Characters: John S/ Rodney M / Jennifer K / Ronon D/Todd
Het/Slash/Gen: Gen
Category: Action/Adventure, Friendship, Humour & some preship if you squint.
Word Count: 2805
Warning: Violence, language
Spoilers: None
Disclaimer: The show would have been darker, more Wraithy and run longer if it were mine.

March Prompt: " There is much about Wraith that you do not know..."


Summary: Team Shep bring back an Ancient artefact which could assist both Wraith and human to greater understanding. Maybe?

There is much about Wraith that you do not know...

The words spoken to him so long ago seemed almost laughable now, Sheppard thought as he crouched behind yet another rock with some native or other from the Pegasus Galaxy baying for his blood. These particular natives had decided his presence – well, the presence of any Lantean – was unwelcome as it had come to be common knowledge they had a Wraith ally. And as these natives had a weaponry everything indicated they shouldn't – namely intel from Wraith ally – a weaponry they showed remarkable skill at wielding, he kinda felt the sentence should've been 'the Wraith know crap about the human populations of planets and should pay more attention to what's going on instead of relying on arrogant assumption'. If he managed to make it back through the 'gate, he was so going to share that insight with Todd.

Hunkering beside him, said Wraith was sharing a look of mutual peevishness with Ronon, also behind the rock which, had thus far saved their sorry asses. The zing of a projectile scorched the air over their heads and ricocheted off more rocks behind them, luckily into the air and away from cringing flesh. That the accuracy of the natives had improved did not escape anybody's notice.

On his other side, McKay was busy bitching about how, invariably, taking note of any suggestion from Todd ended up with them up to their necks in shit, and their Wraith ally likely to have a greater advantage than he did before. Was this a theme? Rodney was clear about his feelings on the matter and, now he'd had more than enough time to dwell on it, so was John.

"This is fun," he remarked, earning himself a razor-sharp grin from the Wraith Commander, but willing to deal with the issue at a later time, "but not getting us anywhere fast. Ideas?"

"Cover me and I will dial Atlantis," Todd suggested, his slitted eyes already fastening on the distance he needed to cover, calculating his path. "I stand a better chance than your people, Sheppard."

"Maybe…"

"Yeah, but did we get what we came for?" interjected Rodney, blue gaze scanning the Wraith, looking for any duplicity. "I mean, is that crystal all you wanted?"

Sharing a look with the Canadian, Todd grunted then, handing McKay the pale, primrose yellow crystal, warmed from his fingers, added, "You will be impressed, Dr. McKay with the information on this small piece of Ancient tech. There are details regarding ZPM's and their manufacture which will be more than a little useful to both our factions."

"Well, yeah…" the physicist agreed, somewhat reluctant to place himself on the same side, then ducked again as more bullets went over their heads. "Holy crap…!"

"I would appreciate it," Todd murmured, moving stealthily past the Satedan, "if you would take care of it while -"

"Hold on," John said, irritated. "Did I miss something? Did I say you could come over all heroic and save the damn day?"

Ronon snarled, the flesh wound on his arm had not helped his temper. "Let him go, Sheppard, and maybe he'll get killed."

Hooding his eyes, Todd smiled again, all teeth, enunciating with great care, a purr evident in the words, "But then, Ronon, we would be unable to play our little game, and think how frustrating that would be for you?"

"Cut the BS, the pair of you. When we get back to Atlantis will be soon enough to get down with the testosterone battle, okay?" John didn't bother hiding his impatience, and gave a curt nod to Todd to indicate he concurred. "Get going."

Slipping forward, Todd gave a low chuckle, and muttered, "And just in case the vision of my back presents too great a temptation for you, remember that without me your efforts to decipher the crystal will be for nothing."

Snapping a glance to Rodney, Sheppard could see reluctant concurrence with that assessment in the physicist's eyes. "Go!"

Taking no further time to consider the decision, Todd leapt out, picking up speed as he moved, leather and silver streaming behind him as he took a barrage of slugs before leaping on two of the armed men. Grabbing one and, wrapping his arm in a stranglehold, secured him as a shield then, clamping his feeding hand on the other, he roared as the feeding slit bit down through cloth and flesh, life filtering into his body then when the transfer was complete, the native nothing but a dried husk to discard, he continued forward, unstoppable as a train.

Bullets hailed their way towards him as the remaining humans attempted to hold their position, their defense of the portal now almost desperate but, sheltered behind a corpse, the Wraith fought his way to the DHD. Todd was a whirlwind of rapid movement, blood rage carrying him on swift feet to his destination, the body a ragdoll he discarded as burdensome, dropping it to the ground. Moving into position, he punched in the code with fleet, decisive movements as he heard the shout of his associates, the whine of energy weapons and the rattle of P90's, the bright flare from the weapons muzzles lighting the way in the dusk just as the wormhole thundered into existence, the blue of its water-like surface rippling and glowing, shuddering as it consumed one of the natives in its violent surge.

