She had sat alone in the locker room for a lot longer than she needed to.

This was the worst part about being transferred to a fire hall; 24 hour shifts with people she didn't want to even spend five minutes with. Her medical bag was already organized neatly, she'd rearranged a few things in her new ambo, keeping it just the way she wanted, her clothes long folded and packed away in her locker.

Now what?

Wait for a call, like always. But doing what? Hiding?

She held her latest book lightly on her lap, the cold metal bench uncomfortable, but better than having to see the others just yet.

The spine cracked open and she made her mind up; reading in here for a while wouldn't be too bad.

At least she was alone.

"There you are."

Fuck.

She didn't look up from her book, but knew instantly who the voice belonged to. That Soul guy was standing in the door, and she knew he wasn't just talking to himself.

"Hello?" He said, walking towards her.

"What?" She said, looking up from her book. He was slouched a little, meandering towards her nonchalantly. He made an exasperated sound that was inherently teenager as he approached her, sitting down.

"I just wanted to talk to you,"

"About what?" She was still being short, and scolded herself momentarily for being so rude. She could at least try to make… friends.

"This whole… situation." he gestured to the two of them. She just stared at him expectantly.

"Just, when we're out on a call together, which might not even be that much, just like, be careful. Yeah?" He ran a hand through messy white hair and she tried to squish the overwhelming attractiveness of the action.

"Obviously I will." She blinked, "but we'll probably be on a bunch of calls together, won't we?"

"Yeah but, for car crashes and shit. It's not like I have to really worry about you running into a burning building." He eyed her suspiciously, "I hope."

"I've never…" she paused for a moment, but decided being honest wasn't a sign of weakness, "been on call for a fire before."

He just shrugged in reply,

"They're rare even for us. Fires aren't as everyday as everyone thinks they—"

Honestly, it could have been a movie, really, because no timing would ever be so perfect. Just as he was finishing the sentence, a loud siren blared through the building. A red light on the wall spun wildly, slapping the locker room with periodic light. Soul was to his feet in a flash, Maka right behind him. Sid's voice shouted over the loudspeakers, telling them a location and the situation.

"Or… you could go to an apartment kitchen fire on the first day." Soul said, grabbing Maka around the wrist and pulling her down the hallway.

She ignored the urge to pull away and let him pull her towards the garage.

A few others were already putting gear on quickly, and Soul dragged her over to his closet, talking as he quickly put on the, what Maka decided, looked like a three hundred pounds of gear.

"Look pigtails," he said, slapping red suspenders against his toned as fuck chest. Wah—wait, not a good time.

"Maka." she gritted, looking purposefully away from the offensively-unoffensive muscles.

"Er, right, Maka. I don't like this any more than you do, so let's just both agree to not break any laws or do anything stupid, okay?"

"I'm not a child." She glared at him, "or some… beginner. I've probably been doing this longer than you have, so you can drop the superiority act."

He sighed, plopping a helmet onto his head and raising the visor.

"You're stubborn, I get it, but in no way am I acting 'superior' to you. I don't give a fuck what you do, alright? I just don't want to in shit with Sid." There was a moment of silence, like he had decided that was all he wanted to say before getting a little spark of courage he didn't know he had before, "No, and you know what?" he continued, resolve sinking into his tone, he was ready now, so he turned to her, "Maybe you have been doing this longer than me, but I'm not the one will a million and ten legal infractions. Even if it's a stupid-ass one, there's still a reason Sid told me to watch out for you, and you can cry about it all you want, but it does mean something."

Maka stared at him, wide-eyed. Others ran past him onto their trucks but he held his ground, only mildly adjusting his large fire-retardant jacket.

It was rare someone stood up to her like this. It was rare because most people saw the volatile, angry, aggressive woman and backed off right away. They'd shoot her a look, roll their eyes, and then she'd hear them joking about how insane she was in the lunch room when they thought she out on a job.

I mean, it was a man telling her off so that made things a little more frustrating but… she didn't feel the usual burn of anger that went with it. She just looked down at her feet, bangs covering her eyes from him a little,

"I'm…" she muttered, a little embarrassed, "I'm sorry."

"W-what?" Soul said, a little shocked, a lot confused.

