Away from Atlantis

Disclaimer

I don't own Stargate Atlantis, I wish I owned John but I don't. Sadly If I continue on about what I don't own I'm afraid I might start crying and forget why I'm on fanfiction, so this ends this disclaimer.

This story starts up after The Game and ignores Irresponsible so Kolya is still alive. Song for this chapter is Antidote by Swedish House Mafia verses Knife Party.

Chapter One

John wandered around the old dark Ancient outpost. Oddly it wasn't responding to his and Rodney's presence. Rodney was trying to find out why, by fiddling with the wall's power crystals, Teyla was looking around, Ronon was already looking distinctly bored, leaning against the wall, he really wasn't good with the peaceful missions.

"Ok! Got it."

Lights came on, John blinked, the rapid change of light had caught him off guard.

He'd been mid step, so he stumbled in to a console that immediately activated, shooting out a beam that grabbed him, he yelped.

Rodney's head whipped around at the cry of surprise,

"Rodney turn it Off!'' Teyla shouted.

"On it."

He tapped at his console, the machine wasn't cooperating, it wouldn't turn off.

John fought the machine, it hurt, he felt like he was being hit with a taser.

"Damn it! Rodney turn it off!" Ronon was trying to reach in to the beam to pull John out, but couldn't touch him.

"Okay." Rodney pulled the power crystal.

John blacked out.

Rodney

All the lights shut off, they were in the dark again.

"John wake up, say something buddy. "

Rodney hurried over towards Ronon's voice aiming his flash light at Ronon and John.

John was stretched out on the floor and seemed to be out cold, he wasn't responding to Ronon shaking his shoulders.

"Ronon stop shaking John, He's breathing. You and I will go contact Atlantis and call for Dr. Beckett. Rodney..." Teyla was interrupted.

"Stay here and find out what the machine does, got it." Rodney said not letting her finish.

"Well I was going to say watch John, but if you can find out what it does I'm sure Dr. Beckett would appreciate that."

With that Teyla and Ronon left the outpost.

About twenty minutes later John groaned. Rodney knelt down next to him, "How are you feeling?"

John

"Like a truck hit me, What the hell happened?" he stayed where he was, somehow moving didn't sound all that fun.

"Well you, idiot that you are turned on a machine, that I now think is an Ascension Accelerator."

"Really?" Hun. He could get powers, like spiderman. Cool.

"Yes, we will have to get you to the machine back in Atlantis to fix your DNA."

"Why not use this one?" Was it just him, or did Rodney not want him to find out what his powers were.

"Well for one we need a sample of your DNA as it was before, which is in Atlantis, and secondly I broke it when I cut the power."

"You broke it." Ha! Rodney broke it, that was so typical.

"Yes, I shorted the system trying to turn it off, so it stop doing, whatever it was doing to you."

"Oh... Well thanks." Well at least he did it because he was trying to help.

"Your welcome."

John sat up, he couldn't see straight, he failed to repress his moan of, "OOOh! my head."

"You have a headache?"

"Yes, Rodney I have one really bad headache." He was still seeing stars, he should have never sat up.

"Really? That doesn't sound good because I didn't suffer any side affects."

"Rodney did anyone cut the power in the middle of what it did to you?"

"Well no, Zelenka tried but it finished before he could."

"Well thats probably why I have a headache." the more Rodney talked the more his head roared.

"You mean I probably did something awful to your DNA." "Oh no," he moaned, "Your right cutting it off in the middle... who knows what kind of damage it did."

"Rodney shut up! I'm sure if there's anything wrong with me Carson will be able to fix it but you talking is only hurting my head. So please shut up." He sat there cradling his head. It was throbbing like a hangover he hadn't had since the academy.

Ten minutes later Teyla, Ronon, and Carson showed up with two medical assistants.

"Alright, wheres my patient?"

"I'm over here Doc." he didn't look up the flashlights made his eyes burn.

"Good your awake, I was more afraid of you still being out. What are your symptoms?"

"Well I have a god awful headache, and... ouch! And I don't like lights being shone in my eyes," he finished with venom.

"Sorry Colonel, needed to check your pupils, and they are equally reactive."

Rodney spoke up here, "The machine, well... beam that hit him is an Ascension Accelerator, so we need to take him back to Atlantis, to the one there."

