#<- automated agent responses ;)

[performix]

Performix stands out as a premier insurance app development company in the USA, delivering cutting-edge solutions for insurers. 

[gardenwons]

LET ME IN, PLEASE🥛

SYNOPSIS As the new doorman for the shabby apartment complex, you learn quickly to recognize imposters until eventually a cunning doppelganger entered the building—also making its way in you.

PAIRINGS: doppelganger!jungwon x doorman!reader

WARNINGS: smut with plot, dom!jungwon, making out, unprotected sex, breeding kink, praising, blood, lowkey mean won(?)

A/N: loosely based on "that's not my neighbor," was vv in love w/ the milkman pls he's a sweet boy and it was supposed to be seung but jw my love it is!

5 minutes till the end of shift.

And in the past few hours of your shift, the scene at the checkpoint remained tense yet controlled. Behind the desk, you tapped away as you await the next individual on the list. Hours had been spent meticulously weighing each resident’s reasons and paperwork, a task heavy on your shoulders each time.

You were startled by the sudden creak of the door, which swung open to reveal a tired-looking man. His eyes betrayed his exhaustion, yet he managed a weary smile as he approached the window. "Hello, here’s my ID," he said, placing it on the counter with an air of casualness, his gaze drifting away as he stifled a yawn. His hair, tousled beneath a hat that hinted at his profession.

You inspect his ID with a mix of weariness and curiosity. He seems new? you wonder to yourself, but quickly push the thought aside. "Entry request, please?" you ask, meeting his already fixed stare with a gentle smile as he hands over the necessary paperwork. "Ah, yes... forgot about it, sorry" he mutters apologetically. You accept the documents, scanning them carefully before glancing over to your left. "You’re not on today’s list?" you observe, noting a slight raise of his eyebrows as he shakes his head. "I'm supposed to be there? Probably an error" he mutters, his response prompting a hint of suspicion in your gaze.

Cautiously, you check his phone number and attempt to dial it. "I'm sorry, sir, but you must be on the list to be let–" Before you can finish, he interrupts, addressing you by name. "___?...right?" he questions, his lips forming a tight line as he pleads, "I'm really tired today. If you could just be a sweetheart and–" Suddenly, the phone rings, and you hastily pick it up, your heart skipping a beat as you hear the voice on the other end. "Hello? Jungwon speaking–" The realization hits you– how can the man in front of you look undetectable? His eyes lock onto yours as he blurts out, "Fuck." It's clear he knows he's been caught.

Shaking uncontrollably, you were on the verge of dialling the emergency number when he suddenly slammed his fist against the window, causing you to let out a scream. "Don’t make this hard for me now, angel" he said, his tone surprisingly gentle despite his earlier aggressive action. The encounter with this doppelganger was unlike anything you had experienced before – simultaneously strange and alluring, perhaps due to the handsome facade he wore, and god did he wear it well.

"Let me in or..." he trailed off, a glimmer of malice and lust flickering in his eyes as his lips curled into a smirk. "-I’ll let myself in." Despite the magnetic pull you felt towards him, and the undeniable surge of attraction coursing through your body, you pressed the emergency button. Watching as the metal wall descended, separating you from him. Jungwon's curses echoed loudly from behind the barrier as you continued to dial the D.D.D.

"You have contacted the D.D.D. A group of agents has been sent to your building" the automated voice informed, bringing a momentary sense of relief as you awaited assistance. But his next words shattered that peace. "You know I could kill them all and still get through to you, hm?" he taunted over the metal barriers, causing your heart to race even faster. "Or maybe that’s what you wanted?” Jungwon sighed, clenching your thighs together as you heard him chuckle. “Sweet girls like you shouldn’t play games like this" he scolded with a tsk, following with “It does however, make me want to devour you more”

Huddled in your seat, you listened as the agents rushed in, screams filling the air for what felt like an eternity. For what seemed like so many agonizing minutes later, silence fell upon the room. Trembling, you called out, receiving no response. With caution, you deactivated the emergency button, watching as the metal wall retracted, revealing a gruesome scene before you. Jungwon stood amidst the lifeless bodies of the yellow-suited agents, his back heaving with exhaustion. Blood covered his face and hands, dripping onto the ground.

Unable to find your voice, you watched in horror and awe as Jungwon approached your window, his eyes softened, ruby painted hands clasped together in a pleading gesture as he begged, "Please, I... I didn't mean to. I just wanted to go in." His lips formed a pout, his eyes glossy, yet his face was streaked with blood. Hat nowhere to be found, his hair was ruffled, with some strands sticking to his blood-stained face, "I know i messed up, just let me make it up to you inside" he continued pleading, his lips curving into a genuine smile as he sensed your resolve wavering. Despite the firmness in your stance, his appearance – bloodied, hair tousled, voice filled with desperation stirred something within you, whether you had a clear head you knew the heat was getting to you down there. He gestured toward the green button, the one that would unlock the door, his gaze unwavering as he directly addressed you. "Press that for me, please?" he instructed, as if your better judgment didn't matter. And at that moment, it didn't. 

You found yourself slowly reaching for the unlock button, his presence casting a mesmerizing spell over you. "Ah, that’s my girl" Jungwon praised, his words sending a rush of heat to your cheeks. Yet, beneath his seemingly genuine appreciation, there lurked a sinister undertone, evident in the chuckle that escaped him as the doors clicked open.

Without hesitation, he winked at you and slipped inside, leaving you feeling breathless and foolish. "What have I done?" you muttered to yourself, but before you could fully grasp the weight of your actions, the door to the office swung open behind you. Turning, you found yourself face to face with the bloodied man once again, his eyes fixated on you like a predator sizing up its prey. A chill ran down your spine as he licked the stain of blood from his lips. "Can’t just leave without giving my girl a reward, can I?" he teased, his voice dripping with a dark promise.

As you instinctively reached for the nearest makeshift weapon, Jungwon's eyes rolled with a playful smirk. "Aren’t you adorable? If I wanted you dead, I would've done so earlier" he teased. Jungwon’s words hung heavy in the air as he advanced towards you, his expression softening into that same endearing pout.

"You've done so well for me, angel" he cooed, his arms enveloping yours, causing your heart to race as his scent enveloped you—metallic from the dried blood and musky, intoxicating in its allure. Leaning in, his hair falling gently over his eyes, he fixed his gaze on you, seeming to see right through you, transparent in your vulnerability.

"I could be yours, please let me in" he whispered, his lips brushing against yours, waiting for your consent.

Without hesitation, you pressed your lips to his, feeling him sigh contentedly against you. His hand slid to the back of your head, tangling in your hair as he gently pulled you closer. His lips trailed down your neck, leaving a warm path in their wake. Gripping your hair, he tugged on it, drawing a moan from your lips.

His lips continued their journey down your neck, each kiss growing more intense as his grip tightened on your hair, drawing you closer to him. Jungwon’s breath was hot against your skin, his mouth teasing the sensitive spots just below your ear, sending shivers down your spine. He adored the way your body reacted to him, the subtle arch of your back, the soft gasp that escaped your lips, it all fueled his desire. His other hand slipped down your side, fingers grazing over your curves, leaving a trail of fire in their graze.

As his lips found their way back to yours, his kiss became more demanding, his tongue slipping past your lips in a heated dance with yours. The taste of him so metallic, dark, and utterly intoxicating—clouded your senses, making it impossible to think clearly, to think logically. His hands were everywhere, exploring your body with a possessiveness that made your knees weak. Jungwon pushed you against the wall, his body pressed firmly against yours, the heat between you both intense. His hand slipped beneath your shirt, fingers brushing over your bare skin, sending waves of pleasure through you.

Jungwon broke the kiss, panting slightly as he gazed down at you with a mix of adoration and hunger in his eyes. "You feel so good, sweet angel" he murmured, his voice thick with lust as his hand slid lower, teasing the waistband of your pants. He gave you a wicked smile before slipping his hand beneath the fabric, finding your most sensitive spot with ease. His fingers moved with expert precision, thrusting in your walls, drawing out moans from you as he leaned in to kiss you again, swallowing every sound you made. The world outside ceased to exist as you lost yourself in his touch, the innocent people already forgotten as the intensity of your connection left you breathless and wanting more.

Jungwon's fingers moved with a skilled rhythm, each stroke sending jolts of pleasure through your body. His lips trailed along your jawline, nipping gently at your skin as he worked you closer to the edge. You could feel the tension building within you, your breathe coming in shallow gasps as his touch became more insistent, more demanding. He seemed to sense the exact moment when you were about to tip over the edge, pulling back slightly just to tease you, watching with dark, lustful eyes as you writhed in his arms, desperate for release.

A loud smack echoed through the room as his hand connected with your ass, his eyes glaring down at you. "Patience, angel" he whispered, his voice low and husky, filled with a dark amusement. He relished in your need, the way your body responded so eagerly to his touch. Maybe this was just as delicious as eating flesh. His thumb brushed over your clit, sending a shockwave of pleasure through you, making your knees buckle as he held you up against the wall. "I want to see you fall apart for me" he growled, his voice thick with desire as he pressed his lips against yours again, the kiss deep and consuming.

With a final, skilled flick of his fingers, he sent you spiraling into a powerful climax, your body shaking against his as you moaned his name. Jungwon watched with a satisfied smirk as you came undone in his arms, his hand never stopping its movements, drawing out every last bit of pleasure from your trembling body. When you finally came down from your high, he gently removed his hand, bringing it up to his lips as he licked his fingers clean, eyes locked onto yours with a possessive intensity that sent a shiver down your spine.

With a sudden, forceful grip, Jungwon spun you around, pressing your chest against the cold metal desk. His breath was hot against your neck as he yanked your skirt up, not wasting a moment before tearing away the thin fabric covering your core. "You're mine, aren't you?" he growled, his voice rough and filled with a dark hunger. You barely had time to respond before he thrust into you with no warning, filling you completely, the sharp pain mixing with pleasure as your body adjusted to his size.

"Fuck, you take me so well" he groaned, his hips snapping against you with a brutal pace, the sound of skin against skin filling the room. Each thrust was hard, merciless, and deep, driving you forward on the desk. His hand found your hair again, yanking your head back as he leaned down, his teeth grazing your ear. "You're going to take every drop of me, let me fill you up until you're dripping with me."

His words sent a shiver down your spine, the rough edge to his voice only heightening the intensity of the moment. Jungwon’s pace was relentless, every thrust pushing you closer to the edge. His grip on your hair tightened, pulling you back further as he forced you to arch, the angle driving him even deeper. "Good angel" he praised, though his tone carried a mocking edge, a smirk can be heard through it. "You love this, don't you? Being fucked like this, knowing I could fill you up right now” You could only moan in response, the overwhelming sensations rendering you speechless. The slickness of your arousal mixed with the occasional streak of blood from where his nails had dug into your skin, a reminder of the rawness of the situation. Jungwon’s other hand moved to grip your hip, his fingers digging into your flesh as he pounded into you intensely. "Say it" he commanded, his voice low and commanding. "Tell me you want it. Tell me you want to be filled, bred by me."

Your body was trembling, barely able to hold on as you gasped out the words he wanted to hear. "I want it" you managed to choke out between moans. "I want you to fill me up please" the coherent you would have pushed him away, clearly realizing this wasn’t even the real Jungwon.

A satisfied growl rumbled from his chest as he picked up the pace, slamming into you with enough force to make you see stars. "That’s right, angel" he groaned, his grip tightening as he drove you both towards the edge. "Take all of me. You’re going to be so full of me, there won't be any doubt who you belong to."

With a final deep thrust, he buried himself inside you, his body tensing as he released into you. The warmth of his seed filling you sent you over the edge, your body shaking around him as you climaxed, your cries of pleasure bouncing in the room. Even as the waves of pleasure washed over you, Jungwon stayed inside, his hands still gripping you possessively.

Breathless and spent, he leaned over you, pressing a kiss to the back of your neck, his voice soft but firm. "I knew you would taste so sweet" he murmured, leaning in to kiss you once more, his lips lingering on yours as he whispered, "And now... you're mine, angel." He stepped back, his eyes filled with dark satisfaction, the taste of you still on his lips as he gave you one last, lingering look before turning to leave. You watched him go, your body still trembling, cum dripping down you legs as your mind swirled with a mixture of fear, confusion, and disturbing attraction. The door closed behind him with a soft click, leaving you alone with the echoes of your own rapid breathing and the scent of him still clinging to your skin.

You slumped against the wall, trying to make sense of what had just happened, the reality of it slowly sinking in. You knew you should feel horrified, disgusted even, but all you could think about was the way he had made you feel, the dark, consuming passion that had ignited between you two. It terrified you, but at the same time, you couldn't deny the magnetic pull you felt towards him, a pull that had led you to do the unthinkable. As you slowly gathered yourself, your heart still racing, one thought lingered in your mind: this was far from over.

taglist:

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@ilovejungwonandhaechan

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[haileyrobotnikova]

Perfect! I was trained to do quick, small surgeries as a Special Forces Agent, so if you're okay with it, I could get it out. I know how these chips work, too.

