"Explain to me again what your friend is doing?" Arthur asked. The king stood with Supergirl and her friends outside the DEO med bay, watching the Martian Manhunter closely as he sat with Lena.
"J'John is using his telepathic abilities to set up a series of psychic barriers in Lena's mind," Supergirl explained "basically, he's trying to trap the high priestess inside her head. Combined with her medication, it should help her maintain control. You mentioned a cauldron back at L-Corp," she recalled "You said it could break Lena's curse."
"The Cauldron of Arianrhod. It's where we took Guinevere after she was enchanted with the curse of the Dark Tower. In order to break the curse, we must convince my sister to willingly walk into the Cauldron's waters," Arthur instructed "Then, a sorcerer must speak the necessary incantation."
"So who's going to do the spell?" Alex asked.
"I can," Merlin offered, flinching slightly at the look his king gave him "I know the spell, I can break the curse."
"Do you take me for a fool, Merlin?" Arthur asked darkly "Do you honestly think that I would put my sister's fate in your hands? After all the pain you've caused her?"
"I only wish to help, Arthur. I give you my word-,"
"Your word means NOTHING TO ME!" the king shouted, gripping his sword hilt.
"That's enough!" Supergirl snapped, stepping between the two men of Camelot "My cousin knows a sorceress out in Las Vegas. I'll ask him to reach out and see if she can cast the spell."
"Thank you, Lady Kara," Arthur said, before giving his servant a harsh glare "Leave us."
"Arthur,"
"My sister could come out of that room at any moment and the last thing she needs to see in her condition is you. Leave," the king ordered "Go…find a tavern or something."
Merlin suddenly felt the urge to introduce the Arthur to the sorcerer's version of a friendly slap. "Fine. I could use a stiff drink" he said as he marched out "One day with the royal prat is more than enough to make me wonder why I spent the past sixteen hundred years waiting around for you!"
"That makes two of us!" Arthur shouted back.
"Some things never change, do they Arthur?" Lena asked.
The king of Camelot turned around and saw his sister walking out of the med bay with the Martian Manhunter. "How are you feeling, sister?"
"Best as I can," Lena guessed "All things considered."
"I did my best with the psychic barriers," said J'John "but considering the…mystical source of Lena's condition, I'm not sure how long they'll hold."
"We're working on a permanent solution," Kara promised "In the meantime, why don't we take you home? Pizza and pot stickers on me?"
Lena smiled. "Deal."
"What are pizza and pot stickers?" Arthur asked.
Kara's face lit up. "Only the best food ever invented. Pot stickers are these amazing types of dumplings and pizza is,"
"Stop right there," Arthur insisted "You said food. All I needed to hear was food. I have not eaten in sixteen hundred years and I need food. Please take me to the food, I beg of you."
Lena laughed. "It is no easy feat to make Arthur Pendragon beg for anything, believe me."
"Why don't you guys go ahead without me?" Alex suggested "I need to take care of something first."
Merlin sat alone Al's Dive Bar, trying to drown his sorrows with a pint of Thanagarian ale.
"Mind if I join you?"
Merlin looked up from his drink and saw Alex Danvers standing over him. "How did you find me here?"
"You said you looked into J'John's mind when he was interrogating you," Alex reminded as she sat down beside him "Which means you know that this is the best place in town to get in a drink. I'm guessing the reunion of Camelot's dynamic duo isn't going how you planned?"
Merlin chuckled. "That is a tragic understatement," he said, just before he took a long sip from his ale.
"For what it's worth, it's probably it's best if you aren't the one to break Lena's curse."
"Because I'm the cruel, callous wizard who wants her dead?"
"Because you're dying," Alex answered, causing Merlin to set down his drink "Ever since we got back from the Lake of Avalon, you have been getting weaker and weaker. Especially after you use your magic. You try to break Lena's curse and the strain could kill you," she insisted, frowning at the look on the sorcerer's face "But you knew that didn't you?"
