Me again. I know it has been a long time that I didn't post anything and yet, my chapter 2 was already corrected. I wish you will forgive me xD Because my french story is more advance than the english one, I already know that this story will have 20 chapters. But this is only the first part. I separe the whole stuff in two for now, because I don't want my story to have 40 chapters in one files. So...
So be ready for twenty chapters.
Characters: John, James, Stewart, Clint.
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters of Sanctuary except for Stewart and Clint who're mines.
Thanks to DZR for correcting this chapter.
Chapter 2: Friendship
-Sir, you should see this, advised one of the computer scientists.
-Stop with the sir, James Watson sighed.
He came across to the computer and stopped behind his technician. He was curious to know what his technician thought necessary to draw his attention. In this day and age, there was nothing which could surprise him.
-There are strange energy fluctuations.
-Where are they coming from?
The technician looked ill-at-ease while he actively tapped away on his keyboard. He moved nervously on his chair, hesitating as how to react.
-Perhaps I've disturbed you for nothing sir...uh, James.
Watson smiled. He couldn't help but compare this age to others he had lived in. Any developments which took place in this world of men, he felt privileged to have known.
-Nothing happens without reason Stewart, what did you find?
-The fluctuations are in America.
James frowned. It was rather far away but what really intrigued him was why his electronic devices detected these fluctuations while he was in London. It took him no more than 10 seconds to understand what was happening. He smiled slightly and sighed. He had to do something for Helen. On this matter, there was only one thing to do...
-Shut down the shields.
-What?
The technician looked up at him, completely dumbfounded by what he had heard. It was the riskiest decision he had ever heard James Watson make.
-Shut down the shields, he repeated with a comprehensive smile. He knew that his request was a little shocking, but he didn't wish to kill the abnormal responsible for creating these energy fluctuations.
-Y...Yes sir.
A moment passed.
-Shields are down.
-Well done. Now, combine the full force of our detectors into one and find the creature responsible for these fluctuations. Be sure to lead him here.
The technician's eyes showed very well what he thought of such a plan.
-Stewart...
The poor man started to work. He was beginning to wonder if his boss was going crazy or becoming senile. He had a young air about him, but something in his eyes told him he'd seen much more than any normal old man. He lowered levers, typing frenetically in his keyboard for several minutes before a familiar sound reached Watson's ears. A groan, or rather a growl, an unmistakable sound. He moved towards the origin of the noise after asking his technician to reactivate the shields. The youth obeyed.
-Don't teleport anymore.
-I heard you, growled out John Druitt, standing up with difficulty. The forced teleport had not been comfortable for him.
-Hello John.
-Watson.
It was the only greeting he wanted to give.
-Sir, should I do... something?
John Druitt turned towards the young man with an evil smile.
-You wouldn't even have time to say "ouch", he warned with a hoarse voice, which made the technician's blood run cold.
-John... that's enough, James sighed, knowing that the reunion wouldn't be easy. Stewart, leave us please.
Stewart hesitated, loathe to leave his boss alone with this monster. He'd heard about him attacking Helen Magnus in her Sanctuary in the most horrible way: by kidnapping her daughter.
-Let's obey young man, added John with a piercing gaze. He didn't appear in the mood for conversation.
-I won't be far, call if you need something.
-Indeed, if ever we need a glass of vodka, we'll call you, quipped John nastily.
The technician growled and went out to the control room. He wasn't really spying, just ensuring James' safety. It was perfectly normal to listen in to the conversation and watch their movements. To protect his boss, he had to.
In the room, the men exchanged a silent look. It had been a long time since they had faced each other. Their paths had crossed a few times, but they never stayed in the same room for long. Druitt always preferred to leave before the real conversation could begin.
-What were you doing prowling around near her?
-I couldn't get away from her, before you teleported me here, John explained darkly.
James frowned.
-By "couldn't get away" what do you mean?
-That I couldn't get away. My teleports always brought me back in front of the mansion or against the shield.
Watson frowned. It was a good thing that when trying to teleport from the outside, the shield was only 'rejecting' those attempts. The disorder that John was experiencing with his power was certainly related to the poison that Helen had injected in him. She had spoken to him about it, feeling a little bit guilty for her act, but the fact that Ashley had been in danger had made her lose control.
-I...
-You say that I deserved this and I...growled the other man taking a step toward him.
