A/N: Thank you pallysAramisRios for reviewing!

Chapter 23: Heroes and Villains

When Rios's phone went off with the ringtone designated for Agnes, he couldn't help but smile as he answered. "Hey."

"Hey," she replied, but there was something in her voice that gave him pause.

"Everything all right?" he asked.

"I just got called to Nashville for an outbreak of typhoid fever."

Rios leaned forward and ran a hand through his hair. "Damn it."

They knew using the left side of Clara Barton's Gloves caused typhoid fever while strengthening the user, and they'd been on the lookout for such ramifications ever since Elnor had gotten away with the artifact.

"Soong must be in the area," Rios went on.

Agnes made a small noise in agreement. "See you soon."

"Yeah."

They disconnected and Rios got up to go find the others. In the past, it would've taken time tracking everyone down in the Warehouse, as big as it was, but now they had the holos to function as errand boys, and Rios summoned them to go out and find his fellow agents.

Once everyone had been fetched and gathered in the office, Rios told them about the typhoid fever outbreak.

"That's practically in our backyard," Raffi said. "You think Soong is taunting us? Do you think Elnor told him where the Warehouse is?"

"The Warehouse is secure, which Elnor admitted to you," Jean-Luc pointed out. "But you should still be on guard out there."

Rios turned to the holos. "Scan every purchase and security footage in the city for signs of Soong or Elnor."

"It will take a while," Emil warned. "But all five of us will work on it."

Rios nodded curtly. He may not have liked the copies of himself, but they had proven pretty useful to have around.

He, Raffi, and Soji headed out to make the drive to Nashville. Agnes had arrived before them and was already at the hospital, which was their first stop. The staff was in a flurry, with everyone masked up as they dealt with the influx of patients.

"Forty-three confirmed cases," Agnes reported. "With more rolling in every hour. We're trying our best to treat them with antibiotics, but I don't know how successful they'll be against an artifact-induced illness."

Raffi looked around in dismay. "Soong must be using the left glove nonstop to create a spread this fast."

Agnes nodded in agreement as the doors burst open and someone was wheeled in on a gurney. She quickly excused herself and went to help.

"There has to be a way to track him down," Soji said helplessly. "Why isn't the Warehouse computer pinging on all the artifacts he's been using?"

"It gets its pings from sensors in the Artifact Tracker Football," Rios explained. "Which isn't really a football; it's a computer disguised as one, and it circles the globe scanning for artifacts, but it's only able to download information when it passes over the Warehouse. If it happens to fly by this area in the next twelve hours, then great, but we can't count on it."

Raffi's Farnsworth chimed and she scrambled to answer it. "Yeah?"

"The holos found a lease for a commercial property under the name of a shell company that belonged to Dr. Soong's former research corporation," Jean-Luc's voice came through. "I'm sending you the address."

"Finally," Raffi muttered.

They were all anxious to find Soong and stop him before he killed more people, directly or indirectly, so they piled back in the car and hastened to the address. The commercial property he'd leased was isolated—perfect for his kind of work.

The Warehouse agents drew their Teslas, and Rios pulled out Benjamin Franklin's Bifocals to put them on. The different colored lenses would allow him to see the unseen. Like an invisible ninja kid lurking around.

They breached the building, but after a quick sweep, there was no sign of Soong or Elnor.

"Anything?" Raffi asked tensely as they scanned the seemingly empty room.

Rios roved his own gaze around. "Nothing."

"Looks like one of Soong's labs," Soji commented, relaxing and putting her Tesla away.

Rios kept his out and the bifocals on, just in case.

Raffi went to check the computer. "Damn it!" she exclaimed and slapped the desk. "He had an alert set up on his data so he knew when the holos ran their search and that we wouldn't be far behind."

"If he leaves town, he's just going to take the typhoid outbreak with him," Soji said. "Do you think he knows what the glove is doing? Will he stop using it?"

"I don't know," Raffi replied. "He seems to be getting more brazen to me."

Rios looked around the room again, pausing as the bifocals caught on a small aura beneath one of the desks. He walked over and picked it up. It was the right glove.

"He left this behind," Rios said, holding it up.

Raffi snorted. "Of course. Soong has no need for anything that helps other people."

"Hey, can't we use it to heal everyone with typhoid?" Soji spoke up.

Rios cocked his head. "It'll drain the user, but yeah, I think we can."

And so they returned to the hospital until they could get another lead on Soong and the left glove.

The hallways were filling up with gurneys, there were so many new cases. Hospital staff tried to stop them and back them out, but they flashed their FBI badges and pushed through to find Agnes. She was in a patient room but came out when she spotted them.

"You didn't find him," she guessed.

