Revised (06.02.2022)


"I don't get it Johns. What is so God damn valuable in your life that you're worried about losing?" Fry asked.

Johns let out a low, short chuckle.

"Is there anything at all? Beside your next spike?" Fry questioned, disgusted.


"Hey. Crouch down for me." Nova said.

"Why?" Riddick asked, not willing to cooperate.

"Fine then. I'll come to you." Nova said.

Nova found something to stand on to help get her near Riddick's height, and stood on her tip toes to get near his face. She put her hands on either side of his face and kissed him. She pulled back to look at him, he looked surprised but in a far better mood.

"This definitely has momentum. And it doesn't matter what Johns thinks. He's a miserable son of a bitch who needs serious counseling. I know we haven't known each other long, but we've survived this long by trusting each other. I trust that you're going to do your best to help all of us get out of here alive." Nova said.

Riddick pulled Nova back in for another kiss when she was done talking.

"This was long overdue." Riddick mumbled against Nova's lips, extracting many more kisses from her.


Riddick was in front of the group and Nova was next to Jack. She made it her duty to protect him like a younger sibling while they were there. The group started moving, making sure not to get too ahead or lag too behind so that the lights would stay on and connected around them. While the group was moving, the cutting torch went out causing Paris to let out a short gasp.

"Stay close." Imam instructed.

A flare fell out of the container when Paris went to grab one of his Spirits to light.

"Wait." Jack said, going to pick it up.

"Jack, wait!" Nova called.

"Jack!" Fry called.

One of the bioraptors had gotten closer to the group and almost got Jack. Fortunately, Nova and Imam got to him in time to pull him away from its grasp. Johns shot at it as it flew overhead.

"Jack!" Fry called, running over to them.

"I could have gotten it if you had just told me." Nova said, giving Jack a stern look. "These things are no joke." She finished.

As Fry continued to run towards them she ended up with Johns' gun in her face. He didn't pull the trigger once he saw it was her. She moved out of his line of fire as quickly as possible. Paris started freaking out and started scrambling in a completely different direction from the group.

"Paris, wait! Stop!" Nova called out to Paris.

Nova heard Paris moving away from the group faster than he should have, one of the tubes still around him. This made Fry also look over in Paris' direction.

"Paris, get back here!" Fry yelled.

Nova turned her head just in time to see Riddick getting into a crouching position, as if he was expecting a fight. This made her feel the urgency to get ready as well.

'There's got to be something sharp or jagged around here somewhere.' Nova thought, looking around.

There was. It was a jagged rock. Nova picked it up and got ready for the worst, hoping she'd be able to jam it into a weak spot. Paris unintentionally pulled on the device keeping the tubes lit. Nova closed her eyes so they would adjust to the new-found darkness better.

"Are you alright?" Imam asked, helping Jack to his feet.

The lights had gone out now. Nova heard Paris stop in his tracks, then she smelled fresh blood coming from his direction. He gasped at the sight of his own blood, along with feeling himself get slashed.

"I was supposed to die in France. I never even saw France." Paris said.

Paris spit alcohol into his lighter to make the flame bigger. It appeared in the middle of several bioraptors. They hissed at how bright the flame was, and started to devour him once it went out. Nova used one of Johns' flares to light the Spirits that were left.

"Well, it's good to see you're okay." Johns said, watching as Riddick came back toward the group.

Fry walked over to Riddick who was watching them eat Paris.

"Do I even want to know?" Fry said.

Riddick's demeanor stayed serious. He looked around and followed the creatures with his eyes. His gaze stopped on Jack. Nova looked in his direction as well, the smell of fresh blood caught her nose again.

'Poor Paris.' Nova thought.

"The night air is kicking up a breeze, we should move if we don't want them coming over here." Nova suggested.


"Are we getting close?" Jack asked.

"Can we pick up the pace?" Fry called, addressing Johns.

Imam looked down at the ground to see that the group had crossed over their own tracks.

"You want to tell me what the hell is going on?" Johns said.

"We crossed our own tracks." Fry said, talking to Jack.

"Why have we circled? Are we lost?" Imam asked.

"Listen." Riddick said.

