Fiona bent down to scoop up the yellow sand, running the only substance that held any abundance on this planet in her fingers before letting it leak out. Her eyes scanned the landscape she had been walking towards for thirty minutes now, nothing significant changing.
She repeatedly glanced back, making sure no one was following. Her eyes continued to only meet a repeat of what was in front of her, the only subtle difference being the tracks she left. At first she was going to erase them but the chances of her getting lost out here were high considering the vastness.
Her eyes traveled back to facing forward, catching what had made her stop. She had only seen something similar to it back home, but much smaller than this. Ant's created mounded entrances into the earth full of tunnels; ants did not make this. It stood four feet taller than her, the dirt packed thick but the top layer still crumbling at the slightest touch.
She brushed her fingertips over the surface of the strange spire, eyes traveling over the many replica's not five feet from where she was. They scattered out in a strange pattern, all of them varying in height.
What ever had created these had used some kind of liquid to mold and support the structures. Just as she was about to continue on she heard the smallest of noises. In the estranged silence she was the only one she assumed that would be making noise.
The scuttling continued like nails trampling over ground. Fiona stood up completely, leaning into the spire, temptation to press her ear to the dirt. The warmth was flush against her face, the scuttling amplified in her ear instantly. She could hear strange clicking noises now. She pressed closer, hoping to hear more and make sense of it.
The dirt crumpled out from under her ear creating a landslide on the rest of the structure. She jumped back just in time, the spire crumbling before her, a giant hole at the base visible. The scuttling and clicks were accompanied by hellish squealing screams before it all died down instantly. She had seen a flash in the upset darkness, something gray shooting past the hole. Fiona stood absolutely still; her heart thumping away as she contemplated what kind of animal could create a noise like that.
It only took her a few minutes to decide it wasn't worth it; she ran.
With the spires behind her she followed her tracks back, trying to put the noises out of her head. Her breathing however, as it had been since she started out this direction was labored. She was forced to stop running, her chest aching from the lack of oxygen and the strain. She dropped to her knees, grumbling at the stupidity of this all. If only she had stayed closer to the ship.
Riddick crossed her mind and she knew he wasn't having complications. He would be handling this like it was a walk in the park, probably miles off by now. If he found anything he would keep it, best bet though she assumed he wouldn't. There wasn't much to this planet in regards to anything, so he'd be heading back to the ship to gather what ever he could.
And she'd be there.
It never failed; she always found him. The split up routine was common when ever they found themselves in a new place. A few hours out searching and then return. She would be lying if she said she knew he would always come back; because she really didn't know. The dread always sank into her when she waited long past the usual time.
Picking herself up Fiona continued back towards the ship.
She perched up top on a higher plane, looking down at the ship that they had crashed in. The remains of it were nothing compared to the size it was previously. The front was buried in the earth, all the back compartments ripped to shreds. A giant tail of debris visible as far as the eye could see. It was littered with metal compartments, belongings, and the bodies of the dead; all lost.
She watched as one of the survivors pulled along a giant piece of slate from the ship, bodies wrapped in fabric on top of it. He was struggling, hauling them off to a giant hole in the ground. She watched with bored interest, eyes scanning for the others but she didn't find anyone. When the man jumped down into the hole she got up and made her move.
The run to the ship was easy enough; she slipped into the back half where Johns had picked her up. The shade was comforting as apposed to the overbearing sun that waited outside. She looked around for anyone in the small compartment, but she found nothing but the dead. Looking out at the landscape through a hole in the ship she checked her surroundings, hoping to see someone.
Gunshots rang out in the small area and she froze. Silence followed them, as Fiona inched her way to the edge to possibly get a better look at what had happened.
"It's just another passenger from the crash!" The voice was young and panicked. Fiona furrowed her brows, inching along the outside of the ship to see if she could see anything. She stopped abruptly when the man who had been hauling the sled came into view, a body being dragged behind him. She was used to the dead; the smell and the look. She watched as he wrapped him in an old piece of shipping cloth, nothing fancy.
"Put him with the rest Zeke."
The man nodded to the woman's voice that was out of Fiona's eyesight before placing the body on the metal sled and dragging it off in the same direction he had taken the others. Fiona watched him go, the young one that she had heard earlier stepping out of the ship and taking a few strides in his direction before stopping. The boy held a hand up above his eyes, trying to block the sun that was streaming from all directions.
