The five men stood with eyes locked, only Inara’s sobbing broke the silence. Bo reached for his rifle but froze as he felt Skoal’s mind slam into his. ‘You make a move boy and her brains will cover that pretty door there.’ Came the abrasive thought that echoed with the man’s voice. ‘Let her go Skoal. She has nothing to do with you and me, or what you did to me.’ Bo replied. ‘No, but she has to do with me and the captain here.’ The large man laughed in Bo’s head. Jayne moved first. His knife came up and flew toward the young man that had followed Skoal into the room. The young man moved deftly out of the way. Behind him the knife thudded as it buried itself into the wood wall. “Do that again and the little lady dies, got me big man?” Skoal snarled as he tightened his grip on Inara. Mal dropped the shotgun to the floor. It went off, firing steel pellets across the room. A few hit Inara, but the scatter hit Skoal in the eye and the younger man in the chest. Before Skoal could react, Bo was on him. He slammed his elbow into the large man’s head, knocking him to the floor. Jayne pounced on the other man, but was tossed aside almost effortlessly. Inara screamed as she fell to the floor and the men began to fight. “Mal! Get her out of here!” Bo shouted as Skoal’s fist connected with his jaw. Mal grabbed her and half dragged half carried her out onto the lawn. Two ships sat on grass in front of him. The bodies of the guards and the owner lay underneath them, along with the bodies of more thieves that had come to take the dagger. He helped her into one of the ships, then followed and began to set coordinates. He looked on the radar for Serenity, but she wasn’t where she was supposed to be. About a mile over their heads the boat was flying away from the house, two fighters in pursuit. Back in the house, Bo and Jayne fought for their lives. Jayne’s right eye was blackened and bleeding, but his opponent had two broken ribs. Bo was moving as he had upstairs, avoiding heavy blows and dealing as many as he could land. His ‘creator’, however was ducking and dodging as well as him and suffering only minor injury. ‘How bout we quit this game boy? You just come back with me and we’ll leave them all to their little world. They don’t matter anyway. They’ll all be dead soon enough.’ Skoal’s voice said inside Bo’s head. Bo had no thought that registered. He was doing exactly as the man in front of him had programmed him to do. He was fighting, not with his mind, but with his opponent’s. When Skoal moved, Bo moved to counter it. He kicked Skoal in the diaphragm, knocking the large man back. Skoal laughed, a dark, smoky, evil laugh that made the beard that grew from his chin quiver. He lunged forward and slammed his fist into Bo’s face. Bo flew backward, falling with his feet coming up. He caught himself on his hands and flipped, placing his feet back firmly on the ground. Skoal had seen this coming however and barreled into him, slamming him through the wall. Drywall and wood splinters danced in the air around him as he tumbled back again. Bo skidded to a halt and kicked a large piece of wood at Skoal. He caught it as the jagged point almost entered his eye, then felt the young man grab his arm and wrench his shoulder from its socket. He brought the piece of wood down on Bo’s head. A sickening crack echoed in the room as the spinal chord snapped and Bo’s mind went black. A gunshot in the other room startled Skoal. He turned to see Jayne standing over Aries’ henchman, a smoking pistol now pointed at him. Skoal laughed and hurtled toward Jayne. Jayne fired, watching the bullets tear into Skoal’s shirt. They didn’t pierce skin, however. The bullet proof vest underneath the green striped shirt shone blue in the eerie moonlight. Jayne emptied the clip into the man, but saw no effect. He braced himself for the impact, but found himself oddly drowsy. Skoal hit him like a ton of bricks. Jayne flew back through a window and fell into the bushes beneath it. Skoal laughed again then turned to finish with his ‘creation’. “I’ll give you something boy. We certainly trained you right, me and Aries. Too bad you still had that human weakness. But don’t worry, I ain’t gonna let you die on me that easy. I still need my weapon.” The ship the other man had brought with him flew off, Mal and Inara inside it. Skoal didn’t care, he had what he had come for. He grabbed Bo by the collar and dragged him out to the ship. He hurled the limp body into the ship then climbed up in after it. His ship lifted off the ground silently then soared off into the night sky, bound for somewhere he could work; somewhere where the tools he needed would be readily available. His after burner glowed in the sky as he tore towards the one place that would have what he needed.

