AN Okay, not to be taken too seriously, plot bunny got my leg, wouldn't go away. Needed to be killed so I wrote this. Well, that and I have a fondness for Spy!Rodney.

Summary – Special Agent Rodney McKay, of whatever organisation they'd decided this week, sighed. Surely there were easier ways to infiltrate Russia and on top of that, it looked like he'd just made another set of enemies. Set before after and during 48 hours, another reason for Rodney's actions.

Rating – PG

Disclaimer – I don't own anything you recognise, the creators do.

Methods of Persuasion

Rodney McKay examined the room he was in with a nonchalant air. Unlike many people he knew that this room, rather than the Oval Office, was the place of true power in the modern world. It was of simple design, bulletproof glass, mahogany desk, computer and filing cabinets. Naturally with the Canadian flag flying in the corner, it was only patriotic after all.

The awe of the aura of total power had worn off a long time ago though and now he busied himself with examining his latest 'toy'. A gun with plastic bullets, not simply designed to flatten so to cause maximum damage with minimum effort but also tricky in the way that plastic had a tendency not to show up on X-rays. Simple maybe but it was better than the poison-dart shooting Rolex they'd presented him with a month ago.

Sometimes he'd swear that far from inventing these things his people simply watched the latest James Bond movie for inspiration.

He was interrupted by the arrival of his boss, a man who had gone a bit peculiar in the last few years and had started to call himself 'X'. As he was still one of the most powerful men in the world (whether most knew it or not) though most pf the people he worked with let it go, Rodney included. Though he thought it more than a little cliché. It wasn't as though it had bled through into any other part of his life.

"Welcome home Agent McKay."

Rodney nodded, "thank you sir."

"How was your conference?"

Rodney rolled his eyes, "as good as can be expected considering the complete incompetence of the current scientific community."

X gave a grizzled laugh. "Just remember that they don't have access to the knowledge you do."

"True," Rodney admitted, "but the reason I have access to that knowledge in the first place is because I'm competent enough to deserve to know." He levelled the man with an even stare. "But I very much doubt that you asked me here to discuss my conference."

"Of course," the man nodded wearily. "As you know, for some time we've been trying to get a man inside Russia's top development facility."

Rodney actually laughed at this. "Come on. Any successful mission would have to be long term and there is no way they would allow one of our people inside."

"Indeed," X leaned forwards and rested his head on his steepled fingers. "But they have actually requested a scientist from the SGC," he checked his watch, "or the will be soon anyway."

Oh, no way. "I wasn't aware we had a scientist inside the SGC." Rodney offered hopefully.

"We don't currently but we will soon."

Rodney nodded, "not the way I would have chosen to get inside the SGC but better then nothing I suppose. What's the problem?"

X frowned, "excuse me?"

"There must be a problem," Rodney explained tolerantly, "or there wouldn't be an excuse for my going there."

The man laughed again, Rodney smiled evenly.

"Yes, of course." He sobered. "One of the members of SG1, the alien Teal'c, has become trapped in the Stargate. According to Samantha Carter he has been stored inside the gate's memory."

Rodney was nodding and X paused, "you know how to get him out, don't you."

"It seems fairly simple, yes."

The man eyed him with disbelief then nodded, amused, he knew better than to doubt Rodney McKay after all this time. "Right, of course it does."

"Is this what you called me here for?"

"Not exactly."

Rodney tilted his chin, intrigued in spite of himself, Stargate assignments had always seemed interesting.

"I want," X continued, "I want you to go to Cheyenne and be as annoying as it is possible for one man to be. I want you to be the scientist you've had nightmares about and I want you to make sure that Carter solves this problem on her own. I don't care if you have to change whatever it is she's doing to make sure she gets it but make sure she thinks she's done it alone."

He paused. Rodney waited, knowing there was more.

"Then I want you to change it, so whatever the solution is the Russian's DHD is destroyed in the process."

Rodney sat back, so that was it.

"Doctor Daniel Jackson of the SGC and Major Paul Davis of the Pentagon will be negotiating for the Russian DHD to be loaned to us as we speak and I want you to make sure that they don't get it back."

Rodney nodded.

"…You're not surprised, Doctor McKay?"

"Not really, I was wondering how long you'd allow for the Russians to have such an obvious advantage. Besides, it would be quite simple to have me assigned to Russia as an SGC scientist without my physical presence at Stargate Command. I do have one question though."

Brown eyes met blue.

"Only one, agent?"

"Yes sir, what purpose will annoying them serve?"

"Well, specifically I want you to annoy Jack O'Neill. Though he doesn't know it yet he's choosing the scientist to send to Russia and doubtless he will view it a punishment.

Rodney nodded thoughtfully. "And the easiest way to get to Colonel Jack O'Neill is to upset one of his kids. Due to Daniel Jackson's absence that leaves Samantha Carter, and what better way to aggravate the SGC's golden girl than to belittle her intelligence?"

The man surveyed him evenly, "that will be your question to answer agent."

Rodney eyed him coolly, "Sir, may I remind you that I have a one hundred percent success rate, if I put my mind to this mission it will be done. Due to my insistence that I devote myself, at least partially to my field, I am also an expert in alien technology. You picked me because I am more than the best man for this job, I am the only man for this job, please don't patronise me."

X glared at him, Rodney was right but that didn't mean he wanted to admit it. "Just make sure you don't do too through a job, we need to leave the avenue open for you to return if we find the need for you to do so." He smiled thinly. "After all Agent, that's what we pay you for. Goodbye Agent McKay and good luck."

Rodney's look was derisive. "Thank you sir but I doubt I'll need it after all, that's what you pay me for."

Turning his back on the approving nod, X had always enjoyed people who refused to be intimidated by power, Rodney walked confidently out of the room and down the corridor. Secure in the knowledge that his secretary would be waiting with notes on the DHD, further information about the mission, his long term objectives and directions to the private transportation.


Seventy-two hours later Rodney McKay sighed. Here he was, a special agent of the FBI, CIA, (American organisations were infinitely easier to infiltrate). MI5, MI6, Special Services or whatever they'd decided on this week (which had, on one memorable occasion, actually been Scotland Yard, Canada really needed to make up its mind) and he'd just been effectively banished.

Russia, fantastic, and it looked like he'd just made another set of enemies, surely there were easier ways to infiltrate a country!

He didn't care if they got the best toys, sometimes being a spy sucked.

As the stewardess of the private jet brought him a drink she smiled coyly and for a moment he deliberated between her and the folder marker 'top-secret' that currently sat in front of him.

Eventually he decided that he was too tired and waved her away with a smile, she pouted and left and he was left wondering where the agency got these bimbos from and when exactly he'd become old enough to turn down undoubtedly hot sex.

Maybe it was a sign, he thought as he reached for the folder, a sign that it was time for him to get out of the game, become a full-time physicist.

He opened the folder and looked at the picture of the woman in charge of the proceedings, the one who he'd have to get past in order to successfully complete his mission.

Black hair, cheekbones that could cut glass, deep blue eyes and an IQ over 190, she was also unmarried which was helpful but not essential. Smirking Rodney scanned down the page to find the all-important line. 'Any method of persuasion may be used to gain the necessary information'.

A slow smile slid over Rodney's face, and to think he'd thought he was getting too old for this…

AN - It's possible that this is an SG1 fic but as it's main character is Rodney McKay I decided to put it in the Atlantis column, I also have a few ideas for continuances in Pegasus