March 3, 2014

Nothing Left But Tears—Buckcherry (3:13)

Firefly

River

"There is a reason the girl prefers the Black," River hissed and resignedly pulled on her mask before preparing her weapon and jumping back into the battle.

She spun and leapt and dodged and sprang upon her enemy in a dance that would have made even Jayne envious of its sheer deadliness. Her enemies splattered and splatted and died in bloody ignominy. She did not give their deaths even a passing thought as she moved onto the next.

She hated them. And she hated that living dirtside had taught her hate. She longed for the peace and quiet of Serenity. She longed to be away from these infernal pests that irritated her with their very existence. She hated fighting them. She just wanted away. She would wave her Captain Daddy she decided as she ducked away from one of the hoard of enemies. He would come get her and take her home to the mother. He hadn't wanted she and Simon to leave in the first place. None of them had but Simon had been adamant.

Simon could stay on this gorram planet if he wanted. The girl was leaving. She wasn't meant to live forever dirtside. She was made for the Black and to the Black she would go.

Hours later River eyed the debris and body strewn battlefield with a touch of rage in her heart. Enough was far too much. She was going home and Simon would not stop her this time. She reached for her handheld Cortex and sent a wave to Serenity.

Simon entered the house he shared with his sister and stopped dead in his tracks. The front room was a mess. Chairs were overturned, the sofa was askew, the Cortex was on the floor and books were strewn everywhere. What had happened here? Had River had another of her fits? She hadn't had one in so long that he'd thought they were completely gone.

"Irrelevant," River appeared beside him in her normal silent way. She handed him her weapon and glared at the front room. "The girl is leaving. She…I cannot take this any longer. I want to go home." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Besides she is now a mass murderer and must flee."

Simon stared down at the spray can in his hands and then back up at River's stubborn, mutinous expression and sighed. "Mei mei, they are only mosquitos."

"They are vile, vicious bloodsuckers that must be destroyed," she refuted hotly. Her brown eyes snapped fire at him. "She is sick of fighting their never ending hoards of reinforcements. She is going home."

Simon put a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her. "River…no one minds if you kill a few bugs. I certainly don't. You don't need to leave. You are not a murderer."

River brushed his hand away and took a step back, revealing the small suitcase at her side. "She fights and she fights and still they come. Uncle Monty is coming in two hours to fetch the girl and she will leave. She will not abide with them for another moment. Simon may come if he wishes but she is leaving. There are no bugs in the Black. Captain Daddy has sent his friend to fetch his nǚ yīng and she will go." She picked up her suitcase and stepped to the front door. "She is going to await Uncle Monty in the town square. Two hours, ge ge. Will Wave you from Serenity if you do not choose to come." She slammed the door as she exited.

Simon chuckled and shook his head at the irony. The deadliest assassin the Academy had ever produced had been sent scurrying away by a few mosquitos. He slapped at the sting on his neck. He should probably get to packing. When River said two hours she meant two hours.