W13 Fic (crack!fic) : 'Everything Burns': Ch 1&2/?
"Everything Burns" (aka 'Myka burns the Warehouse to the ground') - The aftermath of the re-bronzing of HG Wells..
Total crack!fic (now that someone kindly splained to me what crack!fic is). So don't expect anything great.
Set around the timeline of “Vendetta”- Although I changed a few small things for the purposes of my absurd plot. HG Wells is suspected of killing Dickinson and finds herself re-bronzed.
A few small technical errors within the story-
1/ How far exactly is it to the Warehouse from the B&B? I do not know. For example- if the Warehouse was on fire, could you see it from the B&B? My answer is yes.
2/ Does Leena have strange mystical medical diagnostic powers? Again my answer (for the purposes of this fic) is yes.
Really not any particular ship. If you want to look hard enough there is subtext there, but it;s really just about Myka. I want to say it's a fic about HG Wells, though that would be somewhat misleading since it's not so much about her as a person but the effect of her on the rest of the team.
The characters are twisted I realise- Mostly Pete- who was actually a lot more understanding of Myka/HG in the show than I depict him here. Artie however is a bit nicer in the fic, perhaps because he got his way and HG is re-bronzed. Actually Pete and Artie are just clueless and pathetic at times, it's not totally intentional, i promise I don't hate them! The fic wrote itself. Myka is just totally insane- I love her a little like that. And i'm afraid to mention Claudia now I find out just how much my favourite W13 friend hates her (you know who you are!).
This is written in total fun and not seriousness- because if I wrote a serious fic about HG being re bronzed I think Myka would break my heart into little pieces and I have enough broken hearted Myka fics already. All in total fun and amusement and no offence intended. This came from god knows where and is going nowhere. But if you still want to read it, then do so :) Enjoy :)
Chapter 1
~
The bang is deafening, shaking the foundations of the B&B. Artie Nielson is rudely jolted from his sleep, and he is far from pleased.
Seconds later, he stands on the verandah, horror struck. The cool night air chills him to the bone as he surveys the sight before his eyes. The gigantic red-orange flames leaping into the sky. The eerie glow the only source of illumination in the middle of nowhere at 3am.
One unshakable thought crosses his mind- Mrs Frederic is going to be VERY unhappy about this.
Within seconds the red haired girl is at his side. “Holy Shit, what happened?' She stands gaping at the sight. “Is that the warehouse? On fire?”
Artie only shakes his head. They aren't close enough to get an accurate picture of the damage, but it's fairly obvious that the warehouse is engulfed in flames. “Another one bites the dust.” He mumbles.
“Where are Pete and Myka?” Claudia adds looking over her shoulder. “Not even Pete could sleep through an explosion like that.”
It's then that the sinking feeling creeps over Artie, just where are Pete and Myka?
~
Earlier that day
“You ok?” Pete asked.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Myka demanded to know.
He raised his hands in defeat. He was only trying to help. He didn't deserve the way she was treating him. None of this was his fault. He almost walked away but he couldn't stand the way things had disintegrated between them. “You've been kind of quiet lately.” He told her, concerned.
“Get a life, Pete.” She responded coldly.
It's not that he entirely approved of the principle of bronzing in general, or in particular the regents decision to re-bronze HG Wells. But he had to trust Artie. There must have been a reason. Myka didn't really think HG Wells could walk back into her old job, just like that? Surely. Not even Myka could be that naïve. Whether he thought it right or wrong, Pete absolves himself of responsibility. It wasn't his call. And he had more than a little trouble understanding Myka's total devastation over the situation, or why she would want to start a war with Artie over it. It was pointless. HG was back where she belonged. End of story. But Myka couldn't quite let it go.
“It had to be done Myka. It was out of Artie's hands. She was a danger. She killed Dickinson for crying out loud.” Pete knew it was futile to engage Myka in a conversation about HG Wells. He was only banging his head against a brick wall. But he still held that hope that he could get through to her as he always did, that he could snap her out of it. He felt the need to stick up for Artie- after all Artie had a point, Myka shouldn't have gone behind his back, colluding with the enemy. It surprised Pete totally. He thought of her as a rule follower. It frightened him more than a little to realise how little he knew her. He though he knew her better than that.
“She was framed.” Myka answered assuredly. “Why would she kill Dickinson? What possible motive could she have?” Myka argued.
“She is a crazy murderer who's been bronzed for a hundred years. Myka, open your eyes.”
