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strangevisitor7Title: By Any Other Name (6/6)
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
strangevisitor7
Beta:pen37
Rated: PG - 13
spoilers: For the movie Serenity: The series goes AU from the end of the movie
Prompt: #43 Square for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
crossovers100 my table is here
Fandom: Firefly, Highlander, Supernatural & Smallville. The rest of the Immortal!Dean Universe can be found here.
Characters: From FF: Mal, Zoe, Wash, River, Jayne, Simon, Inara, Kaylee. From I!D 'Verse: Dean Winchester, Duncan MacLeod, Richie Ryan, Chloe Sullivan and Sam Winchester. Dean/Chloe, Richie/River
Disclaimer: The characters you know and love all belong to their respective creators.
Summary: The Immortal!Hunters and Mal's crew stop on Persephone where they run into some Alliance trouble. Sam's abilities continue to evolve leading to more questions.
A/N: This is the forth story in the "Immortal!Dean in the Firefly 'verse" which started with:
Since I Found Serenity; The World as We Know It; Into the Coming Storm
Chapter List:
Chapter 1; Chapter 2;Chapter 3;Chapter 4;Chapter 5;Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Chloe stood at the controls to the airlock. The Impala shuddered a little as the Alliance ship docked. Sam stood in the center of the cargo bay, the other Immortals lined up to his left.
Hopefully, Sam was right that the entire compliment of the Alliance ship was Reavers 2.0. Humans would complicate things but Chloe was confident that the other parts of the plan would render any humans among the crew impotent once the Reavers were gone.
Kaylee and Simon were in the engine room while River and Inara were safe up front in the cockpit. Inara was in control of the tape they'd used to exorcise demons before. Currently, it was playing quietly through the speakers. Getting all the Reavers to come close enough to hear would be impossible. Sam's ability to reach the Reavers deep inside the ship was critical.
Along the catwalk, Mal, Jayne and Zoe were backing up the Immortals with some good old fashioned fire power -- while hopefully remaining out of the line of fire of any trigger happy Alliance goons. Chloe would join them as soon as she opened the airlock. She looked down at the Devil's trap that still adorned the entrance to the cargo bay, double checking for any breaks in the symbol and the salt line surrounding it.
Chloe was confident that her plan would work. There were some critical details that needed to go their way. It was hoped that the hosts would pass out from the force of the exorcism as the five soldiers had done on Persephone. Disconnecting the two ships and getting away would be the easy part, especially since Wash had confirmed that there didn't appear to be any other Alliance ships in the area.
There was a banging on the outer door. Chloe was a bout to hit the button when Sam called out, "Wait!"
She quirked an eyebrow at him as her hand hovered above the hatch release.
"They aren't Reavers," Sam explained.
"Thought you said the ship was full of 'em?" Dean questioned his brother.
"It is," Sam confirmed. "But they must be carrying some regular troops as well."
"Guess it was too much to hope the Reavers would be dumb enough to just waltz on board so we could take 'em out," Dean grumbled.
"We can't risk a fire fight," Duncan said. "We might hit the airlock and they probably know that."
"So they come in hot" Dean finished. "Take us out and grab Sam. Gou neong yung de!"
"Dean, Sam find cover. If they come in shooting, we'll take the hits but Sam has to stay alive to start the exorcism." Duncan commanded. "Wash, go with them."
"Happy to," he quipped, following the Winchesters as they retreated behind a stack of transport containers.
Duncan turned to call up to Mal. "Find cover. You won't be much good to us if you're hit."
"If we have a shot, we'll take them out," Mal assured him as he led Jayne and Zoe to a more defensible position on the catwalks.
"Hands up, Rich," Duncan said. "No reason to give them an excuse to start shooting. Let's hope they don't know we're Immortal. Might buy us some time."
Duncan nodded toward Chloe. She depressed the button and headed up the stairs to where Mal and the others waited. If any of the mortals got hit, hopefully she'd have time to heal them.
The hatch opened to reveal a stocky dark haired man in a Lieutenant's uniform. He was standing just behind six crewmen in full battle armor with guns raised.
There was a moment of silence, as the Lt. studied the two men in front of him. "Turn over Sam Winchester and the rest of your crew is free to go."
Duncan stepped forward hands still raised in surrender. "Don't know any one by that name."
The Lt. snorted. "Of course you don't." He hadn't moved from behind his human shield in the airlock. "Lay down you weapons and prepare to be boarded, Captain – ?"
