Prodigy into Darkness

Hullo, I'm back. Thanks to the readers, the reviewers and the followers. Got a new one here for you, Boxing Day spirit. Hope you like it.

Chapter 7

Earth Date: 2259, Location: Kronos, Time: 19:07

The rushing winds and distant sounds of technology were more than enough to confirm a Klingon patrol had intercepted the shuttle's journey to their location. Khan slung the cannon's strap over his shoulders and used his right hand to keep it uplifted whilst his left hand pushed Andrew along the rocks as they headed for suitable cover. In the area which they were situated amongst the ashes and debris, a large assortment of carved rocks stood to attention. Towards the back of the open space, besides the mounted area wall, they remained, awaiting the war that was coming. Khan crouched in a ready position, his eyes sorely focused on the shuttle which was now landing before a Klingon vessel.

The man shifted his head slightly as he watched a member of the Enterprise's crew approach a Klingon warrior. The man turned away and removed a loaded gun which he scavenged. He checked the fuel compartment before thrusting into the arms of Andrew. The boy gaped uncertainly at the weapon, never having used one in battle before, only stunners in the Academy.

'You know how to use it, I presume.' Khan spoke as he pulled the boy besides him and refocusing his attention to the unfolding scene as conversation was made between the female human and the Klingon. Dark clouds of ash blocked his vision and disabled his ability to read the conversation upon the lips of the interaction but the moment the Klingon rested upon the woman's throat, Khan stood to immediate attention and begun the battle single handily. Klingon's cried out in rage as they fought back but as if possessed, Khan strode forth and began to wipe them out. Andrew remained covered by the ruins, cradling the weapon as if it would be responsible for his own death if mistreated. A stray shot hit the rock directly above his head and stone crumbled and caved in the strength of gravity, forcing the boy away from hiding and into battle. A Klingon spied him and shot mercilessly. Andrew ducked from view but the blasts continued as they got closer with the speeding feet of the Klingon. Ships began formatting overhead and a light highlighted him amongst the grey. He knew his cover couldn't be compromised due to the lack of secrecy so he numbed the dread building in his stomach and arose from his position and became to aimlessly fire at where the infuriated Klingon was most likely to be. A single shot ran through the warriors armour and struck the native to Kronos dead.

Andrew felt the sweat grow on his palms and in the back of his mind his subconscious told him it was the blood staining his skin but adrenaline pumped through his veins at a ridiculous speed and everything seemed to slow into a single motion, whereas he was capable to move at his normal speed, unlike everyone else. He pounded forth towards an aggressive group of Klingon's who were firing on members of the Enterprise and his gun shook violently as it was overheating with the continuous usage. Andrew leapt from one broken pillar to the next at seemingly normal speed to himself but at great speed with grace to others. The gun showed no mercy as it fired. One Klingon managed to shoot the boy in the shoulder, allowing a fresh flow of blood to be released. The curled ashes and metallic residence in the air stung the wound and charred flesh but instead of subsiding the boy, he seemed to grow more passionate and wild as he raised the weapon and fired it amongst the seemingly feeble crowd.

The world seemed to be moving in slow motion again as everyone else's moves were dragged out considerably. The only being aside from Andrew who moved at a normal speeding pace was Khan on the far side, who finished off a Klingon close to taking off Spock's head. Khan looked over and his eyes watched as the boy rushed in a frenzy, killing off any Klingon he could. Andrew was so devoured by the new found thirst for blood that once he came out of his trance he saw his gun was pointing at a fallen James T. Kirk, bewilderment etched onto his face as the small nine year old held the weapon as if it was more common that breathing. Andrew snapped out of the trance and fired mercilessly at a fast approaching Klingon which fell with a shudder. The boy leapt back onto a pillar as the hot wind burnt his face and whipped away his thick dark hair which had once been neat and orderly, and now giving him a crazed expression. He surveyed the broken down desolated excuses of wasteland upon the surface of Kronos and mentally counted the fallen bodies of the Klingon's.

Upon realising there were no more enemies to slay, Andrew whipped around on the boulder to where the shuttle team of the Enterprise were huddled amongst the rocks, just as he had before. Deep within himself he felt a fire burn, but the flames were weakening as reality faded from the brightness to the grey of Kronos and the scarlet blood of the Klingon's n the corpses, on the rocks, and across his face. Below he could see Khan approaching the other human's and the Vulcan in an intimidating manner. Spock called out for the man to surrender as he was seemingly outnumbered but this didn't stop the man's stride.

