I feel a sudden, sharp pain in my back, a jolt that snaps me out of my focus on Aaron and Pumice. Spinning around, I see her - Daisy, flailing wildly, unable to control herself as more and more bone spikes emerge from under her skin, perforating her hoodie. I feel, and sense, blood pooling in my back, leaking down my spine. I swallow.

"Dammit!" I curse under my breath, realizing I'm now trapped between three villains who all have very good reasons to want me dead. Aaron's coming at me with the crowbar again, his face twisted in rage. I twist my body, feeling the metal graze past my skin, cutting another slice into me.

My heart's pounding in my chest, each beat screaming at me to run, to escape, but there's no clear path. Daisy's erratic, her movements unpredictable with those spikes. Pumice is like a walking fortress, his stone body almost impenetrable. And Aaron... he's just relentless.

I duck another swing from Aaron, feeling the whoosh of air as the crowbar passes inches from my head. "Can't keep this up," I pant, my breath visible in the cold air. I need to think, need to find a way out of this, but it's hard when every second could be my last.

Daisy lunges at me again, and I sidestep, but not fast enough. One of her spikes grazes my arm, drawing blood. The pain is sharp, immediate, and sends a jolt through my system. I glance around, looking for any advantage, any weapon I could use. But there's nothing, just the snow-covered ground and the dim light from the streetlamps. The blood from before. It's just me, my fists, and my will to survive. Should've grabbed Aaron's knife.

Pumice comes at me next, his massive form moving surprisingly fast. I dodge to the side, feeling his fist brush past my hair. I can't let him hit me, not with that strength. But dodging isn't enough. I need to strike back. I ball my fists, ready to fight, to defend myself. But it's like fighting a storm. Daisy's spikes, Pumice's strength, Aaron's crowbar - they're all closing in on me, relentless and unforgiving.

A blow from Aaron catches me off guard, sending me stumbling backward. I catch myself, but just barely. I can feel the bruises forming, the cuts stinging, my body screaming at me to stop. But I can't. I won't.

I launch myself at Aaron, throwing a punch with everything I've got. It connects with his jaw, my hand burns with pain, and a huge gash rips open on his cheek, splitting it open. I don't have time to process how I did that. He reaches for his face, so I shove him into the snow.

Daisy's next, her spikes reaching out for me like deadly fingers. I twist away, but not before one catches my side, ripping through my jacket and skin. I grit my teeth against the pain, refusing to let it slow me down.

Pumice is relentless, his stone fists coming at me from all angles. I block, dodge, weave, but it's only a matter of time before one hits its mark. I need to get out of here, need to find a way to escape.

But how? They're everywhere, surrounding me, cutting off all my paths. I feel like a rat in a trap, desperate and cornered. I can't even think. I can't even breathe. Even the adrenaline is running out, and it's not funny anymore. My head is screaming on the inside, I'm certain I've broken several bones, I'm cut open everywhere, and my hand's been impaled. I'm really running on fumes.

I try to dodge Pumice's fist but I simply don't have the energy. My vision blurs as the world spins around me. Pumice's massive stone hand connects with my shoulder, a crushing blow that sends me sprawling into the snow. Pain explodes through my body, radiating from the impact point, a stark reminder of the reality I'm facing.

I push myself up, gasping, my shoulder screaming in agony. I can feel the bruises and cuts all over my body, a mosaic of pain and injury. It's like my whole body is on fire, but I can't stop now.

Aaron's yelling at Daisy, his voice harsh and full of anger. "You're useless, Daisy! Do something!" he screams. His words cut through the air, sharp and biting.

Daisy's transformation is swift and terrifying. Her face contorts in anger, eyes ablaze with an eerie light. The menacing spikes that once adorned her body now disappear, retracting into her with a wet noise like soaked tissue paper, giving way to something else entirely. She begins to set the world around us on fire with nothing but her gaze, as if her fury has ignited the very air, her eyes turned into yellow balls of flame in her skull.

The streetlights flicker and warp in the heat, the trash cans erupt into towering infernos, and even the snow, which should have been a barrier to the flames, starts to melt and burn with an unnatural yellow glow. This isn't any ordinary fire; it's like the flames are alive, dancing and leaping with a will of their own, casting long, flickering shadows that make the night even more ominous.

The stench of burning fills the air, a pungent smell like rotten eggs, making it hard to breathe. I choke and cough, trying to shield my face from the intense heat and blinding smoke. It's a scene from a nightmare, with Daisy at the center, her eyes wild and uncontrolled as she looks around, setting everything in her path ablaze.

