1. Chapter 1

_Red. Hazy, red mist that was the color of blood. Something he'd seen far too much in his lifetime, and something that he would subsequently be able to pinpoint anywhere. Coppery, metallic blood that filled the air and surrounded him. Screams. Death. His friends, his crew –family – dying around him. Destruction. Chaos. All wrapped up in the haze that surrounded him and enveloped him as if working to suffocate him – either by the scent or the sheer thickness of it all._

_ He screamed._

_ For help. For his family. For it all to end. For death. For revenge._

_ Revenge._

_ Anger. Rage. Fury boiled deep inside him and he couldn't keep it contained. All the pent up emotions he'd harbored for so long coming up to catch in his throat and he just purely hated. The desire for battle was intense. Heart racing tension coiling his muscles as he had the urge to rip something or someone apart with his bare hands. To crush anyone who had harmed his family, his friends, and leave them reduced to a bloody mess of unrecognizable limbs. He could taste it. Feel it so close and-_

Jim gasped as he sat bolt upright in his bed. His breathing was ragged and labored as he stared wide-eyed into the darkness of his room. For several terrifying moments the red haze that had haunted him for the past few months lingered in his vision as he struggled to calm down and regain his bearings. Finally, the red faded and left him cold and empty. His body slick from the sheen of sweat that coated it after his nightmare. The same one. Over and over again for months now as they, he and his crew, waited for the _Enterprise_ to be repaired for its five year voyage, and it was only getting worse.

At first the nightmares were infrequent and vague. Something he'd forget about come morning, but now? They were so much worse. Vivid. Increasingly so, and far more frequent as they now haunted him every time he attempted sleep. He didn't understand where it came from. The blind rage and hatred that built up inside of him to leave him feeling utterly foreign in his own body. That red haze that lingered a little more inside his waking hours each time he dreamed of it. It actually terrified Jim.

Naturally, the young Captain hadn't consulted his best friend and doctor about it. Bones would just worry and force him to go through testing that Jim honestly didn't want to sit through. There were things to be done to prepare for this voyage, and they had the time to actually do so in the window of the _Enterprise_'s repairs and maintenance. He wanted to get what he could done and ready, pick his crew up again and convince them to go if need be, but more importantly he intended to pretend that nothing was wrong because that was so much easier than saying otherwise. It always had been for him. Push hard and work until he collapsed. It was how he'd gotten the people that mattered most in his life through to the end of some of the toughest fights and situations they'd been in yet. Nero, Admiral Marcus…Khan. Most people just called him reckless and unorthodox, but what no one seemed willing to admit was that he got results with what he did. His people were alive. Whether it was dumb luck or actual brilliance…Enough people speculated so that Jim didn't have to so far as that was concerned. Ask Bones, and the doctor would tell just about anyone that his Captain and friend just didn't have a single sense of self-preservation. He didn't really care what people thought so long as he kept his ship and his family that was his crew.

Which definitely meant that he couldn't submit himself for a psych eval when there were far too many people that would love to take those very things away from him…and Jim wasn't entirely certain he would pass the thing. With how he'd been as of late? There wasn't any way it would happen. He'd worked too hard for all of this, and he couldn't let his crew down. Damn sanity and whatever else was wrong with him to hell. He was _fine_.

With a sigh, Jim ran a hand down the side of his face slowly before letting himself fall back onto the bed to stare up at the ceiling. He knew better than to try sleeping again. One attempt was good enough for him when it came to these nightmares, so he glanced at the clock and sighed again. Barely one in the morning. He might as well get a head start on prep for the meeting he was suppose to go to that day. Starfleet brass seemed intent on reminding him what he was suppose to do on this voyage, and of course there was the _Enterprise_ to check up on…

After a long few moments of laying about, the Captain finally rolled out of bed for a shower. A very long, and very cold shower.

* * *

><p>Dressed in official uniform, Jim and his Vulcan friend (how that worked out he sometimes still questioned) headed for Starfleet Headquarters. Spock had spent the majority of the trip there, and then half the walk up to the main building openly assessing Jim. At this point he was just waiting for the Vulcan to finally just say something.<p>

"Captain…If I am not mistaken, then you are currently functioning on less sleep than is deemed necessary to properly be able to focus." Spock finally began in that weird hybrid way of speaking that was both detached and somehow concerned at the same time. "Are you ill? If so, I highly suggest that you speak to Dr. McCoy."

"I'm fine." Jim assured with a smile. "I had a bad night. It happens."

"While I trust your judgment, Captain…Jim…There has been reliable data from past experiences and instances that suggest you are not forthcoming when there is something wrong with yourself." The Vulcan replied. Jim sighed.

"I swear that I'm fine, alright? As soon as this meeting's over I'll get some sleep and I'll be perfectly fine." Except he wouldn't go sleep as it would make things worse. Just thinking about sleep was nearly enough to bring back the red haze he dreaded. He swore he could already smell the awful tang of copper. Of blood.

He must have let his expression twist up as Spock pressed on. "Logically, it is best if Dr. McCoy is at least notified. Shall I make arrangements?"

"Yeah. Do it if you want, but I'm fine." Jim sighed, coming to a stop before the doors of Starfleet. He turned back and gave Spock a long look. "I'll see you in an hour or two when the meeting gets out."

"Of course, Captain." Spock replied, and each turned in the opposite direction to continue. Jim wasn't looking forward to the meeting. He practically already knew how it was going to go. It wouldn't be any different that the some dozens of other ones he'd been called to attend every time the brass figured out something else to add onto the voyage to force him through more reiterations of what would be expected of Starfleet's flagship.

Jim was sent straight to the room the meeting was to be held in. The top brass of Starfleet present already and waiting for him. The young Captain stood before them and clasped his hands behind his back in the standard parade rest. He hated the formality, but it wasn't as if he had much of a choice. They weren't in the same location that Khan had bombed months prior, and due to the same incident the faces staring back at him were nearly all new. He was still learning names, unfortunately.

As per usual, the meeting began in the same way it had the times prior. He was informed that the _Enterprise_ and her crew were being given the honor of going on a five year voyage into space, the final frontier, to explore and, on occasion, conduct diplomatic missions at the command of Starfleet. Things he already knew. The unspoken part of this was that it was a way to keep him out where he couldn't do any damage, as people seemed to have a bit of a belief that he caused trouble. How anyone could make that assumption…

The break in script finally came at what Jim instinctively knew would be the close of the meeting. Which, so far, he'd only served to nod and make affirmative comments rather than actually participate in. "It's become a decision that the _Enterprise_ must have an on board resident for rehabilitation." Otherwise known as –

"You want me to have a criminal on my ship?" Jim asked, incredulous. He received a few mirthless smiles.

"It's a new program that Starfleet will be running. The rehabilitation of certain criminals may be beneficial in the long run, Captain. It is our belief that if it's to be tested for effectiveness that our flagship should be the first to start the program."

"If I'm going to be harboring a criminal on my ship, I'd better at least have the liberty to _choose_ who it's going to be." Jim said, eyes narrowed. He didn't like this. It sounded like a recipe for disaster, really. It was practically asking to put his crew and anyone else that may be on board in danger depending on the criminal, and just like that the beginning of the red haze that haunted his sleep began to creep into his vision.

