Chapter Text
The meeting room was mostly empty. Sage and Brimstone stood in the front talking about some new developments. Reyna, Jett, Phoenix and Sova were all listening intently. Yoru was sleeping and Neon seemed to be in her own little world. Cypher contemplated his options about the new mission as Brimstone droned on and on about the future of the Protocol. He called uniting Alpha and Omega a “top secret operation” and for the most part it was true. The only ones authorized for the operation were the leaders,
Vincent Fabron
Chamber, Killjoy and… Neon. The newest addition to their little league of mischief and mayhem. But, Cypher knew. Obviously he did. Everyone knew that he did. He was their secret broker afterall. What use was he if he didn’t know a badly kept secret? What puzzled him however was the fact that Viper was not privileged to the information. Sure, she was not a leader, but she was one of the founders and the leader of the Fracture mission. She should know.
“What about the Training Program?” Reyna asked. She leaned forward placing her hands on the table and glaring at Brimstone. Her question was obviously directed at Sage. These days Reyna wouldn’t even acknowledge the non-Radiants. They’ve always been straight trash to her anyway. But, now, it was even more evident.
“We already discussed this, I’m going to lead the majority of it but our oldest agents will mentor them out there,” Sage concluded. Cypher didn’t miss the glare Reyna sent Sage. Okay, so maybe even the Radiants were straight trash to her.
“Don’t I get a say in this?” Neon spoke up.
“This concerns a lot more people than you, Neon. Nobody else in the program will be able to join if they don’t succeed.”
“Why am I here then?” Neon groaned, on her chair.
“Recommendation from Chamber,” Brimstone told her. “If you want, you can join Cypher in this mission. Might learn something.”
Sova scoffed, “You really think anyone has anything to learn from Cypher?”
Cypher folded his arms, relaxing into the chair, sending a masked look to his rival, “You really think anyone has anything to learn from Sova?”
“At least, I trust the Protocol.”
“Foolish.”
“The foolish thing is to trust you with anything.”
“Not any more foolish than believing everyone has good intentions”
“It’s called trust, but you wouldn’t know anything about that would you.”
“You’d be surprised.”
“Can we go one meeting without you two arguing?” Phoenix groaned, head in hands.
Jett patted his shoulder, looking over to the older men, “He’s right, you know. You two always do this.”
The meeting ended rather quietly. Sova gave him only a single glare when they exited. Neon, the little kicked puppy, sped out of there. No doubt hiding in her room. Cypher sighed. He missed his room, he’s been outside for too long and nevermind the fact that he had to wear his mask. Keep his secrets and all that other bullcrap. But, there were other matters to attend to. Like, fixing his cameras and traps and threatening some children and showing others around the dark web.
He made his way to Killjoy’s lab and workshop. He needed to fix his camera and get Killjoy a few things from the dark web like a radiante glove and a radiante screwdriver… honestly, he was too scared to ask why she needed the screwdriver but not knowing but knowing the German inventor it was probably just to improve her turret. Probably. Hopefully. Cypher shook his head. The young inventor was harmless for the most part. Except when she makes new bots that she wants to try out. He chuckled at the memories of Max bot. The bot is now being reconstructed to be even more explosive and dangerous.
More dangers, more secrets and the world keeps moving.
That was the way of life in the new world. No time for anything but moving forward and keeping secrets. No time for his friendships and mistakes to weigh him down. He had to keep moving in this new world that seemed adamant on leaving him behind, luckily he was quite stubborn. And the first order of this new world was to fix his cameras.
It’s an obvious sign that he should get new ones with how much these cameras break, but Cypher ignored the signs, fixing his cameras dutifully. If he sat here and complained, he wouldn't have any cameras for his next mission. They were better than nothing and they did their jobs. The only worrisome thing was his tripswires due to the fact that they might be filled with grenades courtesy of Raze. That so called inventor used to always put bombs in his cameras and now she puts them in his tripwires. All he ever needed in life, his tripwires exploding once anyone triggers them instead of being discreet and telling him and only him where the meddlers were.
“Cypher. I knew I’d find you here,” Breach said loudly.
Cypher looked up to look at him as incredulously as possible with the mask he was wearing. “Are you supposed to be here?”
“Well, Raze is allowed in here and she’s my partner in crime so I am allowed in here.”
“I don’t think that’s how it works. What do you want? If it takes more than an hour, come back in five hours, if it takes less than an hour, come back in two hours.”
Breach pulled Killjoy’s chair and sat across from him. “I understood none of that. Point is, remember how you stole a servo from my arms?”
“Yes. I, also, remember how pissed you got. So, if you are here in hopes of murdering me, come back never. I have too many things to do.”
Breach snorted, “Ofcourse, you do. Don’t worry, I’m not here to murder you. I’m here to ask you for help-”
“Background check on someone?”
“Oh, come on, no, no, I need your expertise in… hiding things behind tripwires and cameras. I honestly have no idea what you do besides looking at that camera.”
“Breach, what do you want exactly?”
“Okay, I will cut the crap. Me and Raze are trying to get into the White House without being noticed.”
Cypher dropped his head, sighing deeply. He groaned his next words as if deeply pained, “Why?”
“Don’t know what to tell you other than it’s fun. You already know my crimes, ja?”
“You mean, the theft, murder and arson?”
Breach licked his lips. Looking him dead in the eye, “Never had a doubt in your knowledge.”
Cypher buried his face in his head. Breach laughed, “You look like a wife crying over her dead husband.”
Cypher ignored the comment, “Aren’t you supposed to be clean? Cut the contacts? Stop the crime?”
“As if I’ll listen to the corporate sellout. C’mon, from one criminal to another. Can you help me? And, Raze.”
“Okay, first, I’m not a criminal anymore-”
“You’re still wanted in what? Twenty-five countries?”
“Thirty-two. Second, I need to be away from the life of crime. Third, you aren’t supposed to be running and breaking into the White House. Fourth, if anyone asks, I didn't see you steal my tripwires.”
Breach laughed, getting up to leave. Cypher returned to his cameras.
His room was like no other at the base. It was lightly decorated with his broken traps and cameras scattered about, heavily booby-trapped, a few screwdrivers here and there, his weapons hidden and somewhere were his reminders of an old world.
It was the perfect balance between two things he had no control over. The old world was too painful with too many sweet moments. The new world was this unpredictable, inconsistent and constantly moving to the point where he couldn’t figure it out. It was nothing like his past. He wasn’t sure if he hated it.
He sighed, before flopping onto his bed, the exhaustion picked at his bones. Maybe he was old after all. Maybe, the world was finally leaving him behind to grow old and fester.