"Copier…"

Summary: Paracelsus is leaving a little gift for Arthur and the gang…

Disclaimer: No copywrite infringement intended.

Part XXIII…

Alternate Warehouseverse…

"So just how are we supposed to have 'escaped' the great Agent Lattimer?" Myka, supporting the still woozy Claudia gently, eyed Agent Lattimer…

"Well, I'd planned to have you up to your old tricks…" Peter noted, calmly… "And to have seized something from the armory to take us out temporarily." He nodded to an agent who displayed a small box.

Armory? Myka blinked as did Claudia…

We have an armory…?

"And, given your friends the Suttons, I'm rather counting on you having some additional support…" faint smile.

Myka eyed him…So…

There is yet a bit of my Pete in this one…

"It was different once, wasn't it?" Myka eyed Lattimer. Claudia, still rather groggy, seated now, trying to focus on the laptop Peter had had brought to her…Though he kept a strict eye on her as she tried to find whatever it was that had been used to bring her and Myka across the dimensions…

"A long time ago, yes." He nodded. "We were almost like a family…Till Arthur Nielsen died." Wan smile… "I never quite accepted his free-and-easy style completely but I have to admit, things were happier then."

"What happened, Pete? How did Claudia and I? Our counterparts?"

"Well…Claudia…" sigh. "She was always a potential for disaster I thought. But ever since Artie found her during a hunt that involved her lost pimp of a brother and the artifact he'd trapped himself with…"

"My what?" Claudia, frowning up at him.

"Sorry, but that what's he was and then some…However brilliant he was , Donovan was a thief, a pimp, and a murderer." Peter, calmly. "But Artie believed in our Claudia and with good reason then, I suppose…There was hope for her, even I'm willing to admit that. If Arthur had lived, things might have been ok…She loved him so."

"Uh…Like mentor-trainee, father-daughter…?" Claudia, nervously…

"Like loved." Peter shook his head. "Just how much, we found out too late, though there was no denying it…And at the time, it seemed rather…To find you capable of love after what your life had been…" he eyed Claudia.

"Artie tried to keep you at a distance…And being so desperate to please him and stay with him, you restrained yourself… We were quite a team then, I'll admit that." He smiled wanly. "Of course I was nervous about the both of you…Claudia the former teen prostitute/thief turned top protégé, even Caretaker candidate…"

"Whoa, whoa!" Claudia stared. "Teen what?"

"Not you, honey." Myka urged.

"Your brother here was not a good person, Claudia. I do blame him for most of what you became…" Peter eyed her. "Though, I hoped, after it became clear you weren't faking any more…After you killed Joshua to save Artie from him when he tried to get you to steal from the Warehouse and Artie caught you both…"

"Excuse me?" Claudia…Distressed look to Myka who patted her…

"I hoped you'd make it…Mrs. Fredericks did, too…Though in your case she had doubts and I had bigger ones…You were too dependent on Artie, even though he tried to help you find someone else, closer in age. But I suppose you were, after all, a lot older than your years suggested. When he died, you lost everything tying you to us, especially considering the way he died." Shrug… "We convinced ourselves it meant you'd found your way to stand alone, that you'd finally reached your proper level and were ready to move on to be Caretaker…You'd seemed to deal. Even I was fooled."

"I killed him, didn't I…The dagger, the astrolabe? It happened here too, right?" Claudia looked at Lattimer.

"You killed him…And though you did it for love of him, to do your duty by him, you blamed us all as well as yourself…And grew to hate us as much as you'd hated yourself for it. But at first you were simply determined to get him back, whatever you had to do. I caught you stealing artifacts to try…And then we realized you were planning to strip Mrs. Fredericks of the Warehouse in order to do it…"

Claudia, staring…

"But your ambition had grown…To the point where it was to control the Warehouse forever, maybe rooted in a desire to keep and protect Artie once you'd got him back, even a desire to use the Warehouse to help people like you… But after that, there was no helping you except to stop you."

"What about me?" Myka stared.

"Yeah, could we get off the teen prostitute's case a moment?" Claudia urged, anxiety breaking through annoyance…

"You were a problem from the start, too, Bering." Peter eyed her. "I could see you lacked stability, grounding…But you had an ability to sense things and a good instinct and though you were too raw, Mrs. Fredericks thought you'd hack it. She pushed for you to stay, forgave your mistakes, and I went along, hoping in time you'd cut it. But you were eager to stay, too eager to win Mrs. F's favor and quick promotion from me…After all, this is a pretty plum assignment for a trainee. And I could see you were afraid of having to leave…Maybe afraid of what you'd be facing out in the real world, away from a place that might be dangerous but was also pretty safe and protective in its way…And increasingly willing to do whatever you had to, to stay. Even the wrong things…"

Oh, Lord…Myka sighed. Don't tell me…

"And of course…" Claudia noted…Eyeing Lattimer…

"And she was in love with me…Though, that was all wrapped up in what this place meant to her as a haven." Lattimer nodded. "I think, in a way, for some of us, the lure of the Warehouse isn't so much the power as the security…Especially for people like our Claudia and Myka…Who desperately want a place they can call home."

