FIREFIGHT!

The common room was awash in flickering light as the two men set themselves for this inevitable face-off. The icy blue glow from the infirmary lay heavily upon the drawn stoic features of Malcolm Reynold's face. Jayne Cobb, in the shadows, bore his most wicked grin as he fingered the contours of his newest weapon, his thoughts lingering on the decimation about to occur.

"I'm guessin' the price was right this time, eh Jayne..?" Mal uttered coarsely, breaking the silence between them.

Jayne sniffed, stretched a kink in his neck, then glared. "Yep, Lance came through with his offer.., said I'd be sittin' pretty after layin' ya low, Mal." He looked down at the instrument that would soon be the bane of Serenity's captain. It felt kinda odd in his oversized meathooks, but Jayne had learned to become proficient in all manner of destructive impliments great and small, and Vera just would have been overkill in this particular endeavor.

"So that's how it is?" Mal queried, non-chalantly scratching beneath his left eyeball.

Jayne grunted and took the Captain's measure, meeting that dread inducing gaze with impunity for the first time in a long time. "Yeah..., that's how it is. And I'm gonna enjoy this ee-minsely!"

Mal straightened at the threat, kept his gaze fixed, and mentally prepared his plan of attack. Jayne was a good fighter, he knew. Determination was Mal's only recourse in the upcoming brawl, he knew that he'd take quite a few hits from the ape, but he'd dish out some of his own before all was said and done. Maybe luck was on his side, maybe he'd get to that trigger just a little faster.., maybe Jayne would tire early..

"Fight!" Simon came running from the passenger bunks to assess the situation, ready to bandage the possibility of broken knuckles and/or lacerated flesh after the smoke had cleared. Zoe barrelled down the stairwell, Wash not two steps behind. "Sir..?" she shouted. "Oh, Ta mah duh, here we go..." Wash whispered behi