Galaxy Defenders - Firefly
Jan. 6th, 2018 06:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cmk418Title: Galaxy Defenders
Fandom: Firefly
Characters: River, Jayne, cameo by Simon
Word Count: 900
Written for the 1/5/18 Weekend Challenge & the Give It a Whirl Challenge (symmetrina!) at![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
1_million_words
Author's Notes: This is actually a sequel to a fic I wrote almost 10 years ago where River is a Vampire Slayer. That's all you really need to know for this fic. It is a standalone. If you want to read the other fic, it's here. This is done in a symmetrina format so the first section is 100 words, 1st person, the second section is 200 words, 2nd person, the third (middle) section is 300 words, 3rd person, and then back down repeating the word counts and POV in reverse.
I dress for the night’s work in what I call my Slayer uniform. Black combat boots, black pants (not my usual fashion statement, but it’s more for ease of movement), and black shirt. Depending on what planet we’re on, if it’s cold enough, I might wear a duster like Mal’s. It’s black too. Jayne says I look like the Grim Reaper, but for vampires on these planets, that’s what I am. I don’t see any reason to call attention to myself. I want to sneak in, like a creature of the night, and do what I was born to do.
*****
You expected that after Lestat, it would be over, but it seems to have awakened something in you. Now, every time you arrive on a Rim planet, you feel it, the sharp pain in your midsection that feels like your woman-time, but signifies something else entirely.
“How did I miss it before?” you ask Jayne, who considers himself your Watcher and your confidante about this life.
“Probably always had it. You just didn’t know what it was ‘til we set down on Lestat. Your fighting skills, your reflexes. The Academy took advantage of all that, but they were always there.”
Jayne is different toward you now. He has a sense of protectiveness that puts Simon’s to shame. He’s always watching you. He laughs when you call him on it. “That’s what we do,” he says. “Watchers watch. That and write diaries. Do you think I should write a diary?”
“Who would read it?”
“I could put it on the Cortex, Slayer-mine.”
“What would it say? Monday, slayed two vampires. Slow night. Tuesday, nothing. Drifting in space. Wednesday, slayed seventeen vampires. My Slayer is the best,” you say with a grin.
You’re different toward him too. You trust him. That’s new.
*****
“You’ve been spending an awful lot of time with Jayne lately,” Simon says.
“He’s helping me keep up my training,” River replies.
“Late at night?”
“Well, during the day, I’m piloting the ship or he’s working with Mal on a job. We don’t have a lot of time so it just works out better if we do it at night.” She smiles slightly, wishing Simon would get to the question he’s pussy-footing around, but she’s also amused by his discomfort.
“Are you and Jayne-?”
“Hey, doc,” Jayne interrupts. “River, you ready?”
“Yes,” she says, and follows him down the catwalk.
Simon turns to watch them go, noticing River’s garb for the first time. “River, what’s with all the black?” he calls out.
“I’m the Grim Reaper,” she says, laughing, and chases Jayne off the ship.
Once they have gotten out of view, Jayne withdraws a stake from his duffel bag. “Just one?”
“That’s really all you need.”
“I’m not in the mood for hand-to-hand tonight. Besides, it never hurts to have a spare or two in case you get caught.”
“I’m not getting caught. What did big brother want?”
“He didn’t say.”
“No, but you can read. What did he want?”
“He wanted to know if we’re sleeping together.”
“What?!” Thoughts of being on the business end of a scalpel with no painkillers came to mind.
“Not to worry, Watcher-mine. You’ll be safe.”
“I’m glad you think so.”
“Safe as you are right- Duck!”
Jayne ducks as River hurls a stake into the vampire that has appeared behind him.
“Thanks,” he starts, then, “Behind you!”
River pivots, stake in hand, and buries it into the heart of the vampire before her. It explodes into dust.
“Are there more?” Jayne asks.
“A couple. We have to stay out a while longer.”
*****
You watch her dispatch the last of the vampires on this planet. She looks up at you, smiles, and then this tiny slip of a girl loops her arm through yours. It has become her signal that it’s time to leave, that the danger here is gone, that you can sleep easily tonight.
As easily as you can when your mind is filled with thoughts of this girl, of the impact she’s had and will continue to have on your life. She has gone from object of suspicion, to enemy, to valued member of the crew, to protector, to friend. It is a Watcher’s duty to make sure his Slayer continues down her chosen path. That is how it has been for thousands of years- how can you break away from something like that? It is as much your destiny as it is hers.
“C’mon,” she says, as you reach Serenity. You follow her into the galley and watch her retrieve some of Zoe’s leftover stew from the cooler. This is her ritual. She doesn’t even bother to heat it up. “Want some?”
You shake your head and lean back against the counter, watching her. It’s been a good night.
*****
I descend the ladder to my bunk and roll into bed, the events of the day catching up to me. I must be getting older. I certainly feel it. This is why all those fuddy-duddy Watchers kept diaries- they were too tired to do anything else. I take out a notebook that I picked up at market and begin to write-
Mission thirty-two – Horus – River dusted six of them today. I’m very proud of her. Gorram vamps are getting bolder. I don’t know if the Slayer draws them or if they’ve always been there. I’m just glad she’s with me.
