Pitch Black Fan Fiction ❯ Together Again ❯ Running Out Of Time ( Chapter 3 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Toby7 
Disclaimer: I don’t own Pitch Black or its characters, but I
do own THIS story, the plot, and anything else you don’t
recognize like Elijah.
NOTE: I got most of the info from the book and movie. Other
stuff is made up
Non Anime: Pitch Black Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Romance / Sci-fi | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 01.08.2008 | Pages: 4 | Words: 2.7K | Visits: 373 | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: I don’t own Pitch Black or its characters, but I
do own THIS story, the plot, and anything else you don’t
recognize like Elijah.
NOTE: I got most of the info from the book and movie. Other
stuff is made up
Non Anime: Pitch Black Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Romance / Sci-fi | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 01.08.2008 | Pages: 4 | Words: 2.7K | Visits: 373 | Status: Work In Progress
Chapter 3
Fry crossed the campground quickly, yelling orders to everyone. “We gotta get those power cells from the ship.” She stopped outside the skiff. “Fuck. I still gotta check out the hull and patch up the wings…we never got to those.” She kicked the dirt. “Dammit.”
“I'd wait on those cells if I were you.”
Fry turned quickly around to face Johns. Had she heard him right? “Wait? You want to wait? For what Johns? Till it's so dark that we won't be able to see a goddamn thing?”
“We're not sure when this thing is gonna happen, Fry, so lets not—”
Fry interrupted him. “Just get the fucking cells here Johns. What's the discussion?”
Johns glanced around to see if anyone was watching and then motioned her to go aboard the skiff. “I ever tell you how Riddick escaped?”
That caught her attention.
Johns told her in graphic detail…especially the parts about Riddick carving his victim's body to pieces. But that wasn't what scared Fry the most.
“He can pilot?” Fry whispered. Piloting required superior intelligence and intense training. It also made Riddick more dangerous. Once the skiff was repaired…what was stopping him and Elijah from leaving them all behind?
“So can Elijah.” Johns said. “But Riddick hijacked a prison transport to escape slam. He made a helluva good run before I caught him.”
“Ok, well, maybe it's a good thing that they have these skills…I mean, maybe we can use them to help out with—”
“Won't work.” Johns interrupted.
“You said we could trust Riddick…that there was a deal to let him go free.” Fry countered.
“That's what I said.”
“You're playing a dangerous game here Johns.” Fry muttered.
“Maybe you haven't noticed, but chains don't work on this guy. The only way everyone will be safe is if he believes that he is going free.” He thought for a minute. “Elijah too.”
“You mean if he learns that you're gonna royally fuck them over.” Fry sneered.
Johns ignored her. “We wait to bring the cells at the last possible moment…when the skiff is all fixed up and we're ready to launch.”
Fry stared at him in amazement. Johns was more evil then he made Riddick out to be. The man was obsessed with Riddick. From what she could tell…it was Johns who was the psycho.
“Look, they haven't harmed any of us, as far as I can tell neither of them have lied to us either. Just stick to the deal, Johns. Let them go if that's what it takes.”
“He's a murderer. Hell, both of them are! The law says they gotta do their bid and there ain't nothin' I can do about it.”
“You're dancing on razor blades Johns.” Fry said quietly
“I'm not gonna give him a chance to grab another ship.” Johns left the skiff in search of Riddick. He didn't have to look far. As he descended the stairs, he saw Riddick and Elijah sitting in the shade of the skiff. Riddick was shaving his head with Imam's knife. Johns glanced back to the cockpit, measuring the distance. He seemed to be out of earshot.
&&&&&&&&
Riddick POV
After we saw Johns and Fry walk inside the skiff, Elijah and I sat down in the shade against the ship.
I turned to look at Elijah when he sighed.
“What's wrong?”
He closed his eyes. “It's just so fucking hot.”
I smirked. “When we get off this planet we'll go and visit your parents on that ice planet they're staying on. How's that sound?”
“Wonderful.” Elijah replied, wiping the sweat from his brow.
&&&&&
We looked up as Johns came down the ramp. When he didn't look in our direction I went back to shaving my head while Elijah leaned back against the ship.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Johns look at us and then glance back in the direction of the cockpit.
