Beatrice

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Sukuna quietly walked down the never-ending hall of curved trees. The sun’s angle allowed its yellow rays to seep through the holes between the leaves, tainting the entire area in a brilliant green. He hated how happy this atmosphere was. The birds chirping, the rustling of the leaves, the happy little sunbeams… it was just so bloody boring.

Then came a snarl from just behind the tree line.

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

Sukuna’s eyes shot open. It was as if his prayers were answered. He quickly adjusted his overbearing haori and moved between the trees. The visceral shouting match continued as Sukuna shoved away multiple branches, squeezed through tree trunks and even scared a few wild animals before he finally caught sight of the conflict.

Sukuna saw them — three kids, two boys and one girl. The tiny girl carried a large flimsy basket of radishes in her small hands; her coarse pants and shirt sharply contrasted with the two boys' more presentable robes. Sukuna recognised the girl via the curses around her head — though Orange was absent — and he knew the boys from school. Tadao and Kaito. Two insufferable kids who came from the Seo clan, which was known for its abundant farms.

“There’s nothing wrong with the location of my stall. I refuse to change it.”

Tadao gritted his teeth. He refrained from yelling at you outright, however. The argument was already heated by the time Sukuna arrived; he could already see the two boys holding back.

“That’s not your decision.” Tadao clasped his hands together in faux civility. “Surely you can grasp that we’re being gracious by warning you before one of our clan decides to take action?”

“Is that a threat, you brute?! You and your clan can die!”

“What did you say?!”

Kaito suddenly lunged forward and attempted to snatch the basket from your hands, but you held fast and yanked it right back. A sharp shrrk filled your ears, and a radish fell from the half-torn basket. But this didn’t stop you two from tugging at it back and forth. Being a farmer, of course you were more physically capable than the pampered boy with servants… but not significantly.

Like Tadao, Sukuna watched the fight with mild interest. He was more amused at your surprising strength than anything else. Your refusal to let go of the basket led to it being further ripped apart.

“And what are you doing here?”

Sukuna’s eyes suddenly landed on Tadao. He didn’t realise that the kid had spotted him. His curious expression melted into a disinterested one immediately. His hands fell to his sides, and he replied in a dreary tone,

“What’s it to you?”

Tadao sneered in disgust at the response. Unfortunately for him, Sukuna couldn’t care less. Tadao and Sukuna ignored the fight now. Tadao turned his body towards the pink-haired boy, arms on his hips to hopefully intimidate him.

“Why are you here? Did Master Ryomen not want the deformed beast back in his estate?”

“Say that again, I’ll stuff your teeth down your throat.”

Sukuna growled as he approached. His lower arms’ fingers were twitching, itching to escape their confinement and hurt the boy in front of him. Tadao wasn’t afraid. In fact, he was elated at finally getting a reaction from the stony boy.

“Why are you here, really? Come to defend the girl?”

Tadao gestured at the vicious fight with a brief tilt of his head.

“Do you truly think I care about a no-name peasant?”

“You should.” Tadao noted slyly. “A peasant’s the only kind of wife you’d bring, after all.”

Wham!

You and Kaito suddenly stopped tugging the basket. Right behind Kaito, Tadao was getting punched repeatedly by Sukuna; it was a one-sided brutal beatdown that Tadao had no chance of getting out of. The sight was gruesome, and you were sure you’d see blood in a few seconds.

Sukuna suddenly laughed. It wasn’t manic, just excited, like he heard a very funny joke.

“Get up, Tadao! Come on, get up!”

The sun invaded Sukuna’s room with one-sided familiarity. It lit up every portion of the area with its sickening yellow tint, swallowing any shadows, its heat pricking at his exposed skin. The exit was too far away, but the paper walls were too close, and they exposed too much. The tatami mats were too stiff and didn’t bend beneath his weight. The servants’ hands noisily clawed at him. His organs and bones squeezed together with each wrap of the clo–

“Why must I cover my arms?”

…

Both servants paused.

His voice shattered the serene silence in the room, an unwelcome pebble hurled into an otherwise still pond.

The one brushing his hair stared worriedly at his scalp, and the one with the cloth held his breath. He had to pick his words carefully — as unwanted as Sukuna was, the deformed boy could still order their execution with a click of his tongue. The servant’s fingers twitched around the cloth in both fear and discomfort.

“…I cannot disobey your father’s orders, Master Sukuna.”

“But four arms are more useful than two.”

The discomfort settled in the room, and both servants returned to their work. He finished wrapping the cloth and gently nudged Sukuna to his feet.

“Curses are never to be used, Master Sukuna, only discarded.” He fixed the first layer’s collars before dressing Sukuna with the second. “No matter how tempting it is.”

The other servant tilted Sukuna’s chin upward for an easier angle while he brushed his soft pink hair. But as Sukuna listened to these words, his exposed crimson eye narrowed in annoyance, his other face twisting as it was tightly wrapped with more cloth.

“Please, don’t worry yourself, Master Sukuna. I’m confident you’ll grow out of this. Remember when you were younger? You spoke of grotesque creatures calling for you, but now they’re gone. And you’re not as violent as you used to be.”

Not true. Sukuna just learnt to shut up.

Finally, his appearance was completed by the large dark haori that swallowed his figure, giving him an aura of authority befitting the heir of the Ryomen clan. The two servants stepped back with their heads down.

“Isn’t that much better, Master Sukuna?”

He gave him a mirror so he could admire himself. Sukuna stared at his reflection with utter annoyance. The cloth on his face restricted his vision, each breath felt laboured from the cloth around his waist, his stiff lower arms ached, and he really wanted to open the smaller eye beneath his larger one.

“I can’t breathe in here.”

The servants jumped when Sukuna suddenly hurled the mirror away and stormed off, the extravagant shoji sliding open with a loud thunk.

Sukuna left the estate shortly afterwards.

Negotiation never worked; the only reason Sukuna was alive at all was because of his gender. Because the great Ryomen clan would tolerate having a violent deformed wretch of a child. As long as it meant having an heir, they would.

He took the newly discovered isolated path to school that day. And really, it was a gorgeous one — lined with vibrant, green trees on each side, they branched upwards and formed an arched 'ceiling' of leaves, allowing only bits of the gleaming sunlight to shine through. This made said leaves bear a bright green colour with golden undertones. But he only took it to avoid the incessant staring from the others. And to think. Mainly about how much he loathed everything, but that was by the by. Sukuna headed towards the pitiful bridge built over a ravine; a conglomerate of planks held toge–

"Sukuna, Sukuna, wait!"

He stopped in his tracks and turned around. Immediately, like moths following light, his eyes were locked on the curses that were still on your head. Sukuna blinked in surprise when you stopped in front of him.

"I– I brought you a gift."

You bowed and held out the present, and Sukuna was met with the sight of a basket of beautiful, pink peaches, ripe and ready to eat. He was beyond amused.

"I picked these peaches this morning... I hope you like them."

"Thank you."

He took them from your hand with a brief, forced bow, performed only out of courtesy. The fingers of his lower arms twitched, but he’d gotten used to not using them.

You picking the peaches meant that a harvest has already occurred; he should expect to see you back at the market selling your goods. Due to his utter disinterest, Sukuna already forgot your name. This forced him to word his next question carefully so as to avoid exposing that detail.

"Do you work alone?"

You shamefully nodded.

"Father isn't around, and Mother is sick. It's up to me."

"What about your brothers?"

"It's only me..."

"I see." He noted. "I have to go..."

Sukuna went to leave, but his eyes locked on your head once one of the creatures, the bright orange one, settled itself on the back of your head. It then slammed its blunt-ended 'fingernails' against your skull repeatedly... but why? He noticed you clutch your left temple with a pained huff.

"Y/N?"

He asked in faux concern, earning a shake of your head in response.

"I'm– I'm okay! It's only a headache."

Today was another one of those days. But luckily for you, you spent the entire morning today expecting this event, and thus, worked up your courage for this moment. You walked up to him and bowed to greet him.

It was beyond embarrassing to greet him looking the way you did. The lower portion of your pants and your hands were covered in dirt, your clothes were oversized, and overall you looked utterly unpresentable as a girl. Moreover, you were a kid working on the farm alone — this mere sight would elicit many prying questions from anyone who passed by.

"Hello... My name is Y/N, what's yours?"

The pink-haired boy stopped in his tracks and watched you with a diligent eye. Silence settled between the two of you. But only one of you felt the discomfort, and your fidgeting indicated that it wasn't him. The boy kept staring at you. Not at your face, but instead, your head — your cranium, for some reason. It would take a few seconds before he'd bother to look you in the eyes.

"Just call me Sukuna."

You politely smiled.

"I've noticed you look at my farm every day, Sukuna. Does something... interest you?"

That was the most subtle way you could convey your discomfort without coming off as rude. His expression didn't change.

"I just like looking at you."

Sukuna replied curtly.