"MacLeod, Duncan MacLeod. We are representatives of the Historical Preservation Society. You have no authority to board us."
"You are harboring a dangerous criminal. I have orders to bring him in alive but I have no such orders about how I leave the rest of you. Hand him over or I start shooting people."
Up on the catwalk Chloe exchanged a look with Mal. She leaned over to whisper in his ear. "I don't think this Alliance lackey knows he's dealing with Immortals or why Sam is so important."
Mal nodded his agreement.
"You can't shoot unarmed civilians," Duncan said. "I suggest you leave and I won't report your lack of manners of my superiors."
"Oh, I think I can." The Lt. tapped one of his soldiers and a shot rang out. Richie crumpled to the ground. "Now, shall we go for two?"
Duncan spared a concerned glance for Richie but stood his ground, snarling at the intruders, "You are not coming onto my ship."
"I've had enough of this. He is not the target. Take him out." The soldiers didn't hesitate. Duncan tried to run for cover but he didn't make it and fell dead in front of the crates where the other Immortals were hiding.
The Lt. scanned the area. Chloe held her breath hoping that they had not been noticed. If the Fei fei pi gu would just step into the hold, they could take him out and put their Reaver elimination plan into action.
"Now, I know that neither of those gentlemen was Sam Winchester," the Lt. called into the cargo bay. "Nobody else has to die if you turn him over."
Chloe knew Dean would keep quiet; he would never risk Sam. She wished she could see him; it always made her feel better to know what he was thinking, but Dean was hidden from view behind the crates. She spared a glance at Mal who was biting his lip to keep from retorting.
When the Lt. received no answer he motioned to his soldiers and they fanned out into the cargo bay, taking up positions on either side of the hatch.
"Let's take them out." Jayne hissed gesturing to the now exposed soldiers.
Mal hesitated not sure what Duncan's plan had been. But the Immortal's 'death' had put him in charge.
They watched as the Lt. crouched down, pulled a knife from his belt and scraped at the Devils Trap. "Interesting decoration," he said. "My Captain isn't fond of such symbols."
He made a gesture at one of the soldiers who stood up and shot out the speaker over the hatch. "He doesn't like that kind of music either."
This Lt may not have known everything but he knew enough that he was taking out their defenses. The Reavers would soon be free to rush the Impala and they were still at half strength Immortal wise. They had no choice but to fight. Chloe looked at Mal and raised her eyebrows to indicate her thoughts on the subject. By the way that the captain's jaw tightened, she figured that he agreed with her.
" Gou shi," Mal hissed. "Take 'em out. But for Gorram's sake, don't hit the airlock."
"Don't have to tell me twice," Jayne replied.
The cargo bay erupted in gunfire from both sides as enemy troops began pouring through the hatch.
The soldiers seemed unaware of their danger, relying on superior numbers as they skidded to a halt in the middle of the cargo bay and began shooting at the group on the catwalk.
For every soldier the four took out, another stepped up to take their place. they did not try to protect themselves or find cover. "They have to be Reavers," Chloe shouted to her companions. Their poor choice of positioning was definitely not the behavior of normal troops. "But who's controlling them?"
Jayne squinted at the men below them. "What the hell?"
Chloe risked a peek over the crate and noticed that several of the Reavers had stopped firing and dropped their weapons to the ground. "It's Sam!" she said. "They've started the exorcism."
"Cover their position," Mal ordered.
The Lt. must have noticed the shift in their firing pattern because Chloe saw him inching his way toward where Sam and the others were sequestered. Before she could point this out, he went down in a hail of bullets.
One problem solved. As she watched, the telltale black smoke began pouring from the mouths of the first wave of intruders, but more soldiers continued to enter the cargo bay She hoped the immortals were capable of handling so many for such an extended period of time.
"Stop firing!" Mal commanded. They couldn't risk hitting the airlock through the smoke screen.
The bay grew eerily quiet except for the sound of bodies hitting the ground. The smoke was swirling so thick from the multiple exorcisms that it made it seem as if the ship was on fire.
"It's working," Zoe said. "The Immortals are in control."
Chloe peered through a break in the smoke, searching for Richie and Duncan. But instead she glimpsed an empty space where the Immortals had last been. "Looks like Richie and Duncan have joined them too," Chloe said, relieved to know that they were all on task.
