Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Author's Note: This episode involved the wrestling team that was combusting due to a whammied energy drink that almost caused Claudia to combust as well. It also showed the reappearance of HG Wells. Unfortunately, she doesn't feature in this chapter because aside from the scene in Coach Tappon's office and then at the end when HG is trying to save Claudia, the only time the two of them were actually together was the walk from the crime scene to the gym. But our favorite Brit will definitely feature in the chapters for episode ten and eleven, so there's that to look forward to. The first half of this chapter occurs right after Claudia falls into the vat of whammied energy drink and the second half is while she and Myka are flying back to the Warehouse. Enjoy!

The Combustible Girl

"Okay, Claude," Myka said, kneeling back down beside Claudia. The younger girl was still shaking and her skin was burning up to the touch. "I need you to hold on for me, okay? We're gonna figure this out."

"Hell of a first mission, huh?" Claudia joked weakly. "How's this gonna look on my report card?"

"I'll be sure to talk to your supervisor," Myka said, forcing a smile. "Maybe she'll cut you some slack."

"Don't get your hopes up," Claudia told her. "She's a tough lady."

She gritted her teeth hard as a sudden spasm shot through her body. Myka reached up and began stroking the hair away from the younger girl's sweaty forehead.

"Hang in there," she said. It took everything she had not to plead.

"I don't have much choice," Claudia managed. "If I get killed on my first mission, I'll never hear the end of it."

"That's not gonna happen," Myka assured her. Claudia opened her mouth to reply, but it turned into a pained hiss.

"You know," she said, her voice pained, "I don't think I remember seeing death by spontaneous combustion on that list of contingencies."

"Well, then I guess you can't go out like this," Myka told her. She meant for it to sound light, but it came off far too close to desperate for her taste. She was the older agent here. She had to keep it together.

Claudia winced again. Myka bit her lip. She hated not being able to do anything to help.

"What can I do?" she asked.

"Tell me a story?" Claudia offered.

"Sure," Myka agreed. "What about?"

"We never finished The Invisible Man," Claudia reminded her. "How does it end?"

After finishing The Time Machine, Myka and Claudia had begun making their way through other works by H.G. Wells. They had started The Invisible Man the week before, but then things had gotten crazy and they had never found time to finish it. Claudia asking to know the end was almost too much. It was almost like she was giving up.

"We'll finish it tonight," Myka told her. "When we get back."

"Not sure I can wait that long," Claudia said. She sounded worried.

"Well, you're gonna have to," Myka said firmly.

Claudia winced again as another violent spasm tore through her body.

"You okay?" Myka asked sympathetically.

"My skin is on fire," Claudia managed. "Other than that, I'm just peachy."

Myka looked over her shoulder, but there was no one else in sight. What was taking them so long? They were running out of time.

"Hey, Myka?" Claudia said.

"Yeah?"

"Don't tell Pete I said this... but I'm kinda freaked out."

Myka's eyes started to burn at the immense vulnerability of that simple statement. She reached up her free hand and took Claudia's, squeezing it tightly.

"You listen to me, Claudia Donovan," she said firmly. "You are not going to die here, okay? I didn't die on you in Manhattan, so you don't get to die on me now."

"Okay," Claudia croaked.

The sound of someone running caused Myka to look back over her shoulder. Jeff Russell was running back towards her.

"I have an ice bath set up," he said breathlessly when he reached them. "It should help slow the burning down."

Claudia started to get up only to wince again. Her grip on Myka's hand tightened to the point that Myka almost expected her hand to fall off from blood loss. Then her eyes fluttered closed.

"Stay with me, Claude," Myka ordered.

"I'll carry her," Jeff said. He bent down, slipping on arm under Claudia's knees and one arm around her back before lifting her into the air. "This way."

He began walking quickly across the factory, a barely conscious Claudia in his arms. Myka hurried after him.

Please, she prayed. Please let her make it.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"Can I get you anything to drink?"

Myka looked up from her magazine to see a smiling stewardess standing in the aisle.

