Culture Shock

In The Air Tonight

Khan didn't sleep. Ever. I don't know why, but it was one of the many things I noted about him. I wasn't tired, adrenaline pumping through me from the fight, and I ended up watching him for hours. Anything, any bit of information I could gather about him was important. When, after hours, he turned to me smiling horribly, I felt the blood drain from my face. I had a bad feeling about this. About this whole fucking situation.

"It's time to leave, follow me." Khan said smoothly, eyes bright with a dark reflection of happiness. He pulled the hood over head; making sure the shadow's safely covered his face before leaving. The emotion in his eyes made me sick, and I was glad I couldn't see his face anymore. It was almost sinful that such a face was wasted on someone so cruel.

Maybe it was just some poetic irony, some lesson nature wanted to prove to humans when they thought they could play god.

I grabbed my make-shift weapon, following him through the ruins of this alien world. I kept my eyes forward on his broad back. Where were we going? I'd asked, but I knew he wouldn't tell me. Might as well not waste my breath. My eyes flickered to my make-shift weapon. I wonder what exactly it did. I hadn't really gotten a chance to use it…

I remembered patching together some parts that would read my brain-waves and pick up panic; and it would fly to me. Must not work though, seeing as when Khan and I nuked it out, it didn't fly towards me. Fucking piece of junk. I didn't even know if it was lethal. Let's hope not…

Soon enough, we heard sound of battle, and dull light spit the darkness.

I paused, just for a moment, staring at Khan's back. Then my face hardened, and I continued to followed. I gave my word; and I would see it through no matter what. A solid for a solid.

We came to a cliff, and light exploded below. I heard guttural curses, and more familiar human ones. Curiosity flared, did other humans travel to alien planets regularly? Or were they just looking for Khan? Disgust followed that thought. I was dragged into anything he got into.

The lights brightened and I saw three human's among the aliens. Khan started shooting the Klingon's, killing them with a bright light. My brow drew together in worry, before I jumped down and started fighting as well. I shot someone, the bright red light tearing out of my weapon, saving the dark skinned woman. Her gorgeous eyes filled with gratitude and confusion, while my eyes were hard with worry. I whirled around, smashing my weapon into the head of another alien.

It was chaos, Khan helping these people who had obviously come to capture him… and me. I couldn't make sense of it. No matter how fast I fired, how fast I hit them, the humans were still getting beaten down, and frankly so was I. Let me tell you, the aliens know how to pack a punch.

But I helped knock out the aliens, spinning around everyone. I didn't outright attack anyone; just made sure they didn't get stabbed (or shot) in the back. At this point, it was all I could really do without getting seriously injured. I kept away from Khan, who was cutting everyone down like weed. It was gruesome, and I understood how lucky I was when I was fighting with him. He could have literally ripped me in half with his bare hands. Even with me trying to cover the people and Khan ripping Klingon's to shreds; the woman, pale man, and the other man with the angry eyes were backed into a corner.

I knocked out the last Klingon, to turn and see Khan staring the angry man down.

"How many torpedoes?" Khan asked and I stared at them both, confused. Were there weapons aimed at us? The pale man turned to Khan, and I saw pointy ears under a neat mop of black hair. It was completely straight, odd considering that Khan's was messy and displaced from battle. My hair was probably stringy too, but I could've cared less. My bandanna was still perfectly in place; and my cowboy boots were fine. What I was worried about, was those 'torpedoes'

"Seventy-two." The man deadpanned. The man filled with anger stood, brushing himself off and swaggered towards Khan. The man was handsome, a human handsome that was down to earth and welcoming, with fiery dark blue eyes.

"I surrender." Khan said smoothly, dropping his weapons and looking at me. I sighed and swung my weapon over my shoulder. The angry man didn't look at all affected by the surrender. He staggered forward.

"On behalf of Christopher Pike," He started, hate crashing through his sea blue eyes. He walked closer to Khan, murder on his face. "I accept your surrender."

"Captain-!" Pointy started; but it was too late. The 'Captain' had already hit Khan in the face. He kept on, hitting him over and over again, until I felt pity towards him. Khan had obviously done something horrible to this 'Captain', and the Captain wasn't even able to hurt him. Every punch was useless, doing nothing. Vengeance against Khan was futile, unless you knew how to work around the regeneration gene.

I just shook my head, and was turning away when Pointy, who had somehow managed to sneak behind me, knocked me out with a pinch to my neck. After that, I saw and felt nothing.

I was in the Soviet Union, I was sure, in my dream. Darkness surrounded me, and I didn't want to open my eyes. I had the most terrible sense of foreboding. I was in a cold room, on a hard surface, sitting on something.

Curiosity flared, and I didn't want to see, but I had to. I opened my eyes, and fear coursed through me. I was tied to a chair, in a cold hospital gown, with grim and unfeeling faces surrounding me. They had on white surgical masks, and they were all looking at my head.

