The Powers That Be
Galahard
Summary: The timing was almost suspiciously perfect if he stopped to think about it. Their ranks had been depleted once more, and Arthur had finally issued the order for them to nominate candidates. Then, scant hours later, a vine had appeared of a bloody idiot dashing about at impossible speeds with longer tags than there were seconds of footage. #fastestmanalive #need4speed #betyoudidntseethatcoming
--
The timing was almost suspiciously perfect if he stopped to think about it. Their ranks had been depleted once more, and Arthur had finally issued the order for them to nominate candidates. Then, scant hours later, a vine had appeared of a bloody idiot dashing about at impossible speeds with longer tags than there were seconds of footage. #fastestmanalive #need4speed #betyoudidntseethatcoming
Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how he looked at it) the young speedster was someone he’d vaguely kept his eye on. The son of his last candidate, though the boy hadn’t shown even a hint of power before. Not until he’d run onto the scene and posted a video of him using his powers on social media.
Referring to him as a bloody idiot was rather generous actually.
The difficult bit was catching the young man alone. His mother was normal, perfectly human, and so far as he could tell Lee had never told her that he was anything other than average. That he was Kin.
He could only lounge against a wall for so long before someone stopped to question him, and he’d relocated several times before the young man finally passed by alone.
“Eggsy.”
He watched the young man freeze, shoulders hunching in slightly, legs tensing, and he needed to get his words in before the boy could take off.
“What the fuck is a toff like you doing around here?”
“I knew your father,” Harry’s words were blunt, but it was the most likely way he could get the boy to stay still long enough to build his credibility. “You may have more in common with him than you think, though I doubt he would have posted a video of himself online as you did.”
Eggsy had started to let down his guard slightly, minuscule signs that Harry knew how to read, but at the last, dry quip he tensed up again. Harry was doing this all wrong.
“Is there somewhere we could talk in private? If you don’t like what I have to say then trust me, you can outrun me.” There was a wry twist to his lips, but for a moment he didn’t know if Eggsy would actually acquiesce to his request
It was with relief when the boy let out a sigh. “Yeah, fine. I know a place. Ain’t too many around this bloody early.”
He walked side-by-side with the young man, strolling confidently in his bespoke suit and oxfords while mostly ignoring the furtive glances cast his way. Still, he couldn’t ignore the way that Eggsy still looked as if he was going to take off at any second, and if he did Harry would have little hope of catching up with him without resorting to tricks that would remove the shreds of his tentative credibility.
Where he was led to was a pub. A seemingly ordinary pub, which, true to Eggsy’s word, was empty other than the bartender, who came out from a back room at the sound of the door. “What can I get you?”
“A pint of Guinness for me and--,” Harry looked over expectantly while pulling out his wallet as Eggsy obliged and ordered something local for himself. He let Eggsy choose their table, sitting across from him and letting himself be scrutinized.
“So, you knew my dad?”
“Indeed.” He took a purposefully long swallow of his Guinness, refusing to be rushed, and set his glass back down on the table. “Does the term ‘The Kin’ mean anything to you?”
Judging by the scrunched up eyebrows alone he knew the answer before Eggsy even spoke. “No. Should it?”
“As it applies to you, I’d hoped it would. The Kin are what people with unique abilities, such as yourself and your father before you, are called. What you did, uploading a video like that, didn’t just potentially put you in danger but others. Revealing that people with powers exist is more likely to cause panic and fear than calm acceptance.”
“That what you came here for? To tell me to fuck off and hide my speed? What’s next, you going to tell me how disappointed my dad would be or something?”
“I’m sure he would be dismayed by the fact that you thought your gifts were only useful as a plea for attention, but no, that’s not the only reason I’m here. I’d like to offer you a chance to do something with your gifts. To learn how to optimize their use and to benefit someone other than yourself.” He leaned forward, knowing that he was antagonizing the boy somewhat but needing to get his attention, not sure how far to push or just what it would take to make him seriously consider joining Kingsman.
“You have the potential to make something truly remarkable out of your life. The question is whether or not you want stay here, doing the same shit you’ve always done for the rest of your life, or if you’re willing to put forth the effort to become something more.”
-----------
“Some bastard took down my video.”
He wasn’t really sure what had possessed him to go along with this bloke. Well, actually he did. He knew what his alternative was, going back home to an abusive dickhead and wasting his days doing what he could to make enough money to not get kicked out. Seeing the flash of disappointment in his mum’s eye that she covered up with her affection for him. Seeing a little girl gaze up at him, too innocent to know how much of a fuck up he was, not knowing what a shitty life she’d actually been born into.
The man he was going with aggravated him though, and what was worse was knowing that he had a point. That it had been fucking stupid of him to post a video of him using superpowers or whatever. He didn’t want to be no one’s bloody lab rat.
From the utterly unsurprised look on the man’s face he’d had something to do with the video.
"Merlin took care of it before he let me know about your newly discovered abilities. He has several tracers online to seek out videos or pictures such as yours.” Harry looked up at him as he shifted minutely in his chair, seeming completely at ease as they hurtled underground toward wherever it was he was taking him. Some sort of headquarters apparently.
“So what, he’s got some fucking technology power or some shit like that?” He didn’t feel nearly as comfortable as Harry looked, torn between drawing his feet towards him and bouncing his legs to get rid of some of his excess energy or splaying them out before him while trying to avoid the other man’s limbs.
“Certainly not. Merlin’s powers are quite useful however, crucial on missions. He has the ability to look at anyone and know what their powers are. Unfortunately those powers must be manifested for his ability to detect them. You must have been a late bloomer for Merlin not to see any power in you while you were still in school.” For a moment he looked thoughtful, studying Eggsy for several long seconds that felt like an eternity to the young speedster. “We don’t track potential Kin once they become an adult. It’s quite rare for anyone to manifest past that, though it’s not unheard of.”
For a minute there was simply silence as he mulled over what Harry had told him. “So what the fuck’s up with this ‘Kin’ nonsense anyway?” He snorted and looked away as he crossed his arms, trying to gain time to think and hopefully put the man off his game by forcing him to defend whatever this was.
Harry didn’t seem disturbed by the question at all unfortunately, maintaining the aura of being in control. “It’s an old term, from the fact that those with powers are almost all from specific bloodlines. The abilities change, the families do not. However, once in awhile there is someone like your father. Someone who develops abilities on their own, almost like a genetic mutation. Or perhaps there have been powers dormant in his blood for generations, and they simply cropped up with him.
“Due to him being the first of his line we really weren’t sure about you. If it had been a simple mutational fluke that he had powers perhaps you would not. It’s nice to see a new bloodline shaping up, it’s rather a rare occurrence. Not that everyone will be pleased, mind you.”
“Yeah? Why’s that?”
“There are some that tend to prefer older bloodlines, believing those to be the ‘purest’ or some such nonsense. They often tend to believe that individuals should only marry other Kin, keeping the bloodlines strong to ensure that offspring have powers. It’s an older frame of mind, but you’ll run into it quickly enough.”
In a way it was almost comforting to know that these people were the same as everyone else. That there were bigoted wankers among their ranks, and that Harry would admit to it. It wouldn’t be any different to dealing with rich toffs probably, and he was used to standing up for himself. “Ain’t nothing I haven’t dealt with before,” he muttered, sinking back into the seat a bit more.
“Excellent, then you won’t run home as soon as things get difficult?” The older man wasn’t smirking, but it was probably close enough. “Because things will get difficult. We’re not playing around here. We expect individuals to be in full control of their powers, and to be able to distinguish when and where it is appropriate to utilize them. You’re perhaps lucky, as your power is physical and not related to your emotions, but there is so much more you can do than simply run. Your training will open your eyes to feats you’ve never even imagined. By the time we’re through with you you’ll look back at your abilities now and scoff.”
“Yeah?” Eggsy smirked, looking up at the older man with a challenging glint in his eye. “Pretty sure I can manage whatever you lot throw at me.”
-----------
It was the third treadmill he’d watched the boy wear out that day, and little did Eggsy realize that this was just the beginning. The monitors rigged to him blipped out his heartbeat, the beeps so close together that they sounded like a continuous hum, and Harry couldn't tear his eyes away, even when all he saw was an Eggsy colored blur.
Still, focusing on the mission at hand was ingrained in him, and as he stood on the other side of the glass he spoke freely. “Do you think he'll make it?”
“That's an odd question coming from you.”
Harry glanced over to confirm that Merlin's eyes never left his precious monitors before resuming watching the blur that was Eggsy.
“You brought him in, and there have always been tasks for speedsters.”
“He's brash. Cocky. You know Arthur’s going to disapprove, just as he did with Lee, and I'm not sure Eggsy is going to accept that or play by his rules. Not that we don't need some of that, it will be a welcome relief, but it's not going to be easy on him.”
“Neither of us are seers, Galahad. Besides, there is more to the Kingsman Institute than Arthur. Eggsy will have to go through the coursework and training that all candidates get to experience, it's not like we’ll be shoving him into the field immediately. If things don't work out and he doesn't earn a codename we’ll figure it out then. We always have, just look at Amelia. She's happy enough helping the Kin in a supportive role, not everyone is meant for field work.”
Harry finally turned away from the window, waiting until Merlin looked up to see why he'd gone quiet before he spoke, voice quiet but filled with more conviction than the strongest of seers.
“He’s destined for it.”
--
She had managed to teleport right behind him and it was all he could do to fling himself to the side, hating that it meant rolling on the ground, losing his precious footing, but the alternative was having her foot slice through his head.
Whoever had given her fucking adamantium prosthetics should be shot, and he was pretty sure he knew who it was. So considering it was the man he was probably about to kill as soon as he got through with Gazelle it kind of worked.
His mind raced almost as quickly as he did as he darted about the room, trying to get that half-step ahead necessary to take down someone that could teleport at will, trying to find some sense, some pattern, in her movements.
A flash of movement caught his eye and he was able to grab something, a decorative bowl perhaps, to try to shield himself with as her prosthetic sliced the metal as easily as it would butter, the pieces cast aside as he moved to the far wall.
“Just go for Valentine.”
The Scotsman in his ear was someone that he trusted instinctively, and he moved direction without thinking, brain coming up to speed a couple of steps later.
If he was going after her boss/master/brainwasher/lover/whatever she'd have to meet him along the path, and he was already closing in on the stairs when she poofed into existence before him.
This time he didn't slow down, racing toward her, knowing she couldn't move out of the way without risking Valentine. At the last second he moved, changing his momentum to slide past her, activating the small blade that was housed in his glove as he did so and skidding to a stop before he hit the wall.
She teleported onto the stairs as he steadied himself, reaching down to look at the tear in the leg of his costume, the thin red line that would probably heal quickly but scar his thigh where she'd managed to barely connect with his flesh.
Then he looked at her and smirked, watching the confusion blossom on her face before she looked down and saw the small slash on her arm, the wound already green with poison as her veins deepened with colour, seeping deeper into her body with each pulse of her heart.
When she dropped there was no sense of satisfaction, just the knowledge that it was time to move on to the next task.
Valentine.
“Ah, the young Kingsman.” The man’s eyes narrowed slightly, eyes betraying a tiny flicker of uncertainty. “Gazelle? Gazzie!” His voice was loud, commanding, but it was too late and they both knew it.
“She’s gone.” Again, they both knew it, but it still felt good to say, to watch the anger grow in the man.
“Careful,” Merlin cautioned in his ear, but he didn’t need the advice. Valentine’s power was a juxtaposition of subtle and extremely powerful, allowing him to exude high levels of charisma. People obeyed his suggestions without being cognisant of an outside influence, and Valentine had exploited his gift to try to usher in the era of the Kin. The destruction the maniac had already wrought as the he tried to force the world to change was likely nothing compared to the aftermath as people retaliated against those with powers, but to be honest Eggsy didn’t give a fuck about all of that shit.
Valentine was the man responsible for Harry’s death.
Valentine was going to pay.
He wasn’t even paying attention to the bullshit coming from the man’s mouth any longer, instead taking his time stalking toward Valentine, watching with satisfaction as the man realized that his powers didn’t have any affect on him and confidence began to turn to fear. Without his words, without his influence, he had nothing. He was nothing. His powers were useless. Now the man knew it. The only possible thing to say in his favor was that he didn’t plead for his life, banter on his lips until the life faded from his eyes.
When he turned away he didn’t dash back to the plane where Merlin was waiting, instead ambling back at a regular speed, passing by cells that held people that had managed to resist Valentine and yet, oddly, Eggsy’s orders were to walk past them. He knew teams would be sent later, people that had more experience explaining the Kin than he did, people that could take the prisoners to safety and check in on them. Merlin had warned him against freeing them now and leaving behind a group of terrified people. They would be a danger to themselves and to each other if they tried to escape. Or worse, if they turned on one another out of fear.
Still, even if he had been called back to the plane in a hurry Eggsy wasn’t sure if he could comply. It was over, but there was little enough to celebrate. Harry was dead, the Kin were outed to the world, and Kingsman was in shambles. Plus, he was starving.
--
“How is it,” his voice was hesitant, and for some reason it felt like the most important question he’d ever asked in his life. All this over a martini, but Harry simply smiled up at him, setting aside the fragile glass and folding his hands in his lap before responding.
“It will do.”
His face split into a grin as he shifted a half pace forward. “Yeah? Really?”
“I’m not sure why you’re so surprised, anyone should be able to make it taste okay with as many tries as you’ve had.”
At some point Harry had lost his shoulder holsters and tie, and now he reached up, thumbing open the top button of his collar, a tiny hint that all of the martinis he’d been called upon to taste test were starting to get to him. A simple movement, but Eggsy couldn’t seem to look away, drawn to that sliver of skin.
Slowly he managed to drag his eyes up until they met Harry’s, tension palpable as he leaned forward, bracing his hands against the arms of the chair as he bent down, pressing his lips to Harry’s and groaning when he felt Harry respond.
All too quickly Harry was pulling away, his hands moving up to his arms, and Eggsy couldn’t help but notice how light his grip felt, despite knowing the true strength of his grip.
“We can’t,” Harry murmured, and before Eggsy could protest the older man tacked on the only statement that he was likely to listen to. “Not while you’re a candidate.”
“I don’t think tonight counts.” It was a weak argument, but he had to try. They’d been denying this for too long already.
“I want it to count,” Harry countered, and damn, that was a good argument.
The sound of a large truck backing up shattered the silence of the room and Eggsy swore as he fumbled for his phone, only to have it slip through the cracks of the headboard. He wasn’t alert enough to grab for it as it fell but now, his hand shoved somewhere between the mattress and the wall, fingers skimming his phone’s case, he was awake. Whether he wanted to be or not.
Then it all washed over him, a flood of memories threatening to drown him. The failed test, their argument, the church. Now all he had left of the man were his memories, and he would do almost anything to escape back into the dream he’d just woke up from.
Instead his phone began to beep again, a second alarm right after the first to make sure he got out of bed, reminding him that even though Harry might not be there there was still work to be done, crises to be averted. He had to get up, even if was atrociously early.
Looking down at the phone he groaned, scrubbing a hand over his face. Sure, it was 9:01 in the morning, a not entirely unreasonable time to get up, but he hadn’t gone to bed until half past six. Before they could head back to HQ they’d had to pick up Roxy, and pinpointing her location hadn’t been as simple as they’d hoped. Somewhere during their mission their communications with her had been knocked out, and only by tracking the epicenters of the small earthquakes she’d kept causing had they been able to find her.
After they’d picked her up it wasn’t like he could just crash in the plane until they got back. By the time they’d picked her up Roxy had actually looked a bit of a mess. Sending someone with powers directly correlating to the earth (in her case causing localized earthquakes and opening up small chasms) into space wasn’t exactly the best idea Merlin had ever had. But Merlin had to stay with the plane, and Eggsy had been the only one with a chance of getting past Gazelle, so sending Roxy up to take out the satellite had been their only choice.
Just because she’d done her job didn’t mean she’d enjoyed it.
He wasn’t a complete arse so he’d stayed up with her on the way back, knowing how uncomfortable she was on the plane, pouring them both glasses of champagne to try to distract them on the way and sending the occasional text to his mum to assure her he was okay.
The only thing he’d done when they made it back was set an alarm for the debriefing, then he’d fallen asleep on the nearest available bed.
The mansion that was their headquarters was equipped for people to come and go. The wc had all the basics so he took a moment to brush his teeth before taking a quick shower, not needing to linger with his memories, and trudging off to the meeting. The only good thing about having to drag his arse out of bed was the spread laid out before him. A full breakfast buffet was set up despite the fact that there would only be a few people physically there. Percival was at the table, neatly cutting tiny bites of toast and eating it with a fork, but he looked up long enough to give Eggsy a nod when he entered.
Roxy was at the buffet, filling a plate as she stifled a yawn, her hair in a messy ponytail and her glasses sliding down her nose. Still, she had at least taken the time to put on a proper suit, whereas he’d picked through the paltry offering of the guest closet for a pair of plaid pyjama pants and an Oxford University shirt that was a couple of sizes too big. He realized he hadn’t even bothered to put shoes on as he picked up a couple of plates and started loading them up, piling on rashers and boiled eggs indiscriminately, taking all but one of the pieces of toast that were stacked up and just taking the entire butter dish back to the table, walking slowly to keep it all balanced.
Then he froze, staring at the table and not knowing where to sit. Roxy had sat down next to Percival, a seat he knew was Lancelot’s from what he’d been told, and that made sense. She’d earned her codename, and she’d earned her place. He was just the fuckup that should be lazing about at home right now.
“Take Galahad’s seat.”
The voice was completely unknown to him, because Percival had never bothered to actually speak to him before. The agent gestured to the seat across from Roxy so he moved toward it, focusing on the fact that the hand that had pointed at the seat had sniped down dozens if not hundreds of criminals so that he wasn’t dwelling on whose seat he was about to take.
It didn’t help.
The food he shoveled into his mouth tasted like ash, but it didn’t stop him from eating. The amount of calories he’d used fighting Gazelle had only been partially replaced by the champagne and snacks stored on the plane, his stomach growling even while he inhaled his food.
Merlin arrived with his clipboard, looking completely put together without a hint of exhaustion in his appearance. In fact, if Eggsy didn’t know what his power was he’d have thought it was to go without sleep, which honestly would be pretty damn useful at times.
“Glasses please,” Merlin murmured, tapping on something before moving to the head of the table but not taking a seat.
He knew what would happen, but it was still strange to put on a pair of glasses and look around at a table that was now mostly full. There were notable absences, Arthur’s seat obviously but three more were scattered down the table, and confusion were on the other faces as they took in the empty chairs.
His gaze dropped when they started to turn their attention to his chair to see someone other than Harry there, nerves coiling in his stomach. He wasn’t the one who should be here and even if no one said anything he knew they all wished it was Harry sitting at the table instead of him. Fuck, he wished it.
“Thank you for taking the time to gather at such short notice.” He could have kissed Merlin for breaking the silence and redirecting their attention. “By now most of you will have realized that there are gaps at our table, and let me confirm your fears, those that are not here are not joining us. Tristan, Bors, and Gawain’s bodies were recovered from Valentine’s hideout, Arthur’s betrayal was revealed before the events of Valentine’s Day thanks to Mr. Unwin, and you all should have received the news of Galahad by now.
“Unfortunately, we are not in a place to sit idly by and regroup. There are mobs in the street and the media is in a frenzy at the reveal of the Kin. With things as they are I propose waiting to appoint a new Arthur. As I have seniority I will coordinate our efforts but I have no desire to leave my position. Is this acceptable?” He waited a minute, looking around the table and receiving a nod from each knight in turn. “Very well, onto more pressing matters. Ms. Morton passed her tests and has newly proven her worth as Lancelot. Eggsy who has joined us more than proved himself against impossible odds, and while he did not pass the final test I believe he has more than shown his worth.”
“I would like to nominate Eggsy to the position of Galahad.” He looked up, startled, to see Percival with one hand up, looking around the table. After a split second Roxy spoke up as well.
