A/N: Sorry that it took me a while to update. I've got a bad habit of "falling out of love" with a story for a while, not writing, then "falling back in love" with it, writing again, and then the process repeats. It's a lousy habit but it happens. Playing the new Citadel-DLC got me back into the swing of things.
For the sake of convenience, I'm going to include the sequel in this story. I'll just make sure to put a title on a chapter.
And I haven't yet decided on whether or not Fry dies. I'm still brainstorming on that, but feel free to offer your input. I am, however, going to include the events of The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury – if you haven't seen it, that's the animated movie that directly follows the events of Pitch Black. I wasn't going to include it at first, but I've recently developed an idea that I think I can make work that will bring some foreshadowing for the events of Mass Effect 2. That being said, there will be same major changes to Dark Fury so that it fits with what I've got planned. Hopefully, it all goes well and I don't end up mucking all of this up, and the sequel will take place following the Dark Fury events.
Being happy over someone's death was wrong, but Shepard couldn't help but feet overly relieved and happy that Johns was dead. After what turning on her the way he did and taking her parents' rings, he deserved what he got.
Looking over at Riddick who sat with Imam by some bones father away, she was tempted to go ask where the corpse was so she could search for the rings. It was a fool's hope, though. The likelihood that the rings were still only the body were slim to none because of the creatures feeding on, and it might not even be in the same place anymore.
She removed the brown leather bag from her back and hugged it tightly against her chest, resigned to the fact that she wouldn't be getting those rings back.
"What's that?" Fry asked gently, nodding towards the bag.
"It was my brother's," she replied, resting her chin on it and picking at a thread on a strap. "I've got a few other family things inside it. It's all I have left of them."
Fry nodded and fell silent again, keeping her eyes on the flickering fire from the alcohol torch.
Shepard worried on her lower lip and watched the older woman for several seconds, feeling guilt latch onto her heart like a cold hand. She'd been wrong to act how she did back there, but in the heat of the moment she hadn't given a damn and had wanted her to hurt. If her mother were alive, she'd be ashamed of how Shepard had acted. And after praying with Imam, she really did feel lower than dirt now.
"I vote we all go on vacation together after this over," Shepard muttered suddenly, deciding to salvage what could be of the mess and make light of things.
Fry glanced up at her and stared for a moment before she replied with the hint of a smile, "Somewhere really sunny."
"With regular air," Jack added.
Looking at Suleiman, Shepard said, "And an omni-tool with a translator."
Seeing the three staring at him, the boy frowned and asked them something in Arabic, to which Shepard just shrugged and gave him a thumbs up and a smile. He relaxed and in turn smiled back, also giving her a thumbs up, and soon they were all smiling and laughing softly.
"One of the universal signs, a thumbs up," Fry speculated with a soft smile. "Along with flipping someone off."
"And a gunshot."
Jack cocked her head. "What's that a sign of?"
"Back on the farm, there was a group of kids who liked vandalizing and stealing things," Shepard explained, digging through the bag to find the photo-album on the data-pad. Once she found it, she scrolled through the photos as her throat tightened until she found her dad posing with his new rifle, then showed the others the photo. "Dad got sick of finding things messed up, so he bought that high-powered rifle. When the kids came around, he'd be hiding and would fire a series of shots at their feet and send them running. He, uh, he said it was the equivalent of saying 'get the fuck off my property' but with more kick."
Both Fry and Jack laughed – Suleiman chuckled but more so that he felt included – and they continued to sift through the photos on the 'pad with Shepard's consent. She opted against looking at the photos with them, not wanting the emotions to come back any more than they already had. Maybe one day she could go through each and every photo without wanting to cry or getting really angry, but for now she could only look at one on occasion.
A few minutes later and some comments about how Shepard looked silly in a dress, Fry handed her back the album. "Looks like your family was close."
She nodded, the thick lump preventing her from talking.
"Listen, sweetie," Fry started. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth. I'm sorry I didn't tell anyone the truth. Kind of hoped I could just forget about it, you know?"
Trying not to get angry about the lie, she replied quietly, "We've all done things we want to forget. Doesn't make it right, but…" She sighed, shaking her head and giving up on arguing, too tired to do so. "No point dwelling on the past, is there?"
"No, I guess not," the older woman conceded, a look of relief washing over her face before the guilt clouded over her light blue eyes.
