Valorant Drabbles

Sage [Colourblind]:

Despite seeing the world through a monochromatic lens, Sage always managed to find the beauty in everything surrounding her. Although she seemed unbothered by the lack of colour in her life, she did find herself yearning for the one to which her soul was bound. Not only do she could see the vast shades of colours that the world had to offer, but so she could be united with her other half. She was a firm believer in soulmates, and knew her’s would be delivered to her one day.

When the day does come, it’s unexpected, and comes in the form of a new agent. But it doesn’t happen immediately. After all, it’s rather rude to randomly try and touch somebody out of the blue, even if it was to find her soulmate. So she always treated the agents around her with the utmost respect for their boundaries. After all, some people were afraid to see colour. Others were scared their soulmate was working within the Protocol, their lives constantly in danger.

And though the risk of death is always part of the job, it never scared Sage. Somehow she just knew her soulmate was careful, and wouldn’t fall before their proper time.

Anyways. The day she sees colour, the first thing she sees is the beautiful colour of her partner’s eyes. She was simply attending to a wound they’d gotten during training; nothing major. Just a gash. For the first time, her ever-still hands slipped and her finger gently grazed the other agent’s arm.

Instinctively, her eyes shot up to meet with the agents, about to apologize profusely- only to be met with… absolutely stunning colours. Everywhere. But the most beautiful colours were those worn by her beloved.

After that, everything felt perfect to Sage. Sure, she could be a tad overprotective of her love, but it was to be expected, being soulmates with the medic of the team.

She would make sure every date was in beautiful locations full of colour. A field of flowers for a picnic, or even an evening watching fireworks. She makes the most of their shared newfound vision, and treasures it. Even if she went colourblind again someday, she wouldn’t be disappointed. She’d seen the colours the world had to offer- and she’d always remember how gorgeous her beloved’s palette always was.

Skye [Hanahaki Disease]:

She never imagined she’d get caught in such a situation. Where she was coughing up flower petals, of which made no sense to her. Sure, she was the ‘nature girl’, but in no way were her powers producing flora from her throat!

In a way, her Hanahaki disease is actually a result of her anxiety over her intense romantic feelings towards her crush. She usually didn’t care much for relationships in such a sense… moreso in a way that she didn’t pursue them. It wasn’t something she needed in order to be happy.

At least that’s what she thought. But then, somebody… truly fascinating joined Valorant’s Protocol. And she was stricken with affection, as corny as it sounded. And at first, she’d resent the feelings. Thinking they were a distraction, or just a weird chemical imbalance making her not think straight.

It would become more apparently over time that it was, in fact, romantic interest. And the interest would grow by the day.

By the first month is when she started coughing up flower petals, colours oddly reminiscent of her crush. And despite consulting with Sage regarding her symptoms, they found no way to stop it. The best she could do is keep it hidden from the other agents as best she could.

But a day would come where she wasn’t careful enough. And she’d cough up petals right in front of the one person she dreaded seeing her in such a state.

Luckily, the agent was familiar with the disease Skye had unknowingly given herself. They helped explain the disease to her, and emphasized that expressing her feelings would help the petals fade… assuming the other person felt the same. If not, well… heartache would also be a good cure. Though not ideal.

That would be the moment Skye would cave. She was sick of flower petals everywhere, and would rather stop the pain. Even if it meant heartbreak. So in the moment, she’d confess her feelings.

Her soulmate would be incredibly surprised… yet relieved, as they pulled out some petals from their back pocket, colours matching those of Skye’s aesthetic.

That day would be the last day either of them coughed up any petals.

Skye did her best to make up for lost time, taking her soulmate out on walks along nice nature trails, camping in the wilderness… and perhaps once the trauma of the flower petals subsided, someplace nice and floral.

Although she wouldn’t spoil her soulmate too much, she’d carve little animals out of wood for them, eventually building a collection that laid on their windowsill within their bedroom.

And of course, fresh flora every day.

Astra [Tattoos]:

She always knew she would find her soulmate; writing in the stars never lie, she’d claim, whenever one of her relationships ended. After all, what is a soulmate but a best friend, who would always be by your side, no matter what? The fact she hadn’t been romantically with anybody who fit that bill simply meant she hadn’t found her soulmate. Simple as that.

And when she found them, she was overjoyed, truly. They both had q similar constellation tattoo on their wrists, and when the two held hands, the tattoos lined up to form a heart. Astra is obsessed with seeing the full heart, so is constantly holding hands with her soulmate as often as possible.

She is a little overbearing at first, honestly. The excitement of this moment makes her a little suffocating within the first two weeks. But one conversation about boundaries later, and she’s much more reigned in. But this doesn’t mean she still won’t spoil her soulmate. Baked goods, flowers, plushies, movies… anything her soulmate wants? They shall have. Immediately. She keeps a list of all the things they enjoy when mentioned in passing. She never wants to forget a potential gift.

And you bet she’d make a huge deal out of any milestone. A small celebration every month they’re together, until the 1 year mark. Birthday party with the rest of the HQ, and a more private and intimate anniversary celebration. Truly, she couldn’t imagine herself any happier.

Fade [Lies]:

Everybody lies. That’s just obvious. But she just wished her lies weren’t constantly being broadcasted to the one person who’d judge her severely for it.

With each lie that left her lips, it would find itself scrawled across her soulmate’s arm, and vice versa. Though her soulmate rarely lied, it seemed, as she hardly found writing on her own arm. And whenever she did, it was hardly anything worth scoffing at. Nor was it anything she’d be able to decipher as a clue to their identity.

Fade becomes much quieter when she is in a position where she has to lie about Valorant. Mentioning military secrets in a lie for some poor bystander to come across, and potentially be put in danger by… how was she expected to get information in these situations? When she might be putting her future lover at risk?

As if Fade didn’t already lack enough sleep, she was often restless, staring at the ceiling. Constantly thinking of ways to reword certain lies to be more cryptic, if only for the sake of her partner. She’d write them down in a journal, and memorize them best she could.

Maybe it ended up being rather useless in the end. After all, her soulmate ended up joining the team after a year of herself joining.

Suffice to say, it was a huge relief. Not only that her soulmate was alive, well, and… loved her? But also that she didn’t have to make stupid half-lies and give herself a headache with careful wording.

Now she could tell Cypher she hated his cooking without risk of her soulmate finding her heartless. Moroccan food was great, she just… had too much pride to praise the bastard.

Thankfully for Fade, she found herself actually sleeping much better than she had in over a decade. Her soulmate’s presence bringing a warmth to her, and a calming energy to her heart and mind.

Although she wasn’t much of a romantic, Fade would make an effort for her partner. Bringing them flowers, listening to music, spending simple time together. She often refers to her partner as her ‘dream catcher’, as she is often without nightmares when sleeping by their side, and has pleasant dreams once in awhile as a result.

Neon [Timer]:

Every timer is different. And that’s what terrified Neon. The count-down on her wrist that decreased each second of the day. The time she’d been watching since it appeared years ago

Some timers run out when two soulmates finally unite. It’s a waiting game, and that’s all.

But for some people, when their timer run out… it’s because their soulmate has passed.

God, Neon’s heart ached every time she thought of the possibility. The chance that her timer was counting down the seconds until her soulmate died… and she hadn’t met them yet, so there was no telling which it’d be.

Day by day, her days usually went by slowly. Since she was always running about, trying to get things done as fast as possible- if not only for her own fun. But some days went by even slower when she happened to look at her timer too long.

Impatient hardly seemed like the appropriate word to describe her. She was desperate. She needed to know if her soulmate was going to be okay. Would she be able to save them? Or would they be doomed to die before she meets them?!..

Or maybe everything will be normal. They meet one day, and the timer stops.

But knowing Neon’s own life, she doubted it would be so simple.

And yet, how overjoyed she was the day she did find her soulmate. Safe and sound, and just as the timer had run out. The numbers fading from her wrist, soon replaced with the date of that day. The day they united. Forever ingrained on her and her partner’s wrists.

With the pressure of a constant timer gone from her life, Neon finally felt like she could take life slow. And oddly enough… she wanted to take it slow, despite her speed and energy. Each moment she had with her soulmate, she cherished. As if there was a chance it wouldn’t last.

She would make the absolute most of her time with them. Neon would set up dates frequently, making sure they were creative and each different from the last. Something memorable.

She’s utterly in love with her partner, and would jump up in a second to fetch them something if they needed it. Without a second thought, nor groan (unless she was just woken up).

For their 3rd Year Anniversary, Neon gifts her partner a scrapbook. Filled with pictures she’d taken of them on dates, on missions, in passing… along with some sweet messages, and reciting fun missions they’d accomplished by each other’s side.

She makes it a tri-annual anniversary gift, so every three years they’d have a large book of memories to look back on.

And it gives her more comfort in knowing she has all the time in the world with her soulmate.

Deadlock [Matching Injuries]:

Since the day she lost her arm, Deadlock was convinced her soulmate would hate her. After all, who would want to spend the rest of their life with the same person who’s the reason you lost your arm? The thought that she’d put her partner through such pain due to a mission gone awry… It was too much to bear. It was at that point she gave up looking for her soulmate, knowing there was no happiness meant for them down that path. The path she’d already destroyed with her recklessness.

And yet… she found them anyways. Though they didn’t have any augmented replacement for their arm, and despite the pain Deadlock thought they’d always be in…

Her soulmate was always smiling. The loss of their arm not a hindrance, nor a common thought on their mind. The only thing that seemed to matter to them was Deadlock… having found her. To be united after so long.

Deadlock was… shocked to say the least. Knowing her soulmate held no resentment towards her for the loss of their arm. But this didn’t mean she was without guilt. After speaking with Killjoy and Chamber, she convinced the two agents to aid her in her newest project; creating an arm suitable for her soulmate. It wouldn’t be fit for combat like her own, unless her soulmate wanted such a thing. After all, having a weapon glued to their body might not be desirable.

It takes Deadlock about two months before she stops apologizing consistently to her soulmate. Two months of counselling with Sage about her guilt, and two months of loving reassurance from her beloved. Though she becomes an unstoppable force when her soulmate is in danger, and is willing to do near anything to protect them. They become her new reason to fight.

In hopes that after the war ends, that perhaps she can live a quiet, safe life with her soulmate.

———————————

Author’s Note

Hours had passed. That's all Deadlock knew for certain when she had felt a light gust of wind blowing some hairs in her face, as she groggily reached to push the strands away. As she slowly peered her eyes open, she found... quite an unexpected sight.

