Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Hello, Sol. Please, sit.”

Myers greeted him warmly as she gestured towards the only free chair; her appreciative demeanor would’ve put anyone else at ease, but not Solomon Reed. He knew Myers much better than that. As he lowered into the seat, he exchanged the usual pleasantries. He sat between the FIA director and a blond woman whom Reed assumed was a high ranking corpo. The gnawing feeling at the base of his gut only grew worse with each passing second. Why had Rosalind called him to this meeting? Was there any news about V? The merc had occupied much of his thoughts the past few days, ever since her surgery. In that time, he had managed to keep himself busy with the usual bureaucratic bullshit, but his mind continued to race with thoughts of every possible outcome for her.

“I assume you know why I called you here,” said Myers in response to his unspoken question. “V is expected to make a full recovery.”

Reed let out a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding. However, his relief was short lived. She wouldn’t have called a whole meeting just to tell him that. And she definitely wouldn’t have invited other people. But before the other shoe could drop, Reed decided on asking an easy question. He cleared his throat and said, “When will I be able to see her?”

Myers gave him the hint of a smile. “Soon,” is all she supplied. His attachment to the mercenary was well known, and Myers’ tone dripped with self-satisfaction. She was intent on drawing this out as long as possible. “But where are my manners? You already know Joshua Richardson, the director of the FIA. Reed, this is Meredith Stout, a senior operations manager for Militech. Stout, this is Solomon Reed, one of the FIA’s best.”

With a curt nod towards each other, Reed pushed on. “Was that everything or is there more?” There were many things Reed hadn’t missed in his service, but the game of 5D chess that was dealing with the president was his least favorite. He knew there was more to the story.

“Her recovery makes her a variable that would prove too costly to simply let walk away,” Myers explained. “She demonstrates a level of skill I have never seen matched before. The fiasco at the spaceport is proof of this. Not to mention how much she knows about the situation involving So Mi. I feel that she would be better suited to serve our interests, especially to keep her on a tight leash.”

Reed shifted slightly in his seat. He didn’t like the direction this was going. “Do you want her to take a contract for us?” Reed suggested. But he knew that V would not willingly agree to work for the FIA, and Myers knew this too.

As if she could read his mind, Myers counters, “C’mon Sol, you know that she would never willingly cooperate with us. No matter how much money we put in front of her.”

Reed didn’t need Myers to tell him her scheme; he’d already picked up on it. Something felt different about her Oval Office. He’d been in here a handful of times before, and he used to be in total awe of the room he had spent his nights dreaming of as a child. But there was something new about it. As he scanned the room, he made meticulous mental notes of his surroundings. He recognized the dark walnut trims and the numerous portraits of a variety of political figures. Perhaps it was the poise of Myers, similar to that of a viper coiled and ready to snap, that set him on edge.

Myers continued, with no acknowledgement of the conflict painted all across his face. “There’s another way we can assure her assistance. The neural matrix V recovered for us gave us an idea. We managed to replicate its A.I. and implant it onto the Relic already in her system, with some minor adjustments. When activated, it employs the Relic to override all other motor functions to compel the user to complete any order given. It ensures total loyalty and dedication, while amplifying her already impressive abilities. If successful, we’d have an operative able to complete nearly any objective given. If not, then we’ll have prevented a future headache."

As Myers detailed her plan to weaponize V as she had Songbird, the larger picture began to unfold. Myers never had any intention of curing V, it was all just a front. All she wanted was the opportunity to cut her open and rewire her into a mindlessly obedient drone. Just as he was about to interject, Myers hit him with the worst part of her plan.

“And you are to be her handler, Sol.”

Chapter Text

Reed spent the rest of the meeting in a haze. Her… handler? To the average person, he might’ve still appeared to be paying attention. Except Myers wasn’t an average person. She’d staked her life and career reading people and wrapping them around her finger. She knew exactly how to pry someone open with just her words, and she was fully aware of the tsunami of thoughts raging behind Reed’s steely expression. Through all this, the occasional snippet pierced his stream of consciousness.

“...project will begin tomorrow…”

Why choose me?

