Braxton and Varian sat beside their finished engine. Today they would be testing their machines. Jim crossed the room to join them. "Hey guys."

"Hi Jim!" Varian said brightly.

Braxton greeted him with a glare.

Jim took a deep breath. Sy's advice echoed through his mind one last time. You don't have to be wrong to apologize. Jim looked directly at Braxton. He made sure to maintain eye contact. "Braxton. I'm sorry."

Braxton crossed his arms and leaned away from him. That was not the reaction Jim had been expecting. The cyborg had not lost his frown yet.

"What are you sorry for," he demanded irritably.

Jim blinked. "What?" Now he was frowning too. "What kind of a question is that? You're supposed to say you're sorry too, and then we can move on."

Braxton snorted. "Yeah, that's what I thought. You're not sorry, you just want me to 'get over it' and pretend like you aren't a jerk."

"I'm not a jerk, but you're sure acting like one," Jim snapped back. "Why can't you just accept my apology?"

"Because it doesn't mean anything," Braxton answered sharply. "I shouldn't even have to tell you this. I bet Matt told you to apologize to me so now you're here hoping that he told me to just let it go and move on." He stopped then shook his head. "No. Not Matt. Sy. He's the one that told you to tell me you're sorry. Matt knows better, and you would have ignored him. Your little bleeding heart said to come apologize and you obeyed."

Jim's temper flared. "Don't you insult Sy! This whole issue is because you were being mean to him. I don't even know why I'm the one trying to make things better. It's your fault."

Braxton shook his head. "That's just like you, James. Exactly what I expected."

It was a moment before Jim realized who 'James' was. The fact that Braxton was using his full first name hurt more than any physical blow he could have dealt. Jim took a step back. Braxton's chin lifted in an arrogant, triumphant way.

Varian was shrunk down on his stool as small as he could get. He didn't much like being trapped between their tempers. "I'll just go submit the report we made then." He scooped up the bundle of papers and slunk away from his fuming teammates.

At the front of the classroom a small group attached their engine to the teacher's machine. They retreated a few steps and nodded to their instructor. He flicked the on switch. The engine sprang to life. The group broke into cheers at their success.

Jim applauded them along with the rest of the class. The teacher turned the machine off and the finished group removed their engine. The next trio swapped theirs in. Jim clapped for them as well. The turn order snaked through the classroom with each working engine.

Braxton picked up their machine wordlessly. Varian led the group to the front of the class. The three of them started to attach their engine. Jim passed Braxton the exhaust hose. Braxton nodded curtly and popped it into place. It was painful to act as if he was working with a stranger, though Jim supposed he should merely be glad they were able to work together at all.

The trio retreated to the side of the room. Varian was bouncing on his toes like an excited puppy. Jim couldn't help but smile. The teacher nodded to them. Braxton looked to his two teammates for confirmation. Varian slid his goggles into place and flashed a thumbs up. Jim nodded. Braxton turned back to the teacher. "Ready."

The teacher flicked the power switch. The engine started to hum. The dials spun as they registered the power and ran their assessments. The teacher started marking down their output.

The engine exploded.