Twenty Seven

Memories of the Kelvin attack came rushing back the moment Nero introduced himself. She could picture his face clearly on the viewing screen when he addressed the previous Captain of that ship. What bothered her the most was the fact that the attack came from nowhere. His face was forever etched within her memories in the form of nightmares she would suffer from. She would often wake from a nightmare when she was younger, and it took some coaxing from McCoy for him to understand where the nightmares came from. Now that said nightmare had finally become a reality, she wasn't sure what to make of the situation.

She was suddenly grateful for the training SHIELD had given her when it came to torture. Every field agent was trained in how to handle various methods of torture through simulation programs. No one expected to experience what really happened if they were captured by the enemy. When Emily went through that experience during her disappearance, she used whatever training she could to endure the torture.

She was more concerned about what would happen to McCoy if he could feel whatever she was feeling in that moment.

She knew the bond between them was strong enough for him to feel whatever pain she went through. She could feel his emotions threatening to overwhelm her own. He was angry with Captain Pike for dragging her along with him. He was angry with Kirk for throwing her under the bus during his own trial. More importantly though, he was worried over whether or not she and Pike would survive.

Emily swallowed hard as she and Pike were led to a room where they were interrogated. She recognized the tactics from some of the simulations that were used at SHIELD. Two captives meant they were more likely to get the answers they needed. By keeping them apart the Romulans could use fear as a way of gaining information on the Federation or whatever it was they sought.

"It has been a long time since I have seen your face in person," Nero remarked when she and Pike were strapped to metal slabs. A shiver swept through her as memories of her time in the warehouse suddenly came rushing back. Though that was an entirely different situation, this brought back painful memories of her time spent there. "The last time I saw your face was when you and Ambassador Spock convinced my people that they would be saved. How foolish we were to believe you."

Her eyes narrowed when she realized what he was implying. Spock was hardly an Ambassador. Though he earned his title as a commanding officer, she couldn't imagine him playing the diplomat. Hell, she couldn't picture herself in that position.

"I'm not sure what the hell you're talking about, but the last time I saw you was when I was aboard the USS Kelvin," she snapped. Nero glared at her the moment she brought up that uncomfortable topic. "I remember seeing you destroy countless lives all over something that hasn't happened."

"Yes... I remember seeing your face on the bridge as well," Nero said after giving one of his men a nod. Her body tensed the moment she felt the edge of a blade press against her neck. "I should have ordered you to come along with the Captain at the time... it would have saved me the mess we're in now."

"And what good would that have done?"

Her teeth ground together when the blade broke through skin. Nero seemed to delight in the pain that followed.

"In my time, you convinced my people not to go to war over the loss of their planet," Nero explained. Emily refused to wither under that piercing stare. She could hear Pike in the background struggling against his restraints, though she wasn't aware of where he was placed. Nero seemed more focused on herself at the moment, and she wasn't sure if that was a good thing for Pike's sake or not. "What fools they were for believing such lies... Because of you and Ambassador Spock, they allowed you to find a peaceful solution that would benefit the galaxy. Instead, their decision ended in the destruction of Romulus."

It only took a split second for her to register what he meant by that. Her mind was reeling over the fact that nothing happened to Romulus. She knew there was something else going on the moment Nero tried using that as a scapegoat.

"These blades are coated with a nero-toxin that would kill a human within hours," he went on after one of his men left a thin cut along her neck. It was thin enough that the bleeding wouldn't kill her. "I am well aware of the fact that you can survive longer than that, but only just. If you are willing to share important information about Starfleet, then I may be kind enough to finish the job or offer an antidote. Otherwise you will suffer a long and painful death."

Death would be a kind way to end this madness, a small voice told her.

Her heart sank at the thought of what would happen if she gave up. The last thing she wanted was to feel selfish and think of whether or not anyone would miss her. Truthfully she doubted anyone other than McCoy would actually notice she was gone. She swallowed hard at the thought, knowing full-well that wasn't true. She knew Tony and Clint would give her hell if she gave up that easily. After everything they had been through together, the she couldn't let this be her final battle.

"I've been through worse," she muttered crossly. At least that much was true. She had been on the verge of death on more than one occasion. She rarely told McCoy about the many times she woke up in the ICU, only for the doctors to explain what led to said mess. She knew he wouldn't be happy with that information, especially since it was around the time when he married Pamela. "I'm not going to tell you anything, so you can save your resources from someone who's a bit less inclined in sharing such information."

Nero narrowed his eyes with fury. Experience had taught her how to get under his skin, along with anyone else. She knew pissing him off would make his thoughts muddle up. And maybe that would make him vulnerable. Anything was better than allowing him to get away with murdering more innocent lives.

