Our Poisonous Perspective

Part 2

"Tell us everything," Killjoy said sternly, leaning against one of the many sterile med bay counters. Her hands were shoved stiffly into the pockets of her jeans, "Don't leave anything out."

After nearly a week of pestering and following Brimstone around the base, she'd finally been allowed to question the injured agents, so long as the commander came along. This had been a welcomed change of pace. Since Viper's disappearance, the Split raid was all anyone talked about anymore. Of course, no one knew what had really happened, but that didn't stop everyone from coming up with their own stupid theories about it. Killjoy was tired of listening to the gossip. After all, the gossip was about Viper; her hard headed, stubborn, loving in all the wrong ways, sarcastic girlfriend. Listening to the other agents speculate only made her worry more, so all she could do was try and tune them out. But that was all changing now. Brim was going to help her with the interrogation.

Inside med bay, the room was smaller than Killjoy remembered it to be. She'd only seen it a handful of times since joining up, since it wasn't often Killjoy saw the line of fire given her superior flank coverage abilities.

The ceiling was high and the long fluorescent light bulbs made squares of light amidst the sea of dark metal panels. Sage's memorabilia scattered itself among the walls, due to her current residence. Nothing really caught Killjoys eye though. Too naturey. She preferred things with colorful wires and metal screws.

Brimstone cleared his throat when no one initiated any conversation and crossed his arms at the foot of one of the patient beds, a grim look on his face, "I'm sure you know why we're here."

Between Yoru and Cypher, the Moroccan camera man had taken the worst of Viper's...attacks. Her poison had burnt a fair bit of the flesh around the stab wound in his side, meaning Sage hadn't been able to heal it outright. The process took several days of cleaning, cutting, healing, and repeating until most of the dead flesh was gone and the wound had closed completely. For that whole process, Cypher had been either sleeping or writhing and sleeping.

Yoru had been released by the second or third day, needing only a few healing sessions to make sure the ligaments in his leg were completely safe from tearing further. However, he still wasn't able to fully disclose everything to Killjoy, much to the german's dismay, since the teleporting duelist only had half the details necessary for understanding the entire situation. That meant more waiting. Now though, since Cypher was able to talk without being in pain, Sage had approved the interrogation and that meant Yoru would be joining them and the answers were just minutes away.

"Mach schnell," Killjoy said again, her hand gesturing impatiently. Yoru and Cypher shared a look, still not saying anything right away. She was holding back the urge to shake them silly. The longer they dawdled, the longer Viper was waiting to be saved, or worse.

"Well you know most of it," Yoru finally began, "The three of us split up after killing a bunch of Kingdom soldiers since the stupid bastards had drilled this...tower into the ground."

"Viper had insisted she investigate it, which made sense given her area of expertise," Cypher said, adding onto Yoru's thought.

"Right, but what about after?" Brimstone asked, rubbing at his beard, eyes focused intently on the two agents, "You said Viper attacked you? How did that happen?"

Yoru let out a scoff, yanking on the collar of his jacket, so it was crisp and straight, "She caught us by surprise. We weren't exactly expecting a fight when she showed up."

"We need details guys. Tell it to us straight" Brim said.

"During the scuffle with the Kingdom soldiers, I was almost captured," Cypher conceded, shifting uncomfortably on his cot, "So I was mostly focused on recouping. Checking dead bodies, collecting supplies, that sort of thing."

"I was patrolling," Yoru interjected, "The soldiers all flooded in from one side of the site, never both. So I was watching our flank. I had my back turned when Viper came around the corner."

The two agents shared another look and Cypher sighed, "Viper shot Yoru first, which was kind of lucky for him. He didn't have to fight Viper at all, especially when she charged me." Killjoy felt her skin prickle at the explanation, biting her tongue to stop the automatic defense that bubbled up. She needed them to keep talking. Cypher continued, "I looked up just in time to see her slash her knife at me."

"She fought with no hesitation," Yoru said, his voice somber, yet still annoyed, "She wasn't holding anything back. I couldn't do anything while Cypher tried to dodge the knife blows and talk some sense into her."

"Last time we spoke, you said she felt wrong. What did you mean by that?" Killjoy finally asked, emotions shifting from angry nerves to anxious terror.

"Cypher can explain that best," Yoru grimaced, nodding towards his companion.

"Indeed," Cypher said slowly, once again adjusting his position on the cot so his back was straighter, "But I don't think I'll do it justice."

"Try," Killjoy said fiercely.