Your cheeks turned red from his straightforward comment. Sukuna's eyes, however drifted back to your cranium; he focused on the amalgamation of twisted, deformed beings swirling around the top of your head. Each colourful creature had eyes as hollow as the last. The sight of these curses plaguing your head was as mesmerising as a lava lamp.

He glanced back at you.

"Did a maid do your hair?"

You blushed again, but you avoided touching your hair in lieu[ of the dirt on your hands.

"No, I did it myself...”

That answer confirmed you couldn't see these curses. But Sukuna didn't want to tell you why he really stared. What reason did he have to do so? You'd just call him cursed and scorn him like everyone else. It's not like anyone in this village deserved peace.

“If I can ask… why is your head wrapped like that?”

Sukuna had a white silk cloth wrapped around the right side of his head, leaving only his left eye visible. Said eye had a small slit beneath it, as well, but you decided against overwhelming him with questions.

“Air gets in my head. I keep it covered so I don’t fall ill.”

He explained casually; it was the explanation his parents and servants gave him. Sukuna couldn’t care less about the surprise that etched your features. This conversation took too long, he thought, and he wanted to end it.

"I have to go."

You were surprised when he turned on his heel and walked off shortly after saying that. Nevertheless, you politely bowed in response.

"O– okay, goodbye, Sukuna! We should speak again!"

No response.

You were very delighted to have finally met Sukuna. First, he outwardly called you attractive, then he indirectly said your hair was pretty with that comment. How lucky were you that he* happened to take the path by your home every day? With a personality like that, he must be popular back in the village, especially with the girls. Unfortunately for you, outside of selling your harvests, you never spent time there, so you were relatively isolated.

It lifted its distorted, shaky hands; all twenty-seven of its white fingers lit up by the afternoon sun. Then, it clenched its fists, and the emergence of more cursed energy made the other perk up.

ㅤㅤ

“Still up for more?” Sukuna called out. “Fine… Let’s make this interesting.”

ㅤㅤ

Sukuna lifted both of his hands and brought them together. The pads of his middle and ring fingers pressed up against the other. With a sadistic grin, he subsequently gazed upon the weak cursed spirit. The atmosphere between them shifted. It was as if this very gesture injected an unfathomable amount of dread into the air that plagued the empty, destroyed streets.

ㅤㅤ

“Domain Expansion: Malevolent Shr–”

Burst!

…

ㅤㅤ

“…Hm?”

ㅤㅤ

The cursed spirit's unnatural stillness was preceded by an awry jolt; it completely stopped moving, almost as if it somehow died. But how? He didn’t even use his technique.

Slash!

With a flick of his hand, Sukuna tore the cursed spirit in two, revealing its innards with one clean swipe. He promptly sensed the cause for its death; an external force made its heart explode. Someone was bold enough to cut his entertainment short, he thought. To put it simply, whoever did this wanted to die a very painful death.

Sukuna perked up at a few audible steps behind him.

ㅤㅤ

“Lunch is ready, honey pie~” A feminine voice followed. “And clean up before you sit at the table, okay? I don’t want asphalt on the food like last ti–”

ㅤㅤ

Slash!

Sukuna didn’t hesitate to cut through the woman. He closed his eyes and waited for the aftermath. Usually, it would be the graphic squelching of insides being parted, or just the gurgling from some victims whose throats were sliced.

But nothing.

He turned and looked at you out of the corner of his eyes. As angry as he was, he couldn’t help but ogle a bit at his wife’s beautiful, untouched appearance. Sukuna sliced your neck with his cursed technique, but it had as much impact as a bunny trying to viciously bite through a wall made of pure metal. A grin revealed your pearly whites.

ㅤㅤ

“Oh… Is my handsome king angry I ended his fight?”

ㅤㅤ

Warmth enveloped him as you wrapped your arms around his waist from behind. Sukuna, however, glared at you with his red eyes as you rested your chin on his shoulder, your jaw gently pressing up against his muscles.

ㅤㅤ

“Did you honestly think I’d accept this interruption? And what did I tell you about using that stupid nickname?”

ㅤㅤ

“Don’t you remember, snookums? You said, ‘I’ll let you call me anything if we stay in bed a little longer’.”

ㅤㅤ

…

He did say that this morning, didn’t he?

ㅤㅤ

“Only you would hold these pointless words against me.”

ㅤㅤ

Sukuna muttered as he crossed his arms. If he wasn’t a thousand-year-old sorcerer and made of nothing but pure evil, he would have a slight blush on his cheeks.

ㅤㅤ

“You really look upset about this… Oh no, have you finally replaced your wife with a cursed spirit, Sukuna?”

ㅤㅤ

You noted with a pout. Sukuna’s heart skipped a beat once you said his real name.

ㅤㅤ

“Fighting a woman with your techniques gets boring. And I want something that begs and bleeds. You don’t do either of that, do you?”

ㅤㅤ

The sound of your cheeky titter filled his ears. Since you two met, he found out very quickly that he couldn’t slice you. And, like everything else about you, it very much angered him. But you still became his wife, so he had virtually no platform to stand on. A smile painted your lips as your hands traced his sharp jawline. You promptly stopped at his cheeks, which you were quick to caress with your fingers.

ㅤㅤ

“Can’t the King of Curses handle a little boredom every now and then?” You clasped his cheeks with a feather-light grip. “Oh, and you won’t be getting dessert.”

ㅤㅤ

He perked up at this.

ㅤㅤ

“And why not?”

ㅤㅤ

“I made the most delicious cheesecake before I arrived. But now, for trying to cut my throat, none of it is for you.”

ㅤㅤ

Sukuna scoffed.

ㅤㅤ

“Like I’d let you get away with that, woman.” He firmly clutched your wrists. “We fight after lunch. If I win, I get a slice, whether you like it or not.”

ㅤㅤ

“I like that. But let’s pick a crowded place; this time, I want at least a thousand casualties.”

ㅤㅤ

A sly grin twisted his features; he specifically focused on the ‘crowded’ aspect of your words. Like you said, crowded meant many innocent deaths in a fight. And if there was something Sukuna loved more than his own wife pleasure, it would be chaos.

ㅤㅤ

“A thousand casualties? I can make that happen… Alright. We fight in Chiyoda.”

ㅤㅤ

The discontent frown on your face immediately made him rethink his suggestion.

ㅤㅤ

“So picky. Fine, Roppongi? I’m sure you will have fun destroying that one.”

ㅤㅤ

You pulled him close and deeply pressed your lips on his cheek with a loud muah. He couldn’t help but roll his eyes, all while he completely revelled in the sensation of being so lovingly kissed. Then, you pulled away.

ㅤㅤ

“Now we’re talking. Looks like my king still knows how to keep his wife happy. What would I do without you, handsome?”

ㅤㅤ

“I don’t know. What would humans do without water?”

ㅤㅤ

You couldn’t help but laugh whilst briefly pinching his cheek. ㅤㅤ

“Oh, you.”

ㅤㅤ

Early morning, you and Iso had met up at the cafeteria just like old times.

Upon your recruitment, some of the smarter agents were quick to deduce that the two of you often had breakfast together, so this wasn't a surprise. In actuality, the two of you pretty much spent every single morning together. The kind-hearted Iso did it because you and his grandmother were the only specks of light in his cruel, dreary life, while you did it because, well, you were lazy, and it was convenient. On the bright side, you were finally given a code-name, but that's not really what you focused on.

You and Iso sat at one of the many circular tables in the dull cafeteria. The lights were currently off because the gentle morning sun made up for it... in theory. In reality, the rays were too weak, and the vast area was shrouded in darkness.

Your tired eyes roamed across the surface of the cup set in front of you. Thoughts roamed across your mind at the speed of an incredibly slow turtle, and it took you too long to finally look up at Iso and speak.

ㅤㅤ

"Valorant's softer than I thought. I get to have a whole day break after submitting my report?"

ㅤㅤ

Iso nodded with a delighted hum to your remark. Unlike many of the other agents, he was one of the few utterly unbothered by how slow you were; he knew you weren't shy with taking your time.

ㅤㅤ

"Sweet, right? It's one of the reasons I left so fast. Also, we don't get yelled at as much." He set down his spoon and lifted the cup to his lips. "Do you have any plans for today?"

ㅤㅤ

"Waiting until training starts."

ㅤㅤ

Despite his stony expression, Iso's eyes glimmered in excitement at this.

ㅤㅤ

"Really? That sounds exciting. Hope you picked Sage to train you."

ㅤㅤ

"Nope. Yoru."

ㅤㅤ

You casually retorted as you lifted your arm and stretched it overhead as far as you could.

He watched you in silent confusion, though the silence was interrupted by the audible cracks as you stretched.

ㅤㅤ

"Uh... Wait, Yoru? Why Yoru?"

ㅤㅤ

"Cus Fade said so."

ㅤㅤ

You recalled Fade suggesting you request him specifically yesterday. You didn't know why, nor did she elaborate, but it was easy, so of course you complied.

