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“... Wait here. I’ll come get you when I find what we’re looking for. Then we’ll go together. Don’t storm off on your own again.”
That had been the last thing Yoru said before donning his mask and dipping into the shadows like he was sinking into ink. From that moment on, Phoenix had been alone, with nothing but the slight hum of his earpiece and the dripping of an old, busted pipe to keep him company. For a man like Phoenix, it was perhaps the worst thing he could ever truly be; alone. Each second dragged into the next minute, feeling like an eternity in a single moment, isolated with his thoughts and nothing to just shut them up.
It was cold, desolate, abandoned, and completely devoid of anything even close to life. Eerie, harrowing, soul-crushing; every bad thing had ended up here. And now he had to face it alone. Just… wait.
At least he could keep himself warm. Perhaps even mildly entertained; a small click of his fingers and a small flame slips into existence, burning with newfound vigour in the palm of his hand. He nurtured it, fed it just a bit of his own flame, and it grew in his palm, lighting up the cramped corridor he was currently trapped inside.
He amused himself with the way shadows danced on the wall every time he made the flame grow or wane. Hummed songs in his head, tapped a rhythm on his own thigh, even kept himself busy by checking his guns were ready. They were. Yoru made sure he double checked every damn mission they went on - not that Phoenix had ever forgotten something so vital. Did that man have no faith in him whatsoever?
Maybe he didn’t. Phoenix had asked why they were here, but to no avail. Yoru had just dodged the question. As far as he could piece together, they were sent to retrieve some blueprints and information, and to see if the old research lab could potentially be restarted. It was vital enough that they’d been asked to leave immediately, and too top-secret to even get to know why. If there was one thing that Phoenix hated about his job, it was never knowing what was going on. If his life weren’t on the line, he’d probably care less. But was it so bad to want to know what he was throwing his body at?
For a moment, he’d almost grown to somewhat appreciate the chance to reflect. His life was often filled with noise. Nothing was quite so bad as lonesome silence. But here, he could almost see why some people seemed to prefer it to a crowd of strangers you’re dying to know.
Not that it lasted for long.
For a moment, he felt a shiver down his spine. An uneasy feeling in his gut. It vanished as quickly as it came, but it set him on edge, until --
A siren blared, cutting out any chance of respite, interrupting any train of thought he had been following. It was already a bad sign - wasn’t this place abandoned? Had Yoru sounded it by mistake, or fucked up somehow? If so, why hadn’t Phoenix heard about it? Bewildered - and more than a little agitated, he might add - he reached up to activate his earpiece and get some answers from his little ghost.
But speak of the devil, and he doth appear. A mechanical whirring like old gears turning made him hesitate. The door he was sitting beside slowly opened, and as cold as ever, Yoru was standing there.
Except - he wasn’t standing. He was limping, clutching at his side that was splattered red.
The sight of it had the blood leaving Phoenix’s face.
“Yoru-! What the fuck happened?! Are you okay? Why didn’t you say anythin’?” He started, like a parent scolding a child for coming home late; but already stumbling forward, all too eager to help Yoru and hold him steady. One arm around his waist, hoisting the other around his shoulder, supporting Yoru’s weight and looking at him like he was worried the man would slip away if he wasn’t watching him.
“I was a little- busy, if you didn’t notice,” grumbled Yoru, remarks as scathing as ever, even when he couldn’t speak a sentence without groaning in pain. That perpetual tone of sarcasm and above-it-all that defined him as much as his electric-blue hair did. Like everything was an annoyance.
“We need to get back. I’m gettin’ Sage, and--”
“No! We still need to do what we came here for. It’s too important to leave. I’ll be fine. Just a… lucky shot.”
“A lucky--? Who the hell shot you?! I thought this place was meant to be abandoned. Yoru? That’s reason enough for us to call out. Our intel was off.”
Yoru’s face flashed with that annoyance it always did when he was challenged; he thought he knew best, so everyone should listen to him. It was unfortunate that Phoenix had a habit of yielding to him. Even more unfortunate that, more often than not, he was right about things like this.
“It’s them. The Mirror Agents. They came in while I was trying to open these doors. I barely got away, but I didn’t have time to tell you.” He paused to catch his breath, wincing as he glanced away from Phoenix for a second. “I’ve already undone the security for the lowest level. If we hurry, we can get there, get what we need, and get out. Then come back with reinforcements.”