“I second that.”
“All in favour?” Merlin asked after a slight hesitation, and strangely enough every single person at the table agreed. “Very well, Eggsy will fill the role Galahad, which still leaves us four positions short. If any of you have nominations please send their information to me for review. I will also be contacting our members that have retired from field duty to see if any of them would be willing to return on a temporary basis.
“As for immediate orders, we need to offer assistance to any Kin that have been revealed during the turmoil. Currently our rooms are filled with those we rescued from Valentine, but most of those will be headed back to their own homes in short order. If you come across someone that needs extracted for their own safety, bring them here. Yes, we’ll risk exposing ourselves, but for now we’re the safest place for any refugees that might be out there.
“Bedivere I’m afraid we’ll have to rely on you and your contacts when it comes to parliament. Start now on those who may be more temperate during these times, if the extremists get to them before they hear reason they’ll be lost to us. Gareth, we’re counting on you as our royal liaison.”
“Yes sir,” was the response from both in turn before the doors at the end of the hall flew open and in strode a dead man as the room went silent.
The silence was broken once more by Percival, and this was officially the most that Eggsy had heard the man talk in the months that he’d been at Kingsman.
“You’re late,” Percival pointed out, voice oddly hoarse, but all Lancelot did was shrug and take a long drink from the ridiculously huge Starbucks cup in his hand as he sauntered across the room.
“Only by twenty minutes, besides, my flight was late.”
A buzz of voices filled the air but Eggsy’s attention was on the chair that had been scooted back so quickly it had fallen on the floor as Roxy scrambled to her feet, eyes huge, one hand on Percival’s shoulder and the other pinching her own arm. “Uncle James?”
Yeah, he officially had no idea what was going on.
--
The arrival of Lancelot had effectively closed out the meeting, and those that weren’t physically in the room had disconnected to start their reconnaissance and recovery tasks. That left Eggsy as the fifth wheel in the room, staring at the man now sitting between Roxy and Percival, his husband.
For now they were running tests, Lancelot procuring mismatched dice from somewhere and rolling seven after seven, but the exact rolls cycled through. 1-6, 3-4, 6-1, 5-2, 2-5, 1-6. Never the same in a row, different numbers appearing on different die, and one of them was twenty-sided.
It wasn’t something a shapeshifter could manage, and there were already measures in place to prevent illusionists from even entering the building with the illusions in tack, so apparently the man in front of him was who he said he was. Lancelot, aka Uncle James, a fit man probably in his lower forties but with a scar running from the top of his head until it disappeared into the collar of his shirt, and Eggsy had to presume it continued.
“Apparently the cards were dealt out wrong,” James was explaining, absentmindedly tossing one die and watching as it came up showing three a dozen times in a row because the one he’d left on the table was a four. “I didn’t even see them come up behind me-”
“Teleporter,” Percival interjected, and James nodded.
“Makes sense. Had a split second to realize what had happened and that was it. The rest I had to piece together when I woke back up. I guess they had put me back together to try to figure out who I was, then they froze me because they weren’t sure if they’d need me. I guess they decided they didn’t, but one of the guys in charge of their little operation was a guy with electricity powers and a really weird obsession with Frankenstein. Me being stapled together and all was just too much of a temptation for him.
“It shouldn’t have worked, the odds were astronomical, but you know me, that’s my kind of odds, and after that business with the teleporter I guess someone out there owed me. Took a bit to really get back on my feet and then getting a flight was another stroke of pure luck, right place at the right time sort of deal, and here I am.”
“With Starbucks.” Percival’s voice was tense, and it felt like Eggsy was intruding on something intimate when he saw Lancelot put his hand on the other agent’s thigh, massaging gently.
“Not my fault. I was walking by right when someone decided it was safer to open the store to the mob than it was to deny them coffee. Got swept up in the crowd and ended up toward the front of the line. Because their credit card machines were down they were just handing out free drinks.”
He shrugged, and now Eggsy was starting to understand how James’ insane luck was probably one of the most powerful powers he’d ever heard of.
“It’s astounding what can happen when it comes to Kin,” Merlin murmured, and for some reason he seemed to be looking directly at him. Then the bald man returned his attention to Lancelot. “Have you noticed any side effects?” Merlin asked, voice pitched gently but his tone serious, and Eggsy looked over in time to see Roxy’s face fall when James’ nodded.
“I can’t sleep. I try, it just doesn’t happen. Doesn’t matter if I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck or if I take pills, nothing works. But then two days ago when my first flight was scheduled I wound up falling asleep in the airport, just passed out. Didn’t wake up for 18 hours. Apparently I was tucked away good, woke up when the fighting was over, and that’s how I was there to even get a flight back. Some of the pilots wanted to get home and let me tag along.”
“I hate to ask this,” Merlin set down his clipboard, and now the seriousness of the situation seemed to settle in the room. The clipboard was a sign. “However we’re desperately short staffed considering the situation we’re in. If you think you can resume your post, we need you too.”
A muscle in Percival’s jaw jumped, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the chair, but he stayed silent until Lancelot responded with a nod. “I’ll do what I can, but only if we can get Rox here a new name.” He looped his arm over her shoulder, smiling at her and pulling her in to press a kiss to her forehead. “Always knew you’d be great as one of us.”
“There are vacancies,” Merlin admitted, but before he could list them Roxy interjected.
“I’ll take Tristan. Or Gwaine if Tristan's one that might come out of retirement.”
“No Bors?” Merlin asked, eyebrow cocked and a hint of humour actually returning to his voice, as Lancelot mimed a gag. “Tristan it is then.”
-----------
The sense that he’d intruded on something private was still present as Percival (Alistair as Roxy had just informed him) and James left, hands intertwined and leaning in to one another, and as Merlin vanished with his clipboard Roxy linked her arm with his.
“Thanks for staying with us,” she murmured, tilting her head to rest it on his shoulder. “That really did happen right? I’m not making it all up?”
“I didn’t know he was your uncle,” was all that he could think to say, and as soon as the words left his mouth he knew how stupid they were.
“I wasn’t really sure how to bring it up,” his friend admitted. “I wasn’t sure how you’d feel if you knew I was a legacy.”
“I’d be a fucking hypocrite if I judged you for your family, yeah?” A smile was twisting up one side of her mouth and he elbowed her in the ribs, looking over to give her his first grin of the day, muted as it was.
“Who would have thought,” Roxy mused aloud after a moment, “the two of us, the final candidates. The newest Kingsmen.”
“Bet Arthur’s rolling in his bloody grave about now, yeah? Course it looks like we got promoted just in time for a real shit storm. I ain’t so sure I’ll ever get used to calling you Tristan though.”
“Hey, Tristan’s not so bad. I mean, it’s no Lamorak, but it’s got moxie. And look at you, I can’t think of anyone more fitting for the role of Galahad.”
His face must have faltered because she winced. “Shit, Eggsy I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking. But you have to know he’d have wanted you to carry on his legacy. Anyone with eyes could see how proud he was of you.”
“You throw away your biggest opportunity,” Harry started, and Eggsy didn’t even need to hear the rest, he knew how it went.
He could see the frustration in the older man’s eyes, and worse than that, far worse, the disappointment. It was a look he was well acquainted with, he’d seen it before in his teachers’ eyes, his coach’s eyes, even his mum had worn that expression before. It was the look of someone who’d bothered to believe in him and now they knew better. They knew how much of a fuck up he was, and that there wasn’t anything left that was worth their time and energy. He’d been so close this time, close enough he could almost taste it, could still imagine the taste of Harry’s lips on his as he dreamed of them working alongside one another.
And he’d fucked it all up with some shit test that still didn’t make sense to him, but he’d failed it nonetheless.
His apologies had obviously not been enough, and now there was nothing he could do as Harry stalked out of the house except wait for the man’s return, hoping against hope that maybe he could have another chance, that somehow he could figure out how to make things right before his mentor’s return.
Of course, Harry hadn’t returned. All the strength in the world was worthless when there was a bullet unloaded point blank into your head.
“I ain’t so sure,” he admitted, and as soon as Roxy started to protest he cut her off. “No, I mean it. We was doing alright but it all got fucked up in the end, and trust me,” there was a thread of bitterness in his voice, but he didn’t even try to hide it, “we’d all be a lot better off it it was Harry here instead of me.”
“Well I wouldn’t be,” she insisted, and when he looked over at her it was to see fire in her eyes. “And you trust me, if you’re doing what I know you’re capable of, you would be making him proud. We’re going to be so on point that these old codgers won’t know what hit them.”
“I’m fucking glad you’re on our side.” He laughed as he said it, but from the look in her eyes she knew the truth behind the jest.
“Right, then the only thing to do is throw yourself into your work to try to take your mind off of things. And when things calm down we’re hitting a club together. Your treat.”
--
There was nothing quite as calming as watching Ella trying to cram a toy in her mouth while watching Peppa Pig, and he’d been watching it happen for the past ten minutes. He was Skyping with his mum but she’d set it up with the camera pointed at his half-sister after she’d seen for herself that he was okay.
Officially there was only so much he could tell her but she didn’t pry, filling him in instead on what was happening around their neighborhood.
What was weird was that while Valentine’s influence and signals had hit most areas, and hard, there were relatively few Kin in many of those areas. It made some sense though. By and large Kin were descended from other Kin, powers handed down from generation to generation, people like his father the rare exception. Many of those families had found a way to rise to power in some form or fashion, and if they had money they didn’t live in the sorts of places people like the Unwins did. Not if they could help it.
But still he could hear the concern in her voice, had seen the despair in her eyes, and he couldn’t ignore the wc door in the background. Things had changed in the past 24 hours, and now all they could do was try to play catch up.
A text popped up on his phone from Merlin, followed almost immediately by one from Roxy, and that was enough of a sign for him. “Sorry mum but it looks like this lot needs me. I probably ain’t going to be able to call again for a while but it was good talking to you.”
“Of course, Eggsy. I’m glad to hear you’re safe. You was always resourceful,” she said, and even though he couldn’t see her he could imagine her shaking her head.
“Ella, be good for mum now, you hear?”
He knew she was absorbed in the antics of the small pink pig but he still had to address her before ending the call and swiping to check the messages summoning him down into the depths of HQ.
----------
Merlin looked as if he was running purely on caffeine, something that Eggsy had long suspected. Normally the man looked completely calm though, and now he was taking off his glasses and massaging his temples.
“Go ahead and have a seat you two.”
That statement would have been fairly normal except for the fact that they were by his desk and there were no other chairs in the vicinity. Roxy arched an eyebrow at him before perching on the edge of the desk and Eggsy remained standing.
“Since the meeting ended I have been sorting those we evacuated from Valentine’s cells,” the older man explained. It wasn’t hard to piece together who he might have been sorting out, not with his identification powers.
“Surprisingly most of them were Kin. Those that were not are notable leaders and celebrities, and, from what we’ve gleaned, Valentine hoped to get them to openly accept the Kin during their ascent to power in exchange for various awards. The captives was comprised of the leaders that he couldn’t manage to convince. The Kin were kept for mostly the same purpose. He wanted to reveal to the populace that many leaders are already Kin, naturally inclined to lead.
“Those without powers are being debriefed by Kingsman personnel that are trained in explaining the Kin to those that find out about us or spontaneously develop powers such as Lee. After they’ve been debriefed we’re sending them back home or to London so they can arrange their own transportation.”
“Even if they think we’re fucking freaks?”
“Of course. If we hold them captive we prove them right. The best thing to do is to inform them of the true facts and hope they figure it out for themselves and put an end to some of the frankly ridiculous rumours springing up.”
“What is our role in all of this?” Roxy queried, lips pursed slightly, and intent look on her face.
“We’ve been debriefing the Kin as well. With Kin it’s a different story. Again, this is a safe haven. If they do not have a safe location to return to we have offered them the right to stay so long as they abide by a few basic rules. Some wanted to return home immediately, and with those we simply made sure they were informed of the risk they faced and we’re helping to return them to their homes. The last group is the smallest group. A few individuals have expressed an interest in joining our cause, and to actually become the public faces that Valentine wanted.
“Your task is to speak with those individuals. We need to weed out anyone that might not be entirely stable, or anyone that comes across as a supremacist. I also want you to talk to those that seem to be likely candidates about their powers and formulate ideas as to how we can go public with them. We’ve been trying to conceal the existence of the Kin for centuries, but now we need publicity.”
The irony wasn’t lost on any of them, and truth be told it sounded like a headache when all Eggsy desperately wanted was to sleep. “So, we talk to this lot to see if we can find any psychos, yeah? I think we can manage that.”
“I want you to interview them together,” Merlin cautioned. “We don’t know what their motives are for volunteering, and neither of you have powers geared for interrogation. I trust you’ll appreciate that speed is of the essence here, but if you require a break take one; I don’t want my agents pushed over the edge during their first official mission. Make note of any viable candidates and if you come across anyone that you think I should speak to immediately call me directly.”
“Yes, sir,” they replied in unison before heading for the door.
“I need a damn cuppa before we even think about starting this,” he admitted as soon as they made it out to the corridor, laughing at the way Roxy agreed almost frantically.
-----------
Their first interview went quickly, because it didn't take long to realize that Emerson, a large bear of a man, wasn't necessarily PR material. Mostly his idea of smoothing things over involved revealing a shit ton of destructive power to people and then just saying things like “can’t we all just get along” until things went back to normal.
Apparently he hadn’t sided with Valentine because deep down he was a pacifist, but it was perfectly fine to melt a few cars or buildings with acid spit. Because that was normal.
The second interview almost had to go better by default. It was actually with a couple: Melody with the ability to liquify, shape, and harden concrete at will and Hojat who was hiding a truly impressive pair of wings bundled under his long trench coat. Apparently Valentine had wanted him to play the role of an angel to try to sway people that were extremely religious, and there was no foreseeable end to Melody’s usefulness.
The fact that they were a package deal and absolutely refused to go anywhere without the other made it slightly more difficult, but they still jotted down ideas, knowing that there would be a use for them, and waited for their next interview.
“One outta two ain’t bad,” Eggsy pointed out, drumming his fingers on the table as Roxy put the final flourishes on their notes.
“Two out of three if you consider the individuals,” Roxy replied, absentmindedly chewing on the end of her pen as she skimmed her notes, partially ruining the effect of her sitting there in a suit, not that he even cared.
No, what he cared about was the fact that after his second trip to the break room he’d just brought in the entire pot of coffee and it was gone, and he knew that if he had more than the caffeine would probably short circuit him at some point. It wasn’t something he was willing to risk, not for this.
“So, one more, yeah?”
Roxy stretched and he could hear her back popping. “I think I can make it through at least one more before we take a break.”
They pressed a button, signalling that they were ready for someone else to be shown in, and a minute later the door opened and a blonde-haired woman floated in.
She was pretty, with air of grace around her, but what was far more interesting was the quick intake of breath beside him before Roxy practically shot to her feet, rounding the table quickly enough that for a second he had to remind himself that he was the one with super speed.
“Your highness, it’s an honour to meet you.”
“The pleasure is mine, I understand the two of you were directly involved in our rescue. Thank you very much.” She smiled, the expression natural and easy to her, and he must have imagined Roxy’s sigh as she pulled the chair out for the woman and helped her get seated before sitting down on their side of the table.
“Sorry, you look familiar but I ain’t too sure who the f--who you are.”
Roxy gave him a scandalized glance, but the woman was already introducing herself. “My apologies, my name is Tilde.”
“Princess Tilde,” Roxy pointed out quickly, “of Sweden, is one of the greatest philanthropists of our times, and highly regarded. She is quite well known for her work for equal rights, in a variety of issues. She not only promotes LGBTQ rights but she also has fought for equal rights and wages for women and minorities.”
“It seems you’ve heard of me,” Tilde remarked, amusement clearly evident in her voice and eyes.
“I snuck into St. Andrews to hear you lecture.”
The words were out of Roxy’s mouth before she seemed to think of them and she quickly coloured, cheeks stained crimson in a way Eggsy had never seen before, and it was all he could do to keep a straight face.
“So,” he interjected, trying to distract Tilde while Roxy floundered, “if you’re here it means you’re wanting to help with the public image of the Kin. You understand that our goal is to make the integration of the Kin into society as smooth as possible?”
“Yes,” Tilde had turned her attention to him and Roxy seemed to be getting a grip on herself. “When I was just a child my mother told me that it was pointless to wear a tiara if you did nothing with it. Mother used her position to speak out about climate change, and my grandmother was one of the front-runners for animal rights. Human rights have always seemed like a natural area for me to champion, and this is no different. Equality and acceptance are two concepts that I highly value, and if I could help in this effort I would gladly do so.”
“And what can you do?”
“I can speed up healing. Anything major can be exhausting, but cuts and bruises are practically immediate and not too troublesome. I can not simply heal anything though. If it is something the human body would not cure on it’s own I am afraid my powers are useless, so conditions such as cancer or asthma are beyond my abilities.”
He found himself leaning forward, bracing his forearms on the table, interest piqued. “Yeah? Can you heal multiple wounds or people? Is there a range limit? What happens if the wound is too big for you to patch?”
Tilde laughed, a musical sound. “Slow down, please, one thing at a time. Yes, I can heal multiple wounds, but one at a time, and nothing too major. If it is major I would need to rest. I am quite capable of helping someone and moving on to the next, but I do need to be touching someone to heal them. With a major wound I can speed up the healing as best I can, but if it goes beyond my limits and I push I could wind up hurting myself. Normally with a major wound I would just speed things up to the point that the individual was no longer in danger and then request that they let a normal doctor take over until they were healed. Let’s see, it might be easier with an example. Do either of you have any injuries?”
Eggsy shook his head as he processed what it was she was saying. “Sorry, my cells regenerate pretty quick so I heal a bit faster on my own. What about you,” there was a slight pause as he just barely stopped himself from using her name, “Tristan?”
It took a moment for the codename to register. “Hm? Oh yes, uh, I have a couple of bruises from yesterday,” she admitted. “My landing wasn’t as smooth as I’d have hoped.”
“Would you mind showing them to us? I don’t need to see them, but it might be more informative if you want to understand my powers.” Tilde smiled at her, and he was pretty sure that Roxy would have just about done anything for the princess in that moment.
“Of course.” Roxy’s cheeks still glowed faintly pink as she pushed her chair back and rolled up her left trouser leg high enough to reveal a bruise on her shin.
Tilde stood, gliding around the table and crouching down, lifting her hand above the wound. For a moment her hand glowed with a flickering golden light and then she pressed it lightly to Roxy’s leg.
“It’s warm.” Roxy’s voice was startled and Tilde just smiled as she lifted her hand, the light gone. As was the bruise. It wasn’t Roxy’s leg that he was really watching though, it was the princess.
“How many times can you do that?”
“Something that simple? I’ve never tested it, for a while though. It barely uses any energy. Did you say you had another bruise--Tristan was it?”
“You can call me that,” Roxy replied, slightly flustered. “Oh, and he’s Galahad.”
“Knights! Oh how quaint.”
Roxy stood to untuck her shirt this time, unbuttoning the bottom three buttons and pulling aside the fabric to reveal a nastier bruise by her lower ribs.
“Gracious, this one looks bad.”
“The ribs are bruised,” Roxy admitted. “No cracks though, thankfully.”
This time Tilde’s glow didn’t extinguish immediately, shining for a long moment and flickering out a second before Tilde moved her hand. The princess was breathing a little harder, a hint of sheen on her skin. Judging from the sigh of relief from Roxy it had been worse than she’d been letting on, and her shoulders relaxed slightly.
“There, is that better?”
Roxy reached down to help the princess up to her feet and back to her chair. “Much. But that seemed like it took a little bit longer. Was that too much of a strain?”
“Definitely not, and it helped that I could touch the wounded area. I don’t need to, but it makes it easier. I could do a few healings like that before it became too much. Something more major, like a broken leg, would not go away instantly, but I could cut down the healing time to a matter of days rather than months, though I would probably need at least a small rest afterwards.”
