Havoc woke up with a headache. He tried to move, but he was chained to the floor. The cold feeling of steel woke him up. A bright light shone down on him through bars. A whisper moved through the air. Havoc looked around. He saw that he was in a type of cage, dense metal arching up to the ceiling. A thin film of silver energy covered the spaces between the bars. Military personnel stood around the cage and watched his every move. Gun barrels aimed down at him.
Havoc tried to see how far his chains would go. His restraints jerked at his arm after four feet. Havoc tried the other arm. That arm was in a sling. He ran a hand through his hair and found his frontal scalp has covered in bandages. Havoc pulled on the chain and sat deep in thought.
He couldn't remember anything. His powers were still fresh in his mind, but when he thought about the past, his childhood, missions, past life, it fled. Only three things were still in his mind. His name and what he was, how he fell from the sky, and the evil force that stole his memories and forced him to kill that man. Havoc shuddered.
Havoc pulled on the chain again and saw a trickled of blood come from under the metal. He winced. Havoc remembered the nano-bots. He tried to make them liquefy and slip out of the restraint. They rippled and sat there. He glanced down at the tiny cuff. A small EMP generator was attached. His nano-bots couldn't help him. Havoc growled in frustration and pulled up on the chain. It tore apart like wet tissue paper.
Havoc ripped off the band around his arm with his teeth and threw the band to the floor. He looked around the room and saw that the military personnel had gone into a salute. Havoc wondered who they were saluting, when a voice spoke behind him.
"So the legends are true…"
Havoc whipped around and saw a woman on the other side of the bars. Sheppard, Teyla, Rodney, Ronon, and Weir stood behind her. At the sight of this mysterious woman, Havoc's blood ran cold. Fire sprang into life around his nano-bot fist. The voice came back, as did the evil force.
Except this time, it was pissed.
"You!" The shadow Havoc screamed. Havoc got to the bars edge and bared fangs, which had sprouted in his mouth. The woman's eyes grew wide as she stepped closer. She looked sad and horrified.
"What have they done with you…? What did they do to you…?" She whispered. Sheppard nodded. It was a good idea to have Chaya get involved.
Chaya was an Ascended woman that protected a planet on the other side of the galaxy. She couldn't be away from her planet for to long, so she was reluctant to help, even though her and John had a previous relationship. But when they showed her a photo of Havoc, she moved without hesitation.
"Shadows clog your mind… Show me the true owner of the body." Chaya demanded. Shadow Havoc snarled.
"This body is mine now. The other one is just a…" He started, but then he was cut off and screamed into the ceiling. Fountains of light burst from his open mouth and his eyes. The fangs retracted and the fire went out. The real Havoc fell to the floor, drenched in sweat and gasping for breath. He weakly stood up and turned to Chaya.
"I… am the true owner of the body… I…" Havoc started, but he wobbled and fell to his knees. "What is this…? I see glimpses of… evil things that I have done… Murderous things… but I can't remember doing it… What is this…?"
Chaya turned to the Colonel and Weir.
"This man did not kill Beckett's assistant. His normal mind is being suppressed by a dark shadow. I may be able to suppress it permanently."
"What is he…?" Weir asked, eyes on the exhausted man in the cage.
"He was part of a… mistake…" Chaya began. She explained the Ascended Soldier project and what happened to the children. She covered all of the wondrous things that they did for the city. She told them of Havoc himself too. His honor and trust were just as legendary as his power. Rodney perked up even more when she mentioned that Havoc was a part-time inventor. When they asked how she knew all this, she just shook her head and walked over to Havoc.
She reached her hand through the bars and touched his forehead. A spark jumped into his forehead from her hand. The man shuddered and fell to the floor. His breaths became constant as he drifted off to sleep. Chaya turned to Weir.
"I don't suggest letting him out for a few hours at least. It may be a while before the shadow is completely banished." Chaya said, nodding at the super soldier. "I do have one bit of warning before I go…"
"What…?" John asked.
"Be extremely careful. He will fight for you, no doubt about that, but he is different than the others. The Ancients may have created it…"
"Created what…?"
Chaya looked worried, but she swallowed and turned to the door.
"The ultimate life form…"
The next day, Havoc awoke. He wasn't chained to the floor, but he still in the cage, with a sling. A headache racked his brain. Havoc shook his head and stared at the floor.
"What the hell is going on…?" Havoc whispered to himself.
"That's an interesting question…" The voice said in his mind. Havoc's eyes widened, but he didn't move. His eyes scanned the area. Military personnel stood at the corners of the room, militant P-90's held in their hands. Havoc looked back at the ground.
"What are you?" Havoc whispered, infuriated.
"Hm… I suppose you could consider me like a kind of strict baby-sitter…"
"A baby-sitter… that kills people…!"
"I'm doing my job as you should be… You were under attack and I did my work…"
"I don't think an IV drip can be considered as a weapon…"
The voice stayed quiet and disappeared. Havoc scanned the floor again and leaned back against the corner pillar. He put his good hand behind his head and closed his eyes. A dozen flashes of memories skidded across his mind and vanished. Havoc frowned and wiped his mind clean. Havoc silently wondered who that woman that helped him was. If he could pay her back, he would.