“Open YOUR eyes, Pete.” She replied to him. “This is barbaric, unconscionable. She is a human being.”
“It's not my decision. It's not Artie's. I don't know what has gotten into you, but you need to get the hell over it, Myka. Make peace with Artie, and let it go. You're acting crazy and it scares me. I can't work like this.”
“You don't trust me, Pete? You don't want to work with me anymore? Fine.”
“That isn't what I said.” He mumbled , but she was already long gone.
They spoke little after that, and never about HG Wells. Pete learned his lesson that it was better to keep well out of it. Let Myka hate Artie for it, Let Artie resent her for keeping the secret in the first place. He only wanted a quiet life. But it disturbed him greatly when he realised just how successfully HG Wells had managed to drive a wedge of mistrust and animosity between him and his partner.
It was partly his desire to make things right with Myka that led him to follow her when he heard her stir in the middle of the night. Partly it was sheer curiosity. He followed her, undetected, down the stairs, out into the night, and all the way to the Warehouse. Specifically, all the way right to the bronze sector.
~
Back to the Present
The scene is even more devastating up close. The entire warehouse reduced to smouldering ashes. Everything is still, quiet, all but for the crackling flames. Seconds go by before Artie catches sight of the movement in his peripheral vision. As he approaches, he makes the sight out before him. Pete, dragging Myka's limp lifeless body from the wreckage. For a fleeting moment he is convinced she is dead. He stops in his tracks, as Leena and Claudia rush past him to reach her.
“She hit her head. I tried to stop the bleeding.” Pete manages to choke out over the smoke filling his lungs.
As Artie nears the scene, he sees her chest rising and falling with each breath. His own heart starts beating again. His head is filled suddenly with all the things they had said to one another this past week. All the harsh words he would have cause to regret if they turned out to be the last words he ever spoke to her.
“Should we take her to a hospital?” Claudia asks.
“She'll be fine.” Lenna says, surveying the damage. ”It's just a nasty concussion. We need to get her back to the B&B.”
No one questions just how Leena can tell that Myka will be fine. Everyone wants to believe it, and so it is.
It's Artie who reaches down and takes Myka in his arms, as Pete is still gasping for air after inhaling all that smoke. She is limp in his arms, lifeless, like a doll. Ash and soot marring her complexion. She looks so vulnerable, so innocent. He longs to lean down and whisper to her that he is sorry. That he can see that she was close to HG Wells, that the way things turned out was out of his hands. He wants to tell her he was only so angry because he cares so much about his team, because he has lost so many people, because he doesn't want to count her among them. But he says nothing as he places her gently in the car. She never stirs. And hastily the group make their way back to the B&B.
~
Chapter 2
Back @ the B&B
Mrs Frederic's eerily calm voice echoes over the farnsworth as Artie breaks the news. He braces himself for her reaction. But she says only this “Not again.” Punctuated by a weary sigh.“Were there any casualties?”
“Myka has concussion, she'll be fine.” Artie informs her.
Moments of silence go by before she picks up the conversation again.“You should get started immediately, combing the area for any artifact that survived the blast, the remnants needs to be neutralised, and moved to a safe secure location. I'm sure you're aware of the procedure.”
“There won't be any need for that. This is a little more serious than the event at Warehouse 12. Anything that survived the explosion was demolished in the all consuming fire. There is nothing left. Nothing but ashes.”
“The bronze sector?” Mrs Frederic asks tentatively.
“That's gone too.”
“Perhaps it's for the best.”
He silently agrees, yes perhaps it's for the best. Although there is something unsettling when he allows himself to remember that there were people in there. Heinous people perhaps, but human beings just the same.
“The next priority is to get to the bottom of this, what exactly happened?” She asks.
“I'm not certain yet.” He answers guardedly.
“You're not certain?” It's an accusation. “Why are you not certain, Arthur? What kind of a place are you running? Warehouses are not in the habit of exploding without good reason. I want a report on my desk within the hour.”
~
“Pete. A word.” Artie summons Pete away from Myka's bedside.
“But Myka...I don't want her to wake up alone.” He protests.
“Leena can sit with Myka. It can't wait.”
Reluctantly Pete submits and follows Artie into the kitchen.
“What happened?” Artie demands as he motions for Pete to sit.
“The Warehouse exploded.”
“Yes, I can see that. Would you mind telling me how?”
“You're asking me?”
“Yes I'm asking you. What the hell did you do?”
