Lady in the darkness, lady in the night,
Lady doing evil deeds in service to the light.
Thou shalt not kill, the heavens say,
(Might there have been another way?)
But if there was, she missed it, and by now her course is set.
*.*.*
Tiger in the shadows, tiger in the wood,
Tiger puts herself aside to fight as tigers should.
She won't think of her life before,
Or wonder, 'if there'd been no war…?'
The world she'd known was shattered, and there's no time for regret.
*.*.*
Fighter with a secret, fighter with a plan,
Fighter who can only do the very best she can.
Striking out as few would dare,
(For right is right, and fair is fair,)
While knowing even victory will not repay the debt.
*.*.*
Avenger on a mission, avenger unafraid,
Avenger understanding that the price must yet be paid.
She's seen so many comrades give
All they had so hope might live…
She's not sure how she's lived this long and slipped through every net.
*.*.*
Spy who made her choices, spy who does her best,
Spy remembers good she's done; tries to forget the rest.
Keeps her eyes upon the goal,
When she will again be whole,
And not what war has made her, even if she did abet.
*.*.*
Stranger in the mirror, stranger in her mind,
Stranger looking for herself when she's not there to find.
Forges this week's new ID
Becomes 'her' instead of 'me'
A new name and persona, and this time she'll be brunette.
*.*.*
Leader burning midnight oil, leader who inspires,
Leader learning every day—commanders must be liars.
Trying to ignore the odds,
Leaving fate up to the gods,
And staking other peoples' lives to cover every bet.
*.*.*
Spider spinning cobwebs, spider stalking prey
Spider in a scrap of silk, and men can't turn away
Simpers, teases, lures them in,
Doles them out the wage of sin,
And casts their lifeless husks aside when there's no more to get
*.*.*
She will do her duty; she will do her part,
She will make deception into a form of art.
It's the weapon that she chose,
(Poisoned thorn within the rose,)
A playmate and a plaything. And they never see the threat.
*.*.*
Hero of La Resistance, hero underground,
Hero who can never know where safety might be found.
Displaying what she opts to show,
Concealing what they shouldn't know.
They'll all remember Tiger. The lady they'll forget.
*.*.*
Dancer on the knife's edge, dancer tempting fate,
Dancer running at top speed and fearing she's too late.
Waging a war till hope is gone,
And when it is, still forging on.
Pretending she's not terrified; no one has noticed yet.
*.*.*
Woman in a bunker, woman in his arms,
Woman steals a moment to forget all but his charms.
A desperate, brief attempt to be,
What they are not. Innocent. Free.
The people that they might have been… if not for where they met.
*.*.*
Lady in the trenches, lady in the dark,
Lady doing all she can to safeguard freedom's spark.
Not sure how this became her task,
Not sure if she's become her mask.
But certain that it's raining. That is why her cheeks are wet.
*.*.*
Author's note: Half of these, obviously, are about Tiger. Half are about Marya. Decide for yourself which is which.
Title is from 'Tyger, Tyger,' by William Blake