Off the Deep End

The Archimedean

The motel was the standard example of last-minute cheap living, unfortunately.

Kaldur made sure his weapons were still concealed, out of an awkward force of habit, and turned to Renegade. He was standing on the sidewalk, eyes trained on the skies. No mask, no armour. His face against the pale blue afternoon sky and clouds seemed right, as opposed to the gears and steel of the sub. Mount Justice was in the distance, and Kaldur ached at how close he was. He hadn't gotten this close in almost a year.

"are you coming?" Kaldur called over to his mission buddy.

Renegade didn't move his gaze, a small smile played on his lips.

"my sister made me a promise," he said, "she's sending someone over."

"this mission is strictly the two of us, no assassins."

Renegade chuckled, "I never said the someone was an assassin."

Kaldur frowned.

Renegade tensed and his head flicked around to settle his gaze on a different building, Kaldur followed, too late to see what he was watching. Renegade held an arm out and a bird settled on it. Kaldur thought he saw him grab something from the claws of the bird and tuck it away, but he must have been imagining it.

Kaldur stared at it.

"it's..." he blinked, "an owl?"

"a spotted owl," renegade said, scratching under the birds ear tufts, "her name's Isabel."

Kaldur looked between Richard and the bird. The two together looked... somehow right. It suddenly seemed like the past weeks Richard had been missing something without Kaldur noticing, and now that something was returned.

"you can't bring that in the motel."

"I don't intend to," Richard said, "she'll stay on guard, no one's sneaking up on us with her around."

"you put that much trust in a bird?"

Richard levelled an unamused stare on Kaldur.

"It is a necessary question to ask."

"this is my mission partner," Richard said, "I trust her with my life."

"oh, so you're insane?"

Richard laughed, knuckle trailing along the chest feathers of the owl.

"she's proven herself to me. You don't wanna trust her, then don't."

Kaldur couldn't fight the slight smile that broke through. Richard whistled lowly then nodded towards a tree by the window of the motel room they'd booked. Isabel fluttered off and landed in the branches, cooed, hopped along the branch, cooed again and then glided to the next tree, repeated the process, then rose into the sky in circles around the building.

Richard walked by Kaldur, striding up to the room, a rusting bronze number nailed to the front. He slipped the key he'd got from the front desk into the lock and the door opened with a slight creak. Kaldur followed him in, taking in the furniture as the lights flickered into existence.

There was one window, next to the door. The room was only about 12 foot square, and a small part was cut out for an ensuite- just a sink, toilet and shower crammed side by side- in the far left corner. In the negative space of the cut out was a bench, a kettle and microwave on top with three mugs, a cup of sugar sachets and tea bags. A bar fridge underneath the bench and a small TV hung above. A cabinet was against the far wall, likely with extra blankets, pillows, other things. A chair was pushed into the corner of the right wall, under the window next to the door. A wooden bedside table was slowly crumbling, a lamp on top.