Jett was using her Updraft... right above her. And what looked like a camera was in her hands; and did she ever seem scared. In fact, she and Deadlock probably were just as surprised to see the other in that moment. The only difference being... that Jett knew she was in trouble as soon as Deadlock's gaze hardened to a glare. Cursing under her breath, she threw the camera to somebody who was behind the couch, supposedly.

By now, Deadlock was trying to sit up properly to assess the situation; but there was a weight holding her down. Before she could even get the chance to look down, Jett had fallen directly on top of those who were on the couch.

That was when chaos was sent loose in the Headquarters.

It all happened so fast. Several panicked creature noises squealed at the sudden impact on top of them. Gekko's critters, all frightened out of their calm sleep, had managed to squeeze out of the pile of Gekko, Deadlock, and Jett; and proceeded to run amuck throughout the building with reckless abandon. Dizzy was spinning uncontrollably in the air, shooting her blinding shots at random. Moshpit essentially made the floor a real life version of 'The Floor Is Lava'... And Thrash was zooming around on the walls, not knowing she was going in circles, but just trying to get out of where the 'danger' was.

Soon enough, those in the common room and kitchen were scrambling to catch Gekko's creatures, having little to no luck, as they remained evasive. It was clear they wouldn't calm down until somebody reassured them it was safe.

Jett was scrambling to wake up Gekko at that point, who had gone from peacefully asleep... to knocked out cold. With a possible concussion. All this for a photo... god, why hadn't she just asked for Cypher's help?!

The wake up, the fall, and now the noise proved to be incredibly disorienting for Deadlock, who seemed to be the only one with a level head in that moment. Despite the pounding headache from having Jett essentially kick her in the head on her way down, she stood up, grabbed some equipment from her bag...

"Everyone get down!" Deadlock shouted out amongst the discord in the room. The agents who had been trying to corral the frantic animals, hearing Deadlock's warning, all dove to the floor, covering their heads. They didn't know what to expect, but they weren't about to get in her way.

Activating her Nanowire Accelerator, she closed one eye in an attempt to aim properly. Usually her accelerator was only used on humans... well, and robots... but she figured it would buy them enough time to keep them in one place until Gekko could calm them down.

As sharp a shooter as ever, it only took three separate shots to each creature to successfully capture each. Panicked noises were still coming from inside the pulse of nanowires, and Deadlock felt quite bad... yet it would have to do for now.

After a few minutes, once the noise and panic had died down, KAY/O was brought to the scene to use his abilities. He was able to forcefully shut down the creatures into returning to their smaller forms, where they proved to be much less destructive.

Deadlock let out a heavy sigh of relief, collapsing back down on the couch and rubbing her face. It was all handled... for now. Sage would make her way over to ensure everybody involved wasn't injured too critically, and Brimstone would surely reprimand Jett and her assailant for the damage their stunt caused. It was most likely Yoru, Deadlock pondered, as she rested her head back against the couch. The creatures were in a nest of blankets that now sat on the coffee table in front of the couch, watching Gekko, shaking slightly and whining for him to wake up. Deadlock couldn't help but compare the sight to children waking their mom up because they had a nightmare... Quite cute.

From that point, it was only about an hour before Gekko was woken up, with the help of Sage's healing and checking-up. He'd groaned quietly, with the pounding of his head not exactly easing up immediately. Shuffling to sit up, he took in his surroundings, doing his best to recall the events that he must've missed... but he remembered nothing. Sleep, impact, then nothing.

Brimstone was there when he woke up, and did his best to calmly explain what had happened while he was unconscious. How Jett had attempted some dumb stunt, only to fall and start the chaos. Hearing his little buddies had gone wild out of fear caused Gekko's heart to sink. His poor little guys... they always got rowdy when startled, and usually Gekko was the only one capable of stopping them from causing chaos. The only one able to calm them down from nightmares...

"Wait, so how did you subdue them without me?" Gekko questioned, furrowing his eyebrows slightly.

The answer did not make him happy.

------

Once everyone had gotten word that Gekko was on his feet and discharged from Sage's care, everyone involved in the chaotic creature event was relieved. After asking a few different agents for confirmation, he'd found out exactly how his little buddies were captured.

"Are you serious?!" Gekko's voice boomed throughout the lab, where Killjoy, Viper, and Deadlock had been spending the last hour or two; tossing ideas back and forth to figure out a way to calm the creatures enough so they could be released from Deadlock's nanowires. Turning their heads collectively, they saw Gekko- who usually was as calm as a lamb... only to find flaring rage behind his eyes. And his eyes were boring directly into Deadlock, who couldn't help but freeze up at the stare.

"I... think we should take our leave." Killjoy piped up quickly as she dragged a reluctant Viper out of the lab. Knowing how vicious the creatures themselves had the capacity of being- she dreaded knowing what a furious, attacking Gekko would be like.

Once alone in the room, Gekko tore his eyes from Deadlock to the sphere of nanowires, which he could see the silhouettes of his buddies, zooming around like hamsters on a wheel, looking frantically for a way out. He stormed over, smacking Deadlock's hand out of the way as she tried to reach for him.

Despite his fury, he managed to calm his voice enough to speak to his friends. "Heya guys, it's gonna be alright. I'm right here." A small smile came to his face as he saw the silhouettes of the creatures slow down, and eventually, calm down enough to form back into their orbs, knowing Gekko would want to put them away to rest.

Deadlock was... truly amazed by Gekko's ability to communicate with the creatures, even while angry. Almost like a parent who's had an awful day, but still shows love to their child. She pressed the button on her arm, and the nanowires came completely undone around the now orb-shaped creatures.

Making sure each creature was in their correct spot, Gekko sighed. He could only imagine the damage they'd caused while he was out.

"Gekko. I... I apologize. There was little we could do to calm them down without you." Deadlock tried to start, only to be abruptly cut off by Gekko raising his hand to tell her to be quiet. "I don't want to hear it. You've severely damaged my trust with this... stupid stunt." He muttered rather coldly, vastly contradicting the warm, nurturing voice he'd used only moments ago.

"Gekko-"

"You seriously couldn't think of any other way to calm them?" His head snapped in her direction, causing Deadlock to tense up again. This was so unlike him.

"KAY/O could've suppressed them, Neon could've stunned them- Skye is great with animals, she would've been able to help too! But you just... jumped to Nano-wiring them while they were panicking? Do you have any idea how scared they must've been? They might've thought you were turning heel and getting rid of them! You think they don't know you hate them? That you would've killed them if I wasn't stopping you? They aren't stupid, they hear the things you say, and they know what you think of them."

Deadlock slowly moved her gaze down a bit, hands glued to her sides as she was left to accept the scolding. It was true there were alternative ways to stop the frantic critters... but they needed to tame them quickly, and her wires were the only thing available during the panic. "You're right. I... I acted without thinking. I'm truly--"

Her eyes moved up to try and meet Gekko's again, but she got distracted a certain... lack of color, per se.

"... Where's Wingman?" She questioned quietly. Gekko furrowed his eyebrows together as he felt around to find where he would've stashed Wingman. "What're you talking about, he's right--"

Nothing. Wingman's orb wasn't there.

And now that he was thinking about it, when he saw the silhouette of his buddies in the nanowires... he'd only seen Thrash, Dizzy, and Mosh...

"I... H-He wasn't in the nanowires." Gekko stammered slightly, turning his head around to search the room quickly, as if Wingman was just... hiding in plain sight. "Where is he?! Is he still out in the base somewhere?" His voice changed as he began to panic. He hadn't shown his buddies around the headquarters nearly as thoroughly as he should've... so there was a good chance Wingman was completely lost somewhere!

"Let us split up to find him." Deadlock placed a hand on the other's shoulder to try and ground him, looking into his eyes seriously. "I'll search the greenhouse and otherwise, you should check any small spaces he might be hiding in... maybe check bedrooms and closets as well. If we can't find him in ten minutes, we'll launch a full-scale search with all available agents in the premises."

Giving a small, stiff nod, Gekko turned and rushed out of the laboratory without argument. Deadlock exhaled shakily to herself as she followed Gekko out, only leaving to head towards Skye's greenhouse. Animals loved it there... so maybe Wingman would as well?

----------------------

Within about seven minutes of checking behind every bush, tree, and plant, Deadlock was beginning to lose hope that Wingman was in the greenhouse. Wingman was notoriously good at hide and seek, according to Gekko... despite being bright yellow and very obvious to spot in the dark.

Just as she was heading towards the exit, she heard a familiar chirping voice from within the branches of one of the trees. Her eyes widened, and quickly rushed over to the tree, trying to peer amongst the branches and leaves to spot him. Squinting, she could just barely make out a little pear-shaped blob, with a pair of piercing blue eyes staring back at her. Huh... turns out Wingman could de-illuminate the cells of his body to hide from predators, with its eyes being the only giveaway to its location.

"Wingman, thank goodness I've found you. Gekko is worried sick. Come on down so we can return to him." Deadlock held out her hand up to the tree... only for the little creature to squeak in a panic, and retreat further up into the higher branches. Blinking back her initial confusion, she sighed heavily and began to scale the tree. She had to be careful- Skye would destroy her if she broke even a twig off.

Finding a strong branch to support her weight, she sat herself down on it to catch her breath. Running about she could do, no problem. Rushing from one site to another? A breeze. But climbing was... not her strong suit.

"Alright, that's enough messing around. Seriously. You need to come down or Gekko is going to kill me." Deadlock pleaded rather tiredly, head resting against the trunk. Only to be answered in more rustling and further branches scaled by the little guy. Groaning, Deadlock rubbed her face and let her legs dangle. Why was he suddenly being so difficult? They were napping and enjoying one another's company only a few hours ago... what changed?

It took a few minutes of thinking before it clicked.

Wingman most likely saw his friends get captured by Deadlock.

When she looked up again at the critter, she could see now that there was a clear emotion behind his eyes.

Fear.

Wingman was afraid of her.

"Oh..." Was all she could really say in response to her realization, only to exhale heavily and stuff her face within her hands. "God. Of course you're terrified. You think I hurt your friends, didn't you?"

After all, Gekko and Deadlock have fought on the same team multiple times. Wingman must've seen what happens to enemies that get caught in her nanowires. If she can land a hit, it kills the enemy by the end of the line. It only makes sense that Wingman thinks the same happened to his critter family.

"How do I explain this... I don't even know how many braincells you have in that little nucleus of yours..." She mumbled to herself. "No idea if you'd even understand. But... Ugh."

Wingman simply peeked his head out from behind the leaves he was hiding behind, and tilted his head curiously.

"Right. Well, I hope you can understand me. Otherwise, I'm just going to be talking to myself." She started, deciding that staring at Wingman and continuously searching was a fruitless endeavor.