'How many torpedoes?' His voice was harsh as well as demanding as he kept his weapon expertly trained on the so called 'highly trained officers'.

'Stand down!' Andrew heard Spock command as he leapt from the pillar and stepped over, the weapon he carried now useless from overheating. Andrew watched as Khan took offense to Spock's orders and shot away the weapon from the shocked Vulcan's hands.

'The torpedoes. The one's you threatened me with in your message – how many are there?' The wind was the only sound amongst the shocked crew members and the corpses of the Klingon warriors. Eventually Spock broke the silence with the straight composure of his voice.

'Seventy-two.'

The significance to the number was a mystery to Andrew when he saw the rapid attention Khan made to the number identification. The boy stood besides the silent man as the both stood before the Enterprise crew, the wind batting their hair. The adrenaline rush had now subsided and Andrew felt weak and sick, began to slightly tremble and the burnt scrape from the Klingon's firing on his shoulder was beginning to throb. The compulsive adrenaline rush the boy had used to fuel his bloodlust had simmered down and now he was nothing more than a shaking mess, visualising the blood of the murdered running over his palms.

From the howling winds, to the heavy breathing of the seemingly injured captain Kirk, all was silent as Khan mulled over his thoughts for mere seconds before throwing his weapon down at his feet.

'I surrender.' Andrew barely heard the man speak as the blood pounded in his ears. He watched Kirk pull himself up with great effort as the wind swirled and danced with its waves of heat batting his hair and face. Kirk stood as tall as his could, either ignoring or ignorant of the blood splattered on his face as he forced words to climb his throat.

'On behalf of Christopher Pike. My friend. I accept your surrender.' Kirk turned away, as if to limp back to the solitary confinement of the shuttle but surprised everyone with mustering what little strength he had within by turning sharply and landing his fist squarely on Khan's jaw. The man showed the slightest hints of mild surprise, as displayed by his eyes but he did nothing to counter Kirk's attack as the man repeatedly punched the darker haired man. The little strength Kirk had was wearing thin but it didn't stop the captain from grasping Khan's shoulders as he thrust his knee high into Khan's lower stomach. The man still held no shock or attempt to be rendered unconscious, the only effect Kirk's attack had was him being forced to take several steps back after the blow to the stomach. Andrew didn't watch, but he could hear as Kirk attempted to beat his newly found father and with every punch, the boy wished Kirk would turn on him for his ruthless killing spree – it would dampen the sickening feeling within his gut he gained every time he visualised a Klingon warrior falling to the ground, clouds of dust absorbing the blood.

Kirk was weakening fast but never gave in as he attempted to best Khan, tiredness and weakness devoured him and everyone could see potential damage possible. Uhura shouted at her captain to stop and in the midst of an approaching lightning storm, Kirk's eyes met Khan's mocking blue eyes as the man whispered sarcastically his official title.

Kirk pulled himself upright and began to walk past the man, forced to breathe the words 'Cuff him.' Kirk limped past Khan and as he travelled past Andrew, Kirk saw the boy's blood stained face highlighted in the lightning. The boy was wrecked, devoured by a thirst for blood and spat out to shiver in reality. He knew he should treat the kid as a prisoner, the same as his supposed Uncle according to Marcus, but he remembered the smiling over excited Academy student given the opportunity onboard his ship. This was not him. He used the boy's shoulder injury as an excuse not to be contained and he headed back towards the Shuttle.

Earth Date: 2259, Location: Star ship Enterprise, Time: 19:27

The shoulder had been bandaged and treated to a minimal standard aboard the shuttle, but now they had docked and Andrew was marched out into the bay right behind Khan as the strode across the floor, flanked by half a dozen guards, their wrists bounded. Many crew members watched silently as father and son were escorted to the brig, neither of them making eye contact with the crew or each other. Andrew was certain no one knew of the blood bond he shared with the man in front but he heard whispers and only then did he take note of how much like the man he looked. Khan seemed still unfazed, as if this was a daily or expected occurrence, where as the boy was visibly shaken and on the verge of sickness.

Andrew saw Kirk in the corner of his eye talking into his Comm unit, staying behind as he and Khan were escorted away.

They reached the brig and their jackets were taken and the glass barrier was activated, leaving them locked away. Khan moved to sit on the bench and stared directly ahead. Andrew clutched just below his injured shoulder and sat on the bench on the far side of the cell. He stared at the ground at his boots and wondered where he would be right now if he had made it to the Board and Care Facility the Academy had allocated him in down town San Francisco. The boy looked up from his feet and saw Khan staring at him, his face blank but his eyes clearly focused on him. The man stared for a few more seconds before rising and moving to sit besides his son on the bench.

