"Copier…"
Summary: Paracelsus is leaving a little gift for Arthur and the gang…
Disclaimer: No copywrite infringement intended.
Part XIX…
Alternate Warehouseverse…
"Son, do you have any idea what you've done?" Sutton staring… "This place is under some kind of martial law…And as a historian I can tell you people violating martial law usually do not come to happy ends."
"She's a dangerous criminal, Nick…" Charlotte, anxiously… "We're not equipped, especially right now being mortal again, to deal with dangerous criminals. Nick, she nearly killed me a short time ago."
"Father…Mum…I don't believe she is dangerous…Myka? Ms. Bering? You are really not the Myka who tried to kill my mother?"
"No…" Myka, trying to keep her voice low… "I'm not that Myka…You've got to believe me. She's escaped to my world…Claudia as well! They sent me here!"
"And she no doubt wants us to free Claudia from that bronzer thing to help her go home?" Charlotte eyed Myka…
Well…
"She's very likely just trying to use you, Nick…We should be expert at recognizing that…" Narrow glare to Sutton who gave her a "Charlotte, really?…Could we give it a rest just now?" look…
"I don't believe she is…I think she is telling the truth, Mother." Nicholas shook his head. "Uncle once spoke of other worlds to me, before he changed and began hurting people. He was very excited about the possibility that he might find a way to contact his counterparts somehow, share knowledge with them. He was troubled by the dangers the artifacts he guarded posed and wanted to speak with others who knew the burdens he suffered under." Sigh… "I was a boy then, impatient to be with my friends and at my games, I didn't pay attention as I should've…I might've helped him, made it easier for him."
"Paracelsus spoke to you about the other world…Worlds?" Myka, edging slowly down to a closer point… "Did he ever tell you how he hoped to cross over? Or speak to the others, his counterparts?"
"Nothing that I can recall…Just that he was very excited…I had the impression he felt he was near to achieving something. Then, afterwards…He changed…And he stopped confiding in me, in anyone…Dismissed all his assistants…Locked himself away and disappeared for days on end. Then he returned and although he seemed rather more like his old self, terrible things began to happen to people around him…And us."
"That must have been after…It must have his counterpart, taken his place…" Myka noted.
"Yes…Well, Ms. Bering…" Sutton eyed her as she held her place attached to the wall, still about halfway up… "You suppose you might come on down? It's a bit disconcerting talking to you like this…"
"Yeah…I will…I shouldn't expose myself to this artifact I'm using for too long. But, you promise me you'll hear me out? You won't start calling for Agent Lattimer and his guys?"
"If you're innocent, why should you be afraid of Agent Lattimer?" Charlotte noted. "He's the Warehouse's chief security person, under that Mrs. Fredericks, isn't he?…Why wouldn't you trust him?"
"He's trying to put me in the bronzer without even listening to my story!" Myka insisted. "He's on some kind of rage thing with his Myka, the one who came from here…She killed his girlfriend, I guess."
"So she did, yes…And again, I point out, nearly killed me…And you just resorted to considerable threat of violence to break jail." Charlotte frowned. "So why should we trust you, potentially with our newly rather precious lives? Surely you can see where it's got to be much more likely and reasonable that you are the same woman, merely attempting to tell a wild tale to escape?" Expectant stare…
"Because if you don't…" Myka, exasperated…Though a bit startled by Nick's rather obviously infatuated stare…What was she up to with that poor kid? "…Paracelsus and the other Claudia get my world's Warehouse…And sooner or later, they're very likely to come here to settle old scores or seize your Warehouse. Look, I threatened the nurse and the guard but I didn't kill them. I haven't tried to kill you. Nick believes I'm telling the truth."
"Absolutely…" Nick nodded eagerly…Charlotte frowning…
Yeah…Great…Myka sighed…Thanks…
"…Look, can't you at least admit the possibility of what I'm sayin' is true? You just spent the last 500 years proving the impossible is very possible, with the help of the Warehouse. And if you need a final convincer…" she crawled down the wall to the floor. Standing before them…
"Leena's Tesla is there…" she nodded at the Tesla on floor… "I'm unarmed. If you won't give me a chance, take it and cover me. You can tell Agent Lattimer I attacked Leena. Though when she comes to …And is able to tell Lattimer that one of you attacked her..."
"She has a point, there." Sutton noted.
"Lets just leave then…" Charlotte shrugged… "Come on, Nicholas. We'll leave this to the people here to deal with. They're the professionals…Good luck, Ms. Bering…Modestly hard feelings if you are the one who tried to kill me, otherwise, we're good." She eyed her…
"Why did I do that, anyway?" Myka asked.
