DISCLAIMER: The Firefly characters and locations featured in this work of fiction are the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy Inc and Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. I'm just borrowing them for a while. (No breach of copyright intended.)

WARNING: The following piece of fiction contains mature themes of graphic horror and violence that some Browncoats may find offensive.

PERSPECTIVE: Jayne & Zoe.

They had picked up trouble en route to Orpheus. Big trouble.

The kind that spreads like a rash and they couldn’t stop the itching.

An hour had passed since Mal had failed to contain the problem. He didn’t want to leave the ship and suffered the penalty for his dignity.

Now Jayne and Zoe were trapped behind a boiler, guns cocked towards the doorway.

“Get down!”

Jayne hit the deck as Zoe took aim at the engine room door. Sparks flew off the walls as she missed the shot. A low, angry growl receded along the corridor and into the connecting stairwell as her target fled towards the infirmary. Zoe cursed indistinctly in Mandarin then lowered her weapon.

“Was that ruttin’ necessary?!” Jayne grumbled.

Zoe slotted more rounds in her shotgun and snapped the chamber back into place. “Yes.” she replied.

Jayne scrambled to his feet, looking a mite disgruntled. “Jien tah duh guai!”

Zoe closed the door and looked through the glass onto the other side. “I think we’re safe for now.”

Jayne snorted, “You think?”

Zoe glared angrily at him “Would you like to check outside?”

Jayne frowned and muttered something under his breath.

“What the ruttin’ hell are we supposed to do now?” he asked.

Zoe slowly eased the door back open and aimed her gun out into the black. It was empty. “We take back the ship like Mal ordered.”

“I ain’t going back out there!” Jayne hissed.

Zoe raised an eyebrow “What’s the matter Jayne. Ji?”

Jayne glared at Zoe “I ain’t chicken!” he grumbled.

Zoe carefully stepped out, watching for movement in the shadows. She signalled to Jayne and they made their way along