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A Matter of Instinct	By : ehiltebe Category: M through R > Pitch Black Views: 2587 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I don't own Riddick, Pitch Black, or any of the characters from that universe. All I have is Eileen... And I make no money from this story, either!

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A Matter of Instinct

A Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury Alternate Universe

Chapter Six

Kubla Khan, Bridge
(Toombs)

Seeing no one on the bridge, Gabriel Toombs walked in with his usual swagger. He’d never admit it, but he agreed with the tech who’d revived him. Somethin’ really big had to be goin’ down to get Front or Chillingsworth to approve of thawin’ him out. They’d been pretty ticked off the last time he saw ‘em.

“All right.” He settled into a sensor station and let the hood descend. “Just what’s the big deal?” A profile flashed on the screen, continually re-runnin’ the physical identification program. “Oh, jumpin’ Jesus. Come to papa, you beautiful, bald bastard.”

Riddick was aboard, and worth a cool million-plus. Still images on the ID program showed the con havin’ some fun down in Bay Three. Out of curiosity, Toombs called up the security footage that had provided the stills and watched intently.

It seemed like Big Evil had found himself a little accomplice. She was a pretty piece of work; lean, muscles setting off a decent set of feminine curves, with short hair somewhere between blonde and brown framin’ her face. A set of wraparound shades similar to the pair Riddick was sportin’ hid part of her face, but she had high cheekbones, a well-defined jaw, and a nose that wasn’t too long, too short, or pointy. Nice.

And she could fight damn well, too. Took down five mercs all by her lonesome in less than two minutes, without even touchin’ a gun. Interestin’…

“Toombs, what the hell are you doin’?” Fuck all, it was that white-haired butch bitch, Kraden, who’d nominally been put in charge of him. It figured that she’d show up while he was in the middle of things.

“Just gatherin’ intel.” He played the vid again. What would Riddick’s new friend be like in bed?

“Yeah, well, stow it.” Oh, he hated that woman. Hated bein’ under anyone’s command but his own. “We got some runners to bring in. Shoot on sight.”

“Yes, sir!” Gabriel saluted facetiously, without even leavin’ the sensor station.

So the merc-killin’ pair were loose on the Kubla Khan. This might actually be fun.

Elsewhere
(Eileen)

We entered a section of the ship that had no artificial gravity, and I dropped back to help Jack. Her growing body and the resultant awkwardness hampered her progress, since she hadn’t gotten familiar with the new size yet.

It made me glad that I’d only ever had a steady, slow increase in height at that age. The kid would be tall, though, somewhere between me and the convict. My old clothes were almost too short in the arms and legs for her.

“Any news on Fry?” We just barely kept up with the other three, but I had breath to spare.

“Died,” Jack panted. “They said… she went inta… ana-somethin’ shock.”

“Anaphylactic shock?” She nodded. “Medical term for an allergy attack that kills. Who’s got my stuff now?”

“Zeke.” We fell silent then, pushing to stay within sight of the others.

Arena
(Toombs)

He looked around, amazed by the sheer amount of damage that Riddick and his woman had caused. Three cut ropes dangled from the ceilin’, as many big spheres up against the walls. A huge hole had been blown through one bulkhead; Toombs figured that was how they got away.

Squish.

He looked down and scowled. He’d stepped on part of what was left of some sorta weird creature. Similar bits were scattered all over the arena’s floor, with slimy puddles under them all.

“What the hell happened here?” Gabriel looked to the balcony. ‘Lady’ Antonia Chillingsworth glared down, angrier than he’d ever seen her.

“Shut up and take point.” At Kraden’s growl, he saluted his employer and turned toward the hole. “Burn ‘em.” Four beams of light pierced the darkness.

“Grab your panties, boys.” Toombs grinned as he spoke to Jameson and the cyborg who filled out the four-man fire team.

Let the hunt begin.

~*~

A behemoth clanked into the arena through the large doors, its body a mishmash of machine and animal. The six Rykengolls holding onto its leashes had to run or be dragged. A seventh jogged beside it, carrying a pole with a small tuft of absorbent material on the end.

The chief handler scanned the mess in the arena. It took a moment to spot the small, dark red spatter. The swab soaked it all up and then was offered to the creature. It sniffed briefly, then chomped down, devouring the sample.

“Turn it loose.” Five of the ‘Golls released their cables immediately. The sixth was a bit too slow, though; he got tangled in the other lines and was dragged along as the beast took off after its prey.

Oh, well. That one had been new, and not adjusting well to his enhancements. One less to worry about. Good riddance.

