AN: Regin, Irishbrneyes, , and Shenandoah76209 for the recent reviews. It really makes my day to open my inbox and see the reviews you guys leave. I hope you guys don't end up throwing shivs at me after this chapter though. Now on with the show!
Chapter 3: Just when I thought I'd reached the bottom
Songs: Going Under by Evanescence and Fight Song by Marilyn Manson
XXX
River's POV
She drags the shiv along her arm and it leaves a trail of deep red in its wake.
"They're getting closer." She says as her hand tightens around the shiv in her hands.
...Now I will tell you what I've done for you -
Fifty thousand tears I've cried...
It used to be she could barely feel the guitar strings...each one connected to a different person...but as they get closer and closer to the truth she feels them again. Some are in tune and sing sad songs...others were saved before they snapped...and some still remain so tight they could snap at any minute...
...Screaming, deceiving and bleeding for you -
And you still won't hear me...
Her salty tears sting the fresh cuts on her arms as they fall. She's tried everything she could think of to warn them...but no matter what she does she doesn't have the missing piece to complete the puzzle.
"It won't matter soon." She says as more tears fall.
...Maybe I'll wake up for once (wake up for once)
Not tormented daily defeated by you
Just when I thought I'd reached the bottom
I'm dying again...
She's seen every possibility, run every equation that they bring up. But she doesn't have all the variables... too many missing factors. Things that need to be accounted for.
...Blurring and stirring - the truth and the lies.
(So I don't know what's real) So I don't know what's real and what's not (and what's not)...
"We must run as fast as we can, just to stay in place. And if we wish to go anywhere we must run twice as fast as that." The girl says as she draws another line of angry red on her arm. Its nothing to the pain she knows is coming...she only does it to remind herself to fight...because the pain means she is alive.
...Always confusing the thoughts in my head
So I can't trust myself anymore...
She throws the shiv into the wall then and pulls her knees to her chest...clutching at herself.
"I wish I knew how to save you...and me."
I'm going under
XXX
"Open up in there!" A man yells from the other side as the knocking continues.
"They are searching houses!" Lajjun hisses to Book as she comes down stairs with Ziza in her arms. "They look for a man who came here today. They think he might be a spy."
"A spy? Did someone see him come here today? Did they?" Book turns and looks from Mal to Riddick.
"We're sure he's in there!" The man yells from the outside again.
"I will send them away...But wait one minute, please. Will you wait one minute to save worlds?" Book asks.
"Not our fight."
"This doesn't just affect us Riddick, it affects her too." Book says before he turns and walks to the door to try and shoo the men away.
"You may want to go with them Mal." Riddick says as he walks past Mal into a back room.
"You sure?"
"Ain't like they are going to be much of a challenge."
XXX
Riddick's POV
Mal turns and walks away and I hear the commotion outside. I extinguish all but two candles in the back room. The men..soldiers by the sound of it quickly storm the house looking for me. Their boots stomp through the house until all eight of them are slowly approaching the doorway to the room I am in.
My back is turned to them and I slowly extend the palms of my hands above the two remaining candles. "You're not afraid of the dark, are you?"
My palms extinguish the flames and the entire room is plunged into darkness. The soldiers begin to wildly fire and I quickly duck into the chaos and pull out my shivs.
"Where is he?" A scared soldier asks.
I take out him and two others before I hear the others retreating. After a moment I hear two sets of footsteps approaching. I walk into the other room and see Book and Mal. Time for some answers...
"You mentioned her."
"She, uh..." Book stammers, which is interesting, because in all the time I have known this man never stumbles over his words.
Mal is quick to jump in now. "If it concerns her you best tell us."
"There is a rumor...the Necromongers...are looking for something on all of the world's they conquer...a girl...unlike any other girl...one that could tip the balance..."
"And you didn't think to tell us this?" Mal fumes.
"I only just heard..." Book says sheepishly.
"Do we have any idea of where she is?" I ask trying to contain my anger at the fucked up situation.
Book nods. "I have found some records...of a transport ship carrying one prisoner...headed for a world so hot you would not survive on the surface."
