The heat of the undying flames continued to roar and growl as if it was a beast from hell. Every broken window, every open door and every opening in the building gave life to the flames that consumed the building that was long past its prime. But that's how things go in the big city. The smoke in the sky could be seen from the mansion as it became a signal and a beacon for all that would answer its call. The sound of sirens could be heard as fire engines and police cars made their way through the labyrinth of streets and cars that refused to move out of their way. Due to the fact that they couldn’t move due to traffic or refused to move because they know that some ass hole was riding the trail of the fire engines in hopes to make it to their destination sooner.

Teeth clenched and knuckles white Sam dove from the tall building that he was perched on; the way a stone gargoyle watches the city. As of late Sam had become more and more disgusted with the chosen few of New York City that refused to help or cooperate with the police and fire fighters. It made him sick to his stomach that these people he chose to defend so promptly against mutant extremist and themselves. Some deserved to be saved others didn’t but Sam couldn’t pick favorites nor could he sit by and watch as the city caves in on its self or goes up in flames. Despite every cockroach there were a good people that need a hope, a hero some one who selflessly goes into harms way to save someone and ask for nothing in return.

The wind rushed passed Sam’s face as he closed his eyes and rotated his body slightly as ice formed under his feet and around his body covering it the way a suit of armor protects a night from a dragon. For Sam was that night in shining armor he was that hero that required and asked for nothing in return for he neither needed or wanted anything from the people. It was his way of making up for his past mistakes and grave mistakes they were at that.

As soon as the world stopped spinning Sam pushed himself forward using his mutation to create a slide of ice to propel his way to the burning apartment complex. Sam knew he would make it there before the police and fire fighters and he knew that he couldn’t save everyone on his own. Sam truly hated burning buildings, not only does it put you on a strict time limit but when there is a fire people panic more so when a gun is waved in the air. Sure he could put the fire out fast but it would most likely kill everyone in the building in the process and some of those people deserved to be saved.

The ice behind him melted behind him and evaporated quickly hiding his trail making it harder and harder to tell where he came from making it easier to hid his hiding spots less some pesky reporter decided to sneak out his lookout perches. It was around one on a bright Saturday but as he got closer and closer to the building that black smoke that turned the bright blue sky to night. The ice around his body became more and more difficult to maintain as he felt the heat getting closer and closer to him.

Taking a deep breath Sam covered the holes that he used for breathing and covered it with ice turning his body armor into a large suit of oxygen, even though he would have to refill it from time to time he could still use it to save not only himself but also others from oxygen deprivation.

As he approached the window on the top floor Sam saw more and more people exit the building some screaming some running in panic trying to get back into the building in attempts to save a loved one or a lost possession that they would never be able to see again. Deciding it wise to forgo the window Sam aimed the ice down as he speedily slide to the street as he ran closer and closer to the front door of the burning building.

A hole in his bright blue armor appeared at the mouth as Sam looked at the man closest to him, “Does any one know if anyone is still inside?” Sam yelled in a commanding voice. A slim tan figure nodded and pointed to a few of the people who were trying to get back into the building, The Henderson’s and the Sitter’s say eighteen year old son and their eighty year old father is still up there on the fourth floor, they were trying to get in bu… the tan figure turned and looked to Sam and took a step back and said Mutant!

Nodding and yelling at him, “Yeah I know a mutant,” he paused as he took another deep breath and looked around, “If you want to help me go around and see who is still in the building, and when I bring people out tell me what floor to go to got it! You can hate me later just find out what floors everyone is on and I mean everyone!” Sam closed the hole around his mouth as he ran in to the building as he heard the tan figure yell, “HURRY!

As he reached the front door which was like the entrance to hell with the flames licking the entrance and smoke dancing out Sam lowered the temperature around him and gathered the water particles around him and formed a cold mist blast that acted as a large scale fire extinguisher which quickly put the flames out on the door. If the firefighters did arrive on time Sam wanted to be sure that they had a safe and fast passage way to get to the people that needed rescuing.

“But there must be something that could be done sooner!” Alexandra practically yelled on her phone, this gaining her a few curious glances from the cab driver. She threw back a ‘what?!’ look in the mirror before focusing her attention on the cell phone once again. Her finger tapped against the light fabric of her dress, a sign that she was getting more than annoyed. “And how much time am I supposed to wait for you to find the damn bags?” she yelled again, this time keeping her attention focused on her phone, knowing that if she caught the driver starring at her again she would snap at him.

The excuses from the other end of the phone and her yells continued for a few more minutes before Alexandra placed her phone in the small back pack she was holding in her arms. “Stupid airports. Stupid bags.” she muttered with a sigh and rubbed her temples slightly. Why the heck this return trip from Colombia had to end in such a stupid manner. Of course, the trip itself wasn’t much of a thrill, besides the obvious tan she had gained. Who knew when her bags would be found and delivered to the mansion?

Alexandra opened her eyes and looked out the window. It was only then when she noticed that the car wasn’t moving and judging by the jungle of cars surrounding the cab it didn’t for a while. Her attention turned to the cab driver. “What’s happening?” Of course, traffic jams were something natural in New York but she wondered what caused this one. “There’s a fire two or three blocks away, miss.” the driver replied turning his face to her. Alexandra cursed under her breath and glanced around again. It didn’t look like they were going to move anytime soon. “Then I think I’ll walk.” she said as she began to fish for her wallet inside the white backpack. She paid the cab driver more than the ride was worth, just to suppress any wish of his to comment about her decision. She heard him muttering something but Alexandra was half way out of the car when he did.