"Nice for you, Lattimer." Claudia nodded. "Teen prostitute Claudia, willing to do 'anything' to stay junior trainee Myka…What snake spoiled this Peter's Paradise?"

"Amusing, Ms. Donovan…" Peter, calmly. "And it's true I did let you and Myka off easy…You were both very charming in your ways and I wasn't made of stone. You both learned to stroke my ego very well, I admit it. Though we managed to do our duty and keep things on balance until I met someone else and you lost Artie."

"CG…" Myka noted…

"Who?" Claudia stared.

"The counterpart to HG, here…I…My double…Killed her…Out of jealousy."

"Oh?..."

"Over Peter…" Myka added, hastily.

"Oh…She was makin' time with Pete? And the other Myka…?"

"Shot her chasing you…" Peter, quietly… "Claudia, our Claudia…Knew her all too well and read her like a book. She knew how jealous Myka was of my feelings for Cecily and in exchange for helping her get away after we'd learned what she was up to in freeing Paracelsus and stealing artifacts, she helped Myka kill my Cecily, trying to make it look like an accident. Maybe I should be flattered…At least those feelings for me were real…" Peter noted, grimly. "But as faked accidental shootings go, it was a poor job. Probably deliberately on Claudia's part to bind Myka to her. Our Myka not being all that good at planning things for herself."

Great…My counterpart's a dumb bimbo, led and used by Claudia…Anti-Claudia? Myka thought, glance at Claudia who was eyeing her, a bit downcast.

"So all this…Was me? The uh, teen prostitute/master villainess?" Claudia sighed.

"Yeah." Peter nodded grimly. "The woman who spurned our trust and love and betrayed us all. And who must be stopped, before she destroys your world as well."

For love of Artie…Claudia did not say as she eyed Myka, then looked at Lattimer. "What about Paracelsus? Where does he fit in?" she asked, apologetic look breaking through attempt at casual.

Didn't mean to suggest I enjoy the role of monster/Big Bad, guys…

Even if…I can understand why…

Even if…I can even admire, a little…In a way…The courage of the one of me who followed her heart…

Cat out of the bag…Dirty little secret of Claudia Donovan revealed…The one everyone chuckled at and forgot years ago…

That even I tried to put away in a black box…Knowing it was, perhaps, just a lonely girl's fond fantasy….

And yet…So much more than that…

Oh, yes…I can understand why…

"Paracelsus was the one who showed you how to escape this world and offered you a chance to find another Artie after it became clear you'd never succeed in safely restoring Artie here." Peter continued… " I…Assume…You had a relationship…" he eyed them calmly. It quite clear he had more than an "assumption" to go by…

Eehew…Myka…

"What I did for love, eh?" Claudia, shaking head. Nervous smile…

Yeah, amusing, eh folks?…And yet…Well, in my heart…I could see myself doing…Some of… It for Artie…Uh-boy…

'Cause even without all her sufferings, I was this close…

A nudge away, in fact…

And if we had failed to save him…

"And she and the evil Paracelsus…From your world…Or wherever he came from…Killed the other Paracelsus when you were going to bronze him?" Myka asked.

"Claudia'd released him…But it was the original Caretaker who'd been trapped and bronzed by his double, the other , his copy, already freed and in hiding…We used a disruptive artifact to remove the Stone's effect after we captured him. He insisted he wasn't the man we wanted but…"

"But Agent Lattimer wasn't about to listen to such claims…" Myka frowned. "You fell right into Claudia's trap and killed the wrong man…Letting the evil one escape, to our world."

"I'd no way of knowing she'd altered the storage records to show we had only one and sabotaged the bronzer, did I?" he regarded her calmly. "But that's the main reason you're free, Agent Bering…It made me reconsider when you made your claims and the tests proved you couldn't be our Myka who'd been fully tested after her trial, as per the bronzing rules."

"Claudia could have been killed too, you know…" Myka noted.

"We'd also no idea we could have the wrong woman…Fortunately we'd made the repair…It was only the power surge before your bronzing that made us reconsider yours, Myka."

"What power surge?" Claudia asked, staring at him.

"It occurred just before we were to start bronzing…Apparently just when your Myka took our Myka's place in the bronzer, just as you took Claudia's…It being the second time, and given Paracelsus' death, we held off."

"It must have been connected to our crossing over…" Myka pondered. "Maybe we could figure out what was used if we check what artifacts could generate a surge like that."

