#valorant protocol

[kefirstushyu]

Got a text during match yesterday "I think your Cypher is high on weed". What they didn't seem to realize is that I was that Cypher. And damn I wish I was high on weed

[mentallyunstablekitten]

Hey. Brought food.

Sorry if these don't seem accurate to you guys I just play the game tbh I dgaf about the lore of most games I play so... enjoy. Ig.

[tqxins]

Enjoy my imaginary new year’s player card, LOL. 32 hours on this canvas.

[jack-ing-o-ff-valentine]

Nobody understands how much I need a Valorant series like Smiling friends where the agents just do domestic silly stuff. Cyphers down cause it's been a boring week where nothing happened so the younger agents all try to create fun situations for him to look at from his cameras and each time he's just not looking at that one specific room where it happened and completely misses it. Omen just starting to knit and is so incredibly horrible at it and Sage forces each one of the agents to constantly compliment him on his work because he's trying his best so much that he stops knitting for a whole week

[jaiden-zhou]

(1) casual iso <3

contents: headcanons, reader is a uniqlo employee for plot purposes

not a writer but,, iso is so.. sigh, imagine this reserved uniqlo wearing hitman acting like an absolute puppy for you. yeah this is self indulgent and yeah maybe its based off of my experiences but hey, content.. its long.. i.. the things this man does to me

part 2, part 3

.

.

iso whose closet is practically all uniqlo apparel, from core basics to limited exclusive collabs, anything else is like expensive tech wear/street style clothes, he likes his quality

iso who always grabs heavy oolong milk tea with tapioca pearls, a classic predictable drink (his friends call him basic for it, but he doesn't mind), every afternoon he gets the chance to

iso who ends up being an employee there with how much he visits, the owners are a chinese elderly couple who like gossiping with him in mandarin (he has fun listening to their stories and such)

iso who likes having music playing of his own whether it be from his headphones or speakers, even at work his music is playing loud enough for only him to hear from his headset hanging around his neck

iso who works evening shifts part-time and gains a lot of eyes from admirers where he gets at least three numbers given to him a month like "you're really cute, text me <3 (XXX) XXX-XXXX"

iso who's never interested, none of them catch his eyes like how he catches theirs, and ends up tossing whatever number scribbled onto a receipt away

iso who goes to uniqlo on his day off for a collaboration launch consisting of outerwear jackets and trousers that match his style only to not find his size on the racks

iso who takes his time trying to comb through the racks, desperate to find it on his own and take it with him before giving up, pulling down his headphones, and reluctantly asking you

iso who, at a reasonable distance, looks over your shoulder as you look up the product listing with the desired size and color, hearing faint rap music playing through his headphones slung around his neck, finding that there should be three units left and listens in quietly when you radio your coworkers if there are any in the back before going to look for yourself

iso who waits patiently at the same spot for quite a while before you go jogging up to him with the jacket he has been wanting, the plastic and paper still wrapping it up signaling that it has been unprocessed and untouched

iso who still is patient with you with an expectant look, not the impatient kind, it's the anticipating excitement kind, as you're still a little out of breath from running around finding the item for him unwrapping and removing all the excess packaging and giving it to him with both hands, garbage tucked at your arm

iso who looks at your earnest expression, sweet eyes, and genuine smile and feels his breath hitch before taking the coat and doing a little head bow while muttering a quiet 'thanks'

iso who leaves an anonymous compliment to you, conveying his gratitude for going out of your way to find him a limited quantity jacket and sub-consciously thinks of your cute expression of when you gave it to him every time he throws it on

iso who was asked to pick up a morning shift, no one else could and so he decided to just wake up early enough and suck it up but boy does he not regret it

iso who opens up the shop for the first time ever and lo-and-behold, you waltz in as the first customer and immediately he recognizes you, and apparently so do the owners

iso who listens quietly as, whom he likes to call granny, greets you with a warm voice asking if you're ready to go to work

iso who once again patiently waits for you to walk up and order, finding out that you're also a regular here, always grabbing a drink before your long shift at the japanese clothing store he met you in

iso who's still a little quiet, shy even, when you greet him noting that you recognize him from a while ago, your friendly exterior giving him a fuzzy comforting feeling inside

iso who after making your drink, bids you goodbye and continues on (not before asking to switch to morning shifts.. for some reason hehe)

iso who starts seeing you most mornings before you work and then with some time, working up the courage (it was very hard, he was very nervous you just didn't see it) to ask you for your number, nothing romantic just being friendly, right?

iso who starts getting a little closer to you, learning what day and times you work, your hobbies, your favorite things, the music you listen to <3

iso who sometimes drops by your workplace to give you a drink or some food and simple yet subtly sweet encouragement that always seems to lift your spirits to push through the day

iso who even starts to see you near or at the end of your shift to take you home, you've worked long enough, and it's dark out.. :(

iso who likes to ensure your safety by accompanying you home, his friends like to say (tease) that it gives him an excuse to see you more. it's dangerous out at night, what are they talking about? nonsense. (denial is a river in egypt)

iso who as time goes by, slowly craves your presence a little more than he'd like to admit, you're always on his mind and he often flusters himself with his thoughts of you, his cheeks donning a light-pink blush. maybe his friends are onto something.. ugh

yeah i'm definitely writing more iso content hehe

------

"don't have to take me home every time, zhao yuuuu." you whined next to him. "i've done it before and i can do it again."

you only get a short scoff in return, iso's hands stuffed into the pockets of his jacket.

"it's dark, you're more at risk when you're alone." iso states matter-of-fact. his headphones at his neck with no music playing. "you know this too, so you shouldn't be complaining."

"yeah but," you pause for a moment. "i don't want you to have to make the trip each time to pick me up.."

iso takes in your dejected tone, his eyes soften.

"and i don't want you being in potential danger where i could've been there to deter it." iso chides softly. "please, for my peace of mind.."

"whatever you say," you comply, your shoulder bumping into him jokingly as you share a quiet laugh. "thanks, yu. it means a lot."

"always," he replies, a certain warmth sets in when he hears you say his nickname.

[brights-place]

Omen dating Headcannons

Pairings: Omen X Reader

Warnings: Fluff, Cursing, Anxiety, Angst

A/N: GOSH I LOVE OMEN HE IS SO CUTEEE

- He knits to relax! So he would knit you some things for exammle sweaters, scarves, and plushies for surprises! one time he made you an scarf for icebox that were his color scheme which you love - His love language is Physical touch and Quality time - He tries his best to make every single second with you count - He is amazing at baking, would bake some sweets for you - When your relationship grew and you both got more comfortable with each other Omen would be more open about PDA. - He hides in the shadows and appears behind you whispering an "Boo" in his montone voice as you screamed (like finn from adventure time) - This man doesn't need to sleep! he's a phantom for fuck sakes but you still force him into bed to cuddle - He’s quiet like REALLY QUIET! but will do his best to give you advice when you need it - He might not talk much at first but he will make sure you know that he’s there for you - Man is so fucking gentle towards you it isn't funny it's so cute - Omen is VERY protective of you I mean come on! He’s already protective of his fellow agents and it’s only doubled when it comes to you! - He would scare away any threats that dare try and intimidate or even hurt you! He has no problem killing for you if he has to - if you get an graze from an enemy this man would go wild! He doesn’t need the physical protection from you but he does like the comfort to know that you’re just as committed as he is in portecting eachother! - he hates crowded places so he would go behind your back pressing his chest against it which was one of his ways of saying 'I don't feel comfortable' - Tried to teach you how to knit !! it was fun at first but then you gto stuck... You mentally and physically wanted to scream since you snapped the tip of the needle (I have doe it before and my Lola stared me down... Angry Filipino grandmothers are scary!) - If you both succeed on knitting it becomes his favorite time of the day is to knit with you. he's very proud of your progress after you learn pretty much everything from him - When phoenix pointed it out he went to tell him it relaxes him but he glances at you on the team as you giggle lightly - On a mission he saw another him... "There is another of me? How many times did I get ripped apart? How many times did I die?" omen gripped onto his gun as you placed an hand on his forearm giving him an pitiful look as he sighs - Omens to make sure you don't mess anything up because one of his hobbies is cleaning but he doesn't want to clean up any of your messes sometimes... cause if your like an party animal he would be drained - In my opinion he is not really shy you could say? he is simply overwhelmed by the presence of other people - yeah it's known Omen has a very strong case of amnesia like REALLY BAD! He can't remember his true self... - When he trains you stare at him biting your lip - If you show him affection randomly he keeps his composure since he isn't really one to show his emotions outwardly 