"Your... Your friends were running ramped, causing all sorts of damage. It was potentially dangerous to any agents that could've walked in that room. We wanted to calm you all down... but we couldn't do that without Gekko, who was unconscious." She clasped her hands atop her lap, gaze glued to the flora and sprouts below.

"I acted without thinking and caught the other creatures in my nanowires... because we had very limited ways of keeping you all under control. I figured it would work to keep you all contained until Gekko awoke... but... I realize that must have been rather scary for you to witness, no?"

A small chirp of agreement.

"I thought so. Gekko gave me an earful, that's for sure." Deadlock smiled sadly to herself, at least glad that Wingman was calm enough to respond to her. So... He must've understood to some degree.

"I'm... truly, very sorry for what I did. Acting recklessly to stop the chaos... scaring you, and potentially putting you and your friends in danger. I hope you can forgive me someday... I understand if you are still afraid. All I ask is that you return to Gekko's side... I imagine he won't be able to sleep tonight without knowledge of your safety."

With that, Deadlock slid off the branch and landed on the cobblestone flooring below the tree, dusting herself off of any leaves or bugs that might've gotten on her in that time of climbing.

Before she could get a step further, there was a sudden impact on the top her head. Not exactly... painful, but surprising, nonetheless. It was soft... and somewhat gelatinous?

Whatever landed on top of her head soon rolled forward, into her arms. Blue eyes stared up at her, little arms wiggling up in the air, as if a child asking for a hug.

"Wingman...?" Deadlock questioned, unsure of the creature's wish. Wingman hopped up and hugged her by her neck, nuzzling comfortably against her shoulder, noises of happiness erupting from him.

She felt her cheeks flush slightly in embarrassment. She... hadn't been expecting to be forgiven so easily. Well, it was essentially an animal after all... she doubted it had the capacity to hate anything.

If anything, Gekko was the one she was to worry about.

"Let us get you back to Gekko, shall we?" Deadlock requested softly, petting the small metal top of Wingman's dead. Another chirp, this one of agreement.

"And maybe put in a good word for me with Gekko." She chuckled to herself... though knowing deep down, it wouldn't be nearly so easy.

-----------------------------------------

Gekko was in the process of frantically explaining to Brimstone about his missing buddy, and how he'd need everyone's help to locate Wings. Brimstone simply did his best to calm the young agent down, as he was already near tears at the thought of his little partner gone for even a day.

"Gekko!" Deadlock's voice echoed through the empty halls, causing both gentlemen to turn towards the noise. The pure joy and relief on Gekko's face when he saw Wingman in her arms was truly indescribable.

"Wings!" He cried out happily, as Wingman leapt from Deadlock's arms into Gekko's. He snuggled the heck out of the little guy, rambling multiple apologies and appreciations to whatever god that protected him.

"I missed you so much, buddy." Gekko whispered as he finally seemed to calm down from his frantic coddling. Wingman gave one last chirp before forming into an orb, and was finally stashed away safely within Gekko's pocket.

"I found him hiding in a tree in the greenhouse. It took a bit of convincing, but... I got him to come down of his own accord. Probably the way I should have handled the whole... rampage." Deadlock smiled towards the other agent, hands in her jacket pockets as she approached. "They really do have feelings and cognitive thought- I'm embarrassed it took me so long to realize that. But... regardless, I am truly sorry for how I dealt with the situation earlier." She bowed her head slightly in apology.

The man stood there for a few moments, mulling over what Deadlock had said. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck rather awkwardly. "Nah, I... I totally overreacted. I was just high-strung and worried about my guys. I should've just told you how my buddies felt about your technology. So, uh... You're totally fine. Dizzy and the others might take awhile to warm back up to you... but they're super affectionate lil' guys, so I doubt it'll take long." He flashed a small smile towards his teammate. "We cool?"

Deadlock laughed softly to herself. "Yes, I suppose we are 'cool'. Perhaps I can treat you to some boba? I hear there's a new location that opened up nearby that I have heard good things about from Neon."

Eyes lighting up like a child's, Gekko's usual energy sprung to life. "Boba? You know me so well, Amiga! But you're paying!"

"Deadlock raised an eyebrow with a smile. "... I believe that was suggested by my phrasing."

It was a tad embarrassing being called out by Brimstone like that, and overtime, it was made clear that he wasn't the only one aware of how close you two were. How you and Iso were rarely seen without the other by their side, never too far if they weren't in view. It was almost instinctual, to be nearby.

Far too soon, a few of the other agents started picking up on certain hints that went over even your head, though you saw yourself as rather... aware of how others felt about you, especially after spending however long by their side. For instance, you knew Yoru often had an ego to show off, and acted like he didn't give a shit about anybody; but he would have your back if you were in danger, without a doubt. He'd warp to your side without a second thought. No matter how many times he'd deny it, he'd claim it was a coincidence.

So you were confident that if somebody's feelings towards you changed, you'd catch it. Or, if your own feelings had changed from platonic to... something more.

Boy, were you ever wrong.

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Sage had stopped by your room to visit, bringing some freshly brewed herbal tea alongside a small plate of biscuits. She'd made a habit of making sure every agent was alright mentally, providing a safe space to vent or talk about feelings without judgement. She felt quite responsible for both the physical state of everyone, as well as their mental state. To put it simply, she was acting as the Protocol's therapist. And she was damn good at it.

Opening your door, you stepped aside to allow Sage entrance to your room. She'd already alerted you of your monthly checkup that day, so you'd made sure to tidy your bedroom as best as possible. She had always given off motherly vibes, so the last thing you wanted was for her to see a messy room on one of the few times she visits.

Sitting down on the floor, Sage sets up her favourite tea set on the short table by your bed, and begins to pour two cups of herbal tea. The tea set was painted with vines and flowers, giving off some Skye vibes. Perhaps it was a gift from her?

You sit yourself across from Sage, sitting on your legs comfortably as you reach for one of the cups, perhaps adding a little sugar to the warm liquid before settling into a more... relaxed mindset.

"So." Sage had started, hands wrapped delicately around her own teacup. "I see you and Iso have been progressing very well over the last few months, mm?"

You gave a simple nod. "In combat, we triumph over our opponents with ease. We have a good system going."

"That's wonderful to hear!... although not quite what I meant." She chuckled softly to herself, a warm smile on her face contradicting the confused look you'd given her.

"You've been getting to know Iso on a more personal level, more so than anybody. Which is a little strange, admittedly. Ever since you joined the Protocol, you usually kept to yourself and didn't make many connections with other agents. So I'm very relieved to know you've found somebody in which you can rely on-"

"Hold on." You pipe up to interrupt, eyebrows knitted together in mild confusion. "What are you talking about? Yeah, I spend some time with Iso, but I wouldn't say we're on a personal level. That makes it sound like we're friends." Or more, your thoughts added, but you are swift to dismiss the thought as quickly as it arrived.

Sage took a slow sip of her drink as she let the following silence linger amongst the room, deciding to let it sink in naturally.

Her silence made something click in your head.

"We're friends."

"Mhm." Sage confirmed. "A bit more than that, perhaps. Some of us can't help but notice how rosy your cheeks get when Iso stands a little too close to you. How you two are rarely ever seen apart. And how, aside from me, He is the only one you allow in your room; your safe haven."

Your gaze slowly drops to look at the tea in your cup, seeing your reflection in the mildly rippling liquid, caused by the mild shake of your hands. You'd never really thought you had social habits, and yet... apparently they were blaringly obvious. Giving away hints to something you didn't understand yourself. "What... what does this mean?" You ask slowly, with eyes timidly flicking back up to meet Sage's calming, blue gaze. What she said next hit you like a wall of bricks.

"I believe you are in love, Y/N."

------------------

Love. Sage told you that you may be in love. It made you shudder. Far too soft of a word. How were you supposed to keep up your reputation amongst your team members? They might all see you as some... lovesick fool! You hated the thought of it. What were you meant to do now...? Well, Sage had advised you to take some time to think about what she'd said, and to get in touch with your feelings. Figure out how you really feel for Iso, and if it dips into being 'love' or not.

After all, Sage didn't know everything. She simply had her theories. Though she did coach you through some ways to self-reflect. Though it did feel somewhat pointless, you indulged her idea, and spent the next few days carefully doing some serious reflection on your feelings and interactions with Iso as of late. And the more you thought on Sage's words, the more that everything kind of... made sense.

You undeniably had feelings for Iso. The two of you working so harmoniously together, and how close you were outside of missions... the way you felt an odd, fluttering feelings in your stomach. The way your cheeks heat up when he casually rests his elbow on your shoulder... these previously unexplainable feelings, suddenly making sense. Clicking together like puzzle pieces.

Step one was complete, you supposed. You were aware of your feelings... now what? What were you meant to do with these feelings now? Surely not... expressing them to Iso?

The mere thought shot a bone-cold chill down your spine. No way were you ready to do anything of the sort.

"Just... act like normal." You coached yourself in the hallway, rubbing your face in an attempt to pull yourself together. "You like Iso, so what? That won't change anything- it shouldn't. I'm sure if you just... keep acting like normal, these ridiculous feelings will eventually go away..."

"Oh, that is rich."

The sudden voice nearly caused you to draw your pistol, if it weren't for your immediate reflex to look before shooting. What a relief, you nearly put a bullet into... the wall?

The next second, you see Yoru casually step out of his portal, removing his oni-styled mask with a faint smirk on his face.

"Yoru, what have I said about spying on me?" You scolded him with a narrowing glare, subconsciously gripping the front of your shirt. The bastard had made it a personal challenge to try and scare you when you were on your own- many times having been stopped by Iso a lot of the time. Iso's reflexes were often very helpful in catching Yoru before he had the chance to startle you. Besides, he seldom actually scared you.

"I wasn't spying about you. I was just trying to get to my room without bumping into anybody, and what happens? I find out some very interesting information..." A wide smirk grew across his face, as the realization quickly dawned on you.

"Listen, you didn't hear anything, got it?" Your voice pitched higher in a mild form of panic, which simply made Yoru's grin grow wider. "Damn. You're down bad, eh?"

Gritting your teeth, you storm closer to the man, preparing to grab him, and give him a thorough threatening- only for Yoru to warp out of your vicinity, a fair few feet away; arms crossed in a taunting way. "Phoenix is gonna get a kick 'outta this. Iso as well, I bet..." He cackled softly to himself, as he casually took a step backwards and fell into another portal, vanishing completely from the hallway.

Frozen in place, your mind had to slowly catch up to the moment of what had just happened. Yoru surely wouldn't spill such a serious secret just for the hell of it... right? Right?

