Here we go... first chapter of what could become an epic. lemmee know what y'all think... And, yes. I'm still working on Habitat.
Title: Inferno's Touch ~ Chapter 1
Author: Ravynfyre
Archive: GW Addiction
Category: Humor, Action, maybe some Angst
Pairings: 3+4
Standard Disclaimer: Not mine. Theirs. Too bad, but otherwise, I guess I'd never get anything done >nice hentai thought<. Anyway, not makin' any money offa this so dun sue me. You'd only get some college debt, a few dogs, and a pair of fuzzy bunny slippers anyway.
Rating: PG-13
Warning: Shonen ai
Spoiler: None
Notes: Few quick notes… I'm likely to drop a lot of terminology throughout this, mainly because it lends it more realism. I will attempt to define all terms as I use them, as well as give everyone a glossary in the footnotes at the end of each chapter. If I forget any, or you simply don't understand what I meant by anything, let me know, and Ill e'xplain.
Feedback: Yes, please. All comments welcome (although flames may be fed to my dogs, who, since they have notoriously gassy intestinal tracts, will be spending the night with the flamer afterwards)Please please please C&C me! Otherwise, I may abandon this thing!
The alarm shrieked in the bedroom, grabbing Heero's attention. Snagging a towel, he stepped out of the shower and strode into the other room to shut off the annoying beep of his clock. Two hours. He had two hours before he had to report for duty on his first day at Engine 8. Well, actually, he had an hour and a half, since his Training Chief had warned him to try and be at least 20 minutes early to look over the rig and the equipment.
As he toweled himself dry, he wondered what Station 8 was like. He hadn't gotten a chance to stop by and see it between his Academy graduation the day before, and going on shift today.
Intellectually, he knew it was a two rig house; Engine 8 and Medic 6, a 750 gallon Telesquirt fire engine with a 75-foot aerial ladder, and a rescue rig styled ambulance respectively. He wasn't apprehensive about the engine, even though he'd never actually trained on a Telesquirt. Despite the fact that this engine had a 75 foot ladder, and a deluge gun capable of throwing over 1000 gallons of water per minute mounted at the tip of that ladder, it was still an engine. It was still just basically a huge toolbox and water pump on wheels. It just had a couple of extra tools that the average engine didn't have. Like that ladder for instance.
He wondered why he was fixating on the ladder. It wasn't as if heights bothered him in the least. When he got out of high school, he'd gone straight into the National Guard as a jet pilot. In fact, it was his military background that had helped him get one of the coveted slots on the firefighter training eligibility. He would have made it, even without his Guard experience, but the extra 5 points it gave him pushed him all the way to the top of the list. Otherwise, he would have had to have been in a lottery for the number one slot, since two other people scored perfect on their exams.
Back to the ladder. Must be something Freudian in that. He snorted at that thought. Yes, while it was true, he hadn't gotten any for far longer than he cared to think about, he refused to consider the thought of such a base physical desire clouding his thoughts like that. Of course if that were really true, toweling himself dry wouldn't be affecting him as much as it was.
Staring down as his body with a look of faint impatience, he sighed.
Mission one: deal with that.
Mission two: finish getting ready for work and get there on time.
Mission three: find an outlet to deal with all of this frustration.
Mission four: get that damned ladder out of his head!
“Mission accepted.”
“Ohayo, Quatre!” the cheerful voice called.
Dropping his duffle, the blonde paramedic turned around, just in time to be glomped by Engine 8's Driver/Engineer, Duo Maxwell.
“Woof! Hi Duo. Umm… those were my ribs… Could you-“
“Oh. Heh. Sorry, Q-man. I-“
He was interrupted by the shrill squawk of the alarm speaker.
“We have a General Alarm. All units are 10-08[1]. Section 8a, 2300 Lincoln Avenue. We have a report of a structure fire. All units are 10-08. General Alarm section 8a.”
Before the female voice had even gotten to the section number, Duo was sprinting to the map, waiting for the address to see who would go. As soon as the dispatcher announced the section, Duo relaxed and started to wander back towards Quatre.
“Damnit! We would get a fire right at shift change!” Duo howled, watching as the guys on the previous shift raced to the rig and jumped into their bunker gear.
Less than thirty seconds after the announcement had started coming over the speakers, Engine 8 pulled out of the bay with the wail of sirens and the flash of lights.
“It couldn't have waited another half an hour! No. It had to start up before the rest of my crew got here. Damnit. I hate missing fires,” Duo pouted.
“You confuse me, Duo… I never understood why you like fire so much? I mean, it's someone's life and property, their dreams, and their livelihoods going up in flames. What could be good about that?”
“Q-man, I don't want fires to happen… That would suck. No. It's just that, no matter how good a job we do, fires are going to happen. Granted there's a hell of a lot less of them now than there were, say 100 years ago, but fire is a fact of life. It's just that, if they are going to happen, I want to be there.”
Quatre speared him with an odd look.
“I thought you had to take a psychological review to get hired with the fire department. Don't they frown on hiring pyromaniacs?”
Duo doubled over with laughter.