"Of course, Captain. We expect to have the name of your choice before you and your crew depart on your voyage…You're dismissed." Jim's jaw tightened, red surging, before he turned on his heel and left the room. He needed to calm down and just breathe. There was no reason to make a scene and let this…issue…rule over him. He sighed to himself. Calm. He needed to be calm.

Calm did not follow him.

Jim made it down to the ground floor when everything just went sideways. It seemed like everyone was just going insane anymore. Especially when he was anywhere involved as he had a span of about five seconds after walking out of the building to anticipate the knife that was shoved between his ribs. The Captain's eyes widened, shocked, as he felt the blade twist.

"Jim!" a familiar voice shouted. Spock. Right. He was suppose to meet him here. The man who had stabbed him turned, pulling Jim's phaser as he did so, and aimed it right at the Vulcan. The haze that had already been lingering kicked in full gear like an adrenaline rush that robbed him of feeling the pain of being stabbed. A very, very violent adrenaline rush.

Despite the knife lodged in between his ribs, Jim's fingers curled around the wrist of the hand holding the phaser in a frighteningly strong grip before twisting it violently. A startled cry of pain followed by a scream sounded as Jim snapped the arm. The audible, sickening crack of bone evident as the grip on the phaser was released. Jim kicked the man away and pulled the blade out of his chest even as he advanced. A sharp kick to the would-be killer's base, and the kid was flat on his back and shrieking as he landed on his broken arm. Jim made to stomp on his chest, seeing nothing but rage and hate as he was clearly intent on ending the other before he felt arms pulling him back quickly.

"Jim! You must stop this." Spock urged, but Jim was having none of it and he threw his First Officer off of him. Were he not blinded by the red haze of rage he'd have realized that he shouldn't have been able to do so. Spock was far stronger than Jim himself was, or at least the Vulcan had been stronger than Jim at one point while now they seemed to at least match strength if the Captain hadn't exceeded it all together. With Spock tossed away, he went back to trying to finish off his attacker only to find arms wrapping around him again. This time their grip was firmer.

"Forgive me Captain, but this is necessity to insure no further damage is done." With that he felt fingers catching him on the shoulder and pinching before Jim was out cold.

* * *

><p>"What in the actual hell were you thinking?" Bones demanded almost as soon as Jim woke. Given that he was only just opening his eyes the Captain blinked at his friend as he was far too disoriented to understand what had come out of the other man's mouth.<p>

"I do not believe that is the proper bedside manner for a waking patient, Doctor. However given circumstances I understand your desire for answers." The far cooler and collected voice of Spock was easier to listen to and Jim blinked further to clear his fuzzy vision before realizing he was in a medical ward. Bones was standing with a tricorder even as he was looking at the charts he was calling up above Jim's bed. The Vulcan was on the Captain's left and out of the way of Bones with his checks on Jim's condition.

"I don't need your opinions right now, Spock." The Doctor muttered, and Jim chuckled under his breath only to find Bones to be focusing in on him again. "And _you_…Why didn't you come to me sooner about this?"

"It is possible that the Captain does not remember his actions," Spock pointed out.

"My what? What happened?"

"Hypothesis confirmed."

"You went berserk, Jim. You snapped a kid's forearm and literally crushed his wrist." At the Doctor's words, Jim stared at his friend in shock. It took a few moments, but eventually he remembered being stabbed outside of Starfleet HQ and how he'd snapped. Now that he was calm he could look back on that time of focusing on nothing but trying to kill the idiot that had attacked him then tried to attack Spock. All he'd seen was red and all he'd felt was hatred and anger and rage that now made him feel utterly uncomfortable. It was just like the nightmares he'd been experiencing and it was the feelings he'd been struggling with, but he'd had no clue that it could take such a violent turn. His brow furrowed.

"I crushed his wrist?" he asked, confused. He remembered grabbing the other's wrist, but so far as _crushing_ it. On a physical standpoint that sort of strength shouldn't have been physically possible in a human. He could see where twisting the right way and moving with the right amount of force could end in snapping a forearm, but crushing a wrist by grabbing it?

"Yeah, which is why I'm worried about you. When you were brought in your vitals and stats were fluctuating like crazy. I tried to give you anything I could to get you stable, thinking it was the knife wound but your body burned right through everything I tried giving you. By the time I just started working on the wound it was already healed, and according to Spock here you threw him around too."

"In short, Jim, you were experiencing a state of increased strength and metabolic process as well as regeneration of injury. All of this seems to coincide with blind rage and anger." Spock summarized, and Jim nodded slowly.

"So why didn't you tell us what was wrong sooner, and don't try to tell me you didn't know dammit. Spock had already told me he thought you were sick then all this happens."

"Well it wasn't bad at first," Jim countered, wincing slightly as he made to sit up only to find that the motion had him incredibly dizzy to the point he honestly thought the black corners of his vision were going to consume it. He shuddered and felt a hand on his shoulder steadying him. When he was focusing again he found the steady hand to belong to Spock as Bones simultaneously checked him over.

"How long has this been going on?" Bones asked as he worked.

"Five months. It wasn't anything I couldn't handle at first, but it's getting worse." Jim stated.

"I never would have guessed." Bones said dryly as he straightened. "I don't know what's going on, but whatever is happening to you…I don't think your body can take it. The fluctuation in strength and everything else is taking your body for a ride that it shouldn't be on, and now your vitals are dropping to make you weaker."

"If I may…the time frame given to us puts the start of this at when the Captain was revived." Spock pointed out, looking from Jim to the doctor. "When the method of revival was the blood of an augmented human." Bones paled at that, and it wasn't hard to imagine why. In an offhanded manner Spock had practically just said that the reason Jim was going through this at all could be because of what the Doctor had done.

"I checked over my work more times that you can count," Bones replied, eyes narrowing. "I knew the risk and I made sure that there was as little chance possible for anything to happen."

"Yet we do not know the exact properties of Khan's blood, nor do we understand what it can be capable of except for the passing of healing abilities as was the case with the child he healed."

"And if you look at that girl she's perfectly fine and not suffering any of these side effects!"

"But it was Khan who synthesized the cure out of his own blood for her, not a Doctor that had a vague idea as to the consequences."

"Shut up, both of you. It doesn't matter _why_ this is going on. Bones, is there anything you know about my body and how it'll handle this?" Jim interrupted, tired of hearing the arguments.

Bones sighed. "I don't know, Jim. If it goes on for too much longer you might drop to far into a weakened state to be able to claw your way back out again. I don't have a clue what's happening."

"I will work to the best of my ability to discover a way to help you, Jim." Spock said, and Bones nodded his agreement. Jim, on the other hand, was thinking over Spock's words. If it was the blood he'd been given –synthesized or not—then there _was_ one expert he could consult to figure out what was happening to him. Luckily enough, Jim even knew exactly where to find him.

**Hello! I am excited to try this out, the idea has been in my mind for awhile and I wanted to write it. I know this will probably put a few people off, but I do intend this to be a Khirk story but I'm never sure how the fic decides to write itself. For anyone that has read my fics before, I know I said I'd do a Mystrade one next but...I'm putting that off for when I have more motivation. **

**So I hope anyone who read this enjoyed the first chapter, and I hope to get the next out when I can. Please leave of review if you can to give me your thoughts/feedback! Thanks so much.**

**Have a good day!**

**Reaperess ^-^**


	2. Chapter 2

After the disaster that had come out of Marcus and his pet project and experiments in Section 31, Jim had made it his personal mission to ensure that nothing like it could ever happen again. He'd lost far too many people to be anything but adamant on increased regulation and security protocol to ensure as much, and at the time he'd not given a damn as to what the Admiralty thought of it. A standpoint proven when he'd made it abundantly clear that he wasn't at all concerned about what might happen were information about Marcus to leak to the public. Naturally that hadn't exactly gone over well with the Admiralty, and while they'd taken Jim's advice and push for limited personnel to access the seventy-three frozen augments carefully and securely stowed away among other changes the process had burned plenty of bridges. It certainly hadn't put Jim on the good side of any of the people that he was suppose to have at least decent relations with, but again…Jim hadn't given a damn at the time and that had been before his current issues.

