Burning [Firefly]

[Lara Allen-Benedetti]

She had the map and the documents, she could go now. The job was done for today and it had been easy too, an easy security to pass and just few people seen that it was night and the building was closed to the public by now so there were only security guards, easy ones. But, obviously, this couldn't end so well, too easy.

Lara couldn't exit the building from downstairs so she had to reach the roof and just run for a while between the roofs like a cat, well, not like catwoman though. She was wearing the Faith's costume with the black wig and brown lens, she had a tatoo on the right arm in the shape of the building's area and the path to run.

Lara looked around, the security guards were clueless, at least for now, but again it was all going too easy and everything went wrong too quick. The first thing that Lara noticed was the smell of smoke and then she heard the alarm, after few seconds the water started pouring from the ceiling.

A fire, there was a fire. Lara couldn't still see the flames, but the guards started screaming in pain "I can't leave them...damn" she thought and ran towards the screams. The situation got more dangerous in just few minutes. The flames had gotten all the floor where the security guards were and they were trapped in the flames. The water system broke so there was no fire prevention system anymore. Lara tried to help the guards, but it was impossible with all those flames.

[Deleted]

KRAKKKK!

In a shower of brick debris, white dust, and smoke, the wall of the building exploded inward. The flames danced and hissed as some of them were covered by suffocating airborne material. Through the gaping hole, Gotham’s night sky glimmered…as well as…something else. The low rumble of jet fuel propelled flight. Soaring into the cavity slowly, Firefly slowly scanned the area, his masked gaze falling upon Lara.

It lingered there for a moment, the pyromaniac’s grip on his flamethrower loosening for a moment as his shoulders dropped. The mask concealed his expression, but his body language expressed surprise. He leaned forward, tilting his head slightly at Lara. “You’re…” He shook his head. “You’re not.”

Back to business, Firefly hefted up his flamethrower and unleashed its fiery torrent on the room, dousing the security guards prone on the floor without ever really meaning to. In fact, their screams bursting out anew only made Firefly cackle. “Can you feel the burn?” He made a wide sweeping motion with his flamethrower, essentially coating the area in flame. He wasn’t aiming for Lara. But he wasn’t…not aiming for her either.

Flames crackled and roared, reaching - racing for new food to feed its ravenous hunger. Firefly opened his arms wide as the heat of the flames washed over him. “Ooooh, yes! Burn, baby, burn!”

All the while, he kept an eye on Lara. She could try to run away. Would probably be in her best interest now really because with the room now truly and very much on fire, Firefly could turn his attentions…elsewhere. Then again, if she tried to meddle, then she would definitely be the center of his smoldering attentions. That was such a lovely face she had. It would be a shame to melt it. Oh, who was he kidding? He would love to melt it! In fact…

Firefly turned toward Lara. He would melt her face. “Kerosene!” He pulled the trigger on his flamethrower, sending a shot of fiery goodness right at Lara. “Know what I mean?”

[Lara Allen-Benedetti]

Lara was sweating and the heat was becoming unbearable. Flames were everywhere and she couldn't run away so easily, she couldn't run in the room anymore so she had to find a way out. Suddenly, someone came in. The wall was no more and Lara had to hide behind a corner because of the explosion. That was not just someone, maybe he was the most famous pyromaniac in Gotham "I can't believe it!" Lara thought annoyed and worried at the same time. Of course something like this had to happen, troubles always found her some way or another.

Firefly looked at her saying something "I am not...what?" she thought, but without saying anything. Lara didn't know what to feel at the moment, she was too worried finding a way out of here and she already met some of the crazy fellows so this wasn't even news for her. Lara was trained for this "Come on Lara! Just think about the way out, there is always a way out" her eyes fell upon the wall even though there was no wall anymore.

