Human After All
A/N: Takes place during season 2 between Vendetta and Buried. Another exploration of the characters while I learn to write for them.
Chapter 1
Pete and Myka skidded to a halt as they came to a dead end with a slightly out of breath HG bringing up the rear.
"Where did he go?"
Myka dug in her pocket and pulled out her flashlight using it to illuminate the dimly lit hallway of the abandon warehouse their young quarry had clearly been frequenting for awhile. The building had numerous halls and rooms that were empty of any clue to their original purpose, but she was fairly certain it was never intended to be a hang out spot for a gang of adolescents. Adolescents who had found and activated an annoying little artifact and were now giving the agents a merry chase through the building. With the flashlight held high she quickly spotted what looked like a small opening in the wall. "There!"
Kneeling down Myka peered down the darkened passageway. It looked like it had been dug out of dirt and veered to the left limiting any view they might of had. "One of us has to follow."
Pete nodded. "Right. HG take the tunnel and Myka and I will try to find where this thing comes out on the other side."
HG gave the dark hole in the wall a skeptical look. "Why me? Is this a hazing the new guy thing? Because technically I am the senior Warehouse agent."
Pete rolled his eyes. "No. You are just the smallest one. I doubt I would get more than a foot down there before getting stuck."
"He's right HG, but I don't mind going in if you'd rather..." Myka had never seen HG balk at any task and figured she would give it a go if the woman really didn't want to crawl around in the small dirty tunnel. It was not a very elegant assignment.
"No. No. Its fine. Give me your torch." Taking Myka's flashlight she grimaced as she knelt on the dirty floor and peered into the tunnel. Hesitating she also pulled out her tesla before beginning to crawl in.
As the woman's feet disappeared from view Pete and Myka could both hear her muttering about waking up 100 years in the future and everyone had become giants.
Grinning Pete leaned down to shout down the tunnel. "You can have first shower when we get done HG!"
Myka gave him a punch on the arm before looking to see if HG was still visible but she had already managed to crawl past the bend in the tunnel and out of sight. "See you on the other side HG!"
As they turned to go back they way they had come, Myka felt a feeling of unease and glanced back at the dark hole HG had disappeared down, but quickly dismissed it. Pete was the one who 'got vibes'. Not her. She was just feeling guilty for sending HG when she could have just as easily been the one crawling in the tunnel. Used to working with one another she and Pete quickly split up to circle around the old building looking for the outlet of the tunnel. In short order Myka spotted their runner struggling to crawl up through a drain pipe 20 feet behind the building. "Pete! Over here!"
Dashing over the broken ground of the abandon lot, Myka got to the kid just as he freed himself from the pipe and grabbed a hold of his collar. "Gotcha!"
The boy, no more than 12, began kicking and shouting. "Let me go lady!"
Tightening her grip she smiled as Pete jogged up to them pulling on his purple gloves. Without even removing the back pack from the kids shoulders Pete unzipped it and reached inside. Pulling out the innocent looking pencil box with 1950's cartoon characters on the side he then dropped it into the neutralizing bag amid a shower of purple sparks.
Loosening her grip, Myka regretted it instantly as the kid spun, kicked her in the shin, and took off running again shouting profanities over his shoulder. Hopping on one foot till she could grab Pete's arm for balance Myka rubbed her sore leg and asked, "Should we go after him?"
"Do you really want to?"
The answer obvious they flipped open their Farnsworth to let Artie know they had gotten the artifact.
"Rest assured Artie. The local elementary school is once again safe from the cheating pencil artifact."
Artie's somewhat distorted voice came over the small speaker. "Good good! I'm glad you found it without any trouble."
Still rubbing her leg, Myka grumbled, "Nope. No trouble at all." It really hadn't been that big of an assignment. Certainly not one that required 3 full Agents to fulfill, but they had been on their way back from a slightly more harrowing recovery when Artie had picked up the ping. So they had made a quick detour and ended up chasing a bunch of sixth grade wanna-be gangsters. Sometimes it didn't pay to do this job...
While Pete continued to chat with Artie and now Claudia over the Farnsworth, Myka looked into the drain pipe hoping to see HG at least nearing the exit. Leaning down she shouted, "HG!" Waiting a beat for a response she was a little startled when Pete suddenly appeared at her side with a somewhat grim expression on his face causing the anxiety from earlier to rear up again but stronger.
This time they both shouted. "HG!"
Waiting a beat they both listened for any sound of a response. Hearing nothing, Myka dropped to her knees and made to go into the pipe. "I'm going in after her."
"Wait." Pete put a restraining hand on her shoulder. "Maybe she turned around and went back out the other side. Let me run inside and see if she is near the other end."
"Hurry!"
Myka waited anxiously by the drain pipe straining to hear any sound from inside. The sound of her cell phone ringing startled her. Seeing Pete's number she immediately answered with a question. "Do you have her?"
"No. She isn't at this end and I can't hear or see anything. Does she have her cell on her? I tried dialing it..."
"I doubt it. She rarely carries one."
"Well why not!" Pete's voice rose an octave in clear frustration.
"Who is she going to call Pete? Besides, it probably wouldn't work in the tunnel anyway..." Myka stood and began pulling her coat off. "I'm going in this end."
"Wait, let me bring you the Farnsworth. It will work underground... Myka? Myka?" Realizing she had hung up he ran back outside trying to catch her, but only found her dark blue blazer lying on the ground outside the concrete drainage pipe. "Damn it Myka." Feeling impotent all he could do was kneel on the ground peering into the darkness hoping his fellow agents would come back out soon. His mind spun with possible scenarios from HG getting lost in a labyrinth to tunnel collapses.
