Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever own Riddick or anything associated with said series.
Riddick awoke to the sound of metal hitting metal and nearly opened his eyes to see what was going on before realizing his goggles were no longer in place. He was about to ask if he could get them back when he felt them being slipped back over his head.
"Sorry about that, I meant to put them back on earlier but completely forgot."
Looking up at the woman before him he tried to figure out how she'd known he was awake. He hadn't moved or made any sort of sound, hell, even his breathing had remained the same. And yet somehow she'd picked up on it mere moments after he'd come to.
"Nice eyes by the way," she continued conversationally. "Not something I'd have done mind you, but the shine really adds to the whole badass look you've got going on there."
When he refused to respond, Lyra gave a half shrug and went back to what she'd been doing earlier. Sliding the crate she'd tossed up out of a storage compartment under the floor towards her chair with her foot, she plopped down in the seat and pushed the top aside so she could get to the supplies inside.
Watching as she pulled out a tube and began to rub some kind of salve on the darkening spots on her skin, he was pleased to see that she had actually taken some damage during their little scuffle. She hadn't given any signs of being injured, and her speed had remained constant the entire time, so a part of him had begun to doubt that any of his hits had made contact.
"You know," he began when she starting wrapping a particularly large bruise on her side with a bandage. "I'd have come with you willingly if you'd just asked."
Tying off the wrap, she sent a grin his way. "What, and miss the opportunity to have a real fight for a change? Where's the fun in that?" Tugging her tank top back down once she was finished, she kicked the crate out of the way to deal with later and turned around to face the console.
A bit annoyed at being brushed off so easily, Riddick gave his chains a hard tug, making sure to rattle them enough that the noise echoed throughout the entire cockpit. "You're awfully confident that these little bonds of yours are going to keep me in check. Aren't you even the least bit afraid I'll bust out of here and slit your throat while your back is turned?"
Not bothering to turn around, Lyra waved her hand dismissively. "Even if you did manage to escape, which you won't, you'll never be able to sneak up on me. I'd let you wander the ship if I wasn't worried about you breaking something."
She was cocky that was for sure, but then she had every right to be. Okay, so technically she'd taken him out with a cheap shot, but the fact that she'd been close enough to pull something like that off spoke volumes about her skill. And while he had managed to do some damage, she'd made sure that while painful, none of his hits hindered her movements or left anything more than a bruise. He'd seriously underestimated her.
Since her attention was elsewhere he allowed himself the opportunity to take in his surroundings. He'd seen ships like this before, but it was obvious she'd done some major remodeling to this particular one. The electronic equipment, what he could see of it anyway, looked to be top of the line, not something you usually saw in a ship this size. There were several locked racks filled with weapons, most of which he figured she got illegally seeing as they weren't your average guns, but the locking mechanisms on those puppies would take hours to crack, if he was lucky.
There were two hallways, one on either side of him, and if he remembered the layout of this particular craft correctly one led to a makeshift galley and the other to what passed for a bedroom and bath.
Had he not known she was a merc before, a quick glance of her ship would've told him everything he needed to know. It was practical, reliable, and filled with all sorts of deadly toys. Including the nice contraption she had rigged up for him in the middle of the main part of the ship. The only thing missing as far as he could tell was the cryo gear that seemed to be standard on merc ships. Spending so much time in space, it was practically a necessity for anyone in the business of tracking bounties.
It was also helpful in keeping said bounties manageable; much easier to transport someone who's under. Not that the stuff ever worked on him.
Moving his eyes back to the setup that was holding him in place, Riddick frowned. He'd seen all kinds of holds before, broken out of most of them, but he grudgingly had to admit that he wouldn't be able to bust himself free this time without some kind of outside help. Strapped to a chair with a thick leather belt around his chest, waist and thighs, his ankles were locked together with some impressive looking cuffs that attached to a two-inch metal ring which was stuck to the floor. His wrists were chained to the chair beneath him as well as several other rings that were located on the floor just behind his shoulders. On top of that there was some sort of collar around his neck with a chain that ran all the way to the ceiling. He could move his head, arms and legs a few inches in any direction, but that was all the leeway he had. Whoever had designed this particular beauty knew what they were doing.
