New York City, they say, is the city that never sleeps. This is for a variety of reasons, from late night shows, to crime, to 24 hour restaurants. It truly is a sight to behold, and if you aren't careful, the city will chew you up and spit you out. Odd events were commonplace here, most people kept their heads down and shrugged them off. Why bother getting involved in drama that isn't yours? And for some, getting involved in their own drama wasn't worth it either. Besides, they were far too busy anyway, they had to meet this person for lunch, be at the office at this time, pick up the laundry, watch the kids, the list was endless. That's why, when a seemingly innocuous apartment building went up in flames, nobody paid it any mind at first. Nobody, but the New York Fire Department, who were paid to mind. And the people who paid to live there, of course.
Nothing about that dreary, overcast fall morning particularly screamed 'fire', but it came all the same. The tenants of the ancient apartment awake at that early hour of 7 A.M. were in for a shock when their rooms felt a bit hot, but then came the smoke. Thick, toxic black smog flowed in from the air vents, and as some ran into the hallways, they discovered the source of the emission. One of their neighbors' rooms was on fire. There was a great deal of commotion and yelling, people banging on the doors, yelling "Fire! Fire!" as they scrambled to escape. Tenants who were blissfully asleep were jolted awake by the screaming and banging, and after feeling the heat and seeing the smoke, they didn't need the constant cries of a fire to piece together what was happening.
The blaze started fast, and spread faster. People coughed and sputtered as the horrid air filled their lungs, and stung their eyes. Mothers held their children close as people ran chaotically for the exits. Some managed to get out via the rusty old fire escapes. The individuals filled the street and sidewalk below, trying to get to fresh air. The misty morning cooled them off, yet couldn't sate the raging inferno the apartment fire had become. Traffic stopped on the small street, as people were in the way, staring up at their home being consumed by red hot death. There was then an immediate push to see if everyone had gotten out, with neighbors calling out to each other. Yet, despite all the chaos, the screaming, yelling, and banging, the door to the apartment that housed the fire remained firmly shut.
The local fire department received the call on the scanner, several reports being flooded in not just by the residents of the flaming building, but nearby people as well. With the grace of a well lubricated machine, the brave men and women of the NYFD leapt from their beds at the sound of the bell. Orders were yelled into the P.A. system as the firefighters got into their suits and loaded up the shiny red trucks. Some who were awake were already there, waiting for their colleagues to join them. With the trucks up and loaded, the sirens were switched on and they sped off into the morning light. Cars pulled aside to let the screaming trucks by as it booked it down street after street. It wouldn't take long to reach their destination, but they could see it far before they arrived.
It was hard to miss the fire as it licked the sky, now having completely engulfed the top several floors of the apartment building. Passerby looked up in awe at the total destruction of what once was a seemingly permanent landmark, and the residents looked on with horror.
Thoughts of all their possessions, their home, in some cases even livelihoods were being eaten by fire and spit out as ash. When the fire trucks arrived, everyone cleared the way to allow what needed to be done by the firefighters to be done. The fighters themselves had seen plenty of fires, but none so intense as this. Even from the ground, the heat could be felt. More orders were yelled as hoses were connected to fire hydrants, and ladders were being extended.
With all the noise, nearby residents came out to look. The fire had happened all too fast. Police arrived at the scene soon after, setting up barricades and pushing back the curious crowds and grieving tennants. With the hoses now hooked up, the fire fighters set to work dousing the flames. A few asked for the tenants of the building, asking if everyone was out. Everyone agreed that all had escaped, however two individuals were noted missing from the crowd. Some of the fighters were sent in, dressed to the teeth in protective gear, to scout the building, calling out for anyone who may have been unaccounted for. There were no responses. The battle against the fire raged, and it almost seemed to have a mind of its own, not wanting to back down. It bared its teeth, and the hose wielders bared back.
News vans began to arrive at the scene. It was a slow news day, and a great big fire was just the thing to fill the gap. Mics were shoved in observers faces as they were interviewed about the flaming destruction before them. Most were at a loss for words. Nobody could explain how it started. The firefighters were unavailable to comment. Eventually, they started to make a dent in the flaming mass, and little by little the fire was contained and eliminated, helped in part with a small sprinkle that had picked up.
What was left behind wasn't much. The building was seared and scarred. Ash flitted along the morning breeze before being caught up in the drizzle and being sprinkled on the shocked audience below. Windows were blown out, shards of glass on the concrete around the perimeter of the brickwork. The emergency workers went in to search for anyone who may have been caught up in the blaze. Without any word from the firefighter, and the fire under control, the news vans left one by one. The building was deemed unsafe, and the tenants were to be relocated to a nearby motel who agreed to take them in.
An investigation was launched into the cause of the fire. This only turned up more questions. Fortunately, mostly everyone escaped unharmed. Well, physically. The building itself was toast, and would need extensive repairs to make it livable again. There was even the possibility of demolition on the table. When inspecting the room where the blaze started, everything was completely melted and turned to ash. There didn't seem to be any source of ignition. To top it all off, the tenants who lived there were missing. They weren't caught up in the blaze, and they weren't there during the fire. When there was an attempt made to contact them, there was no answer. Their families and friends were unaware of their whereabouts either. It was as if they had just up and vanished. Investigators put out a call for information, and a meeting hosted by the fire chief was televised to follow up on the fire.
The chief had the facts, as many as had been gathered, but it was paultry to go on. There were many unknowns, important ones, and there was the hope that perhaps someone out there might be able to fill in the gaps. The cameras were wheeled in, and the fire chief stood at a podium to speak to the people of New York City. It was lights, camera, action, then he spoke. Word had spread about the mysterious fire, and it was already becoming a local legend on the street where it took place. Everyone was glued to their tvs.
The fire chief, a large man with a large mustache to boot, cleared his throat as he looked into the cameras. "Today, we have called this meeting to discuss the recent fire in the Sunny Rise Apartments on Brocket Avenue." He took a moment to let it set in. "After a few days of investigation, this is our takeaway. The fire began in the corner room on the fourth floor, shortly after five fifty five A.M.. It spread quickly, causing a great deal of structural damage to the building, which is now deemed unsafe. The cause of the fire is still unknown. What is more, but we are currently looking for the two tenants who lived in the apartment where the fire began." He shuffled his notes. "Arson has not been ruled out."
The people watching at home saw a graphic appear on screen, an image of a man and woman smiling at them. The man was larger than the woman, and had blonde hair, while the woman had brown hair. She also wore thin framed glasses. Underneath, their names appeared as the fire chief spoke them. "Veronica Vera and Oliver Bareham have now been set to a missing persons status. If anyone has any information regarding these two individuals, please come forward, whether in person at any fire department, or online or by phone at these email addresses and numbers. The families have also put up a reward for any information that could help us locate them. As of now, they are not suspects, but nothing is off the table. Thank you."
A showering of flashing lights and camera clicks went off as he stepped away, with journalists hungry for any more tidbits of information that was left out. The large chief declined to answer anything as he had the investigation to return to. All around the massive city, rumors and whispers spread about the missing couple. Some blamed them for the fire. Others, morbidly, believed they were burnt to ashes, having been unable to escape the inferno. Whatever anyone believed, nobody knew for certain. All they could do was wait and see what unfolded. But none of them could have ever imagined the story that would unfold. Nor would they ever know.
Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for Kizuna.