Chapter VIII
Hierarchy of Hunters
They hadn't wanted to move Marius, so Jack found some extra blankets that they spread on the floor of the main room. It hadn't bothered either of them; Jack contentedly snuggled against Riddick's side, his arm holding her to him, his other hand resting on top of hers, which rested on his chest. At some point she had shivered and he had thrown another blanket over them and Jack had purred quietly. Riddick wasn't going to lie; he had missed this and more importantly, her.
He had undergone a sort of change once he had become the leader of his ring of hunters, he could live freely now, he was still Riddick, but he was a hunter. He had become better with people, like Laiker, but he was still hyper-aware of everything happening around him. Had he become a softie? He seriously doubted it, but he could speak to people easier, as he had just done with Jack earlier. In some ways, it was better then staying silent all the time, one could avoid physical wounds through talking.
He hadn't slept deeply like Jack had, but just enough to relax slightly. Riddick awoke sooner then she did and spent the quiet time running the hand that had rested on her waist through her hair. But the green eyes did flutter open and she let out a growling moan as she stretched against him. Smirking down at her as she looked up into his silver eyes, Riddick was struck by the thought that it would've been the perfect time to kiss her if an upset yell hadn't been heard from inside the ship.
Jack sat up and looked in the direction of the bedroom, where she had left Marius for the night. Undoubtedly he was upset; he had to share his mentor with someone else. Jack herself had been furious when she found out where Riddick had gone every night, enraged that she had to let him go to someone else. Riddick sat up behind her and made a point not to touch her, but their legs touched and she turned to look at him, sleepily smiling.
"Are you staying?" She asked, surprising him.
He nodded and with that confirmation, she stood and looked down at herself. Disgusting; half of her arms still had encrusted blood on them, besides the small part of her forearm and Riddick had cleaned, stitched and bandaged. She saw that Riddick was the same and he shrugged at her and stood as well, bending down to pick the blankets up off the floor.
He heard her muttering about a well-deserved shower as she walked down the hallway, entering the bedroom and the door closing behind her, the lock clicking shut. Riddick pulled out a chair from a small table and sat down heavily, using the time to think about what he was going to do.
"Marius?" She asked cautiously, walking around the room. She couldn't see him, but she knew he was in there, his anger rolled off him in almost overwhelming waves of smell.
"Go 'way." He said, emerging from the darkest corner of the room. It looked like he hadn't slept all night and had been spending the better part of it crying.
"My ship, not going anywhere. Come here." She ordered, sitting down on the bed. He didn't move at first, but with a light glare from his mentor, he shuffled across the floor, flopping down next to her on the messy bed.
"You're jealous of the attention I'm giving him and you want him to leave." Jack summarized, staring the young boy down. He tried to talk, stammering that that wasn't true, but he had no luck.
"Marius, you can probably tell, but he and I…we have a history. We know each other and haven't seen each other for a long time." She felt like she was talking to a younger brother, a really stubborn one at that. She ruffled his hair slightly and he looked at her, a small smile spreading over his face.
"Yeah, I know. So, what's going to happen now?" He asked, putting the jealousy behind him. Even at his age he saw how beautiful Jack was and it was no mystery to him why Riddick would be after her.
"Good question. Going to ask him, want to come out and actually give proper introductions?" She asked, smirking as she stood. He playfully smacked her and she ruffled his hair even more and Marius laughed aloud. "Glad to hear it, you get started; I need to take a shower."
Before Marius could even protest she was in the bathroom and he could hear water running in the pipes overhead. He could sit here, say he was too scared and just read or he could actually step up to the plate and give it a go. He hated his conscious by the time he reached the main room, where he found Riddick sitting in a chair, his eyes clearing of thoughts. He could stumble over his words and look stupid, or he could just say it in one long breath and have it over with. Marius went for the latter.
"I'm Marius, I don't have friends or family besides Jack and she is the only reason I'm not sitting in the bedroom reading. She's in the shower by the way." He just spit out, wondering where the hell his thoughts got disconnected. The larger man let out a deep laugh and stood, easily overshadowing Marius.
"You only had to tell me your name, kid." He spoke, Marius instantly not liking being referred to as a kid. "You know who I am and yes I know she's in the shower."
Silence reigned for a while in the room, Riddick still standing over the young boy, judging his appearance, character and physical strength. The escape move he had pulled on him yesterday was impressive and he had to congratulate Jack. She hadn't just taught him everything she knew, but changed it to what his strengths were. Neither were backing down and finally Riddick realized he should really do something about this, seeing how Jack would appearing soon and be slightly pissed if they had just gotten through names. But Marius surprised him first.