"How pathetic," he sneered. "Even where I am from, you are still the same. Always selfless and willing to give your life for humans who could care less."

It isn't about making sacrifices and playing the hero card.

Emily nearly rolled her eyes when she remembered Tony mentioning something like that. At the time, she wondered if that was just his crazy drunken self trying to distract her from work. Now, she understood what he meant by that.

She wasn't just refusing to tell Nero simply because it was the right thing to do. Hell, she could care less if anyone bothered searching for her when this was over. The last thing she planned on doing was giving them the satisfaction they longed for. Nero would forever remain frustrated with the fact that she refused to speak.

When she didn't dare open her mouth and spit something in response, Nero's hand gripped her jaw harder. She winced at the sudden pain flaring through her like a bolt of lightning. Emily had to remind herself that the pain was only temporary. It wouldn't last forever, and Nero would find something else to occupy his time.

"I am far from finished with you, Liaison," he finally snapped after wrenching his hand away in disgust. "You will tell me everything you know about Starfleet. Planet Vulcan is gone, and soon the rest of the Federation will follow."

Her heart nearly skipped a beat at the mention of Planet Vulcan. She knew that Nero was capable of causing destruction and chaos throughout the galaxy. She couldn't imagine a worse fate than losing an entire planet. A shiver of rage swept through her when she glared coldly at Nero.

"What gives you the damn right to destroy an entire planet full of innocent people?" she demanded.

"They are hardly innocent!" Nero fired back without hesitation. "Because of Spock, I lost my entire planet... my wife and my child suffered a tragedy that will be repeated ten times over when I'm finished!"

It took a few seconds for his words to sink in. Emily glared back as she realized just how insane his plan was. Romulus was still around. She'd seen the planet for herself multiple times when the Atlantis did its rounds. Something about the way Nero spoke was off, and she didn't like it one bit.

The worst part was hearing how desperate he was to take down any planet that opposed him. She had a feeling that if Nero had his way with the Federation, any planet that held a tie with Spock would suffer the consequences. Unease crawled through her at the thought. She found herself wondering if there would have been a different outcome if the agency was allowed to interfere.

He's going to rip apart half of the galaxy in his quest for revenge, she thought angrily.

"Spock did nothing wrong, and Romulus is still around," she retorted with a roll of her eyes. "You've obviously gone mad over the last twenty years."

Then again, she could only imagine what twenty years would have done to someone who looked as if they hadn't aged a bit. Emily narrowed her eyes at the thought. Nero hadn't aged a bit since the Kelvin incident. She was suddenly aware of the fact that while Romulans aged differently from humans, there was something almost off about Nero. Between that and him seeming to know where she came from and her history, she knew that something was wrong.

"I watched it happen with my own eyes!" Hatred filled Nero's eyes as he paced back and forth. "Where were you when the planet was destroyed by a super nova? Where were you when the Vulcans promised to save our planet, only to let it fall?" Here, he paused to let this information sink in. Emily swallowed hard as she felt his piercing glare bore through her. "Where I am from, you were a well-respected Officer who looked after other planets, seeking ulterior options."

"That's no excuse to attack an entire planet!" she fired back with equal hate. She tried pushing back the sudden unease that swept through her when she realized what this man was talking about. There had been numerous theories about alternate universes. And she was only just beginning to realize that maybe that theory was true. "Everyone loses the people they care about! What you're trying to accomplish is never going to satisfy you!"

Nero didn't bother answering this time. Pike just stared at her in disbelief when he realized that she made a valid point. As much as he hated to admit it, people lost someone they cared about in their life all the time. It was more than just a matter of cold reality crashing over them. She'd experienced loss time and time again. It was a painful reminder of just how short life really was. And it was also another reminder that she hadn't lived her life to the fullest.

He had been watching their exchange from the table he was strapped to with an expression that told her he was thoroughly impressed. She nearly rolled her eyes as she wondered if he'd expected her to fire back at Nero like that. After what the asshole had done, he deserved more than just an earful of words as punishment.

"I am not going to argue with someone who can't even figure out the truth," Nero spat. He gestured for one of his men to step forward. A shiver swept through Emily when she noticed the blade in one hand, and the sly grin that spread across the Romulan's face. "It's time you learned your place in this world. You will be given a mark that explains your very existence."

Before Emily could make sense of what he meant by that, the Romulan lifted the dagger he was holding. She hardly had time to register what happened next when he began digging painfully into her skin. Pain surged through her within that moment, causing her pulse to spike. The room around them began to shift violently as her powers spiraled out of control. The Romulan's blade had reached the tip of her chest, where he left a violent, angry looking mark.

