VALORANT PROTOCOL- ZERO HOUR (A FANFIC)

by Nyx_ac04

Summary:

Zero Hour begins now—the critical moment that will decide the future of the Protocol and test its strength to the extreme. Alliances will be broken, morality will be greyed out, and trust will be shattered in the depths of The Cavern.
As the agents face their greatest challenge yet, the question remains: Will they be able to protect the world without getting engulfed by the darkness that surrounds them, or will they emerge victorious from the shadows that threaten to consume everything they've sworn to defend?
The fate of the Protocol—and the world—hangs in the balance.

Notes:

Hello there, VALORANT lovers!
If you've clicked on this fanfiction, then you're in for quite a ride as the agents descend in the critical moment of Zero Hour.
I highly recommend you all check out Early Hours before you begin this journey. It sets the stage for everything that's about to unfold. https://archiveofourown.org/works/66982996
Enjoy the moment and watch your favorite agents make the choices that will define their fate. Welcome to the Protocol's darkest hour.

Chapter 1: The Cavern

The Cavern – Outskirts,

Thok.

A recon bolt ricochets off stone, then embeds itself high above the unloading zone—just above the trucks

PING.
PING.
PING.

Three silhouettes blink into view. Guards, clustered near a convoy. Rifles slung, unloading cargo. They don’t even know they’ve been tagged.

UNKNOWN VOICE (low, calm): “There they are.”

FLASH!

A bright streak slices the dark. Phoenix’s curveball arcs clean around a support pillar, erupting in a blinding pulse of light. The guards react too late—staggering back, firing wildly—

Pew. Pew. Pew.
Three precise Phantom shots drop them before their magazines even empty.

JETT (landing softly, wind swirling): “Huh. That was easy.”
Her feet barely touch down, the breeze lifting her jacket and dancing around her drawn kunai.

From the shadows nearby, Phoenix steps out with a scowl.
PHOENIX (offended): “Oi! You stole my kills, mate. Not cool, man!”

Boots echo behind them as the full strike team emerges, weapons drawn,

Clove, Iso, Killjoy, Raze, Gekko. Each one sharp.

CLOVE (casually):
“And thus… the party descends into darkness.”

GEKKO (eyes wide, spinning slowly):
“Man… this place is crazy big…”

ISO walks past the convoy, eyes on the crates. He raps the back of his Vandal against one—CLANK. The lid jolts open, revealing a cache of weapons lined with eerie violet lights and the unmistakable Hourglass sigil burned into the side.

ISO (coldly):
“No doubt. Hourglass tech.”
He pulls one out, examines it, then tosses it back in with a dull thud.
“I’ve got unfinished business myself.”

Nearby, Killjoy kneels, setting down her Alarmbot with a quiet whirr.

KILLJOY (focused):
“Flank secured. No one’s sneaking up our six.”

A soft crackle in their comms.

SOVA (voice calm, accented):
“Friends. It’s time to move.”

The Cavern – Upper Ridge

Sova moved like a ghost above them, weaving between rocks. Boots silent, breath steady. He crouched low behind a boulder.

His eye scanned the darkness below—the squad weaving through steel pillars and half-lit halls. Down there, they were in the danger. Up here? He was the only light guiding them through it.

SOVA (soft, into comms):
“Cypher. We’re in.”

INT. CYPHERS BASEMENT-HQ

CYPHER (filtered, distant, calmly typing):
“Good, good… What’s the situation?”

SOVA (eyes scanning):
“Light patrols on the outskirts. Too low.”

He settled the Operator down on the boulder as he looked down sight through its scope,

He narrows on a guard post near the northern scaffolding—two soldiers posted high with rifles and floodlights.

SOVA (in comms):
“Clove. You’re up.”

CLOVE (soft whisper, Scottish lilt):
“Aye. Copy.”

Clove tapped their HUD. A ripple of holo-screens flickered around their glove,

SOVA (steady tone):
“Targets: Eleven and two o’clock.”

CLOVE:
“Got ‘em.”

They swiped—two clouds of violet smoke surged into position. Chokepoints covered.

From above, Sova watched the panic unfold. The guards shouted, backing away from the rails, trying to climb down to get eyes on the intruders.

GUARD (shouting):
“Who’s there!? Sound the alarm!”

Sova didn’t flinch. He pulls out  his bow from back unfolding it and reached for a shock bolt from his quiver. Nocked it. Charging it just enough.

SOVA (cold, controlled):
“On my mark…”

CLOVE (raising a Decay Orb):
“Fall back, people.”

Clove tossed the orb high. It arced like a ember, then detonated mid-air above the guards. A burst of withering energy engulfed them, weakening their armor in seconds.

SOVA (loosing his arrow):
“Mark.”

CRACK!
The shock bolt hit dead-center in the chaos—a burst of lightning rippled through the decay cloud, sending both soldiers tumbling with distorted screams.

SOVA (in comms):
“Post A1 cleared. Proceed.”

CYPHER’S BASEMENT – HQ

The screen glowed red. Cypher’s hands flew over the keyboard, bringing up heat signatures, and static feeds from a compromised relay station deep in the facility.