Fry wouldn't be letting go of her past any sooner than Shepard would be letting go of hers, and they both knew it. With how tight Jack's features were as she stared into the fire, perhaps she too was unable to let go.
Before anyone could strike up a new topic, Riddick walked over with Imam right behind him, neither men looking too thrilled for whatever reason.
"Time to move," Riddick announced coolly as Imam picked up the ropes that now held only the cells since they'd already ditched the sled.
Shepard sighed, rising to her feet as he walked by. "On your feet ladies, Suleiman – Mr. Riddick just might crack that whip a little harder if we don't move it."
Both Fry and Jack smiled, barely managing to suppress their giggles while the boy just smiled, playing along while he went to help Imam drag the cells.
Looking towards Riddick, she spotted him giving her a look through his black goggles, and she tried not to smile wider at the mild annoyance written over his features. Obviously, he wasn't used to being the butt of some teen girl's jokes, or any jokes for that matter that weren't a cause for violence.
Rather than shrink away from his stare like she wanted to, she did the opposite and smiled innocently, causing him to shake his head slightly and look away as he started walking towards the canyon.
Shepard bit back a grin and took a relieved breath that he hadn't come over and ripped her head off.
It wasn't like she hadn't wanted to shrink away from his stare because she had, Riddick being understandably intimidating, but she'd decided that she'd try a new tactic for masking her fear or insecurities. Acting skittish or afraid wouldn't get her anywhere and now that Johns was gone she felt free to try to move forward without having to be afraid of him. So, she decided that she'd mask her fear or worry or whatever with humor, dry wit, and a smile. The tactic was a work in progress and she was sure she'd have to work on her poker face in front of a mirror if she survived this chaos, but hopefully it would help her be able to avoid displaying any fear in the future.
Nearing the canyon, the echoing screeches of the creatures grew in intensity, as did the scratching of their claws against the rocks and the flapping of their dark wings. Under normal circumstances they'd be walking away from the menacing noise, but they instead walked directly towards it as their salvation lay just through the canyon. If they went around, their lights would burn out, and the same went for if they just sat around and waited for the suns to rise.
"Think I can use my biotics now?" Jack mumbled, keeping close to Shepard as she walked a few paces behind Riddick.
"Jack," she started, jumping slightly as a creature swooped down low to spook them. "The way I see it, use all the biotic powers you want if it means staying alive. No point in hiding anymore."
Jack smirked. "Cool, but I was only asking for the sake of doing so – was gonna use them whether you said I could or not."
Shepard glanced at her and then smiled, patting her young friend on the shoulder. As the came upon the canyon entrance, the smile left, replaced with a frown as the hellish echoes turned into roaring screeches with the close proximity. Beside her, Jack too had lost her smirk.
Riddick, walking further ahead to get a better look, was the only one who didn't seem to be the least bit afraid. Nothing about what was going on seemed to scare him in the slightest, and she was more than a little curious as to why that was, but now was not the time to be asking him about such things. Chances were that he wouldn't give her an answer at all whether the timing was bad or good.
"We've got four bottles – all near empty – and Jack's flashlight," Fry said to no one in particular, looking over everyone's lights. "Should be enough to get us through in one piece."
"Let's hope so," Shepard replied, examining her bottle.
After getting a feel for the area and scoping out the creatures with his shined eyes, Riddick returned and looked into the dark canyon. "Only see one way," he began, pointing directly into the darkness. "That way. It's the only way off this rock."
Frowning, Shepard asked, "What about Jack? We take her through there and we might as well be ringing the dinner bell."
"Hey!" Jack snapped, offended. "I can take care of myself."
"That's beside the point," she argued.
Walking between them towards Imam and Suleiman, he said, "Just keep her between all of you."
Imam handed off the ropes for the cells, as did the boy, and he asked, "What about the cells?"
"I'll take those," he replied.
Shepard nodded, figuring that was for the best since he was the strongest, but then she noticed the look of apprehension on Fry's face. The lack of trust in her eyes was incredibly concerning and she looked back at Riddick, watching him put his goggles back on. She didn't think he'd leave them behind, did she?
Surely he wouldn't, not after getting them this far. Then again, maybe abandoning them had been his plan all along. While they carried the lights, he dragged the cells. Maybe all they were to him were disposable torch bearers.
Shepard shook her head a few times, forcing those thoughts away. Riddick wouldn't turn on them like that. He wouldn't, and she needed to believe that.
Taking a deep breath, Riddick ordered, "Move."
