#valorant clove x female reader

[portraitsofguilt]

✮ ┆A SOUL FINDS YOU. clove (valorant)

clove has been alive for a little while, perks of being immortal they say, but not when finding your one and true love takes this painfully long and under these circumstances.

CONTENT WARNING. SFW CONTENT UNDER THE CUT; WRITTEN BEFORE RELEASE, afab/gn-reader, mention of death, bullets, injuries, talks of the immortal life, first kiss, pining, | ~1.1k words

A/N. I SAW CLOVE AND I NEEDED TO GET ON THE TRAIN BEFORE ANYTHING HAPPENED TO THEM, please have this, love this, eat this cuz i love THEM

clove’s mind wandered to a hundred different places as they blankly stared at you, trying to find one good reason to not tell what's been weighing their mind, trying to make up a lie that would make you lose interest in their headspace.

you were never a good lie detector, not unless your fingers were pinching one of their pulse points but even then clove could fool you, tell you that you are so close that they can't help but feel nervous. then after that a sudden flow of confidence rushes through them, ready to risk it all and confess all they have felt for you but just when clove is close enough to finally do it, to kiss you, to murmur those words out loud they stride away.

"if it still bleeds, I will have to stitch it..." you trailed off after finishing wrapping their injured arm up, your finger gliding over the bandages before pulling the torn sleeve of their shirt down.

clove gives you no answer, not even a nod of the head, their eyes avoiding yours as they look down on the white tiles of the infirmary before hopping off of the exam table. there is not a lot on their mind anymore, the same couple of memories flashing in front of them, not fond ones, but rather ones that want them to get a knife and carve themsleves up from head to toe, claw their eyes out. it felt like exploding bullets in their chest, twisting in their heart, back and forth just to make it more painful and not at all speedy.

it seems so real, as you move into clove’s vision in those hallucinations and offer them a hand but you are not at all like the same they knew in this time and moment, but clove know it's you. the name, the hair, the eyes, the voice, and the feel of your skin against theirs... it's all you.

clove takes one quick glance at you, taking in all that you are, nemorizing the way you look at them when nobody else is around to see. it makes their heart swell, a bubble in their throat form and they wish for nothing but for it to suffocate them right then and there. they want to die in your arms, clove wants you to be the last thing they see before never coming back to this life, never having to tell you that them...

clove shouldn't even think about it, that doesn't matter, the past doesn't matter. you are beautiful that's what matters, even the dark circles under your eyes and that stitch on your forehead, nothing can make you seem less than a masterpiece.

realizing they have stared for a minute longer than they should have, cloce whipped their head forward and targeted the sliding door as their way of escape. you shouldn't see them like this, clove promised you before that they would never again let you see them being hurt, and that next time they will be more careful no matter the injury.

"is there anything more i can help you with.." you trailed off as you grabbed their hand, careful to pick the one that wasn't wrapped up, that was strong enough to take the little pull of their joint without causing any pain. "clove?" you sounded scared like if you didn't know if they heard you speak their name they would kill you or smile at you kindly, with all the warmth and adoration they had.

there was no need for clove to think of their answer, but they took a minute, just blankly staring into the space in front of them before turning back. it was a fatal mistake, to let themselves gaze into your stunning eyes and they wanted to cry as they fell in love again, seeing the both of you in it, close to each other, living the perfect life.

"tell me what's going on." your tone pleaded and clove wanted to leave, escape from these four walls that were trapping them in the inevitable fact of being rejected. they did not want to reminisce about their happiest moments which were nothing but fading stars in the dark space of their mind- the happiest moments you didn’t remember.

"i have been waiting all my life for you." clove wanted to say more but they were at a loss for words. how can they tell you that before this life you and they were... that you were theirs just as they were yours? what is the best way to tell it to you without scaring them off, without severing the last string that is attaching them to you?

"i have been searching for you for years, decades now, you wouldn't remember, it was a long time ago, your soul... there is only a slim chance that it remembers." as they tell you whatever normal-sounding answer came to their mind, clove’s hand slips inside their jacket, roaming around its lining, their finger finding a worn piece of paper before pulling out and offering it to you.

then clove goes on, bit by bit, telling you how they have been having dreams again, dreams that they thought they would never again have after that photo was taken more than a hundred years ago. clove haven't seen you since that photo, that night that it was taken you were taken away from them, killed off. clove hopelessly looked for you all around the globe, always going back to that garden in your hometown, hoping that maybe you were still walking those paths under those old trees that you adored so much, that you walked among tall rose bushes wondering why you were so drawn to that scenery.

clove was on the verge of tears as they finished talking about the years theu have spent chasing after you while you stared at the picture, a small chuckle leaving you before embracing them in a warm hug. It was awkward at first, clove just stood there, unmoving like a log, waiting for anything to happen but.. this.

