Those who rebel will pay. Chase knew it. He once rebelled to FEDRA when he wasn't paid enough after two shifts at the sewers, he had been beaten and locked up for two days, with little to no food and water. It also cost him guard duties with the Fireflies, a rebellion against FEDRA that his mother had been part of years back before her passing. Chase doesn't like to talk about it, but he owns a lot to Marlene.

Dear ol' Marlene, the woman who helped Sage and Chase a few weeks later after the whole outbreak and FEDRA took over the quarantine zone. Marlene had given Chase's mother a job, it was great, it brought more food to the table and a few movies to watch as a family. But that was two years ago and Sage wasn't here anymore, an accident during a Firefly mission, and somehow Chase has felt the responsibility to now take his mother's place inside the Fireflies. He now worked for Marlene.

"Hey Gus, how're the kids?" Chase asked smiling at one of the guards, the blond didn't really care he just needed to make conversation as he walked towards his apartment, the guard didn't even notice his presence letting the adult walk away into the building.

Chase looked around greeting some neighbors he knew, two floors up and four right doors until he reached his own place, the keys dangled on his hands searching for the one to open his place. Opening the door the not so welcoming scent of food greeted him, something had to be rotten, Chase didn't take long to pull his shirt above his nose.

He searched around to find where the odor was coming from, he looked inside the fridge, nothing, on the living room table, clear, in his side table from his room, squeaky clean too, under the bed just in case, but only he would find his shoes and socks. There had to be something rotting, the smell was too strong.

"Where are you, you little fucker." Chase said walking into the kitchen again passing beside the small garbage can he almost gagged. "Oh what the." He took a peek, there it was, a piece of raw meat, he remembered now, he had stole it from Marlene's place a few days ago but when he saw a piece of mold he threw it out.

Chase didn't have another option, he took the bag out of the can and headed out his apartment, back to the first floor he rushed to the emergency exit where the trash containers stood.

"Yeah, apparently the battery is going somewhere else, I have no idea let's just wait and see." Chase noticed the two guys around the corner talking, their voices almost like a whisper, not wanting anyone to hear their very secretive conversation. "What are you looking at dumbass?" One of the guys turned to see Chase standing there with the bag on one hand.

Not saying anything he just threw the bag inside and rushed back in, settling for a moment of piece until sunset, knowing damn well that when the clock struck 5:30 in the afternoon he hd to head out and see Marlene.

The apartment didn't have much to entertain him, a TV is a privilege and even if you had it, people would find out, and when they did, make sure to change the locks of your door or even get a protection dog, or a gun. A small radio was the only type of entertainment Chase would have, letting any music from any station play around the walls while he made food, cleaned or just pass time reading books we would rescue before FEDRA burned them.

This day it wasn't a case of cooking or reading, a shower had to be. Chase had taken the morning shift down at the sewers, it paid more and with his saving he would get food or even a change of clothes. There was no hot water, Chase hated cold water, it drove him insane, made him get sick faster than the normal human being – or at least that is how it felt, and just doing a quick shower trying to get rid of the scent of sewer was going to be a hard task to accomplish.

Chase cursed a few times when the cold water hit the back of his head down, the small soap bar scrubbed away the mud and what he hoped was pieces of food away from his body. Three times the soap bar scrubbed his body after every rinse in hope of masking the awful scent of sewers with the not so welcoming scent of vanilla, when done Chase rushed to his room changing into clean clothes, an hour and a half was still waiting for him, and to kill that time he picked up the acoustic guitar from his corner, strumming the chords with nonsense, just for fun.

When five thirty hit the clock Chase was already outside his building with backpack in hand, if anyone stopped him – and it had happened a few times, he always said that he's going out to get food or had his clothes for the night shift down at the sewers, which was half true, he often placed clothing inside the bag just in case of anything.

Walking through the streets of closed-off Boston were somehow calm, dangerous, but calm, it brought a small sense of peace on the twenty-seven year old, some how just walking and looking around even though there were militaries looking around for fireflies or any kind of disruption was a bit relaxing. Chase tried to accomplish his most innocent look, he knew being a Firefly was dangerous, he could be killed in that moment.