XXX
River's POV
...Reality Shifts...
She spent the last week between being drugged and in cryo. They had done a number on her after she had surrendered. But when the signal went out...well, let's just say that the squad that had picked her up jumped ship and decided to unload her, and they had left her with a merc crew...
...Nothing suffocates you more than
The passing of everyday human events...
"So, where do we drop your murderin' ass? Who's gonna pay the most for you now? Butcher Bay?"
...Isolation is the oxygen mask you make
Your children breathe in to survive...
She looks up now at the mercs in front of her. Three men, ex-Alliance by the looks of the weapons they carry. A nickel-slick badge hanging off each of their shirts. They reminder her of the blue-eyed devil...
...But I'm not a slave to a god
That doesn't exist...
They have her chained at the back of the transport...her arms and legs...but she's defiant as ever. They are playing with her...they know exactly where they are going, but they haven't been briefed on who she is..or what she can do... They feel like playing with what they think of as their prey...oh if only they knew.
...But I'm not a slave to a world
That doesn't give a shit...
She smiles. "Butcher Bay. Ten minutes every other day on the dog run. Protein waffles aren't bad." She is pulling up fragments of his memories...she can hear the inflection in her voice change to reflect this...
...And when we were good
You just closed you eyes...
"Now how would a little piece of ass like you know that?" The main merc...Lou...asks.
"A friend told her."
"This friend of yours have a name?"
She gives them a feral smirk now. "Maybe."
...So when we are bad
We'll scar your minds...
"Hey, how 'bout Ursa Luna? Nice little double-max prison." The merc to Lou's left asks.
"Like staying at a bed and breakfast...I'm sure they have an empty cell...just in case she drops by." She chuckles as the men look a little more uncomfortable the more she speaks.
...You'll never grow up to be a big-
Rock-star-celebrated-victim-of-your-fame...
"You know the problem with these joints now? Health clubs for waffle-eatin' bitches. Maybe we should think about uppin' our game here a little bit. Think about someplace truly diabolical."
"What the hell is he thinkin' now?" The merc to the right asks.
...They'll just cut our wrists like
Cheap coupons and say that death
Was on sale today...
"He's thinkin' a triple-max prison. A no-daylight slam, only three of' 'em left in this system… two of' 'em outta range for a shitty little undercutter like this one with no legs...Leavin' just… one… Crematoria. That is what you had in mind, right, Lou?"
...And when we were good
You just closed you eyes...
The merc to the right looks confused. "Hey, how does she know where we're goin'?"
Lou's face has lost its joking nature now. His thoughts have been replaced with anger. He doesn't like that she knows. "Dope it out."
...So when we are bad
We'll scar your minds...
"I hate this run." The merc on the left says as he turns to leave.
"Just do it!" Lou yells over his shoulder.
...But I'm not a slave to a god
That doesn't exist...
"Don't know about this crew of yours… They seem a bit skittish. Probably shouldn't tell 'em what happened to the last crew."
"Now how would you know anything about my last crew?" Lou asks as he walks forward.
"Wouldn't you just love to know?" She says as as she stares him down defiantly. He backhands her when she doesn't look away. She can taste copper in her mouth now and turns to glare at the merc in front of her.
...But I'm not a slave to a world
That doesn't give a shit...
He steps closer to her now to whisper in her ear. "You know, you're supposed to be some slick-shit killer. Now look at you… all back-of-the-bus and shit."
She lurches forward in her chains now and manages to sink her teeth into Lou's neck. He screams as her teeth dig into his flesh. He pulls away and holds at the now bloody bite on his neck.
She looks up at him, a wicked grin on her face made more wicked by the blood dripping out of her mouth and down her chin. She taunts him while she laughs. "You don't know where I've been, Lou. Ha ha ha! You don't know where I've been! Ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha!"
...Fight, fight, fight, fight...
...Reality Shifts Again...
XXX
...New Mecca...
It isn't long until they hear it. The loud wail of the warning sirens.
"Oh god! They are here!" Lajjun screams as people begin to pour out into the street and run to the shelters.