But Iso didn't seem to share your ambivalence. He let out a very hesitant hum as he took another sip, and you couldn't help but notice it.

ㅤㅤ

"Is he dead?"

ㅤㅤ

"No, no! No death. He's just, uh..." Iso awkwardly smiled. "He and Fade are... Well, they're very hostile to each other, but they're not at the same time. It's sort of... inconsistent."

ㅤㅤ

...

ㅤㅤ

"...Huh?"

ㅤㅤ

"I– I don't know how to explain it; you have to see it to understand."

ㅤㅤ

"Sounds like you're scared to say he's Jess-coded."

ㅤㅤ

Iso unwittingly laughed.

ㅤㅤ

"Jess-coded? That's a new one."

ㅤㅤ

"Yup. Came up with it when you left."

ㅤㅤ

You noted and promptly returned to stretching. But this time, the focus shifted to your other arm.

ㅤㅤ

"Good morning!"

ㅤㅤ

A peppy voice from behind made you both flinch, and your eyes were drawn to a colourful spot in the centre of the entrance to the cafeteria.

Clove stood beneath the large doorway, immediately passing it with just a few animated steps. You even saw a few butterflies. There were only two, and they looked like cheerleaders that enhanced the Scot's entrance.

ㅤㅤ

"Hey, Clove."

ㅤㅤ

You both said at the same time with the exact same dreary tone.

And much to your confusion, the two of you earned a giggle from the wee Scot as they marched towards the cupboards. The cupboards that required them to stand on their toes to reach, of course.

ㅤㅤ

"Ya talk like clones. Is this what those Hourglass dafties do to their workers?"

ㅤㅤ

It didn't take long for Clove to quickly prep themselves a drink and move towards the two of you. They noisly pulled back the chair and sat down, setting their cup on the table. Iso noted the lack of extravagantly colourful dessert that would usually accompany the immortal's breakfast.

ㅤㅤ

"Aren't you hungry, Clove?"

ㅤㅤ

"Nae, I already ate at three."

ㅤㅤ

"You're still full from yesterday?"

ㅤㅤ

You chimed in with a raised eyebrow. This statement, however, earned you a confused look from both of the radiants.

ㅤㅤ

"Yesterday? I'm talking about three a.m.!" They lifted the cup to their lips. "I've nae slept all night."

ㅤㅤ

...

ㅤㅤ

"...You can do that?" You glanced at Iso. "You can eat at midnight?"

ㅤㅤ

"Oh! Uh, yeah, you can; there's no schedules or curfew here."

ㅤㅤ

You narrowed your eyes, clearly displeased at this information. This prompted Iso to continue explaining.

ㅤㅤ

"Yeah. We all do our own thing unless they tell us otherwise. Which they... often don't."

ㅤㅤ

You sighed and took out your phone. And within a few seconds, you had already created the outline for the schedule you were going to abide by during your stay in this boring old protocol.

Clove stared at you for a moment as they attempted to deduce what you were doing. Did Scion members have a secret language, or something? Why wasn't Iso as confused as them? They mulled to themselves. Then, their train of thought was cut off once they remembered the question you asked him before they entered.

ㅤㅤ

"So, what was the blethering all about?"

ㅤㅤ

"We were just talking about A/N's training."

ㅤㅤ

"Training? That's sound. Who's the unlucky trainer?"

ㅤㅤ

You looked up from your phone to give them a raised eyebrow.

ㅤㅤ

"Unlucky?"

ㅤㅤ

"Aye. Uh– I'm nae insulting you! I just cannae imagine training a blood bender. Whose blood would ya be testing on, and all?"

ㅤㅤ

Iso nodded in agreement. Like you, he probably hadn't thought about this until they mentioned it. But you shrugged.

ㅤㅤ

"That's Yoru's problem."

ㅤㅤ

Clove suddenly began laughing, and you noted the butterflies that burst from them just as they did. You were more enamoured with their little glow as they fluttered than you were with their reaction.

ㅤㅤ

"Wait, wait — Yoru? Why Yoru? Did he lose a bet, and all? Or was it Fade?"

ㅤㅤ

"It was Fade."

ㅤㅤ

"Ah! I knew it was her. Who else?"

ㅤㅤ

"Was I not supposed to pick him?"

ㅤㅤ

You asked the duo with a raised eyebrow. However, Iso was quicker at forming an answer than Clove was. Probably had something to do with the fact that he slept longer, but that's by the by.

ㅤㅤ

"Maybe I'm optimistic, but I think you two would get along." He met your gaze with a light smile. "He reminded me of you, sometimes."

ㅤㅤ

"Why...?"

ㅤㅤ

"He doesn't really... care about anything. I heard him say that once. Right?"

ㅤㅤ

Clove eagerly nodded, quickly setting down their cup in order to reply. Their clumsiness led to the spilling of a few droplets; though that didn't matter to them.

ㅤㅤ

"Right enough! Remember that DND sheet I gave him? He still did nae fill it out!"

ㅤㅤ

"Wasn't that over a month ago?"

ㅤㅤ

"It was. Ya think the numpty's picking his character name, and all?"

ㅤㅤ

Iso laughed, resting his chin on his hand.

ㅤㅤ

"Probably. But make sure he doesn't hear you say that."

ㅤㅤ

You blankly stared at space as they conversed. While Iso's words ran through your mind continuously, you still weren't sure it was a good thing or not. Knowing Iso, it was definitely a compliment. But the two of you didn't exactly have healthy standards for... anything.

Best case scenario, he doesn't care and wants to relax like you do. But an even better scenario would be that Yoru would be so problematic he'd get you out of your bored state.

You glanced down at your cup of tea, noticing your blank expression reflected in the coffee. If it turns out to be the latter, then maybe you have a problem.

ㅤㅤ

ㅤㅤ

Despite arriving at the training range on the dot, this Yoru guy was nowhere to be seen. And you weren't keen on exploring the new area either, just standing inside what looked like a box of metal, an place so vast even your slow palpitations echoed. Besides, the armoury was right there; that's all you needed to note.

You spent your time perfecting your little schedule while you waited for him.

Then, a set of muffled heavy steps from outside took your attention away from your phone. Accompanied by this was a silhouette with eye-catching spiky hair as he continued marching. It reflected in the massive two windows that stood on each side.

It was definitely someone you had never met before, that's for sure.

Finally, the metallic doors swung open and he appeared. You looked up to finally meet this Yoru's gaze. Although you expected an older looking guy, like Brimstone or something, you were instead met with someone who looked younger than Iso himself. Which was pretty impressive.

Spiky hair with a brilliant blue spot in the centre, an eye-catching bluu and orange jacket with an Oni design — that wasn't to mention his face. Yoru's eyes were narrowed. His brows were furrowed and an evident, tense frown painted his lips.

Everything about him was sharp; it was as if he was the embodiment of rapidly spinning blades, and you'd maim yourself if you dared approach. But you mustn't judge a book by its cover. After all, there's no way a cute, young lad like himself would be as rude as his looks implie–

ㅤㅤ

"A/N?"

ㅤㅤ

His harsh, sharp tone echoed through the area, injecting the atmosphere with tension just by calling your name. You were surprised by his demeanour. Along with his piercing glare, you weren't sure if you had accidentally killed someone this guy knew, or he just woke up on the wrong side of the bed. So much for appearances being deceiving, huh...?

You blankly hummed in response.

ㅤㅤ

“Great." With unseen sternness from any other agent, he marched towards what seemed to be the armory. "Let's get one thing straight; I'm not meant to be training you, and they won't let me back out. Which means I'm stuck with you until Friday.”

ㅤㅤ

If the tone wasn't enough to surprise you, this statement felt like an absolute slap in the face. What on Earth did he mean by 'not meant to be training you'? Was this the wrong guy, or something?

ㅤㅤ

"You're not Yoru?"

ㅤㅤ

"I am. But I'm here against my will."

ㅤㅤ

You pocketed your phone.

His bluntness surprised you just as much as... everything else. Compared to the other kind, hospitable agents, Yoru's disposition screamed 'I will beat you if you bother me', and he wasn't even yelling. To be honest, you felt a little bit awed by him.

ㅤㅤ

"Wait, wait... Fade said you were good at this radiancy thing."

ㅤㅤ

"Yeah, but I don't train people. Fade's a filthy liar; don't ever trust her."

ㅤㅤ

Yoru promptly walked off, and you couldn't help but allow your eyes to follow his figure as you attempted to assess this situation. Though you gave up after a few seconds.

Ugh.

Is that the scale of drama around here? If so, you absolutely weren't in the mood to get caught up in some mean girl rubbish on your second day here. If you were gonna get in trouble, there better be some major injuries as a result of it, that's for bloody sure.

Pun intended.

Your bubble popped when Yoru nonchalantly tossed a Vandal at you, but you were quick to catch it.

ㅤㅤ

"Let's just get this over with."

ㅤㅤ

You wanted to know the gist of the situation in less than a few seconds; so your mind worked fast to come up with a question. A little too fast.

