Again I own nothing but my OC.
Firefly stood within the iron embrace of Shadow's spider limbs, his mechanical legs encasing her like a living cage. The room around them was dark and foreboding, the fires casting flickering shadows on rusted walls. Her golden-blond hair, tangled and dirtied from weeks of captivity, fell across her face as she rested against him, her fragile body trembling with exhaustion.
He was quiet for a long while, his yellow eyes fixed on something only he could see. Firefly didn't dare move at first, unsure of what would break the tenuous silence. His arms, so strong and unyielding, had been almost gentle when he held her. She had grown used to these moments from high above when his rage ebbed, leaving behind a strange and haunted calm.
But as he released her and began to pace, Firefly felt a shift.
Shadow's steps echoed through the vast, decayed chamber as he moved away from her. His spider legs clanked softly against the metal floor, his towering form weaving between the debris. Firefly hesitated before following him, her soft glow barely illuminating the path ahead. She had learned to watch for the signs, the subtle changes in his sound of movement and voice that signaled he was slipping away again.
And now, she could see it his shoulders tensing, his hands clenching into fists. His voice, low and muttering at first, began to rise.
"Far above... far below..." he murmured, his tone sharp and brittle. "We don't know where we'll fall."
Firefly stopped, her heart sinking. She had heard this before this chant of his, like a mantra laced with venom. His movements grew more erratic, his pacing faster, his mechanical legs scraping against the floor with each step. He would lose himself to the labyrinth of his mind, trapped in old torment and madness. It frightened her. He had pulled her from her own despair, his fierce presence the only anchor she had in this desolate place. Now he was the one drifting, and she was powerless to follow him.
"Far above!" he roared suddenly, his voice echoing through the chamber. He grabbed a rusted pipe from the floor and hurled it across the room. It clattered against the wall with a deafening crash. "What once was great is rendered small!"
Firefly flinched but didn't move away. She had been singing to him long enough to know that leaving him alone now would only make it worse. He didn't even seem to notice her presence as he raged, throwing scraps of metal and broken bones into the fires.
"Betrayal!" he snarled, his voice trembling with fury. "Falling... forgotten... cast aside!" Another crash echoed as he overturned a heap of debris, scattering rusted shards across the floor.
Firefly's heart pounded as she took a step closer. She had to do something.
"Shadow," she called softly, but he didn't hear her. His yellow eyes were wild, his breaths ragged. She recognized this spiral all too well he was lost, trapped in the storms of his own mind. "Please come back..."
Her voice wouldn't reach him, not like this. But maybe... maybe her song would.
Taking a deep breath, she began to hum softly, letting the melody rise and fall like the flicker of flames. It was their song, the one she had sung to him so many times before, a gentle, wordless tune that seemed to calm the storm inside him. Her voice was raw and trembling, but it carried the same soothing warmth as always.
At first, Shadow didn't respond. He continued to pace, his legs scraping against the floor, his hands trembling as they gripped the edges of a shattered panel. But as the melody filled the room, his movements began to slow.
Firefly stepped closer, her voice growing stronger despite her fear. She didn't understand why her song seemed to reach him, why it eased the torment that consumed him but it did. And so, she sang.
The collar around her neck, long forgotten in her desperation, suddenly sparked to life.
Pain lanced through her throat as electricity surged from the collar, lighting her skin with jagged streaks of energy. Firefly gasped, the song faltering as her knees buckled. She clawed at the collar, her fingers slipping against its cold surface as the shocks grew stronger.
"Ah—Shadow!" she cried out, her voice breaking as she fell to the ground.
The pain blurred her vision, but through the haze, she saw him turn sharply toward her. The rage on his face twisted into something darker, his eyes narrowing as he took in the sight of her crumpled form.
"What...what are you doing?" he snarled, his voice sharp and accusing.
Firefly tried to speak, but the collar tightened around her throat, cutting off her words. Sparks crackled along its edges, the damaged device malfunctioning in cruel, unpredictable bursts.
Shadow's gaze flicked to the collar, then back to her tear-streaked face. His lips curled into a snarl, his anger boiling over once more.
"This room! This World! Rotten" he roared, turning away from her and throwing a jagged piece of metal across the chamber. It struck the wall with a deafening crash, narrowly missing Firefly where she knelt.
She flinched, her trembling hands still gripping the collar. But even through the pain, she forced herself to lift her head and sing again. Her voice was faint, fractured by the shocks that wracked her body, but she didn't stop.
The melody reached him.
Shadow froze, his limbs stilling mid-step. The firelight danced across his face as he turned back toward her, his expression caught between fury and something softer, something raw.
"Firefly," he rasped, his voice trembling. He stared at her, his breath ragged. He said nothing more, only crouched lower, his spider limbs curling inward, imprisoning her in a dark, iron embrace.
She met his gaze, her glowing blue eyes wet with tears. The song faltered on her lips as she whispered, "Don't go where I can't follow..."
