Chapter One: Invitation From the Mayor
Author note: This story is part of the Magical Flashpoint Side Story series. It follows "Between Phoenix Flames" and comes before "Trial By Fire".
Since I had so much fun with "Samhaine", I decided to go for round two (and probably more for every Halloween I can get away with). Hey, gotta have my geek-outs somewhere!
Although all original characters belong to me, I do not own Flashpoint, Harry Potter, Narnia, or Merlin. I also do not own the Avengers or Justice League International.
On the Monday two weeks before Halloween, Greg Parker was just settling down to another morning's worth of paperwork. Thankfully, the day's paperwork was much less than usual, owing to a slower than normal week for Team One. The Sergeant shook his head to himself, musing on the looks he'd get from his team when he showed up earlier than usual for the day's workout.
Greg was also grateful that, unlike the year before, his nipotes seemed to be content with the current plan for them to go trick-or-treating with the Wordsworth girls, Clark Lane, and the two mothers on Halloween. After the last Halloween, which had 'officially' been off, Team One was anticipating being on-duty, thus the arrangements for all of the team's kids to club up for the holiday. Lance and Alanna were planning on reprising their costumes from the year before, the three Wordsworth girls had set their hearts on the latest and greatest in Disney princesses, though little Ally wanted to go as Tinkerbelle, and, last he'd heard, Clark was debating between his Blue Beetle costume and Indiana Jones.
The minutes ticked by quietly as Greg worked his way through the stack of papers and reports; he sighed in relief when it was done. He understood the paperwork part of his job, but that didn't mean he liked it, so it was nice to have it done, if just for one day. The Sergeant hefted the stack and took it out to Kira, planning on shifting to the workout room for the rest of the morning unless they got a call out. No major warrants were on the schedule, meaning Team One was free to do as they liked for the day.
"Hey, Boss," Ed remarked, joining Greg at Kira's desk. "Get that done already?"
"Yep, now where's your stuff?" Greg teased his team leader.
Ed shrugged; he avoided the paperwork as much as he could, but somehow always got it done in spite of his preference for the practical parts of their job. "Soph wants to know what time the kids get out of school on Halloween."
Greg mused for an instant, running through their school schedule in his head. "I think they're out about 1530 or so, but I'll double check tonight and let you know tomorrow, okay?"
"Copy that," Ed agreed. "We got time." He cocked his head to the side. "Do they have anything going on at the school for Halloween?"
His reward was a roll of the eyes. Dropping his voice down, Greg informed his team leader, "I heard something about 'Harry Potter Day' and a big celebration since this year marks ten years since the Second War ended. The kids really aren't interested in going."
Ed nodded at the emphasis, but tilted his head to the side. "The war ended on Halloween?"
"First one did, remember?" Greg countered. "My guess, they're celebrating the end of both wars on the same day." With a shrug of his own, Greg added in a slightly louder tone, "Besides, their classmates probably wouldn't appreciate their costumes all that much."
At that, Ed snickered. "No superheroes in the magical world, eh? No wonder they like 'em so much."
Greg choked on his own laughter; after their initial adjustment, the kids hadn't just settled in, they'd pretty much thrown themselves into learning and enjoying as much as they could about and in the tech world. "Well, good for them, as long as they don't drag me into Halloween again this year," he decided. "I'm heading for the workout room, Eddie. Get that paperwork done while we're slow."
Ed tossed his Sergeant a mock salute, inwardly acknowledging that Greg had a point about getting the paperwork done and out of the way while they had time to spare. Before either man could move away, Kira hung up her phone and turned with an apologetic look. "Sorry, Sarge, but Commander Holleran just asked me to send you in once you were done with the paperwork."
The Sergeant blew out a breath. "Okay, Kira, I'll go in and talk to him now, then. See you in a bit, Eddie."
"Later, boss," Ed called as Greg headed around the desk towards Holleran's office. The team leader huffed as he reluctantly opted to detour to his own stack of paperwork.
Greg rapped on the open door, watching a moment as his superior looked up from his own stack of paperwork. "You wanted to see me, sir?" he asked, a touch worried. Team One hadn't had any major incidents since the City Hall Sniper and their performance reviews hadn't slipped at all, so why the sudden summons?
"Yes, I did, Sergeant Parker," Commander Holleran agreed. "Come in and close the door." As Greg obeyed, Holleran leaned back in his chair, absently playing with his pen. He waved Greg to the seat in front of his desk and waited until the Sergeant was seated to speak again. "The Mayor's office has been in touch with me concerning His Honor's annual Halloween party."
Greg stiffened. "After last year?" he blurted in horrified dismay. "They want us back?"
Commander Holleran's laugh was a trifle bitter. "Sergeant, last year put Mayor Dickerson's Halloween party on the map. And that your team was able to take down those criminals while in costume? The Mayor's people got weeks of good publicity out of it and I spent most of those weeks fielding reporters who wanted to know where your team got your costumes." Greg flushed bright red at that. "None of them were inclined to believe me when I said I didn't know. I confess, I was more than a bit relieved when the next major incident came along and they disappeared to cover it."
