Disclaimer: This story is in no way meant to infringe on the rights of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, or 20th Century Fox. Just wanted to have a bit of fun with these characters is all. Please don’t sue me.

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Rated PG-13 for graphic descriptions, violence, and a few Chinese cuss words.

“Point of No Return, Part II”

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River’s scream resounded forcefully throughout the ship. Before Mal could fully absorb what was happening, the doctor was halfway up the stairs, moving faster than a man with a hurt leg had any right to move. Zoe wasn’t far behind him.

Simon stepped into what apparently was a commons area. He paid no attention to the scorch marks on the walls, nor the overturned furniture, nor the dead bodies sprawled on the floor. All he cared to focus on, across the mid-sized room, was his sister, standing in the doorway to the next corridor, facing him. She was hugging herself, shivering, peering at him from under long strands of hair. No, not at him, he realized…she seemed to be looking past him, somehow. He took several steps toward her.

River quickly put up her hands in a gesture for him to back away. “No, don’t hurt him!” she pleaded suddenly.

Simon was baffled. “What are you talking about? Hurt who?”

The only answer he got was a fierce growl coming from behind him. Zoe entered just in time to see a dark figure launch itself at Simon. Instinctively she cocked her weapon and took aim, but she hesitated for the risk of hitting the doctor. It – whatever it was – hit Simon hard, and both went crashing to the ground. He was pinned, trying to find the strength to struggle against this…man? Animal? It was powerful. And fast. It drove an elbow hard into Simon’s stomach, knocking the wind from him. It then shifted itself so that it was facing his lower body, laying most of its weight on top of him. Zoe cursed and lowered her gun. She couldn’t shoot it; the doc w