"Good afternoon, miss. Are all systems functioning appropriately?"

"Affirmative. Systems are functioning at maximum efficiency."

"You could just say 'yes'."

The F-18 paused, assessing her newly activated data banks. "Sorry, that's my fault… I'm still warming up."

Felix let out a sigh of relief. It wasn't an error. "That's fine. So long as you learn the difference between when to use formal and informal language."

"...that sounds difficult…"

"Do you know my name?"

"Yes. It's Felix Shiftwell… but there's another name I know, too… besides my own."

"You can just call me Felix, then. We're all informal here. And what was the other name?"

"Project 36, commonly known as Rush. Who is he?"

"I'm going to go get him after I make sure you're stable," the Jaguar replied, checking an external computer screen that was still connected to the plane. "I have a few more questions to ask you, as well, starting with your name. I didn't quite catch that earlier."

"I'm officially labelled as Project Firefly, but I also go by Harriet Hughes."

"Which name do you like better?"

"Firefly."

"I'll make a note of that. And what are your initial directives?"

"I have two. Be a companion for Rush, and learn as much as I can about what life is like on Earth for-."

"That'll be enough. Excellent, Firefly. I think you're done," Felix told her, then nodding slightly to the car on the other side of the hangar. "Mari, would you go get Rush, please? Just don't let him bring Streak or Neko yet." However, the Jaguar left the secondary computer on Firefly, supposedly running a final systems check out of precaution. After the other car had left, he quickly switched the program he was using, starting a scan that was much more complete in its findings. "Finish what you were saying earlier about your directive.".

"...learn as much as possible about Earth to complete my databanks for the reference of others."

"Good. Don't tell or even talk about that directive to anyone but Rush, the dragons and myself. Especially not Maristella or anyone else that represents the government." Once the scan was finished, he disconnected the plane from the rest of the external computers, releasing her for the time being.

"But why shouldn't they know?"

"Because they'll deactivate you. You're illegal in their eyes."

"Is that why I look like a standard F-18?"

"Exactly. So act like it."

"Understood."

It was at that moment Felix could hear the whirring of high-tech engines just outside the hangar. "Alright, first field test. That's Rush."

Firefly perked up. "What am I supposed to do?"

The Jaguar refrained from chuckling. "Be yourself and hope he's okay with you… I think he's a little jealous."

"But why would he be-"

"Alright," it was Rush, "Felix, your student called me." His voice was like ice when he spoke of Maristella. The more they interacted, the more cold and distant they were to each other… or, rather, Rush was to her. Mari, however, had grown more vocal about her distaste for Rush. "This better be-" he stopped mid sentence to notice that Firefly was now alive and awake. The plane was a mirror image of himself besides the obvious gender difference, and Rush glared at her, perhaps in jealousy, or perhaps more because he feared what Felix had programmed her to do. Firefly's directives and programming were still very much a secret to even Rush, which is what made him wary.

"So you're Rush," Firefly said, connections in her logic completing themselves as soon as she saw the plane for the first time.

"And you're Firefly," Rush snarled, "Wonderful to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too," she replied, "...though your tone of voice is telling me something different. What's wrong?" Already Firefly's processors were working to try and possibly figure it out for herself, but she didn't go too far in-depth. There seemed to be a delicate balance of how much was too much.

"AI," Rush grumbled under his breath. "Nevermind what's wrong. Let's just get you up and flying before you analyze everything to death." He didn't mention that he had an itch to blast off the planet already. Even though the call of a directive was not as strong in him as most other AI, he was irritated by Firefly and still adjusting to his new body, which was making him thrice as disagreeable as ever.

"But I'm not programmed to analyze everything," she attempted to argue, but stopped when she heard the prospect of flying. That sounded like it would be fun… whatever fun was, but she figured it was a good thing. "Okay, flying then." She started her engines out of instinct to warm them, not realizing at first that the sound tended to echo in hangars, which tended to get very loud, very fast.

"Not in here!" Felix yelled, trying to make himself heard over the noise before it became deafening, moving to the hangar door and opening it the rest of the way. "Outside!"