Title: Underground part 5 of 5 Author: Leslie (spacemonkey43) Fandom: Firefly Character: Kaylee, Mal, River Prompt: 10. Torture Word Count: 720 Rating: M Author's Notes: I'm real iffy about this one, but it's been so long that I felt I need to get something out. I'd love to know what you guys think though - good or bad :) Written for 50_darkfics ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Can't have her, she doesn't belong to you," River said as she stood, small among the men who towered over her.

"Well little girl, I got a mark here saying she does. Hell, you may be small but I think we could find a way to work you into The Farm too. Why don't you come over here and let us have a look at you."

"Oh, you don't want that one. She's a might touchy 'bout takin' orders," Mal said with a slur. Kaylee didn't know when Mal was brought into the room, of if he'd always been there. The man standing next to him gave him a hard slap across the face, and Mal swayed while blood trailed down the corner of his mouth.

The man closest to River approached her and made to grab her by the arm. River didn't hesitate in greeting his face with her foot and knocking him to the ground. The other men in the room responded just as she hoped they would and River took them down, one by one, until Mal was the healthiest looking man in the room. Kaylee was sitting with her mouth open, her eyes filled with tears. Not just from the burn mark, but from hope that maybe she and the captain were going to get out of this.

"River! What are you..? How did you..?!" Kaylee was stumbling over her words.

"Not important." She answered as she undid the leather straps that held Kaylee to the chair. "Help Mal."

Kaylee rubbed her wrists and made her way over to Mal to untie his wrists. "Cap'n? Help's here and we're gonna get out but I can't carry you."

"No mei mei, I don't guess that you could." Mal said as he tried to sit up on his own. They both watched as River went to each of the unconscious men and bound their wrists and ankles. "She do that?"

"Yeah."

"Huh." Mal winced as he said it.

Kaylee tried to smile, "Yeah." A noise at the back of the room caused her to turn around. The man who called himself 'Big Al' had come back. His eyes searched the room and realization hit his face. He didn't even seem to see River at first - he just headed straight for Kaylee and Mal. He pulled Mal to his feet.

"Did you really think you could get away with something like this? You have nowhere to go. And you will pay for this. So will your little girl here." Al dropped Mal and grabbed Kaylee and shoved her into a chair. He stood in front of her and began to undo his belt and unbutton his pants.

River came up from behind him and swept his feet from under him. Once she had him pinned on the floor she showed him that she had the cattle prod that his men had used on Kaylee. She turned it on and it began to glow red hot. River shoved it into the flesh on his neck and when he finally stopped screaming she looked at him and said "Now everyone will know that you're my whore." She gave him a couple of blows to the face and he was out. She turned back to Mal and Kaylee again. "Come." And she headed towards the door that lead out through the kitchens and the bar.

"Umm.. River, there's a lot of men that way, shouldn't we go through the back?" Kaylee asked. River looked a little exasperated and said again "Come." And went out the same door she'd been headed towards. Kaylee helped Mal up and they followed her. As soon as they got into the kitchen area they could see that River had taken care of the men that had been there. In the bar area everyone was being held hostage by Zoe, Jayne, and Book. River just continued walking through the bar area and out the door. Kaylee, Mal, and the crew followed.

Once aboard Serenity and in the air, Mal joined Kaylee in the infirmary. Simon was going back and forth between them, cleaning and stitching.

"Cap'n?" Kaylee asked, breaking a long silence.

"Yeah mei mei?"

"What did those men want with you?"

"Hell if I know. River killed them all before I got a chance to ask."