- It seems like he doesn't really care when you show him affection but he does thank you and the is just some sort of tenderness in his voice. He could become embarrassed if you kiss him and then also give him a lot of praise for doing so well 

- If you know him well enough though you would be able to hear the embarrassment in his voice everytime if you show affection or other agents do something nice for him - You and Viper made a pack - You both would help Omen regain his memories... or so you thought. - When he gained some of his memories back he was filled wiht rage yet kept his composure but yelled at Viper - Sage stared at you dead in your eyes when you would be eyeing your boyfriend "(Name) your boyfriend is a phantom" Sage said teasingly as you shushed your healer "SHHHH! I know! but he is handsome!" Sage laughs at you - omen is an amazing partner and loves you with his whole heart as long as he is with you he feels safe

reblogs + comments are appreciated ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡

©brights-place 2023 — do not repost on another platform, copy, translate or edit my works! if you fit my DNI list please don't interact

[yourstrulynameless]

(◠‿◠) They’re g(ay)reat

I need to write more fics about them or else I’ll lose my mind—

⇩︎ Sketch and progress line-art ⇩︎

[jadedluvsval]

Playing with Fire (Phoenix/F!ice Radiant)

VALORANT Phoenix x F! duelist! ice Radiant

WARNINGS: Explicit Language, Power Dynamics, Manipulation,Mind Games, Psychological Tension, Drinking (implied)

Themes: Enemies to Lovers, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining

AGENT CODENAME: Tundra

_______________________________________________

The atmosphere in the underground VALORANT HQ lounge was electric as the duelists gathered once again for their now-traditional post-mission party. Laughter and music filled the air, mingling with the haze of light that flickered across the room. It was an unspoken rule: after each operation, they celebrated, and sometimes, they played games. Tonight, it was Truth or Dare.

Jett, ever the instigator, smirked mischievously as she shuffled the deck of cards, the bottle of rum sitting in the center of the table. “Alright alright, we’ve been keepin' it tame for a while now. Let’s spice it up a little. No more pickin' the safest option.. and no backing out. I want to see some real action tonight.”

Tundra, perched on the edge of a couch with a glass of rum in hand, didn't feel the familiar warmth from the alcohol but from the anticipation coil up inside her chest. Phoenix, sitting on the opposite side of the circle, caught her eye, his gaze smoldering and knowing. It was a challenge—no words spoken. The connection between them was undeniable. She couldn’t deny the way her body responded to him when he was near. The subtle heat he exuded—silently and persistently threatening to melt her cool composure.

It had been months since their first tense moments together, sparring, bonding through missions, others making offhanded comments about their tension—rinse and repeat. Somehow, Phoenix started to know exactly how to push her buttons, how to make her feel something she never thought she could. Heat.

It drove her mad and a small, petty part of her resented him for it. Every time they were together, she melted under his gaze, and she hated it. hated how easily he could get her to do it. hated how fast he could have her walls come undone. hated the air of smugness in his husky voice when he knew he was successful at getting under her Icy exterior.

But tonight? that was going to change; she was going to turn the tables back on him.

Elegantly, Tundra reached out and spun the bottle in the middle of the circle with litle to no effort, coincidentally landing with a soft thud in front of Phoenix after Jett made sure to manipulate the air around them. His eyes were already glaring hard ahead of him at her, glinting, as if daring her to chose dare.

“Alright Ice Queen,” his words coming out haughty. His neck tilting back as his eyes lidded as he watched Tundra, “What’ve you got for me?”

Taking the moment to contemplate, Tundra rhythmically tapped on her glass before she leaned back, a wicked gleam in her eyes. She held Phoenix's gaze, savoring the way the fire in him flickered, sensing he was preparing himself for whatever she’d throw his way. He’d expected some playful jab, some mild challenge. But tonight, she wasn’t in the mood to go easy on him.

“Dare,” she said, letting the word hang in the air around them and their audience. “I dare you, Phoenix…" her lips smiled but her eyes remained neutral- "To get down on your knees and tell me exactly how it feels to know you’ll never get close to touching me.”

A faint ripple of 'damns' and murmurs swept through the circle of duelists, mostly coming from neon and raze-and some light popcorn chewing from Killjoy who got invited to the event by Raze—Followed up by a quiet complaint from her when Yoru reached over into the popcorn bucket to grab some.

The rest of the group stole glances at each other, unsure if Tundra was serious. But after some time passed and she was dead silent with an unwavering gaze on her target—Phoenix and everyone else received their confirmation that she was dead serious. He raised an eyebrow, his smirk faltering just enough for her to catch the hint of hesitation she was hoping for. She knew he hated showing any sign of vulnerability, and here she was, turning the tables in the most public, humiliating way.

Phoenix's jaw tensed, and Tundra caught the flash of something dangerous in his gaze. His smirk faltered, just enough for her to savor the hint of hesitation she’d been hoping for. But then, his lips curved into a smile—a slow, almost menacing smile, like a predator humoring his prey. She felt a thrill race down her spine as he took a breath, steady and controlled, and lowered himself onto his knees.

He kept his eyes locked on hers, his voice lowering to a quiet, dangerously measured tone. “You really want to know how it feels, love?” His words lingered in the air, smoky and deliberate. “To know I can get close enough to touchin' you… but never close enough to feel that warm skin you keep hidden underneath all that ice?”

She held his gaze, her own breath catching, but she didn’t back down. She’d asked for this; she was in control.

But Phoenix’s eyes darkened, his tone growing huskier, almost a whisper. “It’s maddenin', Tundra. To be this close and to feel you resistin' me, keepin' me just out of reach but so close enough for your comfort. You think this.. this control you have is stoppin' me but it only makes me want to push your limits harder. To see just how fast that wall of yours would melt for me… if you let me break through.” He moved closer, his voice an intimate murmur. “And we both know you’d melt, don’t we?” his eyes hard and hot. "I know."

Tundra’s heart quickened, but she masked it with a haughty, raised brow. “You’re still on your knees, Phoenix. That tells me exactly who’s in control here.”

His eyes gleamed, and he leaned in, his words dangerously soft. “Believe that all you want, princess. But when I finally break through that ice, Tundra—when I reach you—it won’t be you who’s in control. I’ll make you feel all that heat you've been runnin' from. And I won’t stop until that grand ice barrier is nothin' but a puddle.”

He rose slowly, each movement deliberate, watching her like a cat watching a mouse, as if savoring every second of her quickening pulse. His hand lifted, his fingers ghosting near her cheek—close enough that she felt the warmth of his skin but never the touch. Her breath hitched—just a flicker of hesitation—but his lips twisted into a knowing smirk, his voice barely a murmur.

“You’ll see,” he whispered, his eyes glinting with a dark promise. “When I’m done, you’ll be burnin' for me.” and i'll make you love every second of it. She couldn't hear him say it, but his eyes held that dark promise that couldn't be ignored.

He straightened, backing away with a final, piercing look that left her heart pounding and her mind reeling. She’d started this game, but the way he left her there made her wonder if she was really prepared for how it would end.

_______________________________________________

Authors note: Let me know if I should continue this storyline or create more short stories! this is my first ever short story so feedback is appreciated! :)

[mezzy-1]

VALORANT // EMAIL ACCESS //

Cypher uncovers more of Kingdom's interest on a plot of land in the Iberian Peninsula. He specifies the email he hacked might be Spanish too.

