It didn’t take Albert long to feel his anger bubbling under the surface of his skin. Abe was not looking at Albert, instead rubbing his upper arm as his breathing steadied from his sprint back to the apartment. Billy sat up from his spot on the couch and watched him and Abe closely.

Charles stood up. “Harriet, Alice, come with me and we’ll do a perimeter search. We have to make sure no one was followed. Everyone else stay here and keep quiet. We’re not completely out of danger yet.”

As soon as the door closed, Albert felt his words spill out like lava. “You left her.”

Immediately Billy leapt to his feet. “Albert, you can’t know that.”

“You saw her get captured. It’s the only way you would have known Mr. Germain was there,” Albert said, still glaring at Abe.

Abe did not look shocked at Albert’s anger. “She told me to go. She didn’t want me to get caught either.”

“You should have stayed and got her back at the opportune moment!” Albert said.

Abe glared. “There was no opportune moment.”

“Because you left and never figured one out!”

“She told me to go!” Abe snapped.

Billy took another step forward, hands raised toward both of them to keep them at a distance. “Albert, we’re all a little rattled about what happened, but there’s no need to-”

“There is every need!” Albert pushed Billy’s arm out of the way, still glaring at Abe. He was dimly aware that what Billy said was true. He was rattled that the plan didn’t work, and Marie’s capture did not put him in a good mood.

“Oh, this argument has been coming for a long time,” Abe said. “Ever since Marie came between our friendship. I’m going to guess you’ve never liked competition when it comes to winning a girl’s heart.”

“I just don’t want to see her with someone who would abandon her at the first sign of trouble,” Albert said.

Abe glared at Albert. “If I stayed to help Marie, I would have gotten captured too!”

“Then that’s what should have happened! You should have been there! You should have protected her!”

Sam winced. “Not too loud, guys. No one is supposed to know we’re-”

“I’m sick of this. I’m sick of you tearing me down. We used to be good friends!” Abe said.

“Yeah? Well you seemed quite eager to tear me down when it served its purpose.” Albert said as he shoved Abe.

“Oh, I should have known. You want to make sure you’re the only one she sees, so you cut anyone down who shows any interest. Well, she sees you, Albert, but she also sees the horrible way you treat your friends. She told me herself how she hates the jerk you’ve become. It’s no wonder she doesn’t care about you. You are nothing but a mad scientist using barbaric ways to win the girl!”

“Abe!” Billy hissed. “Enough!”

“Guys, I’m serious. You need to stop this,” Sam said.

Albert walked forward and drove his finger into Abe’s shoulder. “Okay fine. I’m a mad scientist. At least I’m not a failure.” Abe pushed Albert’s hand away from him, but Albert still had something to say. “You failed at winning Marie’s affection, you failed at protecting Marie, and you have failed at saving her. But is that any surprise? You fail at everything!”

Abe struck fast. Albert saw the fist a moment before it connected with his face. He fell back, and if Sam didn’t catch him, he would have fallen to the ground. A burning pain pulsed around his eye.

“Abe!” Billy and Sam said.

Abe looked ashamed, running a nervous hand through his hair. “Albert, I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me. I’m-”

Before any rational thought could calm Albert down, he threw Sam’s hands off him and barreled toward Abe. Both of them fell to the floor and Albert began punching Abe’s face again and again and again. The anger that so desperately wanted to escape screamed with elation and grew more enraged. Abe pushed Albert off and managed to get another blow to his cheek before Albert kicked him in the ribs. He raised his fist to continue to bury his fist into Abe’s face when he felt hands grabbing his shirt and wrists as they dragged him away from Abe.

“I said enough!” Charles was back. Albert hadn’t noticed or heard anything at all, his anger had completely consumed him. “You’re acting like a couple of apes!”

Albert was breathing deeply. He glared at Abe but found his face softening. Abe was on his hands and knees holding his ribs, blood pouring from his nose and lip. He was in really bad shape, and Albert felt a freezing bucket of guilt drown any anger he felt before.

Charles was glaring at Albert and he just realized Charles had a fistful of his shirt. “Hurting Abe will not bring Marie back.”

Albert had to look away. He didn’t want Charles to see the guilt in his eyes.

“Go home, Albert. Calm down.” Charles had a chilled anger about his voice that made Albert feel empty and numb.

Alice had knelt next to Abe, examining his face. Charles joined her as Alice whispered orders to him. Albert became aware that Billy and Sam were holding him back. He shook them away and headed toward the door, breathing deeply. He couldn’t look at Abe. He didn’t want to see what his anger drove him to do. He slipped out of the apartment before he let the first tears fall.

