Copyright riff-raff: I do not own Stargate SG-1 or Atlantis or any characters contained within. I am only borrowing them in order to have some fun and draw some closure to the series for myself and maybe for a few others out there (since no one at MGM or SyFy seems to have any interest in giving us fans an Atlantis movie).

Rating: M overall. Each chapter will have its own rating.

This story has spent a long time in the brain-pan, getting its various kinks worked out and all. I still have a few questions to solve on the way, but I thought that it was best just to go ahead and start it. Please be patient with me as I figure this out!

Before we go any further, I want to make it clear that this story will have an overall rating of M (Mature). This means blood, gore, torture and brutality, colorful language and sex. Yes, sex, specifically male-on-male sex. THIS IS A SLASH! Specifically, a John Sheppard/Todd story!

IF THIS BOTHERS YOU, PRECEDE NO FURTHER! You have been warned!

Each chapter will contain its own rating along with a brief description as to why it is rated so. That way, if you wish to skip the explicit chapters, you may do so. Depending on how volatile haters' reactions are, as well as fanfictions own censorship (I have heard that this site patrols for and deletes explicit content, though I do not know personally) I may post the more graphic chapters onto adultfanfiction or livejournal.

Chapter 1 of this story will begin at about six (6) months after the series finale, Enemy at the Gate. It will disregard any and all Universe timelines and/or plotlines. Stargate novelizatons will also not be taken into account here and ignored. Chapters will be longer than this one; I just wanted to hook you all here! I don't know how long exactly this story will be, but I do know that it will be long. Pretty dang long.

Just a little tid-bit: This story was partially inspired by a piece of art painted by House Mouse on Deviantart. The work's title is "Submit," and it sings to the slashy-fangirl within me!

Alright, here we go!

-O-

Stargate Atlantis: Culling the Herd:

Prologue

Rating T: Violence

Sheppard dodged the blow, but was not fast enough to avoid the kick aimed for his intestines. The power of it stunned him, making him retch as the momentum knocked him off balance. A brutal roundhouse finished the job and sent him reeling into a nearby support beam, the impact releasing a fresh stab a pain from his broken ribs. Using the beam for support, he tried to hold himself upright. But his leg gave out, the torn muscle refusing to support him any longer, and John Sheppard fell to the floor

The marble felt like ice to his blood streaked face. It had the effect of numbing his wounds and if felt good upon his chafed skin. Though he was conscious of Michael taking hold of the discarded sword, the whole of his vision was claimed by the blackened semi-circle standing at the edge of the room, the jagged splinters of where it separated practically aglow from the raging fire outside. The rest of the Atlantis Stargate lay in a mutilated heap some distance away, the timeless Naquada cracked like old, dried clay.

John grimaced as an Ancient woman's voice once again came over the intercom system, reiterating that impact was imminent and that they should change course immediately to avoid a horrendous collision and an almost certain death. Now, why was it that he'd allowed McKay to talk him into okaying the activation of the city's automatic alert system? Oh, yes, that's right. Star Trek. How could he forget? Thanks, Majel, I know the time, he mentally chastised the computer as she announced sixty seconds remaining until said horrendous collision. Now shut the hell up!

"You did bow your head, did you not?" growled Michael as he prowled to where John's broken body lay crumpled on the floor. "When I asked before, you did not answer me." Sneering in triumph, Michael rounded the bloody form so that he was standing at the Lantean's shoulder. "You bowed. You… Submitted."

Michael laughed then, a manic, guttural bark that resonated off the stark destruction of the gate room. "The leader of the mighty city of Atlantis, the last great hope for the humans of both galaxies…" Placing a sharp kick under his injured ribs, the Human-Wraith hybrid swiftly rolled the dying man over so that he was laying face-up. "…Bowing to a Wraith. The concept holds a kind of poetry, does it not?" Michael gripped the sword tightly, preparing to slam it down through the chest of the bloody man before him. "Tell me, Colonel Sheppard, how it feels to be dominated?

As the warning klaxon's wailed their final protest, the sword came down, and the world according to John Sheppard, went red.

-O-

A/N: Have I your attention? Oh, I hope so!

I welcome reviews! Tell me what you think!

Until next time we meet!