Waiting.
Waiting was like the cruelest form of torture.
Erica was now in San Francisco, the place where she had been born and raised and where she nearly died months before. She wasn't sure how she would feel about returning here, especially if she was supposedly being looked for by Admiral Marcus and she would be staying alone at the hotel. Ever since her father's murder, Khan had been by her side the entire time. Now here she was in her hotel room all alone while Khan had stayed behind in London to carry out his plans for the bombing of the Kelvin Memorial Archive. There had been no issue getting from London to California, nor was there any issue checking in under the fake name Khan had established for her when he reserved everything. The only issue she had was what was going on within her mind and heart.
Being away from her lover was horrible. She had become so used to being with Khan almost at all times, now to be alone and having to survive without him for a little over twenty-four hours was a bit strange. While she was absolutely capable of doing it, she couldn't help but feel an immense amount of nervousness for Khan. He was planning to level an entire building in order to initiate the beginning stages of their plan for revenge. Things could easily go wrong, and she did not want to be alone in this world without him, no matter how strong she had become thanks to him. Her heart had accepted Khan and never wanted to let go of her feelings for him. For years she had been unwilling to surrender her heart to any man, although there were plenty who had been interested in her. For all the wrong reasons. Khan never pursued her and he loved her for all she was, even her strong independent side, which other men ignored. He also offered her more than anyone else ever had, he trained her to be stronger, he had saved her life, and if they survived this whole ordeal they would be able to remain together.
Instead of curling up in a ball and becoming a sobbing mess the entire time, Erica spent her time wisely by doing her exercises and trying to keep her mind off of it all. Khan would want her to keep her mind focused on what they would have to do. Even though there was a very strong bolt and chain on the door to the room, she took no chances when it came to her safety. Erica had taken the two daggers which Khan had given her when she went to California and left one of them concealed by the side of the bed where she slept, keeping herself armed incase of an intruder. At this point she could trust no one except Khan.
The first day and night were just fine and she managed to get all the sleep she needed. In the morning she had breakfast before returning to her room and working on her exercises. That night was the long awaited night when she and Khan would be making their attack at Starfleet Headquarters. At that point it was still nighttime in London, and he intended for the bombing to occur in the morning. There were plenty of hours to wait before word would inevitably get out and spread. And for those hours she would have no contact with Khan, wanting to keep anyone from tracing them as much as possible.
Hours passed, edging toward the late afternoon/evening hours in San Francisco. As Erica was finishing up her exercises and was just relaxing, news finally broke on the television about the bombing. She watched as the footage was played, showing what was seen of the bombing and the aftermath. For a split second shock ran through her bloodstream, amazed at how large it had been. Khan had made good on his word that it would be a very big event, and this would absolutely get the attention of Starfleet.
It had begun.
Finally she shut the television off and began getting dressed in her black pants, knee high black boots, black tank top and black leather jacket which hugged her torso perfectly. Khan had told her that he would meet her at a specific location prior to the attack on Starfleet where he would give her last minute instructions. Erica was aware that she would have to enter Headquarters on her own, so she wanted to look a bit unrecognizable even though there were very few people who probably would especially since she had been in hiding for months. Erica had purchased a few makeup items before going to the hotel when she arrived, eyeliner and a couple other things. Never had she worn makeup when she was working for Starfleet, then again she was a pretty flawless beauty who never really needed to wear it. But this time she wanted to try and blend in with other women who did. No one would ever suspect that she would wear makeup. She applied the black eyeliner and a smoky grey eyeshadow. It was very weird seeing herself this way when she looked in the mirror, but hopefully it would throw people off. And since she knew she would be fighting, she braided her long brunette hair before twisting it all into a bun and pinning it into place, not wanting her hair to be a distraction.
When she was ready she checked out of the hotel and began walking towards the address where she and Khan planned to rendezvous. She knew the streets of San Francisco very well, so getting to this place he wanted them to meet was not an issue for her. As she recalled it was an abandoned warehouse not far from Starfleet Headquarters, perfect place for them to meet up. Erica carried her duffel bag, inside which were her two daggers which Khan gave her, as of that moment she was only armed with her switchblade incase anyone tried to harm her. Soon she would be properly armed for what they would be doing.
Upon arriving at the location, the area was indeed abandoned. Dark shadows crawled up the walls and across the floor as she walked inside. It was eerily silent, despite the fact that she was in the middle of one of the busiest cities in the state. All of the sounds of traffic had been left outside when the door closed behind her. Faintly the sounds of her heels hitting the concrete floor emitted through the silence as she walked further into the building, her keen eyes searching through the shadows for her lover. Erica had arrived right at the exact moment they had agreed upon, knowing how Khan preferred to be punctual. When she was in the center of the warehouse, Erica stopped but still looked through her surroundings for him.
"Khan," she called softly.
