"No!" they shouted in unison. Lavi looked over at Riko who was trying to keep her distance while still being able to listen to the phone. Lavi heard Komui wince on the other side.
"Come on, you guys!" he shouted back, "Work together as a team! There's no N O in team! Go team!"
"Shut up, Komui," Riko snapped at the phone and crossed her arms.
"Komui, I can't work with her!" Lavi complained and crossed his free arm awkwardly over the phone in his other hand then crossed back and tried to stand properly. Riko stared at him, amused.
"Sure you can, Lavi! You can work with anyone! That's the beauty of you."
"Nothing beautiful from where I'm standing," Riko muttered.
Lavi turned on her, his face reddening, "Hey!"
"Riko!" Komui blasted from the phone, "I can't let you go alone to find Klaud because she's already refused to stay put, and I know the minute you find her, you'll follow her every instruction and we'll lose you both."
"It's nice to know you have so much faith in me, Komui," Riko said.
"It's the truth. Lavi and Bookman are going with you to give you leverage."
"I don't need leverage, if she doesn't want to come in, she won't."
"Riko, you're not understanding," Komui dragged in a pleading voice, "We're not asking you to visit her, we're asking you to bring her to safety. They're targeting the generals."
Riko sighed, "If they can't protect themselves, how are we regulars going to protect them? She knows that, she's not going to come in if she doesn't want to!"
"Why not?" Lavi shouted over the fighting. He was genuinely curious. Riko looked at him suspiciously. "Why not come in?" he asked again.
She stared at him as if he was joking, but when she realized he wasn't, she took a deep breath, "The order isn't a home. It's a pit-stop where we're not supposed to spend more than a day or two in. We have finders, chiefs, people who work to keep the order so we don't have to. If you're someone who cares at all about their job as an exorcist, you'll understand. There are way too many akuma out there for us stay put."
Riko's determined eyes didn't quiver at all under Lavi's gaze. She was serious, perhaps the most serious exorcist he had met. It felt like she was an exorcist and nothing else, that she had devoted her whole being to it and disliked anyone who didn't.
"I understand that," Komui added, "But she needs to come in for her own safety. If she lives, she'll kill more. Lavi and Bookman are only there to help you. They'll follow you."
Riko glared at the phone, and then at Lavi who immediately felt very nervous. She took a step closer and put her face an inch away from his.
"You tell me what to do," she pronounced every word through clenched teeth, "I break both your arms off and make you eat them."
And then she turned on her heel and stomped out of the office, leaving Lavi to try to calm his horrified heart.
"Lavi?" Komui chimed, "Lavi, you still there?"
"Eh..." was all he could manage.
Komui made a noise that almost sounded like a laugh, "You can tell why we don't usually team her up on missions."