Chapter Text
A pale grey hue lingered in the air, despite the sun's warmth. She put it down to the foul mood that clung to her, buzzing around her head like a little cloud. Cars passed swiftly, blurred into blotches of random colour in the corner of her vision.
Her brow furrowed as she read through her paperwork, only to be jarred from her trail of thought as he scar on her abdomen started stinging when the unwelcome image of Finch's snarl flashed fresh in her mind. Though she claimed a strange peace when she thought of how much shit she beat into him in return. Her head pounded, the pulsation moving only a fraction quicker than the hammering of her heartbeat in her chest. She stopped in her tracks, hands trembling faintly.
She was doing the right thing, it was for the best, it was what she needed.
The young woman sighed and placed the file at her feet, before tying the unruly waves of her dark hair, away from her face. She had to at least look a little bit presentable when she strode in through the front doors. Every ounce of her wished she was doing it under better circumstances, but she knew it
Her senses heightened and she noticed the pounding of multiple footsteps, slowly getting faster.
They found her.
"She went this way!" a voice bellowed, the heavy thundering of their running, rounded the corner and her heart jumped to her throat.
"Fuck!" she hissed and picked up pace, sliding her paperwork into her bag before running as quickly as her feet could carry her. The concrete bit through her shoes, but she barely noticed it, carried by her need to get away from them.
'They're not gonna stop me, not today.'
She heard the familiar voice of Finch as he called after her, taunting her, threatening. But she was determined to see it through. Quickly, she glanced back, but it was a moment too long. As she turned to face ahead, a booted foot appeared in her vision and she didn't have time to stop, sliding to a halt, only for his foot to collide with her jaw. She cried out in pain as she crashed to the floor, her elbow meeting the concrete.
"Look lads! Tessa's all dressed up!" He chuckled and clapped his hands mockingly. "You must have nicked that from somewhere nice!" Finch grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her to her feet, smiling maliciously. She pushed him away.
"Piss off Finch, I'm done with the Reds!" she spat, her lips and chin stained red with blood, leaving a bitter, metallic taste in her mouth. The shadow loomed over her and a hand reached out for her neck. Before he could think, she swiveled on the ball of her foot and her knee collided with his ribs, the sickening crack of bone leaving her unphased. He doubled over, blood pouring from his mouth with a slow fervour. She laid into him with as much force as she could manage, her vision swirling and knuckles whitening as every cell in her body seethed with rage. Her loosened hair fell in front of her eyes, swaying with each frantic punch.
She staggered back to her feet, staring down at the boy bloodied and bruised on the floor. A closed fist met the back of her head with a force that sent her tumbling forward and into the embrace of a stranger. Two long arms snaked under her own and lifted her to her feet. She looked up at the young man, he peered down at her with a furrowed brow and narrowed, mocha eyes.
"What's going on here?" he asked, holding her close as he assessed her attackers. She leaned against him, her head throbbing and eyes struggling to focus as the concussion set in. His chest heaved and on his features, she could see the adrenaline that coursed through his veins.
"I shoul-I should go..." she murmured, pushing away from his sculpted chest, he felt warm beneath her fingers, strong, familiar. One of them lunged forward, reaching for her now untied raven waves. His path was cut short as the stranger threw a fist, connecting it with the man's stomach and then upper-cutting to his nose. A spurt of crimson erupted from the man's shattered nose and splattered across the pavement, a quiet whimper passed through his lips. With a deep breath he turned to the young woman that stood behind him, flashing her a quick smile before swiftly kicking the downed young man in the stomach.
He moved with a staggered fluidity, some attacks were practiced and trained, others obviously more for damage. He sighed with relief, having made little work of the small group, and now turning his attention back to her.
She stood with her brow quirked, trying to blink away the blurriness yet unable to hide the fact she was blatantly impressed.
"You alright miss?" he asked, offering her an arm for support as he lead her away from them, moving as quickly as she could manage.
"Yeah, I'm fine, they've done a lot worse in the past," she chuckle dryly and lifted a hand to her jaw, with a single, cautious movement she wiped away the blood from her jaw, the crimson barely standing out against the black of her jacket sleeve.
"Good, I'm glad you're alright." He smiled softly. "Oh, I'm Daniel Toombs by the way," he chuckled, offering a hand for her to shake.
She did so gladly. There was something about him, something familiar that told her...she could trust him.
"Thank you, for helping me," she sighed, groaning when her ribs throbbed in protest.
He smiled brightly, a beaming thing that cut to her heart and made her smile in return.
"It's no problem, I have a doomed saviour complex, I see a pretty girl and I just have to save her." He winked, puffing his chest out in display. "Nah, honestly? I live across the street, I've seen those tossers around, I'm just glad I got there in time," he stated. The sense of honour and honesty that radiated off of him, caught her completely off-guard, but maybe, just...maybe, there was a friend in him.
They walked down the road, his body close to hers in a protective stance. He smiled down at her, with a genuine kindness that she found to be nothing short of rare.
The two of them turned the corner, a large white and steel building towered above them and she exhaled deeply. A gentle breeze blew stray tendrils in front of her eyes, as she gazed up at the imposing structure.
"And this is my stop." She looked up at the building and the insignia that rested above the door. Alliance Headquarters.
Alliance... Duty. Honour. Commitment... Could she really do it?
'Well shit...'
"Want me to come with you miss?" he smiled softly, hands in pockets as he looked at her awkwardly. She could feel his concern and was genuinely touched by the notion.
"Sure, who knows when I'll need my knight in shining again eh?" she chuckled, hitting him lightly in the stomach, her strides were low and slightly hindered from when she used her knee. The young woman hadn't considered if the snap was his ribs or her knee cap. Either way, she was in pain. He ran a hand through his choppy chocolate brown hair and slid his arm through hers, keeping her upright. She couldn't restrain her grateful smile.
'Bloody hell'
"For the record, my name's not miss, it's Tessa Shepard."