Walking the Nightmare Softly

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based on the world of Firefly by Joss Whedon

She took her first step into the hallway, her left hand shaking a bit as she stifled it. Cat knew this hallway far too well. They had made them run it over and over again, a drill to see if they could negotiate a maze even in pain. A glint caught her eye as she bent to pick up a piece of glass from within the far corner. It had escaped the sweepers and had probably driven them crazy until finally programming won out and they learned to ignore it. Was it just her or could she see blood still on its edges? After a few seconds, she did a peculiar thing, Cat took the shard and placed it in her pocket before venturing farther into her own personal nightmare.

Scratches seemed to be on every door jam and across every wall. Blood cleaned from the metal, though naked to the normal eye, shown like new fallen snow on black pavement to her genetically enhanced eyes.

“What do you see?” 'Ski asked, trusting his partner's senses above his own.

“Fear.” She commented back, her emerald eyes glowing like a cat's at night. One word to describe the way they had felt, as their blood mixed together on the floor, the walls, everywhere. Light at the end of the hallway caused her sensitive eyes to hurt and as they emerged into the brightly lit room, 'Ski cussed.

Monitors of every shape and size covered the walls, the room oval and flashing images that would horrify most. 'Ski let out a low whistle before commenting. “Fuck me blind before I die, I thought the Reavers were bad.”

“Reavers got an excuse. These don't.” Cat took in each room as she watched the torture begin and end with young ones and ones her age. A single monitor, though caught her attention. “They're alive.”

Mal and his crew stood bold on the front screen, his shoulder bandaged as was the right leg of Jayne, the only other one Kaylee had mentioned being shot. Zoe paced against the far wall, normal for her. If Cat remembe