“Still, that’s bloody useful. How do you feel about using your powers openly?”
“I would love to.” Her reply was instantaneous, her eyes alight with interest. “The worst thing about my power has always been that I could not use it to help people in need.”
“I think we should call Merlin.” His words were directed at Roxy, but he stated it clearly, not trying to hide anything from Tilde. “The princess is fucking perfect. She’s got a good reputation and she’s got a damn useful power that people won’t be afraid of. They might even see that the Kin can be good for them.
“I agree, let’s call him.”
--
Their meeting with Merlin hadn’t lasted too long, so there were still some miracles in the world. With something to work with and missions to plan Merlin had called a temporary halt to their interviews, ordering them to get sleep and telling them he didn’t want to see them until the next day even though it was only 14:00.
Sure, they still had to conduct more interviews the next day, but there was time between now and then. Time to eat, catch up with things, and most importantly: sleep.
Sleep was a fucking glorious thing.
----------
The mission was supposed to be a simple one. A simple dash in, erase some footage that could be used to prove the existence of the Kin, and dash out. Easy peasy.
But then he’d found out that there was much more to this building than an extensive video library. No, there were labs, and there were faint cries for help leading him deeper into the bowels of the building. Deep enough that he’d found the cells.
The footage was streaming to Merlin and Harry simultaneously. One voice was calm, almost robotic, in his ear as it coached him on, helping him to hack the locks to release the other prisoners. The other seemed calm, but layered with emotion, mostly worry. Asking him over and over if he needed assistance, even though he was supposed to be his backup on the outside. Harry seemed constantly on the move, edging closer to this entrance or that.
Then disaster had struck, or rather, walked in.
Apparently not all of the Kin were in cages, and the one that found him as he opened the last door was a fucking huge thing, easily towering head and shoulders above the tallest person in the room.
He obviously had speed on his side, and he used it to his advantage, trying to allow the Kin he’d released a chance to escape. But they were weak and drugged, stumbling and leaning on one another to try to make it another step, and despite his efforts he kept finding himself pressed back with nowhere else to run but toward the fleeing Kin as he tried to buy them time.
He tried his best to stall, but stalling meant getting too close, close enough that he had been hit a couple of times, the hits running through him almost like a shock. He could feel them in every bone and muscle it felt like, and now he was staggering just to avoid the worst of it, the voices in his ears blurring.
Then the fist coming toward him stopped, and he was pretty sure it was magic. He was real so magic could be real. Why the fuck not.
But if so magic had a strong hand and a wrist that disappeared into a dress shirt peeking out from a suit jacket. Oh, magic was Harry bloody Hart.
“Fall back, I’ve got this.”
“And miss out on the fun?” His words were slurring, but he didn’t even attempt to move toward the fight. No, the fun was standing behind the fight, watching Harry’s arse flex as he pushed forward, throwing a punch with his free hand. Watching Harry take someone apart blow by blow was like a fucking work of art, and if he happened to drool a little bit no one needed to know.
The fight was almost over too soon, but not before Harry’s hair got all mussed and a couple of buttons had popped free, his tie loose and hanging down. Really he just looked perfectly ravishable, especially when the collar of his shirt flapped open and he could see a faint bruise that he felt a certain ownership toward.
Harry stepped on and over the fallen man, giving him a concerned look. “Are you alright, Eggsy?”
“You’re damn gorgeous,” came his response, and then he grinned. “My knight in shining armour.”
Harry rolled his eyes, but the look he gave him was positively fond as he leaned in and waited expectantly for him to close the distance, pressing a kiss to his lips. When Harry parted his mouth obligingly he bit down on his bottom lip, drawing a hiss from the older man.
“Come on you two, reinforcements will be on their way soon enough.”
He was loathed to leave but they had to finish the mission and there were other people that depended on them.
“Later,” he murmured, watching Harry’s eyes darken.
“Later,” Harry concurred.
-----------
Waking up was a leisurely affair.
During the night he’d managed to effectively build a cocoon, curling into the blankets, and he was just so comfortable when he woke up that for a blissful minute he thought about nothing at all.
He closed his eyes, tempted to just go back to sleep, brain relatively clear until his dream came flooding back, reminding him once again of what he’d never have. Missions with Harry. Kissing Harry. Having a damn life with Harry in it.
Now he wished he was asleep still, but sleep was gone, a fleeting fancy. There was nothing else to do so he got up, stomach grumbling as he moved toward the wc.
---------
He’d eaten, twice, by the time they’d gathered back together for their debriefing. Oddly enough the princess was in the room with them, fingers flying over her phone’s screen at an almost sickening pace.
“She got on her social media accounts last night and came out as a Kin,” Roxy murmured into his ear. “The reactions have been insane, and from what I understand our tech division has had a time scrambling her signal so people can’t trace her here.”
“Yeah? How are things going?”
“About as you’d expect. Some people are supporting her because they’ve been fans for a while, some people feel betrayed somehow, and some people are throwing absolute fits because she’s one of us. There has been a small increase in the number of celebrities and politicians revealing themselves, but most are still in hiding.”
“And for good reason,” Merlin interjected. “Most Kin are able to protect themselves, but there have already been fatalities as a backlash from the aftermath of Valentine’s Day.”
“This is all ridiculous.” Tilde looked up from her phone. “No one has actually changed, people are simply aware now, it shouldn’t be such a big deal. Merlin, there’s another death threat on Twitter that seems somewhat legitimate, I just screenshotted it and forwarded it on to the techs.”
Roxy looked like she wanted to shred something, so it was perfect timing when the door opened to reveal Percival and Lancelot.
“Excellent, we’re all here. Thank you for joining us, gentlemen. Have a seat.”
Eggsy hadn’t even realized they were coming but now it made sense that they hadn’t immediately launched into a meeting. Percival took a chair, Lancelot perching on the armrest of it, hands busy shuffling a deck of cards and then doing small tricks and splits with them.
Merlin launched into his debriefing quickly, not wanting to waste time. “The world has changed in the past couple of days. Valentine’s signal affected every human without powers within range of one of his phones. Quite a few Kin were forced to reveal their powers just to escape the bloodshed, and some took advantage of the situation. There is no reason for them to trust us, and they don’t. We’ve got abilities most people have only dreamed of, and they’re scared.
“Over the past several hours we’ve been hard at work to develop a plan on how to best utilize Princess Tilde’s abilities in the public eye. The personnel working on this have decided that we need to act, and quickly. People need to see us, and they need to see our powers in action. Hospitals are overflowing with injured people combined with being understaffed. Anything would help, so long as we can keep the situations under control.
“What we calculate to be the most effective are short visits with several minor injuries taken care of. It would be best not to reveal the depths of Princess Tilde’s abilities, so sprains, lacerations and smaller broken bones are all good candidates for now.
“We want to establish Tristan and Galahad as your bodyguards. You will all three be seen in public together, but I only want you to utilize your powers in case of an emergency. Galahad, you’ll be the first line of defense and Tristan you’ll be there in case speed isn’t enough.
“If we decide to venture into a more dangerous area then we may tap Percival and/or Lancelot to accompany you on a mission. Percival can provide long-range back up and Lancelot’s skills have a variety of uses. Are there any questions?”
It seemed pretty straight forward in the grand scheme of things, and Eggsy merely looked over to see what Tilde’s reaction was.
She was sitting up straight, eyes alert and calculating. “Well then, when do we begin?”
Merlin smiled, and that was the first sign that he should probably be worried.
“Three hours.”
--
Two hours and fifty nine minutes later Eggsy skidded to a halt outside the entrance of their private tube station. Tilde and Roxy were already waiting, Roxy apparently helping the Princess fix her communications equipment so that the wires laid flat and essentially undetectable.
Percival and Lancelot weren’t accompanying them on this mission. The hospital they were targeting was in a suburb of Bristol, and for now no one knew to expect their visit. They were going to get in place, rest for the night at a safehouse, and head in in the early hours of the morning, hoping to hit before regular visiting hours. They’d be out and home before it was late. Plus, Bristol was far enough away from HQ that they might throw people off track when they tried to pin them down, especially as they’d be avoiding public transportation.
If anything, the ride seemed to prove that Tilde was a person first, a princess second, and she was quick. Apparently being kidnapped by Valentine had convinced her that since she couldn’t predict what would happen next she should live life to the fullest. By the time they slowed down, almost to their destination, Eggsy’s sides were in stitches, and Roxy had actual tears streaming down her face as she struggled to catch her breath. Tilde meanwhile swayed on her feet but kept her balance, one hand stretched dramatically toward the ceiling as she belted out her impression of the drunk soprano in her story.
She finished with a flourish and a truly impressive curtsey, a self-satisfied grin on her face as her eyes rested on Roxy for a lingering moment before the doors slid open.
They were underneath another tailor shop, but it was not their final destination. After clearing that the dressing room was clear they rode the elevator up, but this shoppe was unique in that the dressing room had a second exit, leading them out through the back of the store and to a waiting vehicle with darkly tinted windows.
Roxy and Tilde slipped into the back seat quickly as he took the driver’s seat, Tilde to ensure that she wasn’t seen easily through the windshield and Roxy to keep her company. It was fine by him, he was pretty sure in another life he might have been a racecar driver, and the pair in the back kept up enough conversation that he wasn’t bored between eavesdropping and navigating an unknown city.
Their safe house was in a neighboring suburb, an actual house with a garage so they were able to pull in and shut the door before getting out. The blinds had all been drawn in anticipation of their arrival and the refrigerator stocked, so all that was left was to while away the hours and to turn in decently early for the morning ahead of them.
One thing they’d learned from Merlin was that they never knew when something was a test, so as Roxy secured the garage Eggsy zipped through the house, double checking every room to ensure it was empty and every possible entrance to the house was locked. Only after he’d confirmed everything with his own eyes did the others come into the house, Roxy peering around curiously, Tilde moving as if she owned the place.
It wasn’t until he was bored all of six minutes later that he found the board games stashed in a cabinet and crowed with delight. “They’ve got bloody Pandemic!”
Neither of the girls seemed impressed as he held up the treasure, and that was all the reaction he needed to be disappointed with their lives of “privilege.”
“Really? Ain’t one of you played it before? No?” He already had the box open by that point, moving toward the table in the dining area. “Grab us a couple of drinks, would you Rox? I’ll just get this set up, you can’t say no to fucking Pandemic.”
He flashed them both a smile as he started to straighten up decks of cards to put in their assigned locations. “We’re all going to die.”
----------
“But if you move to Jakarta you can eradicate red,” Tilde pointed out. “All it takes is two moves and since it’s cured you can completely clear the area with your third. Then you can go to Bangkok or Chennai to hand off your card to Roxy.”
“Yeah, I get that, but that ain’t going to fucking work. If I don’t at least get to Roxy this turn then she can’t take my damn card with her first move and get back to the research station in Tehran in time to discover the cure.”
“Actually, that’s okay. I can use one of my turns to build a research closer to her. Plus the next couple of cards on the infection pile should be red, so if red is eradicated they shouldn’t do anything.”
There was a triumphant gleam in her eye and Eggsy grinned back at her before Roxy broke their early celebration.
“Guys, it doesn’t even matter.”
“That’s shit.” He was half tempted to kick her under the table but she was shaking her head and pointing to the deck.
“There’s only three cards left to draw, Tilde’s turn will be the last and we won’t even get to my turn.
They all stared for a moment, Tilde reaching out to spread out the cards in question to confirm Roxy’s math, and all Eggsy could do was swear.
“Fucking hell!”
Roxy wore the morose look of the utterly dejected as she slumped down in her chair. “We were so fu--freaking close.”
“We could still play it out,” Tilde offered, alternating between offering Roxy sympathetic smiles and shooting daggers at the board. “This game is utterly ridiculous though. We were doing so well, how could we possibly lose?”
“It’s shit,” Eggsy admitted, tapping his piece forward to Jakarta to at least eradicate red and feel vaguely vindicated. “But I’ve got about a 50-50 win/lose ratio going on so it ain’t impossible.” He drew, flipping his cards over so everyone could see, then swore. Somehow in the mix he’d forgotten they’d only had three epidemics, and now the fourth one stared up at him.
“Fuck all of this,” he murmured passionately, and all he got in return were nods of agreement.
-----------
It didn’t stop them from staying up slightly too late because they desperately needed to win a game.
The second game hadn’t fared much better than the first, but the third was practically a cake walk, all of them staring down at a board with all four cures and two diseases completely eradicated by the time their cards ran out.
“My medic became Jesus,” Roxy murmured, voice flooded with awe, and Tilde beside her nodded solemnly, using her last moves as dispatcher to have them all join her in London, just because she could.
Tilde yawned, covering her mouth a second too late and looking slightly flustered, and for the first time Eggsy looked at the clock. It wasn’t that late, not for a normal day, but considering the early day ahead of them they should all already be asleep.
“Damn.” Apparently Roxy had seen the clock as well as she got to her feet, starting to clear the board before he waved her off.
“I can get this done in no time, you two get to bed.”
“Alright,” Roxy agreed, “but get some rest yourself.”
She reached a hand out, as if somehow Tilde couldn’t get to her feet on her own, but what was far more telling was that Tilde accepted her assistance before the two disappeared for bed.
It took him no time at all to pick up, then to take a look around the house to double check their security before collapsing into bed, welcoming the deep and dreamless sleep that overtook him.
-----------
It seemed odd infiltrating a hospital, but that’s what things had come to. He looked in the mirror one last time to straighten his tie before glancing back in the rearview mirror and catching Roxy’s eye.
“Ready?”
Her voice was steady as a rock and Tilde gave her a nod of affirmation.
“You’re going to be fucking great,” Eggsy assured her before getting out and going around to open the Princess’ door.
He knew they had to make quite a sight as they strolled to the entrance for the emergency room. If he looked half as bril as Roxy did in her suit then he was a fucking ace, though he still wasn’t accustomed to the glasses they had to wear while on their mission. Tilde on the other hand wore something meant to be more soothing, a lavender dress that would hopefully prompt people to find her non-threatening. She was still a princess though, and it was clear it fit her like a glove. Plus she practically dripped confidence.
The entrance slid open as they approached, and just inside the entrance was a man drumming his fingers on the leg of his trousers rapidly. The beat stalled for a moment as he registered them before it resumed, possibly faster than before.
There was a faint sheen of sweat on his forehead but he moved forward, bowing to Tilde somewhat awkwardly then starting to stick out his hand before hesitating and finally fully extending it. “Good morning Princess Tilde,” he offered with far more confidence in his voice than his actions, “we’ve been expecting you.”
He matched the picture Merlin had attached to their file, one of the hospital administrators that the older man had put them in contact with.
“A pleasure to meet you Mr. Decker,” Tilde offered, returning his handshake with more grace than he’d ever be able to muster.
“The pleasure’s mine. Truth be told we need any help you can provide.” There was a slight edge of desperation to his voice, and that must have been how Merlin hooked him. “Our staff is overworked and we simply can’t see to the smaller injuries. Patients have been taking care of each other but there is only so much they can do.”
“I’ll do what I can,” the princess promised, wearing her sincerity openly.
“I’m afraid we have to insist that one of our security guards stays with you at all times, for everyone’s safety. I hope you understand.”
So Decker was nervous, desperate, and wary, a powder keg of emotions that Eggsy didn’t want to have to deal with, but hopefully they wouldn’t have to. It helped that Tilde practically projected calm, accepting the addition to their team with grace as she allowed Decker to escort them into the waiting room.
Decker left them to go speak to the lady manning the counter, presuming that they would wait, but Tilde was already moving into action, and it was easy to see why.
The room was full. Oh, there was a seat here or there available next to some of the people that looked like they might shank you if you sat next to them, but there were also people slumped against walls or standing by windows, and many of the injuries were apparent. Limbs held at awkward angles, gashes, noses that needed to be set. Many also sported bandages applied with varying degrees of success.
Those waiting (and still awake) wore similar expressions as well. Grimaces of pain, irritation, baleful or vacant eyes. All were far too common, but the first Tilde headed to was a child with tearful, bloodshot eyes and a bandage around her leg that had soaked through to the tape holding it on.
She crouched down, somehow managing to keep her dress in place, and the mother shot her a look that began suspicious but then lightened to curious, probably as she tried to place her.
“Good morning.” Tilde’s voice was soft and quiet, not trying to garner attention or wake anyone that might be sleeping nearby. “It looks like you’ve got quite a battle wound under there.”
The girl nodded, glancing at her mother questioningly before answering. “It hurts.”
The admission was enough that even Eggsy felt slightly bad about it, but Tilde pulled a face, making the girl’s face twist into a shadow of a smile for a brief second. “Can I take a look at it? I might be able to help.”
After a moment the mother gave a jerky nod, followed by the girl, but before Tilde could start to peel away the bandage Roxy stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. “Gloves please,” she reminded her, pulling out a pair of latex ones they’d brought along.
The princess shot her a thankful look but only took one, pulling it on before using that hand to peel away the tape and gauze.
What was underneath looked like raw meat. And not a steak, at least, not a whole one. Eggsy’s stomach churned unpleasantly and he glanced away, unintentionally seeking out the closest trash can.
“I think we got all of the glass out.” The mother’s voice was husky, partially due to the exhaustion etched into her face, and she cleared it before speaking again. “Someone helped us put some antiseptic ointment on it and bandaged it up, but,” she sounded hesitant, shaking her head. “She’s just a little girl and something like this--” she cut off but her concern was evident, and it was her that Tilde directed her attention to.
“Ma’am, I can help your daughter. However, I need your permission to do it. Will you trust me?”
“You can’t take my daughter.”
The woman’s arm had wrapped around the girl’s shoulders protectively and her daughter seemed to clam up as well.
“You misunderstand, she can stay right where she’s sitting, and it will take a moment.”
“Who are you? You’re not a doctor.”
By now they had some of the attention from those around them, and Eggsy was trying to pay as much attention to them as he was to the woman, but not to the point that he couldn’t follow the conversation.
“My name is Tilde. I am certainly not a doctor, but I am the princess of Sweden, and I promise you that I am only here to help. However, I will only do so with your permission. Please, let me help her.”
There was a light of realization in the mother’s eyes, quickly replaced with distrust. But the distrust warred with hope, and after a moment her shoulder’s slumped. “It won’t hurt her?’
“I would never hurt a child or anyone intentionally. She will be fine. She will be better than fine, I promise.”
There was a nod, but before she did anything Tilde looked at the girl. “Hey sweetheart, you are doing great, and I am going to make you better, okay? But I need you to do something for me. I need someone to count to three, do you think you can help me?”
By now a couple of people had their phones pointed her way, but all Eggsy did was stay back, hoping they could get a clear shot as the girl nodded, her small voice beginning her count.
On three Tilde’s uncovered hand started to glow faintly as she placed it on her leg below the injury.
The flesh began to knit together before their eyes, new skin growing over after a brief moment so that when Tilde took her hand away all that was left was a small, pink patch of new skin. “You were amazing sweetheart. Thank you for counting for me.”
The area around them was silent for a moment as the mother’s mouth worked silently and then the pleas for Tilde’s help erupted around them, desperation to be healed winning out over any fear that people might have had. For now at least.
--
All in all their mission had gone well. People were more concerned with being healed than they were worried about her powers, though as time went on it was obvious that some people were starting to separate themselves out.
After the girl Tilde had began to limit her healing, leaving some wounds well scabbed over and on their way, but not fully healed. Some people she told she couldn’t help, though he still saw the way that her fingers would brush over their skin, passing along a small boost to ensure that their healing would go well.
It wasn’t until he snatched a projectile out of the air, a simple wad of paper but still a sign of discontent, that people seemed to even consider that the princess’ guards were also Kin. They reacted sluggishly but as a whole pulled away, suspicious but willing to linger for a chance to be healed.
By then it was certainly time to pull out as Tilde had a sheen of sweat from pushing herself and was taking longer and longer between patients. A few words to their assigned security guard was all it took to clear a path and then they were on their way, swapping cars in a nearby parking garage before returning to the tailors and then to HQ.
