Faith in the Darkness
folder
M through R › Pitch Black
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
17
Views:
2,868
Reviews:
3
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
M through R › Pitch Black
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
17
Views:
2,868
Reviews:
3
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Pitch Black, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
8
"Angel."
Faith suddenly found it hard to breathe. His face was unchanged, still heartbreakingly beautiful, his eyes dark and full of turmoil. He still wore his hair in the same spiky, slightly mussed way, and the little half-smile on his face was exactly the way it had always been. His pants were black vinyl, his shirt, synthesized white cotton, but his jacket was real leather. She wondered, briefly, in a dazed sort of way, if it was the same one he'd worn in the twentieth century. The inane thought vanished when he took a step toward her, reaching out one hand.
~*~
Riddick's eyes narrowed behind his goggles when Faith propelled herself into the dark-haired vampire's arms. The other one, the blond, stayed back a little, as if waiting for Faith to notice him. His dark gray eyes flicked to Riddick, as if wanting to see his reaction. The glow from the tip of his cigarette was bright orange and the look he gave Faith and Angel was assessing.
"You know, looking at the two of them, you'd think they were a little more than friends." His voice was distinctly British, much like Paris' had been.
Faith pulled away from Angel and looked at the blond, a wry smirk on her face.
"Spike. Never thought I'd be glad to see you."
Angel gave Spike an exasperated look.
"You just can't resist, can you? Always have to have a smart-ass remark."
Spike raised his eyebrows, as if trying to look innocent.
"Just trying to save your ass, mate. This fellow here looked like he was about to rip you a new one."
Faith looked at Riddick, grabbing Angel's hand and pulling him forward a few steps.
"Riddick, this is Angel," she said, stepping out of the way, so the two men were facing each other.
"You mean Angelus," Riddick said.
Angel went very still, but he nodded. "Once."
"You may have killed more people than I have. Guess it's easier when you're about a thousand years old," Riddick said, stepping forward, toward the vampire.
"I was a different person then," said Angel.
"Pity."
~*~
Angel was saved from trying to come up with a response to that cryptic remark when someone pounded on the metal door that lead into the pit. With one last glance at the vampire in front of him, Riddick stepped over the bodies and unlatched the door. It swung open with a creak and a young girl with dark, wavy hair stepped into the guard station. Faith knew by the way her eyes moved immediately to Riddick that this was Jack.
A few other convicts followed Jack out of the pit, looking around, warily, but Faith dismissed them. Her eyes settled on the girl Riddick had come so far to find.
Jack moved close to Riddick and looked around the station. Her eyes flickered over the dead guards and the two vampires and settled on Faith.
"Who's this?" she asked.
"Faith." Riddick's tone was clipped and Faith looked at him. She opened her mouth to speak, but he beat her to it. "Get to the sled. We're getting off this rock before someone tries to contact the guards."
"Faith, our ship's in the hanger. We can take the sled up with them and then get the hell out of here," said Angel. She started to tell him she wasn't going with them, but once again, Riddick beat her to it. She was beginning to get annoyed.
"She'll be leaving on the same ship she came in on." His voice was barely more than a growl and Angel's eyes narrowed.
"I'm going with Riddick for now," Faith said, heading off the coming argument. The testosterone levels in the guard station were getting dangerously high. "You can follow in your ship, at least until we get somewhere safer than this. Then, we’ll talk."
"Sounds like a plan. Let's get off this bloody planet and deal with the particulars later," Spike said, giving Angel a shove toward the sled.
Riddick, Faith and Jack followed the two vampires, Riddick stepping forward to the controls without a word. The rest of them sat in silence for the duration of the ride.
~*~
She was young, Riddick’s Jack. That was the first thing Faith noticed about her. She wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting, but not a teenager. Jack couldn’t have been more than 18. She was pretty, with dark hair and an athletic build. She had a stubborn set to her jaw and green eyes that flashed with defiance. Faith had a sneaking suspicion that she and Jack had more in common than either of them were likely to admit.
The sled jerked to a stop when they reached the hanger and the five passengers piled off. Spike started toward a ship at the rear of the hanger. Riddick led Jack to their ship, opening the doors and starting up the ramp, before glancing back at Faith.
“Don’t be long.”
Faith didn’t answer him, just turned to Angel, who was still standing near the sled.
“I’m not sure where we’re going from here. Just follow us and when we land, we’ll talk,” she said, stepping forward to hug him. Angel put his arms around her and held her tightly for a moment.
“Faith, come with us. You don’t know what kind of man he is,” Angel said. Faith pulled away.
“I know what I need to know. Just follow us,” she told him, turning and making her way up the ramp and onto the ship.
~*~
Riddick didn’t glance back when Faith entered the control room, but as soon as she was through the doorway, he started the launch procedure. Jack was nowhere in sight. She walked to the captain’s chair and placed her hands on his shoulders, her fingertips absently massaging the taut muscles.
“The vampire wants you.”
Riddick’s voice was a little lower than usual, a thread of something like anger running through his words. She closed her eyes, tracing the curves of his collarbone.
“Angel can’t have me. He can’t have anyone. I told you about the curse.”
“Doesn’t matter. I can smell it on him, under the vampire scent.”
She raised an eyebrow with a half smile, her fingers still running across his skin.
“And what do vampires smell like?”
“Snakes. Reptilian, cold. Coppery, metallic, like blood. Don’t change the subject.”
Faith sighed and let her hands rest against his biceps.