CYPHER (muttering, to squad-wide channel):
“Copy that. Set your timers, people.”

He tapped a key—T-minus 150 seconds blinked across screen.

CYPHER (grim):
“Expect heavy resistance ahead. You’re walking into a trap.”

The narrow corridors give way. Metal and stone open into a vast subterranean expanse—an underground complex the size of a city block. Floodlights line the ceiling in rows. Catwalks crisscross above, suspended by thick cables, while cargo elevators move between levels. Storage containers, lab pods, blacksite bunkers, and automated drones loom in the distance.

Dead center—a massive portal system hums with unstable energy. Pulsing. Breathing. In middle it  whirls a violent, violet gateway trapped inside a tech-ring of spires and rotating stabilizers. The Fabron dynaimcs logo burns on its frames.

The squad halts. For a second, everyone just stares.

KILLJOY (staggered, in German):
“Das ist Wahnsinn…”
(This is madness…)

Her eyes scan the tech architecture—quantum gate stabilizers, power nodes, thermal locks humming. She’s seen some wild prototypes. Nothing like this.

SOVA (firm, clear):
“Killjoy. Begin lockdown protocols.”

Killjoy snaps back to focus, fingers already racing over her gauntlet. She deploys turret in standby mode as she deployed multiple bots.

SOVA (broadcasting to all):
“Everyone—start the clocks. Operation commences now.”

All agents sync in, countdowns activating across the team.

[TIMER – 02:30]

Beeps.

Each agent spreads out across the massive facility, weaving between crates, climbing staircases, and prepping for engagement.

Jett dashes forward, scouting high ground.
Iso loads a fresh mag, eyes locked on the gate.
Phoenix rolls his neck,.
Clove take a vantage point.
Raze grins, already planting a blast pack under one of the cargo lifts.
Gekko sends Wingman towards the far side control panels.
Killjoy’s bots start syncing with the central core’s power nodes.

SOVA (quietly, to himself, watching the portal):
“…and so it begins.”

Chapter 2: Contact

Summary:

Hey everyone! 📚
Sorry, this took way longer than expected – got completely swamped with assignments and lost time.
Thinking about switching to a weekly schedule instead of rushing these out. What do you think? would love to hear your thoughts!
Thanks for being patient with me ✨

Jett, Phoenix, and Raze fan out toward the frontline, their boots thudding over grated metal walkways

RAZE (grinning, pulling a grenade):
“Heh… It’s showtime, baby!”

She tosses it high, a rainbow arc that blasts over a nearby terminal cluster on the upper deck. The grenade explodes mid-air, ejecting smaller, sparking fuses. A chain reaction erupts—

KRRRZT—BOOM!
Electric arcs blast through the terminals. Sparks flying.
Two technicians convulse, screaming as they're electrocuted.

From the catwalks above, robotic voices shout:

GUARD 1:
“Unidentified hostiles. Sound the alarm!”

One guard breaks from cover, running for the console.

KILLJOY (smirking, activating her wristpad):
“Schön... not so fast.”

Her turret pops, activating auto-locking and firing—

PEW! PEW! PEW!
The guard drops before reaching the button.

SOVA (from overwatch):
“Move, people. Move!”

He’s already locked in on a far patrol. Operator scope tight. Breathing calmly.
His shot fires—one guard down with a snap of recoil.
He immediately relocates, staying mobile along the upper ridge.

GEKKO (raising his arm):
“Dizzy’s up!”

Dizzy launches, blinking blue across the cavern before letting out a burst-blind.
Nearby soldiers stagger, shouting, cursing, revealed.

JETT (leaping off the railing, voice proud in Korean):
"봐봐! Watch this!"

Mid-air—dash. Flip. KUNAI OUT.
Three shimmering blades flicker—sing, sing, sing—
Three headshots. Three down.

ALARM BLARES—
A piercing siren howls through the entire cavern.
Red lights flash. Speakers shout.

ISO (checking corners):
“Here they come.”

A mechanical announcement echoes across the cavern in a cold, artificial voice:

FACILITY ANNOUNCEMENT:
“ALERT. Breach detected. Northwestern quadrant 35A. All available personnel, engage and neutralise hostiles.”

CLOVE (aiming and firing at a speaker overhead):
“Too loud, mate.”

BANG!
The speaker explodes, sparks raining down.

Soldiers emerge from side doors, catwalks, and maintenance lifts—flooding toward the agents.

ISO narrows his eyes.
He pulls his Undercut, forming a bolt of hexagonal, purple energy.
With a flick, he throws it toward the first wave.

The bolt phases through them-
Two enemy agents stagger, their weapons falling limp, armor flickering offline.

ISO (shoots both, calmly):
“Not bad.”

[TIMER – 2:19…]

The agents move like a tide—methodical, precise, fast.
Every movement is covered. Backs protected. Corners cleared.

Phoenix ducks behind the scorched terminal. Two soldiers charge, yelling as one throws a grenade toward his cover.

PHOENIX (eyes wide, diving out):
“Oi! Cheeky lot—alright, my turn!”

Mid-roll, he whips out his Hot Hands, flame dancing in his palm, then hurls it.