"Well look who's up." A voice said above him. Havoc opened and eye and shut it again. John Sheppard stood above him, Teyla standing beside the doorway. Havoc sighed, eyes still shut.
"Look who's interrupting my nap…" Havoc responded. Sheppard smirked.
"We brought you a meal… if you're willing not to attack us." Sheppard said. Havoc heard the cage door hiss open and shut. Havoc opened an eye. A small tray lay in front of him. Two MRE meal contents stood on the tray. Havoc closed his eye again.
"I am not hungry. I wish to rot in peace."
John frowned. Teyla spoke.
"We do not plan to keep you in here forever. Just until we can be sure you are safe. You must keep up your strength." She said, motioning to the plates. Havoc lifted his hand, palm open to the tray. A spark jumped from his palm, igniting a ball of flame in his hand. He thrust his hand forward, sending the sphere of flame to the tray, which incinerated instantly, leaving a scorch mark on the ground. Sheppard stepped back and Teyla looked over the scorch mark. Havoc spoke again.
"If I am indeed guilty of murder, don't sugarcoat the issue, John. I am here to rot until you or whoever chooses how to kill me. Isn't that how you get things done here?" Havoc said, turning his head up at Sheppard, eyes flashing open. "And I can survive for a month without eating or sleeping, so I suggest taking up a hobby while you wait."
Sheppard tried to talk to Havoc again, but Havoc just ignored him. John walked over to Teyla and turned his head to the cage.
"I'm going to go get Weir and Beckett. Try to talk to him." John said. Teyla nodded and stepped to the door. John stepped out. Havoc looked up at Teyla.
"Why don't you eat? Do you wish to die?"
Havoc snorted. "Yes. I must atone for my sins in any way possible. If that means a bullet through my head, I only pray that my death be as painful as the sins I placed on others…"
"There is a fine line between honor and stupidity." Teyla said. Havoc blinked.
"There is also a fine line between reality and ignorance. I try my best to stay on one side and not the other." Havoc responded, groaning as he stood up. He was easily a foot taller than Teyla. Havoc didn't try to look big, like taller people do when facing a foe. He tried to lower his gaze to a respectful level, trying even harder to lower his shoulders and remain as an inferior. This made Teyla feel sad for some reason. She felt ashamed that they had turned one of the Ancestors into a pitiful display. He tried to stay positive about his decision, but Teyla saw pain behind his eyes.
"How was the city when you lived here…?" Teyla asked. Havoc looked down at her and sighed. More pain welled up behind his gaze and Teyla regretted asking the question.
"I do not know. I can't…" Havoc whispered. His fingers ran along the sides of the cage. His brain sparked. Images flooded his vision.
He was a small child with cuffs on his hands. The cage lay before him and a dark shadow rose above him. A mature Wraith stood in the cage. A fiery pain coursed through his skull as an unbelievable darkness welled up inside. He screamed in pain.
In reality, Havoc gripped his head in pain, a piercing scream of pain rushing out of his mouth. The military personnel ran out of the room to get help. Teyla tried to get Havoc's attention. His arm in the sling flashed and the sling burst into flame, falling to the ground. His eyes were rolled up into his head, whiteness staring back at Teyla. Havoc fell to one knee and clutched his head harder. Blood welled out from under his fingertips. His scar on his right eye started to glow, as did his eyes. Havoc screamed a final time and hit the floor. He lay there on the ground and gasped for breath. He wearily started to get up. Teyla became worried.
"Are you alright?"
Havoc raised a shaking hand and waved it dismissively. Droplets of blood splashed to the floor. Havoc shuddered.
"…P…please… don't… do that…again…"
Teyla started to ask what she did, when Weir, Sheppard, and Beckett ran in. Havoc lay down on the ground and stared up at the ceiling and breathed heavily. Gruesome wounds marked his finger's placement. His eyes were unfocused and bland. Teyla glanced back at Carson and sighed in relief. Sheppard lifted his P-90 and aimed it at Havoc. The cell door opened with a hiss and John slipped in, aiming the gun at Havoc's head, for safety. Carson, sucking in his fear, kneeled down to Havoc's side and began his medical analysis. Teyla turned to a shocked Weir.
"I…I... do not know what happened. He just…" Teyla started. Weir placed a hand on her shoulder and nodded. Teyla calmed down. Havoc groaned as antiseptic splashed into his rapidly healing wounds. An alarm sounded. The radio on Weir's belt squawked.
"Weir! Three Wraith ships, cruiser class just emerged from hyperspace in the atmosphere. They've already spotted us!"
Weir gripped the radio. "Are you sure? What about our long range scanners?"
"They didn't pick up a thing!"
Havoc wearily got up. Carson stepped out of the cage behind Sheppard and shut the door. Havoc snarled and heaved in a rugged breath. He whispered to himself, but Teyla heard what he said.
"…redemption…is mine…"