Placing her back pack on her shoulder, she began to walk around the stopped cars to get to the sidewalk. Fire a few blocks away, huh? Humans in anguish? Oh, that seemed a pretty good view, she told herself as her feet carried her to the place the fire was. It wasn’t hard to find it, people everywhere were talking about it and rushing there. What was hard was to make her way somewhere in the front where she could see the apartment building better.

She first looked up, watching the flames and the black smoke with some kind of admiration. Fire was so purifying and strong but yet fragile to her own powers. All it would take was for her to manipulate the oxygen away and the fire would die. Yes she loved the feeling of power that the thought gave her. Her glance went from up to down to the entrance… Just in time to see an icy figure entering the building, putting out the flames with a well thought icy mist. “Sam?” she muttered as she took a step forward unconsciously.

She wasn’t sure if that man was Sam but it certainly looked and acted like him. Alexandra sighed. If that man was Sam, she had three options. One, stay there and watch, two, go home and three, get inside and help. Alexandra pondered what to do, and what to choose. Option one didn’t seem a very good idea, if Sam came back and saw her just standing there it wouldn’t suit what she had been blabbering around the mansion. Second one however seemed much better. No one would know she was there so no one would judge her. Option number three wasn’t that appealing either, getting in there and risking her life for some filthy humans? However, this suited her mission the best. Yeah, wandering around with a camera and getting people on tape was good but what if she convinced the X-Men she wanted peace and love between humans and mutants, that she was ready to risk her own life for others? Yes, the X-Men trust was worth it.

Alexandra made her decision, and with the idea of asking Slate for extra money for this in her mind, she pushed away some of the people that were blocking her way. As soon as she stepped on the empty space in front of the building, a hand grabbed her and pulled her back. Alexandra turned around annoyed to see the person that had touched her. It was a man around his fifties that was gripping her hand tightly, holding her from going inside the building. “Are you crazy? What do you think you’re doing?” the man asked as Alexandra pulled her hand back. Her eyes focused on him as they were turning from the natural brown to a bluish color. The man stepped back with a gasp as her eyes began to glow faintly and she smiled.

She stopped a few feet away from the entrance focusing on the space surrounding her. She heard some of the people yelling at her to get back and call her crazy before the man that tried to stop her earlier spoke with fear in his voice. “Leave her alone, she’s a mutant.” She felt the need to smile slightly at this and even though she wanted to hear what the others would say, her mind completely closed to the sounds and images around her.

It took her around a minute to affect the area in the way she wanted. What she did was to affect 5’ of the surrounding area. 3’ in every direction there was a breathable atmosphere, the centre of it being her body. Only above, oxygen was concentrated as a supply for she didn’t know how long would she stay inside the burning building. All this area was coated by a 2’ blanket that held no flammable gas. If any flame would reach this protective blanket it would die almost instantaneously. With this shield moving along with her, the molecule manipulator went inside, her eyes searching for any commotion.

Sara stood on the edge of another building, watching the flames. Officially Sara tried not to think a lot about the humans. Sure she had friends that were humans and sure she didn’t go after humans but officially she didn’t like sticking her neck out for others. Unofficially, Sara could hear a kid on the fourth floor, above the crowd cry out, and her heart gave a lurch.

Somehow, if Sara knew that there were no friends of hers in a burning building, she could ignore them. It was hard, but she could push the burning building out of her mind. Her mind couldn’t handle it when there were children involved.

One particular child had just managed to catch Sara’s eye. He couldn’t be more than five, and his eyes had just barely peered over the window sill looking out. Just long enough to catch Sara’s attention, before he disappeared in a thick curtain of smoke that kept him from Sara’s view, but she could still hear him. He had whimpered, and was now sniffling crying and coughing.

Sara backed up from the edge of the building. This wasn’t her first time entering a burning building. Still it was stupid, and yet there Sara was kneeling on an adjacent roof, digging her claws in and taking off at a run, to give herself better direction with her jump. Her clawed feet hit the edge of the roof, and she kicked off, practically diving off of the roof. If someone on the street were to look up they’d think that cats could fly like Superman.

Sara made it across the space between buildings, and landed well enough to grab a hold of the brick that stuck out to make the window sill, with her feet dangling and smacking into the wall. The bricks were hot enough they burned but Sara still managed to hold on. Gritting her teeth against the heat, and fighting to keep herself on the wall. Her body twisted as she kicked off of the side of the building, Her hands on the brick acted as a pivot point, and Sara’s body twisted so her feet smashed through the window.

Sara’s body landed light on it’s feet in a shower of glass. Instantly her sense of sight and smell were blocked by the smoke that made her eyes itch, and her nose cough. Sara pulled the collar of her long coat up around her nose and mouth, coughing.

Ok. Where was the kid?

Every fire on the stairwell that tried to block Sam’s presence, every pillar of flame met a cold and quick death. Adrenaline was now pumping in Sam’s body and he was already approaching the fourth floor. Luckily for Sam the apartment complex wasn’t as big as one of the newer ones so not only were the individual apartment’s small but there were only a few rooms on each floor. Not knowing the room number Sam kicked in the first door as a roaring flame engulfed his body trying to consume the ice and the flesh that covered his body. Using a concentrated blast of his energy the flame quickly died out as water erupted from the ice and flames not only putting out some of the flames higher out but covering the base of the floor as well.

“HELLO!” Sam called out as he projected his voice trying his best to try and find someone. The smoke and flame didn’t help much and the heat was stifling enough to feel it through Sam’s armor of ice, which was the only reason he wasn’t currently being burned alive. Looking over to a dim light Sam ran over and punched out the window of the apartment room to try and dilute not only some of the smoke but in hopes to get a little more air into the room so he could put out the flames if need be.

