Chapter Eight: We have to Do Something
Mal and River hopped into the mule after getting some weaponry, and he allowed River to drive. They both knew that he was still very sore, but he'd never admit it. They also knew that he wasn't exactly in shape to go with her, yet he wouldn't be anywhere else. There was no way he'd let his pilot go against Reavers alone…even if she could handle it.
The screams could be heard long before they reached the town. A junkyard sat on the opposite edge of the establishment, and that was their destination. They could see the devastation between buildings and landscaping. Women were dragged from their children and eaten as their little ones watched. Some Reavers shot harpoons into elders and dragged their bodies behind them. Men were hacked into pieces or skinned alive. Blood rained in the streets.
Mal had seen Reavers before, but these were worse. They were faster and could strike with enough force to split someone in half with one blow. And, there was something methodical about the attack. They seemed to work in units instead of darting about in a frenzy. He couldn't watch any longer, so he knew this had to be doing worse things to his favorite reader.
"Albatross, you doin' okay?"
She had a distant look about her, and tears lazily slid from her silken cheeks. "Must focus. Can't look. Can't talk. Shouldn't feel, but she does. She feels everything."
His arm slid around her shoulders to give her enough stability to keep her mind on the job. Inadvertently, he sent good vibes her way and that made all the difference. However, once they hit the center of town, they were surrounded by the Reavers. One particularly gruesome specimen pointed at the mule and called out like a hungry animal. The others turned to see what the beast had found. Slowly, they moved towards Mal and River.
"Hold on," River stated while hitting a few buttons. "Full power to the thrust. Beware the heightened velocity."
She wasn't kidding. Mal swore that his face flew into the wind. The Reavers ran after them, but they were not fast enough. They managed to get to the junkyard, and River knew exactly where to go and what to grab. Mal helped carry what he could, but he didn't like the expression on River's lips.
"They coming for us, darlin'?"
"Not yet. Additional weight and increased consumption of fuel in order to access access the target will dramatically reduce the momentum of the vehicle. Tortoise against cheetah. Slow and steady does not win the race."
"Can we go another way? Maybehaps avoid 'em all together?"
She shook her head. "Lengthened route will result in total fuel loss. Have to fight."
"So, we'll fight. Let's get to the violence before I lose my nerve."
As they climbed into the mule, the radio crackled. It was Zoe and she didn't sound happy. "Sir, the Reavers found Serenity. We're on lockdown, but they're attempting to break in through the cargo bay. Any chance you're on your way back and can get rid of them?"
"We just got the parts, and we have to cut through town. It's gonna be a while."
"No rush," Jayne commandeered the radio, "jus' about to be dead is all."
Mal rolled his eyes and River pointed to the driver's seat. "Drive. She has to dance."
That was never a good phrase. He sped off towards the center of town with his gun in his lap. River balanced across the front and back of the mule with her sword—the one she won off Jayne in a bet to see who could reassemble guns faster—and a gun she borrowed from Zoe. She held one weapon in either hand, and sure enough the Reavers appeared in the town square.
"Don't stop driving. Always move," River instructed. "Let her fight."
He swallowed and punched the thrust. The mule knocked down two Reavers from the start, but soon there were three Reavers closest to River, two near Mal, and one hopping on the back. In a single motion, River decapitated the three on her side while simultaneously shooting the ones near Mal. The girl didn't even look behind her. As for the one on the back, it got her in a hold from behind. She knocked it in the mouth with her head and sent the sword through its gut.
Another wave flocked to them. River faired fairly well against this lot, though she did attain several injuries. Yet, it appeared that every Reaver in the town had joined the party. The people in the humble establishment had already been killed or taken, so Mal and River were literally their last conquest. River sliced and shot, and even Mal fired a few rounds. Though the mule's radio was destroyed and they couldn't go very fast, everything else seemed to go their way. Then, their luck took a turn as a Reaver reached into the mule and got Mal by the shoulders. It bit his neck near the artery, and River had to take action before the bite became fatal.
Thus, River Tam leapt onto that Reaver's back and landed in the dirt beneath the mule. Mal shot a few Reavers that had climbed onto the mule and looked back at River. "I'm coming around!"
She punched and twirled in her dance, only pausing to answer, "No! The ship! The Reavers are almost in! Keep going!"
"I ain't leavin' you, gorramit! I will not let you die. I need you."
With that, Mal sped forward and quickly turned about. He knocked down a bunch of Reavers and pulled up to River. His hand extended to her and she took it, hopping back onto the mule. It took a lot more fighting and injuries, but they broke through and sped away from the town. They were both far too annoyed at one another to speak, and their minds were on the ship. River knew that by the time they reached Serenity the Reavers would be inside.
