Part VI

Will stood near his window, from his room on the second floor he always had a nice view of the garden below. It was a sight that he had thought beautiful and relaxing before, but now all he could do was reach out and touch the window, feeling it's cold smoothness under his fingertips and remembering what it looked like.

A steady rain was beginning to fall. He could feel the vibrations of the droplets hitting the window and he could visualize the streaks of water trailing down the pane. The sound of the rain splashing and patting against the window seemed appropriate as his spirits fell with the gentle fall of the water to the earth.

This lead to him thinking about all that he was missing out on without his sight to guide him. He would never see the rain again and he longed to see the garden, to see the opening buds of the roses and the see the shadows casting on the ground as the sun shone down. Tesla could possibly be the answer to his pain and to his longing, but the fear was there, sitting just outside his mind. The fear that he was being selfish, that his desire to see again might spell the doom for the rest of mankind and if that was the case, indeed he would rather spend the rest of his days in darkness.

Then there was Magnus. Sure, she hadn't lied to him, but omission of the truth was just as much of a lie as a blatant falsehood, wasn't it? He knew that she was trying to protect him from hurting his feelings anymore and with the flux of emotions he had been dealing with lately, he could concede that she had only been acting in his best interest. But at the same time, he had thought that they had come to a point where keeping secrets from each other was gone. He was a psychiatrist after all, he knew the human condition, he knew that people kept secrets for a reason,either to protect themselves or others, yet it still hurt to know that she had kept the fact that the two of them had fought before the creature had attacked. He had thought that she trusted him, but was it all something of the past now?

While his memory of that day was still fuzzy, he was quite sure that if they had had an argument that there was a good chance that he might have provoked it. Before all of this, he had been testy with Magnus, still struggling to come to terms with his old life and his new one within the sanctuary. Then he had wanted somewhat of a life outside the confines of these walls and had been reaching out to escape the scope of the abnormal world if only for a little while. But now he wasn't sure if it hadn't just been a way to rebel against Magnus and her strict adherence to her principles.

Will heard a knock at the door and he knew who it was. He was reluctant to answer, wanting only to crawl back into his hole of solitude, but without his permission to enter, he heard the door opening.

He heard her footsteps cross the floor and stop only a few feet away from him.

"Will-" The sound her voice uttering his name in a voice that held such regret had him turning from the window to face her. "It was never my intention to hurt you. I'm truly sorry if I have."

"Magnus..." He started. "It's not that you think that it's all you fault that this whole thing has happened. It's that you held what you were feeling back from me. I thought that we were supposed to be equals here, trusting each other....but I guess that was all before-"

"Now, hold on a moment."

"Let me ask you something...would you have told me about Tesla if I hadn't figured that he was the one to break into the computer systems?"

"Eventually. I only wished to keep it to myself until I had some idea of what he was actually offering. I certainly never intended to upset you. If any thing it was to keep you from unnecessary distress."

"You used to talk to me about everything that went on here...You would have told me if I wasn't blind because you thought I couldn't handle it, is that it?"

He turned away from her again, making his disgust of her decision known. She sighed and stepped closer, wanting to reach a hand out to him, but held back, choosing instead to just stand by his side and peer out the window.

"You're right."

"I am?" He asked genuinely surprised by her forthrightness.

"Indeed. I was treating you as if you were a child and you are clearly not. When I brought you on here it was not for your eyesight, but for your insight. Though it was remarkable how you could see things and pull them into a clear picture of a situation like putting a puzzle together, your mind is what I wanted most. To work with someone that would challenge me and keep things in perspective. Someone who could be my sounding board and tell when I was on the right path or straying from reason. I regret that I failed to remember that. I was too torn about the mistakes I made in Brazil to overcome my own shortsightedness, if I had been more forthcoming sooner, I am certain that you would have set me straight."

"Damn right." He murmured and she smiled a bit seeing his small return to humor.

"Can you forgive me?"

"Of course, but I need to be involved. I don't want to be left from the loop anymore."

"I promise." She agreed truthfully. "I would love to have some those insights of yours into Nikola's research."

Will had to think about that for a moment. He certainly didn't trust Nikola as far a he could spit, but as he touched his hand to the window again and felt the rain pelt against it, we longed to see the streaks of water that he knew were there cascading and streaming down its outside surface. If it was possible should he not try? Was he being selfish if he did and it turned out that Tesla was indeed pulling the wool over their eyes?

