Disclaimer and other nonsense: Pitch Black isn't mine, although in my
moments of insanity I wish it was. ^_^ The creepy red-eyed girl, however
-is- mine, so...uh...don't go stealin' her or nothin' without permission.
Ask if you wanna use her in a fic; I don't bite. Much. If you want more,
leave feedback! Heck, flame me if you really feel the need to.
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CHAPTER ONE:
The sky was streaked with blazing red and orange stripes, making it seem as if it was on fire, but it was only caused by the sun setting for the evening. People on the street wrapped their coats tighter around themselves as a sudden chill embraced the air, even though the temperature was usually stable due to the giant dome that covered the city. Through the clear plastic-like substance everything was black except for the twinkling of a few scattered stars. It was now his time. He owned the night; controlled most of what happened during it as well. He was Richard B. Riddick, or just Riddick to those who knew him well, and that wasn't very many people at all.
As soon as the first tendrils of shadow slunk into his room and gently caressed his face, his eyes snapped open from their slumber. What light there was immediately reflected off of their inky onyx color, causing a silver glow to form in the back of each eye, as he slowly looked around with a yawn. Nothing escaped his calm, cold gaze once the light was gone. Nothing. Grabbing a slightly worn tank top off of the floor, he pulled the dark fabric over his tan skin and smoothed the wrinkles out.
At least I picked one without blood stains, he silently mused to himself as he reached for the closest pair of pants he could get his hands on. He pulled them on as he made his way towards the bathroom, a faint smile crossing his lips as he pondered his plans for the evening.
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CHAPTER TWO:
Across town at the high-security prison, nerves were on edge as a dull grey van pulled up to the gates. A team of four guards stepped out of the gatehouse and nodded, one of them motioning for the van to drive through. As it slowly rolled past, one of the guards glanced towards the barred windows in the back, only to have two blood-red eyes meet his own. Startled, he leaped back and took a moment to compose himself, trying to convince his mind that those eerie eyes were just a trick of the light.
The van's brakes gave a squeal of complaint as the driver stopped the vehicle, then backed it up towards the assigned prisoner drop off point. There was a whole squad of guards waiting, each woman and man armed to the teeth with an array of weapons, but most of them were designed to stun rather than kill. Once the van had completely stopped and shut off its engine, the squad moved into action.
Half remained standing near the massive steel door they were guarding, while the rest quickly moved to open the van's back doors. The shadows inside made it hard to see the occupant, except for the two glowing crimson eyes that flickered like flames on a candle. The captive inside the back of the van smiled around the metal bit that was firmly attached to her face and mouth as she tested the restraints that held her down on the transport.
They were of a good make; she admitted that much to herself before going still, as one of the guards stepped into the van with her. Her smile grew wider, revealing her teeth, which had been filed into razor-sharp points. Like an animal's fangs. The guard took a deep breath and stepped forward, beads of sweat covering his forehead...
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CHAPTER THREE:
The whining drone of a police siren echoed through the night, drowning out most of the other nocturnal sounds. Moving silent as a panther, Riddick stuck to the shadows as he walked down the street, his dark tinted goggles protecting his sensitive eyes from the harsh glare of the streetlights. The streets were dead, totally void of life except for the occasional piece of rubbish that tumbled down the sidewalk. After a bit of wandering, Riddick discovered that he was hungry, then remembered that he hadn't eaten in a day at least. He tended to forget little things like that, his job kept him busy, and forgetting to eat was the last of his worries.
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CHAPTER FOUR:
"All right now, miss. You behave, and you leave this van conscious. You try anything, and I'll have to sedate you," the guard said in a quiet voice as his eyes locked in on the girl.
She tilted her head then nodded as her body appeared to relax. Satisfied, the guard moved towards the trolly she was firmly strapped onto, reaching out with a shaky hand to grab it by one of the handles. Before the guard had a chance to react, she lunged forward and headbutted him as hard as she could manage. The force of the blow, combined with the sudden addition of her weight, caused the guard to slam into the wall of the van. The other guards rushed towards the vehicle, drawing their tranq rifles as the man inside struggled to fend the girl off. With the bit in her mouth, however, there wasn't much damage she could cause the guard and before she could work her way loose the other guards had already begun to fire. As the darts embedded themselves into her flesh, she felt herself growing dizzy until the entire room had started fading to black. Once the guards were sure she was unconscious, they picked up the trolly and wheeled her towards the prisoners' entrance, heading down the hall that lead towards the maximum lockdown wing.
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CHAPTER FIVE:
Pulling a couple bucks out of his pocket, Riddick tossed the money onto the stained, cracked counter in front of him. He had stopped at some nameless, run-down place to get a quick meal, but he also had other reasons for being on this side of town. A new employer had contacted him last night, but wouldn't reveal much about the job until they met face to face. This made him leery; he didn't like secrets being kept from him, and mysterious job requests weren't exactly on his list of favorite things. Still, money was money, and if things went wrong he was capable of handling himself just fine. As he exited the restaurant, one hand absently trailed down to the metal shiv strapped to the left side of his hip. Yes, he was more than capable of handling himself should things turn for the worse...
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CHAPTER SIX:
The girl awoke to find herself in a brightly lit room, the white fluorescent lighting beaming down onto her face, causing her to hiss around the bit in her mouth and recoil back while snapping her eyes shut. There was a static-filled crackle as the intercom unit buzzed to life, with a mechanical sounding voice speaking over it in a monotonous tone.
"You're awake."
No fucking duh, she thought silently as the voice droned on.
"Do you know why you're here?"
The voice paused, as if expecting a reply from her. After a few moments of silence, it continued on, answering the question for her.
"You were tried and convicted for the murders of twenty-seven people, who all had nothing in common before you took it upon yourself to take their lives away. Even their cause of death varied, but one thing remained the same in each case. It was discovered that you...ate pieces of your victims. Tore out either their liver, heart, or lungs with your bare teeth, like some type of wild animal."
She smiled contentedly as the voice spoke, her mind flashing back to the first gruesome act she'd ever performed. She had always been a bit of a problem child, she was first to admit that, but there was always something different about her. It was evident in the way she acted, the way she spoke. Even her parents were a little nervous around her, but that did little except feed her ever-growing appetite for destruction. She was 15 the first time she acted upon those impulses, however.
