Authors Note: Steampunk AU! I'm crazy ok… I'll admit that but that's ok crazy is good. Anyway yeah also don't kill me too much for this, I do some terrible things in here. Fem! Merlin. I own nothing, don't kill me.
1. Loss
Merlin was under an engine when Giaus first met her. The teen prodigy had one annoying habit, she was always working on something. An annoyed garage attendant pointed the physician to a set of legs clad in worn brow leather pants and scuffed brown boots sticking out from under a very large engine block. There was a muffled curse from under the engine and Giaus heard the sound of dripping as a hand, callused and covered in grease, reached out from under the block. It searched for a few minutes in a disorganized pile of tools until a clunk sounded followed by a more colorful curse. The hand swiftly disappeared back under the engine.
"Get over here!" Several tools glowed and floated under the engine.
"Ow! Not all at once damn you!" Several tools retreated back to the haphazard pile and the voice, probably Merlin's, sighed.
"Thank you." The voice went quiet as Giaus heard the unmistakable sound of a wrench at work and the dripping sound slowed then stopped. There was another thunk and then the cranking echoed from the wrench once more. A laugh sounded from behind Giaus, he turned and saw the garages head mechanic William standing there with a fold up chair.
"Thought you might want this, she's been under there since two yesterday, she might be a while. Giaus right?" Giaus nodded and accepted the seat.
"Yes. This is Merlin then?" A clunk and more swearing from the engine block with legs.
"Who's out there talking about me now? Geoffrey if that's you, no it's not going to happen! No matter how nicely you ask." Will laughed again.
"Nope, and do I even want to know? It's me Will. And you've a visitor." Wheels creaked as the mechanics rest began to roll out from under the engine.
"Who'd visit me?" Merlin asked and Giaus wondered if Will hadn't been exaggerating how long she'd been under that engine block. She wore a red shirt and brown vest with bronze buttons, both were stained with engine grease. Around her neck was a royal blue neckerchief. This one seemed to be more functional than fashionable as she used it to wipe at a streak of grease on her cheek. It didn't work very well, in fact it drew a new streak of oil along her prominent cheekbone as she tried to make herself more presentable. Her raven hair was a mess and her eyes were covered by black lensed goggles set into green rims. She pushed them up into her hair, messing it up further if that was possible. Her eyes gleamed, being as they were the only clean part of her face. Deep sapphires would have been ashamed next to the blue of her eyes, not that she was the kind to wear any sort of jewelry. She smiled as Giaus introduced himself and Will wandered off.
"It's nice to meet you Giaus, moms told me a lot about you. But I have to ask, what are you doing here?"
"Your mother asked me to come." Merlin frowned.
"Why?"
"She says you're having problems here. Ealdor's a small town and your talents are getting you noticed in a bad way. She says you've been attacked twice on the way home from work." Merlin's frown deepened as she fingered a bandage on her left wrist.
"Yeah, so?" She asked the ground, refusing to meet Giaus' gaze.
"So, she is worried about you. Your engineering talents are known as far as Cenred's capital and that coupled with your magical talents make you a prime target for being recruited for Cenred's personal guard." Merlin looked terrified. Cenred, the king of Estier, was notoriously awful to his recruits, almost none of whom volunteered for his service. He was brutal, killing for the most minor of offences.
"I'm here to help. I can offer you a place in Camelot as my apprentice." Merlin's face lit up.
"The floating city?!" Giaus smiled and nodded. Merlin launched herself at him and hugged him tight.
"Oh thank you so much!" Giaus patted her on the back.
"We'll have to leave tonight, my source tells me Cenred is closer than you thought." Merlin paled and nodded before releasing Giaus and swinging an arm toward her tools which haphazardly packed themselves into her case. She quickstepped across the room and over to Will. Giaus couldn't make out what they were saying but it quickly escalated into an argument. Will seemed to be shouting and Merlin looked on the verge of tears. She unpinned a badge from her vest and tossed it at Will's feet, her goggles joined it seconds later. She turned on her heels and raced back to Giaus, grabbed her tool kit and ran for the door. Giaus quickstepped after her even as they heard Will call out.
"Wait!"
Merlin and her mother, Hunith, lived in a small cottage on the edge of Ealdor alone. Parked outside their two room home was Merlin's personal flyer. Made of copper and gold it resembled the bird for which its creator was named. The wings were feathered, various scrap metal plates layered to make a solid layer, and the cockpit was the head of the large predatory bird. From what Giaus could see as they raced past it, several passengers could ride inside the body of the bird. The engine itself was nestled in the beak of the oversized hawk. They bolted the door behind them and Merlin raced past her mother to pack a bag. Hunith bit her lip.
"How did she take it?" Giaus frowned.
"Well enough, until she spoke with the head mechanic." Hunith nodded.
"Will. She'll have told him she's leaving. They've been like brother and sister since they were little. He'd want to know where. She won't have told him, she'll want him to be safe. That's what's upset him." Giaus nodded.
"You've packed as well Hunith? We'll have to leave quickly, tonight." Hunith nodded fidgeting nervously.
That night they worked swiftly under cover of darkness. Merlin clicked open the passenger seating with the wave of a hand and Giaus loaded the three small bags of essentials the woman were bringing with them. Merlin was doing a final check of the engine as Giaus went to hurry Hunith along. A noise from her left made her draw her flintlock pistol and squint into the darkness.
"We both know you don't need that you daft warlock, so you can put that away." Merlin swore softly and did so.
"Go away Will. I have to go, and I can't tell you where in case they come looking for me." Will stepped out of the shadows, a pack on his shoulder.
"I'm coming with you, you daft warlock. You cannot take care of yourself and I know you'll need help in the floating city. The only thing keeping me here was you and Hunith anyway."
"We're not going to the floating city Will. You can't…" Will cut her off with a glare. Hunith made no comment but smiled at Will and Merlin as she slammed the engine cover closed, pouting slightly.
They would have made it, they would have taken off free and clear and safe, had one of the garage attendants not overheard their conversation earlier that day. Floodlights blinded them, Hunith gasped and Will and Merlin swore. Hunith pressed a package into her daughter's arms and yelled above the sound of ships moving in around them.
"Get going my hawk!" Merlin dove into the cockpit as Will dove into the passenger seating pulling Giaus with him. Shots echoed around them and Merlin started the engines only to pause as a scream rent the night air.
"Mother!" She screamed almost vaulting out of her seat as she saw her mother fall to a bullet from one of Cenred's guns.
"Autopilot engage! Lock to cockpit." Her mother called out and Merlin cursed and swore as the cockpit, programmed to take both of their voice commands, locked closed.
"Merlin I love you. Go now."
"I won't leave you!"
"Yes you will! I've lived my life, go live yours. Go now!" Hunith gasped and coughed. Bullets ricochet around, trying to penetrate the hawk. Will shouted over the noise as Merlin, too stunned to act stared at her mother who lay unmoving.
"Merlin, go now! There's nothing you can do, go."Merlin snapped into action and the door to the passenger seating snapped closed. The Hawk purred to life and zipped off leaving the lifeless body of Merlin's mother behind.