---------
He didn’t even bother to hide his grin as Tilde stifled another yawn. She’d been fucking exhausted for the trip back but fought to stay awake despite them urging her to get some rest. Roxy had a faint air of disappointment around her and the tiniest pout on her lips, probably because Tilde hadn’t actually used her shoulder for a pillow or something.
Meanwhile he was just sitting there, about to vibrate out of his chair with the need to move after being cooped up in the tube for so long.
His leg was jostling to keep from tapping the floor (a noise that would get him icy glares, not that he knew from experience) as they finally began to slow, and then he was up, bracing against the change in speed, ready to fling himself out into the relative freedom of the corridors of HQ as soon as he was able.
“You two get some rest, yeah? I’ll go do the bloody debriefing so Merlin doesn’t lose any hair over it.”
He was damn proud of the groan from Roxy at the horrible joke as he darted out of the barely parted doors, halfway down the hall before the pair even managed to stand. He didn’t mind being cooped up for a little while, but two trips in a row was torture. And it wasn’t like on the jet where he could at least pace a little bit, there was simply no room in the little capsules they liked to put in the tube, and with three of them it had been cramped, not like--
The thought was dismissed before he could dwell on it, and as he made the final turn toward Merlin’s office he slowed, taking a deep breath and rolling his shoulders as he moved forward and knocked on the door.
There was a pause, which was only slightly unusual. Normally if the door was shut it meant Merlin was in, if he left everything was so encrypted he didn’t need to bother with a locked door. However, it was possible he was guiding, debriefing, or even briefing another agent, so Eggsy merely waited. He was just beginning to debate knocking again when Merlin’s voice rang out.
“Who is it?”
“Don’t you got a fucking camera on the door? It’s me.”
There was still a moment of waiting before he heard the telltale whirr and click of the door being unlocked followed by an oddly tense voice. “Come in, quickly.”
There was the tiniest burst of speed behind his movements, the door shutting behind him before he realized that Merlin was not alone in the room.
The figure turning to look at him was horribly familiar and he stared as his heart crept into his throat, trying to make sense of what he was seeing.
“What sort of sick fucking joke is this?”
His voice was loud, filling the small room, and Harry’s eyes darted toward Merlin briefly. “Eggsy--”
“No, don’t you bloody talk to me. What the hell is this? Who the fuck is this?”
He addressed the last part to Merlin, muscles tensed, poised to run, and Merlin reached up to take off his glasses, rubbing at his temples. “Eggsy, take a seat.”
“I ain’t taking no fucking seat.”
“Eggsy, please.” Those words didn’t come from Merlin, but from whatever it was sitting across the desk from the bald man. “Have a seat and let me explain.”
“Eggsy, it’s him, I’ve verified it.” That bit came from Merlin, who was the one person that would know but--
“That shit’s impossible.”
“Actually, it isn’t.” Merlin’s voice was meant to be soothing, but it was lost as Eggsy absorbed the sight before him.
He wanted it to be true, that was obvious. He’d even dreamt of it, but he wasn’t the sort that had his dreams come true. And this stuff was way beyond normal.
“It’s me, Eggsy. I apologize for taking so long to come back, trust me, it wasn’t by choice.”
“Don’t--don’t talk to me.” It was all he could do to not cross his arms over his chest to create a barrier of some sort.
For a moment he got his wish, the room silent, but then Harry began talking again. “I’m guessing you weren’t aware this was a possibility. We should have told you earlier, but please, allow me to explain.”
“No. No.” Now Eggsy turned to look at the older man, his mentor sitting in the fucking chair like he owned it. “No, you don’t get to bloody explain.”
It was too much, made even worse by the pity he could see in their eyes. Whatever else: they had known. ,They had known.
It was too much. The walls closing in. The space too small. Too enclosed. He could feel his breath starting to come faster, his world threatening to cave around him.
It was too much, and he fled, knowing even as he took his first step that there was no possible way they could catch up to him as he zipped through the door and into the maze of corridors.
-----------
“Well that could have gone better.”
The door had just managed to swing closed when he decided to break the silence, and it was the door Harry continued to stare at rather than Merlin.
That hadn’t been what he’d expected, not at all. He’d pictured something closer to an overly enthusiastic hug, excited swearing, and possibly a side of tears. All he’d managed to get was some swearing, and he’d hardly consider it enthusiastic.
“It’s a knee-jerk reaction, he’ll be back soon enough.”
Merlin was as calm as ever, but for once he was actually slightly irritated by it. He’d managed to pull it all back together, only to come home to anger and confusion, and all he really wanted was a cuppa followed by a pint. It really wasn’t too much to ask for.
“You didn’t tell him.” It wasn’t a question, but there was an understood question, one he was sure Merlin would pick up on as he settled back in his chair fully, facing Merlin once again.
“Was I supposed to?”
“You should have.” If Merlin had he wouldn’t have had to see the look on Eggsy’s face: confusion and anger laced with hurt.
“You never made any changes to your file. You know as well as I that your healing abilities are highly classified, and by that I mean completely secret. I wasn’t going to just tell Eggsy, especially when all I had to go on was a hunch that you’d make it back at all.”
He was correct, as usual, and it was even more irritating knowing that. “You’re sure that’s the only reason?”
“Of course not.” Merlin straightened his clipboard on his desk, squaring it off parallel to the edge before looking up and meeting his eyes. “He needed the drive, something to push him forward after seeing you fall. Gazelle and Valentine were his first kills. Sure, he might have went forward with it knowing you might be alive, but having the hate to focus on, not questioning whether or not these people deserved it, that is a powerful thing.”
Merlin continued to look at him, eyes piercing behind his glasses. “I know that’s not an easy thing to hear, but in our line of work that’s the ugly reality. Keeping people safe is our top priority, and if I need to make a tough call I will. Plus, you know as well as I it’s a miracle you’re alive, even with your abilities. We’re experiencing a shift in Kingsman, in the entire world in fact, with the reveal of the Kin. Not all of what we do is going to be for the best of everyone, but we have to work with what we have. I had two kids to work with Harry. Two.
“If I had to do it again I wouldn’t change a thing.”
-----------
When he really threw himself into running there was very little that could stop him. Even without simply vibrating through walls he was out of the building in record time, the shift from concrete and tile beneath his feet replaced by the slight give of turf. It felt fucking amazing to simply cut loose, energy spent as fast as his body could produce it, and he was going to have to eat a shit ton after this, but every step was one more split second that his brain couldn’t catch up to his body.
He knew it couldn’t last forever, but when he wound up making his way back to the mansion he approached his room from the outside, not wanting to blatantly announce he was back. He was forced to slow down but before his brain could catch up he redirected it to finding a path up to his room on the third floor.
A different set of skills was required for scaling the building with no equipment, but he could do this. He’d practically been born to it. There was a gutter that he couldn’t trust for long with his weight, but with a bit of a running jump he hooked it high enough to scale a few feet before launching off, fingers catching on a second floor windowsill. He let his body continue to swing, waiting for the arch to flip himself up, back arching and managing to land on the next windowsill in a crouch.
There was always the risk that whoever was inside a room (if anyone) might just start firing at an intruder so he was off as soon as he could shift the balance to the balls of his feet, jumping up and digging his fingers into the cracks and crevices worn into the rocks over the past couple of centuries.
All that truly kept him going was desperation until he finally found the lip between the second and third floors, giving him something of substance to really cling to in order to catch his breath, then he was shuffling along the slender ridge, arms straining as he moved so he’d be under his window, then beginning his ascent again.
The window was locked, because of course it was, and the windowsill was too shallow for him to comfortably sit on. It was also short enough that he had to crouch as he jimmied the lock, doubtlessly sending some sort of alert to Merlin in the process, but he was in his temporary room for now, and the privacy and quiet of it was all he could want. For now.
Unfortunately now that he was in his room there was nothing else to focus on, nothing to keep his mind off of what had transpired. He found himself sliding down the wall until he was sitting with his back to the wall underneath the window, staring blankly at the room before him. The bed was so immaculately put together that the corners were legitimately crisp. The armoire filled with generic clothing for whoever might be utilizing the room.
His breath evened out as he slumped, only the wall behind him keeping him upright. He was still, not a finger or toe twitching out of place, all of his energy seeming to evaporate from his body. A puppet with it’s strings slashed.
Harry was alive. In a detached sort of way he knew he should be ecstatic, knew that the proper response should have been to fling himself into the older man’s arms or at least ask him to grab a pint and ask for the story. Instead he’d reacted like a dumb kid.
In a detached sort of way he knew his reaction was justified.
They had known. They had fucking known. Maybe not a hundred percent, but enough that Merlin had not seemed to be at all shocked that Harry could survive a fucking gunshot to the face.
Harry should have told him about his abilities. A fucking hint, somewhere.
The thoughts darted around his head, flitting through with new excuses and points that maybe he should have stuck around to make, but it all kept coming around to the same niggling point in his head.
He could be trusted, Harry had to know that. He owed more to Harry than he did any of the dickheads that were part of Kingsman, and when push came to shove he’d even keep secrets from Roxy if it were for Harry’s sake. Harry was a bloody idiot if he didn’t know that.
Which meant that he did know it, and Harry had still chosen not to tell him. Meanwhile Merlin didn’t think he was close enough to warrant being told even after Harry had been declared dead. Maybe the bloody idiot here was him, thinking that he had a chance with Harry at all, thinking that anyone would be interested in someone like him. He should have known that he was here for his abilities alone and shouldn’t have bothered trying to push for anything more. Fuck, he knew more than anyone he didn’t deserve it. Still, he had hoped, and perhaps that was where he’d gone wrong.
Harry was alive, and a small, desperate part of him was ecstatic. The rest of him was realistic, acknowledging it would change nothing. That part was what left him slumped against the wall, staring blankly at nothing, mind whirring until even it finally went silent.
--
There was simply no time to ease back into things. After their conversation in regards to Eggsy bolting from the room Merlin had fetched them both tea from the lounge. That in and of itself was a sign. Tea when there was real work to be done, whisky when they needed to relax, a choice when there was nothing pressing.
So, tea in hand, Merlin began catching him up and outlining plans, keeping them talking long into the night. Late enough in fact that Merlin’s “go the fuck to sleep” alarm began to blare, something the bald man had sworn only to ignore if he had an agent active.
The combination of jet lag and the fact that his healing ability was still working to catch him up to peak physical condition meant that passing out was easy, despite the thoughts churning in his mind. All of that led him to where he was now, standing next to the conference table and speaking in low tones to Lancelot.
Lancelot was always an enigma. On any given day he might be the first or the last to arrive, the first or last to leave, and he was always willing to stake whatever his current project was on a toss of the dice. Percival on the other hand was always precise. Not necessarily on time, but always arriving precisely when he planned. A minute early was as telling as ten minutes late, so Harry wasn’t surprised to see him a few minutes before the scheduled conference call, giving the man time to get a cup of coffee.
Roxy was the next one in, Tristan now if he remembered correctly, and judging by the way she stopped in her tracks Eggsy hadn’t told her anything. He took a sip of the tea cradled in his hands, suddenly wishing it was something stronger as he began to dissect the implications.
Merlin joined him standing by the table, directing the others to put on their glasses as they were about to begin, and that was when Eggsy decided to saunter in.
The swagger in his step was offset by the bags under his eyes, but he nodded a hello to Roxy before assuming his seat.
His seat. It was odd to see Eggsy sitting there, odd in how natural it was, the current Galahad slouching back in his chair, eyes flicking over the other participants as they went live and the questioning began after a moment of stunned silence.
He waited, allowing Merlin to field the majority of the questions but listening all the while. He interjected only when it seemed prudent but for the most part this was Merlin’s show. There was a time and place for him to take control, but now wasn’t it.
“Now that we’ve established that Harry has returned to us we have a new dilemma,” Merlin was saying, and it was probably time to tune back into the conversation in full. “During our last meeting we approved our newest members, Tristan and Galahad, Harry’s previous position. With Harry’s return obviously something needs to change, but I believe this might be the answer we’ve been looking for.”
Harry kept his gaze focused ahead, careful not to look at either Merlin or Eggsy. He knew what the former was about to say, and as for the latter--he needed to put his best foot forward for now, and showing that he was potentially compromised would help nothing.
“We need a new Arthur sooner rather than later. Harry is second in terms of seniority and is frequently around HQ so he’s accustomed to looking at the grand scheme of things. I’ve spoken with Gaheris,” here Merlin nodded to the older man, “and he prefers to stay active in the field rather than balance the duties that accompany the role of Arthur.
“Ordinarily the role of Arthur would be decided before the previous Arthur vacated the position. In lieu of this I propose a vote, though first I would like to open up a discussion for anyone who would like to voice support or concerns.”
Here was the test and he waited to see who would speak up first. It was peculiar to see multiple empty spots around the table. One of the empty places was Bors’ seat, who certainly would have spoken up in protest. As it was there was a pregnant pause before an all too familiar voice finally spoke.
“I think we should hear from the man himself. Why should you be Arthur?”
He knew they’d trained out the accent lacing Eggsy’s words, but in a way it was comforting to hear it slip in as he turned his eyes to the younger man’s before he stepped forward.
“Have I ever considered one day becoming Arthur?” He looked away from Eggsy, purposefully, looking each knight in the eye as his gaze slowly moved around the table. “To put it bluntly: yes. Before Valentine’s day I had thought about the role and dreamed that one day perhaps I would be the one seated at the head of the table. Of course, at the time I thought it would be a far more distant future, one where I had more grey hair than brown and wasn’t quite as fit for active duty.”
He paused for the few chuckles around the table, knowing Lamorak at the very least tended to appreciate his sense of humour.
“In the past couple of days our world has changed drastically. Valentine forced the Kin into the public eye, and we cannot simply ignore that. People that have been in hiding have been revealed, for better or worse. There are those that need protection or training, and others that need to be put in check. I will be honest with you: if you elect me into the position of Arthur I will be advocating for us to put ourselves in the public eye. This has already been started with Galahad and Tristan’s past mission protecting Princess Tilde, and I mean for it to continue.
“I will not keep us in the shadows. If I become Arthur you will have honesty and a firm stance as to how we will proceed. Most of you,” here he glanced over at Roxy, “know me, and you know where I stand. For those of you that have questions now is the time to ask them.”
Surprisingly it was Gaheris that spoke up, the agent that had been installed during the candidacy before his. “You claim honesty, and supposedly openness, but you’ve hidden a rather large power from us for years. Do you care to explain?”
It was a good question, one he’d half expected, but he didn’t answer immediately. Instead he nodded, choosing his words, knowing that by pausing it would seem as though he was considering his answer thoughtfully rather than charging ahead brashly, a good sign for a leader. Not that he particularly wanted the role, but it was the best option that he could foresee with Merlin choosing to stay where he was.
“There are a couple of reasons I initially did not disclose my other power. One of the main reasons is that it is an involuntary power. My healing kicks in when I am injured, and I cannot slow or stop it, nor can I direct it to another person. It only serves me, so it did not seem necessary to share that information. Secondly, I did not want to be pushed through candidacy based on the fact that they could throw me into all manner of situations and I would survive. Super strength and healing are a combination that few have, and just knowing that I had both would have pushed me through candidacy regardless of my skills. I wanted to be accepted as a knight on what I could control, what I could accomplish.
“And of course there is the rather selfish reason in that I did not want to test its limits. Would you like to be the one to tell Merlin that once you accidentally cut off your finger and it reattached on it’s own? You know the types of machines he has and how he likes to test people, how much pain do you really want to endure?”
A few more chuckles caught his ear and he barely kept the corners of his mouth from twitching into his version of a smile. “Merlin did know of course, he took one look at me and the charade was gone. He accepted my reason for hiding it during candidacy, and then it became second nature to keep the ability hidden. I want to assure you that all the ability does is heal me, though apparently from what should be fatal wounds as well. My healing has also slowed my physical aging slightly, so no, I have not been dying my hair.” He looked pointedly at Lancelot with his last words, watching the man smirk in acknowledgement, but a quick glance around revealed more than one head nodding at the explanation.
Eggsy was still staring at him, arms crossed and chin jutting out slightly, emotions swirling in his eyes.
“In the end the decision is up to you, and if you choose another candidate then I will happily resume a position at the table. Though in that situation I would have to formally request my old name back.”
---------
The meeting lasted longer than it needed to, but everyone knew that at the end of the day it’d be Harry.
There was no good reason to vote for anyone but Harry, and even though he was still upset with the older man it didn’t mean he was going to act like a bloody idiot and not vote him into the position which he was clearly destined for.
Plus he was already starting to grow attached to Galahad, and he wasn’t giving the name up that easily.
With the meeting lasting as long as it had it meant there was barely time for him to grab a quick lunch before they’d be off for their next mission. Tilde had been trending for hours after their visit to the hospital and they needed to capitalize on her popularity before it turned to fear. The mission had been sitting in his inbox when he’d drug himself out of bed, not at all rested but technically awake.
They were trying to get a jump on things while people might not expect Tilde to show her face in public, and in a completely separate location. As an extra precaution Percival was being dispatched alongside them to keep watch from afar, the sniper’s trained eyes honed to find anyone acting odd or who just seemed out of place. He wouldn’t admit it but it was slightly comforting to know the quiet man would be their backup.
He was already focused on his afternoon and evening when Harry approached, and by then walking away would be far too obvious.
Experience had taught him to act first, presenting whichever emotion he wanted people to see, and the rest he could keep to himself. For that reason he looked the older man in the eye, tilting his head up in the process, trying to keep his expression hard. Let Harry think all he felt was anger, it was easier that way. “Satisfied now?”
There was the barest pause in Harry’s step as he drew to a stop, an extra blink before he responded, yet somehow it was enough that he felt like an utter prick, especially when his mentor answered. “I can’t say that this is exactly how I wanted things to go, but I am hopeful this is all for the best.”
“Right.” It was an awkward pause, but not one he was willing to apologize for. “Uh, congratulations.”
“Thank you. Merlin tells me you’re leaving for a new mission in just over an hour?” At his nod Harry continued, glancing away and not meeting his eyes. “I meant to apologize for not being here for your first mission. Officially and unofficially. I would have liked to have been here for you.”
He nodded, not entirely sure what to say. “Right then,” he muttered, taking a step back and starting to turn.
Eggsy had managed a couple of paces before he turned again, not quite able to leave things precisely as they were, even if he wasn’t ready to forgive and forget.
“Harry? Really, congratulations.” This time his voice was softer and he hated hearing the weakness in it. Because even if no one else realized it, that was what it was.
Normally he didn’t bother letting anyone coming close enough to hurt him, and now that he had it was hard to cope with the fall out. But he’d learned the hard way that any day could be your last, at least, if you didn’t have some sort of super regeneration it could be, and he certainly didn’t have that. “I can’t think of no better Arthur than you.” There was conviction in his voice as he looked Harry dead in the eye, voice carrying easily in the conference room.
“You’re going to be fucking amazing at this shit.”
--
He wasn’t proud of abusing his new position to add himself to Eggsy’s mission, but he also didn’t regret it.
It had been a week since he’d been installed as Arthur, a week of learning the ropes and working with Merlin on where and when to dispatch agents. A week of realizing just how different his life was going to be.
A week of Eggsy avoiding him.
It was true that Eggsy had been busy during that time, going out on two more missions, one overnight and the other becoming rather tense, causing the team to extract early. However, Harry had seen him round corners a split second before him several times and he knew the signs, even if Eggsy wasn’t being open about them.
So he’d seen an opportunity and taken it. The princess was going to require extra protection going forward, and it was logical for him to go into the field to get a sense of things. He’d been honest when he’d talked about times changing after all.
He tried to stay attentive to Merlin during the debriefing, trying to ignore the man sitting next to him. Or rather, the feet next to him. Eggsy had pushed his chair back when he’d entered, propping his feet on the table as if it were from IKEA rather than an antique, and Harry had quickly decided that if anyone would be bothered by it it would be Merlin. And Merlin could deal with it accordingly.
