A/N: Sorry it's taken me so long to update – my brother got married and I had a family reunion to attend. I want you guys to know that I never intended this to go beyond a one-shot, but I really do appreciate (and listen to) all of your feedback and responses. I will continue to update this as long as I have interested readers and ideas. With that being said, if you guys have any ideas, let me know! I love implementing them into my stories.
Also, fun fact: In many accounts, Baal and Hadad are actually the same person! That bears no pertinence to my story, but I thought it was cool. Anyway, here's a longer chapter than normal to try and make up for my absence.
Hadad was equally repulsed and impressed by the human Baal had given to her. On one hand, she felt the fight Samantha Carter had left in her, and as she shuffled through what little memories Samantha had, she knew she was a warrior. Had their meeting been under different circumstances, Hadad assumed she'd been glad to have Samantha as her host. Yet, despite Samantha's unwillingness to give up, Hadad also felt the hatred for her that Samantha held within her heart. Hadad had heard of Samantha Carter and the rest of the Tauri, so she knew what they had done to other Goa'uld System Lords. She knew that both her and Samantha were dying, and she did not intend on making it an easy death for her.
Hadad watched as Baal played with the leader of the infamous SG-1, but didn't really listen to what he was taunting him with. She had been around the block a few times with Baal, and it was always the same tactics. She noticed Jack O'Neill's familiarity with Baal, and so she knew that he must have been a prisoner once or twice as well. It was peculiar he was alive and able to be captured again; Baal never released a live captive, and ones who managed to escape generally never dared to return.
She also felt Samantha's internal horror at Baal's treatment of Jack, but she knew that Samantha could not remember him. Months of torture and being revived in the sarcophagus, combined with Baal's modified version of a memory potion created by Nirrti, repressed her memory. They were still there to recapture, but they were quickly fading. Maybe she would take those from her too.
It wasn't long before Baal turned his attention back to them. "My darling Hadad, how long has it been? One hundred, two hundred years?"
"Not long enough," she spat.
Baal walked toward her and yanked her chin up, lifting her face to look at him. "You are dying, Hadad. We do not have time for these asinine pleasantries."
She smiled, "I wasn't aware there was anything left to be pleasant about between the two of us."
Baal let go of her and chuckled lowly. "Hadad, you're as dull as ever. You know, at one time you claimed you loved me."
"Yet you're the one that came after me all these years later." She knew she was working him up. Once he was angry enough, she would retreat back into Samantha's mind so Samantha could take the worst of it. No matter what happened, she knew they would both end up dead, and if she could make it as painful as could for the woman who killed her beloved Sokar, she would.
"Good point. How about one last fuck for good time's sake? Your host has become rather compliant these last few months. I really would like a good fight for once." She felt Samantha cringe inwardly, so she sent a shock to her consciousness, sending Samantha reeling within herself, screaming.
You will not shrink from this. Anything I go through, you do as well. She reminded her.
Baal took an instrument from his tray – it was a whip, covered in thorns and wires. "This whip is electric. Once it hits your back, it will send a shock to your core. You'll be crying out my name in no time." He explained nonchalantly.
Baal called for his Jaffa to release them, and while she struggled against the chains as they moved her, they were much stronger than her, and soon she was chained to the floor in front of Jack O'Neill.
"Sam, if you're still in there, we will get you out of this. You will be okay. You just have to fight, okay? Just fight for us." His eyes were full of concern and strength, willing Samantha to grab onto that and hold on, and for a moment Hadad was filled with the compassion of her host. But she quickly squashed that down. As she heard the whip crackle, and even before she felt its thorns dig into her flesh, she relented back within her host and pushed Samantha's consciousness forward. She knew she couldn't stop the pain to herself completely, but she could certainly try to blunt it.
It didn't take long for Jack to realize that they had been led into a trap. The MALP they sent through had shown clear passage, but as soon as they had stepped through the Stargate, they were surrounded by at least fifteen armed and fully-prepared Jaffa. Jack had ordered his team to stand down, knowing full well that if they tried to fight their way out, they would most likely lose, and one or more of them would risk getting injured or killed. Their capture would likely lead to Carter anyway.
He wasn't wrong, but he didn't expect things to go so horribly to the side. He guessed he shouldn't have been surprised by Carter's lack of fight, she had been held captive by Baal for six months now, but it still hurt to see her hanging so lifelessly from the wall he knew she must have grown to call home. She wasn't covered in bruises or cuts, so he knew she must have been revived by the sarcophagus at least once. His heart just kept shattering. He knew she had had it bad, he himself had been held prisoner by Baal once, but it hadn't fully sunk in until he was here, finally in front of her, unable to help her.
