Despite everything, it's still me

You may already be asking if dark follows the “neither good nor evil” rule. You’d be correct! Just look at the quote I chose for the section. There isn’t much to it thankfully, but examples from other media may prove helpful here if you’re having trouble visualizing it for writing purposes.

Dark magic takes the form of heavy-weighing, black burning flames. They have a liquid, almost mercury-like property and will continue to burn and keep its shape until it eventually disappears. The user can shape it to their will, forming walls of flames to block attacks, or tendrils of darkness to grab objects or people. Using more energy, the user can summon more solid darkness that can last indefinitely, good for pinning people to the wall with bands of darkness.

Much like light magic, dark magic is able to target and sever channels. Biologically speaking, a non-family user’s channels aren’t equipped to handle such a heavy energy, and as such bend and break from the weight. Some masters have found this to also be true with the Center, able to cut it off from the rest of the body temporarily.

Grade II allows for indefinite burning flames and the like, but also allows for a user to move through shadows, being able to travel distances relatively quickly. They’re also able to transport other people using more energy, but it’s not uncommon for the passengers to become dizzy or nauseous when leaving the shadows. Grade III hasn’t been decided.

Dark magic is the least “dead” of the two, thanks to a wide range of families having time to write tomes to pass down generations. Light users, on account of the Magical Purges, never had that chance. In order to change societal beliefs, in recent years a few family users have stepped forward and begun teaching the public about dark magic and its potential uses. Some have even taken to finding family users who are unaware they are family users, attempting to unlock the light or dark magic that slumbers within them.

I have @twincityhacker to thank for all the current--and hopefully final--light magic mechanics. It took years, and that is no exaggeration. They gave me inspiration and some ideas, and I ran with it for a few months until I settled on something I was happy with. Having played around with it in writing, I’m finally happy with what’s been developed. 

Light magic allows for the user to create an object, hypothetically anything (within the limits), from hard light. Sword and shield, a crowbar or hammer, and even unconventional things like a chair. The larger the object, the more energy it consumes on use. They can be formed in air or in a user’s hand, but have a creation range of ten feet. The objects are indestructible, but are only as strong as the person wielding them. They also eventually disappear, size scaling with less time. These two things keep it from being too powerful.

That’s balanced out however with light’s healing ability. No matter if it’s a small wound or the person lay on the verge of death, it’s implied light could heal them all. Reversing magic shock and healing channels is also possible. The larger the wound, the more energy required. A small cut is nothing, but reversing magic shock can take quite a bit (read: Grade II). For healing, cutting off the energy flow at the right time is key. A user can tell when something is “healed” when they feel their energy slow or bounce back. It can heal damaged or severed channels, but can also damage or sever channels with a focused attack.

Light is the most “dead” of the two, being that many light users are in hiding and coming out publicly carries a huge risk. Recall the “it’s implied light could heal them all” from above - this is a widespread belief that appears impossible to curb. Learn of a light user in your neighborhood, realize your kid just got diagnosed with cancer, and suddenly you’re at their door begging for them to heal your child. Now imagine this on a much larger scale. It would be life-ruining. As such, light users almost never come out publicly.

The way light and dark gain their strength is through the use of emotions, but this really only applies for the first few activations and uses. After some practice, using one or the other becomes second-nature. For family users, a strong emotion, coupled with magic exhaustion and a need for more power results in light and dark becoming “unlocked” within them. This is the main reason why light and dark weren’t often taught, as old teachings required children to be put in life-or-death scenarios to use light or dark for the first time.  From then on, emotions are only required to use light or dark, and eventually those aren’t needed when a user gets used to the “feeling” using light or dark provides.

So long as you descend from a user of light or dark, you’re considered a family user. That doesn’t mean you can use it so easily, however. If you had a family member who was a light user, but they were killed in the early 1800s, it would be possible for one to use light magic, but it would take much training and practice.

The main reason why only family users can use light or dark is the way the Center is set up and functions. For family users, the Center underwent a permanent change with their first ancestor to use it, and this change is passed down to those related by blood. It’s either light or dark, no one can use both, and this is designated by what type of raw energy the Center produces for light or dark. A lighter-feeling raw energy for light, and a heavier-feeling raw energy for dark. We know of the weight because, unlike the other elements where you simply “tell” the raw energy where to go, a light or dark user must “guide” the energy to its destination.

The first few times it’s used, it can be a painful experience. Since the body isn’t used to this new type of raw energy, it tends to flow uncontrollably from the Center and fill each channel. It's a double-edged sword, in that your attacks are much stronger and seemingly endless with no risk, but without stemming the flow you're at a high risk for death. In this “filled” state, a light user’s body produces a comforting heat, while a dark user’s body produces an icy cold. This state is noticeable from a distance because it will slowly rustle the user’s clothes and hair.