WHOOSH—FIREBALL.
The floor under the enemy’s boots, igniting a raging fire.

One soldier’s leg catches fire—panicked screams echo as he stumbles, trying to tear off his gear.

Raze aims, grinning—

BANG! The screaming soldier drops.

The second soldier hesitates, but a sudden curve ball blind bursts in front of him—eyes white, senses gone.

PHOENIX (pulls trigger):
“Lights out.”

The shots hit clean. Blood splatters the wall as the body slumps.

From above the crates, Raze scans the field, eyes widening as a heavy energy cannon is wheeled in.

Soldiers shout commands, the weapon begins to hum—charging up.

RAZE (chuckling, tongue out):
“Oho! Nice toy you’ve got there!”

She slaps down two satchels in rapid motion—click, click—and leaps, blasting herself high over the firefight.

Mid-air, flames trail behind her.

RAZE (cackling):
“I brought the party!”

BOOM.
She pulls her Showstopper—aims—fires.

The rocket screams downward—
Direct hit.

Massive explosion.
The cannon and the squad guarding it are obliterated, chunks flying, colors bursting.

RAZE (landing hard):
“Hoh, that worked great!”

In the chaos, Killjoy pushes toward the central console, flanked by Gekko, Iso, and Clove.

Enemy fire erupts from cross angles and front shots hammering against catwalks and railings.

GEKKO (gritting teeth):
“They brought Odins?! Seriously?!”

The group dives for cover as high-caliber rounds rip through the air.

ISO (on comms, breathing steady):
“Sova, I need your mark.”

SOVA (calmly):
“On my signal… now.”

ISO activates Contingency.
A pulsing purple energy shield forms it moves forward like a tactical wall.

The ODINs keep firing, hammering the shield with everything they’ve got. Sparks fly, but it holds.

Then—click. Click.
The enemies’ magazines dry out just as the shield fades.

GEKKO, CLOVE, ISO, and KILLJOY rise—

FOUR-WAY VOLLEY.

Shots land clean—soldiers drop, one by one. Helmets crack, armor bursts, smoke trails.

CLOVE (grabbing energy from a fallen enemy):
“You plum. Thanks for the top-up.”

She straightens, refreshed, eyes burning for the next fight.

[TIMER – 2:19…]

Killjoy dashes up the final platform toward the central console, breathing heavily, eyes locked.

KILLJOY (muttering in German):
“Fast. I just need a minute—”

Behind her, the lab breaks open—steel clanging as emergency shutters fail.

GEKKO (snapping):
“Get'em, Wingman!”

The little yellow buddy zips forward, as he runs into a pair of armed guards mid-step—
stunning them, arms twitching.

ISO doesn’t waste the opening.

He steps forward, precise and ruthless, two clean headshots—the enemies crumple.

CLOVE raises a hand,
a thick cloud of smoke blankets the hallway behind them, cutting off sightlines.

CLOVE (coolly):
“That should buy you time, love.”

Killjoy’s fingers fly across the terminal, code streaming as she begins the hack.

Up above, perched on a rusted crane arm, Sova lies prone,

He fires.

One soldier down—pierced through a crate.
Another stumbles back from a clean chest shot, no scream, just thud.

SOVA (calm):
“Two down. Area clear—”

Cypher’s voice crackles in through his comms.

CYPHER(urgent):
“Sova, come in.”

SOVA(shooting another):
“Copying. Go.”

CYPHER:
“Heat signatures. Southwest quadrant. Moving fast. Confirm visual.”

Sova blinks—his bionic eye zooms in, shifting angles, scanning.

Focus sharpens—he sees them.

SOVA (eyes narrowing):
“...Shit. INCOMING!”

BOOOOOOOM.

Before anyone can react—a brilliant white flash detonates from the southwest entry.

The entire cavern trembles.

Crates tumble, glass shatters.

Everyone hits the floor.

Static fills their ears. HUDs flicker. The purple portal at the center warps violently.

For a moment—only blinding light and ringing silence.

Then… movement.

Sova blinks, forcing his vision to return.

Through the smoke and dust—silhouettes emerge.

SOVA (hoarse):
“Cypher… they’re here.”

Unfamiliar voice, smooth and cocky, comes through

??? (sassy):
“My, my. I leave for a minute and it turns into a mess…”

A figure steps into full view—
JETT, but not.

Spinning a  kunai, her stance effortless.

OMEGA JETT.

OMEGA JETT (grinning):
“Let’s level the field, hm?”

Chapter 3: Look into the mirror, what do you see?

---

FLASHBACK
SEOUL –INSA-DONG –EVENING

A cozy street-side restaurant glows beneath lanterns, nestled between narrow alleyways and flickering neon. The buzz of a young evening, soft jazz on the radio, sizzling pans—it’s calm and lively.

Inside, in a steamy kitchen, Sunwoo Han is busy at the stove. Her hair’s tied back in a bun, apron dusted in flour and oil. She's fast, efficient, familiar with every corner of the kitchen.

A woman leans into the kitchen, hands full of plates.

MOTHER (in Korean):
“Sunwoo! Two Bibimbap and one Seolleongtang. Table five—your friends.”

