In the Outlands, there were a lot of things that could be said. People dominating in the Games is one thing when it's in squads. Having one person absolutely steamroll over fifteen opponents with a dull but murderous look in their eyes is another. This happened only one other time and it was when Revenant joined the roster. This killstreak was just as impressive as it was terrifying.

The entire crew of the Legends were unprepared at that game. Of course, they interviewed Gibraltar, the winner of the Solos game, about what happened. Normally, the gentle giant would answer. This time, no comment. He refused to open up.

It did make the fans of Maverick bolster confidence. Just because he hasn't won either game doesn't mean he's bad. He's had impressive Games so far. However, there was something concerning how he handled himself. He just rushed straight at his opponents with his shield up and pummeled them into paste. No one was safe. Not until the last few Legends left alive gunned him down like an unspoken truce.

That was a shock to the entire Outlands and beyond if any were watching. Only some recognized who that was. No one could come after them because the Syndicate protects all of their Legends, and if one of them turned up dead...their murderer would go on a trip...to the bottom of the ocean with a cinderblock cemented to their feet. No one touches those under the Syndicate's protection. Those that have tried suffered worse fates than death.

The Legends were all cooped up in their temporary housing. No one checked on Cameron. He shut himself in his room. He still has yet to apologize. Anita had two days after but it has been at least five. There was just no amount of self-loathing that Cameron could have. He immediately wanted to take it all back. There were thoughts best left unsaid.

The problem is that they existed in the first place. No one should think like that but now all he wants is to rest. To have his place in Hell with the rest of his family. At least there he can be happy. Right now, he's displeased with himself. It was an endless cycle. The only positive thing that came out of this—depending on how you look at it—was Revenant complimenting Cameron for killing so ruthlessly, so effectively, so quickly. Manhandling doesn't begin to describe what he did. Dislocating bones, breaking a leg, shattering kneecaps, and most of all, giving burns that make campfire accidents feel like a slap on the wrist.

Cameron did all of that without a shred of mercy. He was too pissed and he knew it was bad to fall back to it but the thing was…it felt good to let out the bleeding tension lying in his body. Nothing more satisfying than to get the stress out. He hopes that he'll never be on a team with Revenant. God forbid that all he hears is him egging him on about falling into that again.

Nothing else is going to make him feel better. The last person he managed to take down before being gunned down himself was Caustic. He caught the Doctor by surprise and lasered his heart before he could pull the pin on his Nox gas grenade. It surely would have killed him before feeling five different bullets hit him, taking him out.

Once he was back on the ship, he refused to talk to anyone. Which leads to where we are now. Cameron was finally scrounging up the courage to apologize but that didn't mean Anita and his current relationship was going to be fixed like that. It would take time to actually figure out how to make it up. He said some hurtful things, and he could've said a lot worse but that didn't change the fact that she said the gangs were better off dead.

Surely someone must have pieced it together by now, with his vehement defense about them. "Damn, really slipping here huh, Cameron?" He said to himself. This was also something that he's done over the past few days. He personally thinks he's lost it. Then again, there are many definitions of crazy, especially here in the Outlands.

Cameron wondered who would be the first to come see him. At this point, he was looking at his old sidearm, the one that he was going to use to end his life. Pretty sure that there was still one bullet in the chamber. Upon checking, there was indeed a single bullet. Well, it was a casing that contained the bullets. Guess there's no way to take it out so he could eventually write his name on it. A bullet with his name on it. Mom had vaguely mentioned that everyone's got a bullet just for them. It only would take some time for that bullet to 'travel' she had said.

"You can come in, you know?" Cameron said, peeking over his shoulder.

Let's rewind a few seconds, a minute at most.

Ramya was concerned about Cameron's behavior. It wasn't normal for her to be so concerned for a fellow Legend. Normally, she's just berating Witt for touching a tool that he wasn't supposed only for him to get hurt messing with it anyway. Just typical Elliott things.

So, against other Legends' protests, she went up to the rooms and found the one unmarked door, which in this case, is Cameron's room. She saw the door was slightly ajar and peeked inside. What she saw was a faded tattoo. A skull with one eye, two bullets, and roses beneath it. She couldn't read the writing but what she saw were scars covering it. A long gash from his lower left hip up to his left side, just under the shoulder blade. A few wounds that looked like gunshots, which have since scarred.

