Well, here's the next chapter. Just to warn you, it is a bit gory in the beginning, but I didn't go overboard with it. As I said last time, there's probably only two or three chapters left after this, epilogue included. But we'll just have to see.
Hope you guys like it.
Insert the usual disclaimer junk here.
Muse/ViH: I wouldn't call the disclaimer 'junk' when there are lawyers around.
I don't see any. So on with the story I regretfully do not own.
Several minutes earlier…
Dante finished what he needed to do and left his ship. He began heading towards the city when a violent pain ripped through his whole body. His legs gave way beneath him and he would have fallen except he grabbed a railing to the bridge he was on. The pain grew sharper and Dante could feel his bones reshaping themselves. Sharp, vicious teeth pushed his vampiric teeth away as his eyes turned pitch black. Blue-gray fur shoved its way through his skin. His feet changed into paws, ripping the boots he was wearing. His shirt fell off in tatters as his chest, back, and torso expanded.
"Are…are you all right?" a technician asked.
Dante fell to his knees, his entire body shaking with the change. "Get away from me!" he screamed.
"You need help," the technician said, resting a hand on Dante's shoulder.
Dante began screaming only to have it turn into a growl. He spun around and sliced open the man's abdomen with his black talons. The technician stared down at his bleeding wound, shock on his face. The beast that was once Dante tackled the man to the ground and tore into the man's throat. Footsteps reached his ears as he swallowed.
"Dante?" a voice asked. He turned to face Sam and growled hungrily at her. "Oh my god…" Sam said, numb from shock at what she saw. The creature growled and began stalking Sam. He leapt at her, claws outstretched. Sam's instincts took over and she dove to the side, narrowly missing his claws. She rolled to her feet, a gun in her hand. She took the safety off and aimed it at him.
"The hell is that?" Cameron asked.
"All of you get out of here now!" Sam ordered.
"And leave you alone to fight that thing?" John asked.
"That thing is my brother," Sam said, her eyes feral blue. Before she could say anything else Dante had leapt in and backhanded her viciously across the face. She flew off the bridge and struck the side of the Ragnarok. She fell to the ground, a small amount of blood pooling from a wound in her head. Darkness quickly overtook her…
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Sam groaned and slowly opened her eyes as she painfully pushed herself up. She blinked several times while rubbing her head, her vision clearing. She frowned, confused as to where she was. She regained her feet and looked around, trying to make sure she was in fact in a strange temple she had never been in.
"This is weird," she muttered.
"Just be glad you aren't dying," a familiar voice said.
Sam spun around and her eyes widened further. "J…Janet? How did…but I thought that…you were…I'm confused," Sam sputtered.
Janet smiled, a gentle breeze tugging at her hair. She wore a pair of blue jeans and a black tank top with a pair of comfortable brown leather boots. "I noticed. And yes, you are dreaming…so to speak."
"How are you here though? You're dead."
"Actually, I managed to Ascend shortly after getting killed. When Dante and I were in Europe, he taught me how to meditate and whatnot. Seems to have come in handy, don't you think?"
"You're Ascended?" Sam asked, slightly relieved that her friend wasn't all-dead.
"Yep. Oma helped me finish the process."
"Why haven't you come to any of us like Daniel did with Teal'c and General O'Neill?" Sam asked, unable to keep the hurt out of her voice.
Janet smiled apologetically at her friend. "I didn't want to make it harder for you guys. If you knew I had Ascended, I think you would've expected me to keep visiting. But I did visit you guys a few times while you were dreaming, to help you get over my passing," she pointed out.
"Oh yeah... Did you do that for Dante?"
"He uh…I actually did visit him. He wasn't getting over my 'death' as fast as I thought he would. I don't think he has as of yet," Janet said.
"Well, he's a rampaging monster now so that might be a problem," Sam muttered.
"I know. And you have to stop him," Janet said.
"What? Me stop him? How?"
"I think you know Sam."
"Janet, he's my brother. I can't kill him!" Sam exclaimed.
"Sam, you said yourself he's a rampaging monster."