"Why did the Ancients have two?" Ronon asked.

"Well, I don't know maybe they didn't tell the others what they were doing. Besides who knows why they did anything." Rodney snapped.

Too much talking, he stayed silent, yelling would not help.

Ronon shrugged, Carson finished his first look at John.

"Well I see no reason not to take you back to Atlantis, besides I'll be able to give you a proper check up."

With that they headed back to the gate, John hadn't been able to leave the dark outpost without some sort of covering, all they had were his sunglasses and they weren't all that helpful because the only place John could look was at the ground.

Four Hours Later

Despite John's requests to be allowed to see what his powers would be, Elizabeth ordered him to immediately go the their machine, and enter his DNA so he could be cleared sooner for mission duties, they needed to find something to help with the replicator/wraith threat to the city and the galaxy.

John gave in disappointed, but he could live with it.

Carson ordered him kept off duty for a week as a precaution.

John could live with being ordered to take some R&R.

Three Days Later

"John what are you doing here?" Carson asked cheerfully.

"Well as odd as it sounds I'm here because I feel really good." he felt a light silly but better that then well...

"Your not showing signs of powers are you?"

"No, but I do seem to be hearing things," at Carson's very worried look. He finished, "Not hearing things, things. Like I can hear stuff I normally wouldn't hear."

"Like ?"Carson prompted.

"Well I heard Ronon like he was next to me, from across the room." Yeah that had been weird, he'd heard Ronon talking and had turned to ask him something, only to find him way across the room

"Well that has me a little concerned, Rodney could hear like that well he was under the machines affects. But you shouldn't be... hum-mm."

"Carson what does this mean for me?" he wanted him to get to the point.

"Well John I'm gonna to need a scan, some blood, and you'll need to come and see me tomorrow."

"Shouldn't we tell Dr. Weir what's going on?"

"No lets not tell her anything till we know something." Carson said readying a needle for the blood draw.

John was well aware that broke protocol, but he couldn't bring his self to tell her he thought something was wrong, when there was a good chance nothing was.

He shrugged it off.

"See you bright and early tomorrow, Doc"

Four Hours Later

"Carson."

"John! Good lord don't sneak up on me like that." "Why are you here? Your test results won't be done for at least another two hours."

"Carson somethings wrong. After you dismissed me, I went had lunch, then me and Ronon went to the gym, and sparred. I did way better then I should have, Carson we weren't holding back."

John couldn't help it, he hesitated, was it all in his head or what.

"There were about... four times when he hit me that I knew I would be coming here for an ace wrap or something, but after we finished, I didn't realize it then, but none of those spots hurt. So I went and had a shower and as I was getting dressed again I checked my back, my wrist, and my shoulder. I don't have a mark on me Carson."

"John, lay down I'm gonna run another scan, I might have something in mind to look for."

Carson ran the scan, he looked at the results.

"John you don't have nanites in your system, your brain activity is normal. I'm just going have to wait on the rest of those tests."

"Doc, you have started a DNA comparison right?"

Carson stared at him. "I'm Bloody Bloomin Idiot!"

Some of the other doctors looked over wondering what could have gotten Carson so worked up.

He lowered his voice, "Thank you for pointing it out, it should have been the first thing I did. Why didn't I think of that..." he walked away muttering to himself.

When Carson came back, he was still muttering, finally he shook his head. "John come back here tomorrow I'll tell you what I found."

John got off the table, Carson really needed to sleep more.

John walked through Atlantis, heading for his room, even if it was only four he figured he should turn in. All the odd things that had happen, had him stressed. He knew even if he didn't sleep he might as well read, he had a new golfer magazine.

Three Hours Later

John flipped through his magazine he'd read it cover to cover and it was only five thirty, he sighed. He was just about to get up to put the magazine away, turn out his lights, when there was a knock at his door.

"Yes?"

"John care to join myself and Ronon for dinner?"

"Ahh... Well. Sure."

John left his room, joining Ronon and Rodney.

"So your not too sore after that pounding I gave you, are you?"

"No Ronon, I feel great."

"So you'll be ready to do it again tomorrow?"

"You should have seen that one coming John." Rodney laughed.

