Arthur stormed into Gaius' apartments, finding the old man in his favorite chair, reading a book.
"What did you tell him about me?" Arthur's voice shook with rage.
The old man looked up expectantly. "Ah, Arthur."
"I kept your secret, why couldn't you have just kept mine?!" the Pendragon heir said pacing about the carpeted floor.
"Please, my dear boy," Gaius began.
"What is so important to you that you would risk our happiness. We were happy, Gaius. At least we could have been, someday."
"Arthur, your secret was bound to get out. Merlin would find out eventally, and what would you do then. Would you still be shouting at one of your oldest friends?" Gaius asked calmly. How Arthur hated the calmness the old man seemed to have.
"You are no friend. You have betrayed my father."
"Your father and I are dear friends, but I do not like the way he rules this city," Gaius confessed.
"Then why stick around?" Arthur sneered.
Gaius peered up at the boy in astonishment. "For you Arthur. You are to bring Camelot into a golden age."
"Who told you that? Kilgharrah?" scoffed Arthur.
Gaius gave him a sad smile. "I can't tell you that. Not yet."
"What the hell does that mean?" Arthur's voice becoming even more heated.
"It's not your time to know yet."
"Know what?" Arthur asked frustratedly.
"The future. Your destiny."
"It's impossible to know the future," laughed Arthur.
Gaius shrugged. "As I said, you are not ready."
Desperate, Arthur lunged at the old man. "Who knows? What destiny?"
"People. There are a few druids who know what will happen," Gaius said. "And this future that is coming, is not a happy one."
"Then we must stop it!" Arthur said desperately.
"And that is why you cannot know it. No man can," Gaius reasoned.
"But some do?"
"Yes."
"Who. Please Gaius, at least tell me that much."
"You have met one of them."
"Kilgharrah? The things he feels in his bones is the future?" Arthur asked.
"Oh he does much more than feel things in his bones," chuckled Gaius.
"Who else?" Arthur asked eagerly.
"A young druid girl, perhaps you met her."
Arthur tried to think back to all the girls he had met since meeting Merlin.
"Morgana?"
"She probably is able to sense something, but no. Even she does not know the consequences of her actions, and what they will lead to."
"Gwen?"
"No. Definitely not her."
"Who Gaius?"
"A young woman named Freya. She is cursed with knowing the outcome of this fate."
Arthur's mind was reeling at Gaius' words. "Is that why Merlin hid her?"
"Partially. There is another, one who poses a much bigger threat than any of the others."
"More than Morgana?"
"Oh yes, this one is much worse. The police officer Morgeuse."
Arthur's brow furrowed. "I know that woman. She never seemed like much of a threat to me, a bit batty perhaps..."
"You must be very careful around her, Arthur. She is dangerous."
"Thank you for the warning, Gaius. I had better get back."
With a ferocity that shook Arthur to the core, Gaius' hand reached out and grabbed a hold of Arthur's wrist. "Not yet. Please. Not yet."
"What do you mean? Is this something having to do with my destiny?"
Gaius studied Arthur closely. "If you return now, you shall most surely die."
Arthur's eyes widened. "Percy? Leon? The others will they be alright?"
Gaius' grip only tightened.
"Gaius. If my men are about to die, then I should be there. Gaius. Gaius!" Arthur said trying to pull away.
"You cannot go."
"I must. I've known Leon since infancy-"
"Longer," muttered Gaius.
"Wha-? Never mind. Leon and Percy are some of my loyalest men. I can't abandon them, fate or not."
"Just this once, Arthur don't be stupid."
"Oh god, what about my father? I have to go," Arthur said tripping back as he pulled away.
Gaius' eyes clouded over with sorrow. "I'm so tired of seeing everyone run to their deaths."
This caused Arthur to pause. "What are you talking about? Gaius, what do you mean?"
"So many deaths. My god, when will it end?"
Arthur stared as Gaius rose from his chair and in a trance walk away. Arthur watched from the window as the old man called a cab. There was something itching in the back of his brain, something he was forgetting...and the harder he tried to recall it the harder it was to retrieve.
As for Gaius, he decided he needed to visit with Kilgharrah. If his colleague knew of anything to prevent the outcome that was hurriedly arriving, Gaius was desperate to know. As he neared the home of his friend, traffic slowed. Up ahead, Gaius could see a crowd, and something smoking.
"This is fine," he muttered, paying the cab driver.
He walked down the lane to find that the firetrucks were outside Kilgharrah's cottage. Nothing was left of the old place, but a blackened frame. The fire was out, and the smoke curled lazily into the air.
Gaius stared at the place, hope fluttering in his chest for the first time in years.
"Do you know what happened?" a woman beside him asked her neighbor.
The other woman nodded. "Old bat left the stove on, after making his cuppa...must've been a gas leak. The place was a fireball when the firemen arrived."
Gaius couldn't help but smile. If his old friend had returned to his real form, then the cycle must be coming to an end. There was no other explanation. The hope in Gaius' heart grew. The death wouldn't be for nothing, not this time. Gaius was sure of it.
Meanwhile, Arthur had gotten into his car, and was driving as swiftly as possible to his father's headquarters. When he arrived nothing seemed changed, not at first. The beautiful facade had its usual icy demeanor. But for once the street was silent. There weren't the usual pedestrians crowding the sidewalks, and all the cars seemed gone. Something was wrong.