Watching the 'Lantean team through the glowing accretion disk as they raced past him, continuing to shoot at the encroaching, pissed off army, Todd was charged by a last desperado as he lunged for the wormhole's event horizon, plunging through the matter stream to emerge on the other side with the man still grappling with him. Furious, fuelled by the surge of life and enzyme in his system, the Wraith flipped him backwards, rolling into position over the prone and now terrified human, then clamped down on his chest, hissing pleasure as he drained the life out of his attacker as the light from the 'gate subsided, the unintentional spotlight dead. Coming up from the feeding, maw still red with blood that spattered the cadaver, Todd whirled round into the face of Ronon's stunner as it hummed to life, and he growled, the sound changing to become a deep laugh as he met the light eyes of the Satedan along the length of the barrel.

Rising to his full height, the Wraith looked over at McKay, dismissing the Satedan as if he was no more than a gnat. "I believe we have work to do, Doctor?"

"What about that?" John asked, indicating the husk left lying on the ramp, and staring at his 'brother' with more than a little annoyance.

"Oh -" Todd purred, stepping away and moving as one with his escort of guards – "I feel certain you will deal admirably with that, Sheppaaarrd."

Rodney watched Todd with great interest and narrowed his eyes as the Wraith scientist made his way to the bank of monitors, his intention quite clear about overseeing the sequence of data as it streamed. Crossing to stand at the Wraith's side, he pursed his lips and huffed out a sigh, catching glimpses of code as it flashed past. The only response he got was a slight shift in stance and a brief look from the corner of green-gold reptilian eyes.

"What else is on this crystal?" he asked, certain there was something being hidden from him, but could not for the life of him see it. The technical information, on its own, was stunning, impossible to attempt at the moment, but certainly gave him some ideas about how they might be able to cobble together some of the Asgard tech and Ancient into improving the power relays for the generators. Manufacture of ZPM's might have to come later through the lack of raw materials and an adequate industrialized base, and from the look on the Wraith's face, it was something that had occurred to him too.

Todd made a 'hmm' noise, his long fingers moving over the keyboard swiftly as he extracted the information he wanted, and launched it in another application. "There is, indeed, more on this crystal than I at first realised, Dr. McKay."

"Like what?"

"Possibly," Todd said, hesitant, "an answer to the issues Jennifer has been experiencing with the retrovirus and its application for changing us."

Blinking, the Canadian's expression was one of confusion. "Jennifer…?" Then McKay refocused, shaking it off – he would deal with that later – wanting details about this vague 'more'. "And…?"

The Wraith smiled, the grin wide and predatory, his gaze fixing on the human so he shifted from foot to foot. "Something that will allow you to know a little more about Wraith, but not quite enough."

"Yeah, but what?"

Enigmatic, Todd crossed to the main terminal and retrieved the crystal, turning it in his fingers. "Ah, for that Dr, McKay, I will need to go to the infirmary and speak with Jen-ni-fer."

The human scowled. There it was again. "Maybe you'd better tell me before we go see Dr. Keller."

"Maybe," the Wraith responded, mocking him, "I will require her to come with me to my hive to access some of the information she will need to truly understand what this data represents."

"And maybe," McKay countered, pissed off with the game, "you can just quit and tell me what we want to know." He made a quick jerk of the chin and the marines pointed their weapons at the still too smug alien. "Maybe."

Snorting with derision, Todd stood his ground, undeterred. "As much as I think you are an able physicist, your ability in the biological disciplines leaves much to be desired -" folding his arms, he gave a little shrug, adding - "which means either Dr. Beckett or… Jennifer is required, and as Carson Beckett is not here..."

He trailed off as Sheppard entered the lab, scanning both Todd and McKay with expectation, but the looks on each of their faces left him feeling a tad concerned. The Wraith looked pleased with himself, and was lounging against the top of the work bench with his arms folded, and McKay as if he was chewing on wasps.

"What gives?"

"Not much," grouched McKay. "And definitely nothing from our so called ally here, who wants to talk to – get this – Jennifer."

"Does he now," mused the Colonel. He addressed Todd then. "So… since when were you on first name terms with our CMO?"

Tilting his head, Todd gave another shrug. "I fail to see the relevance of that, Sheppard but -" he leaned forward, slitted eyes narrow, glinting with humour – "I am certain she will want to see this."

Pursing his lips, the Colonel gave a reluctant nod. "Okay, but if this is any of your -"

The Wraith gave a bark of laughter. "Bullshit, as you so quaintly phrase it?" He huffed out a sigh and shook his leonine head. "No, it is not."

