Take It From The Top
"Where are you going?" A young Jack asked the ex-convict known as Richard B. Riddick. Her nerves were still humming off the first kill she had made. She had saved Riddick! Why was he leaving her behind?
Running a hand over his head, Riddick stepped away from the Imam and knelt next to her so she could see his face. "I want you to stay here on New Mecca with Imam." He tilted his head to the side to watch her. "Not gonna be a problem is it?"
Green eyes were blazing with fury. She felt every bit of twelve, but it was also disconcerting that it was so easy to just be. "Damn straight it is! Why can't you just take me with you!"
The ex-convict glance over his shoulder at Abu, "Is this his idea?" She was graced with silence. Looking over at the Imam greeting his family, she almost felt bad. Then the shaved girl narrowed her eyes. "Where ever you, I'll find you. Like I always do!"
Riddick growled, standing to his full height. "You're gonna stay here, don't follow me. You'll just end up as bait."
Jack whirled around, "I'll find you! I swear I will!" He was still walking away, not looking back. With her body shaking in frustration, she exploded. "Fuck you, Riddick!"
He never did end up turning back.
Jack knew, just knew that if she joined the mercenaries she would get a chance to find him again. It became her passion, her desire- not to left behind because she couldn't keep up. So in spite, she joined the first merc crew that came through the system.
It wasn't hard really- just look for the fake badges.
"Sure! We'll take you on." Jack thought the way he said it was a little strange, but Johns didn't seem so bad. "Just come back in a few hours, we'll talk more then." Nodding excitedly, Jack ran back to Abu's place. Jonas, the merc who decided to take the girl on, turned to his 'associates.' "Alright guys, little girl wants to learn the trade. No, Shane. I don't support kiddie fuckers. If that's what you think is going to go on here- jump ship." He didn't get any lip from that. One of the younger men on the crew looked excited.
"So- is this your first female apprentice?" Jonas stared blankly at the teen; who's smile faltered. "Right... I'm just going to go get some supplies."
Jonas was a tall, skinny man with black crew cut hair. Most of the bounty hunters from Kublai Khan Clan had the same body build. Well, save for Shane. He was the odd one of the small group he had. Short, stocky and one hell of a temper. His eyes were ice blue, balding brown hair and a beer gut that took over most of his body. The youngest of the trio was Jeffrey- fresh from cryo. Short blonde hair, lanky but pretty smart with the computers.
It would be three or four hours until the girl came back. Parents or not, the crew age was still eleven. She seemed old enough, but he would scan her later for her identification. There was still a few jumps between Helion and Lupus Five. New Mecca was a fuel and supply stop. The planet was too weird for him- all of the religious groups going about their business like it was a common thing. Lupus had one or two religious groups- mainly Catholicism and Christianity. Jonas had no problem with that- not that he was of spiritual caliber.
"H-Hey, Jonas? You might want to come look at this." Turning away from the crates he was taking inventory on, Jonas walked over to Jeffrey and leaned over his shoulder. The boy was going through feeds from the Clan Ship so fast Jonas thought he was going to get sick.
"Okay kid, slow it down and reply." They both looked at each other for a second then went back to the screen. "How long ago was this?"
"Um... About five or six months ago, Boss." The crew leader smacked the blond on the shoulder.
"Don't call me that, Jeffrey. Alright. So we have that girl coming back soon, I'll scan the ID and we can figure out what to do from there. There's no bounty on her, we'll see what happens. Now, the real payday is this guy right here." Jonas pointed his index finger to the bald man on the screen. "If we play our cards right, we can get the girl to do her thing." Jeffrey craned his neck to look at Jonas- who was watching Shane talk to a pretty lady who walked by. They both groaned when he smacked her butt and got reprimanded for it.
"Seriously, Shane? Gonna start trouble every where we drop?" Shane's surprisingly white teeth gleamed as he made his way up the ramp.
"Maybe. What's it to ya? Oh- what's this? Riddick, huh? That who we're gonna go for this time?"
Jonas plopped himself down on one of the chairs bolted to the wall. After resting his elbows on his knees, he folded his hands under his chin. "Alright. Here's how this is gonna play out. When that girl comes back, don't say anything about what we just saw there. Gonna humor her, see what she knows. First things first, I want to know just who this slip of a girl is. When we take off, we'll scan'er. Don't want her to flee. If it goes down badly, just knock her out and we'll drop her off somewhere. Got it?" Brown eyes drifted to look at baby blues of his most questionable comrade. "Shane?"
The burly man pulled his lips back as he gave a sinister smile. "Gotcha, Boss."
Jonas put a hand over his face, "Don't get me confused with that guy, Shane. You too, Jeff."
Jack ran into Abu's house, not caring about the front door slamming against the wall before it shut. There was some stomping and Lajun came running in. After seeing who was there, she dropped her shoulders and sighed. "Jack, please, stop with the door."
Her once blonde hair was growing back nicely. Abu made a comment about that, saying her hair was brown under the blond. She remembers laughing it off and vacated the room.
"Yeah- well. I got a job! Where's Abu? I gotta tell him." Jack's a little bit longer legs walked her to the kitchen and sat down unladylike at the table. Lajun only rolled her eyes- already use to her personality.
"He should be here any mom-" There was a wail coming from the floor above. "-ment. Alright, just- I'll be right back. Please listen to whatever he has to say, Jack. I implore you." The brunette snidely sat up in her chair, turning her nose up in a petulant manner. "Oh Jack, please. We cannot deal with any more problems with the counsel." After Lajun left the kitchen, the green eyed girl walked her fingers across the table.
Whispering to herself, "He'll let me go, I know it. Maybe I can- Maybe I can tell him the truth?" Once she heard the front door open and close, she changed her mind. "Nope. Not gonna do it."
"Not going to do what, Jack?" The Imam walked around the table and pulled out a chair. Once sat, he steepled his fingers and raised a brow. The child had a strange look on her face as if fighting an inner battle. Abu had to admit that, perhaps, it was the most entertaining one yet. He couldn't help but chuckle, then coughed when it dropped quickly. "I see the mirror behind the door is shattered. Again. Do you mind filling me in on what has you so angry?"
Bright white teeth blinded him like a ray of sunshine. "Nope! Not angry at all- In fact," She added conspiratorially, "I got myself a job!" Whatever he thought she was going to say and the responses for such things, dropped away and his smile fell. Jack slowly dropped her arms, looking at him suspiciously. Turning her body to the side so she didn't feel so open, "What's your problem? I figured you'd be happy I'll be out of your lack of hair for a while." Abu slammed a closed fist on the table. Piercing green eyes looked at him with anger and something else. He couldn't read whatever emotion was there.
"Before you go on deciding what I can and cannot do- remember this. Riddick may have left me with you, but you do not own me. There is a chance for me to find him now- why are you trying to hard to take that away!"
The Imam slammed both of his palms on the table, stood up and glared at the child- who was looking less and less like a child each day. "You are to stay here, in New Mecca. I will not have you gallivanting across the universe- What will happen if they find about Kublai Khan? It will not end well for you."
