#chapter viii

Gangsta - Kehlani

The good news was that the mission to Turkey had been a success. The Valorant task force had successfully captured the blackmailer.

The bad news is that the blackmailer captured them.

They left her locked in a makeshift cell near Brimstone's office. Her supernatural presence was already threatening from afar, but near the agents' common areas, she became terrifying. The nightmares intensified at night, and, in addition to the agents' recurring insomnia, they began hallucinating in broad daylight. Jett threw knives at Yoru in the kitchen, claiming he was a monster. Raze had a panic attack, hugging Killjoy, saying she'd seen her partner bloodied on the floor. Skye was hearing voices telling her to make her animals attack her friends.

Even Viper, impassive and rational, hurried through the base's corridors, sensing something was stalking her. One day, in the lab, she let out a scream that even made Brimstone come out of his office to check her out. She had seen her worst snakes emerging from their terrariums and attacking her. Viper, despite her intense scientific curiosity, didn't want to experience the fatal combination of Boomslang and King Cobra venom on herself.

The agents who went on the mission to Turkey were little better.

Neon arrived from the mission sporadically screaming in horror, Sova eyed everything around suspiciously, and Breach muttered something in Swedish with a glazed look in his eyes. However, after two days, they were better able to distinguish what was an illusion than the others. Except for the moments when the agents were completely blinded or deafened, the supposed monsters and attacks by evil clones at the base were genuinely ignored by them. This didn't mean they were any less fatigued or with fear. Cypher, who everyone knew never slept and was fine with it, seemed to be exhausted from fighting sleep harder than ever. They, especially, were avoiding sleep.

When the agents arrived from the mission, Viper caught a glimpse of Chamber entering the elevator. He looked hunched and distracted, with his head down and a heavy gait. Viper had never seen him like that before and found it strange. The French agent exuded confidence at all times, handing out smiles like leaflets. Even though the mission had, in theory, been a success, the arrogance that had accompanied Chamber seemed to have been drained from him.

He hadn't shown up for three days. Viper had told herself he needed some time, just like everyone else. However, she kept glancing at his side of the lab, wondering where he was and when he'd return.

She didn't realize how accustomed she had become to Chamber's not-so-silent presence. It was common to receive a "Bonjour" in the morning and a "Bonsoir" when he left the lab, though she didn't respond to his greetings with much eagerness. While they were in the lab, Chamber multitasked, in a way that his rolling chair creaked as he dragged it from one side to the other. Viper could tell when he was working on a new project by the sound of his pencil scratching on the paper. He was slow to be satisfied with a design, so he crumpled up several sheets and piled them into a pile of discarded paper in his trash can. Chamber hummed softly as he handcrafted the bullets for his guns and his traps. He talked to himself when he couldn't talk to Viper. Sometimes he had an epiphany that made him run to one of the lab's whiteboards and scribble something on it like a lunatic.

Chamber's absence made Viper realize that she noticed him too much.

The scientist wasn't surprised by this finding. It was like the law of universal gravitation. Two bodies too close together would inevitably exert some force on each other. Chamber had been, fortunately or unfortunately, the closest body to Viper in recent months, and it was only natural that he would influence her in some way.

Viper just didn't expect his influence to be so... substantial. Since she didn't remember what it was like to miss someone.

She decided she had only a practical concern with Chamber. After all, the French agent was not only useful on missions but also fundamental to the portal project. His contribution could not be overlooked.

Even though she had rationalized her feelings about Chamber's absence as best she could, Viper was more relieved than she expected when he finally appeared in the lab. His usual vivacity had returned, flashing Viper a smile as if he hadn't been psychologically tortured just a few days before. He held a large box, with contents he'd spent the entire day assembling in a corner of the lab. Viper glanced up several times from her own experiments to watch what he was doing. When it was time to leave, she was tempted to stay and see what would be the result of that.

However, she left the lab, and in the absence of a goodbye initiated by Chamber, she murmured a "good night." She heard a "bonsoir" before the automatic doors closed and went to her apartment, still thinking about what he was doing.

She tried to sleep and even managed to get some rest. However, her sleep was filled with nightmares involving poisons and past accidents. Things she didn't want to remember, filling her with guilt, and made her toss and turn for much of the night. However, she clung to a pleasant feeling she'd had a few days earlier as she fell asleep. Something warm and comforting in her heart. This thread of hope helped her doze off before returning to the lab. Her subconscious had finally helped her with something.

When she arrived at the lab the next day, she was hit by a delicious smell. Her mouth immediately watered, her pupils dilating as she searched for the source of that divine scent. She spotted Chamber near the machine he had likely spent a day and a night assembling.

The machine was copper-colored, with exposed gears, steam pipes, and clocks indicating the temperature and internal pressure. It had a compartment on top containing some grains and another filled with crystal-clear water. Gold details adorned it, as did the levers, cranks, and buttons.

Viper had to admit it was a beautiful piece of engineering. The design reminded her of an experimental steampunk-style weapon Killjoy had once proposed. Without realizing it, she moved closer to take a better look at the machine, curious.

Chamber noticed Viper approaching and turned to her. He had his feet up on the vending machine table, an empty cup was on his stomach. He gave her a smile, tilting his head to the side.

"Bonjour, mademoiselle. Would you like some coffee?”

Viper swallowed. She'd made a policy not to be swayed by Chamber's proposals. However, her own addiction would betray her. Damn it, why did that smell have to be so delicious?

