The Last Spartan – Chapter Eight
Author owns no rights to the Firefly 'verse, and makes no money from his efforts.
-------------------
As Serenity made her way into the black, anger was the chief emotion among the crew.
River sat at the helm seething at Mal's insinuations that Jayne had deliberately took the watch to be alone with her. Mal was right behind her, glaring at her back, his own anger directed at nearly everyone but himself.
Inara was sitting in the infirmary with Kaylee, so mad that tears were threatening. She was also going over a mental tongue lashing that Mal would not enjoy. Zoe was in the cargo bay, almost as mad as Inara after the way Mal had laid Kaylee's being drunk squarely at her feet. She wasn't a gorram baby sitter, and Kaylee didn't need one anyway.
Jayne was working the engine room in Kaylee's place, nearly consumed by rage. He concentrated on his work, trying to use it to ease his anger into a more manageable state.
Only Simon and Kaylee were not furious at the moment, Kaylee under the influence of the smoother Jayne had given her, and Simon dead to the world sleeping off his first drunk.
They were probably the lucky ones, despite the hangovers that would soon make their lives miserable.
----------------------
Once Jayne had set the engine properly for the black, he exited the engine room, and headed into the cargo bay. He retrieved the discarded broom, and was sweeping the refuse into the airlock when a tremendous blow struck him in the back of the head. He fell forward into the airlock, blacking out for a few seconds. When he managed to clear his head, he stood.
He turned to see Mal looking at him triumphantly through the window. Rubbing the back of his head, Jayne looked at Mal.
"What the hell?" he yelled. Mal hit the comm.
"'Spect we can talk, now," Mal said, his tone satisfied. "I want some answers, Jayne. And if I don't like the ones you give me, you're going for a space walk. Dong ma?"
"Open this door, Mal," Jayne said softly. "Right now."
"Ain't hap'nin," Mal smiled an ugly smile. "I had 'bout enough o' you today to last me a week, or more. Now, what was Kaylee sayin' 'bout she shoulda chose you 'stead o' Simon?"
"Since she's the one what said it, I think you'd best ask her," Jayne snarled, feeling his rage building.
"Ain't askin' her, I'm askin' you," Mal shot back. "And something else. Did you know that River was gonna stay on board last night when you volunteered to stand the watch, all noble like?"
"Say what?" Jayne's voice went deathly soft, and Mal had to strain to hear him.
"You heard me," Mal snarled. "I wanna know did you deliberately fix it so you and River were on board alone, together, last night."
"What is it, exactly, that you're gettin' at, Mal?" Jayne was past anger now. Beyond rage. Inside, he could feel power coursing to his limbs and to his mind.
"You know what I'm gettin' at, Jayne!" Mal shot back. "Now I want some answers, and I'm gettin' tired o' waitin'. So what's it gonna be?"
"It's gonna be ugly," Jayne laughed, looking at the floor.
"What?" Mal asked in surprise. Last time he'd had Jayne here, things had gone different. Jayne shuffled to the door, head still down.
"I said, it's gonna be . . . UGLY!" At that his head shot up, and Mal recoiled in fear.
Then Jayne started hitting the airlock door.
---------------------
River shot up from her seat, terror on her face. Zoe, who had joined her when Mal had left the bridge and come to the cargo bay, looked at her.
"What's wrong, sweetie?" she asked.
"I don't . . . Captain is suddenly very afraid," she stammered. "And Jayne is . . . Jayne is gone. Something is wrong, Zoe!"
"Mal's in the cargo bay," Zoe told her, shooting to her own feet. "C'mon."
They had taken two steps when the dull thud was heard, and felt, through the ship.
----------------------
Mal was still reeling from what he'd seen in the airlock. This wasn't possible! He'd heard tell of such, as a child, but they were just stories old folks made up to scare their children. There was no way this was. . .
Three things happened at once.
Zoe and River ran into the bay, shouting questions at him for which he had no answer. Inara came running out of the infirmary, doing the same thing.
And the inner door of the airlock when flying across the cargo bay.
Jayne stepped out of the now ruined airlock, and everyone froze.