“Look, I’m here, okay. I’m on this ship, not his. Just drop it.”
Riddick’s only response was a low “Mmm.”
~*~
Faith suddenly found it hard to breathe. His face was unchanged, still heartbreakingly beautiful, his eyes dark and full of turmoil. He still wore his hair in the same spiky, slightly mussed way, and the little half-smile on his face was exactly the way it had always been. His pants were black vinyl, his shirt, synthesized white cotton, but his jacket was real leather. She wondered, briefly, in a dazed sort of way, if it was the same one he'd worn in the twentieth century. The inane thought vanished when he took a step toward her, reaching out one hand.
~*~
Riddick's eyes narrowed behind his goggles when Faith propelled herself into the dark-haired vampire's arms. The other one, the blond, stayed back a little, as if waiting for Faith to notice him. His dark gray eyes flicked to Riddick, as if wanting to see his reaction. The glow from the tip of his cigarette was bright orange and the look he gave Faith and Angel was assessing.
"You know, looking at the two of them, you'd think they were a little more than friends." His voice was distinctly British, much like Paris' had been.
Faith pulled away from Angel and looked at the blond, a wry smirk on her face.
"Spike. Never thought I'd be glad to see you."
Angel gave Spike an exasperated look.
"You just can't resist, can you? Always have to have a smart-ass remark."
Spike raised his eyebrows, as if trying to look innocent.
"Just trying to save your ass, mate. This fellow here looked like he was about to rip you a new one."
Faith looked at Riddick, grabbing Angel's hand and pulling him forward a few steps.
"Riddick, this is Angel," she said, stepping out of the way, so the two men were facing each other.
"You mean Angelus," Riddick said.
Angel went very still, but he nodded. "Once."
"You may have killed more people than I have. Guess it's easier when you're about a thousand years old," Riddick said, stepping forward, toward the vampire.
"I was a different person then," said Angel.
"Pity."
~*~
Angel was saved from trying to come up with a response to that cryptic remark when someone pounded on the metal door that lead into the pit. With one last glance at the vampire in front of him, Riddick stepped over the bodies and unlatched the door. It swung open with a creak and a young girl with dark, wavy hair stepped into the guard station. Faith knew by the way her eyes moved immediately to Riddick that this was Jack.
A few other convicts followed Jack out of the pit, looking around, warily, but Faith dismissed them. Her eyes settled on the girl Riddick had come so far to find.
Jack moved close to Riddick and looked around the station. Her eyes flickered over the dead guards and the two vampires and settled on Faith.
"Who's this?" she asked.
"Faith." Riddick's tone was clipped and Faith looked at him. She opened her mouth to speak, but he beat her to it. "Get to the sled. We're getting off this rock before someone tries to contact the guards."
"Faith, our ship's in the hanger. We can take the sled up with them and then get the hell out of here," said Angel. She started to tell him she wasn't going with them, but once again, Riddick beat her to it. She was beginning to get annoyed.
"She'll be leaving on the same ship she came in on." His voice was barely more than a growl and Angel's eyes narrowed.
"I'm going with Riddick for now," Faith said, heading off the coming argument. The testosterone levels in the guard station were getting dangerously high. "You can follow in your ship, at least until we get somewhere safer than this. Then, we’ll talk."
"Sounds like a plan. Let's get off this bloody planet and deal with the particulars later," Spike said, giving Angel a shove toward the sled.
Riddick, Faith and Jack followed the two vampires, Riddick stepping forward to the controls without a word. The rest of them sat in silence for the duration of the ride.
~*~
She was young, Riddick’s Jack. That was the first thing Faith noticed about her. She wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting, but not a teenager. Jack couldn’t have been more than 18. She was pretty, with dark hair and an athletic build. She had a stubborn set to her jaw and green eyes that flashed with defiance. Faith had a sneaking suspicion that she and Jack had more in common than either of them were likely to admit.
The sled jerked to a stop when they reached the hanger and the five passengers piled off. Spike started toward a ship at the rear of the hanger. Riddick led Jack to their ship, opening the doors and starting up the ramp, before glancing back at Faith.
“Don’t be long.”
Faith didn’t answer him, just turned to Angel, who was still standing near the sled.
“I’m not sure where we’re going from here. Just follow us and when we land, we’ll talk,” she said, stepping forward to hug him. Angel put his arms around her and held her tightly for a moment.
“Faith, come with us. You don’t know what kind of man he is,” Angel said. Faith pulled away.
“I know what I need to know. Just follow us,” she told him, turning and making her way up the ramp and onto the ship.
~*~
Riddick didn’t glance back when Faith entered the control room, but as soon as she was through the doorway, he started the launch procedure. Jack was nowhere in sight. She walked to the captain’s chair and placed her hands on his shoulders, her fingertips absently massaging the taut muscles.
“The vampire wants you.”
Riddick’s voice was a little lower than usual, a thread of something like anger running through his words. She closed her eyes, tracing the curves of his collarbone.
“Angel can’t have me. He can’t have anyone. I told you about the curse.”
“Doesn’t matter. I can smell it on him, under the vampire scent.”
She raised an eyebrow with a half smile, her fingers still running across his skin.
“And what do vampires smell like?”
“Snakes. Reptilian, cold. Coppery, metallic, like blood. Don’t change the subject.”
Faith sighed and let her hands rest against his biceps.
“Look, I’m here, okay. I’m on this ship, not his. Just drop it.”
Riddick’s only response was a low “Mmm.”
~*~