Author's Note: And we get to the events of Into Darkness...

Harry approached Spock determinedly. The Vulcan's eyebrow quirked. "I should be the one in the volcano," he stated.

"Are you placing yourself in danger in my stead?"

"Well, yes, but there's something you don't know about me and my past Spock." The Vulcan's eyebrow quirked again. "My luck." The second rose. "I've been in numerous dangerous situations, but I've always come out of them – even when it seemed impossible. Let me do it, please."

"Very well. Prepare yourself."

Harry met Jim as he made his way down the corridor. "Hey," the blonde greeted warmly. "Any advice?"

"Don't stun it."

"Okay."

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"You are one lucky SOB, you know that?" Jim retorted as Harry stepped off of the shuttle.

"I have been told that, though not quite in that phrasing," he added.

"You know that wasn't a slur against your mother, right?"

"Yes Jim," he replied with a grin, "you wouldn't do that."

"Did I hear right that the tether was too short?"

He hummed in agreement. "I unclipped it," he stated with a casual shrug. Jim opened his mouth. "It was only a matter of getting high enough to grab it so they could pull me back up."

"Get Bones to check you over."

"Will do." He locked gazes with the blonde. "You might want to make sure your reports match up."

"Thanks."

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Harry approached Khan determinedly. "It won't work the way you think," he stated.

"I have no idea to what you are referring," he replied with a dismissive glance.

"Your plan will backfire," he hastened to say before his companion could leave. Khan let a huff of breath out through his nose and turned. "They aren't dead!" he spoke in desperation. Khan spun back to face him. "And Marcus would think it a perfect solution to have you taken out by your own torpedoes," he continued with distaste.

"You do not work for Marcus, and your clearance is not high enough to access his projects," he stated. "How do you know this?"

Harry's expression turned rueful. "The explanation is outside your world view."

"I sense a kindred spirit…one who does not match with the current mindset," he drawled.

"You'll think what you want, no matter what I say."

"That is true," he drawled. "It is also true, that if my crew is alive, he would use them against me if he could. What would you suggest?"

"Work with me to expose him," he spoke fervently. "It might not be as satisfying as wreaking your vengeance, but wouldn't you sooner have the safety of your crew?"

"I would," he acknowledged. "Very well."

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Harry hovered outside the door to an office. It opened and Jim and Spock stepped out. "Hey," Jim greeted. "Were you worried?" Harry's expression turned sheepish. Jim lowered his voice, "Don't worry, just a slap on the wrist."

"That's good," Harry murmured.

"I'm sorry, but I've got things I need to do," he spoke apologetically.

"That's okay, I completely understand." He waved goodbye to the pair. Once they were out of sight, he knocked on Pike's door.

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Harry stood beside Khan, rows of Cryochambers lined up around them. "They are all here," Khan stated.

"And you'll soon be joining them."

"Thank you." Harry inclined his head. "Why did you truly help me?"

"No matter what you've done, they didn't deserve to die."

"My actions would not have caused their deaths," he drawled with a knowing smirk. "I would have surrendered the moment I found out about the torpedoes."

"They why did you listen to me?" he asked curiously.

"You caught my interest," he answered honestly. "And if it did not work, I could fall back on my plan." He regarded the slighter brunet for a moment. "Satisfy my curiosity before I sleep, how did you know about Marcus?"

Harry leant close and lowered his voice, ensuring the cameras wouldn't catch his words. "I dreamt it."

"Ah," he murmured as Harry withdrew. His hands went to his neck and untied a chain. He slipped the metallic pendant from under his top and held it out to Harry. "I think you will need this," he stated holding it out.

Harry took it, looking it over curiously. "Can I get this tested without destroying it?"

"It is not dangerous," he drawled.

"Oh I know."

"Then yes. Why?"

"Because I'll need to."

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Pike stood behind a podium, facing rows of Starfleet officers in their dress uniforms. "This is a sad day for Starfleet, to know that one of our own lost his way so thoroughly," he stated sombrely. "But we can take hope from the fact it was also one of our own that brought his actions to light." Harry braced himself from his space in the front row. "Harry Black," he announced, holding out an inviting hand to the brunet. Harry ensured his expression was blank as he stepped onto the platform – he really wished he'd been able to talk Pike out of this.

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"Jim!" Harry called as he ran after the blonde.

There was a slight hesitation before he waited for the brunet to catch up to him. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I couldn't-" Jim let out an annoyed huff of breath. "Please don't be mad at me," he spoke softly.

Jim took a deep breath and met his gaze squarely. "I am not mad," he stated. "I just need to understand."

"The fewer people that knew, the smaller the number of variables, and the less things that could go wrong. I know you Jim, if I would have told you, you would have insisted on helping-" he cut off at the blonde's expression.

"I need to process," he stated as he spun.

Harry blew out a breath and slumped against the wall as he watched Jim storm off. He knocked his head against the wall gently. "I know you're there Spock," he sighed. "You way as well come out."

"I was going to give you a few minutes to compose yourself," he remarked as he approached.

"In case you haven't realised, I prefer to face things head on."

"There is more to your motivation than what you told Jim, is there not?"

He nodded slowly. "I normally have a rule about not letting people into my mind, but in this case, I need to make an exception," he spoke slowly. "You can access a specific memory, right?"

"Bring that memory to the forefront of your thoughts," he advised. Harry closed his eyes and focussed. Spock made the connection.

As the Vulcan broke the connection, he let out a shuddering breath. "You knowingly risked your friendship with Jim by not telling him, in order to save him."

"He would have survived," he stated.

"We both know that failing the crew in such a fashion would break something within him," the Vulcan stated.

Harry inclined his head. "I'll leave it to you to decide whether to share this with Jim or not, but Spock, no one else please."

"Understood." Spock patched his communicator to Jim.

'I'm in the middle of something Spock.'

"Have you been imbibing?"

'I was just about to start.'

"Please refrain from doing so, until we have had our meeting," he requested.

'Any particular reason?'

"I have an important matter to discuss with you, and it will be better if your thought processes are coherent."

'All right.'