"I must get them to the shelter." Book says to Riddick and Mal.
"Shelter ain't going to do anything when they come preacher." Riddick says sternly.
"Come on, we'll get you and your family to Serenity. Wait for this to blow over and leave." Mal says as he walks towards the door with Riddick and Mal following him.
"Lajuun, Ziza! Come! We take only ourselves." Book says as he begins to follow Mal into the crowd.
"Stay close." Mal says as they rush through the crowd to the landing bay.
They run thru the crowds for a few minutes...weaving in between families trying to carry too much and heavy commotion. But in the confusion and chaos from the battle going on in the sky overhead...they lose Lajjun and Ziza in the crowd.
"Wait! Stop!" Book says as he looks back to try and find his family. "I must find them!" He yells as he runs back the other direction.
"No!" Mal yells but it's too late.
"Get to Serenity...I'll find them and bring them back." Riddick says as he turns down an alley away from the throng of people.
XXX
...Serenity...
Zoe and Jayne closed up the cargo bay doors when they heard the sirens start. They now stare at the chaos on the other side of the doors.
"I don't like the look of this. Cap'n and Riddick should have been back by now." Jayne says as he holds Vera.
"They're probably just collecting Book and his family." Zoe says trying to remain calm.
A few minutes later and they see Mal running at the door. He bangs once or twice before they open it up.
"Zoe, tell your husband to get this ship ready to fly." Mal says as he quickly closes the door behind him.
"Where's Riddick?" Jayne asks.
"He's coming with Book, Lajjun, and Ziza." Mal says as he takes up Zoe's post.
XXX
Book searches the deserted alleyways for what feels like an eternity before he finds his sister and niece huddled in an alcove.
"Thank Buddha...come we must hurry." He says as he embraces them and then pulls in Lajjun's hand.
"This way!" He says as he cautiously leads them through the streets. They come to an intersection and Book hurries Lajjun and Ziza into an alcove.
"I'll see if it's safe...Stay back!" He says as he ventures out into the street.
The coast looks clear and he turns and motions for them to follow. "Come, Ziza."
They move away from the alcove and begin to slowly creep towards Book before they hear shouting coming down the street.
"Stay back!" Book yells as he tries to get back to them, but is cut off when shots begin to fire.
Book scurries to the other side of the street and feels strong hands yank him back. He turns to see Riddick smirk at him. "You following me?" Riddick says with a chuckle, which makes Book let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
The battle continues to rage out in the street as Riddick and Book look on. The New Mecca soldiers are no match for the Necromongers...the brute strength alone from the soldiers is impressive.
"Lajjun and Ziza!" Book yells as s few shots get dangerously close to his family. He tries to run out into the fray now, but is quickly held back by Riddick.
"When it's over." Riddick barks.
"Let me go. I must get to my family!" Book says as he struggles against Riddick's grasp.
Riddick glares at him now. "When it's over!"
The battle lasts a few more minutes...until the street goes eerily quiet again.
"Thank God..." Book says.
"I'm sure God has his tricks, but getting out of places no one else can, that's one of mine...Let's get your family."
XXX
Riddick's POV
As soon as the dust settles I go to where Lajjun and Zia were hiding and they both look relieved when they see me and Book.
"Got to be quiet and follow my lead okay?" I say to Ziza. She nods her little head and so does Lajjun.
We start walking through the alleyways back to the ship and get within a few blocks before we run into trouble.
We hear the hiss of machines and foot steps in front of us. I can see several soldiers and some weird things on a leash approaching.
"In here. Get in. Shh." Book says as he quickly drags the girls to an alcove on one side of the alleyway and I duck into one on the other side.
There is a moment of silence before I hear it...amplified breathing and electronic screeching. I don't have a good view of whatever it is from this side of the alleyway but I can see Book slowly pulling away from the girls.
I can just hear him whisper. "Don't follow me."
But before I can do anything, he runs out of the alcove and down the alleyway, away from the girls...drawing one of the things and the soldiers that were approaching away. One of the soldiers chasing him has a knife sticking out from his back.