Now, of course, those burned bridges were proving to be more difficult to maneuver around than he'd anticipated as he'd not expected to actually need some intact only months later. Then again, he couldn't have anticipating that so much would go wrong with him over the span of the following five months. Starfleet was currently unaware that Jim had died on the _Enterprise_ while trying to save his crew from crashing into the Earth's surface. The main reason for that being the method of which Jim had been revived in the first place as even if at the time it had seemed like very little if not nothing would go wrong the fact that it had been the blood of Khan to revive him wouldn't have gone over well. It would have made things very difficult, actually. So rather than risk anything the crew of the _Enterprise _who were aware of the circumstances surrounding the Captain's momentary death and subsequent revival kept the information to themselves. As far as Starfleet was concerned it was the quick thinking and decisive action of one Leonard McCoy that had allowed the heavily irradiated Captain to survive and pull through. If the Admiralty had been aware otherwise, then Jim would have more than likely been relieved of duty until thorough testing was completed and considering everything the testing would have been very long and extensive. Besides, even if that hadn't been the case and he'd have been allowed a chance due to his past successes or more simply so they wouldn't have to deal with the headache that would be keeping Jim away from his ship and crew, there was still the fact that he'd have _never_ been able to pull off what he just had.

Getting Khan out of his cryotube.

After spending three days under Bones's constant medical supervision, Jim had gone straight to work once begrudgingly released in part due to the fact the entire time spent in medical had been a waste. Everything given to him was worked out of his system at a far quicker rate than should have been possible, some agents taking only thirty minutes for his body to burn through them. On top of that the official reason for Bones to have been tending to Jim at all was a knife wound received from the attacker outside of Starfleet Headquarters. Three days was more than enough time for a doctor as skilled as Bones to properly take care of the wound and considering they couldn't give any better reason to have Jim stay he'd been released with little hassle. What Bones, and even Spock for that matter, wasn't aware of was just what Jim would get up to while out of the medical ward.

What few bridges that had remained intact from five months prior were burned to the ground when he, the one pushing the hardest to keep the augments in their cryotubes and left alone, asked to be granted access to them so he might speak with Khan. Were the Admiralty aware of exactly why he wanted to speak with Khan he'd have never gotten the permission to continue no matter how many favors he'd cashed in. It had been a close call in being able to be granted the proper access to begin with given that what he was asking for was far beyond brash and reckless. The last time Khan had woke chaos had ensued, and the fact that Jim was willing to wake him again made him seem idiotic, reckless, and even hypocritical. Regardless he wasn't seeking to use Khan as any form of weapon. He only wanted the answers needed to understand what was going on with his body because of what the augmented man's blood had done to him. More importantly, Jim wanted to know how to fix what was going on. Given the danger of the situation, however, Jim was fully aware of the risks he was taking. He wasn't going into any of this without careful thinking on what could happen. He didn't plan on underestimating Khan again, and certainly not when he was fully aware that the augment was capable of escaping if he really put his mind to it between his immense strength as well as intelligence. This was by far a gamble on Jim's part. There were a few cards up his sleeve that he was hoping he could pull to get the answers he sought without anything going wrong too quickly.

Khan was taken out of his cryotube and place in an empty cell in an empty cellblock. The cell was similar if not identical in design to the one of the _Enterprise_ that he'd been kept in before. Jim had managed to ensure that the following conversation would be as private as possible as about the time he started talking about the issues now presenting themselves he'd have Starfleet personnel swarming in otherwise. While Jim wasn't insubordinate and didn't harbor thoughts of outright treason against Starfleet, Marcus had shaken his faith. He was still a loyal Starfleet officer, but while he'd not been naïve to think everyone else in the world would share his views he also couldn't get past the existence of a Section that ran experiments on others and sought to militarize to the point of forcing war. In a way, though he also did not condone what Khan had done, it was understandable from one Captain to another that one would react how the man had in response to said experiments. Granted he'd not wanted to destroy anyone…at least not before being given Khan's blood.

It was a slow process; waking Khan. The augment of course was waking at faster rates than a normal human very well might, but it was nevertheless a process to come out of cryosleep then regain full function of one's processes. By the time the man who had killed so many people finally stirred and moved Jim was more than ready for what was to come. He waited with baited breath for the augment to become fully functional and aware. There were several ways this could end.

"Kirk." The smooth and deep voice came without warning as the augment had yet to even open his eyes. "To what do I owe the pleasure to be awakened once more? Surely one so noble as you are not waking me for your own selfish gain." The words were sarcastic and biting in a way that had Jim's vision start to fill with red haze. There were horrible memories associated with the other's voice. The death of Pike, being kicked about the bridge of the _USS Vengeance, _dying… After a moment he managed to forcibly quell the haze of anger for now. For all he'd been preparing for this meeting it seemed he'd underestimated an element of it after all. Himself.

"I need your help," Jim said, and the smirk that twitched onto Khan's lips was mirthless. "I don't plan on using you like a weapon. I'm not Marcus."

"Ah, but yet you are here and waking me to seek answers to a problem no one else can hope to give you. What will happen when you are finished with your interrogations, I wonder? Shall I be frozen again to continue my fate of being woken whenever another needs to use me, or is this more personal in concern?" Khan's eyes opened, chillingly calculating as he sat up and gracefully swung his legs around to sit on the edge of the platform meant to be a bed with back perfectly straight. "Perhaps you wish to try your hand at punishing me for the death of Pike by punching me over and over again. Does that suit your needs more, Captain?"

This game was meant to grate at Jim's nerves. Save for now with the haze of anger that came with the generally unexplained changes to his body the encounters with Khan had been when he'd felt at his most uncontrolled state of mind. He'd hated the man with every ounce of his being and he'd been completely blinded by a burning need for revenge that had nearly cost his crew their lives. Now that he was experiencing worse problems it was harder to keep focus and stay in control of his actions. He couldn't let himself slip and ruin everything by doing something idiotic in a blind rage –such as allowing Khan to be released from the cell.

"I'm not playing your games, Khan. I need answers, and you can give them to me. I have plenty of information that you'll want to hear in exchange." Jim replied, having taken a longer pause than was strictly necessary as he'd needed to compose himself. If Khan noticed the augment did not show it.

"I highly doubt as much, _Captain_."

"While my First Officer was chasing after you through the streets five months ago I was in the Enterprise heavily irradiated and dying." A white lie for now. "When you were retrieved my CMO used your blood to synthesize a serum to stabilize my condition. I want to know what in the hell your blood is _doing_ to me."

Khan rose a brow at the Captain in what could only be described as amusement. "You used my blood without knowledge of what you were doing with it. How can you have expected that there would be no consequences? So far as what is happening to you, Captain, I cannot give you a definite answer when I have little idea as to what is happening to your body, and that of course is under the assumption I feel the need to answer at all."