Snarling, Jack mimicked Abu's posture. "I'll tell you what I told him that day, Fuck you! They won't find out- I'm sure of it. It's been what? Four, maybe five, months? There was nothing left- how can they-"
"Cameras, Jack. It doesn't matter how long or how short it has been. Once there is a security breach like that, any and all evidence is sent to their mercs on route. I refuse! You will not leave here, even if I have to lock you in your room." He figured he had it beat, slowly taking his hands from the table. When she hadn't moved, he started to walk away.
Lips moved slowly, "I don't care what you say or what you do- I'm going. I'm not a child." Jumping from the chair, Jack ran up the stairs and threw herself into her room. With a closed door behind her, Jack swiftly walked to the only dresser she had. Pulling out a duffel bag she had, Jack opened the drawers for things she would need. Sitting on her knees, the brunette grabbed clothing, a couple shivs that she made herself and her old UD chip. It had six hundred UDs left. After stowing away on the Hunter Gratzner, she was going to use it to pay for information. That plan was nixed, with her new goal in place.
After putting a finger on her chin and looking around the room, the brunette felt like she missed something. Nimble fingers pulled the at the elastic band around her wrist as her feet padded the soft floor. Her toes dug into it, memorizing the feeling for the future- in case it turned to shit. Green eyes spotted something glinting in the evening light. Her body followed the trail the eyes had set for it. Fingers clasped around the cord, the arm pulled it up so the shining object was level with her eyes. Jack slammed the door to closet after tossing the raptor claw into it.
Riddick had made her something to remember him by, one for the Imam too. To remember what they went through- and probably something deeper she never wondered about. Snarling at the door, she yelled. "And what's to remind you of what we all went through?" Her foot kicked the door petulantly as she scooped up her bag. The window was conveniently open, so she slinked out to the balcony. Once some flashy moves were used to make it to ground level, Jack looked behind her to the al-Walid residence. With shoulders pulled back, boots stomped down the dusty road- made with the red sands of Helion Prime.
Jack made sure to keep an eye out for anyone she knew that knew Imam. Walking past a woman in white robes that dissolved when someone had walked by caused Jack to stumble over her feet. One of the men with her snickered at her ignorance. "Haven't seen an Elemental before, have you kid?" He was still amused even after they parted ways. "Lady Aereon, are you sure the child is still here? She has been known to run."
The woman in white paused and smiled over her shoulder. "If she is gone, we know where her home is. She will agree, even if I have to push her into it. With the information I have collected, it will be all the proof we need. They are not easily cowed- I will attempt to use this information to reel her in." When the movement continued, the guards followed closely behind. "I would rather not see something of that caliber to die so selfishly."
The only person the brunette had run into was the only friend she had made. The young woman was about sixteen or seventeen year old- training to be with the Helion Guard. With her past, Jack was surprised she wasn't arrested yet. However, the saying- do not to count your chickens before they hatch- came in to play more often than not. Especially after that planet of hell. She released an invisible shiver as the red haired woman spoke.
"So, I have good news at least."
"Oh? New boyfriend?"
A red brow lifted incredulously at the teenager sitting next to her. "No, Jack, I do not have a new- wait a minute! How did you know we- Erg!" She waved her hands around to negate that conversation. "No. No. I will not be sucked in."
"Aw come on, Dita. It usually works. I learned from the best."
"Yeah. You should go to school for that- be apart of the Guard or be an investigator. Big points for question deflection. Oh hey... That rhymed!" Green eyes drooped at the woman's idiocy. Shaking her head, Jack ended up getting Dita back on subject. "Right. Right. Okay. Anyway- I got into Guard! It's so exciting. I'm one of the youngest this term- I'll probably be given some silly chore like directing ships through our ports."
"You know, that could be exciting. You see everything that comes through first, and can be the one to stop criminals from coming by." Jack paused inwardly, thinking about what she just said.
"Anyway- you going to tell me why you have your bag packed? Looks like you're heading out- you've only been here for a few months. I'm going to miss you..." Dita put her hands under her chin and frowned.
Jumping off of the bench, Jack turned around to look at her. "You look like an ugly dog, stop while you're ahead. I'm going off world to be a bounty hunter." She swung her arm to the front of her, "I'll be a real good doer, I'm sure of it." Thank you, sarcasm. Jack thought to herself. Dita didn't look too sure, but could hardly be that kind of friend. It would only end up pushing the teen away. Instead, she smiled and hugged Jack.
"Don't be a stranger, Jack. Especially to your father."
Once the good byes were settled, they parted ways. Jack cringed when Dita said 'father'. I mean, I understood what she meant but- I can't see my father being anything but my father. Dita helped the time pass faster, she couldn't wait to be off world again. Too many people and everyone knew just about everyone else. New Mecca was the major city on Helion Prime. People of all sorts of spiritual paths have crossed. They were tightly knit with the Guard but were always worried about conspirators. When the yellow haze of street lights ended and the blues, whites and other colors made a spectrum of shapes all around her, Jack found herself at the port already. The night was cool, but not freezing. After the hot day, the nights had always made her feel she was at a resort. Not that she had ever been, legally, of course.
Her eyes glanced at the ship names, looking for 'River Styx'; if she had knowledge of Earth history, she would have understood the reference. Instead, she found the name cool and went with it. Didn't know squat about the crew or their clan. It was the first promising chance she had to get off the rock- she couldn't pass as a boy ever again though. Her steps slowed as she stewed about that. I hope it doesn't happen again soon. Last time, I was sure Abu was going to flip out. Brown hair shook about as Jack pushed her thoughts way back. "Just do it, Jack." Looking at the ramp, Jack saw some of the pretty colors from before. Their theme must be blue, green and white. Their nodes were shining a very bright neon green. Better than those heavy ass cells from the skiff. A cough came out of her as she knocked on the wall of the ship. Three men looked at her, and the one from before smiled non-threateningly.
"Good evening...?"
"Oh. I'm sorry. My name's Jack." Jeffrey's jaw became slack, he was hoping it was short for Jacqueline or something.
"Yes. Good evening, Jack. I'm Jonas, the blonde guy here is Jeffrey or Jeff and curly over here, his name is Shane. You're in luck, we just lost a guy. Make sure we'll teach you the trade and give you a good cut. We got a couple of runs from here to Lupas Five- should get you into the groove of things. Shane may not look like it, but he can teach you how to defend yourself- how to fight. Teach you how to use different firearms, including rifles." Jonas cursed inwardly, hoping his slip up wouldn't alert her to what they already knew. He pushed on when there was no change of expression. "We'll be taking off soon- we were going to give you five minutes. Feel blessed." Jack's face turned into a grimace. "Or not..." He pushed the button for the ramp to fold up and pointed to a chair. "Sit here and strap up. It's gonna be fast and I don't want to pick up a body because someone couldn't listen to simple directions."
Jack nodded and pulled the harness over her head. "I take it that's where the last crew mate went."
Shane barked out a laugh, slapping his hand against his thigh. "Damn, Jonas, where do you find these people? I think I like her already!" Flicking some switches, Shane read through what the display showed him. Swiping through a menu or three, he continued reading the reader. "A'ght Boss, we good. Let's get the fuck off this rock."