Hiya Stone-man, long time no see! *cracking a grin* Can I get that tracker from your shoulder? I low-key need it and Reyes won't give me one.

- Hailey Robotnikova [AD]

The... tracker in my shoulder?

How do... oh. I don't know if I can get it out safely, but if you can, then yes. You can have it.

-- Stone

[lostintransist]

Fallen Angel | Something Stupid

AO3

Simon is lounging at the table while you boil some water. You stared at the kettle as you waited. The electric one you had wasn't working, you didn't have the funds yet to replace it and didn't dare mention it to Simon. The last time you mentioned that you needed something he added you to his credit card. That had been a whole thing.

Flicking through the mail you found a plain envelope with your name on it. Bit odd, but might as well check what bill collecter this was from. Sliding the guts from it you are surprised when one side of the folded paper dips with weight.

Concerned now, you flatten it against the counter. Glued to the middle right of the paper is a black credit card with your name on it. Outright worried is now your level of concern.

The letter is generic, here is your card, here is how to activate it, signed from the issuing company.

Thinking this must be some elaborate scam you grab your phone and search for the customer service line of the company. Waiting on the line and dodging the automated system you finally reach a person.

"Thank you for calling *Credit Card Company*. How can I help you today?" The professional voice on the other end chirps at you.

"Hi, so I have a bit of a weird situation that I am hoping you can help me with." You pause for a breath before continuing. "I recieved a card in the mail from your company but I don't have an account with you and I am a little worried that this might be a scamming attempt. A elborate one, but still."

"Oh, that does sound quite odd. Can you give me the number that appears on the card? We will see what I can find," the gentle concern layed over customer service helps.

"Yeah," you provide the number and wait.

A moment of silence is broken by the agent.

"I'm still here, I am just double-checking what I am seeing so I give you all the correct information."

"That's fine, I won't think the call dropped if there is silence." You had a phone job once. Heaven forbid you not be filling the silence on the line or a customer would lose their minds.

"Okay, so it appears that you have been added by a cardholder with us. A Simon Riley has added you and initiated the card being sent to the address we have on file. Is there anything else I can help with today?"

"I...no..I guess that is everything I needed. Thank you for your help," you stare at the counter as you try and process what you learned.

Staring at the spotted formica of the counter you lean forward on your hands. The shock had started to wear off, you couldn't decide if what you were feeling was nausea or rage. Why the hell did he add you to his credit card? You barely knew each other!

Yes, you lived together but the man was gone 80% of the time and you hardly spoke the other 20. The only thing you could think is that you happened to mention needing deodorant and that having to wait because of when payday occured.

Calling him seemed the best option. You knew he was still in the country. Said he would be home in two days and had to finish up some overnight training at a nearby base.

Your call reaches voicemail after two rings. Calling again it hits voicemail immediately.

"Fucker you cannot avoid talking to me about this," you growl at your phone. Your case bites into your fingers where you grip it tight. "Fine, let's try John."

John picks up on the third ring.

"Price."

His work voice makes you smile.

"Hi John, is Simon around by chance?" You ask sweetly.

He must turn the phone to his shoulder as he shouts for Simon by his call sign.

"Phone's for you."

A shift in the silence tells you Simon has put the phone to his ear.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" You snap into the phone.

"'bout what?"

"The credit card?" You can't prevent yourself from slashing your hand through the air even though he can't see you.

"It's easier."

These short responses are making you madder.

"Simon Riley who does this make things easier for?!"

"Me."

"Explain that," you growl into the phone. You start to pace the length of the kitchen.

"Keep the food stocked and yourself cared for. Price, here is your phone."

Agast you can't keep your mouth from dropping open.

"What's that about?" Price's voice draws you back from the edge of madness.

"That is about Simon adding me to his credit card without talking to me about it and expecting me to use his money responsibly and keep food in the house. If he doesn't show up to his next assignment it's because I've killed him, John. That man takes too many liberties with my life and I don't know how to make him stop."

"Well, first off don't threaten him. I can almost guarantee he likes it," John muttered into the phone.

"That is not helpful John," you snap.

"Sorry, don't know how to be helpful in this kind of situation. Call me if there are more issues though." He ended the call without a goodbye.

When you stretched your jaw to work some of the tension out of it the joint popped.

The whistle of the kettle drew your attention from your memories. Filling one cup had you turning the green kettle nearly vertical and still not having enough water to finish filling the large mug.

Without thinking about why it would be a bad idea you pull the top off to refill it. A puff of boiling steam rushes up and over both of your hands. You drop the kettle to the stove with a hiss.

"Well, that was stupid," Simon comments.

Rolling your eyes you stick your hands under cool running water. "Don't you ever do something stupid without thinking about it?"

His head appears before you, lips pressed to yours. His eyes are soft as he pulls back.

"Yes."

You glare at him.

"I'm not going to take offense that you think kissing me is stupid. Nope, not taking offense at that."

You slam the water off and aggressively dry your hands, tossing the towel on the counter instead of neatly returning it to its home.

A few hours of avoiding him later you overhear a conversation on speakerphone from the living room.

"Simon you are the stupidest smart man I've ever met. And that's saying something, we both know Soap," John chastises Simon.

Simon chuckled dryly, "Still don't understand how he can do the math to blow an oil rig sky high but can't figure out a budget."

John chuckles in reply.

"Don't know how to explain to her that it was the kissing that was stupid, not the kissing her," Simon says quietly.

"Can't help you there, if she's mad at you she is more likely to agree to go on a date with me," John points out sounding smug.

Is that what they have been doing asking you on dates, trying to win? You can't decide if you should be offended or flattered.

"I could take her on a date if I wanted but I like spending time with her here."

"I like spending time with her too, but I can also get a cool activity out of it at the same time," John counters.

Okay so maybe they weren't all trying to date you, just spend time with you and only have the language to call it a date. Hmm. Looks like you will be hearing from John soon then about a date.

Fallen Angel Masterlist | Masterlist

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved on our archive

Whenever you hear someone trying to blame kid's poor test scores "post pandemic" on "lockdowns," show them this.

By Dr. Sushama R. Chaphalkar, PhD.

New research shows that mild COVID-19 alters brain structure and connectivity in key areas responsible for memory and cognition, emphasizing the lasting effects on young people’s brain health.

In a case-control study published in the journal Translational Psychiatry, researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cognitive tests to examine brain structure, function, and cognition in adolescents and young adults with mild coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) compared to healthy controls in a pandemic hotspot in Italy. They identified significant changes in brain regions related to olfaction and cognition, with decreased brain volume and reduced functional connectivity in areas like the left hippocampus and amygdala, which were linked to impaired spatial working memory. Notably, no significant differences were observed in whole-brain connectivity, suggesting that these changes were localized rather than widespread.

Background COVID-19, primarily known for respiratory symptoms, also affects the central nervous system, leading to neurological issues like headaches, anosmia, and cognitive changes. MRI-based studies reveal anatomical brain changes in COVID-19 patients, such as reduced gray matter and decreased volume in regions like the hippocampus and amygdala, often linked to cognitive deficits.

While research mostly focuses on severe cases and older adults, a majority of infections with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of COVID-19, occur in adolescents and young adults who also experience long-lasting cognitive symptoms.

This age group, undergoing key brain development, is impacted by changes in spatial working memory and brain structure, which are crucial for cognitive functions shaped by social interactions, significantly disrupted by the pandemic.

Given that this is the largest and most understudied population affected by COVID-19, understanding the brain and cognitive impacts in adolescents and young adults is vital.

Therefore, researchers in the present study compared anatomical, functional, and cognitive outcomes, utilizing a longitudinal design that allowed them to assess both pre- and post-infection differences, in COVID-19-positive and negative adolescents and young adults from Lombardy, Italy, a global hotspot during the pandemic.

About the study The present study involved participants from the Public Health Impact of Metal Exposure (PHIME) cohort, a longitudinal investigation of adolescents and young adults in northern Italy. Between 2016 and 2021, 207 participants, aged 13 to 25 years, were included in a sub-study with MRI scans and cognitive tests. After COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, 40 participants (13 COVID+ and 27 COVID−) participated in a follow-up study, which replicated the MRI and cognitive assessments.

The mean age of participants was 20.44 years and 65% were female. COVID+ status was confirmed through positive reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests within 12 months of follow-up. Neuropsychological assessments used the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) to evaluate spatial working memory.

MRI and functional MRI data were acquired using a 3-Tesla scanner, processed, and analyzed for structural and local functional connectivity using eigenvector centrality mapping (ECM) and functional connectivity (FC) metrics. Whole-brain functional connectivity metrics showed no significant differences between COVID+ and control groups, indicating that the observed changes were specific to key brain regions rather than generalized across the entire brain.

Statistical analysis involved the use of pairwise Student's t-tests, Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, linear regression, two-waves mediation analysis, negative binomial regression, and linear regression, all adjusted for covariates.

Results and discussion Significant differences were observed in the two groups regarding the time between assessments, COVID-19 symptoms, and vaccine status. The research identified five localized functional connectivity hubs with significant differences between the two groups, including the right intracalcarine cortex, right lingual gyrus, left frontal orbital cortex, left hippocampus and left amygdala, which is vital for cognitive functions. Only the left hippocampal volume showed a significant reduction in COVID+ participants (p = 0.034), while whole-brain connectivity remained unchanged, reinforcing the localized nature of the brain changes.

The left amygdala mediated the relationship between COVID-19 and spatial working memory "between errors" (p = 0.028), a critical finding that highlights the indirect effect of amygdala connectivity on cognitive function in COVID+ individuals. This mediation analysis underscores the role of specific brain regions in influencing cognitive deficits, as only the indirect effect was statistically significant for spatial working memory errors. The orbitofrontal cortex, involved in sensory integration and cognitive functions, also showed decreased connectivity in COVID+ individuals, supporting previous findings of structural and functional changes in this region during COVID-19.

The study is limited by small sample size, lack of diversity, potential confounding factors due to the long interval between MRI scans, treatment of certain subjects as COVID-negative based on antibody testing beyond the 12-month threshold, and the possibility of non-significant findings in mediation analysis due to these factors.

Conclusion In conclusion, the findings indicate persistent structural and functional alterations in specific brain regions of COVID-19-positive adolescents and young adults, including changes in gray matter volume and localized functional connectivity, which correlate with diminished cognitive function, particularly in working memory.

Further research is necessary to evaluate the longevity and potential reversibility of these brain and cognitive changes post-infection, enhancing our understanding of post-COVID outcomes and informing future interventions and treatments. The longitudinal design of this study, with pre- and post-COVID data, strengthens these findings by allowing direct comparisons over time, offering robust insights into the impact of COVID-19 on adolescent brain development.

Journal reference: COVID-19 related cognitive, structural and functional brain changes among Italian adolescents and young adults: a multimodal longitudinal case-control study. Invernizzi, A. et al., Translational Psychiatry, 14, 402 (2024), DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-03108-2, www.nature.com/articles/s41398-024-03108-2

[drabblesandimagines]

Dove (part five)

Leon Kennedy x female reader - the slowest, slow burn I swear Part one. Part two. Part three. Part four.

You try your best to focus on show on the television – watching them take down a non-load bearing wall with sledgehammers in a somewhat poor technique - but you really wish you had your phone. This would be a perfect time for mindless scrolling through various feeds, rather than thinking of the handsome agent you’d just taken a nap on, apparently. You wonder if anyone’s texted you, tried to call only to be met with an automated voicemail message... unless the DSO have managed to get your phone to power on, teasing a few rings before they’re asked to leave a message.

You have friends to make plans with, of course you do, but the majority are spread country-wide now, have been for years since you finished college, so it’s not going to be strange if you haven’t replied to anyone for over 24 hours… No boyfriend to fret over your whereabouts either, your last relationship too long ago for any hurt feelings to remain.

And it’s definitely for the best that you don’t have any parents who will worry when you don’t check in.

Your mind drifts back to Leon. How long could this thing last? Say when they clear you – you can’t bear to think of the alternative of being accused of a BOW crime, you’d never see the light of day again, your name buried in a file never to be released - how long will it take to work out if your life is or remains in danger, and would he stay with you the entire time? Surely he has his own life to get on with, other responsibilities to the DSO than just a babysitter, probably got a partner at home too, though there was no ring that you saw. Probably wouldn’t wear one as an agent though, gives away too much about a personal life.