[batofburnside]

"Tell Me" Part 3

Gekko x (Fem!)Reader

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi everyone! This is the third part of my first Gekko fanfic and my first fanfic posted on tumblr. I just posted part 2 at the same time, so I'm excited and nervous to see what y'all think so far. I really enjoyed writing these. Like last parts, I used google translate for most of the Spanish that wasn’t just a few words so I apologize if anything gets lost in translation, I am not fluent. Words: 8.0K

TW: Character Death, Guns, angst, (kinda?) manipulation, Kidnapping, Blood

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mateo sat on a bar stool in the kitchen, eating a bowl of cereal while resting his head on his hand. He was exhausted. Not being able to fall back asleep, he sent you an early good morning text,  and then headed right into the training arena. Spending a few hours practicing his aim on the training bots until he couldn’t see straight anymore. After a quick shower to wake him up, he headed to the kitchen for breakfast. It was now nearly 9 AM. A few agents have come and gone while he has been in the kitchen. Sage, who is usually an early riser, entered the training arena as he was leaving, giving the young agent a nod of approval for getting some early morning training in. Mateo had tried to keep his worry and anxiety off of his face, he didn’t want to give anyone a reason to pull him off of the mission. Passing Omen and Fade in the hallway he gave a quick hello to the two. Yoru had come into the kitchen to grab breakfast as well. Mateo gave the dimension walker a nod and the older man exchanged the pleasantry before leaving.

Mateo looked up from his cereal that he was more so playing with instead of eating as Neon made her presence known, “There you are, Mateo!” She said as she made her way further into the kitchen and started to prepare her own breakfast. He looked around, making sure that no one was near to be able to hear his real name, “Lo lamento, you were looking for me?” He questioned.

“Yeah, I heard you yell last night. I went to make sure you were alright, but you weren’t in your room.” She said, grabbing her food and sitting down next to him. “Reyna said she hadn’t seen you yet, either.” 

Mateo’s face flashed red with embarrassment. Neon had heard him yell out after his nightmare. He guessed it would make sense that she would be the one to hear it as their rooms shared a wall, but he wondered how loud he truly was and hoped no one else had heard anything. “Wait, what did you tell Reyna?” He said with urgency. If Reyna knew something was bothering him, she might tell Sage or Brimstone to pull him off the mission.

Neon raised a brow, confused by his sudden worry. “I just let her know I was looking for you and was going to check up on you?” 

“Maldita sea” He whispered, resting his head in his hands.

“What dude? You’re being weird. What's going on with you?” Neon said, taking a bite.

“Nothings wrong. I had a nightmare last night. Eso es todo. I can still go on the mission, everything's FINE. Bien.”

Neon swallowed, smirking, “ahhh, okay. So that’s what this is. You’re psyching yourself out!”

“Que!? No- I’m not- uh” Mateo sighed, shaking his head, “I had a nightmare about (y/n). I died on the mission and she found out that everything since I’ve been here has been lies.” 

Neon furrowed her brow, “You know Sage can bring us back? You don’t have to worry about that.”

“I know, but what if she can’t.”

“Well…” Neon started, “That hasn’t happened yet. But, I bet Brimstone will handle it, and give your family something? I’m not sure.”

Mateo shook his head, “That’s the thing. Nothing Brimstone can give (y/n) will undo any of the hurt I caused. She won’t see me as a hero once she finds out the lies it cost.”

The two of them sat in silence for a minute before Mateo spoke up again, “I’ve been thinking, and I think I’m going to tell her. About us and what I’m doing.”

Neon choked on her food, “You’re going to what!? Mateo you know you can’t.”

“She won’t tell anyone, I trust (y/n).”

“You don’t understand, Mateo. Of course our Omega counterparts know who our loved ones are. There aren’t many discrepancies between who we know and are related to. And the only thing keeping them safe is their ignorance. My parents only know where I am, and even that information could put them in danger.”

Mateo bit the inside of his cheek as he thought he was at a crossroads here. He couldn’t put you in danger. But, like Neon’s parents, his mom knows. Reyna told her months before he joined the Protocol and she’s been safe. There must be exceptions. “I won’t put her in danger, but I need to do something about this.” Mateo said, standing up. “Don’t tell Reyna or anyone until I figure it out, por favor.”

Neon looked up as Mateo stood, holding a steady gaze, “I won’t tell anyone, but I sure hope you know what you’re doing.” She said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was a relatively uneventful week for you. Right now you are in the middle of mundane chores. You had just gotten home from grocery shopping for your dad and had begun to put the goods away. The only thing that made today different from the others was, to your surprise, Mateo texting you good morning around 5 AM. You were curious why he was up so early and he told you he just wanted to get an early start to his day and get into a better routine. Something you had wanted to do before but always gave up a few days in. Walking up anywhere between 8AM-10AM is usually how it went for you depending on your classes. You noticed Mateo seemed to have more time on his hands today with random “I miss you”s, “Te amo”s, and check-ins coming in more frequently than they had before. Your heart fluttered as you wondered if he was finally finalizing his schedule and not letting the college have such a strong pull on him. 

You had decided a few days ago that you wanted to try and surprise Mateo for a visit in the upcoming weekend. Since he left you had been putting away extra money from each of your paychecks in order to purchase a train ride up north. The only problem was, you couldn’t remember the name of the city that Mateo is in. Whenever you looked up the college you saw that it had campuses in both Seattle and Portland. And whenever you tried to ask him to remind you, he either wouldn’t hear you or had something else on his mind he wanted to talk about. 

After you finished putting the groceries away you leaned on the counter, grabbing your phone you dialed Mateo’s mother, waiting for her to answer as it rang.

Two rings in you heard and enthusiastic voice on the other line, “(y/n!) Que bueno saber de ti! How are you cariño?”

“Hola, Mrs. De La Fuente. Es bien, and you?” You asked.

“Oh cariño. I am doing really well. It was hard to adjust with how quiet the house has been. Don’t tell Mateo but I’m thinking of getting a cat” Mateo’s mom laughed.

You smiled, you had missed Mateo’s mom and were disappointed in yourself for not calling her sooner, “I’m sure he wouldn’t stop you.” you giggled.

“No, that’s the problema! He would bring an amigo home for it! But, una is enough for me, confía en mí” The woman laughed and then let out a small sigh. You could tell she missed her son as much, if not more than you did. “De todos modos, (y/n). Did you need something?”

“Si, Mrs. De La Fuente. I was wondering what city Mateo was in. I can’t remember if it was Portland or Seattle?” You asked.

Mateo’s mom paused, “...oh, why’s that, cariño?”

You hesitated, confused by her sudden hesitation and change in tone, “well, I um- I’ve been saving up a lot of money. And I finally have enough money to buy a train ticket and surprise him.”

Again there was a pause, “Miel, I don’t think that’s es buena idea.” She said. 

A pit opened up in your stomach, “I’m sorry, Mrs. De La Fuente, but why?”

“Mateo is mucho busy, (y/n). I just think you should wait.”

You frowned, “But it would be on the weekend? I only would have gone up there for a day.” You heard his mom inhale, another pause stagnant in the air before she spoke again, “I just… think it’s for the best, miel.” Before you could question her again she spoke up again “Oh, (y/n)! The oven is going off, that is mi Bizcocho. Tengo que ir! We can talk about this more later. Mantente segura!”

The line clicked as she hung up, the pit in your stomach resting heavy as your thoughts added onto it. The tone change in Mateo’s mom’s words sounded like worry, almost like his mom was covering for him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There were less than 15 hours until the mission on Haven and Mateo was back to back with Phoenix as the two of them engaged in aim training at the training arena. So far they had been doing well, if they continued like this the duo might make it to one of the top spots on the leaderboard. 

“Watch your eyes!” Phoenix called out for a flash, as Mateo sent out Wingman to stun a few of the bots that were surrounding them.