Jack's green eyes took in the crew, watching them do their jobs. Jonas was the pilot, while the little guy- Jeff- was sitting co-pilot; fiddling with the com. Turning in her seat, Jack peered out of the smaller window on the side of the haul. Helion was getting smaller and smaller so very quickly. It had always interested her watching a planet disappear quickly- all the lights and civilization- gone. With a small grin, Jack turned back in her seat.
"Ion drives online? Alright, you know where we're going. Shane, take over. You know what to do." Jonas stepped around the chair, headed towards one of the storage bins. After he found what he was looking for, he waltzed over to Jack. He knelt in front of her, arm sat idly on his knee. "Alright Jack, I know this could be rude but I need to do a scan for identification purposes."
Lifting a brow, Jack put her hand on the area for a palm. It scanned and bleeped after the search was complete. Jonas stood up only to sit on the seat next to her.
"Name is Jack B. Badd, citizen of Taurus Three, age is..." He paused from reading off the profile. Looking from Jack to the com then back to Jack, he lifted it up so she could see. "Fifteen? You don't look older than eleven or twelve."
She shrugged her shoulders, "I'm a late bloomer. No one ever asked so I just went with it." He looked at her like she grew another head. "What? I don't want people looking at me like that. I get hassled more, so I just don't..."
"It's okay, kid. No need to tear up about it." After the look she gave him, he laughed. "You're alright, Jack. Let me look through the rest of your profile and then we'll have Shane teach you the basics."
Jonas walked the small path up to the cockpit. Scrolling through more useless information, he found the good bits. Presumed to have stowed away on a transport vessel after disappearing for three years. Anonymous information explains that the child is genetically altered or mutated. Taurus Three does not allow non-baseline humans on the planet. Eradication of the parents has been dealt with. Taurus Three will not be allow the child to return.
"Never read that before on a profile. Hey, Shane, check this out and tell me what you think." Jonas passed the com over the almost bald man's shoulder. He glanced over his shoulder, the girl waiting patiently with her hands between her thighs.
"Who cares what it says. She's not a...a criminal or anything. Just a kid who ran away from home."
Jeffrey shoved Shane's shoulder and the older man only put his hands up and laughed. "Yeah yeah, I noticed."
Jack watched as Shane came back- meaning she passed. "You can take off that harness now, kid." She did so, following him to the back of the ship. "Show me what you got, and we'll go from that." Jack squeezed her fists tightly as she ran straight at him. As he went to block, she feinted to the right and kicked his side. Quickly, she spun back around to keep her guard up. Shane gripped his side where her pretty strong kick got him. "Huh. Didn't see that coming. Again, let's go." She knew if she went straight on, he'd be anticipating it. She could and feint, but he would expect that too. Her feet rushed off before any good strategy could be conjured. Aiming a kick for his left side, only to feint to aim for the right. He went to grab at her ankle but it was dropped from his point of view. Blue eyes widened seeing the punch aimed for his temple. It was too late for him to dodge and his arms were too slow to block.
Jack ended the attack by jumping into a handstand as her foot followed the motion- connected with his bottom jaw. Shane landed in a heap, vision white for a few moments. Once her feet were back on the ground, Jack smirked. With a hand on her hip, she actually felt smug about beating a guy who was twice her size.
"Shane! What the hell happened to your face?" Jeff bent over the knocked out man who mumbled incoherently. "You want to... Walk your chickens?" He looked at Jack with a beaming smile gracing his face. "Good job, don't think I ever seen someone fight like that."
Jack rolled her eyes, all the while to get a good jab at the fallen man. "Betcha didn't see that one coming- either of them."
"Shud ba pauk up!" The teens both shared a snort and walked back to the cockpit.
"Jonas, I think she passed the Shane test."
"Oh, so that- whatever the hell that even was- a test? I'm so sorry that your main man turned out to be bested by a fifteen year old girl."
A hand went to Jonas' head as he stifled a laugh. Figures. She's a run away and puts up one hell of a combo. Just my luck, too. "Right right. We have you in the system already. You will know this ship like the back of your hand before we leave Lupus Five. Got some business to take care of once we leave. So it's a contingency plan. Somethin' bad happens, you get off that rock. Hit the beacon and the current coordinates of the Clan ship will be redirected into this com here, it will do all the work for you. All you gotta do is fly the ship there. They'll scan your ID and get you locked in for a new squad. Sounds easy right? Good. Fourty-five minutes until we reach our next drop."
When the Boss walked away to where Shane was, Jack turned and looked at Jeffrey expectantly. "I'll start you from the bottom and make our way to the top. First, the basics. Everyone has to know this- would be stupid not to. And pay attention, I see your eyes wandering. Okay, so we start with..."
"Right so, Boss-"
"For the love of all that is holy, stop fucking calling me that. Boss and I are two completely different people."
"Ah but Boss, it's too funny. After that skirmish you guys had a few months ago; I'd think you'd be over it."
"I could care less about the whole thing. His son wanted to be fucked up on drugs- you know what, I'm just gonna stop before I even start. If he wants to be ignorant- it will fall back on the name." Jonas sat back and watched the girl being trained by his first rookie. Kid got spunk, that's for damn sure. Would be a good merc some day. "Since she kicked your ass, we're gonna have to train her how to pilot. If it goes to shit at that meeting, then she can always face her dues."
The blue eyed man eyed the girl, brainstorming how it could go well. "They want slaves don't they?"
Jonas gave him a look, "Jesus, Shane. She's just a kid. It's not gonna fuckin' work. They got beef with us only because the clan. Antonia poached Galls without their permission-again. Since she's gone, we're next in the chain of command. Junner was always the stick up her ass- with that flashy bullshit of his. They want something we don't have, so they may just start picking up people off the streets. It's all political shit that fell on our heads. I just can't help but want to blow their heads off every single time I see them spew-"
Shane put a hand on his shoulder, "It's okay man, I get it. Still, you can't blame me for tryin'." Turning from his boss, Shane eyed the little girl. He had seen her somewhere, and not just the profile or the distress from the Clan ship. Maybe it was Taurus Three, they had stopped there before. "Hey, Lady Pilot there, how long we got?"
Her fingers thrummed across the com, head tilted toward the display in the center of the console. Pointing to it, she whispered something to Jeff- who nodded in response. "We're just about in orbit."
"Well, it's your first lesson, kiddo."
Jack paled and looked at the steering column then to Jeffrey. He smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry, I've done this before. I'll walk you through it. You ready?"
"You guys are fucking crazy."
Jeffrey hit land first, knees then palms. He was kissing the ground, "Praise my non-existant God!" Pointing a finger at Jonas, the blond haired teen seethed. "You, sir, Boss-man, are the worse. At least I had experience- Her? No offense, Jack,"
She waved a hand idly, "Sure sure. Told you guys you're crazy- they never listen, Jeff!" Jack leaned into the boy with a beaming smile on her face.
"She can't pilot for shit. I'm surprised the haul doesn't have punctures or dents! Where the fuck do you find these people?"
The brunette leaned away from the older person, "Geez Jeff- what happened to the quiet homo kid?"
Jeffrey started, rounding on her. "I told you- wait what? I'm not gay!"
"Oh so you're shy then? That's a charming trait. I bet all the ladies love you."