You couldn't trust Yoru to keep his mouth shut. He was going to tell somebody- possibly even Iso if he felt like that much of an asshole. So, with quick steps, you ran towards the commons room, desperately in search of the masked bastard who was about to expose your most precious secret.

After searching what felt like half the headquarters building, you finally managed to find him. He was leaning against the kitchen counter casually, talking to the two people he'd threatened to tell. Phoenix; who wouldn't keep his mouth shut to keep a secret to save his life... and Iso.

By chance, Yoru happened to glance in your direction, keeping his usual smirk on his face as he kept the two men's attention on himself.

"Yeah, can you believe it? I wouldn't have figured if I hadn't been there. Y/N has always been so cold..." Yoru continued to speak as if you weren't there, only making your blood boil faster than before.

"''Ey, I wouldn't say that. They just... like to keep to themselves! Like Omen!... Probably!" Phoenix chimed in to defend you, which would've made you feel a bit better if you weren't on the verge of throwing a chair at Yoru.

"Still, you really heard them say that?" The British man raised a suspicious eyebrow towards Yoru, who simply nodded. "Why would I lie about something like this? It's hilarious."

Finally, Iso seemed to have enough. He made a point to slam down his soda bottle, with his eyes firing daggers in Yoru's direction, causing the other to stiffen ever to slightly, shoulders squared subtly in a sense of defense.

"How many times do I have to tell you, I don't care for your pointless gossip? How old are you, twelve? You truly think I would take your word as fact; especially with such a delicate subject? You truly have no shame, do you?" His voice was as cold as his gaze was, slicing through the thick, tension-filled air that had consumed the room the second the line was crossed.

Yoru struggled to find any kind of defense or escape from the conversation, his gaze quickly moving from you, back to Iso. "H... hah, as if I give a shit what you think. Don't act like you're above all this. Aren't you curious over what Y/N really thinks about you? Behind that cold exterior they put up all the time?"

"They only put it up around people they can't trust, like you. Besides, even if I were to trust your word, I'd rather hear it from Y/N themself." Iso retorted, as he plucked up his soda bottle, making his way back to his room, by the look of it. You felt yourself relax. Thank god; he didn't believe Yoru... and with that scolding Yoru got, you doubted he'd be running his mouth and telling anyone else for awhile, if he knew what was good for him.

--------------------

The next few days came and went. And you were pacing your room, twirling a knife between your fingers as you tried your best to think of how you wanted to progress with the knowledge of your feelings being... somewhat out there. Iso was aware now that it was a possibility, so... what were you meant to do now?

Sage had been there to hear you out when you needed to vent about Yoru's little 'stunt', and promised that he'd be held accountable for his gossiping behavior. All the agents were teammates, so any actions taken to potentially degrade everyone's teamwork would be dealt with and punished accordingly.

She had also assured you that there was absolutely no pressure to confess, even if Iso does know your feelings. Who knows, perhaps this was a one-time crush, and it would go away?

Well, it had already been about a week since you initially found out about these feelings, and they hadn't exactly gotten weaker. In fact, it seemed almost as if they grew stronger by each passing day you spent by Iso's side.

Sage had coached you further, to ask yourself some questions before you made any decisions that may affect you and Iso both. Take a deep breath, collect your thoughts, and ask yourself; Do you truly like Iso romantically?

Looking back on all your adventures and quiet moments with one another... how could you possibly say you didn't? Iso was somebody you felt like you could be honest with. Any chaotic feelings you might have in a single moment can be seemingly vanquished by him simply... being there. Even if you two don't talk to each other, the amount of comfort his presence alone was able to give you was something you felt like you couldn't find anywhere else. And if that wasn't an important staple in a romantic relationship... well, then maybe you were as much of a loner than Yoru had suggested.

But none of that mattered now. You felt oddly confident in your feelings, and now, knowing they were real by your own decision... it felt like you could confess to Iso. It was a bizarre experience; you'd been terrified of the idea of love and romance up until a few days ago. And now... you were actually contemplating a committed relationship with Iso? The thought still made your cheeks warm up with blush. The idea was... nice; welcomed, even.

Now it was just a matter of... figuring out how to actually confess.

--------------------

The day of confessing came a lot faster than you'd expected.

You were often the type to plan things out ahead of time. Pick a day to confess, maybe write a few scripts for yourself so you had options of what to say when the time came... and inevitably hope it would go well. And yet... though you thought you were accounting for every possibility;

When the day came, it was... unexpected, to say the least.

You and Iso were in your room, quietly doing your own things, as the two of you usually do. And yet... today it felt different. It felt like an awkward silence that wouldn't end, no matter how many times you tried to strike up a conversation. The awkward air was indestructible, it felt like.

How were you meant to start an important talk when things are like this?

"So... I heard that Yoru got in trouble with Sage the other day." Iso suddenly spoke up, which very nearly startled you off the bed; but in a firm attempt to act like everything was normal, you stayed in place. You inhaled quietly. You got this.

"Yeah..." You started awkwardly, rubbing the back of your neck, struggling to do so much as making eye contact with the other. "I... I thought I heard some arguing in the kitchen awhile back. Guess she dealt with whoever started it." Deciding to play the oblivious card, apparently. Though... did this count as lying? You weren't sure. You just hoped it wouldn't backfire on you in the long run.

"She certainly did deal with the perpetrator." He'd nodded slowly in response, his gaze moving towards you without your knowledge. "... you know, Yoru is pretty terrible at hiding when he's doing something mischievous at the cost of others. That being said; I saw you eavesdropping on us the other day." Iso couldn't hide the slight smile that grew on his face when your cheeks reddened with embarrassment. "... I mean, he kept looking in your direction and everything. It was clear someone was there."

You just wanted the ground below you to open up and swallow you whole. So lying was pointless, huh. And Iso knew you were acting off for a reason now. Shit.

"Well... whatever. It makes this whole thing easier then, I guess." You mutter dismissively, keeping your gaze away from Iso's at any cost. Though you couldn't help but be mildly curious to what Iso was looking like in that particular moment. Was he as flustered as you felt? By the knowing tone in his voice, you assumed not.

"Not quite. You know I don't listen to petty gossip." Iso responded rather dryly, raising an eyebrow at you. "And if you were there to hear what he said, then surely you know what my question is going to be."

You just wanted to flee, or hide under your bed. God, this felt humiliating... though maybe it was just because you weren't used to being so emotionally vulnerable. Every word he spoke just felt extra dangerous.

“I hardly heard the whole conversation. I kind of just… turned the corner and saw you three. Besides, you obviously know what Yoru said. Do you really need me to say anything?” You asked hesitantly, your own logic seeming to make less sense by the second; and making you dug yourself deeper into a hole.

You feel Iso place his hand gently on top of your’s. The sudden contact was finally enough to make you turn to look at him, your cheeks not any less red than they already had been. Iso gave a small, reassuring smile to you.

“Yes. Because if it’s true, I want to hear it from you, Y/N. But… only if you want to say it.”

His voice was so… comforting. Holding no judgement nor expectation. He wasn’t going to make you confess that very moment if you weren’t ready; but it was clear he knew your feelings regardless. So… what were you meant to do now? If you put it off for another day, who knows how long it’d take you to get around to confessing.

Your nervous gaze moved to look at your hands, feeling your heart rate pick up by the second. This… this was it. Now or never, you decided. Iso deserved a proper answer.

“I… I have… feelings for you. Sage believes they are… romantic feelings. And I think I agree.” You speak softly, so quietly that if the room hadn’t already been silent, he may not have heard you. You swallow the nervous lump you felt in your throat. “I… do really like you, Iso. And… I’m sorry you had to find out from Yoru first of all people…”

Before you could even think about rambling further with some inane apologies, Iso’s hand had moved to rest on your cheek before you’d realized. It all happened so fast, and yet… ever so slowly, at the same time…

Iso had slowly brought your face closer to his, pausing when you two were mere inches away from each other. He didn’t move further, wanting you to initiate further if this was something you wanted. He truly wasn’t the type to force anything onto anyone…

It admittedly took you a few seconds to realize what he was waiting for… a… a kiss? The thought seemed overwhelming at first- you’d just confessed, and now he was offering to kiss you? Was that his way of saying he felt the same?

Your heart had never beat as fast as it did in that moment. Sure, you were new to the whole… romantic-feelings thing… and by all accounts, you’d probably reject the offer in any other situation… and yet…

In those few lingering moments, with his lips so close to your’s… you couldn’t turn away. Taking all the courage you had within you, you leant forward and gently pressed your lips to Iso’s; though it was a little awkward at first, with your lack of experience.

The kiss merely lasted a few seconds before you’d pulled back, face feeling as red as a cherry. You found it hard to make direct eye contact with Iso for a few moments, before you heard him chuckle slightly.

“For someone who used to be so intimidating… you sure are adorable whenever you’re embarrassed.” He’d hummed innocently. You shot a glare in his direction and punched his arm relatively hard, earning a more genuine laugh from the man.

“I’m sorry- it’s true!” Iso snickered softly as he scooted a bit closer to you, keeping your hands intertwined ever so gently. You’d barely noticed you two had been holding hands for a short while already. “So… was my answer sufficient enough for you, Y/N?” He raised an eyebrow curiously to you, giving you a moment to pause and think.

“Mm… No. I don’t think your answer was clear enough.” You responded, rather deadpan. This gave Iso a genuine feeling of confusion, as you turned towards him, grabbing the collar of his shirt to pull him closer, your face still rather red.

“Perhaps you should give me your answer again… and again.”

The two of you spent the remainder of the evening in each other’s company.

"Ah- s... sorry." She apologized gently, though she clearly meant the apology more towards you, not to much towards Iso. But he didn't appear to mind. Brimstone cleared his throat, redirecting attention to himself once more.

"We do have rules like that for a reason, yes. Though we have discovered that Iso is able to preform just as well- perhaps even better- when he's listening to music. So, we've allowed him to bend that rule, as long as it doesn't cause distraction during missions. If any of you wish to get a pass to do the same, you will have to pass a few tests that Viper and myself have designed... just to ensure that you won't get yourself killed in the field if you aren't able to hear the enemy behind you."

Brimstone's eyes had met a few other pairs of eyes within the crowd of agents... mostly those who had proven they weren't able to multitask in such a way in the past. And in short, those agents were the reason Brimstone had initially administered the ban on music on missions in the first place.

"Y/N." Brimstone called you out from the crowd. "I'm going to ask you to show Iso around the headquarters. The training hall, his room, you know the drill."

You nodded towards him as you were instructed to show the newbie around. At the opportunity, Jett's eyes lit up with excitement. Hell yeah, her duo was given a big responsibility! She was so proud. "I'll tag along with you guys! Plus, I'd love the chance to spar with you, Iso!" She'd beamed, only to be cut off from approaching by Viper.

