Disclaimer: I do not own Warehouse 13.
A/N: I'm SO sorry it took me so long to update. I ended up having to take an unexpected trip to a house in the middle of the New Hampshire woods without any internet access, which is far too far-fetched of an excuse for it to be anything but true. Believe me, not that I'd lie to you guys, but I like to think I'm a little more clever than that. Anyways, I really hope you guys are still interested in reading what I have. You guys have been absolutely amazing with the reviews, and it's a completely new experience for me to have this kind of feedback. I'm so grateful for it, and I'll do my best to be more dedicated to timely updating. Hopefully my life will smooth itself out for a little while. I'm not particularly happy with this chapter - it was a little rushed. But it is something for you guys, so I hope you like it. Also, special thanks to the guest who pointed out my spelling mistake with Bering. I have a friend named Kris Berring (with 2 Rs) so I guess it was habitual. I'll do my best to keep an eye on that, thank you so much!
I've never gotten so many reviews, so I'm not completely sure how to go about this. It's still important to me to acknowledge the people that take the time to review my work, but I don't want to fill this chapter with responses. So, I think I'm going to PM any non-guest reviewer (I can't review guests, but I am so thankful for your reviews!), rather than post my responses here. If you'd like me to go about this another way, or have any preference at all, please include it in your review!
Chapter Three
"Artie, do you really think now is the best time to pair Myka with HG?"
Artie sent Pete a look that could kill; his voice threatening and authoritative.
"What I think Pete, is that Myka will recognize that retrieving an artifact is top priority."
Pete hesitated, knowing he shouldn't fight Artie, but also knowing this was one of the worst ideas he'd ever come up with. "Right, of course it is. But, I mean, if the sight of her pushed Myka that far off the edge, do you think living with her will put her into the best artifact-retrieving state of mind? What if, what if Mykes and I go?"
"Pete," Artie growled, not welcoming his insistence, "we are sending Myka and HG in undercover. We want as little attention on us as possible. You and Myka would stick out like a sore thumb there."
"Where are Pete and I going?"
Everybody in the Warehouse froze at the sound of Myka's voice. With Claudia's help, she had cleaned herself up considerably, and no one would know she had been sobbing twenty minutes prior. She entered the Warehouse with an expression of apathy plastered on her face, prepared to act as though nothing had happened. Walking in just in time to hear her name, Myka kept her eyes straight, refusing to look at HG, who looked like she hadn't spoken since she left Leena's.
Slowly, then all at once, four sets of us swung around, landing on Myka, who didn't flinch. Artie grabbed a manila folder and handed it to Myka, who opened it quickly, ignoring the attention she was getting.
"You are going," Artie answered, his voice still gruff, but less authoritative, "but Pete is not."
"New York?" Myka asked, her eyes darting across the papers.
"Greenwich Village, to be exact." Artie answered, watching her carefully.
Myka nodded, flipping through the folder. "Girls are dying, their- oh, god."
Myka cringed at the x-rays she saw. Shoulders of young women were completely, crushed, ribs broken, apparently piercing their lungs and heart. She looked up to see Artie sending Pete a warning look, hoping Myka wouldn't notice, but, of course, she did.
"Artie, am I going alone?" she asked. It wasn't that she was incapable of retrieving an artifact without Pete's help; it would just be more effective to have two people on the job. Also, Artie had never sent Myka out alone. The fact that he had chosen now, of all times, especially when she seemed to fit the victims' descriptions, was suspicious.
"Er, no." Artie answered, his eyes looking away, despite himself. Myka's eyes circled the room, falling on the one spot she had refused to look at since she entered the Warehouse. HG sat on the desk, next to the computer, her long fingers gripping a manila folder, her gaze apologetic and anxious, biting her lip.
"Artie," Myka began, her eyes frozen on HG, blazing with something that unnerved him.
"You and Agent Wells will be going undercover." Artie stated, as if that were explanation enough.
"Couldn't Pete and I, or Claudia or Steve be just as effective as, as her?"
"The link between the victims is that they all live in the same apartment building." Artie added.
"And?" Myka asked, her voice threatening, panicked.
For a moment, something between a second and an eternity, the room was absolutely silent. As quickly as everyone was to stare at Myka, they were to avoid her glance.
"And the apartment is in a primarily gay community, Darling." HG answered, sure that no one else would give Myka the answer she was looking for.
Myka stopped, not prepared to hear the sound of her voice, and certainly not prepared to take in that answer. For a moment, she was silent, and it seemed as though the entire room held its breath as she decided on her next sentence. Finally, Myka spoke.
"Is this Pete's idea?"
It was almost a joke, but not quite, and everyone inhaled.
"No," Artie answered, a bit more confidence in his voice than before. "Claudia has been sentenced to another month in inventory since she tried to tamper with my car radio, Steve is taking a week off to visit family, and Pete would bring too much attention to the investigation if he was paired with you. Now I trust that you can settle your differences long enough to retrieve an artifact, which is, by the way, your job."
Claudia sent Myka a nervous glance. The others hadn't been with her at the B&B, but Claudia had. She wasn't entirely sure Myka could settle their differences for the sake of the Warehouse.
Myka sighed, wondering the same thing as Claudia, but knowing better than to voice it. "Of course," she said, her words more venomous than she intended.
"Great!" Artie said, hoping to get the women out of South Dakota before one of them could change her mind. "As you may have noticed, your plane leaves at 2:00 this afternoon."
Myka's jaw clenched as she turned around, starting her way back to the Bed & Breakfast without waiting for HG, who quickly jumped off the desk, following behind Myka.
Myka left without another word as HG looked back at her colleagues. She looked terrified.
Alrighty, you have a chapter. It's not much, but exposition is important, as much as I hate it. I'll get you guys something else as soon as I can. We'll see how dedicated I am to the three quizzes I have tomorrow...we'll see if I can convince myself to work on something more for you tonight :).
PLEASE review. I appreciate it so much. You guys are amazing and I love you all. Also, shout out to the people from Slovenia and Guernsey. I can't even tell you how cool it is to have people reading something I wrote from places I've never even heard of.
-G
