The bar had been packed that night. Paradox was performing, even if they hadn't found replacement members yet. The final set was over, and the band was backstage. The patrons of the bar were still feeling the energy from the performance, and many were now drinking or dancing to the canned music that the dj had put on. Jas and Tao had gone out front to greet fans and mingle.
Smash had opted to stay in the back for a little since he felt one of his unsummoned visions coming on. If he felt it this soon before it hit, then this one was seriously going to kick his ass good. It would be best that he stayed in the back for now, it was motly quiet back here. The bar was also open for a couple more hours, so he'd be mostly recovered by the time they had to leave. He'd barely made it into the band's green room before it hit. He screamed as the initial wave of pain hit, followed by the images. It felt as though they were being forced into his mind, faster then he was able to process them, and they just kept coming and coming. He no longer tried focusing on them to be able to remember them. He learned long ago that it didn't matter. If he couldn't remember something after the vision had hit, then trying to forcefully remember it would only cause him more pain and send him into unconiousness.
As the pain became worse he was forced down to his knees, trying to stumble over to the couch. However Smash never made it that far. Another wave of visions came, more forcefully then the first ones, the pain surging Smash's entire body. Collapsing to the floor, all he could do was hold onto this head and curl up. His body shuddering with the pain and the intensity of the unsummoned. His mind would stay aware until the visions stopped coming. It was a good 10 minutes before they did. The last thing Smash saw in his mind was flames before he fell into unconciousness.
*********
Smash wasn't sure how long he'd been out of it when he woke up. His head throbbed, but that was nothing new. Though there were loud sounds all around him, sounds that he knew shouldn't be there. Also whatever he was laying on was rather cold, while he felt heat froming from off to his side... and it wasn't a good heat.
He forced himself to get to his feet, something didn't feel right, and as the sounds around him started to becomt clearer in his mind, his stomach sank. People were shouting and there was panic. It also sounded as though there were sirens, and vehicals rushing towards and away from the place. Smash stumbled away from the blaring heat and leaned against the building next to it. His mind not conneccting the dots yet, but somehow he was now in the alley next to the bar. Leaning against the wall he made his way out of the alley and onto the street.
The scene before him was a mass of organized chaos. The bar was burning furiously now, even with the fire fighters trying to put it out. Ambulances were on scene, though some had left as soon as they had collected those that had been wounded the worst, and hadn't died. There was a barricade set up so that the by standers wouldn't venture too close. For where Smash stumbled out of the alley, he was within the barricaded area. His mind still a haze from the after effects of the vision. It wasn't long before he was approached by one of the rescue workers. He tried to make out what they were saying, but his mind wasn't filtering those sounds. All he could hear was the fire burning now, and he looked in that direction.
Smash never noticed when the blanket was wrapped around him, nor when he was led to an ambulance and given an oxygen mask. The fire was mostly under control now, and almost out. He watched on as the recovered bodies were being brought out to be taken to the morgue. He was about to be ushered into the abmulance to be taken in the hospital to be checked for smoke inhalation when he caught sight of one of the bodies before they zipped up the bag. Panic ripped through his body, and he shrugged out of the oxygen mask and blanket, avoiding the grasp of the EMP's as they tried to hold him back.
He raced over to the body bag, pushing people aside, and forcing the people who had been about to pick it up to load it into the back of the vehical to stop. His entire world becoming a pinpoint of clarity around just him and the bag as he unzipped it. The panic turned to disbelief and horror at the sight of who was in the bag. It was Jas, with half of his face burnt off. The rest of the world came back into focus and he screamed out his anguish. Tears started streaming down his face to blur his vision. He didn't dare open the bag any further, not wanting to see anymore. He grabbed the bag and held onto it tightly, crying and rocking, until he was physically torn away.
Smash had to be sedated before he'd let go. Jas' body being taken to the morgue while Smash was loaded into the ambulance and taken to the hospital. He was treated for smoke inhalation, and kept over night.
The next day he inquired about Tao at the nurse's station, where he was told his friend was in intensive care. So Smash made his way to the room, sitting next to Tao's bed. Tao was covered in bandages, and hooked up to all sorts of machines. The nurse had also informed that he was in a coma as well.
A couple days pass and he stays next to Tao's bedside, nobody really wanting to tell the pilot to leave. Though he's finally pushed out of the room when Tao starts crashing and is rushed to the operating room.
16 long hours later, the doctors come out to inform Smash that Tao hadn't made it. There had been complications, and blah blah blah, it had been a miracle he had made it this long, blah blah blah.... Smash stopped listening when it sunk in that Tao was dead as well.
Smash slipped into shock. His best friends, his band mates, his family were dead. They were never coming back. He didn't know just how he made it back to the pilot's complex, and assumed it must have been with his dragon's help.
The fire had already been covered in the news, making front page first with the death of the Paradox singer Jas, and Tao being in the ICU. It would be new again, reporting on the death of Tao. There hadn't been a date set for the funerals, though it was expected to be a joint one.