"Alright, knock it off- both of you. Jack, you're going to fly around with Shane while Jeffrey and I run some errands."
With drooped shoulders, green eyes followed the back of Jonas- feeling severely reprimanded for something, but didn't know why exactly. Shane dropped his large hand on Jack's small shoulder. With wide eyes, Jack felt a shiver shoot down her spine. "Let's go, kiddo. Sooner we get this done, the sooner you're initiated."
"I thought I already was?"
"Nah, that was too easy. Lupus has a very challenging shipping lane. You'll be flying us there while we get ready for business. Take a seat, little lady."
"You okay, Shane? You look about as ugly when I kicked you before."
"We're... Gonna go again. That wasn't as rough as before. This time, easy on the clutch- we don't want to blow it up. I'm not even going to try to explain it to you. Alright, easy... Easy... Perfect."
Flicking the switch for the thrusters to ignite, Jack eased the steering up all while pushing in. "Now if only I could land that smoothly..."
"We ain't done yet, gonna take that eh 'obstacle' course again. Don't give me that look, you're gonna do it until you have it memorized. Just... avoid the hover cars. I think you gave that man a heart attack."
"He had it coming, he pulled out in front of me? Who does that even?"
"Still-"
"No, not still. He wasn't even in his zone anymore. Skiffs and ships have more, you know... Metal." Jack deadpanned, watching where she was going. "I think we're good so far. No hover cars this time!"
Shane twitched, but the girl was a quick teach. With no scares, he had her turn them around. When it came to the landing, he was surprised when the only break check they had was when she reversed too quickly. "Yeah... You're good kid. Still have a month or two before we reach Lupus Three. Then it's another month before we get their. I'm thinking some schooling-"
"You're kidding right? I think I did about fourteen years worth of school."
"No I mean... Man kid, your just an ankle biter aren't you?"
"If I was an ankle biter, don't think I'd be here. Now, you, on the other hand. You about bit my ankle when I-" Jack turned off the system as she was talking, even releasing the ramp. The duo did not notice their partners walking up behind them. "-took out your face. I'm pretty sure all the little pet names you come up with, I'll just dish them right back and make you look terrible. So, maybe, it's in your best interest to just stop while you're ahead."
Jonas whistled, in which startled the teacher and student before him. "We're ready to go if you are?"
"We should probably wait an hour so the ship cools down. The past five hours have been grueling for little Styx."
"Actually, Jackie, I think the ship will be fine. Just hope out of the chair, and Jeff will show you some other bits."
"Oh. Okay. If you say so. Hey, Jeff- I gotta new nickname for you..."
Shane waited until Jeff started talking about the shift change. Turning to the boss, "Right- she's a quick learner. After five hours, I think she'll be able to-"
"It's all a contingency plane, Shane. I'm only doing it in case the meeting with the Golls' get's fucked."
"Yeah, you said that already. I'm just saying that she'll be ready to take us to Lupus Five."
"...So you're saying every week, someone wakes up and it rotates?" Jack was making sure she had it down pat, didn't want to mess up anything. It's my chance- I will keep up!
"Yeah... We all head out at the same time. The ship's on autopilot- we're using the main shipping lane."
Jack muttered to herself, "Cause ghost lanes will just ghost ya."
"Nah, that's not why we're- oh. Oh. I'm so sorry. You were on the Hunter Gratzner, weren't you?"
Shane and Jonas' heads whipped back. "Ah shit, the kid's gone and opened his mouth."
Jonas quickly placated him, "No, it's fine. Its on the the UF."
"How'd you know about that?" Jack was wary, hoping no one asked about Riddick.
"It's on the universal feed. A couple of our guys were using it to go home- well they never made it. So, what happened? How many people survived?"
Jack's eyes darted around, "I really don't wanna talk about that...nightmare." Jeff waved his hands around, then shook his head. He directed her to show how to operated the system.
"Just put your arm under here; then when you're ready just turn this knob clockwise. If there is a system failure, the cryo will be shut off and you will wake up immediately thereafter. Otherwise, we will wake you up in time for the shift change. Sweet dreams."
Green eyes watched as the older teen walked back up to the front- doing whatever it was that he did. Her gaze drifted to the thing her arm was under. Sighing to herself, Jack turned the dial and watched as her blood was mixed with the blue liquid. Why is it always blue? She thought idly, as the effects kicked in.
As her vision went dark, then happened across what her crew was looking at. It was the video of her blowing Antonia's head off. With her heart beating rapidly against her chest, Jack realized Abu was right. Before she felt herself slip, the brunette promised to tie up loose ends.
Xxxix
"They say most of the brain shuts down in cryo sleep- exempt for the animal side." Jack heard Riddick telling her once, explaining to her why he's always alert.
"So- why do you ever use it? To blend in or..."
He chuckled at her, "You got that right. Don't want them knowing I could ghost them in their sleep."
The green eyed girl beamed at him, "They'll never see you comin'!"
As the memory slipped by, Jack was feeling lightheaded. Why was she dreaming of memories? It flashed, then, to a completely different scene that she had seen before. All through her life, like a memory long forgotten.
The sky was in a haze due to the fires ravaging the trees and other plant life. Shouts and screams, holes in the ground. Whenever the girl looked up, there was a darkness in the blood red sky.
"You need to take her, get her far away from here. She's all I've left-" A woman with light brown hair with beads all throughout was speaking quickly to the man in front of her. The little head moved to see him.
Of course I recognize him, he's my dad... The only one who's familiar... Jack thought to herself as the dream went on. Her body was over the shoulder of the man, little blue eyes looking at the woman's back. There were vein-like shapes curling around her arms, legs and everywhere she could see. It was a triage of colors... Like something from within...
Jack gasped as she woke up, noticing she was the only one. Her eyes still burned when the woman exploded into a thing of light. Shaking her head from the dream, Jack unlatched herself from the chair. Boots clanked against the grates as the teen made her way to the cockpit. Pulling up their coords, Jack looked over their progress. "Holy shit. A month and a half? What..."
"How the hell did you wake up?" A groggy voice asked from behind her, the action causing her to jump.
"Fuck, Jonas! You scared me." The older man swayed over, sitting in the co-pilot's seat. He leaned forward, slapped his face to wake up.
"Oh good. I love scaring little...uh..."
A delicate brown brow lifted, "Little what? Cat got your tongue?" Brown eyes blinked rapidly, and after pressing a few things- pulled up a reverse image. "What are you..." Jack trailed off, seeing her reflection. "The fuck kind of vitamins are you putting in that shit?" Fluffing her shoulder length brown hair, the teen twitched visibly. "Damn it!"
"What is it now?"
"I got tits! Man! I so can't pull off looking like a dude anymore." Crossing her arms over her chest, Jack continued to glare at herself. "So you do got vitamin boosters huh? Or is it hormone boosters? That can do it."
"I'm not really sure... Never seen this happen before. It's only been a month- shouldn't have filled out that fast."
Jack was silent, letting Jonas do his checks- besides, it was their shift. Jonas let her sit quietly- he really didn't care. Green eyes darkened as she thought to herself. I didn't think it would happen the first chance of real cryo. I wonder if- no. That's too stupid. I look every bit closer to-
"Jack? You with me?" Eyes blinked rapidly, adjusting to her surroundings.
