everything's on fire

[krasnaya_vdova]

who: Everyone!
what: The residential building is on fire
when: ~2am, August 23rd
where: The Residential building
warnings: Fire, destruction of property, injury, general warnings for crisis situations



It's a reasonably quiet night, pleasantly dry with a slight breeze. Almost nice, for those that enjoy the hours after midnight long before dawn starts to creep on the horizon. Right until it isn't, when the air changes, and there's the scent of heat that promises smoke. In most places it starts with a flash of blue light that arcs from floor to floor as energy pulses through the building, and there's a crack of sound that follows. The power dies for a moment, and if you're one of the unlucky ones, the light that follows is a literal spark in the dark, burning to life in bright orange-red, yielding heat and smoke and trouble. The energy surge doesn't just hit the lights, but sparked flames that burst to life, and they catch quickly, spreading.

The worst of it starts on the ninth floor, where the smoke and the beginning of heat starts moments before the surge. The fire spreads faster there, people starting to startle awake and realize what's happening as the flames crackle. Eventually there's an announcement on the Network, both alerting people to what's happening and trying to organize both those that are willing to help and those that need it.

Some areas are untouched, while others are ravaged badly, reduced to ashes and crumbling ceilings, so watch your step. There's chaos, but through it there's people doing what they can to help each other, and the official fire services show up to help control the blaze. After that, it's just a matter of repairing the damage that's been done, rebuilding and putting things back together, seeing what's been lost and what was saved.

Even later, people start putting the pieces together, and there's the official investigation into what might have caused a fire like that in the first place.


[ooc: As promised, the residential building is on fire! OOC plotting post is here if anyone wants to work out some last minute plans before diving in. Plotting post also includes the relevant details. Elsewise, just top level and mingle. Try not to get burned too badly. :) Good luck!]

Comments

sam wilson | mcu | ota

[wingedman]

i

[Sam wakes up in the middle of the night to an emergency broadcast on the network, and it doesn't take him long to pull on his tactical gear and head over to the communal housing. He might not have actual firefighting gear, but rescuing people is absolutely what he's trained for. He doesn't bother with the lower floors, heading straight up to the top floors and making an entrance through one of the larger common area windows.

Working his way down floor by floor, he checks for people in each room, keeps in contact with the other rescue workers by comm. And when he finds someone, he steers them to the nearest window.]

Ohh, I'm gonna regret this in the morning.


ii

[Once the higher levels are evacuated, Sam settles in with the medics, taking the lowest tier of triage - the ones who can be treated on the spot and just need minor wounds looked after. He takes a break after one patient to gulp down some water, breaking into a hacking cough in the middle of his drink.]

Goddamn smoke.

[He'd known it would happen, but it's a small price to pay for getting people out of the building in a hurry. Still, it makes him think he ought to have emergency gear handy. He'll talk to one of the Tonys about it later.

Right now, he glances up at the person approaching him, caps the water bottle and sets it aside.]

You need any help?

[ ii ]

[supersweet]

[ Jon coughs, rubbing his throat. Then he shoots Sam a sheepish grin. ]

Do you have another one of those?

[wingedman]

[Luckily, there's a cooler nearby, and Sam takes a bottle of water out and tosses it to the kid. It's dark, and he doesn't recognize him at first.]

You breathe in much of the smoke? If you keep coughing, get one of the paramedics to take a look at you.

[But then his eyes dart past the face to the soot-smudged costume, and he frowns.]

Jon? You dye your hair or something?

[supersweet]

[ Jon shrugs. There's little any doctor in Riverview can do for him. If something went wrong with his body . . . well, he was on his own there. ]

No, someone helped cover up my identity.

[wingedman]

Magic or something?

[Sam has an interest in magic. It's one of the side effects of hanging around with the Sorcerer Supreme.]

[supersweet]

Magic. Some kind of disguise spell? I don't know much about magic either.

[ Jon runs a hand through his hair. It's still weird, but whatever works. ]

[wingedman]

Yeah, one of my friends does magic. Don't know if he changes the way people look, but he's got a spell to turn people into a dog.

[Sam just assumes that Stephen can do illusions. What kind of sorcerer is he if he can't?]

How's the flying going?

[supersweet]

That's cool! My friend can do that too.

[ At the mention of flying, Jon grins. He's been so pleased that his flight ability has started working. ]

It's good! Still not as fast as uhh other people, but I'm getting there! The hover part is still tricky though.

[wingedman]

Don't worry, hovering's hard for everyone. That's just physics.

[...even though their two forms of flight are completely different, and Jon's powers obviously don't obey the laws of physics. Shh.]

You ever want a flying buddy, just let me know, okay? We can go hang out in the air.

[supersweet]

Really? That'd be awesome!

[ Jon rocks on his heels. ]

I don't think there's a lot of people I can fly with.