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River flew Serenity at breakneck speed. The fighters bit at her heels, like dogs chasing a squirrel through the forest. She maneuvered and whipped the ship around turns and buildings whose windows reflected the explosions behind her. River cursed everything she could think of that she hadn’t seen them coming on the radar. She’d been too worried about Mal and the others to pay attention. She swerved around a large building and kicked the thrusters into overdrive. “Kaylee, I need more push from the engine!” River yelled over the intercom. “If I give her any more we’ll either be pulling a crazy Ivan or we’ll melt the engine!” Came Kaylee’s voice. “Then we’re pulling a Crazy Ivan. Get her ready!” River pushed the boat harder and harder to make her move as fast as possible. She felt the give from the engine and was ready to gun it when a third ship showed up on the radar. One of the other ships exploded as a missile charge ruptured the hull and exploded in the fuel tank. The second, rocked from the explosion flew off course and into a large steel pylon that was the center structure for some building. River cut back on the engine as Mal’s voice came over the com line. “Good flyin’ River girl, but we gotta high tail it back the other way. Bo’s in trouble and Jayne ain’t much better off.” “Copy that captain.” River replied as she slid the ship into a U-turn. The ship in front of her made the same maneuver and burned back towards the estate. An Alliance Police cruiser pulled up along side the side of her, and a voice came over the com line. The screen flickered slightly while the patrol tried to establish a visual. “Firefly Transport. You are ordered to land immediately.” Came the starched voice of an Alliance patrolman. River could see that Mal was having the same problem. She growled in her head as she lowered the ship. The boat landed like a downy feather as the cruiser came to loudly rest at it’s side. River opened the bay doors and went to grab Simon while Zoe briskly walked past her to the cargo bay. Zoe made it to the door just as the fed came around the corner of the ship. “How can I help you today sir?” Zoe asked, throwing on a façade of happiness. “Ma’am, were you the one piloting this vessel?” The officer asked. His eyes immediately went to the bump that showed her being with child. Zoe grinned on the inside. She had him now. The sadness reflected in her face as Inara had shown her. “Sir you have to forgive me. I took this from my ex-husband and he done sent his boys to chasin me along this planet. I didn’t know what to do, then this nice man pulled up behind me and shot them down.” She motioned to Mal who, at the exact inopportune moment punched the other patrolman. Zoe sighed then watched her patrolman hunch over and fall to the deck. Serenity lifted up and his body slid from the floor to the ground as River’s voice came over the intercom. “No time for games.” Zoe nodded and pressed the buttons to shut the doors. They were speeding through the night sky towards the mansion before she knew it.

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Jayne’s head throbbed; it felt like he’d just been hit by a three ton transporter. “Ohhh, hwoon dahn. God.” He sat up in the bushes and looked around. It was still night and it sounded like everyone had stopped anything that had to do with noise. He stood, branches scratching his already blackened eye. Dead bodies lay scattered around the lawn, blood drenched patches of grass shimmering in the moon light. He stepped out of the bushes and brushed the glass from his shoulders. The image came back to him as clear as day. Skoal was rushing at him, and no matter how many bullets Jayne put in that vest it didn’t drop him. He walked around to the large oak doors and peered inside. No Skoal. No Bo. Mal wasn’t gonna be happy about that. Jayne stopped when he heard the engines of the first ship behind him. “Not again.” He turned and saw Mal jump from the cockpit. A wave of relief washed over him, and then was replaced with tension as he remembered that Mal’s friend wasn’t still in the house. Jayne made sure he remembered what had happened when Mal reached him.

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Mal’s fist met wood. It was the only thing he could find that he wouldn’t care if he hit. Jayne didn’t deserve it, nor did anyone but that Ching-wah tsao duh liou mahng Skoal. “Tah mah de. I could have done more.” Mal cursed himself. “No you couldn’t Mal. He needed you to get Inara out of here. She would have been more trouble mixed up in that than we needed.” Jayne said, being oddly knowing for once. “Tian xiz shou you de ren dou gai si!” Mal shouted as he stormed off towards the ship. “Mal!” Inara shouted as she ran after him. He ignored her as he climbed onto Serenity. He made his way quickly to the bridge. “Mal! Stop for a second!” Inara shouted as she followed him “Ain’t got time to stop ‘nara. Gotta find him, not gonna lose him twice. Not like this.” Mal answered tersely. River was already at the controls punching in coordinates. “I got this little one.” Mal said as he laid his hand on her shoulder. “No, you don’t know where Skoal took him.” “And?” “I do.” The intercom cracked and buzzed as Zoe’s voice came wavering over it. “We’re all on sir. Ready to go.” Mal nodded and looked at River. “Lets go then, little Albatross.”

