For once he wasn't unconscious. Riddick shook his head as the Wrath slowly faded back to its normal existence. Ever since Shirah had woken it, woken him, he'd been conscious of the Wrath in him. He'd learned control even more perfectly than before, in an effort to not unleash what River called spirit energy whenever his temper flared.

River's touch on his mind withdrew, and he heard Chato and Waylon exhale slowly. She'd let go of them too, shaking her head. "It worked," That tremulous smile, slow and sweet, and River leaned against him with a long slow sigh of relief.

"Not bad, for a last-minute plan," Chato gave them a half smile.

"Not last minute," River shook her head.

"She an' Harley'd been talkin' some," Riddick added smirking his amusement as he stood and helped River up. Not that she needed it but still, any excuse to put his hands on her, even on so innocuous a part of her as her hands. He'd seen she and Harley have rapid but intense discussions and when the two women had made their move it hadn't taken much thought on his part to back it. River and Harley had a history, he figured odds were with them.

"Figured the odds of her offering us her 'mercy' were high," River nodded. "Mind games…to manipulate a megalomaniac. Flattery and submission. Play upon her ego."

"That what that talk about Shadow was about," Waylon asked as he looked around the room. "We got a roomful of slumberin' folks."

"Wrath does that, and I'd guess more so with the two of you boosting it," Riddick shrugged. They'd wake up in a few minutes, most likely.

River addressed Waylon's first comment, "A calculated gamble, that she would be unable to resist proving the depth of her power. A chance to make her expel energy of her own volition. Conflicting with a spell of destruction. Hoped to weaken her, if not the spell, then wear her down."

"That she stopped fightin' us when she did argues she was getting tired," Riddick picked up his blades and guns from the floor while the others did the same and everyone else roused. Was time acting oddly as a result of Enchantress's spell or something else?

"Only a moment or two passes," River murmured. "Echoes of the bond, stretches time, plays with perception. Normality returns."

"Yeah," He could feel it. The other two slowly withdrawing, and as the feel of them faded the rest of the world sharpened.

Katana had 'borrowed' River's sword and held it poised over the Enchantress's heart, Harley looking on in concerned curiosity. The woman didn't have typical reactions to anything seemed like. Mal stumbled to his feet and nearly overbalanced leaning over to get his weapon. Flag and the others were hoisting themselves up, bracing against fallen masonry and he could hear the Purplebellies stirring and calling checks to each other on the outer perimeter.

Harkness took a while getting to his feet, reaching under a fallen pillar for some bit of shiny, or not, as he stood with the witch's heart in his hand.

"Let me join my brother," The Enchantress had diminished further. Tattered and dirty, tangled hair and malevolent eyes, crouched like a primate on the ground. Stone had melted around her, creating an oddly shaped divot in the pillar base, like the bottom half of a sarcophagus. But magic still rose off her skin like an oily mist tainted with shadow.

Flag held up a hand, "Katana, no!" He moved towards Digger, extending his hand for the heart, "Give me that." Riddick knew his play, hoped it would work even though the odds were against it. The Enchantress wouldn't ever give in to a mere human.

The Alliance officer held the glowing beating heart in both hands, a weird amalgamation of roots, vines and flesh. The threat seemed obvious enough, "You bring June back." Flag stared at the Enchantress, "You bring her back.

"She's not coming back," How the woman could still look down her nose at them when they'd beaten her pì gu and held her heart to prove it… Some people never learned. Crouched on the ground like a Cro-Magnon and she couldn't keep from taunting Flag.

"I'll crush this," Flag didn't want to do it. Didn't want to kill this woman, magic overlaying the face of his lover. Clear as day in his voice, ragged and anguished. "Do you hear me? You bring June back, or I'll crush this!"

"Go ahead," the Enchantress taunted. "You don't have the balls." Harley's eyes had gone huge with shock and what seemed like sorrow, while Digger and Floyd watched silently.

