Work Text:
Bangalore didn’t quite remember how or when all of them had been called into a meeting by Lifeline, but here they all were, gathered in the lobby of the housing complex listening to her plan. For as much as Psamathe was the wealthiest planet in the Outlands, it didn’t mean that everyone here lived well. There was a sizable homeless and impoverished population in the city they were staying in and Lifeline wanted to give them something nice. A cookout of sorts and she was looking to her fellow legends for their support in pulling it off. Gibraltar was the first to raise his hand, no surprise there. He was quickly followed by Pathfinder, Wattson, and Horizon. However, Bangalore had to raise up a surprised eyebrow when Loba stepped forward and offered to get her contacts involved to see how big they could make this thing.
“If there’s one thing rich people love it’s reaping the social and economical benefits of being ‘charitable’,” she finished with a sly smirk.
Things continued to snowball from there. Bangalore found herself offering to help prep the protein for the meal, Bloodhound inquired on how much meat Lifeline would need, Mirage offered his alcoholic and non-alcoholic drink making specialties, Crypto, Rampart, and Wraith agreed, and even Caustic and Revenant got roped into it. Octane’s confirmation was never asked for by Lifeline, Bangalore suspected he had been the first she recruited to her plan. With responsibilities handed out in regards to the set up and running of the event, the legends got to work.
The next three days went by in a blaze of action. Bangalore somehow found herself at a large event center and in charge of receiving and sorting all of the supplies for this cookout. Between Loba’s and Lifeline’s contacts from the wealthiest of the wealthy to the Frontier Corps there was a lot to sort through, set up, and store properly. Luckily it wasn’t just the legends providing the working arms, at least forty or so Frontier Corps volunteers and representatives from homeless shelters pitched in. To say Bangalore wasn’t thrilled about having to work next to a bunch of people from the Frontier Corps was an understatement. She knew that everyone of them had no issues with her bleeding out and dying in front of them. However, she wasn’t going to let that impact her role in all of this. Smoking meat until it melted in the mouth was a William’s specialty and she sure as hell wasn’t about to bring shame to that.
With only 24hrs before the event everyone was bustling around getting all of the last pieces put together and set up the dozens of tables surrounded by hundreds of chairs. Gibraltar and Bangalore were already starting to smoke the first batch of meat when Bloodhound suddenly appeared with several hog carcasses. They offered no explanation as to where they found them in this urban city, but they had already been drained and prepped for cooking. Gibraltar laughed and thanked them while promising that he knew just what to do with them. Bangalore took over the smoking briskets and assorted fowls while Gibraltar and Bloodhound worked together to create a pit to take care of the hogs.
At three hours before the doors to the event were to open they were already getting reports of over a few hundred people lined up and waiting patiently outside. Lifeline rushed around offering encouragement, praise, and resolving any last issues. Bangalore entered the kitchen proper with the first hundred or so kilos of protein and saw for the first time all of the other pieces of the meal that were being offered. A soup that was apparently of Pathfinder’s creation, a fancy fruit salad filled with kinds of fruit she had only ever read about, a fresh garden salad, piping hot rolls, and mountains of creamy mashed potatoes. A feast fit for the soul. Bangalore wheeled the warmer over to Revenant, who had been tasked with cutting things up, and instructed him on how to cut the various types of meat. He was dismissive as usual, but she left him with a stern warning that if he butchered her perfectly smoked meats she’d behead him.
When the clock struck 18:00 and the doors were opened, Bangalore could have sworn it was almost like jumping out of the dropship. There was that moment of calm while flying down before she was running at breakneck speed to grab anything and everything that would be of use to her. Bangalore didn’t remember much from the beginning aside from running back and forth from the smokers and the kitchen, bringing each new cart full of meat that was to be cut up and served. Crypto, Rampart, and a number of the Frontier Corps volunteers were working as fast as they could to dish out the food according to the specifications Lifeline had given them. Bangalore always made sure to grab an armful of dirty dishes from the kitchen and take them to the dishwashing room where Caustic was working with a few volunteers. Octane and Wraith were heads of busing the tables. There had been some hesitancy on Bangalore’s part about Octane, as he wasn’t the most careful individual, but Lifeline had reassured her that she had him under control. She had created a little game for him: one point was awarded for every safely transported plate or drink and twenty were lost for each drop or spill. She had even programmed her D.O.C. to keep track of Octane from above and calculate his score at the end of the night. Needless to say Lifeline’s handling of her childhood friend was both brilliant and effective.
It only took a half of an hour for Horizon, Wattson, and Pathfinder to fill every seat in the event center. Food practically flew out of the kitchen. About an hour in Lifeline pulled Bangalore to the side and asked for her help with something.
In another large room not too far from the kitchen was a long table set up with all sorts of packaged foods, medical supplies, personal hygiene products, space blankets, and more. Lifeline explained that with all of the donations she had been able to purchase enough to make a small care package to send with each person who came and ate today. Bangalore noted the canisters that they were filling were printed to mimic the design of a phoenix kit. Lifeline let out a laugh as she explained that the Syndicate and Apex games officials had caught wind of her plans and wanted to cash in on some good publicity.
“I wasn’t gonna turn down what they were offering, I needed a container for all this anyways,” Lifeline finished with a shrug.
“They didn’t want anything in return?” Bangalore couldn’t help but ask.
“I told them they weren’t gettin’ anyting in return.”
Bangalore had to laugh and shake her head at that. Between the two of them, they certainly were giving the Syndicate a few new headaches since their arrival at Psamathe.
Lifeline’s task for Bangalore, now that her original job had more or less been finished, was to help with the assembly. They had a large buffer of care packages ready, but with the first wave of people already finishing their food, it was going to disappear very fast. Bangalore easily accepted the job reassignment and stepped up to ease a choke point in the assembly line. She wasn’t worried about the rest of the meat that was still in the smokers and warmers, she trusted Gibraltar and Bloodhound to take good care of it.
As the hours ticked on and the boxes of supplies were steadily whittled down, more and more people were shifted into the assembly room. With the last of the food being served and a line of people already waiting for their care packages, they needed all the help they could get.
Only once the last of the care packages had been assembled and sent out did Bangalore make a move to see the people that this cookout had been for. There handing out the care packages were some of the more personable legends, Mirage, Pathfinder, Horizon, Loba, Gibraltar, and of course Lifeline. Tears of joy and gratitude could be found everywhere. Bangalore stood there for a moment etching the memory into her mind as her chest began to swell with pride. They had done good. And while this wasn’t something all the legends normally did, aside from Lifeline who usually ran smaller events like this on Solace and Talos, maybe they could. They had some good weight to throw around to get those who excess to give to those who hardly had anything. Bangalore moved to the area behind Lifeline and Loba, relieving the volunteer from their task of passing the care packages forward.
It wasn’t too much longer before the last person left, and in a couple more hours everything had been cleaned up. Bangalore plopped down on the floor and rested her back against the wall. She and many of her fellow legends were completely exhausted. Light conversation drifted around as they waited for the take out noodles that Loba had ordered to arrive. Dark brown eyes wandered over everyone present; that same feeling from before filling her chest.
“Makin’ me proud squad,” she whispered to herself.