Cypher was quiet for several long moments, head hung low against his chest. Without his usual mission attire, specifically his trench coat, the agent looked like a shell of his regular self. Killjoy didn't know if it was due to his injury or not, but even the air around Cypher felt disappointed and guilty. Finally, the Moroccan man met Killjoy's gaze, "Her eyes were this...bright yellow. Her skin was sickly, glowing from some sort of strain around her eyes. When I nicked her cheek, the blood that spilled was pure amber."

"Okay, but-"

"You don't get it, KJ," Cypher interrupted, his eyes suddenly wide with worry, "The way she looked at me was wild; unhinged. She felt wrong. Like," Cypher paused again, swallowing hard, "Like she wasn't even in there anymore."

"Yellow…" Killjoy trailed off, an unconscious shudder running across her skin. The goosebumps that pressed against her jacket felt sensitive and Killjoy couldn't stop a second shudder from shaking her again.

"That's unsettling," Brimstone finally said, breaking the tension, "So we're dealing with some sort of brainwash and a nasty kind at that."

Sage, who had been standing off to the side in case of emergency, cleared her throat softly, "How did you manage to escape?"

"Thank Yoru for that," Cypher said, returning his gaze to his hands, "Without his blind ability, I think Viper would have killed us both."

Yoru cracked his knuckles and shrugged again, "You know me, Cypher. It will take more than one lady to take us down."

Killjoy, who had been reeling from the description of Cypher's fight with Viper, refocused on the conversation, "That lady is not only a fellow agent, but a cunning, capable fighter with extensive knowledge of how to melt your bones from the outside. Show a little respect."

"Killjoy rela-"

"Brim," Killjoy interrupted, her eyes snapping over to the gruff looking commander, "Don't even think of telling me to relax. Viper is out there and we're all just sitting here! Doing nothing!"

"Alright, alright kid. Jeeze. Don't bite our heads off. We'll get 'er back, ok?"

"Ja." Killjoy said stiffly, shoving her hands back into her jean pockets.

"What do you make of this anyway? Do you know anything here that might help?" Brimstone asked, eyeing Killjoy warily.

"About what? Brainwashing?"

Brimstone nodded and Killjoy hummed contemplatively before pushing off the wall to pace. She figured the rest of the agents would be watching her, but she didn't have the energy to care at the moment. Pacing helped her think and right now, Viper's wellbeing required her to think as perfectly as possible. Her thoughts, unfortunately, were coming up short of any real answers. The info she was remembering was scattered; unconnected. Memories of Viper's lab, notes being read aloud, memories of Viper's hands guiding hers when she was handling potent mixtures, memories of Viper's laugh...wait, that wasn't helpful.

Killjoy removed her glasses and rubbed her eyes tiredly, fighting the urge to cry again, "I don't know much about it really. It sounds like it's a possible conjunction of organic and inorganic infusion, which might I add, is incredibly complex. I'd need more specific info."

"Well, let's go back," Cypher suggested, swinging his feet off the cot and trying to stand, "I'll bet that tower they used is still standing."

Once again, Sage cleared her throat and stepped forward, pressing Cypher back down onto the cot firmly, "I hate to be this person, but Cypher and Yoru are in no state to travel or fight quite yet."

"Our healer is right, boys," Brimstone said, "You've helped a lot by surviving and telling us what you know. We'll take it from here."

Out of the corner of Killjoys eye, she could see Yoru debating with himself about listening to Sage of all people, but the duelist ultimately stayed quiet. If the German had to guess, she figured Yoru knew he'd lose a fight against both Brimstone and Sage when it came to who went on missions.

With the discussion about Viper being mostly concluded, Brimstone dismissed himself and Killjoy from med bay to reconvene, making sure to thank Sage for her hard work on the way out.

"I think Sova mentioned something about wanting to help," Killjoy chimed in, once the two were safely out of the room. The comm room wasn't far from where they were and Killjoy wanted to start discussing their options for a rescue mission right away.

Brimstone grunted, "Did he now? Well that cover's one of our metaphoric asses."

"One? What's the other ass?"

"The one where we don't walk into a trap. We need a distraction."

"Why?" Killjoy asked, "I can just sneak us in. Security shouldn't be that tight."

"If the Kingdom and our new enemy are behind this, they'll expect us to try and rescue Viper. I want us to use that expectation to our advantage, therefore, a distraction is needed."

"Understood," Killjoy conceded, following Brimstone around the last corner before pushing through into the comm room, "What do you suggest?"

Brimstone approached the center console and opened up the Split map and zoomed in on the tower's approximate location, "I think that we should hit this with everything we've got. Our distraction will work best if everyone is there and then a small team sneaks in."