It took a few seconds but with the window out the smoke started to become less and less compact and visibility in the room started to clear up, which was a plus to the fact that he could see a few fire engines right outside getting to work on getting everyone out of the way and getting the fire hoses on the hydrants.

A small smile of hope filled Sam’s face as he looked around the room and called out once more, “HELLO! ANYONE IN HERE!” Sam listened intently for a few seconds as he heard a small cry for help, “Where are you?” Sam yelled again moving towards the bedroom and the hallway closet.

H-h-help….me…. came a weak voice of a male from the closet. ‘Bingo’ thought Sam as he ripped an even weaker sliding door from its track, “Hold on!” Sam called as he bent down and grabbed the person who he assumed was the Henderson’s eighteen year old son but with all the hair on the kids head he could have been a girl.

Running over Sam picked him up and tossed him on his shoulder It’s so cold said the teen as he shifted slightly, “Yeah I know kid, focus on the cold okay, there is one more person I need to find, you know what room the Sitter’s room is?”

The run down the hall wasn’t easy with the flames protesting Sam’s movement but with a shot of ice here and there it made the trip significantly easier. The teen now faced forward as his mouth was resting on the mouth rest Sam had accommodated for him using his own armor in the process.

Despite the heat Sam turned up the coolness using his ability to try and compensate for the teenager on his back. Sure the kid might get a small mount of frostbite but that beat third degree burns all over his body and if it was fine with Doc Prof, Sam planned on asking him for a favor visiting all the burn victims at the hospital.

Kicking down the appointed door an old man was laying sprawled out on the floor the trails of his rope caught slightly on fire, “Shit!” Sam yelled as he shot out a small ice beam around him trying to hold back the flames. Despite all of Sam’s attempts to get the elderly man up he was out cold, limp as a fish, his chest was still moving but it was barely noticeable.

Sliding his hands under the man and lifting with his legs and the ice around his legs Sam grunted as he lifted the aged man and started to walk towards the exit as fast as he could. Ice now covered both the hands and legs to hold him in place and a ice tube over the old mans face. One thing was for sure if Sam didn’t make it out soon or get some help the fire fighters would be carrying one more body down with these two for his oxygen supply was running low.

The building was empty when Alexandra had entered, however a clear trail of ice and extinguished fire lead her up the stairs. Flames were shining brightly, and although the smoke didn’t cause her any troubles as it was being manipulated away from her shield sphere. Molecules of carbon dioxide were being pushed away from it and replaced by the life sustaining oxygen.

Some of the flames were dieing down as she was extracting the oxygen from the area but she knew that at the size of the fire without water it won’t be completely gone. The heat was turning insupportable and unfortunately no molecular manipulation could stop it. A thin layer of sweat was beginning to cover her exposed skin. The flames were dancing in her eyes as she watched and listened carefully for any victim that might have been inside the

An almost inaudible whimper caught her attention and Alexandra stopped suddenly looking at the flaming doors. “Come on, say something.” she muttered, her ears completely focused on hearing the slightest sound made. It didn’t take long for the small cry to be heard again and the molecule manipulator moved at top speed toward the flaming door. A hand raised up as she let out an exhausted breath. Molecules of oxygen moved away from the fire, leaving behind a carbonized door. Alexandra looked at the heated door knob, at the door again then at her white new sandals.

With a sigh, she grabbed her dress and raised it above her knees then taking a deep breath she hit the door with all her strength. Surprisingly, it took only two hits to get the door down and a blast of black thick smoke was released from inside the room. Fortunately, the manipulated area around her acted as a shield against this threat too and her the impossibility to see was the only side effect.

The smoke began to clear away slightly because of the opened door but it was still very hard to see trough it. “Hello! Anyone here?” Alexandra spoke as she moved further inside step by step. The whimper had stopped which only made things more difficult for the molecule manipulator. Okay, if I were to hide, where would I go? A sudden pain in her hip made her swear under her breath as she had just hit a table. “Under the table? Nah…” However, she crouched and looked under it just to be sure. No one there. Alexandra sighed. The closet then. Her feet carried her across the room until she had finally found the closet. Nothing there either.

A frown appeared on her face as she began to consider that she might have mistaken the room. It was then when a the sound of broken glass and a soft thud got her attention and made her turn around startled. Shards of glass hit her bare legs and the lower part of her dress. “Who’s there?” Alexandra asked unsure of what was happening. Did someone broke the window from the inside or did someone just landed in the room? Well, if the second option was the right one as she had the tendency to believe, that person certainly wasn’t a human.

When Sara first entered the building, she couldn’t see, but she could hear a heart beat and a set of breathing closer to her than she had expected the child to be. And taller. Sara pulled her head away from her long coat collar for a moment to listen. Ears flicking back and forth trying to catch everything over the sounds of the fire.

“Who’s there?”

The voice sounded sort of familiar. Sara strained her ears but that’s all that was said. “My name is Sara.” She called out. “Don’t be afraid. I just came in the window.” Her voice tightened up and she coughed into the collar of her coat. Pulling he shirt up too as she let her body stay as low as possible under the smoke that was trying to escape out the open window, though too much more was still being created.

Ok so the voice was an adult. What she saw in the window was not an adult. Meaning there were two in the room, other than herself, who needed to get out. “where’s the kid?” Sara’s tail flicked back and forth behind her heals like a whip.

As if to answer her question, there was a cough coming from behind the window’s curtains. Sara checked under the hem, of the curtains. There were a pair of tiny feet. One was bare foot with little purple painted toe nails, the other had a sock over it with the toe area slipping off of her foot. Sara pulled back the curtain, and the little girl behind it tightened her grip on a itsy bitsy white kitten with orange tiger patches.