"How do you know Jack?" He asked, walking to the hallway wall and sliding down it, looking up at the imposing figure of Riddick.
"How much do you know about her past?" He shot back, leaning against the opposite wall.
"Nothing. I didn't tell mine, she didn't tell hers." Marius replied, still intent. "So? When did you guys meet?"
"Look, kid, I don't think she'd be too happy if I revealed her past to you. I'll just say we met a while ago, she was a different person then." He spoke vaguely, not daring to risk Jack's wrath. Last night she had only been confused so she wasn't too dangerous, but he was sure that Jack could inflict serious damage if reason called for it.
"I could've figured that out." Marius said from the floor, his head swinging to the right as the bedroom door opened and a fresh, clean Jack walked out, readjusting the straps on her bugnucks. She looked up to see the two males in her life watching her and she smiled briefly.
"I bet you two didn't even get past names." She smirked, walking through them and into the cockpit. Riddick growled at Marius, who scrambled up and followed Jack, Riddick behind him. Jack had taken her place in the pilot's chair and the two men stood, neither really knowing who should sit in the copilot's seat.
"We actually got around to asking about your past." Marius replied, eyeing the chair. Jack mentally groaned; this was going to take a while.
"And…" She continued, glancing at Riddick, not giving any thought to the fact that she could feel him gazing at her, watching her every movement.
"And he," Marius spoke with obvious distaste, "said he wouldn't tell me anything. You've never told me anything, Jack. I would have never guessed that in your past the ex-convict and most-chased-bounty was around."
"As it should be." Jack spoke firmly and coldly. She was glad Riddick had told Marius nothing; the young boy didn't need to know. Jack still saw the pain of rejection and anger in Marius' eyes when he realized she really wasn't going to tell him anything. A few glances later, Marius gave up and returned to the bedroom, flinging himself onto the bed and opening up his book where he left off.
"Real smooth, Jack." Riddick stated, seating himself in the copilot's chair.
"He doesn't need to know." She didn't even try to reason, she just spoke. "Riddick," this got his attention, "Why does he need to know?"
"Why did you need to know about my past?" He quietly replied, not looking at her, but he felt her eyes bore into his head. The answer slowly formed in her mind and she realized it must be the same need that Marius had to know hers. It made sense now, seeing how he was once her idol.
"I wanted to know because I thought that if you and I were alike when we were young, I could be like you when I grew up. But does Marius consider me…an idol?" The thought was strange to Jack; she wasn't sure how she felt about someone looking up to her with such a passion.
"I wouldn't put it past him." Riddick said shortly, his silver eyes meeting her now softer green ones. "Jack, we can't stay in this ship forever, I've got hunters to control." He changed the subject, preparing for the verbal onslaught as he saw her eyes darken.
"You've got a life, for once. I was looking for you, but you found me instead. I considered dropping Marius to Imam, he wouldn't mind, but I won't do what you did. No reason to put him through such…mental agony." She almost spit the last words, old feelings resurfacing. How she had hated him for abandoning her like that, so she wasn't going to do it to Marius. "Return to your hunters, we don't need to pair up."
This shocked Riddick, he would have thought after all those years and even last night she would've been glad to join his hunting ring. Yet when he looked in her eyes, they held no sacrificing pain, just confidence and contempt.
"Who said I was giving you a choice?" He shot back, his voice rising. "Who saved your ass last night, Jack? Certainly wasn't the kid and you didn't seem so perfect either."
"I am not controlled by you," she snarled, standing and glaring down at him. "Both Marius and I know that what happens can't be changed and if we were to die last night, then nothing could have been done. I think I should have the choice of when I want to find you and settle." Her eyes were blazing now and her muscles tensed, Riddick noting that her fingers were alarmingly close to the trigger release of her bugnucks.
"Controlled? Kid," he stood, his voice rumbling with a cruel humor, "you can't even control your own dreams."
As Riddick held an ice pack to his jaw and side of his face, he mused that he should have seen it coming. But he was distracted as Laiker walked into the main room, carrying two shot glasses and what looked to be ancient vodka. The second man grinned devilishly as he poured two shots, sliding one over to Riddick's side of the table.
