Aight, so I didn't get this story finished before the new episode like I hoped too but on the plus side, the new episode was made of total win. So I hope you enjoy this just as much. :) Don't forget the epilogue in the next chap. And yes, the dark depressing stuff starts happening from this point on just to warn people.
V.
"What do you think?" He asked Astrid as he tried on the special protective suit he just created. "Do you think it looks big in the ass region?"
"Um…well it shouldn't," Astrid replied. "You made it to fit you, remember?"
"Oh, I keep forgetting…what was this suit for again?"
"So you can destroy the device in Darbin's lab without killing yourself once Olivia tracks down the location of his lab."
"Oh good, good. But why does it feel so dry and stuffy inside?"
Peter grunted and said "Walter, stop depending on Astrid to remember things…not until you get her name right anyway."
Walter snapped his fingers finally remembering. "Oh yes, I remember now. To prevent the moisture in my body from being grossly atomized. Was that it?"
"Yes, Walter," Astrid sighed.
"Alright then, I suppose if Agent Dunham is close to finding this place and the suit is ready for use, then I must go and do my business before departure. It would be a shame for me to have to hold my urine in while I am detonating the device, lest I…"
"Oh God, Walter! Just stop it and go!" Peter cried.
Walter took off the suit and headed towards the door of the lab. The restrooms were right down the hall but Walter felt hesitant about leaving since his son was supposed to keep an eye on him. But Peter was too agitated to care except he yelled before Walter left "and please use the men's restroom this time!!!"
Truth be told, Walter hadn't been using the men's restroom down the hall from the lab as often as he was supposed to, because the last time he went in there was when he saw Him…
Often he would use to the women's restroom instead in order to relieve himself of the fear of seeing his darker self, but too often he would leave the restroom with terrified women screaming at him.
Walter took a deep breath and gave the door to the women's restroom a little nudge, only to find it had been bolted shut. Someone must've reported the creepy old man not using the proper facilities, he thought.
So Walter had no choice, he would have to use the men's room again.
He closed his eyes and slowly opened the door. He turned on the light. The restroom was clean and empty. Walter turned around with a bit of relief as he secured the look on the door and then did his business.
But when he was washing his hands afterward, he heard an unusual sound and then…
"Walter."
Walter whirled around terrified that he was looking at himself, but this time without a mirror. Walter's breathing became erratic.
"No, no," he sobbed. "Don't do this!"
"I didn't do anything," the other one said. "Or have you forgotten that you created me."
"Yes," Walter said. "I did, but this wasn't what I had in mind when I did it."
"And you call yourself a brilliant scientist." The other one shook his head. "Pity, pity."
"I just wanted to be sane like everyone else," Walter said. "I just wanted to be able to communicate with people, to remember things, and to have people understand me…if I have to give up my drugs to do such things I would…I only wanted...to be able to understand my son…
The other one gave him an evil grin and said, "So you wanted to be me!"
"No! Never!" Walter growled. "I would rather stay senile than be sane and constantly torment people…as you torment me!"
Walter watched in fear as his own reflection laughed at him and said, "I torment you? No Walter, I only exist remind you of how you torment others. I only come to warn you about that that will not change. No matter whose trust you've gained it's always betrayed isn't it? Even Peter has lost his trust of leaving you alone after our last meeting…and how shameful is it that you can't even remember the name of the assistant you betrayed to hide that ridiculous beacon? Even I can remember a name as simple as Astrid."
"Please," Walter begged. "I never meant to harm anyone…"
"…and yet, you always do…"
"Please, just leave me alone before more people think I am mad."
"Too late for that Walter. Darbin knows about your plans to destroy his machine…and he knows all about your work. Have you even stopped to think that Darbin would be out to destroy you first?"
"How could you possibly know about that?" Walter asked. "Are you a mind reader?"
"You should know that," the other one said. "You DID create ME."
For one second, Walter blinked and then he looked around and saw nothing. He was alone again. For now, all he could do was cry.
Not even the banging on the door could disrupt his tears.
"Walter? Walter are you in there?"
Walter, immediately recognizing the sweet voice of his lovely, unnamable assistant, wipe the tears from his face and went to unlock the door.
"You've been in here for a long time," Astrid said as she looked at Walter. "Are you alright?"
"Yes," Walter sniffed.
"Are you sure? You don't look like it."
Walter smiled and said "well, I suppose my ability to falsify my well-being isn't as genius as it used to be."
"Hey, don't worry about it, huh?" Astrid said grabbing a gentle hold of Walter's arm. "I think you will feel better once we nab this guy and destroy that machine huh?"
"Where is my son?" he asked her.
"He's outside waiting for Olivia to get back. He told me to get you out of this restroom and get you ready for your big moment. It's not everyday you get to go straight into the bad guy's lair, Walter. So this should be…interesting for you."
They walked back to the lab together when Walter spoke "Miss, you are good at cheering up an old man. You know that right?"
Astrid blushed at the compliment and said, "well I guess I've gotten to know you too well."
The got back to the lab and Astrid checked the material on the suit to make sure there weren't any tears or rips. The breathing mechanism should be good even for an old coot like Walter.
"It's quite itchy to be in, though," said Walter.
"Well we can't take any chances now can we?" said Astrid. "They could activate that device anytime while you're in there and if you aren't wearing this suit within three minutes then every H2O molecule in your body is going to burst and since the human body is made up 70% water that's 70% of your body that's going to explode…and it's going to be quite bloody, Walter."
Walter was shocked at the amount of knowledge that Astrid recited to him and he suddenly laughed. "It seems I've taught you well, my dear."
Astrid laughed and said, "I know…it scares me a little."
