(Now, Firefly's flashback).

(Firefly POV).

I guess you could say, despite everything, I'm like any other parent. In that, I want the best for my child. At the least, I don't want my son to end up like me.

I was born to a poor family of farmers, in Dallas, Texas. My mother came from Georgia. My family has a rich Southern heritage. I grew up poor, almost bankrupt. No money for me to go to school. No money for a car. Most of the time, me, my mother and my father, had to steal things to survive. The most we could afford, was our house. I didn't care about money. All I cared about was my family. My parents, were the only family I had. I enjoyed twelve good years with them. Soon, enough though, tragedy struck. Someone tried to take our house. We put up a fight, and my father died protecting me and my mother. Then, mom threw me out. During the fight, someone lit a match. In the furnace. The house, the people trying to take it.. And my mother.. Were all gone. I could rebuild the house.. But I couldn't get my family back.

After the funeral, I wondered around the state of Texas, for years. From afar, I watched all the high schools in Texas, as they all learned. I learned with them. I organized everything I needed to know. My favorite class was chemistry. I studied it, everyday. While I did.. I continued to preform rather.. Less than legal activities. One day.. I was out, drinking.. I fell asleep. I was late for class. I wasn't enrolled in any school in Texas, but I knew reading and writing. I also knew, how to poke listening holes into the walls. I used them, to make sure I could hear what the teachers were saying. But, I hated being late. For two reasons. One, chemistry was my favorite class. It helped me turn my greatest fear.. Into my biggest obsession. I was once afraid of fire, as took my home and family from me. But, thanks to them.. I saw it. The beauty of fire. How it lit every darkness. How it burned unneeded things. I also listened closely in history.. The teacher there, was also a religious man. Who always said, "The Lord shall send the wicked to burn." I liked the idea, of the wicked suffering. Being punished for every evil thing, they done. Fire seemed like it could do it.

The second reason I hated being late.. She hated it. In chemistry class, was the most beautiful girl. Her name? Debra 'Debbie' Meyer. A young girl who paid the closest attention in class. She had long blonde hair, beautiful blue eyes, and glasses. She was always dressed, in the most beautiful clothes. Beautiful and smart. I was too scared to ever approach her. She was always on time. I heard people talk about her all the time. Rarely ever, anything bad. Popular, but that didn't matter to her. From hearing people talk about her.. I found out so much. Particularly, her disliking of tardiness. So, for her, I'd always try to be on time.

But, that day, a late December day, she spotted me. I was sitting in the tree, watching them experiment. She was in the seat by the window. She saw my face. Class was nearly over, and I ran, at the sound of the bell. But, she ran after me. Soon, she stopped me. She threw the book at me. LITERALLY. THREW. A BOOK. AT ME! Damn thing hurt like hell. Specifically, she threw a copy of A Christmas Carol, at me. I fell over.

She walked up, picked up her book, and looked at me as I rubbed my head. She said, "You know, it's illegal in the state of Texas, to invade the privacy of students in ther own classroom." She kicked me in my face, "Why didn't you just walk in the front door, and take a seat like everyone else?" I could the anger and curiousity in her eyes.

I got, in pain, "I'm not exactly enrolled here. Or, really, anywhere." I wasn't. It had been a whole eight years since my parents died, and when they did, all the money for the school I was in, dried up.

She asked, "What, don't your parents care about your schooling?" She looked confused, and very angry. It was clear, she couldn't tell I was bankrupt.

However.. The minute she said, 'your family' I started tearing up. She could tell my tears, were sincere. Soon, she was hugging me. I told her the whole story.

Later, she took me to her house. She told me about herself. She was a Texas girl, although she and her mother were from Texas, like me. Her father, was from Louisiana. Her father's father, her grandpa, came from Alabama. On both sides, our family has a long, rich, Southern history. Her family owned a restaurant. One that, later, would be bought out by Cobra. She was smart. She was kind to me, taught me the basic things. Reading, writing, history, science. I taught her fire, farming, survival. We were happy to learn from each other. Soon enough, we fell in love. I was there, for her graduation. Soon enough, we were wed. Then.. Well.. I'll leave out a few unnecessary details. Then, after a month or two of being husband and wife.. She was pregnant. We were both overjoyed. We'd been running the family restaurant, providing happiness to the people of Texas. Now.. We were about to have happiness of our own. The months of her pregnancy were hell. She constantly had to get up to use the bathroom, vomiting, and of course, the weird things she had me serve her.

Then.. When our son was born.. Neither of us, had been any happier in our lives. Until he was taken from us. We were in mourning, forever. I broke every law the state of Texas had, looking for him. In three weeks.. I found nothing. One night.. Two people, approached. One man, one woman.

The man was tall, wearing a trench coat, and fedora. He had glasses, covering his brown eyes. His brown hair, slightly hidden by the chat.

The woman had black hair, brownish eyes, and was dressed in a black trench coat. She also had glasses.

The man said, "Thomas Griffiths?" I nodded my head, "My name is Wolf. Klaus Wolf. Cobra Industries Chief of Staff." He pointed to the woman, "This is my associate, Russian Baroness, Anastasia Cisarovna." She didn't say anything, just looked at me with suspicion. I had no idea, what Cobra Industries was. Never heard of it before. Wolf said, "Cobra Industries is a multi-purpose company. Our founder, Adam DeCOBRAy, is still working on it. We are finding new people, to employee. Baroness is our PR Secretary, and I am the Chief of Staff. We have been sent here to Texas, to find a Head of Security. We were hoping you might take it." He held up a dossier, "Your criminal records, will be completely expunged, almost erased if you do."

I turned them down. My wife was mourning, and my son was missing. I said, walking away angry, "I ain't taking no job right now. Right now, the only job I want is-"

Wolf interrupted, "Finding your kidnapped son?" I turned around, to see him smirking, "What if I told you, I could help you find him? What if I told you, I know exactly where he is?"

I rushed him, and had my hands around his throat. I yelled, "Where is he?!" I'd been looking for my son for weeks, and now I had a lead.

Wolf's American-like accent disappeared, replaced by a thick German one, "Mien Gott! If you will let go of my throat, I will tell you!" I let him go, "He's in a secret facility. Owned by the Itex corporation. They aren't who they say they are. Our leader went through the same thing you did. As did the Baroness." As the Russian woman nodded, I listened more to what Wolf had to say, "The facility, is in Death Valley, California. I can take you there, and let you have him back. If, you accept the job."

I thought it over. I knew they wanted the restaurant. Mail from 'Klaus Wolf' came everyday. Asking for the restaurant. I wouldn't let my wife be unhappy. But I knew, that she and I both wanted our son back. I said, "Yes. I will discuss the restaurant tomorrow. Tonight, we get my son back into his mother's waiting arms."

A few days later.. We got my son, James Griffiths, back. What happened.. The mixing of bird DNA, was shocking. For a second.. We lost our humanity. I tried to sell him to sell him to a circus, try to make money. Wolf smacked some sense into me. Then, my wife. Cobra bought out the restaurant.. But allowed us to keep running it. Now, to show how loyal we are.. My wife poisons the wine, of the Commander's enemies, whenever they walk into our restaurant.

Now.. My son, is what matters to me and my wife. Not money. Not some fancy job.. Once again, the most important thing in my life, is my family. My son, James 'Iggy' Griffiths, codename 'Gorn' is, like me and my wife, a proud member of Cobra. I will do anything to keep him safe and happy.

(Next up, Storm Shadow).