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fruitofthemindfarm · 3 months

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MSAU fic 3 (building attack, fake dating. Untitled)

Merlin cursed as he rounded the corner and a ray of light shot towards him. He ducked in time, but tripped over his own feet and sprawled out on the floor. Luckily this meant he had a plausible reason to throw a hand over his head and make sure his eyes were hidden as he murmured a luck spell. If it held true to form it would make his own clumsiness look like the reason he couldn’t be hit, rather than making him remarkable in any other, positive sense. Normally he wouldn’t risk this on the same floor as the Mayor’s office, but circumstances were definitely not normal.

Usually enemy sorcerers didn’t make it into the heart of the City Offices like this. Usually they tripped the wards Merlin had set up long before, and he was able to quietly deal with them while pretending he was locked in the executive washroom Arthur let him use (it had honestly taken two months before an offhand comment from Uther’s assistant about the inconvenience of having to go down two floors to use the facilities for Merlin to understand that it was exclusively Arthur’s despite the fact that both of them worked there. And wasn’t that a fun conversation to have with people who already didn’t think he was qualified?) rinsing a coffee stain out of his work clothes. He kept a spare set (or two) at the office for both keeping up appearances and those times he actually had spilled on himself. Or whenever there was a crisis and he pulled an all-nighter with Arthur trying to sort out the issue. Still, it was usually pretty easy to sense a tripped ward, spill on himself (usually an unintended side effect of the ward going off and part of the reason his coworkers thought he was too high strung and possibly mental), and lock himself away to “rinse the stain before it sets, Arthur, they’re dry cleaners not miracle workers. I can’t afford the high end ones you go to”. Then he could transform, gate himself to the trouble, neutralize it from the shadows, gate back, change into his spare clothes, and take the wet stuff home in his gym bag for dry cleaning (Arthur had actually tacked an extra $50 onto his by-weekly paycheque with the note “Merlin clothing disaster relief fund”. Merlin used to clean them with magic but now felt bad and actually took them to the cleaner on the corner. Spread the wealth, as it were). If the trouble was more than he could handle himself quickly and quietly, he’d trip the more traditional alarms and let The Knights deal with it. That’s what they were there for, after all.

This was different. This sorcerer had snuck up from the sewers (and eeeewwwww. Merlin didn’t blame himself for not setting wards there because it honestly never occurred to him, but even the Mayor’s paranoia hadn’t extended this far) and was right in the heart of the city. Merlin watched people he saw in the break room and put money in the birthday hat for fleeing in terror, and he was powerless to help them while the cameras were on him. He couldn’t even use his regular washroom hiding place to transform because Arthur had bodily hauled him out of the office and sent him to the staircase before turning back ‘for his father’. Though Merlin had no doubt Arthur was rushing to his father’s side, he was also pretty sure it was going to be The Dragon that actually appeared there.

Merlin had gotten three flights down before suddenly remembering that Arthur’s sister, Morgana, had actually come in to the office today. She was generally the PR face of the regime and was usually out kissing babies and making speeches, but she’d snuck back in during a free couple of hours for a nap. Merlin only knew because he’d run into her in the exec elevator while fetching Arthur’s lunch. She’d asked him to keep it a secret because her head was hurting and she didn’t want the Pendragon men to either give her work or hover over her, the only two outcomes if they knew she was there. Merlin had agreed because duh, of course he had!, but now it meant that he was the only person in the building who knew where Morgana was, or even that she was there at all. And her office was on the same floor as Arthur and Uther’s. There was a good chance she’d be caught in the crossfire.

He’d cursed and turned right back around. It was one thing to leave non-targeted, unknown civilians in the capable hands of The Knights. It was another entirely to leave a friend who likely was a personal target of the attacker behind without anyone knowing she was there. He had to get to Morgana first. That’s all there was to it.

He took the stairs two at a time, aware of but ignoring the explosions coming from above. The rubble in the staircase from a collapsing wall didn’t even cause him to blink, he just used it to propel himself faster. He was finally at the right floor when the ray came out of nowhere at his head.

He rolled himself behind a half-destroyed desk (Gwen’s, he noted absently, curious despite himself at how it had gotten out here) and took stock of the situation. The Dragon didn’t seem to be fighting the villain. Which meant either he’d been defeated (which was not an option and Merlin was not going to cry), there was more than one villain, or he’d assumed the floor was empty and was depositing his father somewhere safe. Merlin could work with either of those. If he could keep the villain busy long enough for any of The Knights to arrive he could tell them about Morgana. Even Valiant, who Merlin hated for trying to upstage The Dragon by embarrassing him and for being unreasonably vicious to those he fought, would drop anything to help the Mayor’s daughter, adopted or not. Everyone knew how Uther adored his children and that protecting them was the best thing one could do to improve their standing. Or Merlin could get to her, get her out, and be rescued like a damsel himself. It would be a blow to his ego, but that wasn’t the point when Morgana was in danger. Plus he could fend off any comments on it by pointing out that he’d gone back in for an actual helpless damsel.

Merlin nodded to himself before throwing a piece of gyprock at the far wall. It broke apart with a satisfying noise and cloud of dust before exploding as the red ray struck it. Using that as a distraction he carefully snuck towards the entrance of his office, which was an antechamber to Arthur’s ridiculous floor space. It wasn’t on the building plans, but Merlin and Arthur had actually snuck in one long weekend and installed a secret door between the siblings’ suites so they could conspire without alerting their father. From the amount of damage to the doorway, Merlin would bet Arthur’s office had already been ransacked.

He stumbled just as he was reaching it, which meant his hand went through the weak spot rather than his foot. As if that wasn’t loud enough, he cursed in surprise. The sorcerer loomed over him suddenly, sporting a look that couldn’t decide if it was villainously dismissive or leering. “And what have we here! The Pendragon brat’s little office side piece! He seems to have escaped for now, but I’m sure he’d love to watch what all I’m going to do to you!” Magic wrapped around Merlin, pulling him off the floor. He had to bite his lip with the effort of not letting his own power fight back. “For now,” the bastard mused, obviously enjoying himself, “I think I might see if I can’t tempt him back out.” Merlin was moved steadily sideways, obviously towards a large hole that had been blasted straight through the outside wall.

Merlin finally got his magic under control, which is when his indignation caught up with him. “I am NO ONE’s side piece.” He hissed, irritated beyond belief.

The sorcerer just laughed louder, “Do you think he’s serious about you, little assistant? He isn’t. Men like him never are. They’ll use you up and spit you out. After all, it isn’t like he keeps you around because you’re useful, now is it?”

Merlin’s mouth twisted, having been hit squarely on one of his insecurities. “My relationships are none of your business.” He insisted, unable to deny dating Arthur outright even though that was a secret even from Arthur. He didn’t even notice being forced out of the side of the building and hanging in open air, he was so furious. “And how does dropping me twenty stories work into all your big plans?” He sniped, doing his best to keep the man distracted. The Knights had to be close. They had to. Otherwise Merlin was about to blow his own secrets on this blowhard, and the guy didn’t deserve to cause that much trouble.

“Oh, I can catch you before you hit.” The man replied, waving an airy hand. “Won’t help you sleep at night after seeing the street rush up to you, but you’ll live. I…” He trailed off as a red, armoured fist caught him square on the jaw. Merlin had just enough time to see the sorcerer hit the ground and The Dragon take two steps towards him before he was falling.

He sighed and spread himself out to slow his descent. This wasn’t ideal, but it wasn’t the worst thing that could have happened, either. His luck spell still held, so there was a chance it could direct him somewhere soft. He’d probably break something, but that wouldn’t be a first. Or he could magic himself away and pretend to have been caught by Warlock. He did have a reputation for getting civilians out of sticky situations. Pretending to be two people at once would be tricky, especially with his eyes swirling gold. Much better to just be Warlock and ‘rescue’ a ‘passed out’ Merlin, then leave himself on a rooftop somewhere to be found. He’d have to go through a Cleansing, but only a mild one. Uther had long gotten used to Warlock taking various imperiled civilians or troublemaking Knights away for a bit before returning them unharmed. The Cleansing was almost a formality by now.

All of this flashed through Merlin’s mind in bare seconds, his habit of coming up with plans on the fly having gotten plenty of practice since moving to Camelot. His luck spell should twig him on the perfect moment to gate without drawing even more attention, so he kept his eyes closed.