Fry glanced back at him and asked, "Are you sure you can keep up?"
"Move!"
Kicked into gear with his order repeated on a shout, they began running as if they were taking part in some horrific death-race where the winners were permitted to continue breathing. Technically, perhaps what they were doing could be considered a death-race – if they didn't make it to the finish line that was the skiff, they were dead.
The creatures seemed startled by the suddenness of their running and at first did nothing, staring at them in the darkness, but then they went on the offensive. The first to come at them were the smallest of the monsters – the swarm that had torn Shazza in half.
Noticing that little light was on Riddick, Shepard hurried back beside him, casting the orange glow of her torch on them both as the swarm cloaked them all like a dark cloud from hell. Only at the last second did the little creatures dart around and over them, scalded by their lights.
And then something odd happened.
Blue liquid started pouring down on Shepard and the others, matting her hair and sticking to her clothes and skin.
The young woman held her hand out as she ran to catch the blue fluid and moved it around between her fingers, realizing that it was sticky, and started to look up along with the others to see what was going on.
"Do not look up!" Riddick commanded, quickening his pace.
She snapped her head down, obeying his command, but Fry did not and cast her gaze upwards.
"Do not look up!" he shouted again, but she was beyond hearing him, horrified by what she was seeing.
Gaping, she gasped, "They're killing each other!"
Shepard instantly felt more than a little nauseous. They were all being coated in the creatures' blood.
Just before a corpse could crush Fry, Riddick bulldozed into her, forcing her to renew her running.
Shepard Stayed behind a ways with Riddick, making sure he had light on him while they all dodged the falling bodies of the mangled and shredded monsters trying to kill them, and she tried to ignore the trickle of blue blood running down her hair and onto her face.
Up ahead, the narrow passage they needed to go through was blocked by broken bone and the corpses of the creatures, bringing the desperate survivors to a pause as they weighed their options.
Riddick already had a solution to the problem.
Go through it.
"Move! Keep moving!" he shouted, pushing to the front of the group to clear some of the bones from their path. "Keep moving!"
Imam handed his torch off to Fry and went to work helping Riddick clear a small hole for them all to crawl through past a corpse.
Riddick went through first and continued on without waiting as Imam followed and helped Jack, then Shepard and Fry. Last to follow was Suleiman, but he lingered behind to long, and just as Shepard began moving towards Riddick to tell him to slow down, a pained cry whipped her around and she gasped in horror.
The creature they thought was dead was in fact still alive and it had sunk its talons deep into Suleiman's calf.
Grabbing ahold of the pilgrim's arms, Imam began a desperate game of tug-of-war while the boy's torch fell to the ground in a mess of glass and liquor. Fry and Shepard huddled over them, keeping the light on them and trying to cause enough pain to the creature to force it to release the boy. Just when it seemed hopeless, the liquor from the fallen bottle caught fire and in a sudden burst of light the creature let go, frightened away, and Imam was able to pull him through the gap to safety.
Seeing the gaping wounds on Suleiman's leg, Shepard promptly set her bottle down and unbuckled her belt. "Imam, your turban – lose it!"
Catching on, he nodded and pulled it off his head without a second thought and wrapped it around the boy's wounded leg.
Farther away, Jack called out, "Riddick, wait!"
Shepard looked up as she removed her belt and looped it around the turban to keep it in place. Seeing just how far away Jack was, she shouted, "Get over here!"
Ignoring her, the girl shouted, "Riddick!"
The convict was far ahead but he undoubtedly heard her by how he cocked his head in her direction. In that second, Shepard realized grimly that there was a very real possibility that Riddick would just leave each and every one of them to die a horrible death at the claws of the merciless creatures.
Watching Jack while Imam buckled her belt around Suleiman's leg, something above the girl caught her eye. Before Shepard could stop to examine what the thing was, she screamed, "Jack!"
Jack swung her flashlight towards her and then looked up upon hearing some loud screeching. Without a second to spare, she dropped her light and threw up her hands, her biotics forming a bright blue barrier around her. The creature kept coming and slammed into her barrier with enough force to knock her to her back, but she kept it up, even as it ignored the pain of her biotic light and ran around her, flew into the air, and slammed back into her barrier in search of a weakness.
Both Shepard and Fry scrambled towards her to help, neither knowing how long she could keep the barrier up without becoming exhausted.
