Cara didn't miss the way Riddick frowned when Antonia touched her. Cara didn't think Riddick understood how loud and easy to read his actions were at that moment because Antonia saw it as well. To prove a point she skimmed her hand up to Cara's shoulder and brushed her hair over it. Riddick's hands clenched. Antonia chuckled evilly. She settled for linking arms with the smaller female and she began to walk.
Riddick tried to play it off as he followed the women down the hall, "Hmm. Okay. You go through all the trouble to catch these guys, and this is what you do with them."
"You're missing the point." She actually sounded sad. "Cara understood the second she saw them." Antonia smiled down at her fondly. Cara pasted a smile on as well.
"What point? You got a million U.D.'s standing around collectin' dust." He turned around noting the sheer number of them all.
Cara sighed, "It's no' about' money it's about beauty." She swept her free arm around.
Antonia smiled and she gestured to individual forms all around her "You underestimate their value, Riddick. They are priceless." She focuses in on a pair, depicting a man and a woman curled around each other in an unnatural pose. "Each, at one time, the most wanted man or woman in the known universe. The number of lives ended at the hands of those living and breathing in this room is incalculable."
"Ain't what I'd call living." Riddick rolled his shoulders as if just looking at them made his shoulders stiffen.
Antonia left Cara and slipped up to one statue of a man. He was very attractive and her hands cupped him face. "Just the same, I assure you they are all very much alive." To prove her point the man's eyes rolled to look at Cara. "Each one sustained in a form of cryo so profound, that seconds seem weeks, and to blink an eye is a day's work." Cara felt sick to her stomach. "The brain, however, continues to function unimpeded. The mind continues to think and feel, swarming with whatever dark thoughts it's trapped alone with, as it will be for hundreds of years." Cara could barely stand normal cryo… and this? This was something else. "So much more fitting a fate than dropping them off at the nearest slam. Here, they are appreciated for what they truly are, transformed into objects on par with their lives' work. And why?" Antonia turned to look at Riddick, done playing with her toy, "Because I gave them the audience they so desperately desired,
the recognition they bought with the blood of others. I understood their actions, stripped free of moral convention. Don't you see?" Antonia almost pleaded with Riddick, "They're something greater now, Riddick. Something more than they ever were before." She looked back at the statue, "Art."
Antonia took Cara hand again and led her through red velvet curtains. It was the only color in the entire ship so far that wasn't cold. They entered a much smaller space with what seemed to be a duvet with a small table next to it. It was red velvet and soft to the touch.
Riddick just stared at her, "Lady, your taste sucks."
Antonia actually looked genuinely disappointed, "I expected as much. Junner." She said his name sharply and it made Cara twitch. Junner pulled out a small remote of some kind and pressed a button. The red certain all around lifted high into the ceiling. Once gone a large pit almost directly in front of the couch is reviled. The entire pit is lined with bio-lights, the color the showed was red, most likely to hide the blood stains on the floor. It reminded Cara of the ancient gladiator pits of old Earth. Cara could smell the blood rolling out of the pit. Many people died here.
Cara walked forward to look into it but two guards came forward and stopped her. They pointed guns at her and she raised her hands. It was Junner who said, "She's okay. Let her pass."
Riddick follows Cara to the edge and looks into the pit. Cara turns away and as only a thief can do, brushed her finger tips along his arm without anyone the wiser. The corner of his mouth turned up.
Antonia kept talking, "You see, Riddick, there is a fundamental difference between you and I."
He couldn't help it, "Yeah. You're a psychopath." Cara held her breath to keep from laughing. But soon her amusement disappeared. Antonia walked up to Riddick and placed a hand.
She places her hands on his face. Cupping his jaw line and got close to him. Cara tried not to growl. "You don't appreciate art." She said softly. "But I believe the reason for this is something very different than you or anyone else might think." She paused and watched for his reaction, "You're an artist."
He shakes her hands off and gives her a look like she's crazy. His mouth twisting slightly "I've been called a lot of things in my day. That ain't one of 'em." Again Cara held her breath.
Antonia tried to explain it to him with hand gestures, Cara couldn't help but wonder when the finger puppets would come into play, "You make art, Riddick, not analyze it." She held her hands up clenching them, "You shape it with your own hands, carve it from flesh and bone." She then relaxed and watched him as her arms fell to her sided, "But a man like you does not understand such a thing by being lectured. You must experience it." Antonia gestures to Junner who turns off the overhead lights bathing everything in a blood-red glow.
Cara has a sinking feeling in her stomach, to 'experience it' they were going to make him kill.
Riddick glances out into the pit and knows he's in deep trouble. "Oh, shit."
He walks forward to see Jack and Imam in the pit of death. Each is balanced on a stone or metal ball being stretched to their full height by a clasp around their necks. Their hands are clasped in front of them by simple wrist cuffs. As Riddick watched Jack unsteadily wobbled on her ball. Everything was bathed in red light that emanates from the floor, peeking through the odd tessellation carved into it.
