Saving Grace
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: The usual, dont own nothing, dont sue me, please.
Synopsis: Saras life is turned upside down that fateful September day when the towers fell, and she is forced to doubt whether the Witchblade really was the mythical super weapon everyone had pegged it to be. But out of tragedy comes the real reason behind the deception, something Sara doesnt expect.
Chapter 1: Realizing Failure
She failed. For the first time in her life, she failed. She failed her fellow officers, she failed the people she had sworn to protect, and she failed herself. Now, standing in the depths of her self-loathing, Sara Pezzini could only stare at the burning towers in the middle of Manhattan where only moment ago two explosions rocked New York City. Her heart sank to its lowest level since her fathers murder many years earlier. Her feet wouldnt move from the spot they had planted themselves in as police officers, firefighters, and civilians scurried back into the burning buildings looking for those that had been left behind or unable to get out by themselves.
From a rooftop about a block away, he watched the scene unfold, watched her freeze as everything she had been bound to begin to loosen and fall like the pieces of the building that rained down as another explosion rocked the city. He knew the next few moments were critical. The towers were teetering and crumbling, and soon they would fall, covering all that remained in their paths. As he contemplated going down and rescuing Sara from the would be disaster, Ian Nottingham realized the inevitable had occurred prematurely. The bracelet on her wrist morphed into a gauntlet as she ducked down, avoiding the falling debris as the first building came tumbling down.
Ian followed his first impulse to run down there and save her before some large piece of concrete or metal came down on top of her head, forgetting that the Witchblade had saved Sara once before, during the explosion at the Midtown Museum. Even as the tiny tidbit came into focus, nothing could stop him from running towards the falling towers and the cloud of dust that was quickly enveloping everything around him. It stung his eyes as he tried to shield them from the jagged particles that flew at him like tiny bullets. A strong, almost hurricane force wind followed, nearly knocking him to the ground, but Ian stood still, taking it full force and riding it out before continuing to move towards the spot where he saw the Wielder last.
Sara, on the other hand, remained frozen as her thoughts raced at the speed of light. As much as she wanted to believe that the piece of metal on her wrist would protect her as it always had against anything that came her way, the realist part of her mind knew better. It would only be a matter of time before all the falling debris crushed her thin, lithe body if the smoke and dust didnt kill her first. As the concrete boulders came tumbling down, she could feel one strike her leg as a second hit her back and a third slammed into her shoulder. She didnt even feel the cloud of debris as it scattered around her, engulfing everything that dared to step in its path.
Saras body went numb from the pain, leaving her mind to wander through all the events that had lead to this one single moment in time where everything seemed to fall out of place. What had she failed to notice? What had she forgotten to reexamine? When the answers came back to nothing repeatedly, Sara knew that this was something she never had control over. She began to wonder if this was just a strange occurrence, but nothing in her universe was a strange occurrence, everything happened for a reason. At the moment, the reason eluded her completely.
The marathon Saras mind had been running was finally taking its toll on her as was the weight of the boulders that lay on top of her. The numbness of her body mixed with that of her brain, and she soon began to fade, feeling like a failure to herself more than ever. With death upon her, she realized that now was the time to make peace with everything she had done in her life.
Ian slowly made his way through the thick cloud of smoke, soot, ash, and debris, trying to be careful, but being unable to see even an inch ahead of him, the going was always dangerous. Stumbling and tripping had become his worst enemies, accounting for all three of the falls he had sustained while walking through the scattered rubble. The first hadnt been so bad. He had landed on the ground, hands spread out in front as a net to catch the rest of his weight, and recovered quickly. The second was worse, but only because his hands felt raw from the first spill. It was the third that nearly crippled him. He had reached the pile of rubble that Sara was buried beneath, and as he made his way up, he lost his footing, landing hard on his left knee. Ian could feel the jagged edges of the cement blocks cut right through his leg, sending a piercing pain throughout his body. He stifled the urge to cry out, picking himself up as if it had never happened, and continued limping along, daring not to look down for fear of what he would see.
Tackling the boulders head on, Ians pain lessened as he though more of Sara than himself. He was determined to get to her before any of the rescue crews ever got the chance to search the scene. It would be pretty hard to explain his presence to both the rescuers and Sara, if she was conscious after the whole ordeal. He continued trudging along, grabbing blocks of concrete left and right and throwing them aside. Finally, he saw what appeared to be a badly bruised and dirty hand emerge from the debris.
As Sara slipped out of consciousness, the weight on her body began to lift. The boulders became lighter, as did everything else around her. She began to wonder if she was floating up into heaven, if she were already dead, and if the infamous light at the end of the tunnel was upon her. But another part of her, the part still anchored to her life on earth, told her that she wasnt dead yet. The boulders were being lifted off her body, allowing her to breathe a little easier and fight a little harder than she had been. She wanted to live, but the struggle that came with it was exhausting. If the boulders werent pulled off her body soon, shed probably end up loosing the battle.
