Fighting fire with...not fire

[a_relative_hero]

WHO: a_relative_hero and OPEN
WHERE: A less nice part of the City
WHEN: Really late Friday Night/Early Saturday Morning
WARNINGS: None predicted
SUMMARY: A building is on fire. People need saving. Time to do some superhero-stuff that doesn't involve punching and blasting and stuff. Houston's pulling people out of danger and could use a little help.
FORMAT: whatever

Houston hadn't seen what happened as he'd been a block away stopping a mugger. But he heard it. And when he showed up on the scene, a bystander filled him in on what was the cause of the current problem. Two cars had smashed into one another on the street, one flipping over and blocking the street. The other went and ended up jumping the curb before slamming into the wall of a building. And to make matters worse, it quickly caught fire...and then that fire moved to the apartment building it crashed into.

Now there's a burning apartment building. While several people made it out on their own, there are others still needing rescue. Houston's rushing in and out of the building, carrying people and pets to safety but he could probably use a hand. Even with his speed he can't be everywhere at once and there are people stuck on the higher floors that could use rescue.

Comments

[thebadturtle]

He'd be lying if he said this was what he intended to do with his evening. He was just running roofs, climbing around. And then there was noise and chaos-- just like home-- and Raph has to go stick his snout in other people's business.

Seeing some skinny guy doing his hero thing made him pause. He supposed this is what he was here to do, too. Help people. That was what the city needed. He could have gone more introspective about it, but Raph was never a deep thinker when there was action to be had, so really, he didn't get past 'this was what he was supposed to be doing' before going into motion. One unfolded grappling hook and he was on the burning building in a green, shadowy flash, scaling in through the top floor's nearest window. The fire hasn't spread up here yet, and with the lower floors blocked off as the fire travels upward, there's now here to go for them...

At least, not without help.

"HEY DOWN THERE!" he hollers out a window. "WE'RE GONNA NEED SOME HELP UP HERE; NOT EVERYBODY'S GONNA BE AN EASY CARRY DOWN! FIND SOME LADDERS OR SOMETHING TO DROP ONTO OR -- I DUNNO. SOME SHIT LIKE THAT OKAY?"

And then he's back inside, trying to deal with people who are freaking out over fire, and freaking out over the green imPort and just plain freaking out.

[a_relative_hero]

Houston had missed that stealthy green hero getting into the building so he's startled when someone hollers out the window. Looking up, he stares a moment.

"Where the heck am I supposed to find a ladder that big?" he asks no one in particular. He looks around quickly then rushes off. The street may be mostly blocked by a crashed car but that didn't stop him from rushing to the nearest fire department and borrowing a ladder. Seconds later, he's back and propping it against the building.

"TRY THAT!" he yells back up before dashing back into the flames to help more people out of the building.

[thebadturtle]

"THANKS DUDE!"

Ducking back inside, Raph is left with panicked, screaming, crying, angry people. He starts with omen and children -- helping them move up through the building as the fire continues to eat away at the lower building. Not everybody made it up, but he's getting those who have to start down the ladder while he ventures down into the floorsthat can't go down, but are having a hard time getting up.

Houston might hear him making noise--heavy tread on purpose, swearing as he starts to sweat and cough. A woman is crying, begging him to -- get something. Raph can only exclaim, over the crackle of flame, "You gotta be fuckin' kiddin' me!"

God only knows what he's been asked to do or what he's found, but apparently it doesn't make him happy.

[a_relative_hero]

"DON'TWORRYABOUTIT!" speed-speech is sometimes a problem with speedsters. He continues to speed in and out of the building, helping people escape before the flames spread and the building crumbles more than it already has.

When he overhears Raph talking to the woman, Houston frowns. "Hey! What's up, man?" he calls, heading towards Raph and the woman.

[thebadturtle]

"I got it!" is called, muffled through the floor boards. He's rushing somewhere now, feet quick on the floor-- and there's rustling and noise.

He's a floor up, now, alone-- the woman has been sent on. The turtle, however, is grumbling as he fishes up clothing and moving something from a closet to a dirty duffel bag, trying to be careful but quick.

The bag mewls.

[a_relative_hero]

Houston nodded, frowning as he shoved aside some fallen debris. It occurred to him a second later there was no way to see that nod through floorboards. "Yell if you need a hand!" he called, helping some kids out from behind a flaming couch.

[thebadturtle]

"I'm headed back upstairs to the windows!" he says, and the footsteps -- and funny noises-- begin to recede -- in a hurry.

It's damn hot, and it's not going to get any less hot any time soon.

[a_relative_hero]

"Meet you outside then!"

And he's gone, zipping off in a blur of gold and black with kids in arm. Once the kids are set down safely with other rescued people, Houston turns his attention to the windows and waits to see where Raph will appear.

[thebadturtle]

Up a floor or two, Raph begins to help people get up and on the ladder; women and kids alternating, and sometimes an adult male helping carry one or the other who is too young or infirm down.

Raph waits for everybody to be clear, until he gets up on the ladder himself, One hand on the ladder, a bag over his back, and his other hand tucked under a child. He slides down the ladder the hard way-- by the skin of his palms and feet. There'll be some friction burns, but he considers getting down quickly worth it.

To one of the crying women he pasess the child, and to another, the bag. Both are exceedingly grateful with hugging and even more crying.

Raph has never been hugged by anyone who isn't his brother, and so -- he doesn't KNOW how to react-- standing stock still until it's over. Thankfully, it's quick. Nobody hangs out.

Raph just looks bewildered, and then-- starts looking for his 'companion'. "Hey, is there anybody still on the lower floors?"