[wingedman]

Yeah, it's hard to find people who can fly.

[Of course, Sam's utterly oblivious about Jon's parents leaving; he just assumes he'd been here by himself in the first place.]

If you wanna practice hovering, I can get Stephen or my friend Wanda to hang around and catch you if you fall. Wanda helped me out for awhile after I got my new wings put in.

[supersweet]

I . . . can't. People aren't supposed to know what I am.

[ Being a powerful alien means keeping his identity under wraps. It's nigh impossible in Riverview, but Jon tries his best. ]

[wingedman]

[What is a secret identity? Marvels just don't know. Although this is also probably why Sam's currently wanted in over a hundred countries.]

Not even other people with powers?

[supersweet]

[ Secret identities aren't a bad thing! ]

It's . . . different. For me. We — I scare people.

[wingedman]

[Sam just nods solemnly at the confession.]

Yeah, I have a friend with that problem. But she doesn't scare me, and neither do you.

[supersweet]

[ Jon waves it off. ]

It's fine. It's not a big deal to me anymore. People are allowed to be scared.

[ Well it kind of is. But Jon isn't going to go into detail over being mindcontrolled and attacking his family. ]

one

[shoplifter]

[Sam's not alone in his floor-by-floor. On one floor in particular, there's a child rushing towards down the hall. Her hair's matted with sweat and there's telltale signs of soot and a burnt pantleg, and surely panic — she knows fire from a mutant well, but fire like this? Very different. Regardless, she does stop when she notices Sam, trying to get people out. The door he's at is locked and it's hard to tell if anyone's inside... But Laura does remember an older woman living there, not particularly good on her feet.

Did she get out? She's not sure. But she can help check. Even if Sam can probably do it himself. She moves in in one swoop; her claws burst from her knuckles, and she effortlessly cuts through wood and metal until the scattered remains of a doorknob clatter to the floor by their feet. There you go, have at it, bird guy.]

[wingedman]

[Sam's about to help the kid out, but then claws pop out of her hands - actual goddamn metal claws - and she's slicing through the doorknob. He rests the back of his hand against the door, testing the wood first, then kicks the door down when there's no sign of fire.

Thankfully, there's no sign of an inhabitant of the room, either, so he turns to the girl.]

You need help getting out?

[Why are all the children here so goddamn competent and superpowered? It's weird. Sam's used to kids who act like kids, not miniature adults.]

[shoplifter]

[She steps back, claws still out, blood dripping down one of them from her split knuckle.

Soot-dusted, hair a mess, she glances around.]

Which way is out?

[So maybe that's a yes.]

[wingedman]

Right now? Out one of the windows. I just need you to trust me and not get stabby, okay? I'm not wild about puncture wounds.

[All in all, he seems pretty blase about a child with claws. This is what his life has become.]

[shoplifter]

[She rolls her eyes before walking toward him -- and then holds up her arms while her claws sink back into her flesh. Ready to be picked up, bub. Apparently, she figures he is planning some sort of daredevil maneuver and is cool with it; she's more like her father than some would admit, considering his penchant for being thrown.

... Please don't throw me.

The area begins to really fill up with smoke in the meanwhile, and she coughs at its arrival.]

[wingedman]

...throw you?

[Sam looks a little bewildered as he scoops her up, but at least she's not about to stab him. He finds the nearest window - one he came in through, so it's already conveniently lacking in the glass department - and gets a running start, leaping through it with Laura held against his chest. Once he's clear of the windowframe, a pair of scarlet wings that appear to be made of light unfurl from his back.

From there, it's a matter of seconds till they arrive on the ground, well clear of the immediate vicinity of the building, and Sam sets her down.]

You okay, or do I need to get someone over here to check you out?

[shoplifter]

[Oh. Cool.

So he's not a mutant or anything like that, but he can fly with machinery; she likes it, likes being able to just fly away from the danger at hand. How easy it would've been, if someone she knew could have flown her to Eden. Maybe more people would have lived.

She easily drops to stand as they land, looking at ease despite the rather horrible situation.]

... I will live.

Why do you have those? Are you a rescue worker?

[wingedman]

-you know what, that's a closer explanation than a lot I've heard. I used to be one, anyway, when I was in the Air Force. Old habits die hard.

[Pararescue, rescue worker, they're close enough. Closer than pilot.]

I'm Sam. You got anyone taking care of you? Besides a social worker.

[shoplifter]

[She has no idea what Air Force is, but she imagines it's a lot like it sounds - a force in the air. Wings paint a pretty clear picture. At the question, she shakes her sooty head, and despite the ripped and rumpled clothing and sweat-wet hair, she looks at ease. She doesn't think about Logan, because she refuses to think about any of that day. Not again, not right now. She can't face it.]

... I take care of myself.