At this point, the audio coming through into Drakken's ears was more static and robotic than it was the sound of Marks' very annoying voice. It only added to the heightened state that he was in, shoving more sensory overload into Drakken's brain along with the bright fire that was only getting bigger, the intoxicating smell of smoke that was clinging to everything and would probably follow him home, and the heat of it that was brushing his exposed skin.
The sounds of the emergency vehicles and their screeching sirens were also not helping.
He paced, back and forth, in front of the wall, waiting. Somewhere in the barn there was a loud crackā no doubt a beam or board of some sort falling victim to the fire. A dark plume puffed up into the sky, the flames illuminating it was it traveled in a lazy roll up toward the bare branches of trees and further toward the stars.
Finally, the wall began to move. He stopped, watching as the thinned piece began to splinter outwards until a goat came through the hole that had been made. Drakken let out a breath, watching the creature fall into the dirt before getting back to its feat in a daze, and then turned backā
And there was the man all of this had been for.
He opened his mouth to reply to the expletives with something much more poised, but suddenly flashing blue lights were being cast across the space. A fire truck had pulled up and the brigade all hopped out, getting to work tending to the fire before it spread no doubt. After them was an ambulance and then aā oh fiddlesticks.
"Oi!" the police officer called as he got out of his car, already jogging over to them. "Are you two alright?"
Drakken frowned, looking down at Marks again. Alive and, unfortunately, well.
Oh, this plan had not gone as he had hoped it would at all.
Well, at least it couldn't get any worse.
"What the bloody hell happened here?" the officer asked, looking up at the burning building as he slowed his steps toward them. Drakken turned to meet the man's eye and saw the suspicion there and suddenly a new revenge plot sprang to mind. He opened his mouth, ready to place all the blame on the one having a coughing fit on the floor, when he was interrupted. Again.
"I saw everything, officer!" a voice called out. A short man appeared from the mazes of vehicles. He had a pair of thick, black glasses on his face, a camera around his neck, and a dark hair. Drakken swore he recognized him from...somewhere...? But that didn't matter, as he was more concerned with there being a witness. He stood up a bit straighter, eyes wide, as he anticipated the explanation that was about to come outā but then the shorter man pointed to Marks. "That man is a hero?"
"What?" the officer asked.
"Who are you?" the officer went on.
"Toby Determined, Swynlake Squire," the little man said. (Ah, that's where Drakken knew him from. Town Hall.) He continued to point at Marks, "He came out of that barn and saved that goat! It was incredible, see?"
He hoisted the camera up and stood beside the officer to show him a series of photos he had taken, all proving what he had just said. The officer's lower lips stuck out, impressed, and looked up at the hole in the wall and then down at Marks, "Well done, lad."
"Excuse me!" a gruff voice said and everyone turned to look at a firefighter approaching. "You all need to get back!"
"Right," the officer said and leaned over to offer his hand to Marks. "Come on, then. Let's get you looked at by the medics. And youā" he nodded to Drakken, "āfetch that goat, will you?"
