The Darkness Calls

The Darkness Calls

Title: Scents

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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From the ground Xander was pleased to see that Riddick didn’t hesitate to follow Xander’s order. Around him he could hear the others scream and fall to the ground, the creatures flew overhead brushing and trying to snatch up anyone who was too slow or stupid to follow Xander’s example. Using his sword Xander slashed at one that flew a little too close to him, Ali, and an injured Hassan(who lay unconscious in a carrier). The lizards kept diving for Hassan and Ali, trying to snap up the weak and injured of their group. Bullets started flying, people screamed, Oren cried, and the creatures crooned with hunger so sharp it gave Xander bellyaches.

“PARIS! GET BACK HERE!” Yelled Fry as she tried to scramble after the fleeing man.

‘The rabbits are scattering.’ Xander looked over and watched as Paris crawled away into the dark barely seen by Xander’s night vision. Too mindless with fear to realize what he is doing, crawling right to the hungry lizards. Letting go of Ali’s hand Xander pushed him to lay down by his brother, Xander needed to help calm things down. Xander was going to jump up and go after the fool Paris when a young unfamiliar voice screamed. Turning around Xander found Davi getting dragged off by Bess in the opposite direction into the dark. The lights started to flicker as the two runners started pulling at the lights wiring in two directions. Grabbing Davi’s flailing arm Xander pulled him from Bess with a sharp controlled yank. “What the hell are you doing, bitch?!”

Bess shook her head hard her one good eye wide and white with fear. “I’s aren’t dyin for no one! Gonna feed um an get dam off my scent! Them monsters aren’t gonna get me! The meats gonna stay on my bones!”

Xander held Davi to his body when the dirt and blood covered woman tried to reach for him. “You’re going to feed your own son to them?”

“If I’s can save me! Yeah I am!” Bess snarled, frothy spit dribbling down her chin. When she reached out again Xander hit her in the head with his tail, the bone on bone thunk barely heard above the yelling and the screaming of the others. Bess crumbled to the ground at the edge of the light like a puppet tossed to the floor by an angry child. Turning away Xander didn’t know if he had killed her or not, he hit her hard enough too.

Placing Davi with the other kids huddled together like puppies, Xander pulled a flare from the sack by Hassan’s feet just as the power core flew off its sled and was dragged away into the dark. The creatures wailed with delight their hunger and excitement a dizzying drug in Xander’s head. Hands shaking Xander popped the top on the flare and sighed with relief when it lit. Looking at the other’s Xander noted that they were a few people short.

“Riddick?”

“Is everyone ok?” Asked Fry with wide eyes.

Xander scowled. ‘That was the stupidest question ever asked!’ Xander looked around and noticed at least three people were missing. Bess, Paris, and Riddick. “Riddick? WHERE ARE YOU?”

Xander yelped when a hand grabbed him from ‘behind’. With a snarl ready on his lips Xander whirled around sword raised for a sound slashing, only to sigh at the sight of Riddick’s smug face. “Worried about me?”

Xander glared. “No.”

Together they both looked into the dark at the creatures clustered around a body making hungry sounds and wet ripping noises. “So who’s that?”

Riddick smirked. “Paris.”

Fry stepped up and stood by Riddick, a little too close in Xander’s opinion. “Do I even want to know?”

Riddick just looked at her his smirk widening.

***

“What went wrong?” Fry asked softly as she held one of the fire lanterns up toward the dark, held the fire in front of her like a shield.

Smirking Riddick picked up one of Hassan’s loose bandages and threw the blood covered cloth into the dark. The creatures screeched and the sound of scuffling could be heard just at the edge of the light. “ Incase you haven’t noticed they go off blood. Makes um crazy.” Riddick said in his deep rumbling voice as he stalked toward the front of the group not caring that the survivors looked like they were going to shit themselves.

Xander nodded. “They’re like any other animal going after the small and weak. Like wolves after the lame elk.”
Jack shifted around and turned pale as a sheet. “Like wolves?”

Riddick snorted. “Nah not like wolves they stop eating when their full, here you’re like the last bitch in slam.” Riddick sneered and looked right at Xander. “Fucked.”