Merlin stared into the bottom of his ale. "For the past few years, I have felt my powers slipping away, little by little. I feared that I would not live long enough for me to see Arthur's return. That is why I was so determined to end Morgana when I came to National City. She was my greatest failure. In the beginning, I wanted nothing more than to share my magic with Morgana. But my mentors advised otherwise. They told me that it was too dangerous, they told me that she was dangerous. That she was destined to align herself with Mordred and bring fought Arthur's destruction. I couldn't allow that to happen. Poisoning Morgana was the hardest decision I have ever had to make. Over the centuries, I told myself that my mistake was being too kind to her but the truth is, I wasn't kind enough. If I must die to right that wrong, then so be it. Though now, I doubt I'll get the chance." Merlin sighed and dried his eyes, right before he swallowed the last of his ale.
After forcing her to help try to kill Lena, Alex saw Merlin as a malicious manipulator. Now she just saw a sad old man full of regret and needing a friend.
"Last year, I was forced to kill my sister's aunt," she confessed, earning a look from Merlin "I tried to keep it from her, but hiding the truth only did my harm than good. If you and Arthur are the kind of friends I think you are, you'll get through this."
"I pray you're right," Merlin whispered.
Arthur loved modern food. When he first heard Kara offered pot stickers and pizza for dinner, he assumed that she was offering to cook, not pay to have food cooked and delivered to Lena's home. At first, Arthur was going to ask how that little rectangle allowed to pay for the meal, but once he took in the sweet scent of the food, all the king could think about was filling his empty stomach. The pizza was his favorite. Bread covered in meat and cheese? Why didn't they have this in Camelot?
"I think you might've actually eaten more pot stickers than Kara," Lena said with a laugh.
"As I said before, my last meal was sixteen hundred years ago," Arthur reminded as he wiped his mouth.
"I suppose you'll eating much differently," Lena confessed "after you're crowned the once and future king."
Arthur frowned as his sister smiled at him. "I don't want to be king anymore, Lena."
Lena smiled. "Very funny."
"I'm serious. I don't want to retake the throne."
Lena's brow furrowed as she realized her brother wasn't joking. "What will you do?"
"Whatever I want," he said with genuine excitement. "I could live a simple life in the country. Explore this new world. I could work for your merchant guild," Arthur suggested.
"Arthur, you have to retake the throne," Lena insisted "Albion needs you."
"Is that why they question if ever existed?" he asked "Because they need me? Before we left the DEO, I noticed this book sitting on one of the desks. It was about me and our lives in Camelot. I didn't bother to read it, though. The cover told me all I needed to know. King Arthur and the knights of the round table," he quoted "a children's classic. That is the sum total of my reign, Lena. A story to help children sleep at night."
"My cousin loved those stories," said Kara "His parents read them to him every night. They say he used to run around the house with a wooden sword in his hand and red blanket tied around his neck like a cape. Your story taught him how to fight for honor, justice and truth. You inspired the world's greatest superhero." The CatCo media reporter looked down at her phone as it started to ring "I have to take this." And she walked into the kitchen.
"Kara's right Arthur," Lena agreed "Albion needs you. Your reign may've been brief, but in terms of morals, it was leaps and bounds ahead of all the kings who followed in your footsteps."
"I can't sit on that throne again. Not without her by my side."
"Gwen."
Arthur felt a deep pain in his heart at the mention of his wife. "I can't even visit her grave, Lena. I don't know where she's buried and even I did, there's probably nothing left to visit," the king felt a lump in his throat as he glanced at his cherished wedding ring "I can't do it. I'm all alone and I just, I just can't do it."
"You're not alone," Lena assured gently "Whatever comes next, I'll be by your side. And if being king doesn't work out, I can put you in charge of guarding my…merchant guild tower."
"I'm guessing that an outdated term," Arthur assumed as his sister started to laugh.