"No, but we found this." Rios held up the right glove. "We can heal the patients with this."

Agnes frowned. "Healing others will drain the user."

"We know," Raffi said. "But we have to do something."

Agnes drew her chin up and nodded. "You're right. I'll do it."

"No, we will," Rios argued. "It's our responsibility."

"I'm the doctor, so in this situation, it's mine," she replied.

"It's my fault the glove is out here causing this," Raffi protested. "I should do it."

"Raf…" Rios started.

Agnes shook her head stubbornly. "This is my job. You three will be needed for when you find Soong again."

"If we do," Soji muttered.

"You have to," Agnes said grimly as yet more patients were wheeled onto the floor. "Because as long as he's out there using the left glove, the right one will only be a stopgap."

"I'll see if the holos found anything else," Raffi said and pulled out her Farnsworth as she walked away.

Agnes held her hand out for the glove, which Rios reluctantly handed over.

"Are you sure?" he asked in concern.

She nodded and slipped her hand into the leather.

Rios accompanied her to the patient rooms that had the most serious cases, keeping a lookout for passing nurses and doctors as Agnes used the glove, which gave off a blue glow. Rios watched the vitals on the monitor stabilize.

Agnes healed three patients before she began to show signs of tiredness, but she refused to stop. She managed to heal four more before the drain took its toll. Rios saw her begin to sway on her feet and he darted into the room to catch her just as she finally collapsed.

"I'm…okay…" she said breathlessly. "Just need…a minute."

"How about several," he rejoined and helped her out of the room. She leaned heavily against him as he supported most of her weight.

A nurse stepped into their path. "Has she caught it?"

"She's just exhausted. She came here straight off another case and hasn't had a chance to rest," he replied firmly and kept moving.

He found the staff break room and helped Agnes inside to sit on the couch. She kept swaying, so he sat down next to her and she slumped against him. Rios lifted his arm behind her head and stroked his fingers through her hair.

"Let me take some of the load," he said.

She shook her head weakly. "I can handle it."

He huffed. "Why do you have to be so stubborn?"

"It's my tragic flaw," she joked.

"You're not going to be much use to your patients if you run yourself into the ground. As a doctor, you should know that."

She tilted her head back to look up at him. "You just want to be my knight in shining armor."

"Is that so bad?"

Her lips twitched. "No. I like that little vein in your forehead that throbs when you're worried about me." She reached up to poke him between the eyes.

He frowned and rubbed at the spot. "Let me help you," he pleaded.

"You are helping me," she replied, eyes drooping closed.

The door opened and Soji shuffled in. "Hey. Just thought I'd let you know the holos haven't found anything yet. But they're still searching."

Rios furrowed his brows. Soji looked pale and was moving sluggishly. "Are you feeling all right?" he asked.

"Mm, not really," she admitted. And then she abruptly collapsed.

Rios scrambled off the couch and over to her. She was burning up.

Agnes grunted as she stumbled over, tripping halfway there and crawling the rest of the way. She reached out a shaking hand wearing the glove to heal her, but no sooner had it started to glow that the light winked out as Agnes passed out.

Rios pulled the glove off and put it on himself, then focused on trying to heal Agnes. The glove began to glow, but Agnes didn't revive. Frowning, he quickly turned to Soji and grasped her arm, willing the glove's healing power into her.

Her face scrunched up as she came to. "Mmph, what?"

"Are you all right?" Rios asked anxiously. He could feel the drain on his own energy from using the glove, minor for now.

Soji pushed herself up onto her elbows. "I think so."

Rios pressed the back of his other hand against her forehead to check for fever; it was gone. The glove must only heal illnesses, not the drain caused by using it.

He turned back to Agnes and scooped her into his arms, then staggered upright and out the door into the hallway. "I need help here!"

Nurses and doctors came running over and ushered them into a room where Rios was directed to lay Agnes on a bed. He was then pushed back as the medical staff went to work. They were concerned about typhoid, but a quick examination revealed she didn't have a fever or other symptoms, so she was diagnosed with exhaustion and hooked up to a saline drip.

Rios sank into the hard plastic chair beside the bed and put his head in his hands.

A few minutes after the hospital staff had left, Raffi came hurrying in.

"Damn," she breathed.

"How about you?" Rios asked in concern. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, fine. You?"

He nodded.

The commotion of nurses running to another room in response to an alarm sounded outside.

"People are getting sicker," Raffi said needlessly.

"Can't we just take turns using the glove and heal each other?" Soji asked.

Rios shook his head. "The glove doesn't work on its own effects." He nodded to Agnes's unconscious form. "I tried."

"We could heal some, though, couldn't we?" Soji pressed desperately.

