Recap: Riddick hummed.


Hope POV

Not soon after Owens came walking into the ship. He slowed to a stop by me while he frowned in silent question at me, wondering why I was here.

I only shrug in answer before I left for outside, daring not to answer.

Outside I saw the rest of the group standing together. Imam was comforting the mercs, while Paris stood next to them looking a bit awkward. Imam's charges were all standing together, staring in sympathy at the mercs who lost a friend.

I frown and look around. 'Where's Jack?' I wonder before I saw the two mercs standing a few feet away from the group talking softly to one another. I glare at the duo before I look further.

I thought back to the movie and remembered that Jack spied on Fry and the convicts. I walk back into the ship and right before I took the way to the convicts, I see another stairwell to the right.

Climbing it, I came to a floor higher where I quickly saw a small figure sitting by another stairwell. 'The kid is really obsessed with them.' I frown at that thought. I knew that it wouldn't end well for her if she followed in the footsteps of the two convicts.

Slowly I walk up to her and touched her shoulder. Jack gasped in surprised and almost jumped away from me. The reaction made me smile but I quickly replaced it with a frown. "You shouldn't be spying on people." I hiss softly.

The girl blushes before she pouted. "I just wanted to hear what they were saying."

"That isn't for your ears to hear." I reprimand her.

We both heard everyone go silent below us and both glanced down the hole. Neither of us could contain their curiosity. I knew it was wrong to eavesdrop, but I can't help it. It's in my genes.

I too wanted to know what they were saying. 'I'm a hypocrite,' I thought wryly before I heard Jack softly shift next to me. Glancing at the girl, I saw her slowly place her feet on the stairs and she stealthily climbed down them.

My brows rose. I had to admit, the kid was quite good at sneaking. After a moment of considering whether to follow or not, I decided to follow her.

'Screw my conscience.' I thought and silently followed the kid. I tensed when my old breather shifted over the floor noisily and quickly picked it up and put it up, I no longer needed it anyway.

I step down the stairs and stand next to Jackie.

I glance through the stairs at Riddick, who had a smirk on his face. He hummed. "Closer," he rumbled. I know what was going to happen and unconsciously lean closer only to gently hit her head against the stairwell.

Owens was slowly coming closer to Riddick. At the same time, he shifted his eyes to where Blade and Peter sat every few seconds. He didn't trust the men even if he was chained up.

Actually, he didn't trust any of them for as far as he could throw them.

Suddenly Riddick sprang up, his arms bulging slightly from pulling the chains. Owens gasped and flinched in surprise, even taking a step back because of it.

"Dear God." I breathed while I leaned around the side of the stairwell above Jackie's head.

The girl was staring in awe at Riddick. Or more precisely, his eyes. "Where the hell can I get eyes like that?" he asked, or rather, demanded.

Riddick glanced over at them. "Gotta kill a few people," he stated which made me frown while I and Jackie stepped down from the stairs.

"Okay, I can do it," Jack said, confidently.

"Jack." I warn in a stern voice, while placing a hand on her shoulder. The kid glances up at her with a frowning pout.

"Then you gotta get sent to a slam where they tell you you'll never see daylight again," Riddick continued. I send him a glare.

"You dig up a doctor, and you pay him 20 menthol kools to do a surgical shine job on your eyeballs," the man murmured further, not perturbed by the least by her glare. Not that he really noticed. His attention was on Owens while he spoke. It served its purpose to intimidate him.

"So you can see who's sneaking up on you in the dark?" asked Jack, excited. I gently hit her over the head.

"Jack!" she warned again, louder.

"Exactly," retorted Riddick, a smile on his face. "That's not something you should tell a kid like him." I scolded with a glare.

My gaze caught his eyes. For a moment I felt like I was staring at a pair of moons instead of his eyes. The scolding I had just given him, totally forgotten. I felt drawn deeper in his gaze.

"Leave!" yelled Owens suddenly, breaking whatever spell was cast on me.

Blinking, I shook her head and glanced down at Jack. The girl was pouting again. "Come on, Jack. Let's go back to the others," I said while I pulled on the girl's shoulder.

Jack picked her stuff up and walked up the stairs after one last glance at Riddick. I glanced over at him too and caught his gaze again. I stared for a moment before I blink and shake my head slightly as my anger rose up. "You guys should be ashamed of yourselves! Telling a kid something like that. Do you want him to end up like a criminal?" she hissed at them angrily.

"He asked for it himself. It's not our problem." growled Blade while gazing up at me with a frown. Peter growling

I narrow my eyes at them. "Maybe you should. What if the boy turns out a killer because of that bit of info? Because he so desperately wants the same eyes as Riddick does, he goes and kills somebody. Do you want that on your conscious?" I snapped at them, unconsciously speaking of what happens to him later on. Blade sneered at her. "As I said, not our problem." he said making me scowl and with an angry huff I quickly climbed the stairs after the kid.

Upstairs I look around and find Jack standing a bit further with that same pout still on her face. "It's not fair. Why can't I hang out with them?" whined Jack a bit childishly while clenching his fists.

I look at her amused. "Maybe because he could be a bad influence to you?" I pointed out, half sarcastic and half serious.

Jack looked up at me with surprise before it turned into a frown. "That's not true! Riddick and Blade are not the bad guys. You know this as well! I saw you try to help them! I heard what you said to Frost! They didn't kill Chris and I believe you!" she said with conviction.

