Work Text:
The emergency lights barely penetrated the smoke filling the hall. Jon crouched low to avoid the worst of the it though his lungs still burned with every breath. He fought against the urge to cough. Jude Perry was still out there somewhere and it wouldn’t do to give away his position if he could help it.
If he could help anyone.
The rest of his team should be safe beneath the Institute by now. They should be able to find their way out through the tunnels. He’d sent them on ahead as soon as he’d realized the danger. She wasn’t after them, it was the Archivist she wanted to burn. But she was more than happy with collateral damage. If she burned the Archives or even the entire Magnus Institute in the process that seemed more than fine by her.
“Come out, come out, wherever you are!” Her voice carried over the alarm but bounced around in such a way the Archivist couldn’t pinpoint a source. “I know you’re in here, Archivist. There’s no way you’d just let me burn your precious statements .”
Jon covered his mouth with his sleeve in an attempt to filter out the smoke in the air. His vision was blurry from the tears in his eyes and the grit deposited on his glasses. He had to go, she would find him soon if he didn’t get moving. That damned trapdoor was around here somewhere he just needed to orientate himself in the room to find it.
“Does it hurt, I wonder. Does it hurt you when they burn? Just how tied to this place have you become since we last talked?”
He didn’t know the answer to that, doesn’t want to know. The shelves Jude has burned so far were filled with discredited files. The rest are deeper in. Maybe there was some kind of Beholding magic to protect them but that doesn’t seem the case the way the fire is spreading.
Everything hurts as he lost the battle with his itching lungs and doubled over in a coughing fit. He gave up on standing entirely in favor of crawling on his hands and knees in the direction he hoped the tunnel entrance to be.
“Oh, Jon?” Jude’s singsong voice called from behind him. Jon ignored her and kept pushing forward trying to find clearer air. “I think I found something of yours. Would you like it back?”
He wondered what she could possibly be talking about when he heard Martin’s cry of pain and he froze. Martin was the first person he sent to safety, he should be long gone by now. Jon still couldn’t see but judging from the sound they were nearby
“He actually tried to use a fire extinguisher on me! On me! As if that was something even remotely capable of quenching my flame.”
“It seemed to work--” he coughed, “work well enough on the last monster that came down here. Jon, you need to get out of-- ahhh!”
“Now, now, that’s enough out of you. I want to talk to your boss and I don’t think he’ll leave without you.” She raised her voice to better address the room. “Isn’t that right, Archivist? If you don’t show yourself, I’ll just have to entertain myself with this one here.”
There were sounds of a scuffle followed by a hiss of pain. “Ah-ah! None of that now. Be a good boy and hold still.”
Jon could just about make out two figures though the haze. When he concentrated, really looked, he could see that Jude had twisted Martin’s arm up behind his back. Her other hand was on his shoulder, steering him forward deeper into the Archives, right to the trapdoor. The Archivist moved as quietly as he could. He would never make it there before her but the longer he remained unnoticed the better chance he had to get her away from Martin.
This deep in the Archives the smoke wasn’t as thick. Jude was too busy manhandling Martin to continue to set fires as she went. Not that she needed to, the blaze behind her was doing an excellent job of destroying bookshelves and desks. It would make its way here eventually and consume them too without any help from her.
“Oh, look! A little hidey hole! Is that where all your friends went? When they left you here with me?”
“They didn’t leave me, I came back,” Martin said defiantly, keeping a straight face despite her taunting.
Jude threw her head back in laughter. “You came back!? Oh, that is delicious! Archivist, are you hearing this? This one came back for you, thought he could help. ” She threaded her fingers into his scalp. The scent of singed hair filled Jon’s nostrils where he hid. “Well you are helping, just not how you’d hoped.”
Jude pulled hard on Martin’s hair, forcing his head back to expose his throat. She smiled slowly as he fought against her grip. “Show yourself, Archivist, and maybe I’ll let this one go. If not...”
Martin screamed as Jude ran her tongue languidly along his neck leaving a path of angry, red welts in its wake.
“Stop!” Jon cried, standing up. “Stop, I’m right here.”
“Looks like you managed to flush him out after all,” she said releasing Martin’s hair. “Such a helpful young man.”
“Jon, what are you doing?” Martin gasped.
“I’m here. You said you’d let him go.”
“I said I might let him go.” Jude stared at the Archivist and cocked her head in contemplation.
Jon took a step toward her. “Let. Him. Go.”
A predatory grin twisted her features in response to the Archivist’s demand. “If you insist.”
A sparkle of glee in her eye was the only warning he got before she shoved Martin hard. He stumbled forward through the open trapdoor and disappeared from view.
“Martin!” Jon rushed forward but new flames pushed him back before he could reach the edge. “Martin!”
The rising heat was causing Jude Perry’s features to warp. Or was that the smoke clouding his vision and burning his lungs? He could barely pull in a breath. “Oh, Archivist,” she paused to watch him fall to the ground coughing. “We are going to have so much fun. Well, maybe not you, but I'm going to have so much fun.”