"It does sound a little silly," Lena confessed with a giggle "These days, we call it a corporation."
"Now you're just making up words," Arthur accused, causing the two of them to laugh.
The tender moment came to an end as Kara walked back into the room, nervously rolling her phone in her hands.
"That was my cousin. He just spoke with the sorceress Zatanna."
"Zatanna Zatara?" Lena asked "The Las Vegas magician?"
"Yep. Turns out, her show is actually magic. But she can't break your curse," Kara informed sadly "Because your father and his allies hunted sorcerers to the brink of extinction during the dark ages, magical records from the Camelot era are extremely rare. Which means our only option is,"
"Merlin," Lena finished, a cold chill running down her spine at the mention of the man who ended her first life.
"No," Arthur said almost instantly "No. Absolutely not."
"He's our only option," Kara repeated "Now I understand that you're upset with him but-,"
"No you don't understand!" Arthur interrupted angrily "This is my sister," he said, jabbing a finger with Lena "Merlin has done nothing but cause her pain and suffering."
"I cannot begin to imagine what you're going through right now," Kara acknowledged "but Merlin only did what he did to protect you."
"I didn't ask him to protect me!" Arthur shouted "I didn't ask him to go behind my back and make devil's bargains in my name! I didn't ask him to trade my sister's life for mine! I didn't as my father to trade my mother's life for mine!" Arthur's voice faltered at the mention of his mother, remembering when Morgause summoned Igraine's sprit from beyond the grave. The truth of Arthur's birth nearly drove him to take his father's life. Until Merlin stayed his hand.
"I can count one hand the amount of people I trusted to tell me the honest truth: my sister, my wife, my father and Merlin. Them most of all. I valued their council above all others, and not one word of it was true. Not a single word," he repeated with a tremble in his voice "Why are you even defending Merlin?" Arthur asked, "Less than a day ago, he was willing to let you die."
"Because I understand why he lied to you. Because I've lied for the same reasons," Kara confessed "Me, J'John, Mon-El, my cousin, we've all had to lie in order to survive. Your father wanted wipe magic off the face of the earth. Can you honestly blame Merlin for hiding who he truly was?"
"I am not my father! Merlin was my friend. He saved my life the day he came to Camelot," Arthur revealed "You think I would've let my father send him to the chopping block after that?"
"Arthur,"
"Merlin cannot be trusted," the king insisted "I refuse to put my sister's fate in his hands."
"That's not your choice to make," Lena corrected "I've been living with this curse my whole life, Arthur. Everyday, I've had to struggle and fight to keep from turning into the latest monster in a family of monsters. I can't live like this. The Cauldron of Arianrhod is my only chance to be free and if that means working with Merlin, then it's worth the risk."
"You know what will happen if the spell goes wrong," Arthur reminded "Do you really feel safe putting your fate in Merlin's hands?"
"What are you talking about?" Kara asked.
"The spell is incredible volatile," Arthur explained "if anything goes wrong,"
"I'll die," Lena finished.
"You'll what?" Kara's eyes widened in shock "No. No, we'll find another way to fix this. One that doesn't involve you risking your life."
"The high priestess is screaming inside my head!" Lena blurted out "She's been screaming since we got here, telling me to grab a knife and…slit Arthur's throat. My brother, who was the first to make me welcome when I became the king's ward. My brother, who was the most concerned when my nightmares started. My brother, who used to sleep on the floor next to my bed with a wooden sword," she recalled with a brief, teary smile "and promised to always protect me no matter what. There is no other way to fix what's wrong with me Kara," Lena insisted with a tremble in her voice "The Cauldron of Arianrhod is my only hope and I can't keep living like this. I know it's dangerous, but I can't keep living like this."
"You shouldn't have to." said Arthur as he took his sister's hand. "You're right. The choice is yours to make, not ours. Our place is to provide council and support. I don't mean to overstep. It's just…I just got you back," Arthur reminded painfully "You're the only family I have left, and I don't want to lose you again."
