"And then..." Rhea gave a weak shrug, looking even more miserable then before, "Inyme just walked up to one of the Vanguard officers and
turned herself in."
"And you brought Alice home," Ifrit said, sounding unnervingly calm for a woman that had just gotten her worldview rather violently shaken up.
Both girls nodded, uncertain of what to say now. Ifrit sat there, lost in thought, before she stood up, face still unreadable as she went to the wall mounted
phones, taking the one marked 'offical business only', hit a speed-dial button and waited.
"Mackie? It's Ifrit. Could you get your sister? Thanks." Lisa blinked at that, then looked at Rhea, who had a look of understanding on her
face. "Sylia, we've got a problem. Security breach. It's Inyme. She's a Rikti. She just turned herself into Vanguard." She sighed,
closing her eyes for a moment. "I know... Look, I need you to get Mir and check the base systems... Yeah, pretty much like we planned for. And let
Lora'lai know, she'll need to do the same. I'd have Nene do it, but given PSI will need her to do this as well, and..." for a moment, her
expression slipped enough for the other two woman to see the raw grief she was experiencing. "I... we need her here. Okay. Thanks."
"What was that about?" Lisa wondered as Ifrit ended the call.
"You've got security protocols for spies," Rhea said, sounding somewhat impressed. "Access codes, teleporter access, classified
files..."
"So on and so on," Ifrit agreed. "Sylia's idea. I'd hoped she was just being paranoid, but given the sort of people we fight, it was
only fair to assume that they might try to infiltrate us somehow..." Her shoulders slumped and she closed her eyes to hold back the tears. "Oh
Christ..." She wiped at her face and dialed again. "Nene? How soon can you get off work and come home? Yes, it's urgent. Okay. Thanks. Love
you." She hung up, holding onto the phone for a long moment, trying not to think, before straightening up and turning back to the others.
"Um... I hate to seem like a bitch," she sad softly, "especially after making you tell me all that. But, I'm not really up to having
company right now..."
"Of course," Lisa replied, standing up. "If you need anything..."
Ifrit nodded. "Thanks for bringing her home," she said as Rhea gave her a brief hug. She showed them to the door and watched them leave, noting
the concern on their faces. Even with all the shocks to their worldview today, their first concern was still to their friends. The fey gave them a weak smile
as the door closed, then walked over to the couch and dropped onto it, burying her face in her hands.
For several minutes she just sat there, not making a sound, just suppressing the urge to break down crying. At the same time, she forced back a growing
anger, partly aimed at Nemesis for his arrogance, but more directed at Inyme. She tried to focus on what Rhea and Lisa had said, how Inyme had been sent to
target Hro'Drotz from an angle he'd never expected, or something, but all she could thin about was the fact she'd trusted her.
Alice had trusted her. Alice had loved her. And Inyme had used that for her own purposes. She'd used Ifrits kitten as another tool in infiltrating the
heroes. Never mind how much Alice loved her, relied on her, needed her... "You don't know that," she murmured. "You're just jumping to
conclusions..." She closed her eyes again, forced the flames away, and tried to wait for Nene.
***
turned herself in."
"And you brought Alice home," Ifrit said, sounding unnervingly calm for a woman that had just gotten her worldview rather violently shaken up.
Both girls nodded, uncertain of what to say now. Ifrit sat there, lost in thought, before she stood up, face still unreadable as she went to the wall mounted
phones, taking the one marked 'offical business only', hit a speed-dial button and waited.
"Mackie? It's Ifrit. Could you get your sister? Thanks." Lisa blinked at that, then looked at Rhea, who had a look of understanding on her
face. "Sylia, we've got a problem. Security breach. It's Inyme. She's a Rikti. She just turned herself into Vanguard." She sighed,
closing her eyes for a moment. "I know... Look, I need you to get Mir and check the base systems... Yeah, pretty much like we planned for. And let
Lora'lai know, she'll need to do the same. I'd have Nene do it, but given PSI will need her to do this as well, and..." for a moment, her
expression slipped enough for the other two woman to see the raw grief she was experiencing. "I... we need her here. Okay. Thanks."
"What was that about?" Lisa wondered as Ifrit ended the call.
"You've got security protocols for spies," Rhea said, sounding somewhat impressed. "Access codes, teleporter access, classified
files..."
"So on and so on," Ifrit agreed. "Sylia's idea. I'd hoped she was just being paranoid, but given the sort of people we fight, it was
only fair to assume that they might try to infiltrate us somehow..." Her shoulders slumped and she closed her eyes to hold back the tears. "Oh
Christ..." She wiped at her face and dialed again. "Nene? How soon can you get off work and come home? Yes, it's urgent. Okay. Thanks. Love
you." She hung up, holding onto the phone for a long moment, trying not to think, before straightening up and turning back to the others.
"Um... I hate to seem like a bitch," she sad softly, "especially after making you tell me all that. But, I'm not really up to having
company right now..."
"Of course," Lisa replied, standing up. "If you need anything..."
Ifrit nodded. "Thanks for bringing her home," she said as Rhea gave her a brief hug. She showed them to the door and watched them leave, noting
the concern on their faces. Even with all the shocks to their worldview today, their first concern was still to their friends. The fey gave them a weak smile
as the door closed, then walked over to the couch and dropped onto it, burying her face in her hands.
For several minutes she just sat there, not making a sound, just suppressing the urge to break down crying. At the same time, she forced back a growing
anger, partly aimed at Nemesis for his arrogance, but more directed at Inyme. She tried to focus on what Rhea and Lisa had said, how Inyme had been sent to
target Hro'Drotz from an angle he'd never expected, or something, but all she could thin about was the fact she'd trusted her.
Alice had trusted her. Alice had loved her. And Inyme had used that for her own purposes. She'd used Ifrits kitten as another tool in infiltrating the
heroes. Never mind how much Alice loved her, relied on her, needed her... "You don't know that," she murmured. "You're just jumping to
conclusions..." She closed her eyes again, forced the flames away, and tried to wait for Nene.
***