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The king, sorcerers, and Avengers

Summary:

Arthur Pendragon returns to a world ruled by greedy politicians that is overrun by superheroes who are crucified and threats that lurk behind shadow. Larger summary inside.

Notes:

Full summary: It has been centuries since the death of Arthur Pendragon and Camelot is but a distant memory, the life of King Arthur believed to be but a myth. As the world faces the consequences of the Sokovia Accords being legalized and the Avengers Civil War, Merlin is reunited with his old friend while also meeting an old enemy who possess no memory of their past. As Merlin deals with this, Arthur adjusts to life in the present while grappling with his destiny and duty. And all the while, someone else pulls the strings, forcing Arthur, Merlin and the Avengers into a battle that will determine the fate of all humanity.

I blame this story entirely on my recent Merlin obsession after rewatching the series for the first time since I binged it the first time on Netflix a few years ago. I did write a similar story a few years ago although that one was an Arrowverse crossover and the Arrowverse sucks these days, which is why I couldn’t find much inspiration for it and ended up deleting it. I don’t even watch the seasons I like anymore outside research purposes.

Anyway, this story starts a few weeks after the events of Captain America: Civil War. And just a heads up, this will be a Team Cap story. I won’t bash Team Iron Man, although Tony will be criticized for some of his actions in the beginning of the story. If you have a problem with that, in the left hand corner of the screen is a back button. I assume you know how to use it. Do instead of leaving a hateful review.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Chapter 1: The calm

Chapter Text

New York

Morning

 

“When Albion‘s need is greatest, Arthur will rise again.”

 

Merlin’s eyes snapped open as he heard his alarm go off. Merlin lazily waved his hand, turning off his alarm as he sat up, running his hand through his black hair. He’d had the dream again, or rather his memory of watching the boat carrying Arthur’s body floating away as Kilgharrah made him that promise. It had been centuries since that day, civilizations had risen and fallen; Camelot was but a distant memory.

 

This wasn’t the first time he’d had this dream, but it was becoming more frequent over the last few months. Merlin’s senses were telling him that something was about to happen, but he didn’t know what exactly. He needed advice, Merlin decided.

 

Getting out of bed, Merlin dressed himself before heading downstairs. Hearing the television on in the kitchen, Merlin entered, finding Gwen there, making breakfast as she listened to the news.

 

It had been quite a shock to him a few years earlier to find Gwen in town. He was sure he was going mad until she’d greeted him with a hug, assuring him she was real and she remembered everything. After so many years on his own, being reunited with Gwen had been a blessing. With Gwen back in his life, Merlin had started living again after closing himself off from the world.

 

“Anything interesting on today?” Merlin asked as he entered the room.

 

“A press conference about the Accords, updates on the search for Captain America, and some celebrity wedding,” Gwen said and Merlin nodded with a grimace.

 

The Accords had been rectified a few weeks ago, followed almost immediately by the bombing and the splitting of the Avengers. While the Accord might sound appealing to some, to Merlin they sounded far too much like Uther’s persecution of magic. To give that kind of power over to politicians… Merlin feared for those like Wanda Maximoff with The Accords hanging over their heads.

 

“Want some pancakes?” Gwen asked, breaking him out of his thoughts.

 

“Sorry, can’t. I need to head into the city,” Merlin apologized as Gwen looked at him in concern.

 

“Is everything alright Merlin?” she asked worriedly.

 

“I don’t know,” Merlin admitted after a moment. “I’ll let you know when I get back.”

 

New York Sanctum

Later in the morning

 

Merlin entered the Sanctum, looking around. There didn’t seem to be any changes in the months since he had been here, he mused.

 

“Emrys.”

 

Merlin turned around, seeing a bald woman emerge with a smile.

 

“Ancient One,” Merlin greeted respectfully with a slight bow.

 

“It is good to see you old friend,” the Ancient One said.

 

“You as well. Last we spoke, you were looking into a hopeful, a Stephen Strange?” Merlin remembered and she nodded.

 

“In the last several months, his abilities have progressed beyond my expectations. But I doubt that you came here to talk about my students,” she said knowingly and Merlin nodded.

 

 “You’re right, I didn’t,” Merlin paused, wondering how to word it. “I’ve been having dreams. They’re of Arthur, of the promise that he will rise again. Since the day he died, I’ve had the dream often over the centuries but now…I have the dream almost every night. I can’t help but feel like this means something.”

 

“There are many things we still do not understand about your powers Emrys,” the Ancient One said gently after a few moments. “But I fear you may be right. Over the last few days, I have felt a growing sense of anticipation. I fear something is on the rise. If that is the case…God help us all.”

 

New York, café

Early afternoon

 

Merlin sat in a café he had stopped by later in the day, thinking on his meeting with the Ancient One. Something was on the rise, that was clear. But what, he wasn’t sure. With these dreams, the Sokovia Accords and something else…Merlin feared what this meant for the world.

 

“Can we get you anything else?”

 

At the sound of the voice, Merlin looked up and the words died on his lips. It was impossible, he thought as he stared.

 

“Morgana,” he breathed and she looked at him oddly.

 

“That’s what it says on my name tag,” Morgana said dryly with a friendly smile. “So can I get you anything else or would you like to pay?”

 

He stared at her, wondering if this was some kind of trick. But he had gotten good at telling when Morgana was up to something when she had been trying to bring down Camelot from the inside after she returned following the year she spent with Morgause. This was no trick, Merlin realized. She didn’t remember.

 

Hudson River

Same time

 

As New York went about its day, a singer boat floated on the current towards the city. In it was a young man with blond hair, wearing armor. He appeared asleep as the boat reached the shores. Then, his blue eyes snapped open.

Chapter 2: Return of the king

Summary:

As Arthur tries to figure out where he is, New York begins to feel the impact of the Sokovia Accords.

Notes:

Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, and left kudos this so far, it means a lot. Now onto the second chapter.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

New York

Mid-morning

 

Merlin was trying to avoid staring at Morgana as he paid his bill. He wasn’t sure what to think or what this meant. But he doubted Morgana’s return happening at the same time as his dreams and the Ancient One’s feelings was a coincidence. He just wasn’t sure whether it was good or bad. But she didn’t seem to remember anything of her previous life. Was this the universe giving him a second chance to fix his mistake, to take Morgana under his wing as he should have all those years ago?

 

“And that’ll do it,” Morgana said, breaking Merlin out of his thoughts. “Thanks for the tip.”

 

“You’re welcome,” Merlin said, wondering just how much he had tipped while he was caught up in his thoughts. “Morgana. Like the sorceress?”

 

“Yeah. My mom was always kind of fascinated by King Arthur. When I was born, she said she felt Morgana suited me,” she shrugged. “Weird huh?”

 

“Weird,” Merlin said lowly, wondering if this was some force playing with their lives.

 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name,” Morgana said.

 

“Merlin,” he said simply and she smiled in amusement.

 

“Merlin and Morgana. There’s a joke in there somewhere,” she laughed.

 

“Yes, there is,” Merlin said softly as he stared at her, wondering if this was all some kind of cruel trick.


 

Arthur walked down the street, looking around in bewilderment. As he passed, people shot him odd looks but he ignored them.  The buildings here weren’t made out of stone and were unlike anything he had ever seen. Where was Merlin? The last thing he remembered had been seeing Merlin kill Morgana. Then he remembered flashes of movement, then darkness. What had happened? Where was Camelot? More importantly, where in the name of Albion was he?

 

As he passed a street, he saw a man snatch a woman’s purse and run off.

 

“Help! He has my purse!” she cried out.

 

Almost instantly, Arthur was on pursuit of the man. He chased the man through the street before catching up to him. Arthur tackled the man to the ground, the purse going flying. The two battled on the ground, Arthur wishing he had his sword. Distantly, he heard a sound like a whistle being blown. Then, he felt himself being pulled off the man. Looking around, he realized two men in blue uniforms holding him by his arms.

 

“Unhand me! I am the king of Camelot!” Arthur declared.

 

“Yeah and I’m Thor. Relax Goldilocks, we’ll sort it all out at the station,” one of them sarcastically.


 

After getting her classic coffee with whisky, Jessica Jones was on her way back to her apartment/office when she heard footsteps behind her. She didn’t bother resisting the urge to roll her eyes. These assholes weren’t even trying anymore, she thought irritably.

 

“You should tell your boss if he wants to talk to me, that he should just come see me himself instead of sending you assholes,” Jessica said as she turned around to see two men in casual clothes. “The deal was I sign your shitty Accords and Ross leaves me alone. You’re not exactly holding up your part of the deal.”

 

“Have you heard from Luke Cage lately Ms. Jones?” one of them asked.

 

“Luke and I haven’t exactly kept in touch. Why? Is he okay?” Jessica asked, worried Ross may have done something to Luke.

 

“He’s wanted for assault. He refused to sign The Accords. Secretary Ross sent a team to apprehend him,” the other said and Jessica laughed as she saw where this was going.

 

“Let me guess, he kicked their asses and went on the run,” Jessica said amused and they didn’t deny it. “Hate to break it to you, but Luke won’t reach out to me.”

 

“We know of your history. Why wouldn’t he go to you for help?” one asked suspiciously.

 

“Because he knows I signed and he won’t want to drag me into his shit,” Jessica said bluntly. “Whoever Luke reached out to, it’s not me.”

 

Hell’s Kitchen

Same time

 

“Yeah, I won’t be able to make it into work today Foggy. An old friend popped by for a visit, I’ll explain later,” Matt Murdock said before hanging up and turning to his guest. “Sorry about that.”

 

“I think I’m the one who should be telling you that,” Luke said dryly from where he sat on Matt’s couch. “Thanks for letting me in.”

 

“I know what it’s like to on the other end of this type of thing. Although I’m not sure why you came to me for help. Danny would probably be better suited to help you with this,” Matt pointed out.

 

“Danny left town a few months back,” Luke said and it was silent between them for a few moments. “You’re a lawyer, why aren’t you trying to do anything about the Accords?”

 

“There isn’t a whole lot I can do when the UN decides to make them law. And I’m just one lawyer Luke. Foggy and I may have brought down Fisk, but we can’t go up against someone like Ross,” Matt pointed out. “Where’s Claire?”

 

“I told her to get out of town when I realized they were coming for me. She’s safe,” Luke promised and Matt nodded, relieved.

 

“Okay, that’s good. But Luke, the best thing for her and you is for you to do the same. If half the things I have heard about Ross are true, he won’t stop until he has you in custody. The longer you’re in New York, the more you put yourself and those you care about in danger,” Matt told him.

 

“I guess that’s why you have a secret identity, huh? Protects the people close to you,” Luke said after a few moments.

 

“Sometimes, not always,” Matt admitted. “In this case though, yeah. It’s a lot harder to go after Daredevil than it is Matt Murdock.”

 

Police Station

Late morning

 

Merlin walked into the police station where he worked as a detective, his mind still on Morgana. He was startled out of his thoughts when a friend of his walked up to him.

 

“I need your help with an interrogation,” his friend said.

 

“What happened?” Merlin asked curiously.

 

“Some guy. He was causing a disturbance and when we picked him up, he claimed to be royalty. This way," his friend said.

 

He led Merlin to an interrogation room. When he opened the door, Merlin felt his breath leave him.

 

“Merlin?” Arthur asked as he saw Merlin from where he sat, cuffed to the table. “Is that really you? Is this a prank by you? Where are we?”

 

"Why do you think you're the King of England?" The officer asked him.

 

"Not England! Camelot!" Arthur bellowed.

 

"As you can see, he is clearly drunk," the officer said to Merlin.

 

Gaining some control over his emotions, Merlin turned to the officer. "He's not drunk. Let him go. I'll pay the fines."

 

"Why would you do that?" The officer asked confused.

 

"He's a friend of mine from high school who's an actor. Doesn't like to break character. Guess he got a part in a play about King Arthur and The Knights of the Round Table", Merlin said to him. "Please."

 

The officer rolled his eyes but walked over and started to uncuff Arthur. Merlin gave Arthur a look that said ‘play along, I’ll explain later’. Arthur seemed to get the hint, allowing the officer to lead him and Merlin out of the room. This was going to be a long conversation, Merlin knew.


 

After Merlin filled out the necessary paperwork, he led Arthur out of the station.

 

"Are we in the land of sorcery or something? These carriages are being drawn without horses. And that-"

 

Arthur was cut off when Merlin wrapped him in a loving, brotherly hug, clearly catching him off guard as he looked at Merlin in some shock, before he gave in to the hug and returned it.

 

Merlin gave a sound that sounded like a mix of a laugh and a sob as he hugged Arthur even tighter. "I missed you, a lot!"

 

"You missed me?" Arthur asked as they parted. "I thought you couldn't stand me. Why the sudden change in heart? Are you falling for me?"

 

The two were silent for a few seconds, looking at each other, and then they burst out laughing. Some things never changed.

 

"Well, I need to bring you up to speed," Merlin said as they walked, while Arthur still looked around in confusion. "For one, it has been centuries-"

 

"What?" Arthur asked as he turned to Merlin. "Look, Merlin! If I hadn't just woken up after years of sleeping, I would like these pranks more bu-"

 

“It’s no prank,” Merlin said, knowing how hard this would be for Arthur to accept. “It’s a long story but…Gwen is waiting for you.”

 

"Gwen? Guinevere?" Arthur asked shocked.

 

“Yes,” Merlin nodded and he could see Arthur's eyes softening as he placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Come with me."

 

Arthur nodded, still clearly absorbing all this, as Merlin led him away, struggling to control his happy emotions. He could only wonder how Gwen would react now.

 

Avengers Tower

Same time

 

Tony Stark was working on his latest set of armor when his friend and bodyguard Happy Hogan walked into the room.

 

“Tony, we need to talk,” Happy said.

 

“Little busy right now,” Tony said not even looking from what he was doing.

 

“It’s about the kid,” Happy said.

 

Tony still didn’t look at him, but he finally stopped working, so Happy knew he was paying attention now.

 

“The kid keeps sending me phone calls, asking about you and when you’re gonna give him a new mission,” Happy said.

 

“Does Ross know about him?” Tony asked.

 

“No,” Happy admitted.

 

“And as long as the kid does what I told him to and keeps his head down, that’s how it’ll stay,” Tony said as he got back to work.

 

“Tony, he’s a teenager who has superpowers. He’s not gonna sit around, waiting for you to decide to stop ignoring him. Honestly, what were you thinking involving him?” Happy demanded.

 

“I was desperate and made a mistake. I’m trying to make up for it by protecting him from Ross,” Tony said and Happy stared at him sadly for a moment.

 

“I’m not sure you can Tony,” Happy said before he walked out, leaving Tony alone with his thoughts.

 

New York

Afternoon

 

In her and Merlin’s house, Gwen was reading a book, taking advantage of her day off when the front door opened. She looked up as Merlin walked in, to her surprise. She’d have thought he’d be at work by now. She opened her mouth to inquire about that when a blond haired, blue eyed man wearing armor followed Merlin in. The book slipped from Gwen’s hands as she stared at her husband, returned to life.

 

“Guinevere,” Arthur said as he stared at her in reverence.

 

“Arthur,” she breathed.

 

For a moment, they simply stared at each other. Then, Gwen jumped to her feet and she and Arthur rushed towards each other, meeting halfway, their lips meeting in a kiss not unlike the one they had shared many centuries ago when Uther had sentenced Gwen to death.

 

Merlin watched them for a moment, happy for his friends before he began making his way upstairs to his room. He would let them have today, but they needed to talk. Arthur returning on the same day he ran into Morgana, it couldn’t be a coincidence. Something was coming, and they needed to be ready for it.

Notes:

Yes, I am going to be including the Defenders in this. So you kind of understand where the timeline is at when this story takes place, its post Daredevil season 3 and Iron Fist season 2 but pre Jessica Jones and Luke Cage’s second seasons. I also feel obligated to confess that I have never seen Iron Fist or Luke Cage, most of what will be said here about them is what I have heard from friends.

Anyway, bringing characters like Matt and Jessica allows me to explore the effects of the Accords on street level heroes, who are mostly just people trying to live their lives and protect their homes. And expect some interaction between them and Spider-Man real soon.

Merlin and Arthur have reunited, so now we’ll start getting into the plot. The scene where they reunite is mostly taken from Aragorn II Elessar’s story ‘Heroes, Magicians, and Luthors’. Thank you to him for letting me use it.

Chapter 3: Visions

Summary:

Merlin and Gwen struggle to decide how much to tell Arthur about the modern world. Arthur and Morgana both experience vision.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Merlin and Gwen’s house

Morning

 

Reaching over and shutting off her alarm, Gwen blinked as she reached up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Sitting up, she glances over to where Arthur should have been sleeping, surprised when he wasn’t there.

 

Gwen knew the past few days hadn’t been a dream. She’s dreamed of Arthur coming back to her enough times to know it had finally happened. He must already be up, she realized.

 

After getting dressed, she made her way downstairs. She found Arthur sitting in front of the TV, watching the news. He was wearing the clothes he had worn last night, a black T-shit that was a size too small and some sleep pants, both of which he had borrowed from Merlin. They really needed to get him some clothes of his own, Gwen mused.

 

“Arthur?” Gwen called out.

 

“Homicide, that’s murder, is it not?” Arthur asked without looking away from the TV.

 

“Yes,” Gwen said, having a feeling she knew what this was about.

 

“There were three homicides last night, senseless deaths of a mother, a father and their son. Poverty. Violence. Crime. It’s been all over the news since I turned it on. Why have I returned to this world Guinevere? Why now?” Arthur asked tormented, looking at her, hoping she’d have the answers he was looking for.

 

“I don’t know,” Gwen said, hating that she couldn’t help him. “I wish I did. I just know I’m grateful to have you back.”

 

Gwen sat down next to him and their hands are intertwined as they watch the news together.

 

New York

Same time

 

Merlin sat at what was becoming his regular table in the café, taking a sip of coffee as he watched Morgana across the room. He had been coming here for the past few days, waiting to see if Morgana displayed any signs of magic. So far, he hadn’t seen anything that suggested she had any magical abilities. But then again, he’d lived at Camelot for almost a decade and those closest to him had never suspected he had magic.

 

“Can I get you anything else?” Morgana asked as she walked to him.

 

“I’ll take another cup of coffee to go, I should be heading into work soon,” Merlin said after he checked his watch.

 

“I’ll be right back with your coffee and your bill,” Morgana promised with a smile.

 

Merlin nodded, pulling out his wallet as Morgana headed over to the counter.

 

“Table six wants a coffee to go,” Morgana called back.

 

“Coming right up,” the barista said as she began preparing the coffee. “So he ask you out yet?”

 

“Who?” Morgana asked confused.

 

“The guy who I’m making coffee for. Never seen him come in before, then a few days ago he starts coming in here every morning. Whole time he’s in here he watches you like a hawk. Seems to me like he’s into you,” the barista shrugged.

 

Taken back, Morgana looked over her shoulder at Merlin, who was pulling out a twenty from his wallet.


 

At Nelson, Murdock and Page, Foggy Nelson was going over some case files as, a few feet away; Karen Page was at her desk, talking on the phone with a client. The door to the office opened and Matt walked in, using his walking cane. Foggy got to his feet, putting down the case files as Karen looked up at Matt.

 

“Yes Ms. Garcia, we’ll see you then. I’m sorry, I have to go,” Karen said before hanging up.

 

“What happened yesterday Matt?” Foggy asked as he walked into the room.

 

“Have you two been watching the news?” Matt asked as he put away his walking cane.

 

“I assume you mean have we heard about Luke Cage? Yeah, it’s all anyone can talk about,” Karen pointed out.

 

“Don’t tell me you were involved with that,” Foggy pleaded, breathing a sigh of relief when Matt shook his head.

 

“No, I wasn’t there. But Luke came to see me yesterday, that’s why I didn’t come in,” Matt explained as they listened. “Foggy, your family’s butcher shop, it sends out a shipment of meat to Florida every few weeks, doesn’t it?”

 

“Yeah, Theo is gonna send some down in a few days. Why?” Foggy asked wearily, although he had a feeling he knew what this about.

 

“Luke needs a way to get out of the city. That shipment might be his best shot,” Matt said.

 

“Matt, come on. You know I want to help but if anyone finds out my family helped Luke Cage get away, it’ll be even worse than the mess with Fisk,” Foggy argued.

 

“I wouldn’t ask if there was any other way. Foggy, you have to see what’s happening. The law is being twisted into a weapon that people in power can use against anyone they can’t control. A few weeks ago it was The Avengers. This week its Luke. How long until they start going after ordinary people?” Matt asked passionately.

 

“He’s right Foggy. I mean, have you read the Accords? They feel like they were drawn up by Fisk,” Karen agreed.

 

“I agree; the Accords are a horrible piece of legislation that should have never seen the light of day. But they did and if anyone finds out we helped Luke get away, not only will those people in power come down on us, but on my family to,” Foggy argued.

 

“I know and I would not ask you this if there was any other way. But someone once said all it takes for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing,” Matt said and Foggy sighed.

 

“Really wish you hadn’t seen my speech,” Foggy muttered. “I’ll see what I can do but I’m not making any promises.”

 

Wakanda

Late afternoon

 

In the room he had been given for his stay in Wakanda, Steve Rogers sat on the bed, staring down at his Captain America suit with a pensive look on his face. It had been mere hours since he had freed his friends from the Raft with help from T’Challa and Natasha and they had all returned to Wakanda for medical attention and to regroup. Steve’s hands unconsciously clenched into fists as he remembered the shock collar around Wanda’s neck and Clint and Sam informing him that the guards had made a game of shocking Wanda when they felt she ‘got out of line’.

 

Steve was startled out of his thoughts when the door to his room opened. Steve looked up to see Natasha lingering in the doorway.

 

“Hey,” she said.

 

“Hey,” Steve echoed.

 

“How are you doing Steve?” Natasha asked as she walked in, closing the door behind her.

 

“About as well as you. How are they?” Steve asked.

 

“Sam and Scott are alright, mostly minor injuries. Wanda’s are a bit more severe, she was shocked with the shock collar multiple times, there might be some scaring but T’Challa says Wakandian medical care should take care of that. Clint has multiple fractures from the beatings but I’ve been assured that he’ll be good as new in a few days,” Natasha said.

 

Steve nodded grimly, the news of Clint causing him to remember what Sam had told him. Steve refused to think Tony had exposed Clint’s family on purpose but whatever the case, the damage was done. Once Ross knew he had something he could hold over Clint, he had done everything he could to make Clint divulge the location of his family. He had Clint beaten until he lost consciousness, had guns pointed at Scott and Sam’s heads, even had Wanda shocked until she was a whimpering mess on the floor. But Clint never broke.

 

“How are Laura and the kids?” Steve asked.

 

“Fury still has some contacts in the government. He got word to me they were exposed and I got them out on the chance Clint broke. They’re in a safe house, I just called Laura to let her know Clint’s okay,” Natasha explained and Steve nodded, relieved. “What happened in Siberia Steve?”

 

Steve had been trying to put it off for as long as he could but he knew he couldn’t put it off anymore. Steve then told her everything: Zemo, Bucky, Tony’s parents, the fight with Tony, even returning the shield to Tony. After he finished talking, it was silent for a moment.

 

“So Zola was telling the truth. I thought he was just trying to stall us,” Natasha noted.

 

“Me to. I should have looked into it though. I just didn’t want to accept it. I thought I was sparing Tony but I guess I was really sparing myself,” Steve said with a sigh.

 

“You made a mistake Steve, that doesn’t make you a bad person,” Natasha told him gently as he put a hand on his shoulder. “You should get some rest; it’s been a long day.”

 

Steve nodded, tired and Natasha kissed him on the cheek before walking out of the room. After the door closed behind her, it was silent in the room. Then, Steve walked over to his suit. Staring down at it for a moment, Steve then pulled out a knife and brought it down on the stars in his suit, beginning to carve them out.

 

Merlin and Gwen’s house

Same time

 

Merlin walked into his house after a long day of work. The crime in this city, he thought grimly. And it was only getting worse with The Accords being enforced. Criminals were getting bolder now that superheroes were essentially being outlawed. Sooner or later, things would come to a head. Merlin had seen it happen multiple times over the centuries he had been alive.

 

Merlin walked into the kitchen to see Gwen was pulling a pot roast out of the oven. As she set it down, Merlin could see that she was troubled, the look in her eyes saying she was far away.

 

“Gwen?” Merlin called out and she turned around, seeing him.

 

“Merlin. How was work?” Gwen asked.

 

“What’s wrong?” Merlin asked and she sighed. He knew her too well sometimes.

 

“Have you been watching the news?” Gwen asked.

 

“We don’t listen to the radio at the station. What’s wrong?” Merlin asked.

 

“This morning, Captain America led a raid on The Raft. He freed the other Avengers. Arthur’s been watching the news all day. He had…questions. I didn’t know what to tell him,” Gwen said and Merlin was silent for a moment.

 

“We have to tell him everything,” Merlin said and she looked at him sharply.

 

“You know what he’s like Merlin. If he finds out about the Accords…” Gwen trailed off.

 

“He’ll want to do something about it, I know. But that’s’ going to be his choice. For years, I stood back and said nothing when I knew things that could have helped him. I told myself I was protecting him by keeping the truth from him. But all that did was get Arthur killed,” Merlin pointed out and Gwen paused, conflicted. “We just got him back and it’s scary, I know. But he’s not a child, he’s an adult. He deserves the truth and he should hear it from us.”

 

Gwen still looked conflicted when they heard footsteps before Arthur entered the room.

 

“Merlin,” Arthur said in greeting.

 

“Hello Arthur,” Merlin said, staring at Gwen until she gave a reluctant nod. “We have some things we need to discuss.”


 

That night, as Gwen slept soundly beside him, Arthur stared up at the ceiling, his thoughts keeping him awake.

 

Over dinner, Merlin and Guinevere had explained to him about the Accords. Although Gwen had seemed reluctant, Merlin had spared no detail, patiently answering all of Arthur’s questions. Merlin and Gwen had painted a picture of these Accords. And they didn’t paint a flattering one.

 

Tags that let one know where these so called ‘enhanced’ were at all times. Mandatory registration for those with powers. Thrown in prison without any sort of trial for violations. These Avengers forced to get permission from a group of people who can never seem to agree on anything or let innocent lives be lost. The more he learned about the Accords, the more horrified and disgusted Arthur was with them.

 

It also wasn’t lost on him that the Accords bore striking similarities to his father’s ban on magic. A ban that he himself had continued once he became king. Arthur had had his reasons, but now that he knew about Merlin, that magic was in fact not inherently evil, he couldn’t help but feel disgust at his father and at himself.

 

Was this how Morgana had seen them, Arthur wondered. As two tyrannical kings who persecuted innocent people for being different? Forced to live in fear of being punished or killed for something was not her fault? Was this what had turned her from the kindhearted girl he had grown up with into the mad sorceress who wanted all of Camelot to burn?

 

It was these thoughts that haunted Arthur until he finally fell asleep.


 

Arthur found himself back by the lake. He looked around in confusion until a voice spoke up behind him.

 

“Arthur.”

 

Paling, Arthur turned around, seeing a blond woman standing a few feet from him. Although he had only seen her once, he would never forget her face.

 

“Mother,” Arthur breathed and Ygraine smiled at him.

 

“Hello Arthur,” Ygraine said as she approached her son. “It is good to see you again.”

 

“So that wasn’t a trick, it really was you,” Arthur said hopefully and she nodded.

 

“Your friend Merlin knew that if you killed your father, all would have been lost. The only way to continue on was for you to believe that it had been a lie,” Ygraine explained.

 

Arthur nodded after a moment. He didn’t like it, but he could understand Merlin’s point of view.

 

“This is a dream, isn’t it?” Arthur said after a moment.

 

“It’s a dream, but why does that mean it can’t be real?” Ygraine asked with a smile and Arthur wasn’t sure whether to laugh or be annoyed.

 

“Do you know why I’m back?” Arthur asked.

 

“No. But you are the Once and Future King Arthur. If you have returned, it is for a reason,” Ygraine told him wisely. “And I have a feeling you’ll need this.”

 

To Arthur’s shock, Excalibur suddenly materialized in her hands. Silently, she held the weapon out to him and, after a moment, he took his sword from her.

 

“Use it wisely my son. I fear that not only Albion, but the entire world may be affected by the decisions you make,” Ygraine warned him.


 

Arthur’s eyes snapped open and he found himself back in Gwen’s bedroom. Glancing over at the alarm clock, he saw barely ten minutes had passed since he fell asleep. It was only a dream, he thought to himself. Feeling something heavy in his hand, Arthur glanced down and his eyes widened in shock.

 

“Or maybe not,” Arthur muttered as he stared at Excalibur grasped tightly in his hand.

 

New York

Same time

 

At the same time, across town, Morgana tossed and turned in her sleep, her mind haunted by images.


 

A man with blond hair and blue eyes she felt she should recognize opening a box.


 

That same blond man arguing with Merlin and a dark skinned woman that looked vaguely familiar to Morgana.


 

A man in a black body suit complete with a cowl with two white eye holes wielding a sword against several men.


 

Captain America, Falcon, Hawkeye, Luke Cage and a blind man Morgana realized was the lawyer Matt Murdock kneeling before the blond man as he looked down at them, his sword in hand.


 

Finally, Morgana saw herself, standing in front of Merlin as he held her hand.

 

“Do you trust me?” Merlin asked.

 

“I do,” Morgana heard herself say.


 

Morgana’s eyes snapped open, breathing heavily as she tried to figure out what she had just seen.

Notes:

This chapter ended up being more filler than anything but I do hope you guys enjoyed it.

I know the MCU movie timeline is a little confusing here, but let’s just say this chapter takes place the same day as the ending scene of Captain America: Civil War.

Chapter 4: The drums of war

Summary:

Arthur finds himself at a crossroads as Luke tries to get out of the city. Clint returns to his family as the Steve and Natasha make plans for the future.

Notes:

Sorry it’s been a bit since my last update, I was preoccupied with life and some other stories. But I will try to update on a more consistent basis.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Merlin and Gwen’s house

Morning

 

Arthur, Merlin and Gwen sat around the kitchen table, Excalibur laid out in the center. For several moments, the trio just stared down at the sword in silence. Then, Merlin spoke.

 

“You just woke up and it was in your hand?” Merlin asked and Arthur nodded.

 

“Like I told you, I dreamed that I saw my mother. She handed me Excalibur and, when I woke up, it was in my hand,” Arthur explained and it was silent for a moment. “What do you think it means, that it’s returned to me?”

 

“I don’t know. But it’s hard not to feel like it’s an omen of some kind. So many different things are happening at once,” Merlin muttered as he thought of Arthur’s return, his encounter with Morgana, The Accords and now this. “I fear that your return is no coincidence Arthur.”

 

“Then my mother is right. I have returned for a reason,” Arthur muttered.

 

“What I’ve learned is that there are rarely any coincidences. Whatever the reason for your return, the world will need you now more than ever,” Gwen said wisely.

 

Arthur frowned, looking down at his sword as he thought deeply.

 

Matt’s apartment

Same time

 

“Foggy was able to convince his family to help,” Matt explained to Luke. “They sent out a shipment every few weeks to Florida. The driver stops midway at a checkpoint. That’ll be your opportunity to slip away. It’s the best I can do.”

 

“It’s enough, more than. Thank you Matt,” Luke said gratefully.

 

“It’s what friends do,” Matt said simply and Luke stared at him for a long moment.

 

“The world would be a better place if it had more men like you and less like Ross,” Luke said.

 

“Maybe, but that’s not how the world is. Good can’t exist without evil. Without sinners, there would be no saints,” Matt pointed out.

 

“Guess you got a point there,” Luke noted then paused. “You’ve already done so much for me…but I have something else I need to ask.”

 

“Name it,” Matt said without hesitation.

 

“I need you to look out for Jessica,” Luke said, taking Matt back. “She signed the Accords, but a man like Ross is gonna watch her like a hawk, waiting for an excuse to send her to the Raft or worse, some black sight where he can experiment on her. And I think we both know Jess has a habit of getting herself into trouble.”

 

“I think that goes without saying,” Matt said dryly as the two men chuckled. “I’ll do what I can to watch out for her, but there’s not much Matt Murdock can do.”

 

“Maybe not…but Daredevil might,” Luke pointed out gently.

 

New York

Later in the morning

 

Merlin was sitting in his usual table at the café where Morgana worked, deep in thought. Arthur’s return, him running into Morgana, the Accords, now Excalibur…All the signs pointed towards something big coming. He just wished he knew what that was.

 

A few feet away, Morgana was staring at Merlin, thinking of her dreams last night. She could have just dismissed them as dreams, likely caused by her co-worker’s suggestion that Merlin was an admirer. But they had felt so real and she had never met half of those people. What was going on, Morgana wondered.

 

As if sensing her thoughts were on him, Merlin looked up and their eyes locked. Suddenly, an image came to Morgana’s mind.


 

Morgana was in a tent, Merlin with her. He was dressed differently, more modest with a red handkerchief around his neck.


 

Morgana shook her head as the moment passed, wondering what that had been about.


 

In another part of town, Arthur and Gwen were walking out of a clothing store, bags in hands. Arthur couldn’t keep wearing Merlin’s clothes forever, after all. They had spent most of the morning going to clothes stores and getting Arthur his own clothes. As they began making their way over to the car, Arthur paused, something catching his attention.

 

From a window, a display from another shop was visible. In the display was a painting. The painting depicted a warrior in black armor, using a sword to fight off multiple enemies.

 

“Arthur?” Gwen called out when he stopped; following is gaze when she saw he was distracted. “You like the painting?”

 

“What is it?” Arthur asked not looking away from it.

 

“A Ronin,” Gwen said and Arthur looked over at her in confusion. “A samurai, a warrior from Japan who spent years training in discipline and the art of swordsmanship. A Ronin is a special kind of samurai. The Ronin are samurai who have no place in the world, who no longer have any cause to fight for.”

                                                                                                                                       

Arthur knew the feeling, he mused as he looked back at the painting. Everything he had fought for, that he had died for, was all gone. And Arthur was still trying to figure out his place in this new world.

 

“You know a lot about this,” Arthur noted as he looked back at Gwen.

 

“The owner of the shop is a friend of mine. I’ll introduce you sometime,” Gwen promised. “But not today. We should get back home.”

 

Arthur merely nodded, looking at the painting one more time before following Gwen. He idly wondered how long it would take him to start thinking of Gwen and Merlin’s house as home.

 

Safe house

Same time

 

Thousands of miles from New York, Clint pulled up to the safe house in a car Natasha had gotten him. As he shut off the car, Clint let out a sigh; his arms still a little sore. Wakanda medical treatment was advanced, but even they couldn’t take out all the sting from the beatings. The medics in Wakanda told him it would fade after a few days. Clint sat there for a moment before unbuckling and getting out of the car. As he walked up to the front door, Clint knew he’d have to dispose of the car soon enough. He couldn’t leave anything to chance now that Ross would be looking for them.

 

Clint had barely raised his hand to knock on the front door when the door was yanked open and he was pulled inside. As the door was closed behind him, Clint suddenly had his wife in his arms again.

 

“Thank God you are safe,” Laura let out a shaky breath.

 

“The kids-” Clint started.

 

“In the other room, I sent them to hide when I heard your car pull up,” Laura said as she pulled back, inspecting him for injuries. “Are you alright? Nat said you were in bad shape.”

 

“My arms are a little sore. The others had it worse,” Clint said, his eyes darkening as he thought of Wanda.

 

Laura could see that he was holding a lot back, that there was more to the story. But for right now, she would just be relieved that she had her husband back, that her children had their father back.

 

Wakanda

Same time

 

Steve stood outside the infirmary, watching as the medics worked. Wanda was sedated as the medics worked, the scars around her neck healing from the shocks the guards had given her. Steve’s hands had unconsciously clenched into fists as Natasha walked up behind him.

 

“She’s gonna be okay Steve,” Natasha said gently and, after a moment, Steve nodded.

 

“Yeah, she is. But others might not be,” Steve noted grimly.

 

“Ross, he’s not gonna stop,” Natasha agreed, having already seen where his thoughts were headed. “He’ll fill those cells back up.”

 

“Which is why we need to stop him. We may be criminals as far as the world is concerned, we may not be the Avengers, but we can still protect people. People around the world are going to need our help once Ross comes after them,” Steve said and Natasha nodded.

 

“Where do we start?” Sam asked as he joined them and Steve was silent for a moment.

 

“Let’s let Wanda recover…then we’ll start with up.”

 

New York

Night

 

In his room in the apartment he shared with his aunt, Peter stared down at his cell phone, looking at all the calls he had made to Happy. It had been over a week since the fight in Germany and nothing. Peter was lost in thought when there was a knock on his door.

 

“Pete? You okay?” May’s voice came from the other side of the door.

 

“Yeah, I’m fine May,” Peter said as he cleared the screen on his phone, putting it down.

 

May then opened the door, coming in. Peter’s insides twisted with guilt as he saw the concerned look on her face.

 

“I know we’ve had a rough few months, but…we used to talk. Now even when you’re here, it’s like you’re somewhere else. Just…I want you to know, you can talk to me,” May assured her.

 

Peter wanted to. He wanted to tell her the truth. But he didn’t want her to freak out. Then, a thought occurred to him. He could tell her the truth. Just…not the whole truth.

 

“There’s just…I helped a guy out last week.”

 

“Would this be the same guy who gave you a black eye? Steve was it?” May asked, a stern look coming over her face.

 

“No, no, different guy,” Peter quickly assured her. “We were, um, supposed to work together on a …school project. But I’ve been calling him all week and he’s not answering me back. I called one of his friends and they keep telling me he’ll be in touch but he never is.”

 

“Do you want me to talk to a teacher or the principle?” May asked after a moment.

 

“No, no, I can handle it,” Peter quickly assured her.

 

“Okay. But…, Pete, you have a good heart. Some people might try to take advantage of that,” May said as she sat down on his bed next to him. “Some people, they just use people and throw them away after their done. It sounds like this guy, whoever he is, might be one of them. You can’t expect any help from them. Just…don’t keep waiting for someone who never comes through, okay?”

 

“Yeah, yeah okay May,” Peter said, a thoughtful look on his face.

 

“Get some sleep. You have school tomorrow,” May told him, kissing him on the cheek before getting to her feet.

 

After May closed the door behind her, Peter sat, musing over her words for a few moments before picking up his phone. Opening the contacts, he scrolled down to Happy’s name. Peter stared at it for a moment before deleting it. If Mr. Stark wasn’t going to take him seriously, was just going to use him, well, he’d been doing just fine on his own until Mr. Stark had walked into his home. He may not be an Avenger, but he could still help people.

 

Gwen and Merlin’s house

Same time

 

It was after dinner. Merlin and Gwen were doing dishes as Arthur sat in the living room, watching the news. Arthur would have helped, but given he had never really washed dishes before aside from those brief days he spent hiding out at Gwen’s, the three had decided it was best he leave it to Gwen and Merlin.

 

Currently, there was a news report on the whereabouts of Luke Cage. Merlin and Gwen had explained enough about Cage that Arthur respected what he was trying to do.

 

“Luke Cage was the hero of Harlem. He tried to help people; he served his time and followed the law. What right does Secretary Ross have to charge him with treason and attempt to arrest him without any kind of due process?” a news anchor was saying.

 

“The Accords are the law now. If Luke Cage didn’t sign it, he’s a criminal,” his co-anchor said firmly.

 

“Mandatory registration is unconstitutional. We might as well paint targets on the backs of our citizens,” the news anchor argued.

 

Arthur turned it off, having seen enough. What the news anchor said had struck home. Arthur remembered his father’s list of all those he suspected of having practiced magic, Arthur was seeing history repeat itself. Looking over, Arthur saw Excalibur leaning against the wall. Getting to his feet, Arthur walked over and picked it up. He had stood on the wrong side of this once. But he would not stand by and let a tyrant impose his hate and fear on innocent people again.

 

After finishing the dishes, Merlin and Gwen walked into the living. But, to their surprise, Arthur was nowhere to be found.

 

“Arthur? Arthur?” Gwen called out but the room was silent.                     

 

“I don’t think he’s here Gwen,” Merlin said grimly, looking at where Excalibur had been, seeing the weapon was missing.

 

New York

Later that night

 

On the edge of New York, a truck was driving down the highway. Inside the truck, Luke Cage was sitting in the back, hauled up in various sweaters to protect him from the cold. Only a few more hours, Luke thought as he tried to stop his chattering teeth.

 

Outside the truck, two vans pulled up on either side of the truck. The driver didn’t think anything of it until one of the vans suddenly rammed into the side, rocking the truck.

 

“Hey, what are you doing?” the driver shocked.

 

Suddenly, a third van emerged in front of them, turning sideways. The driver was forced to slam on his break to avoid a collision. As one of the other vans pulled back, and turned sideways, the driver realized he was boxed in.

 

Inside the truck, Luke lifted his head. From all the shaking and swerving, it was easy for him to guess that he’d been made, someone had come after him.

 

Outside, the driver held his hands up as, out of the back of the vans, various men in tactical gear armed with assault rifles emerged. They cautiously approached the back of the truck and, on the leader’s hand signal; the back of the truck was pulled open. Immediately, Luke slugged the leader and jumped out of the van, beginning to engage the man. They opened fire but the bullets simply deflected off his iron skin.


 

Nearby, Arthur was standing on a nearby building when he heard the sound of the gunshots. Gripping Excalibur in his hand, Arthur ran off after locating the source of the gunshots.


 

The gunfire stopped as they realized they weren’t doing anything. Luke grabbed a gun off a soldier and stuck him across the face with it before Luke slugged another. One of the soldiers flipped a switch on his weapon and fired. Instead of bullets, an energy wave shot out and hit Luke. Luke stumbled back, feeling that something was wrong. His vision was blurry and he was starting to feel numb.

 

Still, Luke wasn’t giving up without a fight. He slugged another solider and elbowed another in the face, but it noticeably had less power than before. As they surrounded him, that’s when something appeared out of the darkness.

 

Arthur rushed in, bringing Excalibur down on of one of the men’s rifles. The power of the sword caused the gun to turn to dust in his arms, sending the soldier flying back. Arthur took advantage of the soldiers’ distraction, elbowing one in the abdomen and kicking another down. Overcoming their surprise, the soldier who had fired the energy at Luke prepared to do the same to Arthur.

 

As if sensing their intentions, Arthur whirled around, striking the weapon with Excalibur before it could completely power up. The resulting explosion sent both of them flying back, the soldier hitting one of the van’s and being knocked out while Arthur landed on the ground, Excalibur landing a few inches from him.

 

One of the soldiers tried to grab Excalibur but Luke punched him, sending him falling to the ground as Arthur grabbed his sword, rising to his feet.

 

“Don’t know who you are, but thanks for the assist,” Luke said as he and Arthur stood back to back.

 

“Arthur,” Arthur introduced himself as they stared at the group of soldiers surrounding them.

 

“Luke. Listen, these guys did something to me, I’m not gonna be much help,” Luke told him apologetically.