Some users of light and dark prefer this method, as while it's risky it is highly effective. Most others however choose to suppress it and force it back into the Center, training their bodies to do so until it becomes an unconscious movement. This allows light or dark to be used much like the other four elements.

At the time of writing this, the current media I’m writing stories for has a favorite character who’s a master at water. This has given me the chance to really become familiar with how the mechanics and energy usage of water should handle. Much like wind, I find it to be varied and useful in many situations, and a creative mind is all that’s needed to explore the endless possibilities.

Water manipulation is just that: manipulating water (and ice) to a person’s liking. Using its template as a guide is the easiest thing to do. While you’re limited to existing water--though you can create your own ice from existing water--there’s never a lack of it in everyday life. Anything containing water can be manipulated, but be careful of overlapping earth and water. Both have a limited range and both can manipulate liquid-like materials, but question if something is more “earth” or “water” before deciding.

I have a feeling people will ask about blood manipulation, and I can confirm that’s also possible. A very small minority of water users even bother to learn it, since it requires being a master to do so correctly. Even then, controlling a person like a puppet is seen among nearly all water users as a violation of a person’s autonomy. It has very limited uses, often distorts the mind of the person using it, and can easily result in hemorrhaging (bleeding internally) if the user isn’t careful.

Grade II and Grade III aren't exactly decided. I'd imagine the larger volume of water, the more energy it consumes to manipulate. You feel nearly 100% of the weight when moving or lifting something, so keep that in mind.

Second hardest to learn.

Over the years of developing the system, wind has consistently been my favorite. It’s varied in what it can do, useful in many situations, and is regarded in society as the easiest of the four to learn. While some might consider it the weakest, remember once again that not one element is stronger or weaker than its brethren. It’s the person using the element that dictates that.

Wind waves are the name of the game for basic stuff. Out of the palm of the hand is generated gusts of wind, which under the hands of a masterful person can be shaped and bent to whatever the user wants. Light breezes to strong blasts and everything between are all possible. Want to use the endpoints in your arm and hands to create a sharp blade of wind? That’s absolutely a thing, and quite popular among battlers as a sharp enough wind “sword” is able to cut through material as hard as soft metal (ex: aluminum). As with fire, wind cannot be controlled that wasn’t created by yourself.

I believe one of my favorite things wind can do is something referred to as lightening. In a short story I wrote for fun, a person had jumped off a building to save a jumper, grabbing the man and summoning wind magic around himself. This slowed both down considerably, and he was able to land safely on the ground at a gentle speed. I use an example here because it’s the best way to explain the idea. Trying to lift some heavy from a rope, but it seems impossible? Send wind down the rope and around the object, lightening it enough so that a few people together can lift it. A major limit of it however is the strength of the person performing this technique. Ask yourself if the object they’re lightening can be feasibly lifted by human hands in the first place, then consider if one person can do it alone, or if it requires multiple people.

Grade II doesn’t have a definition besides heavy magic. Grade III allows for de-oxygenation of a room.

The easiest of the four to learn. The most balanced of the four.

When one thinks of earth manipulation, they may think of its depiction in The Last Airbender. I wouldn't blame them - there is very little to improve upon or top. As with a good chunk of the magic system, it uses the elemental depictions from it as a template, then tries to distance itself as much as possible. Earth in this system is the most similar to its template.

That means a majority of what is depicted in the show follows here. General rock manipulation, where one must use existing matter to do so. Any shape or form, including surrounding body parts with rock. It has a limited range from the user. The larger or heavier the matter being manipulated, the more energy is used. Most general earth manipulation falls under Grade I.

The difference lies in other materials created from the earth. If it's made from the earth and isn't too refined it can be manipulated. The more refined it is, the more energy required to manipulate it. Sand and soil are the most common, which can be turned into whips or be suspended in air, but also consider the wider possibilities. Crude oil comes from the earth, which can be made into asphalt. An earth user is also able to determine how hard or easy something is to move by placing a hand near the material and spreading their energy outwards. Master earth users are able to do this from the two endpoints in their feet.

Grade II allows for steel manipulation, making it as soft as clay. Grade III isn’t truly defined, and at this moment its definition for earth is: using that amount of energy to move an equal amount of earth or earth-made materials.

You cannot control earth under the control of another person.

Most defensive of the four. Second easiest to learn.

Fire is a classic element in any media, often treated as a threat. If it can be manipulated, it is often depicted as being from the hands of someone evil, or regarded as “the bad guy” in the story. That is not the case for fire within this magic system. Dark magic takes the place of the “evil” magic, leaving fire in a weird grey area between good and evil. If you recall, “good” and “evil” are societal labels to those using certain types of magic. There are “good” fire users, there are “evil” fire users, and they all share the same fire and its properties at its core.

