AN: Guin, BooklvrAnnie, Irishbrneyes, Shenandoah76209, hideher, and all those that follow my stories you all rock! I am seriously so flattered that you all continue to read and review. I wanted to let you all know that I am considering taking this story in several different directions. Ultimately, I want to include both Chronicles, the new Riddick movie coming out in September (squeals with excitement!), and maybe some of the comic books/video games into this fic. That being said, an option would be to have this be one very long fic, or to break it up. Do any of you have opinions on this? Anyways, on with the show!
Chapter 47: Scary Monsters
XXX
...Reality Shifts...
It isn't real...her school never looked like this...class was not outside...but there she sits...her ten year old self...listening to these people go on...
"Now that the war's over, our soldiers get to come home, yes?" One of the little girls in the group asks.
"Some of them. Some will be stationed on the rim planets as Peace Enforcers." The teacher replies.
A rather stuffy looking little boy chimes in now. "I don't understand. Why were the Independents even fighting us? Why wouldn't they look to be more civilized?"
"That's a good question. Does anybody want to open on that?" The teacher responds.
"I hear they're cannibals."
"That's only Reavers."
"Reavers aren't real."
"Full well they are. They attack settlers from space, they kill them and wear their skins and rape them for hours and hours..."
He's interrupted by the teacher now. "It's true that there are...dangers on the outer planets. So let's follow up on Borodin's question. With all the social and medical advancements we can bring to the Independents, why would they fight so hard against us?" She asks.
The girl rolls her eyes and speaks under her breath. "We meddle."
However, it's not quiet enough, and the entire group turns to face her.
"River?"
"People don't like to be meddled with. We tell them what to do, what to think, don't run don't walk we're in their homes and in their heads and we haven't the right. We're meddlesome."
The teacher kneels in front of her now and takes the stylus she didn't even know she was holding.
"River, we're not telling people what to think. We're just trying to show them how." And in one graceful motion she plunges the stylus into the girl's forehead.
...Reality Shifts Again...
River's POV
She wakes up from her dream with a jolt and she rapidly sits up. The scream that was on her lips dies in her throat, but she can feel Riddick stir next to her. She tries to calm her breathing...tries to slow down her pulse...
"Riv?" He asks as he wakes up.
She doesn't turn to look at him though, she can feel the tears forming in the corner of her eyes and she doesn't feel like letting him see.
"Nightmare." She replies as she moves to sit on the edge of the bed.
He sighs and sits up. "You think they are gonna stop anytime soon?" He asks without a hint of indication as to how he is feeling in his voice.
"She is unsure."
XXX
...On Serenity...
Jayne, Zoe, and Book are milling about in the common area...Book had made the morning meal and everyone was a bit happier when he did...he was by far the best cook on Serenity.
Mal and Inara walk in now and head for the coffee.
"Are you sure it wouldn't be an issue?" Inara says as she reaches for two cups.
"Not in the least 'Nara, will drop you off at House Madressa with your shuttle and pick you back up when we head out this way again in a day or two. It'll give you some time to settle your affairs and we'll see you soon enough." He says as he pours them both coffee.
She smiles at him and leaves a kiss on his lips. Mal chuckles a little and give her one in return. Ever since River's admissions at that shindig and the whole Yo-saff-bridge deal Mal and Inara had been working on...well starting something. Inara had made the decision to change from being a companion to a consultant for training houses, which was a move that Mal was more than happy about.
"You best go get your shuttle ready, we will be breaking atmo soon." He says as he takes a sip of coffee.
She takes her coffee with her and walks towards her shuttle.
"Hey Mal! What ever happened to that no-shipboard romances rule you had." Jayne says after Inara has left.
"Well my first mate married the pilot, I got a love-struck doc and mechanic, and the two scariest people in the verse shacking up on my boat. Seems like that rule went out a while ago." He says with a chuckle as he sits down with them.
