A/N: Warning The following chapter contains the gratuitous and extremely unethical use of a cattle prod and may be too intense for some readers. Reader discretion is advised. Always wanted to say something like that.
Chapter 22
Kolya turned to face his captive audience, the smile still lighting his features. John watched as everyone except Ronon and Lorne flinched faintly. "Now you will see its true face." He stepped back out of the way, his attention divided between John and the others.
A full minute passed in silence, then another, and the tension in the room mounted in proportion to the frown that slowly replaced Kolya's cock-sure smile. Twice the colonel glanced briefly past John, and John was able to turn his head and eyes just enough to see what the man was looking at.
Through the window he could see the edge of the full moon was just visible as it came up over the rim of the mountains in the distance.
John looked back at Kolya. "Did I, uh, miss something?" he said. He could hear a shuffle of bodies and a few intakes of breath.
Kolya snorted. "You're amusing," he said icily.
"Yeah, well, I get the guys I shoot pool league with to laugh."
"Silence!" Kolya's hand shot out and the cattle prod touched John on his side, just above his left hip.
"JESUS MOTHER FU…." The word ended in an unintelligible bellow as John tried to pull away from the contact. Every part of him tried to curl up and away, but the straps held him down mercilessly. When he had first moved into his cabin there was a dilapidated old outhouse on the property. His first task was to clear it out, and when he knocked it over he didn't know there was a yellow jacket nest in the thing. He got nailed a dozen times before he was able to get inside and away from the swarm. Right now it felt like every single one of those stings had come back to haunt him, and they were centered right above his hip. He made a few more guttural noises before he managed to get out, "What the hell didya do that for!?!" He let out another angry bellow.
"Stop this!" Carson said and came forward. Two sets of hands held him back just as Kolya spun to face him, cattle prod raised and less than a foot from Carson's face. "This is, is …." Lorne and Ronon held him fast. "Inhuman!" Carson finally spat out.
"Interesting choice of words, doctor," Kolya said. "I strongly suggest you stand back." He held the cattle prod steady, about eye level with the doctor.
"C'mon, doc," Lorne said quietly as he eyed the guards. They had all raised their weapons. Carson noticed as well, and allowed the two men to pull him back.
John watched as he panted, teeth bared and hands clenched into fists. The spot was still throbbing like a sonuvabitch. Then he started to pick up a new scent in the room. It was heavy, musky, and was coming from off to his right. He managed to turn enough that way to see Chaya watching him, her lips parted and eyes half lidded. He tried to pull away, he wanted to pull away, but couldn't.
"You didn't change."
John gratefully returned his attention to Kolya. "I don't know what you're talking about," he gritted out.
Kolya lowered his chin and gave John a patronizing frown. "Please," was all he said before he touched the cattle prod to John's stomach about three inches below his navel.
John couldn't form words – he bellowed and struggled, but he didn't scream. Kolya watched with a faint smile and the guards shifted nervously. John finally quieted down and glared at Kolya, his breath coming in deep ragged gasps that tightened the strap around his chest with every inhale.
Lorne still had a grip on Carson, and both men had their lips drawn in and were white from rage. Ronon couldn't keep his arms still, and he was alternating between crossing them and running his hands back over his dreds or down his face and goatee. Rodney just stood there, his mouth open in shock, and both Zelenka and Keller had hands over their mouths and looked ill.
"Do I have your attention now?" Kolya asked as he leaned forward a fraction.
John drew his lips in and glowered.
Kolya settled back. "Good. I know you aren't human. So why don't you save yourself this discomfort and change?"
"Fuck you."
Kolya sighed. "Suit yourself."
This time John did scream when the cattle prod connected right at the fold where his left leg met his torso. His lips peeled back and he felt the odd, painless pressure in his jaws as both sets of canines extended.
Then everyone in the room drew in a breath when a shadow rippled the entire length of John's body.
John went limp, completely drenched in sweat, and panted. But he was still human, and for some strange reason he felt a tremendous amount of triumph at that fact. Then he caught another whiff of musk just before a small hand settled on his jaw. He snapped his mouth shut and felt Chaya pull back.
"Oh, dear God," Carson said, his hand to his mouth. Lorne was still a quiet anchor by his side, his grip a bruising force on his shoulder. "Enough, Kolya. You've made your point," he said softly. When Kolya turned to face him, he found more strength for his voice. "Stop this, now. For the love of God – enough."
Kolya cocked his head, his expression unreadable. Then he noticed Ronon was starting to pace and appeared to be on the verge of doing something despite all the guns aimed towards the group. "Lieutenant," he said at Ford. The young man only briefly glanced his way. "If he gets out of hand…." He gestured towards Keller. "Shoot her."
Ronon was instantly in front of Keller.
Ford glanced back and forth between Kolya and Ronon. "Sir?" he said hesitantly.
"That is an order, Lieutenant."
Ford still appeared torn when he replied in a steadier voice, "Yes. Sir." He leveled his P90, but his eyes were a tad on the wild side and the muscles bunched along his jaw.
