After the battle…
Deep under Apex Groove, in a hidden bunker…
A man paces the room at the foot of a long table. He wore a long lab coat with his deep, dark brown hair tied back in a bun and his glasses tilted while he furrowed his brows. A woman with short black hair shifted her glasses to clean them. “So, what should we do, Andre?” The woman asked, her arms folded against her chest. The man stopped pacing and looked at her, pinching his eyes. “I’m not sure, Athena…” Andre sighed, looking down as he played with his glasses. “We just lost almost our entire team to her!”
Andre slammed his fist into a nearby wall, nearly cracking it. “Look, I’m sorry, but we just can’t sit here while Apollo is missing a leg.” Athena stood up, shifting her glasses into position on her face. “Apollo lost a leg saving your butt, Jaylen is under her control, saving mine.” Andre looked back at her, sorrow filled his eyes. “He wasn’t just a friend, Athena; he was our tank, or wall.”
Andre walked over to the head of the table to sit down in defeat. “Apollo could have died thanks to me; I pushed up too far.”
Athena stood up and walked across the room. “We need to learn from this and move on,” Athena sat on the table next to Andre. “I mean, look at the bright side… We made it out… I’m the head of the damage, and you’re the head of supports. We can just give the Head of Tank spot to Apollo temporarily. “
Andre stands up and faces her, a fire burning in his eyes. “It’s not that simple, Athena,” Andre replied. “We lost almost all our teammates… Connor… Jayce… Brad…” Andre started pacing the room once more. Athena sighed and stared him down. “So, what do we do?” Andre looked back with an idea. “We’ll do what you suggested and rebuild, all new tanks, new support, more damage heroes…”
Athena sighed and stood up from the table. “How should I help?” Athena asked. Andre walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder. “See to it that Apollo gets his new arm, then train him a little in the use of guns,” Andre replied. “He could use his claws to his advantage if trained by a pro at guns.”
Athena grabs a sniper from where it was leaning on the wall. “So, almost like a Doom-Fist situation?” Athena asked as she checked the bullets in her gun. Andre walked up and opened the door to the conference room. “Yes, but it’ll improve his aim by at least twenty percent,” He replied as he walked out. Athena followed him out. “So you're gonna make calls to the undergrowth of Apex Grove?”
Andre looked up from his phone with solemn eyes. Athena’s eyes widened as the plan struck like a brick. “Don’t tell me you’re gonna call her.” She walks in front of Andre, stopping him where he stands. “She’ll kill us for letting her brother sacrifice himself.” André pushes past her and continues down the hall to a room labeled Lab." “She deserves to know that we lost her only family to the wicked witch of the west.” Athena sighed in defeat as she pinched her nose. “Fine, you’re right, but she’ll be on our butt for days.”
Andre stopped once more as his hand hovered over the door to the lab. “I know, but I’ll also make calls to the undergrowth so the word gets spread.” He opened the door to the lab and stepped in, the door slowly closing, blocking Athena from following. “I’ll just start planning Apollo’s training, I guess,” Athena says, rubbing the back of her head as she walks off. Andre leans on the door as he settles in his lab, his eyes closed as he pinches his nose. “If only you were here, Jay, you would know what to do.”
Andre cautiously picks up a photo of him, Athena, and a black man wearing a white sleeveless shirt with baggy black pants. He turns the image around to see a set of numbers and the words “Yana’s number: use in emergency!” scribbled on the back. “Hey, I’m sorry to be calling you on vacation like this, but we need your help.”
Andre shifts his glasses up with a sigh. “Yeah, he got caught.” Andre walks across the room to a door labeled “Laney’s Office.”
“Yeah, he just needs some rest, but we got even worse news.” Andre opens the door, revealing a large white room with many beds and fancy blue curtains separating each one. The walls had many photos of their old colleagues and themselves from their childhood. “Your brother was caught and taken in by the other side by their leader,” Andre sighed. “Yes, the white chick we’ve been fighting while you are over there in Hawaii.”