Merlin was focused on their plan for Sterling though, as terse and purposeful as ever until he finally exited the screen that was their presentation.
“One last thing to remember,” he cautioned, looking around at each of them. “In the past week people have only become more divided, and more are leery of the Kin than not. People will recognize you by sight now, your images have been plastered over social media and the papers. A tabloid even published ‘pictures’ of Roxy doing some pretty intricate yoga poses this morning.”
Next to him Eggsy snorted under his breath and he couldn’t help glancing over. Eggsy’s eyes flicked over, catching him looking, and Harry tried to smile, to join in the moment, but Eggsy was already looking back to Merlin.
There was an unsettling feeling sinking into his stomach but he resolutely ignored it, catching back up to Merlin.
“--vocal against the Kin in fact, threatening all manner of things. I’ve included a dossier of people to keep an eye out for for you to peruse in route, memorize the faces that you can. Even the slight edge of being wary of someone could mean the difference in a successful mission or a failure.”
------------
Fuck Merlin for being right.
Harry had been the one to spot the wanker, a shady looking arsehole trying to snap pictures stealthily. His mentor managed to get a warning out seconds before the shit hit twitter and Merlin picked up on it. By then they were already in motion, Roxy murmuring into Tilde’s ear to finish up with her current patient, forcing herself to turn a blind eye to those lined up for assistance.
He was the one taking quick steps to place himself between the man and Tilde, Harry moving purposefully on a path to intersect with the man while staying out of his direct line of site.
The man didn’t seem to have a weapon, but as fragile as their mission, fuck, their entire existence, was a phone could be just as deadly.
“It’s one of them.” The man wasn’t trying to hide his voice, or the disgust filling it, lifting his phone slightly and it was fairly obvious he was recording. “One of those bloody things is here. But I ain’t standing by. Us NORMs are onto you.”
“I beg your pardon.”
Harry had reached the man first, seemingly stumbling into him and blinking at him rapidly as he tried to help right the other man, making things far more complicated than they needed to be as he tried to help brush away imagined wrinkles. “I broke my glasses and these old one’s have the wrong prescription. I just keep bumping into things.”
There was a self deprecating tone in his voice, rounded out by a hint of laughter, but the man simply sneered, brushing past Harry as Tilde finished up and stood with Roxy shadowing her, moving her toward the door. That meant it was his turn to get between Tilde and the man, a physical barrier to limit the exposure but nothing confrontational.
“Please help my son!”
Eggsy turned along with the majority of the waiting room to look at the sliding door facing the street and the woman standing in the doorway, desperation in her eyes and voice as she pushed the wheelchair she was managing farther into the room.
The boy in question was slumped in seat, skin ashen, eyes stark against the hollow planes of his face. “Please, I’m begging you, the doctors say there’s nothing else they can do.” The woman was pushing him toward Tilde but he was already striding across the room to join her, knowing he could be there in less than a second but in doing so his powers would be revealed publicly, essentially giving up the element of surprise in the future.
So he barely kept up with the woman’s tearful tale of doctors and specialists as Tilde tried to get a word in edgewise, taking up his position and knowing that Harry was close behind.
“Ma’am,” Tilde said calmly, authority and assurance in her voice, “I cannot imagine what you must be feeling, but I am afraid I cannot help with my abilities. I can onl--”
“You have to help him!” The screech was barely human, the words hard to translate at the woman’s face twisted from anguish tinged with hope to one of unadulterated venom. “You can but you won’t! I’ve heard about you bloody creatures on the news, you’re going to help him.”
His reflexes were fast, but even he was surprised at the knife appearing in her hand as she pointed it at Tilde, and now was the time to fuck the element of surprise.
He darted forward, grabbing the knife and twisting it from her grip before moving out of reach and turning back to face them. Harry was barely moving, trying to put himself in front of Tilde like a shield no doubt, knowing he could take whatever damage a little knife could do to him. Next to the princess Roxy looked as angry as he’d ever seen her, feet planted firmly on the ground, pupils dilated slightly in the way that meant she was in touch with her power and on the verge of throwing the earth beneath their feet into turmoil.
It was the princess herself that caused his heart to seize almost painfully. She looked more anguished than the mother, knowing that she couldn’t help but still taking the words to heart, and this was some sort of bullshit.
Without thinking twice about it he kicked the backs of the woman’s knees, watching them start to buckle with a look of satisfaction as he returned to normal speed and watched the others catch up to him.
As the woman stared at her hand in confusion their team went into action. Eggsy moved to the door, making sure a path was clear, knowing without looking that the others were doing their jobs. Roxy would be escorting Tilde out behind him, Harry coming up behind to make sure they weren’t followed.
“I want you to split up,” Merlin said via his earpiece as they moved across to the parking garage. “Tristan will escort the Princess to the elevator which I overrode to access the lowest level. Galahad and Arthur will go back to the SUV and lay a false trail for anyone that might be tempted to follow.”
There was no discussion, they were on a mission and there were no obvious objections, so they split by the elevator and he continued on to the SUV with Harry, blood coursing through his veins, adrenaline high as he clambered into the driver’s side and Harry gracefully slid into the passenger seat.
“We were fucking awesome back there.”
“Indeed,” Harry commented dryly, pulling out and handing over their validated parking ticket for him to get out of the garage, “you handled the knife well. Those are the sorts of people you have to be worried about.”
Eggsy glanced over as he started the vehicle, and he couldn’t help but smirk a bit . “The bloody idiots that ain’t got no clue what they’re doing?”
“Precisely. Their lack of training makes them unpredictable and often irrational. I was impressed.”
With the last words Harry was leaning closer, reaching out and grabbing his tie, pulling him closer without using the strength he was known for. Some tiny part of his brain that was still functioning recognized it for the cautious gesture it was, knowing he could resist, but he didn’t want to. Harry was always a temptation, worth the chance that they could have something more, regardless of how pissed off he might be about being kept in the dark.
So Eggsy canted forward, letting Harry brush their lips together. The older man was hesitant but not pulling back, close enough that his breath puffed against Eggsy’s lips until Eggsy gave in and pressed forward.
There was a hint of roughness to the kiss. Their lips mashed together, and more than anything he wanted to feel it when it was done. He wanted to wake up with his lips still puffy and swollen, the memory of Harry’s lips on his unforgettable every time his lips stretched.
With their seats separated it was impossible to get closer, the barrier an annoyance as he flicked his tongue delved into Harry’s mouth, plundering ruthlessly. But it was an annoyance he could work with as he reached over the divide while Harry tugged at his suit jacket hard enough he wondered if the seams would split. He was rewarded with a palmful of Harry’s arse, squeezing, feeling rather than hearing the gasp against his lips.
All too soon the fingers clutching his jacket uncurled and Harry pulled back. For a moment he refused to look at the man, content to bask in the simple afterglow of finally being on the same page as Harry. Everything else they could figure out together.
Then he opened his eyes, and wished he hadn’t.
The look in Harry’s eyes was one he knew, and knew too well all things considered.
“Don’t fucking say it.”
“I shouldn’t have done that.”
The words were precisely as he feared, but expecting them didn’t make it hurt any less. There was only one thing to do, and that was to sneer back at Harry, pain masked by anger. “What, now you’re Arthur you’re too good or something?”
“That’s not it.”
He hated everything about Harry’s voice, from the calm yet melancholy lilt to the fact that it existed. “We need to leave now or we’ll jeopardize the mission.”
The bark of laughter was torn from his throat before he gave it permission. “Right. The fucking mission. What a bloody fantastic idea.”
Before Harry could reply he punched the radio on, twisting the knob until it was uncomfortably loud, even for him, and only then did he pull away from their parking spot.
--
Their mission had been a success in almost every way. Princess Tilde had healed several individuals, they’d all made it through with nary a scratch, they had discovered valuable information about a possible threat, and headquarters’ location remained secret.
In all the years he’d been running missions, that had been enough. He’d go to bed and when he awoke it would be to a cuppa and a copy of The Sun on his doorstep, courtesy of Merlin who knew of the collection adorning his walls. Later that day, if he wasn’t too busy, he would go out to his usual store to purchase a new frame and then hang the newest addition to the timeline on his wall.
This morning was different. He’d slept restlessly and woke more exhausted than when he’d gone to sleep. Every time he closed his eyes all he could see was the set of Eggsy’s jaw as he drove, the twitch of muscle in his cheek as he silently fumed all the way back from the mission. When they’d finally arrived he’d watched as Eggsy put the car in park, words tangling on his tongue in an atrociously unpolished manner.
Words that only seemed more cumbersome as Eggsy had turned to look at him, eyes troubled, searching, and all too real. By the time he was opening his mouth Eggsy was opening the door, gone as soon as his feet touched the drive, running from problems that Harry kept unintentionally creating for the pair of them.
Well, it wasn’t all his fault. He hadn’t meant to almost die, and keeping Eggsy in the dark had been a mistake that he couldn’t change after the fact.
He’d been half tempted to just put on his robe and walk down to the room Eggsy was staying in to try to explain. Except something akin to pride held him back, something that seemed increasingly more foolish the longer he thought about it now that his brain was decently functional.
The downside to staying at headquarters was the fact that he had to leave his room for his cuppa, and for that he had to look somewhat decent. Oh, he’d drug himself about the house in all stages of appearance in the past, from bloody and grungy to a full tuxedo, but he was Arthur now. There was an image he should vaguely protect, and that required him to shave, brush his teeth, run a comb through his hair, and put on his robe before he could leave, slippers cushioning his footfalls on his way to the dining room.
Even though it was an ungodly hour, half past eight, the room wasn’t empty. Eggsy sat at the table with James and Roxy, enraptured by the tale James was spinning. Harry knew from experience it was hard not to become caught up in the man’s tales. Wild gesticulation merely added to the spectacle as the man’s voice rose and fell, weaving a story so impossible that from anyone else it would have been dismissed as a bold-faced lie but from James it was accepted as fact. And coming from James it probably was. With a few embellishments.
Alastair wasn’t around to keep James and the facts in check, but as Harry maneuvered over to the buffet that had been set up to assemble his cuppa he couldn’t help but overhear the story. A smile, the first of his day, tugging at the corner of his lips when he realized that it was the one about the first mission Lancelot and Percival had been on together, the whirlwind of insanity simply referred to as Budapest.
He stood by the buffet, not wanting to interrupt as the story crescendoed, leaning in slightly to listen and being drawn into the tale before he fully realized it, even though he knew all the twists and turns that would come up long before James got to them.
It was nearing the climax when Princess Tilde walked in. Rather than stopping the story she was merely beckoned over, no one going out of the way to acknowledge that royalty had just joined them and the Princess herself not seeming to mind.
Roxy was crying by the end of the story and Eggsy was clutching his side, the two of them pressed shoulder to shoulder as they tried to stop laughing long enough to catch their breath, before somehow setting themselves off with more peals of laughter until they finally managed to gain control of themselves.
“I think I missed something.”
The Swedish princess had a look of pure disappointment on her face as she looked from the pair to James, and Harry didn’t have to actually see the agent’s face to know James had a wicked grin on his face. “I can fix that,” he assured her, grinning as her eyes lit up.
As nice as it was to see the group together Harry knew that now was his chance, and if he didn’t take it he’d regret it for longer than he’d care to admit. Eggsy’s eyes flickered over to him when he approached the table but as soon as their eyes met Eggsy looked away, jaw set in that all too familiar way.
“Eggsy, I was hoping I might have a word. Would you join me for a stroll?”
There was a drawn out pause, one where he honestly wasn’t sure what the outcome would be, and if he had been a lesser man he might have been nervous. As things stood he had to withstand the stares of everyone in the room, as well as the knowledge that he’d practically invited James to harass him for months at the very least, but finally Eggsy shrugged.
“Alright.”
---------
A stroll. The way Harry said it made it seem so utterly normal, like everything was perfectly fine. Still, he couldn’t help but feel like he was being called out by the headmaster and that this would all end in detention. Or worse.
What was agonizing about it all was that Harry was quiet as they moved through the house, presumably waiting for them to get outside to begin whatever conversation he wanted to have, which meant he was taking this seriously. The real question was what direction the older man would want to approach this from. The quiet was the perfect opportunity for his mind to flit from one scenario to the next, each somehow worse than the next before Harry finally spoke.
“I feel as though I need to apologize. Things between us have not been handled well.”
“It ain’t all you,” Eggsy admitted grudgingly, but he had to show Harry that he was at least willing to talk about everything. Shit, he was willing to talk about something resembling feelings. This was bad.
“True as that may be, I am one of the responsible parties. I’ll be brief though. You’ve probably picked up on the fact that I seem to prioritize Kingsman over my personal life.”
Harry seemed to be waiting for some sort of response, so Eggsy nodded and Harry continued. “I am a Kingsman. I’ve devoted my life to the Kin, and my abilities and expertise are needed now more than ever.
“With that in mind, it is unlikely that my priorities will shift in the near future. It doesn’t mean you’re not important to me, Eggsy, but I am a Kingsman first and foremost.”
There was the barest edge of desperation in Harry’s voice, as if he was pleading with him to understand, but it was, admittedly, a lot to take in.
“You don’t screw around, do you.” Fuck, if Harry was going to be blunt he might as well be too. The other agent mostly concealed a wince, but if there was anyone fast enough to catch it it was Eggsy.
“As I said, I prefer to be upfront about this.”
“I actually fucking appreciate it.” The surprising part was that it was true. People lied, it’s what they did, and something like this? Anyone else would lie just because it was easier. Not Harry, and that was part of what made him different. “Ain’t sure what that means though. You calling everything off or was you still interested?”
“It would take a stronger man than I to not be interested, but that doesn’t change that Kingsman is the most important aspect of my life. If you’re willing to see what comes of this, I’m amiable.”
So Kingsman would come first, and that was that. “Yeah? And what if you was to change your mind?”
“Then I change my mind, but I cannot make any promises to that effect.”
“Fair enough.” After all, who knew if this would all blow up in their faces before the week was out. At least this way he had something to work towards. “For now I’ll settle for knowing whether or not you’re gonna go bonkers every time I fucking kiss you.”
“I just became Arthur, and you just became an agent. Right now I don’t think I can define how things stand between us, and I don’t want a label on it or specified terms.” The business tone in his voice was mildly marred by the subtle blush of crimson on Harry’s cheeks, but it only made the effect all the more captivating. “However, while we figure whatever this is out I fully intend to reserve any kisses that are not job related for you.”
Eggsy processed what Harry was saying quickly and gave a short nod. “Better get to work changing your mind then, yeah?” He grinned cheekily before reaching out for Harry’s lapel and pulling him in to take full advantage of the kisses they’d just been talking about.
--
“Well shit.”
Harry couldn’t ignore the information spread out before him, and Merlin simply nodded from where he was seated across from his desk. “That’s accurate, and it appears that they’re both escalating and growing.”
“So how much do we know about this group? Other than the fact that they’re actively recruiting.”
“Not too much unfortunately. They haven’t acted enough for us to be able to decipher any patterns in their actions. Their members seem to come from a variety of areas as well. To be fair, I’m not sure how much of a threat NORM is, but I’d like to talk to the Round Table about it. They all need to know, and it’s not something we should delay.”
“Right, the sooner our agents know the sooner they can provide field data. It is certainly more difficult for them to report on something they don’t even know they were looking for.”
Harry looked at his desk, and tried not to cringe. Paperwork was piling up despite his best efforts, and it seemed like the moment he put a sizable dent into it then another stack appeared. “Can you take over arranging the meeting? After we disconnect from that I’ll brief Eg--Galahad and Tristan on their next assignment while we’re all gathered.”
Merlin nodded and stood. “When things finally slow down you’re going to owe me,” he pointed out, reaching down to grab his mug from where it was perched on the edge of Harry’s desk.
“That sounds about right. You just pick the place and it’s my treat. Any barber, any haircut. It’ll come out of my own pocket even.” He smirked at Merlin who was casually flipping him the bird.
“I’ll accept scotch.” Merlin’s tone was demanding, but there was a familiar gleam in his eye and Harry could almost feel the hangover already.
-----------
“NORM.” Merlin’s voice was accompanied with information popping up on the mirror by the HQ’s conference table. “Otherwise known as the Natural Order of Resilient Mankind. What we have here is little more than a hate group. Their beliefs are that humankind strictly involves those without powers, and that those with powers should be shut down immediately. Their website claims that they simply mean incarceration or perhaps registration and tracking, but many of their members seem to interpret ‘shut down’ a bit more loosely.”
Which was just what they needed right now. Fuck. It was easy to see where this was headed, some sort of human supremacy group.
“What can we expect from them?”
Trust Roxy to actually formulate a question while his mind was running rampant, fingers drumming on his leg.
“That is an excellent question, Tristan, but for now we don’t have an easy answer. It seems as though they’re escalating from internet posts and outrage to protesting at government buildings. There have been reports of violence by individuals, but it is difficult to make a firm connection between those committing the violence and the actual group.
“However, with their rhetoric, we can only assume that it is a matter of time before we encounter them. I wanted you all to be aware of them, and we would like any information you may come across concerning them, regardless of whether it seems important or not. Until they start to act it is difficult to know what direction NORM is heading, so all we can do is attempt to stay ahead of them. NORM adds an extra level of threat to our operations, so stay safe out there, I know you can handle this.”
Harry cleared his throat, effectively commanding the attention of everyone in the room. “For now we want information. Obviously if there is an active situation you will need to act, but we don’t want to give them any more ammunition against us. Use the least amount of force necessary if you must subdue someone, just as we have always done. I do not want things to escalate just because someone was antsy.” He was giving everyone piercing stares in turn, making sure that they all understood, but they were professionals. Other than Roxy he was the only one that was particularly new, the older agents were well aware of what was expected.
Harry looked satisfied, a look that Eggsy mentally marked as one he’d like to see again, before speaking again. “Dismissed.”
-----------
“Dismissed.” He reached up and turned off the conference mode for his glasses. “However, I would like to speak with you four in person if you could stay for a moment.”
Lancelot had just stood up, stretching as if the last meeting had been hours, and when he sat it was perched on Percival’s leg, who looked as though he was debating shoving his partner to the floor. Or at least shooting him with a rubber band, which no amount of luck could affect when the quiet agent added his powers to the mix. He looked away from them, eyes passing over Roxy, and then pausing on Eggsy for a moment, locking eyes with him before forcing his attention back to the matter at hand.
“With all of this happening it is more important now than ever that Princess Tilde continues to be a positive presence for the Kin. We can not afford to hide her away in the name of safety, we can not back down at a time like this. If anything we need her to be more visible. We need allies, those that see the positive changes that the Kin can make and will side with us.”
Despite his focus on the job, it had been difficult making this decision. These agents trusted him, and that made the fact that he was sending them into danger that much harder. But when he looked up to see Eggsy watching him, face uncharacteristically serious and intent, even his stray and constant motions stilled, it made it that much more difficult. But there was a reason he wasn’t sending him alone.
“It is time to go to London. However, with the potential risks I am doubling the security on the Princess, which is why I wanted all of you to stay. Percival will provide long range support. Mostly I just want you keeping an eye on potential threats, even a split second warning could make the difference if a situation goes south. Tristan and Galahad will continue with their roles as they always have, I trust by now you’ve ironed out what works and what doesn’t. Lancelot, I want you at least in the same room as them, or even in the doorway. Who knows when we’ll need that element of luck.

“Merlin is still ironing out the last details and will summon you when he’s ready, but the mission will be tomorrow, so try to get some rest until then.”
They all knew a dismissal when they heard one. Percival was the first one up, much to Lancelot’s annoyance as he stumbled at the sudden upset to his balance. Roxy had turned away before there was a hand pressed on his shoulder, squeezing gently before it was gone, the speedster it belonged to turning around the doorway to laugh at Roxy about something. It was good Eggsy chose to leave, there was simply too much that he had to accomplish and he couldn’t take the time that Eggsy deserved.
