Minx felt the square hardness of metal slam into her shoulder blades, as if it were a knife piercing through her skin. The world around her spun as she barely missed another deafening punch, a small smile came to her lips in realizing that her attacker was also blinded by the darkness.
The air seemed to have a cold chill that made her lungs tighten. She slowly inched her way down the hall, the light-filled end of it seeming to sluggishly grow larger and larger in her eyes view. Somewhere close, she felt another person looming in front of her, but she could only guess exactly where. Keeping her movements' small and slight she kept her senses open, breathing only in calculated moments.
No sound graced her ears, except the mythological clicking and whirring of the mechanical beasts around her. A vibration flitted its way through the flooring to wind snuggly around the bones in her ankles, she waited and soon another came, then another and another. Soon she realized that the unnerving sound was heavy footsteps only a couple feet from where she was slowly creeping.
Another moment passed with more vibrations and more stillness. Although her mind was in turmoil, she waited and waited her shallow breath and racing heart anticipating what to do next. Just as the last footstep fell, she raised her arm, and with care sent it flying into the air, connecting with the person's jaw. She heard a strangled groan and took full advantage, gritting her teeth and kicking out her leg, making contact with the center of a very solid human body part, what part exactly she had no clue.
Crashing of metal filled her ears as she raced down the hallway, leaving the darkness behind. But her quickness was all too easily matched; the wind was knocked instantly out of her lungs as she tumbled to the floor, another person's weight soon making its presence known on top of her back.
Kicking her legs, she twisted her body up ward, using the floor to try and escape their trap. But her foot soon was clasped in a tight death grip, his hand wrapped around her foot and kept squeezing until she couldn't move.
Twisting around again she propelled her body up and kicked with her free foot, sending her heel into the center of his face. His grip loosened enough for her to pull free and stand up with some comical difficulty, feeling like a three hundred pound drunk.
Turning she cast her eyes on the man who was trying to beat the crap out of her. His big hulking frame was cast in a bright glow by the lighting, his hair was unnaturally bleached blond, and his arms and upper body was about as big as a small car. She knew the last observation was exaggerated by her mind, but she was trying to face fighting him.
It was in that moment that he looked up at her, his cold, almost transparent, icy blue eyes send a shiver of fear down her spine as her fist coiled around the knife in her pocket, the sweat laced rubber of the handle stuck to her palm like it was truly apart of her.
She watched a sarcastic smirk slither across his lips; the cruelty in his expression grew until it formed a dark ring around his blue eyes. He gave her a quick once over and smiled openly.
"You're a feisty lil one." He said slowly, his voice empty and quiet, as he wiped the blood off of his nose with the back of his hand, the red liquid smearing over his skin. He chuckled this time, raising himself off of the floor with one hand, his eyes never leaving hers.
"Fortunately I've been told not to kill you." He stated lightly, squaring his shoulders to stand fully before her, she observed his 6' 4" tallness to her 5'5" height and it wasn't comforting. The moment seemed to drag on forever before he spoke again; the reason for his slowness was baffling her.
"You seem to be confused Minx." He said gently, seeming all too mean under the harsh light. Slowly she found herself shaking her head; she wasn't confused, just cautious to his silent plan. "My name is Zinis, and I am here because my boss sent me to get you for him. Seeing as making the trip himself would be too dangerous." He paused to take a step closer, which she let him do, knowing it was wise to let him play his little game. "If you come quietly I'll spare your friends, but if you don't, they'll all be killed."
He stood in front of her, his hand out stretched like a gentlemen wanting to dance at a ball, a sick and practiced smirk plastered on his pale and thin lips. Her emotions were raging knowing what she was going to have to do.
Nodding shortly she met his eyes. "I accept." At this it was his turn to look confused.
"Accepting without kicking my ass first, you're getting soft." He taunted, slipping his hand around her wrist to painfully twist her arm around to the small of her back, the click of the hand cuffs cutting into her skin. Slowly they began to walk out of the engine room, his breath floating over her neck, making her cringe with disgust.
The elevator door closed behind them with a tight and soft whoosh of air. She felt him grin against her ear, "You smell good lil Minxy." He whispered, making her want to rip his head off. She clenched her jaw and tried to relax, fighting the urge to try and pick the lock on the handcuffs that bound her motionless.
