#3289 words if u even care.

[fox-buried-in-maple-leaves]

Detainee

With all these truths in the light, it's up to somebody unexpected to come to the rescue.

taglist: @cerasus--flores, @hamausagi

“Amir? What do you mean my brother has been detained? For how long?!” 

Mismatched eyes widened but not of surprise, rather, anger. 

“Three months?!” 

She got off the bed, holding her phone against her ear with her cheek and her shoulder as she threw open her closet to grab her suitcase. “Get me where he’s being held.” She paused. “I don’t care if it's top secret!” Hemera hissed into the phone, she dropped her suitcase on the floor, now opened. 

“Mount Sinai roof? An hour? I’ll be there. Bring me the file.” … “I don’t care if you have to crack it, get me that damn file.” She hung up her phone, tossing it behind her on the bed as she threw random clothing into her bag. She bent down, moving to close the bag, but she paused. She’d need identification.

Passport, social security, her entire wallet, and her law degree, framed from her living room wall. Good enough.

But it wasn’t just that. Hemera bent down, tucking her hair behind her ears as she pulled open a floorboard in her closet. She quickly punched in the numbers into the safe she had hidden, waiting for the beep before she pulled it open. 

Expecting it would be a lie. But being ready for anything? Hemera was always ready. She pulled out several files stamped by various organizations. Two of which showed the stamp of her own law firm. She packed those too.

And then she was gone, leaving her cushy Toronto apartment locked and secured as she headed for the hospital.

“This is Poeiva.”

“And we can trust them?”

Cypher nodded at her as she sat down beside them in the jet he’d borrowed from the Protocol. 

“What’s happened with Gri- Achlys, isn’t right.” Monarch shook her head, arms crossed over her chest as they leaned back in the seat. Cypher left the two alone, heading to the cockpit to get them in the air before he could engage the autopilot.

Hemera took a notebook out of the front of her bag, clicking her pen. 

“Tell me everything you know.”

-

Hemera buttoned up her blouse, tying her tie carefully as Cypher maneuvered the jet on the landing pad. “They’ll try to get rid of you.” Monarch warned, watching the lawyer tie up her dark brown hair with a plum coloured elastic. Hemera nodded, braiding and tucking the blue strands of her hair into her ponytail.

“I’m used to that.” 

“But there are no governments who can help you if anything goes bad.”

The woman scoffed slightly as she pulled the thin black belt through the loops of her skirt. “I’ve been threatened by my own government. Nothing scares me.” She pulled the belt through the golden buckle. 

Monarch hid their smile, looking towards the cockpit as Cypher landed the jet. It soon slid open, revealing the man in question. “Are you ready, barrister?” He questioned and she unbuckled herself, standing up, suitcase handle in hand.

“Ready, Amir.”

He hit the button beside the door, allowing for it to open. “We’ll show you where to go, but we have to keep ourselves out of the line of fire.” He advised, rather, warned as Monarch also stood up. Hemera nodded, she understood perfectly the situation she was in. 

It didn’t take long before a man found her near the entrance of the base, judging from the briefing Monarch had given her, this had to be their leader, Brimstone.

“How did you get here?”

“Commander Byrne, a pleasure. I’m Barrister Hemera Hajime.”

The man stopped cold in his tracks, steely eyes widening momentarily before they narrowed at the woman standing in front of him. 

“Any relation to Doctor Achlys Hajime?”

“I’m his sister. And he’s my client. Bring me to him immediately.”

“I don’t know how you got here, but you have no jurisdiction. You need to return to Canada immediately.”

Hemera shook her head, standing tall despite the attempts of intimidation. “Canada may have no jurisdiction over this little island of yours you’ve found in international waters. But my degree is still very much recognised in all nations of the world, including where we currently are.”

“As such, my client has a right to his lawyer.”

“He’s a prisoner of war, he has no rights.”

The woman scoffed, she let her suitcase fall to the ground and then bent down, unzipping it to pull out several folders. “According to the Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, that would be the third convention.” She stood up, thumbing through some papers. “Article 77 states that all POWs maintain their full civil capacity, as such they maintain a right to counsel.”

Brimstone stammered, surprised by her preparedness. But how did she get so prepared?