“Oh, that's rich, Q-man! Pyro…. Heh. You gotta love the beast a little, if you wanna stand any chance of slaying it. Seriously though… It's not the fire I like. It's the action… eating the smoke, hauling the hose… the ember's raining down on you, and the fear. Fear so thick you can taste it in your mask, and feel it in your blood… But ya still keep going. And every once in a while, you get to pull someone from the throat of the beast. Every once in a while, you get a save. There's no better feeling in the world, man, You should know that. Yer a freakin' paramedic, for god's sake!”
“And you are an adrenaline junkie.”
“You bet, man,” Duo crowed with a grin, “Come on. I'll help you check the ambulance over while we wait for the rest of our crews to get in.
Heero pulled his truck into the parking lot beside Station 8, and positioned it between two other trucks. Beside the truck on his left, sat a vintage Corvette Stingray. Obviously somebody's pride and joy, given the polished sheen of the stately silver paint job, and the lovingly buffed tires. Beside the truck on his right, sat the most beautiful '69 Chevy Camaro SS he'd ever seen. Its glossy black finish and the tinted windows made the rakehell car seem to fling itself into the wind without moving an inch. He whistled appreciatively as he hopped out of his truck and grabbed his new bunker gear from the bed.
He passed another couple of cars in the lot, but the elegance of the Stingray, and the roguish ‘Maro stole the show. He almost caught himself sighing wistfully at the ‘Maro, before he squelched the reaction.
Gathering his wits, he strolled into the bay of the firehouse and looked around.
Engine 8 was nowhere in sight. Medic 6 sat by itself in the garage, and a pair of masculine voices could be heard from inside of the ambulance.
Heero dropped his bunker gear in an out of the way spot by a wall, and wandered over.
“… check. That's the last of it, Q-man.”
The owner of that voice backed out of the rig and hopped to the floor. His back was turned, so Heero couldn't make anything out about his features, other than the slim, muscular build, and the chestnut colored bangs peeking out from under the Fire Department baseball cap he was wearing.
“Thanks, Duo. It would have taken a lot longer without your help.”
“No prob, man. That's what buddies are for. Where is Trowa, anyway?” the chestnut haired man asked of a lithe blonde climbing out of the rig.
“He spent the night at his sister's last night. Catherine's been concerned about him, with the sudden increase in violence lately. She- Umm. Hello,” the blonde said, noticing him for the first time.
Duo spun around, spearing Heero with a glance.
“Hiya! You must be the new guy! I'm Duo. Duo Maxwell. I'm the driver for 8 on this shift,” he said, holding out his hand.
Heero took it and gave it a perfunctory shake.
“Heero Yuy.”
“Hi. I'm Quatre Raberba Winner. I'm one of the paramedics on 6. Nice to meet you.”
Heero nodded at him, shaking his hand briefly before turning back to Duo.
“Eight left on a fire about ten minutes ago. They'll probably be gone for a while. When Captain Merquise gets here, we'll probably pile into someone's car and head over to relieve them. C'mon. I'll give you a tour.”
He led Heero through a doorway centered on the back wall between the two spots for the vehicles. To the left of the door, Heero could see through a huge window into what was obviously an office. There was a desk, a pair of filing cabinets, a computer, and dozens of maps plastered all over the walls. As he passed through the door, he found himself in a short hallway, also papered with maps. The main one was a floor to ceiling map of the entire city, with a huge portion of it colored over in green highlighter. Duo noticed his interest.
“That's our district. We're first in on a fire anywhere that's green. Everywhere else we only go if someone is out of service, or if they need back up. If you aren't familiar with the city, get there quick. Never know when you may have to drive the rig.”
Heero nodded, already planning some time to sit and memorize the maps.
They passed the office, and exited the hallway. It opened into a huge room with three refrigerators, a table with six chairs, all the necessary cooking implements and accouterments, and against the far wall, a couch, two comfy chairs, and a large TV.
“This is the main room. It's a combo kitchen/TV lounge. You don't smoke, do ya? Cos there's no smoking indoors. No? Great. C'mon.”
Duo led him through a doorway against the right hand wall, and into the bunkroom. Six beds were arranged, three to each side of the room, with an aisle down the center, leading to another door. There were four-foot high partitions between each bunk, shielding it from its neighbor, as well as a bank of lockers to his right.
“This is the bedroom, the bunk closest to the door will be yours. Any of the lockers that are empty are up for grabs, so just pick one without a lock on it. Back there,” he said, indicating the doorway down the aisle, “ is the ‘Cave'. It's just another TV room, but it doesn't have that many windows, and it's got its own climate controls, so it can get a little dark and chilly. Bathroom's through this door here on the right. You're low guy on the roster, so you get to clean them every morning. And that's just about it. Any questions?”
“How many people are stationed here?”
“Right now? Just five of us. Quatre and Trowa man the ambulance, and then you, me, and Captain Merquise will man the engine. We used to have another guy, Wufei Chang, but he just got transferred to Arson. You're taking his place.”
Heero nodded and glanced around, following Duo back out into the kitchen.
“Why three fridges?”