Xander huffed with annoyance as sharp pulses of lustful emotions shot through him from Riddick. Xander knew that look in Riddick’s eyes, it was the same look he got in the bone yard. Xander licked at his lips and choked back the purr that tried to bubble up from his throat, HE wasn’t going to acted easy now! Not with possible death nipping at his heels and a baby strapped to his chest. The whole man eating lizards thing made sex a real no-no too.

“Great! This is just fucking great! What do we do about THIS?!” Johns kicked at the dirt spraying it toward Hassan’s downed form. “We should have just left the brats at the ship!”

Jack started to breathe hard, eyes wide and taking up most of the kid’s face. Davi made a loud hitching noise and pressed himself closer to Xander and Hassan on the ground. Xander wrapped an arm around Oren and Davi, his lips pulled back baring his fangs and a growl rumbling in his chest. All of Xander’s instincts were screaming at him to protect the ‘kits’.

Fry got into Johns face. “God Johns can’t you think of anyone but yourself? You’re scaring everyone! Are you high again you selfish jerk?”

“Scaring everyone? That’s rich Carolyn And me? Selfish? Oh like you’re one to talk Carolyn! This was your idea! You’re the one that got us out here in the dark like a bunch of sled dogs!” Johns said as he jabbed his finger at Fry.

“Calm down Johns! Fighting now is not going to help us! We all agreed to this plan!” Greg said as he pushed himself between Fry and Johns.

Johns pushed back knocking Greg and Fry to the ground. “What the HELL do you know! You’re just some loser pilot! What do you know about survival? You were probably in on it with her!”

“Stop this! Fighting solves nothing!” Iman said calmly from behind Johns.

“Wait! What are you guy’s talking about? In on what?” Jack whimpered.

Johns sneered at his audience and pointed an accusing finger at Fry. “ She wanted to sacrifice us all! During the crash she tried to blow the passenger cabin! Tried to kill us in our sleep we’re just walking ghost to y-”

Fry scrambled to her feet dust covering her from head to toe. “This isn’t helping Johns! Shut up!”

Greg slowly got to his feet a pained look on his face and a hand rubbing over his heart. “Fry was afraid. A lot of people would have tried to do the same thing. Everyone reacts differently when their life his on the line!”

Fry wrapped her arms around herself and wouldn’t make eye contact, guilt rolling off her in waves. “Owens saved everyone, you know that already Johns!”

“Let’s stop fighting and figure out what we’re going to do. We can’t just stand here with our thumbs up our ass’. We need to get rid of the soiled bandages. Most of Hassan and Ali’s wounds are sealed, we’ll just change them. Hopefully that will help some.” Xander said with a glared at the merc’s back. ‘It’s just bad luck that the asshole wasn’t eaten!’ Xander thought as he watched the panicked merc pace back and forth within the border of their light prison. The man was falling apart at the seams his trigger finger twitching ready to blow everyone and everything away.

Riddick tilted his head to the side and smirked. “And the girl, kitty? What you going to do about her?”

Most everyone looked at Fry.

“What the fuck you talking about she’s not cut!” John said.

Riddick’s smirk kicked up a notch. “Not her.” Riddick turned and looked right at Jack. “Her.”

Johns let out a hopeless chuckle. “You got to be kidding me.”

Jack’s breath hitched loudly. “I-I just thought it was better if people took me for a guy. I thought they might leave me alone instead of always messing with me!” The kid wailed as she plopped down on the ground folding up on herself.

Taking a deep breath Xander tried to separate the mixed scents of blood, sweat, and pee, he found the deep fresh scent of fertility and rich blood. Xander didn’t notice it till now, his mind too preoccupied by all the drama, death, and the confusing signals he was getting from his mate/lover/fuck buddy/glowly eyed guy friend.

Xander cursed. ‘What the hell we gonna do about Jack?’ Now that Xander knew the smell was there he could smell it above all the blood scents around them. ‘The scent is so strong I don’t think we can do anything about it!’

Pppoopt!

*Gurgle*

“God! Oren!” The smell of a freshly loaded diaper burned into Xander’s nose and made his eyes water. The smell overpowering everything around th- Xander smiled.

Fry went to Jack and wrapped the kid up in her arms. “Are you really bleeding sweety?”

“You could have left me at the ship Fry that’s why I didn’t say something sooner!”

“Hey! Girls!” Xander yelled.

