The Taisho fire

Burning

Brace for impact.

Two months later

Her heart was about to implode, vanquished by the pressure that was overtaking her chest. Gwen's knees wobbled and lifted the helmet suffocating her. It didn't help that London was stuck in a heat wave, but the stifling atmosphere wasn't the reason for her breathlessness.

Come on ! Come on !

He wasn't coming out. Behind them, the mother had gone hysterical, clinging to Erik that tried, but failed, to abate her. She could understand the woman's panic; the whole building was in flames, and no matter how much water they poured from the master hoses, it wasn't going to survive. The fire roared like a mighty lion, the sound dulling her mind.

Of course, Taishō had to play hero. She was watching, heart in her throat, the ladder they'd pulled up to the second story's windows designated by the mother of the supposed boy that had remained behind. The Captain had rushed in through the front door, his gait determined, before they could devise an escape route. Now, all he had to do was find that blasted child, and escape through the window.

But there was no hair or tail of him.

In this moment, Gwen forgot all rational thoughts. How could you leave your child behind in an evacuation ? How could you not know where he was ? What if he wasn't even in and had gone with friends to play outside, in the backyard ? What if... ?

The mother was crying, sobbing, hysterical, but her wails failed at touching her heart. She knew, deep down, that it wasn't her fault, that she should be more indulgent. But Gwen's ire was rising to stifle the panic.

Tōga wasn't coming out. Her Captain was about to die because a woman had forgotten her boy behind. All rational thoughts left her mind; she couldn't lose him. Even though he'd put some distance between them, probably catching on her infatuation, she couldn't fathom a life without him. Gwen ground her teeth.

Fuck that woman. Fuck this.

As she marched away from her colleagues, she heard a co-worker call back to her.

"Gwen ! You can't go in there !"

She ignored him, jogging up the flaming building, the heat of the fire licking her skin. Shouts echoed behind her, and she picked up pace; Erik would probably try and catch her, and she couldn't afford to stay behind. Haunted by Taishō's past, by the castle in flames that had taken his life, she refused to bear witness to his second death by the flames.

Five hundred years prior, no one had dragged Taishō away from the fire. Today, Gwen refused to let it happen.

"The Captain said to stay put!", Erik bellowed behind her.

The same stupid Captain who disappeared in the flames three minutes ago. If he makes it out alive, he's going to fucking hear me !

Gwen braced herself and leapt into the building, securing her mask into place. At once, the heat rose to unbearable levels even though there were no flames in sight. Without her equipment, she'd be toast already. Swiftly, she started climbing the stairs to the second floor, hoping it was still reachable. The Captain must have gone through this not three minutes ago; she was just following in his footsteps.

Heavy fumes swirled in the building, dark and smelling of plastic. Toxic. Fortunately, the mask kept it away, but the smoke still impaired her sight. Flames licked at the wall on her left; she passed the first floor in haste, knowing the foyer was right there. The stairs shifted, changing direction, then stopped at a landing.

Lost in the smoke, heart pounding, Gwen tried to make sense of where she was. Sinister noises told her the building was crumpling already.

Shit, I should have taken the line bag. That building is a fucking maze.