"So, I take it that little meeting didn't go so well?" He asked, knowing fully well what had happened when Riddick had stormed onto the ship, half of his face already bruising in what looked like claw marks.
"Shut it, Laiker. I'm just happy that she wasn't using the sharp side of her bugnucks." He grumbled, remembering how he felt the dulled and sheathed claws backhanded into the side of his face.
"What are you going to do? Tis the season of worthless chases and even worse bounties, we don't have anyone to hunt for at least two months." Laiker asked, pouring himself another shot. He saw that his leader hadn't touched his glass, instead looking off into another world, his hand clenched around the icepack. Riddick took it off the side of his face and held it in his hand, glancing at the vodka.
"Following her seems stalker-like, doesn't it?" He asked, wincing as feeling returning to the numb side of his face. She had done a number on him and that was just with one passionate backhanded slap.
"Aye, it does. Look, it's not like she is going to purposely leave our territory. She knows that when she's in our grounds she is safe from Bellger's remains." But the knowing look that Riddick held told him otherwise. "Ah crap, she's one of those girls who would intentionally leave a safe area just to tempt fate, isn't she?"
Riddick nodded, reaching for the shot glass and downing it fast, smacking the small glass down on the table. He slid it across the table, letting it bounce off the vodka bottle and into Laiker's waiting hand. Smirking, the man poured Riddick another shot and slid it directly across. Drinking like this was a simple pastime to them, but they weren't alcoholics.
Riddick craned his head back to watch another one of his better hunters walk down the ship's hallway, well aware that he could never sneak up on his leader. Impossible, but he liked it that way. His face winced in sympathy when he saw the bruises across Riddick's face and he swung himself into another chair at the table, flipping it backwards so he straddled it.
"Oy, ye bitches drink vodka like the Brits drank tea!" He exclaimed, seeing how the once full bottle was more then half empty. Riddick mentally frowned, how much had Laiker drank? "Well, 'twasn't considerate for ye not to bring me a glass, but who gives a fuck when it's vodka?" He asked to no one, grabbing the bottle's neck and taking a large swig of vodka straight from the bottle.
"At least we have manners." Laiker mused, watching the newcomer shake his head slightly to get used to the hard alcohol. "Really Rex, you would think a guy of your size would be born with a resistance to alcohol."
The man in question shot him a warning glare and Riddick growled; he didn't need two of his best hunters fighting out a petty argument. It was true, Rex, short for T-Rex, was unimaginably large. He stood well above Riddick and his body mass surpassed his combined with Laiker's and maybe a little more. He got his name from the absolute brute strength he had, but he wasn't a fool, his strategies had saved Riddick and his team more then once.
"Riddick," Rex turned to his leader who leveled a glare at him. "What's goin' to 'appen now?"
"He isn't sure yet. Probably be a stalker." Laiker put in and Riddick was about a second away from pelting his shot glass at the man's head.
"I don't know yet, is the crew asking?" Riddick questioned and Rex shook his head.
"But they want to know how ye go' tha' nasty wound." He added, making Laiker snicker. "No offense, sir, but-" Rex started to apologize, seeing the dark look transforming Riddick's face.
"Rex, feel free to beat the shit out of Laiker." He growled, making Laiker pale and Rex grin. Riddick stood and began to walk back to the galley, which led to the mess hall of his ship. As he heard the oncoming noise of his crew, Riddick realized that Jack would probably have gotten along with them, if not used them as personal punching bags. But this thought was cut short when he heard Laiker yelp from the main room and a small grin appearing on his face, Riddick walked through the galley and into the mess hall.
Thanks to the reviewers of chapters 5 and 6:
TeaCat – Hope you liked this one, yep I was little fizzy on the plot level so I was like "hmm, I'll do something like…this!"
TotallyRiddickObsessed – Yes, you can see Jack has yet to learn to live with Riddick in general. The rule? I have no idea, something about lyrics. Thanks for reviewing.
SueBe – I loved reading your review, it sounds like I've made a sort of Three Bears story out of this or something. Your ideas and questions are good, I might incorporate some of them, with your permission, though. I'm having a lot of fun writing it and I hope you still like reading it.
Frek – Thanks for reviewing. Yeah, as you can see and will later see, I have a thing for Riddick and Jack flashbacks, they're just so much fun. Yeah, I wasn't sure I was going to get him there, but this worked out so much better and I'm very pleased. Hope you are too.
Iridescent Twilight – Both chapters. I love you still. Yeah, I don't know what it is with the 'M' names.