“Do not fuck with me, Commander. I am not in the mood, my hair cannot take this humidity, and I’ve been awake for sixteen hours. Show me to my brother’s cell immediately.”

“Who revealed the location of our base to you?”

Hemera waved her hand. 

“Irrelevant.”

Brimstone pinched the bridge of his nose. This was a big security risk, but on the other hand, if Hemera could prove Grimshaw’s innocence, he’d be in a much better position. He lowered his hand, looking her up and down as she once more zipped up her suitcase.

“Come with me.”

“Happily.”

He brought her to the room they originally had Grimshaw detained in, a simple interrogation room. “I’ll go get him, stay here.” He instructed and she sat down, sorting her files while he went to fetch Viper and Sage before he could bring her to Grimshaw.

Hemera waited patiently, flipping through the information she had on her, alongside the notes she’d gathered from Monarch. It was pretty damning, she knew that. But she also knew Achlys, and she knew he would never put others in harm’s way this way.

The door opened and Hemera barely had time to react before a woman slammed her hand on the table, green eyes narrowed. “How did you get here?” She demanded to know but Hemera sat back in the chair, a small smile on her face.

“Hello, Doctor Callas.” She looked beyond the angry chemist. “Wei Ling Ying.” She greeted as Sage also entered the room alongside Brimstone. “I assume Brimstone has caught you both up to speed?” 

“Answer my question.” 

Hemera sighed and stood, so she was eye to eye with Viper. “I won’t be. Attorney-Client privilege. I was hired to represent Doctor Hajime, and I will not be revealing any further information. Especially not to..” She looked the woman up and down. “You.”

“What she says is confirmed by the family personnel files we have, Viper. We cannot force her to tell us anything.”

Viper growled and stood straight, arms crossing over her chest as she stepped away. “So we just give her access to him? What if she helps him escape?”

“I’m a lawyer, Doctor Sabine, I will be doing my due diligence, as I see you haven’t. Given he hasn’t been offered counsel for..” She looked at her folder. “Three months, six days, and eleven hours.” 

Sage stepped forward, hands clasped in front of her. “Barrister, may I ask how much you know?”

Hemera turned and partially sat mostly leaned against the edge of the metal table. “I’m a lawyer for Radiants specifically. I’ve heard rumours. Mentions of lookalikes, confusion on similarities. I long ago made the assumption that multiple universes may be possible.”

“And with the possibility of multiple universes, I posit there may be multiversal threats.” 

“How do you know so much?”

Hemera merely smiled, but before she could respond.

“So are you aware then that he’s not even your brother?!”

And it was like a switch got flicked, her mismatched eyes narrowed, smile pulled into a scowl. Anger radiated off of the lawyer like an indescribable chill. 

“I’m sorry, what did you just say to me?”

“The man we have in the basement isn’t from this world, the brother you’re so desperately trying to exonerate isn’t yours.”

Hemera reached behind her, picking up her notebook, she flipped through it.

“No, who you call Grimshaw is from Omega-Earth. A world on the brink of total collapse. Valorant Legion is the name of your Protocol’s counterpart.” She looked at the three of them from over her notebook.

Viper looked pissed, Brimstone refused to make eye contact but his face was pulled into one of neutrality, Sage looked visibly uncomfortable albeit calm.

“See, the reason I believed those Radiants who told me of the lookalikes is because when my brother came back from Everett-Linde. I knew it wasn’t my Achlys.” Hemera admitted in a quiet tone. “There were things he didn’t know, choices he made. Small things our parents didn’t see, things his friends chalked up to being the only survival story of that damn place.”

She breathed calmly, in, out. “But he is still my brother. And I know the sacrifices he’s made.”

“He’s a traitor through and through.”

“That’s your belief, Callas. But I know him better than you could ever hope to. And nobody would put themselves through the pain he does just to keep you able to call yourself a hero.” She did air quotes around the word ‘hero’. 

Viper quirked a dark brow, as if waiting for her to continue. But it wasn’t Hemera that spoke up, it was Sage from behind the agent. “Are you talking about his.. How do I.. Medical history, I suppose?” And Viper looked at the other woman over her shoulder, surprised by information she clearly wasn’t made privy to.

Hemera tossed the notebook down and picked up a different folder, one stamped by Sinai Health. 