Fry, having left one of her torches with Imam, started waving her remaining torch at the creature while Shepard waved both hers and the fallen flashlight at it. The combination of their light and the biotic glow was burning the creature, causing its skin to bubble into blisters and sores before they popped, seeming bluish fluid. But it still would not back off. Having gone for so long without food, it wasn't leaving Jack alone.
"Get off of her!" Fry shouted, getting as close as she dared.
Holding her hands out in front of her, Jack pleaded, "I can't keep this up forever, guys! Get this thing away from me!"
"You're the hyped up biotic!" Shepard snapped, casting her flashlight's beam on the creature and causing it to howl in pain. "Do something about it!"
Jack glanced at her, panic, fear, and anger written all over her face, and she then slowly brought her hands closer to her, her teeth grinding together with concentration. The blue that was her barrier grew brighter with each passing second until it was so bright that they were all bathed in light, making the creature scream and wail in pain as it desperately rammed into her barrier from all sides, whipping its tail at Shepard and smashing her flashlight.
With a loud scream, Jack thrust her hands forward, unleashing a powerful biotic shockwave that sent the creature into the canyon wall a few feet away with enough force to knock the wind out of it. She then rolled, scrambling to her feet and moving to Shepard who grabbed her, pulling her behind her and Fry as the creature recovered angrier than before, slowly stalking towards them.
A loud roar-like shout came from ahead and the creature turned around just as Riddick came running at it out of the darkness with his goggles moved off of his eyes, grasping it by its wrists as it made to grab him.
Shepard had thought he'd gone off and left them.
Enraged and frustrated and hungry, it snapped its sharp teeth at him, trying to bite off his head or sink its teeth into his shoulders. It was still oozing blue blood from the burns it had sustained from the lights and the wounds from being slammed into the canyon wall from the shockwave. It hissed then, showing its teeth, and reared back its ugly head to rip his from his body.
Riddick was ready.
Releasing its wrists, he grabbed it by the throat with one hand and started slashing wildly at its abdomen with his shiv, causing it to wail in agony as its intestines spilled out onto the dirt in a steaming pile of blood and gore. And then it fell to the ground, trembling as it died, and Riddick finished the job by breaking its neck with a sickening crack.
Breathing heavily from the lack of oxygen, Riddick stared down at the steaming heap of organs, blood, and flesh, and said quietly, "Did not know who it was fucking with."
Shepard shifted her footing, her arm going protectively around Jack, and Riddick snapped his black pearl-like eyes to her, the girl, and Fry, staring at them with an unreadable expression. All she knew was that he hadn't left but had instead risked his neck to save them from the advancing creature when he didn't have to.
The squealing renewed in force seconds later, drawing their attention skyward.
"Keep Jack close, and keep moving!" Riddick ordered, jogging back to the cells and picking up the ropes before he continued running.
The three hurried back to Imam and Suleiman, helping the boy to his feet so they could all make the run behind Riddick together. They were determined not to lose anyone else in this nightmare, having lost too many friends already.
The young pilgrim kept stumbling, forcing them to stop for at least a few seconds to fix his tourniquet or to breathe. He did his hardest to keep up with Imam's help, but only halfway through the canyon he stumbled again and didn't get up right away as he panted, his wounded leg becoming too much for him to bear. Imam was speaking to him in Arabic, saying whatever he could to keep his spirits up, but with each passing second Shepard felt her fear rising. They couldn't keep stopping like this to let Suleiman catch his breath or rest, not when they had so little liquor left for their lights, but they couldn't just leave the boy behind, at least Shepard couldn't.
"Shepard," Imam started, holding out his torch. "Take this."
Nodding, she took the torch so he could lift the boy and carry him the rest of the way.
When something wet dripped onto her head and bare shoulders, her heart sank, fearing that another bloodbath from above had begun. But these drops were cold and not sticky, sliding down her arms and dampening her hair before streaming down her face. The torches began flickering from both a lack of fuel as well as becoming dampened. Upon looking up to the sky, Shepard realized in horror that it was raining, and with each passing second the drizzle started coming down hard and hard, thunder rumbling in the distance.
Holding out her hand to catch the drops of water as it turned into a downpour, Fry gaped, watching the lights flicker. "Oh, no…"
Amidst the sound of the pouring rain was the sound of Riddick's humorless laugh, his face turned up towards the rain. Looking to Imam, the dark smile on his face slowly disappearing, he asked, "So where the hell is your God now?"