HAN (Korean, smiling):
“Got it, Mom. Last one, then I’m on break.”

She wipes her brow, adjusts the flame, and flips a pan with ease. The steam rises, colors vivid—egg yolks, pickled vegetables, rice.

Meanwhile, just outside.

EXT. ALLEY BEHIND THE RESTAURANT – SAME TIME

The night turns colder. The gentle warmth of the street fades as, from behind the restaurant, a figure steps into view from a shadowed alleyway in the darkness.
Black tactical boots. Long windbreaker. A hood pulled low over white hair.

In her hand, a projected holographic map, Seoul’s narrow grid shining in light blue. A portrait flickers on the display:

[TARGET: HAN SUNWOO – PRIORITY ELIMINATION]

Below the image, the Valorant symbol is crossed out. The Kingdom seal was burned into the corner.

OMEGA JETT (low voice):
Arrived at location. Beginning search.”

She flips the Sheriff in her grip, quietly loading it with practised hands.

She looks up toward the glowing restaurant windows. Her expression is unreadable.

DING.
The bell above the door chimes. A soft sound, barely cutting through the quiet hum of the restaurant. Han wipes her hands with a towel tucked in her apron, turns to greet her friends sitting by the window.

CUSTOMER (grinning, raising bowl):
“Boss! Another one of these, please!”

Sunwoo laughs, light and bright.

HAN (Korean):
“You’ll be too full to walk, Jaemin. One sec!”

Behind her, we see the door swing shut.

Standing there, framed by the glow of the restaurant, is a figure in a hoodie, hands in pockets, face shadowed. Raindrops cling to the coat.

Sunwoo’s mother turns from the counter to greet her.

MOTHER (in Korean, welcoming):
“Welcome! Table for one or—?”

She doesn’t finish.

WOOSH—

A violent gust of wind explodes from the doorframe. Dishes shatter. Tables flip. Customers scream.

Sunwoo barely turns before she’s thrown to the ground. Her ears ring. Glass rains around her.

Darkness…
Then—SOUNDS.
Sirens. People crying. Distant shouting. The screech of tires.

EXT. INSA-DONG – NIGHT – MINUTES LATER

A storm has torn through the narrow street.

First responders arrive—fire brigade, paramedics, police. Lights flash red and blue across the shattered restaurant, now barely holding its structure. Flames cover the kitchen. Smoke rises into the air.

Reporters have swarmed the scene.

INT. ALLEY BEHIND THE RESTAURANT

Sunwoo—her apron now torn, face streaked with runs through the back alley, panting, stumbling.

A kunai slices through the air, missing her by inches and slamming into a dumpster beside her with a metallic THUNK.

Omega Jett moves through the smoke like a phantom, calm and deadly.

EXT. SIDE STREET – ROOFTOP VANTAGE – HOURS LATER

From a nearby rooftop, Han watches the scene unfold.
A burn on her shoulder, a cut across her eyebrow, her body shaking.

Below, news vans swarm.

KOREAN NEWS ANCHOR (TV broadcast, subtitled):
“…An unnatural explosion occurred tonight in Insa-dong, centred around a local family-run restaurant. Eyewitnesses describe an intense burst of wind, destroying nearby structures.”

Cut to another reporter on-site:
“Ten injuries confirmed so far. One fatality—believed to be the restaurant’s owner.”

Photos appear. A blurred image of the wreckage. Then—

ANCHOR:
“…And the suspected assailant is now identified as Han Sunwoo. Eyewitnesses claim she fled the scene after the attack.”

She stares down at her face on the news, stunned.

Then the words land—

“…fatality… owner…”

Her knees give out, and she falls to the ground, hand clamped to her mouth.

Tears run down her cheeks,

She whispers through broken breaths:

“Mom… no…”

Rain is starting to fall.

Han sits against the ledge, arms around her knees, trembling. Smoke still rises in the distance. The city, for all its lights, feels dead silent.

Footsteps approach from behind.

She tenses. Reaches instinctively for the kitchen knife she grabbed on the way out.

VOICE (calm, weathered):
“No need for that, kid. If I wanted you dead, I’d have done it already.”

She turns. Slowly.

Out of the shadows steps a large man in tactical gear—grizzled, scarred, tired eyes under a cap.

Brimstone.

He stops a few feet from her, not making a move.

BRIMSTONE:
“Now you see what I was talking about, Sunwoo.”

She glares at him, eyes still red. Her mouth trembles, words fighting to get out. But he keeps going.

BRIMSTONE (firm, low):
“These bastards… they don’t care if you’re one of us or not.”

He nods toward the ruined street in the distance.

BRIMSTONE:
“Being a Radiant? That’s enough to put a target on your back. Doesn’t matter if you’re a kid flipping pans or a soldier on the frontlines. The moment you spark, the moment you glow, you’re the enemy.”

She looks down, fists clenching.

BRIMSTONE (voice softens):
“And being near the ones you love… that’s what gets them caught in the crossfire.”

Sunwoo whispers:
“…My mom.”