“Rapid cellular decay, followed by-”

“Rapid cellular regeneration.” Sage finished for her. 

“What does that mean, Sage?”

“It means that Grimshaw heals by sacrificing his regeneration and obtaining more decay. His cells… Rip themselves apart and stitch themselves back together. It’s barbaric, and painful.” 

Viper only scoffed, attention turning back to Hemera. “His Radiant abilities mean nothing in comparison to his actions against this team.” 

“On the contrary, his Radiant abilities go to show how much he put forth on this team. He could have simply chosen a different set of them, but he chose specifically to use them to heal. Something you, Doctor, have forgotten how to do.” 

Hemera was able to counter every medical point with a point of her own. She’d studied his file when he got home from the incident. Kingdom was very insistent on their investigation of him after what had happened. Files she had obtained with his permission just before he disappeared without a word. Disappeared for this.

“The Achlys you have in containment may not be the brother I grew up with, but he is the brother I have now. I know familial bonds are beyond you, Doctor Callas, but I refuse to sit idly by and have you question me for hours when I have actual work to do.” Her attention turned back to Brimstone. “You are the commander here. Bring me to my client.”

Brimstone sighed but he obliged. “Sorry, Sabine, but she has grounds.” 

“You’re making a mistake.”

“I do not think we are.” Sage piped up softly.

Hemera kept her head high, folders tucked under her arm, as she was led down to the holding facility. She ignored the curious glances from agents she only vaguely recognised, and she certainly ignored the blue stare of somebody she was positive destroyed a city at some point? Then, maybe it was that woman’s counterpart? Hemera had much to think about, but little time.

“Monarch, open up.”

Brimstone knocked on the door, taking a step back to wait. The door clicked several times then hissed at it slid open, revealing the familiar agent on the other end. But Hemera was a lawyer, and lawyers love lying. Her expression maintained cool and collected as Monarch let the two in, having been abandoned by Sage and Viper.

But when she saw the cell behind the agent.

Her eyes widened as she stepped past them, rushing to the cell, she pressed her free hand against the brightly lit glass.

Achlys stepped forward, mask and bandage removed, he looked terrible. His tan skin was pallid, his form was solid, but the way it wavered, she could tell it hurt to maintain. The bruises and scrapes on his visible skin hurt her heart. 

“Hemera..?” His voice was raspy as he weakly lifted his hand, pressing it against the glass, against hers. “What are you doing here..?” Achlys inquired, but as he did so, his form flickered, dissipating into several wisps before violently reforming.

She frowned, watching him weakly fall back to the small bed in the room. “You have all these lights on him?” She turned her attention back to Brimstone, clearly displeased. “You’re killing him! Turn these off immediately.” She demanded, and Monarch wasted little time configuring the controls to turn the room dark.

Achlys audibly breathed in relief from within the now dark cell, as if he’d been given water after days without it. Hemera looked into the dark cell, unable to see him now, but knowing he was there. “I’m going to exonerate you, I promise.” She swore, turning away from the glass to look at Brimstone. 

“I’m aware that it isn’t my place here, but everything Grimshaw has given us so far indicates that somebody else is the traitor.”

“Then why won’t he tell us who?”

Grimshaw was quiet in the cell, honestly, he may have fallen asleep. Hemera wasn’t sure, she wouldn’t put it by him.

“Because he weighed the options and gathered that the risk of telling the truth would be more dangerous than having him locked up. Obviously.” Hemera moved closer to the door, where the only LED strip was that could provide her light.

She sat down, opening her folders to read through them.

“That was exactly what he told me.” Monarch confirmed, doing their best not to read the confidential information on her papers, but she snuck a peak or two at the information written down. The things Grimshaw hid in the dark.

“Achlys.”

“Yes, Emmy?”

“The traitor.”

“I will not tell you either. They are more important than I am.”

Hemera narrowed her eyes, pausing on his words. “More important than you?” She clarified, looking towards the dark cell. His red eyes opened, a soft glow against the darkness. But the colour disappeared quickly.

“Yes.”

“So it isn’t Brimstone or Viper.”

Monarch tilted their head, attention turning to the woman on the floor who went back to looking at her files. “How do you know?” She inquired, surprised by the woman’s inference. 