"I know, i do... and i am sorry it took you so long to find me."

you whispered, the hand with the picture between your fingers coming up to caress their cheek before your head pulled away from the crook of their neck and your lips took a hold of theirs.

it felt the same as all those years ago, the same comforting smell of your scents mixing, their plump lips that were like biting into a peach, and the butterflies that fluttered in both of your stomachs.

[caramel1mochi]

ㅤㅤPlasma [ Yoru x F! Reader ] [1] [ part 1 / part 2 ] words: 5k / TW: blood, fighting / Please refrain from stealing my work.

ㅤIt's known that earning Yoru's attention is a futile struggle. Still, the first to achieve it is you — a woman who plans for nothing beyond the optimal spot to doze off.ㅤ

note: Mum said it's my turn to wish you all a happy Halloween!!ㅤ Anyway I watched the cinematics 50 times and still mistook the Scions' clothes for robes. But now it's too late to change it so yay.ㅤ Also, this story is pretty lore-heavy so it takes place after the Abyss cinematic. I'd start there hahaㅤ

Dividers by @saradika! Future credits will be in tags.

It all started with one gentle assassin.

An assassin who possessed eyes so innocently bright, a build so friendly and personality so amiable that his recruitment prompted the bosses to question their decision.

'What started?' I hear you ask. And to that, the answer would be a little organisation dubbed the 'Scions of Hourglass'. An organisation with power and control so vast, they managed to hide the discovery of radianite for an undisclosable amount of time. Presumably millennia. As naturally as the planets orbit the sun, every member of this group was brainwashed by their adept commanders. So much so, to entertain the very concept of their underlings having autonomy — or even a sound state of mind — would be beyond laughable.

And Iso was a lovely example of that.

Nevertheless, it led to a rabbit hole. And it was a rabbit hole that proved just how much damage the Scions of Hourglass could do. Indirectly or not, many agents were still affected by it even if they were no longer associated with it — whether it be Omen, Iso, Viper, Reyna… But Clove was one of the few who found it very fun. Mostly because it involved them killing these guys left and right.

Emerging from a smoked off corner, the wee Scot held up their Spectre and immediately began spraying down the one masked soldier in front of them.

Given that he was caught off guard, it didn't take long for the man to fall to his death.

ㅤ

"Agh, that's gotta hurt." They scoffed as they began reloading. "These lads are helpless."

ㅤ

Clove jumped once another soldier appeared. However, before he could take the shot, a few bullets from behind dug through his back. Just as he sank to the ground, it revealed their friend, Iso, who appeared from the darkness. His gaze followed the butterflies that previously burst from Clove as they travelled upwards.

For a moment, he was mesmerised by them, but he was quick to meet their gaze once more.

ㅤ

"Maybe we should go easy on them."

ㅤ

His tone was too monotone to register as sarcasm to anyone who didn't know him. Thankfully, Clove wasn't a part of that crowd. They took their time to reload as they approached him, and the two began slowly walking off towards one of the doorways.

ㅤ

"Ya reckon we jump off and make this fair?"

ㅤ

Iso lightly smiled, though it was more of an awkward acknowledgement than anything else.

ㅤ

"What is it with you and jumping off things?"

ㅤ

"Dinnae make it sound weird, Iso−"

ㅤ

Gunfire suddenly rang out from behind them.

Caught off-guard, Iso instinctively put up a wall of hexagons to shield them from the storm of bullets that emerged. For a moment, the barrier swallowed every bullet, and the ones that were spared flew past them.

The duo readied their weapons just as it stopped.

When Iso's wall came down, however, the two noticed Omen standing over the corpse of one of the soldiers. They could tell that, by his tense posture, he was angrily glaring at them.

ㅤ

"Focus."

ㅤ

Omen growled, causing Clove to stiffen up as several more butterflies escaped them in anxiety.

