Chapter 1 - That Flyer Really Didn't Wanna Be Ridden

 
    Lifeline stared up at the branches of the highest tree on the rock formation next to market. She tapped her foot annoyed as she talked to Octane over the team com. “I’ve been resisting asking, Since I know ya did something… something so, so ya… but what happened?”
    “It was awesome Hermana! I get a rush just thinking back on it. I landed on the back of a flyer and rode it. It put up such a fight. It really didn’t want to be ridden. When it finally looked back at me it screeched. I pulled the pin from a grenada and threw it into his mouth. I jumped off but before it exploded it latched onto my legs. Then boom!” Octane’s energy and excitement were palpable, though true to form,” … Ok I’m bored now. How much longer?” It never lasted long.
    Lifeline found herself more annoyed as she was now slowly riding her D.O.C up to the tree to get one of his bionic legs out of the branches. “If it wasn’t for pathfinder.” Lifeline started.
    “Hello friend! Nothing found at thunder dome! I will keep looking somewhere else!” Pathfinder interjected on the com with his usual robotic enthusiasm and helpfulness.
    “Gracias” Octane looked through the scope of the sniper rifle that pathfinder left him. He was supposed to be using it to look for his legs from where he was left but instead he was just watching Ajay Che and keeping an eye out for any of the other legends. They were still in a match and though he didn’t show it, he was worried about her.
    Ajay had to fight with the tree to get his leg. “This would be a lot easier if I had more leverage.” She pulled hard on the stubborn thing, finally yanking it free, the momentum sending her and doc spinning slowly. “Got it! It's the right leg, still in one piece too.”
    “I know a good prosthetics guy.” Octane’s smirk was obvious in his tone..
    “I am ya prosthetics guy, and ya lucky it's not broke. I’m going to head over to bunker then cross over into containment.” It was rapidly becoming obvious that she wasn’t in the mood for his shenanigans.
    “Hey, I’ll get bored if you just leave me here.” Octane protested as he couldn’t keep an eye on her if she went over there.
    “Think of it as punishment for being reckless during a match and making things harder on your teammates.” Ajay’s reply was no nonsense as she put the leg into the holder she had for the bigger guns on her back.
    Several minutes passed, until she heard Octane as she was about to enter Bunker. “Pick me pick me pick me uuup, I’m so bored!”
    “Quit ya whinging, Pathfinder can ya pick him up and drop him off on the other side of the river when ya head that way.” He really could be such an annoying child at times.
    “Can do friend! Also, no leg in skull town” Pathfinder updated.
    As lifeline exited the bunker a canister of Caustic’s gas went off, the toxic irritant causing her to cough up a storm as she retreated back into bunker closing the door behind her.
    “You okay friend? I can zip over.” Pathfinder offered.
    Octane gripped the sniper rifle as he used it to help move himself to get a better angle. He could use a sniper but was better with the shorter ranged to close ranged weapons, they were way more his style and comfort. This whole sitting and waiting was really against his style and he hated it more when Ajay got caught in a trap. Though at this point he felt like he had no right to say anything. Also, him pissing her off right now would not be good if she was going to get into a fight solo.
    “He doesn’t seem to be *cough* close by *cough* I’m going to head around the outside. *cough cough* If ya not to far *cough* away ya could check to see if *cough* clear.” She broke down with a major coughing fit “While I take a minute to recover.” She managed to get out.
    A few minutes later she opened the sliding door to bunker she used to enter. Then the loud echoing of a sniper shot rang through. Caustic collapsed to the ground at lifeline’s feet.
    “Exciting! I've wiped out the whole squad.” Pathfinders voice came thru the com.
    “Poor bastard. Good job.” She looked up towards the area pathfinder would be with the angle of that shot and threw her fist up in the air in a way to emphasize what she said.
    Pathfinders victory made Octane very impatient and with the threat gone he couldn’t hold back. “Can you hurry up and find my leg compadres. Hurry hurry hurry!”
    “Tch” Was the last thing that came over the mic until later. “I’m going to head over to Artillery and then up to relay.”
    “Oh goodie you spoke. You must not be mad now. I am leaving our friend at the top of Cage.” Pathfinder commented
    “I told you amigo, she couldn’t stay mad at me for long.”
