Chapter Text
"Iso! Have you not listened to me at all?"
They were sitting and chatting on the kitchen stool with Clove, Fade and Cypher. Iso was so lost in the book that Deadlock gave him. At every new page, he was thinking he can't read anymore but he was wondering what would happen next. He almost didn't get any sleep at night thinking about scary scenes of the book.
"I'm listening Sage, sorry." he said. His eyes were still locked on the pages.
"Give me that!" Sage suddenly reached and took the book. "What's with the book? You've been reading it all morning!" she examined the book for a second. "Oh! It looks terrifying. Anyway, I was saying can you remind Deadlock that I actually can restore her arm with my abilities. I don't understand why she agreed on Killjoy making a metal arm for her!" she said. She looked nervous. The thought of not being able to help everyone in the world is hard for her, Iso thought.
"You can't help someone who doesn't want help. Just let it go. By the way we're gonna get some huǒguō tonight, right? Don't dare to make any other plans." His voice is soft, it's clear that he enjoys Sage's company.
Sage laughed a bit. "Fine, fine we will. You're taking huǒguō very seriously aren't you? Oh you know what, I will tell her myself. She's a bit... Uhm... Not talkative but it's fine I'll just go talk to her."
"I'm coming with you. It is so funny to watch you guys having a hard time while interacting her like she's a savage.Just relax, Shàngdì!" He laughed.
"I don't think she's a savage." Clove joined the chat. "I think she likes me."
Cypher attended. "Oh yeah? You're lucky then. She hates my cameras!"
"She hates my buddies!" said Gekko while he and Reyna entering to the kitchen. "My crew are not monsters and they will never be monsters. I can't believe she said Brimstone that she fabricated four crates for their detainment!" he sighed. "I saw her in the garden, reading book and she gave me THAT look. You should've seen her cold stares, it was scary! I don't know guys, she's gotta chill!"
"Oh I assure you, Deadlock will not harm your little friends, mi pequeño." said Reyna to Gekko.
"Hey, hey okay! Be a little nicer to her Reyna. She was almost dead when I found her. It's not easy to be around any kind of radivore creature for her. She doesn't want to harm them, she just feels nervous around them. Go easy on her, will you?" said Iso in a soothing tone. He turned his gaze towards Fade as if asking for help.
"Evet, Iso is right. I really think she's nice. She just needs some time. I've seen and witnessed many nightmares, more than I can count. But her nightmares are... I am sure also Sage can feel her pain as I feel it through her nightmares.
Sage nodded, looking thoughtful. She turned towards to the garden while the others continuing chatting, with Iso following her.
"Give me the book now. Did you like it or something?" said Iso. He stretched out his hand towards Sage.
"I didn't know you love horror genre." said Sage.
"I don't. Deadlock gave me it last night." said Iso. He was caressing the cover of the book without realizing it. Sage frowned after she noticed his hand, then she turned her understanding gaze to the young man's face. Iso was lost on his thoughts until he noticed that Sage has a different look on her face. "What?" he asked. His voice was annoyed.
"Nothing." said Sage immediately. She was fighting the urge to smile. She didn't want to make him nervous and turned her look to the garden. She saw Jett and Neon practicing. Apparently, Jett was throwing her knifes at Neon and she was escaping from them. A moment later Neon was using her electric powers and Jett was avoiding it. Sage shouted at them. "I know one of you will get hurt, when it happens I will be in the kitchen. And please try not to murder each other!" Jett laughed Neon raised her hand in the air as a sign of okay. Soon, Phoenix joined them. He was throwing his fireballs randomly. They heard Jett's voice and Phoenix's laughter right after. "You're ruining our practice!" As they walked away from them, they heard the Phoenix's voice.
"Hey Harbor! Can you put out that fire please?"
"Oh my god..." whispered Sage with her hand massaging the top of her nose.
Iso laughed at her reaction. "You're not their mother, you know that right?"
Sage turned her tired looks to him. "You are in a good mood today. Actually... You're in a good mood for the past week."
"Are you implying something?" asked Iso. He felt sudden tense in his body.
"Why would you think that?" said Sage. From now on she decided not to tamper with it any further. Iso didn't respond.
Without having to go far, they saw Deadlock reading a book under a tree just like Gekko said. Sage approached her while playing with her hands nervously. Iso smiled at her nervousness.
"Good morning sunshine!" Sage said. Her cheerful introduction failed to hide her tense tone of voice.
Deadlock raised her head and looked at them. She was so focused on the book that she didn't hear the approaching footsteps. "Oh I didn't hear you, maybe I shouldn't stop wearing my bugs." she joked. And then she asked politely. "How are you doing, Sage? Ugh, my head is killing me since the morning!"
Sage was surprised at her kind welcoming. "Do you want me to help about it?" she asked in a hurry.
"Nei, I will be fine." she said. Then she turned her gaze to Iso and she noticed the book. "Hello. I see you're reading it."
"It's terrifying!" said Iso before he sit next to her. "I don't understand how you enjoy it." Before Deadlock answered Sage started talking.
"I know, the first time I offered it was at an inopportune time. But you don't have to endure the pain and replace your arm with cold metal. I can return your arm to its previous state. Just like it was never gone." she said.
