Dumas clenched his teeth each time Mari called him ‘Baby’.  Hearing her turn that term of endearment into a sneering insult felt like watching someone piss on a sacred relic.  Dumas was still edgy from the fight, and it took all of his remaining restraint to keep himself from hitting her.  But he didn’t want to hurt the good Mari.  And he didn’t want Chester to see that side of him.<br/><br/>Not bothering to be particularly gentle, Dumas dragged Mari away from the scene of the gunfight.  Together, the trio dodged through a series of back alleys and narrow streets, until they eventually reached a place of relative safety.  Dumas halted, wanting to consult with Chester about their next move.  But Mari just wouldn’t stop taunting him.  Shame and guilt filled Dumas as she revealed his crimes to Chester.  The idea of having a ‘round 2’ with her made him sick to his stomach.  And when she gloated about what he’d accidentally stolen, what he could never give back no matter how much he wanted to, Dumas finally lost it.<br/><br/>With all the strength of his rage and his pain, Dumas slapped Mari’s face.  “Shut your filthy mouth!” he roared.  “You think it’s funny?  What you did to me -- what you tricked me into doing to her -- you think it’s a goddamn joke?”<br/><br/>Literally unable to stop himself, Dumas reached out and wrapped his hand around Mari’s throat, lifting her off the ground.  “You’re not invulnerable just because you share her body,” he snarled.  “Remember what I said about DEE offering to erase all my bad memories?  It might take him a little while longer to pluck every trace of you from Mari’s brain, but he could do it.  So don’t push me.”