The ARC meets MTAC
(Anomaly Research Centre meets Multiple Threat Attack Centre)
The alarm bells were ringing in and around the Naval Yard, no more like the sirens were resounding. One Special Agent Gibbs was not happy. He was on long weekend off. The last case had been tiring. He was getting old. Maybe he should retire again…..Nah…..what would he do?
She was sitting at his desk, surfing the net. She didn't hear, or see him approach.
"And you are?" he questioned angrily, looking at the dark haired stranger. She turned and smiled a smile so reminiscing of his own.
"Helen Cutter, Agent Gibbs."
"And you are from where?"
"Here, there and everywhere." she replied now rising and looking into his ice blue eyes. She was dressed in black. The jeans tight and the leather jacket open, revealing a black blouse open just enough to be enticing without being crude. She was dressed to kill.
"Gibbs." Ziva shouted running into the bullpen, followed by a tall military man dressed in black body protection. He was carrying a strange looking gun, one Gibbs had not seen before. "I found this in the ladies." pointing at the stranger.
"Well, well, if it's not Captain Becker." Helen replied now moving round his back and looking at Ziva and then back to Becker.
"Helen, Ma'am"
"You bring the others?" she questioned, running her finger along his gun.
"They're on their way, Ma'am"
"Hey….you two know each other?" Gibbs shouted, glaring at Helen. She ignored him.
"Becker….. the anomaly?"
"The ladies and Autopsy."
"OK lets go.."
" Oi 'scussee. I'm the Boss here."
"Agent Gibbs, I feel….no, I know, you have no idea what you are dealing with here. So on that note, that makes me BOSS" Helen replied smiling.
They didn't see the two men watching from the top of the stair. Vance and a very distinguished English gentleman in a pin stripe suit and red braces.
"Do you want to tell him or shall I?" Vance enquired looking at James Lester.
"Helen, is one black widow, and I for one, would hate to get on her wrong side. So Director I will leave it up to you."
Vance blew a whistle. The crowd stopped arguing and looked upward towards Vance. They didn't hear the elevator open and two tall guys barge in.
"Boss, I want you to meet my new found friend….."DiNozzo laughed.
"Danny Quinn….so you made it back then. Pity, you were doing so well when I left you….in the future." Helen sneered.
"Helen, enough. I want you to meet James Lester…. Gibbs, DiNozzo and Agent David." Vance said pointing out his agents.
"I know them." Lester answered, "But we seem to be missing two of my people and two of yours. So Agent Gibbs, I see Helen has introduced you to my team. Helen is not what you would call mine." as he starts to walk down the stair to the team. "Helen is….What would you say you are? A black widow. A sign of death. Helen here killed her husband." now looking at the surprised faces. "Yes. So where are Abby and Connor? And I would ask, your Abby and Agent McGee." now looking at Vance.
"We have just come from MTAC, and yes we have a multi threat, but it would appear to be in the form of what, Lester here says, is an anomaly." Vance now began.
"That the same as a stargate?" Tony whispered to Danny.
"Agent DiNozzo, yes and no. Our anomalies usually go back in time or into the future and bring back some rather….how do I put this, in plain English, prehistoric creatures or….." Lester tried to explain.
"Creatures which have evolved in the future, either by mutation or by human intervention." Helen continued, "So you see Agent Gibbs, you really have no idea of what has been unleashed." now looking into the surprised face. She smiled the smile.
-oOo-
"So tell me again, you're Abby Sciuto, the Forensic and Evidence Specialist
and Tim McGee. Tim you specialise in technology. Wow, a real life field computer consultant?" turning round and slapping his forehead. "Computers and the like." Connor Temple enquired. Tim nodded.
"Cool"
"That's what you are Connor, aren't you, an equipment and logistics specialist." One Abby Maitland replied. "Me, I'm just a little zoo-keeper and herpetologist."
"Ahh but Abby, I'm a student, this guy is for real." Connor replied pointing at Tim.
"Excuse me …..Connor…I wouldn't say so much." Tim answered now looking at Connor.