“Thought we said no shivs.” Johns said with a fake smile.
I stopped and looked at the knife I took from Imam. “What this?” I turned my hand and then looked at Johns through my black goggles. “This is just a personal grooming appliance.”
Johns opened his mouth to say something when he got dizzy suddenly and leaned against the ship. He was shaking slightly.
“Bad sign Johns.” Elijah said opening his eyes and watching me drag the blade carefully across my skull. “Shaking like that in this heat.”
&&&&&&
The pilgrims were hard at work, carrying a heavy roll of Vectran—the wing fabric—all the way from the crash ship to the skiff.
Elijah and I were off to the side working on constructing a crude cutting frame from metal pipes.
A short distance away Shazza worked on getting the Sand Cat fixed. The young girl, Jack, was helping her out.
Well, she was helping out whenever she wasn't looking over in our direction, at least.
“Are you listening, boy?”
We looked up at Shazza's yell.
“I said hand me that wrench!”
Jack handed it to the older woman without glancing in her direction.
“So this is what it's like to have a fan, huh?” Elijah asked and smirked in my direction.
I laughed and then pulled him up against my body. “Wanna give her something to really be a fan of?”
Elijah laughed and then leaned up to kiss me.
We stopped after a few seconds and glanced in Jack's direction. She was staring at us with her mouth hanging wide open.
We laughed again and got back to work.
A few minutes later the pilgrims returned with the Vectran and helped me drape the heavy fabric over the cutting frame. Then Imam climbed onto the skiff's exposed wing struts.
I went behind the silvery Vectran and cut through the fabric with a long knife. I then handed the trim to Rashad who went onto the skiff's wings and handed the section to Imam. The Muslim hand-stitched the material to the struts quickly.
Before cutting the next section, I located my mate. He was standing off to the side of us, staring out onto the horizon.
(What do you see?) I asked him.
(Nothing. The blue sun is setting. There is nothing unusual…yet.) He said, looking back at me.
I nodded my head and cut another piece for Imam.
(Let's go see what Fry is up too.) I said looking in his direction.
&&&&
Inside the skiff the cockpit hatch closed. Fry's attention was focused on the monitor. She didn't know we were inside wither her.
“Looks like we're a few shy.” I said watching as Fry whirled around to stare at Elijah and I.
Fry glanced down at my right hand where Imam's long blade was dangling. She looked back up at me when I spoke.
“Power cells, I mean.”
“They're coming…when we get the Sand Cat finished.” Fry whispered.
“Strange, not doin' a check on the main drive yet,” Elijah pointed out. “Unless…Johns told you the details of Riddick's last escape.” He folded his arms across his chest and let his long tail fall to the floor with a heavy thump, catching Fry's attention.
“I got the quick and ugly version.” She said.
“Did you?” I asked amused. “And now you're worried about a repeat of history.” I stated.
“Entered our minds.”
I stepped closer. “I asked what you thought, Fry.”
“You scare me Riddick. Both of you. Is that what you guys wanted to hear? Well, I admitted it. Can I get back to work now?” She turned her back on us and I stepped up behind her to study the controls. The cabin pressure was building.
“Think Johns is a do right man?” I whispered in her ear. She shivered slightly. “Think I can trust him to cut us loose?”
“Why? What'd you hear?” Her voice was strained.
“Well, guess if it was trickeration he'd just X me out, huh?” I whispered against her neck. “Then again…we are worth twice as much alive.”
Her body tensed.
“Didn't know? Your Johns ain't a cop. He's got the badge…the uniform…but he's just another merc. And Elijah and I? We're just another payday. That's why he won't never kill us…why he won't let us go.” I moved back to her ear, “the creed is greed.”
Fry whirled around. “Shove it Riddick.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“We aren't going to turn on one another. No matter how hard
you try.”
(Never mentioned turning on anybody.) I said to Elijah.
“Don't truly know what's gonna happen when the lights go out, Carolyn. But I do know that once the dyin' starts…this little psycho fuck family of ours is gonna rip itself apart from the inside. So you better find out the truth.” I paused, “because when the lights go out…you better know exactly who's standin' right behind you.”
