???'s POV:

???: So this is meant to be my castle.

NO ONE'S POV:

Shinra: So what are the Rookie Fire Soldier Games?

Obi: It's a competition where all of the Fire Force rookies that joined this year get to show off their abilities, and it's comin' up pretty soon. You're gonna represent Company Eight alongside our other new recruit, who we're expecting later today.

Shinra: Hang on. There's a new recruit coming?

Obi: Indeed there is.

Shinra: Hey, uh, Captain? Will there be any Fire Soldiers aside from us rookies at this contest?

Obi: Well, yeah. Some of us'll come and cheer you all on.

(Cut to Shinra reflecting in a hallway.)

Shinra's thoughts: There could be someone from another company who knows about that fire.

???: Oh, a devil.

Shinra: Hoped, I'd never see you again, ya damn knight. What're you doing here?

???: (takes out a sword hilt) Thought I'd slay some hell-spawn.

Shinra: Still with the big talk and dumb pose. I'll shove that sword up--

(Cut to the sick ass opening.)

(Cut to Maki & Iris on the roof.)

Maki: Rise and shine, Sputter.

Sputter: Spu-Sputter...

Iris: You really are something else, Maki. The way you control flames is amazing.

Maki: That's sweet of you to say, Iris. But honestly, I'm just a second-generation. If I was a third-gen like Shinra, then I'd be able to make fire on my own without having to use any starters. Or if I was a chemokinetic like Ghost, I could put flames like that (snaps).

Iris: (is about to grab Sputter)

Maki: Careful, it's hot.

(Shinra & the new recruit burst through the doors.)

Shinra: We're finally gonna settle the score for good.

???: (takes out his sword handle) Since you insist, I'll have to show you the difference in our power.

Maki: Hang on. Who are you?

???: The realm knows me as Arthur Boyle, the Knight King.

Second Class Fire Soldier, Third-generation pyrokinetic, Arthur Boyle.

Arthur: Might you be the princesses of this castle?

Maki & Iris: Huh?

Maki: Who, me?

Iris: Oh, you must be our new third-generation Fire Soldier. It's nice to have you on board.

Maki: Shinra. Do you know this guy?

Shinra: Uh-huh. Met him at the academy. I told him that knights have jack on heroes, so midway through training, he tacked "king" onto that made-up title of his.

Shinra: What a loser, right?

Maki: Okay...

Shinra: He pretends he's the smooth, silent type, but the truth is he's just dumb. He's literally too idotic to come up with words. And yet...

Maki & Iris: And yet what?

Shinra: Girls still think he's cool for some reason.

Maki: Ah. Yes, that.

Arthur: [chuckles]

Shinra: I've got way more drive, but girls just don't care.

Arthur: No one can resist a true knight.

Shinra: Wait.

Arthur: Knight King. Ladies love a king.

Iris: Well, for the record...

Shinra: Huh?

Iris: I think you're plenty cool, Shinra.

Shinra: *blushing* Huh...?

Arthur: Let's see that awkward smile of yours, Devil.

Shinra: Say that again.

(Hinawa & Ghost come out on the roof.)

(Imagine Ghost is next to Hinawa on the right.)

Hinawa: What's going on?

Ghost: You guys sure are lively today.

Maki: Lieutenant Hinawa! We just met the new recruit, Arthur. It turns out that he and Shinra went to the academy together. Oh, hey, Ghost.

(Hinawa notices Sputter.)

Hinawa: Ghost, put it out.

Ghost: Why? It's not hurting anymore. Plus it looks kinda ador-

Hinawa: (death glare) Are you disobeying a direct order from your superior?

Ghost: [gulps] Not at all, sir! Sorry, Maki. (turns his hand into extinguisher gas effectively putting out Sputter)

Maki: Sputter!

Hinawa: (grabs Maki's head) Fire Soldiers don't play with fire.

Maki: Right. Got it.

Hinawa: So you're Arthur Boyle.

Arthur: Sure am. Glad to work with you.

Shinra: Come on, man. You heard her call him lieutenant, right?

Arthur: We all stand as equals before the round table. He needn't bow.

Ghost's thoughts: The pair on this guy.

Hinawa: Says the lowest-ranked soldier in this crew. Whatever.

(Ghost, Iris, Maki, & Shinra are all surprised by Lieutenant Hinawa's response.)

Arthur: [chuckles]

(Hinawa is now addressing everyone on the roof.)

