I'm glad there are some people still reading my story. :) Thanks for the reviews. I'd love to be updating faster then every week and a half or so, but RL really has gotten in my way in recent months.
Hope you like this chapter. They're in a bit of bind, aren't they? ;)
--
"That's the understatement of the century," Rodney backed away from the cell bars. "Uh…hi?"
The uncomfortable tone to Rodney's voice caught John's attention. He turned, his gaze narrowing as Patch, his expression cocky, stared Rodney in the eye. Before John could move, Ronon was at Rodney's side.
Stiffly, the big Satedan straightened. "Want something?"
Patch looked up at Ronon for a minute, before he pushed his way past Rodney and stared hard at John. "Sorry about your friend," his smile widened as if he found the whole situation amusing.
The anger John felt was too close to the surface… too raw to contain. Without hesitation, he took a giant step and arched a roundhouse punch at him, but the fighter was ready and blocked it before jabbing John hard in the jaw, sending him staggering.
Instantly, Patch's boys joined the fight and as John recovered, he quickly found himself in the middle of a brawl. He focused his attention on Patch and swung again, this time stepping inside the man's guard and connecting with his gut.
Patch stumbled backwards but he recovered quicker then John would've guessed and he had no chance to defend himself as Patch spun and backhanded him across the face.
John hit the ground hard and saw stars, but before he could get up, Patch threw himself on top of him. John grunted, shifted a knee up and rolled backwards, propelling Patch over his head.
John jumped to his feet and looked around, quickly taking stock of his team. Ronon and Teyla seemed to be holding their own, though in Ronon's weakened state, he was clearly struggling. But, John had to let him handle it, because two of Patch's boys had Rodney backed into a corner and were beating on him. John launched himself at one of the assailants and all but threw him against the wall, not bothering to watch as the man slumped to the ground. He spun, leveling the other one with a vicious right cross. His chest heaving with exertion, John looked back at his friend. "McKay?"
Rodney lowered his arms from around his head and looked up before nodding once.
John whirled around, bent on helping his friends, but as he started towards them a bolt of pure pain took him square in the chest. A strangled cry escaped his lips as his knees buckled. Nearby, he could make out Teyla, Ronon, Patch and his boys all on their knees, their faces contorted in pain. A second blast knocked him on his back and this time his cry was noiseless. Pain pinched off his breath, suffocating him, but just as he felt he would black out, his breath came back to him in ragged gasps. He looked up, blinking hard at the sight of several Wraith crowding the cell, all bearing stun rifles.
John pushed himself to one elbow as Harry stepped around a guard and looked down at him. "This is not allowed," he stated plainly.
"Yeah," John glared at him as he pushed himself onto his knees. "I get that."
"If you must expend your energy," Harry's eyes widened in anticipation, "then you will do so in the Round."
John's lips curled back in anger. "We didn't start this!" He tore his enraged look from Harry and focused it on Patch who knelt nearby.
"That matters little to me," Harry turned his attention to Patch. "He will fight the beasts." Harry looked back at John. "As will you, and your friends." Harry stepped around John and fixed a leering gaze on Rodney. "You as well."
"Oh God," Rodney whispered.
John launched himself at Harry, but was stopped cold by a Wraith guard who threw him against the wall for his trouble. Two more restrained Ronon and yet another stopped Teyla.
John's hands encircled the guard's wrist, firmly gripping his neck. "That wasn't part of the deal!" he choked.
Harry cocked his head and gave John a leering smile. "The deal… has changed." He turned and left the cell. The guards released John, Teyla and Ronon before leaving as well.
John staggered a minute before crossing the cell, his glare never leaving Harry.
Harry turned and stared coldly at John through the bars of the cell. "If you choose not to fight, the beasts will certainly kill all of you."
John pressed his face against the bars, feeling the vibration as Ronon threw himself into them with an angry shout. "You double crossing bastard!"
Harry just smiled and walked away.
"They are Wraith," Teyla commented quietly. "They do not care about fairness."
John's gaze narrowed as he stared daggers at Harry's retreating back. "All bets are off." He glared for a moment at the two guards that remained behind, stunners held ready to deter any further brawling. Reminded of the fight, John turned, watching as Patch slowly got to his feet. Cautiously, John stepped around Ronon and stared coolly at the man. "If we're going to survive those Malneks, we'll need to work together."
