Nikola Tesla sat on the floor, sulking with truly breathtaking talent, in a dark cell in the Shoe. He had been sitting silently now for over three hours breaking his silence only to snap out pithy remarks and make demands. Before he began sulking he had been throwing an epic tantrum. It had taken a tranq dart to persuade him to enter isolation and after he woke in the cell he was furious. He had created an electromagnetic surge which had caused the very foundations of the Sanctuary to vibrate and nearly every electrical device to blow. Luckily, the backup to the backup generator was mechanical – and gas-powered. Chalk one up to Helen Magnus for holding onto old junk.

Since he had also managed to shatter all the light bulbs in his cell during the course of his bad humor, he sat in the dark glaring moodily out of the clear partition at the chaos he had caused. Henry hurried around, fussing with backup drives and putting irreparable components into a bin for the Big Guy to haul out. The unpretentious werewolf also frequently glanced back at Tesla to frown or make a censorious remark.

"I'll have to build another one of these." Henry said, holding up an obviously toasted gadget. "You can't go down to Radioshack for this stuff."

"Says you. To me." The erstwhile vampire replied haughtily and with considerable venom. "There wouldn't be a Radioshack without me."

Henry's eyes dropped. There was truth in that statement. He went back to his work.

"Let me out and I can help you." Tesla's voice became coaxing.

"Magnus said you have to stay put. It's for your own safety." Henry replied, as if quoting a textbook.

Tesla gave an exasperated sigh and slumped against the wall of the dark cell, closing his eyes wearily. "And did the lovely Doctor Magnus give you any idea of how long I needed to be kept 'safe'?"

"Until she figures out why you're going all Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde."

"Henry Jekyll was bipolar, schizophrenic, and a terrible chess player, but otherwise a harmless man. You read too many novels. Anyway, I have an artist's temperament." Nikola said flippantly, opening his eyes. Despite his tone, he was privately anxious himself. Never one for uncontrollable mood swings and, while completely lacking in self-denial, well schooled in self-discipline, the brilliant scientist was concerned he was losing his sanity. Maybe he was just getting…here he shuddered at the thought…older.

Helen Magnus swept into the room and stood in front of the partition. "Well, Nikola, I hope you're proud of yourself." She said frankly. "You've managed to fry my computer during your little demonstration. It held the work I was conducting on your recent troubles."

Nikola rolled his eyes and rose to his feet to stand facing her. "Use your notebooks. Don't pretend with me, darling, you've kept short hand notes since Oxford."

Helen sighed. He'd called her bluff. She had been hoping to…what?...make him feel remorse for the disproportionate and deliberately destructive tantrum he had thrown after she had isolated him in the Shoe? She wasn't sure he was capable of feeling anything that wasn't immediately linked to selfishness. Before they took the Source blood he was so…thoughtful, concerned, gentle. She had attributed the egomaniacal personality traits to his vampiric side. Now that the vampire was dead, so to speak, it was clear Nikola was determined to continue to bury his better nature. "I have some news for you." She said, stopping her musings.

"Mm?" Nikola said with disinterest, inspecting his nails. "Are you going to let me out?"

"No."

He sighed and looked up. "Then what is this fascinating news you have to share?"

"I think you're going through, well, I suppose they could be termed 'growing pains'." Helen said.

"I regret to inform you that I'm quite grown up already, my dear." Nikola said, recovering some of his usual smirk. "I know you prefer taller men but I think if you give me a chance you'll find I have a lot to offer."

Helen didn't dignify this with an answer. "Your DNA is changing. Your devamper did exactly what it was supposed to."

"Of course it did. I created it, didn't I? Anyway, don't remind me." Nikola replied morosely.

"It devamped you. But it only devamped you. Your healing abilities and longevity were evidently not part of your vampire abilities as we'd always assumed. You're not immortal but you're still incredibly hard to kill. " Helen's face blossomed into a shining smile. "Your body is not aging, either. Like me. Looks like we're stuck with you forever after all." Her eyes misted slightly as she spoke the last sentence.

Nikola's face lit with genuine joy and relief. Then he visibly retreated within himself, hiding behind his smooth smile. "You want to keep me around forever, Helen, just admit it. Our little secret." Helen hesitated, because it was the simple truth that the prospect of losing Nikola, the only other infinite member of the Five, had been causing despair and a shattering feeling of emptiness in her.

Henry cleared his throat. Nikola glared at him and Henry continued cleaning up. Helen recovered her composure and continued.

"But now the other news. It seems your new ability – the electromagnetism – actually causes constant electromagnetic vibrations on a cellular level. The constant vibration and current is causing cell mutation and, as yet, I can't determine whether I can stop it or what it's doing to you. I am certain your recent problems have stemmed from the mutations and if I can find a way to neutralize them, perhaps help your body make cells that can withstand the vibration and current, I'm hopeful it will arrest the damage and the…mercurial personality changes you've been experiencing."

"So I'm in lockdown for my own safety." Nikola concluded heavily. "And yours." He added. "But we've already seen that lockdown doesn't necessarily prevent me from exerting my influence, as it were."

"Still, Nikola, I think it's best to keep you away from outside stimuli until I gain a better understanding of your new talent. Last time you had an episode you shoved Kate through a plate glass window." She reminded him. "We're just fortunate it was the ground floor, but she needed stitches."

"I might've done that in any event." Tesla smirked.

"Physical violence isn't your custom as a rule, Nikola. Particularly against young women who merely happen to be walking past you. I'll ask someone to bring you some lunch… and some new light bulbs." She turned to go.

"Helen?" Nikola called after her, his voice uncharacteristically desperate.

"Yes?" She turned back.

Nikola's expression was briefly unguarded, showing his fear and the anxiety of being locked up alone indefinitely. But then he smiled superciliously and said. "Have them bring wine with lunch and some reading material – a copy of your work this far. I'm atrophying in here – it's a waste of my talents to stay idle."

Helen gave him a gentle smile in response to his moment of vulnerability. "I will. Perhaps you can help me find a solution." She paused and added. "Be patient and try to stay calm, Nikola. I won't rest until I suss this out."

She left the room and Tesla turned back to his dark, bare cell. "Thank you." He whispered into the still air.