Mal came up behind Flag, one soldier supporting another, while Flag's face twisted with grief and his hands ground the heart to powder. He let it fall to the ground, nothing more than dust and dirt as the Enchantress fell back, just as lifeless a husk as her heart. The last of her magic rose from the dust, a glittering smoke that faded in seconds.

The rest of the Squad looked down, despite everything, the beginning with Flag's obvious disdain for them, the lies, the near death experiences every other hour, they'd understood what drove him, once he finally told them the truth. None of them were unsympathetic to his feelings, but no one knew how to express that, or if they did, were unwilling to break the solemn silence of his grief.

Flag had nearly bent in two, crushing the heart, and rose unsteadily, as if he'd aged eighty years in that thirty seconds. The soldier turned away from the sight of the dead woman, his steps slow and unsteady, coming face to face with Mal who simply nodded and stepped aside.

Riddick drew River close, pulled her back against his chest and wrapped his arm around her waist, letting his hand spread over her ribs for the comfort of feeling her breathe and the beat of her heart.

River tilted her head and Floyd, who'd been staring at the corpse like he couldn't believe it was finally over, frowned as the 'body' twitched. "Uh…Hey Flag…"

The Colonel turned, slow and pained, as if uncertain he'd heard anything and of two minds to respond if he had. His eyes closed, unwilling to see the reality of his dead lover in the body of the vanquished enemy. No one had expected to see the Enchantress move, much less raise her hands to rip at her own face, pulling muddy skin away like a torn mask and heaving a deep breath as if she'd been suffocating. Flag's eyes flew open and energy suffused him again; the expression on his face, shock, relief, joy so profound it felt near embarrassing to see something so private, "June." He seemed to sag and his last few steps towards her brought him to his knees.

His arms went around her as if he couldn't help himself, standing and holding her tight against him, while she raised her face to feet his in a desperate joyful kiss. "She's gone," Her voice had none of the sibilant overtones of the Enchantress, no echo of power in her words. Just a normal human woman in the arms of her lover. Riddick caught sight of Harley, the sorrow on her face fading as she watched the two of them, when she smiled he could see who she'd been before the Joker had created Harley Quinn.

"I thought I killed you," Flag admitted brokenly.

"I thought I killed you," She returned, clinging to him.

More kissing, not that he blamed them, he wouldn't mind a quiet room with his woman to do the same thing. But…since they were distracted… Riddick bent his head to press his mouth near River's ear, "I'm thinking a strategic retreat is in order."

"Wise decision," River agreed and caught Floyd's eye. He in turn, nudged Harley who poked Mal in the side. Mal jerked his head at Harkness and got a nod in return. Chato and Waylon had already taken several steps back, joining the others while Riddick and River turned and came face to face with Waller.

"How are you not tā mā de dead jiàn huò," Riddick shook his head. He'd heard steps behind him, an unfamiliar stride and he could be certain River had known Waller stood there. His partner had tensed minutely and he knew that meant someone not an ally at their backs.

"Like a cockroach, could survive a nuclear blast," River sneered, and Riddick saw the rest of them quietly withdraw. Great, he and River, once again, were the distraction.

"Now, now," Waller waved her little cortex with the faces of the Squad on the screen. "Let's not lose our heads."

"We just saved the 'verse," Riddick growled.

"A thank you would be nice," River added, and he could almost hear her eyebrow arching sardonically.

"Thank you," Waller returned flatly.

"You're welcome," Riddick growled. He slanted a look at River and found his woman staring at Waller with narrowed eyes.

Her voice, when she spoke, was pure Mal in cadence and expression, "This report is maybe twelve years old. Parliament buried it, and it stayed buried 'til River dug it up. This is what they feared she knew. And they were right to fear, 'cause there's a universe of folk that are gonna know it too. They're gonna see it. Somebody has to speak for these people." She paused a moment, just slightly, before continuing, "You all got on this boat for different reasons, but you all come to the same place. So now I'm asking more of you than I have before. Maybe all. 'Cause as sure as I know anything I know this: They will try again. Maybe on another world, maybe on this very ground, swept clean. A year from now, ten, they'll swing back to the belief that they can make people... better. And I do not hold to that. So no more running. I aim to misbehave."