Patch's gaze held no warmth as he stared back for a moment before nodding once, curtly, and walking to the other side of the cell.
"I don't trust him," Ronon muttered quietly.
"Me either," John agreed. "But we can't fight against him and those damned Malneks at the same time." He turned his head, glancing at Rodney before he did a double take and narrowed his eyes at the doctor.
Rodney stood with his back against the cave wall, his face pale and sweaty and his breathing rapid.
John quickly walked over to him, Teyla and Ronon following. "McKay? You all right?"
Rodney looked up at him, his eyes wide with fear. "Not really, no."
John pursed his lips as he quickly concluded what had the doctor so rattled… and it had nothing to do with supposed hypoglycemia; something that hadn't plagued Rodney once since this whole ordeal started. Deep down, John wasn't surprised. Rodney dealt with stress and near death in odd but intense ways. Sometimes, he was his own worst enemy. Hypochondria, intentional or not, was one way Rodney dealt, or rather didn't deal, with what he called imminent doom. It just didn't happen to be the way he was dealing with this imminent doom.
John refocused on the situation at hand. Rodney was near panic and for a reason. He was a civilian scientist. Fighting was something he'd never had to learn and John knew for a fact he had no fighting skills whatsoever. He sighed quietly. "I'll be okay."
"Like hell it will!" Rodney snapped back. "Did you see those things? I can't…" his voice trailed off.
"We will help you, Rodney," Teyla said quietly.
John mustered all the reassurance he could and pushed it into his voice. "McKay." He waited until Rodney looked up at him. John could see the helpless frustration in Rodney's expression. "The next time I need the DHD fixed, some weird-assed Ancient device explained, or some hare-brained scheme to save Atlantis, I'm counting on you to deliver. So for now…" he smiled slightly. "Ronon, Teyla and I will handle this."
"Malneks plus our buddy Patch?" Rodney's gaze was slightly disbelieving.
Johns shrugged. "He seemed agreeable to a truce."
"Right," Rodney quipped darkly, "That's so reassuring."
John saw a glimpse of the normal Rodney McKay showing through, so he decided to poke it into full awareness. "Well, if it gets bad enough, we'll just throw you to the Malneks and use the distraction to escape." His expression turned bemused.
"Oh, funny. The colonel is now a comedian. Hilarious." Rodney glared at him.
John's smile faded as he looked first at Teyla then Ronon. "You two okay?"
Teyla smiled reassuringly. "As well as to be expected."
John fixed his gaze on Ronon's pale and slightly drawn face. "You gonna be okay, big guy?"
Dark humor creased Ronon's eyes. "Do I have a choice?"
John quirked his brows but couldn't think of anything to say.
"He's got a point," Rodney sighed.
"I'll be fine."
All humor had fled Ronon's face by the time John looked back at him. John sighed. "I don't buy that for a second but…" his voice trailed off before he pursed his lips and nodded once. He looked past Ronon as Harry and six armed guards approached the cell.
As the bars parted, Harry locked gazes with John. "Now." He turned and walked away.
John looked at Rodney. "Stay close to one of us." Intensity crept into his dark eyes. "Always."
Uncharacteristically silent, Rodney nodded once.
Flashing a wary look at Patch, who walked out of the cell ahead of them, John led his team to the Round.
--
Elizabeth stopped in the doorway to the Jumper Bay and took a deep breath as she stared at the team looking back at her.
Six heavily armed Marines stood next to Lorne's equally armed team. Ten men, all volunteers. In spite of the grim situation, Elizabeth smiled slightly. She knew, without a doubt, there had been far more than ten men volunteer. Crossing the bay, she stopped in front of Lorne.
Lorne nodded once to her. "Ma'am."
Elizabeth drew in a deep breath. "Be careful, Major."
Lorne patted the P-90 that hung from his vest. "Yes, ma'am." He stared back at her. "We'll bring them home."
Elizabeth squinted slightly at him. "Not at the expense of your team, Major." She felt strange saying something that sounded like she was chastising a twelve year old, but at the same time, she knew how deeply Lorne's loyalty to Sheppard ran. "That's an order," she added quietly.
