Enemies

Filler between "End of Nights Part II" and "Eulogy"

The brilliant flash of light before her eyes had shocked her for a moment before the tears came more rapidly. Her daughter. EM field. Ashley was most assuredly dead.

"Helen!" John Druitt cried as he rushed in, followed closely by Nikola Tesla, Will Zimmerman, Henry Foss, and the Sasquatch affectionately named "The Big Guy".

"Kate!" Henry cried as he saw the limp bounty hunter beside the dark-haired scientist and leader.

Helen continued to sob as John approached her. "Helen, what happened?" He demanded as he grabbed her shoulders and shook her gently.

She didn't even flinch as he inadvertently touched the lacerations that ran from her shoulder to her forearm.

She took a gulp of air as she tried to calm herself enough to tell him the events. "Ashley..." She cried, still wimpering. "Dear God, Ashley..."

"What the bloody hell happened to my daughter, Helen?!" He demanded, angrily.

"She teleported!" Helen screamed at him as the tears came again. "She's gone!"

The shock on Druitt's face was apparent while the others in the room gasped at the severity of the news.

"Ashley?" Henry asked, faintly, as a sick look of realization dawned. He'd signed his best friend's death certificate by turning on that blasted EM shield.

Helen easily shrugged John's hands from her arms as she stood.

"Magnus, you've been hurt." Will said, catching her attention.

She threw him a venomous look as she cradled her arm with her uninjured one.

John was too stunned by the news to move. Contrary to his nature, a lump had begun welling up in his throat as tears threatened to fall. It wasn't true. His one chance at redemption could not have been so easily destroyed.

Kate moaned as she stirred from beside them, and Henry and the Sasquatch hurried to her side. Will had already begun to follow Helen. Only he and Nikola remained, and the vampire was in his own shock.

John thought of the irony. Now that he could do nothing to improve the situation, Nikola proved that he actually had a heart.

John stood, struggling to keep the tears at bay. With long strides, he prepared to leave the scene. He needed to be alone.

"John." Nikola called as John hurried past him.

John stopped without turning around.

"I'm sorry about Ashley." He said, empathetically.

He took a moment to harden his heart so that he could speak without appearing weak. If it hadn't been for the source blood or his appearance in the maze, Ashley would still be alive and well. "Go to hell, Tesla. Where you and your kind belong."