Whump Prompts: VALORANT

Day 4: Trials of a Leader

Prompt: Guilt

Focus Agent: Brimstone
Featured Agent: Viper

Timeline: Neon is the most recently joined agent at number 19. Before the blackmail.

Summary: After a training mission gone south that has many of his agents limping home licking their wounds, Brimstone wonders why he insisted on welcoming kids into his protocol and if he is even worthy to lead at all.

Trials of a Leader

  "Brimstone, we really need to put an age floor on VALORANT. I can't take this... youth."

  "They're the future, Sabine!" Brimstone had responded brightly. "You know you love them."

He made this excuse so he could recruit Killjoy. Ever since the impressionable young age of eighteen, the German genius has been under Kingdom's thumb. Brimstone hoped getting her and her inventions out of their hands would benefit both her and the world.

He didn't know what or who would come after that. By the time he recognized Viper's wisdom, it was too late.

Agents began joining his Protocol faster than he could keep up. They joined the fight for various reasons: revenge, freedom, love. It was when the young British agent joined up, Brimstone realized the VALORANT Protocol offered something more. Protection.

The VALORANT Protocol provided sanctuary for young Radiants from prejudice and their own inexperience. After a string of Radiants entered their fold, Sage offered to teach those who sought control over their abilities. Brimstone readily agreed and gave her the role, especially after their newest edition Neon expressed fear over her lightning.

With the initiation of the next generation, it gradually dawned on Brimstone that the VP needed to be something more for them. He needed to be something more. Not just their leader, but their protector.

It was supposed to be a training op. A fake spike run on Everett-Linde. They had no intelligence Omega Earth was planning an actual attack there. He sent Killjoy, Phoenix, Jett, Raze, Skye, Yoru, and Neon to run some drills while he and another team went to another site to stop a real spike plant in Tokyo. He didn't realize it was a diversion until it was too late.

In the middle of a firefight, his comlink beeped frantically. He opened it, but before he could voice his irritation, Killjoy's panicked shouts cut him off.

"Brim?! They're here! They're on Everett-Linde!"

"What? Who's there?" Brimstone ducked to avoid a well-aimed shot from Omega-Cypher.

"The VALORANT Legion! They ambushed us in the middle of our training run!"

An explosion thundered against Brimstone's eardrum, followed by a cry from his protégé.

"KJ?!"

"They forced us to scatter. I think Yoru and Skye are hit and I can't find the others. They're planting a spike on site!"

"Hang on, Klara." He tried to keep his voice calm, breaking his own protocol by using her real name. "Take cover. We'll get to you as soon as we can."

"Brim, I have to find the others. We need to make a rush on the spike or else we're all dead."

"Killjoy, wait for backup."

"There's no time. You trained us better than that." Her panic had hardened into a resolve of steel. "See you when you get here."

There was a click in his ear followed by silence.