notmyownage | En route to the University of Minnesota, very early Sunday morning (Reply)

Artie set Madeleine L'Engle's broach on the dashboard and wondered if the two teenagers sharing the car with him would notice the way the scenery would occasional waver and transform as they skipped through more than half the 8 hour drive to Minneapolis.

Well, it wasn't like they hadn't been exposed to the wonders of the Warehouse already.

He glanced at Claudia in the rearview mirror several times.

"You had to bring the giant along, didn't you? It couldn't have been one of your rational friends. . . ."

Claudia rolled her eyes. "He's protective, okay? He's making sure you don't offend my girlish sensibilities."

Jake	Jake grinned, more a flash of teeth than an actual smile. "It's a werewolf thing. I wouldn't recommend testing it," he said in a light tone. He might as well continue playing the part.
Artie and Claudia	"Right. The werewolf thing." Artie was clearly skeptical. "That clearly explains everything." Claudia leaned over the back seat, the remote for the electro-cuffs still in her hands. "Says the guy who works in a warehouse with a sentient, self-propelled dodgeball." Artie tilted his head. "Actually, we have no evidence to suggest that it's sentient."
Jake	"Sounds like you think it is," Jake pointed out, studying the man beside him for a moment. "There's a lot of interesting stuff in there."
Artie and Claudia	"The word you're looking for is dangerous." Artie sighed. "The Warehouse houses artifacts from history with certain . . . unexplained properties. Most of them can kill you." Something clicked in Claudia's head. "Artifacts like Rheticus' compass?" "Precisely." Artie glanced back. "I really was trying to protect you and your brother, Claudia. I'm . . . very sorry I couldn't."
Jake	Jake raised an eyebrow at the apology and cast a look back at Claudia. They weren't exactly words he'd expected coming from the guy, considering he was rather an ass. "So are there any artifacts that can help you undo whatever it did?" he had the feeling the answer was going to be no.
Artie and Claudia	"I told you, we don't have anything to bring back the dead." Artie shot Jake a look. "And even if I did, I wouldn't use it. Somethings you don't tamper with." Claudia groaned. "I told you, he's not dead. You'll see when we get there."
Jake	"She's telling the truth, you know," Jake replied. "I saw it, and I've ran into enough living dead to know the difference." Granted, it'd been light. It wasn't exactly like Jake could be as sure as Claudia was that it was her brother, so he was just going to trust her on that part at least.
Artie and Claudia	Artie frowned. "What exactly did you children see?" Claudia scowled at the "children" remark, but didn't comment on it. "We tried to recreate the experiment." Artie squawked, about to speak, but Claudia cut him off. "It didn't work, but we saw him. A . . . glowy, floaty cloud, but it was him. He's stuck, Artie. And we have to get him out." Artie glanced at Jake. "And you saw this, too? It wasn't just a hallucination?" "Gee," Claudia grumbled. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Artie."
Jake	"She wasn't hallucinating," Jake confirmed. "There was something definitely there. It was drawn to Claudia for something reason. If she says it's her brother, then I believe her. You said you're sorry? Then help her now."
Artie and Claudia	"I'm not certain what you expect me to do." Artie wanted to rub his beard, but his hands were cuffed together and he wasn't about to take them off the wheel when he was driving using the broach. "The compass disappeared along with Joshua." "I've got the felkirk minerals," Claudia said. "It's the same thing." "Yes, and that clearly worked perfectly last time you tried it." Artie was getting aggravated again. "Which was incredibly irresponsible -- as, I might add, was breaking into the Warehouse." Claudia was fed up of being talked down to. She was sixteen, for chrissake. "Then the only thing missing is you, you big ass! You can help me make it work this time."
Jake	"I'd say it's pretty clear what she wants you to do, isn't it?" Jake suggested, leaning back in his seat. Not having to threaten the guy or worry about him threatening them would be nice.
Artie	"And you approve of this, do you?" Artie asked him. "I can take a look at the experiment, maybe use a tool or two from my kit in the trunk, but that won't make this any safer."
Jake	"Of Claudia being in danger? No, not exactly," Jake made a face and fixed his gaze ahead. "It'd just be hypocritical for me to tell her not to when I'd do the exact same thing for my brothers. You don't abandon family."
Artie and Claudia	Artie had . . . mixed feelings on that front, having not spoken to his father since he'd essentially had to abandon his America-residing family to trade artifacts for his extended family in the Russian gulags. Still, he could understand the sentiment. "Fine. But if we're doing this -- and I'm still not convinced that we should be, I'm not putting any more people in danger than are absolutely necessary. You two should stay outside." "Wow, we almost agreed on something, there." Claudia crossed her arms. "I'm not sitting this out, Artie. We were both there when Joshua vanished. I'm betting we both need to be there to get him back."
Jake	"She handcuffed you, man," Jake pointed out, sounding almost amused. "Did you really think she was going to listen to that?"
Artie and Claudia	"Mm, yes." Artie glanced down at his cuffed hands. "I'll be of far more use to you, Claudia, if you take those off." Claudia smirked. "What, while you're driving?" "Smart alec," muttered Artie. "How'd she talk you and your friends into this little mission, anyway? Are they 'werewolves', too?" Though his hands were bound, the air quotes on that one were very heavily implied.