“So.” Phoenix started as he took out two bots, “I heard you’re having girl trouble, aye?”

Mateo tensed up, switching places with the man and firing his gun at the robots, “Qué!? Who told you that?”

Phoenix chuckled, rolling as he dodged some of the bullets, “So it’s true!” he bantered.

“No es verdad! It’s false!” Mateo said, pressing up against a wall as a few bullets went buzzing by his shoulder.

“Well, Jett told me that Yoru was givin you a tough time.” Phoenix responded, smirking as he occasionally took his eyes off the robots to see Mateo’s flustered expression.

Mateo sighed slightly, he was nervous Neon had said something to someone. But,  if this was just about his encounter with Yoru then it didn’t bother him too much. “Yeah, that happened.” He said, leaving his place on the wall and taking out another bot.

“Well, don’t let him get to you mate. We’ve all been there with our relationship struggles. Oy behind you!” Phoenix said, taking out a bot that was running up to Mateo from behind.

“Thanks”, Mateo said with a small nod and smile to both the words of encouragement and for having his back during their training. Although Phoenix’s words weren’t exactly what he needed as a pick-me-up, he was still grateful for the effort put in.. Phoenix returned Mateo’s nod, “Ready to finish this?” He asked.

Smirking, Mateo responded, “Sí, amigo. You know it.”

“Alright let's go!” Phoenix said, his skin glowing a faint orange as he mowed through the rest of the bots with Mateo, thrash stunning a cluster for phoenix to take out. When no other bots came to confront the two, they gave each other a fist bump. “Now that has to be a top score, for sure!” Phoenix enthused.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After the aim training Mateo had taken an early dinner and gone to his room to chill for the night. He had already received a message from Jamie strategizing how they could achieve an even higher score next time. He had also received what he assumed was a sarcastic or playful message from Jett asking why he stole her aim training partner from her. Changing into some comfortable clothes, he laid down on his bed and gave you a call. Wingman snuggled up to his arm and Mateo moved a bit to get Wingman out of the frame of the video, causing the creature to mumble. “I’m sorry buddy. Not yet okay. Very soon she will meet you. Prometo. For now, if you stay down by my arm, you can sit in and listen in. Como es que, amigo?” Wingman purred and Mateo chuckled, “Alright just remember to be quiet.” Dizzy, Thrash, and Mosh also made their appearance, giving Mateo a curious look. “Alright, you three as well. But the same thing I told Wingman. Estar muy tranquila. Okay?” Dizzy and Thrash nodded. Thrash took up a spot near the end of the bed at Mateo’s feet, Dizzy laid on Mateo’s stomach, and Mosh cuddled up next to Wingman.

You answered the call to Mateo smiling and laughing, “Hola, Mi Teo. What’s got you in a good mood?” You returned his contagious smile.

“Well, the fact that I’m talking to mi amor might have something to do with it.” He smirked. 

The two of you chatted for nearly an hour uninterrupted and you both  savored that time that you had together. The longest your last video call was so far had been about 30 minutes max before Mateo got pulled away by something else. You laughed with each other when you caught him up to speed on the shenanigans your friend group was up to together. He asked about your father and your sister. You told him you were thinking of cutting your hair and he playfully begged you not to, but promised that you would look beautiful with any hairstyle you chose. He said you could even shave your head and you would be the most beautiful girl in the world to him. You laughed and told him to be careful what he says or you just might go ahead and do it, but he knew you would never. He knew how much fun you had styling your hair in different ways, it was something you had used often to express yourself.

“I wish I was there with you” Mateo said, he noticed the locket he gave you before he left around your neck, he was hanging next to your heart, but he wanted to wrap you up in his arms. A month away had felt like an eternity.

“I wish you were too.” You said, sharing his look of longing.

“Well, I find out when I’m able to leave soon. But before then I can send you a care package. I can put one of my shirts in it and some snacks from the area.” He grinned.

You smiled, “I’d like that.” Your words drew off slightly at the end of the sentence, as you thought back to your conversation with his mom. Hesitating, you wondered if you should tell Mateo, ask why she was being so weird about you wanting to visit.

Mateo noticed your hesitation and raised a brow, “what’s wrong, mi amor?” 

“Well….” You started but bit your tongue. “So I saved up money from my recent paychecks and I figured with that money I would buy a train ticket to see you. Like a surprise. But then I couldn’t remember what city you said you were in or if you ever said the city you were in. So I called your mom and asked her. I told her my plan but she didn’t think it was a good idea and she also wouldn’t tell me the city and she also wouldn’t tell me why.” Catching your breath after your ramble you waited for him to answer, your cheeks flushed red. He stared at the phone, his mouth opening like he was going to say something, but then closing. “I just felt like she was hiding something from me?” You added on.

Mateo frowned, his gaze faltering before looking back at the screen, “(y/n), I have to tell you something.” He said, in a tone you had never heard before.

Your anxiety spiked, “oh okay… you’re making me a bit nervous. What is it?” You asked.

“So I’m not in Seattle… or Portland. I’m-“ the phone went black. Mateo grumbled, pressing the power button but to no avail. “Merida! Stupid phone” he cursed. Suddenly it powered back on, the screen flashing with a familiar symbol. Mateo narrowed his eyes. He went to your contact and tried to call you back, but an error flashed up on the screen once more with that familiar symbol. He tried to text you but was met with the same fate. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Cypher!!!” Mateo yelled as he ran down the halls. He made it to the computer room where he knew Cypher was most likely to be. He flung the door open and found the room empty. He cursed again, leaving the room and heading down the hallway.

“CYPHER!” He called again, he passed by Neon who looked like she was on her way to her room.

“Woah, Gekko. What’s going on, are you alright?” She asked.

“Not right now, Tala. I’m looking for Cypher.” He said, keeping his steady pace. 

Neon followed behind him, “He’s with Reyna in the strategy room. But-“ he cut her off, “Thanks.”

“But Gekko-“ Neon tried to get his attention but he was focused on one thing.

Mateo flung open the door to the Strategy Room, seeing Cypher, Reyna, Sage, and Brimstone huddled over a holographic map of LA. Reyna’s eyes darted over to the two. “Neon! Gekko is not supposed to be in here right now” She said.

“I tried damn it!” Neon said, raising her hands up.

“I don’t care about whatever secret classified mission this is!” Gekko said, anger in his words. “I just want to know why, he child-locked my device!?” He said, pointing to Cypher.

“Cariño, cálmate.” Reyna said

“I activated the fail safe, because you were close to revealing yourself.” Cypher added in.

“What!? You were listening in on me!? Spying on me!? Esto es ridículo. ¡Esa fue una conversación privada!” Mateo exclaimed, Wingman and Dizzy appeared from his bag after Mateo's noticeable rising anger. “How would you even know to listen in?” He asked.

Cypher remained quiet, sharing a glance between the 3 older agents in the room.

Mateo turned around towards Neon, “ You told them! Didn’t you?” He accused.

Neon crossed her arms, “what!? No I didn’t.” She huffed

“Fui yo, cariño. It was me” Reyna spoke up.

An expression of hurt and betrayal flashed across Mateo’s face, as Wingman and Dizzy made a sound, similar to a faint cry but almost as if they were asking Reyna why.

“Que? Por que Reyna. Why would you have Cypher spy on me?” He asked.

Sage made her way closer to Mateo, “Reyna came to us a few days ago. We agreed that you are being pulled in two different directions. You need to have your whole mind and spirit here, Gekko. With your heart split, you can make dangerous decisions. Brimstone and I tasked Cypher on making sure you were making the right decisions. And Cypher is the one who heard you tell Neon your plan in the kitchen this morning.” 

