Prompt: Experimented on

Focus Agent: Omen
Featured Agent: Sova

Timeline: KAY/O is the most recently joined agent at number 17.

Summary: Omen is an anomaly, a question created by science. Kingdom believes only science can answer it. Sova finds himself helpless to stop what's happening.

In the Name of Science

Sova slowly opened his eyes. His vision was blurred and dark; he blinked a few times to clear it. A groan escaped his lips as his head throbbed. Beneath him, his legs ached.

As his eyes grew accustomed to the dim lighting, dark gray walls greeted him through the fading haze.

The first thought to pierce through the muddle was "Where am I?"

"Sova."

The deep rasp startled the Russian archer. As his sight continued to focus, he found a table about ten feet away from him in the center of the light provided by the single lightbulb hanging from the ceiling. Lying on the table was a familiar hooded figure, a welcome yet concerning sight.

"Omen."

In his eagerness to reach his teammate, Sova jumped up only to be yanked sharply back down onto his knees. He heard clinking of metal and felt a spike of pain in his wrists. Glancing down, he was surprised to find his hands were bolted to the floor with only a few links of chain to allow movement.

"Are you all right?" Sova's voice was soft and barely above a whisper. The foreboding atmosphere gave him the urgency to speak quietly.

The black phantom shifted his shoulders stiffly in what Sova discerned to be a shrug. That's when he noticed the metal cuffs strapping his friend's limbs to the table. "Never been better," responded Omen dryly.

"Well, at least your humor is still in tact, my friend." He surveyed their surroundings only to find stone walls, a cart of tools, and a bolted door. "Where are we?"

"I do not know. Some secret Kingdom basement, I assume."

"And your powers? How come you have not attempted escape?"

"Dampened, though I don't know how. Kingdom must have developed a way to suppress Radiant abilities. Perhaps a technology similar to our robot friend from the future or Killjoy's dome."

Sova blinked and realized his cybernetic eye powered by radiantite was clouded compared to his remaining original.

"How is it that they captured you?"

Omen's hood turned slightly in his direction. His expression was unreadable as usual.

"We were surrounded and one of them knocked you out. They threatened to kill you unless I surrendered. When they led us down here and restrained us, I thought it was pointless as I could teleport us both out. But when I tried, I found I couldn't control my abilities. You awoke about an hour later."

Sova was touched by his teammate's care for his wellbeing, but he couldn't help the flush of embarrassment. He was Brimstone's most trusted agent. He wasn't meant to fail and get him and his partner captured.

Genuinely grateful, he swallowed his hurt pride and lowered his head towards Omen. "Thank you."

A moment of silence passed between them and Sova tested the strength of the chains. They were by no means new, yet they were not rusted or weak. They were forged from solid steel, heavy and unbreakable by human power alone.

"What do you think they plan to do with us?" inquired Sova to pass the time.

Omen raised his head with some difficulty to gaze pointedly at the rack of equipment opposite of him. "My guess is torture." His tone was bored. "Let them try. They cannot make me endure worse than the pain I feel every day."

Sova's heart broke for the ghost of a man. He had been wary of him when they first met, but Omen had proved himself to be a kind and empathetic soul beneath the terrifying exterior. The story of his unfortunate accident was the product of nightmares, but was nothing compared to the torment he suffered every single moment hence forth.

"All the same, I will do everything in my power to prevent such an affliction on either of us."

As if he was heard, the heavy bolt on the door clicked loudly and the only entrance to their prison swung open. A team of people in white lab coats swarmed in briskly, followed by a pair of armed K/SEC guards. These two stood on either side of Sova while the scientists surrounded Omen, observing and nodding and muttering to each other. One of them wheeled the table of equipment closer.

Sova yanked at his bonds, creating a clatter that tore the attention away from Omen. The soldiers each placed a firm hand on either shoulder to still him.

A growl rose from his throat. "Don't you dare touch him."

His threat held no weight to the scientists as they continued to prep. One of them did step toward him, wearing a pitying expression like he was addressing an ignorant child.

"Sova, is it? The Russian hunter that joined the VALORANT Protocol."

Normally, Sova would have been alarmed by an outsider's knowledge of the secret VP, only Kingdom would be aware of its existence. According to Brimstone, Kingdom presented the idea to him and funded the project before there was a difference of opinion and the VALORANT Protocol became independent.

"We are not monsters," the short man continued. "We are scientists. And as scientists, our primary objective is to understand the world around us. Your friend here–" he nodded his head to the dark figure in the restraints– "is an unknown. An anomaly in the rules of the universe. A question. We just want answers."

One of the scientists raised a needle to the light and flicked at the syringe filled with a clear liquid. Omen's fists clenched at the sight of it. Sova picked up on Omen's echoing breath quickening, betraying his fear when his face could not.

"So you are going to experiment on him," the hunter spat. "He is a living being like you or I."

"And yet you cannot say what he truly is," the scientist pointed out with a hint of triumph. "You cannot call him human, so what is he?  Is he a Radiant? Or is he something else? Only careful study can tell us."

Latex gloves snapped upon skin. Scalpels scrapped against metal trays as they were picked up. Pens clicked and scribbled on paper. The smell of alcohol and other chemicals burned Sova's nose. Omen, silently observing it all, began to struggle as a soft moan of panic escaped him.

Turning away from the archer, the lead scientist moved to stand by Omen's head, smiling sympathetically down at the three slits of blue. "Please, be still. It will be much more comfortable that way."

As if he was a doctor treating his patient, the scientist with the needle informed his subject that it was anesthetic before pushing the liquid into Omen's arm.

The lead scientist turned to Sova again, still wearing that pleasant and innocent smile. "See? We're not cruel here."

Both Omen and Sova knew the anesthetic would do nothing.

"Let's try to get some samples to test in the lab. Then we'll work on some of our hypotheses on what the subject is and how it obtained its abilities."

The first scalpel flashed in the dim electric light. It cut away at clothing and entered flesh. Even Omen didn't know what they would find. He could only watch and endure the pain added to the already present agony.

Seeing Omen stiffen as the blade entered his body, Sova surged forward in anger only for the chains to drag him back down. He fought the restraints, fulfilling his promise in doing everything he could in order to help his friend. His already bruised wrists endured more abuse as his struggles caused the cuffs to chafe and cut into his skin. The guards grabbed his shoulders again and tried to wrestle him down. Sova fought them, too.

Then one of the soldiers released him in order to smash the butt of his gun into Sova's temple. It made contact in a flash of pain and light, and Sova fell limp. The floor was ice to his cheek. He felt hands grabbing him and roughly positioning him back onto his bruised knees. His legs tingled beneath him and his twice concussed head swam, showing two blurred versions of Omen's torture.

More scalpels and needles joined the first. Bloody bits and pieces were cut away and placed on trays to be studied later. Pens scratched on paper as more information and questions were presented to the scientists. The burning smell of alcohol and metallic blood grew stronger as they cleaned the wounds they inflicted on him. It left behind a lingering sting like rubbing salt into a wound. All the while, Omen didn't make a sound. Silently taking the torment like he did every minute of every day, he begged in his mind and heart for it to end.

Hands twitching for his bow and forced to watch on his knees, Sova never felt more helpless. He shared Omen's desires and prayed their friends would find them swiftly.

After what felt like two lifetimes, shouts and echoes of gunfire above their prison answered his prayer. And the weary, beaten archer felt hope in his heart again.