Prompt: Shaky hands

Focus Agent: Sage
Featured Agents: Brimstone and Omen

Timeline: Sage is the most recently joined agent at number 7

Summary: Overwhelmed by panic and fear, Sage's hands betray her as she tries to heal a friend.

The Hands of a Healer

It came as a shock to Sage when Brimstone sought her out to recruit her into his new secret protocol. She expected he and Viper to want nothing to do with her after her failure with Omen. Nevertheless, he came and asked her to join his cause. The healer accepted.

Shortly after her involvement, Kingdom and the VALORANT Protocol had a disagreement in how things should be run. The VP was established to stop rouge Radiants when they used their powers for ill. With Sage's recruitment, she was the first Radiantite in what Brimstone hoped to be many. This was the last straw for Kingdom, and their contract was severed.

Brimstone reserved no love for Kingdom and thought things had turned out in their favor. Sage couldn't agree more. Especially when she found out Kingdom had taken over the monastery in Bhutan.

She spent many happy years there, learning how to heal and control her powers. They welcomed her like family and kept her safe.

She was prepared to beg Brimstone to send her to Thimphu. Luckily, she didn't have to as Brim was already aware and intrigued by the situation. He himself joined her with Omen, Cypher, and Sova.

The monastery managed to maintain its natural beauty. Upon approach, Sage took in the familiar sight of her temporary residence. Flowers bloomed in their well cared for boxes, packed with fresh earth. The grass was bright green and rustled in the wind. The face of the monastery was untouched, still strong and sturdy in structure.

Moving further in, Sage began to smell the smoke. It wafted into the blue sky as ashes rained down. Then she saw the flames. Small fires scattered around the monastery, slowly burning it down.

She lead them aimlessly through the garden to the back of the monastery. Where what used to be a mountain peak was torn. In the center of the rock formations lay a green crate of radiantite. She felt it call to her.

"What happened here?" Brimstone murmured, voicing her thoughts. No one had an answer.

"And where is everyone?" Sova finally asked. The temple, usually bustling with monks, was eerily silent.

In a daze, Sage wandered to the open area labeled C. It wasn't called C before. They found more boxes of radiantite and an elevator leading underground where they undoubtedly stored the element.

"So much pain," Omen muttered aloud. "So much death."

Brimstone threw him a stern look, but the damage was already done. Tears welled up in Sage's eyes. Her legs felt weak and she unconsciously lowered her Stinger.

The sound of a sniper rifle exploded off the walls.

"Get down!"

A heavy weight tackled Sage to the ground. She hit her chin and tasted blood. Chaos swarmed the small team.

Brimstone stayed on top of her as they crawled for cover. Sova, Cypher, and Omen were nowhere to be seen.

"Everyone sound off!" Brimstone barked into the comm. Sweat poured down his face and he clutched his judge a bit tighter. They braced their backs against the crates of radiantite.

One by one, each agent reported in. Omen had teleported off site while Sova and Cypher managed to slip away through the garage. Sova was about to send a recon bolt as Cypher moved to flank them from behind and Omen would plant cover and teleport to them.

There was little Sage and Brim could do other than wait and be on guard.

A grunt escaped Brimstone's lips and he clutched his side. His gray shirt was quickly turning red.

"You're hurt."

"It's not bad," the commander insisted. The paleness of his skin told Sage otherwise.

"Found them!" Sova announced. "We got three K/SEC on site."

"And more incoming," added Cypher. "They called for reinforcements."

"They'll want us to surrender," Brimstone realized through gritted teeth. "We need to fall back. Sage, cover us."

"Let me heal you first."

"No time. We need to get out of here."

Recognizing his wisdom, Sage set her Stinger on the ground and summoned her power within her. Before she could use it, a bullet grazed her shoulder from behind. Startled, she whirled around to find two soldiers moving towards them from their exposed front.

In panic, she threw a wall up, protecting their front while also trapping them in a tight spot.

"You all right?"

Sage picked up her gun, hating the way her hands shook as she reloaded. She threw an orb behind them, crystalizing the floor to slow the enemy approach.

"You're surrounded. Get out of there!" Sova sounded panicked, very unlike the coolheaded hunter.

"We can't," responded the healer. "We're pinned down and my wall blocked our exit." To Brim, she whispered, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Sage," the leader replied. His voice was calm and soothing despite the dire circumstances. "We'll figure something out."

The sound of steel slicing at rock grated her ears. They were cutting through. Every strike felt like a stab to Sage's own body. Her legs betrayed her and she collapsed onto her knees beside Brim.

"Sage..."

The healer's head whipped towards her commander, the slurring of her name raising alarm. Blood was dripping from the wound onto a growing puddle. His eyelids fluttered in a fleeting attempt to stay awake.

The monks taught her to remain calm. Healing was often a nasty procedure and being a field medic was even worse. They taught her, in this very monastery, to focus on the life you are saving and ignore all else.

She found it difficult to remember their training in this desperate hour. The gunfire was deafening. The enemy was coming. Sage was alone with the ghosts.

Her mind muddled as she called for her healing gift. Her hands shook, empty of the comforting power within her. She called upon it again, and again. Each time, she was betrayed.

Her hands only stopped shaking when she pressed them against her friend's wound. Warm blood coated her skin, oozing between her fingers and filling her nails. Brimstone groaned in discomfort.

Cypher's voice crackled in her ear. "Orders, Brimstone? Brim?"

"He's losing blood," reported Sage, her voice small and shaky. "I can't... I can't heal him. I can't use my powers."

At that moment, a deep, raspy voice spoke directly to her fears. "You can, Sage. I'm on site with you. I will protect you."

A shadow swept over the area, covering them both completely in darkness. She couldn't hear anything or see anyone except Brimstone as clear as day. Without the gunfire and shouts and knife slashes, Sage's heartbeat steadied.

Taking a deep breath, she raised her blood-drenched hands and focused her mind on the here, the now, and on her friend. A cool, blue light soothed her soul and she hovered her still hands over Brimstone's wound. She closed her eyes and imagined the injury closing up, the blood flowing through his veins, and the pain washing away.

When she opened her eyes, she found that it was so. Brim blinked, clarity and strength returning to him. His face flushed with color as he sat up on his own power.

Sage's wall burst into a spray of shards, revealing the two men who had been hacking away. They raised their dulled knives to kill the two agents when two shots rang out. They fell to the ground, blood pouring from the holes in their skulls.

"Go!" Omen growled from above.

Sage helped Brimstone stand and they ran through the gap in her wall. Sova gestured at them with a sweep of his arm. Sage felt his hand touch her back as the archer gently nudged them forward while remaining behind to watch their retreat.

"Everyone fall back to the Vulture!" Brimstone barked into the comm, strong and firm again. "We're leaving this place."

Once safely in the air, Sage was startled by their leader taking her filthy hand. Silently, he guided her to the tiny bathroom and ran the water warm in the sink. With his large, rough yet gentle hands, he scrubbed away every spot of blood from her hands, even from beneath her fingernails.

"Thanks for the heal," he said when he was done.

Sage nodded, touched and awed by a leader who cared for his team. "Always."