Chapter Text
She woke with a start to the sound of pounding rain. Clawing hands and bloodstained tiles haunted her mind as she laboriously crawled out of bed, grasping at her phone blindly in the dark. ‘Alexa,’ she drawled out, “What time is it?”
‘It is 5:34 in the morning!“ the synthesised voice chirped out.
“Ugh.” Firefly groaned. She stumbled into the kitchen, head pounding as her fingers scrabbled at the cabinet before yanking it open and grabbing the bottle of ibuprofen that sat on the bottommost shelf. As she poured herself a cup of water, she flicked up her phone into her palm
Three new messages from Kafka
Little bug, don’t forget to get some rest tonight.
You do have that big job coming up tomorrow.
Remember to clean your kit and your weapons.
After downing her ibuprofen, Firefly headed into her living room, where her kit sat neatly on her coffee table. The dim light from the overhead lamp hanging from her ceiling glinted coldly off the grooves and curves of her rifle. She picked up her rifle, and got to cleaning. Out came the dust cover, then the recoil spring, dropping onto the table with a thud. The bolt slid out with a steely ring and she set it down gently on the table, mindful of the grease. As she sat and cleaned her rifle, she ruminated on her upcoming job. The client was the Family, and her person of interest was none other than the renowned singer, Robin. Surprisingly enough, even a grizzled war veteran like Firefly was able to appreciate Robin’s music. Firefly would listen to her music after particularly gruelling jobs, silently nodding along to the calming, soothing beats playing in her ears. And while she was somewhat excited to meet her favourite singer, the location of her next tour was worrisome.
In an interview, Robin had said that she would be travelling to the Frontier for her next tour, to “bring hope to the hopeless”, as she put it. And while that was a noble aspiration, the reality was that the Frontier was infamous for being embroiled in conflict for the past decade or so, with petty warlords and corrupt governments all vying for power in the resource-rich territory.
“What a PR nightmare that would’ve been,” Firefly thought to herself. For the Family to agree to allow their prime jewel to saunter off to a location where she could be killed any moment by some avaricious warlord seeking to make a quick buck, they must’ve had to make a compromise with Robin. And the compromise was probably something to do with Firefly’s next job. As a Stellaron Hunter, a member of a world-class security detail company, she was simply one of the best, on par with or even surpassing conventional special forces. The Family had hired her to act as Robin’s personal guard, an honour Firefly wasn’t even sure she deserved. Sure, she was capable of a great deal, but Kafka’s ability to manipulate other people through her “Spirit Whisper” or Blade’s literal immortality would’ve been much more suitable for this.
“Well, not much use thinking about this.” Firefly said aloud to herself, putting her rifle back together. “Time to hit the range.”
The Family had offered Firefly their own private training facilities to use, and that included the range. After haphazardly throwing all of her gear into the back of her car, Firefly got in her car and switched on the radio before driving off to the company building. As she drove through the rain, the morning show came up on the radio.
“Good morning,” a voice rang out from the tinny speakers. “Today we have an exclusive interview with Robin, a world-renowned talent from the Family, about her tour to the Frontier, which is supposed to start tomorrow. Miss Robin, how are you feeling about the whole” —The reporter spread their arms— “ thing ?”
“Well I’m quite nervous,” Robin’s angelic voice chuckled. “I know the dangers of what I’m getting myself into. However, I trust that nothing bad will happen under the supervision of the Family.”
“Well, let’s hope that’s true.” Firefly murmured under her breath.
Firefly tucked her car in neatly in the Family building complex carpark, before lugging her gear into the lobby. The Family building complex was constructed with a small barracks next to it, for easy protection of their talents and their executives. Private security contractors would usually stay in the barracks until their job was done, however Firefly’s unique circumstances as a member of the prestigious Stellaron Hunters meant that she didn’t need to board on-site as she was not formally a member of the Family. She quickly headed down the lift into the underground training facility, which was of course state of the art.
“The execs sure do want to make sure their safety is guaranteed,” Firefly whispered to herself as she unpacked her kit. She slid her plate carrier (of which she really didn’t need other than to blend in with other bodyguards) over her head, and quickly clipped her belt around her waist. Her shooting earmuffs dropped around her head comfortably, although Firefly took care in not nudging her earrings into awkward positions. Slinging her rifle around her body, she headed into the practical shooting section of the range.