"You won't," Lena promised, giving her brother a much-needed hug "No matter what happens, I'll always be by your side."
Maggie had to pick up Alex and Merlin from Al's. After comforting the wizard at the alien bar, the two of them played pool. Which they made interesting by agreeing to take a shot every time the other player sunk a ball. Merlin won.
"Cheater!" Alex accused, her speech slurred as she leaned heavily against Maggie "Admit it, you cheated!"
"I don't know what you're talking about Alex," Merlin said, trying to his best not to smile "I ran a completely honest game."
"Liar! There is no way you made that triple shot without magic. You cheated!" Alex repeated "Admit it!"
"I've been playing billiards since before your grandparents were born, Miss Danvers. I don't need to cheat."
"Rematch!" Alex demanded "Double or nothing. Right here, right now!"
"I think you've had enough," said Maggie, trying her best not to laugh.
"Because he cheated!"
"You were the one who insisted on using the hard stuff, not me." Merlin said with a chuckle "Your sister is quite competitive," he told Supergirl.
"Oh, you have no idea."
Merlin's face fell as he spotted Arthur and Lena standing side by side. She flinched at the sight of him, reaching over to take Arthur's hand.
"Hello Morgana," Merlin greeted.
"Don't call me that," Lena said almost instantly "My name is Lena."
"Forgive me. What Morgause did to you...I had no idea."
"Just like you had no idea what to say after I told you I had magic?" Lena asked coldly "Or when you had no idea what to say when you poisoned me?"
Merlin said nothing, the guilt of his failures clogging his throat.
"You thought I was monster," Lena accused "Just like Uther and my sister. But I'm not a monster, Merlin. You shouldn't have treated me like one."
Merlin felt as if he were three foot tall. "I know that now."
"My sister has requested that you be the one to cast the spell at the Cauldron of Arianrhod," Arthur informed "Can you do it?"
"I broke the curse on Gwen, didn't I?"
"You were the old crow," Arthur realized with a scoff "Why am I not surprised?"
"King Arthur and Supergirl have requested that I go with you," J'John informed "My powers will help keep Lena's high priestess persona at bay."
"And allow you to make sure I don't have any more murder schemes hidden up my sleeves," Merlin assumed "You still don't trust me, do you?"
"Can you blame us?" Arthur asked.
"No," Merlin said sadly "I suppose I can't. Betraying you was my greatest mistake," he told Lena "I'll do whatever I can to make it right."
"Are you sure you don't want me to go with you?" Kara asked Lena.
"You've already done more than enough. Besides," Lena stifled a laugh as she watched Maggie struggling to lead Alex to the car "I think your sister needs you more than I do right now."
"You know, you might be right," Kara said with a giggle, and she headed out.
"Everybody join hands," Merlin instructed, taking a breath as his eyes turned gold "dohrnaira ot su ekat."
Arthur felt his stomach lurch as he suddenly found himself back in the familiar rocky highlands. The king frowned as he noticed Merlin resting with his hands on his knees, his dark hair now marred with thick grey streaks. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," he lied, wiping his brow as he straightened up "The lake is this way."
Kara and Maggie half-carried Alex into her apartment, the drunken DEO agent still rambling about her questionable loss to the sorcerer of Camelot.
"Next time, I'm gonna kick Merlin's butt in pool," Alex vowed as Kara and Maggie laid her down on the bed "And if he tries to cheat, I'll shoot him."
Kara chucked as she and Maggie untied Alex's boots. "I'm sure we can schedule another game after he gets back from the cauldron."
"Cauldron?" Alex repeated as she raised her head "What cauldron?"
Arthur and Lena took Merlin to Cauldron of Arianrhod," Kara answered, "He's going to break her curse."
"No." Alex shot up on the bed, only for her head to start spinning as Maggie and Kara held her back "We have to stop him! He won't survive!"
"Alex, calm down!" Kara insisted "Who won't survive what?"
