"I can't believe you!" I gasped, flopping into my chair with a choke, "You're... I can't! Why right now?"
"Because we need to be productive, that's why." Mihi snorted, shaking her head, "Just because we a have a guest doesn't mean shouldn't continue with our normal routine!"
"Normal? Like hell! Troy was supposed to be my last mission! You can't force me to do it if-"
"Actually, we can. And you know that you have many other options for your final mission, don't play with us." Mihi glared at me, a thunderstorm flashing just behind her eyes, "After what you pulled last time, and the fact that we need info on Troy, would lead us to send you. So, you'll do it."
"Devin-" I turn to him, almost begging, but he shook his head.
"Johta said she wanted you to go. Supposedly there's some sort of rare disease there she wants to investigate."
"You're sending me to get sick and come back?" I am on the brink of tears, my last mission stolen and pointless.
"Nope. She's just hoping it'll come with you," Devin attempted to be reassuring, but failed rather miserably.
"So, let me get this straight. You want me to go on my final jump now, only three years after joining this place? It's absurd!"
"It's not. There's loads more for you visit, plus you already went to 2013, so even something as insane as that is already marked out. Try to redeem yourself," Mihi grinned, perfect features curving into a demon grin, pleasure in my pain, another of her her usual attempts to seem more than the soft-hearted beauty she really was.
"And what if I did?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, trying to avoid looking like I was surrendering under the sheer pressure, "What if I went now? What about my final jump?"
"Well, loads of fun everywhere. You could even visit Jack the Ripper!"
"Firstly, it took ages to procure the Troy mission from the English branch. Secondly, Jack the Ripper is an English based mission as well." I raised an eyebrow, a challenge to this insane idea.
"Hell, we need Sohyee," Devin muttered, burying his head in his hands, "Researchers talk smoother in binary code."
Mihi rolled her eyes, chocolate spheres in a perfect pale complexion, "Look, we have a Jurassic jump lined up for a few years hence, so you could do that one."
I scanned their faces, searching for some leverage, an inch of ground ripe for my taking.
Nothing.
Exhaling heavily, I rubbed my knees against the smooth, glossed finish of the table, tilting my head back, avoiding the burning glares of those around me, and there I sat for a long moment, hanging my answer, tantalizing, before their noses.
"Fine. I'll do it," I conceded, then pushed off, rolling backwards, "When do I leave?"
"Tomorrow." There was no surprise nor hesitation from Mihi.
"Yep. We already confirmed it with Prof." Devin visibly relaxed, running another hand worry-worn through his hair.
"Tomorrow? What the actual fu-"
"Language!" Mihi's eyes widened at my curse, as if she still wasn't used to hearing profanities left and right. We were historians, after all. What else was to be expected? Mihi was always to pure for Thrusk.
"What the hell!" I shoot back, grinding my teeth in undiluted disgust, "Tomorrow?"
Devin clenched his hands, fingers wrapping into tight fists, "We have everything ready. You'll be going with Seo Hyo and Han Max."
"And what about Taehyung?" I fire back, and a surprising stab shoots through me at my casual use of his name.
"What about him? He can't leave, and in five days we'll send him back, and hopefully everything can go back to normal."
"Normalcy isn't something that describes Thrusk," Mumbling others of my misgivings towards this whole plan, I swept up my tea and bag in one motion, then glanced back and forth between them. I would have spread my hands in a sign of surrender, however, they were full of things I cared more for than this idiotic plan. "Well, who's outfitting us?"
Devin smiled brightly at my change, and took me by the shoulder as Mihi began to clean up the remains of her donut, "Everyone else is already ready," he snorted, "So just you, and Johta'll see to that."
I groaned. What perfect start to this whole bag of nope.