Mateo took a step back in anger as he cursed to himself. Placing a hand over his face, he shook his head. How stupid was he for thinking that Brimstone and Sage didn’t have eyes everywhere around the protocol, watching them at all times. Or that Cypher, the man who can scrub clean any mention of them from the internet within milliseconds wouldn’t be able to listen in on his private phone calls. Wingman walked up to Mateo, placing his hands on the man’s leg in an attempt to comfort.

“Gekko, we’re here to help you if you need it. I know some things are hard to understand why we do it. But it is for the best.” Sage added.

Mateo stood idle for a second, his eyes darting from person to person in the room. His mind was clouded with hurt, anger, and frustration. The silence lingered, no one having anything else to say. Mateo picked up Wingman and turned around towards the door, pausing in the doorway before speaking to those behind him, “You know, Reyna. You could have come to me first. Actually talked to me. Nunca pensé que irías a mis espaldas. Especially you of all people.” He said as he saw his way out.

The remaining agents exchanged a few glances as the tension Mateo left still hung in the air. Reyna sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “He will be okay,” she said to the group, while also reassuring herself. She was disheartened about breaking Mateo’s trust, but there were more important things at hand and she knew this was for the best, “We need to get back to our findings”.

“Yes.” Sage said, looking at the holographic map of LA that was laid out before them. “Your recon mission with Neon and Yoru revealed a big deposit of Radianite under the city, here.” She said pointing to the map.

“That’s close to Gekko’s home.” Reyna said, thinking of her friend. Not wanting to let Mateo down anymore, she needed to make sure this Radianite remained secure. “We need to make sure that a spike does not get detonated here”

“We also need to keep our eyes on Kingdom as well. They could already know about this.” Brimstone said.

Neon was looking towards the door after Mateo left, he was hurting and now he probably felt more alone than ever. Sighing, she turned around and looked towards the group, her eyes widening at the hologram as she made her way to the group. “Woah” Neon said as she walked up to the map, eyeing it in curiosity, “if a spike goes off there how many casualties will that be?”

