"M-Merlin?"

Arthur's eyes had to be deceiving him. He'd been hit too hard, or he was still dreaming—something, anything to save him from the beautiful misery that stood before him. Arthur's gaze shifted from Merlin to the wall of the cell, unmoving. His mind flashed back to Mithian and their life together. Arthur had been ready to give up every thought, every piece of him, every spec of Merlin, had been ready to cast it all into the wind just so he could move on with his life.

"Arthur. Please say something," Merlin pleaded. Arthur could feel his eyes shake and shiver as his mind tried to process the scenario, but it seemed, in a last ditch effort to maintain his sanity, his mind shifted to his regrets.

Arthur remembered the first time he told Gwen he was getting married to Mithian. It was only short while after Merlin had died and she, Morgana and himself had decided to have a lunch date together. He had expected them to be happy for him, but instead they'd bombarded him with accusations and their "two cents", telling him that he wasn't ready, it was too soon, you're not over Merlin.

He had fought to keep that thought untrue, going through with the marriage, letting her move in, letting her fuck him. But through all the days and all the sex and all the nights and all the fights, one thing remained true: Not a day went by that he didn't think of Merlin.

Merlin's skin, his texture, his taste, his love—it never left Arthur, not even for a second. Even now, Arthur had Merlin's ring in his pocket, where he kept it. Since his training it had grown too small to wear, but he couldn't bear to part with it.

Doubt and betrayal began to fill Arthur's mind. If Merlin had been alive all this time, why had he not made contact, why did he wait until the party? He wasn't even himself; he didn't even tell Arthur. Arthur had to pry it from him.

"Why-Why didn't you say anything? At the party? Were you planning on keeping it a secr—wait. No." Arthur shook his head in disbelief. He couldn't meet Merlin's eyes. Truth flashed over Arthur's mind, leaving a raw destruction in its wake. "You were never going to tell me... were you." Arthur's eyes became glazed with rage. They shot up to meet Merlin's, who only gave him a shameful gaze back.

"Y-you... were happy. I didn't want—I didn't want to hurt you," Merlin whispered into the air, but his words were empty and damp like the cold cell they were in. They trickled into Arthur's ears, their cold touch rapidly twisting anger inside of him. Hurt him. What the fuck did he think he was doing by staying dead? Arthur wondered. The thought corroded his mind, left him even more bitter and angry.

"Who were you to make that decision?" Arthur yelled. His face was red now, his body was shaking. His hands were twisted into fists, knuckles white.

"Who? Who was I?" Merlin yelled back. He took a few steps towards Arthur. "Do you know what I was supposed to do? I was supposed find a way to kill that son of a bitch Mordred before he kills anymore people. The entire fucking point was to keep you safe. Do you understand what I've sacrificed? My family, my friends, you, everything that made me human, it's all gone because I have to save the fucking world and you're lecturing me about why I didn't lead you to your death?"

"And why did I have no say, Merlin?" Arthur screamed back, his voice cracking as he said Merlin's name. "I would just – the pain of your death. It never got better. It never got better. I couldn't get over you. No matter how hard I – just… God dammit, Merlin. Just—"

Arthur stomped his foot and began to pace around the room. Merlin sat on the small bed on his side of the cell and placed his head in his hands. He was exhausted and out of breath. His magic was boiling but constrained due to Mordred's anti-magic zone. Merlin ran his fingers through his hair and sighed.

"You're all that kept me going, Arthur. The thought of you—" Merlin choked on his words. His face was calm but his voice shook. "The thought of you with that woman, was all I had to do this. And it wasn't like I had a fucking perfect life to come back to, do you know what it's like to have to wait a year to come back to your lover to find he's already married? Sod off."

A few minutes of silence passed as Merlin and Arthur desperately tried to calm down. The lack of food, of sleep, it was getting to them and they knew it.

"I had to give up myself as well, you know." Arthur stated after a few minutes, finally calming down. "I-I gave up my mum and my dad, friends, Mithian she – she was my only escape, and even then, I couldn't – we weren't – I wasn't." Arthur stumbled through his words and the more he thought about how lonely he had been with Mithian the more he thought about how much he needed Merlin, how much he loved Merlin, how nothing was right without Merlin. Arthur was facing the wall, doing his best not to show his discomfort, the pain he had tried too hard to keep hidden.

Merlin stood up, the sound of the springs of the bed echoed in the cell.

"Arthur?" Merlin asked, his voice hollow and dry.

Arthur was still turned away from him but Merlin couldn't sense any anger from him.

"I'm sorry – for – for everything." Merlin let out a small choked sob.