Both Ronon and John turned on him "Are you volunteering McKay?" John said with what could only be described as an evil smirk.

"A... A me no I just..."

Ronon laughed.

"So are you up for it?"

"Sure."

"See you after lunch again?"

"Yeah that'll work."

Their chatter continued through dinner, after they finished eating, they talked some more, later then they thought, only after John checked the clock did they realize they had been there four hours. They parted ways, heading for their respective rooms.

John arrived at his room, brushed his teeth, changed in to PJs, and realized his nails were a little too long. He shook his head, getting up to get his nail clippers. After trimming them he turned the lights out, and went to bed.

11:30 p.m.

"Carson you've been here all day, I'm sure what ever your doing can wait till morning. You need to sleep more."

"Thanks Marie, I just want to look at this then I'll be off for bed."

Dr. Marie Hseih sighed and left Carson to it.

Carson pulled up John's results, he'd look at them and if they weren't too dire, he sleep like a babe. Well, they looked clear, till he got to the DNA comparison, then his good night's sleep went out the window.

7:30 Next Morning

John walked in to the infirmary, he paused in the door looking for Carson. He wasn't there, so headed for some of the other rooms considered the infirmary, he finally found him bent over a microscope, surrounded by notes, and empty coffee cups.

"Carson did you stay up all night?"

" hun?" "Who... Oh! It's morning. Already?" Carson was unusually frazzled, "John right... um... Ok."

"Carson what's wrong?"

"Ah.. John, Elizabeth needs to here for this."

"That bad huh?"

Carson tapped his com, "Elizabeth this is Carson could you come to the infirmary?"

"Sure Carson, be right there, you called me on my way to breakfast."

John sat down, while they waited for Elizabeth. Carson merely went and seemed to be setting up a computer for, whatever he was going to show them. Elizabeth came in, "What did you want me for Carson?"

The scottish man sighed, his shoulders sank.

"John why are you here?" Elizabeth said, she hadn't heard Carson ask for him as well.

"I'm here because I asked Carson to run some tests yesterday, and now he's going to tell us those results," he reclined trying to seem cool, and unconcerned.

"Yes you did, but what I found is... Impossible. But I'm in Atlantis, so maybe it is. You came out fine on most of the tests its was only your DNA comparison that had red flags," Carson ran a hand through his hair.

"Your DNA has changed in an odd way."

"What, the machine didn't fix the changes?" Elizabeth tried to clarify.

"Well thats some of it, But Rodney's was a controlled change, it was base code. Making changes in his brain activity and some small physiologically ones, But yours..."

"Yours have changed they seen to have add ons, little stuff, but their, not the problem now. The problem is I recognize some of the add ons, as ones Teyla has and more."

"What do you mean ones like Teyla's? Like how ?" Elizabeth asked confused.

"I mean like Wraith."

John inhaled sharply. "Do you think I'm gonna change or... what?"

"Well I can see some changes just now. Your paler then is normal for you, you said your self you can hear better, I bet if I test you, you'll be seeing better than 20-20."

"DO you think I'm going to turn into a Wraith or not." John took a deep breath, this was another nightmare come true, the retrovirus had been bad, but... this scarred him.

Elizabeth looked at him sharply for his tone.

"No I think your gonna be something close to a hybrid, I think you have some regeneration, seeing, hearing, speed, you probably be able to sense Wraith. And I think your DNA is going to help my Retrovirus research."

"Well how did this happen? The machine isn't supposed to work like this at all?" Elizabeth murmured.

"Well between Rodney shorting the system, and all the Wraith tissues in John's system it's actually not that surprising. The machine told John's DNA to evolve, and evolve it did."

"Wraith tissues?" He asked, a little lost.

"You've been fed upon by an Iratus bug, and a Wraith, and there's the whole retrovirus thing."

Both Carson and Elizabeth gave him, an are you stupid look.

"So I want both of you here so we can figure out how to handle this." Carson finished.

John sighed "There's not to much to handle, doc. I call security, get locked up in a cell, and you try to fix me."

"John thats what I'm trying to tell you I can't fix this. It's written it's self in to your entire genetic code. It's. To. Late."

"Carson you don't think there is a even slight chance he could become dangerous, do you?"

"No at this point all the changes that are going to take place have."