Brim closes his eyes briefly,

Then:
“You can keep running. I won’t stop you. You’ve earned that right. But if you want to stop this from happening again—if you want to make sure no other kid goes through this shit—”

He steps closer, crouching to her level.

BRIMSTONE:
“Join us. We’ll teach you how to fight back. How to survive.”

She doesn’t look at him. Not yet.

BRIMSTONE (quiet but clear):
“We’ll make sure they never lay a hand on someone you care about again.”

INT. THE CAVERN – MAIN LAB PLATFORM – PRESENT MOMENT

BOOM.

SOVA (Alpha Earth) blinks, trying to regain focus. His bionic lens adjusts, stabilizing. Shadowy silhouettes walk through the light haze—smooth, predatory, and controlled.

OMEGA JETT steps through first, a sly, arrogant grin on her lips, twirling a kunai between two fingers.

OMEGA JETT:
“Let’s level the playing field, hm?”

JETT (Alpha Earth)’s eyes go wide. Her face twists in fury.

JETT:
“You piece of shit!”

Without thinking, she breaks the formation, launching forward with a furious dash, her kunai spinning in her hand.

SOVA:
“JETT NO-”

Too late.

A crackling TWANG—and a shock dart comes streaking from somewhere, piercing the air with precision. It slams into Jett mid-air, arcing electricity across her chest. She crashes to the ground, coughing, her kunai skidding out of reach.

The source?

Another SOVA steps from the upper level—Omega Sova, wearing darker armour, half his face obscured by shadow.

OMEGA SOVA (calm, cold):
“Down, girl.”

He lands hard on the catwalk beside Omega Jett.

From the shadows behind him, OMEGA agents REYNA, OMEN, and DEADLOCK appear, stepping forward with calm menace.

Our Sovamoves to help Jett, eyes never leaving his double.

OMEGA SOVA:
“Your senses have rusted, Sasha.”

ALPHA SOVA (grim, steady):
“So it seems.”

They lock eyes across the ruined lab.

Then—boots thud as Alpha Sova, Iso, Clove, Gekko, and Raze move in, forming a semi-circle around Killjoy, who’s still hacking the main terminal, working frantically.. Sweat drips down her brow.

ALPHA SOVA:
“Priority order: protect Killjoy at all costs. Defend the terminal.”

ISO (drawing shield):
“No one’s getting past us.”

CLOVE:
“They’re not ready for this.”

GEKKO:
“Wingman’s with her. Let’s go!”

RAZE (priming grenades):
“Goin’ loud, baby.”
On one side: Alpha Protocol team, damaged but standing strong.
On the other hand, Omega Unit, composed, dominant, and already flanking.
The two Sovas still stare at each other. A quiet, bitter mirror.

Then the Omega side begins to move, like wolves circling.

OMEGA REYNA (hungrily):
“Time to hunt.”

Chapter 4: I. See..me...

Summary:

Yeah, I might be getting a lil too busy now😅 I'll try to stick to the schedule, but no promises, people, no promises.

Omega Reyna’s eyes ignite—deep, unnatural violet swallowing the whites. A ripple of Radiant energy rolls off her skin, tendrils of shadow curling around her like smoke.

OMEGA REYNA (low, hungry):
“The hunt begins.”

Her body blurs as Empress floods her veins—movements sharper, faster. She flicks her wrist, and a glowing purple Leer blossoms into the air, its haunting iris opening wide.

The instant it hangs above the lab floor—

Everyone’s vision fractures into hazy silhouettes, their vision collapsing in the void.

Omega Deadlock wastes no time. She snaps her Operator up, chambering a fresh round with a metallic CLACK.

ALPHA SOVA (yelling):
“GET DOWN!”

He dives, pulling Jett beside with him as the Operator round CRACKS overhead, shattering a steel conduit. Sparks rain from the ceiling.

Upon the main platform, Clove is already reacting, throwing a smoke orb down at their feet. The space around them blooms with thick haze, swallowing Killjoy and the terminal in cover.

CLOVE (urgent, to Sova):
“It’s up to you, Hunter!”

Below, Iso’s shield flares into life, the hexagonal plates locking into place around his arm as he steps forward. Raze tosses a paint shell, trying to get some time.

The lab doors slam shut behind them with a hydraulic hiss, sealing Clove and Killjoy inside while Iso and Raze take point outside.

Footsteps—too close.

A sudden WHOOSH of displaced air.
Shrouded Step.

From the blindside, Omega Omen’s shadow peels into existence behind Sova and Jett’s cover.

OMEGA OMEN (cold, deliberate):
“Don’t make a move… Hunter.”

Some habits never change. His form bleeds out of the darkness, the matte-black barrel of his Vandal pressing against Sova’s temple.

Across the floor, Omega Reyna and Jett are already in motion—blurs of speed. Jett vaults a crate, Tailwind slicing the air as she follows with a double Updraft, landing high on a catwalk for the flank. Reyna pushes hard up the middle, her glowing form weaving between cover, tossing another Leer to clear the way.

Deadlock stays low at the rear, Operator steady, tracking every flicker of movement through the haze. Vanguard position

From the upper ridge, Omega Sova draws and looses—a recon bolt arcing high into the cavern ceiling. It ricochets off steel, plunging through a breach in the lab’s roof.