Before Arthur or Merlin could react, Arthur's feet were moving him, and soon he collided with Merlin's thin body, wrapping his arms around him. Arthur buried his face in Merlin's hair, right above his ear. His grip was tight but loving, something Merlin had missed, something that no one, not even Will, could emulate.

"Merlin, Merlin, Merlin, Merlin, Merlin..." Arthur whispered. He forced himself to remain calm, he needed to be here for Merlin. Arthur's breath was soft and warm on Merlin's neck and he pulled Merlin into him tighter, "Merlin, Merlin please, I'm just – sorry too... okay?"

Merlin nodded into Arthur's shoulder and lifted his hand to stroke Arthur's hair, burying his face in the crook of Arthur's neck. A hint of his musk and cologne nuzzled its way into Merlin's nose, and he embraced the memories that he collided with. All of a sudden the argument, the fighting, the anger and the bitterness, it was swept away into some alternate dimension, the only thing left in the room was a sense of unnerving love and a hint of arousal.

Will.

Merlin pulled himself back from Arthur, who reluctantly let go. Arthur was smiling but Merlin's face was showing a series of darker and confused looks. He couldn't match Arthur's eyes. The memories of Will, the times they shared. Will wasn't a consolation prize.

"There is... something I need to tell you," Merlin stated. He crossed his arms over his chest and hung his head. "I've started dating someone else – sorta like you and Mithian."

Arthur's hand dropped to his sides and he let out a relieved sigh.

"It's alright, Merlin," Arthur cooed. "You can just tell him when we get out of here and everything will be—" Arthur stopped talking once he realized that Merlin was actually pulling father back. His body language was cold and closed. Arthur could read Merlin like a book, he could tell instantly that Merlin didn't want to go through with this plan, but that didn't make sense. They were in love, weren't they?

"Merlin, you are going to-to leave him for me, right?" Arthur asked, his voice shaking. He took a few steps towards Merlin and rested his hand on his shoulder. "Merlin?"

Merlin said nothing. He remained still as stone only a few inches from the wall of the cell. Arthur's hands became fists. He wasn't going to lose Merlin again.

Arthur placed his hand under Merlin's face and pulled his chin up, forcing Merlin to meet his gaze. Arthur leaned in gently, and before Merlin could object, their lips we're connected, Arthur's moving around his own, his hands circling his body. Arthur's breaths we're quick and hot against Merlin's face.

"Please, Arthur..." Merlin said between kisses. "I… I…"

This only made Arthur kiss harder and faster. Arthur's arms were firm and he pulled Merlin closer, their chests so tight Merlin could barely breathe. This was all Merlin had ever wanted, to be reunited again.

Will.

"Arthur – please. I need to –"

Arthur's hands dropping to Merlin's waist, his fingers dipping below the rim of his suit. Merlin tried to pull away but Arthur was always stronger; Arthur's hands unfastened the top button of Merlin's pants and his hand dipped in-

"Just STOP!" Merlin screamed.

Arthur recoiled back as if someone had hit him. Merlin's face was bright red, his eyes rimmed with tears and shame. Arthur tried to take a few steps towards him but Merlin pulled back.

"I-I can't, Arthur, I can't do that to him." Merlin confessed. His breath hitched on the back of his throat. He did his best to hold back his tears, he couldn't betray Will, they had been together for a while now, hell, they were living together. Merlin couldn't just throw that away. Will wasn't a consolation prize.

"What do you – Merlin, you love me!" Arthur yelled. His bottom lip began to quiver as his mind tried to wrap itself around his next thought. "D-Don't you?"

"I can't do that to him," Merlin repeated, his voice was cold this time; thick and cold.

To him. To him. To him. To him. To him.

Arthur took a few staggered steps backwards and let his back hit the wall. He let his knees give way and his body slid to the ground. He never took his eyes off of Merlin.

"Flowers? For me?" Arthur asked.

Arthur had been sitting at the top of one of the wing towers of his castle. Up there is where he did his best thinking. He could see across all of Camelot and its surrounding areas, far over the forests, far into the distance.

Merlin, of course, spent most of his time up here with him. Together they would talk about their future, the roles they would play in Camelot's rise to power. Today, however, was different.

Arthur took the flowers from Merlin's hand and inhaled them deeply. Their scents were strong, as if magically amplified, but Arthur didn't need to ask, he knew that Merlin had probably just grown them.

"What are these for, Merlin?" Arthur asked.

"Really?" Merlin asked astonished. "You know, sire-"

"Arthur," Arthur corrected.

