The Darkness Calls

Title: Ships & Caves

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the craziness that spews out of my head. All characters belong to their respective owners. That means I own nothing and have zero money. . .
Author notes & Warnings: M/M fanfic. No Beta. Be afraid. My mood affects my writing

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Opening the hole in the god forsaken rock face fully Xander waved Greg in with his flare and heard creatures skitter away from the green light. The sound of their flesh sizzling satisfying to the ear. “Stay away from the sides, the monsters have them riddled with burrows.” Greg walked in cautiously with little blind Ali’s hand held tightly in his, and holding Ali’s hand Davi trailed behind with a flashlight clutched tightly. Taking Hassan from Imam’s careful hold Xander hefted him onto his shoulder and entered next with his light. “Come on!” Xander yelled as mud started to spill over the cave opening coating his skin. As Xander warily stepped deeper into the cave the ground started to rumble and shards of rock started to fall from the cave roof.

The rain fell and mocked them with its cold and uncaring presence. Thunder rumbled and the darkness closed in. The rain started falling hard and pummeled down onto the planet’s dry cracked landscape beating it into submission. Safety was so close . . . and so far. Thunder rumbled again much louder this time.

Xander looked at Riddick and smiled into those glowing silver eyes. Xander felt relief flow through them. Home free. Just inside the cave sheltered from the rain Xander was going to ask him to take the lead but then the big man’s head snapped up and his body language changed the a predator sensing danger. Xander tensed and waited for the next beast to come out of the woodwork, readying himself to fight it. It came but he wasn’t ready for it.

Around them the ground rumbled.

Pain. Pain. One thud after another.

Hurt. Blood.

Thunder. Crashing. Dust. Rocks. Slick mud under foot. Water.

Loud noise. Screaming people. Monsters crooning. Baby cries.

Darkness. No more hurt. Numb.

***

With a pained groan Xander slowly opened his eyes and stared at the shifting shadows on the cave roof, just lay there and watched the shadows dance in the flickers of the torches. The emerald green and golden yellow lights creating a twisted energetic dance, like colors mating. Everything felt muffled even the throbbing pain in his body, his head ached and he felt winded, cries were assaulting his ears but it felt like it was in another room. Far away from him. Miles away. Light-years away.

Like a dial slowly being turned up sound returned to him a bit by bit. Oren was crying loudly and hysterically in his sling. His mud covered face red and his little mouth bloody. Placing his hand on the baby’s back Xander held Oren, just hugged him to his body as his senses returned to him. Returning to him next was his gift. Oren was hurt. Bruises. Cuts. A deep cut on his cheek bleeding heavily. The light in the cave brightened and the monsters shrieked as Xander used his gift to heal his little son. Xander healed all of Oren’s hurts till the smallest of bruises was gone. With the return of his gift, the light, came everything else. Pain, white hot pain, and the sense to get up and survive.

With a gasp and a cut off scream Xander sat up and looked around him eyes still slightly glazed. Oren safe in his arms and Hassan at his feet as still as a carelessly thrown toy doll. Touching Hassan Xander healed his hurts. Brushing dust and rocks off himself Xander slowly tried to get up. Tried is the word. Looking at his leg Xander cursed. His boot was wedged in-between two large boulders. Pushing at the rock Xander tried to force them to move but it didn’t budge an inch.

Around him Xander could hear the surviving lizards move about just outside the glow of Xander’s flare. It was only thanks to extremely good luck or the grace of God that Xander awoke before his flare went out. Good thing the monsters were just as dazed as he was. Grabbing the flashlight by his feet Xander looked around. Dust was still settling and a tight pile of rocks and silty mud blocked the entrance to the cave. Deciding that forgoing footwear was better then laying in the mud Xander untied the boot and slowly slid his aching foot out. Even in the dim light Xander could clearly see the bruises forming around his ankle and up his calf.

