This chapter was fun to write :) Hopefully yall enjoy it as well.
And I Wear The Crown, Isabel Wells was the 1st wife of the real-life HG Wells from 1891-1895. Fun fact: She was also his cousin.
Enjoy!
The story so far: The person behind the kidnapping and debronzing has been revieled as a friend of Bennidict Valda. Helena tells William who Valda was, as well as what had happened in Warehouse 2 and Yellowstone. The Regents appear to lead the team to Taka's believed loaction.
Chapter 8: The Hills Have Eyes
Jane calmly drove out into the seemingly endless hills of the South Dakota Badlands. In the back of her SUV were Myka, Pete, Helena, Steve, and William. Artie and Claudia had stayed behind to offer support as they normally did.
William was looking over the new models of Teslas, amazed at how far they've advanced since Helena and Nikola had created them in 1893, in between asking endless questions about modern cars.
"So where're we goin anyway, mom?" Pete asked.
"There are some old abandoned mining caves out here that haven't seen use in a long long time. Eventually they became hideouts for bandits and thieves. We've traced Taka's Farnsworth to one of the deeper caves. That's likely where she's keeping Christina. Only thing though is these caves are mighty unstable. The right boom in the wrong place and everyone in there would be crushed to death. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the very idea, but at the same time I understand the desire to protect ones child. That's a feeling that only a mother could know, and so we'll take the risk." Jane said.
"Thank you." Helena murmured, knowing that Jane's child could very well be put at risk today as well.
When they arrived near the entrance to the caves, Jane stopped the car and looked around, not seeing any cars around.
She held a device that tracked Taka's Farnsworth, "Take caution, everyone, and stay together. If you don't know how to navigate this place you'd be lost in here for a lifetime." she muttered, lighting a lantern.
"Super…" Steve said quietly.
Everyone had their Teslas at the ready. Jane slowly led them deep underground, following the signals on her device. The caves were a series of winding tunnels that often crossed through one another.
Myka stayed close to Helena, knowing full well of her dislike of darkness and enclosed spaces. That's probably one of the reasons Taka chose this location she realized, her grip on her Tesla tightening slightly.
Jane's lantern lit the cave walls up, but it was only a small bubble of light. William seemed uneasy as well, and Myka suspected he'd developed a similar fear of darkness and enclosed spaces after being bronzed.
Pete was in the back of the group, making references to the new Tomb Raider game every few minutes.
"Pete I swear to bloody god if you mention Tomb Raider ONE. MORE. TIME…" Helena snapped, clenching her fist and giving him a deathly look. She was not in the mood for this right now, even moreso than normal.
"Alright alright cool it Lady." Pete said, putting his hands up defensively, not getting what the problem was until he remembered what happened in Egypt that time. That was one incident the Time Traveler had never lived down.
Pete continued to look around as they walked, not really paying too close of attention as he heard something. He paused, listening as he turned his back to the others, not seeing them turn a corner.
"Hey, you guys hear that?"
He paused, looking over his shoulder to find himself in complete darkness with a faint glow of light in the distance. Making his way down the tunnel towards the light, he blinked as he saw it was a torch on the wall and not the others.
"Great…"
Steve looked behind him as they moved forward, "Hey guys, where's Pete?" he asked.
The group of agents looked around, noticing they were one loudmouth short.
"I don't know, I thought he was behind you?" Myka said, "PETE?" she called. Her voice echoed off the walls, but there was no answer.
Jane sighed, "I said to stay together…" she muttered, "We'll keep going. We'll have to come back for him later. We'll be able to find him as long as he's still got his Farnsworth."
"Bloody silence at last…" Helena muttered under her breath.
Pete sighed, rubbing the back of his head as he remembered his mother's words about being lost in these tunnels forever.
The only thing he could do though was keep going forward. He'd taken the lit torch off the wall and jumped a mile as his Farnsworth buzzed.
He took it out and saw Steve and Myka.
"Pete where'd you go?" Steve asked.
"Thought I heard something and turned my back on you guys for a sec, I guess I lost ya. You guys keep goin and I'll try to work my way back to ya." Pete said.
Myka nodded, "Alright, be careful and call us if you find anything." she said.