Hinawa: The Rookie Games are coming up. I wanna see you've got in advance. That means seeing your powers in action. Now. Go take them both on, Maki.

Maki: Wait. Do you mean me?

Hinawa: Do you see anyone else on this rooftop who might go by your name?

Maki: No, I do not!

Hinawa: You lead off, Shinra.

Shinra: Are we s'posed to fight for real?

Maki: You don't have to hold back.

(Imagine Ghost is next to Hinawa on the left.)

Iris: Are you certain that Maki can handle them? Third generations are extra powerful, aren't they?

Hinawa: It won't be an issue for her. Maki started out in the military. She understands what it takes to destroy a man.

Ghost: I kinda feel bad for them.

Maki: Okay. I'm ready to begin when you are.

(Maki hits Shinra causing him to stubble and she goes in for another hit, Shinra blasts off but before he can go any further Makie turns off Shinra's flames & pushes him off the roof. As Shinra is falling his flames turn back on & he lands safely on another part of the roof.)

Shinra: I really thought I was dead.

Iris: Isn't she overdoing it a bit?

Hinawa: Shinra has the instincts to be a good soldier, but he's got one glaring weakness. Fact is, he needs to be shown that his third-gen powers can only get him so far.

Arthur: You won't beat me the way you did him. Excalibur!

(Arthur swings his sword at Maki but she leaps over him & tries to put out his sword but isn't able to.)

Iris: It's still lit.

Hinawa: Looks like a plasma cutter.

Ghost: Interesting.

Arthur: Excalibur is stalwart. You'll find it a lot tougher to extinguish than Shinra's fire.

(Takes a swing at Maki but she ducks it.)

Arthur: But what kind of noble knight would I be if I injured an innocent princess?

(Maki drops Arthur to his knee.)

Maki: It looks like chivalry's dead after all. A true knight oughtta kneel when he speaks to a princess.

(Maki knees Arthur in the face sending him back.)

Maki: That's for your lack of respect toward the lieutenant.

Arthur: I see now. You're an ogre disguised as a princess.

(This enrages Maki.)

Maki: How dare you call me a hideous, man-eating, gorilla cyclops!

Arthur: Didn't say that! Now I'm doubting you can understand human speech, ogress.

Iris: It seems like he just keeps adding more fuel on the fire. That's a third-gen pyrokinetic for you.

Ghost: I don't remember knights being this rude.

(Shinra blasts right back up to fight Maki.)

Shinra: I'm not out of the running yet!

Maki: (serious face) [growls]

Shinra: Huh? You know when you're in combat, ya start to look a little brutish.

Iris: Not you too, Shinra.

Ghost: We're going to need new recruits after this.

Maki: If I can't just snuff your flames out..

(Maki sputters Shinra's fire & Arthur's Excalibur.)

Shinra: What the--? Hey, what did you do to my fire?

Arthur: No. You got Excalibur, too?

Maki: You should change the name to Ek-sputter-bur.

Arthur: "Ek-sputter-bur"?

Hinawa: So we have a devil and a knight. Following the pattern Arthur and Shinra established, I'd call Maki a witch.

Maki: Sputter! Flare! Now come forth!

Maki: Bo-bo-bo! Bo-bo, Bo-bo!

Arthur & Shinra: Huh?

Iris: "Bo"?

Ghost: What?

Maki: (now holding a giant fireball) Would the two of you like to continue?

(Arthur & Shinra look at each other.)

Shinra: Think we're out of options. If you're throwin' in the towel, then that's that.

Arthur: Well, it's pretty clear that you wanna surrender, so I'll concede.

(Hinawa puts out the fireball.)

Maki: Bo-bo-bo! Bo-bo, Bo-bo!

Hinawa: Ghost, you're up next!

Ghost: Yes, sir! But are you sure? The newbies look tired.

Arthur: A Knight never waivers!

Shinra: Neither does a hero!

Ghost: Alrighty then, let's do this!

(Ghost, Arthur, & Shinra all get into battle stances.)

Shinra: Hey, Arthur, he's a chemokinetic which means that he can turn into the gas from a fire extinguisher, so be prepared for that.

Arthur: So, he's a spirit?

Shinra: Not at all actually.

Ghost: Hmm. Looks like you figured me out.

Ghost's thoughts: Good thing that's not the only power I have!