“But why don’t we just get the reinforcements first, Yoru? You’re hurt!” Phoenix countered, completely bewildered; this level of self-endangerment and hot-headedness was… nothing like the Yoru he knew.
“Fine. I’ll do it myself,” he growled, snapping away from Phoenix’s warm embrace and beginning to slink away, already grabbing his mask. A slight limp all the same.
“No! Jesus Christ, no-, fine! I’ll help you, just-!” Phoenix stomped up, walking past Yoru and checking the corridor in front of them. “Take it easy. You’re still hurt. Let me go first. I’ll be quiet.”
Yoru stood, bewildered, like he hadn’t expected Phoenix to give up. But like a flash of lightning - fleeting and finite - a smile flickered across his face. “Thanks, Phoenix.”
All he could answer with was a nod.
“Right. Where are we going?” He asked, drawing his revolver and checking the outside corridor once again. Still nothing.
“To the left. Past a door with a ‘No Entry’ sign, then down an elevator. It’ll take us down to the basement of the lab and I can get what I need. I’ll meet you there. … It’s safer this way. You won’t need to worry about me if you run into anyone.”
It was a smart call, but one that cut at Phoenix’s soul just a little bit more than it probably should’ve. He forced a smile all the same.
“Yeah. I’ll see you at the lift.”
Yoru gave him a curt nod before he vanished into the veil of night. Phoenix shivered in place, another cold chill running up and down his spine.
Focus on the mission, he told himself.
One foot in front of the other, the weight of the gun in his hand suddenly oh so heavy. Something was biting at him, and it didn’t take a genius to pin it down as worry. Concern for Phoenix. That little ache that wanted to know he was okay. What the hell could possibly have caught him off guard like that?
Getting to the elevator was, thankfully, uneventful. He made sure every corner was clear and moved as silently as he could. It tore at his skin. He always dove in first, loud and proud, shining like a beacon and forcing the fight. Situations like this were terrifying. One wrong move and everything goes to the wolves. His heart was pounding in his chest for every step he took, threatening to jump out his throat, and he really didn’t know how Yoru could stomach doing this so often.
But he survived and made it to his destination in one piece. Standing there like he’d promised was Yoru, picking at the fabric of his jacket, damp and red.
“I’m so glad I have ten more of these,” he grimaced under his breath. Some greeting that was. It made Phoenix chuckle, though, as Yoru always did. Such strange priorities.
“Could always have one of mine. Not sure if it’d fit, though,” Phoenix offered, to which Yoru rolled his eyes. Another thing that made him laugh every time. So easy to get a reaction out of, and so hard to actually piss off. Probably because that was his normal state; almost like he’d built up a tolerance to it. The perfect victim for a man like Phoenix.
“Right. This way. C’mon.”
Phoenix had expected the elevator to be as run-down and as clunky as every other part of the facility they’d meant to sneak around in. To his surprise - and curiosity - the ride was smooth as ice, not a sound to be heard.
The reason why soon became abundantly clear; it descended to a vast crater the lab had been covering, all manner of wires and tubes connected to a strange construction in the middle of the crater. Phoenix’s eyes widened in shock. It floated in the air, defying gravity, sparks of blue flying out around it, and even seeping into the pristine white metal like rot in wood.
“What… is that?”
Yoru grunted, the elevator coming to a stop. He stepped out then looked back. “You don’t know? It’s a portal. We think it’s how the Mirror Agents have been getting here.”
Now that caught Phoenix’s attention, mouth agape. “The hell? How is this the first I’m hearing about it? Why weren’t we all told, if this is--?”
Yoru raised his hand to cut him off. Not necessarily patient, but not rude about it, at least. “This isn’t the only portal, Phoenix. Otherwise, how would they be showing up around the world?”
Phoenix’s jaw snapped back into place.
“We only know this one, and we needed someone to sneak into the control room to get down here. We had no idea what countermeasures could be in place, so I got sent. You got sent to make sure I was safe. That’s all.
Now. We need to shut it off so they can’t keep coming here. Then we can send those bastards upstairs to hell. We need to be quick, too, or they’ll catch on and stop us. I can start it, but it needs a second person from the protocol to shut it off. That’ll be you.”
