"Bea, I need you to call a number for me and tell them there's been an incident with the Wright family, and that I have gone to investigate," The doctor sat, eyes straight ahead, frozen, his tone firm and commanding.

Beatrice had fallen uncharacteristically silent while she jotted down the number for the line the doctor needed to contact. Or maybe my heart was beating so loudly I couldn't hear anything else.

"He took him to the old house didn't he?" I glanced between the two of them rapidly as time seemed to be frozen in my apartment. It marched on ever quicker outside.

"Ellowyn, I need you to come with me and tell me everything you know. I don't think Everett needs to fear for his life but I do believe he is in danger." The doctor's hands cupped my shoulders, his eyes searching my face for something behind the panic, desperately.

I could've told you that, I wanted to say but now wasn't the time for snarky responses and the doctor didn't wait for one. Mere heartbeats later I was rushign after him, out the door and into the cool night air.

"I thought I was going to help you find the master of all invention, but it's you and Tris, isn't it? I thought I was helping," I lamented, struggling to keep pace with him, "After being in the underground I thought he was dangerous and that you didn't know what you were getting into. I was scared."

"I was going to need to tell you eventually." He responded unconvincingly.

"That's it? You knew Silas caused the Great Collapse on purpose for some bazaar reason."

"How much did you learn, Ellowyn?"

"The three of you met at University and came up with this grand invention. None of you took credit for it, and you used injured soldiers for prototypes, and now a disturbed man had taken my friend to a lab where he tortured people." I felt something in my voice changed, the volume rising with the panic shaking my body. There should have been tears with how my eyes stung but they just wouldn't come.

The doctor stopped, and took my face in his hands in on snap movement, "I need you to trust me right now Ellowyn, staying calm is what's going to get Everett home."

I nodded in agreement but it did nothing to stop the sensation that my heart what beating its way up into my throat.

"I've been searching for him because he's a war criminal. The things he did after I was discharged were unspeakable," the doctor grimaced, resuming our brisk walk to the Wright house.

"Like causing the great collapse and experimenting on children? I saw his notes while I was down there."

"I wouldn't tell him how to do it. How to attach man to machine." He ignored my previous comment, "Each of us studied one piece of the formula, Beatrice the mechanic, Silas the surgeon, and I was the connection. It was a failsafe in case one of us decided to do exactly what Silas did. He managed to get Beatrice to give up her piece of the puzzle. "

"I should've noticed sooner, Everett's arm is a mess, I'm surprised he isn't in pain all the time with how his nerves are connected, it's inhumane." I crossed my arms, rubbing my shoulders to keep off the chill.

"I agree Ellowyn. After I was sent home Silas developed a new goal. How much man could he replace with machine without killing the body," I watched him shudder, "I've seen terrible things Ellowyn, its why I volunteered to be the one to bring him in."

"I'm sorry doctor."

"It's alright, Ellowyn, this is my penance."

In front of us was the house, as yellow and dilapidated as ever. It had a different feel to it now that I wasn't sneaking around in the dark and yet it was as dangerous as ever. We left new footprints alongside the ghosts of the ones Everett and I made. and others that had to belong to Everett and Silas.

"This is the Wright house," The doctor explained, edging around the hole in the floor where the living room once was, "we had a family living in it and everything."

"It's where you built the bombs?" I followed close behind tracing over another trail of freshly disturbed dust with my eyes.

"Land mines would be more accurate but yes. Hidden in plain sight."

The passage to below was opened already, mechanical spider shoved into the wall. Something between an invitation and a taunt.

"Beatrice came up with the idea for mechanical spiders. She didn't want to be involved with the war so I took credit on paper."

I gave the metal, spindling creature another glance as we descended into the basement. It figured Tris would be the one to create something terrifying and useful in equal measure.

The passage to the factory and lab was even more cramped than I remembered, and twice as uncomfortable without flashlights, even though this time I knew there was a bottom. The factory beneath us remained frozen in time, the emergency lights giving a dim shape to half-finished bomb casing and machinery that made this room buzz with life. It felt wrong for it to still be here, Fairberg was lively, this place was dead and painful. Bones from the war.

