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

[shoplifter]

[While he's distracted by the debris, she takes matters into her own metal-clawed hands; she pushes up again, this time more roughly. No time to mess around with this, got to get away, just like she'd been taught. Once there's room under her, she cuts through the rebar -- success. Rubble clatters against his suit as she sits straight up.

It's a morbid scene, her sitting on her knees with a metal rod impaled through her chest. Probably not the worst thing he's ever seen in his life, but Tony can look down at any point during his shielding and... appreciate the mortal terror of watching a child suddenly yank the thing supposedly killing her out of her chest in a burst of air and blood.

No time to explain; the stairs are crumbling. She jumps forward and grabs around the Iron Man's neck, hoping those fancy rocket boots are still working enough to fly them anywhere but under another layer of cement.]

[buildsomething]

The hell--

[He barely has time to get the words out before the stairs start buckling. With a hissed curse, his faceplate slams back down and Tony wraps an arm around the girl as he pushes away from the crumbling floor and into the air with a flare of repulsors. And then all he can focus on is getting them down and out, shooting down through the stairwell as fast as he dares while carrying a passenger. A passenger who may actively be bleeding to death. Jesus.

When he finally gets them to the ground floor, Tony's boots practically skid as he tries to land them without slowing down enough. He gets Laura down as quickly as he can, desperately trying not to panic.]

Christ, okay, just hold on and I'll try to find a doctor.

[shoplifter]

[Her hand shoots out, gripping at Tony's suited-up wrist with a huff. She knows he's not a mindreader, so she's not -- well, she's impatient, but she gets it.]

Está bien — Está bien! Look, mira, mira no—

[She drags his hand and pokes his stupid metal finger at the hole in her shirt; it's still soaked in blood, but he may get the gist when he clearly runs into unmarred skin there; there's nothing there that implies an injured and horrifically bleeding child. Behind them, the world is orange, licked with flame as water flows free from hydrants to smother it.

Laura is certainly a mess and could use a new outfit, but--

Yeah, on inspection in the light of both fire and street lamps, there's not a single scrape on her.]

[buildsomething]

[Tony stops abruptly at the tug, and then finds himself staring at the decided lack of an actual injury.

Oh. Well. That explains a few things.

He turns back towards her and reaches up to just pull the whole helmet off to get a better look.]

So. You're okay?

[Look, he just wants to be very sure.]

[shoplifter]

[She gives a nod, looking up with a sort of curiosity, intense but eased by his appearance, it seems.]

... You're a hero, right? Like the X-Men.

[She jerks her chin toward the complex, not quite smiling, but no less fond of his armor.]

Go keep helping more people.

[buildsomething]

[Tony pauses, unsure what an X-Men is, but he finally nods once.]

I'll check in on you later, okay?

[That whole rebar thing is going to stick with him. Even if she seems fine now, he's gonna want to be sure of it.]

[shoplifter]

[She gives a nod.]

And I will... check in on you, too.

[She's no good at social anything, but she knows how to check on a 'comrade'.

That, she can do.]