"I heard you and Claudia talking to my brother-in-law…You…Or rather, Ms. Donovan, mentioned your killing of Agent Wells, among other things. They were, I believe, in the process of blackmailing you to join them…Or rather, confirming the arrangement…I happened upon you at just the wrong time and you shot me in the face." Careful stare.
Whoa…
"Sorry…" Myka sighed. "Glad you recovered so well…" a bit brightly. "Good thing the remnants of your Immortality lasted like with ours…Though it was different for her…She got shot through the heart by Paracelsus."
"As did I, actually…By you…" Charlotte eyed her. "All right, Nick…" she turned to face Nicholas. "I don't think she was faking about not knowing how she killed me…Maybe she's telling the truth. But we can't risk helping her…We'll just let her go on her way."
"Charlotte, if the young lady is innocent…" Sutton began.
"I'm not taking chances with Nick!" she insisted.
"I don't wish to abandon her, Mother…" Nicholas began…
"Is that some artifact talking…?" Charlotte frowned, turning back to Myka. "Because I'll tell you Ms. Bering, if you've done anything to affect Nick's emotions or judgment about you…"
"I'd hope my counterpart would have the brains to target someone more important…To the Warehouse, I mean…" she added to Charlotte's fierce…And Sutton's increasingly upset…face…
Our boy, not important?
"And even if I choose to settle for you three, why would I try to sell you such a story when I could use my artifact to make you trust me?"
"You could be…"Sutton pointed out. "We might not be able to notice…And even with an artifact a little plausibility helps."
"Father…" Nick sighed. "I really do believe her. And I don't believe we'll be safe if we leave her to her fate."
"I could use help…" Myka nodded carefully. "I know Pete…Agent Lattimer…Has the bronzer area locked up tight. He's hoping for another shot at me, and maybe Claudia as well."
"Can't say as I'd blame him…" Charlotte noted calmly.
"Mum…Please…" Nick urged.
"Not turning the lady in or shooting her myself is the extent of my benevolence here, Nick…" Charlotte shook her head.
"Just what could we do for you in any case?" Sutton asked. "We're neither bullet-proof nor technically proficient with the Warehouse."
"But you are expert con artists…" she eyed them in turn…Wan smile…
"Well, necessity has provided us with a certain talent in that area, over the centuries…" Sutton, a bit grandly…
"Excuse me…" Charlotte, glaring…
"Oh, come on…Charly…" Sutton grinned. "You and Nicholas didn't suddenly develop that ability to deceive you used to get into the good graces of the Warehouse staff…Some of your routines over the years have been quite impressive."
"For Nick's sake, only…" she sputtered in protest…
"I see…" he nodded, grinning more… "And of course Nick's happiness and security required that museum of a mansion you came to own…Just how did you achieve that, given our estate was seized for taxes in the late 1500s? Not to mention various jewels and objects d'art acquired under rather dubious circumstances?...And I have the documents I used in attempts at blackmailing you to prove the dubiousness…"
"I was alone, with a child…" she glared… "Abandoned…"
"I sent money…On the rare occasions I had it to spare…" Sutton noted. "You always sent it back, except that time Nick was ill for a day or so and you though perhaps the immortality had 'worn off'."
"I was terrified…" she shook her head. "I was no expert on the occult…And there was no one I dared speak to about him…They might have burned us as witches…And who knew but that something like that might actually kill us."
"It doesn't, by the way…" Sutton noted to Myka… "I was burnt at the stake twice…I had a radical period…" he turned back to Charlotte… "And I did come when you sent that messenger…With all I could beg or steal…"
"I know…" she sighed. "I was touched, Bennett…" wan smile. Hesitating…
"Do you both really believe she's telling the truth?" she eyed husband and son…
"I do…" Nick earnestly.
"Can't say for sure…But I think so…" Sutton noted… "And I trust my son's rather infatuated but usually sound judgment of character."
"All right…" she shook her head… "For the hell of it, one time we'll try it as a family." Wry smile…
…..
Original Warehouseverse….
"He can't possibly be dead, can he?" Charlotte asked as she and Artie made their way back toward where Pete, Jinks, Myka, and the apparently dead body of Paracelsus awaited them.
"Is that a rhetorical question or directed to me?" Artie asked. "Because the obvious answer is he certainly could be dead and in fact ought to be…"
"Rhetorical, but thank you for the very obvious answer, Agent Nielsen." Charlotte, a bit annoyed, sarcastic nod. "I simply mean I find it hard to believe Paracelsus could fall so easily." Offhand wave…
"I do too…" he nodded, keeping a careful look ahead as they made their way. "But it was a tremendous amount of energy he was channeling for his attacks…He wouldn't be the first ego-inflated madman to be done in by his own arrogance. But, again, I doubt we'll have it that easy…"
"Rather hard to believe…Given you people control the treasures of the Warehouse…" she eyed him. "Haven't you ever considered the advantages of good security for a place whose existence threatens the world?"
