Chapter Seven: Quench

“Hello, 999, what is your emergency?” said the phone operator.

“We have a… situation… around here… please help…” Xavier rasped, shaken by fear.

“Which service would you like?” the operator continued.

“Fire brigade…”

“We’ll be there in ten minutes maximum.” the phone operator confirmed.

“Well, at least that’s sorted out now!” said Xavier, allayed by Viktor’s speech.

“Do you really think that our local fire brigade can calm this mess?” Viktor asked.

“No, but they’ll sure as hell try–”

An oil explosion sent a plume of black, thick smoke hurtling into the sky. Heat was launched in every direction for miles around.

“Wow, that was kind of… cool… I guess… it’s pretty hot in this… well, what’s left of the van. Can you please turn on the AC?” Xavier asked jokingly.

“Yeah, like that’ll help. Oh, I think that’s the sirens now!”

Grand red trucks with blinking lights raced through the rubble, gleaming crimson from the flames. Speech through radio could be heard quietly.

“532, you may unspool the hose.”

“Right you are…”

“Do they have this under control?” Xavier questioned.

“Maybe–”

BANG! Another explosion cleared some wreckage a few miles away.

“I swear, we need to bring ice packs or something on these adventures, Viktor…”

“These adventures aren’t exactly ‘commonplace’! Please stop joking around, this is serious!” Viktor shouted menacingly.

“Okay, okay, jeez…”

An arc of high-pressure water spat over the van (or what was left of it) and slammed into the explosion site. Toxic smoke rose up, darkening sunlight.

“Quite the catastrophe.”

More radio voices.

“I agree. Call for backup…”

“Do we REALLY need to? I’m positive that we have this under control…”

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“I REPEAT. YOU WILL CALL FOR BACKUP!”

This person did not seem impressed.

“You never listen to me, 983.” one of the speakers said sorrowfully.

“Pull yourself together. Why did I choose to work with these people, c’mon! Wait, am I still on Channel 3?”

“Yeah, I think you are…

“Oops. Damn… OVER.”

Xavier spotted something in the distance.

“What is that?” he thought. It looked like an army of the colour red. Rumbling could be heard in the distance. Quiet, but noticeable.

BRRR!

“Wait, is that–?” Viktor started.

“WHEN I SAID BACKUP, I DIDN’T MEAN FOR YOU TO CALL WHAT LOOKS TO BE THE ENTIRE COUNTRY!” said one of the firefighters.

“This is what you get for not listening to me!” the other firefighter said, spiteful of the doubtful one.

“Quit your job…”

“NO! I’m probably getting fired either way, so it doesn’t really make a difference…”

“What are those two blabbering about?” Viktor said jocularly.

“Yeah, you guys! Shut up!”

The sea of trucks rumbled ever closer.

“Get behind the van wreckage! NOW!” Viktor yelled.

They crouched behind the van. The approaching van armada was nearing. Then, it hit.

BANG! CRASH!

“WHAT THE HELL?!” Xavier screamed.

Screws ricocheted off the ground. Ripped tyres hissed and banged. Engines rumbled and churned. Clouds of dust sailed upon the ground.

“Ay, I can barely breathe!” Viktor shouted worryingly.

VRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

A truck flipped on a lodged rock and flew over the boys. A large shadow darkened their view.

“WOAH! VIOLENCE! This is fun!” Xavier shouted joyously.

“Are you joking?! We’re about to be flattened!” Viktor yelled with fury.

“Hey, you only live once!”

“Yeah! Only if you’re involved in stupid, idiotic crap like this!” Viktor hollered vexedly.

“Okay, smart a—!”

FWOOSH!

One of the trucks’ fuel tanks exploded, popping like a cork. Flames erupted, sizzling the ground like eggs in a skillet.

“Fire and me mix very well!” Xavier joked sarcastically.

“Now’s not the time for–”

Yet another explosion.

“...joking…” Viktor faltered.

As the last trucks passed, the boys stumbled, legs cut and abraded by the vehicles. They could not seem to stand, however.

“I think a few of the screws got to me…” Xavier stated sorrowfully.

“You’re very… oscillating…” Viktor said, unsure.

“Stop using all of those fancy words. We’re not in school…”

“See what I mean?! Also, we should be in school, so… think of it as revision…”

“Whatever, smart-arse…” Xavier threatened.

“Oh, just shut up already! All you think about is YOURSELF!” Xavier shouted menacingly.

“Oh… sorry, I didn’t mean that, everything’s been a bit stressful lately…” Viktor apologised.

“It’s okay.” Xavier replied invitingly.

Meanwhile, the crimson mass that was the entire country’s fire service swarmed the burning infrastructure and began to let rip a flood of liquid from the water-hoses, like a broken dam.

“Was that fireman’s resignation worth it, Viktor?” Xavier queried.

“I don’t know…” Viktor replied.

“Well, not our problem! Let’s go!” Xavier ordered enthusiastically.