“...Stout will act as your second and advisor, as well as spearhead her training and implantation…”

Is this a punishment? And if so, for me or V?

“...suggest brushing up on her dossier for any relevant information…”

Did I bring this on her?

His body operating solely on autopilot, he followed the others as the meeting was adjourned, not stopping to see whoever was calling his name. He needed a few minutes to process everything that had been dumped on his lap. It was only after a slim but firm hand grabbed his forearm that his attention was yanked out of his thoughts.

“Reed.” commanded the blonde woman as he spun his head. Something Stout, he reminded himself. She appeared to make a mental note to herself as she chuckled, “Last time I saw her, she had the same thousand-yard stare.” Her smile dropped from her lips but not her eyes at the confused look on Reed’s face. “Given we’re going to be working together, I feel we should get to know one another. And since we are both, well… acquainted, with our subject, let’s start with each other.”

Reed sensed something familiar about her that took him a moment to place. She’s just like Rosalind, he realized. Except Stout doesn’t seem as patient waiting for someone to roll over for her. He knew it would be smart to begin things on the right foot, but right now, he just wanted to be alone. “Sorry, Stout, but I’m still behind on my reintegration to the agency. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

A look of irritation briefly flashed across her eyes before settling back to calm. “Please, Solomon. Call me Meredith.”

Slipping wordlessly from her grasp, Reed continued his trajectory toward his quarters. He quickly decided a shower would help settle his racing mind. As he waited for the water to warm up, he peeled off his clothes with an unexpected sense of enthusiasm. Another thing I did not miss - having to wear this shit daily, he thought dryly to himself. Stepping into the shower, he let the steaming water wash away all his stress from the day. He knew moments like this were few and far between, so he wanted to savor them before he had to inevitably confront the clusterfuck that had been this day. As with all good things in life, it was too short, and before long he stepped out and began to dry himself. Despite it only being early evening, he was already exhausted and determined to try to have a calm evening. Changing into more comfortable clothes, he sank into his bed, dreading having to finally face reality. To his right on the nightstand, Reed spotted a new shard. Slipping it into his datapad, he sighed as he read the first few lines

Subject Dossier: V
Information compiled by Agent Reed, Solomon

Despite having written much of her dossier himself, Reed hated how she had been reduced to words on a screen. Only measured by what she could provide, not who she was as a person. But, he kept telling himself that without the FIA, she’d likely be dead by now. They knew how best to use her phenomenal skills for the greater good, not to line her own pockets. He needed to familiarize himself with everything in her dossier, because if he didn’t lead this project, someone who didn’t give half of a shit about V would, and end up taking complete advantage of her. No, it had to be him. He steeled himself and pushed on.

Name: Valerie (Last Name Unknown)
Alias(es): V
Status: Alive, Potential Asset (uncooperative), Executive Level Approval
Sex: Female
Date of Birth: 10-12-2054
Place of Birth: Heywood, NC
Height: 5’ 3”
Weight: 167 lbs (total)
            133 lbs (organic)
Hair Color: Purple (dyed)
                 Black (natural)
Eye Color: Grey
Ethnicity: Hispanic
Occupation: Freelance Mercenary
Known Cyberware: Subdermal armor, Self-ICE, Militech “Apogee” Sandevistan, Kiroshi “Stalker” Optics, Ballistic Coprocessor, Reinforced Tendons
Scars: ½” scar on right side of forehead (purported bullet wound, unconfirmed)
          2 ¾” laceration at 30° angle across lower back
Residence(s): Megabuilding H10, 8th floor apt. #0716, Little China, NC (primary)
                     875 Charter Street, 3rd floor apt. #0305, Kabuki, NC (secondary)
Affiliations: The Mox (confirmed)
                  The Valentinos (suspected, unconfirmed)
                 The Afterlife (confirmed)
                Aldecaldo clan (suspected, unconfirmed)

Bio: Born to unknown parents in Heywood, Subject grew up homeless. At age 11, Subject’s mother is reported to have committed suicide via a dextromethamphetamine (a.k.a. ‘Dorph/Black Lace) overdose. Subject was taken in shortly afterward by a local priest and fixer, Sebastian Ibarra, nicknamed “El Padre.” A failed heist of Yorinobu Arasaka’s penthouse at Konpeki Plaza left her with a prototype Relic overwriting her psyche. Subject first came into contact with us via Agent Song “Songbird” So Mi, as part of a mission to rescue President Rosalind Myers after Space Force One was downed in Night City airspace. She later conspired with Agent “Songbird” against the NUSA, but Subject handed her over to FIA operatives before Agent “Songbird” could escape.

