It was now 11:41 A.M., 9 minutes after the plane had crashed into Building 1. Qrow and Taiyang were monitoring fireground traffic from within the building. As Taiyang wrote down a list of fire companies and paid stations that were on the box, Qrow told him, "You're gonna think I'm crazy, but I think this is a terrorist attack."
Taiyang looked up at him and asked him in bewilderment, "What do you mean, "terrorist attack?""
"That plane looked like it was aiming right at the building on a clear day with no fog or clouds," Qrow replied back. "There's no way it was an accident, Tai. Either somebody flew that plane into the building from the cockpit, or they hacked into it from the ground."
"That sounds crazy," Taiyang told him. "I hope it wasn't terrorism."
Then, Justin told them, "They just struck a simultaneous 3rd and 4th alarm! Tai, I think your daughters' company is going on the 4th alarm since we got 2 companies out of service handling a traffic accident."
Qrow said to himself, "Oh God..."
Taiyang said to Qrow, "I hope Ruby and Yang are prepared for this."
At the Vigilant firehouse, 12 volunteers and both of the paid firefighter-paramedics continued to watch the disaster unfold. Ruby, Ren, Weiss, and Yang all watched together. Ruby said to Yang and Weiss, "Won't be long before we get called out to go over there." Ren was on the phone with Nora.
"Yup," Yang replied. "Won't be long before they call George's company, too."
Then, a volunteer said, "I just got a text message saying we're on the 4th alarm. They're striking it right now!"
Immediately, Hermann, who was also at the firehouse with Winter and Alfred, told everyone, "Alright, let's go. Get your gear on and cram into whatever space you can find on a rig." As they left, they could hear all of the various tones play out over the radio.
Ruby quickly put her gear on and ran over to the ambulance, the first rig that would leave. She stepped into the back, with Yang and Ren trailing behind her. Weiss got a seat in the back of the front cab. As the bay doors opened, Vigilant's pager and siren tones finally went off in the long dispatch. By then, several firefighters who had been watching the disaster at home ran into the station, having already gotten the text message.
Now packed with 10 people, Ambulance 201 pulled out first. It was trailed immediately by Car 5. It had now been 12 minutes since the plane had crashed. It would take 20-25 minutes for the ambulance to show up on scene.
At the fire alarm office, the supervisor suddenly came into the room and said, "Alright, any dispatchers who are part of a fire company that has been dispatched to the scene can leave to go to the call."
Blake immediately turned to her fellow dispatcher and told her, "I am not missing this. Take over for me, please."
"Gladly," replied the other dispatcher as Blake got up and began to leave, grabbing her things from her desk.
Blake said to the supervisor, "I'll see you later, Dan."
He replied as several other dispatchers got up to leave, "Be safe down there, Belladonna."
Blake then thought to herself, "I'll take a taxi to the firehouse, pick up my gear, and then take another taxi to the scene. I wonder if the rest of Team RWBY is going down there..."
It was now 15 minutes in. Qrow and Taiyang had decided to step outside to take a smoke break. As Qrow lit up Taiyang's cigarette, he said to him, "Yep, they're definitely coming."
"Of course," Taiyang replied. "If I was them, I wouldn't wanna miss this call for the world." He then puffed out some smoke.
Suddenly, several people on the street screamed in horror and pointed upwards towards Building 3. Qrow looked up and said, "God damn it, I was right!"
Everyone on the street could only watch helplessly as a second plane flew right into Building 3, striking floors 122 through 126, causing a massive explosion that sent debris flying into the air and to the ground. Everyone on the street stared in absolute shock.
Taiyang said to Qrow as they both looked up, "Remind me to never doubt you when it comes to terrorism again, Qrow."
"I told you, it was terrorism." Qrow then sighed and wiped his face. "10 bucks says the White Fang did this."
"I'll buy it," replied Taiyang. "Given that you were right about your first prediction." On the radio, District 1's chief frantically asked for a 5th alarm to be dispatched.
"This is bad, very bad." Delwyn was alarmed and mildly panicking as he and his Royal Cabinet met in the situation room of the Royal Palace. He then turned to his advisors. "We just watched hundreds of people die. I need to make a statement to the Valeanian people." The room was filled with 10 T.V. sets, all tuned in to various news channels from around Remnant that were covering the disaster.
The Minister of War, MP Nicholas Howe (Ruling Council), told him, "I recommend you hold off, your Highness."
"Look, Nick, you're awesome, I deeply respect you, and you often give very intelligent advice, but how about no?" Delwyn was adamantly opposed. Though he officially was supposed to call members of the Cabinet by their titles, they all often called themselves by their first names during briefings. "My people need me. I don't want to just watch as this disas- No, as this ATTACK happens to my country and say nothing until after the fact. I am the King of the Valeanians, after all. I am the ONLY popular monarch by title in Remnant, and I take a lot of pride in that, and my father and our ancestors took a lot of pride in that, and my children will, too."
"Your Highness," the Minister of the Home Department, MP Rachael Flynn (Commons), replied, startled. "I see you are passionate, but-"
"No buts," Delwyn replied, his tone very serious. "I am going to write a short address to my people by myself, and I want it televised. I will advise you all when I am ready. Now, let's get back to work." He then took out a piece of paper and began jotting down a short speech as his advisors began to prepare for his address.