Book breaks in now. "I have been meaning to..."
"I know preacher...special hell and all."
"Actually I was going to say it's about time you and Inara got together."
This illicit a laugh from everyone at the table and Jayne smacks Book on the back.
XXX
...A day later...
Riddick's POV
They had dropped off Inara at House Madrassa and were headed to drop off the good they had picked up from Monty. He was sitting on the bridge with Wash and Mal as they were bringing Serenity down to dock.
"Who's the contact again?" I ask.
"Twins by the name of Fanty and Mingo." Wash says as he begins the docking sequence.
"We know anything about them?"
"We worked with them a time or two. No need to worry Riddick, should be an easy drop."
"Yeah but what you plan and what happens are usually different." I say with a chuckle.
"Yeah, but I imagine bit will be able to suss anything out before it goes south. figured you and her could drop by the meet when Jayne and I go so we don't intimidate the twins."
I chuckle, man has finally learned.
XXX
...House Madrassa later that evening...
Inara looks out at the mountains. The space she's in resembles a Tibetan monastery, if slightly more opulent. Widen to see she is with a somewhat older Companion. She hands Inara a drink.
"The girls will be excited...all they can talk about is that you will be spending some time with them as an instructor."
"They're very sweet. But they're not Companions." Inara says before taking a sip of her tea.
The older woman smiles at her wryly now. "You've no hope for them? Junk the lot, start anew?"
"On Sihnon we started training at twelve. Years of discipline and preparation before the physical act of pleasure was even mentioned. Most of these girls..."
The older woman interjects. "They're all of good family, the highest academic standards..."
"Control. Was the first lesson. And the last and these worlds are not like the Central Planets. There is barbarism dressed up in the most civil weeds. Men of the highest rank who don't know the difference between a Companion and a common whore. It's unsafe."
"All the more reason the girls look to you. You came out here alone, before the Alliance ever thought to establish a House this remote. You've seen so much. You're a figure of great romance to them."
Inara chuckles. "Great romance has nothing to do with being a Companion.'
"I'm not the one who had a torrid affair with a pirate." The older woman says. Inara nearly spills her drink as she hears this.
"A who? With a what?" Inara asks trying to recover.
"It's the talk of the House. The girls all trade stories in the dorms at night."
"Captain Reynolds is no pirate; he's a petty thief. And he's never dishonored me in any way." She says defensively. She knew it would inevitably come out she was leaving to be with the Captain, but she didn't like the way he was being talked about right now.
"Don't worry my dear, the stories will fade. In the meantime, we received a wave that an Alliance official would be touring the House tomorrow, I would love it if you would talk with him.
Inara smiles. "I would be delighted."
XXX
...Beaumonde Docks the next day...
Serenity touches down on the crowded atoll amidst a number of other, equally disreputable ships. The place is filled with every kind of culture and shop imaginable. The ramp is open and everyone is filing out, ready to hit the town.
...River's POV...
Mal is walking down the cargo bay ramp and speaking to her over his shoulder.
"You two just pop in to check on the scene in awhile. Shouldn't be trouble but you never know."
"Aye aye Captain." She says with a mock salute that makes him laugh.
"Zoe, Wash, you both have the ship." He says as he and Jayne walk off into the crowd.
"You heard him husband." Zoe says as they retreat back onboard.
She turns and looks at Kaylee giving Simon puppy dog eyes. Simon just looks off into the crowd slightly fascinated, he's never spent much time off a core planet.
"Ge-ge." She says and he turns to look at her. "I'm sure Kaylee would like company as she gets supplies from local vendors."
Kaylee's smile immediately widens as she hears her friend say this. "Sure! I could show you around...then we can meet Riv and Riddick later." Kaylee says as she grabs her bag.
Simon looks flustered now as Kaylee links arms with him and begins to drag him into the crowd.
The girl hears a chuckle behind her now. "You sure that was a good idea?" Riddick says as he stands next to her.
