magnetic ◊ criminal minds

xvi.

xvi. bloodline
( season four, episode thirteen )

LYRA, Prentiss and Rossi were talking by the desks - well, it was more of Lyra messing with them. "Does anyone here know how you got your scar?" Rossi had asked. Lyra just shrugged, not providing a real answer. It was fun to send them on a wild goose chase. Even the best profilers did not figure out how she got her scar. They were missing one key piece of information - she was a mutant.

"Looks like you have to join me in trying to figure out Lehnsherr's backstory," Prentiss said jokingly. "She still won't tell me anything."

Lyra smirked from where she sat on the desk, the other two standing by her. "You have an advantage - you know some sign language," she signed.

Rossi frowned. He had, after some time, caught on to some of the basics - yes, no - but he had yet to learn anything else. "And what do you know, Prentiss?" he asked.

"She was born in New York," Prentiss replied.

"I grew up in New York," Lyra corrected.

Prentiss blinked. "You weren't even born there?"

Lyra shook her head. "No. Good luck trying to figure out anything before Rossi does," she signed, an amused glint in her eyes.

Prentiss gasped dramatically. "Are you pitting us against each other?" she asked

Lyra nodded. "Yes. Make it a competition," she affirmed.

Prentiss looked at Rossi. "It's on," she said, shaking his hand. It was then that this short moment of amusement had to come to an end.

Jordan rushed passed, to Hotch's office. They both came out, Hotch with his go bag in hand. "Dave," he said.

"What's going on?" Rossi asked. Lyra looked over, head tilted to the side curiously.

"We're got a missing ten-year-old girl. Home invasion. Parents were killed in their sleep."

"Where's our clock?"

"Eight hours and counting."

"I'll find Morgan and Reid and tell them we're on the move," Prentiss said, quickly walking off.

"Good. Wheels up in thirty."

Lyra quickly jumped down from her seat on the desk and grabbed her go bag. She and Rossi both noticed how Jordan did not move. As if she were frozen in place.

"Jordan?" Rossi said. "You need your go bag. Jordan?"

This snapped her out of her trance. "Right, right," she said, quickly walking off. Lyra and Rossi shared a look.

♢

"We got the uplinks of the crime scene photos," Jordan said, bringing her laptop closer to the rest of the team. "This is Geoff and Nancy Hale. Both their throats were cut."

"Any evidence of abuse?" Morgan asked.

"Nothing."

"Slitting someone's throat is quick and efficient," Reid stated.

"That's because the real target was down the hall," Prentiss said.

"She has a name," Jordan said.

"What?"

"She's not the target. Her name's Cate. She's ten years old."

Lyra frowned. Yes, the victim had a name, but in cases like this, Lyra found, personally, that it was easier to distance yourself. Maybe that was selfish of her to think. However, she would be more help without emotions interfering.