Brass casings tumbled through the air as Firefly shot, bullets singing their way through the air into their targets. She put three shots into a target, two through the chest, one through the head, before dropping to a knee and quickly squeezing the trigger twice, neatly landing two shots through the head of a distant target. She flicked out the magazine with a trained movement, pushing the release paddle with her thumb before slotting in the next mag with a solid click. She dragged the charging handle backwards, racking in the next round before shifting her thumb to lock the safety up, putting the rifle into safe.
“Well, I must say I am impressed.” An airy voice spoke suddenly behind her. Firefly whirled around and came face to face with Robin’s glimmering teal green eyes. Those enchanting green eyes enthralled Firefly, sending her into a stunned stupor.
“That’s your boss!” Firefly’s mind helpfully supplied her. “Say something!”
“I uh-” Firefly stuttered out, “Thanks?”
“Such an eloquent reply,” Robin teased.
“You surprised me!” Firefly protested. “I could’ve shot you, so please don’t do that again.”
“Sorry, sorry,” Robin apologised. “My brother told me that I could find you here. I wanted to see how my personal bodyguard would look and perform. Why don’t you come upstairs before we leave for the airport in an hour? Maybe get some breakfast? It’ll be a long flight.”
“S-sure.” Firefly responded. “I need to put away my gear first though.”
“Take your time.”
Firefly nodded, and then depressed the magazine release to remove her slotted magazine, before racking out the round and catching it as it tumbled through the air. She shrugged off her kit, and placed her magazines back into her carry bag until she realised that she not only had an audience of THE Robin, she was also very underdressed in a simple tank top and pair of ragged jeans. She quickly put everything away before turning to Robin abashedly.
“W-We can go now.” Firefly mumbled out.
“Mhm.” Robin seemed to be distracted with something, Firefly noticed. Maybe it was the stress and the anticipation from her upcoming tour?
As they rode the lift up in silence, Robin spoke up.
“So uh, do you work out?”
“W-What?” Firefly jumped slightly at the sudden question. “Uh, I mean, I guess I do?”
“How nice,” Robin teased, “At least I know that my bodyguard is strong enough to carry me if I don’t want to walk.”
“W-Whuh?” Firefly blushed a bright red. “Miss Robin, please don’t tease me.”
“Mmm.” Robin hummed, before wrapping her slender fingers around Firefly’s bicep and giving it a squeeze, “Dear, I really am happy though?”
“D-Dear?” Firefly’s mind shut down for the rest of the lift ride.
After they got out of the lift, the two headed off to the executive coffee shop to meet with Sunday to discuss how Robin’s protection would go.\
“Miss Robin, are you sure I’m allowed to be here?” Firefly glanced nervously around. There were important looking men and women everywhere, dressed in well-tailored suits and formal clothing. Firefly definitely felt out of place dressed in her tank top and jeans.
“It’s fine honey, you’re with me after all.” Robin said. “Oh, there’s Sunday.”
As they walked towards the table, a man sitting there with golden eyes and silver hair looked up from his phone before greeting them calmly.
“Hello sister. I see you brought your new bodyguard along. Good.”
“Yes I did,” Robin murmured in assent. “Please be nice to her.”
“So,” Sunday addressed Firefly, pinning her with a harsh stare, “Here are the protocols and rules you should adhere to.”
Firefly gulped.
One very gruelling talk later, the two of them left the coffee shop.
“I’m curious,” Robin asked, “What did my brother pull you aside earlier to say?”
“O-oh, it’s nothing.” Firefly answered. “Just the usual ‘do your job well’ stuff.”
Earlier, Sunday had pulled Firefly aside to talk to her privately, away from Robin’s ears. Firefly really didn't want to get between her two employers by telling Robin something she didn't need to know.
“Hmmmm.” Robin didn’t seem to be very convinced, but she let it slide. “We’ll be heading to the airport now. Is there anything that you might’ve left behind that you would want to get before leaving? Snacks? Clothes? Anything?”
“Uh, nothing really Miss Robin.” Firefly answered.
“Alright, suit yourself. We’ll be leaving in 5 minutes, so get your stuff. I’ll meet you in the car.”
Firefly headed down to the range, where she found a cluster of other men gathered around. As she walked in, all eyes turned towards her.
“Ah, there she is.” A tall man with a beard said. “The infamous Stellaron Hunter, SAM. Never would I have thought that a young girl like you could be renowned for merciless violence and killing. Name’s Gallagher, and I’m the head of security operations here at the Family. Unfortunately, I’m still needed here, so I won’t be coming along on your ‘field trip’ with Miss Robin. My job is to protect the execs and Mister Sunday, so I’m counting on you to marshall these-” he makes a sour face, “-unruly recruits. Well, I’ve got places to go, so I’ll catch you around later.” He walks out of the room, poking at his phone.
