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Italics = Inner most thoughts
Bold Italics =Thoughts of the 'Beast'
Chapter 10
Riddick ignores the back and forth discussion of the group as they toss around info on what light remains and what options they have left. Everyone is gathered in the cargo hold, in the meager light of the cutting torch, sitting and standing in its relative safety as they talk. Riddick stays on the outskirts, in the background, standing behind Rain as she stares into empty space; his only focus is her. She's still a little shocky. Riddick's attention is finally focused on the others when Rain shifts towards Johns, tense. She sits halfway between Johns and Carolyn; Riddick and his beast don't like her caught in the crossfire.
"Why don't you shut your fucking mouth for two seconds, and let me come up with a plan that doesn't involve mass suicide." Johns' good ole boy persona is starting to fade around the edges.
"I'm waiting," Carolyn challenges him, the creatures outside stir up a racket in the uneasy silence. "How much do you weigh, Johns?"
"What's it matter, Carolyn?" Johns tone is mocking, his blue eyes cynical.
"How much?" she asserts.
"Around 79 kilos, depending…," Johns finally replies to Carolyn but she interrupts him.
"Because you're 79 kilos of gutless white meat; and that's why you can't think of a better plan!"
"Is that fucking right?" Johns draws his gauge, lunging for Carolyn, and inadvertently Rain caught in the middle. Can't have that.
Preempting Johns' outburst, Riddick manages to move between Rain and Johns' gauge before he's fully drawn it; the gauge ends up pressed against Riddick's jaw. He's unconcerned, tapping Johns' crotch with the shiv he'd drawn even before the gauge was pulled. Riddick's inner beast is impatient. Can we ghost him yet? Soon. Gonna let him dig his hole a little deeper first.
"ENOUGH!" Rain's shout echoes in the speechlessness of everyone's shock. Most of those present had barely heard her speak more than two words together, much less yell and raise her voice. I prefer to stay out of the middle of crap like this, but I can't take this anymore. These people need to get their act together. "I've listened to you all bicker like children for long enough. We've already got those things out to get us; we don't need to be at each other's throats. Two people are dead already, and there's no more time to lose. Why don't we take a vote on Carolyn's plan?"
Johns takes the moment to pull his gauge from Riddick's throat and back away, but the silence after Rain's eruption is still dominant; Imam is the first to break it. "I say we go."
"A-and I say we stay." Paris is his usual cowardly self. Of course.
Imam speaks briefly with his remaining charge and adds his positive vote to the pot.
"It's my plan, you know my vote." Carolyn's voice is subdued and solemn.
"I want to stay." Jack's vote is barely a mumble, and Carolyn shifts awkwardly with the need to reassure him. Poor Jack.
Rain turns to Riddick. "Riddick?"
"To the skiff." He nods.
"And my vote is with him." Rain professes. "Democracy prevails, majority says we go."
Johns snorts, "You gonna lead us through the dark, little lady? Since you're oh so brave and in charge now?"
Rain frowns, appearing to think it over. Riddick doesn't give her long to contemplate before he interrupts. "I will." Riddick? Rain looks questioningly at Riddick and he gives her a serious, unblinking, gaze.
Johns frowns, glaring at Riddick and opening his mouth to argue; Carolyn cuts Johns off before he can begin, and accepts Riddick's offer. "Then it's settled. Riddick can see in the dark and lead us to the skiff, no problem. Light's wasting. We need to get to the crash ship for the power cells and any other supplies we need. Let's move."
Riddick's beast isn't happy to be the new center of the groups' attention. How can we focus on Rain, with the others holding us back? Riddick ignores his inner and focuses on scouting the darkness around them as they head for the Hunter Gratzner's main hull.
"Riddick?" Carolyn grabs his attention and motions for him to look ahead into the ships interior.
Riddick nods for Rain to stick beside Jack, behind Carolyn, before he moves forward. "Looks clear."
Johns approaches with his gauge, ever the macho leader, but has to dodge to the side when one of the creatures springs from the darkness inside the ship, screeching as it narrowly misses him. It veers upward from the group when their light hits it, and flies away. That was fun.
"You said clear!" Johns is livid.
Riddick shrugs nonchalantly, "I said 'look's clear'."
"Well, what's it look like now?"
Riddick glances up and then turns back to Johns, trying not to smirk. "Looks clear."
Rain helps Jack and Carolyn gather lighted tubing from the interior of the Hunter Gratzner, while Imam and his charge assemble a makeshift sled and gather the power cells into it. Paris puts together torches with his bottles of spirits, and Riddick barks a few orders here and there to get everyone in place and informed. Almost everyone works quickly and efficiently to set up and prepare for the journey ahead, each doing their part; Johns is the only one that doesn't contribute. Figures. He's such a jerk.