-------------
"Merciful Bhudda," Inara whispered, when she saw Jayne.
"Holy Mother of God," Zoe whispered at the same time, her hand falling to her carbine.
"The darkness has awakened," River said in wonder.
The being they had once known as Jayne Cobb was standing in front of the now wrecked airlock, seething in fury. Even from the stairs Zoe and River could see that Jayne wasn't himself.
His eyes had gone from their normal blue to a dark purple. So dark they were almost black. His face was contorted into a mask of rage and something else. Something . . . dark. Ugly. Two long fangs now protruded from his upper jaw, gleaming in the lights of the cargo bay. The two purple eyes were looking at only one thing.
Malcolm Reynolds.
"I told you it would be ugly, little man," Jayne's voice was like gravel, a cross between a growl and a whisper. The sound of it sent shivers down every spine in the bay. As Jayne took a step forward, Mal drew his pistol and fired. Jayne stopped, and looked down at the bullet wound in his chest.
Miraculously, he laughed, looking back up at Mal.
"Have to do better than that, mortal," he growled, and continued his advance. Mal was back pedaling furiously, firing as he went. The bullets struck home, but had no effect. River could feel the Captain's terror rolling off him in waves. Zoe was frightened, too, but not nearly so much as Mal. River took an instant to marvel that she could separate their fear from her own.
"Zoe," said River, never taking her eyes from the apparition that had once been Jayne Cobb, "take Inara and go and get Kaylee. She may be able to make him stop." Zoe looked at River in shock.
"No time to explain, please just trust me. Tell her to call him Janos. Got that? Janos. But only if he won't respond to Jayne. And if he does, don't let Mal shoot him again. It's the only chance we have." When Zoe hesitated, River shook her. "Zoe, hurry. He'll destroy the ship if she can't stop him!"
Zoe gawked at her for a second, then took another look at Jayne. Finally she moved, and River felt weak with relief. She watched as Zoe and Inara ran to the infirmary.
"Well, Simon," River said as she walked carefully toward Jayne. "You wanted to know what made him tick."
Jayne saw her coming, and stopped. Mal raised his pistol again.
"No, Captain!" River called, and Jayne's head snapped back to Mal. "Lower it, Captain. You cannot harm him that way." She looked to Jayne.
"Jayne, please," she pleaded softly. "Don't do this. You may destroy the ship, and that will kill us all, not just Mal."
"I care not, little one," Jayne growled back. "Do you think I have not watched countless humans perish? What are so few when added to that?"
"We are your friends, Jayne," River said reasonably. "You care about what happens to your friends."
"When have you, or any of the others, been my friend?" he hissed at her, eyes blazing. "When has this one," he pointed to Mal, who was trying to imitate a crate in the hold, "been my friend? You speak well, child, but your words are dust."
"Don't judge all of us by him," River asked, her tone one of begging. "He is often prone to acting before thinking. Do not punish us all because of him."
"Why not?" Jayne demanded, his voice again nothing more than an evil sounding hiss. "You give him succor, support him in his stupidity. Are you not equally to blame?"
"We follow orders, Spartan," River replied, praying that this was the right thing to say, and praying that Zoe and Inara hurried.
"Jayne?" River almost wilted in relief at the sound of Kaylee's voice. Jayne's head snapped around.
"Jayne!" Kaylee gasped, her hand flying to her face. "What happened to you, Jayne?"
"Verana?" Jayne's voice caught for a moment. Distracted, he didn't see Mal raise his gun. River did.
"NO!" she shouted, but it was too late. Jayne pivoted and struck Mal a glancing blow. Glancing in that he barely connected. But the backhanded blow sent Mal flying across the cargo bay like a stuffed toy.
"Lies!" Jayne roared, furious beyond reason once more. "You tempt me with lies, deceive me with malice in your heart!"
"No, I swear," River cried, backing away as Jayne stalked toward her. Her plan wasn't working! Jayne was enraged again, and this time she was the target.
"Jayne!" Kaylee shouted. "Jayne, stop it! You hear me, Jayne? You stop this right now!" Kaylee had run forward, and now placed herself between Jayne and River.