The other one though, gets to the alcove that the girls are and I quickly rush it and slam my shiv into both it and the guy holding the leash of the thing. They fall to the floor with a thud.
"Let's get you back to Serenity." I say as I turn to go the opposite direction that Book went.
"But Derrial..." Lajjun begins to say.
"I'll get you back and then go find him."
XXX
...Elsewhere...
Book runs until he hears the footsteps behind him growing more faint. He slows his pace and turns to see if anything has followed him. That is where he see the huge hulking man...with two large axes in his hands. He sighs and walks forward, somewhat defiantly.
"There will be an afterlife for me. Will there be for you?" He asks the man with the axe.
The man says nothing, but lifts his axe.
XXX
Riddick's POV
I get the girls back to the ship and tell Mal I'm going to look for the Shepherd. He merely nods and says he'll keep Serenity warmed up. I turn and grab a com unit before I run back out into New Mecca.
It doesn't take me long to find him...or his body at least. There's a pool of blood on the street and I see the cross necklace that he always wears lying in it. I look around and find the crumpled heap of his body thrown over the edge of a railing to a lower alleyway. I pick up the cross and stuff it in my pocket.
"Big Bad to Valkyrie. Big Bad to Valkyrie. Come in." I say into the com as I hop down to where Book's body lays.
"This is Valkyrie Big Bad. You get him?" Wash asks over the com.
"Negative, he's dead...motherfuckin' assholes killed him." I hear a string of mandarin curses over the com now along with someone crying. "I'm going after them. I'll get back to you soon."
"Are you sure that's a good..."
But my anger is in full force now and Wash doesn't get the chance to finish. "Yes I'm fuckin' sure!"
XXX
...Meanwhile...
From the main ship walks a man covered in armor adorned by faces. He takes the front part of his helmet away and looks out over his armada.
"Let's go replenish the ranks." He says as he walks down the stairs with a smile on his face. He is followed by a group of people...an envoy of sorts...along with soldiers.
"Never fails to inspire, does it? Each time a dynasty falls." A woman in the envoy says as she descends the stairs. She is dressed in a form fitting dress that looks like liquid gold on her body.
"Remember your place, Dame Vaako." One of the commanding soldiers to the Lord Marshall's right reprimands her.
"My place is at your side, dear husband. From here till UnderVerse come." Dame Vako says to Lord Vaako as she links her arm with hers and descends the stairs and walks towards New Mecca.
XXX
...New Mecca...
They stroll into New Mecca's parliament as if they own the place. Soldiers line the stairs and circle around the back of the room as well. The Lord Marshall and his envoy enter after the soldiers...and while many of the envoy stay near the main stairway, one steps forward and follows the Lord Marshall to the center of the room.
"In this 'verse, life is antagonistic to the natural state." The man...the Purifier...says.
"Here, humans in all their various races...are a spontaneous outbreak...an unguided mistake. Our purpose... is to correct that mistake. Because there is another 'verse...a 'verse where life is welcomed and cherished. A ravishing, ever-new place called UnderVerse."
There are hushed whispers and murmurs around the room now. He waits for them to die down before he continues. "But the road to that 'verse...crosses over the threshold."
"Threshold! Take us to the threshold!" All of the soldiers in the room say in unison.
"What you call... death." The Purifier explains.
There is more muttering in the crowd now. "So it is this 'verse that must be cleansed of life, so that UnderVerse can populate and prosper."
People are clamoring now and the Purifier's voice rises to get over them all. "Look around you. Every Necromonger in this hall, every one of the Legion Vast that just swept aside your defenses in one night...was once like you...Fought as feebly as you...Every Necromonger that lives today...is a convert."
"There'll be no conversions!" Someone shouts from the crowd.
"We all began as something else! It was hard for me to accept, too, when I first heard these words. But I changed. I let them take away my pain." The Purifier continues.
"You betrayed your faith!" Another voice yells.
"Just as you will change...when you realize that the threshold to the UnderVerse will be crossed...only by those who have embraced the Necromonger faith...For those of you who will right now...drop to your knees and ask to be purified."