Pete nodded, "Will do. Kirk out!" he said before closing the device, putting it back in his pocket.
He paused, hearing something again. He tried to follow the sound, keeping his Tesla ready. He walked for what felt like hours, but really must have only been 20 minutes as he kept turning corners to catch the faint echoes of sound he kept hearing.
It sounded almost like… talking?
He turned a corner and saw a faint light in the distance, heading towards it cautiously, suddenly getting a really good vibe. He noticed the sound stopped now that his footsteps echoed down the tunnels.
When he came close to the light, he blinked, seeing what looked like a makeshift jail cell in a small hollow cavern. On the wall was another torch, as well as a crack in the ceiling that let in a dim light and fresh air from far above, like a ventilation shaft.
"We're getting close." Jane said, looking down at her device. The group rounded a corner and came upon an open cave that was well lit with torches.
"My, you all took longer than expected." a woman's voice echoed off the walls, though they couldn't place where it was coming from.
"Taka, stop this insanity." Jane said, "Just give us the girl and then we can work this out."
"Why should I?!" Taka snapped, "That woman you're so fond of is a menace and should be left in the bronzer to rot. The Regents are too blind and stupid to do that though, so I guess this is a good enough alternative."
Helena narrowed her eyes, but managed to keep her voice steady, "You're angry because of Valda's death."
"Of course I am! You, Agent Wells, are nothing but a cold blooded psychopath. Why should you deserve to live on when a man who only ever did good for the world is laying in a pit of fire for eternity? How is that right?! You should have been killed on the spot after Benedict's death, and yet here you are working for the Warehouse to this very day." she spat.
"You are quite right. Mr. Valda's death was my fault. I am responsible." Helena said evenly, walking forward into the room, "I was angry because someone I loved dearly was killed, or so I'd thought. If you want to kill me so badly, then show yourself and do it. No one else has to be involved. This is between us and us alone."
"Guys, there's wires all over the place, this place is gonna blow!" Steve said, noticing all of the cables leading into boxes on the walls.
Helena looked around the walls, narrowing her eyes in annoyance, "Just like that then? You would rather hide away like a coward and use explosives rather than facing me? How very sad."
"Helena, don't…" Myka started to caution, but Jane glanced at her and shook her head in a silent signal to allow her to continue.
After a minute, the older Asian woman stepped forward out of the darkness, her eyes narrowed as her finger rested on a button in her hand. Myka, Steve, and William all watched her carefully, prepared to use the Tesla if needed.
"Tell me Taka, if killing me is justice in your mind, why go to the lengths of harming my daughter? Just using her as bait then? An innocent girl who hasn't had any contact with me in over a century?" Helena said, trying to keep the Asian woman talking. She put her own Tesla away and put her hands up in what could be mistaken as an act of surrender, though the Englishwoman knew what she was doing.
"The girl served her purpose. She is already dead." Taka said, seeing Helena's entire body tense at that statement.
"She's lying." Steve said quickly, "She's lying and so Christina must still be around here somewhere. Where is she?" he demanded.
Taka glared at him, "You'll never find her without me. She'll be dead soon enough anyway."
Pete cautiously approached the cell. There was a dirty cot off to the side with a shadowed form laying on it.
"Are you Christina Wells?" he asked.
"… That entirely depends who's asking." the tired response came, though the English accent was unmistakable.
Pete put his Tesla away, "My name is Pete Lattimer, and I'm here to get you outta here. I'm a friend of your moms." he said.
"…My mother is dead." Christina said dryly, "That woman said so, so you can sod off trying to mock me."
"No no listen to me, Helena's alive and she's here looking for you. Whatever Taka told you was a lie. She was using you as bait to try to get to your mom." Pete said, "That's why she needed that finger, to try to scare Helena. William told us about everything that happened back in the 1900's, and how you managed to cross time itself to have the chance to be with Helena again."
Christina sat up slowly and turned to look at Pete. The young woman didn't look well at all. Her skin was pale and she seemed extremely exhausted. Her left hand was tightly wrapped in a dirty bloodstained rag.
"How do I know that you really know my mum?" Christina asked warily.
