Arthur threw himself out of bed, lunging for his phone which was making a sound not unlike a siren. He didn't bother checking the time before answering it. Time didn't exactly matter right then, as there was only one reason that particular ringtone would ever play, and that was if there was an emergency situation on the MIB's hands.
"Hello?"
"This is the Magical Investigation Bureau's Emergency Alert System," came the cool voice of the automatic system. "There is a Class Six threat imminent. All personnel are required to present themselves to their nearest official location and await further orders. Security of the magical community is at stake, and we ask that all members remain calm and remember the proper protocols." The message repeated a second time before the line disconnected. From experience, he knew the message would go out again in about ten minutes, to catch those who might have missed it or to wake the ones who fell asleep.
"Fuck," he muttered under his breath, already reaching for some clothes.
Merlin's training had been coming along by leaps and bounds, both magically and regarding field and office protocols. This, however, was not a situation he imagined they would run into anytime soon. He had gone over the protocols in brief, not enough for a full understanding of what was going on, but enough to function if they had come up. Class Six was not something he had mentioned yet though.
Class Six was a full call to arms because it generally dealt with some kind of direct threat to the security of the magical community and the preservation of its secrecy. Though, more specifically, it dealt with large, violent, and obviously magical creatures. The last time a Class Six threat was identified, Queen Elizabeth the First was on the throne. It was not an event to aspire to.
Throwing on his clothes quickly, he was out the door before ten minutes had passed, running down the empty streets towards the Bureau's main office. He could only hope that Merlin would be there soon.
Leon was already down on their floor, pacing back and forth in front of his desk. Arthur couldn't blame him. It was likely what he would be doing in a few minutes.
"Do we know what's going on yet?" he asked, sliding into his seat to hopefully stave off the majority of his nervous tics. The bouncing of his leg was out of sight, though not completely undetectable from the glance Leon shot his way.
"I haven't heard anything else yet. But there's not much it can be," Leon pointed out. "Wildoren, questing beast, wyverns, dragons... I can't think of anymore."
"And most of those that we know of are contained. The questing beast is magical, and it usually has a single target." A chill spread through Arthur's bones. On some deep instinctual level, he really did not want to go up against a questing beast. There was little enough to do at the best of times. Even with the whole weight of the MIB behind them, it would cause far more damage than they could cover up.
"Have you noticed anything up with Morgana lately?"
The attempt to change the subject was both obvious and desperate, but the new topic was equally difficult. Arthur had not been getting on well with his cousin for the past few weeks, and at first, he was willing to shoulder the blame for something he didn't remember doing. But Morgana even admitted half the time that he hadn't done anything worthy of her ire, and she didn't remember yelling at him in the first place.
"A few things. What have you seen?"
Leon shrugged. "Sometimes, it's like she doesn't even know who I am. She looks at me as if she's never seen me before in her life, and that's hard, because, well..."
"I know." Arthur had been one of the first ones Morgana told about pursuing a relationship with Leon. They were taking it slow, much slower than anyone else he knew, but it was sweet and passionate. And he didn't dare get in the middle of it for fear of what she would do to him. She'd made clear enough that any intervention on his part would be met with swift and violent retribution.
"So, have you? I thought it was just me, but Percival also mentioned that she seemed particularly prickly for no discernable reason."
Arthur sighed. "Honestly, I seem to be the main recipient of her ire. At first, I thought I'd done something to make her angry, but there have been too many instances of things happening that I can't account for. And she never seems to remember being angry later. Maybe we should convince her to go to the infirmary for a check-up."
"Maybe. But after this. We need everyone on this, and we can't risk losing someone to medical because of little things." Leon finally sat down in his chair. "Even if it is a lot of little things."
People were starting to trickle in with more regularity over the next ten minutes, and Arthur had graduated from leg bouncing to pacing by the time Merlin arrived.
"Any news yet?" Merlin asked, practically collapsing at his desk.
