Brace for impact.
Two months later
Her heart was about to implode, vanquished by the pressure that was overtaking her chest. Gwen's knees wobbled and lifted the helmet suffocating her. It didn't help that London was stuck in a heat wave, but the stifling atmosphere wasn't the reason for her breathlessness.
Come on ! Come on !
He wasn't coming out. Behind them, the mother had gone hysterical, clinging to Erik that tried, but failed, to abate her. She could understand the woman's panic; the whole building was in flames, and no matter how much water they poured from the master hoses, it wasn't going to survive. The fire roared like a mighty lion, the sound dulling her mind.
Of course, Taishō had to play hero. She was watching, heart in her throat, the ladder they'd pulled up to the second story's windows designated by the mother of the supposed boy that had remained behind. The Captain had rushed in through the front door, his gait determined, before they could devise an escape route. Now, all he had to do was find that blasted child, and escape through the window.
But there was no hair or tail of him.
In this moment, Gwen forgot all rational thoughts. How could you leave your child behind in an evacuation ? How could you not know where he was ? What if he wasn't even in and had gone with friends to play outside, in the backyard ? What if… ?
The mother was crying, sobbing, hysterical, but her wails failed at touching her heart. She knew, deep down, that it wasn't her fault, that she should be more indulgent. But Gwen's ire was rising to stifle the panic.
Tōga wasn't coming out. Her Captain was about to die because a woman had forgotten her boy behind. All rational thoughts left her mind; she couldn't lose him. Even though he'd put some distance between them, probably catching on her infatuation, she couldn't fathom a life without him. Gwen ground her teeth.
Fuck that woman. Fuck this.
As she marched away from her colleagues, she heard a co-worker call back to her.
"Gwen ! You can't go in there !"
She ignored him, jogging up the flaming building, the heat of the fire licking her skin. Shouts echoed behind her, and she picked up pace; Erik would probably try and catch her, and she couldn't afford to stay behind. Haunted by Taishō's past, by the castle in flames that had taken his life, she refused to bear witness to his second death by the flames.
Five hundred years prior, no one had dragged Taishō away from the fire. Today, Gwen refused to let it happen.
"The Captain said to stay put!", Erik bellowed behind her.
The same stupid Captain who disappeared in the flames three minutes ago. If he makes it out alive, he's going to fucking hear me !
Gwen braced herself and leapt into the building, securing her mask into place. At once, the heat rose to unbearable levels even though there were no flames in sight. Without her equipment, she'd be toast already. Swiftly, she started climbing the stairs to the second floor, hoping it was still reachable. The Captain must have gone through this not three minutes ago; she was just following in his footsteps.
Heavy fumes swirled in the building, dark and smelling of plastic. Toxic. Fortunately, the mask kept it away, but the smoke still impaired her sight. Flames licked at the wall on her left; she passed the first floor in haste, knowing the foyer was right there. The stairs shifted, changing direction, then stopped at a landing.
Lost in the smoke, heart pounding, Gwen tried to make sense of where she was. Sinister noises told her the building was crumpling already.
Shit, I should have taken the line bag. That building is a fucking maze.
The cemented walls were exploding under the intense heat, and she wondered how she was about to reach the second floor apartment. Shielding her eyes, Gwen eventually found the second set of stairs and started her ascension. The railing was too hot to hold on to; she used her fireproof glove to flitter against the wall in hopes of guiding her ascent. Heavy, dark smoke whirled around her as she progressed, the heat starting to seep through her clothes.
It felt like walking into an oven. Breathing was getting more difficult, her lungs suffered, even though the air supply was still nicely cool. It was her only saving grace. The mask was so hot upon her skin, but she couldn't take it off lest she died of fumes poisoning.
Adrenalin flooded her veins, keeping the anxiety at bay. There was but a single objective in her mind; where the hell was the Captain ?
