Past The Edge of Reason

THE BODY LANGUAGE OF CONFUSION

Voice:

• Words slow down or come out uneven • Sentences trail off or restart mid-thought • Tone lifts at the end unintentionally • Pauses appear in strange places • Quiet • Hesitating to speak

“I—wait. No, that doesn’t—” “Okay, hang on. Say that again?” “You mean… now?”

Eyes:

• Brows knit • Eyes narrow • Gaze flicks between objects or people • Blinking increases • Focus keeps slipping • Staring a moment too long • Looking away to think, then back again

Mouth & Jaw:

• Lips part slightly, then press together • Jaw tightens • Excessive swallowing • Mouth twists as if unsure to speak • Lower lip pulls in, gets bitten • Half-formed expressions that don’t land • Mouth opens to speak—closes again

His mouth opened, closed. Nothing came out. She pressed her lips together, then released them, like the thought slipped loose. His jaw shifted as if he were testing words silently.

Hands:

• Fingers hover • Palms turn up in small, unconscious gestures • Scratching temple, rubbing neck, tugging sleeves • Fidgeting • Hands freeze mid-motion • Half-formed gestures

His fingers hovered mid-gesture, then dropped uselessly to his side. She rubbed her thumb against her palm. He fidgeted with his sleeve, eyes still locked on her face.

Shoulders & Posture:

• Weight shifts repeatedly • Shoulders creep up without meaning to • Body leans back slightly • Head tilts, then tilts again • Unconfident body language

THE INTERNAL STUFF (cause that's important too)

• Thoughts loop • Simple logic feels... not so simple • They latch onto one detail too hard • Or latch onto someone whose comfortable • Time stretches • Pressure behind eyes, around throat, in stomach • Their focus tunnels, or they're painfully aware of their surroundings

Thankfully, getting Blue out of the forest and back to the others wasn't too difficult. Once his injured wing was secure, Scarlet and Grey helped him to his hooves and walked with him through the trees. 

Scarlet walked a few paces ahead, making sure they didn't get lost, whilst Grey stayed at Blue's side, one wing curled protectively over his back.

Blue barely said a word on the way back to Cloudbase. The flight being quiet was normal enough, they were often tired after a long day, after all. But the uneasy feeling that lingered in the air wasn't, and Scarlet didn't know what to do about it.

Magenta and Ochre were in the cockpit, leaving him and Grey in the cabin with Blue, who had sat down by the window and not taken his eyes from the sky outside ever since.

Grey clearly understood what he was going through. No doubt he'd been through something similar after his accident with WASP. That had damaged his wings, as well as the rest of him. But Scarlet had no idea how to approach this. 

He wanted to talk to Adam, to comfort him and reassure him that everything would be okay. But it wasn't that simple.

In theory a broken wing shouldn't be different from any other injury. But that wasn't really true. It was also one of few injuries that Scarlet hadn't experienced himself, and one of even fewer that he never would experience. For the simple reason that he was not a pegasus.

He hated not knowing what to do. Especially when his friends were involved.

About halfway through the flight back to Cloudbase, Brad found him in the galley, staring at the water in his cup rather than drinking it.

Paul's ear twitched as Brad's hoof-steps pulled him back to the world around him.

"Hey," Brad said, slightly hushed. "I think he's asleep," he added, glancing over his shoulder into the cabin.

"Is he?" Paul asked, and Brad nodded. "It'll be another hour or so before we get to Cloudbase. The rest will do him good."

Brad hummed in response and took a step closer to Paul. "Are you okay?"

"Me? I'm fine. I'm not the one who got hurt."

Brad didn't look convinced, and Paul didn't blame him. The other Captains all knew him too well to let him get away with the 'I'm fine' card anymore.

Paul sighed and set his cup down on the counter, the gentle hum of his magic fading as the glow around his horn dissipated. "I'm just worried, that's all."

Brad gave another nod, clearly glad to get a more accurate answer that time. "I'm worried too. A broken wing is awful for any pegasus, but for a pegasus like Adam... I'm sure the worst possible outcomes are swirling through his head right now, and to be honest, I don't blame him. It's scary."

"That fear I can understand, to a degree, anyway," Paul said, lifting a hoof to touch his horn. "A broken horn still scares me. It happening to Pat is even more terrifying, because that wouldn't heal, and it could kill him," he explained, before dropping his hoof back to the floor. "But a broken wing is different."