She was perfectly silent when she moved, and if he hadn't picked up her unique spicy scent as she neared his temporary prison he might have jumped when she spoke.
"What do you think, nice huh?" she asked, pointing at the elaborate system she'd rigged shortly after she'd bought the ship. "I took the best, and made it better."
"Not bad," he admitted. "Seems a bit of an overkill to me though. Once you put someone in cryo they don't move around all that much."
"Don't use the stuff. Figure if I've got to be awake my guest may as well suffer too."
Before he could ask why, the computer screen behind her came to life and she spun around with a confused look on her face. Slipping into the chair, she pressed her finger down on one of the buttons and waited for the signal to connect.
"Lyriana Marie Holden, what in the name of hell do you think you're doing?!"
Cringing, he only used her full name when he was seriously pissed off, she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "I take it you've heard then?"
"Everyone in the 'verse has heard by now!" the grey haired man on the video screen snapped. "Going after Riddick by yourself, I thought we raised you with more brains than that!"
Despite being well into his sixties, Markum Tenner was a force to be reckoned with. Born and raised on the Tanker, a sturdily built ship that could accommodate a crew of twenty with ease, he took over as Captain when his father died and has been in charge of the best group of mercs around ever since. It was an honor to be part of his crew, and Lyra was extremely grateful for everything he'd done for her and her mother.
"I know you don't like me being out here on my own, but I can take care of myself old man. You should know that better than anyone; you helped trained me after all."
Running a hand over his face in exasperation, Markum released a heavy sigh before shaking his head. "I never said you couldn't, but this is Riddick we're talking about here. Not exactly your run of the mill criminal that one. He's dangerous, cunning, and one hell of a fighter."
Her hand moved to her injured side as she remembered precisely how good he was, freezing when the man on the screen narrowed his eyes. Wracking her brain for any excuse that would throw him off, she saw his eye begin to twitch and knew it was a lost cause.
"He's right behind you isn't he?" he asked, already knowing the answer. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he took a deep breath before continuing. "How bad?"
"Nothing to worry about," she replied truthfully. "A few cuts and bruises, but other than that I'm perfectly fine."
Giving her a serious look, he threw his hands up in the air in defeat. "Well seeing as there's nothing I can do about it now, I suppose I'll just have to say . . . excellent work. Your mother would be proud."
Beaming with pride, she smiled at the man who was the closest thing she'd had to a father. "Thanks."
Markum was silent for a moment before asking, "So, you going to tell me why you decided to go after the big fish all of a sudden? You in some sort of trouble? Cause if you are you know I'll help out in any way I can."
"It's not for me," Lyra said with a shake of her head. "I got my friend into a bad situation so I'm going to make up for it by giving him enough for his family to live on for awhile."
"That's one hell of a payday to give away there kid."
"You know me; I never cared about the money anyway." He laughed at their inside joke and she grinned in response. Hearing a voice in the background, she cocked her head to the side curiously. "You got somewhere you need to be?"
"Yeah, sorry to cut this short, but we're on our way to Chariz to drop off a couple of bounties and I need to get the paperwork ready for their transfers. We'll be there for a few weeks to resupply and relax, so once you ditch your cargo why don't you come visit for awhile. The guys will be happy to see you, I know Cane's itching to spar with you again, and I haven't had a decent conversation since I saw you last."
"Sounds good," she said nodding. "If all goes well I'll see you in about a week." Waving, she clicked off the screen and leaned back in her chair. She didn't get to see her old crew as often as she'd like, but they still got together once or twice a year to catch up, and as always she was really looking forward to spending time with them.
"So, Lyriana is it?"
There was just one tiny little thing she had to deal with before then.
"It's Lyra," she snapped over her shoulder. "Only Markum is allowed to call me that."
Riddick held his hands up in surrender. "Lyra it is then."