“Merlin!” They snapped open when he heard his name called by an urgent voice he would know anywhere. Arthur, his Arthur, had dove out the window after him. He could see a tether attached, but had no clue what the man had managed to secure himself to. He raised his arms towards his saviour as The Dragon fired his boosters to get under Merlin, then scooped him up in an outward arc as he pushed off the wall. It was really embarrassing to be carried like a princess like this when he could take care of himself, but, well, it was also really sweet? Arthur didn’t even know Merlin was Warlock, but he was still being cradled so carefully…

“Brace yourself.” The Dragon murmured, angling himself so he’d hit back first when they swung back around and into the building. Merlin complied, his own magic urging him to tuck his face under The Dragon’s chin and to tuck a hand in close so he was just brushing uncovered skin. The healing spell was whispered more than spoken, but Arthur knew what he was doing and sent them through the window without causing more than a possible slight bruise to himself and no damage to Merlin. The glass was a little more dangerous, but between the luck and healing spells, they both made it out unharmed.

The Dragon continued to hold him until after they’d stopped, then gritted out a harsh, “What were you doing?” The reminder made Merlin’s eyes snap open, and he scrambled onto Arthur’s chest so he could look him in the eye and make sure he knew how important this was.

“Morgana.” Merlin implored, shaking the hero under him slightly.

The Dragon frowned. “She was at a PR event in midtown today, I believe.”

Merlin shook his head. “She had a headache and skipped the luncheon. She snuck back in to nap on the couch before the meeting later. I only knew because I ran into her in the elevator, and she made me promise not to tell anyone. Her headache meds knock her flat for an hour or so. She’d have still been on the exec floor when the attack happened.”

The Dragon went rigid, then swore briefly but fervently before toggling his comm. “Lancelot! Morgana might still be in her office.”

“On it!” The other Knight chirped back, and Merlin let himself collapse onto the strong, metal encased chest beneath him. Push to shove he really didn’t have the nerves for this heroing business, but there was no one else capable of taking his place.

The Dragon placed a hand on the back of his head, offering comfort. Merlin sighed.

“Safe.” Came the voice through the comms, reporting back. “Her assistant’s workspace is destroyed, but it looks like the attacker was distracted before actually getting to her. She’s groggy but unharmed.”

Merlin went totally limp with relief. Then, to his great embarrassment, began to both laugh and tear up. The Dragon shushed him soothingly, but Merlin could feel the tension ratchet up in his body as he was forced to deal with feelings. It made Merlin laugh harder, and he finally slid off to lay next to the hero, still chuckling.

He closed his eyes as the hero stood, wondering if he was going to be allowed to take a nap right here on the floor after all of that. It turns out no, as he was gently shaken, then helped to his feet. “Sorry about this,” The Dragon muttered, “But you’re going to have to be debriefed, and I’ve got perimeter security to be getting to.”

“Booooo.” Merling grumped, slumping into the hero. “Hate debriefings. Uther always yells at me.”

The Dragon threw back his head and laughed, honestly amused. “You should be fine. You did just rescue his daughter, after all.”

“What on earth do you think you were doing? If someone is in the building, you let the professionals know! Morgana could have been killed because you wanted to play hero!” Uther growled at Merlin, and Merlin’s high strung nerves just snapped.

“Oh, absolutely, because The Dragon and I are suuuuuch good friends that I have him on speed dial! And he totally has nothing better to do during an attack than answer his phone. You’re right, perfectly reasonable.” He sniped back, tramping hard on the impulse to gesture emphatically at Arthur to make his earlier point. He ignored the fact that he absolutely did have Arthur’s number in his speed dial, but he stood by the fact that Arthur would never answer his phone during battle.

Uther turned red and opened his mouth to yell some more when Morgana derailed them all with a laugh. “Merlin’s got a point, Father.” She said, calmly reasonable. “All he could reasonably have done would be to call you or emergency, and neither would have been helpful in time. I bet he was hoping to run into one of the responding Knights, not the villain himself. And it being stupid doesn’t make the action any less well-meaning, or brave. It did work.”

Arthur rolled his eyes at Merlin from behind his father and mouthed stupid in his direction. Merlin ignored him.

“Be that as it may,” Uther began, only to be derailed by his other child.

“Father, there will be time to go over relevant sections of the employee handbook and design an internal disaster relief plan later, when everyone is calmed down.” Arthur smoothly interrupted, his no-nonsense tone working off of Morgana’s more soothing one to redirect Uther entirely. “However, the sooner Lancelot here,” He gestured to the Knight standing next to him, who was somehow conveying support for Merlin in entirely body language, “Gets his official statement, the more precise and correct it will be.”

Uther subsided with ill grace, but he did subside. Arthur and Morgana gave Merlin twin bracing winks from out of their father’s line of sight. Merlin almost laughed at how in tune they were. Lancelot stepped forward, taking the floor with more grace than anyone wearing a mech suit should be able to.

“Can you describe what you experienced from the time of the alarm? In as much detail as possible. All questions will be held until the end, at which point I will walk you back through sections to get a better feel for exactly what happened.”

Merlin sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ll start a little earlier. About ten minutes into lunch hour I returned to the building with Arthur’s lunch. The regular elevators were full of staff exiting the building, but Arthur gave me permission to use and permanent access to the executive elevator while carrying out my duties to avoid just that situation. I called the elevator and was surprised to see Morgana in it already, having come from the parking garage. She pulled me into the elevator while shushing my instinctual greeting. She looked a little grey, so I asked how she was feeling. She admitted that she’d picked up a headache at her earlier function and had skipped out of the lunch, leaving Gwen to make her apologies and do her glad-handing. She told me she was planning on taking some medication and sleeping it off, as she had a meeting that afternoon with her father that she didn’t want to miss. I asked if there was anything I could do for her to help, and she told me that she needed me to not mention I’d seen her, as both Arther and the Mayor tend to hover when she’s indisposed. I agreed. I wished her a peaceful nap before exiting the elevator, so we wouldn’t make any noise entering the executive floor, and exuberantly presented Arthur with his lunch to cover up any small noises she might make as she settled in.

“The day continued like normal. Arthur and I both ate lunch, then returned to our duties. I was just getting back from the copier with the details of Councillor Monmouth’s zoning proposal when the alarms went off. I startled, and before I got my brain working again Arthur came barreling out of his office and hustled me to the stairs. He sent me firmly downwards before turning back, insisting he go make sure his father was fine. I got down about three flights before remembering that Morgana was still sleeping in her office, medicated and unknown. I turned right back around and went back.

“I was just exiting onto the executive floor when a ray of red light came straight for me. The floor was a mess and as I ducked I tripped, so the beam went wide. I hit the floor, then rolled behind Gwen’s destroyed desk, which was now by the elevator. I took a chunk of damaged wall and made a diversion by throwing it at another section of wall before trying to sneak past the sorcerer and into Morgana’s office. I didn’t see any of the Knights around, but figured they had evacuated the Mayor and Arthur before pulling back to secure the area and wait for backup. I stumbled and put my hand through a weak spot on the floor, which let the enemy know where I was.”

He sucked in a deep breath. Now for the embarrassing part. “He said, ‘What have we here! The Pendragon brat’s little office side piece! He seems to have escaped, but I’m sure he’d love to watch what all I’m going to do to you!’” Arthur and Morgana both jerked at this, looking furious, while Uther’s eyebrows just raised in obvious surprise. Merlin continued, “Then he wrapped me up in his magic and started moving me towards a hole in the wall while saying, ‘I think I’ll see if I can’t tempt him back out.’

“I wanted to distract him, and what he’d said infuriated me anyway, so I told him I was no one’s side piece,” He hissed the descriptor again, still angry from the implications. Morgana clapped a hand over her mouth while Arthur’s lips quirked, both seeming amused by his priorities. “The guy then started lecturing me on how I wasn’t special, Pendragons will only use me, I wasn’t actually useful, all the regular nonsense. I told him my relationships were none of his business, then asked how dropping me twenty stories factored into his ‘plans’.” Merlin made the actual air quotes here, which just caused the siblings to laugh harder while still trying to keep it quiet. He shot them a glare. “He assured me he could catch me before I hit the ground, but that it would be traumatising anyway. By this time The Dragon had snuck up behind him. He punched the bad guy right out, I fell, and he jumped after me attached to some sort of tether. He caught me and pushed off the building to make our momentum more survivable for me. We swung back and went through a window. Once we’d stopped he asked me what I was doing up there, and I remembered. I told him about Morgana, and you shortly informed us she was fine. Then I started having hysterics while The Dragon awkwardly pet me. Once I’d calmed down some he very bravely ran away from all the feelings I was emoting and dumped me on you guys for debrief.”

Morgana was outright laughing at this, and even Uther had a lip twitch. Lancelot was trembling lightly, but it was, as usual, Arthur’s face that caught Merlin’s attention. Arthur’s ever-so-slightly guilty face. Merlin gave them a wry smile. “There are worse reactions to getting dropped off the side of a building than laughter. I could have been screaming.”

Merlin came in to work humming the next day. Debriefings were much less stressful when Lancelot ran them than when Uther did. He’d been asked a few questions about body positioning and some clarification on the spoken words, but everything had seemed relatively straightforward. He wondered if Lancelot liked fruit baskets. He certainly deserved something for making that whole ordeal bearable.