"Well let's see, I know your mom was the true author behind a bunch of amazing novels that re-defined fiction as we know it. I know that the world, even 100 years later, thinks that Charles was H.G. Wells when he wasn't. I know that she's got a hell of a temper and tends to get really cranky if she doesn't have her tea in the mornings. And I know that she never stopped loving you or missing you, and always wears a locket with a photo of you when you were 7..." Pete rattled off everything that came to mind.
Christina nodded, "…Fine. I will choose to trust you." she said quietly.
Pete nodded and looked around the cell, "Now to get this door open…" he said, rubbing the back of his head.
"Tell me Agent Wells, did you like the gift?" Taka sneered.
Helena's eyes grew black as she glared at the woman. This stupid woman was just begging for a slow and painful death.
"Imagine my surprise, finding out that your best friend and daughter were living in the Bronze Sector right under your nose, and you had no idea. I do wonder why Irene never mentioned it. Probably trying to keep the psychotic episodes to a minimum." she continued calmly.
"It bothers you, doesn't it Taka? Knowing that while poor Mr. Valda is dead, I am alive and happy, living in a place of miracles. The very place that dear Valda loved so much." Helena said evenly, keeping her eyes on the Asian woman.
"Shut up!" Taka snapped, threatening to push the button as Helena boldly took a step forward, closing the distance between them slightly.
"We are not all that different, you and I. Who knows, perhaps someday down the road it will be you standing over the Yellowstone Caldera holding the Minoan Trident out of the sheer insanity born of grief and nurtured by hate. Wishing this world was no longer simply because you have known the pain brought on by loss." Helena continued calmly.
Now that she had the other woman on the defensive she could control the situation long enough to get what she wanted.
"I am nothing like you!" the Asian woman said harshly, not even realizing that she'd almost completely lost control now.
William couldn't help but think that this woman wasn't very bright if she was giving into Helena's mind games so easily, though he guessed that that wasn't a bad thing in this case, it would mean they could very well escape this place unharmed.
"Not yet. But someday you might be like me. Bear in mind, dear Taka, that I wasn't like me until I became this way after experiencing the soul-wrenching pain of losing a child to a pointless and brutal murder. Mr. Wolcott can attest to that. It was only then that I changed. All I could think about was vengeance, to the point where I even hurt my own dear friend in a blind rage. I only hope that if you reach that point of madness, so far gone that you don't even remember what it'd like to be sane, that there will be someone there to rescue your soul." Helena said, now close enough that she could grab the device if she wanted to, but she didn't. That could prove to be far too risky.
No, she had to be tactful about this or everyone in that room would die. There would be more than enough time to deal with this woman properly after she'd made sure her friends and her daughter weren't in danger.
Pete managed to get the door open and was trying to make his way out of the tunnels, but really had no way of knowing where he was going.
"How are ya holdin up, Christina?" Pete asked the quiet girl.
"I am fine." Christina said, though she didn't look fine at all. Pete figured if she was anything like her mother then she'd say she was fine even if she was an inch from death.
Pete looked around, unsure which way to go. He knew that he had to get Christina to Dr. Calder as soon as possible, but for all he knew he was just getting them more lost.
Pausing, he sighed, "I have no idea how to get out of here. You rest a minute while I call for help." he said, taking out his Farnsworth.
Christina eyed the device with curiosity as she slumped against the wall, holding her left hand tightly as blood dripped through the rag and onto the floor, "…What is that?"
Pete glanced at her, "A guy called Philo Farnsworth made these things in the 1930's. They're used to contact people from anywhere in the world." he gave a vague explanation.
"Fascinating…" Christina said quietly as she watched him click a dial on the device. The screen lit up to show the face of a young girl.
"Pete, what's up?" Claudia asked.
"Hey Claud listen, I got separated from the others in the tunnels but I found Christina. She's here with me but we need a way to get outta here. Can ya… I dunno, lock onto my phone or Farnsworth or something and guide us to the exit?" Pete asked.
"Yeah sure, hang on." Claudia said, typing into her computer.
"Thanks. Also can ya have Dr. Calder drive out here to meet us? Kid needs medical help pronto." Pete added.