Mal taped his com, "Inara, everyone okay up there?"
"Mal!" she shouted the relief in her voice palpable. "Yes, we're fine. And everyone back there?"
"We're shiny, too," Kaylee chimed in from the engine room.
"Good," Mal said, relieved that none of the Alliance creatures had made it out of the cargo bay. "All in one piece so far. Looks like Chloe's plan worked. The Immortals are mopping up."
"We're coming back there," Inara said.
"No! Everyone stay put until we give the all clear. Kaylee be ready to get us as far away from here as fast as possible once we get that Gorram Alliance ship off our port."
"No worries, Cap'in.”
"You think we should go down there and see if they're ok?" Zoe crained her neck around their barricade, obviously searching for a glimpse of her husband.. The smoke was still thick and the Immortals remained hidden behind their wall of crates.
"I'm sure Wash is fine," Chloe teased. "I think it's best if we stay out of the way."
The four sat quietly as the exorcism smoke swirled around them, dissipating into nothingness as it passed through the ceiling and out of the ship. They smiled at each other, enjoying the feeling of victory within their grasp.
Then the ship began to shudder.
"They're trying to get away without undocking!" Mal shouted and rushed down the steps. "We have to stop them or they'll tear the ship apart."
"Guess they decided 'to hell with diplomacy' and they'll pick Sam out of the debris." Chloe said as she raced after Mal; Jayne and Zoe close behind. She grimaced. “Getting spaced is no fun, even when you've got a suit.”
Zoe threw her a questioning look.
She waved her off, "A story for another day."
The four plunged through the smoke filled airlock. Stepping over bodies, they picked their way into the other ship. The smoke was lessening and it looked like the Immortals had cleared out most of the Reavers.
"This way!" Chloe shouted. "I've studied these schematics; I can get us to the bridge."
The ship shuddered again and the four threw caution to the wind as they raced ahead to the bridge.
As she turned left, leading them down the next corridor Chloe was flung against the wall. As unconsciousness overtook her she realized they'd forgotten about the demon that had to have been in control of the Reavers.
***********************************************************
Mal, Jayne and Zoe skidded to a halt as the Captain of the Alliance ship came into view. Zoe knelt to check on Chloe, as Jayne and Mal brought up their weapons.
The Captain waved a hand and their guns went flying. Then with the flick of his other wrist the creature sent Jayne slamming into the far wall where the big man crumpled to the ground, groaning.
"What are you?" Mal demanded. He spared a glance at Zoe, his eyes telling her to stay where she was. She nodded imperceptibly while also indicating that Chloe was down, at least for the moment.
The demon's eyes flashed black.
Mal flinched. He'd seen those eyes before on the Reaver moon. "Demon," he hissed.
"This is all Sam Winchester's fault." The Demon shouted as he raised a hand. Mal found himself pinned against the wall. He felt pressure around his neck, as if he were being squeezed by an unseen hand. He clawed at it, but his fingers encountered only empty air. Meanwhile, the demon continued its tirade. "How is he doing this? I had two hundred minions on this ship." The demon shook with rage as it raised Mal off the ground. "Winchester should have been overwhelmed! Tell me what his powers are!" he roared.
Behind him, Zoe began chanting the Latin phrases that the Immortals had made them all learn.
"Is that the best you can do?" the demon snickered over his shoulder. With a wave of his hand, Zoe's head impacted the wall as she joined Chloe in unconsciousness.
"Now," the creature growled. "Tell me what I want to know or I start killing your people."
Mal made a gurgling sound unable to form words past the iron grip on his throat.
The pressure released suddenly and Mal found himself able to draw a deep breath. Then just as suddenly the pain moved to his chest.
"I will rip you heart out! Tell me about Sam Winchester!"
"I don't know who you're talking about," Mal grunted out as the invisible fingers tightened around his heart.
"I was going to deliver the prize but if I can't do that then I will at least have information," the Demon screeched, his face inches from Mal's.
"Whew, no demon dental plan in hell," Mal wheezed trying to fight off his fear. He knew antagonizing the demon who was torturing him to death was not the brightest idea but it was reflex.
"You will tell me what I want to know!" The demon increased the pressure on Mal's heart.
Mal was losing consciousness; his blood was pounding in his ears as he could literally feel his life draining away with every ragged heartbeat. "I – won't – tell – you – anything." Each word was a struggle but Mal was determined not to betray the only hope they had against the coming Apocalypse.