And then her eyes lit up and his heart skipped a beat. A symbiote. Carter was a Goa'uld. How long had she been this way? He should have gotten to her sooner. He should have fought harder. He shouldn't have missed.
He had always dreamt of seeing is 2IC naked. He cared much more for her than he was supposed to. But seeing her up there, completely exposed to him and to Baal, and now also to whichever snake inhibited her body, cut him raw. And as Baal dragged her down to face him, it was all he could do to try to be strong for her.
As the whip came down, he could hear her skin break, and he flinched.
"Carter! You bastard. You've had six months with her. Hurt me instead."
Baal seemed to consider his request, but soon shrugged it off. "As much fun as we had last time, O'Neill, I'll have to decline. It's much more fun for me if you watch your friend while she suffers at my hand, knowing you can do nothing."
He continued to whip Sam, blood spraying from her back, and she screamed. She fell forward, no longer able to hold herself up, and he was able to see the marks on her back, what little skin was left.
"You're going to kill her!" Jack pleaded.
Baal laughed but didn't respond. He continued to whip her until no more sound escaped her throat, and she laid lifelessly on the ground. Jack would have guessed she was dead if not for the small rise and fall of her chest. He was genuinely shocked she was still alive, but supposed the snake had something to do with that.
"Oh, dear Hadad, you've always been a coward," Baal sneered, walking around her body, pulling her up by her hair. "You let Samantha take the beating. I am not surprised. I should have known you'd cower and hide just like you always have."
Carter's eyes lit up, and Jack's heart skipped a beat. It wasn't that he was afraid of the snake, but he was glad that at least it was in control now so that Carter's pain was somewhat eased.
"You may have broken my host's body, but you have not broken me. You may have won this time, Baal, but next time you won't be so lucky," she ground out painfully, blood trickling from her lips.
Baal laughed, and shook his head. "You're a fool, Hadad. There will be no next time for you. I can – and will - revive Samantha, but this time will be your last."
With that, Baal threw her body to the ground. Although he knew it was useless, Jack fought against his chains. He watched as Hadad tried to lift her body, but could only place her hands on the ground before falling back down. He watched as the blood pooled from her back and onto the ground, seeping into his torn BDUs. He didn't want to watch in 2IC die, but he knew she must be suffering. And god, did he knew what it felt like to wish for death at the hand of Baal. She was stuck, trapped in her own mind, wallowing in unforgiving, agonizing pain. He could only imagine what trauma the symbiote was unleashing internally on her.
As he watched her take what he assumed was her last breath, Baal stepped forward. "You know," he tsked, "I'm not ready for this to be over with."
Jack grew angry. "What the hell do you mean? It's already over. You got what you wanted. You killed her. Both of them."
Baal smiled, and took a liquid he had stored in his robe, and walked over to Carter. He bent over her. "I've said before that I am not a god, but that doesn't mean I don't like to pretend."
He poured the liquid onto her back, and it fizzled and smoked, and Jack blanched. The room quickly reeked of burnt skin, and the liquid quickly molded Carter's skin back together, save for scars that marked her time with the whip.
Carter lifted her head, confusion hazing her eyes, before they lit up again. Her scowl quickly grew into a wicked smile, and she began to laugh manically.
"I knew you couldn't kill me." Hadad said to Baal. The words were laced with anger and maliciousness, and Jack knew that if Baal were to let her go, none of them would get out alive.
Baal shrugged. "I don't mind being a little predictable if it means I get to have more fun."
He called his guards back in to chain her to a table that was moved between Jack and the torture wall. After finishing chaining her down, one of the Jaffa cautiously approached Baal.
"Lord Baal," he bowed, "there has been an issue with the other captives. They tried to escape. We were able to subdue them, but not before your first prime was killed by the shol'va."
Baal's face twisted in anger. It was rare for Baal to use his symbiote's voice, but this time when he spoke, it was deep with irritation. "You're all worthless!" He used his hand device to send the Jaffa crumpling to the ground. "The rest of you, what has been done with the other prisoners?"
Jack's heart pumped wildly in his chest. He knew his team must be worried about them, but he didn't think they'd over pull something so dangerous. Jacob. If they got out of this situation, he'd have to have a chat with the former general.