***

Marie woke up the next morning with her head resting on her dad’s legs. She sat up and saw her dad had fallen asleep sitting up, his head at an awkward angle. She stretched and flexed her fingers, her limbs stiff from sleeping on the ground. She had no idea what time it was, and she found she didn’t like this feeling. She had the sensation that something had woken her up, but she wasn’t sure what it was. Her wondering was over when she heard the creaking of a door and bright light spill into their little cell. Her dad took a deep breath, rubbing the sleep from his eyes before standing up and heading toward the door, still half asleep. Tom stirred awake. A guard handed her dad a piece of toast and a canteen. The guard turned back to the door.

“Wait,” her dad called out. “There’s three of us now.”

“President Arnold’s instructions still stand. Only enough for one.”

The door slammed shut. Her dad paused before glancing at Tom. Tom nodded. Marie was confused at what this meant until her dad returned to her and placed the toast in her hand.

“Wait, why me?” Marie asked.

“Eat, Marie. You need your strength,” her dad said.

“Um, not nearly as much as you or Tom do.” Marie tried to give the toast back, but her dad already had his arms folded.

“They bring us two meals a day. You have this one, Tom and I will share the other one,” her dad said.

“I’ve had the most to eat in the last twenty-four hours. You two share this one and the next one,” Marie said.

“Absolutely not.”

“Dad, please.” She started to feel frustrated and also felt stupid for feeling frustrated that her dad loved her so much. “I’ll be fine. You two won’t.”

Her dad paused, frowning. “I will not allow you to go without food.”

Marie glared at him, registering that this was their first argument since seeing each other, and she was annoyed at his quiet stubbornness. She picked up the toast and took a tiny bite, then handed it to her dad. “Okay, now I’ll be fine.”

Her dad hesitated before taking the toast back. She could see how hungry he was by how he looked at the toast. He finally nodded, then broke the remaining toast in half. He scooted over to Tom and handed the other half to him. In two bites they had finished their meager breakfast.

***

Albert pretended to be asleep when Billy and Edgar came back to the apartment that night. They were talking in low voices, but Albert didn’t have the heart to know what they were saying. Abe wasn’t with them. Maybe they were monitoring him some more at Alice’s apartment. He didn’t hit him that hard, did he?

Albert spent a restless night. He woke up an hour earlier than his usual time of six-thirty. He ate his breakfast slowly, trying not to feel too nervous about the upcoming school day. With the fight and his abrupt departure, Alice never got the opportunity to stick the chip back in his head. It meant he’d have to do his best ad libbing songs, and what with their practices at lunch, he felt somewhat confident in his abilities.

He finished his breakfast and went to his room to get into his uniform, even though school wasn’t for another hour. He heard the front door open and the nervous jitters begin in his stomach. It was most likely Abe. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to face him again.

The door to their room slowly opened and Albert turned to see Abe. Albert couldn’t help but wince. Almost the entire left side of his face was filled with swollen, deep purple bruises and he had some sort of medical tape across his nose.

“Hey,” Abe said.

Albert swallowed the hot guilt down. He couldn’t look at Abe’s face for long. “Hey.”

“Can we talk?”

Albert nodded. “Yeah.”

Abe sat down on his unslept bed. Albert sat down on his own, across from Abe. Albert crossed his arms and pressed his swollen knuckles out of sight.

“My story is I got in a bad bike accident on my evening ride. Charles and Sam hacked into the S.E.A. medical database to write up the report. In case anyone checks. Do you have a story?” Abe asked quietly.

“Uh, yeah. I was thinking that maybe I’d run into a pole or something while texting,” Albert said.

Abe nodded, staring at his hands.

“Abe, I’m really sorry. I honestly didn’t think something like that was in me. I was so angry and I’m… I’m so sorry.” Albert didn’t know what else to say. He wasn’t sure if a thousand apologies could erase the guilt he felt while looking at his friend’s face.

Abe rubbed the back of his neck, still not quite looking at Albert. “I wanted to apologize too.”

Albert looked at Abe again. He opened his mouth in shock. “What did you even do?”

The right side of Abe’s lips turned upward. “I threw the first punch.”

Albert sighed. “I hit harder.” He again looked at the left side of Abe’s face. “And more times.”

The barely there smile disappeared from Abe’s face. “I never could win in a fist fight.”

There was another silence. Albert frowned as he remembered the words he told Abe right before he punched him. When Albert taunted him for being a failure. Albert pressed his bruised fist tighter against his ribs to keep the grotesque reminder away.

“We all had a discussion last night as to whether or not to keep you in the underground,” Abe said, breaking the silence.

Albert nodded numbly. He hadn’t thought of that as a possibility, but he wasn’t surprised to hear it.

