Disclaimer: IDOM
Hello, guys! So I don't have too much to say other than some updates on NaNoWriMo. Currently, I'm only (definitely) going for the 25,000 words, and I'm almost at 8,000 right now. ;) I'm going to completly finish it before I start posting, and because it's an original, I'm going to be putting it on the other site, fictionpress. :) Okay, that's all I have to say. Agents of Shield is on and dramatic things are happening with Jemma and she has like two hours left to live... :D
Enjoy:
Chapter 15: Closer
Guinevere took a cab home. A simple, black, sleek cab. With a revving engine and rubber tires and cold metal... It was nothing like the memories that zipped through her mind now. Nothing like the warm cushions in the royal carriage or the cool wood that it was built with. Nothing like the whiny of the impatient horses or the way their tails whipped back and forth. It was all so... different.
Her eyes had been opened to both worlds now—the glorious Camelot and the modern day London—and she couldn't help but list the differences. The sleek skyscrapers versus the romantic towers. The noisy traffic and smells of the city versus the calming, relaxing scents and sounds of Camelot's marketplace. Even the food was vastly different!
Here they used so many preservatives and chemicals. But in Camelot, everything was made natural. There was no such thing as frozen leftovers or preserved foods, and there certainly wasn't anything like ice cream or chocolate. The world wasn't merely comprised of their vast island and the mainland. No, the world was bigger than that. Another whole continent had been found! She had missed so many things, and there was still so many things to learn.
Oh, she had so many questions for Merlin.
Merlin Emrys. The fifteen hundred and twenty seven year old warlock.
How had it been so long?
Anger flared in Guinevere's stomach as she grit her teeth, staring out the window of the cab. Who had the right? Who had the right to make Merlin wait that long? Alone?
No one did. Not even Destiny.
Merlin had said that he'd met John during the Korean War. There had been hundreds-thousands-of wars since the Golden Age. Just how many wars had the warlock been involved in? How many horrors had he had to bear? Guinevere hypothesized that he'd been a father. How many children had he had? What happened to them? How could he bear their deaths? How could he watch those he loved grow old while he never aged?
Guinevere couldn't imagine the pain he must have gone through.
The cab pulled to the right, the driver expertly pulling in between two parked cars. Guinevere handed the cabbie a few bills and climbed out, taking a deep breath. Merlin had lived those fifteen hundred years by himself, and though there was nothing she could do to take that back, she could be there for him.
The alleyway drew her attention. The alleyway where God only knew what would have happened if Merlin hadn't saved her. Her fingers nervously wrapped themselves around the straps of her shoulder purse as she fantasized. Would Merlin always be saving them? Not that she minded in the least, but by now she'd lost track of how much she owed him.
Sighing, she turned to the tall apartment building, plastering on a weary smile as the doorman greeted her.
"Hello, Gwen," he smiled.
"Hello, Jacob."
The elderly man's eyes softened. "Heard you had a bit of a scare last night. Are you alright?"
Jacob was such a kind soul. Always had been.
"Yes, I'm fine. Mer—Colin saved me."
"That lad? I didn't know he had it in him."
Guinevere genuinely laughed. "Yes, he's full of surprises."
"Well, you must be alright as you're still laughing," Jacob remarked with approval. "Give the boy my best, then, and take care of yourself, my dear."
"I will," she smiled, walking into the building. "You too. And thank you."
"Anytime."
She caught the lift just as a couple stepped off, and Gwen pushed the button for her floor. It rose lazily, and when the small ding rang out, informing her that this was her floor, she couldn't have been happier than to be home. All she wanted to do was sleep.
It must have been the access magic, like Merlin had suggested. Her memories were still trying to sort themselves out, and even thinking about them made her head ache.
Guinevere pulled out her keys, wincing at the sharp jingling sound, and inserted one into the lock. Hearing a satisfying click, she pushed her door open and threw her purse on the couch before she locked the door behind her. Merlin had magic. He could open the door with a flick of his wrist when he came to check on her. And Arthur and Elyan both had a key, too.
Oh, God. Arthur and Elyan.
They only made her head throb more.
Arthur, her husband before, her boyfriend now. He didn't know. He didn't know about anything. Gwen couldn't describe the feelings she'd had when she'd seen him after recovering her memories. It was all such a rush.
And Elyan, her beloved brother, who had died in her arms... saving her. Saving her from Morgana when she had kidnapped her and had taken her to the Dark Tower to undergo torture of the worst kind. And he was back. He was here. Alive.
Her head continued to throb, and Guinevere downed the Advil that Merlin had left on the counter. Sighing, she rubbed her temples and ambled towards her bedroom. Her eyelids fluttered with exhaustion, and her breathing slowed.
She was barely conscious when she tumbled onto the bed.
It happened, actually, much like Merlin would have imagined it.