At some point Merlin had vanished, probably to take care of the last few details, but Harry wasn’t bored as he made his way back to his office. Instead his mind was busy mulling over the fact that he was the one who was sending Eggsy on this mission, remembering how quickly a mission could in fact change, thinking about the time he almost didn’t make it back himself, and he at least had healing powers that were off the charts.
When he made it back to his desk though there was at least the small relief of a distraction. Somehow the piles had grown in his absence, coupled with the long list of emails on his computer, far too many of them accompanied with a flag signifying urgency.
However, it would take a lesser man than him to be intimidated by mere paperwork. He forced the worst case scenarios his mind seemed entranced by to the side and started on the emails that had come in during his meetings.
Hours later he woke up, not sure when he’d actually fallen asleep, a half typed message still open and waiting to be sent. Yet all he could focus on was the abominable jacket that had been draped across his shoulders while he slept, black with yellow stripes. He allowed a moment to linger over it, over the fact that it’s owner must have dropped by while he was asleep, and then it was time to turn back to the tasks at hand.
---------
His pyjamas were barely pushed down off his hips, low enough to free his prick while elastic bit into his arse as Eggsy stroked himself.
He was a young guy with stupid amounts of energy coursing through him, of course he woke up like this. Especially when all he could see when he closed his eyes was the way Harry’s eyes had kept drifting over toward him during the meeting, a silent acknowledgement of his awareness. And then seeing Harry asleep at his desk like that, it had been too much. He’d jerked off before bed the night before, but it just wasn’t enough.
His jaw ached from being clenched for so long, fighting to stay quiet, but he couldn't hold in the whine building deep in his throat. Still, for the first time in what felt like ages he didn't rush. He’d woken up early enough that he had the time to enjoy himself, and as soon as this was over he knew he would have to return to reality.
For now he focused on loosely stroking himself, hand slick with the lotion he kept on the nightstand. He couldn’t help but wonder if Harry did this, if he let himself take the time out of his busy schedule to pleasure himself. Maybe with Kingsman as his priority he wanked off at his desk, multitasking while he perused papers and signed off on mission reports, taking out his own dustbin so he wouldn’t scandalize the cleaning staff.
Precum was pooling at the tip of his prick at the thought as he teased just under the head with his thumb, his left hand reaching down to fondle his balls.
Or maybe he multitasked in the shower so he wouldn’t have to worry about clean up, hands slick with a bit of soap as he rubbed off quickly, letting the sound of the running water overcome the noises he tried to choke back.
There was a groan in his own throat as he clenched the hand around his cock for a moment then began tugging with a bit more urgency as his balls started to tighten.
Nah, Harry would take the time to do it proper, saved up scraps of minutes until he he could be alone for a while. Eggsy could practically see him biting down on a tie to keep quiet as he worked a toy into his arse, prick neglected and drooling as Harry tried to see how much he could take, pushing himself to his limit before giving in and striping his cock with quick, sure movements, splattering his cum on a towel he’d thoughtfully laid out before he’d began.
His own hand was almost a blur now, stroking as fast as he could without chafing, and it took all his self control not to shout out the older man’s name as he came, stripes of cum landing on his chest and belly.
For a long moment he simply lay there, staring up at the ceiling thoughtlessly. Finally it became a matter of getting up simply to shower as he hadn’t bothered with a tissue and instead made a mess of himself, but he knew what image he’d be taking with him on the mission.
--
“I don’t like this.”
“You’ve never liked this sort of thing,” Merlin pointed out, leaning against his desk with his mug in hand.
It was true, he hated being stuck in headquarters. He was the sort that liked to make things happen rather than watch them, and there was really no reason that he needed to watch things unfold now. There were other things he could be doing, a few actually sending him out into the field, but somehow he couldn’t leave his desk. Not when it was Eggsy out there. If he couldn’t be with him he could at least keep an eye on him in case there was something he saw that no one else did.
No one needed to tell him how unlikely that was. Percival’s powers didn’t include abnormal vision, but the man was thorough. Nothing seemed to escape him and he was bloody good at his job.
He had the building schematics pulled up on one of his screens, the major entrances and exits marked in one colour, fire and emergency exits marked in another. “What other possible exits and entryways have you identified?”
“Well, most rooms for patients have windows. These are typically fairly secure and don’t open, but we can bust out if we need to. There are also the air ducts but considering this is not a covert mission the time that would be wasted utilizing them means they’re all but unusable. There is one more viable exit,” Merlin leaned over him, circling an area with his stylus. “This is a laundry chute, it’s been there for ages.”
“We should let them know,” Harry murmured, mostly to himself, about to send out a message before Merlin slapped his hand away.
“I’ve already taken care of it, it was in the debriefing.”
“Right, right. And what about security to the building? Do we have eyes on the local police station in case they head out en masse?”
“No, but we’re monitoring their frequencies.” Merlin was giving him a suspicious look, but it wasn’t enough to put him off his line of questioning.
“How soon can we get backup out to them if it comes to that?”
“Harry.”
He glanced away from the screen monitoring their agents’ vitals to look up at Merlin. “Merlin?”
“I know how to do my job, it’s all taken care of. Why don’t you take a break, I’ll keep you updated.
“They’re going in now, I’ll take a break after this mission is completed.”
-----------
“I don’t like this.” Percival’s voice in his ear was in one way a comfort, the knowledge that someone else was out there for them, but the words themselves had him on edge.
“You don’t like anything,” Lancelot quipped back, voice light and cheerful before taking a more serious note. “Or is this different than usual?”
“I cannot pinpoint anything specific,” Percival’s voice was practically emotionless, which was good in that it provided less distraction as Eggsy watched over the emergency room. Tilde was on her third patient, working on an individual with a dislocated shoulder. Hospital staff had put it back in place when she’d arrived and she was taking away some of the weeks of recovery that would typically follow that process.
“However, it almost seems as though traffic is picking up. There are no large groups, but most of the people heading toward and into the hospital do not seem injured.”
“Visiting hours?” Eggsy hazarded, giving the vending machine a woeful glance.
“No.” It was Harry’s voice that cut in this time. “Visiting hours begin at 9:00. Percival, is there anything to connect these people?”
“Not in particular. There are a variety of ethnicities and age groups represented. They are not even utilizing the same entrance, but it just seems off.”
“If you think something is off we may need to call this operation off.” Harry’s voice had a no nonsense tone to it. “For now have the Princess switch to smaller injuries with shorter heal times. I would prefer if she did not stop in the middle of helping someone when the time comes. If there is a serious chance that the mission is compromised one of you can make the call. Lancelot I want you to stay close but you might want to make a small circuit in the corridor.”
“Yes sir, Arthur sir.” Despite the nonchalance in his voice Lancelot was already moving as Tilde finished up with her patient and Roxy leaned forward to whisper the newest instructions in her ear.
The princess motioned for a small girl with a sprained wrist, voice soothing as she introduced herself and learned that the girl’s name was Krystal.
“There’s a group gathering.”
It was odd to hear Lancelot being serious, but there was no mistaking it.
“So far it seems controlled but it’s close to getting out of control, and I think they’re heading our way.”
“A group of people just came outside as well,” Percival added.
“We should get the fuck outside,” Eggsy cut in. “Percival can provide more assistance if we’re out there and our options grow quite a bit. Plus Roxy can actually use her powers if necessary without bringing down the hospital.”
“Have the Princess finish with the girl and then go ahead with Galahad’s plan.”
Harry’s voice just seemed to add a bit more weight to the seriousness of whatever was headed their way. Roxy placed her hand on Tilde’s shoulder, a signal that they needed to wrap things up.
She was just excusing herself and asking those still waiting for patience and to stay where they were when Lancelot made it back into the room. “Far as I can tell it’s NORM, don’t know why they’re here so fast though.”
“Someone tweeted about it.” Merlin’s voice was filled with exasperation. Apparently the call to gather didn’t take place on Twitter, or they’re actually organized enough to have a plan in place. Just seeing the group is changing our parameters, normally we don’t have people of such varied backgrounds joining together like this.”
They made it to the automatic doors leading outside by the time the doorway to the hospital filled with people.
“They’re here! Those bloody freaks are here!”
The group of people outside was growing, more people filtering in from the street, but leaving the building was the only way that made sense. “We’ve got to get the fuck out of here now and get away from the doorway. We don’t want to deal with them from both sides.”
“Head right,” Percival ordered as they moved through the door and without thought they complied, trying to put a bit of distance in without looking like they were trying to run away. Behind them the door slid closed, and then stayed that way.
“It looks like the sensor on the door went haywire and isn’t opening,” Merlin said, “but that won’t hold them up for long as they can push it open.”
“Make the most of this opportunity,” Harry ordered, though his words were almost drowned out by angry shouts of the NORM members that were outside. “Percival, remember these are civilians so fire only if necessary, but our top priority is the safety of our agents.
“GET OUT OF HERE YOU FREAKS!”
“NO ONE WANTS YOU HERE.”
“SAVE HUMANITY.”
The yelling verged on deafening, especially when they started chanting NORM over and over, but this wasn’t their fight. They weren’t supposed to fight at all. It sucked being a messenger for peace and tolerance when it would be so bloody easy to knock them out before they even knew what hit them, knowing that Roxy could open up a fissure under their feet or that Percival could take them out one by one without wasting a bullet. Fuck, Lancelot could just play Russian roulette with them and take out the entire crowd.
Fortunately he didn’t allow that to distract him as they moved toward one of their back up vehicles parked out on the street, so he was the one to catch sight of the flash of metal. It was small, but it was a gun, and he watched it being pointed toward Tilde. He was in motion before the trigger was even pulled, the stinging in his wrist registering before anyone else even really knew what had happened, but that wasn’t enough to stop him.
Eggsy darted into the fray before anyone else could react, cradling his injured arm to his body but still managing to land a solid punch with his left hand and taking advantage of his opponent’s surprise to rip the firearm away from him.
“Get her out of here,” Lancelot ordered, “I’ll distract them and buy you time, Percival will stay with me and we’ll take a different route, just clear out of here.”
He took off, keeping pace behind Roxy and Tilde, all but throwing himself into the backseat of the taxi that was one of their getaway vehicles. Roxy locked the doors as soon as they were all in and started the car while he examined his wrist.
Unfortunately the wound seemed to be healing already, the flesh knitting back together despite the small bit of metal still lodged in his arm, and that distracted him for a moment before it registered that they weren’t actually moving.
He looked up and the words died on his lips. Tilde was half in Roxy’s seat, pulling away from what had obviously been a very passionate kiss, and even from the backseat he could tell entire conversations were happening in the looks they were giving each other. He looked away, trying to give them a moment of privacy, unable to avoid the murmured explanations of life being too short and the like, but after a moment he couldn’t remain silent.
“Sorry to interrupt ladies, I’m fucking happy for you getting your shit together, but we’ve got to get a fucking move on, yeah?”
Roxy cleared her throat and put the car into drive. “Right, of course. We should probably get to a secure location and all. Right away.”
He was such an amazing friend that he didn’t even make fun of her for rambling slightly as they started down the road, even if he did feel slight pangs of jealousy as their hands sought each other out, intertwined loosely as Roxy began navigating them back toward Saville Row.
-------------
Eggsy was taken to medical as soon as the agents returned, but rather than going down there himself Harry was keeping an eye on him via the monitors. Finding an excuse for his actions was easy. Percival and Lancelot had yet to make it back in, though the two agents were in a secure location. Lamorak had recently submitted a report but it wasn’t anything urgent, and so while he had it open to look at he wasn’t exactly reviewing it, and there was always plenty of other work to be done.
None of that kept him from focusing his attention on the screen, watching the surgeons open up Eggsy’s arm to remove the bullet grating against his bone, working quickly so that the flesh wouldn’t knit together before they were done working. Quickly was relative, as they were also trying to avoid nerve damage or damage to the bone itself, seeing as no one knew if his healing abilities would extend to those areas. Eggsy just had quickly rejuvenating cells after all, it wasn’t a normal healing ability.
This, this was precisely why he had not wanted a relationship. He had been the one to send Eggsy into this, and he would be the one sending him into it the next time. And the time after that. He had to. Yet seeing him lying there, so young, with so much of his life ahead of him, it was difficult to even think about sending him back into the field. It had been hard enough knowing what he was signing Eggsy up for when he’d initially approached him, but at the time the final decisions had still been Arthur’s. Chester’s. He had been following orders just the same as everyone else.
However, things were different now. He was Arthur. His very job meant that he was constantly looking at dangerous situations and trying to decide which agent was best suited for said dangerous situation. He could not afford to second guess himself, or to risk his agents because his judgment could be compromised. He could not second guess whether or not he should send Eggsy--Galahad into a situation.
Pursuing a non-professional relationship with an agent had been a horrible idea. He’d known that, and he’d still gone along with it all too willingly.
There was a knock at the door before it opened, and only two people would have felt remotely comfortable doing that. One was currently on the operating table being bandaged up, so he didn’t bother turning around to see who it was. “Good afternoon, Merlin.”
“Afternoon, I brought you a cuppa. Apparently no one has seen you actually eat something today.”
There was a chastising tone to Merlin’s voice, and it explained the biscuits perched precariously on the saucer as he set the tea down on Harry’s desk.
“Thank you,” Harry mused, picking up the cup and making a show of taking a drink.
“Kay and Geharis are set to leave in a couple of hours, and I’ve updated them with the latest information about NORM. I’ll be observing their mission personally so you should take a break soon. Perhaps go check in on your other agents.” He knew what Merlin was saying, knew he was telling him to check in on Eggsy, but he wasn’t ready for that.
“We should have ended the mission when Percival said he didn’t like it.”
His voice was quiet, but so was the rest of his office, and he knew Merlin had heard him.

“Why? The mission was a success, and we gathered invaluable information on top of proving that we wish to live in harmony with those that are not Kin.”
“A success. This time perhaps, but it was close to being an utter disaster. Four agents and they almost didn’t make it out.”
“I’d hardly go that far. Roxy never even utilized her powers, which would have flattened the lot of them, and Percival didn’t have to take a single shot. All things considered our agents were in a fairly good place, and only one individual sustained a minor injury.”
There was a pause, and when he didn’t immediately answer Merlin let out a soft noise of understanding. It was annoying how well the man understood him, but after being friends for so long it was difficult to hide anything from him for any length of time.
“I see. Well, look at it this way, Harry. Would you have called the mission off if you’d been the one in the field? If Percival was your look out and you were the one going into the hospital?”
“I can withstand a lot more than most people.” The argument was out before he even needed to think about it, and he knew there was a ring of truth to it.
“Most people, yes. But at the end of the day we’re talking about agents. Agents that have been trained. Agents with unique abilities that allow them to be excellent at their jobs, despite their differences. You have to trust your agents Arthur, even if you do worry about them from time to time.”
--
It’d been days, as in multiple, and they didn’t have a mission yet. Sure, it was only three days, but with the pace of everything else since the Kin had been revealed it seemed excruciating, especially when it meant sitting in meetings hearing about other people’s missions.
Because work overall certainly hadn’t stopped. Reports continued to come in, Merlin’s maps had new points of interest, colours lighting up areas of unrest, past missions, and, rarely, agent locations. It meant the world was moving on without them, but for some reason both he and Roxy had somehow become unimportant. He had more than a sneaking suspicion that she was only around because if she’d been sent off it would have been obvious.
Of course, it wasn’t like they were completely idle either. Both of them helped sift through data, particularly social media sites, trying to find posts and tweets that were actually useful, and he’d zipped around hq on more errands than anyone. Then again, the errands often gave him an excuse to pay Harry a visit, like the envelope in his hand as he sauntered down the corridor.
The last few times he’d stopped by Harry had seemed fine at a cursory glance, and if they hadn’t been close he’d have assumed that was the case and moved on. The problem was that he knew Harry, and he could see the subtle signs of stress and exhaustion wearing at his edges. A certain slight tenseness in the man’s shoulders that was unusual. A hint of sharpness in his tone at things that normally wouldn’t annoy him. The tiniest delays in his reactions, at such a minor speed difference that no one but a speedster might ever notice.
There was no telling when something might crop up, so he was essentially confined to HQ until they had further instructions. With nothing else to distract him from worrying about Harry, his mind dwelt on the small inconsistencies.
Still, he had hoped that Harry would be his usual self when he finally stopped waiting around and dropped by for an impromptu visit. He was less than impressed with the sight that greeted him. Amid the stacks of paperwork and tablets strewn around his thoroughly cluttered desk there was a half empty mug of tea and a plate of food that had barely been touched. From the looks of things it’d been there for a while, the food congealed on the plate and the salad off to the side wilting sadly.
“How long’s it been since you fucking ate?”
The words weren’t what he’d intended to start their conversation off with, but the longer he looked at the pathetic sight on the desk in front of him the worse it seemed.
The delay as Harry’s eyes darted to the plate as he tried to think back was all the answer Eggsy needed, and he shook his head. “Ain’t doing no fucking good if you don’t take care of yourself. Shit, last thing we need is you out of commission for something so bloody stupid.”
“Good evening, Eggsy,” was Harry’s response, but he seemed amused at least. “is there something I can help you with?”
“Been awhile is all. What’re you up to?”
“I’m trying to keep us ahead of things. What we need is a seer like the American branch has, but she has a limited range and can’t be everywhere at once.” Harry rolled his shoulders and settled back in his arm chair staring down at the numerous stacks of papers and tablets spread across his desk.
“This would be infinitely easier if we were not down multiple agents. Bors knew Manchester like the back of his hand, so even if for some reason he could not be sent on a mission he could at least debrief whoever was going in his place.”
“I’ve been to Manchester before. Sure, it’s been bloody ages, but I could run up there. What’s the mission?”
There was no mistaking the flicker of panic in Harry’s eyes before his typical calm persona locked into place. “It’s nothing that requires the Princess to be involved.”
Eggsy sat on the edge of the desk, gingerly so he wouldn’t disturb the papers he was half on top of. “So? It ain’t like she needs fucking bodyguards here, and she certainly don’t need two. Besides, I’m pretty damn sure Roxy ain’t leaving her side anytime soon.”
“A more experienced agent might be able to handle this mission on their own, but--”
“I ain’t a fucking candidate no more, Harry. I can handle myself, yeah? If you want to stay a step ahead there ain’t no one better than me.”
“This mission is particularly complex, and I’m not certain if I’m comfortable even sending one of our senior agents without support.”
He could see Harry was troubled, and the absolute last thing he wanted was Harry rethinking their relationship, what little they had of one, because separating their personal lives from business was harder than he’d anticipated.
“You talked it over with Merlin yet? He knows about me and Roxy’s abilities more than anyone, probably even you. I get that you’re worried about your agents and all that shit, but life’s a fucking risk. What’s the bloody point if the world goes to shit if one of us could have been out there doing something?”
“You’re right.”
He was gearing up for his a counterargument, whatever that might be, but the words took him by surprise. “Huh?”
“You’re right, Eggsy. I’ll talk to Merlin about it when gets back from his break, the mission isn’t too pressing and can wait until tomorrow.”
Harry stood, moving around his desk, and Eggsy hopped up to join him.
“Now then, I’d love if you could stay and chat, but I can’t really afford to take a break right now.”
Which was curious, because Harry said that while in the process of shutting the door. He didn’t lock it, so the privacy offered was limited, but he knew an invitation when he saw one.
“Even if it was quick?”
“Perhaps a very short reprieve,” Harry acknowledged as he reached up and removed his glasses. He looked almost vulnerable like that, as if the glasses were the final piece of his armour, and once his glasses were placed on his desk Eggsy made his move.
Harry was expecting it, already leaning down to give him easier access, and now he remembered why it had felt like ages since he’d last seen Harry. It’d been far too long since they kissed. Yet this time felt like their brief time in the car, hungry and slightly rushed, the difference being that this time he wasn’t trying to prove anything, he just wanted to make the most of their time.