Firefly sighs before gathering up her rifle bag, but not before one of the men speaks up.
“I don’t know how they do things out there, but you better not be going off on your own, because we don’t do that here at the Family.” He spits. “Besides, me and the guys took a look through your kit. Who the fuck even runs a FAL these days? That thing belongs in a museum somewhere. You’re literally just going off and being flashy for no reason. Although, I don’t expect a girl like you to know any better.” He snorts.
Firefly calmly picked up her bag with one hand before looking at him dead in the eye. “If you have a problem, we can sort it out the old-fashioned way. However, my results speak for themselves, and as long as the gun works for me, there should be no problems.” She stepped past him, but suddenly a hand on her shoulder clamped down.
“Stupid cocky bitchass—” he didn’t even get to finish the sentence before Firefly dropped her bag and threw him neatly over her shoulder. As he spluttered on the ground, she stepped over him and looked over her shoulder coldly.
“Do we still have a problem?”
“N-no.”
“No what?”
“No maam.” He stuttered out.
“Mmm. Get back to doing whatever you were doing.” Firefly turned around and walked towards the lobby. As she strode into the lift lobby, she noticed a pale strand of baby blue hair in the corner of her eye.
“Miss Robin? Is that you?” She called out.
“U-uh yeah,” came the response, as Robin stepped out from behind the wall she was hiding, sporting a bright red flush.
“Miss Robin, are you alright? You look kinda red,” said Firefly, “You should probably rest on the plane.”
“I-no, I’m not sick,” answered Robin, “I, uh, saw what happened just now.”
“Oh that?” Firefly responded, “I’m sorry you had to see that. Some of these recruits from your company were somewhat raucous and prejudiced.”
“Mmm.” Robin mumbled out, zoned out.
“Miss Robin? The lift’s here, let’s go.”
“A-ah yes! Coming, coming.”
As the cars pulled into the airport, there were already dozens of fans clamouring to meet Robin. Firefly sighed from the driver’s seat, before stretching and opening the door. She stepped out to dozens of flashing cameras, fans screaming “I LOVE YOU ROBIN” or other assorted exclamations of praise, and people pushing at the barriers set in place. Firefly popped open the door for Robin, who hastily stepped out, and the two of them hurriedly walked into the airport.
“Miss Robin,” asked Firefly as they walked towards their gate, “Is it really alright for me to bring my stuff onto the plane?”
“Yes it is.” affirmed Robin. “My brother got clearance for you and the rest of the security staff to bring your equipment onboard the plane and into the Frontier. They even suggested that we bring armed security with us.”
“Oh, alright then, that’s nice to hear. I’m still worried about what will happen when we land though, considering how bad it was here.” said Firefly.
“You’ll get used to it after a while,” responded Robin, “After all, I do hope to see you lots more after this tour, cutie.”
Firefly combusted.
Although Firefly had done a lot of different jobs in the past, nothing would prepare her for the sheer grandioseness that was the Family’s private jet. Emblazoned with the crest of the Family, it stood out at the gate. Fans were still clamouring from within the airport, pushing up against the glass to take pictures of Robin as she, Firefly, and the rest of the security team walked towards the steps that would lead them up into the plane.
“Miss Robin, you sure do have a lot of fans.” noted Firefly.
“Hmm, are we jealous? Are you also an adoring fan in disguise?” teased Robin.
“M-maybe.” Firefly stammered. “I like listening to your music after I finish a job.”
“Hmm.” Robin grinned widely. “I see. What do you like about my music?”
“It’s nice and soothing, I guess?” came the reply.
Robin’s expression softened as she said, “Well, thank you for enjoying my music. I’m happy that it connected to you.”
Firefly could only stare at Robin. The setting sun framed her face, giving it an ethereal glow. Her green eyes sparkled like jades, faceted and shining, reflecting glints of light. The way that her smile showed the dimples sitting in her cheeks was adorable to Firefly. All she could do was stand there and absorb the moment into her memory, to be preserved for eternity. Her favourite singer, someone that she thought she could never meet, standing in front of her, angel-like in the sunset glow.
The moment was shattered when Robin nudged her.
“Hey, quit spacing out. We’ve got a schedule we need to follow, as much as I hate following it.”
