Sorry for the short chapter. I'm not good with extending action scenes and I'm not too familiar with Takumi and Akira.
Any suggestions for a title are welcome as well. I named this fan fic on an impulse knowing I could rename it any time. I need something to attract attention and relate to the story and I'm horrible at doing so.
The bus lurched into motion and scurried on down the street. Takumi mused about the evening to Akira, who was hardly paying attention. She nodded when she needed to, chipped in a word of agreement here and there. But her eyes were trained on the man in the coat. He hadn't moved, he wasn't showing any signs of watching them. But she could feel it in her bones that something was odd about him.
"And how weird is it that Kuga-san is here!" exclaimed Takumi. "I wonder if anyone else is here, too. Wouldn't that be so cool, Akira? Akira?"
"Hnh? Oh, yeah. That would be strange."
Takumi gave her a curious look. "What are you thinking about Akira?"
The girl hesitated and finally looked away from the man. "Nothing, Takumi. Nothing important. I'm sorry." She gave him an enthusiastic grin to encourage him to keep talking.
Akira rang the bell to signal their stop. A thin man in a raincoat stood and left the bus first. Takumi jumped off and Akira carefully eyed the large man still sitting on the bus as she disembarked. He didn't seem to be following them. Suddenly, just as she stepped off and the door closed, she caught a sideways glance from him boring into her. The bus rattled off down the street, leaving a stone in her gut.
"Akira! Come on! We'll miss the next bus."
Akira caught up to Takumi as they crossed the street to wait for their transfer. Light banter followed, led by Takumi, as Akira's suspicion started to wear off. The two waited for the bus for half an hour when Akira suddenly noticed they weren't alone. The main in the grey raincoat had been waiting a bit behind them. He took notice of her and his eyes met hers. He spoke, in English. Neither of the young kids' English was exceptional enough to carry on an extended conversation.
"Ah, sorry?" said Takumi.
"I was wondering," the man began, enunciating his words. "If you know when the bus might be coming?"
"Oh, think it was to be here ten minutes ago," replied Akira.
The man nodded and went back to gazing at the road. Suddenly the sound of sirens grew louder from the background noise of the city. The screaming alarms drew closer and closer until the lights could be seen just around the corner of the street. There had to be at least four emergency vehicles present.
Akira and Takumi exchanged concerned looks and at once Akira bounded down the street, instructing her boyfriend to wait for her at the stop. The man in the raincoat seemed to take no notice of the event. Takumi gazed at him for a moment with suspicious curiosity and turned back to watch down the street for the bus.
Around the corner were two fire engines, three ambulances and two police cruisers blocking off road access on both sides of the house. And the house they crowded in front of was up in flame. A fire rescuer suddenly burst from the door burdened with a large elderly woman. He ran her across the street and placed her in the care of the paramedics.
She frantically waved her arms and reached for the paramedic next to her. "My grandson! My husband! They're inside! Please save them!" The woman was in hysterics and repeated herself over and over until an oxygen mask was placed over her mouth and she passed out.
Akira's heart skipped a beat. Logic would judge the fire rescuers capable enough of saving the boy and his grandfather, but she was not one to sit idly by and let someone else do the dirty work. She bolted to the scene, through the wall of officers and fire rescuers. A few of them shouted to stop her, two yelled after her to stay away. She slid under two men coming at her and flew through the open door.
Immediately her lungs were filled with the thick, toxic smoke in the hair. Her vision was blurred. But for a woman trained in the art of the Ninja, fire was not enough to subdue her. The hallway was lined with hot, glowing ashes, leading to a wall of flame travelling up the stairs. Logic told her the stairs were where the bedrooms would be. A man rushed into the room after her, followed by a woman, both screaming at her to leave. A gloved hand fell on Akira's shoulder just as she leaped up the stairs and bolted down the second-floor hallway. She followed the growing flames to a door barricaded by fire. She stopped, bent over and hacked a few times as she surveyed the room: she could barely see anyone. She was joined by the two fire fighters, both of whom grabbed her shoulder. The woman grabbed her by the waste to try to hoist her over her shoulder, but the young ninja managed to squirm free.
"Is someone in here?" she called, fighting her lungs for air as she ran inside the room.
She heard a small whimper in the corner of the room. She could make out the small figure of the boy huddled up against his closet door. Fire was crawling around his room like a hungry serpent. Akira jumped over the flames and crouched next to the boy. She looked him in the eye.
"You'll be fine, I'm here to save you."
She reached under his arms and lifted him up, turned around to leave, and froze in her tracks. The male fire fighter had reached the scene and was attempting to take the boy from her, but Akira's eyes were locked on a figure across the small room. The fire fighter followed her gaze and let out a cry of sheer terror.
A hiss louder than the rage of the fire shook the room. A dark, shadowy figure with gleaming red eyes stood before them. It raised its arms. The flames arched around them and swallowed them. Skin seared. Eyed melted. Lungs ceased. Instinct took over and Akira tore away from the room through the fire. Down the hall, the child in her grasp, she flew down the stairs and out the door. She passed the boy into the arms of the first person she came to outside and then collapsed.
The bus came to its stop. The man hopped on, bidding Takumi a good night. He wore a dark smirk upon his face. And the bus rode off. Takumi waited.