"I don't know what's got into you, Jayne," Kaylee said softly, her voice stern, "but that's enough! Now you quit this, and I mean right now! You done scared us all half ta death with all this knockin' about."
Jayne's face softened suddenly, and his eyes begin to focus.
"Kaylee?" he asked, and the voice sounded more like his own. River held her breath. Everything depended on Kaylee, now.
"Yeah, Jayne," Kaylee crooned softly. "It's Kaylee. Now you just stop all this, okay? You're scarin' me and River. And poor ole 'nara is about to pass out. And Zoe can't decided whether to run, or shoot ya," she smiled. "Course no better'n shootin' ya worked out for the Cap'n, I'd be more inclined to run, myself."
"Kay. . .Kaylee?" Jayne said again, and River watched in awe as Jayne's eyes began to return to normal, and the terrible fangs began to recede into his mouth. Suddenly Jayne was weaving.
"I. . .I need blood," he gasped weakly.
"Can you make it to the infirmary?" River asked. Jayne nodded.
"Kaylee, bring him to the infirmary, please," River ordered. "Come, Jayne. We'll get you what you need."
Inara and Zoe watched in stunned silence as the little mechanic led the giant. . .monster, out of the cargo bay. Then both raced to check on Mal, hoping he was alive.
So they could kill him.
---------------------------
Jayne was growing weaker by the second, and River worked hurriedly to set up a blood transfusion.
"I don't know your blood type, Jayne!" she suddenly recalled.
"Matters not, little one," he gasped out. "Use what is close to hand. It will do me no harm."
"You cannot accept blood that. . ." River trailed off, realizing how stupid that was. She grabbed two pints of blood and hurried to set up the tubes.
"I will be weak for a while," he told them, trying to stay awake. "Do not allow them. . . them to do anything to me, as I recover."
"No one will bother you, Jayne," River promised him, and Kaylee could hear the steel in her voice.
"Thank you, little one," Jayne smiled weakly, then looked at Kaylee.
"'You and I should speak, when I'm rested," he told her. "Would that be agreeable to you?"
"You bet it is," Kaylee smiled, taking his hand. He looked at her, even as his eyes dimmed.
"Why aren't you afraid of me, Kaylee?" he asked her, voice faltering. "I'm a monster. You saw. . ." Kaylee gently placed her fingers to his lips.
"I ain't never been afraid o' you, Jayne Cobb," she whispered to him. "Ain't never had to be, and don't ever expect to be." She smiled at him, and he lay back, smiling himself.
Kaylee looked up at River, who was watching closely.
"Blood is being received," the little genius said firmly. "I do not know how much he will need. His body is apparently able to heal itself, if given time, but I wish to have Simon remove the bullets. Can you go and get him, Kaylee? I would, but I promised him," she nodded to Jayne.
"I'll go," Kaylee nodded, getting to her feet. "How'd you know, River? That he'd stop for me?" River looked at Kaylee for a moment, then shrugged. It was as much in defeat and acceptance as anything.
"He loves you," was the only answer she had. For Kaylee, though, it was enough.
-----------------
Simon had slept through the excitement in the cargo bay, blissfully unaware. Now, as Kaylee pounded on his door, the bliss came to an end, his head pounding.
"What!" he yelled, and instantly regretted it as stars flashed before his eyes.
"Simon, get UP!" he heard Kaylee's voice. "Jayne's been shot!"
"Good!" Simon retorted, burying his head beneath his pillow. Three seconds later the message sank in, and Simon shot up, ignoring the pain he was feeling. He flung the door open, revealing Kaylee standing before him.
"What happened?" he asked, heading for the infirmary.
"It's a long story," Kaylee admitted. "Ain't sure I know all of it myself."
"We're in the black?" Simon asked, sensing the different feel of the ship. "Who shot Jayne out here?" he asked, wondering if he'd slept through a pirate attack or something.
"Mal," Kaylee replied, and Simon looked at her in shock.
"Told you it was a long story," Kaylee pointed out, as they entered the infirmary.
"Simon," River said at once, "Jayne has been shot. Do you remember anything from last night?" Simon started at that. How was that. . .he looked at Jayne.
