Another chapter up! :) What's going to happen to Nick? Read on to find out!

Friend or Foe?

At the same moment that Nick made her split-second decision, John Sheppard was making his way through the halls of Atlantis. Ronon and Teyla, sweaty but grinning from their time in the gym, caught him on their way past.

"Where are you off to?" Teyla asked.

"Control room," John said nonchalantly. "I just want to check in on Nick."

"She's barely been gone twenty-four hours," Ronon said, completely unconcerned. She was wraith for crying out loud!

"Yeah," John said, "but something's not right. There's something weird about this whole thing."

"I have had the same feeling," Teyla admitted. Ronon looked at first her and then John, disbelieving.

"You guys are crazy," he muttered. He started walking again.

"She's probably fine," John said, as soon as the Satedan warrior was gone, "but I just want to make sure."

"I will go with you," Teyla said. John nodded, and the two of them headed to the control room.

- - -

"Nick, this is Sheppard. Come in."

He and Teyla were standing on the balcony over-looking the gate. They waited for a response, but there was none. The two exchanged a look. John turned and took a step before trying again, this time slower and more deliberate.

"Nick, this is Sheppard. Come in." Again, nothing. "Nick? Can you hear me?" Silence. John's forehead wrinkled in thought.

"Are you sure I'm getting through?" he asked, turning to Chuck. The gate technician nodded.

Rodney came around the corner then, and stopped when he saw them.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"I can't reach Nick," John said.

"She probably just..." he shrugged, "turned off her radio and forgot to turn it back on." He said in a way that suggested that he didn't really believe it, but was ready to if someone else confirmed it.

"That does not sound like Nick," Teyla said. John nodded.

"Something's wrong." He started for Sam's office. Teyla was right behind him, with Rodney hurrying after.

- - -

I'm going to die.

It was actually a fairly calm thought, rather than a hysterical one. Merely an assessment, and acceptance, of her inevitable fate.

Nick was running down the corridor as fast as she could. She had picked a tunnel and started down it. Only after she started running did she realize she was heading away from the compound and the stargate. She swore, but kept running. The dots on the life-sign detector in her belt were still moving fast. If she turned around now she was as good as dead. This way she would only have to kill one. Unless, of course, he had friends.

The sense of wraith was growing ever-stronger. As she got closer she was starting to realize that it didn't really feel quite like a full-on wraith. But how…?

She was almost to the end of the corridor when she saw a shadow on the wall up ahead. One of the creatures was coming around the corner. And the others weren't far behind her. Dang, they were fast! Nick froze, staring at the shadow.

I. Am going. To die.

Something about those five words caused all her fear to fade. Suddenly she could think straighter and see everything clearer than she had been able to since the whole mess began. Not without a fight, she wasn't! The creature might be bigger, faster, and stronger, but she had the element of surprise. So...

Her eyes darted, looking for a place to stage an ambush. On her left was a short corridor, shrouded in shadow. A plan began to form in her mind.

"Not this time," she hissed.

Grabbing the light stick, she tossed it down the corridor she had come from. The shadow froze for a split instant. Nick seized that moment to dive into the dark corridor and press her back against the wall, gun at the ready. There came a terrifying roar, and then the creature charged around the corner. It went straight past her, heading for the sound and the glowing light stick. Nick slowed her breathing as best she could, counting slowly. One... two... three... four... five.

"Hey stupid!" she yelled, leaping into the corridor with the gun out. The creature whirled and saw her and gave a roar. Then he charged. Nick stood her ground, squeezing the trigger as tightly as she could. The thing kept coming, seemingly undeterred. Nick fired on, and still he came. Then, just as she was about to give up and run, he suddenly toppled over backwards. Nick didn't even wait to see if he was dead before taking off down the corridor he had come from. She was still heading towards the wraith, but she didn't even care anymore. She would be lucky just to make it out alive.

- - -

"Colonel?"

Sam looked up to see John, Teyla, and Rodney all stepping into her office, looking a bit worried.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"I tried to radio Nick," John said, "but I can't get through."