It was dinnertime, on a late Friday afternoon, and she had been in a little bit of trouble at school that day. All her parents could do was question her about it, nag her about why she was always causing some sort of problem, and it was really getting to her. After a good ten minutes of listening to her parents blabber on, she calmly picked up a fork and stabbed her father in the chest with it. While her mother screamed at her she proceeded to rip her open, pull out her heart, and place it on the plate in front of her. She then turned and did the same to her father, using the fork she'd driven into his body. Once she was done, she had went and sat back down in her seat, using the bloody fork and knife to eat the organs.
As she chuckled to herself in the bright room the voice snapped her out of memory lane, bringing her back to reality.
"Because you are considered too dangerous to be returned to society, you will remain here for extensive mental testing. Have a nice day."
The intercom clicked off suddenly, leaving the voice echoing in her ears as she glanced around warily. Everything was quiet and still. That is, until the lights begin to flicker with a strobe effect. The pulsing, white glare filled her crimson eyes over and over again, causing her to scream out, the sound a mix of anger and pain.
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CHAPTER SEVEN:
The house was like most of the other ones in this area: old, run-down, in bad need of some major repairs. Its paint, what remained of it, was peeling off in random spots. Riddick stepped up to the door, studying the house closely as he gave the warped wood a sharp knock. A dog began to bark nearby as the sound of footsteps approached the door in front of him. He took a step back, inwardly tensing as he watched to see who would emerge from the house. The door opened to reveal a man in his late 20's, standing a few inches shorter than Riddick, with trimmed black hair and piercing blue eyes. He was dressed in a semi-casual fashion, a pair of pressed black slacks and a button-down shirt. A smile tugged at the corners of the man's lips as he glanced over his visitor a few times.
"Welcome to my...humble abode. I assume you're Mr. Riddick?" the man said in a slightly cheerful tone as he stepped onto the porch.
Riddick nodded, rumbling out something that might've been a yes in that low voice of his.
"Ah, wonderful," the man commented, "I've been waiting for you. Shall we go inside to discuss the business offer I have for you?"
He went back into the house, motioning for Riddick to follow. With a low growl in the back of his throat he stepped after the man, instantly regretting that move when the door slammed shut and was locked behind him.
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CHAPTER EIGHT:
The lights had stopped about a half-hour ago, but she could still feel them pulsing in her eyes. She had been moved into a cell after the 'treatment' then released from her restraints, only to now find herself strapped down to a very uncomfortable bed.
"What the hell's goin' on?!" she demanded, struggling to free herself.
There was no answer, save the low hum emitting from the lights embedded in the ceiling above her. Hours passed as she laid there, hunger creeping its way through her body, causing her to let out an angry snarl.
"Damn it! Someone better answer me!"
Just then, the door opened with a harsh, grating screech of metal on metal that caused her to narrow her glowing eyes in pain. A man stepped into the room, wearing a guard's uniform complete with stun baton. He looked her over, before giving her a dangerous grin.
"Well...aren't you a pretty little thing," he chuckled as he made his way towards her.
She mentally swore at herself for her stupidity.
Only male guards worked in the high security ward, she thought, meaning a girl like her would make a nice treat. As he hovered over her bed, she tensed, a plan quickly forming in her mind...
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CHAPTER NINE:
"Ah, calm down my good fellow. It's just a....security precaution," the man stated in a calm voice. "I just want to make sure that no uninvited guests decide to step in during our meeting. Please, sit down." He motioned with a wave of his hand to a couch nearby.
Riddick growled softly, but forced himself to calm down. After all, there was something about this whole setup that intrigued him. He just couldn't place his finger on it, though.
"Get to the point," he rumbled as the man sat down in a chair opposite of him.
"First off, call me Michael. After all, how fair is it for me to know your name, and not vice-versa?" The man, Michael, smiled and pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket, then handed it to Riddick. "That's what I want you to get for me."
Riddick flipped the paper over, only to find out it was actually a photograph. Wrinkled, the image had been worn from time, but it was still clearly visible. It was of a young girl, perhaps 16, with tannish skin and black shoulder-length hair that had a hint of a curl to it. The most startling thing was the fact that it looked oddly familiar to Riddick. He'd seen this girl before, but where? His mind flashed back to a couple days ago, an article in the local newspaper that told about a female serial killer who had finally been caught. But that girl had been older, around 18 or so. He studied the picture again. It was her! Raising an eyebrow slowly, he looked up at the man.
"This girl...she's in prison, correct?"
Michael nodded as he calmly folded his hands into his lap. "Yes. And I would like her back, if it's not too much trouble. The cost of your services does not matter at this point. I only wish for her to be brought to me, alive."
Riddick glanced at the picture one last time before shoving it into a pocket. "I'll see what I can do," he muttered, before moving towards the door.
"One last thing before you go," Michael called from behind him. "Don't let her get to you. She's dangerous."
A snort was the only reply Riddick gave before he unlocked the door and stepped out of the house, leaving the unusual guy to sit in his chair. Michael watched him leave, his eyes narrowing into slits.
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CHAPTER TEN:
The guard leaned in further, until he was only inches from her. He smiled and brushed a lock of her hair away from her face. That was his first mistake. Once his fingers passed her lips she was on him in a flash, her razor-sharp teeth biting straight through flesh and muscle until they grinded against bone, then breaking them until they hit the soft marrow inside. The guard let out a high pitched scream as he tried to free his hand, but she refused to give up her hold on him. Crimson liquid gushed from between her lips and ran down his arm, soon coating his sleeve as it dripped onto the cold metal floor. It was soon apparent that the guard was beginning to go into hysterics from the pale color he had taken on, not to mention the uncontrollable sobbing noises that emitted from the back of his throat.
"Release me," she hissed from around his mangled hand, her eyes glowing faintly.
The guard lifted his head, a slightly confused look on his face. She bit down harder to get her point across. Once he was done writhing in pain, he fumbled with his good hand, undoing the straps that were keeping her on the bed. She flexed her wrists as the proper circulation began to flow back into them, before she tore her fangs out of the guard's hand. He fell to the floor and curled up into a fetal position, his clothes now soaked with his own blood. The sight of this caused her to smile.