"More people, more chance for people to be corrupted…We prefer to handle things with a combination of minimal but expert staff…" he paused…Looking round…Ok, he waved her ahead… "…And secrecy…"
"And look how well that's worked out…" she noted, sardonically.
"Actually, apart from your brother-in-law who clearly had an advantage, it's worked out quite well for the world till now."
"Yes, like mutually assured destruction…But if one fires off those missiles just once there is no fall-back or reset button…" Charlotte, coolly.
"Kept abreast of the world, have we?" he smiled.
"We'd not lived in a cave, Agent. And I was one of the earliest members of a number of disarmament committees…Both conventional and nuclear weapons…I do care about the world, sir." She frowned.
"Of course…Sorry." He nodded. "And I actually am aware of your record, Countess…" wry smile. "How did you manage to convince Mrs. Roosevelt you weren't the same woman she'd worked with on disarmament fifty years earlier?"
"Just claimed to be the grand-daughter, what else…Lovely woman, Eleanor, by the way. We used to share notes on the foibles of our husbands. She was actually much more lovely as a young woman than she got credit for."
"It must have been something…To see so much…" he noted, genuine smile. "Followed the course of history from Europe in 1500s to the modern day. You and Sutton should try to work together, I think your insights could be valuable…Not to mention profitable…"
"I think we'd have to stick to historical fiction…And the occasional insightful essay. He does have a flair for writing you know." She beamed a bit.
"He actually does…You know I have all his books as Bennett Sutton…He has a good eye and I guess when not chasing fortunes, a pretty thoughtful approach to History."
"All he ever needed was focus, really…I knew he could be someone I could be proud of if he'd just have confidence in himself. It is hard being the younger brother of a world-shaking genius you know. And Paracelsus was never one to offer a great deal of support to less gifted types, even before he changed. Why were you looking about there, just now?" She suddenly asked.
"It's a rather dangerous section…Some mighty powerful artifacts, apart from the truly death-dealing ones in special storage, are kept here. I just wanted to be sure we weren't walking into Paracelsus' little trap."
"Yes…It's sad, truly…" she was pensive as they kept on… "He was such a good man, even if a bit impatient at times. He did try to help Bennett…I rather think some of that literary style came from their work together. I wish I understood what happened to him, to cause this horrible change in him. It frightens me…" she looked at Artie who regarded her…
"It won't affect Nick or Bennett…" he insisted kindly. "I'm sure it's related solely to Paracelsus' work for the Warehouse. Believe me, I've seen what the Warehouse can do to good men and women, over time. And even with the…Best intentions…" he was quiet.
"To you, too?" she eyed him.
"Yes." Nod.
"But you overcame the compulsion…"
"Not everyone can…I have great help and support…Others, including your brother-in-law…May have lacked that…Or the cause was different…Or…"
"…Or they were fundamentally flawed to begin with…" Charlotte, carefully…
"Sometimes…" nod.
"Why then?" she asked.
He eyeing her… "Why keep this place?"
"Yes, if it's so dangerous and alluring…Why keep it open and accessible? Why don't your Regents seal it up and bury it in the earth forever?"
"That was Warehouse 5…" he smiled. "The problem is, these artifacts don't stay buried…Someone finds them or they resurface on their own, sometimes quite literally…And new ones get created, all the time. The Warehouse and the artifacts in of themselves are nothing…Just a channel for the power of the natural, occult, and mystic energy present in the world, among all living things and in Humanity. This is the best way found, over centuries since Warehouse 1, to keep track of this power and these things and keep them under some kind of control."
"I suppose…" she shrugged. "But it seems the cost is very high…Even perhaps, too high?"
"I can only hope, in the end, the benefits outweigh the cost. Sometimes, it's the one thing that keeps me going, that hope." Wan smile.
"Artie?!" Jinks' voice…
"Hey. How's our friend?"
"Still behaving himself…Oh…Uh, no offense intended…" Jinks eyed the Countess, just entering the section behind Artie.
"None at all taken, Agent." Smile. "I hope he is behaving himself and at peace at last."
"Artie!" Myka's happy voice…He looked to see a somewhat stunned if pleased Pete, firmly encircled in Myka's tight embrace… "Come and see…We got the bad guy all set! How's Claud and Mrs. F? Oh, hi…" blinking stare at Charlotte…
Always a bit disconcerting to view someone whose alternate universe doppelganger you killed….
Unintentionally…She was gonna tell everyone about Claudia's plans for me…
…..