"He's just been modest," Abbs replied. "Anyway how we going to differentiate between us." now looking at the other Abby.
"Don't know. Wow…. is that a hippo." Abby questioned, crossing over to touch it, "I have a coelurosauravus at home. He's called Rex."
"A what?" Tim and Abby shouted together. "But no its stuffed, and farts."
"So does Rex, but its real…" Connor replied receiving a slap. "I know middle names?"
"I'm a Sarah, if that's any good." English Abby replied.
"Small world, McGees' sister's called Sarah" Abby now answered.
"Abby?" Gibbs shouted, entering the lab.
"Yes" the two girls answered in unison, turning and looking to Gibbs and Helen.
"Gibbs….who's the woman?" Abby questioned
"Helen Carter," Connor answered remembering how he had held her dying husband in his arms. "Nice to see you in the most…."
"Abby?"
"Yes" the two girls replied again.
"Groundhog day" Connor muttered, looking about.
"Would someone please explain what is going on here…..In plain English." he shouted. As McGee tried to explain in his best McGee stumbling, interrupted only by Abby's, he looked at the two strangers, who smiled sweetly.
"I'm confused….and before you say it Abby, no more than usual, have you seen Ducky?"
In the confusion they had all forgotten about Dr Mallard. Becker had said one of the anomalies was in autopsy.
"Abby….try to get Ducky on the camera phone. See if we can see anything." as Abbs tried to connect. The picture was blurred. They then made out movement.
"Not the best I've seen but yes I can just make it out."
-oOo-
The antennae came into sight and then the mandibles. What was looking into the screen was something that was only seen under the microscope.
"Wow….." Abby screamed "What is it?"
"Hymenoptera, Formicidae, the common ant, only this one has grown. Evolved in the future…"Helen began to explain. "The nuclear testing done in the 20th century and the wars in the 23rd finally allowed the insects to come to their potential and ….."
"Wow" they hadn't seen Tony and Danny slip into the lab.
"Done that line with Abby." Tim replied.
"Wow….Them." ignoring everyone "The 1954 film…..wow… so they do exist… wow.."
"That all you can say Tony?" Abby asked.
"Like no….but hey who are these people now looking at Connor and Abby who were smiling sweetly.
"Sorry may I introduce Connor and Abby, but we are going to call her Sarah, it's her middle name." now looking strangely at Tony.
"Hey, Danny, who's your good looking friend?" Sarah/Abby asked.
"Tony DiNozzo….. Senior field Agent…..he was a cop too. He and I…"
"Oi…..people." Gibbs shouted "We have a problem….and you are all acting as if its an English Garden Party."
Helen smiled and quietly, and silently, slipped from the room, she went to find Becker and Ziva.
"So what do you suggest…Helen?" Gibbs now questioned, looking over his shoulder.
"Ooops I think she did it again." Connor replied.
"So what are you waiting for…DiNozzo."
"On it Boss" Tony shouted turning and leaving the room, only to return moments later, "Ahem…."
Danny just laughed and followed Tony to autopsy.
"Well…" now looking at the two couples.
"I'll help Tim, set up the computer" Connor replied, thinking Gibbs was worse than Nick, Helen's dead husband. "We need to control the anomaly and close it down. The one in the toilets is our escape route."
"Well get on with it. Abby?"
"Yes" the two girls replied, smiling sweetly, looking at Gibbs and then bursting out laughing. Gibbs gave then his best stare.
"On it Gibbs" they both replied.
This was not the best day in the world. In fact, whatever world they were in, this was not a good day.
-oOo-
By the time Gibbs got to autopsy, he found Helen arguing with Becker.
"We need to get in…no I need in now."
"'Scussie, do we know how this anomaly as you call it, is here and has anyone seen Dr Mallard?"
"Dr Mallard if he has any sense will be hiding either in another room or got out….."
"Ah Jethro there you are…..very interesting." looking at the situation "And who may you be?" now looking at Helen.
"This is Helen Carter, and Dr M…"
"Agent DiNozzo, this, as your boss has said is no garden party."