Besides, there were so many people in your office, would they really know if one person made it out alive? It’s not like you had seen anything of real value, or knew anything about the assailants, besides that they were murderous creatures… or so you thought. You deal with a lot of cases, is it possible that one of them traced the operation back and sought revenge?

If the painkillers hadn’t been wearing off, aches awakening in various parts of your body, you might’ve started pacing around the room for something else to do. This place could do with a bookshelf, you reason, or maybe people aren’t here long enough to read books? There was a pile of books on your night-stand, all in hopes of being read, which just reminds you that Hunnigan said they were going to send people to search your apartment. What for – a to-do list stuck to the fridge with a magnet with a singular bullet point of ‘betray US Government’?

She said there’d been a data breach too, so did someone let loose those things as a deadly distraction to get what they came for? And surely there was a back-up in a cloud or something. You hadn’t been privy to that side of the operation and if you’d started asking questions at any point, it would’ve looked suspicious.

No, you were just a good little intelligence agent, you clocked in and out on time, dutifully noting down observations, connecting the dots all day long, just wanted to make the world a little safer for everyone, but failed miserably at doing so for the people in your office.

And those things…

Are they what you’ve been working against all this time?

You shudder as you swear you can feel the way the its wet tongue wrapped around your arm, warm saliva against the prickly goosebumps on your skin in a firm grip, its teeth, the lack of eyes, how its body looked almost inside out, muscles and sinew…

You increase the volume on the television, praying the noise cancels out your thoughts and that Leon comes back inside soon.

--

Leon finishes his perimeter check once again in an even 25, satisfied there’s been no unwanted guests since his last round and confirming what he’d seen via the camera feeds. It’s coming up to 1700 now - he’ll need to make some sort of dinner for you to take your meds with, so realistically his 2000 self-imposed deadline for submitting his report to Hunnigan is not happening. He can throw them together pretty quickly– experienced agent that he is – but he knows his limits. Doesn’t exactly want to rush this, especially when he hopes it’s going to clear your name. He takes out his phone and types out a text.

Need to revise my report ETA. Midnight do?

He expects Hunnigan’s caller ID to flash up as soon as she’ll have read his text, but there’s nothing. Huh – must be wrapped up in something else. He repeats his whole garage routine, eyeing up the duffel bag he’d dumped on top of the dryer when he’d came out and sighs.

He's been in safe houses before - wasn't lying about that - just not with such pleasant company, nor anyone who really deserved it so far. His track run has always been Umbrella scientists who have suddenly developed a conscience, pleading for protection and a lenient jail sentence in return for information on the corporation, or other people involved in the production of BOWs. He's certainly not made the likes of them oatmeal in the morning, drizzled a smiley face in honey – what was he thinking, again? - lunch and dinner, washed and dried dishes, helped them changed, tucked them up in bed. Hell, one guy he’d made sleep on the floor cos he was such a jerk. They’d been sent to a studio apartment of all things and Leon had happily set himself up in the bed, dumping his duffel bag of weapons across the bedspread and sat there cleaning them all methodically, checking cartridges and glaring at the man he deemed a worthless piece of shit who was sat on the two-seater sofa, sweating buckets.

He picks up the duffel bag and moves to unlock the door. Once he's submitted the report and Hunnigan's searched your place, then he'll be able to drop a couple of the rules and…

And what, Kennedy? He scolds himself. Wishes he’d crossed paths with you at DSO HQ before on a day he was feeling confident enough to shoot his shot with a drinks and dinner invitation. Hunnigan’s right from this morning – he’s grown sweet on you particularly fast, but that’s something he’s managed to retain from his younger years, too easily a lovesick puppy for any woman who will entertain it, even after everything with Ada. But it’s a little different with you, just the way he recognizes that look in your eyes, the very one of guilt, disbelief and horror that he had when he looked in the mirror after getting out of Raccoon City and every mission since. 

He finally heads back inside, locking the door back up securely again. You don’t look to have moved from your position on the sofa, still looking at the television but the volume’s increased - he’s sure if he were to ask about what was happening you wouldn’t have a clue. It’s only the day after, you’ll still be trying to process everything, all whilst being locked up in a safe house with a near enough stranger and away from all your home comforts.

He places down the duffel bag carefully in its usual position before slowing walking over, making sure his steps are a little heavier than usual, aware that you might be too wrapped up in your own thoughts to have heard him re-enter and he really doesn’t wanna make you jump, very aware of how on edge you’re still going to be.

Once he’s sure he’s in your peripheral vision, he waves – smooth, Kennedy – know he’s got a goofy-looking smile on his face as he drops his arm back to his side. “Er… I’m back.”

“Hi,” you can’t help but smile back at his awkward little half-wave. “Everything okay out there?”

“Yeah – all clear, as expected. You hungry? Thought I could whip up some dinner to go alongside your next dose of painkillers.”

“I think I could manage something.” Your appetite is still shy – managed half a sandwich at lunch and that was sitting a little heavy in your stomach, but you know that Leon’s not going to let you take medication again without some sort of food.

“Okay, lemme see what we’ve got.” He claps his hands together, heading back towards the kitchen. You wince a little as you turn in place to watch him rummage through the cupboards, trying to assemble a meal from what the DSO had packed up. About a moment or two later, he pops his head up above the counter. “How about pasta? I think I can put together a somewhat decent tomato sauce for it.”

“Pasta sounds good.” You get to your feet as he ducks his head back down, continues his rummage in the cupboards before placing various items out as he works it all out in his head. “I know I’m one-handed, but… can I do anything?”

He stands up then with a bag of pasta in hand, ready to protest when he takes another good look at you, standing awkwardly at the edge of the kitchen area, sees the tinge of frustration across your face about everything clear as day, obviously sick of the television for now and he can’t blame you - there’s nothing else to do here but sleep, eat and watch that.

“Yeah, actually,” he sweeps his hair out of his face and places down the pasta on the counter. “I think I can find something.”

20 minutes later, you’re stood at the hob, stirring Leon’s off-the-cuff tomato sauce – a can of chopped tomatoes, some peppers and herbs - to stop it from sticking to the bottom of the pot as the pasta bubbles away in another, all whilst he grates some cheese on the counter behind you. It’s the easiest job by far, you’re having to stir it oh so gently, lacking the other hand to hold the pot handle steady and you know it would probably be fine left alone to simmer, but it’s nice to feel like you’re contributing a little at last.

“How we doing over here?” Leon stands behind you, looks over your shoulder at his culinary creations.

“Okay, I think. It smells good.”

“Ah, trying to flatter the chef.” His watch beeps – a timer he’d set for the pasta. “Excuse me.”

You think he’s going to step forward to turn off the hob so you step back at the same time that he places a hand on your waist, thinking you were about to move off to the side. You bump into his chest – a reminder of how solid it had been when you’d taken that involuntarily nap on him earlier and Leon swallows down a nervous chuckle as your backside nestles for a moment against his crotch.

“Sorry, Dove, I-“

“Oh, sorry-“

The two of you apologise over each other, awkwardly, and you finally step to the side, Leon dropping his hand to swiftly turn the heat off the hob for both of the pots. “I… I think I’m good here – do you want to handle drinks?”

“Yeah, sure.” You duck your head down, swearing your face is now as red as the pasta sauce, and retrieve the glasses from the coffee table from earlier, refilling them with water from the kitchen tap and returning them back one by one, as Leon sets about draining the pasta and then combining the two.

You don’t sit yet and hang back, watching him dish up between two bowls before he slides on towards the end of the counter, followed by the plate of grated cheese. “Wanna do your own cheese too?”

“Yeah - thanks.” You walk forward and grab some of the cheese to sprinkle over the pasta. It feels nice to have some autonomy again, to be contributing in any sort of way and you think maybe, just maybe, you could get used to this awkwardness of the situation, even if it’s just through dinner…

Leon crouches down to open a cupboard and you hear him fiddle with the metal lockbox being unlocked as he retrieves your medication.

..maybe not.

---

Masterlist . Requests welcome . Commissions/Ko-Fi

Comments, follows, likes and reblogs make my day! Part six.

[mezzy-1]

Radiant Recruitment (Valorant X Reader Part 3 // MISSION)

Name: Y/N 

Class: Radiant

Callsign - Nomad

A few weeks had passed since you had been recruited by Valorant to help with the interdimensional attacks.  Your power over radiant energy was stronger, and you had even mastered shifting into energy.  An alert went out to all the agents and you were sent on your first mission.

(GIF from Infamous: Second Son)

Omen

Lotus was a beautiful temple, devoted to ancient beings and immersed in their mystery

Sadly, you couldn’t take time to marvel at the stone carvings, as you were pinned by a barrage of lead

The shots grew closer and louder, each one destroying more of the stone wall you hid behind

You were stuck in the hall to Site C, and backing further towards the waterfall embedded in the wall

Pure shadows formed into a large orb between you and the shooter.  As the orb encircled you, a shape twisted out of the space behind you

“You cannot be alone Y/N, it is too dangerous.”  Omen scolded while pulling an Operator from his back

“I have you as backup, I’ll be fine.” you reassured, placing a hand on Omen’s hood to readjust it

“Take this,” he placed a Sheriff in your hand, “we will not let them win.”

Taking advantage of your cover, you slid into the shadow and waited.  The barrel of an Ares poked in and an agent stepped through

Grabbing the gun quickly, you disarmed the agent as they tried to fire the gun in response.  You pulled them into the smoke and shot twice

Breach’s double slumped to the ground with a heavy crash, the Ares still in your hands.  You decided to take it as to even the odds

“That was, impressive Y/N.”  If Omen could still smile, you guessed one would be spread across his face

Making your way through the temple, you and Omen moved stealthily while getting closer to the Spike

Walking into the amphitheater in B Site, you checked for any sign of movement before stepping inside

Immediately an Alarm Bot exploded towards you, and Omen quickly threw himself in front to take the hit.  He stumbled back while an automated turret blinked to life

“I did not see them Y/N, they were waiting in ambush.”  

“I’ll handle their toys Omen, just wait here.” you whispered before activating your abilities

You dashed in and tossed a pulsing ball of energy into the air

Solid energy slammed down onto the turret, pulsing into it and expanding outward.  Pieces of scrap littered the room 

Before you could take another step, a Nanoswarm erupted at your feet and you hopped back.  Knowing that Killjoy was likely biding her time, you decided to call in help

“Omen!  Teleport across here and start firing!  Trust me!” you yelled to the phantasmal agent

Smoke began to form on the raised platform in B Site as you charged through the swarm.  Spotting Killjoy training her gun at Omen’s teleport, you shot before she could

Omen reformed as Killjoy fell, looking on in silence.  He nodded to you before continuing forward

“Y/N, you are injured from the trap.  Are you in any pain?” he pointed to the scratches and scoring along your legs

“I'll be fine, but I appreciate you asking.”

Arriving near A Site, you made your way to the stairs and put a hand onto the wall.  Omen watched and curiously approached

“This wall leads directly into where they have the Spike, but they’ll see me if I come through.”  You looked over to Omen.  “Mind putting shadows behind this wall?”

“I’ll do one better Y/N,” Omen sent a wisp of shade through the wall and another towards the entrance to A

“They will flee in terror when we strike Y/N.” Omen’s rage was barely restrained.  You phased into the wall and fell through into a waiting cradle of darkness

Omen’s Operator let a round spiral through the air.  The sound signaled you to leap from the shadows

You crawled out from the clinging darkness and readied your Ares.  Bracing for the knockback, you steadied your legs and pulled the trigger

A torrent of bullets screamed from the barrel.  Each round cracked brick, scattered stone, and crashed into the temple

Caught between the onslaught was Yoru, who reacted quickly and teleported away.  You heard him appear somewhere close to the site and waited

Yoru walked out from a corner and began sprinting towards you

Realizing it was a clone, you shot it’s head then moved back into the darkness Omen provided and repositioned

Yoru had swung the corner in an attempt to counterattack but met his end through your Sheriff

The Spike was located at the ascender.  Running towards it with a defuser ready, you came face to face with, yourself

Your mirror jumped from the ascender, kicking you down and causing you to fall onto the gravel.  A Shorty was pointed in your face by a smirking double

“You really are quite the disappointment.  Seeing you like this, it’s kind of sad that I thought we might be similar.”

Your mirror kicked you in your chest and sent you away from the Spike.  They readied a shell in their Shorty

“This is pathetic to see.  I’d feel bad for you, but I doubt it would make a difference.  I’m going to enjoy ending your poor little existence.”

As your mirror gloated, your eyes caught movement appearing behind them.  Pebbles began to shift as your mirror’s shadow grew longer

“I was hoping for more of a fight.  Any last words?” your clone taunted

“Behind you.” Omen whispered as he finished forming behind them

Spirals of darkness tore through the air and twisted into your double.  Omen’s Paranoia blinded them while you rose to your feet and shot the mirror

“Thanks for the save Omen, I wouldn’t be here without you.” you smiled at him as you finished defusing the Spike

“I was only doing my part Y/N.  But I do appreciate your gratitude.”

