AN : I enjoy writting this.


Of training to be a lioness

Summer of 1967

Ruggsville Texas

Captain Spaulding's fried chicken and gas station

Rufus, Otis and Miller sighed as they begun to help each other. Captain Spaulding, A.K.A. Cutter never bothered to help them when they needed him. Otis cursed him in a very colorful language.

"Otis, man, drop it off!" Rufus had enough. The heat of the sun and the heat of his brother's words were more than enough to drive him to almost insanity.

"Or fucking what?" Otis asked as Miller growled and glared at him in a very dark look.

"Man I had it! I mean running a maintenance check on a gas station was bad, but the fucking heat to boot? That does it! Let's take a break!" Miller replied. Otis and Rufus smiled at this, never mind the stare down that was a moment ago.

"Okay!" Was Rj's reply. The three brothers went inside, and kind of switched the Radio on, and just kicked back.

The whole day, they were together in the station, and that brought many conversations, like Otis's f'd up origin, Rufus's insane grudge against Earl, and Miller's unknown origin...

"Seriously? I have no idea what my original name was... I mean, does it even matter now?" Miller grinned as Otis called him 'Mill' for once. He rarely did...

"Anyways, so, er, now, are we done?" Otis asked Rufus who nodded. They did the job, locked down the joint and went back home in that tow truck of his...

During the drive home, Rufus was thinking about two person : his younger sisters. While Vera-Ellen can manage, Emily was still a child. She needed to be trained before she goes back to school. While she passed the exams of the end of the last year and passed, barely, she was still perhaps the most harmless. Otis is a violent psychopath, Baby was a maniac, Rufus was stronger than many men, Cutter was a scary clown, Mother firefly was one dangerous lady, Tiny was a giant, and Miller is a psychotic foul tempered super soldier that killed people in many ways, the only commun thing is he kills quickly just like Cutter does...

Emily was their sweet little sister, but Miller hated the fact that she might be in a pinch. Even Otis was legitimatly terrified of losing her, and that was saying a lot. Baby would go on and die if her sister would die...

Rufus never saw Baby feel so guilty. He never knew that his sister was that sensitive. He tried his best to comfort her, even Tiny and grampa tried, but all she said is that she wanted her sister back. That incident was the worst thing that happened to the usually cheerful girl...

As they stopped right before their home, Rufus pulled his hunting partner for one conversation...

"It's time for Emy to join us!" Rufus said in a tone that left 'No' out of question.

"Exactemundo! She needs to learn the trade and soon... You teach her first, I'll be there when they won't need Tiny." Gordon said in understanding, much to the delight of Refus until they got in and saw that Baby wouldn't let her best friend/cute little sister out of her sight.


"Er, Baby, can I talk to you?" Miller said uncomfortably. The jovial girl giggled as she batted her eyelashes...

"Fell for me already Miller?" Baby said in a flitarious tone only for Gordon to shake his head 'No' as he grinned...

"I didn't tell you that when I was drunk out of my ass, did I?" Baby shook her head, "Then it's about Emy... Rufus thinks that it's time for her to learn how to hunt..." Miller said and soon Baby grabbed him by his collar, not minding that he was a few inches and a good two hundred pounds heavier than her.

"Are you out of your fucking mind? She's ten years old! Read my lips : TEN. YEARS. OLD!" Baby shouted at the end only for him to growl at her...

"She needs to be tough! Besides, this summer is the only time we'll see her that much before school take her from us..." Miller said as he sighed in sorrow, "I don't like to make her into a super soldier like me, trust me, I'm a killing machine that doesn't feel any regrets or remorses..."

"But when Emily came back, and when she got injured..." Baby argued only for her taller brother to shake his head, 'No' and sigh, then he laughed. It was hollow and empty.

"I felt shame, shame for being a bad guy to my own baby sister..." He replied as he grinned... "We need to make sure that she's ready, I didn't mean as in we don't let her have fun, but we need to make sure that she's ready!"

"Argh! Fine! But, if she's hurt, I'll have your hides, got me?" Baby said and the super soldier was terrified from his sister. He nodded desperatly and Baby smiled and went to Rufus.

The dinner was kinda nice. Mashed potatos, fried chicken, vegetable... And a pie as a dessert. The family ate in silence until Cutter talked.

"Miller, tomorrow will be corn harvest... Tiny and Rufus would keep ya company, I decided to take the family for a little drive." Cutter announced and the three tallest members sighed.

"Well, I guess I'll prepare ya'll a bit of grilled meat. Rj, got any beers?" Miller smirked as his brother held four fingers. It meant that they would be drunk...

"By the way, Dad, what do I do with the corn?" Miller asked only for his father to smirk...

"Why mash the half of it! The other half is to be kept in the silo over there!" Cutter showed his son the direction.

"So, where to Cutter?" Gloria asked as her lover smiled...

"Anywhere outta here. After all, we need to be more... Normal if ya catch my drift." Cutter replied as Baby smiled.

"It would be great if we have some Tutti Fruity!" Baby told her father who smirked, they'll annoy the life out of Otis tomorrow, for now, the three tallest men went to their room, and slept. The family spent the night joking a bit before they too, went to sleep...