"You will suffer greatly before I kill you," the Demon sneered.
"Should have quit while you were ahead." Dean's voice broke through the fog of Mal's brain. "Now you're ours."
The pressure in his chest disappeared and Mal dropped the few inches to the floor. Collapsing back against the wall, he struggled to breathe. There were pretty sparkles on the edge of his vision but it had cleared enough for him to see that the Immortals had arrived. Sam loomed over the demon who was now held motionless by the Immortal's psychic ability.
"Who are you working for?" Sam asked.
The demon snorted but otherwise stayed silent.
"Give it up, Sam. We've been down this road before," Dean said grabbing his brother's wrist. "He ain't gonna tell us a Goram thing. Let's send him back to Hell."
Sam nodded and within moments the Captain began spewing smoke before collapsing all the way to the ground.
Mal's eyes went wide, Sam and Dean had just dispatched a full demon as easily as a Reaver. The odds of winning the bigger war just got better. Mal was hopeful that the demons didn't stand a chance against this Immortal ability.
Richie entered from the direction of the cockpit. "Got the engines powered down. Now, we just have to release and go before the sleeping beauties wake up."
When had Richie gone by? Mal wondered. Had he had blacked out? His chest ached and he felt like he was going to throw up. All he wanted to do was sit here until the room stopped spinning and the elephant got off his chest.
"Good work, Rich," Duncan said. "Help Sam get Jayne out of here. Then you and Wash get the ship back on course."
"Sure thing." The blond Immortal disappeared from Mal's view.
Mal made the effort to check on the status of his people. Somewhere to his left he could hear Wash encouraging Zoe to her feet. He watched as Sam and Richie supported a limping Jayne down the corridor. While across the way, Dean was helping Chloe who was very much alive. He felt relief wash over him with the satisfaction of a battle won with zero casualties.
A hand appeared in front of his face. "Need some help?" Duncan asked.
Mal smiled and then grimaced at the pain as he attempted to reach for the Immortal's hand. His own hand fell limply back at his side unwilling to obey. "I think I'll just stay here, if that's ok?" The heaviness in his chest made talking difficult
Duncan took in Mal's pallor and ragged breath. "Chloe, we need you!" he called. "The demon did a number on Mal."
"Coming," she replied, still leaning on Dean as she rubbed the back of her head.
"You up for this?" Dean asked
"Yeah just give me a minute," she said "I'm still a little woozy myself."
Chloe settled down next to Mal.
"This gonna hurt?" he wheezed.
"You won't feel a thing." She passed one hand over his midsection and the other hovered over his throat.
Immediately his breathing became easier as the aches and pains in his body disappeared.
"Better?" she asked, patting him on the shoulder.
He smiled at her in amazement. "Shiny," he said, taking another deep breath. "Pretty useful talent you got there."
"Don't really get to use it much traveling with Immortals," she said, rising to her feet.
"If you are okay here, I'm going to check on Zoe and Jayne."
When Mal nodded, Chloe headed down the corridor with Dean following close behind.
Once again Duncan offered his hand to the Captain and this time Mal grabbed it easily as he allowed the Highlander to haul him to his feet.
Mal ran a hand over his throat and across his chest still not believing his wounds were healed. "Like it never happened."
Duncan nodded. "No more antagonizing demons," he teased. "I can't guarantee Chloe will always be available."
"I'll trade you Simon for her. She's got a much better bedside manner."
Duncan chuckled. "I don't think Dean would go for that."
"Suppose not, but it was worth a try."
The two men headed toward the exit, stepping around an unconscious figure on the ground.
Tossing a glance back at the Alliance Captain's body, Mal shivered as he ghosted a hand across his chest again. "Has anyone ever told you that your timing is impeccable?"
"All part of the plan," Duncan laughed.
************************************************************
A/N: I know they still haven't made it back to the Watcher's headquarters. Another story to come. But I thought I'd waited long enough to return to this verse. Next Story- The long awaited return of Methos
******************************************************
Some helpful Firefly Slang
Baboon's arse: Fei fei pi gu
Goddamn: Gorram
No way: Cai bu shi
Awesome: Gao gan,
Crap: Gou shi
Son of a Bitch: Gou neong yung de!
