Balanced Scale

Intro

"Please think about what you are doing, Katie!" My raises her voice slightly, "We can make it with out you risking your life in some fun game!"

I press my battle suit down into my duffle bag carefully along with mechanical equipment to fix anything. "Mom we have done everything we can to persuade Kevin, he wants the money for rent by next week or I have to work to pay it off."

"But signing up to join the games!?" Mom chokes as tears threaten to fall. She lets out a quivering breath, "You see if you can knock some sense into her Elias."

"You'd think since you were born 2 minutes earlier you would be smart enough to know mom is still sore on the Apex games." Elias says once mom is gone, he sits to my right with my dog in his lap. "Look Hot Head, we're both legal adults now so mom can't stop you. The only thing I ask is why?"

"I'm tired of mom having to deal with the man who betrayed her trust. The only reason he raised the rent is because mom refused to sleep with him." I shake my head. "Now it's either I go 'work' for him, or he takes our house."

"I understand that Katie, but why not find a better paying job instead of signing up for a game that will get you killed." My brother asks simply while playing with Pyro's fluffy ears.

"I'm going to buy the house from under him, and expose him." I say before closing my bag and walking out of my house.
——————

I walk into the Training Center and glance around, so many things are wrong with this picture. There are way too many people in a small space to be comfortable. People gather around tables talking amongst themselves and a few are standing at what seems to be a registration table. A woman sitting behind the table looks up, you can tell she doesn't want to be here.

Walking up to the table the female smiles at me with a little bit to much enthusiasm. "Hello! Do you have your registration papers filled out?"

"Yes I do." Handing her the papers I smile faintly.

As she looks over the paperwork I take this moment to look around, at the far end of the room a man is staring at me. I can see the caramel brown irises watching my every move. I tuck my black hair behind my ear, and look away.

"Alright and it looks like you put the Legend name as Blaze, is that correct?" The registration woman asks, I nod. "You also take no damage from fire, so I take it your abilities are related to fire?"

"Yes ma'am." I nod again.

"Okay, well Miss Hence since this is your first game you will need to do the solo game to be able to qualify for the squads match." She smiles and hands me an ID badge.

"When is that?" I ask taking the ID badge from her.

"Tomorrow morning, place in the top 5 and you confirm your place." She hands me a three to six page book with details on it.

"Be in the loading deck around 8 and they will escort you to the match arena." She smiles, "Now if you'll have a seat at table nine."

I nod and turn to find table nine after looking at the ID badge in my hand.

Name: Katie Hence
Code Name: Blaze
Age: 21
Legend Type: Defensive
Ultimate: Fire Starter

Sliding the ID badge in my pocket I make my way back to table nine, which just happens to be the table the man that is observing me from. I sigh and stop in front of him, "Is there a reason you're staring?"

"I can't admire at a pretty girl?" He gives me a goofy grin, I will admit he is kinda hot. His eyes are golden caramel brown, his skin sun kissed and his lips beautifully shaped.

That smile....

"Admiring and staring are two different things...." I trail off grabbing his ID badge that he set beside him. "Elliot Witt."

"I go by Mirage here." He takes his badge back and smirks. "The Holographic Trickster."

"Uh huh, your probably also pretty full of yourself right!?" I raise my eyebrow and put my hand on my hip. Behind Elliot a female snorts elbowing him.

He gives that lopsided smile as I feel something touch my butt. Turning around I find Elliot behind me, the Elliot at the table then stands up and takes my ID badge from himself. "I don't know Katie, I wouldn't say full of myself."

"Hey!" I reach for my badge but he moves it. Trying to catch his arms before he moves I see a blue light and turn as he tosses the badge to a clone behind me. I groan when he lifts it above his hand. His thighs are pressed into the table as my body is flush with his. I grab onto his shoulder and jump, "Give. It. Back!"

"Say please." He chuckles. His smile grows as grab on to his arm and try to pull it down. He is quite a bit taller than me, I am 5'3 which must make him between 5'10 to 6 foot. I place my hand on his stomach but blush and pull my hand away when I feel the abs he has.

I stop jumping and glare at him. "Will you please give my ID badge back?"

"See, was that so hard?" He grins again, that same lopsided goofy smile.

I roll my eyes, taking his seat I smile awkwardly at the other Legends. "So is this everyone's first time?"

"The only new players are you, Crypto, and Wattson. Everyone else has been here before, a couple of us from the beginning." Elliot says crossing his arms.

"Oh." I look at the Korean male sitting off to the side. "At least we're not alone for the solo match, right?"

The male looks up with a scowl, "I won't go easy on you because you're a female. I'm leagues above you."

I look away from him and to the table, "I didn't expect you too."

"Hey don't disrespect a lady kid." Elliot glares at him, "We'll all be at the same level since they changed the location of the games."

"For you new comers the solo match will be in King's Cannon. But the tournament will be a completely different area." A black female says.

"The only thing the same is my ring." A blonde woman with a French accent smiles. "I did make it you know."

"Have any tips for me?" I scan all the eyes around me.

"Relay on your team." Elliot tells me bumping my arms with his.

I look up and search those caramel eyes, those eyes hold his deepest secrets. I move over and pat the seat next to me. As much as I dislike his conceited personality I think he might grow on me.

Him and those caramel eyes.