She missed the weapon in his hands though. If she had seen it, she would have blown a fuse.

Ramya continued to stare and just admire the sight before her eyes. She wanted to learn about the newest Legend. Having obviously heard some of it, she was curious. What she didn't notice was the fact that she was also being watched. "Are you going to linger out there or are you imagining something else?" He spoke once more, having already greeted her.

His voice made her eyes meet his. A weak smile greeted her. "I uhm…"

"It's fine. I have a few scars, some you can't see," he said. "You can come in. I mean, you're already here, so I can't exactly kick you out. With how I feel, I don't think I could take you right now."

That was when he put the gun to the side.

Ramya immediately reacted, "Are you out of your bloody mind?!"

Cameron widened his eyes, already seeing how that probably looked, "Relax! I wasn't going to off myself like that. It was jus-"

"You were about to blow your bloody brains out, you boka choda!" Ramya interrupted.

"Fuck sake woman, relax!" Cameron shot up from the bed, raising his voice but his eyes stayed neutral. "I was remembering a time when everyone I knew fucking died in one night and I was this close to ending it!" He held up two fingers close to touching but not quite, "If it wasn't for the Apex Predator himself, I wouldn't be here right now."

Ramya clearly ran out of words as her face said it all. Deciding to come out and say it, as Kairi's words lingered on her mind, "You're him, aren't you?"

"Who?"

"Bloody hell, the Juggernaut, you're him, aren't ya?"

Cameron stiffened, teeth clenched, mouth closed. "I was."

"How the hell are you standing?" She then inquired.

Cameron forcibly relaxed his jaw, "I'm a man of focus, commitment, and sheer fucking will." However, his internal emotions finally broke, "But this time, it's not just my body that hurts…it's my heart!"

Cameron sat on the bed again, his head in his hands. He felt something slide down his cheek. "I m-miss them so much. Th-they were everything to me! They all d-died in one night…because of s-some fucking corporation!"

He continued without pause, "It's not the first time I lost my family." His tone sounded so defeated. "First it was the Frontier War and the Titan War, leaving me an orphan at the ripe age of six…" he hiccuped. "It only gets worse."

The mechanic gingerly sat on the bed with him, unsure of what to do. Clicking her tongue silently, she decided to close the door before returning. "Let it all out, Cameron. Let it out."

It may have been the first time she's ever called him by name. Cameron mentally noted, even in his state. "Tell me, have you killed someone before?"

The question took Ramya back, off her guard, not expecting such a deep and admittedly, horrifying question. "I have, in self-defense." Especially when those people attacked my shop. The ones who survived though, could care less.

"The first fifteen were when I was eight," he said in a hoarse whisper like he was afraid that she'd view him as less. For some reason, he felt like her opinion mattered more. With such a coarse way of growing up, Cameron had believed that he was emotionally stunted.

"Fifteen?" She asked with trepidation and curiosity.

"Rival gang, they didn't expect a seemingly innocent child to light up their armory like a spark to a bucket of oil," he said. All this time, he had refused to look her in the eye, not wanting to see the disgust or worse rejection. She's still here stupid, he mentally berated himself. Of course, if she was truly disgusted, she'd leave.

Then again, she's also a Legend who kills her friends for sport, so why am I getting so worked up over it? Cameron mused as Ramya continued to rub his back.

She bit her lip before slowly asking, "What about this ink on your back?"

A small smile as he remembered that day, "A gift for my success in the gang, from my adopted mother. Scooped me off the street and cared for me when no one else would."

Seeing him smile made Ramya smile, "Wish I coulda met her. Seems like a woman who knew what she was doing."

Cameron sighed, "She did. I can't help but feel that she kept a few things from me that I'll never know. Maybe it's for the best that I don't." Even when that Titan ID'ed me, I felt like that was her doing…

Ramya lifted her hand off his back, "Some secrets are best left with the dead."

A dry chuckle, "Yeah, they are the best at keeping them. Anyway, she had taken me to a tattoo parlor in the heart of our territory to get it done."

"How painful was it?"

"Vibrating. Acupuncture. A miracle that I didn't jerk violently and ruin it. However, I was told that I wasn't the worst patient that he had," Cameron said.

Now, she had to breach the one thing that she had wanted to avoid but her own curiosity won out, "What was the argument about?"

