Flying Fists, Crouching Archeologist, by Betacandy (PG)

[figs_sg1_rec]

Rec Category: Teamy goodness

Pairing: none
Categories: team, gen, humor, character study, friendship, Jack O’Neill, Samantha Carter, Daniel Jackson
Warnings: none
Author on LJ: betacandy
Author's Website: Stories at Betacandy's fanfic LJ
Link: Flying Fists, Crouching Archeologist

Why This Must Be Read: My third Ninja!Daniel rec. Sort of. Should I be concerned?

This entertaining short story gives us Jack, Sam, and Daniel, way back in the beginning, when they’re still discovering new things about each other. The setting: The SGC gym, after some of Janet’s pointed remarks have driven Jack to get onto the treadmill. The mood: funny, bemusing, and surreal. How else to define SG-1?

Sam helps Daniel train. Jack enjoys watching the two of them work together. And Sam is in for quite a shock when she discovers the bizarre way that Daniel’s mind can work.

Betacandy gives us humor, great characterization, and teamy goodness, all in one neat package! Flying Fists, Crouching Archeologist is definitely a keeper.

“I really want to learn some of your moves."

Jack stared at him. He tried to ignore Carter hiding a smirk. He tried to ignore Daniel’s totally earnest face. He tried very, very hard not to preen like Scarlett O’Hara accepting compliments from half a dozen admirers. "Really?" he asked, trying to sound bored. Only it came out all wrong and sounded kind of husky. Dignity, dignity… left it around here somewhere.

"Yes," Daniel said, apparently not noticing Jack’s internal dilemna. "All that special ops training. You must know some pretty advanced stuff."

"Right," Jack said shortly, getting himself back on track. "I’ll just schedule some classes for all the civilians."

"Well, not all the civilians, of course," Daniel scoffed, rolling his eyes. Then he took a look at Jack’s expression and frowned. "Not even me?"

Jack shrugged and walked over to the treadmill. He was completely and exhaustively not surprised to nearly bump into Daniel when he turned around to step onto it.

"Why not?" Daniel demanded, arms crossed, wearing his pre-pissy face. The one that looked like he was listening very carefully and thinking very hard about what you said, so as to acquire some serious ammo against you before launching into the verbal equivalent of a tactical nuclear strike.

"Because," Jack said evenly as he started building up to a jog, "I’m afraid you’d use it on me."

"That’s kind of the point, isn’t it?" Daniel asked.

Jack stared at him. So did the captain, who’d gone to sit on a bench nearby. "Excuse me?"

"Well, I don’t want to have to kill you if you get taken as a host," he explained.

Ah. That was thoughtful of him. "So you’re planning on taking me down with hand-to-hand if…" He couldn’t even bring himself to say it. Because it was so distasteful - not because he was out of breath from his jog. Of course he wasn’t out of breath. That was… just silly.

Daniel raised his eyebrows. "Beats the alternative." He glanced at Sam. "Doesn’t it?"

She stared at him. "Yeah, I suppose."

"You’re going to take me down… with my own moves?" Jack asked skeptically, pausing for dramatic effect, not panting. Definitely not panting.

Daniel’s left hand shot up. "No, I already thought of that." He started pacing and freed his arms, which meant they were in for the full floor show now. "I think we should all learn some of each other’s moves… but we should also learn moves from other people, so we can take each other by surprise." He looked to them both, his face totally earnest again.

Carter looked like she’d just caught Daniel shoplifting lingerie.