mythandmagic (mythandmagic) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2016-06-06 15:44:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, audrey, groot, merlin, nina pickering |
Who: Merlin, Audrey, Nina and Gabe
When: Backdated to May the Fourth
Where: Disneyland
What: Storm Troopers
Rating/Warnings: Battle, etc.
Status: Complete
When they arrived at Disneyland Merlin was glad he’d transported them all, because the car park and roads were already looking a bit busy and Audrey had wanted to be there when the barriers were lifted so they’d have the most time to enjoy the park. It was a good job too since there were already people lined up waiting to be let in and joking with the workers waiting to let them and warning them to walk.
Audrey was super excited to take Ben into Disneyland. She and Merlin hadn’t gone much, which was a bit of a shame. It wasn’t far from where they lived, and Audrey loved being a big kid. But it was expensive (she wasn’t keen on transporting/apparating in to avoid the hefty ticket price, it just felt immoral) and they didn’t often have full days off together to spend in the Happiest Place on Earth.
But once they were there, Audrey could tell something was amiss. There were people looking nervous, people leaning up and in to check over the shoulders of others. Audrey leaned way over, holding Ben in her arms, and could see what she thought were people in white coming down Main Street.
Nina had her arm around Gabe’s waist as they waited to get inside, she noticed Audrey looking worried and glanced up at her boyfriend, “Can you see anything babe?” she asked him since he was taller than all of them and might be able to see more than they could. Nina could barely see anything.
Gabe was one of the taller people in the crowd, and seeing over the shoulders and heads of the murmuring park goers he spotted what now were obviously Stormtroopers. He grinned like a kid.
“Looks like they’re rolling out the Stormtroopers for Star Wars Day.” he said. But as they marched closer he noticed there sure were a helluva lot. They practically filled the park! That grin started to fade with uncertainty. “Um….there sure are a lot of Stormtroopers. Where’s the other characters?” He watched as they got closer and started aiming their blasters at the park employees who looked absolutely bemused.
Merlin could hear the murmurings as the troops got closer and the unease around him increased into panic when one of the troopers fired into the sky. Screams erupted around them and people began to run, Merlin created a safe dome encompassing himself and his family and friends. It should protect them enough to work out what was going on, “We should get out of here”
Audrey ducked, too, when she heard the sound of the shot, covering Ben’s body and head with her own. Not that blasters were that loud, but Audrey was really on edge about this Stormtrooper business. Thankfully, Merlin had the sense to put up some kind of magical bubble around them.
“What on Earth is going on?” Audrey asked, looking up to see the blaster ‘bullets’ flying through the sky. Brightly colored and zooming around, seemingly at random.
“OC craziness? Again?” Nina suggested, staying close to Gabe even though they had all been encompassed in the magical barrier. “I think Merlin’s right though, we should move. At least find somewhere to regroup and work out what we’re going to do”
Gabe was hugging Nina to him, big arms around her protectively as he watched the Stormtroopers spill out from the gates onto the street, chasing and shooting at the fleeing civilians. Thankfully they all seemed to be missing them and hitting anything but the people. One or two bumped into the dome or tried to fire at them, only to have the laser blast ricochet and hit them back, sending the assailant sprawling to the ground.
“Let’s do this, then.” Gabe said, voice tense with concern. He looked to Merlin to lead the way.
“Alright” Merlin nodded, wishing he could get them all out without dropping the shield but right now he couldn’t so retreating was the best way. “This way” he said moving to where it looked like there was the least stormtrooper presence.
Audrey followed behind Merlin, staying inside the bubble. She trusted that his magic would hold, though she was still nervous about the sounds all around them; the blasters, the scared voices, the chaos. She kept ducking at the sounds, covering Ben’s head with her arm. The baby was crying, clinging tightly to his mother.
“Quickly?” Audrey asked, ducking with Merlin into an alcove off Main Street. She turned around to look and saw hundreds of Stormtroopers marching toward the exit. “...what the hell?”
“Bloody hell” Nina said, “This is mental, where the hell are they going? And why?” she wondered as they all watched them swarming out of the park. “Makes me wonder if we’d be safer in here than out there”
Of all the crazy things the OC would throw at them, literally having hordes of actual Stormtroopers was one he thought he’d never see. “Where’s Han Solo or a lightsaber when you need one?” he muttered, eyeing the marching throng. It was like an invasion, and Nina was right; if they were spilling out of the park into the OC, was it safer once they all exited? Unless it was like another Disney film, Fantasia, where the broomsticks never stopped multiplying.
“If I remember right, these guys can’t hit the broadside of a barn.” Gabe said. “So if we can find a clear area to teleport, and grab something to deflect any blasts once the shield is down, odds are good they’ll miss and we’ll be outta here in a flash.” But he frowned as he watched one helpless woman stumble and fall, only to have a white armor clad Stormtrooper aim his rifle at her and bellow at her to surrender to the Empire. He wanted to run out there and pull her away from the conflict, and he let go of Nina long enough to crouch as if ready to sprint, but knew it could be a fool’s errand.