She just looked back up at him, a strange determination he would never understand in her eyes.

"I won't get you in shit," she said, turning and dashing off to her ambulance. "I promise!" she shouted behind her.

"Okay, um, good?" He replied, still confused as he jogged towards he truck. He didn't mean to watch her leave for as long as he did. Honest.

Tsubaki was sweet. Actually, Maka found herself feeling… happy to be paired with her. The woman greeted her shyly, apologizing for not properly introducing herself earlier before asking if she wanted to drive.

Anyone who asked Maka to drive was perfectly okay in her books.

And drive she did, following the big red truck easily, roaring through stoplights with a satisfied grin. She wouldn't get charged this time; she was just following the truck.

She was aware of the rebellious feeling, was careful to keep it in check. She'd made a promise, after all.

Maka had never been called to a fire before.

She'd dealt with burn victims countless times, but that was mostly at hospital receiving. She'd never been on site for one, and, at this moment, wished she still hadn't been.

Feeling helpless wasn't something Maka generally did. She certainly never felt overwhelmed. Well, today was a series of new feelings for the EMT.

They pulled up after the truck, and Maka could help staring up at the five story building. Smoke billowed out of every open window, a strange glow coming from what Maka would describe as the complex's heart.

Everyone from the truck ahead of her had already gotten to work; Maka could read the names printed across the backs of their uniforms. Two men, Ox and Harvar were pulling a large hose out from the side of the truck with practised muscle while another, Kid, popped a nearby hydrant.

Black Star and Soul were standing side by side, watching the building. Soul one hand on the radio attached to his collar, the other was holding an axe by his side.

"Negative," he said into the radio, eyebrows knit together, "structures been compromised I think."

Maka approached him slowly, hearing Sid's voice respond with something garbled by static. Soul seemed to know exactly what he was saying though, as he and Black Star exchanged glances.

"There's no way to tell." he responded

Tsubaki jogged a little, catching up to Maka. She was pulling an oxygen tank unit behind her.

"First thing we do," She said, smiling, "is check people who have already gotten out."

Maka tore her eyes away from the troubled Soul to the line of people sitting curbside. Some were sobbing quietly; others had the grime of smoke caked onto their skin.

"Right." She said, hurrying over to them.

They were easy to treat, a few cuts a scrapes, an older gentleman who needed smoke inhalation treatment: nothing she couldn't handle quickly.

By the time she'd finished with three quick check-ups, the others had attached the hose but were now all just standing around, watching the fire burn on. She had noticed Black Star and Kid going into the building earlier, but they had only gone in the front lobby before leaving again.

"What are they doing?" Maka hissed to Tsubaki.

"They can't go in if it's going to fall apart," she smiled down at a little girl, a small pink band-aide in her hand. She stuck it over the girls elbow before patting her on the head. The girl smiled back weakly, "there. All fixed up."

Maka continued holding the mask over the older man's mouth.

It's not like she had any right to be questioning what the firemen were doing even a little. She didn't need to understand why they were or weren't doing something. It was like Soul had said; she was a professional, but so were they.

She wouldn't want Black Star looking over her shoulder as she handed out gauze and burn patches to first and second degree victims.

And that's what she was thinking as she turned back to the man, removing the oxygen,

"How's your breathing?" she asked. The man took a few normal breaths, and she could already tell he was fine before the words came out of his mouth.

She was about to reply, telling him something encouraging when a loud scream tore her attention away instantly. It only took her a second to figure out where it had come from. All the firemen were staring up at the building, so she followed their gaze quickly.

There, in the window of the second floor, was the silhouette of a little boy. The smoke enveloping him made it almost impossible to see, but he was definitely there.

Black Star ran into the truck almost the moment everyone had heard the scream, and brought it life faster than Maka could have ever started her ambo, let alone maneuver it closer to the building like he was. Soul hopped onto the back, and, although she wasn't sure how, knew he had started raising the ladder.

She stepped back from her patients, watching as Soul walked carefully up the still extending ladder, Kid following closely behind him.

Soul reached the window, his mask down, oxygen mask on. The smoke was thick, and his shoulder lights did little to illuminate the dark apartment. Flames cracked in the not-so-distance, probably just beyond the wall of the bedroom he was entering.

