Chapter 9 – The Fire in East Haven
The smell of smoke reached Tim before the sirens did.
He was walking home from the corner store when the sky turned orange. An old building — the one with the bakery on the first floor — was burning. People stood on the sidewalk screaming, some filming, some praying.
Tim dropped his bag of snacks and ran straight in.
Heat slammed him like a wall. The smoke burned his throat, but the System kicked in fast:
Toxin detected. Neutralizing airborne pollutants.
Respiration enhanced. Oxygen efficiency +45%.
Suddenly, he could breathe like the air itself respected him.
A woman was trapped on the second floor, coughing by a window. Flames crawled up the walls behind her.
Tim looked at the staircase — half collapsed.
Obstacle detected.
Adrenaline surge recommended?
"Do it."
Energy roared through him. He vaulted over the railing, landed hard, and felt nothing. No pain. His legs didn't even shake.
He wrapped his arm around the woman, skin glowing faint gold, and the System whispered again:
Subject: smoke inhalation. Applying detox protocol.
Health stabilized.
She gasped once — then her breathing steadied.
"Hold on!" Tim shouted, lifting her as easily as a pillow.
They burst through a wall of smoke, glass shattering as he kicked open a window. He jumped — landed on a dumpster with a metallic crash — and rolled to his feet, still holding her safe.
The crowd erupted in cheers.
He didn't wait for thanks. He disappeared into the alley before the cameras turned his way.
Behind him, the fire crews swarmed the scene. Someone said they saw a "light-skinned angel" walk out of the flames. Another said it was a hallucination from the smoke.
Tim just kept walking.
Mission Complete.
XP +100. Rank E → Rank D.
New Ability: Flame Resistance.
He grinned. "Guess the system's proud of me."
Then his smile faded. The glow of the fire reflected in his eyes, and he whispered, "But if Ultra Buff was still here… none of this would've happened."