Elsewhere
(Eileen)

Thankfully, the null-g area hadn’t been very large. We were back on our feet quickly, running hell bent for leather. Jack and I still trailed behind.

As the girl and I scrambled over a big piece of equipment, something in the distance roared. Loudly.

“What the hell is that?” Shazza slowed a little, looking back over her shoulder.

“Move.” Riddick had pulled out his command voice again. Everyone picked up the pace.

(Toombs)

They reached a large shaft, where components of the Kubla Khan rose vertically through the vessel. On their current level, at the bottom, it was a dead end. Toombs panned the beam of his light up the irregular column.

There— a figure climbin’. He squinted, then used his scope to get a better look.

“What the—?” It was a goddamned kid. Kraden and the other two didn’t even bother checkin’. Their rifles chattered as they opened fire on the distant form.

(Riddick)

I help Eileen over th’ edge onto th’ flat top of th’ equipment an’ lean out t’ grab Jackie-girl when a beam of light slides up onto her. Her hand’s in mine, so I haul as a real fuckin’ familiar series of rapid barks come from below. A bullet burns a line ‘cross my bicep an’ nearly makes me drop th’ kid, but I manage t’ get her belt with th’ other hand an’ heave her over my head.

“You’re badly hurt.” I don’t respond t’ th’ imam’s words as I low-crawl away from th’ edge so th’ mercs can’t see me stand up.

“Him?” Jackie-girl’s not happy. “He almost tore me in half.”

“Just a graze,” I tell my woman. No time or stuff t’ treat it with, so I just dust off my hands and wall th’ pain away.

“Be glad it’s a sore middle and not a bullet wound.” Outta th’ corner of my eye, I see th’ kid flush an’ look down as Eileen scolds her ‘fore we take off again.

(Toombs)

He swore to himself as the others began climbin’ after their quarry. What the hell had Chillingsworth dragged them into? He wasn’t a complete ass, didn’t go for hostages or killin’ bystanders.

A roar shook everythin’, even the metal under his hands, and he swallowed nervously. Toombs knew what that sound meant. One of the Rykengolls’ toys had been put on the scent.

“That bitch!” He scaled the artificial cliff with renewed energy. The cyborg made a good foothold to get him further up. “Move!”

(Eileen)

Hitting a section of straight, level-floored corridor, Abu and Shazza poured on every bit of speed they had. Riddick led easily, while I stuck with Jack, who’d started to fall further behind. She’d hit her limit, and my mate seemed to be thinking along the same lines as I was.

He slid to a stop near a large hatch in a bulkhead, and the two adults nearly tripped trying not to go past him. They both bent over, hands on their knees as they caught their breath. The girl’s coltish arms and legs were a bit uncoordinated, and she half-stumbled the last few steps.

“We can’t stop!” The prospector’s protest was entirely reasonable. She didn’t know that Riddick and I were coming up with alternative plans.

“We’re not outrunnin’ this thing.” The brunette’s expression grew more concerned. “Not th’ five of us.”

“What? I can keep up!” I understood why Jack didn’t want to be left behind. My hand settled on her shoulder.

“Maybe someday.” I squeezed a little, trying to comfort her. “With trainin’ and practice. It’s not your fault; you didn’t choose when to have a growth spurt.” Her hazel-green eyes tried to stare through my shades, wide with worry.

“C’n you get t’ th’ others an’ take ‘em t’ th’ flight deck?” The convict looked to each adult. Shazza’s face firmed with determination as she nodded, but the imam had to do her one better.

“Yes, the flight deck is just aft of here and up a level, and the others are forward and down two.”

“All right.” Riddick pointed at a small, dark gap between the bulkhead and a large, blocky metal box. “Stow in there an’ let whatever’s followin’ us pass. When it does, grab th’ others an’ make for th’ flight deck. Don’t look back, no matter what ya hear.”

“We’ll wait for you.” I added ‘abandonment issues’ to my growing mental list of things I needed to be concerned about for Jack. Not that I was going to try and find her someone else to stay with; my feral side was getting as possessive of her as it was of the convict, though in a more sisterly fashion.

“Stay with Shazza.” The only other person she would stay with, since Fry was gone, besides me and my mate. “I do not intend t’ break my word t’ you, kiddo. We will be on that deck, come hell or high water.” A little of the anxiety left her face.

“What are you going to do?”

“Play hide-and-seek.” I threw the facetious reply to Abu’s question over my shoulder. He didn’t need to know it would be the ‘Who’s the Better Killer?’ version of the children’s game.

I looked forward to helping weed out the merc population a bit more and putting down whatever creature had been set on our trail.
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A Matter of Instinct