"We think something may be wrong," Teyla added.

"Do you think maybe she just turned off her radio?" Sam asked.

"It's possible," John said, "but that doesn't sound like Nick." Sam looked at him a moment, and then nodded.

"No, it doesn't." She thought a moment and then nodded again, having made her decision. "You better check on her. I'll have a team on stand-by incase you need backup." John nodded.

- - -

Nick was running as fast as she could. The wraith was getting closer, and so were the creatures behind her. If she could just find a way out of the tunnels and then make it to the stargate in one piece, she could reach Atlantis. Much easier said than done.

She was so busy running that she didn't have time to pay attention to the life-sign detector. Not that she could have done anything even if she had seen the ring of red dots slowly closing in around her.

Suddenly the radio crackled to life. John's voice reached Nick's ear, carried over the radio.

"Nick? This is Sheppard. Come in."

"Sheppard?"

Nick stumbled to a halt and pulled the radio from her belt.

"Sheppard, that you?"

"Nick, please respond," John's voice crackled.

"Sheppard! It's me! Can you hear me?"

"Nick, this is Teyla. Where are you?"

"I'm right here!" Nick yelled. "Where are you? Teyla? Sheppard? Sheppard!"

The radio went dead. They were gone. They hadn't heard. Nick swore. The shields were keeping her signal from getting through. She started running again.

She dashed around a corner and almost ran right into one of the creatures. He roared. She screamed. The gun fired several times and he fell. Just as another appeared at the end of the corridor behind him.

Nick didn't even try. She had no idea how much ammo was left in the gun, and she didn't want to find out. Instead she broke right and dashed down another metal corridor. The creature roared and came barreling after her. She hadn't taken the time to crack another light stick, and it was nearly impossible to see. But she didn't dare stop. She tripped over something once, but caught her balance and kept right on.

She skidded around a corner and kept running. The creature was gaining fast. From somewhere nearby she heard another roar, and then another. They were closing in. Dinner was about to be served, and they all knew it.

Her legs gave out in the middle of a long corridor. She had to stop and breathe. Even with the extra strength of a wraith hybrid, she couldn't run forever. There was a small square room on her right and she could just make out a door. If she could bolt it from inside...

Nick dashed in and turned in time to slam the door. She found the lock and turned it, fast. She could hear the creatures outside, looking for her. The wraith was coming closer too. She backed slowly away from the door, holding her breath-

Suddenly something hit the floor behind her. Wraith! Nick started to turn and fight, but before she could move something pinned her arms to her sides and a cold hand clapped itself over her mouth. She started to struggle but a voice in her ear stopped her.

"If you wish to live, then I suggest you be quiet."

At that moment something banged against the outside of the door. Nick decided to take his advice. Both figures held their breath, listening to the creatures outside. They roared and grunted and scraped, but they couldn't seem to figure out what had happened to their prey. Then, after a long moment, the noises slowly began to fade. Suddenly Nick and the wraith were alone.

The wraith let go of her and Nick spun around, grabbing the gun and cracking a light stick in the same motion. She shone the light on her savior. What she saw shocked her. He dressed like a wraith, sounded somewhat like a wraith, and had wraith skin and wraith eyes, but other than that he looked almost human. He was like a cross between the two races. A hybrid.

"Who are you?" Nick asked, her voice hard.

"Not who you think," he said calmly. He kept his hands open to show he meant no harm, but he didn't seem afraid. On the contrary, he seemed quite calm. "I am not a wraith. Not anymore. But I am not human either. I am a hybrid. Just like you." Nick's shifted her grip on the gun so it wouldn't fire if her finger twitched. She wasn't about to let her guard down, and she certainly didn't trust him, but she believed him. Sort of. Or at least, she wanted to. He saw it in her eyes and forged ahead.

"My name is Michael. I want to help you."

Now if I know Michael, he's got an alterior motive. What might it be this time? You'll just have to wait and find out. :D
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