Oh My God: Wo de tian a
Stupid son of a drooling whore and monkey: Liu kou shui de biao zi he hou zi de ben er zi
Frog-humping son of a b****: Qing wa kao de liu mang
Author:
strangevisitor7Beta:
pen37 Rated: PG - 13
spoilers: For the movie Serenity: The series goes AU from the end of the movie
Prompt: #43 Square for
crossovers100 my table is hereFandom: Firefly, Highlander, Supernatural & Smallville. The rest of the Immortal!Dean Universe can be found here.
Characters: From FF: Mal, Zoe, Wash, River, Jayne, Simon, Inara, Kaylee. From I!D 'Verse: Dean Winchester, Duncan MacLeod, Richie Ryan, Chloe Sullivan and Sam Winchester. Dean/Chloe, Richie/River
Disclaimer: The characters you know and love all belong to their respective creators.
Summary: The Immortal!Hunters and Mal's crew stop on Persephone where they run into some Alliance trouble. Sam's abilities continue to evolve leading to more questions.
A/N: This is the forth story in the "Immortal!Dean in the Firefly 'verse" which started with:
Since I Found Serenity; The World as We Know It; Into the Coming Storm
Chapter List:
Chapter 1; Chapter 2;Chapter 3;Chapter 4;Chapter 5;Chapter 6
Chloe stood at the controls to the airlock. The Impala shuddered a little as the Alliance ship docked. Sam stood in the center of the cargo bay, the other Immortals lined up to his left.
Hopefully, Sam was right that the entire compliment of the Alliance ship was Reavers 2.0. Humans would complicate things but Chloe was confident that the other parts of the plan would render any humans among the crew impotent once the Reavers were gone.
Kaylee and Simon were in the engine room while River and Inara were safe up front in the cockpit. Inara was in control of the tape they'd used to exorcise demons before. Currently, it was playing quietly through the speakers. Getting all the Reavers to come close enough to hear would be impossible. Sam's ability to reach the Reavers deep inside the ship was critical.
Along the catwalk, Mal, Jayne and Zoe were backing up the Immortals with some good old fashioned fire power -- while hopefully remaining out of the line of fire of any trigger happy Alliance goons. Chloe would join them as soon as she opened the airlock. She looked down at the Devil's trap that still adorned the entrance to the cargo bay, double checking for any breaks in the symbol and the salt line surrounding it.
Chloe was confident that her plan would work. There were some critical details that needed to go their way. It was hoped that the hosts would pass out from the force of the exorcism as the five soldiers had done on Persephone. Disconnecting the two ships and getting away would be the easy part, especially since Wash had confirmed that there didn't appear to be any other Alliance ships in the area.
There was a banging on the outer door. Chloe was a bout to hit the button when Sam called out, "Wait!"
She quirked an eyebrow at him as her hand hovered above the hatch release.
"They aren't Reavers," Sam explained.
"Thought you said the ship was full of 'em?" Dean questioned his brother.
"It is," Sam confirmed. "But they must be carrying some regular troops as well."
"Guess it was too much to hope the Reavers would be dumb enough to just waltz on board so we could take 'em out," Dean grumbled.
"We can't risk a fire fight," Duncan said. "We might hit the airlock and they probably know that."
"So they come in hot" Dean finished. "Take us out and grab Sam. Gou neong yung de!"
"Dean, Sam find cover. If they come in shooting, we'll take the hits but Sam has to stay alive to start the exorcism." Duncan commanded. "Wash, go with them."
"Happy to," he quipped, following the Winchesters as they retreated behind a stack of transport containers.
Duncan turned to call up to Mal. "Find cover. You won't be much good to us if you're hit."
"If we have a shot, we'll take them out," Mal assured him as he led Jayne and Zoe to a more defensible position on the catwalks.
"Hands up, Rich," Duncan said. "No reason to give them an excuse to start shooting. Let's hope they don't know we're Immortal. Might buy us some time."
Duncan nodded toward Chloe. She depressed the button and headed up the stairs to where Mal and the others waited. If any of the mortals got hit, hopefully she'd have time to heal them.
The hatch opened to reveal a stocky dark haired man in a Lieutenant's uniform. He was standing just behind six crewmen in full battle armor with guns raised.
There was a moment of silence, as the Lt. studied the two men in front of him. "Turn over Sam Winchester and the rest of your crew is free to go."
Duncan stepped forward hands still raised in surrender. "Don't know any one by that name."
The Lt. snorted. "Of course you don't." He hadn't moved from behind his human shield in the airlock. "Lay down you weapons and prepare to be boarded, Captain – ?"
