#its getting messssyyyyyyyy

[ferallymine]

10 Years and 20 Seconds

Mable sighed and updated her tablet. The research Team MZ was conducting for her and Corbeau was an almost constant stream of information and data. Emma had commandered the other half of her office, linking every portal sighting with red string on a corkboard map.

"They primarily stay around the tower." The detective stood back to observe her handiwork. "A few offshoots close to the city walls, but yeah... primarily centralized. Have the men finished things on their end?"

"With Hoopa's limited timeframe, it's hard to collect proper data in each portal pocket. It all looks like... jumbled jigsaw puzzles." More taps on her tablet. "Plus, Phillipe texted me that they keep getting interrupted."

"By who?"

-----

"You're a persistant thorn in my side." Corbeau kept his hands carefully interlocked on the desk. "Letters, spam calls, and now just barging in? Things too boring back home? Have to meddle in another region's affairs?"

"Mags said you were the last point of contact. Sage hasn't responded to my letters, isn't responding to texts, and has fully dropped off the map." Nessa tightened her grip on her totebag. "So where are they?"

His temple twitched. "Maybe they don't want to talk to you? Your relationship ended quite a while ago-"

Grit teeth. "I'm well aware of our current dynamic-"

"Yet you still sport that topaz ring." Corbeau pointed to Nessa's hand. "Right beneath your new engagement ring, too- congrats, by the way. Does your fiance know you're here looking for an ex?Can't be a good look for-"

"You're stalling. You have no idea where Sage is." Teal eyes glanced around the room at half-obscured data maps. "You're just as lost as I am."

If Corbeau was surprised by her observation, he didn't show it. He's been in this business too long to let one sentence crack his facade. The silence stretched for too long as both parties stared each other down. Maybe stubborn-natured people were Sage's type.

Nessa broke eye contact first. She set her bag on the desk and began rummaging. "I can help-"

"Kalosian affairs have no need of Galarian assistance-"

"Sage is Galarian, remember?" A smirk. "Would be terrible news if our respective governments learned of missing prominent figures, no?"