Fandom: Firefly
Characters: River, Jayne, cameo by Simon
Word Count: 900
Written for the 1/5/18 Weekend Challenge & the Give It a Whirl Challenge (symmetrina!) at
1_million_wordsAuthor's Notes: This is actually a sequel to a fic I wrote almost 10 years ago where River is a Vampire Slayer. That's all you really need to know for this fic. It is a standalone. If you want to read the other fic, it's here. This is done in a symmetrina format so the first section is 100 words, 1st person, the second section is 200 words, 2nd person, the third (middle) section is 300 words, 3rd person, and then back down repeating the word counts and POV in reverse.
I dress for the night’s work in what I call my Slayer uniform. Black combat boots, black pants (not my usual fashion statement, but it’s more for ease of movement), and black shirt. Depending on what planet we’re on, if it’s cold enough, I might wear a duster like Mal’s. It’s black too. Jayne says I look like the Grim Reaper, but for vampires on these planets, that’s what I am. I don’t see any reason to call attention to myself. I want to sneak in, like a creature of the night, and do what I was born to do.
*****
You expected that after Lestat, it would be over, but it seems to have awakened something in you. Now, every time you arrive on a Rim planet, you feel it, the sharp pain in your midsection that feels like your woman-time, but signifies something else entirely.
“How did I miss it before?” you ask Jayne, who considers himself your Watcher and your confidante about this life.
“Probably always had it. You just didn’t know what it was ‘til we set down on Lestat. Your fighting skills, your reflexes. The Academy took advantage of all that, but they were always there.”
Jayne is different toward you now. He has a sense of protectiveness that puts Simon’s to shame. He’s always watching you. He laughs when you call him on it. “That’s what we do,” he says. “Watchers watch. That and write diaries. Do you think I should write a diary?”
“Who would read it?”
“I could put it on the Cortex, Slayer-mine.”
“What would it say? Monday, slayed two vampires. Slow night. Tuesday, nothing. Drifting in space. Wednesday, slayed seventeen vampires. My Slayer is the best,” you say with a grin.
You’re different toward him too. You trust him. That’s new.
*****
“You’ve been spending an awful lot of time with Jayne lately,” Simon says.
“He’s helping me keep up my training,” River replies.
“Late at night?”
“Well, during the day, I’m piloting the ship or he’s working with Mal on a job. We don’t have a lot of time so it just works out better if we do it at night.” She smiles slightly, wishing Simon would get to the question he’s pussy-footing around, but she’s also amused by his discomfort.
“Are you and Jayne-?”
“Hey, doc,” Jayne interrupts. “River, you ready?”
“Yes,” she says, and follows him down the catwalk.
Simon turns to watch them go, noticing River’s garb for the first time. “River, what’s with all the black?” he calls out.
“I’m the Grim Reaper,” she says, laughing, and chases Jayne off the ship.
Once they have gotten out of view, Jayne withdraws a stake from his duffel bag. “Just one?”
“That’s really all you need.”
“I’m not in the mood for hand-to-hand tonight. Besides, it never hurts to have a spare or two in case you get caught.”
“I’m not getting caught. What did big brother want?”
“He didn’t say.”
“No, but you can read. What did he want?”
“He wanted to know if we’re sleeping together.”
“What?!” Thoughts of being on the business end of a scalpel with no painkillers came to mind.
“Not to worry, Watcher-mine. You’ll be safe.”
“I’m glad you think so.”
“Safe as you are right- Duck!”
Jayne ducks as River hurls a stake into the vampire that has appeared behind him.
“Thanks,” he starts, then, “Behind you!”
River pivots, stake in hand, and buries it into the heart of the vampire before her. It explodes into dust.
“Are there more?” Jayne asks.
“A couple. We have to stay out a while longer.”
*****
You watch her dispatch the last of the vampires on this planet. She looks up at you, smiles, and then this tiny slip of a girl loops her arm through yours. It has become her signal that it’s time to leave, that the danger here is gone, that you can sleep easily tonight.
As easily as you can when your mind is filled with thoughts of this girl, of the impact she’s had and will continue to have on your life. She has gone from object of suspicion, to enemy, to valued member of the crew, to protector, to friend. It is a Watcher’s duty to make sure his Slayer continues down her chosen path. That is how it has been for thousands of years- how can you break away from something like that? It is as much your destiny as it is hers.
“C’mon,” she says, as you reach Serenity. You follow her into the galley and watch her retrieve some of Zoe’s leftover stew from the cooler. This is her ritual. She doesn’t even bother to heat it up. “Want some?”
You shake your head and lean back against the counter, watching her. It’s been a good night.
*****
I descend the ladder to my bunk and roll into bed, the events of the day catching up to me. I must be getting older. I certainly feel it. This is why all those fuddy-duddy Watchers kept diaries- they were too tired to do anything else. I take out a notebook that I picked up at market and begin to write-
Mission thirty-two – Horus – River dusted six of them today. I’m very proud of her. Gorram vamps are getting bolder. I don’t know if the Slayer draws them or if they’ve always been there. I’m just glad she’s with me.
