Plot-bunny: Highlander / Stargate (2 of 3)

[marbleglove]

When I wrote A Square Peg in a Round Hole, I had a whole set of ideas for how to get Methos in contact with the SGC crew. At request, I’m posting what ideas I had at the time that I didn’t go forward with. Of them all, this was the closest second. I almost went with it a number of times and it wound up being more random chance than any particular reason that I went with Square Peg instead. .

The second of three Methos/Stargate plot-bunnies:



The bar was closed to the public but full of Watchers. They were all trading stories and just generally debreifing each other as they did every couple of weeks. When you had a secret life it was important to find some time to speak freely.

When teh phone rang, Joe Dawson, bar owner and area supervisor, delegated the task of answering it to one of his subordinates both in watcher training and in bar tending. He didn’t even think much of it until the young watcher put his hand over the mouthpiece and called out, “Guys? It’s someone calling for Methos.”

Dead silence.

Joe gave an agonized look at Adam Pierson whom he alone, of all the watchers, knew to be both immortal and that most elusive of the immortals, Methos. But everyone was looking around, confused and worried. Was Methos here? Did someone know they were watchers? Were they in danger? What should they do?

Finally Adam stood up. “Unless someone here is going to admit to being immortal, being my immortal...?” He paused and looked at each person in turn, studying them for some sign. “I’m going to answer and see what I can learn.”

There were nods of comprehension and approval and a few mouthed “good idea”s but everyone sat silent as he took the phone. “Yes?”

The Watchers watched and listened, straining to hear every word.

----------------

The Watchers milled around the bar quietly unhappy. The fact that Adam Pierson was fluent in multiple otherwise-dead languages had never before been so frustrating. Only two watchers, who had had previous assignments in Egypt, stayed still and focused near the bar, trying to understand a language that was like and yet unlike that which they knew.

But everyone perked up again when ADam spoek loudly in English. “If you harm him in any way before I get there I will personally skin you alive with a red hot spoon!”

The Watchers were pretty evenly split between looking appalled at the normally mild and gentle researcher’s threat and looking greatly impressed by it.

The phone back in its cradle, Adam slumped on a stool with his head in his hands. One of the more impatient of the Watchers finally said, “Well?”

Adam’s eyes were tired and his smile weak. “False alarm as far as Methos goes. A contact of mine wanted to get through to me without giving away my name. He doesn’t know who or what Methos is, just that its a word I keep track of, that I would respond to. He’s been arrested by the US military and is slated for execution.”

“I’m sorry, Adam.”

“Harsh.”

“But due process!”

“Who was your contact?”

“Why does a researcher have a contact?”

The responses came more or less at the same time, but the last one had a few of them puzzled. Active watchers might have “contacts” to get them past security checkpoints or into places they couldn’t get on their own but researchers stayed in libraries, right? Occasionally traveled to see the sights but not following dangerous individuals.

“Black market antique rings and tomb raiders. Smuggling weapons on the side. Occasional forgery.”

Adam rubbed his eyes again and they all remembered that it was late at night (or early in the morning, as the case may be) and they'd all been drinking. “The military was almost certainly monitoring that line so the security of this bar has been compromised. I’m sorry, Joe.”

“Don’t worry. It’s not the first time I’ve been investigated and I doubt it’ll be the last.”

“Be careful. That goes for all of you. Something screwy is going on. He had some of the best security I’ve seen but they caught him anyway. And they were just waiting to shoot.”

“Uh-huh,” Joe agreed warily. “And what about you?”

“The name Methos is used in a mysterious situation... I’ll investigate it, of course,” Adam spoke in mock surprise.

“You said it had nothing to do with Methos.”

“Yeah. But it does have to do with my friends and its still a mysterious situation.”

----------------

The SGC agents looked up from Daniels translation of what their most recent prisoner had said on the phone before they had managed to subdue him.

“Seriously?”

“That’s the translation.” Daniel shrugged with some bemusement of his own. “That’s what was said.”

“He is a goa’uld, isn’t he?” Jack asked.

It was a serious question. Sure, their prisoner had the goa’uld voice and the flashing eyes, but still… “the host called his dad?”

-------------------

The plot is that Methos had a son some two or three thousand years ago. He did not want him to die. And he was friends with a goa’uld. So for the last couple of thousand of years Methos has had a friend and a son who are immortal but not part of The Game. He loves having an immortal family and now someone is threatening that.

Comments

[bugeyedmonster.livejournal.com]

Oohhh... One does not want Methos as an enemy. And Methos can be damned scary when he wants to be. Scarier than Jack O'Neill or Leroy Gibbs.

(^_^)/
BEM

[marbleglove.livejournal.com]

Oh yes. He doesn't generally go out of his way to be that scary like they do, but when he does, you'd better back away slowly and do exactly what he says.

