Apex Legends: Crypto - Redemption

Chapter 1 - Hiatus

As the clock struck 7pm, the Hiatus began. After 14 gruesome weeks of competition, tension and bloodshed, the Apex Games finally ended its latest Season of games. As the victors celebrated, the champions of the ring partied through the night. Legends were born, but some legends began to cease to exist, as they faded away into the mess that they had dug themselves into. One of these newly created ghosts spent the seasonal party alone. While most legends celebrated in the main Legend exclusive bar, Crypto spent his time in the Paradise Lounge, drowning his sorrows away into the dusk of the sky. He had lost everything he had built up. His friendship with Natalie, his reputation among the legends, the trust he had finally gained through all of his time in the games. All of that. Gone. The devastation of losing everything hit him hard, resulting in him drowning his sorrows in alcohol.

As he finished his first pint, he walked back up to the bar to order his next beverage. As he sat down, waiting to get served, he noticed a particular news article being displayed on the wall behind the bar.

*BREAKING - FOUNDER OF THE APEX GAMES KUBEN BLISK ALIVE? RUMOURS SUGGEST THAT THE FORMER LEADER OF THE APEX PREDATORS IS IN FACT ALIVE, A YEAR AFTER MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEARING. WITNESS'S STATE THEY SPOTTED BLISK OUTSIDE OF THE POPULAR "RAMPART PARTS" MOD SHOP, DAYS BEFORE IT WAS BURNT TO THE GROUND. IS KUBEN BLISK REALLY ALIVE? WAS HE BEHIND THE DOWNFALL OF RAMPART PARTS?*

When Crypto joined the games, he had hacked his way through. No difficult entries, no stressful matches, no violence. It was simple. Ironic though, considering how his life had been the complete opposite of simple.

He hadn't met Blisk. From research that Tae conducted, and having a very deep dive into encrypted IMC files and resources, He knew Blisk was dangerous to mess with, so he focused on using his tech to push him forward. Was Blisk really dead? Or did he go off the grid?

It wasn't something Tae was focused on, he had bigger issues to confront.

"Well wha' do ya know? If it isn't the one and only Crypto!" A man chirped behind Tae, pulling him away from reading the news article.

Tae noticed the voice. The cheerful tone, the slightly sarcastic feeling surrounding it, the musk of expensive sprays, it could have only been one person.

"Why are you here Mirage? You should be at Ajay and Makoa's champion ceremony." Crypto asked, with confusion wrapping around the words he spoke.

"Well, I decided to focus on the bar for a bit. I've been to too many of those parties, and with the 1 month Hiatus coming up, I decided that as the freaky robo' head is gone, I can finally continue business!" He laughed while entering the bar with empty pint glasses, with his usual cocky and happy grin plastered across his face, growing larger than a rainbow across the clouds.

"Great. While you're at it get me another pint." Tae demanded, shocking Elliott beyond disbelief. Elliott knew that the mysterious boy in front of him enjoyed the occasional pint, but deduced that he wasn't an excessive drinker, and that he never went over 1 pint.

"So then, tell me what's up old man. Hah. What's gotten you so disre...dister...sad?" Elliott asked, giving him a pint while his stutter made him trip over his words.

"Nothing. You wouldn't be able to understand anything about me." Tae snapped, while unhealthily downing his pint. Thinking slowly about himself, he felt terrible for lying to everyone. His name, his life, everything about him was forged. As much as Tae wanted to be himself, Hyeon Kim was the mask that he was forced to wear.

"I have a very, very, very small understanding, you're the mole and you told Revenant the truth so you could get rid of the competition in the games. I get it, I don't mind if you're a nerdy backstabber-" Elliott began, before getting abruptly shaken by Tae slamming his pint glass onto the wooden bar that he was leaning on.