"Sova and I?" Killjoy asked and Brimstone nodded. Killjoy looked over the map, checking for possible security checkpoints and exploitations. She wasn't really sure what to expect from a mission like this. This was the first time in Valorant history that one of their own was being used against them. What didn't add up was why Viper? Sure, she was smart and highly capable, but she was ultimately just human. If they were going to brainwash someone, why not target a site with radiants guarding it? The image of a yellow eyed, wild Reyna flashed through Killjoy's mind and she stiffened at the implicated death that would surely follow that train of thought.

Brimstone drew Killjoy's focus back when he brought up another map, but this one was much more detailed. Upon further investigation, Killjoy realized these must have been hacked blueprints. There were guard schedules, key point structures, and integral assets listed among other things. These would be invaluable for Sova and Killjoys inevitable 'sneak in plain sight' plan.

Sensing the germans shock, Brimstone chuckled and sent a copy of the file to Killjoys bracelet, "Don't look so surprised. We've got a lot of capable minds in this program."

"Surprised?" Killjoy said, grinning, "You've got it all wrong Brim. I'm impressed. What a score."

"Yeah well, don't let them go to waste alright? Find Viper and let's all come home from this."

"Don't worry Brim. Ich habe das." Killjoy replied, turning to leave the room. She needed to find Sova and tell him her plan. Hopefully, with any luck, finding and rescuing Viper would be easier than mixing poisons. Probably not as fun though.

Split was everything Killjoy remembered it to be, only much more quiet. The city had been evacuated months ago, leaving only the empty streets, shopping districts, and office buildings as company. It was eerie, to say the least. Probably even more so now that the Kingdom soldiers had set up shop and moved in. Just outside the A bomb site, several metal buildings bore flags with the Kingdom logo on it. There wasn't a breeze to wag them, but they still reminded Killjoy of what was at stake here. She and Sova were going to sneak into the main building and save Viper. She had to save her. There was no other alternative. No plan B. Nothing. Save Viper was all they had.

As if hearing her thoughts, Sova's and Killjoy's earpieces rang out with Brimstone's voice, "Alright beta squad, alpha squad is in position. Are you ready to secure entry?"

"Da. We will move in once the enemy is aware of your presence," Sova responded quickly, stowing away his bow to move against the wall. He waved Killjoy over and knelt to cup his hands.

Killjoy knew the plan. She'd gone over it all night, and had probably still gone over it in what little sleep she got. She knew Sova was going to get her over the wall and she had to unlock the first set of doors for him, and yet she was finding her limbs to be heavy. Sova must've saw her hesitation though, and he stood again, approaching her as quietly as possible.

"It is okay to feel fear. Use it to your advantage," Sova said softly.

"How is fear advantageous?" Killjoy whispered fiercely, not meeting Sova's gaze. She was much too busy trying to still the tremble of her hands. She hated that she was feeling nervous. She never got nervous on missions. Viper's involvement had to be the reason, and yet, she hadn't felt nervous about it until right now.

Sova smiled, "You cannot be brave if you have nothing to fear."

"Ugh, ok yeah you're right…" the German muttered to herself, "gimme a sec." She knew Sova was going to wait until she was more calm to continue, so Killjoy focused on taking a breath that didn't rattle her ribcage. Several steady exhales later, and Killjoy was feeling a bit better. Sova patted an encouraging hand on her shoulder before returning to his previous position against the wall. Killjoy approached him and put her foot into his waiting grip. They waited a few seconds, then a full minute, then two, until finally the alarms on the base were raised. That was their cue.

Killjoy felt herself being pushed upwards, and she scrambled up the concrete wall, struggling to get up the few extra inches she needed to grab the lip. She managed it though and dropped somewhat haphazardly on the other side. Step one was done. Onto the next. She reached up to her earpiece, "Sova. I'm in."

"I knew you would be. Now get a move on," came Sova's friendly, but urgent reply. Killjoy hustled over to the enclosed guard booth, and pressed herself against the locked door. She quickly knocked, to which a heavy voice called back.

"Benny? That you already? Thought the squad leader would want you out front?" Killjoy remained quiet and stayed flush against the door. If she was patient enough…

Just as Killjoy expected, the baritone man grew impatient in the silence and the door to the guard booth flung open, to which Killjoy readily smacked the hefty man in his head. His body hit the floor with a solid thud and the German tiptoed over him to reach the gate control console. The door security was child's play, and Sova quickly rushed through the now open front gate.

