Merlin knelt beside the entrance, his fingers tracing the borders with the cold dust and grime rolling out of the way.
'Shall we?' Arthur asked behind him. They'd both pulled on suits and gloves, and the PC standing guard had had no objections to their plans. Forensics had done their part and the woman's body had been taken away for further investigation. Everything seemed to point to the manhole being key. Everything moving out the way for them as the dust did for his fingers.
'Yeah,' he said standing up and moving to the side. Arthur moved to the other and they both hooked their fingers into the carved out handles. 'Count of three?'
'One,' Arthur started, 'Two. Three.'
Merlin felt his muscles strain for only a second before they'd successfully lifted the cement, pushing it up and over. The hinges complained but were silenced when it's heavy mass slammed down out of the way. Staring down he couldn't see a thing, just the darkness and the vague shape of steps.
'Should we get helmets or something?' Merlin inquired, looking up at Arthur.
Arthur shook his head. 'Nah, we'll be fine.'
Merlin tried his best to squash the anxiety building in his chest. That was one problem he could never get over. His heart rate sped up and beat heavily in his chest in the anticipation of danger, of the unknown. Only when faced with the thing itself did he calm down. It was stupid in so many ways, but then he was grateful he experienced that calm which had saved his life before and would do so again.
'What does your gut feeling tell you now?' Arthur was holding a torch out to him, clearly having noticed the slight apprehension, fear even, on his face.
'That this is stupid,' Merlin said honestly and mulled on it for a second longer. 'Also that there's something down there that can help with the case.'
'Even though it hasn't been opened in decades?' Arthur pressed as Merlin took the torch and switched it on, the beam of light cutting through the darkness.
'It's easy to rearrange some dust though, isn't it? Like putting a rug over a trap door.'
'True,' Arthur said, grabbing his own light from the table to the side. There were several, in case the main lights had a problem and faltered. Returning he rolled his shoulders with a shine in his eyes. 'After you.'
'Me?'
'Not scared, are you? Come along, Detective Constable,' Arthur said, standing out of the way and indicating with his arm.
Merlin paused before he placed his foot on the first step, the sturdiness serving some comfort. Then the next step down, and the next, carefully descending with a tight grip on the torch. Just as his head was about to duck below the basement floor, he stopped.
'We forgot about masks,' Merlin admitted with worry. No wonder he'd felt uneasy. He was the one who'd suggested them in the first place. He could hear Arthur huffing out a long breath above him.
'Do we really need them?' Arthur asked, but the obvious concern in his voice strangled the validity of his question.
'You were the one who made the point about not being able to breathe,' Merlin reminded him. Yet the uneasiness he felt couldn't override the feeling that he needed to go down. He had to. Staring down he could see nothing but the black emptiness, undisturbed for decades or mere hours. It drew out the images of the woman, of the past victims, of the screaming that was never heard.
'I can call Gwen and see what she can do,' Arthur suggested meagerly.
'You do that,' Merlin murmured with the darkness tugging at his clothes and the cold air wrapping around his skin, pulling him further down. Down another step, down one more. He had to see, to know, what was down.
'Merlin?' Arthur called. 'What the hell are you doing?'
'Gut feeling,' he replied quietly, placing his foot onto the final step. Lifting the torch up he shined it ahead, making out the rounded metal beams of the tunnel and the cables running along the side. The air was stale and flecks of dust floated and danced in the light, bright against the darkness still pushing against him, urging him onwards.
'Merlin, just hold on a second,' Arthur shouted down to him. He contemplated waiting but, as he'd always thought, time was a gift you're never given till death. Morbid saying, but true in a way. Why waste a second?
So he pressed forward, the ground absorbing the sound of his steps. Soon silence was settled around him, Arthur having stopped his protests and chosen not to follow. Merlin could feel his breathing get deeper as the air became even staler, but he hadn't found anything yet.
Turning around the corner he came to the platform for the disused station; barren and abandoned. Old war posters clung to the walls, and illuminating one he saw a cartoon bomb with claws of fire stretching out, a swastika etched into its body. 'BRITAIN SHALL NOT BURN' it went on to say. The sirens wailed in his ears. He could hear the rumble of aircraft engines in the sky and the whistle of death as it cut down through the night to swallow the innocent buildings and people with fire. Burning. The roaring flames amid the quietness of fear.
Looking away he continued along the stretch of the platform.
Several exists had been bricked up and as he stepped passed he saw water trickling through the mortar, pooling at the bases. Then he saw the one thing that didn't belong. Amongst all the mess of puddles, grime and fallen metal fixtures, there was some fabric caught on a doorway's hinge. The door itself was no where to be seen, but Merlin kept focused on the silhouette of the fabric.