"I'm sorry, sir; I didn't know we'd caused that much trouble for you." He really hadn't and now Parker was reconsidering letting his nipotes reuse their costumes from last year.
Holleran waved the apology away. "Not your fault, Sergeant Parker. Unfortunately, all of that means that the Mayor's office is, essentially, looking for a repeat performance."
The Sergeant openly cringed at that. "They want to put people in danger?" he questioned. "Do they have any idea how bad last year could have been if the kids hadn't pulled their insane, dangerous stunt?" A stunt he'd grounded them for and he knew Eddie had been livid with Clark for going along with the two younger children's plan to jump the Royal Flush Gang from behind.
"No, they don't," Commander Holleran replied, looking rather tired. "Or, if they do, they don't care." He sighed and tapped a small stack of what looked to be invitations that he'd just pulled out from his desk's upper drawer. "In fact, they've specifically invited your wards as well as Clark Lane this year."
Another cringe from Greg. "What about the Wordsworth girls?"
"No specific invitation for them, so if the Wordsworths prefer to keep them away from this mess, that shouldn't be an issue. No specific invitations for Sophie or Shelley either."
That earned a deep frown. "So they're cherry-picking who they want," he observed.
"Yes," Holleran confirmed. "Given what the Mayor's office would like to happen, my advice would be to leave the wives and the little girls home."
"Then we should leave all of the kids home," Greg argued. "Asking us to bring our children to a dangerous situation is going too far."
A moue of distaste. "We've no proof, Sergeant. Right now, it's just a Halloween party; nothing to be worried or concerned about."
"But sir," Greg started. He had no intention of risking his nipotes just to satisfy a politician's need for good publicity.
"I'm sorry, Parker, but if the children aren't there, the Mayor's office will raise a hue and cry; they've even vaguely threatened to cut funding for the SRU." Regretfully, Holleran passed the stack of invitations over to his Sergeant. "Go armed, Parker."
"Copy that, sir," Greg replied grimly. More than that, he was going to make sure his team knew how to use their costumes this year.
Parker waited until after the workout to drop the bombshell on his team; the delay gave him time to think through his initial strategy – and throttle his urge to march down to the Mayor's office and tell the man exactly what he thought of the idea to put his and Eddie's kids in jeopardy just to score a few political points. The Sergeant's negotiator mask was invaluable; he didn't need his team cottoning onto any problems until he was ready to tell them.
But, as the team broke for lunch, Greg knew he'd have to tell them about their sudden Halloween plans. He waited patiently for lunch to be over, then called his team into the briefing room. In his hands were the invitations Holleran had given him, direct from the Mayor's office. When the team was assembled, he drew in a deep breath and began. "I'm sure everyone except Sam remembers last year's Halloween."
Instant groans rose. "They're not inviting us back again this year, are they, Sarge?" Wordy asked, openly dismayed. "Shel, Soph, and the kids already have plans!"
"I know," Greg acknowledged in a tired voice. "Shelley, Sophie, and your girls won't have to change their plans, but my kids and Clark will. The Mayor's office is specifically inviting us and them. I hate to say this team, but last year is a big part of this year's invitation; Holleran told me flat out that the Mayor's hoping for round two."
"Wait, they want round two and they want our kids involved?" Ed demanded sharply. "Are they insane?"
"Round two of what?" Sam questioned, looking rather confused as he glanced between his boss and his teammates.
"Superheroes versus supervillains," Spike filled in glumly. "We can fill you in later, Samtastic, but it was a mess and we're lucky no one got hurt." He looked up at his boss. "That must be some big stick they're using on Holleran to get him to agree to this."
"It is," Greg acknowledged. "I don't like it team, no more than the rest of you, but as of right now, the SRU does not have the leverage to ignore the Mayor's 'request'. So, everyone's going to go armed and," he pinned his team with his gaze, "Everyone is going to know how to use their costume." Glancing over at Jules, he moved on briskly. "Jules, since Shelley and Sophie won't be coming, we can get you in a better costume than last year. Your choice on which one you want."
Jules considered thoughtfully, well aware that by 'better costume' her boss actually meant 'better armed'. "Black Widow," she decided. "It's got those powered up taser wrist things, so it's more effective and the costume gives me more room to maneuver."
"Copy that," Greg confirmed. "Everyone else stays the same?" He earned nods around the room.
"That include you, Boss?" Lou questioned, cocking his head to the side.
"Yes, for now," Greg decided. "But I'll have my vest under the business suit." He looked over at Spike. "Figure out a costume for Sam. Has to be in the same theme as the rest of them."
Spike's eyes lit up and Sam shifted nervously at the gleam in his teammate's eyes. "My costume?" As Spike's gleam grew, Sam gulped. "Why do I think I'm going to end up regretting this?" he wondered aloud.
The bomb tech smirked. "Don't worry, Samtastic; I've got the perfect idea for your costume."
"Which is?" Sam inquired, his wariness growing just as fast as Spike's glee.
Spike's grin grew wider. "You'll see," he teased.