Here's the conclusion!

Invincible Part Seven
Rated: PG

“Aw Thor, for cryin’ out loud!” Jack shouted.

MacGyver looked around. The sudden flash of light transported them to another ship that looked quite different. The Jaffa threat was absent, and the ship they were now on seemed almost abandoned until he saw a tiny gray figure moving towards them. It still took him awhile to get used to the surprising appearance of the alien, but he knew who it was. Thor looked at them and blinked his large black eyes.

“I rescued you and your cousin, O’Neill,” he said.

“Well, I see that, but why? We could’ve taken them! We had them!” Jack said.

Thor cocked his head to the side. “You were in grave danger,” he said. “You were surrounded, and you still need to recover from the poison administered to you.”

“Yeah but…”

“How did you know that?” MacGyver asked.

“MacGyver, both you and O’Neill are part of an important legacy,” Thor said. “As descendants of the Ancients, you must be protected from all enemies who wish you harm. The Asgard has a vested interest in keeping you safe. We have implanted both you and O’Neill with chips designed to keep us informed of your whereabouts and your vital signs. Should anything appear out of the ordinary, we attempt to rescue you, as we did today.”

“I thought so,” Jack said, glancing at MacGyver and smirking. “We’re tagged like deer.”

Thor looked at Jack, noting his sarcasm after many years of learning to detect it. “It is not intended to insult you, O’Neill,” he said. “On the contrary, you should feel honored.”

“Well, gee thanks,” Jack said.

“Really, we do appreciate it,” MacGyver said, glancing at Jack and trying to be more diplomatic. “But, what happened to the ship that we were just on a minute ago? You didn’t let them get away, did you?” He thought about Murdoc and worried that once again, he had managed to scrape by with his life.

Thor walked over to a large screen and activated it by using his glowing stone-shaped instruments. The screen came to life, revealing a Goa’uld ship being attacked by other ships.

“The rest of your team, along with their Tok’ra allies, are pursuing the ship presently,” Thor said.

“How did they know where we were?” MacGyver asked.

“I alerted them just as I rescued you.”

“Sweet,” Jack said, smiling as he watched the battle. “I wish I could be there, kicking some Goa’uld butt.”

Thor looked at him. “You are still too weak, both of you. You must rest,” he said.

“I will, as soon as SG-1 blows them out of the sky,” Jack said.

“Jack, you just might get your wish,” MacGyver said. “Look.”

Moments later, they watched as the Goa’uld ship exploded.

Jack patted MacGyver on the back. “Well, that takes care of Murdoc finally,” he said.

“Maybe,” MacGyver said.

“Nah, come on, Mac! The ship went ka-boom! What more evidence do you need?” Jack asked.

“They could have made it to the escape pods.”

“I am detecting no survivors from the Goa’uld ship, MacGyver,” Thor said. “The Goa’uld assassin that has been after you is indeed deceased.”

MacGyver closed his eyes and sighed. “It can’t be,” he said.

“Well, it is! Come on, Mac, let’s celebrate it—aaagh!” Jack cried out and fell to the floor, his leg cramping.

“Jack, what’s wrong?” MacGyver asked, watching him writhe in pain on the floor, clutching his leg.

“The poison still affects both of you,” Thor said. “Please, I must heal you both fully. Come.”

Reluctantly, both men followed Thor, Jack limping and bracing himself against MacGyver as they went. A strange feeling of relief came over MacGyver as they walked. Could Murdoc actually be dead this time? Many times, he’d been presented with visual evidence of his death, only to be disappointed later by learning there was no body present at the scene. This time, the Goa’uld ship he was on exploded, and not even a sarcophagus could save him from something like that. As immortal as he and other Goa’ulds claimed to be, destruction of their ships always incinerated them, just as it did average human beings. Certainly, Murdoc had survived many explosions before, but this one could leave no doubt—Thor said there were absolutely no survivors. Still, as advanced as Asgard technology was with detecting life signs, could Thor have missed something? MacGyver wanted to deny the possibility, but an unsettled feeling still hid in the back of his mind.

***

One week later…


“Thanks for letting me stay here while I look for another place to live, Jack,” MacGyver said, looking around Jack O’Neill’s peaceful cabin.

“Well, I like to come here to unwind,” Jack said. “Anyway, don’t mention it. We’re family.” He smiled at MacGyver, but he could tell his cousin was preoccupied, frowning and staring at the floor. “Mac, what is it?” He asked.

MacGyver sighed. “Murdoc,” he said.

“What about him? He died on that ship. We saw it, remember?”

“Yeah but, he always manages to escape just at the last minute.”

“Thor said he was dead. Hell, that’s good enough for me.”

“Not for me.”

“Mac, Thor’s the smartest, most advanced little gray dude out there. If he says somebody’s dead, they’re dead, believe me.”

A strange smile formed on MacGyver’s lips. He looked up at Jack. “It’s just weird, you know?” He said.

“What’s weird?” Jack asked.

“Well, I spent all these years playing games with Murdoc, thinking he was dead only to find him resurrected. Now, suddenly it’s over.”

Jack raised his eyebrows. “And that makes you sad?” He asked, surprised.

“No, not sad really…just…”

“I know the feeling,” Jack said. “When I came home after months of torture in Iraq, I was glad to be home, but I had a hard time dealing with just being by myself again. In some sick, twisted way, the beatings became routine for me. I came to expect them. When I didn’t have to endure them anymore, I felt…I don’t know…but, I know what you mean, Mac, believe me I do. You’ll get over it, because trust me, you’ll want to. You’ll feel so much better all of the sudden. You’ll be able to relax finally, and that’s what you deserve after all the crap he put you through over the years. You can finally focus on other things.”

“I guess you’re right.”

“I am right. Look, we destroyed his sarcophagus, shot him, and the ship he was on exploded. I think the odds are pretty good that he’s dust. If he’s not, he’s damn lucky, but it won’t last long. I’m sure he ticked off the System Lords when his precious gift to them—us—escaped.”

“In that case, the System Lords will probably be pretty upset with us, too,” MacGyver said.

“True, but we’re tagged, remember? We’ll be fine. Now come on, let’s go fish,” Jack said, grabbing his pole.

“I’ll meet you in a minute,” MacGyver said. “I have to use your bathroom first.”

“Fine, but don’t take too long, or I’ll catch everything in the pond!”

“Sure you will.”

The two nearly identical men parted, Jack O’Neill heading out the front door, and MacGyver walking towards the bathroom. He barely closed the door when he saw a neatly folded note sticking out of the corner of the mirror.

“Oh no,” he said, picking it up and unfolding it. He knew who it was from even before he began reading it.

MacGyver, Jack,
Well, it appears you thwarted my plans to sell you off to the System Lords. No matter. Those overblown egomaniacs don’t deserve you, anyway. I want you all for myself, and next time, I intend to have you.
Eternally yours,
Murdoc

The End