A loud crack called her attention, but she couldn't see anything. Gwen braced herself just in time, narrowly avoiding to be squished under the beam that fell in the stairs. Concrete and plaster rained upon her, hot and smoking. A debris landed on her head, clanging upon the helmet, distracting her from the sharp sting that needled her shoulder.
Go on, go on !
Survival instincts urged her to move on, and she fought the panic that threatened to engulf her in this toxic inferno.
This was a mistake. What was I thinking ?
But her legs still pumped, and she made it to the second-floor landing, out of breath and ready to collapse. But her mind was set, the goal carved inside her mind, the only thing that kept her going forward.
No. He's somewhere in there, I'm not letting die. I'm not Izayoi, I don't have a child to care for. I won't leave him behind.
The brazier was gaining ground, its roar reaching her helmet-clad ears with more strength as the heat attained levels unmatched. Panting, Gwen took a deep breath in her mask and took it off to bellow the Captain's name.
"Taishō !"
She replaced the mask at once, fighting to keep it on because the plastic felt searing upon her fragile skin. The very flames of hell rose from the ground, cutting her way out as the stairs started to crumble.
Damn.
Then it happened, and her last thought wasn't about that she was going to die, but of two golden eyes that had made her days happier. A loud clang – a door – caused the building to tremble, and she knew it was the end. Every time a door opened… a vortex was swift to follow.
A sudden whoosh sucked the oxygen from her lungs as she collapsed in a hunch, a mighty ball of fire rushing from the bottom of the stairs to swallow her whole.
A pulse of yōki ran through her and she smiled; he was alive. Gwen simply didn't have enough energy left to stand.
But someone else had, for she was wrenched away with enough force to send her sprawling. The force didn't let her, scooping her up – equipment, tank and all – and she was flying away from the vortex of deadly flames. Behind them, beams, concrete and wall exploded; hell on earth. Deafening noise turned into a shockwave that dulled her senses, and Gwen barely mustered the energy to hold on to strong shoulders.
Their speed was so great as they rushed through the corridor, avoided another fallen beam and plaster raining from the ceiling. Hope rose in Gwen's chest; hope that they might actually make it. It was crushed an instant later when a part of the wall crashed before them, effectively trapping them in the blazing corridor. Flames swirled and danced, beckoning them forward. A full wall of fire, devouring the building in its bright hold, spitting smoke so dark that it blocked anything else.
Gwen squirmed to be let down, but the arms holding her only tightened, trapping her against a solid form. And, below the many layers that separated her from her saviour, she could feel him shaking. Fear ? Adrenalin ?
Helpless, Gwen started to feel dizzy. The heat was just too much to bear, and she struggled with the reflex to shed the equipment in hopes of lessening the sheer pressure of the inferno that ate away at the world.
Her saviour backpedalled, and launched his foot against a random door. The wood groaned, but didn't break. Around them, the low rumble of the building reverberated, one last cry of agony for a place that had held fast for centuries. Soon, there would be only rubble in this popular street of London. The man's chest heaved from a huff as he set her down, then threw himself against the door with such violence that the locks broke. It hung by the strength of a few screws, but her saviour didn't bang it open – it would create another vortex that might swallow them whole.
Instead, he picked her like a child, bracing her legs around his hips and turned around, crushing the wood with his back. The door gave way; they rushed inside, and Gwen braced herself over his shoulders to throw the abused wood close to avoid another draught. Then the man was crossing the flat, pausing so that she could close another set of doors behind them to keep the fire from rushing. The groans of the building intensified, cracks and deep whines that warned the sole occupants that doom was upon them.
The firefighter didn't stop; he crushed a set of windows open with his elbow and leapt, Gwen still huddled in his arms. The blessing of freshness was soon replaced by the whoosing of air that rushed past as they fell… from the second story. Gwen's heart leapt into her throat, too frightened to scream. Her arms tightened in fright; his hold nearly bruised her thighs as he braced himself.