She could feel the sweat on her back seep though her clothing as the elevator ventured higher and higher to their destination. He didn't speak and for that she was grateful. She tried to focus on the metal of the doors before her, her mind trying to formulate a somewhat intelligent plan.
Just then the picture of a smiling Jack flickered into her memory, and she began to wonder about them, they were probably gone by now, and she probably would never see Jack again. Although it did hurt her to think that, she understood why. Risking their lives to wait for her was idiotic and foolish.
Then she thought of ages ago, back to Riddick, inwardly her heart sunk as she remembered the kiss. She was surprised by it, and even more amazed that she would be so dumb as to let it happen. She knew that it was something so wrong. She partially blamed Deo for all of this; if he hadn't left her like that she would have never even been in this mess. Then again she knew blaming him wouldn't make things any easier.
The doors opened to a sight she was sickened by, destruction and clam panic something she remembered from once before, the night that the mercs came for her life. Minx snapped out of it when the goon behind her shoved her forward into the heart of the mess.
They both stepped over the debris and other people, this time faster as if they were almost running. Once they neared the middle of the hallway her heart stopped when she saw Hocks. He was injured and struggling with a man surprisingly the same size as him.
Rearing back Hocks punched him, but it had no effect and Hocks was weakening, there was a serious bash on his head and she could see his eyes beginning to grow smaller. It was in this moment that Zinis stopped, making her come to a grinding halt as well. The squealing of her boots making slight marks on the floor, but all of her noise went unnoticed.
As they continued to struggle she began to feel sick, the air had gone from cold to warm in about five minutes and at this rate things would begin to get even uglier. Hocks slowly began to beat the man down, but before he could take advantage the man seemed to strengthen backing Hocks against the wall.
Her mind screamed to take action, but with her bound and restricted by some freak flunky what could she possibly do. She started to casually look around for some help, but in finding none she gazed down and closed her eyes, hot with anger the tears slipped down her cheeks, just as she felt Zinis chuckle.
"Awe Minxy, don't cry." He whispered into her ear, holding her close so that she felt his gun press into the crease of her back "Let's just watch him die."
The tears kept coming as she kicked his shin and elbowed his side, leaning her head back quickly to come up to his chin. As he recoiled she bent to grip the laser gun at her feet and coiled her finger around the trigger, gritting her teeth at the cuttingly sharp metal at her wrists, she ignored it and tried to aim the gun at the handcuff. Slowly she watched the laser melt the material away, oozing silver liquid feel to the floor in measured droplets the left over solid metal steaming from the heat.
But like an undying mosquito, Zinis threw her up against the wall, her perfect aim now being ruined and taking out its burning fury against her forearm, the red beam glided over her arm casting an eerie bright red and black mark of singeing skin after it while burning pain flew through her muscles. After a long moment the pain relented and she breathed a sigh of relief her vision slightly blurred from keeping her eyes screwed shut.
Cramping her still cuffed wrist across her body she heard a faint beeping in her ear, signaling that the laser was running out of juice. Inwardly cursing, she dropped it reluctantly to the ground, struggling to move beneath his weight that he was using to pin her.
Moving her hand across her hip she snuck the knife around to his side and jabbed quickly into his black shirt. With a silent thud he fell to the floor, and she felt the air slowly come back to her.
Hocks
His arms started to grow weaker and frailer by the instant as his resentment seemed to grow. His ship was under attack and that meant the worst; his family was in extreme danger.
The dark-haired man pushed and it seemed to take all of his strength to push back. The lights seemed to get brighter and so did his surroundings, but to him his world was dark. His grip on the man's arms tightened as a roar filled his ears. The vice-like grip on his arms loosened as he saw the light of life fade from the man's eyes, his massive fists relaxing with other pain as he feel forwards, Hocks caught his shoulders and laid him down slowly, looking at the wound that had pierced through the barrel of his chest.
Amazed and dazed he looked at the lifeless body on the floor, next to the man's side two familiar black boots walked up. He raised his eyes to meet Minx's brown teary ones. Her small smiles making him feel calm and worried all the same.
"Hi." She said lightly, her eyes still clouded over with doubt.
"I didn't see you come in." Hocks said lamely, suddenly noticing the sleek black gun in her hand, coming to the quick comprehension of what she had done, his heart stopped with guilt and sickness.
