Got this burning feeling like my veins are filled with nothing but gasoline

[foolishwren]

Who: Heather Mason and anyone in Ecruteak City willing to help a sista out.
Where: Ecruteak City
When: July 20th, early evening.
Summary: There was a time when Ecruteak City was peaceful and quiet. But that all changed when THE FIRE NATION ATTACKED.
... And by 'the Fire Nation' I mean Heather, and by 'attacked' I mean 'had a bit of trouble with her powers'.
Rating: PG
Log:




FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM.

That was the sound that interrupted what was otherwise a quiet, peaceful evening in Ecruteak City. In fact, was there ever an evening in Ecruteak City that WASN'T quiet and peaceful?

Officer Jerry sure hadn't experienced one before. Until now, anyway.

Choking back a wild scream (ever since the September before last, he had grown so jumpy it had been suggested that he step off the force more than once-- but he stubbornly clung to his badge like his own tenacious Snubbull partner), Jerry lurched away from the fence he'd been idly leaning on, surveying the sleepy, ruddy-lit little streets, and whirled around to face the pillar of flame that was billowing upwards into the sky from several blocks around the corner.

A thousand horrible possibilities (the thought that someone had stepped on Kimono Girl Miki's temperamental Flareon's tail again being one of them) ran through his head, but first and foremost were the borderline terrorist attacks that had occurred in Goldenrod City and elsewhere. Those people with powers that only Pokemon were supposed to have.

The entire police force had been on edge lately with those people at large. Not the sick ones who were coming down with it like a disease, but the ones who knew damn well what they had and were using it for evil.

Oh Arceus, not here. Not HERE.

Wrestling his radio off its clasp, Jerry took off running towards the conflagration.

"This is Officer Jerry-- we have a situation here! An explosion, could be the ones who have been attacking gyms! Requesting assistance immediately! Over! I said requesting assistance imme--...."

As he skidded to a halt, the heat of the fire sweeping over him in waves, he stared at the sight before him.

A circle of blackened grass and what appeared to be the charred remains of a small hot dog cart (the hot dog man and his Munchlax stood beyond the range of the flames, looking utterly shellshocked), and in the middle of the circle, a barefoot teenage girl wearing shorts and an expression of sheer surprise that was exaggerated by the fact that she looked like a Looney Toon who'd just had a bomb go off in their face.

Smoking, covered in scorch marks, and smelling like burnt toast.

And looking incredibly familiar.

She blinked.

And then looked at Jerry.

Jerry looked back.





The radio slid from his fingers and hit the ground.

Her eyes were glowing orange.

MOTHER OF ARCEUS...


Heather Mason turned around. Oh god, it was a cop. FML. She coughed awkwardly.

"I can, uh-- I can expl--"

"BACK! BACK, YOU MONSTER!"


SHE WAS ONE OF THEM! SHE WAS ONE OF THEM!

Of COURSE she would be one of them!

The girl raised her hands.

"Whoa, hey, take it easy! I wasn't--!"

"DON'T POINT THOSE FINGERS AT ME!" Jerry shrilled, his voice leaving the acceptably-masculine tenor it usually was and ascending into chipmunk territory. "I WON'T BE YOUR BARBEQUE TODAY! I WON'T BE YOUR BARBEQUE ANY DAY!"

"--dude, I-- I swear I wasn't even--!"

And then she stopped, because Jerry was already hightailing it out of the square, screaming into the radio for backup.



... W-wellp.

Hastily, she pulled out a wad of smoking money from her pocket and shoved it at the hot dog vendor, mumbling that it was for the cart.

Time to make like a tree and FIND SOMEWHERE TO HIDE THAT ISN'T FLAMMABLE.



[OOC: Anyone in Ecruteak who'd be willing to hide (or trying to turn in!) Heather from the cops is free to tag in and see her trying to ninja around town!]

Comments

[no_ufo_ending]

DOOPA DOOPA DOO. Henry sure was enjoying himself out wandering around with Burger and slurping on a milk shake. He'd been watching the Arceus-Men madness unfold on his gear and quietly appreciating the fact that none of them had fallen ill. He had entertained the thought of what it would have been like to have the ability to make everything all staticy. He could stick balloons on Heather's hair and zap people. But then he thought about door knobs and that put that little fantasy to bed and fast.