It was rare to see Merlin tired, as he was always a font of energy when they were working. But now he was rumpled and exhausted, and his hair stuck up at odd angles from the way he must have slept on it. The effect was rather adorable, enough to make Arthur's steps falter.
He had slowly been coming to a realization over the past couple weeks-one he was almost certain others had already guessed from the knowing looks he sometimes caught. He was falling in love with Merlin. It wasn't something he had expected or sought out, but Merlin, by his very nature, was easy to get along with. It was simple for him to move past any defenses Arthur had put up against romance in the workplace and stand beside him as if he'd always been there. In some way, it felt like he had been there for far longer than he could have been. In the meantime, Arthur was stuck wondering if this was a normal progression given the trust he needed to place in his partner, or if his mind and body were conspiring against him to choose a person he probably couldn't have.
That, he knew, was what hurt him more than anything else: the thought that Merlin neither wanted nor would appreciate that sort of attention on him. He'd never shown the slightest interest in Arthur, other than what was necessary for their training sessions and their work. He was utterly professional, if willing to bend or break rules should the situation call for it.
He wasn't sure if Merlin was willing to bend that far, and Arthur would never ask it of him.
"No," he replied. "We haven't heard anything else yet. As soon as Morgana gets here, we should, but I don't know what's going on any more than you do. Just some Class Six threat."
Merlin nodded. "And that's definitely something to worry about?"
"Let me put it this way," Arthur said, sitting back down at his desk. "The last time the MIB had to deal with a Class Six threat, Queen Elizabeth I was on the throne, a single dragon burned out three villages, and 26 agents were killed trying to contain it or chase it off. Regarding non-magicals, that was another 178 casualties. It was the most exposed the magical community had been or would be for the next 400 years. Not even during the trial of the Pendle witches was the situation so bad and there was nothing we could have done about it. Dragons haven't even been seen since then, which speaks to a level of intelligence that we should have been able to reason with, but either no one tried, or the dragon simply refused to be reasoned with. I can't say for sure what the situation was, as the people closest to it all died and the rest were trying to contain the damage."
His partner had been turning paler with every word he said, and Arthur wished there was a way to soften the blow, but that would be undercutting a serious situation and he wasn't about to send Merlin into it anything less than prepared for what he was going to find.
"So, it's bad. Very bad."
"This could be the thing that reveals the community." Arthur sighed, leaning forward onto his desk. "With the number of cameras in any given location, whether it's a security camera or built into someone's smartphone, I don't see how we can walk away from whatever this situation is without revealing ourselves."
"And we can't do it on our terms either, can we?"
"No. This is the sort of thing that will be completely out of our hands from the beginning. We're going to be playing catch-up to the media storm this is going to cause." He started rubbing his temple in anticipation of the headache he was going to have. His father was going to be the front man in all of this, as he was in all affairs where the regular government and the magical community crossed over. This was going to make Sunday dinners with his parents slightly more difficult with all the added stress it was inevitably going to cause for Uther Drake, stress which was going to come out in some snide remarks about the capability of his department.
Morgana arrived, sweeping into the room with the poise of a queen and the urgency of ER doctor. "Thank you all for responding with such swiftness. Earlier this morning, we received word from the Offices in Leeds that there are three dragons flying south, in the direction of London. I hope I don't have to tell you that this is not good for any of us. Dragons are one of the most difficult creatures to contain, and the MIB has had dealings with them in that past that have led to a lot of damage and the exposure of our community. As such, all members of the MIB, regardless of department, are going to be involved in this. Hopefully, we will be able to reduce the collateral damage in this instance."
There were murmurs racing through the room. As Arthur had just explained to Merlin-and those who had been eavesdropping on them-the last incident of a Class Six situation was caused by a single dragon. To hear that it was three dragons winging their way to the city was beyond worrying.