Most fire magic involves flame creation from thin air. Whether that be small flames from a fingertip, a flame used to light an area, or a wave of fire attacking a foe, fire manipulation hasn’t changed much.

Fire magic carries another property: creating heat, whether that be from a distance or up close from the hands. One can use this to heat up metal, making it malleable without burning anybody’s hands. They could also heat something up to its flash point, making it combust or even explode under the right circumstances. Things can be heated up from a distance, but with a maximum range of ten feet. Some more masterful fire users make use of the underused endpoints on the legs and arms to act as a human heater.

Grade II burns a much hotter fire, turning the flame blue. Grade III burns a white fire, and allows for one to remove heat from a large area. Removing heat isn’t possible to do with Grade I or Grade II.

You cannot control fire that you did not create. Once fire has lit something and spreads, that cannot be controlled either. This is very important to remember. 

The hardest of the four elements to learn. Even harder to master. The most offensive of the four.

Usage examples:

- Someone needs to get their friend out of a wrecked car. By heating up a panel, they’re able to bend it and pull it away with ease, freeing them.

- A person is cold after being outside in freezing temperatures from walking the dog. A fire user uses the channel endpoints on their legs and arms to warm them up.

This system is based around the four elements: wind, water, fire and earth, but there’s also the light and dark that’ll be explained further down. Wind and fire are generated from nothing, while water and earth use existing matter. Each element has its own strengths, weaknesses and limitations, and while some users think themselves better because of power or harder it is to use, it’s ultimately a case-by-case of how masterful they could be. A general “elemental square” guide is as follows:

Fire ⇆ Water   where counterclockwise is “stronger against”

⇅             ⇅      and clockwise is “weaker against”

Earth ⇆ Wind

However, light and dark fall out of this square, being neither stronger or weaker against any element.

Every human is born with the ability to use magic, but it isn’t innate and takes practice. Children are taught by their parents to master their magic, and whichever element they pick first designates them as a user. For example, a child that picks fire becomes a “fire user.” This doesn’t mean humans can’t use all the other elements–they most certainly can–but the first one they use is the one they master. “Master” or “masterful” in an element simply means a full understanding of one’s first element, and it’s often misunderstood and overused as a description. One sign of a true master is the ability to minimize energy usage and maximize the strength of an attack.

Raw magical energy is created from the Center, and the Center is a cluster of magical channels (channels in everyday use) that run throughout the body. Like veins that carry your blood, the Center acts as a “heart” and distributes raw energy throughout the body via channels. Thick channels spider-web from the Center, then branch off into smaller channels from these large, main channels. When these channels stop in certain places, it’s referred to as a (channel) endpoint. It’s here where channel tips are larger and left open to allow for raw energy to flow out and perform actions.

The hand contains eight different endpoints - one for each fingertip, as well as three in the palm. While that is the most commonly used, there are also endpoints at the bottom of the feet, and two points along the length of each limb. 

Channels also loosely wrap around internal organs, and while they are robust, they can be damaged from overuse and targeted attacks. They’re physical things, but can be repaired and cut if surgery is needed, much like veins.

Magical energy is infinitely generated, but there’s a limit to how much you can use in a given time. Should you use too much, you’ll go into magic exhaustion. This is felt as a sudden wave of fatigue, and it's hard to predict at what point it exactly happens. Any magic used will cause pain to radiate from the Center, growing stronger the farther one dips into magic exhaustion. Next is deep magic exhaustion, which causes further fatigue and dizziness, strong pain from the Center, and one begins to slip in and out of consciousness. Should you use any more, you’ll go into magic shock, which is always fatal. Your Center physically collapses in on itself, and since channels wrap around your organs, it eventually takes them down with it. The more powerful “technique” you use, the more energy you consume. It’s a constant balance of what you need vs how much energy you want to conserve.

Within society and the scientific community, it’s generally accepted that more energy in a single action means stronger attacks or different kinds of actions. These are referred to as Grades, capitalized when properly written. Grade I (one) is the most common, seen in everyday usage. Grade II (two) is less common, as it takes a large amount of energy and not everyone strives to use it. Grade III (three), while allowing for incredible and awesome feats of magic, will always lead to its user going into magic shock. One thing that doesn’t quite follow these rules is heavy magic--the act of compressing an element in one’s hand for a single, strong attack. It’s impossible to tell how much energy gets funneled into every case of heavy magic, and it’s up to the user creating it to monitor closely. It doesn’t take a true master to use heavy magic, but its usage outside of battles is limited.

