Missing

A Meeting and a Suspicion

A new rush of energy filled the infirmary. Amidst the rush, a thought came to me that didn't add up.

"Mir, why did you come back so soon? When you said that you'd check out that figure."

"He disappeared." He shrugged innocently. "When I got close, he literally disappeared in a cloud of smoke."

"Wait, you're saying he vanished?" Shao sounded skeptical. "How is that possible?"

"No idea, man. All I know is what I saw: one second he was there, the next he wasn't."

"Keep in mind, Shao, that anything and everything is on the table. Remember our first encounter with The Vipers? We went up against someone who can decay anything that they touch. That shouldn't be possible either yet it is," Cam reasoned. "Anyway, don't worry about it too much, Mir. I'm sure you'll get another chance. Are you up for a meeting, Kaia? There's a lot we need to unpack"

"Of course!" I scooted off the medical bed, ignoring the pain shooting throughout my legs. Jack lingered nearby, hovering at my shoulder.

Cam turned to Shao behind him. "What about you? You feeling up to it?"

Shao's face was deathly serious. "That's not even a question. Just tell me when and I'll be there."

Cam started on his way out of the infirmary, snagging both pieces of paper. "Meet me in the conference hall. I'm going to track down Ben, Olaf, and Freeced. I shouldn't be too long." Halting for a moment, he turned back around. "Mir, you can relax for the night; you deserve it."

Turning to me, Shao silently asked me to take the lead through the base. Murmuring our goodbyes to Jack and Connor, I confidently trailed out of the infirmary after Cam who had already disappeared. Once we had rounded the corner out of Jack's sight, my shoulders fell and I leaned against the wall. I felt my cheeks darken with humiliation as my pain got the better of me.

"Are you ok?" Shao asked me. After a few heartbeats of silence, he continued. "Kaia, you don't have to act tough around us."

"No, I'm fine. I'm fine. Just a little out of breath."

"You don't have to lie to me. It's ok to say that you're not feeling well; it's ok to ask for help. We're not going to push you to do something that you physically or mentally can't do at that moment."

My face burned. "Shao, I'm fine! Babying these cuts isn't going to do Nem or Shwab any good; I have to push through! I know I can, so please let me do this." I pushed on, stubbornly making my way across the base.

I heard Shao sigh in defeat behind me. My humiliation burned into determination and anger. He remained nearby, but didn't push me to accept help. Slowly, we made our way across the base to the conference room, my remaining wounds complaining the entire way.

Finally, we rounded a corner into the room. A large U-shaped table laid in the middle of the room, curving away from us and surrounded by black swivel chairs. Every couple chairs there were pencil tins resting on the table, each with an assortment of pens and a highlighter. Tall windows lined the wall on one side, showcasing the nighttime cityscape that surrounded us. Across the room from where we entered, a large TV was mounted on the wall. The wide screen duly reflected the midnight lights from the town.

Directly across from the windows, a solid row of extra seats was lined next to the wall. Separated violet cushions were partially embedded into the wooden frame. There were fairly good-sized cubbies underneath the cushions for our teammates to place weaponized parts of their armour without them getting in the way.

Flicking the lights on, I made my way to the closest chair, Shao still behind me. He was just getting settled a few seats away when Cam walked in with the others in tow. He was still in his Declivity costume, but his mask was laying down on his shoulders like a hood.