"Not so big and bad now, are you?" she purred in a low voice, right before she kneeled down beside him. "Where's your bravado now?"
The guard only whimpered in reply as he attempted to bandage his wound with his shirt. She shook her head and slammed her foot into his ribcage as she stood back up, resulting in the loud crack of something internal snapping. The guard doubled over and coughed, his lips covered in the same liquid that streamed from his hand.
"I must say, I am honored to be the last living creature you'll ever see." Her eyes flashed as she rummaged through his wallet, taking out what she thought she might need later. "Pity you weren't more of a challenge though."
The guard's eyes widened as the girl grabbed him by the throat and pulled him into a sitting position, so she could get a better look at him.
"N-no....please..." he burbled out with what little voice he had left. She only smiled.
"When you get to Hell, be sure to tell them Chimera sent you." she whispered into his ear, before biting down on his cheek and ripping off the flesh there. His scream was muted only by the fact that she crushed his windpipe seconds after, before letting his dying body fall to the floor.
"Now..to see about getting myself out of here," she mused, sliding the card key through the lock as it clicked open. The hall was vacant. Even better, she thought to herself as she began to walk down the corridor, whistling an upbeat tune to herself as if nothing had happened...
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CHAPTER ELEVEN:
Riddick pulled the picture out of his pocket in order to look it over again. It had been awhile since he had decent prey to track, and perhaps this girl would be just that. After studying the picture he compared it to the one stored in his mind's eye, from all the breaking news stories and newspaper reports that had been shown for days on end after her capture. Chimera, they'd called her, but they'd never said why. He shrugged as he stepped up to the door of his apartment.
No sense in rushing into a situation I haven't planned out first, he thought to himself as he unlocked the door and stepped inside. Moving towards the bedroom, he began to get ready for bed, which generally meant doing away with his tank top and pants. After all, it's not like anyone was going to suddenly break into his house and notice him sleeping naked.
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CHAPER TWELVE:
Sirens blared as warning lights flickered on and off around the prison, which had went into red alert. Chimera chuckled silently to herself as she strolled down the halls.
"All this...for little ol' me? How sweet." She smiled and turned down another section, only to come face to face with a squad of guards, each one armed to the teeth with various weapons. A shake of her head was all the acknowledgment she gave them.
"Must it always end in violence, hmm?" she said in a cool, soft voice, as one of the guards approached her with his rifle aimed for her chest.
"Put your hands in the air, and kneel on the ground," he barked out from behind his helmet.
Chimera shook her head again and took a step towards him. The guard visibly tensed, his finger twitching on the trigger. She knew that she only had to get past these fools, and she'd be free of this pit. They knew it too.
"I said--" But the guard never got to finish. His voice was cut off by a single shot to his chest. Chimera stood there and blew smoke off of the gun she now held in her left hand as the other guards took a step back.
"I may despise guns, fellas, but that doesn't mean I won't use them. Now, who's next?"
The room erupted in the sound of gunfire, as a stray shot hit a steampipe overhead. Chimera let out a soft hiss as a blast tore into her side, ripping open her prison uniform and creating a nasty gash. She muttered a few swear words to herself before using the newly acquired cover to her advantage, slipping silently past the guards and out of the main doors via the keycard she'd stolen earlier. Anyone who got in her way was shot. As soon as she had gotten herself out of the madness, she ran like the hounds of Hell were on her trail.
"Well. This is a fine mess I've gotten myself into," she muttered and glanced around, wincing as the movement tugged on her bleeding side. This city was unfamiliar territory to her, which put her at a major disadvantage. She needed a place to stay, quick, before the authorities could track her down. After making her way through some back alleys, she spotted the door to an apartment slightly ajar. A hint of a grin crossed her lips as she moved towards it, then stepped inside.
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CHAPTER THIRTEEN:
The room was too hot for his liking, so the only thing covering Riddick was a simple black sheet. It wasn't anything fancy, just solid print, a few rips in it but for the most part it was still in one piece. As always, his rest was composed mostly of tossing and turning, with little actual sleep. His mind was still haunted by the loss of Caroline, but the pain and feeling of helplessness usually didn't hit him until he was asleep. When he didn't have much control over his subconcious. A low growl escaped his throat as he rolled onto his side, clutching a corner of the sheet in his hand as he balled it into a fist.
"No...not again..." he muttered, beads of sweat forming on his tense body. There it was again: Fry being carried off as he stood there, helpless to do anything but watch, as blood from his wounds ran down to mix with the mud. His temper began to boil up, threatening to awaken him from his restless slumber. Outside the bedroom, the front door began to creak open...
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CHAPTER FOURTEEN:
Chimera peered around the door as she slinked inside, her faintly glowing eyes scanning the room for any people or alarm systems. Catching nothing, she ventured in a little more, silently shutting the door behind her.
"...perhaps I'm lucky and this place is deserted," she whispered to herself as she took in her surroundings. There wasn't much in the way of furniture, or anything else for that matter. Shrugging, she began to explore the place. There were a few other rooms but nothing that interested her. That is, until she reached the room at the end of the short hallway. The door, like the front one, was slightly ajar, its window cracked a bit to allow some of the cool night air to drift in. She raised an eyebrow slightly as she slid around the door, trying her best not to move it for fear of squeaky hinges. This room seemed to be the actual 'living room' of the apartment, she noted, since this was where most of the stuff resided.
She began to spin in place, trying to get a bead on things, and to see if she could find anything worth taking with her. After all, she was in dire need of cash. And fast. As she turned to face the door again, she felt something sharp on her throat as a low voice snarled into her ear.
"Move, and it'll be the last thing you do."
She froze, her eyes narrowing as the blade dug in further. Whoever this person was, they were in for a nasty surprise, she thought as she bared her fangs...
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CHAPTER FIFTEEN:
Riddick's muscles tensed as he stood behind the person. He inhaled and almost took a step back in surprise. Definitely female, which was not what he was expecting, as it finally hit him that he probably should put some clothes on. But first, he was going to find out who she was and what she wanted in -his- house.