Light began to filter through small openings in the rubble, giving Sara one more burst of energy as clean air filled her lungs. Soon, she thought, soon she could be out of this mess. She hung on for a little while longer until finally the last boulder was lifted off her back and a pair of strong arms reached into the little crevice, scooping her up into the light. Her body was wrapped in a warm black jacket, and was snuggly encased in those strong arms once again as her head rested on a muscular shoulder. She looked up at the man that had rescued her, unable to see much of his face, but her green eyes locked on to the golden brown of his, and she smiled faintly.
Ian, Sara whispered, the relief evident in her voice. Her body relaxed as her mind went blank, and she soon passed out of sheer exhaustion in his arms as he slowly carried her out of the wreckage before the first wave of rescue crews arrived at the scene.
Ian felt Saras body go limp in his arms as he rushed as best he could to his car parked a few blocks away. He was thankful that he had brought a truck today instead of the customary sedan. It was much easier keeping an eye on her if her head was resting in his lap as he drove, checking her vitals every so often to make sure she hadnt slipped away.
As they drove down the back streets and alleys, Ian assessed the damage Sara had sustained in the collapse. He pulled back the soiled black trench coat he had wrapped her in, noting it was sticky with her blood. There were large gashes to her left side starting with her shoulder, which was torn open, the blood having already clotted into a big scab. Her wrist was slightly swollen, indicating a sprain in all probability, or maybe a hairline fracture. Hed determine that when they were back at the mansion. Ians eyes continued to run down her torso, checking to make sure she wasnt bleeding from any questionable area, like her chest or her abdomen. Satisfied with his initial inspection, his eyes found their way to her upper thigh, which was also ripped open and had scabbed over with blood. Her ankle was about the size of a softball, indicating that there was a definite fracture there.
With the initial inspection of her body complete, Ian focused on his own. His left knee has swelled to about the same size as Saras ankle, but the gash just below it was slowly knitting itself closed. He began to thank the heavens for his genetic enhancements, or he probably wouldnt have made it through finding Sara, carrying her back to the car, and driving her to the mansion. But that still didnt lessen the pain. It hurt like hell, but hed deal with that later. It was Sara that needed the attention now. He sighed; this was going to be a long night.
A/N: Yeah, I know, I'm neglecting RAII, but this idea just hit me with such force I had to write about it. I'm sorry!! I promise I'll try to finish RAII as soon as I can.
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: The usual, dont own nothing, dont sue me, please.
Synopsis: Saras life is turned upside down that fateful September day when the towers fell, and she is forced to doubt whether the Witchblade really was the mythical super weapon everyone had pegged it to be. But out of tragedy comes the real reason behind the deception, something Sara doesnt expect.
Chapter 1: Realizing Failure
She failed. For the first time in her life, she failed. She failed her fellow officers, she failed the people she had sworn to protect, and she failed herself. Now, standing in the depths of her self-loathing, Sara Pezzini could only stare at the burning towers in the middle of Manhattan where only moment ago two explosions rocked New York City. Her heart sank to its lowest level since her fathers murder many years earlier. Her feet wouldnt move from the spot they had planted themselves in as police officers, firefighters, and civilians scurried back into the burning buildings looking for those that had been left behind or unable to get out by themselves.
From a rooftop about a block away, he watched the scene unfold, watched her freeze as everything she had been bound to begin to loosen and fall like the pieces of the building that rained down as another explosion rocked the city. He knew the next few moments were critical. The towers were teetering and crumbling, and soon they would fall, covering all that remained in their paths. As he contemplated going down and rescuing Sara from the would be disaster, Ian Nottingham realized the inevitable had occurred prematurely. The bracelet on her wrist morphed into a gauntlet as she ducked down, avoiding the falling debris as the first building came tumbling down.
Ian followed his first impulse to run down there and save her before some large piece of concrete or metal came down on top of her head, forgetting that the Witchblade had saved Sara once before, during the explosion at the Midtown Museum. Even as the tiny tidbit came into focus, nothing could stop him from running towards the falling towers and the cloud of dust that was quickly enveloping everything around him. It stung his eyes as he tried to shield them from the jagged particles that flew at him like tiny bullets. A strong, almost hurricane force wind followed, nearly knocking him to the ground, but Ian stood still, taking it full force and riding it out before continuing to move towards the spot where he saw the Wielder last.
Sara, on the other hand, remained frozen as her thoughts raced at the speed of light. As much as she wanted to believe that the piece of metal on her wrist would protect her as it always had against anything that came her way, the realist part of her mind knew better. It would only be a matter of time before all the falling debris crushed her thin, lithe body if the smoke and dust didnt kill her first. As the concrete boulders came tumbling down, she could feel one strike her leg as a second hit her back and a third slammed into her shoulder. She didnt even feel the cloud of debris as it scattered around her, engulfing everything that dared to step in its path.
Saras body went numb from the pain, leaving her mind to wander through all the events that had lead to this one single moment in time where everything seemed to fall out of place. What had she failed to notice? What had she forgotten to reexamine? When the answers came back to nothing repeatedly, Sara knew that this was something she never had control over. She began to wonder if this was just a strange occurrence, but nothing in her universe was a strange occurrence, everything happened for a reason. At the moment, the reason eluded her completely.
