Prologue

Author note: spoilers for 02x03: Clean Hands. Pretty much the entire episode. And I am using dialogue from the episode. This story is the eleventh in the Magical Flashpoint series. It follows "Family By Blood, Family By Choice".

Although all original characters belong to me, I do not own Flashpoint, Harry Potter, Narnia, or Merlin.


In a lonely, deserted area of a busy airport, Sergeant Parker faced off with a desperate man from behind a shield. "Looks like we gotta figure this one out, huh?" he called, voice level.

With a bite to his voice, the man, who wore an SRU radio, replied, "I was under the impression all the figuring had been done, Greg."

Behind the man and his hostage, Ed Lane moved as quickly as he could, racing to get into position before it was too late. "I've got the slug, Spike. We're on our way."

In the Command Truck, on his cell phone, Spike warned, "Ed, the range is short, and that thing doesn't shoot straight. You don't hit him dead-on, it could be…it could be bad for Sam."

Grim, Ed replied, "Spike, we got no choice."

With one hand on a captive Sam Braddock and the other clutching an unpinned grenade, the man yelled, "I mean, why should he live? Why should he live? When, every day, what he did kills all of us, Greg."

Greg didn't dare interrupt as the man ranted. Jules stood slightly in front of him and to his right, shield up. To Jules' right and behind, Wordy had his submachine gun at the ready. Ed and Lou hurried toward the man, careful to stay out of sight.

"It kills all of us a little bit more and a little bit more and a little bit more till there's…there's nothing left," the man rasped out, anger, grief, and desperation mixing in his words.

"There is something left, Walter," Greg offered, determined to keep the man distracted just long enough.

With renewed bitterness, the man spat, "What? There's no reason why. There's just people in pain, spinning around a black hole, hoping that somebody, anybody…"

Sam's eyes flicked to the side, spotting the two sneaking into position, judging their positions and his captor's rising desperation. Ed veered off from the windows, moving through the rows of airport seating, weapon raised and aimed.

"…will just finish this," the man finished, raising his arm to throw the grenade down.

"Go now!" Sam roared.