Lara took some breaths, but then the screams became more terrified and she saw the guards daying in the flames. A part of her was in shock, but the well-trained part of her instead just thought "That must not happen to you too" however, in that moment Firefly pointed his gun towards Lara. She froze opening her eyes wide, but then her instinct was in charge and Lara dodged the flames coming out from the gun.

But dodging put her in an even worst situation, now she was stuck between a corner and the rest of the room on fire. Lara could still feel the heat on her face, but it was just a feeling because her face was okay, luckily, but luck was blind so who knew what would have happened next. Lara looked around, running towards the flames wasn't an option and she hadn't time to think about what to do. Lara saw stairs behind Firefly, she had to reach them. Somehow. Lara started doing something crazy: running towards the flames, but then she took a turn towards the stairs.

[Deleted]

The woman dodged the stream of fire coming from the end of his marvelous flamethrower. The flames did, however, eagerly consume everything that they touched. It was almost hypnotic to watch them. So hypnotic, in fact that he didn’t notice where Lara had ended up until she darted toward the stairs. As she vanished into the stairwell, Firefly stared after her. He contemplated chasing her through the building, but he knew it would be something of a tight fit with his jetpack.

Still….Hovering up off the floor so that the flames only tickled his fire resistant boots, Firefly floated over to the threshold to the stairwell and peered inside to determine which way the flighty female had gone. When she was not immediately evident, Firefly loosed his flamethrower down the stairwell. At least if she had gone that way, the flames would eventually chase her down.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are…I just want to melt your face!”

[Lara Allen-Benedetti]

Lara felt a burning sensation behind her and she almost cried in pain for the heat against her skin. She thought she was melting, literally. She imagined her shoulders' skin...Lara shook her head pushing that image away from her head. She had to run and fast. Lara kept running, but she fell down when a step broke "Get up, Lara! He wants to melt my face!" she thought. The heat, the flames, the fire...all of this wasn't helping. Firefly was searching for her. That wasn't helping either.

Lara tried to free her foot from the broken step before Firefly finded her. She had to hurry up "Lara! I was trying to reach up but...what's happening?" she heard the voice of Bryce in her earpice, but Lara couldn't talk because of Firefly. The flames were starting to surround her "Oh gush...the building is on fire...ok, ok...listen, the firemen are on their way and...Lara...I'm loosing the conn-" Lara closed her eyes and tried to not panic...she couldn't free her foot.

[Deleted]

Scowling as the woman’s position did not become immediately clear when he set some fires down the stairs, his head tilted upward, hoping to catch a glimpse of her above. The thrill of his hunt was dulling rapidly. Finding himself caring less and less about Lara, Firefly withdrew from the threshold of the stairs and sailed back out into the night. Sirens echoed on distant streets. His old thorn in his side. The Gotham City Fire Deparment. Ugh.

Soaring down to the ground floor of the building, Firefly began setting charges all around the load-bearing structures of the building. The corners were important but so were…

CRASH!

…support columns located within the building itself. Dusting off the shards of glass from his suit, Firefly touched down in the lobby, walking briskly over to structures that he recognized as load bearing. Pyrotechnics. Demolition. Both were lovely, fiery displays of controlled destruction. He loved it. Hell! He loved it when they got out of control too.

Charges set, Firefly zipped out of the building and thought once more about the woman he’d seen inside. She had reminded him of…her. And it was kind of nagging at him. As he drew out the detonator, his thumb lingered over the trigger uncertainly. Normally, he wouldn’t have hesitated. The Flames drove him on. Beckoned to him. Urged him to release their power. And yet…her face…

“Damn it,” Firefly growled. Darting back into the opening, he reentered the room that was really quite ablaze now. His suit protected him from the worst of it though. He made his way back to the stairwell. “Hey! This place is gonna blow! Say something if you’re still in here!”

[Lara Allen-Benedetti]

Lara coughed, the air was becoming impossible to breath, too much smoke and...everything was crushing. This building was doomed and Lara too because she was in it and she couldn't move. She was gonna die "C'mon!!" Lara yelled trying to free her foot, but still, nothing.

