"Holy shit," muttered Ashley gaping open mouthed at her 'deceased' father who remained in a crumpled heap on the ground.
"I thought he was dead?" Henry mused unhelpfully.
"Nick was right," Big Guy stated, "Druitt lives."
Nikola himself could only join them in gaping, he'd far to worried about his son's imminent death to really digest the fact he claimed John lived but then hear he appeared in a flash of light and fell to the ground with some random woman. He had heard the news that John had died and always just accepted it as fact, it was shocking that that was not true. Bitterly he noted that if Ashley had killed her father as well as her sister than they probably wouldn't be in this mess.
James was the first to react and knelt awkwardly, because of his leg braces and checked their once friend for a pulse. Nikola considered helping him but decided against it, he was still mad over James' helping Nick and Helen leave, neither of which should be running around in their condition.
"They're both alive," James announced getting up awkwardly, "we need to get them both to the infirmary."
"Why is Druitt and the pretty lady sleeping on the floor?" Henry asked curiously.
"I won't know until we get them to the infirmary," James answered searching their faces, "can we please stop gawking now? Ashley a little help would be nice."
"Fine," Ashley agreed moodily and knelt to teleport them to the infirmary, teleporting away immediately.
"I'd like to know who that woman was," James muttered half to himself.
"Kate," Big Guy told them gruffly, "Kate Freelander."
"Sounds made up," Nikola complained dryly.
"I know but its not, Helen mentioned her earlier," Big Guy explained, "in her non existant memories they were friends, or something."
"Done," Ashley announced returning in another flash of light much to Nikola's chagrin, while the energy elemental seemed to be the cause of her insanity he still found it hard to trust her.
"If Helen and Nick went after him," Nikola began thoughtfully and scowled as a worrying thought dawned on him, "then where are they?"
"What have they done to her?" her father's voice boomed worriedly, Helen longed to smile and hug him relieved that she'd finally found him but again she was incapable of movement.
"We have no idea Mister Magnus," Will's voice anwered politely.
"Please, call me Gregory," her father offered kindly.
"You lived with these cryptically secretive psycopaths for years and you're saying you have no idea what they have done, to your own daughter to send her into some kind of comatose state?" Nikola complained.
"I wish I did," her father offered sighing heavily.
"Did I ever tell you that you were useless?" Nikola asked sardonically.
"Yes, I'm pretty sure you have," her father told him tiredly, "have I ever told you that you're selfish, arrogant and beyond irritating?"
"Both of you please, this isn't helping," Will interjected.
"You're right," her father agreed, "I apogize Nikola."
"Mom? Please wake up," Nick's voice sliced through the others and she snapped open her eyes to see only murky blackness, "sleep dying is so not fun."
"I'm awake," Helen moaned as it occured to her that she was lying on her side and that her hands were bound behind her back, hasilty she struggled into a sitting position and leaned against a sold wall behind her.
"Finally," Nick muttered sounding exhausted, "it's about time."
"Halothane," James announced and Nikola raised an eyebrow.
"They're unconcious because of knock out gas?" Nikola repeated rubbing his eyes.
"Yes," James confirmed, "which suggests the Sweepers, they've been known to use it on large numbers of people so they cannot escape such as at night parties. They then proceed to shoot the unconcious dead while the sleep."
"You don't think-" Nikola began feeling panicked before Ashley repearred before them.
"Searched Freelander's apartment and there are definately signs of a struggle but no bodies and no sign of Mom or Nicky," Ashley informed them before holding up a jar containing a curious looking insect, "I did however find this."
"A bug? Didn't realize you were in the buissness of pest control," Nikola barked at her unimpressed.
"It may be useful actually," James mused, "there's an incision at the back of John's neck and I found traces of an unknown insect inside the wound."
"Gross," Ashley exclaimed wrinkling her nose in disgust, "why would someone put a bug in his neck?"
"I don't know and I don't care," Nikola told them, "all that matters is finding Helen, Nick and the cure."
"For all we know they could be on their way back here now," Ashley pointed out handing James the jar to inspect.
"Their disappearance, John, Freelander, this bug, the Cabal... they're all connecte," James informed them, "the only way to find Helen and Nick is to connect the dots."
"We should be out there right now searching the streets for them!" Nikola yelled venting his frustraition.
"All that will do is waste time!" James protested.
"Nick is still dying! We're wasting time right now," Nikola snapped.
"Then go run around aimlessly while I concentrate on something useful while we wait for our guests to wake up," James offered seeming to force his voice to calm.
"Sure, its not like you're losing your son and the love of your life," Nikola snarled venomously.
"Then maybe you shouldn't disappear for 12 years!" James retorted darkly.
Nikola was about to scream a reply but stopped himself, James was right. He shouldn't have left, he shouldn't be running around on the streets aimlessly and he certainly shouldn't be halting all work to save his family by venting his frustration at James. Deep down he was just afraid of losing the only people who really mattered to him, he felt his anger draining away and he looked away abashed.
"I've already lost Patty," Nikola said quietly not looking up at James or Ashley, "I can't lose them too."
"I know," James sighed moving over to Nikola and placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, a gesture of friendship from ages past, "we will find them and I promise you we will do everything possible to save Nick's life."
"Hey guys, he's waking up," Ashley hissed and their attention hastily shifted back to John who was groggily blinking open his eyes.
"Where are they?" Nikola demanded instantly rushing to his side, "where is Helen? Where is my son? Answer me you Cabal loving bastard!"
"Give him some air," James pointed out and John gave him a grateful look.
"The Cabal," John croaked looking at them both apologetically, "the Cabal took them, Nick told me to save the girl before I fell unconciouss and that he'd go with them to find Helen. I'm sorry, my actions have not been my own for a long time but now I have regained my sanity and I offer to help recover Helen and Nick in any way I can."
"Welcome to the club," Ashley offered sarcastically.