Penny had just ran into the station, having ran late due to some prior commitments. Instead of grabbing her own gear, she only grabbed her mask before climbing on top of Rescue 201's hose bed and pulling a pair of spare hip boots, a spare coat, and a spare helmet from the rescue's side gear rack alongside several other firefighters who had climbed onto the hose bed.
As the rescue got ready, a firefighter on the back step yelled up, "Duck! Don't hit the ceiling!" Immediately, all 6 firefighters on the rescue ducked and laid down on the hose bed as it pulled out of the station. As it turned out onto the street, everyone got up on their knees and held onto each other as they haphazardly put spare gear on, Penny included.
Penny held onto another firefighter as she said, "This would never be allowed in Atlas!" She then pulled up her hip boots and put on her coat.
"Well, this is Vale," the other firefighter replied. "And we do it our way."
"A second plane hit Building 3," said another firefighter on the hosebed. "This ain't no accident!"
"Oh shit," Penny replied. "This isn't good..." She then zipped her coat up and put a spare helmet on, completing her gear ensemble. "You know, this is actually kinda fun, riding on the hosebed or on the rear step."
"Yeah, except in the winter. Then it sucks ass because you're freezing your ass off while the truck's doing 45 or 50 down a heavily-salted road." The other firefighter then took his phone out and took a picture of Penny and another firefighter. "This action shot will make a good addition to the end-of-the-year video."
"You bet," Penny replied. She then noticed several people that were on the street, filming them go by. She waved at them and smiled, trying to momentarily forget the tragedy unfolding in Downtown Vale.
24 minutes in.
By now, a 6th and 7th alarms had been simultaneously dispatched at the 19 minute-mark. All of Remnant watched as the disaster unfolded.
At the disaster site, the Commissioner of the Fire Department, a man named William Amaranth, a 70-year-old with 50 years of experience as a paid firefighter, including 8 years as the department chief and 5 as the department commissioner, arrived on scene. Qrow and Taiyang immediately saluted him before he said, "At ease, gentlemen, at ease." He had personally called Fire Alarm on his phone just 5 minutes in after seeing it on T.V. and told them he was going down to Union Square Centre.
Taiyang said to Commissioner Amaranth, "Sir, me and my brother-in-law, Captain Qrow Branwen, called this incident in first with Captain Justin Juliet."
"I see," the commissioner replied. "Where is Captain Juliet?"
"Right here," Justin replied as he walked over with District 1's chief and the 1st Assistant Chief of the Fire Department. "Where's Chief Burke?" He referred to Department Chief Paul Burke, who had succeeded William as the Department Chief. He was 58 years old and was a member of a volunteer fire company in District 3. He also worked as a paid firefighter, with a total of 46 years on the volunteer side and 36 years on the paid side.
"He's on his way, Captain," replied Commissioner Amaranth. "Now, I need to speak with the 1st Assistant Chief for a second. By the way, the Police Commissioner is on his way, too." He then walked away with the 1st Assistant Chief.
"By the way," Justin said to Qrow and Taiyang. "Wanna go up to the 99th floor sky lobby? They need help with staging."
"Sure," Qrow replied. "Hell, if they need us, we can throw packs on and go fight the fire." The three of them then laughed.
Then, their laughter stopped after a junior firefighter from Good Intent Hook and Ladder Company 3 pointed to the sky and yelled, "Are you fucking kidding me?! Not again!" Qrow, Justin, and Taiyang all looked up and saw that a 3rd plane was now heading towards Building 2.
"Holy FUCK," Qrow replied loudly as the third plane hit Building 2 between floors 104 and 107, sending another shockwave and more debris to the ground and stunning onlookers, police officers, and firefighters alike. "Oh my God!"
"We better get to the 99th floor in Building 1 soon," Taiyang said. "I'd prefer not to see that happen again from the ground if another plane is coming."
In the situation room, Delwyn had just finished his short initial address when the third plane hit Building 2. He said to himself, "Now there's no doubt about it. This is indeed a terrorist attack, ladies and gentlemen. Do we have the Hunting Corps calling back people to help with guarding the city's walls? These kind of things tend to attract Grimm, after all."
"I already got that taken care of," Nicholas Howe replied. "The Royal Chiefs of Staff were given the callback notice 5 minutes ago. They tell me they can scramble up to 20 fighters and get 500 more hunters plus 3,500 soldiers to guard the city within the next hour. All airspace over Vale City has been closed with the exception of military, government, and public safety aircraft. All flights in and out of Vale City have been cancelled."
"Good, good." He then sighed. "Now, before I give the address, I need to call someone. Excuse me." He then left the situation room and closed the door behind him as he dialed Ruby's number.
Ruby, still on the ambulance, immediately looked at her phone and answered upon seeing that it was Delwyn. She said, "Hello?"
"Ruby, you're going down there, right?"
"Yes, Delly, I am."
"Whatever you do, be careful, Ruby, please." Delwyn was deeply concerned. "Ruby, you're my whole life at this point. I don't know what I'd do with myself if you got hurt... Or worse. Promise me you'll call when you get the chance, my love."
"I will," Ruby replied. "Delwyn, if anything happens, remember that I love you with all of my heart, and that will never change." She then paused. "Well, I better let you go. I bet the palace is going nuts right now."
"Oh, you bet. I gotta deliver an address to the nation."
"Got it. I love you, my King."
"I love you, Ruby Rose." They then both hung up, thinking about each other as they prepared for the events to come that day.
Of course, this day would find a way to get worse soon enough.