"I know your secret," said J'John. The Martian Manhunter walked side by side with Merlin to the Cauldron of Arianrhod, with Arthur and Lena walking behind them.
"And what secret would that be?" Merlin asked.
"Your health. I know you don't plan on coming back from this little trip," J'John whispered.
"If you're planning on telling the others, don't bother. I highly doubt it would make any difference to them," Merlin muttered.
"Don't be so sure. Your king may not be your biggest fan right now, but that doesn't mean he doesn't want you by his side," J'John advised "He's just waiting for a reason to trust you again."
"J'John!" Arthur called.
The Martian turned around and saw Lena leaning against Arthur as she keeled over, grasping her head with both hands.
"My head," Lena gasped "My head, it feels like it's on fire."
"The mental barriers are breaking down." J'John's eyes turned red as he placed a hand on Lena's forehead, causing her to let out a sigh of relief as the pain subsided. "We don't have much time."
"You couldn't drop us off closer to the lake?" Arthur asked Merlin sharply.
The wizard winced at the harsh look in the king's eyes. "I'm not as young as I once was."
"So you keep saying! Sixteen hundred years later and you're still a bumpkin," Arthur insulted "Just an old bumpkin."
Merlin sighed as he can J'John continued walking. "Just waiting for reason to trust me again, eh?"
"Winn!" Supergirl whooshed into the DEO at blinding speed, marching over to her friend at his desk "I need to track Lena's phone."
"Uh, okay." Winn quickly tapped away at his keyboard "She's…in the British highlands near the Irish border."
"Give me directions once I'm in British airspace," Supergirl instructed as she headed back towards the balcony.
"Sure. You mind telling me what's going on?"
"Merlin's on a suicide mission." And Supergirl took to the skies at supersonic speed.
"Here it is." Merlin took a deep breath as they arrived at a clear blue pool in the middle of the mountain.
"So how exactly does this work?" J'John asked.
"My sister steps into the water of her accord," Arthur explained "Merlin casts the spell and Lena's life is her own again."
Lena cried out in pain as a jolt of pain erupted in her head, the high priestess persona screaming. "Let me out! Let me out!"
J'John heard it too. "The mental barriers are breaking. We need to do this now."
"We cannot force or deceive her into the waters," Merlin reminded "She must enter of her own accord."
"Sister," Arthur reached over and took Lena's hands, fear creeping into his stomach as her eyes flickered green and gold "Your pain is almost over. Just a few more steps and you will be free."
With a steadying breath, Lena fought through the searing pain in her head and marched towards the water, not stopping until the waves reached her waist.
Merlin took a deep breath and spoke the incantation, ignoring the pace of his racing heart as his eyes turned gold.
A blinding white light filled the water. Lena gasped as she felt the pain in her head disappear. The mental screams came to a stop. Lena smiled and waded to the shore. "I can't hear her anymore," she told Arthur, grinning from ear to ear as he gave her a hug "I'm free. I'm finally free."
Merlin's head started spinning as his vision started to blur. His left arm went numb as his heart started racing.
"Merlin?" Dread filled Arthur's heart as he watched his servant fall to the ground clutching his chest. "Merlin!" he cried as he and Lena raced to his side. "Merlin, what's wrong? What happened to him?"
"He's having a heart attack," said J'John.
"A what?"
"He's dying," Lena simplified. For years, she would've loved nothing more than to watch him die. But now...
A sonic boom rang through the air as Supergirl came flying in, landing next to Lena as she cradled Merlin's head in her lap.
"We need to help him. Help him please!" Arthur begged.
"I can't." Supergirl's heart sank as she studied Merlin's heartbeat with her super hearing. Even at her top speed, there was no way she could get him to a doctor in time. "It's too late."
"No! No, I can't lose him!" Arthur shouted as tears filled his eyes. "He's my friend!" If he and Lena could live again after sixteen hundred years, then Merlin could survive this "We can save him! There has to be a way to save him!"
