The Clockwork Boy, 31/?
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: The BAU is divided by two cases that tests their loyalties. Some things are found. Some things are lost. Some things were never really meant to be.
Author’s Note: At the end.
Chapter Thirty-One
Hotch adjusts his Kevlar vest, using the meter on his watch to check that all his shields are running at full capacity. After what had happened at the crime scene with Rossi, Prentiss and Agent Todd, he isn’t taking any chances. They have a fairy vanguard, as well as a full Tactical Team (vampires and wizards, mostly, all of whom have been trained to take the strongest of magical attacks). Though, if Anath’s Circle are as powerful as Rossi says they are, even that might not be enough.
The leader of the vanguard - Commander Von Straff - zooms around his head. The tiny creature is wearing a bodysuit made out of a ridiculously thin kind of spandex, which apparently makes them more aerodynamic. Some fairies are so fast, so quiet, that they can get in and out of a target location without anyone noticing. Ninja fairies, Garcia calls them. In some cases, they’re too stealthy for the alarms as well, to the point where there are several security companies that specialize in “fairy-proofing.”
‘Scans are showing up empty,’ the Von Straff says, gesturing towards the bay of screens in the back of the van. They’re two blocks away from the house, to prevent some sort of suspicion, but then, there’s a chance that the entire neighborhood might be trip-wired with alarms. ‘There’s magical energy interfering, though, so there might still be someone inside. That’s what my team is here for. The three of us can be in and out in under a minute, with a detailed profile of the state of the building.’ The magical interference is just a side effect of the world that they live in - it’s a residential neighborhood, but magic isn’t isolated to evil cults and federal governments. Technically speaking, it’s a strictly governed field, but that doesn’t stop some people from using an extra burst of energy to make their clothes dry faster.
Hotch nods. He’s worked with vanguards before; they’ve prevented a good many ambushes. Of course, they can’t always get in, which is what happened the last time they’d gone against Anath’s Circle. Hotch is not keen to repeat the experience, especially considering the fact that the only reason they’re actually here right now is because of that day.
Less than two minutes later, Von Straff returns. ‘Single female inside - asleep. No sign of any magical countermeasures. Your tactical entry should go unhindered.’
Hotch stands, drawing his weapon. Just because the entry will go unhindered doesn’t mean that their raid won’t go bottoms up. Anath’s Circle are not known for their compassion.
With a nod to Von Straff, Hotch steps out of the back of the van, and slides into the front seat. Rossi’s at the wheel, going over the case file.
‘Something wrong?’ Hotch asks, frowning. They’ve gone over half a dozen contingencies, but sometimes Rossi still keeps things from him.
‘No,’ Rossi replies, and Hotch doesn’t need to be psychic to know that he’s telling the truth. ‘It’s just…guilt, you know?’
Hotch nods, his mouth narrowed in a thin-lipped grimace. He knows. A day doesn’t go by where he forgets any single horrific thing that has happened under his command. By the Fallen, he knows. Elle and Reid are only the beginning.
They drive towards the house, the tactical team following. To anyone looking out the windows, the vans are something that would fit in in this normal, suburban neighborhood. To a psychic, or to anyone else who might be able to detect the serious power levels emanating from the vehicles, it’s another story.
Really, there’s only so much they can do. Sometimes, the bad guys are just plain stronger. That’s the reason why “federal agent” is ridiculously high on the list of World’s Most Dangerous Jobs - right below “werewolf wrangler.”
‘Orange light on the target,’ Hotch informs the tactical team, as they prepare themselves to enter the house. ‘We’d like to avoid a firefight if possible - she’s a former agent experiencing a fugue state, and I want her alive.’
Of course, Aaron Hotchner understands the gravity of his own words. Elle Greenaway might not be in a fugue state anymore. She might remember every single thing about her life, about the FBI, about her friends, and she might be exacting vigilante justice anyway.
It’s a horrifying thought.
Then, just as horrifying, is the idea that they might not be able to bring her back from the edge.
The door gets kicked in, and Hotch has his gun out, his finger resting against the trigger guard. He follows the map Von Straff had laid out in his mind - solitary female, second door on the left of the hallway. There are photos on the wall of a happy family, and Hotch doesn’t even want to think about what had happened to make them leave.
He watches, as the woman gets to her feet, pulling out the gun from underneath her pillow. It’s Elle - of that, he has no doubt. Her hair is a little longer, and a little wilder, and the look in her eyes is one of both anger and fear.
‘Elle. Drop the gun,’ Hotch says, his voice steady. He doesn’t want to pull that trigger.
‘Who are you?’ she demands. ‘What do you want?’
‘My name is Aaron Hotchner,’ he tells her. ‘Do you remember me? I’m with the FBI.’
Elle falters slightly. It’s so slight, so imperceptible, that anyone else might not have noticed it. It tells Hotch that on some level, there’s something familiar about the situation to her.
‘What’s happening to me?’ she asks next, which is absolutely not the response he had expected.
He’s almost about to ask “What do you mean?” when he sees the red light pulsating at her fingertips. Magical saturation. That is not good. It happens sometimes, when a person is so bombarded with energy that they develop powers of their own. It’s what happened to JJ, just a few months ago, and apparently it had happened to Elle too. The difference is, JJ has been spending four nights out of every seven learning to control her new skills. In Elle, it’s been left unchecked.
‘We can help you,’ he replies, trying to look into her eyes. There’s an uncertainty in them now, as though she isn’t quite sure whether to shoot him, blast him, or trust him.
Hotch’s earpiece crackles. ‘You’ve got incoming,’ Von Straff’s voice says over the line. ‘Half a dozen guys, red robes, and a really pissed off look on their face.’
Elle senses it too, and Hotch is hyperaware of the light that’s pulsating, spreading, like a beacon. She can’t control it. She’s trying - she’s probably been trying for a long time now. All three deaths the result of non-magical methods. Those are the moments of lucidity, where there’s some semblance of control.
‘Stay calm,’ Hotch says, speaking as much to the tactical team as he is to Elle. Beside him, Rossi starts to power up his staff. ‘I’m not going to let them hurt you.’ Really, it should be we aren’t going to let them hurt you, but Aaron Hotchner has a personal stake in this one.
And it isn’t going to be pretty.
Author’s Note: Okay, sorry it’s taken so long. I haven’t forgotten, I promise. A couple of questions, if you’re up for answering. Firstly, I just want a tally on who’s still reading just a “yo, still here” again, is fine. When I leave too long between updates, it’s hard to quantify who’s still hanging around. Secondly, we’re starting to move into the plot pieces for the third part to this Universe, which already has a main plot, but if there’s anything you want to see/would prefer to see/really don’t want to see, please tell me, and I will see what I can do e.g. More vampire/werewolf stuff, more history, less dinosaurs. Whatever.
Thanks very much for being patient - in the end, it’s the enthusiasm of the reviews that keeps me coming back. Peace out.