As the ground rushed up, Gwen realised the numerous bones that the man was about to break on landing. She should have let go to lessen the burden, but his iron grip prevented her from moving. Gwen closed her eyes cowardly. Suddenly, a ground-breaking shock ran up her spine and his hand was around her head, ducking it into his shoulders as they rolled. A low grunt echoed in her ears, then her shoulder felt the ground, her back, then her outer thigh as the motion took them upon soft grass.
Disoriented, Gwen didn't realise her saviour was pulling her to her feet, ripping the helmet and mask off her head. Blinking, she took a deep breath of fresh air. Cries and gasps echoed in the backyard, their colleagues and onlookers stunned into oblivion after their hasty exit. But Gwen couldn't concentrate on anything other than the vest that stifled her. She wrenched it off her frame with shaking fingers, then gasped.
He was standing. The man had just jumped two stories, landed with an additional hundred pounds, and was now standing before her, his presence so overwhelming that she nearly failed at identifying the wild yōki that escaped the confines of his uniform. Then he yanked his own helmet and mask off, and there was no doubt possible anymore.
Crimson eyes stared her down, jagged stripes adorning his cheekbones, wild silver hair dancing around his tall frame.
Gwen's breath caught, her knees wobbling.
The Captain looked positively murderous.
"What the hell were you thinking," he growled, his voice so low that she felt like a prey about to be eaten alive.
Shaking from head to toe, head swimming, Gwen hyperventilated. And you, what were you thinking ?, her brain screamed. What came out of her mouth, though, was as feeble as a foal taking its first steps.
"I couldn't leave you here."
Red gave way to golden, but his gaze was not less fierce when he took a step forward, crowding her with his height.
"I ordered to stay put," he hissed. "Erik relayed to stay put," his voice rose. And then, he was outward yelling in her face. "How could you do such a thing ? GWEN ! HOW COULD YOU ?"
Frozen, Gwen watched the lines of his face contort in rage. His thunderous aura rose to crushing levels, no longer benevolent, completely untamed. If she thought she'd been terrified when he leapt into the fire on his own, nothing compared to the feeling of her heart being ripped apart. She wanted to apologise, to tell him she understood, now. That she'd been stupid, and too afraid to lose him. That her rational mind wasn't in control.
She wanted to ask him to stop yelling at her, that her body couldn't take the additional pressure, that she was about to pass out. But his anger swirled and lashed, overwhelming, causing her knees to buckle. She'd never seen him this angry.
"YOU DON'T DISOBEY AN ORDER," he bellowed, his voice so powerful that the whole neighbourhood started. It lashed through her like a scythe wrenching organs apart. "NEVER. EVER ! IS IT CLEAR ?"
The sting of his words equalled a slap in the face. Devastated, Gwen nodded, unable to respond. Unfortunately, he wasn't satisfied by the non-verbal answer; he wanted to drill it into her brain.
"Is it clear ?" he repeated, his voice cold.
Breath short, Gwen averted her eyes. The loss of eye contact allowed her to retrieve a little control to answer.
"Yes, sir !"
Somehow, as if his gaze had been the only tether keeping her standing, she fell upon her knees. Shards of glass and calcined remains fell beside her. A glove landed at her feet when the Captain knelt in front of her.
"Good. You are suspended for a week."
The low rumble of his voice seemed to soothe the wounds dealt by the lashing out. As if he'd clawed her skin, sunk his fangs into fragile flesh and torn her apart, only to lick the lacerations close. Gwen sighed, so drained that she couldn't even move.
"Yes, sir."
Behind them, the blazing building groaned once more.
"We move out !" the Captain called from his spot, the order sending their people milling about like ants. "Gwen !"
Stunned, the young woman registered the order, but was unable to move. Cautiously, calloussed fingers cupped her chin and gently pulled up. Golden eyes trapped her; Gwen's senses went into overdrive as she caught one last sight of her avenging angel. The movement proved to be too much; a dark veil descended upon her vision and she felt her body slump.
"Kuso !", she heard, as hands grabbed her shoulders. "Call Stephen !"
Action scenes are usually not my thing, but I like to think I'm getting better. How was it ?