"MacLeod, Duncan MacLeod. We are representatives of the Historical Preservation Society. You have no authority to board us."
"You are harboring a dangerous criminal. I have orders to bring him in alive but I have no such orders about how I leave the rest of you. Hand him over or I start shooting people."
Up on the catwalk Chloe exchanged a look with Mal. She leaned over to whisper in his ear. "I don't think this Alliance lackey knows he's dealing with Immortals or why Sam is so important."
Mal nodded his agreement.
"You can't shoot unarmed civilians," Duncan said. "I suggest you leave and I won't report your lack of manners of my superiors."
"Oh, I think I can." The Lt. tapped one of his soldiers and a shot rang out. Richie crumpled to the ground. "Now, shall we go for two?"
Duncan spared a concerned glance for Richie but stood his ground, snarling at the intruders, "You are not coming onto my ship."
"I've had enough of this. He is not the target. Take him out." The soldiers didn't hesitate. Duncan tried to run for cover but he didn't make it and fell dead in front of the crates where the other Immortals were hiding.
The Lt. scanned the area. Chloe held her breath hoping that they had not been noticed. If the Fei fei pi gu would just step into the hold, they could take him out and put their Reaver elimination plan into action.
"Now, I know that neither of those gentlemen was Sam Winchester," the Lt. called into the cargo bay. "Nobody else has to die if you turn him over."
Chloe knew Dean would keep quiet; he would never risk Sam. She wished she could see him; it always made her feel better to know what he was thinking, but Dean was hidden from view behind the crates. She spared a glance at Mal who was biting his lip to keep from retorting.
When the Lt. received no answer he motioned to his soldiers and they fanned out into the cargo bay, taking up positions on either side of the hatch.
"Let's take them out." Jayne hissed gesturing to the now exposed soldiers.
Mal hesitated not sure what Duncan's plan had been. But the Immortal's 'death' had put him in charge.
They watched as the Lt. crouched down, pulled a knife from his belt and scraped at the Devils Trap. "Interesting decoration," he said. "My Captain isn't fond of such symbols."
He made a gesture at one of the soldiers who stood up and shot out the speaker over the hatch. "He doesn't like that kind of music either."
This Lt may not have known everything but he knew enough that he was taking out their defenses. The Reavers would soon be free to rush the Impala and they were still at half strength Immortal wise. They had no choice but to fight. Chloe looked at Mal and raised her eyebrows to indicate her thoughts on the subject. By the way that the captain's jaw tightened, she figured that he agreed with her.
" Gou shi," Mal hissed. "Take 'em out. But for Gorram's sake, don't hit the airlock."
"Don't have to tell me twice," Jayne replied.
The cargo bay erupted in gunfire from both sides as enemy troops began pouring through the hatch.
The soldiers seemed unaware of their danger, relying on superior numbers as they skidded to a halt in the middle of the cargo bay and began shooting at the group on the catwalk.
For every soldier the four took out, another stepped up to take their place. they did not try to protect themselves or find cover. "They have to be Reavers," Chloe shouted to her companions. Their poor choice of positioning was definitely not the behavior of normal troops. "But who's controlling them?"
Jayne squinted at the men below them. "What the hell?"
Chloe risked a peek over the crate and noticed that several of the Reavers had stopped firing and dropped their weapons to the ground. "It's Sam!" she said. "They've started the exorcism."
"Cover their position," Mal ordered.
The Lt. must have noticed the shift in their firing pattern because Chloe saw him inching his way toward where Sam and the others were sequestered. Before she could point this out, he went down in a hail of bullets.
One problem solved. As she watched, the telltale black smoke began pouring from the mouths of the first wave of intruders, but more soldiers continued to enter the cargo bay She hoped the immortals were capable of handling so many for such an extended period of time.
"Stop firing!" Mal commanded. They couldn't risk hitting the airlock through the smoke screen.
The bay grew eerily quiet except for the sound of bodies hitting the ground. The smoke was swirling so thick from the multiple exorcisms that it made it seem as if the ship was on fire.
"It's working," Zoe said. "The Immortals are in control."
Chloe peered through a break in the smoke, searching for Richie and Duncan. But instead she glimpsed an empty space where the Immortals had last been. "Looks like Richie and Duncan have joined them too," Chloe said, relieved to know that they were all on task.
Mal taped his com, "Inara, everyone okay up there?"