"Arthur…it's alright," Merlin insisted gently, managing a wisp of a smile "It has been an honor…serving you, my king. But you have…a new protector now." Merlin's weary eyes landed on Lena "My lady…forgive an old fool…for condemning such a kind soul…to a life filled with so much pain. Forgive me…forgive me," he pleaded as his eyes slipped shut.
"Merlin? Merlin. Merlin!" Arthur shouted "MERLIN!" Over and over the king called out for his servant, his screams turning into heartbreaking sobs as Supergirl pulled him into a much-needed hug.
"Merlin." Tears filled Lena's eyes as she cradled the sorcerer's lifeless head in her hands. He had caused her so much pain. And she caused him equally as much. She tortured him, tried to kill him countless times and forced him to watch everyone he cared for die. And yet, he still chose to help today, to end her pain, to give her a second chance. And now he was gone.
"Su ot kcab emoc," she whispered, as her eyes turned gold.
Thick roots sprouted out of the rocky ground. They spread across Merlin's body, causing Lena to jump as she nearly got underneath them. The roots continued to grow, coming together to lift each other higher, until they formed a mighty oak tree.
"What did you do?" Arthur demanded "What did you do?"
A crack formed at the trunk of the tree, widening as Merlin stepped out, fully healed and in the prime of life. "This is unexpected," he said just before Arthur tackled him with a massive hug.
A bestial roar rang through the air, causing the heroes to jump as a pure white dragon landed in front of them.
"Aithusa," Lena gasped.
"Hullo Morgana," the dragon said with a smile "It is good to see you again, my old friend."
"Dragons don't talk on my planet," Supergirl muttered.
"It is good to see you still in one-piece Dragonlord," Aithusa said with the bow of his head towards Merlin. "At long last, the once and future king has returned and the high priestesses of magic are once again aligned with the forces of orders. Now, the quest for the court must begin."
"What court?" Arthur asked "What are you talking about, creature?"
"Did you think your sister was the only one from the age of Camelot to be born anew, little king?" Aithusa asked with a chuckle "Your queen and your finest knights have been reincarnated as well."
Arthur felt as if he had just remembered how to breathe. "Guinevere is alive?"
"Indeed. You cannot complete your destiny without her. Or your knights. But beware Arthur Pendragon," Aithusa warned "For every light that shines, there is a shadow seeking to swallow it whole. Which is why you now have two sorcerers to guard you."
Arthur glanced back at Lena and Merlin and smiled. "I couldn't be in safer hands."
"Need some help in there?" Merlin stood in the DEO training area early that morning, waiting for Arthur to come out of the locker room.
"I can dress myself!" Arthur insisted, sounding like a child desperate to prove his independence "Just having trouble with this…thing on the trousers."
"It's called a zipper," Merlin informed "Just try not to get your…lance stuck in it," he advised with a snicker.
"Very funny," said Arthur, finally walking into view. Mon-El had given a set of modern clothes to wear. The once and future king now wore a brown leather jacket over a red button up shirt, tucked into a pair of dark jeans and brown leather boots, his sword strapped to his waist.
"Remind me again why I can't wear my armor?" Arthur requested.
"Because no one wears armor anymore sire," Merlin answered.
"Kara's knight friend wears armor. And is it me or does he look a bit like Elyan?"
Merlin nodded. "It's the nose."
"Yeah, exactly."
Silence filled the room at the mention of the late knight of the round table, remembering how he lost his life.
"Arthur, what I did to Morgana,"
"Merlin, you don't have to explain."
