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"The Storm"
Rodney wasn't sure that the man in charge of the Genii invading force was entirely sane.
As Atlantis' Chief Science Officer looked into Kolya's glittering brown eyes, he could only think of one other thing.
'We are so fucked.'
And when one of Kolya's goons came up behind him with the wickedly huge Bowie knife, panic gripped Rodney's lungs and squeezed.
Hard.
Kolya seemed to instinctively understand exactly what Rodney was thinking, as one corner of his mouth curled up into a self-satisfied sneer. This was going to be too easy, his expression conveyed.
The young Genii soldier stepped up to Rodney's left side and displayed the serrated blade with a grim expression, and Rodney had no doubts that the man studiously kept it very sharp.
'Wouldn't Sheppard be proud,' a part of his mind gibbered as Kolya grabbed Rodney's arm to keep him from rounding the console... and away from that knife.
Kolya nodded imperceptibly, and the other soldier came up to Rodney's right side, grabbed him by the shoulders, and forcibly spun him to face Knife-Boy.
"Now Doctor McKay," Kolya spoke quietly. "Your plans for the city?"
"Like I already said," Rodney's traitorous voice cracked, and he swallowed heavily. "I have lots of different plans."
The Genii Commander merely leveled a 'You gotta be shitting me' look at the panicked scientist, and the knife came closer.
"What do you care, anyway?!" Rodney blustered. "Elizabeth's getting you what you wanted, so just take it and go!"
Kolya smiled, which only reinforced Rodney's impression that the man was a cold sociopath. The scientist's pulse ratcheted up another ten points. He'd shudder if he knew his current blood pressure.
"Why settle when we could have... more?" was the quiet response.
Rodney felt the blood drain from his head. Oh god, things just had to get worse.
"Now doctor. Your answer."
"I won't help you take my city." Rodney's chin jutted out defiantly, despite the abject terror his eyes were clearly displaying.
Kolya raised one eyebrow mockingly. "Your city? My, you are conceited, aren't you?" His eyes flicked to Knife-Boy, and the other man grabbed Rodney's right arm.
McKay squeaked in alarm and tried to pull away, but the man behind him only tightened his grip on his shoulders... hard enough to leave bruises, and Knife-Boy had his fingers digging painfully into the tendons of Rodney's wrist.
Slowly, ever so slowly, the knife pressed into the sleeve of Rodney's coat. The fabric parted easily to the razor-sharp blade, and the tip slid immediately into the top layers of Rodney's skin.
And there the knife stopped.
"The city, doctor," Kolya's hard voice commanded.
"No."
The blade continued its journey down, sliding through Rodney's skin like a hot knife through butter. The scientist hissed in pain, sucking air into his lungs as nerves were severed and veins spilled blood.
Crimson welled around the tip of the blade and soaked into the jacket sleeve.
Still, the metal pressed on, slipping obscenely through skin to the muscle underneath. Rodney stared in sick fascination as bit by bit, oh so gradually, the Genii's knife sank deeper into his arm.
He blinked.
"The city, Doctor McKay." Kolya sounded patient, as if he had all the time in the world. And really, he did... at least until the storm actually hit, and then the city would be destroyed.
"Why would the city be destroyed?" Kolya's question snapped Rodney out of his stupor.
'I said that out loud?!'
The knife was still, and Rodney absently wondered why it hardly hurt now; his shaving nicks were more painful, really.
"Hellooooo... massive hurricane here. Floating city with no protection," Rodney snapped irritably. "I have to explain all this again?"
The knife jiggled, and Rodney sucked in a shocked breath. Oh, now that hurt!
"Yes," was the simple reply.
Rodney huffed out a frustrated breath. "Hurricane winds, lightning, tidal waves. All that will tear this city apart!"
"Which would explain the evacuation," Kolya murmured.
Rodney couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Well, duh!"
"But not why an important man like you is here. Nor Doctor Weir. Nor Major Sheppard." Brown eyes gleamed with a realization.
"Why not?"
"You are the most important people of your group," Kolya pointed out. He looked as if he was going to continue, but Rodney of course interrupted.
"Which means we're responsible for the welfare of all our..."
Without warning, the knife twisted one hundred eighty degrees, and Rodney bellowed. "What the hell?!"
"Stop lying doctor," Kolya commanded icily.
"You really think I'm gonna help you here?!" Rodney demanded with panic firmly entrenched his voice.
The knife, buried almost an inch into Rodney's flesh, was in between the two bones of his forearm. Leisurely it began to slide up towards his elbow, parting muscle, veins and ligaments along the way.
Rodney gasped and shuddered violently, but said nothing.
Kolya's eyes narrowed, and he raised a hand. The blade's progress mercifully halted, and Rodney panted through the waves of shrieking pain assaulting his nervous system.
"Despite what you think, Doctor, I am not an unintelligent man," Kolya addressed his prisoner coldly. "The presence of Atlantis' top people can only mean that you have a plan to preserve the city from this storm." He leaned towards Rodney until their faces were mere inches apart. "And I intend to find out that plan. One way or another."
Rodney's lips pressed together so hard that they practically disappeared. "I won't help you... take my city," he gritted out between his teeth.
Kolya blinked as he stared assessingly at the freaked-out scientist in front of him, before he moved back and nodded to his two men. As one, they released Rodney at the same time as Knife-Boy cruelly yanked his blade from Rodney's arm.
The scientist grimaced at the additional pain inflicted, and leaned heavily against the console as he cradled his hurt arm against his chest. He never once stopped glaring murderously at his captor.
"If you insist on being so uncooperative, then I am reduced to having a little 'chat' with your Doctor Weir," Kolya explained laconically. "I'm sure with the right... persuasion... she'll be more than happy to share your plan."
Cerulean eyes widened in absolute horror. "You... you wouldn't..."
Kolya grinned like a shark. "Of course I would, Doctor. You of all people should know what the Genii are capable of once we set our minds to something."
Numerous emotions chased each other across McKay's mobile face and eyes before he settled on one. Murderously pissed.
"You so much as touch her, and I'll make you wish you were never born."
"Strong words for a man in no position to carry them out," Kolya mocked. "Now, doctor, one last time: what are your plans to save Atlantis?"
Rodney ground his teeth together, his pulse pounding in his ears and throbbing arm, and dropped his head against his chest in defeat.
"Fine."