Rios understood her helplessness and desire to help; he felt the same. But Agnes's previous point of them needing to be ready to go after Soong still held true.

Someone cleared their throat, and the three agents turned to the doorway. Rios surged to his feet at the sight of Elnor. He and Raffi moved at the same time; she grabbed Elnor by the front of his shirt and swung him around into the room. Rios caught his arm and they both slammed him against the wall. Soji quickly shut the door.

"What are you doing here?" Rios demanded.

Elnor held his hands up in submission. "I just wanted to see for myself," he said. "I had no idea Dr. Soong would use the left glove like this. I thought after he healed himself with both, he would…change pursuits."

"But he didn't," Raffi said.

Elnor regretfully shook his head. He looked past them toward Agnes. "Is she…?"

"She's drained herself using the right glove to heal the people Soong is making sick," Rios snarled.

"Help us," Raffi beseeched. "Take us to Soong so we can stop this."

Elnor's mouth thinned. "I cannot dishonor my vow by taking you to my employer…but I will get the other glove for you."

Rios shook his head. "We can't trust him."

"I swear on my honor."

The agents exchanged doubtful looks, but Raffi gave Rios a subtle nod and pulled out a neutralizing bag from her pocket.

"Put it in this. That will neutralize its effects and hopefully stop the outbreak."

Elnor took the baggie and bowed his head.

Rios's jaw tightened, but he stepped back to let the kid go. Elnor cast a sober look around at them all one last moment before walking out.

"I hope we didn't just make a huge mistake," Rios said.

Raffi shrugged one shoulder. "Can't get any worse, can it?"

Elnor returned to the stash house Soong had fled to after receiving a warning that the Warehouse agents had tracked his current lab. The man was grumbling about said agents, too, and how they were constantly interrupting his work. Elnor walked straight over to him.

"Where have you been?" he snapped.

"I was at the hospital where people are dying because you're using that glove," he replied and nodded to the doctor's left hand.

Soong scoffed. "People die all the time. What do you even care for, anyway? How many lives have you taken with your sword?"

"I always give my opponents a choice. What you're doing is wrong."

With that, Elnor grabbed Soong's arm in a vise-like grip and forcefully pulled the glove off his hand. Soong struggled and sputtered in indignation, but Elnor deftly blocked his haphazard blows and then backed away with the glove, which he promptly deposited in the baggie Raffi had given him. Purple sparks flew from the opening, then settled.

"How dare you!" Soong seethed.

Elnor met the man's gaze levelly. "I quit." He then turned to leave with the glove.

"You don't get to quit!" Soong yelled behind him.

There was a scuffling sound, and a moment later, Elnor felt his body snap into a rigid stance. Jolting to a stop, he looked down at his unresponsive legs. Pain suddenly shot through him, and a powerful wrench had him turning around sharply. Soong was holding a riding crop that was glowing softly. An artifact.

Elnor strained harder to get his limbs to move, even his fingers. But he was completely bound by this invisible force. More than that, though, he could feel the jerk and pull of Soong using the crop to make him move outside of his own accord.

Soong's eyes gleamed darkly. "It's over when I say it's over."

Rios stayed by Agnes's bedside as the hours passed. Elnor hadn't returned with the glove like he said he would. However, no more new cases of typhoid were rolling in, and those who were sick were now responding better to antibiotics. So it seemed the kid had held up at least that part of his word.

Raffi and Soji went off to take turns using the right glove to heal the sickest patients that seemed too far gone otherwise. Rios hoped they were being responsible with it.

"Hey, mister," a weak voice rasped.

He whipped his head up to find Agnes awake. "Hey," he said, grasping her hand.

"What'd I miss?"

"We think the outbreak's stopped. At least, there are no new cases, and patients are responding to treatment."

"But?" she prompted.

"But the ninja kid who said he'd get the glove and bring it to us hasn't."

Agnes frowned. "Huh. Well, that's a partial win, I guess."

Rios squeezed her hand. "How are you feeling?"

"Pretty drained," she admitted, her eyes drifting closed for a moment.

"I tried to heal you with the glove, but it didn't work."

She hummed. "That makes sense." Then her eyes snapped open. "Soji?"

"She's fine. I healed her."

Agnes narrowed her eyes. "How many times did you use the glove?"

"Just the once," he assured her. "I'm not a masochist like you are."

Agnes laughed. "Yeah, right."

They fell silent, and Rios rubbed circles on the back of her hand.

"Why don't you come stay at the B&B for a little while," he suggested. "While you recuperate."

Agnes arched an intrigued brow at him. "Well, my case here is over…"

"Is that a yes?"

She smiled. "Yes."