"Nicely done," Sova said, notching an arrow on his bow, "We have a short window now."

"Which isn't nearly as long as I need, but I'll work fast."

"I'll cover you," Sova replied, jogging over to the base's main entrance, which was directly opposite the base's front gate.

Now that they were inside the base, Killjoy realized it wasn't all that much to look at, like it was from the outside. The gate was basically guarding a very large, open courtyard where the tower was. Aside from the guard booth, there was nothing more than crates and debris in the surrounding area. Next to a hidden Sova, was the ramp leading up into the second floor of what used to be an office building. Flags hung to either side. That was the base's main entrance for sure. Who knew what awaited the two agents inside, but for now, Killjoy was unimpressed.

At least, she was until she approached the tower itself. At a glance, it looked to be nothing more than a radio tower; a mere electrical rod at best. However, when Killjoy actually started examining the wiring, it was clear that it was no radio tower.

The German reached up to her earpiece, "Brim, do you copy?"

"Loud and clear kid. Whatcha got?"

"Sova and I are holding the tower area for now. The design of this thing is...well, scheisse, I've never seen anything like it."

"Tell me what you can," Brim said quickly, though his voice was strained. Gunfire rang out in the background.

"My current inspection is showing my earlier hypothesis was half right. The tower is infusing water with some substances I can't name, and diffusing it with the air. It's likely only able to do so in small areas, which is why this specific area is gated off."

"Great. Find out as much as you can. Touch base again when you get eyes on Viper or find something that can help us win this thing."

"Copy zat Brim." Killjoy replied. When the line came back quiet, she shook the creeping worry out of her head. She needed to focus. She was walking small circles around the tower's base trying to find the water source when another particularly bulky container caught Killjoy's eye. It was round and bolted shut. If that wasn't enough to warrant suspicion, it was warm to the touch.

"Killjoy, I'm hearing chatter inside the base. We'll have to move soon." Sova called from his place near the ramp.

"I think I found something though," Killjoy called back.

"We won't have forever, move swiftly."

Killjoy knelt down and began prying at the bolted container. It wasn't budging, not even a little bit. The ground under her knee pressed uncomfortably as she tugged. Killjoy grunted and examined the container closer. She hadn't noticed before, but the tower was letting off a smell that was oddly familiar. Not stinky at all like she imagined, no, this scent was light, perfumic. It was likely coming from one of the ingredients the tower was mixing.

Distractedly, Killjoy snapped a few pictures of the tower's inside wiring and mainframe. The metal was bronze and shiny, smooth to the touch. Remembering her original task, the german tried undoing the bolts holding the container, but no tool on her bracelet fit quite right. Annoyed, Killjoy tried loosening a different pipe that was in the way, but Sova's voice made her jump.

"They're here! We have to go!"

"I've gotta get this-"

Sova cut her off, "There's no time Killjoy. We still need to find Viper and there are a lot of soldiers coming."

"You've gotta be kidding-," Killjoy started, trying one more time to yank the bolted container out of place, but to no avail, "Alright, alright let's go. I'll analyze my pictures later."

Sova ushered Killjoy against the wall next to him and put a strong finger against his lips. After just a few short moments, ten or so men poured from the base entrance, darting down the ramp to secure the tower. Each soldier had full armor and guns, all of them men and none of them Viper. When the last guy bolted from the building, Sova practically drug Killjoy into the base letting the door barely miss them as it closed.

The inside of the base looked very similar to that of any office building except for all the Kingdom paraphernalia hanging on the walls and railings above. The entrance was small and wide, with the working elevator sitting neatly in the middle of the back wall. On either side of the room there was a hallway and a set of stairs leading downward into what Killjoy could guess was a basement, or maybe a tortue chamber. She shuddered at the thought. The building itself was nice enough. Marble floors that echoed footsteps and several counters that used to be reception desks, but were now places for storage. The base overall felt like a bad dream. The aesthetic reminded Killjoy of what the world used to be like, and it was weirdly uncomfortable. However, the two agents were in no dream, and right now, Killjoy wanted nothing more than to find Viper.

"Did the tower tell you anything useful?" Sova asked, once they'd stepped into the elevator. He ran a finger up the buttons, before pressing the top floor button.

"I think so," Killjoy said distractedly, focusing intently on the pictures she took of the tower's pieces, "I couldn't get into anything physically on the tower, but I can use what I do understand about infusion and diffusion to make an educated guess."

"A guess?" Sova asked, his white eyebrows furrowing, "We're going based on a guess?"

Killjoy clicked her tongue and shook her head, "No, Sova. We're going off my highly theorized and knowledgeable guess. Which is not the same thing."