"Differing opinions," he said. When she waited for him to elaborate, he didn't.

"Well…"

He shrugged, "That's all it was. Being third in command of the Jackals does that. I always had to be prepared for an argument and fight for my side with force. I lost my temper, which considering how long it's been since the last time…a fantastic job." There was a hint of sarcasm in there. His previous game showcased that temper tantrum explicitly well.

"Part of that Gang huh? Heard of 'em myself. Was even commissioned by them once," Ramya reminiscenced. This got Cameron to finally look at her and he saw her side profile. Her nose piercing caught his eye first, then her eyes, and then her lips. To which they curled up into a smirk, "See something you like, mate?"

Cameron turned away with a flush, running a hand through his hair. He mumbled something that she could catch. She spared him the embarrassment…this time. If only because he just pretty much unloaded on her. It's not the only way she wants him-

Moving on…

He mumbled something again. "Speak up, Cameron. Otherwise, I won't be able to hear ya."

"Could you stay just for the night? Nothing explicit, just…I…"

"You need a cuddle, don't worry, I understand. People really underestimate skinship. Let me go get changed and shower."

"Shower's over there," Cameron pointed to the bathroom.

If there was one thing Ramya could do tonight, it would be this. After getting showered and changed, they ended up lying next to each other. The thin sheets are not hiding anything. Not to mention that she came out in only her underwear so Cameron obviously took his time looking and he felt something rise and it wasn't his body temperature.

Ramya noticed and shot him a seductive smirk before crawling into bed opposite him. His eyes were glued to her form.

Nope…can't do it now. It'll be hella awkward. This feels so different from my flings. I know Ramya—if we ever make it there—won't be a fling. It hurts to think about… Reluctantly, he pulled his eyes away and laid flat on his back, angling himself away from her.

He's not embarrassed about his size, no. Just embarrassed that she knows he's interested. He's waiting for her to tease him about it. When she didn't, he breathed a silent sigh of relief. He knew he got off lucky this time, and there wouldn't be a second time.

He ended up falling asleep first, having calmed down a little. What he didn't notice was Ramya looking at him from the side.

During the night, he fidgeted, whimpering about something. So, she did something that she was sure her own parents did once upon a time. She gently stroked his hair, whispered reassurances, and watched him fall asleep.

Her own thoughts reflected as such, What are you doing to me, Cameron? Do you like messing with me so much? You clearly got something going on…and I do too. I'll figure it out later.

When they woke up, they were in each other's arms.

They wisely kept this a secret from everyone else. No one knew.

Yet.

Over the course of the next few weeks, both Ramya and Cameron have gotten closer since that night. It was simple really. Cameron felt like he could be himself when he was with her. In between the Games, he would often be found in Ramya's shop, even if his gear doesn't need fixing.

He would tell stories—happier ones—of his times with the Jackals. Ramya knew how he looked when talking about his family. He always brightened when he talked and remembered what they did. "There is no way that you actually did that!" she shouted.

A chuckle "Course I did. That building was literally on fire, I had to get out and the exits were blocked. It was only three stories high, so I ran through a window, landing on an adjacent roof. That's where I got a nice burn scar, it faint because of time but it did slightly discolor my skin."

That was just one of many stories.

Of course, this closeness did not go unnoticed by the rest of the Legends. Elliott was the first to corner Cameron. Kairi was the first to corner Ramya.

Imagine both conversations going on at the same time. It would go something like this: "So, you're getting close to him/her."

"We're just friends." They would respond.

"I see the looks/moves you're giving/putting on him/her."

They would roll their eyes and then go on about their day.

Speaking of, Cameron did ask to talk to Anita. "Hey."

"Get to the point," the ex-soldier said.

Instead of being upset at her terse tone, he sighed, "Look, I know it's overdue, but I want to apologize for what I said. I lost my temper."

"I understand. The stress of it all got to you. Perhaps I could've worded it better," Anita said.

Cameron turned, "We're still at odds though, don't you forget that." They could potentially be friends but the fact that she's ex-IMC irked him the wrong way.

He missed it but the ex-soldier smirked, "Sure thing, shooter." He may be an ex-gang member but there was an underlayer. "Oh, and good luck with Ramya," she called after

Then there was a sound of Cameron hitting a doorframe, "Ex-fucking-cuse me?" Her laughter pissed him off. Thankfully, she couldn't see the flush on his face.

