written by Sydney Carvahall
I crouched behind the dumpster in the alley as I closed my eyes. My skin crawled with the familiar sensation as the clothes I wore expanded to cover me and whitened. My heels changed into something with a solid sole as the bones in my back twisted under my skin.
There was a set of loud pops and cracks as I tried to hasten the change. The clothing moved to cover my entire body in a skintight suit. My head itched as the colour of my hair went from black to stark white, and retreated to a short length into my skull. It flattened my chest and covered my eyes and jaw. My skin stretched and my bones lengthened as my spine gave rise to my signature wings. This process used to be painful, now it was nothing.
It took a minute before I could stretch my wings out to the side. With my transition still in progress, I flapped hard and gained flight.
I rose above the buildings around me into the clear night sky. My nose twitched as I turned to where the dark sky glowed orange. There was smoke in the air. A surprising amount of it for being this far from the flames.
My lightened body turned towards the glow, my wings rose and flapped as hard as they could as they shot me in the direction of the fire.
The wind tore against my white suit as my wings cut through it. I needed the speed to be able to rise up that high. On instinct, my wings turned me into a dive. I could vaguely hear people's surprise as I lowered myself into visibility. The area in front of Marcelone HQ was crowded with emergency service. I lowered further and just barely stopped my dive before I reached them to turn upwards.
I felt the strain on my back as my wings flapped to push me up higher and further. My angled body moved me around from the front to the back of the building. The glow was high up. Higher up than I'd expected. I gritted my teeth as I forced my body to lighten more. I had to reach it.
In a few more moments, I overshot it.
I stopped my wings. My natural moment let me rise till I arched my back and fell backwards. My body gathered the moment once again, but in the opposite direction. My wings shot out on instinct and righted me with a flip. The momentum turned to my advantage as I moved feet first towards the window. My bones strengthened themselves. The metal on my body moved to my soles and sharpened to a point right as I connected to the window.
It shattered below my feet. I gritted my teeth against the force that traveled up my body. My wings wrapped around me to protect me as I fell right on the glass.
I gasped in pain as the pieces cut into me. Then I immediately choked on the smoke in the air.
I turned to the side as I coughed. My suit rose to cover my mouth and nose to provide brief respite. The news had said twelve survivors. I had to find them.
"HELLO?!" I called out into the darkness. The electricity had probably been shut off to the floor. "IT'S 'THE GUARDIAN'! I'M HERE TO GET YOU OUT!" That name is so tacky even after two years. It's better than 'The Guardian Angel' at least. I hadn't saved a priest since.
No response. Just more smoke. It cleared out as the fresh air rushed in. My eyes stung as I sharpened my hearing. "ANYONE THERE?!"
My eyes roamed the sets of cubicles. There's plenty of metal around. I should be able to break through to the floor below once I get everyone gathered. We were bound to find atleast one stairwell down there that wasn't affected by the fire.
I stood there in the middle of the smoke and darkness. My senses were already stretched to their limits. Where were they?
I felt a presence behind me. Then a set of loud thuds as someone entered through the opening I'd made.
"Guardian."
I twisted as I heard my name. Steely blue-gray eyes stared my gray ones down. I recognised the man in front of me. "Red Flame." Another hero. Another overly-beefed up, testosterone driven hero. I'd rather All-Mother showed up.
"Any success?" His voice was gruff.
"No." I looked him over. A gaudy red suit. Flames danced over his arms. I narrowed my eyes. "I don't think you're supposed to be here."
"I can control flames." He replied easily. "That's what you need." He looked me over. "Besides, I doubt you can carry sixteen people down."
I frowned. "It was twelve when I got here."
"They've confirmed a few more trapped in stairwells."
"Dammit." I hissed. "Can't find these, and now there's more."
"You've got me. I'll find them."
"Split up?"
"Yes."
"You have a map?"
He went quiet. "No."
I sighed. "Stick with me. Clear the flames. We'll find them."