“You’re still in. Despite your temper, we still need you.” Abe situated himself better on his side of the bed. “We’re having another meeting right after school at Alice’s place. We’re breaking into the basement again tonight.”

Albert felt his heart lighten at the thought. “So soon? Not that I mind. I want to get her out of there as soon as possible. But won’t they be heightening security around the place now?”

Abe nodded. “Yes, but Charles is worried they’ll torture information out of Marie.” Albert winced, then flexed his bruised knuckles. The thought of Marie getting tortured made him sick. “He wants to get her out tonight. She knows too much about the underground.”

Albert nodded. “So what’s the plan?”

Abe didn’t look at Albert, picking at a piece of lint on his blanket. “Plan B.”

Albert frowned. “I thought Plan B was a joke.”

Abe shrugged. “It’s the only thing we have now. We’ll finalize plans today. They want you there.” Abe stood up, and Albert did too. Abe played with the sleeve of his shirt. “There’s something else you need to know.” Albert waited, nervous for whatever else Abe wanted to say. Abe finally sighed. “I talked to Marie about our relationship. It wasn’t for long. Marie only sees me as a friend, and I doubt anything I do will change that.”

Albert froze. “Sorry about being friend zoned,” he managed to say.

Abe shrugged, and Albert had a feeling he was trying not to show how much he was hurting inside.

“She doesn’t want me in that way, and I’ll respect her wishes. Just so you know, it’s not that you beat the competition out of me.” Albert felt his heart sink for a reason he wasn’t sure why. Abe’s eyes seemed to stare Albert down. “If you want to pursue her, fine. Go ahead. If she feels the same way, fine. I wish you both well. However, if you mistreat her, I will come for you, and that is a fist fight I don’t intend to lose.”

Abe turned around and left the room. Albert closed the door, leaned against it, and slowly sank to the ground. He felt like a mess. He had made a horrible mistake, beating Abe almost senseless, and the people around him were willing to give him a second chance. One he didn’t deserve.

And Abe. Albert felt like his organs were being grounded together. He wasn’t sure if Abe forgave him for what he did, but it didn’t seem like Abe held it against him. Then Abe apologizing and admitting what had happened between him and Marie? Abe was a better man. Albert had a sinking feeling that if Marie didn’t want a guy like Abe, then why would she want someone like him.

***

It wasn’t exactly boredom Marie felt. Nothing was happening, but she was always on edge that something was about to happen. President Arnold wasn’t done asking her questions, and she went over the different scenarios of what she should do.

From a distance, she watched her dad change some of Tom’s bandages. She was glad to be back with her dad, but she wished the situation was different. She wished she succeeded in getting him out instead of being stuck in the basement with him. She wished President Arnold wouldn’t use him to get to her. There were times they acted as though the omnitocsil revelation never happened. Then there were times she’d catch her dad looking at her with such a deep sadness that it shattered her heart all over again.

The door opened and she thought it was the guard bringing the second meal. She was surprised to see Mr. Germain walk inside. He was completely alone. Marie stood up, and her dad appeared at her side with a protective hand on her shoulder.

Something was off. It only took her a second to realize Mr. Germain looked nervous. It was a look Marie never saw before. He must not be allowed to be here, but something was drawing him here.

Mr. Germain looked at Marie, then glanced at her dad, then back at Marie before he folded his arms in front of him. “So you remembered everything? The whole time?”

At first Marie was confused, then she remembered the time Mr. Germain let her listen to that performance. She couldn’t understand how, but she somehow knew it was that moment he was referring to.

“Yes. The whole time,” Marie said. Mr. Germain looked troubled. "It was a beautiful performance. I appreciated it."

Distrust filled his eyes. Mr. Germain would rather think the worst of Marie, a scientist, then believed she actually enjoyed a concert. Mr. Germain stared at the floor, looking like it physically hurt him to talk to Marie. “Is she all right?”

Marie blinked. Marie didn’t need to know who he was talking about. She was just so surprised he was asking her that she didn’t answer for a few seconds. “Is she over the wall?” Mr. Germain asked, making eye contact with her. “Did she... did she inject herself with the same chemicals you did?”

Marie glanced away, knowing this reminder was another knife stab to her dad. “No, Sophie didn’t do that. Just me. She’s fine.”

“Where is she?” Mr. Germain asked.

Marie shook her head. “Sophie’s not in any danger. That’s all I’ll say. I’m only telling you this because you’re her dad, and you have the right to know she’s safe. I’m giving you the same courtesy I hoped someone gave my dad when they knew what happened to me.”

Mr. Germain paused before glancing back at her dad. Nothing was said. Nothing needed to be. Mr. Germain unfolded his arms, turned around, and headed back out the door, closing it softly behind him.