AND IT WENT DOWN
"Yes Dad, I'll be home before curfew." Cara rolled her eyes at the way Mal was acting.
"Be sure you do and don't scratch the paint."
She prepped the engine to depart from Serenity, Mal reciting a few rules and this, that and the other about the shuttle, not just once and not even twice but five times, if he wasn't the captain he would have gotten decked. If he only was planetside and was doing this then it would put her in the right frame of mind. Arena fighting is all about the excitement, the fear, the anger. It pumps you up, sets you on fire and then causes you to explode on your opponent. That's how Cara felt now and there was no place to relieve the tension so she gunned the throttle opting for the openness of space even if its only for a few moments, to let herself run free.
"Alright people, now she's gone, let's do some crime." The crew gathered around to discuss the latest heist.
The shuttle bucked all over, she silently cursed herself for taking Mal so lightly. The ship smoothed out and there was sigh of relief. Spotting a good area to put down she headed that way, which happened to be by the companion's shuttle. She had set out earlier, actually she too couldn't get away fast enough from Mal. Those two constantly bickered like an old married couple. After disembarking she encountered flyers of the event she'll be at, her eyes growing wide at the purse available to the winners. Yes, winners, as in more then one, as in first, second all the way down to fifth placing individuals. This was a huge match with all kinds of fighters coming in from all over, some that she's fought before. She gulped a bit when she saw some of the mass of bulk that was confirming their spots for the tourney.
-
Badger gave them an easy heist. Mal thought on that, 'Since when does anything we do go smooth?' Power cells, outlawed units because of their potential on weapons. Picking them up was smooth enough, dropping them off however may not be as easy. New Kasmir, the same city where Inara and Cara were, he hoped that a good deal of people and security was driven off towards the fights. Perhaps maybe this once, luck might shine upon them.
-
Cara tried to tape up her ribs as best as she can considering, that last fight had been a bloodshed, and it was a damned miracle that she made it this far. Considering her rivals were a lot stronger then her, but slow and kind of dense. That was the one advantage that she had and she made full use of it. If she quit now, she wouldn't even get fifth place and all this pain and suffering would have been for nothing. There was some scowls and clashing going on in the observation area, there was also some friendly chatting. Chatting with the others is always a mistake in venues like this. This could lead to development of feelings for the person your fighting against. In the arena it could cost you, thus she kept to herself.
She'll at least be walking away with some side bets that she placed, but it was not enough to walk away with now. No, this has to be seen through, well, enough to at least place third.
-
Grissbaum was delighted with Inara. What delighted him even more is that she agreed to attend the tournament with him. His prize fighter was there and he wanted to oversee that, but he also did not want to miss anytime with the companion. He was quite dismayed when an aide of his interrupted him, of that, Inara noted.
"I will only be a few moments, my dear." He gracefully lifted her hand to his lips and lightly kissed it.
Inara didn't know what to make of the man, the pickings had been slim this time around and she had to go somewhere where Mal wasn't. She followed discreetly behind and frowned when of all people she was trying to escape from, he shows up.
-
"Any problems?"
Jayne set down the large box. The room was decorated with ancient artifacts and weapons. James Grissbaum was the owner of the arena so it was quite natural that he would display weapons of combat in his office.
"It seems they were quite anxious to get rid of these, so if you pay us we'll be on our way."
Grissbaum studied the box and undid the latches, "Do you want to see what I wanted this for?"
"Not necessarily. More in the grabbing and dropping off and being paid then wanting to know the what's." Shit this guy is going to pull a fast one. He looked at Zoe and Jayne to get the message across to be at the ready.
Grissbaum walked over to a metal suit of armor and inserted the cell bringing it to life, causing it to hum through the room and placed himself inside the contraption, sealing it up after his entry. The aide by his side fussing over the finger prints getting in the view of his master, Grissbaum took his arm and swatted at him like an insignificant fly, flinging him across the room so strongly that he stuck into the wall half in and out of the adjoining room. Inara let out a silent cry and ran backwards towards the arena, she had to warn Cara.
"Right, about being paid?" Mal noted with a bit caution, fearing what he knew what would come next. Nothing ever goes smooth. The crew was being advanced on and they drew out their weapons and opened fire. Nothing. The ammo didn't even penetrate.
"You scratched it! Do you know how much money this cost me!" Grissbaum swung his arm high at the trio but it froze momentarily giving them leeway to get the hell out of there. They were soon cut off by his minions, however. The goons were not wearing protective armor like their boss, as they soon found out when their blood adorned the walls next to their boss' weapons.
-
Inara got to the balcony and tried to yell at her to alert her that there was a problem. Cara looked upward to see her frantically waving, but that cost her and she got nailed. Grissbaum's goons got to Inara and tried to pull her back away from the edge, she struggled against them and one took out a knife and threatened to slash her. Mal arrived in time to shoot them both, one toppled off the balcony and onto Cara's opponent, sending the crowd scurrying for the exits.