“Huh?” Both looked up and shrieked as something warm and brown splattered onto their laps.

“What the HELL?” Fry growled as she wiped the small lumps off her pants since most of the foul stuff landed on Jack.

“Gross!” Jack picked up the soaked through diaper by a corner.

“Why the hell did you do that?” Fry said as she tried to get at Xander but Greg blocked her.

Xander’s lip twitched but he kept a serious look on his face. “It helps a bit to cover up Jack’s scent. Now instead of smelling like an expensive steak dinner she smell like one that got dipped in shit first. Sorry Jack but it’s better then getting eaten right?”

Jack reluctantly nodded and tried not to breathe through her nose.

Riddick’s eyes glowed with amusement as they met Xander’s.

“Could have warned us and let me step clear!” Fry growled.

Xander smiled. “I could have but I don’t know any women that would let someone cover them in shit even if their lives depended on it.” Xander smirked. ‘Let’s see you get Riddick’s attention now Fry . . .’

With some prodding from Greg both girls shuffled toward Ali and started helping Greg with Ali’s wrappings. Gently Xander started peeling away Hassan’s bandages with Imam. Balling the ripped fabric up Imam set them aside and away from the group just on the edge of the light. Untying Oren’s baby carrier Xander took off his own shirt and ripped it into strips. Carefully Xander bandaged the unconscious boy back up pleased to see the tender red flesh knitting. Sitting on the ground Xander gently petted Hassan’s hair back from his face as he used his power to give the injured boy a boost. “How is my young one?”

Xander smiled a Imam. “He’s doing better. No more bleeding but still heavily damaged on the inside . . . A little stronger then he was before. He might have a chance if we get him to the ship’s med bay.”

A determined look crossed Imam’s face. “Then we will. I believe we will.”

Xander looked at Fry who was tending Ali. “Any new bleeding?”

Fry glared coldly. “No . . .he’s doing good for a boy with no eyes.”

Xander just gave her a glare just as icy. “He can understand what you’re saying ya know!”

Fry frowned an pursed her lips as she lead Ali to Imam, Xander could hear soft apologies from her whispered to Ali.

“Xander?” Xander looked up at Greg who was standing in front of him a worried frown on his face. “We need to get going, the canyon and the cave aren’t far now. Are we set?”

“Yeah sure. Don’t want to make anything easy for the beasties.” Holding his flare up high Xander grabbed one of the ropes to help pull Hassan’s carrier. Xander looked at little Davi sitting next to Hassan’s sled like an anime puppy that got kick by a dozen steel toed boots. Xander bit his lip, he should have checked on the little boy earlier.“Davi?”

The dark skinned boy looked at Xander sadly his eyes scanning the dark every once in a while. Xander closed his eyes for a small moment and let the little boy’s pain wash over him. Rejection, fear, remorse, resignation, and relief floating around him like a thick cloud of smog. Xander gave the little boy a one armed hug. “It’s ok to be sad that she’s gone kiddo.”

“Hmm?” Davi grunted still not really speaking.

“It’s also ok to be relieved that she ‘is’ gone.” Xander pressed the little boy against his side letting Davi rest his head next to Oren’s on Xander’s chest.

Davi’s eyes watered around the edges. “K.”

Xander ruffled the boy’s hair then pushed him toward Imam and Ali. “Stay with Imam and help Ali ok? Be Ali’s eyes, you can be a big help to him.”

“K.” Davi mumbled as he grasped Ali’s hand.

With a line of Hassan’s carrier held by both Xander, Imam, and Greg, they followed close behind Riddick. Jack looked at Fry and Johns with a worried look on her face. “Should I help them pull the sled?”

Xander looked back at the two people struggling to keep up with the‘Plan B incase the cat is lying about the ship!’ cells. Xander should say no. “Sure help them if ya like, plan B is of the good but make sure to stay between them. Keep your torch and flashlight close.”

Xander watched Jack march over to Fry like a soldier with an important mission.

“God you both smell!” Johns groaned.

***

Everyone slowed down when Riddick signaled for everyone to stop. They watched him crouch down and stare into the darkness, shiv held out in front of him.

“Riddick?” Xander asked as he cautiously made his way toward silver eyed man. “What’s wrong?”

“Don’t know. Something big’s up ahead.”

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