Upon close inspection he could make out the dull red colour; rust and blood mixed together. It was leather, the torchlight shining against its coated surface. The small room it belonged to had another staircase which twisted round and up behind a wall, leading to what must have been another exit. An exit not accounted for.
Dragging in a laboured breath Merlin took an unsteady step backwards. He could feel the effects of the poor air, the lack of oxygen making his muscles ache slightly. He carefully removed the scrap of leather from where it was hooked, trapping it in his gloved hand, and began making his way back.
Eyes locked on the light he tried to ignore how the air seemed to pulse, the shadows shaking around him. He was back in the main tunnel. Merlin lifted one foot then the next, watching the white light as it gave colour to the brown dirt on the ground.
'Arthur,' he tried to call, but it was too quiet. As he got closer to the staircase the air became richer, cleaner, but his body was already dragging him down. Shoulder pressed against the curved wall he steadied himself and took in a few slow breaths, feeling his head swim. Again the wailing sirens and whistle of the bombs as they fell polluted his mind. He could practically feel the heat of the flames, smell the smoke which coiled up and up into the sky.
'Merlin, is that you?' someone called.
Pushing away with cobwebs clinging to the suit, he made one last attempt to get up. Up and away from the fire, away from the suffering and away from the dead.
'Merlin!'
A figure rushed towards him, hooking their head under his arm and carrying him the rest of the way out. Blinded by the intensity of the lights his eyes took a second to adjust. Arthur was forcing him to sit down, with someone else hovering behind him.
'What happened?' she asked entirely distraught with his bad state.
'He went down there before you could get here with the masks,' Arthur said.
'Why didn't you go down and get him?' Gwen, her kind voice something he couldn't forget, asked as she knelt beside him, pressing her fingers against his throat.
'I did.'
'You did?' Merlin said with surprise, still reeling from the sudden wealth of air he was breathing.
'There were too many rooms and different paths to know for sure where you'd gone,' Arthur said, 'and then Gwen arrived.'
'Really, Arthur, you didn't have to stop looking for him on my account,' she assured him.
'What use would looking have been if I was unconscious like he almost was?'
'I didn't though,' Merlin interjected with a fool's pride. 'Fall unconscious. I didn't.'
'That is remarkable,' Gwen noted. 'You must have been down there for almost half an hour.'
'Time flies by,' Merlin said and gave them both a small smile. His clenched fist reminded him of his success and stood up, in spite of Arthur's protests. 'I found some evidence.'
'What is it?' Gwen asked, a twinkle of curiosity in her eyes.
Merlin presented it to them. 'Some torn leather, maybe from a jacket or bag. I can't be sure.'
'More likely a jacket,' Arthur said, picking it up and examining it before dropping it into an evidence bag. 'Can you do one thing for me, Merlin?'
'What?'
Arthur rounded up on him, his face only a few intimidating inches away. 'Don't ever do something so stupid ever again. Okay?'
'Okay,' Merlin said slowly.
'Well, for a first day you certainly make an impression, Merlin,' Gwen piped up, hands fidgeting with the masks she'd brought and a warm smile on her face.
'Yeah, he certainly does. A suicidal idiot,' Arthur said as he passed the evidence bag to Merlin.
'Now that's a stretch too far, don't you think?' Merlin asked with a grin, hoping he wasn't serious as he took the bag.
'Prove me wrong, and sure. See you tomorrow,' Arthur said definitively, snapping off the gloves and heading up the stairs without another word.
'Are you alright getting home?' Gwen asked him, the confusion of Arthur's departure written over her face but an almost maternal concern overriding it.
'Mhm,' he hummed. 'Don't worry about me.'
'Sure?'
'Positive,' he assured her.
Satisfied she walked to the stairs, turning to say, 'See you in the morning, then.'
Once Gwen had left he looked down to the leather. The heat dripped its way into his veins again, rolling through him as his oxygen deprived memories whispered back to him. Britain shall not burn. The blaze, the blitz. The entrance that no one knew existed. Puffing out a long breath he folded the evidence bag and dropped it into a box left on the table.
His mind wandered as he pulled off the suit and the plastic covers for his shoes. Systematically shedding away the crime scene eased the thoughts back into a temporary slumber. It gave him some respite, which he clung to as he caught a taxi back to his small flat.
'Who's the new guy?'
They all turned to watch Merlin as he made his way over. The sudden attention put him on edge, but he continued forward to stand near them, gathered around two large boards.
'Everyone, meet DC Merlin Emrys,' Gwen announced kindly, hopping up from her perch on the desk and passing him a coffee. 'It's cappuccino.'
