Hours turned to minutes when Haley finally relaxed and got into her work, following the simple instructions of Ellie and Malcolm while also figuring a few things out on her own and fixing what she could – it wasn't long before she forgot her issues with helping them, just at the most horrendous time possible.

"Thirty-six units," Haley read from the notebook, scribbling the number down in her terrible, child-like handwriting before a loud crash made her body jump in surprise, the book flapping over her head as a result before falling behind her somewhere. She assumed it was just another ape dropping some of the equipment by accident, but when the echoing clang repeated again and again, she finally spun around in alarm, just in time to pale at the sight of Koba jumping further down the pipes before he crashed against the bottom platform. Compelled by fear, Haley felt herself stepping back, sneaking in between Ellie and Foster to hide away from her mate, but it was rendered futile when his dark green eyes bore into hers, her throat growing dry instantly. Time stood still as he studied her and she could see his fury burning stronger as his gaze wandered between her and the other humans surrounding her, making her gulp from the tension.

"Where is Caesar?" She watched him sign to Rocket beside him without breaking his gaze away from her, and once he saw the chimp pointing to the opposite end of the room, he finally stomped up the platform to her.

Haley whimpered in pain when he grabbed her thin wrist without restraint, her bones complaining under the pressure, but couldn't do anything as she was jerked away from the group and sent stumbling back down the steps after him. "Koba, let go!" She hissed under her breath and pulled against him, trying to free herself, but his grasp was too strong and the ache only grew worse from her fight – she knew immediately that Grey told him about her outburst. Behind her, Ellie, Foster, and Kemp inched forward, looking to each other for some kind of permission to help, but none of them had the courage to speak out, feeling as if they had no right to interfere. Rocket, however, was a part of the colony and soon had enough of watching Koba dragging his female away like some insignificant mule. "Koba," Haley heard her friend grunt out as a warning behind her, reaching to grab her arm and pull her back, but her rescue soon meant nothing when the fuming bonobo shoved Alex from his path and sent the young man crashing against the steel flooring. Alas, the struggle became a public spectacle for the apes and humans both and forced the room to quiet, Koba slowly circling around to the boy, making Haley's heart grow heavy in terror, but before she had a chance to stop him and before she barely got the chance to officially rip her hand free in the confusion, she was suddenly flung back behind Koba and sent tumbling against the floor with a few metallic crashes.

"No, no, please, don't!" Malcolm intervened and quickly rushed pass the tossed woman to between his son and the ape, resisting the urge to help her instead. Yet, Koba didn't seem to care; seeming even more enraged, he stepped closer to the father and son with a snarl, only halting once Maurice stepped in his way.

"Where Caesar!?" Koba's scream tore through Haley's ears as she sat herself up and made her wobble from its impact, groaning when her knees stung behind new scratches, "Want Caesar!" He continued to screech, the sound forcing Haley to tense in fear the second time, but before she could collapse from disorientation, a pair of worried and beady green eyes slid into view and allowed her to relax. "Haley alright?" Rocket signed carefully and only felt partially reassured when Haley sluggishly nodded in return, but still it was enough for him to move to her side, slide an arm around her back, and lift her to her feet. Haley couldn't have been more grateful to Ellie at that moment – she was pretty sure her jacket was what broke her fall.

"Caesar!" Koba screamed finally, but his urgency and rage went ignored when the wanted figure skulked slowly into the room, everyone falling deathly quiet right away. Haley could feel the anger vibrating from the king of apes in return for his brother's insolence and it only seemed to grow worse when he saw Haley, his eyes flickering to Rocket's supporting arm around her middle. In a hurry, Haley stepped away from the almost hairless chimp, hoping to hide the abuse she's just endured, but when his frown deepened, she knew it was too late. Nevertheless, Koba seemed to ignore it.

"Humans attack your sons, insult my mate; you let them stay –" He growled out, stepping closer to intimidate his leader, though it didn't come close to working with his short stature, "—put apes in danger."

Haley didn't like where this was going; the longer it went on, the more her stomach seemed to clench. She glanced to Blue Eyes for answers, the young ape having followed her mate to the dam, but he kept his eyes on the confrontation instead, and so, she did the same, her attention continuously shifting between her oldest friend and the ape he was towering over. 'Please,' she pleaded silently, 'don't let this be happeningdon't make me choose again.'

"Caesar loved humans more… than apes!" Koba kept it up, however, her prayers going unheard by whatever cruel being is in control of her life, but still she begged for it to end, which it didn't. "Caesar loves humans more than his sons!" Koba snapped viciously, shoving Caesar harshly against his chest, as if trying to break the illusion of Caesar being untouchable.

Haley saw it – Caesar fought for control, his crave to not attack another ape strong, but his gaze soon fell on his son behind Koba and his endurance faltered, his breathing growing heavy and harsh. His authority was challenged and set his teeth on edge, but the pain and sense of betrayal that hang on Blue Eyes' shoulders were what hit him the hardest.