"Do you even know where we are?" Imam asked.

"Listen." Riddick commanded, more firmly.

Everyone listened to the bioraptors getting closer, they sounded like they were surrounding the group.

"Canyon ahead. I circled once to buy some time to think." Riddick said.

"I think we should go now." Imam said.

"Oh, I don't know about that. That's death row up there, especially with the girl bleeding." Riddick said.

The group looked to Fry and Nova.

"What?" Imam said.

"I-I checked myself, I'm fine." Nova said.

"Not you." Riddick said.

Nova looked over at Fry which made her inspect herself.

"No, I'm not cut." Fry confirmed.

The wind picked up again and Nova could smell fresh blood. It had been coming from behind. She turned around and the only person she saw was Jack.

"What?" Nova said.

Nova saw that Jack wasn't cut but the blood seemed to be coming from below his waist. Below his waist? Her eyes widened.

"Not them, her." Riddick said, turning to look at Jack.

"No fucking way. How did I let that fall through? I brushed it off as other things." Nova said, eyes fixed on Jack.

The others were just as surprised as Nova was. Jack looked ready to cry.

"You gotta be kidding me." Johns said.

"I-I just thought it would be better if people took me for a guy. I thought they might leave me alone." Jack tried to explain.

"Jesus, Jack! Why didn't you tell us?" Fry said.

"They're always messing with me." Jack said, she crouched down and started to cry.

Nova felt sympathy for Jack, she understood what it was like for people to always mess with you just because you were the youngest and smallest. Well, in this case Jack was the youngest, but not the smallest. Fry got near Jack to comfort her.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, " Fry said, apologizing for getting upset with Jack.

"Could've left me at the ship, Fry. That's how come I didn't say something sooner." Jack said.

"They've been nosing for her ever since we left. In case you haven't noticed, they go off blood." Riddick said.

"Look, this is not gonna work. We're gonna have to go back." Fry said.

Johns turned back to look at Fry.

"What'd you say? You're the one who got us out here in the first place, and turned us into sled dogs." Johns said.

"I was wrong, I admit it. Okay. Can we just get back to the ship?" Fry said.

"I don't know, Carolyn. Nice breeze, wide open space, I'm starting to enjoy my fuckin' self out here!" Johns yelled sarcastically.

"What, are you high again? Just listen to yourself, Johns." Fry said.

"No, no. You're right, Carolyn. What's to be afraid of? My life's just a steaming pile of meaningless shit anyhow! So, I say mush on! It's only a couple hundred meters, and after that it's skiff city. So why don't you butch up, stuff a cork in this fuckin' kid, and let's go!" Johns said.

"She is the captain! You should listen to her." Imam said, coming to Fry's defense.

"Listen to her?" Johns said, glaring at Imam before speaking again. "When she was so willing to sacrifice us all." Johns finished.

"What's he talking about?" Jack asked.

"This, does not help us, Johns." Fry said.

"During the crash, she tried to blow the whole passenger cabin. Tried to kill us in our sleep." Johns said.

"Shut your mouth!" Fry yelled.

"We are fuckin' disposable. We're just ghosts to you, aren't we?" Johns said.

"Shut your fucking blowhole!" Fry yelled, and ran at Johns.

Johns knocked her to the ground, and Imam stepped in.

"Ay! Ay! You've made your point. We've all been scared." Imam said.

"Oh Carolyn, how much do you weigh now?" Johns said, a cynical smile plastered on his face. "Verdicts in. Light moves forward." He finished, lighting another flare.

"Come on." Nova said, giving Fry her hand to help her up.

"Thanks." Fry said, not looking at Nova.

"I knew about you trying to drop the cabin." Nova said.

Fry stared at Nova with her mouth slightly ajar.

"I'll admit I was very angry, I honestly don't know if I would've done it, but at the same time I haven't experienced life the way you have. I don't know what events have shaped you to be the way you are. I know about Owens, too. Johns is no better than you are." Nova said.

"How did you - ?" Fry started.

"My hearing is actually far better than most people's. Also, I was in the boneyard and near the shack, with you guys." Nova said, before walking ahead of Fry.