Age of Nox

Chapter 10

Note: I am well aware that I've been absent from updating for at least two months, but I was away for quite a while and before I left, I tried updating, but I wasn't allowed for some reason. I'm continuing this story and I hope people are still reading.

How long had he been without contact?

Riddick glanced out the small window of a cabin he had found years ago. The sun was setting and soon he could go out and hunt, find some meat. But for right now, he closed his eyes and thought.

After Imam's angry conversation, he had denied all calls from that number, flying farther and farther away. He had been chased for a long time and finally wired the power cells just so and using hyper-speed, was blasted out of that chase. It had been a rough ride and when it finally stopped, he wasn't sure where he was nor did the ship seem to know what system he was in. He had landed on the closest planet, a pure forest planet. There were a few settlers, mostly people with a past who wanted to get away.

The small ship was in storage and Riddick hadn't seen it or touched it in at least five years. He couldn't remember the last time he had stayed on a planet for this long and in a way, he enjoyed it immensely. If anyone knew who he was, they never reported him, only showed him respect when he showed in the center of the small settler's town, for repair supplies or something similar.

In short, he was content where he was. The only thorn in his paw was named Jack. He didn't know if she was even alive, much less if she was with anyone. He hoped she had gone into school, maybe the military and was now set in, content and not wanting to run off and cause trouble. His beast had laughed at that – they both knew Jack was not one for staying out of trouble and she certainly wasn't one to sit back and take orders from anyone.

The temperature had dropped enough so Riddick opened his eyes and sure enough, it was night. Pulling off his goggles and linking them to a clip on his belt, Riddick exited the small cabin and went into the dark forests.

"And the mighty Calical wins again!" Jack crowed, proudly walking out of the bar, Toombs a few steps behind. She swaggered a bit and was also grinning like a madman, something that didn't happen often.

"Listen 'ere, Cal," Toomb wasn't nearly close to the state of drunkenness his companion was. "Just cause you drank that idiot into unconscious…scious…" he stumbled over the word. "Into…uncon…ah fuck it. Just cause he passed out 'fore you doesn't mean you can go all around like this. This is the fastest…route…road…trail…fuck it! Road to a bad reputation." Toombs stopped and gathered his thoughts. He had gotten over the fact that she could out drink him, but she had made it into a tradition that she would out drink the best drinker at every port they landed at.

"Hmm?" Jack turned around and Toombs realized how exactly gorgeous her ass was in the pants she was wearing.

"Fuck no, bad Toombs," he grumbled to himself. "C'mon, Caligirl, we gotta get back to the ship. Tha' prisoner needs a…"

"Prison?" Jack ventured, only to be tossed over Toombs' shoulder as he walked back to the hangar. She just fell right to sleep on the walk back, in no mood to protest.

"Oh fucking shit!" Jack loudly cursed when she opened her eyes the next morning, the dim light hurting her eyes. She burrowed herself back into bed, her face pushed hard against Toombs' chest.

"The fucking hell, Jack…" Toombs mumbled, awakening himself. His hangover was a minor buzz compared to what Jack's was. He shut his eyes again only to remember they had business to complete. He wasn't in the mood though. He and Jack had become closer recently and was debating whether or not to pursue it. But right now didn't seem to be a good time. He looked down at her and shook his head. No one should be allowed to be sexy at whatever time of day. "Jack." Had to get her up.

"Unghf." She held tighter onto him, knowing exactly what was about to happen.

"We gotta go drop of this shit-eating sonovabtich, so get the hell up." He pushed her a bit and was rewarded with a vivid curse and Jack stumbling out of the bed.

"There better be some fucking coffee when I get outta my shower, Tums, or we'll be dropping off two prisoners instead of one." She glared at him, the sliding of the bathroom door shut prevented him from replying.

"Good fucking morning to you too, darlin'." He inwardly groaned at the prospect of having to travel with this prisoner. He was one of the really bad ones that every merc wanted some other merc to catch. It was good money, but hard catching and even worse traveling.

He pulled on some fresh(ish) clothes and went into the cockpit, where the prisoner lay passed out from the beating Jack had given for free when they caught him. He had said something Toombs didn't hear but it pissed her off and thus, a proper punishment was dealt. According to Jack anyway. Sitting in the pilots seat, he sent a command to the kitchen to make coffee.

Toombs grinned. He had never met someone who worked so hard at being lazy. Jack had wired part of the main control panel to every room in the ship, so commands could be done without moving. She was working on a small transportation system in the ship, but it didn't seem to be working out as well as planned. He heard the shower shut off and movement to their room, then to the kitchen and then she was in the copilots seat, nursing a cup of coffee.

"So where are we dropping this motherfucker?" Jack finally said after a few minutes.

"BB IV, probably."