“Too many.” Brimstone responded, his voice laced with an edge of concern and also exhaustion. 

~~~~~~~~~

“...Teo?” You asked, as his face froze on your screen before the call ended, an error signaling that the connection had dropped. You tried to call him back but was only met by his voicemail.  Resorting to a text, you sent ‘What happened, are you alright?’ only to get an immediate response saying that the message was unable to be delivered. Staring at the screen you blinked, trying to process what had just happened. You looked around through your phone to make sure that everything else was working, and found that you had a full connection to the grid. Whatever happened was on Mateo’s end. You found it odd that as soon as Mateo looked like he was going to confess something that the call dropped. And now suddenly you were unable to contact him back? Did the internet wherever he was suddenly just drop, since he did say that he wasn’t in Seattle or Portland, so where was he?

You sent Mateo a few more texts telling him to call you back if he was able or to let you know that he was okay. You debated on calling Mateo’s mom to let her know about the weird disconnection of his phone. But, with what Mateo had started to say, it had all suddenly made sense of why his mom was acting so weird on the phone. She knew he wasn’t in either of the two cities he had mentioned, she just was trying her best to avoid telling you.

The rest of the night for you drew on longer than you thought it would. You laid in bed, curled up on your covers while scrolling through various forms of media, checking every 30 minutes for a message to Mateo, while also sending one or two to test the connection. So far you had sent around 13 messages, signaling that it had been over 6 hours since your video call with Mateo. You had skipped dinner, your appetite gone and replaced with worry. Around 8:30 you had heard your dad leave for work, and around 11:30 you had heard your sister leave to go to a party. Neither of them bothered you before they left as you said you wished to be left alone. 

It was nearing 1 am and your eyes were starting to get dry and heavy with sleep. You continued to stare at your phone screen, mindlessly scrolling, not even focusing on what was in front of you as you fought the urge to sleep. The thought of Mateo messaging you back as soon as you fell asleep would be your luck, and you wanted to make sure that wouldn’t happen. You would stay up all night if you had to, even if that meant you would miss your classes.

All the struggle you put up against falling asleep seemed to be in vain as your eyes shot open to the sound of your doorbell going off throughout the house. You rubbed your eyes in a daze as you checked your phone, “What the hell? It’s 3 AM.” you grumbled to yourself, closing your eyes and throwing your pillow over your head to drown out the ringing. Whoever was at your front door seemed to be holding down the button.

After a few more seconds you yelled, throwing your blankets off of yourself as you stood up. Exiting your room, you looked across the hall to your sister’s room. The door was wide open, and through the faint light shining inside you could tell she hadn’t made it home yet. “I swear, Gwen, if you forgot your key and locked yourself out I’m going to kill you” you grumbled. Heading towards the front door.

You yawned as you looked towards the peep hole to view who was outside, but the image you saw completely woke you up. “Teo?” you whispered to yourself. It felt like your heart stopped for a second, time slowing as you reached for the door to unlock and open it. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The helicopter ride to Haven was uncomfortable at most for Mateo. Luckily, he was allowed to stay on the mission. Though if it were up to him he much rather would have been anywhere else, so was it truly luck? Having Reyna leading his mission completely ruined all the excitement he had when he was first assigned a week ago. He avoided her gaze as much as he could, still feeling the hurt from her broken trust just hours before. He continued to listen in on the debrief that he had heard many times throughout the week, giving her the respect as if they were just co-workers.

It was quiet when they arrived at Haven, giving the team the indication that they had beaten their Omega counterparts to the location. Reyna gave one last debrief before she dismissed everyone to set up their sites. The layout was fairly similar to Mateo’s dream, which made him slightly nervous. The only difference was that Killjoy was to be holding garage, her turret pointing at mid while Omen helped Reyna on A.

“Mateo,” Reyna said, grabbing his attention as he went towards his site. He turned around and paused, walking back up to her. “¿qué?” He asked, showing no emotion.

She sighed, "Escúchame Gekko, I know it doesn’t seem like it. But, I am with you.”

Mateo inhaled, pondering on her words, “mis disculpas when I said that it’s hard to believe that right now.”

“I am sorry that it has felt like you have to do this alone. Nunca deberías sentirte así. Y porque lo haces, es mi fracaso como mentor.” 

“Eres una gran mentora, Reyna. I am just upset my privacy was infiltrado.” He sighed. 

“I know cariño,” Reyna said, “And I am truly sorry.”

“Gracias, Reyna.” Mateo said, his nerves starting to settle slightly. He began to leave again before he was stopped once more.

“Also, Gekko-” “Si?” He asked.

“fuerte y feroz. They will not hesitate, you must not either.” Reyna said, her voice sturn and steady as she believed if Mateo took to heart anything that she said, she needed it to be this.

“Lo sé, Reyna. I know” he nodded, taking her advice in. He gave her a slight smile before he went and made his way to his position at C.

Mateo had scoped out his site, walking down C long and looking for the angles that Harbor had mentioned would be crucial to hold and would most likely be an area that their Omega counterparts would hide in if cornered.

Holding with his Vandal, Mateo aimed down site at C long, staying alert and ready for anyone to appear. His eyes were starting to strain as he had been focused already for 15 minutes at least. “Any signs of movement anywhere?” Killjoy said over her ear piece.

“Negative” Omen responded. “Nope” Jett added in “Gekko?” Reyna questioned. Mateo was about to speak before he saw Omega Jett peak up into C long. He fired his gun but she quickly dashed back from where she had appeared from. “Jett spotted!” He held his aim ready for her to peak again only to be met by a double peak with Jett and Sova. Mateo quickly ducked back behind boxes, The Omega archer sent a tracer dart flying landing on the wall in the back of C site, marking Mateo. “Sova spotted as well, my location has been marked, requesting backup!”

“I’m on it!” Killjoy responded, peaking out C short and throwing a grenade to stop the infiltrators from pushing up any further. From behind the box, Mateo threw up Dizzy who quickly scanned the area, blinding the two enemies. Mateo peaked out from his cover, aiming his gun at the Sova who was now blind in long with nowhere to hide. With three body shots to the chest, the archer was down. Mateo tried to catch his breath, this had been his first kill that wasn’t on one of the training bots. He had to get his breathing back under control and steady himself. One was down but there were at least 4 more to go. 

‘fuerte y feroz’ he repeated to himself the words of advice that Reyna had given him.

“There’s someone A” Reyna said through the coms.

“Sending cover” Omen called out as he placed a smoke down protecting the A site from a quick entry.

“I believe the Jett has rotated,” Killjoy said. Jett spoke up, “I spotted her- uh me- In window! I’m holding.” 

Mateo heard gunfire from across the area, indicating that A site had begun to be fought over. He continued to stare down long, just to make sure they weren’t being faked, until he heard otherwise. Killjoy began to move back into garage to help Jett hold her Omega counterpart.

On A site, Omen peaked heaven with an Operator, peaking into short while the smoke still covered long. Reyna shot through the smoke, taking cover behind boxes as bullets sprayed blindly towards her. A quick flash the two had never seen before, made up of white and yellow sparkling lights, blinded them instantly. They took cover as the omega agents entered the site, forcing Omen and Reyna to fall back. “We’ve lost the site.” Omen growled into his communicator.

“Gekko, Killjoy. Begin your rotation to A, stay alert as I believe they have sent the new agent, Lux, with them.” Reyna informed the rest of the team.

Killjoy began her rotation from garage through the window and the connector to B, leaving an alarm bot behind her incase of an enemy push or rotate. Mateo gathered dizzy up from where she was idling, quietly praising her for the work she did to help him with the Sova. 

He quietly made his way to the C and B connector, where he would join up with Killjoy on B so that the two could arrive at A together. Before he could walk to B, a wall made of a white and yellow swirling energy came up, completely blocking off the entrance. This was something that Mateo had never seen before. He turned around, scanning his surroundings and saw nothing. “Be careful,” He spoke into his com, “I think the new agent put up a wall blocking off my entry on B.” “I see it too, but I don't see any other enemies. Still keep your guard up, we don't know how far their range is for their abilities.” Jett said.

Mateo stared at the wall before him, it didn’t look solid? It had a similar movement about it like Phoenix and Astra’s  walls, though contained to one area as it took up the entire entry way. He carefully reached a hand out to touch it, but hissed in pain as the energy making up the wall instantly burned his flesh with contact. 

He closed his eyes, shaking out his hand as he heard the sound of a revolver hammer locking behind him. He froze, feeling the sensation of someone watching him.

“Careful-”, They spoke. Mateo’s eyes widened, he knew that voice but there was something off.

“-Mi, amor. Wouldn't want you to hurt yourself.” They said, venom laced with their words.

Mateo raised his hands in the air, as he turned around and was met face to face with your Omega counterpart. His heart increased, she looked just like you only she was staring at him with an expression he had never seen from you before; Hatred mixed with amusement. “Lux?” Was all he could murmur

“Lux, (Code/Name), (Y/N), any of those work.” She sneered, holding her Sheriff out so that Mateo was staring down the barrel.

“Gekko, status update.” Killjoy was heard over the intercom.

“I-” Mateo started, but he was interrupted by your double. 

“Shhh. Let’s not give away our position, now.” She hummed as she walked towards him, circling him like a Lion does its prey. “You seem so much more fun than my Mateo,” she lulled, “Let me guess, you actually made a move on my counterpart. Lucky her. Mine couldn’t take a hint if it hit him in the face.”

Mateo’s heart was racing, he never once thought that when he looked at the enemy he would see you. The (y/n) he knew wasn’t a Radiant, or so he thought. He remembered Brimstone's talk about discrepancies. But, wouldn’t you have developed your powers by now if you were?

He remained stunned in silence as your double paced around him, keeping the sheriff aimed at his head, his eyes following her. She walked up to him, placing a kiss on his lips, while pressing the cool metal of the gun to his temple. A wave of panic shivered down his spine causing his hairs on the back of his neck to stand up.

