#tney called an ambulance

[straight-to-the-pain]

Human Shield

Alright, it's like 3am and I had no idea how to end this, but here is my @whumptober2019 submission for day 4! Basically, this is how Bea became a vigilante and met her girlfriend. Enjoy!

Bea had always taken the same route home from uni, even though many people had tried to discourage her from taking her regular shortcut. Whatever they tried to tell her about the dangers that lurked in the moonlit park, and the attackers that hid behind trees, Bea wasn't deterred.

Her class had finished a while ago, but she stayed in the library until after dark, poring over textbooks and research papers until she felt her head grow heavy and her eyes glaze over. The research was interesting, of course it was, but mostly Bea just wanted an excuse to not go home, to not have to deal with the constant weight of grief hanging over her the flat that she shared with her brother.

As she walked, she hummed softly to herself, listening to the crunch of the autumn leaves under her feet, and the quiet whistling of the wind between the branches. Just as she was about to turn into the alley leading to her flat, Bea heard voices in the darkness.

She paused, ducking behind a corner so she could figure out what was going on. The route had always been empty, but now she could make out two distinct voices coming from the shadows. It took all her effort to keep her breathing steady and her hands from shaking as she began to understand what was going on.

"Please, leave me alone," came a woman's voice, desperate and scared, but full of a fierce intensity that made Bea's heart beat faster in her chest. "I'm not going with you," the woman shouted. "I never want to see you again!"

Then there came a harsh, loud noise, like a hit, followed by a sharp cry, and in that moment, Bea knew she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she didn't do something. She couldn't save her mother, but maybe she could still help this girl. Whatever happened to her, maybe it would be worth it in the end.

She could feel the rising sparks in her hands, the growing warmth that was by now familiar and still, in no way easier to control or understand. As her anger and fear increased, so did the heat, until flames danced at her fingertips and in her eyes.

"You better listen to me, bitch," came a man's voice, laced with anger and hatred, "or you'll get what's coming to you." And when Bea heard that, there was no longer any thought, only the fire in her hands, and the anger in her heart, and before she knew it, she was between them, looking straight into the man's furious eyes.

"Did you not hear what she said?" Bea demanded, voice echoing in the narrow alley. "She wants to be left alone, and you're going to do just that."

At her words, the man simply laughed. "Do you really expect me to take orders from some girl with a couple magic tricks?" he retorted with derision.

That was the last straw. Bea shoved the man back until his head hit the wall with a crack, and the flames burned through his shirt. She watched him scream as his skin started to singe, writhing and struggling to get out of her fiery grip. But Bea wasn't done. Her hand snaked around the man's neck instead, pressing him firmly against the brick and cutting off his screams, charring his skin and blocking his air supply. She found that instead of horrifying her, the pleading expression in his eyes and his choked off whimpers only served to fuel the flames at her fingers.

A quiet whimper from behind wrenched Bea out of her fury, and the man crumpled to the ground as she released his throat. She turned around to the girl, not giving her attacker another glance. Her lip was bleeding, and Bea passed her a handkerchief to dab at the cut on her cheek.

"A-are you okay?" she asked quietly, even though it was clear that she was not. The girl flinched slightly, looking up at Bea warily, and with a start, Bea realised that her fingers were still glowing gently, like embers after a bonfire. She balled her hands into fists, willing the fire to retreat, not wanting to scare the girl any more than she already had.

Bea extended a hand, and was glad when the girl accepted. "I'm Bea, by the way," she said, shaking her hand with a smile. "Sorry, I know this is a slightly unconventional introduction. I'll uh... call an ambulance, tell them we found him like this?" she suggested.

"I'm Ellie," the girl replied with a shaky smile of her own. "And thanks."

And when Bea offered her a cup of tea at her flat, Ellie didn't refuse. They walked home together, still holding hands, not sparing a glance at the barely conscious man lying behind them.