Society is mostly the same, with magical shortcuts being present throughout. Laws are strict when it comes to magic, and no tolerance exists for killings via magic. Anyone could easily collapse a building or set it on fire, and historically the person responsible would be put to death without a second chance. This threat, with help from public viewings and television broadcasts of such events and trials, have deterred many from attempting these things.

Also ingrained in society are magic battling. Traditional magic battling involves the use of one element and two people, and is done nowadays for training, to strengthen bonds or friendships, or just for fun. Modern magic battling allows the use of all four elements, but this isn’t liked by most and is rarely done. Achieving a balance of speed and strength is key for magic battles, though some prefer to lean in either direction because of their chosen element. If forced into a magic battle, people appear to use their first element only, relying on their knowledge of it rather than the quantity of elements. 

Beyond the regular four, there are also two near-extinct elements: light and dark. In early times these two elements coexisted among the other four. However, they became feared as too powerful in some societies. This all culminated in the Destruction of 1794, in which a clash of light and dark magic at the same strength created a violent explosion, wiping out anything in a three-mile radius. From then, it led into the Magical Purges, which sought to wipe out any living light or dark user. Light users suffered more, and were nearly wiped out. Dark users crafted family tombs to pass down generations. Those who can use light or dark are designated as family users. Society doesn’t frown much upon light and dark magic anymore, but a lot of older people are still very skeptical and somewhat afraid. 

Scientists have been on the hunt for light and dark users to study. Before that, a major breakthrough in medicine was discovered in the late 1960s. As it turns out, while non-family users can’t use light or dark magic, there’s a biological remnant of a different kind of magical energy in everyone’s Center, one that enables them to use magical energy to “act” like light magic. While a former shell of light magic, barely even considered it, this magical energy was shown to have healing properties. After it was shown off to the world, it was then deemed the “seventh” magic: healing. In the next decade, it was test marketed in a few cities, but had most success within hospitals in New York City, as well as hospitals and firefighter medics in Los Angeles.

Finally, a rumor floats around that the Destruction of 1794 wasn’t just caused by light and dark magic. A study, stopped halfway through experiments, suggests that when light and dark magic of the same strength meet each other, they cancel out, warp and form a new element. It’s only a suggestion, and it’s very possible it’s not real. Nevertheless, those few researchers who have studied it have named it Chaos.

He was sure Roy saw how he reacted to the whole thing. The unease of watching them fight, flipping open the biophone roughly and snapping the antennae out harder than necessary. He was dreading having to explain it--hopefully he didn't ask. There was just a lot of bad in this world he wasn't a fan of.

The paramedic spotted movement out of the corner of his eye, and he looked over and down in bored interest. There was a kid right by his side, staring at his utility pouch in what John could only describe as fascination.

The elevator stopped again, and a man slipped out of the elevator as a nurse got on and took her spot on the left side.

John chuckled to himself as the kid continued to stare, clearly not bothered by anything else around him.

"Pretty cool, huh?" He questioned in a casual voice.

The kid didn't seem to care that he'd been noticed, instead looking up at John and nodding with eagerness, a smile on his face.

"They all look pretty dangerous." The kid commented. "But cool!"

Kids sometimes had a way with words while managing to use so little of them. The innocence they demonstrated always managed to work its way to John's heart.

The elevator doors opened again, this time letting two people out. Only two more floors to go before the first.

"You don't hurt people with 'em, do you?" The kid commented, poking the paramedic's tools. John shifted his hand out of his pocket, softly planting it on his pouch.

Enjoying the teaching moment, John shook his head in a playful way.

"Nope. Matter 'a fact, I use 'em to rescue and help people."

The elevator stopped at the second floor, letting an older man in.

John raised his right hand to his chin in mock deep thought.

"Come to think of it, I've helped a lotta people." He cracked a crooked grin. "Kids are always the best to help."

The kid broke into a big grin, raising his fists to his face in excitement.

"That's so cool! You gotta be a hero or something!"

John landed a hand on the boy's shoulder, patting it twice. Both shared an equally enthusiastic smile.

"Maybe I am, huh?"

Ding!

The elevator stopped moving, the doors to the first floor opening. John moved his hand from the kid's shoulder to his head, giving it a friendly couple of pats before exiting the elevator. He missed the kid excitedly waving goodbye to him as he headed towards Roy.

That's where Chet and Marco found themselves half an hour later, with Hank taking a break to do some paperwork and Mike off in the rec room making more coffee for everyone.

Chet furiously rubbed at a spot with a rag, where one persistent stain refused to lift off from the otherwise shiny side of Big Red.