"Tornado would be really useful right now." He mumbled under his breath.
"Yes, but are you willing to let him be a dick about it for the rest of your life?"
He went quiet. Tornado was really annoying. Any help he provided would be used against the others and paraded in front of the cameras. I avoided the cameras when I could, but it was better to be known than be branded a vigilante.
"The Belle of the Waves?"
"Useless this high off the ground, and flirts with everyone who has a pulse." That one was really weird.
"You've worked with them?"
"Unfortunately."
Red Flame stomped ahead and kicked down a door. "ANYONE?! IT'S RED FLAME!"
I sighed as there was yet no response. The hallway split. The smoke got heavier towards the left. I headed towards it. "HELLO?! IT'S THE GUARDIAN! WE'RE HERE TO HELP!"
Red Flame walked ahead of me. His arms raised to counter any flames but I could see his shoulders shake as he coughed. It was hot in here. Sweat slid down my skin. Red Flame coughed more.
I took a step back to create some space. "Flame."
"Y-yeah?"
"Control the heat."
He didn't have time to respond as I flapped my wings as hard as I could. The smoke moved ahead, and then blasted out with an intense heat and force that physically pushed me back.
I started to stumble over my legs, hand stretched out for balance. Something wrapped around it and pulled me. I slammed into a hard chest. A hot chest.
"Warn me earlier next time." He growled right against my ear as the heat flared around us.
Very deep voice. And the scent... interesting.
"I didn't know Guardian was a woman."
I stiffened against him. My hands slammed into his chest. He grunted in pain as I pushed myself back. The minor distraction was enough for the change. "Who said I was a woman?" I countered with a voice as deep as his.
He raised an eyebrow. Or I thought he did. The small area above his brow moved. "Interesting."
Annoying. My eyes roamed the area. It was clearer. More visibility. "Can't believe I left a date for this." I mumbled to myself.
"Same." He sighed. "First Valentine's date in ages."
"Same."
We both glanced at each other. I frowned. "Do you hear that?"
"Coughing?"
"Yes."
Our heads shot around. To the left. The washrooms. Why didn't I think of that?
"About damn time." He looked me over. "How many can you carry?"
"About four."
"Really?" I met his eyes again and he nodded. "Right. My bad. Can you lift them?"
"My plan was to break through the floor."
"Can you... Never mind." He turned to the washrooms. I'll get them out. You break the floors."
"Got it." I grunted as my wings started to recede. "It will take a while. "I'll need you to watch the humans while I work."
"Sure. I'll gather them."
"How many floors do you..." I paused to stifle a groan as my wings shrunk. "... think we need to drop?"
He went quiet. He could probably sense the depth and intensity of the flames. "Two."
"Dammit." I hissed again. But now my wings were gone. "Go get them. I'll start."
I looked up to see a set of bewildered eyes on me. I could understand that. My transformations weren't for the faint-hearted.
"Go." I commanded again as I took a moment before I started to shift my muscles.
I reached out to grab a steel lamp in the hallway. The thing bent under my grip as it slowly fell to my powers. It transfigured into my arm, into my bones and my muscles. And it hurt. Goddammit it hurt. It took two more steel lamps till I could use my arms to break through the floor.
Red Flame piled up the passed out humans as I beat against the floor. Once I had enough space to stick my hand in, it took the rest of my strength to change the floor. The cement cracked under my hand as I twisted it's composition into dust. I fell through and landed on my side. It would've almost made me scream if I hadn't been half steel at the moment. It took a while more to repeat what I did with the floor above. Red Flame got the humans down one by one.
We each picked up a few, and started to drag the rest down one by one. Luckily enough, five floors down, we encountered firefighters. They took them off our hands, I was left to carry one. By the time we emerged, I was down to my normal size. The metal had been forced out of me into orbs I left behind. I hoped no one would notice. Interior design is ever-changing after all.
It was bright once we got out. The rescue lights, the tents set up by paramedics, the camera people. It felt like the day after the darkness we'd walked through.