Maka heard his voice,

"Call out! Where are you?!" He shouted, but there was no reply.

He disappeared into the room then and Maka watched, tension as thick in her lungs as the smoke must have been to that child.

"Kid, I'm going in!" He shouted behind him,

"I'm with you." His friend replied, watching as Soul smashed the glass in the window and stepped into the bedroom.

The building creaked threateningly, she stomach dropping with every moment Soul and Kid were inside. Tsubaki had left her side, running to the driver's side of the truck and talking quickly to Black Star who shrugged and shook his head.

There was silence. Not a bad silence necessarily, but an odd one. Maka watched the window, not realizing how hard she was biting the inside of her cheek. She knew any second now, the slouched fireman would emerge with the little boy in his arms.

Any moment now.

He would.

He would.

She was wringing her hands now.

And now she was going to look away. This was one of those 'watched pot' situations and she knew the best thing to do was to think about other—

And there he was.

Or at least… there, someone was.

Through the thick smoke a figure immerged, wood creaked and shattered as he almost fell out of the window. Maka gasped, watching as Kid tumbled forward, pushed through the window by Soul.

He dove out after him, the crowd gasping: Tsubaki screaming something as the small room collapsed off the side of the building. Well, it more caved in as Maka would describe it, but she wasn't really focused on that right now.

She didn't know what the fuck to do.

She saw Soul and Kid, dangling off a ladder lifted impossibly high, saw Black Star tearing up the ladder after them, Ox bringing it back to the ground as quickly as he could as Kilik shouted for them to just,

"Hang on! Don't you DARE let you, you hear me?!"

Maka's mouth was dry, Soul had one forearm wrapped tightly around a wrung, but his legs dangled dangerously: four stories off the ground and not being brought back down nearly fast enough. Kid was swearing, Maka was pretty sure, as Soul swung his legs a little.

Something fell.

Maka didn't want to look, didn't want to be here, didn't know what to do and didn't know what she was going to do if what fell was—

But it was just his helmet. It clattered to the ground, making the fall all the more real, but the ladder was almost fully retracted and Kid was already helping Soul lift the rest of his body more fully back onto the truck which gave Maka only the slightest moment of clarity but it was really all she needed to realize:

"The child." She breathed, gaze snapping back to the caved in room. Her heart sank, yet she felt her feet pulling her towards Soul and Kid, now on the top of the truck.

"Trying to outshine me yet again, eh Eater?!" Black Star slapped Soul on the back, words joking but voice quivering a little. Soul just exhaled a laugh,

"Something like that." He muttered, on his knees, catching his breath.

"Where's the kid?" She hadn't meant to sound like she didn't care. She really didn't because in all actuality, she cared a lot. She had hardly known any of them and watching two almost die had gouged at edges of something in her chest and she didn't know why and she didn't particularly like it.

So she did what she always did; got down to business. She saw the others bristle, Black Star's mouth fell open in disbelief but before the,

"Are you kidding me," could leave it, Soul interrupted. He wasn't offended, his tone matched Maka's perfectly,

"He ran down the stairs. He's scared, he might make it out the lobby."

"We should go in after him!" Kid panted, standing to his feet, "through the front."

"Yeah that's not happening." Ox replied, grim. He looked over his shoulder to the building that groaned and cracked, flames now blazing out from almost every window.

Maka stared at them all, offended look on her face.

"But that's your job," she hissed. She knew she was being childish, knew that they didn't want to leave that kid in there any more than she did.

"There's nothing we can do." Black Star crossed his arms over his chest, "It's not safe for us to go in there and we don't even know where he is. He might not have even…" he stopped as his gaze fell on Tsubaki, eyes wide with sadness. He sighed, walking over to her and extending an arm. She took a quick, albeit shy, step towards him and he draped his arm around her.

"There's nothing we can do." He said again, this time more quiet, a weird sort of comfort coming off of him. His seriousness seemed to send the group into a sad calm.

Well, most of the group.

There was a one Maka Albarn furiously stamping away from them.

That's not good enough. She fumed,

"Where's she going?" Kilik asked, adjusting the nozzle in his hands, the water spewing out in a wide birth. Ox was with him, helping him steer it towards the inferno.