"It's not nice to forget you and your lover's anniversary."

Arthur placed one of his hands on his head. "Oh, Merlin, I'm so sorry. I've just been wrapped up in, you know this deal for land that one of the surrounding kingdoms wants to offer and I totally spaced out."

Arthur took a few steps towards Merlin and rested his forehead against his. Arthur pulled Merlin in close.

"Forgive me, my love?" Arthur asked, tenderly, a gentile smile blooming across his face.

Merlin rolled his eyes and smiled back. "You're such a clotpole, you know that? You think you can just look at me... like... that, and I'm just supposed to forgive you, yes?"

Arthur leaned in closer and gently took Merlin's bottom lip in between his teeth.

"Yes, yes you are," Arthur playfully growled. He brought their faces closer and took Merlin's mouth into his own.

Merlin laughed through the kiss and nodded, giving up and succumbing to Arthur. His Arthur.

"Let her go, Mordred."

Mordred turned from the table he was at. His eyes were wide with shock. Gwen could see Morgana behind him. She pulled out both of her Sais and held them in front of her in a defensive stance. Morgana was unmoving, but the machines next to her beeped with her heart, letting Gwen know she was alive.

"You're too late. I was able to extract all the information I needed a week ago, but I figured I'd toy with her, you know, push her to her limits." Mordred cackled. He did a back flip into the table that Morgana was on and landed on her stomach. "She stopped responding to stimuli almost two days ago. Poor girl, she just couldn't... take... the pain. Weak weak weak this one is."

"Morgause!" Gwen yelled, she was panting in a panic. Morgause was her only way out. "I know you don't – Morgause, we need to help Morgana." Gwen threw her Sais at Mordred and pulled out a small device from her back. Mordred jumped back and easily dodged the projectile, laughing as he came down and softly landed on the tiled floor.

"You missed." Mordred laughed.

"No, I really didn't," Gwen replied. Mordred noticed that Morgana's bracelet had been sliced apart. Gwen pressed the red button on her device. There was a loud explosion and the ground rumbled beneath them.

She had managed to sneak into the basement when the mansion had cleared out, remembering the code Merlin had put in (spy contacts were the best weren't they?) She'd been easily able to sneak into the bottom floor, where Mordred was.

The antenna was easy to locate considering it was the only thing there that was humming and emitting eerie purple light. Gwen knew enough in anti-magic technology to recognize when something was emitting a blocking signal, an amplified wave of magic that distorted other magic around it. In this case, everyone's magic except for Mordred's.

But that wasn't the case anymore.

Morgana's eyes opened. Mordred jumped back in surprise. Her head twisted on the gurney, her body beginning to break and twist as her bones shifted, leaving the straps holding her down useless. She easily twisted out of them and then stood up on all fours on the table, the wires and tubes attached to her fell to the floor, ejected from her body through magic. Her head slowly twisted until it was upside down, her neck clearly broken, eyes pure white, no pupil, no iris.

"Mommy wants to play!" she screamed.

"What was that?" Merlin asked. Arthur didn't reply.

A green portal opened behind them. Nimueh was standing on the other side.

"Let's go, we need to get you out of there!" Nimueh yelled through the portal.

"But what about Morgana?" Merlin asked.

"We'll get her then," Nimueh replied. "Now come, we don't have much time. Even with that device disabled I can't keep this portal open long!"

Merlin extended his hand out to Arthur, who was unmoving on the floor.

"Arthur... I can't do this without you," Merlin pleaded.

Arthur looked up at him, his eyes hollow. He stood up, not taking Merlin's hand, and stepped into the portal. Merlin followed.

Gwen stood back as she watched Mordred and Morgause face off. Their blows were quick and accurate, yet neither could land a hit on the other. They flew around the room at lightning fast speeds, evenly matched. Gwen tried her best to make out who was winning but she couldn't tell; she just knew that neither had landed a blow yet.

"I'm going to skin you for what you did to my sister!" Morgause screamed. Her hands were bright with magic, throwing fast and quick shots at Mordred, who, unfortunately, was fast enough to avoid each and every one of them.

Mordred grew tired of fighting someone so annoying. He had other matters to attend to, and this bitch had come in and ruined them all. Well, he was going to show her, he was! Mordred quickly ran over to his computer and typed in a few words before dodging another one of Morgause's quick magical blows.

Gwen watched in horror as the tubes around the room began to open. Out of them came creatures, disgusting creatures. Some were part human, some were part animal, but all of them, each and every one of them was part machine. The metal and wires sticking out from their twisted sinful flesh. The smell, the smell was what got to Gwen, the smell of feces and rotting flesh mixed with the raw odor of iron and aluminum.