“Oh I haven’t finished thanking you yet Omen.  I can do better than just a simple ‘thanks’ you know.”

Omen turned his head towards you in confusion

“You and I are going to take a day off.  We should go somewhere and rest up.”

“But my condition-”

“That’s why you should pick!  Where do you want to go Omen?”

“... I would like to visit the forests near here.  It is innocuous and beautiful, and we can spend time together Y/N.”

“That sounds like an excellent idea!” you replied

Chamber

Fracture may have been abandoned, but it was never forgotten

Chamber was visibly uncomfortable as you and him entered the ruins and began your sweep

“Is there something wrong?” you asked, checking over your Vandal one more time before looking over to Chamber

“Non, it’s nothing.  I find myself distracted by other affairs, but I have plenty to concentrate on here.”

You playfully batted him in the arm and stepped forward into the moss covered ruins of Fracture

Before you could take the stairs upwards, a bullet missed your forehead by a single hair.  Over at the site, you heard the sound of footsteps and Spike being planted

You and Chamber reflexively took cover behind a wall.  You began to gather radiant power in your hands.  Chamber unholstered a Headhunter

The sound of Chamber’s Trademark came from behind, and he swung around and landed a shot right into an enemy Reyna

She had been lurking in the underside of the Spike site, and could have killed you 

“For that I think you owe me a date Y/N.!” he took aim at the stairs while you began to run towards the site

Breach’s double lept out to open fire but was promptly shot by Chamber.  You were almost up the stairs but wall of jade erupted, blocking your path

A grenade flew over the wall and burst open, explosive shells showering you momentarily

Chamber grabbed you and rolled, keeping you from harm

“We don’t have much time, we have to rotate Y/N.”  Chamber dusted himself off while helping you up, taking a Rendezvous card from his pocket

“No, I can phase through the wall and defuse it.”

“Y/N, there’s at least 3 agents over there.  C’est impossible!”  Chamber warned as you embraced him for the last time

He grabbed both of your hands, and you could feel the metal card contrast against his warm palms

Raze bounced over the wall and Chamber twisted and shot her mid air.  You took your moment and transformed into pure energy

Dashing through the wall, you slammed the ground and a wave of force sent the enemy Sage upwards

You shot her before moving to the Spike, which had been hidden behind a crate

“I always wondered what my mirror would look like.” a voice came from behind you, and instantly you were on the ground with a bullet wound

Turning around, you came face to face with yourself.  It was uncanny and the Phantom being pointed at you made it even more frightening

“I know mirror implies an exact copy, but I thought you’d at least be a little different.  Oh well…” your clone mused

You felt around for your Vandal, but your double kicked it away.  You reached for a side arm but felt nothing, save for Chamber’s card

“Don’t squirm, I don’t want to waste any shots on you.” your mirror spoke

“My, two of Y/N.  I must be the luckiest man in the world.”  Chamber joked as he teleported in, Tour de Force ready

Earlier as Chamber held your hand, you had taken the card.  It had been activated when your double had been gloating 

“NO!” your mirror screamed as Chamber’s gun punched a hole through their sternum.  You quickly defused the Spike and rested once it stopped

“Y/N, that’s 3 times I saved you.  I think that earns me something, no?”

“What did you have in mind?”

“Dinner, and don’t worry I know an excellent place in Paris.  My treat of course.”

“That sounds wonderful.”

Iso

Most missions with Iso were easy, mainly because you and him worked so well together

This one was an exception, as the Omega Protocol had decided to launch a Spike attack in a metro station

You and Iso were the only ones that snuck in.  You had used the abandoned tunnels to get in and start your counterattack

“Baochi zhending Y/N, we can’t afford distractions.” Iso loaded bullets into a Sheriff and you followed suit

“But you’re going to listen to music like usual?” you pointed at his earbuds

“It isn’t distracting, it gets me to focus.  I can send you some recommendations when we’re done.” Iso began strolling towards the platform

When you both reached the stairwell, Iso activated Double Tap while motioning for you to make your own move

Particles of radiant power erupted under the stairs and flowed outward near the top.  Suddenly a rival Phoenix sent a flash around the corner, blinding you

Two shots echoed, and as your eyes cleared Iso stood before you covered in a shimmering coat of radianite

“Let’s take care of them.  I’ll take the lead from here.” he raised his Sheriff and made his way up the stairs

Entering the platform, you could hear the Spike counting down farther in the hall.  Carefully, you navigated kiosks and stalls searching for movement

A single shadow moved behind you, and you turned to face an Omen appearing.  You rolled and shot, a direct hit to center mass

Iso’s training had paid off, you’d have to thank him for the lessons later

A sniper bullet harmlessly bounced off his head, a purple flash showing the Double Tap had worn off

Blazing forward, you came face to face with Sova.  He tried to shoot once more but you grabbed his Operator and punched him with a radiant fist

“Y/N, I can see they have the Spike here.  It’s down on that platform.” Iso pointed to a flight of stairs leading down to the tunnels

“I can enter and defuse, but you’re going to have to cover me Iso.”

“Don’t worry,” Iso readied a wall of radianite, “they won’t touch either of us.” 

The wall launched forwards with you behind, and bullets rattled against it.  Each shot leaving ripples in the structure

You darted left, then shot at the first person you saw.  An enemy Yoru fell while you shifted into radiant energy

Springing from your hiding spot, you phased through an enemy Deadlock’s wires towards their source

You sank your fist into her chin before moving onto the Spike.  Your form shifted back and you readied the defuser

“So this is my mirror, strange.” a voice came from the shadows

Your own double stepped out from a pillar and took aim with their own Sheriff.  In their eyes was an unnerving coldness

“Well it’s not worth considering anyway.” they spoke as they began to pull the trigger

Instantly your mirror was surrounded by a grid of hexagons and was pulled into the floor.  Iso had used Kill Contract on your double

You finished defusing the Spike but soon after, violet sparks appeared in front of you and someone exited the domain

“Na hen jianden.  I guess that version of you didn’t train enough.”  Iso straightened out his hoodie 

“I suppose so.  Speaking of that, are we still on for training later?”

Iso looked over at with a raised eyebrow 

“You want to actually train, after all of this?  I’m amazed that you still have energy for that.”

“I don’t really mind training at the range.  It’s like you said, there's something relaxing about taking time and aiming.”

“True, but I am going to be making a hotpot for dinner later and I’d like you to come by and taste it.”

“In that case we should probably skip going to the range, I can rest up over dinner with you then.”

“We’ll hit the range afterwards, but for now we should rest up.  You did excellent work Y/N, that deserves something.”

Gekko

“Vaya Y/N, up here!”  Gekko alerted you while reaching a hand from an industrial vent.  He gripped your hand and pulled you in

The Kingdom facility in LA was already destroyed but a few more had popped up nearby.  Gekko and you were sent in to see what was happening

“Mira Y/N, there’s guards laying everywhere.  We should take a look.”  Gekko peered through the grate before kicking it out and dropping the to the floor

“They’ve all been shot,” you took out a Phantom and switched the safety off, “do you think it could be-”

Gekko tackled you to the ground as knives flew at you.  Jett’s double floated above the ground and got ready for another volley

You reached a hand forward and sent a crackling ball of plasma towards her.  It zapped through the air and impacted against her

Gekko slid the action back on a Ghost, and finished her off with a single shot

“Ay mierda, of course these putas are here.  They probably have a Spike too, we should move.” Gekko summoned Dizzy and held her close

You followed the halls around while trying to listen for a Spike.  The noise grew as you got closer to the center

A ball of poison enveloped you and Gekko.  He fell back and tossed Dizzy forward and you followed her

You eased along the wall, then listened for Dizzy to shoot.  You caught Viper wiping goo off her eyes and shot

Gekko grabbed Dizzy and put her back, then looked ahead with a sudden shock

You saw that the Spike was placed on an upper floor with only one set of stairs leading upwards.  There was only one way forward, and you had to attack directly

“I’ll cover you with Thrash and then you can do the rest.  Vamos Y/N!” Gekko guided Thrash forward while you charged alongside her

The creature impacted at the top of the stairs, disabling a waiting Killjoy and Cypher.  Your shots connected to the vulnerable agents and you called Gekko up

“Nice job!  We’re unstoppable right?” Gekko celebrated as he made his way to the Spike.  On his shoulder was a smaller Wingman he was petting

“Y/N!” he yelled as a bolt of plasma hit him square in the chest and sent him over the handrails.  The Wingman had grown and was barely holding onto Gekko

“You got too confident, you shouldn’t be so quick to call victory.” your own voice spoke to you

Your double held a Vandal and sneered at your disadvantage.  The Phantom wasn’t aimed, and any move would get you shot

“I guess I shouldn’t either, I’m going to finish this and then move on to Gekko once I’m done.  Sorry.”

The sound of a Spike being defused caught your mirror off guard, and their eyes shifted over

Wingman was defusing the Spike, but Gekko was nowhere to be seen.  Your double aimed at Wingman but you hit them with a quick jab 

The Spike was finished and Wingman jumped at your double, slamming them off the floor and chittering angrily as they fell

“Calma Wings, I think we’re good.” Gekko pulled himself up from the edge and you helped grab his arm

He tumbled into you.  You both lay on the floor, tired from the adrenaline

“We should probably get out of here before the cops arrive and Kingdom gets wind of this.”

“That’s a good point,” you sat up and started to rise to your feet, “where should we lie low?”

“I know this awesome taqueria a few minutes from here.  It’s 100% authentic too, the entire menu is in Spanish.”

“Can you translate it then?”

“Por supuesto Y/N!  I’ll even pay too, it’s my idea.”

Viper

Inside the frigid cold of the American Northwoods, you and Viper had decided to follow up on rumors about a Kingdom research facility

Viper had found the location from old contacts she had, and you came to help as back up

Your ability to phase through matter proved useful, as it gave you and Viper easy access to the building

Walking carefully to avoid the cameras, you and her made your way into the lower levels 

“Stop Y/N,” Viper paused and put her back to the wall, “I hear something around the corner.  Stay close to me and follow.”

“Understood.” you took your Ghost and crept behind Viper as she turned around the corner and froze

“Shit.” Viper gazed over the railing towards a collection of machines, pipes, and consoles below.  Across the room was a group of 3, all mirror agents, setting a Spike

Viper dropped down with you, then launched the Toxic Screen from her arm.  The pieces rained down along the industrial maze

She turned the mists on and got her weapons out.  She carried with her a Phantom and Ghost

You took point and moved along a large pipe, keeping your head below it to stay in cover.  A part where the toxins blocked the route appeared

Sounds of machinery revving and spinning along the ground grabbed your attention.  A Boombot raced out of the toxins towards you

Before it could explode, Viper shot it and signaled to charge into the toxins.  Your radiance gathered into the tips of your fingers

A volley of plasma rushed through the toxins and incinerated the path forward.  Following behind, you peeked the corner and shot as you left cover

An enemy Raze fell to the floor with a primed grenade clattering from her hand.  The explosion sent you backwards into some pipes

Gekko’s mirror came running towards you with a shotgun

Green smoke cut his vision, and in a second you had disappeared from your spot and had a Ghost to his back.  You pulled the trigger

Once more you channeled your power, and began to transform into energy.  Moving through walls and pipes, you arrived at the Spike

Buckshot hit your back and you tumbled to the floor in a daze.  You felt the barrel of a gun touch the back of your head

“I never really thought I’d see my mirror up close.  It’s so weird.” you heard your own voice muse

Whipping around with your Ghost, you brought the barrel up to your own double.  They rolled and kept you in a standoff with their own gun

“Even if you shoot me, you’ll be too weak to defuse the Spike.  Why not just give up now?” your clone taunted you while training their Specter on you

“I don’t need to shoot you, I just need to defuse the Spike then?” a smile crept onto your face

“That’s not going to happen,” your mirror’s eyes narrowed, “you aren’t getting out of here alive.”

“Neither are you.” Viper growled, stepping from a shadow and firing at your doppelganger.  A Toxin Orb flooded the space with mists

They fled into the facility, and away from you.  Quickly, you reached the Spike and defused it as quickly as possible

As it settled, the cloud of toxins dropped around you.  Viper strolled up to you, then eyed the Spike

“Good job Y/N.” 

“I took out 3 agents and defused the Spike.  It was more than a good job!” you retorted

“Is that so?  You did well, but you needed my help in the end.”

You crossed your arms and leaned against a support pillar

“Don’t be so dramatic Y/N,” Viper picked up the Spike and shoved it into your hands

“We did our jobs Y/N, that’s enough for a day.” 

“It’s worth a day off at least.”