The little girl screamed when she saw Sara and when Sara put an arm around her, holding her close, the child’s free hand made a little tight fist that she tried to beat Sara back with. Little legs kicking and screaming. Sara just endured it with a low nervous, and rare, vibration in the back of her throat. The kid was panicked. Screams shifted to gentle sobs within seconds and just as quickly the child stopped the hitting and kicking burying her head in the side of Sara’s neck under her fur and coat. The kitten shifted somewhere between them.

“I can get both of you out, but I can only take one at a time and-“ Sara had started rattling off what she was going to do as she leaned out the window, with the child. This was how she had gotten people out of the fire before. Through the window. It was the quickest way she knew and once out side, she could breath correctly and see however she was cut off by a loud crunch and crack from above her. “Watch out!” Sara let out a steady stream of words a small child probably shouldn’t know as she dove back inside trying to grab a hold of the other lady in the burning room, and pull her along into the hall, just as half the ceiling fell in and debris from the floors above blocked Sara’s way out.

In the process of backing out of the apartment, Sara rammed her shoulder against the frame of the door. It ached, but it would go away fast. Save with the pain in her spine from her just stepping on her own tail. Stupid appendage…

Sara took another step back, not really paying attention till her back moved into something that must have been incredibly hot, because it felt like cold steel through her cloths and fur. She sucked in air between her teeth and stumbled forward again. She looked back, to find out what just burned her to find she shouldn’t have been burned at all.

The hallway continued to get warmer and warmer due to the flames licking the air around them making it more and more difficult for Sam to concentrate on now freezing the people he was carrying. Fires were one thing and were easy enough to put out however when people were in the building or fires themselves Sam was sure he wasn’t powerful enough to take out one without harming the other. “Where are the Damned firefighters?” Sam asked as he mumbled passing another door, which to his surprise had some one exiting.

“Sara?” Sam asked curiously as he eyed the figure as it bumped into him. Despite visibility being so poor in the pit of his stomach he had a hunch this figure was Sara. Even if it wasn’t Sara he could still tell that the person who bumped into him was carrying at least one other person. Regardless who it was they were there for the same reason he was, to save these people.

Closing his eyes and breathing deeply and focusing on nothing but his surroundings Sam managed to forced the walls that were licked in flames to be covered in at first small ice crystals but as more and more formed the ice became thicker and colder. The walls surrounding him and his selfless unknown partner now covered and a path on the floor Sam opened his eyes and shuffled his feet, which slid on the ice making it easier to move even with his heavy load of people.

As Sam approached the stairwell that was still relatively flame free the ice around Sam’s mouth and the people he was carrying mouth shattered to let in not only some fresh air but smoke as well. Despite the heat the air in the area gave Sam a second wind if you will as he formed two minions to help carry the old man that was still in his arms. Feeling two hundred and twenty pounds lighter Sam started to fly down the stairs jumping two at a time till he hit the ground floor.

The first things that exited the burning building was the two large golems carrying the old man as Sam closely followed carrying the teenager on his back as his body and face was still covered in ice. Slightly surprised as the hurried movements of the NYFD covered the area Sam looked for a place to set the two people he pulled from the fire, “I need some help over here!” Sam called out as he looked to a few of the firefighters.

It took the firefighters a few moments to register what was happening but when they got over the initial fright of two large ice beings and a mutant covered in ice calling out for help they quickly got to work signaling the EMS people over to take the old man and the teen on his back. As the EMS quickly got to work Sam looked around and said, “There was skinny tan guy who was going around asking every one about the people still in the fire, there was also someone else up there carrying another two people I think they followed me out but I’m not sure…”

The chief signaled for his firemen to run into the burning building probably to go find some people or try and put out the fire. The plumes of smoke coming from the top of the roof scared him slightly as it looked like the building was going to be consumed completely. Running over to the chief who was busy giving orders Sam said, “I can put out the entire building but there can’t be anyone left in that building, do you know how many are left in there?”

The raspy voice of the chief called into his walk-talkie before turning to Sam and saying, “We got two more people on the sixth floor and one on the third, not to mention some lady complaining about her cats on the second.” Sam nodded and then waited for the shorter man to continue, “I need you and your other friends to go to the top floor and get the two people stuck up there. Then you can do your thing and put the fire out.”

Sam looked for the someone who was furrier than most seeing as he had a hunch that she was the other one carrying the people out behind him. “Sara!” Sam called out looking around to see if he could find her in hopes to tell her that there were two people that they needed to get on the sixth floor.

My name is Sara. The voice was one that she had surely heard before; she had a great memory when it came to people’s faces and voices. But it was the name that clicked her mind and the sudden figure of the werecat from the bookstore appeared into her mind. Was it possible to be the same Sara? But how many mutants named Sara with familiar voices and the ability to jump trough a window were there? Alexandra moved forward and although her shield was offering visibility, the rest of the room was still full of smoke. Although she was hearing she wasn’t yet able to see the Sara.

The next few moments went on as if someone had pushed a fast forward button. A cough, a scream then Sara’s voice. The next thing she knew was that she was grabbed and dragged out of the room with one quick motion while the room turned into debris with a loud noise. The collision with the floor was hard and a sharp pain shot trough her left leg as she fell. The connection with her powers was lost and molecules of oxygen flew everywhere, increasing the intensity of flames in the surrounding area. Alexandra swore under her breath as she got up. The pain in her leg and hip was still intense and the thick smoke was now roaming freely around her.

She coughed as she focused on picking up the oxygen and carbon dioxide to reform her shield. But the process wasn’t as easy as before, the smoke and the difficulty to breathe this implied having a say in the time she took to recreate the molecular shield. Footsteps could be heard near her, the floorboards were making a terrible noise as someone walked upon them but she couldn’t see anything. It was like being blind. Alexandra closed her eyes and focused solely on the manipulation of the molecules.