"Yup. Sorry about that. Still trying to figure out what kind of messed up-"
"Shut up already, I get it. You're pissed. But hey, now you look like you're about fifteen- instead of whatever you were going for before." He added with glee, eyes purposely checked her out. Her jaw dropped in horror and disgust.
"You sir, have some issues. Serious fucking issues. Kinda like the big guy," With a hitched thumb, the brunette point to Shane sleeping soundly in the back.
"That may be so but-"
Striking red lights started to flash and the alarm sounded. "Fuck! What the hell is..." Jonas pulled up the message and read through it. "The Golls are pushing the meeting- Two days from now? What the hell are they thinking?"
Jack leaned away, watching her boss shout obscenities at the screen as if it could hear him ranting. Jonas, noticing the girl lean away, pulled her arm back so she would be sitting. "Don't lean like that. I'm not mad at you, just these fuckers who can't make up their fucking mind. They set up the meeting to be two weeks from now. They know exactly where we are- I don't fucking get it."
Jack waited for a moment to speak up. "Um so what's the meeting about?" He sighed heavily shaking his head. "If you don't wanna-"
"No, it's fine. Basically, we're telling them to go fuck themselves. It was all on our boss, she wanted the Galls that were found on the Rykengolls home planet. Well, they wanted no part- refused her. So she poached them- taking them back with her. That was a terrible idea- a lot of people died.
"Anyway, once they found out- they made their way over to Lupas Five and stole people. Lupas Three and Five are Clan protected."
The brunette kept quiet as he continued on, how he described the Galls reminded her of the Clan Ship- the monster following Riddick. When his hands waved around to explain his point, Jack couldn't help but laugh. "And what's so funny? I must be missing something here."
"No no, it's just." She started to wave her hands around in a mockery. "When you do this, you remind me of my mom. She use to do that all the time- so you must be a girl under all that man huh?"
Jonas didn't respond right away; continued to look at her out of the corner of his eye. They slid down to her chest and up to her face again. Jonas got up and leaned over Jack, forcing his voice to drop a decibel. "I don't suppose you want to find out for me? I don't think I'll be able check- my hands are busy."
Green eyes widened then narrowed. Leaning up in the seat, Jack forced Jonas back. "Alright. I call your bluff." When her hands went to make a move, the black haired man slapped her away. "What? Don't think I will?" The man groaned.
"Please stop talking."
"Aw come on, you don't think I could take you or something? I could get you one handed." Jonas' head snapped down at her, brown eyes darkening. "Jack..." She hummed as she slowly put her hands on his hips. Tilting her head coyly at Jonas, she released a Cheshire grin. When he was close enough, Jack's smile changed sinister.
"Sucker..." Her hand was curled into a fist, the punch snapped into life. "Yeah, no. I may say some loaded things, but that is nothing I'm interested in."
"The fuck are you, a succubus?" Jack wiped her fist onto her pants as she watched Jonas twitch on the floor. "That was a soft punch."
"I can always try again-"
"Nope! I'm good. Go wake them up, I'm gonna change our course." Jack stared down at him incredulously.
"Need help, old man? Woman? I never did find out." She laughed when he threw something that looked awfully like a wrench.
Xxxix
"Karma doesn't judge anyone, Jack. Keep that with you and you'll be just fine."
The words of her father ran through her head as she darted in and out of the streets. Twirling in mid stride, Jack found the bastards following her. Snarling, the girl finished her spin and slipped into a dark alley. Dumpsters and random particles of trash lined the sides. There were fire escapes, sure. But none of them were any closer to the ground. "Really should have listened to Imam, Jack!" Stomping down the alley, the brunette jumped onto a dumpster and used the wall for leverage when her body leaped over the fence. In a crouch, she smiled briefly before taking charge. Pushing people out of the way, Jack wrapped around back to the port.
"Good, they didn't-" Jack skidded to a stop, one of slavers in front of her. "How about I politely tell you to fuck off!" Charging at the conjoined men with a yell, Jack ripped her knife from her pants. Feinting to the right, then to the left, the teen jumped up and smacked one of them with her boot. Following through with the other foot, the twin elbowed her on her side. She fell to the ground in a heap, then swiped her leg under theirs. Running behind them, the teen stabbed the throats of the twins. Jack pulled away slowly, turned heel and ran farther into the port.
"River Styx. River Styx- Come on come on... Ah!" Jack pulled out the key stick and hurriedly spun the dial. Locking herself in the ship, Jack sighed deeply. "I am so, so sorry, Imam."
Once her pulse was back to normal, Jack ventured into the cockpit and fell into the seat. Her mind whirled around the past six weeks on Lupus Five. She was assigned to man the ship and not go anywhere. The meetings with the Rykengolls, the Siamese twin slaver cult fuckers- what she affectionately called them, were not going well. Seemed they were stealing people off the streets. She wondered why they would do that, finding out later they were in the slave trade. Originally, they wanted to have the woman who poached their Galls- but she was murdered several months ago. They were angry, the previous deal with Antonia had been denied. Instead, they had been petulant- stole Lupans right under the Clan's noses.
Jack had the timing of a lifetime- joining in the middle of a war. The politics involved only made her head spin. Eventually, one of the men in that particular cult asked about the murderer of Antonia Chillingsworth- it was all over the public feeds almost a year later.
It had been Shane who ratted her out. Turns out he did know her from somewhere. He brought up good ole Taurus Three. Not what was on her profile either- nope. Not that. The back story behind it- from when she was born, even the air quotations. Jonas was furious at him- apparently they had a different plan that was ruined. Jeffrey ended up getting killed- Shane went awol and Jonas was telling her to run.
She didn't find his body for a couple weeks- and she stopped herself from crying. In a cold voice, she shook her head. "Don't you cry for him, don't you dare." Instead, her cold fingers searched every pocket he had. "Thank you, Aloha... Or was it Allah?"
Jack pulled out of the memory, strapping herself in and started pre-flight checks. As an afterthought- Jack caused the ship to enter lock down mode.
"River Styx, requesting clearance to fly." Waiting for the correct answer, Jack flicked on the thrusters and pushing forward. Getting off that planet was the only thing that came to mind. Jeff and Jonas were dead. She had no idea where that snake, Shane, ran off to. Maybe he was dead too- it didn't matter.
Soon, the atmosphere was further away and the stars zoomed by. Shutting off the boosters, Jack listened as the ship beeped at her. With a blink, Jack opened the frequency to see a balding man with blue eyes. Gulping calmly, Jack leaned slowly back into the chair. He grinned.
"Hello, Jackie girl. Hm Or should I say woman? It was a pleasant surprise to see tits on your fine little body- which isn't very little anymore I might add."
Jack snarled at him, "What the fuck do you want, Shane?"
"Oh nothing, nothing. Just letting you know that the River Styx is already programed to come back to the Clan Ship." He watched her smugly as she sunk lower. "I've made the deal with the Rykens' We've made a deal that you will go with them and learn their trade."
"You're fucking insane! As if I'd-"
"Honey, you ain't got a choice. You fucked up when you blew our boss's brains away. That sick little look on your face- everyone has seen you. So, our little buddies are gonna take good care of you."