Operational Notes: Homeless from birth, Subject has developed remarkable adaptability and survival instincts, as well as a deep mistrust of anyone unknown to her (particularly corporations). She holds very radical and dangerous beliefs regarding corporations and the government, providing challenges to cooperation. The prototype Relic has made her personality somewhat erratic, and thus not wholly predictable. All activity must be reported to Joshua Richardson, Director of the Federal Intelligence Agency. Her skill, aversion to the negative effects of cyberware, and potential malleability make her a prime candidate for replacing Agent Blackhand for sensitive field operations.

As he reached the end of the report, Reed noticed another document attached. It required a clearance code to view, which he promptly provided. As the system processed his clearance, he felt his heart descend to his stomach.

Project: Valkyrie

It was full project documentation for what had been codenamed Valkyrie - their whole plan to turn V into a ruthless one-woman army. Lame pun, Reed thought flatly. Although much of the more earth-shattering information had been revealed in the meeting earlier that day, seeing it all laid bare to him struck a chord. He needed to sleep to digest this information, but instead, he spent much of the night tossing and turning. V occupied too much of his thought to allow sleep.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Solomon Reed awoke with a few minutes to spare on his alarm. His body’s natural circadian rhythm had been so finely tuned during his service in the NUS SpecOps that he almost didn’t need an external alarm clock. However, having it as a safety net in the unlikely scenario his body did fail by itself brought him some measure of comfort. Dragging himself out of bed, he began the motions of his morning routine. Following this, he kept himself busy until shortly before he was expected at the lab. He elected to arrive early but was surprised when he saw Meredith Stout already there, looking down into a training facility. As he approached the window, his heart skipped a beat. There was V, adorned in jet-black NUSA fatigues, staring up at the window with a blank expression. She’s all right, Reed reassured himself, but her hollow stare made him second guess his assertion.

“She’s already taken to her new cyberware nicely. And now she doesn’t complain when I tell her what to do,” remarked Stout, before quietly adding, “Not that I mind a little resistance.”

“You said yesterday that you’d already met her. When?” inquired Reed.

“She worked for me on a job about a year ago. After that, well, I invited her to come and… chat with me,” smirked Meredith, followed by a leering look towards V, as if sizing her up. “That uniform looks good on her. Better than those street rags she usually wore,” she adds, as if Reed couldn’t hear her.

It hits Reed like a wall of bricks. V and… her? He admittedly didn’t know much about V’s life in that field, but he could not fathom what she saw in Meredith. He scrambled to shove that train of thought out of his head. He had a job to do, and he needed to not fuck it up. Forcing a new conversation topic, Reed asked, “You mentioned new cyberware?”

“Yup. Biomonitor, bionic joints, titanium bones, synaptic accelerator, optical camo, Higurashi 20-13 mantis blades. We even tweaked her Sandevistan to last a little longer,” listed Meredith, rattling off each piece of V she destroyed and replaced with cold chrome as if it were a shopping list. Reed kept his uneasiness to himself, as he had been doing for years. Unfazed, Meredith asks, “Wanna see what she can do?”

Reed nods. Meredith’s eyes glow blue before a dozen training bots emerge from the ground. They quickly activate, and before he knows it, V is a whirlwind of black and purple. She dashes to her left, using one bot as a shield while drawing a pair of knives, throwing them into the necks of the bots immediately to her left and right. She shoves the one she’s using as a shield into two approaching, before whipping out two pistols and landing a shot on each of their heads. Lunging forward with her mantis blades deployed, she activates her Sandevistan and slices two clean down the middle. After impaling another with her blades, she tosses it, crushing another two under its weight. Reed feels his heart rate quicken as a bot lines up a shot, only to have V activate her mantis blades and slice the bullet in half. She rolled forward, and he wasn’t sure when V’s pistols reappeared in her hands, but she swiftly planted a bullet in the head of the last two. By the time his brain had processed what he witnessed, each bot was a mangled and sparking pile of metal and V was standing in a position identical to the one she held moments prior. Not looking winded in the slightest, she stares up at Reed with an unsettling look, a paradoxical blend of disinterest and savagery.