A white woman wearing a blue work uniform with a small marine tattoo on her wrist. Her hair was a black top with blonde highlights that stemmed from the first quarter of each hair to the tips. She had a nametag with the name “Sylvana Sanchez” on it. “Yeah, we’ll see you soon,” Andre hangs up, then turns to the woman. “Laney, how’s Apollo looking?”
The white woman turned to look at him from her computer. “I fixed him up a prosthetic leg to keep him going, but it’ll be a while before he can properly walk again,” The woman replied, her facial expression grim. Andre walks over to a bed with a bright flame-colored blanket. On the bed was a tall, masculine, anthropomorphic German shepherd in silver armour. One of his legs was cut clean off and replaced with a robotic version.
Andre sighed and sat in the chair next to him, placing his hand on the dog’s hand. “Apollo, I’m so sorry, this is all my fault.” The dog’s hand suddenly moves and grabs Andre’s. “Don’t worry yourself too much, boss, I’ll be fine without the leg.” The German Shepherd smiled warmly as Andre gasped in relief. “Apollo, you’re awake,” Andre quickly rushed to hug his canine companion. The German Shepherd weakly patted Andre on the back. “Yeah, fortunately, Laney fixed me up with her upgraded model of the prosthetic leg,” Apollo smiled. Laney set her hand on Andre’s shoulder. “This upgraded model will help him glide smoothly while shooting his claws.” Laney walks over to her desk and shifts a screwdriver into an organized position. “His leg can also withstand his abnormally high body temperatures and double his already enhanced strength.”
“Think of it as a cybernetic.” Laney walks over to her desk and types up a few words. “It helps enhance his abilities while giving him the ability to walk again.” Laney proceeds to walk back over with a screwdriver. “When he pops his alt, the cybernetic will also trigger and cover itself in flames to simulate the flames that would have been there to replace his fur.”
Laney helps Apollo up onto his cybernetic leg after adjusting a few screws. She helps him take a few steps before letting him, ensuring the screws are stable. “So don’t worry too much about him,” Laney finishes. “Luckily, he’s a quick learner.”
Apollo gleamed with pride as he walked again. “Yeah, don’t worry about me,” He stumbles a bit before regaining balance. “I’ve got this in the bag.” Apollo stumbles over to Andre and hugs him despite being twice as tall. “Don’t worry, none of this is your fault,” Apollo said as he tightened the hug. “I promised I’d protect you, and I kept to it even if I failed to protect Mr. Jaylen.”
A tear rolled down Apollo’s cheek as he slowly let go. “I’m sorry I failed at being a tank,” Apollo said, wiping his tears. “No, no, you did nothing wrong, Apollo,” Andre replied, grabbing Apollo’s hand and holding it in his. “I pushed up too fast, and it cost us.”
Andre shifts his feet a little while rubbing Apollo’s hand. “You did well, and for that we were thinking…” Andre hesitated for a second before looking Apollo in the eyes. “How would you like to take charge of leading the Tanks?”
Apollo’s eyes lit up like fireworks. “Really?!” Apollo exclaimed, his tail wagging as he took a step forward, his hands clasped together. “ But what if I fail again?” Apollo stood down as he limped back to the medical bed. “Hey, you are more than capable of taking over Jaylen’s spot for now,” Laney says as she walks up to him. “You single-handedly crushed more opponents than Jaylen did in that last battle.”
Andre smiled for the first time in a while with a small chuckle following. “I agree,” Andre grins. “Every step you take makes me proud to be your owner.”
Apollo’s toothy smile shines bright as his tail wags. “Thank you!” Apollo exclaimed as small sparks started forming around him. Andre notices the sparks and turns to Laney. “Get down!”
