Riley stared as the last known sighting of Gabriel Reyes filled the screen. Gabe was in motion, only half-turned towards the camera that had captured him, but Riley was surprised to feel that he would have recognized him anyway. His hair was shorter, face perhaps a little rounder, but other than that he was the spitting image of the man Riley had once so briefly known. He felt so familiar, even though they should have been strangers.  

He didn't know for how long he'd stared at the results when the sound of someone passing by the Director's office jarred him back to the perils of the moment. He snapped a quick photo of the search results before logging off, erasing any trace of his presence. He pressed himself to the door, feeling for the currents of magic that always marked an elemental's presence; when he felt the absence, he slipped from the office.

Somehow he retained the presence of mind to text Dash, shooting off a meeting spot for the two of them. As Riley, with shaking hands, slipped his phone back into his pocket and approached the elevator, the doors opened before him. His stomach clenched to see Taysha and Director Phelps step off.  

“Well, ah, thank you, Ms. Tate, for that very thorough status report,” Director Phelps said.  

“Oh yeah, well, I know the daily briefings can be, um… brief,” Taysha said, looking flushed. She spotted Riley before the Director did, and he offered up the smallest nod he could manage to try to ease her concern. Her shoulders relaxed, but the lines of tension around her eyes didn't dissipate.  

“I appreciate your dedication. Now, if you’ll excuse me… Oh, good morning, Mr. Decker. You’re here early.” 

Director Phelps nodded to Riley and Taysha then began to make her way down the long hall to her office. Riley stopped her before she could pass. 

“Er, Director,” he said, “I’m not feeling well. I know I’ve already used all my time off--”

“If you’re sick, I’d rather you be at home where you can get well.”

Looking at Director Phelps, who had only ever been good to him, Riley did feel genuinely sick, awash with shame at the trust he’d just violated. Once again, he’d betrayed someone who had done nothing to deserve it.  

“Thank you… sorry,” Riley mumbled.

“Riley,” the Director said, taking a step closer and dropping her voice. “You don’t need to apologize for asking for what you need. Remember what we talked about the other day-- if you need more time--”

“I-I think just today,” he said, suddenly desperate to get out of her sphere of consideration. “But, um, thanks. Again.”

“Feel better,” the Director said, eyeing him closely once more before shooing him off to the elevator.  

***

Riley was still faintly miserable as he arrived at the rendez-vous point with Dash, but as soon as he spotted the mop of black-blue hair he was reminded of his purpose. Dash zipped towards him, his gray eyes wide.

“Did you really find him?” Dash asked, gripping Riley’s forearm tightly.

“Maybe,” Riley said. He pulled out his phone, angling his hand covertly so only Dash could see the screen. “This was taken two hours ago. He only used a trace of magic, not enough to trigger a response alert. There’s a chance he could still be there.”

“We need a cab,” Dash murmured, spinning around and racing towards the street. Riley caught up with him in a few steps, grabbing him back before he could all but throw himself in front of a passing taxi.  

“12th and Cambria, please,” Riley told the driver as he and Dash slid into the backseat. As the cab pulled away Riley could feel Dash buzzing with anxiety beside him.  

“Do you really think he’s still there?” Dash asked, keeping his voice low. “Where are we even going, I don’t know that intersection… why is he there?”

Riley had pulled up the location of the security camera on his phone. “Looks like there’s a dry cleaner, a mini-mart, a diner… those could be booths, so probably the diner,” he said, squinting back at his UAMS photo. The detail wasn’t the sharpest, but from the options he thought the diner was most likely.

“OK cool, so like, at least he’s eating well while I’m freaking the fuck out,” Dash muttered, but there was still too much anxiety in his voice to leave room for any actual resentment.  

Riley leaned in a little closer so the driver wouldn’t hear them.  

“We don’t know what we’re walking into, here,” he said. “He might not be there alone.”

“He can’t be,” Dash said, pressing his shoulder into the Riley's insistently. “He’d never put me through this by choice.”

“When we get there, I should go in alone first,” Riley said. He touched his hand to Dash’s knee before the inevitable protest could be mounted. “No one in… that group… would know me. As his brother, they might know about you. You’re... kind of distinctive.”

“I--” Dash began, puffing out his chest indignantly for just a moment before he deflated. He let his head fall back against the seat.  

“Fine, whatever it takes,” he said. “But I swear, this is the last time I let you pull your lone ranger act. I’ll handcuff you to me, don’t think I won’t.”

Riley thought he knew Dash well enough at this point to recognize this wasn't an idle threat, but he also knew it wouldn't come to pass. If all went according to plan, they were about to find Gabriel Reyes and put an end to this whole ordeal.