SoTtE Arc - 2

Tanya was walking through the train, trying to find her assigned room. It had been quite a while since she spoke to Khan. In that time, she was assigned to a rear unit only to be treated like an expendable lab rat, with each test ending in a massive explosion.

The whole affair ended with a very powerful jewel, now strapped to her chest, and the only way to use it properly and not explode was to pray. Shortly after that she was called to the Rhine and spent several months in active combat. Now she was on her way to a military academy for a chance to be promoted and assigned to a non-combat position.

She finally found her room, and when she open the door, she was surprised by who was waiting there.

"Hello Tanya, its been awhile. Oh, congratulations on surviving your combat tour and getting promoted." Khan was sitting there casually as if they were old friends. Tanya took her seat, and then said, "So, was it getting promoted or surviving combat that was the milestone you were talking about?"

Khan answered, "Technically neither, it's just at this particular time you are not under any observation from you know who or anything else that matters." Khan looked out the window for a moment as the train began to leave the station. Then he said, "If you're willing, I thought I continued my little story."

Tanya thought for a moment, and then she said, "Before that I like to ask you a question. You said, you don't remember how you died. I'm a little confused by that, since I can remember my death in vivid detail. So my question is, how?"

Khan answered, "Honestly I don't know, I did think about it while I drifted in the void. The only reason I can think of was either because, I was soundly asleep or the experience was so unbelievable and/or traumatic my brain simply refused to acknowledge it was happening."

Tanya thought about it for a moment. Then she said, "Alright, I suppose that works for now, so continue your story. I believe you had just made a choice."

Khan started, "That correct, and the moment I made the choice, a new panel appeared." Suddenly a blue panel appeared in front of Tanya.

[Your goal is to survive until: January 1st, 2030. Good luck.]

Tanya looked at it for a moment then said, "That's it? That is not a lot of information to go on." Khan responded, "No it wasn't, and neither was where I woke up. I was in a lab. Alarms blaring. I instinctively smashed the glass case I was in. It took me a moment to regain my footing so to speak."

"Honestly, if there wasn't such a pressing need to deal with the current situation, I don't know how long I would've just stood there enjoying the fact I was alive again. While rummaging through the lab I found some notes on me. It detailed what they did to me, turns out that I was some random homeless man they grabbed off the street, and how whenever they reference me it was as test subject: Delta."

Khan continued to tell Tanya about what happened from learning about other labs dedicated to making improvements for him and him raiding them. How he learned that during his raids the year was only 1988. How after successfully completing his raids, he escaped to a small isolated village in some European mountains. He described the mayhem, carnage, and chaos of it all.

He told her that after a few years, he decided to be more proactive about his survival. The capture of would be survivors, heroes, and villains. As well as the manipulation and death of others and how ultimately it ended with him dying in his sleep after he had past the goal decades earlier.

As the train slowed down to pull into the final stop, Khan had finished telling his story about his exploits in a universe he called Resident Evil. Upon hearing the end, Tanya said, "I get making your base in a isolated village, I even understand manipulating events and future threats before eliminating them all for your benefit. But why where you so obsessed with collecting women? To the point it seems you were willing to let potential threats last longer and risked them becoming actual threats."

Khan thought about it for a minute, then said, "Honestly, I'm not sure. Maybe it's an old personality trait left over from my first life, and I did it simply because I could. Or, and this is still just a guess, it could be a side effect of spending an unknown eternity in absolute isolation, with nothing but my thoughts to keep at bay the mind numbing boredom and soul crushing loneliness."

As the train stopped, Khan said, before leaving, "That's it for now, I'll tell you the next part of my tale after you receive your next assignment, until then, enjoy your new school life."

While being driven to her new dorm room, Tanya thought about what Khan had told her. 'That Khan, I can't tell if he's a genius or just a reckless idiot. He took advantage of the fact he had knowledge of future events and used them to his advantage. As one should, but he didn't really use it for anything except building himself a harem and a life of luxury.'

Tanya paused for a moment at that thought. '... I guess I can't fault him for that last part, considering my own goals. I guess I'll listen to the rest of his story, and try to figure out his plans for me. Of course if he's just trying to add me to his list of conquests, I'll make sure to unleash my strongest spell right on his crotch.'

...

Khan was sitting on the roof of the officer's academy. He was pondering about his life before all this started. He thought about the answer he gave Tanya when she asked about his harem building. Either answer could've been the truth. It also could just as easily be both.

These next six months will probably be as boring as the last few months. Khan thought, 'Perhaps I should start being my proactive in Tanya's military career. After all, she will need to see what I'm capable of, sooner or later.'

Khan looked at the skills he bought during his down time. Most were just him buying because he could, but two were actually thought through. First was the Share Archived Information which allowed him to show any panel he has ever seen with others.

The other was called Shadow Wall. A passive skill that causes any type projectile fired at him to veer off course. As long as it not fired at point blank range or was so massive in collateral damage that missing wouldn't matter, he will never be injured by ranged attacks.

Khan thought about Tanya's future. Technically he didn't lie, but he doesn't really remember what happened to her after her battle with the Russy Federation.

'While Tanya is the ultimate goal, I have to wonder if there is anyone else worth having.'

The list was small, and of course he couldn't count any who would be his by default if he was successful in recruiting Tanya. Khan thought about it, the list was small. Outside of Tanya, anyone of note was either too old fashion in dealing with things, or never had that big of a role, in either the novel, manga, or anime.

Still, most of the good ones would join up in Tanya's mage unit. He thought about how it was probably best to start going over personal files. Since no one at strategic HQ was a mage there was no chance of anyone noticing him. It would also be a useful use of his time.

...

Tanya was in a foul mood. The dinner where she expected to be told she be free from combat, had turned into a recommendation for a permanent post on the front. Her mind was currently racing on how to delay her deployment for as long as possible.

As she turned a corner, she was briefly surprised by the sight of Khan, until she remembered that he told her that they would meet again once she got her new assignment. She scowled and said, "You knew this would happen didn't you."

It wasn't a question, but he still answered and said, "That in your effort not to be seen as a coward by the top brass, you would be seen as an aggressive soldier and be put in charge of a mobile combat unit? Yes."

Tanya then through gritted teeth asked, "Then why didn't you warn me?!" Khan kept a blank look and said, "Tanya, what good would it have done, honestly?" Tanya got a confused look and then Khan said, "You are up against something that is dead set on having you fight the entire world before you'll ever have a chance at peace." Tanya expression grew solemn as she thoughts about the implications. Khan then said, "But you are right, I should have warned you. So, to make it up, consider my combat temporarily at your disposal."

Tanya suddenly grew suspicious of his supposed generosity. Then she asked, "Why would you do that?" Khan simply smiled in response.