Lorne was motionless for a moment as he stared back at her before nodding once. "Yes, ma'am."
"Stay safe," she smiled slightly.
Lorne returned the expression before he turned and looked at his men. "Move out."
Elizabeth headed for the door as she heard the hatch of the Jumper lock shut. As she exited the bay, she silently hoped she hadn't let them talk her into a suicide mission.
--
The hot sand under John's feet was familiar. He'd stepped into the Round enough times for the heat seeping through the soles of his boots to instantly spark a wave of adrenaline in him. A loud, grinding sound behind him caused John to turn his head slightly and he watched as a large grate was moved across the entrance to the Round, blocking it. John let his gaze travel to the four queens that sat motionless and watching. Only two males stood between them and the open Round, but they didn't seem concerned. "What makes them think the Malneks won't attack them instead of us?" He wondered aloud.
Ronon shrugged. "It'd be nice," he muttered.
"The males will protect them," Patch offered gruffly. "I've seen it before."
John eyed him cautiously. He didn't doubt the strength of Wraith males, he'd encountered it enough times to know, but still it seemed like a pointless danger. "Really?"
Patch glared at him. "Yeah. The Malneks never get close."
"Telepathy," Rodney piped in. "Has to be. Wraith can bend the minds of humans to their will and while the queens have much stronger telepathy, animals have to be much easier to influence. I'll be the males could do it. I mean all they'd have to do is send a thought or image or something painful. That can't be as hard as bending a human mind to their will."
"That is what the Wraith male on Atlantis did to me when I entered his mind," Teyla interjected, speaking of Bob who they'd captured during the Siege, "I do not remember what it was that he projected to me, only that it was very painful."
Any further comment died on John's lips as the four queens stood and walked into the Round. One of the queens, her hair white, locked eyes with him an instant before he felt her enter his mind. Grunting, John resisted, but it was in vain as she forced him to his knees.
"Sheppard!"
"John!"
Ronon and Teyla's outbursts were simultaneous but they were stopped in their tracks by the other queens, and several guards with stunners.
John couldn't tear his eyes from the white haired queen as she stared down at him, her expression leering. He flinched as she ran the back of one finger down his cheek.
"It is a shame," she purred quietly. "You would've made such a fine worshipper."
"Not… a chance…." John managed through clenched teeth.
"And that is why you are here," she removed her hand. "It is possible you will die today, human, for the beasts are fierce." She circled him. "What do you think of that?"
John shook in rage as he fought against her control. "I'll die knowing… my people will beat… yours."
She completed her circle and stopped in front of him again. "Such spirit," she hissed quietly. "I long to feed… and savor the taste of your defiance."
John swallowed hard and steeled himself as an eager look crossed her face. "And rob you… of your… sport?"
The queen stepped back and instantly, John felt her leave his mind, removing a great weight that had pushed him down and into submission. He exhaled hard and slumped, just barely staying on his knees.
The other queens released Ronon and Teyla as well, before the four of them returned to their chairs.
Thrones, John amended darkly. He slowly pushed himself to his feet and turned. Six Wraith aimed stunners at them, while two more dropped weapons in front of the humans.
Ronon immediately went for a long sword while Teyla took up a short one. John grabbed a third sword, its length something in between and grabbed a short blade for Rodney, while Patch grabbed the remaining one.
John held the sword tightly, cursing the necessity. Ronon had only just started to show him how to fight with a sword, something definitely not in the skill set for the USAF. He shot a brief look Patch's direction, before turning his attention back to his team as they closed ranks. John held the short knife out to Rodney, hilt first. "Take this."
"What the hell am I supposed to do with that?" Rodney snapped, his tone holding more fear than anger.
"Stab anything that growls," John answered, "except Ronon," he added darkly.
"This is NOT the time to be making wise cracks!" Rodney snatched the knife from John's hands.
Any trace of dark humor faded from John. "I won't have you standing out here defenseless, McKay."
"As if somehow the knife changes that," Rodney muttered, but John ignored him.
Standing close to Rodney he nodded at Ronon and Teyla. "Stay alive. Do whatever it takes."
"You too," Ronon answered.
