Burning New Pearson (2)

"Do you want to jump?" Vanya's voice came to him again. They had lots to speak about, but the doctor set his issues aside.

Rhodes closed his eyes and agreed without a word. He rested his body against the car seat, letting his hands and phone fall to his lap. Deresita was too busy watching and feeling terror. The doctor figured she must just assume that he fainted or fell asleep.

…

The doctor didn't know what they could do in a fire. The hospital was too far from Menorosa to be part of the Iveren family's turf. However, there they were, hurrying across the burning sixth floor. 

Vanya, in his astral form of a gentleman with a fedora and a cane, glided along the floor like a real ghost. Beside him was Rhodes, who ran for his life. His chains were in the wind like soft fabric. The building only burned in the physical realm. The halls they trod and the floor under Rhodes's feet remained cold. However, those factors didn't decrease their eagerness.

"Help! Help! Anyone!" A lone voice echoed from a corner. Rhodes turned his head and felt it coming from a room at the end of another hallway. When he stopped running, Vanya quickly followed suit.

"I'll get that person. You deal with the others," Rhodes said, but his body suddenly failed to move forward. He turned to Vanya, and the gentleman stared at the faraway end.

Vanya looked down at Rhodes. His expression was serious and professional as if he was not looking at a dear beloved. "That's a spirit calling. Let's clear the humans first before untethering the bound spirits. They might attack the humans in despair."

Rhodes didn't fight the man. He looked at the room for a second before running in their original direction. They reached the big conference room. The flames had eaten the hallway, making the doors blaze in heat. Rhodes phased through the door and saw the doctors on the ground, coughing and wheezing from the lack of air to breathe.

"What should we do?" 

The doctor backed off to pass through the door again. He looked in time to see Vanya wave his cane to the side. The red stone glowed brightly, and the flames started backing off. A path was cleared for them, and Vanya smiled at him. Rhodes didn't think for another second before grabbing the panels' handles with his chains. In a single swing, the doors opened.

Multiple gasps came from the victims. However, they saw the flames rearing back against the burning walls. Their supposed director quickly told everyone to get to another place. They were too far from the reach of the firefighters.

They ran along the burning hallway with their bodies kept low. Rhodes ran with them, leaving Vanya where he stood. When the group passed the heavily burning hallway, Vanya canceled his stance. The flames blazed fiercely to consume the entire space. The gentleman with a cane stepped to follow them, but he quickly turned in another direction.

"My dear, guide them to safety."

Rhodes heard Vanya's voice in his mind. He only twitched at the voice. However, he focused on what he wanted to do. At every burning obstruction, Rhodes's chains crushed them out of the way. The doctors were bewildered, but their leader kept forcing them to continue.

"Fire department! Anybody here?" One fireman called out, hearing the loud breaking sounds of the fallen obstacles. When he spotted the running group, he called it in. He met them halfway through the path.

Rhodes didn't follow them anymore. He could see them exiting the building through a broken window. The crane was in a position to lead everyone out. The false asylum patient ran back to where he left Vanya. He figured Vanya ran into trouble with a troublesome vile entity. Remembering his days in the hospital, he didn't think it was impossible.

Before Rhodes could climb to the sixth floor, he felt something shroud his entire being. He entered a dream space with such a terrifying atmosphere. He felt like suffocating from the strong stench of rotten eggs. Rhodes covered his mouth with his sleeve before continuing.

"Vanya! Vanya, where are you?" Rhodes called out with difficulty. Each word he said came with a spur of stench entering his mouth. He couldn't help but gag uncontrollably after calling out for a few seconds. He calmed his throat and continued without making a noise. Rhodes slowly trod the stairs to the sixth floor.

"Disgusting creature…"

Rhodes heard a disembodied voice behind him. He looked over his shoulder and found a vague face on the fire eating the space. A distinguishable pair of eyes stared down at the asylum patient. Its voice resounded, "Your audacity knows no bounds, cursed human!"

A hand made of flames manifested behind Rhodes and slapped him. The asylum patient used his chains to propel his body away from the stairs. A booming sound followed as the hand crushed the stairs. The visible eyes followed Rhodes, and another hand slowly formed. Rhodes had no choice but to run away to ask for help.

Before Rhodes could turn the corner up ahead, Vanya walked out of it. Blood painted the white gloves he held close to his face. However, his cold expression cemented his disregard for the entity wrapped in flames. He swiped his cane forward, and a white light shot of it. The ball of light spread and took the form of a white swan. It crashed right into the face in the fire.

Rhodes ducked to avoid the blast. He turned to face it with a slide, his body casually stopping beside the walking gentleman.

"Argh! You found a dreamwalker! Curse you! Curse you!" The face contorted as if fighting the white light that ate it. However, after a few more seconds, it screamed in pain and despair. The scream came with a blast that exploded the windows on the sixth floor. 

Rhodes kept his body low until the smell of rotten eggs dissipated. He looked up at Vanya, who kept bleeding from his nose and mouth. The doctor straightened his form and hugged Vanya, keeping him upright. Rhodes whispered, "I think we're done here. I'm sorry for always forcing you to do dangerous things for me."

Vanya shook his head and petted the doctor's head with his clean hand. "Worry not about me, dear. My body is simply too weak for my spiritual power. Let us discuss other matters later. You should rest."

"Tell me where you are. Let me nurse you," Rhodes whispered, but Vanya's response was waking him up in the car. The dream walk ended. 

Rhodes slowly moved to feel his hands and his entire body. It was normal. His spirit left his body and needed a few seconds to reconnect. He sat there quietly, realizing that Vanya kept himself away from Rhodes. They would join each other in the immaterial, but the man couldn't afford to meet him in person.

It pissed Rhodes off, but he couldn't do anything. All he had was one chance to meet the Iveren family. Vanya would be at the party, and Rhodes didn't intend to come home until he found his secret lover.