“If they were of the highest caliber of importance within the organization, he wouldn’t emphasize the person in question only being more important than him. Therefore, it isn’t those two, and I doubt it to be Sage.”

Brimstone was taking notes on a tablet, listening intently to what the other three had to say. It made sense, somebody more important would have just as much information on the transfer as Grimshaw did.

It was several hours of questioning, back and forth, without Grimshaw ever spilling the identity, instead clarifying the gravity of problems that would occur if he were to. But the things he said both matched up with Hemera’s files, and Brimstone’s. And without Viper in his ear, Brimstone began to crack in his opinion.

Too much of the evidence was circumstantial, and too much of what he said made sense. He was able to answer each question posed calmly and concisely. 

“I would never put this team in harm’s way.” Grimshaw promised and Hemera looked up to watch his unstable form press against the glass. 

“I believe you, Achlys. They’re your family.”

Dark wisps pressed against the glass, sliding down, as if a hand and fingers. “I’m a doctor first.” He spoke so quietly on the other side of the glass. “That is why I defected from my original team. I could not stand to see any more destruction after I witnessed what happened at the facility. My world must find another way.”

“Your research was on the effects of cross world teleportation, right?” 

“That is correct, Monarch.”

“What were your findings?”

Grimshaw paused.

It was a good minute before he replied.

“Rapid cell multiplication, mitosis at an impossible rate, and subsequent cell death. The radianite exposure of the teleportation was killing the employees slowly.”

“Is that why you hid the plans?”

“Yes, sir.”

Brimstone stopped typing on his tablet, finally looking at the unstable form in the cell, the wisps of black smoke and the barely visible skin. “I’ve heard enough.” He decided, looking down at Hemera who was expectantly looking at him. She had successfully proved her point, and maybe not Grimshaw’s innocence, but the fact none of what they knew could hold him the way they had been.

“Release him, Monarch.”

Her eyes widened, unable to hide her smile as she bounced to the control panel. Some of the lights turned on, but the cell door slid open, allowing Grimshaw’s form to spill into the room. Hemera stood up, legs numb as she ran to him.

He solidified in time with her colliding into his body. “Achlys.” She buried her face in his chest, arms wrapping around him. Achlys brought his hand up, pressing it against her back. “Why didn’t you tell me you were in trouble sooner?” She chastised, but her tone was anything but malicious. 

She was worried.

“Don’t exactly have access to a phone, Emmy.”

“You could have sent someone sooner!”

Grimshaw paused, tilting his head as he looked down at her. “I never sent anybody.” Hemera’s eyebrows furrowed as she looked up at him. “I’ve been under surveillance, you can ask Brimstone, I haven’t sent anybody.”

“That’s true.”

And Hemera lowered her head, laying it against his chest instead. She understood, they took the risk of their own volition because he was not the only one who considered this team their family. She would keep their secrets for them, as best as she could. But there was one thread untied, one thread that hung loose.

“I received a call the other day.”

“I assume so if you’re here-”

“No, not regarding this..”

“What do you mean, Barrister?”

Hemera released her brother, but stayed close to him as she turned towards Brimstone and Monarch, both of whom looked at her curiously.

“I received a phone call from Amir. I.. I never met him in person but my Achlys informed me of him when they met. I thought it was your- our Amir, I guess. But-”

“Alpha and Omega, we’re Alpha. Well, not him.”

She nodded. “I thought it was Alpha Amir, Cypher you call him? But before entering the facility I was greeted by him. I guess he saw me coming.” She laughed, and it was accepted. He would. He had eyes everywhere. “And I asked about that phone call.”

“Omega Amir contacted you?”

“I- I mean it would have had to be! He introduced himself by his full name and he talked about you and- I was so confused because..”

“Hemera! Just say it.”

“He said Vera died! In an accident and- and you needed to come home.”

But their Vera had died a long time ago, when she was told, it didn’t make sense. Not entirely. But then, this all made her realise the obvious. Vera’s counterpart.

“I need to go to Omega immediately.”

“What?!” “Huh?!”

Grimshaw flinched at Brimstone and Monarch’s in sync reactions.

“There’s a lot I still haven’t told you.. The little things about my life there, outside of Kingdom, outside of Legion.”