    “Ya still blocked and ya’ll stay that way.”
    “Enemies are firing at me. Don’t worry friends I will be okay, My grapple is very useful for this. Keep searching.”
    “Be safe compadre”
    “Remember, Bleed, patch and keep moving. I’ll check ya later”
    There was nothing either of them could do. Lifeline was to far away and Octane still with the lost legs. One thing they both knew was that the robot could handle himself. So she kept searching for the stupids leg. While He just kept fidgeting and failing to keep himself entertained.
    Some time later, “I found ya damn leg. It's wedged in the rock formation above artillery.”
    “Finally. I’m so very very bored! I mean very, very, very, very bored. Hurry Chica!”
    Lifeline let out a sigh she knew pathfinder would be to busy with enemies. So she had to figure out a way to get it. D.O.C won’t work this time. She wouldn’t have enough leverage. She wandered around artillery. It seemed people already went thru it but she found a few scraps. Some syringes, a few arc stars, and a Mozimbique which she proceeded to ignore.
    “This will do.” She spoke to herself after looking through her small lot.
    “If your going to talk to yourself Hermana might want to mute the com. Oops never mind… You didn’t hear anything. Just your thoughts. Your better more fun thoughts. You should talk about them more.”
    “Ya wonda why ya still blocked.”
    “Lighten up Che… Mira You need to relax. Maybe lay off the caffeine.”
    He was interrupted by the loud explosion that could even be heard from where he was. She threw enough arc stars that it dislodged and sent it flying and landing somewhere outside of the fence of artillery.
    “Was that you?” Octane fidgeted in place, finger tapping the side of the gun with his impatient excitement.
    “How else would I get ya damn leg out of a rock.”
    “Thats awesome! Wish I was there to see it. Next time I blow off my legs maybe I can follow you on D.O.C.”
    “I’m goin’ ta slap ya so hard when I get there.”
    There was some silence which was a bit strange due to what she said. Then “oh look someone wandered into our safe space.”
    It made her act fast that as soon as she spotted the intact leg she slid to pick it up and jumped right on to the zipline for the jump tower. This was one of those instances where she found herself thinking Octanes words. Faster faster Faster.
    Meanwhile Octane managed to fire a few shots of the sniper rifle at the team taking down Mirage. The Bangalore threw her smoke up onto the floor blocking his view. He switched over to the Re-45 and listened. He couldn’t hear them just yet, but he had been doing this for a while, he trusted his instincts. At the last minute he pulled out 2 frags and tossed them at the door. The first blew up right as the door opened and Bangalore launched her smoke, the 2nd exploding to finish the job.
    “2 down… now where’s-.”
    “Looking for me?” Wraith said as she came out of the void.
    She took her Kunai and cut him as he was helpless to move. “Ai! That hurts!” He couldn’t help but yell out in pain.
    Ajay recognized when Silva was in real pain and it spurred her even faster. He was her…friend and the only one allowed to hurt him is her… and himself… most of the time it was himself.
    Wraith cut him another time before stabbing him in the side with a wicked smile causing him to bleed out. “I always wondered what you looked like under that mask and goggles.”
    He would have used his hands to stop her from removing them if he didn’t need them to try and slow the bleeding. Wraith is the only one that truly did kill people in the Apex games. She didn’t always it was like moods with her but he knew this time he could really die.
    “Ajay Ayudame!” He called out so desperate it reminded her of that time…
    She was in such a rush that she wasn’t exactly stealthy when running to cage. She could see the back of octanes head and how it slumped to the side against the metal squares. She really wished she had one of his jump pads or Pathfinders ziplines right about now. Her lack of her own increased movement seemed like such a detriment.
    “Don’t ya worry I’m coming for ya!” She shouted as she just wanted him to know she was there.
    That got wraiths attention fully and she proceeded to fire down thru those metal squares with the RE-45 she took. Lifeline dodged and slid into the lowest part of that tower for cover. Only one of the bullets hit her armor on the way there. She didn’t stay there for long as she headed up the ramp that led to the next floor. She went as high up as she could before the only way she could get higher from her position is the zipline provided. One that wraith would be waiting for her at. She felt like she didn’t have the time to run back out and take one of the ramps up. Even if she did getting the jump on Wraith was near impossible without something distracting her.
