The Apex Legends

Blisk looks down from his cruiser on the battle stained landscape. Explosions and gunfire blast sound like incorrigible taps against the glass in the bridge port. “This is what the Outlands are made for,” Blisk said in a rejuvenating breath. Screens around the viewport display viewpoints of the legends of the match, statistics and bets. “To think at first this was all to replenish my mercenary squadron but now the apex games have risen to something greater!”, Blisk joyously gestates towards the screens.

A Wraith clone in white charges a Gibraltar clone on top of a broken building. She uses her agile body and psychic abilities which spark like lighting against her white armor to dodge her opponents light machine gun fire, jumping pillar to pillar. She fired her heavy pistol at the giant man but his energy shield took the brunt of the bullets and he continued firing with his LMG. His rampage continued the destruction of the already damaged building. Wraith hides behind a pillar being chewed up by her opponent and changes to her secondary weapon, a shotgun. After hearing her opponent’s weapon empty, Wraith levels her shotgun around the damaged pillar and fires. The charged shotgun hits a large dome shield and the jolly Gibraltar smirks looking to her feet before ruining laughing in the opposite direction. Wraith looks down where he glanced and a gust of fear blows through her. A large beacon pulses red at her feet. She then looks up to see the bombardment from atmospheric cannons. The building was hit with the rain of fire and collapsed on itself, billowing dust and smoke. As the building fell, the clone Gibraltar laughed victoriously. Dust welled up around him as it settled. A shotgun muzzle revealed itself pointing at the jolly giant with the clone Wraith wielding it. She smirked mockingly as she fired a charge shot at her target. The blast shattered the purple energy shield that surrounded his body then projected through muscle and bone of Gibraltar. The giant fell backwards and hit the ground with a loud thump. The big man however was still alive and stumbled backwards. Wraith walked forward in confidence, eager to complete the kill. Her arm pulsed with electrical waves but before she could execute her opponent, she recoils sensing someone aiming in her direction. Gun fire from a distance flies by her. A Llifeline clone and another Wraith clone dressed in black fired assault rifles at the lonely Wraith to rescue their teammate Gibraltar. Bullets ricochet off of a red body shaped energy field of the white wraith as she fails to dodge all of the bullets. Seizing the opportunity, the black wraith creates a white a blue aura around her creating a portal at the lifelines location. She runs towards the white wraith while the opposing wraith while buffeted by the lifelines assault weapon fire reloads her heavy pistol and fires several shots at the encroaching enemy. The bullets flakes off the blue energy shield of the black wraith. The portaling wraith sparked with blue psychic energy and expertly dodged the next set of incoming bullets. Upon creating a portal to her injured teammate, the black wraith switched to her sub machine gun and fired at close range. The white wraith’s red energy peeled away, sounding like broken glass as it hit. The white wraith was forced to retreat to a nearby piece of building debris. The injured Gibraltar crawled to the portal and was instantly transported to the Lifeline. The ally then revived Gibraltar who was on the brink of death. A drone separated from the lifeline’s backpack and issued metal tendrils into the Gibraltar’s body. A light green liquid perforated his dilapidated body and began to reconstruct his body parts. Back at the fight between the two wraiths, the white wraith used a large blue shield cell to try to restore her shields. After emptying her submachine gun, the black wrath jumped over the debris the white wraith was hiding behind and began to assault her with melee strikes and a Shuriken. The sudden attack interrupted the charging of her shields and the white wraith did her best to parry the blows with her own Shuriken. The white wraith landed several hits but her weapon glanced off her opponent’s shield, while the black wraith’s hits landed true hitting flesh. In time the white wraith looked to be done for but two smoke canisters came from behind and dispensed a blinding smoke around them. The white wraith used this opportunity to use her dimensional ride to escape. The black wraith’s Shuriken cleaved at nothing as her enemy escaped but sensing danger quickly reloaded her weapons. A red glow seemed to over take her like a radar and then within the smoke a beacon billowing red smoke stood out. Black wraith’s eyes went wide as several small rockets impacted the surface around her like a wave. They then began to detonate in succession from the time they impacted the ground, also like wave. Racing against the explosion, black wraith ran to the portal She left behind. Diving into it she was able to avoid the rhythmic destruction. It transported her to her teammates 30 yards away. They were surrounded by Gibraltar’s large shield dome. Around the three the ground shook as the rockets finished their wave of ignition. Smoke emanated like a fog from a fiery river of destruction. Gibraltar’s shield bubble disappeared and his team leveled their weapons in a defensive formation. The smoke dispersed and across the battlescorn city the white wraith, a clone Bangalore and a clone bloodhound stood side by side, ready to attack their foes. A loud synthesized voice boomed in the area, “Only two teams remaining!” Pristine digital banners posted around the decrepit city displayed the two teams separately and decoratively. On several worlds in the Outlands people cheered for their favorite team, while placing bets on who is going to win.

