Vendetta's Fruit
A Post Vendetta Story
Part Zero
The Credits
Author: Tonya Christina Buchanan /Aynot
Carly Carter /Carlyisnot
Disclaimer: We own nothing of Warehouse 13; we only own the individual words
in the arrangement that they are currently in.
Warnings: There is a relationship between two ladies, live with it or do not read
Rating: (M)? or the equivalent to (PG-16); at least eventually.
Fandoms: Warehouse 13.
Pairing: Helena/Myka
Dedicated: I would like to dedicate my parts of this story to Carly, she has got me
actually writing again and not just flirting with the idea. Though, maybe
more importantly I am inspired enough that I am finishing said stories.
So with a lot of gratitude to Carly Carter whom without her support I
would not be writing anything; and for the fact that she has saved me
from being depressed this summer.
Authors' Note: This is a post "Vendetta" story with the end of "Vendetta" being
slightly altered.
***Important*** This story is no longer being written by both of
us and this is my attempt to continue the story.
Story Summary: This story is different take to everything following the episode
of "Vendetta". There is a traitor in the Warehouse and there is a
secret conspiracy to find out who the traitor(s) are and without
endangering the innocent. Will the evil be exposed and stopped
before someone dies or worse? Will Love be found or will it die
before it even grows? Even worse, the Traitors' evil conspiracy
may not the only problems.
Vendetta's Fruit
A Post Vendetta Story
Part One
It's after everyone has left the room.
Everyone except her, except Artie.
After she has asked that question, her voice soft, small, sad. "Has she been bronzed, then?"
She had heard the vulnerability in her voice, resented it instantly, but it was beyond her control.
And in reply to her question, Artie had asked the others to leave the room. He had phrased it as a question "Could you give us a moment alone?" But the tone of voice alerted the others this was an order, not a request.
And so, they left.
Then, for the longest time, Artie stood, just looking at her. Looking right through her, looking down on her.; finally, he spoke.
"Do you know what happens to Warehouse agents who are deemed to be untrustworthy, hazardous?" He asks her.
But he still has not answered her question.
"What happened to her?" Myka asks, in an even smaller voice.
"I'm not talking about her." Comes the stern reply.
This it hits her- In Artie's eyes she is the untrustworthy one, not HG Wells. She is the one who betrayed him.
Myka wants to fight back, to defend herself, to hide behind that shield of slight arrogance that worked so well for her after Sam died. After all the questions, insinuations, and all that guilt hidden so deep down; she wants to be that person again. Confident, certain of herself; but it's just not going to work this time. Maybe, because it's Artie? Maybe, because she still can't stop thinking about HG Wells and the torment that was in the other woman's eyes as she spoke of her little girl?
Myka feels as though she is shrinking into insignificance right in front of Artie's eyes. Something in Artie's gaze makes her feel so small, so worthless. It is the exact same way her father had looked at her for so many years. It melts her instantly.
"HG Wells saved Claudia's life." Myka protests weakly. If HG saved Claudia then that makes HG a good person, and if HG is a good person then Artie will understand why Myka felt drawn to help her. Artie will admit he was wrong, admit bronzing is barbaric and inhumane. And everything will go back to normal.
"That may be so, but it is entirely irrelevant!" Artie answers loudly.
"I'm sure Claudia will be glad to hear that her life or death is irrelevant to you."
"You were the senior agent on that case; you were responsible for Claudia's life, not HG Wells, you!"
This hits Myka hard. She was responsible. She had let Claudia get hurt, almost killed. Just like Sam. And with those few words of judgment from Artie, Myka finds herself drowning in a sea of guilt. She fights hard to stay afloat though, she always has. It's how she survived this far.
"You saved her life!" Myka accuses him. "You saved HG Wells. Why did you do that? Why? If you're just going to bronze her again? You would have been better off leaving her to die." She means those words, terrible as they may sound. She can imagine nothing worse than the eternal nothingness of being bronzed, trapped inside your own mind, re-living past traumas again and again, with no escape.
