Up in Flames (Fire Force fanfic)

Chapter Thirty Eight: No Rest for the Wicked

After a very lengthy interview and report I finally got to leave the headquarters of company one. Tamaki still hasn't been released since I left...I hope she won't get chewed out too much. Fuck I should've told her. Too late for that now. I jump on the train back to Asakusa and make it there at ten thirty. As I'm walking back to the guardhouse I see a bruised a beaten Wakana walking towards the guardhouse.

I run to her, "Where the hell have you been this past month?! You're like a stray cat I swear!!"

She looks at me with a black eye, "Been up to the same stuff as you. Taking out the church." She spits blood on the pavement.

"Come up to my room, I'm gonna fix you up. And this is not up for debate."

She smiles weakly, "How can I refuse a beautiful woman tending to my wounds."

I roll my eyes and help her upstairs to my room. The guardhouse is silent and still. Only one light is on in the kitchen. I get her to sit on a stool in the bathroom as I rummage for my first aid kit.

"Who gave you the shiner?" I ask as I take a wash cloth and hypodermic soap to clean up the cuts and gashes on her body before I apply hydrogen peroxide.

"Some bitch I had a one night stand with. Learned you should never fuck with crazy."

"I could've told you that. Now sit up so I can check for any broken ribs." I touch over where her ribs are, only to have her double over in pain. "I need to get you to a hospital. I don't have the equipment to take care of all of this."

She grabs my wrist, "Wait. We need to talk."

"You're fucking hurt. That can wait."

"No it can't! Asakusa is in danger!"

I stop and sit down in front of her, "I take it you also stepped on the church's toes?"

"I was stomping on their toes before I returned to Japan. For the past month I've been poking around in the shadows of the church. I know everything that you know since I've been your shadow so to speak. I know about Joker, the infernal insects, white clad, and the cult. I've been working with Joker and a scientist named Viktor. I'm in deep but not deep enough. There's more that I can't even begin to imagine."

"Tell me...how long has this been happening?"

"For me...since going to the Chinese peninsula...I got my warning while I was in India. I heard you got your warning last night."

"How did you-"

"The crazy bitch who gave me this shiner...she let it slip while we were fighting. Any day now, Asakusa will be under attack. I can just sense it."

"I understand. For now I'm calling an ambulance to come take you to emergency care. You can explain more once you're better."

"That sounds good 'cause I'm feeling lightheaded and a little woozy." She falls over.

"Fuck!" I run out the room and shout, "Someone call the hospital, Wakana is messed up."

Konro comes running upstairs, "What the fuck is happening?!" He runs to his sister's side in the bathroom, "You fucking idiot."

She coughs up blood, "Yeah...I know. I'm sorry I'm unable to protect you big brother...I've always been depending on you since mom and dad..." she closes her eyes.

"No! You are going to keep your eyes open. Look at me Wakana!!"

Benimaru runs upstairs, "I called them, they'll be here in fifteen minutes. What happened?!"

"Wakana, she just returned. I tried to treat her as best as I could but...she has a broken rib. I can't help with that. I don't have the tools."

"Fucking hell. Konro, the ambulance is on its way. Don't move her too much, it'll just make it worse."

Konro stands up and walks over to me, "What did she tell you!? Why didn't you say she was back?!"

I freeze up as the tall man towers over me; anguish and concern painted over his face as he trembles. "Konro she's been investigating the church too. The same person who attacked me, attacked her. And I wanted to tend her flesh wounds as quickly as possible. I only just found out that she has internal injuries that I can't fix."

I look up to see him sobbing; his eyes wide in terror. "Fuck that church. I'm going to burn all of them to the ground."

This man who is normally calm and levelheaded is now more reckless and unstable then ever before. Before I could protest, Benimaru punched him in the face and Konro is down for the count.

"What did you do that for?!"

Benimaru picks up Konro, "He did the same for me when Asakusa was attacked years and he got Tephrosis for it. I owe him, so I'm going to stop him before he does something stupid." He takes Konro to his room.

I am standing amidst the chaos as my uncle comes running upstairs. "What's happening?! I heard shouting!"

I hug onto my uncle, "Jerry! It's that fucking church. I hate them. I fucking hate them so much."

Paramedics rush by as my uncle shields me from the sight of Wakana. Even though I've already seen her...he still wants to protect my eyes from this horror. Is this what my dad would have done? Shield me from this unpleasantness.