BZZZZT

It slams into the platform inside Clove’s smoke. Ping markers bloom instantly on HUDs across the Omega squad.

Deadlock’s scope snaps to the ping.
Finger tightens.

BANG!

The smoke ripples as the round tears through it, a small metallic CLINK—a spent cartridge hitting the deck.

A shape stumbles out—Clove’s body crumpling forward, eyes already vacant.
Their Spectre slips from grip, clattering across the grated floor.

ALPHA SOVA:
“Clove!”

His voice cracks through the haze, but the reply never comes.

Outside the lab doors, Raze and Iso crouch low, one on each side of the entryway, waiting. Reyna’s silhouette cuts through the smoke.

RAZE & ISO (together):
“Now!”

Both spring out, muzzles blazing into the blinding purple haze of Leer.
Rounds find crates, wall plating, nothing else.

Empty mags click.

And Reyna… is gone?

A shimmer of light flickers—she reappears beside Raze, fresh from devouring Clove’s soul orb.

BANG!

Raze’s shield gauge nearly shatters. She blasts a satchel at her feet, launching herself back, forcing space.

Iso whips out his Undercut, the energy slicing past Reyna—her glow sputters as her Empress abilities flicker out.

Reyna snarls, ducking behind cover as Iso switches to his pistol.

REYNA (spitting in Spanish):
“Molestia…” (Nuisance.)

He advances—only to freeze.
A cold point touches his neck. Not metal… kunai.

OMEGA JETT (low, dangerous):
“Take another swing… I DARE you.”

She shoves him forward with the blade, smirking.

OMEGA JETT:
“Hah… this was easy.”

The last wisps of Clove’s smoke curl away, revealing Killjoy still locked at the terminal—fingers hammering keys, eyes never leaving the code.

KILLJOY (muttering):
“Come on… come on …”

Her voice is tight, focused—she knows the crosshairs are swinging her way.

From the catwalk, Omega Sova’s voice cuts through the room.

OMEGA SOVA (in Russian):
“Конец, учёный. (It’s over, scientist.) Stand down.”

He raises his Vandal, sight fixed on her head.         

A burst of light—three flashes at once—detonates through the cavern.

GEKKO (shouting):
“Dizzy, I choose you!”

PHOENIX:
“Watch your eyes!”

The Omega squad reels, vision clouded. Somewhere in the glare, a deep blue orb bursts—Harbor’s Cove splashing to life at Killjoy’s feet, shielding her in swirling water.

WHUMP—a Cascade wall crashes through, cutting Deadlock’s sightline.

OMEGA DEADLOCK (in Norwegian):
“Son of a bitch…”

She shifts, trying to swap angles, GravNet in hand—
—and reality tears open behind her.

ALPHA YORU:
“What was that you called Harbor again?”

She spins, but it’s not Yoru—it’s his clone. Her blade swings—too late. The clone bursts in a flashbang, blinding her as the real Yoru steps out of a Gatecrash near the Alpha formation.

Across the cavern, Harbor stands at a breach in the wall, water still dripping from his gauntlets.

HARBOR:
“Sorry, people. Took longer than expected—you know… bureaucracy.”

GEKKO (readying up Odin):
“Just on time, coach!”

The flashes still have Omen off-balance. Alpha Jett catches Sova’s eye.

JETT:
“On my mark.”

A Cloudburst blooms around them—cover. They split, sprinting in opposite directions, breaking Omen’s line.

PHOENIX:
“OPEN FIRE!”

Odins roars to life in his hands, the same one he and Gekko dragged off earlier. The barrage forces Omega Jett, Reyna, and Omen to peel back, distance opening again.

Now—both squads face each other across the wreckage.

Iso kneels beside Clove, searching for a pulse.
Nothing.

ISO (grim):
“She might be in limbo… We don’t know.”

Sova wipes blood from the corner of his mouth. His eyes are steel.

SOVA:
“Now…I am pissed. Either they walk out of here… or we do.”

Jett. Gekko. Phoenix slamming a fresh belt into the Odin. Iso. Raze. Yoru. Harbor.
All shift forward, weapons ready.

Sova takes a step—

DUMM!

A single round slams into the floor at his boots, spinning, burrowing into the concrete before stopping dead. The metallic whine of overpressure still hums in the air.

A voice slides through the cavern, calm, mocking:

???
“Monsieur… Madames… let’s keep this fight fair, shall we?”

Chapter 5: Deception

Notes:

Hey fam!
I know this chapter took way longer than expected, but my academic life is suffering a little rn so I didn't get that much time to sit down and write. I'll try to post whenever I can, but...
Something's coming.
A second light.

CHAMBER (in French):
“Mesdames et messieurs… gardons ce combat équitable, d’accord ?”
(Ladies and gentlemen… let us keep this fight fair, shall we?)

Sova steps forward, Sheriff levelled in both hands, stance squared like a soldier calling judgment. His voice cuts through the cavern, stern and unyielding:

SOVA:
“Vincent Fabron, you are hereby declared under arrest by the VALORANT Protocol. Charges: conspiracy against Alpha Earth, trafficking of classified radianite weaponry to the Hourglass organisation through illegal channels, and direct collaboration with hostile Omega agents.

