2.8

The Call of the Wild: The brightest flame

The initial blaze wore off to reveal Fleur who was still very much unscathed. The flame was only on the string wrapped around her burning in a strangest of orange. Even Hiro, who was sitting quite a distance could feel the heat, this fire was stronger than any he had known. A good way to keep the wolves at bay.

'What a shitty ability' Fleur thought to herself.

She was now fire-proof, but that didn't mean the smoke no longer choke. The beautician could still feel the heat as well, it would drive any normal person to madness.

Jack Thornton walked forward to face with her. The heat was unlike anything he had ever known, it was like hellfire in the realm of the living. Was this fire made by the woman's ability, was that string a part of it, was she completely immune to the heat, what degree of control did she have over it? He needed to identify what kind of power this was. The wolves wouldn't help him, not like he wanted them to.

"So you want to challenge me" The woman said coldly, she soon noticed her manner, which was forced into one more girlish.

A sparkle on the ground attracted the cowboy attention, before he could see what it was, the man was blinded by a flash.

By the time he recovered, Fleur was already in front of him. Even while blinded he could still feel her coming. At this distance, the heat was simply unbearable. But Jack was a soldier once, in this life and death situation, he needed to know how she would attack.

A hug? There wasn't enough distance. There was something in her palms, sparkling dust.

Fleur reached up, but she didn't want to reach Jack, oh no. The woman clapped her hands and as she opened them, hell was unleashed. A blast of hellfire burst out, threatening to consume everything in its path.

'Is this the end' Thought Jack, facing the void his head was blank. The man closed his eyes and he could hear thunders, the sound of bullets whizzing through his ears

He had survived through hell itself, he just had to resign to mother nature, pure instinct. Jack jumped back, his broken left hand outstretched to grab the explosion. His palm was scorched but it stopped the heatwave from expanding, frying him whole.

With his right hand, the cowboy pulled out his revolver, firing a single shot, it was a hit.

Fleur staggered back as the bullet punched through her stomach.

"Ughhhhh" The woman grunted, the pain was numbed by the hit. That expression of pain was because now her clothes were officially stained with blood. She took solace in the fact the actual clothing back in her world would be fine.

Fleur stood up but she staggered back, why, the wound wasn't that serious.

"It seems like the heat finally gets to you" Jack said, with admiration "Seem like you weren't immune to it, such endurance"

"I guess I am now as red as a lobster" Fleur answered bitterly "Don't reply to that, I don't want to know"

She was starting to lose it, the heat was maddening, there wasn't enough oxygen. At this rate, she would actually die from asphyxiation or heatstroke, both so uncute.

Jack held up his gun while Fleur readied her hand, a finger in her mouth. She shed a single tear for what to come. The man fired without any hesitation, only for his shot to be dodged. Another missed as the beautician ran up to him like an action hero.

In truth, she was panicking 'slightly' seeing the gun, having completely forgotten about it. But then, Fleur wondered in this situation, what could she do. 'Die', that was the answer. No one could outrun a bullet, it was too outrageous. Then what would an outrageous person do. She tried to think like Eikichi, in this situation, what would he do.

The man would do somethings stupid, like looking at the barrel to guess the trajectory. Somehow, it worked, she just dodged two bullets while moving forward. Fleur would feel like Neo, or more like Trinity, if The Matrix had come out by her time.

'Now it's my turn' With a drop of tear, Fleur ripped one of her left nails off with her teeth. Ah, she spent hours smoothing them…

What done was done, the beautician spit the bloodied nail at Jack. She had closed enough distance, he couldn't avoid it. The man immediately fired, this time it was a hit, straight at Fleur's left shoulder, a bone was shattered.

The nail detonated, taking two of Jack's fingers with it.

Yes, the flame wasn't Fleur power nor was the string. It was a chemical fire, the 'dental floss' was made to withstand it. Her clothing was also completely heat-proof. The beautician herself, was a different matter, her incapable of being burnt was just a part of her power. Her true ability was to turn any of her body part except for hair into a bomb.

"Why do I have this stupid power" Fleur lamented. She was a beautician, the woman wanted to pretty up the world around her. Then why did she develop this ability. Fleur completely left all the chemicals and fire-proof items she had out of her mind.