Already stepping up to a machine at the centre of the platform opposite the portal, he began tapping at a breakneck pace; then growled in frustration and smacked it. “So fucking old. It barely even works… hurry up!”
Phoenix stood off to the side, glancing nervously at the elevator for any signs of movement, listening as best he could for any sounds of an oncoming fight. The weight of the room seemed to be centering in on him, pressing down, like his skin was going to tear away. Something wasn’t right. Maybe it was the effects of being so close to the portal? He looked around the room, for anything to control his thoughts.
The computer sure was taking a while.
Phoenix was completely awestruck. Save for this platform, a bridge, and the portal itself, the entire room was… floating. Empty crates once filled with Radianite floated around the room, exempt from gravity. Dust covered the screens, the metal they walked on creaked, and it looked like nobody had touched this place for millenia.
… So how would anybody get out of this place, if they came out the portal here?
“Phoenix. It’s ready. I just need you to sign it off.”
Phoenix didn’t move. He stood still, looking at Yoru. Staring.
“Phoenix. Hurry up. What’s gotten into you? The machine. Press it.”
He snapped back to his senses, uttering a quiet apology and stepping up. He wasn’t smart enough to figure out whatever the hell the computer screen was displaying; only that it was asking for his Valorant ID code to approve of some kind of termination. He raised his finger to it, paused, then looked back at Yoru.
“You really do think I’m stupid, don’t you?”
The look on Yoru’s face was something he’d certainly pay to see again. With a click of his fingers, --.
-- And a rush of searing heat, he was standing back at that corridor he’d been left at, his nose twitching as fire coursed through his veins. That was not his Yoru. He reached up, activating his earpiece, and spoke:
“Yoru! We’ve got a situation.”
He was already on the move. He knew better than anyone except maybe Yoru himself just how dangerous… well, Yoru was. Any moment not spent moving was another moment he was getting closer. And you’d never know until the perfect moment.
“I know.”
That almost made him pause, but he kept pace. He knew better.
“What do you mean you know?”
“I could feel him moving around. Could feel it from the moment we arrived.”
“Why the hell didn’t you say somethin’ to me? Didn’t think I needed to know, huh? I could’ve died!”
“But you didn’t. Because I knew you’d be fine. … Besides, he led us right to where we needed to go. Saved us the effort of checking every damn room. … And for the record, Phoenix, I really don’t think you’re stupid.”
That did make him pause. How did he…?
The sound of a laugh Yoru could barely hold back rang in his ear. Smooth as velvet. “I tailed him, dumbass. I tailed the both of you. Looks like even I can’t beat me. What a shame.”
“You baited me-? What the hell is going on?”
He’d already turned around, stomping back to that elevator with cheeks burning red. Thank God he wasn’t here to see it in person.
“Just get back over here and I’ll explain anything. Your voice sounds like shit over this. No offence.”
Full offence.
Like a child recovering from a tantrum, Phoenix moped around the halls until he found where he’d gone earlier; that same ‘No Entry’ sign, that very same silky-smooth elevator ride. Descending again to that breathtaking view of that vacant crater, the once-active portal now turned off. Yoru stood at the terminal, tapping at it a few more times and barely sparing a glance towards Phoenix.
“Nice of you to show up,” he smirked, eyes making no small effort to hide how he looked Phoenix up and down, slinking up towards him like a cat. If he had a tail, it’d certainly be swaying to and fro; he looked oh so smug, and if it weren’t such a perfect look on him, it’d piss Phoenix off. Guess he was lucky in that regard, then.
“Can you please just explain what’s going on?” Sighed Phoenix, defeated and tired. It felt like he’d ran a marathon with his own emotions; distraught and fear that he might lose Yoru, into confusion and suspicion, then tension and adrenaline; now replaced with relief and exhaustion. Glad Yoru was okay but still confused as to what he had once again been left out of the loop on.
Yoru, to his credit, could at least sense Phoenix was at the end of his rope. Conceding his victory, he stepped back, shoe tapping against the Yoru on the floor. … How morbid.
“This bastard thought he could outsmart me. … Thought he could outsmart you. He was wrong. We were sent here to get the blueprints for that portal. The research findings from the experiments they did here. He was here to make sure we didn’t get our hands on it. … But he couldn’t do it since he wasn’t from our Earth. I think we were lucky we got here when we did.”