"Are we really going to do this?" Paris asks the group as they gather in the newly opened doorway of the ship, looking into the darkness outside. They are almost ready to go; only Johns is missing.
"We stay together. We keep the light burning. That's all we gotta do to live through this thing." Carolyn proclaims before heading back into the ship to search out Johns.
Rain stands beside Riddick, looking worried and hesitant. "Do you think we can make it?" She finally whispers to him, so only he can hear.
"You and me? Yes. All of them? No." He is matter of fact and unsympathetic, staring ahead at the creatures in the darkness. What does that mean? Rain is about to ask her thoughts aloud, but is hindered with Johns and Carolyn's arrival. It's time to go already?
Everyone is swiftly ushered into position around the makeshift sled, with Riddick directing where he wants each person. Riddick is taking the lead, Johns and Imam are positioned to pull the sled directly behind him, and the others end up scattered along the sides and back of the sled. I'm not sure I'm ready for this.
The lighted tubing Rain had helped Jack and Carolyn gather circles everyone but Riddick, connected to a battery on the sled, its blues glow protecting them. Also in the sled are the torches Paris had assembled from his bottles of spirits, together in a box with a few flares. They'll save the flares and makeshift torches as backup light, in the event they are needed. Paris clutches the cutting torch close, needing extra light to stay sane. That guy is practically scared of his own shadow. Is it bad that I'm kinda wishing those things would get him?
Riddick gives the troop a once over, fixing his gaze on Rain briefly, before turning outward and starting their journey.
Rain had heard the phrase 'be careful what you wish for' before, but she'd never had it apply to her own life…yet. Of course today would be the day for the fates to decide she needs to learn her lesson. I can't seem to catch a break.
The group had been travelling for quite a while when the cutting torch finally runs out of fuel; starting a crazy chain reaction that ends with one of them dead. Paris quickly abandons the fuel-less cutting torch, reaching for one of the bottles of spirits on the sled. In his hurry, he accidently causes a flare to fall out of the box, and Jack is the only one that sees it fall. He calls for the group to halt so he can pick it up. "Wait." Jack doesn't think twice about removing his lighted tubing, making a grab for the flare on the outskirts of the light. Jack!
Everything happens very quickly after that.
The creatures suddenly get brave enough to swoop in closer to the group, causing Imam to have to tackle Jack to the ground, to save him from getting picked off. Rain doesn't have time to do much but duck, and stare, as Johns resorts to shooting arbitrarily, and Carolyn screams for Jack. Paris panics when one of the creatures comes too close to him, knocking him down, and he blindly clambers away from the group in search of safety, muttering to himself in denial. Where does he think he's going? Wait!
Rain watches helplessly from the other side of the sled, as Paris gets further and further away. The tubing wrapped around his torso causes the battery light to fall off the sled and short out, bringing darkness to the group, and Paris' imminent demise. Damnit Paris! This is bad.
Luckily, the dark doesn't last long as Carolyn finds the flare Jack saved, quickly lighting it and using it to ignite a couple of the handmade torches. Everyone regroups in the scattered light. Rain is greatly relieved to see the flash of Riddick's eyes among those still alive. It seems only Paris is gone.
"Well, it's good to see you're okay." Johns voices Rain's relief to Riddick, but with a hint of sarcasm. You're such a jerk, Johns. I would hope you'd be next, but when I thought that about Paris, it actually came true. I would rather not have such a close call with those creatures again.
Riddick ignores Johns, keeping his watchful eyes to the pitch black surrounding them, his back to the group.
"Do I even want to know?" Carolyn asks, extricating herself from Jack and coming up behind Riddick.
Riddick ignores Carolyn as well, taking a long moment before turning an eye to Jack and Rain beside each other, each clutching a torch. Rain makes eye contact with Riddick, trying to be strong and convey her determination. Don't give me eyes like that, Riddick. We'll all be alright.
"We can do this." Rain encourages Riddick in a whisper; but she's not really so sure anymore.
A/N: I don't have a beta…so any grammar or spelling mistakes in this fic are ones I've overlooked all on my lonesome, I apologize. This chapter probably has more than any other, because I got tired of reading and re-reading it after a while. :(
So, could Rain make a career as a psychic? It almost seems like it, right? :D Also, there's some interesting changes happening because of Rain's presence. Do you think I should make even more dramatic changes? Please tell me what you think in your review!