Unwilling Magician ~ Tommy Merlyn

Chapter 1 - All The Best Laid Plans

Sadie Lewis sighed as another bullet whizzed past her head. All she'd asked for was a little bit of quiet, maybe a night without people trying to kill her.

Now they weren't trying to kill her specifically, but she'd gotten in the way of their robbery/homicide and they seemed more than alright with making her victim number four.

'Always playing the hero eh, sis.' Her brother's words echoed tauntingly in her head.

'Shove it, Johnny.' She argued with the memory.

She didn't have time for this, she had the night shift and if she was late again it would be her last shift.

Sadie sighed again, this is what I get for picking a flat in the Glades. At the time it had appealed to her because of its cheapness and relative anonymity but now she was wishing she'd picked the pricier less dangerous option of living in downtown Starling.

She peaked out from behind the alley wall cautiously, assessing her situation. Three men with rifles and a lot of ammo.

"Snopaew rouy pord." She said the words with power, mentally thanking Zatanna for all the long nights of practice and study. Sadie wasn't a powerful magician by any standard, she knew how to keep herself safe and that was enough.

She heard shouting and knew her spell must have worked. All the men's weapons were now on the ground.

"Chuot eht ot toh." She murmured one last incantation for good measure. Sure enough, one of the men had reached for his discarded weapon, only to recoil with a yell as he was burned by the hot metal.

Now Sadie was able to cross the alleyway without fear of a few bullet's lodging themselves in her brain. She extended a hand to the small girl crouched behind the dumpster, ears covered and tears streaming down her face. She also placed a quick call to 911 on the off chance that the SCPD might actually respond to a shooting in the Glades. Chances were slim though.

Still, it was with a heavy heart that she now set off for her job. She had been able to do nothing to help two already gunned down in the alley, but her stomach still clenched uneasily as she walked.

Don't be the hero, don't be the hero. She mentally chanted as she walked. Those words had kept her safe and alive for over a decade, but when she'd seen that little girl scared out of her wits she couldn't turn away.

She'd been reminded too much of another young girl years ago, who had been condemned because of her brother's foolishness.

"Hello, sweetie." She crouched down to eye level with the girl and asked gently. "Where's your mum and dad?"

The girl only shook her head and a realization flooded through Sadie. "Were they... in the alley..."

The girl looked away, as more tears leaked out of her eyes.

"Hey." Sadie wrapped an arm around her comfortingly. "Shhh." She rocked the girl gently for a minute until she stopped crying.
"What's your name, love?"

"Amanda."

"Have you got anywhere to go?"

"My aunt," she hiccuped softly.

"Ok. Where does your aunt live?"

"Downtown."

———

By the time Sadie found Amanda's Aunt's apartment, she was running very late, but the look on her Aunt's face when they turned up on her door made it all worthwhile.

"Thank you." The woman said through a rush of tears, making eye contact with Sadie as she embraced her niece.

Sadie only nodded, silent and respectful, and walked away quietly. She waited until she was out of sight of the apartment before breaking into a dead sprint. When she finally arrived at her shift five minutes later she was winded and panting.