 

“I’ve faced worse odds,” Arthur said with a smirk before rushing in, swinging Excalibur.

Notes:

So, not a whole lot happened in this chapter but it did help set up a lot of plotlines that will be important later on.

Usually, I like Tony but I will admit to being completely disgusted by his treatment of Peter. I’m not sure how so many people can see their relationship as a father/son relationship, because the majority of the time we just see Tony using Peter and treating him like crap, especially in Civil War and Homecoming. And what’s worse is the narrative treats Tony like he’s right in his relationship with Peter. As someone who has experience with being treated by someone the way Tony treats Peter, I admit I’m pretty disgusted with the writers.

Arthur has officially decided to make his stand against the Accords, which has led him to his first encounter with Luke Cage. There will be some pretty big fallout from this, as you can imagine.

Chapter 5: Arthur's choice

Summary:

Arthur makes a defining choice as the fallout of attack on Luke affects everyone.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Merlin and Gwen’s house

Night

 

Merlin and Gwen watched the news, nervously seeing a news report they knew would impact their lives heavily.

 

“Breaking: there’s been an altercation with Luke Cage on the edge of Hell’s Kitchen. Several SWAT team agents attempted to apprehend Cage but were attacked by an unknown assailant, who helped Cage escape. The agents have described the unknown assailant as a man in his mid to late twenties with blond hair and blue eyes who wielded a sword. He is to be considered armed and dangerous.”

 

In frustration, Merlin turned off the TV, running a hand over his face.

 

“Damn it Arthur,” Merlin swore.

 

“We knew he’d do something like this sooner or later,” Gwen said tiredly.

 

“I just hoped we could put it off for a few weeks,” Merlin said although part of him knew he’d been fooling himself.

 

Suddenly, the front door opened, startling the pair. Merlin and Gwen jumped to their feet as Arthur walked through the door, supporting Luke Cage of all people.

 

“He needs help,” Arthur said simply.

 

Washington DC

Same time

 

“I don’t care what you have to do, find him,” Ross snapped into his phone before hanging up, frustrated.

 

“Problems?”

 

Startled, Ross turned to see a woman, her back to him, sitting at his desk.

 

“Luke Cage made his escape,” Ross said gruffly.

 

“Disappointing,” she said although she sounded surprisingly calm. “Although it’s not a total loss. We still have one more card to play.”

 

Merlin and Gwen’s house

Later that night

 

Luke lay on Merlin’s bed, sleeping as Merlin gently closed the door behind him. Taking a deep breath, Merlin walked down the stairs and entered the kitchen. Arthur and Gwen were sitting at the table, obvious tension between them when Merlin entered.

 

“He’ll be alright,” Merlin said after a moment. “I’m not sure what the weapon you described did to him, but I did a spell, he should be right by morning.”

 

“Good,” Arthur muttered and it was silent again.

 

“What were you thinking Arthur?” Merlin finally said once gathering is thoughts. “You realize you’ve painted a target on your back, right?”

 

“I know. And I’d do the same thing given the same choice, without hesitation,” Arthur said firmly.

 

“Arthur, we understand how you feel, we do.  But with the Accords, you can’t just go rushing off and getting into fights, even to help someone like Luke Cage,” Gwen said gently.

 

“And so I should leave people to the mercy of the Accords? Of men like this Secretary Ross? No, I will not,” Arthur said passionately. “I stood by as innocent people were persecuted once. I will not do so again.”

 

“Arthur, I understand, but you’re not king anymore. Your actions have consequences. You can’t just make a stand and expect people to listen,” Merlin tried to reason.

 

“You think I haven’t thought of that? That I haven’t realized that I can’t make the people in power listen simply because I shout? It’s all I’ve thought about,” Arthur snapped as Merlin and Gwen stopped, to listen. “And, for the first time, I realized I was in Morgana’s shoes.”

 

“Tell me you are not trying to justify Morgana’s actions,” Gwen said incredulously.

 

“No, never. But now that I see her side of things, I can see what drove her to such lengths, to madness,” Arthur said as he thought of his sister sadly. “I won’t allow people like Morgana, who live in fear that their abilities will be discovered, to suffer at the hands of a tyrant as I once did. I won’t tolerate it.”

 

Arthur then rose to his feet and walked out of the room, leaving Merlin and Gwen after him, still processing all that he had said.

 

New York, next day

Morning

 

A street was being roped off, ‘do not cross’ tape covering the area. Jessica approached the scene, looking around at the cops going about their business. Honestly, she didn’t know why she was here. It’s not like she thought Luke would be here or anything.

 

“Ms. Jones.”

 

Startled out of her thoughts, Jessica looked over to see one of the men who had asked her about Luke earlier in the week approaching her.

 

“Curious to see you here,” he said casually.

 

“Was out for a walk,” Jessica said evenly.

 

“Pretty far place to walk to,” he noted.

 

“You know us vigilantes, we go the extra mile,” Jessica said, amused when she saw he was annoyed.

 

“Jessica? Jessica that you?”

 

At the sound of the voice, Jessica turned her head, surprised to see Matt making his way towards her, using the walking stick to keep up appearances.

 

“Murdock?”

 

“This guy a friend of yours?” the man in the suit asked.

 

“Friend and lawyer. Is Ms. Jones a person of interest in the search for Luke Cage?” Matt demanded as he reached the pair.

 

“No,” the man looking like he’d swallowed something sour.

 

“Then this is over,” Matt said firmly. “You’re actions are starting to border on harassment. Even people who work for Secretary Ross aren’t above the law.”

 

“Fine. Then keep your client away from an active crime scene,” the man sneered.

 

Not bothering to dignify the man with a response, Matt began walking away, Jessica following him.

 

“What are you doing here Murdock?” Jessica asked once they were far enough away.

 

“Keeping a promise to a friend. I promised Luke I’d try to make sure that you didn’t get yourself into trouble with the Accords,” Matt said and she whipped her head towards him.

 

“You’ve seen Luke?” Jessica asked, fighting to keep her voice at a soft volume.

 

“I helped him make sure that he got a ride out of town. Although that obviously went wrong,” Matt said grimly.

 

Jessica opened her mouth to speak when an automated voice went off.

 

“Foggy. Foggy. Foggy.”

 

“What is that?” Jessica asked as she looked around in annoyance for the source.

 

“It’s my phone,” Matt explained as he pulled it out of his pocket and answered. “Foggy, I’m on my way to work now.”

 

“Forget work, meet me down at the precinct,” Foggy said and Matt could hear the urgency in his voice.

 

“Foggy, what’s going on?”

 

“Theo was just arrested, they know he helped get Luke the ride out of town,” Foggy said and Matt paled.

 

“I’ll be right there,” Matt promised before hanging up. “Jessica, get to work and try to stay off Ross’s radar. I already have one fire to put out, I can’t deal with another.”


 

At Merlin and Gwen’s house, Luke was starting to come around. Groaning, his muscles were stiff, likely from whatever he was shot with. As he sat up, he saw Arthur in a chair near the bed, sleeping. Luke stared at him for a moment, processing the night before when Arthur spoke up.

 

“How are you feeling?” Luke nearly started in surprise when Arthur opened his eyes.

 

“A little stiff but nothing I can’t handle. This your place?” Luke asked as he looked around.

 

“It belongs to a friend,” not really a lie.

 

“What happened last night? My memories are a little jumbled after you showed up,” Luke asked.

 

“We fought our way out of there but you were incoherent, barely conscious. I managed to get you here, my friend is a…physician,” Arthur half lied. “He treated you for what happened, although you should rest for a few days.”

 

“Don’t think I’ll have the chance, half of New York is probably looking for me by now,” Luke mused, wincing mentally as he thought of all the trouble Matt and his friends were in right now. “Was I hallucinating last night or did your sword turn their rifles to dust?”

 

“No, what you saw was real,” Arthur confirmed.

 

“Just tell me that you didn’t get that sword from a dragon,” Luke said as he remembered Danny’s story about how he got his powers.

 

“Not exactly. It was forged in a dragon’s breath,” Arthur said honestly and Luke stared at him for a moment.

 

“Not the craziest thing I’ve ever heard,” Luke finally said, throwing the covers off and starting to stand up.

 

“You really should rest,” Arthur pointed out.

 

“I’d rather not put you or your friends at any more risk than I have to. I know how to disappear, trust me,” Luke said, throwing his legs over the side of the bed and standing up, although more slowly than he normally would have. “I still have contacts, I’ll be fine. Although I appreciate the help.”

 

Arthur stared at him silently for a moment. While he’d like to make Luke stay for a few days to get his strength back, he knew he couldn’t force Luke to obey his commands. He wasn’t Luke’s king.

 

“Piece of advice kid, wear a mask,” Luke said, breaking Arthur out of his musings.

 

“What?”

 

“If you’re gonna go out there, you need a mask or something to hide your identity,” Luke told him.

 

“You don’t wear a mask,” Arthur pointed out.

 

“And now I’m a fugitive who had to send his girlfriend away, put his friends in the crossfire of a psychopath and has to rely on contacts from his shady past to get out of here,” Luke said bluntly and Arthur had no argument to that. “The mask isn’t to protect you; it’s to protect the people you care about. If you’re gonna go out and fight against The Accords, you need to hide your identity or the people you care about will never be safe. Someone like Ross will always come after them as long as you refuse to bend to him.”

 

As Luke grabbed his jacket, Arthur frowned, considering his words. Was this how Merlin had felt all those centuries ago? That whatever decision he made would hurt those he loved?

 

Either way, he had a lot to think about.

 

Hell’s Kitchen

Afternoon

 

“I’m sorry Foggy, my hands are tied,” Blake Tower said as he met Matt, Foggy and Karen in his office. “Your brother aided and abetted a fugitive. He’s in a lot of trouble.”

 

“Come on, he gave a guy a ride in the back of a truck!” Foggy snapped.

 

“Foggy, I get it, he’s your brother, but you’re a lawyer. You know he violated the Accords,” Tower reasoned. “And either way, it’s out of my hands, Ross and his men are breathing down my neck. They want a sacrificial lamb and unfortunately, your brother made himself into one.”

 

“What evidence do you have against Theo?” Matt inquired, trying to get a sense of how made it was.

 

“An anonymous source called in a tip that Theo was planning on giving Luke Cage passage out of New York. The driver of the truck corroborated that it was Theo who convinced him to do it,” Tower explained. “I’m sorry Foggy, but there’s nothing you can do to protect him.”

 

“Yes there is,” Foggy said as an idea struck him.

 

It wasn’t a good idea admittedly. In fact, Foggy himself hated it. But it was the only option where he could protect his brother without throwing Matt or Luke to the wolves.

 

“I’d like to make a deal Mr. Tower. One where Theo goes free and the real guilty party gets punished…”

 

New York

Same time

 

At the café, Morgana had just arrived for her shift and was putting on her apron when she looked over at the TV they had out in the restaurant. It was a news report on the attack on Luke Cage yesterday.

 

As they showed the police sketch of his accomplice, two things happened at once.

 

First, Morgana realized the sketch looked almost exactly like the blond man from her dreams some nights ago.

 

Second, her mind was assaulted with two different images.


The blond man, more of a teenager at this point, walking with Morgana arm in arm, the two playfully bickering.


 

The second image featured the same blond man, although he was noticeably older. He was dressed in armor, standing a few feet from Morgana in some kind of stone room. The two stood in the center of it, the blond man staring at her sadly. And, despite the hatred she felt that she couldn’t explain; Morgana also felt an unexplained sadness as she stared at him.


 

The images faded almost as soon as they appeared in her mind. Morgana shook her head, bewildered by what had just happened.

 

Hell’s Kitchen

Late afternoon

 

“I still can’t believe you did this,” Karen told Foggy as they and Matt stood in the Precinct, waiting on Tower.

 

“There were no good options Karen, this way Theo doesn’t go to jail, you know he’s never last two days in there,” Foggy reasoned.

 

“I’m sorry Foggy, this is all my fault. I never should have come to you,” Matt said guilty.

 

“No Matt, you were right. The Accords fly in the face of everything we stand for, everything we’ve ever fought for. If I had to make the same choice, I’d still choose to help Luke,” Foggy said, glancing around to make sure no one was listening before continuing. “And I realized what we were up against the moment Tower said an anonymous source called in the tip.”

 

“What do you mean?” Karen asked confused but Matt had caught on.

 

“The Nelson family butcher shop is like a family, every relationship has been built on trust for years. No one would ever willingly betray Theo, no matter their view on the Accords,” Matt explained.

 

“And since only someone who works at the shop could have called that tip in, either someone was coerced into doing it or there’s something else going on,” Foggy explained before turning to Matt. “Matt, you need to find out what’s going on.”

 

“I will. You have my word,” Matt promised.

 

At that moment, Tower came out of a room, leading Theo out.

 

“Foggy,” Theo said in relief.

 

“Theo, you alright?” Foggy asked in concern.

 

“I’ve been better. Like I said, you are one Hell of a lawyer,” Theo said in relief as he walked up, hugging his brother.

 

“Theo, listen, Karen’s gonna take you home,” Foggy said as he pulled back.

 

“Karen? What about you?” Theo asked in confusion and Foggy smiled tightly.

 

“It’s all gonna be okay Theo,” Foggy said, hoping that was true.

 

“Foggy,” Tower called out as two officers approached.

 

Foggy sighed before, with a look at Matt and Karen, he separated himself from Theo. He then walked over to the officer’s and, to the shock of Theo, turned about with his hands behind his back.

 

“Foggy, what is this?!” Theo exclaimed as the officers began to cuff Foggy.

 

“Your brother made a deal. He told us he was the one to convince you to help Cage. He’ll be transferred into protective custody while he awaits trail. In return, you won’t face any charges,” Tower said, looking like he was as displeased with this turn of events as the rest of them.

 

As Foggy was led away, from the corner, Merlin watched the scene sadly. Things were getting worse and worse. Maybe Arthur was right, maybe it was time to take a stand against the Accords.

 

Merlin and Gwen’s house

Night

 

Merlin entered his house, closing the door with a sigh. He knew they couldn’t go on like this. As he walked further into the house, he paused as he heard a sound. It sounded like someone was crying. Hearing it again, Merlin followed the sound.

 

Entering the kitchen, he saw Gwen sitting at the kitchen table, tears running down her face as she stared down at a piece of paper.

 

“Gwen? Gwen what’s wrong?” Merlin asked urgently as he rushed over to her side, scanning her for any injuries.

 

“I um, I got home from work about ten minutes ago,” Gwen said with a shaky breath. “I went upstairs to check on Luke, he left already. I searched the house for Arthur and I found this.”

 

Gwen handed him the piece of paper. Some teardrops had fallen on it, but it was still clear what it was. It was a note, drawn in familiar handwriting; one Merlin had seen almost every day for several years.

 

Dear Merlin and Gwen,

 

I feel like a coward writing this letter to you instead of waiting to face you. But I know if I do, you’ll try to stop me from doing what I’m about to do. And I can’t let you.

 

I cannot standby as innocent people are punished by a tyrant. I did once and it haunts me. I never told you this, but even before I knew about Merlin, I would have nightmares of the people my father put to death. The men, woman and children who were burned, many of them innocent. I will not allow history to repeat itself, I will not.

 

I know you two don’t agree, that you think I’m being reckless. Maybe I am. But this is something I have to do, for me. I also know that if I stay here, I’ll be putting you both in danger. If I do this, this Ross will come after me. And if I stay here, I will paint a target on the two of you. I won’t allow that.

 

I’m leaving because if I don’t, you two will be taken down with me. And I care about the two of you too much to let that happen. I have to do this, but I also have to protect the two of you.

 

I’m sorry that it happened this way. Please try to understand. This is something I have to do.

 

Arthur

 

Merlin read and reread the letter a few times but it was no trick. Arthur was gone.

Notes:

Yes, Ross is working with someone and I guarantee that none of you will guess who it is.

Things are obviously getting pretty bad with Foggy getting arrested and it’s not going to get much better.

Arthur sort of disappearing on Merlin and Gwen, while I don’t like doing it, is needed. Arthur obviously has very different ideas than Merlin and Gwen on how to handle The Accords. And doing this will allow Arthur to experience the modern world and connect with people in ways he wouldn’t with Merlin and Gwen holding his hand so to speak.

Chapter 6: Meetings

Summary:

Team Cap receives an unexpected visit as Merlin makes headway with Morgana.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

New York

Morning

 

Merlin was sitting at his regular table in the café, deep in thought. It had been three days since Arthur had left and, unfortunately, they had been unsuccessful in locating him. Gwen’s contacts at the New York Bulletin had not turned up anything, and Merlin’s own job at the police station hadn’t given him any new leads. Arthur was apparently lying low for now.

 

Merlin was broken out of his thoughts when a cup of coffee was placed in front of him.

 

“You alright? You seem preoccupied,” Morgana noted.

 

“Fine. Just a lot on my mind,” Merlin said honestly.

 

“Wanna talk about it?” Morgana asked and he chuckled.

 

“I’d take up too much of your time and I don’t think your boss would appreciate that,” Merlin pointed out.

 

“Probably not,” Morgana agreed before paused. “I get off at six. Maybe we can go to dinner and talk?”

 

“Are you asking me out on a date?” Merlin asked after a moment.

 

“It’s only a date if you want it to be,” Morgana said with a shrug.

 

Merlin was racked with indecision. Part of him felt that getting so close to Morgana was a bad idea. But, he reasoned, the only way to figure out how much she knew was by getting close.

 

“Okay,” Merlin gave in. “But it’s not a date.”

 

“Well, pick me up for our not date at six,” Morgana said amused before walking off.

 

As he watched her walk away, Merlin wondered what he had just gotten himself into.

 

Safe house

Same time

 

In the safe house, Clint was trying to make it more bearable for his family. In the basement, he was tightening a bolt on the water heater before putting it down. Turning it on, he smiled as he saw it working.

 

Walking up the stairs, he found his wife in the kitchen, drinking coffee.

 

“Water heater’s fixed,” he said as he closed the basement door.

 

“Good,” Laura said and it was silent for a moment.

 

“I’m trying Babe,” Clint said and she looked up at him.

 

“I know you are. I don’t blame you for this, neither do the kids. You did what you thought was right, I knew who you were when I married you,” Laura said as he sat down across from her. “You can’t blame yourself.”

 

“But I do. I trusted him,” Clint said lowly, clenching his hands into fists. “I trusted Tony Stark with you and our kids. And he exposed it to Ross. I never should have trusted him.”

 

“You made the best decision you could have at the time. No one but Tony Stark is responsible for what he said and did. Don’t blame yourself for his actions,” Laura told him.

 

Clint opened his mouth to respond when he paused. Then, he jumped to his feet.

 

“Get the kids and head into the basement,” Clint ordered.

 

The tone of his voice let Laura know this was not up for debate. As she called out for the kids, heading over to get Nate from his carrier, Clint opened the closet, grabbing his bow and quiver.

 

As Laura took the kids downstairs, Clint rushed up to the second floor. Using the window as a vantage point, Clint opened it and notched as a car rolled up onto the driveway. The car stopped and Clint was tense before the passenger side door opened up and Natasha Romanoff got out. Clint nearly dropped the bow in relief.

 

“You gonna shoot or open the door?” she asked, looking at the window with a smirk.

 

Chuckling, Clint put the bow down before beginning to walk the stairs.

 

“It’s alright, you can come up now,” Clint stopped to shout towards the basement before walking towards the front door.

 

Laura, Nate in her arms, emerged from the basement with Lila and Cooper just as Clint opened the front door. On the front porch was Natasha, along with Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson and Wanda Maximoff.

 

“Auntie Nat!” Lila squealed as she rushed towards Natasha.

 

As Natasha hugged Lila, Laura and Cooper joined Clint in greeting the other Avengers entered.

 

“Mrs. Barton,” Steve said politely. “It’s good to see you again, although I wish the circumstances were better.”

 

“Me to. And please, call me Laura,” Laura said politely before turning to Sam and Wanda. “I don’t believe we’ve met though.”

 

“I’m Sam,” Sam said politely, holding out a hand to her.

 

“Laura,” she said politely, turning to eldest son. “This is Cooper. And you’ve already met Lila.”

 

“Nice to meet you kid,” Sam said politely.

 

Cooper simply nodded, not sure what to think of Sam just yet.

 

“And you must be Wanda,” Laura said as she turned to the final member of their party. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

 

“How you doing kid?” Clint asked her, his eyes concerned.

 

“Better,” Wanda said, her hand unconsciously going to her neck, where the burns of the shock collar had been healed by the Wakandian medics.

 

“Wakanda’s medical care is pretty great,” Sam noted.

 

“Where’s Lang?” Clint asked, noticing the absence of Scott for the first time.

 

“He stayed behind in Wakanda, said he couldn’t leave his daughter. T’Challa said he’d help Scott work out a deal with the government,” Steve explained.

 

“Well, I hope he knows what he’s doing,” Clint muttered.

 

With a man like Ross involved in these things, who knows what could happen.


 

“So what’s the plan now Cap?” Clint asked later as the Avengers all sat around the kitchen table, Laura having taken the kids upstairs so they could talk privately.

 

“Innocent people are in danger, from our own government,” Steve said after a moment. “I have to help them. Even if that means going against them.”

 

“I figured you’d say that. I can’t go with you this time. With Ross knowing about my family…I can’t take that risk,” Clint said regretfully.

 

“We know Clint,” Natasha told him kindly.

 

“We just came to make sure you were all alright,” Steve assured him and Clint smiled weakly.

 

“Thanks Cap.”

 

Suddenly, they all froze when they heard someone knocking on the front door.

 

“You expecting someone?” Sam asked Clint.

 

“No,” Clint said lowly.

 

On instinct, they moved into position. Clint grabbed a small knife that he concealed under his sleeve as he headed towards the door. Steve and Wanda moved towards two hidden vantage points close to the door, ready to intervene if there was a threat. Natasha and Sam stepped further back, both bringing out pistols to shoot if necessary. Wearily, Clint turned the door knob and opened the door, staring in surprise at who was on the other side of the door.

 

“I leave you all alone for five minutes and you can’t even stop arguing long enough to deal with the UN,” Nick Fury said, annoyed as he glared at Clint.

 

New York

Afternoon

 

In a New York Police Department precinct, the Captain was in his office when his door opened. He looked up to see Brett Mahoney walk in with purpose.

 

“Mahoney. Shouldn’t you be at your desk?” The Captain inquired.

 

“No, I’m where I should be,” Brett said as he walked up the Captain. “I’ve wanted to be a cop my whole life, because I wanted to help people. To put away the criminals. But with these Accords…all we do is go after innocent people for Accords violations. Three days ago was the last straw. Foggy Nelson may be a pain in the ass, but he’s a good man. If he’s the kind of people we put away now, then I’m done.”

 

To the Captain’s shock, Brett placed his badge and gun on his desk before walking out of the room.

 

As Brett walked out of the station with his head held high, Merlin watched him go uneasily. If someone like Brett Mahoney was quitting the force, it was a sign of how bad things were. Maybe Arthur was right, Merlin thought as he looked down at his own badge. Maybe it was time to make a stand.

 

Safe house

Same time

 

“Seriously, you couldn’t stop fighting long enough to tell Ross where to shove it?” Fury ranted as he and the Avengers stood in the kitchen.

 

“Most of us did,” Natasha said pointedly. “Tony wouldn’t listen to reason on the Accords. He was too consumed with his guilt over Ultron.”

 

“Um, didn’t you sign them to?” Sam asked pointedly.

 

“Someone had to keep an eye on Tony,” Natasha shrugged.

 

“We all did the best we could,” Steve said, looking at Fury unflinchingly. “Mistakes were made, on both sides, but what’s done is done. And I don’t think you came here to tell us how disappointed you were.”

 

“You’re right, I didn’t,” Fury agreed after a moment. “There are actually bigger problems.”

 

“What, worse than the Accords?” Clint asked for clarification.

 

“I still have contacts in the government. And they say that someone else is pulling the strings,” Fury said and the room was silent.

 

“You mean that Ross is a figurehead?” Wanda asked.

 

“I’m not sure. But my contacts say that Ross is meeting someone. He’s been heard in his office, talking to someone. A woman. But they know she’s not someone Ross wants certain people to know about, he denies any meetings when confronted about it and she always leaves later on, discreetly,” Fury explained.

 

“Maybe Ross has something going on he doesn’t want anyone to know about,” Clint suggested.

 

“If Ross was having an affair, there are far more convenient places he could meet her besides his office,” Natasha argued.

 

“Ross’s appointment to Secretary of Defense never made much sense to begin with,” Fury said as they turned back to him. “His role in Banner becoming Hulk and Harlem has always been an open secret in DC. That anyone would trust him enough to let him have such a position in our government is next to impossible.”

 

“So you’re saying this woman might be pulling Ross’s strings?” Sam asked.

 

“I don’t know,” Fury admitted. “But too many things are happening at once: The Accords, this woman meeting with Ross, Zemo, it all feels too convenient. And when things happen like this at the same time, usually someone is behind it all.”

 

New York

Night

 

In a restaurant, Merlin walked in, feeling underdressed. It was a nice restaurant and he hadn’t had time to go home and change, so he was dressed in more casual clothes. But it’s not like it was a date or anything, Merlin thought to himself.

 

As he looked around, Merlin spotted Morgana, reading a menu while sitting at a table for two. As he approached her, Merlin’s unease lessened slightly as he saw Morgana was also dressed in casual clothes.

 

“Hey,” Morgana said as she looked up from her menu and saw him.

 

“Hey,” Merlin greeted as he sat across from her. “Sorry I’m late, work ran a little longer than I expected.”

 

“You’re not late,” Morgana quickly assured him. “I just got here a few minutes ago actually.”

 

Merlin nodded as he picked up a menu. But he was only half paying attention, his mind focusing on this evening. He needed to get close to her, he knew. Most importantly, he needed to get Morgana to trust him. That might be the key to figuring out how to determine how much Morgana remembered and what her role in these events might be.


In his family butcher shop, Theo Nelson was cutting some meat when he paused, hearing something.

 

“Hello? Anyone there?” Theo called out.

 

There was no response. Theo almost thought he’d imagined it when, suddenly, he was grabbed from behind. Theo dropped the butcher knife he was holding as he was slammed against the wall. Theo looked startled at a man dressed in a black mask that covered the top half of his standing in front of him. Theo had heard the reports enough to know who this man was.

 

It was Daredevil.

 

“Please, I didn’t do anything,” Theo pleaded fearfully.

 

“You helped your brother try to smuggle Luke Cage out of the city,” Daredevil pointed out.

 

“So what, now you’re for the Accords?” Theo asked fearfully.

 

“No, I’m not. And I’m not here to beat you up,” Daredevil said, releasing Theo and lowering his hands to his side. “I’m here to help you.”

 

“Help me? Help me how?” Theo asked, bewildered and confused.

 

“Someone called in a tip that you were helping Luke Cage get out of New York. The only way they could have known that was if they worked at your butcher shop,” Daredevil explained and Theo took a moment to process this piece of information.

 

“No. We treat our employees like family, they’d never rat me out,” Theo said in denial.

 

“Not willingly,” Daredevil agreed. “Not unless someone forced them to.”

 

“What, like blackmail?” Theo asked in confusion.

 

“Exactly like blackmail. Someone with something to lose was forced to by someone else to turn you in. And I need your help to figure out who,” Daredevil said.

 

“My brother’s in prison because of those damn Accords. Just tell me what I gotta do,” Theo said eagerly.


In the city, Spider-Man was swinging from his webs across the city when he heard a cry. No, not a cry, a woman’s terrified scream. Immediately, he began to swing towards it.

 

Less than a minute later, he found a woman, who couldn’t have been much older than Wanda Maximoff, was being held down by a man in an alley. He was clearly trying to force himself on her. Enraged, Peter was about to intervene when someone else beat him to the punch.

 

Literally. Someone else entered the ally and punched the man in the face. The man loosened his grip on the woman when the unknown person suddenly kicked him in the side, forcing him off. As the man rolled away and pulled himself to his feet, the unknown person stepped into view of a nearby traffic light, revealing their identity.

 

It was a blond man, mid to late twenties, Peter had to guess. He had piercing blue eyes and his chin had a few days’ worth of stubble on it. He was wielding a sword as a look of pure rage marred his handsome face.

 

“A man who forces himself on a woman is not a man at all,” he sneered.

 

“Why don’t you mind your own business man?” the would be rapist snarled as he got to his feet.

 

Pulling out a knife, he foolishly attempted to strike the blond man. However, the blond man blocked with his sword. He swung his sword and, to the shock of the man, the woman and Peter, his knife seemed to explode. The attacker was thrown back, hitting the alley wall with such force that his neck snapped. His lifeless body went down to the ground in a heap and the blond man stared, startled. He hadn’t been expecting such a display of power, clearly.

 

Then he shook his head, lowering is sword as he turned to the woman, who was staring at him with wide eyes.

 

“Are you alright?’ the blond man asked gently, kneeling down while at the same time maintaining a distance.

 

“Yes. Thank you. Thank you,” she repeated, tears welling up in her eyes.

 

“You need not thank me,” the blond man said as he offered her his hand, which she took. “I merely did what was right.”

 

“You’re a hero,” the woman praised as he helped her to her feet and the blond man smiled tightly.

 

“No, I’m not,” he said simply. “You should get home or to the police. It’s not safe for you out here.”

 

“Wait,” the woman called out as the man turned to leave. “Who are you?”

 

The man was silent for a long moment. Peter waited, as curious as the woman as to the identity of this man.

 

“Ronin. You may call me Ronin,” he said before he walked off, disappearing into the shadows.

 

And Peter used his webs, swinging after the blond man. He wasn’t sure what to think of Ronin (which Peter kind of doubted was his real name) but he figured he should at least track him down. You can never be too careful after all.

Notes:

I know the Avengers have mostly been absent from the story so far, but they’ll start to play more of a role from this point on.

Natasha signing the Accords never made any sense to me. Between Hydra and the Red Room, she has even more reason than Steve to distrust the government. The theory that Natasha was a double agent for Team Cap makes a lot more sense to me.

And now Arthur has officially adopted the name of Ronin. And I think we all know what follows now.

Chapter 7: Responsibility

Summary:

Gwen learns startling information as Team Cap runs into a problem. Peter makes a defining choice.

Notes:

Wow, I am so sorry it took me so long to update. I honestly didn’t realize how long it had been until I sat down to write it. I have no excuse other than a bad case of writer’s block. But I have more things figured out now, so next chapter shouldn’t be so long.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

New York

Night

 

Peter swung through the skies on his webbing, doing his best to follow the blond man discreetly. This Ronin guy had been sticking to alleys mostly, not heading into any building they passed. Finally, he stopped, leaning against a side of a building. Peter landed on the top of a building nearby, looking down as he wondered what Ronin was doing.

 

“Would you like to continue following me or can we talk?” Peter nearly jumped when Ronin looked up at him, raising his voice enough so Peter could hear him. “We can keep up this game as long as you want, but eventually, you’ll have to come face me.”

 

After a moment of indecision, Peter began climbing down the walls, figuring if he knew he was there it would make him a coward not to face him. Ronin watched him with curious blue eyes, staring at the Spider on his custom.

 

“So you’re this Spider-Man I’ve been hearing about,” Ronin noted.

 

“Yeah, that’s me. Hey,” Peter said awkwardly before recognizing him. “Hey, are you the guy who helped Luke Cage?”

 

“That would be me. Is that a problem?” Ronin asked as he eyed Peter wearily.

 

“No, I hate The Accords as much as you do,” Peter said and Ronin eyed him wearily.

 

“Didn’t you fight on the side of The Accords in Germany?” Ronin inquired and Peter winced behind his mask.

 

“I did. I…was lied to, by someone I trusted. I did some digging the last few days, what with everyone on the news talking about The Accords. They sound like…” Peter trailed off, not sure how to put them into words.

 

“Horrible,” Ronin supplied and Peter nodded.

 

“You risked a lot for someone you don’t know,” Peter noted. “It wasn’t your responsibility.”

 

“People like you and I, we have power most men cannot imagine,” Ronin said as he glanced down at his sword. “With that power comes the responsibility to use it to help others.”

 

“With great power comes great responsibility,” Peter noted and Ronin smiled slightly.

 

“I guess you could put it like that. It is our responsibility to uphold our values in the face of tyranny, greed and hatred such as these. I sense there will be dark days ahead for us all. But as long as we hold true to what we hold most dear, we can endure it,” Ronin said confidently.

 

Peter stared at Ronin as he listened to what he had to say. There was just something about him that made you want to listen to him. It wasn’t just his words, which made a lot of sense; it was the authority with which he said them, like he was used to making such statements.

 

“I should be off,” Ronin said after a moment. “Take care Spider-Man.”

 

“Yeah. You to Ronin,” Peter said lowly, watching as the blond man walked off until he had vanished from Peter’s view.


After dinner, Merlin walked Morgana back to her apartment. It had been…nice. It reminded Merlin of many moons ago, when he could just sit and talk to Morgana back in Camelot.

 

But that Morgana was long gone, dead and buried many lifetimes ago. Merlin was still trying to figure out where this Morgana fit into everything.

 

“Well, here’s my stop,” Morgana said as they reached her apartment complex. “Thanks for walking me home. I guess chivalry isn’t dead after all.”

 

“It was no problem,” Merlin said as he flashed a smile.

 

“So, can I see you again?” Morgana asked coyly.

 

“Oh,” Merlin said lamely. “Look, Morgana, I don’t want to give you the wrong impression. I’m not looking for a relationship here.”

 

“Neither am I. But you have to admit, it’s nice to just sit and talk with someone who just…listens, ya know?” Morgana said.

 

She had a point, Merlin mused. And he still needed to get close to Morgana, after all.

 

“I still plan to come to the café every morning,” Merlin mentioned and she smiled.

 

“I’ll be there to serve you,” Morgana leaned over, kissing him on the cheek. “Night.”

 

“Night,” Merlin said, watching as she walked into her apartment complex, waiting until she was out of his line of sight before he began walking away and heading home.

 

Russia, next day

Afternoon

 

“You sure about this?”

 

Sam’s voice came over the Comms as Natasha and Wanda sat in a café, both in caps and sunglasses as they scoped out the scene.

 

“Fury said that Ross wires money to this café every few weeks. Why does a man in such a high position send his money to a Russian café? It doesn’t add up,” Natasha said as her eyes surveyed the café, looking for anything out of the ordinary.

 

“Either way, it’s worth looking into,” Steve said over the Comms. “What’s so special about this café? Nat, Wanda, do you see anything out of the ordinary?”

 

“Well? What do you see?” Natasha asked as she looked over at Wanda.

 

“Nothing. Just ordinary civilians,” Wanda said after taking a look around.

 

“But what about them specifically? Take a look,” Natasha instructed.

 

Wanda shot her an odd look but did as she was told, looking around at the patrons once more, taking a more careful look this time.

 

“An old man having a cup of tea. A couple on a breakfast date. A woman with a baby…that she’s not paying attention…and that’s not crying,” Wanda muttered, her voice growing softer as Natasha smirked.

 

“And she’s been looking over at us every thirty seconds since she sat down. Either she recognizes us-” Natasha started.

 

“Or she’s after you,” Sam said over the Comms as they all came to the same conclusion.

 

“Don’t look at her,” Natasha told Wanda, who easily averted her gave. “You can read minds right?”

 

“I try not to, but yeah,” Wanda confirmed.         

 

“Can you read her mind?” Sam asked.

 

“I can try,” Wanda said, closing her eyes as she concentrated.

 

Natasha waited, seeing Wanda’s face contort in effort before, after a few minutes, she opened her eyes, shock on her face.

 

“I can’t read her mind,” Wanda said in disbelief.

 

“Has that ever happened before?” Steve asked.

 

“Once. With Ultron,” Wanda said and alarm shot through the four former Avengers.

 

“You don’t think she’s-” Natasha started but Wanda shook her head.

 

“No, she’s feels…human. It’s just like there’s this wall blocking me,” Wanda said, bewilderment in her eyes.

 

Out of the corner of her eyes, Natasha saw the woman rise to her feet. Suddenly, she pulled out a gun. Natasha moved to duck but she and Wanda were never her target. The woman turned and fired, killing the old man as the bullet went into his head. The couple screamed before she shot them to before either Natasha or Wanda could react. The woman tossed the gun aside and let out a blood curdling scream.

 

“Oh my God, what did you do?!” she cried as the chef burst out of the kitchen. “It’s the Avengers! They did this!”

 

Natasha and Wanda didn’t need to exchange words to know how bad this was. As the chef ran back into the kitchen in fear, they did the only thing they could: they jumped to their feet and ran.

 

As they passed the woman on her way out, they saw a wicked smirk cross her face.

 

Hell’s Kitchen

Same time

 

Matt was in the office, listening to the radio when Karen walked in. It was on a blues station, playing a song from the sixties.

 

“Kind of a depressing song,” Karen noted.

 

“Well, I’m not feeling all that cheerful right now, Karen,” Matt said as he reached over, switching it off.

 

“Neither am I. What are we gonna do about Foggy?” Karen asked.

 

“At the moment, we’re looking for whoever tipped off the authorities. If we can prove they were coerced in anyway, we might be able to get the case against Foggy dismissed,” Matt explained.

 

“Might?” Karen repeated.

 

“Well, normal laws clearly don’t apply when it comes to The Accords Karen. I’m basically just winging it at this point,” Matt said in frustration.

 

“You were right before,” Karen said after a moment and he looked at her oddly. “What you said about Fisk, about people being so powerful they can use the law to their advantage. Everything you said is coming true.”

 

“Which is why we have to stop it. Somehow, some way, we have to Karen,” Matt said firmly.

 

Merlin and Gwen’s house

Same time

 

Merlin walked down the stairs, dressed for work. He was going to be late; he’d probably just order something to go from the café this morning Merlin thought absently as he walked into the kitchen.

 

Gwen was sitting at the table, her head down as she stared at her hands. Merlin stared at her sadly. She’d taken it hard that Arthur had left them. Merlin couldn’t imagine what it was like to be her, to get the love of your life back only for them to walk out on you after a few days.

 

“Arthur will be fine Gwen,” Merlin assured her as he walked over to the table. “Despite my many claims to the contrary, he’s not a complete dollephead. He can take care of himself.”

 

Silently, Gwen passed her phone along the table until it was in his view. Merlin froze as he was a picture of himself from last night, Morgana kissing his cheek.

 

“Where’d you get this?” Merlin asked after a few moments.

 

“A friend of mine sent it to me, asked me if I knew my roommate was seeing someone,” Gwen said as she looked up at him. “How long has she been back? How long have you known?”

 

“Since the day Arthur came back,” Merlin admitted, seeing no point in lying.

 

“Are you sleeping with her?” Gwen demanded.

 

“What? No!” Merlin said immediately, stunned Gwen would think that of him.

 

“Then why didn’t you tell me Morgana was back?” Gwen asked as she got to her feet.

 

“Because I’ve been trying to figure out how she fits into all this and I knew you’d react like this. Gwen, she’s not like you, she doesn’t remember anything about Camelot or Arthur,” Merlin explained.

 

“How can you be sure? She spent a year fooling us,” Gwen demanded.

 

“She fooled you; I spent a year watching her lie to all of you. I know what it looks like, this isn’t it. She doesn’t remember Gwen,” Merlin assured her and, after a moment, she nodded.

 

“Okay, so she doesn’t remember. So why are you spending time with her?” Gwen asked confused.

 

“To make her trust me, to figure out how to help her,” Merlin said and stared at him for a moment.

 

“Why do you care about helping her, after all she did?” Gwen asked incredulously.

 

“Because it was my fault,” Merlin said to her shock. “Before Morgause, when she was just figuring out she had magic, Morgana came to me, scared and alone. I had a chance to tell her the truth, to help her. But I didn’t and so she sought help elsewhere, which left her vulnerable to Morgause. If I just been honest with her, everything would be different. Maybe this is my second chance.”

 

“Merlin, you have such a big heart. But Morgana is responsible for her own choices. She may not remember now, but what if she does? She could become a threat,” Gwen warned him.

 

“It’s that very line of thinking that made me so distrustful of Mordred. And we both know where that led,” Merlin said and there a beat of silence. “Maybe you’re right, maybe I’m fooling myself and this will blow up in my face. But I have to try. We can’t keep making the same mistakes. Maybe Arthur is right and we’ve spent so long waiting for him that we’ve grown complacent. But we have to stand up and fight Gwen, for all our sakes.”

 

Queens

Night

 

Peter was swinging through the night sky when he suddenly felt a feeling of dread and danger come over him. Seeing a nearby apartment complex, Peter jumped down, landing by a nearby window as he tries to get a sense of what that was. Suddenly hearing a crash from inside, Peter poked his head to where he could see through the idea.

 

Horror flooded him as he saw men in tactical gear, armed with weapons aiming their guns at a couple who were terrified. A boy, no older than Peter, was trashing in the arms of one of the men.

 

“Please, leave my son alone!” the woman pleaded before being backhanded by one of the soldiers.

 

“Mom!” the boy cried out in concern.

 

“Your son is an unregistered enhanced, which is in direct violation of the Sokovia Accords. You know how this works,” the man sneered.

 

“Please, he’s just a kid,” the man pleaded.

 

“You should have thought of that earlier. Let’s get him out of here,” the man told his men.

 

Before they could move, the window shattered as Peter jumped through it, shooting a stream of webbing at the man. He dropped his weapon as he was pinned to the wall by the webbing. The other men took aim at Peter but he shot out several more strands of webbing, which struck the guns in their barrels, jamming them. Peter then yanked, pulling the guns out of the hands of the men and dropping them in the center of the room.

 

“I think you lost something,” Peter quipped.

 

“Get him!” the man Peter had webbed to the wall ordered.

 

Peter immediately webbed another man to the wall before jumping to the ceiling, using it as a trampoline and coming down with increased momentum, delivering a kick to one of the men and sending them crashing into the wall, getting knocked out cold. Peter then dodged the strike from another man before shooting out a stream of webbing, pinning him to the wall near the window.

 

As Peter fought off the other men, the man who held the boy in his arms was trying to inch towards the door when he was struck in the back of the head by a baseball bat. He went down, releasing the boy, who immediately ran to his crying mother’s arms. His father struck the man once more before lowering the bat, sighing in relief.

 

Peter delivered a spinning kick to one man that sent him crashing into the wall before he shot out webbing out of both hands, trying up the last man in a bind of webbing. Peter then turned to see the boy was already rescued.

 

“Thank you, thank you,” the mother told Peter tearfully as she hugged her son to her.

 

“You need to run,” Peter said, remembering what happened in Germany. “Get somewhere safe. They’re not gonna stop coming for you. Do you have somewhere you can go?”

 

“I have a friend from out of town; he specializes in this kind of thing. I’ve been expecting something like this since I heard about The Accords,” the father said, looking over at his son before looking back at Peter. “We can’t thank you enough. This wasn’t your responsibility, so thank you.”

 

“Yeah, it was,” Peter said as he remembered Ronin’s words last night. “You should get going sir.”