"He likes her...he just needs a push...like most men." She says as she walks into the crowd herself.
She can feel him laughing in her mind as he moves to walk beside her.
XXX
...In Maidenhead Bar...
There are tons of CorVue screens, all showing different things, one is showing a news report. On the screen is a shot of the town our gang robbed, now half of it a smoking ruin. However what the people in the bar don't know is that each screen has a blinking light behind it. Every screen is a camera, even down here.
Mal and Jayne enter the bar, both talking idly as they check their guns in the lockers near the door. They each get a small key once the guns are placed in.
"So I been thinkin..." Jayne starts.
"Which is never good." Mal chuckles lightly.
Two men seem to approach from the side and butt into their conversation. It' s Fanty and Mingo.
"Domestic troubles?" The first asks.
"Domestic troubles?" The second echos.
"Cause we don't wanna interrupt."
"A man should keep his house in order."
Mal turns away from Jayne now and greets them each. "Mingo. Fanty."
The first points at the other. "He's Mingo."
Mal doesn't waiver though. "He's Fanty. You're Mingo."
The first one, Mingo, is a little perturbed now. "Ghahh! How is it you always know?"
"Fanty's prettier." Mal says with a cocky grin. "Feel to do some business?"
The twins move over to table in a small alcove. Fanty tosses a few coins to a saloon-girl, who does a little fan-dance...in reality her dance just covers the cameras that are angled onto the table.
The men sit and take a sip of their drinks. Jayne sets a duffle bag down by Mal's foot, who then kicks it over to Mingo's feet.
"So how is that rag-tag crew of yours Captain Reynolds." Mingo asks.
"Yeah, they're a fine bunch."
"How you keep them on that crap boat is the subject of much musing tween me and Fanty." Mingo continues.
Fanty interjects now. "We go on and on."
"So I'm noticing. Is there a problem I don't know of? You got a lot of a sweet take kissing your foot, how come we're not dispersing?"
"Yes, but this is a little short...our end is forty, precious."
Jayne snorts. "My muscular buttocks it's forty."
"It is as of now. Find anyone around going cheaper."
"Find anyone around going near a sorry lot like you in the first instance."
"Am I missing something here?' Mal asks.
Mingo and Fanty look at each other now and then back towards Mal and Jayne. "News of a little train job has reached our ears..."
Mal's eyes squeeze shut. "Son of a...while that wasn't one of our finest moments, it don't mean anything." Mal says in his defense.
Jayne looks out into the bar now, and sees a familiar set of combat boots and legs walking down the stairs. He nudges Mal, who looks and turns back to business. They make no other indication that they see her and River wanders around the perimeter of the bar, vaguely listening in on Mal's deal.
Fanty continues now. "You're unlikable, Mal. You got no respect for us above you, you got enemies in every quadrant, and your ship's older than the starting point of time. You's charity cases to such as us.
XXX
...Riddick's POV...
I'm watching this deal start to go further south by the minute and I'm just waiting for some kind of signal from River.
I can see her from the shadows I'm perched in...she's walking around the room and taking everything in. She's slowing now in front of one screen...and something just doesn't feel right from her.
XXX
River's POV
She knows this place...she knew it the minute she walked in..but she can't remember...the further she walks into the room the less background noise she begins to hear until she final hears nothing... Then she hears a familiar sound and turns towards one of the screens. Her eyes widen is shock...horror...and terror...as her entire body stiffens and she hears the words that she couldn't decipher before...
...Fruity oaty bar
Make a man out of a mouse...
Images flood her mind as the words continue...blood...syringes...hatred...anger...
...Fruity oaty bar
Make you bust out of your blouse...
But she's rooted to the spot...it's as if someone is holding her eye balls open with clamps...making her watch...
...Eat them all the time
They will blow your mind...
Everything she repressed...every memory of her torture...every face in the room where she was shown off like a prize pig...come rushing back..their thoughts...their fears...