John stared for a moment at the sheen of sweat on Ronon's brow and the dark circles under his eyes and knew that an infection from his wound was starting to get the best of him. Even healthy, the Malneks would be a challenge to all of them, but with Ronon weakened… John shook off the thought and took a deep breath as he turned his attention to the large cage in the center of the Round. Without preamble, another Wraith lifted a sturdy latch and threw the cage door open.
The Malneks needed no encouragement. Almost instantly, the black beasts leapt from the cage, snarling and growling as all eight turned their attention to the humans before them.
John swallowed against his instinctive and primal fear as eight sets of predatory eyes stared back at him and his team. He felt his shoulder brush against Rodney's. "Stay close, watch each other's backs."
"They hunt and kill as a pack," Patch added, "I've watched them in the Round before. They'll try to separate one of us from the group."
"All the more reason to stay together," John answered. He lifted his sword and pulled in a quick breath as the Malneks charged. John had seen how big they'd looked in their cages, but that did no justice to their size and formidable presence as they bore down on him and his team. Wolves on Earth had nothing on these things.
Two Malneks came straight at him and John swung his sword, blade meeting flesh, but only barely. The Malnek he hit jumped back, before launching itself at Rodney.
Rodney bumped into John as he tried to get out of the beast's way and cried out as the animal's claw raked across his forearm.
John slashed at the attacker and hissed in pain as another harried his side, teeth grazing across his ribcage.
No matter how much the group tried to stay together, the Malneks mercilessly charged amongst them, pushing each team member away from the other.
Inwardly, John cursed but he refused to be separated from Rodney. He eyed the two Malneks that followed him. Their lips curled back, revealing sharp teeth, the Malneks snarled as they cautiously paced in front of him, just outside of sword range. Almost in synch, the two Malneks turned opposite directions and started circling John and Rodney. John chanced a glance at his team mates. Ronon had killed one already and was facing off with another while Patch and Teyla both faced four more.
John pressed his back against Rodney's, as he stepped in a small circle, trying to watch both Malneks at once. He could feel Rodney's rapid breaths against his back. "Stab anything that comes at you, McKay," he whispered.
"You do realize you're pointing out the obvious?" Rodney snapped in a harsh whisper.
"McKay." John's gaze narrowed as he stared at the Malnek standing only a few feet away. "You can do this. You have to."
"Right… Shit!"
John didn't have time to react to the Malnek that launched itself at Rodney, he was too busy fending off an attack from the other one, that charged him at the same time. John struck out with his blade as the Malnek leapt for his throat, catching it in the midsection. The weight of the beast on his sword tip pulled John off balance and away from Rodney, but for the moment, he focused on making sure that when this Malnek went down, it stayed down.
John followed the beast to the ground and drove the blade deep into its gut.
The Malnek's snarl turned to a cry of pain before it went limp.
John pulled his sword free and spun, charging on the Malnek that snapped at Rodney. It sported a deep bleeding cut on the side of its face, proof that Rodney was at least putting up a fight, but it didn't seem deterred one bit. John pushed aside all hesitation as the Malnek leapt onto Rodney, knocking him to the ground. With a loud shout, John brought the sword down on the animal's back and felt bone crunch under his blow. Abruptly, the Malnek went limp and still. He pushed the beast off Rodney and offered a hand, only to tense as Rodney's eyes widened in panic.
"Watch out!"
John spun, but was just a second too late to fully parry a blow Patch aimed at him. Patch's sword glanced across his right arm, leaving a deep red gash behind it.
John leapt back, his hand reflexively grasping the wound before he glared at Patch. "You son of a bitch!"
Patch stared coldly back and in that instant, John could see the depth of helplessness that plagued the man; helplessness he buried under rage and anger. John realized that before him stood a man that had nothing to lose, no fear of death and was consumed by hate, frustration and vengeance.
John quickly glanced at Ronon as the big man's shout echoed. One Malnek had managed to latch onto his arm, only briefly, but long enough to inflict damage. John struggled to temper his rage. His team mates were fighting for their lives. He had no time for this.
"Time for you to die," Patch spat.
John lifted his sword, wondering how, exactly, he was going to beat the man. He parried a blow meant for his head but only barely. John found himself on the defensive, unable to launch any sort of counter attack against the clearly superior skills of Patch. John staggered, struggling to parry another blow and for an instant, his guard dropped. It was all Patch needed to graze John's side with the edge of his blade.