The larger of the two bodyguards, who Merlin dubbed Brows, since he didn't seem to have any, swung first. His forearms crashed against Percival's, whose quick movements had just saved him from a blow to the chest. The former knight retaliated with an uppercut blow to Brows' abdomen, but because of the man's bulk, Merlin wasn't sure just how much that affected him. Gwaine threw a punch, too, aimed for the man's temple, but Brows dodged just in time, leaving Gwaine punching the air.
Already, they were drawing the attention of the dancers and others.
He recovered quickly and balanced himself on his toes like an expert, but Merlin didn't get to see what happened next as the other bodyguard suddenly swung towards Arthur. The warlock instantly felt his magic rise to the surface, felt it begin to burn his eyes, but he pushed it back as Arthur ducked.
This was going to be a long fight.
And exactly like the ones in Camelot.
When Arthur ducked, he grabbed the man's thick wrist, pulling it forward before the detective's loose fist connected with the man's eyebrow. The bodyguard yelped in surprise and quickly twisted his wrist out of Arthur's grip. The blond jumped back, balancing on the balls of his feet as Blue, for his shirt was a deep shade of indigo, swung again. The Inspector ducked to the right, closer to Merlin, and delivered a blow to the man's abs.
He gasped, slightly winded, and swung. He caught Arthur off guard, and the blond's head whipped back at the punch to his lip. Merlin felt hot protectiveness course through him, and he pulled up all the self-defence moves that he had learned throughout his fifteen hundred years of traveling. He had to think quickly, though, so when he settled on an action, and when Arthur was still recovering from the blow, Merlin swiveled so that he was parallel to the man, and in one quick move, he lifted his leg, straightened his foot, and hit the man flat in the face with the full blow. He stumbled backwards, dazed, and if Merlin's eyes glittered with gold just before the man slipped on the carpet... well, there was no one to call him out on it.
Blue fell backwards, and an audible crack rang out as the man's head connected with the wooden support beam he'd been leaning against earlier. He was dazed, yes, but not knocked out. Merlin thought that, at the worst, he'd have a concussion and a headache, but he was definitely not fit to fight.
The warlock smiled triumphantly.
A cry rang out behind him, and Merlin whipped round seconds after Arthur to see Brows fall from a blow from Percival. He was unmarked, but Gwaine's lip was bleeding almost in the same place as Arthur's. Brows, too, was unfit to continue.
Arthur glanced over them all to make sure they were alright. Gwaine nodded, as did Percival, and when Merlin nodded, the warlock noticed a certain pride that had entered Arthur's eyes once they settled on him. Pride for him?
Wiping the crimson from his lip, the Inspector narrowed his eyes, looking up at Hui. "We met your challenge."
There was small smirk the man's face. "So you did." He turned to Merlin. "I was especially impressed by you, young man. That was an expert move."
The warlock nodded with gratitude, feeling Arthur's eyes, too, resting on him.
"Well," Hui said. "A deal's a deal. Take me away."
There was a small crowd to fight through on their way out. It wasn't too difficult, though, seeing as most of them were half-drunk anyway. Arthur's hand stayed on Hui's bicep the entire way, hearing the handcuffs jingle slightly over the roar of the loudspeaker. When they finally exited the building, Arthur took a deep breath of fresh air, forever thankful to be out of the thick cigarette smoke. He couldn't fully appreciate it, though, and headed towards their ebony SUV. Arthur glanced at Colin, eyes darting to the car. The warlock took the hint and went round to the front passenger side while Hui was stuffed between Percival and Gwaine in the back seat.
The drive to Scotland Yard was uneventful and silent, and all Arthur could think about was the professional blow that Colin had delivered to the bodyguard. It had been an expert move, one that Arthur admired him for, but something just seemed so... wrong about it.
"Put the sword down. You look ridiculous."
The detective shook his head to clear his thoughts. Now was not the time to be thinking of his half-forgotten dreams. He was driving, and he had a criminal in the back seat. The Yard rose up on their left, and Arthur pulled to the curb, putting the car in park. They all climbed out in sync, Hui hopping out Gwaine's side.
As they walked through the lobby, it was dead silent, and though people glanced at them curiously, they didn't speak up. They caught the lift just as it came down, and when they arrived at their floor, Arthur was the one to break the silence.
"Take him to one of the interrogation rooms. I'll be there in a second."
Percival and Gwaine turned towards the back rooms, but Colin followed Arthur to his desk.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
The detective pulled his gun out, setting it in one of the drawers before shutting it tightly. "Fine."
"Then why are you on edge? Come on, Arthur, we all noticed."
"Noticed what?"
"You," Colin said, gesturing to him. "You spaced during the fight, driving, and you've had your jaw set since. What's wrong?"
The dreams. That's what was wrong. That feeling of having something on the tip of your tongue and not being able to vocalize it because your mind can't make the connection. Because-
"There's something about you, Merlin. I can't quite put my finger on it."
"It's nothing, Col. Just let it be. Let's go."
Arthur marched past him, knowing that Colin could do nothing but follow. Merlin. Gwen had called Colin 'Merlin'. She'd given him the nickname. Why did the name 'Merlin' keep popping up everywhere? He was Colin. Colin Jones. Not the mythical wizard from the fairytales. It was just a story.