“Whoa!” Pete stands from the table. He doesn't have time for this, Not when Myka is injured. “I didn't “do” anything!”
“What exactly were you and Myka doing at the warehouse at 3am?” Artie calls out after him.
Pete stops in his tracks, hastily fumbling to find an answer. He can't very well explain what really happened. He blurts out the first thing that comes into his head “We were making out.” He admits to Artie sheepishly.
It's at that point Claudia- eavesdropping from the door way- drops her coffee cup to the floor in shock. The two men realise their conversation had not been as private as they had hoped.
“Dude you were what?” Claudia asks him to repeat it.
“Claudia, this does not concern you!” Artie bellows. But it's too late, she's already heard it straight from Pete's lips. Too late to take it back now.
He turns his attention back to Pete. “You were.....'making out'? With your fellow agent? In the Warehouse? In the middle of the night?” Artie demands, his voice rising with each word.
Pete can't tell if Artie is horrified or sceptical about his story.
“Well, it's a little crowded around here, we wanted a bit of privacy. That's not a crime, is it?” Pete challenges him.
“Unbelievable. I don't expect this kind of unprofessional conduct from my agents. And you would have thought Myka would have learned her lesson with her last partner.”
“Hey.” Pete interrupts. “That isn't fair.”
So engrossed in their conversation, none of them had heard the struggle ensuing upstairs. None of them heard Leena's feeble cries for assistance, nor heard the footsteps approaching the kitchen. Not until they heard Myka's voice from the doorway, and turned to find her, weapon poised, demanding “Who the hell are you?”
“Myka.” Pete says hesitantly, confusion all over his face. “It's Pete. What are you doing?” He asks her slowly.
“I know who you are, Lattimer. Unfortunately. Who are they?” She waves the weapon in Artie and Claudia's direction. “What the hell is going on?”
“Myka, it's me, Claudia.” The girl speaks up.
Myka turns her attention to Pete. “Is this your latest girlfriend Lattimer? She's a little young don't you think?”
“Ewwwwww.” Claudia moans at the prospect of her being Pete's girlfriend.
“She hit her head harder than I thought.” Artie mumbles. “She must have memory loss.”
“You should go lie down.” Artie tries to tell her, reaching his hand towards her.
“Don't you dare touch me. “ She orders, fire in her eyes as she turns the weapon towards him. There is something about him that she instinctively does not trust. There is something about him that makes her insanely angry, even though there is no reason she can see.
Artie takes a step back involuntarily. “Pete?” He calls out. “Do you think you could get her to put that gun down?”
Pete looks back at Artie helplessly, just what is he supposed to do?
“Myka, you hit your head.” Pete tells her. “Put the gun down before someone gets hurt. That's Artie, our boss. No one here is trying to hurt you. I know it must be a little confusing, but I think if we all calm down we can sort this out. Ok?”
Myka scoffs at that particular idea as she surveys Artie. “Our boss? I don't think so. I don't know what is going on here but you'll have to do better than that! I'm calling Dickinson.”
“Myka.” Pete begins softly. But before he can say 'Myka, Dickinson is dead.' Artie cuts him off.
“There is no phone reception here. Sorry.” Artie tells her, exchanging a look with Pete. It didn't seem wise to tell her Dickinson was dead while she was still brandishing that weapon.
It's then she grabs for the car keys on the table. She doesn't understand what is going on. She doesn't really care. She only knows that her head is killing her. She only knows that she has to get away from this place. She knows that there is something urgently important she has to do. Someone is waiting for her.
“Stop her, Pete.” Artie is ordering. “She is in no condition to drive.”
“Why me?” He asks, as Myka pushes past him out into the night.
“You're the only one she remembers!” Artie exclaims.
“She remembers hating me, you stop her.” Pete suggests.
“She's your partner.”
“She has a gun!”
“So do you.”
“You want me to shoot her?” Pete asks in disbelief.
“Oh for god's sake.” Claudia mumbles pushing past them and chasing Myka into the night.
“Myka!” She calls out.
Myka turns around, just before she has reached the vehicle. “Are you talking to me, little girl?” She asks condescendingly.
Swiftly Claudia pulls out the Tesla she had been concealing under her jacket and aims it in Myka's direction.
“Where the hell did you get that?!” Artie demands as he follows her outside.
At the same time as Pete pleads with her “No, Claudia, Don't. She already has a head injury.”
But it's too late. Claudia has already fired the Tesla, before Myka can even make a move to stop her.