"It is my hope that we can speak and reason with the dragons, as the Offices in Leeds have also mentioned that the dragons have not caused any damage that they have noted, and they have contacted offices and communities further north to verify this," Morgana continued. "It may very well be that something has changed in their situation or in our community that has brought them out of wherever they have been hiding for the past nearly 500 years. As it is, we cannot afford to approach this situation as aggressors, but we must be vigilant should the need for force arise." She sighed but straightened. "As all of you in the Office of Misapplied Magics are recognized for your magical prowess, I need you to be part of the main group, who will go and encounter the dragons. If any of you don't feel up to the task, you may join the auxiliary group for fire and damage control."
Arthur frowned, glancing over at Merlin. He didn't want him in the thick of things, especially given how badly this exact sort of situation had gone in the past. Pushing himself upright, he crossed the room to Morgana's side when it was clear she was done speaking.
She locked eyes with him, then slowly closed them, heaving a heavy sigh. "Whatever it is, no. We have too much to deal with to have you making petty demands right now."
"I just want to have Merlin put on the team handling damage control."
"Does Merlin himself want to be on that team?" She glanced past him and he stiffened, turning back to see if there was an angry Merlin hovering behind his left shoulder.
There wasn't. He was still sitting at his desk, but he was watching Arthur curiously. "I haven't asked."
"Maybe you should."
"Morgana, please. He doesn't have enough experience to deal with something like this!"
Her eyes flickered back to him, narrowing. "Then I imagine the fault for that lies entirely at your feet. You are the one who is supposed to be training him. If he is not up to the standards to take out into the field, perhaps I should separate the two of you. Place him with someone who can actually challenge him."
"He's fine to be out in the field. For regular situations. I think we both can agree that this is far from regular."
She straightened. "If you don't think he can handle this, Arthur, then fine. Both of you can be part of the auxiliary team."
"But-"
"No. If you're going to decide that he's not ready to deal with this, without consulting him, then you are clearly not ready to deal with it yourself. Or were you not bragging the other day that he is better than you in almost everything you have managed to teach him." She smirked at him, and it wasn't playful like it usually was. There was something darker in the look, something that made parts of him he didn't know existed shudder. "Except in regard to subtlety in combat magics, I think you said, where he manages to make even the most mundane attack appear magical through the sheer force exerted."
"I thought we were going to-"
"My first concern in all of this is the safety and wellbeing of all those involved. If you think he's not ready for something like this, by all means, take him and yourself off the main group. But if you want to be on the front line-if you want to play the hero-then you are going to have your partner beside you." The edge had disappeared from her smirk, but it was still unsettling. "We need every capable mage and sorcerer we have dealing with this, and I will not watch you place one of the strongest mages in the auxiliary team because you don't want your boyfriend to get hurt."
Arthur winced. Of course, Morgana had noticed, probably a lot sooner than he had. He hated that she was now using it as ammunition against him. It was yet another point to something being wrong, that and the malicious smirk she'd been sporting a moment ago. "Fine," he replied. Backing down was the only real option here. He would be right beside Merlin should anything happen and could help lead him through anything they tried to turn back or stop the dragons. If it came to that, which he really hoped it didn't. "Fine, we'll be in the main group."
"Good." She crossed her arms. "I need you up at the front. You're one of the few people who can get everyone here to listen. If I'd had to confine you to the other group, they would have considered that admitting defeat before the dragons are even here." She glanced past him again. "You should go reassure your partner before he hurts himself worrying about this."
Arthur turned back. Merlin didn't look particularly worried, but he was uncommonly still. Merlin was almost never still and, whenever he was, it was a sign that he was ill at ease.
"Do you think we can reason with them?" he asked, once Arthur was close enough to hear his near whisper. "The dragons?"
He sighed. "Like I said, what little we know to be true about dragons suggest that, yes, we should be able to reason with them. However, the problem lies in whether they will be willing to listen to reason. We don't and can't know that with any degree of certainty that they will, or that their level of intelligence is enough that a conversation can be had. I don't-"
He paused, thinking about the first time he heard about dragons, how he was so shocked that the only one they really knew about had caused such destruction for no real reason, how betrayed he felt with that knowledge. He felt worse when he discovered that there had been an active study over the years speculating on how to hurt or kill a dragon. Older stories spoke of dragons that could talk, that had their own magics and lived thousands of years. But something had happened to those dragons, and no one could be sure that the dragons they knew and attempted to study were of the same type.
