The next morning, Barney Stinson was standing in his living room with his suit impeccably on, next to a board where, in large letters, was written the title: Operation: Heart of Stone.
Below, with the main objective defined: - determine the cause of Alyx's alleged deterioration -
Affiliation with those present: - ex-quasi-family -
Hypothesis: - self-destructive behavior post-breakup involving high-risk activities -
Methodology: - Through surveillance and intelligence gathering in scenarios where the subject is seen -.
As the first step of his operation, he gently, like a hammer, extracted from Robin the information about which gym Alyx trained at. Then, that morning, he went with an outfit he called 'anti-spy athlete,' which, of course, stood out: a brand-new, soft sweatshirt with spotless, unworn sneakers. He entered and asked at the reception.
"Hey, buddy! I'm looking for a personal trainer, you know, some intense training that'll get me in shape like that," Barney started, full of confidence. "You know, I want something like what I saw the other day with a girl. I saw her leaving; she had an incredible physique with some bruises, and I wondered who trained her to reach that level. For a man, I want something that helps with that kind of dedication."
The receptionist, a guy with more steroids in his brain than common sense about not giving out clients' personal data, said with a furrowed brow, remembering. "Bruises, you say? Ahhh, of course, Alyx. That must be her. She's trained by Dimitri in Muay Thai. But, hey, buddy, that's not for beginners; it's full, hard contact."
"Perfect!" Barney exclaimed, too excited, mentally noting: Muay Thai = Physical self-punishment confirmed. "Of course, Dimitri. What days does he have free? Does she come often?"
"Well, you'd have to ask him what time he has free. She comes every day like clockwork, and sometimes twice a day. She's a complete machine. And if you want to reach that level, you'd have to start with the same frequency and intensity."
"Alright, thanks. I'll think about it with my doctor," said Barney, leaving the receptionist confused as he quickly left the gym.
While Barney played secret agent, Robin executed a more direct approach. After several messages and mild threats of going to look for her if she didn't accept, she got Alyx to agree—after much insistence—to meet for 'a quick coffee,' far from the bar and their apartments, in a neutral place.
Alyx arrived five minutes late, wearing sunglasses despite the cloudy day and a turtleneck sweater despite it not being that cold. Robin didn't say anything but noted everything.
"Thanks for coming," said Robin, handing her a cup of tea. "I thought you might need something other than coffee."
Alyx gave a half-smile. "Really, is it that obvious I drink coffee constantly?"
"For someone who observes you, YES!" Robin responded bluntly, letting an uncomfortable silence briefly settle. "Alyx... are you okay?" she asked as softly as she could.
"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" she affirmed softly, though with a touch of defiance in her tone.
"I don't know, maybe because of the bruises, the tremors in your hands, that day we went to lunch it seemed like you were hurt in the arm, or I don't know, also that you're smoking like a chimney when before you didn't even like the smell of cigarettes," Robin enumerated, her voice soft and firm. "Alyx, we see you, and we're all worried about you. Not just me. Ted is uneasy, Marshall is worried, and even Barney is asking weird questions about you. We see you, and you don't seem to be, well... okay."
Alyx slowly removed her sunglasses. Her eyes, with faint shadows, met Robin's for an instant. The mask cracked, and Robin saw something that chilled her. It wasn't just pain; it was a monumental exhaustion, as if she had been carrying something for too long.
"And what do you want me to do, Robin?" Alyx asked, her voice a loaded whisper. "Stop training? Drink tea and relax? Go back with a smile to sit on the old sofa in the apartment? Things changed. They broke when... it ended. I don't want you to think I'm being dramatic or anything, but I broke. I had a life planned to share with... with them, and now all of this... I can only try to repair myself, and this is the way I found."
"But don't you see that your way implies destroying yourself in the process?" Robin extended her hand and, with a softness that surprised them both, touched the edge of Alyx's turtleneck, hinting at what was hidden underneath. "This isn't repairing yourself; this is punishment."
Alyx stiffened but didn't look away. A nervous tic, a slight tremor, ran through her eyelid. "Maybe I deserve it," she murmured, and by her tone, Robin didn't know if she meant the bruises or something much bigger.
"No one condemned you, Alyx," said Robin, withdrawing her hand. "Only, well, Lily, and she's as lost as everyone else."
Lily's name made Alyx close up completely. She put her sunglasses back on. "I have to go. A date."
"With the punching bag?" asked Robin, remembering the words from brunch that Lily had told her.
"With my demons," Alyx responded, and left, leaving Robin with the certainty that the problem was deeper, darker, and more dangerous than anyone had imagined.
That night, for the first time, a meeting like an improvised war council was held in Ted's apartment.
Robin had reported her failure, though with worrying discoveries.
Barney presented his report with charts drawn on a napkin:
Worry Level: HIGH
Probability of Espionage: LOW
Probability of Nervous Breakdown: INCREASING
Marshall hadn't said anything; he just listened, with only changes in his expression from worry, sadness, sorrow, and guilt. When he finally spoke...
"She told you, 'Maybe I deserve it.'" He repeated Robin's phrase, resonating in the air. "Why would she say that? Why would she carry all the blame for what happened? Lily was the one who left. Lily was the one who broke everything," Marshall stated the facts, and at the end added in a soft murmur, "Alyx just... stayed and took care of us, well, of me."
Ted nodded thoughtfully. "She has always taken on that responsibility—keeping us together, being the sensible one. But this... is different... It's as if she changed her role after leaving: from being the caregiver to feeling as if she must have some penance that harms her, believing it's her way of finding herself," he said, hesitating at first, then gaining strength with his viewpoint.
"I've got it!" Barney shouted, jumping up. Everyone looked at him. "It's not espionage! It's repressed Catholic guilt!" He took a dramatic pause. "Well, that, or she's just going through a really, really bad time. The point is, we can't leave her alone. She needs a Stinson-style intervention."
"What does that entail, Barney? Glitter and a neon sign?" asked Robin, exhausted.
"No!" Barney became serious, or as close as he could get. "It entails reminding her of what she's missing. She needs a tangible reminder of the good, something that pulls her out of that silent apartment and brings her back to where she belongs—the chaos with us."
Marshall looked around the messy apartment, at the empty sofa where Alyx used to sleep, and at the memories of the six years the three of them had shared. An idea began to form in his mind, slowly but with sudden clarity. It wasn't a plan like Barney's; it was, while simpler, much riskier.
"I know what to do," said Marshall, standing up, his voice filled with a determination and reason they hadn't heard in him for a long time. "But for that, I need to see her now."
Before anyone could protest, he went out the door. Ted and Robin looked at each other, alarmed.
"Should we go after him?" asked Ted.
"No," whispered Robin, looking at the closed door. "I think this is a duel they have to fight alone."
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