The flash bang had been sudden and unexpected, which was why I hadn't shielded my eyes. If I had, I would have seen the beam, loosened by a dual explosion across the rapidly deteriorating lab, as it hurtled directly for my head.
Instead, I'd been slammed into the floor, a grunt sounding over my prone body as the beam impacted my savior. I squeezed my eyes shut until flashes of light burst behind my eyelids, but when I opened them, there was nothing, no hint even of grayness.
“Princess?”
The quiet, strained tone told me who had saved me, every bit as much as the wafting scent of ionized air that always accompanied her. I shut my eyes again, unwilling even without sight to have her see me like this.
“You can get off me now.”
“Love to. Kinda have that whole ‘half the roof is on my back’ issue, though.”
I reached up, my hand impacting against her stomach. She grunted and I couldn't help my blush.
“Sorry.”
“Don't worry about it, Princess.”
My hand skimmed over her, slipping over her side to impact cold, hard metal. Experimentally, I tried to lift my foot and met with a hard slab before I could get more than a few inches from the floor.
“Y'know, Princess, if you could move, that would be great.”
Her wry tone brought another blush to my cheeks and I reached above me, thankfully meeting only easily brushed aside debris. Sliding out from under her, my knee brushed against something soft and far too pliant to possibly be muscle. A deep blush settled over me as I realized what that had to be.
“Move back about a foot, Princess.” Reaching behind me to prevent any surprises, I did as she requested. In a moment, I heard a grunt, movement, and her hands igniting. The air sizzled as her hands swiped through the air, vaporing and melting metal and wood.
After a moment, she stood still, about two feet in front of me, unless my ears were lying to me.
I almost cried as sight returned as quickly as it had dissapeared, only far more sensitive. The light of her hands was too much for my hypersensitive retinas and I pushed the palms of my hands into my eyes.
“What's wrong, Princess?”
“Light hurts.” I couldn't get anymore out. I hear rustling and cloth tearing and then a gentle hand pulled mine away, wrapping soft cloth around my injured eyes.
“Better?”
I nodded, too drained to speak. She wrapped her arms around me, holding me, letting me soak in her prescence.
“I love you, Princess.” The words were spoken against my hair, just above my ear. I sniffled and smiled.
“Love you too.”
“Come on. Let's get you to the doctor.” Her hand ran down my arm, taking my hand and pulling me to my feet. The light of her prescence was enough to pull me from this darkness.
It had to be.