"My body is in a state of flux. My vitals and physical processes are going off the charts then dropping below normal levels then back again." Jim replied dryly.

"It appears that your body is not taking my blood well. Unsurprising given that your Doctor had little idea as to what he was doing." Khan stated. "You mentioned that you were exposed to radiation, Captain. May I inquire as to how that occurred?"

A pause. "I crawled into the warp core to be able to stabilize the _Enterprise_ before it could crash into the planet's surface and kill my crew."

"How very idiotic." Khan mused, tilting his head to the side. "If that is true then it is a miracle that you survived long enough to manage such a feat. Even afterwards you'd not have made it long after with that heavy of exposure to radiation which means…Oh _Captain_, you _are_ in quite the predicament aren't you? My blood was not used to merely heal you, it was used to _revive_ you." A deep chuckle sounded as the augment stood smoothly as if he hadn't just been woke from cryosleep. The man moved forward until he was barely an inch away from the barrier between them. With the two of them closer together they could meet each other's eyes. Despite their differences in strength they were the same height, Khan's body leaner than Jim's though again the augment was much stronger. At least at the given moment, of course. Jim remembered extraordinarily clearly now how he'd tossed Spock off of him like the Vulcan was nothing.

"Now it's screwing with my body. Do you have any idea what's going on, or not?"

"If I was given more information I could surely give you an explanation as to what might very well be happening. However, as interesting as your revival is given that such things should be impossible I have no desire or motivation to help the man who destroyed my family."

Jim took a deep breath. Right. The last thing that Khan had been aware of happening before crashing the _USS Vengeance_ had been the torpedoes formerly containing his crew being fired at him. Naturally it had thrown the augment off balance, blinded by rage as the only possible conclusion he could come to was that his entire crew had been destroyed. That had been the purpose of the bluff, after all. One that no one had considered to rectify so far as he was aware. Khan had been placed back into his own cryotube before he'd ever discovered that all seventy-two augments had been safely tucked onboard the _Enterprise_. If Jim were honest, then he wasn't so sure that if positions were reversed and he was in Khan's shoes that he'd want to help a man that had practically (so far as he knew) ensured for his family to be killed. Given that, Jim was ready to pull one of his cards.

"Your crew is alive." Jim deadpanned, pausing a moment to let that sink in. "I'm not a monster, and my crew isn't made up of ruthless murderers. The torpedoes fired at the ship you were on were empty. Every single cryotube was removed and kept safe, and while you've been in your own sleeping you've been beside them the entire time." There was a long stretch of silence afterwards. Khan's expression hardening in distrust that Jim had expected.

"I believe that it goes without saying that I am not going to take you merely for your word so you can gain your answers and leave me with nothing. I wish to see my crew." Khan's voice was deadly serious, demanding even. The vague flicker of cautious hope sparking up but remained hesitant to grow for fear of being fooled, but Jim was prepared for that too.

"You aren't going to see any of them unless I have something to work with. I need to know how to stabilize my condition. Nothing that my CMO gives me works for long."

"Your Doctor must not be afraid to combine various serums to help with your condition. That much should be obvious. There is no danger to you as there would be another as your body will burn through them all quickly nevertheless."

"So you _do_ know what's happening to me."

"I have speculations based off of what I know thus far. There is no concrete explanation for you to hope for, however. I am aware that you are hiding things from me just as you attempted to hide that you were killed and brought back by my blood. Until you choose to become more forthcoming, Captain, there is little I can do for you, and until you bring me to my crew I will not give you the answers you seek even were I to come up with them."

"I'm not letting you out until I'm sure that you won't kill anyone, that you'll actually help me."

"Then it appears we are at an impasse. I have nothing more for you."

Jim sighed, knowing that he wasn't really getting anywhere. He'd only gotten a few tidbits of information and given Khan so much more. This plan of his wasn't going to work overnight, however. He knew as much when he'd came up with it over the past days. "You'll be kept in this cell and out of the cryotube. If you get out or try escaping you won't be able to see your crew, and I personally can't promise you that they'll be safe afterwards."

"They are not safe in the hands of Starfleet now," Khan countered coolly.

"I've been doing what I can to make sure that they are," Jim replied, and it seemed to give Khan pause. "And I can't keep pushing for them to be safe if you 'escape'."

After a long pause Khan finally spoke once again. "Very well, Captain. We shall play your game, but if I find that you have indeed lied to me about my crew I will stop at nothing to see that you feel the same pain I have."

"Wouldn't expect anything less from you," Jim muttered, turning on his heel to leave.

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry, you <em>what<em>? Are you actually out of your corn fed mind?" Jim had returned to medical to find Bones after his chat with Khan. Naturally the Doctor wasn't taking the news that he'd let the augment out of his cryotube well. It was understandable, really. It had been something that he himself had been wary about, though as always Jim had done what others would call reckless and impulsive anyway.

"C'mon, Bones. You _know_ that he's the only one that's going to have any idea about what's happening to me. It's the best shot we have." The Captain had already relayed what little information he'd been given to his best friend. That hadn't helped the situation much either as the idea of mixing drugs and serums in anybody was something both dangerous and reckless in any other time. Considering that the information had come from a man that had tried to kill all of them and had been the cause of Jim's sacrifice and death, however short lived it had been, the augment wasn't necessarily the source that anyone else would be likely to flock to for any form of answers. Of course, Jim was in no way shape or form limited by what most people wouldn't even think of trying.

"I know that he's got no reason to help you –and don't say it's his crew. The man could figure out some way to get out, I'm sure."

"Yes, but there's no guarantee that he'll be able to get to them and get them out in time for all of them to be safe."

"You can't actually trust him."

"I trust that he'd do anything to keep his crew safe, and right now that means helping me."

Bones sighed in frustration as Jim looked on. It really was understandable that the Doctor wasn't leaping to do what Khan had advised. There was a reason that he'd told Bones first rather than Spock. As much as he trusted the Vulcan it was far beyond any regulations to do something like this. It was already a stretch to keep everything that had already happened to Jim from Starfleet, but it was mutually understood that unless they wanted to lose the Captain it was necessary. Granted, that had been a small white lie at the time that had morphed into a bigger problem than they'd anticipated. On top of that, it wasn't hard to tell that Spock well and truly despised Khan. Which was not good since the half-Vulcan was normally in control of himself when it came to things like that. In the beginning of their knowing each other he'd felt the other's anger turned on him before, and it had not been fun being tossed about the bridge of the Enterprise.

"I also know that you're a hell of a doctor, so just _try_ it. If anything goes wrong then you'll figure something out." Jim added, settling himself on the edge of a biobed and watching his friend with a raised brow.

"You're going to be the death of me, kid." Bones muttered, but hesitantly he started picking and choosing what he wanted to try putting together carefully. When the Doctor was prepared he took a hypo and injected the mixture into the Captain before carefully watching for any signs that they'd both made terrible mistakes in doing as Khan had said. Moments passed before the effects hit Jim, and he audibly sighed as he felt better. It wasn't great, but it wasn't quite so awful either. The strength phase seemed to drain him afterwards of energy, and some of that energy had been restored and when Jim showed no awful signs he could see that Bones was checking his vitals.

"Well I'll be damned…you're stabilizing." The Doctor said, and Jim smirked.