"Mal!" she shouted the relief in her voice palpable. "Yes, we're fine. And everyone back there?"
"We're shiny, too," Kaylee chimed in from the engine room.
"Good," Mal said, relieved that none of the Alliance creatures had made it out of the cargo bay. "All in one piece so far. Looks like Chloe's plan worked. The Immortals are mopping up."
"We're coming back there," Inara said.
"No! Everyone stay put until we give the all clear. Kaylee be ready to get us as far away from here as fast as possible once we get that Gorram Alliance ship off our port."
"No worries, Cap'in.”
"You think we should go down there and see if they're ok?" Zoe crained her neck around their barricade, obviously searching for a glimpse of her husband.. The smoke was still thick and the Immortals remained hidden behind their wall of crates.
"I'm sure Wash is fine," Chloe teased. "I think it's best if we stay out of the way."
The four sat quietly as the exorcism smoke swirled around them, dissipating into nothingness as it passed through the ceiling and out of the ship. They smiled at each other, enjoying the feeling of victory within their grasp.
Then the ship began to shudder.
"They're trying to get away without undocking!" Mal shouted and rushed down the steps. "We have to stop them or they'll tear the ship apart."
"Guess they decided 'to hell with diplomacy' and they'll pick Sam out of the debris." Chloe said as she raced after Mal; Jayne and Zoe close behind. She grimaced. “Getting spaced is no fun, even when you've got a suit.”
Zoe threw her a questioning look.
She waved her off, "A story for another day."
The four plunged through the smoke filled airlock. Stepping over bodies, they picked their way into the other ship. The smoke was lessening and it looked like the Immortals had cleared out most of the Reavers.
"This way!" Chloe shouted. "I've studied these schematics; I can get us to the bridge."
The ship shuddered again and the four threw caution to the wind as they raced ahead to the bridge.
As she turned left, leading them down the next corridor Chloe was flung against the wall. As unconsciousness overtook her she realized they'd forgotten about the demon that had to have been in control of the Reavers.
***********************************************************
Mal, Jayne and Zoe skidded to a halt as the Captain of the Alliance ship came into view. Zoe knelt to check on Chloe, as Jayne and Mal brought up their weapons.
The Captain waved a hand and their guns went flying. Then with the flick of his other wrist the creature sent Jayne slamming into the far wall where the big man crumpled to the ground, groaning.
"What are you?" Mal demanded. He spared a glance at Zoe, his eyes telling her to stay where she was. She nodded imperceptibly while also indicating that Chloe was down, at least for the moment.
The demon's eyes flashed black.
Mal flinched. He'd seen those eyes before on the Reaver moon. "Demon," he hissed.
"This is all Sam Winchester's fault." The Demon shouted as he raised a hand. Mal found himself pinned against the wall. He felt pressure around his neck, as if he were being squeezed by an unseen hand. He clawed at it, but his fingers encountered only empty air. Meanwhile, the demon continued its tirade. "How is he doing this? I had two hundred minions on this ship." The demon shook with rage as it raised Mal off the ground. "Winchester should have been overwhelmed! Tell me what his powers are!" he roared.
Behind him, Zoe began chanting the Latin phrases that the Immortals had made them all learn.
"Is that the best you can do?" the demon snickered over his shoulder. With a wave of his hand, Zoe's head impacted the wall as she joined Chloe in unconsciousness.
"Now," the creature growled. "Tell me what I want to know or I start killing your people."
Mal made a gurgling sound unable to form words past the iron grip on his throat.
The pressure released suddenly and Mal found himself able to draw a deep breath. Then just as suddenly the pain moved to his chest.
"I will rip you heart out! Tell me about Sam Winchester!"
"I don't know who you're talking about," Mal grunted out as the invisible fingers tightened around his heart.
"I was going to deliver the prize but if I can't do that then I will at least have information," the Demon screeched, his face inches from Mal's.
"Whew, no demon dental plan in hell," Mal wheezed trying to fight off his fear. He knew antagonizing the demon who was torturing him to death was not the brightest idea but it was reflex.
"You will tell me what I want to know!" The demon increased the pressure on Mal's heart.
Mal was losing consciousness; his blood was pounding in his ears as he could literally feel his life draining away with every ragged heartbeat. "I – won't – tell – you – anything." Each word was a struggle but Mal was determined not to betray the only hope they had against the coming Apocalypse.
