Chapter Text
There was something about the new explosives expert legend that Mirage couldn't put a finger on why he felt sort of gravitated towards him... Maybe it was his big boat. That crashed down after that whole shebang. Hah.
There was more than that though from such a grand entrance to his bursting confidence and charm- No but he himself was the charming one. Maybe he just wanted to really become friends with him. Yeah! That must be it! He had been feeling quite lonely, possibly overthinking who his real friends are and who simply tolerated him. He physically shook off the thought. There was no time for that kind of self doubt. Back to the topic in hand: Fuse did really seem like a cool chill guy. If only he understood what he was even saying sometimes with the dialect and slang... In a way he felt incredibly intimidating but also very warm and fun. Hard to miss when he enters the room with his stride and attitude.
The trickster's train of thought was cut off as he heard the signal blaring through the whole drop ship to get ready for the game. The sound made Mirage jump in his seat, dropping his phone and scurried up to his feet to go and see who he will be matched up with. This time they were doing duos to change it up a bit. A little bit more nerve wrecking for the engineer but he didn't admit that to himself.
His squad was the last one go be selected... The screen showed him and-
Mirage's heart dropped seeing the new moustached face on screen right next to him. "F...Fuse?" He quietly blurted out to himself. Before he could even process it he felt a mechanical hand clasping his shoulder making the man jump on his feet. "Ay won't cha look at that. You're my mate for today" The salvonian gave a hard nudge against Mirage's arm making the trickster wince. "Ow- I-i mean--" He cleared his throat. "Yes! Yes we are- Heh..." He wanted to hit himself in the head so bad, hoping the older man didn't notice the slight voice crack. "Don't go blowing yourself up now. It's only your second game, Fusey." What the hell was he on about. He panicked to himself internally, his mouth tended to run before his mind could even keep up with it.
Fuse chuckled before patting his back with the mechanical hand and walking past him right after. "I guess then ya just have to save my poor ass, ay kid? Altho i doubt that will be needed. I'll owe you a few cold ones if i do end up droppin' on my ass." He looked back at the curly haired legend. Mirage took a moment before he could even speak. "Uh- Y-Yeah, sure! It's a deal! Now it's time to show you what a real apex game veteran play looks like. 2 years in the making." Fuse gave a low chuckle as he stepped onto the platform. "Ken oath." He pointed at himself, his smirk perking up his thick moustache. "But don't ya dare underestimate this old man, pup."
Before Mirage could even react and embarrass himself again, the platforms slowly started to descend, making the man run and hop onto it before it was too late. The explosive expert noticed the nervousness from the other man and chuckled. "What ya look like this is your first time? She'll be right."
"What you mea-" His sentence was cut off as Fuse pushed him off the platform and jumped off himself, heading straight towards the new Spotted lake. Once the trickster legend got balance on his jetpack he followed his new squadmate.
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"Here comes the motherload!" Exclaimed the new legend with a cackle as he surrounded a squad in a wall of fire in Runoff. The man only let out a victorious laugh almost mocking the enemy team. "Righto, caught the' rascals." Right after he aimed a couple of arcstars: One stuck on Octane’s leg and the other stuck on ground nearby the two, blowing up and leading to Octane getting knocked down and the poor big guy Gibraltar only needing an extra bullet to the chest by a tripletake to eliminate the squad. "Finished like dinner by Fusey himself." He flexed his tattooed fingers, lowering the launcher after a job well done.
The trickster finally caught up with Fuse, stopping and leaning forward to catch a breath. Mirage could barely keep up with the man. He's supposed to be the younger one here. "Hooo boy..." He took in a deep breath, still panting. "What the hell did they feed you on Salvo?"
"Only the best barbaque- And there ya are, mate. What took ya so long?" He turned around as he holstered Wally back on his back, his hand now hanging by his belt.
Mirage's brain realized he must be really embarrassing himself right now with how bad he has been doing and already had to have his ass saved once by Fuse earlier at the lakes and still running around with an awful load out. He has to redeem himself somehow... "U-uh i was just looking out for you from afar! What you expe-pect me to sit around while the newbie does all the work?"