'Thanks,' he said taking the warm cup in hand. His eyes scanned the members of what he assumed to be the murder investigation team. Arthur seemed to be absorbed by the pictures and notes he was adding to the boards, ignoring him entirely. Gwen looked keen and helpful. The strangers were another matter. The one who'd asked about him wore an easy smile, his entire presence exuding confidence. Another was taller, built like a warrior and had a stern but handsome expression. The next had curly hair, reminding him of a lion's mane, and the last seemed more drawn back, quieter, but no less proud than the others.
'Got a girlfriend?' the easy smiled man asked abruptly, drawing everyone's eyes and a shocked expression on Gwen's part. Arthur froze for a second but continued his notes a moment later.
'Um,' Merlin began, caught off guard. 'No, I haven't.'
'Is that because you're not really trying, got bad luck or they're not your type?' he continued, his Irish accent thick and charming with each word.
'Gwaine, is that really relevant?' the lion inquired with authority, a little like Arthur.
'It's just a question, Leon,' Gwaine said, a mischievous smile plastered onto his face. 'So, Merlin, which is it?'
'Combination of the first two,' he answered, frowning slightly in thought. 'Don't know about the third, the others sort of prevented that, uh, line of enquiry.'
'You've never had a girlfriend?' Gwen asked with incredulity.
'No, I have had a girlfriend, a few actually,' Merlin quickly corrected. 'It's just nothing's ever been serious enough or lasted long enough to really know.'
'I see,' Gwaine said, watching him with fascination, resting his cup on his knee. 'You're an odd one, aren't you Merlin?'
'From what Arthur's told me he's suicidal,' Leon remarked, his faith lying in the DS's opinion more than the others'.
'Oh, not that again,' Gwen said in his defence. 'He found evidence, didn't die, and didn't hurt himself. That's hardly what I'd call suicidal.'
'Actually, now that you mention it,' Merlin began, 'there was another entrance to the station.'
Arthur stopped scrawling a name on the board and turned to face him. 'A second entrance?'
'Where I found the fabric; There was another set of stairs,' he informed him, the dark passageway forming in his memory perfectly. Each dirty and cracked brick, loosened screw and splintered wood.
'Why didn't you mention this when I dragged you out?'
'I was a bit distracted by your whole threatening and intimidation thing,' Merlin explained, realising how stupid it sounded and taking a resigned sip of the cappuccino.
'Apart from stairs, did you actually look to see if it was an entrance?' Arthur interrogated, folding his arms.
Clearing his throat Merlin replied, 'I was nearly at the point of passing out, so I decided to get out instead.'
'You didn't check it out?' the warrior man asked harshly.
'That's what the man said, Percy,' Gwaine interjected.
'What's all this squabble about?' K asked, approaching them with a wary eye.
'DC Emrys made a discovery last night,' the quiet one explained, now for the first time really looking at Merlin. He recognised a warmth in the man's eyes that resembled Gwen's. 'That and his lack of love in life. Not to mention suicidal tendencies.'
'Is this true, DS Pendragon?' K questioned Arthur with a pursed mouth.
'Elyan's no liar. All entirely relevant to the case, I assure you Superintendent,' Arthur remarked with a charming smile, and a glare to Merlin that could freeze the hottest summer.
'His love life is relevant, is it?' K continued, enjoying the entertaining situation. Merlin watched with bewilderment at the conversation unfolding before him. He'd never seen a superior react so unusually.
'It gives us an insight into his frame of mind,' Arthur speculated. 'I'd prefer not to be working with someone who's cheated on previous partners, for instance.'
'That's rather judging of you, Arthur,' Morgana said with delicately down turned lips. She moved with an unnerving smoothness and slid her pale eyes across them all before locking onto Merlin's.
'I read this article about how a person's past relationships can give an indication into things like a higher probability to lie or to betray, that kind of thing,' Gwen cheerfully offered up to the conversation, clearly uncomfortable with where it was going.
'Just stay on task, Sergeant. Oh and, Merlin?' K said as he began to retreat back to his duties. 'If you're going to risk your life, do it for the sake of saving someone else. A thirst for knowledge is healthy, but there's a line you'd do well not to cross.'
Merlin nodded, noticing how K gave a pointed look towards Arthur and then back to him, a twinkle in his eyes. The motion was strange but too fast for Merlin to analyse.
'I'd like to have a word with you at some point, Detective Constable,' he added cryptically before leaving them to their work. The next moment everyone turned to see a girl being escorted to an interview room, her eyes red and cheeks wet.
'Who is that?' Merlin asked, transfixed by the distraught girl passing out of sight into the room.
