Destiny's Harbinger: A(n Unhinged) Merlin and Young Justice Crossover

Chapter 17: The Briefing

Unlike me, Leon was still blessed with the ability to sleep. He had nodded off for a few hours, woke restless, and insisted on taking a turn about the house. On shaky legs, he paced the lounge while Merlin hovered and pushed fluids. When Leon grew tired, Merlin escorted him upstairs to one of the guest chambers, where Leon promptly crashed again. Merlin returned downstairs, moved Buddugolieath to one of the stables on his property, popped into the kitchen where I heard the clinking of the liquor decanters, then went back to bed.

I wiped away the sticky tears and tried to focus on reading Merlin's journal, but my brain refused to focus. Instead of getting frustrated, I set the book down and raided the Armory. The late night autumn air was cold against my skin, but a virtual paradise compared to the icefields of Greenland. I found a space in Merlin's back garden to practice with a sword.

Leon found me there as dawn was breaking. I heard his footsteps in the garden and finished my drill before lowering the sword. Sweat drenched my shirt and soaked my hair, but my skin was flushed with heat.

"How do you wrap your head around it?" Leon asked, his crisp voice cutting through the silence of the morning.

"It's not easy," I admitted. "I guess I realized my only option was to adapt."

Leon wore a grim expression on his face as he studied our surroundings.

"I had to ask Merlin how to flush the toilet," he said miserably. "Even the most basic things are now complicated."

"Wait until you learn about cars and airplanes," I said with a smile, but I knew exactly what it was like to be in Leon's shoes. "You have time, Leon. I...I felt compelled to learn, to adapt because without something to focus on, I fell apart. What little control I had of my magic faded. And I didn't have the luxury of being able to sleep and forget about the changes. I had to keep pushing forward. But you don't have to. You can accept things when you're ready, ease into the modern world. Merlin saw me do it, and he's probably learned a thing or two to make it easier for you."

It felt strange, speaking to Leon with this level of authority. I was the only person in the world that knew what he was feeling. It forged an unspoken bond between us.

"I can't sit idle, my lady. If Albion is in danger, I will do what I must to protect it."

"Please, Leon, there is no need to stand on formality. Our court is gone. My title is meaningless."