"Well, you seemed slightly preoccupied, thought I could help." She said seeming to be as dazed as he was.
"Thanks." Hocks whispered, knowing that the gun would have to be taken far away from her as possible. "Listen we've got to get you outta here, follow me."
They made their way farther down the hall, leaving their mess behind and knowing they had more to come. As they darted around people and the destruction of fire and other bullets had already made, Hocks neared a secret corridor and motioned for her to follow.
Once they stopped in the lonely hall he could see the pain on her face, she suddenly looked so tired and grown-up as he reached into the shadows and pulled out her packed rucksack and threw it at her.
"From here take that door behind you and then make a right down the second hall on your left, everything is a holograph in there but enough is real. That should get you to a ship you can take out of here. If you ever need anything, you'll always have a home with me." He spoke quickly not knowing who was listening, he paused to give her a hug then hand her his second best rifle.
She only glanced at it for a moment before meeting his eyes once again. "Thanks Hocks. I'll keep that in mind." She said softly in a graveness that surprised him, a small tear fell down her cheek but her expression remained made out of stone.
Hocks could only manage to nod before he cast a glance over her shoulder and pulled out his own form of protection, "Just make me proud."
Minx
She watched him leave, hoping like hell that nothing would happen to him. Taking a deep breath she went through the door and entered a very wide and menacing hall. The old lanterns hung on rusty looking hooks, their own tarnished metal seeming so frail and weak.
The lanterns held a red light, seeming like a thin gas that was just floating in mid air, waiting to be released. In the middle of the redness there was a black ball of ink that grew and shrunk by every passing second, pulsing like a slow heart beat.
The air around her seemed to be skeletal, still, and bitter, making her bones shake under her skin. The hall was dark and cast in the red light that the lamps only minimally gave off. The walls were decorated with metal picture frames that she quickly noticed held no pictures, only her contorted reflection.
The moments seemed to drag on forever as she continued down the hall, gratefully making a left as Hocks had instructed to, and found herself in the beginning of another hallway, although this one was full of lamps, fishing memorabilia, and lots of pale wood. It smelled of cinnamon air freshener and was about as out of place in this ship as anything could possibly be.
She kept moving and noticed the hallway came to an end abruptly before her, the metal door stood before her, no knob or palm reader, and just smooth metal all around it. She cleared her mind and silently fumed about Hocks not telling her about any gimmicks about getting to the spaceport.
Minx rested her hand on the door as if it would bite, and her eyes widened as her hand disappeared into the metal. Turning her head to the side she stepped through the door and was met by a bunch of crates.
Immediately she heard shots of guns and a long drawn out shrill cry as silence came quickly. Dropping to her knees on the hard cement floor she peeked around the corner to see three mercs quickly approaching her with their riffles drawn. Although they didn't see her just yet she felt her heart rate start to speed up.
Gripping Hock's riffle she drew it out and pressed her back against the crate, trying to keep out of view. Ducking her head down close to its barrel she drew her arm out to steady it against her wrist, to aim it at the one merc in the middle. Holding her breath she squeezed it against her shoulder and let it rip, surprised when it fired two bullets at once.
The two remaining mercs were too smart and took cover close by, seeing a similar looking button she pushed it, and a second later a small view finder popped up from the barrel to reveal an x-ray vision to her eyes. Minx squinted and began to glance about through the green picture.
The sound of other bullets being fried came to her as another merc fell to the ground nearest to her; she realized that she was not alone as she found the corner she'd been seeking and fired quickly, silently thanking who ever it was that just saved her ass.
Splinters of sharp wood flew through the air, pieces of foam and rubber rained down on the other crates near her, including her own. She felt some hit her head and fall around her boots, reaching down she cleared them away to keep them from menacing her later, but quickly spread them discreetly across the floor knowing how they liked to pop loudly when stepped on.
She knew there had to be more and now was faced with a decision, should she try to get closer or stay, she knew she had to get out of here, and getting a ship was the only way. Keeping her body low she moved across to the crate nearest to her, then to another and another until fifteen feet separated her and a ship.
Just then the crate exploded, making her open season. Rolling on the floor she felt a bullet clip her rucksack, making her feel like she was in some cheap western. She moved to crouch behind a metal cabinet, knowing she was only safe for a moment. She made her way closer and closer to the grey shuttle ship that loomed before her but the mercs didn't seem to be through with her yet.