"Better be careful Chet, you'll wear away the paint." Marco joked, breaking the weird silence as he finished wiping a spot. Chet cracked a grin at his comment.

"It just needs some good, old-fashioned elbow grease." He threw back, causing both linemen to snicker.

"Enough elbow grease to start a fire!"

Chet held his smile as he gave the spot one last wipe, revealing a pristine surface. He pulled the rag back, placing both hands on his hips.

"There, that should do it." He nodded to confirm to himself that all mud had been cleaned off.

Both men hoped the roads would quickly dry out before the engine was called back into action. Chet silently laughed at the thought of the squad returning even dirtier than it had left, with John complaining about how much they needed to clean.

The lineman had his thoughts suddenly interrupted by his shirt being tugged by someone. He looked to his left, making a face. Looking down, there was a young kid standing next to him, pulling at his shirt to get his attention.

"Hey mister, I need some help." The kid flatly spoke. He couldn’t have been older than eleven.

"Well..." Chet pleasantly sighed, crouching down so he was at the kid's height. "What can a big, strong fireman help you with?" 

When the kid didn't respond, rocking back and forth and holding his hands behind his back, Chet raised a curious eyebrow.

"You here to report a fire?"

The kid shook his head.

"It's my friend, Joshua." The kid looked past the front bay door, pointing at the edge. Both Chet and Marco could see a younger face looking around the wall of the station into the bay.

Marco stepped next to Chet, crouching down to meet his height.

The kid stopped pointing, going back to rocking on his feet.

"Y'see, he's scared of firefighters, and I wanna help him get over his fear." The kid broke his eyes away from both linemen, looking back to his friend.

"His house burned down two weeks ago, 'n his mom is letting him stay with me. I told him we'd go visit the fire station cause I wanted to help him."

Ah, the pure kindness of young kids. It never failed to pull at Chet's heartstrings.

Marco nodded along, playfully rubbing his chin in thought.

"Well, that sounds like something we can help with." He confirmed with kindness.

The kid seemed to brighten up a bit, becoming a little less nervous.

"Thanks, mister! I'm gonna go get him."

Without another word, the kid ran towards the bay doors, stopping at the left corner as he reached out and grabbed his friend. Joshua seemed to protest, pulling back and shaking his head. The kid said some things to his friend, causing him to shake his head.

Both linemen stood back up, watching the spectacle unfold with concern.

Marco slipped his hands into his pockets. "Aw, poor kid." He made a face. "I hope we can help him."

Chet crossed his arms in thought. "We should be able to. We just need to be patient, probably a little gentle too." He shrugged. "Besides, the kids out on runs seem to like me."

Marco failed to repress a snicker. "I'm always surprised the mustache doesn't scare them, mi amigo."

Before Chet could make a rebuttal about how Marco also had one, he noticed Joshua seemingly dragging his friend into the station. The kid seemed about ready to bolt like a captured fox if his friend let go.

"C'mon Richard, they're nice. They've been to our school two times before, remember?" Joshua reassured, but his friend still kept silent, allowing himself to be pulled across the bay as he avoided eye contact.

Chet shot Marco a quick glance and a raised eyebrow before assuming a friendly face and relaxed body language. He uncrossed his arms, crouching down to Richard's height. The kid avoided looking at him as Joshua ran around the back of his friend, holding him by the shoulders.

"See? He's really, really nice." Joshua tried reassuring his friend again, but he still refused to speak as he stood still, stiff as a board.

Richard finally swallowed, looking over at the two linemen. He seemed to squirm slightly in an uncomfortable way.

"H...hi." He managed to squeak out.

"Hey there, Richard right?" Chet playfully spoke. "That's a neat name." He gestured to himself before gesturing to the other lineman. "My name's Chet, and that's Marco."

As if on queue, Marco crouched down to Richard's height.

"Hi, Richard." Marco gently spoke. "First time in a fire station?"

The kid seemed to grow slightly more comfortable, silently nodding his head as an answer.

"Hey, that's cool. We got a lot of neat things here, a lot we can show you too." Marco kept his smile, gesturing with his right hand.

Whatever the kid was about to say was cut short by the footsteps of Hank stopping at the crowd. Richard looked up in shock, seeing that the captain was a fair bit taller than he was.

Hank casually slipped his hands into his pockets, looking down at Richard. "Well hi there, kid. What can we do for ya?"

Richard suddenly looked fearful, pulling away from Joshua and holding his hands up. He started breathing heavily, suddenly panicking as he ran away from everyone, further into the bay by the rec room.

Everyone watched as the poor boy ran with his eyes shut hard, seemingly running for his life. He glanced back at everyone before a second later running into something, falling backwards as he used his arms to brace himself.