"About Jayne?" he said. "Yes, and how fast he heals."
"Well, that's no longer a mystery," River said flatly. "I'll try and explain as we go. First off, he needed blood, and before you say it, the type doesn't matter. Please Simon," River raised a hand when Simon went to object, "trust me. There is no time."
"Jayne's body, I'm fairly sure, has the ability to heal itself, but I suspect it would go faster if the bullets were removed." Simon was still staring at Jayne, processing information as fast as his hangover would allow.
"We'll explain while you work, Simon," River promised. Simon nodded, and set to work.
------------------
"Mal, are you hurt?" Inara asked.
"Course not," he scoffed. "I was just thrown across the cargo bay by something hadn't oughta even exist. I'm fine."
"Good, because I think I'm going to hurt you," Inara said crossly.
"Case you ain't noticed," Mal groaned from the floor, where he still lay, "that's already been done." Mal struggled to regain his feet, conscious of several aches and pains he'd not had before.
"Think I can get some help, here?" he whined.
"How much help did you have getting there?" Zoe asked acidly. Mal glared at her.
"As I recall, Jayne had some'at to do with me gettin' here," he growled. "Where is he, anyway?"
"Kaylee and River took him to the infirmary," Inara told him, still making no move to assist Mal to his feet.
"Took him to the infirmary?" Mal whined. "Why him? He's the cause of all this!"
"Seems to me I remember him winding up in the airlock," Zoe said, her voice still caustic. "Funny how that happens, on this ship. Want to try and explain how that came to be, captain?"
"I don't have to explain things on this ship!" Mal pointed out hotly. "I'm the Captain!" Both women groaned at that.
"Well, fine then," Zoe nodded. "Next time he . . . whatever he did, and comes after you, the rest of us will wait in the galley or something."
"Ain't gonna be no next time," Mal said, finally getting to his feet. "He ain't stayin' on my boat."
"You gonna shoot him out the airlock, Mal?" Zoe asked. "Cause that worked out really well the last time," she observed, looking at the shattered airlock, and the door, now lying on the floor.
"I just wanted some answers," Mal told her.
"And thought that was the best way to get them?" Inara asked in disbelief.
"Worked last time, at Ariel," Mal pointed out.
"Mal, what will Jayne have to do, to convince you he's not the same man he was then?" Inara asked quietly. "If not for him, after Miranda, we'd have been in a world of difficulty."
"Men like Jayne don't change," Mal objected.
"I'd say he has," Zoe retorted, suddenly very tired. "He didn't kill you."
-----------------------
"A vampire?" Simon almost dropped his scalpel. "Mei mei, are feeling okay?"
"Yes, boob!" River shot back. "Ask the others. I am not the only one who saw. And I didn't say he was a vampire, I said he looked like one."
Simon looked to Kaylee, who was sitting opposite of them, stroking Jayne's forehead.
"It's true," Kaylee shrugged helplessly. "I seen it, Simon. I wouldn'a believed it neither, I hadn't seen it myself. But I did. So did ever'body else."
"I'm sorry, I just. . ." Simon shook his head. "Vampire? They're a myth! A legend from Earth-that-was! There's never been any proof that such things actually exist!"
"I. . ." Simon finally broke off, and resumed his work. "Three shots to the chest, at point blank range, and he walked to the infirmary?"
"Yep," Kaylee nodded, a slight smile playing across her face. "He did."
River felt a twinge of sadness at that smile, knowing that Kaylee was Jayne's for the taking. Strangely, the fact that Jayne was. . .whatever he was, seemed to have no effect on Kaylee. River, though afraid in the bay, was no less enamored of Jayne than she had been before. In fact, she was intrigued by the fact that Jayne had been able to hide such a thing, especially from her.
At least now I know what the darkness was, the ancient black that surrounded him.
"That's the last one," Simon said, dropping another bullet into a tray next to him. "I can repair the damage, but if what you say is true. . ."
"It is, but you should do what you can," River ordered. "The faster he wakes, the quicker we can get some answers."
"True," Simon nodded. "I'll need some help. Mei-mei, can you hand me. . ."
--------------------
