#58 - Seeking Justice [BtVS/Firefly]

[jedibuttercup]

title: Seeking Justice
word count: 200
fandom: Firefly/Serenity (fusion)
challenge: #58 - first impressions
summary: "Her daughter was at the Academy with River."
disclaimer: The words are mine; the worlds belong to Whedon.
notes: For an FFA pairing. Vague spoilers for B:tVS 6.17 "Normal Again" and the Serenity movie.

---

"It's okay! She's not a threat!" Simon blurted, pushing down the barrel of Mal's gun.

Mal glared at him. A strange older woman wearing a firearm, demanding entry to his ship? Call him paranoid, but she was obviously trouble. "How d'you figure?"

Simon gave the woman a sympathetic glance. "Her daughter was at the Academy with River."

Mal frowned as he considered that. It had cost Simon a mint to free his sister; this woman, with her tired brown curls, plain clothes and antique pistol, like as not couldn't afford the same. "My condolences, ma'am," he said, lowering his weapon.

She sighed. "It's Joyce. And I'm not here for your pity; I don't deserve it. I was the one who put Buffy in their hands, when I told her she was crazy and sent her for readjustment."

"Then what are you here for?" Mal asked.

Joyce tilted her chin up. "Justice. For Buffy, and those like her. I heard about the Miranda wave, and thought your crew might be willing to help."

Mal looked past Simon, to River's imploring face, and sighed. Definitely trouble.

"We'll... discuss it," he said, forbiddingly-- and tried not to soften at his albatross's dawning smile.
-x-

Comments

[jerseyfabulous.livejournal.com]

Joyce unknowingly handing Buffy over to the Academy? Eep!

[starshinedown.livejournal.com]

That was my first reaction, too. Instead of "eep!" can I say "ack!" ?

*fidgets* Also, I'm new around here. Hi!

[jedibuttercup]

Hi! Welcome! =)

Can't you just see the Alliance, though, putting screeners at mental health places to look for people with natural gifts like River to twist and warp into their molds? River was high-functioning enough to get in through their "brilliant kids school" interface, but the less lucky might easily have got reported for "hearing voices". Turning up someone otherwise gifted like Buffy would be like Christmas morning for the Blue Hands folk, and Joyce would have had no idea until it was far too late.

[starshinedown.livejournal.com]

As deadly and Slayer-like as River was in Serenity, I shudder to think of what a Buffy (or, gah, a Faith) could be molded into by the Alliance. It really is frightening, and unfortunately plausible.

[jerseyfabulous.livejournal.com]

Welcome! :)

[jedibuttercup]

I know! But I couldn't help but think of Alliance researchers already prepped to look for potential of actual gifts behind reported craziness (psychics like River, for example) coming across Buffy, testing her just in case instead of simply assuming she was making it up, and thinking "gold mine!" She'd be even more tightly guarded than River, poor thing.