“Hull integrity…100 percent.” The monitor droned suddenly.
The hatch hissed open and I walked towards it, Elijah already going down the ramp.
I paused. “Ever wonder why Johns shakes like that? Ask him.” I started down the ramp. “And ask him why your crew-pal had to scream like that `fore he died.”
&&&&&
Third Person
Fry walked into one of the small buildings she saw Johns go in a few seconds before. Just as she entered she saw him bring a syringe up to his eye and inject the fluid.
He was so engrossed in what he was doing that he didn't hear her enter.
“So, who are you really?”
Her question startled him. Johns turned to look at Fry.
“You're not a real cop are you?” She continued.
“Never said I was.” Johns stated.
“Never said you were a hype either.” Fry muttered as she opened one of the red shotgun shells sitting on a desk. There were at least thirty shells.
“Little morphine in the morning, so what?” He said, recovering his composure.
Fry looked at him with seething contempt. “Well, you got two mornings here…weren't you born lucky.” She said sarcastically throwing a red shell to the ground.
Johns' body jerked slightly, as if he wanted to reach down and pick it up. “Not a problem unless you make it one.”
“You made it a problem when you let Owens die like that.” Fry hissed. “When you had enough drugs to knock out an army of junkies.”
“Owens was already dead. His brain just hadn't caught on to the fact.”
Fry sneered in disgust. “Anything else I should know about you Johns? Christ, here I am just letting you roll the dice with all of our lives and you're—”
Johns cut her off when he grabbed her wrists suddenly and forced her into an embrace. He pressed her hands against the small of his back. She stopped struggling to get away, when she felt what was under her fingers. It was hard and leathery, and it ran along the base of his spine.
Johns let her hands go and turned so she could see. A thick jagged scar zigzagged his backbone.
“My first run in with Riddick. Went for the sweet spot and missed. They had to leave a piece of the shiv in there.” Johns added, his eyes locking with hers. “I can feel it sometimes you know.” He stated. “Feel if moving under my skin. Like little spiders. So maybe the care and feeding of my nerve-endings is my business.”
“You still coulda helped.”
Johns shrugged and began gathering his shells. “Yeah, well, look to thine own ass first.” He paused looking at Fry to see if she caught his reference to the purging. She had. “Right, Carolyn?”
The pilgrim boys came running inside. “Captain! Captain! Come quick!”
Fry moved past them. “I'm not your fucking captain.” She muttered.
The pilgrims followed her back outside, while Johns stayed behind to finish what he started.
The crash survivors were all gathered on a ridge, looking at the shimmering sky. An immense arch curved overhead.
They all watched as a huge black shadow kept rising, inching toward the twin suns.
Shazza was the fist to rouse from her trance. She grabbed Fry's shoulder and shook her. “If we need anythin' from the crash ship we'd best kick on! That Sand Cat's solar.”
The group raced to the vehicle jumping on. The only ones missing were Riddick, Elijah and Johns.
“Where's Riddick and Elijah?” Jack asked worriedly.
“Leave them. They wouldn't wait for us.” Paris said and then started when the two in question suddenly jumped onto the moving Sand Cat.
“Thought we'd lost you.” Paris stuttered.
“Johns!” Shazza yelled.
He was coming out of the building and was running toward the Sand Cat. He wasn't going to make it. At least he wouldn't have, but Riddick pulled him up onto the vehicle.
“Wouldn't want you to miss this.” Riddick whispered to him.
&&&&&
Elijah POV
I turned to look behind us as we crashed through the bone yard. (It's happening too quickly. We're not gonna make it to the crash ship and then back to the skiff in time.)
(I know.) Riddick turned his head to look at me. (But we need those cells.)
I sighed and then leaned slightly against Riddick's right shoulder when he pressed closer to my side.
Suddenly we hit a rough bump tossing some of the flares over the side. (We needed those flares…well they needed those.)
Behind us, the shadow spread across the desert as if it was following us. Shazza kept the Cat moving, skillfully guiding the bulky machine through the canyon graveyard. As we crashed through a massive ribcage, the Cat's roll-bar smashed out some low-bridge bones, showering us with sharp bone chips.
