Star-Hopping Shinobi
Disclaimer: As always, I own...nothing!
Speech
Thought
AN/ This is just a pilot chapter to see what people think. I doubt I'll ever have time to expand on it. Of the two, I'd rather spend time on my burgeoning Nrto/SGA fic. Vaguely covers episodes where Young is laid out from arrival injury, when power fades, and the episode where the water supply drops.
Chapter 1
Eli shook his head. This wasn't in any way something he specialized in…as he didn't have a specialty. "This is officially the weirdest thing I have ever seen," he answered honestly. Rush wasn't any better on the answers. There was an eight meter chunk of dirt, grass, and a single tree, its top clipped off smoothly half way up the trunk. It was like everything in a specific range had been sliced up from a forest by a scalpel.
"This from the young man who woke up on an Ancient spacecraft this morning," muttered Rush to the side.
"What I want to know is "how"," Lt, Scott reiterated. For the moment, he was in charge and he wasn't about to let the colonel's trust be misplaced.
"Honestly?" asked Rush, kneeling to examine the edge where a root lay exposed, missing its end in an impossibly clean cut. Poking at it with a stub of a pencil, "I've never seen anything like this before. It's almost like everything within a specific, circular radius was beamed off of a planet's surface."
"Sir, that's not all. We also found…someone…here on the ship," reported the corporal.
Telford, in Young's body through utilization of the Ancient communication stones, raised an eyebrow in mild surprise and interest. "I thought the ship was supposed to have been on autopilot for millions of years." Young's body had taken a beating upon arrival, and even with the crutch, improvised from an assault rifle, was little comfort from the body-wide ache.
"Yes, sir, it has. But we found a small makeshift bed on the viewing platform. Rush believes that he only recently arrived here."
"Another Icarus planet?" the Colonel proposed, hopeful at the prospect.
"We don't know, sir. He was locked in what we assumed were crew quarters that we've turned into a holding area. Since then he hasn't said a word."
"I want to meet this alien."
The twin doors slid open to reveal a man of solid build, leaning on a makeshift crutch. "Who the Hell is this guy?" wondered the blonde man lying on the mattress of the odd bed. This was like the…seventh…yeah, the seventh guy that had come to see him. Though he would admit that the woman, his third visitor, was kind of attractive. In an "I can kill you with my pinky" sort of way. Kind of like Anko.
(He hasn't been introduced to Young, the owner of said body, as this is still in the first three episodes when Young is out of it, switching consciousnesses with Telford.)
"I'm Colonel Telford."
"…"
"It's been reported that you speak our language, so I know you understand me."
"…"
Deciding to get to the meat and potatoes of the argument, "How did you get here?"
"…"
Nothing he asked after that got any response either.
The doors to the room opened with a whispered sliding and the hiss of a broken seal. The darkness, split by a silhouette washing across the metal walls. The figure took a moment, once his eyes had adjusted, to look over the surprisingly human captive. "You ready to talk yet?" he asked, but was answered only by silence. Sighing in disappointment, the man exited the room a moment later, leaving only a few parting words. "You've been in here for two days without food. I don't know what you are, but if you feel hungry, a few words can go a long way." The doors closed behind him and the darkness engulfed the room once more. In the corner, a young man was hunched against the wall, arms folded behind his head. Once his…visitor…had left, eyelids opened to reveal twin sparkling blue orbs.
Why the fuck were they so pissed? He was here first. If anything, he should be angry that they had crashed in on him. But nooooooo. They arrive out of that weird fucking ring, causing a fucking ruckus, and lock him up. Of course, if he was in their shoes, he'd have been wierded out by him too. Some guy, half-naked, walking into a room of screaming, frightened people, yelling out, "WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON HERE?" And then someoen had knocked him out with some hunk of metal.
If he wasn't such a nice guy he'd kick their asses just to even the score.
Any and all hums of power ceased. He awoke to the feel of the ship sinking into silence. From his room, he could hear the hallways fill with murmurings. Obviously this wasn't expected. The motors failing, the doors to his room cracked open. It was surprising how little effort it took to pry the doors apart. Unfortunately, the metal bent a little under his strength. Leaving the room…that was less simple.
"Give me a reason," murmured a woman's voice.
"Now what did I do to deserve such hostility? It's not like I'm armed-"
"Right," she scoffed, digging the muzzle of her sidearm into his scalp. "I saw the door. Just how strong are you?"
Tilting his head, he turned around slowly. For a brief second, he appraised her. She was stunning, to be concise. "I was bored. So I came to see what's got everyone so scared." At no point answering her question.
"What makes you think we're scared?" she asked tightly, gulping at the blatant truth she was hiding from him.
This time it was his turn to snort in disbelief. "Please… I could sense the unease throughout this…place. And now that I'm out of my room, I can smell it in the air."
Her eyes narrowed. He could "sense" their fear? What the Hell did that mean? Either way, he was talking, and that was quite the improvement.
"Aaaaaaannyway, I'm gonna go see what's up." Turning back around, he started walking.