"Is that little speech supposed to mean something to me," The Operative of Parliament's stare didn't change.

"Should," River's smile matched Waller's for chill. "My Captain's words, before we sent the Miranda Wave." Waller's expression changed minutely, and River nodded, "You'll go through all your cameras and the waves sent, and you'll see what's been done here. And being you, it'll enter your mind that what's been done can be duplicated." Riddick felt his chest vibrate in a low mean growl at the implication and his woman patted his forearm in reassurance before she continued. "I'll be watching you," She looked up at Riddick and back at Waller. "We will be watching you. And the moment you or Parliament tries something like the Pax, or the Academy or any other experimentation aimed at making people better…"

"Your life is forfeit," Riddick finished her thought with relish. "And all the firepower in the world won't be enough to stop us."

"All we need is one good day," River agreed. "And you'll be gone from this 'verse as if you've never been. I doubt anyone would mourn you."

Riddick nodded his agreement, "But don't bother with your little screen. Not like it'll do much."

"Even Richard B Riddick will die if his head is blown off," Waller clearly didn't get it, regaining her aplomb with her belief in the threat she thought she held over their heads.

"No nanite explosive," River's soft voice held more of a threat than his. "Not in any of us."

Waller rolled her eyes, "Bluffing is for poker games Miss Tam. There's no way any of you left Belle Reve without being processed. Therefore you have a nanite explosive implanted in your neck."

"You really think a zhēnde shì tiān cái like her couldn't figure a way around your security," Riddick snorted derisively.

"Belle Reve is impenetrable," Waller stuck to that belief, stubborn as a mule.

River laughed, coldly amused and she stared at Waller like she was a cockroach in truth and glanced up at him, "She forgot. Forgot that I was in close quarters with an Operative for several hours after Miranda. They made me, but Parliament has never understood what I can do, what I learn from people around me."

"Yeah, see, an Operative called River Tam brought Richard B Riddick to Belle Reve for your…collection," Riddick smirked at the newest version of an Alliance Operative in front of him.

"Belle Reve is home only to ghosts now," River agreed. "Hard to process anyone out when the guards have bled out on the ground."

Riddick took great pleasure in just how pale the black woman could get, her skin ashy with shock and fear as she realized she was within arm's reach of the most notorious killer in the 'verse. Sometimes fear just smelt so tā mā de good. "So you can keep holding that little screen like it'll do you some good. Press all the commands you want…"

"It will avail you naught," River regarded the Operative with cool disdain. "And if you do not let us pass… well…"

"I've been itching to sink my shiv into someone for the entire tiān shā de day," Riddick smirked at her. "Done our bit, saved the 'verse. You've got other things to worry about."

River nodded her agreement, "Such as how the Enchantress knew of the secret facilities and satellites." He loved the little smirk on her lips as she reminded the Operative of just how much Waller knew, that she was in the presence of a Reader, and now River knew it too.

"And just how you're going to cover all this up, doubt you could manage it completely," He began to lead River past her. "Might want to see exactly how much Doctor Moone remembers of the whole shebang."

Waller's dark face had somehow gone even paler (she looked as if she might be sick) with their implications and her eyes had immediately gone to Flag and the woman in question. GQ and Leila along with the remains of the Bravo and Alpha teams began to trickle into the atrium, passing he and River with a respectful nod. Leila winked at them as she passed and bumped into River.

His woman's wicked smile was a sight to see. Typically, when she spoke it had nothing to do with whatever Leila had passed her. Not that he minded the topic of conversation she'd chosen, "You trusted me." She looked up at him. "Trusted me to help you."

"Just like you trusted me," Riddick returned. She'd given him that gift nearly from the jump. Sparring with him, allowing him to touch, anchoring in him and ultimately believing he would be a true partner. Trust hadn't been something given to him so often that he took it for granted. Or would easily betray.

