Magical Cage 10
Rated TEEN
Xander walked with Daniel, taking third behind Sam and Willow; Teal'c took point. Once again, the P90 bounced awkwardly against his hip. The kid was going to have a monster bruise tomorrow, but Jack really didn't know how to solve that problem, so he shoved it to one side.
Obstacles. The Wraith would be a big one, and the Jaffa. Jack put the Goa'uld on the back burner since without the Earth resistance, the snakes probably wouldn't even bother to get involved in local security. At least he hoped so. Jack really didn't want to add a Ha'tak or two to the list of people and things currently trying to kill him.
Okay, resources: his team, possibly Willow's… well, whatever Willow had. Intel on the Wraith. Between Carter's technical skills and Daniel's linguistic ones, Jack had no trouble believing they could figure the technology out pretty quick once given a sample. Jack considered detouring back to the crashed plane, but finding a secure base had to be priority number one.
Xander. He didn't really fit into either category. When playing soldier, he was an asset to the team, but right now, with his eyes on the path ignoring any danger and the weapon bouncing against his hip, he was more liability. And Spike. Jack sighed. This mission was just not going according to the morning briefing. Go in, talk to the natives, trade for a few pretty trinkets, ask if anyone had seen any big ass technology rotting away in the forest. It'd been such a nice, simple plan.
Hopefully the Nox would be helpful in this reality. God knows the Asgard were a lot more accommodating in that one alternate reality than in their own. If nothing else, maybe the Nox could speed dial the Asgard home world since they didn't have an Ancient generator to hook up to the Gate.
Sam stopped, holding her arm out to stop Willow, and Daniel immediately pulled Xander aside into the bushes. Sam did the same with Willow, and Jack pulled out his handgun. Great. Something had Teal'c spooked, and Jack was left with eight bullets, three extra clips, and a hunk of aluminum. Jack cursed his luck as he took cover behind a tree and waited.
No Jaffa came stomping by in their ridiculous formations, but a whine warned Jack in time for him to dart forward under a smaller tree with wider branches. Fuck. A formation of eight Wraith planes screamed over their heads, did a neat turn and then headed back toward the Gate.
Jack waited in the silent forest, every living thing terrified to stillness. A few leaves drifted down, loosened by the vibration. As Sam and Willow appeared on the path at some all-clear from Teal'c, Jack came out from cover.
"You okay?" he asked Daniel and Xander. Daniel nodded, but Xander just continued to look a little pale. Yeah, the kid was not going down in the resources list, not until Jack got a better understanding of the different parts of him that seemed to roll around in his head.
Jack trotted up the path. As he expected, Teal'c stood waiting for him.
"Those are incredible," Carter said from behind. "The speeds must generate incredible g-forces, either that or they must have dampeners like the gliders, but they would have to be far more compact and advanced to fit into the smaller frame."
"Definitely wow. Kinda scary wow, but wow," Willow agreed.
"We can worry about admiring them later. Right now I'm more interested in avoiding them. What do you think, Teal'c?" Jack asked as he eyed the woods on either side of the path.
"The trees provide more adequate cover."
"And hopefully they won't slow us down too much," Jack agreed. "So we head through the trees. Spread out some and try not to sound like a bull elephant crashing through the underbrush," Jack said with an amused look at Daniel. The archeologist glared back, and Jack could feel his mood improve with the banter.
Jack glanced over toward Xander, expecting some smart ass response since the kid was in class-clown mode, but he just stared into the trees.
"Right, it's over the river and through the woods time, kids," Jack said, trying for cheerful. Teal'c tilted his head before he started through the trees, gliding just as silently over fallen branches and loose rock as he had over the path, and Jack really did wish that just once he could see the big guy trip. It wouldn't even have to be a fall, just a little stumble.
Sam took her position after him, Willow sticking close to her side.
"After you," Daniel offered gallantly. When Xander stomped into the underbrush sounding pretty much like that bull elephant, Daniel looked back. Jack could almost read the archeologist's face, something about what the hell had Jack said to upset the kid so much. Jack could only shrug helplessly. Damned if he knew. And if Daniel couldn't get Xander out of his funk, Jack had no chance at all.
With Teal'c leading, they quickly reached the hill overlooking the building with the gate. Gates generally weren't inside, and Jack had to curse the Goa'uld who'd built the tiny temple… even more than he usually cursed Goa'uld.
