20.2 Fic: Mirage Reflection 4

"Cypher, I can't have both of our medics. It doesn't make any sense."   I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to do this, please don’t make me do this.   "Don't need a medic for a business meeting, if that's how we're playing it."   He’s not naive, why is he acting naive? He KNOWS better.   "I KNOW you know there's a possibility that this business meeting goes sideways."   "It's always a possibility, but listen, listen. Nobody wants it to turn into a fight because fucker has a private army, yeah? What if we used the ruse to drain the barracks?"   Ta'lok has his tree-trunk arms crossed over his chest. "How do you figure?"   "By selling information, not assistance. 'She's at such-and-such plausible location, and when we told her we wouldn't put up with her shit any more she went and hired some protection so you better go prepared'. His people move out, he either goes with them and we can double back for snooping purposes, or - and my money's on this one -fucker's a coward as well as an asshole, he'll stay behind and we can question him properly". There is a cold smile with that last part.   Oh that sounds like a good idea - wait, is there risk? There’s always a risk, what’s the risk? Damn that vicious streak is hot no no nonon no FOCUS. Fuck.   Everyone takes a minute to absorb.   "And if he decides to detain you or request some sort of assurance that you're not sending him on a wild goose chase?" Mirage asks   "The original plan doesn't account for that either, just for the record," he says, "the workaround here is that if I touch his mind just a little, he's miles away when it comes back around."   Stop poking holes in my logic, damnit. Wait - he’s willing to use his magic on another person? Just for this? He never does that. Why? I mean I guess it could work, but that leaves me sitting out here twiddling my thumbs while they all put their lives in danger, and that sucks. Cypher right in the front, talking his way around. What if it goes south, what if they’re imprisoned - no. No! I hate this.   Gods, I just want to go home.   They give Cypher varying looks of - not scrutiny, but like, "What does just a little mean?"   Mirage sits down, looking miserable. "I can't...that puts you at so much risk. But I can't think of an alternative. What if we - WAIT - what if you went in and tried to gain his favor, like, 'Hey, we were looking for her and we know she was here, have you seen her?' No, that's dumb." She tugs on her hair in frustration.   "It's not dumb."   There has to be another way, I hate this. I hate this. I hate this.   "Wait, I could be bait! Out here, we lure him outside, so if it comes to it and we need to run, I can run!" As long as I can see the sky, I’ll be okay.   "Absolutely the fuck not"   Cri and Saeldor quickly voice their less-crass agreement, but Ta'lok has a considering look on his face, knowing sometimes you have to move a pawn out of protection to bait out a bishop.   Cypher was sitting on the edge of his bunk, but when he clocks the minotaur's absent voice in this point, he is standing up so fast.   "Are you out of your goddamn mind? NO!"   Saeldor says, "Hey, let's all just be cool. Everybody take a big breath, no decisions have been made yet."   they all sound like they're speaking underwater.  Things are fuzzy, unclear.  She's losing the battle to keep her tears locked away.   Mirage stands up and paces aggressively, Nimbus darting back and forth.   She takes deep breaths, mutters to herself, "I just have to...I just have to do it. There's no other way. This makes the most sense." I don’t want them to get hurt, I don’t want to go back. I hate this.   "Mirage, no, there's tons of other ways, what the fuck are you talking about?"   She gulps. "I'm a fucking rogue. I gotta...I gotta infiltrate. You keep him busy, I'll poke around."   Quit being a little bitch about this and just do what you’re supposed to do. Get it the fuck together! You want Cri or Cypher snooping in your place? No! Just DO it.   "Hey."   "I know...I know the layout, kind of -" I remember the silver pattern on the floor tiles, the tapestries on the walls leading to my cell. Screaming at them until my throat hurt.   "Hey."   "He'll never expect me to be IN the building, with all of you. It's the last place...he'll...and it'll be fine -” Maybe being closer is better? Maybe this will all be okay, if I just -   She bumps into him, still looking down, in a staring contest with the front of his shirt.   "I can do it. I know I can do it." I have to do it.   He gives an exasperated sigh, pauses, then a pressure under her chin tilts her face gently upward.   The motion almost makes her tears spill over. Hot pinpricks behind her eyes. She can't blink fast enough.   "You're not going back there. I-we won't let that happen. You're fine, it's fine, just-" He pulls her into a hug, and her fingers curl into his shoulders in a grip as instant as it is unbreaking.   I’m here. He’s here. We’re here, together. It’s okay, it’s gonna be okay. He smells like cinnamon and he’s so warm and I didn’t mean to do this in front of them. I know he doesn’t like this but I need this for just one more second, Cypher, just a little longer, please? Don’t go, not yet.   "There's no splitting off," he says, ostensibly as much to the group as to her, despite the lowered volume. Whatever we do, we're doing it together,"   I’m tired. I’m so tired, and I just want to go home.   Her grip on his shoulders relaxes, he lets her go, holding her at arms length briefly before dropping his hands.   "Or have I been getting my notes wrong?"   Turnabout’s fair play, I suppose. At least this is proof that he heard us at the campfire. But he’s right…I’m not alone. They know where I am this time.   "We're working on too many unknowns anyway," he continues, "We need more information on this fucker. And I still say we don't need to talk to him to find out what's going on, if we can catch a time he's not home or something, that'd work too."   No. Can’t go home yet, not until we blow this fucker out of the sky. The others could do it, sneak around and get information, but I can do it better, so I will. That’s all there is. And then, after we deal with Amir…I’ll be free.