Jack dropped his gun but he wasn't finished yet. With his mangled hand, the man pulled out his machete. The string around Fleur was starting to break, the flame weakened. Soon she would be unprotected, open prey for the wolves. There was no time to go for the revolver.

"Ahhhh!" Fleur charged at him, the floss broke, left a burning trail behind her.

There he was, Hiro Hanazawa, watching it all. The woman looked as if she had wings of fire on her back. Like a deity descending onto the mortal realm.

Fleur reached into her handbag with her right hand. The wolves were right behind, waiting for the flame to leave her for good. Jack was there, his machete raised, eyes kept on that bag. There was something tucking at him, however, it was his instinct, warning of a trap. He dismissed it, however, she must be getting more of that explosive powder.

That wasn't the case. Fleur flicked her bloodied left hand instead.

Jack couldn't see why, until blood reached his face. The man recoiled back but it was too late, several drops of blood had reached their target. A series of explosion lit up the man's head. They weren't major, however, seeing the drop was small.

The damage was done, skin and lips were torn apart, the right eye only saw darkness. He had doubted his instinct, the flame had rattled him, he couldn't keep faith.

Seeing the opening, Fleur slipped to the left, disappearing out of Jack's sight. The wolves desperately jumped at the woman. The man was left to figure out how she was going to attack. Would Fleur reach for the machete, or was she aimed at his throat for another explosion. The cowboy tried to awaken his instinct but there was nothing.

The answer was neither. The beautician sliced his stomach with a folded long knife drew from her handbag. The cut was clean, this was no amateur.

"My struggle ends here" Jack muttered, content.

The wolves stopped and howled as the knife came up and pierced through the man jaw straight up to the top of his skull.

Fleur looked back to see the beasts had all backed off, slowly disappearing. So this was all an illusion of sort. The woman could see that Hiro still remained, staring back at her with eyes of amazement. The beautician realised she was holding the bloodied knife and hid it behind herself awkwardly, she didn't want the blood to stain her back.

This office worker wasn't fazed by the violence at all "You were amazing" He said,

"What, heck no, I am a mess" Fleur replied "My hair is a mess, blood is everywhere, my nail is gone… I am a mess!"

"Nah, you gave it your all, I could see it in your eyes, the determination, the passi…"

"NO, I am not a pyromaniac!" The beautician cut him off.

Hiro zipped his mouth, he didn't lie however. In the moment, amidst the fire and the carnage, her eyes shone through. There was something burning within, brighter than any flame.

Momo-chan: [Yep, she is definitely a pyromaniac]

Hiro: {Nah, I don't think so}

Momo-chan: [Huh]

Hiro: {Or else her power would be more fire-based, not explosion}

The voice thought deeply then commented [True]

Hiro remained quiet, that fire had lit something within him. It wasn't a zealous flame like what was in Willow's eyes, no it was much more.

The beautician felt like she had forgotten something, oh it was Eikichi. She turned back to see to the man only to be greeted by Jack's corpse, still breathing. There was something strange, there was no cut on his stomach, nor burnt nor stab. No, the man was filled with arrows instead. Next to him was that majestic white wolf that had been watching over them all this time, having come down from its hill.

The beast eyes were sparkling off tears, they were pure sadness.

"It's alright, Buck, this is all part of nature" Jack said weakly, patting the wolf head, its snuggled up to him like a small dog, trying to feel its master warmth. But there was none.

Jack Thornton faded away like the packs, an illusion just like the rest.

The wolf cried out, its howl echoed through the mountains, filled with pain and sorrow.

"It was you all along, your power" Fleur said "It's all over now, you can step down now"

Buck had no intention of doing so, however, he turned to the woman barring its teeth. Pain, sadness, confusion, the beast wanted to lash out. It stood there majestically, like a king without a throne. The flash of domestic gone without a trace, washed away years ago with the death of Jack Thornton. This is a beast, a wild beast.

"I don't want to do this" Fleur held the knife tight.

A final howl, a call of the wild, the beast lunged forward, fangs flashing.