-I don't, but you know what I'm thinking about this.
Silence fell between them. James didn't really know which part of his consciousness he should pay attention to; the one which told him to capture John for Helen or the one which told him to keep him here without alerting Helen. John replaced his coat on his shoulders, shook away the dust and sighed. He raised a glance at James, hesitated a moment and then sighed again.
-Can you help me? John asked reluctantly. Watson look at him, surprised.
-Did I hear you correctly?
They exchanged a look. Murderous for John and calm for James, then James motioned him to follow. Both men passed into another room, followed by the security cameras and supervised by Stewart. James made several various examinations of John, he already knew what kind of poison he would find. For two hours he tried to prevent the poisons side effects, accompanied by the grunts and bad temper of his old friend. He was about to lose patience when the data finally appeared on the screen of the medical computer.
-Take a look, John.
John obeyed and looked at the information displayed on the screen. There was a silence, then John growled. The majority of the poison had been evacuated from his body for no apparent reason. What remained was about to disappear by itself.
-You'll have to wait, said James quietly tidying up all his instruments.
-Here?
-Indeed.
-Why are you doing this?
-I thought you were dead!
-I wasn't.
He sighed.
-I see it now...
James passed a hand across his face.
-Now that I know you're alive, I clearly cannot release you back into the world.
John looked away.
-"Time heals wounds, but redemption is not so easy to obtain." recited John.
-Indeed, I remember having said that a long time ago, confessed James with a smile.
-Now I'm here, I can remind you who always wins our battle of minds, John said.
-You, obviously. But I still can't release you John. And... Helen must know about the meaning of the fluctuations.
It was John's turn to be surprised by James. He frowned, without really knowing if he understood the proper meaning of his sentence. He had always known that his friendship with James wasn't dead, but he didn't think James would accept him, would help him.
-You'll protect me.
James looked away and sighed. John's smile mocked him.
-Still the same my dear Watson.
James looked at him and they smiled. Okay, murders were between them, their personalities were between them, but they had once been such great friends. That kind of link couldn't be broken so simply. It took much more than that. They were still friends, but the bitterness prevailed, theirs was an ambiguous relationship of love and hate. They liked to live in that atmosphere, one which others would certainly have found too heavy to carry. John put suddenly a hand on the shoulder of the scientist and tightened it slowly.
-On the other hand James...
James raised his eyes towards him, uncertain, also a little bit worried. Even if he doubted that John would dare to teleport, he could kill them both.
-Don't ever make me teleport that way again, is that clear? He growled as he looked him straight in the eye, the glance murderous and furious. James had a slight smile. He knew that John was not comfortable with this sort of teleport, but he hadn't had a choice this time.
-You would be still stuck there if I hadn't teleported you in "that way" as you said, Watson replied and released himself from the grip on his shoulder. They looked at each other a moment, frowning, trying to see who would give up and which one would win. John hated that James resisted and James hated that John tried to dominate others.
-Gentlemen?
-What? John answered abruptly, turning a dark look toward the young technician.
-Yes Stewart? James replied with much more kindness than his friend. The young man approached them with uncertainty, especially with Druitt's gaze on him. This man, he had to admit it, frightened him. His look, his presence, the threatening side of him. All of that just freaked him out. He was certain that he could kill him without difficulty or remorse.
-We have a problem at the Canadian headquarters, he finally announced.
Worried, James asked Stewart to show him what was wrong. He and John followed the young man to the computer room.
-Is this the report?
-Yes sir, sent by Canada two minutes ago. They said that a technical problem froze up all the systems.
-The main Sanctuary is on the same continent, so why didn't they call Helen? John asked coldly.
-They said they can't contact her, only us. The others headquarters aren't receiving their distress calls.
James and John exchanged a look.
-For the moment, their own technicians are checking all the data and components. They don't understand what's going on, nor why there's just one-way communication, except with us.
-Thanks you Stewart. Could you put me in touch with Canada's sanctuary?
-Right away sir.
John looked at his friend with a derisive smile on his lips.
-You use the modern communication methods now?
James smiled, but chose not to respond to the provocation. The verbal jousting could wait, he was too worried about this situation. First, it was unusual for such a disability to affect the sanctuary network. Secondly, the fact that only they could receive the Canadian sanctuary distress calls would certainly mean that they were in danger too. Almost as if they had been chosen. Why strike the second largest sanctuary but not the first? That was the thing he couldn't understand.