"Jett. Last time you were in charge of showing somebody around, you went so fast that they ended up getting lost for a week. And anytime they asked for directions, you accused them of not paying attention during your tour." Viper had raised an eyebrow disapprovingly, her tone proving to be rather... irritated. More so than usual.

From the crowd of agents, Gekko kicked at the floor with a quiet huff. "... she talks so fast, she may as well be speaking another language." He muttered, mostly to himself. You gave the poor guy a sympathetic look over your shoulder, before turning your attention to your eager duo partner, hand on her shoulder in reassurance.

"I'll be honest, J... Tours aren't your strong suit. But once Iso is more settled, I'm sure he'd be happy to spar with you." You shot her a smile, reassuring Jett despite her mild disappointment at being rejected. Sighing, she simply crossed her arms across her chest, and stepped back into the line of agents. "Fiiiine, do it your way. But if it takes longer than an hour, I'm hunting you down and helping, whether you want it or not!"

You couldn't help but smirk at Jett's impatience. It was always a trait you'd found quite endearing. Irritating at times, sure, but endearing nonetheless. You'd lost count of how many times Jett had gotten herself into a dangerous situation because she didn't want to wait for backup. She was always looking to prove herself, always eager for the opportunity to ace. It was a lot worse when you and her were fresh recruits. And you'd saved her ass dozens of times before she saw the merit in the two of you working together. You couldn't say you hated her impatience, because truthfully? It was the trait of hers that helped bring you two closer together. And it was always oddly cute to watch her bounce in place, twirling her knife in her hand as she was forced to wait.

"If that's settled... everyone is dismissed."

-------------

You'd been at the protocol for quite awhile; longer than most agents, actually. So the tour with Iso didn't take much time at all, much to Jett's relief. Jett who... may or may not had been following you and Iso from a distance. You hadn't noticed her initially, but once you did, decided not to embarrass her in front of the new recruit, and let her follow you like a puppy.

Though the tour did indeed only take an hour, Iso had quite a few questions regarding some of the agents, and how the training facilities worked... so, you decided to dedicate the rest of the day to answering any and all of Iso's questions. You even showed him around the kitchen, so he'd know where everything was if he ever needed to make himself something to eat.

Suffice to say... Jett... didn't like that. At all.

Jett was basically the in-house cook, and only trusted a few select people to help her if offered. You were one of those people. Hell, she'd let you take over cooking if she was sick, and have faith you'd do her dishes justice.

And there she was, glaring daggers from around the corner at Iso. Who was taking notes on where Jett kept the kettle, strainer, spices... Even though usually Jett could appreciate someone taking kitchen care seriously, she couldn't figure out why seeing Iso there with you in the kitchen made her skin crawl.

Maybe it was because, aside from training, the kitchen was where you and Jett spent most of your time. Even if it was just being sat on the counter, drinking coffee late into the night, because insomnia haunts most of the younger agents. And seeing you hop up onto the counter, offering to make Iso some tea how he likes it... Ugh. She hated it, she hated it, she hated it!

"Whatever." Dismissively, Jett had let out a stubborn huff of irritation, and headed towards the training hall. Training was always a good way of getting her mind off of things... though you were often on her mind if you weren't by her side training as well. Okay, so maybe you were always on her mind. She couldn't help it! She always just figured that was the cost of having a kick-ass duo; always worrying, thinking about how to improve your guys' performance... wondering why you were so damn chummy with Iso-

God. Jett needed to let off some steam before she imploded.

------

The next few hours of her free time was spent perfecting her knife throws, as well as some general aerobatic moves that you had been brainstormed for her. Ways to use her radiant power more without causing too much destruction. Last thing the protocol needed was a tornado within its walls.

Though the hours passed mindlessly, Jett still couldn't figure out why the hell she was so agitated by Iso's mere existence. She was always hyped when a new duelist joined their ranks, to the point where she'd try and take them under her wing if they needed help discovering their fighting style. She took a lot of pride in her ability to help her fellow agents, and yet...

As if summoned by the mere thought, Iso happened to enter the training hall, you following by his side, explaining one thing or another. Jett wasn't sure. She hadn't been close enough to hear your conversation- but she didn't like it.

"Oh- you finally here for that spar?" She'd flashed a grin in the direction of Iso. She was itching to put him in his place- though that thought alone was quite a strange one for her. Put him in his place? He hadn't done anything-... had he?

Iso himself looked quite surprised to see Jett in the hall, and had held his hands up in a faux surrender, showing he had no interest in sparring. "Oh, you were serious-- I mean, we can totally do that another time. But Y/N was going to train with me. To help me figure out how to best use my abilities in combat, maybe using them in combination with someone else's abilities......"

Iso's voice had quickly been drowned out by Jett's own thoughts. You... were going to train with Iso? What, alone? Doing what she usually did with her duelists? Finding his fighting style?

You could see the displeased look on Jett's face, as she wasn't the best at masking her feelings for too long. Flashing your partner a nervous smile, you approached Jett. "I know Iso's abilities pretty well myself, so finding his style probably won't take too long- but we can train elsewhere if you're busy here-?" You'd offered quietly, not wanting to further upset your duo. But it was a bit too late for that.

Grabbing your arm, Jett forcefully pulled you towards the door. "Get some target practice in while I have a chat with your 'trainer'." She'd growled towards Iso, who looked more confused than anything. But he didn't question further, and definitely didn't want to witness an angry Jett in action- so he'd grabbed a gun and started shooting some targets to warm up.

Dragging, dragging, dragging on; You couldn't exactly do much to escape Jett's grasp- her upper body strength was impressive for someone of her size. "Jett-- Jett!" You call her name, trying to get her to stop dragging you, but to no avail. She didn't stop until she knew you two were completely alone. In an empty hallway.

"Jett, what the hell is up with you today? You're being more of a jerk than usual." You scolded in a hushed tone once Jett had finally let go of you, moving to fold your arms over your chest. Your body language was enough for Jett to know you were beyond irritated, but you were holding it together for her sake.

Jett just turned to glare at you, fists clutched as she struggled for a few moments. Trying to find the words to articulate how she was feeling- Feelings were difficult for her to explain most of the time. So before she could open her mouth, you held your hand up to stop her. "And I'm not going to listen if you start yelling."

God, she wanted to punch you for saying that. But it was a boundary you'd set with her after the first few arguments you two had. Things would just escalate and escalate, and neither of you would listen. Talking over each other so one of you could be heard. And even if she was angry, Jett always respected your boundaries. Which meant in this case that she wasn't going to shout.

"Right. Right right right right right." Jett exhaled deeply, and began to shake her hands in a bit of a stim. Shake the anger out, that's what she often did. And more often than not, it didn't help too much. It only subsided how much she wanted to punch things. But it would at least get her through the conversation.

"You're kind of... how can I put this lightly... driving me crazy. In a bad way." Jett articulated slowly, though was quick to see your displeasure from the look in your eyes once she'd said it. Huffing, she continued. "You're, like... being all nice n' shit to Iso, which is fine or whatever... But you were crossing some lines."

"... I'm sorry, how the hell was I crossing lines? I was showing Iso around, like Brim told me to?" You furrowed your eyebrows slightly in confusion, not knowing if you should still be irritated or not. What was going on in her head...?

"Okay, uh, example. You were showing Iso around the kitchen. My kitchen. You didn't think to ask me if I wanted to show him around the kitchen at least? Show where I hide the good flour?" Jett urged, though you couldn't help but snicker slightly.

"Jett. It's the Protocol's kitchen. And it's pretty small. There's not much to really show him. There just wasn't enough to show to justify bringing you in."

"Fine! Okay, that's fine. Just don't cook any of our meals with him, and we're fine. See? I'm being reasonable!" She had a forced smile on her face, but it was quite clear she was struggling to keep her composure. It felt like she was jumping all over the place with her logic, and she'd just started.

"Another example! You... were going to train with him."

"... Jett. I train with everybody." You shot her down almost immediately, to which you could only raise an eyebrow in mild amusement. She was really grasping at straws here for excuses to be angry, and none of them were really... viable?

"But you said, and I QUOTE-- … okay, I can't remember exactly what you said, but you mentioned something about helping Iso figure out how to use his abilities in combat." Her teal eyes bore into yours, and there, finally, you could sees a glimmer of the real problem.

Conflicted. Hesitant. Envious.

"That's my thing. No, Not just my thing. It's our thing. You were the one who inspired me to figure out unique ways to use my radiant powers in combination with other peoples' abilities. To figure out my fighting style, and helping others find theirs! That's how we became a duo! And sure, I took credit for it a lot of the time... but you were the reason I started helping people in the first place! To the point even Viper trusted me to help recruits figure out their style!" She'd began to pace back and forth as she spoke, another mild stim. If she kept her body moving in some way, it helped her thoughts flow a lot smoother.

"So why-" Jett suddenly turned to you, pinning you to the wall with both her hands on either side of your head. "Why did you try to do it without me? Were you going to... I don't know? Be his duo? The way we do things is really, really efficient, it doesn't need to change! So... Don't you dare think for a second that you're replacing me for that-- that..." Her voice trailed off, as she noticed a smirk slowly rest on your features. "Wh... What the hell are you making that face for?"

"You're jealous."

Those two words were enough to make Jett fly back a few feet, as if it physically impacted her, blasting her away from you dramatically. And as the realization slowly dawned on her, Jett's face slowly grew a bright red shade. That... would explain a lot about how she'd been feeling. She gripped her own shirt, eyes locked on the floor, suddenly all out of things to say. Rendered genuinely speechless.

"Wh... What am I jealous about?" She asked after a few moments, looking towards you for answers. Jett really didn't know why she was jealous. And you couldn't help but find that... oddly adorable, despite how scared she looked with this information out in the open.

"I don't know if I can answer that for you, J." You admitted with a slight smile, slowly approaching as if she were a startled dear in a beartrap. "But... If I had to guess, you're jealous that... I'm spending all this time with Iso, doing all the stuff you and I usually do?"

Jett's gaze remained glued to the floor tiles, hands stuck to her side. The burning feeling on her face wouldn't go away. She was completely embarrassed. Something so simple... made her upset? Groaning, she covered her face with her hands, turning away from you to hide her shame further. "M... Maybe. I think that... isn't too far off." She didn't want to admit it... though she kind of had to if she wanted you to know why she was upset.

"Jett..." Your smile softens on your face as you take a few steps towards her, raising your hand to hold her cheek. Your thumb caresses her cheek as her eyes flick towards yours. "You're an idiot. You really think I'd replace you like that? After our years of experience together?" The question caused Jett to gaze down at the ground again, taking a moment to clear her throat a bit to find some kind of rebuttal.