"No, thanks," she said politely.

"And what about you?" the stewardess asked, looking past Myka to Claudia. The younger girl quickly shook her head.

"I'm good," she said emphatically. The stewardess smiled and moved on to the people seated behind them. Claudia looked after her a moment before slumping in her seat. "I have had enough liquid for today. Oh, and energy drinks? Officially ruined."

"I'm sure you'll get over it," Myka told her with a smile.

"Wow," Claudia said incredulously. "I almost died, and this is all the sympathy I get."

"You're fine," Myka told her.

"But I almost wasn't," Claudia pointed out. "My goose was definitely cooking."

"Was that supposed to be funny?" Myka asked. She was clearly unimpressed.

"Fine," Claudia said, crossing her arms. "Ignore the fact that I was almost toast."

Myka rolled her eyes, which drew a grin from Claudia. She turned back to the window and stared out at the passing clouds for a while.

"So... what are we gonna tell Artie?" she asked, turning back.

"About what?" Myka asked.

"About HG. Artie's gonna be pissed that you didn't tell him she was there. And that you let her get away."

"Hey," Myka said defensively. "I did not let her get away. She slipped out while my back was turned."

"Potato, potahto," Claudia said, waving it off. "Point is: what are we gonna tell Mister Bossy Pants?"

"The truth, I guess," Myka said quietly. "We ran into her, she saved your life, and then she disappeared."

"I'm kinda glad she was there," Claudia admitted. Myka nodded.

"Yeah, me too," she said.

"You know," Claudia said slowly, "after all the fuss Artie made, I was sort of expecting her to be the spawn of Satan. She didn't seem that bad."

"The Regents bronzed her," Myka reminded her. "Don't forget that. They don't just bronze people for no reason."

"I know," Claudia conceded. "But maybe there's more to it. I mean, there's obviously more to her. She doesn't seem like an evil megavillain. Actually..."

"What?" Myka asked when Claudia made no move to finish her sentence.

"I just almost feel like... like maybe she belongs at the Warehouse," Claudia said slowly.

"You know, Artie would consider that heresy," Myka pointed out.

"I wasn't gonna tell him," Claudia said, her tone implying that it was clearly a stupid idea. "I'd rather not become the Headless Horseman's new sidekick."

Myka chuckled as Claudia had intended.

"You know," she said, glancing down at her watch, "we still have another two hours of flight time."

"And...?" Claudia asked.

"And I think that's more than enough time to finish this," Myka said. She reached into the pocket of her trench coat and pulled out a paperback book. Claudia grinned when she realized it was The Invisible Man.

"You brought it," she said.

"I figured we might have some time on the plane," Myka said with a smile.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Claudia demanded. "We could've had HG sign it!"

"Somehow, between the wrestlers dying and trying to keep you from combusting, it never occurred to me to ask for HG's autograph," Myka said drily. Claudia sighed dramatically, drawing a smile from Myka. "Don't worry. I have a feeling we'll be seeing her again."

"Hopefully without the combusting," Claudia said. Myka chuckled.

"Hopefully."

She looked down at the book in her hands and opened it to the bookmark. Claudia leaned her elbow against the armrest between their seats so she could read over Myka's shoulder.

"So, if Griffin is the Invisible Man," Claudia asked curiously, "does that make me the Combustible Girl?"

"Do you want me to read this or not?" Myka asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Shutting up now," Claudia said. She quickly settled back into her previous position. Myka looked down at the book before looking back over at Claudia.

"Hey, Claude?" she said.

"Yeah?" Claudia said, looking up.

"I'm glad you didn't combust."

Claudia grinned.

"I'm guessing if I had, you would've done a lot worse to Mahoney than just gluing thumbtacks to his windshield wipers."

"Let's just say you wouldn't have been the only one suffering a violent death," Myka said vaguely. She smiled over at Claudia, who returned the gesture. Then they both looked back down at the open paperback in Myka's hands.

"Chapter nineteen," Myka began. "Certain First Principles..."

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