The Muslim's frowned darkened and he looked away, his internal struggle with his faith evident on his worn and tired face.
Ignoring the exchange, Shepard hurried under a little crevice as her light began flickering out, followed by Fry, Jack, Imam, and Suleiman in a desperate attempt to preserve their torches. The flame did flicker out eventually despite the scant amount of fuel and both Fry and Jack brought their flames close to the wick, trying in vain to relight it. Beside them, Imam tightened Suleiman's tourniquet.
Staring at her torch with contempt, Shepard set it on the ground and rubbed her hands up and down her arms. She was absolutely freezing, the temperature having dropped and the rain cold. The others were cold to, shivering in the rain.
Riddick wandered ahead a ways, leaving the cells behind to get a look at what lay above the hill. He was shivering as well, but he gave no other indication that he was cold.
Worried that their remaining lights would die soon as well, Fry called, "Riddick, are we close?"
He said nothing, only continued peering into the never-ending darkness, thinking.
Fry's nerves were already frayed with panic and she begged, "Just tell me that the settlement is right there!"
He stood unmoving for another few seconds before he said quietly, almost going unheard under the screeching creatures, "We can't make it."
Shepard stared at him, unable to believe it. After coming so close, after surviving the canyon, they weren't going to make it to the settlement. It all seemed so pointless, all the death and the pain of running across the desert just to be forced to stop by something as simple as rain and lack of light.
A cry beside her tore her attention away from Riddick and she gasped as a tail wrapped tight around Suleiman's neck, ranking him up the canyon wall and out of Imam's grasp. She instantly grabbed Jack, as did Fry, both women protecting the girl from being snatch away.
Imam dropped to knees with his arms stretched up towards Suleiman as he disappeared, crying out in sorrow and disbelief in Arabic.
Stunned by the sudden loss, Shepard released Jack and moved towards Imam. She wrapped her arms around him, offering him what little comfort she could as he sobbed for the loss of the boy he'd taken on their pilgrimage. She wanted to say something, anything to make him feel better, but she could do nothing more than sit with him in the mud as rain poured down on them.
But they couldn't just stay out there in the open.
Looking to the convict, she said desperately, "Riddick…" She tried to think of what to say, of what to ask him for, but she didn't know. She really didn't know.
Riddick looked from the darkness to her, and back again, seemingly torn between whatever was going on in his head. Then he was moving, walking towards her quickly before grabbing her arm and pulling her away from Imam.
She pulled against his hold, but he just held tighter and said, "Trust me."
She blinked at him and then nodded, ceasing her struggle when she realized that she did trust him and that the others were following after them.
Finding a cave-like structure, he released her and pushed the large rock out of the way with some effort. Grabbing her again, he shoved her inside, giving her a look that made her wonder if her trust in him was misplaced. He almost looked… sorry.
Turning away before she could read too much into it, he shouted to the others, "Hide here! Now!"
They all hurried in, cramming themselves inside like sardines in a can. Riddick muscular bulk certainly wouldn't help things. But he didn't come inside. Just as they got situated, he pushed the rack back inform of the entrance, sealing them inside.
Shepard stared at the rock, shivering, waiting for him to tell them that he'd be back for them after scouting out ahead. But he said nothing. He was still there, that much she could tell from the light of his lights shining through the gap.
"Why's he still out there?" Jack asked, voicing the question in everyone's heads.
Frowning, Shepard asked hesitantly, "Riddick, what's going on?"
When he said nothing, she hurried over, rising to her toes to peer out the gap. Unable to get a good look, she shoved her arm through the small gap to get his attention. Rain pelted her hand that the screeching made her heart race. Was he even still out there? As she was getting ready to pull her hand back, she felt him grab her wrist with a gentleness she hadn't expected from him, forcing her palm upward. He pressed something cool into her hand, and she blinked in confusion as he closed her fingers around the chain before letting go.
She brought her arm back into the cave and walked over to the flickering lights. Upon looking at what was in her hand, tears stung her eyes and her heart sank to her stomach. It was her parents' wedding rings, looped onto Johns' chain.
"What'd he give you those for?" Jack asked, a worried frown forming on her young face.
Shepard looked to Fry, meeting her eyes, and they both knew why he'd given them to her.
Riddick was leaving them behind to die.
Swallowing thickly, trying to keep it together for the girl, Fry muttered, "Pour all the liquor into one bottle. Might buy us some more time."
