based on the world of Firefly by Joss Whedon

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“Sir, is that a Reaver?” Zoe whispered as they watched the creatures before them begin to tear into the bunker as well as the open area around it.

“It looks to be that way.” He was overly quiet for a man who was usually loud. His eyes were on Cat as she made her way toward them.

“What the hell are you doing here? I told you to stay away from me.” She leaped over the outcropping they were hiding behind. “Get your men as far away from here as possible. I thought I was clear on that.” It was unlike her to be so forthcoming, but she was scared for their lives. Reavers were dumb and easy to outmaneuver, at least when it came to her, but the nasty creatures loved hunting humans.

Mal looked at her. “Seems to me, Cat, that's exactly what I'm doing.” His eyes caught hers as she realized just what he meant. She wasn't just their guardian any more, she was part of their unit.

“We made the rest of the men stay where they are, up in the hills a good ten miles away. Was gonna come by myself, but Zoe wouldn't let me.”

“Told him he should listen to you. Figure anything that'd scared you the way this mess did, we had no place sticking our nose in.” Zoe cast a glance over to where the creatures were, the screams echoing from the man Cat had just let them kill still shivering down their cores.

“And you say I should listen to her.” Cat growled, grabbing their bags as she pulled them away from the old bunker. “We need to go before they get bored.”

“Can we out run them?” Zoe asked as Cat growled, long fangs dipping her mouth, ones Zoe had never seen before.

"We're going to have to." Her lips covered them quickly, hiding them as she shared a look with Mal's second. They didn't have time to play ask and answer or to argue with why the hell they had come back for her.

She grabbed the both of them and pushed them forward, her long body between the Reavers behind them and the open fields in front. "Move..