How do you plead?”

Phoenix racks the Odin again, Iso’s hand flickers with static.

Chamber lets out a soft chuckle. His eyes lock onto Sova with sharp amusement.

CHAMBER:
“Sova… I always thought you were one of the more sensible ones in this… ensemble. But it seems I was mistaken. Declaring me guilty without prosecution? How very… unprofessional.”

His tone is calm, biting with sarcasm. Then, with a subtle snap of his gloved fingers, his Rendezvous beacon flares, and his form collapses into a shimmer of golden particles.

In an instant, he materialises beside Omega Reyna, his silhouette reforming out of fractured light. The gun spins back into his grasp as if it never left.

CHAMBER:
“But you are correct about one thing… I have been in contact with my counterpart. Omega Chamber—my better… though not nearly as handsome. We’ve been planning this for some time now.”

He turns slightly, angling his Tour de Force on sova. His etched tattoos glow brighter.

CHAMBER:
“And you? You’re all just a nuisance. So do us both a favor—and die. Hm?”

A weak, rasping voice cuts through the standoff.

JETT (panting, leaning against Phoenix’s shoulder):
“Where… where is Brimstone?”

Her eyes burn with determination, but her body is barely holding itself upright. The words freeze Sova mid-breath. Somewhere deep in his mind, the reminder lands heavy—arresting Chamber wasn’t the only point of this mission.

Chamber tilts his head, brow raised in faint confusion.

CHAMBER (mocking):
“Brimstone? Eh? Who knows… Haven’t seen him in a while. Perhaps he’s lying in some hole, oui?”

The smirk that follows is the final spark.

SOVA (furious, pulling back his bow):
“CHAMBER!”

Energy surges into his frame as the glowing lines of his ultimate streak across his arm.

SOVA:
“No more hiding. NOWHERE TO RUN!”

He loses the first arrow. A blinding beam of radianite energy screams across the cavern.

OMEGA REYNA (shouting):
“¡Cúbranse!” (Take cover!)

The shot tears through the air—Chamber narrowly dodges, as the blast rips a massive hole into the cavern wall. The structure shudders, stone groaning as chunks of ceiling begin to rain down.

OMEGA DEADLOCK (in Norwegian, panicked):
“Er du gal?! Du begraver oss alle i live!” (Are you mad?! You’re going to bury us alive!)

SOVA (grim, notching another arrow):
“Fine by me.”

The second radianite arrow crackles to life. He fires—another colossal blast slamming into the rock, sending tremors through the cavern..

Cypher’s voice crackles harshly through Alpha comms:

CYPHER:
“Strike team! The cavern is destabilising fast! Get out—now!”

But Killjoy doesn’t budge. She’s still at the console, fingers flying over keys as debris crashes around her.

KILLJOY (muttering under breath):
“Accessing database… radianite core doping processes, tear-shard oscillation patterns? quantum transformers!?… wait. This isn’t… this isn’t a portal.”

Her eyes widen,

KILLJOY (shouting):
“This is a stabilisation grid!”

GEKKO (calling out, urgent):
“Yo, fam! We gotta move—¡vamos!”

KILLJOY:
“Just one more second!”

A huge slab of rock slams down on the console—sparks fly, the system fries out.

KILLJOY slamming her fist):
“Verdammt noch mal!” (God damn it!)

But from below the wreckage, her nanobot scrambles up, its screen flickering alive—100% Downloaded.

KILLJOY (relieved, exhaling):
“Good job, Mädchen…”

Both sides begin to fall back, the cavern collapsing in earnest now. Omega agents vanish into the shadows one by one, teleporting out.

Sova catches sight of Chamber as his form fades. Their eyes lock.

CHAMBER (fading out, voice carrying):
“This isn’t over.”

Sova lowers his bow slowly, chest heaving, then folds it back with deliberate finality.

SOVA (muttering, cold):
“It never was.”

Dust rains from the ceiling as the squad breaks into a sprint, boots hammering the steel walkways.

Sova leads, bow folded across his back, every breath sharp in his throat. Behind him—Phoenix with Jett slung over his shoulder, Raze dragging Iso along, Harbor hauling Clove’s limp form, Killjoy clutching her bot, Gekko scrambling in the rear.

GEKKO (panting, shouting):
“Uh—any plans on how we’re actually getting out of here?!”

YORU (snapping back, reloading mid-run):
“You think we came without backup? Please.”

A burst of static crackles in their comms.

CYPHER (urgent, filtered):
“On your right—Q12 sector. There should be a loading bay. You’ll find transport there.”

The channel hisses, cuts out.

And then, only in Sova’s ear:

CYPHER (low, personal):
“Sova… are you okay?”

Sova’s jaw clenches.

SOVA (quiet, raw):
“I am not.”

They hit the junction—Sova points right. Yoru doesn’t hesitate, empties an entire clip into the reinforced door. The slab gives way—CRASH—as they get in.

Parked inside: a battered radianite skimmer, its surface glowing faintly, and two Hayabusa bikes angled by the wall.

