Lockwood & Co - ONE SHOTS

(6)

✨Slipping Rapiers✨
Part 3
- The Underworld Arrest -

Part 1
'The Flare'

Anthony Lockwood moved silently through knee high grass, breathing deep and careful breaths as he kept his pace. He could hear, tuned to the sound of her footsteps, Lucy not far behind him. A bird cawed off in the neighbouring field, spooked by something moving in it. It could be either George or their mercenaries, he hoped that it was friend and not a foe. Their was a heavy stillness in their air that ticked like a clock, counting down before all hell breaks loose. Lockwood with his fox like eyes, found the car before they reached the hill, seeing it's tail light illuminated a dull red under a ghost lamp.
"Luce" He breathed out, sticking his arm behind him. She reached for it and took his hand, seeing the car and stopped directly beside him.
"There's somebody in there" She raised an eyebrows, then looked over at Lockwood for answers. "What are we going to do?"
"Get him out, but as silently as we can" He pondered for a moment, eyes flicking side to side with thought. "Can you still hear the skull?"
"Let me check-"
"Yes, I despair, we can still hear one another, Lucy" The skull had spoke before she could finish, "By the way, the first man is coming over the hill now, your friend here is prepping for a good fight"
"Let me know if anything goes wrong" Lucy stated clearly.
"Obviously" He sulked and then she turned back to Lockwood.
"He can hear everything, as per usual" Lucy rolled her eyes, getting a smile from him.
"Good, for the first time in a while that might actually be a good thing. Alright here's the plan, we're going to make a distraction just to get him out of the car once we do, one grabs him and knocks him out and the other gets inside the car."
"Sounds good, which one is getting in the car?" She whispered, looking up at him, watching the breeze picking up his fringe.
"Since I'm best at the whole 'reckless abandon' act, then you go for the car, I'll get our friend here" He gave her the grin he reserved just for her. Lucy smiled shortly, a worried look in her eye. Then remembering what she saw over her shoulder as she ran from Meghan and George;Lucy pushed up on her toes and pressed a kiss on his lips.
"Reckless enough" Her hand stroked his cheek, she felt his cold fingers cover hers as he leaned into her hand and pressed a small kiss to her palm.
"I could get used to this" With a quick glance back at the car, Lockwood added. "Alright sweetheart, time to party, you ready?"
Lucy gave him her 'Carlyle smile'.
"That's my girl, let's go" With a wink, he headed off in the dark again, her only seeing the flaps of his jacket as she went after him.
-

A crow shot out of the field, making George gasp as he ran. He had his small satchel around his shoulder, holding the source firmly in place. He was headed toward the estate, going up beside the road hidden in the grass as his shallow breaths was all he heard. He felt a stitch start to grow under his left rib and cursed Arif for having such a great array of doughnuts and pastries. The biggest struggle right now was trying to not think about Meghan, left alone. Sure there's plenty of risk in the job, Lockwood always made sure of that. But it felt like this was just, too far. Then again he remembered when he and Lockwood first approached her about the job. It was on her last job with the fittes agency, they had gotten the same job.

