based on the world of Firefly by Joss Whedon

------------------------------------------- Her body hadn't moved since hearing Zoe's words, as something in Cat snapped. Echoing again, the words seemed to bounce around in her head, hitting each and every nerve ending before a growl from her lips drove it home. Her Alpha had been wounded, shot by the creatures who littered the ground in front of her, their blood...their hearts pounding in her ears as each one turned to see the threat. A light hit her body as she licked the blood from her lip that had come after killing the boy moments before.

Mal's words resounded in her being, but this Cat had no soul, but the one that urged her to protect and this pack was no different from the one she had fought earlier in the month, the difference only was these had guns and thought like humans. The Reavers were more like animals. A smile split her face, but it wasn't a happy one. Instead it echoed the thoughts in her head...the ones that knew...not a single one of the men that gathered around her would live to speak of the vile acts they were about to witness and eventually be a part of.

Cat moved quickly as her hands reached for the gun the nearest one to her flashed before drawing her knife across his pale throat. Lasers glowed as they tore into the body of the dead man, Cat using him as a shield. Bullets flew as well, Zoe and the others helping as much they could, but she didn't need it. As a blast hit her leg, it barely did anything as the beautiful monstrosity healed within seconds. After all, she was the ultimate weapon and now it had turned on the very ones who funded its creation.

A knife bit into her from behind and she yelped, it burning as the metal found her spinal cord. As much as the wound would have paralyzed anyone else, it made Cat and her beast furious. Finally succumbing to it, her long fangs, claws, and body changed as they reached over and pulled the knife wielder over her head. He flew into another as Cat roared a challenge.

++++++++++++++++++++++++

"You gave away her position." Tracey loaded the gun again and shot into the group gathered around Cat, the lack of light preventing him from seeing too much more.

"She can handle herself." Zoe called back, moving Mal slowly to see blood seeping from a wound in his side. Reaching for her bandana around her neck she applied pressure to the wound. "We need to get him out of here and to the closest medical transport."

"The closest one is three miles due west of our position."

"That bad. huh?" Mal groaned as he grimaced through the pain.

"Seen worse, Sir."

"Thinking this might have been a bad idea."

"It wasn't one of your best." She laughed and looked at Tracey, who pointed west and shrugged his shoulders.

"How?" he spoke.

"I don't know. Pray for a miracle." She sighed and looked to the mob attacking. "Or something more sinister."

"Cat." Mal whispered gently.

+++++++++++++++++++

His voice found her ears as she embedded the knife she had brought into the gut of another enemy, and let her claws tear into his neck. They were thinning, but not fast enough, She could smell his blood, its rich scent letting her know the wound was deep. Without the proper care, the man she had learned to accept as not only her leader, but her friend would die.

Something caught her eye as she spied boxes piled near the mess of soldiers coming at her. Bullets, guns, and explosives returned her gaze and Cat smiled. It was time to end this. With a quick grab, her fingers wrapped tight around the man's neck and with a quick pull, she pulled a grenade from his belt. Reaching for the pin, she lobbed it into the boxes and ran the other way. Even though she knew even with her speed, it would be impossible to outrun.

+++++++

Tracy and Zoe covered their faces as the ground and sky lit up with a fireball of fury. Gun fire sounded and echoed along with the screams of their enemies as each and every one watched them die. Nothing could survive the chaos that rained down in front of them, but Zoe knew it was the miracle they needed.

"Sir, we've got to move you." She spoke as Mal nodded, sliding in and out of consciousness.

"There's no way he'll make the two miles without some kind of transport." Tracey called. "I've called them, but it will be a few minutes. Told them to follow the smoke."

"Good. He's a fighter. He'll make it."

"What are you going to tell him about Cat?"

"That she died to save him...to save us." Zoe looked again to the flames. "Keep an eye out though, in case any survived."

"Yes, Ma'am," Tracey commented as he surveyed the destruction, hoping silently that the movement he might see was the woman who had just died to give them life.

+++++++++++++++

Blood flowed from her skin as she stumbled in the smoke, her beautiful body covered in blood and scorched guts from her enemies. It stunk of barbecue and for an odd reason, it made her hungry. She would never partake of human flesh, but meat was meat, even if one wouldn't eat it.

Ravens had already begun to circle, brought on by the smell of decay from the bodies earlier. She hoped they weren't looking forward to an eyeball. Most had been completely fried from the fire and she wasn’t about to give up hers. Staring down at her flesh, she spied the white of her femur, exposed by a huge gash from a piece of shrapnel. Still, it was slowly beginning to disappear as was the blisters from each and every burn.

Her ears listened to the breathing of his lungs, the beating of his heart, and it guided her through where she couldn't see. Each step she was growing stronger as body after body coated the ground. Not a single one had survived her onslaught and that was fine with her. If Mal hated her when he woke, it mattered little. He was safe now, and to the slowly healing Cat, that was all that mattered.