Silver ||Joel Miller||

anything's got to be better than Boston

LAURA

2023

There were things that Laura regretted. Many of those things related to what she'd done in order to survive after the fungus hit. Killing others for her own safety and position security in the QZ was one, and manipulating people without remorse was another.

One thing she didn't regret at all, however, was shooting an arrow right through Robert's throat when they realised he'd screwed them the fuck over.

It hadn't been the first time he'd attempted to pull one over her, but Laura made damned sure it would be his last.

Her hazel eyes flicked between Marlene and Ellie, ignoring the other two as she tried to discern if the kid was okay. After everything she'd done to keep the kid safe, they could have lost it all so quickly. She could have lost everything in the blink of a fucking eye.

And Laura let Marlene know exactly how pissed she was through her glare alone.

How many times had she told Marlene they couldn't trust Robert? That the only thing he was truly good at was fucking people over and profiting from it? Honestly, she would have had respect for the bastard if he just hadn't done it to her.

"Kindly, what the fuck are you two doing here?" Laura asked, eyes landing on Tess. Out of the two, Laura was more officially familiar with Tess. They'd brokered deals before, information or tickets for items that she needed from outside the QZ. She was familiar with the partner for a far different reason. Although Laura knew his name and his face, she'd never put them together before.

Maybe she should have realised sooner, but now she could surely use the connection to her advantage. All she had to do was figure out how.

"We came for the truck battery we were promised," Tess said.

Laura nodded as Marlene leaned against the wall for support. This situation was what Laura had walked into after being ordered by Marlene to check the perimeter for more of Robert's men. Or, more accurately, the order had been for her to take a walk to calm down. That walk had not fucking worked.

"So did we," she replied before she looked at Ellie. The kid seemed rather pissed about the fact she was on the ground with her knife under Joel's boot... and Laura couldn't blame her.

"At least we were until we saw it was defective and Laura wasted no time in shooting an arrow into Robert's throat." Marlene apparently disapproved of her methods, which Laura did not appreciate in the slightest.

"You have not had to deal with that sorry excuse of a man as often as I have. Trust me, it was well overdue," Laura said, fiddling with the bowstring pulled taut over her chest. Maybe she should have been aiming the weapon at the smugglers instead of having it tucked away around her torso. That way, she could have been involved in the whole 'pointing weapons at each other' circle going on.

But something told her no one would shoot.

"Honestly, I'm inclined to agree," Tess replied, to which Laura smirked and raised her eyebrows.

"See, I'm not the only one." Marlene rolled her eyes at Laura's words.

"Maybe I would be a little more understanding if your actions didn't kill and scatter my group and leave me with a bullet in my stomach," Marlene retorted. Perhaps Laura could have felt a little more sympathy—a little more apologetic for her actions—but she couldn't bring herself to care as she licked her bottom lip and stared right at the shot woman. Marlene had asked too much of her since roping her into being Firefly—into acting as one.