"Take your time." Helen told him, picking up on his hesitance. She gripped his shoulder and gave it a quick reassuring squeeze before walking back to the door and opening it "However, I am going to keep looking into this and not because I feel guilty, but because you're my friend."

XXXXX

Dawn was approaching swiftly, the first rays of sunshine working their way feebly through the clouds and chasing the remains of the evening's rain-showers away. Helen yawned and stretched, feeling the fatigue that had built up in her shoulders from staying up all night to thoroughly examine Nikola's work.

She knew she should have gone to bed at some point last night, but she found that she just couldn't pull herself away from her research and now as the sun rose, she had nearly read every word and examined every document he had sent her. She was intrigued by it all, wary of course, since Nikola's methods often were a bone of contention for her, but the man was brilliant. That much could never be denied.

Helen paused to pull out the business card Nikola had given her. She was half tempted to call him right away, but after her talk with Will last night, she wasn't going to speak to the man until she had discussed it with him.

The door to her office opened and she looked up and smiled to see Bigfoot walk in bearing a tray of hot tea and breakfast pastries.

"Bless you. I was just thinking about how lovely it would be to have a spot of tea and some scones."

Bigfoot grunted in reply and set the tray by her side. "You didn't sleep?"

"How could I?"

"Easy, you get in bed and close your eyes."

"Ha-ha, very cheeky. No, my mind was running too fast for sleep, I'm afraid, but I managed to get much accomplished."

Bigfoot just nodded with his usual low grumble. "Would you be so kind as to fetch Will for me before breakfast this morning?" She asked of him.

"No need. I'm already here." Helen looked from her assistant to the door where Will stood with his hands in his pockets still dressed in his suit pants and dress shirt, but with the tie removed and the top few buttons undone. Judging by his ragged appearance, it looked like he got about as much sleep as she did that night.

"I was hoping I would get to speak with you this morning." She told Will. With a nod to Bigfoot, he walked out of the room and shut the door behind them so the two of them could speak.

"Have you been in here all night?" He asked as he strolled in, carefully making his way forward until he came into soft contact with a chair situated in front of Magnus' desk. He walked around to the front of it and took a seat.

"I wanted to get as much reading as I could before we spoke again."

"Yeah about that...I tossed it over and over again in my head last night. You know I don't trust Tesla....but, I trust you. So if you think that he's got something of merit, then I'm with you."

Helen smiled at his statement. She had felt that she might have lost some of his unwavering loyalty and devotion after her confession the previous night, but he was still standing by her and she felt a swelling in her heart of pride in her young protege. While others might have lost faith, he hadn't despite the circumstances.

"Thank-you, Will."

"So...I take it you've looked over everything. What's your opinion?"

"I think we should call Nikola."

XXXXXX

Nikola straightened his tie and brushed a minute speck of lint off his shoulder before running a hand through his hair and inspecting his appearance by his reflection in the door's window. Feeling presentable, he gave himself a grin and a wink then rang the doorbell, standing by and waiting to be greeted.

He smiled charmingly as the door opened, expecting Helen to be the one coming to allow him entry into the sanctuary, but when instead the bearded and snarling face of her furry butler showed himself on the other side, he let his smile fall into a sneer.

"I take it Helen couldn't be bothered to let me in, eh Sasquatch?"

A grunt was the only reply he received before the big guy turned his back on him and mumbled "Follow me."

He was led through the building and escorted to Helen's office where she sat with Will by her side. Tesla smiled and walked into the office. Bigfoot left the room but not before giving a low growl in Nikola's direction.

"So glad you called, Helen. I knew this would be something you would never be able to pass up."

"You certainly wasted no time getting here, Nikola." She commented, remaining in her seat, her face impassive.

"Well, if there's one thing I hate to do, it's waste time." He leered at her and Will bristled. Though he couldn't see Tesla, he could just imagine the smug smile on his face from the snideness in his voice.

"Can we just get this started already without the attitude?" Will asked of the man.

"Oh Dr. Zimmerman. So nice to see you there. Sorry, that you can't see me, I look great today."

Will's lip curled and Helen feared that the two of them would begin a war of words soon, so she placed a restraining hand on Will's forearm and turned to Nikola with a disapproving glare.