 

“What about you? They’ll be after you now,” the father pointed out.

 

“Harder to come after someone when they don’t know who you are. Go, before backup gets here,” Peter told him before swinging out the shattered window, knowing he was now a wanted man.

Notes:

So, lots of developments this chapter: Natasha and Wanda being framed for murder, Gwen finding out about Morgana and Peter assisting a family targeted by The Accords. Each will carry their own set of repercussions over the next few chapters.

Chapter 8: Acting like a hero

Summary:

Amidst fallout from his decision, Peter has an intense confrontation with Tony. Merlin and Gwen visit Morgana and the one pulling the strings is revealed.

Notes:

I apologize it’s taken me so long to update, but I’m currently juggling a lot with writing and real life. I’m doing the best I can but will try to update more frequently in the future.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

New York

Morning

 

“This is J. Jonah Jameson, reporting to you live,” Jameson says as he began his daily broadcast to New York. “Last night, a group of government agents were attempting to apprehend an unregistered Enhanced when they were attacked by the criminal, Spider-Man! The enhanced and Spider-Man are in the wind, although I am told that Secretary Ross is issuing a manhunt for the Spider Menace. We here at the Daily Bugle will keep you updated as this story continues to unfold.”


At his apartment at Queens, Peter stared at the television, pausing on his way out to head to school as the news broke. He expected it, but it still didn’t make it any easier to hear that the government was after him.

 

“Good for Spider-Man. Someone needs to stand up to these people,” May muttered as she walked out, ready to go to work.

 

“They’re gonna come after him you know,” Peter pointed out uncomfortably, wondering how she’d feel if she knew it was him they were coming after.

 

“Peter, you can’t not do the right thing just because it might be difficult. A measure of a person is not how they make easy choices, but what they do when they’re forced to make a difficult choice. Your Uncle Ben used to say ‘with great power comes great responsibility’. He believed if you could do something to help someone, you had a moral obligation to do it. Do you understand what I’m saying?” May asked gently and Peter for a moment as he thought about her words.

 

“Yeah, I think I do,” Peter said as he looked back at the TV.

 

So the government was gonna come after him. Who cares? If Peter had to make the same decision he’d made last night, he would do everything exactly the same. He wasn’t going to let the government stop him from helping people.

 

Avengers Compound

Same time

 

Tony watched the news in growing horror as a manhunt for Spider-Man was declared. What had Peter been thinking? But deep down, Tony knew he should have expected this. A voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like Happy told him that Peter was never going to just stand back and watch. The kid reminded him too much of Steve.

 

Rhodey rolled into the room in his wheelchair and had a look on his face that made Tony’s blood run cold.

 

“Have you heard?” Rhodey asked.

 

“About the Spider-Kid? Yeah, it was just on the news,” Tony muttered.

 

“No, about Russia. What happened with the Spider-Kid?” Rhodey asked and Tony looked over at him.

 

“What happened in Russia?” Tony asked in bewilderment.

 

“Apparently there was a shootout, reports are still coming in, but witnesses place Nat and Wanda there and accuse them of murder,” Rhodey said and Tony’s face hardened. “Tony, I know we have our disagreements with them about The Accords and what happened, but you know that they’re not killers.”

 

“Doesn’t matter. What they do now is their problem. I have my own to deal with,” Tony said as he got to his feet.

 

“Tony, they’re our friends, we can’t just turn our backs on them,” Rhodey argued as Tony began walking out of the room.

 

“Sure we can. They broke the law, they’re fugitives now. Whether or not they killed these people or not isn’t our business. Let Ross deal with them,” Tony said dismissively before walking out of the room leaving Rhodey staring after him in a mix of disbelief and horror.

 

New York

Same time

 

“Are you sure about this?” Merlin asked Gwen uncertainly as they sat in the car, which was parked outside the café where Morgana worked.

 

“I need to see her Merlin. For my own sanity, I need to see her to believe that you’re right, that she doesn’t remember,” Gwen said, sounding very much like the queen she had once been.

 

Merlin understood that, he really did. The first few visits to the café had largely been just that. He just hoped that Gwen wouldn’t do something that would ruin his progress with Morgana. He knew she more than anyone had been a victim of Morgana.

 

They got of the car and headed into the café. Merlin led Gwen over to his usual table and saw Morgana look over and see them. She frowned, likely confused by his company before putting on her best smile and heading over.

 

“Merlin. I see you brought company this time,” Morgana said as she looked towards Gwen, who seemed taken aback by the sight of Morgana. “I’m Morgana.”

 

“Gwen. I’m Merlin’s roommate,” Gwen said, appearing to be in a state of shock as she stared at Morgana.

 

As Gwen stared at her, two images flashes in Morgana’s mind.


Morgana and Gwen dressed in old fashion dresses, hugging in a large room.


Gwen, older and now wearing poorer clothes, crossing blades with Morgana.


Morgana shook her head, trying to ride herself of the images. Why did she keep seeing these things?

 

“Morgana? Are you okay?” Merlin asked as he saw Morgana’s face, worried seeing Gwen might have triggered something.

 

“I’m fine. So what can I get you guys?” Morgana asked with a smile.

 

Russia

Same time

 

At a safe house in Russia, Steve and Sam stood out of the view of a door as they heard footsteps approach. Steve and Sam locked eyes, silently communicating. Sam clutched a pistol he had in his hands tightly as the footsteps stopped outside the door. Three knocks came from outside the door and the two relaxed before the door opened.

 

“Sorry we’re late. We wanted to make sure we didn’t lead anyone back here,” Natasha said as she and Wanda walked inside.

 

“Smart play, especially since the entire country’s gonna be looking for us now,” Sam noted.

 

“What exactly happened?” Steve asked, wanting to understand.

 

“Exactly what it sounded like. Wanda tried to read the woman’s mind, she couldn’t, then she pulled out a gun, shot the customers and framed us for it,” Natasha listed.

 

“Great, as if we didn’t have enough problems,” Sam grumbled.

 

“This woman, what did she look like?” Steve asked.

 

“Blond, blue eyes. Mid to late twenties. She kept watching us, like she knew we were going to be there,” Wanda listed and Steve frowned.

 

“You thinking what I’m thinking?” Natasha asked as she saw the look on Steve’s face.

 

“That this woman showing up at the café where Ross wires money to frame us for murder is a pretty big coincidence,” Steve noted and Natasha nodded in agreement.

 

“Like Fury said, too many things are happening at once. Someone’s playing a game and using us as pawns for something. We need to figure out what,” Natasha said.

 

“Do you think this woman is the same one Ross has been meeting with?” Wanda wondered.

 

“Could be. I think we need to start looking into this woman,” Steve said.

 

“You think you two can give Steve something to go so he can make a sort of police sketch of our blond psycho?” Sam asked Wanda and Natasha.

 

“What are you thinking?” Natasha asked as they all looked at Sam.

 

“Let’s just say I know a guy,” Sam said vaguely. “If you guys can get a sketch of her, he might be able to ID her.”

 

New York

Not long after

 

Peter was walking on his way to school when a car, way too nice to belong to anyone in Queens, rolled up next to him. Peter looked over as the driver’s side window rolled down to reveal Happy Hogan.

 

“Get in kid,” Happy told him.

 

“I have school Happy,” Peter told him, not moving towards the car.

 

“It’s been taken care. Get in,” Happy told him firmly.

 

“What do you mean taken care of?” Peter demanded.

 

“Peter, you’re in trouble, you don’t even know how much yet,” happy said firmly. “Get in. The boss wants to see you.”

 

Peter considered telling Happy to tell Tony exactly how little he cared about what Tony Stark wanted. After all, Tony hadn’t cared much about Peter once he was done with him. But, reluctantly, he opened the back door, tossed his bag in and got inside the car.


“You’re right,” Gwen told Merlin as she watched Morgana go around the café, taking orders. “She doesn’t remember. She’s…”

 

“Like the Morgana we knew before, before Morgause got in her head,” Merlin said and Gwen nodded. “It’s why I have to help her. I owe her that much.”

 

“And if she remembers and hates you?” Gwen asked carefully.

 

“I have to take that risk,” Merlin said simply, his eyes not leaving Morgana. “I couldn’t save Morgana in the past…but maybe I can save this one.”

 

Gwen stared at him for a moment. She knew that Merlin had thousands of years full of regret. She just hoped he wasn’t setting himself up for disappointment.

 

Across the room, Morgana looked over and saw Gwen looking at Merlin and an image flashed before her eyes again.


Gwen was looking at Merlin with a smile as Merlin was dressed in a ridiculous outfit.


Morgana shook her head, wondering what was happening to her.

 

Avengers Tower

Late morning

 

Peter stepped off the elevator, looking around in a bit of awe at the top floor. History had happened here, he knew. This was where The Avengers had spent so much of their time, training, planning, bonding. Back when they still a team.

 

“What were you thinking kid?”

 

Peter looked over to the side to see Tony storming over to him. And from the look on his face, he was not pleased.

 

“I told you to be a friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and you go and decide to stick it to The Accords! What were you thinking!?” Tony demanded.

 

“I was thinking I wasn’t going to let some government creeps point a gun at a kid just because he was different!” Peter snapped and Tony was taken aback, although by Peter’s snap or by this new information, Peter wasn’t sure. “They were coming after a kid who had powers and had his parents on the floor with guns pointed at their heads! What was I supposed to do, just let them do it?!”

 

“I get it kid, I do. But The Accords make things different now,” Tony started.

 

“You mean The Accords you lied to me about? The same way you lied to me about Germany?” Peter asked angrily and Tony’s face lost color. “Captain America going crazy. I believed you, until I started watching the news. He was trying to stop that Zemo guy who bombed Vienna. You didn’t tell me anything about that or The Accords.”

 

“You didn’t need to know!” Tony snapped and Peter looked at him for a long moment.

 

“When I was younger, I admired you. Iron Man was a scientist like me, he was a hero. I wanted to be just like you. I guess what they say is true, never meet your heroes,” Peter said as he looked at Tony with disappointment. “You don’t act like a hero anymore. I don’t want to be like you anymore.”

 

Tony looked like Peter had struck him before Peter turned and walked out back towards the elevator. Tony didn’t make any move to stop Peter and, once Peter was gone, Tony all but collapsed into a nearby chair, wondering if Peter was right. 

 

Washington DC

Afternoon

 

Ross was in his office, preparing a draft of his speech when he heard the pouring of liquid behind him. Smirking, he turned around to see a blond woman pouring Champaign.

 

“What exactly are we celebrating?” Ross asked as she handed him the glass before beginning to pour her own.

 

“We have quite a bit to celebrate. Not only are the Avengers wanted for murder, but Spider-Man is wanted for Accords violations,” the woman said as she finished pouring the glass.

 

“I can’t take all the credit. Planting the fake transactions to Russia to draw the Avengers there was a stroke of genius,” Ross chuckled. “There is still the matter of Luke Cage however.”

 

“Luke Cage will soon be dealt with. You need not worry,” the woman assured him.

 

“Luke Cage is not what concerns me. Rather, it’s his accomplice,” Ross said and saw the woman’s face harden.

 

“Don’t worry about him, not yet. There will come a time when we have to deal with him, but not yet,” the woman said and Ross stared at her for a moment.

 

“You know who he is, don’t you?” Ross realized.

 

“I know exactly who he is. He’s a thorn that stood in my side many years ago and one who continues to do so now. But he cannot stop us, you need not concern yourself with him,” the woman said in a voice that left no room for argument. “You continue to play your part and I shall continue to play mine.”

 

“Morgause-”

 

Morgause’s eyes briefly flashed gold and Ross suddenly found himself unable to breath. He gasped for breathe before Morgause’s eyes flashed gold again and sweet air filled his lungs once more.

 

“Do not speak my name. As I’ve told you, names have power. We work together because you are useful. But it would be wise for you to remember that I can kill you with a thought if you cross me,” Morgause said menacingly. “You shall have your reward Secretary. Now, get back to your speech.”

 

Morgause then vanished in a mist, the only sign she had ever been there being the glass in Ross’s hand.

Notes:

Well, Peter has decided he’s not going to let The Accords stop him from being Spider-Man. Let’s see how that plays out for him.

Those of you who suspected Morgause of being the woman Ross was in contact with, you were right.

Chapter 9: The Black Knight

Summary:

As Tony grapples with his recent choices, Luke encounters trouble. Matt continues his investigation into Foggy's family business.

Notes:

Thank you to my friends Aragorn II Elessar and Bl4ckHunter for their help with this chapter.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Russia, Safe house

Night

 

“Okay, so back in my Air force days, we had this contact, Micro. Guy was a wizard with the computer, best hacker I’ve ever seen,” Sam was explaining as the former Avengers sat in the living room area of their safe house. “I sent Steve’s sketch of our blond psycho to him. He hacked into the CIA, FBI, Interpol even the Pentagon, ran the sketch through the database of all three. As far as the world is concerned, our blond psycho doesn’t exist.”

 

“Or no one’s ever captured a picture,” Natasha pointed out.

 

“Maybe,” Sam acknowledged. “Steve, what do you think?”

 

The other three turned to Steve, who was deep in thought.

 

“I think…if we’re right and this woman is the one Ross was meeting with, she might be behind everything. Fury’s right, too many things are happening at once. She might be the one pulling the strings. But even if we’re right, we still need to figure out what she’s after,” Steve mused.

 

“And we still have no way of finding her,” Wanda pointed out.

 

Steve briefly considered contacting Tony before dismissing the thought. Tony didn’t owe Steve a thing and the wounds from Siberia were too fresh. Steve had no business contacting Tony until Tony was ready to talk.

 

Avengers Compound

Same time

 

In the living area, Tony sat in a chair, a glass of nearly untouched scotch in his hand. Tony had a faraway look in his eyes, his mind tormented by his conversation with Peter earlier in the day. He was so consumed with his thoughts he didn’t hear the rolling of wheels.

 

“Tony?” Tony was startled out of his thoughts when Rhodey called out to him, rolling his chair up to him. “Are you drinking in the dark?”

 

“Well, that would require me to actually drink. Not in the mood tonight,” Tony said as he placed the scotch on a nearby table. “What are you doing up?”

 

“Couldn’t sleep. Have too much on my mind. You to?” Rhodey asked and Tony nodded. “I’m guessing you’re not up worrying about Cap and the others.”

 

“Sort of,” Tony said, surprising Rhodey. “The Spider Guy and I had it out earlier. He told me I don’t act like a hero anymore.”

 

Rhodey was silent. Someone else would have taken it for anger or disagreement. Tony saw it for what it was: reflection.

 

“You think he’s right?” Tony asked.

 

“I don’t know. I just know that lately, things haven’t seemed right. And it all started the moment we decided to sign The Accords,” Rhodey said. “The same Accords Ross is using to target Enhanced, just like he went after Banner. Only now he has the legal authority to do whatever he wants.”

 

“Do you think we made a mistake?” Tony wondered out loud what he had feeling since his conversation with Peter.

 

“Maybe not about The Accords. But about Ross? Yeah, I think we were,” Rhodey said in guilt.

 

Hell’s Kitchen

Same time

 

In her office/apartment, Jessica Jones sat at her desk across from Theo Nelson, giving him what she’d found.

 

“It’s the Hyde lady,” Jessica said, taking Theo back.

 

“Barbara? No way, she’s been with us since I was a kid, she helped me when I first took over,” Theo said in denial.

 

“Well, a few weeks before The Accords were ratified; she started getting a crap load of money from this account that belongs to a bunch of different shell companies. And yesterday, I saw her meet with some guys in suits at some café,” Jessica said, pulling out the pictures she had taken of the meeting and giving them to him. “People are shit. You’d be surprised what money can buy.”

 

Thea stared down at the pictures for a long moment before pocketing them.

 

“Thanks. So uh, what do I owe you?” Theo asked lowly, still trying to process what he had just learned.

 

He had a lead on his brother’s freedom. But at what cost?

 

“Consider this a free job. You helped Luke get out of town, or tried to anyway. Consider this your one and only freebee. Now get out,” Jessica said bluntly.

 

Theo looked down at the photos in his hand before he turned and walked off. Once the door closed behind him, Jessica leaned back in her chair and sighed.

 

“Good luck Murdock.”


Later, in the alley behind the butcher shop, Matt pretended to look at the photographs as Theo told him about Barbara.

 

“I just can’t believe she’d do this. Barbara’s been like family my whole life, or at least as far back as I can remember,” Theo said sounding betrayed.

 

“She may not have been given a choice,” Matt said as he handed the photographs back to Theo. “Where does she live?”

 

“What are you gonna do to her if I tell you?” Theo asked uncertainly.

 

“I’m not gonna beat her up, if that’s what you’re worried about. If she was coerced, we might be able to use that to set your brother free. I’m just looking for the truth Theo. Are you gonna help me find it or not?” Matt asked as Theo bit his lip, uncertain.

 

Philadelphia

Same time

 

On a bus, Luke Cage sat in the back, wearing a large jacket that he had pulled up to cover his face. It had taken him reaching out to some old contacts, but he’d managed to get out of New York and was now on this bus. He didn’t know where he was headed, but he knew he needed to get further away from New York, because people kept getting tangled up in his mess.

 

Suddenly, the bus pulled to a stop in the middle of the road. Luke looked up as some of the other passengers began complaining.

 

“Hey, what’s the hold up?” A man shouted.

 

“There’s some wackjob in the road,” the driver said in bewildered.

 

The driver stared out at the figure, who was dressed like a knight from the middle ages. His armor was pure black and he had a purple cape flowing from his shoulders. The figure drew his sword, his eyes seeming to stare into the driver’s.

 

“Send out Luke Cage, or there will be consequences,” the figure said clearly, his voice heard by all the passengers.

 

Luke tensed as the other passengers began looking at each other in confusion. If his experience with the Hand had taught him anything, it was that when strange people began coming after you, innocent people tended to get caught in the crossfire. So, he took off his jacket and got to his feet. The other passengers looked at him in shock as he made his way to the front of the bus.

 

“Get out of here after I get off, as fast as you can,” Luke told the driver once he reached the front.

 

The driver nodded stupidly before seeming to come out of whatever trance he was in, opening the doors up. Luke stepped off the bus, looking over at the knight. The knight stepped out of the way of the bus and the driver closed the doors, stepping on it and speeding off, leaving Luke alone with the knight.

 

“First ninjas, now knights. When did this become my life?” Luke wondered out loud.

 

“By the authority of the High Priestess, you shall come with me,” the knight said as he aimed his sword at him.

 

“I’ll pass,” Luke said, standing firm.

 

With surprising speed, the knight rushed towards him, swinging his sword. Luke dodged before the knight swung the sword at him again. Luke grabbed the blade with his hand, stopping it before his eyes widened in surprise. He kicked the knight in the abdomen, before jumping back as the knight stumbled back.

 

Once he was a decent distance away from the knight, Luke looked down at his hand. The sword blade had cut into his skin and he was bleeding.

 

“What the Hell?” Luke muttered. 

 

The knight then rushed Luke again, attempting to bring his sword down on him. Luke once more dodged before grabbing the man’s arm and twisting around, throwing him into some nearby garbage cans. Most people would have been knocked out from the blow, so Luke was surprised when the knight got back to his feet.

 

Luke suddenly swayed on his feet, suddenly dizzy. Luke was confused about why he was so weak until he looked down at his wounded hand.

 

“What the Hell kind of sword is that?” Luke muttered before his knees gave out.

 

He crashed onto the ground, the last thing he saw being the knight approaching him before it all went black.

 

Hell’s Kitchen

Not long after

 

Outside her apartment, Barbara Hyde was throwing away some garbage when she felt a presence behind her. Turning around, she saw a man in a black mask covering the upper half of his face standing before her. Her eyes widened in fear and she started to cry out in fear when Daredevil placed a hand over her mouth.

 

“If I was going to hurt you, I would have done it when your back was turned. I‘d just like to talk. I’m going to lower my hand and ask you some questions. Understand?” Matt asked and the woman nodded fearfully before he lowered his hand.

 

“Help!” She cried before Matt grabbed her and slammed her against the wall the wall of the alley.

 

“I guess we’re doing this the hard way. You sold out Theo Nelson, told the authorities he was helping Luke Cage get out of New York. Why? Matt demanded.

 

“They’ll kill me if I talk to you, kill my family,” Barbara said fearfully.

 

“I’m trying to stop them, so no more innocent people get caught in the crossfire. But I can’t do that without your help,” Matt reasoned and he heard her heart race as she became conflicted. “If you care about the Nelson family, you’ll tell me what you know so we can get Foggy Nelson out of prison.”

 

“It started a few weeks ago. A man approached me, told me his employers could pay my son’s tuition and set up a retirement fund for me if I told them of any discussions regarding the Accords between Foggy and any members of his family,” Barbara admitted.

 

“And you agreed,” Matt noted but realized from the speed of her heart rate increasing that wasn’t the case.

 

“The Nelsons gave me a job when I had nothing; pitched in when my husband passed away a few years ago, I practically babysat Foggy and Theo when they were growing up. Of course I said no when this man told me to spy on them. Then he showed me these of my son at class, out with friends, at work. They told me that something could very easily be arranged to happen to my son if I didn’t do what they wanted,” Barbara said, almost sobbing by the end as Matt listened.

 

“This man, did he give you a name?” Matt asked.

 

“No, he never told me his name or who he worked for,” Barbara admitted.

 

Matt opened his mouth to speak again but paused, hearing something. After a moment, he let Barbara go, to her surprise.

 

“Get out of here,” Matt told her.

 

Although confused, Barbara didn’t need to be told twice, running back inside the door she had come out. Matt then slowly turned around, facing Arthur, who stood at the end of the alley.

 

“What kind of man lords himself over innocent woman?” Arthur asked angrily as he began to approach Matt.

 

“The kind that’s trying to help a friend,” Matt said and Arthur paused. “There’s more going on here than you understand.”

 

“I can understand quite a bit,” Arthur declared, eying him.

 

While at first this man had seemed like he was threatening the woman, he had let her go, Arthur noted. But that might have been because he seemed to sense Arthur’s approach.

 

“Why were you accosting her?” Arthur asked suspiciously.

 

“She had information I needed to help a friend of mine. Doesn’t matter though, she didn’t know anything useful,” Matt said, seeming to look at Arthur oddly. “You use a sword.”

 

“And is that a problem?” Arthur asked wearily.

 

“The man who helped Luke Cage escape also carried a sword,” Matt noted.

 

“Because he’s me,” Arthur declared and there was a beat of silence.

 

“Luke’s a friend. Thank you for helping him get away,” Matt said gratefully and Arthur paused, taken back.

 

“These Accords are wrong. I will help anyone who is a victim of them,” Arthur declared and Matt stared at him, a bit more respect for the man filling his heart.

 

“On that we agree. My best friend is in jail for trying to help Luke get out of town. I was hoping to get information that could help him get released,” Matt said and Arthur nodded, understanding a bit more now.

 

“Did you get what you wanted?” Arthur inquired curiously.

 

“Nothing useful,” Matt said disappointed. “But someone knew his family’s stance on The Accords and planted someone as a spy. People are being targeted just for disagreeing with them now.”

 

“These Accords have to be stopped,” Arthur said firmly.

 

“I agree. But it’s not that simple, there are all sorts of things we’d need to do in order to get someone to even listen to our complaints. This would have been a lot easier a few weeks ago, when The Avengers hadn’t signed,” Matt explained.

 

“Not all of them did,” Arthur pointed.

 

“Not all of them did, but if they’d stayed united, we might have had a chance to do something. As it is, trying to get these laws overturned is next to impossible right now,” Matt said and a silence descended upon the alley. “If you’re planning on taking a stand against The Accords, you’re gonna need to wear a mask.”

 

“Luke actually told me the same thing when I saw him last,” Arthur said, surprising Matt. “Told me that hiding my identity was the only way to keep the people I love safe. So I left them behind.”

 

“Thinking it will protect them. I understand that. It’s a mistake though; distancing yourself from the people you love makes it harder to see when you’re making the wrong choices. Trust me, I know,” Matt told him and Arthur frowned, considering it. “But I won’t tell you what to do. You might want to go out with some more protection though.”

 

“You’re wearing half a mask a black shirt and jeans,” Arthur pointed out blankly.

 

“And I have to be careful. But I’m working on something else. If you’re going up against the Accords, you’ll be drawn into conflict with people with weapons like the ones you went up against a few nights ago. You’ll need better protection.”

 

“Once, I wore armor. But I doubt it will help me much against these guns,” Arthur mused and Matt silent for a long moment.

 

“Maybe I can help,” Matt said and Arthur looked at him oddly. “I know a guy.”

Notes:

The knight Luke fought is, of course, Black Knight from Marvel. Thank you to Aragorn II Elessar and Bl4ckHunter for the suggestion.

How Black Knight’s sword cut Luke will be revealed later on.

Arthur has finally met Matt. And I think we all know where this is leading.

Chapter 10: Crash

Summary:

Morgause sets the next part of her plan in motion. Luke makes an escape attempt.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Hell’s Kitchen

Night

 

In his workshop, Melvin Potter was doing some work when he sensed a presence behind him. Turning around, he saw it was Daredevil.

 

“Melvin,” Matt greeted him.

 

“Hey. I don’t have your new suit ready yet, just need to put in a few touch ups,” Melvin told him.

 

“I’m not here for me, I’m here for him,” Matt said as Arthur wearily entered the building.

 

“You’re the guy who helped Luke Cage,” Melvin said, recognizing Arthur from the police sketch on the news.

 

“Is that a problem?” Arthur asked wearily.

 

“No. Any friend of his is a friend of mine,” Melvin assured him with a shrug. “What can I do for you?”

 

“In my line of work, I’ll be drawn into battle against men with better weapons than mine. I was told you could help me with that,” Arthur said as he glanced at Matt.

 

“Yeah, just let me get your measurements,” Melvin, picking up some measuring tape. “I can make you a suit that’ll protect you from most bullets. Any idea what you want it to look like?”

 

Arthur was silent for a moment, remembering the painting of the Samurai whose identity he had now adopted.

 

“Yes. Yes I do.”

 

Unspecified location, next day

Morning

 

Luke came to strapped to a chair in what seemed to be the back of a chopper. As his vision cleared, Luke immediately realized his torso and legs were chained to the chair. Two soldiers were standing in the doorway, aiming some high tech guns at him.

 

“Mr. Cage,” one of them greeted politely.

 

“I see you know my name. Funny how I don’t know yours,” Luke said sarcastically.

 

“You don’t need to know,” one of them snapped and Luke smiled tightly.

 

“Tough talk for a guy holding a gun on a man who can’t fight back. I’m guessing I won’t be able to break out of these,” Luke said as he looked down at the chains.

 

“They were built to hold someone a lot stronger than you. Besides, I wouldn’t aggravate your wound,” one of the soldiers warned him.

 

Luke looked down at the spot where the Black Knight had cut him, seeing a bandage had been placed over it. So that part hadn’t been a dream, Luke mused.

 

“I’d get comfortable Cage. Because where you’re going, you won’t be comfortable again for a long time,” one of the soldiers said sadistically.

 

Hell’s Kitchen

Same time

 

In their law office, Matt sat at his table, deep in thought as, a few feet away; Karen sat at her desk, mindlessly listening to the radio.

 

“So…there’s no way we can prove that Barbara was coerced?” Karen asked and Matt sighed deeply.

 

“Not without knowing who hired those men to blackmail her. And according to Barbara, she hasn’t seen them since she turned in Theo,” Matt said miserably.

 

“So there’s nothing you can do? As either Matt or Daredevil?” Karen asked in dismay.

 

“Not yet. But I won’t stop searching until I find a way to get Foggy out,” Matt promised.


The sound of glass breaking and the feel of glass cutting into her skin along with liquid running down her arm but Jessica barely registered these sensations. She was too busy staring at the TV screen in her bedroom. It was on a news report which had the caption ‘Luke Cage apprehended’.

 

“Late last night, the fugitive Luke Cage was apprehended by a strike team sent by Secretary Ross in Philadelphia. Details are still coming in but we have confirmation that Cage is in custody,” a reporter said.

 

“Luke,” Jessica said her voice uncharacteristically quiet as she worried for her former lover.

 

Helicopter, unspecified location

Not long after

 

A soldier entered the room Luke was kept in to find Luke slumped over in his chair, seemingly unconscious. The solider walked over to Luke, trying to make sure he was alright before Luke suddenly head-butted him. The soldier stumbled back as Luke, fortunately having enough freedom in his leg, tripped him. As the soldier fell on his back, Luke stomped on his hand, pinning him to the ground.

 

“There are five different ways I can take you out before you shout for help, so don’t bother,” Luke told the solider. “Get me out of these chains. Legs first.”

 

Reluctantly, the soldier used his free hand to pull out the key for the chains and unlocked the chains around Luke’s legs. The solider untangled them from Luke’s legs and Luke released the man’s arm before wrapping his legs around the man’s torso and dragging him up to his chest. Understanding, the man unlocked the chains and Luke freed himself before head butting the soldier. The soldier went down as Luke dropped the chain to the floor, getting to his feet.

 

Luke then exited the room, surprised to find no one had seemed to hear his scuffle with the soldier. Two other soldiers were sitting in the pilot and copilot seats, seemingly oblivious to his presence. Luke was thinking of how he could try to escape when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He ducked, barely dodging a strike from a sword that hit the wall.

 

“You shall not escape,” the Black Knight growled as he stood over him.

 

“So the army’s working with this guy then?” Luke asked.

 

“We’re not army,” one of the soldiers said without turning around.

 

Luke couldn’t muse too much on this, as the knight tried to bring his sword down on Luke. He rolled out of the way of the sword before sending a kick to the knight’s abdomen. The Knight slammed into the wall as Luke got to his feet.

 

“You shall answer to the High Priestess,” the Black Knight snarled.

 

To Luke’s shock, the knight threw the sword. Luke jumped out of the way of the sword and then watched in horror as the weapon went through the pilot’s seat, running through the pilot’s heart and killing him almost instantly. The pilot slumped forward in his seat as the chopper began to fall.

 

Barton Safe house

Not long after

 

A loud bang pieced the air and the ground seemed to shake. Clint had been in the kitchen with Laura helping make breakfast when they heard the bang. They stopped what they were doing, looking out the window in bewilderment.

 

“What was that?” Laura asked uncertainly.

 

“No idea,” Clint said his instincts and experience as a SHIELD agent taking over.

 

A more foolish man would dismiss it, but Clint had seen too much to do so.

 

“Get the kids, head to the basement. Don’t come out unless you hear me call for you,” Clint ordered her before opening a closet and pulling out his bow and quiver.

 

New York

Same time

 

Merlin was in his regular seat at the café, watching Morgana work. He was trying to figure his next move with Morgana; he couldn’t keep lying to her forever.

 

Unseen by Merlin, a few tables away, Morgause, in a hoodie, was staring at her sister. To discover her sister had returned as well had been a gift. But she still didn’t remember. It was time to change that. Morgause looked over at Merlin before a sadistic smirk crossed her eyes. As Morgana picked up a tray of food, Morgause’s eyes flashed gold.

 

A loud crash was heard as Morgana dropped the tray of food. Everyone turned to her as Morgana swayed on her feet before her eyes rolled back into her head and she fell back. Merlin immediately got to his feet as he and a few of Morgana’s coworkers surrounded her.

 

“Morgana? Morgana, wake up,” One of the coworkers said worriedly.

 

Dazed, Morgana looked up, her gaze focusing on Merlin. Her mind was assaulted by images that were too fast for her to understand.


Merlin serving her as she sat around a table with an older man and the blond man from earlier flashes.


Morgana pleading for Merlin with help.


Morgana gasping for breath as Merlin restrained her.


Clashing swords against him as they fought in a dark catacomb.


Morgana screamed in fear and confusion as her mind was assaulted by these images while everyone looked at her, startled and concerned.

 

Unspecified location, a few miles from Barton Safe House

Not long after

 

Luke crawled out of the wreckage of the chopper, which had crashed in some kind of forest. There was no sign of the knight but when Luke had come to, the sword was missing from the pilot. The co-pilot had died upon impact but that still left the soldier Luke had made release him unaccounted for.

 

Luke managed to painfully pull himself to his feet when he heard a noise a short distance away. Following the sound, Luke found the third soldier, leaning against the wreckage and holding his side as it bled.

 

“Hey, what happened?” Luke asked as he managed to drag himself over to the soldier.

 

“Should be asking you that. Woke as the chopper went down, managed to grab onto the chains so I didn’t hit the wall, then part of the chair smashed into me,” the soldier said weakly, looking down at his side briefly before looking up at Luke. “You really wanted to escape, huh?”

 

“I didn’t do this, that would be your knight pal. He killed the pilot,” Luke said and the solider doesn’t seem surprised.

 

“He’s not our pal. He just showed up and Secretary Ross told us we’d be working together,” the solider said.

 

“Who is he?” Luke asked and the soldier shrugged.

 

“Search me. He never takes off that armor,” the soldier said,

 

The soldier then looked up and the blood drains from his face. Luke turned around to see the Black Knight standing a few feet away, holding his blood stained sword.

 

“You shall be taken before the High Priestess,” the Knight said.

 

“He’s been saying stuff like that since the day he showed up,” the soldier said dryly.

 

Luke didn’t respond, trying to figure out how he could take the knight when he could barely even stand. Then, something happened.

 

An arrow flew towards the knight before behind before it exploded into cables, which wrapped the Knight. The Knight began to try and break out of them when the cables began to spark and electrocute the knight. As the Knight groaned in pain, Luke rushed forward as quickly as he could and delivered a punch to the Knight’s helmet.  The Knight went flying, crashing into a nearby tree with enough force he went through it. The tree went down as the Knight fell to the ground, out cold. Luke almost fell to his knees when someone walked into view.

 

“Luke Cage. What’s the hero of Harlem doing here?” Clint wondered as he stared him up and down.

 

“Could ask the same thing about you, Hawkeye,” Luke noted and Clint seemed to realize how out of breath Luke was.

 

“You alright?” Clint asked, lowering his bow slightly.

 

“We both just survived a helicopter crash, so not really,” the soldier voiced to him and Clint looked over at him.

 

“And you?” Clint asked, his grip tightening around his bow.

 

“Just a guy doing a job,” the soldier said.

 

“He works for Ross,” Luke supplied and Clint quickly notched an arrow, aiming at the soldier.

 

“Not by choice, trust me. Didn’t you wonder why I didn’t fight back when you had me pinned? Why I happened to have the keys? I was planning on getting you out,” the soldier revealed, to Luke’s shock. “Ross has my wife. I figured the only way I could get her back is by springing someone like you.”

 

“You mean powered people,” Luke said with a scoff. “That was your plan? Really?”

 

“I figured eventually, I’d find someone who get help me get my wife back. It’s not my best plan I know, but it’s all I have,” the man said thickly, his emotions visible.

 

Clint stared at the man for a long moment, eying him.

 

“What’s your name?” Clint finally asked.

 

“John Walker. Former Sergeant until I return home to deal with Counter Terrorism. We have a mutual friend, Sharon Carter,” Walker said and Clint lowered his bow.

 

“You know Sharon?”

 

“She and I served together on the Counter Terrorism Task Force before I was reassigned. I heard about what happened with her. No one’s heard from her, even people I know she would have reached out to. Ross is involved, I’m sure,” Walker said darkly.

 

“So what’s this guy’s story?” Clint asked as he looked over at the Knight.

 

“Don’t know. Ross just said to bring him along on missions regarding Accords violations,” Walker said.

 

“He seems to work for someone called the High Priestess. He kept mentioning how I would ‘answer to her’,” Luke supplied.

 

Clint silently walked over to the Knight, looking down at him. He could hear breathing from the Knight, so he wasn’t dead. Seeing the Knight’s sword nearby, Clint picked it up.

 

Was this High Priestess the woman Ross had been meeting with? Clint could honestly say he didn’t know. But he was working for Ross, that much was certain. And he might have answers to the questions Cap and the others had. Clint wrestled with himself for a long moment before clarity washed over him. He knew what he had to do.

 

“Cage, can you help me get him to a cabin a few miles back?” Clint asked as he gestured to the Knight.

 

“Sure. What for?” Luke inquired.

 

“He might have the answers we need to figure out what’s really behind The Accords. But I need to make a call,” Clint said, already pulling out his burner phone.

Notes:

So, over the next few chapters we’re going to start seeing the various plots throughout the story come together, so brace yourself.

There wasn’t a whole lot I liked about FATWS, but I did like Walker and I wanted a military figure to be trying to help Luke, so he just kind of barged his way into the story.

Chapter 11: Merlin's choice part one

Summary:

Merlin reaches out to a friend to help figure out Morgana's condition.

Notes:

More or less a filler chapter but I do hope you guys enjoy it either way.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

New York

Afternoon

 

In the hospital waiting room, Merlin sat in a chair, in a state of disbelief. An ambulance had been called and Morgana had been taken to the nearest hospital, but no one could seem to figure out what was wrong. Best the doctors could tell Morgana was having some kind of psychotic episode. Merlin wondered if it was more than that. If Morgana’s memories were starting to return and her mind didn’t know how to handle it.

 

“Merlin.”

 

Merlin looked to see Gwen walking up to him, concern on her face. He’d called her to let her know he was at the hospital. He hadn’t expected her to leave work to come here, but May probably let her off earlier once Gwen explained the situation. May was like that.

 

“Gwen,” Merlin said as he got to his feet.

 

“What happened? You didn’t say much in your call,” Gwen asked as she made her over to him.

 

Merlin looked carefully at the others; Morgana’s coworkers eying them wearily before he walked a little away from them, out into the hall where they couldn’t be heard.

 

“She just collapsed at work and started screaming. The doctors can’t figure out what happened. They think she’s having a psychotic break,” Merlin explained.

 

“But you don’t think so,” Gwen realized, hearing it in his voice and he nodded reluctantly.

 

“No. I think Morgana’s memories might be returning and her mind can’t handle it,” Merlin admitted.

 

“Is there a way to know for sure?” Gwen asked for a moment and Merlin paused, considering.

 

“There might be. But I need to go see an old friend to know for sure,” Merlin said.

 

“And if you’re right and she is remembering her old life?” Gwen asked uneasily and Merlin was silent for a long moment.

 

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” Merlin said before walking passed her, heading down the hall.

 

Hell’s Kitchen

Same time

 

In his office, Matt was going over some paperwork when he heard the door to the building open. Karen had gone to get lunch, so he knew it wasn’t her. But judging from the heartbeat and the heavy footsteps, he knew who it was before she even opened her mouth.

 

“Murdock! Hey, Murdock!” Jessica snapped and he got to his feet as she walked into his office.

 

“Jessica,” Matt greeted her calmly. “I assume this is about Luke?”

 

“So you know?” Jessica asked and Matt nodded.

 

“I heard it on the radio this morning,” Matt said regretfully.

 

“So what are you doing about it?” Jessica demanded.

 

“There’s nothing I can do Jessica. Due process doesn’t seem to apply to people who break The Accords,” Matt said darkly. “Even if I were to go up to Secretary Ross himself and demanded Luke get a fair trial, it wouldn’t keep Luke from whatever prison Ross has him in. I’m sorry, there’s nothing I can do to help him now.”

 

Barton safe house

Same time

 

Luke winced as Laura wrapped his leg with a brace she had found lying around.

 

“Can’t do much more without an x-ray,” Laura apologized as she finished.

 

“It’s more than enough. Thank you,” Luke said as he got a feel for it. “How’s Walker?”

 

“Well, I sewed up his wound, but he lost a lot of blood. We’ll need more,” Laura worried.

 

“Well I placed a call to Cap. They’re bringing more on their way,” Clint said as he walked in.  “How you doing Cage?”

 

“I’ll live. How’s our friend with the sword?” Luke inquired.

 

“Still out. I got him out of that suit and tied him up downstairs. Just to be on the safe side, I shot him with a couple tranqs. Should keep him out until tonight, when Cap and the others get here,” Clint said and Luke nodded.

 

“So what’s your plan here Hawkeye?” Luke inquired.

 

“We have a telepath on our team. Since our friend isn’t talking, I figure she can use her powers to see into his mind, get us some answers,” Clint explained.

 

“Answers about what?” Luke asked perplexed.

 

“These Accords for one thing. They never made sense to begin with. And we have Intel that Ross has been meeting with someone, a woman. Might be a bit of a stretch, but since this knight works for Ross and keeps mentioning this ‘High Priestess’-”

 

“You think it might be this woman Ross is meeting with,” Luke finished and Clint nodded.

 

“But even if she’s not, this is the only lead we have right now.  It might be the key to putting everything together,” Clint said firmly.

 

New York Sanctum

Later in the afternoon

 

Merlin got out of his car, looking at the entrance to the Sanctum. He stared at it for a moment before walking up to the front door and opening it. Merlin walked inside, seeing no one around.

 

“Hello? Anyone here?” Merlin called out as he closed the door behind him.

 

“Who are you?”

 

Merlin whirled around to see a dark haired man with a beard levitate down, a red cape on his back.

 

“Maybe I should be asking you the same question. I’m looking for The Ancient One,” Merlin said as he eyed the man wearily.

 

“The Ancient One died two days ago,” the man said regretfully and Merlin was horrified. “You were a friend?”

 

“He is Emrys.”

 

The two looked over as Wong entered the room, a grim look on his face.

 

“Wong,” Merlin greeted and Wong inclined his head respectfully.

 

“Forgive me Emrys, I don’t know it was you,” the man said as he bowed respectfully. “My name is Stephen Strange.”

 

Merlin nodded, recognizing the name as the hopeful The Ancient One had been putting her time into for the last several months. Clearly much had happened in the few weeks since he had last spoken to the Ancient One. But there would be time for him to mourn his old friend later. Right now he had a job to do.

 

“What may we do for you Emrys?” Wong inquired.

 

“Someone from my past has returned, someone long dead, but they don’t seem to remember me or anything of our past. But they seem to be having a psychotic episode, I’m afraid their memories are coming back and their mind may not be able to handle it,” Merlin said and the pair exchanged an uncertain look.

 

“And who were they to you in the past?” Strange asked after a moment.

 

“A friend…at first,” Merlin admitted. “Can you help me or not?”

 

“What’s their name?” Strange asked.

 

“Morgana,” Merlin said and he saw both of them start.

 

“Morgana Pendragon? She’s returned?” Wong asked stunned.

 

“Yes. Like I said, she doesn’t seem to remember our past,” Merlin explained.

 

“But you think she might,” Strange noted suspiciously and Merlin nodded. “In that case, I think I need to see her for myself to find out what we’re dealing with. If Morgana Pendragon has returned, may God help us all.”

 

Hospital

Later in the afternoon

 

Thanks to Strange’s friend Christine Palmer, Strange and Merlin were let into Morgana’s room. Merlin stopped for a moment, staring at her. She was restrained to the bed with some straps around her hands as she stared ahead, her gaze vacant. She seemed almost catatonic.

 

“You alright?” Strange asked.

 

“Yeah. Just…hard seeing her like this,” Merlin said, shaking his head. “So what are you going to do?”