As she was halfway trough the process, the shield now increasing in size, an unmistakable voice pronounced Sara’s name. That was Sam. Her teeth greeted in concentration and molecules were moving swiftly from the further areas of the hallway to her. The sudden drop in temperature and the ice that began to form around her was a bless. Only a few seconds later, the manipulation was complete. Careful not to slip on ice, she moved forward. Her surroundings were pretty silent now but the quiet sobs were leading her on the right away. “Sara?” Just as she spoke the cat mutant entered the range of her shield and the familiar figure of the cat mutant she expected to find was now visible.

Her eyes shifted to the small girl in the mutant’s arms then back to Sara. Sam was nowhere in sight. “Sara, I’ll check the top floors to see if there’s someone still there. Can you recheck those bellow to make sure no one’s there?” She didn’t wait much for an answer as she was already taking off to the staircase, gathering molecules of oxygen and pushing away the carbon dioxide ones toward the fire as she was walking.

There was no answer on the fourth and fifth floor but as she called ‘Is anyone here?’ while being on the sixth a clear scream of help was heard. Alexandra shifted her eyes to the door that held prisoner the inhabitants of the room. A swift move of her hand and the fire died away. With a kick of her leg and the burnt door was down shattered to pieces. Flames greeted her as a good portion of the floor was set on fire. “Where are you?” she called out as she traced a path trough the flames. “The bed. To the right.” A soft female spoke weakly then coughed loudly. Alexandra turned the path to the right until she spotted higher flames. The distinct shape of a bed on fire turned visible as she got near it. The flames surrounding the bed died out and as she went around it. Although she had heard only one voice, there were two persons in the bed, a man and a woman, both old. They were hugging eachother tightly and Alexandra got the impression that they wanted to die together. The woman probably noticed the look on her face and felt the need to explain. “He can’t move, nor speak. No one wanted to help me get him out.” The woman’s eyes shifted to the man then back to Alexandra. “I just couldn’t leave him here and save myself.”

The mutant’s heart skipped a beat at hearing this. She couldn’t understand how one could sacrifice its life for someone. And she hated all those uncaring people that protested so much about her kind when they left their own to die without mercy. She blinked. This wasn’t the time for stories or thinking. “I’ll get you out but I’ll need your help to carry him. Stick next to me, the area around me is non-flammable.” Alexandra paused a moment. “I’m a mutant.” As if the slightly glowing eyes and her entrance wasn’t proof enough. For a moment she expected the woman to say that she preferred to die rather than be saved by a mutant but the elder only nodded. “Sure. I’ve carried him ever since he got injured. I just don’t have the power to take him 6 floors all by myself.” the woman said as she moved down from the bed.

It took less than Alexandra had suspected to manage to get to the first floor. She couldn’t help but admire the courage and the strength of will this woman possessed. It wasn’t easy for herself to carry the man and Alexandra was much younger but the older woman just gritted her teeth and moved forward whenever she seemed to collapse. Her eyes shifted to the ceiling then to the floor making sure that it won’t go down on them. But luckily, nothing happened and although it seemed like centuries, they were finally stepping out of the building.

Firefighters and paramedics roamed around them before they could even set the second foot out. The weight on her shoulders disappeared suddenly as a few paramedics hurried to put an oxygen mask on the man and get him to an ambulance. “Are you alright, miss?” Alexandra turned to the firefighter then gave a quick check to herself. Besides the fact that a layer of sweat covered her body and patches of black were scattered along it while the side of her dress was completely black she was ok. Even the pain in her hip and leg disappeared. She just felt tired and needed a shower but it wasn’t anything the authorities could do in that department. Turning her shining blue eyes back to the man she gave a slight nod as she spoke. “I’m fine.”.

The man gave a quick nod as well and moved away. Alexandra moved away from the firefighters as she pushed her now slightly dampy hair behind her ears. She glanced at the ambulance where paramedics were taking care of the victims trying to catch a glimpse of the two she had saved. She found them and surprisingly enough they were looking straight at her. It was then when she noticed the tears in the man’s eye and she understood what he was trying to say. Thank you. Her eyes shifted to the woman as she mouthed the words her husband was trying to transmit. Looking at both of them, Alexandra slightly bowed her head then turned to the crowd in front of her. She was getting way too soft and she needed to remind herself that she did everything with a purpose.

Sam? Sara ran into Sam? Before she really knew what was happening, Sam was headed out, down the stairs ant out of view. Alexandra appeared and the air cleared around them. Then before Sara could really protest, because she was still coughing out the black smoke, Alexandra was gone. Headed the opposite way and Sara was left with the little girl with the kitten.

Right then. Going down. Sara took a deep breath as the air Alexandra had cleared clouded up again with ash, soot and smoke. Then they were off. Sam made navigating the building easier, and Safer as Sara just followed the ice trail. She hit the slope at a run, then used her momentum, balance, and clawed feet to ski down the stairs. Her feet slipped off of the ice at the bottom and the kid was holding tighter around Sara’s neck as she skidded to a stop. Sara was so cought in the moment she didn’t even notice that some where in one of the turns, she’d hooked her claws in the ice to change directions and lost a portion of her claw, down to the quick. Marking the area on her foot with a smudge of blood that mingled with the rest of the soot.

