Kevin pressed his lips into a hard line and looked away. Riko made a disgusted noise low in his throat. He said something in a language Neil didn't understand. Neil guessed it was Japanese. Whatever it was, it sounded furious. Kevin flinched and offered a weak response. Riko stabbed a finger at him in angry accusation and rattled away, getting louder and more incensed by the second. Neil watched Kevin wilt beneath the weight of his brother's—no, owner's—fury and kissed his survival instincts goodbye. He grabbed Riko's shirt and hauled him back.

"Leave him alone."

A black look twisted Riko's expression into something ugly and unrecognizable. He reached for Neil, but Kevin caught his arm to stop him. Riko slammed his elbow back into Kevin's face without missing a beat. Neil retreated as fast as he could, but there was only so far he could go before he would end up on stage again. He'd just started tripping over wires when Andrew appeared in front of him.

"Riko," Andrew said, spreading his arms as if he intended to hug Riko hello. "It's been a while."

Riko jerked back a bit in surprise, started to school his expression into something more civil, and gave up when he realized who had joined them.

"We were just talking about you," Riko said.

"With your fists, it seems," Andrew said. "Don't touch my things, Riko. I don't share."

He reached back without looking and pushed at Neil's shoulder. Neil took the hint and skirted around Andrew and Riko. He half-expected Riko to stop them, but all of Riko's attention was on Andrew. Neil grabbed Kevin's arm and hauled him down the hall, looking for the exit. They were almost there when the team caught up with them. Abby jogged the last couple steps to Kevin and crushed him in a fierce embrace. Kevin held onto her for dear life while the team hovered nearby.

Wymack looked at Neil. "Are you seriously retarded or something? You would have been safer back at Palmetto after all."

"Leave him alone, David," Abby said, muffled against Kevin's shoulder.

"When I said Abby and I would look out for you, I didn't mean you should pick a fight with Riko on national television," Wymack said. "Should I have spelled that out beforehand?"

"Probably," Neil said.

"It's fine, Coach," Andrew said, catching up to them. He touched Neil's back on his way by, fingers light enough to give Neil goose bumps, but didn't slow on his way to Kevin's side. He pressed a hand to Abby's arm in a silent demand for her to back off. "Kevin, we're going. Right now, okay?"

Kevin let go of Abby, and Andrew pushed him out the door into the parking lot.

"Coach says stupid, but I say you have balls of steel. I didn't think you had it in you," Matt said, looking Neil over as if wondering what he'd missed this summer. "I thought you were the quiet type."