"First Elliott and then her too? Who fucking next, Obi?"

At that moment, the nano-machine Legend sneezed. "Hmm, someone must be gossiping." He then turned back to what he was doing originally.

The new blood, according to everyone else, found himself outside looking up at the Solace sun. He may not have been winning Games, but his performance is something that has been noted. People have cheered for him even knowing that he won't win.

That sounds disheartening but it really isn't. Sometimes, he just gets outplayed. Positioning is off, they got the jump on them, or just caught with his pants down. Shit happens. Blisk was intrigued that he could do so well and not win. After his stint on a rampage, he played smarter. He learned the rules, he learned the best spots, he found the adrenaline rush from the drops enticing.

He was moving on, he was finally living. A weight had removed itself from his very soul. A liberating feeling. Cameron did make a note to eventually go back and see the old HQ, probably in the off-season. His healing had only just begun but it was still a long road ahead.

"Figured I'd find you out here, mate," Ramya's voice brought a smile to his face, one that doesn't show up otherwise, not that he's noticed.

"Just reflecting," he defended.

The mechanic gave him a side-eye. "Suurrreee you were."

He shrugged, "Are the next teams decided?"

She shook her head, her braid flailing this way and that. "Not yet, but pretty soon. You finally goin' to win one?"

"Not you too!" He whined with obvious exaggeration.

"I think this has been the longest someone has joined the Legends and not won a game yet. Your performance notwithstanding."

"Still somehow have a fan base, which is creepy to think about," he mused.

"Oh yeah, plenty of crazies in all of them, fanatical too. Pray you never meet one, mate. Almost had to knock one of them out."

Cameron snorted, "Well, now I gotta hear this."

"Maybe someday."

A chime came through the whole complex. [Teams have been decided. Please check your personal terminal. The Game is 24 hours from now.]

Both Legends looked at their terminals on their persons and grinned upon seeing one another's name there. However, one of their smiles dropped and the other figured out why soon after.

"Well, she's not ideal but I can work with her cordially," Cameron said.

Ramya had a worried expression on her face, "You sure?"

He rolled his eyes, "Probably. Maybe like 60-40."

The team was Maverick, Rampart, and Bangalore. The funniest fact was that this was the first time that Cameron was with Ramya on a squad. After all this time too.

Someone was laughing somewhere, Cameron knew it.

"Well, Ramya, we got a Game to win. You with me?"

The Legend smirked, "Yeah mate, me and Sheila got your back."

To start off, Maverick had to sit next to Bangalore. While they are not arguing, they are far from understanding one another. From what he's heard, he's not the first to have such beef with her. Guess it comes with being an ex-soldier for a company that has done some despicable things. Maverick chose to not look at her lest she figures out what he's thinking.

"Ready for the Game, mates?" Rampart asked the entirety of the dropship.

A few resounding cheers were shared but other than that, not much was shared. "Alright, Maverick," Anita said, getting the Legend's attention. "You'll be the jumpmaster. Pick a spot and stick to it."

"This a test?"

"Have you ever been jumpmaster?" she countered.

Thinking back, he has…"I was...when I…" he trailed off. He'd rather not remember that.

"Say no more. Consider this a chance to learn," she offered. Rampart was honestly worried they were going to fight. They may act civil but she could still feel the underlying tension. It wasn't the kind of tension that Rampart has slowly been building up with Maverick. It was one of those moments that she debated a lot of things. Some of which would never see the light of day.

The dropship entered over Kings' Canyon from the Northeast, over Broken Relay and The Rig. Capacitor was just beyond that. Looking at an area of the Canyon that he hasn't been to before, he pointed to Crash Site. "Let's move."

Maverick took the opportunity to literally leap out of the ship with a grin on his face. "See you on the other end of my barrel!" Rampart and Bangalore followed after him. After being in the Games for a few weeks, he had finally gotten the hang of landing and using the jumpkit. He was even able to do what they called 'emotes' on the way down. With the number of things that he's seen, he's not surprised to see a lot of the Legends doing emotes of their own.

Maverick's was pretty simple. He would turn and give the Jackals signature salute. That salute was as follows, raise an arm to his head and middle finger up. Give salute like normal and flip off anyone. It was really a sign of endearment in the Jackals. Even the youngest members understood this. Even with that, Crash Site was fast approaching. Shit...Fuze's ship went down in a blaze of glory. That was one thing.

