Bleed, Patch, And Keep Moving - An Apex Legends Story

Chapter 58 - Forever Family

Ajay's eyes fluttered opened. Everything was dark, silent, and oddly calm. She felt like she was floating. She looked around but everything was so dark that she couldn't make out anything. She was naked and partially submerged in water. She sat straight up and the water echoed so loud around her that she could hear it almost endlessly. After she sat up she grabbed her body. She didn't feel wet; it was an odd feeling. She looked down at the dark water so she could see her reflection for a moment. White Hibiscus flowers were scattered throughout her hair. She pulled her hair over her shoulder to get a better look. Then should grabbed at her right shoulder. She was whole again. She had no scars or wounds. Ajay hugged herself before standing up.

The water around her echoed again as she stood up. Ajay's eyes gazed around the pure black that graced the entire space around her. She looked down at the shallow black water; it looked endless. There was just black nothingness forever. Ajay touched her face, she couldn't feel it. She could only feel a mask; the same mask she wore in her match the other night. The same mask that was just taken from her? Her thoughts were foggy. She really couldn't remember the details of what led her here. "How did I get here?"

She heard the echoing of water again but this time it wasn't her. She couldn't really pinpoint where it was coming from. She just stood there and waited. Suddenly there was a figure in front of her. It didn't frighten her; there was an odd, soothing feeling about the black nothingness. Her eyes started to make sense of the form in front of her. It was a young woman with dark red hair, which laid half way down her back. She was dressed in a white tee shirt with a black zip-up hoodie and black shorts. Her legs were long and she wore ankle high black shoes with white laces. She had pretty green eyes. Ajay noticed that she had on a black string necklace with some charm at the end of it that was white and light orange.

Ajay reached down to cover herself but she soon realized that she no longer naked. She was wearing a long white dress. It had no sleeves and it clung to her breasts in two triangular peaks. The backside of the dress set into a long v shape down her lower back. When Ajay peered back at the dress it looked like it traveled behind her forever. The figure spoke to her, breaking up her thoughts, "Pretty neat huh?" Ajay looked back to her and thought about speaking, then her words formed over the taste of blood in her mouth, "Huh?" The figure inspected Ajay, "This place takes your innermost desires and brings them to fruition." Ajay looked down at herself and then back at the figure. "Then what is tis suppose ta mean?" The figure looked a little perplexed, "It's your desire, not mine. Oh I'm Mila by the way." Ajay thought about it for a moment, her innermost desires.

"Mila." Ajay could only whisper her name. Mila smiled at her, "It's okay. You won't remember my name, or this place once you leave here. I programmed it that way." Ajay touched her dress and then her mask. Everything Ajay did felt so free and seamless, "What do ya mean ya programmed it that way?" Mila pranced around in the water, "I am hacker Ajay. I made this void." Ajay dropped her hands to her sides. "Why? How am I here?" Mila stopped in front of Ajay and touched her hair, "I brought you here." Ajay knelt down and ran her hand through the water, it was comforting. Mila watched her, "You're here because my brother gave me a signal as to where he was. Or rather he left you with something that gave off a signal to his whereabouts. When you walked that thin line between life and death I was able to manipulate you into this existence." She smiled for a moment, "Your subconscious did the rest. I brought you here because I wanted you to give a message to my brother. I can't get it to him myself." Ajay shrugged, "Okay." Ajay continued run her fingers through the water. She was intrigued about how her fingers were not wet when she pulled them out of the water.

"Hey, Ajay!" Mila raised her voice a little. "This place is meant to feel nice and safe. If this is what you want you can stay here but don't forget you have a life on the other side. Minutes can be like years in here." Ajay stopped to listen as Mila kneeled down with her and removed her necklace from around her neck. "Don't you remember or are you already complacent? Has The Syndicate already gotten to you?" Ajay pulled her hand from the water and just looked at it. Mila watched her as she spoke, "If you stay here you will cease to exist in the real world." Mila grabbed Ajay's hand. It was the first time since being here that Ajay had felt anything. She felt Mila's pain, fear, and anxiety. Ajay snapped out of it. "Silva." Mila, smiled and stuck her necklace in Ajay's hand as they both stood up.

"How will I know who ya brother is?" She was finding it easier to speak. Her words weren't so distant or despondent anymore. Mila closed Ajay's hand tightly around the necklace, "You'll know when you see him." Ajay nodded, "Do you know who attacked me?" Mila touched her fingertips to Ajay's mask. "I do." Ajay took Mila's hand and held it against her masked face. She wanted to sooth the soul of this young woman and take away all of her pain, fear, and anxiety. "It would be better if you didn't know. Just let my brother take care of it." She smiled at Ajay and closed her eyes as she surrendered her hand to Ajay. "How did I get here?" Ajay was almost whispering to Mila again. Mila closed her eyes, "It's hard to explain but when you were attacked and your mask was taken, the mask sent out a signal to me. Something was implanted in your subconscious by my brother. When we drifted off into dreamland I was able to connect with you and bring you here. It was not easy though."

Ajay rubbed Mila's hand. "Are you ready to go back Ajay?" She nodded to her request and whispered, "Yah." Ajay released Mila's hand. Mila gently pushed Ajay back first into the water, "Find my forever family.... Wake up Ajay...." She fell back into the water. It was no longer shallow or silent. It was deep and loud. The black water engulfed Ajay's face and her entire body. She fell deeper into the water. The calm washed away and Ajay's eyes fluttered open again. This time she was staring at the ceiling of the bedroom in her apartment. She heard voices in the distance.

It took her a moment to process everything around her. Her body was stiff as she sat up for her bed and placed her feet on the floor. Her memory was foggy and she couldn't remember. She was somewhere after the attack and before now but she couldn't remember. She brought her left hand to her forehead but she couldn't feel her forehead. She felt a little warm and suffocated under a mask? She trembled in confusion as stood up from her bed. She walked over to the mirror. She was wearing a beautiful long white dress that looked and felt vaguely familiar. The dress clung to her breasts and if it weren't for her hair then her whole backside was basically exposed. She looked at her hair and noticed white flowers scattered throughout. She pulled the mask from her face, the look of utter shock could be seen in her reflection in the mirror.

Natalie sat at the table near the kitchen and watched as Octavio and Crypto argued. Well as Crypto stood across from Octavio and Octavio yelled. Natalie did not interject just yet. Crypto had just arrived and Octavio wasted no time, "So was this your plan. Use her as bait to gain whatever you needed out of this. Which, by the way, we still don't know what that is." Crypto stood silently and peered out the window into the night sky. "She almost fucking died to help you. And now I don't know when she will wake up." Crypto was still emotionless. He didn't bother to look at Octavio. "She knew what the plan was." Octavio slammed his fist on the table, "But did she know she would risk her life to play one fucking game?!" Crypto walked over to Octavio and stood about an inch from his face, "We discussed The Syndicate and breaking the game. She knew there were risks. She did exactly what she was supposed to do."

Octavio raised his fist and Natalie was ready to interject but he lowered his fist when he felt a hand on it. He turned around to Ajay standing in a dress and a mask in her other hand. Crypto took a step back, "This was a waste of time." He turned to leave. "Wait." Ajay's voice pierced Crypto, almost haunting as he stopped in his tracks and turned around. Ajay stepped away from Octavio and walked over to Crypto. She looked like she was in trance as she took his hand into hers. His hand was open like he was waiting for something, lost in the trance with her. Ajay gently placed the necklace into his hand and whispered to him, "Forever family."