I scan the area frantically, desperate for a way out. But the flames are a relentless barrier, hemming me in from all sides. There's no clear escape route; every turn leads to more fire, more smoke, more heat. It's like being trapped in a furnace, the temperature rising with every second, the air growing thinner and more toxic.

The situation is dire, and I can feel panic rising in my chest. The world around me is a blur of fire and shadows, my senses overwhelmed by the chaos. I need to think, need to find a solution, but it's hard to focus with the threat of being burned alive looming over me. The flames are closing in, and I'm running out of options. The heat is unbearable, searing my skin, singeing my hair. I'm in the heart of the inferno, and I don't know if I can make it out.

Pumice manifests through the fire, swatting me aside like a fly. I smack into the side of the building, coughing up blood and teeth, no longer able to breathe. My body is throbbing, pulsating, like it's one big heart. I fall to my knees, gasping for air. The snow beneath me is melting, turning into slush, and then evaporating. The heat from the flames is unbearable, and I can feel my skin starting to blister.

Aaron steps forward, crowbar raised, ready to deliver the final blow. I look up at him, my vision fading, my strength waning. I'm at my limit, my body giving up.

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No.

I lunge at Aaron, my fist connecting with his stomach. He doubles over, the crowbar clattering to the ground. I grab it, swinging it with all my might, smacking it into Aaron's knee to get him down. He lets out a yelp like a pathetic dog, and I swing again, in the other direction.

It hits Pumice squarely in the chest, a sound like thunder echoing through the night, knocking off chips and pieces. He staggers back, his stone body cracking under the impact. Water sprays out from the 'wound' onto my face, and for a second, I can feel my eyes again, damp, dewy. They feel sunken. I'm sure if I could see me now, I'd be terrified at the person I'm turning into.

Daisy's still setting everything on fire, her eyes wild and unfocused. The flames are spreading, consuming everything in their path. I can feel the heat scorching my skin, the fire closing in on me. She doesn't even seem to be present anymore, no longer an obstacle, just a force of nature.

I need to get out of here. I need to escape. But the flames are everywhere, and my enemies are relentless.

I swing the crowbar again, hitting Pumice in the arm. He grunts, pain flashing across his face. I use the momentary distraction to slip past him, heading towards the only way out I can see. Daisy's head lowers, and a line of fire bursts from beneath my feet.

I cock my arm back and hurl the crowbar at her. She raises her arms to block, and when it hits, I can tell her power is going to shift to mine. She doesn't surprise me anymore.

The heat is scorching, unbearable, but I can't let it stop me. With Daisy's inferno blocking any straightforward escape, I dash through the fire, feeling the flames lick at my skin, singeing and searing. My jacket is almost immediately set ablaze, and I wrench it off, throwing it into the growing pyre that was once the street.

Panic and desperation fuel me as I spot the alleyway, a slim chance of escape. My feet pound against the cold, wet ground, the only sound in my ears the roar of fire and my own ragged breaths. The dumpster looms ahead, my only hope to reach the fire escape dangling just out of reach.

I take a running leap, aiming for the metal ladder, but my coordination is off. My body, still reeling from the fight and the concussion, betrays me. I crash to the ground, a sharp pain shooting through my ankles and knees. It feels like they're shattered, and I can't hold back a scream of frustration and agony. Another try. Another go. I need to do this.

Through the chaos of the flames, I see Aaron and Pumice, shadows against the fire, struggling to navigate through Daisy's indiscriminate inferno. They're disoriented, giving me a precious moment. I have to move now, despite the pain, despite the fear.

I push myself up, ignoring the stabbing pain in my legs. The dumpster is there, cold and solid beneath my hands as I pull myself onto it. My whole body is screaming, every movement a fresh wave of agony, but I can't stop. I can't give in.

With a grunt, I force myself to stand, balancing precariously on the edge of the dumpster. I focus on the fire escape, trying to block out everything else - the pain, the fire, the fear. This is it. I have to make it this time.

I jump, pushing off with all the strength I have left. For a moment, I'm flying, soaring through the air toward safety. My fingers grasp the bottom rung of the ladder, and I cling to it with a desperation I've never known. I bless Rampart for making me do pull-ups despite my complaints. I will never second-guess him again.

I'm up. I'm on the fire escape. The relief is short-lived, though, as the reality of my situation crashes down on me. I'm not safe yet. I still have to climb, to escape the hellish landscape below.