-Judging from the look of concentration on your face and those anxious wrinkles, I imagine you doubt your ability to understand all this. You shouldn't think like that. With your intelligence, it would be surprising if you don't manage to have the last word on this.
-I thought you were cleverer than me.
-I am...but you're not up against me in this battle, so you have a better chance.
Stewart interrupted them, bringing the microphone to his boss who sighed. He had to get used to this kind of communication. He still preferred the old ways.
-James Watson, speaking.
-Hello James. This is Clint.
-Is it true what Stewart is saying?
-I'm afraid so. Problems began early this morning. Firstly we weren't unduly concerned or worried about it and they were resolved fairly quickly. Everything got worse approximately two hours ago.
James frowned and looked at John who clenched his teeth. Again, all the evidence was against him, but this time it wasn't his fault.
-Are you sure about this?
-Absolutely. All our installations have crashed in the past two hours.
-Did you notice some energy fluctuations in your area?
-Not in Canada, but we know that the main Sanctuary had this kind of trouble and that they contained and fixed it quickly. At the same time, our systems crashed.
Stewart threw a glance to John, full of suspicion. Annoyed, John showed a shimmer of his long knife, by opening his coat, and the young man looked away, scared. James put a hand on John's shoulder asking him to be calm.
-You can't get in touch with any other sanctuaries?
-No, you're the only one I can reach. Do you have any problems?
-Not for the moment...
Cutting short the conversation, an inhuman howl echoed through the loudspeakers, startling everyone, even John. They heard orders, gunshots, screams, loud bangs, movement, shock and fighting.
-Clint? Clint!
James Watson stared at the wall opposite, his face distorted with worry. His hand squeezed John's.
-I'm still here James, Clint said, reassuring Watson. I'm stuck in my office, but I'm safe.
-What's going on?
-One of our Abnormals broke out and caused a crisis. I don't know why. We had no choice but to shoot him down. Magnus will not be happy, but it already killed one of my guys. There was no other choice.
-I understand, Clint. In any case, considering that you are isolated, it may have been the best thing you could do. Now, look into it. I want to know what happen to this Abnormal and why this has happened.
-My guys are working on it. Don't worry. But they won't let me get out of here. Just in case of other risks.
-They have done well. It's not the time for losing another of our leaders.
James put friendly his hand on Stewart's shoulder. The young man's eyes showed that he was unaccustomed to this kind of problem. He almost trembled. Newly recruited, they had not really warned him about the risk of being a member of the Sanctuary network. Also, he was a computer scientist, not a soldier.
-I'll call you back when I'll have news.
-I'll wait.
The conversation ended and James let a long, deep sigh escape. He leaned on John, next to him, feeling his legs weaken. He slowly moved his legs to balance his weight. He had been running entirely in his exoskeleton for a short while. John looked at him for a moment then looked away. Watson thought he had seen a glimmer of worry in his friend's eyes, but he preferred to think that was just his imagination. No false hope. He'd had too much deception in his life...he would not let John deceive him again and again.
-You have to shut down the shields, said John.
The scientist didn't answer. Unfortunately, he was right. If they wanted to help Canada's headquarters, they did not have much choice. However, he preferred to wait for Clint's call before he made a decision. Especially because he was not certain of John this time, he might just dump him in the middle of the Atlantic.
-We'll see soon, John.
Stewart looked at them, wondering how both men managed to stay calm in this kind of situation. He hoped that he'd be like that too, when he became more experienced. He was uncertain of which attitude to adopt in front of all the problems. His boss turned his head towards him and saw his anxiety. He smiled warmly and reassured him. John however looked at him as if he was the more inferior and useless thing in the world.
-Stewart, if you preferred to leave, I wouldn't blame you. When I hired you, I thought these problems were far away from us. Now, I admit maybe it's a good thing if you go. I don't want you to get hurt. On the other hand, if you go, don't tell anyone what's going on for now. It would not be a good idea to create a general panic.
He comprehended Stewart's distress and tried to give him a way out. He turned away and spoke with John, sure that the technician would take his offer.
-John, if we have to go to Canada, we will have to be careful. There has to be a reason why Clint can communicate with us. We are being targeted by someone who can't reach us directly, so he is using Sanctuarys under our protection for that purpose.