Green eyes watched in terror as the computer redirected itself to the Kublai Khan. The feminine voice called out, "Ion drives initiated. Estimated time of arrival- Eighteen hours. Initiating cryo sleep."
"What? No! Gah!" The pilot's cryo guard was more invasive, locked in place and not so gentle needles were injected. Jack sharply looked up at him. "You're a dead man, Shane."
"Aw, cute. See you soon, princess." Jack kicked the console out of a fit of rage.
When the screen shut out, she tried to pull the band off her arm. "Come on, let go you bastard!" Looking over the chair, she found the blue liquid filling into the hose. Reaching behind her to pull the knife out, Jack raised her arm to hack away at it. "Take that, bitch." The computer, as if knowing there was a malfunction- bleeped and released her arm. She pulled it free of the trap and cradled it to her chest. Whimpering, her fingers danced across the com. "Come on, Betsy, show me...Oh my god..." Jack read the number on Riddick's head compared to hers- including the kills she made to the Rykengolls.
Now that she had the universal feed in her fingertips, Jack searched for everything about Riddick. Green eyes took in the pages of information. She even got to see a picture from when he just barely an adult when he was drafted to war. Blinking, Jack exited out after finding she had zoned out for three hours. Her eyes took a turn to the ceiling and made a list of all the nooks she could fit in.
The brunette found herself squeezed in one such nook, but had enough room to sleep without landing on her face- on the grates. Before long, her eyes had closed and she slept the rest of the way.
"..gotta be in here somewhere. Check the grates, she could be..." Dark green eyes eased open to glance down at the mass of people looking for her. Hands gripped the pulse gun pulled against her chest. Breathe softly, they won't hear you. The hidden body tested on moving around in the cramped space. Jack swallowed hard, forcing her body to turn awkwardly. With one eye closed, the teen turned the safety off and aimed. The red laser didn't help at all, nope.
"Hey, John? You got a little something in your-" The man's sentence was cut off as 'John's' brain matter and blood exploded all over. "What the-!" The last thing the unknown man saw was blazing green eyes looking down the barrel of the hand gun.
Jack pulled back to flip to the other side. More blood was splattered over the transport vessel. She waited a minute before surveying the haul. "Looks clear."
When boots roughly landed on the grates of the floor, Jack picked up one of the rifles and reloaded it. After it was positioned on her shoulder, the brunette slowly walked out of the ship. The first person who she saw was a red head with piercings all over her face. The gravity was almost nil, as she jumped. Finger clasped on the trigger, Jack twisted her body around in the air.
"Gotcha, little girl." With a twitch of her shoulders, Jack pulled the trigger into the man's heart. As she used the dead body as a stepping stone, the girl forced herself to the entrance. Once her boot was the metal floor, a gun was pointed at her temple.
"Hello, precious. My name's Toombs- you may remember me." Small fingers latched onto his wrist's pressure point and was twisted back. She grabbed his gun from him and pointed it to his forehead.
"What was that, precious? I didn't quite hear you." The older merc only smiled, "The fuck are you smiling about, ugly?" All Jack saw was black as her body fell forward into Toombs waiting arms.
Jack groaned as she came to, the large lump on the back of her head letting her know she lost. Her eyes scanned the cell she was in- small, had a bunk and a toilet in the corner. Her knees creaked when she stood up fully. "Where- where the fuck am I?"
A screech came over the intercom, "You will be brought out shortly, keep quiet." The middle finger was pointed at the speaker.
"How about you go fuck yourself and tell me where the hell I am!"
The voice on the other side didn't answer, she was left to her own devices. Which was nothing, they took everything from her. Putting her ear up to the nearest wall not four feet from the bunk, she picked up sounds of the ion drives- not something that would have been heard on a Clan Ship. She hummed in response. The teen backed up until her knees were pressed against the bed and then fell onto it. She groaned again, the bump on her head pulsating. The wall was warm when her cheek pressed against it. Drawing her knees up to her chin, Jack watched the door.
"Wake up, bitch. Time to come out." Eyes opened for the second time that day, staring into the faces of the Rykengoll in front of her.
"Go fuck yourself!" Jack launched her body at the Rykengoll- trying desperately to grab one of their weapons away. She jumped back onto the bunk and waited for them to lunge at her. When the large arms made a move, Jack jumped over their shoulders. Her eyes spotted a beat stick. Grabbing it, she fiddled with the controls until the buzz of electricity filled the room. She twirled it in her hand and took a swipe at their exposed necks.
"You bitch!" The other half pulled a gun and aimed it for her. Jack ducked away, running around behind the combined man- with a yell, the stick went through the chest cavity, the air filled with the scent of scorched flesh. Jack grabbed the gun and shot the other one in the head.
After vacating the hole in the wall, the teen found herself emptying the clip- all shots aimed for their heads or hearts. When another group of them came up from down below, Jack threw the worthless gun in exchange for another of the same.
Green eyes flared and her lips pulled over her teeth in a snarl. "Go to hell, mother fuckers."
Xxxix
Covered in once use to be red liquid- she was covered in dark crimson; staining her hair, skin and part of her heart. Jack stared out into space, ship only floating along. Bright green eyes welled up, splashes of tears had left clear tracks down her cheeks. Her head was blank- as if her system was being rebooted. Her body felt light and cool- head felt pressured. With a shaking hand, she covered her forehead with it. "W-what's wrong with me?"
Opening the menu on the com display, Jack typed in what she that was Abu's last number. While the computer went through the motions, Jack stared at her pink hands. They never stopped shaking. The brunette held onto her wrists- her teeth chattering. Finally, the face of the other survivor- Imam Abu al-Walid. Her watery green eyes drifted to look him in the face. His hands were stretched out in front of him, he stood against the table in the main room. His expression showed anger, fear, worry... It went on.
"Jack... Please, tell me what happened? Why are you covered-"
"With blood."
"Yes, I can see that. I need to know what happened to you. What- who's ship are you on?" A blur came into the video, it was Lajun. "Jack- you're in shock. Just calm down and-"
They both stopped when her eyes had met theirs. Bright blue and green veins trailed from her heart to the rest of her body- the veins glowing under the skin and even the blood. The room started to spin, so Jack closed her eyes and held onto her head. Leaning forward, her hands drifted to the back of her head. "I-Imam! My- my head- it's killing me!"
They watched in horror as the vein trails extended more tiny lines. Where her heart was, the glow of the veins started forming a shape. Abu and Lajun moved from the feed, another person took their place.
"Jack?"
Hands fell from her neck as she slowly looked up at the new person. "Who are you?"
The woman smiled, it fell quickly though. "You need to try to lower your heart beat down. Concentrate, I know you can do this."
"How the hell do you know this shit, lady?" However, Jack took deep long breaths- forcing her heart to calm down. The calculating blue eyes watched as the young woman did as she was told. After some time, the veins retreated back up from where they came. Jack's head snapped up and stared at the elderly woman. "I-," Her eyes darted around before she spoke, "I want to thank you for helping me. I don't even know you."
"My name is Aereon; and you are welcome." Aereon took a seat, with her hands folded in front of her. "How long has it been since you last killed?" Jack, with a slack jaw, gaped at her incredulously. "Now, I'm being serious."
