Maybe the mission was the bumps we suffered along the way

Noel Rivet stopped in his tracks just before stepping into the black wooden carriage. He swiveled back toward Victor with a finger raised like he'd just remembered something crucial. 

"Wait a second! I feel like I forgot something important," Noel said, scratching his head with exaggerated concern. 

Victor raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "If you forgot it, it probably wasn't important." 

Noel blinked, tilted his head thoughtfully, and then shrugged. "You're right. It's probably just my sense of self-preservation, anyway." 

Victor didn't even dignify that with a response, but his lips twitched slightly as if he were suppressing a grin. Noel turned back toward the carriage, muttering to himself, "Yeah, who needs that anyway? Not this guy."