“Hah. Think he did outsmart me. I… really thought that was you. He got me good, haha…”
His voice trailed off, a far cry from its normal sound. Not prideful, not warm, not larger than life. Yoru noticed, eyes widening for a heartbeat in confusion, stepping closer to place a hand on Phoenix’s shoulder, looking straight at him like there was nothing else worth looking at.
“He didn’t know who he was messing with. …I only did that because I knew I could trust you to know it wasn’t the real me. That something was wrong. I trusted you, Phoenix. I always trust you.”
The corner of his lips twitched, eyes faintly glowing as he smiled weakly. “I just… don’t know why you didn’t tell me. I feel like I never know what’s going on. Like I’m… someone else’s pawn.”
That caught Yoru off-guard; his gaze fell downwards to the floor, searching for the words to say what he felt, angered at how long it was taking.
“I’m… sorry. I didn’t realise you felt that way. It wasn’t my intention. I didn’t tell you because I was worried--.”
The wrong thing to say, clearly; Phoenix’s fire found its stride again and flared up for a moment, lashing out in its frailty.
“Worried I’d mess it up for you, huh?”
“What? No!” Yoru said in disbelief. “I was worried you’d get hurt. I was worried about him. He was watching us from the minute we touched down in this place; if I tried to tell you my plan, he’d find out, and he’d never have felt confident enough to come out. I have nothing but faith in you! Do I need to tell you a hundred times for it to finally stick? I will!”
“I trust you, Phoenix. That is something I don’t say about many people. I knew you’d be able to handle this. You’re the most competent partner I’ve ever had, and the only person I’ve met who can actually stick around for more than three seconds. … I thought you knew that by now.”
Standing there, arms limp by his side, that revolver still hanging there fully loaded; prepared for a battle that had never came… Phoenix didn’t know what to say. He barely knew how to make sense of his head on a good day. Mirror worlds, alternate dimensions, risking his life on a daily basis and barely knowing what it was for except being sworn it was for the greater good. He yearned for something more, but had no idea what it was; envied people like Yoru, who had something that drove them forward on and on, every day. That hunger for something , whatever it may be, and how it bettered him with each passing moment.
When his fire died out, what did the ashes say about him - Phoenix, the man who’s all show?
Why, when everything was quiet, did he wonder where Yoru was?
“... I really was worried, when I saw you-- him. Injured. I was scared I was gonna lose you,” he spoke. He wasn’t sure where the words were coming from. Yoru just watched him, face passive and soft, as beautiful as ever. … When did he start looking so beautiful?
“I think you’re… amazing. It’s like you’re invincible. You go on these missions for days, vanish without a trace, then come back with just a scratch and don’t even say anything. Every time we go on missions, it’s like you know everything that’s gonna happen. I think I’d be dead by now if it weren’t for you. … It makes me scared I’m holding you back.”
Yoru was stunned. He stood there, eyes wide, until… a chuckle.
“Idiot.”
“Wha-?” Phoenix started, but Yoru caught him off before he could get another sound out.
“You know I specifically asked to only go on missions with you, right?” Yoru said, lip curled in that signature grin, hands in his pockets.
“You… did?”
“Yeah. Only you. ‘Cause you’re the only person I can stomach on a daily basis, for one. And for two… ‘cause I think you’re the greatest asset someone like me could ever have. You don’t hold me back at all. You’re the reason I can run so far ahead. … Plus, you make a nice distraction.”
Another chuckle, this time paired with a lighthearted jab of his elbow into Phoenix’s side. A laugh that this time was shared by Phoenix, shaking his head. They stood by each other’s side for a moment, Yoru too kind to push it any faster; Phoenix too reluctant to move on from Yoru’s praise.
“... Thanks, Yoru. Let’s head back.” Phoenix finally said, nodding at the elevator.
“Yeah. … Although, the only bad part about this plan is I never turned the rest of the facility on. So we can’t just walk out the front door like we planned to.”
“... You’re really gonna make me crawl through that vent again?”
“Hah. I might, if you keep that tone. I can always just teleport, you know.”
“Fine, fine! No complaints here! ‘Sides, I do like the view.”
“... You’re the worst. Don’t make jokes like that.”
Phoenix snorted, shaking his head. Right. Joke.