“Could’ve been worth dinner, if you hadn’t needed a rescue at the end.”

“Then I’ll pay this time,” you began to walk out with Viper, “where are we dining?”

“Somewhere with a good wine list, and of course we’ll have to dress up.  I assume you have fine clothes Y/N.”

“I have something tucked away for special occasions.” you winked over at Viper

“I can’t wait to see it then, Y/N.”

Neon

“Ughh, these guys are such a pain to deal with, right Y/N.” Neon shouted while pressing her back to a wall

“I agree, but can we talk after we send them packing?” you yelled back from behind a crate.  You took another magazine and tossed it to Neon

“Please Y/N, you and I don’t need to worry about anything.” Neon loaded the mag into her Bulldog

“On 3?” you signaled

“Yeah,” Neon nodded to you, “3!” 

She threw up a wall of energy and dashed in.  You followed suite and chased in with your Stinger

The Spike was already beeping away.  The Omega agents had set up in a market near a waterfront

Stalls full of produce, fish, and baubles had been abandoned by their owners.  Bridges crossed the waterfront and connected the market

You and Neon were fighting near a warehouse and were making your way over one of the concrete bridges to the Spike

Neon and you ran inside the cover she made before shots ripped through the wall.  You both hid behind a cart filled with bottles

The walls began to fade out and you glanced over to some of the bottles that had fallen out.  You spotted Iso’s double through the reflection

“Neon, shockwave on the cart!” you ordered.  Arcs of electricity jumped from her arms to the cart, then into the ground

You turned and fired at a stunned Iso, his arm jerking as tried to shoot.  He hit the ground with a heavy thud

“Y/N, I can see the Spike!  It’s across here near that statue!” Neon pointed to the Spike while getting ready to sprint

A rumble came from underneath the bridge.  Suddenly it began to split apart and both sides started to rise up

“It’s one that let’s ships through.  Dammit, they must’ve hacked the controls!” you slammed your fists against the cart in anger

“Nah, I don’t think it’s a problem Y/N,” Neon began to grin, “I have an idea.”

“What were you- Hey!” you were surprised when she grabbed you and hoisted you over her shoulder

“Hold on Y/N!” Neon took off down the street as the bridge continued to raise.  Wind flew by your face while cars blurred around you

Her speed carried you and her upwards, and in one great stride she cleared the gap between the halves

“Kumusta ka Y/N?  Are you still with me?” 

You breathed a sigh of relief and slid off of her back.  You shakily got to your feet and started to move forward with Neon

“I’m good, but don’t do that again please.” you groaned

A wave crashed forward from the sea below and swept Neon away.  Gold spirals and floating bits of surf animated the wave as Neon was pushed into the ocean

You moved quickly to target Harbor, shooting him down.  You ran to the coast but a round of buckshot almost sent you over the edge

While holding on, a familiar face, your face, stepped into view.  Your mirror looked down at you dispassionately

“I expected a lot more from my double.” your clone racked another shell in their Bucky and aimed downward

“This is probably freaking you out and all, but honestly,” they moved their finger to the trigger, “who even cares?”

It was almost hopeless, Neon couldn’t fire electricity with saltwater around and you couldn’t really attack from your position

One of your hands slipped and your grip tightened in response.  Particles gathered around all of your hands as a reflex  

Your double let out a sadistic laugh

“You haven’t won yet, so I wouldn’t celebrate too early.” you gritted your teeth and more energy gathered around your free hand

“Let’s fix that then.” your double pulled the trigger and you loosened your grip and fell

You dove into the water and swam straight down.  The unstable particles in your fist made contact with the sand 

A geyser sent you upwards to a surprised mirror.  They quickly aimed another shot at you 

Bolts of lightning hit them, and they fell to the ground in jerking spasms.  Neon had grabbed your hand and rode up with you

“Salamat Y/N!”  Neon quickly sped to the Spike with a defuser in hand

You arrived just as she finished defusing it.  Taking a moment to relax, you took a seat from a stall and exhaled deeply

“That was a lot.” you looked over at Neon while she picked up the Spike

“I agree, but it was kind of fun right?  When we went over the bridge, that was awesome!”

“It was scary, but I’m glad we made it out in one piece.” you caught Neon staring at a food stall

“Hungry?”

“Y/N, you have no idea,” she stretched her legs, “I could eat everything here.”

“Well let’s find a place nearby,” you suggested.  Neon’s eyes filled with anticipation

“I saw this one spot with a ton of rice dishes that smelled amazing a few kilometers away.  We should check it out!”

“Yeah, but let’s shower off a bit because both of us are covered in seawater and grime.”

“Sure, but when we’re done I’m racing you to the place.  Loser buys the food.” Neon smiled at you with sparks in her eyes

“You’re on.”

Cypher

Bind had never been a particularly important location to you, but the stories that Cypher had told you made you much more driven to root out Kingdom’s presence

Currently, you and Cypher were on an assignment to steal data from Kingdom and find more radianite refineries

You and him finished downloading employee names.  Herrera, Johnson, and Kimura flashed across the screen

“They’ll have nowhere to hide now, eh Y/N?”

“Serves them right for destroying this place in the name of profit.”

“Of course,” Cypher opened a feed to his camera.  He froze, looking closer and then taking out a Vandal

“We have visitors, and they seem to have a Spike with them.  Let’s not let them take more from my city.”  Cypher used his camera to mark one of the agents

“Y/N, take them out and I’ll advise through my cameras.”  

You grabbed a Vandal from your sling, and stepped out to the battlefield.  Sneaking along the wall, you stalked the outline of the agent before it stopped transmitting

“They removed my dart, not that it matters at this point.” Cypher whispered through your radio

Sparks of energy flooded your palm and bonded into a mass of burning plasma.  You tossed it over the wall and listened to it explode

You moved quickly through the archway and felt melted glass crunch under your boots.  Eyes darting around, you checked for enemies and caught the reflection of something gold

You spun around and fired before Chamber’s mirror could pull the trigger on his headhunter

“Nice work Y/N.  Chamber can take his secrets to the grave.” Cypher praised using your earpiece

“Can you give me information on who else is here?” you asked while moving through to the hookah bar

A sudden tripwire alarm cut through your radio and you dove to cover before bullets hit the ground to your right

The three shots from your Vandal dropped Neon’s double that had gotten caught by one of Cypher’s traps

“I knew someone would fall for that.  Thanks for cleaning them up.” Cypher’s tone was calm despite your beating heart

“Just letting you know, I can see one other agent on site with the Spike.  Looks like Sage to me.” 

“Understood, moving towards the Spike.  Thanks for the advice.” you spoke while beginning to phase through the wall 

Arriving onto the site, you could see the Spike and nearby Sage had a rifle trained on hookah’s entrance

Quickly, you moved around the metal shelter and fired a round into Sage.  Running over to the Spike, you began to defuse

Immediately, you felt pain arc through your leg and collapsed to the ground.  You reeled on the ground but tried to move over to the Spike before another shot rang out 

“Cypher!  There’s someone else here, they-” the radio went silent as someone began emerging from the from the shadows

“My, it seems like my mirror doesn’t measure up to the real thing.” your double spoke while loading another round into their Marshall

“I wonder where the next shot is going to come from.” the mirror taunted while moving out of your sight

You crawled into the shelter to defend yourself and slumped against the wall.  You could shoot through it but the Spike would finish you off if you couldn’t defuse it

“If you weren’t such a disappointment, you may have actually been fun to fight.  Instead you crawled into a metal coffin to die.” your double’s voice echoed around you

A round from an Operator fired through the wall of the shelter, clearly meant to show your mirror had upgraded

“Don’t worry Y/N, I have you covered.” Cypher’s message cut through the radio static

Suddenly your mirror was highlighted through the wall, and you fired right for their head.  You watched them drop through the bullet holes

Sounds of the Spike defusing relaxed you as Cypher approached your hiding place

“How did you-”

“Chamber’s corpse.  I used Neural Theft to scan for your adversary.  I knew if I helped you just a little you could triumph.”

“Thank you Cypher,” you struggled to get to your feet and Cypher knelt down.  Cradling you in his arm, he carried you out of the shelter

“Y/N, you don’t have to thank me.  You would’ve done the same for me, but if you wanted to show some gratitude then I have something in mind.”

“Which is?”

“I know a wonderful restaurant we can eat at when your leg has been healed.  Does later tonight work?”

“Definitely!  I can’t wait!” you exclaimed while holding Cypher a bit tighter

Fade 

Stakeouts were usually quite boring, but not this assignment

While watching a shipment of Radianite moving from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea, you and Fade had been sent back to Istanbul to monitor for attacks while it docked

Now you and her were fighting a team of agents hijacking the boat at dawn.  You and her hid in the shadow of the boat while moving into the cargo hold

“Y/N, wait.” Fade commanded while reaching for her Ghost.  “Before we enter, we need to-” 

The sound of a Spike being planted sent fear rattling down your spine.  Fade looked over as if sensing your worry

“Don’t let it control you Y/N.  I need you to stay calm and fight alongside me.” Fade placed a hand on your shoulder

“I’ll be alright, just tell me where to shoot.”

Fade smiled and gathered a mass of writhing shadows in her hands.  Lobbing the bundle deeper into the ship, it rose up like smoke with two piercing eyes 

“Go Y/N, öldür onları!”

Dashing across the water and into the cargo hold, you saw two agents hiding amongst the crates and pillars.  They were highlighted against the shadows and industrial lights

You were against Omen and Reyna.  Orbs of pure shadow appeared throughout the room while the click of metal boots echoed through the space

Gathering energy into your hands, you compressed it into form and strained to hold it in your fist.  You waited for them to make the first move

Reyna’s Leer appeared in front of you, sending you to the nearest cover to break line of sight.  You narrowly avoided a spray of metal before hiding behind a girder

To slow down her assault, you let loose a volley of energy and fired back to suppress the attack.  A stray bullet hitting a light gave you an idea

Taking a moment, you shot every light you could see and repositioned.  Waiting in the dark, you stopped your radiance momentarily to blend in

Firing a small wave of bright particles away from your spot, you watched as muzzle flashes from the other side tracked the decoy

Shooting quickly, you managed to hit Reyna and took a second to aim for Omen.  When you had him in your crosshair he was already teleporting away

“Damn it.” you whispered while keeping low to the ground and peeking for any sign of Omen

Something behind you moved and you shot

A rat scampered out from a nearby barrel and dove into a vent for safety

Instantly, you swung to the side to avoid a knife aimed for your neck.  Moving back, you could barely see Omen against the darkness

A knife fight against him would be impossible, especially in the dark where he could freely attack

“I can feel you getting nervous Y/N.”  Fade yelled from across the cargo hold.  “Don’t let him intimidate you!”

Fade was right, and in a moment of pure calm you developed a plan.  Radiance flooded your body but instead of letting it take you completely you held onto your physical body

Bright light surrounded you, and suddenly the trails of shadow coming from Omen while he shifted around 

“Fade, do you see where he is?”

“Evet Y/N!  He’s to the right!”

You shot at Omen and hit him directly while he lunged with his knife.  The weapon clattered to the steel floor of the hold

“It was smart to create your own light Y/N.  We still have more to do though.  Gidelem Y/N.”  Fade pointed to a latter leading to the upper deck

You climbed ahead of her and caught a glimpse of the morning sunrise.  It was a deep orange with rose colored clouds

Hiding near a cargo crate, you spotted the Spike in the middle of the ship.  It seemed to be unguarded, but there were plenty of places for someone to hide

“I’ll flush them out with Prowlers.  Tamam Y/N?” 

“Got it Fade, ready when you are.”

Two bestial creatures oozed out of dark miasma near Fade’s arms, low growls rumbling from their tensed jaws

Darting towards the Spike, the spectral hunters split and began searching the nearby tarp-covered barrels and crates.  A roar sounded with accompanying gunshots after

You moved in towards the Spike while the assailant fought off the Prowlers.  Fade crept behind and broke away to secure the area

Stepping closer, a slight resistance met your shin.  In an instant your legs were tangled in one of Cypher’s traps

Knowing he would attack someone caught in one of his wires, you made a plan with what you had around you.  A barrel leaking oil gave you an idea as you shot the trap 

Freeing yourself, you fired at the oil barrel and dove into the spill.  Sliding along the floor, you aimed and shot Cypher from a low angle

Able to defuse the Spike, you made your way to the device ready to end the battle

That’s when you locked eyes with a familiar face

“It must be unnerving to see your reflection like this.  Well only for you, I’m not too worried about it considering you’ll be dead in the next minute.” your mirror spoke

You narrowed your eyes and took aim at the doppelganger, but around you something began to move about

Kingdom’s security appeared, filling the top deck with armed guards in flak armor.  They barked orders at you and your mirror, oblivious to the volatile Spike

Your double merely smiled and leaned against a crate, unfazed by the development while reveling in their victory

One of the guards training a pistol on you took a step closer, then froze.  Through her face mask you could see her pupil dilate before she fell onto the ground hyperventilating

Darkness and the vague forms of monstrous beings crept over the deck like a growing shadow.  Each guard ran or collapsed screaming in terror

Your mirror’s eyes filled with darkness, causing them to flee by jumping from the boat

“Dinlenmek Y/N, it’s over.” Fade stepped over to you.  Trails of fear gathered at her feet and pulsed with every step

“Thanks for the help, it was looking helpless back there.”