It took a moment before one brave Jaffa stepped forward. "My lord," he bowed his head, "the prisoners were placed in individual cells. The Tok'ra has been injured, but the rest remain unharmed. We did not wish to do too much damage to them, my lord, so that you may seek any punishment you see fit." He looked up uncertainly towards Baal, and Baal remained silent long enough to make even Jack feel uncomfortable.
"What is your name, Jaffa?"
"Mayek, my lord."
"Mayek, you will be my new first prime. Take your stance at my throne, and tell your men to spread word. Have the prisoners brought to my throne room, I will deal with them shortly. You are dismissed."
Jack didn't think he'd ever seen Jaffa shuffle so quickly away from their leader. As soon as they left the room, Baal turned to them.
Hadad began to laugh. "So, I've seen not many things have changed. You're still not able to control your prisoners."
Baal walked toward her, and took a knife that sat on the tray next to the table she laid on, and pressed it against her throat. "You will be careful, Hadid. I did just bring you back from death. I can easily send you back there."
Hadad once again spat in Baal's face, and he roared with anger, bringing the knife up and stabbing Sam in the gut. Hadad let go of her control over Carter, and Sam let out a blood-curdling scream.
"I will be back to deal with you two in a little bit. I've got a small problem to take care of," he sneered at Jack. Jack felt his stomach drop. He couldn't help but think this was his fault. He was about to lose his entire team, all because of a fucking mistake he made six months ago.
Baal left the room in quick strides, and it grew instantly colder. Jack looked towards Sam, the bars across her body pressing into her breasts, the knife still sticking from her stomach.
"Sam?" Jack asked tentatively, not sure if Sam was still in control.
Hadad began to chuckle slowly, before she began choking on the blood that spilled from her lips. She turned her face to look at Jack, and as soon as Jack saw her eyes, his heart sank. They were filled with violence and hatred, and despise for him.
"Your friend is suffering, you know. I will not let her retreat. Whatever Baal does to me, I amplify for her."
"Carter's strong, she can handle it." Jack genuinely believed that Sam was fully capable of surviving torture, she was on the frontline team after all, but he knew he was bluffing as he spoke to Hadad. Carter had been under Baal's control for six months, which was far longer than what he knew the human body could handle.
"Samantha has not been strong for a long time. Baal broke her quickly, as he fucked her over and over and made her cry out his name. You know, she's even screamed yours a couple times. I think she pretended that Baal was you at first, before he erased you from her memory."
Jack flinched. He had known Carter felt the same way as he did, they had so much as admitted it to each other once, but to know that he was her coping mechanism broke his heart.
"You know," Hadad continued, "I could probably let you talk to her."
As much as Jack wanted to talk to her, he knew that as soon as Hadad relinquished control, Sam would feel pain of the knife sticking out of her.
"Ah, but we're just getting to know each other."
Hadad smiled, and it reminded him of one of the smiles Carter used to give him when he told a joke that she wasn't supposed to laugh at.
Her eyes flashed and the room was filled with Sam's anguished cries.
"Carter! Carter, please. Focus on me. Focus on me," he tried calming her down. Soon she quieted, and laid her head back down, closing her eyes, whimpering in pain. How he ached to reach for her, to take some of the pain away.
"Carter, it'll be okay. I'm here to rescue you. I know it doesn't seem like I'm doing a very good job, but there are other people here, the rest of your team and your dad. You know they won't stop until they save you. We'll get out of this."
She turned to look at him, her eyes full of pain, her lips dripping with blood. "You're Jack. I talked to you. You're here."
"Yes, I'm here. I came for you. We all did, SG-1 and your dad."
She scowled. "SG-1. This thing inside of me…it…it hates that word." She smirked and jerked, the knife digging deeper into her. "It's mad…that they're here. It hates them."
"You're a part of SG-1," he explained. "We kill snakes like them." When he saw fear cross her face, he grimaced. "We have a way to get it out of you without harming you. We won't kill you, Carter."
"It's dying," Sam stated. Jack knew what that meant: if Hadad died, she'd probably take Carter with her.
"I've died already. He keeps reviving me. It hurts," she sobbed, her face pale with torment. "I don't remember anything."
"We will save you, and we will help you remember. You know, Daniel lost his memory once too. He remembers everything now. Well, he might be a little dumber, but you'll be fine." His joke fell flat, and at that moment, Baal walked back through the sliding golden doors.
"Enough chatting. Now that our problem has been dealt with," he smiled sweetly at Jack, "I'm going to finished what I started."