Subplot : Finding Serenity. part 3, Might Twitchy.
CHAPTER .
"RIDDICK!" The little girl screamed as they practiced just outside the infirmary. "I don't bend that way!"
Riddick rolled his eyes, "Pay attention. I already showed you how to get out of this, so do it. Don't panic, just take it slow for now,"
She struggled fruitlessly and Riddick groaned in irritation before talking her through it, again.
He ignored the growing audience as a mercenary appeared at the door, watching with clear nostalgia in his eyes. No doubt thinking about when he had been taught to fight at a young age. People don't often go into his line of work and survive for very long, not unless they are born into the trade. Riddick had got to talking a little with this mercenary, mostly because Jack kept asking him questions like "How many men have you killed," to which the man was all to happy to share. His name was Jayne, and in all honesty he was Riddick's kinda people.
It had been a over full day of travel, Riddick had skipped the offer of dinner yesterday and tried to maintain a distance from the other passenger and crew, well not appearing rude. Unfortunately he had to start teaching the girl now and the only space big enough was where the crew gathered.
Riddick spent the day teaching Jack various techniques and exercises. he'd buy the proper equipment to get her more flexible later on. He was going to have her focus on speed and precise strikes rather then strength. That help her out more with the build she already had. It also insure that she look unassuming to her enemies.
The "preacher", First Mate, and eventually even the Captain wandered by to watch.
"You know your stuff," The 'Preacher' observed, "Ever get a formal martial arts education,"
"Couldn't afford it," Riddick shrugged, "Just picked up things from vids and books, mostly self taught," he said truthfully. Regardless of all his other character flaws, lying didn't come easy to Riddick. He could lie, but he wasn't comfortable doing it and a skilled enough eye could tell.
"Impressive," The Preacher nodded, "Book," he extended his hand, "I'm called Book,"
"Riddick Badd," In order to avoid shaking hands Riddick got Jack in another hold, keeping his back to the Preacher so the man thought he didn't see the gesture. Riddick couldn't afford to shake this man's hand, not to be rude but a man like this would notice his artificial muscles if he touched him.
The 'Preacher' smiled as he put his hand down.
"Mal," The pilot called from over the intercom, "We need you up here a moment," his voice was trying to remain calm, as to not scare the passengers, but their was an edge of panic too it.
The Captain clearly noticed it as well as he hurried up the nearby stairs.
Riddick pretended not to notice as he once again walked Jack through the hold. He would make this muscle memory if she had such a hard time remembering the conscious movements.
The crew seemed to disband and Riddick's more animal like instincts were warning him something was wrong.
He paused in his lesson, hushing Jack and peering out at the lounge into the cargo bay. Everyone was gathering, to see the Fed point a gun at the Fugitive.
"Get on the Ground," The Fed demanded and the boy stupidly didn't obey. He actually attempted to negotiate with a member of the Alliance Military Police Force.
"Lawman you are making a mistake," The boy prooved himself to be a complete idiot.
"You best get on the ground, son," The Captain tried to talk some sense into the boy, "Man seems a mite Twitchy," Unfortunately the boy didn't listen.
"Riddick!" Jack's yell caught the attention of the Lawman...who jerked his gun towards the loud noise and pulled the trigger by reflex.
It was a High caliber round for a pistol, not typical alliance issue for simple Ops, like catching someone for local trouble. There was definitely more to this. What Riddick couldn't imagine, as frankly he didn't have time. Jack was too far behind him to push her out of the way. That left one option... Riddick held up his arm, just in time for the bullet to crash into his forearm. The density of his muscles making it so the high caliber bullet might have fucked up the arm but it didn't go all the way through. He felt it hit his bone, as intended to prevent it from going through and hitting Jack. The metal shattered and tore up more of his flesh.
Then Riddick saw red. Before anyone could stop him, he lept forward and slammed his still good arm through the man's skull. Riddick could feel brain.
Jerking his hand back and letting the dead man fall, Riddick quickly looked at the Captain, "Any minute now, this fed's friends are going to be calling. You can either let them board, take me and the dumbass rich boy, or you could run. And earn yourself a lot more coin."
"Cover up the murder of a fed." Zoey spoke up, "Can you think of a stupider thing to do?"
Riddick smiled, and he didn't even try to hide it was a animalistic grin. Taking his goggles off, so they could see the bloodlust in his shiny eyes, "It's a lot of coin. Besides, you all saw how fast I took the cop down. You think it be all that hard for me to kill all of you and take this ship."
Zoey and Jayne raised their guns at him. While Mal walked right up into his face. He looked Riddick in his glowing demonic eyes, and said, without a trace of fear, "I don't take kindly to threats."
... Riddick could respect a man like this. He deserved to live.
"Captain," a voice came over the intercom, "We are being hailed by an alliance cruiser ordering us to maintain course and prepare for prisoner transfer."
Mal stared down Riddick a moment, as if to say, "Got anything else?" while not actually verbalizing anything.
Riddick lost his smile and slowly held up his shot arm. It was ugly and disfigured, hurting like hell but hardly something he couldn't handle, "We both saw the trajectory of this. It would have gone right through my little sister's head. You really going to hold it against me for losing my temper?"
Mal continued to look him in the eye then called to his first mate, while still looking at Riddick, "Zoey... change course. We're running."
The dark skinned woman immediately got on the com while Mal cockily told Riddick, "You make that coin high enough and we'll forget all about this."
There goes his bounty. "Still need to handle the source of the issue, Captain." Riddick reminded.
"That we do." Mal nodded, before looking over at the Rich boy.