Mirage watched calmly as the knife blurred from Rain’s hand and scattered the Kobra scientists. Her eyes watched each one as they darted past, but none of them dared attack. That was one way to get the job done. She was about to simply walk on, and then Rain opened his mouth.

His comment was one of the type that usually would have slid past her skin. She had heard worse, so much worse, all her life. More potent, harsh, and far cleverer barbs than that. But that was before Atlantis. Now Rain’s choice to bloody the water when there was no reason to, simply made her want to react in kind.

Her voice could have frozen ocean water. [color=orange]“The absence of intelligence is buried deep as well. A wall of stone may yet be made of sand and shark piss.”[/color] She carried on, just at his heel, watching his back as if she just hadn’t called him an idiot and a fraud in a very fancy way.

The two seemed to hear the groan at the same time, as they sped up as one. While Rain stopped to look around, Mirage went straight to Metamorph. [color=orange]“Metamorph?!”[/color] She took his pulse and checked his breathing swiftly. He was very much alive, but something was still wrong.

Then instinct spoke to her – [b]predator[/b]! - and she whipped around to face the door.

[color=orange]“Shark!”[/color] It was the wrong word, sure, but the intent was right. Horror flitted across her face as she saw the bulking mass – and then recognized the boy within it. [color=orange]“Oh no.”[/color] 

When Rain gave the order, she hesitated. It wasn’t that the order was bad. It was just that  her instinct was still screaming in the base of her brain, that they were being circled…

[color=orange]“Understood.”[/color] Mirage shrunk her staff and lifted Metamorph as if he were made of glass. [color=orange]“Come on, my friend.”[/color] She started to carry him out of the room.