The second was the other two squads that decided to play tag along. Rampart split off early, aiming for the western side on the actual ship interior. She's gotten the best loot there before and she was a betting woman. Bangalore actually followed Maverick into the upper complex area. "Move quick, otherwise someone will shoot you down."

"Personal experience?"

A scoff, "I was the one doing the shooting."

Oh, well this will be a fantastic game.

After running through the whole damn place, Maverick ended up with a base R-301 and a Mozambique. Not surprising as the other squads started fighting off the bat. To make it even better, he actually deflected bullets from one team and sent it into another, nabbing him his first kill.

Rampart's upgrades really came through. Speaking of the Legend, she was having a blast, having deployed her amped cover and holed up in a position that would take some coordination to get to. A well-placed grenade could absolutely destroy her position but as soon as they peek, they were getting shot at by Sheila. So, she was holding her own.

Having to watch the other two squads attempt to kill each other was honestly pitiful. It almost physically hurt to watch. They weren't any of the Legend squads but like...is this amateur hour or something? "I can fucking do that when I was thirteen."

This was honestly the worst start he's seen in a while. It hurt to see them miss easy shots, have tunnel vision, and just have the worst positioning. Casually flicking the R3 into semi-auto mode, he aimed for the furthest person and fired five times. The first shattered their shield, the rest pelted into their body. He flicked to the next person on the opposite side and pelted him four times, two to the head, two to the body. It was like target practice.

They fired back but holding up the shield rendered the shots moot and pulled out the Mozam, pulling the trigger three times. Of course, Maverick is not superhuman, so some of the shots missed. Two of the three shots in each 'burst' hit a poor sucker in the chest. It wasn't enough to down them but enough to get them to back off.

At least until he heard Sheila ramp up and mow the poor sucker down. "Thanks for the assist."

"No problem mate, just keep them coming, we got twenty on the Ring. Don't get caught outside of it this time," Rampart teased.

"Very funny," he mumbled. "Who made it farther than you in that Game?"

"Touché Mav, touché."

"Lock it down, ladies, we gotta another squad inbound from Artillery," Bangalore's voice came through.

Maverick looked in the direction and sure enough, in the distance, three little blurs were scurrying across his sight. "They look antsy, thinking they want to third party?" Yet another term Maverick picked up. A constant thing in the arena. No one played fair. Pretty sure that the definition didn't exist in the Outlands. He himself is a perfect example. "You seen any energy weapons around?"

"Nah mate, all I got are shotguns, heavies, and light. A Sentinel if ya wanted," Rampart said.

"A PK?" Maverick inquired, as he threw a thermite to where he believed the rest of the enemy squads were hiding. He received a negative on that, more Mozams and Mastiffs. When he heard the sound of screaming, he giggled. Well, it was more of a cackle but the point was that setting someone on fire in a situation like this, only for them to scream like a little bitch is funny. The image of watching those people burn years ago flashed in his mind for a second.

Suddenly, it wasn't funny anymore. "Better go put those people outta their misery," Maverick said, reloading the R3. Having all this come back was not a good time. It was unneeded. "That third party on their way yet?"

Rampart seemed to notice the small shift in his tone, "Nope, looks like they want to wait us out. The Ring looks to be heading towards Cage and Hydro Dam." A grimace from Maverick.

"The bright side is that there is a Balloon that we can take at the central point of the area to bypass them." Bangalore's voice followed up.

At least she was thinking up an escape plan. Maverick finally rounded the corner to see one of them reviving another. One full clip later, that was three kills. The other squad seemed to have either abandoned their teammate or are in hiding, using them as bait. The latter choice would be the smart one. He ended up slowly creeping around the route he predicted they would take.

Upon seeing them, he slowly charged up the laser on his chest, the protective sleeve that it was in was a nice way to hide the growing power. They didn't turn until they saw the red and by that point, it was too late.

That made five kills. One of them must have died before the other squad he had previously killed. [New Kill Leader Appointed.]

Rampart and Bangalore both gave their respectful congrats. He took it in stride. It wasn't the first time he was Kill Leader but it feels like someone injected adrenaline directly into his heart. It felt euphoric. Taking a deep breath, he let the laser cool down. "We should probably move."

