Snow_Wolf9 BetaTheAutobotNinja ReptileEdge
To Jim's surprise, Draal waited surprisingly long to bust into a training session. It put him a little off balance, Draal had wasted no time with him. But it was three whole days before he showed up to Toby's training, though he did it in the same fashion.

"So, the trollhunting training is coming along, then?" He asked, striding down the steps into the forge.

Toby was already out of breath, short on stamina, but evidently higher in strength than Jim had been, unsurprisingly.

"I figured I should offer my services." Draal said.

"Services? For what?" Blinky asked, walking right into the trap.

"As a sparring partner, of course. Part of your regiment, isn't it?" Draal smirked at Toby. "You'll never learn just swinging a sword around all by yourself. You need to fight something living and breathing."

"Maybe in a few weeks..." Blinky started, but Vendel had been right on Draal's heels.

"Why wait?! I admit to being curious myself. I should like to see the trollhunter's mettle for myself."

Jim could see Toby having a similarly desperate conversation as he'd had with Blinky, and he could guess his friend was getting the same advice he himself had gotten. This he couldn't do anything about. Not easily, at least. Not in a way that mattered. Draal needed to learn to respect Toby, and Draal really only could do that if he was knocked down. Jim just hoped Toby wouldn't be too hurt in round one. It was difficult to watch, especially as someone who knew how Draal fought, who'd been trained by him. Who could see all the moves, how he toyed with Toby, knocking him this way and that, guard down, knowing Toby didn't know how to fight back. Jim forced himself not to look away. It was longer than his own fight against Draal had been. That had lasted a minute. This seemed to draw out forever. Draal moved so quickly, and he struck so fast and so hard. Toby seemed more inclined to stand his ground, plant his feet and take the blows rather than try to duck. Instead he parried, trying to deflect and then shoot back. But Draal swatted his blows away, before raining down his own. Finally, he knocked the blade from Toby's hands, kicking him down, stepping on his chest to pin him.

"Let him go!" Jim couldn't stop himself, but Aaarrrgghh held him back, and Draal ignored him, just leaning down to tell Toby something quietly. Probably that he could wait. That he didn't believe it would be long before the amulet was free again. Then he stood, shoving Toby with his foot, before leaving. Toby stayed down, on his back, seemingly deflated. Jim walked over, slowly, kneeling down.

"I can't do this..." Toby said.

"You can." Jim shot back.

"I don't think I believe you this time..." Toby confessed. Jim had no answer for that, just helped him to his feet.

Toby was pretty subdued the whole next day. Jim wasn't surprised, but he wasn't sure what to do about it. He'd been knocked from his post-Draal funk by Steve, but Toby had managed to avoid getting wrapped up in all that. Still, he needed something to give him a confidence boost. He was pretty sure, seeing how Toby had held his ground against Bular, even if it was just for a minute, that he could beat Draal too, if he just believed he could. But giving him that confidence turned out to be difficult, it wasn't something that could be done with a pep talk. He needed to figure out something...

"Jim?"

"Hm? Yeah, what?" He blinked realizing he'd spaced out, again. He really should just be writing all this down. Claire was looking expectantly at him, and he looked down at the script in his hands, realizing he had no idea where they were. "I'm sorry. What was the line?"

"Mr. Lake. You need to pay attention. This is very important."

"Sorry miss Janeth. I'll focus."

Claire stepped closer, and Jim felt his heart skip a beat. "Are you ok? You seem a bit... I don't know. Down? I know we're not that close but..."

"I'm ok. But thank you. I'm sorry. Toby is having a rough time, I guess I was just thinking of something I could do to make him feel better." Jim explained, rubbing the back of his neck.

Claire smiled, softly. "I'm sorry to hear that. But I'm sure you'll figure something out. Besides, Toby is a pretty cheerful guy, he'll bounce back."

"Yeah. He will. Thanks. Alright, where were we?" He looked down at the script, Claire leaning over, guiding his hand until he was at the right line.

It was such a small touch, but it made him feel like his hand was on fire. One of the things he missed the most was being able to talk to Claire about everything. Being strangers was hard. But he would get there, he knew he would. Claire had told him not to stop trying, and he intended to obey. Fate seemed to throw Jim another curveball, just to mess with him. Along with that, he has seen or hear any talk of the Justice League. He was getting his books out of his locker, Toby fiddling with something in his own, seemingly dreading leaving school and going back to training. Jim was about to try to talk to him again, when the lockers shook as Eli was shoved into them just a bit down the row.

"Crazy talk again? Give it up, Pepperjack." Steve told him, shoving him again.

"It's true! I saw it!" Eli piped up, even as he was cowering for the next shove.

"You need new glasses... Or maybe just some sense knocked into you."

Jim shook his head, wondering if it was worth it, when Toby suddenly slammed his locker shut, marching over.

"Cut it out, Steve."

"This doesn't involve you, Domzalski." Steve huffed, but Toby pulled Eli behind himself, standing tall.

"You're not as scary as you think you are. Or as big." Toby told him evenly.

Jim drifted closer, same as the other students in the yard. He noticed Claire and her friends coming up next to him, watching.

"What was that? You want to go, Domzalski? You grew a spine under all that flubber?" Steve gave him a shove, and Jim was about to step forward, but Claire grabbed his arm.

He looked at her, confused, but she just shook her head. Toby stayed where he was, looking down.

"It doesn't help, you know. It doesn't make a difference."

"What was that? I can't hear you. Speak up." Steve leaned down.

"I said it doesn't matter. Picking on Eli won't make you feel better, not really. There's no point. So just leave it alone."

"You should leave it alone. It doesn't concern you!" Steve shoved him again, against the lockers, balling up his fist.

Jim tore himself loose from Claire, moving forward, but he didn't make it. Steve struck Toby across the cheek, his head turning but nothing else. A gasp went through the crowd, but it had nothing on when Toby looked back at Steve, meeting his eye, balling up his own fist and driving it into Steve's gut. Jim stopped dead in his tracks, watching Steve cough and falter, stumbling before falling back, sitting down on the ground.

"See? It doesn't matter." Toby told him. "You hit someone, and you feel a little better, and at the same time, a little worse. It doesn't change anything. None of this changes anything. All it does is prove that there is someone in your life that makes you feel small. That knocks you down and makes you feel weak. So to make yourself feel better, you go out, and find someone else to be bigger and stronger than. But it doesn't work, Steve. It doesn't make the bad things go away, it just puts more bad things in the world."

The look Steve gave Toby was the most withering, rage filled, scared and vulnerable thing Jim had ever seen. He got to his feet, still glaring at Toby, opening his mouth, but nothing came out. Finally, he looked away.

"Whatever... Losers." before he shoved his way through the crowd, escaping.

Eli thanked him, quietly, but Jim wasn't sure Toby heard. He walked up to him, bumping his shoulder gently. Toby turned to him, and there was that resolve again. That change in his friend that he was realizing he'd put there. He'd pushed Toby into this resolve, and he was growing into it. It would change him.

"Think you can do that to Draal?" He asked, quietly.

"I think I'm going to have to." Toby answered, a small smile on his face.

Jim glanced back at Claire, who smiled at both of them, nodding a little. He nodded back, before turning to Toby.

"Let's go then."

As the two boys walk away, they didn't notice a red lightning streak pass by. The figure glares at Jim.