"Still can't believe there's a Butcher Bay the Fourth," Jack spoke between sips. "Ri-fucking-diculous, you know that? Is no one creative enough to think of another name? Why is there even a system of prisons? Does no one else think that's a little stupid!" Jack yelled.

"Well, I-" the prisoner had awoken during Jack's small tirade.

"I don't give a damn about what you think, you sexist son of a whore, so just shut your trap!" She snarled at him and like every other to-be prisoner, he pulled back as far as he could from her.

Toombs shook his head as he set the coordinates, watching Jack out of the corner of his eye. She glared out at the hangar, looking angry. He was pulling in the sub-system of prisons onto the screen when he remembered something from a while back.

"That was damn girly, Jack." He smirked at her as she stood a few feet away, her breathing just slightly labored. They were practice fighting and Jack had landed a blow on Toombs maybe one out of fifteen tries.

He watched her calm herself, controlling her urge to snap back at him. Then a determined stance faced him and for a few seconds, he was unnerved by a clouded look her eyes had. Before he could even fall back into a defensive position, she was on him, landing punches and blows faster then he thought possible. He pulled back and caught her wrist, twisting it behind her back and pulling her flush against him then down to the floor. She struggled beneath him but finally stopped.

"Done now?" He asked, voice hoarse and out of breath.

"Lemme up, Tums," she replied. He let her up and she sat rubbing her wrists. "Got a steely grip there. Right, the tape, it's for gripping shit."

"Fine memory you got there, Jack." He mused. "Where'd you learn that?"

"Learn what?" She asked, laying on the floor.

"Don't play stupid, where'd you learn to fight like that?" Toombs walked over and looked down at her. She didn't look like she wanted to give an answer any time soon.

"Does it matter? All I care is that if worse came to worse, I was tossed in the slam, I'd know how to fight." She stood up and without a glance back, walked out of the small room.

"Yeah, it does matter," Toombs spoke after the door shut, "cause you fight like someone I've been chasin' for years now. You fight just like him."

"I told you to shut the hell up!" Jack yelled at the prisoner, snapping Toombs out of his trance.

"You weak-willed bitch, you're just afraid of the truth." The prisoner spat and Jack was close to seeing red. "I know what you're all about, I know your past."

With that one word Jack was out of her seat and kicked the prisoner straight in the face. Toombs grabbed her and tugged her hard back towards him. She breathed heavily and unevenly as the criminal spat up teeth and blood, moaning in pain. She had undoubtedly broken his jaw in several places, the way it was shaped now.

Toombs' cold eyes surveyed the scene and he didn't like it that the prisoner had said something that had ticked her like that. She had lost her cool before, but not like this, not so easily. It was her past, she didn't want to remember it obviously. Why, though? He knew that she had never liked talking about her past, much less having someone poke about it.

"Christ almighty, you're up not even half an hour and look at this. Get somewhere else, now." She walked back into the hall and he heard the door to their bedroom slide shut.

"Your," the man spat up more blood. "Little whore don't like me much." He laughed.

"Listen up your motherfucking sonovabitch. Your bounty is barely worth the trouble so let's even it out and why don't you be the fuck noiseless til we get to your new home and if you say one fucking whisper to her I will let her go on you and trust me, you'll be fucking sorry you got caught by us." Toombs sneered and turned back around in his seat.

He started up the take-off system checks and glanced back, wondering if Jack was going to show. After he had passed through the atmosphere, she still didn't appear.

He did double locks on the prisoner and knocked him out with an overdosage of tranquilizers. Only then did he venture into the back of the ship, keying in the pass code to the bedroom.

She was curled up on the bed, shivering. He looked a little bored and irritated with the situation, but inside he was concerned. For some reason she was on top of the blanket and he would have to wake her up.

"Jack, wake up." He rested his hand on her elbow and she jerked awake. "Woah, there, just me. Get up so I can get this blanket."

Without any words she did as she was told and watched silently. He felt her eyes on him as he kicked off his boots and pulled himself up onto the bed. There was some awkward movement as they switched spots, Toombs closer to the wall. Finally the blanket was arranged around them and Jack curled up next to Toombs, who pulled her against him. At this point it was natural but with that came a bond that Toombs didn't like.

"Maybe I should go watch the prisoner," Jack started to sit up but he pulled her back down.

"Hold up, I got 'im knocked out and double locked, there ain't no reason for you to go out an' watch 'im. Unless you don't wanna be with me." Toombs added, looking for a reaction.

She sighed deeply and sat up all the way, not looking at him. He stretched out behind her and yawned, wondering what this conversation would lead to.

"There's a block of my past you don't know about." She started, hugging herself. Jack tried not to hear the creeping screeches of the aliens from that hell-planet, but they were hiding the shadows. "I never told you because I was afraid you'd use it. Afraid you'd use me like everyone else has. I wanted to escape, to be my own person."

He sat up now, leaning on the wall. This would prove to be interesting.