 

“Figure out what’s causing this,” Strange said simply as he walked over to Morgana.

 

Strange placed a hand above her face and an orange circle appeared over it. Strange stared at her before gasping, images assaulting his mind.


Morgana in chains in a dungeon.


Morgana running with Gwen through a forest as men pursued them.


Morgana witnessing Arthur and the knights raiding the Druid Camp in search of her.


Being interrogated by the Witchfinder.


Strange removed his hand from above Morgana, trying to process what he had seen.

 

“What? What is it?” Merlin inquired and it was a long moment before Strange answered.

 

“You’re right Emrys, she is remembering. But not on her own,” Strange said before turning to Merlin. “Someone has done something, forced her to remember all at once. It’s not natural; this was forced on her by someone.”

 

“You mean magic?” Merlin realized and Strange nodded.

 

“Someone is playing a game, with you and Morgana as pawns,” Strange said before looking back at Morgana. “They’re trying to make you make a choice Emrys.”

 

“What choice? What are you talking about?” Merlin asked in confusion.

 

“As I said, Morgana is being forced to remember her past all at once. Her mind will not be able to handle it. If something does not change, she will die,” Strange said, horrifying Merlin. “Only you can save her Emrys.”

 

“How?” Merlin demanded.

 

“She trusts you. You have to go into her mind, help her remember a piece at a time, naturally,” Strange explained and Merlin realized what Strange was getting at.

 

“So either I help Morgana remember, risking that she might return to her old ways…or I allow her to die,” Merlin muttered.

 

“I’m sorry Emrys,” Strange said apologetically and Merlin was silent for a long moment.

 

“If it were you…what would you do?” Merlin asked after a moment.

 

“Before I was a Sorcerer, I was a doctor. I took an oath to do no harm,” Strange said before his eyes hardened. “But as the Sorcerer Supreme, I took an oath to protect this Dimension. Whatever the cost. But it’s not my choice. Only you can make it Emrys. I only hope, whatever it is, you make the right one.”

 

Strange walked out, leaving the tormented Merlin wondering what to do.

Notes:

This is really the only appearance of Strange I have planned for the story, so don’t expect him to show up again.

Chapter 12: Merlin's choice part two

Summary:

Merlin makes his decision as Team Cap arrives at the safe house.

Notes:

Thank you to Aragorn II Elessar for his help with this chapter.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Hospital

Late afternoon

 

Merlin and Gwen sat in the waiting room, silence stretching between them. Gwen was processing what Merlin had told her.

 

“So either you allow Morgana to remember or you allow her to die,” Gwen said her voice no more than a whisper.

 

“Damned regardless,” Merlin said with a sigh. “If I give her her memories back, even if Morgana doesn’t turn on me, she’ll never trust me again. But if I let her die, I don’t know how I’ll live with myself.”

 

“So what are you going to do?” Gwen asked after a moment.

 

“I don’t know. This feels exactly like the Disir. I had a chance to stop it all, but my fear led me to give Arthur the wrong advice and the Disir set Mordred upon him. Feels like no matter what I do, it’s the wrong choice,” Merlin said in frustration.

 

“Morgana isn’t Mordred,” Gwen said quietly. “She’s not you or me or Arthur. She had no memory of our past life. She got to grow up into who she is now, unburdened by these memories.”

 

“What’s your point Gwen?” Merlin asked, wondering where she was going with this.

 

“My point is that maybe that doesn’t go away just because she remembers. I didn’t remember until I was seventeen. It took me some time to process, but it didn’t erase who I was up to that point,” Gwen said and Merlin paused.

 

“Aren’t you the one who was convinced that Morgana was going to be a threat?” Merlin inquired.

 

“Seeing her again, it changed things. I saw something I hadn’t seen in so long that I honestly forgot what it looked like. I saw my friend,” Gwen said, taking a deep breath as she remembered the Morgana of before. “But either way, if you really let Morgana die…would you be able to live with yourself?”

 

Merlin was silent for a long moment. He knew the answer. He just wasn’t sure it was the right one.

 

Barton Safe House

Not long after

 

In the living room, Luke was doing something he never thought he’d be doing: babysitting.

 

The boys weren’t so bad. Laura had put Nate down for a nap not long after she wrapped his leg and Cooper had been reading a book for a while now, so they were no problem. Lila on the other hand, seemed to alternate between extreme shyness and wanting to talk his ear off. Luke had never been particularly good with kids, but he was trying his best.

 

Currently, Lila was coloring on the floor. Luke took a look at it, realizing it seemed to be some kind of farm.

 

“You like it?” Lila asked shyly as she saw him looking at it.

 

“It’s great,” Luke quickly assured her and she seemed to relax. “What is it?”

 

“Home. Our farm,” Lila said as she looked down at the picture with a sad look in her eyes. “We had to leave when the bad man found out where we lived.”

 

“I know how that feels. I had to leave home to,” Luke said, feeling sympathy for the girl.

 

No one so young should be on the run from a man like Ross.

 

“Did the bad man find out where you lived to?” Lila asked innocently and Luke smiled tightly.

 

“Something like that,” Luke said vaguely.

 

“Do you think we’ll ever get to go home again?” Lila asked and Luke paused, taken aback by the question.

 

“I don’t know. I hope so,” Luke said, hoping Clint’s plan was working.

 

Upstairs, Clint stood in the doorway, watching as Laura checked Walker’s vitals, the man not even conscious.

 

“How’s he doing?” Clint asked as Laura finished.

 

“Not good. He needs a blood transfusion, fast,” Laura said worriedly.

 

“Well Cap and the others are on their way with some blood from a stash Nat keeps,” Clint said confidently.

 

“And how far out are they?” Laura asked doubtfully.

 

Before Clint can answer, his hearing, still highly attuned from his SHIELD training, picked up a sound out front. Without answering Laura, Clint walked over to the window, seeing a car pull up to the house. The doors opened and Steve, Natasha, Sam and Wanda all stepped out.

 

“Not that far,” Clint said with a grin.

 

Washington DC

Same time

 

In his office, Ross took a big gulp of scotch, nervously checking his watch when he heard a voice behind him.

 

“You wished to speak?” Ross turned around to see Morgause sitting at his desk, looking irritated at being summoned.

 

“We have a problem. The transport carrying Luke Cage and your knight never made it to the Raft and the GPS locator isn’t working,” Ross said as he put his empty glass down.

 

“Luke Cage is of no consequence,” Morgause said dismissively, to Ross’s disbelief.

 

“You were so insistent we capture him,” Ross argued and she smiled unpleasantly.

 

“He would have been useful. But he is of no importance; I shall soon have someone far more valuable to our cause at my side. Whatever happened to Luke Cage, it will not impact our plans in the slightest,” Morgause said confidently.

 

Barton Safe House

Not long after

 

“Auntie Nat!” Lila squealed as she wrapped her arms around the redhead’s legs.

 

“Hey,” Natasha said softly, smiling at the girl as she released Natasha.

 

“Glad you’re all here,” Clint said as he walked down the stairs with Laura. “First thing’s first, the blood?”

 

“Right here,” Sam said, holding up a cooler.

 

“Great, come with me. We don’t have a lot of time,” Laura said and Sam nodded, following her up the stairs without another word.

 

“Cap, Nat, Wanda, I think you’ve heard of our guest,” Clint said as he gestured to Luke.

 

“Mr. Cage,” Steve nodded as he walked over to Luke, offering his hand.

 

“Hey,” Luke said, swallowing thickly as he shook Steve’s hand, a little star struck at meeting Captain America. “It’s an honor to meet you.”

 

“The honor’s mine Mr. Cage. My work doesn’t always let me help ordinary people as much as I’d like. Knowing people like you are out there doing that makes it a lot easier,” Steve told him as they dropped hands.

 

“Call me Luke,” Luke told him and Steve nodded.

 

“So how you doing kid?” Clint asked as he walked over to Wanda.

 

“Well, we’ve been on the run for a few days because we were framed for murder. So same old,” Wanda said dryly.

 

“Yeah, heard about that. We might have a way around that,” Clint said and Wanda raised an eyebrow. “There’s a guy downstairs we think is working for the woman Ross has been meeting with, but he’s not talking. Feel like helping us out with that?”


Later, Steve, Clint and Wanda stood in the doorway to the basement, the door opened to reveal the stairs.

 

“This the part where you tell me not to go down there?” Wanda asked dryly as she saw the look on Clint’s face, able to feel his apprehensive emotions.

 

“Nah. I’m your friend, not your father. Just…be careful kid. Something feels off about this guy,” Clint warned her.

 

“Something feels about this whole situation Clint. But I’ll be there with her the whole time,” Steve promised and Clint nodded. “You ready?”

 

“Yeah,” Wanda said as she steeled herself. “Here goes nothing.”

 

Wanda and Steve headed down into the basement, the lights already on. In the basement was a man who looked around Clint’s age. He was white with short dark hair, a slight beard and light brown eyes. He was strapped to a chair with what looked like several zip ties around his legs and arms. As they entered the room, the man lifts his head, no emotion crossing his face or entering his eyes.

 

“Hi,” Wanda said carefully unnerved by what she was feeling from him.

 

She got…nothing by just gently probing his mind. It was like there was a brick wall around it. Wanda approached him and raised her hands, which glowed with red energy. As the man looked at her blankly, Wanda blasted him with the energy.


Wanda found herself in utter darkness. Wanda looked around in confusion as she heard voices. They were too soft and speaking too quickly for her to understand anything that was said though.

 

“Well well well, what do we have here?”

 

Wanda whirled around, startled to see the blond woman from Russia standing a few feet from her.

 

“How did you get in here?” the blond woman asked curiously.

 

“Was about to ask you the same question. You’re what’s stopping me from reading his mind,” Wanda realized.

 

“So you’re a mind reader. Well that won’t help you here. I’ve taken measures to enslave my knight’s will,” the woman said with a sinister smirk.

 

“The knight is your slave. You made him serve you somehow, he has no real desires or thoughts of his own,” Wanda realized in horror.

 

“Oh he does, it’s just been pushed down so far that he won’t ever be able to feel or think them again,” the woman said with a smirk.

 

“Why?” Wanda asked horrified. “Why would you do this?”

 

“My goals are beyond your understanding girl. And it’s time for to leave.”

 

The woman’s eyes flashed gold and Wanda found herself thrown back by an invisible source. But Wanda hands glowed and she shot out a blast of energy that struck the surprised woman, sending her back. Wanda steadied herself, flying down to what seemed to be the ground as the woman pulled herself back to her feet.

 

“I see. You must be Wanda Maximoff. I had hoped to turn you to my side. Instead, I will remove you from it!” the woman declared.

 

Her eyes flashed gold again and wind seemed to whirl around them. The woman held out her hand and lightning seemed to burst from it, heading straight for Wanda. Wanda created an energy shield, but the two seemed to cancel each other, creating a shock wave that sent Wanda flying back. Wanda landed on her back painfully as the woman approached her.

 

“It’s a disappointing; we could have been great together, brought this world to its knees. Instead, you’re a threat,” the woman said, a sword seeming to materialize in her hand. “I’ll make this quick.”

 

The woman attempted to make a strike to Wanda’s chest but found the weapon suddenly coated with red energy and was unable to budge it.

 

“Don’t think so,” Wanda said coolly.

 

Wanda then unleashed a powerful blast of energy that sent the woman flying back, landing on her side painfully. Wanda got back to her feet, using her powers to call the sword to her. Taking it in her hand, Wanda began approaching the woman.

 

“I am no longer an Avenger, but I will still fight to kill,” Wanda said coolly.

 

The woman got to her feet, attempting to push her back once more but Wanda held her ground. Wanda sent another blast of energy at her, knocking the woman off balance before she dropped the sword. Raising her hands, Wanda surrounded the woman in red energy before pulling. The woman let out a wail of agony before seeming to vanish.


Wanda stumbled back before being caught by Steve.

 

“Wanda? Wanda, you okay?” Steve asked in concern.

 

Before Wanda could answer, the man gasped. They turned towards him, seeing his eyes were now clear and focused, a vast difference. But something was wrong. His breathing was labored and it seemed like he was in pain.

 

“Mor…gause,” he said slowly.

 

That was the thing he said that night.


Later, the former Avengers and Luke stood looking at the couch, where the man was laid down, staring without seeing.

 

“He’s alive, but…I don’t know how to describe it,” Wanda said honestly. “It’s like there’s this energy around him, stopping me from reading his thoughts at all now.  Every time I try it’s like I’m thrown back by some kind of wall. I get the feeling he’s aware of everything around him but he can’t speak or move.”

 

“You said this woman in his head was the same woman we saw in Russia?” Natasha asked and Wanda nodded.

 

“And she had powers, she was able to bend his will until he was her slave,” Wanda said as she looked at the man sadly.

 

“What are you thinking Romanoff?” Sam asked as he looked at Natasha curiously.

 

“Maybe this is some kind of failsafe. Wanda took out the woman in his mind, but now he’s in this state so he can’t tell us anything,” Natasha mused.

 

“So what do we now then?” Luke asked but no one had an answer.

 

New York

Late afternoon

 

Merlin entered Morgana’s room, let in by Christine Palmer.

 

“I don’t know what’s going on, but whatever you’re about to do, do it fast,” Christine told him before closing the room behind him, leaving him alone with Morgana.

 

Silently, Merlin walked over to Morgana’s bed. She was so pale, her eyes staring without seeing, her breathing labored. She didn’t have a lot of time, he knew.

 

Merlin took a deep breath, hoping he wasn’t going to regret this. He placed a hand on Morgan’s forehead before his eyes flashed gold.


Merlin found himself in a long dark corridor, looking around clueless. Hearing crying, he followed the sound. On a bench, he found Morgana, curled up into a ball as she cried.

 

“Morgana,” Merlin called out softly and she looked up, her eyes red from crying.

 

“Merlin?” she croaked. “Is that really you?”

 

“Yes, it’s me,” Merlin said gently as he approached.

 

“I-I don’t know what’s happening,” Morgana said as she pulled herself into a sitting position. “I keep seeing things, they don’t make any sense but they feel so real. I don’t even know where I am. What’s happening Merlin?”

 

“It’s complicated,” Merlin said gently as he sat down next to Morgana on the bench. “I don’t even know where to begin.”

 

“Do you know what’s happening to me?” Morgana asked after a moment.

 

“I do,” Merlin admitted, reaching out and taking her hand. “It’s something I hoped never happened. Someone is making pawns of you and I in some twisted game. I wish I knew who. But I’m going to help you. Do you trust me?”

 

“I do,” Morgana said without hesitation, belatedly realizing this was one of her dreams come to pass.

 

“Then I need you to do as I say,” Merlin said, looking at her intently. “Don’t struggle. Let it in. Let it all in.”

 

“I don’t understand,” Morgana said confused and Merlin smiled tightly.

 

“You will in a moment. I’m not sure who you’ll be after this, but I know you can’t do this alone. And I can’t let you die, no matter the consequences.”

 

As Morgana looked at him confused, Merlin took a deep breathed before looking deep into her eyes. Merlin’s eyes flashed gold and the images began coming back. But this time, they were slower, one at a time rather than all at once. Morgana realized they weren’t images at all, but memories.


Her childhood with Gorlois.


Being taken to Camelot and becoming Uther’s ward after Gorlois’s death.


Growing up in Camelot, her friendship with Gwen and love-hate relationship with Arthur.


Merlin’s arrival in Camelot, becoming amused by his early attraction to her.


Encouraging Arthur to get the flower to save Merlin’s life.


Protecting Mordred and helping Arthur and Merlin get him out of Camelot.


Traveling with Merlin, Arthur and Gwen to Merlin’s home and helping fight off the bandits.


Arranging Uther’s death after Tom was killed only to change her mind.


Her nightmares causing her to unintentionally shatter her windows with magic.


Pleading with Merlin for help.


Making her way to the Druid Camp and the resulting raid by the knights.


Gwen getting captured by bandits before being returned to Camelot by Arthur and Merlin.


Being interrogated by the Witchfinder.


Meeting Morgause and getting her bracelet.


Reuniting with Mordred and working with Alvar.


Disowning Uther and Morgause reaching out to her.


Morgause making her the source of her spell and Merlin poisoning her.


Morgause taking her away from Camelot and teaching her dark magic.


Returning to Camelot and trying to drive Uther mad.


Fighting with Merlin in the catacombs beneath Camelot.


Merlin knocking her down the stairs.


Learning Uther was her father.


Trying to kill Uther only to be thwarted by Merlin.


Learning of Gwen and Arthur’s feelings for each other.


Giving Arthur the Eye of the Phoenix.


Having the vision of Gwen becoming Queen.


Exposing Arthur and Gwen’s relationship to Uther before trying to frame Gwen as a sorceress.


Taking over Camelot and exposing her true allegiance to Uther and being crowned Queen of Camelot.


Executing innocent people to spite Leon.


Fleeing with the wounded Morgause.


Working with Agraviane to bring Arthur down.


Killing Morgause to open the veil.


Using her charm to kill Uther.


Forming an alliance with Annis.


Enchanting Arthur’s sword.


Using the Fomorroh to make Merlin try to kill Arthur.


Her encounter with Emrys at her hobble.


Working with Alator to determine the identity of Emrys.


Resurrecting Lancelot as a Shade in order to sabotage Arthur and Gwen’s engagement.


Taking control of Camelot and forcing Arthur from it with Agravaine’s help.


Her confrontation with Arthur in the throne room.


Battling with Gwen before blown back by magic.


Aithusa healing her.


Being held prisoner by the Sarrum.


Escaping and resuming her campaign against Arthur.


Reuniting with Mordred before he turns against her.


Impersonating Mithian’s nurse and forcing Mithian to lead Arthur into an ambush.


Taking Gwen to the Dark Tower and turning Gwen’s will to her bidding.


Working with Gwen to take down Arthur until Gwen was freed from her control.


Being unable to find out the identity of Emrys.


Declaring war on Camelot.


Mordred revealing Merlin was Emrys.


Stripping Merlin of his magic.


Gifting Mordred with a sword forged in a dragon’s breath.


Trapping Merlin in the Crystal Cave.


Finding Mordred’s body and burying him.


Merlin stabbing her in the chest with Arthur’s sword.

 

“Goodbye Morgana.”


The glow faded from Merlin’s eyes and he lowered his hand to his side and Morgana took a deep breathe, staring up at him with so many conflicting emotions he couldn’t name that all.

 

“Merlin,” she breathed before closing her eyes.

 

Merlin realized she had passed out. That was almost worse than if she had started raging at him. Because now she remembered. And Merlin honestly didn’t know what would happen now.

Notes:

And Morgana finally remembers. Been building up to it the whole story, really happy I finally got to do it.

I don’t think Wanda at this point in the MCU timeline could defeat the real Morgause tbh, but I think she could defeat a sort of avatar with only a fraction of Morgause’s powers.

I know the last few chapters have been kind of slow, but the pace is going to pick up next chapter and it’s not going to stop.

Chapter 13: The god of thunder returns

Summary:

Thor returns to earth with startling information. Both Merlin and Morgause reach out to Morgana, with varying results.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

New York

Morning

 

Gwen walked into work, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. She had not had a decent night’s sleep these last few days. She didn’t regret encouraging Merlin to save Morgana, as it was the right thing to do. That didn’t mean she wasn’t worried about what would happen now.

 

“Gwen?” Gwen looked up to see May walk into the room, the only other person at FEAST this early. “You alright?”

 

“Yeah, I just haven’t slept well the last two days. I’m fine,” Gwen assured her.

 

“This about your friend? The one with the family emergency?” May asked and Gwen smiled tightly.

 

“Sort of. He’s…going through some things,” Gwen said lamely, not sure how to describe it.


At the hospital, Morgana sat in bed in her hospital room. She was being let out later, but she wasn’t sure how to feel about that. She had so many thoughts going through her head; she wasn’t sure how to sort them all. Hearing a knock on the open door, she looked over, surprised to see Merlin standing awkwardly in the doorway.

 

“Merlin,” Morgana said in surprise.

 

“Morgana,” Merlin greeted cautiously as he entered the room.

 

He’d been trying to talk himself into seeing her for the three days since he’d restored her memories, fearful of her reaction to seeing him. But so far, she didn’t seem angry. She seemed as nervous at seeing him as he was to see her, a far cry from the mad sorceress he had put down so many centuries ago.

 

“What are you um, what are you doing here?” Morgana asked awkwardly.

 

“I’m actually here to see you,” Merlin said, taking her aback. “I wanted to make sure you were okay. See how you were dealing with…everything.”

 

“You mean remembering my past life, our sordid history?” Morgana asked sarcastically before sighing. “It’s been…an adjustment. I spent the last few days going over it in my head. I did such horrible things. I was a monster. I hurt you, Gwen, Arthur. I killed Uther. And so many innocent people.”

 

The room was silent, Merlin merely watching Morgana as she seemed wracked with guilt. He’d been fooled by Morgana once. He knew what it looked like, this wasn’t it. Gwen had been right, her memories returning didn’t revert her to who she had once been.

 

“You were not the only one at fault,” Merlin said after a moment and Morgana looked up at him incredulously. “I could have told you truth, could have helped you at any moment I wished. I chose not to and that led you to Morgause.”

 

“Maybe, but it doesn’t justify what I did,” Morgana said with a heavy sigh before looking at him. “I know it can never make up for what happened…but I’m sorry Merlin. More than you’ll ever know.”

 

Merlin stared at her for a long moment before walking over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

 

“You may have her memories…but you are not her. Do not blame yourself for her actions,” Merlin told her gently.

 

“Why am I here? Why are we back? Why is Arthur back?” Morgana wondered, remembering seeing Arthur’s picture in the news.

 

“I don’t know,” Merlin admitted. “But I think it has something to do with The Accords. Something is pulling the strings, something dark.”

 

“You said someone is making pawns of us,” Morgana remembered. “Do you think they made me remember?”

 

“Yes. What happened to you, it wasn’t natural. Someone made you remember to force me to save your life. I don’t know why yet, but I’m going to find out,” Merlin promised.

 

Barton Safe House

Same time

 

In one of the bedrooms, Wanda sat next to one of the beds where the knight’s unresponsive form laid as she tried to use her powers to gain access to the man’s mind. As usual, it was like using a spoon to dig into a brick wall. Wanda opened her eyes and let out a sound of frustration.

 

“That good huh?” Clint asked from the doorway where he had been watching her.

 

“I can’t get into his head. It’s like there’s a brick wall blocking me out,” Wanda said in frustration.

 

Clint nodded, not looking much happier. Whoever was playing this game with them was good, he’d give them that. If they were going to figure out how to stop them, it was going to take a miracle.

 

Avengers Compound

Not long after

 

In what had once been Steve’s office, Tony sat down; looking down at the flip phone Steve had sent him. The thought had occurred to him since Peter’s visit to try and reach out, maybe make peace with Steve.

 

Maybe someday, but not today, Tony decided as he put the phone in his pocket. It was too soon after Siberia. Tony wasn’t ready to forgive just yet.

 

No sooner had he pocketed the phone when the ground trembled and a loud sound pieced the air. Tony whirled around, looking out the office window. Seeing a familiar sight, Tony’s eyes widened in shock before he jumped to his feet.

 

In record time, Tony emerged from the Compound to see a muscular man with blond hair in a ponytail wielding a large hammer standing in a small crater.

 

“We need to talk Stark,” Thor said as he looked at Tony stonily.

 

New York

Early afternoon

 

At a soup kitchen, Arthur was sitting down, eating some bread. It wasn’t Gwen’s cooking or what he had grown up on, but it would suffice for now. If he was going to serve these people better than he had his own, then he would eat as they did.

 

Arthur spotted a young boy nearby, eying the bread hungry. The boy looked too much like a young Merlin for Arthur’s tastes and his heart sunk, imagining a young Merlin having the same hungry look in his own village. Arthur lowered the bread from his lips, gesturing the boy over. Eying Arthur fearfully, the boy came over and Arthur offered him the bread. Looking in disbelief, the boy took the bread and ran off.

 

Arthur watched as the boy ran up to a woman, obvious his mother, eating the bread. She looked at the boy and smiled before looking up at Arthur, mouthing ‘thank you’. Arthur nodded before lifting his plate and putting it by the dishes.


He’d eaten enough this morning. It was time to get back to work.


At FEAST, Merlin walked in, looking around for Gwen. He’d taken a walk after visiting Morgana to clear his head before deciding he needed to go see Gwen, let her know about his visit with Morgana.

 

“Merlin?” Merlin turned around to see May.

 

“Mrs. Parker, hello,” Merlin greeted her politely.

 

“I’ve told you a million times to call me May. Looking for Gwen?” May asked with a smile and he nodded. “She’s in the back.”

 

“Thank you,” Merlin said, waving at her before heading into the back.

 

Merlin found Gwen putting some boxes away when she heard the door close behind him. Turning around, Gwen seemed to sag with relief as she saw him.

 

“Merlin, thank God,” Gwen rushed over to him and threw her arms around him. “How did things go with Morgana?”

 

“Good, very good actually,” Merlin said as she let go. “You were right, it didn’t change her.”

 

“Are you sure?” Gwen asked uncertainly. “She’s played you before.”

 

“Only once. I never fell for her lies again; I know what it looks like when Morgana is lying to me. This wasn’t it. She doesn’t seem so filled with hate, she seems…ashamed,” Merlin explained and saw the look on Gwen’s face. “I don’t think she’ll be a threat. And in any case, I have other concerns.”

 

“What other concerns?” Gwen asked confused and Merlin smiled tightly.

 

“Gwen, someone made Morgana remember. Someone wanted her to remember, they even willing to risk her dying to do so. I need to find out who and I need to know why,” Merlin told her.


In her hospital room, Morgana was waiting to be checked out when someone knocked on the door. Morgana looked up and saw stunned to see who stood in the doorway.

 

“Hello sister. It is good to see you,” Morgause said with a sort smile.

 

“Morgause. But how…you returned, same as Merlin and the others,” Morgana realized.

 

“Not exactly,” Morgause said as she entered the room, closing the door behind her. “Do you remember when you killed me to open the veil?”

 

“You know I do, otherwise you would not be here,” Morgana noted.

 

“It’s a sacrifice, yes, but it’s a double aged sword. If the veil is closed, the sacrifice offered may return,” Morgause explained and Morgana frowned.

 

“So why did you not help me when you returned then?” Morgana demanded and Morgause sighed.

 

“Unfortunately, I was not able to return right away. It took centuries for this loophole to succeed. I was only able to return some years ago. It is a miracle that you have returned as well,” Morgause said seeming happy to see Morgana.

 

But Morgana was weary of Morgause. With her new memories, she remembered Morgause leading her down a dark path. And she also remembered Merlin saying someone had forced her to remember.

 

“It was you. You made me remember,” Morgana realized in horror.

 

“I needed my sister. I still need you. We can make things right, make this new world a paradise for those like us,” Morgause tried to plead with Morgana.

 

“And that was worth potentially killing me over. What if Merlin hadn’t decided to save me?” Morgana asked angrily.

 

“I knew he would,” Morgause said confidently.

 

“And you were willing to risk being wrong. That is typical of you,” Morgana laughed humorlessly. “Back then, I was so grateful to have someone who understood, who knew what it felt like to live in fear of Uther. But now I realize you were just using me.”

 

“That’s not true sister,” Morgause said instantly.

 

“Isn’t it? When we first began working together, you used me as the source for the sleeping spell you cast over Camelot. Then, when I was vulnerable after Merlin poisoned me – which I now realize was because you left him no other choice – you build me back up, the way you wanted, into a copy of you. You made me just like you, someone who cared nothing for anyone and only wanted to see Camelot fall. I never wanted the throne; it was you who planted the idea in my head that it was the only way to free those with magic. You didn’t care how affected I was by the knowledge that Uther was my father, all I ever was to you was a weapon for you to use against Camelot,” Morgana said icily. “And that hasn’t changed. You could have restored my memories at any time; you chose to do so only when you needed me. Get out.”

 

“Morgana-” Morgause started.

 

“I SAID GET OUT!” Morgana screeched and a dark look crossed Morgause’s face.

 

“Fine, I will leave. But you will see that I am right Morgana. That only we can make things right,” Morgause sneered before she stormed out.

 

As the door closed behind Morgause, Morgana stared after her, wondering what she would do next.

 

Avengers Compound

Not long after

 

“It’s good to have you back Thor,” Rhodey said as he, Vision, Tony and Thor stood in the living area, Rhodey in his new wheelchair.

 

“Thank you Rhodes, although I wish the circumstances were better,” Thor said, his eyes dark.

 

“You’re probably wondering where Cap and the others are,” Tony said awkwardly.

 

“Nope,” Thor said, briefly tossing Mjolnir into the air before catching it. “I know what has happened since we last each other.”

 

“How is that possible?” Vision asked as the three Avengers looked at him in disbelief.

 

“Heimdall has kept an eye on Earth while I have been gone. When I returned to Asgard to rest after my latest mission, he informed me of what has been happening.  Someone has made pawns of you all,” Thor said as he looked at all of them sternly. “These Accords, they are part of a bigger plan.”

 

“Look Point Break, there’s really no answer to politics,” Tony told him.

 

“This time there is. Heimdall has seen someone pulling strings, this Ross answers to her,” Thor said and this caught their attention.

 

“You mean that someone is pulling Ross’s strings? And maybe even has some influence over the UN?” Rhodey asked in disbelief and Thor nodded.

 

“I’m not certain how much sway she has over this UN, but she and Ross are working together, of that I have no doubt. I will not pretend to know what happened between you and our friends, but if you wish to stop this new threat, you must put aside petty grudges and work together,” Thor said, looking at Tony pointedly.

 

“It’s not that simple Point Break,” Tony said uncomfortably.

 

“But it is Stark. If you want to defeat this new enemy, we need Cap, Natasha, Barton and the others. Would they not do the same for you if the situation were reversed?” Thor questioned.

 

Tony hated it when Thor made sense like that. And Tony knew in his heart that he wasn’t wrong, that if Tony had reached out to them after wronging them (which Tony admitted wasn’t far from what happened); the others would not hesitate to help him. And, remembering Peter accusing him of not being a hero anymore, Tony sighed. A voice that sounded suspiciously like Pepper told him it was time to put aside his ego and go to the others for help.

Notes:

I’ve wanted to bring Thor back for a few chapters but here was the best spot to do it. And he’ll be sticking around until the end of the story.

We’ve kind of got a Connor from Angel situation with Morgana. She remembers her past but her more stable upbringing in the present stops her from going mad and is able to realize a few truths regarding herself and Morgause, which will certainly impact Morgause’s actions in the future.

Until next chapter, which will be an explosive one.

Chapter 14: Brawl at Queens

Summary:

Peter is attack in his home in a fight that will change his life irrevocably.

Notes:

Thank you to my friend Aragorn II Elessar for his help with this chapter.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

New York

Early afternoon

 

“I’ll see you tonight,” Merlin said as Gwen walked him to the door.

 

“May invited us over for dinner,” Gwen told him and he smiled dryly.

 

“Again?” He joked and she hit him lightly on the shoulder.

 

“Just be there. I’ll see you after work,” Gwen said before heading back inside.

 

Merlin chuckled before heading out. He was walking to his car when his phone rang. Pulling it out, he saw it was his partner and answered.

 

“It’s my day off Lance,” Merlin said.

 

“I know, and I wouldn’t bother you, but I need your help. I really don’t know what to make of this scene,” Lance said and Merlin could hear in his voice how freaked out he was.

 

“Okay, where are you?” Merlin asked.

 

Avengers Compound

Same time

 

In Steve’s old office, Tony sat, his finger hovering over the call button on the phone Steve had given him. After several moments, Tony put the phone down, sighing heavily.

 

“Problem using the phone Stark?” Tony looked up to see Thor standing in the doorway.

 

“It’s not that easy Point Break. Cap and I are not on speaking terms,” Tony said uneasily.

 

“You are being manipulated, your government used as a weapon, and your world is under siege by an unknown force who has made pawns of all of you,” Thor said angrily as he stormed into the office until he stood face to face with Tony. “If you allow ego and petty grudges to stop you from doing what is right, then you were never the hero we all thought you were.”

 

Thor then turned and walked out, leaving Tony staring after him, wondering if Thor was right.

 

New York

Afternoon

 

Once Merlin arrived on the scene, he wasn’t quite sure what he was looking at at first. There were two men cuffed on the ground next to a crashed car. There were things like guns and a trash can lid that looked like they had been cut clean in half. And the onlookers seemed as bewildered by this as Merlin was.

 

“Merlin, thanks for coming,” Lance said as he walked up to Merlin.

 

“What happened here?” Merlin asked.

 

“Way the witnesses tell it, these two tried to rob a story,” Lance said as he gestured to the cuffed men. “They were on their way to their getaway car when some blond guy with a sword cut their weapons in half and caused them to crash the car. He gave the money back to the clerk before running off.”

 

“So why are you calling me? Seems pretty open and shut,” Merlin said, trying to keep his tone normal.

 

“We had our sketch artist do a composite of what they said the blond vigilante looked like,” Lance explained as he pulled it out from his jacket pocket. “Here’s what they came back with.”

 

Lance handed it to him and Merlin stared down at a picture of Arthur. Just as he‘d feared.

 

“Isn’t that your friend the actor?” Lance asked bewildered.

 

“Yeah, yeah it is,” Merlin muttered.

 

Arthur was drawing attention to himself. And if he wasn’t careful, the next person Ross went after might be Arthur.

 

Washington DC

Later in the afternoon

 

“This better be good,” Morgause told Ross as they sat in his office. “I am in no mood.”

 

“Oh trust me, you will be after this,” Ross said with a smirk and Morgause raised an eyebrow.

 

“You seem oddly pleased with yourself. What’s happened?” she asked curiously and Ross chuckled.

 

“I had my men patrolling New York for Luke Cage for days. And while they didn’t find him, they did find something else that was very interesting,” Ross said, pulling out some photos.

 

He handed them to her and Morgause looked down at them curiously. It was of the Spider-Man, and he was entering an apartment window.

 

“The apartment he entered belongs to a woman named May Parker and her nephew, Peter,” Ross said and she looked up at him curiously. “I’ve done some digging of my own. Not long before Spider-Man appeared, Peter visited The Life Foundation, a company that uses science to try and extend life, with his class on a field trip. They were doing some experiments with spiders, one of which got loose.”

 

“So you think this spider bit this boy and he became Spider-Man?” Morgause raised an eyebrow.

 

“It might be a leap, but the circumstantial evidence does support it. And Spider-Man was caught entering the apartment,” Ross pointed out and Morgause frowned, considering his words. “So, should I send a team after him?”

 

“No,” Morgause said to his surprise. “After the disaster with Luke Cage and the raid on the Raft, it’s become clear your men aren’t up to the challenge of handling these kinds of people. I will send my own team to pursue him.”

 

“And you think yours are? You’re already down a knight,” Ross shot back and Morgause laughed mockingly.

 

“My dear Secretary, did you honestly think I only had one? A queen never has only one knight,” Morgause said with a cruel smirk.

 

Queens

Night

 

Peter swung into his apartment, quickly changing out of his suit and grabbing some clothes. He had about twenty minutes to take a shower and get ready before Merlin and Gwen got here. May was gonna kill him. But patrol was taking longer now that he had to avoid the police.


Not long after, Merlin and Gwen pulled up outside the apartment. As they turned the car off, Gwen turned to Merlin, looking concerned.

 

“Merlin, are you alright? You’ve been quite since we left,” Gwen noted worriedly.

 

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine,” Merlin lied and she gave him a look. “Even I didn’t believe that.”

 

“Did something happen with Morgana?” Gwen inquired uneasily, hoping Morgana hadn’t reverted to her old self after all.

 

“No, not Morgana,” Merlin paused, trying to put it into words. “Something did happen. Something I need to tell you. But not right now. Let’s go have dinner with our friends and I’ll tell you everything when we get home, I promise.”

 

Gwen eyed him uneasily, wondering what could have him so preoccupied. Immediately, her thoughts jumped to Arthur, wondering if something had happened to him. But if he was in danger, Merlin would have told her immediately. For right now, Gwen would trust her best friend. She would enjoy the evening and then question Merlin once they returned home.


In the apartment she shared with Peter, May was taking dinner out of the oven when she heard someone knock on the door.

 

“Peter, could you get that?” May called out as she placed dinner on the stove.

 

“Already on it Aunt May!” Peter called out as he quickly headed to the door, his hair thankfully dried from the shower. 

 

Peter opened the door to reveal Merlin and Gwen on the other side of the door, Merlin holding a bottle of wine for May.

 

“Mr. Morgan, Ms. Penn, nice to see you again,” Peter said kindly.

 

“Peter, we’ve told you more than once to call us Gwen and Merlin,” Gwen said with a smile.

 

“It just feels weird,” Peter said as he let them in.

 

“Merlin, Gwen, I’m glad you could make it,” May said as she stepped out of the kitchen with a smile.

 

“How could we resist your cooking,” Merlin joked as he handed her the wine.

 

“Thank you,” May said as she took the bottle. “So who’s hungry?”


Elsewhere in New York, Matt was standing on a rooftop, overlooking the city as he used his hearing to make sure nothing was wrong in the city. So far nothing out of the ordinary, a few police sirens but nothing that the police couldn’t handle. Matt paused as he heard someone behind him, but he relaxed as he realized who it was.

 

“Ronin,” Matt said as Arthur stepped up beside him.

 

“Daredevil,” Arthur replied in kind.

 

“So what are you doing here?” Matt asked as he turned his attention back to the city.

 

“Same as you I imagine, patrolling, looking for trouble where it shouldn’t be,” Arthur said and there was a moment of silence between the two. “Any word from Melvin?”

 

“Our suits should be ready soon, although he wants to make sure yours is ready before you take it out for a spin,” Matt said and Arthur looked at him confused.

 

“Take it out for a spin?” Arthur repeated clueless and Matt fought a grin.

 

“Before you test it. You’re not from around here, are you,” Matt noted.

 

“I suppose you could say that,” Arthur agreed, not even knowing how to properly explain it.


Back at May’s apartment, the Parkers, Merlin and Gwen were sitting down at the kitchen table, enjoying some lasagna May had made.

 

“Your lasagna is something else May. You have to give me the recipe,” Gwen said and May laughed.

 

“Maybe when you’re older,” May teased and Gwen smiled.

 

“So Peter, how’s school?” Merlin asked and Peter shrugged.

 

“Same old same old. Classes are good, people are challenging,” Peter said and Merlin nodded, remembering how working at Camelot had been at first.

 

“I know how that feels,” Merlin said wistfully.

 

Peter made a motion to eat the next bite of lasagna when a strange feeling came over him. It was what he called his ‘tingle’, a feeling he got whenever danger was near. He put his fork down, looking around in bewilderment.

 

“Peter? What’s wrong?” May asked as the adults all looked at him in concern.

 

“I don’t know,” Peter said honestly.

 

He got up, looking around the apartment for whatever had set off the tingle. Merlin watched him, a growing sense of realization washing over him. It was like looking at a memory, Peter was acting almost exactly like he had back in Camelot, when something had been horrible wrong.

 

“Peter, what do you see?” Merlin asked as he walked up beside Peter.

 

Peter didn’t respond, trying to figure the source of the tingle. He turned towards the window, realizing what was about to happen moments before it did. The window shattered as a man in armor burst through it. Peter used his web shooters to shoot a stream of webbing that pinned the knight’s arm to the wall. The adults stared in shock and disbelief at what had just happen.

 

“Peter?” May asked her voice no more than a whisper as she stared at her nephew in disbelief.

 

“I’m sorry May. I wanted to tell you so many times, I just didn’t know how,” Peter said as he looked at May with regret.

 

“Let’s worry about that later. Who are you?” Merlin asked, stepping in front of Peter protectively as he stared down the knight.

 

The Black Knight ignored Merlin, staring straight at Peter.

 

“You will surrender to the authority of the High Priestess,” the Knight said.

 

“Morgana,” Gwen said immediately but Merlin’s eyes widened in realization.

 

“No, not Morgana.  She wasn’t the only High Priestess. I’ve been a bloody fool,” Merlin said as the realization washed over him.

 

“Merlin, what are you talking about?” May asked as she and Peter looked at him in bewilderment.

 

“Doesn’t matter right now. May, take Peter and run. Now!” Merlin shouted.

 

Although confused, May complied, her instinct to protect her nephew overriding her curiosity. She ran over, grabbed Peter by the arm and all but dragged him towards the door. But before they could get there, it was kicked open. The Parkers jumped back as Merlin and Gwen turned toward it, seeing a second Black Knight enter, wielding a sword.

 

“You will surrender to the authority of the High Priestess,” he said. 

 

The first Knight then yanked his arm free from the webbing and drew his sword. Merlin turned away, his eyes from gold. The second Knight was thrown out into the hall, slamming the wall outside. Merlin held out his hand and the sword from the second knight flew into his hand before he whirled around, using it to block the strike from the first knight.

 

“Run!” Merlin shouted.


Matt paused, using his hearing as Arthur looked at him confused.

 

“Something wrong?” Arthur asked.

 

“Yeah, something’s happening. Come on!” Matt said as he jumped.

 

Arthur followed after him without hesitation, not needing to be told twice.


Peter was leading May towards his room, hoping he could lead her out the window, his identity be damned. But he had barely opened the door when the windows crashed and two more Black Knights entered the apartment.

 

“Surrender to the authority of the High Priestess,” one of them said as they both drew their swords.

 

Out in the living area, Gwen watched helplessly as Merlin clashed swords against the first Black Knight before the Knight delivered a kick to his chest. Merlin was sent flying back and dropped the sword. As the knight approached, Gwen quickly grabbed the sword and moved to engage the knight. Dazed, Merlin watched as Gwen began engaging the knight before she was knocked on her back, the sword sliding across the room. As the knight raised his sword to strike, Merlin was about to intervene when he saw someone else enter the apparent.

 

The Knight tried to strike Gwen but found his sword blocked by another. The knight looked over to see the furious face of Arthur. Arthur pushed them back and the power of the sword sent them flying over a couch.

 

“Arthur,” Gwen breathed as she stared up at her husband.

 

“Are you both alright?” Arthur asked as he helped her up, looking over at Merlin. “Still letting girls do the fighting for you Merlin?”

 

“Funny,” Merlin said dryly as he pulled himself to his feet. “The one outside-”

 

“I think he’s being handled,” Arthur said with a grin.


Out in the hall, Matt was trading blows with the other Knight. While the Knight’s armor protected him, Matt was clearly the superior fighter. Taking out his new Billy Club, Matt slip it in two, before using the wire to restrain the Knights before slamming his helmeted head against the wall.


Inside the apartment, the Knight got back to his feet before rushing Arthur again. Arthur and the Knight glassed swords when they heard a cry.

 

“Help!”

 

“Merlin!” Arthur shouted as he struggled against the Knight.

