He woke in a small chamber, with his hands folded carefully over his midsection, as if he had been buried. It was cold in the little casket, a strange type of cold. After shaking off the last of his daze, Loki summoned his godly might and forced the chamber lid open. He sat up and looked around. It seemed Earthly, yet not of the time he remembered Midgard to be; he couldn't place it. 'They have...advanced', he thought. Suddenly, memories raced back to him; fighting his brother, the All-father's final disapproval...his decent into the wormhole. Had he not only traveled through realms, but also through time? Shaking his thoughts away, he threw himself over the edge of the casket, but dizziness hit him, and he caught himself on the nearest surface.

The sound of locks unhinging and a faint release of air came from the casket he caught himself on. Rearing back, Loki observed the lid open; a human-like figure remerged just as he did, slowly. It did not speak, it only sat, staring at its hands flexing open and close.

"Who are you? Are you of Earth?" Loki cautiously straitened. The figure remained fixated on its hands, until finally,

The being's voice was deep, "What is...the star-date?"

Puzzled Loki stared at him until blinding lights and deafening sirens pulled him from his inquiry. The figure jumped from his casket and without any regards for the god he bolted down the long corridor and around the corner. Loki chased after him, not of fear but out of curiosity. When he too rounded the corner he came within full contact with the backside of the figure, who merely shot Loki a look, and returned to watching the uniformed men pass them.

"Those are Midgardians," Loki whispered.

"Silence," whispered the man. They remained there a moment longer until the being silently excused himself from company again and dashed for the door. He held it open with his hand, and in a split second decision he gave Loki a short beckoning wave. The god followed without hesitation, and continued to do so until they reached a room filled with large pipes and dials. The two sat behind a large tank in near silence as the sounds of liquids, valves, and footsteps echoed around them.

"The star-date," said the figure once more.

"I know not what you speak of," Loki said quietly. They both looked at each other, observing the differences in their appearances, in particular, their garb. "Who are you?" Loki finally spoke, "What is this place?"

"I will tell you everything you need to know once we escape," the being told him curtly. Moments passed and they didn't speak again until the being had lead them to a small cramped space, a vessel of some kind. After sitting in an oddly fashioned chair and adjusting things here and there, the vessel shook and slowly reared itself out of the portal. Loki looked in amazement outside of the vessel's windows, observing not only stars and distant galaxies, but also the large object they had emerged from. It was not like anything he had seen before, but if he had to come to a conclusion, then it was some sort of ship.

"I suggest that you brace yourself." Without further warning, the being thrust a lever forward and the vessel sped off at a speed that was unmatched in Loki's experience.

"Captain they went into warp!"

"Well after them then!"

"O-our engines are failing sir!"

The captain sighed. Of course, the humanoid was a genius! He wouldn't dare stay and take on a Federation Starship in something as little as its own escape pod, and surely he rewired the vessel's system by now so that the Starship had no control; it didn't even show up on their systems

"The fucking bastard got away," the captain said calmly. "We let the most dangerous super being get away."

They were a safe distance away now. The being had stood from its chair and the vessel carried itself on a seemingly guided course through space. He didn't speak or look at the god; it merely stood and stared into the stars, thinking. Again, Loki broke the silence.

"I ask again, who are you?"

"Computer, star-date," commanded the being, completely ignoring Loki's inquiries.

"2270, Captain".

The being twitched slightly, and yet without skipping a beat he spun on his heel and slammed Loki against the wall of the vessel. The god's armor clanged against the pod's interior.

"You are not of Earth creature," the being spat. His sudden rage confused Loki so much, but the god kept an angry look on his face nevertheless. "And it seems you aren't of this time as well. You serve no purpose to me." His grip tightened around Loki's neck, causing Loki to grit his teeth harder.

"Heh heh…fool," Loki spat. He looked with a grin over the being's shoulder, where his true self stood. The being followed his gaze, seeing Loki with his hands crossed behind his back, snickering. His duplicate faded away as the being released its grip. "Now, will you hear me? I ask innocent questions…"

The being pressed his lips together, and then spoke firmly. "It has been about ten years since my plans to reunite with my crew have been foiled. They must have been taking my body to be stored with them, until you woke me!" The being's finger pointed accusingly at Loki, but noticed a small mark on the inside of his wrist. Pulling his sleeve back, he revealed dozens of marks just like it, as if he had been pricked with surgical needles. The rage grew within him, he knew now what had become of his body and possibly the bodies of the rest of his crew. His hands balled into fists as he stated. "I will find my crew, and seek revenge,

"I…am Khan!"