Their walk was interrupted by a FOOOOOMM. Burger scaled Henry in a flash and almost made him drop his drink. He cringed as the cat's claws dug into his neck and shoulder.

"Burger, calm down. It's just an explosion."

[show_my_cannons]

It wasn't exactly difficult to miss the fire. Giant columns of flame were even harder to miss.

And, given Ironhide was more or less primed to react to the sound of explosions, and fire, by virtue of centuries worth of warfare, it didn't take him long to stomp out of the hotel, dragging a half-asleep Blastoise by one cannon. The turtle lumbered along behind him, all but whining.

"Get a move on."

Onward they went, toward the scene of the fire... unaware of the culprit skulking around.

[darkenedgales]

It had been a rough-- how long had it been again? Ever since people started getting sick, all of Johto had been in the state of paranoia bordering panic, but what the destruction of Centers had brought could only be described as utter chaos. Crow, of course, had been trying to help out to the best of his abilities, but let's face it: there wasn't much he could do in a situation like that.

And then, in true Johto fashion, It Got Worse.

It wasn't just the fact it felt like he was one of the few remaining people unaffected by whatever illness made you turn things into ice upon contact, or shock others when touching them, or... everything else people were capable of now; it was that he had no idea how to prevent random incidents and intentional attacks with those powers that was really frustrating. Which left him running around like a Pidgey with its head cut off and ending up being of little use anyway. So there he was, sitting on one of the benches not far from the Kimono Dance Theater, hoping it would turn out to be a peaceful evening. He wasn't asking for too much, was he?

FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM.

... Apparently he was.

With a sigh, the duelist stood up and watched the clouds of black smoke that were coming from the place where a pillar of fire had just appeared for a moment. Well, maybe at least he'd be able to do something about that one...

"We're going, Jet," Crow said without turning back to the Prinplup, who was still settled comfortably on the bench, "We don't want the whole place to end up like Burned Tower, right?"

Frankly, Jet didn't care nearly as much, but it wasn't like he had anything better to do. Figuring he might as well do Crow a favor just this once, the penguin hopped off the bench and followed his trainer down the street.

[foolishwren]

JUST AN EXPLOSION, BURGER.

NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT.

For awhile, in fact, Henry wouldn't have anything to worry about.

But about twenty minutes or so later (after most of the fire had faded from the sky and police were swarming the spot where it had been), a whispered voice would hail Henry from the bushes.

"Henry! Henry! Pssst!"

[foolishwren]

The first thing Ironhide would see were lots of police. Inspecting a burnt circle of grass way up ahead.

And a very confused hot dog vendor attempting to explain just had happened while his Munchlax ran in circles around the scorched circle, apparently attempting to re-enact whatever had happened.

[show_my_cannons]

Well that's not good. Not good at all. But there doesn't seem to be any obvious fires around. Which means... there's not likely anything he can do. He stands back, watching, instead, his arms folded.

... Meanwhile, though, his Blastoise seems awfully interested in the direction Heather went. Sure does smell like that girl he knows.

[usedscratch]

Chi had still been playing with her own, meager fire power when it happened.

FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM.

"EEEEEEEEEEE!" she screamed, accidentally letting loose more of her own flames. Panic was on. It was so on.

"CHI DIDN'T DO IT! CHI DIDN'T DO IIIIIIIIIITTTTT!!!!" she wailed, dashing around in a tizzy.

[foolishwren]

Things are never that easy, Crow.

The duelist may have in fact noticed his scruff-haired friend getting sicker over the past few days. Darkening skin, tendency to ignite pillows...

Of course it would get this bad eventually. Of course.

The place was swarming with police by the time Crow arrived-- yellowtaped off and everything.

Circle of smoking grass, traumatized hot dog vendor...

But not much to see apart from that.

No Rockets, no obvious signs of their terrorism...

There would, however, be a text popping up on Crow's 'Gear.

hey crow




could you do me a BIG favor

[foolishwren]

Ironhide pay attention to your Pokemon he's onto something!

Heather's distinctly burnt-toast-smelling trail would lead away from the square a little bit... and eventually to the base of a nearby tree.

Those police were QUICK.

Heather'd had to make do with what she could get to, and if that meant treeing herself like a startled cat, so be it. The somewhat scorched-looking girl was concealed behind the thick summer foliage, clinging to a bough like a squirrel.

