Eylan and his team were having real problems with one of the final components of the new hydro system made after finding de Vinci's drawing. It all looked very promising but without the final part being made more efficiently the system wouldn't be viable in small flows of water. Becky was back from New Zealand and they were all working flat out. Merlin and Gaius got together and decided they might have the answer.
The dragon tears. Gaius confirmed that a couple of drops put into the eyes should increase a person's natural talents. In the past they had been used to make good swordsmen great and had been used to increase healer's abilities. He saw no reason you it wouldn't work to make an engineer's talents increase. So with Eylan's consent, drops of Aithusa's tears were carefully put into each of his eyes by Merlin. No immediate reaction occurred but within two days not only had Eylan solved the problem, but he had improved several other parts of the system and production could start.
The Eylan went on to find several other applications for his newly improved skills over the following years. Whatever he investigated in his area of expertise he was able to make changes to improve them significantly. Neither Merlin nor Gaius could say when or if the effect from the dragons tears would wear off.
Demonstrations both for and against the various changes were seen both in Britain and abroad but were mostly peaceful. One day Gwaine decided travel to the northeast, to look at a factory that he was considering buying. He asked Merlin if he wanted to go and he had agreed, wanting to have a rest from Arthur of the day. Arthur was still trying to control everything he did. Merlin knew he was trying to look after him but it got wearing.
Gwaine picked him up at seven o'clock wanting to get going early. They set off and were soon headed up the A1 and eating up the 260 mile journey. Gwaine was driving with Merlin beside him. Boris the bodyguard sat in the back and after awhile kept looking behind them.
"Boss I think we're being followed. The blue Merc."
"Well there isn't much I can do until we get on a quieter road, keep an eye on them in the meantime" Gwaine replied.
Merlin looked a Gwaine and whispered so the men in the back couldn't hear "Do you want me to stop their engine? Trouble is I don't want to risk an accident everyone is driving so fast."
Gwaine snorted "I like your style wizard but let's wait a bit. We can pull off onto a quieter road if they're still there in a couple of hours. They might just be going the same way."
The car was still there as they reach the turning for the A167. "Let's see if they follow us off, keep an eye on them Boris." Gwaine indicated and left the A1. The Merc followed them up the slipway.
Gwaine drove on a couple of miles and then pulled into a smaller road. The car continued to follow them.
"It would be a real shame if their car broke down now wouldn't it" Gwaine commented.
"Bet we don't get such luck." Boris snorted.
"How much?" Gwaine looked at Boris in the mirror. Then turned his head and grinned at Merlin.
Merlin looked back and concentrated, his eyes flashed gold. Boris hadn't noticed, he was too busy trying to see how many people were in the Merc. Merlin and Gwaine smiled as the Merc seemed to grind to a stop. They lost them from view.
"Well I'm blowed you have the luck of the Devil Sir. What did you spot that I didn't?"Boris demanded.
"Engine smoking." Gwaine said calmly. Merlin tried to hide a grin.
"Did you get a look at any of them Boris?" Gwaine asked.
"There were four of them. I should think the driver was about your height didn't see much of him but the front passenger was thin and had dark hair. Looked youngish. Sorry not much help."
Gwaine looked at Merlin "Might have been Mordred?"
"Might have"
The men continued on to Durham and the site meeting went well. Gwaine took all the details and planned to look into buying. It fitted the bill and as the area had high unemployment so it also fitted in with the overall plan of giving work and prosperity to an area. Any work force could live locally and housing was cheap.
They had a good day and set of back home. Boris took the wheel this time, with Gwaine and Merlin sitting in the back seat.
They arrived back in London in good time and they pulled up outside Arthur's. Morgana had just got out of a car in front. Merlin said goodbye to Gwaine and Boris and walked toward the front door as Morgana approached from the other way. Morgana dropped her handbag and bent to pick it up. As she looked back up she screamed: "Get down."
She ran and pushed Merlin to the ground. The Blue Merc sped past and a shot rang out, just as Morgana pushed into the surprised young man. Both Gwaine and Boris looked up to see Mordred leaning out of the car window with a gun in his hand. They heard the shot and seeing Merlin and Morgana going down thought one of them had been hit. Both jumped out of the car, Gwaine used his body to cover the two figures on the ground and Boris took a photo of the number plate, using his mobile phone as the car sped off and disappeared.