"Everybody out!" commanded Mr. Bigglesbee, gesticulating wildly as panic threatened to overtake his rational mind. Gavin didn't blame the guy, fire and libraries absolutely did not go together. Nothing like a bunch of dry, brittle parchment to roar into an inferno.
The four friends raced out of the library and into the hall, only to become caught in the chaos. Students of all ages were running hither and yon, no one quite sure where they were supposed to go. Jupiter finally led the charge to the entry hall, in hopes of everyone getting outside and away from the rising flames. It was a bizarre fire, in that it appeared to have started somewhere on the second floor, and as the students ran along the first floor corridors, some of the planks above their heads burst into flame.
Gavin ducked down as he ran, fearful of lighting his head on fire if the flames sputtered downward. He had no idea if his squishy face ability would make his head more flammable or less, or have no impact whatsoever. He didn't feel like taking any chances.
He lost his friends in the crowd, but kept his cool and made it to the entry hall and then outside. As he retreated from the building, he looked back to view the damage. A large portion of the second and third floors in the classroom wing were ablaze, with smoke pouring out of the windows. Mr. Unger was ushering the grounds crew around, setting up hose stations and blasting streams of water through the windows. Gavin spotted Mr. Hollowind carrying buckets of water, and saw a line of students and staff leading from the school to the well and back. Chaos reigned, but there was also a semblance of order to be found. This was an emergency, but one for which the staff of St. Hibbard's Very Special Academy were more or less prepared for.
It occurred to Gavin that this had to be another attack. Whoever was behind everything had upped the stakes and somehow set fire to the school. That meant this was a job for The Squad. If only The Squad worked together. He quickly scanned the mass of students for any sign of his fellow members, but didn't at first see anyone. On his second pass, however, he spotted Samantha. She had somehow joined up with Harriet, and the two girls were standing to the side, mouths open in shock.
The beginnings of an idea formed in Gavin's head and he raced over to them and pulled Samantha aside.
"This is what we were selected for!" he shouted above the din. "We need to spring into action!"
"What are you talking about?" she asked, shrinking back. "The school is on fire!"
"We have to protect the school!"
"Mr. Unger has things well under control!"
"Look!" Harriet interrupted and pointed back at the building. A window on the third floor was open and three younger students were frantically waving their arms, trapped by the flames.
"Oh, my God!" cried Samantha in horror.
But Gavin's idea coalesced. He looked down at the ground around where they were standing, and picked up a medium-sized stone. "Come with me!" he yelled, taking off for the side of the building without checking to see if either girl followed. He hoped they did, but there wasn't even time to check. Those students were in serious trouble.
He reached Mr. Unger's group and without asking, grabbed one of the hoses that had yet to be put into use.
"What are you doing?" yelled the cranky old man. Gavin didn't bother to reply.
Hurrying along until he was directly under the window with the three students, Gavin turned and was relieved to see that both girls had managed to follow him.
"What are you doing?" asked Samantha.
"How far does your ability extend?" he asked. "Can you freeze time up there for a moment?" He gestured up toward the students.
"I... I don't know!"
"Find out!"
She scrunched her face together in concentration and raised her arm. Meanwhile, Gavin wrapped one end of the hose around the rock and tied it tight, then handed it to Harriet.
"Have you seen me and Stanford do our Gavin-a-pult thing?" he asked. She nodded.
He pointed directly above his head. "Punch me and drop the stone on my face!"
Her eyes widened.
"I've got it!" shouted Samantha. "But it'll only last for a couple of seconds!"
Looking up, Gavin was amazed at the sight of the smoke halting mid-billow as it poured out the window. One of the young students up there was gazing at it in awe.
"Go, Harriet!" cried Gavin.
Harriet nodded, then let loose, punching Gavin hard in the face. He felt the familiar sensation of his head becoming concave and was mildly impressed with Harriet's strength of both will and force. She quickly dropped the stone into the cavity created and Gavin carefully lined up his shot. A moment later, his face sprang back into shape, jettisoning the stone and sending it screaming up into the air, bringing the hose with it.
It was a perfect shot, and the rock flew through the open window. One of the kids grabbed it and looked back down, eyes watering.
"Tie the hose to something and get down here!" ordered Gavin.
"I can't hold the time freeze any longer!" warned Samantha, sweat was pouring from her forehead as she concentrated and fought to keep her ability focused just an instant longer.
Up above them, the hose was tied to something and the first kid climbed out the window and slid down to the ground. Harriet ushered him away as the second kid came down, followed by the third. By this point, Samantha had lost the battle and the smoke and fire spread into the room above them, scorching everything in its path.
Gavin and the others hurried away from the side of the school and watched as Mr. Unger's fire crew fought to get the fire under control before it burned through any more of the school. They were surrounding the burnt section with streams of water, creating barricades to keep the fire contained.
Exhausted, Gavin sunk to the ground. There wasn't anything else he could do but sit and watch St. Hibbard's burn to the ground.
***
In the end, only half of the school was reduced to cinders.
The dorms came out of the encounter relatively unscathed, so everyone had a place to sleep. But the classroom wing was nearly entirely totalled. Fortunately, one of the lines of water had managed to keep the library from going up, so all that knowledge, as well as the secret things on the fourth floor, remained intact.
Actual fire trucks arrived soon enough and had worked with Mr. Unger and Mr Hollowind and the other teachers to get the blaze first under control and then snuffed out. Now they were going around checking everyone to make sure nobody had inhaled too much smoke or had received any serious burns. It turned out, the alarm had done the trick, and everyone had gotten out alive. A few kids had suffered some minor burns, and Chef Arduino had lost most of his hair battling the blaze in the kitchen, but beyond that, the only one really injured was, of all people, Mitchell Warner, who was rushed to the hospital where he was in stable condition with serious burns on his hands and face.
It wasn't known what Mitchell had done to get his burns, and the gossip suggested he had tried to be heroic and save someone or something, only to fall prey to the flames. Gavin found it doubtful that the bully had suddenly found a heroic streak in him, but didn't bother to argue. Let the rumor grow.
After things had settled somewhat, Gavin was surprised by a visit from none other than Mrs. Gruber.
"I have heard about what you and Miss Ruby did during the fire," she said.
Gavin nodded awkwardly, his cheeks turning even redder than they already were. "Yes, Ma'am."
"Your quick thinking saved those three underclassmen from serious harm," she continued. Then she gave Gavin the barest of smiles, which kind of creeped him out. "I knew I was right to place you on the defense team."
"I was just in the right place at the right time," he said, trying to sound modest.
"Oh, stop that!" she snapped. "I hate false modesty. You saw a problem and you acted. That's what I want all five of you to be doing at every moment. You show promise, Mr. Mallard. I am glad that promise is not going to waste."
"Yes, Ma'am." He didn't even bother to argue. He had done something good today, and it felt good to admit that to himself.
"Your task now," she continued, "is to ensure the other four members of your team improve their game until they, too, can be counted on to defend our school. Make no mistake, we have been attacked. This is the fourth attack and the worst, by far. Luckily, while the kitchen saw some flames, the freezer holding and protecting Miss Zahn was undamaged and she remains safely frozen. Our adversaries are growing bolder. And more dangerous."
"Yes, Ma'am,"
"Stop with the Yes Ma'am," she ordered. "I'm sick of it. Just protect St. Hibbard's at all costs."
"I will," he promised.
She raised an eyebrow, snorted indignantly, turned and walked away.