A/N: We have hit 200 reviews! Thank you, THANK YOU so much for all the love and support you've shown (and are continuing to show this story). It really makes sharing this with you so much better.

Thank you to AsahixMe, Black Dragon Master, MasterKriebel, Auren02, Sharpe, IrishDreamer4, devilfiredog18, Tertius711, Ardnessela, CrazyPhenom, and Aquamirra for reviewing chapter 24 (and for pushing us over the 200 mark ;).

Time check: Autumn, 175 AG (15 months post-Book 4)

25. They say that a hero can save us, I'm not gonna stand here and wait

He hears the scream seconds after he first smells smoke.

He takes off running, his feet pounding on the pavement as he races towards the flower shop on the street corner. It is engulfed in flames and surrounded by waterbenders from the RCPD's Fire Response Unit. They're throwing water on the fire and it looks like they have everything under control — but he hears the scream again and realises there's a figure gesturing frantically from the blazing shop window.

He doesn't think. He sprints forward, waving off the waterbenders' warnings with a flash of his badge, and dives into the shop, bending flames around him.

The air inside is noxious. Burning flowers throw up acrid fumes; smoke clogs thick and cloying in every orifice. He yanks up the collar of his uniform to cover his mouth and nose, trying to orient his split-second impression of the shop's exterior to its interior layout — realises the corridor he needs to get through is choked with fire.

He forces his way through, barrelling into the inferno. The heat flushes his cheeks and raises sweat on his skin; he siphons away as much as he can, though it means feeding the conflagration behind him.

By the time he reaches the woman he saw, she's unconscious and he feels like he's halfway there. He hefts her over his shoulder and has to pause against the sudden wave of dizziness.

There isn't much time. The torrent of fire devouring the corridor means going back that way is out of the question; so he turns his focus to the window instead. Between the hungry tongues of orange and yellow licking the frame, he glimpses blue sky and grey asphalt.

Here goes nothing.

He secures his grip on his charge with one arm and keeps the fire at bay with the other, and leaps through the window with as much strength he can muster.

He crashes onto the pavement outside with all the breath knocked out of him. For a moment, all he sees is black, and all he can do is cough.

Two RCPD officers hurry over; one helps him to his feet, while the other carries the woman he rescued a safe distance away and begins to revive her.

Between coughs, he asks, "Is she all right?"

"I think she'll be fine," the officer replies, after a quick glance at the colleague tending to the civilian. "What about you, Detective?"

By this time the smoke has cleared from his lungs and he has recovered his breath. He waves off further attention and walks over to the woman, who seems to have just regained consciousness and is now blinking dazedly between hacking fits.

"Easy, easy," the waterbender attending her says soothingly, while running healing water over her burns.

"How is she?" he inquires as he approaches.

The waterbender glances at him, takes in his sooty appearance and the badge on his chest. "She'll be all right; she just needs some fresh air to clear out her lungs." She winces as the woman bursts into a particularly violent fit of coughing. "Do you need treatment, Detective?"

"No, I'm fine."

"Then would you mind escorting her farther away from the smoke?" She cants her head meaningfully towards the flower shop blaze, which is still burning, though getting smaller thanks to the efforts of the waterbenders.

He nods, and gently touches the woman's shoulder. "Ma'am? Can you walk?"

She heaves in a breath and nods, and he guides her down the street as the waterbending officer returns to help her unit extinguish the fire. The air gets cleaner the farther they go, and gradually the woman's coughing eases.

"Thank you," she tells him. Her voice is raspy from smoke, but full of gratitude. She has the brown skin of the Water Tribes and the amber eyes of the Fire Nation, and he estimates she's probably in her early to mid-twenties.

"You're welcome." He glances around and deems their surroundings safe enough. "Will you be all right here for a bit? The fire responders will probably want to speak with you about what started the fire, once they're done at your shop."

"It isn't my shop. I'm just an assistant. Oh, Hua Li is going to kill me," she moans.

"I'm sure it wasn't your fault," he says reassuringly. He checks his watch; he's late for his shift. "Ma'am, if you're sure you'll be all right here, I should get going. One of the other officers will be along shortly to take your statement."

"I understand. Thanks for your help."

He makes sure she's settled on a bench and quickly jogs back to the burnt flower shop to inform his colleagues of her location, then he resumes his trek to RCPD HQ.

This wasn't exactly how he'd intended to start his day, but it's nice to know he can make a difference even in less dramatic scenarios.

A/N: Lyric from 'Hero' by Nickelback.

I'm so glad you're all so clearly enjoying this story...because - conservatively estimating based on my plot notes - we're only just about halfway through...

...yeah, I have a lot of plans for Mako.

See you all next week!