He had a weapon of sorts in his hands. As he turned to head back into the ship his eyes caught a hold of her and he froze. Fiona was caught between wanting to run and wanting to fight. She could easily take the weapon from the boy and put him on the ground before he knew what hit him. She wasn't entirely trained properly but a few years with Riddick had taught her a thing or two.
The boy's features however grew less rigid and he stepped towards her, a small smile on his face. He didn't seem to know.
"What is it Jack?" The thick accented woman called out to the boy, her feet dropping down from the ship onto the sandy terrain.
"A woman. She doesn't look too good." Before Fiona could dart off the woman she had assumed earlier had told Zeke what to do was standing in front of her, a look of confusion on her face. It only took her a minute to realize who Fiona was, her face setting into a cold stare as she held up the ax she had in her hands.
"We're not partial to criminals, especially the one's who get out of lock up. Why don't you take a seat down over there." The woman jerked her head towards a shipping crate and Fiona nodded, heading over to the box and sitting down. She leaned forward, her elbows on her knees, chin resting in her hands. She couldn't help the small smile that sat pleasantly on her face as she watched the boy scurry over behind his protector.
"Is that one of the criminals Shazza?" His voice was awestruck however, not matching his actions. He didn't seem to believe.
"Yes Jack. Fetch me some rope." The boy hesitated, his eyes on Fiona in a weird kind of excitement. She quirked a brow at him and he brandished a blush before darting into the ship.
"How about you don't; I don't like being tied up." She tried to keep any hint of sarcasm out of her voice, but it wouldn't have mattered; Shazza was a loose cannon. Her face only grew angrier as she stepped forward, the ax ready to strike. Fiona was prepared though, this wasn't her first rodeo. She was sizing her up, mapping out her weak spots, planning her detailed approach pending on which way she swung that ax. As the boy stepped out of the ship, rope in hand, more gunshots rang out in the silence of the planet.
Shazza's eyes grew wide, the ax slipped from her hands and she yelled the man's name before running off towards the hole. Fiona did not take her eyes off of the boy, the rope in his hands slack as he watched the woman who was supposed to protect him run off. She jumped down from the shipping box and snatched at the rope before Jack could say or do a thing.
A skinny, tall man stepped out of the ship behind the boy, his glasses misshaped on his face. "When do you think -" His words halted when he looked up, realizing they were in new company.
"Paris this is one of the criminals. Criminal this is Paris." Jack's voice was sarcastic enough, warranting him a glare from Paris.
"Pleasure is all yours; my name is Fiona." Jack nodded; Paris only stood absolutely still, his glasses still crooked on his face. "Now am I going to have problems?" Jack shook his head vigorously watching the rope as Fiona played with it in her hands. "Good, do you have anything to drink?"
"We do." The weasel of a man procured a bottle of alcohol, stepping forward slowly and handing it to her. Fiona snatched it from him, chuckling as he hurried back, behind the young boy. So much for guarding the innocent. Just as she popped the top and took a drink the sliding sound of the sheet metal hit her ears. She turned, watching as Johns of all people hauled the giant sled behind him, his eyes glancing up from time to time. When he spotted her he stopped, his gun up instantly. She felt like a teenager girl again, getting caught behind the bleacher's making out with all the boys.
"I'm not hurting anyone Johnsie-boy, no need for the big gauge." He didn't like that nickname much. He walked up to her instantly, the but of the gun hitting her in the side of the head before she could say a word. She dropped to the ground in a heap, a sadistic grin on Johns face as he tossed her on the sled next to Riddick.
BREAK -
Fiona jerked awake, screaming out from the obnoxious pain in the back of her neck. She barred her teeth in a nasty growl as she moved her wrists only to find them pinned up as they had been before.
"I thought we were past this." Fiona muttered, her eyes opening to peer around the new location she was in. Back to square one. The metal pole that Riddick had been attached to was in front of her, but no Riddick. Instead Johns stood there, watching her wake, a grin on his face. She spit out what blood was in her mouth, steadying her eyes as best she could on him. The right side of her face hurt, probably bruised from where he had hit her.