"It happened with me as well?" Claudia looked at Peter. "And you went ahead and bronzed me without even checking?"

"It hadn't seemed to be affecting anything and I decided it was an anomaly till it repeated with Myka." Lattimer nodded.

"Myka's right…You could have killed me…" Claudia pointed out.

"Probably." Peter nodded. "Just like she killed Cecily and three of my agents, not to mention dozens of innocents and the real Paracelsus…At least, the good one…The matter at hand, ladies…" he stared at them… "Is how to get you home. Ms. Donovan, do you have any ideas now as to what was used?"

Shrug at the laptop's screen…"None, except we might be able to trace that power surge…Myka?" she turned to Myka…. "Did you see what they used? Anything that might id it?"

"I remember it was…Or part of it was…Like a sort of antique copier…A box with ornate lettering and some kind of slot… A metal arrow that ran along the slot…"

"Not familiar…And not on this computer's archive. " Claudia shook her head… "You, Sgt. Friday?" She eyed Lattimer who shrugged.

"Is anything missing from the stacks?" Myka suggested. "Paracelsus was known for combining artifacts in his experiments…"

"Nothing we know of…And I've had the place checked thoroughly." Peter, firmly. "I'm going to have ask you to finish this on your own, soon. We can't stay with you much longer or suspicions will be raised among the Regents. You'll have to work this one out as best you can." He eyed them.

"You're abandoning us? Alone here?" Myka frowned. "After almost killing us and accusing us of all sorts of crimes you knew we didn't commit…Or at least I didn't…"

"Thanks." Claudia frowned.

"I just mean, till we got you out…And were sure about you." Myka tried.

"Now you see my problem, a little." Peter eyed her.

"Maybe…Maybe not…" she shrugged. "I still think you're wrong to do it this way, Pete. Lets just go to the Regents, ask for their and Mrs. F's help…"

"As I think I've made clear this involves more than your woes or mine, Agent Bering. I've made my decision as to how to proceed. Now, are you willing to take the chance I'm offering to get back to your world and stop Claudia…?"

Audible sigh from Claudia… "I am right here, you know, people…"

"…Sorry, our Claudia…Or do I just put the two of you in the bronzer with a note for future generations that suggests there may have been a possible miscarriage of justice in your cases?"

"Possible?" Myka glared. "Fine, we'll take the deal."

"Ok, then…People?! Take positions…Agent Scofax?" he turned to a tall agent in the standard black suit. She nodded.

"Surveillance is disabled, sir."

"Right then…Here you go, Myka. These are standard issue stun grenades…Two should be enough to put us under…Just keep your distance when you set them off, ladies." He noted, faint smile to Myka and Claudia.

"You'll have about fifteen minutes before we recover, sound the alarm, and begin pursuit. I'd make that time count." He noted. "Though by now the Suttons have probably managed to 'elude' Leena, so you should have help at hand, of a kind."

"Leena? The Suttons?" Claudia eyed Myka… "Nick and co?..."

"Leena, yeah…But not quite ours. The Suttons…Pretty much the same as in our world…" Myka nodded. "They actually helped me get away earlier. Pete?" she looked at him.

"I've given orders to go easy with them…We'll put it down to you two forcing them." He nodded.

"Ok…" Myka paused. "Peter, for the last time…Think about what you're doing…You're not the first to believe the Warehouse should be taken out of Regents control…It never has worked out well."

"We're not eliminating Regent control and we'll take our chances, Agent Bering." Pause… "I hope you make it home, Myka…Claudia. Be careful if and when you do. Don't take chances with our Claudia…" He stepped back.

"Claudia…" Myka sighed… "Better get behind me, these'll pack a wallop…" she lifted two grenades…

"Is anyone gonna believe I got the drop on you guys like this?" she eyed Lattimer…

"You have before…" he noted, just a bit sadly. "Down, folks…!" he waved his agents to the floor.

"I'm truly sorry about her, Pete…For what it's worth. And for your loss…" Myka nodded, sadly… "Goodbye." She tossed the grenades, wincing and staggering at the shock wave…

…..

Original Warehouseverse…

Artie's office…

"So, if this isn't the Paracelsus Dr. Sutton knew as his brother…?" Claudia eyed the corpse before them…

"Lord, you mean the maniac is still hoping about here?" Charlotte sighed.

"Not in here…" Artie noted. "Outside…Possibly."

"Then we should be ready for another attack, maybe an even bigger one than the earlier ones." Claudia suggested. "Good thing Mrs. F had the Regents coming. I'll need all the help I can get."

"How could he have found a perfect copy like this?" Sutton asked, rising from the body. "Is there some artifact that makes clones?"