"So? Doctor Beckett can find a way to reverse the effects of that Wraith hybrid's blood and turn Dante back to normal," Sam said a bit angrily.
Janet arched a brow at Sam. "What if the effects of the hybrid's blood in Dante are permanent? What will you do then? Lock him up for all time?"
"It's better than killing him!" Sam shot back.
"I know you care about him Sam, I do too. But he's not the same person we knew. He's become something he's always fought against. Do you think he'd want to stay like this for the rest of his life? For the rest of eternity?"
"Janet, I can't kill him. I just can't."
"So you'd doom him to suffer as a monster," Janet stated more than asked. "If I were him and he you, I'd want him to kill me to stop that suffering."
"He can't control himself Janet," Sam said stubbornly.
"Sam…I'm not asking you to do this for me. I'm asking you to do this for him. We both know he wouldn't want to live as a monster." Janet sighed and shoved her hands in her pockets. "Doing what is right isn't always easy. If you don't stop him, he could kill dozens of people in Atlantis. Maybe more. And if he gets out that number could increase."
Sam blinked away tears, knowing what Janet said was true. "I know…" she whispered softly.
Janet rested a hand on Sam's shoulders. "You're the only hope Atlantis has to stop him. And no matter what you do, I'll support it. That's what friends are for."
Sam hugged the petite doctor. "I miss you Janet. Everyone has."
They broke apart and Janet smiled. "The feeling is mutual. Tell Cassie I'm watching over her and that I love her and I'm proud of her." Sam nodded and blackness began to surround her as Janet's voice rang out, "Dante left some things for you to use against him Sam. Find them…"
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Sam painfully opened her eyes and blinked when Beckett's face swam into view. "Nice to see you awake Colonel," he said.
She pushed herself up and rubbed her head. "How long have I been out?" she asked him, the meeting with Janet still fresh in her mind.
"Only a few minutes. We need to get you to the infirmary," he said.
Sam rose to her feet, leaning against the ship to keep herself from falling. "I'll be fine. I just need some blood to regain my strength."
"I must insist you come to the infirmary," Beckett said.
"I'm the only one who can stop Dante Doctor Beckett. While we sit here and argue, he's probably trying to kill someone."
"You don't know that. Besides, I'm working on a cure for him."
"Beckett, I have to stop him. Please," she implored.
He sighed. "All right. Where did you need to go?"
"Inside this ship," she said. "I'll manage on my own. Go and try to find a cure for the mutation, please." Beckett nodded and left reluctantly with his team. Sam sighed in thanks and shakily made her way inside the ship. She made her way to Dante's room and walked inside. She opened the refrigerator and grabbed a bag of blood. She quickly drained the contents and immediately began feeling better. She grabbed another bag and emptied it as well.
Feeling back to normal, she looked around the room and saw a pile on the bed along with a note. She picked up the note and recognized Dante's scrawl. The note read:
Sam, if you're reading this, then my worst fears have come true. I've become like that hybrid Wraith we found the other day. I've already had this ship's computer analyze my blood. There is no way to reverse the genetic effects. They're permanent. That being said, I have a favor I need you to do. I need you to kill me. It's the only way I won't hurt people. Please Sam, you have to. I don't want to live forever as a monster. It was monsters that killed my son and starved Karen. It was a monster that killed Janet. I can't live like that.
If you are reading this, then I wasn't able to warn anyone and get away in time. I couldn't risk killing myself in case that triggered the change. I was going to find you guys so you could lock me up. Looks that that didn't work out.
It's all up to you now Sis. You have to stop me. You're the only one who can. We both know it. I left some toys for you that should help you to stop me…or rather the creature. Once I change, I won't be Dante anymore, especially if I'm a raging monster. Keep that in mind when you pull the trigger. And Sam, don't blame yourself for my death. There was no other way.
Dante
PS-Tell Teyla I'm sorry about what I did the other day. I let my hatred get the better of me for a minute.
Sam blinked away tears and carefully folded the note, resolve forming on her face. She set the note down and removed the cloth covering the pile on the bed, a smile forming on her face when the hidden contents met her eyes.
Good? Bad? Indifferent? Review to let me know! Until the next update then!
