Callie's POV:

Gods, some people are stupid.

I mean, really? Running around the entire city, starting fires at all the historic buildings and the newest ones? Why would anyone do that?

That's why everyone started staying home. They didn't want to do anything that Leo Valdez didn't like, or he would burn down their house.

You would think that the police would have captured this guy by now. But he ran away from crime scences, (of course) and the police were too scared to try and find him any other time. They preffered to stay home like the other citizens.

But seriously, my question was, why? Did the guy just hate people? Maybe he was a sociopath, maybe a pyro, or maybe a schizophrenic. Was he trying to kill people, or burn them, or just destroy their homes? Their lives?

I sighed and dropped my bag on my bed. I had just just come from a long day at work. The Leo guy had burned down two mobile homes and tried to set fire to a Publix. We put out the fire, but he had already disappeared into the forest behind, likely burning down a few trees in the process. The guy was like a human torch.

*Nico sprinkles French fries on a grave and this time skip is revived*

I woke up sweating with a pulsing headache. I checked my clock. 2:27 AM. It was the middle of the night. I sat up trepadatiously and trudged groggliy to the foggy window of my apartment bedroom. I wiped off the fog.

A firetruck was parked in the apartment building parking lot. I waved hello to my friend Kia, (Khione) one of my fellow firefighters.

Kia gasped, tugged on another firefighter's arm, and pointed at me. Why was everyone here? I sniffed the air. Smoke.

I scrambled for the fire escape. I flung open the door and started down the stairs. A silhouette stood there.

"What the Hades?" the voice said. I took a closer look at the figure. It was a scrawny male, clothes torn and burnt, a wild look in his eyes. A tattoo of flames raced up his skinny left arm. "I almost killed a pretty girl. Oh crap. I'm sorry. Oh my gods, sometimes this just happens, and I can't control it. Oh my gods, I'm so sorry."

He shed a tear and hit me in the back of the head.

*some see time skip, I see a harpoon*

I woke up again, this time surrounded by the scent of animals and the sight of trees.

The same guy stood in front of me.

"What. The. Hades. You're the pyro. You tried to kill me. Oh my gods. Oh my gods. Get away from me. Oh my gods... I can't believe this..."

I sat up and looked around. I was in the middle of the forest behind the Publix. I could feel tears forming in my eyes.

He bent down. "I- I'm sorry. Sometimes it just happens and I can't control it. I just burn, and laugh, and burn some more," he shuddered. "I'm Leo. I tried to save-"

He couldn't say any more, because I slapped him across the face.