Satisfied with their non-verbal apology, Omen took a step away from the doorway they were headed towards. There, he unwittingly approached the sharp rays of the sun, now bathed in the light coming in from the opening above. They could see the particles of dust as they fell.

ㅤ

"I sense something…"

ㅤ

He noticed how the particles shifted towards one direction. But before another word could be exchanged, the three heard the awry static in their radio, moments before a familiar and gentle voice took over their ears.

ㅤ

"Team, I need an update. How are you all holding up?"

ㅤ

Amidst the chaos that had only slightly lessened by now, her voice felt like a much needed break for Iso and Omen.

ㅤ

"I'm detecting an unfamiliar presence."

ㅤ

"Of course, I'll run a quick scan."

ㅤ

Silence promptly befell them.

Clove was about to speak, but they shut themselves up once they heard a hum in the distance. The tense quiet amongst them helped them isolate the noise with ease. But it was so quiet considering how far away it was.

ㅤ

“I’m picking up an… abnormal presence of radiancy in the area.”

ㅤ

Sage noted.

Omen noticed something cut off the sunlight that previously illuminated him. And just as he was about to look up, the answer to his question deafened all three of them. If the unbearably loud whirring accentuated by the enclosed cavern wasn’t enough, the shadow that engulfed them from above forced the rest of the team to also glance up.

There, they finally saw the number of helicopters that were entering the area from above.

Omen brought up a hand and unmuted the radio.

ㅤ

“They’ve brought backup.”

ㅤ

One of the helicopters’ doors swung open, revealing a peculiar soldier who stood at the edge of the vehicle.

This one seemed to be dressed in different apparel; as opposed to the previous soldiers who donned simple brown armour, these ones wore midnight blue robes with silver patterns across, and an unfamiliar marking on the black mask that covered their face. The soldier lifted his hand, and there was a misplaced glow emerging from his palm. It almost mimicked Sage’s.

Only one second passed before the trio were forced to jump out of the way. They narrowly dodged an attack of what seemed to be a massive mound of… ice? Snow? No, it wasn’t either. But it was solid and pure white.

Particles of cyan emerged from the massive shards. It began suffocating them, the massive influx of it creating a burning fog that irritated their lungs with every inhale. Only Omen seemed unharmed by this.

ㅤ

“Team, report! What happened?”

ㅤ

Sage cried out, her voice barely audible in the sudden ruckus.

ㅤ

“They’ve brought radiants this time. Weapons ready.”

ㅤ

He cocked his gun as he explained.

And unlike the two of them, who continuously cleared their throats in a vain attempt to clear their airways, Omen peeked and began shooting the first thing he saw. The thick cyan 'smoke' successfully obscured anything that could be seen. Due to this, he had to rely on his hearing to infer whether or not he hit anything, and the bullets from each side made sure to make that even more difficult.

With one more cough, Clove readied their own Spectre and fixed their posture in preparation for the upcoming rematch… as they called it.

ㅤ

“These people have radiants working for them?!”

ㅤ

“Do they really?”

ㅤ

Clove rolled their eyes at Iso’s cheeky remark.

ㅤ

“Agh, whisht. I’m nae keeping track of yer backstory.”

ㅤ

Clove promptly revealed themselves once more. And although they began rapidly shooting at whatever they could see, they made use of the thick haze to reposition themselves and cover more area. Nonetheless, Compared to Omen's, their voices were dangerously gravelly and weak. Something Sage quickly noticed due to them forgetting to mute their radios earlier.

ㅤ

“All of you must get out as fast as you can! We’re sending backup to–“

ㅤ

“There’s no need for backup−!” He peeked once more and shot, gunning down a soldier just as he noticed him. “What difference do radiants make? We can take care of this ourselves!”

ㅤ

His words were now laden with the fury he lugged around the moment he discovered who he really was. It lacked the serenity he was attributed with mere weeks ago. There was no way to reason with him currently.

However, Iso’s thought process was interrupted once the ground rumbled beneath him, and he looked down to see the area he stood on violently cracking, almost like a mini-earthquake. A massive spike of concrete shot out from under him, but he quickly jumped out of the way.

Thankfully, he landed beside Clove behind a massive pillar.

He only had a few seconds to catch his breath and regain his balance. There, he saw the spike revert back underground, having defiled the exact part of the concrete Iso stood on. He knew he'd be dead if he were a second too late.