Taking a long sip of coffee, Jennifer pulled a face at the taste, knowing the caffeine would hit her system like a brick very shortly as she hadn't eaten for several hours. This was the trouble when a team came back from some goddawful backwater planet with no sanitary arrangements and a damn fool had eaten fruit washed in the local water. The resultant bowel infection, which had brewed and passed with inevitable efficiency to numerous personnel before it had been stopped in its tracks, implemented the need to work long hours to reach a solution the plumbing could cope with and was the cause of utter exhaustion– she looked a fright.

Sighing, Keller ran her hand across her forehead and rested it on her knuckles, willing her eyes to stay open but they fluttered closed and she began to drift into a light doze despite the coffee. Lost in the spinning dream, cilia covered single-celled organisms swarmed brightly in her mind, lurid with the dye she used to colour them, so didn't hear anyone enter her small office.

A hand on her shoulder jolted her into wakefulness…

"W-what…?"

Startled, she jumped and knocked the coffee mug off the table, sending it flying over the long leather coat of a Wraith who was frowning as the liquid ran down to drip on his boots. Mortified, Jennifer made a grab, missed and stumbled, falling with as much grace as a hippo against his massive, armour-clad chest to find herself caught by the arms. A rumble of amusement rippled through her cringing muscles just as the rattle of P90's and the shout of "Let her go. Now!" rang in her ears. Looking up, Todd's face hovered over her, a fleeting look of concern on his features before it was hidden beneath disdain. Setting her back on her feet, the Wraith met the look levelled at him with smooth courtesy, and stepped away.

Flushed, Keller gabbled an explanation. "I-I'm sorry… it was so -"

Todd waved it off with a deep chuckle. "It is twice you have felt the need to apologise, Jen-ni-fer."

"Yeah… well… er… what can I do for you?" Fidgeting, she smoothed her top back down and glanced at the uneasy human males and the array of guns aimed at the Wraith scientist as he lowered his hands to his sides, taking care with the movement so nobody got nervous. Drawing her brows together, she asked, thinking she could have made an assumption, "If it is me you -"

Grunting derisively, McKay joined in, the interruption rude. "He wants you to take a look at the data on that crystal we brought back. He won't let me because he thinks I'm crap at this pseudo-science."

Risking a glance at the tall form of Todd, Jennifer saw a glint in that one's reptile eyes, and smothered the laugh rising in her throat with a cough, one the Wraith gave no outward indication of hearing but somehow still managed to convey his deep amusement. "I see."

"And you, my dear," Todd purred, "are very talented. I believe some of the information contained on the crystal will assist in unravelling a few of the mysteries there are regarding Wraith and human."

"Really?"

Interested, but doubtful, the young woman found many possibilities galloping through her mind, solutions to the way the retrovirus worked – or rather, didn't - and took the crystal from the Wraith's fingers as he held it out to her, edging through the clot of heavy male bodies - 'excuse me', 'sorry' - and slid it into the waiting slot. Narrowing her eyes, she found all evidence of her previous tiredness flying as the Ancient data poured onto her monitor, the translation algorithms automatic. Jennifer made a noise approximating surprise.

Looking up into green-gold eyes, she flicked her honey coloured hair back over her shoulder and scanning the data, said, "Is this accurate?"

"As it is of Ancient origin, I feel certain the science will be inviolate." Leaning past her, Todd gave a crooked smile, and reached for the keyboard to type in a few commands. "There."

"Oh…" Peering more closely at the newly highlighted information, Keller perused it for some minutes, ignoring the whispered comments of her colleagues and all too aware of the Wraith as he stood slightly behind her. "I'm still not sure how we'll find this useful, Todd?"

Pushing in, Rodney made a muffled noise indicating derision. "What is it, Jen, a recipe for placing a fatal gene in their makeup, a way to deliver viral nanites, a recipe for blue jello?"

The Wraith threw a scathing look at the physicist, and continued, "Your plan is to remove the need for us to feed, is it not?"

"Yes," she agreed, "but this -"

"Me either," Sheppard interjected, as he read what was now plain before him. "It's not exactly a super-weapon I can use to kick your collective asses with, is it?"

"A circumstance I feel certain you will seek to correct as soon as possible, John Sheppard," Todd growled, irritated by the refusal of these humans to see the beneficial effects presented to them. Turning his attention back to the CMO, he said, "As you can see, our genome was mapped out by very able geneticists that show the specific areas leading to our ability to feed -"

"True." Keller interrupted this time, and traced her small forefinger along a very interesting area highlighted in red. "But what is this for?"

Catching her fingers in his, Todd placed her hand down on the workbench and allowed himself to smile. "Ah, Jen-ni-fer… these are the things you will never need to know."

As he spoke, he pressed the keyboard and watched the information delete, hearing at his back the shout of outrage and the press of a gun against his head.

And Todd laughed…