“One for each shift. That one in the center is our shift's. That way we aren't pilfering each other's milk and eggs and stuff... not that it really stops us. But… We buy all of our own food; usually go grocery shopping around 9 if we don't have any training for the day. Can you cook? We run a kitchen here, so if you don't want in on the meals, let us know when we shop. Otherwise, we decide what we all want to have to eat for the day, buy enough to fix it for all of us, and then split the cost. We can usually eat for about five bucks a person a day.”
As Heero nodded in answer, a tall man with platinum blonde bangs peeking out from under his own baseball cap walked into the kitchen.
“Good morning Duo. Good morning…”
“Heero Yuy.”
Good morning, Heero. I'm Captain Merquise. Is that your truck out there?” he asked, his low voice both commanding and oddly soothing.
Heero nodded in answer.
“Good. You get to drive. Grab your gear, boys. We have to go relieve First Shift and get our rig.”
Duo grinned and jogged out of the kitchen into the bay. Heero followed in his wake.
“See ya in a while Q-man. Gotta go earn our paycheck!” Duo called with a wave as he gathered his bunkers. Quatre returned the wave, and continued talking to a tall, skinny man with the most incredibly gravity-defying bangs Heero had ever seen.
Heero grabbed his gear, and then headed out for his truck. Duo was already there, his gear stashed in the bed, along with himself.
“You may want to put your pants on at least. It'll make getting dressed a lot quicker once we get there. Sounds like a cooker, eh Zechs?” Duo grinned maniacally.
Heero turned to see his captain approaching, already clothed in his bunker pants. Heero tossed his coat in he back and slipped into his boots and pants.
“Sounds like it. They've already called in another Truck[2], and a fifth Engine.[3] We're going to 2300 Lincoln. Know where that is?” Zechs asked Heero.
Heero didn't even have to think about it before he nodded.
“Good. Let's go. First Shift need replaced.”
Heero hopped in and started the truck as Zechs climbed into the passenger seat.
As he navigated out into traffic, Zechs turned to him to explain.
“Normally, in the morning, if the rig is gone when you get in, we wait until the previous crew gets back with it. But that's because nine times out of ten, they will be out on a medical call, not a fire. Since it's a fire, and the last crew is already tired from yesterday, we're taking our gear and heading to the scene. Once there, we'll replace them, and they'll bring your truck back here. That way, we have fresh people on the fire, and the last crew can go home and rest. Understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. When we get there, I'll check with the chief and see where he wants us. No matter what, you stay with me, got it?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. No getting killed on your first fire. It's a union by-law.”
It took Heero a moment to realize that his captain had just cracked a joke at him, but by then, they had pulled up at the fire, and Zechs and Duo were hopping out. Heero shut off the truck, but left the keys in it as he climbed out and finished putting on the rest of his gear.
Zechs found the Batt Chief and motioned them over.
“We'll wait here for the other crew to come out and give us their radios, and their Scott packs[4]. Then we get to make entry and take up their position on the fire attack on the first floor. I want you between Duo and I at all times. Understand?” Zechs asked, pointing out their route on a hastily scribbled map the Batt Chief was showing them.
“Yes, sir,” Heero said.
A minute or two later, three men in sooty bunkers, and large number “8”s emblazoned on their helmets stumbled out the front door. Firefighters who were waiting beside the doors leapt forward and started helping them get their masks and coats off, hastening the pace of the switch, and getting the tired firefighters cooled down and out of the way.
“Let's get some fresh bottles in those Scotts, guys,” Zechs instructed as they retrieved the air packs.
With practiced hands, they shut down the air, removed the mostly spent tanks, and replaced them with fresh bottles, filled with about, supposedly, forty-five minutes worth of air. During heavy use, the air would actually last about half an hour to forty minutes. Once the fresh tanks were secured and turned on, the three of them donned their masks, and headed for the front door. Just before they made entry, they clicked their regulators into place. Once Zechs was sure that everyone was fully geared up, had a radio, and had a working Scott pack, he signaled them to kneel down beside the hose.
Then they all crawled into the darkness.
~TBC~
Notes:
[1] 10-08 In service (available) Basically, it means yer free to take any calls/ emergencies Back
[2] The difference between a Truck and an Engine is an Engine pumps water and carries hose. A Truck is the one of the big long rigs with the aerial ladders. They have no pump, carry no hose, and specialize in forced entry, ventilation, and rescue. A Telesquirt is kind of a combination between the two. Its aerial ladder is much shorter than a Trucks (Trucks' average a ladder length of about 100-120 feet, while the longest Squirt ladder I've ever seen is around 75 feet) as well as being much less heavy duty. Typically, the guardrails on a Squirt's ladder fold down and add no structural strength. They are just there to guide you from falling off, not keep you from falling off. Back
[3] Standard response to a fire where I come from is four engines and a truck, as well as a Battalion Chief to orchestrate the whole thing. Back
[4] Scott pack- One of the most popular brands of Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) in use today is manufactured by the Scott Company, hence, many people simply call the SCBA Scott packs. Back
~RavynFyre~