The elevator started carrying the agents upward and Sova turned his attention to the moving floors outside the glass of the elevator, "What do you think then?"

Killjoy pulled up the pictures she'd snapped of the bronze tower and miscellaneous mainframe snippets and hummed, "Try to stay with me here, but I think, given the state of the tower, that there is a highly problematic chemical being infused and diluted with a less dangerous organic compound."

Sova grunted, "Which means?"

"Something scary is being diluted with something less scary."

"Do you know what?"

Killjoy sighed, "Nope. Our little friends in the soldier brigade interrupted me."

"I see. Then tell me, how does what you found out help us?"

"So basically-" Killjoy's words were cut off when the elevator finally dinged at the top floor and doors opened. They both knew Viper was being held on the top floor of the building, as Killjoy's analysis of the guard schedule deemed it so, but neither had known what to expect when they actually got there. It could've easily fit into any horror sci fi film.

Lying in the middle of a very large lab, was Viper, who was definitely unconscious. Several IV poles waited nearby and thankfully none of them were attached. There were several lines of restraints on her arms, but only a few of the metal clamps were fastened around her wrists. The surrounding room had the walls covered in dozens of monitors or control panels, which all seemed to reconnect somehow back to Vipers lying form.

The two agents stepped out of the elevator, stunned into silence. Killjoy began to move more quickly towards Viper, but Sova stopped her. "Careful Killjoy. We do not know what to expect."

"She'd never hurt me," Killjoy urged, her voice betraying the desperation she felt creeping up her spine, "I know her, Sova."

The Russian tracker seemed to fight with himself, but he eventually nodded. Killjoy started to approach Viper again, although this time, she was trying much harder to make herself go slow. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Sova notch an arrow on his bow. She loathed the idea of Sova being so directly cautious of someone whom he also knew, but what could she do? Viper had hurt people. It made perfect sense, she just didn't like it.

The closer Killjoy got to the table, the easier it was to see the state Viper was in and it took the german's breath away. Aside from the small, shallow rise and falls of her chest, it was hard to tell if the other agent was even alive. Her arms were stained yellow in random splotches along their curves and her typical agent attire had been replaced with random pieces of Kingdom clothing. Killjoy had to hold back her urge to strip off the ugly offensive gear, but knew now was not the time. Thankfully, still hanging around Vipers neck was her freshly cleaned mask. It felt like home to see it again.

Finally, Killjoy was standing right alongside Viper's table, her eyes searching for any signs of consciousness in the other agent's features. Killjoy reached tentatively to Viper's face and brushed a loose black strand out of her eyes. The touch made the other agent stir and Killjoy held her breath as Viper moaned in discomfort. A minute turned into two and then two into five before Viper's eyes cracked open.

The vibrant green orbs were just as piercing as ever, if not tired, and they started right back at Killjoy. Thankfully they were not yellow, like the german feared they would be."Ki-Kill," Viper croaked out, her voice slow and scratchy, "Killjoy?"

"Ja, it's me," Killjoy whispered, suddenly feeling like she was the worst person in the world. Her tears threatened to spill over even now, given the situation, so she continued, "We came to get you. I'm sorry it took so long."

Viper scoffed, but a ghost of a smile flitted across her face, "Seems right on schedule for you."

Killjoy let out a sad laugh and pressed her hands against the table Viper was strapped to, "I'm so glad you're alive."

"Barely," Viper ground out through clenched teeth, "It's been a nightmare."

"What have they been doing to you?"

Viper groaned, pushing against her restraints. When the tension released from her eyes, the poison doctor spoke darkly, "Horrible things."

"Well, not anymore," Killjoy replied, turning her attention to her Russian companion, "Sova come help me free her."

"Hurry," Viper pleaded, "I'm still a danger as long as-"

"And just what do you two think you're doing?" A women's sultry voice called overhead. Killjoy and Sova spun around to face the room, guns raised, but their surroundings were empty of any other human bodies. Suddenly, all the monitors in the room cut to black. After some grating visual static, the voice's face appeared on all the screens, "Are you trying to free my prisoner?"

"No!" Viper shouted, attempting to once again push against her restraints, "Killjoy you have to run. Please run."

Killjoy spun around and faced her girlfriend, a confused look on her face, "Why would we run? We're getting you out."