Blisk walked to his captain’s chair placed at the center of the bridge surrounded by several of his syndicate soldiers, monitoring the battle. A martial man in a blue uniform and glasses stood behind him monitoring Blisk’s operation and listening to his words.

“I see you’ve done well for yourself,” said the IMC soldier with condescension.

“I put the money I received from your damn war to good use,” said the former commander of the Apex Predators. The IMC soldier in the blue uniform stood tall with glasses and several honors on his chest. He walked forward and stood next to Blisk in his chair menacingly.

“Though the syndicate counsel has allowed you to use these clones for this reason, to distract the Outlands from their plight… Commander. We do, however, question the amount of cloning you’ve employed,” said the soldier looking towards the commander. Blisk rolled his eyes defiantly and then slumped in his chair with his head propped up against arm as if he was bored.

“Of course we have been transparent with our numbers.” The soldiers paced around the bridge.

“Yes but how did you come about the templates for these clones?” Blisk, almost ignoring the question, took a knife from his boot and began to chip at the dirt from underneath his fingernails.

“All of these legends were heroes from long ago. Their specific skills are integral in the teams we’ve assembled as well as marketability to the people,” said Blisk gesturing to the screens where the battle reaches its conclusion.

“That is all well and good but the IMC remnant wishes to ensure there aren’t any anti-IMC templates being used,” said the soldier continuing his pacing, while looking at the screens. Blisk cut himself accidentally at the mention of “anti-IMC” and watched the wound on his thumb well up. The soldier noticed this, glancing back. “Certainly you understand with our part in the syndicate, we do not wish for the Alliance to be out of balance,” said the soldier gleaming with intention. On the screen the white wraith is able to take down the Gibraltar with a well placed arc star. The electrical based grenade sticks to him and explodes in a blue light. Again assault rifle fire pelts her and chases her back. Blisk, seemingly unbothered, took out his lighter and began to heat the knife with it. The soldier brought his attention back to the screens on the bridge. When the knife was hot enough Blisk cauterized his thumb without flinching. “We’ve made the histories of all our templates known. Surely you would’ve found something by now,” he said through the smoke. The soldier smirks as the champion is decided back at the battle.

“Our efforts have not revealed anything as of yet,” says the soldier. On the screens the black wraith and her team stand triumphantly with the opposition dead at their feet. “How do you replace the dead that have such steady following?” said the soldier changing the subject. Cuban Blisk rolled his eyes again, knowing the soldier already knows the answer.

“The eliminated team’s memories are backed up on an implant on the back of their necks. Once they are killed in combat their memories are uploaded to the ‘Mother’ and a new clone, which is made almost immediately, has their memories transferred.” Blisk said boredly while taking out a cigar and lighting it.

On the large ship called “Mother”, clone wraith, Bangalore and bloodhound emerge from their generation tanks. The white wraith his her first on the side of her tank in frustration.

“I see,” said the soldier quietly. “So there’s no way to alter their memories to suit your needs?” Smoke orbits around Cuban’s chair as he puffs on his newly lit cigar.

“Altering memories would contaminate the purity of the product,” said Blisk stoically. “Plus your people would see if there were irregularities.”

“Your transparency is important to us and the balance of power,” the soldier said, beginning to exit without glancing back at Blisk. Two guardian drones followed him to the exit. “I will come to you again, if I have any more questions.” Blisk breathed in another drag and exhaled.

“I hope the IMC isn’t planning to unbalance the compact we’ve worked so hard for as well,” said Blisk conspiratorially. The IMC soldier stopped for the briefest of moments but continued his exit. Blisk let out a chuckle.

On board the Mother, the white wraith clutches her head in agony and electricity hemorrhaged through her arms. In her head a collage of voices echo through her mind. “War is coming…”