The Darkness Within Us

Chapter 2: Alive

'Pain...'

I groan, head turning to the side. I cough, eyes opening only to close from the sudden light. Another shot of pain. I crack my eyes open to look at my leg, eyes immediately closing at the sight. I'm sure my leg is broken, in the very least, fractured ever so slightly in all the wrong places. There's also a piece of metal over my leg, preventing me from seeing the full extent of my injuries.

I look over to see Johns passed out a yard or two to my right. I look back to my predicament and begin to slightly move to try to lift the metal, only for a smaller piece to fall, skimming the side my leg and causing me to yell in surprise before the mixture of the pain, blood loss, and the ever growing heat that's causing dehydration makes me pass out.

'You're not alone... Wake up... You're hurt... Wake up... WAKE UP!'

I gasp, quickly sitting up with my eyes wide open in alert. I survey my surroundings as fast as I can. That's when it finally registers that there's someone else in the room with me. I look at him as he leans on the wall beside me, Johns. I feel my heartbeat returning to normal. I move so I am leaning on my elbows to look at my legs.

"How much damage?"

"There was a puncture wound on the side of your left leg where metal pierced the skin, you're lucky it missed the bone. There's most likely a fracture too on the right leg from the weight of the metal." My brother says.

He helps me up before pulling me to look around. I look ahead to see Riddick's cryo-pod empty before I glance down to see Johns' gun gone.

"Johns..." I start, motioning to the two missing things in his life.

Missing gun and missing convict, never a perfect combo. Johns motions for me to stay as he jumps down a level in a nearby shaft. I roll my eyes and hop down beside him anyway. I heal faster than Johns lets on that he knows.

He turns on a flashlight and starts looking around. I look around as well, keeping an eye out for either of the two missing. A sudden scent of nature and musk hits me. I stop and lean on the debris while I watch Johns continue. I pretend to look at my leg as he looks back at me, most likely in suspicion. I pay attention again when I see someone lowering slowly and silently behind my unsuspecting brother.

As soon as the male's feet are low enough, he swings them in front of Johns, wrapping the chain of his feet cuffs around my brother's neck. Johns takes out a baton, hitting the convict's side. After a minute of holding up to the baton's blows, the pipe Riddick was using to stay up collapses. I watch as my brother stands above the unconscious Riddick.

"Someone's going to get hurt one of these days... and it ain't gonna be me." Johns smirks before turning to look at me.

I interrupt him before he can say a word against me.

"Currently injured and you thought I'd take on the person who's more wanted? Fat chance." I say, moving to where I hear others moving around.

I watch a boy fall out of a jammed cryo-pod that's been opened by the free-settlers. One smell though, and I immediately know he, is a she.

"So I guess something went wrong?" She asks.

I smirk at her. Sudden screams catch our attentions. Johns, knowing how stubborn I am and how curious I can get, makes sure I'm by his side. We all walk to where the screams are coming from. Once in the room, we see a blonde leaning over a male.

"Don't touch that handle, Fry! Don't you touch it!" The man yelled, he's in hysterics.

Johns and I share a look, knowing the man's not screaming about the metal in his chest.

"Get it out of him!" One of the other males says.

"No, it's too close to his heart." The female prospector says.

Johns and I stay in the back of the group, observing the scene while we lean on the debris.

"There's some Antihistamine in the med-lock in the back of the cabin." The blonde, Fry, hurries to us.

I glance to Johns as the others look to the light peeking in from the debris then back to her.

"Not anymore there's not." The male who looks like a salesman says.

Fry looks back to her crewman, I can smell the guilt come off her.

"Get out of here... Everyone... get out of here..." She mutters in defeat.

I follow the others out, Johns right behind me. The others start to leave, seemingly in a hurry to finish searching for supplies and look to where we are. I figure another hour, I'll be able to run perfectly fine. I smirk at Riddick's predicament... arms pulled behind metal while chains keep him still, that bit of his and the blindfold still in place. I glance back to my brother.

"You have the weirdest of kinks, you know that?" I ask.

I turn back around as I hear him huff in annoyance.

"You going to pretend now?"

I look back at Johns.

"I'd like to enjoy myself without a certain druggy Asshole watching my every move. Where will I run off to, Johns? If you haven't noticed, we're on a fucking deserted planet with sand as far as you can see and I had metal go through my fucking leg and skim my other!" I growl at him, eyes narrowing at him.

"We both know you'll be fine." He says as he rolls his eyes at my complaints before walking towards the doorway to go where the others went. "Don't go anywhere near Riddick." He warns before leaving while I'm mocking his sentence.

I huff in annoyance.

"Don't go anywhere near Riddick..." I continue to mock even once I know they are far enough.

A huff of amusement gains my attention. I turn to look at the chained convict before smirking myself.

"As long as you don't try to kill me, I won't try to kill you... or stop you from killing the merc." I add before leaving.