His good mood lasted through Arther’s concern (sneakily hidden as sarcastic jibes) in the elevator, but he deflated like a popped balloon upon entering their area only to be greeted by a thin-lipped Uther.

“We have a situation.”

“It’s a really nice picture.” Morgana said encouragingly. Merlin glared at her.

It wasn’t even that he disagreed. It was a nice picture. He was planning to get a copy of it framed for his lair. The Dragon was holding him close and carefully. His chin was tucked down (instinctively protecting his neck from the crash about to happen) so it looked like he was gazing at his burden. Merlin himself had already tucked both his head and hand in, so he looked like he was cuddling instead of bracing. It was an incredibly sweet photo grabbed by luck with a camera phone from across the way. That was, however, not the point.

“They’re saying what?!?” Arthur demanded, looking outraged.

“Speculation on the dome-net is that they’re lovers, or at least interested.” Uther replied, just as deadpan as the first time he’d said it.

“That’s ridiculous.” Arthur snapped. “Ignoring Merlin’s spot of hero-worship, The Dragon is both a professional and an actual person. His private life is exactly that. Private. They can’t just make it up to suit themselves!”

“Actually,” Morgana broke in, “That’s exactly what they used to do. Before the Incursion it was pretty common. Pretty much anyone in the public eye would have their personal lives speculated on. Humans have always been pretty vicious gossips.” She gave Merlin a sympathetic smile. “Some actually leveraged their nortriaty in order to stay famous. It’s not common now because we don’t have the same entertainment industry they did, nor the infrastructure to spread the gossip until a few years ago. All of that was lost in the Incursion, and Camelot is the only city focussing on restoring old technology. Suddenly we have the means and the ability, we’ve just been waiting for the focus.” She stared straight at Merlin, giving her enough gravitas to make him gulp. “That would be you.”

Merlin looked away, feeling like he was on shaky footing but not sure how. “Why does this gossip constitute a ‘situation’?” He asked, not sure he wanted to know the answer.

“More and more villains are targeting the Knights specifically, and The Dragon in particular. When it was just Warlock mocking us it was infuriating, though oddly not dangerous. Now more are taking a leaf from his book, and I wish to put a stop to it. This is the perfect opportunity.” Uther responded, looking grim.

Merlin blinked. He knew he just targeted The Dragon, though he’d quit that a few weeks ago now that Lancelot knew about them, but he hadn’t noticed any other villains do the same. He wracked his brain trying to find this pattern Uther had mentioned, only getting drawn back into the conversation when he heard Arthur’s agitation and his own name.

“... And not with Merlin! Can you imagine? He’d trip over his own feet and ruin the whole sting! Besides, no one will believe it when they get a good look at him. There are plenty of other people we could use, if you’re so determined to continue this lunacy!”

That hurt. Merlin almost couldn’t breathe with how much it hurt. Especially since Arthur, and by extension The Dragon, was already dating him. He’d told Arthur he wouldn’t think Merlin so gorgeous when the cowl came off, but hearing it from Arthur’s own mouth was more awful than he’d ever imagined.

“I’ll do it.” He heard his own voice say, as if from a distance. He repeated it, words getting stronger as anger filled him, overriding the hurt. “I can do it. I will do it! I’m in.”

Uther nodded at him in approval while Arthur turned on him, mouth agape. “What?!?”

“I’m in.” Merlin repeated, looking straight at Arthur.

Arthur looked furious. “I don’t think…”

“Arthur, you have no say in this. You are being told, not asked.” Uther broke in, cutting his son off.

“The Dragon…”

“The Dragon is a professional, as you were so clear on earlier. He will do as ordered. Merlin is a civilian, and so needed to be asked.” Uther’s voice was steel, though Arthur still seemed determined to fight for a long moment before all the wind went out of him.

“So what next? Photos of them looking all lovey-dovey? I assume you’re organizing the sting for the emergency responders’ banquet next month? It’s the next plausible opportunity to dangle Merlin like a worm on a hook.” Arthur snapped his words out with a precise diction that let Merlin know he was in for a delightful rest of the day dealing with the temper.

“That had occurred to me, yes. It will work out well. He’ll be assigned a few Knights as an undercover security detail. We encourage this for a few weeks, then announce after our triumph that it was for a mission, which Merlin bravely agreed to, and it’ll all die down naturally.” Uther’s voice was still cool, letting Arthur know he had no patience for the tantrum brewing.

Merlin would have to practice that voice. He could do with a way to leash Arthur’s temper.

“What about accommodations?” Morgana broke in, distracting both men. “Merlin’s place isn’t ideal. He can be looked up, he’s got too many neighbours that might get caught in the crossfire, and there’s no reasonable place to keep surveillance on it. He’d be vulnerable. Priestess would prefer the flair of the banquet, but others would be more likely to strike in the dark.”

The talk was starting to make Merlin nervous. Growing up in a farming community connected to Essetir had already made him wary of the night.

“He stays with me.” Arthur replied, crossing his arms and just daring anyone to argue the point. “It’s already one of the most secure places in the city, there’s plenty of room, and I’ll be there to make sure he sets all the alarms and locks all the doors.”

Screw second thoughts. Merlin’s anger was back in full force. He was Warlock, for crying out loud! The dark should be scared of him!

“Then we’re agreed.” Uther said, gathering up the photo that started all the trouble and rising. “Morgana, go organize a minor disaster of some sort in Merlin’s home. A small flood or something. Just enough to explain him staying with a friend for a few weeks. Arthur, get yourself under control before someone asks you about the situation. Merlin, I’ll have more information for you by the end of the day. And provide Gwen with your measurements. We’ll supply you with new clothes rather than risk them getting a march on us. Dismissed.” And with that he strode off, every inch as certain as a king of old.

Morgana was having an entirely silent conversation with her brother, but eventually she huffed out a sigh and left as well, shooting Merlin a sympathetic grimace as she did.

Then it was just Merlin and Arthur.

There was still so much anger and hurt circling Merlin that he couldn’t move. He didn’t know what he might do if he did.

Finally Arthur broke the silence. “Well, I hope you liked getting dropped off the side of a building. You’re going to get a lot of practice with that in the upcoming weeks.” His voice was heavy with sarcasm and regret, and Merlin jumped at the unexpected tone.

“What?” He asked, then winced. That sort of inanity was why Arthur had such a low opinion of him.

“You have just, quite literally, I pointed it out twice, volunteered to play supervillain bait for the next four weeks. I cannot even count the number of times I’ve been attacked or kidnapped in my life, and I’ve got an obvious security detail. I’m sure you’ll be rescued, but it won’t be fun.”

Merlin bit his lip. Maybe he’d been a bit hasty…

Arthur sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “Why on earth did you cut me off there? I was trying to get you out of this insane idea! What made you…”

“You said I was unlovable.” Merlin replied, voice small. There was, maybe, just a little, the slightest chance he’d overreacted. Once he’d heard Arthur say what an unbelievable boyfriend he’d make he just hadn’t been able to think.

Arthur threw his hands up in the air in exasperation. “To keep you safe! You know it’s not true! Half the zoning department is crushing on you, and the other half are jealous of it. Evelyn at the library coos at you! Last week an intern walked into a wall because you smiled at him in passing and he got all flustered! And any of them would be safer than a fake relationship with The Dragon! He’s probably the most dangerous person in the city to be linked to besides me and my family! You had a taste of that yesterday! And it’s only going to get worse, Merlin. You don’t know it now, but it’s going to get so much worse.”

Merlin ducked his head to hide his smile. It certainly didn’t sound like Arthur thought he was hideous. He could work with that. He probably looked contrite to Arthur, but that was fine. He was, kind of. Now that he knew the rest of it.

“I’ll be okay.” He soothed. He reached out to touch Arthur’s arm, but Arthur jerked it back. He frowned, but went on. “I’ll have The Dragon looking out for me and you to guide me. I’ll be fine. And things will be a little safer after.”

“Don’t touch me right now. Don’t come near me. Go find something to do for Morgana or something. I’m still far too pissed to have you near me right now. I’m angry enough I might say something as monumentally stupid as you did.”

Merlin’s face fell further, but he got up to do as requested. It was progress for Arthur to say this to him rather than just be a dick, but that didn’t make it hurt less. Still. Arthur wouldn’t stay mad. Surely he wouldn’t stay mad?

“I am so mad at him.” Arthur growled, pulling his helmet off and tossing it at the corner. Merlin caught it with his magic. It wouldn’t do for there to be unexplained dents in Arthur’s armour. Besides, it might weaken it. Merlin wasn’t very up-to-date on his mech suits, but it seemed like it would weaken it. Better not to take chances.

“Awww, but you make such a cute couple!” Merlin cooed, holding out the photo. He totally had gotten a copy framed for his lair. He loved it. Arthur hated it. Win-win.