"What the hell are you doing here?" he growled, tightening the grip he had around the girl's throat. Amazingly enough all she did was let out a soft chuckle. This bothered him, her lack of fear despite the fact he had a shiv pressed to her jugular. He resisted the strong urge to just slit her throat now, to toss her dead body into a dumpster and go back to sleep.
The girl shrugged, making sure to do it slowly so that she wouldn't alarm the crazy guy with the blade digging into her flesh.
"Your front door was open, so I invited myself in. So fuck off."
Riddick frowned and narrowed his eyes, pressing the shiv into her soft flesh, drawing a few beads of blood. The girl hissed but didn't try to move.
"You have two seconds to explain yourself before I kill you..."
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CHAPTER SIXTEEN:
Chimera mentally sighed to herself, feeling her temper beginning to boil in the pit of her stomach. Sure, she had broken into this person's house, but to pull a weapon on her? That was a big mistake. As he questioned her, she took a step back, as alarms went off in her head. He wasn't wearing any clothes! Her mind snapped back to the prison, the guard who had begun to force himself onto her, and she leapt into action. The blade was forgotten as she let out a strangled cry of anger, shoving herself back into the man and knocking him over. Judging by his size, she must've caught him off guard, since he had at least a good six inches of height over her, not to mention the drastic weight difference.
The man let out a surprised grunt and slammed onto the bed, the bladed weapon falling from his hand to land on the floor, as Chimera went tumbling back onto him, her weight suddenly thrown off-balance by the powerful shove. She gasped, unsure of what to do now.
"Well. Isn't this an odd situation," he rumbled in a deep voice as he flung Chimera off of himself, only to lean over to get a better look at this would-be thief. The look on his face was one of pure amazement.
"What're you starin' at, huh?" she barked, baring her fangs. She wasn't that confident of herself, however, not once she'd gotten a good look at this guy. He was nothing but solid muscle, she thought, and she realized he wasn't all that bad looking. But there was one certain thing that caught her and held her breath. His eyes. They weren't natural, she could tell that first off. They were shined. The guy continued to stare at her as he sat up, then smirked ever so slightly.
"I've been looking for you." He stood and loomed over her, not the least bit bothered by his current lack of clothes.
Chimera narrowed her eyes as the man leaned down and brushed a hand over her cheek, forcing herself not to cringe back. "Me? Why me? I didn't even steal anything of y--"
She was cut off as he suddenly pushed her back onto the bed, one hand on her shoulder to keep her pinned down, the other one resting next to her side, as he leaned down to press his lips against hers. Her mind went on alert instantly, but there wasn't much she could do against this guy. Or was it that she didn't want to fight back, her inner voice questioned. There was something about him, some animalistic quality she'd sensed in him when he first threatened her. He was a killer. Just like her. A kindred spirit. She felt him release his hold as she kissed him back, wrapping one hand around the back of his neck.
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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN:
What an amusing situation, Riddick thought. Here was the girl he was supposed to break out of jail, in his house, on his bed. He'd been jarred from his sleep by the soft sound of footsteps outside of his room, causing him to lay motionless in order to pretend he was still asleep. As a shadowy figure stepped into the room, he'd grabbed his shiv off of his nightstand and went into action as soon as they turned their back. He was going to just slice their throat when he'd inhaled, catching the scent of the intruder. The first thing he noted was that it was female, a scent he hadn't had this close to him in too long of a time. The second thing was a faint overtone of blood, somewhat recent. He wasn't sure if it was hers or not, but that wasn't the important thing. He'd threatened her very life and all she had done was laugh. This caught him off guard, but not as much as her next move had. Before he could stop her, the girl had shoved all of her weight into him and sent him landing on his bed. Then, she landed on top of him. The very thought of a female on him, her warm flesh pressed against his, was enough to make him realize just how naked he was. He shoved her off of himself, hoping she hadn't noticed the sudden tensing of muscle in his groin.
After musing over the hand kharma had given him, he found himself studying the girl. She was young, but had a fierce, almost feral aura to her. He reminded her of a dog he'd come across once that had gotten its front paw tangled in a rope. It had chewed the paw almost completely off in its struggle to get loose, and the look on the girl's face suggested she wanted to do about the same to get out of this situation. She could almost be considered pretty, he thought, if it hadn't had been for her eyes. They were red, somehow radiating a faint, pale glow that made the similarities to that stray dog even more of a match. And her teeth. Fangs, more like it, and he found himself picturing them biting into his shoulder as he thrusted into her slender body.
Fuck. It -has- been too long, he swore to himself before smirking at the girl's comment. After telling her he'd been looking for her, he rose to hover over her prone form, sprawled out on his bed. He could take her so easily. He was stronger, and could pin her down with no trouble whatsoever. Reaching out with one hand, he brushed it gently across her cheek, feeling her tense. The smell of fear was intoxicating, hindering most of his thoughts save the primal urges gnawing at the back of his mind. Before he could stop himself, he'd pinned her to the bed with the same hand that had touched her cheek, holding her by her shoulder as he lowered himself down to force his lips upon hers. His hunger almost startled him, a fiery wave of energy that surged through his body, commanding him to take this girl he didn't even know.
He was surprised when she returned the kiss. Riddick lifted his hand from her shoulder, using it to reach back towards the nightstand. Making sure she wouldn't notice, he pulled out a pair of handcuffs and snapped them around her left wrist, causing her to gasp and pierce his lip with her fangs. The taste and smell of his blood made his mind hazy; if he didn't stop now he'd lose himself to his animalistic side. He licked the salty liquid from his lip while snapping the other end of the handcuffs to the radiator pipe on the wall. Her eyes narrowed as she glared towards him, her mouth red with his blood.
"Now I have to figure out what I'm going to do with you," he said, his voice ponderous, a sensual tone snaking its way into his words. He noticed a light tremor run through her body as she worked to free herself from the restraints. A predatory smile pulled at the corners of his lips, as he hunted for a pair of pants to cover himself with. Pulling them on he turned back to the girl, while attempting to keep himself from getting any more aroused. "I could turn you into the police, see if you got a reward on you. I could also take you to the guy looking for you."
