Jett felt defeated when she was sent back to her cell. She knew not to expect any sympathy from Sage, yet the coldness of Sage's voice made her shiver. She had never heard Sage talk like that to anyone in her life..so she knew she fucked up real bad.

Jett stared at the wall blankly, trying to think of anything she could do to try and make it up to Sage, but the longer she stared into the wall, it began to seem hopeless.

"Knock knock," Someone said.

Jett's eyes slowly rose to the person standing behind the bars and her eyes widened, but she quickly sunk further into the bed once she realized who it was.

"Don't give me that long face. You know you miss me" Phoenix began, fishing into his pocket to let himself into Jett's cell.

Jett frowned and watched him do so, "...What are you doing here?"

"I came back from one of my missions to hear a specific somebody was trying to take us down. Though, I'm quite surprised that it was you. I mean, didn't you want to get into Valorant?"

"Everyone keeps telling me that..but things change y'know?"

"I suppose..but, why the dark side?"

"Can we not talk about this? Why don't we talk about you or something other than my failures in life"

"You decided to cut me off, I think I deserve some answers" Phoenix mumbled sadly which sent a pang of guilt into Jett.

She frowned and pushed herself up against the wall with her palms, "You're right...I'm sorry. I just don't like talking about this stuff"

Phoenix stayed silent and waited for Jett to continue.

"I..wanted to feel acceptance. As the months went on, I felt like life wasn't moving forward for me and I constantly kept thinking that wasn't going to get into Protocol. So...I ditched the academy and tried to lead a life of my own, and then well. Things didn't go so well, and Kingdom was able to save me from going down a pretty shitty path"

Phoenix bit his tongue a little to think of what he was going to say to that. He still can't believe that his old friend was now an enemy.

"That's..wow, Jett. I really have no words"

Jett shrugged, "I made a mistake, and I don't think I can go back and fix it. Judging how Sage acted towards me.."

"I think she has the right too. You did kind of throw away your friendship with her. And something tells me that friendship meant a lot to her"

"..I know that. That's why I said that I can't fix it"

"Maybe. Sage has an immense ability to forgive people"

"What if...It's for the best that Sage and I-"

"Don't even finish that sentence, you know that's not what you want or what she wants"

"This is the first time Sage and I have seen each other in almost 2 years, what makes you think we can suddenly get back our friendship" Jett muttered.

Phoenix chuckled, "That's why you have to work at it. I'm sure she can forgive you, she can't act cold to you forever"

Jett felt a glimmer of hope in her chest as she smiled into the palms of her hands.

"I hope so"

~~

"You're sure you're okay?" Jett said with panic as she saw Yoru walk around on his foot in the medical ward.

"Yup, It feels good as new! That lady with long black hair put this cool orb onto my leg and it was like I never got shot!" Yoru exclaimed, wiggling his leg and hopping around on it.

Jett smiled and sat down on one of the beds, "So how do you think we're going to escape this time?"

"Escape? What are you talking about?"

Jett raised an eyebrow, "Uh...We have to get back to Kingdom sooner or later"

"Brimstone offered a place in Valorant for me. I'd rather stay here than be under Hench's insane orders and demands. He offered you a position too, why aren't you going to take it?"

Jett chewed on her lower lip and looked at Yoru with disbelief, "You're going to abandon Kingdom? After everything they've given us?"

"Valorant offers more, and besides. You and I both know that Kingdom has done nothing for us but brainwash us"

"They gave us radianite!"

"So?"

Jett scoffed with exasperation, "So! We can't just abandon them! They've given us the powers to have the abilities we have today"

"Except, they gave us the abilities, not for our benefit, but theirs. We use them for nothing but bad"

Jett tried to conceal her anger at Yoru but it couldn't be helped, "Well, then I'm going without you"

She began to storm off but she remembered that they were also hostages which meant they weren't allowed out of the Medical Ward until someone let them.

"Jett! Come on, you can't be seriously choosing Valorant over Kingdom. You told me that this was the organization you fantasized about being in!"

"Not anymore! I don't want to be here!"

Jett was about to bust down to the door but she dashed back when she saw the door about to slam into her face.

"What are you two doing in here" Viper had asked.