Giving him a curt nod, she punched in the coordinates to the nearest slam. Originally she'd been planning on taking him somewhere more secure, like Butcher Bay, but that would add another few weeks to her trip and she'd miss meeting up with the Tanker. Instead she chose a much smaller prison, which she had no doubt he could bust out of with his eyes closed and both hands tied behind his back.
She'd just finished adjusting the ship's direction so it was on the correct course when she heard Riddick speak up.
"You do know I'm worth more dead, right?"
Giving him a look that implied he was an idiot, she rolled her eyes. "Of course. I wouldn't be much of a bounty hunter if I couldn't read the warrants now would I."
When she didn't say anything else, he pressed on. "If you know that then why haven't you ghosted me yet? You could've easily done so back on the planet instead of hauling my ass around."
"True, but I don't kill people for money. If the guys who run the prison want you dead they're more than welcome to bury you in a ditch for all I care, as soon as they pay me my fee of course. Until then I'll keep you alive and, for the most part, healthy."
Shrugging the best he could tied up the way he was, Riddick dropped the subject. He'd found out all he'd needed to know anyway. A merc who was only in it for the cash wouldn't deal in anything else. One who thought of it as a job, however, would likely have a code they followed which usually made them easier to negotiate with.
The pair was silent for some time, each lost in their own thoughts, when Lyra wrinkled her nose and turned around suddenly. "You really stink," she stated bluntly, pushing herself to her feet and making her way towards his chair. "If I let you out to shower, will you behave?"
"Cross my heart," he replied, looking the picture of innocence.
Raising her eyebrow, she shook her head in amusement. "Alright, give me a minute to get things ready for you."
She disappeared down the hall to his right and was gone for a couple of minutes, giving him plenty of time to plan out several different ways of trying to get the upper hand while he was loose.
Walking up to him she gave him a pointed look, promising all kinds of hell if he tried anything. When he tipped his head slightly in acknowledgment, she went about releasing the chains that held his wrists and ankles in place. He did nothing more than stretch his arms once he was free so she went around behind him and unfastened the collar around his neck. Stepping back, she motioned to the remaining straps around his body. "You can remove those yourself."
Keeping his movements slow and deliberate, he undid the belts holding him down and rose to his feet. Popping his neck, he shifted his shoulders around to relieve some of the tension.
"Down the hall, door on the left," Lyra said, jerking her thumb in the direction she was referring to. "I left you some soap, a towel, and a change of clothes. Oh, and you won't find anything useful back there for whatever escape plan you've concocted, so don't waste your time looking." Since there was nothing more to say, she turned her back to him and went back to her chair.
He remained where he was for a few moments, but she soon heard his footsteps heading down the hall, the noise fading once he closed the bathroom door, and she allowed herself to relax slightly. She'd meant what she'd said about him not being able to sneak up on her, no one had ever been able to get the drop on her before, but it was a tossup whether she'd be able to beat him again in a fight if it came down to that. Despite her lineage and the training drilled into her by both her mother and the crew of the Tanker, she had her doubts. Riddick was one seriously powerful SOB.
Choosing not to think about it any longer, the worst that would happen is he'd take her ship and she'd have to track his ass down and gut him for it, she began digging around in one of the compartments near her feet for something to read. He may have a long list of kills tacked onto his name, but nothing about him screamed cold-blooded murderer. So long as she didn't piss him off too badly she figured she'd be fine.
When he came back into the room ten minutes later she had kicked her feet up on the console and was nose deep in a book, looking far too relaxed for someone with a dangerous convict free on her ship. She was dressed a bit differently then when they'd fought, something he hadn't noticed earlier what with his attention being focused on more important things like how to bust free from his shackles, in dark skintight pants that had an empty holster strapped to her thigh and he figured she must've taken a shower herself before he'd woken up. It wasn't exactly relative to the situation at hand, but would explain the soft floral smell he'd picked up when she was releasing him that was just barely masking her normal scent.
Since she appeared to be weaponless at the moment, those clothes of hers left no place to hide anything, and hadn't so much as flinched when he'd stepped into the cockpit, he slowly crept towards her chair.