“Not a couple.” Arthur grumped, coming over to hide his face in Merlin’s neck and just breathe. Merlin let him.

“That’s not what social media says.” He teased, rubbing gently through Arthur’s hair to calm him.

“I hate social media.” The words were still harsh, but the line of his shoulders was relaxing under Merlin’s touch. He’d count this as a win. Arthur had been like a freshly-woken bear that day, and Merlin was really hoping that some time with his favourite villain would calm him. He didn’t want to be walking on eggshells the whole month.

“I know you do.” Merlin soothed, making his voice as soft as he could. “You have reason. It’s got to be pretty embarrassing, having a relationship be the center of everyone’s attention like that.”

“Hmmm,” Arthur hummed noncommittally, then smirked. Merlin could feel his lips curling against his neck. “Good practice. There’s going to be even more attention when my real relationship comes out.”

Merlin grinned. If Arthur could tease, he was well on his way to being centered again. “There you go. Always a bright side.”

“You really don’t mind?” Arthur asked, turning the helmet he’d just picked up over in his hands in an uncharacteristic show of nerves.

“Mind what?” Merlin replied, frowning and reaching for the leg armour. It wasn’t lying quite right, and he never wanted Arthur to have any weak points other than his wonderful, loving heart.

“The whole… fake dating thing.” Arthur replied, his voice still disgusted. Merlin felt a twinge of hurt at that still, but knew it wasn’t warranted.

“Sweetheart, you’re a lot of things, but fickle is not one of them.” Merlin draped his arms over Arthur’s shoulders and nuzzled into the back of his neck. “What’s bothering you so much about this? It’s annoying to you, I get that, but it’s not going to hurt us or you or end in disaster, so what’s the trouble?”

Arthur continued to turn his helmet over and over in his hands. Merlin waited. “I… ah, invited Merlin to stay with me for the month. Well, demanded it, really. To keep him safe. So my time as The Dragon is going to be limited, and my time with you almost non-existent. So. Well. So.”

Merlin kissed the back of his neck before Arthur could hurt himself with his emotional constipation. “We’ll survive. I might actually finish knitting my Mum her Christmas jumper, even.”

Arthur went still. Merlin waited. Whatever it was, this was going to be the actual problem.

“What if it does end in disaster?”

His voice was so soft Merlin almost didn’t catch it. He blinked. “What do you mean?”

“What if it does end in disaster? What if… What if I can’t protect him? He’s so important to me. There isn’t anyone else like him in the world, I’m sure of it. If I hadn’t already been in love with you when I met him I’d have been in trouble. I’m so glad you’re not threatened by him because you never need to be, but now he’s going to be putting himself in so much danger that he doesn’t even comprehend and I just… I want to know he’ll be safe. I was so terrified when he fell the other day. I never knew how much of a struggle my daily life and double identity was until he was there with his silly grin and adorably goofy ears and inefficiency and impertinence and it was suddenly like I could breathe after a life under the water. I don’t have to guard myself around him and it’s just such a fucking relief to just be me. It’s because he thinks I’m worth believing in just as Arthur that I was able to face my feelings for you. And I don’t… If something happens… I know you’ll be here for me but he’ll still leave a pretty giant hole.” Arthur was getting more and more worked up, so Merlin hushed him soothingly as he nuzzled in, offering all the comfort he could. He desperately wanted to tell his boyfriend his secret identity right now, but he knew he couldn’t. Fake-dating his beloved as his own alter-ego would be difficult for him, but it would be almost impossible for Arthur. And if he was already this worried about Merlin, letting him know he was also Warlock and got into deadly peril fairly often was an even worse choice while he was still on edge.

Forgive me, he thought at his love, before reaching for something, anything, else to reassure him. “Nothing’s going to happen to him.” He murmured in Arthur’s ear, pulling him tight. “He’ll have you right there, and the Knights close by. But you’ll have a secret weapon, too. You’ll have me.” Merlin butted his head against Arthur’s, offering comfort and distraction both. “You’ll be hanging around more often than normal, so of course I’ll be in the neighbourhood as well. Between us he’ll be safer than he’s ever been. We can do this. Together.”

Arthur took a deep, shuddery breath, and Merlin knew the storm was at least mostly over. “Giving up on the jumper already?” He teased, obviously trying to move past the issue.

Merlin shrugged. “She can always tell when I give up and just use my magic. Every year I swear I’m going to do it by hand this year and every year she unerringly finds the part where I ran out of time and just did it. It won’t surprise her if I do it again this year.”

Arthur laughed, then grew still. Merlin suppressed the urge to sigh, though his voice was a little sharp when he snapped out, “What now?”

“It’s just…” He drummed nervously on his helmet, which meant this wasn’t as serious as the last one, thank magic, “He’s already got a crush on The Dragon. What if this makes it… more? What if that’s why he agreed? How can I be his commiserating best friend when I was secretly the one that turned him down? What if…”

“Tell him about us.” Merlin replied flatly, so done with Arthur’s mood and catastrophising.

Arthur grew still. “What?”

“Not necessarily me,” Merlin replied, waving his hand dismissively. “Just about us. Tell him it’s awkward for you because you have a significant other in your life, it’s just private. Because your identity is private. I’m sure he’ll be respectful.”

Arthur took a deep breath and all the tension drained out of him in a second. Merlin squawked and tried to brace against all the weight now pushing at him. “How are you so smart and wonderful?” Arthur asked rhetorically, his voice reverential and wondering.

“Practice.” Merlin replied, tweaking his ear. “I’ve got to think one step ahead and roll with the punches to do what I do right under the Mayor’s nose. I’ve gotten good at knowing what lies need to be kept, even if they break your heart, and which you can let go. This one you can let go. Just to him, but you can let go.”

“Do you have those?” Arthur was back to serious now, but it was all about Warlock this time. Merlin could live with that. “Secrets that break your heart to keep?”

Merlin ducked his head as Arthur turned to give him a proper hug. “I wish… I just really wish I could hear you say my name the way you say my pseudonym. Not telling my Mum about you. That sort of thing.”

“I’m sorry.” Arthur replied, immediately taking all the blame like Uther had taught him to. “I didn’t know I was hurting you that much.”

“You’re not.” Merlin disagreed swiftly. “It’s just the circumstances. It’s such a giant fucking relief that you understand my reasons and support me keeping my identity secret, but I can still wish we could meet in the daylight, with no masks. You’re worth it, though. You’d be worth more than this. I love you.”

“I love you too.” Arthur cupped his cheek and kissed him softly. “We’ll have our day in the sun. And then we’ll have all the days after it. I swear it. One day I’ll make this world safe for you, and we’ll walk into the light hand in hand.”

“Oh, beloved, you’ll do so much more than just that.” Merlin pecked him back. “You’ll make it safe for everyone. I’m sure of it. And I’ll be right beside you as you do.”

#msau #Merlin #fic #my writing #assassination attempt #fake dating begining

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fruitofthemindfarm · 3 months

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MSAU fic 2 (attempted identity reveal, untitled)

Merlin was thrilled. For all that this had begun in the worst way he could imagine, he couldn’t quite bring himself to regret it. Not when his long-term, hopeless superhero crush not only liked him back, but was also his back-up long-term hopeless crush. He had both The Dragon and Arthur snuggled up to him, loving him back, and he was more content than he’d ever been in his life.

“You’ve been quiet lately.” His beloved’s rich, posh voice teased at his ear, and Merlin shivered. He wondered how he’d never realized it before, what with having wanked at night to the recorded voice of the hero only to wake up and spend hours next to the man.

He hummed noncommittally, then changed his mind and answered. “I’m not normally as active or loud as I was these past ten months. I’m not part of a revolution and I have no interest in harming or scaring the Mayor. For all I hate his stance on magic, he does a good job protecting the citizens from the mess outside of the dome. Camelot is one of the most prosperous and safe cities in the area. I only get involved when innocents are in danger.” He snuggled closer to the warm body wrapped around him and sighed in happiness. The mech suit lay nearby, almost entirely discarded. “I was… well, mostly I was trying to get your attention. I have that now, so I don’t need to make a spectacle of myself the same way.”

The Dragon laughed indulgently, and Merlin grinned wider. “You’re lucky Lancelot is such a good sport about me sneaking away from patrols. Not that it wasn’t fun getting ‘captured’ during fights with you all the time, but he finally put his foot down.”

Merlin turned his face, knowing his own deep cowl and enchanted mask still protected his identity. “What did you tell him? Does he know you’re sneaking off for a booty call?”