ㅤ

“Careful,” he started, “some of them could detect our locations, as well.”

ㅤ

“Ya know them?”

ㅤ

He muted his earpiece. Since he attempted to steal a glance once more, he didn't note the curious glimmer in Clove's eyes behind him. Not when he was too busy struggling not to reveal himself to the enemies by accident.

ㅤ

“I know of them.”

ㅤ

Clove laughed, almost amused. In conjunction with them pulling out a smoke from their dimension, a small glow promptly emitted from their hand; its pale complexion now shifting to a purple, pink and white hue.

ㅤ

“It's fine, Iso. I’ve nae problem killing yer loved ones for you!”

ㅤ

“No, that’s not, uh… that’s not necessary; I can do it myself.”

ㅤ

He wasn’t that soft, was he? Besides, they weren't his loved ones.

ㅤ

“If ya say so. Well then, I’ll be out killing these numpties.”

ㅤ

Iso turned to meet Clove's gaze to nod, but he was caught off guard by the massive cloud behind them.

Clove, clearly happy with his reaction, saluted him with a wide grin and disappeared into the dome of colourful smoke they proudly formed behind his back. It felt like his mind was slightly contorting. Iso would attribute it to anxiety if he weren't surrounded by radiants who worked under this cursed organisation.

He had to act fast.

ㅤ

“Iso, you seem to know them, what can we expect?”

ㅤ

Sage’s voice perked up over the radio.

He peeked and surveyed the area. But for now, there was nothing. He still had to watch out for any misplaced shadows. Some of them can turn invisible, right?

ㅤ

“Uh… Well, violent radiancy.”

ㅤ

“Violent?”

ㅤ

“My bosses have a tendency to search for the… the dangerous radiants.” He quickly shot, killing one blue-robed soldier. “If my memory serves me right, one of them can control our minds if we’re exposed to them long enough.”

ㅤ

Iso immediately hid back behind the pillar when another soldier emerged. The misplaced confusion in his mind slipped just as he shot. So, hopefully it was that one, he mused. But he was too overwhelmed by anxiety and adrenaline to think about anyone else.

ㅤ

“This is worse than I thought. I have to send back-up. Try to stay alive until we’re there, okay?”

ㅤ

Clove’s voice emerged in the radio after that. However, in the midst of all the chaos, he deprioritised their conversation and peeked once more.

But then, Iso saw it.

He saw a soldier, also wearing those blue robes, pull his own blood out from his left hand with a twist of his fingers and… He promptly used it to heal the other one he’d just shot, the fluid entering their gaping wound with relative ease.

Now that he saw this from far away, the sight was macabre.

However, Iso was swiftly caught off guard when a soldier emerged from what he assumed was a locked door behind him.

Though he took aim and shot, his enemy was significantly quicker; the bullets missed no thanks to him being stripped of his ability to move.

He wasn’t too concerned with someone sneaking up on him since he had his shield up, but this man, weaponless, only needed one hand to completely disarm Iso. The clatter of his Vandal as it fell on the ground grew to a mere muffle. It only took a few seconds for Iso to begin losing all control of himself.

For a moment, it was blank. All he could hear were the rapid beats of his own heart.

The enemy in front of him became a lump of midnight blue and vague patterns of silver. Time became slower, his pulsations grew weaker, and breathing devolved into a repetitive task he was urged to drop by whatever remnants of cognitive coherence remained in his decaying mind.

It felt like his blood stopped travelling across his body, and the connection between his nerves grew weaker and weaker. So much so, all sensations were no longer being processed.

Thirty seconds before his brain activity finally ceased. With that over with, the soldier promptly worked away at his brain stem.

Then, there was a flash, and Iso fell to the ground. All of his nerves reconnected within the span of a picosecond.

ㅤ

“Iso, are you with me?”

ㅤ

A voice called out, but he couldn’t respond.

He forgot how to speak. Heck, everything he was used to mere seconds ago felt like an assault to his senses. Light, sound, even the sensation of his clothes as they wrapped around his skin, each cloth harbouring a vastly different texture compared to the last.

Omen placed a hand on his back in an attempt to catch his attention. But in the face of the incomprehensible stabbing pain in his abdomen, it did nothing.

ㅤ

“Iso!”

