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Alone. Jack was alone on an unfamiliar planet. There were other people around, but that meant nothing. She was alone.
For a twelve year old, Jack was fairly aware of the dangers of the world. Even before the mercs, before the Bioraptors, before Riddick, she had known as much. The universe was a harsh fucking place and it was no place for a twelve year old girl to be wandering alone. Jack dressed like a boy because it seemed easier. She had always been more of a tomboy anyway, and it was just safer and easier to be seen as a boy. People would let her do more, harass her less and take her more seriously if they assumed she was a boy rather than a girl. It just made more sense to keep hiding to the rest of the world, even if Riddick and Imam knew the truth.
It was hard enough getting by as a kid on her own. It would be harder still if she had to worry about the way people would treat her if they knew. She wasn't naive. She had seen enough in her young years to know that there were no friendly worlds and no safe ships.
Riddick was gone. Imam, Abu al-Walid was as well, and that was frightening, but nothing was worse than knowing that Riddick was no longer around. He was more than just an idol to Jack. He made her feel safe, as ironic or idiotic as that was. He was the baddest badass there was in the entire universe and without him around she suddenly felt the dangerous vastness of space all too well all over again. Some small voice in the back of her mind whispered frightened thoughts of being abandoned and left in this place. Dropped off without warning or a word and left to her own devices. She knew they were upset about her taking a life, but she refused to believe they abandoned her.
People could say what they liked about Riddick but so far he had never let her down, and she obstinately refused to believe he ever would. She felt for the broken goggles in her pocket and slipped them on over the fuzz of hair growing back on her scalp and shoved fear down under resolve, ignoring the slight shake already present in her hands. The goggles might as well have been a rifle in her hands for the courage and fire they made her skin tingle with. She was Jack B. Badd and she would not let fear win. Riddick would come back for her. Until then, she would not be afraid. She would face the universe and not be afraid, or she would gut any fucking merc who tried to use her to find him. Whatever it took, though, she would do the one thing she knew Riddick knew how to do best.
She would survive
For a twelve year old, Jack was fairly aware of the dangers of the world. Even before the mercs, before the Bioraptors, before Riddick, she had known as much. The universe was a harsh fucking place and it was no place for a twelve year old girl to be wandering alone. Jack dressed like a boy because it seemed easier. She had always been more of a tomboy anyway, and it was just safer and easier to be seen as a boy. People would let her do more, harass her less and take her more seriously if they assumed she was a boy rather than a girl. It just made more sense to keep hiding to the rest of the world, even if Riddick and Imam knew the truth.
It was hard enough getting by as a kid on her own. It would be harder still if she had to worry about the way people would treat her if they knew. She wasn't naive. She had seen enough in her young years to know that there were no friendly worlds and no safe ships.
Riddick was gone. Imam, Abu al-Walid was as well, and that was frightening, but nothing was worse than knowing that Riddick was no longer around. He was more than just an idol to Jack. He made her feel safe, as ironic or idiotic as that was. He was the baddest badass there was in the entire universe and without him around she suddenly felt the dangerous vastness of space all too well all over again. Some small voice in the back of her mind whispered frightened thoughts of being abandoned and left in this place. Dropped off without warning or a word and left to her own devices. She knew they were upset about her taking a life, but she refused to believe they abandoned her.
People could say what they liked about Riddick but so far he had never let her down, and she obstinately refused to believe he ever would. She felt for the broken goggles in her pocket and slipped them on over the fuzz of hair growing back on her scalp and shoved fear down under resolve, ignoring the slight shake already present in her hands. The goggles might as well have been a rifle in her hands for the courage and fire they made her skin tingle with. She was Jack B. Badd and she would not let fear win. Riddick would come back for her. Until then, she would not be afraid. She would face the universe and not be afraid, or she would gut any fucking merc who tried to use her to find him. Whatever it took, though, she would do the one thing she knew Riddick knew how to do best.
She would survive