Sara was doubled over hacking as she was greeted by fire fighters who immediately took the child away from her, as the child’s fingers were pulled through Sara’s tangled fur. She ignored the mixed faces of fear and surprise as they took the kid. Yeah a mutant just saved her. So what. There were apparently still more to save. Sara heard the directions being given to Sam. Sara only gave a couple of choice fire fighters a glare before going back into work mode. “I’m here, Slick.” Sara called through the coughs to clear her longs. The only thing that protected her from needing an oxygen mask was the fact her healing factor sped up to clear the crap from her lungs and repair the damage that was left.

“Entering from the outside is safer than repeatedly going in and out from the inside. Floors and ceilings are becoming too weak. You make a plat form going up, with a ramp down, and I’ll go in, retrieve people. I’ll pass them to you, and you slide them down.” Sara started rattling off instructions as her eyes scanned the windows, trying to see the best way in, and anyone waving to attract attention. “Alexandra was in there too.” Sara said as her mind continued to race. “She went up when I went down. Don’t know where she is now.” There was nothing in that area Sara could really do other than hope for the best. Mean while they had to race the clock. “Come on. The people we know the locations of first. Then, if there’s time, the rest.”

The sky continued to blacken as flames danced in the windows and now part of the room, the building wasn’t going to last much longer that was for sure but the people left in the building caught ablaze were going to be saved Sam was going to see to that personally. His heartbeat quickened as adrenaline picked up once again, feeling the sudden rush Sam felt his stomach lurch, as he finally comprehended the bit about Alex still being caught in the fire. He didn’t think to much on the subject given Alex’s powers but still an uneasy taste filled Sam’s mouth as he looked back to Sara and nodded once again, “I can do that!” he said confidently running over to the front of the building and pointing his fists to the ground.

The air around him got colder and colder as a few of the firefighters stopped to spot the light show that was now taken places as the flames light reflected off of Sam’s iced over fists giving it a glowing appearance. That awed the members of the FDNY to the point where their jaws dropped, “Get over here!” Sam yelled to the three firemen that he could see. As they approached still awe struck Sam yelled, “I am going to make a slide from the sixth floor down you guys make sure to catch them got it?” he paused for a second then added, “In fact one of you come with us…”

It took a few seconds for the firefighters to comprehend what Sam was saying but as soon as the large slide was fully formed Sam formed a small platform under his and Sara’s feet and was waiting for one of the firefighters to join them. If it was up to Sam he would have preferred to have it just him and Sara but seeing as the firefighter had a walkie-talkie on his fireman’s jacket it would be just that much easier to communicate with the other firefighters who were still searching for people in the fire.

Concentrating the platform under their feet gave a lurch as Sam the firefighter and Sara rose to rather quickly to the sixth floor. As they approached Sam yelled to Sara, “Get started!” just as Sam finished his statement the firefighter called out, “Wait!” Sam looked down to the man and frowned as the firefighter continued, ”Just got a conformation that a woman just got the old couple from the sixth floor…” he looked to Sam and then said “However the third floor still has a person there…” nodding quickly Sam said “Sara climb down to the third floor I’ll go up top and wait till you guys have everyone then I’ll get started. You’re coming with me!” Sam said to the fireman as the platform rose yet again this time to the top of the building. Where Sam waited for the order from the firemen to get started on putting the flames out.

Her feet moved in slow motion and eyes carefully scanned the crowd for any sight of Sara or Sam. When she finally spotted them they were surrounded by fire fighters, by the looks discussing how they were going to get out the remaining people. Her legs started to move faster and finally got to where Sam, Sara and the firefighters were standing, trying to squeeze her small frame to all those bulky men.

Not with much of a success, as Alexandra found her self being pushed away when Sam started to create a large ice slide from the ground to the top floor. Placing one hand on her hip, she glowered at the awed firefighters, it was like she was invisible to them. When she finally managed to get the attention of one of the men, Sam, Sara and one firefighter were departing on an ice platform.

"There are more people?" she requested as the man watched her over. "Yeah, we just found out that there is someone on the third floor. The couple on the sixth just got out. Now why don't you let us do our work miss?"

Stupid, ignorant humans, was the sole thought in her mind as she heard the man speaking and the whooshing her away. A finger tapped not so gently the man's arm and he turned around, his face showing a slight annoyance. Alexandra gave a short mocking smile. "Would you mind if you step aside and do the watching? Meanwhile, I can actually help." Her voice was bitter and accompanied by a change in the color of her eyes.

The firefighter looked slightly astounded at her and Alexandra mentally snorted. Really, since when where humans interested in the well being of their own kind? Shaking her head slightly, she went past the firefighter, this time with no resistance being shown.

Her mind went completely blank, pushing away the thoughts of ignorant, stupid humans and looked up. Well, there wasn't much she could do, getting back and checking the building again was impossible and she didn't have any wish to be buried underneath a pile of rubble trying to save some humans. She sighted Sam's icy figure going on top of the building and that of a firefighter then her eyes trailed down on the ice slide.

Well, that was ice. And that was a burning building. And sooner or later the ice would begin to melt down from the emitted heat. If there was something she could do from the place she was standing was to help Sam keeping his ice solid. One hand went up in the direction of the ice slide, eyes and mind completely focused on keeping the molecular cohesion between the water molecules very strong.

Well that sounded like as close to a plan as they were going to get in this hectic situation. Sara was relieved at the information the fire fighter had given them at the top. 6th floor was taken care of and that left one more known person in the building.

Sara took two running steps towards the ice slide. Jumping far over the edge so that gravity gave her a good running start to the third floor. Fifth,.. Fourth,.. Sara landed on the ice slide her feet twisted so she could dig her claws into it for traction. Sliding 7 feet down but halting just below the third floor long enough to kick off sideways off of the slide launching herself straight through the window. Arms and jacket around her face to protect her from the broken glass. As she turned the flying head first jump, into a tumble just inside.