She pulled away and took a step back, “Well, I’d love to keep this conversation going, Gekko-”

“-They’ve planted the spike!” He heard Jett yell into his earpiece.

“- But it seems like we’re out of time.”

Your double pulled the trigger on the sheriff twice, sending two rounds flying directly into Mateo’s shoulder. He yelled out in pain as the bullets burned through his flesh. Falling to the ground he squeezed onto his shoulder with his unburnt hand, trying to control the bleeding. He could hear commotion over the earpiece, but all of the words were deafened by the fire he felt on his shoulder.

Wingman jumped out of Mateo’s bag, running towards your Omega counterpart and stunning her, causing her wall blocking B to fall. As soon as it did, shots from a Vandal could be heard flying over Mateo and towards your double, but it wasn’t fast enough. Before the shot could land, your double vanished into a curtain of light, teleporting out of the area of danger. 

Mateo squirmed on the ground in pain, Wingman ran up to his shoulder and pressed against Mateo’s hand, as if to try and help stop the bleeding. The two felt the ground shake below them, before an eruption of darkness shadowed them, indicating that the spike had gone off. 

Omega had won. He let out another anguished cry as a wave of fire spread from his shoulder and down through his arm. “Gekko’s down, but he’s conscious” someone next to him said over the ear piece. He hadn’t realized it but Killjoy had taken a place, kneeled beside him. She must have been the one to try and stop your double. 

The ground rumbled as Killjoy spoke, started to shift and break apart on A where the spike had gone off. “Shhh, shhh now, Gekko. It’s okay. You’re going to be just fine” the girl said, taking off one of her straps and preparing to use it as a makeshift splint to try and stabilize his arm.

Mateo squinted his eyes, trying to force back another wave of pain, “what about- the- others-“ he said through clenched teeth. “Where’s- Reyna-“ 

“She’s coming, Gekko, don’t worry. She’s alright. You’re doing good, keep that pressure.”

“The- new- agent-“ Mateo started, only to be cut off by KillJoy.

“Shh, don’t talk. Save your energy, Gekko.”

“Gekko! Mi cariño!” Reyna yelled out, kneeling next to Mateo across from Killjoy. Mateo looked upwards to see Omen making his way not far behind Reyna, in his arms was Jett, her arms laying heavy, swaying as Omen walked. Mateo’s eyes widened at the site of Jett’s unmoving form lying in Omen’s arms, her shirt drenched in blood. His adrenaline started to spike in that moment, his heart racing. He tensed up, trying to sit, grimacing as he did., “Jett- what… is- is she-“ He tried to speak, wincing with every word. 

Reyna used her hand to avert Mateo’s gaze from his fallen comrade. “Sage will help her, Ahora necesitas quedarte con nosotros, Gekko.” Reyna looked at Omen and Killjoy as bits of derbies from A could be seen floating in the distance, the cracks in the ground spreading towards B, “We need to get out of here. Now.”

The next moments for Mateo moved in stop motion. He heard Reyna and Killjoy speaking to him, but their words merged together, unable to penetrate his ear drums. He blinked and they were helping him up, his good arm over Reynas neck as she helped him stand up. He blinked again and they were helping him into the helicopter, Omen placing Jett’s body on a makeshift infirmary bed before covering her up completely with a blanket. Another blink and he felt Killjoy pressing gauze up against his shoulder, while Reyna watched on, an emotion he couldn’t read in her eyes. He heard himself cry out in pain as Killjoy cleaned his wound, but it was almost like his voice was coming from someone else. Blinking once more, he saw his arm bandaged up, Omen walking up to him with Wingman in his arms. The wraith gently placed the creature down close to Mateo, who wasted no time to run up and cuddle into the crook of his uninjured arm.

As Mateo went unconscious, Reyna made her way next to where he lie, sitting down beside him she watched his chest rise and fall. “Lo siento, Mateo.” She said, giving him a kiss on the top of his head before brushing his hair back off of his forehead. “Eres un luchador Lo superarás.” Wingman looked up at Reyna from his place tucked in Mateo’s arm. She smiled at the creature, “Lo hiciste bien pequeña. Thank you for watching after him.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Teo!?” You asked as you opened the door, a mixture of excitement and confusion in your voice, still groggy from sleep. “What are you do-” you continued, pausing as he took a step back. From behind him you saw a small pink creature begin to make its way to you. You let out the start of a scream as it jumped at you, the sonic wave it sent out from its body rendering you unable to move or speak. You winced slightly, feeling the paralyzing energy moving through your body. “mis disculpas, (y/n). Or what your Mateo calls you, ‘Mi amor’?” He smirked. 

Your eyes darted around before meeting his gaze once more, in fear. What did he mean, ‘Your Mateo?’. You had heard of the incident years ago in Venice of a dimension traveler attacking. Was this one of those instances? But if so, what did you have to do with any of this? None of this made sense, you had to still be dreaming. Working against the paralyzing energy through your body, you were able to slowly close your eyes, trying to wake yourself up. Suddenly, you began to feel a burning sensation throughout your body. A mixture of heat and energy shooting through your limbs, leaving you wondering what the creature did to you. You opened your eyes to meet ‘Mateo’’s gaze, his smirk faltering as he saw your normally (e/c) eyes, a golden yellow. He suddenly looked nervous. “Apurarse, Omen.” He said, looking behind you. Unable to see what he was looking at, your heart started racing. You felt hands on your wrist as your arms were pulled behind your back, and fastened with a ziptie. You let out a small groan of frustration as you tried to fight your way free, but your body was not listening to you. Continuing to try and struggle, you were able to let out a small “Why?” that was cut off as a piece of fabric was placed over your mouth. 'Mateo' looked at you  as he stepped closer, brushing a strand of hair behind your ear “Lo lamento, Mi amor. But, a mission is a mission.” 

A cloud of purple smoke started to surround you and your vision, you found yourself almost weightless for a second before the smoke dissipated. No longer in your house, you looked around as the paralytic was staring to wear off, 'Mateo' nowhere to be found. You didn’t get a great look at the room you were in before another strip of fabric was placed over your eyes, taking away your vision. What you could briefly see told you that the room was some kind of operating room, with various computers on the walls. The hand that had bound you reached out, somewhat gently, and led you to a chair and fastened your ankles to the legs. You yelped and tried to move from your bindings as you felt a prick of a needle on your skin. “I’m sorry.”, your captor said, as he drew your blood. The sound of his voice was haunting, but his words seemed sincere.

You moved in the chair, trying to free your hands. Although the paralyzing effect from that creature seemed to subside, you still noticed the slightly burning, almost electric feelings radiate through your mind and body as your adrenaline continued to pump. The sound of a door swinging open, accompanied by 2 sets of footsteps signified that you were no longer alone with your captor. You held your breath, as if out of instinct to try and go undetected. Never imagining you would be in a situation like this, you were feeling helpless. You weren’t a fighter, but you were smart, you needed to wait until you had resources to use and right now with your senses being taken away from you, the only thing you had to go off of is what you were able to hear.

“Let me see that sample” a woman said as she walked to the far side of the room, her voice sounded aged, and muffled almost as if it were coming through a microphone. A machine whirred up followed by sounds of typing.

The three stood in silence, as one person, you assumed it was the woman, typed.

“What did you find?” The third person spoke up. A male, their  voice older, gruff, and sturdy.  

“It’s positive. She’s radiant. A discrepancy here must have caused her abilities to not activate, which is how they must have missed her and skipped to recruiting Gekko” The woman said.

Your eyes widened behind the fabric, were they talking about you? No, you couldn’t be a Radiant. Radiants are the ones who attacked Venice, and killed thousands in the city. Radiants are the ones who took your mother away from you. You weren’t one of them. 

A new set of footsteps drew your focus back into the group. “Alright, perfect. That means we’re able to move on to phase 2 then?” The voice sent a shiver up your spine. This voice sounded like yours but it couldn’t be. The footsteps began to make their way closer to you. Feeling a pair of fingers loop onto the fabric and pull it down below your eyes, you took in your surroundings. In the room, a  woman with a short black haircut wearing a mask around her nose and mouth, a hooded figure who seemed to be glowing, and a bearded man with a muscular build looked on from the background. Though, your stomach dropped when you saw your own smirking face staring back at you. The only thing letting you know you weren't truly staring at your own reflection was the faint glow of a yellow/gold on the inner iris of her (e/c) eyes, “it’s about time I finally get to look in the mirror” she said.

Your chest rising and falling as you began to hyperventilate, “who are you?” You tried to ask, but it only came out as a mixed mumble through the fabric covering your mouth. Your double began to hyperventilate as well, mocking your mumble before laughing, “Sorry, (y/n). Just trying to get into character.” She smiled, something about it sending a chill down your spine.

She began to reach towards your neck and you tried to squirm away from her hands only to be stopped by the chair you were bound to. She unclasped the locket you were wearing. The gift Mateo had given you before he left. You tried to protest, but your movements were unsuccessful as she removed the jewelry from your neck and placed it around her own, “Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of it, and him.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Reyna entered the infirmary, to see Sage hovering over Jett, a blue glow emitting from her palms. The outgoing girl who now lay still had begun to breathe again just hours before, but there was still more work to be done. Sage had worked on Mateo earlier, his gunshot wound being a more easy fix than the wound that took Jett. The healer had praised Killjoy and Reyna for the work they did on the field to keep Mateo’s breathing controlled, as it likely saved his life.

“How is she?” Reyna asked. She was always fond of Jett. The young agent had such an upbeat attitude about the world. Similar to Mateo.

“Better.” Sage said, a wave of exhaustion coming through her words.

“You should rest. recupera tu energía. I can watch them until you return.” Reyna looked over to Mateo’s sleeping form as well. Wingman sat at the edge of his infirmary bed, looking on with an expression of concern and worry as Sage worked on Jett.

