"Do you have a better idea?" Albert's voice drops, the icy plunge in volume he uses when Jet's being unreasonable, meant to diffuse and make his partner rethink his position.

He hates using it now, with Jet helpless next to him. He knows the words only come from a place of anxious fear at the loss of his sense, the one Jet prizes most, but there's little they can do about it now. Going off to find Nasir would only satisfy his primal need for revenge, leaving Jet alone and exposed to other threats. Staying here and protecting him will only work for awhile. They'll run out of food eventually and he'll have to go get more, still leaving Jet unprotected. And bringing Jet with him is right out. To move silently you have to know your surroundings and while they've done plenty of reconnaissance, it's not home. They don't have it memorized, and things change at will in the arena. There is no fourth option as he can see.

So he waits for Jet to admit himself that there is no alternative, or maybe surprise him with something that's actually viable, all the while unable to offer that warmth he knows his partner needs, the sense that things will be alright.

How can they be?