Title: Hero
Author: Opal Smith
Characters: Helo/Sharon
Rating: T
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Beta: My very patient husband!
Author's note: Originally posted at Kindreds as part of collection of stories under the heading - "five times Helo saved Sharon Valerii and one time he didn't" This is a revised version of that ficlet.
In the silence of the dead city it was the fluttering of startled bird wings as they scattered out of the dark and into the evening sky that guided Helo. His gun arm tensed and ready, he entered the cavernous darkness. Helo was grateful for the incessant rain as the fallout hid his presence in the empty building behind the curtains of water dripping through the damaged levels.
The different sound of a grinding mechanical machine moving somewhere beneath his feet stopped Helo. A gaping hole exposed the level below and looking down through the deep shadows he saw a centurion dragging a human wearing a Colonial uniform. Her head was wrapped in sacking but he knew he'd found Boomer. His heart soared even though she was like that because she was still alive and that gave him hope.
Adrenalin rushing through his veins Helo moved further into the dark maze toward the danger that held her. His senses were finely tuned and his trigger finger itched to fire at first sight of hard metallic sheen.
The centurion with its superior abilities found him first unaware that Helo possessed a very human power; he had something to fight for.
He faced the armoured Minotaur and with fierce determination brought it down.
When Helo defeated the centurion he did not know this was part of the plan. Sharon did but when she saw the love in his face, felt his lips gently touch her face, heard him say that she was going to be alright and was lifted into his embrace she knew he'd saved her.