She narrowed her eyes, the glow from them deepening a few shades. Riddick grinned. "Fiesty. I like that. Now you stay right there while I go out. I'll be back once I decide where you're going." He slipped on a shirt and walked out of the bedroom, shaking his head as he pondered what to do next.
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CHAPTER ONE:
The sky was streaked with blazing red and orange stripes, making it seem as if it was on fire, but it was only caused by the sun setting for the evening. People on the street wrapped their coats tighter around themselves as a sudden chill embraced the air, even though the temperature was usually stable due to the giant dome that covered the city. Through the clear plastic-like substance everything was black except for the twinkling of a few scattered stars. It was now his time. He owned the night; controlled most of what happened during it as well. He was Richard B. Riddick, or just Riddick to those who knew him well, and that wasn't very many people at all.
As soon as the first tendrils of shadow slunk into his room and gently caressed his face, his eyes snapped open from their slumber. What light there was immediately reflected off of their inky onyx color, causing a silver glow to form in the back of each eye, as he slowly looked around with a yawn. Nothing escaped his calm, cold gaze once the light was gone. Nothing. Grabbing a slightly worn tank top off of the floor, he pulled the dark fabric over his tan skin and smoothed the wrinkles out.
At least I picked one without blood stains, he silently mused to himself as he reached for the closest pair of pants he could get his hands on. He pulled them on as he made his way towards the bathroom, a faint smile crossing his lips as he pondered his plans for the evening.
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CHAPTER TWO:
Across town at the high-security prison, nerves were on edge as a dull grey van pulled up to the gates. A team of four guards stepped out of the gatehouse and nodded, one of them motioning for the van to drive through. As it slowly rolled past, one of the guards glanced towards the barred windows in the back, only to have two blood-red eyes meet his own. Startled, he leaped back and took a moment to compose himself, trying to convince his mind that those eerie eyes were just a trick of the light.
The van's brakes gave a squeal of complaint as the driver stopped the vehicle, then backed it up towards the assigned prisoner drop off point. There was a whole squad of guards waiting, each woman and man armed to the teeth with an array of weapons, but most of them were designed to stun rather than kill. Once the van had completely stopped and shut off its engine, the squad moved into action.
Half remained standing near the massive steel door they were guarding, while the rest quickly moved to open the van's back doors. The shadows inside made it hard to see the occupant, except for the two glowing crimson eyes that flickered like flames on a candle. The captive inside the back of the van smiled around the metal bit that was firmly attached to her face and mouth as she tested the restraints that held her down on the transport.
They were of a good make; she admitted that much to herself before going still, as one of the guards stepped into the van with her. Her smile grew wider, revealing her teeth, which had been filed into razor-sharp points. Like an animal's fangs. The guard took a deep breath and stepped forward, beads of sweat covering his forehead...
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CHAPTER THREE:
The whining drone of a police siren echoed through the night, drowning out most of the other nocturnal sounds. Moving silent as a panther, Riddick stuck to the shadows as he walked down the street, his dark tinted goggles protecting his sensitive eyes from the harsh glare of the streetlights. The streets were dead, totally void of life except for the occasional piece of rubbish that tumbled down the sidewalk. After a bit of wandering, Riddick discovered that he was hungry, then remembered that he hadn't eaten in a day at least. He tended to forget little things like that, his job kept him busy, and forgetting to eat was the last of his worries.
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CHAPTER FOUR:
"All right now, miss. You behave, and you leave this van conscious. You try anything, and I'll have to sedate you," the guard said in a quiet voice as his eyes locked in on the girl.
She tilted her head then nodded as her body appeared to relax. Satisfied, the guard moved towards the trolly she was firmly strapped onto, reaching out with a shaky hand to grab it by one of the handles. Before the guard had a chance to react, she lunged forward and headbutted him as hard as she could manage. The force of the blow, combined with the sudden addition of her weight, caused the guard to slam into the wall of the van. The other guards rushed towards the vehicle, drawing their tranq rifles as the man inside struggled to fend the girl off. With the bit in her mouth, however, there wasn't much damage she could cause the guard and before she could work her way loose the other guards had already begun to fire. As the darts embedded themselves into her flesh, she felt herself growing dizzy until the entire room had started fading to black. Once the guards were sure she was unconscious, they picked up the trolly and wheeled her towards the prisoners' entrance, heading down the hall that lead towards the maximum lockdown wing.
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CHAPTER FIVE:
Pulling a couple bucks out of his pocket, Riddick tossed the money onto the stained, cracked counter in front of him. He had stopped at some nameless, run-down place to get a quick meal, but he also had other reasons for being on this side of town. A new employer had contacted him last night, but wouldn't reveal much about the job until they met face to face. This made him leery; he didn't like secrets being kept from him, and mysterious job requests weren't exactly on his list of favorite things. Still, money was money, and if things went wrong he was capable of handling himself just fine. As he exited the restaurant, one hand absently trailed down to the metal shiv strapped to the left side of his hip. Yes, he was more than capable of handling himself should things turn for the worse...
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CHAPTER SIX:
The girl awoke to find herself in a brightly lit room, the white fluorescent lighting beaming down onto her face, causing her to hiss around the bit in her mouth and recoil back while snapping her eyes shut. There was a static-filled crackle as the intercom unit buzzed to life, with a mechanical sounding voice speaking over it in a monotonous tone.
"You're awake."
No fucking duh, she thought silently as the voice droned on.
"Do you know why you're here?"
The voice paused, as if expecting a reply from her. After a few moments of silence, it continued on, answering the question for her.
"You were tried and convicted for the murders of twenty-seven people, who all had nothing in common before you took it upon yourself to take their lives away. Even their cause of death varied, but one thing remained the same in each case. It was discovered that you...ate pieces of your victims. Tore out either their liver, heart, or lungs with your bare teeth, like some type of wild animal."
She smiled contentedly as the voice spoke, her mind flashing back to the first gruesome act she'd ever performed. She had always been a bit of a problem child, she was first to admit that, but there was always something different about her. It was evident in the way she acted, the way she spoke. Even her parents were a little nervous around her, but that did little except feed her ever-growing appetite for destruction. She was 15 the first time she acted upon those impulses, however.