"I am not a kid." Christina snapped, sounding every bit like her mother.
Claudia heard her and couldn't help but smile. That was definitely, without the slightest doubt, Helena's child.
Christina looked up past the Farnsworth, staring for a minute at the wall opposite them before her gaze slowly traveled to the corridor to their left, "That way." she said.
"Ok, hook a left and then head straight till I tell ya to." Claudia said, looking at her computer.
Pete blinked, looking at Christina, "Wha… how'd you know that?"
Christina shook her head, "You wouldn't believe me even if I told you." she muttered.
Pete remembered what William said about the girl seeing things and then somehow knowing things she couldn't have known before. This was too weird, and so he just didn't question it. There were bigger things to worry about than a girl hallucinating.
Pete just nodded, offering Christina his arm to lean on as they moved.
The Englishwoman stubbornly tried to walk on her own at first, but soon gave in as the lack of food and water took its toll on her body, and she reluctantly held onto Pete for support.
She technically hadn't had anything substantial to eat in over 100 years, and her limbs felt heavy from using up what little energy she'd had left. The damage done to her hand was throbbing, sending bolts of pain shooting up her entire arm with every pulse of her heart. The rag, though slowing her blood loss, offered little in the way of stopping it completely and was already soaked through and dripping.
Pete made a point not to look at the bloody rag, still extremely squeamish at the sight of the viscous red liquid. He focused on keeping Christina talking and alert as they walked, mostly discussing Helena, and how she'd come to work at Warehouse 13.
Pete intentionally kept to the better things that the Time Traveler had done, such as helping locate Cinderella's Glass Knife with her time machine, rather than discussing the bad that she'd done over her few years of reinstatement.
Claudia chimed in on the stories as well after telling Vanessa to head out to the caves with her supplies. She was surprised at how Christina looked when she saw her through the Farnsworth.
"Very goth for a Victorian lady." she commented, "I approve. So uh… ever read your mom's books?"
Christina smiled, "William used to read them to me every night as a child. I could likely retell them all by memory." she said quietly.
As they talked, Pete noticed that the young woman had pale scars stretched across her throat and face, but they didn't look new and so he figured he could ask later on. Following Claudia's instructions, they slowly made their way towards the entrance to the caves.
While Helena was distracting Taka, Jane subtly used her Farnsworth to get the latest news on the situation from Artie and Claudia. She was surprised that Pete had managed to find and rescue Christina all on his own, but she couldn't be more proud of her son.
She kept her distance from the two women as she said, "It's all over Taka. The girl's been found and is being treated by Dr. Vanessa as we speak. You've got nothing left here to bargain with." It wasn't exactly 100% true, but she knew that Pete and Christina would be out of the caves and in the good doctor's care shortly.
That was all the encouragement Helena needed as she took advantage of Taka's surprise with a swift kempo attack that threw the old woman off balance, making her drop the explosives trigger. Steve quickly grabbed the trigger, keeping it far away from the Asian woman.
"No… NO!" Taka screeched, "It's not FAIR!"
"Bloody rotten luck indeed. You should have used that petty little device when you had the chance rather than standing around talking to me." Helena hissed as she grabbed Taka by the throat, slamming her against the wall.
"Helena!" William and Myka both said in unison, unsure what she was going to do.
Helena ignored them, focusing on Taka with a face that could scare the devil. Her eyes had grown impossibly black as she glared at the squirming woman, who was trying to break free of her iron grip.
"I'd advise you to listen very closely to me now, dear girl." Helena said, her accent becoming thick as her voice became low and threatening. She looked like a woman possessed as her fingers tightened ever so slowly around the soft flesh. "The only reason you're still carrying on with your pathetic existence is because I gave your boss my solemn promise that I would deliver you to him alive, and the only reason you're not being maimed within an inch of death is because there are far too many witnesses. But I warn you now; if you ever try to harm my family again you will not come off so lucky."
With that, Helena roughly threw Taka to the ground and looked at Jane, "I presume you have handcuffs then?" She knew better than to properly punish this woman in front of a Regent, and in front of Myka.
That would have to wait a bit.
Reviews are always love, peeps :)
-Akito