The mechanic replied, "Good, now move, they slipped by and are on their way to you."

At that moment, footsteps were running up a ramp to his six o'clock. Seeing no other way out besides defenestrating—or for the casuals, to yeet oneself out a window—off the side of the ledge, he would probably die fighting them. "Ah...fuckberries."

Maverick put his weapons on his back before running to the edge. Before he was about to jump, bullets were flying by, mostly missing, but a few impacted his shield. He could have put up his shield if he was thinking smart. Right now, it was fight or flight. He chose flight...literally.

He didn't leave without a backup plan though. He snagged a grenade or two from the death box in front of him and pulled the pins with his teeth. He held onto them, delaying the detonation by a few seconds before dropping them. More like he tossed them behind him like old-fashioned bocce balls. They clinked together as he finally dropped off the edge. "This is going to hurt…"

An explosion racked the platform as the sound of shields being shredded reached Maverick's ears. He didn't knock anyone, but it should be enough to dissuade them from chasing him. New problem...landing. He quickly turned and saw a rope. Shit…this was going to hurt. He grit his teeth as he grabbed the rope. Much to his surprise, the rope was smooth to the touch and easily stopped his descent. Well, that was new.

His jumpkit might have something to do with that. Of course, he still had to keep moving as more shots rained down on him. Maverick ran under the platform, looking for a pillar to hide behind. During his initial looting run, he snagged a few cells and two Batteries. Pulling out said Battery, he twisted and pulled and ran like Satan himself was chasing him. The Battery finished five seconds later as he heard a voice, "Poppin' smoke! Get moving, Maverick!"

He didn't waste a second as he dashed towards the direction the smoke was fired from, knowing that it had to be Bangalore who fired it. His weapons clinked off his back as he pushed his strides further and further along. Each time he pushed, the adrenaline flooded his system. He wanted to turn back around and make them pay. Make them suffer.

Gritting his teeth, he forced those thoughts from his head. It was exactly the same reason he fell into his Juggernaut persona, he wanted blood and he had the perfect stomping grounds to do it. He doesn't—couldn't—fall into that again. It already negatively impacted him once. Maverick knew that it could not happen again.

Soon enough, he found himself inside a house. Shutting the door, he took a deep breath. Running like that takes a lot of stamina, something he has improved on in the past few weeks but was still a long ways off to someone like Bangalore's level.

Speaking of the ex-soldier, she appeared next to him, "That was a good hussle, Maverick, but you should clear houses before you hunker down and let your guard slack."

He tried to not take it as an insult. He truly did. Instead of flipping out, he kept his mouth shut. It was bad enough that they had a rocky relationship but he didn't need to raise tensions in their own squad. "You two good down there? I don't hear shooting so I can assume that they didn't follow ya, right?"

"We're green, Rampart," Bangalore responded. We still need to move. The Ring is about to start closing in five minutes and we are far off from the next safe zone."

Maverick inspected the map and saw the Ring was located just past Artillery. Hmm, where he ended a while back. Where he was gunned down was Airbase, since the Ring ended there previously on his killing spree.

The duo left the confines of the building cautiously, Maverick went first since Bangalore was a better shot, having formal training after all. Rampart had slid down the side of a cliff face before joining up with them both. "Alright mates, time to move it or lose it!" With Sheila on her waist, her weapons on her back, Maverick realized that she was really strong for someone of her stature. Averting his eyes before they wandered too far, he ran in pace with Bangalore, a steady jog. He made sure that he was in her peripheral vision so she knew he was there. It was sort of a mutual thing.

Rampart noticed but did not comment. She just kept on running forward. Eventually, they managed to make it into the old Artillery tunnel that was just off to the side of Artillery's overlook and just north of Containment. The hill was a great vantage point but that did not mean it was safe.

There were a few protrusions in the ground, thanks to the structure of the hill and the actual buildings on the ground. There was even a tree as well. As they were running, Maverick checked his surroundings and only barely noticed it, a thin red light passed over his vision. For a second, he thought it was his laser but realized it was something else. Then he saw it hover over Rampart.