Instantly the smoke attacked her lunges and she struggled to breath. Keeping her body lower than most of the smoke by staying crouched. It make for moving awkward, but kept her able to breath against the black air. Still she kept coughing. She could feel the tingling feeling of her healing factor try to keep up with the damage every breath made to her body, and still she pressed on.

Sara was making her way from room to room in a hunched dash that put her so close to the floor, she might as well have been running on all fours. Room past room and hall way to hall way she checked. Mean while the seconds were ticking by and Sara could see the fire was taking over the fight between the flames and the buildings foundation. Instincts and logic told her to move out. Save her own skin, and at the same time, Something Sara wanted to call pure stubborn will demanded that she stay. That she finish her search because her gut was pulling her deeper and deeper into the burning building.

Sara was verturing through a particularly warm area of the building when she heard a cough that wasn’t hers. She froze as the floor boards creaked under her weight. Trying to hear over everything else. Then there it was again. Another cough let her pin point the lat victim they knew that was left.

Sara moved closer, and went to scoop the girl up when part of the fire moved with her. Her legs were alit and Sara hesitated in moving her, trying to put the fire out. The girl was young. Probably mid teens. Her hair was once black and brown, but at the moment it was dry brittle and black. Ruffled against a heart shaped face that squeezed and pinched it’s eyes every time Sara moved to try to help her. Ok So this was about to hurt the girl no matter what Sara did. And with the ceiling falling apart above Sara’s head, it gave her no time to put the flames out around the girl’s legs, before they left the building. So cradeling the girl the best she could, Sara retraced her steps at a dead run. Drenalin pumping, and her breathing as hard as ever, Sara never noticed how much her body was having to heal inside the building. She just kept running till they reached the window where Sam’s ice slide waited. Still intact.

Sara only slowed at the window long enough to make sure she didn’t over shoot the slide. Falling the rest of the way to the ground wouldn’t help the girl, nor would it help herself. She hopped on the slide feet first, skiing the rest of the way down, nearly running right into Alexandra, where firemen waited, ready, at the bottom. Taking the teen away from Sara the minute they were in arm’s reach. One had a fire blanket around her legs before Sara could blink.

Sara was doing nothing but coughing. Even though she was trying very hard to talk. And a couple of the men were now trying to help her, much to her surprise. One tried shoving an oxygen mask over her nose, and Sara pushed it away, repeatedly. Trying to tell the men something then coughing and hacking up smoke the second she could get her mouth open wide enough to speak.

“Slick up there.” Hack cough.

Sara no longer had a healthy looking golden brown fur coat. She was covered in soot and had clearly passed through one of the hotter parts of the building since she smelled like burned hair, and the hems of her pant legs had caught a blaze at one point. Patches of fur were missing from around her feet and hocks, but the skin beneath had already become smooth and healthy looking. However Sara, compared to when she went inside the first time, looked like she lost at least 20 pounds. Her collar bone stuck out from her shoulders and her cheeks looked hollowed.

Finally after a few seconds that seemed to go on in frustrating forever land, Sara managed to get her message out. “Tell Slick up there to Ice this building Now! Before it comes down!”

Watching Sara leap then slide from the platform he had a hunch that the last person was as good as found. Walking slowly to the center of the roof Sam motioned for the fireman to stay where he was concentrating his mutation on the air around him the drop in the temperature could be felt as a cool then freezing breeze circled around him on the roof. He waited gathering more and more moisture around him till more and more ice crystals filled the air. Seconds passed then minutes the building was coming down from the way the building was shaking and giving way to the flames that were destroying it with hardly an effort. He waited for the signal that the fireman was going to give him.

The roof rumbled as the ground he was standing on started to split, he had to do it now the fire had to be silenced no more would it spread and consume near by buildings, this fire was going to be snuffed out by a deep freeze. ”Hey MACK!!!! the fire man called out trying to signal Sam, ”The roof is collapsing come on! Turning his head slightly Sam waved the fireman on as the roof collapsed, the last thing he saw was the fireman jump onto the ice slide as the roof started to cave.

Using the ice crystals he surrounding himself with Sam quickly descended to the next floor the air turning from an inferno to an artic icebox with in moments. Wincing slightly as he landed on the floor as it quickly caved under the heat his weight and the now descending ice the fire and the floor gave way and quickly died out or fell apart. The rate at which he was falling was beginning to pick more and more speed as floor after floor gave way to the point he hit ground level snapping his leg in the process, the fire died down as smoke smoldered through large chunks of ice as Sam rolled to his side biting his lip as the ice armor around his body shattered due to the shooting pain in his leg as the bone poked through the skin under the knee.

……

As the fireman slid down the slide he felt a could gust of air hitting every floor just as he passed it the light by the fire quickly seemed to be snuffed out as he truly wished that the mutant was alright. As he came down closer and closer to the ground a huge gust of cold wind and from the looks of it bits of ice or snow shot through the windows and doors of the ground floor, ”Shit!” called out the fireman as a few of his brothers caught him before he hit the ground, “The roof gave way before Frosty did his thing, can he survive high falls?” he looked to the burned cat woman and the pretty little woman who had an air of confidence about her self.

Calling out to a few of the firemen around him he yelled, ”Get in there and see if he is okay!”

Molecules of water were fighting against her with fierceness, struggling to loose their cohesion as the heat coming from inside the building was trying to melt the ice. Alexandra just thanked the years of practice under hard conditions for the fact that her powers were superior to the high temperatures affecting the frozen water.

Focused completely on her mutation, she was no longer aware of her surroundings. If it weren’t for molecules of water being ripped away from the ice slide as Sara descended on it, she would have probably been hit. Taking a step at the side, she managed to avoid Sara. Eyes returning to normal and mind losing concentration, she blinked as black spots were clouding her vision. When she reopened them, she saw a certainly different Sara just as the last of the victims was being taken away from her.

