MacPherson, part 1
Flashback: 15 Years Ago
Gouts of flame shot up from every orifice of the brownstone apartment building. The firehoses pointed at it were aimed at containing the blaze before it could spread to the rest of the block; getting anyone out of the building was, at this point, a lost cause.
For the firefighters, anyway. For the two Warehouse agents on the street, the point was open for debate.
"Don't quote Warehouse dogma to me, Arthur. A woman's life is at stake!"
"Many people's lives are at stake, and you made an oath--"
"I love her." James looked Artie straight in the eye. "And I'm going in there, and--you love her. I know that you love her too."
"Then you know how agonizing this is for me!" Artie wailed.
"We can save her life--!"
"What about the consequences? She lives, other people die! You want that on your head? You can't play God."
As far as Artie was concerned, that was the end of it. But James wasn't done yet. "Well, neither can you!" he shouts at Artie's retreating back. "Neither you, nor Frederick, nor the Regents. They sit there, Arthur, and they hoard the things that can save the world! And we help them! Well, not any more. I'm finished with it. Now, give me that--"
James dives at the cloth-wrapped bundle in Artie's hand, but Artie fights him off. "No!" His voice is hoarse, breaking from the screaming and repressed tears. "No, I can't!"
"Arthur..."
Artie turns once again to walk away.
He should never have turned his back on MacPherson.
Artie woke up with a pounding headache, and the tell-tale nerve ending tingles that told him he'd been shot with a Tesla. (Just about every Warehouse agent had been Tesla'd at one point or another. It might erase short-term memory, but the sensation of waking up from a Tesla shot was memorable for all the wrong reasons.)
The still-burning building behind him--and the distinct lack of a Phoenix medallion on his person--told Artie exactly what had happened, and what the consequences would be.
[Dialogue from Warehouse 13 episode 1x13, "MacPherson."]
Gouts of flame shot up from every orifice of the brownstone apartment building. The firehoses pointed at it were aimed at containing the blaze before it could spread to the rest of the block; getting anyone out of the building was, at this point, a lost cause.
For the firefighters, anyway. For the two Warehouse agents on the street, the point was open for debate.
"Don't quote Warehouse dogma to me, Arthur. A woman's life is at stake!"
"Many people's lives are at stake, and you made an oath--"
"I love her." James looked Artie straight in the eye. "And I'm going in there, and--you love her. I know that you love her too."
"Then you know how agonizing this is for me!" Artie wailed.
"We can save her life--!"
"What about the consequences? She lives, other people die! You want that on your head? You can't play God."
As far as Artie was concerned, that was the end of it. But James wasn't done yet. "Well, neither can you!" he shouts at Artie's retreating back. "Neither you, nor Frederick, nor the Regents. They sit there, Arthur, and they hoard the things that can save the world! And we help them! Well, not any more. I'm finished with it. Now, give me that--"
James dives at the cloth-wrapped bundle in Artie's hand, but Artie fights him off. "No!" His voice is hoarse, breaking from the screaming and repressed tears. "No, I can't!"
"Arthur..."
Artie turns once again to walk away.
He should never have turned his back on MacPherson.
Artie woke up with a pounding headache, and the tell-tale nerve ending tingles that told him he'd been shot with a Tesla. (Just about every Warehouse agent had been Tesla'd at one point or another. It might erase short-term memory, but the sensation of waking up from a Tesla shot was memorable for all the wrong reasons.)
The still-burning building behind him--and the distinct lack of a Phoenix medallion on his person--told Artie exactly what had happened, and what the consequences would be.
[Dialogue from Warehouse 13 episode 1x13, "MacPherson."]