His tongue plundered Harry’s mouth relentlessly, wanting to taste all of him, delighting in the tiny groans he managed to coax out of Harry with just kissing. It wasn’t until he realized that Harry was letting himself be pushed up against the wall that he realized they’d even moved, and it was exhilarating. Eggsy couldn’t keep himself from crowding into Harry’s space, slipping a leg between his, trying only to focus on what was happening but unable to turn his brain off.
Harry was giving him control, letting him decide what he wanted, trusting him to take the lead for once.
Eggsy’s kisses began to trail away, moving from Harry’s lips to nip their way down his neck. He knew Harry’s healing as well as Harry did, so he saw no issue with latching onto a spot on Harry’s neck right above his collar, laving the skin with his tongue before sucking a bruise into Harry’s skin, listening to the soft pants of breath Harry made. Harry wrapped his arms around Eggsy, one hand sneaking up to the back of his neck, almost as if it keep him there but without any force behind it, the other resting on the small of his back.
It felt like victory when Harry rolled his hips, shifting against his leg for friction, and it would have been easy to push things further; to reach down and palm Harry through his pants until he was begging him for release or to sink to his knees and focus his attentions elsewhere.
But while he didn't have any strong desire for their first time to be perfect, against the wall in Harry’s office also wasn't in his plans. So for the time being he let Harry writhe against him before he pulled back, watching the bruise he'd left start to fade sluggishly before dragging his gaze back to Harry's face.
The older man was flushed, pupils wide, and then Eggsy’s attention was caught by a flicker of movement as Harry’s tongue slid across his lips. An invitation or a subconscious gesture, but Eggsy interpreted it how he pleased and leaned in for another kiss, letting it linger as he pressed up against Harry.
The only downside was that from this close he could clearly see the lines of exhaustion in Harry's face. After another long moment he pulled away, reaching forward absentmindedly to straight Harry’s tie.
“You're a fucking temptation,” he groused, and it took every ounce of his willpower to take the tiniest step back, feeling Harry hesitate before dropping his arms. “But when's the last time you bloody slept?”
“With my healing,” Harry started, and Eggsy gave him a look to let him know how ridiculous he thought that was.
“You've still got to fucking sleep, Harry. Keep your senses fresh and all that shit. Your reactions times is down.”
“You sound just like Merlin,” Harry rarely muttered, but Eggsy still caught the words.
“If me and Merlin agree on it then you should listen. Finish up what's pressing and I'll walk back with you. All proper like.” He grinned cheekily and after a moment Harry simply shook his head, the look on his face fond but exasperated.
“Fine, but you might as well have a seat, I’ll still be a few minutes.”
--------
He’d never admit it aloud, but the few hours of sleep that he’d gotten had made a world of difference. Within the first hour of making it back to his desk something in one of the reports had clicked, and the progress Harry had made by the time he’d had to stop to get a fresh cuppa was astounding. Telling Eggsy, or even Merlin, would make them both far too smug for his taste, so there was no need to mention it.
Now Geraint was on his way to deal with the mission in Manchester, and he’d just gotten off a call with Merlin where they’d ironed out the new plans for Tilde and her bodyguards. While Merlin was gathering that group as they finished breakfast, Harry had a few minutes to double check his messages.
It truly felt like things were coming together as he made his way to the conference room, sending off a happy birthday message to his favorite aunt, and it would have been pleasant if he could have actually made it to his destination without being ambushed.
It was Eggsy waiting for him in the hall, and despite his clouded expression Harry called out a fairly cheerful “good morning, Eggsy,” as he drew closer.
Eggsy fell into step beside him, but for once Harry legitimately had no idea why he seemed irritated. “Is something on your mind?”
“Heard you sent Geraint to Manchester.”
Ah. There was nothing to hide, not if Eggsy knew about the mission, so he simply nodded. “I did.”
“That was supposed to be my mission.” There was a bitter edge to Eggsy’s voice, and a hint of indignation that some might refer to as a whine, but for the time being it was almost endearing.
“It was being considered,” Harry acknowledged, “but plans change. Something else came up for your group, and we’ll go over it momentarily. I believe you’re more suited for this mission, so I pulled you from one that could have been done by any number of agents.”
“So you’re telling me it ain’t because you don’t think I could do it on my own, yeah?”
“Correct, Eggsy. Your team needs you, and I need you to be part of that team. It’s just how it turned out this time around.”
“Just so long as you ain’t sending us on some bullshit mission to get us out of the way.”
“Just wait until we go over the mission perimeters, I doubt you’ll worry about that after this.”
For a moment Eggsy’s hand found it’s way into his, giving his hand a squeeze before dropping away. In a flash Eggsy was past him, but only far enough to get the door first, holding it open for him. “Okay, I’ll admit it, you’ve got me curious.”
Harry swept past him, posture straightening, and it wasn’t until it did that Harry realized just how relaxed he’d been with Eggsy, even if it was only for a moment. There was no time to dwell on that now, there was business to attend to. He knew that the file on his tablet spelled out danger for all involved, but for the first time he felt at ease with it. It was a subtle shift, perhaps because of the maturity and restraint Eggsy had shown, perhaps simply because he’d gotten enough sleep to be reasonable, but he was ready to entrust this mission to Eggsy’s team.
Merlin already had a copy, so it took only a moment for the file to be shared out to the trio.
“So far we’ve been trying to reach out to as many people as possible to increase visibility,” Harry explained, nodding toward the display on the wall that was showing the hospitals they’d already visited. “Princess Tilde merely increased our impact, as many people follow her or are interested in news involving her. Therefore it makes sense for us to choose a high profile individual instead of a location, and the perfect opportunity just arose.”
A simple tap of the screen brought up their target, and Harry was about to launch into the next portion of the explanation when there was a rap at the door and it opened before anyone could actually reply.
“Begging your pardon, sir, but a group of Kin have just attacked a NORM rally, and it’s getting bloody.”
--
Getting ready to mobilize was second nature to Eggsy, and he fully expected to be done quickly, as did everyone else. What he hadn’t quite expected was for the first person to join him by their transport vehicle to be Princess Tilde.
“You’re coming?” The confusion was obvious, and he didn’t bother trying to hide it.
The princess didn’t even seem phased as she tugged at her sleeves to straighten an imaginary wrinkle. “Of course, someone is bound to be hurt in all of this.”
“But you ain’t an agent. Ain’t no one that’d blame you if you didn’t go into this mess.”
“I may not have a codename, but all of you have taken care of me up until now. I am coming with you.”
There was a hint of steel in her voice, and Eggsy put up his hands in surrender. “I’m fucking glad, trust me. Maybe with you around Roxy won’t do nothing stupid.”
“You think I’m the one to worry about?” Roxy seemed to materialize out of nowhere, though logistically he knew she must have come from behind him. “Everyone knows I’m not the rash one.”
“What are you all standing around for like blooming idiots? Get in!” Merlin barked at them as he rushed up, trailed by Harry and Percival, Lancelot running after the group in the distance.
When they were all settled it was Percival driving, Lancelot in the front seat beside him. He was squashed into the backseat with Roxy and Tilde, Harry and Merlin in the middle seats. Before they’d even pulled away Merlin had a laptop set up, fingers itching to press play.
“This is the early footage, right when they first made their move.”
The view wasn’t promising. A larger crowd than Eggsy would have liked to see had gathered around a stage, people sporting homemade NORM clothing and holding signs, looking more like a mob than anything, and the video was shaky, probably something from a mobile.
A speaker was just leaving the podium, another taking his place, and with a start he recognized Dean just as the arsehole started to speak. “These freaks ain’t natural!”
“Turn it off.” Harry’s terse voice carried over the audio, and Merlin started, obviously not expecting the command but reaching for the laptop before Eggsy cut him off.
“It’s fine, let it play.”
Merlin’s fingers hovered over the keys for a second before Harry shook his head. During the exchange Dean kept spewing hatred out of his mouth, words Eggsy didn’t want to hear but wasn’t exactly surprised by.
“And you know what else is fucked up? These freaks hide among us, and you can’t fucking tell until it’s too late. One of them that’s been on TV? Acting like they’re saints when we all know they’re monsters? That’s the damn son of the bitch I was living with. You better believe I kicked her out when I found out about her welp, ain’t no telling what sort of monster she was.”
Dean’s words were met with cheers as Eggsy’s fists clenched. He’d talked to his mum and Ella just yesterday, and she hadn’t mentioned a word about Dean kicking them out.
He knew Roxy was shooting him concerned looks, but all he could do was focus on the screen, conserving his energy as they raced down the road.
“We’ve got to find a way to ID these freaks! It ain’t safe with them just going wherever they fucking please! They could be anywhere right now.”
“Yes, we could be.”
The pair making it onto the stage was no surprise, there didn’t seem to be any obvious order to the meeting, but Dean being interrupted had obviously not been planned.
Someone from the other side of the stage started toward them, pulling a gun from his waistband, and the taller of the two, a man that was probably in his twenties simply smiled, raising one hand and gesturing into the air. Instead of dropping his hand though, he used it to form a gun, the same as any child might, bringing his fingers up to the side of his head, and the crowd watched in horror as the man with the gun mimicked his actions.
“Bang.”
The shot sent the crowd into a panic, the video shuddering as people around whoever taking the video tried to scatter, but before they could flee the taller kin had turned to them, hands flying as any conductor’s might, his voice ringing out, clear as a bell. “Stay where you are.”
Not everyone did, but a good eighty percent of the crowd stopped where they were, turning to face him when he directed that they do so.
“A hypnotist,” Merlin murmured, voicing Eggsy’s own suspicion. “One of our late Gwaine’s nephews I believe, I have someone at HQ looking into him, but I think his name is Benton.”
“The one with him?” Harry asked.
The one being asked about was much shorter, with strawberry blonde hair, staring at the crowd with his arms crossed.
“Sacha,” Merlin supplied. “He’s not a British citizen so I’m afraid we don’t have much on him until we get files from the continent. What we do know is that he has power over ice. I’m afraid to say I’m not sure to what extent, but judging from our footage he needs water to form it; he can’t just produce ice out of thin air.”
As they watched someone on the edges of the crowd tried to slip away, and Sacha raised his hand. Ice seemed to form there, but now that he was looking for it Eggsy could see that the water was coming from somewhere. A knocked over water bottle. The shards of ice formed quickly and then Sacha was hurling them, hand stretching out and directing the projectiles, dropping the woman than had been mere steps away from escaping the crowd.
“It seems to us that you NORMs, as you call yourselves, don’t know your rightful place. So we’re here to teach you.”
There was relative silence, people petrified to draw attention to themselves, and Benton stepped forward, a frown creasing his face. “He just said we’re here to enlighten you. We took time out of our day for this, I expected a thank you.”
The chorus of thanks was passionless, but somehow it only made it more chilling, and Eggsy was relieved when Percival interrupted.
“I think this is as far as we can go, we’ll have to walk from here.”
----------
“Percival, tranqs if you can manage them, live ammunition as a last resort. Find your vantage point. Merlin, I want you on comms at all times, but I want you to go with Percival. Keep an eye on the crowd, give us intel as you get it. Princess Tilde, I want you to go with them.”
“Sir, I can--”
“Enough.” Harry’s voice cut her off immediately. “We’ve no time for arguments. You’ll be on hand if we need you, but I can’t spare anyone to protect you out there.”
She nodded, and the trio set out, Percival’s legs already eating up the distance and the other two hurrying after him.
“We need to break the hold the hypnotist has on the crowd and get them to safety, especially before he can turn them against us. He already knew what needed to be done, and in the situation they were in he didn’t think twice about it. “Galahad, I’m putting that in your hands. You need to get in and out before he can ensnare you. Avoid eye contact, and try not to look at his hands either. Whatever you need to do to break his concentration.
“As far as that ice user goes, I don’t know how far his range is, but there has to be a limit to where he can get his water from. Tristan, I want you to hold back, but your abilities may be our best way to separate Sacha from his resource, and if you see an opportunity then take it. Contact HQ and try to figure out where the water lines are though, if you burst a water line leak into the open it could be devastating to the mission
“Lancelot, you’re a jack of all trades with me. Remove sources of water as you find them, help control the crowd, and let’s keep that pair together. Their abilities shouldn’t boost one another, so having them together will make it easier to keep track of them, and it might help if Tristan finds an opening.
“Do you all understand your missions?”
Lancelot saluted him before turning on his heel and moving toward the crowd, Roxy offering a quick “yes, sir,” before heading down the sidewalk to approach from a different angle.
“You got it,” was Eggsy’s reply, but as soon as the other two were turned away he darted in, pressing their lips together so quickly Harry almost thought he imagined it. “Be safe,” Eggsy ordered, not quite content to leave without getting a final word in, and then he was a mere blur zipping around the buildings to the left of the stage, leaving to approach from a different angle.
“Our signal to begin will be Eggsy’s attack,” Harry murmured as he too skirted the crowd, looking for a different angle to enter from. “Percival, I don’t want you to fire anything at Benton until his hold on these people is broken. We’re not sure how his power works, and we don’t want to leave them as mindless drones. Firing at Sacha now will just tip him off.
“Almost in position,” was the calm reply, precisely as expected from Percival.
“Just tell me when,” Eggsy informed them, and Harry took stock of the situation.
He wanted to tell Eggsy to wait, and it had nothing to do with being worried about him. They were still working with one hand tied behind their back, incomplete information always the bane of a mission. This wasn’t their normal type of work, in a crowd rather than shadows, and that meant they really needed even more information before jumping into anything.
But up on the stage Benton was calling for another victim. They hadn’t watched the video, there hadn’t been time, but he’d been filled in. While the crowd was captivated Benton would single one person out, calling them forward and then giving them special orders. Humiliating things mostly, before he would order them to grovel, twisting his way deeper into their minds until they obeyed.
Those that he finished with apparently stayed slumped where he left them, and no one was sure if they were alive or dead.
Meanwhile, Sacha seemed to be content with terrifying people that couldn’t move by slowly sending shards at ice at them. Into them. A few had crumpled where they stood, but most just wound up bleeding, sobs of pain disturbing the otherwise eerily quiet air.
“”We’re in position Arthur, I’m scanning the area now.”
“I’m in position as well,” Roxy added, and he knew Lancelot would likely be in the right place at the right time regardless.
“There’s no time to waste with all of these civilians. As soon as you’re ready, Galahad.”
Logistically he knew he’d just given that order to a speedster, but he was still surprised to see the blur within seconds.
Benton staggered, grabbing onto the podium to stay upright, but Eggsy hadn’t stopped. In a few seconds he’d be back, but already the results of the attack were starting to ripple through the crowd. They’d figured out quickly that they were no longer under his sway, and looking at the crowd it was like seeing them come to life.
There was no time to waste watching them though, or waiting for Eggsy to dash by again; Harry was still in the outskirts of the crowd. He started pushing people away from where they were all gathered, telling them to escape while they could, as Eggsy made a second pass.
“Arthur, there’s a woman standing to the left of the center of the group,” Merlin’s voice was clear and even in his ear, something Harry was well accustomed to. “She isn’t trying to scatter like everyone else. And she’s Kin.”
It was a warning, but it didn’t come in time. Terrified people were flowing around him, and he could barely manage to hold his position, much less make it toward the center of the crowd. So it was from a short distance that he saw the force field flare into existence, forming a dome around the woman. Unfortunately it was not simply a trick of light. One man had been in the process of fleeing but was still within her range, so his lower arm had been within the shield as it burst into existence.
Now there was nothing. There was no blood, no arm; if anything the wound looked to be cauterized. It was probably a blessing that after a moment of stunned silence the man collapsed, doubtlessly in shock.
All of this Harry saw through glimpses as he tried to work his way forward, the press of the crowd starting to disperse as he shouldered forward, relying on his headset to be his eyes and ears.
“Percival, covering fire,” Merlin ordered, “Galahad, status.”
“I’m fine,” Eggsy grumbled. “Fucker made a slick spot with some bloody ice, might have busted my knee a little but I can put weight on it.”
“Try to rest for a minute,” Harry ordered, “give your healing a chance to kick in. Tristan, can you give the stage a little shake? Enough to buy Galahad a breather?”
“Affirmative,” was the brisk response, followed by Lancelot joining the conversation.
“I can distract them a bit after that,” he offered. “Perce, can bullets pierce that force field?”
“Negative, they hit but seem to disintegrate, though her force fields did react.”
“Merlin?”
“Possible identity, Bridget Hayes. We don’t have much on her other than that she has force fields, and they’re dangerous to come into contact with.
“Percival, what about taking out the other two?”
“There are still people around the stage being affected by the hypnosis. The ice user is building up a barricade, I can fire to shatter it, but the shards may hit others.”
“Sir,” Tristan’s voice was soft but sure, “right where the front of the stage is is a safe place to open a fissure. If we can group them together and clear others out of the area then I could open it up.”
“Right. Merlin, coordinate an effort for Benton and Sacha, leave Madam Hayes to me.”
For now he couldn’t focus on what the rest of his team was doing, he simply had to trust his agents. As they would have to trust him. He didn’t do anything so foolish as to turn off his audio, but he did ignore it as he rolled his shoulders, finally getting the space to move about as the crowd had mostly dispersed.
It was enough room for him to take a few running steps toward the figure with her back turned as she kept her attention on the stage and her presumed allies.
It also meant she was unprepared when his fist connected with her force field, the energy searing his hand even as it buckled, strengthening again but slightly smaller.
“Well, that was foolish,” she intoned as she turned, eyes alight as she looked at him.
All he did was hold up his hand so she could see as the flesh healed over the wound before forming a fist once more.
“That’s an understatement.”
--
Lancelot was a master at distraction, mostly because he was brazen enough to walk right out in front of the two and pull out a deck of cards, asking them conversationally how things were going as he began to set up some card trick or another.
For a minute Eggsy was stunned, for once all words leaving him in the dust, but then Merlin’s voice rang in his ears.
“Galahad, move your blooming arse. You need to get those hostages to safety, we’ll have to hope distance has an effect.”
It made sense, and he wasn’t about to spend all day sitting around doing nothing, plus he could already feel how the few moments off of his feet had helped his knee, turning it into something he could work with for a while before it’d give out.
It made sense to work on the victims (he had to think of them that way, even if they were absolute bastards) that were farthest away from the pair, as he might be able to pull them away without being noticed, so he set to work quickly.
The good bit about them being hypnotized was that the people were quiet, even when he “accidentally” elbowed them as he scooped them up, running a couple of blocks before they’d begin to resist. As soon as they showed a sign of awareness, of breaking free from the hypnosis he put them down, not bothering to see if they were steady before heading back.
He only slowed when he was near enough that he didn’t want to disturb Lancelot from whatever the fuck he was doing, taking a moment to size up his next passenger. All he could do was sigh and wish for Harry’s strength as he went for one particularly hefty woman, needing to put on a small burst of speed just for the extra force to pick her up, but he was making progress. He could hear Merlin ordering them around, and every time he neared he could see Harry was driving the forcefield closer and closer to the stage.
Then finally the hypnosis broke. Lancelot had finally managed to distract the hypnotist as he took on both opponents. Still there were still a good dozen or so people starting to return to awareness that Eggsy needed to deal with.
“Oi, you little fucker!”
It was a voice he’d know anywhere, even without that sort of greeting, and Eggsy really, really didn’t have time for this shit.
“I ain’t messing around, Dean.” He faced off against the man, hoping the others were still trying to orient themselves, because it’d be too easy to be surrounded like this. “These people have got to get out of here, yeah? So get them to move their arses, it’s safe if you get a few blocks away.”
“Who do you think you are you little freak, I ain’t--”
“Get them the fuck out of here, there ain’t no time for this shit! You’re all fucking arseholes, but we ain’t going to just leave you to take care of this shit on your own.”
He could see their voices were distracting the Kin on the stage, but while he wanted to give Lancelot an opening he didn’t want to do so at the risk of the very people they were trying to rescue. “Fucking go!” he ordered again, and this time people didn’t argue, choosing to flee rather than deal with the shit happening around them. Dean paused, almost as if he was deciding if Eggsy was worth the trouble or not, but after a minute he took off after them, leaving the grounds seemingly clear of all but those felled or still fighting.
