Notes: Thanks narutofanhinatafan, melissaadams22, almathea for reviewing
Nikola's frown deepened as he entered the next room, previously it had contained Adam's half built machine but it was empty now. Completely cleared of any trace of the large metallic device, he moved his hands through the air to test for if it was invisible but found nothing. The machine was gone, which could not be good. He strongly doubted Adam had simply destroyed it, most likely it had been moved into a more convenient location for whatever he was planning to do.
He continued through the seemingly deserted base for a few minutes, most rooms were filled with stacks of discarded junk, paper and the like, another seemed to be Adam's bed chamber with a picture of that daughter he'd had hanging on the wall, until finally he came across the final room which had a locked door. It was odd because none of the other doors had been locked, not even the room John was in. His curiosity aroused Nikola holstered his gun and picked the lock hurriedly, cautiously he entered and drew his gun again in case of more guards but what he saw was completely unexpected.
It was a large room with counters riddled with vials of liquids, some of which looked like blood and multiple apparatus but what shocked him was directly opposite him were cages or cells depending on how you chose to view them. Usually such things housed the creatures being used in experiments, rats, monkeys, nubbins but in these cages were humans. Humans he recognized, Helen's people. He couldn't help but feel immensely pleased with himself, here the trio were looking ragged but 100% alive just as he had claimed for what felt like an age. He wanted so badly just to laugh out loud at his genius but thought better of it, he was sure the others wouldn't appreciate it.
"I can't believe I am actually saying this," Henry announced sounding exhausted, "but dude, I am so glad to see you."
"Well thank you," Nikola offered arrogantly smirking, "although I am insulted you doubted me, but then you three are not that bright."
"Okay, okay, enough gloating," Will complained, "just get us out of here."
"Say please," Nikola commanded enjoying his moment of heroics as he paced the floor looking for Helen but didn't see her, or any indication that she'd been here.
"You have got to be kidding me," Kate exclaimed.
"Okay better idea," Nikola decided to ask them, "where is Helen?"
"What?" Will gasped, "don't you know?"
"Of course I don't know!" Nikola retorted angrily as his bubble burst, "why else would I spend months studying the map and enduring the talking heads if not to find her?"
"The talking what?" Kate wondered.
"You don't think Adam was right, do you?" Henry whispered worriedly.
"We don't have time to worry about that now," Will told them all firmly, "please Nikola, just get us out of here."
"What's Adam planning?" Nikola asked instead, figuring perhaps the little twerp knew what became of her.
"How should we know?" Kate snapped.
"He's been doing some kind of research on you guys," Nikola told them but moved over to the cages to inspect their locking mechanism, unlike the time tested old door he saw no sign of a lock or padlock.
"Injecting us with some kind of poison then giving us the cure, have no idea why," Will answered bluntly, "now are you going to help us or no-"
Before he could answer Nikola honed into his magnetic powers and simply pulled away the bars with his mind, he smiled half to himself at the stunned looks on their faces as they hobbled to their feet while pondering Adam's scheme. Clearly he'd been testing a poison on them and then testing the cure which implied he was going to use the poison like he had tried once before in London except this time with a different, curable compound which seemed slightly odd.
"How do we get out of here?" Henry asked.
"Follow me," Nikola offered hesitantly before leading them away, "we have to get John and then we can go back to Gregory."
"John's here?"
"You found Gregory?"
"Oh hush," Nikola complained leading them back into John's room where he was still lying and babbling incoherently, "and someone needs to help me get him out of here."