"That's enough. Sit down Nikola, we have a lot to discuss." Nikola held out his hands and walked over to the chair in front of her desk, taking a seat and then reaching into his coat pocket to fish out a sheet of paper which he unfolded and handed over to Helen.

"What's this?" She asked.

"I took the liberty of making a list of supplies and equipment that will be needed." Helen read over the list, her eyebrows raising up into her forehead.

"A personal assistant?"

"Of course. I'll need someone that can type my notes, make my coffee and etc."

"No." Helen furtively crossed it off the list and moved on. "A case of '47 Bordeaux?"

"I know you have one and how else do you expect me to work? Wine helps me concentrate."

"You may help yourself to any of the wine in the cellar, but not the Bordeaux, that's my personal favourite and you know it."

"I was just making sure you were paying attention."

Helen glanced up at Nikola with an expression of irritation, then skimmed down the list again before setting the paper aside.

"You should find all of the materials you need are in the lab, but there are a few conditions I have before I will allow access to it."

"Such as?"

"Such as, you will be supervised at all times when in the lab." Will interjected.

"Are you going to be my babysitter, Will? Won't it be a little hard for you to keep an eye on me such as you are?"

Helen broke in. "Nikola, given your history we need to take precautions that you won't be using the equipment here for anything other than the nano-robots you have designed."

"they're called nano-cytes, for your information." Tesla corrected her.

"Whatever you want to call them is the least of my concern. However, either Henry or I will need to accompany you to the lab and remain with you at all times while you are in there."

Tesla sighed and rolled his eyes in contempt, but settled his eyes on Helen. "Fine. Any other restrictions you want to place on my work? Will I be allowed potty breaks or will I need an escort for that too?"

"You are the one that came to me for my help, remember? Now, I suggest you stop your bellyaching and just accept the terms I have to offer, otherwise you can go back to whence you came."

Nikola leaned back and folded his arms across his chest with an air of scorn, but sighed in resignation. "Alright. I'll work under your oppressive environment if that's what it takes. But I don't have to like it."

"Fine."

"Can I just get started then? I'm not getting any younger here."

"Yes. Now that we are clear, I'll have Henry meet us in the lab."

XXXXX

Two weeks passed by since Tesla began his work and Will was growing restless. There wasn't much for him to do. He was no help to Henry, Magnus and Tesla as they worked (and bickered constantly) in the lab and he was about as useful as a screen door on a submarine for most everything else. He tried to occupy his time by listening to books on tape, but he found that it wasn't quite the same as actually reading a real book.

Then this morning a call came in about a report of an attack that had all the signs of being an abnormal. Something had viciously killed a couple living in the high-end of town and all that had been left were the half-eaten pieces of their bodies. After inspecting the police photos, Magnus spotted what looked like a tooth embedded in a severed leg and next to that a tell-tale foot print that had her suspecting that a wyvern had been involved. Will had never heard of a wyvern before and Magnus described it as being a creature much like a dragon, but smaller, no bigger than a large bird of prey like an eagle with a large, barbed stinger attached to its tail.

"It's the basis for many of the dragon myths in England and I suspect that this one may have been smuggled into the city. It wouldn't be the first time that someone captured one of these rare creatures to keep as a pet or part of a collection. They oftentimes get them when they are young, but fail to realize just how large and deadly they can become until it's too late." She had said with and air of disgust as she packed some gear up. "I'm taking Kate with me to go and investigate the scene."

Will wished he could have gone along, but what could he really do to help? He had always loved being able to piece together the events of a crime by taking in the various sights and clues that had been left behind, but now that was impossible for him. So, he could only stand by as Kate and Magnus left.

Hours passed and he had still heard nothing from the two of them. Magnus had called once to explain how she had spun the story for the police, explaining to them how it must have been an attack by a pack of feral dogs. Will thought it a sort of weak story, but the police, bogged down as it is by the normal, everyday crime in the city, had taken it at face value.

She hadn't called back since then and he was beginning to worry. He wanted to call her and make sure that everything was okay, but nothing sucked worse when you were tracking something and suddenly the phone rings, giving off your location, so it was common for them all to turn their phones off when stealth was needed.

To distract himself from his preoccupation, Will took to wandering down to he lab to make sure that Tesla and Henry weren't at each others throats again. Getting around the vast complex was becoming much simpler and the route to the lab was almost second nature now. As he drew near to the lab, he was aware of voices near shouting before he could even open the door.

