I'm not running away. [He scowls, tone firm] I'm buying time. I . . . was running low on it.

But! [Allen forces a bright smile] I think I need to understand him better. All of this. I figured if I can look past my hate, then maybe I can figure out how to beat this.

[It's not "beat him" anymore. Maybe it doesn't have to be that way. It certainly wasn't working out for him, just blindly fighting.]