"Yes, I do. My first night in Camelot, I heard a voice calling to me in my sleep. I followed it to the caverns underneath the castle, where I met Killgarah. The great dragon." Merlin's stomach twisted in knots at the look on Arthur's face "He told me that it was my destiny to protect you. He told me that I would be the one to show you that magic could be a force for good. He told me that you would be the greatest king in the history of Albion. He told me that Mordred would be the one to strike you down. He told me that Morgana would help him do it. And I believed him. Even when Mordred was just a boy, even when Morgana was still our friend, I believed his dark foretelling of the future. I needed to believe him. Because he was the first person who made me feel like my magic wasn't a burden. Or a curse. I needed to believe that I was meant to be more than just a clumsy, unimportant servant. I wanted my place in the sun," he confessed "And Morgana stood in my way. Uther had his flaws, but no one could doubt that how much he loved you and Morgana. You saw how her betrayal shattered him. If anyone could change Uther's heart to magic, it would've been her." Merlin felt swallowed a lump in his throat "My selfishness led to the destruction of Camelot. And I'll never forgive myself for as long as I live."
"Merlin, you are many things. A powerful sorcerer, a master of deception and probably the most skilled liar I have ever met," Arthur listed off "But you are not selfish. Selfish men do not spend half a decade working as a servant. They do not dedicate their lives to protecting a royal family who sought to execute all those like him. And they certainly do not spend sixteen hundred years waiting for a royal prat to come back from the dead."
Merlin smirked. "Did you just call yourself a prat?"
"Don't get used it," Arthur warned "Merlin, I may never agree with you have done. But I do believe it was done for the good of Camelot. Just promise me one thing old friend," the king requested "No more devil's bargains. No more trading lives."
"I promise."
Arthur smiled briefly and glanced down at the wedding ring on his hand. "Do you really believe Guinevere is out there somewhere?"
"I do. Just like I believe she will be back in your arms before you know it," the sorcerer promised. "The worst is behind us, Arthur. And the best is yet to come."
"I hope you are right. In the meantime, perhaps you could use that magic of yours to help me with something."
Kara and Lena walked side by side on the top of the L-Corp building at dawn, the CEO carrying a medium-sized suitcase.
"James and I kept your name out of the Cadmus attack story," Kara informed "As far as the readers of CatCo media are concerned, Lillian Luthor was behind the whole thing."
"You didn't have to do that."
"Oh, so I'm just supposed to let you go to jail for what your sister's evil curse made you do?" Kara asked, "Not a chance. So, what's the plan after you move into the London Luthor mansion?"
"Give Arthur a crash course education in twenty-first century living. After that, we'll come up with plan to find Gwen and the knights. Kara," Lena's eyes widened as she noticed the National City reporter wiping a tear from her eye. "Are you crying?"
"I'm just…really going to miss you," she confessed, right before she gave Lena hug.
Lena managed a brief smile, remembering all the good times the two women had shared together. "Thank you," she whispered.
"For what?" Kara asked.
"For helping me. For believing that I could be good. For being the best friend I've had in a long time."
"Well, that was my pleasure," Kara assured with a grin.
"Don't tell me you two are still saying goodbye," Arthur commented as he and Merlin walked into the view.
"And what took you two so long?" Lena asked.
"Arthur's afraid of cars," Merlin said with a teasing smile.
"I am not afraid," the king disputed "I just don't see how a steel carriage can roll down the street with no horses pulling it. Besides, Merlin and I have a surprise for you."
The sorcerer smiled as he cupped his hands together. "AraiT," he whispered, causing his eyes to turn gold.
Lena gasped as Merlin opened hands, revealing a beautiful tiara.
"I crown you Lena Morgana Pendragon-Luthor," Arthur announced, placing the tiara on her head "Princess of Camelot."
Lena blushed as Kara and Merlin applauded.
"Now all you need is a handsome prince to take you to the ball," Kara teased.
"Don't start," Lena said with a laugh "Thank you, Arthur."
"This crown and title should've been yours long ago," the king insisted, turning to Kara "You are a brave and noble warrior. And you have been dear to my sister and myself," he said gratefully "I don't suppose I could persuade to come with us?"
"Defending Albion is your destiny. Protecting National City is mine. But if you ever need help, I am only a call away," Kara promised.