"You were just... I don't know. You got along really well with Iso, and clicked pretty fast." She let out a soft sigh, absentmindedly leaning against the hand to her cheek, almost affectionately. You couldn't help but compare her to a cat in that moment.

"Of course we get along well. He's my little brother. Showing him around was the best way to help him feel acclimated, after all-"

Jett felt her thoughts grind to a halt.

"Your... brother?"

You could see the mix of realization, embarrassment, and relief in her eyes. It would've made you laugh at how cute it was, but decided that, for Jett's sake, you'd hold back.

"Yeah. I told you my little brother would be joining the protocol a few months back. Did you forget, or were you not paying attention?" You raise an eyebrow in sheer amusement, as you watch Jett's expression freeze and then scramble to find an answer, to which, she couldn't find one.

"I... I am so sorry, Y/N. I completely forgot." She whispered, grabbing both of your hands within her own, holding them tight. "I'm such an idiot- and I was going to yell at you over this? Please, please, please forgive me!" Jett practically pleaded, to which you couldn't resist laughing anymore.

This precious idiot, you thought. You let out a content sigh, squeezing Jett's hands for a moment as you take a step closer. "Drill this into your head, okay, dummy? You're irreplaceable. Nobody is ever going to take the place in my heart that belongs to you."

Before Jett could even consider thinking too much into your words, you'd leant forward and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. From such a quick action, you could swear she was about to float off or launch into the air like a rocket. Frozen, but shaking.

"Jett?" You called out softly with a slight grin across your face, the cogs in her brain whirling, trying to catch up with what was happening. And the second everything clicked, Jett got the biggest, goofiest smile on her face as she proceeded to grab your face and pepper it with as many little kisses as she could before you'd push her away, laughter filling the hollow halls.

You promised Jett to spend the rest of the evening with her after training with Iso, to make up for the time she demanded back.

Brimstone: Despite the fact this was his idea, he’s one of the most reluctant agents to actually take his day off. There’s always too much to keep track of- missions, agent shenanigans… He’s only going to take his day off if he’s sure nothing bad will happen, and leave the Protocol in the capable hands of Viper and Sage.

Breach: Man is absolutely pumped to find out it’s his day off tomorrow. You bet he’s gonna drink the night away, knowing there’ll be no repercussions in the morning!… well, aside from a hangover. But he’s going to be noisy as hell all night, so other agents are encouraged to wear earplugs if they plan on getting sleep the night before his day off.

Astra: Oh you KNOW she is making plans the second she finds out when her day off is. She might even encourage Neon or Raze to ditch their training that day to go out with her for a few hours, assuming they aren’t being sent out on a mission. Near the end of her day off, she’ll dedicate some time to meditating and treating herself to some desserts from the VP’s kitchen.

Jett: She’s the first to be given her day off. As a result, she probably gloats to Phoenix and Yoru about her upcoming day off, claiming that she ‘earned it’ with her badass moves in the field, thinking she got it for impressing Brim. She’s quickly humbled upon finding out she isn’t the only one. Regardless, she’ll still probably spend the day with Phoenix when he’s not busy, watching movies, binge watching shows, and even brainstorming some future pranks to pull.

Chamber: The marksman is one of the more difficult agents to convince to take a break. He’s dedicated to working on his guns any free time he’s given- but at what point is he just continuously working? Brimstone ordered Chamber to take his day off, and forbid him from entering his workshop for any reason that day. He tried not to act too bothered by it, but Chamber was rather fidgety without occupying his mind with his guns. So instead, he opts to do research on how to improve his guns, and spend the time during meals watching soap operas. What? He loves the dramatics.

Gekko: He’s hyped, man. He calls up his mom to let her know he’s gonna drop by, and spend the day with his little buddies. Spend a few hours with his mom, helping out around the house like the good son he is- then walking the neighbourhood, getting boba… and trying to keep his creatures out of trouble. He just goes with the flow of the day, skateboarding around and letting the world decide what he does. And today? He’s getting ramen.

Omen: He’s… hesitant to take a day off. Not because he’s worried about being needed during a mission per se… but more-so because he doesn’t know what to do with himself. There’s only so much knitting he can do in a single day… and that’s bound to get boring at some point. Neon suggests he tries some other crafts or hobbies on his day off, so he dons a disguise, and visits a craft store. He buys more yarn, and picks up a few new crafts to do. Some diamond paintings, a sticker book or two… though he takes a liking to photography, with disposable cameras.

Viper: Another case of ‘workaholic doesn’t want to take a break’. The only way she’s taking a break is if Brimstone orders her to, otherwise she’s not taking it by herself. Similarly to Chamber, she’s banned from her lab for the day… so she decides to go visit a reptile sanctuary. She spends the day observing the different scaled creatures, taking notes and even sketching a few out if they inspire ideas for potential weapons. She’s of course drawn in by the snakes, and spends the most time watching them in fascination. She’ll end the day by ordering in something for herself and watching a documentary or two.

Reyna: She laughs when she’s told to take a day off- only to realize… Brim was being serious. It would take her awhile to figure out what to do that whole day… but after asking for advice from Sage and Skye, Reyna is convinced to try going to a spa. It’s a very different experience for her, but she does her best to actually relax and be pampered. It’s not something she would try again unless she had company… but she can’t deny how rejuvenated she felt afterwords. Reyna and Sage make plans to take a spa day together at some point in the near future.

Sage: Being the self-case wizard she is, Sage is probably the most normal about taking a break. She tends to her small garden during the day, treats herself to a nice bath… diffuser for oils, relaxing music- the whole nine yards. She’s almost entirely non-contact, with the only difference being Skye, who would bring her tea every so often or ask for quick advice on how to treat a certain injury. The next day, Sage is glowing with energy and extra cheerful.

Yoru: He’s immediately leaving the base the second he can. Grabs his motorcycle, and drives out to the highway- doesn’t turn back. He’ll never admit it, but the poor guy is pretty homesick. He misses the cherry blossoms of Tokyo. The hustle and bustle of the city… the authentic food. He doesn’t have time to go home, so he does the next best thing. Yoru rides into the nearest city, and has a night on the town. People watching, trying different hole-in-the-wall food places, maybe some random shopping? If he’s in a particularly good mood and sees something in a shop window that reminds him of an agent from the protocol… he’ll buy it and keep it stashed in his room as a birthday present for them. He’ll say it was just some junk he found laying around his room… best not question him too much on it.

Phoenix: This guy is getting into all kinds of mischief. Nothing illegal, of course… but he’s definitely hitting up a night club or two, talking to girls (and boys, let’s be honest). He’d find a clique of cool people to hang with, and spend the night riding around town with them. By the end of the evening, he’d probably have made good friends with his new posse, and most likely hangs out with them when he can outside of work hours on weekends. He most definitely gets a little too drunk and does some mild trespassing and messy parkour… and also ends up being everyone’s collective cigarette lighter. But a cigarette lighter everyone loves. Life of the party.

Killjoy: Tell her to stay out of her lab, and you have a German storm coming. She’ll argue as best she can, but she can’t do much to sway Brimstone. Since she can’t actively work on her tech, she grabs a notebook and sketches out some designs for new projects for the future… upgrades to current utility, anything. She has too many ideas and can’t be left to sit alone with them. By the evening, she’s gonna be pretty burnt out and have a sore wrist from all that writing… so she might invite Raze to grab dinner with her. The two will discuss potential upgrades for their current projects before Killjoy inevitably falls asleep. She’ll wake up in her bed, not knowing how she got there… and probably forget her day off even happened.

Raze: She’s similar to Phoenix in the sense that she wants to go out and do something fun. She’ll pack some spray paint and go out to find a place to tag or do art on; usually old, abandon buildings… since she’d gotten an earful from Viper the day she got caught tagging a building in the city and had to get bailed out by the Protocol. Turns out graffiti is illegal! Who knew? Raze didn’t! But she’s careful now, and really enjoys expressing herself freely. Might buy herself a large canvas so she can spray paint some stuff back at HQ. Just as long as she doesn’t make a mess.

Sova: The most difficult bastard to convince to take a break, good god. It would take a solid hour of arguing for him to finally concede defeat and agree to the break; ONLY under the conditions that Brimstone will promise to call him to action if they need him. Thankfully it doesn’t come to that, but Sova still spends the day prepared to be sent to a site at any second. He’s not the best at relaxing, and hasn’t done it in years. Still, he’ll make an effort. He calls his babushka, and talk to her for hours if he can. He’ll sit in his bed and journal, or go out hunting in the evening.

Neon: It was probably her idea to give the agents a day off. Though since her powers can be a tad unstable at times, it’s unlikely the protocol will want her leaving the HQ on her own. Not that she minds. She’s most likely spending the day hanging out with Phoenix and Jett when they aren’t busy training, or binge watching some shows she’d been meaning to catch up on. Might join Raze in whatever shenanigans she’s gotten herself into. Might also bother Sage a little bit during the day if she’s bored and wants ideas.

KAY/O: Day off? Does a robot need a day off? It’ll take some time to explain what a day off is to him, and why he needs to take one… Despite the fact he doesn’t have the need to rest as humans do. But he appreciates that he’s being treated like all the other agents, even if he doesn’t require the day off. Brimstone is probably more lenient with KAY/O, letting him be in the labs if he wants to upgrade something of his. As long as it isn’t under his ‘work’ protocol, KAY/O can do pretty much everything he usually does. He decides to take a stab at cooking for the other agents- and even though you’d expect him to pull it off (since recipes are just… instructions for food)… it ends up being inedible, and he makes quite the mess. Jett definitely has a bit of a hissy fit over it, and demands KAY/O clean the mess he’d made. He feels very bad. But you can’t blame a robot for trying something new!

Deadlock: She. Doesn’t know what to do with herself. She’d be one of the few agents who actually tries to get away with working while on her sanctioned day off, but is quickly foiled by Brimstone when he orders Killjoy to deactivate Deadlock’s arm from being able to use her utility. Deadlock is NOT happy about this, and will most definitely hold a grudge. She’ll be in the shooting range most of the day, and will threaten to break anybody who tries to stop her. Her form of relaxing is training. If she is forbidden from training as well, she’ll most likely just lay in bed all day being bitter.

Harbor: He’s not gonna turn down a free day off, that’s for sure. He’s going to make the most of it. Harbor goes down to the beach and spends the whole day there. Maybe he’ll try some local food shops, maybe he’ll play some volleyball… swimming, diving, watching the sunset, listening to the waves… he’s very laid back with whatever he does. Honestly, he’s most likely trying to get himself more in tune with the ocean, observing the waves and the creatures within. Or maybe he just wants to be a beach bum for a day, who knows. One this is certain though: everyone is jealous that Harbor doesn’t burn in the sun. Lucky bastard.