At the entrance to the lab, the doctor propped himself in the doorway, his head down.

"I can always go in alone," I patted my flexed arm in a show of strength. It was mostly an attempt to cover how terrified I was. Even more so now that I could see that the doctor was frightened too.

"In all the times I've followed a lead down here I've never been able to bring myself to enter this wing."

"I can do it, really." I insisted, "I can run in and out before he even notices I'm here."

He shook his head, "It has to be me. This place can't hurt me anymore."

"It's just bones," I said under my breath, following close behind his stop-start procession, his hands clenched in shaking fists. The collapsed cabinets I scaled to enter the chamber during our first visit had been cleared. Hushed voices drifted through the deserted halls, not enough to give the place the illusion of life. Just bones with unwelcome visitors. Carrion birds here to pick what was left.

Hearing voices seemed to strengthen his resolve and he quickened his pace, heading for the illuminated doorway at the end of the hall. He pressed his index finger to his lips and motioned for me to stay hidden as he slipped into the room. I pressed myself flat against the cold metal wall. Closing my eyes to focus my ears.

"Doctor? Thank God." Everett sighed. I sighed too, he was safe, or at least safer now that we were here.

"Kidnapping, Silas?" the doctor tutted, "and I thought you drew the line at murder." The doctor's voice was unusually firm and clear, confident even.

"Oh hush, Edward, you were a man of science once," Silas spoke, his voice accompanied by the sound of shuffling furniture, "The Duke was impressed by your work. We would love it if you would accompany us. The Warring States are willing to fund our research and give us the supplies we need."

I found myself gently drumming on the wall to keep clam while the pair of them chatted. Research and supplies? As far as Silas was concerned that could only mean an endless stream of bodies. Silas and the Duke from the warring states were both in the room, both up to no good. I considered sneaking in to get Everett but I needed to trust the doctor. Mostly I wanted Beatrice to arrive with whatever forces the Doctor had us call as we left.

"I have responsibilities here, Silas, I'm afraid you need to find your own way in the Warring States."

"If I may interject," The Dukes heavily accented voice carried, "Your work on my arm is a good thing. And if we use it with Silas's work we will have impervious soldiers. Bulletproof. It is a good thing we do here."

"If you respect my opinion then you will not pursue this avenue in wining your war."

"Edward please," Silas chided, "this boy's arm is hardly the first of his modifications. I rebuilt more of him than you can imagine. I can show you."

The was a sudden crack of wood breaking and something hitting the floor hard.

"Don't touch me," Everett repeated, his plea accompanied by the sound of scraping across the floor.

"Silas, Silas, Silas, this is not necessary. I believe you." The doctor stepped in, preventing whatever was harm was about to befall Everett.

I clenched my fists and breathed deeply closing my eyes. Everything was going to be okay, I had to believe that. The doctor was going to get Everett home. Silas and the Duke would be no more.

The sound of rustling fabric came down the hall from the entrance. Uniformed men creeping in like cats, Tris at the helm.

"She's with me," Beatrice commented quietly, giving my shoulder an affectionate squeeze.

I tucked myself in between her and the officers, clinging like a child to her mother's apron strings.

"Hello, Traitorous Rat." She called out, bursting into the room, the uniformed men flooding in behind us, in a dramatic flair worthy of the doctor.

"Beatrice," Silas scoffed, quickly restrained by two officers.

I rushed over to Everett who remained bound to a chair, only the chair had been grounded, in the scuffle between the doctor and Silas no doubt.

"You are ever a sight for sore eyes, Ellowyn." He sighed, relieved, "Can you?"

"Yes I'm on it," I responded, kneeling at his side and picking away at the cords that bound him.

The officers took no time tearing apart the room, reading off rights to Silas, and excluding the Duke who had taken to thrashing about and swearing in his native tongue.