The smile on The Dragon’s face turned predatory. Though his suit, like all of them, had a full face coverage mode, The Dragon prefered to fight with only his half mask on. The visor obscured his nose and eyes entirely while the side pieces crept close enough to his mouth that the cheeks were barely visible. Only his plush lips were free. It had been a modification made to accommodate claustrophobia in the growing ranks of the Knights, and The Dragon had embraced it fully from the get go. Merlin was glad. He’d have been desolate if they couldn’t kiss, though that was all they did yet. It was all still so new, Merlin didn’t want to rush it. His boyfriend, on the other hand… “Am I going to *get* some booty?” He drawled, canting his hips obviously. He burst into delighted peals of laughter when Merlin sputtered.

“Don’t worry yourself so, Warlock.” He chided, tapping Merlin’s nose with an admonishing finger. “I know why we can’t strip all of this off. I know what we’re risking. And as for Lancelot, he’s a true friend. He’s actually the one that brought it up.”

Merlin twisted himself right around so he was chest to chest with the delightfully tight skinsuit his hero wore under his armour. It didn’t take his attention this time, though, as panic had stolen his thoughts. “He *what*?!?”

The Dragon’s hands came up to frame his face, his thumbs rubbing Merlin’s cheekbones in an attempt to calm him. It wasn’t working. All Merlin could think of was the hideous Cleansing his beloved would face if the Mayor ever found out about their trysts, or even just the hero’s feelings for him. For all Merlin *knew* it would hurt Uther Pendragon to ever allow harm to come to Arthur, he also knew that the man would do whatever it took to rid his son of the mind-raping magic he knew the bigot would suspect. And, knowing Arthur’s previous run-ins with love spells (looking at you, faery princess), Uther wouldn’t even be wrong to worry. It was just that in this case the feelings were organic. There would be nothing *to* Cleanse from Arthur, though no one else would believe that.

“Shh, shh, it’s okay. It’s fine. Lancelot is a true friend. He’s known about my crush for even longer than I have, and about your feelings since the gryphon. He was by my side as hopeless infatuation faded into true, deep, abiding love. And he told me he was sick of filling out paperwork for my ‘captures’ and getting grilled by the Mayor. He gave me a handful of condoms and a bondage mask and bluntly told me that he’d cover for me, that I didn’t have to try and sneak past him. He’s never told anyone else about it, and he’s always supported me. That was why he usually volunteered for crowd control when we fought. He was trying to give me some time alone with you. He kept threatening to ask you for your number for me if I didn’t man up and do it myself. Said it was his duty as a wingman and friend.”

Merlin draped himself over The Dragon, going limp in his hold. His voice was still smaller and more fearful than he wanted when he replied. “He’s risking a Cleansing. Or even execution.”

Strong hands stroked down his spine, causing Merlin to shudder without meaning to. “It won’t come to that. I won’t let it. We’re a team, and I wouldn’t let anything happen to him any more than he’d let it happen to me. And then there’s you. You’d protect both of us, even from ourselves.” The hands kneaded a little more firmly, and Merlin shuddered again. “We’ve got this. And you’re worth it, whatever the risks.”

Merlin’s comment was swallowed by soft lips, and he gave in. Even if they were discovered, the Mayor would never execute his only son. Merlin would sneak in under cover of the fuss Arthur was sure to make and get Lancelot out. He’d protect his love’s other best friend.

Besides, he hadn’t been strong enough to stop this before it started, and he surely wasn’t strong enough to end it now. Even if it would be safer for everyone. Merlin just wanted *so badly* to have a safe place, and the one he had now with The Dragon was perfect.

Well, almost perfect. He felt his boyfriend’s growing interest beneath him and felt his own body respond. He sighed. He didn’t really want to have this conversation, but he owed it to his lover to be fair. He just hoped that his big reveal wouldn’t damage Arthur’s opinion of him. Warlock was brave and determined and straightforward and, apparently, looked *amazing* in his magic-imbued leathers. Merlin was as graceful as a newborn foal, had a smile that made him look insane, had ears that took over his whole face, and was the singular most incompetent person in the Mayoral Offices. That he’d improved incredibly since being given a position he was unqualified for and mostly thought was stupid and full of busywork was beside the point. He was still never going to be as good as people who trained and schemed and *lived* for that lifestyle.

Before he could open his mouth The Dragon sensed his hesitance and bodily moved him back onto his heels, entirely separating their bodies. “Warlock? Are you okay? You know I’d never rush or pressure you. You can say no or just ignore it and I’d *never*...”

“I know.” Merlin replied, placing his hand over The Dragon’s lips to stop the flow of words. “Of course I know. It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s just… There’s something you need to know first. Something important.”

The hero frowned and grabbed Merlin’s hand, gently lowering it. “If it’s about the secret identities, we don’t have to say. I can keep my helmet on and you your cowl. As much as I’d love to match your gorgeous face to the rest of your flawless body, I’m not a child. I know we’re playing with fire.”

Merlin’s mouth twisted. “That’s not quite it. It’s not… This isn’t fair.” He took a deep breath, continuing before The Dragon could interrupt again. “It’s *not*, Arthur. It really *isn’t* fair that I’ve known who you were since before our first kiss, and you still don’t know who I am. You didn’t even know you were trusting me with that information. It was doubly unfair, and I really *can’t* sleep with you with this hanging over me. So.” He reached for his cowl then with hands that shook. The hood was enchanted to remain up unless purposefully lowered by him, and the spells blurred the few features that could be seen in the observer’s memory. Practice had shown Merlin it was better to have a hood and mask with his chin, cheeks and nose still visible than a deep shadow. That tended to scare traumatized children even worse.

His hands were caught halfway, then pulled to Arthur’s lips. He kissed each hand reverentially, then set them down on his own knees before pulling his helmet all the way off. Merlin’s breath caught as he finally got to see those beloved blue eyes looking at him with pure love, no shielding in the way. He’d only been able to imagine before, combining his boss’s bright eyes with his lover’s devotion, but the reality of it was so beautiful it took his breath away.

“Don’t.” Arthur murmured, closing the distance to kiss Merlin again. “Don’t, beloved. If you know who I am, you know who my father is and how my temper is. I bite my tongue when he tears into you only by remembering that you would be *devastated* by me facing a Cleansing. One day that might not be enough. And as much as I adore you and long to know your dear face, I’d rather not be capable of betraying you. He knows me too well, knows how to push all my buttons. I don’t want to be capable of a blind rage or painkillers or anything else putting you in danger thanks to your trust in me.” He gathered the magician close again, and Merlin let out a strangled sob. “I understand your trust as well as your fear. I only didn’t tell you who I was earlier… Well, there were two reasons.” Arthur was blushing now and Merlin cocked his head at him in surprise. That wasn’t a look he was used to on his self-assured boss. He touched one finger to it wonderingly, and Arthur blushed harder.

“One.” His voice came out a little squeaky, so he cleared his voice before continuing, “One, I didn’t want to pressure you into revealing yourself. I knew you’d feel it was unfair if I was unmasked and you were still hidden, and I didn’t want to put that burden on you. I get it. I know that you’re in far more danger from me than I am from you. With the absolute best of intentions I am a risk that I’m so happy you’re willing to take, but it’s not necessary. I’d rather you were safe. I’ll always rather you were safe. So you should keep your secrets, because it protects you from everyone. Including me.” Merlin opened his mouth, only to have it covered in a desperate kiss. He fell silent, content to enjoy his boyfriend’s form of persuasion. It ended eventually (too soon in Merlin’s opinion, but it was always too soon in his opinion. If he could just kiss Arthur for the rest of his life he’d be content) and he felt Arthur take a deep breath.

“Two… Two is that behind the mask I’m just me. I’m just a person. I’m not all what The Dragon stands for. I love my father as much as I hate his policies. I’m afraid of the power I’ll one day have, and even more that he’ll have to die for me to have it. I’ve got maybe a half-dozen friends, and the only one not paid to spend time with me out of that is my sister. My best friend makes sure to tell me when I’m insufferably rude, and it’s far too often. I’ve never thought I was spoiled, but he’s made me very aware of the fact that I’m barely competent as a human being. I hate half my job but revel in the other half, and I’m a little ashamed to know that’s about the power. I’m very ashamed that I’m incompetent enough with interpersonal relationships that Merlin, my assistant and best friend, thought I hated him for months after I’d figured out that he was the best friend I’d ever had, and the person I trusted most in the world.” He dropped his gaze, letting his head fall with it.

Merlin had never seen Arthur look so defeated, and it made his heart ache. He gently cupped his beloved’s face and brought it up, once more meeting that bright blue gaze. He was appalled to see the shimmer of tears around the edges, but kept his voice admirably steady. “But, Arthur, don’t you see? I know all of that. I’ve seen it in you before, and I knew you were The Dragon, warts and all, since the start. And I love you anyway. Because yes, you are all of that. But you’re also so much more, and I’m so desperately grateful to know you. There is no shame in not hating your father. *I* don’t even hate your father, and I have much more reason! You’re compassionate and loyal and clever and so, so kind when no one’s looking. You’re the one who got suspicious, investigated, and blew the whistle on the ‘integration’ facilities and their inhumane behaviour. You cleaned up the system when your father couldn’t be bothered and got those children out of danger.

