Black, beating wings. They were massive, engulfing the bloody sky behind them as they flapped as they stretched out from the man's back. Oceans crashed into each other in his eyes, drowning everyone caught unaware. Merlin stared up at Mordred who was thirty or more feet above the ground, silent. Watching.
His heart threw itself against his ribs in protest of the situation. The ground was cracking, crumbling away as thin, wiry hands clawed out from beneath it. Soon arms and then heads. He recognised the faces, what was left of them. The victims all struggling and screaming and writhing as they sought freedom from the rotting, suffocating prison of death. Merlin wanted to help them, to do something, but he couldn't move. His feet, like lead, wouldn't budge an inch and he felt his stomach twist in the most painful way when he saw her.
As high as Mordred but wingless, Morgana smirked down at him. Shadows shifted and snaked around her body, joined by tendrils of fire which swam toward him at her command. He could feel his heartbeat in the tips of his fingers, the adrenaline coursing through every limb. The fires coiled around him in thick ropes, burning his bare skin and then through the suit. Voiceless he couldn't even cry out, falling to his knees as he felt the tears stream down his face as the heat ate away at him.
Sunshine blasted through Mordred's wings and the dark man hit the ground in the next second, a crumpled mess of feathers. When it touched the fires around Merlin, they hissed and spluttered into steam. The light cooled his skin and he watched as it consumed Morgana, her shadows, her fire, all of it gone and wiped from the sky.
'Merlin?'
He knew that voice, didn't he? A hand touched his shoulder, helping him up to his feet.
'Arthur?' he rasped, voice raw from something. Perhaps that's why he couldn't make a sound. Arthur's lips slowly spread up into a smile, clapping Merlin on the shoulder.
'You're such an idiot,' he said mockingly but with impossible adoration in his voice, blue eyes seeking out Merlin's. When he finally brought himself to face Arthur, he forgot about the screaming bodies, he forgot about the pain and fear. Everything was warm. Bright. Arthur. Everything was . . . Arthur.
'Yeah, well you're a dollop-head,' he remarked, receiving a laugh from the King. King? He looked like he could be a King. He'd saved him. 'What was that?'
'Oh, nothing, really. Mordred, Morgana, they're nothing you should worry about. Just think about you, and think about me,' Arthur said, still holding firmly onto Merlin, keeping him warm and safe. 'We've both waited a thousand years, remember?'
'Remember,' Merlin murmured, something about what Arthur said not sitting quite right. 'Remember wha-'
The sickly sound sent a shock through Merlin. It sounded wet, and looking down he saw the point of a sword protruding from Arthur's chest. Painted in his blood. His chest felt tight, all breath having been hit out of him. Arthur fell and Merlin caught him, staring down into those warm eyes and seeing how the sunshine ran out, replaced by a stillness. An agonisingly familiar stillness and emptiness.
The memory of this pain, the fresh pain he felt, it tore out of him in a shout, ripping out his joy with it. As if on cue chains of shadow erupted from the ground, falling down onto the victims and forcing them back under, claws of earth trying to drag Arthur down with them. Merlin fought against them, hugging Arthur's body to his own, refusing to let him go, but they were too strong and dirt and grime soon rolled over Arthur while Merlin was forced to watch. He sank out of site and all Merlin could hear beyond his own cries was laughter. All around him, in his own mind, stealing away his voice once again, the laughter became his world. Vicious. Inescapable. Untouchable.
Everything fell away, falling down into nothing and leaving nothing behind.

Merlin jerked awake, his cheeks wet and chest aching. He slowly got up from the floor in a slight state of confusion, shock, before cries racked his body. Routine. Seeking his routine he changed out of his clothes again, pulling on an entirely new set that weren't damp with sweat and crawled into his bed. The cool sheets were a comfort, and so were the lights. The amber hue which clung to the air was enough to settle his nerves, calm his breath. As the minutes passed the crying stopped and his thinking became clearer, less muddled, less foggy. He passed into a cold, shadowless, sunless sleep, but his subconscious was still haunted by the nightmare. Echoes of it danced through his remaining dreams, a crow, a candle and a sword.

'Woke up on the wrong side of the bed?'
Merlin lifted his heavy head and squinted up at Mordred. The man was smiling down at him, holding out a coffee cup.
'Something like that,' Merlin said sleepily, taking the coffee after a moment's deliberation. The sweet smell made his mouth water and he took a sip, the liquid burning, still as delicious as the scent had suggested. 'Thanks.'
'Anytime,' Mordred said softly, just loud enough for Merlin to hear, but no one else. The sound of beating wings erupted before the normal background noise of Scotland Yard returned. 'The videos have arrived early.'