"So he's not going to need to feed?"

"I don't think so," at the looks he got from both John and Elizabeth, he added. "No."

"Elizabeth I think it would be better if I was put in solitary."

"John, Carson doesn't think your a risk, so I don't want to do that without reason."

"Elizabeth did you not hear Wraith DNA, I don't think I'm safe!" he was trying to control his breathing but it wasn't working, he still wanted to scream or smash something. How many times was he going to have to face being the enemy? It wasn't fair.

"John how much of that is your previous experiences with similar... changes?"

He stopped and considered, Carson was telling him it was going to be different, but he still...

"That may be a lot of it, but if... I have to consider this base's safety and if I'm a hybrid running around other worlds and getting captured who knows what could happen. Think of what could happen if someone like Michael got a hold of me." He began to pace.

Carson interrupted here, "John well I agree, you do probably have powers we are unaware of, and someone like Michael getting a hold of you would be bad. I don't think keeping you out of the field is any better, locking you up, it would lower morale. Many of the people here look up to you, locking you up is not going to be helpful."

"John if it makes you feel better check in with me, and Carson at least twice a day, tell us if you notice any changes, or if you feel odd impulses."

"Elizabeth I don't think I should be allowed free, I need to be watched. Or something. Besides I don't think the IOA or Stargate command will approve me being let off like this," he looked at her from across the room, pausing in his pacing.

"John, Elizabeth, I don't think we should to tell the IOA or SG command, I think John, they'd lock you up, and lose the key, and frankly I want you to stay here to help with my retrovirus and because I want to see all of your abilities. The possible applications, if you no long get sick, we might be able to use this to cure some types of cancer."

"John and Elizabeth there are so many things to learn, and the idea of changing the wraith in to something more like this, faster, silent, none of the drawn out change. Is exciting." Carson said, looking at them seriously.

"Carson are you serious about John likely, never needing to feed?"

"Dead serious."

"Elizabeth you can't seriously be thinking about not telling any one." When she didn't answer him, he heaved a sigh.

"Okay reasons we can't just not tell anyone. One won't it be obvious when I get hurt and heal abnormally fast, Two how I'm going to hide it if I sense wraith, Three I'm already faster so I don't know how to hide that." He paused trying to think of other reasons..."Hiding this is a bad idea," John finished.

"John at the moment if we tell, you'll get locked up for no reason, if we think your a threat we won't hesitate. We will lock you up so fast your head will spin. But as it stands we need you. John, out in the field."

"Elizabeth!" she was crazy hiding this...

"For the moment we're going to keep this to ourselves. And John thats an order."

Next Day 8:30a.m.

John sat on the edge of his bed. He had barely slept, he had woken up at two in the morning, because he'd had a nightmare where he'd fed off everyone in the base, none of the people had run, they hadn't seen him as a danger. He couldn't figure out wether he thought he was dangerous enough to disobey orders. He'd had his butt kicked by Ronon at their spar, he'd talked to Teyla and Rodney at breakfast and at lunch yesterday. But he didn't really remember what about.

He rubbed his face, only to scratch him self with his nails. "Ow!" He looked at them, they once again, were too long. He reached for his nail clippers, only to remember trimming them the day before. What the hell... Just great, he was trying to grow claws.

He stared at his hands, and his nails... oh... well, at least they weren't blue.

He got up, he'd show Carson this new development.

"Well this is very interesting, try not trimming them I want to see how long they grow."

John scowled, Carson was just a little too cheerfully.

Well the man had gotten the rest of the day off yesterday.

"I'm glad to hear you caught up on sleep, Carson."

John left scowling, he wasn't hungry, so he wondered, he decided to finish his quarterly reviews.

6:50 p.m.

"Carson there you are!"

John ran over relived, "I've been looking for you"

"You wanted to see how long my nails would grow, here you are."

John held out his hands.

Carson and him looked at the two inch long claws, they were clearly sharp, they seemed thicker than normal nails, and they curved down.

"Well they look vicious."

"Carson you've seen them, excuse me well I go cut them."

John left Carson standing in the hall.

After John was gone, Carson laughed to himself, he wouldn't ask him to grow them out again. "I wonder how many times John scratched himself today."

He left for the mess hall snickering.