ㅤㅤ

"Don't tell me this was a joke at my expense."

ㅤㅤ

That wasn't even a question.

ㅤㅤ

"Jesus Christ. You're fine, A/N; she just likes to get on my nerves."

ㅤㅤ

What the heck did you get yourself into?

Once the settings were adjusted, Yoru pushed down on the start button, the audible sound of machinery taking over your ears. You watched the previously empty arena shift as what looked like docile robots began appearing.

ㅤㅤ

"Shoot those bots until I'm done."

ㅤㅤ

You brushed your loose curls aside and properly held your Vandal, marching towards where he stood. The thought of asking him to elaborate wasn't present, mostly because you were used to curt statements like this.

You lifted up your gun and began shooting the extremely slow-appearing bots. It only took a few seconds for you to already be bored out of your mind, no thanks to the cruel settings he had set.

On the other side of the training range near the workbench stood Yoru, your combat report in his hands as he roughly scanned through it. However, his eyes widened once he saw your overall score, and–

ㅤㅤ

"えっ？" <What?>

ㅤㅤ

You were caught off guard by his shocked… whatever he said.

ㅤㅤ

"Huh?"

ㅤㅤ

"Keep shooting."

ㅤㅤ

His order came off as a surprise to you. You tilted your head for a moment, but ultimately complied.

This allowed Yoru to continue scanning your combat scores in silence. And what shocked him was how perfect it was. Your proficiency was off the charts... literally. It was one of the highest he'd seen. Dare he say, higher than his.

Your scores were impressive in every criteria. Awareness, combat skills, endurance, adaptability, all except for... ability usage.

There, he noticed the comment below that effectively repeated Brimstone's order from a day ago; that Yoru needed to help you control your newfound powers after the 'restrictions' were lifted. Huh. Wait, what restrictions?

Yoru set down the piece of paper and curiously glanced at you as you trained. His curiosity was only evident when your back was turned; he would've concealed it with a bored look otherwise. It didn't take long to outline the sets of impressive muscles that decorated your exposed legs, a very subtle hint that you weren't some random sad-looking lady they plucked off the street, like he previously thought. He also noted the scars littered throughout...

Yoru had to pry his eyes away from your figure.

I mean, who cares about the muscles? And those scars? It would've helped if you didn’t wear a dumpy hoodie and sports shorts that made you look the part, you know? But he said the same thing about Iso; he only discovered the former assassin's true strength when he accidentally broke the arm of... You know what? Nevermind.

Maybe hiding strength is a trend for Scion members.

ㅤㅤ

"Not that I care, but where'd you come from?"

ㅤㅤ

What an oxymoron, he mused. But he just wanted to confirm.

ㅤㅤ

"Scions of Hourglass."

ㅤㅤ

"Really? So you know Iso."

ㅤㅤ

"Yup."

ㅤㅤ

"I'm guessing he trained you."

ㅤㅤ

You two had rather similar shooting stances, though Iso held himself up with more focus than you did.

ㅤㅤ

"No? I'm a higher rank; I even gave him a check-up before he left."

ㅤㅤ

You were amused at his question, and Yoru was impressed at your answer. This detail seemed to match up; he saw somewhere in the notes that you used to be a healer.

ㅤㅤ

"...That means you knew he infiltrated us."

ㅤㅤ

"Yup." You lazily glanced at him as you reloaded. "Valorant's spoiling him; kid looks much better here. Health-wise."

ㅤㅤ

You slowly returned to shooting, oblivious to the confusion that now etched his sharp features.

He set down the report and approached with crossed arms. There, he saw how freakishly fast your reaction time was, even when the bots were set to slow. Your grip, your posture, all objectively horrible. You had a loose grip, you casually leaned on one leg, you couldn't be bothered to hold your head up to look at the bots… and yet, the results rivalled seasoned agents like Omen or Brimstone. He would've never guessed you were above Clove and Gekko in terms of skill level. But he didn’t want to give you too much credit on account of the settings being on easy.

ㅤㅤ

"Why didn't you join him when he switched?"

ㅤㅤ

Yoru asked as he opened up the control panel and began fiddling with the settings.

ㅤㅤ

"Boss said he died."

ㅤㅤ

"Yeah, and? You didn’t question it?"

ㅤㅤ

"Nope."

ㅤㅤ

...

ㅤㅤ

"Why not?"

ㅤㅤ

"Too much work."

ㅤㅤ

Yoru... tilted his head.

ㅤㅤ

"Let me get this straight – you gave Iso a checkup before he infiltrated us to kill someone, then when he disappeared, your bosses tried to cover it by saying he died?"

ㅤㅤ

"Yup."

ㅤㅤ

"And not once did you question that?"

ㅤㅤ

"Yup." You shot another bot. "Not asking usually gets me more sleep."

ㅤㅤ

Yoru rolled his eyes.

ㅤㅤ

"Whatever. What can you do, again?"

ㅤㅤ

"I control blood."

ㅤㅤ

...

Yoru audibly sighed in defeat.

Great. So not only was he tasked with training a person objectively more experienced than he was in literally everything, an assigned healer to a legendary hitman, but also someone who could control blood. Where, oh where, would he be able to get blood for you to test your powers on, exactly? He thought as he fiddled with the settings once more.

On the very slim bright side, you just said you don't ask questions, and that aligned with Yoru's desire to leave asap.

He finalised the new settings, then pressed enter. Suddenly, just as you were about to shoot another bot, every single one of them disappeared, and the arena turned back to the flat, metallic landscape it once was. You glanced at Yoru for an explanation, but he already took your Vandal from your hand and tossed it aside.

Then, once he stopped in front of you, he crossed his arms.

ㅤㅤ

"Can you control your own blood?"

ㅤㅤ

"All I know is how to take it out." You lifted your arm overhead and stretched once more. "But I dunno where to get blood to test on."

ㅤㅤ

"We could use Fade as a guinnea pig, but Viper won't say yes. We're sticking to your blood, or… No, wait."

ㅤㅤ

You already lost track after the guinnea pig comment.

Yoru pulled his hand back and suddenly ripped open what looked like a portal to an ocean of blue. He promptly began digging through, the entrance now enveloping his elbow the deeper he stuck his hand in. Then, he pulled his arm out and dropped a gloop of midnight blue and black fluid. Spikes began protruding from the liquid as it sat on the ground.

You watched it form a very general outline of a human being, probably a clone of him judging by the spiky hair on his head. This feature was just too recognisable; it was Yoru's hair.

Yoru leaned on the counter next to him with crossed arms.

ㅤㅤ

"Go ahead."

ㅤㅤ

You held out a hand and attempted to gain control of the creature's blood. And though you swore there was something you could get a hold of, you just couldn't exactly... grab it. It felt like being blindfolded, under water and tasked with getting a hold of a really slippery jellyfish. And though you clearly had more control over every droplet of blood that made up this clone's, you weren't sure what to do beyond taking a hold of it.

This went on for a while. And you were bored within a few seconds. However, unbeknownst to you, Yoru watched you with a keen eye.

And to say he wasn't amused by your inability to put the slightest bit of effort would be an understatement. But he remained quiet and let you 'work' in peace.

You weren't sure if he was still thinking about ways to kill Fade, or if he still scrutinised the way you carried yourself. Either way, you didn't spend more than a few seconds thinking about it.

You simply continued training.

ㅤㅤ

ㅤㅤ

The corridor that led to the training range was filled with a set of cheerful voices. It was very easy to recognise that they belonged to both Gekko and Jett considering their different pitch. And on the way to see you, they conversed to each other about both random nonsense and what they thought of you, their opinions fuelled by what they were told by Iso and Clove.

But not Fade. Of course not Fade.

The nightmare agent who previously minded her own business made a great resurgence upon your recruitment, and it would be a lie to say they enjoyed her stealing you all for herself. But today, they would speak to you for the first time.

Exciting, right?

They turned the corner and walked towards the entrance, moving past the empty lockers. But the duo flinched at the sight of Fade's hand blocking them, moments before she took a step forward and stood in their way; they were met with the terrifying aura of the nightmare agent. Arms crossed, brows furrowed, they already knew what the conversation entailed.

Where the heck did she come from? Jett mused to herself. But it's not like Fade didn't hear that thought, much to her misfortune.

ㅤㅤ

"Where do you think you're going?"

ㅤㅤ

She started, her tone as brutal as they remembered it to be. Jett couldn't help but flinch.

ㅤㅤ

"Oh, we were, uh, just about to see A/N?"

ㅤㅤ

Gekko noted as he fiddled with the strap of his bag that held his buddies. However, despite being recruited after Fade, he wasn't spared from the upcoming snide comment.

ㅤㅤ

"What're you, blind? Don't you see that I'm standing here?"

ㅤㅤ

"Yeah, well, we thought since, you know, you've been talking to her for a whole day, it would be our turn. You won't mind, right?"