 

Merlin didn’t wait for him to finish, already rushing into Peter’s room. May was watching helplessly as Peter fought desperately against the two knights. He wasn’t doing badly, Merlin admitted as Peter dodged a strike from one Knight before webbing the other Knight’s hands together. But the Knight easily broke through them and tried to strike Peter with his sword. Peter ducked and Merlin decided to act. His eyes glowed gold and he pushed the two Knights out the window.

 

“Merlin, how-” May started.

 

“There’s no time. We need to move!” Merlin shouted.

 

The three exited the room to see Arthur and the Knight still engaging in a sword battle.

 

“Mr. Ronin?” Peter exclaimed as he saw Arthur.

 

“Go!” Arthur shouted as he sent a kick to the Knight’s abdomen.

 

Before Peter could move, his Tingle went off again. Peter jumped, dodging a strike from one of the Knights who had somehow climbed back up through the window.


Out in the hall, the Knight broke free of the wiring and slugged Matt, hard. Matt stumbled back, the armor making the blow more painful than it would normally be. As the Knight tried to strike him again, Matt dodged and grabbed him wrist, slamming the Knight against the wall.

 

Merlin’s eyes glowed again as he snatched the sword from the Knight attacking Peter before sending the Knight flying into the wall.

 

“Come on, I’ll get you out!” Merlin told May and Peter.

 

They began trying to follow him when the fourth knight exited Peter’s bedroom. He grabbed his sword and threw it at Merlin, who didn’t notice as it came sailing his way.

 

But May did. She quickly pushed him out of the way but didn’t have time to get herself out of the way. The sword pierced her chest, going in through the front and emerging through her back, the hilt stopping it.

 

“MAY!” Peter exclaimed n horror.

 

“NO!” Gwen wailed in the same tone.

 

As May crumpled to the floor, Merlin roared n rage and grief, his eyes glowing gold. The three Knights went flying; the one Arthur was fighting sailing out through the window and crashing through a building on the other side of the street. The other two crashed into the kitchen table, which broke under their weight. Merlin raised his hand and the two violently crashed into the room of the apartment before Merlin brought them back down, knocking them out cold. Seeing Matt still engaging the last Knight outside, Merlin then did the same thing, slamming him into the roof of the hall before bringing him back down, knocking him out.

 

For a moment, the only sound was the breathing of Merlin, Arthur staring at him as if realizing the true depths of his friend’s power for the first time.

 

“May, May,” Peter said desperately as he was suddenly by her side, checking her over.

 

“I’m okay Peter, just…knocked on my ass,” May said weakly.

 

“I’m so sorry, this is all my fault,” Peter said tearfully.

 

“You’re Spider-Man,” May said weakly, looking at him as if seeing him for the first time. “I’m so proud of you Peter. You did the right thing.”

 

“But May-” Peter started.

 

“You remember what I told you? What you’re Uncle Ben used to say?” May asked, her voice growing weaker.

 

“With great power comes great responsibility,” Peter said, looking like the words choked him.

 

“That’s right,” May said, seeming to look over at Gwen, who looked on the verge of tears. “Take care of him, okay?”

 

Unable to form words, Gwen nodded. This seemed to bring peace to May, who smiled.

 

She did not speak again.

 

Hearing her heart stop, Matt lowered his head as Gwen put a hand to her face, shoulders shaking with silent sobs. Merlin lowered his head as tears of grief fell from his eyes. Peter stared at May’s lifeless body, not quite comprehending what he was seeing. Even Arthur was saddened by the senseless loss of an innocent woman.

 

For a moment, the apartment was silent. Then, Matt lifted his head, hearing sirens outside and hearing the slamming of doors followed by various heavy sets of footsteps he’d learned to associate with SWAT teams.

 

“We need to leave, a team is on their way here and I doubt this will looks good,” Matt warned them.

 

“Go where?” Merlin asked, looking at a loss.

 

“I have a place where you can lay low, but we need to move. Now,” Matt ordered.

 

“I-I can’t leave her here,” Peter muttering, tears leaking from his face.

 

“Peter,” Gwen said gently as she walked over, placing her hands on his shoulders. “There’s nothing we can do for her anymore. And she wouldn’t want you to get captured, would she?”

 

“There will be time to mourn later. For now, we must flee,” Arthur said in a tone that was both kind and firm.

 

Less than thirty seconds later, a SWAT team entered the apartment, finding only two unconscious knights and the body of May Parker inside.

Notes:

You all thought there was only one Black Knight, didn’t you? No, there are multiple Black Knights, the reason for which will be revealed later.

At this point in time, Peter would struggle against the Knights. His abilities would give him a bit of an edge, but his lack of experience would really be his undoing.

Yes, I killed May. A Spider-Man backstory really isn’t complete without the loss of the parental figure, although it was not an easy decision to make. But May’s death is also needed to help advance the plot, as it ties in pretty heavily to some decisions that are made over the next few chapters.

Chapter 15: Sharing secrets

Summary:

As Peter reels from May's death, Merlin reaches out to Morgana for answers. Tony finally pus aside his pride.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Barton Safe House

Night

 

“Sweet Christmas, that’s good.”

 

In the kitchen, the Bartons, former Avengers, Luke and Walker (who had recovered enough that he was able to carefully move now) were sitting around the table, eating the meal Laura had prepared. Luke let out the exclamation after trying a bite, surprised at just how good it was.

 

“I will take that as a compliment,” Laura said with a smile.

 

“Highest one I know how to give. You’re a lucky man Hawkeye,” Luke told Clark, who smirked.

 

“Don’t I know it,” Clint said as he held Laura’s hand under the table.

 

“How are you feeling Walker?” Steve asked, pausing in his eating to address the wounded military man.

 

“Better, thank you sir,” Walker said, in a bit of awe to be in the presence of Steve Rogers.

 

“Call me Steve,” Steve told him with a slight smile. “‘Sir’ always makes me feel like I’m back in boot camp.”

 

“Steve. Sorry, it’s just such an honor. I was still in WestPoint when you came out of the ice, but I’ve followed your career closely. I even modeled my work after you,” Walker said still in a bit of awe.

 

“Looks like you’ve got a fan Steve,” Natasha joked and Walker flushed.

 

“Be nice,” Steve joked back and she grinned as he turned back to Walker. “I appreciate it John. But I’m just a guy who was trying to serve his country; I’m no better or worse than anyone else.”

 

“He’s super modest. Telling him how great he is just embarrasses him,” Sam told Walker and Steve glared at him halfheartedly as everyone else laughed.

 

While the outside world was going to Hell, for that moment, the group of fugitives was able to have a moment of peace.

 

New York

Not long after

 

Daredevil led Arthur, Merlin, Gwen and Peter into the apartment, the group silent, all of them processing what had happened.

 

“We should be safe here,” Matt said as he turned around to face them.

 

“How is an apartment supposed to be safe?” Gwen asked skeptically, her arms around Peter, who appeared to be in a daze.

 

“Because no one would think to look for us at the home of a blind lawyer,” Matt said before removing his mask. “I’m Matt Murdock.”

 

“I was not expecting that,” Arthur said as he stared at Matt in disbelief, not expecting him to be blind.

 

“No one ever expects Daredevil to be blind,” Matt said with a dry smile.

 

“The lawyer who took down Wilson Fisk. It suddenly makes a lot more sense,” Merlin mused as he stared at Matt. “Why tell us the truth?”

 

“This was the only place I could think to bring you that wouldn’t put other people in the crossfire. Figured I could only keep you in the dark for so long, might as well get it out of the way. And I think we need to trust each other, because something tells me you know what’s going on, who those knights were,” Matt said as he looked at Merlin, who nodded reluctantly.

 

“I have a theory. But I need to meet with a source to confirm it,” Merlin said, eying Arthur carefully, not wanting to tell him about Morgana in front of an audience.

 

Listening to Merlin’s heartbeat, Matt knew he was telling the truth. But now wasn’t the time to interrogate him; Matt thought as he listened to Peter’s heart rate beat, knowing the distress he was in.

 

He knew all too well what it was like to lose your parent –or parent figure in this case- at such an impressionable age.

 

“There’s a room down the hall if you’d like to lay down Peter,” Matt offered, gesturing to the room.

 

“Why don’t you try and get some sleep. It’s been…” Gwen trailed off, not sure what to say.

 

But Peter apparently didn’t need her to say anything. Without a word, he walked over to the room, slid the door open and walked inside. The four adults watched concerned as he closed the door without a word. Only Matt was able to hear as Peter all but collapsed into the bed and started crying softly.

 

Merlin stared at the closed door for a minute before turning around, beginning to walk towards.

 

“Merlin? What are you doing?” Gwen asked as she saw him leaving.

 

“Like I said, I need to confirm with a source before I share my theory. I’ll be back later,” Merlin promised.

 

“Merlin, you know what’s going on, don’t you?” Arthur realized and Merlin paused on his way out.

 

“I have an idea. I’m hoping my source might know more,” Merlin said evenly.

 

“You mean Morgana,” Gwen realized and Arthur looked stunned. “She’s back Arthur. Supposedly she she’s not the witch she once was.”

 

“This wasn’t her Gwen,” Merlin said confidently.

 

“How do you know? She gets her memories back and then these knights show up, working for a High Priestess? It’s a pretty big coincidence Merlin,” Gwen pointed out.

 

“Except Morgana isn’t the only High Priestess we know. There was another, the one who set Morgana down this path in the beginning,” Merlin reminded them and Arthur and Gwen immediately realized where this was headed.

 

“Morgause. You think Morgause has returned?” Arthur asked lowly.

 

“It would make sense, we all did as well. And someone wanted me to return Morgana’s memories. If she is back, she’ll have reached out to Morgana,” Merlin pointed out.

 

“Would you like to explain what you’re all talking about? Because I didn’t follow any of that,” Matt spoke up; reminding the other three he was still there.

 

“It’s a long story, which they will fill you in on as I go meet Morgana,” Merlin said as he opened the door.

 

“Merlin! I did not agree to this!” Arthur snapped and Merlin grinned.

 

“You’re still such a dolliphead Arthur,” Merlin quipped, laughing at Arthur’s face before closing the door behind him.

 

Avengers Compound

Later

 

Tony was staring at the phone, still unable to bring himself to press the call button when Vision suddenly appeared in front of him, making Tony start.

 

“Gee, warn a guy when you’re gonna do that!” Tony snapped.

 

“I apologize Mr. Stark, but Colonel Rhodes told me to tell you to turn on a local news station. He said it was very important,” Vision told him, sounding very much like the AI he had once been.

 

Frowning in confusion, Tony put down the flip phone and grabbed the TV remote, doing as Rhodey had suggested. All the blood drained from Tony’s face as he saw the caption ‘Spider-Man exposed’ as a reporter stood outside a very familiar apartment building, which had a police barricade around it.

 

“We still don’t know all the details, but there was some kind of incident at the apartment of May Parker, which she shared with her nephew Peter less than three hours ago. We can sadly confirm that May Parker has been confirmed to be deceased, although the cause of death has not yet been announced,” the reporter said. “A search of the apartment has revealed the suit of the vigilante known as Spider-Man. The New York Police have not at this time said if they consider Peter Parker to be Spider-Man. Eye witnesses have reported seeing the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen, also known as Daredevil, in an altercation with what witnesses have described as a knight. We now go to J Jonah Jameson of the Daily Bugle.”

 

“Tragedy,” Jameson said as his picture appeared on the screen. “What else can I call it? What more need be said? Damage, destruction. When will people wake up and realize that everywhere Spider-Man goes, chaos and calamity ensue? Everything Spider-Man touches turns to ruin. And we, the innocents, are left to pick up the pieces. J. Jonah Jameson reporting. Goodnight and May God help us all.”

 

Tony stared at the screen for a long moment before looking down at the phone. Before he even knew what was happening, he had picked it back up.

 

“Screw it,” Tony muttered before pressing call and putting the phone to his ear.

 

Barton Safe House

Not long after

 

Long after dinner, Steve was still up, sitting on the porch of the safe house as he stared up at the night sky. He heard the door open and a familiar pair of footsteps before Natasha sat down next to him.

 

“You okay? You’ve been quiet since dinner,” Natasha said, looking at him concerned.

 

“Yeah, fine Nat. Just…thinking,” Steve said a calm look on his face as he stared up at the sky. “I never had something like this growing up.”

 

“Like what?” Natasha asked confused and he smiled tightly.

 

“Home cooked meals, family dinners. I never knew my father and my mother was always very ill, I had to take care of us, despite my health problems. Now, we’re as far from safe as we possibly can be, but here, it feels…peaceful,” Steve said as he finally looked over at Natasha.

 

“They do have that affect,” Natasha agreed, remembering feeling something similar when Clint had first brought her to the farm. “They make things seem so simple, that we can actually have it all: friends, family, people who love each other. Take a moment and feel it Steve. We never know when we might have something like this again.”

 

Steve frowned, considering her words when his pocket vibrated and a ringing pieced the air. Steve pulled the phone out, staring down at it in disbelief. As Natasha looked at him curiously, Steve answered, putting the phone to his ear.

 

“Tony?”

 

New York

Not long after

 

In her apartment, Morgana tossed and turned in her sleep, her mind tormented by visions she did not understand.


An army advancing.


A red behemoth that resembled the Hulk roared as it leapt at Arthur.


Arthur, Merlin, and Gwen stood solider to soldier with the Avengers.


Merlin and Morgause stood face to face, their eyes flashing gold as they prepared to do battle.


“You should have joined me when you had the chance, sister,” Morgause’s voice whispered menacingly in Morgana’s mind. “Now you will face the consequences.”


Morgana woke up with a gasp, breathing heavily. She sat up in bed, trying to process what she had just seen when someone began knocking on her front door.

 

“Morgana?” she heard Merlin’s voice say. “It’s Merlin. I need to talk to you.”

 

Morgana sat in bed for a moment, her sleepy mind trying to figure out what Merlin was doing here at this time before getting up, grabbing a robe out of her closet and putting it on. Making her way to the front door, Morgana opened it to reveal Merlin standing on the other side. As soon as she saw the look on his face, Morgana realized something had happened. It was the same look he’d had when she’d taken his magic and trapped him in the Crystal Cave all those centuries.

 

“What’s happened?” Morgana asked.


Later, the two sat in her kitchen, Morgana having made two cups of tea while Merlin had told her what happened.

 

“I’m sorry Merlin,” Morgana said, sounding so much like his old friend it physically hurt. “How’s Gwen?”

 

“About the same. She and May were close. I’m more worried about Peter. He lost his parents when he was so young; May’s husband died a few years ago in the Chitauri Invasion, May was the only family he had left,” Merlin sighed.

 

“That’s awful, but I’m not sure why you came to me,” Morgana said, utterly lost and Merlin gave her a long look.

 

“Morgana, the knights claim to serve someone they called ‘the high Priestess’,” Merlin said and Morgana laughed humorlessly.

 

“And so naturally you thought of me,” Morgana said dryly.

 

“No. I believe you when you say you’re sorry for what happened in the past,” Merlin quickly assured her. “But you weren’t the only High Priestess.”

 

“Morgause,” Morgana realized and Merlin nodded. “Well, you’re right to assume it’s her. She’s back; she paid me a visit after you left.”

 

“Did she say what she wanted?” Merlin asked, dismayed to know his fears were justified.

 

“What she wanted back in Camelot: to rule, allegedly to make this world a better place for people who are different,” Morgana said and Merlin heard the skepticism in her voice.

 

“You don’t think so?” Merlin asked, relieved when Morgana shook her head.

 

“In Camelot, I was so desperate for someone who understood me; I didn’t stop to think Morgause may have had an ulterior motive. When my memories returned, I realized Morgause never wanted a sister. She wanted a weapon, someone to bring down Camelot from the inside. Finding out Uther was my father merely made me all the more valuable,” Morgana said a beat passed between them. “When I refused, she didn’t seem pleased. And I know Morgause well enough that she will do something drastic.”

 

“Then this was only the tip of the iceberg,” Merlin muttered and Morgana nodded.

 

“It’s a safe bet,” Morgana said and paused. “So you met up with Arthur again.”

 

“More like he met back up with us,” Merlin said dryly. “He came in as Gwen and I were about to get out heads chopped off.”

 

“Yes, that does sound like him,” Morgana said, a slight chuckle escaping her lips.

 

“I’m sure he’d like to see you,” Merlin said gently and the smile left Morgana’s face.

 

“After all the things I did to him? To you, Gwen and Camelot? I highly doubt that,” Morgana scoffed.

 

“Arthur is far more forgiving than you give him credit for. Had you said the word, he would have welcomed you back at any point. Being on the opposing side as you pained him in ways few things did,” Merlin said and paused. “Morgana…there is a war coming. But you have a choice this time. You don’t have to pick a side if you don’t want to. For the first time, you’re in control of your own fate. No one can make you do anything you don’t want to do. That’s a rare thing in this world.”

 

“What are you trying to say Merlin?” Morgana asked, not understanding what he was trying to get at.

 

“I’m saying that, whatever choice you make, whether that’s to stay out of this fight or to join it, no one can influence you any one way. It’s your decision and your decision alone,” Merlin said and there was a pause. “I need to get back to Arthur and Gwen. Take care of yourself Morgana.”

 

Morgana merely nodded and Merlin got to his feet. He walked out the door, leaving Morgana in her apartment, alone with her thoughts.

 

Matt’s apartment

Not long after

 

“So, King Arthur, Queen Guinevere, Merlin, and Merlin went to go see Morgana Le Fey,” Matt said, trying to process everything that he had been told as Arthur and Gwen sat on the couch, watching him.

 

“That about sums it up,” Gwen said with a nod.

 

“…Okay,” Matt said and the two stared at him in surprise.

 

“Just like that?” Gwen asked.

 

“I was expecting a bit more disbelief,” Arthur admitted and Matt smiled slightly.

 

“Less than a year ago, I fought an ancient organization of ninjas that resurrected the love of my life after she died in my arms. This isn’t as big of a stretch as you might think,” Matt said before tilting his head up, as if thinking of something. “You know what, why don’t I go get you some blankets? I think we could all use some sleep.”

 

Matt then walked off, leaving Arthur and Gwen alone. For a long moment, it was silent, Arthur and Gwen not sure what to say. It was Arthur who finally broke the silence.

 

“Merlin’s known about Morgana since the day I came back,” it was said as a statement rather than a question.

 

“Yes,” Gwen admitted, seeing no point in lying to him.

 

“He should have told me,” Arthur said, a familiar look of displeasure crossing his face at this news.

 

“I felt the same way when I found out. I think he was just scared of how we’d react and wasn’t sure what to do about it himself,” Gwen tried to defend Merlin.

 

“Not unlike when he had to hide his magic from us,” Arthur noted with a sigh, the fight leaving him. “He needs to learn to trust us with this kind of information.”

 

“I know,” Gwen agreed. “I think part of it is he’s just so used to doing it on his own. He was alone for centuries before I came back.”

 

“He’s not the only one who has to make decisions that affect the future. He needs to realize that,” Arthur paused. “I’m sorry about your friend. She seemed like a good woman.”

 

“She was,” Gwen said, unshed tears shinning in her eyes. “I think you would have liked her.”

 

“She was your friend and managed to put up with Merlin. Chances are high,” Arthur said lightly.

 

Gwen laughed. She laughed for a long moment before the laugh turned into sobs. Silently, Arthur took her into his arms and Gwen buried her face in his chest, clinging to him as she sobbed, allowing herself to grieve for her friend.


On the roof of the apartment building, Peter sat down, looking out over the city. Feeling someone walk up beside him, Peter didn’t move.

 

“It makes you feel so small, doesn’t it? Being up here, looking at all the lights of the city,” Matt said wistfully.

 

“How would you know? You can’t see,” Peter said lowly.

 

“Not in the way you do, no. But I can see some of it. Looks like a world on fire to me,” Matt said and paused. “I’m sorry about May Peter. I have some understanding-”

 

“Please don’t tell me you know what I’m going through,” Peter snapped angrily, getting to his feet and glaring up at Matt. “She’s dead, and it’s my fault. She died for nothing.”

 

“You’re still standing here, aren’t you? I wouldn’t call that nothing,” Matt said calmly. “And the people responsible are still out there somewhere.”

 

“And that’s your problem. I don’t care anymore. I’m done,” Peter said, letting the feeling of defeat washing over him.

 

For a long moment, it was silent. Peter was convinced Matt was about to leave when he spoke up.

 

“My father was killed when I was young, a lot younger than you,” Matt said and Peter looked up at him. “I found his lifeless body after he refused to lose a fixed boxing match on purpose. He did because I inspired him not to. I blamed myself for that for a long time, felt like it was my fault. It took me a long time to get passed that.”

 

“I want to kill them. I want to tear those knights apart,” Peter finally said quietly.

 

“It’s understandable. I’ve wanted to kill people like that as well. But I can never bring myself back if I cross that line. Peter, if you take a life, you will be dealing with greater enemies than you’ve ever experienced. Ones you won’t be able to fight back against,” Matt warned him and Peter was silent for a long moment.

 

“I can still hear her voice in my head,” Peter said, beginning to cry again. “She told me with great power, comes great responsibility.”

 

“And she was right about that,” Matt said quietly, placing a hand on Peter’s shoulder and looking down at him. “We have a responsibility to do what’s right, to stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves. May understood that. Maybe she didn’t die for nothing Peter.”

 

“I miss her,” Peter said, lowering his head as he began to cry.

 

“I know. I understand, more than you’ll ever know,” Matt said gently as he pulled Peter into a hug.

Notes:

Mostly a filler chapter, but one where a lot of the characters get some pretty big information dumps. Hope you all enjoyed it anyway.

Chapter 16: Putting the pieces together part one

Summary:

Tensions flare as Team Cap returns to the Compound. Merlin shares his news with the others.

Notes:

Thank you to Aragorn II Elessar for his help with this chapter.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Matt’s apartment

Morning

 

The next morning saw Arthur and Gwen asleep on the couch, seeming peaceful. Arthur though was awake, his eyes flickering open as he thought over everything that had happened yesterday. Specifically, Morgana’s return.

 

She was back and yet not the witch she once was, if Merlin was to be believed. It hardly seemed possible. Was his sister finally free of the madness and anger that had corrupted her entire being?

 

Arthur was broken out of his thoughts when he heard the door open. Arthur looked up and Gwen stirred, opening her eyes sleepily as Merlin entered the apartment, closing the door behind him.

 

“Merlin,” Gwen said as she and Arthur sat up, Gwen rubbing the sleeping from her eyes.

 

“You never came back last night,” Arthur pointed out. “We feared that…”

 

“That I was wrong and Morgana had done something to me?” Merlin supplied. “Like I said, she’s not that person anymore.”

 

“What did she have to say?” Gwen asked, fearing the answer.

 

“She confirmed my fears: Morgause is back, and as Hell bent on ruling this world as she was on ruling Camelot,” Merlin said, to the dismay of his friends.

 

“She’s why I’m back. Why we’re all back,” Arthur said lowly as he glanced over at Gwen.

 

“It took her all night to tell you that?” Gwen asked skeptically.

 

“No, I left Morgana’s apartment a few hours after I left. I went to the police station,” Merlin said, to their surprise.

 

“Why would you go there?” Arthur asked in bewilderment.

 

“To test another theory. Luke Cage was arrested in Philadelphia earlier in the week. He was last seen getting off a bus. I wanted to look at the eye witness accounts. I was on the phone half the night, trying to get in touch with someone who could send me a copy. According to the accounts, Luke was forced to get off the bus when someone matching a description of the knights we fought at May’s apartment stopped the bus,” Merlin said and the other two started.

 

“First Luke, then Peter. But why is that important?” Gwen muttered.

 

“Somehow, it’s connected to The Accords,” Arthur said firmly, knowing it in his heart.

 

“You might be right. It’s a big coincidence that Morgause is sending knights after people who break The Accords. I just wish I knew what her plan was,” Merlin said in frustration.

 

“How are you planning on finding out?”

 

The group looked up, seeing Peter had entered the room at some point.

 

“Peter,” Gwen trailed off.

 

“This Morgause person, she’s the one behind this? She’s the reason May is dead?” Peter demanded as he walked into the room.

 

“Yes,” Arthur said and Gwen shot him a look. “He deserves to know.”

 

“So how do we find out her plan?” Peter demanded, looking around at all of them.

 

“We’re still working on that,” Merlin admitted. “We know Morgause is involved with The Accords somehow, but it’s next to impossible to determine how. There are all sorts of channels I would have to jump through to even begin figure it out, which could take months.”

 

“Which is no easy task,” the four looked up as Matt walked into the room. “This Morgause has somehow turned the law into a weapon for her own agenda. What is that though?”

 

“In the past, she wanted to rule Camelot, allegedly to free those with magic from my father’s reign. Though Why she would not arrange these Accords is a mystery,” Arthur said, perplexed as to what Morgause’s agenda was.

 

Quinjet

Not long after

 

As Sam flew the Quinjet, Steve sat in the co-pilot seat, deep in thought as he remembered discussing this with the others last night.


Barton Safe House

Last night

 

“Tony wants us to come back?” Natasha asked in disbelief after Steve had finished telling the former Avengers of his phone call with Tony.

 

“That’s what he said. According to him, he needs help. People are dead,” Steve said and the room was silent for a long moment.

 

“Do you believe him?” Sam finally broke the silent.

 

“I want to,” Steve admitted.

 

“It’s hard to trust him after everything that went down,” Clint noted and Steve eyed him carefully.

 

“It is. But if he’s telling the truth, if people are getting hurt…don’t we owe it to them to give Tony the benefit of the doubt?” Steve asked pointedly and the room was silent, each of them considering.


“We’ll be coming up on the Compound in a few minutes,” Sam said, breaking Steve out of his thoughts. “You might want to get them ready.”

 

Steve nodded, unstrapping himself before walking back into the Quinjet. Natasha and Clint was getting their gear ready, preparing in case they needed to fight their way out.

 

“You guys ready for this?” Steve asked.

 

“Always ready for a fight Cap,” Clint said and Steve gave him a look.

 

“You know that’s not what I meant Clint,” Steve pointed out and Clint was silent.

 

“I hate him,” Clint finally said. “I trusted him with my greatest secret, and he exposed it. He put my family in danger; I don’t think I’ll ever forgive him for that. But I can control my emotions. I’m not looking for a fight Steve.”

 

Steve looked at him for a long moment before nodding, satisfied that Clint was telling the truth.

 

“We’re coming up on the Compound. Get ready,” Steve told them before walking back towards the copilot chair.


A few minutes later, Sam docked the Quinjet in the hanger bay. The group stepped out, seeing no one was there.

 

“Well that’s ominous,” Sam muttered.

 

“At the very least, we know it’s not a trap. If it were, we’d be surrounded by people trying to arrest us by now,” Natasha pointed out.

 

Silently, the group moved out of the hanger bay and down a familiar corridor. They reached the familiar common room, where Tony was waiting for them. With him were Vision, Rhodey (who was sitting in a wheel chair), and-

 

“Thor?” Clint said in surprise as they saw their old teammate.

 

“It is good to see you my friends, although I wish the circumstances were better,” Thor said as he walked up to them. “We have much to talk about.”


“So someone is pulling the strings behind Ross and The Accords?” Sam asked in disbelief as they all sat in the longue, Thor having explained why he had returned to earth.

 

“I heard it straight from Heimdall. Someone has made pawns of you all,” Thor said as he looked around the room.

 

“Any chance this is the same guy who was behind the Infinity Stone mess?” Natasha wondered but Thor shook his head.

 

“I considered the possibility but their methods are too different. This is someone else,” Thor said with certainty and a beat passed.

 

“And you’ve been back since yesterday morning?” Clint asked curiously and Thor shot him an odd look.

 

“Yes,” Thor said, wondering why he asked such a strange question.

 

“And yet it took Tony until late last night to call Cap,” Clint noted as he turned to Tony, who looked uncomfortable by this line of questioning. “So why did it take you so long to call us? What aren’t you telling us Tony? Again.”

 

“You remember the kid at the airport? The spider guy?” Tony asked, dreading this conversation.

 

“What happened?” Steve asked, all of them sensing the turn of conversation. “Is he dead?”

 

“No. No, he’s not dead. But his aunt is though,” Tony said with a sigh. “He’s on the run, his identity is exposed and…and I didn’t know what else to do. I know I put him in this situation, I figured this was the only way to get him out of it.”

 

“What happened Tony?” Steve asked, wanting as much detail as he could.

 

“I don’t know, I just turned on the news and it said there was some kind of incident at his apartment and that Daredevil was involved. I just…I need to help him, somehow,” Tony said lamely.

 

“What’s his name?” Natasha asked after a moment. “We need to know everything we can if we’re going to help Tony.”

 

“His name is Peter Parker. He um, he just turned fifteen,” Tony said awkwardly and waited for the results.

 

“He’s what?!” Sam exclaimed, staring at Tony in complete disbelief.

 

“My God Tony. What is wrong with you?” Steve asked, staring at Tony in a mix of disappointment and disgust.

 

“You involved a kid in this?” Natasha asked horrified, remembering the Red Room. “A kid?”

 

Tony was suddenly thrown to the floor, holding his face painfully. It took him a moment to realize Clint had jumped up and punched him.

 

“You brought a kid to fight us?!” Clint shouted as Steve and Sam tried to restrain him. “First this kid, then my family! Did you just decide that children were targets as long as you got what you wanted!?”

 

Thor suddenly banged Mjolnir on the floor, hard enough to rock the entire building. Everything stopped as they all looked at Thor, his eyes alight with power.

 

“Enough of this petty squabbling! Our enemies are gathering, we must work together!” Thor snapped before turning to Tony. “I am not happy with you Stark. But there are bigger concerns.”

 

“Like finding the kid,” Rhodey said and Thor nodded his agreement.

 

“Indeed Rhodes. And I know just how to do it,” Thor announced to their surprise.

 

Matt’s apartment

Same time

 

“This is impressive Peter,” Merlin said as he examined Peter’s web shooters. “And you made these at school?”

 

“Yeah. They dissolve after a few hours though,” Peter said honestly.

 

“Still, it’s impressive. What are they teaching you at that school?” Merlin wondered as he handed Peter back his wed shooters.

 

“So, you’re really like, Merlin? From the old stories about Camelot?” Peter asked and Merlin nodded.

 

“Yeah, yeah I am,” Merlin said as he sat down next to Peter.

                                                                                                 

“And Mr. Ronin and Ms. Penn-”

 

“Arthur and Guinevere,” Merlin confirmed and Peter looked like he was having trouble absorbing this.

 

“Can’t believe magic is real,” Peter muttered and Merlin smiled tightly.

 

“There are many things in this world Peter that defy science, that defy explanation. You’re a smart kid Peter, but you still have much to learn,” Merlin told him and it was silent for a moment.

 

“Morgause, she’s responsible for May?” Peter asked finally and Merlin looked at him carefully.

 

“Don’t worry about Morgause Peter. She is my responsibility. I should have stopped her a long time ago. And now I will,” Merlin said darkly.

 

Avengers Compound

Not long after

 

“So how does this work exactly?” Steve asked as the Avengers, former and current, wanted as Thor sat on the ground.

 

“Heimdall sees all. If he’s been watching earth so far, I imagine he knows where Peter is. I just have to ask him,” Thor explained before closing his eyes. “Heimdall, I know you’re watching me. I need you to help me. Help me see.”


When Thor opened his eyes, he found himself in Asgard, in the gate. Heimdall stood a few feet from him.

 

“I knew you’d call to me,” Heimdall said knowingly.

 

“The boy, Parker-” Thor started.

 

“You will find him with a blind man called Murdock. You also find the lost king and the immortal sorcerer,” Heimdall said as he walked up to Thor. “They will shed light on what is happening now. You must go Thor. Midgard needs you.”


As they waited, looking at Thor as he sat on the ground with his eyes closed, Sam walked up to Rhodey.

 

“How you doing man?” Sam asked, looking down at Rhodey’s legs guiltily.

 

“Been better. Getting there,” Rhodey said, seeing the look on Sam’s face. “Look man, this wasn’t your fault. You didn’t fire the shot that hit me. And I’d much rather it be me than you. There’s nothing to feel guilty for Sam.”

 

“So where is Wanda?” Vision questioned, curious as to why she wasn’t here.

 

“She volunteered to stay behind,” Steve said honestly, not yet ready to explain about the knight.

 

“Maybe she didn’t feel comfortable coming back to the place she’d been held prisoner,” Clint said bitingly.

 

Steve and Natasha both shot Clint a look as Vision had a guilty look on his face. Then, Thor opened his eyes.

 

“We’ll find the boy with a blind man called Murdock,” Thor declared and got several stunned looks. “What?”

 

“Murdock, that’s the name?” Steve demanded.

 

“Yes, why?” Thor asked confused.

 

“Matt Murdock. He’s a blind lawyer in Hell’s Kitchen. He helped bring down a criminal named Wilson Fisk,” Rhodey explained.

 

“Twice,” Sam added.

 

“Why would Peter go to him?” Tony asked confused.

 

“Only one way to find out,” Natasha pointed out and Tony nodded.

 

“Looks like I’m getting a new lawyer,” Tony muttered.

 

Matt’s apartment

Not long after

 

Arthur was staring out at the busy street from a window in Matt’s apartment, deep in thought as Gwen walked up behind him.

 

“Are you alright?” Gwen asked concerned.

 

“Are you?” Arthur asked and she nodded, conceding his point. “I just wish I knew what Morgause was after.”

 

Gwen placed a hand on his shoulder, not sure what to say to comfort him when they heard a banging on the door.

 

“Murdock! Hey, Murdock!” an unfamiliar voice said on the other side of the door.

 

“Who is that?” Gwen hissed as she saw Matt step into view.

 

“A friend. I should have expected this,” Matt said as he walked towards the door.

 

“Hey, what are you doing?” Arthur snapped, almost going for Excalibur.

 

“Opening the door. I get trying to protect your secret, especially Peter’s, but Jessica is someone we can trust. And if I don’t open the door, she’ll knock it down anyway,” Matt pointed out.

 

“Jessica. Like Jessica Jones?” Gwen asked in surprise and Matt nodded.

 

“One in the same,” Matt said before opening the door. “Good to see you to Jessica.”

 

“Cut the shit Murdock. You’re all over the news with that Spider-Kid and-” Jessica stormed passed him into the apartment before freezing as she saw Arthur and Gwen.

 

“As you can see, I have company,” Matt said dryly as he shut the door.

 

“You’re the guy who helped Luke,” Jessica said as she stared at Arthur, recognizing him from the police sketch.

 

“Yes I am. I’m only sorry I wasn’t able to do more to help him,” Arthur said in remorse as Merlin and Peter came out, wondering what all the commotion was.

 

“You should sit down Jessica. It’s a long story,” Matt told her.

Notes:

Probably a strange place to stop but the transition to the next scene felt really awkward and clunky. Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter anyway.

Chapter 17: Putting the pieces together part two

Summary:

Tony and the former Avengers meet up with Merlin and the others, learning the truth about what is happening. Morgana has another encounter with Morgause.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Unspecified location

Afternoon

 

“You failed to acquire Peter Parker,” Ross said angrily as he and Morgause stood in a dark room.

 

“Yes. There was interference,” Morgause said with a scowl, knowing Arthur was involved somehow. “Parker would have been useful. But it doesn’t matter. It’s time to put our plan into action. Are you ready?”

 

“I’ve been ready for months. I’ve been waiting on you. But are you sure our new recruit is ready?” Ross inquired and Morgause smirked viciously.

 

“He is. I’ve made sure of it. And after tonight, we will have what is rightfully ours,” Morgause vowed.

 

Matt’s apartment

Same time

 

For a long moment, the room was silent. Jessica was sitting on the couch, staring at the others as she took a moment to process what she had just heard.

 

“So you’re-” Jessica started as she turned towards Arthur.

 

“Yes.”

 

“And you’re-”

 

“Yes,” Merlin nodded.

 

“And you-”

 

“Yes,” Gwen confirmed and Jessica was silent for another long moment.

 

“First the Hand, now this. I really need a drink,” Jessica muttered.

 

“And that’s different from normal?” Matt asked dryly and she laughed.

 

“Didn’t know you were cheekily Murdock. So this Morgause chick is working with Ross to take down powered people, including Luke?” Jessica asked, the other part of their conversation coming back to her.

 

“Yes, although we haven’t been able to figure out why yet,” Arthur confirmed.

 

“Knowing Morgause, she’ll make her move soon. And whatever it is, people will suffer because of it,” Merlin said darkly and another beat passed.

 

Then Matt turned his head, looking like he was listening to something.

 

“Murdock? What’s up?” Jessica asked the only one familiar with how Matt looked when he was listening to something.

 

“Someone’s coming. There are three people on the roof, one more walking down the hall towards my apartment,” Matt announced to their alarm.

 

“Shit,” Jessica swore.

 

“Do they have any weapons?” Arthur asked, his mind already racing as he tried to figure a way out of this.

 

“Not that I can tell, but the Hand taught me that guns aren’t the only kinds of weapons someone uses,” Matt said darkly.

 

“My tingle didn’t go off though,” Peter argued.

 

“Your what?” Jessica asked as they all looked at him oddly.

 

“It’s a sort of danger sense. It went off at the apartment when those knights came,” Peter pointed out and Merlin realized that was how he had sensed the knights’ approach.

 

“That doesn’t mean they’re not a threat. We should treat them as such,” Arthur said, already grabbing Excalibur.

 

“Arthur, come with me up to the roof. The rest of you stay here, deal with whoever’s coming,” Matt all but ordered.

 

Arthur followed Matt up the roof without a word as the other waited for whoever was on the other side of the door. They could hear their hearts hammering in their ears when, to their surprise, someone knocked on the front door.

 

“Kid…Peter, it’s me,” Tony Stark’s voice was heard on the other side of the door. “I heard what happened. I’m sorry, about May, about all of it. I know you’re mad at me but…I just wanted to make sure you’re okay. Please, just open the door kid.”

 

For a long moment, the group silent, the adults looking at Peter, who had a blank look on his face. Then, he looked at Merlin and nodded.

 

“Are you sure about this Peter?” Merlin asked, not able to shake his distrust of Tony just yet.

 

Tony Stark did have a reputation after all.

 

“Yeah,” Peter said in a voice that left no doubt.

 

Merlin wanted to refuse. But Peter was a smart kid, and it was his choice. So, reluctantly, Merlin walked over to the front door and opened it, revealing Tony Stark standing on the other side of the door.

 

“Mr. Stark,” Merlin said blankly, stepping aside so Tony could step in.

 

Tony walked inside, seeming relieved to see Peter. And that was when Peter struck.

 

Merlin had barely closed the door behind him when Peter shot out two streams of webbing. Tony stumbled back as he was hit, both of his arms pinned to the wall by the webbing. Tony was left staring stupidly at Peter, who lowered his arms as he gave Tony a dark look.

 

“Shit. I like your style kid,” Jessica muttered, impressed.


Up on the roof, Arthur and Matt, who had donned his mask, stepped out, looking around for the intruders. As they turned around, Arthur nearly dropped Excalibur as he saw who they were.

 

“Nice sword,” Natasha mentioned as she, Steve and Clint stood a few feet away.

 

Arthur stared at them silently for a few moments. While he had never met them personally, he was well aware of who they all were. Their pictures had been flashes across the news every day while he had been staying with Merlin and Gwen.

 

“What are the Avengers doing here?” Arthur asked, not lowering his sword.

 

“We were just in the neighborhood,” Clint said sarcastically.

 

“If you’re here for a fight-” Matt started, preparing himself.

 

“We’re not,” Steve quickly assured them.

 

“What do you want?” Arthur asked wearily.

 

“We heard about Peter Parker, we wanted to help. We were also told that we’d meet two people who could help us put things together,” Steve said as he stepped forward.

 

“Who told you that?” Matt asked suspiciously.

 

“Thor, who received Intel from someone he trusts,” Natasha said.

 

“He called them the lost king and immortal sorcerer,” Clint added and Arthur tensed. “You know them?”

 

For a long moment, Arthur stared at them. But, from what he knew, Steve Rogers was an honorable man. And these three were fighting against The Accords, same as him. Arthur looked at Matt, who seemed to be having an internal struggle of his own. He gave Arthur a barely visible nod and Arthur finally lowered his sword to his side.

 

“Come in, we have a lot to talk about,” Arthur said.


“Kid, I get that you’re mad, but is this necessary?” Tony asked as he tugged uselessly, trying to break his hands free.

 

“Did you know what was gonna happen? Did you know they were coming after me?” Peter demanded and Tony was visibly shocked.

 

“Of course not! I tried to protect you from this!” Tony argued.

 

“A fat lot of good that did,” Jessica scoffed.

 

“Hey, this isn’t my fault!” Tony said defensively.

 

“Yes it is,” Peter said coldly, taking Tony aback. “When bad things happen and you don’t do anything about it, they happen because of you.”

 

“This May chick. Luke. Even that Nelson guy. How many other people has Ross gone after while you sat in your fucking mansion?” Jessica demanded angrily.

 

“You say it’s not your fault. What have you done to stop it? What have you done other than give up, go along?” Gwen asked icily, sounding very much the queen she had once been.

 

“Doing nothing to stop evil is no different than doing evil yourself. Trust me, I know,” Merlin said, reminding all the times he had stood back and done nothing to change Arthur’s mind about magic.

 

Tony opened and closed his mouth but no sound came out. Because they were right. He had done nothing to stop this. He’d had his reasons, but since finding out about May, they all felt like excuses.

 

“Having fun Tony?”

 

Everyone looked up, everyone but Tony stunned to see the former Avengers walking down with Arthur and Matt.

 

“Funny Romanoff,” Tony grumbled as Natasha smirked at him.

 

“Arthur, what is this?” Merlin asked.

 

“They’re here to check on Peter. And see us,” Arthur said simply as he looked at Merlin. “They were led here by Thor.”

 

“I know you’ve all been through a lot the last few weeks, but we are on the same side. We’re here to help,” Steve assured them, his eyes lingering on Peter for a moment longer than the others. “I’m sorry about May Queens.”

 

“Just don’t tell me you know I’m going through. I’ve heard it all before,” Peter muttered and Steve nodded.

 

“Captain America is in your apartment Murdock. The world’s turned upside fucking down,” Jessica muttered.

 

“Language,” Steve said, out of habit more than anything else.

 

“What are you, from the 40’s? …oh, I guess you are,” Jessica realized.

 

“Thank you for outing my secret identity Jessica,” Matt grumbled as he removed his mask.

 

“Oh like they weren’t gonna figure it out,” Jessica scoffed.

 

“So now that we know everyone’s on the same side, can someone let me go?” Tony asked annoyed.

 

“I don’t know, I think we should let him stay there for a bit,” Natasha said only half joking.

 

Tony glared at her as everyone, unable to help themselves, let out a laugh. But Tony’s glare was only halfhearted, recognizing the familiar banter and a part of himself, a larger part than he’d ever admit, had missed it.

 

“So, let’s compare notes,” Clint said.

 

New York

Same time

 

In her apartment, Morgana was watching the news, which was featuring a report on the incident at the Parker’s apartment. Remembering Merlin’s description of the events, Morgana knew Morgause was involved.