“Yes, I eventually ‘relocated’ all of them myself, but that doesn’t change what you did for them. You buy anonymous flowers with ridiculously cheesy encouragements for your staffers when they’re having a bad day. Including the men. Your Merlin’s blushing face was all over the dome-net when he broke his leg. You’re protective and assertive, even to the point of punching people who can’t take ‘no’ for an answer. Gwen was so happy she was crying. Landon was also in tears that you would protect his wife while he was out of town. It’s fair that you’re nervous of the power you’ll inherit. Anyone who didn’t care enough to be afraid isn’t someone I’d want in power.” He dropped one of his hands to grab Arthur’s, mirroring his previous motion by bringing it up to kiss the knuckles. “You’ve been badly socialized, but you’re not a malicious person. Your Merlin doesn’t correct you because you’re hopeless, he does it because you just need a reminder now and then. And you’re clearly as dear to him as he is to you. To quote a pre-fall movie, “Your men love you. If I knew nothing else about you, that would be enough.” It would be for me, too. The Dragon, wonderful as he is, is just who you want to be. And the fact that he’s so wonderful and you’re actively reaching for that ideal is part of why I love you.”

He shook his head, amazed at how similar their fears had been. “I’m the same. I’m worried you won’t like the real me. Warlock is brave and steadfast and handsome in your eyes, and I’m worried you won’t think that way of the real me. I cry when I’m overwhelmed with loneliness or duties. I’m clumsy, I’m lazy, and I’m petulant so damn often that I disgust myself. I’m scared of the monsters in the dark that lurk outside the dome, so much so that I can’t sleep without warding the room. I’m so stupidly naive sometimes that I’ve been led astray more than once. And you say I’m sure to be handsome and gorgeous, but literally the only other person who has ever said that is my Mum, and…” He was muffled by Arthur grabbing him in a desperate kiss and refusing to let another sound out. He tried to separate himself a few times before giving up and falling into the kiss.

Eventually Arthur drew back. Merlin leaned forward, unconsciously following, and was caught by two strong hands that gave him a gentle shake. “Don’t say such terrible things about yourself. I won’t stand for it. You’re wonderful and I love you and I won’t have anyone speak poorly about you.”

“Mmmmm,” Merlin hummed, curling in close again. “Right back at you. I love you, Arthur Pendragon. Both what makes you The Dragon AND the rest of it. I’m in this for real.”

“I’m in this for real.” Arthur vowed, parroting his own words back to him. “I swear I’ll love you just as much when it’s safe for me to be with you always. Nothing you could be will ever change that.

And Merlin? Merlin just let himself believe.

#msau #Merlin #my writing #fic

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fruitofthemindfarm · 3 months

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MSAU S1E3

challenge 3: cosy

Merlin thinks Arthur’s schedule is insane (because it is). He makes the most of his ‘failures’ to wrestle Arthur’s schedule back down to only a 14 or 16 hr day. When challenged on him postponing or delegating things, he blinks his big doe eyes, shows the spreadsheet, and goes, “But… there literally is no space here! Where am I supposed to squeeze that in?” He even does it to Uther, who is about to yell at him for it when Arthur stumbles into the office like the world’s least coordinated whirlwind and looking like death. Arthur is panicking about missing a PR event he’s late to (due to a hero thing) when he just straight up collapses. Merlin and Uther both catch a side, and Uther admits that maybe there’s too much on Arthur’s plate. Tasks are reassigned, and Lancelot (Landon) is brought on as… kinda a professional assistant while Merlin is his personal assistant? I’m gonna say he takes on infrastructure design and repair. As in Arthur tells him research areas to focus on, strategic weak points that need fortification, and expansion goals and Landon brings him completed plans to say yay or nay to, rather than Arthur doing the planning.

(This is very like Tony handing SI over to Pepper so he can focus more on being Iron Man).

That happens a bit in the background while we get a couple of scenes of Merlin guarding the nap times/snack times he’s built Arthur into his schedule by slightly overestimating travel and meeting times where he can. He calls them “Asshole breaks”, as in “go take a break because you’re being an asshole.”

#365 day challenge #msau #s1e3 #my writing

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fruitofthemindfarm · 3 months

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not only are there no bad languages there are also no bad or annoying dialects

#that was the point of the residential schools #while the language existed so did the culture #without it the culture would die too

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fruitofthemindfarm · 3 months

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MSAU S1E2

Rolled a 2: product placement.

2: product placement

The focus on this episode will be on Merlin learning his new duties. He’s massively overwhelmed with them. Arthur is also massively overwhelmed, however, and tends to take his frustration out on Merlin in short-tempered ways because having an assistant is supposed to make things easier. It’s played as a comedy, but every time Arthur gets into somewhat of a groove with any aspect of his life, something goes wrong and he needs to solve it as The Dragon.

Gwen eventually takes Merlin under her wing and shows him how to use all the features on his new smartphone. The whole episode when Merlin asks how he should do literally anything Arthur directs him back to his phone with “We gave you an [iphone], use it.”

The lesson is supercut with clips from the episode of The Dragon using all of these features during combat. Yes, including the spreadsheet capabilities.

#msau #my writing #screenwriter game #S1E2 #synopsis

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fruitofthemindfarm · 3 months

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MSAU S1E1 Pilot two parter

(the opening has scenes from various monster/human struggles overlaid with narration that sounds like Galadriel in LotR. It’s a quick summation of the political and monster-based structures of the post apocalypse. Then it centers in on Camelot (previously parts of london and the surrounding areas, but not the city center) and talks about Uther and Ygraine, and the tragedy caused when Nimueh didn’t understand what the price would be for curing infertility. The prologue ends with Arthur, talking about how he is borne of both technology and magic, and how he is, unbeknownst to his father, perfectly settled on the knifeblade between them.)

(That’s all pre-credit prologue. The actual show starts with The Dragon and the Knights fighting monsters just outside the force fields. They get recalled by Morgana, who is telling them urgently there has been a magical incursion.)

The magic user they fight is The Warlock, who handily embarrasses them while seemingly completing his own mission. This is intercut with different scenes of Uther and Arthur playing politician and expanding on their political point. The episode ends with a disappointed Uther (they didn’t capture Warlock) storming off after The Dragon takes all the blame for the failure. The final scene is Morgana lingering after the chewing out, and Arthur taking his helmet off.

Part II:

This is a dystopian post-apocalypitical version of the first episode of Merlin. It follows pretty close to the original plot, only Arthur is the main character rather than Merlin. He’s introduced to Merlin, and this guy who just answered an ad for temps for a banquet ends up saving Arthur, but it’s played as if he’s just sassy and plucky and he got lucky. The episode ends with Arthur and Merlin being stuck working together. Possibly the first day, possibly the first week or so. But it ends with Arthur basically going “my professional life is already a shit show, my secret identity is under absurd pressure, and now my somewhat-personal life has been invaded by this idiot. FML.”

#my writing #msau #screenwriter game #S1E1

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fruitofthemindfarm · 3 months

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MSAU first story (untitled)

word count 4k

“What villainous plot have you been hatching, Warlock?” The Dragon snarled, tall and proud despite being tangled in one of Warlock's traps. “No one has seen hide nor hair of you in weeks! Whatever evil you're up to, I won't let you win!”

Warlock sighed and rubbed between his eyes. This was exactly what he'd been looking to avoid. Normally he enjoyed the byplay with his arch-nemesis (and secret crush), but he just really hadn't been up to dealing with it recently. “I'm not hatching any plots, I'm just on hiatus.”

“A likely story.” The superhero sniffs, obviously not believing him. “You terrorize the city on a weekly basis if not more often! Someone as vile as you would never just leave the citizens be!”

Something snapped in Warlock. The last few weeks had been terrible, and he'd been disturbed while trying to finish up the simply insane amount of work his boss had piled on for no fucking reason by this moron stumbling into the traps on his lair, and he was just done with The Dragon and his absurd, bigoted ideas.

He stormed up to the hero and grabbed his face in both hands, leaning in until his nose almost hit The Dragon's. They were much of a height, allowing him to look him straight in the eye. “You fucking listen to me, you ridiculous prat! I don't have time for your fucking nonsense! I have had a terrible couple of months, so I've taken a break from stopping corrupt cops and smuggling out the targets of the mayor's bigoted, DEADLY anti-magic policies! And yes, that's awful of me! Two people that I know of have been incarcerated on ridiculous fake accusations after standing up to Mayor Pendragon's bully-boy, Valiant. Maybe I could have prevented that! But my father fucking died six weeks ago, and I can't get compassionate leave at my job because my boss is an ass and Balinor Dragonlord was never officially acknowledged as my sire on my paperwork so I couldn't be used as a pawn in the anti-magic crusades two decades ago.”