"I'll take care of these guys!" Gwen yelled. "You take care of him!" Morgause nodded quickly in agreement and kept on her unrelenting assault on the boy.

Gwen leaped at the nearest creature. She was disgusted at how broken it was; part man, part horse, part machine, a centaur of sorts. Gwen landed on its back before it could draw its weapon, a metal sword on its waist, and dropped both of her Sias into its head. Gwen tore her blades through its skull, forcing it onto its knees. Gwen pulled her blades out and twirled them at the ground, blood spattering onto the floor.

Easy enough, Gwen thought.

"Oh no you don't!" Mordred leaped off a wall and zoomed straight for Gwen's neck, her pulsing vein looked so—

Morgause was faster than him, and with a swift foot to his stomach sent him flying into a nearby wall. Gwen looked up at Morgause and could see a faint glimmer of affection before she took off after Mordred.

Gwen set her eyes on another creature. This one had a large broadsword. Its flesh was so twisted that Gwen couldn't tell what it was, only that she needed to release it from Mordred's control. Gwen leaped at the creature.

Gwen's scream was what broke Morgause's concentration. Morgause had turned to see Gwen pinned a wall by an arrow, taking off guard by one of the creatures from the other side of the room. Morgause screamed as she quickly leaped to save Gwen, her magic bubbling as remnants of Morgana began to shine through. Her hands began to spark with electricity as she quickly cleaved arcs of lighting into the bodies of all the abominations in her sight.

"Morgause!"

Gwen had tried to warn her but her non-magical eyes were too slow, and her lips couldn't say the words fast enough. Morgana stood in the center of the room, standing tall, but with one fatal error; Mordred's teeth deep in her neck.

Gwen reached out to her, screaming. She pulled herself off the arrow; it had gone clean through her right shoulder but luckily missed any vital arteries. Gwen watched in horror as Mordred continued to gnaw at her neck, tears rolling down Gwen's face. Mordred's bite was lethal to anyone who had every expirenced it, there were countless cases of Knight's that had been spit on by the boy, and the toxins in his saliva had caused severe neurological problems, and in the end, death.

"Heh heh heh."
"Heh heh heh heh heh."
"Mommy has... a... surprise."

A black gas began to flow from the area where Mordred's teeth were inserted. He quickly pulled off, but the black gas continued to flow into his mouth, into his nose, into his ears, into his eyes. Mordred began to scream and cough, and Morgause fell to the ground, her strength giving out.

Gwen ran to her, the lights and the machines in the room began to slowly power down in conjunction with Mordred's dying magic. Gwen sank down to Morgause's body and pulled her to her chest.

"Gwen."

Gwen looked down in shock. Morgana was back, but Gwen could feel the life leaving her. Her neck was horribly torn open, and blood was spilling out onto the floor. Gwen tried to place her hand on the neck to stop the bleeding but there was too much blood.

"Gwen!" Morgana repeated.

"Shh, shh," Gwen whispered. "Don't you try to talk."

Morgana reached her hand up and stroked a curl of hair behind Gwen's ear.

"It's alright, Gwen. It's—"

Morgana's eyes fluttered close. Her body fell limp, her hand sliding down Gwen's face, awkwardly resting on her chest. Gwen's eyes filled with tears and they spilled down her cheeks, mixing with the blood that was on her face.

"Ha... ha... haha..." Mordred coughed. His white skin was tinted dark by purple veins that were carrying the poison through his body. Mordred pulled out his phone. He pressed his thumb against the screen.

Gwen got up, her clothes stained in her lover's blood. She walked over to Mordred and stomped on his hand that held the phone. He screamed as she ground his hand into the ground, she could feel his bones breaking, his knuckles separating. She lifted the Sais in her right hand.

Never once had she wanted anything more.

"This... this is for Lance." Gwen plummeted into Mordred's back, pinning him to the ground. His screams were music to her ears. Mordred wiggled and contorted under the blade, bu the more he moved, the more he bled. Gwen had pinned him down right in his liver, a place where even if he did manage to break free, the blood loss would kill him. Gwen stood above him, her pupils pinpricks, his body shaking with anger, hate, and vengeance. Gwen lifted her other Sais high above her head, her body quivering with anticipation, the rush of adrenaline filling every nook and cranny of her being.

Never once had she ever wanted anything more.

