the Complex whistling a tune to keep herself occupied. There was nothing else on the docket for tonight. Her repairs are only for major explosions. As she walked, she thought about Cameron's performance. The laser definitely put some new permanent marks into areas of Containment but nothing exploded; unlike the Repulsor Tower a few seasons back.

Ramya heard voices before she saw them. When she entered the room, the first person she saw was Cameron, who should be resting. Stubborn boka choda. Upon further inspection, she saw he had a furious expression on his face. Even his eyes, which had some innocence left in them, were darker, angry. "You don't know what it's like to lose a family."

"I do," Anita's voice said. The two were staring each other down, both at about the same height. They were up in each other's faces. Cameron was wearing a shirt but his arm was in a small sling. Bruising must be bad enough for it.

Ajay's voice was being drowned out, and the poor little drone following her chirped. The medic eventually threw her arms in the air and walked away. "That's bullshit. You know he's still alive, somewhere. In my case, all my family, the people who took me in when I was six, died in front of me. I watched my mom almost get blown up by a grenade! Had I not pushed her away, she would have died. It didn't help that the structure fell apart and collapsed on top of us."

"That didn't mean it was my fault."

Cameron fumed, "I never said it was. You're being insensitive."

Ramya looked over to Natalie who was watching with wary eyes, "What happened, Nat?"

"Ah, Ramya," the French scientist turned to face her, "Anita might have said something personal. I'm afraid I didn't hear it but it set Cameron off."

"Did I miss much?"

"Non, mon amie," Natalie replied in French. "It just started."

The mechanic put a hand under her chin and one on her hip, thinking. "This is the first we're hearin' his past. He hasn't talked about it."

Renee heard this conversation and popped in, "To be fair, I don't think he knows he's saying it."

Back to the argument, "I am not. I stated a fact."

"The fact of the IMC and Militia were just two different evils, yeah. You chose the greater one and look what happened. After they fell, the Militia turned into the lesser of those two. Wanna know what that did? Orphaned millions of people, learning how to live off the streets. Hell, an eight-year old knew how to use a knife, and how to kill. That was how it worked. That's how we worked," Cameron ranted. Kairi caught the implication.

He wasn't done either, "Buildings burned, people were shot, and I watched my mom be impaled and be left with a hole in her stomach. She bled out in front of me, smiling and crying all at the same time. She was the one who took me in, she was the one who cared. She may not have been related to me but she was family in all but blood. How far would you go for your family, Anita, hmm? How far?"

Ramya had enough and interjected, "Okay mates, before this goes any further, why don't we all go to sleep. After a season opener, we're sure to be swamped by interviews and such."

Cameron looked spooked for a split second and he was sure to wipe it off his face and settled for indifference. He left without a word, no apology, no nothing. He just staggered away. He politely declined help from Natalie and walked away.

Anita looked at Ramya, "You didn't need to get involved, Ramya."

"From my perspective, soldier girl, I think he was one second away from startin' something. I know you can handle yourself but I think we'd all rather not deal with infighting. The spooky robot is probably reveling in the negative emotions," she reasoned.

"You should go check on him," Kairi said. The reason was left unsaid. A subtle look was shared.

"Fine. See ya tomorrow, mates. Witt, don't get in trouble," she remarked.

"Hey! I'm not that bad. At least I'm house-broken," the Trickster joked.

She didn't end up going there that night. The argument left Cameron in a mood and when he got a notification that the next Game was a Solos match...he grinned. There was no happiness or playfulness. There was a need to kill and the Game was a perfect opportunity.