It was dinnertime, on a late Friday afternoon, and she had been in a little bit of trouble at school that day. All her parents could do was question her about it, nag her about why she was always causing some sort of problem, and it was really getting to her. After a good ten minutes of listening to her parents blabber on, she calmly picked up a fork and stabbed her father in the chest with it. While her mother screamed at her she proceeded to rip her open, pull out her heart, and place it on the plate in front of her. She then turned and did the same to her father, using the fork she'd driven into his body. Once she was done, she had went and sat back down in her seat, using the bloody fork and knife to eat the organs.
As she chuckled to herself in the bright room the voice snapped her out of memory lane, bringing her back to reality.
"Because you are considered too dangerous to be returned to society, you will remain here for extensive mental testing. Have a nice day."
The intercom clicked off suddenly, leaving the voice echoing in her ears as she glanced around warily. Everything was quiet and still. That is, until the lights begin to flicker with a strobe effect. The pulsing, white glare filled her crimson eyes over and over again, causing her to scream out, the sound a mix of anger and pain.
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CHAPTER SEVEN:
The house was like most of the other ones in this area: old, run-down, in bad need of some major repairs. Its paint, what remained of it, was peeling off in random spots. Riddick stepped up to the door, studying the house closely as he gave the warped wood a sharp knock. A dog began to bark nearby as the sound of footsteps approached the door in front of him. He took a step back, inwardly tensing as he watched to see who would emerge from the house. The door opened to reveal a man in his late 20's, standing a few inches shorter than Riddick, with trimmed black hair and piercing blue eyes. He was dressed in a semi-casual fashion, a pair of pressed black slacks and a button-down shirt. A smile tugged at the corners of the man's lips as he glanced over his visitor a few times.
"Welcome to my...humble abode. I assume you're Mr. Riddick?" the man said in a slightly cheerful tone as he stepped onto the porch.
Riddick nodded, rumbling out something that might've been a yes in that low voice of his.
"Ah, wonderful," the man commented, "I've been waiting for you. Shall we go inside to discuss the business offer I have for you?"
He went back into the house, motioning for Riddick to follow. With a low growl in the back of his throat he stepped after the man, instantly regretting that move when the door slammed shut and was locked behind him.
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CHAPTER EIGHT:
The lights had stopped about a half-hour ago, but she could still feel them pulsing in her eyes. She had been moved into a cell after the 'treatment' then released from her restraints, only to now find herself strapped down to a very uncomfortable bed.
"What the hell's goin' on?!" she demanded, struggling to free herself.
There was no answer, save the low hum emitting from the lights embedded in the ceiling above her. Hours passed as she laid there, hunger creeping its way through her body, causing her to let out an angry snarl.
"Damn it! Someone better answer me!"
Just then, the door opened with a harsh, grating screech of metal on metal that caused her to narrow her glowing eyes in pain. A man stepped into the room, wearing a guard's uniform complete with stun baton. He looked her over, before giving her a dangerous grin.
"Well...aren't you a pretty little thing," he chuckled as he made his way towards her.
She mentally swore at herself for her stupidity.
Only male guards worked in the high security ward, she thought, meaning a girl like her would make a nice treat. As he hovered over her bed, she tensed, a plan quickly forming in her mind...
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CHAPTER NINE:
"Ah, calm down my good fellow. It's just a....security precaution," the man stated in a calm voice. "I just want to make sure that no uninvited guests decide to step in during our meeting. Please, sit down." He motioned with a wave of his hand to a couch nearby.
Riddick growled softly, but forced himself to calm down. After all, there was something about this whole setup that intrigued him. He just couldn't place his finger on it, though.
"Get to the point," he rumbled as the man sat down in a chair opposite of him.
"First off, call me Michael. After all, how fair is it for me to know your name, and not vice-versa?" The man, Michael, smiled and pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket, then handed it to Riddick. "That's what I want you to get for me."
Riddick flipped the paper over, only to find out it was actually a photograph. Wrinkled, the image had been worn from time, but it was still clearly visible. It was of a young girl, perhaps 16, with tannish skin and black shoulder-length hair that had a hint of a curl to it. The most startling thing was the fact that it looked oddly familiar to Riddick. He'd seen this girl before, but where? His mind flashed back to a couple days ago, an article in the local newspaper that told about a female serial killer who had finally been caught. But that girl had been older, around 18 or so. He studied the picture again. It was her! Raising an eyebrow slowly, he looked up at the man.
"This girl...she's in prison, correct?"
Michael nodded as he calmly folded his hands into his lap. "Yes. And I would like her back, if it's not too much trouble. The cost of your services does not matter at this point. I only wish for her to be brought to me, alive."
Riddick glanced at the picture one last time before shoving it into a pocket. "I'll see what I can do," he muttered, before moving towards the door.
"One last thing before you go," Michael called from behind him. "Don't let her get to you. She's dangerous."
A snort was the only reply Riddick gave before he unlocked the door and stepped out of the house, leaving the unusual guy to sit in his chair. Michael watched him leave, his eyes narrowing into slits.
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CHAPTER TEN:
The guard leaned in further, until he was only inches from her. He smiled and brushed a lock of her hair away from her face. That was his first mistake. Once his fingers passed her lips she was on him in a flash, her razor-sharp teeth biting straight through flesh and muscle until they grinded against bone, then breaking them until they hit the soft marrow inside. The guard let out a high pitched scream as he tried to free his hand, but she refused to give up her hold on him. Crimson liquid gushed from between her lips and ran down his arm, soon coating his sleeve as it dripped onto the cold metal floor. It was soon apparent that the guard was beginning to go into hysterics from the pale color he had taken on, not to mention the uncontrollable sobbing noises that emitted from the back of his throat.
"Release me," she hissed from around his mangled hand, her eyes glowing faintly.
The guard lifted his head, a slightly confused look on his face. She bit down harder to get her point across. Once he was done writhing in pain, he fumbled with his good hand, undoing the straps that were keeping her on the bed. She flexed her wrists as the proper circulation began to flow back into them, before she tore her fangs out of the guard's hand. He fell to the floor and curled up into a fetal position, his clothes now soaked with his own blood. The sight of this caused her to smile.
"Not so big and bad now, are you?" she purred in a low voice, right before she kneeled down beside him. "Where's your bravado now?"