Her words touch him. She can see it. On some level she has had a small victory.
"That is nothing to do with anything." came the defensive reply.
"I don't know who you are anymore." Myka narrows her gaze as she spits the words out at him.
"You don't know who I am?" He repeats incredulously. "Aren't you the one who gave me such a hard time about lying, about keeping secrets? And you turn around and endanger the Warehouse, possibly the world, in the worst possible way?" He is full on yelling now.
"HG Wells is just one woman. She is a human being, like me, like you. I think you're being a little over dramatic." She tells him, her voice cool, calm, steady.
"The fact that you can't see the danger, it frightens me Myka." He tells her. He means it.
"You frighten me." She responds, meaning it equally. "This place frightens me. Bronzing frightens me. Thinking of HG Wells trapped for eternity in that place. How can you condone that? Do you even know why she was bronzed? Do you?" Myka challenges him. "You're so ready to condemn her to eternal damnation and you don't even know why, and you can't see how crazy that is!" She is yelling by now also.
"If I were you, I'd stop worrying so much about HG Wells, and worry about your own fate." Artie says finally, refusing to answer her question.
"You going to bronze me too?" Myka demands to know. On some level it sounds ridiculous, and yet on another level, if Artie is capable of doing that to HG W ells, why not her too?"
Artie looks stricken by her comment, as if she had slapped him. "Of course not." He insists.
"Why not?" Myka asks him. "I'm a danger to the Warehouse, right?"
"That is not what I said." Artie replied, defensively.
"It's what you implied. HG Wells is dangerous. I'm dangerous. Because we don't obey you without question, we don't think you're God, Artie. You can't stand that. Anyone who disagrees with you is 'dangerous'. Fine, Bronze her, Bronze me. Problem solved." She is being petulant, but still a small part of her thinks that she doesn't want to really be here, in the Warehouse, in the world, part of this place that would condemn someone like HG Wells to the bronze sector. It's all so wrong. And yet, she is conflicted. It would be one thing if she was 100% sure of herself. But she isn't. She is wavering under Artie's scrutinizing gaze. She can't help it. It's like she told him, she likes him, and she thinks he is great; she wants him to think she's great too. She'd do almost anything to get his approval, thought she would never want him to know it. She should have learned by the years trying to make herself noticed to her father, that nothing is good enough.
"It's different. You are just a little too trusting, you're a little misguided. She is very charismatic, I get it, you're infatuated with her." accused Artie.
"So now I'm brainless on top of everything else? You think I'm not capable of making my own decision?" Myka demanded.
"I think you're under her spell." Artie answers. It sends chills down Myka's spine, because a little part of her wonders if he is right. "HG Wells is the very personification of evil."
"You have completely lost your mind." She tells him emphatically, I but her voice is shaking.
"Look, Myka, I don't want to see you end up like me. I've been there alright, with McPherson..."
She interrupts him abruptly. "I am not you, I am nothing like you; ...and HG Wells is not McPherson."
"You think you know everything, you don't." Artie warns her.
"Neither do you, you can't even tell me why HG was bronzed in the first place." Myka said countering Artie.
"It's not my concern." He answers.
"Nothing is your concern, is it, then?" Myka asks, angrily.
"You are my concern, Myka; You, Pete, Claudia, Leena and The Warehouse that are my concern."
"Your only concern is yourself." She tells him icily.
It occurs to her then, only then, that if HG Wells had been re-bronzed, this wouldn't even be an issue. So why is Artie so upset, so angry, or so 'concerned'? There would be nothing to be concerned about if HG had been re-bronzed. Artie would be angry, sure. He would yell and she would stay out of his way for a few days until he calmed down. Maybe, possibly, she'd lose her job at the Warehouse, but not this. Not this thing she sees in his eyes. This means only one thing. HG Wells hasn't been re-bronzed.
She smiles at Artie then; it's a bitter sweet smile, a little victorious, a little sad. "I think you answered my question." She tells him as she turns and walks out the door.
Author's Note
This chapter was written by Carly Carter.