Finally we reached the crash ship, but it was already too late. We all leaped off the Cat and sprinted to the cargo container.
I stopped suddenly and turned to look behind us. I watched in awe as the gigantic black planet swallowed up the universe.
(The darkness is coming…are you ready?)
(Always.) Riddick whispered into my mind.
End Chapter Three.
Fry crossed the campground quickly, yelling orders to everyone. “We gotta get those power cells from the ship.” She stopped outside the skiff. “Fuck. I still gotta check out the hull and patch up the wings…we never got to those.” She kicked the dirt. “Dammit.”
“I'd wait on those cells if I were you.”
Fry turned quickly around to face Johns. Had she heard him right? “Wait? You want to wait? For what Johns? Till it's so dark that we won't be able to see a goddamn thing?”
“We're not sure when this thing is gonna happen, Fry, so lets not—”
Fry interrupted him. “Just get the fucking cells here Johns. What's the discussion?”
Johns glanced around to see if anyone was watching and then motioned her to go aboard the skiff. “I ever tell you how Riddick escaped?”
That caught her attention.
Johns told her in graphic detail…especially the parts about Riddick carving his victim's body to pieces. But that wasn't what scared Fry the most.
“He can pilot?” Fry whispered. Piloting required superior intelligence and intense training. It also made Riddick more dangerous. Once the skiff was repaired…what was stopping him and Elijah from leaving them all behind?
“So can Elijah.” Johns said. “But Riddick hijacked a prison transport to escape slam. He made a helluva good run before I caught him.”
“Ok, well, maybe it's a good thing that they have these skills…I mean, maybe we can use them to help out with—”
“Won't work.” Johns interrupted.
“You said we could trust Riddick…that there was a deal to let him go free.” Fry countered.
“That's what I said.”
“You're playing a dangerous game here Johns.” Fry muttered.
“Maybe you haven't noticed, but chains don't work on this guy. The only way everyone will be safe is if he believes that he is going free.” He thought for a minute. “Elijah too.”
“You mean if he learns that you're gonna royally fuck them over.” Fry sneered.
Johns ignored her. “We wait to bring the cells at the last possible moment…when the skiff is all fixed up and we're ready to launch.”
Fry stared at him in amazement. Johns was more evil then he made Riddick out to be. The man was obsessed with Riddick. From what she could tell…it was Johns who was the psycho.
“Look, they haven't harmed any of us, as far as I can tell neither of them have lied to us either. Just stick to the deal, Johns. Let them go if that's what it takes.”
“He's a murderer. Hell, both of them are! The law says they gotta do their bid and there ain't nothin' I can do about it.”
“You're dancing on razor blades Johns.” Fry said quietly
“I'm not gonna give him a chance to grab another ship.” Johns left the skiff in search of Riddick. He didn't have to look far. As he descended the stairs, he saw Riddick and Elijah sitting in the shade of the skiff. Riddick was shaving his head with Imam's knife. Johns glanced back to the cockpit, measuring the distance. He seemed to be out of earshot.
&&&&&&&&
Riddick POV
After we saw Johns and Fry walk inside the skiff, Elijah and I sat down in the shade against the ship.
I turned to look at Elijah when he sighed.
“What's wrong?”
He closed his eyes. “It's just so fucking hot.”
I smirked. “When we get off this planet we'll go and visit your parents on that ice planet they're staying on. How's that sound?”
“Wonderful.” Elijah replied, wiping the sweat from his brow.
&&&&&
We looked up as Johns came down the ramp. When he didn't look in our direction I went back to shaving my head while Elijah leaned back against the ship.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Johns look at us and then glance back in the direction of the cockpit.
“Thought we said no shivs.” Johns said with a fake smile.
I stopped and looked at the knife I took from Imam. “What this?” I turned my hand and then looked at Johns through my black goggles. “This is just a personal grooming appliance.”
Johns opened his mouth to say something when he got dizzy suddenly and leaned against the ship. He was shaking slightly.