Hank winced in response as his two linemen stood back up. The kid had run directly into Mike, who had probably planned to peek into the bay to see what all the commotion was about. He just hadn't anticipated a child running into his legs, and the engineer was now looking down at Richard, a mildly surprised look on his face as the kid looked up at him in fear.

It was a new experience for the crew, and Hank especially was curious as to how Mike would handle a fearful child. The kid *did* need rescuing, but not in the usual way that they were all used to. Because of Mike's position, he usually interacted the least with members of the public, and the captain couldn't recall the last time his engineer had interacted with a kid.

Letting out a soft breath through his nose, Mike's face fell to one of professional softness. Blinking slowly, he took his time crouching down wordlessly to match Richard's height.

The kid looked away, holding his eyes closed. To his surprise however, he didn't hear any movement or voices. He cautiously cracked one eye open, looking slowly at Mike.

"You okay?" The engineer asked gently, keeping a neutral face. He slightly leaned left and right, looking the kid over. "You look like you're okay."

Joshua nervously shuffled from one foot to another. He wanted to run over and help his friend, but was nudged lightly by Chet.

"Don't worry, I think Richard will be okay." He tried to reassure Joshua, happy to see the kid relax at his words, however slightly.

Richard still held his body tight, shrinking down and looking at Mike with the same amount of fear.

Mike hadn't caught anything spoken before, so he was unsure of the reason behind the intense fear of the kid. That didn't matter to him at all though. The kid was scared and apparently no one else had success alleviating his fears, so he'd give it his best shot.

Richard finally nodded to answer Mike's question, fear on his face slowly shifting to sadness.

"Good, I don't want anyone injured." The engineer spoke slowly and clearly. He slightly tilted his head to the side. "What's your name?"

The kid didn't answer, instead scooting back slightly away from Mike. His expression dropped slightly; there had to be a strong reason why he was so afraid of everything around him. He ran through a list of reasons as he moved slightly forward, continuing to speak.

"Well, my name's Mike." He pointed slowly to the name tag on his shirt. "Now, I have a very important job at the station. Wanna know why?"

To the mild surprise of everyone, Richard weakly nodded. He was still tensed up and looked ready to run away again if someone raised their voice one octave too high.

"See, on my nametag, it says 'specialist.' That means I drive and handle the big engine. Only me and my captain can do that. Pretty important job, wouldn't you say?"

Hank could see Richard visibly deflate at Mike's easy words. Forget firefighting, he was missing a career somewhere in situational de-escalation.

The captain lightly tapped Joshua, causing him to stop moving and look up at Hank. While he was curious, he also seemed rather nervous.

Hank nodded to Richard, who seemed to be more and more comfortable with Mike. "Where does your friend live, kid?"

Joshua scratched at a spot on his cheek. "Oh, uhm...101 Helmick Street. We sorta kinda live near each other."

"Helmick." Chet and Hank heard Marco repeat. The lineman crossed his arms. "C-Shift had that fire, near 10s. Second alarm, exposures." His expression dropped. "I was pulling a double at 105s that night."

Hank let out a breath of understanding. "Surround and drown?"

"Yeah, Cap."

The captain's brow furrowed. "Poor kid. Hard to lose everything at such a young age."

Hank's assumptions weren't far off. By the time the second alarm was struck and 105s arrived at the house, the full structure was furiously ablaze. Marco knew from experience that there wasn't much to save, if anything at all. He was put to work on protecting one of the exposures.

He watched Mike wordlessly reach a hand out to Richard, who gasped and backed away again. That jostled a memory from the scene, of one of the paramedics of 36s reaching out to a kid and pulling him back and away from the inferno. No wonder he didn't want to take his hand.

Mike had caught most of the conversation, since the bay had a tendency to echo voices. He reached out further to the terrified kid, moving as gradually as he needed to.

"You're safe here. I promise." The engineer spoke slowly.

Swallowing hard, the kid leaned forward slightly, reaching for Mike's hand at a near agonizingly sluggish pace. He gave the kid all the time he needed as he planted his hand into the engineer's, tightly clasping it as if holding on for dear life.

A genuine smile spread across Mike's face. "Look at that, you're really brave, huh?"

Richard nodded silently, still afraid and nervous but with slightly more enthusiasm.

"Um..." The kid finally spoke. "I wanna go back to my friend, please."

Hank couldn't resist smiling. Leave it to the quietest member of the crew to get the quiet, terrified kid finally talking. He crossed his arms, watching in satisfaction as the engineer helped the kid stand back up. He ran back over to his friend, with Mike taking his time as he walked over to the group.

Richard took his place behind Joshua, hiding behind him and grabbing his shoulders as the engineer came to stop at Chet's side.