"I don't think it's that different," Brad said with a small shrug. "But I'm a pegasus with unicorn family, and I have damaged my wings pretty badly and come out the other side able to fly again. So maybe my perspective isn't the same."

"I don't know." Paul sighed again. "But what I do know, is that Adam won't be able to fly for a while, and regardless of what Fawn tells him, he's going to hate every minute of it. He gets restless just being stuck inside for too many days in a row. Being completely grounded and unable to stretch his wings, not even able to fly a few laps of the sports hall, will be really hard on him."

"It will. So we'll have to support him through it. Same as we always do when one of us gets hurt." And Brad was right, of course.

-----

Adam slept for the remainder of the flight, and didn't stir until Paul gently woke him as they approached Cloudbase.

There were medics waiting for them in the hangar, Doctor Fawn included, and they quickly made their way over to Adam as soon as he was out of the plane. Paul followed as the med-team took Adam to sickbay, leaving post-mission debriefs to Pat, Brad, and Rich to handle.

One of the medics spoke to Scarlet on the walk through Cloudbase's long corridors towards the sickbay. The young pegasus stallion's ears flicked back, his feathers twitching at his sides, as Scarlet gave him the details. A barely contained flinch just at the mention of somepony breaking their wing. It really was a universal fear amongst pegasi. Not that Paul had doubted that, but seeing it with his own eyes outside of Adam grimacing when Brad got a little too detailed about exactly how badly beaten up his wings had been after his accident, was certainly something.

He didn't really know what. But something.

Fawn restricted Paul to the waiting room and told him to stay put. He wouldn't deal with Paul's worrying whilst trying to treat a patient. But that wasn't new.

So, he waited. And after about ten minutes the waiting turned to pacing. Adam wasn't in any immediate danger, but Paul was still worried, and he didn't like sitting around at the best of times.

Half an hour passed before Fawn appeared. Well, Paul heard him before he saw him - the distinctive click click click of hooves on the hard floors approaching the room. Paul stopped his pacing and turned to the door, his ears pricked forward and alert as Fawn stepped into the waiting area.

“How is he?” Paul asked before he could stop himself.

“Shaken and bruised, but the worst of it is his wing,” Fawn said simply.

“Broken?”

“Yes,” Fawn nodded. “As broken wings go it’s not too severe. Though I would say it was quite close.”

Paul tilted his head to the side slightly, confused. “What do you mean?”

Fawn thought for a moment before sitting back on his haunches. He lifted his front hooves and pointed just above his bent elbow. “The fracture would be about here on a leg, close to the elbow.” He moved his hoof down and tapped the joint. “If it had been even an inch closer, it could have easily complicated things,” he explained before standing up straight again. “However, as it stands, he shouldn’t need surgery, and so long as he rests and lets himself heal, then he should be fine.”

Paul breathed a sigh of relief. That was very good news. “So he’ll be okay?”

“He’ll need to keep his hooves on the ground for a while, which I’m sure he won’t appreciate. But yes, I expect a full recovery.”

“He won’t like being grounded for so long, no,” Paul said. Adam would get restless if he was grounded for more than a few days between missions. A broken bone could take a couple of months to heal. Paul didn’t know if that applied to wings too, but it probably wasn’t that different, right? “I’m just glad that he’ll be okay.”

Fawn nodded again. “I’m going to keep him here overnight just to make sure everything is as it should be. Once the fracture is sufficiently healed he’ll need physio and to ease himself back into flying, but that can be sorted out closer to the time. For now, he needs rest.”

“Can I see him?” Paul asked. Wanting little else right now than to see Adam.

“Yes, but keep it brief,” Fawn answered. He turned toward the door and gestured for Paul to follow. “I think he might still be quite shaken by what happened. But I’ve treated enough pegasi with injured wings over the years to expect it, to some degree.”

“He didn’t say a word on the way back to Cloudbase. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him like that before.”

“Everypony responds to things differently. But as a rule, pegasi are as protective of their wings as unicorns are of their horns. Neither are always aware of it, but it’s true all the same. Damage there is a fear they all seem to carry, just as I’m sure you do too.”

Paul can only nod to that. He understood. He’d seen it. With others, in the past. And now with his best friend, and he hated it.

Fawn walked Paul to Adam’s room before leaving him be. Paul knocked on the door before going in, and Adam lifted his head from his pillow at the sound. Even hurt and shaken, it was nigh impossible to sneak up on him. His wing was properly bandaged and strapped up now, held in place against his side. He looked tired, and despite Paul’s efforts, conversation was sparse.