"No…There isn't." Artie pondered. "And it's not some sort of temporary glam…This is a version of Paracelsus, just not the one you knew. And as I noted to Mr. Jinks and Mr. Lattimer earlier, not a former Caretaker…You're right, Sutton. This isn't your brother…But it is a version of your brother."

"Sounds creepy." Claudia eyed him. "What's going in that hamster wheel of a brain, Nielsen?"

"Another one…" Jinks nodded. "From somewhere else?"

"That would make sense…" Nick noted. "If this man took Uncle's place centuries ago, it would explain a great deal."

"But…" Artie eyed the body… "The million dollar question remains…Is there another Paracelsus running loose outside the Warehouse and how did he get hold of this one?"

"Maybe the one still loose is Uncle…" Nick noted. "He might be in hiding, trying to help us but not powerful enough." He looked at Sutton, Charlotte…Pleading…

"I'd like to believe that, Nick…" Sutton, nodding… "But why wouldn't he show himself, let us know what's up?"

"I'd guess it's another Paracelsus but the one who used the Stone…" Claudia noted. "And just as evil as this one, if less crazy…No offense, Nick…" she eyed Nicholas…

Ergo…Big Bad's still on the warpath…Shields up, Regents' visit still on…Queen Claudia required and even welcome to use full power to defend her Warehouse.

Ok, yes…A lie or two in there…She eyed Jinks…But was it the kind variety to spare dear Nick's feelings or…?

"I'd have to agree a good Paracelsus would be trying to contact us now." Artie nodded.

"So two evil brothers?" Charlotte sighed. "Wonderful."

"Maybe he found a crazy counterpart somewhere…Everyone's supposed to have at least one doppelganger, right?" Claudia noted.

"Doppelganger…" Artie repeated… Hmmn…

"There go the wheels turnin' again…" Claudia beamed.

I've missed this so, Arthur…Us sittin' round while you figure it all out. Oh…I can't fail. I can't let anyone make me fail.

"Nicholas?" Artie turned to Nick at the computer. "Did you see any hint of any artifact that might be being discussed, in any forum that could deal in doppelganger production?"

"Nothing…And so far, nothing regards any artifact stolen or sold…" he sighed.

"Lets put two great minds to work on this…" Claudia beamed. Moving to Artie's desk…Nick looking to leave his post… "Oh, no…Keep plugging…I'll use Artie's…" she grinned at Artie's frown. "It's high time it felt the touch of his youthful apprentice."

The caress…She thought.

And naturally we have nothing to hide from each other…

Me being far too cautious to put anything incriminating on mine, he being too honest to have such…

"There, there little one…I know how rough it's been with Nielsen pounding away at your keyboard…But Mama's here to take care of you now." she cooed teasingly to Artie's computer…

Jinks grinning…Attempting to repress at Artie's glare.

"Lets see…" Claudia typed away… "Doppel gangers, duplicates…I see you've pretty well ruled those lines out, artifactswise." She noted to Nick.

"Nick mentioned multiverse crossings before…" Jinks suggested, turning to Nick as Claudia frowned slightly… "You said your uncle was fascinated by the notion of other universes, other selves and wanted to reach them?"

"Multiverse doppelgangers…That's new." Claudia nodded, typing.

Well, better if I uncover anything than anyone else….And dispose of anything dangerous from such discoveries before anyone else finds them.

I'd so much rather take the reigns peacefully, with the love and support of my family then have to stage a bloody massacre of such, a la Richard III.

….

Alternate Warehouseverse…

Myka and Claudia eyeing the stunned agents around them…

"We'd better get moving." Myka noted.

"Yeah…" Claudia, troubled look…

"You ok?" worried stare…

"Sure, sure…Just a little post-bronzing effect…Be right as rain in just a mo." Hesitant tone…

"Ok…" Myka paused…

"She's who she is, you're who you are…" she eyed the pensive Claudia. "And if you think you see a lot of yourself in her, that's only natural."

"Yeah." Quickly. "No prob…"

"The difference is you didn't let it overwhelm you, Claud…" Myka noted quietly. "It's not wrong to love someone enough to be willing to consider doing hard things…It's what you actually do that counts…"

Sad, wry smile… "And here I thought my secret was safe with me…" sigh…Renewed smile…

"You won't tell him…?" grin, but sincere look…

"No. But maybe you should…Though really, he already knows…" Myka smiled.

Sigh…"You mean he knows his little girl has a mighty crushy on her Artie?…Or that she dies a little every time he encourages her to go off with some nice young lad…Or consults on dear ole Vanessa and the date game? And that sometimes…" steady stare…

"…Sometimes the lure of future Caretaker is not the coolness of running Warehouse 13 but the quaintly creepy little notion that he'd be with me…My helper and guide…Whatever he might be to Vanessa…For the rest of our lives, for always…?" unflinching stare.

"Yes to all…He's not a fool, Claudia." Steady return stare…