In Extremis: Ch. 5
Unexpectedly, I have been given Monday off!
(sing with me now ... 'Oh you can't scare me, I'm stickin' with the Union ...')
And this is, of course, good news for those of y'all eagerly awaiting the next chhapter!
Title: In Extremis
Author: Taylor Dancinghands -
taylor@willendorphians.com
Characters: Rodney McKay/Radek Zelenka
Category: slash, established relationship, Radek Angst
Rating: 'PG-17' -eventually
Archive: Generally yes, but please let me know where
Summary: A while back in some comment thread, someone suggested that they'd like to see Radek placed in an 'action/adventure' situation where he'd have to shoot his gun and all. Said image fermented in my fevered brain for a few weeks and this was the result.
Spoilers/Season: none really. post season 2?
Author's notes: This story could be said to be a sequel of sorts to 'Discorporate', and so I've decided to make it number 2 in what will hopefully become a series that I'm now calling "The Angsty & Amorous Adventures of Rodney & Radek" or the A&AAofR&R.
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, never will, not claiming to. Just wanna play with 'em a little. Can't I, can't I, huh?
In Extremis
by Taylor Dancinghands
Back to Ch. 4
V. Running the Gauntlet
The need to push on propelled Radek to his feet, in spite of the lingering woozy feeling from his injury and his hasty extraction of the projectile in his arm. Glancing back at Rodney, he saw that his lies had not fooled the man for a moment, but that he understood the need to carry on as though they were true. Knowing that the soldiers would now all be waiting for them to appear on the other side of the jumper they'd taken refuge behind, Radek lead them straight back to the next row and back tracked, though more than a few archers had guessed at this strategy and a shower of bolts rained around them as they moved.
Running along the next row, however, Radek was dismayed to see that a handful of soldiers had already come up to the ends of this row, and were shooting at them from the sides as well as behind. There was no more time, he saw, for anything but a desperate dash, straight back to the passage out of the cavern. Stepping out into the aisle once more to open a long burst of fire into the soldiers behind them, Radek next pushed Rodney into the lead, crying, "Run, now, fast as you can!"
No doubt it was worry for his sake that inspired Rodney to pick up his speed even more, and, running behind him, Radek felt three or four more bolts strike his back. They struck hard and Radek had a feeling that they would leave bruises, but thankfully the jacket stopped them from doing any more than that. A very long handful of seconds later, Radek was relieved to see that they were clearing the last row of jumpers, when Rodney gave a surprised cry and suddenly ducked to the left.
With dismay, Radek now saw that a few soldiers had actually made it to the back of the cavern and were gathered in front of their exit, blocking the way out. Ducking behind the last jumper, next to Rodney, Radek leaned out again to fire another long burst from the P90, but only a short burst came, as he now discovered that he'd exhausted the clip.
Letting loose a stream of curses in his native tongue so vile that he doubted that even Rodney had even heard them, he dropped the empty P90 and unholstered his pistol, struggling to regain his calm so that he could aim the thing effectively. The last burst from the P90 had taken out a number of the guards standing between them and freedom, but not all of them, and more were appearing by the second. He was never going to be able, Radek felt a dread growing in him, to kill them faster than they were arriving.
He was barely aware of a tug on one of his vest pockets as he dropped one guard after another, but several moments later he saw Rodney, out of the corner of his eye, nudging him with the P90. To his astonishment, Radek saw that a new clip had been loaded in. How Rodney had done this one handed he could not imagine, but now, he knew, they might still have a chance. He swept the crowd of soldiers standing before them with a hail of bullets, passing the muzzle of the automatic weapon back and forth over them four times.
Now was their best chance, Radek concluded, looking back to signal Rodney that they were about to advance again.
"Stay close!" he called, thinking, even as he spoke the words, how superfluous they were. Sweeping the gun in a wide arc as he and Rodney advanced, Radek sprayed a continuous stream of bullets, striking assailants on their right and left as well as those before them. Most of those soldiers who had not fallen at this point had taken cover, and moments later Radek saw that their path lay clear. Rodney saw this too and, seizing the opportunity, the two of them took off running as fast as they their legs could carry them.
They were forced to slow somewhat as they attained the last segment of the passage, as it was quite narrow and the floor rocky and very uneven. It was also dark, however, and the passage was far from straight, so that there was no clear shot at them from behind any more. Rodney had never been this way before, however, and Radek ended up having to guide him, his good hand heavily gripping Rodney's good shoulder to direct him as they went. Both of them were nearly overwhelmed with relief to see the faint light at the end of the passage which signaled the near end of their ordeal.
"Is that it?" Rodney asked, his voice cracking with exhaustion and desperation.
"Yes, yes," Radek panted, thinking that he was a little more done in than he ought to have been. "Jumper is right outside, though you will not see it."