The next day...

Everyone woke up only to find half of the corn was already harvested, and what did Gordon use as a sythe? Why it's a couple of Viking swords...

"Good morning everyone! Hard part over!" The heavy man smiled as Baby shook her head. Her brother can be insane most of the time...

"How long?" Rufus asked the heavy one who smirked...

"An hour. Now where do I mash? Dad, is there any wooden hammer?" The dragon smirked as his father showed him where to mash and put the corn...

"Alright, now go, be happy for once, me and the other two will enjoy a quiet day with no one talking!" He smirked as Baby and Emily flipped him off...

Now, we can only follow the hunters and the giant's story, then come back for the rest later...

Rufus watched as his brother continued mashing a Lot of corn as if it was nothing at all. He had to admit that his brother was terrifyingly fast for a big guy...

"I'm done! Finally! A couple of fucking hours! So, now I got get lunch or...?" The heavy asked the big guuy who replied by...

"Lunch time! And beer!" Rufus said as if it was the obvious thing.

"Does Tiny drink?" The heavy guy asked only to get a shake of head..

The two men talked about many things, this and that, Tiny soon came and wrote them so many things that it took a lot of lips reading that made the giant enjoy being talked to. He sat at his chair, while his two brothers brought him some grilled meat...

"And there's the time when I hit a few bullies so hard they bruised immidiately. Momma brought hell upon the school staff they thought she was a witch!" Rufus told his adoptive brother who laughed his ass off.

"Otis never went to school, did he?" The heavier one asked as the two brothers shook their head.

"Damn! He's a lot like me... But I personnally kill fast and painless. Unless if the fucker mess with our family." He replied as Tiny smiled at him.

"Okay, need any help?" Rufus asked his brother who smiled...

"Yeah, talk with Tiny. He loves you more than many of his siblings as you're the one who stood up for him the most." The heavy guy said as he went to finish his work. A couple of hours went by as he finished harvesting and stocking the corn properly.

The three brothers decided to go inside and switch the radio on as they relaxed. Tiny meanwhile watched the TV as it was muted, not that he minded. Rufus for once, enjoyed a day off with music, just like Miller who was busy drining a few beers and smoking a cigarette. He was reflecting on his life and he decided that if he lived long enough to thanksgiving, he'd tell what he was thankfull for the most : his family!

Him, Otis and Emily always wished for a family. While the fireflies would go down in the annals of history as the worst killers ever, one day after they die... Or most of them die by then, they were the closest envirement to a family for a super soldier, a psychopath and a demoniac child...


It was until dark until the whole family rejoined. It was time for dinner...

It turned out that the fireflies enjoyed their day off. Emily and Baby especially. Grandpa Hugo was complaining about his back and his... testicals. Otis complained a bit about the missed out opportunities. Cutter and Gloria realised that it was fifty/fifty, but didn't mind. The two kids were for once happy as they drove all the way in a destination-less trip... They even went to a restaurent for lunch, to a cafe owned by an old man, and even drove back home right in time for dinner...

"Hey dad, mom, Baby, Emy, Hugo, Driftwood!" Miller greeted as Otis grumbled even more. This made Rufus chuckle. He knew his brother would enjoy making Otis night miserable as they discussed about teaching Emily how to hunt. Rufus would give her the general idea while Miller would give her the most of the details...

"Er, Baby, just so you know... Emy, tomorrow... Hunting... Rj..." Miller for once stuttered as his siter's eyes became icy cold.

"You better make sure happen to her, Rj!" Baby stated a fact... Her taller brother nodded and Otis decided to sleep in the tow truck that night. It was safer than the house with an angry Vera-Ellen on his ass...

Rj Gave him the keys, although he told Otis that he better use it ONLY to open the door. Amazingly, Otis complied...

"Say Mom, did Otis get caught in a stampede once?" The heavy guy grinned as Gloria nodded...

"In that case, I'll stay guard. That nap sure helped me out..." He confessed as he went, took a shotgun and watched the window the whole night without as much as blinking...


The next morning, he went to the truck. Emily looked as Rufus took her and went to collect his truck. Baby was truelly upset that she won't play with her little sister.

"Good morning Mr. Driftwood. This is your wake up call. Please move your ass!" The heavy guy said as Emily and Rufus chuckled whe he shook the truck and yelled "STAMPEDE!" Only for Otis to panick, and jump out of the door...

"You stupid dumbass-shitty-motherfucking-sick-bastard!" Otis greeted as he went outside, Rj collected the truck, while carrying Emily, his shotgun, and her bowgun. They drove off into the forest, with Otis grumbling while his brother gave his the coffee and a cigarette. The lit the tobacco stick and talked for a bit as Otis told him about the time he was caught into a stampede. Hundreds of heads heading to freedome...

The two men spent the time by taking care of the cattle, sloping the pigs and feeding the poultry. It was boring, but it wasn't that bad. Baby was not in her best mood and someone had to. While they were easily bored, they didn't care a lot as Baby can be terrifying in her own right. Otis even told him that she is the most dangerous. She looked like an angel, but she can be a demon sometimes...