JUST WAIT 'EM OUT...

[show_my_cannons]

The Blastoise grunts, pawing at the tree trunk. He knows that smell. He butts his head up against it. Look, Heather, he's trying to say hello.

Finally, Ironhide seems to realize his prized cannon-turtle isn't nearby. Grumbling to himself, he starts limping after him, cursing under his breath in modified Cybertronian. "Get back here, you," he growls, approaching close enough to grasp Cannon's shell, and trying to haul him off.

"There is nothing up there."

Unless she drops her shoe on his head or something.

[foolishwren]

As the lumbering creature approached, a head of scorched-looking black hair and two smoldering oranger-than-usual eyes rose slowly from the leaves.

Oh no.

Nope nope nope.

No way was a giant Pokemon coming her way gonna give her position away.

"... Psht! Hey! Shoo!" she hissed down at the Blastoise. "You're gonna give me awa--"

Oh-- ... oh!

Changing tactics as soon as that crew-cut head appeared down below, she crouched back down, pressing herself to the branch so she could peer down between the limbs.

"Hey! Ironhide! Up here!"

[show_my_cannons]

In response to her shoo-ing attempts, Cannon lifted his head, and, in what seemed to be a perfect imitation of his trainer... snorted at her. He butted his head up against the tree again, to prove the point he was just trying to make.

Ironhide may have been strong, but his pokemon outweighed and out-muscled him by a few hundred pounds. His tugging did little.

"Stubborn little..."

A voice...? He looked up, very slowly. As if by moving more carefully, the speaker would not be who he dreaded it was going to be.

Oh.

Great.

"What did you do?" No greeting. No immediate concern. Just that flat question. Really, it was because the scorched hair was the least reassuring thing he could have seen right then, and Ironhide didn't deal terribly well with worry. "What happened?"

[foolishwren]

If she hadn't been so ... well, hung-up on the fact that she'd just sprayed fire fifty feet into the sky, she might have sulked a little. Oh, sure, don't ask me how I'm doing or anything.

As it is, though, she shrinks back into the leaves a little, that mottled darkness spreading over hair and skin alike doing surprisingly well at camouflaging her in the sunset shadows. Or at least they would have if those ember-eyes didn't give her way.

"It wasn't my fault!"

.... Note that whatever it is, she's not denying that she DID it.

[show_my_cannons]

The eyes... they make the skin on his neck want to crawl away. Though he's not sure if it's because they smack of Decepticon optics, or because humans should not have eyes that look like that.

He doesn't say anything for a long moment.

Then he holds his arms up, sighing. He doesn't sound angry, at least. More resigned. Honestly, he doesn't know what to do, other than what he's trying to do.

"Come here, kid. Need to get you looked at..." A glance behind. "No one is looking."

[darkenedgales]

He'd noticed that -- it was hard not to, really -- but it was just small things, right? Pillows weren't a big deal (even if the inn owner made it sound like they were), so it obviously couldn't get too bad.

Or so he hoped.

Having reached the scene, Crow could easily tell there wasn't much he could help with here, either. He didn't even bother asking Officer Jennies what'd happened, figuring they'd know about as much as he did. The duelist briefly considered the possibility of this being the work of Cobra Commander -- he's petty enough to attack a hot dog vendor, Crow imagined -- but soon gave up on trying to make sense out of it.

That's when he got a text message on his 'Gear, causing him to temporarily forget about the commotion behind the police tapes. The timing of the request might not have been the best one, but hey, it's not like Crow would ever say no to a friend in need -- unless...

no if you want me to get you hot dogs

they seem to be outta order

[foolishwren]

Well, if nothing else, a shrieking little girl was a pretty good distraction.

Heather was long gone, but when the police arrived on the scene, it was hard to ignore a kid running around emitting flames.

The Jennies stopped dead in their tracks, looking back at Jerry, who was wide-eyed and wheezing in the middle of them.

"... Jerry, this is a five-year-old," one of them said drily. "Wasn't that girl you keep seeing everywhere a teenager?"

"She was-- she was RIGHT HERE, I swear!" Jerry exclaimed breathlessly, gesturing to the circle of burnt grass. "This is a different kid!"

... Even if she was shooting flames, too.

Arceus, this thing spread like the plague, didn't it?