**Hello! I really appreciate the reviews I've gotten so far, and I'm incredibly happy to those who have favorite and followed this. It certainly helps my motivation to continue, so thank you again! Please leave a review if you have time, and thank you for reading this.**

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	3. Chapter 3

The cocktail of drugs that Bones created lasted longer than any other attempt using the far safer, generally medically safer method of using only one at a time. The results were more promising as well, but it was apparent that this wasn't the way to help Jim permanently. It was a quick fix that lasted roughly two hours before it was wearing off with how fast the Captain's body burned through the medications. It was something, however. The fact that it worked at all was a step in the right direction, and it also meant that Khan had been telling him the truth thus far. How long that lasted was going to be the question, as well as how much more information could be gotten out of the augment given he'd already made it clear he would give nothing else until he'd seen his crew. At the current stage Jim wasn't reckless enough to risk letting the augment out. He knew that it wouldn't end well in the slightest. His warning about his crew was what was currently keeping Khan in his cell, but even that was on a fixed time limit as he doubted the super human was going to just wait around for him. They needed a mutual understanding that Khan needed Jim just as much as Jim currently needed Khan's aid. Jim had a plan for that too though it had been in the works for the past months before he'd even realized what was happening to him or that he'd need it in the future as a kind of bargaining chip. One that he was more than well aware would not go over well with some members of his crew, if not _all_ of them. Unfortunately there was little choice at this point, and even though this may have seemed to only be to keep himself alive there was a bigger motive behind it all. As much as Khan had done to them, his people hadn't done anything to deserve a fate to unknowingly be used as hostages time and time again…and Jim was going to continue to push to ensure that it didn't happen later down the line. The methods of doing so were in the works, and Scotty was already working on it after they'd had a long talk which had admitably needed to wait until he'd gotten the Chief Engineer plenty drunk enough to actually listen.

Then there was Spock.

About four days removed from his talk with Khan, the young Captain was seeing to a few matters about the upcoming voyage as well as preparations for it. Namely the preparations that needed to be done without the whole of Starfleet knowing about them. Scotty was good so Jim wasn't worried, but it never hurt to be careful. At least in these circumstances. Given that he needed to have Bones see that he was given doses of their prescribed cocktail fairly regularly, however, he was checking over all of this in the medical ward he seemed to be unable to escape. Bones himself had left a good while ago to deal with personnel problems which translated to the fact he was going to try and see his little girl for the umpteenth time during their stay while the _Enterprise_ was repaired. So far he'd not had any luck as his ex kept denying him for one reason or another, but Jim had been given plenty to last for another attempt and the Captain had urged him to try rather than worry about him. It wasn't long after the CMO had left that Spock appeared.

After everything the two of them had gone through it wasn't that much of a surprise that the two commanding officers would be able to read each other. It wasn't flawless by no means given the differences between them, but while others might see a decently calm Vulcan walking into the room Jim saw Spock stalking in with at tight jaw and overly perfect and ridged posture. Much as Spock tried to retain the cool and logical mindset of other Vulcans there were always a few cracks that were just waiting for something to split that composure wide open. Normally it occurred when Jim was injured or hurt…or dead, as he'd been told. Given that Khan was the source of quite a lot of pain and suffering along with the reason that Jim had died in the first place it was really no wonder that Spock might be more than a touch upset that the Captain had, as it were, let the augment out of his cryotube without consulting him first.

"Captain," Spock greeted coolly, coming to a stop and assuming a parade rest. Oh yes. He was certainly in for it.

"Mr. Spock." Jim returned, setting his PADD aside slowly in favor of giving the other his full attention. The drugs he'd been given kept his condition roughly stabilized, but it wasn't perfect. They kept him from getting too weak and kept his fluctuating body in check well enough for a time to keep anything worse from happening. That didn't mean it was impossible for things to start acting up.

"It has come to my attention that Khan has been released from his cryotube by your request," Spock stated, voice clipped.

"Yes. He's the only one that's going to know what's happening to me." Jim reminded.

"That does not mean that he can be trusted. He is a murderer and terrorist, Captain…Jim…He should be kept contained to prevent further damages."

"He's not going anywhere when he knows his crew is at stake, and it's not like I'm letting him walk around freely."

Spock's eyes narrowed slightly. "You informed him that his crew is alive."

"Of course I did. Do you really think he'd still be in his cell if he hadn't been told?"

"I had suspected as much, but I had hoped to find that you had not taken a reckless course of action. It appears that I was mistaken to believe as much might have been a possibility."

"I have things under control, alright?"

"That is what Admiral Marcus believed before Khan escaped his admitably questionable influence and was murdered violently."

Jim winced. "I'm not treating him like Marcus did."

"It's irrelevant to take into account how Khan is treated as it will nevertheless end the same."

"Look, Spock…I'm keeping him out until I figure out what's happening to me. It's not like I've gone rouge and done this without authorization."

"With all due respect, Captain, your capacity for judgment may very well be compromised due to your current condition –a condition that is highly likely to be caused by Khan's blood. I strongly recommend we ensure that Khan is placed back into his cryotube and that myself and Doctor McCoy work to the best of our combined abilities to help you instead." Spock spoke as if the decision was final and that it was up to him. While Jim could obviously see where the other was coming from with all of his points there also wasn't much choice they had in his honest opinion. There was always dying, but before that stage hit there was the problem with uncontrolled rage and the strength that could end with severe injuries if not kept under control. Whatever the reason to not involve Khan it didn't necessarily matter as the result of it all would be the same; he'd hurt someone else like he had his assailant outside of Starfleet Headquarters. It would be inevitable, and Jim didn't want that. If Spock hadn't been there he'd have killed the kid in public and in broad daylight without the ability to stop himself. At the time he hadn't felt anything but the need to draw blood and had seen nothing wrong with it due to how blinded he'd been by rage.

"Will you please just trust that I know what I'm doing?" Jim asked, sighing in frustration. How could Spock not see that he was doing what he could to be careful? He was giving out the information necessary, and he had a plan for once in his life all mapped out which should work in his favor because if he was completely honest with himself freeing Khan wasn't a completely selfish gesture. He'd been planning something for the past months that could get him in very, very serious trouble if he didn't play his cards right. Naturally he was very much hoping that he was playing them exactly right, but it wouldn't work if he died in the process because of his condition or if Khan was frozen again. Red started appearing around the corners of his vision.

Whether it was because Spock saw a change in Jim or it was the Captain's words actually swaying him, the Commander finally nodded. "Very well, Jim…However I believe that it would be best if you and I were to speak with Khan together so that I may judge if his blood is causing a lapse in judgment as I've hypothesized."

The red grew just a touch more pronounced in his vision. That uncontrolled, illogical rage beginning with the smallest trigger. What normally might have been a mild irritation or annoyance that Jim would have taken in stride was now becoming just that more pronounced and setting off a chain reaction of overwhelming emotion. "Fine. We can go now."

* * *

><p>Unsurprisingly Khan was exactly how Jim had left him four days prior. The augment was in fresh clothes –black and similar to the style which he'd had before –as the Starfleet Captain had ensured that he'd be well kept, prisoner or no. There was no need to be barbaric about this. As Jim and Spock approached the white paneled cell the single occupant watched them with a raised brow. When the two came to a rest before the clear barrier keeping them apart Spock assumed parade rest and Jim stood with arms crossed over his chest. The two of them could not have possibly looked more opposite from each other.<p>

"To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, Captain?" Khan asked as his cool gaze moved to Spock. The sudden tension between them was palpable, but it wasn't a surprise. While Jim was experiencing rage issues the occasional outbreak of emotion from Spock could be awful as well. He'd not been able to witness it, but he'd been told just how Spock had reacted to his death.