Cara didn't look to well, she wore deep colored bruises and her arm looked broken. She gazed up in relief at her sudden savior, glad to have the match over with. Relaxing on the floor, she tried to regain her strength. She was startled when her adversary began to move under the body and struggled to his feet, raising the corpse above his head. Mal took a shot at the man, but all his pistol did was click alerting him that he was out of ammo. He looked around helplessly, trying to figure out anything he could do for her.
The wall behind her enemy exploded burying him under a mound of rubble.
Grissbaum looked at his fighter lying underneath all that shit, "You're going to pay for that you little bitch! He was the best I had!"
Somehow she had managed to get upright by bracing herself against the arena walls. Breathing raggedly, she hoped her death would be quick.
"C'mon!"
She looked around and heard it again. Inara had managed to open the door out, but it was clear on the other side and she was limp, there was no way she'd make it in time. "Go! Get out of here!" The loss of blood already taking her to the brink of passing out, at least now she won't feel it when she's sent into the next incarnation.
Mal hadn't even noticed that Inara had left his side, but now she stood with Cara in harms way, with that monster down there. He flung a nearby beer bottle at him causing him to turn around. "Hey remember me?" This distracted Grissbaum from Cara and Inara.
Jayne looked over to his leader, "Are ya nuts?"
Inara ran out to Cara to help her get out of there and the thing swung around on them. Mal gauged how far it was to the floor below and leapt over the side landing briefly on the rubble and rolling down off of it, he just busted his Gorram ankle. Why is it where Inara was concerned he never thought clearly?
Zoe and Jayne looked down and than raced back towards the exit below to see if they could help him out any.
"Mal!" Cara regained consciousness enough to note what was going on.
"Weapons."
"Guns, can't punch through."
"I know... gloated... collection. Take me there." Her breathing came out in pants, blood had poured from wounds on her head and other key areas. Zoe and Jayne showed up in time to take her from Inara's hands. Zoe pushed past to see if she could be an assist to her Captain.
Jayne lugging Cara along with him, "No.. no. Got to go this way."
"Ya sure? I don't think that's the way out."
"Go." He didn't like it, but he went. There was no gorram way he could have lost his bearings that much to throw him like that. He followed her directions, ending up at Grissbaum's office.
"What the hell we here for?" She silently grabbed something off one of the walls and started hobbling back out and then decided against going any further. Precious minutes were going by, she handed the weapon off to Jayne.
"Go. Give it to Mal."
Jayne didn't know what to make of it, not even sure of leaving her here, but she seemed like she was sure of this. He made it to the balcony from before and yelled out to Mal, tossing the weapon down to him. Mal powered it on and situated the other end on the armor. Grissbaum howled in pain. Electric currents ran through him, not only stopping the defensive skin, but effectively killing him as well.
-
Cara woke up in the infirmary, not rightly sure if she was alive or dead.
"How are you feeling?"
She squinted up to the doc, "Light."
He went to the controls and lowered the setting and returned to her bedside. "How's that?"
"Better." She tried to move, but he gently pushed her back.
"You suffered quite a bit of trauma, you shouldn't move anywhere for a long time."
"Got to pee." He left just to go a foot away and returned with something in his hand.
She looked at him, "You got to be kidding. I am not going in that."
"I see your still with us."
Cara looked up to see Zoe at the doorway, "Ah my present savior, give me a hand to the can."
Zoe snickered at her, she too had a dislike for that damn bedpan that Simon was fond of tossing at his patients. By the time she got out of there, the word had spread across the ship and soon she had an audience waiting for her in the waiting area. Instead of going back into the infirmary she crumpled into one of the overstuffed chairs, cringing a bit of the feel of her ribs. Pleased to see that everyone was accounted for, "I take it that the weapon I gave Jayne worked?"
"Turned him extra crispy."
She slightly smiled, the effort hard on her since pain was everywhere.
"How'd you know that it wasn't shielded?"
"He took me to his office, showed me his stockpile, told me stuff. Stupid of him to mention that the suits were susceptible to electric currents essentially making them into microwaves. He also said that everything was functional except that suit, which makes me wonder how he managed to do that."
Mal looked sheepish, "A story for another time. Now you got to get some bed rest." Simon tugged her back into the room so she could do just that.
"Can't I just go back to my shuttle."
"I don't think that's wise in your current state, the less movement the better."
Cara looked unhappily at the bed, sure her shuttle wasn't exactly comfy either, but it was private and the bathroom was closer.
Simon relented, "C'mon I'll help you there, but you have to promise me, no moving around."
"I swear."
He helped her there and told her not to leave it, he'll send someone up with food and he'll check up on her every so often. She felt relieved to be rid of him and everyone else for awhile, the weight of the events from before flashing back at her. She saw the package on her cot and picked it up along with the note.
Cara,
I think Mal has been a bad influence, but I managed to snag
This from the box office.
Love,
Inara
There was enough for the second place prize, which was more then she had been going to place at the time.