Burning Desire

Simmering

"Rosie, I need you to get as close as you can to that pillar. I'm going to climb around there, and I'll pass him through to you."

It wasn't going to be easy, but there wasn't enough room for two people to get through. With little time left, the only hope we had of getting him out safely, was going to be to pass him through the small space through which I could see him now.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" She roared. "If that beam burns through whilst you go round there, you'll be buried under half the bloody building."

I knew she was right, it was the only thing left in the room that was keeping the next floor from folding in. I wasn't thrilled with the idea myself, but I wasn't going to leave a brother out there on his own like this. No matter what.

"There won't be anything left holding it up if we don't move fast. Just do it."

I could make out the concern in her eyes whilst she looked between me and the faint outline of Cain.

"Bane I-" She began nervously.

"Now!" I shouted impatiently.

I watched her shake her head to the side in irritation, before taking off towards the pillar, whilst I made a mad dash through the flame riddled path further into the room, trying hard to ignore the ominous creaking of the building's structure. Just as I swerved around the last corner, a huge piece of flaming debris fell from above, narrowly missing me before I flew into the shrinking clearing where Cain was laying.

"Cain?" I called, rapidly moving towards him, and attempting to fix his air supply.

Checking his pulse, I let out a sob of relief when I felt the steady beating. It was slow, but it was there, and that was all I needed to get him moving.

"I've located Firefighter Shaw, he's alive, I need paramedics on standby." I reported through the radio. "Come on Hustler, quit napping on the job, mate." I shouted, hauling him up from the floor. "Pretty sure you still owe me a fiver, I'm not letting you get away with that one, now get up!" I groaned as I lifted him, feeling him beginning to stir as I got him to his feet, his oxygen bringing him back around slowly.

"Trust you not to forget that." He grumbled, faltering in step slightly as I tried to drag him towards the space where Rosie was waiting.

A broad smile lit up my face at hearing his sarcastic remark.

"It's rare to beat you in anything, I'm not about to forget it, now get your ass moving."

I reached out to make sure that the space was secure enough, and then called Rosie, and we worked together to maneuver him through the gap, and out onto the other side.

"Bane, you next." She shouted to me, reaching through with her hand.

I was about to take hold of it, when I heard her shout out Cain's name, withdrawing her hand.

"What's going on?" I called out.

"He's collapsed."

"Get him out of here," I yelled. I could already tell she was about to argue, It wasn't in any of our DNA to leave someone behind, but this time, it needed to be done. "I'll be right there, just go!"

I could hear movement on the other side, and peered through, watching their retreating forms disappear into the smoke. A loud crash behind me drew my attention. The flames were closing in, and the space where I stood wasn't going to be clear for long. I needed to get out, but without someone to help pull me through, It wasn't going to be easy. I pushed myself up, and tried to force my way out, but I couldn't grip anything on the other side to give me any leverage, and promptly fell backwards. Another crash behind me, followed by an increase in heat, told me that I'd just lost another few feet of room.