The face on the screens laughed a healthy, melodious laugh. Killjoy eyed the women viciously from her place beside Viper. From what she could see on the terrible quality of the monitors, the woman was older, her face somewhat crinkled and tan. Her lips were thin and her left cheek bore a long scar. The rest of her features were hidden in the poorly lit room or maybe it was just the terrible reception. Either way, Killjoy did not recognize the voice or face and she was feeling uneasy, if not furiously so.

"Oh that's rich," The voice finally said, completely ignoring the daggers Killjoy was sending her, "My Sabine really is too smart for her own good."

"Sabine?" Killjoy said skeptically, the name feeling foreign on her tongue, "Dr. Fei called you that, right?"

Before Viper could respond, the woman on the screen quickly interjected, "You aren't familiar with Sabine's real name?"

"She doesn't have too-" Killjoy tried to refute, but the woman laughed again.

"Really Sabine? This is the one you were threatening me for? The one you wanted me to spare? She doesn't even know who you really are, does she?"

"Give it a rest, Ivy," Viper said tiredly, turning her head towards Killjoy, "Just ignore her. She's a piece of work."

Ivy's lips quickly morphed from a cunning smile into a furious snarl in a matter of moments, "PIECE OF WORK. HA! Don't make me laugh, you slithering snake witch. I'm not the one who goes around destroying peoples lives. Pretending you actually care."

Killjoy quickly darted her eyes to Sova while Ivy was distracted and when he met her gaze, she silently motioned to Viper's arm restraint. The understanding from Sova came as a grunt, and the German, just as quickly, returned her attention to Viper. Her girlfriend rolled her eyes dramatically, which only seemed to piss Ivy off more. The woman was about to let her have it when Killjoy interrupted, "You know what Viper, Ivy is right. You never tell me anything."

The silence following Killjoy's declaration was heavy with tension, but just like she planned, Ivy's face slowly relaxed into another devious grin. Viper on the other hand was in shock, jaw clenched into a rigid line, "So you're on her side now?"

"There are no sides. Only what is right and what is wrong," Killjoy replied sternly, trying to keep the demanding edge in her voice, "And right now? Ivy is right. You never let me in. You never talk to me. How is that fair?"

Viper's eyes were sharp and demanding. Even strapped to the flat table, in a position that made her vulnerable, Viper still commanded respect. When she spoke again, her voice was raspy and deflated, "Life isn't fair, Killjoy. Nothing ever is."

"That's a flimsy excuse," The German quickly shot back. In her peripheral vision, she could see the small movements of Sova's hands undoing the latches binding Vipers arm. She'd already done the one in front of her awhile ago, so all she needed was to keep the conversation escalated. "Are you really going to pretend that you can't talk to me because lifes been hard for you?"

Viper arched a challenging eyebrow before scoffing and turning her head to face some of the screens with Ivy's face on it, "What did you do to her?"

"Will you stop avoiding my questions!" Killjoy finally snapped, slamming her hands onto Vipers table for emphasis. Sova was nearly done and this was the most important part. "Answer me straight, Sabine."

"I-" Viper started, not meeting Killjoy's gaze. The array of emotions crossing the other agents' faces were hard to decipher with how fast they passed over her features. When she eventually settled on a scowl, Killjoy tried a softer question, "Why won't you let me in?"

"I don't want you to be used against me," Viper said, eyes sliding to meet Killjoys. The declaration was both simple and yet so complex. It hung in the air like a pendulum that had lost its momentum. Everything all of a sudden felt so clear and Killjoy wanted to kick herself even harder for how she'd been treating Viper up to her capture. She had so much she wanted to say, but there was no time. After what felt like an eternity of distracting Ivy, Sova's work paid off and the final brace holding Viper clicked open.

"Now Viper, let's go!" Killjoy shouted, grabbing her girlfriend's arm and hauling her to her feet.

"Killjoy, where is the power source located in this room?" Sova asked.

"Probably the back wall if I had to guess!"

Sova notched several shock darts and launched them into the back wall just as Ivy began to rattle off commands to the computers in the room. The power surge from the floor had begun to whir to life as Viper was practically drug away from the lab table. Then the shock darts landed and the entire room went black and Ivy's face vanished.

"Are you okay, Viper?" Killjoy asked softly, holding the other agent up on one side as her legs were somewhat weak.

"I've been better," Viper responded, heaving out some labored breaths, "Good plan back there, though."

"What plan?"

"Don't act coy, little bear."

"Me? The genius? Coy?" Killjoy said dramatically, "When have I ever been coy? I'm brilliant."

Viper didn't respond, but offered a very annoyed looking eye roll, but Killjoy made sure to savor the playful smirk on Viper's lips. She'd missed it a lot.