Lara closed her eyes for few seconds, the heat was too much already and she was feeling the flames coming closer, she was gonna die painfully it seemed. Suddenly, she heard a voice "Fanstastic, hallucinations, I have like..." but she stopped thinking when the voice returned, it was real and it was Firefly's. He was really helping her? He wanted to help her?

Lara couldn't believe it, but what other choices did she have? She didn't want to die so Firefly was the only choice she had at the moment. The firemen were too far way. Lara closed her eyes again to protect them from the ashes "I'm HERE!!" she yelled trying to make her voice clear and loud enough "Down the stairs, my foot is stuck!" she said to Firefly. Yes, she was actually hoping for Firefly's help, the villain helping someone, that was unexpected like fire could be.

[Deleted]

Lingering at the doorway waiting for an answer, Firefly heard the roar of the flames in the room behind him. Calling him to unleash their explosive power. A call that was very difficult to resist and almost impossible to ignore. Almost. Somehow, he managed to ignore it for long enough to be able to hear the woman’s call from below. That’s odd. The napalm should have trickled down low enough to have killed her by now. Maybe he hadn’t used enough. Or she had gotten far enough down to avoid it.

And she was stuck. Great. Turning sideways to squeeze through the doorway, Lynns entered the stairwell. He flew over the central shaft and descended with some speed until he caught sight of Lara. He soared over and landed in front of her, kneeling slightly to assess the situation. “Alright, just stay still,” Garfield said before drawing his custom built flame sword. He set the blade ablaze and jabbed it down into the broken step, wiggling it about slightly. He spent a good minute carving an arced line with either end nearly touching her leg.

Done with that, he extinguished the sword and flipped it around, smashing the hilt into the carved bit. It broke off and made a larger opening. “There, can you get it out now?” Garfield asked, straightening slightly, offering Lara a hand up. “If so, c’mon. I’ll fly us outta here.”

[Lara Allen-Benedetti]

The villain was helping the person in need. What was happening? Why? However, Lara couldn't start wondering now because of the burning situation. She was going to die...but Firefly arrived in time. He freed her, Lara closed her eyes for a second when Firefly almost touched her leg with the sword, her heart skipped a beat when Lara thought that something had happened to her leg, but Firefly didn't touch the leg.

She tried to stand up hoping that the foot was okay...and it was, yes, it hurt a little, but it wasn't broken, that was the important thing, especially for a runner. However, she couldn't run away from this, the place was too dangerous and it was falling apart, but Firefly offered his help again. Lara looked down at his hand and then looked up at him. She didn't have a choice, she didn't want to die. Firefly was the villain, but now the villain wanted to save her so Lara had to push aside the unsettling feeling inside of her.

Lara took Firefly's hand and in that moment there was an explosion behind her. Lara felt heat behind her and for a momemt she panicked that her hair was on fire, but it was just a sensantion because of the heat in the building and the flames. Lara held a cough looking at Firefly hoping that he was going to fly away instead of admiring his work.

[Deleted]

Garfield watched the woman stand up. It didn’t look like her leg was broken. That was good news. He wouldn’t have to drop her off on the roof of a hospital. That would have been annoying. He supposed that he could just drop her off at the ground entrance…but carrying a wounded woman to a hospital…implied certain things. And he did have a reputation to keep up! Even though it would be hilarious if the other Rogues tried to use this woman to blackmail him. Hmhmhm…

As something presumably flaming dropped from above, swooshing past them, Lynns began to get just a little impatient with this woman’s hesitance. He was about to say something when she did finally decide to take his hand. In that moment, however, an explosion behind her flung her into his arms. It caught him by surprise and he toppled backwards before catching himself with his jetpack.

