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“So you’re Lily Tenebrae,” Cypher starts, and the woman in front of him smiles—cautious and small—before she nods. “Thank you for taking the time to meet with me.”
The two of them sit within a dimly lit bar—a neutral location of (superficially) Lily’s choice—and the other patrons are loud from the countertop: talking amicably about their jobs and their lives and the drinks they’ve already drank... as well as those they plan to. He’d given Lily a few options in terms of location, and he’s happy she opted for this one, for the table they’re sitting at is dark and secluded enough from the rest of the establishment, and—even more importantly—he’s had cameras set up here since two years prior. The owner has long been an associate of Valorant Protocol, often allowing them to stage important meetings here; and though the boisterous discussion between patrons is real enough, Cypher knows that even them are beneath his thumb. Their discussion will not be disturbed, and even if it is—Lily will remain protected. She is, after all, far too important of a potential asset to risk.
“Have you ever played chess, Lily?” Cypher asks, and though Lily doesn’t look surprised by the question, she does take a short moment to respond.
“I’m comfortable with the rules,” she replies carefully, raising her eyebrow as Cypher pulls a small travel set out from his coat, “but I can’t say I’ve played a ton over the course of my life.”
Cypher nods. No mention of how good she is. “Well,” he says simply, “how about a game? Though I’ll admit I’ve perhaps played more than you.”
Lily, once again, does not look surprised, yet she does hesitate more this time: “Are you sure? More experience or not, you’ll lose.” And this time, it’s Cypher that smiles. He’s heard whispers of the radianite powers that Lily supposedly possesses—rumors of her being a “psychic” having circulated a few months prior—and her ability to look into the future (or the past) is one that surely leaves little to chance. He doesn’t, however, know the extent to which her ability goes, and admittedly—he is quite good at chess. If he does lose, as Lily predicted, then she might actually be worth the investment. If he doesn’t, and he’s able to trick her multiple moves ahead, even just in the span of the next hour... then she wouldn’t. His goal today is to find out exactly how much of an asset (or lack thereof) she might be, and truthfully: he’s excited.
“I’m sure,” Cypher replies, and so the two of them set up the board, and Lily—after Cypher prompts her to choose a side—takes black. Cypher opens by moving one of his pawns up, and Lily matches. Then, he asks: “How much do you know about the origin of your powers?”
“I know it’s connected to radianite,” Lily says, and follows that up with her next move. “But I don’t really know more than that. In fact, as clear as some people’s pasts are to me—my own remains drowned in shadow.” She gives Cypher a wry grin as Cypher moves one of his bishops up. “I am curious, though. It’s a question I’d eventually love to answer.”
“As would we,” Cypher replies, and he thinks for a moment, watches Lily take her turn, then follows suit. It’s interesting, he thinks, that one who would see others’ timelines so clearly might have difficulty with her own. “May I ask how your powers work?”
Lily stares at the board for a longer moment than before, takes his pawn with her knight, glances up at him, and then smiles. “I would have offered to show you, by way of reading your past—but you wouldn’t want that, would you.” It’s less a question than a statement, and Cypher hums. “I can’t read minds, and I can’t predict your lottery numbers. But I can see briefly into the future, and deeply into your past; enough to know your turns, and enough to know what you’re about to say.”
Cypher immediately says something in Arabic, and though Lily warps the pronunciation slightly as she says it—she still does so at the exact same time as he, and Cypher barks out a laugh. “Incredible.”
He takes his next move, this time capturing one of her knights, and Lily responds by taking his rook.
It’s curious, because Cypher knows he’s good at chess, yet Lily does seem to be thinking far enough ahead that he’s been pushed into the defensive. He could either take more risks and potentially lose faster, or play it safe and continue to draw things out. He isn’t sure which makes more sense against her, so he opts for the safer route—if only for more time to talk. Either way, though... he can tell that he’s losing. And if he hadn’t already believed Lily’s claims about her powers, then he certainly does now. Cypher smiles as they continue to play, and their conversation continues similarly, weaving in and out between each move.
“Good game,” Cypher finally says, as Lily finally moves her last piece into a concrete checkmate. She takes his king, stares at it a moment, then looks back to Cypher.
“Do you see, now?” she asks. “Do you have the information you need?”
And Cypher once again smiles. “I do,” he replies, then leans in, the rest of the chess pieces clattering around them both. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Lily, and I hope—should you be amenable—that we might be able to continue this acquaintance. I work for an organization that specializes in studying and protecting people from the adverse effects of radianite. One of my colleagues is particularly interested in how his past connects to it, and after speaking with you here—I truly believe you might have the capacity to help. What do you say?”
Lily cocks her head as she looks at him, a number of thoughts quite visibly passing over her face. Cypher opens his mouth to offer her time to consider—to offer to answer any of her questions—yet something passes over her face and she thrusts out her hand before he can.
“Let me use your organization’s resources to explore my own past,” she requests, evenly, “and I’m in. You don’t seem like a bad sort, Cypher, and I’ll admit I’m intrigued. Would that be acceptable, to you?”
And Cypher takes Lily’s hand, leans in further, and replies: “Welcome to Valorant Protocol.”
(Epilogue)
Lily asks a million questions after agreeing to join Valorant Protocol, and though Cypher knows there will be a lot more she needs to do in order to get fully initiated—Cypher still does his best to answer her however he can. They stay at the bar far longer than they’d initially planned to, with Lily asking after him and his job, and Cypher asking more about her powers and how she’s thus far used them. From what he gathers: she’s never (unless absolutely necessary—) used her abilities for material gain, and she never reads another person’s past unless they explicitly request her to. She is, more than he realized, a morally good person—and Cypher knows that this will only serve her well amongst the other members of Valorant Protocol.
In addition, Cypher learns of her love of music, exchanges cultural recommendations of his own, and speaks to her of the other members of his team: of Omen, of Sova, of Killjoy and of Sage. He skirts around his own history yet listens aptly to Lily’s when she returns the favor, and finds himself pleased. She’ll be a successful recruit—a softer, brighter energy that will help to temper the older and more serious members of their team. And even better: she’s good company.
They share a drink before the end of the night, and Lily only hesitates a moment before thanking him once more for finding her, for being truthful with her—and for his time. She looks as though she wants to say more before deciding better of it, and Cypher simply rests a hand on her shoulder before he heads out.
“Stay sharp out there, Lily,” he says, simply. “And thank you for the lovely evening, too.” He winks, the lights in his mask following suit, and she smiles up at him. “I’ll see you again very soon.”
And truly—Cypher looks forward to it.