Red Flame looked at me. "Should I take that?"
I looked down at the petite, old woman in my arms. I held her bridal-style. "Sure." My voice was rough as it came down from the deep voice I'd shifted to. Everything hurt. Can't call in sick though.
I looked up at the sky. The fire still raged. We'd found the twelve on the burning floor. The other four were still inside somewhere.
Red Flame took the lady from me. Then I turned around and headed back in. The firefighters let me through as I started up a stairwell. One of them handed me a walkie-talkie to keep in touch as I started up.
Red Flame's voice crackled through it a minute later. He sounded mad that I'd left him behind. I just told him to find another stairwell and start his search. Unfortunately enough, the search took us all night. Any hopes I'd had to return to Harlan vanished with each empty stairwell I finished.
I found three. Red Flame found one. He looked annoyed about it. The firefighters kept us behind so we could inform them of the situation inside. The cameras surrounded us and blocked our way out so I didn't have a place to change.
My body hurt. My eyes hurt. My throat hurt. My head hurt. I brushed off the men and women who came up to thank me with as much niceness I could muster. Curt words meant they couldn't feel my irritation. Curt talks meant I didn't have to stand around and watch them cry tears of happiness anymore.
United with their loved ones when I couldn't even get a damned date to go right.
"Want to catch breakfast?"
I looked up at Red Flame. "Go away."
"I can." He replied easily as he walked up to me and placed an arm around my shoulder. "I know you can't. You don't want to transform here, right?"
I looked up at him. So ridiculously tall... with a nice smile.
He tapped his head. "I'll show you mine if you show me yours." He paused as I narrowed my eyes at him. "You'll show me yours if I show you mine?"
"What do you think?"
"No?"
I shrugged off his arm. "Go away, Red Flame."
"You need a lift, right?"
I did. And out of all the heroes I'd met he seemed the nicest. I ran my hand through my white hair. "Yeah. Fine. Drop me off on a roof. I'll head home."
"I can drop you home." His arms went under my shoulders this time as he supported me. I ignored the clicks of the cameras behind us.
Red Flame turned into a beacon of pure light and heat beside me. I turned away from it, but strangely enough, it didn't affect me.
We rose from the ground effortlessly. And sped up. The sudden increase in speed had my arms wrap around him in surprise and worry. So this is what it felt like to actually be able to fly. To be weightless. To not have to change my body till it's barely recognisable to get somewhere.
"Too high for you, Guardian?"
I lowered my voice again. "I've gone higher."
He laughed. It was a nice laugh. "I bet you can." He started to lower himself to a roof. "I'm starting to see why you're the most mysterious hero. You don't talk much, do you?"
"Drop me right here." I ignored him. Titles aren't my thing.
He sighed as he fell lower. Since he was taller, he touched ground first and bounced once before he stopped. I stepped down as well and pulled away from his heated form. He continued to flicker and glow like a flame as I forced my wings out again. It felt weird to be watched while I did this.
He spoke again with my wings half out. "Valentine's night destroyed, eh?"
"Mhmm."
"You planning to reschedule?"
"Maybe. And you?" My change was slower than normal after a night full of them.
"Yeah. I wonder if she'll accept though." I looked at him as he scratched his fire-y head. "It was going well... then she ran out first. Made some excuse about the fire, but she was clearly lying."
"Huh." I cocked my head. Why was it important to tell me this? "How do you know that?"
"Instinct, you know?" He turned to look at the rising sun. "Just... It had been going so well, you know?"
"How long have you two been together?"
He laughed. He seemed kind of embarrassed. "It was our first date last night. I really like this girl."
"Good for her." I replied as I turned to face the sun with him. Mine too. Guess I won't have the second with the way I ran out. "You should call her as soon as you can." He should have a second date. Seemed like a nicer hero than the others I'd met.
"You think?
"Yup." I shrugged. "If it was going well, and she lied to get out of it, there's got to be a reason."