"No, but you would get plenty ants there wouldn't you." Ducky replied beginning to smile before he saw the stare from Gibbs and from Helen.
"Ok, do we know why this thing is here?" Gibbs questioned looking at Helen, who sighed.
"Gibbs…anomalies come in a cycle. We may find at one time, the anomaly that is here, was the home to a colony of ants. These giants have a memory. The other thing is the smell of formaldehyde. Your autopsy…as you call it….has that smell and they have been attracted. Also…..the body drawers, they are like egg chambers. I would definitely say a Queen and two workers. So Agent Gibbs I need to get in there." she replied. They watched in horror as one of the workers hit the glass "Now I think." looking at Gibbs. His phone rang.
Yep…..Abby….Well put him on….." he listened before shutting the phone "That was Tim, Connor has set up a….. Transhorizonatal-sub-velocical-charge beam ….whatever that means."
"A straight low frequency laser." Danny replied as he looked at the glare Helen was giving Gibbs.
"But what does it do?"
"Exactly….. what it says it does." Helen replied.
The glass banged again, but this time it cracked.
"We need that machine now." Helen ordered.
They watched as the ants scurried about the room. One pulled at a body drawer.
"Hey" Ducky shouted "that's Captain O'Sullivan."
"It won't matter, it wants the chamber for its' egg, oh and by the way it knew where the body was. They use it as a food source for the grub…" as they watched the ants and the glass crack again.
"Here…..sorry we are a tad late." Connor said as he approached. Tim at his back. They were carrying laptops and a strange long tube which Gibbs assumed was the laser.
"Becker, you know what to do, Ziva, Danny and you, DiNozzo, go for the antennae. I need Tim and you Connor to set the laptop coordinates. Will the girls do their bit?" she asked.
"What of me ?"Gibbs questioned.
"Personally you are too good a specimen to let them have. I want you for myself…but here have this." as she took a small pen like instrument from her breast pocket.
"And what do I do with this," he enquired "Draw on their bodies?"
"That Gibbs is a red-eye laser, also gives off a frequency that disorientates the hearing. Point at the eyes of the workers and keep out of the way of the mandibles…..and try not to get in the way of the antennae…..OK. Right lets open this show."
Ducky hit the door button.
-oOo-
It was over in what seemed ages but was probably minutes. Gibbs pointed the pen at the workers eyes, the Queen squealing orders. The boys and Ziva tried to hit the antennae while Becker aimed at the body of the Queen. Helen aimed the tube at the far wall,
"Now Connor..press the red button." she ordered.
"She just loves drama," Connor muttered to Tim "But yes the red button.
A flash appeared, it grew it twinkled as a hole began to form.
"Becker shoot." Helen shouted.
Becker fired at the Queen pushing it through the hole, into its own world.
"Gibbs cease fire."
He stopped the workers turned and followed the Queen through the anomaly. Helen shut down the laser, the twinkling stopped.
"Wow" was all Tony could say. Tim and Connor high-fived. Ziva hugged Becker. Gibbs just stood amazed.
-oOo-
"I would say a good job done by all, would you not Director?" Lester said, looking down at the group. The two Abbys exchanging e-mail addresses, Connor and Tim talking. Ziva, Becker and Danny in a group. Ziva inspecting the gun Becker had had.
"Lester, I would say yes, but how are you all going to get back?"
"Through the anomaly in your Ladies. Tim and Abby will use the co-ordinates Connor has given, to shut down. Well must say, it was a pleasure to meet you all. If you ever need our help again, we will be around." as he walked down the stair to meet the rest of his team. They walked away. Only Helen remained. She was talking to Gibbs.
"Goodbye Jethro" as she touched his cheek. "You know we will meet again, if your memory serves you well." and with that she took a cell phone type machine from her pocket and walked through the anomaly she had now created.
They all watched as the hole sparkled and faded. Somewhere a phone rang. Gibbs picked up.
"Yep Gibbs….." he placed the phone in its cradle.
"Grab your gear guys…dead Marine…Norfolk." as he headed for the elevator.
The End.