The salvonian’s eyebrow raised in speculation as his eyes trailed down to the engineer’s current equipment. Mirage thought he was staring at his crotch, making himself freeze up and briefly get hot under his collar, his mind racing and overthinking a dozen of different things in those few seconds. "With... A pistol and a shotgun?"
"W-what? O-oh! Yeah! Of course- Don't you know it's the old Mirage trick... Uh.. Sniping with a pistol. Yup-" He pulled out the before mentioned p2020 and showed it off with a performative jazz hands gesture of sorts.
Mirage wanted someone to shoot him at the back right then and there but the tension was eased off with the warm chuckle from Fuse. "Well i'll give ya a fair go to show me the good ol' Mirage trick." The long emphasis on his legend name tugged at his heart string but the trickster couldn't quite place the feeling. Fuse continued. "But ya better rack up those kills. No spine bashing, ay?" With a pause Mirage simply gave a nod before talking again.
"Uh we should head towards the ring, right?"
"Ay, pup." Oh my god could he stop calling him that. He swallowed.
Before they actually began to catch up with the ring they hopped down to gather any loot from the area. While Fuse was inspecting the loot with a sharp eye, he talked almost in detail of the previous fights but with a old explosives enthusiast viewpoint.
A minute later and they were off. Mirage was half way lost in his thoughts as they ran to a better spot and not instantly get spotted by anyone else... The more time he spent with him or saw him the more he realized how the old man sure had an ego. A different kind from what Crypto oozed off whenever he's around Mirage especially. Cocky bastard… Fuse somehow had a different kind of energy to him and cockiness. Closer to Mirage. Well... What he thought or hoped to have. Maybe even more grand. He sure needed more real confidence. Or.. Or friends. Fuse could be that friend right? Why would he be though... Alright focus, Mirage, focus.
And what a great time to have his head back in the game. Right at that moment he noticed a sniper not that far away, ontop of a tower, aiming towards Fuse most likely.
Shit.
"Fuse there's a sniper!" He sent out a decoy to distract any other enemies and ran closer to the new legend but it was already too late, by two quick shots Fuse was sent flying onto his side.
Shit, shit shit.
"Aghhh- Buggah... That was a nice shot" He said with a grunt as if the sniper would hear his compliment from this distance and propped himself up on his elbow, holding his stomach. Mirage quickly took "Wally" off his back and carefully tossed it into the sand, wrapped his arms under the other man's arms, around his chest and dragged him along behind rocks and mounds as quick as possible. The adrenaline in his body not making him process the closeness. Luckily the sniper team started to get third partied not long after. Chaos, shots and bombs echoing in the distance…
The trickster quickly grabbed out a syringe and stabbed it into Fuse’s chest, recovering him enough to keep on going through the match.
Fuse groaned as he shot straight up into a sitting position. He exhaled in relief. "Thank ya there, mate." He placed a hand on his chest and rubbed the now syringe needle pain that still lingered for a bit, wincing once before it slowly dissipated. “Bloody hell...”
"Y..You okay, man?"
“I’m f-”
Without thinking this through Mirage instinctively laid a hand on the older man's chest where he had just stabbed him with the syringe... He blinked... Realizing what he's doing and quickly drew back him hand and nervously started laughing. "Aren't you glad that you have me around huh? The handsomest legend in the games, the one and only Mirage?" He dramatically posed, hand to his own heart.
Fuse got himself back up on his feet. Mirage started to feel like even a bigger fool attempting to bring back his own ego and boast but instead felt like a dog left in the rain... If the rain was a dry desert. The feeling quickly changed once he saw a mechanical hand extended down to him as Fuse gave his signature one eyed wink. "Guess i owe the handsomest legend a tinnie like promised." His body did the thinking for itself, simply accepting the hand and being lifted back onto his feet without much effort. Geez he was strong... He wasn't sure how he felt by the fact that he could probably throw him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
"You sure do." Another awkward laugh... "Well better start beating you in kills there, Fusey." He gave a playful shove to his metal arm, holding back the brief pain shot through him from the sudden strong contact of flesh and metal.
Fuse only let out a hearty chuckle. "Righto, show me what ya got." With the burst of sudden confidence Mirage didn't take long to run straight to the echoing sounds of a close by gun fight with Fuse following suit after propping his launcher back on his back.
Well now he sure is lively.. Thought Fuse to himself, picking up the pace with a toothy grin.