Chapter Text
"Come doused in mud, soaked in bleach"
Riley scrambled under heavy fire, landing behind a counter. “Fucking hell. Waste all your bullets into that wall, why don’t you.”
Webster grumbled right next to her, reloading their gun.
"We're all that's left of our squad. Remember the mission." Web said.
He motions to her to flank the scavengers around the right. Riley nodded and they separated. Her footsteps light but fast, she rounded the old kitchen. She made quick work of a strangler, plunging her switch into his neck and ripping him to shreds.
“Greg?” Lackey number two whispered into the flat silence.
The hand on his gun and his breath shook. He paused and Riley took action, stabbing the back of his legs and choking him out silently. She quickly dragged his body into a corner and looted him. Bullets. Gas Masks. Plans. Journal. And most importantly, a walkie-talkie. She smirked and gestured to Web to make more rounds. He nodded and disappeared into the back. The clickers approached her left downstairs.
They disposed of the gang quickly, using the clickers and taking out ammo. She had been transferring stuff from one backpack to another when Web came to her. He had two smokes in his hands and lead her to the roof.
And there they sat, legs dangling off the edge clouds of smoke curling around them and mostly broken bottles spread around them.
"So, young glowworm, how was the round? Ah, forget it. We got more flanking us just in case 15 minutes back west. Probably to wipe out stragglers not for gathering information. The rest of 'em don't care about each other or the cause. Why did you join so young?" Webster asked, tilting his body against a rotting vent.
Riley fiddled with her fingerless gloves and took a long drag, relishing in the burn festering in her lungs.
"I joined 'cause of the damn cause. I joined because I couldn't be in the military. Being a cop or a-a soldier? I'd rather be on this side. But I also joined for my-my friend. Her mom died fighting for her, I didn't-i wished it didn't happen. The last time I saw her, we were running for our lives and we got separated by a horde. I had to go back to my base and leave her to-to die. But now? I have no clue what I'm fighting for." She whispered to him.
Riley could still see Ellie frantically wiping the blood from her bite and cursing under her breath. Riley could still remember the way the bite burned like hellfire, rendering her hand useless for weeks. Silence hung in the air. Riley coughed awkwardly and reached for a bottle. Ignoring the burn filling her lungs, she switched channels to the fireflies' main.
"Low five-oh on target ten. Three causalities, one death. CBI in the area. Check-in in forty-five. We're in business, boys." Thomason recited. Static filled the air until Riley shut it off.
Web nodded sympathetically and placed a knowing hand on her shoulder. He opened his mouth, probably some good honest advice when blood splattered from the back of his head. He slumped forward onto her lap, blood quickly spreading on her. Gunfire erupted and Riley pulled Web with her as a shield to cover.
"Grab that bitch."
"You killed Greg!"
Riley panted against a rusty radiator letting the bullets ricocheting off the metal.
"Okay, think...think!" she whispered to the whistling bullets.
A green bottle rolled towards her and she snatched it. After flipping Web's body over and finding his lighter, she ripped his shirt in ribbons and pocketed his tag. Riley stuffed the rag into the bottle and lit it. Footsteps got closer and she took aim and threw it.
Even behind cover, she could feel the heat and hear the screams. Eventually, they died out leaving only the sizzle of flesh. Riley reloaded her guns and stepped out into the open. The sight of burning bodies greeted her making her lower her gun. She looked over her shoulder at Webster, in a pool of his own blood and limbs sprawled out.
Then a barrel of a gun was pressed into the back of her head.
"You-you killed my friends." Was growled at her. Boots slid against gravel and glass.
"I had a mission. Orders." Riley rationed, dropping her gun.
She could see in the reflection of a window a lean guy with a buzzed head with bad burns in his arms and blood dripping from his ear. Most importantly though, was the circle-A tattooed on his neck. An Anarchist. Great.
"Yeah? Well, your mission did nothing. There are more of us. Why find a cure? Look at the world around us! No rules. No law. Only anarchy." He laughed and pushed the gun harder into her head.
"If you're going to shoot me, do it. I can't have a villain monologue be the last thing I hear." Riley groaned, interlacing her fingers.
"No, I want you to lead the fireflies here. I got a squad coming in for reinforcement. Then you join us. You got something the others don't-vengence. The way you killed them like that....that's exactly what we need. You help us, we spare you." He smiled lowering the gun and shoved the talkie in her hand.
Riley turned around to face him. The tag on him was military and had S.Tucker stamped across. She switched on the talkie but couldn't bring herself to inform them. But then again, she was losing faith in the fireflies. They closed down the lab in Salt Lake and shipped her right back to base for hardcore training. The cause was dwindling down. But Riley wouldn't work for Tucker's kind, they're the real savages. Riley realized the weight of her decision that was being put in her hands. This gang could wipe out the fireflies for good. Riley set her jaw and steeled her eyes as she came to her conclusion.
"What if, I lead them to you and you let me go. I won't breathe a word." She uttered, dread pooling her stomach.
She couldn't go back from that, it was too late now. Tucker wheezed happily, gesturing to her with the gun in his hand.
"Now that is what I am talking about! You are cunning, little firefly. I'll tell you what...you got yourself a deal." he said leaning into her space. His breath smelled of blood, causing her stomach to churn.
She pressed lips to the walkie and said shivering "Code red. Squad Blue is down, I repeat, Squad Blue is down. Send back-up."
Tucker smiled and raised the gun to eye level. Riley grabbed his arm twisting so hard the brunt skin peeled off, ribbons of flesh dangling from Tucker's arm. He screamed and his gun went off. Pain exploded in her side but she managed to disarm him. Riley tripped him and the man scrambled back, his hand searching for a weapon no doubt. Tucker's back hit the wall behind him. One hand stopping the bleeding and a gun in the other, she stalked after him. Tucker stuttered a plea as Riley raised her gun and fired it. The sound of the gunshot was still ringing in her ears as she loaded her backpack.
What had she done? She betrayed the fireflies, they would kill her for treason, The military would do the same. Riley had to run, she had to go. She thought for a second and an idea came to mind. On the other side of the building, there was a makeshift lake. The pipes to all the buildings had burst a while back so water flooded the street, that was the only way.
Riley stood over the side. She shifted her footing to look over the edge and gravel fell. She was ten or eleven stories up. She remembered one of the elders said something about hitting water from high up was like hitting concrete unless you went feet-first.
"Fuck it." Riley snarled, walking backward.
She stopped and, taking a shuddering breath, broke into a dead sprint. Just before she hit the edge, She leaped, arms frantically grabbing empty air and slammed her eyes shut.
Riley fell. It seemed like centuries and seconds all at once. Until She hit the water. The pain of the gunshot wound was like wildfire, consuming her body, her everything. Then the freezing temperatures set in. The cold water was choking her, wrapping its icy hands around her. All she saw was blue and all Riley felt was cold and pain but she swam until she reached the surface, gasping and coughing.
"Fuck."