Dear God, V. What have they done to you… is all Reed can think.

Chapter Text

The Oval Office had always held a special place in Reed’s heart. He’d meticulously studied every inch of this room in his youth - the ivory drapes that adorned the tinted plate glass windows, the vibrantly woven stars and stripes of the NUS flag, and the chair made of real leather. And the centerpiece of it all, the Resolute Desk. It was one of the few pieces of the original Oval Office that survived the Collapse. Its oak body had been polished and adorned with a gold trim. Two paintings flanked each side of the Desk. To its left were George Washington and Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Elizabeth Kress and Ulysses S. Grant to the right. Reed vividly remembered his first visit there with Myers - namely his question about her choice of portraits.

 “Grant was a military man who fought to keep his country in one piece, both on the battlefield and in the Office. I see quite a bit of myself in him.”

Becoming the President had been a boyhood dream of Reed’s. He grew up amongst the ashes of the old United States, falling asleep to tales of the heroics of its presidents like Washington and Lincoln that his father told him. He’d wanted, above all else, to help restore the once proud and glorious nation his father told him. After reaching adulthood, he enlisted in the armed forces and later took a position at the Federal Intelligence Agency. It was in the FIA that Reed was taught the true history of the country he once venerated - a history constructed of lies, corruption, and authoritarianism. He told himself that the only way to change a system was from the inside, to justify his previous faith in a predatory institution. However, he began to believe his rationale less and less with each passing day.

Reed contemplated telling Myers where to stick her meeting after she called him to the Oval Office. He'd barely slept all week, as he had thrown himself into his work in an effort to distract his conscience. But he knew any excuse would be futile, and it would be easier on everyone if he just complied. As he entered, Reed’s eyes snapped to V. She was wearing a pressed navy blue two-piece skirt and blazer with 1” heels, far nicer than the edgrerunner clothes Reed typically associated with her. He remembered her complaining about having to wear fancy clothes during their infiltration of the Black Sapphire a lifetime ago. She described the experience at the time as feeling like “having a stick up her ass. ” Smiling internally at the memory, he also remembered how hesitant she was to leave the laundry room they changed in until he reassured her that she looked good. It should’ve come out as an empty compliment, but something about it felt sincere that he couldn’t place why at the time. 

I should’ve known better then. But it wouldn't have changed anything. Reed mentally kicked himself before he could get lost in his thoughts. This was not the time for regrets. 

Something must’ve alerted Myers to his presence, as she swiveled around to greet him with a sly grin dominating her face. The slight movement in the edges of his periphery snagged his attention. Rosalind had been rolling a coin deftly along her fingers, and he realized instantly it was the same coin she had given V, the one he saw her holding that fateful day on the basketball court.

  “Who sent you?”

  “A mutual friend,” was all V said.

 “We don’t have mutual friends,” snarled Reed, his gun still pressed against her ribs.

  “Friend survived an accident. Ya might’ve heard.”

 “I might’ve. Is she safe?”

  “Hard to say, the longer we sit here.” 

  Ignoring her attempt to provoke him, Reed continued pushing, “Were you followed? Did you even bother to check?”

  “Dunno. Wasn’t lookin’ for a tail,” quipped V with thinly masked sarcasm.

 “Well, you get one point for being candid,” grunted Reed, trying to hide his own sarcasm.

“Hello, Sol. We were waiting for you,” said Myers, interrupting his reminiscing. She flipped the coin towards V, who promptly caught it before standing up with practiced grace and raising her right hand.

Oh fuck , thought Reed. The oath…

Myers began, "Repeat after me: I, V, do hereby solemnly swear…”

"I, V, do hereby solemnly swear,” echoed V robotically.

