And here it is! Bloody/gory sequel to 'Headless'! Unlike 'Headless', the only thing this has in common with The Curse of the Wendigo is basically the trip in the Canadian wilderness and a few names here and there. Lepto lurconis has changed to lepto morsus. Oh, this is post- 'Sleepers' and after the whole Hollow Earth events, assuming Helen and co survive (with Nikola's help of course!) John's off somewhere, and Hollow Earth remains. Do not own, blah blah blah!

He did not wish to remember those things.

Hours, days, nights, weeks, spent in the wild. Stalked by a creature who hid in their own. The thought makes him sick, and he leans over the sink to vomit nothing into it.

Running water is a privilege he will not soon forget.

Helen Magnus debated for a split second before rapping on Nikola Tesla's door.

"Nikola! Are you awake yet?"

No reply. She opened the door, praying to various deities that Nikola was somewhat dressed. She didn't think her luck was great enough that he would be fully dressed and ready to go.

Nope. Nikola lay in bed, eyes shut and sleeping.

"Nikola…" she shook his shoulder.

Abruptly, his eyes flew open.

"Good morning Helen. Care to join me?"

She shook her head. "We're leaving in an hour Nikola."

Nikola nodded absently. "About that…"

"You're coming as well." She insisted. "I'm not leaving you here with the controls of the sanctuary at your command."

"But…Tiny Tim is here!"

"He's got other things to do besides chasing you off the computer. You're coming with Will and me."

Two hours later, the three of them were on a bus heading for the town of Kenora.

Will and Nikola had begun arguing over something. Helen couldn't remember what. She read the missing persons report carefully once again, noting the—

She heard the silence and felt Nikola's breath on her hand as he read over her shoulder.

"You would have known all this if you had bothered to wake up for the briefing." She said abruptly, startling him enough that he stumbled back into his seat. Will chuckled.

Nikola glared at her protégé as Helen handed him the files.

"Missing persons? A Jonathan Hawk?"

Helen nodded. "His father is a great benefactor to building new sanctuaries. I agreed to do this as a favor."

Nikola raised his eyebrows. "Some favor. Dragging me to tramp through the wilderness for weeks with Doctor Expendable for company, though you certainly do even it out, Helen."

He seemed to ignore both her and Will as he skimmed the reports. "Lepto morsus. Emaciated biter?"

"Also known as the Wendigo." Will said.

"I know that, Junior." Nikola retorted without looking up from the reports. "Blackwood was more of an alcoholic than Stoker."

He said it as if he had never taken a sip of alcohol in his life. Will rolled his eyes.

"He's been missing for four weeks?"

"Yes. But his father contacted me just three days ago." Helen said matter-of-fact. "Didn't want a public outcry about this incident."

Will shook his head at the idiocy of Fortune 500 executives.

"Either way," Nikola said. "If lepto morsus has gotten to him, I doubt daddy's hundred dollar bills will do anything to cure him. This boy is human, correct?"

Helen nodded as the bus came to an abrupt stop.

"Our guide should be waiting for us at the forest's edge," she said. "He knows these woods better than anyone else alive."

-what did you think? Concrit appreciated.