He shuddered and blinked, desperately willing his tears to subside. The Dragon was one of the last people he wanted to cry in front of, surpassed only by the Mayor and Warlock's civilian boss, the Mayor's son Arthur. At least The Dragon held some respect for him. He didn't want to look any more incompetent than he already did in front of those two. He didn't know what they expected after hiring him on as a PA as thanks for having saved Arthur from a magical attack and despite him protesting that he had no experience working as a PA. A job was a job, however, and he had accepted for the sake of their excellent benefits package and salary. Being a supervillain was both expensive and painful, and he couldn't manage what he did as a barista.

He looked to the side, not wanting to hold The Dragon's shocked gaze any longer. He knew the hero had a heart of pure gold, misguided though he was, and sympathy would cause him to crumble. “So now I've got new powers and responsibilities I need to figure out before I hurt someone, and the only people that might be convinced to help me learn are... militant and dangerous. I don't want to help The Priestess take over the city! I think her policies are misguided and as hateful as the Mayor's in their own way. I haven't had a day off in over a month because I'm on salary and my boss has decided I need to do all his work for him, not just assist him like normal. My only support system is my mother, who is currently devastated. None of my friends know I'm Warlock, and none of my villainous associates know enough about my private life for me to be comfortable telling them about my personal troubles. And I just... I need... I just fucking need a break! And maybe you stupid heroes don't take breaks because 'evil never sleeps' or whatever fucking nonsense you say about us, but I've got a bounty on my head that says I fucking CAN take a fucking break, and, and...” He did his best to hold it back, but he could feel the sobs working up his throat.

“Warlock.” The Dragon implored, “Warlock, let me go. Set me free. I promise I won't hurt you. I won't try to take your mask off. Just let me go. Please.”

Warlock raised his eyes back to The Dragon's, tears gathering and his lip wobbling as he took in the intense sincerity in his nemesis' eyes. He looked away again and wrapped his arms around himself, but muttered a magic word under his breath. The Dragon stumbled as his limbs came free from the web he'd been trapped in, but quickly righted himself.

Then wrapped Warlock up in a hug.

Warlock blinked, totally caught off guard. His fingers twitched as The Dragon tucked Warlock's head into his own neck and gently rubbed at his back, crooning softly in his ear to, “Just let it out, it's okay, I've got you, you're not alone...”

Warlock took a deep, shuddering breath before giving in, wrapping his arms around his enemy and letting the tears he'd been holding in for over a month fall.

He wasn't sure how long they stood like that. Maybe only minutes, maybe hours. He sobbed himself hoarse, until his face burned and his eyes were dry. The Dragon just held him and whispered comforting nonsense into his ear. His heart flip-flopped in his chest, and he realized too late that he was officially past crush territory and was irrevocably, inconveniently, completely in love with his arch-enemy, the leader of the Mayor's elite superhero team The Knights.

“What is your body count?” The Dragon asked idly, the first words spoken for a long time. Warlock stirred slightly, glancing up at the hero who held him close and was playing with his hair. They'd sunk down to the floor at some point, Warlock sprawled over the hero's lap and still tucked up against his neck.

“Mmhm?” He grunted, trying to get his brain back online.

“I know you're more of a political enemy than anything, and I know you're one of the more merciful foes The Knights fight. It's one of the reasons I... well, I... call dibs on fighting you? I know that sounds childish, but... Valiant is vicious, most of the rest don't think, and... I didn't want anything to happen to you. I still don't, but... I need to know I'm right about this. About you. So.”

Warlock yawned and stretched. “Heroes, villains, or civilians?”

“All?” The Dragon's voice was hesitant now. “I didn't know you had any civilian casualties.”

“Mmm.” He hummed noncommittally. “It was my fault that municipal employee was thrown in jail and almost executed a few months ago. The one they were blaming the plague on? I count that. Poor girl was terrified. I did the magic she was blamed for.”

“Not what I'm talking about.” The Dragon said sharply. “If anyone was to blame for that, I was. I'm the one that arrested her. How many civilians have you actually hurt or killed?”

“Uhh, there's usually people watching us fight that get minor injuries. They don't fucking listen when either of us tell them to get out of the way, they want to catch the fight on video. I've probably destroyed a few livelihoods when fights get out of hand and buildings collapse, but luckily no one's ever been caught inside. And there were a couple serious cases of smoke inhalation when we accidentally set that apartment block on fire the one time. We managed to get everyone out, but I still felt terrible about it.” He wracked his brain. “I think that's it. I'm pretty careful of civilians. They can't help that the Mayor is a power-mad, revenge-obsessed asshole.”

The Dragon's lips twisted like he'd really like to refute that, but he let it slide. Warlock was grateful. He didn't feel up to arguing politics right now.

“And heroes?” He was prompted. Warlock scowled.

“I count law enforcement here. I put Valiant in the hospital once before you intervened. I tied Owain up in a magical net and forgot him for over a day once... I was busy! You were hot on my tail and I needed to move my lair! I've exposed four rings of corrupt cops and wasn't too careful about how I put them down. That one in charge of the human trafficking ring will probably never regain full mental facilities, but I don't feel bad about that. I... wasn't able to save Ewan, nor expose his murderer. I wasn't able to save Pellinor, either. I killed Muirden, which I also don't regret.” He raised his chin, daring The Dragon to hate him for it.

“Those two Knights don't count, either. I was in charge of them, protecting them was my job. And Muirden was discredited upon his death for being a sorcerer and attempting to kill the Mayor. So you've never actually caused intentional harm to anyone on the Mayor's side who wasn't directly involved with unsavoury activities?”

“I punched you off that building.”

“Please. As if I didn't know the magic that caught me before I hit the ground was yours. And I don't think you'd have done it if you hadn't been smuggling Druid children out of the city that night. You've never hit me that hard in any other fight we've had.”

Warlock buried his face back in The Dragon's neck, his ears turning red. “I don't... really want to hit you.”

The Dragon sighed. Warlock felt his hair ruffle, but insisted to himself there was no chance the hearthrob hero had just kissed him, even just on top of his head. “I know. I don't really want to hit you, either.”

He felt the drumming on his ribs and winced, knowing what was coming next. “And... villains?”

Warlock sighed. “... A lot, actually. Several of Priestess's monsters. Arthur Pendragon's girlfriend Sophia and her father. That group of henchmen that took you down three months ago. A half dozen different sorcerers with a grudge against the Mayor, most of whom targeted his children rather than the man himself. The gang that surrounded and almost killed three of The Knights last winter...” He trailed off, trying to think of others. He could feel the tension in the body beneath him. Villains or not, this wasn't going to go well.

“... I can understand most of those, but why on earth would you just randomly murder the girlfriend of the Mayor's son? And her father?” The voice was incredulous, and Warlock shrugged uncomfortably.

“They weren't human. They were evil Fae trapped in mortal bodies. They enchanted and kidnapped Ar... Pendragon Junior, and were in the middle of offering him as a blood sacrifice to restore their standing in the Fae court when I caught up with them. I killed them both, fished him out of the lake, and made sure he got home safely.” He winced, knowing how far-fetched that sounded.

“Is that why I... why he was acting so strangely? And doesn't remember much about it?”

Warlock's lips twisted in a wry grin, remembering himself how difficult it had been to try and talk sense into Arthur. “Why you weren't able to get him to see sense? Yeah, I tried to talk him out of running away with her as well. His eyes swirled red with magic and he just watched as I took a lightning bolt to the chest.” He felt The Dragon's arms tighten around him and patted him comfortingly. “It's okay. I was in my civilian guise, so they didn't think to check and make sure I died. My magic protected me enough that I was able to wake up and go after him. It's probably a lot better that I went after him than you did. All you have is your training and your power suit. Neither would have protected you from them.”

“So you... You know Arthur Pendragon in your civilian guise?” The question had a forced nonchalance, but Warlock cursed himself anyway. The Dragon was still a hero, loyal to Mayor Pendragon and his anti-magic regime. Letting him figure out Warlock was Arthur's hapless assistant Merlin wouldn't end well.

Especially because Merlin had a habit of flirting with him when he'd met the hero in the municipal buildings. It was just easier to do when The Dragon wasn't trying to punch him. He'd even gotten an autograph.

“Nah, just happened to stumble across them while she was casting spells. Bad luck, really. Or good luck, I guess. If I wasn't taking a sketchy short cut because I missed my bus I never would have seen it. And losing his only son to a magical attack really wouldn't improve the Mayor's opinion of us.” Warlock covered, improvising like his life depended on it. He actually wasn't a very good liar, but The Dragon seemed to accept it, if his slow nod was any indication.