What Brad had said earlier about the worst possible outcomes swirling through Adam's head seemed to be rather accurate. Sure, Adam didn't say it, but Paul knew him well. And he knew when he was worrying and thinking too much. He didn't blame him, of course not. But those spirals of 'what ifs' never did anyone any good.

That one he did know from experience.

Once Green, the Captains (barring Xanthic and Cobalt) and the Angels (barring Symphony in Angel One) had gathered, viewed the available information, and read over the break downs provided by the analysts that Spectrum retained for situations exactly like this, they were in full agreement: it was looking bad for UnNamed, but his muck-rakers were digging and social media counterclaims were starting to surface. Those voices were currently small, but they wouldn't stay that way, not with the human predilection towards gossip and tearing others down. In addition, last night a Freedom of Information Act request had been put in for Cobalt’s medical records from the WAAF - a little tidbit that had been passed along by someone in UnName’s team having a crisis of conscience. It was a cause of concern for multiple reasons. Even though White had asked Shore to stonewall on the WASP side of things, it was only a matter of time before someone thought to make similar requests from that organisation too, and, legally speaking, they couldn’t be refused. It was only a matter of time before things were brought out to be twisted to fit UnName’s narrative.

Their final conclusion was clear: The longer UnNamed was free to act, the higher the odds of him turning the world back in his favour.

White drummed his fingers on the table as he considered his options.

The warrant for Jefferson Tracy’s arrest had finally been prepared and signed yesterday, but the wheels of justice, especially with the complex crimes the man was accused of, turned slowly. They had to attack on multiple fronts, to remove the support that would give the man the strength to fight the charges and the connections to squirm out of things. They needed the public pressure to ensure that justice was done and make him too hot to handle. This was a case that could take years to be seen through to completion should enough obstacles be thrown in the way and key persons be made to ‘vanish’ or withdraw their statements, and the man would be able to continue his campaign the entire time. If he did somehow get elected, the case could be dismissed entirely.

Complicating everything was the threat of the Mysterons. They were quiet right now, but that could change in an instant, and he hated fighting two wars at once.

Colonel White’s frown deepened as he considered alternatives, half an ear on the conversations happening around him. He could add fuel to the fire by requesting Cobalt (because the man would never allow his brothers to do so) go before the media and do an interview now. He knew that Cobalt would do it - an interview was the bait he’d dangled before Kat Cavernaugh - but doing so right now would wound him deeply. ‘Another option would be to give Scarlet an untraceable weapon and a ‘hunting licence’, but he is not ‘007’ and Spectrum does not issue a licence to kill as one sees fit. This needs to be taken care of quickly and efficiently.’ Decision made, he swept his gaze over his collected officers and tapped the table top twice to get their attention. “This needs to be escalated. UnNamed states that the report is just words, so let us have the man's own words convict him,” White declared. “Green, print out a copy of the warrant for me and have Spectrum New York arrange transportation and an investigative team. Blue, Scarlet, go pack your bullet-proofed civvies, prep an SPJ, and file a flight plan to New York. Ochre, you’re in charge until we return, maintain readiness in case of a threat.” 

“Sir?” That was Blue, head slightly tilted as he sought clarification.

“We are going to bring up the timeline. The three of us will go to New York. First thing in the morning we will pay a visit to Ms. Cavernaugh’s office and present her with evidence to damn Jeff Tracy: one of the worst of the sat phone recordings we have. Whilst it may not be admissible for the trial, we have plenty more. After that makes breaking news, we shall go to TI New York and arrest him.” A hard look was levelled at his senior officers, particularly at Scarlet. “We will execute this to the letter, gentlemen, and it will be done with strict adherence to all procedures. No ‘accidental’ shoves or trips, no whispered incendiary comments, and if he does resist arrest, only as much force as is required to contain him. There will not be a single flaw that a clever lawyer can use to dismantle all of our work and render moot all of the pain the Tracy family have gone through.” 

It was only when he got their crisp ‘yessir's that White nodded and went on to say “Remember, obliterating the myth of ‘The Great Jeff Tracy’, ruining the years of work he's put into his public image, and snatching away any chance of victory will do far worse to him than any physical pain will.” 

That got all those present exchanging looks that were distinctly Not Pleasant.