ㅤ

Omen growled once another soldier presumably appeared, quickly rushing in front of Iso to cover him and gun the enemy down as soon as he could. The fight was easy to slip his mind. Nevertheless, he sat up and sighed, finally catching up.

ㅤ

“I’m, uh…” he wiped the sweat from his forehead, “I’m here, I’m here.”

ㅤ

“What did he do to you?”

ㅤ

Omen asked as he reloaded.

But, for a moment, there was only silence on Iso’s end. It felt like many of his systems were shifting inside of him, mainly his digestive and respiratory system. Almost like they were…

Well, he wasn’t a bloody doctor.

ㅤ

“I– I don’t know.”

ㅤ

“I’ll give you time to recollect yourself.”

ㅤ

A smoke of purple suddenly enveloped Iso, but Omen himself stepped out and continued down towards a doorway. Iso heeded his words; he took his time and let his body catch up.

He had forgotten why he was here, or where he even was. All he knew was that there was something they wanted. Worst of all, there was this peculiar... thing he could control, but he just couldn’t remember what it exactly was.

Although he sat there for a bit, an unfamiliar shout from outside of the smoke caught his attention. The distortion of the voice let him know that it was nobody from his team. Right, right. The mission. He and Clove and… uh, someone else, they all came here for something…

He promptly clutched his weapon, stood up and followed without second thought.

His body felt heavier than usual. Each step required an exponential amount of effort to lift every part of his foot, and holding his heavy Vandal was unbearable. But that didn’t matter.

Not now.

Iso turned the corner and mindlessly gunned down the first thing he’d seen.

One soldier fell, revealing another. But Iso wasn’t quick enough to release the trigger; this led to a bullet piercing his target’s thigh and forcing him to tumble to the ground. His weapon escaped his grip, as well.

Iso's thoughtlessly brought him in front of the soldier he'd just injured. He stopped in front of him, aiming his Vandal right on the centre of his concealed face.

His index finger rapidly tapped on the trigger, almost begging him to shoot already. But… something was wrong.

Iso's eyes were firmly locked on the soldier's sash. His brain wracked itself, desperately attempting to understand why this little detail shut his mind down when it could mean life and death. But the way it was tied was different.

ㅤ

“I know you.”

ㅤ

He muttered.

Decades of training pushed Iso to never hesitate. He didn’t even know why he was killing these people, his instincts told him to. Yet, for some reason, he kept scrutinising the midnight blue sash.

It hung loosely around the soldier's waist. As opposed to the others, who meticulously tied it to make it look both elegant and efficient, this one was simply haphazardly tied together.

With a shake of his head, Iso snapped himself out it and firmly held his gun once more.

ㅤ

“Take the mask off.”

ㅤ

There was naught of a response from the soldier. Impatient, Iso shot inches away from his head.

ㅤ

“I said take it off!”

ㅤ

He shouted, his typically soft voice echoing harshly within the walls that surrounded them. Hearing something like this was so awry coming from Iso. It seems that the soldier also knew this, given the sudden tension that coursed through him.

So, he slowly lifted both hands and used one to push off the hood, letting his platinum-blonde hair loose. Then he clutched the black mask and slid it off, revealing… a very familiar face.

Iso’s eyes widened once he was finally allowed to observe your features. And nothing’s changed. You looked just as tired as the last time he saw you.

Sickly pale skin, droopy eyes, and…

Looking at you made it feel like all of those months never passed. It was as if he just came back from another assassination and went to see you like usual. It took Iso a few seconds before he could even form an appropriate response.

ㅤ

“…Y/N?”

ㅤ

“Hey, Zhao Yu. How's grandma?”

ㅤ

Instinctively, he dropped his weapon and rushed to your side.

ㅤ

“My God, you’re alive! I– I thought I’d never see you again… Why didn’t you say anything? I could’ve killed you!”

ㅤ

“We don’t die that easily, remember?”

ㅤ

“But I– I shot you. I shot your leg.”

ㅤ

He lifted a hand, as if he himself was going to tend to your wound, but you were quick to gently push it away.

ㅤ

“I can take care of it, Zhao Yu.”

ㅤ

He faintly nodded, taking his time to observe you. Looks like he forgot.

ㅤ

“It’s been so long. I’m… I’m sorry I never got back to you. Everything happened so fast, and I just–”

ㅤ

“Hey, be glad you left. The new regulations would drive you insane.”