[a_relative_hero]

Houston stares as Raph slides down the ladder lie he does. There's a wince when the turtle reaches the bottom. Shaking it off, Houston jobs over. He can't help but smile at Raph's reaction to the hugs, just watching.

"I don't think so. I think I got everyone," he replied, giving the fire a concerned look before his attention returned to Raph.

[thebadturtle]

"...so what do we do now?" he looks up at the building, amber eyes wide. He's never done anything like this before, really. He's beat up muggers and all, but never.. really-- heroed.

If he were a little less confused about everything, he'd probably make some sort of joke about losing one's heroism cherry, but -- he's still busy staring into the blaze wondering how all this works. Do they want fir the fire department? He doesn't know a lot of first aid; that's Mike's job.

IT leaves him a little lost for the moment.

[a_relative_hero]

"Good question," Houston replies, honestly a little confused. Fires aren't something he's really used to dealing with. He looks around quickly and jumps when he sees the car still blocking the street, Houston gets an idea.

"Hey, help me try to move that so the fire department can actually get close here?" he requests.

[thebadturtle]

Oh! Something he's good at! Grunt work.

"Let's flip it back down on it's wheels; will be easier to get a grip," he says, giving the car on it's side a once over. "Shouldn't be too hard."

Especially not for that short, muscular turtle. He's not sure about skinny dude, though.

[hacktivist]

Most nights Ghost is inside, staying up in front of a glowing computer screen, so it figures on a night he ventures out he'd run across a situation of some kind. For a minute, he just stops, floating, idling across the street from the building, the orangey glow of the firelight reflecting on the ivory white of that expressionless mask.

He doesn't seem to be doing much but acting as spectator to Houston's efforts. At least not for the moment.

[a_relative_hero]

Zipping in and out of the flames, carrying both those that need it and those that don't, Houston seems to be working hard to get the people out of the flames. After bringing an elderly woman and a rather unpleasant dog out of the fire, Houston pauses and sees something reflected in a pane of glass that hadn't been completely destroyed by the flames.

Whipping around, he turns to look at Ghost and squints up at him through his goggles. "Hey! Hey!" he waves, hoping to get the attention of the man in white. "If you can lend a hand, please do! But if you can't, can you call 911? Tell them the street's blocked by an overturned car! They're going to have to come around the other way!" he calls, hoping Ghost hears.

[hacktivist]

"Interesting." Ghost touches the side of his mask, opening up a channel to 911 as asked and giving them directions to the address of the apartment and then--as an afterthought--working for a second on the configuration of the traffic lights in the general vicinity so the number of red lights needing running is minimized.

"Done. And you are?" Ghost asks almost conversationally as he drifts through the nearest wall into the building, perhaps a little jaded to explosions and the like, thank you Earth-616.

[a_relative_hero]

"Houston! Nice to meet ya! And thanks!" Houston calls up to Ghost. He blinks when the man just passes through a wall but shakes it off. He's quickly turning and rushing back into the building to pull people out of danger and see where Ghost went.

[hacktivist]

Ghost makes a quick scan of the room, noting that Houston's already been through a few times and has done an efficient job rescuing people--and animals, natch--and his wont is to drift idly through rooms, intangible and flicking on thermal imaging. It's not very useful when there's lots of fire around, but it's better on the second floor.

"That room." He points dutifully, taking a look behind him to see that Houston is present, "How much smoke have you inhaled?"

[a_relative_hero]

Houston zips around, checking various rooms and occasionally coming back to check on Ghost. He's got no idea what to make of the guy but since he seems to be helping, he leaves questions for another time. He jumps when Ghost looks at him.

"That room? How many?" he asks. The question brings him pause. "Probably more than I should have but if I move fast enough I can last longer," he replies, blurring forward to check the room that was pointed to.

[hacktivist]

"Two. Young children." Ghost idles another second, contemplating the merits of spooking the kids accidentally versus letting Houston handle it.

"Tell me if you feel short of breath, confused or nauseous. My suit protects me from carbon monoxide poisoning."

Trying the door, it opens an inch or so and then stops, blocked by something beyond.

[a_relative_hero]

Houston curses faintly when the door doesn't open. He pushes against it a few times before looking back at Ghost. "Thanks but getting the kids out is more important," he speaks quickly, not quite getting to speed-speech yet. "Something's blocking the door. Can you peek inside and see what it is? Or how to get it out of the way?"

[hacktivist]

"I can do better. Take my hand." He becomes tangible all of a sudden, holding out his gloved hand to Houston.

[a_relative_hero]

Houston is surprised a moment but quickly shakes it off. He takes Ghost's hand with his own glove-covered hand. "Okay."

[hacktivist]

Ghost squeezes a little, then abruptly goes intangible again--taking Houston with him. The feeling of it is unreal, dreamlike, disconnected from all sensations of discomfort or pain. It feels good, like some kind of benign drug trip or soothing dream.

Ghost moves forward, drifting through the door and the collapsed ceiling beam blocking it, and glances back to make sure Houston's following. "We'll need to find an alternate exit." Once inside he breaks contact, which returns them both to tangibility.

[a_relative_hero]

The sudden intangibility brings a gasp out of Houston. It's like nothing he's ever felt before. For a moment, he stands there trying to adjust to the feeling. When Ghost begins moving, Houston jumps and follows. "Wow..." he murmurs as they pass though the obstacles, looking back at them.

"Alternate exit?" he frowns, looking the ceiling beam over. He nods after concluding its too heavy for him to move. "Let's find those kids first."