The marathon Saras mind had been running was finally taking its toll on her as was the weight of the boulders that lay on top of her. The numbness of her body mixed with that of her brain, and she soon began to fade, feeling like a failure to herself more than ever. With death upon her, she realized that now was the time to make peace with everything she had done in her life.
Ian slowly made his way through the thick cloud of smoke, soot, ash, and debris, trying to be careful, but being unable to see even an inch ahead of him, the going was always dangerous. Stumbling and tripping had become his worst enemies, accounting for all three of the falls he had sustained while walking through the scattered rubble. The first hadnt been so bad. He had landed on the ground, hands spread out in front as a net to catch the rest of his weight, and recovered quickly. The second was worse, but only because his hands felt raw from the first spill. It was the third that nearly crippled him. He had reached the pile of rubble that Sara was buried beneath, and as he made his way up, he lost his footing, landing hard on his left knee. Ian could feel the jagged edges of the cement blocks cut right through his leg, sending a piercing pain throughout his body. He stifled the urge to cry out, picking himself up as if it had never happened, and continued limping along, daring not to look down for fear of what he would see.
Tackling the boulders head on, Ians pain lessened as he though more of Sara than himself. He was determined to get to her before any of the rescue crews ever got the chance to search the scene. It would be pretty hard to explain his presence to both the rescuers and Sara, if she was conscious after the whole ordeal. He continued trudging along, grabbing blocks of concrete left and right and throwing them aside. Finally, he saw what appeared to be a badly bruised and dirty hand emerge from the debris.
As Sara slipped out of consciousness, the weight on her body began to lift. The boulders became lighter, as did everything else around her. She began to wonder if she was floating up into heaven, if she were already dead, and if the infamous light at the end of the tunnel was upon her. But another part of her, the part still anchored to her life on earth, told her that she wasnt dead yet. The boulders were being lifted off her body, allowing her to breathe a little easier and fight a little harder than she had been. She wanted to live, but the struggle that came with it was exhausting. If the boulders werent pulled off her body soon, shed probably end up loosing the battle.
Light began to filter through small openings in the rubble, giving Sara one more burst of energy as clean air filled her lungs. Soon, she thought, soon she could be out of this mess. She hung on for a little while longer until finally the last boulder was lifted off her back and a pair of strong arms reached into the little crevice, scooping her up into the light. Her body was wrapped in a warm black jacket, and was snuggly encased in those strong arms once again as her head rested on a muscular shoulder. She looked up at the man that had rescued her, unable to see much of his face, but her green eyes locked on to the golden brown of his, and she smiled faintly.
Ian, Sara whispered, the relief evident in her voice. Her body relaxed as her mind went blank, and she soon passed out of sheer exhaustion in his arms as he slowly carried her out of the wreckage before the first wave of rescue crews arrived at the scene.
Ian felt Saras body go limp in his arms as he rushed as best he could to his car parked a few blocks away. He was thankful that he had brought a truck today instead of the customary sedan. It was much easier keeping an eye on her if her head was resting in his lap as he drove, checking her vitals every so often to make sure she hadnt slipped away.
As they drove down the back streets and alleys, Ian assessed the damage Sara had sustained in the collapse. He pulled back the soiled black trench coat he had wrapped her in, noting it was sticky with her blood. There were large gashes to her left side starting with her shoulder, which was torn open, the blood having already clotted into a big scab. Her wrist was slightly swollen, indicating a sprain in all probability, or maybe a hairline fracture. Hed determine that when they were back at the mansion. Ians eyes continued to run down her torso, checking to make sure she wasnt bleeding from any questionable area, like her chest or her abdomen. Satisfied with his initial inspection, his eyes found their way to her upper thigh, which was also ripped open and had scabbed over with blood. Her ankle was about the size of a softball, indicating that there was a definite fracture there.
With the initial inspection of her body complete, Ian focused on his own. His left knee has swelled to about the same size as Saras ankle, but the gash just below it was slowly knitting itself closed. He began to thank the heavens for his genetic enhancements, or he probably wouldnt have made it through finding Sara, carrying her back to the car, and driving her to the mansion. But that still didnt lessen the pain. It hurt like hell, but hed deal with that later. It was Sara that needed the attention now. He sighed; this was going to be a long night.
A/N: Yeah, I know, I'm neglecting RAII, but this idea just hit me with such force I had to write about it. I'm sorry!! I promise I'll try to finish RAII as soon as I can.
~DKM :)
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I could possibly be fading
Or have something more to gain
I could feel myself growing colder
I could feel myself under your fate
Under your fate
It was you breathless and tall
I could feel my eyes turning into dust
And two strangers turning into dust
Turning into dust
Or have something more to gain
I could feel myself growing colder
I could feel myself under your fate
Under your fate
It was you breathless and tall
I could feel my eyes turning into dust
And two strangers turning into dust
Turning into dust
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