"I don't want this situation to end in fighting any more than I imagine you do. I want this to be settled peacefully. Can you imagine? Being able to talk to a dragon, to have a conversation with one... They're supposed to live far longer than any human can. What do you think they could tell us about our history?"
"I don't know," Merlin admitted, rubbing his arms. "I just don't want to kill anyone, dragon or otherwise."
"I understand that. I hope you never have to." Arthur knew that if it ever came to it, if Merlin was ever in a position where he might be forced to kill someone, he would take the choice out of his hands. Arthur had killed before and would likely kill again, and it was better for the guilt to fall on his conscience than Merlin's. He just dreaded the day he would no longer be able to protect him.
After a flurry of preparation and movement, a makeshift staging area had been set up in Hampstead Heath, the area cordoned off and protected as best they could manage on such short notice. It was their hope that the sheer number of magicals congregated in the area would draw the attention of the dragons.
They also hoped to have the whole matter settled before morning was fully upon them, but everyone present knew the difference between hoping for something achievable and wishful thinking. With dawn already painting the sky with pinks and gold on the horizon, it was only a matter of time before the vast majority of London was awake and nearby residence of the heath began wondering why it was suddenly and unexpectedly off limits.
That, however, was a matter for the Ministry of Extra Affairs. And perhaps some assistance from MI-5. Either way, it wasn't something for those in the field to deal with at that moment.
"Do we know how far out they are?" Leon asked, standing off to Arthur's left.
"Word out of Northampton about an hour given the speed they appeared to be flying." Arthur shrugged. "But that's only a guess, and it was a bit ago. It could be sooner; it could be later. Morgana sent out a few of the auxiliary teams to spy them a little further out, but I haven't heard anything yet."
Merlin shivered on his other side. "Cold out this morning, isn't it?" he remarked, rubbing his arms in an attempt to warm them.
"A bit, I suppose," Arthur agreed, though he had been out in colder weather than this. He wondered if Merlin was starting to get sick or something. Maybe it was nerves, given the situation. That was what he had been attributing Merlin's uncommon paleness to. But with the apparent chills, he had to consider sickness might also be the cause. "Do you want me to find you a parka or something?"
"No, I'll be fine," he bit out hurriedly, which only served to alarm Arthur more.
"Is something wrong?"
"No, I-" He cut off, biting his lip. "It's just a feeling."
"What sort of feeling?" Arthur shifted closer, idly wishing for a spell that could keep someone warm without being as obvious as most spells were. "Morgana sometimes gets feelings about certain things, and many of those times, what she thought might happen, does."
Merlin still hesitated. "It's just... It's like someone is walking over my grave."
It was just a phrase, one Arthur had used before himself, but rarely did it feel as real as it did when he looked into Merlin's eyes. There was a sort of haunted distress in them which had him placing another point towards someone attempting to erase Merlin's memory in the past.
"You'll be fine," Arthur told him, with more force than he intended as he tried to make himself believe it as well. "We'll get through this, and then we'll take a bit to work things out."
Merlin laughed weakly. "You think things can be worked out? You think this is normal?"
In return, Arthur was able to give him a genuine grin. "We're mages. Nothing we are is ever considered normal. It's part of our charm."
Some of the tension in Merlin's shoulders eased and Arthur was more than willing to call it a success for the time being. "I suppose you're right," he admitted. "I'm probably just being silly."
"Well, I wouldn't say you were being silly. Just on edge, like the rest of us. I almost wish Gwaine was here to make the waiting a bit easier." He glanced sideways at Merlin. "Even if he is more trouble than he's worth most of the time."
