“Wake up...”

I move. My body is sore. Every bone in my body feels like it's broken.

“WAKE UP!”

A bucket of ice cold water is poured on me. I jump up as fast as I can. The water is chilling and hits my body like a brick wall. I struggle to the side of the dark cell. They haven't given me food to eat for three days. All they gave me was water and a bucket to use the bathroom that they emptied. I had hoped after all the beatings my body would be numb to the pain. I never got used to it completely, but the real pain wasn't being in jail. The real pain was knowing that Jr was with this ing psycho.

The Aquarian police bring up a chair. They sit the chair across from me. They open the door. I know what's happening with this. It's JB.

“Mark. You look like ,” JB says with a laugh, “It's fitting for Aries though. I didn't get the whole handsome Aries thing. You people are supposed to look like crap.”

“On my worst day I look better than you,” I explain to JB, “Ask your husband.”

I laugh at my own joke. It gets underneath JB's skin even though he puts on that cocky smile of his. He has the most annoying sense of grandiose. He really thinks he is the hottest thing walking. He's personally come to torment me every day that I've been in jail. I know why. Underneath that cocky smile and picture perfect exterior he was insecure inside. Maybe that's why he Jr.

“Defiant as usual huh Aries?” he asks laughing, “You know what's funny? Jr doesn't even talk about you anymore. He's forgotten all about you, yet you bring him up in every conversation we have.”

“I doubt it.”

“Really?”

I nod, “You can't fake the love we have. So save the bull. Tell me why you're really mad, police chief? Tell me why you come in here more pissed off every day. What's the word for it? Damn. They used to say it back in the day. What's the phrase? Is it blue balls?”

He gets up off his chair and swings the wooden chair right across my face. I fall to the ground. My body hits the floor hard. I'm bleeding. I lay there for a minute. I barely have the energy to fight back. The best I did was tackle JB one day after his attacks. The guards beat my for 3 hours straight. I won't give him the satisfaction to stay on the floor though. After he hits me I manage to get back on my knees. I sit on my knees, bleeding and all. I want him to see I'm not fazed by him.

I want him to see my big . I want him to see the big that I had in his husband that his husband probably has been thinking about every day that they forced Jr and I to get a divorce.

He notices. It pisses him off.

“I can do this forever you know?” JB states, “I don't ever have to give you a trial with the Libras. You aren't even in the system. I'm just holding you here. See I run things in this city.”

The fact that they aren't giving me a trial means that they don't have a reason to hold me. Maybe I ed up Nyxx's circuits when I punched her in her face. Maybe the breathing robot didn't have enough information to keep me locked up. In this system proof didn't matter. None of that kind of stuff mattered.

I laugh, “Is that what the High Liberty told you?”

JB was an idiot if he thought he was the ultimate power in this city. The High Liberty made Jr feel like he was important too. Truth was JB was on Yugyeom's kill list at one point. I had seen it. The High Liberty only took him off when he realized JB was a loyal whipping boy.

JB's cocky smile gets wider, more irritating, “That's what I know. You're not , Mark. You were born a sewer ram. You will die a sewer ram. And no one will care that you're gone.”

He was lying. I turn away. Jr would notice. Jr would care. JB wanted to hold me because he knew that nothing would keep me away from Jr once I got out of here. In his own sick way I think JB loved Jr. He was a sociopath who was given everything in life so his love had turned somewhat violent and crazed but I think his feelings for Jr were deep. He probably thought they were deeper than mine. He might have known Jr all his life. He might have thought they were always going to be matched. The truth was I knew better though. Jr belonged to me and sometimes I think he knows it.

There is a knock on the cell door.

It's one of JB's officers. He has this urgent look on his face.

“Sir my I speak to you.”

“Don't disturb me.”

“The High Liberty called the station sir. It's important,” he stated.

“I'm busy.”

“Sir. It's the High Liberty.”

I smile. JB and I look at one another. Whether JB wanted to believe it or not he wasn't anything else but a slave to the system. That provided a real opening. There was a small crack on the Zodiac facade and I think that crack was named JB. His pride was going to be his downfall.

“You might want to take that. Your boss is calling,” I state.

JB is resistant. Maybe it's the Aquarian pride or sense of entitlement. He still doesn't move out of the seat. I have to give it to him. He has balls.

JB turns to his officer, “What the does he want? I'm busy...”

“He wants the Aries released.”