Jake	"What do you think?" Jake asked dryly. Seriously, for a scientist he should have figured out the whole being a giant thing. "See, it's this curious thing. It's called friendship and you help your friends. Weird, huh?"
Artie and Claudia	"With breaking and entering. You must be very good friends." "The best," Claudia said, very seriously, shooting Jake a small smile. "Which is why we're gonna succeed. If I disappear, they'll never forgive me. Or you, most likely." "Comforting," Artie said dryly. Something buzzed in his coat pocket, but he studiously ignored it. He most definitely wasn't going to let Myka and Pete get involved in this one. There were too many people in the line of fire as it was. "You realize none of you can tell anyone about what you've seen in the Warehouse, right? We have . . . ways of cleaning up leaks."
Jake	"I don't think any of us is going to be eager to draw anyone's attention," Jake assured him. Especially not any that ended with him in a lab... or part of that warehouse. Now there was a thought.
Artie and Claudia	If he'd known the direction of that thought, Artie would have reassured him that they didn't keep people in the Warehouse without very good reason. "See that you don't." If all went well, he might be able to even keep this incident from Mrs. Frederick. "And no more hacking into my files!" "Fine, geez." Claudia rolled her eyes. "I'm getting what I came for, anyway."
Jake	Jake snorted, somehow managing to keep from really laughing. "So, is that a deal then?"
Artie	"Deal? You want to make a deal so you don't act like an idiot?" Yeah, Artie was pretty much just an ass.
Jake	"You can't give me enough for that," Jake said dryly, rolling his eyes.
Artie	"Well, at least you're willing to admit it. So what, pray tell, are you expecting to get from this 'deal'?"
Jake	"You help Claudia and I won't bother you. How's that?" he suggested, thinking it was pretty obvious what they wanted.
Artie and Claudia	"That's not a deal, kid," Artie said tiredly. "That's blackmail." He glanced at Claudia in the mirror. "Next time, I suggest trying to ask." "Right." Claudia and Artie could basically have a grouch-a-thon, here. "'Cause you're the easiest dude to contact. Oh, and then there's the bit where you thought I was crazy." "Have you listened to yourself lately, kid?"
Jake	Jake snorted. "Since you work in a warehouse with not proven sentient dodgeballs, I don't think you're one to talk."
Artie and Claudia	If Artie responded to that, he'd have to admit that the kid had a point. So he didn't. "We're about twenty minutes outside of Minneapolis. Where exactly are we going, Claudia?" "Joshua's lab." Claudia smirked. "Duh."
Jake	"For a smart guy, that should have been obvious," Jake pointed out. He was possibly just enjoying needling the guy.
Artie and Claudia	"Yes, because I should naturally know that they haven't reappropriated that lab in the last five years!" Also, Artie wasn't sure he remembered exactly where it was. He wasn't going to say that part. Claudia snorted. "Please, it's cluttered enough that the university probably won't want to pay someone to clean it up after twelve years."
Jake	"Plus, we wouldn't have been able to find your brother if they had," Jake added. Yup, definitely enjoying the needling.
Artie and Claudia	"It'd be a lot harder, anyway." "Alright, children! Enough!" Artie didn't have a whole lot of patience for the needling. Claudia shot Jake a grin.
Jake	"Too easy," Jake snorted and grinned back at her, barely keeping from actually laughing out loud.
Artie and Claudia	"So is," Claudia agreed. "I'd say you were losing your edge, Artie, but I'm not sure you ever had it." Artie grumbled something unintelligible under his breath. How did he get himself into these situations? "Right. Where am I dropping the wolf?" Bad enough Claudia was involved with this. Artie wasn't about to be responsible for Claudia losing another person she was clearly close to. He'd prefer not to be responsible for Claudia, either, but that seemed unavoidable, at this point.
Jake	Jake raised an eyebrow, growing serious again. "Same place you're going."
Artie and Claudia	Artie shot Claudia a look in the mirror. "He is not going to the lab." "No, he's not," Claudia agreed, shooting the same look over towards Jake. For all their bickering, she and Artie could be really quite similar. "But he's probably going to the lab building, at least."
Jake	Jake glanced back at her and that was fair enough. He had good ears and he was fast. "Fine. Will that get your panties out of a twist?" he asked Artie.
Artie and Claudia	"My panties are just fine, thank you." Wait, that wasn't what Artie meant. Being Artie, though, he didn't bother trying to retract it. "You are not to enter the lab under any circumstances, do you hear me?" "Unless we're like 'help, Jake, we're dying!' You can come in, then." "Not helping, Claudia!"
Jake	"Yeah, she is," Jake said instantly. "Fine, I'll leave you geeks to do what you geeks do best. Unless I have reason to believe you're in danger." He looked pointedly at Claudia there.
Artie and Claudia	"I'll be fine, Jake." "Besides," Artie said pragmatically. "I'm not certain there's much you could do, should things go wrong, other than simply vanish, yourself."
Jake	"You just make sure no one vanishes and we won't have to find out," Jake replied, showing no inclination to listen to reason. Like hell he was going to let anyone else in his life disappear.
Artie and Claudia	"If anything goes wrong, I'll likely be disappearing as well," Artie pointed out. "So threatening me doesn't really accomplish much." "Cheery," Claudia noted. "Are we there yet?" Artie gave a long suffering sigh.