[usedscratch]

Uh-oh. Now there were lots of grown ups all around. They looked mad and they were looking at Chi.

"CHI DIDN'T DO IT, CHI PROMISES!" she wailed at them, between crying hysterically and spewing small flames, of course.

"PLEASE DON'T SCOLD CHI! CHI DIDN'T DO IT, CHI SHOULDN'T GET IN TROUBLE!"

[foolishwren]

It doesn't really occur to her that anything like this would scare him (or as close as Ironhide could COME to being scared)-- hell, she forgets she even has the eyes half the time. She'd certainly rather forget. She doesn't like looking at those eyes, either, so she hasn't been.

Frowning, she casts a glance around despite his reassurance-- but it's true, the police are all occupied over in that square.

"... I'm not going to the Pokemon Center," she grumbles, starting to carefully clamber down from the branch. The places where she's touched the bark are gently steaming. "But if you know anyone ELSE who knows how to reverse the fact that I've slowly been turning into the Human Torch..."

[show_my_cannons]

When she gets in range, he moves to pick her up off the tree itself. His head jerks in Cannon's direction, and the big turtle pokemon lumbers forward, using his bulk to further block the view from the square.

"Figure something out," he says, flatly.

If Ratchet were here, this would be so much simpler. Everything would be. He doesn't know the first thing about human health and doctoring. He's not even sure he knows who does.

"Have Cliffjumper ask around," he tells her. "He is... slightly more subtle than I am."

[foolishwren]

yeah I kinda



knew that

There was a slight pause there, before another one pinged onto the screen.

where are you right now?

[foolishwren]

She'd been intending to get all the way down herself, but there's not much she can do besides let out a growl of protest when he grabs her himself. She's hot to the touch-- every inch of her. Like she'd spent the past five hours pressed up against a bonfire.

"Oofh-- but Dad and I HAVE been asking around," she grumbles once her feet touch the grass (assuming he puts her all the way down). "TONS of people are getting this, apparently! I mean, shit, did you see the little kid running around back there spewing little fireballs? It's not just me!"

[bakaitoukid]

So much for peace and quiet in sleepy little Johto.

It had been a while since Kaito had witnessed such mass panic (and some bitter, irritated part of him was still frustrated that this wasn't the first time he had witnessed the world devolve into chaos). Between people getting sick, the Centers being absolutely destroyed, and Heather's visibly worsening condition... well. "Concerned" felt like an understatement, and it certainly wasn't in the magician's nature to sit back and wait for things to play out before getting himself involved.

That's why he was on the streets when the incident occurred, Biz perched on his head, Kei and Flapper bouncing at his heels. As someone who was (luckily, though it didn't always feel like it, since watching everyone else suffer just made him feel worse) unaffected, he had taken to patrolling the streets and offering a helping hand to whoever might have needed one. When the fire column rose up over the horizon, he nearly stumbled in surprise, and Biz had to cling to his hair to keep from falling off. "G-geez--!" he grumbled as he caught his footing and whirled around to face the billowing smoke, "That was a big one--!"

Explosions weren't exactly uncommon now, but they weren't all that large. "C'mon you guys," the magician said to his team as he began to trot forward to investigate, "Especially you, Flapper. We might need your particular area of expertise."

"Wooooopah~!" The Wooper exclaimed as she bounced over the ground, keeping pace with her trainer easily.

It was going to be a long evening.

[show_my_cannons]

He does let her down. Stuffing her under his coat isn't really an option, as convenient a hiding place as it would be -- how Ironhide manages to wear a coat in this weather is anyone's guess. He'll have to rely on the combined sizes of Cannon and himself to keep one skinny teenager out of sight.

"Then... it is not radiation, after all."

Radiation would kill a human being. Not... do this. If they had been exposed, they'd be dying. "No one has an answer?"

[no_ufo_ending]

Henry had spent those twenty minutes trying his best to calm down his frazzled glameow. He patted Burger's head and mumbled encouraging things to him, but the cat insisted on nearly choking him with his tail. He stopped near some bushes to try and pry the cat off of him because oxygen was pretty important.

Then the bush talked to him and he stopped. Slowly the photographer turned to peer at the plant. 8[ Was he already hallucinating?

[haveyouseenalittlegirl]

Harry was out for a walk when the giant plume of flames happen.

He freezes for a moment before turning to see what exactly happened.