"And this?" Gwen whispered, her mouth dry. She looked down at the broken boy who was glaring up at her with hateful bloodshot eyes. "This is for Morgana!" Gwen stuck her other Sais into his head, twisting and grinding it to make sure she killed every brain cell. She wanted every part of him gone from this world. Mordred's eyes rolled into the back of his head, and the power went out to the entire room.

Gwen blindly made her way back to Morgana's body. She knelt down beside it. She picked up the lifeless corpse of her lover, and reached into her pack to pull out her teleportation crystal It was over, it was finally—

"Code: Black, Code: Black. Activating system lock down and self-destruct sequence."

Gwen looked up in horror as the large screen on one of the walls began to count down from thirty. Gwen quickly got up and tried to pick up Morgana's body, but she was too heavy. The room was filled with a familiar hum, the hum of an anti-magic zone. It wasn't as powerful as the last one, probably a last ditch effort to keep the monsters from leaving, but nevertheless:

30, 29, 28

The crystals she had brought with her. Useless.

Outside help. Useless.

Chance of escape. Zero.

"Damn it! No!" Gwen screamed, but she knew she had to. She ran out of the room and towards the elevator. The doors were beginning to close.

25, 24, 23

"No, no, no, no. No. NO please! Wait!" Gwen yelled.

She had managed to slip an arm in, but that was a mistake. The elevator doors did not stop trying to close. A bloodcurdling scream left Gwen's lips as the door's completely closed on her elbow, severing it. Gwen could hear the splat as her forearm landed on the other side of the elevator, which was now moving up to the ground floor.

19, 18, 17

Gwen twisted on the floor. Her vision was going; she felt her blood pressure plummet as blood poured profusely out of her arm.

This... this can't be it? Gwen thought. This can't be.

An odd sound made its presence from behind her. Gwen saw a green portal; inside it was Merlin. His arm was extended, reaching for her.

"Get up!"

Gwen saw Morgana beside her. She was bright, glowing. Beautiful. She extended her arm and Gwen grabbed it, slowly standing on her feet. Her will was coming back to her. She wasn't going to die here today. She wasn't going to die. Morgana placed an arm on her back, giving her a gentle push towards Merlin, towards safety, towards salvation.

13, 12, 11

Gwen slowly began to work her way towards the portal. It was quite a distance from her, but she had time. It was only a few more yards. Gwen's mind began to drift off. She thought about how she even got into this mess. The watched as the room began to shake, as it filled with red as the warning light flashed on the large screen on the wall. Bright LED numbers continued to countdown to the destruction of this wicked dungeon.

"Hurry!" Merlin yelled, extending his hand farther. "We don't have much time!"

She thought about Lance.

"Hurry!" Morgana yelled. "You don't have much time!"

She thought about Morgana.

7, 6, 5

Gwen was just feet from the portal. It felt so good to be able to be safe again, the feeling of friendship, of home on the other side. Gwen vowed that she would make Richard pay; she knew that he was in charge of all of this, even if she couldn't prove it. She had so much to tell Merlin, so much to tell Arthur; she staggered forward, blood dripping from her bloody stub. God, Gwen needed a drink, something strong, something to get rid of the pain in her arm.

Gwen saw Morgana beside her, her ghost-like hands were guiding her, keeping her steady, moving her closer to the portal. Even in death, Morgana was still taking care of her, still loving her, still keeping her going. Gwen needed to live, she needed to avenge Morgana's death, Lance's death, anyone who had lost a life to this disgusting cause, they needed to be avenged.

4, 3, 2

Gwen grabbed Merlin's hand and he pulled her forward with all his strength and Gwen swore she could feel Morgana's hands on her back, trying to coax her into the portal.

I'm safe..

A large roar of fire filled the air, the heat burning the hairs on Merlin's arm.

Nimueh cut the portal.

No one said a word. The air was filled with breathless pants.

No one remarked about the timing of the portal. Nimueh closed her eyes.

No one criticized how long it took Gwen to reach it. Arthur turned away.

And no one said anything about the fact that Merlin was just holding an arm, the person who was to be attached left behind on the other side.

Richard could feel the magical wavelengths of his new "friends" joining him in The Fade. Mordred had given him the key he needed to enter this wonderful place. So full of power, so full of life, it made him sick. He reached down beside him and pet his loyal and lovely partner, Hunith. Richard extended his gauntlet and connected with her mind.

"Find your son, Hunith. Find him and Arthur. Kill them, at all costs. They cannot interfere with out plans."

Hunith could only bow her heads in response. She started to sprint and leaped out the open window, wings expanding from her body, she flew into the moonlit sky.

"Perfect." Richard spoke to himself. "Perfect."