My blood stopped, so did my heart. In the back of my mind, I registered the machines screaming. It seems only they cared if I died. It seemed like, in that moment between life and death, that only those cold metal machines would notice my passing. The scientists wouldn't, my family wouldn't. Jack wouldn't.

No one cared but those lonely, emotionless machines.

All my words of friendship, love and fear died that day.

They echoed, before I died, in the silence. No one listened in that place. Jack stared on, watching me with detached eyes, and I realized in that moment, that no one had ever really listened to me. My words fell on deaf ears; and I was turned aside for better things. Greater goods. In school, I was ignored and dejected save for Jack. My parents shut me out, and later the government did too, sending me here to my death.

Death was my only friend. Death saw my suffering, heard my cries, and had come to save me. Death, I knew now, was kinder than life could ever be. It seemed so stupid, in the fluorescent light, that I was scared of this moment. Death was the friend I never had, the family who left me to die here. I wasn't even truly gone, yet I was already feeling my weariness and fear fade away like the waning tide.

And in my last moments, the last thing I saw was Jack staring at me. Handsome face blank, painfully blank. I didn't want to see him ever again. In fact, it made me sick that he was the last thing I saw. It almost shattered the wonderful feelings of the in-between world I was in.

Had I been able to, I would have cursed them all. I would have screamed, bellowed and sang. I would have voiced my anger in every way. But when I slid over, I felt everything slide into place. It was like something had been taken away, and replaced with something better. The pain, ugliness, of life was over…

I woke up in a white cell, bandanna and cowboy boots still on, directly across from Khan's. His eyes pierced mine unpleasantly, and I couldn't help the anger that overtook me.

"You." I snarled, pointing at him through the glass. "You bastard; I don't give a shit if you're locked up, but don't drag me into this! What the fuck did you even do? Bomb someone?!" I yelled, while he watched me, boredom playing across his face. I was fuming.

Khan looked unconcerned; completely relaxed and in control in his cell. At first, I wasn't sure if he heard me. But then he smiled horribly, seeming to focus some horrendous emotion towards me. It was these moments that assured me he was not all human. Everything about him was so perfect; yet there was something else that was off.

"Now don't be modest, you helped kill all those people too." He said smoothly, right as Captain and Pointy walked up. They both glared at me, and I stared back indignantly, pointing again at Khan.

"He's lying! I haven't killed anyone!" I started before looking over at Khan. His smile widened.

"Yes, we both did. Didn't we Ranger?" He shot back, cruel amusement curving his lips. I scowled, again smashing the glass with my finger. If I could have, I would have smashed his pretty face into the ground until it bled. Fucking jackass trying to pin everything on me.

"Bullshit, you dumped me on some alien planet, which for your information I didn't even know aliens existed, and then left me! Ask the god damn aliens for god's sake, they should know I was stuck there for days!" I said, my voice rising. "I killed no one." I added, seeing the hard stares of the other two men. Khan's chin kicked out regally, before a smirk came over his face.

"If you killed people, you should just own up to it instead of being a coward. It was all for a noble cause." He said smoothly, eyes fixed on mine. Okay, not only was I becoming really angry, but I was also painfully aware of how awkward this was becoming.

"Okay you moron, let me set you straight. First of all, killing is never noble dumbass. Secondly, I don't kill anyone asshole." I snarled between my teeth. Ughh, what an asshole.

"But you can't deny that you have at some point murdered someone." Khan said, triumph leaking into the timbre of his voice.

The Captain and Pointy were now looking at us in turn before Pointy stared at me quizzically. His gaze slid over to the Captain, something fitting together in his dark eyes before he spoke.

"I believe that she is not lying Captain." He said, and the Captain frowned, the anger in his eyes receding somewhat

"Mr. Spock, why don't you research any and all data pertaining to Ranger. Then, please inform Admiral Marcus we have apprehended the fugitive known as John Harrison." He started, but I wasn't really paying attention. My hand was pressed against the glass, trying to get out. 'Mr. Spock' noticed, his eyes locking with mine. His eyes were calculating, emotionless, but not cold. It was like he could empathize with me, but not feel emotions himself.

It was the first time I had ever seen such eyes. People who had emotionless eyes had cold hearts and cruel souls. But Spock, his eyes were just as selfless and full of life just as they were logical. Every move his eyes made were thought out, a reason behind each blink. Was he an alien as well? I looked on curiously, watching him walk away. I searched for any other differences besides the ear's, eyebrow's and eyes; but there was none save his walk. His stride was just like his gaze.

I turned my eyes back to the Captain. The angry one.