"Likewise," said Lena.
Merlin smiled and met Kara's gaze. "When the stars rain on the lake of Avalon."
"What?"
"That was the sign I was told to watch for regarding Arthur's return. I always thought it referenced a meteor shower, but it was you. A warrior blessed with the power of the stars who bathed in the waters of Avalon at sunrise. Now the once and future king has returned and I have atonedj for my greatest mistake. I don't think I'll ever be able to repay you for all you have given me."
"Just keep those two out of trouble," Kara requested nodding her head towards Arthur and Lena "and we'll call it even."
"Easier said than done, but I'll do my best. We better get going," Merlin advised "This modern world may be full of aliens and metahumans, but that doesn't mean they won't notice Aithusa taking off during morning rush hour."
"I have no idea what that is," said Arthur, as they walked over towards the white dragon sitting on the helipad.
"Remind me again why we're not flying to England on my private jet?" Lena asked.
"Arthur's afraid of planes," Merlin answered as he hopped on the dragon's back.
"I am not afraid," Arthur repeated as he followed Merlin onto Aithusa's back "I just don't understand how a giant chunk of metal is supposed to soar through the air like bird."
"My poor brother," Lena said, faking a pout as he helped her onto the dragon. "So naïve as to how the modern world works. Like a newborn babe."
"Don't make me take that tiara back," Arthur warned "What are you so cheery about?"
Merlin shrugged as he gave his friends a beaming smile. "It's good to have you back, both of you. Alright Aithusa," he said stroking the dragon's neck "Time to start a new adventure."
The dragon let out a massive roar and took to the skies, flying off into the daybreak as Kara waved her friends goodbye.
Marcus Doyle sat alone in the hospital hallway, silently waiting for the doctors to come out of the operation room. Last night, he and his fiancé had been in the middle of making dinner when a bunch of armed lunatics attacked fired a rocket through their window, burying Marcus' fiancé under a pile of rubble. If Superman and that detective hadn't arrived when they did…
Don't think like that, Marcus told himself She's going to make it. She has to make it. After a tour with a royal military right after secondary school, Marcus needed a fresh start. He moved to National City, where he met Loriand'r; an intergalactic immigrant from the alien planet Tamaran. She filled Marcus' life with so much love and life that they got engaged just three months after moving in together.
"Mr. Doyle?"
Marcus shot up from his seat as the doctor came walked towards him. "Yes?"
"We did everything we could. But your fiancé's physiology was too different from ours to come up with a feasible plan in time."
"Was?" Marcus repeated in a hollow voice.
"I'm so sorry."
Marcus' knees gave out from under him. Tears poured down his face. Loriand'r couldn't just be…gone. She could blast beams of fire out of her hands. She could fly through the air and bend steel with her bare hands. She had the power to make the world a better place. Like Supergirl, or that other Tamaranean defending San Francisco with her friends. How could a pile of rubble take her away?
Marcus screamed. His head started pounding. Dozens of ancient memories flooded his mind. Living off the land in England. Hiding from the guards of a king. Bonding with Lena Luthor. No. Not Lena, Morgana.
Marcus' eyes drifted to the TV as the news came on, confirming that the attack was orchestrated by Lillian Luthor and her anti-alien terrorist group, Cadmus. Marcus' blood turned to fire as Lillian's face appeared on the screen, remembering how much she terrified Loriand'r in life.
She'll pay for what she did to you my love, Marcus thought, his bloodshot blue eyes turning gold as the television screen cracked. They all will.
Marcus remembered everything. He wasn't just a veteran of the royal military. He was the reincarnation of an infamous warrior sorcerer from a land of myth and a time of magic. And that warrior's name was Mordred.
The End.
Author's Note: Thanks to all of you who stuck with me after the long intermission. I hope you all enjoyed reading this story as much as I loved writing it. I have some ideas for a sequel, so keep an eye out.