...Wo hen jiaonian diu lian - wo meiyou chi Fruity Oaty Bar!...
"Miranda." She whispers.
...Fruity oaty bars
Fruity oaty bars...
...Reality Shifts...
She's back in the academy...back where they made her fight for her life...all she sees around her is enemies and threats.
She steels herself for the fight that is about to come and whispers to herself... "Once more into the fray... Into the last good fight I'll ever know... Live or die on this day... Live or die on this day..."
XXX
Riddick's POV
I know something is off the minute River takes off her coat...she looks almost like she's in a trance as she turns and strides silently to the first table where two men are drinking and then quietly slams her foot into one's face, then whips it back into the other's, knocking them both unconscious. I walk from the shadows as more people start paying attention and running away.
I see River register the people around her and she kicks the table into a card player even as she sweeps a bottle off it behind her - the bottle hits a man behind her square in the face, a man she never even looked at - people are rising, fleeing or pushing forward to the stairs and I have to fight my way through the crowd towards her.
XXX
Mal peaks from behind the fan dancer as he starts to hear something. Jayne peaks out behind him.
"Hey, tussle." Jayne says with excitement.
That's when both of them see the reason for the tussle.
"Jayne..." Mal says as they both look on in mild surprise as River is taking out a group of four with high kicks and perfect precision.
Two men come from either side, one whipping out a knife and she does a perfect split, grabs his wrist above her head, using his momentum to stab the other one.
"Do you know that girl?" Fanty asks.
"I actually have no idea." Mal says as he signals to Jayne to jump into the fight.
"Well gentlemen, it's been a pleasure." Mal says as he gets up
Riddick doesn't try and get to her...he merely works on keeping the oncoming men at bay so she isn't overwhelmed in the fight.
"RIVER!" He yells at her, but it's as if she doesn't hear him.
The bouncer reaches River now and tries to shock her, she merely wrests his shockrod from him, and then uses it on him.
"One of you calm her down!" As Mal makes a break for the gun lockers.
Jayne grabs her from behind and she fights against him. "Gorrammit, girl, it's me!" he yells at her as he struggles to maintain his hold on the small girl.
She grabs his crotch and squeezes...his grip loosens and she spins, facing him, and flat-heels his nose with her palm...twirling into a gut kick that doubles him over, dispatching of another while she cracks Jayne's head with a small tray. He falls to the ground in pain now.
Somebody pulls a gun and she snaps his elbow, causing him to scream out even before he shoots himself in the gut...Mal frantically searches for the key to the gun locker now in his pockets.
This is about the time that Kaylee and Simon manage to push their way into the bar despite the commotion.
"What's going on?" Kaylee says as she looks on at the scene below.
"Oh no!" Simon says as he runs forward towards the edge of the staircase. "What was that phrase!" Simon says to himself as he looks at River fighting below.
Mal has now freed his gun from the vending locker as River knocks the other guy's gun in the air, kicks someone else and then catches it, whips it around just as Mal comes up with his, they are pointed right at each other...
Simon has a flash and then screams out the words he remembers. "Eta Kooram Nah Smech!"
And with that River drops to the ground. it feels like a lifetime before any of them move...Jayne pushes himself up and Riddick walks over to River and checks her pulse and then picks her up. Mal looks around the bar. There are at least five men dead and many others in critical condition. Mal looks down at River. She's unconscious.
"I think maybe we ought to leave." Mal says as he senses come back to him.
XXX
...House Madrassa...
Inara stands waiting for the official to arrive. She has been asked to give him a tour. A man comes slowly up the staircase now and stands before her...her smile falters and she feels a sense of dread set into her stomach.
"Miss Inara Serra. I am so very pleased to make this acquaintance."
XXX
AN: And we are finally to the movie plot! I will say that it took me a while to figure out how exactly to play this, so I would love to hear what you guys think! Till next time...