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Bo groaned as he looked up into the blinding light. The ceiling was starch white, as were the walls and floor. He attempted to move his wrist but found them bound by heavy leather straps. He jostled his ankles and found them wrapped in leather as well. The room quit spinning and Bo tried to get his bearings. Beside his table was a smaller table with multiple tools and utensils. Bo groaned again. “Je shr shuh muh lan dong shi?” Bo’s Chinese slurred slightly as the grogginess wore off. A man in a surgical mask stepped over him, shadowing him from the harsh light. “Am I in a hospital?” Bo asked, still a little air headed. “Of sorts.” The man laughed. A badge fell out and Bo caught a glimpse of purple, pink, and blue. The number thirteen was highlighted in bright green along side a picture of the man without his mask. Below it was a name: Dr. Johnson. Things began to fall into place in Bo’s head. “Wuo de ma! You son of a bitch!” Bo screamed as he jerked against the leather restraints. He heard a bolt pop and fly across the room. Not as well made as he had first assumed. He jerked again and his right arm came free. He reached over and grabbed the man by his hair. The doctor shouted something that Bo didn’t understand. Bo slammed the man’s head into the metal table he was laying on and felt some satisfaction as blood poured onto the table from the man’s mouth. The man screamed the same thing again and this time Bo heard a door his open behind him as another man grabbed his arm and slammed it to the table. Bo looked up and his eyes met the startling blue eyes that tormented his sleep. “Tah mah de.” Bo said as Skoal restrained him. “Only yours.” Skoal retaliated. Bo’s eyes smoldered and he glared straight through Skoals head. Skoal ground his teeth as the cold pierced his mind, and pain flooded his body. Skoal slammed his fist across Bo’s face, breaking the contact. “You just wait ‘til I get my hands on you.” Bo growled. “I’ll be waiting.” Skoal snarled as they bound the wrist again. The other man pierced his neck with something and the light in Bo’s head went out. His entire world spun into black.

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River screamed and grabbed her neck. Mal looked at her from the pilot’s seat. The girl had been sleeping silently up until the sudden scream. “River! What in the hells?” Mal shouted as he jumped over to her. He moved her hand and found… nothing. The girl whimpered softly before falling back into a deep sleep. Mal reached over and covered her up with his army blanket, then reached up and pressed the button to activate the intercom. “Doctor, I need to see you on the bridge. Now.” Seconds later, a breathless Simon came stumbling into the cockpit. “What-huff- is it?” Simon managed to say. “Look at your sister. Not two minutes ago she was screamin’ her head off and clutching at her neck, but got no mark, big nor small, to speak of. What do you make of that?” “I couldn’t really tell. I mean I’d have to scan her again for any- well,” Simon stopped. “Well? Think it might be a connection with another reader?” Mal asked, without needing an answer. Simon blinked, then stared at his sister. Bo must have been thousands of miles away, how had she-? “I don’t think we’ll ever understand what they did to her like he does. I think they got a connection none of us could really comprehend.” Mal said slowly. “We need to find him. He could help her.” “I already asked him. He said he couldn’t,” Simon stated bluntly. “I ‘known that boy a long time. Just cause he says he can’t don’t mean he won’t. Also might be he wasn’t giving everything he knew.” Simon thought about this before turning to leave. “Where you goin’ doc?” Mal asked over his shoulder. “I’m going to compare Bo and River’s brain scans. He left them here. I didn’t notice them at first then I saw the save module. He had a note on it that said it might help.” Mal nodded as Simon headed to the infirmary. They flew on towards wherever River had their destination set for.

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(Hehheh... So, Skoal has Bo again, but it doesnt look like Mal is settling for that. Things are getting murky out here in the black, stay with me while we wait for some more light to be shed on the situation.)