"And what of you, Mr. Spock? I would question if you intended to use me for an experiment or study, but I know that you are far too bound in your own code to do much more than stand and wish you had a reason to attack me again."

"My only purpose is to be an observer in this conversation," Spock replied, equally cool as the Vulcan retained a largely emotionless mask. If there was any time where Jim envied the other's control, then now would certainly be one of those times as the red hadn't faded from his vision but grown steadily more pronounced. Little things were making it worse, and while Jim looked outwardly alright if not a bit tensed nothing indicated what was building inside him. At least nothing indicated a thing to the unknowing observer as Spock had seemed to become a bit more cautious in how he phrased certain things.

"Spock here thinks that your blood is leaving my judgmental capacity compromised." Jim explained when Khan's gaze moved back to him. The augment appeared amused by the fact.

"Something which you clearly believe to be false. I do wonder how you can be so sure of the fact."

"Are you implying that the Captain is indeed being affected by the blood in a way which would best service you?" Spock questioned, jumping right in on the other's words even as his tone remained the same smooth inquisitive one. At the given moment and given the current circumstances Jim saw it as Spock leaping at every opportunity to prove that he was not fit for active command…as Spock trying to usurp him and take his ability to make his own calls away. The red thickened like blood around the edges of his vision and his jaw tightened subtly.

"You are very eager to find a reason to believe that your Captain's decisions can be justified as being anything outside his own wants." Khan mused with a low chuckle, cold gaze gleaming. "Do you truly trust his judgment so little." It didn't help that the augment was practically voicing Jim's exact thoughts and assessment of the situation which only seemed to speed the process along.

"I am merely open to all possibilities in light of recent events," Spock said. The augment was still unaware of the rest of the effects that his blood had on Jim. The Captain hadn't told everything all at once for a reason as despite what he'd been planning he didn't trust Khan in the slightest. The only thing which he trusted was the other's desire to keep his family alive. It would not surprise him if the knowledge that Jim was practically a ticking time bomb ready to be set off would be more than useful to Khan to use against them. The plan had been that he'd introduce information about what was happening to him as slowly as he could manage without things getting too out of hand. Given that Jim's mental state was degrading the initial plan was going to have to be changed around quite a lot.

The conversation –if it could be called one –between Spock and Khan continued though Jim had stopped paying attention in favor of trying to calm himself while he still could. He wasn't too far gone yet, but it was so hard to retain a logical and rational mind when the haze of anger and red blood seemed to overpower everything else. If the other two men noticed the internal dilemma going on while they continued their verbal spar of accusations and sarcastic remarks, then they certainly didn't seem bothered by it. Frankly that meant that each had become absorbed in their 'conversation'. Spock still seemed wary of Jim, but Khan who didn't know the Captain as well wouldn't know signs that the Vulcan would. Jim was only half paying attention at this point to what the others were doing. It was more paying attention to know if he was spoken to which he wasn't, but if he focused too much on the conversation and less on staying calm he'd likely snap at a small thing said. His body wasn't the only thing in a state of flux.

The haze had begun to dissipate when footsteps could be heard approaching. Jim looked up with a furrowed brow as he could tell that the steps were heading towards the cell block. He glanced to Spock, but the Vulcan hadn't seemed to have heard though the verbal sparring had paused as Khan seemed to have not responded to the last thing said. Jim could tell it was because Khan heard the approaching footsteps too, and before long so did Spock.

"Have you extended the invitation to speak with me to everyone, Kirk?" Khan questioned grimly.

"No, I haven't." Jim replied, but he felt that the comment was unnecessary. Red that had begun to dissipate was slowly coming back with unease as he got a sudden feeling in his gut that this wasn't going to end well. While not always right his gut was accurate more often than not, and Jim had an awful feeling for one reason or another.

"It was my understanding that information regarding his removal from cryosleep was classified." Spock stated.

"It was." The cell block was still devoid of other prisoners save for Khan, and since it was reserved for more dangerous ones the layout of the room was circular with only five cells in total. The cells themselves were advanced to contain highly intelligent and strong prisoners, but outside of the cells the layout was open with little area to provide cover if none at all. All of this occurred to Jim as the doors opened and three men walked in. They were dressed like doctors.

"Hello, Captain." One said, tall and blonde with a false smile and dark gaze. "You sent for medical officers to check on Mr. Singh?" Before Jim or Spock could reply the other two men drew phasers and shot them. The weapons were set to stun, thankfully. It was something that Jim could tell after his fair share of experiences being on the receiving end of phaser fire. What was different, however, was that even as he fell it was more from the instinct that he _should_ be. He knew almost instantly something was wrong however. The blast had stung like being electrocuted, but it had been brief and he'd not been rendered unconscious unlike Spock who lay motionless beside him. The realization that Spock was down had red rushing into his vision quickly. If there was one thing that would always get to him it was someone trying to hurt his own family, but seeing the tactical advantage in playing possum he remained still and did just that despite the sudden and overwhelming urge he had to end the lives of the men who had dared attack them.

"Jenette, check on them. Make sure the Vulcan's out." A voice he recognized at the blonde ordered. A quick 'yes sir' came from one of the two men who had shot them before he heard what he presumed to be the same man move forward to check on Spock. Obviously they were disregarding Jim as a potential threat given that the Captain was human. Technically he _should_ have been out cold rather than lying in wait patiently as the unhinged urge to draw blood settled deep in his core and wiped away everything else.

"So Marcus's dogs come out of hiding at last." Khan said coolly.

"The Vulcan's down, sir. Phasers were set to full capacity so they won't be getting up for awhile."

"Very good." The blonde again. "Hello freak."

"Eloquent as ever. Though I suppose I am dealing with the cowards left alive from running." It was Khan again, and Jim risked opening his eyes just enough to see if anyone was paying attention to him. No one was, and that was perfect.

"You're the coward that worked through bombs." Always the blonde talking, it seemed.

"Yet you stand behind a barrier to prevent me from reaching you. You kept my family as an incentive to not kill all of you sooner."

"It's not cowardice it's intelligence –"

"Something which you lack."

"—and you are a freak of nature that was designed to be a tool and weapon. We were carrying out your purpose."

"My purpose was not to allow you and others to torture me and experiment on me when I was not working to build your weapons." Khan's voice was cold as he spoke, and by now Jim had caught on to the fact that these people were remnants of Section 31. After the facility in London had been destroyed many members had died, others had scattered at the order of Marcus. Once Marcus had been killed, however, those who Khan had not already killed went into hiding now that Starfleet was looking for them as well. Jim had been aware that all of the members, all of the sleeper agents or scientists couldn't have been tracked down and caught. He hadn't expected them to come after Khan, and certainly not like this. Nevertheless none of that truly mattered to Jim at the given moment. All he cared about was the Vulcan lying beside him on the ground. A member of his crew, his family, unconscious because of the actions of the three who had entered the cellblock.

