Prompt of the day: What she really needed was a strong cup of coffee.
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backup
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"You okay, kid?"
She sighed, lowered the binoculars and turned her head to gaze blearily at Hobbes. "I'll live," she grumbled when what she really need was a strong cup of coffee... or three. Even her reserves bottomed out on occasion. She could reduce her shielding in order to draw in more energy, which would counter the effects of the exhaustion setting in, but would give her a headache of monstrous proportions. Lowering her shields would mean letting more of them in and that would probably fuck her up worse than just being tired.
"You need to sleep," Hobbes pointed out needlessly. She knew what she needed, she also knew she would not be getting it any time in the near future. "How long have you been on this stakeout?"
She raised the binoculars and pointed them back out the window before answering. "Three days, give or take."
He grumbled under his breath for a few moments before asking, "How many alone?"
She didn't even glance over at him. "Three days, give or take."
Hobbes sighed deeply and rubbed his face in his hands. "Kid-"
"Bobby, there was no one else available to work this side of it. 'Fish wanted to set up cameras and watch remotely." She remained calm though she wanted to spit nails. "You know as well as I if something goes wrong they would never get here in time. You were still on leave, so I volunteered."
"And what job did you tell the Fat Man to shove up his ass to volunteer?"
She chuckled softly. "Nothing that was more important than watching D's back, no matter what the Boss may think."
Hobbes twisted the chair about, the squeal loud in the confines of the van. His eyes on the same building hers were. "Damn it, kid, you should have called me."
She shook her head. "No, you needed the time off. I may not like it, but once I read the file I understood why the Official went ahead and authorized this mission even without the two of us here."
"You think he can handle this?" Hobbes asked sounding uncertain.
"The cover is solid, D's skills are perfect, so unless The Imp of the Perverse steps in we should be good." All true, but that hadn't lowered her worry one whit.
"Then why are we here?"
She turned to him, one eyebrow raised.
Hobbes laughed. "Oh yeah, trouble magnet."
"Exactly, it's just a matter of when it happens." She closed her eyes, tired enough to need the lack of that sense to better focus on others. "They're in the final planning stages. D's excited, looking forward to doing the job."
"Tell me he hasn't forgotten why he's really there?"
She tipped her head, pushing deeper into Darien's mind. "No, he hasn't, but that doesn't lessen his enjoyment of planning a heist." She opened her eyes to find Bobby right beside her. "He misses being a thief."
Hobbes nodded slowly. "Does he know he has backup?"
She shook her head. "He was already in when I got back and I didn't want to throw off his game." Not just that, but he'd been happy, thrilled even to be dipping his toes back into the job he loved even if ultimately he'd be ratting his temporary partners out. She liked him happy and she would do nothing to spoil it. Besides, the Official had trusted Darien to pull this off alone, she would not play the overprotective girlfriend and rush in just because she hated being apart from him longer than necessary.
"Wait, you're telling me the 'Fish sent him in alone?" Hobbes did not sound happy about that at all.
"Which is why we are here now. He has the usual assortment of call phrases and crap, but if they decide to shoot him as soon as his part is done he won't exactly have time to make a call with the rescue me code." Very true and given he lacked powers beyond being able to turn invisible, he might not be able to get out of a tight situation without outside help. She had no intention of interfering and would not lift a finger unless there were actual life-threatening trouble, but better to be here and not needed than to take a trip to the morgue.
"Still, the Official should know better. Fawkes ain't you if he gets hurt bad..."
She reached out and set a hand on his arm. "I know, Bobby." She managed a smile. "Hey, give him some credit, he's good at his job. Both of them."
Hobbes snorted. "Not denying that for a second, kid. Still, wish I'd been in on this one from the beginning is all."
She cocked her head, raising the binoculars back up. "They're on the move." She handed him the glasses so he could see. She had just been being lazy and tired, as she could actually adjust her eyes to focus that far.
"How many?"
"A half dozen that I've seen. There have been phone calls to others, but my eavesdropping is limited."
"Have you asked Fawkes?"
"No."
Hobbes snapped his head about to look at her in surprise, but almost instantly calmed. "Oh, right, he doesn't know we're here. Well that'll make things interesting."
She snorted. "If things go to plan he won't need us at all, and I will have gone without sleep for no reason at all."
"Nah, kid. For the best reason of all."
She raised a questioning eyebrow. "And that would be?" she prompted when he chose not to expand on his somewhat vague comment.
"Watching your partner's back," he told her with all due solemnity.
"Watching our friend's back," she countered with, smiling slightly.
"That too," he agreed. "He's got a knack for this, he'll be fine."
"And if not, we'll beat him ourselves," she growled, knowing that things could go wrong at any moment no matter how well they planned ahead of time and this time it had been the Official, with Darien's advice, doing all the planning, And the Official's motives were always suspect.
The group of men and women came out of the building all chatting and seemingly on friendly terms, they split up heading for two different vehicles and taking no notice of the unmarked van half a block away. All except for Darien, of course.
*I'm good for now. Follow but stay out of sight. I'll holler if things go FUBAR.*
*Done,* she responded. *Having fun?*
*Tons.*
She could hear the pure joy in his mind voice and she knew he would go back to this life in a second if he could. *You good on Quicksilver?*
*Good enough,* he assured her. *Give us a head start. I'll leave the link open just in case.*
*We've got your back.*
He climbed into his designated SUV without ever once glancing their way. She watched as it drove off, turning the corner before reaching their location, greatly reducing the chances they'd been made. Darien felt unworried, so she didn't either.
"Kid?"
"He said to give them lots of space, but to follow along."
Hobbes nodded. "Made us did he?"
"Or felt me poking about. I tried to be unobtrusive but..." She shrugged. Darien had become very sensitive to her mental touch, so did it not surprise or concern her that he'd become aware of her presence in his mind. Plus, he'd been smart enough to use it to his advantage to pass along a message.
"I'll drive," Hobbes stated, hand out for the keys.
"But-"
"But nothing, you're good, but exhausted. 'Sides it'll be easier for you to keep an eye on him if you don't have to deal with defensive driving as well."
She grumbled only slightly before handing over the keys. "Maybe hit a Starbucks? Caffeine would be welcome about now."
Hobbes snickered as they played musical seats and he started the van with a rumble. "Sure, kid. I'll see what I can do."
She settled back into the passenger seat as he pulled out into the street, taking the same turn the SUV had. She closed her eyes and let Hobbes take control for a while, knowing he had her back too.
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finis