ㅤㅤ

Jett noted. And in response, there was only an ambiguous silence.

The two paused and desperately hoped that she would just accept the offer and drop it. After all, while there were many horrible things in the protocol, one of the things up there was evoking Fade's wrath; a shockingly easy task for many... all agents. It was a lesson learned the moment she stepped foot into the protocol and received a less than favourable welcome from them, including Jett, who made the terrible mistake of throwing her a snarky comment.

Of course, not Cypher, Omen, Yoru, or Viper those four obviously had it easy. Oh, and you.

Fade brutally scrutinised whilst they anxiously waited. And the pure annoyance that radiated from her was incredibly tangible. But it wasn't until she finally spoke.

ㅤㅤ

"Yeah, actually. I do mind."

ㅤㅤ

"Come on, you've had her for a whole day!"

ㅤㅤ

Jett blurted out, but she immediately silenced herself once she realised her mistake. However, it was too late, and−

ㅤㅤ

"So what? You got a problem with that?"

ㅤㅤ

Fade bit back with a sneer, and the two were immediately overridden with anxiety.

ㅤㅤ

"Okay, jeez, nevermind! We'll just catch her later."

ㅤㅤ

Fade watched them with narrow eyes as they walked off. She was only satisfied when they escaped her sight, really, and it didn't take long for that to happen. But when she heard a familiar set of footsteps, ones that belonged to a person who could hardly bother to lift their feet to walk, her expression softened.

A smile painted her features as she crossed her arms and approached you. Incidentally, since the two disappeared by the time you left, you were practically clueless to the interaction that occurred mere seconds ago.

ㅤㅤ

"A/N. How was training?"

ㅤㅤ

"Fine. Fade, is there something you need to tell me?"

ㅤㅤ

She tilted her head in confusion, as if Yoru wasn't training you literally two seconds ago. It prompted you to continue.

ㅤㅤ

"What's with you and Yoru?"

ㅤㅤ

"Oh." She grinned mischievously, her black lips contrasting her white teeth. "It's just fun to make him mad. Seriously, have you seen him?"

ㅤㅤ

You also leaned on the wall and allowed your mind to wander off. From your memory, he didn't look too expressive despite being very obviously angry back there. In fact, you were surprised he didn't spend the whole session yelling at you, and instead took it seriously.

ㅤㅤ

"He wasn't too bad."

ㅤㅤ

"You just don't get it." Nobody did. "Anyway, come on."

ㅤㅤ

She fixed her posture ushered you to start walking alongside her, to which you did.

ㅤㅤ

"So, how was your first training session with him?"

ㅤㅤ

"Fine." You glanced at your hand. "Didn’t do much with his blood."

ㅤㅤ

"His blood?"

ㅤㅤ

"Yup. He made some person that looked like him for me to test on."

ㅤㅤ

"Person..."

ㅤㅤ

Fade averted her gaze for a moment as she went over his 'lame' abilities to infer what you meant. Beyond the flashes and the teleporting, where did you get the person from...? Oh.

ㅤㅤ

"Is he seriously using his clones for you to train on?" She shrugged. "I'll give it to him, that’s pretty creative."

ㅤㅤ

He made a clone? You just assumed it was some kind of replica or a sculpture. That actually explains the hair, now that you thought about it.

ㅤㅤ

"But Yoru isn't meant to be training me."

ㅤㅤ

"Relax. You'll be able to switch in a week. Besides, as much as I hate him, I can attest to his efficiency."

ㅤㅤ

You lightly laughed.

ㅤㅤ

"For real?"

ㅤㅤ

"Definitely."

ㅤㅤ

Just as you two came to the sharp turn, Fade suddenly stopped in front of you, stopping you from continuing down your path.

ㅤㅤ

"Any who, what's on the agenda today?"

ㅤㅤ

"Schedule says I have to prepare for lunch."

ㅤㅤ

You answered nonchalantly, oblivious to the weird expression you evoked from Fade.

ㅤㅤ

"…We don't have schedules."

ㅤㅤ

"Yup. Made my own."

ㅤㅤ

You took out then held up your phone, allowing her to see the monstrosity you willingly created an hour ago. Surprised wasn't enough to describe how she felt. So much so, Fade mindlessly reached out to take your phone from your hands and confirm what she was seeing.

Her eyes widened in disbelief as she read through the crowded columns. It wasn't a normal schedule like she expected, it was full to the brim with what she considered over-the-top preparation for the most minute things. Why did you need a twenty minute period before and after lunch curtly labeled 'prepare'? And who the heck sleeps at ten on the dot?

She couldn't help but look up at you with a raised eyebrow.

ㅤㅤ

"This seems a little excessive. Why don't you go through the day and figure out what you want instead?"

ㅤㅤ

"I dunno. Making choices. Sounds like work." You took your phone from her. "Anyway, lunch's coming up. See you."

ㅤㅤ

You fixed your posture and went to walk down the other end of the hallway. But just as you took a few steps away from her, Fade's voice promptly emerged with a curious question,

ㅤㅤ

"Does the schedule account for your lunch as well?"

ㅤㅤ

...

Oh. Right. Cooking. That was something you had to do now, huh? You know, because there were no more rations anymore, and you... yeah, you had to cook for yourself, now.

Great.

You sighed in defeat and turned back to face her. There, you saw the smug grin that lifted her black lips. If her hair didn't conceal half of her face, it would be a familiar look by now.

No words needed to be exchanged. Just by your light frown, the nightmare agent could tell that she had already won the battle before it even started. As per usual, huh? Fade grinned and began walking towards you, forcing you to move alongside her the moment she passed you by roughly grabbing your arm.

ㅤㅤ

"Looks like you're stuck with me today. Let's go."

ㅤㅤ

With no reason to resist, or desire to think about what your lunch should be, you were left with no choice but to walk alongside her... well, you were being dragged by her towards the cafeteria.

Seems like your fate was to be trapped with her for lunch, or for however long she planned to keep you bound to her. Maybe until you get settled in. This must be what Yoru felt all the time: a begrudging respect for the woman who could churn out a victory at every other turn.

He hid between one of the alleys and pressed his back against the nearby brick wall, allowing it to shield him from the flood of bullets. coming from down the sidewalk.

ㅤㅤ

"Move, move!"

ㅤㅤ

One of the guards cried out, his voice unexplainably distorted. Not just by the mask, but also by the strong winds that enveloped them all. But he was subsequently drowned out by another.

ㅤㅤ

"Surround him!"

ㅤㅤ

"Come on, get rid of him."

ㅤㅤ

The guards surrounded him from every angle. He knew they belonged to the Scions of Hourglass judging by their uniforms. Omen couldn't stop his hands from shaking as he reloaded. It took him a few seconds to properly slide in the fresh rounds into the cylinder before pushing it back into place.

Then, he emerged from his cover, pumping lead into every figure he caught sight of.

ㅤㅤ

"Kill him–!"

ㅤㅤ

Omen shot the guard's neck, allowing him to choke on his own words. His previous wish to release his anger was replaced by a compulsion to kill everything and everyone. Guards, bosses, even innocent people; he couldn't care less. The world didn't have any problem in disfiguring him, in turning him to a shell of who he was, so why should he be merciful?

No. He was owed vengeance.

Omen continued mindlessly shooting everything in his path. And once he ran out of ammo, he threw his gun away in favour of a Phantom lying on one unmoving body. He didn't stop to reload. It would be a waste of time. Moreover, and one of them could escape. Omen struggled to keep a good grip on the weapon, considering just how much blood he was now covered in. But he kept shooting.

He kept shooting, and shooting, and shooting... until he caught something out of the corner of his eye. Omen took out his knife and swung it in the direction of the person, knocking their weapon right out of their hands.

The pure white coat they donned caught his eye.

ㅤㅤ

"You..."

ㅤㅤ

Omen whispered as he observed her. This one was Viper. And just the sight of the scientist sent his mind spiraling. His grip on the handle tightened to a painful degree, but the pang of pain that shot up his arm disappeared into the maelstrom of disorder that was already present.

ㅤㅤ

"This is all your fault!"

ㅤㅤ

He shouted, driving his blade towards her stomach, seconds before ripping it out and slamming her against the wall. Viper instead clutched his forearms, just barely preventing him from stabbing her neck. But in this state, her strength was naught compared to his.

ㅤㅤ

"What do you have to say for yourself?!"

ㅤㅤ

There was a brief pause as she caught her breath. Then, she lifted her chin, allowing him to take in that annoyingly defiant expression of hers.

ㅤㅤ

"I did what I had to do."

ㅤㅤ

To say this response infuriated him would be an understatement. Truthfully, despite acting like it at the time, Omen wasn't satisfied with the talk he had with Viper. And whatever rubbish he spewed about understanding her choice, about how she was only defending herself, they were all were filthy lies. All of it was done in the hopes of moving on; clearly, he didn't succeed.

ㅤㅤ

"You're a monster, Omen. You forced my hand."