"You know me. Tying up girls is a sport." Johns stepped forward and slammed a fist right into her stomach, unannounced. Fiona screamed out in both pain and shock, spitting up more blood from the cut on her lip and gasping for air. He stepped back from her swinging body to smile up at her, a shit eater's grin on his face.
"YOU FUCK HEAD!" Her voice resonated in the small area, her throat burning raw. The title she had given him only fueled him to hit her again, her body swinging back and forth from the force. She stomached the pain of the second hit, refusing to scream.
"I'd watch my mouth princess, I'm not in the mood for your shit out here." He stood for a second longer to watch her before stalking off out of the ship. Fiona struggled with the cuffs on her wrists, trying to pull herself up and maybe break them; but it was useless. She could hear Riddick in her head telling her to stop and conserve energy so she did just that. Slumping down she tried to take her mind off the pain, spitting out blood and saliva before licking her lips.
"He must of hit you hard, been out for a while." Fiona looked up at the rumble of his voice. She stared into the black goggles of Riddick, his arms crossed over his chest. At first she thought she was hallucinating; there were no chains on him. He stepped forward, uncrossing his arms and placing both hands on either side of her face.
She felt defeated; all of her energy drained; but she couldn't show him she was weak. If she was weak he would leave her and then where would she be? Back on the streets...
His thumb brushed over her lower lip and she hissed when he hit a cut there.
"You gnaw at your lips in your sleep, did you know?" He chuckled when she looked at him confused, pulling her lower lip into her mouth to suck on the cut. His hands slid up her arms carefully, a key in one of them. She watched his face as he watched his hands, unhooking the cuffs and letting her drop. He didn't back down however, his goggle covered eyes falling back on hers as they stood in complete silence.
Her body was shaking from the hits she had endured. Her stomach was probably black and blue, bruises from the blue-eyed devils fists; she had had worse. She shakily brought her hands up and pulled back her hair, securing it with a rubber band she always had on her wrist. Riddick only watched.
BREAK -
Riddick's POV.
"Go unlock your bitch." Johns took back his gun, slamming keys into Riddick's chest before stalking out of the ship. Riddick only stood there for a moment longer before pulling his goggles over his eyes and heading in the direction he had heard her screams.
Fiona had been a mistake at first.
Her abilities were hidden under her stumbles, her insecure behaviors in every move that she made. She tried so hard to do everything right that she seemed to always get things wrong. But she picked it up over time and he stopped doubting her abilities. At first he only needed her to get him off Targus, as she had a ship he could take. He was originally going to leave her on the docking station and fly off with her cruiser but there was something about her that had him letting her tag along.
When he saw her, a anger presided in his every being. Her wrists were secured above her, head hanging down. He could see the bruises on her stomach forming, her shirt hitched up. He stood there for what felt like hours, watching as her body swayed and her eyes stayed closed. She didn't even sense his arrival; he knew she was exhausted.
"He must of hit you hard, been out for a while." Her head snapped up out of alarm, her eyes finding him instantly. There was happiness in them at first but it slowly washed away with a determined strength that she always kept when he was around. He wanted to tell her she didn't have to be strong; not after that. He stepped forward carefully, reaching up and placing his hands on either side of her face. She watched him confused, her body trembling.
He brushed his thumb over her lip, a cut there stinging; she hissed. Whenever she slept she would gnaw at her lips. He never brought it up as half the time it stirred something deep inside him.
"You gnaw on your lips in your sleep, did you know?" And moan. He kept that to himself, chuckling when she pulled her lip away from his touch, sucking on the wound. He slid his hands up her arms slowly, unhooking the cuffs, aware that her eyes stayed on his face. He carefully lowered her, not missing the shiver that shot through her as she swayed slightly. He stayed close, watching as she pulled up her hair with trembling fingers, wincing.
He reached up and brushed a thumb over one of her bruises, growling deep inside himself. She didn't speak as he hiked up her shirt, looking at the yellow tone her stomach was already taking on.
"I'll have to kill him you know, after he's done this to you." Her eyes were searching him for some explanation but nothing came from her lips. Maybe that's why he kept her around. She was strong, smart, and knew when to shut up. He wouldn't tell her he couldn't let her go because she made him feel something.