Marie eased herself into one of the seats at the table in the main area. A bead of sweat trickled down her forehead, which she quickly wiped away before opening her notebook and began writing notes. There wasn’t too much to tell, but Alice wanted notes so Marie did her best. The exercise was helping. Even fifteen minutes of walking made her function almost like normal for a few hours. She was now doing exercises three times a day. One right in the morning, one before lunch, and one right before she went to bed.

There was a loud chunk as the trap door opened. Marie glanced up, her already pounding heart increasing. Charles said no one was going to visit until the meeting on Friday. Who was coming down the ladder?

Panic set in as she saw an unfamiliar figure climb down the ladder at a leisurely pace. She wanted to get up and scream, but she found herself rooted to the spot. She would certainly have started singing if the chip was in her head.

The man came down the ladder and turned to face Marie. It was the hobo looting through the garbage can a few months ago. The man she now recognized as Nik Tesla. She blinked a couple times just to make sure she hadn’t imagined his bizarre entrance.

Nik didn’t say anything, just kept staring at her curiously. What Marie had first mistaken as aging due to life on the street, she now realized as Nik actually being in his sixties. He was tall and thin with blue eyes and gray hair. The more Nik stared at her, the more uncomfortable Marie felt. She couldn’t help but remember the threat he gave Charles.

“Dad,” Marie called out without her gaze leaving Nik’s.

Marie’s dad threw open the door, most likely assuming it had something to do with the omnitocsil, but his eyes immediately fell on Nik.

“How’d you get in here?” Marie’s dad asked, alarm laced in his voice.

Tom came out too. When Nik’s eyes fell on Tom, they turned icy. Tom raised an eyebrow as he used his crutches to walk forward. “Nik?”

“Tom,” Nik said as though it pained him to say his name. In one swift motion Nik punched Tom in the face. Marie rose from her chair in shock. Clearly because of Nik’s age he didn’t cause Tom too much pain, but Tom still let out a startled cry. Sophie opened the door and stepped out, her face curious and slightly alarmed when she saw Nik.

“Murphy’s law, Nik,” Tom sputtered as he felt his nose in case there was any blood. There wasn’t, but Tom still checked. “After all these years you’d think you’d get over it.”

Nik gave a humourless laugh. “Let’s be honest, Tom. You know you deserved that for what you did.” Nik started to walk, then pushed Tom’s crutch out from under him before he sat down at the table. “Just be glad I’m not as young as I once was. I might have sent you to the hospital.” Nik glanced down at Tom’s casted foot. “Looks like Ben beat me to it. No pun intended.”

Marie’s dad picked up the crutch and handed it back to Tom, who was glaring at Nik. There was a red mark on Tom’s cheek. Marie was so startled by it all, she honestly didn’t know how to react.

“How did you get here? I thought you refused Charles help,” Marie’s dad said.

“Oh, I did at first, but your pretty boy brought up some interesting points. Ben’s getting close on my trail. I’ve been living as a hobo for a decade, but knew Ben would catch up to me eventually. You’ve got a nice little hide out here. Life on the streets makes you more aware of where people go to hide,” Nik said, glancing around the room before his eyes fell on Sophie. His eyes widened slightly before he cocked his head to the side. “Theif?”

Sophie ducked a little farther in the room as though she were a small child caught with a cookie. “Um, yeah. S-Sophie. My name is Sophie.”

Nik frowned. “Have you found out how to regain your memories?”

“No. I just…” Sophie dropped her gaze. “That’s what they tell me my name is.”

“Oh,” Nik said. His eyes fell on Marie. “Which would make you Peacemaker.”

Marie frowned. “Sorry?”

“Your hobo name?” Nik said.

“I, um,” Marie glanced at Sophie, then her dad. “Peacemaker?”

Nik frowned a bit. “Did you forget your hobo name? Usually it’s the reverse.”

Sophie gave a quiet chuckle. Marie cleared her throat. “No, no. It’s, um, I guess I wasn’t there long enough for people to actually call me that.”

Nik nodded. “Fair enough. Granted, I’d hate it if people called me Peacemaker. That’s a sure way to make people come to you, demanding you fix their problems. I’d rather be called Theif.”

Sophie glanced up, confused. “Really?”

“Oh yeah,” Nik said, leaning back slightly and folding his arms. “A nice name that gets people off your back. You will all find out one day. The more people you’re around, the more they’re just there to suck you dry of all you are before they leave you to die. Isn’t that right, Tommy boy?”

A muscle in Tom’s eye twitched. “You need to grow up and stop blaming me for your problems, Nik.”

Nik shook his head and stood up. “I’ll only stay for a short time. I’m sure Tom has already turned you all against me. Called me every name in the book. Paranoid, mad scientist, eccentric. But of course, I’m to blame for all of that. Apparently I need to grow up or something.” Nik glanced around the room, noticing the open doors of the shared rooms. “Came together with some roommates to try and bring peace to the world, invented a chip, and got cheated out of my share of royalty, but of course that’s all my fault too. Watched colleagues who knew the mechanics of the chip suddenly disappear or end up dead, but somehow those were my problems. Watched as fear and paranoia reenter the city, but I guess I could have stopped it somehow? Probably my fault. Feared for my life from the people I once considered friends, which I apparently am to blame for. I hid among the lowest class of people in order to not be one of those unsolved mysteries or for my dead body to be found in a dark alleyway. Of course all of that is absolutely my fault as well, right Tom?” Nik opened the door to the small closet and gave a nod of approval before he faced the group. “Don’t worry. I don’t need a cot or blankets or anything. Learned how to do without those a long time ago.” He raised his hand to give a small salute before entering the closet and shutting the door.