She swallowed audibly. "I- I don't really know." Her eyes darted to and fro again. "I just know I came out of that cage and- then it went blank. I don't remember what happened. All I know is, is that I 'came to' once I sat down here. And I was covered in blood. It's everywhere foreign blood should just not be." She shook her head to prove her point. "See that, it hardly moved."
"I'm sending you the coordinates back to Helion Prime. I will have escorts waiting for you."
The brunette eyed the woman suspiciously. "Why should I trust you? I mean, I am thankful for you're help and all- I don't know you."
Her eyes flashed something Jack couldn't get a read on. "They are going to get you cleaned up- I don't think the Helion Guard will much appreciate you gallivanting across their city covered with blood."
Her back snapped ramrod straight- glared at her with as much ferocity as she could conjure. A low growl spilled from her lips as she spoke. "Who the fuck do you think you are? Threatening me?"
On the other side of the universe, Abu shook his head. Holding on to his pray beads tightly, the man paced the foyer. Lajun latched onto his arm, keeping her eyes on her now two year old daughter. "Abu, please. We can't do anything from over here."
Brown eyes shook as he looked over to his daughter then his wife. "It is not Jack I am worried about- that is not what I meant. I mean- it is Riddick. He will be furious."
Their attention was alerted when they heard the older voice of Jack- growling at the Elemental. "Who the fuck do you think you are? Threatening me?"
The Imam rushed into the kitchen. "Jack, please- she is just trying to help you. I do not have the power to sneak you back- not after that incident."
The bright green eyes darkened as her face contorted into rage. "I fucking know, Imam. Where do you think I've been? I've been gone, what? Maybe a few months?"
Abu looked at Lajun then back at her. "Jack... It's almost been two years."
On the Rykengoll ship, the brunette started. "No way- you're wrong. I've counted. I don't even think I've been with the Golls for more than a couple days."
Aereon started this time, who saw the blood more clearly. "Rykengolls? Jack, they can make you forget how long you've been with them."
Jack's body slumped in the chair, teeth gnawed on her fingernails. "I outran them on Lupus and then I remember being back at the Clan Ship. After that, I swear I just woke up for the first time. It was a month and a half to Lupas Five from whatever dive station we were at. The fight on Lupus was about another month and a half. About a day's worth of travel to Kublai Khan-"
Imam's face fell and he too saw the blood for the first time- in it's entirety. "Jack... That ship that you...-ack?...-ck?..."
His voice echoed in her head, green eyes blanked out of the world. "First you're a boy, then you're a girl and now you're a psychic. Careful what you wish for, Jack."
Aereon spoke then, "I will be seeing you soon," Abu and Lajun drifted out of the room, leaving the two with privacy. "Kyra..."
Jack fell out of the memory, "What did you just say?" Aereon revealed only a smug look before the screen started to zap out. "No! Wait! How do you know that name!" Her heart thumped wildly against the rib cage- nervous anxiety flooded her system before she drifted to sleep.
Xxxix
A man placed an infant into a small cryo chamber. His hands shook with sadness and fear- knowing he wouldn't see his child for years to come. Little eyes with the blue shining of the night sky fluttered open. Her arms came up to be picked up. The man smiled and gave her a kiss on her head and over her heart. "I will see you again- Sweet dreams,..."
The infant baby pulled her arms back down to herself as she watched in fascination as glass came over the top of her. A giggle escaped when a gas filled the tiny compartment. Dreams of the shining woman followed with her.
Jack groaned as she turned over in her seat- she had wanted true sleep.
Lively green eyes danced watching her parents dance around the room happily. Her father had gotten a new job- they didn't have to live in the slip of a house anymore. When the night fell, her father brought her into her room. After he tucked her in, he sat next to her stroking her hair.
"Do you have a new story, father?" The very young girl, who looked every bit of three years old had the intelligence of most children who were ten years of age. He smiled, but it was forced. He knew he had to do this to her, even though it was pointless. People would start to notice when her body was stunted, but her mind continued to absorb and process information.
"How about... your mother." The girl's face skewed into a look of confusion.
"But mother is in the kitchen- I already know her." His lips twitched as he patted her hair- which was light brown almost blond. She would grow out of it eventually.
"..., she is but she isn't. The woman who gave birth to you lived in a place very far away." The little girl pouted, but let him continue. "She loved you the moment she saw you. But, our home was in the middle of a war. For six years, we were plagued with war. Once they learned of us, more continued to come. Ravaging villages, cities and capitals alike. We had to leave- but your mother never made it."
The girl was silent for a few moments before she spoke, "She was the lady with the neon lines all over her; wasn't she?"
The blonde haired man started, never realizing she could still remember that kind of memory. "How do you know this?"
"It's... Not something I can ever forget, father. So it was her then, my mother?"
Jack gracefully fell out of the pilot's seat onto the floor. The woman jumped to her feet, eyes wild like an animal. "What the?" Her head whipped around, trying to find the cause of the shake. Her eyes narrowed to slits as she noticed it was awfully dark in the ship. Her body slowly turned around and saw pitch black through the wind screen. Her muscles tightened around her body, expecting another attack. The door exploded outward and Jack picked up one of the pulse guns from off the ground. The finger on the trigger continued to let loose all hell. It was abandoned as the brunette rolled on the floor- she scooped another as she ran out of the ship. It was darker on the outside. Jack grunted and rolled underneath the docked ship. Her ears picked up the sounds of footsteps- heavy and multiple. Probably guards of some sort. As they got closer, Jack rolled to the other side. Slowly, the girl got to her feet and stalked around the ship. The people had flashy armor on that shone with some material she couldn't recognize.
Made her job easier.
Just as Jack was about to pull the trigger, a voice boomed over the speakers. "Drop your weapon, we're not here to hurt you. I don't want anymore of my guards blown beyond recognition." It paused for a second, then continued. "All of you Furyans are the fucking same. Kill first, ask questions later."
"Emberon, shut up! Aereon didn't want you here for a reason- your mouth is way too big."
Jack's ears perked up hearing the voice of her friend. "Dita? Is that you?"
Another pause, longer this time. "Hey, Jackie. We can talk when we've docked. The ship you brought in will be jettisoned before we hit the atmosphere. If you need-"
"Nope, go for it." The brunette crossed her arms over her chest as she followed the men out of the extremely shadowed bay. Once out, she got to take a good look. Big enough to carry a skiff or three but too big to dock on the planet itself. The people she passed looked normal enough- there were no badges on them. The walk to wherever took about five minutes- Dita met them at the end of the hall.
"I would hug you, but you're... Well, of course you knew that."
The green eyed girl smiled meekly, "Yeah. I don't suppose I can hit the showers? I feel like I've been covered in this shit for weeks. Oh and congratulations."
The crimson haired woman looked confused then it dawned on her. "Oh. Oh yeah. Sorry, it's been so long I was confused. Sorry, Jackie. I was promoted to Helion Guard right before you left, as you know. But shortly thereafter, the Elemental's offered me a job. This ship," Her arms arched to emphasize her point, "Has been here for just under two years. Instead of guarding Helion, I guard the Elemental Envoy. It's pretty snazzy- like a formal dinner."