"Get down!" Maverick shouted as he quite literally tackled Rampart off her feet as a shot pierced that very tree. Bangalore fired a smoke in front of them to provide cover. If they had an infrared scope, the attackers could see through it. If they didn't, well...blinding firing could yield results. Two things are wrong with that. One, it would be a waste of ammo. Two, it would bring other squads into play. Being Gatekept is one way to play and it's not frowned upon but according to the crowd, they love that shit.

After tackling the girl, he propped himself up above her and looked into her eyes. Woah, were they always that beautiful?

Bloody hell, how have I not noticed his face before? Both Legends were just gazing into one another's eyes. They inched closer without even realizing it.

"Come on you two, we are leaving!" Bangalore said, breaking the tension between them. It only took one glance for the soldier to recognize this and smirked faintly. She kept that tone out of her voice as she got them to move. Neither one spoke after that. Maverick quickly moved off of her before following along. "Did you see the shooter?"

"Containment, top window, I believe. Unknown if there was one or two," Maverick said. A spotter and shooter, typical for normal operations, abnormal if it was for something like this.

Bangalore scowled. Not directed at him but at their attackers as they moved across the overlook, avoiding the shooter's line of sight. They straight up rushed by the doors in case someone was lying in wait.

Eventually, they reached a luscious forest area, "Didn't this used to be destroyed?"

"Yeah," Bangalore said, not offering anything else. Rampart was oddly silent as they ran. She kept thinking about what the hell just happened. Normally, she'd be able to pass it off. Plus, her body shield would have protected and absorbed the shot, so why the hell did Maverick jump out at her?

Could he possibly...no Ramya...focus on the Game. Little did she know, he was suffering the same thing. Perhaps it was instinct or just because he had a childhood fantasy of saving someone from a bullet. Pfft, nahhh. This allowed the mechanic to grin, much to Maverick's hidden relief. He was worried that he just crossed a line that he shouldn't have.

On the way to Capacitor, where the northern part of the Ring was set to stop closing, he managed to find a Peacekeeper lying on the ground. A smooth swap of scooping the shotgun whilst tossing the Mozam. A shame that he hasn't seen a shotgun bolt, which for some reason makes the guns shoot faster…

Maverick didn't see the point. He wished he could slam fire the Peacekeeper, as the thought sounded pretty badass in his opinion. They kept close to the formations that covered one side of them. So, if they get shot at, it narrows down the direction. Sparing a glance at Rampart, he found that she had glanced at him too. They both looked away mutually. That was going to be an awkward conversation in the near future.

"Don't you just love explosions?" Maverick asked as another missile bombarded the squad's position. Having slipped through the cracks multiple times in the past few hours, they finally made it to Hydro Dam, where the final circle was going to close soon, in about five minutes. In that time, they've almost been blown up, shocked, and gassed out.

Thankfully, one of the Legends capable of the former option was dead. The other two were not and honestly, being fenced in with gas like Caustic's did not seem like a fun way to go out. "I'd love it if you'd not state the bloody obvious!" Rampart chided. Sheila was in her hands laying down suppressive fire as Bangalore called in her airstrike. Everything kicked off from there.

Maverick's shield was down, having taken a few bullets to his chest. Wingman shots and they hurt. Why does such a little gun have so much firepower? It's totally unfair. In other news, he was out of small healing items. This fight has been going on for the past thirty minutes, and there were four squads left. So that was a maximum of twelve people and a minimum of four. The latter was out because there were at least seven guns going off.

Ammo-wise, they were all struggling. The most they could do was pick off the enemy shields. They are hiding on the inside of the base where it would connect to Cage, the Ring humming ominously behind them. Rampart's amped cover was the only thing keeping them safe. The crack of a Kraber was heard.

Someone must have shouted, "Everyone kill that person!" Apparently, if one wielded a Kraber sniper rifle, which fired the same rounds as Sheila. Maybe the lack of initial velocity was the difference in damage potential. Nevertheless, all guns turned to that one person. Well, not all but most. The smart ones kept their guns pointed in the direction of their adversaries in case they decided to get cheeky.

The newest Legend wanted to take the opportunity to move up and out because that Ring was bringing back the time he died outside of it. Not fun. It was like being slow-roasted for hours before heat exhaustion and the smell of his own flesh made him pass out. It is not a peaceful end out there.

His plans were immediately stopped as a bullet slammed into his chest, knocking him just as he reached behind a truck, which thankfully kept his legs from being 'thirsted'. Another term to kill the downed people so they have to make the extra effort to use the respawn beacons. It works, honestly.