“...to faithfully serve the New United States of America.”

“...to faithfully serve the New United States of America,” her voice showing no inflection and no signs of apprehension.

“I vow to uphold the values set forth in the nation's Constitution,” the president continued, “and represent its government with dignity and due diligence.”

“I vow to uphold the values set forth in the nation's Constitution and represent its government with dignity and due diligence.”

“I pledge to defend my country against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Should this cause claim my life, so be it."

“I pledge to defend my country against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Should this cause claim my life, so be it," V concluded, unflinchingly unconscious of the gravity of her words.

"On behalf of all NUS citizens - I thank you," said Myers, grinning like a wolf who finally caught its prey. As V went to leave the room, Myers turned him and gloated, “I told you I’d get that oath, Reed. I’m a woman of my word.”

Reed stormed out of the room with barely contained fury. He wouldn’t be able to bring himself to return to the project after witnessing the stunt Myers had pulled. He knew she had been sour about V neglecting to take the oath the first time - she had complained about it to Reed for the entire duration of her return trip to D.C. However, he had not remembered Myers being that vindictive. He could tell she had been waiting for this moment for months, playing it repeatedly in her head. This was probably the first thing that came to mind when she first conceived the project , he thought. But he didn’t want to dwell on it for long, he had to get to the spaceport.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

What had begun as a light patter that morning had turned into a downpour by early evening. Reed absentmindedly flipped through the radio, until settling on a familiar song, but he couldn’t remember where. 

“I don't hear anything about it right now

Take down, all of this is jaded somehow

It's not me, so fade a little off in the wind

Make it up, break it up, find that it's the hardest to be.”

As he pulled into the spaceport, he was fortunate he’d remembered to put his umbrella inside his Thorton, especially since the only available parking was quite a walk from the entrance. As he made his way through the packed lobby, he couldn’t help but scan the area for any potential threats - he knew all too well how quickly a packed lobby could turn into a slaughter. Stepping up to the scanners, he followed every instruction given to him. After hassling the employee to let him through when the scan picked up some of his more confidential implants, he quickly surveyed the room for Alex. He didn’t get to say goodbye seven years ago, and missing the opportunity a second time was the last thing he wanted. Upon seeing her, the first genuine smile in weeks spread across his face. Alex was one of his closest friends and one of the only ones he had left. But her retirement had been approved by Myers, and now she would be leaving too. 

“Hey, Sol,” greeted a voice behind him. He pivoted his head to see Alex leaning against a terrarium, her carry-ons at her feet.

“Alex,” greeted Reed.

“Part of me was expectin’ you to be late,” remarked Alex, “or come with a certain mercenary. She too busy with her accolades to say g’bye?”

Alex narrowed her eyes at the pained darkness that flitted across Reed’s face at the mention of V. She knew what that expression meant - he had news. Bad news. Without skipping a beat, she began grilling Reed for information.

“Alex, I shouldn’t tell you, it’s pretty sensitive.”

“That’s never stopped ya before. Plus, now I gotta know - this sounds too juicy to pass up,” Alex retorted, not bothering to hide her smirk. 

With a heavy sigh, Reed acquiesced. “It’s V. Myers has her training as an agent.”

“Heh, I knew it had something to do with that merc. How much did Myers have to shell out to convince her?” joked Alex. Her grin began to morph into a mimic of Reed’s grimace.

Sighly deeply, Reed murmured, “Myers turned the Relic V was having trouble with into a way to… help her comply with orders. And I’m to be her handler.” 

“Wh-What does that mean? You make it sound like she has no choice.” stammered Alex. 

Reed wasn’t sure how best to describe it. So, he settled on the blunt truth. “Yeah... she doesn't.” He winced at how the words felt leaving his mouth and couldn’t bring himself to look Alex in the eyes. The silence that followed seemed to last for an eternity.

Finally finding her voice, Alex gritted, “You’re shitting me… You-You’re not shitting me. You can’t seriously be considerin’ doing… this ? For fuck’s sake, Reed, she’s our friend and you wanna strip her of all fuckin’ autonomy!” her voice rising in intensity with each word.