"STOP!" she warned. "Don't make me-"
"Please, if I was that easy to kill I'd have been dead long ago," and he kept moving. There was a loud 'KPOW!' sound, followed by another, and he stopped. That…hurt. Sure, it wasn't in the same class as the Chidori Nagashi, but it still felt like a kunai digging into his flesh. Turning around, he sent a chilling glare at the woman who'd just shot him. "…Ow," he said, bored, and seconds later his regeneration factor forced the bullet out of his body as the tissue repaired itself. One remained inside. He would have to remember to dig it out later. Sighing, he started walking.
A speechless Lieutenant Vanessa James kept her eyes on him as she knelt down to pick up the spent round that had just seconds prior pierced the upper back of the enigmatic man they'd found on Destiny.
Tensing, she fingered her radio. "Colonel Young."
"Bzt… What is it, Lieutenant?" crackled across the walkie.
"Our guest is out and about," she answered crisply into the radio.
"Do you have eyes on him?"
"Yes, sir. He just left the holding room, and is heading to the fore of the ship."
"…All right. If you can, keep eyes on him, but do not engage. I'm on my way."
He walked around the somewhat familiar halls, for the most part ignored by any people he passed. What seemed to be the mess was packed by people setting around a lantern, basking in the security of its glow. So it wasn't just isolated. From what he'd noticed, the power was out all over the place.
"Following me?" he sing-songed archly over his shoulder. The woman from outside his room stepped from around the corner, weapon at the ready.
"…I'm just making sure you don't get into…trouble," she answered amiably, though her grip on the weapon didn't loosen.
"I don't go looking for trouble," he countered. "It finds me easy enough all on its own," he added with a mirth filled chuckle. "But, as long as we're both here… Join me for a walk?" She balked, pausing in her steps. "Come on, I'll even let you point your weapon at me," he offered playfully. Slowly, she reduced the space between them, though her guard remained up.
Ever since his whole "I-don't-need-a-babysitter-to-go-for-a-walk," they had done more than just lock him up. From then on, he had a guard posted on him at all times. An attractive guard…whenever the woman was there. Even then, it had been amazing to see the inside of a star.
Totally worth it.
Naruto glanced over to the "sergeant" that had been assigned to watch him today. "They're going to die." The soldier said nothing, not even making eye contact, but he could see the slightest tightening in his jaw. These soldiers were good, but not that good. "I can help them." Again, he was answered by silence, but he was rewarded by a brief look of doubt and curiosity. "I really can."
Finally, "…How." It wasn't really a question given the lack of trust in the tone.
Naruto grinned. Success. "Take me to this "Rush" person," he said simply. The soldier continued looking like he didn't believe him, but he believed just enough that he reached up to the device on the left side of his chest and pressed a button. "Dr. Rush."
"…This is Rush. What is it?" came the accented voice of the man Naruto remembered from the engine room.
"Sir, the man in the detention cell has asked to speak with you regarding the current situation involving our two men offworld."
"…What?"
"He says he can help them," the low-level soldier supplied.
"…How?"
Naruto motioned with his cuffed hands. Cautiously, the sergeant unclipped his walkie and held it out before pressing its button. Naruto cleared his throat, "Not to be a smartass, but…I just can." The communication's device went silent. Naruto motioned to the sergeant again.
"Do you have any other options?"
"…What did you have in mind?"
The sergeant pressed the button one last time. Naruto smiled, "This." The links between the cuffs broke apart like tin foil as he pulled his arms apart. Another second and his guard found a fist in his gut. "Sorry," Naruto sighed, lowering the gasping man to the ground before he finally fell unconscious. He was a blur of motion through the halls. There were a few surprised cries from the other people on the ship as he streaked past them.
Rush continued speaking into the walkie talkie after the monosyllabic answer. "What?" No answer. "Hello?" Still no answer. A sliver of worry weighed down his stomach like lead. "Sergeant, are you there?" His head shot up, "Someone go check o-" There was a whooshing sound followed by the same supposedly imprisoned blonde standing next to him. The soldiers present leveled their guns on him.
Ignoring the weapons, he looked to the disheveled scientist. "How long do they have?"
Taking a leap of faith, "Scott's suit is compromised, his air is depleting… A few minutes…at best," Rush answered.
Naruto frowned, but nodded. "Keep the fires going, eh?" And before anyone could even register he had moved, he was bolting across the room and diving through the gate.
He didn't know what felt worse, the burning cold wracking his entire body or the searing burn against his eyes. Wow, this was…cold. Ice immediately began to form on his skin, and by the feel of it there was something in it eating into it as well. Still… Holding his breath he kept a solid pace, a fast jog, in the direction of the life energies he could sense. He wasn't stupid enough to even try and breathe the shit that was in the "air".
-Just hold on, Scott- Colonel Young urged over the communications system in his suit. Not that the Lieutenant could hear him as the leak in his suit had already let in enough gases that he was out like a light. Hearing no reply, Young's heart raced. -Scott?- A hand clapped onto his shoulder, getting his attention. He was surprised to the point that he might have shot him had his weapon not been discarded earlier in favor of pulling his subordinate up. Twisting his head, what little he could in the restrictive suit, his eyes widened at the sight of the same blonde man that they had been keeping locked up on Destiny. The man's jaw was tight in what could only be pain, but he still gave him a "thumbs up", before pointing to the hole that Scott was still stuck in.
