a/n - and the fun begins...
After several hours of practice, Ziva could get either set of McGee's armor off of him in a hurry. For today's battle he was wearing a doubly thick padded jacket under leather armor that had been hardened by boiling. Only his helmet was steel and it was scratched and scuffed.
Gibbs was in the tent going over the papers Palmer had brought back with him, while Tony looked on nervously as McGee sat on the ground and stretched. "I thought this was all for show. Your armor looks like its been through some real battles there, Probie."
"There's a lot of adrenalin out there during a battle, Tony. The governing body has really strict rules about the weapons, so there's only so much damage they can do and the armor is designed to absorb it. I'll be fine." Neither man saw Gibbs come out of the tent.
"How do you know that all the fighters are going to follow the rules?" Gibbs had just finished reading Kovalenko's background and he was more than a little worried about sending his least experienced agent up against the man.
"All the weapons are examined before the battle. No sharp edges, specified construction materials and methods and a set weight limit Nothing can be over six pounds. Here." Tim handed his broadsword to Gibbs.
Weighing in at just over five and a half pounds, the massive broadsword was quite deceptive. Even holding it, Gibbs could hardly believe it was a beautifully crafted and faux finished rubber blade. "Wow."
Tony wasn't quite convinced. "I thought you flunked fencing in college."
"I did." Tim took back the sword as Gibbs handed it to him. "I suck at epee, but the broadsword is a whole different game. I'll be fine."
"I'm sure you will be, but I still want you to be careful of this guy." Gibbs showed him the photo, but McGee just shook his head before donning his helmet.
"Doesn't do me any good to know what his face looks like. I'd need to know what his armor looks like." He stood and Ziva began helping him with his gauntlets. "Once I know what he looks like, I'll be careful, Boss, but there's going to be a lot of Knights fighting out there today."
Tony was still trying to figure out how all this worked. "So, how do you do this? Are you on teams, do you draw straws to know who you're fighting?"
Sarah arrived back at camp on her way to the battlefield. "The opening fight is always a melee, the last knight left standing is the winner."
"What? And you let your brother do this?" Behind Tony, even Gibbs looked alarmed.
"My brother's a big boy, Tony, he can take care of himself." She turned and stepped up close to Tim so she was looking through the face guard of the helmet. "Don't die out there today, brother, but if you must, then die with style."
"You will pick through the carnage and find me, won't you?"
Back in character, Sarah was walking backwards out of camp, a basket of food balanced on her hip. "Aye, M'Lord. Thine armor shalt fetch a shilling or two if not too bloody." With a wave, she turned and continued on, while DiNozzo looked back at Gibbs in shock.
"Die with style?"
"Pick through the carnage?"
-NCIS-
"Sir, I think you need to see this." Vance looked up in time to be handed a file. The young man from Intel looked nervous and when Vance opened the folder he knew why. Peter Ivanof, the most notorious weapons dealer to come out of the Soviet Block after the break-up of the Soviet Union had just landed at the airport and was currently in customs. The most notable item discovered in his luggage was a handcrafted replica of costume for a Landsknecht soldier from the 1530's.
Vance leaned back in his chair and ran his hands down his face before calling the FBI and insisting that their surveillance team on the man keep him in the loop at all times.
-NCIS-
The Weapon's Master and his three assistants carefully checked, measured and weighed each weapon that would be carried out onto the List. Gibbs was vaguely aware of McGee's inspection, but he and the rest of the group were looking for Sergey Kovalenko. When they finally spotted him, he was at the inspection table, handing over an impressive looking weapon, and wearing all black armor. Ducky gave him a careful look before retreating to the medical tent, hoping to not be needed in a professional capacity.
DiNozzo's knowledge came from movies, but it was enough. "Is that a mace?"
"I believe so, Tony." Ziva had come up beside them and was watching carefully but the inspection went smoothly and the mace was approved for the battlefield. Cleared for battle, Kovalenko returned to the side of his sponsor, Princess Guillette, who sat on the ground, a blanket protecting her full gown from the dirt and grass. As people milled about and momentarily blocked anyone's view, Kovalenko slid his mace under the folds of her gown and replaced it with another mace that might look exactly the same but would never pass inspection.
-NCIS-
Vance wasn't at all surprised when Fornell showed up NCIS less than an hour after his call to the FBI. "Agent Fornell, what can I do for you?"
"I think we both know what this is about, Director Vance." Fornell sat and leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. "What is your interest in Peter Ivanof?"
Wanting Fornell to focus on the seriousness of the situation and not get sidetracked with the location of the possible meet, Vance slid the folder of autopsy photos across his desk to the other man. "A Marine tracking a security breech at a weapons research facility was tortured and murdered. We believe that Ivanof is here to meet with his killers."
