Oh wow, you make me blush. As always, thank you so much for your amazing support. I can't even tell you how happy your lovely comments make me. They truly are a highlight of my day.
I am greatly enjoying writing this Fanfic and will be sad to finish it, but it is getting close to being complete. I anticipate that there will be 1 to 2 more chapters after this one.
Anyway, without further ado, here is the latest chapter. Please be warned that it is a very intense chapter, angsty and violent, and that it does not have a happy ending. Many, many apologies!
Khan ran like a cheetah after its prey, long limber legs taking giant strides, nostrils flaring, blue eyes glowing. Hungry for the taste of deep red blood. The air in the holding cell had been heavy and stale and, as he ran, he found himself stretching his arms above his head and breathing deep into his lungs despite the smoke filling the air. His eyes darted to all the endless spaces, the dark nooks and crannies and twists of the ship that he could explore if he so desired. The possibilities seemed endless, the ship infinite in size after being trapped in the glass chamber for days on end. But now was not the time to let his mind wander. Now he was on the hunt to bring down the gazelle. To save his crew. So after allowing himself a small smile in appreciation for his reclaimed freedom, his mouth went tight and his eyebrows furrowed as he concentrated on the task at hand.
He turned a sharp corner and tumbled into the engine room, but halted when he witnessed the scene in front of him. The room was deserted save for two lifeless men. Their bodies lay in a pool of blood on the floor, eyes glazed, mouths peaceful. They had both been shot numerous times through the heart, ruthlessly and unnecessarily. Their arms were wrapped tightly around one another, their faces cheek to cheek. And though Khan was hungry for bloodshed, though he felt ruthless and rageful and cold, the image before him left him haunted and perturbed. He noted the dark brunette shade of hair the two victims shared, the dull green eyes that looked like carbon copies, the intimate touching, the way they seemed to have gathered comfort from each other in their final moments. They were identical twins…brothers…family. And in this scene of death…of misery…of love and peace…here Khan found himself bending down in front of the twins and softly laying his hands on each of them, taking a moment of silence to honour them. An empty pit formed in his stomach as he realized how alone he felt. Alone in his anger. Misunderstood and alienated.
Khan was so deep in reverie that he did not hear the footsteps behind him, but he was pulled out of his trance when caring arms wrapped around his shoulders and soft lips kissed his neck. He turned to see Carol looking at the slain twins with sad eyes and a stiff jaw. And while Khan wanted to feel outrage at the sight of her and at her act of affection, he found himself crumbling into her warmth instead. She was the only person who had reached out to him in so long. And even if she did not fully understand or accept his wrath, she was a constant presence. Dependable and loyal. His face fell on her shoulder and his arms wrapped around her slender waist as he succumbed to the calming way her fingers stroked his back. Then she was pulling him onto his feet and he was running with her cradled in his arms. On the hunt again.
"Get to work! We don't have all day! I need every single torpedo to be laid out in front of the holding room within the hour, is that clear?"
Alexander Marcus' voice bellowed through the room, his eyes darting from corner to corner like a hawk's, slight grin on his face as he took in the 72 massive torpedoes in front of him. He lifted his gun to the ceiling and gave two warning shots.
A young male and female dressed in identical red Starfleet uniforms were trembling in the corner of the room but jumped into action as the gun fired. "Yes…yes Admiral…perfectly clear," they stammered as they hurried towards one of the oversized torpedoes. They bent down to gingerly lift it, struggling to support its weight, sweat beading on their foreheads and backs aching miserably. Marcus crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently, an eyebrow arched.
Then there was a flurry of footsteps from the hallway. Two figures hurried into the room and, as Marcus turned, he was greeted by the beautiful golden hair of Carol and the stern blue eyes of Khan. While Carol looked determined but nervous, Khan was simply radiating with eagerness. There was a tortured glint in the superhuman's blue eyes and Marcus felt his stomach twist with panic. As Khan descended like a vulture on a carcass, Alexander lifted his gun and fired. A large bullet hit Khan in the shoulder. Khan stumbled, glancing at the blood that started leaking from his shoulder, but he continued his descent on Marcus, an intrigued smirk on his lips. Marcus fired again, hands beginning to tremble from stress. This bullet landed in Khan's ankle and, though the superhuman coughed in pain, his footsteps did not falter. Soon the two bullet wounds disappeared, replaced once more with healthy skin.
"Are you going to shoot me again and again, Admiral? You and I both know that your arm will tire before you can kill me." Khan's voice was low and boiling.
