POI fic: Contingencies #3: Return 0
TITLE: Contingencies #3: Return 0
AUTHOR: whomii2
DISCLAIMER: do not own
SUMMARY: how Return 0 might have gone differently
So much to do, so very little time.
It was good that Harold was enjoying a much closer working relationship with the Machine. And that the Machine had gone on a recruiting spree.
It meant that Harold could move forward with his plans while someone else made the necessary...acquisition. The morgue and the cemetery were both too likely to be under surveillance by Samaritan. That left a switch performed during transport. Some cash in the right hands, a transfer out of sight under a bridge, and Root's body was spirited away. Transporting her corpse to the Sarcophagus would be tricky though, as an ice cream truck would certainly look out of place at a cemetery. She would have to remain in the freezer until Harold could think of a way to take her without attracting notice. Dire as their situation was, it would be infinitely worse if the Sarcophagus fell into the hands of their enemy. And it would have to be Harold who took her on that final journey, because he couldn't risk anyone else seeing the Sarcophagus, even if they didn't know what it could do.
The release of the virus provided Harold with his chance. The ensuing chaos caused a great enough distraction that Harold could sneak away to the cemetery in a car with sufficient trunk space. At least this time he had remembered to bring a change of clothes for the subject as well!
Harold hoped that the extent of Root's injuries and the delay in getting to the Sarcophagus wouldn't affect its performance. He didn't understand how or why it worked, so he was always concerned that it might fail at a crucial moment. As he lay Root to rest within the device he could only pray the outcome would be favorable. But he couldn't afford to wait to see the result. There was one final Samaritan backup copy that would need to be dealt with in order to ensure their victory.
Fortunately the Machine had kept an eye on the others while Harold was busy with Root. He felt it best not to raise their hopes in case the revivification failed and so made no mention of where he had been when he met them on the dock. Soon they had split off on what might be their final missions.
****
As he staggered off the roof, suffering from a gunshot wound and the heartbreaking sacrifice of his best friend, Harold thought that his secrecy might have been a mistake. He hoped that he could make it back to Root before it was too late. If he succumbed to his injuries there would be no one to remove her, and she would slumber on in the Sarcophagus forever. Perhaps Harold should have sought a discrete medical facility for himself before seeing to Root, but the only thing on his mind was to not let another member of his team slip away.
He didn't know how he made it back to the cemetery. Its core systems failing, there was no Machine to act as driver this time. But somehow he found himself leaning against the Sarcophagus, smearing it with his blood as he opened the lid. At first he thought it had all been in vain, but then he sagged against the side of the Sarcophagus as Root 's eyelids slowly fluttered open.
...”Harry?”
“So glad you could....rejoin us ...Miss Groves”
She sat up, looking around in confusion. “How....where...I was dead. Am I still...what happened?”
“Seems your death was...a little premature. And not so ...final. Not with this ...device. It heals...even fatal injuries.”
With that Finch's strength finally gave out and he slumped down to a sitting position with his back resting against the sarcophagus.
“Harold!” Root cried out in alarm, gathering the sheet around herself before exiting the Sarcophagus and crouching by Harold's side. She was alarmed by his palor and shocked by all the blood that had soaked into his suit from the bullet wound in his side.
“Harold you're hurt. Will this device help you?”
“John...needs it. Sacrificed ...himself. Should have...been me....The missile....” but the blood loss and all the exertion had finally taken its toll on Finch.
Grimly Root decided that Harold would be her immediate priority. She wrestled him into the Sarcophagus, closing the lid and hoping nothing else was needed to activate the device. Next step would be seeing to any of their fallen comrades. She took stock of her surroundings and spotted a shopping bag with some clothes for her. A quick change and she was ready to start looking for the vehicle Finch had used to get here. But first she placed a hand on lid of the Sarcophagus “You never cease to amaze me Harold. You saved me. You changed me. And now you brought me back. Rest for now. I'll see you get what you need.”
And with that final word she exited the mausoleum and headed off into the night.
****
When Harold blinked awake he was disoriented. What had happened? As the face of the woman hovering over him sharpened into focus he muttered “Root?” unsure if it was Miss Groves or the personification of the Machine.
“Welcome back Harry. Your little nap seems to have done you a world of good. Now if you can step out and give me a hand, the big lug is kindof unweildy.”
“John!” Harold exclaimed as he scrambled out of the Sarcophagus and headed to the black body bag lying against the wall of the mausoleum. But Root's hand on his shoulder stopped him before he could look inside.
“Don't. You don't need to see.”
“But....”
“Trust me Harold. It will be ok.”
Harold nodded, unable to speak around the lump in his throat. They carefully lifted the bag and laid it gently to rest in the Sarcophagus. They closed the lid and after a moment of silence Harold asked: “The others?”
“Lionel was hurt but is going to pull through. The woman who dropped him off at the hospital must have been Shaw.... I didn't make contact yet. I wasn't sure how to explain. But I haven't heard from the Machine. Guess this handy device won't help us with her.”
“I wouldn't count her out just yet Miss Groves. My creation had her own contingency plan. It just may take a little while.”
“So what do we do now?”
“Tie up some loose ends. Reunite with our friends. We've just saved the world, I think we've earned a little vacation. After that...who knows?”