'A friend of the victim's,' Arthur filled him in.
'Charlotte,' Gwen corrected. 'A friend of Charlotte's. She deserves a name, Arthur.'
Merlin watched as Arthur gave Gwen a soft look. 'Yes, of course. Not the victim. Charlotte.'
Gwen smiled in return and Merlin felt it in his chest again. This time no warmth or comfort but hollow recognition. His hands felt cold, and his heartbeat heavy at the moment the two were sharing. Turning away he cleared his throat and moved quickly over to his desk. He forced himself to notice how clean, how empty it was. A computer, some files, a stapler. Some pens. Biros to be exact. He hated biros.
'Is Merlin coming?' Morgana asked loud enough for him to notice, now a part of the group. She was staring at him, a bloody smile spread on her face. A predator going in for the kill. The prey having no escape. That's the smile she bore. It was terrifying.
'I don't see why not,' Leon mused. 'The more the merrier.'
He walked back over to them. 'What's this about?'
'Leon's celebration for promotion to Detective Sergeant,' Arthur said, pride shining in his face.
'Oh, it would be wonderful for Merlin to come,' Gwen remarked with excitement. 'So, Merlin?'
'Sure,' he replied, battling with the wariness he felt near Morgana. That and the conflicted feelings of both comfort and sadness coiling around him from the sight of Gwen and Arthur. 'I'd love to.'
'Now that that's settled with: Leon?' Arthur indicated toward the interview room. 'The rest of you know what to do. Morgana, you should probably get back to your own work. Terrorists need stopping as well.'
'Spoil sport,' she said and walked away, her movements so elegant and smooth they seemed ethereal.
'Merlin, can you go check on forensics?' Arthur asked him without a moment to spare before heading off to interrogate Charlotte's friend. Everyone dispersed, to phones or to databases, whatever it may be. Dejectedly Merlin made his way down to the lab, briskly passing Morgana.
The man was hunched over a microscope, a screen showing an amazingly detailed image of the subject of his study. Before entering the lab area itself, Merlin grabbed a white coat from a hanger and pulled it on, the glass door automatically shifting out of his way.
'Have you come about the leather?' the man asked, lifting a grey eyebrow and looking to Merlin.
'You've already gotten hold of it?'
'I'm rather good at my job,' he said, returning to the microscope's eyepiece. 'Are you the new Constable?'
'Detective Constable Emrys. You're,' Merlin paused searching for the name. He was sure Gwen had mentioned it when he'd arrived the day before. 'Guy . . . Gaius?'
'Gaius,' he said and pulled away from the lab equipment, pulling off a set of gloves. 'I've identified the leather jacket. Pritch London, Shotgun Jacket, from the store Wolf and Badger.'
'How do you know that?'
'You'd really like me to explain?'
'Um, yeah. I think it might be interesting,' Merlin said, but the look of stony disbelief on Gaius' face made him smile honestly. 'Not really, no.'
'Thought so,' he said. 'I doubt this will help you that much. Hundreds of these jackets would have been sold, despite the exuberant price.'
'Well, it suggests they might have money, or have a friend with money,' Merlin thought aloud. 'Or that they're good at finding good quality things at charity shops; or they have good luck in randomly finding items of clothing lying about. Second thoughts it doesn't help much at all, but thank you anyway.'
'It's my job, DC Emrys, you don't need to thank me.'
'Oh no, I think what you do is fascinating. Forensics, the chemistry, all of it.'
'You certainly have more appreciation for my work than your colleagues,' Gaius noted glumly, descending into deep thought just as Merlin's mobile rang out from his trouser pocket. Quickly fishing it out he apologised to the scientist with an awkward smile and answered.
'Merlin, hope you don't mind I pulled your mobile number off the database,' Gwaine said. 'But we're heading off to the nightclub Ambrosia. Apparently Charlotte was there before she . . . you know, so if you want to join come now.'
'I'll be right there,' Merlin replied, hanging up and beginning to shrug off the coat. 'Thanks for the identification, Gaius.'
'If you need anything else, just come tell me,' the man offered with a small smile before returning to observe a test tube.
Charging out of the building Merlin saw his new colleagues climbing into Arthur's car. For a split second his eyes caught those of Arthur's over the hood of the car. The warmth breathed into life again in his chest, before it faltered and dissipated when the DS ducked into the car and he was lost from sight. Suppressing the odd culmination of emotions that began to well, Merlin climbed into the back.
'What has Gaius got us?' Arthur asked, starting the engine and looking to him in the mirror.
'The person who was down there was wearing a woman's Shotgun Jacket,' he said while clipping the seat belt into place.