Stewart, who was heading toward the door, heard the last sentence and stopped. Yes, he was afraid, very afraid, but James hired him for a reason. He must have some talent for the great scientist to hire him and trust him. He just had to have confidence in himself and take courage.
-Why not target Helen? Her Sanctuary is more important than yours right?
-And also much better protected, James reminded him with a sigh. This situation was all but pleasant.
John had an evil smile, his eyes focused on a point over his friend's shoulder. James gave a quizzical look.
-I think your mini technician want to play the hero, he said sarcastically and not without a bite of venom.
James turned toward Stewart and noticed that he was retracing his steps. The technician stopped in front of his boss, trembling a little, but his eyes seemed determined.
-Sir, permission to stay?
-Stewart, you have never faced this kind of situation before.
-I want to help you.
-I...
-James! I beg you, allow me to stay here!
James was taken aback a moment. The youth implored him with such force that he was surprised. Stewart always used "sir" too often and the use of his name was rather unsettling.
-Accept James, so that he doesn't waste any more of our time. He can die if he wants, as long as he lets us work, John said "politely" and "with a smile".
James sighed and accepted. Stewart, happy despite his fears, ran to his console and began feverishly typing at his keyboard, waiting for another communication from Canada. John looked at James with a nasty smile.
-You hire suicidal people now?
-Sir!
Ignoring John and his harsh comments, he approached his young technician who hooked the microphone on him.
-James Watson, listening.
-James... The voice of the Canadian Sanctuary's head seemed desperate. That was not an isolated event.
-Sir, according to our computers the Canada's headquarters is now in quarantine.
James opened his eyes in surprise.
-Clint? What does this mean? Asked James, his voice getting louder in the microphone. He looked at the data displayed on the screen, his face slowly changing with anxiety.
-The Abnormal that we shot down was infected with a powerful bacterial agent. The scientists who performed the autopsy were directly infected. I don't know what it is. Do you hear the noises behind me?
They could hear all kinds of noises. Cries, howling, loud footsteps, orders, gunshots, etc. James closed his eyes. He could easily picture the scene in his head. One of the disadvantages of his gift...
-And you?
-My office is in quarantine too. I'm not sick at all, but nobody can go in or out. I suppose that others have come to continue to fight against infected Abnormals and members of the Sanctuary, but I've received no reports. They heard Clint type on his keyboard. New data. This is level three biological threat. Not very powerful, but devastating because it spreads so quickly.
Watson clenched his hand on the back of his technician's chair.
-Clint, you stay online. When you have more information, tell us, but don't hang up this phone!
-Of course.
James put down the microphone, thinking. Level three biological threat. Not fatal for humans. So why were Abnormals dying?
-Cabal! He shouted, with bitterness and anger.
-You're sure? John asked, frowning.
-Of course. You know as well as I their purpose. A level three biological threat doesn't kill humans or Abnormals, it must be a level 1.9 to 1. On the other hand, it is infecting Abnormals. So there must be a property inside which is dangerous for non-humans.
Stewart was listening carefully while John let out a growl of exasperation.
-They become less and less original these idiots.
-James, I've bad news.
Stewart handed the microphone to his boss.
-Yes?
-The virus...our system, they tried to spread it via the underground ventilation system.
James clenched his teeth.
-Do you know the final destination?
-Unfortunately, yes. The main Sanctuary. We managed to contain it here for the moment with the help of the secondary emergency quarantine, but I don't know how long I will be able to keep my own systems under control.
-Shut down the shields, demanded John.
-John, we must wait to find out...
-Shut down the shields! He shouted, his face distorted for a moment by his anger.
He was dangerously close to James, an insane expression on his face. Slowly, he gradually recovered control of himself. He paused and swallowed.
-James...
His friend looked at him without moving, saddened by the anger which Druitt had shown for a moment. He knew that the man before him could never become completely docile. There was always that violence, that blood thirst. Yet, he always hoped that one day, their relationship would get easier. At least, today, Watson was able to see how much John had improved over the years.
-Ok John...he said slowly. Stewart, you're in charge of the Sanctuary. Tell Clint that we're coming to assist.
He took his coat and left the room before his technician could respond. John followed him. Outside, he didn't wait for a signal or the consent of the other man before quickly teleporting.
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What will happen next ? Stay tuned.
I hope my story isn't that bad xD