Ghost: Spirit? That's new. I'm gonna make this quick but I'll make sure I embarrass you both because I didn't like the way you two were speaking to Maki.

Maki: *small blush*

Ghost: Anyways, Shinra, you still wondering why Iris calls me Marshmallow?

Shinra: Yeah.

Arthur: Marshmallow?

Ghost: Well, how about I show you!

(Suddenly fire extinguisher foam engulfs Ghost's body.)

Shinra: Aw, you look adorable!

Ghost: That's the reaction I tend to get.

Arthur: Not only a spirit but also a golem as well?

Ghost: I guess? So who's first!

(Shinra blasts off towards Ghost & kicks him in the chest but gets stuck in Ghost's foam.)

Shinra: What the? I'm stuck!

Ghost: Don't worry let me help you with that.

(Ghost unfoams his right arm & punches Shinra in the face which sends him back.)

Ghost: Come at me, Knight!

Arthur: As you wish, Spirit Golem.

(Arthur charges towards Ghost with Excalibur & is able to hit Ghost but as Excalibur makes contact, it goes out.)

Arthur: You...put out Excalibur?

Maki: Ghost sure isn't taking it easy on them.

Iris: Well, you heard him. He didn't like the way they were talking about you.

Maki: (sighs) What a guy.

Iris: (glares at Maki)

(Ghost shoots foam at both Arthur & Shinra, trapping them both in place.)

Ghost: There's something the both of you should know. There isn't a fire I can't extinguish. Whether it be a devil's flames or a knight's plasma, I can extinguish it all. Now say you're sorry to Maki and I'll let you go.

Arthur & Shinra: We're sorry, Maki.

Ghost: Great. (Defoams himself and absorbs the foam off of Arthur and Shinra back into himself)

(Ghost walks back to Hinawa, Iris, & Maki.)

Maki: Maybe I should start calling you Marshmallow too.

Ghost: Please don't, my heart couldn't take it.

Maki: (pouts) Fine. (starts pulling on Ghost's cheeks)

Ghost: [chuckles]

Iris: (glares at both of them)

(Cut to Ghost, Obi, Shinra, Arthur, Maki, & Iris inside of the Matchbox.)

(Imagine Ghost is in between Maki & Iris.)

Obi: This one was reported to be in a single-family home. Odds are, we'll be putting them to rest in close quarters. Shinra. You'll be pretty limited in how you can maneuver with your feet. Take the Type Seven. All of you keep your weapons hidden inside your coats. Don't let them be seen by civilians.

(Cut to Company Eight in front of the Infernal's house.)

Obi: Things are a little quiet, considering.

Infernal's daughter: First mama. Now Papa. How come? Am I gonna be next?

Hinawa: Apparently, her mother turned Infernal as well. Just two years ago.

Obi: And now she's lost her Dad, too. Tough break.

Ghost: Poor girl.

Iris: Captain Obi, Should I--?

Obi: No. Let's do this as gently as we can. I hear there's been a rash of strange incidents at recent fire scenes, so stay on your toes. Company Eight, we're goin' in.

Company Eight: Yes, sir!

(Shinra & Arthur take out their weapons.)

Obi: Shinra, Arthur. C'mere a sec.

(Obi takes Shinra & Arthur a little bit down the road.)

Obi: I thought I told you two to keep your weapons concealed.

Arthur: Why should we, though?There's no rule or regulation that says it's required. None of our teachers mentioned it, either. Excalibur is more than a weapon to me. It's my pride, so why should I hide it?

Obi: As Fire Soldiers, we all have our duty. We must fight the Infernals in order to put them to rest. All Infernals were once human. We can say we're "putting them to rest," but in truth, we kill them.

(Shinra & Arthur are shocked by this.)

Obi: Among the ranks of the Fire Soldiers, there are some who think of themselves as crusaders, and relish every moment of combat with the Infernals. Thing is, that means ignoring the torment of the bereaved. The Infernal you put to rest in battle is prob'ly someone's dad. Or wife. Never let the next of kin see your weapons. If you can't follow that rule, I don't want you in my company.

Shinra: Yes, sir!

Shinra's thoughts: He's right. If I'm not there for those left behind, then I'm no one's hero.

(A mysterious man chuckles by holding a tiny jar.)

(The mysterious man sprinkles something & it makes the fire goes crazy which catches the attention of Obi, Shinra, & Arthur.)

Shinra: The flames transformed, but why? Could it've been the Infernal inside?