JB's eyes get wide. He's shocked. Hell I'm shocked too. Unless there were other Aries in these prisons which probably was the case since the majority of us were some real ing lawbreakers then they were talking about releasing me.

“You're joking,” JB looks at the officer.

“He wants him released. Immediately.”

JB all of a sudden seems ready to take the call and he looks pissed. He looks at the officer. He looks back at me. He looks at the officer again. He pushes the officer so hard the officer falls on the ground. JB storms out probably to go argue with the High Liberty on the phone.

JB doesn't return.

His friend officer Youngjae comes and I knew who won the argument between JB and the High Liberty.

Youngjae throws clothes on me and a towel, “Clean yourself up. You're being released.”

It takes forever to get released and I don't see JB. He's avoiding me. I know he's probably in some office steaming somewhere. It's weird that they treat my injuries as well before I leave. It's almost like they are trying to make me seem presentable. I'm confused on why though. It isn't until I am taken out into the office that I notice something really weird is going on. The clothes that they gave me are nicer than you would have given some regular prisoner.

They walk me out of the jail. My eyes are so sensitive that it takes some time to adjust but when I see who is waiting for me I'm confused as hell.

I look over to Officer Youngjae. He's a lot nicer than JB even though he does it in secret. He was the only reason I got water when I was in my cell. He definitely wasn't some nun or something but at least he wasn't a monster like JB.

Maybe that's why I feel comfortable asking him, “What's happening?”

“You've been re-matched...”

I turn to see who I've been rematched to. It's confusing. I don't get it. She is standing there looking at me. Yes. She. How the hell was I rematched to a woman? I was gay. This system was all types of weird and confusing.

Especially when I realize which woman I'm matched to.

She seems pissed!

“Are you coming or not?” she asks me.

I realize my new wife is none other than Jr's friend/enemy Shauna...

***

I am taken to Shauna's apartment after the most awkward marriage ceremony ever. She is quiet the whole time. I think she is pissed.

“Weren't you married to some Gemini or something?” I ask her.

Shauna's apartment is similar to Jr's. All my stuff is moved there. It doesn't have multiple bedrooms though. It's only the one. It's making this even more awkward. Why would the High Liberty want me released? Why would I be matched with Shauna? Was he trying to get under Jr's skin by doing this? The rivalry between Shauna and Jr was definitely something clear. If the High Liberty thought I was going to fall for Shauna to spite Jr then he definitely had something else coming.

She is grossed out by me. Maybe it's the bruises that they tried to clean up. Maybe it's just the fact that I'm an Aries. Shauna has turned to alcohol as soon as we get back in the house. I walk out of the bedroom we share to see her in the kitchen drinking warm dark liquor straight up. Her eyes narrow on me.

Then I realize why she's so upset.

“Aren't you like a construction worker?” she asks with this pissed off face, “Do you have any money at all?”

“Broke as a joke.”

She has been crying. I can tell by Shauna's red eyes. Her hands are shaking. I guess the idea of being married to an Aries with no money is really her worst nightmare.

“What did I do to deserve this?” she ask herself out loud.

I don't know whether to feel sorry for her or feel completely entertained. It's not every day you see a high and mighty Libra scramble at the pains of life. Her apartment was perfect. She was probably the prettiest girl I'd ever seen in my life. Literally. Jr and all his friends looked like they were just born gorgeous for whatever reason. Her hair was long, silky and healthy. Her long white nails probably never had dirt underneath them. Her skin was smooth. She didn't have a single stress line or wrinkle. She never struggled in her life. Right now was probably the most she's ever been upset over something. There were people starving in the slums and she was upset over this.

“You're collateral damage,” I tell Shauna.

“What?” Shauna asks me.

Her eyes are full with tears when she looks up at me.

“Nothing,” I respond, “How's Jr? Have you seen him?”

I wish I could care about her tears but right now I've been blowing up Jr's phones. He's not answering. I start blowing up my friend Marshall's phone as well. Marshall is working for JB. I told him to watch over Jr and make sure that he's OK. I hate the fact that I'm not able to get in touch with anyone right now. Some horrible thoughts are running through my head.

What if JB did something to Jr?

She shrugs, “Do I look like I give a about Jr? He's been MIA. He hasn't even been showing up for work. Who else gets away with that but Jr? We are all mourning over Jackson. We don't get to stay home. He gets EVERYTHING he wants.”

My heart is racing. I'm scared to death.

“Where is he?”

“I don't give a .”

“LOOK!