“I was just in our bunk, and you guys were out on a mission,” says Pringles, “and I was real lonely, and then– my vision just kinda went red? And the next thing I knew, I woke up.”
“And that’s it?” Magnus asks, already bouncing on his toes, knowing it’s a risk to stick around here.
“That’s it! I hadn’t had any Pringles that day so I thought I was in maybe some sorta fugue state.”
As interesting as all this is, it also isn’t really giving Magnus any usable information, and it’s kind of been a waste of a fun crime. “Okay. If anybody asks, I most definitely totally wasn’t here.”
He turns, readying to leave Pringles in his cell.
“What happened to those–Magnus?” The tonal shift is abrupt. What was building up to be a pointless question suddenly sounds like… a different voice, speaking with Robbie’s vocal cords.
Magnus turns warily. For a second, he swears he sees a flash of red glow in the halfling’s eyes.
“Magnus, listen, I need your help.”
“I already said I can’t bust you out,” Magnus says, crossing his arms. One foot keeps tapping on the ground, more antsy than intentionally rude.
“You don’t–I mean, you don’t have to get this, um, Robbie out,” says Robbie, sounding distinctly un-Robbie-like. “That is–We’d get him out eventually, but that’s not necessary for–”
“What are you talking about? Who are you?”
“I– Oh, jeez. Okay, so, we got off maybe on the wrong foot a bit when we met, I’ll take that, that’s on me, but it is really important–”
“You haven’t answered the question.”
“–I’m getting there, uh, do you remember… Captain Bane?”
“Ohh, yeah! Cool guy, right? Shame that he died.”
“He t– He tried to kill you.”
“Oh, my god.” Robbie looks tired. His expression speaks to feelings well beyond his years. “Okay, that seems kind of like you’re doing a goof, maybe, Magnus, and it’s kind of not the time, but–”
“I’m not goofing, I’m just really stupid,” Magnus insists. “It’s part of my character. I’m earnest and dumb.”
“Yeah, okay. Sure. Well, listen, Bane did try to kill you, and then I saved you. Y’know, made him drink the poison he was tryin’ to kill you with.”
“You were that guy, that…”
“The Red Robe! Wait, shit! The Director said to stay away from you.”
“Lucretia says a lot of things– Look. I promise you, I am not a… a servant of any evils, I am not a bad dude. But I do need to get out of here, because some very bad shit is very close to going down, and I need to get out so I can stop all that.”
The Red Robe looks at Magnus with Robbie’s eyes. They aren’t the right eyes, and something at the bottom of his heart knows what they should be, but his mind doesn’t.
“I cannot explain that to you, and I promise I would if I could, and I– And I will as soon as I can, Magnus, I promise.” The words ring familiar, too, this time in a way that Magnus can place. It sounds like when they met Killian.
The Red Robe holds out Robbie’s hand, through the cell bars, as though to shake. “Please, Magnus… Do you trust me?”
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