Hooking his arm around Lara’s waist, Garfield shot upwards as another door burst open during that particular area’s flashover. Shooting straight up the stairwell to the roof access, Lynns soared forward, tucking his shoulder in slightly so that when they collided with the door, it didn’t dislocate his shoulder. Out into the open night sky, Garfield soared away from the building, admiring the beautiful amber glow coming from the complex’s upper windows.

But the moment was ruined when sirens pierced the night air. Bah. Time to go then. With his free hand, he grabbed the detonator and flipped the switch. The reaction was almost immediate. The bottom floor of the building exploded outward in a violent torrent of flame and debris. The building fell. Slowly, at first. Then with sudden speed and a giant gray plume of debris. Garfield let out a little wistful sigh before turning to look through masked eyes at his newfound companion. They were hovering a few tens of feet off of the ground. He had her for a little while.

“So what were you doing in there anyway?”

[Lara Allen-Benedetti]

Lara was grateful for the pain caused by her ankle, it was something that kept her awake and focused. The lack of oxygen was dozing her off, but the pain was strong enough to keep her wide awake. However, the flying man obsessed with fire was the other reason why she was still wide awake. Lara automatically closed her eyes when he grabbed her and flew away. It wasn't that she was afraid, but the fumes went into her eyes when he started flying away. Her eyes didn't like that.

Suddenly, she felt fresh air on her skin and shivers down her spine. Lara opened her eyes and she had to blink few times because her vision got all blurry for few seconds, tears came down. She wasn't crying, it was just that stuff came into her eyes. However, it really seemed that she cried. Lara looked down "Oh God" she thought seeing how much high they were. Lara gripped Firefly more tightly still looking down "Well, I just learnt that I don't like flying" she thought again, looking down at the building on fire.

Then she moved her gaze on Firefly when he spoke to her "Oh...ehm..." Lara looked down again "Thank you for saving me" Lara frowned "Why did you save me?" she rose a brow. Perhaps it was better if she stopped asking questions and just answered them, he was the only person who was keeping her from being an omelet after all "I was searching for some documents" she replied sincerely.

[Deleted]

Oh God. Were those tears? Was she crying? What did he do in a situation like this? Maybe there was a manual. Pft. Right. If only it were so easy. Garfield cringed behind his mask until she finally managed to choke out a reply. Asking him a question. Not exactly an easy one either. He didn’t really know why he’d bothered to save her. Well, maybe he did. A little.

“You…reminded me…of…someone,” Lynns explained in a very vague, obviously uncomfortable fashion. “Yep.”

He cleared his throat, which probably sounded like a sudden growl thanks to all of the damage that smoke inhalation had done to him. When Lara got around to answering his question, his curiosity was piqued. “Documents, huh? Some kinda corporate espionage or something?” he asked as he began to soar away from the burning ruins of the building. Some vigilantes would doubtless start to turn up, and he would rather not be here when they did.

“Hold on, we’re movin’ out.”

[Lara Allen-Benedetti]

Lara refrained herself from asking who this someone was, okay, she was curious to know who she looked like, but this wasn't the right time to ask, nope. Also, it was clear that he didn't want to talk about it. The fresh air kept hitting her face and it was a toccasana for her sore eyes. However, she had to stop looking down, just the thought that he he could let her go and...ouch.

"Yeah, I'm James Bond" she nodded about the espionage thing, it was a half-truth after all. The Firefly-man started moving again, flying, Lara closed her eyes for a second, but flying with closed eyes was even worse. She opened them and saw all blurry for few seconds, however she could see the blue and red lights of the police cars down them "We are moving fast..." she thought "...where are we going?" then she thought, worried.

The building on fire was very far now, even the sirens were hard to hear. At some point, Lara had to put a hand on her head to keep the wig in place, still grabbing the man with her other arm, but then she had to grab Firefly again with both arms because, well, they were freaking flying. The wig flew away so her real blond hair showed up "NO! What...now...he knows and what if I don't look like that other woman so much anymore??" she thought worried for her life, she didn't want to end up like a omelet, she didn't want to die.