“Galahad, I need you to help Lancelot in containing those two until Arthur has Madam Hayes in position. When Tristan gives the order get back, take Lancelot if you can.”
--------
He could feel each blow all the way up his arm. The burn of the impact, the itch of skin trying to heal as he swung his other fist, and then all too soon the burn of impact all over again. A vicious cycle, and ,judging by the blood splattering on his clothing and the ground, one that his body was struggling to keep up to. Their clean up crew was going to have a field day with all of the DNA he was leaving scattered about.
Regardless, the end was in sight. Her force field was starting to scrape against the stage, and it had already shrunk significantly as she tried to maintain it’s integrity. A time or two he’d even caught her glancing over her shoulder, likely trying to figure out how to best make use of her team mates. He did his best to take advantage of her distractions, small as they were, but there was only so much farther that they could go.
“What is Tristan’s status?”
“Ready.” The reply was quick, which meant that the girl must have still been focused, a good sign considering how long she’d been on standby.
“Take your mark then. Merlin, take over the coordination.”
They needed the trio as close together as possible, but it wasn’t going to be easy for Harry to move his target onto the stage. No, the boys had to come to them.
His blows on her shield slowed, holding her until Benton finally called out.
“Bridge, we could use some help up here!”
There was a moment, just a short one, but he could see her expression change to something slightly more smug, the sight of someone that knew they had a trump card, and he was already scrambling back by the time her forcefield dissipated. Seconds later it reappeared, and would have swallowed him where he’d been, large enough to engulf the entire trio.
“Is that all you have?” she sneered, but it was Eggsy who answered her as Lancelot jumped off the back of the stage.
“Afraid not bruv.”
The earth began to tremor, and Benton merely raised his arms. “Your little earthquakes are nothing to us. We didn’t want to fight our own kind, but you can worship us just the same as the pathetic little creatures that tried to protest.”
The earthquake didn’t intensify. Instead it simply split, the fissure running longer than the stage, the tear in the earth gaping wide, the stage collapsing into it.
After a moment even the slightest of tremors had ceased as Roxy began walking toward the fissure, not even breathing heavily.
James and Eggsy joined them around the mouth of the fissure, looking down at glowing force field. There was nowhere for the trio to go, and while they had no idea how long Bridget could hold her force fields and keep them from slipping into the abyss, they were sitting ducks.
“Percival, bring your tranquilizers. I believe they’re ready to negotiate.”
---------
“Close it up Tristan, it’s time we head back to headquarters.”
Harry seemed to be as calm as ever as he gave the order before bending down to scoop up Benton, the heaviest of the three, and tossing him over one shoulder. The terms had been simple. Bridget had to open up her shields, allowing the two men to be tranquilized and hauled out, and only then did they allow her to loop a harness around herself, tranqing her as well before finishing up the rescue.
Of course by now all sorts of coppers and reporters were on the site, but they seemed skittish, not quite sure what protocol should be. No one seemingly wanted to be the first to approach, and honestly, he preferred it this way. Because this way he could walk behind Harry, admiring how easy it was for him to walk with someone slung over one shoulder and trying not to stare at his arse too obviously as they loaded up the three Kin and made their way back to hq.
Of course it wasn’t quite that simple. There was a matter of ensuring that their prisoners were secure, swapping cars, backtracking to lose tails, and all sorts of maneuvers making their trip home take at least twice as long, followed by an agonizingly long debriefing after they’d left the Kin to the doctor and nursing staff on duty.
At least he wasn’t Merlin, and didn’t have to go figure out how they were going to go turn the trio over to the government. And he was flat out happy that it was someone else’s job to figure out how to secure people with powers without just keeping them sedated the entire time.
He’d just opened another Cadbury caramel when they were finally dismissed, and by the time he popped in the last rectangle he realized the room had already cleared other than Harry, who was waiting for him by the door.
“Sorry guv, didn’t mean to keep you,” he stood, gathering up the mound of snack wrappers to carry to the bin. “You waiting on me?”
“I thought I might walk you to your door,” Harry murmured, eyes sweeping over him slowly, brows furrowed in concentration.
“I’m fine, promise,” was Eggsy’s response, accompanied with a roll of his eyes as he exited the room, Harry following him and falling into step beside him. “Unless you don’t want to take my word for it?”
Glancing over he was surprised to see Harry avoiding his gaze, the older man instead clearing his throat. “I’m glad. You handled yourself quite well today.”
He wasn’t about to fall for that little act. “You don’t have to leave at the door,” he replied, voice pitched low and quiet. “Come see for yourself. Think I got a bruise somewhere, might be bad after all.” He didn’t even try to hide his smirk as he slipped his hand into Harry’s. “Plus I might check to see that your healing’s up to par.”
“Aren’t you tired after this afternoon?”
“I don’t think you understand, Harry.” They had actually been walking fairly quickly, and were already at the room he was using, so he opened the door, tugging Harry inside and was pleased when the other man came along. “Seeing you at work? That was actually pretty fucking rejuvenating.”
He turned to face Harry, watching his throat work as he swallowed. “Eggsy--”
Whatever excuse was coming he didn’t necessarily want to hear it, and there was no harm in trying to quell it. He surged toward Harry, not even bothering to press their lips together, instead choosing to nip at his lower lip, tugging it gently and swiping his tongue across it.
He could sense the tension leaking out of Harry as his breath seemed to rush out of him, and if he could even take an ounce of stress away from him it’d be more than worth it.
Plus he just really wanted to fuck him.
There was just something about knowing how much strength was coiled in the muscles under his roaming hands, and knowing that Harry trusted him enough to not rely on said strength, letting himself be shifted back until his back bumped against the wall.
Until Harry winced, pulling away from the wall slightly and breaking off their kiss.
“I’m not opposed to you having me against the wall if that’s what you’re into, but I draw the line at doorknobs,” he explained, his face serious, but Eggsy knew him better than that. Could easily see the laugh lurking in the corner of his mouth.
He was fixated on that spot, bring his thumb up to brush across it, biting back a groan when Harry turned slightly, biting lightly and dragging his tongue over the pad of his thumb suggestively before sucking the digit into his mouth, cheeks hollowing.
“It didn’t take you long to figure that out,” Eggsy admitted, eyes transfixed on Harry’s mouth. Because it was nice to have him against the wall, focusing only on what was in front of him. Feeling Harry give him control, trusting him with it, relaxing with it. “Don’t seem like you mind much either though.”
To prove his point Eggsy crowded against him again, Harry stumbling back next to the door this time, back hitting the wall with a light thud as Eggsy cupped him through his trousers with his free hand, giving him a light squeeze. Harry was already halfway hard, angling into his hand, his hips rolling lightly all the answer Eggsy needed.
There was a tiny part of him telling him to slow down, not to rush, to take his time savouring Harry, but it was easy to ignore that instinct as he gently pulled his other hand away from Harry’s mouth, working at fumbling Harry’s belt with one hand. It took only a moment for Harry to take pity on him, his hands deftly undoing the buckle before reaching for Eggsy’s.
“You don’t even know how fucking gorgeous you are, do you?”
It was the first time he’d really known Harry to falter, and when he snapped his eyes up to Harry’s there was a hint of actual surprise there, as if he wasn’t expecting a compliment. “Ain’t no one ever tell you that before? You’re fucking gorgeous Harry Hart.”
“Eggsy.” Harry’s voice trailed off, as if he wasn’t quite sure what he meant to say, but Eggsy had more than enough to say for them.
“All I wanted to do today was watch you,” Eggsy admitted freely. “Dreamed about pushing you up against the side of the stage in front of everyone, kissing you til you couldn’t stand on your own. Thought you might not approve though.”
“There’s nothing stopping you now.”
Ordinarily Harry seemed to stay fairly quiet, so Eggsy couldn’t help but grin now that he’d chosen to respond. “You’re a fucking genius,” he informed him.
He teased Harry for a moment, fleeting brushes of their lips together, tiny licks and nips, hands distractedly working at buttons.
Harry rested his hands on Eggsy’s hips, slowly sliding them down until he was cupping his arse. Eggsy hummed his approval against Harry’s mouth before licking his way in. He delighted in how Harry opened up to him, letting him devour him until Harry was panting, moving against him to try to seek friction as Eggsy slowly drug the zipper down on his trousers.
He slowed his kisses, inviting Harry to delve into his mouth and explore on his own, as he tugged at Harry’s trousers until they slid down, pooling against his lower thighs. It gave him easy access to slip his hand into Harry’s pants, rubbing his shaft to full hardness as he set to work on freeing his own cock.
There was no point taking his time there, he was already hard, and he didn’t have to worry about making sure he was having a good time. If anything he was distracted by the feeling of Harry running his tongue over his teeth, not giving him a chance to catch a full breath, and he was okay with that.
More than okay with it, actually, until he was forced to break it off. Harry watched him, a hint of confusion in his eyes until Eggsy lifted his hand, licking a stripe down his palm and fingers before spitting for good measure, and his expression turned to one of understanding.
Instead of leaning in for another kiss he looked down, watching himself wrap a hand around their cocks and starting to move. Harry’s was a bit thicker than his own though not quite as long, precum beading at the tip. He twisted his hand slightly, rocking his hips to give them a bit more friction, the sharp intake of Harry’s breath loud against his ear as his other hand reached down, fondling his balls as his strokes settled into a rhythm.
After a moment, and one final squeeze of his arse, one of Harry’s hands joined his, their fingers overlapping as he sped up the pace. In a way Harry kept him grounded, keeping his hands steady rather than giving in to the pleasure, where his hand would be little more than a blur on his cock, the way he sometimes did when he was alone. Now that he had a pace going he lifted his head slightly, worrying at the skin around Harry’s collarbone to make blotches of vermillion blossom and fade, an ever changing work of art that coaxed out the small shudders and moans he was swiftly becoming addicted to.
It was the groan that did it. He’d added a bit more pressure to his grip, and leaned in to suck a bit harder at the base of Harry’s neck, a bruise that might be enough to stay visible for a few minutes before the skin healed, and the sound had been an involuntary one from his partner. But it was that loss of control, knowing by the way the noise was bitten off that Harry hadn’t intended for it to happen, that had his hand faltering, the jolt of pleasure coursing through his body before he started to cum.
Eggsy managed to keep moving his hand, enjoying the heat of Harry’s prick against his own as he came but knowing it would be too sensitive in just a moment. Even so he reached up to thread his other hand through Harry’s hair at the back of his head, pulling him down and in to plunder his mouth. He plunged his tongue in forcefully, devouring him as he felt Harry come apart in his hands.
Finally he dropped his hand holding the two of them together, but stayed pressed up against Harry, enjoying being pressed up against him for the time being. It wouldn’t be long until he would be ready to go again, to take his time all proper like, and with Harry’s healing he was sure he’d recover just as quickly, if not first.
“This time,” he informed Harry when he’d finally broken their kiss, “this time I’m going to do it proper like. We’re going to make it to the damn bed and all that other shit, yeah?”
--------
He was awake, and he had no idea why. He was exhausted, more than he’d been since 1984 when he’d stumbled into the worst mess of his career, the mission that he still swore had made Merlin lose his hair.
Because last night, after their first time had been a quickie handjob against the wall, Eggsy had decided he was contrite. As penance he’d made sure to take his time, taking ages to properly stretch him, until tears were swimming at the edges of his vision and he was begging shamelessly for Eggsy’s cock, promising him he was ready, arguing that his healing would take care of anything if they happened to rush.
But no, Eggsy had taken his time, being so thorough that Harry had came while he was still three fingers deep, fingers grazing against his prostate.
Eggsy had only given in after the headboard had cracked from his grip, and after they’d finished he’d laughed as he carefully examined Harry’s hands for splinters, Eggsy’s good mood infectious as he all but drug him into the shower with him.
There’d been more handjobs in the shower, and he was as guilty as Eggsy at not being able to keep his hands to himself, feeling younger than he’d felt in years and wondering why they’d danced around for so long.
He’d still been thinking that as Eggsy had ridden him, though he was still 93% sure that he’d only done it so he could complain the entire time about the broken headboard, the laughter in his eyes layered over something warmer that they didn’t have to put into words for him to understand.
Well, no, he knew why he was awake. He was awake because his insufferable lover had his hand wrapped around his cock, and didn’t seem to care that once they were up Harry would have to stop ignoring the paperwork that was undoubtedly piling up on his desk.
“I know you’re awake, Harry.”
There was a hint of laughter in Eggsy’s voice, but Harry resolutely kept his eyes shut, fighting getting up until the last possible moment.
“But how the fuck am I supposed to know if you want my hand or my mouth?”
“If it’ll make you stop talking you know what my vote is.”
He was aiming for grumpy, but even he could hear the fondness in his voice. Eggsy gasped in mock outrage and Harry found himself grinning, finally opening his eyes to the fairly dark room, light filtering in from the loo where Eggsy’d apparently left the light on.
“Morning.”
Harry was about to respond as Eggsy bent down when his phone rang, the noise and light as the screen lit up from somewhere on the floor earning several curses as he struggled up.
He could have nominated Eggsy for sainthood right then when he jumped up, scooping up the phone and tossing it over as Harry managed to sit up, glancing down to see an unfamiliar number before answering, voice still thick with sleep.
“Hello?”
The voice on the other end of the line was one he’d recognize anywhere, and one he’d never have expected.
“Good morning, Mr. Hart.”
He straightened up instinctively, back rigid, incapable of doing anything else when the voice at the other end of the line belonged to the Queen of England.
“Your majesty, I did not expect a call from you.”
“You almost did not get one. My agents have been working all this time just to obtain your name and phone number. I am to understand that whoever protects the information of your organization is quite skilled.”
“Thank you, ma’am. I will pass on the compliment. Is there anything I can help you with today?”
Harry could see that Eggsy was practically vibrating with curiosity, but for the time being he would just have to ignore him and fill him in later.
“Ah, straight to the point, how refreshing. Indeed, there is something I would like to discuss with you. I was quite impressed with how your team handled themselves yesterday. You put my people first, and it was clear that you were actively trying to limit the amount of damage caused. Nevertheless, I can not and will not have rogue vigilantes roaming about the country.
It is quite evident that times are changing, Mr. Hart, and certain changes must be made if we intend to continue on. I would like to invite you to Buckingham Palace at 9:00 to meet with the Prime Minister and I. The guards have been notified to expect you.”
“It would be my honor, ma’am.” He wasn’t sure what all her invitation entailed, but it wasn’t as if knowing would change his response. When the Queen summoned you, you went. It really was that simple.
“Very good, I look forward to meeting you in person. Goodbye Mr. Hart.”
The call ended, but it took a moment for him to fully register what had happened, and even then he wasn’t sure if he believed it himself. Even after recounting the conversation to Eggsy, it still seemed surreal, as if he was in some sort of dream.
Then he caught sight of the time, swore, and all but ran for the shower.
--
It felt weird having an office.
Before Valentine, he’d been a candidate. After Valentine there had been so much chaos that worrying about formalities and silly things like offices were pretty much at the bottom of his list. Fuck, they were still at the bottom of his list, but he chalked it up as one of those necessary evils and rolled with it.
It seemed like it was yesterday when the Queen had called Harry in for an audience, but it had been months. Months that had been crammed with missions and planning, meetings and disgusting bureaucracy mumbo jumbo. Of course it was Harry, Merlin, and the scores of Kingsman employees other than agents that had to jump through most of the hoops while he ran about trying to sort shit out, but he still had a damn office.
Having an office made sense though, now that they were respectable and all. Out of the shadows so to speak. Kingsman, the answer to the reveal of the Kin, the new law enforcement agency to work on cases involving those with abilities that the police and MI-5 might not be qualified to handle. Parliament was still trying to figure out what the hell they were going to do with them, but for now they were were working with a modified version of the MI-5 guidelines, and bending them as they saw fit.
In some ways things were close to what they’d been before, and in other ways all it took was a single glance around to see just how bizarre things had become. Announcing the presence of the Kin, and then making it law that Kin were still citizens, still Brits, had brought all sorts out of the woodwork. People with mutations, not part of ancient bloodlines, people that’d thought they were freaks for ages and had just kept to themselves for the most part.
Now when he looked out to the garden he saw all sorts of candidates, people that’d voluntarily shown up at hq to offer their services, or just to ask for training. He’d barely seen Harry in a week because the man was scrambling to put together a training program for civilians, wanting to give the control they needed to at least feel confident they wouldn’t actually short out their neighbor’s house if they got angry and the like.
Even weirder was when he’d pass by one of those trainees and see the flicker of recognition, the hint of awe in their voice. Not to mention the sheer quantity of thanks that he got from complete and utter strangers. Roxy found it odd too, as did Harry, but James just basked in the attention. After the NORM rally they’d unintentionally found themselves the faces of Kingsman, and there was absolutely nothing they could do to change that.
He turned away from the window he’d been looking out of, heading out the back door and stepping up beside Roxy who was surveying the training area.
“You may want to take a step back.”
He hadn’t even managed to open his mouth, but he obeyed without question, then grinned as he realized what was about to happen. “Is this even fair?”
“Which part? Making sure that a little disturbance doesn’t destroy their concentration or testing how they think on their feet?”
Her voice sounded completely innocent, but he could visualize her smirk as she stamped her foot, directing an earthquake out in front of her, the fact that she was able to direct it was a clear indication that it wasn’t natural. In the distance a fountain of flame erupted, thankfully on the other side of the field from the cloud of noxious gas that had released from the skin of one particularly unfortunate Kin.
“Ain’t you supposed to be at some symposium or some shit like that?”
Roxy hummed her agreement. “That’s what makes this a surprise drill for them. Besides that, it’s a joint panel. If I’m a couple of minutes late Tilde can take care of it. She’s the one they all want to hear from after all.”
“Ah, but who is Isolde without her Tristan?”
“Still a princess.”
Despite her words Roxy’s expression was soft, a look she only had when thinking about her fiancé, but it wasn’t something he could really tease her about. Not that that’d ever stopped him before.
“The two of you are bloody disgusting,” Eggsy informed her as he opened the door, ushering her into the building and bantering with her as they made their way to the tunnel for their private underground.
--------
The alarm startled him out of staring blankly at the next document in his pile and, after swiping his phone to end the annoyance, Harry stretched, spine popping and neck cracking before he reached down to turn to the next page.
“Don’t even fucking think about it.”
Eggsy skidded to a halt in front of his desk, the look on his face close to murderous. “You’re on mandatory break and you know it. No more than forty hours of work in a stretch, you need sleep and you need to leave this office once in awhile.”
When he was putting in over 120 hours a week it was fairly impossible to argue with Eggsy, not that he actually wanted to. Up to 40 hours on, at least 8 off, that was the deal, and he wasn’t about to waste a minute of his break.
“Yes dear,” was his dry reply, but Eggsy merely preened, clearly choosing to ignore his tone.
“I just put an order in at that hoity-toity French place you’re weirdly obsessed with, though who fucking knows why. Should be ready to pick up by the time we get there, I swear they take forever on purpose because they’re pissed off we don’t want to dine in.”
That was the miracle of Eggsy. He had the remarkable ability to push work aside when it was just the two of them, and he could even manage to distract Harry from it for a time, something no one had managed for as long as Harry had been an agent. Yet when he was on a mission there was no one more focused, no one pushing themselves harder, than Eggsy.
“Their pot de crème is worth the wait, and don’t think I didn’t notice you ordering an extra last time and devouring it in the kitchen while I was changing.”
Eggsy’s grin was slow to start, but his huffed out laugh was worth it as he slipped his hand into Harry’s, lacing their fingers together. It was still peculiar to be as open as they were within the walls of headquarters, when any number of candidates or students could chance upon them, but the casual touch was just one more reminder that he was off duty, another fraction of tension easing out of his shoulders as they headed home.