The first thing that Kevin noticed was the heat. Even so, they were prepared for conditions like this - they had top-of-the-range equipment and uniforms. They just needed to focus on the job in hand.

The smoke was dark and thick, swirling around him like a mist as he began to make his way down the stairs into the unknown. However, he didn't get very far before he could just about make out a faint orange glow of a distant flame. He gestured to Malcolm, who like him had been nominated to gauge the strength and power of the blaze. It wasn't what they would normally do, but Tate was adamant that he wasn't going to send anyone down to fight the blaze until they all knew what they were facing.

They both took a few more steps downstairs before it hit them. What seemed like a wall of heat slammed into them, the smoke parting just enough to reveal the carnage.

Once they were back at street level, they relayed the information they had gathered back to Tate and the others.

"It's bad, Guv! You couldn't stay down there for long in that heat!" Malcolm had his helmet off, trying fruitlessly to wipe the sweat cascading from his brow.

"Right. Spray each other's backs as you work – it's not ideal but it'll cool you down for a while at least. We follow the same plan."

The BAs were activated, the hoses readied, and Blue Watch entered the station. Kevin and Malcolm led the way as they all made their way into the ticket hall. Once they entered the hall, George, Sicknote and Tony joined them, the five of them beginning to fight the blaze.

The flames roared around them, licking the walls, the ceiling, everywhere. The small tiles decorating the ticket hall walls were being stripped off from the sheer power of the fire, the popping sound reminding Kevin of the gunshots that would erupt from the TV when his brother would play his video games.

Meanwhile, Hallam, Charisma, Bayleaf, Josie and Vaseline had begun the challenging task of escorting any survivors to safety and recovering any bodies. Splitting off into different directions, they began to pick their way through the debris, following the paths that had been created by the hose water.

A problem was beginning to emerge, however. Whenever the water extinguished the fire, the steam that was created made it even harder to see.

Charisma was the first to spot someone struggling through the smoke. A young man, 20s or 30s, he wasn't sure – right now it wasn't important. Dashing over to him, he proceeded to help him into the safety of the street above.

Hallam tried his best to steady his breathing as he reached the ladies' bathroom having previously checked the men's, the door fortunately easy to open. A sigh of relief passed his lips as he came face-to-face with a woman, huddled in the far corner. She was lucky – being in the bathroom when the explosion happened had spared her from any burn injuries, but there was still the smoke to contend with.

"Let's get you out of here!"

Helping her to her feet, they both made their way toward the stairs, the smoke hampering their progress. Nevertheless, Hallam got her out eventually. Tate was there immediately, leading the woman to a nearby ambulance as Hallam returned to the ticket hall.

Vaseline and Bayleaf carried out a body so charred that it was hard to even tell if it was a man or a woman. They were back down to the hall within moments of getting it to street level.

The minutes ticked by, a constant cycle of survivors and bodies being brought to the surface.

Josie found herself deep within the hall, the fire still at full strength. The others had been hosing the blaze non-stop and yet it looked as if they had barely made progress. Flames were popping up faster than they could put them out.

Blue Watch's BA alarms rang – five minutes left.

She ignored the melting plastic from the ceiling that dripped onto her helmet as she caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye.

A man and a young girl collapsed on the ground near the turnstiles.

Rushing over to where they lay, Josie noticed the man stirring slightly. As she bent down to their level, he heard him whisper in a raspy voice as he grabbed her arm in a vice grip.

"Save her first…!"

She made a split-second decision. Her training screamed in her brain – whoever was most seriously injured was the higher priority. Taking hold of the man, she began to carry him out as he slipped back into unconsciousness, grateful for the sudden appearance of Vaseline to help her.

"Get the kid next!" She shouted to him as they made their way to street level.

Most of the Watch were on the street, taking heed of the BA warning and getting out of the station just before their tanks ran out. Josie and Vaseline watched as the man was wheeled away on a stretcher before turning to head back down. However, they were stopped by Tate, who sported a strict expression.

"There's another crew going down for a shift. Take a break, the lot of you."

The words were out of Josie's mouth before she could stop herself.

"Guv, we have to go back in! There's a child by the turnstiles!"

"And I'll notify the next crew! I told you about going off and being a hero!"

"Bu—"

"No buts! You'll be no good to anyone if you wind up dead!"

Josie bit her lip, blinking back tears. From the smoke wafting from the station or the lump in her throat, she wasn't sure.

"Now all of you go take a break, you all deserve one."

Tate watched as Blue Watch silently made their way over to an empty part of the street, the knot in his stomach growing larger by the second. He'd have a proper talk with them later – shouts like these, they'd knock the stuffing out of the strongest of firefighters. Striding over to the new batch of firemen ready to join the fight, he promptly informed them of the girl's location.

Sitting down on the street path, Sicknote glanced down at his boots and blinked. He hadn't even noticed during it all, but the heat had somehow melted the bottom of his leggings. He was too numb to even make a remark. They all were.

They stayed silent, watching the mayhem unfold as they fought to catch their breath. There were paramedics hovering around them now, checking them over for any visible injuries.

Vaseline watched as the other firefighters entered the station from their vantage point on the street corner. He hoped to God they weren't too late.

Leaning his head against a streetlamp, George glanced up at the night sky as he greedily filled his lungs with fresh air. There were stars in the sky, still shining even with everything going on below them.

"We'll get it under control."

Tony nodded listlessly in agreement at Hallam's statement. However, they all knew the reality of what was happening.

The firefighters would put out the fire, sure. It was just a matter of time. What they couldn't control however, was the countless lives that had been ruined in the space of a couple of hours.