Some people hate the Vegas episode, some love it. I very much like the idea of a slightly crazy Todd and all the possibilities an alternative universe offers. So here my little excursion into the Vegas universe...

This story doesn't have a beta yet, the beta system and I don't get along too well. Please bear with me or volunteer ;)

I can see your destiny

Chapter 1

He knew when the lights would go out and he wastes no time leaving his prison cell. His body feels too heavy for he is weaker than ever and lacks all his strength and grace, but what is left of his sanity and pride tells him that he will not die a prisoner. Even if he can only make one step away from that glass cube he's been stuck in it is victory for him.

And he knows his fellow Wraith, who's responsible for the black out, can't help him here. Not because of the distance, walls and armed humans between them but because the other Wraith will die as well. The detective is on the way. And has arrived just now.

He has seen many worlds. All of them different yet in some ways the same. And he'd always seen much more than he should, for this reality's borders are the most transparent of them all. Yet right now his fellow Wraith whom the humans had been chasing opens up a rift, a slash through this universe's walls that allows him to see more than ever before.

And he laughs, the dark, weak laugh of someone who can't believe he's the only one totally screwed over. So many versions of him, so many fates and all better than what he is stuck with. And it's all tied to that man, to Sheppard. The damn human doesn't even know, but he is responsible for this Wraith's misery. All other Sheppards are men who refuse to give up, who fight on or believe in friends to come and rescue them. All other Sheppards come and pull this Wraith out of whatever dark hole he's stuck in, give him hope, sometimes even friendship. Different as the circumstances may be, this is the essence of it all, something reoccurring in all universes. This Wraith is down and Sheppard comes and helps him back to his feet.

But his Sheppard here is a loner who trusts no one but himself and has no hope what so ever. He will not come and get this Wraith out of his misery. No, Sheppard will die in the desert and this one will die right here on the floor in front of his prison, a slow and painful end for the both of them.

He sighs to himself. He'd prefer all other deadly fates of his that he's seen over this one.

Thoughts begin to swim again, they turn to fog with the familiar pain of hunger and isolation. It will not pass, it will only get worse. Though the Wraith doesn't even bother with trying to palliate it through meditation, it would just be dragging it out. Sheppard is dying in the desert and with him dies all hope. Without Sheppard this Wraith will find his end here in this facility called Area 51. He comes to the conclusion that sooner is better than later.

So he lies down.

With his barriers down all things around him come crashing down on his mind and he winces. He can sense all the humans around, the mix of their emotions. It's not soothing, not at all like the mind of a Hive but he bears that mortal coil. Only a few more minutes and all will be silent.

McKay's thoughts are on the surface of it all and he shakes his head as he tries to disperse the focus his subconsciousness had put on that man. But it's too late. He now knows that the humans are heading out to the blast side and McKay hopes they can still safe Sheppard, even though logic tells the human that it's too late.

But is it? His mind spreads out, sweeps the land with a last bout of energy. And there he is, a faint and weak beacon. Sheppard in the desert, barely hanging on to life.

He sighs once more. The humans might reach the man while he was still alive but they still couldn't help him fast enough. Humans don't heal like Wraith do.

And suddenly this Wraith sits up, back ramrod straight as he thinks. What... what if this time he has to help Sheppard first so Sheppard can help him and change things? What if even in this universe there is a chance that things will follow the pattern?

He needs to get out of here. He can heal Sheppard. But how can he get out of here? There is no use in telling the humans, they won't listen to him, they never do. And even if they did, there is still the small fact that he has to feed first if he is to be of any use. They won't let him do that, even if it is to safe Sheppard. So how to get out?

His body strains as he rises to his feet again, running only on last reserves and adrenaline, leaving him even more mortal than the humans are. He does not care. A purpose leaves his mind clearer than it has been in a while and his thoughts are quick. Feed. He needs to feed. For Sheppard, for himself.

Cullings and cocoons have made the younger Wraith lazy but he is older than some Hives are and a supreme hunter. Even though he hasn't done this in a while it feels natural as ever. Instincts are more precise than ever when on the edge of starvation and so it doesn't take him long to locate the first human. He assesses the risks. Then snares the human with all the power of his mind when the man is as close to the room with the glass cube as he will ever be. His quarry is dazed and confused and offers no resistance when pulled into the room. The Wraith laughs to himself. The humans have started to underestimate him greatly and now it comes back to bite them. Quite literally.