No response. Erica listened carefully, her eyes still looking around her, looking for any sign of him being there. Without warning, she felt a warm breath flow across her neck causing her to freeze in place. The second that a hand touched her right shoulder, her left hand dropped her duffel and sprang towards her right shoulder grabbing the wrist of the hand which touched her, holding it in a tight grip as she spun around to face whomever it was. Although she had been sure that it was Khan, she could not assume it to be so and had to be sure. Turned out to be that her gut feeling was correct when she found herself facing her lover, her hand tightly gripping his wrist. In response Khan smiled.
"It is wonderful to see that you are prepared for tonight, my dear," he murmured.
Erica then realized that he had been intentionally doing this to test her, to see if she was really on her guard and ready for a fight. She had passed his test. Her lips curled into a smile as she released his wrist.
"It's so wonderful to see you again, Khan," she replied.
Khan raised his hand toward her cheek, his knuckles softly stroking her fair skin. His eyes looked deeply into her own.
"What have you done to your eyes?" he asked.
She smiled more. "You noticed. No one at Starfleet ever saw me wear makeup, I figured I might be able to throw everyone off by attempting to blend in a bit more with the other women there. You could also consider it my war paint, as we are going into a very big fight."
At her response his lips curled into a very pleased smile. Secretly he loved the way the dark makeup made her gorgeous emerald eyes seem to pop out a bit more, accentuating the color in a brilliant way.
"Well, aren't you the clever little raven. And a beautiful fighter you are, I know you will do exceptionally well tonight," he said before taking hold of her chin and leaning in and kissing her.
Erica sighed a bit into the kiss, having missed his kiss and his touch even though they had only been apart for a short period of time. She knew that she loved him and they were meant to be together, no other man could possibly have the same effect on her that Khan had. And no one could offer her more than what he had either.
"Now my darling, it's time for us to initiate the next phase of our plans," he declared.
She nodded. "I am ready, my love."
Khan took her hand and led her to another area of the warehouse where he had stored everything they needed for that fateful night. He presented her with a Starfleet uniform for her to wear as she entered the headquarters building, adding to her attempt to blend in. He also gave her two phasers for her to use at range if necessary and a specially designed belt for her to hold them along with those daggers she already had. Finally he gave her a small earpiece which hooked over the shell of her ear in a way which it would be perfectly concealed. Through this device he could give her any commands, telling her when to enter the fight, and when she should move to another side of the room, and when she should prepare for them to be transported from Starfleet and Earth to Kronos. Erica appreciated this piece in particular, knowing she would be in a fight with so many phasers and guns going off and he would be able to further ensure her safety, even though she was confident that she would be able to manage. It showed how much he cared about her.
"Alright, now is the part when I must ask you to head on over to Starfleet. Their meeting will be commencing soon and I want you to be there and ready for when I begin the attack. I will tell you when it is safe to enter the room and begin your assault."
Erica nodded before she threw her arms around Khan and kissed him deeply. "Please be careful."
Khan smiled against her lips as he embraced her in return. "Fret not, Erica. I will be fine, just take care of yourself. We will succeed."
Nodding once more, reluctantly she slipped out of his embrace and he left her standing in the limited amount of light coming through the windows of the warehouse as he retreated into the darkness once more. Erica quickly changed into the uniform which Khan had given her so she could get inside without drawing any attention to herself. She intended to get to the floor right beneath the conference room and change back into her other outfit in the women's restroom before getting to the room in time for the attack. She would not take long.
When she was ready, Erica left the warehouse and began making her way to Starfleet Headquarters. Being back on the premises was a very strange thing, here she was a former Starfleet member who now was about to commit an act of treason to the federation which she and her father once served. But she didn't care. The closer she got to the building the more her blood began to boil at the thought that Admiral Marcus would be in the very room where she was heading to. The bastard was so close, and she and Khan would be ensuring that he would die for the crimes he had committed. Khan's crew and her father would be avenged that night.
Stepping inside the familiar building, Erica passed all of the other officers and members of the federation with ease. Her eyes never strayed around her, they remained straight forward and focused on getting to where she needed to get to. No one called out her name or seemed to recognize her. Good. It was as if she was more of a ghost slipping through all of the people she passed. Getting on the elevator by herself she rode it to the floor which was right below the conference room. Once she arrived she immediately walked down the hallway into the restroom and quickly slipping on her leather jacket, a pair of leather gloves and the belt and her weapons Khan had given her. Stuffing the uniform in her duffel, she glanced in the mirror once. The look on her face spoke of anger and fury, exactly what she felt at that time. Something very dark within her was just waiting, begging to be unleashed and to bring down every single one of the people who would be in that conference room, especially Marcus.
Erica left the restroom and made way for the staircase leading up to the next floor, avoiding the elevator completely. When she was on that floor, Erica cautiously walked to the room where she heard a familiar voice speaking, one which made her blood boil more so. Marcus. The meeting was already underway. As she approached, ensuring that no one else was around to see her, Erica listened to what he was saying and waiting patiently for Khan to say something through that earpiece she wore. Marcus was telling everyone present about 'John Harrison', which made Erica's eyes narrow. Oh how well he spun his lies, like a deadly, cunning spider within his web. Her concealed hands gently took hold of the handles of her two daggers as she hid behind a wall and continued to listen and wait.