"Is anyone else thinking that this is feeling vaguely traplike? I'm getting that feeling, like when a girl hits on me, because we all know that any girl who hits on me is evil, and I'm getting that feeling of evil right now," Xander said as he wiggled forward under a bush and looked out at the clearing.
"Funny, I have that same problem," Daniel added.
"And are you getting that feeling like a pretty girl just smiled at you and you're waiting for the tentacles or fangs or sometimes even the weird foldy legs like on a preying mantis to appear the minute you turn your back or drink drugged tea?" Xander mimicked the open and close of a preying mantis' legs as he looked back at Daniel.
"With me it's usually snakes," Daniel agreed seriously, "or just good old fashioned psychotics. Seriously? A preying mantis?"
Xander mock shuddered.
"If you two are done comparing dating histories… Teal'c, you see anything?" Jack interrupted. Teal'c knelt near the apex of the hill, in the shadow of a tree as he looked down on the meadow.
"I see a temple, O'Neill."
Jack looked over trying to decide if that was a joke or just Teal'c in a particularly literal mood. More and more, Jack was starting to suspect that Teal'c might actually have a sense of humor. Okay, he might have a really bad sense of humor.
"I was a little more worried about anything moving like Wraith or Jaffa. Shouldn't our friendly neighborhood Jaffa be swarming over this place by now?"
"Unless Sokar is more worried about the Wraith than with intruders on the planet," Sam offered. "After all, he doesn't know us in this universe, so he isn't going to think of a few humans as being particularly dangerous."
"Or maybe the Wraith just ate them all," Willow breathed, her voice horrified as she glanced up as though looking for more Wraith ships.
"Now wouldn't that be just too bad." Jack scanned the woods for any signs.
Willow gasped.
"Demons Will. People eaten is horrifying. When demons eat demons it isn't really horrifying, it's just…" Xander struggled for a word, "really, really gross."
God, how could people so damn young be fighting the ultimate forces of evil in their universe? Jack shoved that thought into the increasing crowded repress and forget box as he focused on the field
Jack would have felt a lot better if a squadron of Jaffa had stood in the field. A bit of C4, some good cover fire, and a little luck, and they could all be through in no time. If a person counted an hour or so as no time because Danny still had to try every single frickin' symbol to find the planet of origin, and if Jack ever got to meet an Ancients, he sure as hell was going to talk to them about the stupidity of their whole dialing system. What the hell was wrong with a nice one-button speed dial system?
"So, we wait for night?" Jack asked.
"Indeed," Teal'c agreed.
"Teal'c, you keep an eye out for any visitors. Sam, Daniel, I saw a stream about a half mile south. Maybe you could take the canteens and scout for water.
"Yes, sir." Sam crawled back from the edge so that she could stand up and start grabbing canteens.
"Don't have too much fun while we're gone," Daniel said as he followed Sam through the trees to the south.
"Danny, when you aren't around, missions turn absolutely boring, don't they, Teal'c?"
"I believe we nearly died on Thor's ship without Daniel Jackson's assistance."
"Thanks for the backup there, Teal'c," Jack complained without any rancor.
"You are most welcome, O'Neill."
Jack turned on his back and pulled his cap down low. It would be a late night tonight, and hopefully a long couple of days as the Nox helped them sort out this whole dimension. Jack dozed until a crackling of twigs made him open his eyes. Willow and Xander sat under a large tree, and Teal'c still watched the temple.
"Anything new?" Jack asked as he moved into position to watch for Daniel and Sam coming out of the trees.
"Nothing."
Teal'c moved back from the edge and sat up, his staff weapon pointed toward the trees as Sam's blonde hair appeared, bouncing like a spot of light in the shadows. Jack pulled his own gun. Sam kept her cap on because her hair tended to be a little too visible.
"Heads up," Jack ordered as he moved into the shadow of a rock. Okay, maybe he was just being paranoid, but the problem was that Jack's paranoia turned out to be accurate too often for MacKenzie to convince him to give it up. Xander pulled the P90 up as he shoved Willow behind the tree. That didn't leave much room for him, so he lay on the ground with little more than a monster root in front of him. Jack wished he had time to curse the boy out, but hopefully Carter had just lost her cap in the stream and then Jack could bitch at both of them.
Carter stepped out of deep shadow, and Jack winced. That eye was going to be black tomorrow. Even worse, she had a collar and behind her walked a Wraith, weapon in one hand, Carter's leash in the other.