 

“A shame, isn’t it?”

 

Startled, Morgana jumped to her feet. Morgause was standing a few feet away from her. Morgana hadn’t even heard her come in.

 

“What are you doing here?” Morgana demanded her heart racing as she feared Morgause had come to punish her.

 

“I’m here to offer you one last chance. Tonight, I shall take back what is rightfully mine; make this into a paradise for those like us. It would be much easier with my sister by my side,” Morgause said as she walked up until she was standing face to face with Morgana. “Join me; help me usher in a better world.”

 

“You call this better?” Morgana asked, gesturing to the TV. “I’m getting a pretty good picture of what your world would be like. It’s not that different from Uther’s. No, I won’t join you. If you’re here to kill me, just do it. I won’t let you control me anymore.”

 

“Kill you? I’m not going to kill you. Death is too good for you,” Morgause hissed, a dark look crossing her face as she glowered at Morgana. “You should have joined me when you had the chance, sister. Now you will face the consequences.”

 

Morgause’s eyes flashed gold and a powerful whirl wind filled the room. Various items flew across the room and Morgana was temporarily blind. When it all stopped, Morgana saw her sister was gone.

 

Matt’s apartment

Later in the day

 

“Son of a bitch,” Tony muttered as the Avengers, current and former, stared at Arthur, Merlin and Gwen in disbelief.

 

“So you’re…” Clint trailed off as he stared at the three, hardly able to believe it.

 

“It’s a lot to take in, I know,” Merlin said, only able to imagine how hard it was to wrap their minds around.

 

“After all we’ve seen, you’d think nothing could surprise me anymore. And then this,” Natasha muttered, feeling like she needed to lie down.

 

The only person who seemed unsurprised was Steve. But, Merlin mused, after waking up seven decades in the future, this probably wasn’t the strangest thing to ever happen to him.

 

“And Morgause is behind all of this?” Steve asked.

 

“At the very least, she’s pulling Ross’s strings,” Gwen noted.

 

“And she has those knights, working for her,” Arthur added and three of the Avengers looked at him sharply.

 

“Knights. Wearing black armor?” Natasha asked and the others looked stunned.

 

“Yes. How did you know?” Arthur asked suspiciously.

 

Before any of them could answer, someone knocked on the door.

 

“Expecting company Murdock?” Jessica asked.

 

“No,” Matt said, using his hearing. “It’s one person outside. A woman I think.”

 

“My tingle didn’t go off,” Peter pointed out.

 

“Kid, you gotta call it something else,” Jessica said in exasperation.

 

Wearily, Merlin walked over to the front door, gesturing for everyone to be quiet. Opening the door, he was surprised to see who was on the other end.

 

“Morgana,” he said in surprise.

 

“Merlin,” Morgana said as she saw him, seeming relieved.

 

“Um, what are you doing here?” Merlin asked in confusion.

 

“I was looking for you. I just…I don’t know, I had a feeling you might be here,” Morgana said, not really able to explain it.

 

But Merlin could. Somehow, her magic had her here. It was known to happen, even subconsciously.

 

“Morgause paid me another visit,” Morgana said, breaking Merlin out of his thoughts.

 

“Are you alright? Did she hurt you?” Merlin asked in concern.

 

“No, but she made a none too subtle threat. Whatever her plan is, she’s going to pull it off today,” Morgana warned him.

 

“Well why don’t you come inside and tell us what she told you?” Jessica called from inside.

 

“Hey, she doesn’t-” Merlin said immediately as he turned back to face the others.

 

“Merlin, it’s alright,” Morgana cut him off. “Why do you think I came here?”

 

“Morgana,” Merlin started as he turned back to her.

 

“You told me I had a choice this time. But Morgause is no different than I was in the past. She won’t stop until she kills everyone she sees as a threat, a list I am now on. There’s no choice to make,” Morgana told him.

 

From inside the room, Arthur stared at her silently. While to him it had been mere weeks since he had last seen Morgana, so full of hate, but it had literally been a lifetime for her. She resembled the girl he had grown up with far more than the woman she died as. And, as Merlin let her come in, Morgana’s eyes seemed to find his. There was no hate or disgust, no glint of madness. Now, there just an awkward and shamed look on her face as she saw him.

 

“Arthur,” Morgana said lowly.

 

“Morgana,” Arthur greeted in a matching tone.

 

“Wow, you can actually feel the awkward,” Jessica said sarcastically.

 

“So you’re like, Morgana Le Fey?” Peter asked trying to wrap his head around.

 

“Once. Now I’m just Morgana,” Morgana as she tore her gaze away from Arthur.

 

“What exactly did Morgause tell you?” Steve asked, getting down to business.

 

“That she was about to make her move to reclaim what she sees as rightfully hers,” Morgana said as she turned to Steve, not seeming surprised to see Captain America. “She tried to convince me to join her. When I refused, she basically said I’d regret it.”

 

“What would Morgause want to reclaim?” Natasha inquired.

 

“In the past, she wanted to rule Camelot, allegedly to free the persecuted from the reign of tear by my father,” Arthur noted.

 

“How she’d do the same thing now, I really don’t know,” Morgana added.

 

“And these knights, where does she get them?” Gwen wondered.

 

“She brainwashes them,” Clint said and everyone but Steve and Natasha turned to him.

 

“How do you know that?” Matt asked.

 

“Because earlier in the week, Luke Cage caused the transport that was taking him to the Raft to crash. One of the knights was on board. As luck had it, the transport crashed not far from the safe house my family and I were staying at,” Clint explained and Jessica started.

 

“You’ve seen Luke? Is he alright?” Jessica asked immediately. 

 

“He got a little banged up in the crash, but he’s fine,” Clint quickly assured her. “I found him and the knight and knocked out the knight, brought them both back to the safe house.”

 

“He then called us, we got out there so Wanda could try and read his mind,” Steve explained.

 

“Did she find out anything?” Tony asked eagerly.

 

“Just what Clint said: the knights are being brainwashed. Wanda went into the mind of the knight and found a blond woman in his head. They fought and Wanda won, but the knight went catatonic afterwards. He said one word before he did: Morgause,” Natasha explained.

 

“Which makes a lot more sense now, he was trying to warn us,” Steve added.

 

“It’s a ritual,” Morgana said and everyone turned to her. “They’re right, the knights are being brainwashed. Morgause is using an ancient ritual to strip people of their free will and make them into her knights.”

 

“Like the Dark Tower,” Merlin muttered and Morgana grimaced, shame filling her before she responded.

 

“No. The Dark Tower fills you with hate; this ritual takes away your free will until the only thing left is a desire to serve whoever cast it. Only a High Priestess was capable of casting it,” Morgana explained. “Or reversing it.”

 

“You’re saying you can bring them all back to normal?” Tony asked in surprise.

 

“Better than that. This knight that’s in a coma, I can bring him back to,” Morgana said to their shock. “I just need to get to him.”

 

“We’ll get you on the first Quinjet out there,” Clint said immediately.

 

“No need,” Merlin said and they all turned to him. “I can get us there. Just tell me where they are, and I’ll get us there.”

 

Barton safe house

Not long after

 

It was what seemed to be a normal afternoon in the safe house. The kids were playing, Laura was putting Nate down for his nap, and Wanda was taking a brief break from her vigil by the man’s bedside, she was currently playing cards with Luke.

 

Then, a powerful gust of wind blew through the room. Wanda and Luke looked up from their game as the kids stopped, staring a small cyclone that had inexplicably appeared in the room.

 

Wanda and Luke stood up to protect the kids but, as quickly as it had come, it vanished. In the place of the cyclone stood Steve, Clint, Natasha, Arthur, Merlin, Morgana and Jessica.

 

“Cool,” Cooper said looking awestruck.

 

“Uh, what was what?” Luke asked looking bewildered.

 

“Teleportation spell,” Merlin said as he looked around.

 

“Luke,” Jessica said as she rushed over.

 

“Jessica,” Luke said in surprise before Jessica all but tackled him in a hug.

 

“Is someone going to explain what’s going on?” Wanda asked in bewilderment.

 

“They can fill you in. But right now, I need to see the knight,” Morgana said as she looked over at Clint.


Not long after, Clint showed her the room. As Morgana, Arthur and Merlin all walked inside, they were stunned to see the man lying on the bed.

 

“My gods,” Arthur said in disbelief.

 

“What is it? Do you know him?” Clint asked as he saw their reactions.

 

“Yes, he was in Camelot with the rest of us,” Merlin explained, staring at the man in the same disbelief as Arthur.

 

“His name is Gwaine. He was one of my knights,” Arthur said lowly. “How is he back as well?”

 

“We can figure that out later, once I bring his mind back,” Morgana said as she walked over to the bed.

 

“Are you sure you can?” Clint asked skeptically.

 

“Yes. Just give me a minute,” Morgana snapped annoyed.

 

Sitting down in the chair Wanda had occupied for the last few days, Morgana placed a hand on Gwaine’s temple. Her eyes flashed gold and she began saying words that sounded like gibberish to all but Merlin. 

 

Then, Gwaine’s hand shot up and wrapped around her throat.

 

“Witch,” Gwaine sneered weakly as he glared at her hatefully.

 

Before Morgana could react, Arthur, Merlin and Clint all rushed over and pried Gwaine’s hand away from Morgana’s throat. Morgana stepped back, putting a hand to her throat as the men subdued Gwaine.

 

“Gwaine, calm down,” Merlin told him.

 

“We’re on the same side now Gwaine,” Arthur told him as Gwaine stared up at them before his eyes closed.

 

“He’ll be alright, he’s just weak. Let him rest, then get him some food and water,” Morgana said, her hand still on her throat.

 

“I’m sorry about Gwaine,” Arthur said, feeling responsible for his former knight.

 

“Don’t be Arthur. The last time we met, I was an enemy. And I did kill him,” Morgana remembered in remorse. “Let him rest. Then, once he wakes up, maybe he can shed some light on my sister’s plan.”

Notes:

And the pieces are so slowly starting to fall into place. Buckle up, it’s gonna be a wild ride from here on out.

Yes, Gwaine is one of the knights. Bet you weren’t expecting that. Morgause’s reasons for brainwashing Gwaine will become clear.

Chapter 18: Morgause's plan

Summary:

Arthur and Morgana confront their past as Gwaine reveals Morgause's plan.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Barton Safe House

Mid Afternoon

 

“Gwaine is back?” Gwen exclaimed in disbelief as Merlin told her the whole story on the phone.

 

“Either that or it’s someone who looks just like him. But considering Morgause is involved, I wouldn’t bet on that,” Merlin said darkly.

 

“If Gwaine is back, does that mean…” Gwen trailed off but Merlin already knew what she was getting at, as the thought had occurred to him as well.

 

“That more of our friends from the past are back as well? I wish I knew Gwen. We’ll have to wait until Gwaine wakes up, see what he knows,” Merlin said regretfully.

 

“If what Morgana said is true, we don’t have long,” Gwen said uneasily and a beat passed. “Keep me up to date. I’m on my way with Peter and Matt to the Avengers Compound.”

 

“Be careful. I don’t trust Stark,” Merlin warned her.

 

“Neither do I, but I know how to handle men like him. Don’t worry about me,” Gwen assured him and Merlin sighed.

 

“Alright. I’ll talk to you when I know more,” Merlin promised before hanging up.

 

For a long moment, Merlin stood alone in the kitchen before he heard someone clear their throat. Merlin turned around to see Laura standing in the doorway awkwardly.

 

“Would you like some tea?” Laura asked looking like she wasn’t sure what to say.

 

“I’m fine, thank you,” Merlin assured her and a beat passed. “I’m sorry for just dropping in on you like this.”

 

“Its fine, I’m used to it. I’m actually having a bit of a geek moment, King Arthur was one of my favorite books as a kid,” Laura admitted and Merlin grimaced.

 

“That book is pretty inaccurate,” Merlin informed her to Laura’s surprise.

 

“Really?”

 

“Maybe a quarter of it actually happened, but not like that. I got drunk a few centuries afterward, ended up rambling to the person sitting next to me, who happened to be a writer. Not sure how much of what they recorded was my drunken ramblings and what they made up,” Merlin admitted sheepishly.

 

“So what did actually happen? If you don’t mind me asking,” Laura said as she realized she was being rude.

 

“It’s fine. It’s just a complicated story. If we all live through this, I’ll tell you everything over tea,” Merlin promised with a slight smile.


Later that afternoon, Morgana was sitting on the front porch, looking up at the sky deep in thought when she heard the front door open and close as someone walked out. Morgana didn’t react, having expected this at some point.

 

“Are you alright?” Arthur asked as he stepped up beside Morgana.

 

“Are you? Everything that’s going on, I feel like it’s my punishment. I did so many horrible things back in Camelot, but I never realized…this was what it was like for all the people I hurt. It feels a lot different on this side of the fence,” Morgana admitted and it was silent for a moment.

 

“Do you remember when I was fourteen and I came back from a scouting mission just after my birthday celebration?” Arthur asked randomly and Morgana shot him a look.

 

But she did remember. Arthur had come back with a haunted look in his eyes. He didn’t eat or say anything to anyone besides Uther for three days. Morgana had never had the courage to ask what happened, and then they had grown so distant she just simply hadn’t cared.

 

“We found a Druid Camp. I was young, eager to prove myself. So I led a raid on it. I told my men to spare the Druids, but I know some did not. I could have stopped it, but I didn’t. I can still hear the screams,” Arthur said, that same haunted look in his eyes now. “Shortly after Guinevere was banished, my most trusted knights and I ran across the camp. Guinevere’s brother disturbed the sight and became possessed by the spirit of one of the Druid’s. I promised them I would never let anything like what happened then happened again…but I still didn’t lift the ban on magic.”

 

“It’s not like I gave you much reason. I…I killed Uther. I had Agravaine place a charm around Uther’s neck that reversed Merlin’s healing spell,” Morgana confessed and a silence descended on them.

 

“I know,” Arthur said and she looked at him stunned. “Once I learned the truth about Merlin, many incidents from the past became very clear. I’ve known you killed our father since the day I died. And while I don’t forget it, I do acknowledge you suffered at his hand more than most. It’s all very complicated. None of us are innocent; we both have much to atone for. But I forgive you Morgana. I forgive you for everything.”

 

Morgana stared at her brother silently, many emotions and thoughts going through her head, shock and disbelief chief among them. But, for the first time, she saw what Merlin saw; saw why he had stayed so loyal to Arthur. No longer did she see the brash, selfish prince she had grown up with. She saw the king the stories spoke about, the king that had united Albion against her.

 

“Arthur,” the siblings looked back as the door opened and Merlin stuck his head out. “Gwaine’s awake.”


A few minutes later, Arthur, Merlin, Morgana, the former Avengers, Luke and Jessica entered the room. Gwaine sat up in bed, looking pale but very much aware of what was happening around him.

 

“What is she doing here?” Gwaine sneered as he glared at Morgana, who looked uncomfortable at his reaction but made no move to look away, knowing she deserved his hate.

 

“She’s here to help. She’s on our side this time Gwaine,” Merlin assured him.

 

“How do you know she’s not playing you?” Gwaine demanded.

 

“Because my sister wants me dead. I want to stop her as much as you. You have every right to hate me Gwaine, but remember who it was that brought back from the state Morgause left you in,” Morgana pointed out and Gwaine paused, still suspicious.

 

“I’m not asking you to trust her Gwaine, I’m asking you to trust me,” Arthur said and Gwaine turned to his king.

 

“You know I trust you Arthur,” Gwaine said firmly.

 

“Good. Because we need your help Gwaine,” Arthur said as he walked over, placing a hand on his knight’s shoulder.

 

“What do you need?” Gwaine asked immediately.

 

“Everything,” Merlin said.

 

“Morgause is planning something, we know that. She’s been manipulating everything for longer than we know,” Steve started. “We need to know what she’s planning. Do you know anything? What’s her agenda? Why the Accords, why Ross?”

 

“She wants what she did back in Camelot: complete control over everything. But she knows how to get it now,” Gwaine said grimly.

 

“How?” Luke asked.

 

“Where do you want me to start?” Gwaine asked sarcastically.

 

“How about how you’re back?” Merlin inquired.

 

“That I really don’t know. I was just…I was back. I died, then I was born again in the late twentieth century,” Gwaine said lamely. “I didn’t even remember my past life until Morgause found me. These men with guns abducted me, threw me in the back of a van and the next thing I knew, I was in some underwater prison.”

 

“The Raft. It’s where Ross sends everyone who violates The Accords,” Natasha explained and Gwaine nodded.

 

“Yeah, there were others there with me. I saw Percival, Leon, Lancelot, Elyan,” Gwaine said, looking over at Arthur and Merlin as they paled. “I don’t know how long we were there, but Morgause used magic to brainwash us until we became her knights. I think I saw Gaius there to but I’m not sure.”

 

“We’re back, we’re all back,” Arthur muttered as he turned to Merlin in shock. “How?”

 

“I think it’s a response to Morgause being back. We were needed, so we were brought back by some kind of magic,” Merlin mused.

 

“This still doesn’t explain why Morgause is working with Ross or why she’s behind The Accords,” Steve argued.

 

“It does if you know Morgause,” Morgana said as her sister’s plan became clear to her. “I didn’t get it until Gwaine mentioned The Raft. Due to The Accords, any enhanced/powered or even just vigilantes are taken there, where Morgause can do exactly what she did to Gwaine to all of them.”

 

“Giving her the perfect way to build up her army without needing to recruit anyone,” Clint realized.

 

“It’s why she wanted Luke and Peter,” Merlin said as the realization hit them all.

 

“With more and more people being rounded up each day, who knows how many she’s already turned,” Arthur said in dismay.

 

“Shit,” Jessica summed up what they were all thinking.

 

“Okay, so she’s building an army, what for?” Luke inquired.

 

“Exactly what any army is for, war,” Gwaine said as they turned back to him. “We were mindless, but she still explained her plan to us so we could carry it out. She’s going to assassinate the President and then take control of America.”

 

“What the fuck?” Jessica exclaimed and no one bothered to correct her as they stared at Gwaine in shock.

 

“They really think that the American people are going to allow that?” Steve asked skeptically.

 

“You can say a lot about Americans, but they would never take that without lying down. There would be an uprising,” Natasha agreed.

 

“Which is why Morgause and Ross plan to it quietly, without anyone knowing,” Gwaine said and they all looked at him. “They’ll control things behind the scenes for a while and by the time anyone figures out the truth, it’ll be too late to stop them.”

 

“That’s impossible. The President is the most guarded man in America. Even with Ross’s connections, he wouldn’t be able to do it without someone noticing,” Natasha argued.

 

“Unless you can get in and out of the White House without anyone noticing you were there,” Clint said, paling as the realization hit him. “Guys, has there been any news about Lang since he turned himself in?”

 

For a moment, the room was silent as Steve, Natasha and Wanda exchanged horrified glances as Clint’s suggestion sunk in.

 

“It’s been almost two weeks since Scott turned himself. Would that be enough time for Morgause to turn him?” Steve asked as he looked over at Morgana.

 

“It would take her mere days to turn someone. Who is Scott Lang?” Morgana asked confused.

 

“The guy in Germany who grew sixty feet tall,” Wanda explained.

 

“He has a suit that can shrink him down to the size of an ant. He could be in and out of the White House without anyone the wiser,” Natasha said in frustration.

 

“He sent his suit to someone he trusted before turning himself in, but all he has to do is tell Morgause and Ross where it is and…” Steve trailed off as the implications sunk in for all of them.

 

“Well, we’re fucked,” Jessica said bluntly.

 

White House

Not long after

 

In the oval office, President Matthew Ellis was signing a document when he heard a noise. Looking up, Ellis was stunned to see Scott Lang dressed in his Ant-Man suit. Before Ellis could even react, Scott had raised a pistol at Ellis and fired.

Notes:

And Mogause’s plan has finally been revealed. Hope it all makes sense.

Chapter 19: Gathering of heroes

Summary:

Morgause begins to take control as the heroes begin to prepare for their next meeting with her.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Barton Safe House

Late afternoon

 

In the kitchen, Gwaine was scarfing down the food in front of him as the others sat around the table, discussing everything they had learned.

 

“My sister told me that whatever she was planning was going down today. And if Lang can shrink, the President is probably already dead,” Morgana mused as they all considered the implications.

 

“Even with Ross on her side, Morgause won’t be able to keep this quiet for long,” Natasha argued. “The President is under surveillance near constantly. They’re going to notice if he’s suddenly missing.”

 

“Yes she can,” Gwaine said as he swallowed. “One of the Enhanced she turned was an Inhuman who could change into anyone just by looking at them, right down to the voice.”

 

“If that’s the case, then she can keep up this charade as long as she wants. With Ross either covering it up or threatening anyone into remaining quiet,” Steve mused as he frowned.

 

“So this bitch can control our government and no one can know? She makes the Hand look like Saturday morning cartoon villains,” Jessica said in disbelief.

 

“I miss the ninjas,” Luke deadpanned.

 

“She only controls everything as long as she can control her army of powered people,” Clint disagreed, looking over at Morgana. “You freed Gwaine; can you free the others to?”

 

“I freed Gwaine because Morgause’s influence was almost gone. To free the others would take too much time and we don’t know how many she’s turned. The only way to really free them all would be to kill the High Priestess who performed the ritual. To kill Morgause,” Morgana explained and the room was silent, each of them processing this new information.

 

“So, we kill her, and then they all go back to normal?” Wanda inquired.

 

“It’s not that simple I’m afraid,” Merlin said with a sigh.

 

“A High Priestess can only be killed by a magical weapon or by a great burst of magical power. They are of magic, so only magic can kill them,” Morgana explained.

 

“Magical weapon?” Luke asked in disbelief.

 

“Like a sword forged in a dragon’s breathe,” Arthur said, looking at Luke pointedly and he understood.

 

“Like your sword,” Luke said and Arthur nodded.

 

“There will be no weapon,” Merlin said firmly and they all looked at him. “I’ll do it.”

 

“Merlin, she’s my sister. I should do it,” Morgana offered but Merlin shook his head.

 

“No. I should have killed her long ago, back before she got her claws into you, back when she tried to turn Arthur against Uther,” Merlin said as he looked over at Arthur. “I had the chance to stop all of this long ago, but I stayed my hand. Everything that happened after that is my fault. I can’t change that, but I will make it right. I will be the one to kill Morgause.”

 

White House

Same time

 

Morgause waved a hand, her eyes flashing gold and the blood and Ellis’s lifeless body both vanished from the oval office, leaving no sign that the dark deed that had happened minutes earlier had ever occurred.

 

“And we can trust that no one will reveal our secret?” Morgause inquired as she turned to face Ross.

 

“Everyone who might reveal what happened is either with us or knows the consequences of what such an action would entail. Our secret is safe,” Ross assured her and Morgause nodded.

 

“Then it’s time to bring in our shape shifter. Where is she?” Morgause inquired.

 

“With the doctor,” Ross said simply and Morgause smirked.

 

Avengers Compound

Not long after

 

Peter sat looking out the window that overlooked the Compound’s lawn. A few weeks ago, he would have been over the moon at being at the Avenger’s Compound. But after everything that happened, it was just a place to him.

 

Several feet away, Gwen watched Peter in concern. He’d barely said a word since they left Matt’s apartment, not that Gwen could blame him. He’d been through a lot the last twenty four hours ago.

 

“How’s he doing?” Sam asked as he walked up next to her.

 

“I don’t know. He…hasn’t said much since we got here,” Gwen admitted. “I’m trying to give him space but I’m worried.”

 

“He just lost his only family. Give him some time,” Sam told her and paused. “So you’re really…”

 

“Yeah, I’m Guinevere, but everyone calls me Gwen,” Gwen said and Sam took a moment to process the surrealism of this.

 

“I thought the craziest thing I’d have to deal with was a god coming to earth. And now this,” Sam muttered and she smiled weakly.

 

“Sorry. It’s a lot to take in, I know,” Gwen said apologetically.

 

“And Arthur and Merlin are back to?” Sam asked, his mind blown when Gwen nodded. “Damn. And you and Arthur…”

 

“Together. That thing with Lancelot did not play out the way the stories say, those books are extremely inaccurate,” Gwen said as she grimaced.

 

“So you and Lancelot never…” Sam trailed off awkwardly. I’m sorry, that was rude. Forget I said anything.”

 

“It’s fine. I wouldn’t say never. I wasn’t born a queen, I was a servant to Morgana, who was Uther’s ward,” Gwen explained, to Sam’s surprise. “Arthur and I grew up together, we were friends but we were never that close until Merlin arrived at Camelot. Not long after, Lancelot appeared in Camelot. He was handsome, chivalrous, kind, how could I not be attracted to him?”

 

“From the way you talk, things didn’t progress much after that,” Sam noted and she shrugged.

 

“He left Camelot not long after. Arthur and I grew closer and started to fall for each other. But Uther was very insistent that Arthur marry for the kingdom, not for love. So we tried to push our feelings away. But it was like fate, we couldn’t fight them. By the time Lancelot became a knight, Arthur and I were deeply in love and knew the only future we wanted was one where we were together. Lancelot died to stop a threat Morgana had unleashed but Morgana brought him back as a sort of phantom. She put a bracelet on me that was enchanted to make me fall in love with Lancelot. Arthur caught us in the act and banished me,” Gwen said with a heavy sigh, remembering the deeply painful separation from her love. “But, even though neither of us knew the truth, Arthur was able to forgive my betrayal and we were together until his death.”

 

“Sounds like a better story anyway. Wonder how the others got told?” Sam wondered and Gwen shrugged.

 

“You’ll have to ask Merlin about that, he always get embarrassed whenever I ask,” Gwen said, wondering why Merlin always seemed to hedge on his answers.


“So the devil of Hell’s Kitchen is a blind lawyer? How does that work?” Tony asked as he stood in his office with Matt, shuffling some papers around as he looked for something.

 

“Long story,” Matt said simply and it didn’t escape Tony that Matt was being less than fourth coming with the details.

 

“Don’t get too excited to tell me,” Tony said dryly.

 

“I’m just a little hesitant to share intimate details of my life with someone known to recruit children,” Matt said coolly and Tony barely stopped the grimace from crossing is face.

 

“Okay, that’s fair,” Tony admitted awkwardly.

 

“I’m here because we have a common enemy; I’m not your friend Stark. I don’t trust you; my best friend is sitting in jail right now with his only crime being helping a man on the run because of The Accords you supported. Just one piece of the collateral damage you haven’t cared about until now,” Matt said coolly.

 

Tony winced, wishing he could fight back. But he couldn’t say he was wrong. Rhodey had tried more than once to talk to him about the affects The Accords were having, but he’d ignored it until May. How many people had suffered because he hadn’t wanted to hear what Rhodey had to say?

 

Tony was broken out of his thoughts when a beep pierced the room, a holographic screen appearing between him and Matt.

 

“What’s that?”  Matt inquired as Tony looked at it.

 

“Security alert from the front gate,” Tony said as he swiped the screen.

 

The screen changed into footage from the front gate, showing a familiar back man in a trench coat standing outside.

 

“I leave you all alone for five minutes, and it all goes to shit,” Fury said as Tony stared at the screen in disbelief.

 

Unknown location

Not long after

 

Morgause walked down a long hall into a room that seemed to be a med bay. Inside, a blue skinned woman was being examined by a greyed haired man.

 

“How is she, Doctor?” Morgause asked as she entered the room.

 

“Her injuries from the Raft will heal in time, but she should have no problem using her abilities,” the doctor said stiffly as he stepped back from the blue skinned woman.

 

“I should hope so, as the plan hinges on it,” Morgause said as she looked at the blue skinned woman. “You know what to do.”

 

Wordless, the blue skinned woman’s skin changed color, her height and shape changing until Matthew Ellis stood in the room.

 

“I am ready to serve,” she said in a perfect copy of Ellis’s voice and Morgause smirked.

 

“Excellent, get ready to leave,” Morgause ordered and the woman left. “Agent Mystique will play her role beautifully.”

 

“Her name is Raven,” the doctor said stiffly as he put away his tools.

 

“Come now Gaius, you know there’s nothing left of Raven Darkhölme in that empty shell,” Morgause said mockingly and Gaius looked at her calmly.

 

“For now,” Gaius said evenly.

 

“You’ve taken to your post rather well,” Morgause mentioned, rather surprised by it.

 

“This is not my first time serving a tyrant,” Gaius pointed out. “I served Uther for many years. My only consolation was that one day; Arthur would be a better man than his father. My consolation now is that your reign will be far shorter. Merlin and Arthur will stop you Morgause, just as they have many times before.”

 

“We shall see Gaius. But I wouldn’t count on it. The days of King Arthur are long passed. Even with my sister on their side, Arthur and Merlin don’t stand a chance against my army,” Morgause said arrogantly.

 

Avengers Compound

Night

 

In a blast of wind, Merlin, Morgana, Arthur, Steve, Natasha, Clint, Wanda, Gwaine, Jessica and Luke appeared in the living area, where the others were all waiting for them.

 

“Gwaine,” Gwen smiled upon seeing her old friend.

 

“Gwen, you look as lovely as ever,” Gwaine said happily as he walked over and they embraced happily.

 

“Luke, glad to see you’re alright,” Matt said as he heard Luke’s heartbeat and Luke chuckled humorlessly.

 

“Wouldn’t say I’m alright, but it could have been worse,” Luke noted darkly, now knowing what fate had awaited him had he not crashed the chopper.

 

“Wanda,” Vision greeted happily as he saw her and she looked over at him, a blank expression on her face.

 

“Viz,” she greeted calmly.

 

Vision frowned, taken aback by her response. She didn’t seem displeased to see him, nor was she hostile. She just seemed…he really didn’t know how to put it. But she didn’t seem as overjoyed to see him as he had expected or hoped.

 

As Arthur looked around the room, eying the people he had never met, a large, well build blond man walked up to him.

 

“You must be King Arthur Pendragon. I’m Thor, Son of Odin,” Thor introduced himself as he led out a hand to Arthur.

 

“Arthur,” Arthur said politely as he took Thor’s hand in a handshake, eying Thor oddly.

 

He had faced many sorcerers, seen more magic brings than he knew what to do with. But to be here, shaking the hand of one of the old gods was truly surreal.

 

“If half of the stories I have heard about the Noble Arthur of Camelot are true, it is an honor to meet you,” Thor said as they dropped hands.

 

“Thank you, but I would be nothing without the great men and women who had surrounded me,” Arthur said as he looked at Merlin, Gwen, Gwaine and even Morgana. “I was no more important than anyone else.”

 

“You’re sure you’re the same Arthur?” Merlin teased and Arthur shot him a look.

 

“Oh don’t be such a girl Merlin,” Arthur joked.

 

“Soon as you stop being a Dolliphead,” Merlin said cheekily.

 

“Apparently you two haven’t grown up that much,” Gwen said, trying not to laugh.

 

“I’ve missed this. Feels like coming home,” Gwaine laughed heartedly as the others all watched in bewilderment.

 

“Suddenly it’s not that hard to believe that those stories are inaccurate,” Sam decided.

 

“Fury?” Natasha asked in surprise as she saw him. “What are you doing here?”

 

“You think a Quinjet landing here isn’t gonna be noticed after all the shit that went down a few weeks ago? I’ll be surprised if the whole damn city doesn’t know you’re back,” Fury pointed out and the Avengers had the grace to look at each other sheepishly. “Some contacts of mine in DC have told me there are strange things happening in the White House. And I have a feeling you know what more about it than my contacts. Care to fill me in?”

Notes:

Not a whole lot happened I know, but I hope you guys enjoyed it anyway.

Yes, Gaius is working for Morgause, although he’s not doing it willingly.

Hope you guys liked the Mystique cameo. Since there are no Mutants at this point in the MCU, I can bring in as many as Inhumans as I want. If there are any you’d like to see, tell me in the comments and I’ll see what I can do.

Chapter 20: The last night

Summary:

The heroes make the decision whether or not to stand and fight against Morgause.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Avengers Compound

Night

 

“Son of a bitch,” Tony muttered once Arthur, Merlin, Morgana and Gwaine had finished explaining Morgause’s plan.

 

“I think that covers it Stark,” Fury said grimly.

 

“Taking control of the government, can Morgause even do that?” Rhodey asked the thought terrifying to him.

 

“She can with Ross helping her. And she’s probably already done it,” Merlin said grimly.

 

“With Scott under her control, Ellis is probably dead. That means Morgause just has to replace him with this shapeshifter,” Steve pointed out.

 

“So we have a psychotic witch in control of the most powerful nation in the world. So what do we do about it?” Matt asked, seeming to take this all rather well.

 

 “We kill Morgause; those she’s turned will regain their free will,” Morgana explained.

 

“So all we gotta do is find this witch and kill her. Should be easy,” Sam said sarcastically.

 

“Morgause’s tactics haven’t changed. She’ll likely stick close to the White House so she can control what’s going on,” Merlin said, glancing at Morgana for confirmation and she nodded.

 

“She’s a control freak, she won’t be able to stand not being in control,” Morgana confirmed, remembering how Morgause had hovered over her in their brief reign of Camelot.

 

“So your plan is to what, storm the White House?” Tony asked incredulously.

 

“Nothing that stupid. I’m sure Fury has another idea,” Natasha said, looking over at Fury, who nodded.

 

“There’s a secret bunker underneath the White House, I’m sure Ross knows about it. What he doesn’t know is there’s a hatch on the outside, connected to a service tunnel ten miles out. I can get you there, then you follow it and enter that way,” Fury explained.

 

“Which isn’t much better. Even if you do pull this off, you’re invading the White House. Best case scenario, you’re all looking at treason charges, Rhodey tried to reason.

 

“Which is better than allowing Morgause to control America, doing who knows what to the rest of the world with that kind of power?” Luke snapped.

 

“In order to do what is right, you must sometimes go against the people you swore to serve,” Thor noted, remembering going against his father when Malekith had killed his mother.

 

Arthur, who had been silent up to now, finally spoke.

 

“Morgause is a madwoman, no different than this Hydra you were all dealing with,” Arthur said and they all looked at him. “With or without help, tomorrow, Merlin, Morgana and myself will attempt to end this nightmare once and for all. We know the odds of our success are slim, but Morgause must be stopped, at all costs. Are there any around this table who will join us?”

 

For a moment, it was silent. Then, Gwaine got to his feet.

 

“I’ll go. Certainty of death, small chance of success, it’s my kind of fight,” Gwaine with his typical smirk. “Besides, I owe Morgause for making me a puppet.”

 

“Thank you, old friend,” Arthur nodded grateful.

 

“You know the answer,” Gwen said as she walked over, taking Arthur’s hand in her own.

 

As Arthur smiled at her lovingly, Luke got to his feet, surprising them.

 

“This Morgause girl has been after me for weeks. I think it’s time I take the fight to her,” Luke said his voice firm.

 

As if emboldened by Luke, Steve stood up next.

 

“For the last few weeks, I’ve struggled a lot with doing what’s right, what that even means anymore. But for the first time, I have no doubts about what the right thing is. I’ll gladly fight by your side Arthur,” Steve said as he nodded at Arthur.

 

“And I go where he goes, just slower,” Sam said as he got to his feet next.

 

“My kids, my wife, we’ve been forced from our home, living in fear that one day, Ross may find us,” Clint noted and Tony flinched as Clint got to his feet. “You know how to stop this? Just tell me where to aim my bow.”

 

“You and I have worked together the last week, we both know The Accords are wrong, and what’s happening now is just as wrong. I will follow you into this fight Arthur,” Matt promised as he got to his feet.

 

“I’ve seen enough fascist governments in my lifetime. Let’s stop this one,” Natasha said as she got to her feet.

 

“Pretty much what I was gonna say,” Wanda noted as she followed suit.

 

“Ross’s goons have basically been stalking me, and I don’t like people I care about being targeted,” Jessica said, glancing at Luke before standing up. “I’m in.”

 

“It is logical that a world ruled by Morgause would be a terrible place,” Vision noted as he got to his feet as well. “I will follow you into battle, Arthur Pendragon.”

 

“Well, looks like you’re giving the orders now Your Highness,” Fury said dryly, seeing the room turn just as it had with Steve during the uprising.

 

Everyone became silent as Peter got to his feet. Peter felt everyone’s gaze on him but ignored it as he looked straight at Arthur.

 

“Mr. Ronin, Arthur. I know I’m young, I know I’m just a kid. But I have as much right to be part of this as anyone else. My Aunt is dead. Morgause is after me. I want to help stop her. Please, let me fight,” Peter almost pleaded as he looked at Arthur.

 

Arthur was silent as he glanced at Peter, seeing so much of Merlin in the boy. And there was no doubt he would follow even if Arthur said no. The choice was clear.

 

“You follow orders, you don’t question them. If one of us tells you to run, you run. Understand?” Arthur asked firmly, sounding very much the king he had once been.

 

“Yeah, I promise,” Peter said and Arthur nodded.

 

“I will hold you to that. A man is only as good as the promises he makes,” Arthur told him.

 

Thor then stood up and they looked as he walked over to Arthur, gripping Mjolnir tightly. The room was silent as he and Arthur stood face to face.

 

“By my word as Prince of Asgard, you shall have Thor Odinson as your disposal Arthur Pendragon,” Thor said as he got down on his knees, bowing to Arthur.

 

“Thank you,” Arthur said awkwardly, feeling uncomfortable at a god bowing to him. “I thank you.”

 

As Thor got to feet, Rhodey looked down at his legs.

 

“I’d come with you, but I don’t think I’d be much use,” Rhodey noted before glancing over at Tony. “Tony?”

 

The room became silent as everyone glanced at Tony, who looked uncomfortable at the attention as he looked around the room.

 

“I know a lot of this is my fault, that I did…a lot of this. That it’s my fault things got to this point because I didn’t want to listen to what anyone else had to say,” Tony said, glancing first at Rhodey and then at Steve. “I want to make it right. So count me in.”

 

As Tony and Steve exchanged a nod, Arthur looked around the room, the similarities to the scene that had taken place when Morgause had taken Camelot so many moons ago not lost on him. And he knew what he had to do next.

 

“I want to thank you all, for your loyalty, your honor, and your noble hearts,” Arthur told them all, his gaze lingering on Steve, Sam, Luke, Matt and Clint more than the others. “So I’m going to do something. It won’t mean much to you now, but in my time, it was the highest honor I could bestow upon a man.”


Sometime later, the others watched as, feeling a bit ridiculous, Steve, Sam, Matt, Luke and Clint bowed before Arthur as he stood over them, Excalibur in his hand.

 

“Arise, Sir Steven, Knight of Camelot. Arise, Sir Samuel, Knight of Camelot. Arise, Sir Matthew, Knight of Camelot. Arise, Sir Luke, Knight of Camelot. Arise, Sir Clint, Knight of Camelot,” Arthur knighted each of them one by one and they got to their feet. “It is a meaningless title in your modern day, but it is the greatest compliment and thank you I can give. Just know that each of you are equal to any knight I had back in Camelot at its height. Have pride in that.”

 

“Thank you Arthur,” Steve inclined his head respectfully and Arthur nodded.

 

“What he said,” Luke muttered, not sure how to feel about all this and, from the looks on Matt, Sam and Clint’s faces, neither were they.

 

“We should all get some sleep. We’ll need it for tomorrow,” Arthur ordered.


Later, as the new comers were being shown their rooms, Wanda stood in her old room, a feeling of unease entering her heart. As she stared at the bed with unease, she felt a presence behind her. Familiar, but unwelcome.

 

“What do you want Viz?” Wanda asked, a hint of annoyance entering her voice.

 

“When I saw you again, I expected…I am not sure what I expected to be honest,” Vision admitted as he entered the room. “But you are not happy to see me.”

 

“Well, the last time I was here, you held me prisoner and attacked my friend. What did you expect?” Wanda asked coolly as she turned around to face him.

 

“We apologized to each other,” Vision reminded her, confused by her reaction.

 

“Sometimes I’m sorry isn’t enough Viz,” Wanda said with a heavy sigh. “I’m sorry for what I had to do to you, but I’m not sorry that I did it. Just that you made it necessary.”

 

“I was trying to keep you safe,” Vision argued and immediately realized this was the wrong thing to say from the flash of anger that entered her eyes.

 

“And I get no say in that? You think you get decide what’s best for me without my consent? Then how are you different than List or Stark?” Wanda hissed, her eyes having a hue of red in them. “I lived my entire life with someone trying to control me, I won’t do so again.”

 

“Wanda…I’m sorry,” Vision said, not sure what to else to say.

 

“Sorry that you did it or sorry that I’m upset?” Wanda asked her anger fading as she looked at him sadly. “You were my friend, I trusted you. For a while, I thought maybe we could be more. But you destroyed that when you decided to keep me here.”

 

Wanda turned away from him, looking around the room, the one place she had felt safe since Sokovia.

 

“I don’t trust you anymore Vision. I don’t like it here anymore. I don’t feel safe here anymore,” Wanda said quietly. “No matter what happens tomorrow, I’m not coming back here. I’ll find somewhere else to sleep tonight.”

 

Wanda then stormed passed Vision, leaving him alone in the room. As she walked down the hall, Wanda didn’t notice Clint, who had been making his way to one of the empty rooms when he’d heard the argument, watching her in concern.


In the room he’d been given, Luke had stepped out of the bathroom, dressed in some pants he’d been given and an undershirt when someone knocked on the door. Frowning, Luke walked over and opened the door to reveal Jessica standing on the other side.

 

“Hey,” she said.

 

“Hey,” Luke echoed. “Everything alright?”

 

“Yeah. Just…wanted to make sure you were okay, we really didn’t get a chance to talk earlier,” Jessica said and Luke nodded.

 

“Fair enough. Come on in,” Luke said as he stepped aside so she could come in.

 

“Nice digs,” Jessica said as she walked inside.

 

“Puts my old place to shame, doesn’t it?” Luke said dryly as he closed the door.

 

“I didn’t say that,” Jessica said and they paused. “How you been?”

 

“Well, been on the run the last few weeks, so it could be better. Although now I know I could be a slave to that psychopath, so I guess I’m good, all things considered,” Luke sighed and it was silent for a moment.

 

“Thank you,” Jessica said and he looked at her in confusion. “I know you asked Murdock to look out for me, so…thank you.”

 

“We both know you have a habit of getting yourself into trouble. I didn’t want you to get into it with Ross, which turned out to probably save your life,” Luke pointed out and it was silent for a long moment.

 

“How’s that girl you were seeing? Claire, the nurse?” Jessica asked then winced.

 

“She’s good I hope. I sent her to stay with family the moment I heard about The Accords. We kind of broke up over it,” Luke revealed, to her surprise.

 

“Shit. I’m…well, I’m sorry Luke,” Jessica said, although part of her, a bigger part of her than she’d like to admit, was pleased by the news.

 

“Thanks, it was just never gonna work out. We were just too different; she didn’t understand why I couldn’t just try to live a normal life. She wanted a normal life, something she could never have with me. I should have set her free long before it got to this point,” Luke admitted and paused. “Why is it that it takes the earth shaking for us to keep finding each other?”