"You will suffer greatly before I kill you," the Demon sneered.
"Should have quit while you were ahead." Dean's voice broke through the fog of Mal's brain. "Now you're ours."
The pressure in his chest disappeared and Mal dropped the few inches to the floor. Collapsing back against the wall, he struggled to breathe. There were pretty sparkles on the edge of his vision but it had cleared enough for him to see that the Immortals had arrived. Sam loomed over the demon who was now held motionless by the Immortal's psychic ability.
"Who are you working for?" Sam asked.
The demon snorted but otherwise stayed silent.
"Give it up, Sam. We've been down this road before," Dean said grabbing his brother's wrist. "He ain't gonna tell us a Goram thing. Let's send him back to Hell."
Sam nodded and within moments the Captain began spewing smoke before collapsing all the way to the ground.
Mal's eyes went wide, Sam and Dean had just dispatched a full demon as easily as a Reaver. The odds of winning the bigger war just got better. Mal was hopeful that the demons didn't stand a chance against this Immortal ability.
Richie entered from the direction of the cockpit. "Got the engines powered down. Now, we just have to release and go before the sleeping beauties wake up."
When had Richie gone by? Mal wondered. Had he had blacked out? His chest ached and he felt like he was going to throw up. All he wanted to do was sit here until the room stopped spinning and the elephant got off his chest.
"Good work, Rich," Duncan said. "Help Sam get Jayne out of here. Then you and Wash get the ship back on course."
"Sure thing." The blond Immortal disappeared from Mal's view.
Mal made the effort to check on the status of his people. Somewhere to his left he could hear Wash encouraging Zoe to her feet. He watched as Sam and Richie supported a limping Jayne down the corridor. While across the way, Dean was helping Chloe who was very much alive. He felt relief wash over him with the satisfaction of a battle won with zero casualties.
A hand appeared in front of his face. "Need some help?" Duncan asked.
Mal smiled and then grimaced at the pain as he attempted to reach for the Immortal's hand. His own hand fell limply back at his side unwilling to obey. "I think I'll just stay here, if that's ok?" The heaviness in his chest made talking difficult
Duncan took in Mal's pallor and ragged breath. "Chloe, we need you!" he called. "The demon did a number on Mal."
"Coming," she replied, still leaning on Dean as she rubbed the back of her head.
"You up for this?" Dean asked
"Yeah just give me a minute," she said "I'm still a little woozy myself."
Chloe settled down next to Mal.
"This gonna hurt?" he wheezed.
"You won't feel a thing." She passed one hand over his midsection and the other hovered over his throat.
Immediately his breathing became easier as the aches and pains in his body disappeared.
"Better?" she asked, patting him on the shoulder.
He smiled at her in amazement. "Shiny," he said, taking another deep breath. "Pretty useful talent you got there."
"Don't really get to use it much traveling with Immortals," she said, rising to her feet.
"If you are okay here, I'm going to check on Zoe and Jayne."
When Mal nodded, Chloe headed down the corridor with Dean following close behind.
Once again Duncan offered his hand to the Captain and this time Mal grabbed it easily as he allowed the Highlander to haul him to his feet.
Mal ran a hand over his throat and across his chest still not believing his wounds were healed. "Like it never happened."
Duncan nodded. "No more antagonizing demons," he teased. "I can't guarantee Chloe will always be available."
"I'll trade you Simon for her. She's got a much better bedside manner."
Duncan chuckled. "I don't think Dean would go for that."
"Suppose not, but it was worth a try."
The two men headed toward the exit, stepping around an unconscious figure on the ground.
Tossing a glance back at the Alliance Captain's body, Mal shivered as he ghosted a hand across his chest again. "Has anyone ever told you that your timing is impeccable?"
"All part of the plan," Duncan laughed.
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A/N: I know they still haven't made it back to the Watcher's headquarters. Another story to come. But I thought I'd waited long enough to return to this verse. Next Story- The long awaited return of Methos
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Some helpful Firefly Slang
Baboon's arse: Fei fei pi gu
Goddamn: Gorram
No way: Cai bu shi
Awesome: Gao gan,
Crap: Gou shi
Son of a Bitch: Gou neong yung de!
Oh My God: Wo de tian a
Stupid son of a drooling whore and monkey: Liu kou shui de biao zi he hou zi de ben er zi
Frog-humping son of a b****: Qing wa kao de liu mang