ㅤ

He averted his gaze as he wiped his forehead. It took him a moment to comprehend you were still here, or how things worked at the organisation before he left.

One month… felt like a decade.

ㅤ

“But you could’ve left… We could’ve left this place together.”

ㅤ

“No hard feelings.”

ㅤ

Using your index finger, you began to heal the injury on your thigh with some sort of radiancy Iso just couldn’t remember. He sounded a bit woozy, now that you thought about it.

ㅤ

“It’s surreal seeing you on the job.”

ㅤ

…

He awkwardly smiled and met your gaze.

ㅤ

“Really? I hope my… my performance wasn’t too bad.”

ㅤ

“Fine at first. It got sloppy fast.”

ㅤ

“Oh… That’s– I’m glad it didn’t– I’m glad it didn’t go… uh…” he shook his head. “What’re we talking about?”

ㅤ

You glanced at him.

ㅤ

“You alright?”

ㅤ

Iso stared at you for a few seconds. Then, a crooked smile painted his lips.

ㅤ

“Huh?”

ㅤ

You lifted a hand and stroked his cheek, collecting a few droplets of sweat that were rapidly dripping down his chin. His skin felt hot and he looked weak. That wasn’t to mention how deathly pale he was becoming.

ㅤ

“You’re ill.”

ㅤ

Iso chuckled awkwardly, almost as if he were drunk.

ㅤ

“Am I really? That doesn’t, uh, That sounds…”

ㅤ

The rest of his words were incomprehensible gibberish even you couldn’t decipher. You clutched his shoulder and shifted his blood to inspect all of the surrounding organs.

This inspection, however, was quickly interrupted when you detected multiple unknown particles floating around in his bloodstream. Worst part is that their erratic structure wasn’t anything you could recognise.

And a healthy body wouldn’t have cluttered blood like this.

Great.

You placed your finger on his neck, gradually moving it down to detect where all of these foreign bodies were coming from. The lower you got, the closer you were to the source.

And it was mostly around the upper abdomen.

ㅤ

“Your organs aren’t working, Zhao Yu; you’re dying.”

ㅤ

You averted your gaze to the healed wound in your thigh. Reactivating whichever organ that was shut down would take more blood than one measly shot to the thigh could ever hope to produce.

ㅤ

“I can fix this. I can fix you."

ㅤ

You clutched the handle of the knife he had concealed on his hip, taking it out. But just as you aimed at your thigh again, an unfamiliar voice rung out from down the hallway, accompanied by rapid sets of footsteps.

ㅤ

“Get your hands off of him!”

ㅤ

You jumped at this order.

But you were quick to react; the blade was tossed away in favour of Iso’s Vandal. You clutched it and stood up, aiming it at the group. More specifically, their leader, who seemed to be a woman with a large ponytail. All you needed was a split second to take aim. Then, without hesitation, you promptly pulled the trigger.

However, the bullets were eaten up by a wall of lilac hexagons formed by your former co-worker. It blocked both your line of sight and any hope of self defence.

You promptly shot Iso a glare.

ㅤ

“What’re you doing?”

ㅤ

For a moment, he stared at the wall he’d created, almost as if he was mesmerised by it. Then, he stood up, peering through the wall and watching the weirdly familiar-looking group grow closer and closer.

Everything was so…

ㅤ

“I, uh… I don’t know.”

ㅤ

The hexagons suddenly came apart.

The group of two you were ordered to kill now morphed onto a group of three, that same phantom man now accompanied by many other faces you hadn’t seen in the briefing. All of their guns were pointed directly at you.

ㅤ

“Hands up, drop the weapon!”

ㅤ

“Make me.”

ㅤ

You hissed in response to a very short Scot. And your reply evidently ruffled their feathers. Or their scales. But another was quick to speak before either of you could shoot.

ㅤ

“This doesn’t have to end violently, okay? Just put the gun down, and we won’t hurt you.”

ㅤ

The one with the ponytail said, holding up one hand towards you as a peaceful gesture. This statement felt like such a slap in the face. So much so, you couldn’t help but cock your rifle specifically in the face of the lady who said it, even when the contingency of death was dangerously probable.

ㅤ

“You don’t get to have peace after what you’ve done.”

ㅤ

“You can’t comprehend what atrocities your superiors committed! They must be dealt with.”

