Apex Arena - Battle D1: James Bond vs. Evelyn Salt

[Culwych1]

Introduction

In 1950, physicist Enrico Fermi famously asked, "Where the f&&k is everyone?" That question led to what is now known as the Fermi Paradox, pondering why humanity has never encountered intelligent life despite the vastness of the universe. But when first contact finally happened, humanity wished the answer had been "nowhere."

The aliens arrived with technology and powers beyond comprehension, annihilating Earth’s defences. Yet, despite their godlike abilities, humanity's defiance intrigued them. Instead of total destruction, the aliens devised a twisted experiment to understand humanity’s unique will to survive.

They chose Earth's 32 fiercest warriors from across time and space, placing them in The Apex Arena—a constantly shifting battleground where only the strongest survive. The prize? The salvation of Earth and a place of honour in the alien archives. 4 groups, 8 fighters in each. Who would stand, and who would fall?

Each warrior stands alone, unaware of their competition, fighting not just for glory, but for the very future of humanity. The Apex Arena has opened its gates. The battle for survival begins now.

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Battle 1: Group D – James Bond vs. Evelyn Salt

The Apex Arena was known for its unpredictability, but today it conjured a setting straight out of the most dangerous of dreams—a place where even the environment itself was an enemy.

James Bond appeared first, his calm, lethal gaze sweeping over the strange battleground. He was standing on a colossal glass platform suspended high above an active volcano. Molten lava bubbled and churned below, casting an ominous red glow that lit the underbellies of the massive, jagged rock spires surrounding them. The heat was palpable, even from this altitude, and the glass beneath Bond’s feet creaked dangerously, spiderwebs of cracks already forming from the extreme temperatures below.

Opposite him, Evelyn Salt materialized on a platform of her own, positioned at the far end of this precarious arena. Her face remained impassive, but her sharp mind was already calculating. The volcanic pit beneath them was a ticking time bomb—lava surged and hissed, splashing upward like liquid fire, threatening to devour anything that fell below. Towering rock formations, fragile bridges of glass and metal, and molten geysers spitting lava into the air surrounded them.

The platforms were connected by a series of narrow glass walkways, some sturdy, some barely holding together. They zigzagged across the arena like a treacherous spider’s web, and one wrong step could send either of them plummeting into the fiery abyss.

Bond’s eyes flicked across the environment, spotting key weapons strategically placed by the alien overlords. An assault rifle rested precariously on one of the narrower walkways, near a molten geyser that fired intermittently. Farther ahead, a high-tech sniper rifle lay balanced on the edge of a teetering rock spire, only reachable by crossing a series of collapsing glass panels. A set of throwing knives glinted ominously near a pool of lava that bubbled violently.

Salt noticed the same things. But what she paid attention to most were the geysers of lava, shooting bursts of molten rock unpredictably into the air. This wasn’t just a fight—it was survival. Timing and precision would be the only way to outlast the environment, let alone Bond.

Suddenly, one of the walkways between them shattered from the heat, sending shards of glass raining down into the molten sea below. The ground quaked slightly, reminding them that this arena was alive, pulsing with danger, waiting to claim its victims.

Bond smirked, his mind already working through strategies. This wasn’t the first time he’d faced impossible odds. He began moving swiftly, his footfalls light but calculated on the fragile glass, his instincts sharper than ever. His goal was simple—reach the weapons without falling victim to the chaos around them.

Salt moved just as quickly, her eyes darting between the crumbling glass walkways and the molten geysers that erupted with little warning. She spotted a handgun lying near a cracked glass bridge, but it was a dangerous detour, and time was short. She darted forward, agile and sure-footed, even as the ground cracked and groaned beneath her weight.

The volcano roared below, sending another violent burst of lava shooting upward. A jet of molten rock splashed dangerously close to Salt, who rolled to the side just in time. The heat was searing, singeing the air as she regained her balance, her heart pounding but her expression calm. She would not falter.

Bond was already closing in on the sniper rifle, his movements deliberate but smooth as he sidestepped a section of glass that gave way beneath his feet. He grabbed the rifle just as another geyser erupted, forcing him to dive behind a jagged rock spire. He landed hard, but the rifle remained intact in his grasp.

