Slay

When Life Gives you Chainsaws, Stick Them on a Sleigh

Screams cut through the blaring siren. A robotic voice announced, repeatedly, "Emergency. Emergency." The elves clustered in Mission Control, their faces alternately bathed in harsh blood-red light and plunged into darkness as the lights flashed.

When Merry arrived, the elves who had received Mrs Claus's message quickly relayed it to him. He sighed, then turned to address the agitated crowd. 

"First things first!" he shouted. "How do you turn this siren off? I can barely hear myself think!"

The elf who had originally pushed the button slipped through the crowd to reach the button again, and, after a moment's hesitation, pressed it. It clicked. The siren doubled in speed. The lights flashed like a disco party; the voice announced "Super Ultra Dire Emergency. Initiating Self-Destruct in Ten"

The elves started screaming again.

"Nine,"

 Merry pushed through the crowd. The elf, with great presence of mind, pushed through the crowd likewise and assumed an innocent smile, getting as far away from the button as he could.

"Eight. Seven."

In the flashing light, Merry could just make out a second button above the first, labelled 'Hard Shutdown'. This was no time for doubt. He pushed it.

The sirens gave way to blissful silence. The countdown stopped. The lights went out completely.

In the quiet darkness, the anxious voices of the elves were audible again. Merry's voice rose above the others. 

"It looks like we've got no power. This isn't ideal - I'll admit - but it's not the end of the world."

"Not yet," muttered one of the elves.

"In a few hours, we will be under attack," said Merry. "Our current mission is to defend the Pole. They want to take control of the magic, so that's where they'll be aiming for. Yes, Kevin?"

Kevin, standing on tiptoes and waving his hand in the air, looked stunned to have actually been noticed. "I have ideas! We'll need lots of barbed wire, some fairy lights, the supplies from the Workshops - do we have any nail guns? Hot glue? Of course, we have the sleigh on our side - We'll need to defend the Factory, 'cause that's probably what those idiots will be aiming for, and the actual Pole as well, but we'll keep that subtle so we don't tip them off.  Um - Merry? Could I help? Could I be in charge of the defenses? Could I -," He broke off, staring up at Merry, glowing with desperate excitement. "Could I weaponize the sleigh? Pretty pretty please with a cherry on top?"

Merry nodded. "Yes," he said hurriedly. "I think, just as a temporary measure, we'll make you - Master of Defense. Just for today." His brow furrowed as he looked Kevin, who was jumping up and down and rubbing his hands together. "I think - Holly, could you help him? I'm appointing you co-master of defense. That means you have equal say in it. And both of you still listen to me, okay?," he added. "I retain the ability to veto any plan."

"Okay, sir!" Kevin said, in a sort of happy gasp.  "To the Workshop! Anyone know where we keep the chainsaws?"

"Well, that was a waste of time," remarked Eiden to Ivy as they climbed aboard the sleigh. "The kid wasn't even there. I get the feeling we're on a wild-goose chase."

"Mmm. I expect Robyn is smart enough not to be found if she doesn't want to be."

The reindeer broke into a run, sliding the sleigh across the cream-coloured beachfront hotel roof. They'd visited three houses from Mrs Claus's shortlist so far, and none had shown any evidence of a girl matching the video footage or named Robyn. Gliding into the air, they were afforded a beautiful view of the tourist part of the harbour; the piers were lit up, like strings of fairy lights extending into the ocean.