Iso: He’ll shrug and agree. He’s not one to cause a fuss over this kind of thing. Iso will spend most of the day looking into some new music, putting together playlists… he might do some obstacle courses in the training yard for fun, perhaps do a few laps around the field. It might look like training, but Iso is actually just doing it for himself. He likes to keep active, and make sure his agility is in check.

Fade: Oh god. She isn’t happy. Training and missions are one of the few things that keep her mind off the chaotic nightmares she has to deal with. Her prowlers get stir crazy if they aren’t allowed to be let out, so Brimstone promises to let them take out a few bots to satiate their bloodlust while Fade tries to actually relax. She’ll most likely blast music in her room to drown out any unwanted thoughts… and maybe do some online shopping for things she’s been meaning to order. Some new makeup, some hair dye (for herself and for Gekko). Might have a few drinks on her own in an attempt to loosen up at night… and will inevitably forget to drink enough water before bed, so she’ll be extra hungover.

Skye: The second she leaves the HQ, she’s completely off the grid. Nobody is able to contact her, even if they needed to, because she left all her tech at the base. She spends the whole day in the forest, meditating, being one with the nature around her, strengthening her bond with the creatures and life around. She’ll let her trailblazer out to run around, maybe play some hide and seek with it. She’ll climb trees, skip stones… you name it. Skye is making the most of her day off, and enjoying every second of it, living in the moment. She’ll always miss the fresh forest scents when she leaves to return to the protocol. Maybe she’ll bring back a succulent to her room so she can take care of it.

Overtime, this became routine. On days neither of you had a mission, you’d spend time together in the comfort of Iso’s room… quietly bonding, occasionally starting conversations- though usually it was Iso initiating. After all, even after all this time, he still found you to be absolutely fascinating, and desired to learn more about you.

“What do you think we learn from fighting ourselves?” Iso’s voice cut through the current silence filling the bedroom, causing you to look up from your book, eyebrow raised curiously at the sudden query.

“… what?”

“Ah- sorry. That came from nowhere.” Iso apologized quietly, his gaze sheepishly moving away from where you were watching him. “I was just… thinking about our mirror selves. From Omega Earth. How they look and act almost exactly like us- and our teammates as well.”

“Mhm. What about them, though?” You questioned further, noticing Iso shift in his seat.

“I’ve… had this question on my mind ever since I saw myself on the other team. ‘What do we learn from fighting ourselves?’… I’ve asked a few of the others, but… honestly, none of them had an answer I was looking for.” Iso grimaced softly at the memory of him asking Phoenix this question, only for the Brit to cockily answer ‘How much better I am compared to that fake me!’.

You took a moment to ponder his question. This was something you genuinely appreciated about spending time with Iso- he posed questions that made you think. Nothing too philosophical, usually… but it kept conversations interesting, and additionally helped the two of you learn more about how the other thinks.

“I guess… we learn our weaknesses.” You answer after about a minute of silence. “Though it’s not ideal… there’s certain circumstances where our double will be better than us at something. It’ll reveal a weak point in our abilities… and give us something to work towards improving. Alternatively, we learn the weakness of our double, and how to potentially exploit it if need be.” Your shoulders shrugged slightly, as you bit gently at the end of the pen in your hand. “It can also help us to… uh…”

Your hesitance to speak further piques Iso’s curiosity, and his gaze moves to you. He can’t help but notice your cheeks glowing a faint shade of red. You seldom showed emotion like this… allowing yourself to be embarrassed or even revealing a moment of weakness. Despite his desire to urge you into finishing your thought, he knew pushing you to answer would just make you uncomfortable. And, there was the possibility it could cause you to throw out your walls again, giving him the cold shoulder again- he couldn’t risk that. So, he waited.

As much as you wanted to change the topic or just… leave the thought unfinished, Iso’s eyes on you made it clear that he really wanted to know what you were thinking.

“Y/N?” Iso called out quietly. A sigh escaped you reluctantly, as you turned your body to face away from him slightly- only so that he would have trouble seeing how flushed your face had become.

“It… it also helps us to… see what we couldn’t see before. In our own teammates.” You finally continue, deciding to occupy your twitching hands with twirling your pen between your fingers. “How much our team would do to… to protect us. In the face of danger. The threat of death is always so real when you know the enemy won’t hesitate to kill you… sometimes you forget how dangerous it can be. How quickly you can lose somebody. And… how… if a teammate dies, you might go about the rest of your life… regretting that you never got to know them better. Or you might die with the same regret…” You swallow.

You thought back on the day you nearly died at Pearl almost every day. It all felt so surreal… the rush of emotion you felt when you saw Iso in danger? The searing pain from the bullets that had pierced your body?… the last thing you see being Iso using your Operator to take down the approaching threats…

His words echoing constantly in your mind.

“Don’t you dare die on me, Y/N.”

You’d always been so cold towards him… never giving him any reason to like your company. And yet… Iso risked his own life to save yours. With no hesitation.

“Y/N.” It was only after feeling Iso’s hand on your own that you realized he’d been calling your name. His voice was gentle, worry lacing the elegance he spoke your name with. His gaze on you was equally as concerned. It was only in that moment, seeing your own reflection in his eyes, where you notice you’d started crying.

“Shit.” You pull your hand away from Iso’s, and quickly moved to wipe your face of any tears that may had fallen. This was… new. You never let such fragile emotions show in front of the other agents… you only ever let out your piled up emotions behind closed doors, where nobody could see. Where nobody could know. “Sorry, I don’t… know why I’m crying. Can you just forget I said any of that?” You requested, though your voice wavered as you spoke, making you cringe internally. Were you truly so emotional when you thought back on that day…?

Without another word, you found yourself being pulled into Iso’s lap, his arms wrapped around you comfortingly, yet not intrusively. Physical contact wasn’t something you were used to either, but… in that moment? It felt… incredible. You needed this… so badly. For how long you’d needed it for, you didn’t know. You just knew you never wanted this moment to end- as soft as that sounded.

“I’m… not going to let either of us die with that regret.” Iso promised ever so softly, with his head resting comfortably against your shoulder. “And believe me, I don’t intend on dying anytime soon. So you don’t have to worry to much about missed opportunities to… get to know each other. And stuff.”

You kept your face hidden away from Iso; thankful he wasn’t making an effort to look regardless. You felt incredibly vulnerable in that moment… so you truly appreciated that Iso was making the effort to give you some level of privacy. At least as you attempted to pull yourself together again.

“I… I’m glad that… you didn’t give up on me.” You mumble gently against his chest. “… even though I was kind of an asshole to you.”

“Oh, no. You were a total asshole.” Iso chimed. You could just hear the grin on his face through his voice. It made you want to strangle him… not to death, per se.

“… besides. There’s no way I’d give up on someone as… incredible as you.”

Iso’s hand managed to find yours once again, and slowly, gently, you found your fingers intertwining with his without even thinking about it. The previously jarring silence in the room had been replaced with an air of comfortable quiet, as the two of you sat in each other’s company.

You never thought you’d have this thought towards another agent… but…

You really did enjoy Iso’s company. To what extent?… You were unsure.

After losing her team and her arm to a terrifying beast during a mission gone-wrong, Deadlock had her fair share of struggles fitting in. She found it hard to connect with anybody around her on a deep level, out of fear of losing them as she lost her last team. Though time and patience has proven vital in her adaptation to the Protocol, it was clear she still held a great grudge towards one particular agent.

Gekko.

Despite his best efforts to get along with his fellow agents, he wasn't immune to the threatening aura Deadlock gave off whenever her eyes landed on his little buddies. She refused to call them by their given names, only muttering a cold, bitter; "... radivores." under her breath as she passed by. Ever the pacifist when it comes to internal issues, Gekko did his best to be patient and slowly earn Deadlock's trust. If she could learn to trust him, she could surely learn to trust his buddies!

So there he sat, in the commons room, Dizzy sleeping on his lap as his hand mindlessly pet the top of the little creature's head. His eyes scanning over the words on his phone; advice on 'how to conquer your fears' from various sources. He figured that Deadlock's behavior towards his pets were out of fear, less out of a bloodthirsty hostility.

"... You know, being afraid of Scandinavians is an odd fear, but I can't say I blame you." Cypher's voice caused Gekko to nearly leap off the couch; if it wasn't for Dizzy's sleepy self on his lap, that was. He pressed a relieved hand to his chest and exhaled heavily.

"You know that's not what I'm doing this for." Gekko shot a look behind himself, seeing Cypher leaning against the back of the couch, cup of tea in his hands tenderly. The broker chuckled to himself in amusement, always finding some form of entertainment in pestering the younger agents. "I do know. I also know you looked up 'Scandinavian meals' last week. And 'how to comfort a female co-worker without coming across as weird'. Oh, and lets not forget 'how to-'"

"Cypher!" The younger male's hand shot forward, instinctively trying to cover Cypher's mouth, only for his hand to be caught. The information broker couldn't help but snicker; Gekko just knew this bastard had a huge smirk on his face, despite not being able to see his face. He pulled his hand back and felt his cheeks heat up. Of course Cypher knew what he'd been looking into. It was his job to keep tabs on this sort of stuff.

"If you know what I'm trying to do, then maybe you could help me instead of... whatever the heck you're trying to accomplish right now?" The green haired lad raised an eyebrow, quietly hoping that Cypher might actually provide some assistance; but alas, the man simply shook his head. "You know I'm no good at that. If I was, Sova could actually stand being in the same room as me for longer than five minutes."

A quiet groan escaped Gekko, as he rubbed his face with his hands, head resting against the back of the couch, eyes glued to the ceiling, as if the ceiling held all the answers to his dilemma. "Then what am I supposed to do? How can I get her to see what I see?..." His gaze had slowly moved down to Dizzy, who'd woken up by then at the mild commotion Gekko had caused when scolding Cypher. Seriously, how could anybody see Dizzy as a terrifying monster...? She was so sweet...

"That, my friend, you will have to figure out on your own. I doubt she'll be convinced by a simple showcase." Cypher pat the top of Gekko's head before turning to leave, cup of tea still in tow.

--------------

"Gekko, to your left!" Deadlock shouted out, a bullet rapidly firing from her gun to strike the bot that had been approaching Gekko. "Gracias, Deadlock!" He'd shouted back, the sound of his footsteps being drowned out by the firing happening elsewhere in the training grounds. He ducked down behind a wall, the lights dimming to a deep red, causing him to swallow. They'd been shoved into the training grounds without much warning by Killjoy, who insisted they test out her newest upgrades to the bots. And they were proving to be quite difficult, and relentless.