'So, civil servants aren't all that bad,' Merlin said quietly, remembering Arthur the night before just as the man himself walked purposefully towards them. Lost for a moment in Arthur's stoic expression the memory of the nightmare, of the lifeless eyes, was kept at bay. When it surfaced he took a gulp of the scalding coffee.
'Merlin, can you watch the tapes with Elyan?' he asked, not waiting for a response before he turned to Mordred and told him, 'We need to go talk to the bartender, apparently he's gonna be at Ambrosia for the day.'
'Wait, I thought I was supposed to go with you to talk to him,' Merlin said as he stood up, brows furrowed slightly in confusion. Arthur had been avoiding direct eye contact but when he did finally look at Merlin head on they seemed to hold back a combination of irritation, anger, and within it all a strange softness.
'Personally, I think Merlin would be a great asset,' Mordred remarked, to Merlin's dismay and joy.
'I just think it would be better-'
'He's exceptional at studying body language,' Mordred continued. 'And liars. He's rather good at spotting liars.'
'What is this? You two only met yesterday, how can you-' Arthur paused, letting his frustration trickle away. 'Fine, if you insist.'
Sighing loudly the DS headed for the lift, leaving him alone with Mordred who gave him the strangest stare.
'You seemed panicked,' Mordred noted softly.
Merlin was still reeling from the transaction that had taken place. 'What?'
'That he was going to leave you here. You two are partners so . . .'
'Ah, you're explaining why you came to such an over the top defence,' he realised, laughing incredulously.
'It worked, didn't it?'
'Right. No it did, thanks, I guess. I can fight for myself though, although I really shouldn't have to fight to just to interview a bartender, I mean I'm his partner after all. The fact that you had to intervene at all-'
'Hey,' Mordred cut in, lips pulling up into an amused smile. 'I might have just done it so I can spend more time with you, you know.'
'What?' Merlin said again, feeling his cheeks heat up at the stare he was being subjected to.
'You should go ahead, I've got to ask Leon something,' Mordred told him, still wearing that heinously adorable grin as he left. Merlin shook his head and went after Arthur, stumbling into the lift just as the doors close.
'What was that?' Merlin inquired harshly, wondering why he sounded so offended. Partners work together, sure. He was lower in rank to Arthur though.
'Merlin, I thought you of all people wouldn't want to go back to the club,' he replied, challenging Merlin to deny it.
'Why?'
'Cenred,' Arthur said coldly, eyes losing focus as his thoughts tumbled through the past. Then he returned and looked at Merlin, the lift now feeling a lot smaller. 'I didn't think you'd want to deal with that slimy bastard again.'
'You're such a clotpole,' Merlin said, almost wincing at his poor choice of insult. Level with Arthur he ensured the blonde man would take his next words seriously. 'I'm a grown man. You don't have to protect me.'
At that Arthur laughed, a light bursting into life in his eyes, glowing in his skin. 'If it weren't for me you'd have died on your first day here.'
'That's a bit extreme,' Merlin said, but his mocking defence fell and a gentle smile took hold of his lips. 'How about you get yourself in trouble, then I can save you, and we'll be even?'
'Deal,' Arthur said without hesitation. Under his breath Merlin could have sworn Arthur had called him an idiot.

The three of them marched into Ambrosia, Arthur taking point. The club was dull, quiet, hollow. Merlin was prepared for the metallic stench of blood and sweat this time. Somehow the shadows that dominated most of the place were again familiar. Out the corner of his eye he could see Mordred looking the place over with his observant and ridiculously blue eyes.
'Over there,' Arthur alerted them to the thin, wiry man crouched beside a stack of beer boxes. As they approached he stood up and turned, his expression one of curiosity before it turned to horror. 'I'm DS Pendragon, this is DC Emrys, and DC-'
The man clumsily charged for the nearest door, tripping over a box in the process but scrambling to his feet in no time.
'Damn it,' Arthur hissed, stripping off his jacket before chasing after him. 'Mordred, go round the back!'
Merlin found himself standing like a fool while the two others had rushed off in opposite directions. Pondering the situation was taking too long so he followed instinct and dashed after Arthur.
Slamming against the door it swung out of his way and Merlin ran in the most logical direction, up a small stair case and then out of the open window onto the low roof of the club. Turning around in a frenzy his eyes scoured everything for Arthur, for someone, and above he could see them sprinting up a fire escape with peeling black paint, heading to the highest roof. Hauling himself up onto the metal stair case, Merlin felt the freezing breeze as rain began to fall. Muscles burning as he spurred himself up the stairs at full speed he got onto the gravel topped roof just as Arthur landed on the neighbouring building's.