She paused as she watched her struggling to talk and push away the oxygen mask that was being offered. Absentmindedly sending molecules of oxygen in her direction while removing those she exhaled, she waited until Sara was able to speak. “You ok?”

Her eyes drifted back to the rooftop where the fireman’s figure was visible while Sam was nowhere in sight. A slight feeling of concern crept up inside her. She knew just how unstable the building was. In the next second, the fireman was jumping on the ice slide, moving at fast speed toward the ground. Huge amounts of smoke and debris were being released trough the windows as he passed them which sent only one warning signal in her head. “Sam!” her cry was not loud, barely a whisper as her eyes followed the collapse floor by floor until it finally hit the ground.

” Shit! The roof gave way before Frosty did his thing, can he survive high fall?

The fireman’s voice got her attention and her eyes turned back to him. How the hell was she supposed to know if an ice manipulator could survive high falls? But she couldn’t help to think that she hoped so. Really, Sam, do these humans really deserve this kind of sacrifice? Her mind was revolting against this idea, to die or even be hurt for some humans that not long ago had created the atrocity known as the Registration Act? “Well get the hell in there and find out!” she snapped at the man. The firefighter nodded as he called a few of his co-workers to go inside and check if Sam was ok.

Her own feet moved in the direction of the building but before she could take the second step the man caught her hand. With a slight frown she turned back. “Miss, the building’s not stable, it’s not safe to go inside.” Alexandra sighed. What was with all those humans? “Stop worrying about me! Worry about him!” she said pointing in the direction of the building. With a frown of his own, the fireman nodded. “Okay let’s go.”

Before leaving, her eyes shifted to Sara to see if she was now fine and if she planned to follow her inside the building. Turning back, Alexandra followed the firefighter, this time no more resistance being shown at seeing a civilian walking inside an unstable building. Her eyes scanned the outsides of the building trying to guess just how stable a building that only moments ago was burning could be after six floors just collapsed. And also thinking what chances of survival Sam had, too. That was stupid, Sam. she thought just before making the first step inside.

Most of the fire has been taken out and what once was a burning building resembled now a refrigerator. Shivering, she activated her powers to push the smoke and dust away. She could still see the firefighter as she was trying to stay as close as possible and soon she was motioned to climb the debris caused by the collapse. Most of the other firefighters were there two so she assumed they have found Sam. Her heart beat accelerated, no one was saying anything if he was alive or dead, they were just moving large pieces of ice or burnt materials.

When she finally spotted Sam, she understood why they were doing this as half of him was buried underneath the rubble. From what she could say, he was still alive and she certainly hoped that she was right. On the other hand, he seemed disorientated. Although not much was visible because of the layer of ash covering him while small pieces of his ice armor were still clinging to him, she could tell that he had no visible injury on the upper side. The head trauma or internal damage was what had her worried. “I’m taking out the ice, you take the rest.” she spoke to the firefighter that had brought her inside the building. Nodding, the man gave the orders and the others started to move only the pieces of burnt material.

Her eyes and mind were focused on the pieces of ice that covered the spot where his legs were supposed to be and soon, water was whirling around being removed from there. Blocks of ice were created near the pile where Sam was buried in. A few chunks of ice later and she was signaled that ‘Frosty’ has been released. Blinking, she stopped her mutation and looked at Sam. And blinked again, mentally promising to herself that she’ll smack Sam later for doing this. Besides the awkward position he was in, what disturbed her the most was the bone that poked trough his flesh. Shaking her head slightly she moved to his side and kneeled.

“You don’t look… too bad.” she said with a sigh as she did so. “Can you speak?” was the second question she asked, if he did at least no head trauma was involved and his confusion would have been caused by the pain in his leg. Cause that looked pretty painful. “Is he alright?” Her head turned into the direction of the voice, once again finding herself slightly frowning at the fireman. “Well, get the paramedics in here faster and we’ll see.” she replied, although her tone was not loud it wasn’t calm either.

Alexandra shifted her eyes back to Sam, concern finally making its way on her face as she gave another glance to his broken leg. “Sam, I’m gonna let the paramedics move you from here but I’m gonna call the doc prof to take care of you. I certainly hope you’re ok with it cause you don’t have a saying in this anyway.” she said, hoping to make a statement out of the fact that any other opinion he might have had in mind and if he was able to express it would have been unapproved from the start.

Pulling her backpack, Alexandra picked up the phone and the dialed the familiar number of the mansion infirmary. “Doc, I need your help.” After a really short debriefing of the situation and after giving the address of the place she was in, she removed the phone from her ear and looked back at Sam.

Before Sara could really comprehend what was happening, the building was coming down and Sara was being told that Sam was still inside, and asked if she thought he could survive the fall and all she could do was stand there with an open mouth, wheezing in and out as the air tried to clean her lunges and her healing ability started to slow down as less damage was being done to her body. All Sara managed to say, was that Sam was Crazy. Crazy and lucky enough with a stupid grin, that he just might.

Then the hole thing was supposed to be over. Sam was supposed to be ok but Sara couldn’t see where he was. They all had to renter the building. Sara took up the rear. She wanted to know am was ok, but if something else had happened,.. .. .. Well she didn’t want to see. She couldn’t handle seeing that.

Finding Sam, was a shock but the fact that there were things Sara could do to help, kept Sara from tearing up. Sara had come forward and started lifting the heavy debris off of Sam and moving things aside.

“You don’t look… too bad.”

“Sam, you fell through a building. You look like S***.” Sara said as she knelt next to him.