Rodney was still quiet, and it was clear he couldn't quite figure out what to do with his hands. They danced between rubbing his mouth, covering his eyes, and just fluttering uselessly before he'd try to cross his arms to corral them. Finally one hand settled on his forehead and he just lowered his head, closed his eyes, and shook his head spastically. When he lifted his head a second later, his hand just stayed over his mouth.
Zelenka couldn't take the roiling emotions in the room anymore – he turned to the side and puked.
Kolya let out an unimpressed grunt and faced John. "You are a stubborn one, that's for certain. Why do you resist? Is it because of some misguided sense of pride? Do you think your kind is better than us?" He gestured around the room. "Do you think this defiance is, what, noble?"
John glared at the man. He wanted to say, No, you fucking asshole. It's because it's been over twenty years since I've been in my true form, and no way in hell am I going to do it for you and that psycho bitch's amusement. Instead he remained silent, his breath coming hard. Then he decided that maybe it really was a matter of pride after all.
Kolya sighed wearily. "Change."
"No."
"Very well."
John didn't know how he managed it, but Kolya got that damn cattle prod past his penis and hit him in the balls. He opened his mouth wide and roared. The sound was bestial, deep, and filled the room. A second later there was a loud snap and the strap holding his head down broke as he surged forward. Something whizzed past Chaya, ricocheted off a monitor screen and cracked it before disappearing into the far corner. John squeezed his eyes shut as he felt the change sweep over him. Black fur erupted from his skin and the bones around his nose and mouth shifted and realigned. The strap across his thighs creaked loudly as his legs changed proportion – thighs thickening and shortening while his feet actually became longer, more flexible and pawlike, and pulled halfway out of the ankle straps at the cost of some fur. He instinctually didn't clench his hands into fists, but instead spread his fingers wide so the long, fully retractable claws didn't puncture flesh. He sucked in a deep breath, and in the sudden silence everyone could hear the strap across his chest creak as well. Then he roared again, but this time it was with very recognizable words. "I AM GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!"
Weapons came up and the guards all shifted into ready stances, but a second later John collapsed back against the table. His eyes remained fixed on Kolya, and he showed his teeth as he gasped raggedly. His nose and upper lip were more like a muzzle now, but his features were still clearly recognizable in the panther face.
"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph," Carson muttered in pure awe. He felt Lorne's hand leave his shoulder a second later.
Kolya stepped closer, his own face registering amazement. "The others couldn't speak," he said quietly. "Why can you?"
Probably because they weren't pure-bloods, he thought but didn't voice. He just narrowed his eyes, flattened his whiskers, and wrinkled his nose in a silent snarl.
Chaya stepped up closer as well, and was in the process of reaching out to touch John when he simply turned his head and snapped his jaws shut. His teeth clacked together audibly less than four inches from her face and she jerked back. "Back off, bitch," he growled and bared his teeth. A second later he was roaring in pain as Kolya nailed him in the stomach again. The smell of singed fur filled the room.
"Sedate it," Kolya told Chaya. She nodded and picked up another syringe. While she was doing that Kolya turned back to the others. "Now you know the truth," he said rather smugly. He tapped the cattle prod a few times into his palm again and studied each one in turn. "I've been fully aware you have all been planning something the past few days, but as you can clearly see – it will not be leaving this facility."
"You cannot do this," Carson said, his voice tight. "It isn't right."
"Oh, but I can," Kolya replied. "These 'things' are less than human. Less than … animal, even." He stepped forward and the rage was clear on his face. "They take what they want, when they want, without any thought of consequence."
"And torturing him isn't going to bring your son back," Carson said softly.
Kolya drew up short and the only sound in the room was the slowing beep of John's heart monitor. Then Kolya forcibly pulled himself back together. "You may be right, doctor, but at least this way I know there will be some justice." He turned his back to Carson. "Take them away – lock them in their rooms until I decide what to do with them."
The guards stepped forward and motioned them on with their weapons. John's head was lolling, but he was still awake as they filed on by, and both Carson and Lorne got close enough to touch him briefly on the arm. Ronon barely muttered you're tough and clenched a fist. He made a soft chuff in reply. Keller and Zelenka offered him weak smiles, and the pity he saw in their faces was almost too much to bear. Rodney was completely unreadable, but if he had to take a guess John thought he could feel anger coming off the man. Ford was the last one in line, and John could smell nothing but fear coming off of him. Then the table was being tilted backwards again and he closed his eyes as the pressure eased across his chest. They snapped open again a second later when Chaya started petting him. He rolled his head to the side and snapped weakly at her, but she was too far away this time and Kolya was too busy tightening the strap over his feet to reprimand him with the cattle prod.
Kolya straightened the front of his jacket and looked at Chaya. "Shall we begin?" He was smiling again and Chaya replied with a sound in the back of her throat that was hardly appropriate for the situation.
John wished he was unconscious as he closed his eyes. At least whatever Chaya had given him a moment ago was making him numb.
End Note: Wasnt' kidding. And to any guys out there reading, my apologies - I'm really not a psycho. I'm just good at creating psycho characters. And let's face it, after this - KOLYA'S GONNA GET IT!