To escape.

Escape.

Dragging myself onto the first rung, every movement is a battle against my own body. It feels like I'm made of lead, each limb heavy and uncooperative. I grit my teeth, tasting blood and metal, the sharp sting reminding me I'm still here, still fighting. My legs, especially my right one, scream in protest, a chorus of pain that I try to shut out. I can feel something wrong in there, something broken, but I can't - won't - think about that now. Not when I'm so close to escaping.

The cold metal of the fire escape digs into my palms, but I welcome it, a sensation that keeps me anchored in the now, in the urgency of escape. Pulling myself up feels like dragging my body through molasses. I'm so slow, too slow, but I can't afford to be anything else if I want to survive.

Each step is agony, my legs barely supporting my weight. It's like I'm being stabbed with every movement, but I can't stop. Won't stop. I glance down, a mistake. Aaron, Pumice, and Daisy are there, at the base of the fire escape, looking up at me with a mix of frustration and determination.

I can't let them catch me. Not now. Not after everything.

Pushing through the pain, I pull myself up another step, and another. It's excruciating, but I focus on the rhythm of it. Up. Pull. Pain. Repeat. It's a mantra that I cling to, the only thing keeping me moving.

The fire escape rattles beneath me, a chorus of metallic groans and clangs that sound like the tolling of a bell. It's a cacophony of noise in the otherwise silent night, a reminder of the precariousness of my situation.

I reach the third floor, then the fourth. My arms are burning, my legs are numb, but I'm moving, always moving. I can't afford to stop, not when freedom is just a few more rungs away.

But then, the worst happens. Heat, unbearable heat, starts to rise from below. I glance down again, cursing myself for the weakness, and see it. Aaron and Daisy, their eyes fixed on me, are melting the fire escape, four yellow lights in the snow, trying to keep a bead on me.

Panic surges through me, a cold wave that douses the heat of my pain. I can't go back down - it's a fiery death waiting for me there. My only option is up, always up.

The metal beneath my hands starts to grow hot, too hot. I can feel it burning me, but I can't let go. If I let go, I fall. If I fall, I die.

I'm shedding clothes as they catch fire, pieces of me left burning on the rungs below. If they don't burn off, I get rid of them myself, not wanting the fire to be caught against my skin. I'm glad I wore so many layers. I'm glad my Mom always made sure I was bundled up.

The fifth floor. I'm almost there, almost at the top. I can see the snow-covered roof, a white haven in a world of fire and pain. I reach out, my fingers brushing the edge of the roof, and with one last burst of strength, I pull myself up. My jacket, my shirt, everything that can burn is stripped away, leaving me with nothing but my will to survive, and my t-shirt, and my boxers.

I collapse into the snow, its coldness a balm on my scorched skin. I'm gasping, each breath a knife in my chest, but I'm here. I made it. I'm safe. I roll onto my back and breath and sigh and open my eyes.

"Fuck," I gasp, Chrysalis waving, her huge red compound eyes staring back down at me. I have nothing left to give. I close my eyes and begin praying. I reach for the first thing I can remember. I reach for words that I remember Pop-Pop Moe singing to me the first time I got a cold.

Lay us down to sleep in peace, Adonai our G-d, and raise us up, our leader, to life; spread over us the shelter of your peace. Guide us with your good counsel, and save us for the sake of your name. Shield us from foe, plague, sword, famine and anguish. Remove wrongdoing from before us and behind us, and shelter us in the shadow of your wings. For it is you, O G-d, who protects and rescues us; it is you, O G-d, Who are our gracious and compassionate leader. Safeguard our coming and our going, to life and to peace from now to eternity. Blessed are you, Adonai, who spreads a shelter of peace over all of us.

I hear sirens in the distance. Firetruck sirens. I can only hope they find my body.

I barely feel Chrysalis's claws sinking into my shoulders as she lifts me up, shaking me around like a limp doll. My heartbeat is so loud, but so slow. I can feel her venom pulsating through my veins.

It hurts.

I open my eyes, bleary. "Why?" I croak, my throat singed with pain and screaming and laughter and smoke. I can see the lights of emergency vehicles, streaking through the nearby streets, reaching up like fingers from the alleyways. I can only hope they find my body.

Chrysalis shrugs at me. It's almost nonchalant. "Eye for an eye."

She shoves me back. I slip on the snow, slam my head on the fire escape, and