'What you experienced was perfectly natural. We were bred specially for combat and our gene's manipulated to make us quicker, think faster and more dominate. It is natural to experience shock after a first attack. I did when I was much younger.' Andrew couldn't bear to hear the tale of his heritage and what he was capable of deep inside. He turned away and squeezed back tears. He stayed facing away from Khan until he felt the man place and hand on his injured shoulder and peel away the top of his blood stained shirt. The young boy turned to confront the man who was now peeling away the newly made bandage.

'Stop it-!' Andrew stopped when the bandage fell away and all he saw was a thick white scar which was drawn across his right shoulder blade and came to an abrupt halt at the top. There was damp blood staining the skin around the clotting scar and Andrew stared in amazement. He'd always healed fast but an injury such as this should have taken months to clot properly and to heal, but it had done it in a matter of minutes. Andrew's eyes looked up to see Khan's tracing the scar, clearly satisfied with the result.

'Good. Fast regeneration of cells is seemingly inherited. Tell me, have injuries healed this fast before?'

'I guess. I sliced my arm open in a simulator. When I went to the medical bay it had already scabbed and the doctor thought I was attention seeking.'

'Fascinating.' Khan whispered as he balled up the slightly stained bandages and placed them on the bench. Andrew pulled the shoulder of his navy shirt up and he lightly ran his finger tips over the scar. The two prisoners sat in a heavy silence for a few minutes before Khan spoke.

'What you did back there was only the beginning. If you perform as you did in proper combat I will never be prouder of you my boy.' Andrew turned away and faced outside the cell. He could see Khan's reflection watching him but he played ignorant.

Ten minutes passed until they heard the distant sound of approaching voices. The only words Andrew could make out were the words from the lips of Doctor Leonard 'Bones' McCoy. Bones, Mr. Spock and Kirk entered the brig and stepped up to their cell. Khan stood up and stood facing the two officials as Andrew remained sitting. He met eye contact with both Bones and Jim Kirk and both didn't hold their stare for long. Bones stepped up and moved the access port to the centre of the cell glass and extended the size. He looked at Khan.

'Put your arm through the hole.' Khan slowly stepped forth and obliged by rolling up his sleeve, slipped his arm through the port and allowed Bones to take a blood sample. The man didn't even cringe.

'Why aren't we moving, Captain?' Kirk watched silently as Khan retreated his arm and Bone's called Andrew over. The boy rolled up his own sleeve as Bones lowered the port to his height. The boy stuck his arm through and let the doctor inserted the medical needle into his vein, unlike Khan the boy cringed and hissed as blood was sucked up and filled the second container.

'An unexpected malfunction, perhaps? Maybe something to do with your Warp Core, conveniently stranding you on the edge of Klingon space?' Bones glanced up from Andrew's blood sample and gaped at the intense peering eyes of the man he knew as John Harrison.

'How the hell do you know that?'

'Bones...' Kirk warned his companion.

Khan smiled ever so slightly that it may have been a trick of the light. 'I believe you will find my insight valuable, captain. Do you not wish to hear what it is I have to say?' Kirk and Spock both remained silent as McCoy finished up taking Andrew's blood sample and closed the access hole.

'We good?' Kirk asked the doctor who watched Khan with tense eyes before looking down at the small carbon copy of the man before turned away with his friend.

'Yeah.' The doctor said.

'Let me know if you find any connection between them, biologically.' McCoy looked at his captain before the two prisoners.

'What the photocopy look not proof enough?' Kirk sighed through his nose.

'Yes but I think they are a lot closer related then what Marcus told me. Just let me know what you find.' Bones nodded and left the brig with the two blood samples.

Kirk and Spock looked once more at 'John Harrison' before both turning their eyes on the pleading eyes of Andrew. Spock turned and continued on, but Kirk stared a few moments longer before turning and joining his First Officer.

'Ignore him and you'll probably get everyone on this ship killed.' Kirk expected the voice to belong to the captive known as John Harrison to him, but his mind matched the voice to Andrew. He turned and looked at the boy in the cell, breathing heavily as he was the direct line of vision from Kirk, Spock and his father.

There we go, chapter 7 done and dusted. Hope you liked it. If you did, I wouldn't mind hearing your thoughts of it. Suggestions are helpful also. They help me understand what you guys want in this story. I'll see about stating the next chapter in a few days.