"I was a runaway, obviously. I went from port to port, looking for a way to get somewhere, anywhere. Dressed up as a boy I got myself passage on this ship bound for New Mecca."

The pieces were starting to fall into place and Toombs knew what she was going to say before she said it. But let her tell him.

"I know you know now, yes, it was the Hunter-Gratzner, the ship that crashed. The ship that had Riddick on it. The worst hours of my life," she pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them tight. "were spent there. Only three survived. Imam, Riddick and I."

It was quiet for a few seconds and Toombs could nearly see the fear rolling off Jack in waves. She was truly afraid that he was going to sell her out.

"Toombs," she turned to him and when he saw the tears he froze. "You have to understand. Until right now I've protected him. Never told anyone about him, no one about my past – you're the only person besides Imam that knows! When we spent that time on that skiff, there was more to him then what he is known for. He saved my life and Imam's, too."

"Jack, listen. I ain't gonna sell you out and I won't press ya for more information but to any other merc, it don't matter whether he's a good guy, he is a bounty." Toombs said what he had to say, but there were still tears in her eyes. If this girl could grow on Riddick, there was no way she hadn't grown on him. "C'mere, babe."

She crawled to his open arms and curled up, holding onto him. He held her, letting his head fall onto hers, her sweet-smelling hair cushioning him. He wasn't going to let her go and that was the final decision.

As she fell asleep, he gathered the blanket around her and made sure she was comfortable. He began to nod off and he wondered if Riddick had known what he left behind. And what he was missing.

"Evenin', sir, what'll it be?" The bartender asked Riddick as he sat on one of the stools.

"Pint." He replied, checking his surroundings. He had been almost surprised when he first walked in and not only the bartender, but about half the bar-goers had their eyes shined. The lights were kept dim, and the brightest light one could get was a small candle at the table they were sitting at.

"Huntin' decent?" The bartender asked.

"Herds are moving, winter's setting in early."

"You like it up there on your old eagle's nest of a cabin? Swear that firetrap of a home is so high up you could walk on straight through the atmosphere."

Riddick quietly snorted in amusement, tipping his head when the pint landed in front of him.

"It's a good place." Riddick tensed when the door slammed open and in came a few travelers from the night cold. He and the bartender watched them sit down, unpack a few layers and order hot food. One of them came up the bar and sat down heavily, breathing in the warm air.

"Where you from?" The bartender asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Just landed in, we had to get away." He looked around. Riddick recognized paranoia. Hell, he was probably the cause of the paranoia of the majority of the world's population.

"Bein' chased?"

"Bein' fucking trapped and barely gettin' out. Swear I wouldn't of touched a hair on that man's head if I knew his death was gonna end up doin' that to me." He shook his head. "When I signed up, they said there weren't no mercs that fuckin' good."

"Mercs have always been shit, you're just bad at being chased." Riddick replied, glancing back at the other two at the table.

"Well shit, what would you know?" The bartender raised his eyebrows so high they nearly hit the hairline.

"Boy, I want you to turn in your seat and take a good long look at the man sittin' next to ya." The bartender ordered and the guy did. His eyes widened and words just stumbled out of his mouth.

"Sorry, didn't mean it, I swear-"

"Just shut up about it and tell one person-"

"Trust me, I ain't that stupid." Silence fell between the three of them and the guy ordered a pint of beer. His food came and one of his companions brought it over to the bar. He was shoveling it in when the talk started up again.

"So, these mercs, that good?" The bartender asked.

"And there's only fuckin' two of 'em!" The guy swallowed his food so he could speak clearer. "You probably heard of one of 'em, Toombs, you know him?"

Riddick did not like this at all.

"Heard of 'im, who else?" The bartender was watching Riddick's reaction as well.

"Some chick! She's fucking ruthless. I got a glimpse of her while they were chasin' us. Man, there was more hellfire in her than the devil 'imself. Jeeeezus. I am glad to be here and not out there. It ain't safe for any criminal with a high bounty." He finished up his food and his beer.

"Uh…" He turned towards Riddick. "Look, I don't know if they're still followin' us, we hyperjumped them, but you might wanna think about high tailin' it outta here. Where they go, every bounty is swept clean."

"What's her name?" Riddick asked.

"Sorry?" He guy turned around, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. "Oh, you mean Hellfire. I don't know, but on the street they call her Caliber."

The three got up and left, leaving a big tip and many thanks for the food. The bartender gave them directions to an inn and they left. Riddick breathed deeply when the door slammed shut. There had to be many women who were mercs and many who were psycho like the one the guy had described.

"They call me Rob by the way," the bartender was drying off a glass.

"Rob?" Riddick had to ask.

"Maybe you're too young to remember, but there was somethin' called the Alliance Heist."

"Largest amount of cred chips and military supplies stolen in history. They said it was pulled off by one guy." Riddick replied. He remembered.