Nothing could have prepared Emily for the wild surge of energy pulsating through her body. Her teeth ground together as she bit back the urge to scream in agony. Everything suddenly felt as if it was on fire. Nero stood back with a cruel smirk of satisfaction as he watched her writhe on the exam table. Not even the humans could heal the injury that his men left. He planned on leaving that mark as nothing more than a reminder to her pathetic existence in this world.

.

.

A younger version of Emily stood not far from the pond where she normally enjoyed spending whatever free time she had to herself. Ever since Coulson decided to move to Georgia, she found herself wondering whether or not it was for the right reasons. McCoy had finally become a good friend of hers, but there was still tension between them. She knew it would take time for her to fully open up to him, and even that might be few and in between. Trust wasn't exactly something she enjoyed offering so easily, especially when it came to someone who had just as easily turned his back on her the first week of school.

Emily watched with keen interest as pebbles and stones began circling around her in the air. This was her favorite spot to go and practice her abilities. She had been getting better over the last few weeks. Ever since Coulson adopted her she'd begun practicing her abilities more openly. Before his adoption she'd been terrified of showing them off. Her parents instilled that fear into her, either by treating her like an outcast or making sure she was hidden from anyone who stopped by their quarters. Now that she had the freedom to explore who she really was and what she was capable of, Emily took full advantage of it.

Though that didn't stop her from flinching or freezing up when she realized someone was watching her. Emily grimaced when she spotted McCoy watching her from the corner of her eye. His mouth gaped open when he saw the pebbles flying past her and skipping across the water in graceful patterns. One of them wobbled a little before finally splattering across the water, causing droplets to fly across the air and hitting her face.

"What are you doing here?" she rolled her eyes when she recovered from her initial surprise.

The first time McCoy had seen her powers at full strength was terrifying. She'd almost lost control that evening when a powerful thunderstorm came through. It hadn't helped that memories of the Kelvin incident were still so fresh. The lightning and thunder only reminded her of what happened to Kirk and everyone else. About the only consolation she had was that his family had been more than understanding of the situation when Coulson explained what led to such panic attacks.

"This is my house," he pointed out. Emily just crossed her arms in response and looked at anything but him. McCoy cocked his head to one side when he noticed how closed off she was. "Last time the whole room looked like it was spinning when you did that."

She frowned when he brought up an uncomfortable topic. Losing control wasn't something she enjoyed talking about. Then again, she doubted anyone with abilities like her own enjoyed talking about it.

"Last time I almost lost control," she let out a sigh as she finally tore her gaze away and looked down at the ground shamefully. "All I kept thinking was how to get away… I didn't want to hurt anyone in the process."

She didn't want to admit that the thunderstorm had also brought back painful memories. McCoy must have sensed it. Despite only being five, he was far more observant than most kids their age. She realized with a start that that was what made him so different from everyone else. He wanted to blend in with the rest of the crowd, but at the end of the day, something about him was different.

"I think your Pa was more concerned about you than anything else," he said quietly. Emily didn't bother arguing as she sat down on the boulder that overlooked the pond. McCoy sat down beside her, and it was the first time she'd felt his warmth and acceptance. "I thought it was pretty cool the way you're able to move things with your mind."

Emily rose an eyebrow in surprise when he said that. Most people were terrified of what she could do. They were more worried that she would lose control or end up hurting someone. When she was younger it had been engraved in her not to show them off in public. That fear still got the better of her. She knew better than to show off her abilities at school or anywhere else in public for that matter.

"Well, you'd be the first to suggest that," she snorted in grim amusement. She looked up at the stars as they shimmered across the sky. "My parents used to hate it when I used my powers around them. I've learned that it's best to hide who I really am… it's better that way."

It wasn't until feeling an arm wrap around her that Emily found herself glancing at McCoy in surprise. She leaned further into him as she realized this was his way of providing whatever comfort he could for her. And she found herself relishing the warmth he provided. There were few kids their age that were willing to understand what she was going through, let alone provide that kind of comfort.

She knew McCoy was different from everyone else. There weren't many kids who had the ability to understand what she was going through, especially at their age. Though he had his moments, he was far more accepting of her than people realized. And she was beginning to realize how much she appreciated those rare moments. When it was just the two of them, she could be herself without worrying over how different she was. He didn't seem to care, and for the first time since Coulson adopted her, it felt as though someone really cared about her. And she wasn't sure how to process that just yet.

AN: I'm sorry it took so long to get this chapter out; it was actually already finished but what I had wasn't up to what I feel are my standards. I still don't feel like it's up to par, but it's certainly better than the original. Also, Merry Christmas Eve to those who celebrate, and happy holidays to everyone!