[attr="class","cian"]wisps of flames fan out, buffeted by the strong winds that make it almost impossible to approach. it's why cian skids to a halt right outside a building. his eyes glance around to try and get a better understanding.

there's one door, two windows on each floor, and three floors total. he can't tell where the screaming's coming from.

"i could just fucking turn around and leave right now and no one would know..."

he mutters words, growing anxious as his hand wraps out a pokeball. would calling out his tyranitar really be the best option here? he certainly thinks so.

but footsteps behind him draw his attention away. he turns, meeting bo.

"took you long enough."

[attr="class","noodles"]boruta maher

[attr="class","cian"]"the fuck?"

he's yanked back a little, enough to frustrate as he reaches a hand up to slap bo's away. the shift and crack of wood pulls him away, attention shifting back to the building in front of them. bo does his thing and runs off before cian can protest.

go home.

before that, he might've.

"tch."

his hand cracks open the pokeball, calling out his tyranitar. its presence rumbles the ground and it doesn't take long for its SAND STREAM to surround them. sand whips through the air, flowing into the building.

it douses little; science had never been his strong suit.

[attr="class","noodles"]boruta maher

[attr="class","cian"]he raises an arm up to shield his eyes against the buffet of sand. he's spent years training in similar conditions to be relatively unaffected, still able to peer dust and sand with most of his vision unhindered. he frowns at the sight of flames continuing to rise, seemingly unbothered by the SANDSTORM.

even from outside, he hears the screams continue.

"amplify it, ty."

a move they've done countless times, tyranitar's SANDSTORM grows stronger, thicker, and it continues to flow through the building. his hand finds a pokeball, calling out his krookodile who immediately does the same with its own SANDSTORM.

flames on the outside begin to dwindle, but who knows what might be going on inside?

hands wrap around another pokeball, calling out his swampert.

"you two, keep at it."

[attr="class","noodles"]boruta maher

[attr="class","cian"]it's annoying to feel so helpless, so powerless against the plight of devouring flames. he tenses, teeth gritting with impatience before he finally taps once against swampert's back.

"summon it, then follow."

swampert stomps a foot against the ground, cracking it just enough to draw a MUDDY WATER out from beneath. it curls and forms into a wave that crashes into the building, extinguishing flames as it washes into it.

cian's sprinting in even before the wave's pulled back. his legs splash against water but it does little to deter him. inside, he searches for bo.

"THE FUCK YOU AT, BO?"

[attr="class","noodles"]boruta maher

[attr="class","cian"]his gaze shifts up to the broken board, to the single leg, and he can't help feeling the drop in his stomach. he doesn't like the idea but they're short on them at the moment, limited by the situation.

"fuck — fine! drop him!"

he does his best to steady himself to catch the weight of a small child, then realizes he doesn't have to. his swampert trails into the building, damp skin keeping it safe from the flames.

"catch this kid then get out!"

against better judgment, cian heads the other way, sprinting up the stairs in an attempt to get to his brother.

[attr="class","noodles"]boruta maher

[attr="class","cian"]the boy lands safely in swampert's wet flippers; the water-type wastes no time in turning and leaping out of the burning building, leaving the brothers to quite possibly their own demise.

wood creaks underneath his weight, almost splitering as he makes his way up the stairs. it's hot when he reaches the landing — so hot that it's almost suffocating.

he coughs, trying to find his breath as he stumbles towards bo. his voice grunts under the intensity of the situation, tone rough.

"you're such a dumbass—"

a pokeball pops open, revealing his ninetales. it takes a quick glance, startled, but immediately understands. cian drags bo by his shoulders, carrying him onto ninetales' back.

"go!"

[attr="class","noodles"]boruta maher

he heard his brother’a voice. maybe he was right. he didn’t argue. ”cian!”

a cry of pain released from his chest as he pulled the kabuto from his arm and held it in a way that it couldn’t attack him anymore. they rode on the back of the ninetales and out of the building.

blackened with debris, he slouched as he slid off on the outside and staggered to stand—a mess.

CIAN MAHER