Broken Wings

Chapter 12

  Emily and I were hanging out at the precinct. We had just brought in a mugger. The guy had gotten the chance to punch me in the face so I had a cut on my cheek, sealed closed with a small bandage. Emily was the one who took him down. We sat in the break room eating pastries and drinking coffee.

  "Does it hurt?" Emily asked. She lounged in the plastic chair, her feet on the table.

  "My pride? A little bit." I smiled. She rolled her eyes.

  "Your cheek, you dork."

  "Pft, I knew that." The break room door slammed open and a frantic officer rushed in. Emily and I bolted out of our seats, awaiting instruction.

  "There's an apartment building on fire off of Grand! They think people may still be inside!" He retreated out the door. We followed suit. Emily and I parted ways. I exited out the front and Emily ran to the parking lot, to retrieve her bike.
 
  I shot into the sky, wings pounding at my sides. I could see the smoke swirling in thick clouds in the sky. It almost felt like daytime the closer I got. Heat permeated the air.

  I descended down through the smoke before the crowd, barriers keeping them back. A few news vans were scattered around, reporters were interviewing witnesses but turned their attention to me and to Emily when she rolled up soon after.

  I approached a fireman. His face was covered in soot and sweat. Exhaustion was evident by the bags under his eyes.

  "The front entrance of the building is the center of the fire. No one can get out the front door anymore. We think there's some people still in there unaccounted for." I scanned the building, attempting to find a solution. Rebel elbowed my side and pointed to a window on the third floor.

  "Fly me up there. I can search for civilians, could be the exit too." I shook my head.

  "No, too dangerous." She turned and smacked my arm.

  "Remember, I can handle myself." She pointed an accusatory finger at me. I raised my hands in surrender and reluctantly nodded. She went to one of the firetrucks and returned with an oxygen tank strapped to her back.

  I picked her up bridal style and deposited her in the burning building.  The room was stifling hot, but not yet victim to the flames.

  "Do you need help?" I coughed out. Rebel shook her head and walled toward the door.
 
  "Try to help douse the fire." She said stepping away. I nodded and jumped out the window, gliding down. A bigger crowd had gathered, many filming the chaos on their phones.

  I grabbed a fire hose and used all my strength to lift up, my wings beating. I held it over the building, hoping to put out what the fire men couldn't reach. I stopped after most of the fire on the higher floors was put out.

  I payed down the hose. I heard shouts and looking up I saw Rebel in the window. The oxygen mask no longer under her mask but on a child. I shot back up, hovering by the window. It was a family of four, excluding Rebel. Two men a teenage daughter and a son.

  "This is all I could find," she coughed, "some didn't make it." I noddded grimly. I motioned for the child and the teen to come over. I held the girl bridal style and she carried her brother. I drifted down and deposited them next to an ambulance.

  "Stay here. I'm going to get your dads." The girl nodded and held her brother. I flew back up to the window. The taller of the men hugged the other and pushed him toward me.

  "You first." He said. The shorter one nodded and held on to me. I once again glided down. As soon as he touched the ground he ran towards the children.

  I returned to the window, the taller of the men gave back the breathing mask to Rebel and held on to me. The fire had started to enter the room. I glanced Rebel.

  "I'll be fine." She waved me away. I glided back down, right as I deposited the man a blast rocked the ground. Rebel appeared at the ledge. I started flying toward him as he jumped, fire bursting forward right after. I caught him mid air, grabbing him by the foot.

  "That was close!" He yelled up to me, his body curling up toward me.

  "I told you I'd always catch you!" I yelled back down. I glided toward the ground, Rebel payed on the floor coughing. Almost immediately the press started yelling questions toward us.

  "Can't we catch a break!"