    Ajay took as deep a breath she could in the final sprint before jumping on the zipline risking more than just her career for Octavio this time, “ya betta be there when I get up there.”
    Octavio could see wraith who jumped down waiting at the door holding a peacekeeper. She wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible so she could get back to fulfilling her curiosity. There was a zipline on the outside of the building that led to a walkway around most of the outside of that floor. Then another 2 zipline across from each other in the middle that lead up to where he was. Anyone trying to get up those inner zip lines were easily covered from his floor.
    Up came Ajay and as soon as she jumped off the line onto the walkway the doors were thrown open and Boom! The impact and damage from the peacekeeper shot gun made her instinctively jump back and fall off. It was pure luck that it didn’t hit her full on or she would be dead. She couldn’t save him if she was dead, so she made the smarter decision to  run off. She would have to use the ramp from the outer awnings that lead up to that floor.
    After Octavio saw the shotgun blast connect he forced himself forward with only one arm. The other he held his side trying to keep the bleeding under control, hoping to make it to her. If he were to die he wanted to die with her. He managed to crawl over to the edge before falling off with a flip as he originally planned to hang off the side first. His fall out of his control he ended up landing hard on his back and his loud groan showed his pain. “Ah, no bueno!”
    He got her attention again. Wraith turned and walked back figuring that she ran away, “That's done, now for that face.”
    Octane forced himself onto his front and was going to crawl until Wraith came and grabbed his vest. She dragged him to the wall and forced him to sit up against it. It was the best way to get all the headgear he wore off and a good look at his face.
    He used the energy he had left to try and put a fight and prevent giving her what she wanted. He couldn’t make it where he wanted before he would bleed out now. His eyesight began to fade in and out before being forced against the wall.
    Ajay was counting the seconds mentally of how long she would have to get to him before he died. If this didn’t work she would die with him. She entered in from the other door kicking it open and rushing in. She managed to punch Wraith forcing her off him and back towards the other door now. She managed to get another hit in before Wraith on her own backed up enough to put herself in the doorway.
    Lifeline threw her last arc star managing to stick her with it and punching her once more off the pathway. She watched it explode on the way down only standing there long enough to confirm she was dealt with.
    “Octavio! Ya better not be dead.”
    “Who told you that?” He joked to try and put her at ease before coughing. His goggles and mask sliding off as wraith did get as far as undoing them.
    “I got ya.” She assured as she slowly lowered him onto his back.
    Her training as well as her D.O.C. and a med kit she would be able to stop the bleeding and patch him up.
    As he laid there while Ajay took care of him he couldn’t help but say what he wanted to say for awhile now. “I’m sorry about guilting you.”
    “Don’t say what ya don’t mean.” Ajay warned with a stern face.
    “I’m being serious Chica.” He was being serious but his natural avoidance invaded his voice.
    “Now I know ya aint serious. Ya neva call me chica when serious.” She frowned.
    “Che,” He started to move his arm.
    “Don’t ya dare move. Ya lost a lot of blood. If ya weren’t so durable… or maybe its lucky, ya would be dead already.” She kept her voice calm, but the slight tremor in it betrayed that she  really was scared for him.
    He kept moving his arm until his hand had rested on her bent knee. “Che, Do you know the reason I joined the games?”
    “For the rush, as ya say a lot.” She was not in the mood for his playing.
    “No, That's just what I tell my fans.” His hand squeezed her leg softly, “I joined for you Ajay. You don’t talk to me since that day. Only way I could get you to-.”
    “Don’t ya toy with me Silva. I heard about what ya did when repulsor collapsed. Ya just had to race it. If Wattson wasn’t ya damn teammate that day, Ya would have been dead.”
    “Your like a broken disco de vinilo… record.” His hand slid off of her leg he felt himself getting really weak.
    “Ya betta stay awake Silva.” she ordered.
    “Ajay…Ayudame…Estoy enamorado de ti.” He said before passing out.
    Out of everything he said she only recognized and understood Ayudame. It meant help me which she was going to keep doing. She pulled out a needle out of her baggy pocket, and stabbed him in the chest before pushing the plunger, injecting him with the liquid.
    His almond shaped hazel eyes popped open, “Nap times over.”