"I don't know about this Lockwood" George muttered as the temp dropped once again as they entered the old bakery.
"Come on George, just pinch one of those cinnamon rolls and you'll be fine" Lockwood, leading the charge, flashes his torch to a small box left on the counter.
"Bit strange for a bakery to leave goods just lying about" Lucy scanned the room, looking for any other occupants.
"Hmmm" Lockwood hummed under his breath. Peeking down at the back door, leading into the kitchen he saw a glint of light. A flash of silver and white reflecting on his torch. He raised his hand to stop the other two.
"What is it?" Lucy asked curiously, gripping her rapier with fresh excitement. George had just got his hand into the pink box of delicious treats and froze where he stood.
"Another agency are here, there's salt and iron fillings at the kitchen door, which could only mean one thing-"
George felt a small poke at his back, he froze.
"You're in trouble" A voice spoke behind them. Lockwood and Lucy spun quick, pulling out their rapiers and pointed them, unknowingly right at George.
"What the hell are you doing" He grumbled, leaning his face back from the blades.
"Who are you?" Lucy asked, not recognising the uniform.
"Lockwood and Co, I presume" She ignored. "Pinching my deserts, are we darling?" With a little poke with her sword, she made George turn and finally face her.
He was about to speak when his voice died in his throat when she pulled down her hood and they locked eyes.
"I know you" Lockwood lowered his sword. "Your that girl that won the Albert hall competition the second year I competed"
"I am that girl, I did enjoy beating you all that day" She grinned wickedly. "Meghan" she introduced, looking at George who adjusted his glasses.
"She beat you?" Lucy raised an eyebrow at Lockwood, he shrugged in response.
"I won't take offence to your skeptic tone, I'll get to the point" She flicked her eye over at George. "There's a type two in the oven, nasty bugger who's got the ability to transfer himself to each cooker, oven, microwave any bloody utensil you can think of, set it on fire" She sniffed unmovingly. "I detected the source behind the ovens, but thanks to my lovely supervisor, she said the job is too dangerous and left with my team"
"So your in need of some assistance" Lockwood said, mega-watt smile on show.
"Nope" Meghan smiled, just as brilliantly. "I need you out my road"
"Surely you wouldn't possibly think that it's a smart idea to face a type two on your own?"
"Surely you wouldn't possibly think that degrading my skill set will make me change my mind?" She answered smoothly.
Their was a slight lapse in time, Lucy rolled her eyes over the dramatics and points out her rapier with more authority.
"Alright, we get it you've been screwed over but dont be stupid, we've been offered the job probably because the client knew your team wouldn't last the night. I think if there's anyone that's in anyone way, its you in ours"
Lucy and Meghan stared at one another, for a dangerous few seconds.
"Way to ease the tension Luce" George said over his shoulder at her, getting a laugh from the other girl.
"Alright, alright why not we just all settle down, it's just after six, ghosts will be arriving soon-" Lockwood began but Meghan grabbed George by the front of the jacket, out of the way and met blades with Lucy. The clang of metal echoed in the room as hit after the hit, the girls fought. Lucy was shoved back, as Meghan curled the edge of her blade with Lucy's and set it up in air and into her opposite hand. That's when Lockwood got involved but Meghan sent Lucy's sword forward and pinned him by his collar to the door he leaned on. Lucy's eyes widened.
"You could've killed him"
"Unlikely" Meghan smiled, she heard the sound of George getting up from where he fell into to a pile of pre-made take away boxes. Lucy gritted her teeth and throw a punch only for it deflected, Meghan grabbed her wrist, turned her arm forcing Lucy to face the other way in a wince of pain and she booted her forward so she land right into Lockwood; who was still trying to pull the sword out of the door. Meghan turned quick on her heel, another clang of metal as her and George's rapier met.
"Come on then darling" She jeered at him. He however couldn't help but smile because she was flirting with him. Eyes flashing with mischief and a smirk that made his stomach jump and chest tighten. George pushed forward, using his side as leverage as he pushed hard against the blades, forcing Meghan against the counter.
"Let us help you" He said through his teeth as they both used every ounce of strength against one another. Their faces were inches from one another, with their blades crossed between them.
Lockwood helped Lucy up from her feet , as she leaned against his leg getting air back in her lungs. She reached up and put her hands around his as they both pulled the sword out the door. Meghan had her back curved on the counter as George was half leaning on top of her at that point, blades never breaking, eyes never leaving one another.
"You know this would look very different if we weren't trying to kill one another right now" She mused to him, he laughed breathlessly. "Your cute but I don't loose" With a new surge of strength, Meghan planted her feet back on the ground and shoved him back, sending him staggering.
"Miss Ionescu" Lockwood finally spoke, grabbing Lucy's hand to stop her for going in for seconds.
"You remember my name now?" Meghan fancily flicked her weapon, so it twirled like a baton.
"Please" He raised up both hands defensively. "You have proved you are more than capable, not that you needed too. Miss Ionescu, we are here to do a job that we were asked to do, not to steal your job. Let us help you, you can take the source to the furnaces and show your supervisor she was wrong to mis-trust you"
"Doesn't matter about them," Meghan shook her head. "I'm out"
"Out?" George put his sword back in place.
"Fired, darling" She sighed. "Out on my arse"
"They just fired you because you didn't want to leave the job?" Lucy frowned, lowering her weapon.
"Well I wont say it was for nothing, I had a flare of- how did they put it?- lack of self awareness when it came to reckless behaviour, endangering the life of others by taking choices without correct authority and procausion, something like that."
Lockwood lit up like a Christmas tree as an idea popped into his head.
"Tell me Miss Ionescu, do you have anywhere to stay?"
George and Lucy looked at one another with surprise.
"I have a aunt lives outside the city, I was going to crash there for a few days till I find new employment, try and avoid calling my parents for a few days" She grimaced at the idea of telling them that she got fired instead of quit, like she planned. They didn't particularly enjoy the fact that she was caught up in the wheel that was Fittes and Rotwell.
"Well, what if I told you I have a room you can have, permentaly that's less that half an hour away, with a doughnut shop just around the corner." Lockwood flicked his collar, as Lucy stared at him incrediously. They had just emptied Jessica's room and place all their precious cargo in the basement. It had been cleaned out and Jessica's death glow dealt with. All her belongings safely packed and sorted through out the house and the room was now ready for use again. Lucy presumed that Holly would get the first offer, despite having her apparment.
"All you have to do," Lockwood began, ignoring the stares from his colleagues. "Is let us help you"
Meghan smiled with a sigh, putting her sword back into it's place.
"You are a cool character Anthony Lockwood," She looked to Lucy. "With an impressive team, I heard about your talent, how you hear type three's like Marissa Fittes could do" Lucy said nothing in response. "And Bobby Vernon always moans about you, George Karim, the young man that always beats him to the punch" Meghan looked over at him, getting that rare smile from him again.
"All of this is true" Lockwood nodded, agreeingly. "But the one thing all of us master in is lack of self awareness when it comes to reckless behaviour, endangering the life of others by taking choices without correct authority and procausion, you'll fit right in"
All four teens smiled at that.
"Well then," Meghan squared her shoulders. "Shall we catch ourselves a ghost?" She looked over at George, green eyes meeting his brown. He felt a new feeling fluttering in him, a deep 'uh oh, i am in trouble' whispered from his heart. He didn't know it would take months for his heart to start screaming that into his ear loud of enough that he actually would do something about it.