"Why Helen thinks that you could be of any help to me is beyond my comprehension. You couldn't even put together a Mr. Machine much less a sophisticated piece of technology such as this." He heard Tesla complain as he walked in.

"Well, excuse me. But since you've turned into Magneto, I'm the one doing all of the work, so if you don't like it you can go find someone else to help you."

"Maybe I should. Oh hell, even Will could do a better job at this than you."

Will cleared his throat, trying to ignore another insult from Tesla, to announce his presence to the two.

"Hey Will." Henry greeted, but Tesla merely turned away and walked back to his microscope.

Henry walked swiftly away from Tesal and over to Will, grabbing his arm desperately and lowering his voice. "You gotta get me out of here. I don't think I can stand another minute in this room with him."

Will grinned and patted Henry on the shoulder sympathetically. "Sorry buddy. You know we can't leave him alone in here."

"Is Magnus back yet? It's her turn to watch Mr. Grumpy over there."

"No. Not yet. I was hoping they would have called in by now..."

"Yeah. Don't worry, You know Magnus and Kate, they can take care of themselves."

"I know, I just hate being stuck here without being able to help-" Will sighed and decided to change the subject since he had come here to distract himself from Magnus after all. "So, how's it coming with the nano-bots?"

"Nano-cytes." Tesla called out a correction from across the room without looking up from his microscope. "You know just because you whisper, doesn't mean I can't hear you."

"Whatever." Henry rolled his eyes. "We've run dozens of tests on some mice, but so far the results have been mixed."

"Mixed? How so?"

"Well...of the mice that had nerve damage, all of them saw positive results, it was truly remarkable, but after a while they all started to get sick and half of them died."

"Half?"

"Yeah. That's why Tesla's so pissed right now. See, in order for us to produce enough of these buggers to fix anything, they have to duplicate themselves using the organic materials that exist already in the body since it would be impossible for us to make the millions of these guys it takes to do the repair work on our own. So, we start off by just injecting about a hundred or so of them and let them go about making new ones of themselves But, there seems to be some bug in the program that calls for the nano-cytes stop self-replicating and shut themselves off once the repairs are finished, depleting the body and ultimately killing most our test subjects."

"Doesn't sound good. So why did half of the mice survive when the others died?"

"Well, we think it has something to do with the AI installed in each one of these guys. Each individual is designed to perform a specific task and work as an individual then copy itself. And when you have several hundred generations occurring every hour, flaws sometimes come up through the replication process, much like when you photocopy a photocopy and it doesn't come out as clear with each copy you make. Just like that, it's like their programming fades."

"So what are you guys doing about it?"

"We're trying to fix it, of course." Tesla called out again irritatedly. "And I almost have a solution, that is if you ever stop gabbing and get back here and help me."

"Sorry. I'll get going. Let you guys work." Will turned to leave, but Henry caught his sleeve.

"No. Stay please." Henry begged. "If I have to be alone with him for much longer, there will be blood."

"Alright. I'll just have a seat then and stay out of your way."

Henry brought a chair over and Will sat down listening to the two of them argue about this and that. It appeared that Tesla thought that he had a solution and that alone was enough to warrant further testing, even human testing soon, but Henry was adamant that they needed to revamp the whole thing and start over from the beginning. Will was interested in both sides until he started to get a little bored with it all. He felt himself getting sleepy and he began to nod off, leaning into his hand as his elbow rested on the desktop

He didn't know how long he had been asleep, but the sound of Henry's 'Star Wars' ring-tone going off jerked him to full alertness.

"Where are you?" He heard Henry ask. "Okay, I'll be right there." He flipped his phone shut, walked over to Will and addressed him "Looks like our girls got the wyvern. I gotta go and help Magnus get it into the SHU."

Will sighed in relief, glad that Magnus and Kate had made it back safely. Henry turned and pointed to Tesla before he made to leave. "You. No more lab until I get back."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Tesla grinned sardonically. Henry eyed him suspiciously, but was in a hurry to get to Magnus and hustled out of the room.

"Well, you heard him. Time to go." Will ordered Tesla.

"Just as well. Dinner should be ready soon and I need to pick out this evening's wine."

Will heard Tesla's chair scrape back and was satisfied that he was on his way out of the lab, he stood himself and followed him. If only he had had the benefit of his sight just then, then he would have seen Tesla palm the vial and pocket it before he got up.

TBC....