<div>Down the Rabbit Hole<br>by PEJA<br>Fandom: XFiles<br>Pairing: Alex Krycek/Walter Skinner <br>Portrayed by Nick Lea/Mitch Pileggi <br>Rating: FRM</div>
<div>Summary: Wrecked Alex<br>Warning: results of man's inhumanity to man<br>General thanks to all of you folks who are requesting short fics and improvs in the various fandoms. You're keeping the words flowing.
<br>Written for <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/XFilesFic">http://groups.yahoo.com/group/XFilesFic</a> Shared with all<br>My stories are posted at: <a href="http://peja1956.livejournal.com/">http://peja1956.livejournal.com
</a> and <a href="http://www.squidge.org/~peja/cgi-bin/search.php?action=recent">http://www.squidge.org/~peja/cgi-bin/search.php?action=recent</a> </div>
<p><br>The assault team found him at the back of a dark hall, naked and half frozen. As they'd approached the cage holding him in a permanent crouch, he'd curled tighter in on himself and covered his head with one filth covered arm. He began to rock himself slowly back and forth, humming tunelessly.
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<p>Skinner and Mulder arrived on the scene ten minutes later. </p>
<p>"Do we have a name for this man?" Skinner demanded softly of one of the assault team.</p>
<p>"No sir, we haven't gotten close enough to see his face."</p>
<p>Skinner lifted a curious brow. </p>
<p>"He's pretty skittish. No one has been able to get within a couple feet of the cage before he starts to freak out. We thought it might be best to wait until you got here." </p>
<p>Skinner's glance moved away from the agent, zeroing in on the cowering man. "It's freezing in here. Someone get something to cover this man up with." Approaching the cage slowly, Skinner crouched down at the door, reaching out a hand slowly. "Its all right. You're safe now."
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<p>The creature stopped humming at the sound of Skinner's voice. And began to scream. Loud and long, over and over. Before the eyes of his rescuers, he seemed almost to melt into a figure half his size as he squeezed against the bars.
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<p>"It's all right," Skinner kept his voice soft, forcing the man to quiet himself to hear. "Come on now, man. Let's get you out of there."</p>
<p>"Shhh. Shhhh. Shhh" the man stage-whispered softly to himself. "I can't see you. You can't see me. One. Two. Three. Can't see me." </p>
<p>"Krycek?" Skinner hurled a shaken glance toward Mulder, who simply shrugged, staring wide eyed at the creature that had once been human. "I don't know." he mouthed after a moment, shaking his head.
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<p>"Krycek, what are you playing at?" </p>
<p>"Don't touch." Krycek peeked out from behind his arm, babbling, "Don't touch." Giggling, he thrust out a hand. "I'm fire. I'll burn you. I will. I'll burn you." He made several quick finger thrusts. "Burn. Burn. Burn."
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<p>"Sir, look at his eyes," Mulder rasped. "He's not faking." He paused, a look of fascinated revulsion on his face. "He's...mad."</p>
<p>Krycek slanted a quick smirking glance at Mulder before his attention darted away. "Mad as a hatter. Crazy as a wolf. Batty as a belfry." he chanted in a sing song voice, ending in a disturbing giggle. "Batty as a belfry."
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<p>Skinner watched the insane display, his brow scrunched into a dark scowl. "We have to get him out of this cage. He needs treatment." He crab walked his way into the cage, murmuring words of comfort.</p>
<p>"No, no, no," Krycek protested, the words pouring from him in a tripping rush. "Don't hurt. Don't hurt. I'll be good. I'll be good." </p>
<p>"We're here to take you out of here, Krycek." </p>
<p>Krycek stilled, tilting his head. A moment of clarity shone in his shadows jade gaze. "Why?" the madness rushed back in and he shook his head violently. "Nononono..bad man trick. Trickster. I won't play. I won't. I won't play."
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<p>Scully was suddenly there, a syringe in hand. "Sir, can you get a grip on him? Hold him down for me?"</p>
<p>Skinner response was viper swift. He leapt the short distance, pinning Krycek with the power of his body. Krycek fought against his with the strength of a madman, but Skinner was bigger. Stronger. he held the younger man down as Sculley approached and plunged the needle home.
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<p>Krycek's screams echoed in the room even after he fell under the tranquilizer's effect. </p>
<p>Skinner gathered the disabled agent into his arms and crab-walked backwards out of the cage. Two med-teches scurried forward as he emerged from the cage, sweeping up the unconscious man and bustling his away. Sculley dashed after them, informing Mulder and Skinner she would be at the hospital and to expect her report on Krycek's condition directly. The rest of the assault team sprinted away, leaving Mulder and Skinner in the dark cold.
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<p>Shaken, Skinner allowed Mulder to help him to his feet. "I've lost him, Mulder." Skinner whispered finally. "I promised him I would protect him when he agreed to be my life partner. I promised Spender would leave him alone." A single tear escaped, flowing down his pale cheek. "I failed him."
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<p>END</p>
<p><br>Authors End Note: I'd like to do more XFiles fics, so help keep the words flowing...tell me the WIPs you'd like to see updated, or post me a simple challenge. <br>I recently challenged myself to increase my writing output by posting every couple days, not months as I've been doing lately. To do this, I am taking requests by email, WWOMB review and LJ comments for WIPS that the readers are interested in seeing completed. Each request is filed in order of my reading it and equals a new chapter for the WIP. Everyone should know, I'm only writing the WIPs that have requests so get you requests in. A second part of the challenge is to write something for each of the lists I own. I'm getting this done by request as well. to get a new fic for any fandom, simply send me an improv and simple challenges in the various fandoms. Please mention the fandom, and you can also ask for specific characters. If I feel comfortable writing it, I'll add it to the pending stories rotation as they come to my attention as well. If you don't get a confirmation from me, I missed the challenge request. Post me again.
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<p><br>-- <br>PEJA<br><a href="http://www.squidge.org/~peja/cgi-bin/index.php">http://www.squidge.org/~peja/cgi-bin/index.php</a><br>TO MY READERS: In an attempt to improve my story output, I've challenged myself to write something for each of my lists and post something new every couple days. At this time I'm only writing stories and WIPs that are requested, so if you have something you want added to, you know how to get it...
<br><br>1. Post me a 5-10 word improv<br>2. Request a new chapter/sequel to your favorite current story<br>3. Send me a simple challenge in any fandom. </p>