Across the arena, Salt slid behind a series of rocky outcroppings, dodging falling debris as another section of glass exploded in a rain of molten fire. She was light on her feet, her reflexes a dance of deadly precision as she made her way toward the assault rifle.

But the arena was not done with them yet.

A thunderous crack split the air, and suddenly the entire arena shook. The fragile glass beneath Bond gave way, collapsing beneath him. He dove forward just in time, the sniper rifle slipping from his hands, sliding off the edge of the platform and disappearing into the churning lava below. Bond hit the ground hard, rolling to avoid a spurt of molten rock, his arms outstretched. His fingers grazed the edge of a handgun, but before he could secure it, another explosion of lava sent the weapon skidding out of reach.

Salt, halfway to the assault rifle, found her path suddenly cut off as a geyser erupted in front of her, the molten spray forcing her to retreat. She tried another route, but the fragile glass walkway beneath her cracked dangerously. The assault rifle lay just a few feet ahead, but one more step could send the whole bridge crumbling into the fiery abyss below. The arena wasn’t going to make this easy. She hesitated, then pulled back, her mind shifting quickly to new options.

Bond pushed himself up, scanning the area for anything he could use. He spotted a broken piece of rebar jutting from a collapsed walkway nearby. It wasn’t ideal, but it would do. He moved cautiously, staying low as the glass continued to shatter and lava erupted unpredictably.

Salt, on the other side of the arena, eyed the remains of a metal ladder leaning against a rock spire. If she could make it there, it might provide a tactical advantage, but the path was littered with debris and unstable surfaces. She could see the throwing knives gleaming in the distance, but they too were perched precariously on a ledge just waiting to fall.

Neither fighter had the weapons they sought. The arena had robbed them of those advantages, leaving them with nothing but their instincts and the deadly environment around them. They could see their weapons, but they were just out of reach, taunting them with every second that passed.

Fifty seconds.

Bond clenched his fists, moving steadily forward as the platform behind him collapsed into the lava. The rebar was within his grasp now. Salt moved swiftly along the jagged edges of the arena, dodging geysers of molten rock, her focus unshakable.

Twenty seconds.

The ground trembled again, and another section of the glass platform shattered beneath Bond. He leaped to safety, his eyes never leaving Salt, who had just reached the base of the spire.

Ten seconds.

Salt crouched low, her mind racing. Bond was closing in, and she needed to act fast. Both knew that once the timer hit zero, only one of them would walk away from this hellish landscape.

Three. Two. One.

Weapons just out of reach, and their killer instincts taking over – the time went off and they launched themselves into action once again.

 

[Callisto]

Learn More About
James Bond
Read more about James Bond at Wikipedia
Official Site: Ian Fleming Publications Links: Wikipedia The Name's Bond James Bond

Evelyn Salt
Read more about Evelyn Salt at Wikipedia
Official Site: Sony Pictures Links: Wikipedia Official website Buzzy Times

[JohnnyChany]

Can Bond go through the fight without trying to flirt with Salt? Can that cost him the match? I vote no and yes.

[leroypowell3]

I'm going with Bond here.

[Pizza Guy]

Bond wins pretty easily. Would not be surprised if Evelyn becomes his latest Bond girl.

[DSkillz]

Looks like I may get to the remaining arc matches in time ... 

Another good chapter to your arc, Culwych. This match seems a bit more precarious than the previous ones. 

As for the match, my experience with Bond is pretty limited. The only Bond movie I've watched is one with the man in the profile pic, Pierce Brosnan, in Die Another Day. In that, he seemed to rely a little more on gadgets and cunning than straight-up combat skill. Salt, meanwhile, has plenty of both combat skill and resourcefulness to spare. 

If we're talking Brosnan Bond, without his gadgets it feels to me like Salt has the edge in this situation. Since I don't know what all of the various Bonds are capable of, though, I think I have to skip the vote on this one. 

[Callisto]

Match Final Results

Member Ratings:
5.00 - Boratz
4.60 - DSkillz
4.50 - Pizza Guy
5.00 - JohnnyChany

FPA Calculation:
4 Total Votes cast
19.10 Total Combined Score
19.10 / 4 = 4.78 Final Rating on the match

MATCH SCORE
James Bond: 4
Evelyn Salt: 1