"And acquire whatever was stolen from the research facility?" Fornell blanched when he saw what had been done to Ward. "Tell me you have a lead on this poor sap's killers."
"Our team has them under surveillance as we speak, just waiting for the last piece to come into play."
"You're sure it's Ivanof?"
Vance braced his feet. "He has the costume needed to get into where our suspects are waiting."
"Costume? You mean that landisketch-something?"
"It's a Landsknecht, and yes."
Fornell couldn't quite hide his growing smile. "So, what castle are they holed up at?"
"Not a castle. They're waiting for him at the Shire of the Dragon Renaissance Faire."
"A RenFaire? You have a team waiting outside of a RenFaire?" Fornell was already picturing Gibbs sitting in a van, glaring at the participants.
It took all of his training to keep a straight face, but he was a Director, after all. "Not outside."
"Not outside? You mean... Gibbs in tights?"
Vance let the slightest smile break through. "The mind, it doth boggle."
-NCIS-
Forty-five knights were positioned around the perimeter of the List, waiting for the Royal command. To the north, Queen Anna was standing on a raised platform, and behind her were over one hundred watchers, including some very nervous federal agents. The horn sounded, the crowd silenced and the Queen tossed a royal hankie off the platform. Everyone watched as it fluttered slowly to the ground. When contact was finally made, a battlecry went up that echoed throughout the valley and all forty-five knights charged into battle.
Gibbs was much more fascinated than he was willing to admit, and as he studied the action he began to understand what Tim and Sarah had meant. A blow to an arm meant that the arm was then held against the body, and the fighter continued on as if they had lost the arm. A hit to the leg rendered the victim one-legged as they hopped after their opponents. He watched a knight "lose" both legs and valiantly continue to fight on his knees, unable to move from that position. A glancing blow to the body would cause the victim to stagger and be vulnerable for a few moments, while a direct blow would be a death strike and they would lay where they fell until the battle moved on and one of the squires dragged them off the battlefield.
Over half the knights were down by now, but McGee was still in the thick of things, his broadsword cutting a thick swatch through the combatants. Kovalenko was still on his feet, but the two had not yet crossed paths.
DiNozzo was standing next to Gibbs, grinning like a loon. "This is really cool. Who knew Probie could fight like that?"
Gibbs couldn't help but grin back at his senior agent. The entire case had been a surprise and he was looking forward to sitting McGee down with a glass of bourbon and finding out more. For now, he pointed out Ziva, kneeling on the edge of the List with the rest of the squires. Her hair had come loose from the wrap and her eyes were shining. It was obvious that she was having the time of her life, a sharp contrast from the shell-shocked woman they had carried out of Somalia. Her shift in focus brought their attention back to the battle.
Only a handful of fighter remained upright on the List and McGee was finally facing the Black Knight. He swung his blade, making contact with Kovalenko's arm before dancing backwards out of the way of the mace. A cheer went up on the sidelines, lead by DiNozzo.
The two knights battled on, McGee just missing a death blow before ducking, causing the other man to also miss a death strike. The melee had been going on for almost an hour and the other battles were winding down. The lone surviving knight from another battle charged at McGee, forcing him to split his attention. McGee quickly dispatched the man, but while he was turned, Kovalenko charged at him, swinging the mace with all his remaining power. It caught McGee high on the back and sent him cartwheeling across the ground.
The battle was over, but Kovalenko stood near the fallen McGee, mace overhead as if to strike again. The field marshals began to move in, but a lithe figure charged in, scooping up the broadsword. Breathing heavily, Ziva stood over her Knight, ready to defend him. The crowd, which had been booing the Black Knight, began to cheer for the brave squire and Kovalenko turned and stormed off the field.
By the time Gibbs and DiNozzo made it to where McGee had fallen, he was sitting up and talking to Ziva and to Ducky. Sarah arrived only a few seconds later, furious. "I can't believe he hit you like that."
The angry Israeli had her own concerns. "I can not believe that mace was a legal weapon."
"It wasn't." Tim gingerly moved around as Ducky fussed over him. "I've been hit by a legal mace before, and that wasn't one. He must have switched it out after the inspection."
Sarah started to stand. "I'll get the Weapons Master."
Tim pulled her back down. "No, by now he's switched back."
"But..."
"We have to focus on the case, Sarah. I'm fine, just a little bruised."
"You sure, McGee?"
McGee winced as he leaned back to look at his boss. "I'm sure. Nailing them tomorrow is too important. Sergeant Ward deserves justice."
"And what do you deserve, Probie?" Tony had yet to calm down after seeing his best friend knocked across the field.
"Some help getting up?"