“I will be okay, Reyna. Jett needs me right now. Besides, I have had great company.” Sage replied, looking up to smile at Wingman.

Reyna sighed, “You can help her more once you have rested. She is breathing now, I will alert you if that changes.”

Sage paused, looking up at Reyna and nodding, “Thank you.” She said, giving her a reassuring touch on her shoulder before leaving. 

Walking over to the two beds, Reyna looked at Jett a moment before pulling a blanket up over the sleeping woman’s form. These two in the infirmary were too young to be the ones injured on this mission, and even Omen had agreed. Had Reyna called a retreat earlier, perhaps Jett wouldn’t have dashed in as a last ditch effort to try and defuse the spike only to be ambushed by an Omega Cypher and an Omega Harbor.

Grabbing a chair, Reyna pulled it up next to Mateo’s bed and sat down, Wingman quickly hobbling over to her. The woman gave the creature a quick pet of affection before resting her hand on Mateo���s. She should have realized quicker that he hadn’t been heard on the communicator and wasn’t in the gunfight. She should have been more alert that something had happened to him. She had promised his mother she would protect him, and now he lay in the infirmary after his first mission that she had led. “lo siento, no estaba allí, Mateo”

With her free hand, Reyna continued to pet Wingman, who had quickly fallen asleep under her touch. Lost in her thoughts, Reyna continued to listen to the rhythmic beeping of the machines that both Jett and Mateo were hooked up to. Eventually, Wingman began to stir slightly as he woke up, and as if on queue Mateo began to move as well, mumbling as he fought for consciousness, “…(y/n)” he groaned.

Reyna perked up, “Mateo, it’s okay, mi cariño”, She said in a soft voice, trying to calm her protege.

“(Y/n)….” He repeated.

“ella no está aquí, but you can contact her later”

Mateo opened his eyes and quickly sat up, as if waking up from a nightmare. He winced as he grabbed his shoulder, now alert he looked at Reyna, doing his best to ignore the waves of pain shooting through him.”

“No, Reyna... it’s (y/n). Lux is (y/n).” He said.

[nothingstayshiddenfromme]

i think to the protocol cypher isn’t exactly a father figure - i don’t think he’d let himself get close like that, but i think that maybe on the days when the younger ones can’t sleep, the days when they sit and they’re haunted by the things that they have done and the things that have been done to them, the tolls it has to take on their bodies, the way their lives have changed, i think that maybe he is the one they go to. maybe to confide. maybe for a distraction, maybe just for some company. because i think above all cypher would get it - his story is one of grief and i think for him that has never gone away. i think he holds onto that and i think it pushes him in the unhealthiest way possible. so i think maybe outright, no, he isn’t exactly a father figure, but i do think he’s the one they go to when they need someone resembling one. and i think they can count on him not to bring it up again. what’s another secret to him?

[kiaratheartist]

Phoenix and... Phoenix?!

[horriblebassplayah]

I might be in love with cypher

[sandwich-with-bread]

Only thing breach doesnt like about his arms is that ge can't get them tattooed

[jaiden-zhou]

(2) casual iso <3

contents: headcanons, reader is a uniqlo employee for plot purposes, self indulgent

part 2,, i couldnt help myself alright? its a little rushed but i just needed to get this out

this part is inspired, actually this whole casual iso thing is inspired by @angelltheninth 's pining! iso post

its actually really funny how i love pretty much all their posts and writing for at least six months and now just started following them thats how often i see their content in my feed i just never hit the follow button im sorry

part 1, part 3

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iso who starts giving you a discount on your drinks, just as long as you give him your employee discounts in uniqlo and the exclusive early news on unreleased lines and collabs

iso who talks to you like everyday now haha

iso who then starts to pine for you, hard

iso who most to all of the time has his eyes on you not just when you speak, he actually almost tripped on a curb because he was so focused on you

iso who low-key craves your attention, after the first time you hugged him after he accompanied you home, he's started wishing he could hug you for long periods of time

iso who gets teased by yoru and phoenix for crushing on you, he's already embarrassed enough with the realization he likes you

iso who gets flustered with every physical interaction you two have, hugs? freezes up a bit before wrapping his arms lightly around you (poor baby's a little awkward), tugging his hand along? cheeks dusted pink, the occasional brush against his fingers? ears a little red <3

iso who started carrying bluetooth earbuds when he's out with you instead of headphones, it gets him to focus on you more, and maybe.. you two can listen to music together.. with his earbuds

iso who insists on giving you his jacket (the one that you found for him cough cough) when he sees you tense and shiver in the cold, he can handle it so just take the coat, man's not taking no for an answer

iso who out of habit, sub-consciously leans more towards you to hear your voice better, sometimes he stops himself and gets a little embarrassed with how close he is to you

iso who at any location, on the bus or train, at the movies, at any point if you're falling asleep, he's going to tilt your head towards his shoulder. it's fine you're too much into sleep to see his faint blush and endearing eyes on you

iso who sometimes pays for your food, you've had a rough day at work? snacks on him, some customer got on your nerves? he's got you a drink to cool you off <3

iso blushes a lot when you thank him, sometimes it's that same earnest smile you gave when you got him that jacket, sometimes it's a tired relieved smile with a small quiet thanks and your eyes are looking at him so sweetly and a little dazed from fatigue it makes his breath hitch and heart race a bit. "always.." he murmurs

iso who starts getting a little jealous when he's around you yet your attention is mainly on someone else, it gets a little much for him

iso who is a little noticeably annoyed when he sees you doubling over in laughter from gekko's stories, you two seem to be having a lot of fun

iso who doesn't know how to deal with how he's feeling, so whether he realizes it or not, he starts creating a bit of distance

iso takes his leave silently, going to the tea shop to work even on his day off to get his mind off of his envy

iso who left his phone on do-not-disturb full silence and in a locker so he doesn't look at it, meaning he doesn't see the worried texts and numerous calls to him from you asking if he's okay and where he went off to without telling you

iso who on his break in the back still without his phone and doesn't take mind of the bell that rings whenever the door opens and he just thinks it's another customer

iso who is surprised when it's you showing up through the door in a bit of disarray, heavy breaths, and chest heaving from exhaustion

------

"granny!" you barge through the door in labored pants. "granny, have you seen where zhao yu is? he hasn't picked up at all."

the elderly woman's mood is quite calm, maybe too much for your worry.

"oh yes, he's here, zhao yuuu! come out!" she beckons iso before he steps out curiously, eyes wide when they meet your own.

"what's goin' on-"

"where have you been?!" you cut him off in an approaching fury. "i've been texting and calling for hours, why didn't you tell me you left? why didn't you tell me where?"

he senses you're upset with him, pissed beyond what he's seen from you. and he panics.

"i.. granny called me in to ask me to work-"

"bullshit, yu." ah, you caught him. "if that was the case you would've at least told me, why?"

iso's hesitant, and his eyes show it the most when they lock contact with your hardened gaze before it softens into a vulnerable, pleading one.

"please.. don't lie to me." and his resolve breaks when he hears the pain and desperation in your voice. iso's head hangs low and his eyes are now everywhere else but your own. "you made me really worried."

"i know, i know." he admits quietly and he can't help but lean close to rest his forehead on your shoulder. "i'm sorry.."

he's so quiet about it, ashamed about how immaturely he handled it and causing you stress, akin to somewhat like a kicked puppy.

"i'm sorry i tried lying to you," he starts off again, your hand swinging over his shoulder and the other at the back of his head to bring him in an embrace. he spills, voice is a little muffled against your shoulder. "i'm sorry i left without telling you, worrying you and having you run to find me. i'm sorry for not picking up or responding at all, that was childish of me.."

"but why?" you begged for a reason, he's closer to you than ever, torso flushed to yours and your grip firm, it makes him feel like he's melting as he indulges himself more into your arms. still hesitant.

"i'm.. sorry, i was.." he pauses, his face heating up with having to admit this to you of all people. "i didn't like.. i.."

gosh he'll never hear the end of this from yoru and phoenix.

"i was jealous" he whispered so quietly, if he was any farther than now you wouldn't have been able to catch it and honestly, he was hoping you didn't.

"oh, yu.." his heart soars at your soft voice. you pull away with a light giggle, just enough to see him, his face flushed with a slight pout.

you lightly brush his fringe apart, caressing his face and pressing a soft kiss to his forehead in a silent confession. iso's eyes are squeezed shut, red in the cheeks as his stomach does flips before giving into his desires and burying his head into the juncture of your neck to hide away from embarrassment. <3

[piltoversfinestbun]

GOOD MORNING, SUNSHINE.

01. ─── A/N: This is my first time writing something related to Valorant, so hopefully it will meet your expectations. Feel free to send suggestions and/or prompts for the future.

Summary: What is it like to wake up next to Phoenix?

Pairing: Phoenix (Jamie Adeyemi) x Reader

Tags: Phoenix (VALORANT), established relationship (implied), fluff, non-sexual intimacy, non-sexual nudity.

       ㅤ  ㅤJamie Adeyemi (Phoenix)

As you can expect, he's the perfect cuddle-buddy. Even before you two started dating, you used to fall asleep in each other's embrace due to the man's natural warmth and presence, so it's not a surprise when you start replacing blankets with your heater boyfriend.

"Alright, Jamie. I need to shower, I feel like I'm burning!"

Before you notice you've become familiar with a new routine: waking up to a snoring warm prince who's hugging you tightly to his chest, keeping both of you safe and fairly sweaty, but neither of you care about it.

Tons of hugging pictures. Phoenix loves to take cheesy couple selfies while laying down with you. Either him on your lap or hiding his face on your neck, he just can't get enough of you! That man loves physical contact.

"Come on, five more minutes..."

"Ugh, fine."

It's hard to resist when he's so persistent and charming, so you just decide to strip out of your clothes and embrace the flooding warm feeling of your bodies connecting.

In the end you two enjoy a not-so-cold shower together, washing each other and planning how the day will go on.