“S-sorry Miss Robin. I’ll get on the plane now.”
On the plane, Firefly couldn’t help but take in the sight. There was a television, a snack bar (A snack bar! With Oak Cake rolls!), stewardesses, very large seats with fine leather embroidery, and even a bedroom. While Firefly was taking in the sights, Robin had already slumped into a chair.
“Wake me up if something happens.” She mumbled out. “I’m going to go to sleep.”
“Alright Miss Robin,” said Firefly, “I’ll do that.”
Firefly settled into a chair opposite Robin. Robin had a hoodie tugged over her head, with her headphones in her ears, and a truly devastatingly cute eye mask plastered across her face. All in all, Firefly concluded, her employer was adorable, before shaking her head and facepalming. She can’t be having these thoughts about her employer, who could have anyone she wanted, who would never want to be with a battle-scarred veteran like her. She’d be getting up her hopes for nothing.
After the plane took off, Firefly got up from her seat and padded silently off to collect her gear. There was nothing bad about being prepared after all, was there? As she sat back down in her chair with a magazine between her hands and rounds of ammunition in the other, she drifted off into sleep.
She dreamed of the other Stellaron Hunters, of their meal together the night before.
“So,” Kafka prodded, “A job with Robin huh? Must be nice to meet your idol.”
“She’s not my idol!” protested Firefly. “I just really appreciate her music and what she does.”
“Yeah, like appreciation is the only thing you wish you could give Robin.” Silver Wolf teased before making a scissoring motion with her fingers.
“Stop it!” Firefly pouted. “I do not have a crush on Miss Robin!”
“MISS Robin? Since when did you use honorifics?” Silver Wolf cackled, before laughing so hard she fell off her chair. “FUCK! MY ASS HURTS!”
“Now, calm down Wolfie. I’m sure Firefly doesn’t feel that strongly about Robin.” Kafka said. “Also if you ate more instead of gaming all the time, you’d have more than just skin and bone on that bony ass of yours. Then falling off wouldn’t hurt as much. Bladie, what do you think about Firefly’s next job?” She asked Blade, who was moodily picking at his rice.
“Mmm.” Blade grunted. “Just don’t mess it up. We are professionals after all.”
She dreamed of battlefields, from years gone by.
Firefly staggered backwards, the smell of burning flesh saturating the air. Her hands stung, blistered and torn, as faint embers flickered from them. She glanced towards fragments of broken glass on the ground, and saw herself stare vacantly back. Her face was covered in glowing green veins, swarming up her skin like vengeful snakes. Her hands smouldered, ready to ignite at a moment’s notice. Blackened by soot, and scarred by flames, her arms shook as she picked up her gun.
“NO! PLEASE! SPARE ME!” the man on the ground in front of her begged, as he crawled away, skin sloughing off after being torched by flame. “PLEASE! I’ll GIVE YOU ANYTHING YOU WANT! ANYTHING!”
Firefly gritted her teeth, and pulled the trigger.
She dreamed of a white room, with doctors and tubes hooked up to her.
“Subject is stable. Proceeding with stress testing.” a voice sounded.
“Initiate project Firefly: SAM.”
She felt flames burst out of her hands, incinerating the bonds that tied her to the table.
“Subject is releasing flames hotter than our calculations. Continue to monitor.”
She lunged at the glass, pounding on it with her flaming fists, screaming abuse.
“I swear to fucking god, I WILL KILL YOU WHEN I GET OUT OF HERE!” She screamed.
“Subject is unstable. End the test.”
Her head snapped back, and she fell backwards.
Years later, when she walked out of that laboratory, after staining the walls black with soot and red with blood, that nameless girl took the name Firefly and made it her own.
She dreamed of Robin.
She dreamed of green eyes like jades, of plush lips, of a demure smile, of dimples, of a cute eye mask, of a kind gaze, of a soft voice, of sunsets, of bright studio lights, of adoring fans, of how out of all people, a sinner like her met an angel like Robin.
She dreamed of Sunday’s parting words.
“SAM.” Sunday said. “Robin is my precious sister. Make sure she comes back, regardless of what happens.”
“She will come back sir,” Firefly responded. “I pledge, as a Stellaron Hunter, that I will return your sister to you, without harm, in one piece.”
“Good. You sure are a professional.”
She dreamed of —
“-am? SAM? Wake up! ”
She woke with a start.
And the last thing she saw before two rounds tore through the nose and the tail of the jet was Robin’s jade green eyes.