Shepard snorted and Imam threw her a disapproving look.
She just sighed and moved off to sit in the farthest part of the cave with her empty bottle and rings. The backpack provided some cushioning against the rocks, but she didn't give a damn about the pain that was or wasn't there. She'd trusted Riddick and he'd stabbed her in the back. She couldn't feel more stupid if she tried. Idly, she slipped the chain around her neck and figured the rings lovingly. At least he gave them back to her, that was something she supposed.
What was the point of surviving Mindoir only to die in some cave or by being torn to shreds? What was the point of it all?
Should've died on Mindoir with my family, she thought grimly, pulling her knees up to her chest.
Imam came to sit beside her but said nothing, choosing to join her in her misery instead. He put his hand on her shoulder after a moment, squeezing it gently. Any other time she would have taken comfort from the action, but not this time. This time she felt nothing but more pain.
In front of them, Fry and Jack finished filling the bottle, making it look a little less empty. It was a fool's effort, as far as Shepard was concerned.
Jack stared into the dwindling flame, a sad look crossing over her face as she shivered. Sighing, she asked no one in particular, "He's not coming back, is he?"
Shepard's heart constricted, bringing her out of her despair long enough to remember that she wasn't the only one who was going to die. Crawling over, she situated herself on the other side of Jack and hooked her arm around her, holding her close while Fry did the same.
Now this was not fair. It was not fair that Jack would never have a chance to live a real life because of Riddick's choice.
"Did Riddick say anything to you?" Fry asked quietly. "When he handed you your rings?"
Shepard shook her head. "No. He didn't say a word."
Fry let the subject drop, and unsure of what else to say, they lapsed into an uncomfortably silence. All they could do was watch as the flame slowly flickered down to a dim glow. The extra liquor had bought them nothing more than a few extra seconds at best and their hopes began dying with each flicker of light until at last it faded out completely, plunging them into darkness.
Like vultures hovering over them, the creatures landed just outside the cave and scratched lightly at the rock, wishing to be inside and claim them as their meal. It would all be over soon.
Shaking, Shepard looked at Jack, giving the girl her most apologetic smile.
Jack smiled back fractionally and shrugged.
That was when Shepard noticed something peculiar. The fire had gone out, but Jack saw her smile, and she saw Jack smile back.
Jack too noticed it, and so did the others.
"Are you using your biotics?" Imam questioned, looking at the blue glow that illuminated the cave.
She shook her head. "It's not me."
Looking around for the source, the young blond looked up and a slow smile tugged at her lips. "My God… look."
They all looked up to find little worms hugging the low ceiling and walls, glowing like blue fireflies.
Each rising to their feet, Imam reached up and gingerly pulled two from the ceiling to hold in his hands, showing them to the three. The worms wiggled around in his hands sluggishly, glowing bright and bring a smile to their faces.
"What are they?" Shepard asked, curious.
"Who cares?" Jack questioned, still smiling. "They're glowing! We have light!"
With their hope renewed, Fry unscrewed all three bottles then held her hand out to Shepard and said, "Give me your knife."
She pulled the knife from the sheath and handed it to her, watching as she started scraping away the label of a bottle. "What are you doing?"
"We're going to stuff these bottles to the rim with those things, and then I'm going to go drag Riddick's ass back here with more light so we can get off this fucking rock."
Shepard stared at her as though she'd grown a second head but helped with scraping off one the labels with her nails while Jack and Imam collected the worm.
"It's suicide to go out there, Fry," Shepard commented, beginning to stuff worms into her bottle.
"It's suicide to stay," she retorted dryly, unwilling to change her mind.
Shepard had not come back for that, unable to deny the truth there. If they didn't try, they'd die. At least by searching for the settlement they had a chance to catch Riddick before he took off.
For countless minutes that felt like hours they worked on jamming the worms into the bottles and scraping off the labels to enhance the brightness of the lights. Anything was better than nothing, but the brighter the better.
"Two full," Fry said to herself, nodding. "All right, I'm taking one now to go find him. Should be able to see his boot prints in the mud. Someone help me move the rock."
"Wait!" Shepard picked up the other bottle. "I'm going with you."
Jack gaped. "You're leaving too?"
Fry shook her head at Shepard. "No, you're not."
"You're going to need someone watching your back," Shepard reasoned, snatching her knife from her. "There are enough worms for them to have a bottle, but out there two will be better than one. You can't deny that."
