Burnt Skies

Chapter 2: Losing

✆Season 1, Episode 2✆

Maria looks to Athena, "I want a new job."

"No, you don't," Athena shakes her head as she weaves in and out of traffic. 

"We're chasing a grown man on a foldable mobility scooter down a highway. I could be sitting in an office color coding budget reports."

"Instead you live a life of thrill," Athena smiles at her before pulling out for the radio to get her voice out to the man, "Sir, I need you to pull over the mobility scooter."

He yells back to them, "Do you know how long it took to wire this thing to go over 20 mph? Months! I'm not stopping til I max it out."

Suddenly, the scooter lets out a bunch of smoke and stops, throwing the man off of it and to a rolling stop.

Maria sighs, "I saw that coming."

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Hen leads Athena and Maria through the firehouse to the kitchen, "I hope you guys don't mind, I invited some other members to join family dinner. Athena's going through some, uh, stuff at home, so she could use some TLC and Maria is actually family, so she's here."

Maria scoffs at Hen, "Thanks for making it seem like I just tagalong," She smiles at Chimney, giving him a hug.

"Well, we don't usually allow cops at secret firehouse meetings, but, uh, I'll make these exceptions," Her father, Bobby, says before hugging Athena and then Maria, "Hey, sweetheart."

"Hi, dad," She sits next to Buck, who hasn't really made any movement since they arrived. 

Athena smiles, "All right. Appreciate that. Oh. Well. You know, I ain't sold on you yet, but..." She says to Buck, "I think helping us find that girl deserves a second chance," She holds her hand out for him to shake, which he does with a smile, "There won't be a third though."

They all laugh as Maria shakes her head, "She's bluffing, I'm on my, like, tenth chance with her."

"That's different. Most of your mistakes were just messing up my coffee order."

"You change it every day. How is that fair?" Maria sasses.

Bobby directs the attention to Buck, "Buck here is having a little trouble moving on from a call that didn't go his way."

Athena sits down, "Oh. You know why they make us wear these uniforms, right? Cops, firefighters, paramedics?"

"Uh...sex appeal?" Chimney asks.

"That's just the bonus," Maria winks at him.

Buck gives a more down to earth response, "So people can easily identify us."

She nods, "Both true, but it's also for our own good. Because when we take the uniform off at the end of the day, it symbolizes letting go of all of the sad, crazy, inhumane things we've seen that day."

"I see his face every time I close my eyes," Buck reveals to them, "That happen to you guys?"

"It'll pass," Athena tells him.

The bells go off, signally for the firefighters they have a call as they groan, "Be safe! I've got a meal to enjoy!"

Athena shakes her head, "Mn-hm, let's go."

"But Athena-a," She drags out the end of her name.

"No buts, let's go."

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