It was almost immediately that Lily regretted her decision making. Why did she walk out into the open? She has cover right behind her. This was going against all the training she received at the academy. She wasn't thinking clearly. Of course she wasn't. She just dosed herself with strong sedatives that were now really kicking in. Her eyes swam from the middle Affini to the left… to the right. Was there always six? No… wait there were 3. She was sure of it. She saw three. But what if they can duplicate? What then? Could she really trust what she was seeing? She felt her eyes were already watering. 'Not now!' She thought. 'Anything but that right now...'

 

She knew something was up with her eyes but the more she tried to process the closer the Affini got. 

 

"S-STOP RIGHT THERE!" Lily yelled at the xenos that were approaching her location. Where were the ground troops? Where was the defence force? How was it that all the streets were empty of Terrans with not a soul in sight. "M-Move any closer and we will shoot!!!" 

 

Her eyes locked on to the Affini in the middle. Those bright calming rose gold eyes met Lily's frightened and watery blue ones. She saw the form clearly now. Vines twisted together into a coherent mass that somewhat resembled a Terran.  Flowers dotted about on the body blooming seemingly at random places yet somehow they felt intentional. Mellowed leaves and pale bark decorated its body, such washed up colours yet they were so pleasing to look at. One thing Lily couldn’t get past though, the beings were unnervingly tall. Too tall if you asked Lily. By the stars, how was it they looked so intimidating yet somehow so intriguing to her. Something about them was drawing Lily out, her heart beat was all over the place as it couldn’t decide whether to calm down or speed up and pump more adrenaline. The smooth motions they made while standing in place just watching the woman on the front entrance. Their heads swayed side to side, their facial expressions changing as they conversed- 

 

Oh, crap. They were talking.

 

Lily wiped away her tears and corrected her shotgun back into the middle Affini, yelling out again. "I-If this is an invasion and conquest you have no business here! You are f-forbidden from approaching! I'm warning you, civilians are not to be harmed!" 

 

Adrenaline was rushing through her body as she took quick glances through that opaque window of the door. Still there was movement. She needed to buy more time, but how? There was nothing she could do except stand there pointing a shotgun at a xeno life form unsure of how their attack patterns looked. 

 

Noises were slowly dying down in the station. Was everyone already out? Hopefully. 

 

“Calm down little one.” ‘F-F-fuuuuuck!!!’ that took Lily by surprise. The Affini’s voice was like a melody to her ears and strangely only encouraged her tears to stream quicker down her face. “We wish no harm upon you. But we cannot ignore the little toy in your arms. You could hurt yourself or others.” She spoke without breaking that melodic tone for a second. 

 

“L-Like hell I would!” Lily shouted back. Her arms trembled as she felt that anxiety come back to her. Memories of her past operations flooding her mind while sweat built up on her forehead and eaters began to fuzz up her vision. “I’m w-warning you! Take another step t-towards this station and we will shoot!” 

 

“Little Terran, there is no need for such actions. We come in peace.” The Affini continued. 

 

“Fuck off!” Lily snarled back. “After deorbiting every ship and station in the system, killing millions of Terrans you expect me to believe that?!” That steady flow of tears continued to stream down her face. Lily wasn’t sad, she was angry, yet she cursed herself for such things even bubbling up to the surface right now. ‘Not this… Not now!!!’

 

The Affini seemed confused, taken aback by the caring display Lily showed and most certainly concerned for the little Terran’s wellbeing. “We transferred every personnel on that measly ship of yours to our own vessels. They are safe” The tall being chimed up to debunk what Lily assumed was currently happening.

 

Lily lowered her shotgun for a moment, tears rapidly streaming down her face now, clouding her vision. She was completely bewildered by the information that was given. 

 

“Please, there is no need for confrontation. There’s only you left.” The Affini spoke in that sweet melody again, emphasising the fact that she was the only one left while taking a step forward. 

 

That sure as hell triggered Lily. No amount of sweet talk would be enough for her to give in so easily. She didn’t know what came over her but she dared not follow those poisonous words to her doom. “Protect the civilians! OPEN FIRE!!!” Lily shouted.

 

Time slowed down and deep down Lily knew she blacked out. Her sight fuzzed up narrowing into a tunnel as she could barely register what she was doing. Firing her gun, yes, but besides the loud noises each shot to her ears, there was nothing else coming to her, no telling if she landed a shot or not. Memories were now vividly coming back to her. The moment when she took the shot by mistake killing a gang member instantly. How blood splattered on her face. How another tough guy came at her. How she fought for her life, while they were surrounded by fire and hot lead. How she got overpowered and just like that her life could have ended. The barrel of the gun pointed right between her eyes- BAM!

 

Lily was tossed like a ragdoll. Her body hit the floor of the police station. When did she walk into it? It was all just a blur. Was she crying? Her hair was loose, her boss definitely wouldn’t like that. Why did she think of that all of a sudden? Lily noticed a thick pink haze was present in the station as she tried to reorient herself. It was too late however as the fumes already entered her lungs. Tingly. Calming. Soothing. Somehow Lily didn’t like the smell of it. Or rather, hated what it was trying to do to her. 

 

“Just lay there and let the gas lull you to sleep.” A melodic voice came out from the clouds of smoke. “This will all be over soon, little one.”

 

Like hell! “Brook!” Lily shouted.

 

No answer…

 

“The hell did you do to her!?” Lily shouted as she discovered a new dose of adrenaline that surged through her veins. “What did you do to my friend!?” She yelled Standing up to make one last leap of faith into the smoke hoping she’d be able to grab on to the xeno and tear her limb by limb. 

 

It didn’t go well. Vines quickly found themselves around Lily’s body. Binding the girl’s arms and legs up while one even wrapped itself around her neck. 

 

She stuttered a breath of air as her eyes went wide. Tears flooded down her face while she trembled in visible fear. That touch. That electric feeling. How it was starting to itch every part of her being. What was this? Why was it so electric?

 

“A fighter till the end are we? I admire your spirit, but I assure you your friend ‘Brook’ is perfectly safe.” The Affini said as it raised up one of it’s flower petals to sedate Lily. Yet something stopped her. The plant’s head tilted to the side with a questionable look in them. A sense of worry formed on that made up face of bark and vines. “Now you’re just an unfortunate soul aren’t you?” It spoke as a vine slowly unstrapped the velcro of Lily’s vest. Making quick work of it, before a vine brushed up over Lily’s chest. 

 

It shocked Lily how a faint meowl escaped before she gasped and inhaled more gas. What was that… Why did it feel good? Sensitive even. She struggled more now trying to deny her emotions. ‘This wasn’t real. This was the drugs talking.’ She told herself as her look of desperation and anger began to waver.

 

“There there, small one. Everything will be okay~”

 

That hit Lily more than anything before. Tears began to swell up in her eyes even more now as her life began to flash before her eyes. What did she do with it? She was only 21. Her childhood sucked, her teen life was no better, academy was a suicide trip waiting to happen. The prime of her life was spent with tests and pills, psychiatrist appointments and questionnaires. Not to mention the most underlying issue that plagued it all. She whimpered out trying to get fresh air into her lungs. It was too much, there was just too much wrong. That voice… That voice felt like a melody, filling Lily’s mind in soothing tones. Yet the only thing she could do was simply sob, as the tears began to flow freely over her less and less present expression.