Running her fingers through her hair, Fry mumbled a curse under her breath but nodded reluctantly, permitting her to come along.
"No!" Jack snapped, her biotics flaring. "You can't!"
Shepard placed her hands on the girls shoulders, ignoring the zing that ran up her arms from the biotics, and said gently, "We'll be back for you, I promise. If anything happens or if Imam thinks you two should make a run for it, put up a barrier and run."
"I don't know how long I can keep up a barrier like that with those things out there," she argued, losing some of her bite as her glow faded.
"Jack, I have the utmost faith in your abilities. You've got a lot of biotic power – I know you can use it to keep you and Imam safe," she reasoned, smiling slightly.
Realizing just how useless it was to argue, she nodded, sniffling.
She knew it was a possibility that she wouldn't come back, so Shepard slipped the straps of her precious back pack off her shoulders and handed it to Jack. "Just in case, keep that safe for me."
"That's reassuring," she mumbled, putting it on her back.
"Don't worry," Fry said, patting her shoulder. To both Imam and the girl, she promised, "We'll be back with more light – me, Shepard, and Riddick."
With nothing left to say, the two blonds pushed the rock out of the way with some serious effort and quickly pushed it back into the opening, holding their lights up high to ward off the creatures. Ice cold rain pelted down on the, drenching them from head to toe, and Shepard's hair fell slack from its ponytail, tangling and becoming plastered to her face as they ran. They followed the barely-there foot prints left in the mud that had filled with rain, the skids from the cells. The hike up the hill was incredibly difficult and both women slipped in the mud, sliding down a few feet every so often.
"You know, there's a chance we won't make it," Shepard commented upon hearing the screeches and clicks drawing closer and closer to them, diving down close before flying away a few feet. They were like sitting ducks in the rain.
Fry spared her a quick glance. "We don't have any other choice. The least we can do is try and give Jack and Imam a little hope."
A little hope wouldn't matter if they ended up dying.
Back on Mindoir, she'd done some terrible things that saw to the death of a few friends just so she could have a chance to live for a little longer. The guilt lingered in her soul like a wound that refused to heal, and she couldn't help but feel like she was doing the same thing all over again. Unless she did something drastic, she'd have left Jack and Imam alone in that cave to die. Forget about her good intentions of trying – it didn't mean a damn thing if the died from being slaughtered, or if she and Fry failed and died trying to get to the settlement.
They reached the top of the steep hill and gasped at what lay before them. Not too far away was the settlement, the lights of the skiff blinking.
So close… they'd been so close and Riddick lied to them.
When the made to continue on, they found their path blocked by more than a couple creatures, and soon they were surrounded. Even with their lights, it seemed unlikely that they would make it.
"Run," Shepard whispered, making a snap decision.
Fry's blue eyes darted to her, brows furrowing in question. "What?"
"On Mindoir, I managed to find a few of my friends just before we were forced to run from a batarian squad that found us," Shepard explained, voice strained as she recalled the memory, the screams of her friends. "I was always running, always trying to be faster while in school, and… I was farther away when they got caught in a trap. They were screaming for me to help, to… to come back for them, but I was scared and just wanted to live so I kept running and didn't look back. Later they were found killed because they put up too much of a fight. I got them killed."
"Shepard…"
"Never again," she swore tightly. "I'm never leaving people behind again. I don't care if I die as long as the people I'm helping live. So, while you run to the skiff, I'll run to the left and draw them off you."
Fry opened her mouth, closed it, and then sighed and asked, "How are you going to draw them away?"
Holding up her knife, she asked with a shrug, "They like blood, right? I'll give them a little blood."
"Jesus, Karla," Fry groaned, opting to use her first name and shaking her head.
"Just go, okay?"
Tears welling up in her eyes, the older woman threw her arms around her in a tight hug that felt like goodbye. "Get your ass to the skiff in a few minutes, got it?"
She nodded, throat tightening as a few tears mixed with the rain.
And then Shepard broke away and started running down the hill and to the left, spooking the creatures with her sudden movement and the light. Extending her arm, she bit her lip and dug her knife into her arm, nicking the vein as she sliced through flesh. It wasn't deep enough to make her bleed out, but it caused a steady stream of red to pour from the wound.
A second later she heard the screaming and wailing of the creatures as the caught on to the scent and b-lined towards her, forgetting all about Fry.
Shepard's plan was working, now all she had to do was survive it.
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