Xander forced himself up and walked a couple of steps. Fire bloomed in his right leg every time he put weight on it. Stumbling over to the wall of rock Xander pounded on it and called out. “Hello?”His voice echoed hollowly in the cave. Dread filled him when no one answered. “Riddick! Riddick! Jack? Imam?” Xander hit the rock in front of him and tried not to panic. ‘They probably just can’t hear me. It’s raining and I bet there’s a lot of rock between me and them.’

Opening his empathy Xander reached out to the others. The first he came into contact with was an injured lizard half crushed by a boulder, it’s last minutes of life full of unquenchable hunger and crippling pain. It’s little mind driven half mad by the smell of blood, of food it couldn’t get to. More lizards popped into Xander’s awareness and he had to filter them out like one would dirt in their drinking water. Riddick shined like the poster child for survival, all of Xander’s senses told him the big man was fine. For a moment Xander basked in Riddick’s strength, in his powerful emotions. It felt so good to feel safe in Riddick’s hold even though it was just a mental hold. Reluctantly Xander searched for the others, some were hurt and some confused and scared. None were dead.

All were still alive. Alive and moving away from the cave. Toward the town.

A tight guilty ball loosened in Xander’s chest.

“A-Alea`xandr`?”

Xander whipped around with his flashlight. “Greg?”

Greg coughed up dust the light of his liqueur torch making him look ghostly. Davi and Ali were at his sides like little barnacles, frightened little barnacles. “What in the hell happened?”

“Our luck sucks. Mudslide.” Xander grumbled as he wiped silky mud off his face.

***

Riddick looked at the cave and wondered how he could have missed it. Camo’d by a cheep rubber rock and a dead bush it should have been easy to spot. ‘Careless. No more foolish games with mercs.’ Wiping rain off his face Riddick watched his kitty move the fake rock and present the cave.

It was over they were done. The pussycat saved the day. ‘My hero. I’ll have to thank him.’ Riddick thought with a leer on his face as he watched the cat. The sooner they were off the rock the better. Pulling the cells up toward the cave Riddick watched his kitty enter, watched those long legs and that tail disappear inside. He was starting to have a real tail fetish. Riddick could feel himself relax just a slight fraction and he didn’t really know why. He was still on the planet, he was still in the open, he was still in danger. Riddick knew he was in trouble. He was no longer #1 in his life. The cat mattered to him and the safer he is the better Riddick felt. . . . Shit.

Riddick was just about to enter the hole in the wall when the ground began to rumble and rock rained down. Jumping away from the cave Riddick watched the entrance disappear in a hail of stones and silt. From his safe distance Riddick watched the last stone slam into place and cut him off from the ship and his cat. Shit.

Slamming a fist into the rock Riddick tried to move the stones but move fell into place. Thick mud sucked at his feet and slicked his hands. He couldn’t get a grip. There was no getting in.

A scruffy looking Fry stumbled toward Riddick blood dribbling from her pert nose. “What do we do?”

Riddick stared at the wall of stone for an intense moment as if will alone would move them. Clinching his jaw Riddick flashed Fry a disgusted look. “We keep going.”

The rain drizzled down, and lizards crooned, and blood was hanging in the air like a cheap perfume. God sure liked to fuck with the Riddick. Riddick popped his neck and gave the planet a ‘Fuck you!’ look as he grabbing the cells and started to drag them. His muscles straining as his boots slid over the muddy terrain.

Riddick stalked away from the cave with Fry, Imam, and the kids following behind him. The rain started coming down at a drizzle like a tap going from full force to a light dripping.

“Can we make it?” Fry asked fearfully as she tried to keep her fire going.

Riddick looked at the four still with him and shrugged. ‘I’ll make it.’