“I know, Alex. But I don’t have a choice-”

“Bullshit, you ‘don’t have a choice!’” interrupted Alex. “Listen, not every order is one you have to agree with. Believe me, I know. But this is way over the line!” 

Reed looked deep into his friend's eyes, her earnest concern evident in her olive irises. He hadn’t noticed her fatigue until just now, being too preoccupied in his mind. Some friend you are, Reed , he mentally scolded himself. 

“So, Monaco?” inquired Reed, seeking to change the topic.

“Yup. Landing in France and then taking a train to Monte Carlo,” responded Alex curtly. She clearly didn’t want to drop that conversation, so she would likely text him her entire ride to continue scolding him. 

“What’s the first thing you’ll do when you get there?”

Alex pondered the question for a moment, before finally saying, “Dunno. ‘M lookin’ forward to not havin’ everything laid out before me. ‘Goin’ with the flow’, shit like that.”

“Now boarding at Terminal 2A, Flight 67, Washington D.C. to Paris.”

After the PA hung up, Reed drew Alex into a hug and was surprised at how fiercely she hugged him back. She was one of his closest friends, and he knew he would miss her immensely. For a moment, he was completely lost in the moment, like tears in the rain. Her hold loosened, and she bent down to grab her bags and started towards the gate. 

After a few steps, however, she turned and called out, “Reed, don’t let Myers and the FIA dictate you forever. Please .”

As Alex walked through the terminal, humming a familiar tune, he thought, How, though?

Chapter Text

Hopping through an open window, Valkyrie moved silently across the deserted office. She scanned the room, searching for any potentially hidden access points. Most people would struggle in the near pitch-black room; however, she was implanted with experimental night vision optics. Her head quickly snapped towards the edge of an access point, poking out behind a desk against the far wall. Gliding across the office and pushing the desk aside silently, she promptly began the breach protocol. 

An innocuous office building with military-grade ICE would’ve aroused suspicions in anyone, but the FIA had specific intel that the building was a front for an Arasaka financial network. The corp had held its banking division close to its chest for nearly a century, with the randomly generated ciphers for an executive override command split among several locations across the globe. The objective was simple - slip a backdoor into the building’s network, allowing the FIA to access this piece of the cipher undetected. Within moments, the ICE had been pierced and the program planted. It was a quick and easy first op.

She heard a faint scuff of a shoe as she withdrew her personal link. She wasn’t alone. Diving behind a desk with cat-like grace, Valkyrie held her breath, not wanting to draw the attention of the mystery figure. This op depended on discretion, and any bodies could potentially jeopardize everything. However, if push came to shove, Valk was more than capable of defending herself. Eventually, the footsteps began to recede, and within moments she was easing open the window and slipping out. The instant her foot hit the open ground, the world froze.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Reed pried off the BD wreath. V had been implanted with a braindance scroller, allowing any missions to be archived and studied. It had proven especially handy when it came to reconnaissance.

        “Wish she had a BD scroller before.”

Meredith’s lecherous comment surfaced before being dissolved in an instant. She seemed hellbent on referencing her and V’s… Reed wasn’t sure if ‘relationship’ was the right word. Her and V’s history . Perhaps she knew how uncomfortable it made him.

Setting the wreath on a nearby table, he grabbed his datapad and pulled up the project documentation. 

Myers had begun ramping up her efforts against Arasaka. She appeared to be building towards something big - Reed just wasn’t sure what that was yet. He suspected that she wanted to reclaim the Free States - her loss in the Unification War years prior had been a black spot in her administration. His eyes glazed over some nonsense report about Saburo Araska - he had been dead for over a year, so why should he care?