Marcus' eyes twitched in dread before his gaze fell on the torpedoes. Then, a wicked smile spread across the Admiral's face. "You may be strong, but the rest of your crew is not. Keep moving forward, son, and I will kill your precious cargo," and the gun was then turned towards the torpedoes.
Khan roared in fury and was on the Admiral in a matter of milliseconds. The superhuman's long hands found their way around the Admiral's skull and began to apply pressure. Though Marcus could not regain a steady grip on his gun, he was still able to bring it down on Khan's temple. The superhuman's grasp faltered for a second. The weapon came down on Khan's head a second time and the superhuman's vision blurred for a quick instant.
Khan heard Carol suck in her breath behind him. He assumed that Carol was horrified, that she would plead with him not to murder her father, that she would try to convince the superhuman to find another way to avenge his crew. But as Khan watched her out of the corner of his eye, he saw her pull something shiny and hard out of her robe and aim it at the Admiral.
Then there was a sharp crack and Marcus was tumbling onto the floor, crying out in shock and pain, clutching his now bloody chest with one hand. His weapon tumbled to the floor and skidded out of site.
Carol was standing rigid and furious, a small but powerful gun lifted in an unwavering hand. Her eyes flickered towards the two young people in red uniform. They were huddled behind one of the torpedoes, eyes wide. "Go," she said to them, and they were quick to obey, dashing out of the room without a second glance.
As Marcus' eyes fell on his daughter, he let out a laugh laced with agony and disbelief. "What kind of daughter would kill her own father."
Carol's eyes were hard, her voice harder still. "I lost my father when I was ten years old."
Marcus' laugh deepened and he gave her a look that was eerily akin to pride. "Maybe I was wrong about you, Carol. Maybe you were smart to go into weaponry. You have more guts than I have given you credit for."
Carol's eyes were still cold on the surface but there was a deep sadness that rumbled within their depths. "You don't know me." She swallowed hard in her throat.
Marcus watched the golden-haired woman carefully, eyes moving up and down her body, before saying, "I see myself in you."
Carol's arm dropped slightly at these words but she kept the grasp on her weapon strong. "I am not a manipulator nor am I a ruthless murderer."
The Admiral smiled before he said in a smug tone, "But you are helping a manipulator and ruthless murderer. Is that any better, Carol?"
Carol glanced up at Khan weakly, feeling her cheeks flush and her chin drop.
Marcus' smile spread. "See? You and I are not so different."
Khan watched the blood leaking out of the Admiral's chest and, though he was drowning in the euphoric realization that Carol had created this wound, the bullet hole was not enough. It would eventually kill the Admiral - blood loss - but this was not proper revenge. Marcus had to suffer the most excruciating, severe, agonizing pain possible. And it needed to be by Khan's hands.
Khan's powerful figure loomed over the Admiral's, sizing up his prey, blue eyes unblinking, unwavering, and so, so hungry. Then he pounced with a snarl. His hands were around the Admiral's head and he was squeezing, squeezing, pulling at Marcus' skull until his superhuman abdominals hurt and the seams of his shirt were coming apart. He was pushing so hard against Marcus' skull that the Admiral could not even scream, could only look at the superhuman with terrified, childlike eyes. Khan felt the bones in Marcus' head begin to disintegrate. Then the superhuman leaned forward, eyes electric, face deranged, teeth gnashing before he whispered, "You should have let me sleep." A tremble of terror shivered down Marcus' back before the bones in his neck snapped and disintegrated with a sickening crunch. As the Admiral's eyes sunk into black holes of nothingness, Khan slumped over the corpse, breathless and aching and feeling slightly disappointed, realizing that there was no death horrifying enough to be the just revenge that he had wanted the Admiral to endure.
It was then Khan realized that Carol was screaming. It was a scream seeped with shock and terror, and Khan wondered if it was for her father. But when he turned to look, her eyes were on the hallway.
"Khan! Get down!" he realized she was yelling. She dropped to her knees and shielded herself with her arms.
Then there was a deafening series of cracks, bullets plummeting like a rainstorm, and Khan was gushing blood from his throat, stumbling towards the torpedoes with a cry. Carol saw the 72 torpedoes erupt in flames and Khan crumble into a ball, a gut-wrenching, earth-shattering, hysterical, manic, insane, other-worldly moan igniting from his soul. She was crawling towards his wailing form before she fully understood what had happened. All she knew was Khan needed her in that moment. And she was so close, hand reaching for his shoulder, heart aching. But there was an explosion and Carol was thrown backwards as the world in front of her became engulfed in fire.