"He didn't hurt himself, just needs a friendly voice." Mike let the crew know, leading to the three visibly losing their tension.

Hank unfolded his arms, raising an eyebrow at the two kids. "You two wanna see the engine?"

"I know I do." Joshua responded immediately. He looked back at Richard, who mumbled and hid his face. "How bout you Richard?"

"It's...it's kinda tall." He spoke in a small voice. Everyone smiled in good humor at that comment.

"Sure is." Mike agreed. "But you're brave, right?"

Richard scooted out from behind Joshua, seemingly thinking. After a few seconds, he looked up and nodded, still holding his worried expression.

That was all the conformation Hank needed. He slid in behind the two, popping open the door to the engine. He crouched down, reaching for Richard.

"Alright son, up we go!"

"Woah!"

He lifted the kid up, swinging him around and planting him in the driver's seat.

The captain never got tired of showing kids the engine, always seeing their young eyes light up pure wonder. Richard was no exception, looking at everything with his mouth hanging open in admiration.

"I wanna be next!" Joshua raised his hand excitedly. "I wanna brag about it at school!"

The crew shared a laugh at that comment, with Hank watching as Mike answered in earnest, then smoothly slipped in and started showing Richard each and every component.

"Anybody else not sleeping tonight?" He wearily yelled out into the bay. He was met with groans and mumbling agreement.

Hank wordlessly appeared around the front of the engine, pushing and rubbing at his neck.

"I know I'm not," he simply replied. Taking a deep breath, he shrugged in defeat and trotted in the direction of the rec room, everyone else following along at their own pace.

Roy reached out and planted a hand on his partner's shoulder, spinning him around.

"You alright after that?" He questioned in a serious tone. John shrugged in return, his expression dropping.

"Drunk drivers. Always hated 'em." He spat out with as much anger as his exhausted self could muster.

"That's not what I'm referring to Johnny, you know that." Roy countered. He tightened his grip on his partner's shoulder. "It was hard to watch."

"More like disgustingly awful." John answered. He threw up his hands, palms out. "Look, I just need to distract myself for an hour and I'll be fine, alright?"

Roy didn't believe him, and he could see John getting frustrated at that fact. Blue eyes full of concern flicked over his partner's expression.

Drunk drivers were far too common in their coverage area for anybody's liking. Car versus car, drunk driver ran a red light over the speed limit and plowed into the driver side of another vehicle. The car hit flipped over and ended up on its backside, with the drunk driver's vehicle coming to rest in the middle of the intersection.

When 51 rolled onto the scene, the drunk driver was stumbling around, having freed himself from his car which had minor front-end damage. He was shouting at people and spitting venom about the other driver to all who could hear him.

John had volunteered to crawl into the other car, to which he found a terrified 22-year old kid jammed inside. Extraction took far longer than anyone hoped, and by the time the kid was freed he had lost a lot of blood.

The ambulance ride didn't fair much better, and the balance of keeping the kid alive was razor-thin. At one point, he reached up and planted a bloodied hand on John's face. Hot tears streaming down the kid's cheek, he sobbed out a weak request to not let him die, then promptly passed out. Not much else could be done, and he was pronounced dead at the hospital.

John had walked out of the hospital looking as if he was ready to find the other driver and punch him in the face. He had time to stew on the ride back to the station, his anger changing into sadness. The engine, having finished up with the scene, practically met them back at the station.

The two shuffled into the rec room, squinting at the light coming from the countertops. John looked over to see Chet fiddling with the television. Shoving his hands in his pockets, the paramedic walked up to him.

"All that's gonna be on is sign-offs." John commented, yawning. "That isn't gonna help me sleep."

"Nah, there's always something on..." Chet responded tiredly.

John watched in half-interest as the lineman flipped through channels. Sign-off, sign-off, sign-off...

"--deserve to be ascended to Heaven when you pass on from the world!"

"Ahh! No!" Hank commented from across the rec room, fully annoyed. "It's too late for religious pushing!"

"Repent my brothers and sisters, or be cast into the pits of--"

Chet flicked over the channel as John crossed his arms.

"I know a person who'd belong there..." he mumbled, making sure no one could hear him. If there was a diety who did pull the strings of life, John hoped the drunk driver would have his snipped from existence.

The paramedic heard Chet make a positive noise, and saw he had managed to find a channel that appeared to be showing an old, black-and-white foreign film.

Roy perked up at hearing the film. "Oh that's in French," he commented. Holding his glass of water in one hand, he grabbed a chair from the table and dragged it across the floor, planting it down.

Chet shrugged in response. "French, English, doesn't matter. I just need something to stare at for a while."

The rest of the crew couldn't agree more. One by one, they all pulled chairs over to the television, planting them down next to each other.