“Merlin, you got any kind of invisibility spell or something?” Gabe had never fully known what the young man’s powers were.
When Gabe crouched Merlin notice Nina grip his arm like she could stop him from doing anything stupid, looking at them he was tempted to lie and say no but he could see Gabe wanted to help. “Maybe, but it won’t last long, not if I keep the shield up too” he said.
Audrey drew her wand. It was madness to have two magic users in the group but only use one of them. Trouble was, she wasn't trained for combat. She never joined Dumbledore’s army. Quirrel was not an effective Defense teacher, nor was Lockhart. Lupin was, but his time at Hogwarts was short lived, and don't get her started on Umbridge.
“What's the plan?” Audrey asked Merlin over the crying voice of their son. She was running through all the spells in her had she could use for defense. There weren't many.
Nina let the magic users discuss what could be done, her focus was on Gabe and making sure he didn’t do anything stupid. “No being a big damn hero now, not without making sure you will definitely come back unscathed”
Gabe looked back at Nina and saw the concern on her face. She had a point. He had no armor. He wasn’t his dream self, a giant tree being that would have been able to take shots like nobody’s business. But he couldn’t stand by and let this go.
“If Merlin can keep up the invisibility long enough for me to knock the guy out and get her out of harm's way, that’s all the time I need.” He had a plan. Well, it was part of a plan anyway. He gave Nina a quick kiss on the forehead then nodded to Merlin. “On three. One...two…three!”
“I'll drop the shield and cover Gabe, you hold off the shots while I do. Okay?” he checked with Audrey before nodding at Gabe, “Go” he said.
Audrey nodded. She could put up a bubble shield around them, that much she could do. There wasn’t a lot of Defense Against the Dark Arts in her repertoire, but protecting Nina and herself (and Ben) was totally easy. She waited for Merlin to say ‘Go,’ then put up a shield charm by calling out “Protego!”
Nina felt a little useless, there wasn’t much she could do to help unless one of them got hurt and she would much rather that didn’t happen so she watched and held her breath as her boyfriend ran to help.
Gabe vanished into thin air as soon as he left the protection of the bubble. He wanted to rush the trooper but knew that could risk him discharging his weapon. Instead he snuck up behind him and rapped on his shoulder pad, figuring a tap would go unnoticed.
“Huh?” the trooper’s voice said through the mask, and suddenly he staggered backwards as if punched hard in the helmet.
“Ow! Sonuva bitch!” Gabe swore, shaking his hand. The soldier raised his weapon and fired, but Gabe easily side stepped and watched as the woman - seeing her opportunity - scrambled away with a cry. Gabe angrily kicked the trooper in the gut and sent him flying. He rushed him, tore the blaster from his hands and knocked him unconscious with it. He scurried back to the safety of his friends, deciding to hold onto the blaster just in case.
The moment Gabe was back with them Merlin dropped the invisibility and shielded them all again, wrapping an arm around Audrey. “Well done love” he said proudly before pressing a kiss to Ben’s head too.
“Thanks,” Audrey said. The baby was enjoying the light show, though he was tentative. It was probably really scary that Mummy and Daddy were acting so weird, acting like there was danger or fear… but Audrey and Merlin had things under control. For the most part. (She was super proud of herself for that amazing shield charm.
“I should probably get Ben and Nina out of here,” Audrey said, frowning. She could apparate them home… probably. Apparition was never one of Audrey’s strengths. Or Merlin could pop them home. She wasn’t worried about Merlin and Gabe. They could handle themselves. But Audrey, Nina and Ben weren’t combat ready, really. “Or… do you think you can take us home? Or back to the car?” They could drive away, right?
“If these things are marching out of the park I would imagine driving wouldn’t be safe. We don’t want to risk anything happening” she said looking at Ben, she’d never forgive herself if he got hurt while with them. “Our houses should be safe though, I mean Merlin put up all those spells around them”
“Listen, I was a bouncer not a MMA fighter. I can't take all these guys on, not even with one of their weapons.” Gabe motioned with the futuristic blaster. “And you need to be with your family.” he said to Merlin firmly. He wrapped an arm around Nina protectively. “We need to get outta here. I'll hold onto this in case this crazy reaches the neighborhood but I'd think Cali would be deploying the National Guard at this point. Let them handle it.” Gabe was willing to defend his own but his dream self was a scrapper of a fighter with abilities he didn't have here. And here, while Gabe also could hold his own man to man, that was all he could handle. Despite his looks he was more a lover than a fighter.
Merlin nodded in agreement, “Alright, let’s get home” he said, glad Gabe had said that because he really wanted to get everybody home and safe. Merlin didn’t want to take these guys on. Not properly. Waiting for the right moment he dropped the shield and transported them all to safety.