Subject A250: The Fangirl (COMPLETED)

Thirty: Hot Things Are Dangerous

A/N: Sorry for the delay! I got back from holiday and got sick (go me!). Also I had my birthday and friends to catch up with before I go back to uni. Probably won't post for another few days at least for that same exact reason, so don't hold your breath, kids.

Here's a long chapter to make up for it :)

"What do you bloody mean 'it's burnt down'? To the ground? Who burnt it?"

"Dunno, Newt, but it's still smoking now. Whole building's a pile of rubble."

Trace stirred in her sleep, wincing as a bolt of pain stabbed through her head. Why did Gally have to knock her out? Newt didn't get knocked out in the book, so why should she?

Still, despite the pain, some part of her was still relieved that it'd been her and not Newt. Now she didn't have to worry quite so much about him.

That was a lie; she'd still worry just as much about the young Newton.

The pressure on the side of her head increased. Someone was pressing down on it.

"Ace? Can you hear me?"

She groaned in response, daring to open one eye, but shutting it quickly as bright light filtered in.

Not as bright as it could be, her mind told her. Just the light from that dull grey ceiling.

"Ace?"

This time she blinked both eyes open, still not pleased with the brightness of the world around her.

"Hey, Nut," she smiled.

"Hey yourself," he replied, peering down at her. Someone had kindly positioned her on the bed, and Newt was now sitting beside her, holding a cloth to her head. "How about next time you don't try to block a swinging slab of wood with your bloody head?" he suggested.

"My head wasn't bloody until after that swinging slab of wood hit it," she corrected him with a smirk.

"That is true. I can confirm that," spoke a third voice. Trace looked up.

"Who are you?" she asked the strange boy standing beside Newt. He had long dark hair, bright blue eyes, and was rather short. He didn't even look remotely familiar.

"I- I'm Joe."

"Joe?"

"Yes. Joe."

Trace frowned, and Joe raised one eyebrow in response.

"Is that okay?"

Trace laughed. "Yes, Joe. It's okay for you to be Joe."

"Okay, phew. I was worried there. Didn't really want to change my name now."

As far as Trace knew, Joe wasn't supposed to be important, but that didn't stop him from being likeable. In fact, Joe seemed pretty shucking cool.

Newt still looked concerned. As if Trace might suddenly burst into flames and disappear before his eyes. She squeezed his hand to reassure him that she wasn't planning on doing that.

Although it would be pretty cool.

"So the map-room's burnt?" she asked, changing the subject from Joe to woe.

"To the ground," Joe sighed. "The map-room's a map-tomb."

Trace's expression changed to one of bemusement and disbelief and she quickly high-fived Joe; she'd just met an extra who shared her love for puns and rhymes. She really hoped this guy didn't die.