“Fuck…” Reed muttered to himself, dragging his hand across his face. He was already behind on reviewing V’s performances, and Myers was beginning to grow impatient with him dragging his feet. Sighing heavily, he inserted the next shard into the wreath.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Reed had resigned himself to an evening of watching the mission equivalents of watching paint dry. It was only as he reached the last shard, that he faltered. It was well past 1 in the morning, and he wanted nothing more than to finish up, shower, and sink into his bed. But something about this shard in particular made the hair on the back of his neck shoot up. Quickly banishing his apprehension, he slotted it into the wreath and began the scroll.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Valkyrie was sitting in a deserted train car, watching a nearby couple sit down out of the corner of her eye. The familiarity of the situation made him nauseous, and he knew the feeling was his and not Valk’s. She never experienced any emotions while out in the field. Or ever. She always managed to keep a level head and take steady breaths. Not wanting to get distracted, he focused on the couple. They were both Japanese, maybe mid-20s. Valkyrie’s assignment was to assassinate both of them, as they were reportedly major figures in Arasaka’s cybernetics manufacturing division, and retrieve a shard with documentation on a classified Mantis Blade prototype. 

The woman laid her head on her partner’s shoulder, fatigue evident in her posture. The man, deep in his screamsheet, was oblivious to Valkyrie easing out of her seat and sliding a suppressed pistol out of her jacket. Lining up a shot at the base of his skull, she squeezed the trigger once, before flitting to the woman with superhuman speed and planting a bullet in an identical spot as the man’s. An unnatural silence fell over the cabin.

Within seconds, it was split by the sound of a baby’s cries. Peeling the woman’s body back revealed an infant swaddled in a mint green blanket that was now soaked with blood. No no no… Just take the shard and go , prayed Reed. However, in the back of his mind, he knew she wouldn’t. Confirming his fears, Valkyrie raised her pistol and centered it between the infant’s eyes.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Reed threw the wreath off as he began dry heaving. Jesus fucking Christ … he thought to himself. He’d seen a lot of shit in his life and even participated in some of them. But nothing could compare to what he’d just witnessed.  He had to remind himself that she was still the same person who had been upset at Slider's death, and when he and Alex killed the Cassel twins. But was she? The V he knew had refused to kill someone when another option was present. But Valkyrie? She had just executed three people, one being a child no older than 2 months like it was another day that ended in -y. He remembered chastising her for her attitude toward killing, wondering how she managed as a mercenary with such an unorthodox way of operating. 

He felt his throat begin to constrict and his knuckles tighten. Struggling to his feet, Reed quickly trudged out of the lab towards his quarters. As his vision tunneled, V’s fury at the killing of Aurore and Aymeric flashed across his mind.

        “It is a game, your fuckin’ spy game they weren’t playin’! They were innocent!”

At the time, he’d focused solely on the latter sentence, challenging their innocence. However, as her cry echoed in his head, her real meaning began to take shape. V meant they were innocent of the elaborate web of treachery and murder that had been the rescue of So Mi. To the Cassels, it had just been a sale of access codes. They were unaware of the execution that awaited them until it was too late.

His foot banged into the frame of his bed. He hadn’t realized he had reached his room. Releasing a breath he didn't know he was holding, Reed fell into bed - he wasn't even going to bother with a shower. Within moments, he was unconscious. However, he would not get any meaningful rest.

He was back in that godforsaken train. Except he wasn’t ‘him’, he was V. Paralyzed with terror, he watched helplessly as she ruthlessly killed the couple again. However, their faces had changed into a pair of hauntingly familiar figures. The man had a face that Reed had seen falling asleep countless times, accompanied by tales of a long-gone country. The woman had a face that Reed had seen whenever he struggled with his homework or had any kind of question. 

“Mom…? Dad…?” croaked Reed, unsure of how his voice was coming from V. Looking down, he saw that he was a young boy, kneeling in a puddle of blood. His hands shaking uncontrollably, he let out a scream echoed by decades of pain.

Surging awake, Reed had a thin sheen of sweat coating his brow and tears prickling the corners of his eyes. With a hoarse cry on his lips, Reed focused on taking deep breaths. In through the nose, out through the mouth. He hadn’t thought of his parents in years, compartmentalizing his trauma until it sat locked in the deep recesses of his mind. As all that pain came pouring out unexpectedly, he did something he hadn’t allowed himself to do since he was little - he began to cry.

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UPDATE: This is not a notice of cancellation for this fic - life kicked me pretty hard several times in the nuts lately. I am posting this to let everyone reading this know that I am still alive (only on the outside tho) and that I will resume work on this eventually. I appreciate the patience.

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