Marie glanced at Tom, not sure what to think or how to react. Was Nik really going to stay in that small closet? It wasn’t much of a bedroom. Probably couldn’t even fit a cot there. But she honestly didn’t know what to do with this strange, angry old man.

Tom glared darkly at Nik’s door before turning around awkwardly on his crutches and entering his own room and closing his own door. It hit the frame harder than usual.

***

Albert moved the last stack of files, then glanced at his watch. “Oh, Mr. Reagan? It’s past five.”

Mr. Reagan glanced up from writing something on his computer, then checked the clock on the wall. “So it is. Have you finished your work?”

“I got to a good stopping point,” Albert said, looking at the huge mountain of notes.

Mr. Reagan nodded. He had been strangely quiet most of the afternoon. Neither one of them left the office for much. “That’s fine. I don’t want to keep you from your family any longer. You have a good weekend, and I’ll see you on Monday.”

Albert should have mentioned how quiet it had been in the office the last few hours or asked how the meeting went. Mr. Reagan went to meetings all the time, but this was the first time he came back quiet and withdrawn. Was their relationship to the point of chatting about things that bothered them yet? Albert wasn’t sure, so he quietly left the office and walked down the hall.

On his way to the elevator, he heard chatting and laughter. It seemed so out of place from what he was used to that he couldn’t help but look over and saw an ajar door. He recognized Billy straight off before realizing this was Walt Disney’s office.

“Billy?” Albert asked before he stopped himself.

Billy glanced over and his eyes brightened when they landed on Albert. “Albert! What’s going on? Where’s Mr. Reagan?”

“It’s past five, I thought you were already home. Hello, Mr. Disney” Albert said, walking closer to the door.

“Call me Walt,” Walt said, standing up. “And it looks like you’re right. It’s past five. Time certainly flies when you’re having fun.” Walt walked over to the door and opened it a bit wider. “You must be Albert. Pleasure to meet you! Billy has said nothing but good things about you.”

“Oh?” Albert said, glancing at Billy as Walt shook his hand. Walt seemed so incredibly cheerful and kind that Albert couldn’t help but feel immediately at ease, even though everything inside him told him not to fall so easily.

“Hey, I wanted to say condolences to you about your friend, Abe,” Walt said, his face full of sympathy. “Fifteen is far too young to pass on.”

Albert nodded, his throat dry. He cleared it, hoping it would add to the act. “Yeah. He was a good friend. Sometimes I still can’t believe he’s gone.”

Walt gave Albert a gentle pat on the shoulder. “Well, you two get home and enjoy your weekend, huh? And Billy, don’t forget to have your parents sign that form. I’m excited to meet them on Monday.”

“Yeah,” Billy said. “They’re really excited to meet you, too.”

“Alright. See you Monday.”

Billy waved as he and Albert headed for the elevator. “Has Poe already left?”

“I think so. I haven’t seen him. Walt’s meeting with your parents?” Albert couldn’t help but let the surprise come out of his voice.

“Yeah. I’m still underaged, so the Grand Theatre needs my parents permission to do my play. Walt wants to meet with them, then we’re going to go over to the Grand Theatre Monday to talk to the head directors there,” Billy said.

“Wow,” Albert said, still not believing that this incredible opportunity was happening to his friend. “You love it here, don’t you?” Albert stated more than asked.

Billy gave him a questioning look. “Of course. It turned out better than I could have hoped, but it’s been really nice.”

The elevator doors opened to the lobby. They walked out, and Albert was reminded that the S.E.A. skyscraper, for all it’s glamour and security, would also arrest them on the spot if they knew what they actually did on the weekends.

“I know what you’re going to say,” Billy said as they headed to the nearest metro station.

“Do you?” Albert asked, not entirely sure he knew how to express how he felt.

“I’m still committed to our special friends,” Billy said.

The street wasn’t too crowded, but Albert still couldn’t help but feel like someone among the crowd would definitely overhear.

“Okay, maybe that’s partially how I feel. I just want to make sure Walt isn’t trying to trap you into something,” Albert said.

“Oh, he definitely is. Pretty sure he’s going to use his business charm to try and get every story I’ve ever written onto the Grand Theatre and make sure he gets a profit off it. The way he carries on he thinks he’s struck a gold mine or something,” Billy said.

“You don’t think his intentions have anything to do with our special friends?” Albert asked.

Billy shot a look in Albert’s direction. “The thing about what the S.E.A. is trying to do with this fun little internship game is risky. They are making several mistakes while they wait for us to make one, and I’ve been taking mental notes of every single mistake they’ve made,” Billy said, his voice dropping.

Albert slowed down his walk. “What do you mean? What have you seen?”

Billy tried to keep his voice neutral as he watched people pass by. “Walt’s got me taking notes in his meeting with the Germain’s. Their marriage is beginning to crumble.”

“How’d you figure that out?” Albert asked.

“I’ll go into detail later,” Billy said as they got onto the metro.

Albert felt guilty. Billy had taken the initiative and had not only been in the same room as the Germains, but learned some things about them the underground could use. He remembered his hesitancy to talk to Mr. Reagan about what was bothering him. He should have talked to him anyway. He might have learned something useful.

Monday I’ll do better, he promised himself.