Author note: Unfortunately, I do not own Riddick or any other character associated with PB&COR. If I did, Riddick would be sharing my bed every night. Nor do I own any of the song lyrics that will appear in this story.
I've decided to play with Jack/Kyra's age slightly to suit my own purposes. I have also decided to exclude the Necromongers simply because I didn't really like them.
Chapter 1: Coffin Builder
My life fell out of my hands and into
This hole where everything's cold
Kyra watched as he was lowered down into the depths of hell to become one with the other demons. Smoothly she jumped the rail, twisting her body into a perfect landing two levels below. Three years, she thought. Three fucking years. She strode to a nearby enclave and waited. Emotions raced through her mind as she unsheathed the shiv from the small of her back.
"How do I get eyes like those?" Her breathe played warmly on his ear as the cold steel of the shiv danced on his throat.
"You gotta kill a few people." He grinned as he quickly reversed their positions so that he could face her. The animal in him knew that it was her but even his own eyes betrayed him. "Jack."
"Jack's dead. She was weak. Riddick." Kyra spat out his name as though it was poison. She sat perfectly on his strong arm, and waited for the opportunity to strike. She moved the small blade around with her tongue. There was just enough time after breaking the light to give him a reminder. "She couldn't cut it."
Touching the small cut on his cheek Riddick smiled to himself. Good kid, ya learned something, he thought, To bad I didn't teach ya. Her scent told him that she was still close. He turned his large frame and left the small cell to see Kyra waiting for him.
In the last five years, she had grown and learned. And one thing that Riddick noticed, she had become a woman. Her green eyes swept over him as she spoke, "The name's Kyra now." She smiled before continuing, "And I'm a new kind of animal."
Before he could speak she was gone over the rail. An animal? You move like one kid, lets see if you think like one. Riddick turned and walked to the slop line
I lose the feeling of guilt. There's
nothing inside, my innocence died.
And now the emptiness grows, it's
bringing me down and taking my crown
I've seen where everything's dark.
It's here in my soul, I'm losing control.
"I'll kill you with my teacup." He warned, placing the dull tin cup on the ledge next to him. A smile spread on Kyra's face as he talked. Always the Big Evil, huh Riddick. She thought as she watched him kill the guard and scare off the others.
"Death by teacup," Kyra pried the bloodied cup from the fallen guard's chest. She turned it slowly, admiring his work. "Damn, why didn't I think of that?"
"I didn't come here to play who's the better killer." He could smell the bloodlust, the admiration, the slight arousal. He turned to collect his thoughts.
"But it's my favorite game," Her voice was low, slightly raspy but still very feminine. Still very sexy. She walked towards him cup still in hand. "Haven't you heard?"
"I heard you came looking for me."
"Is that all? Well you missed the good part." Her voice was thick with sarcasm. But there was something else under that and she knew he could hear it. Anguish. Pain. Betrayal. Abandonment. "Hooked up with some mercs out on Lupus 5, told me they'd take me on, teach me the trade, gimme a good cut. They slaved me out, Riddick! Do you know what that can do to you when you're that age?"
"I told you to stay in New Mecca!" Finally, he turned toward her. His mercury eyes looked into hers. He could see the pain, see the scars she held inside. Part of him couldn't blame her for joining the mercs. "Why did you not listen?" He whispered putting as much sympathy as he could into his voice. "I had mercs on my neck, I'll always have mercs on my neck." Suddenly, he pulled her into an embrace and spoke into her hair. "I spent 5 years on a frozen heap just to keep them away from you. And you go and sign up with the same fake badges that wanted to cut you up and use you for bait."
She had spent three years in this festering cesspool, fighting to survive and now with Riddick's arms wrapped around her, she felt like this was the safest place in the universe. "I spent 5 years waiting for you to come back to me," Kyra let her body relax into his arms. "I killed Chillingsworth for you, Riddick. I became a killer." Her slender arms held him tight for a moment longer before she moved away. "But because you left, I also became a victim." Her green eyes searched his one last time before she turned from him.
For the first time in a very long time Riddick didn't have the answer. He knew that leaving her would hurt her but he had convinced himself that she was better off without him. "You signed up with mercs." His voice was barely a whisper.
"There was nobody else around."
"Kyra, wait." She was almost gone before he could finish his own thoughts. "I…"
"It's almost feeding time." Riddick turned to hear the other convicts yelling. When he turned back she was gone, the bloodied teacup sat on it's ledge like it was on a pedestal. I'm around now kid. And I ain't leaving ya this time.