Carefully Arthur made his way indoors. The stench of blood drowned out everything else. Lying in the foyer were three of his father's men. As he continued up the stairs he found more and more of them. All of them had multiple gunshots to the chest and head. No one could have survived. Lying in front of his father's office was the young woman who acted as secretary to the leader of the Pendragon Syndicate. Engraved on her face was a look of pure panic, one hand gripped tightly at her cross. Her blue eyes were still open.
Arthur couldn't bear to look at her like that, so gently he closed the young woman's eyes, before continuing into his father's office.
The sight there was worse than anything he saw coming up the stairs. Uther was pinned to the wall. A knife buried deeply into the flesh of each hand. His hand tailored suit was shredded, and his body full of bullet holes. Arthur just looked in horror. A single piece of paper floated down from the ceiling fan. How it ended up there, Arthur had no clue.
It read:
Justice has been served, the Pendragon Syndicate is nothing.
Via Morgeuse and Senred.
Druids, beware.
Arthur just stared at the paper, his hands shaking. How had the police managed such carnage? Half of them were on his father's payroll, what had happened.
An hour later, Arthur found that everyone had been killed. There were young women who had hidden in a closet, shot through their hearts. In the garage, blood was splattered against his father's white car. The chauffeur dead behind the wheel.
Arthur didn't know where else to go. So that's how he found himself at the doors of the Magic Room that night.
The dance hall was somber. Nobody really felt like celebrating, and to be honest it was half empty. Arthur looked around, surprised no one had jumped out at him...No Morgana...No Mordred.
"Arthur!"
The relief in Gwen's voice brought tears to Arthur's eyes.
"We heard what happened," began Elyan.
"And we're damn sorry," added Lancelot.
Gwaine still had his back to Arthur, but as he moved he recognized the figure being bandaged up.
"Percival!? You're alive!" Arthur said approaching slowly.
Percy gently pushed Gwaine's hands away from his head with a smile. Slowly he rose, and the two men hugged.
"How did you survive?"
"Played dead," laughed Percy. "They cut at me a bit, almost stabbed me in the heart."
"But we're glad that you came here," Gwaine said standing and taking Percy's hand.
"You'll be safe here," Gwen promised.
"And Leon?" Arthur's voice cracked.
"He was just in the bathroom."
Everyone turned to see who had spoken. Merlin had Leon's arms around his shoulders, and he was guiding the blond back to the table.
"Leon? You're alive too?"
"Can't get rid of me that easily~"
Arthur was about to pull Leon into an embrace when Merlin tutted. "Uh-uh. Leon has a cracked rib, a dislocated shoulder, and possibly a sprained ankle. I've called for Gaius, he should be hear shortly."
Arthur nodded in relief. "Emrys, can I talk to you? In private?"
Merlin's eyes clouded with confusion. "Of course."
They walked away from the table full of their friends.
"I wanted to apologize. My father was the one who sent me here to spy on your operation. That's why I lied. But then I met you, and god I forgot all about the Syndicate. Being with you was like I was awake for the first time in ages. I hated going back to my father, and I wished I could stay with you. I did plan on telling you...I didn't think you would have to hear it from someone else...I just wished there was a way for you to forgive me, to trust me again...Because dammit, Merlin, my life means nothing without you in it," the last part came out in one breath, as if it was anxious to escape the confines of Arthur's mouth.
Merlin's eyes searched Arthur's, before he slowly nodded. "There's something about you Arthur, something is telling me that I ought to trust you...I can't explain."
"I think I know what you're talking about," Arthur said taking a step closer. Merlin met him halfway.
Merlin was about to speak, when they were interrupted by Gwaine. Gaius had arrived, and required some assistance resetting the bone.
Merlin followed the old man over to where Leon lay. They poured as much alcohol as they could find down his throat before moving to set the bone. The scream was heartbreaking.
After that everyone settled in around the round booth.
"I think I speak for everyone, when I say this, but I think we should create an alliance with the Pendragon Syndicate." Merlin had never imagined himself saying words like this, but now that the Syndicate was in the hands of Arthur, he knew it was what needed to be done. Besides, Pendragon only had two men at this point. "Any against?"
Silence.
"What about Mordred and Morgana?" asked Arthur.
"We haven't seen them around for awhile," confessed Lancelot.
"We think they're planning something, not sure what," added Gwen darkly.
Merlin seemed saddened by the thought that his friends had turned against him. "No matter. Now that we have this alliance, we must prepare for whatever comes next."
"The police. They're going to target the Druids next," Arthur stated.
"How do you know that?" asked Gwen.
Arthur explained the note he found, everybody at the table felt a chill run down their spines. Whatever came next wasn't going to be good. They were sure of that.
"We should have a new name," Gwen stated idly.
She was right. They weren't really Druids and Pendragons anymore...they had joined forces, and this called for a new name.
"What about the Knights of Camelot?" suggested Arthur. "After all we are about to enter a battle against one of the evilest institutions this city has."
Arthur's eyes met Gaius'.
Merlin flashed his lopsided grin. "I like it."
And so they raised their glasses to their new name, and at that moment they felt invincible.
OHMIGOD. I don't know why it took me so long to update, I guess I just was super blocked...and distracted tbh. But I plan to finish this story. I will do it. But it would be nice to get some comments~ no pressure. Thanks for reading, favoriting and or following. Promise to update soon! ~T.W.o.W.