“Bad sign Johns.” Elijah said opening his eyes and watching me drag the blade carefully across my skull. “Shaking like that in this heat.”
&&&&&&
The pilgrims were hard at work, carrying a heavy roll of Vectran—the wing fabric—all the way from the crash ship to the skiff.
Elijah and I were off to the side working on constructing a crude cutting frame from metal pipes.
A short distance away Shazza worked on getting the Sand Cat fixed. The young girl, Jack, was helping her out.
Well, she was helping out whenever she wasn't looking over in our direction, at least.
“Are you listening, boy?”
We looked up at Shazza's yell.
“I said hand me that wrench!”
Jack handed it to the older woman without glancing in her direction.
“So this is what it's like to have a fan, huh?” Elijah asked and smirked in my direction.
I laughed and then pulled him up against my body. “Wanna give her something to really be a fan of?”
Elijah laughed and then leaned up to kiss me.
We stopped after a few seconds and glanced in Jack's direction. She was staring at us with her mouth hanging wide open.
We laughed again and got back to work.
A few minutes later the pilgrims returned with the Vectran and helped me drape the heavy fabric over the cutting frame. Then Imam climbed onto the skiff's exposed wing struts.
I went behind the silvery Vectran and cut through the fabric with a long knife. I then handed the trim to Rashad who went onto the skiff's wings and handed the section to Imam. The Muslim hand-stitched the material to the struts quickly.
Before cutting the next section, I located my mate. He was standing off to the side of us, staring out onto the horizon.
(What do you see?) I asked him.
(Nothing. The blue sun is setting. There is nothing unusual…yet.) He said, looking back at me.
I nodded my head and cut another piece for Imam.
(Let's go see what Fry is up too.) I said looking in his direction.
&&&&
Inside the skiff the cockpit hatch closed. Fry's attention was focused on the monitor. She didn't know we were inside wither her.
“Looks like we're a few shy.” I said watching as Fry whirled around to stare at Elijah and I.
Fry glanced down at my right hand where Imam's long blade was dangling. She looked back up at me when I spoke.
“Power cells, I mean.”
“They're coming…when we get the Sand Cat finished.” Fry whispered.
“Strange, not doin' a check on the main drive yet,” Elijah pointed out. “Unless…Johns told you the details of Riddick's last escape.” He folded his arms across his chest and let his long tail fall to the floor with a heavy thump, catching Fry's attention.
“I got the quick and ugly version.” She said.
“Did you?” I asked amused. “And now you're worried about a repeat of history.” I stated.
“Entered our minds.”
I stepped closer. “I asked what you thought, Fry.”
“You scare me Riddick. Both of you. Is that what you guys wanted to hear? Well, I admitted it. Can I get back to work now?” She turned her back on us and I stepped up behind her to study the controls. The cabin pressure was building.
“Think Johns is a do right man?” I whispered in her ear. She shivered slightly. “Think I can trust him to cut us loose?”
“Why? What'd you hear?” Her voice was strained.
“Well, guess if it was trickeration he'd just X me out, huh?” I whispered against her neck. “Then again…we are worth twice as much alive.”
Her body tensed.
“Didn't know? Your Johns ain't a cop. He's got the badge…the uniform…but he's just another merc. And Elijah and I? We're just another payday. That's why he won't never kill us…why he won't let us go.” I moved back to her ear, “the creed is greed.”
Fry whirled around. “Shove it Riddick.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“We aren't going to turn on one another. No matter how hard
you try.”
(Never mentioned turning on anybody.) I said to Elijah.
“Don't truly know what's gonna happen when the lights go out, Carolyn. But I do know that once the dyin' starts…this little psycho fuck family of ours is gonna rip itself apart from the inside. So you better find out the truth.” I paused, “because when the lights go out…you better know exactly who's standin' right behind you.”
“Hull integrity…100 percent.” The monitor droned suddenly.
The hatch hissed open and I walked towards it, Elijah already going down the ramp.
I paused. “Ever wonder why Johns shakes like that? Ask him.” I started down the ramp. “And ask him why your crew-pal had to scream like that `fore he died.”