One brave man descends the steps now, speaking for everyone in the room..."We will not renounce our faith! No one here will do what you ask. It is unthinkable! This is a world of many peoples, many religions! And we simply cannot and will not be converted!"
The Lord Marshall approaches him and he gasps as the Lord Marshall runs his hand through his body. Everyone else in the room gasps too.
"Then I'll take your soul." He says as he pulls the wisp of a soul of the man from his body and he crumples to the floor.
"Join him...Or join me." The Lord Marshall says as he addresses the room. One by one everybody begins to knee. Finally there is just one hooded man in the back of the room that is not kneeling. It is then that Riddick removes his hood and looks about the room.
XXX
Riddick's POV
I can hear the whispers and feel their eyes on me. They want to know who would dare not kneel.
"This is your one chance. Take the Lord Marshal's offer and bow." A soldier says. He looks like a commanding officer since his armor is different than the grunts on the edge of the room.
"I bow to no man." I grumble.
The man approaches me now and takes off his helmet. "He's not a man. He's the holy Half-Dead who has seen the UnderVerse."
I chuckle at the man's arrogance. Who the fuck does he think I am? Some pussy like the rest of the fuckers in the rest of the room? "Look, I'm not with everyone here..." The man looks confused now at what I said. "But I will take a piece of him." I say as I point to the man I saw chase after Book.
The hulking soldier hoists his two axes now and grunts his approval of the challenge.
The commander smirks now. "A piece you will have."
The axe guy walks towards me and waits a moment before he lashes out at me with both axes, I quickly lean back to avoid the blades and then spin under his next swing. I pull the dagger he hasn't even noticed is stuck in his back out and then spin under his next swing as I jam the blade into his stomach. He falls down the stairs and people around quickly move away from the body.
I turn to walk away when I hear a voice behind me. "Stop him!" A booming voice yells. I turn and see the Lord Marshall, or whatever these fuckers call him approaching me. He stops at the body at the foot of the stairs and yanks the blade out.
"Irgun. One of my best." He says as he walks up the stairs to me. He has the blade in his hands like he is ready to strike and I can feel the adrenaline in my veins building.
I chuckle. "If you say so."
Now what this guy does next surprises me. He hands the blade to me. "What do you think of this blade?" He asks as he does.
I take the blade and proceed to spin it around in my hands. It's a good blade, well worn from battle, but it's flawed. "I think it's a half-gram heavy on the back end." I tell him as I hand it back to him.
He closes his hand around mine and tries to push the blade back to me. "In our faith, you keep what you kill."
The fucker's strong, I'll give him that, and I have to strain against him as he pushes the blade back towards me.
He looks confused now. "Are you familiar to me? Have we met on some distant field?"
"You'd think I'd remember." I say through gritted teeth.
"You'd think I would too." He says before releasing my hand and walking down the stairs again.
"Take him before the Quasi-Deads." He says over his shoulder.
The four soldiers and the commander from earlier begin to circle me now and I can feel my muscles tensing for a fight. Fuck these guys if they think I am going to just listen to them.
But then a female voice calls out. "Perhaps the breeder would do it...if somebody just asked him." As she walks forward and parts the soldiers. This woman is clearly high-ranking...probably the commanders wife if the look he gives her now tells me anything. But she wreaks of corruption...like the smell of sulfur.
She circles me now and I lean in to smell her just to fuck with the commander's head. "It is a rare offer. A visit inside Necropolis." She purrs.
"It's been a long time since I smelled beautiful." I want to laugh so hard when I see the fucker's face contort into something of confusion and desperation. That little line was worth it just to see that look.
"Let me show you the way. Beautiful eyes. Come." She says as she takes my hand and leads me out of the building.
XXX
AN: I have to say this chapter made me really sad. I think some of you knew it is why I kept Book alive in A Firefly Among Monsters though. It's unfortunate, but I couldn't see any other way around it, he was going to have to die in this story. RIP Derrial Book. 'Til next time people... ;)