Prompt: Blinded

Focus Agent: Sova
Featured Agents: Brimstone, Phoenix, and Fade

Timeline: Sova is the most recently joined agent at number 6 to apprehending Fade

Summary: Sova is nothing without his owl eyes. His greatest fear is being blind forever.

Owl Eyes

  "Sova? Sova! Can you hear me? Report!"

It was dark. He couldn't see. He reached for his earpiece shakily. Everything hurt. Warm, thick liquid stuck to his fingers as he tapped the comm.

"Brimstone?"

"I hear you. What's your location?"

"I... I don't know. Everything's so dark."

"Hang on. Hold your position. Cypher?"

"On it. Give me a corpse."

Then there was silence. Helpless on the ground, surrounded by the dark and quiet, Sova felt utterly alone. He held his knife in a death grip and waited.

One moment, he had been surrounded by rouge Radiants. The next, he was alone in the dark. It had been a brutal battle, but now it was a haze in his memory. Sova shook his head to rid of the fog and regretted it when the throb behind his eyes swelled.

The hunter strained his other senses to make up for his lack of sight. He caught the echo of approaching footsteps. They were heavy and pounded a rapid pattern of someone running. Sova brandished his knife in front of him. The steps sounded familiar, but an inkling of doubt made him second guess.

The footsteps slowed to a walk. A puff of breath that sounded like a sigh. "Sova."

The archer slumped in relief, allowing the knife to dangle in loose fingers. "Commander."

Kneecaps hit the ground in front of him. Calloused skin brushed against his arms. Unprepared, Sova jolted and the touch retreated. He heard a sharp inhale and he frowned.

"Sir, do you have a light with you? Why is it still dark?"

He could only hear Brimstone's breathing. Inhale, exhale, no words. Sova's anxiety grew with the pause.

Finally, his rough voice croaked, "Sova, it's not dark. Your eyes are closed."

Eyebrows rose and a painful sting flared over his face. Sova suppressed a noise of discomfort and returned his features to neutral.

"Oh." His eyes were closed. He was so stupid. How did he not realize?

Eyelids pried apart and this time he couldn't hold back the sharp gasp. The right side of his face screamed in anguish and fury. Hot blood oozed fresh, trickling down his jawline. He heard it drip onto the floor. He squeezed his eyes shut and waited for the pain and dizziness to pass.

A firm hand on his shoulder grounded him.

"Not that eye. Keep your right eye closed. Open your left."

Slowly, Sova cracked open his left eye again. Light blinded him and he blinked. Bit by bit, the blurry face of his commander became solid. Brimstone was also bruised and bloodied, but he was not seriously injured. Cypher stood behind him, quietly observing. His clothes were dirty and torn in some places, but he looked unharmed from what Sova could see.

"What's wrong with my eye, Brimstone?" Sova inquired. His throat was dry and his voice sounded small. His heart pounded against his ribcage.

Brim's eyes were gentle and his expression concerned. "You have at least two cuts over your eye. It's hard to discern the damage with all the blood."

Sova remembered now. A rouge Radiant had managed to slip past his defenses and get close enough to slash at his eye. There was a flash of a knife and a burning pain that made the room spin. With a cry, the archer utilized his Hunter's Fury. He only remembered darkness after that.

Brimstone was speaking again and helping him to his feet. "Let's get you back to HQ."

The entire ride back to base, Sova sat with his hands folded in his lap, staring at the wall with his one good eye. Scratchy bandages covered half his face. Despite being half blind and withdrawn, he didn't miss the worried glances of his teammates. He knew exactly what they were thinking, but to address it would make their concerns real. So Sova kept his fears to himself.

The fairly new VALORANT Protocol had no healers yet. There had never been a desperate need for one until now. Sova hated to be the one to break the streak.

Former doctor Viper did her best. Lying in a cot in the medical bay, Sova drifted in and out of the world around him. Words like "surgery" and "cybernetic" were thrown around. Sova closed his good eye and shut out the nightmare.

When he came to hours later, he could see out of his right eye. It felt wrong. The eyeball felt too big, too hard, too stiff in his skull. There was a blue tinge. No matter how often he blinked, the eye would not clear. It wasn't foggy. It was pixelated.

The doctor provided him with a mirror. A pair of mismatched eyes stared back at him. Twin, swollen cuts crossed over his right eye. A foreign object sat where his eye used to be. The blue orb shone like a beacon at him, void of emotion or intelligence.