"Fucking ow!" Maverick complained. "I so deserved that. I had...hoped that they weren't looking."

"Bangs, I can't get to him!" Rampart said, and for some reason, he felt that it was out of character for her.

She didn't respond. At least until smoke covered him. Hands were quickly maneuvering him to lay down as he felt a syringe being injected into his chest, "You aren't done yet, soldier."

"How many times do I have to tell you that I am not a soldier?" Maverick snarled as Bangalore pulled him up and leaned him against the truck. She dropped him two shield cells and a syringe.

"Use those and get back into the fight. I'm feeling it today," she said as she used her marksmanship skills to take down another person.

[New Kill Leader Appointed.]

Oh. Oh, now that was a fucking challenge if he's ever seen one. That was such a callout that it made his blood boil in good nature. He didn't notice how his own face cocked a wicked grin, "Game. Fucking. On. Bangalore."

"Let's see if you got the bite to that bark, new blood," the soldier said back easily.

Maybe we can be partners. I don't think we'll mix. Oil and water. Maverick quickly applied the meds that she gave him. "Hey Rampart?"

"Good, you're alive. I'm sending you something. Heads up," the mechanic said. Looking up, he saw something flying towards him. Eyes wide he caught it, almost dropping him to the floor again. "Treat her right."

Rampart just threw Sheila at him. "Trusting me with your daughter? Isn't that too far too fast?"

"I know you can handle her, she's a rowdy one. Brace yourself," she said before the sounds of her Rampage LMG joined the chorus of gunfire.

Maverick grinned as he set the gun gently on the hood of the truck and spun up the barrel. Oh look, two more targets. His finger rested on the trigger for a second before his targets noticed their position. "Sayonara, bitches!" Never did he think firing a gun like Sheila would be this much fun. He can kind of understand now why Rampart loves the gun so much. It was pure destructive power. Coupled with his Vortex Shield defending him from stray bullets, and then adding them to the volley, he was having a grand old time. One of the more memorable moments in recent history.

[New Kill Leader Appointed.]

Hearing that made Maverick strive for more, and strive he did. Once those two were taken out, there were two squads left. Wattson and Caustic it seemed. The two doctors seemed confident.

That was until Bangalore's flare lit up the area. "Marker set, bring the rain." Ballistic missiles then fell from the sky, digging a few inches into the ground. "Find cover!" Seconds after they fell, they exploded in rows. "Confirmed hits! Take them down."

"With pleasure," Maverick stated before letting the laser charge up. Nicely setting Sheila down, he ran at the stunned Legends. The core was ready. Coming into view were Wattson and Caustic, who were too stunned to do anything as he said. "Finally, it's about time this happened." The laser made quick work of them both, the smell slightly off-putting but it had to be done.

Because for the first time since he joined the Apex Games, since he joined the Legends in the new season, he finally heard the words from the announcer.

[You are the Apex Champions.]

Maverick laid down on his back with a smile. "Fucking finally! Take that you no good fucking non-believers saying I'll never win a Game! Take that and shove it up your pompous asses!" His laughter sprang free after that. Filled with relief he closed his eyes, "That was really satisfying."

"Good work, shooter," Bangalore said, making Maverick peer open his eyes to see the soldier above him. "Ended as Kill Leader, the Champion, and getting the final kills, pretty good for your first win."

Rampart's voice came soon after, "Now let's see if you can do that again next Game without us!"

"Yeah, fucking right!" he laughed. Both Rampart and Bangalore were stunned. This was the first time that they'd seen him laugh like this. In Rampart's case, she's seen the almost full laugh. It wasn't like he was sarcastic. They were genuine laughs. This felt more child-like, full of happiness. Something that he didn't have much of as a child.

"Come on, you two, dropship's waiting," Bangalore said.

Rampart leaned over him, "Hope you treated Sheila well, you'll be helping fix her if you hurt her."

Maverick, still smiling, "Yeah, I will."

"Good, we also need to talk."

That smile left his face so fast that even Octane would be jealous. Shhhhiiittttt…

...

Apologies for my late upload. I was busy all day yesterday. Anyway, it's the right document last time. I'd like to apologize for that. Last week, I was too tired to focus and must have clicked the wrong one.

Next week is the last chapter. See you then.