Battling the Demons Within

[Victria 0]

"See something you don't like?" Victria emerged from the shadows of Corizon's quarters, pale skin sharply contrasted against the black she wore. How long had she been lurking without him sensing her there? Fluid movements brought her ever closer, icy gaze fixed on his face. She wore her usual half smirk, obviously amused by something. "Your heart rate is elevated and your pupils are slightly dilated. Nightmare?"

 

A low growl escaped his lips. His fists unrolled and his claws extended. "Breaking into a senior officer's quarters, let alone your commanding officer's, is a serious offense, Ensign." How long had she been standing there? How could he have missed her? Was he really so wrapped in his own problems that he'd become inattentive?

 

"The door was unlocked and you didn't answer the chimes. I feared for your safety." It was a blatant lie and he knew it, but he'd never be able to prove otherwise. She moved closer still, ignoring the challenge in his voice and movement. When she was only inches away, she paused and inhaled deeply. "But while I have you alone, now is the perfect time for us to... talk."

 

"Talk? About what?" He said coldly.

 

"Since the discovery of the Al-Ucard attack, your attitude toward me has changed. I've seen the glances you've thrown my way when you thought I wasn't looking. It is as though you've suddenly realized what it is you've brought on board..." She leaned forward, lips close to his ear as she whispered. "... a monster."

 

"It's not you that I fear," his voice shaken for the first time. Eyes closing, his ears flattened back.

 

Pearly fangs gleamed as she smiled. "No, it isn't. I know the truth. I've read the files and reports. I know what you are. I know what you've done. You hear the tales of the monstrous Al-Ucard and their slaughter, and you fear... that you are no different."

 

Ignoring for the moment that she'd broken into his files, he turned to face her. "I am nothing like you... or them."

 

"If you tell yourself that enough, perhaps you will begin to believe it." She snapped her teeth in contempt. "The smell of fresh blood excites you. The scent of fear on your prey is enough to drive you mad. You are a killer. It comes naturally to you."

 

"You look at me like I am some sort of monster, and perhaps I am... but you are one as well."

 

"I am not a monster," he protested. "I don't kill for pleasure. I only kill when I have to. And when I do kill... I do it surgically. Your people are butchers..."

 

"We Hunt for food. We kill when we have a purpose. The massacre on the ship may have been brutal, but there was a reason behind the attack. They were looking for someone. Your survivor confirmed that."

 

"Don't look at me in disgust when you know you are no better. What would your precious crew say if they ever saw you rip a man limb from limb with your bare hands?" She whispered in his ear again, her warm breath caressing his skin. "Monster... killer... freak..."

 

He snarled at her, looking at her angrily. "You should take care, lest you release the monster you seek..." His breath had warmed, his heart pumping hard and furious. The claws on his hands extended. Corizon always kept control, but that control was rapidly weakening.

 

"So you do admit that there is a dangerous creature lurking beneath that perfectly calm Starfleet facade." She grinned at him, still invading his personal space. "Would you dare let it loose? Are you afraid of what you might do?"

 

Without a blink he'd grabbed her and whirled around, holding her against the wall with one hand. "My people were bred for war. From the earliest days of my life, I've been trained in the art of combat and war..." His claws tightened around her throat and his yellow eyes seemed to glow in the dim light.

 

"And how is that different from me?" She glared at him. Her forearm slammed into his wrist, breaking the hold he had on her. Her other hand, curled into a fist, connected with his chin, and knocked him back several steps. Tiny rivulets of blood trickled down the pale column of her neck where he had punctured her skin.

 

She pushed off the wall and launched herself at him, tackling him so that they both hit the floor. Snarling as she loomed over his face, she dug her fingernails into his arms. "Combat, war, Hunting... they all lead to killing. Admit you are no different."

 

Showing his own strength, he pushed her off him and reversed their position, placing his powerful hands and claws on her shoulders. Breathing into her ears with heavy growls, he snarled. "You are coming dangerously close to reaching my tolerance." Adrenaline fueled him. The rage inside him welled. The caged beast rattled the hinges.

 

"And if that happens...? You will rip out my throat? Devour my heart?" She grinned up at him as she drew her legs between their bodies and catapulted him off. On her feet in an instant, she darted across the room to follow him, slamming him face first into the wall. Keeping him pinned with her own body, she pressed her lips against his ear. "You prove my point for me, Ah-Windu."

 

He broke her grip and whirled to face her. Looking into her eyes, he pushed her away from him but did not retaliate. "That's where you're wrong..."

 

She ran her tongue over her fangs as she backed away, still staring at him. Besides the blood on her neck, she also had small holes in her shirt where his claws had penetrated, though the wounds had already healed over. "How?"

 

Still holding her gaze. "There is a human saying, 'Take care when fighting monsters, lest you become one.' Somewhere along the way... fighting all the monsters... I might have become one. But you... you were born one and know nothing else."

 

"But that does not mean I cannot change. Since I've been on board, I've done nothing to put you, your crew, or this ship in danger. Would you not agree?"

 

Ears flattened, he stared at her for a long moment, then reluctantly nodded.

 

She drew close, though this time her movements were not threatening. "Then remember that as we continue on this mission. You may see more senseless slaughter, but don't treat me as though I took part in it."

 

Her voice dropped to a whisper as her gaze shifted to where she'd wounded his arm and the blood that oozed from the punctures. "I struggle for control even as you do, but I'm not the one in this room that lost it."

 

He tried to form words, but they wouldn't come. After some time he looked at her, letting a deep breath escape his lips. "If you don't mind... I'd like to be alone."

 

"If that is your wish." She touched his arm briefly, fingers wiping away the blood and bringing it to her lips. "I did not seek you out to start a fight, but only to make you understand. I won't make another attempt."

 

As she reached the door, she paused but did not glance back. "If you would like to continue the conversation - or have anything to say to me, you know where my quarters are located."