All these worlds...

Part 1

Helena Wells made no effort to hold in the scream of pain as her body was slowly forced out of the invisible vortex and into the world once more. A world, anyway. She was fairly certain it wasn't her own. Collapsing to the hard concrete floor of the Warehouse the minute her feet touched down she curled into a fetal position panting. Every muscle in her body burned including her heart and lungs. She had learned to stop fighting it. Learned to just wait the transition out.

Eventually she rolled onto her back and stared up at the bright lights and flashing red alarms visible above the high shelves full of artifacts she had materialized between. Slowly her dulled senses began to sort out the sound of loud alarms and knew someone would be there shortly to investigate the disturbance. She may have been getting used to the process of slipping between worlds but the people she inevitably ran into always seemed so surprised.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Shifting her head at an odd angle Helena smiled up at the angry man looming over her with a charged tesla most definitively pointed at her. Not moving she smiled. Some things were the same in every world it would seem. "Hello Arthur."

The completely unperturbed tone of the woman laying prone on his Warehouse floor threw Artie for a moment. He had been startled out of a relaxing cup of tea and a quiet game of chess with Claudia by the very loud sound of alarms shrieking across the Warehouse floor. The two of them had quickly jumped to the computer to determine the cause and Artie had used the zip line to get to the location quickly. In moments the young woman would be by his side. Most likely toting a vat of neutralizer. He hoped she brought a big one. They were going to need it. "Don't. Move."

Helena smiled at his tone. Yep. Agent Nielson had met the H.G. Wells of this world. "Very well. I'll just lay here then." Since she didn't think her legs were ready to hold her up yet she didn't mind at all remaining lying flat on the floor. Even spreading her arms out away from her sides so as to give him no reason to tesla her. Like the last Artie had done...

Artie kept his tesla trained on HG while he fumbled for his farnsworth. He didn't know how the woman had gotten in or why she seemed so docile, but he needed more than just Claudia for back up.

"Whats up Artie?"

Pete's face filled the small screen on his farnsworth but Artie barely spared him a glance watching the woman on the floor for any sign she was about to move. "I need you and Myka here now!"

Something in his tone must have clicked for Pete as he didn't hesitate. "We are on our way. Whats going on?"

"Just get here." Artie could hear Claudia approaching. "And come armed." Flipping the farnsworth closed he shifted to put up a hand to halt the young woman as she came around the end of the aisle behind him. "Stay there Claudia."

Freezing in her tracks, Claudia stared at the older mans back before darting her eyes to the woman laying on the floor seemingly immobile. "Wha? HG? What did you do to her?" Claudia made a move to go around Artie but he quickly stopped her with one arm.

"No! We don't know why or how she is here Claudia!"

"You could try asking me." Helena had been listening and was relieved when Artie had called Pete and Myka to join him at the Warehouse. There had been a world where the two agents had never been agents... She was glad they were here this time. Shifting her head once again, Helena smiled up at the two people staring down at her. Artie still holding his tesla and Claudia with such a look of longing that Helena felt her throat constrict at the obvious pain. "Hello darling. It is good to see you."

"HG." Claudia practically whimpered. The woman lying on the floor, the woman that Claudia had felt cheated out of getting to know, the woman who had died to save her family. "Your dead."

Rolling her head back around to face the ceiling Helena wiggled her fingers and toes a bit. Taking a deep breath she let the scent of apples comfort her as the cold concrete floor under her chilled her nearly as much as Claudia's statement had. "Oh dear. That is a new wrinkle."