(Insert the apologies and grumblings about the severe and unacceptable lack of updates. No I am not dead.) You know, maybe if I had more reviews telling me how great I am and to hurry my ass up I wouldn't have to torture you so. Maybe.

Quick plug for the fanmix again, made by kaibalikeaboss: /kaibalikeaboss/welcome-to-serenity

Seriously send me feedback I'm such an attention-driven creature.

Welcome to Serenity: Chapter Nine

Question Answered

Al hardly dared to breathe when the men burst into Innara's room. There was shouting and the sounds of furniture being knocked over. The crash of china shattering on the floor made him wince and press his shoulder against River. He couldn't see her, but Al could feel her: ram-rod straight against him as they waited in frightened suspense.

"How dare you! Do you have any idea who I am?" Innara spoke as if she had all the authority in the world, and the men destroying her home were nothing but ants in her eyes.

"Oh we know exactly who you are. Forgive my manners, Companion. I am sorry about the mess my men have made." The voice was thin and high and Al could just feel the haughty sneer no doubt plastered to the man's face. "I am here on behalf of Mistress Fa. She has requested your presence separately from the rest of the crew. I and my men shall personally escort you to her, for your own safety of course. But first we have orders to thoroughly search the room for… anything that might be hiding. Or anyone."

Apparently River could stiffen more than she already had, because that's exactly what she did as clomping footsteps headed toward their hiding place. Al could barely think over the rush of blood pounding in his ears. He'd fight, of course. He'd protect these women who were so kind to him. But he didn't know how many men there were or how they were armed. What if they grabbed Innara? It took everything in him not to jump when the first doors of the cabinet banged open. Distantly he heard more furniture being treated roughly, but all he could focus on was the immediate danger. He was ready. The man shook the wood and knocked things around, searching for a secret panel. He'd probably find the first one, and Al hoped with all his heart that they didn't find the second one. There was a cry of triumph as the first panel was pried open, and the contents were removed.

"Mistress Fa appreciates your material contributions to her enterprises." There was no doubt the man with the high voice wore a grin. "Now, shall we?"

"I can walk without assistance, thank you." Al could hear Innara shoving the men out of her personal space with not just her voice. There were footsteps, receding down the hall. Then, silence.

There were so many things Al wanted to say, wanted to do. But instead he waited, his hand finding River's and she gripped it tightly as they sat together in the darkness, terrified of what the next few hours would bring.

…

Edward couldn't stand waiting another second. He leapt from his seat, startling the room's other occupants, Kaylee and Doctor Tamm.

"That's it!"

Kaylee stared at him. "What's it?"

"I can't just sit here anymore! I won't! I've got to do something, dammit!"

Simon sighed, "Do what? Storm Fa's headquarters all by yourself? She has more than a hundred men under her command, easily. You won't stand a chance."

"No."

The doctor gave him a long, level glare. "Then what?"

Ed wavered. "Well I didn't really get that far yet. But I'm done waiting to hear if my brother is dead!"

"You don't think I feel the same way? My sister is on that ship! Zoe's husband is on that ship! The whole crew- we're a family. We don't have anyone else in the whole galaxy; so if Kaylee and I have to sit here and wait until there is something we can do, then that's exactly what we'll do. Now sit down and quit acting like a child!"

His words cut through Ed like a knife. They didn't halt the burning urge to go running headfirst after his brother, but they put things into perspective. Simon was right. There was nothing for him to do at the moment. He just needed to accept that.

"The child comment was unnecessary," he huffed, but he sat back down. Kaylee giggled and he stuck his tongue out at her.

"Um, Ed?" She trailed off, uncertain. There was a glint in her eyes that Ed knew well thanks to a certain automail mechanic he grew up with.

Ed sighed. "Sure. You can look at the arm. Just don't break it, okay?" He'd certainly made her day. She was glowing with excitement.

"Thank you!" She chirped, beaming. "It's just that I'm an engineer an all and I like ta see how stuff ticks an-"

"It's fine. Really." Ed cut her off. "The uh, my friend who made it is the same way." As he talked he de-gloved, shrugged off his jacket, and began unbuttoning his over shirt. "Every time I see her all she wants to know is if I've damaged her beautiful creation." Even Simon looked intrigued when Ed shrugged off the white shirt, left only in a tank top. Kaylee's hands hovered over the automail, practically begging to touch. He flexed his hand, watching the metal parts move. It was hard to appreciate the feat of biomechanical engineering attached to his arm because it was there instead of his arm.