Zoe and Jayne were sitting on the catwalk of the cargo bay listening to the Reavers get closer to breaking the door. Simon and Kaylee were up there as well, and they both had guns in their hands and fear in their eyes. Jayne took a nip of whiskey and passed it to Zoe. She did the same and they shared a mutual silence. He glanced at her with a grim expression.
"Those things get through…"
"We'll handle it. The captain and River will be back soon. River could take 'em out on her own."
He scowled. "Their radio is broke, Zo. We can't know if or when they'll be here."
"Have faith, Jayne."
"Well, if we die, I jus' wanna say somethin' to you."
She glanced curiously. "What exactly is that?"
"I wouldn't mind seein' ya naked."
"…thanks. You have a way with words."
The Reavers had somehow lowered the ramp some time ago, which they couldn't only attest to these new Reavers being more intelligent than before. Only the door stood between the crew and the monsters. With a mighty motion, the top of the door began to dent. Simon and Kaylee shared a brief kiss and checked to see if their guns were ready to fire.
"I don't wanna die," Kaylee sniffled. "Tell me we won't die, Simon."
"We won't," he assured her. "I think. But, if we don't live through this, I wanted to tell you that I love you more than anything. Would you…I mean…will you…if this doesn't end badly…" he paused and spit it out. "Would you like to get married if we aren't eaten by Reavers?"
She squealed and hugged him tightly. "Yes! Shiny! A million times yes! I'mma be Mrs. Dr. Simon Tam!"
The door gave way even more. Zoe glanced at the young couple enthralled in kisses. "Congratulations. Now, get to your positions. We're about to have company."
The Albatross did follow, Everyone readied their guns as the door finally broke. Reavers poured in like water from a dam. The four crew members started firing. Some were taken out, but others started to scale the steps. Zoe and Jayne each took a side and got ready for close quarters combat. They kept going, but so did the Reavers. More and more began to appear. Thankfully for the crew, so did their reinforcements.
The mule skidded onto the ramp and River leapt to the floor. She came in, guns blazing and sword swinging, and Mal followed with his pistol. Just when they thought the Reavers were almost killed off, the angry Reavers from the town had caught up with Mal and River. They were all running out of bullets and energy.
"Will this ever end?" Jayne grunted while blowing the head off a Reaver. "I'm about out of firepower, and that never happens to me!"
Suddenly, the Reavers froze in place. Their fingers went to their ears and they simply turned around and left. The crew was stunned but certainly not complaining. Everyone sat down on the nearest surface to catch their breath and calm their injuries. Zoe surveyed the crew and the corpses beneath her. Nothing made sense to her or anyone.
"Sir, what the hell was that?"
"I don't know, Zoe. We saw the same thing in the town. These things are even more creepifying than the old ones. They moved in units. Better in every way. More vicious too. If these things do break free from whoever is tellin' them what to do, the entire Verse could be in danger. Maybehaps we should get to the bottom of it. There's no way the New Independents would kill all those innocent people just to frame the Alliance. It has to go deeper than that."
Jayne cursed in Chinese under his breath. "What happened to the 'let's avoid the war' plan?"
"It ain't the war," Mal defended. "It's just a part of it. Do you want those Reavers runnin' wild in our Verse or do you wanna do something about it? We could save some lives and do some good. Or, we could just sit on our hands and hope it all works out. I know that I don't want to ever see what they did to this planet ever again. 'Sides, if we don't figure it out, we run the risk of getting caught in another Reaver invasion again without knowing the details. Are you okay with risking our lives and everyone else's 'cause you're scared of a little investigation?"
"I ain't scared," Jayne scoffed. "I was just worried about runnin' out of ammo. That ain't cheap."
"We all agree, sir," Zoe offered. "We have to do something."
Simon politely interrupted. "I see that a lot of people are bleeding, so if you want to drop by the infirmary I don't mind going down there."
Everyone began to disperse, but Mal and River paused to see if they were still at odds. She knew that he'd speak first, so he let him. "I don't much appreciate that you wanted me to leave you."
"I was thinking of the crew, Captain."
"We stick together, remember? Don't do that again."
"I'm sorry," her eyes and voice lowered, but soon she smirked and slipped into River speak. "Light shines from darkness."
"What?"
"When people are afraid of losing their lives, they say things they've been even more afraid to admit. Reavers come to play. Simon and Kaylee get engaged. Jayne told Zoe how he feels. You and me…"
He rubbed the back of his neck worriedly. "What about us?"
"You admitted that you need me."
"Of course I do. You're the pilot. Know when bad things happen. Hell of fighter. This crew needs you around."
She gave him a typical look. "Not what you meant."And every day, for food or play,
"Fine. I do need you. You're a friend."
"Also not what you meant. Don't worry, Captain. You'll know what you meant in time. The Verse depends on it."