Opening his eyes fully Jim took in his surroundings. The three were in front of Khan's cell, the blonde out front speaking while the two that had stunned (or tried to) both himself and Spock stood a few steps behind the ringleader on either side. Slowly and silently the young Captain pushed himself up to his feet as if he hadn't been hit with the phaser. He looked none the worse for wear in the slightest, and he moved forward with a cold and ruthlessly calculating expression which did not belong on his face. Khan, the only one actually facing him, had obviously seen the movement as Jim picked up on the tells. The Captain had no qualms with him at the moment, however, so he was not given his attention as the focus of his rage was on the three members of Section 31.

"— needs to come at any cost. The Klingons won't wait for us to be prepared." The blonde had continued on unaware of the danger lurking behind. Rather than respond Khan verbally, Jim saw that the augment only smirked while his icy gaze gleamed.

"What in the hell are you so smug ab—"

Jim struck. While death was something that couldn't always be avoided he'd prided himself in the past on being able to do his best to ensure all other alternatives could be taken to outright murder. Self-defense could be tricky like that as there were times there wasn't a choice, but he tried. There was no ounce of remorse or care when Jim snapped the neck of the man on the left which had been closest to him when he'd approached. The resounding snap of vertebra had the other two survivors including the blonde to turning to face Jim with varying looks of surprise. A phaser blast on stun setting hits him square in the chest and Jim pauses as his body is impacted. The moment passes quickly and his eyes narrow dangerously. He does not fall as he should have, and a curse comes from the blonde even as Jim takes advantage of his apparent immunity to being stunned to easily throw a punch that had the man dropping from lack of reacting in time. The last man leapt at him, attacking and hitting him and landing in a few blows in quick succession though as a fist comes round to slug him Jim's forearm come up to block. He barely feels the impact of stopping the blow from connecting as he shifts one of his legs to snake behind and around the other man's. A half-second later Jim is smashing a palm into the man's chest and he's falling back from the unnatural force of it as well as the compromised balance. In the struggle he'd grabbed the man's phaser and shot him with it. The blast was no longer on stun. He turned again to the last man alive. The blonde. The man had stumbled up and was attempting to fight him, but Jim easily grabbed the fist which had been meant to return the punch to the jaw before he squeezed and crushed the hand. A scream escaped from the other before Jim had the same arm of the crushed hand twisted up to the small of his back as he slammed the blonde into the clear barrier of Khan's cell. Jim's free hand was curled around the back of the man's neck and his legs and lower body kept the other's pinned.

"So, Captain, this is what you hide from me." Khan mused, the first he'd spoken since Jim had stood. He looked up from the man he had pinned to the augment. Khan was situated in front of them with hands clasped behind his back and an amused and interested gleam in his eyes and a smirk curling his lips.

"K-Kirk," the pinned man gasped out. "I c-can make it—" A scream cut off the rest of the offer about to be made as Jim squeezed the hand he'd crushed.

"You harmed my family," Jim hissed in response, and he saw Khan's gaze move behind him to what he presumed to be Spock. The Vulcan would still be unconscious most likely, and the reminder only had the red haze thicken and threaten to consumed more of him as his lips twist in a snarl.

"I-I d-didn't. It was Adams and J-Jenette." The blonde stuttered, and Jim scoffed in disgust and displeasure.

"A coward, as I said." Khan stated, and Jim's gaze flicked back up to Khan completely for several moments. When the blonde tried to use the distraction as an opportunity to attack Jim twisted the arm until a crack could be audibly heard before the scream was ripped from the other's throat. He'd broken the arm.

"D-Damn you." Jim twisted to break the arm in a different place and the struggling stopped though pained whimpers and whines sounded. Unimpressed he pursed his lips before going to snap the neck.

Khan's cool voice gave him pause. "James Tiberius Kirk. The man who you wish to kill is not worth wasting the effort to kill when there is information to be had. You say he harmed your family. You have killed two who were most directly involved. Leave the man who used and threatened mine to me." Jim didn't want to, but Khan's words were cool and soothed the burn of rage and the need for revenge. He'd killed the two who had actually fired on them, yet. That was more than enough…in fact it was _too_ much. With several moments of Jim relaxing slowly with the occasional word or two from Khan he calmed down again as the red left his vision and he came back to himself. It left him feeling weak in comparison, but then he was actually getting weaker. He backed off of the man whom he'd injured who dropped to the ground with a pathetic whimper.

"Freaks," the blonde snarled, and his jaw jerked as if he'd chomped down on something.

"No—" It was too late, and Jim sighed softly as he watched the man begin to froth at the corners of his mouth before slumping. The young Captain looked around at what he'd done, suddenly feeling sick along with his disorientation. His gaze landed on Spock and he made to move towards the other.

"There is nothing to do for your Commander." Khan said, and Jim's attention reluctantly is placed back onto the augment. "I imagine this is another reason as to why you were so desperate as to wake me to aid your condition."

"What is happening to me?" Jim asked, tired and feeling sick with himself.

"You see red, don't you Captain? A haze which brings with it anger, hate…the need to shed blood. Have you been having nightmares as well?"

"…"

"Yes, then. Tell me this, Kirk, what do you feel when this takes over your body? When you lose yourself and your control what do you feel as the rage consumes you?"

"I'm…strong. Stronger and faster than I've ever been before, but I shouldn't be able to do what I have. I can't crush bones or withstand phasers. I'm human not…"

"You mean to say that you are _better_, Captain." Khan said. "At everything."

**Hello! I'm sorry this took awhile, but again I warn you that I can't promise I'll update quickly. I'm doing my best, though, and I really appreciate the reviews I've gotten so thank you so those who have left them and thank you to anyone else reading this. Also, I look forward to more reviews and your thoughts on what's happened so far.**

**Have a good day**

**Reaperess ^-^**


	4. Chapter 4

Jim called Bones first. Spock was a priority and he needed to be taken to medical given the setting on the phasers had been ridiculously high even if they had been set to stun. Even as he spoke into his comm to get the man down to his location Jim's mind was swirling from what Khan had said to him. The words had brought on a shudder which had traveled down his spine slow enough to feel it pass through each vertebrae. He remembered all too clearly when he'd first heard similar words spoken, and it made him uncomfortable to think along the lines that Khan clearly wanted him to –namely that he and Khan were the same. It made him feel sick. More so than he already felt given he'd killed two men in cold blood and practically tortured another however short lived it had been. On top of it all he was suffering from the weakness that came with the end of his spells of temporary insanity which had him at pitiful vital levels. He already looked paler, eyes gaining the slightest hint of glassiness. It certainly couldn't have been the best of sights to be met with when his CMO arrived.

"Shit." Bones cursed on entering, let to stare with wide eyes at the three bodies which surrounded Jim. The signs of a weak spell were obvious, and the mangled arm of the blond slumped against the barrier of Khan's cell didn't along with the other two dead men were clear indications that Jim had lost control. It didn't look good for him at all. It wasn't as if he was going to deny what had happened to his best friend though, but it nevertheless was a gruesome sight. Brutal murder whether the Section 31 members deserved their fates or not was not something to be expected from Jim of all people.

"Just get Spock to medical," Jim said to which Bones seemed to react to in remembering the reason he'd been called in the first place. The Doctor knelt down beside the Vulcan and looked him over while Jim carefully stepped over the bodies, feeling mentally numb as he just tried to maintain his balance and not pass out from how terrible he felt on just the physical standpoint. The mental part of everything was something on a whole different level entirely.

"He's fine. Gonna be out for awhile, but nothing too bad." Bones said, moving to hoist the unconscious Spock carefully as he sent a backwards glance towards Jim. "What in the hell happened?"