Andre and Laney jump behind a metal table as Apollo’s body engulfs itself in flames, as his ultimate ability is summoned. Everything down to his prosthetic shines bright with fire. The heat alone grew too hot, causing the power to go out like an overheated phone. “Oops!” Apollo quickly turns off his alt to prevent further damage. “Sorry, Laney, I got too excited.” Laney lets out a light, hearty laugh. “It’s fine, Apollo, accidents happen.”
Andre follows Laney out from behind the metal table. “Well, be careful cause I have more news,” Andre pushes his glasses back up. “We will be hosting tryouts in a week after I make a call to my friend in the undergrowth, and I need you two to help us.”
Laney stepped forward with her brows furrowed. “How can we help?” Andre pulls out his phone and shows them a list. “We need to complete this list before we can host tryouts, and I still gotta help Athena set up a training grounds for Apollo to train his spring-loaded claws.”
Andre puts the phone away in his pocket after a few seconds. “I also still have to call the head of the undergrowth, so word can spread.”
Laney looks at him with worried eyes. “You know he comes with a price, so why not just try the new streets?” Laney asked. Andre starts pacing around the room, stroking his chin. “Well, I can try my college friend, Angelo, since he runs the backup division, but…” Andre replied hesitantly. Apollo stepped forward curiously. “But what?” Apollo asked. “But he may be mad at me after I cost us the battle,” Andre replied with a grim expression.
Apollo stepped forward and grabbed Andre to lean on him for a second. “He won’t be mad at you,” Apollo reassured him. “You’re his friend, and he’s a chill dude who doesn’t hold grudges unless necessary.”
Andre shifts to look up at Apollo with a small smile. “I guess you’re right, like always,” Andre replied. “I’ll give him a call, just work on getting better again at walking.” Andre helps Apollo back to the medical bed. “We need you at full power to lead the Tanks into battle.”
Apollo gives a small nod before lying down with a gasp of relief. Andre chuckles a bit at the sigh of relief, knowing he was pushing himself to stand just to reassure him. “You did well, Apollo,” Andre whispered. “I’ll be back soon to visit.”
Apollo nods as he watches Andre walk to the door. “Oh, and Laney,” Andre said hesitantly as he stopped walking. “I’m gonna need help later setting up the tryout room so we can find recruits.” Laney nods and pulls out a piece of blueprint paper. “Will do!” Laney began drawing on the paper with a white crayon. “I’ll start planning the setup now.”
As Andre walks out, Athena walks in. “Athena, welcome!” Apollo exclaimed as he sat up on the medical bed. “Don’t get up too quickly, Apollo,” Athena smiled as she walked up to him. “You may get lightheaded.”
Laney walks up to her, her smile a little torn. “How are you feeling?” Laney asked. “Honestly, I was gonna ask y’all the same thing,” Athena replied. “The battle was rough with Apollo’s injury and the loss of Jaylen.”
Laney sighs and sits down. “Honestly…” Laney hesitates. “It still hurts knowing Jaylen isn’t on our side right now.” Laney looks down at her hands. “He’s been my and Andre’s friend since the band in middle school.”
Apollo looks at the two, sighing. “I agree, but we can’t dwell on it too long,” Apollo chimed in. “Let’s be lucky he’s still alive, but…” Apollo grabs his prosthetic leg for a second. “I can’t shake the feeling there’s a deeper evil.”
Athena looks at him with a worried glance. “What do you mean?” she asked. Apollo twiddles his thumbs hesitantly before speaking. “Well, when I stepped in to protect Andre, I saw something in the enemy's eyes.”
Laney’s face shifts to one of pure curiosity. “What do you mean by their eyes?” Laney asked. Apollo looked at them in fear as he rewinds the memory in his head. “The one who took my leg…” Apollo hesitated as the flashback hit harder than it should have. A single tear fell from his left cheek, highlighting a recently healed scar.
Athena puts her hand on Apollo’s shoulder. “Hey, you don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to,” She said softly. Apollo looks her in the eyes. “The man who took my leg…” He hesitated once more. “It looked as if he was fighting something.”
