Written 06/17/2004

Disclaimer: "The Chronicles of Riddick" is copyright to Universal Studios, Vin Diesel, David Twohy, and Jim and Ken Wheat. (Plus anybody else I might have missed. Just, definitely not me. Nope, no way. I ain't ever gonna see a dime off this sucker.)

Summary: Kyra's thoughts when she first encounters Riddick on Crematoria. Set during "Chronicles of Riddick".

Tempered Metal
by Moonbeam

Kyra was nervous. She didn't like feeling nervous, didn't want to feel nervous, and was mad at herself because she was feeling it anyway. Anxiety was a sign of weakness. Kyra refused to be weak.

The weak got hurt. She'd learned that lesson early in life, when she still went by the name of Jack. A child too naive to know better, only wanting to find the one person who'd ever taken care of her, she'd made the mistake of joining a crew of mercenaries. They, in turn, had used her and sold her like a piece of property.

Jack had been weak. Jack had been hurt.

Kyra wasn't weak. Kyra couldn't be hurt. Kyra didn't care about anything enough for it to hurt.

Except him.

She hadn't expected to ever see him again. Hadn't believed he even remembered her, let alone that he'd ever try to rescue her. Yet when she'd seen him, chained to that rope and being lowered into the Slam, trademark sunglasses shielding his sensitive eyes? She hadn't really been surprised.

He was here.

He'd come for her.

He still cared about her.

She should be glad, right? Ecstatically happy? Throw herself into his arms and beg for him to save her? Sweep her off her feet and carry her away into the sunset on his shining white steed?

Fuck that shit.

'If you can't keep up, you get left behind.'

His rule. One of the first things she'd ever learned from him. She'd learned it well, too. On that planet of pitch black night, being 'left behind' automatically translated into 'being eaten'. Being dead.

She'd kept up.

'If you can't keep up, you get left behind.'

Except she'd gotten left behind anyway.

He hadn't given her a chance to keep up last time. Just dumped her on Helion with Imam. Run away. Without her.

Without Jack.

But she wasn't Jack anymore, was she? No fuckin' way. Jack had needed Riddick. Jack would never have survived without him.

Kyra didn't need him. She was strong enough to protect herself now.

She was even strong enough to protect him.

It had been instinct that caused her to throw the chain, stop the idiot who'd tried to sneak up on him. Reflex only, to defend him, protect his back while fought. She hadn't planned to interfere; no one had bothered for her. It was the way of the world, the way of prison life. You proved your strength, or you died. Simple as that.

But maybe she'd wanted to prove her strength to him.

Which was ridiculous. It had been five years since he'd left her. Since he'd dropped her at New Mecca with their one other fellow survivor. Since he'd abandoned her to run away and hide again. Left her without saying goodbye. Left her without a chance to follow. Without a chance to keep up.

She'd tried anyway.

It hadn't been easy. It hadn't been good. And for much the way, she'd hadn't thought she'd make it. But she'd managed to survive on her own. She'd learned. She'd grown strong. She'd become Kyra.

Kyra didn't owe him jack-shit.

But he'd come for her. And this time when he told her to her 'keep up', she would.

He wasn't going to leave her behind. Not again.

Ever.

Go to The Guv's POV in Animal Thing.