There was a gun aimed at him after three steps and he froze, one foot hovering inches above the ground.
"I said I wouldn't kill you," she said without looking away from the book. "That doesn't mean I won't shoot you in the knee if you try and come any closer."
Holding his hands up, Riddick took several steps back for good measure. "No need to get violent; I just wanted to know if you really were as good as you said. Call it, professional curiosity."
"Stupidity is more like it," Lyra muttered with a roll of her eyes before folding down the corner of the page she was on and setting the book down on the console. Dropping her feet to the floor she snapped her gun back into its holster and turned to face the man behind her who was now wearing a pair of Markum's old dark blue cargo pants and a black t-shirt. "I know your brain's going a mile a minute trying to figure out the best way for you to get out of this, but you may as well give up. I don't give a damn about sob stories, care even less for seduction techniques, you'll never get close enough to be able to use your brute strength to your advantage, and there's nothing you can get to onboard that will aide you in your escape. You're on my ship now and you're not getting off until I say so."
She paused momentarily before adding, "Now, be a good little prisoner and strap yourself back in."
It had been a very long time since he'd been so completely overwhelmed by an opponent, not since he was a child, but every time he thought he might be able to get ahead of the woman she seemed to already be there laughing at him. It was really starting to irritate him.
Giving a shrug to show being locked up didn't bother him, he sat down and cinched the three belts back into place, making sure to pull them extra tight to show he was being thorough.
As soon as he was locked back in he assumed she was going to finish tying him down, instead she stood up and headed down the hallway opposite the one he'd used a few minutes prior. She wasn't gone long, and when she came back in she tossed a pouch and a small bottle of water to him before taking a seat once more.
"Eat up," she said, tearing off the top of her package and sucking down whatever meal she'd happened to grab.
Well that explained why she'd left him mostly free. Checking the containers in his hands for any sign of tampering, he eventually deemed it safe and dug in. He hadn't eaten for almost two days, having run out of supplies on that merc ship he'd taken when he'd left the planet. Before catching wind of her at the bar he'd planned on getting himself a decent meal. A shower and clothes had been next on his list.
Looking at the food in his hands and the clean outfit she'd found for him he reasoned that perhaps she wasn't all that bad. For a merc anyway.
They ate in silence, Lyra grabbing the trash from Riddick as soon as he was finished and tossing it into a garbage bin along with her own. Wiping a few drops of water from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand she stood up and headed over to her prisoner. Without a word she reattached the various pieces and made sure he was securely tied down by tugging on the chains and checking each of the rings for any problems. Seeing that everything was in proper working order, she backed away with a nod.
Normally she slept in her room, regardless of whether or not she had a bounty tied up on board, but he was anything but normal so instead she grabbed an emergency blanket from a cupboard in the side wall. "Want one?" she asked, raising the dark green blanket into the air. He shook his head and she closed the door with her hip as she wrapped the scratchy wool material around her upper body. "Suit yourself."
The pilot's seat wasn't the most comfortable place to sleep, but it had been a long few days and she was out moments after she leaned her head back and closed her eyes.
Riddick watched her for some time, paying special attention to her breathing to make sure she was in a deep sleep, before shifting his arm ever so slightly and causing the chain holding it to scrape gently against the chair. When she didn't move he tried one of his legs next, giving it a small, quick kick to up the noise level a bit more.
He continued on in the same manner, becoming louder with each tug and pull, until he finally got a reaction. She had turned onto her side after a fairly harsh yank of his wrist so he'd immediately stopped moving, waiting for her to fall back to sleep.
"I know what you're doing," she said suddenly, her voice thick with sleep. "But it's not going to work. I'm a light sleeper, kind of comes with the job, and no matter how slowly or quietly you move I will always hear you. Now kindly shut the hell up so I can sleep."
Chuckling at her tone, she sounded more like a whiny kid than a hardened merc, he tipped his head back and closed his eyes. May as well grab some shut eye himself seeing as there wasn't anything better to do at the moment.