"Yep, and I was the robber. Built myself this nice little establishment," he patted the wooden bar a few times. "And do some weapons sellin' from time to time."

"Rob," Riddick drank the last of his beer. "That's damn original."

"Not nearly enough bounty for that piece of shit," Jack glared at the closed door of the prison's guard's room. Toombs kept walking, staying quiet for once. He had known that she had seen the prisoner as a threat. For some reason, he had known about her past and she wasn't pleased. Sure, they did background checkups on their bounties, but he didn't think that the bounties would do background checks on those chasing 'em. She had been pretty upset that night but while it was hard for her, it had changed their…state of relationship.

"And what was with you chasing after those other three? If you had just let those other guys go, but no, you thought," she turned around suddenly and tapped the barrel of her handgun on his chest. "You could get two bounties in one! Hell, four if you count each of them separately!"

"It was worth a try," he smacked the gun away from him.

"Well we lost 'em, wasted fuel and energy and had to deal with that shithead longer than absolutely necessary!" She exclaimed, roughly holstering her gun. Toombs got the door opening to the ship, the ramp coming down to the ground.

"In ya go, Cal," he waited for her to board their ship, looking around at the prison. He was glad he was on the other side of the bars.

She undid the low-slung leather holsters and hung them on the back of her seat. Kicking up her legs, she breathed in deeply. As much as being a bounty hunter wasn't respectable, she was enjoying it. Toombs sat down in his chair, taking a moment to breathe. He glanced over at her, her toned body stretching back as she fixed her messy hair that he personally liked down, but he wasn't going to argue.

"Hey," she started softly, her voice surprisingly gentle after the short angry speech she had shot at him before. Her hands fell from her hair and she turned to look at Toombs. "I know it's a little weird to ask, I mean, we've been together for quite a few years and I've never said shit about it but-"

"Out with it." He ordered, starting the systems check.

"Can we break for Christmas?" She asked and the question caught him completely unaware. "Just set down somewhere for the next few weeks and relax, celebrate Christmas, like normal people."

"We're normal!" He defended, looking somewhat scandalized. He started up the engines as she kept going.

"C'mon, Toombs, we could go out and enjoy the winter, instead of being cooped up in this ship! Besides, we're not normal and you know it." Jack replied, strapping herself in.

"Darlin, I hate to break it to ya, but we're sort of well-known and I don't think settling down in a place for a few weeks just to go butcher some tree and waste money on gifts is a good idea."

Jack stayed quiet for a second as they lifted through the atmosphere.

"We could go somewhere not really well-known?" She ventured and Toombs took a deep breath. "Please, Toombs?" He had a dozen reasons as to why this was a bad idea but she was pushing for it. When did he become this weak? "Please?" Sadly, it only took one look at her for him to know why. God she had him wrapped around her finger.

"Alright! Fine! Just gimme time to find a semi-safe place." He shook his head but was rewarded with Jack jumping up from her seat and wrapping her arms around his neck. But the surprise was her fast but sweet kiss to his cheek.

"Christmas!" She stood up and yelled. "Wooo! Holidays! Shopping!" Toombs could see in the reflection of the cock-pit window Jack dancing around. "Oh man!" She sat down in her chair and pulled up a blank document hologram. "All the stuff we gotta do!"

"Whattya mean?" He was still starting to feel a snake of supreme arrogance after that kiss.

"Holiday food! And other…stuff. I mean, there's stuff you gotta have to have a good Christmas. Like hot chocolate. Marshmellows. And presents!"

"Presents?" He was now busy finding a port to rest down at.

"Yeah! What do you want for Christmas, Toombs?" She was continuing writing but Toombs stopped and looked up. Had anyone ever asked him that?

"No idea. Anything." He tried to work but realized he had to ask, too. "You?"

He would've expected her to produce a list of presents she'd been accumulating over the years.

"Ditto, gotta think on that one." She replied, glancing at him. "Be original, Toombs, I want a good present."

Alright, this chapter is long because I'm trying to make up for my supreme lack of update. I apologize again. I suck. It's true. ---waits for that moment where a dirty joke could be made to pass---

Much better.

Alright, I can see a few of you are intrigued by the Jack/Toombs pairing. I'm playing with it, I don't know quite where to take it, but it's there. So, now I enlist the help of my readers.

Toombs and Jack do settle down for a bit and in all it's cliché glory, love blossoms. But they're seen, pictures are taken and it's out that they are a liability to each other.

Riddick doesn't like what is going on, so he goes to investigate. He isn't happy when he finds Toombs all over Jack. A meeting between the three may ensue.

Riddick appears and during a surprise meet up one of the three gets kidnapped, dragged away, the usual. The other two are left with a decision to make.

In any of the choices, there will be Jack/Toombs. Just bear that in mind.

Thank you.

-Shamrock