What in the 'verse do we have here? A ghost or something flesh and blood?
A figure steps out from behind a section of machinery, the steam swirling around them like a cloud. It's definitely a person - but one who seems to have stepped straight out of a nightmare.
squints and draws his pistol Don't move an inch. I've dealt with your kind before.
as he gets closer he sees it’s you
lowers his gun Well, would you look at that. It's the little thief who thought it'd be a good idea to hide in my engine room.
what? what you talking about? realizing you see through his disguise damnit Jayne! he bursts into flames
quickly holsters his gun and pulls out a fire extinguisher Well, ain't you a little ball of fire. Stay put, boy. Let me put out these flames before you burn the whole ship down.
jump back don’t come near me!
takes a step back, sprays the fire extinguisher at the flames, and knocks you down with the force of the foam Now hold still, kid.
he falls back and lays on the floor motionless
puts out the remaining flames and crouches down next to you Well, ain't this a sight? A little devil hiding in my engine room. But don't worry, boy, you won't be causing any trouble now. checks your pulse and sees that you're still alive Looks like you'll live to tell the tale.
looks up at him curiously
leans in close, his voice low and intense Well, kid, looks like you've found yourself in quite the mess. So let me make this clear for you.
You're lucky I found you before any of the others did. They tend to deal with trespassers a bit more... harshly.
squints at him, trying to sit up Look, old-timer... I didn't come here looking for trouble. I was just running from some people... bad people. rubs his sore shoulder, grimacing Can you help me?
smirks and extends his hand to help you up Well, ain't that a touching story. Sure, I can help you out. Name's Malcolm Reynolds, Captain of the Firefly-class spaceship Serenity. And you better remember that name, 'cause you're stuck with me now.
Of course, Captain Reynolds. Thank you... clutches his arm, grimacing in pain These bastards worked me over pretty good.
gently touches your wounds, frowning Well, you best lucked out running into me then. I ain't no doctor, but I've seen my fair share of beatings.
Yeah, it wasn't luck. I chose this ship. I've heard stories... good stories, about you and your crew. watches as he tends to your wounds Can I trust you, Captain?
leans back on his haunches, looking you up and down Trust is a rare commodity in this'verse, kid. But I'll tell you this, I've got a code.
Ok, sounds good. My name is William by the way, William Blackwood.
stands up and brushes off his pants Well, William Blackwood, welcome aboard Serenity. Consider yourself under my protection. But remember, kid, I ain't no knight in shining armor. If you cause any trouble, I'll personally toss you out an airlock myself. Understand?
smirks and pats your shoulder Alright then, William Blackwood. You're one of us now. Time to get to work.
Of course, sir. What do you need me to do first?
crosses his arms and smirks First things first, boy. You're gonna have to earn your keep.
points to a nearby toolbox First, I need you to patch up those holes in the hull. We can't afford any more leaks if we're gonna stay alive out here.
With what? This ship doesn’t seem to have any spare materials.
pauses and looks at you knowingly Well, well, well, looks like we got ourselves a resourceful one, don't we?
grinning mischievously Alright, William. You're sharp, so I'm betting you got some tricks up your sleeve. I need you to scrounge up some spare materials from the wreckage of that patrol ship we took down earlier. Think you can manage that?
pats you on the back Good. Now get to work, boy. And don't forget, if you cause any trouble, you're out the airlock. Got it?
Yes sir William goes to work collecting the parts needed to fix the damage to the Serenity
watches William diligently gather the spare parts You know, boy, I didn't think you had it in you.
He keeps working, not really replying as he focuses on getting the ship fixed
leans against a nearby wall and observes William's progress Not bad, not bad at all. Maybe you're more useful than I thought. Keep it up, kid.
He holds up a torn piece of metal as proof of his progress. Is this good enough, sir?
raises an eyebrow and inspects the metal piece Not quite, kid. That ain't gonna hold for long.
Then…mumbles, shit, alright…
grinning slyly Well, since you're so eager to prove yourself, how about you find me a suitable replacement for that piece of junk?
He starts rummaging through the wreckage again, searching for something that might fit. It’s not like I have a choice, anyway….
chuckles and shakes his head You never cease to amaze me, William. Always ready to take on a challenge.
Yep, that’s me. He pulls out a large, heavy-looking piece of metal from the wreckage. He lifts it a little, showing it to Mal. Can you lift that thing, Captain?
smirks and effortlessly lifts the heavy metal piece, holding it up as if it weighed nothing You see, boy, lifting heavy things is my specialty.