It took a long time for Sova to adjust to his cybernetic eye. His aim suffered, yet offered no mercy to his enemies. The perfect archer remained. With encouragement from Brimstone and advice from Killjoy, Sova learned how to equip the cybernetic eye and improve his hunter vision. While he missed his former skill, having a tool that connected to a drone, targeted enemies, and gave him night vision provided him with an edge against Radiants and Omega earth.

But even his cybernetic eye was not impervious to flashes.

Flash bombs were not a new battle tactic. However, ever since a young British agent joined the Protocol and the war of Earths began, being flashed became a common occurrence. Phoenix was the first agent to have such an ability, quickly followed by others.

The VP learned and adapted quickly to new challenges, such as recognizing a flash bomb and quickly looking away to avoid being blinded. It was a strategy that could only go so far, especially when you're not expecting to be flashed by your own teammate.

Phoenix was a new and eager addition to the team. He was headstrong, reckless, and cocky, but he had a deep desire to prove himself and protect his world. Sova recognized this and took the fire Radiant under his wing as the others did.

On the field, Phoenix was a team player and a quick learner, but his impulsiveness often got the better of him.

In the remains of Venice, Sova aimed a shock dart up mid to hit a cluster of VALORANT Legion agents holed up on B site.

Just as he was about to release the arrow, he heard a familiar voice shout, "Watch your eyes!"

Before Sova could react, a ball of light zipped around the corner and exploded in a flash of harsh light. Even his cybernetic eye burned. His fingers slipped off the string, launching the dart aimlessly. He heard it make impact and the crackle of electricity.

Sova blinked rapidly and rubbed his eyes to return his sight quicker. All he could see was blinding white. Gunfire echoed around him. The blind archer was exposed.

Sova never lost control on the battlefield, but now his heart was hammering and his ribs suddenly felt too tight for his lungs. Holding his bow in a death grip in one hand, Sova reached out with his free hand to find a wall–anything–to stabilize him.

Suddenly, the site turned quiet. A warm hand grabbed his wrist and Sova shoved the person away. His fingers scrambled for the knife on his belt while raising his bow to crack down on his assailant's skull.

"Whoa, bruv! It's me. Phoenix."

Sova lowered his bow. "Phoenix?"

"Yeah. Sorry about that flash." Sova detected the shame in the young man's voice. "I'm still working out the kinks and I accidentally sent it in the wrong direction. Can you see?"

Sova blinked again. The harsh white had dulled into gray and outlines of shapes were beginning to bleed through.

"Not very well," admitted the archer.

The hand returned to his wrist. "I'll guide you to Sage and see if she can do anything about it."

He surrendered into the trust of his friend and allowed the fire Radiant to lead.

Sova didn't make mistakes often. Disobeying a direct order from KAY/O to hold position and wait for Cypher was definitely one of them.

He knew he was screwed when the comms turned static. The warehouse was empty, yet a shiver crawled up Sova's spine. Something was lurking near, just beyond his sights. An inkling of fear scraped at his scalp.

There were no doors or windows, yet a freezing breath of air whistled through the warehouse. Sova instantly placed and arrow to the string and drew back, preparing to fire. The shadows moved, curling around him like tendrils. The archer aimed wildly, but he was surrounded from all sides. His heart leapt to his throat as he helplessly watched the shadows slither up his legs. Sharp nails scratched his skin, crawling up till it reached his face.

The darkness whispered in his ear. "I know your deepest fears."

Hands slid over his eyes and plunged Sova into darkness.

Sova had owl eyes. He was a hunter, an archer, a scout. His greatest strength was his owl eyes. His greatest weakness was blindness. His greatest fear was not the dark, but missing his shot.

He heard Neon scream. Cypher shouted. Gunfire.

Sova gathered his courage in a deep breath. He raised his bow and let the dart fly.

He heard it make impact with the wall. Even if he couldn't see, the dart did its work. His cybernetic eye targeted a figure in the darkness. Feeling for another dart, Sova aimed at the yellow figure and fired swiftly. The arrow hit the ground at the feet of his prey, sending a shock of electricity.

The hands covering Sova's eyes melted and he could see the chaos before him. Breach had joined them now. Creatures of shadow were attacking them. They zipped through the air, snapping their jaws.

Their deepest nightmares have come to play. Sova faced his before. This will not be the last time.

This will not be the day he misses his shot.