"Didn't have good experiences with psychics," She reminded him. As if he could forget. But River had nothing in common with the freaky gǒu tuǐ zi Necromongers. Her touch on his mind didn't feel like hooks pulling and tearing at his brain.

"Not much of a comparison there," He shook his head. "You ain't ever once hurt me. One of the few people who haven't."

"Could have overcome her. Seduced her. Didn't." River seemed to think that held some particular importance.

"You said no," Riddick reminded her. Well, it hadn't been a hard 'no', more like a 'not now; let's revisit the question later' sort of no. And with the job they'd had in front of them he couldn't blame her. Bad enough he got distracted by her pretty pì gu, not to mention her tā mā de gorgeous legs. Both of them distracted would end in disaster and a slam would be the best they could hope for.

"Had you made the smallest attempt to seduce me, you would have succeeded," Well if that wasn't a kick in the head. River glanced at him and half smiled, "But you didn't. You respected my wishes. Got to know me. Became my friend. Partner." The 'and maybe more now' went unspoken. At least he hoped like hell that was in her thoughts. But now that the job was done, he was gonna give that seduction a serious attempt. Her smile widened and he figured she'd picked up on that thought pretty clear. Good.

"So how're we leaving this ruttin' planet," He asked curious to hear her ideas. Given his druthers he'd steal a boat and take off, but she might have other plans. Job was done. Time to see if he'd been misleading himself with all these possessive thoughts and feelings. If he'd been reading too much into everything he'd been allowed with her. Or if she wanted the same thing he did. Seemed like she did. But he knew better than to take anything for granted.

"Meet up the Squad, select a likely ship," River's lips twitched. "Alliance boats are in disarray from the attack. Head for the docks. Easy to sneak in and liberate a ride. Wait a bit to leave so we are unnoticed. Gives everyone time to arrive."

He waited until they'd gotten out of the building before he asked, "So what did Leila pass you?"

"She's a Browncoat," River smirked. "Alliance citizen on the outside, Browncoat inside, recorded all events. Passed me the data chip. To broadcast everything that happened."

"You're gonna pull another Miranda Wave," Damn he wanted this woman. No one else, after all of the crazy they just went through, would have the presence of mind to plot under the nose of Purplebellies. Or plot and plan to expose what the Alliance would inevitably attempt to conceal.

"The Alliance will be corrected, kicking and screaming if I must, but they will be enlightened," River smiled up at him. "You like trouble…but maybe this is too much?"

"Hell, I'd be bored to tears with anyone else," Riddick grinned down at her. "Let's find a boat and get off this rock."

"Before the Purplebellies notice we have all gone," She agreed.

"Dunno, Waller and Flag seemed pretty distracted, and GQ didn't seem to care we were leaving. Mal and the others had to have walked right past them," He reminded her.

"Still best to make haste, those who have not fought with us will have no compunctions," River's voice firmed, and he couldn't help but agree.

"Well let's kick on then," Riddick grinned at her as he broke into a run. With a burst of speed she passed

him and he quickened his pace. She might be trouble but damned if he didn't like it. One thing for certain, he'd never be bored. Wouldn't be a bad life at all.

Now to get off this gorram planet. And get started on that life.

Author's Note: Okay that's it! For the aftermath of this, we go to Chapter 4 of Don't Make Any Sudden Moves. That should be posted in a week or so. Hope you all enjoyed this. I just realized; this is my first DC 'verse series!

It has been noted that Waller is the type who would definitely want to capture River and re-capture the Squad and she would also likely sanction experiments to create metas or control them. River isn't stupid (obviously) and she'd be well aware of Waller's predilections. So a stern warning and a reminder of what she and Mal had accomplished before seemed in order.

If Waller doesn't heed the warning… well… as Jayne says 'That'll be an interesting day'.

Chinese Translations:

pì gu (butt)

tā mā de (fucking)

jiàn huò (bitch)

zhēnde shì tiān cái (an absolute genius)

tiān shā de (goddamn)

gǒu tuǐ zi (dog's leg / fig. one who follows a villain / henchman / hired thug)