Bamboozled

Pain in the Games

*This story takes place during season 9. Additionally, the legends upload their consciousness to clones to fight in the Apex Games.*

"And another amazing win for Mirage, Wraith, and Pathfinder! If you want a picture with these champions, stop on by the aftergame hub!" Offered the games announcer over the loudspeakers.
The thousands of people gathered in the Apex Games Display Hub hurriedly made their way over to the meeting booth, where Mirage, Wraith, and Pathfinder stood victoriously. Their most recent match was intense; the trio wiped several squads alone and had to deal with 3rd parties the entire game. Despite this, they absolutely dominated and had won without so much as a single death.

Pathfinder eagerly bounced up and down on robotic legs while Mirage stood hands-on-hips, dishing out charming smiles and winks to all the squealing girls in the crowd.
Wraith, on the other hand, stood still, arms crossed, watching Mirage and Pathfinder bathe in the limelight while staring down the occasional fan who got too rowdy.

Mirage took notice and nudged her, "Oh come on, you're really gonna stare down another fan? Why can't you just enjoy the time in the spotlight?"
"You can have my spotlight; you obviously need it more than I do," she replied sarcastically.
"I don't NEED it...I just really, really want and deserve it," Mirage returned smugly with a massive smile plastered across his face, drawing the flashes of the cameras. 

Wraith just rolled her eyes and prepared for the long photoshoot they were about to endure. A stunning victory always meant their photo-op time-slot would be extended. The match they won was intense. She knew Mirage and Pathfinder enjoyed the crowd pleasing act, but they, like her, had to be exhausted...well, maybe not Pathfinder, what with being a robot and all, but Mirage for sure.
Even though it wasn't their physical bodies that had actually been fighting, being hooked up to a clone drains the user physically and mentally, as their bodies twist and tense according to what their brain thinks they're doing.

The crowd had finally formed a long line leading up to the photo stage with each fan eagerly gripping their photo request. The first person in line, a teenage girl, handed her request to the manager who, upon reading it, gave the okay and began setting up the trio.
Fans often requested pictures of the legends banner poses with a special twist just for them, as those were the cheapest, but many others had specific poses in mind, and some were willing to pay top dollar for complex shots.

The girl requested the trio together. Wraith would throw on an annoyed expression with her arms crossed while Mirage and Pathfinder put their arms around her shoulders, each giving finger guns and a thumbs up, respectively.

They all got in position, and Mirage gave Wraith a look of sympathy, as he knew she didn't like getting too touchy. It was a boundary of hers he tried to respect, but being in show business often meant you had to do things you weren't comfortable with. Mirage could think of more than a few photo requests that were too much even for him. Thankfully, their photographer respected their boundaries for the most part, and wouldn't let the shots get out of hand.
As the photographer began taking pictures, Pathfinder's screen lit up with a happy face while Mirage threw on a toothy grin and one of his signature winks.

Once the pictures were taken, they were quickly printed and handed to the ecstatic girl who thanked the legends before running off. 
The next hour went similarly as the group posed for dozens of photos for the long line of fans. The last half hour of their allotted time was spent autographing pictures, memorabilia, and people's arms and foreheads. By the end of their session it was nearing 8:00 and the 3 were completely wiped out.
They stepped into the cool evening air, appreciating its freshness compared to the hot, stuffy interior of the Hub. Pathfinder said goodbye to Wraith and Mirage before trotting off down the street, heading towards his residence to recharge so he could continue searching for information about his creator the next day.