The guard only whimpered in reply as he attempted to bandage his wound with his shirt. She shook her head and slammed her foot into his ribcage as she stood back up, resulting in the loud crack of something internal snapping. The guard doubled over and coughed, his lips covered in the same liquid that streamed from his hand.
"I must say, I am honored to be the last living creature you'll ever see." Her eyes flashed as she rummaged through his wallet, taking out what she thought she might need later. "Pity you weren't more of a challenge though."
The guard's eyes widened as the girl grabbed him by the throat and pulled him into a sitting position, so she could get a better look at him.
"N-no....please..." he burbled out with what little voice he had left. She only smiled.
"When you get to Hell, be sure to tell them Chimera sent you." she whispered into his ear, before biting down on his cheek and ripping off the flesh there. His scream was muted only by the fact that she crushed his windpipe seconds after, before letting his dying body fall to the floor.
"Now..to see about getting myself out of here," she mused, sliding the card key through the lock as it clicked open. The hall was vacant. Even better, she thought to herself as she began to walk down the corridor, whistling an upbeat tune to herself as if nothing had happened...
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CHAPTER ELEVEN:
Riddick pulled the picture out of his pocket in order to look it over again. It had been awhile since he had decent prey to track, and perhaps this girl would be just that. After studying the picture he compared it to the one stored in his mind's eye, from all the breaking news stories and newspaper reports that had been shown for days on end after her capture. Chimera, they'd called her, but they'd never said why. He shrugged as he stepped up to the door of his apartment.
No sense in rushing into a situation I haven't planned out first, he thought to himself as he unlocked the door and stepped inside. Moving towards the bedroom, he began to get ready for bed, which generally meant doing away with his tank top and pants. After all, it's not like anyone was going to suddenly break into his house and notice him sleeping naked.
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CHAPER TWELVE:
Sirens blared as warning lights flickered on and off around the prison, which had went into red alert. Chimera chuckled silently to herself as she strolled down the halls.
"All this...for little ol' me? How sweet." She smiled and turned down another section, only to come face to face with a squad of guards, each one armed to the teeth with various weapons. A shake of her head was all the acknowledgment she gave them.
"Must it always end in violence, hmm?" she said in a cool, soft voice, as one of the guards approached her with his rifle aimed for her chest.
"Put your hands in the air, and kneel on the ground," he barked out from behind his helmet.
Chimera shook her head again and took a step towards him. The guard visibly tensed, his finger twitching on the trigger. She knew that she only had to get past these fools, and she'd be free of this pit. They knew it too.
"I said--" But the guard never got to finish. His voice was cut off by a single shot to his chest. Chimera stood there and blew smoke off of the gun she now held in her left hand as the other guards took a step back.
"I may despise guns, fellas, but that doesn't mean I won't use them. Now, who's next?"
The room erupted in the sound of gunfire, as a stray shot hit a steampipe overhead. Chimera let out a soft hiss as a blast tore into her side, ripping open her prison uniform and creating a nasty gash. She muttered a few swear words to herself before using the newly acquired cover to her advantage, slipping silently past the guards and out of the main doors via the keycard she'd stolen earlier. Anyone who got in her way was shot. As soon as she had gotten herself out of the madness, she ran like the hounds of Hell were on her trail.
"Well. This is a fine mess I've gotten myself into," she muttered and glanced around, wincing as the movement tugged on her bleeding side. This city was unfamiliar territory to her, which put her at a major disadvantage. She needed a place to stay, quick, before the authorities could track her down. After making her way through some back alleys, she spotted the door to an apartment slightly ajar. A hint of a grin crossed her lips as she moved towards it, then stepped inside.
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CHAPTER THIRTEEN:
The room was too hot for his liking, so the only thing covering Riddick was a simple black sheet. It wasn't anything fancy, just solid print, a few rips in it but for the most part it was still in one piece. As always, his rest was composed mostly of tossing and turning, with little actual sleep. His mind was still haunted by the loss of Caroline, but the pain and feeling of helplessness usually didn't hit him until he was asleep. When he didn't have much control over his subconcious. A low growl escaped his throat as he rolled onto his side, clutching a corner of the sheet in his hand as he balled it into a fist.
"No...not again..." he muttered, beads of sweat forming on his tense body. There it was again: Fry being carried off as he stood there, helpless to do anything but watch, as blood from his wounds ran down to mix with the mud. His temper began to boil up, threatening to awaken him from his restless slumber. Outside the bedroom, the front door began to creak open...
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CHAPTER FOURTEEN:
Chimera peered around the door as she slinked inside, her faintly glowing eyes scanning the room for any people or alarm systems. Catching nothing, she ventured in a little more, silently shutting the door behind her.
"...perhaps I'm lucky and this place is deserted," she whispered to herself as she took in her surroundings. There wasn't much in the way of furniture, or anything else for that matter. Shrugging, she began to explore the place. There were a few other rooms but nothing that interested her. That is, until she reached the room at the end of the short hallway. The door, like the front one, was slightly ajar, its window cracked a bit to allow some of the cool night air to drift in. She raised an eyebrow slightly as she slid around the door, trying her best not to move it for fear of squeaky hinges. This room seemed to be the actual 'living room' of the apartment, she noted, since this was where most of the stuff resided.
She began to spin in place, trying to get a bead on things, and to see if she could find anything worth taking with her. After all, she was in dire need of cash. And fast. As she turned to face the door again, she felt something sharp on her throat as a low voice snarled into her ear.
"Move, and it'll be the last thing you do."
She froze, her eyes narrowing as the blade dug in further. Whoever this person was, they were in for a nasty surprise, she thought as she bared her fangs...
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CHAPTER FIFTEEN:
Riddick's muscles tensed as he stood behind the person. He inhaled and almost took a step back in surprise. Definitely female, which was not what he was expecting, as it finally hit him that he probably should put some clothes on. But first, he was going to find out who she was and what she wanted in -his- house.
"What the hell are you doing here?" he growled, tightening the grip he had around the girl's throat. Amazingly enough all she did was let out a soft chuckle. This bothered him, her lack of fear despite the fact he had a shiv pressed to her jugular. He resisted the strong urge to just slit her throat now, to toss her dead body into a dumpster and go back to sleep.