His eyes burned with life, but in front of that warmth there was an angry storm. His eyes were different than Khan's and Spock's. The Captain's eyes were so very human, filled with normal emotions and morals that I could help but feel a little more relaxed. Those eyes reminded me that I wasn't alone, that there were people with empathy and morals. The man's face was handsome, somewhat tanned and serious.

Here was a man who enjoyed life. He liked to smile, and kept his friends close. Khan had killed his friend; and the Captain was seeking revenge. It was a normal reaction, something I could understand in this confusing place.

I stopped analyzing when I noticed Khan shot me a look. I stuck my tongue out at him, and pointed towards the glass smiling. Can't do shit to me when both of us are in a glass container dipshit.

His answer was a glare that assured me he could get out and kick my ass any time he wanted to. With the way he tore apart the aliens, I believe it.

I rolled my eyes though, and looked over to the Captain smiling innocently. "Hey, Captain…You know since this whole thing is really between you and Harrison, why don't you let me out of this fish tank?" I asked, making sure not to use Khan's name. It was his name, and not mine; and I had no right to throw it around.

The Captain looked at me, the fire diming slightly, as he took in my appearance. His eyes stuck on my boots and he seemed to do a double take. I didn't need to see Khan's pointed look to know he was rubbing it in my face that he was right. So what if the boots stuck out? They were useful as hell, and more durable than people like to think. Fucking genetically engineered humans…

"Nope." He answered, tearing his eyes off of my boots. My anger was back full force, and I smashed my fist into the glass. In hindsight, that probably wasn't helping my situation, but then I couldn't have cared. I wanted out of this fish tank, and I wanted away from Khan. He was pissing me off, and the tank was starting to just get annoying.

"What the fuck is with you people, huh?! What the hell gives you the fucking right to lock me up when I haven't done shit you prick?! Every fucking one of you here, locking me up even though I am fucking clean! I am not a criminal, and by fucking Christ, if I wanted to kill you, you'd all be on a one way ride to fucking hell jackass! You prissy little bitches!" I swore, turning around before glaring back at the surprised Captain.

"Piss off asswipe." I snapped, flipping them both off before sitting down and glaring at the wall. The Captain was literally gaping, looking to Khan (who was emotionless) and then back to me, trying to figure out exactly what had happened.

Once my anger settled down, I felt the incredible awkwardness of the situation settle in, and I could have hugged the blue-shirted, pointy eared, emotionless human/alien Mr. Spock when he told the Captain I was clean. In fact, I made sure to smile smugly at Khan when I was walking by him. His glare wasn't even enough to wipe that smile off my face.

I was somewhat free, although I didn't know where I was. Though, from that funny little symbol on all of those jumpsuits, I figured I was around those Starfleet people, whoever they were. These people didn't seem that bad though…

But walking behind Spock, I felt my face harden. Trusting wasn't my strong suit. Just look where it had gotten me with Khan, and I didn't even trust him. He was just my last option, and so I made a deal. A deal, that I'm sure turned out in his favor; or at least would.

I still mean what I said. If you want loyalty, get a damn dog.

"Am I to understand that you are from the past?"

My eyes slid to his back, and my shoulder's tightened. I didn't like that question, not when Marcus or Khan asked me; and I certainly didn't like it when he asked me. I hesitated a moment before answering, thinking fast in the silence. A genuine smile crossed my face as I thought about 1971.

As Spock looked back, his eyes searching mine before I answered.

"Yup, 1971. Not that it matters now, where are we?"

"In a neutral zone outside of Ko-" He started before I cut him off.

"Um, so I take it we're not on Earth?" I asked weakly.

"Ms. Grey, we are in a Starfleet ship known as the Enterprise in space." He said, and I felt my stomach drop. My stomach dropped. We were in a tiny can of air in god knows where. We could die in seconds.

This was just doing wonders for my stress.

"Great." I managed weakly, looking around pointy to stare at the heavens that had alluded man for thousands of years.

"Admiral Pike put in the report you were kidnapped by Harrison." Spock said matter-of-factly.

"Not exactly." I offered, shrugging it off. His dark eyes watched me carefully, searching for any lies. Oh look, the awkward feeling was back again…

I coughed, straightening my bandanna. "Anyways, I'm sure we can have this nice, long, serious discussion after I eat." I said, before someone grabbed my shoulder. I turned to see the Captain, smiling at both of us.

"I'll take this from here Spock, I believe Uhura wanted to see you on the bridge." The Captain said, before turning to me.

"I believe that you and I have a lot to talk about." He said, smiling warmly. I felt myself smiling back, because of the alcohol more than the person, and I followed through the bright hallways, dreading the topic of conversation to follow.

Thank you all for reviewing, you've been awesome. Especially anyone who had followed or favorited the story. So far I've got about 6 votes for Khan, 4 for Kirk. I'm still not sure about the pairings or what's going to happen next, so any suggestions or comments would be welcome :D