ㅤㅤ

Furious, he pushed the knife forward, and Viper winced once the blade's sharp tip cut her cheek.

ㅤㅤ

"You have no right to decide what I am!"

ㅤㅤ

"Your actions prove my point!" Viper furrowed her brow. "Only monsters hurt the people they care about."

ㅤㅤ

Omen growled. He pulled back his arm, and–

ㅤㅤ

"Omen!"

ㅤㅤ

It didn’t take long before you all finally arrived at the base. Fortunately, by the time the vehicle landed, Iso’s body was now capable of healing itself without your help anymore, and the curse on Clove’s bones seemed to be stagnant. All the while Omen suffered no effects from everything that had just occurred.

Perks of being a wraith, right? Or something like that.

With Sage's reassurance, you would potentially get examined, pulled aside to fill out some forms then finally be integrated in the protocol with a codename of your own. From the way she described it, it didn't sound like a very complicated process. Which was very amiss for a so-called covert protocol who were pretty much your enemies twenty minutes ago.

Things seemed to be looking up, you mused.

But just as you stepped foot outside of the vehicle, not only did the afternoon sun pierce your eyes like arrows, but you were met with a group of at least a dozen people… who all had their rifles aimed at you.

What a greeting, huh?

Suddenly you questioned their claims about how friendly the members of this Valorant thing were.

ㅤㅤ

“Who's this, exactly?”

ㅤㅤ

One green-eyed woman hissed before you could take in their appearances. Sage, however, emerged from within the aircraft, and just her presence loosened their grips on their weaponry

ㅤㅤ

“Viper, please, put down the guns! This is our new recruit!”

ㅤㅤ

You expected the expression of wrath to ease, but it wasn’t. In fact, given the look of surprised followed with anger as she glanced at the healer, it let you know her words made things worse.

ㅤㅤ

“Excuse me? I don’t remember giving you the authority to recruit agents on the spot, Sage.”

ㅤㅤ

Viper uttered her name with a certain amount of vitriol.

Then, a much larger hand landed on her shoulder, and all of your eyes were instead locked on a massive burly man with a peculiar orange beret. He triumphed over the chemist with ease in terms of both height and muscle. Despite all of this, however, he was clearly much less intimidating than her by appearance and posture alone.

ㅤㅤ

“Calm down, Sabine. I’m sure Sage had a good reason.”

ㅤㅤ

Sage nodded, relieved at his words.

ㅤㅤ

“The radiants the Scions of Hourglass recruited were incredibly dangerous; we would’ve suffered heavy losses without her. Besides,” she glanced at you with a warm smile, “she’s Iso’s friend. She can help us uncover more about them.”

ㅤㅤ

Viper promptly stared at you with narrow eyes. Her unchanged posture was enough indication that she wasn't phased by Sage's hopeful words in the slightest.

And despite seeing what was practically the worst of the worst, you felt a bit uneasy being ruthlessly scrutinised like this by who seemed to be their superior. So much for a more 'merciful' protocol. Viper was just like one of your superiors, only she didn't hide behind dozens of appearances and fake names to give out cruel orders.

Your train of thought burst once she suddenly put down her weapon.

Everyone put down their own guns with a wave of her hand. Then, she took a step forward, moving closer towards you. With every step, Viper's heels sharply clicked against the porcelain ground you all stood on. Her glare remained unyielding, and her grip on her pistol grew firmer.

ㅤㅤ

“I'm impressed this one managed to gain the trust of our most indispensable assets within...” she stopped and gave you a once-over, “a few hours.”

ㅤㅤ

You were taken aback by her description of Sage. But before any of you could bite back, the larger man stepped up and swiftly interrupted, his tone much louder and friendlier than hers.

ㅤㅤ

"Alright, listen, let's save this chit-chat for later and focus on what's important."

ㅤㅤ

"Of course... I should be taking care of Clove, after all."

ㅤㅤ

You were surprised Brimstone had the guts to say something like that while the rest hadn't dared utter a single sound. Nevertheless, Brim and Sage's attempts to take Viper's attention away from you were in vain. Her eyes still drilled through yours with an unfathomable amount of malice.

Unfathomable to others, of course. This look was very familiar to you.

ㅤㅤ

"I'll handle Sage. Brim, you'll be taking care of our guest."

It wasn't a suggestion, that much could be inferred.

However, you couldn't help but notice how everyone's expressions slightly shifted at this, some more obviously uncomfortable than others. And you also couldn't help but wonder what she meant by 'handling' Sage. Was she going to cut down her rations, or something? Perhaps restrict water and make her train vehemently for hours. Or maybe even public shaming, that sounded like something this green-eyed woman would do.

You smiled fondly at the punishments as they ran through your mind. Did you have a right to say 'good old days' already? You only left a few minutes ago.

You weren't really given the pleasure of seeing the events unfold, not since you were pulled aside in a pristine office with Brimstone. And so far, his questions seemed to fit Sage's words back in the aircraft.

He only asked for basic information. Your age, height, name, and abilities; nothing really about the Scions of Hourglass.

The conversation between you two was calm and, admittedly, unremarkable. In fact, your little brain got more dopamine out of simply inspecting your surroundings. There were charming pictures both hung on the walls and framed on the sturdy wooden desk in front of you, dog tags next to a laptop, a bulletin board cluttered with papers and pictures, even a little CD player on the side.

It was cute.

It was also a massive contrast to the argument you could hear just outside in the hallways. Well, you couldn't exactly hear it. Their words were muffled just enough to be inaudible mumbling. And the remarkable silence in the room only helped magnify the volume of their voices. Even with his questions and the new environment, your mind simply honed on the two women outside.

Was this on purpose? If so, then maybe you were right about that public shaming thing.

Huh.

ㅤㅤ

"What were you thinking, recruiting an enemy like that?"

ㅤㅤ

Viper questioned through gritted teeth, her fists clenched. And while Sage was clearly shaken up by this, her desire to defend her choices overwhelmed her thought process first.

Being in a dreary plain hallway made predominantly of metal, their voices loudly echoing throughout the constricted area, and the lights that hung above that emitted a lifeless glow — all of it contributed to the anxiety that stemmed from arguing with someone like Viper.

ㅤㅤ

"Viper, you don't understand, the damage they've done is irreversible! Clove could still very much be cursed, I–"

ㅤㅤ

"Iso's recruitment in and of itself was a misstep." Viper interrupted. "He only joined to kill Omen; how do you know she's not the same?"

ㅤㅤ

"I assure you, she's not! She has more reasons to go against them than to obey them!"

ㅤㅤ

Sage explained delicately as she took a step forward, both of her hands clasped together. However, her boss could only callously wave her off. Her tone grew harsher with each word, and at this point, she struggled to find reasons to keep Sage around.

Of course, that only applied if Viper wasn't only second-in-command.

ㅤㅤ

"The only reason Iso defected at all is because he happened to be sensitive. What do you think he would've done if he wasn't?!"

ㅤㅤ

"Iso and Clove both would've died if she hadn't alerted us to their state. Viper, I'm sorry but I don't think you understand the magnitude of the situation!"

ㅤㅤ

"Yes. Those two could've died because they were exposed to a rank we were unprepared for — the same rank from which you recruited a member."

ㅤㅤ

"Would you have preferred I let everyone die?!"

ㅤㅤ

Sage's desperation reached higher levels, evident in the slight shakiness of her high-pitched voice, but Viper remained unphased.

As per usual.

ㅤㅤ

"I would've preferred you not be negligent for once!" She stopped herself, promptly sighing and pinching her nose bridge. "I should've known better."

ㅤㅤ

For a moment, there was only silence; all Viper could do was lean on the nearby wall as she gathered her thoughts. And at this point, she heavily regretted not handling you whilst Brimstone dealt with Sage. Hoping to calm her thoughts, Sage opened her mouth to speak−

Then, the door swung open, swiftly interrupting their argument.

The two women didn't even need to look at the figure itself to recognise who it was, considering his massive shadow that concealed a quarter of the hallway's walls.

ㅤㅤ

"Sabine. You're gonna wanna see this."

ㅤㅤ

"What is it? Did she try something?"

ㅤㅤ

Viper's hand fell to her sides, and she turned around to meet his gaze, but the unconcerned look on his face said otherwise. A massive contrast to the chemist herself.

Brimstone couldn't help but chuckle.

ㅤㅤ

"No, it's just her powers. She controls blood... and there's some physiology jargon I don't get along with."

ㅤㅤ

He explained as he slowly stroked his beard.

Brimstone's voice had a softer lilt, he spoke at a much lower volume; Sage couldn't help but be pleased at this given that her throat began to strain from the argument. That, and the ringing in her ears. It was almost as aggravating as the unbearable beeps of a spike preceding its explosion. Including the unfathomable dread she'd feel.

Viper stared at him in silence, presumably looking over the situation. Or just to understand what the heck he meant by that. He couldn't be any less clear if he tried.

With a sigh, she glanced back at Sage, her hand held out.

