Chapter 668 - Girl On Fire

Back with Kat

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"Kat are you fireproof?" asked Nixilei. Kat wanted to say the question was out of the blue, but considering the burning buildings they were surrounded by Kat felt it was a very valid question, even if the answer was obvious in her mind.

"Yes, certainly against fire at this level," answered Kat.

"Ok. Ok good I want you to go for that lone house. Check everywhere for people before Gareth arrives. I want him to try and crush it with an earth wall. It'll take a lot out of him but it should be doable. It's at least two stories, maybe two with an attic… wait what about smoke inhalation? Can you deal with that as well?" asked Nixilei.

*That… that's a good question. Hmm… I suppose… it depends? I'd heal from the damage certainly… but the lack of oxygen could be a problem… would it be better for me to just hold my breath? I can almost certainly manage to do that for long enough to check out the house… but this seems like important information… shit.* 

"I don't really know Nixilei… I've never really tested it. It really depends how well my regeneration works. I know I can hold my breath long enough so I CAN do this job without any real risk but… I'd also like to figure out if I can breathe through smoke? My regeneration would fix the damage from it but I'm not sure I'd get enough oxygen for it to be worth it," explained Kat.

Nixilei tapped her glasses impatiently in time with her foot. "Damn that would be good information to have… but not right now. Can you start going through that house? I need to figure out exactly where to summon this wall from, probably the road but I'll be looking into. We just don't have time to test something like that. If you can hold you breath, do it. We can test this later… maybe after the tournament later. Honestly I'm not sure when we'd get the chance. Wait, GO why are we still talking," Nixilei said with more than a hint of annoyance towards the end.

Kat felt a little bad about wasting that sort of time while the buildings were burning nearby and dashed to the loan building on fire. It wasn't blazing yet but based on the smashed window a flaming piece of the bakery had been launched into it and the ground floor was starting to burn. Kat turned the handle, happy to find it unlocked and pushed… only to realise the door was stuck. The cheap hinges had fused together from the heat already. Gritting her teeth Kat kicked the door open with all her strength and it went flying.

*Woops. Guess I'm not quite as weak as I might have thought.* Deciding not to dwell on that Kat ignored the new hole in the wall that she'd caused when the door ploughed its way into the kitchen at the back. She was mostly thankful the stairs didn't get taken out but they were already somewhat on fire and not in the best condition.

*Ok where do I start? Upstairs or downstairs? I need to get upstairs before the fire causing the building to collapse and people get hurt dammit. I guess I'm going upstairs.* Kat dashed up the staircase, an action that proved to have been made in haste. Not even halfway up the stairs the burning wood that made up the steps cracked under Kat's footfalls sending her into a short freefall. Her wings brought themselves out and she pulled herself out of the remnants of the broken wood. Cursing herself for not just flying up earlier Kat beat her wings to reach the second floor landing, and tried not to feel uncomfortable about the growing flames that seemed to delight in the fresh oxygen her wingbeats provide. How that worked she didn't have the mind to bother about.

Looking around the top floor, she found three closed doors and one open door leading to what looked like a bathroom. A quick glance in there seemed to confirm nobody present and she didn't want to waste time looking around. Letting her ears do the work, Kat tried to locate anything by sound… except she couldn't. Her ears were good and the sound of the flames wasn't causing as many issues as it would were she not a demon… but they were certainly drowning out any breathing or heartbeats she might have sensed.

Deciding she'd spent enough time standing still Kat got to the first door and tried to wrench it open. The door handle was the winner in this three way engagement, coming free in Kat's hand even as she growled at the delay. Part of her wanted to just kick the door in again but that was dangerous and if anyone was hit by the projectile she'd feel horrible even if they were just Thyme copies and not real people. Mai had taught her to think better.

*Ok how to get through this door? The hinges have fused just like the front. I don't want to break up the walls too much because that could bring the house down before we're ready, or at least the internals. Can't kick the door down… hmm… can I use the whole and maybe make another and pull the door? Yes… yes I think so.*

Kat flattened her hand and 'punched' fingers first breaking the word easily under her power, after which she used both hands to rip the door off its hinges and into the hallway. The wall protested slightly but the screws in the door were weak enough that it came free without completely removing the structural integrity of the wall. Kat gently put the door down at her side as quickly as she could before stepping into the room.

It was an office, with a large bookcase and desk with a nice view overlooking the street. A shame it wouldn't last all that long. Kat quickly ran around the desk to check underneath and found nothing. The filing cabinets were too small to hide anyone and there was no closet so she ducked out into the hall and was about to repeat her performance with the next door when she heard something. Turning to the final door, Kat once again ripped the handle off and glanced inside. She found a coughing 'teen' version of Thyme that had been banging on the door. "Stand back and get to the side!" shouted Kat over the raging flames.

She waited a few moments not really able to hear if she was being listened to. Shrugging it off Kat stabbed her fingers through the side of the door and wrenched it off again. Kat found Thyme coughing in the corner, and noticed that the back of the room where a closet must have been had fallen through the floorboards and the smoke was rapidly filling the room. Kat simply grabbed up the teen Thyme and booked it for the staircase in the hall… only to find it very much on fire. Shit. Kat turned to the wall she knew led to the street and got ready to charge through it until, "Wait! Have you found my Grandma?"

*Oh god damn it. There had to be someone else here. Shit… what do I do? Hmm… I can deal with this a while longer, I don't even feel a little burning in my lungs and I had to yell out… so I think I'm good on oxygen for at least a bit longer… but the kid might not be. I don't really know how accurately Thyme can simulate something like that for all these people.* 

*And I don't know if the wall is safe enough to charge through… wait I can go through the glass!* "I'll get her next, do you know where she was?" said Kat loudly, hoping it was enough to be heard as she dashed to the office. Kat didn't wait for a response as she pulled out a fan and flicked it out before slamming it into the glass shattering it and sending shards flying onto the streets below. Luckily there didn't seem to be many there.

Teen Thyme tried to answer Kat before she jumped but ended up coughing instead. The smoke clearly wasn't doing them any favours and Kat couldn't sit around waiting for an answer they may not be able to provide. Kat jump from the building, smoke billowing around her as it tried to escape into the fresh air. Kat hit the cobblestones and glanced around, spotting Nixilei and jogged over. "Nix, got a kid!" said Kat hoping the Fae could except the shortened name in this situation.

Nixilei responded with a sharp, "Is there anyone else inside?"

"I don't know, the kid tried to tell me about their Grandma, but they just asked where she is. I don't know if she's in the house somewhere else, or what.. Tried to get answer but they keep coughing," The Thyme let out a large hacking cough that required a glob of black spit to be spat out, "yeah like that when I ask. Here, look after them I'll go and check!"