I blink in surprise at her words. Rarely had anyone ever believed my words. Sometimes when she wanted to tell someone about my boyfriend, they would come over to my house for proof. Her boyfriend and his family and friends somehow always managed to turn me into a liar. Bring up evidence that I had just had an accident, and so was a liar, the evil doer.

A small, gentle smile crept up my lips while I placed a hand on Jack's shoulder. "Thank you for believing me, Jack," I told her softly before I turned serious again. "And I know that they're not evil but that doesn't mean they're innocent." I stopped by the entrance of the ship, forcing Jack to stop too because of the hand on her shoulder.

"They have blood on their hands, Jack. They're still criminals even if it was in self-defense," I told her before my eyes widened slightly. "If you follow in their footsteps, y-it will get you into big trouble," I said quickly, but almost tripped over my own words and told the truth of what would happen.

'Phew. That was close. If I don't watch what I'm saying I might blurt something out about the movies. I can't let that happen.' I thought while Jack stared at me before a deep frown appeared on her face.

"I understand." she said softly while looking down.

"That's all I ask, Jack." I told him. Then, with a smile I ruffled his hair, making her yelp. "Hey! Don't do that!"

I chuckle. Jack pulled my hand away from her head and glared playfully at me. "So cute." I tease with a playful grin.

We walked outside where Jack was quickly be approached by Ali. Although Jack couldn't understand him, she still knew he wanted to play with her. The duo left to go do whatever they wanted to play.

I shift in my place before putting away a lock of hair. Blinking, I then noticed my hair was half out of its tail. Frowning, I quickly put it back in a ponytail again.

Soft footsteps came from behind me. Turning around, I saw Owens come out with a frown on his face. Shaking my head, I went back inside.

When I came near the convicts, I stop a few feet away. I didn't know what to say to them. Or do for that matter. Not that I could do much. I didn't have the keys or tools to free them.


Riddick POV

"Back for more lecturing?" Blade tells Hope, mocking her, making her jump at his sudden words. She looked towards him and stared for a moment before her gaze turned into a glare.

"What if I am? Got a problem with that?" she demanded while she placed her hands on her hips. Blade's lip curled in a silent snarl. "Listen woman, what we say or do is our problem. You don't have any business with us." he growled. She glared at him, the fact that he was chained up made her feel safer to talk back to us, I know that much.

"It is my business when you tell a kid what he should do to get such eyes!" she retorted as she pointed at Riddick. Blade growled along with Peter and me.

She watched the three convicts. Her mind then went mulling over Chris's death. Or rather, the creatures that did it. She had already tried to tell them, but they didn't believe her. If she tried to tell them a second time, they would start calling her crazy. She shook her head. There had to be a way to keep Owens from going down there. But she honestly hadn't tried to save him.

"There you are." said a male voice suddenly making her jump in surprise. Whirling around, she saw Johns standing behind her. "I've been looking everywhere for you," he said with a frown. Something about his tone made her wary. She narrowed her eyes.

"What for?" she asked. His smile sends a chill down her spine.

"'Cuz we need someone to go down that hole," he said and grabbed her arm. Her eyes widened.

"Wait, what?! Me?! Are you crazy?!" she cried and started struggling against his grip.

Riddick, Peter, and Blade all turned their heads and stared at the two. They were frowning. They knew this was somehow payback to her. For what, they didn't know.

Something compelled them to come to her aid. To protect her from Johns. But neither knew what it was. Nor were they agreeing with the feeling. She was just another survivor to them, nothing more.

"I'm not going down there! Not even for a million bucks!" she told him firmly and ripped her arm out of his hand. Johns narrowed his eyes.

"You don't get a choice, girl. You're going down that hole or I'm sending one of the kids down there," he said with a nasty smile. Her eyes widened again as Johns grabbed her arm again and pulled her with him.

"You wouldn't dare! Those kids are innocent! You can't do that!" she demanded angrily.

He glanced over at her with a smirk. "It's your choice, darling. Either you go down there, or those kids go. Your choice," he said with an evil smile.

Hope gritted her teeth. She couldn't believe this! But at the same time, she could. Her eyes fell to the ground, and she clenched her fists. She knew the character of Johns very well from the movie.

She also knew from the internet that he had used kids as a threat to capture Riddick. Or he would've never caught him. She didn't have a choice. Either she went down there, or one of those kids was going down. She couldn't risk that. They were just that. Kids!

"Bastard." she hissed and glared at him with all her anger.

Johns shrugged her glare off with ease. "So I've been told," he said and then pulled her further towards the exit. Sighing, she ripped her arm out of his hold and walked along beside him. When they came outside to join the others, Johns put up a façade.

"Hope here volunteered to go down there," he told the others when they came to the group. Everyone stopped talking and the others all frowned. Owens walked over to her.

"You don't have to do this, you know." he said, which instantly reminded her of Johns' threat. She shook her head and gave her a fake smile. She'd been flashing that smile a lot lately.

"Don't worry, I want to." she said, but had to resist the urge to glare at Johns. Owens looked a bit hesitant, before she nodded.

"Alright then," she said. "We found a rope between the rubble. Maybe you can tie that around your waist and while you climb down there, we'll hold the end of the rope. If something goes wrong, we can always pull you back," he told her.

Hope's face twitched as she bit back a grimace. She knew the rope would not help her at all. It would only serve to hold her back, as it did in the movie with Fry. The creatures would just pull her back down there. She shook her head.

"No. I'd rather go without a rope if you don't mind. I'm gonna need all the freedom to move I can get." 'Literally.' she thought wryly as they started to make their way to the spires. This was going to end badly.