Jett was finally able to catch everyone's names. Usually from hearing many conversations down the hall from her cell. She noted down the people that she liked and the people that seemed too scary to talk to.

One of the scary ones was definitely Viper.

"U-Uh, talking"

"And trashing the place? Someone needs to get a leash on you two, especially you" Viper hissed, staring straight at Jett.

Jett looked down in shame as she slowly picked up the times that had fallen onto the floor from her dash. She held the items in her arms and she walked up to Viper and mumbled a 'Sorry'.

Viper sighed and took the stuff from Jett and placed it accordingly back to how it was, "This is Sage's work area so I'm trying to keep it tidy for her. And with you two trashing it, it's quite hard to do so"

Jett eyed Yoru from the corner of her eye and noticed him awkwardly sitting on the medical bed with his legs dangling.

"It's alright, Viper. You shouldn't have to clean up after these two, I'll do it" A voice said that Jett could recognize in an army of people.

The three both looked in the direction of the tall Sentinel.

Viper shrugged and continued to tidy up Sage's workspace, "I can't believe were nursing the people that intended to kill us"

Sage stayed silent at Viper's comment and she slowly walked up to Jett. Jett instinctively took a step back with a nervous gulp.

"Brimstone wishes to see you two. Right now"

Yoru looked at Sage and then back at Jett, "Okay"

Jett stayed silent and watched Sage turn her back and walk to the frame of the door. Sage stopped when she noticed the two weren't following.

"Right now, guys" Sage sighed but for some reason, she couldn't contain the small smile when she saw the two snap out of it and shuffle behind her.

~~

The walk to Brimstone's office seemed forever. Valorant's facility was huge after all and the fact that there were so many long hallways made it very scary to Jett.

The three stayed quiet, and the only sound that was heard was their loud footsteps. Jett and Yoru still had their restraints on which was terrible at first to Jett, but the ache in her wrists eventually subsided.

"Here we are," Sage said, breaking the silence which made the two duelists look up from the ground.

Sage brought her fists to the door but before she knocked, she turned around to look at the two. Her eyes hovered more over Jett.

"You two will go straight to your cells. I know Brimstone, he will trust you both to go where you are supposed to, so please do not disobey his orders" Sage said.

Jett noted the sharpness in Sage's voice, so she did nothing but nod while Yoru gave a shy thumbs up. Sage's eyes lingered on Jett for a little while longer then turned back towards the door to knock it on.

"Who's there?"

"Sage. I have Jett and Yoru"

"Great! Send them in"

~~

Jett fidged in her seat as Brimstone settled himself back into his chair once he was done cleaning up his messy desk.

"I apologize for the wait, calling you guys in at this time was definitely a mistake. My desk is a mess and I have other calls to attend to, but you two are more important"

Yoru chuckled awkwardly, "No worries. W-We have all the time in the world"

Jett decided to keep her mouth zipped as she felt Brimstone's eyes on her.

"Jett? Are you alright"

A nod was the only thing Jett could give.

Brimstone didn't mind the quietness from Jett, "Alright, well. Let's cut to the chase. Have you guys considered my offer of joining Valorant?"

Yoru sat up and nudged Jett with a grin, "I definitely did. I think it would be a great learning experience for me to be in Valorant"

Brimstone grinned, "That's great to hear, Yoru. The team would love to have a new duelist on the battlefield"

Yoru grinned and his chest swelled with pride a little.

"Why are you letting us into Valorant? After everything that we did?" Jett finally said.

Brimstone's eyes softened a little, "Not everyone is a bad person Jett. Some people are taught bad things but in reality, those people are brainwashed to think that what they are doing is good. I believe you are a good person, Jett. You should see that too"

"But I'm not. I hurt one of your members and work for an organization that has been fighting to take you down for centuries"

"That's true, but I can see the good in you. I will tell you this now, the life you are leading is not something you want to live with in the future. I can change that and make you lead a life of good"

Jett found it useless to say anything more. So all she did was slump back down into her seat and pout softly to herself.

"Is it the restraints? Is there something on your mind that is holding you back from joining Valorant?"

Jett considered the question but she didn't know how the answer.

She was scared.