Oh I do wish you would write this one

[(Anonymous)]

*snicker* Someone calling for Methos amongst a group of watchers and they remain oblivious! *roflmao* :-) Priceless!
Oh and my favourite...“the host called his dad?” I can just see Jack's face when he says that,and I also immediately thought 'hey at least he didn't call his mummy'. And now I'm going to spend some time imagining the event(s)/festivities?/shenanagings(sp?)/utter madness? that will occur when Methos turns up at the SGC, and wondering what his approach would be.

Well, I'm sure to have some entertaining dreams tonight after reading that!
Many thanks for sharing your creative genius with the rest of the world.
Adri Methos Slytherin (ff net)

Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one

[marbleglove.livejournal.com]

Hee.

The watchers are all complementing Adam Pierson on how well he's doing tracking down Methos and they have no idea. Maybe there's one or two suspicious types but they're all scoffed at.

Meanwhile the SGC is trying to figure out if this symbiote is really Goa'uld. All the evidence points to it, but, well, it's a really fairly peculiar goa'uld. Gone native, as it were. Heh.

I have no idea what Methos' approach would be. I sort of want something highly dramatic and powerful, but still within reasonable Methos caution. If you have any ideas, let me know.

mg

Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one

[lita-of-jupiter.livejournal.com]

it would be awesome gesture... especially if Methos had managed to make the goau'ld just the immune system as he pondered in SquarePeg

Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one

[marbleglove.livejournal.com]

I don't know, I sort of like the idea that the goa'uld is kind of like Methos' son-in-law. And goa'uld both likes his father-in-law and has a healthy respect for him (or fear of him). It was an arranged marriage that benefited both spouses. And while there were a few issues early on in the partnership, they've gotten their time-sharing issues resolved within the first few centuries, with the occasional renegotiation every few decades.

And everyone who knows either Goa'uld OR Tok'ra are confused by the relationship.

Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one

[lita-of-jupiter.livejournal.com]

maybe that is why the goa'uld is so wary of the father in law...

besides he gets someone to discuss the old days with him, no competition... not to mention tastebuds which are all very much in synch with his... which is why they own a brewery... that makes Jack's favourite beer

Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one

[marbleglove.livejournal.com]

Jack isn't sure what to do:

On the one hand, it's supporting the finances of a goa'uld.

On the other hand, it's his favorite beer.

Heh.

Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one

[lita-of-jupiter.livejournal.com]

and it is a very good one...

asking the goa'uld why beer:

looking blankly at his captors "I like beer"

"Goa'uld can't get drunk" ( maybe I think)

"Yes, hence why I own a brewery and not a vodka still"
seing the confused looks on his captors

"I am doing what I can to help humanity and myself at the same time, keeping good beer and myself alive... besides it is something tto fallback on... what other ancient egypcian skills are still profitable these days?"

Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one

[marbleglove.livejournal.com]

Ha! Awesome!

Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one

[lita-of-jupiter.livejournal.com]

Daniel would argue that linguistics could be fun... and the host would awnser that "no he had to agree with his tennant, beer is still more fun and more profitable than reading old stuff"

cue to scandalized Linguist

Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one

[marbleglove.livejournal.com]

And it scandalizes everyone else that the host and the tenant not only are different people but apparently agree and potentially disagree about various subjects.

And both host and tenant explain that they lived through the European Middle Ages, and given the state of literature at the time, the only way they survived with their sanity intact was the ability to talk with each other and drink copious amounts of beer.

Even Daniel has to agree with that.

Methos was smart enough to get himself to China or some more civilized area for that time period.

Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one

[lita-of-jupiter.livejournal.com]

he followed the opposite flow of goods and went where hot baths and culture were valued...

the host and snake wanting to show up his dad as a "wuss" decided to stay for a while... and then regreted it once it became apparent that the comforts of Rome were going to take a while before returning...

and he wanted to see how his decendents were doing... (the host can still have kids right?)

Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one

[marbleglove.livejournal.com]

Ooh. Good point. Yes, the host can still have kids. So there's these multiple family lines that has a family guardian of a goa'uld, whenever the host and the goa'uld could agree on marrying someone (or at least having a kid by someone.) Ooh. That could be more than a little interesting.

Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one

[lita-of-jupiter.livejournal.com]

he looks after those lines, and in return they make sure to, every generation, send a kid to study in a foreign counrty giving him new identities

and this way even if the goa'uld can't take over the planet he can help his decendants to take over a couple of countries and also play family politics
(like Nanny Ogg does) in order to get his power trips

Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one

[marbleglove.livejournal.com]

And it turns out that he's the patriarch for this whole mafia family, but it's a really wonderful loving family. Sure, they're into all the illegals, most especially weapons running, smuggling and human trafficking, but it's still a really great family environment! Kids and grandparents everywhere. And they're all really excited when dear Great-Grandfather Goa'uld comes to visit. (Sometimes, even HIS father, Great-Great-Grandfather Methos will visit. But Methos is more solitary and the Goa'uld is much more of a social person. You wouldn't kill someone's beloved grandfather, would you, Colonel O'Neill?)

Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one

[lita-of-jupiter.livejournal.com]

especially not so close to easter... I must get the little ones chocolate!

Check out the pretty kids *pulls out one of those wallet/fold away albuns* see this little Sarah, John, Wendsday, Morticia...

[mountainelement.livejournal.com]

Doesn't the son and Goauld count as Tokra? Can Methos find a way to prove to the SGC that his son wasn't unwilling? I love this one! I wonder how it would play out. The Watchers might get more suspicious of Adam's identity, depending on his actions while saving his son and whether any Watchers with the SGC decide to talk. Now that the StarGate is active, it's possible for more Goauld or Tokra to come to Earth if Methos wants any of the other people he cares about to be Immortal. Not sure if that would really work though, as the only one I know about is Joe, and I don't think that Joe is the ideal host because of his disability. I wonder how much the SGC would discover while investigating Methos and which identity Methos will go under. This is a plotbunny that makes my head swirl with possibilities, but I can't actually think out the possibilities enough to post them. On to the last plotbunny!

[marbleglove.livejournal.com]

I think he would still be Goa'uld rather than Tok'ra since the actions of the symbiote are enlightened self-interest rather than philosophical belief in the freedom of the host. He gets a powerful, er, father-in-law by allowing his host to time share rather than subjugating him entirely. Neither the symbiote nor Methos have any problem with other symbiotes subjugating other hosts.

My take on Joe is that he's quite content with his mortality, especially if the alternative is to give up even an ounce of his self-will. He and Jack O'Neill would probably agree perfectly.

It would be clear to the SGC that the host does have some autonomy, but they'd probably see him as being traitorous rather than a demonstration that the symbiote is good.

In this version of the crossover universe, the SGC takes the big view and Methos takes the individual one. SGC wants to destroy the goa'uld as a race, Methos wants to deal with every single symbiote (Goa'uld or Tok'ra) on an individual basis.

[mountainelement.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Joe probably wouldn't want to be Immortal. He already knows about all the problems immortality results in.

I saw above that you were asking about suggestions for Methos's approach.
Unfortunately, there's probably a limited time frame involved, or I'd suggest the approach used in your NCIS/Highlander plotbunny. Maybe one of Methos's identities has been contacted about working for the SGC in the past but he only accepts it now. In "Square Peg", Methos thinks about how the NID could be a useful tool. Maybe Methos gives the NID information and arranges other incidents to keep the SGC busy while he works out the security for the SGC from the inside? He also sends emails to the SGC with arguments based on history and philosophy about their dealings with Goauld, comparing it to how the US sent Japanese Americans to prison camps(? - I'm not sure what they were called) during World War II, and making it clear that he's behind their recent troubles. The SGC would probably question the son about Methos but I'm not sure just how much he'd say. He'd want to say enough to make them think twice about killing him, but he can't say too much or he'd get Methos mad at him or get him caught.

Thanks for your responses! I like reading your plotbunnies and the comments expanding them.

[marbleglove.livejournal.com]

The NID is suddenly a lot more organized and a lot more focused on their insistence of taking control of this one particular goa'uld.

The SGC isn't sure if the NID are simply intent on vivisection or if the father has infiltrated them in order to rescue his son. Are they trying to protect the goa'uld from the NID or rescue the NID from another goa'uld? And why do they feel vaguely dirty about both options?

Heh.

[mountainelement.livejournal.com]

I like that idea! I suspect that Methos has a plan that doesn't involve working for the SGC in order to rescue his son while the NID provides a distraction, but I'm not sure what. Too bad he probably can't get control of an Asguard ship or he could beam his son out, leaving everyone else clueless about what just happened.

[marbleglove.livejournal.com]

Or maybe he can get a hold of an Asguard! Heh. Who knows what sort of connections the man has.

Or maybe not, but he can sneak him out using very sneaky immortal techniques and blame the Asguard. And the Asguard blink and say, no, they had nothing to do with it. And the SGC aren't sure if they believe the Asguard or not.

The situation could quickly escalate into a major intergalactic incident. Especially depending on if this particular goa'uld has any history of its own.

[lita-of-jupiter.livejournal.com]

He can know where some of Loki's lost stash is... using the technology to keep his journals dry and safe while he moves around on earth (quick way to escape is just to beam up...

[marbleglove.livejournal.com]

Played by everyone from Steve Buscemi to Wesley Snipes to Jackie Chan to Patrick Stewart.