SGA flashfiction story

[unadrift]

This SGA-story was written for the villains challenge on sga_flashfic a while back. I recently realized I'm allowed to post it here now.

Title: Bad And Worse
Author: deltacephei
Rating: PG
Words: 660
Summary: "You surprise me, McKay."
Spoilers: Tiny, tiny ones for "The Storm/The Eye" and "The Lost Boys/The Hive", I guess.

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"No." Rodney shook his head.

John stopped poking the campfire and looked up. "What do you mean, no?"

"Just no."

"And here I thought this would be the one thing we could actually agree on."

"Apparently, we cannot," Rodney snapped. "This is a stupid exercise anyway, as far as cozy little get-to-know-you games go. I told you to leave me out of this."

"And yet you couldn't refrain from commenting. Without actually being asked," John pointed out and ignored the glare Rodney sent in his direction. "You're telling me the Wraith aren't your least favourite bad guys? The ones you really wouldn't want to meet tomorrow?"

"Yes. So?"

"You surprise me, McKay. Give."

"Yeah. Who scares you more than the Wraith?" Ronon's amusement was obvious.

Rodney huffed indignantly. "I wouldn't say scare, as much as --"

"Freak the living daylights out of you?" John supplied, grinning.

"Speak for yourself. Oh, wait." Rodney snapped his fingers. "You just did."

"I did, yes. I, for one, would prefer anything this planet can throw at us to a Wraith attack." He leaned back, crossing his arms. "This is mine. Now show me yours."

"Wraith," Ronon agreed between two bites of bread, nodding.

There was a short silence. Teyla shifted closer to the warmth of the fire.

"I happen to take a little comfort in their predictability," Rodney said at an amazing speed, almost apologetically.

Ronon froze, frowning. John sat up straight. "You what?!"

"The Wraith are all about, you know," Rodney gestured, "hunting us down, sucking our lives out, kill us, with their minds set on new feeding grounds. It's refreshingly straight-forward. You know what to expect. Which is more than you can say about the Genii," he stated grimly. "I'm really not for their hidden agendas, victory at all costs, the end justifying the means, and whatever else the twisted selfrighteous Genii mindset might include. We should be on the same side, and that makes them even more insane."

Teyla tilted her head at that thoughtfully.

"There's some weird kind of sense in there, somewhere," John admitted slowly, while Ronon was shaking his head in disagreement.

"Of course there is," Rodney said smugly. "Plus, at least the Wraith only stun first. And they ask no questions later, which is a definite advantage to the Genii."

"The Wraith eat you alive later. How is that better?" Rodney threw John a look that clearly said You have no idea and Don't you dare ask at the same time.

"It's not," Ronon said gruffly. "I'd prefer a shot to the head by a Genii any day."

"But that's just you." Rodney waved the comment away.

Embers flew in every direction when Ronon threw a piece of wood into the fire with a little more force than necessary. He poked it silently.

"Teyla," John said after a while, "you've been awfully quiet."

"Yes." Rodney leaned forward. "Tell us about your least favourite bad guy. This should be interesting."

Teyla exhaled slowly. "I understand your views, although I do not concur with either of you."

"You don't?" John said, and at the same time Rodney asked "But who...?"

Teyla closed her eyes for a brief moment before she answered. "Lieutenant Ford."

John stared, shocked.

"But, but Ford is no --" Rodney started.

"Indeed, he is not," she said sadly. "Yet he has become an enemy, and this pains me the most."

Their eyes followed her as she stood and moved to her tent.

"Wise woman," Ronon commented.

"You didn't even know him," Rodney snapped.

A muscle twitched in John's otherwise expressionless face. "Don't even know him, McKay. Ford isn't dead and gone just yet."

When Ronon went to sleep, several minutes of uncomfortable silence later, he patted John's shoulder awkwardly on his way past.

Rodney tilted his head back to look at the stars. "You know, I changed my mind about --"

"Yeah," John said. "Me too."


- end -