'So, probably a female killer?'
'Mhm.'
'What do you think of Gaius?' Gwaine inquired, his voice upbeat and a charming smile plastered onto his face which strained to catch sight of Merlin.
'He seems nice,' he said
'Knew you guys would hit it off. You've got that air about you, Merlin.'
'What air?'
'Quirky,' was all Gwaine offered up. 'Gaius has it too.'
'Would you two focus on the issue at hand?'
'What's got your knickers in a twist?' Gwaine asked.
'Ambrosia,' Arthur began. 'You are aware it's been suspected as a front for drug dealing, right? Prostitution, smuggling, dog fights, just about anything illegal you can think of they're neck deep in it.'
'Why haven't you charged them, then?' Merlin questioned with furrows brows.
'No evidence.'
'See, Merlin,' Gwaine said. 'Cenred, the guy that runs the place, is an intelligent bastard and has all the right connections.'
'Someone in the Met?'
Arthur scoffed and Gwaine said, 'He has spies running about the whole place, telling him when a drugs raid will happen, or when he's being paid a visit, that kind of thing.'
'Right.'
'Arthur here hasn't been able to get him for about four months now,' Gwaine declared, somewhat mockingly but with an edge of sympathy.
'Cendred's a piece of work, then?'
'Understatement,' Arthur muttered, turning on the indicator which ticked away as they entered Soho. After several minutes of contemplative silence the car stopped rumbling and they all came face to face with the infamous Ambrosia.
'I'll look around the back rooms,' Gwaine told them with determination in his stride as he left without a response. Arthur answered Merlin's confused look by instinct, 'They have dancers. Female, young, and attractive dancers who just so happen to prep in the club's back rooms.'
'Ah,' was all Merlin could say and then they too were heading inside. The atmosphere put him on edge, the building itself with bordered up windows, everything painted an impenetrable black and a fluorescent orange 'AMBROSIA' sign hanging above the double door entrance. Passing into a foyer area, the smell of sweat and blood cut into him. Familiar almost, he swallowed heavily and followed Arthur, concentrating on the Pendragon's wide shoulders. The strength hidden by a dark jacket, the layers beneath creating a warrior's armour in the city. Merlin forced his eyes away. Blood and sweat. Not Arthur. He felt the warmth. He felt the comfort. Yet, intermingled, an incorrigible pain. That distraction would do no good. So, he breathed in the metallic blood. He breathed in the sweat.
Climbing a set of stairs they came into an office, of sorts. There was a desk, but most of the large expanse was empty. Except for the metal poles stretching from floor to ceiling around the edges.
'And who might you be?'
'DS Pendragon and DC Emrys,' Arthur introduced, striding to stand in the centre of the room, unflinching. Merlin followed suit, his eyes looking over everything they could. Dark oak floor, a stark contrast to the plain concrete of the main dance floor. The man had his legs kicked up, crossed, and resting on the edge of the table.
'Police? What can I do for you?' he asked with a false smile, leaping up to reveal his leather attire.
'You're Cenred?' Merlin questioned in turn, skeptically looking the man over.
'Yes, I am, and you are gorgeous,' Cenred remarked, fast approaching. Stopping just shy of himself and Arthur, the leather clad monstrosity leaned in. 'I know many customers who would pay good money to have your company. Do you dance?'
'No,' Merlin snapped in disgust, but was cut short by the monster's outstretched hand which assaulted his jaw line with a stroke of his fingers. Cenred howled in pain while Arthur gripped his arm twisted at an unnatural position behind his back. The movement was so fast Merlin had barely realised when Arthur had shifted and struck all in a manner of moments.
'Do that again, and I'll do more than throw in you in a cell for a night,' Arthur warned with gritted teeth. 'Understand.'
'I think you broke my arm!'
There was a sickly crunch as Arthur jerked the arm, receiving a strangled, 'I understand!' Shoving Cenred away from him, Arthur made sure to stand between him and Merlin.
'We're here for your CCTV tapes,' Arthur said coldly.
The defiance gleamed in Cenred's black eyes, but he abided without another word. Arthur remained a barrier, whether conscious of it or not. The monster disappeared into a store room in the corner of the room and emerged a minute later carrying a cardboard box.
'Here are the tapes for the last month,' he snapped.
'Including Sunday night?' Merlin pressed, refusing to appear dazed by Cenred's actions.
'Yes,' he answered and thrusted the box at Arthur who took it with a controlled and terrifying smile.
'Thank you for your cooperation,' Arthur said.
Bowing his head slightly, Cenred returned to his desk and picked up a magazine. 'My pleasure.'