The American scientist nodded, leaning against the table and watching in fascination as the man turned on the machine. He turned a few cranks and pressed a few buttons. Aromatic, warm steam rose from a small chimney behind the machine, emitting the sound of gears turning and the hum of steam and liquids passing through tubes. Viper was mesmerized as Chamber pulled a final lever, and the coffee, black, dense, and fragrant, poured into a cup.

The French agent offered her the drink, wisely assuming that a coffee lover would never spoil it with sugar. Viper accepted the cup, taking a sip.

Caffeine. C8H10N4O2. It was a stimulant alkaloid, present in certain plants, and with properties that could lead to addiction. Viper had been addicted to caffeine for a long time. She didn't think there was any innovation in that.

However, despite the formula being the same as any other coffee, Viper discovered that the coffee from Chamber's machine was more addictive than normal. She didn't know what it was about the machine that altered the coffee's essential properties; she only knew that it was her newest addiction.

Chamber smiled with delight, knowing his coffee was definitely the best in the world. He offered to pour her another cup and let the American woman sit in the chair he'd previously been sitting in, enjoying the hot beverage. Chamber struck up a pleasant conversation, talking about the machine.

Apparently, he had decided not to sleep at the base until the situation with the blackmailer improved. When he went on a mission, he would book a hotel or go to one of his nearby houses to sleep. That is, if he didn't die. Which, given the circumstances, represented less of a fear and more of a moment of rest. During the conversation, Chamber offered his beach house in Cuba, near the deployment point in the Bermuda Triangle, to Viper when she passed by there. The American agent considered accepting, imagining how luxurious his house in Cuba would be. She ultimately declined, claiming she would rather sleep in her chemical cloud than be in the house he conveniently owned in a tax haven.

Chamber chuckled and continued his story. He explained that he needed a way to stay awake between missions, and so, in less than a day, he designed a unique coffee machine. He ordered all the necessary materials and assembled it.

Viper really wanted to avoid admiring the machine, but her inquisitive scientist side took over. Chamber opened the machine so she could see the inside, and Viper was captivated by the harmonious gears and pumps, giving her a pleasant feeling that she was witnessing a competent workmanship. He showed her the blueprints for his invention, and Viper made some observations about how he could improve its operation. Then they discussed the possible preparations that could be added to the machine, as well as the ideal coffee beans.

For Viper, coffee was a grown-up's business.

And she was pleasantly surprised to find that Chamber was a grown-up like herself.

They only stopped talking when Brimstone called them back for the day's mission, telling them they were late. Neither of them realized how much time had passed.

After that day, the routine in the lab changed. When Chamber arrived, Viper would respond to his good mornings pleasantly, sometimes giving him the pleasure of looking at him and giving him a smirk. When he took coffee breaks, she would accompany him, and they would spend more time than they should chatting about various topics.

Chamber was more knowledgeable than Viper had assumed, presuming he would be like most of the doctorates she knew. They usually confined themselves to their own field of study, ignoring other subjects and claiming its didn't concern them. But the French agent could speak with ease about economics, politics, psychology, and arts.

He even knew a bit about botany. Not so much to impress Viper, whose second specialty was poisonous flora. However, he had read a few books out of curiosity. Chamber lent her one of these books. It was a special edition that would make any book lover melt at its beauty and tremble at the green sticker labels on it, which matched the book's aesthetic. Viper devoured the book, not so much for the plant content but more for his notes along the edges. Chamber's handwriting showed he wrote quickly, eager to get everything he found down on paper before he forgot. His guesses weren't all correct, but he had good insights.

His notes reflected his way of thinking, highlighting what was evident in his own words. If Viper's train of thought was linear, organized, and controlled, Chamber's was a giant three-dimensional puzzle. Everything seemed disjointed and meaningless, but with a little effort and fitting the pieces together, harmony emerged.

And he was even funny. Really. His sarcastic and insightful comments hadn't yet managed to get a laugh out of her. However, her smile with him was genuine. Viper couldn't remember the last time she'd smiled for so many days in a row.

She enjoyed spending time with Brimstone and Sova. Her frenemieship with Reyna provided some entertainment. Killjoy and Raze were brilliant young women. But with him... She finally had someone who matched her in intellect and personality, with an admirable creativity. Finally, someone who understood more than the basics of chemistry and physics. He wasn't her equal, and thank heavens for that.

Viper and Chamber had sync.

As a proton attracts an electron, the Frenchman managed to attract her. The American woman began to yearn for his presence. Her desire to know him better grew. She began looking for ways to go on missions with him, taking advantage of the time on the jet to listen to the excellent strategies he devised. Chamber had a unique analytical ability, and Viper discovered the pleasure of listening to his logical reasoning. She would delay leaving the lab, casually waiting for him to comment on something and strike up a conversation. When she did leave, she practically counted the minutes until she could return and see him. She would argue with him in the lab's workshop just to get more of his attention.

Viper didn't care much about people. She generally preferred isolation.

But Chamber made her want to be with someone.

Him, precisely.

on inherited pain

a.s.j. tessimond the children look at the parents \\ peter doig girl in tree (2001) \\ futngina \\ ?? \\ bob’s burgers \\ chen chen chapter viii \\ @holly-warbs​ \\ ?? \\ louise glück the seven ages: “mother and child”