&&&&&
Third Person
Fry walked into one of the small buildings she saw Johns go in a few seconds before. Just as she entered she saw him bring a syringe up to his eye and inject the fluid.
He was so engrossed in what he was doing that he didn't hear her enter.
“So, who are you really?”
Her question startled him. Johns turned to look at Fry.
“You're not a real cop are you?” She continued.
“Never said I was.” Johns stated.
“Never said you were a hype either.” Fry muttered as she opened one of the red shotgun shells sitting on a desk. There were at least thirty shells.
“Little morphine in the morning, so what?” He said, recovering his composure.
Fry looked at him with seething contempt. “Well, you got two mornings here…weren't you born lucky.” She said sarcastically throwing a red shell to the ground.
Johns' body jerked slightly, as if he wanted to reach down and pick it up. “Not a problem unless you make it one.”
“You made it a problem when you let Owens die like that.” Fry hissed. “When you had enough drugs to knock out an army of junkies.”
“Owens was already dead. His brain just hadn't caught on to the fact.”
Fry sneered in disgust. “Anything else I should know about you Johns? Christ, here I am just letting you roll the dice with all of our lives and you're—”
Johns cut her off when he grabbed her wrists suddenly and forced her into an embrace. He pressed her hands against the small of his back. She stopped struggling to get away, when she felt what was under her fingers. It was hard and leathery, and it ran along the base of his spine.
Johns let her hands go and turned so she could see. A thick jagged scar zigzagged his backbone.
“My first run in with Riddick. Went for the sweet spot and missed. They had to leave a piece of the shiv in there.” Johns added, his eyes locking with hers. “I can feel it sometimes you know.” He stated. “Feel if moving under my skin. Like little spiders. So maybe the care and feeding of my nerve-endings is my business.”
“You still coulda helped.”
Johns shrugged and began gathering his shells. “Yeah, well, look to thine own ass first.” He paused looking at Fry to see if she caught his reference to the purging. She had. “Right, Carolyn?”
The pilgrim boys came running inside. “Captain! Captain! Come quick!”
Fry moved past them. “I'm not your fucking captain.” She muttered.
The pilgrims followed her back outside, while Johns stayed behind to finish what he started.
The crash survivors were all gathered on a ridge, looking at the shimmering sky. An immense arch curved overhead.
They all watched as a huge black shadow kept rising, inching toward the twin suns.
Shazza was the fist to rouse from her trance. She grabbed Fry's shoulder and shook her. “If we need anythin' from the crash ship we'd best kick on! That Sand Cat's solar.”
The group raced to the vehicle jumping on. The only ones missing were Riddick, Elijah and Johns.
“Where's Riddick and Elijah?” Jack asked worriedly.
“Leave them. They wouldn't wait for us.” Paris said and then started when the two in question suddenly jumped onto the moving Sand Cat.
“Thought we'd lost you.” Paris stuttered.
“Johns!” Shazza yelled.
He was coming out of the building and was running toward the Sand Cat. He wasn't going to make it. At least he wouldn't have, but Riddick pulled him up onto the vehicle.
“Wouldn't want you to miss this.” Riddick whispered to him.
&&&&&
Elijah POV
I turned to look behind us as we crashed through the bone yard. (It's happening too quickly. We're not gonna make it to the crash ship and then back to the skiff in time.)
(I know.) Riddick turned his head to look at me. (But we need those cells.)
I sighed and then leaned slightly against Riddick's right shoulder when he pressed closer to my side.
Suddenly we hit a rough bump tossing some of the flares over the side. (We needed those flares…well they needed those.)
Behind us, the shadow spread across the desert as if it was following us. Shazza kept the Cat moving, skillfully guiding the bulky machine through the canyon graveyard. As we crashed through a massive ribcage, the Cat's roll-bar smashed out some low-bridge bones, showering us with sharp bone chips.
Finally we reached the crash ship, but it was already too late. We all leaped off the Cat and sprinted to the cargo container.
I stopped suddenly and turned to look behind us. I watched in awe as the gigantic black planet swallowed up the universe.
(The darkness is coming…are you ready?)
(Always.) Riddick whispered into my mind.
End Chapter Three.