 

“Because we have shitty luck,” Jessica said dryly and Luke chuckled.

 

“Probably, but you know that’s not what I meant,” Luke said as he walked over to her. “I’m sorry I didn’t keep in touch.”

 

“We really suck at that, don’t we?” Jessica noted and Luke chuckled.

 

“We suck because it’s too painful. Because then we’d have to talk, and talking means admitting what we really want,” Luke said as he and Jessica locked the eyes, the room seeming to be filled with tension. “I’ve never stopped thinking about you Jess.”

 

“Luke,” Jessica said softly, her face filled with rare vulnerability.

 

“Whatever you’re about to say to ruin this…just don’t,” Luke said gently as he took her face in his hands.

 

Jessica closed her eyes as he leaned down, their lips meeting in a kiss.


In the kitchen, Merlin was making a sandwich when he heard someone walk in. He looked up, seeing Morgana.

 

“Can’t sleep?” he asked as she entered.

 

“No, you either?” Morgana asked and he shook his head.

 

“Who can sleep when the fate of America, possibly the world hangs in the balance?” Merlin said dryly.

 

“It is rather daunting,” Morgana acknowledged as she sat down across from him. “I guess this is what it felt like when you had to face me and Morgause all those years ago. This sensation of overwhelming fear and dread.”

 

“That does sum it up,” Merlin mused, remembering feeling just that all those times he’d had to face Morgana and Morgause. “In spite of the circumstances, I’m glad I don’t have to fight you this time.”

 

“Thank you Merlin,” Morgana said, smiling weakly. “And, for what it’s worth, I get it now.”

 

“Get what?” Merlin asked in confusion.

 

“Why you fought so hard for Arthur. Seeing what he did earlier, how he stopped everyone’s infighting and rallied everyone…I see how he was able to broker peace between the seven kingdoms, even those who hated him. I couldn’t see it before…or maybe I was afraid to see it, to admit all the fighting between us was pointless.”

 

Merlin was silent, letting her take this moment to reflect. He knew what it was like to have your perspective on someone turned on its head.

 

“Do you think we’ll be able to survive this?” Morgana asked after a moment of thought.

 

“I don’t know,” Merlin admitted. “I hope so, I really do. But either way, Arthur is right. We have to make our stand against Morgause.”

 

“A world ruled by my sister would be far worse than Camelot under Uther,” Morgana agreed, shuttering at the thought. “Can you not call in that other Sorcerer who tried to wake me? Strange was it?”

 

“No,” Merlin said, not surprised her unconscious mind had remembered Strange’s attempt to wake her. “The Masters of the Mystic Arts have taken an oath to operate in secrecy. They can’t make such a public move at such a public setting. We’re on our own I’m afraid.”

 

“Lovely,” Morgana said sarcastically with a heavy sighed and paused. “You’re worried about your friends…and Gaius.”

 

“Gaius can take care of himself, if he’s back. The others…I hope they’ll be okay in all this. But I don’t look forward to facing any of them in battle tomorrow,” Merlin noted sadly. “It seems to be my fate to fight those I love.”

 

Morgana blinked, realizing he was talking about her. As if realizing what he’d just said, Merlin flushed.

 

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Merlin said embarrassed.

 

“It’s okay, I know what you meant,” Morgana quickly assured him. “To tell you the truth, I used to think you fancied me back when you first arrived at Camelot.”

 

“I did,” Merlin admitted, taking her aback. “The beautiful and kind Lady Morgana, who’d tell Arthur off when she felt he was being too hard on me? Oh yeah, that didn’t make me have a crush at all.”

 

“Okay, I guess I can see that,” Morgana chuckled, seeing how a newly arrived Merlin might have developed feelings for her back in the day.

 

“But we can’t all be Arthur and Gwen. And with everything that happened, it probably would have made things worse,” Merlin noted and Morgana grimaced.

 

“Probably,” Morgana admitted, imagining just how her past self would have reacted to the poisoning if she and Merlin had been together. “Regardless of what happens now, I’m glad we can be friends at least, again.”

 

“Me too. Hopefully, if we all live this, maybe you can work on rebuilding your friendships with Arthur and Gwen,” Merlin noted and she smiled tightly.

 

“I would like that,” Morgana said, although she didn’t think it would be as easy as Merlin believed.


In the room he had been given, Arthur stared down at Excalibur when Gwen exited the bathroom.

              

“Arthur? Are you alright?” Gwen asked in concern as she saw him starting at the sword.

 

“Yes. Just…thinking of what my mother said,” Arthur admitted with a sigh. “She was right, I did return for a reason. Now I finally know what it is.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Gwen said and he looked at her inquiringly. “You were right; we had to act, to fight The Accords. Merlin and I grew too passive in waiting for you.”

 

 “You did what you thought was right, I cannot and will not fault you for that. And you were right as well, the situation is very complicated. Morgause had been pulling the strings of the government, possibly this UN the whole time,” Arthur noted grimly. “But I knew I couldn’t stay on the sidelines, not as I had before.”

 

“Staying on the sidelines has never been your strong suit,” Gwen said, her lips twitching and Arthur chuckled.

 

“Perhaps not,” Arthur acknowledged. “But I have never been able to stand injustice if I could stop it. I could not do so now.”

 

“I know; I understand why you left. I just…I missed you,” Gwen said, her voice growing softer and Arthur’s eyes softened.

 

“And I you,” Arthur said gently, placing his sword on the side of the wall and walking over to Gwen, taking her face in his hands like it was the most precious object in the world. “Leaving you behind was not a decision I came to lightly. I thought of you every day.”

 

“As did I,” Gwen said softly, her eyes filling with tears. “But I’m here now, with you. And if this should be our last night together, there is nowhere else I would rather be.”

 

No more words were spoken as Arthur and Gwen leaned in, their lips meeting in a sweet but passionate kiss.

 

Hell’s Kitchen

Not long after

 

Melvin was tinkering with something in his workshop when he heard something. Turning around, he saw Matt in his mask.

 

“Had a feeling you’d be showing up soon, after what happened,” Melvin said, heading over to a table. “Just finished the final touches this morning.”

 

Matt didn’t say a word as Melvin pulled out two cases, not dissimilar to the one that had housed his first suit Melvin had made, and put them on the table.

 

“You and that other guy will probably need them,” Melvin said as he stepped back.

 

“You have no idea,” Matt said darkly as he walked over to them, opening one and glancing inside. “Thank you Melvin. You have no idea how much this is going to help.”

Notes:

Arthur knighting the male members of Team Cap and the Defenders is something I’ve been wanting to do the whole story, hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Wanda’s relationship with Vision has always been toxic and, aside from the crappy writing of Phase 4, is why Wanda is where she’s at now. Rather than being able to healthily move on from all the tragedy in her life, she jumps into something with Vision that was never that healthy and was kind of self-destructive. And it’s just so ooc for Wanda to just shrug off what he did to her, given her background.

While I thought Luke/Claire was fine, Luke just seemed to have more of a connection with Jessica and I liked them a lot more.

Chapter 21: For the world

Summary:

The heroes begin their assault on the White House, encountering some familiar faces.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Avengers Compound

Morning

 

Clint walked out into the living area of the Compound, stifling a yawn as he walked into the kitchen. As he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, he paused, looking at the couch. There, looking more peaceful than Clint had seen her in…well, ever, Wanda had made the couch into a make shift bed, lying on it with her back against the cushions as she slept sideways.

 

So this is where she decided to sleep, Clint mused. He wasn’t sure how long he stood there, staring at her when he was startled by Wanda’s voice.

 

“I can hear you thinking from here,” Wanda said sleepily as she opened her eyes.

 

“Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you,” Clint apologized and she shrugged as she sup up, throwing her legs over the side of the couch.

 

“Didn’t really sleep that well anyway,” Wanda sighed.

 

“Because of Vision?” Clint asked and she looked at him in surprise. “I kind of passed by your room last night when you two had it out. Didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”

 

“I’m surprised half the Compound didn’t hear us,” Wanda said with a heavy sigh. “Things with Viz are…complicated. They always have been.”

 

“Young love always is,” Clint noted as he sat down beside her.

 

“Love. Is that what this is? I don’t know. I have nothing to compare it to,” Wanda sighed heavily once more. “There was never anyone before Viz, at least not that way. I guess I don’t what love is, at least the romantic kind.”

 

“Kid, you’re not even twenty yet. You have time to figure it out,” Clint said gently and she smiled weakly.

 

“I hope so,” Wanda said and it was silent for a long moment. “This place was the only place since my home was bombed that I have ever felt safe. And now Viz and Stark took that away from me.”

 

“So did you mean what you said last night about not coming back here?” Clint asked as he looked over at her in concern.

 

“I have nothing to come back to Clint. I’ll never stop trying to help people, but I just can’t come back here,” Wanda said and it was silent for a long moment.

 

“Where would you go?” Clint asked and Wanda shrugged.

 

“Not sure. I guess I’ll figure it out,” Wanda said tiredly.

 

“You could come with me,” Clint offered and she looked at him in surprise. “If Laura, the kids and I are able to go back home…you could come with us.”

 

“I’m not sure your wife would like that,” Wanda hedged and Clint chuckled.

 

“She always set up the guest room for Nat whenever she’d visit, don’t think she’ll mind too much if you stay for a while. Look, there’s no wrong answer Wanda. Just think about it, okay?”

 

“Okay,” Wanda said reluctantly, still looking a bit unsure.

 

“Okay. Now, we should get some food in us, we’ll need it for today,” Clint said as he got up and moved back towards the kitchen, moving to make some coffee and looking through the fridge.


In Luke’s room, he stepped out of the bathroom, dressed in his regular clothes and stopped, watching as Jessica put her shirt on and grabbed her jacket.

 

“What, didn’t see enough last night?” Jessica joked, feeling him watching her and Luke chuckled.

 

“Nah. Just taking it in,” Luke said as he walked up behind her. “You alright?”

 

“Well, there are worse ways to spent what might be my last night as a free woman,” Jessica said nonchalantly.

 

“Jess,” Luke said gently, placing a hand on her shoulder gently and she paused.

 

“Just…why couldn’t this happen before? Why does it take this for us to admit how we feel about each other?” Jessica wondered with a sigh.

 

“Because we’re both stubborn idiots,” Luke joked, coaxing a smile out of her. “I don’t know what’s gonna happen after today…but no matter what, I don’t regret last night.”

 

“I don’t either. Shit, what’s not what I meant,” Jessica tried explaining and he smiled weakly.

 

“It’s okay, I know what you meant. And, provided we live through this, we should get that cup of coffee. A real one, not you know,” Luke said and Jessica laughed. “And…talk.”

 

“I’ll hold you to that. For now, let’s go commit treason,” Jessica said with a dry smile.

 

Stark Industries

Mid-Morning

 

In her office, Pepper Potts was doing some paperwork when she felt her phone ringing. Pulling it out of her pocket, she saw Tony’s picture on the screen. She sighed, debating not answering, as she had a lot of work to do. But, against her better judgment, she swiped the answer icon and put the phone to her ear.

 

“Tony,” she answered.

 

“Hey Pep,” Tony said awkwardly.

 

“Do you want something?” Pepper inquired, as he hadn’t called her since they decided to take a break outside Stark Industries business.

 

“No, no. Well, yeah,” Tony said trying to find the words. “Look, I messed up. I know I wasn’t the best boyfriend to you, especially not the one you deserved. I just wanted to let you know that I’m sorry and that, no matter what happened, I really do love you Pep.”

 

“Tony, is everything alright?” Pepper asked concerned, a pit of dread forming in her stomach as she realized something was wrong.

 

“Nothing you need to worry about. I gotta go, talk to you soon,” Tony said, hanging up before Pepper could respond.

 

Avengers Compound

Same time

 

Tony lowered his phone to his side, sighing heavily as Steve approached him from behind.

 

“You alright?” Steve asked concerned and Tony snapped out of his mood.

 

“Yeah, yeah everything’s fine,” Tony insisted although Steve really didn’t believe him. “I actually got something for you.”

 

Steve raised an eyebrow, confused as Tony retreated into a nearby room. He was stunned when Tony reemerged, carrying his shield.

 

“Tony-” Steve started.

 

“Look Cap, we’ve got a lot of issues that we need to work out but…this isn’t about me. We’re fighting for America, for its soul. Who better to do it than Captain America?” Tony said, holding the shield out to Steve.

 

For a long moment, Steve stared down at the shield with an unreadable look on his face. Then, to Tony’s shock, he shook his head no.

 

“I appreciate the offer Tony, more than you know. But we’re going to be storming the White House. To do so as Captain America feels…wrong. If we’re gonna do this, I have to do it as Steve Rogers, not Captain America,” Steve explained carefully.

 

“Alright. I guess I get that,” Tony muttered as he looked back down at the shield. “I guess I’ll just put it back in storage or something.”

 

“I’m not saying ever…I’m just saying not right now,” Steve tried to clarify his intentions.

 

Tony nodded, although Steve wasn’t sure he believed him. Steve then watched silently as Tony took the shield back inside the room.


A little later, everyone stood in the briefing room, Fury was showing everyone a diagram he’d drawn of the service tunnel that connected to the bunker underneath the White House.

 

“You’ll have to enter through there and then walk five miles. You’ll find a hatch that’ll open a door to the bunker. From there, it’ll be up to you,” Fury explained to the group of heroes and warriors.

 

“Where we’ll have to fight out way through Morgause’s army of brainwashed knights and Raft prisoners,” Sam noted dryly.

 

“Like you said, they’re all brainwashed. Once Morgause is dead, they should return to their old selves,” Merlin pointed out.

 

“So all we got to do is stall them long enough for Merlin to find Morgause and finish her,” Arthur said firmly.

 

“I don’t like the idea of you going alone. From what you say of Morgause, she is very powerful,” Thor pointed out as he looked over at Merlin.

 

“Which is why I’m going with him,” Morgana announced, to the shock of all but Arthur, who had expected it. “I have a score to settle with my sister.”

 

“Get in line,” Luke grumbled.

 

“Merlin, are you sure about this?” Gwaine asked his friend, still uncertain about Morgana.

 

“I’m not asking you to trust her Gwaine. But trust me when I say I believe I can count on her in this fight,” Merlin said certainly as he gave Gwaine a firm look.

 

“I suppose that’ll have to be enough for now,” Gwaine said with a reluctant nod before glaring at Morgana. “Betray him, and I will shove my sword through your heart.”

 

Morgana merely nodded. Gwaine had good reason to distrust her and no prior relationship with her like Merlin, Gwen and Arthur. She would have to earn his trust and forgiveness.

 

“Speaking of my sword, Morgause gave us each one when she brainwashed us. They’re enchanted and coated with a sedative. One cut will knock you out for hours,” Gwaine warned the others as he picked up his sword.

 

“Trust me, I remember,” Luke grumbled, remembering being cut with Gwaine’s sword.

 

“Sorry about that by the way,” Gwaine apologized but Luke waved him off.

 

“You were brainwashed, don’t worry about it.”

 

“Speaking of swords, we don’t anyone going in unarmed. Morgana and I conjured these for those without weapons or powers,” Merlin explained as he placed a bag of swords on the table.

 

“Brilliant,” Gwen said as she took one out, admiring it. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say they were forged by the finest blacksmith in Camelot.”

 

“Well done sorcerer, enchantress,” Thor said, impressed.

 

“Guess it’s time to start storming the castle,” Natasha said with a smirk.

 

“Not yet,” Matt said, looking over at Arthur as the others looked at him confused. “I paid Melvin a visit last night. It’s ready.”

 

“And not a moment too soon. It’s almost fate that it should be finished on the eve of our great battle,” Arthur chuckled at the irony as the others looked at the pair in confusion.

 

“I’m sorry; would you two like to fill us in? What’s ready?” Rhodey asked in confusion.


Not long after, Arthur stood in the room Matt had been given, Matt changing into his suit in the bathroom. On Matt’s bed was one of the cases from Melvin’s shop. Arthur slowly opened it and peaked inside.

 

White House, underground bunker

Afternoon

 

In the bunker, several secret service members were standing guard when they heard a loud screeching noise. They looked around in bewilderment before a wall suddenly opened up, revealing a door. The service members all drew their guns but they were suddenly yanked out of their hands by glowing red energy. The service members were then webbed to the walls by streams of webbing that shot out from the door.

 

By chance, one of the service member’s hands was free enough that he could reach towards his radio. As he made the attempt to do so, a sword was suddenly placed near his hand.

 

“Do not even think about it,” Ronin told him as he took the radio.

 

Arthur was dressed in a near all black suit, very similar to the painting he had seen weeks earlier while out with Gwen. He had knee high booths covering his black pants legs and a vest that covered his torso with a belt around the waist. The vest also had shoulder pads with a sheath for Excalibur on Arthur’s back. It had a hood that covered his face and a mask that hid his features. The black sleeves of his shirt also covered Arthur’s hands in black gloves. The only part of Arthur that was visible were his blue eyes that poked through two silt eye holes in his mask.

 

Arthur tossed the radio into the wall and it shattered on impact as he turned to the others as the came through the doors.

 

“Looks like the easy part’s over,” Matt noted, dressed in a suit that was a near replica of the one he had worn while battling the Hand, save the ‘DD’ on his chest.

 

“So now’s the part where we commit treason,” Clint said dryly, clutching his bow tightly in his hand.

 

“Spider-Man, shut them up,” Arthur ordered, gesturing to the service agents and Peter webbed their mouths shut so they couldn’t call out for help. “When all this is over, you’ll be safe and will be able to go home to your families, I promise. I’m sorry about this, but I can’t let you stop us.”

 

The service agents all try speaking but their voices were muffled by the webbing. Arthur gestured the group forward and they began making their way out of the bunker.


In a restricted room, Morgause sat on the floor, seemingly mediating when her eyes opened. Less than a second later, the door to the room opened and Ross walked in.

 

“We have a security breach. The Avengers are here,” Ross informed her.

 

“And they are not alone. My sister is with them, I sense her magic,” Morgause said before a cruel smile crossed her face. “It would be a shame not to greet them. Send out the knights. And bring the doctor to me.”


Not long after, Arthur was leading the group through the halls, all of them noticing how abandoned it seemed.

 

“Is no one else gonna comment on the fact it seems like a ghost town here?” Tony questioned.

 

“Morgause has taken over. Everyone here is either being held prisoner or brainwashed into serving her,” Gwaine said darkly.

 

“It’s just her style,” Gwen noted grimly.

 

“Are we sure she’s even here?” Sam asked.

 

“She’s close, I can feel her magic,” Morgana said certainly.

 

“As can I,” Merlin said, balling his hand into a fist. “She’s here. And her army won’t be far behind.”

 

No sooner had the words left Merlin’s mouth than the group rounded a corner and stopped short. Standing at the other end of the hall were the four Black Knights.

 

“I hate it when you’re right,” Gwaine grumbled to Merlin.

 

Arthur was silent, staring at his four knights while gripping his sword tightly. Peter silently clenched his hands into fists, remembering the last time he’d seen them, May’s death flashing through his mind.

 

“Slowly now,” Arthur ordered softly, beginning his approach with the others following slowly.

 

“You dare to enter the domain of the High Priestess?” one of the knights demanded and those who had known him recognized the voice of Leon behind the mask.

 

“This domain was never hers to take. We come to free it, and you,” Thor said defiantly.

 

“Thor, enough,” Arthur ordered before signaling his allies to stay back.

 

Everyone watched curiously as Arthur carefully approached the knights, lowing his hood and mask so his face was visible.

 

“I never knew the four of you to be cowards who would hide your faces. Show yourselves!” Arthur ordered.

 

For a long moment, the room was silent. Then, slowly, the four knights removed their face places, revealing the faces of Leon, Percival, Lancelot and Elyan. Gwen breathed softly as she stared at the face of her brother, his face and eyes as blank as the other knights. Gwaine gripped his sword tightly as Merlin and Morgana merely stared sadly.

 

“It was a mistake to come here my king,” Percival said blankly.

 

“I do not think so,” Arthur challenged, not backing down. “This is not you. Rounding up innocent people, killing an innocent woman. This is Morgause; she has turned you into this. Into her twisted puppets. It ends now.”

 

Lancelot suddenly lunged for Arthur but Arthur used his sword to block Lancelot’s strike. As their swords pushed against each other, Peter moved to help but Merlin held out an arm, blocking him.

 

“Not yet Peter,” Merlin whispered.

 

“It is too late Arthur,” Lancelot whispered, his voice shaking slightly and the blank tone lifting just a bit to reveal a hint of fear.

 

“It is never too late,” Arthur said, jumping back and looking at his four knights. “You are not merely my knights; you are some of my closest friends. We have fought side by side many times. Stand with me now! Regain your honor! What say you?”

 

For a long moment, it was silent as the four knights stared at Arthur, although their hands were noticeably shaking.

 

“What say you?” Arthur repeated.

 

“Arthur, it’s useless. Morgause’s hold over their minds is too strong,” Morgana warned her brother.

 

“I do not believe that. You are knights of Camelot, members of the most noble army that has ever existed. I am your king, I command you to fight with me now. What say you?!” Arthur shouted.

 

For a long moment, nothing happened. Then, one by one, to the shock of the others, the knights threw their swords on the ground, where they landed at Arthur’s feet. Then, they all held their heads, crying out in pain.


“No!” Morgause shouted in horror, feeling her control over the knights being broken.


The knights fell to their knees, breathing heavily as Arthur lowered his sword, everyone eying them wearily.

 

“Arthur…thank you,” Elyan said breathlessly as he looked up at Arthur.

 

“I don’t know how you did it Sire, but we’re free,” Leon said likewise out of breath.

 

“I didn’t do anything, it was you,” Arthur said, lowering his sword and out offering Leon a hand up.

 

“Sire, what are you wearing?” Percival asked as they all got a look at what Arthur was wearing.

 

“What passes for armor these days,” Arthur shrugged.

 

“I don’t understand. How can they be freed when I was in a coma?” Gwaine asked in bewilderment.

 

“Because you didn’t break free of Morgause’s influence. Wanda destroyed the spirit of Morgause in your mind, but her influence still remained. They managed to break free of her influence on pure will power alone,” Merlin realized in a bit of disbelief.

 

“It’s never been done before,” Morgana whispered in a state of shock.

 

“Leave it to Knights of Camelot to do so,” Merlin muttered.

 

Further conversation was interrupted by a loud rumbling sound.

 

“Thor, please tell me that was stomach,” Tony almost pleaded.

 

“It was not Stark,” Thor said grimly.

 

“I was afraid of that,” Tony muttered.

 

“We were meant to be the first wave of the assault on you. I fear this is the second wave,” Leon said as the knights got to their feet.

 

“Then we’ll meet it,” Steve said firmly, clutching the sword he had taken that morning tightly.

 

“You,” Percival snarled as he caught sight of Morgana.

 

“Not know my friend. We can hash out old grudges later. Now, we must stand together,” Arthur said firmly.

 

Percival glowered at Morgana but nodded, turning away. Morgana sighed sadly, remembering Percival’s family had been a victim of her and Morgause’s early raids. More that she needed to atone for.

 

“So any idea what we’re facing?” Natasha asked as the group readied themselves.

 

“A monster,” Lancelot said grimly, throwing helmet aside along with the other knights. “A beast that appears to possesses the same abilities as the Hulk.”

 

“Blonsky,” Natasha realized as she and Clint looked at each other startled.

 

“He was part of the team Ross had hunting down Banner. Ross injected him with a faulty version of the Hulk formula, it just ended up turning him into a monster,” Clint explained as he gripped his bow tightly, notching an arrow in it.

 

“Ross sent him to a super max prison. He was probably one of the first people Morgause turned,” Natasha noted as they heard what sounded like giant footsteps.

 

“It matters not. He will not best us here,” Thor declared, gripping Mjolnir tightly.

 

No more words were spoken as the footsteps got closer. At the end of the hall emerged a large humanoid with spikes on its back. It snarled at them. And behind him, they could several smaller figures they couldn’t make out yet. Morgause’s army.

 

“It does not matter who they are or how many they are. They are puppets of Morgause and we must free them,” Arthur said firmly, gripping Excalibur tightly in his hand. “Not just for Albion or America or any one nation. For the world!”

 

“For the world!” His knights, Merlin and Gwen all echoed his cry.

 

Blonsky roared at them and then the two sides rushed each other, finally beginning the battle that would determine the fate of the world.

Notes:

Took a lot longer than I expected, but Arthur finally got his Ronin suit.

The way the knights broke free might seem a bit cliché, but Morgause has to use her power to control her slaves individually, that’s the only reason the knights were able to break free.

And now the final battle is about to begin. Brace yourselves.

Chapter 22: The end

Summary:

The battle for the fate of the world begins.

Notes:

Thank you to my friends Aragorn II Elessar and Bl4ckHunter for their help with this chapter.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Thor roared as he leapt into the air, striking Blonsky in the face with Mjolnir. As the beast was sent stumbling back, the other members of Morgause’s army rushed forward. A large man with wild blond hair and claws in his hands and feet snarled as he jumped, landing on Luke. Luke was thrown on his back as the man snarled at him but Luke punched him, managed to punch the man off him.

 

Several Secret Service agents opened fire on the group of heroes but Wanda summoned an energy shield, deflecting the bullets. The agent stopped firing when two more shots rang out. Two bullets hit the shield and, to Wanda’s shock, a huge crack formed in her shield.

 

“Danny?” Luke called out in shock as he saw the shooter.

 

Danny Rand did not respond a blank look on his face as he held two pistols. He fired again and two glowing bullets shot out from his pistols. They struck Wanda’s shield and it shattered, red energy throwing everyone back.

 

Everyone quickly got to their feet and the Secret Service agents raised their guns again. Before they could get off a shot, Peter shot off several streams of webbing, which clogged up the barrels.

 

“Sorry, no more bullets today,” Peter quipped.

 

Matt turned his head slightly, hearing a familiar heartbeat, one he thought he would never hear again. And his eyes widened as he heard a familiar pair of footsteps walk forward.

 

“Elektra,” Matt breathed.

 

Elektra twirled her swords before rushing forward along with the rest of Morgause’s army. Blonsky snarled again as he jumped, trying to bring his hands down on Thor. Thor jumped out of the way before once again striking Blonsky in the face. Blonsky howled in pain before snarling angrily, tackling Thor.

 

Elektra swung her swords at Matt, who dodged before grabbing her wrists.

 

“Elektra, it’s me. It’s Matthew,” Matt tried to reach her.

 

Elektra snarled before kicking him in the abdomen. Matt let go, stumbling back before ducking, barely dodging as she swung her sword at his head.

 

“I don’t think she’s listening Murdock,” Jessica grunted, ducking as she dodged a strike from Colleen. “Really sorry about this.”

 

Jessica delivered a strong punch to Colleen’s chest that sent the other woman flying back. However, Colleen quickly recovered and rushed back towards Jessica, her sword glowing brightly. With a roar, Gwaine rushed forward, swinging his own sword and clashing it against Colleen’s. But, to his shock, his sword shattered upon contact with Colleen’s and a shockwave sent him and Jessica flying back.

 

A white haired, dark skinned woman’s eyes flashed pure white before she held out a hand and a lightning bolt flew from it, heading straight for Merlin. But Merlin merely held up his hand, his eyes flashing gold and caught the lightning bolt in his hand. With a slight smile, Merlin watched as the bolt seemed to disintegrate into dust.

 

“You’ll have to do better than that,” Merlin said calmly.

 

The woman sneered, her eyes flashing white as a powerful gust of wind flew through the room.


Morgause watched silently as Ross entered the room, escorting Gaius who was in handcuffs.

 

“I take it that Merlin and Arthur have made their move?” Gaius asked calmly.

 

“And they are not alone. Somehow, they’ve managed to make allies of the Avengers. But it matters not, for it is not just brainwashed Inhumans they face,” Morgause said with a smirk that unnerved Gaius quite a bit.


 

It was chaos in the fall where the battle was taking place. A man was laughing insanely as streams of fire ejected from his wrists. Wanda was using her powers, doing her best to contain it but it was not without its difficulty. Luke was struggling as the feral man from before had jumped on him, snarling as Luke tried desperately to keep him away from his face. Then the man was sent flying, crashing into a nearby wall. Luke blinked before looking over as Jessica offered him a hand up.

 

“Looked like you could use some help,” Jessica said as she helped him.

 

“Still could,” Luke said as the man got up and leapt at them again.

 

As the knights faced off against the brainwashed Secret Service agents, Peter was trying his best to combat a blue, furry male that kept vanishing in a burst of smoke whenever Peter got close. Peter stopped, jumping down to the ground and closed his eyes, letting his tingle do the work for him. When it went off, Peter whirled around, shooting off two streams of webbing as the teleporter appeared behind him. He couldn’t react as Peter webbed his hands before Peter used the webbing like rope, yanking on it and sending the telaporter slamming into the wall hard enough to be knocked out.

 

Blonsky snarled as he tried to punch Thor but Thor jumped up into the air before pointing Mjolnir at him. Blonsky was suddenly struck by several bolts of lightning and he roared in pain before Thor rushed down, once more striking him with Mjolnir, this time in the side of the face. Blonsky went down to the floor, crumbling on his side, dazed.

 

“Stay down, or you shall feel the wrath of the god of thunder,” Thor said coolly.

 

Tony was trying to help Wanda stop the guy with fire by firing a repulsor beam when his gauntlet stopped working. Momentarily confused, Tony quickly realized what was happening.

 

“Not again! FRIDAY, activate Fire Suppression System,” Tony commanded.

 

FRIDAY does and Scott was sent flying out of the suit. Scott enlarged on the ground before Sam tackled him into the wall.

 

“Sorry about this Tic-Tac!” Sam apologized before punching Scott.

 

Arthur kicked down a man with green skin. The man opened his mouth and shot out slim at Arthur but Arthur ducked before sending a strong kick to the man’s chest. The man flew into the wall before falling to the floor, unconscious. Arthur was about to turn and seek out another opponent when his hair stood on end. Arthur turned around, seeing a man in dark dressed clothes walking towards the battlefield, holding a sword. Arthur’s eyes widened as he saw the man.

 

“Mordred,” he breathed.

 

“Hello Arthur,” Mordred said coldly, his eyes as filled with hate as they had been when they last met. “It will be a pleasure to kill you once more.”

 

Almost faster than Arthur could blink, Mordred was in front of him and Arthur brought up Excalibur just in time to block Mordred’s parry.

 

“I do not want to have to fight once more Mordred, but I will,” Arthur said firmly.

 

“And you’ll die once more as well,” Mordred sneered before pushing back against Excalibur.

 

Arthur stumbled back as he and Mordred began clashing sword, appearing only as two blurs of black clothes and steel. Mordred’s eyes flashed gold and Arthur was thrown back violently. Arthur crashed into a wall and dropped Excalibur before falling to his knees, having to use his hands to keep himself from falling to the floor completely. As Mordred approached, he was suddenly thrown across the room with a yelp. Arthur looked up, expecting to see Merlin but was surprised to see Morgana approaching him.

 

“Are you alright?” Morgana asked as she offered him a hand up.

 

“Fine,” Arthur said, picking up Excalibur before accepting her hand up. “Thank you.”

 

Morgana nodded before they turned back to see Mordred looking at them angrily, betrayal in his eyes as he glared at Morgana.

 

“Go. I’ll deal with him,” Morgana said, a tone in her voice that Arthur had heard her use many times when she wasn’t going to be talked out of something.

 

So, rather than waste time, Arthur walked off in search of another opponent, leaving his sister and Mordred alone.

 

“Mordred, this has to stop,” Morgana pleaded with him.

 

“Rebirth has made you weak my lady,” Mordred sneered angrily. “How can you forgive Arthur for what he did?!”

 

“Because he forgave me for far worse. Things that haunt my dreams, things that keep me up at night,” Morgana said with a haunted look in her eyes. “Mordred, this cycle of hatred and violence, it has to end.”

 

“You’re right. And it will end when Arthur is dead!” Mordred roared. “If you stand in the way of that, you will join him!”

 

Morgana stared at him sadly, realizing that, unlike her, Mordred had not managed to break free of the hatred that had consumed him. So she raised her sword.

 

“Then you’ll have to kill me,” Morgana said calmly.

 

“So be it,” Mordred sneered.

 

Mordred then roared as he rushed towards her but Morgana easily blocked his blow. Her eyes then flashed gold and Mordred was sent flying back once more.

 

Steve held his sword tightly, ducking as a wild haired man with what seemed to be metal claws coming from his knuckles tried striking him.

 

“Howlett, stop!” Steve pleaded.

 

Howlett sneered as he tried to bring his claws down on Steve. Steve used his sword to block but, to his amazement, the claws cut right through the sword. Steve dropped the sword and rolled out of the way. As Howlett lunged for him again, he suddenly cried out in pain before dropping to the floor, Natasha standing behind him.

 

“Friend of yours?” Natasha asked.

 

“Long story. But that won’t keep him down for long,” Steve warned her.

 

As if to prove Steve right, Howlett jumped back up with a snarl. Natasha fired her Widow’s Bite again as Howlett lunged for her. Although Howlett staggered, he kept going. Natasha was forced to jump out of the way as Steve ran up behind him. Howlett turned around just before Steve kicked him in the abdomen.

 

As Matt traded blows with the brainwashed Elektra, Gwen had somehow found herself facing off against Colleen. Gwen moved to block Colleen’s word but, just like with Gwaine, her sword shattered upon impact and Gwen was thrown on her back. Colleen tried to bring her sword down on Gwen but another sword block her strike.

 

“I don’t think so,” Arthur said, his blue eyes hard as he stared at Colleen stonily.

 

Colleen pushed back against him and Arthur jumped away as Colleen channeled more chi into her sword before trying to strike Arthur. But he blocked with Excalibur and Colleen was visibly stunned when his sword didn’t shatter.

 

“This sword was forced in a dragon’s breath. You’ll find it won’t break as easy as the others,” Arthur said coolly.

 

Enraged, Colleen pushed back and Arthur jumped back. Colleen channeled ore Chi into her sword before moving to strike Arthur. Arthur met her blade with his own and the meeting of the blades caused a powerful shockwave to emit that sent everyone in the hall flying back.


Morgause looked up sharply, sensing the great burst of magical power. Gaius raised an eyebrow, feeling it as well.

 

“What is it?” Ross asked as he saw the looks on their faces.

 

“Arthur has not fallen as easily as I hoped,” Morgause said as she frowned. “I will have to take drastic measures. Ross, when we entered into our partnership, I promised you a reward.”

 

“I’m aware,” Ross said, unsure where this was going.

 

“Well, I think it’s time to reward you,” Morgause said with a dark smile.

 

Morgause’s eyes flashed gold as she walked over and, before Ross could react, she had placed a hand on his chest. Ross gasped as she he felt a surge of power flowing through his body, but at the same time, realized something was happening to him.

 

“I’m going to give you what you want most, although not in the way you expect. You shall serve me as the beast you once hunted, but you will be much more powerful due to my dark magic,” Morgause said with a wicked smile as Gaius watched in horror. “Now go. Destroy Arthur and his allies.”


Thor roared as he swung Mjolnir, striking Blonsky in the face. Blonsky was sent falling onto his back, finally beaten into unconsciousness.

 

As he looked around him, Thor saw most of the battles were winding down. Merlin caught the volts of electricity the white haired woman shot at him before his eyes flashed gold. The volts seemed to grow in power before returning to the white haired woman. She had no time to react before she was struck, flying across the room and landing on her side, out cold. Merlin walked over to her, kneeling down next to her. His eyes flashed gold once more and the woman’s injuries healed.

 

“When you wake, I promise you will be yourself again,” Merlin promised.

 

Across the room, as the knights were beating back the last of the Secret Service agents, Morgana and Mordred were still engaging in their sword duel. Mordred pushed back but it was obvious, while Mordred was physically stronger, Morgana was just more experienced and skilled.

 

Mordred’s eyes flashed gold as he tried to send Morgana flying but Morgana’s eyes also flashed gold. Their spells clashed with each other but Morgana was simply more powerful. Morgana stood her ground as Mordred was thrown back, landing on his back.

 

“Yield Mordred,” Morgana said calmly, giving him one last chance.

 

With a roar, Mordred got to his feet and rushed her. Morgana sighed before her eyes flashed gold. Mordred suddenly froze before being lifted up into the air. Mordred looked around in panic before his sword turned into a flower, to his disbelief. Then, Mordred found himself sinking into the floor until only his head was left above ground.

 

“You’ll be fine, but it’ll take time for you to break out of that,” Morgana said as her eyes returned to normal.

 

The man who controlled fire was still shooting flames at Wanda when a streaming of webbing shot out and struck him in the face, blinding him. He let out a roar, having to stop his flames as he began trying to pull the webbing off. And that’s when Wanda struck, sending a powerful blast of energy at the man. The blast sent him flying into a wall and he then fell to the floor, out cold.

 

“Thanks,” Wanda said as Peter landed next to her.

 

“No problem. The guy was a hothead,” Peter quipped and Wanda smiled.

 

As Danny opened fire on Luke, who dodged even as he tried to help Jessica fight off the saber-toothed man. Luke was trying to figure out how to deal with Danny when Sam flew in, grabbed him and tackled him into a wall, slamming Danny’s head against it. Danny was knocked out and Sam let him go. As Danny fell to the floor, Sam and Luke nodded at each other.

 

Luke was about to move to help Jessica when the saber-toothed man was blasted from behind with an energy beam. He howled in pain before Jessica delivered a punch to his jaw that sent him flying.  He slammed into the floor, out cold.

 

“Thanks,” Jessica said gruffly as she looked over at Vision.

 

“It was my pleasure Ms. Jones,” Vision said politely.

 

Howlett lunged for Steve and Natasha when he was suddenly wrapped in a net of iron cable that pinned his arms to his side. Before Howlett could even begin to try and break out, the cables started to electrocute him. Howlett cried out in pain before Steve rushed over, slugging him hard enough that he knew it would kill a normal man. Howlett simply crumbled to the floor, unconscious.

 

“Some friend you got,” Clint noted as he lowered his bow.

 

“I fought with him in World War Two. He was codenamed Wolverine, sent on missions that were deemed too dangerous for the rest of us,” Steve explained.

 

“So how is he still alive?” Natasha asked and Steve didn’t answer.

 

Arthur and Colleen were still trading blows, Arthur blocking her sword with his own when the others began to approach them. Arthur paused as Colleen looked around, seeing she was surrounded. Nearby, Matt had managed to knock Elektra unconscious and stood tall, joining the others.

 

“Colleen, you’re surrounded. Don’t make this hard on yourself,” Matt tried to reason with her.

 

Before Colleen could respond, Merlin said something that the rest didn’t understand, his eyes flashing gold and Colleen crumbled to the floor, unconscious.

 

“You couldn’t have done that earlier?” Clint asked annoyed.

 

“With all the chaos happening around us? No,” Merlin said bluntly.

 

“It’s done now. Let’s find Morgause and end this,” Arthur said, clutching Excalibur tightly.

 

As the group turned to do just that, they saw Ross standing at the other end of the hallway.

 

“Speaking of psychopaths, there’s Ross,” Clint said dryly, clutching his bow tightly.

 

“It’s over Ross. Get out of the way,” Tony told him.

 

Ross didn’t respond. His head was tilted downward, his eyes not visible.

 

“He’s unusually quiet,” Leon noted.

 

“He wouldn’t shut up before,” Gwaine remembered, an uneasy feeling in his stomach.

 

It was then that Ross lifted his head, revealing pure red eyes. He let a loud roar before, to the shock of the group, his skin began to turn red and his suit began to break apart as Ross grew in size. Before long, a giant beast stood in the room that looked like an exact replica of the Hulk, except its skin was red instead of green. Morgana stared in shock at the creature from her nightmares.

 

“My God,” Arthur breathed in shock.

 

“Looks like Ross got an upgrade,” Natasha noted. “Only question is how?”

 

“Morgause. She did this,” Merlin quickly realized.

 

“Great. Is there anything she can’t do?” Sam asked sarcastically.      

 

Ross roared before lunging at the group of heroes. As the others did their best to get out of the way, Thor jumped into the air, twirling Mjolnir as he rushed towards Ross. Thor attempted to strike Ross in the face with Mjolnir but Ross dodged it before delivering a powerful punch to Thor’s face. Thor was sent flying, crashing through a wall down the hall and then crashing onto his side on the floor.

 

“Thor, you okay?” Tony called out.

 

“I will survive Stark,” Thor said gruffly as he pulled himself to his feet. “But Ross is stronger than Banner.”

 

“Great. As if we didn’t have enough problems,” Luke grumbled.

 

“There’s been enough of this. Morgana, will this Ross return to normal if Morgause dies?” Arthur inquired.

 

“I’m not sure what spell Morgause did, but it should break upon her death,” Morgana confirmed and Arthur’s eyes narrowed.

 

“Then you two best get started. We need to clear a path for Merlin and Morgana,” Arthur ordered.

 

“You heard the man. Let’s do it,” Clint said as he pulled an arrow out of his quiver.

 

Wanda immediately raised her hands and Ross was slammed into a wall, pinned by red energy. As he struggled against it, Merlin and Morgana began racing past him. Ross began thrashing against Wanda’s hold and, to her shock, broke out of it with a roar. Wanda was sent stumbling back as Ross moved towards Merlin and Morgana.

 

But Vision shot out a beam of energy at Ross before he could do anything. Ross grunted in pain as Merlin and Morgana once more made their escape. Ross began walking forward, trying to go after Merlin and Morgana when a missile struck him in the face. Ross stumbled back with a cry of pain as Tony flew down, landing in Ross’s path.

 

“You’re not gonna stop them,” Tony said and Ross let out a bellowing laugh.

 

“You think you can stop me Stark?” Ross asked in a monstrous voice.

 

“Not alone. But I’m not alone,” Tony said as the others walked up behind Ross.

 

“It’s over Ross. Stand down,” Steve ordered and Ross once more laughed.

 

“I have more power flowing through than you could possibly imagine. I am worth more than ten Banners! How can you honestly hope to defeat me?” Ross demanded.

 

“Together,” Steve said simply.

 

“Then you shall die,” Ross said gleefully.

 

“Then we’ll do that together to,” Tony said simply.

 

Ross let out a powerful roar before rushing Tony and Vision. Tony flew back up into the air, firing another missile at Ross. It struck him in the chest but seemed to have no effect. Ross roared, trying to strike Tony when two large streams of webbing wrapped themselves around his hands, binding them together. Angrily, Ross yanked and Peter was went flying.

 

“Whoa!” Peter exclaimed as he flew up into the air before Sam flew up and caught him.

 

“I got you kid,” Sam assured him.

 

With a growl, Ross broke the webbing around his hands by pulling them apart. As the group of heroes rushed him, each prepared to do anything they could to buy Merlin and Morgana they time they needed, Ross roared before moving to strike one of them.