ㅤ

Omen replied... and the sight of him stopped you from being able to respond. But during this conversation, the one with the ponytail began moving towards Iso, and it swiftly caught your attention. She approached Iso with one hand outstretched, and a glow of serene yet saturated shade of teal began forming in the palm of that hand.

Before she could touch Iso, however, a shriek escaped her when an immense amount of pressure suddenly overtook her wrist and forced her away just as you waved your hand.

This allowed you to stand between the two of them and force space.

ㅤ

“Don’t touch him!”

ㅤ

You spat out.

The woman clutched her wrist in an attempt to soothe the pain; her two partners seemed like they were just one nod away from gunning you down then and there. But she only stood there, staring at you in surprise.

ㅤ

“Do you… know him?”

ㅤ

The question caught you off guard. And for a moment, you hesitated, narrowing your eyes.

ㅤ

“…Do you?”

ㅤ

“Yes! We’re the ones who took him in!”

ㅤ

You stared at her. And given his silence as he stood behind you, you knew that Iso wasn’t capable of confirming anything at the moment. He must be seconds away from death, you’re sure of it.

ㅤ

“We’re not against you, okay? We’re with you. Let us help.“

ㅤ

As much as you wanted to kill them all then and there, you weren’t capable of doing such a thing given your measly role. And you knew it would probably upset Iso. He did stop you a minute ago, didn’t he?

So… you had no choice but to take her word for it.

ㅤ

“Zhao Yu’s dying.”

ㅤ

“What?”

ㅤ

You dropped the gun and rushed to his side. This also allowed her to move to him and start healing him alongside you.

ㅤ

“My partner shut down his organs. I think one hasn’t recovered.” You pushed your hand against his chest once more. “Check his abdomen.”

ㅤ

She complied. And there, she felt the same heaviness that tipped you off earlier.

ㅤ

“It’s a large organ… I– I’m not sure, but it could be either his lungs, or his liver… or spleen?”

ㅤ

The phantom stepped up just as you moved elsewhere, accompanied by the tired-looking Scot. They slid their gun back in their holster and held Iso’s left arm.

ㅤ

“Iso! Can you hear me?!”

ㅤ

“We need to get him back on the aircraft.”

ㅤ

The phantom started, but the healer shook her head.

ㅤ

“He could die if we wait for too long. His blood is already full of toxins. We must stay until he’s in a functional state, at the very least.”

ㅤ

“You have to go. Now. The others will kill you.” You called out, holding the mask you left on the ground moments prior. “I’ll tell them you escaped.”

ㅤ

“Yer lads cannae do nothing! We can take them all.”

ㅤ

“We have a different execution procedure. It’s why you have holes forming in your bones.”

ㅤ

You tied the mask back on and lifted your hood, oblivious to how the Scot’s face blanched.

ㅤ

"Aye, maybe we should, er…" they awkwardly chuckled, a few butterflies escaping them, "we should go."

ㅤ

You lifted your hand and went to unmute the radio.

ㅤ

“Wait…” The healer spoke. “Why don’t you come with us? We could use someone with your expertise.”

ㅤ

…

You glanced at her in confusion.

ㅤ

“Are you suggesting I quit?”

ㅤ

“Yes, just like Iso! Whatever abuse you’ve endured, it’ll all end if you decide to join us.”

ㅤ

You paused. The offer sounded seductive, but only to a lower rank like Iso. You were in a much worse position being in a higher one.

ㅤ

“I… won’t live if they catch me.”

ㅤ

“We’ll keep you safe from them. I assure you, they won’t lay a finger on you if you come with us.”

ㅤ

You stared at her for a few seconds, weighing this decision. And you weren’t really sure if it was worth it, even though you knew she wasn’t lying.

On one hand, you’d be freed of the shackles of the Scions of Hourglass, and you probably wouldn’t be indoctrinated every day. And you’d also reconnect with Iso. On the other, you’d have to live in constant anxiety of the contingency of being caught again.

You went to reject her offer… until you glanced at the half-dead Iso.

The kid would never survive without you, would he? He could barely navigate being both a student and a hitman without you or his grandmother’s help. Actually, his grandma probably missed you, huh?

You smiled fondly at the thought. So, you sighed, ripped off the mask, and threw it it on the ground. This allowed the screen to pitifully shatter to a dozen pieces.

ㅤ

“Let’s go.”