"What's the plan now?" Sova asked, approaching the two after retrieving his loose arrows from the back of the lab.

Killjoy started helping Viper walk and when they were safely in the elevator, going down, she answered, "We get Viper out. Let Brim know we're moving."

Sova spoke hurriedly into his earpiece, "Alpha squad, we've been compromised, but Viper is with us."

Brims voice was scratchy with static, but it came through regardless, "Great! We'll -tart the retr-t. Send- plane to the- ocation-tower. Out."

"Sounds like the fighting is intense," Sova commented, switching his earpiece off again, "Though I'm sure you've had worse, huh Viper?"

"Actually, a lot of other people did," Viper replied, grimacing.

"What did they do to you?" Killjoy asked again.

"It's a long story. Might we save it?"

"Fine, but you're not getting out of sharing this time," Killjoy said sternly and Sova laughed. A few more moments passed in silence, until the elevator opened in the lobby again, where Killjoy and Sova had originally entered from. With Killjoy still supporting the tired and weak Viper, Sova led them, gun raised, out of the base and back into the gated courtyard.

The tower was standing just as the agents had left it, but things were suspiciously quiet. The guard booth remained unmanned and the group that had swarmed out of the base to sweep the area were now gone. Everything was seeming a little too easy.

"Killjoy," Viper mumbled as the three agents' boots echoed against the metal ramp.

The German wasn't able to shake the feeling of unease enough to look at Viper, but she responded regardless, "It's not much farther."

"Killjoy," Viper repeated, her voice raising up in worry, "I don't like this place."

"Wh-"

Before the question was even out of Killjoys mouth, her ears picked up activity at the center of the courtyard. The tower was beginning to thrum. It was soft at first, like the pleasant rumble of a washing machine down the hall, until the thrumming was so strong it shook the ground in tiny tremors.

Just like in the lab, Viper began to squirm against Killjoy's side, "No, no, no, no," the poison doctor whispered frantically, "Let me go Killjoy. Run. Get away from me."

"I would do as she says, love." A familiar voice said from behind. It was familiar and crisp; In the flesh. A voice free of a screen.

Killjoy allowed Viper to pull away from her only a little, keeping her arm firmly wrapped around the doctor's waist, before turning to face Ivy, "Leave Viper out of this."

"Oh, I'm afraid she's already in this. Quite invested actually," Ivy responded coolly, her lifeless gray eyes never leaving Killjoys, "And she knows it."

Brim's voice suddenly crackled into the German's ear, "Somethi- hap-ing on -ur end? The grou- ackin- out -ere!"

Sova, who had been silently watching from the middle of the courtyard when Ivy broke the silence, responded hurriedly, "The tower is active. Be wary."

Ivy raised her hand and gestured tiredly, practically bored, towards the gate. The large metal gates groaned to life as the two doors swung open. Standing there, just outside the gates was another group of soldiers, all staring lifelessly ahead of them. Ivy gestured again and the soldiers began marching inside, slowly surrounding Sova, and isolating him from Killjoy and a still very wary Viper. No one moved. The situation had become a snowball rolling down a mountain, and any action could increase it's downward rush out of their favor. Something was about to happen, and Killjoy was afraid.

"Tell her Sabine. Tell her what's going to happen." Ivy said sweetly, the devious hatred never leaving her eyes, which were locked firmly onto Killjoy's.

Viper's face snapped up and Killjoy broke her gaze with Ivy to look at her girlfriend. The fear in Viper's eyes were tangible, bubbling over into the tenseness of her jaw and the crinkle of her eyebrows. What Killjoy saw was something she's never seen before. Powerlessness.

"Be smart for the both of us," Viper finally said, her voice quivering, "Okay?"

Then, the tower that had been thrumming and shaking the ground with waves of energy, cranked a few more inches out of the ground before cutting quiet. Killjoy watched in horror as the now full tower started glowing yellow.

"Are you ready to see Sabine's true nature? I never tire of it's accuracy," Ivy said wistfully.

Killjoy went to respond, but then Viper pushed her. Hard. She tumbled down the ramp leading up to the base quickly, landing at the foot of it in a sprawled out heap. It took several moments for the world to stop spinning outside the Germans glasses, but when it did, she wasn't ready for what she saw.

Viper was hunched over, holding her head. Growls were leaking from her mouth in no particular pattern. Her arms, where the yellow splotches had been, now glowed a dull, muted yellow. Like gold with no shine. She was spiraling.

Suddenly Sova's voice rang out, "Killjoy, all the soldiers are infected!"