Jack looks up to see Riddick at the edge, "I said I'd find you, didn't I?" She shoots him an unsteady smile but then it dies when she sees Cara. Cara beside Antonia and Junner. Dressed like them. Without cuffs on. Jack begins to hate Cara just then. Just a little but it's there. And Cara can see it, but can't let it show how much it hurts. Can't let it show how much she wants to cut them down. Can't let it show how worried she is. So Cara shuts it down. The feelings. Cara's mission is the same as before. Get Riddick and Jack out.
Cara had to show no interest. So she walked over to the couch and flopped down with a sigh. She examined the contents of the table and noticed Junner was watching her. Without any reason why she stuck her tongue out at him and grinned when he stiffened. She couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her. He turned his attention back to Riddick who still stared down at the pit.
He turns to Antonia and quarks an eyebrow as she gestures to him.
"What do you want?" His hands clenched as he watched Junner keep glancing at Cara. And not to watch for an attack but watched how her skirt rode up when she moved.
Antonia continued not noticing the transaction, "To watch you work. I've spent the latter half of my life observing fantastic things." She paused, "The work of terrible men, men such as yourself…" She gestured to him, "…but it's always after the fact when the moment of bloody creation is cold and passed. That changes now." Her voice was hard and cold at the end.
Cara watched Junner hit another button on the control. Double doors swished open at the
far side of the lower room that contained Jack and Imam. Jack's eyes widen as she watches them open. She shows her fear and Imam grits his teeth in frustration, he is always the weak one.
Cara stands as she sees Antonia walk toward the lounge couch. She reclines like she's at
an ancient feast. Cara steps back closer to Junner.
Antonia sits back and watches Riddick with a little glint in her eye. "I need to see it, Riddick. I need to see it with my own eyes as it happens." As he walks towards her she without worry takes a sip of wine. But it was to cover for her other hand reaching into her dress and pulling Riddick's shiv out.
Riddick was close to Antonia now, "I get outta there alive, you'll see it again…" He bends into her personal space with menace. "…this close."
Antonia holds up his own shiv and gently not to break the skin runs it over his jaw line. She is completely calm and actually seems a little attracted to him. Riddick lifts his head away and glares at her before straightening up. "No, Riddick. I want your masterpiece. An artist is nothing without his instrument." Antonia tosses the shiv to the floor as she speaks.
Riddick turns to retrieve his shiv and Juner steps between Riddick and his mistress. Riddick can't get over the way Junner had looked at Cara. He glared at the other man, "When we meet again, I'm gonna bury this in your eye." He hefts his shiv. To make his point stick he slowly lifted his goggle showing his eyes for the first time. He glare right a Junner and his silver eyes reflect the red light all around him making him look like a demon. Junner pointed to the pit not impressed with Riddick's display. But Cara knew, Riddick never made threats he didn't think he could do. Riddick turned to the task of saving Jack and Imam.
Antonis commanded, "Let him in."
The two mercs walked forward surrounded Riddick. The fat one is just behind Riddick when he does a high spin kick leading with his right heel, catching the merc in the face. The fat merc falls as Riddick used his cuffs to knock the others gun out of the way then guts him. The skinny merc curls in upon himself and dies quietly as the fat one finally regains his feet. Fatty rushes Riddick in anger plowing him right over the edge into the pit. Riddick controls the fall and lands on top of the Merc and pins him to the ground ready to slit his throat. Instead of killing him Riddick cuts him only a little and then moves off of the fat merc walking away.
Back on the ledge Cara watched Antonia set the dead switch for the explosive implant down and pick up her opera glasses. Wanting to see Riddick in all his glory. "Go ultraviolet."
Junner hits a button on the control and then puts it back in his pocket. The light changes from blood-red to purple and by the time the lights changes Cara was beside the little table but made her face look raptured on the fight below. Antonia was too busy looking through the glasses and Junner the action below for either to notice Cara palm the detonator. Cara quickly slips the little device into her thigh sheaths and twitches her skirt back into place.
Cara slowly works her way over to Junner's side but again neither hear or see her. She walks forward so Junner can see her there. She lets her attention drift toward the pit.
Out from the darkness came two techni-colored creatures. They looked to be bioengineered with a little metal core and a long thin body, no thinker than Cara's arm, leading to the ground from the metal core. Sprouting from the top were numerous tentacles that curled into the air. They gracefully echoed each other's movements and as they moved and glided around the lights got brighter and more beautiful. Cara was hypnotized by the way the move, almost completely boneless.
Cara's attention went to Imam and Jack who were now struggling. Riddick inches back closer to the two and rolls his neck, getting out any kinks. The two colorful monsters approach and slowly split up their colors darkening as they get closer.
The fat merc scrambles to his feet finally only to find himself much closer to the creatures than anyone else. One moves towards him and as it draws near the color and light from its body goes out. Cara knows that it's attacking, most likely from behind, the merc tries to shoot at the creature but it was no longer there. Before the man can react the creature lights up just in front of him and grabs him with all four tentacles. Cara can see the tentacles have a lot of strength as they lift him into the air.
Cara gasped out loud, grabbed Junners arm and lets her face show excitement and anticipation as he looked down at her for a second and then turned back to watch.