The girl shrugged, making sure to do it slowly so that she wouldn't alarm the crazy guy with the blade digging into her flesh.
"Your front door was open, so I invited myself in. So fuck off."
Riddick frowned and narrowed his eyes, pressing the shiv into her soft flesh, drawing a few beads of blood. The girl hissed but didn't try to move.
"You have two seconds to explain yourself before I kill you..."
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CHAPTER SIXTEEN:
Chimera mentally sighed to herself, feeling her temper beginning to boil in the pit of her stomach. Sure, she had broken into this person's house, but to pull a weapon on her? That was a big mistake. As he questioned her, she took a step back, as alarms went off in her head. He wasn't wearing any clothes! Her mind snapped back to the prison, the guard who had begun to force himself onto her, and she leapt into action. The blade was forgotten as she let out a strangled cry of anger, shoving herself back into the man and knocking him over. Judging by his size, she must've caught him off guard, since he had at least a good six inches of height over her, not to mention the drastic weight difference.
The man let out a surprised grunt and slammed onto the bed, the bladed weapon falling from his hand to land on the floor, as Chimera went tumbling back onto him, her weight suddenly thrown off-balance by the powerful shove. She gasped, unsure of what to do now.
"Well. Isn't this an odd situation," he rumbled in a deep voice as he flung Chimera off of himself, only to lean over to get a better look at this would-be thief. The look on his face was one of pure amazement.
"What're you starin' at, huh?" she barked, baring her fangs. She wasn't that confident of herself, however, not once she'd gotten a good look at this guy. He was nothing but solid muscle, she thought, and she realized he wasn't all that bad looking. But there was one certain thing that caught her and held her breath. His eyes. They weren't natural, she could tell that first off. They were shined. The guy continued to stare at her as he sat up, then smirked ever so slightly.
"I've been looking for you." He stood and loomed over her, not the least bit bothered by his current lack of clothes.
Chimera narrowed her eyes as the man leaned down and brushed a hand over her cheek, forcing herself not to cringe back. "Me? Why me? I didn't even steal anything of y--"
She was cut off as he suddenly pushed her back onto the bed, one hand on her shoulder to keep her pinned down, the other one resting next to her side, as he leaned down to press his lips against hers. Her mind went on alert instantly, but there wasn't much she could do against this guy. Or was it that she didn't want to fight back, her inner voice questioned. There was something about him, some animalistic quality she'd sensed in him when he first threatened her. He was a killer. Just like her. A kindred spirit. She felt him release his hold as she kissed him back, wrapping one hand around the back of his neck.
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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN:
What an amusing situation, Riddick thought. Here was the girl he was supposed to break out of jail, in his house, on his bed. He'd been jarred from his sleep by the soft sound of footsteps outside of his room, causing him to lay motionless in order to pretend he was still asleep. As a shadowy figure stepped into the room, he'd grabbed his shiv off of his nightstand and went into action as soon as they turned their back. He was going to just slice their throat when he'd inhaled, catching the scent of the intruder. The first thing he noted was that it was female, a scent he hadn't had this close to him in too long of a time. The second thing was a faint overtone of blood, somewhat recent. He wasn't sure if it was hers or not, but that wasn't the important thing. He'd threatened her very life and all she had done was laugh. This caught him off guard, but not as much as her next move had. Before he could stop her, the girl had shoved all of her weight into him and sent him landing on his bed. Then, she landed on top of him. The very thought of a female on him, her warm flesh pressed against his, was enough to make him realize just how naked he was. He shoved her off of himself, hoping she hadn't noticed the sudden tensing of muscle in his groin.
After musing over the hand kharma had given him, he found himself studying the girl. She was young, but had a fierce, almost feral aura to her. He reminded her of a dog he'd come across once that had gotten its front paw tangled in a rope. It had chewed the paw almost completely off in its struggle to get loose, and the look on the girl's face suggested she wanted to do about the same to get out of this situation. She could almost be considered pretty, he thought, if it hadn't had been for her eyes. They were red, somehow radiating a faint, pale glow that made the similarities to that stray dog even more of a match. And her teeth. Fangs, more like it, and he found himself picturing them biting into his shoulder as he thrusted into her slender body.
Fuck. It -has- been too long, he swore to himself before smirking at the girl's comment. After telling her he'd been looking for her, he rose to hover over her prone form, sprawled out on his bed. He could take her so easily. He was stronger, and could pin her down with no trouble whatsoever. Reaching out with one hand, he brushed it gently across her cheek, feeling her tense. The smell of fear was intoxicating, hindering most of his thoughts save the primal urges gnawing at the back of his mind. Before he could stop himself, he'd pinned her to the bed with the same hand that had touched her cheek, holding her by her shoulder as he lowered himself down to force his lips upon hers. His hunger almost startled him, a fiery wave of energy that surged through his body, commanding him to take this girl he didn't even know.
He was surprised when she returned the kiss. Riddick lifted his hand from her shoulder, using it to reach back towards the nightstand. Making sure she wouldn't notice, he pulled out a pair of handcuffs and snapped them around her left wrist, causing her to gasp and pierce his lip with her fangs. The taste and smell of his blood made his mind hazy; if he didn't stop now he'd lose himself to his animalistic side. He licked the salty liquid from his lip while snapping the other end of the handcuffs to the radiator pipe on the wall. Her eyes narrowed as she glared towards him, her mouth red with his blood.
"Now I have to figure out what I'm going to do with you," he said, his voice ponderous, a sensual tone snaking its way into his words. He noticed a light tremor run through her body as she worked to free herself from the restraints. A predatory smile pulled at the corners of his lips, as he hunted for a pair of pants to cover himself with. Pulling them on he turned back to the girl, while attempting to keep himself from getting any more aroused. "I could turn you into the police, see if you got a reward on you. I could also take you to the guy looking for you."
She narrowed her eyes, the glow from them deepening a few shades. Riddick grinned. "Fiesty. I like that. Now you stay right there while I go out. I'll be back once I decide where you're going." He slipped on a shirt and walked out of the bedroom, shaking his head as he pondered what to do next.
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