***

Deep in the cave Xander found the generator with a few more dings and scratches on its ugly surface but other then that no worse for wear. It took a few tries and a lot of button pushing by Greg and Xander but they got it working and the light flickered. Flickered once, twice, and then stayed on. The sound of the lizards shrieking with pain and running for it was sweet music, it made Xander feel a bit more optimistic. With everyone in the center of the room and away from the hole riddled walls, Xander gathered everything that could be used as a weapon or light the generator wasn’t in the best of shape. The lights flickered making Xander heart pound with worry.

“The ship is just up the trail.”

Greg looked and the mud slick path and grimaced as he watched little brown rivulets of water trickle in. “We can’t make that with the sharp were in.” Greg pointed at the children then himself.

Xander agreed; Hassan is dead weight and would be impossible to carry, Oren a fragile little baby who dealt with more then enough rough handling, Ali blind, Davi a small stick of a boy, and Greg heart wasn’t in the right shape. Xander shifted and hot pain lanced through his ankle. “I’ll go and bring the ship to us.”

Greg pursed his lips till they were bloodless but nods. “Right.”

Xander smiled as he looped Oren’s sling around Greg’s shoulders. “Don’t worry I’ll be right back. With that said Xander lit a flare and headed up the dark and mud covered path. Xander tried to walk away with confidence in his step but feared he failed. He tried not to limp. They didn’t have much light left and the generator could fail at any moment. Xander needed to get to his ship.

‘I hope the ship had enough time to power up.’

The sound of the lizards crowing and Oren wailing followed him as he left.

***

‘Funny how a place looks so different in the dark.’

Running. Running. Xander pushed himself until his legs felt like rubber, kept running until his blood burned in his veins. The creatures are above him and his light is running low, they are almost on top of him. The creatures barely keeping to the boundaries of the light, always skimming it. Brushing up closer and closer to him, one even brushed his shirt with his knife-like claws. Using his tail Xander batted at the smaller creatures that swooped down closer, they seemed to be able to tolerate the light longer then their bigger brethren. Wiping sweat and rain from his eyes Xander dug his claws into the muddy trail, pain shooting up his arms and legs. Rocks digging into his skin, mud mixed in his wounds and his blood onto the hell planet under his feet.

The trail wasn’t as steep and impossible the last time he came up. Stumbling Xander fell flat on his face, he could taste mud and blood in his mouth as he half crawled half walked. The trail angled shapely as water sloshed down into his face sliding his resisting form down instead of up. Xander snarled like a wet cat and his tail lashed back and forth like a wild live wire. Xander looked around him from the jagged rocks to the trail that was more mud/water slide then path and made a decision. Placing his muddy flare in-between his teeth Xander jumped up and grabbed onto the closest boulder, rock climbing sounded better then slip and slide. Bunching his legs up Xander leaped to the next set of rocks and scrambled up to the next level of the trail. Curling his numb fingers and toes into the cracks Xander forced himself up and up till he was on a bit of solid ground. Flopping down like a newly birth giraffe Xander took a tiny breather. “This so sucks.”

The monsters crowed as if in laughter and mocked Xander’s tired form. A hike that should have taken no more then fifteen minutes seemed to take hours. Xander wanted to give up . . . but even through the rain and monster screeches Xander can still hear little Oren crying.

“I NEED to get to the ship!!” Xander yelled at himself, he can see the hanger in the distance, can see his ships light like a heavenly beacon from the hanger just ahead of him. “Just get over these rocks Xander!!!” He told himself as he clawed at the mud and stone that had fallen in his path during the rain. He just needed to get up there.

Slipping on the mud Xander cried out with frustration and pain the creatures around him tensing waiting for him to give up to drop his flare or fall to his death. A bold medium sized monster jumped at Xander from behind and sliced into his shoulder before his light repelled it. Xander yelped and his teeth bit hard into his sparking flare. Forcing his fingers into the mud Xander could feel the nails cracking as he pulled himself over the last ledge.