Wind whipped against him as he ran after them, eyes trained on Arthur. Without thinking he vaulted off the edge of the roof, heat surging through every limb, and landed without fault on the the next roof. Grinning with the adrenaline he started off again, leaping, landing, rolling, running. Getting up from what must have been the fourth landing Merlin felt his heart leap into his throat. No Arthur. He couldn't see him. Every roof, staircase, it was all barren.
'Arthur!' he shouted, panting heavily while he searched. Minutes had passed when a strangled cry filled the air, carried away slightly by the relentless wind. His stomach twisted unnaturally in fear and he sprinted to the roof's edge. Again the heat rushed into every part of his body and then he saw him. Arthur hanging on the rail of another fire escape a hundred or more feet away, battling to not lose his grip.
A route found its way into his mind and Merlin dropped down off the roof onto a balcony. Climbing onto the edge he jumped to the next building, recklessly, but successfully. His body seemed unfazed, but somewhere he knew that every muscle was aching and shuddering with the exertion. It didn't matter though. He didn't slow down as he ran for Arthur. After several well calculated jumps and turns he landed hard on the fire escape. Just in time to grab Arthur's arm as he slipped from the railing.
'Don't let go!' Merlin ordered him, groaning as he pulled Arthur up with all the strength he could muster, helped by the strange warmth which ran like a current in his veins. Arthur hooked his leg over the railing and then collapsed over the safe side, keeping hold of Merlin's arm deliriously.
Blood was smeared over his forehead, dampening his blonde hair.
'Merlin!' a deep voice bellowed and he looked down to see Mordred sprinting over to what must have been the wiry man. He was the one who had cried out, now lying eerily still on a conveniently positioned dumpster. Mordred looked up, seeing Merlin with a woozy Arthur in his arms, as he held a phone to his ear. Fear faded in Mordred's eyes, the storms calming. He didn't know how but Merlin could see them with an impossible clarity. The ambulance siren erupted in the distance and wailed mercilessly, accompanied by a police car's. They soon arrived at the mouth of the small street, alongside curious spectators.
'Arthur, can you hear me?' Merlin asked, turning around and letting the DS sit on the floor of the staircase.
'Yeah, I can hear you,' he breathed, blinking a bit too often and looking at the world around him dazed.
'The ambulance is just down there. If you can walk I can get you-'
'No,' Arthur said firmly.
'What?'
'I am not going to hospital, just take me home,' he said, looking up at Merlin, clearly having trouble focusing on just the one thing.
'Arthur, you need to go to hospital,' Merlin implored, trying to keep his face from showing his horror at the deep gash running along the DS's hairline. Blood was flowing steadily and the varying hues of red made his heart stammer unevenly.
'I have concussion. I also have a first aid kit in my bathroom. So, DC Emrys, keep me awake and get me there to patch me up, okay? You do know first aid, right?'
'Vaguely, but the wound's really bad,' Merlin murmured, seeing that he'd made his stupid mind up.
'Good enough. Come on, help me up,' he instructed.
'Just, put this against it to stop the bleeding a bit?' he said, slipping the scarf from his neck and handing it to Arthur.
'Merlin,'
'Please.'
Something in his voice made Arthur's rushing thoughts slow and he took the scarf, bundling it up and pressing it against his head. 'Okay. Now, can we go?'
Arthur put his arm around Merlin's shoulders while Merlin supported him with one round his waist.
'Fine, but if you die I can't be held accountable,' he tried to joke but the tightness in his voice fed the words with his increasing concern.
'Merlin, stop worrying.'
'Not until I know you're not going to die,' Merlin said as they descended, the rain falling more freely now, cold and soaking through his jacket, through Arthur's waistcoat and shirt.
Eventually they managed to make it to Arthur's car, Merlin awkwardly slipping his hand into Arthur's pocket to grab the keys before helping him into the passenger side. Dashing to the driver's side he got in and started the car, rain hammering against the windshield.
'Are you any good at giving directions?'
'Yes, but I have Sat Nav so why bother,' Arthur said and punched in the address on the touch screen before falling back against the seat, eyes closed. The woman's voice cut through the comfortable silence every now and then as Merlin drove, directing him. 'Do you even have a licence?'
'Not exactly. I can drive, just not legally,' Merlin noted with a half-hearted smile, pushing his foot down on the pedal and the car's engine roaring louder. The concern for Arthur's delirious state was becoming the predominant emotion and he wanted to get him to his flat as fast as possible. Noticing Arthur's drooping eyelids he talked non stop about his past. He didn't know why, but it was something he knew a lot about and there were years upon years of material to cover.
Every now and then he'd hear a breathy chuckle, or a huff of disbelief. He touched on anything trivial or happy, and avoided everything else. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Arthur's lips twitch, almost smiling, as he spoke. The something inside him grew warmer, comforting his nerves, in response.