Roy leaned in slightly. Though he knew the film was in French, he barely understood enough to grasp the plot. Instead, he just paid attention to what was happening on screen, moreso than the dialogue. If he could understand what was being spoken, his brain was too weary to care.

A beautifully-dressed woman exited a house, brushing off her dress. She gripped it tightly and gave it a good shake.

She watched with a happy expression as a car drove up the terracotta driveway, stopping just short of the woman. A sharply-dressed man opened the driver door and stepped out, lightly grabbing the woman's hand and giving it a kiss. The women responded by giggling, stepping back and doing a curtsy. The two then embraced in a tight hug.

They both exchanged dialogue, sounding as if they were happy or even relieved to see each other. Laughing once again, the woman gestured for the man to come inside her home. Grabbing a bag from his car, the man closed the door and took the woman's hand.

"Huh," John commented, leading everyone to look his way for a second. "Wonder if this after some war and the guy's returnin' home."

"France was heavily involved in the Second World War." His partner pointed out. "You're probably not far off."

That intrigued the whole crew, who now were slightly more interested in the film. A couple leaned forward while Hank leaned back, folding one leg on top of another.

The two were at a table where food was laid out. The man seemed overcome with joy, wiping away tears. He spoke something, then took a bite of the food, seemingly remembering the taste. They ate and exchanged more dialogue, the woman's expression slowly changing into one of pure admiration.

The man then made an expression of realization. He got up from the table, walked over to his bag and produced a stack of letters. He pulled one off the top of the stack, saying something to the woman. He gave it a quick sniff, to which the woman laughed and spoke as she gestured to the letter.

"Looks like you're right." Chet commented. "Those have gotta be the letters they sent to each other."

"Why'd he...sniff it though?" John commented, eyebrows furrowing.

"What do you mean?" Marco spoke, leaning forward to look at John. "You smell letters sent to me all the time, mi amigo."

Snickers entered the space. John looked as if he wanted to disagree but couldn't come up with any good argument.

Silently, they went back to watching the film. No one really said anything else, all realizing they just needed something to stare at and hopefully fall asleep to peacefully.

Some time later, after the meals were finished and tea was drunk, the man was standing on the front porch, completely satisfied. The woman walked out to join him, grabbing his hand and leaning into him. He responded by kissing her on top of her head. They spoke quietly to each other, the woman looking somewhat sad.

The man said something, and whatever he said made the woman perk up. She looked up at the man with surprised eyes, tears running down her face. The man wiped one of the tears away, then ran a worn finger down her cheekbone.

He spoke something that sounded like a promise, then crouched slightly and leaned in for a kiss. The woman happily replied with her own, and they lovingly embraced.

All of a sudden, the sky lit up and both were surprised. The woman tried to open the door to her home but found it locked. The man laughed, then grabbed the woman and began leading her to his car. He was able to unlock it and they both hopped in the back seats before it began to steadily rain.

The gang watched as the couple embraced each other and spoke more dialogue. The first one to realize something was off was Hank, and he looked over at his crew to see no one else holding the same expression.

"Fellas, I think--" he began, but was shushed by John, who was clearly invested.

The scene abruptly cut to outside the car, where it was raining heavily. The couple disappeared from the view of the car's window, the only thing viewable being a set of arms sticking up.

The scene went back inside the car, where an army medal clanked on the ground of the vehicle, followed closely by a jacket and shirt. The woman was saying something, but sounded like she was crying at the same time.

The second one to realize was Roy, who could practically hear a snap as he came to the conclusion of what kind of "genre" they were watching.

"Uh..."

Multiple clothes were dropped, as the scene cut back to outside the car. Though hard to see through the rain, the car seemed to be rocking.

"Aw man!"

"C'mon, what!?"

"Dios mio!"

"Kelly, where did--how did you find this!?" Hank gestured hard to the screen. "This is something that's allowed on TV!?"

"Cap, the only other thing on is religious stuff!" Chet countered. "I think this is the lesser of two evils."

The only one not reacting was John, who rested his chin on his hand. He tried to ignore everyone as he continued to pay attention to the film. John watched as the scene cut back into the car, the sound of heavy breathing being muffled slightly by the downpour.

He raised an eyebrow as he realized everyone had stopped complaining and was looking at him.

"What? Wha-I-do?" He questioned, pulling his head back up from its resting spot.

The genuine confusion on his face caused everyone to break into hard laughter. They all needed it after the last run

"Uncorrupted soul!" Chet wiped away a tear from laughing so hard.

John was still confused, until his partner leaned in and whispered something to him. His expression changed instantly.

"What!? That's what they're--!" He looked horrified, to which everyone started back up their laughter.