Firestorm - A-Train II

"Shockwave, Racer, Blink. Glad you could make it." Homelander said addressing the other speedsters first.

A chorus responded.

"Hey Homlander!" Shockwave said with a nod.

"Glad to be able to help." Racer said calmly.

"Sir! Homelander Sir!" Blink added excitedly.

"A-Train." Homelander said turning to him. "What's the situation?"

"Starlight's in the command tent. Guy in charge goes by Nelson Bricks isn't fond of us being here. Barely tolerates us. Our guys at Vought haven't been very helpful either since their teams can't get through. They were caught-"

"We won't get much help from them." He interrupted A-Train. "This was impromptu on my call it will take them some time to work through the official channels. It's just us here. We'll have to coordinate and work with the emergency personnel ourselves -"

A-Train saw he stopped and looked past him. Starlight was approaching with the fire chief.

"Starlight."

"Homelander." She said in acknowledgement. "This is chief Nelson Bricks."

"Chief." Homelander said shaking the man's hand.

"Homelander." The pudgy chief said, a bead of sweat rolling no his temple.

"We are here to help. A-Train was catching me up on the situation but I would like to hear it from the experts." Homelander said with command in his tone.

A-Train saw that the fire chief was not too happy about it but let it go.

"We've got a ten mile front all on the length of the town, fire is spreading quicker and quicker. The drought hasn't been helping. I've got everyone and everything doing all they can to slow the spread but over all I give it about forty five minutes before we get into the danger zone." He said with reluctant confidence.

"And the evacuation? I saw from above the roads are all packed."

"Closes neighborhoods to the forest were first to go. But the way the wind is blowing and the rate the fire is moving it might not be quick enough. Once the houses catch fire it will burn through the neighborhoods quick and even the roads going out are forested on the sides." He stopped briefly.

"The smoke is the real killer. Once the fire reaches town the smoke will infest everything. It will be really bad for anyone trapped on the road." He stopped once more as the sound of his walkie-talkie went off.

A-Train saw the man say a few words to his colleagues over the walkie-talkie then turned back to their group.

"Inferno and BrightFlame should be here soon ten or fifteen minutes." Homelander said. "Their pyro-kinetic abilities should be able to help contain any fire that starts within the town as long as they get to it in time. We could also-"

"Listen." Chief Nelson interrupted Homelander. "I know you guys mean well but we all know there isn't much for you to do now. This is serious business not a PR stunt, people's lives and homes are at stake. Let us professionals take care of it. Let us do our jobs and don't get in the way." He paused briefly once more and looked Homelander directly in his eye.

"The only reason I'm even allowing you here is because I owe one to the governor. Now all I ask is that you let us handle this and stay out of the way. Your presence here is distracting enough and I know sooner or later your little corporate stooges will want the cameras to be present creating even more distractions."

A-Train had to admit the man was ballsy he even stepped off and didn't let Homelander to respond. Then again the pudgy fire chief didn't know the real Homelander only the media version.

"Wait!" Homelander said to the fire chief. "The evacuation…what if we can give you more time we can slow the spread maybe even contain it?"

Chief Nelson turned around.

"How?"

"What if we could make a firewall make a clearing and remove everything flammable. How big would it have to be?"

"You'd need a containment line of about 30 feet wide if we take into consideration the height of some of the trees, maybe a fifty foot clearing overall. But you'd have to do it over ten miles in under thirty minutes. That's impossible."

"Leave that to us." Homelander said confidently. "We'll take care of it."

The chief just looked at him for a tense moment and gave in.

"Fine. As close as you can to the fire line is better."

"Got it." A-Train saw Homelander turn back to them.

"Starlight, you Racer and Blink stay here and wait for Inferno and BrightFlame to arrive. Coordinate with the chief on containing any fires if needed and help with the evacuation in any way possible." Then he turned to Blink.

"Blink. Can I trust that you will follow Starlight and the emergency personnel's lead?"

"Yes sir of course." The fifteen year old said excitedly.

"Excellent. We'll speak once all this is over."

"A-Train you and Shockwave are with me." He said and sped off giving them no chance to protest.