Shaking his head as a way to clear his mind and distract his brain from the thoughts he kept on walking, reaching the abandoned building, sneaking through a small hallway into a crashed down wall, Chase looked around noticing the staircase, he needed to reach the roof, get through the fire escape and then back to the ground to reach the Firefly building, he couldn't just walk through the other street, military kept guard, and for them it was just another building with residents, only if they truly knew what they hid behind closed doors.

"Hey Gary, how are you doing today?" He asked the first guy he saw and recognized, a Firefly guard in disguise standing inside the building, doing his job, keeping guard.

"Oh you know kid, surviving." Answering back he let Chase walk through. "Boss wants to see you."

"Where can I find Marlene?" Chase asked turning around before walking, Gary only pointed up three times, for Chase it meant he had to walk two stories and he would find her, waving goodbye he walked up the stairs, few guards and some people were outside the hallway talking.

The third floor of the building was mostly empty, only the last room had movement, some screaming and arguing, Chase stood behind the wall and peeked out, he couldn't comprehend the words that were spoken but he could recognize by the tone of voices that it wasn't a good sign.

"We are done here." A woman said walking out the room slamming the door behind her, the two guards walked behind her, leaving the place unsecured, Chase was curious, he waited until it was clear around them, walking slowly towards the door he took a glance left to right, it was safe.

"Don't be anything bad." Chase whispered under his breath, the door handle was cold to his touch even though just a few seconds ago it had been touched, slowly he opened the door, the room had no furniture, it looked abandoned even, his eyes trailed every inch of the room until they fell on a corner, a small figure curled, hugging their knees tightly agaisnt their chest, until they peeked up, a girl, looking at him with swollen eyes.

"Who the fuck are you?" She asked wiping her tears away.

Chase only looked at her, she had a chain around her ankle secured to a heater, it was a child, why was there a child here? The girl spoke again, repeating the question.

"Name's Chase. Are you okay?" He asked slowly walking over to her.

"Do I look okay to you?" She stood up quickly, she walked a few steps towards him. "Are you here to question me or what?"

She had so much aggression, Chase could understand, I mean she was chained and he only hoped they were mistreating her.

"Chase Clyde." A strong femenine voice was heard behind them, a guard and the same woman from before walked into the room. "Don't talk another word. Get out. Now." She ordered, Chase didn't even get a chance to move before he was pulled out of the room into the hallway, the girl screamed Wait before being shut off the world.

"Why is there a kid chained in there? What are you guys doing to her?" Chase didn't know her but just the idea that the Fireflies could be potentially hurting a child, well it wasn't something Chase was too fond of.

"It's okay, I'll take it from here." A voice that Chase recognized was heard from the right corridor from where Chase stood, he looked at the woman with a hint of fear. "Come on Chase, I'll explain everything." No hesitation the twenty seven year old followed the orders, he walked towards the woman and into a room where the usual work occured and Marlene took control over everything.

"What is happening Marlene? Why is there a kid, a kid, chained to a heater?" Chase turned around facing the older woman, Marlene sighed and walked over to her chair, taking her position on it she glanced up.

"Here's the thing Chase, she's not trouble, she's not dangerous," Chase wasn't understanding what was happening now. "I can't believe what I am going to say." Marlene took a breath and opened her mouth again "I will need your help to keep this a secret Chase, you owe me only that."

"Yeah, I know." He owed her alot more than just keeping a secret, Marlene had pulled him into a lot of safety moments, he did a lot for his mother and him.

"Her name is Ellie, she says she's Veronica, go by that name, I know her, I've been watching her and keeping her safe, until a few weeks back when she escaped and got into some trouble." Marlene began explaining how they got her back. "She might be our way out, our way to safety, to a cure." Marlene looked at Chase so serious, Chase didn't know what to do or say. "She was bitten a while back, she is clean, I've had her under observation and she hasn't turned into one of those monsters, I think she might be a cure for us."

"Shit Marlene, you are being so serious about this?" The older woman nodded in response. "And why are you telling me this besides that you know me so well."

"You are going to help us get her to the doctors, you will need to go West with me and her, I will need you to promise me to keep her safe, she's our way out of this hellhole Chase."

"Sweet Jesus." Chase scratched the back of his head a few times, he paced a few times before stopping and glancing back at the older figure. "Dear Marlene, what's next then?"