Naruto motioned to the hole before sitting on the edge with his legs dangling into it. When the suited man reached down to stop him, he raised his hand, index finger up in what he hoped the man would understand as a "give me a minute" signal. And not too long later he was climbing down into the fissure, using his chakra to help cling to the icy walls. He was numb all over, but he knew to keep moving. Once he reached the other man, he stopped and got into position as close to him as possible. He waved to the man up top and the rope went taut. Gritting his teeth, he pushed. Boots bit into the ice as he did his best to force the crack to widen. He didn't know if he could actually make the entire halves do so, but by being so close to the unconscious man, it could at least break the ice nearest him. His back ached from the pressure of the ice, and a few edges were cutting into it. There was no change at first. Then, the icy crevice crumbled around them a little, and though the sides didn't move apart, he was creating a crater in the frigid walls. One that was getting deeper and, more importantly, wider, spreading over to the other man. With a sharp scraping sound, the man fell from the point that was pinning him. A second later, he started a slow ascent as the man above began pulling him up. Groaning, he pulled himself out of his imprint and started climbing after.
God, but he could really use a breath of air right now. His lungs demanded he take in the air around him, but he knew what that could do. Well, he might survive…he was pretty sure…but he wasn't willing to try.
The gate had barely shut down after their "special delivery" to the ice planet, when it opened once more, this time an incoming wormhole. The floating transport crept through with an unconscious Scott and a few chunks of ice on top, followed by Young. And a second after, a disheveled blonde man stumbled through, taking a deep breath as he fell to his knees. He had seen better days. His eyes, ears, and fingernails were bleeding, there were signs that his skin was abraded all over, and was covered by icy layers. He gulped in air greedily, elated by the slowly ebbing pain in his lungs.
It hurt to breathe, but it felt so damn good. Especially considering he still couldn't feel anything else yet.
Visor coming up, "Get his helmet off!" rasped Young to those attending Scott. The viewing section of his helmet came away with a pressurized hiss. Scott was a little pale, going in the direction of hypoxic blue, but he was still alive.
Sitting back, Naruto watched as the two men were attended, letting the warmth of the surrounding area reach his aching bones. His skin was still steaming from the difference in temperature. He relaxed to the metallic sounds of weapons being primed and aimed at him.
The lady medic came over to him once she had finished with the others. It wasn't really necessary, but it was kind of her. Well, that is after she convinced the soldiers to let her past them, with a few words from the man in charge. When she finally got to him he waved her off. "I'm good," he countered tiredly.
"You're bleeding."
"Not anymore." And it was true. Wiping the crusting frozen/dried blood from his eyes and hands, she found that it was no longer flowing. "See? All better."
The miracle that that was aside, "You may not be bleeding, but you've still been exposed to below zero temperatures and a toxic environment," she shot back, annoyed at his resistance.
"Just give me a shower, anything, some way to get this crap off me." The thin bits of ice melting, his skin was actually starting to burn, and what with the heavy chemically odor coming from said ice particles he was tearing up something fierce. But overall it wasn't all that painful, more an irritating itch. He was led away in cuffs, again, and allowed to use the ship's "showers", but under guard.
"I think I should start with "thank you"," Colonel Young began, looking across the makeshift cell to the man on the bed. Arms crossed, as much as he could considering the cuffs, the blonde man just sat back, matching his gaze.
"An apology would be nice, too," he answered tersely.
"…" Young didn't know quite what to say.
"You get here and decide to lock me up and starve me for information, nice," he added sarcastically. "Not that it worked."
"We were…in a rough patch."
"Yippee for you."
"…I was hoping we could start off fresh, what with everything you've done for us today."
"That's a bit of a reach," he cracked again. He couldn't help it. After being subject to their…hospitality…he felt the need to vent. "Though I think it has to do with the fact that you can't hold me." He emphasized his point by lazily pulling his wrists apart once more, snapping his second set of cuffs that day.
Young tensed a bit, but that was all. He had heard from the corpsman who'd been assigned to watch him that he'd torn them like wet toilet paper. Another few seconds and the broken restraints remaining on his wrists were unlocked and tossed onto the table. "I could've gotten out anytime I wanted. I was picking locks and getting into places I shouldn't before I was five. Like these could hold me," he added with a tone of mild offense.
Making note of that, Young continued with what he had in mind. "Either way, I was hoping we could come to an understanding."
"…"
"I'm willing to allow you your freedom." The blonde gave him a sarcastic glance, so he rephrased his words. "Officially, that is," he corrected. "So long as you can accept the current chain of command."
"…"
"And, if you're willing, I've got half a dozen scientists all wanting to ask you how you got here."
"That's kind of one-sided." It meant him giving them what they wanted of him, while he got the shaft. Freedom? Big deal. If he desired it, they'd be unable to stop him from doing whatever he pleased. Oh well, maybe later.
Young shrugged, "Afraid that's all we've got to offer."
AN/ At the very least I wanted to publish this, regardless of if it ever gets extended in future chapters. This would at least be a first step.