Soon Marcus' voice was replaced by another one which she recognized, one which sent awful shivers down her spine because this man irritated her so. James Kirk, Captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise. She knew of his reputation, a reckless man who also was quite well known with several women in Starfleet. Erica once had been approached by Kirk, an encounter which she rolled her eyes at the thought of. Unlike some girls who were easily swooned by him, Erica had none of that nonsense. No she had made him retreat with quite a stunned, somewhat intimidated look on his face after what she had done in response to his advance. Listening Erica noticed how Kirk questioned why 'Harrison' would have blown up the archive and his idea that it was only the beginning. Erica found it amusing that he was actually intelligent enough to notice that, and how right he was that the archive was only the beginning. He too would soon realize the truth in those words he said.
Prepare yourself, Erica.
Hearing Khan's unmistakable deep voice traveling through her ear and registering in her mind, she no longer listened to the conversation in the room. With her blades in hand, Erica exhaled once and waited for him to begin the attack and for his command for her to join the fight. Soon she noticed a red light come down and into the room, a loud buzzing noise from outside. Erica smiled to herself as she knew that Khan had arrived in the jumpship he had commandeered, also evident by how silent everyone in the room had become. Just as Kirk had called out for everyone to get out of the room, an explosion of glass and gunfire erupted. For a few moments Erica listened as Khan continued to shoot into the room, taking down any officers he could. She never flinched at the loud sounds of gunfire.
Your turn my raven, and ensure those security officers are taken down as well.
Gripping her blades tightly Erica exhaled one last time before she leapt from her hiding spot and ran into the room. Her emerald eyes immediately focused on a few security officers who had entered the room and began shooting at Khan's ship. Like a fierce predator she sprinted toward them, pouncing upon them and slaying them with fatal lacerations. From there, Erica turned her attention to the rest of the room, her keen eyes quickly identifying which officers were already down and which ones were trying to get away as Khan continued to fire upon them.
Erica immediately sprang into action and went for the ones who were trying to escape, she could end the wounded officers later if necessary. In her mind, the attack seemed to pass slowly as if time itself had slowed down a little, while in reality her moves and attacks were incredibly swift. She could almost see every blast from the guns which Khan fired as they entered the room, allowing her to duck and avoid them as necessary even though he took careful aim as to not hit anywhere near where she was. Her heart was pounding as adrenaline pumped into her bloodstream, her pupils had dilated to their maximum capacity almost trying to extinguish the emerald fire blazing in her eyes. Never had she felt more alive or focused in a fight before. The fact that her senses were so heightened and she was so focused, it was a feeling unlike any other. Khan had indeed trained her well.
Vaulting onto the table and crossing it to the other side of the room, Erica set her sights on a few officers who were trying to get away and the two security members who were trying to shoot down Khan's ship. Her sharp blades slashed fatal wounds into the officers bodies, leaving them to bleed on the floor and suffer as they died. Erica then stabbed one of the security personnel in the back, twisting the blade to add to the pain and agony. The other tried to grab hold of Erica from behind where she stood, but quick as lightning she grabbed his arm, flipped him over her shoulder and onto the floor where he landed hard on his back. Ignoring his cry of pain, she plunged her dagger into his heart before yanking the blade back out again and moving to another part of the room to continue the attack.
Moments later after she had taken down more security personnel and officers, Erica heard an awful sound come from outside where Khan's ship was. It sounded like the engine had completely blown. Turning fast toward the window she saw smoke coming out from the back end of the ship. Her eyes widened at the sight as his ship began to spin and lose control. Something had indeed gone wrong.
Get away from the fight, Erica. We're leaving.
Erica immediately ran out of the conference room into the hallway so Khan had a better ability to beam her away from where she stood as planned. She stopped suddenly when she noticed someone standing there near another broken window. Kirk. Her eyes met with his for a few moments, Kirk seemed to look at her questioningly as if trying to recognize her, clearly not understanding who she was, but the blood coated daggers in her hands made his eyes widen a bit as he began to understand that she was a part of this attack. Erica just glared back at him, one eerily close to the one Khan had given him just a moment before, as bright light began to swirl around her as she was transported away from the room and the carnage within it.
Seconds later Erica's eyes no longer recognized her surroundings. Before her lay a vast world seemingly in ruin. It was dark and very menacing in appearance. Swallowing a bit, she remembered what this place was. Kronos, the planet upon which the Klingons lived. Erica slipped her blades into the belt as she turned and found Khan there beside her. Everything had indeed gone according to plan, they were now far, far away from Earth and Starfleet, but she had a terrible feeling that it would not be that way for very long.
Hey everyone! For once I was able to manage getting this update done without having to make all of you wait nearly two weeks! I hope this chapter was a good one. Thank you to everyone who commented, I always love hearing your feedback! And thank you to everyone who favorited and followed this story, I really appreciate it! :)