"You can lead the way," Rodney said, hearing guarded hope at last in his lover's voice. It was very good to hear.
Rodney did wait for him where the passage came to an end, amidst a dense thicket of shrubs, and Radek pushed the branches away to lead Rodney into jumper's open hatchway, where the interior of the craft suddenly became visible.
"We made it ... oh god, I can't believe we made it," Rodney gasped as he stumbled into the jumper and collapsed on one of the benches in the rear compartment. Radek staggered past him to lean heavily in the doorway between the two sections of the vessel.
"You must not stop there, please," he said, feeling suddenly very unsteady on his feet. "You must fly jumper, yes? For I certainly cannot."
"Right, right," Rodney muttered, "Fly the jumper. I can do that."
Radek maneuvered himself into the copilot's chair as Rodney took his place, wincing with pain as the burns on his back came in contact with the seat. A moment later he heard the rear hatch close, then felt the jumper's engines engage. Radek did not think he had ever heard a more wonderful sound in all his life. He had to direct Rodney to the Stargate, which meant remembering himself where it was (and he had not been paying all that much attention on the way here), but fortunately it was not far.
There was a fair sized contingent of soldiers arrayed around the gate when they got there, no doubt intended to prevent the escape of their prisoner, but they were, of course, unable to see the jumper. Radek could not seem to give up the death grip his right hand had on the P90 and so started to reach out with his left hand to dial the gate when Rodney asked him to. It was the great quantity of blood dripping off his hand rather than the pain, which was seeming somewhat distant at the moment, that caused him to stop, determinedly uncurl his fingers from the P90 and use his right hand to dial the gate and send his IDC. Why should I be surprised to see how much blood is on my hands, he thought to himself, as he watched the gate open and the soldiers scatter.
Radek was only vaguely aware of the trip through the worm hole, but was startled into back awareness again by the quiet and stillness when they came to a halt and jumper's engines powered down.
"We made it, Radek," he heard Rodney say, his voice seeming a bit distant as well. "Oh my god, I can't believe we actually made it home."
Blinking to focus his increasingly unfocused vision at the world outside the jumper, Radek realized that they had indeed arrived in Atlantis, and were sitting in the gate room.
"Home?" he said, not quite certain he was speaking English any more. "Yes, …yes, we are home."
That fact established, the last bit of Radek hanging on to consciousness knew that it was alright, at last, to let go, and so he did.
"Radek? … Radek!?"
***
Next, we make with the *guilt* ...
On to Ch. 6
(sing with me now ... 'Oh you can't scare me, I'm stickin' with the Union ...')
And this is, of course, good news for those of y'all eagerly awaiting the next chhapter!
Title: In Extremis
Author: Taylor Dancinghands -
taylor@willendorphians.com
Characters: Rodney McKay/Radek Zelenka
Category: slash, established relationship, Radek Angst
Rating: 'PG-17' -eventually
Archive: Generally yes, but please let me know where
Summary: A while back in some comment thread, someone suggested that they'd like to see Radek placed in an 'action/adventure' situation where he'd have to shoot his gun and all. Said image fermented in my fevered brain for a few weeks and this was the result.
Spoilers/Season: none really. post season 2?
Author's notes: This story could be said to be a sequel of sorts to 'Discorporate', and so I've decided to make it number 2 in what will hopefully become a series that I'm now calling "The Angsty & Amorous Adventures of Rodney & Radek" or the A&AAofR&R.
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, never will, not claiming to. Just wanna play with 'em a little. Can't I, can't I, huh?
In Extremis
by Taylor Dancinghands
Back to Ch. 4
V. Running the Gauntlet
The need to push on propelled Radek to his feet, in spite of the lingering woozy feeling from his injury and his hasty extraction of the projectile in his arm. Glancing back at Rodney, he saw that his lies had not fooled the man for a moment, but that he understood the need to carry on as though they were true. Knowing that the soldiers would now all be waiting for them to appear on the other side of the jumper they'd taken refuge behind, Radek lead them straight back to the next row and back tracked, though more than a few archers had guessed at this strategy and a shower of bolts rained around them as they moved.
Running along the next row, however, Radek was dismayed to see that a handful of soldiers had already come up to the ends of this row, and were shooting at them from the sides as well as behind. There was no more time, he saw, for anything but a desperate dash, straight back to the passage out of the cavern. Stepping out into the aisle once more to open a long burst of fire into the soldiers behind them, Radek next pushed Rodney into the lead, crying, "Run, now, fast as you can!"
No doubt it was worry for his sake that inspired Rodney to pick up his speed even more, and, running behind him, Radek felt three or four more bolts strike his back. They struck hard and Radek had a feeling that they would leave bruises, but thankfully the jacket stopped them from doing any more than that. A very long handful of seconds later, Radek was relieved to see that they were clearing the last row of jumpers, when Rodney gave a surprised cry and suddenly ducked to the left.