“Rica ederim, it was nothing.” Fade finished defusing the Spike while ambivalent to the chaos around her

“Fade, we should probably get out of here before these guards get their vision back right?  Don’t you have a safehouse nearby?”

“Evet, but I know a better spot.  It’s a cafe in Maltepe, we can wait there for a bit.”

“I guess I could eat something after this,” you picked the Spike up, “what food do they have?”

“Simit, kahvalti, menemen.  The usual kinds of breakfasts, and any of them will taste good.”

“That sounds wonderful!  I can’t wait to try them.”

Deadlock

Snow lazily drifted down onto you and your winter jacket.  The cold night you had spent at Icebox was peaceful until you heard the sound of a Spike

Ice crunched under you as you walked carefully towards the office area and listened for movement

Behind you, a sound startled you and you aimed your Guardian at the source

“Vent rolig ned Y/N!” Deadlock hissed while putting her arms up.  “It’s only me, I came as soon as I heard the Spike.”

“You scared me, I thought you were one of the Omega agents.  Sorry about almost firing.” 

“Think nothing of it, it was only a reflex.  We need to make our way towards the Spike, la oss gå.” Deadlock unholstered a Vandal and pointed to the corridor into the offices

Sneaking towards it, you and Deadlock kept a sharp eye for any sort of movement.  Deadlock raised her hand and ordered a halt

“I don’t like this, it looks too easy to walk up there.  Hold on Y/N.” Deadlock tossed a Sonic Sensor onto the entryway of the corridor

“Y/N, I’ll go towards the back through the cargo yard.  You follow me and cut through the offices, we’ll clear them as we work our way into the site.”

“That sounds like a good plan, let’s go.” you said while taking a deep breath and tightening your grip on your Vandal

Stepping closer to Deadlock, you followed her lead through your new path.  She tensed and pushed you out of the way

A round pierced the snow behind you, leaving a sizable hole in the ground.  Ducking into the nearest cubby, you spotted Deadlock doing the same across from you

Realizing that the shooter had to have fired from a higher vantage point, you guessed they had to be shooting from behind the slope near Mid Broiler

You made sparks shoot from your hands before engulfing it in energy.  Deadlock saw your plan and fired suppressive shots blindly at the sniper

Twisting out of cover, you threw a fistful of explosive energy towards the broiler and moved in while it rained fire

Moving around the corner towards the sniper, you spotted Jett’s double watching plasma cook the steel around it

You shot quickly, narrowly avoiding her retaliation before overwhelming her with bullets.  She fell into the snow lifelessly

“That was a clever move Y/N.  Flott jobb.” Deadlock saluted you before the sound of the Sonic Sensor exploding drew her attention

Deadlock and you aimed towards the disturbance before a smoke blocked your vision.  It was a dull brown and had fallen out of the sky

“Helvete, they want us to fight here.  Make your way to the Spike,” Deadlock placed her Nanowire Wall into the smoke.  

“Let them come for us, I won’t lose here.” She punctuated by loading a round into her Classic

Moving up the stairs towards the Kitchen, you got ready to sneak around to the site.  A wall of fire blocked your steps

From the opening to Mid Blue, Phoenix shot through at you with his own rifle while moving forward.  You had high ground but were trapped by flames

He moved under Tube and closer to you, keeping you from running via suppressing fire

You couldn’t go forward without burning, nor try your luck outside without being shot.  Using the adrenaline you made a quick assessment of the surrounding kitchen

A plan formed in your head, and you readied your Vandal while moving to the side of the opening 

Phoenix’s Curveball swung through the entry and popped, blinding light filling the kitchen.  Your eyes averted, but saw a ball of fire land into the room 

A sneaker wreathed in flames stepped into the room.  Phoenix was engulfed in fire, and confident where he stood

Shooting your target, you knew you already had Phoenix beaten.  The sink exploded open and a pipe burst open

Water sprayed Phoenix down, and in his shock he didn’t catch you swinging out and finishing him off

Knowing you had little time left, you ran towards the Spike and hopped down from the hallway.  Your body filled with energy and began to unwind into pure radiance

Passing through a wall, then levitating through it, you appeared on the Spike site and scanned for threats

Brimstone was in the middle of calling down a smokes at the site to wall it off.  As soon as the pods dropped, you shot his back and moved to the Spike under the Ascender

You readied a defuser, and got low to defuse the Spike.  An arm shot through the wall and into your ribs

Searing pain spread through your torso, and as you crumpled to the ground you saw the rest of a glowing figure step out of the wall

“I can’t believe you fell for a trick that you just used!” your own mirror jeered

While frost ate at your face, burns stung every breath you took through broken ribs.  Looking at your mirror with a mixture of hate and fear, you realized the Spike was active still

“Hurry up and die, or are you going to need some encouragement?” the clone threatened while energy began to gather into their hand

In an act of defiance, you launched plasma towards the clone and through a smoke.  It harmlessly burnt the side of a yellow cargo crate

“Was that really your best attempt at a counterattack?  I mean it was so slow I stepped out of the way!”

Your plan was already in motion, as through the smoke a thin line traveled towards your clone

Instantly, they were entangled in a cocoon of threads, Deadlock’s own Annihilation dragging them away to their death

Deadlock sprinted through the smoke while the wires yanked your rival away.  The cocoon disappeared into the smoke as Deadlock finished defusing the Spike

“Y/N how bad are your injuries?  Kan du puste?  Are you bleeding?” she was barely able to get the questions out while looking beginning to dress your wounds

“I’ll be okay, it was just some burns and shock.  Don’t worry, they won’t get rid of me so easily.”

“Takk gud at det går bra.”  Deadlock sighed while helping you to your feet

“It just needs some time to heal.  We should rest in the meantime, I could really use it after today.”

“You’ve more than earned it Y/N.  I can get Brimstone to supply us with some fresh ingredients and we could make dinner together.” 

Deadlock’s cheeks were red either from the cold or from your emphatic response of “YES!” 

Reyna 

“¡Esas malditas!” Reyna shrieked as she choked the life out of an Atlas operative.  Her anger was barely contained she continued to crush the soldier’s windpipe

The guard fell lifelessly while a soul orb drifted from the corpse and into Reyna’s waiting grasp

“Y/N, come closer.  I won’t bite.”  Reyna beckoned you closer from across the plaza.  Pearl was normally calm but her frenzy had transformed the district into a battlefield

“Wait, can you hear that?  It sounds like a-”

“Claro Y/N, it’s a Spike but why would they bomb their own city?  How desperate they are to kill us.”

Picking the guns from the soldier, you armed yourself with his Phantom.  Reyna sported her Vandal and toyed with the soul she held in her hand

“Vamanos Y/N.  I can’t wait to tear into more of them.”

“That makes two of us.” you flipped the safety off the Vandal and started for the wooden doors that led to B Site

A screech pierced the air as a glowing hawk flew out from the door frame, bursting into light

Your eyes filled with green light as you felt Reyna pull you to the side of the door while shots rang out 

Splinters of wood showered the area as bullets punched into the doors.  Your vision began to clear and you decided to retaliate

“Reyna, I need you to cover me while I move in!” you shouted while staying low and charging energy into your hands

Reyna’s Vandal spat a flurry of rounds into the doorway, and you seized the opportunity to go straight through the opening

Energy pulsed inside your hand, and you released the growing power against the wall.  It buried itself into it before launching down the corridor at blinding speed

Shifting around the door, you caught Skye’s double reeling from the energy blast.  You went for the kill and fired

“Bien hecho Y/N, such power deserves to be shown.”

“You haven’t seen anything yet, Reyna.  Now let’s finish them off.”

“Por supuesto.”

You and Reyna moved down the alley from cover to cover, making sure that an ambush was almost impossible

Turning towards the entrance to B Site, you were greeted with a sudden explosion of chemical flames that clung to the ground.  They blocked your approach 

“Y/N, I can hear enemies coming from behind us.  Let’s welcome them.” Reyna grinned with a sadistic joy

One of Fade’s nightmares splashed down in the alley, glowing eyes marking you and Reyna.  Roars came from further away, and a lilac wall of energy pushed into the alley

Iso’s mirror was obviously using the cover to move in on information Fade had given him, and Brimstone had blocked the path forward

Reyna gritted her teeth and scowled, pulling the soul she had stored into her hands.  You nodded to her and rushed forwards

Passing through the wall, you met Iso pointing a gun at you while two Prowlers flew towards you and Reyna

Particles collected into your hands, and you locked eyes with Iso as he began to shoot.  You directed your power to your feet and sent a shockwave downward

Landing behind Iso, you swept his leg and shoved him down.  Your first shot met his Double Tap but the following bullets put him down permanently

Both Prowlers twisted around and lunged for you, and out of the corner of your eye Fade’s mirror readied a sniper rifle

A phantasmal eye blinked into existence, its gaze catching Fade and fixating on her from its spot in the middle of the alley

In the moment of safety, you shot Fade and the Prowlers disintegrated.  Turning around, you spotted Brimstone’s mirror before Reyna’s Leer blinded him

You shot him before Reyna could and watched a soul orb float out from him

“You work faster than I can kill Y/N.  Very impressive, I knew I would like working with you.”

Throughout Pearl, the sounds of boots and heavy gear signaled the arrival of more Atlas units.  Reyna got a confident look on her face

“Y/N, be a dear and defuse the Spike.  I will handle the rest of these soldaditos.”  Reyna sauntered off while activating her Empress form

Beginning to inspect the site, you couldn’t see any sort of movement or soldiers around.  The Spike was hidden under the tower area, directly under the pillar. 

 You moved towards it carefully, checking for any incoming enemies and removing a defuser from your person.  From a ways away you heard the sounds of Reyna’s massacre

Right as you began to defuse, something dropped from the ceiling.  A shimmering form fell onto you and put you in a chokehold before forcing you to the ground

A strike to your jaw disoriented you and your assailant took your Phantom.  You reached to hold onto it but merely tapped it as it was torn from your hands

“For someone meant to be me, you leave a lot to be desired.” 

Your mirror reveled in the face they had you completely beaten from their surprise attack

“I know Reyna is here somewhere too, but from the sounds back there I guess she’ll have her hands full.  I wonder if she’ll die to the Spike or to me.”

Combat and gunfire from the other side of Pearl proved Reyna wouldn’t be coming back

“Let’s finish you off first.  There’s only room for one of us and I don’t think you measure up to the real thing.” your double aimed the Phantom at your head

The gun clicked harmlessly, and your mirror realized you had dexterously flipped the safety on when they stole it

Energy flooded your hands and you jumped towards your mirror.  Pummeling them rapidly, you unleashed your radiance onto them and finished them off

The Spike began to spin faster, but you calmly deactivated it without a second thought

“Is that your mirror Y/N?  It looks like you made an example of them.”  Reyna purred as she walked towards you

“They spouted something about being the ‘real version’ before I beat them.  I don’t think they’ll make that mistake again.”

“You have come so far Y/N, I think we should revel in our victory.  Crushing our enemies is something to celebrate, de acuerdo?”

“We should do something  then, I want to hear more about how you rampaged through those Atlas soldiers.”

“We’ll catch up over dinner Y/N, I have a special place in mind once we return.”

“Oh?”

“Make sure you wear your best, I know I will.”

“I’m looking forward to it then.”

(Hidden within one of the stories is some lore for an upcoming post. See if you can spot it, because it relates back to the unearthed archives I'm posting!)

[mitigatedchaos]

Election 2024

EigenRobot's opinion for you all this election eve.

I expect that whoever wins this election, I'm going to have to shift my writing towards the other side.

Unless Kamala suddenly becomes assertive and independent-minded, very much unlike what we've seen so far, and starts disciplining the left coalition, the capability of institutions is likely to continue to decline under a Harris administration, with something like an amnesty grant making direct future challenges less feasible. Today's left are off-the-charts conformist - I've never seen anything like it - and with this, there is a tremendous disregard for inconvenient reality in the face of social opinion. (It's anti-agentic, which is bad for the meta-rational thinking needed to update formal systems.)

Their selection criteria for personnel disregard merit in favor of credentials, and use credentials as political rewards. With each round the quality of personnel will get worse. This is not sustainable, so it will not be sustained - alternative institutions will have to grow in the shadow of declining state capacity.