It was clear both agents were getting exhausted, as they'd been at this for what felt like ages; though it was closer to two hours. All they had to do was get to the end of the room and take out the final bot; but with all the other turrets firing, they'd barely had any time to progress. And every time that damn red light went off, it meant any damaged or broken bots were being replaced.

"How the hell are we supposed to progress?" Deadlock asked herself, head leaned back against the wall her back was pressed against, out of breath.

"I told you, if you'll just let me throw out Dizzy, we can blind them and-"

"No, I don't trust that little monster." Deadlock sneered, as she reloaded her gun- though she was very low on ammo at that point. They'd worn out almost all the guns that had been placed in the room beforehand. "Just let me think. I'm sure my tech can... figure something out."

"You can only do so much on your own, amiga. And at this rate, we're gonna get our asses kicked while Killjoy and Brim are watching. I dunno about you, but I'd like to avoid that." Gekko shot back with a hint of attitude, as a familiar blue orb flung from his belt into his hand. Deadlock's eyes narrowed. "Don't you dare, Mateo-"

So threatened by the mere idea of releasing Dizzy onto the field, Deadlock failed to notice the bot that had snuck by her sensor, and was aimed right behind her.

Gekko's eyes narrowed. Instinctively, he tossed up Dizzy, whilst grabbing Mosh from his belt, and chucking it directly at Deadlock- or, that's at least how Deadlock saw it.

It all felt like time slowed down.

She'd flinched and shielded herself, expecting to get... mauled or blown up by the little green creature, eyes screwed shut as she braced for impact-

Until she heard a bot explode behind her. Her eyes shot open as she looked behind her, seeing Moshpit staring at her, clearly happy that it'd managed to keep her safe. She simply stared in confusion, before she heard Dizzy floating above her, blinding the bots with the goo it released. Dizzy happened to land right in Deadlock's hands, her little tag wagging proudly.

It reminded her of a puppy.

"Deadlock- Wingman stunned a path out!" Gekko called out to catch the Norwegian's attention, as she peeked out behind the wall to see several bots disoriented, some still being blinded as well. Pulling out her phantom, she fired with reckless abandon at any bots in their way- revealing the final bot.

"Alright..." Deadlock stepped out from behind the wall, aiming her arm towards the clear path made for her.

"My territory, My rules!"

------------------

The two exhausted agents had managed to pull themselves out of the training simulator with minimal injury. Killjoy was very quick to thank them for helping with the experiment, handing each of them a lollipop as thanks, before she'd retreated to her lab. Especially since Deadlock had been glaring at her. Two hours of testing the damn bots, and all she gets is a piece of candy?

Gekko, on the other hand, despite his own exhaustion, thanked KJ for the opportunity to test her work, and popped the lollipop into his mouth.

"Sooo... Maybe my little buddies can be helpful after all?" Gekko had piped up once silence had settled between them, the two agents walking together towards their lockers to put their util away. Deadlock kept quiet, as she fidgeted with her sensor in her hand.

"They were... less destructive than expected." Deadlock muttered, throwing open her own locker, placing her tech inside. "I suppose I can see how they'd be beneficial in an actual fight..."

"Just a shame you didn't get to see Thrash in action-"

"No, I'm quite glad I didn't see that. Thrash is arguably your most dangerous creature." Deadlock corrected, closing her locker- only to be met with the sparkling, excited gaze of Gekko.

"... What?"

"You just called Thrash by her name.. instead of calling her a monster~" Gekko cooed in a teasing tone. Deadlock's face quickly grew red as she stepped back, quickly averting her gaze from him.

"I-- It was just a slip of the tongue, that's all." Deadlock stammered.

"You also called her a creature instead of a monster!"

"Will you be quiet?!" Deadlock hissed, though it was hard to be intimidated by the Steel Hunter while an embarrassed mess. She turned on her heel, making an effort to escape the conversation before Gekko could spew more nonesense.

But Gekko simply tailed behind her with a grin. "Okay, Okay- but you saw most of them in action today. Which one's your favourite, huh?" He urged. He was treading very dangerous ground, truthfully-

"... Dizzy. Her behavior... reminds me of the halden hounds from my home country..."

----------------

"You really asked those two to test your new bots...? You know they don't get along." Cypher questioned with a raised eyebrow, his glowing blue eyes boring into Killjoy's sheepish smile as the two of them entered the commons room.

"Right! And nothing brings enemies closer to becoming friends like a near-death experience in a fight! Though it was a simulation..." Killjoy attempted to defend her actions, though her train of thought was immediately cut short as she stopped in her tracks, hand shooting over to stop Cypher from progressing forward as well.

The Moroccan did indeed stop, confused. Following Killjoy's gaze until it landed on the couch.

On the couch, to their surprise... was Gekko and Deadlock, asleep, Gekko's head rested on the Norwegian's shoulder... surrounded by Thrash, Dizzy, Wingman and Mosh, who were all comfortably snuggled up against Deadlock in one way or another.

"... Deadlock will murder you if you take a picture." Killjoy had slowly and quietly warned- only to hear the soft click of one of Cypher's many cameras.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?! Aren't you supposed to be some kind of... myth or some shit? Where is your head at?" You hissed at him, causing Iso to swallow the nervous lump suddenly in his throat. Why was he so off his game today? Was it solely the fact he was put on a mission, at the same site as you? Was it--

Bullets began raining through the screen they were ducked behind, relentlessly. That was an Odin in action, easily- the inaccurate bullet holes said that much, since they were shooting from so far away-- though before you could properly assess the situation and form a plan, or even call for backup- you felt a searing pain in your shoulder. A pained hiss escaped from you as you instinctively pushed Iso away. Then another bullet, then another-

Before you could take more hits, you found Iso in front of you, sending his shield forward to stop anymore bullets from reaching you.

Throwing you into his arms, Iso took a running start and slid into B hall, where your operator was, setting you down by a wall. "Sage, I need backup at B site immediately!" Iso shouted into his coms, as he positioned himself at your Operator. His eyes bore into your soul as you felt a strong dizziness overtake you, the sound of the gunfire becoming a ringing in your ears.

"Don't you dare die on me, Y/N."

The last thing you remember is Iso firing your Operator, and the sound of the Odin stopping.

------------

You awaken to the dim lighting of the infirmary, and a soreness throughout your torso. Moving to sit up was painful, forcing you to move slower as you got a feel for your surroundings. Looked to be about 3AM, based on the deafening silence. And the clock on the wall was a helpful indicator as well. Duh.

You rubbed your face, still feeling completely drained and exhausted. Looking down at your torso, you see nothing but a few new scars, presumably from where you'd been shot. A shoulder shot, one to the side, and one just narrowly avoiding your stomach. Any more bullets and you'd look like swiss cheese.

Once your senses were fully awake, you became acutely aware of another presence in the room. Your eyes shot towards where you sensed this presence, expecting to find Sage or maybe even Skye-

"Iso?"

Iso had been sat in a chair nearly, eyes closed resting, with a single earbud playing music into his ear. Usually he'd have both in and completely tune everything out after a mission- something you'd noticed the first few times you'd gone on a mission with him. A little thing to notice, you thought to yourself.

At the sound of your voice, though a tad hoarse from having just woken up, Iso's attention was directed to you immediately. His eyes widened in both surprise and relief, as he tossed his earbuds aside, and slid his chair over to your bedside. "Oh thank god. You've been out for days, I was starting to think Sage lied to me when she said you were stable." His voice was drenched in relief.

"You told me not to die on you. So I didn't. Just following orders." You started, earning a slight glare from your fellow agent, who didn't seem too pleased.

"Uh- no. No more of that." He interrupted you before you could say anything else, holding his hand up, as if to tell you it was his turn to speak. Your eyebrows furrow in confusion. "No more of what-?" You prompt slowly, not entirely sure why he seemed so upset. You were fine, weren't you?...

"This... whole thing you do!" Iso gestured vaguely at you, trying to find the proper words to convey his frustration, but it only left you more confused- and a little irritated.

"What are you talking abou-"

"You pretend not to give a shit about anybody, you give everyone the cold shoulder- you make it clear you don't want to associate with any of us. And then, for some reason, you basically throw yourself in front of an Odin to save me? Risked your life for someone who you've only ever pushed aside?" Iso's eyes narrowed at you as he speaks. You feel a strange nervousness twinge in your chest.

"Sage had to resurrect you, Y/N. You literally died for me! I just... don't understand what your deal is!"

You didn't notice until now, but... Iso was holding your hand in both his own. His voice was wavering, but he dared not subject you to anything further than that to show his fear.

You find yourself averting your gaze, noticing there's a single lilac on the table next to your bed.

"I... I apolog-... No. I'm sorry, Iso." You correct yourself, your usually-tense shoulders shifting to a more relaxed position, despite your mild discomfort at being called out like this. Had you really been so cold towards the other agents?

"Listen, I-... Don't exactly have an explanation that'll satisfy you." You admitted softly, causing Iso's gaze to soften in return. Sighing, you continue. "I've always... worked on my own. I never found a need to make connections with the people I happen to work alongside, because I know that... one of us is inevitably gonna leave, or die. It'll cause more grief than anything, getting close to people, only for them to be taken in the blink of an eye. I've been through my fair share of loses... and I'm just sick of how terrible it feels. It's better for me to just get by without getting too attached. Nobody gets hurt that way."

"I don't think you're thinking about this right at all." Iso piped up quietly, though there was an air of understanding laced in his words. "I was a fixer, Y/N. I worked solely on my own, like you. If I crossed the wrong kind of people, anyone I cared about could become weapons to be used against me for blackmail. It was only after joining the Protocol that I started opening up to others. After all, Valorant has promised to protect me from my employers, so any connections I make within Valorant are... safe. This is the only place I feel like I can make friends that won't be used against me, I guess." He wasn't able to keep his cheeks from reddening. Admitting all this was new for him, but... he thought that if he shared his own experience with you, maybe it would provide you the comfort you need to do what he did.

The silence in the room was heavy, and yet... it was oddly comforting to you. You actually had someone who understood where you come from. A small smile found its way onto your face, as you allowed your gaze to meet Iso's.

"I guess despite my best efforts... I ended up caring about someone after all. Some idiot who almost got a bullet to the forehead." You couldn't help but smirk faintly as you flicked Iso's forehead, causing the man to flinch in response. He shot you a slight glare, though no malice could be detected behind his eyes. He let out a sigh, shaking his head slowly.

"You're... never gonna let me live that down, are you, Y/N?"

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