No one answered, but Maka was far enough away from them now that even if they did, she wouldn't hear. There weren't any flames coming out from the bottom of the building. This was something anyone could have told you, but it made Maka's approach of the front doors possible. The hot, thick smoke had covered most of the block by now, but it wasn't impossible to walk through.

Her shirt was up over her nose and mouth quickly, and she tried to listen to the rational side of her brain. If it could kick in for even a second, she'd turn around and watch the building burn sadly with the rest of her new "family".

She scoffed as she kicked in the large double doors of the apartment complex. She could hear shouting behind her, an obvious fight breaking out but she wasn't about to care about that.

Maybe she'd get kicked out for good this time.

Well, she didn't care about that either.

She hadn't wanted to be moved to this division in the first place, and she hadn't wanted to work with firefighters who couldn't even save a little boy.

Inside the building was a lot worse than she imagined. A whooshing sound of fire made it almost impossible to hear anything, smoke bit at her eyes, forcing them into a squint and she was on her hands and knees almost instantly, gasping for clean air.

She needed to turn around, turn around and get back to the others.

Her body did the opposite, instead crawling to the stairs, she managed to choke out a:

"Where are you?!" Into the room. The only response was a loud bang; what she figured was a rafter falling onto the floor above her. She was continuing her ascent up the stairs when a small voice cooed:

"H-help me!"

Maka spun around, looking up the stairs to the next landing. There he was: a little boy, huddled in the corner whimpering. She got to her feet, running up the creaking wooden steps and grabbed the boy quickly. She couldn't afford speech, head spinning from the raised elevation of standing, the air thinner and thicker, smoke seeping into what felt like every cell in her body.

She more fell down the stairs than walked down them, pushing the boy in front of her the whole time. Her vision was swimming but she was pretty sure she remembered where the doors were.

A loud CRACK ripped through the room.

How she knew or saw what was happening before it did, she would never be able to tell you, but Maka pushed the child forcefully forward, sending him toppling to the ground and rolling, narrowly missing the four large rafters that crashed down between them. Flames shot up from them almost instantly, trapping her behind them. She fell back, arms raised up above her face, forearms almost instantly burnt, and the shoulder of her uniform catching slightly. She tried to beat out the flames growing closer to neck, managing to shout:

"GO! RUN!" To the boy. She watched him stumble away into the smoke and, for the first time in her career, felt panic grip her.

She fell to the ground, the flames on her shirt dying down, but still feeling the seer of heat on her exposed neck.

This is how I die.

She wasn't as upset as she thought she'd be. It was a Zen feeling, like floating. Although, the medical side of her brain promised that was just the lack of oxygen.

But so be it.

Suffocating was better than burning to death anyway.

She heard the ceiling above her crack loudly once more, and shut her eyes tightly, bracing for the next impact of large wooden beams falling onto her.

There was another sound though.

It was…

Annoying.

Something hurt her arm.

Squeezing—pulling.

Her eyes opened slowly and tried to adjust to what she was looking at it front of her, but she couldn't. She just slowly shook her head, body limp.

Something pulled her legs out from under her, and it was then she realized she'd been lifted off the ground.

"Fucking—HELL!" He was shouting, side stepping a falling hunk of flaming building before kicking the shit out of a window. Every time his foot made contact he swore loudly until finally the pane shattered and he managed to lift himself, and the half conscious girl in his arms through it.

She realized what was going on, but couldn't really respond to any of it. Soul was staggering away from the burning building with her in his arms.

The impossibly loud CRASH behind her drowned out the shouting from the others around her and Maka realized the building had finally completely come down. There was something over her mouth—a respirator.

She was momentarily impressed she figured it out before feeling a burning sensation crawling up her arms. It was…

It…

Oh god.

It fucking hurt!

Her eyes widened and she struggled out of Soul's grasp, screaming in pain and holding her arms out in front of her.

"Stop!" Soul commanded, he was holding her from under her knees and his grip on them tightened, "You're going to agitate it—knock it off!"

But she was panicking. Rational brain? What is that? There was only searing flesh and thick air and painful blinks into sun that was much too bright.

She didn't stay conscious for very long.