Creatures of the Night: The Clockwork Boy, 21/?
Title: The Clockwork Boy
Rating: R
Fandom: Criminal Minds
Universe: Creatures of the Night (Part 2)
Pairing: Reid/Austin, Morgan/Prentiss; JJ/Hotch
Genre: Supernatural/Drama
Summary: Reid is searching for answers. JJ, Hotch and Morgan are searching for Reid. Prentiss and Rossi investigate a series of deaths that are related to an old case. Things are much more twisted than they seem. AU.
Chapter Twenty-One
Three months ago
Derek Morgan straps on his Kevlar vest - they’re dealing with sorcerers, but that doesn’t preclude the possibility of bullets being fired. In any case, the vest has magical shields as well - most blasts will be either deflected or absorbed, providing they’re not too insanely powerful, and considering who they’re dealing with, that’s a distinct possibility.
Beside him, Elle’s tightening her shoes, her own vest already strapped and clipped in the appropriate places.
‘We’re still on for drinks after this one?’ she asks, and her voice is a little strained - a dozen dead kids isn’t easy on any of them, not even “tough as nails” Elle Greenaway.
‘Sure,’ he says. ‘I’m pretty sure everyone else will be rushing to join us.’
‘Though we should probably keep Garcia away from the Tequila this time,’ Elle points out. ‘Fairy drinks only.’
Morgan smiles at the memory - it hadn’t quite ended badly, but wings and inebriation do not mix on any day of the week, which is why most bars have drinks tailored to species. It’s sometimes hard to keep track, though, because fairies can be damn fast. There are usually at least a couple of them on S.W.A.T teams, because even though they’re incredibly effervescent creatures, there’s no-one better if you’re looking to sneak in and open up a few doorways.
That’s not what the game plan is today, though, because not even fairies can get past magical safeguards without setting off an alarm. Today, they’re going to storm the place, and hope that they can take down the majority of the cell before there’s too much of a reaction. It’s a pipe dream, though - things like this usually end in firefights. With actual fire. In the past three years, he’s had to replace at least a dozen pairs of pants thanks to scorch marks. Half a dozen more because of irremovable blood stains. And he’d rather forget the time that a sorcerer had just plain decided to magic away his pants. Not a good day.
On a completely unrelated note, he makes sure that his belt is tight, even though it really doesn’t matter. Anath’s Circle would sooner flay him alive than settle for something as trivial as stripping him. It’s not a comforting thought.
His gun is loaded with magic dispelling bullets, and he clips the holster to his belt. It’s spelled, so that no-one’s going to be magicking the gun away, and he briefly considers finding someone to put the same spell on the pants. Not really important right now, though.
Elle’s checking her own weapon, and her gaze is clinical, but almost loving, at the same time. It’s been six weeks since the shooting investigation, three weeks since she’s been back at work. She’s changed. Subtly, yes, but when you observe behavior for a living, the slightest change is like a punch in the face.
‘Are you ready for this?’ he asks, hoping that his inquiry into her wellbeing will be interpreted as nothing more than pre-raid banter; it’s not uncommon, after all.
‘I’m fine,’ she snaps, as though flicking a rubber band back into his face. There’s a moment of pained silence. ‘Sorry,’ she says, head tilting to the side slightly. ‘It’s been a rough week.’
A rough year, really. Hell - it’s been a rough life. And that’s not even hyperbolic. There’s just something that draws them to this job, and it isn’t puppies and rainbows.
‘That’s okay,’ he says with a grin, and it’s not entirely fake. Whatever happens, Elle is one of his best friends, and nothing can change that. ‘Let’s go take these guys down.’ He holds out a fist and she bumps it, and the grin on her face isn’t entirely fake either.
* * *
As expected, Anath’s Circle isn’t going down without a fight - considering that they’d named themselves after a Semitic war goddess, it’s kind of fitting. Of course, it’s not exactly the first thing on his mind, as they’re ducked behind a half demolished wall as bursts of energy fly overhead.
Yeah. “Putting up a fight” is something of an understatement. There’s a damn good reason why these are usually CTD cases.
‘We need to take out the leader,’ says Elle matter-of-factly. ‘He’s their power hub.’
Morgan nods. He knows this. Take out the leader, and the rest of the group’s magic becomes unfocused, scattered. They won’t be a group so much as they will a collection of individuals. Social psychology.
‘The others are pinned down,’ she points out, gesturing across the room to the rest of the team. S.W.A.T’s scattered around the place, none of them in as good a position as they are. She’s right, Morgan realizes. If anyone’s going to be taking out the head honcho, it’s going to be them.
‘Cover me?’ he asks, because he’s not really sure about her state of mind right now. It’s entirely possible that she’s about to jump out from behind their cover, trigger pumping in a succession of bangs.
‘Okay,’ she says, eventually, and he feels himself relaxing slightly, because he trusts her, he really does. He just worries sometimes.
It’s with a deep breath that he darts out, dodging the burst that comes in response to his movement. Elle fires two shots in return, but he can’t tell whether or not she’d managed to hit the assailant.
And suddenly, it doesn’t seem to matter. Because they’re not going for him anymore, they’re going for her. Take out her, and he doesn’t have any backup. Then they’ll take out him.
Shit. He’s firing his gun, but it does nothing to stop the bursts of bright red light that strike Elle in the chest, and he’s in just the right position to see the look of utter horror on her face before she’s engulfed in that light.
He’s crying out, he thinks, but he’s not quite sure, because the world is starting to go a little blurry, and that’s when he realizes that she’s not the only one that’s been hit. Black dots dance at his eyes, and then everything goes numb.
A/N: Okay. Not sure about this chapter. It felt weird, but at the same time, it’s necessary. IDK. Will be a second flashback part though. Also, I’ve finally started blogging again, so if you’re interested, read about my insanely boring life here.
