The thick crawling tongue of lava was suddenly loud. It slithered with a slow, scratching whisper over the old basalt and bubbled over the ground floor like butter hitting a hot pan. The low gargle of the volcano surrounded Tobias, overwhelming the sense that had hardly detected it moments ago. His whole body vibrated with its guttural language, and his eardrums recoiled like barnacle feet at its booming threat. While his heart thundered in his chest, the lair screamed over his entire exterior.

A fresh tremor broke him to his knees and he cried out, his visions losing their organization. New rubble rained down. A sound like the gargle of a muddy stream erupted behind him and he turned his wide eyes to a much larger flood of boiling lava splashing downwards. Benjamin Jones was hanging on the ladder, not even halfway. Tobias couldn't see the lava reaching him yet, but the fear on the man's face sent pleasure pattering down his spine.

He threw up his shield just in time to stop a blunt blow to his head and gasped at the force of it. He struggled to get to his feet, grabbing the control desk with his cane hand, while throwing his shield around wildly in the chance that Spectre would lunge again.

Left!

A crack spread over the upper corner of his shield, raised not a second too soon. Tobias gaped, cornered against the desk. The top of his trusty old device flickered out and he was left with half of a blue shield—hardly enough to protect himself. His hand shot out over the desk, fingers lunging for a button that might buy him time.

An invisible knife sliced the black flesh of his fingers. Unfeeling, unhindered, they dove into a blue button and it began to rain pungent green liquid in the lair.

Tobias flinched and raised his shield to his head, but the next blow from his opponent plunged into his gut and seemed to sink straight to his spine, expelling his breath like a balloon.

Tobias was thrown, screaming out with barely enough conscious thought to stop the next invisible blow. His elbow fell against a lever, but he could not look without making himself vulnerable. All the chances seemed the same. Raising his shield to the right side of the skull had the same chance of saving him from blackness as raising his shield to the left.

"Please, Viola Mae!" Tobias cried, clutching his gut. It hurt. It hurt so much, as if she had bruised each organ within him. He could hear Poppy Tris screaming behind him, but the blood rushing in his ears drowned it out. "You weren't supposed to come!"

He ducked and wind swept over his head, sweeping his curls to the side. Weed killer sputtering from the sprinklers bounced off her frame, exposing her shape. It was time to turn to offense, before the green rain expended. Tobias flung his arms out and, catching something, pulled with all his might. He heard a thud and a grunt.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, wide-eyed. "I—No!"

The small shield saved him again, but this time, the invisible woman's weapon took it out for good. Tobias did not even have a second to register this before Spectre's arms were around his neck. His hands flew to her wrists in shock. Weed killer burned on his tongue and stung his eyes.

"Surrender now and cooperate with your arrest, and no further harm will be done."

Tobias stared blankly ahead through his crooked spectacles, puzzled and hurt. She used the same line on many villains. But, I am not... He lowered his eyes and his brows, regaining his breath while he had the chance. Expensive blue stilettos kicked across his vision, passing before him.

"No," he whispered, eyes widening. He grabbed Spectre's wrists tighter and threw them off easily to lunge towards the moving lawyer. The sudden quaking of the volcano hurled him aside. Tobias collided with a wall and tripped half-blindly over the paralyzed, wailing Vine Voodoo underfoot. His head exploded with pain. Her skin sizzled under the dying drips from the sprinklers.

Hyperventilating, sweating, vision beginning to blur with the stress, Tobias caught himself just in time to hold his forearms up and stop the blunt end of Spectre's knife hitting his head. It sent shocks up his arms. She took to his hip and he buckled to one knee with a gasp. He reached for her but caught only air.

"Please! Stop!" he wailed frantically, head spinning from trying to find her in his visions. He didn't know where to look, eyes moving everywhere. The rain had ceased. "I don't want to hurt you! I'm still Tobias! Let us talk!"

He felt a dull pain against the burnt half of his skull and saw stars, gaping. He turned his burnt half away from the wall, opening it to her. It could take a hit.

"Get him, Vee!" Poppy Tris shouted.

"No!" Tobias shrieked, shielding his head again. His arms throbbed and his feet stumbled. His muscles twitched all over, and sleepiness permeated his mind like cinnamon roll scent. Sweet, inviting. The world seemed to warp around him. He ducked and felt a thud against his blackened neck, sending stars across his eyes.

Why was he protesting? His head started to feel heavy. It would be so much easier to give in. The bright blue garb of the screaming, struggling lawyer wavered in his eyes and he took a step towards her. She was over the edge of the platform. She was out of reach. She was over lava.

Benjamin Jones was screaming her name.

That was why he was protesting, he remembered, taking one wobbly step towards the control panel. He fell to his knees. The lever. The lever. The lever.

"Don't let him get to the control panel, Vee!" Poppy Tris howled. "Who knows what he could do!"

He got up. He fell to his knees. The lever.

He got up and fell to his knees after a step. He was so tired. The lever.

He got up and fell to his knees after two steps. His scalp was wet when it hit the floor. The...