"Well then," said Walter. "Let us say goodbye to Gene and then depart."
"Gene's not here, Walter," Astrid corrected him. "He's in the animal hospital because you injected him with something you shouldn't have."
"Oh come now, it was only a few shots of LSD and given his weight it should only…"
They heard the door slam at that very moment and turned around.
Hoping to expect Peter and Olivia, the scientist and the assistant were instead confronted with a large group of men with guns.
"Hands in the air now…both of you!"
Astrid immediately responded knowing full well that even with the gun in her drawer she and Walter were still helplessly outnumbered. The men formed a half-circle infront of the only way out of the lab with all their guns pointed at her and Walter.
Walter was a bit scared at first but then his face turned into a smile when more men entered wielding a device…the very device that Walter was supposed to go on the raid to destroy.
"Oh, you brought the device to us," said Walter gleefully. "Now, that must save us a lot of trouble…now if you…just keep it off…I would like to examine it and…"
Astrid hissed. "Walter, not now!" She brought one of her hands down halfway to wave at Walter to put his own hands up as well.
"Walter?" said one of the gunmen. "You're Walter Bishop, then?"
"Why yes," said Walter innocently. He stepped forward and stretched out his hand to greet the men. "Dr. Walter…"
"HANDS UP NOW!!!"
The demand in the gunman's voice and the clicking of several guns pointed at Walter finally convinced him of the severity of the situation and he nervously made a few steps back to Astrid's raising his own hands up now.
"Looks like, we found the right place!" said the lead gunman. He ordered the men carrying the device to begin setting it up.
"We got our orders by Darbin to take you out, Dr. Bishop."
Despite her constant shaking at her dire situation Astrid stepped forward. "You picked bad time, to come here. The FBI is supposed to meet us at this lab and they'll find you here any minute."
"Don't worry about them, Missy. We've got them busy chasing their own tails. And we knocked out that annoying punk outside who tried to take us out."
Walter immediately froze in his placed shaking terribly. "…Peter…?"
"Walter…it's okay…" Astrid said assuring him. "I'm sure he's fine."
The gunman started to back away towards the door but their guns were still aimed at their helpless victims.
"Goodbye, Dr. Bishop."
Suddenly a blue light started to blink on the device. It was the three-minute warning.
The men soon disappeared and shut the door. Astrid immediately ran up to the door only to find it had been bolted shut from the gunmen on the outside. She rushed over to the windows high up and found that there was no escape route possible through those either
"Walter…," said Astrid sadly. "I'm sorry but…we're going to die in here."
Walter looked down and saw his protective suit on the floor.
"Miss!"
Astrid turned to Walter as he picked the suit up from the ground…
…and he shook it at her.
"Walter…no…"
"You work for me, Miss. You are not allowed to argue the ethics of this. Now put the suit on."
"It was made to fit you, Walter. YOU have to be the one to put it on." Astrid backed away towards one of the lab tables. Her fingers felt a familiar object as Walter yelled, "I will do no such thing. My son will not speak to me again if you don't get into this suit!"
He shoved the suit into Astrid's arms and went towards the device.
"Walter…Walter you can't dismantle it in time…"
Astrid was right about this. She knew she was right. Clearly the bomb was a piece of complicated work that needed to be studied and examine with extreme care and that was going to take more than three minutes alone.
But Walter was being too stubborn…noble but stubborn.
She thought about what Peter would do in a situation like this. He would keep talking Walter's head off to not do whatever it was he was doing and that would be it.
No, Astrid would have to be more drastic than that to get that old man out of this situation alive.
She knew what had to be done then…
She grabbed the item she felt on the table and realized it was the perfect thing she needed…
She rushed up to Walter as he headed toward the device…
In an instant, Walter felt a sharp pain in his neck as Astrid pressed down lightly on the syringe.
It wasn't powerful enough to knock Walter out but it was good enough to keep Walter restrained. He couldn't move his legs or arms as he fell back onto Astrid's weight.
But Astrid supported him and carried him over to the suit where she carefully began to set him inside scooping his limbs in, as they were light and motionless under her control.
The alarm on the device was blaring with only one minute to go.
"No…" Walter moaned.
Astrid looked at Walter and smiled. "Did you enjoy it, Walter?"
The question finally brought a smile to Walter's face upon recalling it's significance. "Yes," he replied with a sad smile. "I'm happy you finally got your retribution for what I did to you…"
She zipped the suit and checked it one last time for rips and tears.
"I only wish it had been under better circumstances."
Walter was now secure and safe. He would now survive the effects of the bomb. Astrid turned her face away from him and waited for time on the device to run out.
A helpless cry came from inside the safe-suit.
"ASTRID!"
She turned back seeing tears streaming from the old man behind the clear plastic that now protected him.
Astrid took a hold of his hand and she began to cry tears of joy. And Walter…he fought with all of his might to get his fingers…his legs…anything to react but only his emotions and his tears were at work. He couldn't even feel her hand so he had to try with everything he had in him to convince his brain that he really was holding it.
"You…," Astrid smiled. "You remembered my name!"
She saw the gleaming smile on Walter's face almost in disbelief that he would recall it now…of all moments to do so.
"Goodbye, Walter." There was another moment of silence between them as the last seconds beeped away.
"Tell Gene I said goodbye, too."
Walter held his breath when he saw Astrid getting up and disappearing from his vision. Still his body was unable to move and he became distraught that the face of his dear assistant could not be seen.
"No…no," he began to moan. "Where are you…"
A loud bang and a massive force happened simultaneously and Walter felt himself rolled over. He could've sworn he heard raindrops amidst the boom and the clatter.