"Oi, you lot are about as obvious as a punk rocker at Lawrence bloody Welk; your weapons light up the screens these blokes use, so time for everyone to come out." From behind the Wraith, Spike walked out, a chain in his own hand, and Danny followed him. At least Danny hadn't taken the hits Carter had.
"Spike?" Xander called, his voice all surprise, but he didn't get up from cover or lower his weapon.
Teal'c's staff weapon barked, and the Wraith soldier stumbled back, yanking Carter with him so that she physically fell into him. Good little soldier that she was, she turned that accident into an attack, driving her elbow into him before turning and landing a punch on his neck, below the armored face plate. Unfortunately, it didn't make him do more than make him stumble. Jack unloaded his clip at the vampire, not sure he trusted Xander's claim that it wouldn't do any damage. He got in four or five hits before Spike retreated behind Daniel and Jack didn't dare fire any more.
Only then did he realize that Xander was firing. More Wraith appeared in the trees, and Xander targeted them, and actually hit more Wraith than tree. Jack reloaded while Teal'c got off shot after shot. By the time Jack had cleared a new clip, the staff weapon was silent. Jack glanced over to see Teal'c slumped on the ground. He targeted a Wraith knee and fired again, looking for any weaknesses in the armor.
"Xander, fall back," Jack shouted.
"Oi, Xander don't. Have an agreement, me and you. You run, and I'm calling that null and void," Spike's voice shouted over the din. Xander hesitated on the trigger.
"Seems like you violated your end of our little bargain, so I'm givin' you a choice here." Spike manhandled Daniel out into the open and hid behind him. Jack could feel impotent rage rise as Daniel fisted the collar, his eyes searching for his teammates. By now, no one was firing. Fuck. If Xander turned sides, Jack had zero chance of getting out of this.
Daniel's eyes found him in the shadow, and Jack could see the panic. He didn't know if the panic was the idea of the last of them getting captured or the idea of Jack leaving him, but from a strictly logical standpoint, Jack could only make one decision. The worst one.
"I didn't leave you, and what choice?" Xander shouted. "I'm not seeing a choice except where you've gone and thrown in with whatever side you think will win. Fucking undead dead guy." Xander wasn't taking the betrayal well, was Jack's guess. Considering that just hours ago the man had been ready to sacrifice himself to try and save the mercenary, Jack understood the frustration. Jack eased away into the shadow slowly as Wraith eyes focused on Xander.
"They're as good as family, aren't they? Hell, they are family—blood doesn't lie about that. I offered them the same loyalty I'd give my own sire, the mighty Angelus."
Jack could see Xander prop himself up on one elbow as he took a better look. Wraith came from the trees, and Jack slid backwards, deeper into the shadows. Just distract them a little longer, kid.
"So you think I should just give up? Um, newsflash, these guys eat people like me. I'm not looking to get eaten. Besides, most of the people who threaten to eat me at least offer me sex first, and the Wraith queen is way too scary, even for me. I'm guessing she's your type though, isn't she?"
Jack reached a tree and slowly stood on the far side of it, in the shadow. Silently as he could, he dashed for the next tree, keeping bent low to the ground. Fuck. He hadn't even been able to grab his pack with the C4. Fuck and fuck. Okay, time to worry about that later.
"The lady's got a few things to teach, that's for sure," Spike agreed. "Learned a few right interesting things from her. But you're my bloody worshipper, no matter what bollocks has gotten into your head, so you put that down and come out now before I call our little agreement null and void."
Jack crouched behind a bush.
"Willow's safe too?"
"You ready to play good little worshipper?"
"I was just scared, Spike, and I thought you were coming with us," Xander didn't sound pissed now; he sounded apologetic. Yeah, let the kid save his own neck; Jack just made a silent promise to himself to strangle the man later.
"Gun down, mate. Now."
"Willow?"
"Bloody hell, Red's a good deal nicer than you are. If I'm offerin' to not eat you, I sure as hell won't eat her."
Jack dashed for the next tree. Maybe he'd shoot Xander in the foot. He deserved it. Okay, he didn't since he was just a kid and looking to save his own life and Willow's life along with it. And just when Jack was thinking he was too paranoid. Obviously not. Obviously he could use a little more paranoia in his life because he had the kid pegged as the loyal type. Then again, maybe he just guessed wrong about who the kid was loyal to. Defending the universe might come second in his book to worshipping Spike.
Jack went to one knee on the damp earth behind a flowering berry-bush. He debated between further retreat and digging in. Deciding on retreat, he turned and found himself staring down a Wraith weapon.
Well fuck.