Merlin and Arthur in Lockdown

Twelve

One of the men in the taskforce checked Arthur's bullet-proof vest was secured right, muttering 'Good to go,' before Arthur put on a black jacket over it, none of them mentioning the uselessness of such a vest against anyone attacking them with magic. The same guy came over a moment later to check his communication pieces were in place so that he could talk to the rest of the team and again gave him the okay after which Arthur donned the black head and face covering then a helmet, like the rest of the taskforce members. Next, a woman came up to him and handed him a baton. He was to be one of the non-combat members of the team, so he didn't receive a gun but still had something to defend himself with.

'Bear42, you're going to shadow Fox07. Do not move unless you're told to. Understood?' said the woman, Lion24.

'Understood.' Arthur gave a quick nod. It was a nice change from Your Highness, to be a codename, just like everyone else on the mission. Arthur followed the agent on the taskforce codenamed Fox07 to an alcove in the library.

Of all places where this mission could have taken place in, he didn't expect it to be in Camelot's biggest library. Before the location of the mission was disclosed, Arthur had imagined he would find himself in some abandoned warehouse or something, where the sorcerer gang were meeting up. The taskforce's investigation led them to believe that the group were going to get together in the Camelot City Library, the heritage-listed building they were currently stalking inside.

Arthur had been to the library a number of times before on school visits and Royal occasions. It was a grand, ancient piece of architecture, restored and maintained meticulously. Today some sections of the library had been closed off for the taskforce to carry out their mission in secret. The corridor where Arthur and the others were in was still and quiet. He took a moment to look up at the stone foliage patterns in the high ceiling above. If he ignored the social distancing posters or the concealed CCTV cameras he could imagine being a knight in this hall in the old times of dragons.

A crackle sounded in his ear. 'Unit Phoenix is going in. Standby in position,' the mission commander told them through their earpieces.

Arthur followed the instructions he was given and took up his position, crouching behind Fox07. While hidden in the alcove space created by a pair of columns, they looked to a wooden door up ahead at the end of the corridor.

Eight armed agents approached the door. Their leader noisily knocked on the door, shouting ,  'This is a Federal Investigation, open up!' The opaque door remained locked. Behind it was one of the historically preserved rooms of the library, usually booked out for conferences and the like, but apparently today was the meeting ground for a group of sorcerers connected to the plague.

The agents got their equipment ready to break down the door. Or unlock it, without damage, Arthur hoped. The polished wooden door was a piece of history.

But they didn't have to do anything.

BOOM!

The door flew outward out of its hinges.

Wood splintered and dagger-like projectiles exploded from the door. Arthur, like the others, ducked on instinct. He and the rest of the agents standing by were not in the vicinity to be hit by the door pieces but nevertheless he could feel the echo of the explosion through him.

Five people walked out of the room, the lower half of their faces covered by black masks, conveniently hiding their identities and allowing them to stick to the public health orders at the same time. They were mostly in hoodies or overcoats. One of them wore what could only be described as a green velvet mage's cloak-with-hood from a cosplayer's wardrobe. These guys really wanted to declare they were sorcerers.

'Put your hands in the air and surrender!' the agent that lead the Phoenix crew shouted.

One of the sorcerers in a long coat stepped forward and raised their palm toward them instead.

Even from meters away Arthur heard the sorcerer's incantation.