"The way you compare things sometimes amazes me, Dita. Where did you learn these fancy words? Not New Mecca, no way."
"Rich speak you have there, Jack. Here's your room temporarily. After you've cleaned up, I'll send someone for you."
Jack put a hand on her friend's shoulder, all signs of jest gone from her face. "What do they want with me, Dita. Can you tell me that?"
Jack knew there was something going on, her friend's face looked guilty. She waved goodbye and was gone shortly after. She opened the door to the little room. It had all the essentials- bed, bathing room, a desk and a dresser. She walked over to the dresser, pulling out the drawer. There were clothes inside, but nothing she would be caught dead wearing. A dark green tank that was stretchy with a V-cut neckline. Her eyes twitched- Jack knew eventually she wouldn't be able to pull off the butch look. Brown hair crunched about when she shook her head. Panties, bra and black cargo pants were under the shirt. Her shoulders drooped, giving up. "Just do it, you haven't had a shower in who knows how long."
Crimson flooded the stall as Jack let the water run over her. The steam filled the small room, and she finally looked down at her naked body. The bruises on the inside of her thighs shocked her the most. She bit the inside of her wrist as she choked back sobs. Patches of purple, yellow and red ran over every inch of her body. "How did I not notice? Did they drug me?"
With a dry throat, Jack calmed herself enough to soap up a rag. She started at her nether region and scrubbed it raw- moved on to do the same with the rest of herself. When her skin was tinged a shade of pink, Jack moved on to take care of her hair and rid herself of unwanted hair. After she was all clean, the brunette sank to her knees. Her hair had gotten longer again, it was half way down her back.
Jack sat in the shower until the water ran cold. She got dressed quickly afterwords. "I can't believe I never noticed. Who forgets something like that?" Her body tensed up after a jolt of electricity shot down her spine. "Who's out there?"
The voice on the other side was muffled, "Ma'am? Lady Aereon is ready for you now." The door was ripped open; which caused the man to jump. "Ma-guh!"
Jack's hand squeezed his neck and pulled herself closer to his face. "Look here, buddy. I'm not the type who follows orders. So unless you're gonna force me, I'm not leaving this room." She let him go after she punched his nose. "It's nothing personal." Jack slammed the door and went back to the room. There was nothing she could use to make a shiv out of; Jack curled up on the bed and watched the door like a hawk.
I'm always watching doors nowadays, she thought to herself. And she didn't have to wait much longer before there was a quiet knock.
It was a voice she recognized, "Kyra, may I come in?" However, before Jack could deny the request, the woman waltzed right in.
"If you're just gonna walk in, why even bother asking?" Jack didn't move from her spot on the bed, instead watched as the woman drifted over to stand closer to the furniture. "What the hell are you?"
Aereon smiled knowingly, "Do you know what you are, Ky-"
"Stop calling me that!" Her green eyes were sharp and pierced right into Aereon. "I don't know where you heard that name, but I don't use it anymore."
The woman in white waited patiently while the young woman on the bed huffed in frustration. "I will continue using your real name." Jack responded without missing a beat.
"And I will continue to tell you to go fuck yourself."
"The first stop were are going to is Slam City. There, you will seek out the guards there- they are known as Shiners."
Jack shook her head defiantly, "I don't know who you think you are- I came here to see Abu and his family. Not get taken away-"
"You will search for the one who is different from all the rest. You will escape after learning everything you can. From then on out, I will drop you off at every slam from here to the Bedlam system."
The brunette slowly slipped off the bed, glaring at Aereon. "What makes you think I'll just do what you tell me? I'm not a soldier or a dog." She gave the elderly woman her middle finger. "Shove it."
Aereon sighed, "Defiant to the very end- You will do as I say or you will die."
With taut muscles, Jack lunged for the Elemental- who blew away to the opposite side of the room. Twisting her body with the use of her heel, the green eyed woman went to attack again. When Aereon turned her body to flee, but quick hand snapped out. "Whoa, where do you think you're goin'?"
The woman dressed in a white robe regarded the young woman. Her body moved around to take her in. Slitted eyes watched her movements closely and constantly darted to the floor where her feet were not making any noise.
Her hair had all but dried out; it was slightly curled from being in the water. The once slip of a girl went from twelve to seventeen in two years.
"Kyra, just how old are you now? And please, tell me the truth."
"Psh, lady please. How old are you?" Jack fell to her knees when something blindsided her from behind. Her hands dug into the tan carpet and felt herself well up in anger. "What-"
"Kyra, no surname. Age is approximately seventeen according to Taurus Three citizenship. Parents are unknown. Also, according to Tauran records, you were brought out of an experimental cryo system. The effects are unknown."
The woman didn't so much as flinch after she heard about the past. Instead, she slowly sat up on her haunches- eyes that looked so much older in her young body.
"So you are threatening me- bringing up shit you don't know anything about."
Aereon drifted a few paces until she sat front of Jack. "You can take it as such or you can do as I say."
"I thought it was," Her fingers curled into air quotations, "'You will do as I say or you will die,' ring a bell? Cause I don't follow no one else's orders but my own- and I'm telling you this: If you don't listen to me, I'll kill you my damn self."
Aereon began to figure out that she would not be able to convince her otherwise. "I will return with an hour to check on you, Kyra." She promptly left afterwords.
Jack jumped to her feet and ran into the bathroom. Her eyes scanned the room for cameras- failed to find any. The door was kicked shut with a black boot. "There's gotta be a razor or something sharp in here." She sat on her knees as her hands flew through the draws. A smirk slowly stretched across her lips when she found a couple shaving razors. "Men, good for only sharp, pointy objects."
She sniffed the air offhandedly. Her hand covered her nose as she ran from the room. There was some kind of steam filling in from the trim of the floor. The white smoke flooded the floor before raising to the ceiling. "What the hell is this shit?!" Unfortunately, Jack began to feel the effects of the drug. "Like a fucking animal..." Her vision blacked out again and her body crumpled to the floor.
Xxxix
The last thing the Imam, Abu al-Walid remembered was a blur as Jack ran through front door of his home. He was too startled to take in her appearance and pulled her into his arms. She pushed him away, "Tell me where he is, Imam. I'm not playing this run around game anymore."
He shook his head, his smile fell as he took her in. "What happened to you? Why are you-"
"Covered in blood? Those mercs slaved me out! I only came here- you're the only one who knows where he's at! Can't you even give me a fucking clue!"
He grunted and slipped away from her into the living room. "I cannot do that, Jack."
Jack's hands fell into fists, "Just tell me, please, Abu. Just give me a system or something to start! I even have a ship to get there. Just. Can you support me for once in your life instead of caging me up? I'm done being toyed with."
Abu knew he had lost when the system tumbled out of his mouth, "Proxima System." Her hazel eyes lit up.
"Ha! I knew you were gonna do that," Jack snapped her fingers together proudly, "Alright, I gotta get outta here. Didn't exactly make friends, if you know what I mean." With a beaming smile, the brown haired teen ran back out of the house.
Abu wasn't sure if he was dreaming or not; it happened in a span of two minutes. The Imam shook his head in confusion and headed to his room for a much needed nap.
tbc