The Merc screams in terror and then pain. Cara lets a giggle slip out. The creature stabs him with a pincer on top of its core and the Merc's screams double over. His body almost instantly beginning to swell and expand. He turns multiple colors from blue, to red, to purple, and then finally gray. Slowly his body decomposes in the arms of the monster in a manner of seconds. What was left was just a mass of goo that dropped to the ground. The monster's body flickers multiple colors as if celebrating its kill.
Cara hides her face into Junner's arm muttering a soft 'eww' for his benefit. He ignored her and she felt a little smile cross her face. He never felt her hand reach in and pull the controller from his pocket. She slipped it into her thigh sheath and ran her finger over all her little treasures. The pair of scissors used to cut her hair had been pulled apart so she had two thin blades, the detonator for Riddick's bomb, and the controller. After checking they were all secure she smoothed over her skirt and turned back to the show.
Riddick was playing slash tag with the other one. He dogged just in the nick of time again and again. Slashing out his shiv whenever he could. One tentacle tries to get at him but Riddick used his cuffs to capture the tactical and hold on as it thrashed trying to get him off. He stabs it and it flicks him off more in annoyance than pain. Riddick goes flying into Jack's ball she was standing on. There is a sharp crack when he hits and the ball rolls away slowly as Jack screams out hanging by her neck.
Cara stiffed. She could get out there in time to save Jack but it wasn't the right time. Cara began to breathe again when Imam rolled his ball over and shared it with the young girl. They grab onto each other staring all around them in fear.
Riddick flips himself up and a creature charges him. Using its tentacles as whips the thing tries to cut Riddick. He swings his shiv back and forth distracting the creature. He forces it back away from Jack and Imam. Jack's cry drags Cara's attention back to them, the second creature was next to them ready to decompose them. But Imam grabbed onto his cable and Jack onto Imam as he kicked his ball into the creature. They forced the creature to roll with it and it got squashed by it. It was slowly begun to pick itself up with its tentacles. Imam and Jack gagged as they choke on the metal collars. Riddick turns and sprints for the two. He used the monster just lifting itself off the ground as a springboard and flies into the air cutting the cables that held Jack and Imam. Cara sighed in relief. All three land hard but still alive.
With what little light there was Cara can see Riddick's face. He is pissed. He watched the two creatures advance on them. Waving their tentacles on the off chance of hitting him. But Riddick doesn't attack, he just dodges enough not to get hit, slowly getting closer and closer to the thing. Cara sees the pattern the tentacles move in and Riddick counteracts it. As a last ditch effort the creature tries to stab at him with its pincer. Riddick lets it hit his shackles, which instantly brake. He pointed his shiv at it and waited.
The next swing it takes at him he lops off a tactical. Both creatures pause as if the both feel it. They both back up and synced their movements.
Antonia finally speaks, "Beautiful, beautiful creature."
Junner glanced at her, "Shrill are an exquisite species."
Cara can hear the eye roll in Antonia's voice, "I'm talking about the man."
Back in the pit Cara watches the uninjured creature's attempt to protect the injured one, or perhaps it's a technique? The pair moves in perfect counterpoint to each other. He focuses on them ready for their next move. Cara sees Jack trying to move to Riddick's defense and Imam pulls her back.
Riddick stands coiled for action, waiting to kill them both. Slowly the two creatures move apart and he steps back defensively as they go completely dark. The injured one is the first to glow again and out of the darkness comes one of the spheres and throws the creature to the ground. It's in the middle of trying to get up when Riddick jumps from the shadows behind it and cuts the creatures thin body in half. It squeals in pain and its limbs begging to glow a dark purple and then it slowly faded to black in its death.
Riddick is watching it die when the other attacks from behind. He turns in time but the creature wraps its tentacles around his wrists and drags him up into the air. Jack screams and rushes forward but Cara was the one who got there first. She vaulted off the ledge and crash tackled the beast down. It instantly let Riddick go and thrashed under her. She uses her own thin blades and carved the heart out of the creature. She stabbed until it stopped moving and slowly stood over it.
Riddick just watched her and Jack gasped at her trying to grasp what just happened. The light flickered back on almost instantly and Cara walked through the gore to stand by Riddick.
There is silence from the balcony but Cara watched Antonia and Junner walk to the edge glaring down. "That was not the way it was supposed to go Cara." Her voice was cold.
Cara just blew her a kiss, "Dinna ye mother tell ye not to trust strangers?"
Cara took out the detonator and the women looked livid. "You little thief!" She screamed her smooth voice shrill.
"Knife!" Riddick commanded and Imam threw it to him.
"Oh and bett'er yet…" Cara help up the controller and pressed a button. It lights went dark.
Antonia screamed her rage, "CARRAAA!"
Riddick cut the bomb out of his neck and threw it at the wall as Cara ran to where she last saw Jack and covered her. "Blow it!" Riddick roared at her. She pressed the button and the explosion shook the room. Light flooded from the hall and they all ran for it. As Cara jumped through the hole in the wall she turned and wave at the two trying to summon more mercs to hunt them down.