Chapter 9: Little Sister

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"Am I going to help a lot of people?"

"Indeed, you possess great power that could help many people."

The little girl giggled with joy, clenching onto the scientist's hand.

"Will you help me help my sister then?"

"Your sister?"

"Yeah! She does everything for me, so I want to help her the most!"

Sabine woke up in cold sweat. She sat up from the comfort of her bed and sighed, remembering a fond memory before disaster.

Years ago, upon the discovery of Radiants, Sabine wanted to study the elements of the power each wielder held. She happened to save a little girl from the harsh people of the society that looked down at Radiants.

Her name was Lucia.

She was bright and joyful as ever, to what Sabine remembered, and she wasn't one to take a liking to children as often. Without being able to find her caretakers, she took Lucia under her wing and learned that she was a Radiant herself.

The dark magic capabilities that is similar to her teammate Reyna. After bonding with the child and learning of how willing she was to help people, Sabine offered an opportunity.

"Would you help me save people with your powers?"

"My powers? It can save people?"

"It can."

Sabine told Lucia about her friend Omen, who was constantly suffering due to an experiment failure... and how she wanted to help him and many others with the pain they feel when having Radianite powers.

Lucia thought of her older sister and her people. It could help.

Sabine reflected upon the memory and felt the wave of guilt. Lucia was a wonderful spirit that she happened to love as a child of her own, yet it was her fault for the little one's vegetative state.

She got up from her bed and neatly fixed it, as if it wasn't touched in the first place. It was already 4am in the morning, and she began her daily routine.

Coffee, a brief run, cleaning herself up, and finally back to work. Sabine walked towards the laboratory. Lucia was somewhere different, a hidden location in Valorant protocol where she would have to check in every few minutes a day to check on her well-being. Of course, she had discussed her worries to Brimstone about the situation.

"Brim, I need you to increase Reyna's mission assignments. She has to collect more souls. We're already pushing the boundaries of our equipment, but I need more." Sabine lets out a heavy sigh, "It's... the transfer process. I'm losing too much in the conversion for every unit infused, another two are lost. Life energy isn't exactly my area of expertise."

She looks down, placing her hand to her forehead, "I know this has dragged on. I thought I would have a solution by now, a way to stabilize the chemical radiant equilibrium but... we owe it to Reyna. Collecting enough life for the both of them it... it can't be easy. As long as the child lives, I have to keep trying."

Sabine looks back up at Brim with worry, "...because if we fail, I don't know what Reyna will do."

It was a brief moment of her worries and what could happen to the team if she was not able to pull through with this. Her own ambitions and desires of saving a friend clouded her judgment, and now karma has caught onto her. As she entered the area, she was met with a sight like no other:

Reyna's soft gaze of sadness, staring at her once annoying, yet lively little sister. Sabine felt that guilt weighing onto her heart, and it confused her in a way. Would she have developed feelings for this soul-sucking vampire if the situations were different? Was it her wrongdoings that made her develop this perhaps of an artificial bond with Reyna? What if she didn't put her into this position? Sabine had always had a logical mindset where she could understand herself for the most part, but this overthinking and not being able to comprehend her feelings made her feel like a teenager.

"Zyanya, you're hear earlier than usual."

The other did not break her gaze towards her sibling. "Every day I worry about her... I miss her loud laughter and the unrealistic stories of her dreams... It's like losing a part of myself."

"What is it like, Reyna, fighting to keep a loved one alive? No, please. Tell me."

"It's exhausting. That one slip-up could cost my life and hers as well. Trying to fight for someone means you have to fight for yourself as well."

Zyanya looked back at Sabine with distaste, yet sorrowful eyes. She knew that her and Lucia were the victims in this situation, but it was not hard to understand why they were put into this situation. It's Sabine's fault but would she had done the same if the roles were reversed.

"Let's hope we can work on her recovery together, Viper." With that said, she took her leave.

That shocked Sabine. Reyna has never been this gentle with her, and yet it gave her a sense of hope... That maybe when this is all over, they could still be more than colleagues and business partners. It's wishful thinking that all depends on her results.


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A mission was coming up in Venice, and everyone has been training. Chamber has told everyone the situation of the upcoming events. Ever since KJ, Neon, and Reyna came back from their mission from the Omega World, it puts everyone in a difficult position... Especially Vincent. 

There were no good or bad guys, but just people desperately trying to keep their world safe. It was a tough pill to swallow, but it was the truth. They had to keep fighting... and maybe compromise a deal.

It was Vincent and his mirror double's fault that the two worlds couldn't make that deal sooner. After that event in Santa Fe, it made a detour of how they could improve this issue.

"I know everyone is feeling uneasy about this, but we need to continue our duties." Brimstone broke the silence after hearing the new intel.

"Why is it that we are seen as evil while they are heroes to their people? We are all trying to protect our word?" Neon asked, more pissed off than usual.

Astra placed a hand on her shoulder and shook her head. "I understand your frustration, but tension is not going to fix anything."

The meeting continued about defending Morocco and who would be sent to go. Jett was conflicted with everything. The reason she was seen as a terrorist was because of her double, and yet her double was a savior in the other world... She wonders if her double was with the mirror Sage. A part of her rooted for it. There was no time to build a confession, she had to go to this mission. As a distraction.

Brimstone let the hologram project into everyone's visuals and made a team strategy.

"They will be scattered throughout the site. We will have Jett and Astra take on A site, Sage, Reyna, and Sova will go to B. From there on, the goal is for A site to be cleared off and force them to the other. That is when you will all push in together and defuse the spike."

Jett hated this area. Venice. Such an eyesore with beautiful architecture and cultural background... ruined by her double. 

"Is that clear?"

Everyone agreed in unison before being dismissed.  

"Yooooo Jett, wanna hit the karaoke bar with Raze, KJ, and I?"

"No thanks, I have to rest up for the mission. Maybe after we win?" She smirked, raising her hand for a high five.

"Oh, you are so on!" He returns the high five and made way with the group to head out. "I will beat you this time on the score board!"

Jett snickered as she made way to her room. She had a lot on her mind, but she was sure everyone else was the same way. It has been messy for the past month, but the confession in her mind might help her move on, for good. "Young one, are you ready for our assignment tomorrow?"

She looked to see Sasha drinking some whiskey, "Always ready." He smiled gently, raising his hand as a gesture of saying goodbye.

Tomorrow. It would probably just be like every other mission. Or so she thought.

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A/N:

college is kicking my ASS. anyways, story must continue. Sorry yall lol.

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