Laney’s eyes show a hint of fear with a subtle hint of curiosity. “What do you mean…” Laney puts up her fingers and air quotes. “Fighting something?” Apollo looked in her direction. “Like he was a puppet or something.”
Athena looked at him with a hint of sorrow and pity. “So there are others like Jaylen,” Athena said, crossing her arms. “So there’s just a lot of poor unfortunate heroes who are trapped under her thumb like Jaylen.”
Athena turns around and heads towards the door. Laney and Apollo share a glance before Laney follows her. They both exit the door, leaving Apollo to sit on the bed. “I know he was your boyfriend,” Laney murmured, the weight of her words pressing on Athena’s chest. Athena froze in place as the words hit her ears. “He’s my ex; there’s nothing between us anymore,” Athena faltered. Laney’s glare went cold. “You're allowed to grieve anyway, stop avoiding it,” Laney calmly protested.
Athena turned around, slamming her fist against the wall. “We lost him, and it's my fault!” Athena yelled. “During the battle, my wall went down…” Laney’s face turned to one of sorrow. “Why?” Laney asked. “Because I turned it off, thinking I could take on both of their DPS, but…” Athena hesitated as a tear rolled down her cheek. “I got pushed back instead, and Jaylen stepped in to protect me.” Athena took a few steps towards Laney. “Meghan took the opportunity to mind control him from behind when I was down, and I didn’t warn him or even attempt to fight back.” Athena fell to her knees. “I froze up, and it cost us.”
Laney pulls her in for a hug. “You did nothing wrong,” Laney reassured her. “You saw an opportunity to turn the battle, and you took it.” Laney chuckled a little bit. “Anyone would have done it, especially Jaylen, who is known for it.”
Athena lets out a small chuckle. Laney loosens the hug and puts her hand on Athena’s shoulder. “You are not to blame, just remember that,” Laney continued. “You have single-handedly foiled many of their plans with your sniper.”
Laney helps Athena up. “We’re a team, don’t ever forget that,” Laney finished. Athena wiped a tear from her face. “Thanks, Sylvana; Oh, I mean Laney,” Athena smiled, wiping the last of her tears off her face. Laney chuckled. “It’s fine to call me Sylvana; only Jaylen and Andre have to call me Laney.”
Athena smiled once more as she looked behind her at the door at the end of the hall leading to Andre’s lab. “That battle took a lot out of us, so let’s just focus on rebuilding,” Athena said softly. “It did,” Laney said softly. “I lost a friend in that battle, you know.”
Athena looked back at Laney with wide eyes. “Was it Jaylen?” Athena asked. Laney sighed and pulled a stray chair from a nearby pile. “No, it was my friend Blaze,” Laney replied. “I couldn’t reach him in time to heal him.” Athena pulls a stray chair to sit next to Laney. “It appears we all have our share of Trauma,” Athena sighed. “Andre with Apollo’s injury, me with losing Jaylen, and you with Blaze.”
Laney frowned at her office door. “Makes you wonder what Apollo is feeling right now,” Laney replied. “He’s been cheery as if we won.”
Athena’s eyes flashed with worry. “You think he’s blaming himself?” She asked. Laney sighed and looked back at Athena. “No one can tell,” Laney replied, her gaze glued to her office door. “It’s like he's putting on a fake face to keep us happy.”
“Or maybe he’s just genuinely happy that he survived,” Andre chimed in as he entered the hall. “Nice of you to join us again,” Laney chuckled softly. Andre chuckled and pulled up another chair from the side. “Pleasures all mine,” He replied as he slowly sat down. “Sorry, we didn’t get to talk much.”
Laney looked at him with a wary sigh as she spoke. “So what brings you back here?”
Andre sighs and takes off his glasses, wiping them down with his breath. “I’m here to discuss with y'all the tryouts,” Andre breathed. “It’s gonna take a few days to prep."43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiqmjZYSzLp
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