Obi: Those flames are sneering at us. Infernals have no sense of self. It's hard to believe one of them could do this. Making entry now.

Shinra & Arthur: Right!

(Cut to Company Eight inside of the Infernal's house.)

(Imagine Ghost is in between Hinawa & Obi.)

Obi: Infernal located.

Shinra: He's just sitting there.

Obi: Hm?

(Obi notices a family photo of the Infernal.)

Obi: Why do these things have to happen? (places the photo down)

Arthur: Captain. Please let me be the one to put him to rest.

Shinra: Wait, let's think about this. He is an Infernal, but he hasn't attacked anyone.

Arthur: Don't be a dumbass. The man's burning alive. It's hard to imagine the kind of pain he's going through. We need to put him out of his misery.

Obi: Time's 1706. Put the Infernal to rest, Arthur.

Arthur: I will not allow you to suffer any more pain than you already have. Sister. The prayer, please.

Iris: Right. The flame is the soul's breath. The black smoke is the soul's release. Ashes thou wert and art. May thy soul return...

Arthur: ...to the great flame of fire.

(The Infernal begins to disintegrate.)

(Imagine Ghost is next to Maki.)

Company Eight: Látom.

Obi: Was that painful?

Shinra: Yeah. It was.

ObI: Well, hang on to that pain, because the worst thing this job can do to you is make you numb to it all.

(The same stuff that the mysterious man sprinkled earlier now engulfs the house.)

Shinra: What was that?

Obi: Everyone out! Before it caves in!

(Everyone runs out except for Obi which Shinra notices.)

Shinra: Aren't you coming, sir? Crap, Captain, look out!

Obi: Don't know who did this, but they must not know me, either. I train every day. They'd need a lot more to crush me.

Obi: This damn prank of theirs has gone way too far! (pushes the debri off of himself)

(Cut to the mysterious man outside of the house.)

Man: Seems to me this so-called Special Fire Force is only blowin' smoke.

Man: Time to see how well those clowns can take a joke.

(Cut to Company Eight outside of the rubble.)

Maki: Captain, are you hurt?

Obi: No, I'm all right.

Hinawa: That didn't just happen on it's own. You think we were attacked by a third party?

Obi: I'm not sure yet. If so, then they also trashed a fire scene that was still full of memories for the bereaved. And for that, they will pay. For now, let's just head back.

(Company Eight leaves the house & are now in front of the Infernal's daughter.)

Infernal's daughter: Flames took my parents. And next they're gonna come for me. Papa. Mama.

Obi: Mikako, right? (hands her the family photo) Your father fought bravely to hold back the flame's fury, and he won that fight. I think both of your parents were protecting you from the flames. They both gave their all to make sure that you would be okay. Believe in them. In the love you felt.

Infernal's daughter: (crying over the family photo) Papa. Mama. (crying)

Shinra: I'm sorry, sir. I couldn't do anything.

Obi: It's rare that we can offer the bereaved much comfort. And sometimes it feels as tough as charging into a sea of flames. But it's still important we try.

(Cut to Shinra, Arthur & Ghost in their room in their beds.)

Arthur: Go to sleep, Devil. There's nothing to be seen, 'least not by the likes of you. Stop wasting your time. Sometimes closing your eyes can help you to see.

Shinra: What's that supposed to mean?

Arthur: If you don't know, then go to sleep, Devil.

Shinra's thoughts: Wait, is he--? Why?

Arthur: Just showing some compassion as a knight.

Shinra: Wait.

Arthur: Shut up. I meant Knight King.

Shinra: Hey.

Arthur: What now?

Shinra: Don't talk to me just 'cause you can't sleep.

Arthur: Pfft. I won't kill you if you fall asleep first. Even if you're a devil. Just be grateful I'm a noble knight and go to sleep.

Shinra: Wait.

Arthur: King. I'm noble--I'm a noble Knight King.

Shinra: It's almost like you're messing up on purpose. I--We need to bring spontaneous human combustion to an end, and quickly.

Ghost: Listen, Shinra, I completely agree with everything you just said and it was really nice what you were doing Arthur but as Fire Soldiers our hours are all over the place because as you know Infernals could pop up anywhere, day or night which means that we must sleep when we get the chance. So, what I'm trying to say is if you two don't stop talking and fall asleep I'm going to extinguish your flames for good!

Shina & Arthur: Sorry, Ghost.