Blood and Genetics

Trust

Keith looked up as an acrid smell hit his nostrils. He knew that smell.

Fire alarms going off.

Teachers rounding up the students and walking them outside in single-file lines.

Smoke filling the air.

Keith jumped to his feet, looking around for a way out. But yellow flames were crawling across the plants towards him, licking hungrily at the oxygen-rich air. He pressed his back against the tree, coughing as oily black smoke filled the air that had just been clear and calming moments ago.

His eyes flicked frantically around and he moved forward, looking for some way unblocked, but the flames were raging now, a maelstrom of orange, white and blue. Keith backed up again, coughing even worse as the smoke kept rising towards him. The heat of the flames blistered against his skin, blasting him with hot air.

What do you do if there's smoke- get down low, where the air is clear. Keith looked at the floor, which was crawling with flames. Not an option. He coughed again, his eyes watering and blurring his vision. When he looked around, all he could see was fire, licking all over everything and blurring into one roaring, raging monster.

Which way is the exit?!

Xxx

Griffin pushed through the crowd of scientists. "Katie! Where are you?!" He looked around at all of the different faces. "Hey! Have you seen a girl, real short, long brown hair?"

"Cadet, get out of here! The lab is on fire, you need to evacuate!"

A booming voice rose over the rest. "Is everyone out?!"

The scientists looked among each other, calling out names. Griffin pushed his way towards the front of the crowd, where Takeshi Shirogane was helping keep the crowd back.

"Sir—"

Shirogane barely spared a glance at him. "Stay back. It's dangerous in there."

"But Sir, there's—"

"Stay back, cadet."

"All clear," one of the scientists called.

"Alright, let's get an oxygen lock on this thing!"

Griffin's eyes widened in horror. "You can't! Keith's still in there!"

He slipped under the guards' restraining arms and ducked into the labs, pulling up his jacket collar to cover his nose and mouth and sprinting towards the greenhouse. There were shouts from the guards for him to come back, but it was too late.

Griffin was already gone.

Xxx

Shiro lunged for the open door. "Keith's in there?!"

"Sir, no!" Two guards held him back from the door. "You can't go in! You'll get killed! It's way too hot in there!"

"There are two cadets in there!"

"And we can't lose you, too! We're putting an oxygen lock on this fire, now, before it spreads to the rest of the Garrison!"

"NO!"

"Sir, stand down!"

"Five minutes," Shiro said desperately, "Give him five minutes."

The people at the lock hesitated, looking to their commander for instruction. He sighed.

"Five minutes, starting now. Then we're locking this thing down."

Xxx

"Keith! Where are you?!" Griffin stumbled through the fire, batting at the flames that started at his clothing. "Hey! Over here, Keith!" There was no answer. "Are you hiding from me?! Right now?!" He thought he might have heard something in response, but the flames were crackling too loudly for him to tell.