YORU (grinning, almost feral):
“Perfect.”

He vaults onto one of the bikes, Harbor handing  Clove to killjoy before straddling the other. Iso and Raze jump onto the rear seats, locking grips.

Sova smashes a fist into the skimmer’s side window, glass shattering under the impact. He climbs inside, yanks the door open from within as its alarm blares, shrill against the rumble of collapsing stone.

Phoenix eases Jett into the back, laying her against the seats, then helps settle Clove beside her before climbing in himself.

Killjoy dives into the passenger side. Gekko swings himself into the tailgate.

Sova leans forward, wires sparking as he hotwires the ignition. The skimmer coughs—lights flicker—then the engine roars alive, glowing radianite cores pulsing in its chassis.

He slams a boot down on the accelerator, hands locked to the wheel.

SOVA (commanding, steady):
“Lead the way.”

The cavern groans like a dying beast. The ramped access road twists upward, carved into stone and reinforced with failing steel beams.

The Hayabusa bikes dart ahead, engines screaming, weaving between falling chunks of debris. Iso twists in his seat, firing into the shadows. Raze mirrors him, ares in hand as she open fires, blowing loose rubble aside before it can crush the skimmer.

Behind them, the skimmer surges forward, as Sova keeps the wheel steady through a bunch of collapsing rock.

CYPHER (comms, sharp, cutting through static):
“T-minus thirty seconds until full destabilisation. Hurry!”

Gekko glances back from the tailgate. His eyes widen. He raises his Phantom.

GEKKO (yelling):
“Guys—we got pursuit! In Hot!”

Tracer rounds whistle past, slamming into the walls.

PHOENIX (snapping, leaning out the window with his Vandal):
“There were more!?”

He returns fire, muzzle flashes lighting the tunnel in strobing bursts. Killjoy braces herself against the dashboard, one hand locked on the doorframe as she leans out, Stinger rattling.

KILLJOY (shouting in German):
“Scheiße—too many of them!”

Out of the collapsing smoke behind them, Hourglass goons on radianite bikes burst through—black armour glowing with sickly light, weapons raised. A convoy of three modified transports follows.

SOVA (gritting his teeth, voice steady):
“Hold them off!”

The Hayabusas swerve, Iso and Raze firing wildly from their rear seats, shredding the lead riders. One bike explodes in a streak of flame, debris cartwheeling across the road.

But more spill out of the smoke, relentless, their visors glowing an ominous red.

GEKKO (shouting over gunfire):
“They’re not backing off!”

Phoenix ducks back inside, reloading.

PHOENIX (to Sova, breathless):
“Mate, you better have a way outta this tunnel!”

JETT (clutching onto Phoenix’s jacket):
“Lem’me try.”

HARBOR (yelling, bracing on the bike):
“We won’t make it unless we throw them off!”

With a sharp motion, he activates his bracelet. Water erupts from the cavern walls, surging forward in a cascading torrent, a towering wall of churning liquid between the Alpha team and the pursuing Hourglass riders.

The lead bikes skid violently, splashing through the flood. Engines scream, tires struggle for traction.

The dark pink smoke erupts around the riders, billowing in thick clouds that obscure their vision. Spray and mist blur their path. The water and smoke combine, turning the tunnel into a chaotic labyrinth of liquid and haze.

Inside the skimmer, Clove smirks faintly.

JETT (pushing herself out the window):
“Get out of my way.”

Kunai spin from her hands, slicing through the smoke and water. They strike directly at the pursuers’ tanks—metal rupturing.

Phoenix throws his Hot Hands forward. Flames collide with the spinning bikes, engines catching fire. Riders collide mid-stream as the water wall destabilises their balance.

BOOM!

The bikes explode in a flash of fire and shrapnel. Water sprays across the tunnel, pink smoke swirling in chaotic eddies.

GEKKO (from the tailgate, voice full of awe):
“Damn… that was gruesome.”

YORU (gritting his teeth, eyes on the collapsing ceiling ahead):
“Brace for impact!”

The ramped road twists sharply upward as the entire team goes airborne. The skimmer lands with a heavy, grinding thud, kicking up dust and debris as the ramp hits the cavern’s exit. The ground shudders beneath their feet.

Behind them, the tunnel collapses violently, stones and radianite shards crashing down, burying the entire structure under tons of rubble. Dust clouds into the air, the cavern now a tomb to the chaos they just left behind.

KILLJOY (wiping sweat from her brow, voice tight):
“That… was way too close for comfort.”

SOVA (pressing a finger to his comms, eyes scanning the horizon):
“Owl to HQ. We need air and medical support—ASAP. Mission compromised. Returning to base.”

The sun dips low, casting long shadows across the jungle.

Far above, a VTOL descends, its engines slicing through the evening sky. Dust and heat swirl around it as it touches down with precision.

CYPHER (calm, over comms):
“Roger that. Owl touchdown at 1830 hours. Sit tight, team.”

The Alpha agents exchange tired, grim looks—bodies bruised, armour scorched, adrenaline still racing—but the mission may have failed, yet they survived.

And for now, it’s all that matters………..

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 2 of Valorant protocol