Everett rubbed his wrist a moment before throwing his arms around me, his body shaking all over like mine had been on the walk over. Only much worse.

"Before you take him I do have one thing to say," Beatrice stopped, Silas at the door, "There is no Kraken."

Silas's face shifted from bewilderment to rage in an instant but he was down the hall before he had the change to fight back. Beatrice stood tall in the aftermath, like the statue of Lady Justice stood in the bay after a storm. I expected her to grin after such a bold statement, but instead her whole face relaxed, peaceful.

"Excuse us, we would like to have a word with you Mr. Greene," One of the offices addressed us, interrupting our embrace.

"Please," He pleaded, his eyes tired and glossy, "I'll come down to the station first thing tomorrow. Tonight I just need to be home."

Before the man had the chance to retort, the doctor's hand landed on his shoulder, "He's one of my patients, any of your burning questions about how he is involved can be answered by me. Let the boy go home."

Everett let out an audible sigh of relief his body still quivering under my palm.

"I'll walk you home," I spoke softly helping him to his feet.

Outside of the Wright house was impossible to tell that anything was going on underneath. The neighbors all asleep, blissfully unaware of the events that had transpired just beneath their feet. I worried for a moment what might have happened if Silas and the duke had left. Giving the warring states the ability to create super soldiers during a time when our tensions with them were high. Looking at Everett made me wonder if they would have failed anyway. Here was Silas's prototype, sweet and mild-mannered, incapable of doing intentional harm.

"How are you holding up Everett?"

He shook his head as if to return to his body after being lost in thought, "I think I'm alright. Physically I'm fine but mentally I'm a bit shaken. You?"

"Fine, I think," I responded, "I got the answers I wanted but it feels unsatisfying. If the doctor and Tris weren't there you and I would be in so much trouble right now, I don't know how much I actually was involved."

He chuckled, "I feel the same. Becoming a damsel in distress was not how I thought illegally trespassing with you would conclude."

We walked in silence a bit further, buffeted by the sill night air hanging over the bay.

"Can I offer you a cup of tea to warm you up before you head back off to your apartment?"

"That would be much appreciated," I rubbed my shoulders and arms for warmth.

In the center of the greenhouse, there was a thin metal spiral staircase I had previously interpreted as a plant stand as it was covered in ivy and small potted flowers. He motioned for me to follow him into the small one-room apartment above. It was a small single room space with unfinished wood floors. The far wall housed a kitchenette and a single window overlooking the greenhouse in back. The other half of the room separated by a moth-eaten curtain housed two worn mattresses, only one of which was housed by a bedframe. I was shocked that homes like this were still available, my own apartment must have looked like a castle.

"Make yourself at home," He pulled out a chair for me at the kitchen table. It brightened the room with its crisp floral table cloth, "I had been saving up to fix up this old place but after tonight I'm thinking it might be put towards leaving instead."

"Everett. . ." I knitted my brows listening to the clattering of china in his shaking hands.

"You probably think less of me seeing that I continue to live in such a place."

I shook my head, "As long as you're happy and safe here it's no issue. I just forget sometimes, how good I have it." I rested my hand on the back of his clasped hands, still shaking, "I'll get the tea."

From there the clinking of china and gentle sips of tea punctuated the silence where our conversation should have been. Everett drank with both hands, his mechanical arm supporting his sharking human hand.

"Do you need me to stay tonight? I noticed there are two beds," I noted, setting my emptied cup near the sink.

That night I slept on the floor of Everett's apartment on a mattress that did little to cushion me from the warn planks below. I insisted that he sleep in his own bed after the day he'd had.

"Are you alright?" My words crawled out into the dark, unfamiliar place.

"That's too big a word," he responded sleepily, "I think I'm glad I'm alive. I also have the undeniable urge to sell everything I own and run away from here as far and as fast as I can."

"I wouldn't blame you if you did. Maybe could save up for one of Tris's airships and fly out to where ever you are."

"I would like that very much." A few more moments of silence and his breathing shifted. He was asleep and I needed to be, too.