Chicago Fire: City of Heroes

Prologue:

"Help!" Nineteen-year-old Alex Creed screams as the flames from her apartment building spread around her.

The smoke becomes unbearable for her to breathe without inhaling any embers, and she knows that the Chicago apartment building can collapse at any moment.

"Help! Anyone!"

"Fire Department! Call out!"

Alex perks up at the voice of a Rescue Squad lieutenant. However, he and his team are too far away to reach the brunette. Staying close to the wooden floors of her apartment, Alex crawls her way to the door. She opens the door, revealing the hallway fully engulfed.

"Alex!" The nineteen year old's neighbor, Veronica Locke, hollers.

The brunette's first responder instincts kick in as she rushes to her neighbor's aid. The twenty-two year old's olive skin is covered in third-degree burns; if Veronica didn't call for Alex, the nineteen year old would have probably believed that she was dead.

"Lex... Get Baz. He's terrified. Please!" Veronica begs, feeling Alex's presence near her.

"V, I'm not leaving you," Alex asserts.

"And I'm not leaving my dog."

Alex sighs in annoyance. Veronica is known for her stubbornness. After all, the twenty-two year old recently returned from Afghanistan. She came back home to Chicago after Veronica was taken hostage and tortured for three weeks until her team rescued her; unfortunately, the mental scars haven't healed, and Veronica suffers from severe episodes of PTSD.

"I'll be fast," Alex claims, running into her neighbor's apartment. "Baz! Come here, boy!"

Barking from the kitchen gains Alex's attention. She locates the one-year-old Belgian Malinois, Veronica's service dog, cowering under a table.

"Come on. Let's get out of here."

Alex returns to Veronica, finding her barely responsive. Fully knowing the war veteran will not reach the ground floor on her own, Alex carries her bridal style.

"Baz, get us out of here, boy."

The Belgian Malinois barks, guiding the two to the stairway.

"I'm guessing I'm finishing that favor I owe you," Alex smiles, "Stay with me, V. I know you're stronger than this."

A baby cries from below, causing Alex to glance over and spot a firefighter from one of the responding companies hurrying down the stairs. The cries become louder as Baz and Alex keep pace with the firefighter. They reach the ground floor within a minute.

The firefighter peers back after hearing Baz bark once, "Where were you?"

Alex coughs as the smoke inhalation starts to get to her, "Third floor. My friend. She's burned pretty badly."

"We're almost out, don't worry. Paramedics are her--" the thirty four year old lieutenant is cut off when a large support beam and parts of the ceiling collapse.

Thinking on instinct, Alex drops Veronica and covers her. The firefighter lieutenant is late to react, and the beam crashes onto them. The PASS alarm, a device that signals if a firefighter is in distress, blares. This causes the baby to wail. Alex, having not taken the majority of the force, is able to move her arm to keep the firefighter alert.

She taps the ground next to him, not wanting to shake him if he has a spinal injury, "Hey! Wake up! Please!"

"Casey!" An authoritative voice from the firefighter's radio exclaims.

From outside of the debris, Alex hears Veronica's service dog whimpering.

"Baz, go get help. Get someone," Alex orders, holding in a cough.