The German spun around to see Sova, barely, dodging the raving lunatic soldiers. There were at least 10, swarming in an ever enclosing circle around the Russian hunter. Neither Killjoy nor Sova were equipped to deal with this many enemies, and the rest of Valorant was backing up Brim at the bomb site. They were on their own for the moment, and this fight wouldn't last long if they didn't think fast.

"Let's go turret buddy. I'm counting on you," Killjoy said quickly, placing the cute chicken turret out to distract the yellow zombie soldiers for Sova. Once the turret was fully deployed, the sensor clicked off and the laser bullets began ticking away at the circle of soldiers. Most of them quickly changed targets, which was expected and Killjoy dashed in to provide Sova some backup.

"We will not last long without backup," Sova said, grunting as he smashed his bow into the face of an oncoming soldier, "What's the plan?"

"I've gotta figure out a way to free Viper," Killjoy responded, sidestepping a rather large soldier's charge.

"How can I help?" the hunter asked

"Try to get through to Brim, someone, anyone really."

"Could be the reception. I'll try getting a higher angle. Be safe."

"Immer," Killjoy replied quickly, tripping another soldier trying to follow Sova's retreat. Now that most of the soldiers were either dead, unconscious, or distracted by Sova, Killjoy knew it was time to deal with Ivy. It was unfortunate, but that also meant dealing with Viper as well.

The woman in question, as calm as ever with Viper by her side, watched the current situation unfold from the top of the metal ramp. Killjoy approached the bottom of the slope, where Viper had cast her away, in some stupid attempt to save her. Viper should've known nothing would keep her away. Not even a target right on her back. She didn't have a plan. Not even an outline of one. She had no back up, no super secret information, and no leverage. Killjoy was utterly outmatched in almost every way. The only thing she had was her brain. Viper had asked her to be smart, so she hoped it would be enough.

Once the tips of Killjoys sneakers brushed the base of the metal ramp, she casually shoved her hands in her pockets, "Can I ask you a question?" Killjoy called out, unsure of how Ivy would respond.

The other woman raised an inquisitive eyebrow, and brought a finger to her scarred cheek, "By all means."

"What's your point here?" The brainwashing Viper and teaming up with Kingdom bit."

"My means to an end?" Ivy asked. Killjoy nodded and the other woman sighed, "Isn't it obvious?"

"Not particularly, and I'm pretty smart." Killjoy replied, shrugging.

An irritated look passed over Ivy's face, before it relaxed again and she smiled, "Clearly not smart enough to figure me out," she paused, "Intellectually, Viper and I are equals. We worked together before...the incident. Back when the fruits of our loins were for the greater good. Medicine, Antidotes, even miracle cures." Ivy turned to face Viper now and ran one of her hands down the length of her arm, "We were the perfect match."

Killjoy couldn't stop the snort laugh that bubbled out of her throat and when Ivy's head snapped over, she sheepishly shrugged again, "Oops, sorry."

"What do you find so humorous about that?" Ivy snapped, ignoring the apology.

Killjoy crossed her arms over her chest and pretended to think, "Well, if I had to guess on where this is going, I'd like to place my bets on, 'Viper didn't think so.' Am I close?"

"NO. YOU ARE NOT!" Ivy roared, marching a few steps down the ramp towards Killjoy, "We were magnificent together. But she LIED to me. She HURT ME. SHE IS THE VILLAIN!"

Killjoy took an unconscious step back as Ivy neared closer and closer to her, "What happened then?"

Ivy seethed for several more seconds before regaining her composure and spinning back around to look at Viper, who was still standing idly on the ramp, "After Kingdom tried to kill Sabine, she went into hiding. I assumed she would want me to follow because we were-," Ivy sighed, "All you need to know is that she told me to get lost. Like I was nothing."

"So, what? You're doing this for revenge?" Killjoy asked, her voice rising with anger, "Because she didn't wanna be with you anymore?"

Ivy laughed a long, cackling laugh. She threw her head back and shook with laughter. Not the fun, contagious kind, no. Ivy laughed as if she was losing her mind more with every passing moment. When the manic sounds stopped pouring from Ivy's mouth, she spoke again, malice dripping from every word, "I wanted to expose her true nature. This is who she really is."

"She's only what you made her into," Killjoy shot back and Ivy laughed again.

"Kill her for me won't you Sabine?" Ivy asked, barely sparing another glance at Killjoy as she walked back up the ramp. Then Viper moved and Killjoy braced herself for the fight that was coming. Sova had been right.

You cannot be brave, if you have nothing to fear. For Viper, Killjoy would be braver than anyone.