If Trump wins, and they start cutting back on agencies, there is likely to be more economic growth, but Republicans don't have a good stack for actually replacing all of these agency personnel with highly agentic, highly intelligent, mission-driven individuals. In a sense, this limits the potential damage, as they'll have to continue hiring a lot of blues due to manpower shortages, just as they already do.

However, the reduction in agency power may lead to increased corporate power, leading to increased influence suppressing the re-emergence of agency power on a correct trajectory and lead to a cyberpunk dystopia. Today's US left aren't set up to even discuss how to prevent a cyberpunk dystopia, because they're all-in on censorship, to the point that they can't even consider the implications of the science fiction stuff happening all around them.

There are two big changes to the dimensions of human life coming down the pipes during the next 20 years.

The first is the obvious one, artificial intelligence. AI increases the dimensionality, the richness of the response, of machines in production systems. This makes capital, as controlled by AI, more like labor.

It is the opinion of Samo Burja that automation will not arrive fast enough to outpace tightness of labor supply caused by collapsing birthrates, which are falling all over the world.

The second big change is genetic engineering.

While people weren't paying attention, the FDA have approved multiple monogenic gene therapies. The costs are staggering now, running a range from around $500,000 to $3 million dollars, but if it's anything like gene sequencing costs, which fell from $100M to $1,000 per genome over about 25 years, it will fall rapidly towards the price of surgery.

If the price does fall, this means that a gene is no longer a life sentence. Something that's genetic will be more likely to be something that can be changed. Most major ideologies right now are based on the assumption that genes can't be changed. Gene therapy has not yet reached the periphery of people's social networks, so, mentally, people still treat it as "sci-fi."

So that's my assessment. The blue candidate is low-variance short-termism. The red candidate is high-variance medium-termism. You have to decide how comfortable you are with risk. You have to estimate what you think the current rate of burn is.

If you can't bring yourself to accept either of them, you can still vote and leave the "President" portion of the ballot blank.

The good news is, both vice presidential candidates are smarter and more civilized than both presidential candidates. For what it's worth, my read is that Vance is smarter and more focused on long-term issues than Walz.

[mariacallous]

A young entrepreneur who was among the earliest known recruiters for Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has a new, related gig—and he’s hiring. Anthony Jancso, cofounder of AccelerateX, a government tech startup, is looking for technologists to work on a project that aims to have artificial intelligence perform tasks that are currently the responsibility of tens of thousands of federal workers.

Jancso, a former Palantir employee, wrote in a Slack with about 2000 Palantir alumni in it that he’s hiring for a “DOGE orthogonal project to design benchmarks and deploy AI agents across live workflows in federal agencies,” according to an April 21 post reviewed by WIRED. Agents are programs that can perform work autonomously.

“We’ve identified over 300 roles with almost full-process standardization, freeing up at least 70k FTEs for higher-impact work over the next year,” he continued, essentially claiming that tens of thousands of federal employees could see many aspects of their job automated and replaced by these AI agents. Workers for the project, he wrote, would be based on site in Washington, DC, and would not require a security clearance; it isn’t clear for whom they would work. Palantir did not respond to requests for comment.

The post was not well received. Eight people reacted with clown face emojis, three reacted with a custom emoji of a man licking a boot, two reacted with custom emoji of Joaquin Phoenix giving a thumbs down in the movie Gladiator, and three reacted with a custom emoji with the word “Fascist.” Three responded with a heart emoji.

“DOGE does not seem interested in finding ‘higher impact work’ for federal employees,” one person said in a comment that received 11 heart reactions. “You’re complicit in firing 70k federal employees and replacing them with shitty autocorrect.”

“Tbf we’re all going to be replaced with shitty autocorrect (written by chatgpt),” another person commented, which received one “+1” reaction.

“How ‘DOGE orthogonal’ is it? Like, does it still require Kremlin oversight?” another person said in a comment that received five reactions with a fire emoji. “Or do they just use your credentials to log in later?”

Got a Tip?Are you a current or former government employee who wants to talk about what's happening? We'd like to hear from you. Using a nonwork phone or computer, contact the reporter securely on Signal at carolinehaskins.61 and vittoria89.82.

AccelerateX was originally called AccelerateSF, which VentureBeat reported in 2023 had received support from OpenAI and Anthropic. In its earliest incarnation, AccelerateSF hosted a hackathon for AI developers aimed at using the technology to solve San Francisco’s social problems. According to a 2023 Mission Local story, for instance, Jancso proposed that using large language models to help businesses fill out permit forms to streamline the construction paperwork process might help drive down housing prices. (OpenAI did not respond to a request for comment. Anthropic spokesperson Danielle Ghiglieri tells WIRED that the company "never invested in AccelerateX/SF,” but did sponsor a hackathon AccelerateSF hosted in 2023 by providing free access to its API usage at a time when its Claude API “was still in beta.”)

In 2024, the mission pivoted, with the venture becoming known as AccelerateX. In a post on X announcing the change, the company posted, “Outdated tech is dragging down the US Government. Legacy vendors sell broken systems at increasingly steep prices. This hurts every American citizen.” AccelerateX did not respond to a request for comment.

According to sources with direct knowledge, Jancso disclosed that AccelerateX had signed a partnership agreement with Palantir in 2024. According to the LinkedIn of someone described as one of AccelerateX’s cofounders, Rachel Yee, the company looks to have received funding from OpenAI’s Converge 2 Accelerator. Another of AccelerateSF’s cofounders, Kay Sorin, now works for OpenAI, having joined the company several months after that hackathon. Sorin and Yee did not respond to requests for comment.

Jancso’s cofounder, Jordan Wick, a former Waymo engineer, has been an active member of DOGE, appearing at several agencies over the past few months, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, National Labor Relations Board, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Education. In 2023, Jancso attended a hackathon hosted by ScaleAI; WIRED found that another DOGE member, Ethan Shaotran, also attended the same hackathon.

Since its creation in the first days of the second Trump administration, DOGE has pushed the use of AI across agencies, even as it has sought to cut tens of thousands of federal jobs. At the Department of Veterans Affairs, a DOGE associate suggested using AI to write code for the agency’s website; at the General Services Administration, DOGE has rolled out the GSAi chatbot; the group has sought to automate the process of firing government employees with a tool called AutoRIF; and a DOGE operative at the Department of Housing and Urban Development is using AI tools to examine and propose changes to regulations. But experts say that deploying AI agents to do the work of 70,000 people would be tricky if not impossible.

A federal employee with knowledge of government contracting, who spoke to WIRED on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press, says, “A lot of agencies have procedures that can differ widely based on their own rules and regulations, and so deploying AI agents across agencies at scale would likely be very difficult.”

Oren Etzioni, cofounder of the AI startup Vercept, says that while AI agents can be good at doing some things—like using an internet browser to conduct research—their outputs can still vary widely and be highly unreliable. For instance, customer service AI agents have invented nonexistent policies when trying to address user concerns. Even research, he says, requires a human to actually make sure what the AI is spitting out is correct.

“We want our government to be something that we can rely on, as opposed to something that is on the absolute bleeding edge,” says Etzioni. “We don't need it to be bureaucratic and slow, but if corporations haven't adopted this yet, is the government really where we want to be experimenting with the cutting edge AI?”

Etzioni says that AI agents are also not great 1-1 fits for job replacements. Rather, AI is able to do certain tasks or make others more efficient, but the idea that the technology could do the jobs of 70,000 employees would not be possible. “Unless you're using funny math,” he says, “no way.”

Jancso, first identified by WIRED in February, was one of the earliest recruiters for DOGE in the months before Donald Trump was inaugurated. In December, Jancso, who sources told WIRED said he had been recruited by Steve Davis, president of the Musk-founded Boring Company and a current member of DOGE, used the Palantir alumni group to recruit DOGE members. On December 2nd, 2024, he wrote, “I’m helping Elon’s team find tech talent for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the new admin. This is a historic opportunity to build an efficient government, and to cut the federal budget by 1/3. If you’re interested in playing a role in this mission, please reach out in the next few days.”

According to one source at SpaceX, who asked to remain anonymous as they are not authorized to speak to the press, Jancso appeared to be one of the DOGE members who worked out of the company’s DC office in the days before inauguration along with several other people who would constitute some of DOGE’s earliest members. SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment.

Palantir was cofounded by Peter Thiel, a billionaire and longtime Trump supporter with close ties to Musk. Palantir, which provides data analytics tools to several government agencies including the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security, has received billions of dollars in government contracts. During the second Trump administration, the company has been involved in helping to build a “mega API” to connect data from the Internal Revenue Service to other government agencies, and is working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to create a massive surveillance platform to identify immigrants to target for deportation.

[unwelcome-ozian]

Weaponizing violence. With alarming regularity, the nation continues to be subjected to spates of violence that terrorizes the public, destabilizes the country’s ecosystem, and gives the government greater justifications to crack down, lock down, and institute even more authoritarian policies for the so-called sake of national security without many objections from the citizenry.

Weaponizing surveillance, pre-crime and pre-thought campaigns. Surveillance, digital stalking and the data mining of the American people add up to a society in which there’s little room for indiscretions, imperfections, or acts of independence. When the government sees all and knows all and has an abundance of laws to render even the most seemingly upstanding citizen a criminal and lawbreaker, then the old adage that you’ve got nothing to worry about if you’ve got nothing to hide no longer applies. Add pre-crime programs into the mix with government agencies and corporations working in tandem to determine who is a potential danger and spin a sticky spider-web of threat assessments, behavioral sensing warnings, flagged “words,” and “suspicious” activity reports using automated eyes and ears, social media, behavior sensing software, and citizen spies, and you having the makings for a perfect dystopian nightmare. The government’s war on crime has now veered into the realm of social media and technological entrapment, with government agents adopting fake social media identities and AI-created profile pictures in order to surveil, target and capture potential suspects.

Weaponizing digital currencies, social media scores and censorship. Tech giants, working with the government, have been meting out their own version of social justice by way of digital tyranny and corporate censorship, muzzling whomever they want, whenever they want, on whatever pretext they want in the absence of any real due process, review or appeal. Unfortunately, digital censorship is just the beginning. Digital currencies (which can be used as “a tool for government surveillance of citizens and control over their financial transactions”), combined with social media scores and surveillance capitalism create a litmus test to determine who is worthy enough to be part of society and punish individuals for moral lapses and social transgressions (and reward them for adhering to government-sanctioned behavior). In China, millions of individuals and businesses, blacklisted as “unworthy” based on social media credit scores that grade them based on whether they are “good” citizens, have been banned from accessing financial markets, buying real estate or travelling by air or train.

Weaponizing compliance. Even the most well-intentioned government law or program can be—and has been—perverted, corrupted and used to advance illegitimate purposes once profit and power are added to the equation. The war on terror, the war on drugs, the war on COVID-19, the war on illegal immigration, asset forfeiture schemes, road safety schemes, school safety schemes, eminent domain: all of these programs started out as legitimate responses to pressing concerns and have since become weapons of compliance and control in the police state’s hands.

Weaponizing entertainment. For the past century, the Department of Defense’s Entertainment Media Office has provided Hollywood with equipment, personnel and technical expertise at taxpayer expense. In exchange, the military industrial complex has gotten a starring role in such blockbusters as Top Gun and its rebooted sequel Top Gun: Maverick, which translates to free advertising for the war hawks, recruitment of foot soldiers for the military empire, patriotic fervor by the taxpayers who have to foot the bill for the nation’s endless wars, and Hollywood visionaries working to churn out dystopian thrillers that make the war machine appear relevant, heroic and necessary. As Elmer Davis, a CBS broadcaster who was appointed the head of the Office of War Information, observed, “The easiest way to inject a propaganda idea into most people’s minds is to let it go through the medium of an entertainment picture when they do not realize that they are being propagandized.”

Weaponizing behavioral science and nudging. Apart from the overt dangers posed by a government that feels justified and empowered to spy on its people and use its ever-expanding arsenal of weapons and technology to monitor and control them, there’s also the covert dangers associated with a government empowered to use these same technologies to influence behaviors en masse and control the populace. In fact, it was President Obama who issued an executive order directing federal agencies to use “behavioral science” methods to minimize bureaucracy and influence the way people respond to government programs. It’s a short hop, skip and a jump from a behavioral program that tries to influence how people respond to paperwork to a government program that tries to shape the public’s views about other, more consequential matters. Thus, increasingly, governments around the world—including in the United States—are relying on “nudge units” to steer citizens in the direction the powers-that-be want them to go, while preserving the appearance of free will.