Grunting in pain, John ducked out of the way, preventing the blow from turning deadly. He lifted his sword to again face the man.
Abruptly, Patch staggered, crying out in pain and John was almost too surprised to react. Relying more on instinct than anything, he lashed out, his sword taking Patch in the gut.
Patch's eyes widened for a moment, before he slumped to the ground. John just stared, shocked, at Rodney's knife, buried to the hilt in Patch's thigh. Clearly, he hadn't thought of Rodney, who still sat on the ground, as a threat; a misjudgment that cost him his life. John glanced at Rodney for only a second.
"Don't say I never did anything for you," Rodney answered as he struggled to his feet.
"Come on!" John urged and he turned his attention back to his team mates. Teyla was backed against the wall, valiantly fending off the attack of two Malneks. Two lay at Ronon's feet while one yapped and snarled at him.
John did a quick head count. "That's only seven…" He whirled around, just in time to see a Malnek leap at him.
"John!" Rodney shouted.
Air exploded out of John's lungs as he landed hard, his sword flying from his hand. The weight of the Malnek on his chest was suffocating. Before he could react, the Malnek sunk its teeth into his left bicep and in a moment of white hot pain, he felt the sharp teeth meat his bone. John couldn't stifle the loud, hoarse cry that escaped him as he pushed futilely at the beast's head.
Abruptly, the Malnek let go and snarled before jumping off him and John caught a glimpse of the hilt of Rodney's knife, buried in the animal's side. Holding his injured arm close, John grabbed his sword and threw himself on the beast, stopping it short of attacking his now unarmed friend.
Attacking the only part of the beast he could reach with a sword, John cut deep into the Malnek's throat, turning his head as blood splattered his face. Rolling off the beast, John pushed himself to his knees and then, through blunt determination, to his feet. Blood flowed freely down his arm, and his legs threatened to collapse under him, but he pulled on every scrap of stubbornness he had to stay on his feet. Ronon still faced off with one Malnek, while Teyla still faced two. "Teyla!" John shouted as one got the best of her and drove her to the ground. He forced himself into something that resembled running, but only got half way to his team mate before the other Malnek she had faced, charged him. He staggered to a stop as the beast snarled at him. From the corner of his eye, he watched Teyla nimbly roll the beast over before delivering a lethal blow to the back of its skull.
His one arm nearly useless, John shouldered Rodney behind him. His eyes never left the Malnek, but as he raised his sword to defend himself from the leaping beast, it abruptly crumpled to the ground, Ronon's thrown sword protruding from its side. John sagged, only staying on his feet by sheer willpower and adrenaline. He looked up as Ronon shakily walked over to him. The big Satedan was sporting numerous cuts and wounds, the bite on his forearm being the most serious, but the bleeding was slow and mostly superficial from what John could tell. He was pale, in spite of his brown complexion, but seemed okay on the surface. John looked to Teyla who also carried several minor wounds but was none the worse for wear. The same could be said for Rodney who'd miraculously come through relatively unscathed.
It was only then that John looked down at his arm and realized how bad it was. Ragged gashes from the Malnek's teeth circled his bicep and bled freely. His hand felt numb and he seriously doubted he'd be able to raise his arm at all. The two gashes Patch had left him with were only slightly less serious and still bled as well. He suddenly felt light headed, and suspected it was from more than just fighting over and over with scant food and water.
"Your arm," Rodney whispered. "Oh God, when the queens see that…"
John didn't need Rodney to finish the sentence to come to the same conclusion. The wound was bad and his chances of leaving the Round alive weren't good. He drew in a deep breath and looked directly at Ronon. "Don't do anything stupid," he managed. "That's an order. Elizabeth and our people will find us… you." He glanced at Teyla and Rodney. "I'm ordering all of you to be alive when they do."
"John," Teyla started.
"Teyla." John looked back at her for a moment, determined to make her see his point. If he couldn't live, he was going to make damned sure his team did.
"We can't, I mean there has to be something…" Rodney stammered.
John drew himself up straight as the white haired queen stood and walked towards them.
