"Copier…"
Summary: Paracelsus is leaving a little gift for Arthur and the gang…
Disclaimer: No copywrite infringement intended.
Part V…
"There may not be time…" Paracelsus frowned at Claudia… "What about him?" he shrugged to suggest Pete's direction.
"Not ours…And we have no idea what the result might be with another…I told you. If we're to secure the Warehouse here, we need to use reliable tools, from the world we know or close to it…Not a potential rival…"
"Him? A rival?" stare…
"An obstacle then…A potential troublemaker who won't play along…No, we need…"
"Claud! Hey, Claudia!" Pete's voice… "I think the bunny went down a wabbit hole, I can't find him. Claudia?!"
"I'm fine, Pete!" she called.
"Either we do this the right way or you can face the regents without my help." She hissed.
"You ignorant, silly child…" sneer… "You think I need your help…? In my own house…" he glanced round, grand wave. "Here, where I am akin to the very gods? Do you think I could be defeated, in my own house…When I still have these…" he displayed the rings on his fingers.
"And this…" he pulled his robe to reveal a metal belt. She eyeing it.
"I lead a charmed life…No man of woman born may harm me…" he smiled.
"Garrick's belt…" she nodded. "Nice, but Shakespeare's a bit after your time, isn't he?"
"My dear nephew's aid was invaluable…" he smiled. "I regret not yet having had the chance to see this master playwright Shakespeare's works as yet…But all in good time…"
"Of course…" she noted. "Still…That's hardly invulnerability…Man-proof?" sardonic look…
"Tut…" he smiled coolly. "No, hardly…But not my only protection, dear one." He was at her side, grasping her by the throat. "I sensed from the start you were of my sort…I sensed the darkness in you and in the other…Just as it was in my own other self, whatever saintliness he professed…Don't think you can take me by surprise, dear. I'm fond of you and our alliance is one I would maintain but if it becomes necessary…I can find another…I have the device."
"Not so good as me…Not who knows you and you, her…Who knows your plans and would follow your lead…" she gasped out…
"Claudia! The stupid thing's on the run again!" Pete called.
"True enough…" Paracelsus released his grip. She eyed the gauntlets on his arms…
"The armor of Achilles, yes…" he nodded. "Speed to the legs, strength to the arms…Oh, my dear…" he smiled. "I know the treasures of my own house."
"Fine…Then be sensible and stick to the program." She glared. "I know these people and enough about this world to operate, you don't…For all Nicholas' memory transfers. My way is the way to go."
He frowned…
"Look, pal…Who debronzed your falsely trapped saintly counterpart in our world and started this whole sequence of events? Who summoned your spirit back to our world so you could make these lovely plans for universal conquest and sent you here again at just the right time for your idiot nephew to free you so we…WE…Could escape...here, where if we play our cards right...No one need ever know we control all secrets of the Warehouse? Not even the regents suspecting their own dear caretaker Claudia." She eyed him. "You said, back home, you could appreciate my darkness and my skill…In all fields…Well? Lover?" she smiled at him. Seductive grin…
He paused, then returned smile…
"Very well. We'll proceed as you've suggested." He nodded.
"Let me get Pete away and then you know what to do. But make sure I'm nearby when you separate them…"
"Are you certain you can deal with…"
"Claudia! The darned thing's back under! Where are you?!" Pete called.
"I'm coming! Stay with Bugs! He's our best lead!" she called back…
"You'd better get back to driving that thing before square of jaw corners him." She eyed Paracelsus. "Look, it's best if I handle this…I'll need to handle things anyway, with this one. Is it here or no?"
"There…" he nodded… Glancing over to a corner. "But do you know how?"
"Pull the needle, type the cards for more exact specs, press the button… I was the one who figured it out in my era, in our world, remember?...Anyway…Thank God we don't have to use Pepys' pantagraph set up, thanks to the latter improvements."
"With me, it was quite an effort…" Paracelsus noted. "He had to have a young artist assist him, poor fellow. Quite a talent, really…He managed it in one painting. A pity I had to kill him to conceal myself here." Thin smile…
"I know what you mean…" she nodded. "You better get moving. How are you managing, anyway?"
"The cloak of Haroon-ur-Rashid…" he smiled…Waving robe.
"Ah…Thought you seemed a bit attached to an unfortunate dress choice." She grinned.
"It confers both invisibility and camouflage as needed…The great Caliph used it to disguise himself as he toured the streets of Baghdad, seeking out injustice…As I shall use it to deliver justice upon my enemies…Shortly." He noted. "To your good success, my dear…And our new ally…"
"Please…" closing eyes… "Don't call her that…Minion is good enough." Claudia frowned as he turned…Screaming in shock as she stabbed him in the side with a short curved sword she'd pulled from under her blouse.
"Pete! Oh, God! Pete!" she screamed… "He's here! Help!"
"Claudia?! Claudia! I'm comin'!" his faint call…
"Uh…Argh…Ahhh…" Paracelsus stared at her, whirling round. Staggering back…
"Just needed to know where it was, sweetie." She beamed. "And I know my Shakespeare too… 'See how my sword weeps for the poor king…For this too, was I ordained.'" She pulled out the sword in one sharp tug, eyeing the bloody blade, then tossing it aside. He on his knees now, groaning…
"Omar's scimitar…Rashid's cloak…Ironic, eh?" she grinned. "But the only thing, when wielded by a woman, that could overcome most of the protections I saw that you grabbed…Even Garrick's Belt from his 'Macbeth'…Again, the woman thing. Does come in handy." Nod.
"You?...No!…You?!…No…No! Not you…Not a child…A fool…ish…Woman." he struggled with the cloak as if to conceal himself, then collapsed.
"You medieval types…" she sighed over him…Covering him with his robe, the Caliph's cloak…He and the cloak immediately fading from view…She pulling the invisible body and cloak over to the shelf… "Always underestimating a woman."
She eyed the spot…Not a trace, so long as Pete doesn't trip over it. Just a matter of keepin' him out of corners he should not go.
" Well, it's not like I'm killing the good and noble Paracelsus…" she noted. "You did that when he accidently summoned his own darkest side from our world testing the earliest version of our little copier…After I put him back in our bronzer. I did ask you to spare him, you recall…If only to conceal our escape.
Consider this my last act of justice as an agent of Warehouse 13…" frown. "Before I accept my promotion to caretaker/world Queen…
…/Mrs. Nielsen."
"But hey…Don't worry…I'll maintain your manly supervillain image for a bit longer…I need an imaginary threat…Almost as much as I need my dear ole sidekick…And the love of my life…" she addressed the corpse, now safely invisible against the shelf wall.
"Pete!" she screamed…