Rating: R
Fandom: Criminal Minds
Universe: Creatures of the Night (Part 2)
Pairing: Reid/Austin, Morgan/Prentiss; JJ/Hotch
Genre: Supernatural/Drama
Summary: Reid is searching for answers. JJ, Hotch and Morgan are searching for Reid. Prentiss and Rossi investigate a series of deaths that are related to an old case. Things are much more twisted than they seem. AU.
Chapter Twenty-One
Three months ago
Derek Morgan straps on his Kevlar vest - they’re dealing with sorcerers, but that doesn’t preclude the possibility of bullets being fired. In any case, the vest has magical shields as well - most blasts will be either deflected or absorbed, providing they’re not too insanely powerful, and considering who they’re dealing with, that’s a distinct possibility.
Beside him, Elle’s tightening her shoes, her own vest already strapped and clipped in the appropriate places.
‘We’re still on for drinks after this one?’ she asks, and her voice is a little strained - a dozen dead kids isn’t easy on any of them, not even “tough as nails” Elle Greenaway.
‘Sure,’ he says. ‘I’m pretty sure everyone else will be rushing to join us.’
‘Though we should probably keep Garcia away from the Tequila this time,’ Elle points out. ‘Fairy drinks only.’
Morgan smiles at the memory - it hadn’t quite ended badly, but wings and inebriation do not mix on any day of the week, which is why most bars have drinks tailored to species. It’s sometimes hard to keep track, though, because fairies can be damn fast. There are usually at least a couple of them on S.W.A.T teams, because even though they’re incredibly effervescent creatures, there’s no-one better if you’re looking to sneak in and open up a few doorways.
That’s not what the game plan is today, though, because not even fairies can get past magical safeguards without setting off an alarm. Today, they’re going to storm the place, and hope that they can take down the majority of the cell before there’s too much of a reaction. It’s a pipe dream, though - things like this usually end in firefights. With actual fire. In the past three years, he’s had to replace at least a dozen pairs of pants thanks to scorch marks. Half a dozen more because of irremovable blood stains. And he’d rather forget the time that a sorcerer had just plain decided to magic away his pants. Not a good day.
On a completely unrelated note, he makes sure that his belt is tight, even though it really doesn’t matter. Anath’s Circle would sooner flay him alive than settle for something as trivial as stripping him. It’s not a comforting thought.
His gun is loaded with magic dispelling bullets, and he clips the holster to his belt. It’s spelled, so that no-one’s going to be magicking the gun away, and he briefly considers finding someone to put the same spell on the pants. Not really important right now, though.
Elle’s checking her own weapon, and her gaze is clinical, but almost loving, at the same time. It’s been six weeks since the shooting investigation, three weeks since she’s been back at work. She’s changed. Subtly, yes, but when you observe behavior for a living, the slightest change is like a punch in the face.
‘Are you ready for this?’ he asks, hoping that his inquiry into her wellbeing will be interpreted as nothing more than pre-raid banter; it’s not uncommon, after all.
‘I’m fine,’ she snaps, as though flicking a rubber band back into his face. There’s a moment of pained silence. ‘Sorry,’ she says, head tilting to the side slightly. ‘It’s been a rough week.’
A rough year, really. Hell - it’s been a rough life. And that’s not even hyperbolic. There’s just something that draws them to this job, and it isn’t puppies and rainbows.
‘That’s okay,’ he says with a grin, and it’s not entirely fake. Whatever happens, Elle is one of his best friends, and nothing can change that. ‘Let’s go take these guys down.’ He holds out a fist and she bumps it, and the grin on her face isn’t entirely fake either.
* * *
As expected, Anath’s Circle isn’t going down without a fight - considering that they’d named themselves after a Semitic war goddess, it’s kind of fitting. Of course, it’s not exactly the first thing on his mind, as they’re ducked behind a half demolished wall as bursts of energy fly overhead.
Yeah. “Putting up a fight” is something of an understatement. There’s a damn good reason why these are usually CTD cases.
‘We need to take out the leader,’ says Elle matter-of-factly. ‘He’s their power hub.’
Morgan nods. He knows this. Take out the leader, and the rest of the group’s magic becomes unfocused, scattered. They won’t be a group so much as they will a collection of individuals. Social psychology.
‘The others are pinned down,’ she points out, gesturing across the room to the rest of the team. S.W.A.T’s scattered around the place, none of them in as good a position as they are. She’s right, Morgan realizes. If anyone’s going to be taking out the head honcho, it’s going to be them.
‘Cover me?’ he asks, because he’s not really sure about her state of mind right now. It’s entirely possible that she’s about to jump out from behind their cover, trigger pumping in a succession of bangs.
‘Okay,’ she says, eventually, and he feels himself relaxing slightly, because he trusts her, he really does. He just worries sometimes.
It’s with a deep breath that he darts out, dodging the burst that comes in response to his movement. Elle fires two shots in return, but he can’t tell whether or not she’d managed to hit the assailant.
And suddenly, it doesn’t seem to matter. Because they’re not going for him anymore, they’re going for her. Take out her, and he doesn’t have any backup. Then they’ll take out him.
Shit. He’s firing his gun, but it does nothing to stop the bursts of bright red light that strike Elle in the chest, and he’s in just the right position to see the look of utter horror on her face before she’s engulfed in that light.
He’s crying out, he thinks, but he’s not quite sure, because the world is starting to go a little blurry, and that’s when he realizes that she’s not the only one that’s been hit. Black dots dance at his eyes, and then everything goes numb.
A/N: Okay. Not sure about this chapter. It felt weird, but at the same time, it’s necessary. IDK. Will be a second flashback part though. Also, I’ve finally started blogging again, so if you’re interested, read about my insanely boring life here.