ㅤㅤ

"Give me your gun."

ㅤㅤ

"There's really no need for–"

ㅤㅤ

"I wasn't asking."

ㅤㅤ

Viper bit back with gritted teeth, swiftly shutting her up. So, with a sigh, Sage took out her Sheriff and reluctantly placed it in her impatient boss's palm.

Gun in hand, Viper marched inside Brimstone's office with both of the superiors behind her.

It took Iso a while to finally come out of his room and sit amongst the others in the lobby. And for the first thirty minutes, it was considerably empty. This unexpected stillness allowed him to simply relax on the comfortable sofa as he scrolled through a few dozen atmospheric songs to help calm him down — even though he had his earphones on and the battery was at 60%.

For a moment, the few people in the lobby minded their own business. This allowed Iso the time he needed to look over the situation without a clouded mind.

His mind was stuck on the mission and you.

To say he felt guilty at practically deserting you at the Scions would be a vast understatement. The second he handed Omen his phone to show him the mission was when he should've also alerted them about you. But he wasn't sure why he didn't. It's not like he had forgotten about you like everything else, but–

Iso flinched once the couch suddenly dipped on his right, and his eyes locked on a very familiar Scot who plopped themselves down directly next to him. Despite being a quarter of his size, the couch was compressed before forming back to its original shape once it adjusted to their weight.

Clove made themselves comfortable before resting one arm on the backrest of the couch, their big eyes glimmering as they glanced at Iso.

ㅤㅤ

"So, Zhao Yu, aye?"

ㅤㅤ

...

ㅤㅤ

"Huh? Oh, yeah. My name." He returned to scrolling. "You can call me Yu, though."

ㅤㅤ

"Really? But I've nae seen yer friend call you that."

ㅤㅤ

Clove asked with a tilt of their head, and Iso shrugged.

ㅤㅤ

"I tried telling her. Once."

ㅤㅤ

This statement made them pause. However, as they looked over what the heck he meant by that, the two didn't notice a figure peer over both of their shoulders.

ㅤㅤ

"So, Iso…"

ㅤㅤ

A high-pitched voice from behind them interrupted their short-lived conversation, and the duo looked over to see both Jett and Neon leaning on the backrest of the couch, their eyes locked on the hitman.

Iso quickly gave the room a once over. Wasn't it empty just a few minutes prior, with the exception of maybe Raze and Killjoy?

ㅤㅤ

"You didn’t tell us you had a friend from where you worked."

ㅤㅤ

Jett started, earning an eye roll from Neon.

ㅤㅤ

"Seriously. No offence, but from what you said back there, we all thought you were a lone-wolf, or whatever."

ㅤㅤ

After what felt like millennia, Iso finally settled on a song without lyrics to help him focus. He tapped on it and promptly pocketed his phone, finally meeting their gazes.

ㅤㅤ

"Technically, I worked alone. She was just my assigned healer."

ㅤㅤ

"Assigned healer!" Jett blurted out, her eyes twinkling with excitement. "You mean you had your very own medic to heal you after your missions?"

ㅤㅤ

"That’s, uh, one way to put it."

ㅤㅤ

"You had your own private healer? Sounds lavish, ja?"

ㅤㅤ

The duo jumped once another voice popped up from behind, and they looked over to see Killjoy leaning on the armrest. The one person Iso wasn't surprised to see.

The three women that surrounded them all bore that same look of excited curiosity. After all, the younglings suffered from a disease called 'being too expressive', and it was bloody obvious they were about to ask every question in the book to learn about you.

Clove couldn't help but lean towards Iso as their eyes jumped from one eager agent to the next.

ㅤㅤ

"Iso, we're getting surrounded."

ㅤㅤ

Iso replied with a light and awkward chuckle. However, before he could respond, Neon suddenly interrupted their would-be conversation with her own question.

ㅤㅤ

"Sige, chika! What's she like? Are you guys actually friends, or it's just that formal crap? How'd you two meet?" <Come on, let's gossip!>

ㅤㅤ

Neon spoke very fast. Almost too quick for him to keep up, but he managed to pick out the important words in her sentence.

ㅤㅤ

"Uh, no, we're friends; I've known her for a while... She's pretty cool." He shrugged. "But I don't remember how we met."

ㅤㅤ

"Lame. You don't remember anything."

ㅤㅤ

Jett grumbled. Clove, however, noticed Iso's very subtle yet uncomfortable reaction to her statement.

ㅤㅤ

"I'd kill to meet her. Hoy, where'd they say she was, again?"

ㅤㅤ

"I heard she's still with Viper. Do you think she's grilling her like she grilled Iso?"

ㅤㅤ

The others exchanged hums and looks of agreement. And because of this, the conversation continued between them, now discussing how they thought the Scions of Hourglass functioned and your role within it. But Iso was clearly and silently displeased at Killjoy's 'grill' comment. He only watched them converse in silence, after all, a slight furrow of his brow being the only indication of such a thing.

For once, however, there was only one person who noticed the aggravation in Iso — Clove glanced at him for a moment before they laid their head on his shoulder.

This gesture served as a successful attempt to ground and calm him. He couldn't help but lightly smile at this, allowing his mind to drift back to the conversation between the group.

Fade was one of the ones who had their guns pointed at you back there. And unlike the other new agents, all whom she utterly disregarded due to their uninteresting personalities, you caught her eye... Really caught her eye.

From the moment you stepped out of the helicopter, Fade couldn’t take her eyes off of you. Your skin, despite most of it being concealed by the robes you wore, was as pale as a bone. And the midnight blue robes only brought out how malnourished you looked.

And your hair?

She loved the way it fell on your shoulders. Almost like wilted flowers that framed one half of your fatigued face while concealing the other with curls that could hardly hold themselves up. If death itself took on the appearance of a woman, she was sure you'd be the result. Her curiosity and desire to seek you out dictated all of her following actions. Which is why she was so willing to wait a few hours until your little talking session with her superiors was finally over.

In fact, she couldn't help but manipulate her essence of raw fear to isolate your location the moment she heard you were finally let go. Nobody knew where you were. But in more ways than one, the nightmare agent was an outlier from the rest.

She marched down the empty hallways as the whispers and shadows guided her to you.

And she found you; you were sitting under the gazebo in the courtyard. Chin on your hand, eyes closed, she wouldn’t have thought twice about you being dead if it weren’t for the rising motion of your chest as you breathed.

Well, that’s really her problem for associating so many things with death. Death, death, death.

Fade marched towards the gazebo and stopped in front of you, her shadow completely engulfing your figure. And yet, you hadn’t noticed the silent Turk. Her steps were impressively quiet, and the only thing that gave away her presence was the coldness emitted from her silhouette.

ㅤㅤ

“Hey.”

ㅤㅤ

Fade's sharp voice broke the previously tranquil silence. You barely lifted your eyelids to meet her gaze. But even with the sun, it was hard to outline her features in such darkness. Fade looked like an extension of the shadows.

She promptly crossed her arms.

ㅤㅤ

“I'm impressed you haven't been found yet.”

ㅤㅤ

At this point, opening your mouth to even reply felt like lifting twelve full suitcases with one hand. But alas, you had to.

ㅤㅤ

“You Valorant soldiers get impressed easily.”

ㅤㅤ

"Ha. Soldiers? Really? You're being too kind."

ㅤㅤ

"So what are you?"

ㅤㅤ

"Me? I'm amazing. Though, I'm not too sure about the others."

ㅤㅤ

You unwittingly tittered at her remark. The sound was unnatural coming out of you. But lord knows you couldn't help yourself, especially not in the face of such a bold woman.

You glanced up at her with a half-smile.

ㅤㅤ

"You know what? I l−"

ㅤㅤ

"I know you do. But for the sake of formalities... thanks."

ㅤㅤ

...

ㅤㅤ

"How did you know what I wanted to say?"

ㅤㅤ

Fade eyed the pearly white bench behind her, the one opposite to you. She promptly sat and made herself comfortable. Then, she glanced at you, a mischievous smile lifting the corner of her black lips.

ㅤㅤ

"I read your mind. Nothing special."

ㅤㅤ

...Wow, you thought to yourself. She really was something else, wasn't she?

However, once she sat down, you finally caught a glimpse of her own set of breath-taking features. Fade's voluminous hair transitioned from a rich black at the top to a bold grey, and that wasn't to mention her unique makeup. It definitely reminded you of something you couldn't put your finger on. Nevertheless, in the same way you hypnotised her, she did the same to you, and you couldn't help but observe those eyes she bore.

One brown, one blue — both competed for your attention and dared you to look away. Other than Iso, this was the first agent you genuinely wanted to speak to.

With all of the scraps of energy you could muster up, you sat up, reclining on the benches.

ㅤㅤ

“What’s your name?”

ㅤㅤ

“Fade. Yours?”

ㅤㅤ

“Y/N. What do you do?”