He stifles all sound as finally, finally he feeds. It's like being reborn and when he rises to his feet above the human's corpse he finally feels all Wraith again. One deep intake of breath that he slowly releases as he feels the energy course through his body. Then he wastes no more time.

The humans of Earth are easy prey to the powers of his mind, they have no resistance for something they don't know and are scared into motionlessness or a useless frenzy when they encounter the ghosts he projects. He runs and feeds, faster than they can lock down the complex. He knows the outlay, it's second nature to him to have an awareness of his surroundings. What he doesn't know he takes from human minds until he reaches the place where they store the ships they salvaged.

He picks one of the darts and inspects it as bullets begin to rain around him. Some hit but he has fed enough to not care. Pulling human computers from the craft he makes it ready again as good as he can. It's not perfect but it will do, it will be enough to reach Sheppard in time.

Quickly, he climbs into the pilot seat and ignores a bullet lodging in his collar bone as he reaches for the detective's mind. It is very faint but it is still there and so he loads the dart's weapons and fires at the hangar doors. The familiar whine of the engine is the best sound he ever heard.

High above the desert ground they shoot at him again, but this time he can't simply ignore it. The missiles of the human fighting crafts would bring his dart down and kill him. He is a skillful pilot but he knows there is a lot of luck involved this time for his craft is crippled but he has yet to be hit critically.

As the dart begins to trail smoke he spots the blast site where Sheppard and his fellow Wraith fought. Pointing the craft down he aims at the improvised barrier surrounding the perimeter and as he lands hard the dart breaks right through it, sliding into the middle of the black crater the humans bustle around.

The human air crafts do not fire on him anymore but he is faced with armed forces anyway as he climbs from the dart. The guards point familiar rifles at him but as he just stands on the wing of his dart they do not fire. They are probably confused, because he could have gone anywhere, could have gone to play hide and seek and build a communication device like the Wraith on whose remains he just landed, yet he took his dart here. Sometimes humans are slow, but this time they do understand he is here for a purpose. Rifle muzzles follow him as he jumps off the dart and walks, back straight and steps measured, towards the medic team crowded around the limp body on the stretcher. Only one person remains in his way, swallowing and sweating but keeping their ground.

"Doctor McKay," he says, cocking his head to the side as he assesses he man.

McKay opens his mouth, then closes it again as he remembers he does not know how to call this Wraith. "What do you want here?!" the man finally asks.

The Wraith has to give him credit, he's hiding his insecurity well for someone so easy to read. "Why do you think I am here?" he asks, smiling. He knows it doesn't reassure the humans in the slightest.

"The technology of your Wraith friend? Well, as you can see we blew it all up so you can now kneel down and put your hands behind your head!" McKay snaps, pointing his finger at the ground like this Wraith is a pet that lies down on command.

He laughs, something that frightens the humans even more than his smile. It makes him want to laugh and mock some more but he must not waste any more time. Sheppard's life has almost run out. "Why would I come to collect the scraps of something I could easily build myself by stealing material from that facility of yours I just broke out of?" while McKay splutters at both the display of logic from this Wraith he thought was over the edge and the reminder that this Wraith is more or less free, the Wraith lifts his hand to point one finger at the bloody form on the stretcher. "No," he says. "I came for him."

"Sheppard?!" McKay is more flabbergasted than ever. "What would you want with him?!"

"He is the key..." is the calm answer as the Wraith stares past the scientist at the dying detective. "Always the key, in every story. A fixed star on every night sky."

McKay furrows his brow at him. "Okay you're still crazy after all!" He then declares. "So the guy played the hero here, but what could he be to a Wraith he's only ever met once before for five minutes?!"

"You'll see soon enough," says the Wraith and silently hopes he's really right as he simply starts walking. He keeps his eyes on Sheppard, never looking at McKay as he walks past the man, always expecting that he'll need to dodge bullets. But the rifles keep silent, every thing and living being here is silent, there is only the rustle of the medics who retreat to a safe distance, leaving Sheppard to him. They seem to have given up on the detective, they can't save the man and why would a full Wraith feed on someone who just takes his last breath?

The Wraith looks at the still face then turns to the chest that has just fallen still as well. "You should have let me tell you your future..." he says. Then he slams his feeding hand down.