Deadlock seemed to think about it. The feeling of pain was reflected in her eyes. She took a deep breath as the weight of mourning fell on her. She raised her arm and started to speak. "Take this away and everything they gave would have been for nothing. I have to remember what happened. Ståljeger deletes every loss just so we can forget, move on and focus on our next duty. I lost my sisters, they're erased from the existence. When you are one of them, you can't realize this is a horrible thing. I've been taught this was the normal thing since I joined them. But no, I will remember everything I lost."
No one spoke for several minutes. Iso had his head bowed. Sage seemed lost in completely different thoughts. Finally she looked at Deadlock with a sad smile. "I understand. Excuse me." She walked away from them, heading to the kitchen back.
"Do you think I offended her?" Deadlock asked a bit worried.
"I think you just made her realize things." said Iso. While Deadlock's looks fixed on somewhere far away, Iso's looks fixed on her face. He thought about how difficult the things she had to endure were. He thought how strong she is. He thought how pretty she is. He flinched at his own thought. At that moment deadlock turned her gaze to him. He didn't know what to do and turned his face away. He tried to find something to say to stop making that moment awkward but all he thinks was her.
"It's strange." Deadlock said. She was waiting for him to look at her again.
"What is?" asked Iso.
"To have something like that. I knew that the first moments I enter here. When Brimstone asked for me to join Valorant Protocol, I knew I couldn't go back to Ståljeger. I mean look at them," she smiled while she was looking at the garden. Iso looked at the same point she was looking to see what is she talking about. She was looking at Jett and Phoenix. While Phoenix was holding her in his arms and spinning her in the air. Jett was laughing joyfully and Neon's laughter was accompanying her. "Let go of me!" Jett said between her laughter. A second later, he let go of her. Neon made a disgusted noise as Jett stood on her tiptoes and kissed Phoenix, causing them both to laugh.
"They care about each other, truly. They all are. They-" Deadlock paused for a second. "They are like a family."
"A family..." Iso repeat quietly, almost whispered. He thought about Scions of Hourglass, could they gave him a family like Valorant did? His thoughts began to overwhelm him and make him question his purpose. Such thoughts had been in his mind for a while, but he did not know that the danger was so serious until Deadlock said it out loud. Iso realized that he wanted to stay here no matter what. While he shook his head quickly as if he was getting rid of his thoughts, the lightning that struck at that moment helped him and managed to distract his attention.
"Oh no..." she said. It started raining just a few seconds after. Everyone in the garden run to the kitchen, the closest enter to the building. Deadlock quickly hid her book under her jacket to protect it from getting wet. "We should go to inside." she said to Iso while she was smiling.
"We don't have to. Watch this wizard now." said Iso and then
he raised one arm into the air and created a shield large enough to cover them both.
Deadlock laughed. "Tusen takk. But will your arm stand in the air all afternoon?"
"Are you gonna read all afternoon?" asked Iso with fake shocked expression. That made Deadlock laugh again. He decided that he likes her laughter. "It was the first time you laughed since you came here." he said while smiling at ther.
"Hmm?" she made a sound. "I didn't realize." She reached for his hand which is in the air. She had to get up on her knees to hold it. "You're tall!" Finally she grabbed his hand and lowered it. "You don't have to. Let's go." and then she took her hand out of his.
"We will get so wet until we get to the kitchen door! I have a better idea. Hold my hand." he offered his hand while they both sitting. She hesitated but still held his hand. "Okay, and?" she asked.
Iso smiled before he said the words. "It's you and me."
Suddenly they teleported somewhere all purple. Deadlock felt sick to her stomach but that feeling gone quickly.
"First time can be a little disturbing. Are you okay?" Iso asked. They were still sitting like the same position and they were still holding hands.
"I am fine. Is that the place you murder your victims." she guessed. She was impressed but she had no intention of accepting it.
He smiled again. Iselin watched his face as he smiles. She thought about how cute the dimple on his cheek was. She avoided his gaze awkwardly after that. "I wish we took the tree too so that we would have something to lean on." she said.
"I got your back." Iso laughed. "I mean literally!" he laughed harder.
"You're insufferable." Iselin smiled but she turned her back to him before he can see it. Or at least she thought he didn't. She took the book from her jacket started to read.
"What's your name? I mean, the real name." Iso suddenly asked.
She froze at the question. A few minutes passed before she answers. "We shouldn't know each other's names, Iso. In Ståljeger, it was forbidden because it wouldn't be safe for us and our families if-"
"If one of us captured by opponent forces, I know. Scions of Hourglass said the same thing and I think it's bullshit. I don't have a family." he said.
"I don't have one either." Deadlock said with a sad voice.
"In Valorant, it is forbidden because Brimstone does really want everyone to be completely safe but even if one us captured or something you can trust me. And I have a feeling like I can trust you."
"Just you and me." she said.
He turned his body towards his back and extended his hand to her.
"Zhao Yu."
She turned him and took his hand.
"Iselin."
He wanted to repeat. He wanted to say her name. "Iselin, nice to meet you."
She smiled sincerely. "Nice to meet you too, Zhao Yu."