Fic: "what would you do if you knew that you would not fail?" (SGA)
title: What would you do if you knew that you would not fail?
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Rating: PG (for one bad word)
Character: Rodney McKay
Genre: Gen, Character Study
Notes: I wrote this two years ago for a drabble war that emptybackpack hosted on her journal (the original post can be found HERE)
What if you fail?
There were expected dangers to living in the Pegasus Galaxy. Being culled and eaten by the Wraith was just one of those dangers. Another was being taken hostage by a local population for some vague offence or insult. There were a hundred million things that could and would kill you in Pegasus, and only a few of those things were humanoid. This was a lesson Rodney had learned well in the last five and a half years.
Another lesson Rodney had learned was to shoot first and ask questions later. Preferably when the subject being shot was incapacitated and no longer a threat to life and limb. Though it was usually better to just destroy the threat out right.
But Rodney… Rodney, what if you fail?
There were other things Rodney had learned, things he’d never thought he’d have to learn.
Sheppard taught him how to handle a gun, how to hit a stationary target and then a moving one. Ford taught him how to rig explosives to create the most damage with the least material. Teyla taught him how to defend himself when he was without a weapon, and then she taught him how to use his hands as weapons. Ronon taught him how to use a knife, showed him the easiest places to incapacitate an attacker.
Pegasus taught him how to kill.
Atlantis showed him how not to care.
Rodney learned that when the boogiemen of Pegasus went bump in the night, Rodney could bump right the fuck back.
What happens when you fail?
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Rating: PG (for one bad word)
Character: Rodney McKay
Genre: Gen, Character Study
Notes: I wrote this two years ago for a drabble war that emptybackpack hosted on her journal (the original post can be found HERE)
What if you fail?
There were expected dangers to living in the Pegasus Galaxy. Being culled and eaten by the Wraith was just one of those dangers. Another was being taken hostage by a local population for some vague offence or insult. There were a hundred million things that could and would kill you in Pegasus, and only a few of those things were humanoid. This was a lesson Rodney had learned well in the last five and a half years.
Another lesson Rodney had learned was to shoot first and ask questions later. Preferably when the subject being shot was incapacitated and no longer a threat to life and limb. Though it was usually better to just destroy the threat out right.
But Rodney… Rodney, what if you fail?
There were other things Rodney had learned, things he’d never thought he’d have to learn.
Sheppard taught him how to handle a gun, how to hit a stationary target and then a moving one. Ford taught him how to rig explosives to create the most damage with the least material. Teyla taught him how to defend himself when he was without a weapon, and then she taught him how to use his hands as weapons. Ronon taught him how to use a knife, showed him the easiest places to incapacitate an attacker.
Pegasus taught him how to kill.
Atlantis showed him how not to care.
Rodney learned that when the boogiemen of Pegasus went bump in the night, Rodney could bump right the fuck back.
What happens when you fail?