So why did it keep coming up?
Their nicknames originated from the Camelotian legends, too, but why did Mer—Colin keep appearing everywhere? Why did he keep appearing in his dreams? Was that the figure in his dreams he could never remember properly? But that character could barely defend himself, much less save Arthur from a huge bodyguard. Their voices were nearly the same. The 'nicknames' were. What was the connection? Why did there even have to be a connection? And, thinking back to the real world, why was his file classified? Was Katie right—should he really trust him?
So many questions, and Arthur had none of the answers.
Frustration burned in him as he entered the interrogation room, Mer—Colin following close behind. The detective plopped himself down in one of the chairs across from Hui and began flipping through the file that Percival must have left on the table for him. Merlin stood behind the second chair.
"So, Mr. Hiu," Arthur began casually, erasing all frustration from his voice. "You've got a record."
"Yes," Hui mumbled. "I've been through his before. You said you had some questions?"
Arthur glanced up at him from the manila folder. "We'll get to that momentarily. What I want to know, though, is how you got off on your last charge. You were connected with a jewelry store robbery, and yet you got off completely free. Now how did that happen?"
"I don't know," he answered stoically. "I've got friends in high places? What am I being charged with?"
The detective wasted no time. He closed the folder and clasped his hands in front of him, staring straight at Hui with piercing blue eyes. "Murder, Mr. Hui."
That did it. Hui's eyebrows rose with surprise. "Murder? Whose murder?"
"Rose Lyngrid. Sound familiar?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course I am."
"The museum curator?"
There. Anyone else might have missed it, but Arthur caught the way Hui's eyes flashed with hesitation for just a second. He knew.
"C-curator?"
"Yes," Arthur continued. "Found dead in the museum a few nights ago. Rose Lyngrid."
"Never heard of her."
"Really? Well, the fingerprints we found on her skin match yours... perfectly."
A bluff. Now he only had to hope that Merlin didn't somehow give him away and that Hui fell for it.
And he did.
He stood, the cuffs that kept him attached to the table clicking while panic flared in his eyes. "But I never touched her!"
Arthur cocked his head, smiling brashly. "I'm sorry?"
Realising what he'd said, Hui practically feel down in his chair, hands fluttering nervously. "I—I... I can explain!"
"Can you now?"
"We... I—she—"
"Cooperate with us, Mr. Hui, and maybe we can cut you a deal. But you have to tell us the truth."
"I...," he struggled for words, but his eyes finally fell from Arthur's face, and he sighed. "Okay. Okay. But you have to protect me."
Arthur's eyes narrowed. "Why would you need protecting?"
"I—I told you. I didn't touch her," he repeated. "It was her. She did it."
"Who did it?"
"I'm a bookie; I lend money, yes, but I have never killed anyone. Never."
"Mr. Hui, who did it?" Merlin asked. Arthur glanced at him, surprised. He hadn't spoken at all yet.
"No. I can't tell you. She'll kill me."
"We can protect you, Mr. Hui," Arthur said sympathetically, "but you need to help us, too."
"I can't. I can't tell you. She'll find me."
"Who?" Merlin pressed.
But Hui didn't speak again. He only shook his head, lips tightly closed.
Arthur inwardly sighed. Hui seemed innocent enough not to have killed her, but he was working with an accomplice who had. And he wouldn't give her up. The detective stood, nodding towards the two-way mirror on the left hand side of the room. "There'll be someone in soon to take your statement."
And they left.
Gwaine and Percival met them outside, the former of whom had his hands in his pockets and a frown on his face. "He seems pretty terrified of his lady," he commented. "Think he'll still give her up?"
Shaking his head, Arthur said, "No. I don't think so. He seems pretty shaken. Perce, take his statement, will you? I have a stack of paperwork on him I need to get started on."
"No problem."
"Gwaine, I want you to check in with Leon and Elyan. See if they need help. Colin... you can choose between going with Perce or Gwaine. I'll save you from the paperwork, consultant," he teased.
"Erm, I'd like to hear what Hui has to say," Merlin answered. "I'll stay with Percival."
"Suit yourself," Arthur said, walking off.
"Thanks, Merls," Gwaine said, narrowing his eyes. Merlin quirked his eyebrow at the name. "Leave me with the work while you get to hear someone tell a story."
"I don't think a murder statement counts, Gwaine," Perce chuckled. "Come on, Merlin."
The warlock took a calming breath, schooling his features as they entered the room once more. Maybe he would still give his accomplice; maybe he would still tell them the whole truth.
Maybe Hui would confirm his fears once and for all.
Another cliffie! Woohoo! Yeah, sorry, guys, but cliffhanger's always be a writer's weak point. ;D
I'll see you guys next week! Now, back to my NaNo. :)
G'night, everyone!
(Guys, I am so sorry this is late. I uploaded this last night and wrote the author's note and everything but I didn't update. I guess I got to involved with my NaNo and it slipped my mind? *sheepish grin* Sorry...)