For a moment, the room was silent. "You're a fool," he muttered, his voice low and rough. But his hands, calloused and sharp, were gentle as they brushed against her trembling shoulders.
Firefly let out a shuddering breath, her glow flickering faintly as she leaned against him. The collar still sparked weakly at her throat, but she didn't care. He was here he was with her.
And for now, that was enough.
Firefly's trembling fingers hovered near the sparking collar around her neck as Shadow loomed over her, his yellow eyes blazing like the fires that lit the rusted room. She had thought her song might reach him, might calm the storm raging inside his mind but the malfunctioning collar had turned her attempt into agony. She needed to get it removed.
"Shadow," she whispered, her voice faint and hoarse from the shocks. She looked up at him, her eyes tired. "It's the collar...I can't..."
His spider legs clattered against the ground as he crouched low, his towering frame folding to bring him closer. His eyes darted to the collar, his expression darkening further.
"This thing," he snarled, his clawed hands reaching for her throat. Firefly froze as his sharp fingers brushed against the cold, sparking metal.
"I'll tear it off," he growled.
"No!" she choked out, but it was too late.
The moment Shadow's hand gripped the collar, a violent surge of electricity shot through both of them. Firefly screamed, the current jolting her body as the collar tightened painfully around her neck. Shadow roared, his hand jerking back as sparks flew from the device.
The pain was blinding, her vision flashing white as the collar constricted. She clawed at it desperately, gasping for air. Shadow, his face twisted with fury, tried again, his mechanical limbs shifting to pin her in place.
But the second his claws touched the collar, another jolt of electricity lashed out, stronger than before. Firefly cried out, her body convulsing as the shocks coursed through her. Shadow staggered back, snarling in pain and frustration.
"It won't come off!" Firefly gasped, her voice raw and desperate.
Shadow's face contorted with rage, his fists clenching. "This wretched device!" he bellowed, his voice echoing through the chamber. He struck the ground with one of his mechanical legs, the impact sending a shudder through the floor.
Firefly flinched, her heart pounding as she scrambled backward. The tension in his body was coiling tighter and tighter, ready to snap.
"I'll break it!" he snarled, his hands shaking as he reached for her again.
But the pain and anger in his movements were too much. The electricity, the tightening collar, and the sparks flying between them only fueled his fury. Firefly barely managed to twist away before one of his spider legs slammed into the ground where she had been moments ago.
"Shadow, stop!" she pleaded, her voice trembling. But he didn't seem to hear her.
"Betrayal!" he roared, his eyes wild. "You're just like the others! Like my old master! Like the Jedi!"
The sharp edges of his spider legs lashed out as he raged, and Firefly stumbled, barely dodging a strike that came too close. The leg scraped the ground, sending sparks flying.
Her breath hitched as fear took hold. She couldn't stay here not with him like this. He didn't even seem to know she was there anymore. His fury was blind, his movements erratic and dangerous.
Firefly darted to the side, her bare feet slipping on the cold, rusted floor. She had to get away, had to find somewhere safe to hide until he calmed down.
Shadow's roar echoed behind her as she bolted, his spider legs clanking loudly against the metal as he pursued her. "You can't run from me!" he bellowed. "You are MINE!"
Tears streamed down her face as she ran, the dim light of the fires casting eerie shadows around her. Her heart pounded in her chest, each breath sharp and ragged. She could hear the clatter of his legs, the scrape of metal on metal as he followed her through the ruined chamber.
She ducked beneath a jagged piece of debris, her glowing wings brushing against the rusted edges. The confined space was suffocating, but she pressed on, her fear driving her forward.
At a fork in the path, Firefly slowed, her mind racing. Shadow's enraged shouts echoed behind her, growing louder as he closed in. She turned sharply, slipping into a narrow crevice between two rusted walls.
The space was barely wide enough for her slender frame, her wings folding tightly against her back as she squeezed through. Her glow dimmed instinctively, blending with the shadows as she crouched low.
From her hiding place, she could see the larger hallway she had just left. Shadow stormed past, his spider legs striking the ground with heavy, thunderous movements.
"You think you can hide?" he snarled, his voice dripping with venom. "You'll crawl back like the rest of them, begging for mercy!"
Firefly pressed a hand over her mouth to stifle her breathing, her body trembling as his words cut through the silence. She watched as he paused at the fork, his eyes scanning the dark corridors. After a tense moment, he turned down the opposite path, his form disappearing into the shadows.
Her chest heaved as she exhaled shakily, her heart still racing. She didn't move, didn't dare make a sound. The collar around her neck sparked faintly, its energy spent for now, but the pain still lingered.
As Shadow's distant roars faded, Firefly curled into herself, her fragile frame trembling. She had heard his rage before when he was down below and her high above, felt the sharp edges of his fury but this was different. This was a storm she wasn't sure she could calm.
And yet, even as fear coursed through her, a part of her ached for him for the broken, haunted soul beneath the anger.
For now, though, all she could do was wait.