"I'll tell you later," Jim promised quietly.

"Jim—"

"_Leonard_."

The Doctor hesitated, clearly wanting to continue pushing for answers before he sighed in frustration. "Watch your back, kid." He murmured, squeezing Jim's shoulder before he was taking Spock so he could be seen to.

Next was the mess with security. Jim called them to report assault from members of the rouge Section 31. As he relayed a vague explanation into the comm he glanced back at Khan who had remained silent since his chilling words. The augmented man was, unsurprisingly, watching him. The look in the man's eye didn't make Jim feel much better. It made him feel like he was being sized up and assessed by some sort of predator. Which was what Khan was –the engineered attempt of creating the perfect predator. The perfect soldier. Something which had back fired in the case of Khan and his people and had ended in the world being under their rule until finally being taken down. It was all the more reason to not want the comparison between himself and the other.

Naturally when security arrived next in the form of a few red shirts he was met with keen interest in what had happened. Given the state of the blond agent the assumption was made that Khan had gotten out. Jim did what he could to explain that he'd acted in self-defense alongside Spock, the latter of which was finally stunned leaving the Captain to use the necessary force to subdue the threats at hand. It helped that one of them had suicided given the other two of the three had been explicitly killed by Jim. Given that he was James T. Kirk, Captain of the _USS Enterprise_ he was given benefit of the doubt and not questioned too extensively. A blessing considering had anything happened otherwise he'd have been in deep water trying to find a way to get himself out again. The security team had the bodies removed, and after the long process of getting everything settled down it was back to how it had started days ago when first getting the augment out of the cryotube. Himself and Khan alone with a clear barrier the only means of separation. After a few moments of just breathing to regain his focus given his deteriorating state he finally turned and made his way back towards the cell to stand before it; to stand before Khan.

"What is happening to me?" he asked again, to which Khan offered a slow and cold smile.

"Always the same question. I'd think that it would be quite obvious even to you, Kirk. You are changing, becoming _better_ than you once were."

"I know my body is changing, but I don't know how or why beyond that it's your blood causing it." Expect with Khan's chilling words earlier he'd gotten quite a clear idea of just how he was changing. He still wanted Khan to confirm it and say it out loud. Somehow he could delude himself into thinking that it wasn't happening if he didn't hear it out loud which would just make it seem all that much realer.

"What was the cause of your death?"

Jim's brow furrowed slightly. "Radiation."

"Not just simple radiation from space or anything so easily fixed, but the radiation that the warp core of your ship emitted. Powerful waves that make the fact you managed to withstand them long enough to save your crew quite the feat for the human body to manage, but the end was inevitable. Had you died of natural causes then you likely would not have experienced many ill effects at all, but you also would not have been so easily revived."

"You see, Kirk, my blood fused with your body to heal you. The properties of it therefore changed you in accordance to the genetic code it was written with. Your strength, the rage, all of that is because of my blood rewriting your inferior body."

"But the girl you healed…she's perfectly healthy with no complications like this."

"You miss the point. Beside the fact that she was suffering from an illness, she also was not already dead or treated by a doctor who had little knowledge of the properties of what he was working with. That isn't the cause of your current situation and state."

"The radiation." Jim realized, things starting to click.

Khan smirked. "Exactly." He purred. "The radiation was breaking down your body cell by cell and killing them off, thereby killing you as well. The deterioration continued even past the time your heart stopped beating. When my blood was infused into your body without the proper preparation it was able to not only heal but also create new cells in the image of the biologically superior code which it contained to replace the irradiated cells. With these new cells in your body replacing the large amount which were killed your body is now fighting itself. The superior cells are overtaking the inferior ones and replacing them slowly over time –the process leaves you weaker and weaker as what remains of your body that is still fully human is pitifully attempting to fight off the conversion. It leaves you in a state of extreme decline such as what you feel now, I presume. If you drop too far then you will die."

"And if I don't die…?"

"If you survive then your body will have fully changed, and you will genetically become one of _my_ people. You will be as I am, as the members of my crew and family are…already you can see the similarities can't you? That rage you feel so acutely? It's all consuming, isn't it? Eager to flare up and quick to lead to shows of violence which you address with nothing but apathy if not contempt for the weakness of your opponents."

"Well how the hell do I control it?"

Khan chuckled mirthlessly. "It is not something which you can learn on your own, Kirk. There were plenty of early subjects that went into madness when my people were being designed before the scientists were able to learn how to stabilize them. If you wish to control it you will need my help."

Jim wasn't sure what to think about any of what he was being told. Naturally he'd known that he'd likely need Khan for whatever was happening to him, but if the augment was telling the truth then it went far deeper than that. Considering the fact that the truth meant that he could die from this or at the very least go mad and start killing people he didn't have time to waste beating around the bush. The problem laid in whether or not this was in all actuality the truth, or if it was Khan's attempt at deception. If he was running on a time limit then he had a time crunch which was going to make his plans all that much more difficult. He also had the threat of the remnants of Section 31 becoming an increasingly threatening reality which didn't necessarily make things all that much better either. If there were more roaming about –and there likely were—then they'd be in a difficult situation trying to keep Khan safe from not only the Admiralty but also from the rogue unit. Things just kept getting better and better for him, and the blond Captain sighed to himself in frustration.

"You already know my terms for cooperating with you." Khan said, cutting into Jim's thoughts. "Allow me to see that the cryotubes are intact and functional, and I may very well be inclined to help you in return."

"Yeah, we'll see about that." Jim muttered in response before turning and leaving the holding area.

* * *

><p>"How is he?" Spock had been taken back to Bones' part of the medical ward to be looked over while Jim had spent time going over revelations with Khan. His First Officer was still unconscious, but he was also breathing with a steady heart beat. In Jim's medical expertise having a pulse and being able to breathe was generally seen as a good sign.<p>

"He'll be fine. The phaser was just set on a ludicrous level, and on top of that it looks like he smacked his head when he collapsed." At the news Jim's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Hold on, now. He's going to be fine, Jim. Dammit, don't go crazy on me alright? I already have enough people to fix up without needing you and whoever you decide to tear apart in biobeds too."

The anger deflated. "Sorry…just wired."

Bones snorted. "Didn't notice."

The Captain rolled his eyes. "Khan knows what's wrong with me."

"No surprise there. It is his blood."

"I'm either going to die or I'm going to go through a genetic and biological change to become an augment like him and his crew."

There was a substantial pause on the Doctor's part as he stared at Jim. "You've got to be joking."

"I really wish."

"Well you can't take his word for it. Sure, he was right about practically feeding you drugs but that doesn't mean he's playing straight this time."

"I don't know what to think. If he's telling the truth then I don't have a lot of time here. On top of that we're dealing with Section 31 now."

"Speaking of which…you really did a number on them, kid. The Admiralty is gonna start asking questions if you keep doing things like that."

"Trust me, I'm not jumping at the chance to do it again."

"Look…all I'm saying is that we need to be careful. Maybe Khan can help, maybe he'll stab us in the back, but whatever happens you still have your own people to worry about."

"I know…Keep me updated on how he's doing?"

"You got it, kid."

**Hello! So this is far shorter than the other parts, but I was honestly just working to get this out to give anyone still reading and new readers something for being patient with me. I'm trying my best to write when I can, but school work is keeping me busy. I'm hoping to start writing more constantly, but we'll see how that works out.**

**Have a good day ^-^**

**Reaperess**


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