Weaponizing desensitization campaigns aimed at lulling us into a false sense of security. The events of recent years—the invasive surveillance, the extremism reports, the civil unrest, the protests, the shootings, the bombings, the military exercises and active shooter drills, the lockdowns, the color-coded alerts and threat assessments, the fusion centers, the transformation of local police into extensions of the military, the distribution of military equipment and weapons to local police forces, the government databases containing the names of dissidents and potential troublemakers—have conspired to acclimate the populace to accept a police state willingly, even gratefully.

Weaponizing fear and paranoia. The language of fear is spoken effectively by politicians on both sides of the aisle, shouted by media pundits from their cable TV pulpits, marketed by corporations, and codified into bureaucratic laws that do little to make our lives safer or more secure. Fear, as history shows, is the method most often used by politicians to increase the power of government and control a populace, dividing the people into factions, and persuading them to see each other as the enemy. This Machiavellian scheme has so ensnared the nation that few Americans even realize they are being manipulated into adopting an “us” against “them” mindset. Instead, fueled with fear and loathing for phantom opponents, they agree to pour millions of dollars and resources into political elections, militarized police, spy technology and endless wars, hoping for a guarantee of safety that never comes. All the while, those in power—bought and paid for by lobbyists and corporations—move their costly agendas forward, and “we the suckers” get saddled with the tax bills and subjected to pat downs, police raids and round-the-clock surveillance.

Weaponizing genetics. Not only does fear grease the wheels of the transition to fascism by cultivating fearful, controlled, pacified, cowed citizens, but it also embeds itself in our very DNA so that we pass on our fear and compliance to our offspring. It’s called epigenetic inheritance, the transmission through DNA of traumatic experiences. For example, neuroscientists observed that fear can travel through generations of mice DNA. As The Washington Post reports, “Studies on humans suggest that children and grandchildren may have felt the epigenetic impact of such traumatic events such as famine, the Holocaust and the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.”

Weaponizing the future. With greater frequency, the government has been issuing warnings about the dire need to prepare for the dystopian future that awaits us. For instance, the Pentagon training video, “Megacities: Urban Future, the Emerging Complexity,” predicts that by 2030 (coincidentally, the same year that society begins to achieve singularity with the metaverse) the military would be called on to use armed forces to solve future domestic political and social problems. What they’re really talking about is martial law, packaged as a well-meaning and overriding concern for the nation’s security. The chilling five-minute training video paints an ominous picture of the future bedeviled by “criminal networks,” “substandard infrastructure,” “religious and ethnic tensions,” “impoverishment, slums,” “open landfills, over-burdened sewers,” a “growing mass of unemployed,” and an urban landscape in which the prosperous economic elite must be protected from the impoverishment of the have nots. “We the people” are the have-nots.

The end goal of these mind control campaigns—packaged in the guise of the greater good—is to see how far the American people will allow the government to go in re-shaping the country in the image of a totalitarian police state.

[colorisbyshe]

calling a customer service line and trying to find a human being to speak to and not just a robot to tell me things i already know shouldn't be this fucking hard

"if you would like to speak to an associate, we need some more information, state your purpose" [states purpose] "here's our automated response :) anything else" [AGENT PLEASE] "here's an automated response :)"

[azspot]

Computers have played a crucial role in this narrowing of our social imaginations. Just as the invention of new forms of industrial automation in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries had the paradoxical effect of turning more and more of the world’s population into full-time industrial workers, so has all the software designed to save us from administrative responsibilities turned us into part- or full-time administrators. In the same way that university professors seem to feel it is inevitable they will spend more of their time managing grants, so affluent housewives simply accept that they will spend weeks every year filling out forty-page online forms to get their children into grade schools. We all spend increasing amounts of time punching passwords into our phones to manage bank and credit accounts and learning how to perform jobs once performed by travel agents, brokers, and accountants.

Of Flying Cars and the Declining Rate of Profit

[meret118]

Worst Interview Ever

Pitched by tech companies as a cost-efficient means of automating a laborious screening process typically done by an HR representative or recruiter, this A.I. software has the capability to “interview” hundreds of candidates, whom it can then recommend for further interviews with actual human beings. But for those on the other side of these chats, the experience of auditioning for a computer can feel somewhat surreal—and leave a rather unpleasant impression of a potential employer.

. . .

The shift to A.I. among human resources sectors is real. Earlier this month, the CEO of IBM confirmed that the company had laid off “a couple hundred” HR workers and replaced them with A.I. agents. A recent survey of 500 HR professionals also found that almost three-quarters of them believe they’re adopting the technology more quickly than other departments. Despite this, HR remains among the fastest-growing sectors in the U.S., with the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicting an 8 percent growth by 2033. According to the HR Digestmagazine, although A.I. can be used in this field to automate “an unnecessary amount of manual work,” like payroll management and vacation requests, it can’t yet “oversee the human section” or company culture. Still, amid concerns that the technology may develop algorithmic biases in hiring, Peditto believes that recruiters should be worried. “Good recruiters are more than just box-checkers and 15-minute screeners,” he said. “But for the people who this is sort of all they do, that can be scary, especially those early in their careers.”

The recruiters that are using A.I. are, in one sense, leveling the playing field. After all, some applicants, like Mayfield Phillips, who’ve been interviewed by A.I. bots have themselves used A.I. to boost their chances of landing a job by receiving help in polishing their résumés or tailoring cover letters. (You can even use the tech to practice your answers in mock interviews—a feature highlighted by Google in a recent Super Bowl ad—or have it listen to your job interview in real time and secretly suggest responses.) But Phillips, a 55-year-old IT project manager in New York, said he still found his experience this week of being interviewed by an A.I. chatbot, one also made by Apriora, to be profoundly surreal. Although he knew in advance he’d be conversing with an A.I. program that would listen to his verbal answers and ask him questions via text, he still had to schedule a time to chat with “Alex” (whose avatar appeared as a white woman with brown hair), and a preplanned interview had to be postponed due to technical difficulties the A.I. was experiencing. Phillips said he was also particularly frustrated and unimpressed after the A.I. was unable to answer a question he posed about what success might look like in the position.

slate.com/life/2025/05/jobs-ai-job-hiring-character-interview.html

[omgmaxsmith-blog]

What Are the Key Features That Drive High First Contact Resolution in Omnichannel Services?

First Contact Resolution (FCR) is one of the most important metrics in omnichannel customer service. It measures the ability to resolve client issues in the very first interaction—without follow-ups, call-backs, or escalations. High FCR improves customer satisfaction, reduces costs, and strengthens brand credibility. According to SQM Group, a 1% rise in FCR equals a 1% improvement in customer satisfaction. In a multi-channel environment, this directly impacts business results.

1. Centralized Customer Data Across Channels

FCR starts with complete visibility. Agents must be able to view customer interactions across phone, chat, email, social media, and self-service tools. When all data is stored in one place, service becomes faster and more accurate. A Forrester report shows 68% of customers feel frustrated when they have to repeat themselves due to disconnected systems. A unified view enables smoother conversations and quicker resolutions.

2. Smart Routing and Agent Matching

Directing queries to the most suitable agent from the start improves FCR significantly. Intelligent routing systems use AI to match issues with agents who have the right skills and knowledge. This reduces call transfers and escalations. Genesys research shows that companies using skill-based routing see up to a 25% increase in FCR. The right match reduces response time and improves Omnichannel Customer Service

satisfaction.

3. Real-Time Support Tools for Agents

Real-time tools help agents respond faster and with more accuracy. AI-driven prompts, knowledge base suggestions, and sentiment analysis make it easier for agents to understand the issue and act immediately. When agents have access to a shared knowledge base, across all channels, they can provide consistent, correct answers—whether through chat, phone, or social support.

4. Proactive Communication Reduces Inbound Volume

Companies can help inbound traffic and increase FCR by detecting issues ahead of time and informing the customer of the problem in advance. Issues are resolved without customers having to contact them using alerts, Frequently Asked Questions, and real-time service upgrades. According to Aberdeen Group, implementing proactive support strategies decrease subsequent contacts by up to 20%.

5. Channel-Specific Setup & Optimization

Different channels of services are optimal when used with appropriate tools and workflow. Live chat is more effective when scripted pick-ups and typing previews are involved and social media care should have sentiment detecting tools and rapid tagging. As compared to the one-process-fits-all approach, optimizing each channel separately promptly resolves issues and results in an increased FCR.

6. Feedback-Driven Improvement

Tracking FCR in real time helps teams see what’s working and what isn’t. In an Omnichannel Customer Service environment, post-interaction surveys and automated reports help identify issues that weren’t resolved the first time—across voice, chat, email, and social channels. Companies that use FCR data to improve agent training and service design see better long-term results. Top teams treat FCR as a core performance KPI.

7. Smooth Transition from Bots to Humans

Automation is useful, but some problems need a human touch. When chatbots hand off to live agents, all the information should carry over—without the customer having to repeat their issue. Gartner reports that this kind of seamless handoff increases Omnichannel Customer Service

satisfaction by 15%. It also cuts down resolution time.

Omnichannel Customer Service Platforms That Support High FCR

Companies that want to improve FCR at scale need strong platforms. Suma Soft, Salesforce Service Cloud, Freshdesk, and Genesys Cloud offer end-to-end Omnichannel Customer Service.

High First Contact Resolution is not just a metric—it’s a customer experience standard. With the right omnichannel tools, businesses can reduce support costs, improve satisfaction, and strengthen brand trust.

[brokermanagementsoftware]

Why Broker Management Software Is a Game-Changer for Modern Real Estate Teams

In today’s fast-paced real estate world, brokers are juggling dozens of listings, leads, agents, and paperwork — all while trying to stay ahead of the competition. That’s where Broker Management Software steps in as the silent hero.

Imagine having a single platform that helps you track agent performance, monitor lead progress, manage listings, and automate repetitive tasks. No more switching between spreadsheets, emails, and phone calls. Just one dashboard, with everything in sync.

The biggest advantage? Time and efficiency. Brokers can automate lead assignments, follow-up reminders, and even commission tracking. It’s not just about saving time — it’s about making smarter, faster decisions.

Plus, real-time reporting features give you insights into what’s working and what’s not. This allows you to optimize your sales strategy, support underperforming agents, and boost overall productivity. Whether you’re managing a team of 5 or 50, scalability is built in.

The market is evolving. Clients expect quick responses, transparency, and a professional experience. Broker management software helps you deliver just that — by streamlining operations and improving team collaboration.

If you’re still stuck with manual methods, you’re not just behind — you’re losing potential business every day.

Tip: When choosing the right platform, look for features like lead automation, agent performance analytics, cloud access, and mobile compatibility.

Make the switch, empower your team, and take control of your real estate business with the right tools.

[advancedchatbot]

How E-commerce Brands Use AI Chatbots to Drive Conversions and Reduce Cart Abandonment

In the fast-paced world of online retail, seconds matter. Customers demand real-time responses and seamless service. Any delay can mean an abandoned cart or lost sale. That is why AI chatbots are a godsend for online retailers. Not only do they relieve online stores of the burden of customer communications but, they also assist in converting browsers to buyers.

This is how businesses are employing them to drive sales and reduce drop-offs.

24/7 Instant Support Keeps Customers Engaged

Today's consumers don't wait. If they pose a question and don't receive a prompt answer, they will depart. AI chatbots offer real-time support at any time, live responses to FAQs such as shipping, size, and returns policy, and a more pleasant shopping experience that retains consumers. By offering 24/7 support, chatbots reduce friction and increase the likelihood of a purchase being made.

Personalized Product Recommendations

AI-based chatbot can leverage browsing history, buying habits, and interests to recommend appropriate products. This replicates the in-store assistant experience digitally. Advantages of intelligent suggestions are higher average order values, more relevant shopping experiences, and increased cross-selling and upselling opportunities. Personalization not only impresses consumers but also makes them add more to their carts.

Recovering Abandoned Carts Proactively

One of the most significant e-commerce pain points is cart abandonment. AI chatbots prevent and recover lost business. Your AI chatbots will give your customers soft reminders to users for their left-behind items, provide temporary deals, or free shipping, and even answer last-minute questions that could be causing hesitation. These nudges can bring shoppers back and convince them to complete their purchase. In certain cases, these chatbots will even connect users to customer service agents for a more customized feel.

Streamlining Checkout and Payments

Complicated or lengthy checkout processes are also one of the top cart abandonment causes. AI chatbot can help simplify it and streamline it by guiding users through each step of the checkout, providing payment options, and clarify any issues and even making the decision process easier, and increasing conversions. When the process is easy, users are more likely to follow through.

In Conclusion

AI chatbots are no longer a nice-to-have; they're a necessity for e-commerce success. With instant support, personalization, and intelligent cart recovery, they revolutionize how brands interact with their customers. The outcome? Less abandoned carts, increased conversions, and more satisfied customers. If you own an online store, it's time to let automation do the selling and the talking.