A Series of One-Shots

Light Em Up (A Superhero one-shot)

I wrote this for a challenge on my home site and it's honestly not the best thing I've ever done. (I kind of hate it actually.) But since I always add my new one-shots here, why not? :P 

Dedicated to TrilliumAngel for the gorgeous cover she made me for my new story :D She rocks at what she does. 10/10 recommend. 

Unedited.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Flare sighed loudly and watched her fingers glow bright orange, the same color as hot embers. The night had been too quiet. It was like all criminals had decided to take the night off. She blamed the crescent moon that hung in the sky.

She brushed her fiery red-orange hair back and adjusted her mask, deciding it was finally time to do something, then carelessly jumped from her perch five stories up.

Fire burst from her hands and feet after free falling for just moments. She leveled herself before shooting off into the sky. The way she flew was a lot like Iron Man. The only magic involved was her powers. Other than that, it was years of practice and patience that allowed her to fly.

Some people referred to her as the real-life human torch. Flare preferred the term “fire bender.” It sounded cooler in her mind and growing up with the show Avatar: The Last Airbender, she’d always been fascinated with the idea. Plus, her entire form didn’t burst into flames, not anymore anyway.

In the distance, she spotted a light. It wasn’t like the flashing light of a cell tower or a small fire. It was bright, blinding, like a star and low to the ground. It was like a beacon, beckoning her to come closer.

Flare, without thinking, began to soar toward it.

She landed on the ground with a soft thud. Just yards away from her, the light was slowly burning away. She watched, mesmerized, as the light began to dim and revealed the form of a petite woman.

The woman was small and fair, auburn hair curling around her face, a smirk twisting her lips. “Hello,” she said to Flare. Instead of waiting for a reply, she ducked down and grabbed a pair of blue-framed glasses out of a bag by her feet.

When Flare failed to reply, she said, “My name’s Ember. Why are you dressed like that?”

Flare frowned, running her hand over the smooth material of her jumpsuit. It was specially made, tailored to fit her form and flame retardant. “What’s wrong with it?”

“You look like you’re playing superhero.”

“Maybe I am.”

Ember laughed.

“What are you?” Flare asked. “There was a bright light and then it faded and you were there. What did you do?” The tips of her fingers began to glow red. She was literally burning with curiosity.

Ember’s eyes shot to her glowing hands. “You mean you don’t know?”

“Should I?”

“How old are you?” Ember stepped closer, trying to get a better look at Flare, but was hindered by her mask.

“I’m seventeen. I fail to see how this is relevant.” Flare cocked a brow. A million questions flitted through her mind. This woman, as small and sweet as she looked, was dangerous. She knew it. There was a look in her eyes. An almost predatory hunger in them. What she hungered for was the question.

“So you haven’t had your first regeneration yet. Cute.” Ember chuckled quietly and began to circle Flare. “Where are your parents? Shouldn’t they have told you all about this? What you are, who you are, the story of your people.”

“What are you talking about?” Flare’s hair burst into flames as frustration consumed her.

“You’re a phoenix.” Ember tilted her head just so, observing the way Flare shifted under her gaze. “You don’t believe me,” she stated.

“Why should I?”

“Because I’m one too. I just regenerated, actually.” Ember walked back and kicked at the pile of ashes near her bag. The air caught them, making a cloud of dust rise up. “I burned down and then I rose from my ashes. You’re only seventeen. You have quite a few years before you begin the cycle.”

Flare pursed her lips as her hair died down. “Do you catch fire too?”

“I used to,” she replied. “I’ve had a long time to learn how to control it.” Ember didn’t elaborate. “Now if you excuse me, I have to feed. Regeneration comes with a price, you know.”

“I don’t know actually.”

“Oh, well, then I’ll tell you all about it. Come on, follow me.” The shorter woman slung her bag over her shoulder and flicked her hand in the direction she intended to go.

“Are you walking?”

“Of course,” Ember scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Just because I’m a phoenix doesn’t mean I have wings.”

“There are other ways to fly.”

“And I don’t care. I’m hungry. Let’s go.” Ember started walking, not waiting even a second to see if Flare was going to follow her.

Flare was tempted to just leave, not follow her and not learn. But the way she’d said “feed” unsettled her. If she was going to simply go to a twenty-four hour diner and order pancakes, she probably wouldn’t have said it that way.

Instead of walking like a peasant, she launch up into the sky and quickly located Ember. She was walking briskly in the direction of town. Flare dropped down, hovering about a foot above the ground.

Ember paused. “What did you say your name way again?”

“I didn’t.” Flare slowly began to float upward, as if gravity had set her free. “But you can call me Flare.”

“Come on then, Flare. Follow me.”

Flare hovered above the ground with ease, gently pushing herself forward at the same pace as Ember.

Ember seemed a lot less sinister as she moved toward the parts that held more restaurants and stores. Flare kept her mouth closed as she followed. She had no idea where Ember was going.

She slipped down an alley way, whispering, “Hide yourself.”

Flare landed on a fire escape two stories above where Ember had stopped on the ground. She waited, quietly, patiently, while Ember just stood there. It seemed like she was waiting for something.

And minutes later, another figure appeared in the mouth of the alley. A homeless man wearing a thin coat several sizes too big. He frowned as he noticed Ember standing in the alley.

He didn’t say anything, nor did she. He just set his things down and pulled a blanket out of his bag. Ember laughed, loudly and obnoxiously.

“Thank you,” she said to the man.

Time seemed to slow as Ember lunged for him, hands glowing a bright white. Flare didn’t have time to process what was about to happen. She just acted.

Flare jumped over the railing of the fire escape and barely took care to keep herself from hitting the ground full force. Her hands light up, a similar bright white to Ember’s, and she launched herself at the smaller woman. Without thinking, she thrust her hand into Ember’s chest.

It was like a scene from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Her hand sank into the other woman’s chest. Ember’s eyes went wide. And then Flare ripped her hand out of her chest.

Ember dropped to the ground. Her body began to smoke. Flare watched solemnly as the corpse turned to ash.

Behind her the homeless man was hyperventilating. His eyes flickered between the girl and what had once been a girl. “Thank you,” he breathed.

Flare snapped her head in his direction, having forgotten about him. She straightened her back and smiled in his direction. “No problem,” she chirped, throwing him a salute. “All in a day’s work!” Then, without looking back, she put her feet together and shot off into the sky.