No more than twelve minutes later, eight figures strode the warm, riotous streets. Five of them carried large duffle bags. Mal had noticed that they all wore the same or a variation of what Nova was wearing, which now included a long black leather coat. He was also noticing – and becoming mildly creepified by – the way the sisters (Ebony and Kaige?) kept looking at him, and then smirking at each other. It was hard for him to say which was the eldest, so he supposed they were about the same age, with dark eyes and curly dark hair. Not twins though, for Ebony was noticeably taller, and Kaige wore glasses. Another thing he noticed was how easily these young girls, even Taariq – who was little above five feet – kept pace with Jayne. And how lightly they lifted the bags that he himself had found heavy. Apparently Zoë had noticed too; Mal saw her half watching Taban, an averagely built girl with blonde curls, and an aura of cheeriness that reminded a person of li'l Kaylee, who was carrying not only a bag, but her guitar as well.
The only thing Jayne had noticed was that the further they got from that bar and that 30 proof "apple" go-se, the faster the weird-ass little girls were walking. In fact, he hadn't noticed until the three tallest – drinkin'-girl and the sisters – were walking in front of him, and the guitar-carryin' girl and the other one, whatever her name was, were walking along side him. She was pretty, he noticed, if a little too rounded for his taste, with large blue eyes and a rosebud mouth. She looked over her shoulder, shoulder-length black hair swinging in an arc as her head moved.
"What's the hurry, girl?" he asked, starting to feel a mite nervous about these girls, and his lack of guns. Damn Mal. Womenfolk weren't to be trusted. 'Cept Vera.
She looked up at him, half smiling.
"They may have noticed they're missing a certain amount of money."
"That amount wouldn't happen to be in the 5k region, by any chance now, would it?"
She smiled again, worry not quite leaving her eyes.
"There or there abouts." She replied, before moving forward to speak to the others, who looked over their shoulders and walked still faster.
Not liking this one tiny little bit, Jayne noticed the other girl having trouble trying to balance the guitar atop her bag.
"Want me to take that?" He enquired, fulfilling his gentlemanly gesture for the year quota. She shot him a bright grin, and surrendered the guitar.
"Thanks."
She hurried forward to converse with the other girls, who were now walking so fast that he and Mal could hardly keep up, and Zoë was nearly jogging. As they cleared the last street, and headed out across the open prairie to where Serenity could now be seen, a black silhouette like a beast crouched on the horizon, the girls broke into a run, forcing the crew to sprint along behind them, suddenly desperate to get to the square of yellow light that was the airlock of the aged firefly.
Zoë groaned inwardly as she heard the sounds of shouts and heavy bootfalls behind them. She found herself thinking that Jayne had been right, and then wondering just how disgusted Wash would be if he knew she'd thought that. As they got so close to the ship that she could see Kaylee and the shepherd outlined in the entrance to the cargo bay, and their pursuers got so close she could hear one of them cussin' in Chinese, the five girls threw their bags onto the ramp, and dropped back sharply, turning to face the dozen or so angry men who'd been following them.
Unable not to watch, Zoë turned just in time to see Nova drop a guy near twice her size with a kick to the chest.
"Mal…" she called, and Mal turn to stand beside her, jaw dropping as he saw Taban knock a guy out with a single punch.
"Wuh-de-ma!" they heard Jayne mutter as Kaige flipped a man across her back on to the floor, Ebony tripped a guy and kicked him in the stomach as he fell, and Taariq dislocated another's shoulder with a slight tug.
Within a minute, all of the dozen were closely inspecting the dust, and the five teenaged girls walked up the ramp, Kaige sporting a bloodied lip. She grinned widely as she grabbed her bag.
"That was bracing!"
Still disbelieving, they followed up the ramp, Nova last. Just as Mal turned to ask her what the gorram hell was going on, one of the guys struggled to his feet and lumbered towards Nova, who swung her fist up, elbow at a right angle, to catch him in the face, knocking him unconscious off the ramp, without her eyes leaving Mal's face. Stunned, he saw her smile as she grabbed her bag before he hit the com button by his elbow.
"Wash, I'd like very much to leave now."
He didn't catch Wash's reply, but the engine started up, so he hit the button to lift the ramp and seal the airlock, before turning to find out what he'd let himself and his crew in for this time.