Scared of the people in Valorant, scared of the consequences of joining Valorant, scared of Hench.

..Scared of what Sage would think.

"I..might have an idea to help with your decision"

Jett couldn't help but stare up at Brimstone after him saying that, "That idea is..?"

"Fight alongside us for one battle. No one has to know who you are, except the Valorant team. If you aren't comfortable then I have no choice but to keep you here and figure out what to do with you or..you can join us"

Jett found the options extremely uncomfortable.

"I'm not left much of a choice aren't I?"

"Believe me, the trust I have in you isn't that strong, but I was able to find it somewhere in me to believe that you deserve to be on this team. If you can find some ounce of good in you, then..please...Valorant needs someone like you"

Jett felt conflicted now. Before, she told herself to never give in to any proposal that was offered to her about joining the team but now

...

It was hard to refuse.

Yoru coughed quietly and placed a hand on Jett, "Jett, why don't you try one battle. Just one"

Jett stared blankly at the hand that was on her shoulder and considered her options. But she realized that she had no options. She was stuck here unless she made a decision soon.

"Fine. One battle"

~~

Yoru and Jett walked side by side back to their cell silently.

Though Yoru quickly both the silence, "I can't believe you actually agreed to fight alongside them"

"Yeah, well it's not like I had such a choice. I was practically pinned against the wall without any room for escape"

"Well, there is a good option in this situation"

Jett rolled her eyes and sighed, "I guess, but-"

"Wow, I'm surprised you guys actually followed directions. I thought you two would've been forming some escape plan" Sage said, pushing herself off the wall to walk in front of the two.

"Well, I'd probably get shot in two seconds if I tried anything of the sort" Jett sighed.

Sage's mouth stayed in a thin line as she noticed their restraints were gone, "Did you take those off"

Jett noticed the way Sage's alarmed voice, "No. Brimstone said we can have them off. He trusts a lot more than he should"

"Brimstone. Figures. Well, I'm tasked to lead you guys back to your cell. You two will be staying in separate ones, though it is technically not since you guys will be right across from each other"

Before Jett or Yoru could get a word out, Sage swiftly turned and walked forward into the direction of their cells.

"It seems like the more we see her, the scarier she gets" Yoru joked.

"I think you're right" Jett muttered before swiftly catching up to Sage.

Sage stopped abruptly at the front of their cells which made Jett's forehead bump into the backside of Sage. Sage's body heat pushed onto Jett even through her heavy layers of clothes. For some reason, Jett found it hard to remove her forehead off of Sage's back.

Jett could feel Sage tense up when she finally realized that Jett's forehead was up against her.

"Jett?"

"Yeah?"

"Please get inside your cell"

~~

Sage could feel her heart pounding when she arrived back into the infirmary after quickly shutting Jett and Yoru's cell door and locking it tight.

When was the last time she had felt Jett so close?

"Contain yourself" Sage whispered as she breathed in and out slowly.

Sage had made sure to not let any of her emotions get in the way and especially not let Jett affect her emotions. Yet..all Jett had to do was press her head into the center of her back.

Sage shoved her hands into the palms of her heads and pouted, "I'm totally screwed"

"Woah, did I just hear a cuss word from Sage" Killjoy whistled.

The sentinel jumped and took her head out of her hands, "Killjoy! You need to stop sneaking up on me like that"

"Oops, sorryyy. Just wanted to say, that I'm going to need to borrow some of your alcohol"

Sage sighed, "Alright go on ahead, just make sure to bring it back. We're limited of that stuff"

"Alrighty!" Killjoy hummed before walking out.

"Gosh, will that girl ever learn to knock " Sage muttered under her breath as she went to lie down onto one of the unused medical beds.

Sage didn't know what to feel lately. She overheard a few of her teammates that Jett was being offered a position on Valorant. If it were her past self, she would have definitely been the happiest person on earth. But now, she wanted to huddle up and hide.

She spent so long trying to forget what Jett did to her, and once she was finally able to do that. Jett barges back into her life as if she did nothing.

Sage felt herself dozing off in the medical ward, watching a light continue to flicker. Eventually, the thoughts of Jett subsided and exhaustion took over her.