She felt an arm come around her neck and start to squeeze as they moved her backwards. She began to struggle but the person was way too strong. Just then the weight lifted and a groan of pain filled her ears. She turned to see Riddick only a few yards away, his goggled stare fixed on her for a quick second before she got down on the ground, seeing of beams from the left of him shoot over his head.
She moved around to the underside of the ship, just enough to see where three mercs were hiding. She had little idea how to get all of them at once without letting them know where she was, thinking for a moment she bit her lip and tried to take a breath.
Another laser shot rung through the air, this time from another direction completely, the laser clipped her arm, but she was too concentrated on thinking than to notice the dull ache of the sting.
She decided to move around to the back of the ship to fire from there, trying to stay out of sight. She shot her laser across the room from there, quickly crawling back to the front of the ship. She watched as the laser burned the tip of the crate where the mercs were poised. They soon took the bait and attacked the back of the ship, just missing it but giving her enough time to shoot at them.
She got two out of three, the last merc moved and she missed. Just then she heard her laser gun wheeze and shut down, it was out of juice. She switched it over to the regular riffle, and found out quickly that she only had five shots left.
When all was mostly silent she slipped out from under the ship and got behind the ledge of the dock where the ships usually hovered. Stepping around the puddles of engine fluid and grease she tried to keep low and quiet.
Minx could smell the gunshots in the air but the quietness was suspicious. Making her way towards the gray ship she felt eyes watching her. Not looking up she continued to approach it, keeping Hock's riffle near to her.
Suddenly she heard Jack scream, her body sprung into action, running up the ramp to the open door. Suddenly she saw Jack struggling with a woman twice her size, Minx's fists clenched in anger. The struggle was too close to use the riffle without hurting Jack, so she tried to think of something else.
"Hey bitch!" Minx yelled, watching the woman's movements still as she threw Jack back wards and turned around, as she turned Minx kicked out her foot and came into the left side of her head, the women shook her head in pain but recovered all too easily
The woman was bigger than her, but she was so angry she could feel her own skin burn with rage. The woman smirked, but then she recognized Minx. "I'll make a deal with you"
"No deal." Minx said hauling back and punching her in the jaw, then heeling her foot and driving her elbow through the bitches face. The woman stumbled towards the door but gripped the door frame and stopped herself, giving Minx a wide smirk, "Come on; pick on someone your own size for once!"
Minx suddenly thought of the girl behind her, "Jack get back there. Behind something." She did as she was told, but the woman reached out and gripped Minx's neck, she was faintly aware of Jack's scream, but Minx tried to contain her anger and kicked at the merc's shins.
She winced in pain but tightened her grip; Minx closed her fist and drove her knuckle into the woman's side. The merc gasped for air and let her go, but it wasn't that simple. She had to get her out of the ship. Just at she recovered, Minx slapped her and took her badge, knowing that a merc's badge was one of their points of pride.
She held the sick and clammy metal in her fist and dropped it to the ground knowing it would make the woman snap. "Bitch." She croaked, her beady eyes smoldering with anger.
Minx just smirked and dropped the badge to the ground. Smashing it with her heel she rotated her foot to ground it into the rubber floor. The merc lunged for her but fell right into Minx's waiting blade as Minx pushed her back and out the door.
She grabbed her riffle and found the merc's own on the floor, throwing one to Jack she gave her a slight nod for her to follow then went to the window, aiming it at the four mercs that still remained she was slightly aware that Jack got one herself when she heard her quiet yelp of victory. Riddick got some, but the others were still a hazard. They were open to her as she shot the crate first to fog their vision, and then fired, both had no defense and quickly Riddick made his way to the ship. She could see the glint of blood and burns all over him but couldn't tell which wounds were his own.
Author's note: Hey everyone! Hope you enjoyed this, I know I've been slow in updating for a long time, but life is rough for me right now, and my computer broke, so, it is hard for me to wrtie all the time. I have finals all this month for school then it is off for the summer, so I shall finish this lil epic around then. I have some of the next chapter written so the next update might be sooner than I think. Thanks for reading and please leave a review.
Love to all from your girl of the shadows,
Anne