They were standing outside about to get in the car when it happened.

The explosion, that is.

Rubble flew everywhere, and in a flash people were running, screaming, anything they could to get away from the flames, to safety. The Hamadas and company were standing by the stairs themselves, almost knocked over from the dry wind that burst forth.

"Whoa!" Bob cried, eyes widening at the inferno, pushing Violet and Dash in the direction of the car. Cass was doing the same with the crowd of people, trying to keep things calm and orderly, but it was obvious on her face that she was far from calm.

"Oh my god!" she was crying historically, wiping at her eyes, "Oh my god! Tadashi- Tada-what-?"

"Cass!" Helen shouted, catching the woman's attention, "Cass, sweetheart, you need to stay calm- I'm sure Tadashi and Hiro are fine." Helen wrapped her arm around Cass's shoulder, rubbing her back gently. They could feel the heat emanate from the building as they stood there, Cass blubbering tears streaming down her face.

"B-But Helen!" she tried to protest, Helen sussing her with a glare. It was a look she often used on her kids, and apparently it worked on adults too; thankfully, Cass finally ran to the car, making sure Tadashi's friends were safe. Sighing, Helen joined her husband to search for her children- apparently they were not in the car like she hoped, and she found them with Bob, trying to hold back Hiro and Tadashi.

Scraping the soles of her shoes against the concrete, Helen raced over to them, coughing through the smoke in the atmosphere. Her family was trying to hold the brothers back; Violet and Dash were with Hiro, while Bob had Tadashi by the arms, trying his best to get him back to the car. Obviously, Tadashi was struggling to get the superhero off him, but to no avail.

"Bob!" Helen shouted, "Don't beak his arm!" Bob was about to protest until there was a loud boom, and a new wave of people surged forward like a school of fish, pushing and yelling to get through. Hiro was trying to break free from Violet and Dash's grips and succeeded, fling t his knees into process. Scrambling to get up, Helen noticed he had scraped his knee, blood staining his skin. The glow from the fire casted eerie shadows along the blacktop and over every available surface. As she looked at the brothers, she noticed it made them- Especially Tadashi- almost ghostly.

"Tadashi-!" Hiro began, skidding to a stop as Tadashi jerked his arm from Bob to help a woman as she lurched at them, coughing and spasming uncontrollably.

"Are you alright?!" Tadashi asked her, and the woman nodded, a fist held to her mouth.

"Y-Yeah, but the Professor!" she managed between coughs, "H-He's still in there!"

Helen's heart broke at the the look on Tadashi's face, his eyes flashing from worry to absolute fear. Carefully, he handed the woman off to Bob, saying, "Mr. Parr, make sure these people get to safety." They watched as Tadashi began to run toward the building, almost slamming into the concrete as Hiro dragged him back.

"Tadashi! NO!" Hiro bellowed, "Don't go in there!" Tadashi's chest was heaving, and his eyes flitted momentarily to the Parr family before he answered his brother.

"Hiro, I have to- Professor Callaghan-" he began, but it seems to Helen that Hiro would have none of it. Feeling a tug on her sleeve, she glanced down to see Dash reaching for her hand, Violet reaching for the other.

"Mom, we have to do something," Violet's voice warbled. Helen looked at Bob, her children, and back to the Hamada's. Tadashi's voice ringing in her ears. A chill ran up her spine as she heard Hiro fight back.

"I can't lose you too!" the younger one cried, and they could hear the sadness in his voice, "Not after mom and dad!" They could hear the pain hidden in the undertones of his proclamation, and she knew not of what would happen if Tadashi went in. From the looks of it, the chance of survival was slim to none.

Even then, she knew it wasn't worth the risk to go in.

But as she looked around, she realized that no one else was going to try. Sighing she glanced down at her children, furrowing her brows at them.

"What your father and I need you to do is get Hiro and Tadashi out of the way before they try anything stupi-" Helen began, jumping at the sound of a strangled cry, as if an animal was fighting for dear life.

"Tadashi! NO!" came Hiro's strained voice as Tadashi tried again to run into the building.

"Hiro I have to!" Tadashi jerked his arm away from his brother as he clung to him, "Let go!"

"Please, Tadashi!" Hiro was crying now, tears becoming waterfalls down his cheeks, "I can't lose you too! Don't go in!" Helen and the kids joined Bob as he backed away from the brothers, watching tentatively in case one of them had to spring into action.

"Mom, we have to do something!" Dash repeated in a hiss, his teeth clenched. Helen sussed him, watching as Hiro tried to deter his brother, but it was clear that he was not a match for the older one. As if shooing away a fly, Tadashi wrenched himself out of Hiro's grip, panting like a dog from the effort. Hiro looked ready to collapse, his entire body visibly and monstrously trembling.

"Tadashi, please…." they heard Hiro's whining plea. The fire boomed and crackled behind them, surrounding Tadashi as if it were a halo and he an angel.

It was frighteningly beautiful, sending chills down the Parr's spines. Watching the building as it was swallowed by the flames, how the colors meshed and danced like ballerinas- it was obvious that this was a show, and they themselves were the audience.

"Someone…." Tadashi gulped, as he tried breathing in lungfuls of the dry acrid air, "Someone has to help."

Bob grabbed the young genius as he tried to run after his brother, nearly crushing him in his arms as he screamed and kicked and scratched. After successfully biting Bob's arm, Hiro landed hard on the concrete, scratching his hands and knees as he broke his fall, tripping over himself as he ran after his brother.

"Hiro! No!" Bob yelled as they watched Tadashi get swallowed by the flames, Hiro only a few feet away. Grabbing Violet;s hand, Helen thrust her at her husband.

"Wha-Mom!" Violet cried, "What the-?!"

"Make a force-field around Hiro now!" Helen demanded, and Violet shrank, feeing sweat prickle on her skin.

"You told us not to use our powers!" Violet protested, her throat hoarse from yelling over the fire, how it thundered, pieces of rubble crashing to the sidewalk. They could hear ambulances in the distance very faintly.

Judging from that, Helen knew they weren't going to come in time.

"Do it now!" Helen repeated through gritted teeth. Mustering up her nerve, Violet twiddled her fingers at Hiro, a small purple orb flashing between her hands.

"Honey, you're going to have to do better than that!" Helen warned, motioning for Bob to go after Hiro. He had almost made it to the building, yelling his brother's name over and over like a delirious animal, a broken record.

"TADASHI!"

"Violet….!" Helen could feel the heat increase as the fire grew stronger, shielding her eyes from its light.

"I'm trying!" Violet shrieked, freezing as she heard Hiro scream Tadashi's name once again.

"TADASHI!"

Narrowing her eyes, Violet tried making the force-field bigger. She knew she could do it, too, but with the heat, she was getting exhausted. Stealing a peek at Hiro, both she and Helen were relieved to see that Bob had grabbed Hiro just as he reached the top of the stairs, heaving him over his shoulder like a sack of flour.

"Let me go!" Hiro was crying, "Tadashi! Let me get my brother!"

"Hiro we have to get you to safety!" Bob answered gruffly, a vein in his forehead bulging until Helen thought it was going to burst. Hiro began beating his fists against Bob's massive shoulders, Bob angling his chin so he narrowly avoided Hiro's kicking feet.

"That's my brother in there!" Hiro shouted, "Let me go! TADA-"

BOOM!