"He's not that bad." Merlin pushed at Arthur. "Besides, he says the same of you."
"Oh, I know what he says about me. Some tosser throwing about his weigh because of who he is and what he has. Half the time, I think he hates me because of what I've been given in life, the rest of the time, I think he resents that I have it and he doesn't. I think we could've been friends if he hadn't heard so much about me before we actually met."
"Maybe you could fix that," Merlin suggested. "Show him that you aren't just some prat travelling further up the ladder than you were meant to go."
"Excuse you, what do you mean 'just'?"
Merlin grinned widely. "I suppose you wouldn't have noticed how big your head has been getting. It really is quite large."
"It is not!"
Suddenly a cry arose from those behind them, the ones who were paying far more attention to the sky than to each other. Instantly, Arthur was on guard, and he watched the coil of tension wind its way back into Merlin's body. Magic pooled in Arthur's fingertips, ready to be cast at a moment's notice. There was enough light now that the three shapes wheeling overhead were clearly visible, dark against the sky.
This was it. This was the first time humans would encounter dragons in almost five hundred years, and Arthur didn't know if they were ready for it. He didn't know if they would ever be ready for it.
Beside him, Merlin stiffened, his gaze locked on the largest of the three. Then, something odd happened.
Merlin shuddered, shaking off all of the tension he'd been holding, and his head and shoulders dropped, his chin almost touching his chest. From far deeper than Arthur would have thought him capable, Merlin began chanting something that was decidedly not Old English. "O drakon, e male so ftengometta tesd'hup'anankes!"
Above them, the dragons wheeled around yet again, but this time, they were coming lower. Arthur stepped ahead of Merlin, prepared to protect him from whatever happened next. When he dared to look back at his partner, there was a look of such determination and confidence on his face that Arthur wasn't sure anymore what he should do. He stood, fixed to the spot as Merlin moved around him while the dragons dipped lower.
Finally, with an impact that shook the ground, the dragons landed in front of them. Only then did Merlin's steps falter and the man that Arthur had grown familiar with returned to his body. He stumbled back into Arthur, turning to him with confusion in his eyes.
"Well met, young warlock," the largest dragon rumbled, bowing to Merlin. "It has been some time since I was called from the skies by that tongue."
Merlin turned back to the dragons, who were all regarding him with some interest, offering an unsteady bow in return. "I don't- What- I didn't-"
"Time and circumstance have not been kind to either of us, it seems." The dragon nodded. Besides being the largest, it also had the strangest coloring. At first, it appeared almost white, but in the growing light its scales had taken on an opalescent sheen. "I am Aithusa, oldest of the dragons yet living. At my right is Sotrios, and Efthymia stands at my left flank. We have come to call forth and take part in a meeting of the Council of Magic. We mean no harm to you or any of yours."
"Oh." Merlin looked back to Arthur, who stood forward at his side.
"Welcome and well met, Aithusa, Sotrios, and Efthymia. I feel I must apologize for our numbers and our force. We did not know what to expect."
"There is no offense taken, young mage. I, more than my children here, well remember why human magic users have cause to fear our kind. Grave was the mistake made that day, and gravely was it answered. I regret that I can offer no further peace to the matter more than what is already long settled." Aithusa drew up to their full standing height, which dwarfed all humans on the ground. "Come, let us move to more private places. We are not meant for the wider world and have taken great pains to keep our presence hidden."
As Arthur turned to lead the dragons-though he was unsure where he was meant to lead them-he noticed Merlin swaying where he stood.
"Arthur," he whispered. "I think something's wrong." He opened his mouth to say more, but nothing came out but a small groaning gasp as he collapsed where he stood.
Arthur lunged to catch him, barely managing it before he hit the group. Hefting Merlin's too light body into his arms, he turned to Leon.
"Go," Leon told him firmly. "Take care of him. I can deal with this."
Arthur was already whispering the transportation spell before Leon finished speaking. He didn't know what was happening to Merlin, but he was going to find out once and for all.
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