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“Okay. We’re doing fine. Nothing too bad. You’re not hurt, are you?” Agent Phoenix turned to the screens as they bit down the sensation of dread in their voice. Waking up in an unfamiliar yet familiar room stirred their gut in ways they aren’t prepared to handle, despite it being several hours since they did.
“I’m doing alright. A bit worse for wear but it’s manageable.” Reginald responded, relief spilling in his voice. “You’re doing well for your first time. You’re doing fine. Trust yourself more.”
“I find it hard to. Do you believe me?” They rustled some papers, pen floating as they let several leaves of paper wrap around them. “One mistake and you could possibly die here. How do you cope with this?” Their voice wavered as they took a breath to focus on the next site.
“It takes some getting used to, Agent.” He gave them a smile as he opened the door. “Laser traps. I think I can handle this. Just warn me if I’m about to trip on anything, alright?” His smile did little to calm them down, adding more to their anxiety.
“Handler…” They muted their microphone as they watched with bated breath, making sure not to miss even a single detail. Their nerves were practically screaming at them to just do something, but all they can do was watch; he was too far to reach.
“I know what I’m doing. Relax.” His voice blew on their anxieties like a gentle cooing of a lullaby. “Take a breath, this isn’t my first rodeo.”
Phoenix was shaking but complied. “Right. Right…” The reprimand on their mind was still as strong as ever, chiding them for their reckless abandon yet fretting over a seasoned agent.
“You’re doing well for your first time as a handler. Although I have to admit, this wasn’t how I imagined waking up after an explosion.” He continued to jest, knowing how terrified his agent was.
“Look out!” Their scream caused him to falter, pressing on a trap that led him down to a pit. Time seemed to slow as he prepared for a fall.
“Handler? Handler?!” They raised their voice much more than usual, trying to drown out the blame and reproach. Their hands were clammy as they looked around for anything they can hold.
The metal of the gun was cold as their fingers grazed its surface. There was a click of the safety being taken off. Their hands were far from the trigger as they tried looking at the screen a bit more closely.
“Handler, are you there? Do you copy?” They pleaded once more, biting back a sob as they stared at the gun. “W-wait. I can fix it. Please…”
Nothing on the screen was registering, aside from the growing darkness as the lack of air was slowly catching up to them.
“A-agent? I’m here. I’m doing alright. It’s fine. Just… breathe, alright?” His voice was shaky, yet calm for what happened. “It was just a short fall. I’m not injured. I’m alright. Please don’t do anything rash.”
“I thought I lost you.”