As Merlin and Morgana rushed through the hall, they came upon Zemo and Sharon Carter, who both opened fire on them. Merlin held up a hand, his eyes glowing gold briefly and the bullets turned into bubbles as the pistols turned into flowers. As Sharon and Zemo tried to process this, Morgana held out her hand and sent both of them flying into a wall, knocking them out.

 

“You feel Morgause near?” Merlin asked and Morgana nodded.

 

“She’s not far, she’s very close,” Morgana said as she rounded a corner.

 

Morgana paused, glancing at a door on her left. Merlin followed her and saw where she was looking. He glanced at Morgana and she nodded. Holding their swords tightly, the pair walked over to the door and Morgana kicked the door in. Entering the room, they saw Morgause standing on the other side, Gaius on the floor in front of her, on his knees in handcuffs.

 

“Gaius,” Merlin said, his throat growing thick with the lump that suddenly found itself there.

 

“Merlin. It warms my heart to finally see you again,” Gaius said with a slight smile.

 

“Hello sister,” Morgause said with a sinister smile.

 

“Morgause,” Morgana greeted. “It’s time to end this.”

 

“Oh I agree. And it will start with the serving boy who has caused so much trouble for the both of us,” Morgause said as her eyes zeroed in on Merlin. “It’s time for you to finally die Merlin.”


Ross roared as he brought his hands down on the floor, causing it to crack as the heroes all jumped back. Wanda shot out a few blasts of energy at him, which made contact with his chest. Although they seemed to hurt him, they didn’t affect him much. With a growl, Ross jumped, nearly squashing Wanda if not for Vision quickly getting her out of the way.

 

“Nat, remember that arrow I gave you after Budapest?” Clint said as he reached back into quiver. “Time to use it.”

 

Natasha nodded, reaching into her belt. She pulled out two objects she then puts together, forming a crossbow, which she then loaded with an arrow. She and Clint both fire, the arrows sailing towards Ross. The arrowheads seemed to spark before the sparks wrapped around each other, forming a rope of energy. The energy rope wrapped around Ross and, within seconds, exploded, blackening the walls around him as a result.

 

“Where you been keeping that?” Tony asked dryly.

 

“For a rainy day. Looks like its pouring out,” Clint quipped.

 

Still, no one relaxed. And when the smoke cleared, Ross still stood there, not seeming harmed.

 

“It appears your arrows did nothing to stop the rain,” Thor said darkly as Clint and Natasha stared in disbelief.

 

“He’s like Banner on steroids,” Clint muttered.

 

“Worse, magic,” Percival said grimly.

 

“Any ideas on how to stop him?” Peter asked uncertainly.

 

“We don’t need to stop him. We just need to buy enough time for Merlin and Morgana to kill Morgause,” Arthur said as he raised his sword. “For the world!”

 

“For the world!” his knights echoed before they all rushed forward as Ross roared.


“Sounds quite noisy out there. I hope Ross hasn’t killed your friends too soon,” Morgause taunted, trying to get a rise out of Merlin.

 

“My friends can take care of themselves. You should be more worried about yourself,” Merlin said as he narrowed his eyes.

 

“What are you going to do, kill me? Don’t posture Merlin, you’ve never been able to bring yourself to kill me before, you won’t now,” Morgause said with a laugh.

 

“And that was my mistake. Not killing you after you tried to make Arthur kill Uther. I should have killed you that day, before you twisted your way into Morgana’s head,” Merlin said, glancing at Morgana briefly in regret before turning back to Morgause. “Everything that happened after that was because I was too passive. That changes today.”

 

“My Merlin, how you’ve grown. If only I’d known the power you had back then. I’d have recruited you to my cause. But as it is, you will die. As you will you, sister,” Morgause said as she glanced at Morgana.

 

“No. Only one person will die today,” Morgana said as she looked at her sister sadly. “You won’t stop us.”

 

“I won’t have to lift a finger to stop you,” Morgause said smugly, confusing Merlin and Morgana.

 

“Merlin!” Gaius shouted out in warning.

 

But it was too late. Merlin and Morgana dropped their swords, holding their heads as they heard a whistle that seemed to penetrate their brains. Behind them was a young man who was whistling, emitting a sonic wave that was striking the back of their heads.

 

“Allow me to introduce Banshee, at least that’s what Ross called him. I never cared to learn his name. A whistle from him is powerful enough to shatter glass,” Morgause said sadistically. “I’ve been saving him for just this occasion.”

 

Merlin and Morgana fell to their knees, unable to even concentrate as Banshee’s whistle continued to cause them agony while Gaius looked on in horror.

 

“And now Gaius, you get to watch as the boy you loved like a son and the girl you failed to stop from falling into darkness die,” Morgause said smugly. “It’s my perfect revenge old man.”

 

“No!” Gaius roared in defiance, his eyes flashing gold.

 

Banshee was suddenly thrown back, hitting the wall behind him hard. He fell to the floor as Merlin and Morgana breathed heavily, Banshee’s attack cancelled.

 

“You foolish old man! You still continue to get in the way!” Morgause snarled, her eyes flashing gold.

 

Gaius gasped, feeling the breath drained from his body. He realized in that moment Morgause was going to kill him. But it was alright, as long as Merlin and Morgana were alive to avenge him and stop this madness.

 

Then, Morgause was pushed back, slamming against the wall. Morgana approached, her eyes returning to gold as she picked up her sword.

 

“No one else is going to die for your hatred Morgause. It ends now,” Morgana declared.

 

“Gaius, are you alright?” Merlin asked worriedly as he rushed to his old mentor’s side.

 

“I am fine Merlin. You need to worry about Morgause,” Gaius said breathlessly as his lungs breathed in air.

 

“No one will ever have to worry about her against Gaius, I swear. No more,” Merlin said as his darkened. “No more.”


Tony fired another missile at Ross, who only again merely shrugged it off before lunging for Tony. Tony managed to fly out of his range as Thor rushed towards Ross with a roar, swinging Mjolnir wildly. But, to the shock of everyone, Ross grabbed his arm, stopping the hammer inches from his face.

 

“The people of this world once worshipped you as a god. But what is a god to a non-believer?” Ross asked menacingly.

 

Ross then head-butted Thor before swinging around, throwing his down the hall. Thor hit a wall and slid to the floor, dazed as Ross turned back to the others with a monstrous smirk.

 

“Who wants to go next?” he asked sadistically.

 

Arthur and Steve quickly rushed him, Steve having picked up Mordred’s sword earlier. Ross laughed, attempting to bring his large fist down on them but the pair dodged, Arthur stabbing him in the leg with Excalibur as Steve jumped up on Ross’s shoulder, cutting into him. Ross growled in anger and pain, easily kicking Arthur away while grabbing Steve in his hand. However, Steve was able to break his hold, jumping down and rolling away.

 

Before Ross could retaliate, Sam flew in, firing at him with his guns. The shots had no affect and Ross angrily swatted Sam away. As Sam flew back, dazed, Tony grabbed him so he wouldn’t crash. Wanda then shot bursts of energy at Ross while Vision shot a beam from his forehead at Ross. Ross was sent stumbling back but pushed forward. To the disbelief of the gathered heroes, even the combined power of Wanda and Vision wasn’t enough to hold him back. With a growl, Ross brought his hands together and the resulting shock wave not only disrupted Vision and Wanda’s attacks, but send almost all the heroes flying back, crashing onto the floor.

 

Nearby, Mordred, his trapped in the floor, smirked as Arthur pulled himself to his feet, looking around at his allies in concern as they didn’t get up, dazed.

 

“If I can’t kill you myself, at least I get to watch you die,” Mordred sneered.

 

Arthur didn’t respond; his focus on Ross as the red monster began approaching. Arthur raised his sword, staring at Ross defiantly.

 

“You should really give up, little king. Your authority holds no weight in this world,” Ross taunted him.

 

“As long as I draw breath, I will not give up. As long as there are people who still need help, I will not lay down my sword,” Arthur said firmly, not budging.

 

“I almost admire your courage. Almost,” Ross said with a laugh.

 

Before Ross could do anything more, Steve had rushed forward, cutting at him with Mordred’s sword but Ross kicked him in annoyance, sending Steve crashing into the wall. Steve dropped his sword as he fell to his knees, holding abdomen in pain, sure something had just been broken.

 

Thor then rushed Ross from behind, whirling Mjolnir, but Ross once more caught his arm and tossed him into the wall. Mjolnir went flying as Thor lost his grip on it, landing behind Ross as he turned to the two dazed heroes.

 

“I guess you two will be the first to die,” Ross chuckled.

 

Before Ross could do anything, Mjolnir rose up into the air and smashed into Ross’s cut shoulder. Ross stumbled away, looking as Mjolnir paused in front of him. The remaining heroes were getting to their feet, watching as Mjolnir flew away from Ross, passed Thor and Steve, and into the free hand of Arthur.

 

“Son of a bitch,” Tony breathed as the original Avengers looked at Arthur in disbelief.

 

“He’s worthy,” Thor breathed in shock.

 

Arthur did not respond to any of them, feeling the power that now coursed through him. He rushed forward, jumping up into the air.  Ross tried to grab him but Arthur evaded his hand, striking him in the face with Mjolnir before stabbing him in the shoulder with Excalibur. Ross howled in pain before Arthur withdrew Excalibur, jumping away from Ross before Ross could retaliate. Ross growled as he glared at Arthur, who merely raised Mjolnir. A burst of lightning emerged from the hammer and struck Ross, who howled in pain. Arthur then clanged his two weapons together and a shockwave of lightning seemed to strike Ross, sending him flying back.

 

Ross landed on the floor, hard as Arthur rushed forward, jumping on Ross’s chest. Arthur raised Excalibur, preparing to deliver the killing blow. But before he could, Ross reached up and grabbed him around the neck, slamming him into the ground.

 

“Arthur!” Gwen called out in horror.

 

Arthur’s eyes flashed with lightning and he struck again, striking Ross with Mjolnir. Ross let go again and Arthur jumped to his feet but Ross quickly recovered, elbowing Arthur in the chest. Arthur, like Steve and Thor, was sent flying into the wall, dropping his weapons. Arthur fell on his knees, breathing raggedly after having the wind knocked out of him.

 

“Impressive, a king who wields the power of a god,” Ross said begrudgingly impressed. “But it is over.  You shall all die.”


“It’s over Morgause,” Merlin said as he walked up beside Morgana.

 

“You’re right, it’s over for you!” Morgause snarled, her eyes flashing gold.

 

A burst of lighting came out of her hand and towards Merlin. But Merlin calmly reached out his hand, stopping it inches from his face as Morgause stared in disbelief.

 

“What are you?” Morgause asked in frustration.

 

“The Druids called me Emrys. I am the most powerful sorcerer who has ever lived. And I am here to stop you, once and for all,” Merlin declared.

 

His eyes flashed purse gold and the lightning bolt seemed to grow increasingly large before Merlin sent it back at Morgause. She screamed in terror and pain as it struck her before her entire body seemed to disintegrate.


In a large room, the Vice President and several members of the White House staff were being held hostage by members of the Secret Service, who trained guns on them. Then, all at once, the agents dropped their guns, falling to their knees as they began breathing heavily.

 

“What have we done?” one asked horrified.


In the Oval Office, Ellis slumped forward, breathing heavily before Ellis’s form was replaced with the blue skinned woman.

 

“What did that bitch do to me?” she growled.


Ross was approaching Arthur, Thor and Steve when he suddenly stopped, holding his head. The group watching as he cried out in pain, beginning to beat his own face as he began to shrink down, his skin turning back to normal. All too soon, Ross stood there, breathing heavily as he stood on his knees in his ruined suit.

 

“No. Gone, it’s all gone!” Ross said in despair.

 

“Well, it appears you’ve lost your powers Mr. Secretary,” Arthur noted, managing to pull himself to his feet.

 

“Does that mean it’s finally over?” Peter asked in a mix of hope and fear.

 

“I’m not sure. But in any case, Morgause is dead. So we won,” Arthur said as he breathed a sigh of relief. “Perhaps now, we can begin to move on from this madness.”

Notes:

Group fight scenes are very tricky to write, so I honestly hope you guys enjoyed them.

I did not intend to bring Mordred back, but as I was writing the chapter, it just fit to do it.

Arthur wielding Mjolnir was something I’ve been wanting to do for most of the story, so I was happy to finally be able to do it here. Regarding Arthur’s worthiness, Arthur’s character arc is almost a mirror image of Thor’s until Endgame ruined it. Arthur as a character is essentially Thor’s storyline with Steve’s fighting spirit, so I do think he would be worthy.

Chapter 23: Letting go of the past

Summary:

The heroes all examine the fallout of Morgause's manipulations. Merlin has an idea.

Notes:

This was originally going to be the last chapter, but it started to get overstuffed, so I had to split it up. Next chapter will be the final chapter.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Mordred opened his eyes and sat up, looking around wildly. He was in a basement of some kind and saw there was some kind of energy keeping him in the cell like area he found himself in.

 

“You’d be wasting your time trying to escape.”

 

Startled by the voice, Mordred looked to his left, where he saw Morgana was standing outside the cell.

 

“The cell was made by a Sorcerer far more powerful than you. It will hold you,” Morgana warned him.

 

“You must be enjoying this,” Mordred sneered as he got to his feet.

 

“You really think that little of me? I don’t enjoy any of this Mordred. It breaks my heart to see you this way,” Morgana said as she looked at him sadly. “You’re so consumed by your anger and hatred.”

 

“Arthur killed the love of my life!” Mordred roared.

 

“Who was a murderer,” Morgana pointed out calmly. “I know because I created her, got into her head the same way Morgause got into mine.”

 

“I guess we’re all monsters in the end,” Mordred said darkly. “Morgause molded you in her image, and you molded us in yours.”

 

“Maybe,” Morgana said softly and a silence descended on the room. “But it doesn’t have to stay way. The cycle of hatred and violence, being reborn allowed me to finally break free of it. I hope your time in here will allow you to do the same. But either way, it’s time to let go of the past. Goodbye Mordred."

 

Morgana then turned, walking out of the room. As she did, she heard Mordred scream in rage. But unlike in Camelot, there was no chance of him escaping this cell.

 

Morgana walked up the stairs, to the main level of the New York Sanctum. She saw Merlin was talking to Strange when he noticed her. Merlin said something else to Strange before walking over to her.

 

“You alright?” Merlin asked and she sighed.

 

“I don’t know. Mordred, he’s so full of hate. He’s just like me after Morgause took me,” Morgana said sadly.

 

“You can’t save someone from themselves Morgana. Trust me, I’ve tried,” Merlin pointed out and she smiled weakly.

 

“Maybe. It doesn’t mean I don’t have regrets,” Morgana said as she sighed miserably. “I have so much to atone for…”

 

“We all do in our own way. It’s not all on you Morgana; we all have to carry our sins,” Merlin said as he placed a hand on her shoulder. “We start by forgiving ourselves a little bit each day. You made a good start today.”

 

“I just did the right thing, that’s all,” Morgana shook her head.

 

“It’s no small thing. Without you, we may have never figured out Morgause’s plan. We could not have done this without you,” Merlin assured.

 

“Maybe,” Morgana allowed. “So, what happens now?”

 

Avengers Compound

Late afternoon

 

“Ross has been taken into custody. The people who were being held hostage at the White House and the brainwashed Secret Service both corroborated that he was the ringleader of this coup,” Fury was explaining to the group of heroes, plus the knights and Gaius as they all sat in the briefing room. “There’s going to be an investigation into The Raft. And according to some of my contacts, the people Morgause brainwashed shouldn’t face any charges. The idea of an Enhanced being able to brainwash people isn’t that much of a stretch these days.”

 

“Well that’s good to know. Really wasn’t looking forward to being sent to jail,” Danny noted as those who had been forced to serve Morgause breathed a sigh of relief.

 

“You’re telling me,” Sharon noted, all of them shaken by their experience being controlled by Morgause.

 

“Most of the Inhumans who were being controlled by Morgause fled in the chaos. I doubt you’ll be seeing any of them any time soon,” Fury noted.

 

“After everything that’s happened, they’ll probably lay low for a while,” Natasha noted.

 

Hell’s Kitchen

Same time

 

“Here,” Matt said gently as he handed Elektra some tea as she sat on the couch. “I made it just the way you like it.”

 

“Thank you Matthew,” Elektra said softly as she took it, taking a drink and making a hum of approval.

 

“How did you survive? I thought you were dead,” Matt said, trying to keep his voice even, knowing Elektra had been through a lot.

 

“I…I don’t know. My last clear memory was of us holding each other as Midland Circle collapsed on us. After that, there were flashes. I somehow managed to crawl out, I was barely alive. My body…,” Elektra said with a grimace as she remembered the state she had been in. “It was a miracle I survived. Then...then Morgause’s men found me, brought me to her. She used her magic to heal my wounds and then…”

 

“Then she brainwashed you,” Matt said knowingly and Elektra nodded silently. “I can’t imagine what you’ve been through. But, however it happened, I’m glad you’re alive.”

 

“As am I,” Elektra said as she looked at him lovingly. “My last thought before my will was no longer my own was of you.”

 

“I was in rough shape after Midland Circle, but still…I should have looked for you,” Matt said guiltily and she laughed.

 

“My dear Mathew, always the martyr,” Elektra said lovingly as she placed a hand on the side of his face. “However it happened, we are together now.”

 

Elektra placed the cup of tea down and no more words were spoken as their lips met in a kiss, surprisingly gentle for them.

 

Avengers Compound

Late afternoon

 

Sharon was sitting in the living area, deep in thought when Steve sat down across from her.

 

“How are you holding up?” Steve asked his eyes shining in concern.

 

“Well, it’s not every day that you get used as a puppet to overthrow the government. I’m just…trying to take it all in,” Sharon sighed.

 

“I’m sorry that you got dragged into this. I can’t help but feel if I hadn’t involved you in what was happening with Zemo-” Steve started.

 

“Does it ever get exhausting? Taking all the blame?” Sharon cut him off as she shot him a pointed look. “Not everything that happens is on you Steve. I’m a big girl; I made my own choice that day. And I’d make the same choice again in a second. You’re not God Steve; people don’t have to listen to you if they don’t want to.”

 

“Fair enough,” Steve nodded although he still felt a little guilty. “So, what’s next for Sharon Carter?”

 

“Not sure to be honest. I was grabbed off the street in Italy before I was taken to the Raft. I’m still a fugitive,” Sharon said glumly. “Can’t even tell my father I’m okay. I don’t know what I’m gonna do now. What about you?”

 

“Like you said, we’re still fugitives. But I guess I’ll help out wherever I can,” Steve said with a shrug, honestly not having given it much thought.

 

“And your friend? The Enhanced?” Sharon asked and Steve was silent.


A little later, Steve entered the kitchen, where he found Howlett drinking a beer.

 

“Cap,” Howlett said without turning around.

 

“Howlett,” Steve said as he walked in.

 

“Call me Logan. Everyone else does,” Logan shrugged.

 

“How are you…” Steve trailed off, not sure how to say it.

 

“Still alive and this good looking? Search me,” Logan shrugged. “Something happened to me a few decades back; I can’t remember a whole lot of my life. Bits and pieces, including meeting you and the Howling Commandos, but after that, things are pretty fuzzy. But I don’t think I can die.”

 

“What makes you say that?” Steve asked curiously.

 

Logan smiled unpleasantly before putting down the beer. He made a fist, summoned his three claws before, to Steve’s shock, he ran it through his right bicep. Logan grunted in pain before withdrawing his claws. Steve then watched in shock as, within seconds, Logan’s wounds healed.

 

“Pretty sure that’s how I still look like this,” Logan said before retracting his claws. “I think someone did something to me, I just don’t know what.”

 

“We can help you find out,” Steve offered and Logan laughed.

 

“Benn looking for answers for the past twenty years. What makes you think you can help me?” Logan asked curiously.

 

“Because before, you were looking alone,” Steve said simply and Logan stared at him for a long moment.

 

“Over seventy years and you haven’t change. Alright, what do I got to lose?” Logan shrugged.


“It’s good to see you all again my friends,” Arthur said as he, Gwen, Gaius and the knights sat outside the Compound on the dock outside the lake.

 

“And you Arthur, Gwen,” Elyan said as she looked from his king to his sister. “It hardly seems real that we’re all here, considering everything that has happened.”

 

“Magic has a funny way of doing that,” Gaius mused.

 

“And Merlin has magic?” Leon asked, wanting to clarify.

 

“Since the day he was born,” Lancelot confirmed, smiling slightly at the surprised looks of the other knights. “I found out after my first visit to Camelot.”

 

“A lot of things about Merlin suddenly make a lot of sense,” Elyan mused. “How did we not see it?”

 

“Merlin is very good at making himself look like the idiot. I spent every day with him for years and I never knew,” Arthur shrugged.

 

“I didn’t want to put you in that position, any of you,” the group turned around to see Merlin approaching them.

 

“Merlin,” Gaius smiled as he got to his feet.

 

“Gaius,” Merlin said before he happily embraced his former mentor.

 

“It is very good to see you,” Gaius said as they pulled back.

 

“And you. All of you,” Merlin said as he looked around at his friends.

 

“You are full of surprises Merlin,” Leon said with a smile. “A Sorcerer?”

 

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I wanted to, many times,” Merlin said remorsefully.

 

“You owe us no explanation. We understand Merlin,” Percival said as he laid a hand on the smaller man’s shoulder.

 

“Mordred?” Arthur asked wearily.

 

“He’s locked up at the New York Sanctum, in a magical prison made by someone far more powerful than him. He won’t be getting out,” Merlin assured him and Arthur nodded, relieved.

 

“And Morgana?” Gwen asked, noticing she wasn’t with Merlin and the others tensed, waiting for Merlin’s answer.

 

“She went home. I think the events of the last several days caught up with her,” Merlin explained and it was silent, save for the chirping of birds.

 

“It’s understandable. She only recently recovered her memories and after recent events, it would natural for her to feel overwhelmed,” Gaius mused.

 

“Are we sure we can trust her?” Percival asked suspiciously, unable to forget the death of his family.

 

“Percival makes a valid point. She is responsible for so much chaos in the past,” Leon pointed out.

 

“Enough,” Arthur commanded and they looked at him in disbelief. “You have valid reasons for distrusting Morgana. But she is different now, I have it seen it with my own eyes. She has let go of the hatred that once consumed her heart. She saved my life from Mordred and brought Gwaine back to us, which allowed us to learn Morgause’s plan. I am not saying you must forgive her for past sins, but do not hold on to hatred. To do so is to risk becoming Morgause and Mordred.”

 

“It’s time to let the past stay in the past,” Gwen added as she took her husband’s hand.

 

“They are right,” Lancelot added his input. “I doubt I will trust Morgana for a very long time, if ever. But she is an ally, she proved that today. As long as we do not make her an enemy, she will not become one.”

 

“It was Uther’s paranoia, seeing enemies where they were none that turned Morgana and so many others from friend to foe. I pray we do not make the same mistake now, when we have a second chance,” Gaius added as the knights exchanged weary looks.

 

“There is wisdom in your words,” Leon admitted.

 

“Very well. As long as Morgana does not become a threat, we will not treat her as such,” Elyan sighed, hoping this wasn’t a mistake.

 

“But if she does-” Percival started.

 

“Then I will be the first to take her down,” Merlin said firmly. “Now, with that said, anyone know where Peter is?”


Peter was sitting at the kitchen, eating a bowl of cereal when Merlin, Arthur and Gwen walked in, followed by the knights.

 

“How are you feeling Peter?” Merlin asked as Peter looked up at him.

 

“I…I don’t know. We stopped Morgause but…it doesn’t bring May back,” Peter said sadly and it was silent for a moment.

 

“I lost my father when I was older than you, many centuries ago. And I still miss him,” Gwen said and Peter looked up at her. “It never goes away. But it does get easier.”

 

“Peter, I would like to apologize,” Leon said as he stepped forward and Peter was confused. “It was my sword that…I know it was Morgause that controlled my mind, but I can’t forgive myself. I just wanted to say that I am so sorry.”

 

For a long moment it was silent as Peter stared at Leon’s remorseful face. Then, he sighed heavily.

 

“There’s nothing to forgive. It may have been your sword, but you weren’t in control. The only person to blame is Morgause, and she’s dead. You don’t need to apologize to me,” Peter said and Leon stared at Peter for a long moment.

 

“You are wise beyond your years young one,” Leon said with a small smile.

 

“I actually came here to talk to you about something else,” Merlin said and Peter looked at him curiously. “When the police searched your apartment, they found your suit, they know who you are. But I can make that go away.”

 

“Really, you can?” Peter asked as almost everyone looked at Merlin in disbelief as he nodded.

 

“It’s something I learned from a Sorcerer called The Ancient One. It’s a difficult spell, but I can cast it and make it so that everyone but those who fought alongside us today will forget who Spider-Man is,” Merlin explained as Peter stated at him in shock.

 

“You can really do that?” Peter asked and Merlin nodded. “Thank you Merlin.”

 

“Think nothing of it. Just let me get started,” Merlin said.

 

“Can you do the same for me?” startled, the group turned around to see Clint standing in the doorway. “Sorry, couldn’t help overhearing.”

 

“You want me to make everyone forget who you are?” Merlin asked.

 

“No, I don’t give a shit about the world knowing who I am. But Tony outed my family to Ross while I was on the Raft. And even if Ross is taken care of, that Intel made it through a lot of channels,” Clint explained and Merlin nodded in understanding.

 

“I understand, you’re afraid of them being targets. Yes, I can make everyone but those who knew before forget about your family,” Merlin promised and Clint nearly sagged in relief.

 

“Thank you,” Clint said gratefully.


Scott was sitting in the sitting room, a dazed look on his face when Sam sat down next to him.

 

“You alright Tic-Tac?” Sam asked worriedly and Scott laughed humorlessly.

 

“How can I be? I killed the President,” Scott said shaken. “Mind controlled or not, I still did it. How do I learn to live with that?”

 

“One step at a time. I can’t pretend to know what you’re going through, but I’ve seen a lot of guys with PTSD. I used to be a counselor,” Sam said and Scott chuckled lightly.

 

“I can see that. You seem like you’d be good at it,” Scott noted and Sam smiled slightly.

 

“I used to say ‘some stuff we leave there, other stuff we bring home. It’s our job to figure out how to carry it.’ No one’s saying that it’s gonna be easy, what happened will keep you up at night for a long time. And it should, because you’re a good man who did a horrible thing. That doesn’t mean you’re a bad man,” Sam said as he placed a hand on Scott’s shoulder. “It’s up to you how to carry what you did. But you will, because you’re strong Scott. I don’t know you that well, but I know that.”


“So, you just cast this spell and everyone forgets about Peter and Clint’s family?” Natasha asked later as everyone stood in the living area, Merlin sitting in a circle and running his hands over an item he had summoned.

 

“That’s basically the simplified version, but yeah,” Merlin nodded.

 

“So can you-” Tony started.

 

“No,” Merlin said firmly. “Whatever it is, no Stark. This spell is very dangerous, even The Ancient One only used it in dire situations. I’m only using it because of the danger presented to Peter and Clint’s family.”

 

“Okay, that’s fair,” Tony admitted.

 

Merlin nodded before his eyes flashed gold. An orange Tao Mandalas appeared in Merlin’s hands as he started muttering under his breath. He waved one hand and orange writing appeared in the air around all of them. Merlin waved his hands, which glowed brightly before the writing spread around over the Compound and beyond before vanishing.

 

“That’s it, it’s done,” Merlin said as he lowered his hand.

 

“Thank you Merlin,” Clint said gratefully and Merlin nodded.

 

Peter breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that, although May was gone, no one else knew who he was besides the people in this room. No one else would get hurt because of him.

Notes:

Hope you guys liked all the reunions in this chapter.

Merlin would know the spell to make people forget and unlike Strange, he wouldn’t screw it up due to centuries of experience and wisdom.

Chapter 24: Moving on

Summary:

The heroes each decide to move forward in their own way.

Notes:

And here we are at the final chapter. Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, followed and favorite this work. I really hope you enjoy how it all ends.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

New York

Morning

 

Morgana was at work, getting some coffee as she, along with the rest of the café, listened to the news.

 

“It’s been four days since what has been called the ‘the battle of the White House’. While many questions remain unanswered, it’s been confirmed that former Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross was part of a coup that’s goal was to overthrow the government and resulted in the death of President Ellis. Earlier this morning, the former Vice President was sworn in and had this to say.

 

“My fellow Americans,” the former Vice President said as his image filled up the television. “It is with great sorrow that I take up my predecessor’s position. Matthew Ellis was a good man who only wanted what was best for our country. He did what he thought was right and it is a great loss for our country.

 

“With that said, President Ellis was not flawless. He made mistakes, the least of which was not the signing of The Sokovia Accords. And so I formally announce to all America’s withdrawal from the Sokovia Accords. I also grant full pardons to all American citizens who violated the Accords and even those who are not American but have made America their home such as Natasha Romanoff and Wanda Maximoff. No one will have to live in fear in America of the Accords ever again.

 

“To the countries who still support the Sokovia Accords, I now speak to the heads of state. I present to you a question. The Accords were corrupted in an attempt to overthrow America. What’s to stop it from happening to your country?”

 

“Well, at least one good thing came out of all this.”

 

Startled, Morgana looked up, seeing Merlin standing by the counter, dressed in a suit.

 

“Hey,” Merlin greeted.

 

“Hey,” Morgana echoed. “Aren’t you a little overdressed?”

 

“I just came from a funeral. I wanted to stop in on my way home, see how you were doing,” Merlin explained and Morgana almost laughed.

 

“With what? Having two lifetimes of memories in my head, having my magic back, or adjusting to normal life again?” she asked dryly. “I guess I’m doing as well as I can. So, a funeral?”

 

“May’s. After the dust settled, we were finally able to plan it. We buried her today,” Merlin said and a silence stretched between them for a few moments.

 

“How’s Peter?” Morgana asked and Merlin sighed.

 

“As okay as he can be, given everything that’s happened. May’s will was read yesterday and she named Gwen his guardian,” Merlin explained.

 

“Well at least he has someone who knows what he’s going through, someone who knows who he is. I would’ve given anything to have that back In Camelot,” Morgana said wistfully and Merlin almost grimaced.

 

“One person can make all the difference,” Merlin agreed, thinking of Gaius. “Listen, Morgana, I owe you an apology.”

 

“Merlin, no you don’t,” Morgana quickly assured him.

 

“Regardless, I need to say this, it’s been eating me up for centuries,” Merlin confessed and Morgana looked at him perplexed but gestured for him to go on. “I should have been honest with you. You came to me for your help but I let the warnings of others stop me from doing what I knew was right. I left you lost and alone, so of course you sought help in the wrong places. I’m sorry.”

 

“Merlin, you know me better than that. You honestly think you could have stopped me? Nothing could have stopped me from going down the path I went down if I really wanted to walk down it. Whatever you or Morgause did or didn’t do, no one is responsible for my actions but me,” Morgana said firmly. “You do not get to blame yourself for things I did. So don’t.”

 

Merlin stared at her for a long moment before finally nodding. He honestly wasn’t sure he believed her but, either way; he felt a weight finally lift from his shoulders.

 

Cemetery

Same time

 

Peter stood alone, staring down at May’s grave. A tear fell from his eye and down his cheek as he felt someone walk up next to him. He didn’t need to turn to know it was Gwen.

 

“I’m not going to ask if you’re okay, but how are you feeling Peter?” Gwen asked as she looked at him in concern.

 

“I don’t know. We stopped Morgause; Merlin helped me keep my secret. But she’s still gone. And I just wonder…did everything she believed in die to?”  Peter asked feeling utterly lost.

 

“No,” Gwen said firmly, wrapping an arm around him. “The ideals she died for, they exist in us, they live on in us. It’s up to us to keep going, to make sure they don’t die out.”

 

A little further back, Arthur watched his wife and Peter silently, dressed in a suit Gwen had bought him for just this occasion. The others had already left, promising to keep in touch even as they went back to their lives, to their families. Arthur felt someone walk up beside him.

 

“How is the boy?” Thor inquired.

 

“Doing well, or as well as can be expected. He’s been through a lot for one so young,” Arthur said with a frown.

 

“He will be alright. He will have the queen looking after him, and you,” Thor noted as he turned to Arthur. “What will you do now?”

 

“I do not know. For the first time since the day I was born…I have no path,” Arthur admitted, feeling free but lost at the same time. “It is a strange feeling, to be free of all responsibility.”

 

“It is,” Thor acknowledged, remembering being cast out by his father years ago. “It is time for me to return to Asgard. I simply came to say it was an honor to meet you, Arthur Pendragon.”

 

“The honor was mine,” Arthur said humbly but Thor shook his head.

 

“I have never met another person in the nine realms capable of wielding Mjolnir. Only an extraordinary individual would be able to do so,” Thor said before holding out his hand. “Take care, Arthur Pendragon.”

 

“You as well, Thor Odinson,” Arthur said, taking Thor’s hand in a handshake.

 

The two nodded at each other before dropping hands. Thor then walked off and Arthur turned back as Gwen and Peter approached him.

 

“What was that about?” Gwen inquired as she looked at Thor’s retreating figure.

 

“Just saying goodbye. Come on, we should back to the house,” Arthur said, glancing at Peter before the three headed to their car.

 

Hell’s Kitchen

Same time

 

Matt, Karen, Marcy and the entire Nelson family stood outside the prison gate when it opened. Foggy stepped out of the gate and took a deep breathe, seeming to breath in the outside air.

 

“Uncle Foggy!” Foggy suddenly found himself surrounded by his nieces and nephews, who he hugged happily.

 

Matt and Karen stood back as Foggy was greeted happily by his family and Marcy. There would be time to talk later, but for right now, Foggy was finally free.


In her apartment/office, Jessica was going over some case files when she heard a knock on her door. She grumbled as she got up, preparing to yell at them as walked over. But when Jessica opened the door, the mean-spirited words died on her lips as she saw Luke standing on the other side.

 

“Luke,” Jessica said softly.

 

“Hey,” Luke greeted.

 

“Um, what are you doing here?” Jessica asked, not sure why she felt so nervous.

 

“We never did have that talk. And I know how easy it is for you to fall into old habits, so I figured I should show up before you could drink yourself halfway to death in order to avoid talking about us,” Luke said only half joking.

 

He definitely knew her well, Jessica mused not sure whether to be annoyed about that or not as she tried to ignore the little flutter in her chest.

 

“Okay. So…you wanna go get something to eat?” Jessica asked lamely.

 

“I know this coffee shop down the street. I’ll buy,” Luke said with a slight grin.

 

“Always the gentlemen,” Jessica joked as she grabbed her jacket.

 

Luke chuckled as they headed out the door. Neither knew where this cup of coffee would go, but it was definitely a start.

 

Avengers Compound

Same time

 

Tony was in the lab, work on something when Vision walked in, carrying a package.

 

“Mr. Stark, this package was just dropped off for you,” Vision said as Tony looked up.

 

“Any idea who it’s from?” Tony asked as he put down his tools.

 

“It did not leave a return address I’m afraid,” Vision said as put the box down on a table.

 

Tony nodded as Vision walked out of the room, leaving Tony alone. Picking up a nearby knife, Tony opened the package, which was about the size of a briefcase. Opening it up, Tony looked inside and saw the Spider-Man suit he had given Peter.

 

Tony stared down at it for a moment before closing up the box with a sigh. He wasn’t sure why he was surprised, but he shouldn’t be. Peter had clearly decided he was better off without Tony, which Tony admitted he probably was. And, judging by the fact that Wanda had not returned to the Compound since they’d retreated from the White House, Peter clearly wasn’t the only bridge he’d burnt.

 

Barton Farm

Same time

 

Clint came in after a day of working on the tractor. After the last few weeks, it was refreshing to do some work around the house. As he entered the kitchen, he saw Laura was preparing lunch.

 

“Soup’s almost on,” Laura said as she saw him.

 

“Good. Starving,” Clint said, as he always was after a hard day of working around the farm.

 

“What else is new?” Laura giggled. “So, I’ll go get the kids. You wanna check on our new house guest?”


In the guest room, Wanda sat on the bed, lost in thought when someone knocked on the door. Wanda looked up as Clint entered.

 

“Hey. How you doing?” Clint inquired.

 

“Okay, I guess. This is…all very new,” Wanda said lamely, looking around the room.

 

It was all so ordinary. Yet, in many ways, it felt comfortable and like the home she’d always wanted.

 

“Good to know, but we both know that wasn’t what I was asking,” Clint said as he walked over, sitting down next to her. “What’s your plan Wanda?”

 

“I don’t know. I don’t know where I go from here,” Wanda said with a heavy sighed. “I still want to help people, but I don’t know how I can go back, work with Stark and Viz.”

 

“No one says you have to go back. You can still help people and be an Avenger. After everything that’s happened, being an Avenger, it doesn’t mean what it used to,” Clint said and paused. “Not everyone we fought with was an Avenger. Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, even Peter, they’re all just ordinary people, trying to help as best they can.”

 

“You’re saying I should do the same?” Wanda asked and Clint shrugged.

 

“Just something to think about. You don’t have to use your powers at all. You can retire, becoming a librarian or something. No one’s saying you have to keep at the hero life if you don’t want to. It’s okay to take a breather if you want,” Clint told her.

 

Wanda frowned, deep in thought. She had honestly never thought of what life might look like outside the Avengers, it was never an option for her. Was it something that could be possible now?

 

“You don’t have to figure it out right away, there’s still plenty of time for you to make a plan, decide what you want,” Clint said gently before getting to his feet. “In the meantime, lunch is ready. And Laura’s trying to make a good impression, so it’ll be something amazing.”

 

Wanda laughed before getting up, beginning to follow Clint out of the room. For the first time, she felt hopeful about what the future might bring.

 

San Francisco

Same time

 

A red Mustang pulled up in front of a house on an ordinary street. In the driver’s seat, Sam glanced over at Scott, who eyed the house with a bit of fear.

 

“It’s not gonna come alive and bite you Tick-Tac,” Sam said gently.

 

“What do I say? How do I…” Scott trailed off, uncertain.

 

“I don’t think you’ll have to say anything. If they love you, they’ll understand,” Sam said compassionately. “So, you want me to go with you?”

 

“No, no. I can manage. Thanks for the ride,” Scott said with a smile that looked more like a grimace.

 

Sam merely nodded as Scott unbuckled and got out of the car. Closing the door, Scott took a deep breath before walking up to the front porch. Scott rang the doorbell and waited. In less than thirty seconds, the door opened to reveal his ex-wife.

 

“Scott,” Maggie said in shock.

 

“Hey. I’m back,” Scott said with an awkward wave.

 

“Thank God you’re okay,” Maggie said before pulling him into a tight hug.

 

“Not exactly the word I would use,” Scott muttered even as he returned the hug.

 

“Come in, Cassie and Jim will be so happy to see you. We’ve all been so worried about you,” Maggie said as she all but pulled Scott inside.

 

From his car, Sam watched as Maggie closed the door behind Scott before turning his head and driving off.

 

New York

Same time

 

“So, what happens now that you’ve been pardoned?” Steve asked as he and Sharon sat in a café across from each other.

 

“I don’t know. Can’t go back to Germany as long as The Accords are in effect there. Fury offered me a place in his new organization but I don’t know, not sure I want to keep playing the spy game. What about you? You’re not a fugitive anymore,” Sharon pointed out. “Planning on taking up the shield again?”

 

“Tony actually offered me the shield before we went to confront Morgause and her army. I declined,” Steve said, to her shock. “I told him it was because Captain America storming the White House felt wrong, but I was lying.”

 

“I thought you were always honest,” Sharon teased and Steve chuckled.

 

“Not always. The truth is, I just didn’t think I could hold true to my ideals and honor what Captain America stands for at the same time. Not anymore,” Steve said and it was silent for a long moment.

 

“Maybe that’s why you should be Captain America again,” Steve looked at Sharon in confusion. “You weren’t just a symbol of hope to America; you were one to the whole world. People look at you and see what every American; every person in the world should aspire to be. That hasn’t changed. And after all this, we all need hope, something to look to. Maybe it’s not all about what you want.”

 

“Maybe,” Steve acknowledged before smiling slightly. “You’re pretty good at this.”

 

“I try my best,” Sharon said with a smile.

 

And, as they each took a drink of their coffee, Steve and Sharon’s hands somehow found each other on the table.


Later that day, Morgana was getting ready to take off her as her shift ended when someone approached. She looked up, stunned to see Arthur.

 

“Arthur. What are you doing here?” Morgana asked in shock.

 

“Merlin told me where I could find you. I’m here for a talk, and a cup of coffee,” Arthur said simply.

 

“Right. What kind?” Morgana asked, pulling out her pen.

 

“Surprise me,” Arthur said as he leaned forward. “We’ve been given a second chance Morgana. Before we found out we were siblings, we were friends first. And I see the girl who was my friend before me now. I would very much like to be friends again.”

 

“I would like that to Arthur. But so much has happened,” Morgana said uncertainly.

 

“I’m not saying pick up where we left off. But someone needs to take that first step. So here I am," Arthur said with a shrug.

 

Morgana stared at him silently. It was such a change, an earnest change, from the young prince who could outright refuse to admit when he was wrong. But, she decided, not a bad one. And Morgana did admit, it touched her that he cared about her enough to take that first step.

 

“I’ll go get you some coffee. I’m almost off, so then we’ll talk. Why don’t you go sit down,” Morgana told him.

 

Arthur nodded, seeing an empty table and making his way towards it as his sister went to go prepare his coffee, the two of them preparing for a talk that was centuries overdue.

 

Avengers Compound

 

In his office, Steve picked up his shield, staring down at it with uncertainty but also determination. He and Tony exchanged a look before they nodded at each other.

 

“Welcome back Cap.”           

 

Gwen and Merlin’s house

Night

 

In Merlin’s room, Peter was sitting at a desk, using a sewing machine to make a new Spider-Man suit. Merlin had let him have his room while he slept on the couch until a more permanent solution could be found. Peter had overheard Merlin talking to Gwen and Arthur about possibly moving out, which Peter felt guilty about but he also reasoned Merlin was a thousand years old. He’d likely moved around a lot.

 

He finished what he was doing, taking a moment to examine his new suit with pride when he heard a voice. He looked down at his phone, which he had secretly synced to the same frequency as Merlin’s police radio. It was going off about a possible disturbance.

 

Less than a minute later, Gwen opened the door to tell Peter they were going to order in tonight when she paused, not seeing Peter. Looking at the sewing machine and the red and blue pieces of material near it, she glanced at the open window and smiled.

 

It seemed Peter was just like Merlin and Arthur.


On the roof, Peter, dressed in his new suit, jumped across the roof to the next building before jumping up. He shot off a stream of webbing and used it to propel him into the air, off to help whoever needed help.

Notes:

And that’s a wrap.

Before anyone asks, I do not intend to write a sequel. I’ve really told the story I wanted to tell with this, and I think I ended it at a good spot. So I really don’t plan to continue this universe.

Anyway, hope you all enjoyed this.

Until next time.

Notes:

So, what do you think? Good? Bad? Tell me in the comments.