Titan stared at the email, his heart pounding with a mix of excitement and trepidation. The sender was none other than Alex Garfield from Evil Geniuses, one of the most renowned figures in the esports industry. Evil Geniuses was one of the oldest orgs in esports, having been founded in 1997 as a Quake clan. By April 2011, they had expanded into various games, including World of Warcraft, DotA, StarCraft: Brood War, and StarCraft II.

  Their offer was enticing: a one-year contract with a $10,000 fund and a representative to handle travel, accommodation, and other logistics. In exchange, Evil Geniuses would acquire the roster, set the branding, and take a 30% revenue cut.

  But there was a big catch. Evil Geniuses reserved the right to make roster decisions, which could potentially split the team up and weaken their synergy. Titan knew that the strength of Green Tipped Bananas lay in their unity and the trust they had built over countless matches. Splitting them up would be a deal-breaker.

  He called an emergency team meeting to discuss the offer. The room was filled with a mix of anticipation and concern as Titan laid out the details.

  “They want to acquire us,” Titan said, his voice steady. “But they also want the right to make roster decisions. That means they could split us up.”

  Hai shook his head. “No way. We’ve come this far because we trust each other. Splitting us up would ruin everything.”

  Balls nodded in agreement. “We can’t let that happen. We’re stronger together.”

  BladeSong leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with determination. “I have an idea. I know someone who has money for stuff like this. An angel investor. If we can get him on board, we can start our own org.”

  Titan’s eyes widened. “You think he’d be interested?”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  BladeSong shrugged. “Only one way to find out. Let’s reach out to him and see what he says.”

  The meeting with the angel investor was set for the following week. In the meantime, the team began to rebrand themselves, preparing to become their own organization. They pooled their stream money, which amounted to $573, and BladeSong reached out to his contact.

  The day of the meeting arrived, and the team gathered in a small conference room. The angel investor, a man named Mr. Lee, listened intently as Titan presented their vision for the new organization.

  “We want to build something bigger,” Titan said, his voice filled with passion. “We want to create an esports brand that stands for unity, trust, and excellence.”

  They continued to discuss the growing market for esports and Titan's perspective on how the player's growing streams are an important asset to consider. Finally, a deal was made.

  Mr. Lee nodded, impressed by their determination. “I like your vision. I’m willing to invest $10,000 to help you get started. But I want to be a co-owner, and I want to see a return on my investment.”

  Titan smiled, feeling a surge of excitement. “Deal. We’ll make sure you won’t regret it.”

  With the investment secured, the team turned their attention to naming their new organization.

  "We need a name that represents our unity and strength," Titan said. "What about using the number 10? It could be represented by letter X. I just like how that sounds."

  BladeSong thought for a moment, then suggested, "What about SummitX? It signifies the peak, the top, which is where we aim to be."

  The team discussed the options, weighing the pros and cons of each name. After some debate, they decided to combine the ideas.

  "How about ApeX?" Titan proposed. "It incorporates both the X and the idea of being the best It's unique and memorable."

  The team agreed unanimously. ApeX was officially born. The team worked tirelessly to set up their new brand, creating logos, designing jerseys, and setting up social media accounts. Titan reflected on the biggest orgs in the industry T1, GenG, G2, Fnatic, C9, and TSM. He felt a sense of pride knowing that ApeX would soon join their ranks.

  BladeSong clapped him on the back. “We did it, Titan. We’re our own org now.”

  Titan nodded, his eyes shining with determination. “This is just the beginning. We have a long road ahead, but I know we can make it. Together, we’ll build something incredible.”

  As the team celebrated their new venture, Titan couldn’t help but feel a sense of excitement and anticipation. The future was uncertain, but one thing was clear: ApeX was ready to take the esports world by storm.