ㅤ

Just doing that cemented your path with these new people. The penalty for letting your mask break was severe, especially from Jess. But you weren’t here to endure it.

Not anymore.

With that confirmation, all of you left the base through an exit you were sure nobody was guarding. Unlike Iso, you yourself had enough information on this place to navigate it.

All of you boarded what you presumed was their aircraft and disappeared into the sky.

You were impressed with the speed of the vehicle… for a few seconds until you had to tend to the spaced-out Iso once more. The other healer, Sage, was now working on freeing Clove from whatever hold one of your colleagues had on them.

Apparently you weren’t lying about their bones.

ㅤ

“This is horrible. I’ve never heard of radiants who can manipulate the human body like this. How could such a thing possibly exist?”

ㅤ

Among your efforts to heal him, you were also gently guiding the circulation of Iso’s blood. Not fully controlling it, but instead pushing it to move to encourage his pancreas to start fully functioning again. Or spleen, you didn’t know.

But you could tell that it was working. His blood felt much cleaner than before.

ㅤ

“Our bosses take powerful radiants and brainwash them. They teach them the most effective ways to kill.”

ㅤ

You remembered Luca, and how he acted when he was first being trained. It was hard not to laugh at his face when he discovered his ability could be utilised in such a way; that he himself was capable of rendering someone brain dead so fast.

But it ceased to be funny when your friend was now on the other end of it.

ㅤ

“…Is that what happened to you and Iso?”

ㅤ

You opened your mouth to answer, but Iso’s face slightly shifting at this question made your voice falter. It wasn’t hard to tell he was very uncomfortable at this topic, despite his state.

So you opted to leave him out of the conversation.

ㅤ

“Happened to me.”

ㅤ

“That’s horrible.” Sage averted her gaze. “These people are horrible.”

ㅤ

You contemplated her words for a second, and promptly began to question whether or not Iso told them everything.

Sure, you were a much higher rank than him and thus had more information, but surely he remembered their ritual when it came to recruiting specific radiants? Oh, his memory was shoddy. You couldn’t expect much from it.

You sighed and continued your work. But then, a deep voice interrupted you from your thoughts.

ㅤ

“Your bosses…” Omen started, “what do you know about them? Can you name who’s at the top?”

ㅤ

Your heart skipped a beat.

For a moment, you assumed that Omen wasn't speaking to you, but given the fact that he was looking right at you… You braced yourself before finally responding.

ㅤ

“I… only know those way below them.”

ㅤ

“How does that work?”

ㅤ

You stopped and leaned back, stretching your fingers in an attempt to ease the soreness, a vain attempt to take your mind off of the fact you were talking to Omen.

ㅤ

“It’s a hierarchical structure; information gets lost the further down you go. Nobody knows who’s at the top.”

ㅤ

Omen faintly nodded.

And yet, he seemed incredibly unsatisfied with this answer. Your words seemed concordant with Iso’s, albeit a bit more detailed. He himself never mentioned the hierarchical structure of this organisation. But now that they thought about it, it made sense…

So, that meant that Iso was a low rank? Sage mused to herself. But another question took priority in her mind.

ㅤ

“I presume you’re a healer as well?”

ㅤ

“I am.”

ㅤ

“Wonderful! How do your powers work, exactly?”

ㅤ

“I control blood.”

ㅤ

Sage went to reply, but she paused at your response. Control blood? That didn’t seem to match what she was seeing.

ㅤ

“Ah, but, wouldn’t that make you just as capable of manipulating the body as your… um, your former partners?”

ㅤ

“No. It’s suppressed. I can only heal.”

ㅤ

“Really? How–”

ㅤ

“Can we save this conversation for when we land?”

ㅤ

Iso suddenly interrupted. His voice, though monotone, still caught everyone in the aircraft off guard. To the rest, it was incredibly surprising. Clove and Sage’s concerned expressions gave it away.

But to you? You knew that he loathed these questions; combined with your presence, they were digging up too many unbearable memories. This particular aspect of the legendary and feared hitman must be new for them.

Sage promptly cleared her throat.

ㅤ

“Your recruitment should yield… very fruitful results. On both sides.”

ㅤ

Sage said with a smile. Though friendly, you could tell she was just as taken aback as everyone else in the room. You couldn’t help but stare at her blankly for a few minutes.

Then, you turned back to Iso and continued healing him, all while Sage focused on Clove.