ㅤㅤ

“I have a lot to do with intuition. Getting into people’s heads, seeing their primal fears, secrets and everything else. It’s hard to hide things from me.”

ㅤㅤ

You half-smiled in response. Your old bosses would've exploited the heck out of her powers. Getting into people's heads? Absolute goldmine.

ㅤㅤ

“Tight. Are you in mine?”

ㅤㅤ

“Working on it. So, Y/N,” she reclined and rested her arm on the back of the bench, further making herself comfortable, “tell me a little bit about yourself. How come you know Iso and this pitiful organisation? And what do you, exactly?”

ㅤㅤ

You averted your gaze to the porcelain flooring, remembering how you got in. But it's not like it was an arduous task; you just spent the past hour or however long recalling everything you could when Viper questioned you earlier. It was a long, and, as you’d say, dumb story. Mostly because you were an incredibly lovestruck girl with radiant powers that just began emerging in your teen years.

Could you even be bothered to explain everything…?

ㅤㅤ

“I control blood. And I joined cus my boyfriend lied to me. Iso joined cus he was a kid.”

ㅤㅤ

Now that Iso wasn’t here, you were free to somewhat talk about this without making him anxious.

ㅤㅤ

“You control blood, and all you can do is heal? That doesn’t add up.“

ㅤㅤ

Word for word what Viper said, you noted in your mind.

ㅤㅤ

“Yup. Cus my powers are disabled.”

ㅤㅤ

She laughed at this, though it was more so a laughter of disbelief than anything else.

ㅤㅤ

“You can’t permanently disable a radiant’s abilities. It’s just not possible.”

ㅤㅤ

“You can if they’re developing.”

ㅤㅤ

“Okay, how did they do it? Did they attach a chip in you, or use some kind of suppression field?”

ㅤㅤ

You had no idea what she meant by a suppression field. Or chip. So you shrugged.

ㅤㅤ

"Dunno, they hired a load of scientists and they did their work."

ㅤㅤ

She nodded with a hum.

ㅤㅤ

“Have you told Viper about all of this?”

ㅤㅤ

“She offered to revert it.”

ㅤㅤ

“And?”

ㅤㅤ

“Dunno. Haven’t decided.”

ㅤㅤ

Fade tilted her head. Clearly, this surprised her as much as it surprised Viper and Sage. And Brimstone.

ㅤㅤ

“Is that seriously something you have to think about?”

ㅤㅤ

“Yup.”

ㅤㅤ

“Why?”

ㅤㅤ

“I don’t wanna learn anything new.”

ㅤㅤ

Fade stared at you for a few seconds, lightly swinging her leg back and forth as she went over what you said. And she couldn't decipher what on Earth you meant. No matter how she framed it.

After all, who would pass up on the opportunity to be able to finally access every aspect of their powers? Especially a late bloomer like yourself.

ㅤㅤ

“I can’t make sense of what you’re trying to get at, Y/N.”

ㅤㅤ

“Can’t you get in my head?”

ㅤㅤ

You noted the surprise on her face judging by the way her eyes slightly widened, and the subtle parting of her lips. It was a bold statement. Clearly, you meant it, your stony face conveying just as much.

Fade cracked a smile once more, amusement now etched all over her features.

ㅤㅤ

“Are you giving me permission?”

ㅤㅤ

You lazily lifted a hand and flashed her a thumbs up. And Fade stared at you for a few seconds, attempting to understand if this was a joke or not.

She secretly probed your brain throughout this whole conversation. Nothing special, she did this with everyone, even if it was an unconscious habit on her side. However, she knew if any one of the others found out, they'd definitely make a scene.

But you were okay with it. Which was perfect.

With this confirmation from you, it allowed her to pick up the painfully slow pace and freely dig into your brain. And, to her surprise, she couldn’t really find anything too debilitating.

Sure, you were just as traumatised as Iso no question as to how she knows that, but she couldn’t find anything intense within you. Not depression, not an overwhelming sense of anger, no lust for revenge, nothing. Heck, even the satisfaction of some of your old superiors being dead was naught.

Nothing but the strong desire to... what was it, be still?  It was something stagnant. Idle.

Whatever it was, matched the words you were saying, that’s for sure.

ㅤㅤ

“I’m sensing a detached energy from you.” She paused. “You want to relax? Is that it?”

ㅤㅤ

You replied with a thumbs up again. And Fade was delighted at her correct assumption.

She saw a bit more as she continued observing your brain. It wasn’t anything different from what you said; invasive experiments, different labs, scientists…

But Fade quickly stopped once she saw you shouting at a particular lilac-eyed child, presumably twelve, calling him a thief as you were held down by multiple people and forced to draw your own blood. Jesus, you were way angrier than she thought.

She suddenly shook her head like an irritated cat once she saw one specific memory. It took her a moment to come back from it no thanks to the ringing in her ears.

Fade glanced at you.

ㅤㅤ

“You can’t… naturally draw blood?”

ㅤㅤ

You shook your head. And Fade processed the situation.

This didn’t add up. Why did you undergo so many experiments to prevent you from fully accessing your abilities while the rest were free to make people brain dead within thirty seconds, or curse bones to form holes, or control bloody minds?

Why were you an outlier?

…

It clicked when she saw a few more memories, and a look of realisation painted her previously blank expression.

ㅤㅤ

"Do you understand why they suppressed you specifically, Y/N?"

ㅤㅤ

"I was a bratty kid. Could be that."

ㅤㅤ

You noted with a shrug, earning a smug smile form her. Bratty is an… well, after what she saw? It's not the word she'd use, that's for sure.

ㅤㅤ

“You don’t understand how devastating blood magic can be, do you?”

ㅤㅤ

Given that the sun mostly shined upon you while she herself was engulfed in darkness, she easily noticed the very slight raise of your eyebrow. Enough to indicate you were either curious, or confused.

ㅤㅤ

“My partners are worse.”

ㅤㅤ

Fade cackled at this, her laughter laced with innocent villainy.

ㅤㅤ

“Do you know just how much damage you can cause with these powers, Y/N? Do you know how many lives you can take with just a wave of your hand?” She tucked away a few strands of her black hair, allowing only her brown eye to be visible to you. “Blood is just like fear; you’ll find it in every single living being. And if you control it? You control everything.” 

ㅤㅤ

You stared at her for a few seconds as you processed her words.

To her, you had basically won the radiant ability lottery. But to you? Well…

ㅤㅤ

“I don’t wanna control everything.”

ㅤㅤ

“Why not? Too much responsibility?”

ㅤㅤ

"I dunno. Starting all over sounds like work." You noted. "I don't like work."

ㅤㅤ

For a moment, there was only silence as she pondered over what you said. You weren't lying when you said you wanted to relax. But still, this desire seemed to stand in the way of — what she considered — powers with vast potential.

But it wasn't hard to see why you weren't convinced; after all, not only were you a late bloomer, you weren't even able to draw an adequate amount of blood.

Fade promptly leaned forward, resting both arms on her lap as she stared right through you; a mischievous glint in her visible eye.

ㅤㅤ

“Okay. You can stay as our healer and only draw a few pitiful drops of blood. But when you’re alone, weaponless, and surrounded, wouldn’t you want maybe… a blood weapon? A blood barrier?” She tilted her head. “Control over other peoples' blood?”

ㅤㅤ

You paused.

This made you remember the altercation you had with Iso, the entire reason you were defenceless when he finally got to you. You had just drawn blood moments prior, and thus, couldn't take out anymore until a few minutes had passed. But even if you managed to get blood, again, you weren’t capable of forming things beyond keys or whatever the heck couldn’t be used as a weapon.

And now that she said it out loud, it sounded pretty cool to be able to create barriers out of your own blood... without any drawbacks, probably.

So, you shrugged again.

ㅤㅤ

“K. I’m convinced.”

ㅤㅤ

“Finally. See, I knew you were smart. You'd have to wait until your files are processed, but it's a start."

ㅤㅤ

Fade noted as she pondered, her eyes locked on the porcelain floor. The visible one, anyway. And for a moment, you wondered what this entailed. Being free of your restrictions and being able to… Wait, besides the barriers, what'd she say? Make blood weapons? You quickly thought of making a spear. That would be so wicked, you thought.

Suddenly, she stood up, catching you off guard.

ㅤㅤ

“Enough talk — it's about time I introduced you to the clowns I work with. What do you say?”

ㅤㅤ

She held her hand out to you.

You stared at her palm, your eyes following the intricate designs that gently enveloped it. A pattern just as mysterious as the woman who created it.

With a smile, you slowly took her hand and stood up, promptly following her.

ㅤCareful with triggering topics!

Heavy subjects are fine, but don't go too far; incest, descriptive criminal acts, paedophilia, things like that. Don't be weird.ㅤ

ㅤOnly Valorant!

Unless announced, I currently only write for Valorant.

ㅤIt may take time!

I promise I'm not slacking! I only share what I’m happy with. But if it takes a while, it was likely weird and I deleted it.ㅤ

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