Battle in the Burning Building

Officer John Peterson:

"The house," Officer Ben yells. He jumps up and down in his seat and points at a burning house. "It's on fire!"

Pulling up the burning house, I immediately grab the radio.

"Dispatch," I say. "We're going to need backup here! Fire on Keller Road! I repeat, there is a fire on Keller Road! Send firefighters!"

Stopping in the front of the burning house, Ben and I get out but the sound of gunfire knocks us to our feet.

"Down," I say, waving my arm as I jump onto the sidewalk. "Ben! Stay down!"

As the sound of gunfire goes on, I crawl around my police cruiser and meet up with Ben on the side.

"What was that," Ben shouts. "Is someone in there?"

Ben's question is answered by shouting and screaming coming from right inside the house. Making sure to stay low, I reach into my cruiser to grab the radio.

"Dispatch! Send reinforcement! I repeat! Send reinforcement! Shots fired! Shots fired!"

I drop the radio and look at Ben as he stays with his back glued to the car.

"Stay down," I repeat, looking the rookie in the eyes. Ben nods his head. Meanwhile, I run inside the burning house to try and find those voices.

Thrill Rider:

I raise my foot and kick the machine gun out of the way. I then slam down my baton and knock the flamethrower down. With both his weapons down, I hit Iron Fire with my batons. I try hitting him everywhere; his face, his body, even his arms, and legs, but no matter how I hit him, Iron Fire didn't flinch. In fact, I think I heard him yawn beneath his mask.

I give it one last try and hit Iron Fire on the side of his helmet, but once again, nothing.

"His armor's too strong," I think.

"My turn," Iron Fire laughs as he raises his foot and stomps it against my chest. Forcing me back, he then aims his flamethrower at me. I scream and run for my life as a stream of fire follows right behind me.

"Run boy run," Iron Fire yells as he keeps his finger on the trigger. "Run!"

Laughing as I run for my dear life, I look ahead and see a rotting wall with a hole in it. Bracing myself for impact, I then jump. Jumping into and right through the rotting wall, I fall onto the floor on the other side. I suck in my stomach, cover my head, and stay as low as I can. Iron Fire, with his finger still on the trigger, shoots fire through the hole in the wall. It burns and blackens the wall in front of me.

"I have to get out of here," I tell myself. "I can't fight in a burning building. I don't have an oxygen mask or a firemen's uniform or even a fire axe. Should I get one?"

I imagine myself with a fire axe. The axe is shining in the light as the blade twinkling. I see it on my back with a strap across my chest. As I picture myself pulling it out in a fight, I'm drawn back into reality when bullets start to come out of the wall.

"Going to put that in the back of my mind for now," I think, filing it away for later. "For now, just stay low and move toward the door. Iron Fire blocked off the back door but I think I can still use the front door."

Scrapping my arms, body, and legs against the floor as I crawl, I look around for the front door.

"Aww, man. Fingers crossed I don't get a splinter. Now, where is the stinking door? This house isn't too big. It shouldn't be that hard to find."

As I keep crawling around, I start to hear the sound of wood creaking. It only intensified as I keep going.

"I doubt this house can stay up much longer. Of course, setting it ablaze didn't really help."

Still on the floor with one of my hands on the wall, I finally see the front door in my sight. However, judging from all of Iron Fire's taunting and his much louder iron boots, he's closed by. If I make a run for the front door, Iron Fire will definitely hear me.

"I have to stay down and move carefully."

Looking around, making sure Iron Fire is nowhere in sight, I crawl my way toward the front door. The front door is only a few feet away from me. I reach up to grab the doorknob but before I could, the door swings open. I watch in slow motion as the door flies past me, barely missing the tip of my nose.

"Dad," I think, watching from below as my dad runs into the house.

"Hello," my dad shouts. With the fire still burning so fierce, my dad had to take a step back. He coughs into his fist, clearing his throat before shouting again. "Hello! Can anyone hear me?"

"Officer John--," I say before stopping and rephrasing. "Officer!"

My dad looks down and sees me. I smile when he sees me but only for a second. The second my dad sees me, he pulls out his gun and aims at me.

"Thrill Rider," my dad shouts. "You're under arrest for--"

"Really," I yell, cutting my dad off. "Really? Now? Do you not see where we are? This may be one of the worst times ever to arrest a person!"

My dad looks around again and remembers we're in a burning house.

"Fine," my dad grumbles. He doesn't put his guns away but he does help me to my feet. However, as my dad is helping me up, I hear the sound of heavy footsteps. Turning my head, I see Iron Fire walking out of the thick cloud of black smoke. My dad must have seen him too. He lets go of my arm and aims at Iron Fire.

"Kenneth Orr," my dad yells. "Freeze!"

I can't be sure because of Iron Fire's, or as I now know, Kenneth Orr, mask but I don't think he's too nervous. My theory is only confirmed when, despite my dad's warning, Iron Fire raises his machine gun.

Fasting move, I bring my hands together. Swinging my combined hands. I knock my dad right out of the front door before slamming the door shut. I then throw my whole body weight against the door. However, because of all of this, I'm exposed and wide open. I can't do anything when Iron Fire shoots his gun and hits me.