    “How is that ya natural response to near death calls?” She couldn’t help but find that astounding.
    He stared up towards the sky as he still was very weak. He needed the silence to gather his thoughts for his next move. He knew what he said before passing out. He also knew how his waking comment would invalidate what he said before passing out. He needed to tell her when he could move more so she could understand what he meant.
    “Now ya quiet.” Ajay commented after some time passed in silence.
    He moved his head to the side, “I’m waiting.”
    “When have ya been known to wait without whinging.” She teased as he was pretty much out of danger.
    He laughed for what she said was true. “Ow that hurts.” The laugh causing him pain.
    “Just a bit longer and then Doc can take care the rest.”
    “Que bueno trabajo.” He praised.
    She pulled out D.O.C when it was his turn, who hovered next to Octane. She then attached the three “tentacles” to him which then proceeded to glow and go to work. She then sat on the floor her back against the wall. She let out a relieved sigh but felt exhausted. She didn’t understand why she was. This was no different than her usual line of work. Yet here she was resting back against the wall wanting to take a nap staring at Silva.
    It really felt like a long time since she had seen his face fully. Her eyes subtly looked over the features of his attractive face even with the scaring. Just under the chin was a round like indentation of a scar. Then more shrapnel like scarring going up the front of his chin and a bit on the sides of his jaw line. The face mask he always wore barely covered it.
    “Ya know… I almost forgot ya had hazel eyes.” She commented.
    “I know, Sexy right?” he was honestly surprised by the comment and stared back into her beautiful brown eyes.
    “Heh, I walked into that one.” She then turned her head to the side and just stared into the empty space.
    He rested his hand on her leg squeezing it tighter this time. “por favor mira?”
    When she didn’t he forced himself to sit up and place his hands on her shoulders. “What ya doin? Ya need to rest longer.”
    “Later… Por favor mira?” He asked again almost begging.
    She wasn’t sure what he wanted. What did he want her to look at. If it was him she was looking at his body worried that he could reopen his wound. Still it was not what he wanted. She slowly looked at his face then up into his eyes.
    “Ajay. Ayudame, Estoy Enamorado de ti… Ajay help me, I am in love with you.” The way he sounded so desperate to get what he was saying across. The look on his face the way he was shaking, Even his most serious playing was never this convincing.
    “Octavio…” It also made her feelings unable to ignore now, but she kept control. She couldn’t just jump into it because she didn’t want to be betrayed or hurt by someone she loves again. “I need to know why if what ya said earlier was true. Why ya raced the collapse if it wasn’t for just the rush.”
    It wasn’t what he wanted to hear and his shoulders drooped just a bit as he dropped his hands to his sides. But he knew Che and what she has been through and he knew what he did too. He knew it wasn’t going to be easy when he finally realized his own feelings not long after she blocked him.
    “Your attention. If I was reckless and you saw or heard about it at least for that moment your thoughts would be of me. So then maybe you would talk to me. Even when we are on the same te-”
    “Ya selfish.” Ajay cut him off.
    Then before he could say anything she grabbed the back of his neck and planted her lips on his. In that kiss the desire and feelings they both have had for one another washed over them. Her tongue parted his lips and slipped in his mouth and played with his. He was filled with another sort of rush. One that was even better than the Adrenaline.
    Still she was a medic so she also used this kiss to slowly lower him to lay back on the floor. They also couldn’t go further due to the D.O.C. and…
    “Am I interrupting? Should I leave?” Pathfinder said as he stood there next to them.
    Ajay broke off the kiss and grabbed his stuff and and quickly placed it on his face before sitting back against the wall again. They couldn’t really be mad or hold it against him. Pathfinder was just too naive. Besides his interruption was better for octane.
    “Its alri’ Path.” Lifeline assured.
    “I didn’t hear anything for awhile after that distress. So I came to check on you friends… I see you found the legs. In one piece to. Woo hoo.” Pathfinder had the excited heart face on his screen.
    “I know. Awesome durability, right amigo?” He replied as he adjusted the mask and goggles.
    “There is one team left friends.” Pathfinder informed.
    “Let’s do this! Soon as I put on my legs.”
    Octane barely got his legs reattached before. “I’m opening up the skies!” echoed around the Cage. Before they knew it, all three were knocked out