The first question actually came from Simon. "How do you move it? The coordination is so natural."

"It's hooked into my nerve endings in my shoulder. I think, it moves. The calibration process is an absolute bitch, lemme tell you. One wire gets jarred wrong in there and the pain receptors go off like an explosion."

"Oh Ed, that's awful!" Kaylee gasped.

"Believe me, it's better than having no arm. Plus it's the absolute top-of-the-line model. No better piece of automail out there."

"I'm just sorry you need it I guess."

"I am too, Kaylee. I am too."

The moment was interrupted when Jo burst through the door with a triumphant cry, "we got ourselves a prisoner, folks! Time to interrogate the sonofabitch! Ya'll joinin' the party or not?"

Ed shot out of his seat. "Finally."

They followed Jo out of the conference room, through a long corridor, and down a flight of stairs into a basement. Mal and Zoe were already there, as was a man tied to a chair. The room screamed "torture chamber" from the various questionable stains to the racks of tools on the walls and chains hanging from the ceiling. It even had that unique smell known only to dungeons.

Jo turned to Ed. "Found me one of the Red lieutenants. It's not one of Fa's men, but we thought she might have carted Serenity straight to Kalashnikov. I'm sure I'll get plenty of juicy info out of him regardless." Her grin was predatory and the man in the chair looked terrified. She carried on, sauntering over to the chair. "Now we all know how this game works: I ask you a question, you declare undying loyalty to your mistress, I hurt you a lot, on and on until one of us breaks. And we all know that'll be you. Cause let's face it: I can do this shit all day. 'But she'll kill me' you'll say. Like she isn't already gonna kill ya for gettin your stupid ass captured. So what's it gonna be tough stuff?"

The man blinked. "Shit, I'll tell you anything you want. Kalashnikov's gone straight-up crazy. I'm on the next ship out of this hell-hole the minute you untie me."

"Oh." Jo looked surprised and also maybe a bit disappointed by his cooperation. "Shiny."

Ed jumped in, "What do you mean she's gone crazy?"

"She brought on this new guy as her second. Never even heard o' him before. Started up all these new plans and killin anyone who objected. She's planning on attackin the Alliance. The Gorram Alliance! I don't know what that fella's put in her head but she ain't playin with a full deck no more if ya get me."

"The new guy, describe him." Ed's hands were shaking. He had a horrible feeling.

"Goes by the name Bradley. Ex-soldier type. Got an eyepatch."

"Shit."

Wrath. It was fucking Wrath. He wobbled to Kaylee, who steadied him. If That psycho got a hold of Alphonse-

"That's him. The- the guy I'm looking for. That's him. That's Wrath."

"Wrath? Like the deadly sin?" Asked Zoe.

"Yeah. Like the sin. He's incredibly dangerous. And smart. A military genius."

"Well he sure is the scariest fella I ever seent." Chimed in the prisoner. Ed wished he could say the same. He really did.

He took a deep breath. "Things just got a lot worse. We cannot let him get a hold of Serenity. He will slaughter everyone on the ship, I'm serious. He won't hesitate and he won't bargain. If he recognizes Al it's all over."

Some to think of it, would Wrath even recognize Alphonse now that he wasn't a suit of armor? If Ed were the praying type he'd be on his knees.

"We haven't gotten anything from Fa in weeks, let alone a whole ship. Least as far as I know. Unless she done it in between me sneakin out for one last drink before blastin outta here an gettin captured an tied up an shit."

Well that was something semi-good, Ed supposed. It certainly wasn't 'Oh yeah the ship's been delivered and we executed the whole crew along with your little brother'.

Jo and Mal started interrogating the man further, but Ed couldn't seem to make himself listen. Last time he'd had a plan: a new array combined with the magic of Buffy's world that ripped all of the souls right out of Gluttony's Philosopher's Stone. This time he had no magic to supplement his array. The thing would be useless. How in the hell was he going to kill Wrath?

How the hell was he going to kill Wrath?