Xander stood there for a moment, tired, swaying, and relieved to be at the top of the hill. Xander could feel relieved tears fill his eyes as he let his sputtering flare drop out of his slack mouth and onto the slushy ground. Slowly Xander started heading toward the hanger, first at a stumbling walk, then at a desperate run like a toddling child taking his first steps he stumble forward till he hit the hanger door with a powerful thud. Pushing the door open Xander bathed in the artificial light of his ship the sight of the old battered Firefly class ship a relief for sore eyes. It could have been the gates to heaven for how much awe the sight of the blue lit ramp inspired in him. Running up the ramp Xander went straight to the control room and fell into the pilot seat. “Ship! Ship! Turn on lets go! Lights! Turn on all your lights!”

The control panels started lighting up and whirling noises could be heard. Blessed light streamed all around him. ~Prince Alea`xandr` all systems function. Power is at 73%. ~

“Is it enough power for space travel?” Xander asked the ship as he started flipping switches. Biting his lip Xander started pulling the craft up to take its first flight since it landed on the planet years ago. Inwardly Xander hoped the few flying lessons he got as a child was enough to pilot the old firefly.

~ Yes, but there is a sight chance of overloading the systems. I have not gotten my ten year update Prince Alea`xandr` . . .My program can overheat. ~

Xander frowned as he cleared the hanger without crashing. “Can I fly without you?”

For a moment the computer didn’t speak as pinging and beeps sounded through the lit up circuit boards. ~Yes, but not safely. With me you have an 89% chance of reaching space safely . . . without me it drops to a 26% chance of survival. ~

“Well that’s ok! Here on the planet we have a 0% chance of survival. I think everyone would gladly take the risk.” Xander said to the computer.

They were getting off this fucking planet.

Holding the controllers Xander hit the thrusters and forced his craft into the air and out of the hanger. It hovered for a moment then slowly started to go forward as Xander shifted the control stick. It felt like forever to Xander as the ship slowly went down to the caverns level and hovered over the pile of rock and mud that covered the cave. “Ship do we have something I could use to break threw rock?”

The computer made beeping noises that reminded Xander of dial-up internet then answered in a staticy voice. ~ I am equipped with two grapple hooks. This ship was once a merc hunter before it was a cargo carrier.~

“Right what button?” Xander asked as he looked over all the shiny buttons.

~Two red buttons on the upper right panel. My touch screen can be used for aim.~

Xander pressed the buttons forcefully and watched as the two rusted claw-like hooks slammed into the rock creating a big opening. As debris cleared Xander held his breath, he couldn’t see any light in the cave. Did the generator finally die and leave the others in the dark?

Xander whimpered as he held the control stick with bloodless mud covered hands.

***

Pushing the rock over the entrance of the cave Riddick felt almost nothing, away from the cat his weak emotions seemed to crumble like old bread. Leaving them to die in the tiny cave should have made him felt guilty or something human-ish. The hope in Jake’s big eyes made his stomach tighten but that wasn’t nearly enough for him to stretch his neck out for them. At least Imam and Fry knew he made no promises to save them. They stood there in the tiny hole in the wall like a bunch of soaked puppies all sad and scared and pathetic. The bits of dying light they held to themselves just made them look more pitiful to the eye. If only he had a heart.

It seemed right somehow to abandon them in a cave, he left the cat that way. Why not shed them and the clinging bits of his human soul in one go? With one last shove Riddick made sure they were shut in tight maybe if Imam’s god was kind maybe he would save them. He left the others to their fates. An animal like him needed no one.

Charging over the rough terrain Riddick pulled the cells toward the ghost town and toward his way off the planet’s dark filled hell. Without a look back Riddick headed for freedom.

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Review
MoonKat: LadyFoxFire wanted a Xander fix so I shrugged and thought why not! ^_^ I would have had this out sooner but I go hit with the flu and was sick in bed for a few miserable days. Hope you like the chapter. Feedback please.
PS: Tell me if you see any major errors you can't live with. @_@ ^_^