"Yeah... but why lie, you know?" He sounded genuinely confused. "Just tell me. I won't judge. I'll help. I didn't even mind that she made me pay the full bill."
"Damn. Really?" My wings clicked loudly as they stretched to their full length. Lies in the first date? Can't bode well. "I offer to split on the first date."
"I mean..." He sighed. "She did say to text her her split but like..." His hand gestured vaguely. "I'm not that stingy, you know?"
I checked my nails. Then I remembered they were covered by my white suit. "Fair enough. Anyway..." I patted his shoulder. "Thanks for the help. I'll head out." Whatever. He'll figure it out.
"Yeah. Nice working with you, Guardian." He saluted to me as we both turned away from each other.
I threw a wave over my shoulder as I turned in the direction of the restaurant. The heat behind me vanished, and I also took off. The morning wind was cold. It refreshed me after a night of smoke and heat. I was exhausted as well. All I could think about was a nap.
My wings led me back to the alley I'd started my night in. I landed behind the dumpster with a loud thud. My knees gave out under me. I hit the ground on my butt and gasped in pain. Damn. Cherry on top.
My chest heaved as I gathered my breath. Once I calmed my racing heart, I put everything back in place.
My white suit shifted back to the original red dress. My hair grew again to fall to my shoulders as it turned black. I had my heels back on my feet again. My legs were stretched out as I leaned forward. I could feel the grit of the dirty alley on my calves. The dress was probably ruined because of it as well.
My hand slid against the wall till I found my purse behind the dumpster and yanked it out. I was exhausted. It had been a long night. And now I'd get the additional reward of the media's attention on my lack of attention towards the people I'd rescued.
I sat up and pulled my legs to myself before I got onto my feet. My butt was damp because of the ground. It was almost seven in the morning. Another sleepless night.
My phone rang. I picked it up as I recognised Harlan's number. "Hey." I couldn't hide the exhaustion in my voice.
"Hey. Your friend okay?"
"Yeah. She wasn't in the building. Her phone was just dead." My deadpan voice bounced off the alley's walls as I walked to the exit.
He burst into laughter. "Just when it was going so well."
I smiled. "Always right then."
"So, are you free?"
"When?" I checked my nails again. The polish wasn't chipped.
"Now."
"Now?" Now?
"Let's get breakfast."
I looked up from my nails as I heard the voice in front of me and not from the phone held to my ear. My eyes met Harlan's blue ones.
He was still in his suit. His black hair was messy, buttons mismatched and the blazer around his neck. The smile on his face was as crooked as his entire outfit right now.
I dropped my hand, eyes wide. "What..."
He smiled as he moved forward. "Someone told me to call the girl I had a date with last night as soon as I could."
"Oh..." Oh no. "Did... they now?"
He smiled wider. His hand reached out to grab mine as he pulled me towards him. I moved forward with no resistance, my arms wrapped around him as I stared up at him. He knew. And he knew I knew.
Normally, I'd panic and try to run. But right now... in his arms... I felt safe. I felt relaxed.
I gave in. A sigh escaped me as I pressed my nose to his shoulder. That scent... mixed with the smoke from last night. It was him.
"Long night?" His lips moved against my hair.
"Yes." I replied softly. He still smelled nice. "I'm tired."
"Me too."
Both of us reeked of smoke as we held each other in this grimy alley. I smiled against his jacket. Maybe this Valentine's Day won't be such a bust after all.
<<<THE END>>>
Sydney Carvahall is a Wattpad Star and part of the Paid Stories Program. She writes under the username 'SydCarv' on Wattpad and currently has two books in the Paid Stories Program- 'Human Untouched' and it's sequel, 'Requiem of the State'.
Sydney spends her free time working in her art, writing or practicing drums. She has a pet dog named Zulu. Her attention these days is spent on writing 'Will of the Fates', a free Wattpad book available on her page right now! Do check it out!