“I thought his assistant brought him home?” The hero asked, a little hesitantly. Warlock laughed.

“What, he told you the 'truth' as well?” He asked, thinking furiously. “It'd be suicide to try and break into the Mayor's home for me. A flat in Edmonton was so much easier, and Emrys is in the phone book. I, uh, may have messed with Emrys' memory of meeting me. I don't like doing that, but I didn't want the Mayor to know how close he'd come to losing his son. So I fiddled with his memories until he thought he had run across Pendragon eloping with the girl, knocked him upside the head, and brought him home. Safer all around, really.”

“You fucked with Merlin's head?!?” The Dragon demanded, the words almost hissing out with his anger. Warlock flinched, badly scared by the sudden slide towards violent emotions from the precious man holding him, whom Warlock knew he could never bring himself to actually hurt. Any battle between them like this would go very, very badly for Warlock.

“Just a minor geas!” He insisted, bringing his outside arm up to shield his head instinctively. “I just made him want to forget seeing me at his apartment complex and suggested to him that he'd left to go buy fish and chips for dinner. He filled in the rest of the story himself! I didn't want him to get arrested, after all! It's not his fault I needed someone reliable to drop Pendragon off with!”

He felt the chest under him expand with deliberately deep breaths. Warlock held his own breath until The Dragon finally released a heavy sigh and patted at Warlock's hair again. “Okay. I understand. You didn't really have much of a choice. And you're right, the Mayor would have had Merlin arrested and interrogated if he'd known Merlin had spoken to you at all. None of us want that.”

Warlock chewed on his lip, but in the end couldn't resist tilting his head back to meet The Dragon's bright blue eyes. “You seem awfully fond of Emrys...” He hedged, incapable of convincing himself not to use this opportunity to find out what the hero thought of his own alter ego.

The Dragon turned his head, a blush blooming over his cheekbones. “He's... cute. Adorable and earnest and hardworking and loyal. I've met him a few times at the municipal offices. He doesn't deserve to get caught up in a battle that has nothing to do with him.”

This battle has everything to do with him, Warlock thought, trying hard not to focus on the irony of that comment. It was a good thing that The Dragon thought Merlin Emrys didn't have any stake in the magic war. Warlock couldn't afford for any of The Knights to figure out his secret identity, let alone their leader. He forced a smile to his lips and levity into his tone. “Sounds like someone has a bit of a cruuuush,” Warlock sing-songed, desperately ignoring the way his heart beat double-time at the very suggestion that the superhero he was in love with might, maybe, sort of like him back.

“I do not!” The Dragon insisted, pushing Warlock off of his lap suddenly enough that the slighter man went sprawling, a sharp cry escaping him as he crashed into the cement floor.

Warlock's eyes filled again at the throbbing ache in his shoulder as he rolled onto his back. He ignored the superhero that crouched above him, as well as the litany of apologies rolling off his lips. Warlock waved the man off before pushing himself to sitting with his good arm. The Dragon crowded up against him for support, but he took little notice of it. Instead he prodded at his shoulder carefully, then started rotating it to test for mobility. Finally he turned his irritated gaze back on the still-apologizing hero next to him, pinning him with an icy glare.

“I'd appreciate it if you'd stop touching me.” He bit out, enunciating each word carefully and clearly. “Obviously you cannot be trusted to have basic conversation without resorting to violence, and I have no interest in dealing with that tonight.”

The Dragon hung his head, his blonde hair covering the embarrassed flush colouring in his cheeks, but gamely moved back as requested. “I really am sorry. I didn't mean to knock you over. I just... You were teasing me like some of the Knights do, and I kind of... forgot myself?”

Warlock raised an imperious eyebrow. “If your compatriots tease you about your crush on this Merlin,” He gave his own name a mocking twist, ragging on the fond way The Dragon had spoken it, “As well, perhaps it would behoove you to quit denying it.”

The hero's ears darkened, and his embarrassment was clear in his tone. “They... uh, don't tease me about him. Lancelot and Owain tease me about... well, about you. We have to be careful, though. First of the Knights or no, Fa... Mayor Pendragon would string me up by my ankles and leave me to rot if he knew,” The head tucked even closer into The Dragon's bright red mech suit, but his voice actually steadied and became stronger, the man's innate bravery ringing forth as he dropped this utter bomb, “That I'm in love with you.”

Warlock stared at him, totally poleaxed, while The Dragon continued on. “And Merlin's adorable, he is, and I really want to protect him from everything bad, but... But you're you, and...”

“A wanted criminal and a dirty, cheating magic user?” Warlock supplied, dry as the desert, and The Dragon's head snapped up, his blue eyes blazing with righteous anger.

“Don't you dare speak of yourself that way!” He insisted, voice fervent. “You're brave, compassionate, clever, determined, cheerful, and honestly seem to have the best interests of ALL of Camelot's residents at heart. I was already certain you'd never intentionally hurt a civilian or seriously injured a non-corrupt law enforcement officer, and you confirmed that for me today. You've also admitted to having done as much-if not actually more!- to protect the Mayor and his family as I have! Magic user or no, you're easily one of the best men I've ever met, so don't you dare say anything disparaging about yourself!”

Warlock just gaped at him, unable to even get over his shock enough to close his mouth.

“And yes,” The Dragon drawled, crawling back towards Warlock with a slink that Warlock knew he'd be seeing again in his dreams, “Merlin is sweet. He's always got an encouraging word for me when I need it, he puts up with my terrible behaviour when I'm overwhelmed, and he's helped me keep up with my daily life without complaint while I dropped everything to search for you this last month, but he's not you. And I... I've loved you since before I'd ever met him.”

Black spots swam across Warlock's vision as the second bombshell of the night dropped. Merlin Emrys had only met The Dragon three times, all of them during work hours and never when The Dragon was anything less than perfectly composed. The man who Merlin encouraged, supported, and had adulted for for a month was his boss, Arthur Pendragon.

“I'm really sorry I hurt you.” The Dragon-Arthur-continued, looking at Warlock with guileless blue eyes. “I didn't mean to. I've just... had to keep this such a secret for so long that I... reacted without thinking.” He let out a shaky laugh, and Warlock sucked in a desperate breath. “I wasn't planning on telling you about this. I'm sorry. I don't mean to put you on the spot. And... and we're enemies. I understand you probably don't think very highly of me. You're kind to everyone. I just... I've been so worried since you disappeared, I thought maybe you'd been captured...” He chuckled at himself, “I've been beyond useless this last month. I've been desperate to find you. So when you implied I liked someone else, I... reacted. Badly. And then I told you my secret, and, and...”

He was cut off suddenly, causing Warlock to realize he'd leaned in and kissed him. It was short, chaste kiss, but Warlock had never felt so stunned after any previous one in his life. “I love you, too.” He breathed, pulling away. “I... maybe haven't kept my activities as quiet as I used to. I'd been operating in secret for months before that first fight with you, but then... I wanted to see more of you.” He gave a huffy, self-depreciating laugh of his own. “It was basically love at first sight for me. And it was always you that came and fought me, and I just... couldn't help myself.”

The Dragon looked like all his dreams had come true, his whole face lighting up as he stared at Warlock in awe. Warlock blushed and looked down, tracing arcane sigils on his leg with a restless finger. “I know it's terrible timing... we can't really be together when I'm a fugitive and you're first among the law-keepers, but... But it won't be forever. Eventually this war will be over, and we can... we can meet without masks, in the open.”

The Dragon tangled their fingers together, then brought Warlock's hand up to his mouth and softly kissed the back of his hand. “We can. We will. And in the meantime,” He gave Warlock a sly grin full of mischief, “Well, it's not like you don't have somewhat of a reputation for... misplacing Knights you've captured. So long as they get me back eventually, a couple hours here and there won't raise any eyebrows...”

Warlock couldn't help it. He tossed his head back and laughed until his sides hurt. “And how long,” He wheezed out after regaining some of measure of control over his breathing, “Until you're noticed missing tonight?”

“I have a day job,” The Dragon replied unconcernedly, slinking over Warlock with intent. “I do have to put in an appearance sometime tomorrow, though I could put that off until noon without anyone making too much of a fuss so long as I call in first. My work is flexible.” His fingers caressed Warlock's cheek softly. “So, hours...”

Bonus coda

“So why are you called The Dragon when all the rest of the Knights are named after King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table?” Warlock asked, running his fingers idly through blonde hair.

The man in his arms laughed. “Because I was the first.” He said simply. “There were no Knights yet when I got my power suit. Pellinor, Lancelot, and Valiant were all recruited at the same time and the Mayor... well, he's pretty proud of his last name. He decided to make it a theme. I... ah... I refused. Said I'd already had my codename for months and wasn't changing it now. I pointed out that this kept me distinct from the men I lead, and that he'd already named his son Arthur.”

#msau #my writing #Merlin #full story

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