With dismay, Radek now saw that a few soldiers had actually made it to the back of the cavern and were gathered in front of their exit, blocking the way out. Ducking behind the last jumper, next to Rodney, Radek leaned out again to fire another long burst from the P90, but only a short burst came, as he now discovered that he'd exhausted the clip.
Letting loose a stream of curses in his native tongue so vile that he doubted that even Rodney had even heard them, he dropped the empty P90 and unholstered his pistol, struggling to regain his calm so that he could aim the thing effectively. The last burst from the P90 had taken out a number of the guards standing between them and freedom, but not all of them, and more were appearing by the second. He was never going to be able, Radek felt a dread growing in him, to kill them faster than they were arriving.
He was barely aware of a tug on one of his vest pockets as he dropped one guard after another, but several moments later he saw Rodney, out of the corner of his eye, nudging him with the P90. To his astonishment, Radek saw that a new clip had been loaded in. How Rodney had done this one handed he could not imagine, but now, he knew, they might still have a chance. He swept the crowd of soldiers standing before them with a hail of bullets, passing the muzzle of the automatic weapon back and forth over them four times.
Now was their best chance, Radek concluded, looking back to signal Rodney that they were about to advance again.
"Stay close!" he called, thinking, even as he spoke the words, how superfluous they were. Sweeping the gun in a wide arc as he and Rodney advanced, Radek sprayed a continuous stream of bullets, striking assailants on their right and left as well as those before them. Most of those soldiers who had not fallen at this point had taken cover, and moments later Radek saw that their path lay clear. Rodney saw this too and, seizing the opportunity, the two of them took off running as fast as they their legs could carry them.
They were forced to slow somewhat as they attained the last segment of the passage, as it was quite narrow and the floor rocky and very uneven. It was also dark, however, and the passage was far from straight, so that there was no clear shot at them from behind any more. Rodney had never been this way before, however, and Radek ended up having to guide him, his good hand heavily gripping Rodney's good shoulder to direct him as they went. Both of them were nearly overwhelmed with relief to see the faint light at the end of the passage which signaled the near end of their ordeal.
"Is that it?" Rodney asked, his voice cracking with exhaustion and desperation.
"Yes, yes," Radek panted, thinking that he was a little more done in than he ought to have been. "Jumper is right outside, though you will not see it."
"You can lead the way," Rodney said, hearing guarded hope at last in his lover's voice. It was very good to hear.
Rodney did wait for him where the passage came to an end, amidst a dense thicket of shrubs, and Radek pushed the branches away to lead Rodney into jumper's open hatchway, where the interior of the craft suddenly became visible.
"We made it ... oh god, I can't believe we made it," Rodney gasped as he stumbled into the jumper and collapsed on one of the benches in the rear compartment. Radek staggered past him to lean heavily in the doorway between the two sections of the vessel.
"You must not stop there, please," he said, feeling suddenly very unsteady on his feet. "You must fly jumper, yes? For I certainly cannot."
"Right, right," Rodney muttered, "Fly the jumper. I can do that."
Radek maneuvered himself into the copilot's chair as Rodney took his place, wincing with pain as the burns on his back came in contact with the seat. A moment later he heard the rear hatch close, then felt the jumper's engines engage. Radek did not think he had ever heard a more wonderful sound in all his life. He had to direct Rodney to the Stargate, which meant remembering himself where it was (and he had not been paying all that much attention on the way here), but fortunately it was not far.
There was a fair sized contingent of soldiers arrayed around the gate when they got there, no doubt intended to prevent the escape of their prisoner, but they were, of course, unable to see the jumper. Radek could not seem to give up the death grip his right hand had on the P90 and so started to reach out with his left hand to dial the gate when Rodney asked him to. It was the great quantity of blood dripping off his hand rather than the pain, which was seeming somewhat distant at the moment, that caused him to stop, determinedly uncurl his fingers from the P90 and use his right hand to dial the gate and send his IDC. Why should I be surprised to see how much blood is on my hands, he thought to himself, as he watched the gate open and the soldiers scatter.
Radek was only vaguely aware of the trip through the worm hole, but was startled into back awareness again by the quiet and stillness when they came to a halt and jumper's engines powered down.
"We made it, Radek," he heard Rodney say, his voice seeming a bit distant as well. "Oh my god, I can't believe we actually made it home."
Blinking to focus his increasingly unfocused vision at the world outside the jumper, Radek realized that they had indeed arrived in Atlantis, and were sitting in the gate room.
"Home?" he said, not quite certain he was speaking English any more. "Yes, …yes, we are home."
That fact established, the last bit of Radek hanging on to consciousness knew that it was alright, at last, to let go, and so he did.
"Radek? … Radek!?"
***
Next, we make with the *guilt* ...
On to Ch. 6