Haley instinctively ducked when Caesar's scream pierced the air, the sound frighteningly human, but unlike the rest, she found herself frozen in place when he tackled her mate to the ground, everyone else scurrying away. She felt Rocket attempt to pull her back, but she was petrified in place. Every time Caesar's fists pounded against Koba's chest or Koba's against his, she flinched like it was aimed at her. Her heart pounded with each blow, booming in her ears to make up for the haze her surroundings morphed into, not a single sound registering with her. The scent of iron was the only thing she could bring herself to notice when the red liquid began to leak across Koba's forehead and nozzle. She felt the need to intervene – it was achingly powerful – but who should she protect? Should she help Koba or should she help Caesar? One was her mate and the other was the ape she loved; one was the ape who raped her and the other was the one she can never have. "Stop it," She breathed, watching with gaping eyes as Caesar straddled Koba and choked the bonobo, slamming his back against the floor time and time again – and again, and again, and again.

"Stop it!"

Finally, Haley had enough, and before she could stop herself, she lunged forward and slammed her side against Caesar's shoulder, forcefully tearing him from Koba. From the weight of her own body, she stumbled forward with the chimp, but while he crashed onto the rubble at the end of the warehouse, she somehow managed to find her ground and gasp for the breath that had been caught in her throat. "Koba!" She realized aloud, however, and sped to the bonobo's wide, wrapping her arm around his own in order to help him to his feet.

The world buzzed around Koba when he was unwilling pulled up from the flooring, the room spinning uncontrollably no matter where he looked, but despite it all and his wobbling limbs, the arm that hoisted him cleared through the haze. First came the filthy nails and ruined nail-beds that he struggled to recognize, then came the ruined skin of the hand they were attached to, but then came the most recognizing thing of all: the jacket. Instantly, rage burned through his veins, and before he could hesitate, he threw his elbow back, spun around, and punched against the human who dared to touch him, sending her flying backwards.

The air was instantly knocked from Haley's lungs from the blow, her ribs luckily only bruised, and forced her to yelp before she felt herself soaring back like she weighed nothing. Her surroundings blurred like the scene from the window of a car, and it felt as if it would last forever, but then, like an anticlimactic stop of a roller-coaster, she finally collided with the platform railing a few feet away, the side of her head connecting perfectly with one of the steel bars in a sickening clang. Her body collapsed, limb, her vision blurring, and the sting in her head erased her senses completely – again, all she could hear was the familiar pounding, this time in her skull, while it felt as if her temples swelled like balloons, a strange pressure building.

Despite the fact that he was tossed by her only the second earlier, Caesar's face immediately fell with concern at the sight of Haley whimpering meekly on the floor at the other side of the room, holding her head in shaky hands, and quickly rushed pass Koba to crouch by her shoulder and snake his hand behind her neck, raising her and resting her back on his lap. She whined when her rest on the ground was interrupted, but hearing her name called beside her in the hollow and rumbling voice, she quickly calmed – despite the lack of clarity, she knew it couldn't be anyone but Maurice. Unlike the other council members who moved to help the bleeding girl, Koba was stilled by his own actions once he realized what he did, his hands actually shaking in horror and guilt. The sight of blonde hair turning crimson turned even the bonobo and his steel stomach nauseous, the deep gash on the side of her head growing harder to see with each passing second, and when her eyes begun to return to life and look around sluggishly, his usual glare wavered with uncharacteristic remorse.

The sudden chill in the air warmed the instant Haley's vision begun to clear, Caesar's worried face the first thing she saw before she stiffly turned her head to Maurice, Luca, and Rocket next to her, trying to make sure she didn't assume wrong, and then to Blue Eyes, the surroundings clearing up for the final few shades to reveal his horrified and worried face. Groaning softly, Haley attempted to sit up higher and show everyone she was fine, but as the others expected, she only dropped right back down, which was exactly why they didn't bother to stop her from being stupid. But then, suddenly, strength became more than enough, it seemed – in front of her, she caught Koba attempting to step closer, but fear made her gasp and flinch into the warmth next to her, grasping for the fur on Caesar's chest like a scared child.

"Don't touch me!" She barked hoarsely, but with enough force to make her mate stop and retreat back a step. Through the red that slowly stained her lashes and colored the side of her face, Haley could see an odd sense of defeat washing over Koba, but it didn't matter anymore – she felt more defeated that he ever could. "I shouldn't be used to this." Haley sighed, realization finally dawning on her, and reached for her head with some of her recovered strength so she could feel the extent of the damage, even if only to flinch and moan when the briefest of touch felt like a blade to the brain. Haley paused as Ellie blocked her view from Koba and come over to look over her wound, but as soon as Ellie was out of the way, Haley pleaded, not daring to meet his eye, "Please… go."

The bonobo hesitated and only kept staring for a few moments longer, but it took nearly no time at all for the sight of Haley laying in Caesar's lap and Caesar not even looking away from her to dismiss Koba to set his teeth on edge. Eventually, rendered small under his female's warning, he whisked around and stormed off, Grey following close behind, not daring to mention his satisfaction with Haley's condition.

"She should be okay – the railing mostly cut her skin than anything else." Ellie interrupted, sending Caesar a reassuring look, "But you should keep her awake for a few hours. Come on, I can patch her up – help me get her to her feet."


Sorry, this chapter may be terrible quality, but I was kind in a hurry; I'll proofread it again tomorrow. Hope you all still enjoy this one, because I had a lot of fun writing it! Don't forget to leave those lovely comments and I will update soon. ^^