AUTHOR: whomii2
DISCLAIMER: do not own
SUMMARY: how Return 0 might have gone differently
So much to do, so very little time.
It was good that Harold was enjoying a much closer working relationship with the Machine. And that the Machine had gone on a recruiting spree.
It meant that Harold could move forward with his plans while someone else made the necessary...acquisition. The morgue and the cemetery were both too likely to be under surveillance by Samaritan. That left a switch performed during transport. Some cash in the right hands, a transfer out of sight under a bridge, and Root's body was spirited away. Transporting her corpse to the Sarcophagus would be tricky though, as an ice cream truck would certainly look out of place at a cemetery. She would have to remain in the freezer until Harold could think of a way to take her without attracting notice. Dire as their situation was, it would be infinitely worse if the Sarcophagus fell into the hands of their enemy. And it would have to be Harold who took her on that final journey, because he couldn't risk anyone else seeing the Sarcophagus, even if they didn't know what it could do.
The release of the virus provided Harold with his chance. The ensuing chaos caused a great enough distraction that Harold could sneak away to the cemetery in a car with sufficient trunk space. At least this time he had remembered to bring a change of clothes for the subject as well!
Harold hoped that the extent of Root's injuries and the delay in getting to the Sarcophagus wouldn't affect its performance. He didn't understand how or why it worked, so he was always concerned that it might fail at a crucial moment. As he lay Root to rest within the device he could only pray the outcome would be favorable. But he couldn't afford to wait to see the result. There was one final Samaritan backup copy that would need to be dealt with in order to ensure their victory.
Fortunately the Machine had kept an eye on the others while Harold was busy with Root. He felt it best not to raise their hopes in case the revivification failed and so made no mention of where he had been when he met them on the dock. Soon they had split off on what might be their final missions.
****
As he staggered off the roof, suffering from a gunshot wound and the heartbreaking sacrifice of his best friend, Harold thought that his secrecy might have been a mistake. He hoped that he could make it back to Root before it was too late. If he succumbed to his injuries there would be no one to remove her, and she would slumber on in the Sarcophagus forever. Perhaps Harold should have sought a discrete medical facility for himself before seeing to Root, but the only thing on his mind was to not let another member of his team slip away.
He didn't know how he made it back to the cemetery. Its core systems failing, there was no Machine to act as driver this time. But somehow he found himself leaning against the Sarcophagus, smearing it with his blood as he opened the lid. At first he thought it had all been in vain, but then he sagged against the side of the Sarcophagus as Root 's eyelids slowly fluttered open.
...”Harry?”
“So glad you could....rejoin us ...Miss Groves”
She sat up, looking around in confusion. “How....where...I was dead. Am I still...what happened?”
“Seems your death was...a little premature. And not so ...final. Not with this ...device. It heals...even fatal injuries.”
With that Finch's strength finally gave out and he slumped down to a sitting position with his back resting against the sarcophagus.
“Harold!” Root cried out in alarm, gathering the sheet around herself before exiting the Sarcophagus and crouching by Harold's side. She was alarmed by his palor and shocked by all the blood that had soaked into his suit from the bullet wound in his side.
“Harold you're hurt. Will this device help you?”
“John...needs it. Sacrificed ...himself. Should have...been me....The missile....” but the blood loss and all the exertion had finally taken its toll on Finch.
Grimly Root decided that Harold would be her immediate priority. She wrestled him into the Sarcophagus, closing the lid and hoping nothing else was needed to activate the device. Next step would be seeing to any of their fallen comrades. She took stock of her surroundings and spotted a shopping bag with some clothes for her. A quick change and she was ready to start looking for the vehicle Finch had used to get here. But first she placed a hand on lid of the Sarcophagus “You never cease to amaze me Harold. You saved me. You changed me. And now you brought me back. Rest for now. I'll see you get what you need.”
And with that final word she exited the mausoleum and headed off into the night.
****
When Harold blinked awake he was disoriented. What had happened? As the face of the woman hovering over him sharpened into focus he muttered “Root?” unsure if it was Miss Groves or the personification of the Machine.
“Welcome back Harry. Your little nap seems to have done you a world of good. Now if you can step out and give me a hand, the big lug is kindof unweildy.”
“John!” Harold exclaimed as he scrambled out of the Sarcophagus and headed to the black body bag lying against the wall of the mausoleum. But Root's hand on his shoulder stopped him before he could look inside.
“Don't. You don't need to see.”
“But....”
“Trust me Harold. It will be ok.”
Harold nodded, unable to speak around the lump in his throat. They carefully lifted the bag and laid it gently to rest in the Sarcophagus. They closed the lid and after a moment of silence Harold asked: “The others?”
“Lionel was hurt but is going to pull through. The woman who dropped him off at the hospital must have been Shaw.... I didn't make contact yet. I wasn't sure how to explain. But I haven't heard from the Machine. Guess this handy device won't help us with her.”
“I wouldn't count her out just yet Miss Groves. My creation had her own contingency plan. It just may take a little while.”
“So what do we do now?”
“Tie up some loose ends. Reunite with our friends. We've just saved the world, I think we've earned a little vacation. After that...who knows?”