Revised (06.01.2022)
One of the bioraptors was running on the other side of the wall.
"There could be a breach in the hull, I don't know." Fry said.
"Come on Johns, you've got the big gauge." Riddick encouraged Johns.
"I'd rather piss glass. Why don't you go fuckin' check?" Johns spat back at Riddick.
"I'll go." Nova offered, scared but wanting to get this over with.
"No, you won't." Riddick said, holding Nova back.
"Look, it's clear that most of us in here are on edge. We don't have time to be slowing down like this. Just give me a shiv and one of the lights, and I'll go check." Nova said, holding her hand out expectantly.
"I'm not staying here for one more second." Paris said, trying to leave the group.
"Where you goin'? Hey! Hey!" Johns yelled, pulling Paris back.
"Paris! Paris!" Fry called, trying to calm him down.
"Sit him down." Johns commanded.
"You don't know what's out there." Fry said.
"I know what's in here." Paris countered.
Imam opened a hole in the wall that had been slightly sealed.
"Hurry." Imam said, ushering everyone into the room.
Riddick started walking off in a random direction once everyone was in the room.
"Hey, where are you going?" Nova demanded, catching Riddick's arm.
"Relax, I'm just gonna look around to see if anything got in. You need to stay with the others." Riddick said.
"No way!" Nova exclaimed, making Riddick slap his hand over her mouth.
There had been more activity and noise coming from somewhere further in the room. Riddick put a finger to his lips before getting close to Nova's right ear.
"Do not move from this spot unless it's to run from one of those things. Other than that I'm gonna have you be my extra set of ears, okay?" Riddick said.
Nova nodded in understanding before letting go of Riddick's arm; he continued in the direction of his original path.
"Be careful." Nova whispered after Riddick.
The hole that they originally came in through was now blocked, and the others started moving further into the room.
"Extremely bad timing." Riddick said, from somewhere else off in the room.
Nova heard someone else's breathing near Riddick, and took mental inventory as to who was in the immediate group. After counting people off she realized that it was Hassan, one of Imam's two remaining acolytes.
"Just don't run." Riddick instructed Hassan.
Hassan's breathing quickened and it reminded Nova of Shazza.
'He's a goner.' Nova thought, frowning.
"Riddick?" Fry called. "Where'd he go?" She asked.
Fry had come back when she realized Nova and Riddick had drifted from the group. Nova shushed Fry while waiting to hear the worst happen.
"Where's Riddick?" Fry whispered.
"He's deeper in the room somewhere. He went to go check if any got in." Nova said.
"Don't stop burning." Riddick called out.
"I think that means some got in." Nova said, blood running cold.
Fry handed the cutting torch off to Johns, who started making another hole in the wall next to them.
"Hassan! Where is, Hassan?" Imam said panicked.
"He's somewhere near, Riddick." Nova said.
"What?" Imam responded.
The bioraptors started making a lot of commotion. Nova heard Riddick coming and someone shined the light in his eyes by accident once he got close enough. Riddick let out a startled cry and dove off to the side while covering his eyes. One of them had been behind him, and just like Riddick, when they shined the light on it, it moved out of the way. Johns started shooting at it when it flew off, he stopped shooting once it was out of sight. Nova went over to Riddick to see if he was okay.
"Are you alright!? Did it get you!?" Nova exclaimed, panicked.
"I'm fine. The light just fucked my eyes." Riddick said, still on the ground.
"How are they now?" Nova asked.
"Fine." Riddick reassured Nova.
The bioraptor had fallen from the ceiling, causing the group, with the exception of Riddick, to scream and jump.
"Is it alive?" Fry asked, approaching slowly with everyone else behind and to the side of her.
Johns looked around to make sure that there weren't any more overhead.
"It's like the light is scalding it." Paris said, observantly.
"It hurts them. Light actually hurts them." Fry said.
It twitched, making the group gasp and jump back for a moment. Riddick got to his feet when more of them could be heard in the room.
"Is that, Hassan?" Imam asked.
"We'll burn him a candle later. Come on, let's get out of here." Johns said, heading into the other room.
Nova saw Riddick had a cut on the left side of his chest.
"I thought you said you were okay?" Nova said, touching it.
"It's just a scratch." Riddick insisted.
Nova left her hand on Riddick's chest longer than she needed to while staring up at him. Riddick placed his own hand over Nova's while looking down at her. The noise that the bioraptors made brought them back to the moment.
"We should go." They both said in unison.
Nova headed towards the hole with Riddick trailing close behind her.
