This is a "prequel" to my first fic, "Kingsman: A re-telling." If you're a little lost (although it's not that difficult), please hop over and read that one first. Enjoy!

Chapter 1: the introduction

Petra Durant took a moment to look around the room at her competition. It shouldn't be to hard to outsmart this lot, she thought. The other four potential recruits were standing in the middle of the group, conversing. One girl (in addition to herself) looked timid and weak, but was probably intelligent. She'd do better behind a typewriter than in the field. One boy, gangly tall with glasses, looked suited for office work as well. The other two boys looked like rugby players, obvious athletes. Brawn over brains, she thought. She took her bedroll and started to smooth it out over her bunk mattress. A hand appeared in front of her face.

"Harry Hart."

Petra looked up. It was one of the rugby boys. "Excuse me?" she said.

"I'm Harry Hart," he said, still holding his hand out.

"Is that supposed to be cute?"

"Afraid not."

Petra shook his hand, only because he probably would have stood there holding it out until she did. "Petra Durant."

Harry nodded then shoved his hands in his pockets. Petra continued making her bed. She picked up a large canvas bag and hung it in her locker next to her bunk. "So, what school are you from?" Harry asked.

Petra sighed. "Oxford."

Harry wasn't going anywhere. "Oxford," he repeated. "I'm a St. Andrews man, myself."

"That's lovely," Petra said, not meaning an ounce of it.

"All of us have been discussing what we're going to be in for," he said, pointing to the group. "What are your thoughts?"

Petra pulled a sheet tightly around a corner of her mattress and dropped it heavily on its frame. Pushing a strand of hair from her face, she looked at Harry. "Look, I'm sorry if you think this is some sort of date," she said. The tall boy in the glasses snickered. "But I'd really just like to get my things sorted."

Harry put up his hands in surrender. "Apologies," he said, "I didn't mean to bother you. Good luck, Pet."

"It's Petra," she said with a clenched jaw. "And I won't be needing it, thank you."

The doors opened and a man with a clipboard walked in. Everyone, including Petra, stood to attention. "Good morning, and welcome to the hardest job interview you will ever experience. My name is Gawain; I trust you all have made your own introductions. As you may have guessed, the Kingsman agents are steeped in tradition similar to the Knights of the Round Table. That being said, we do not take our jobs lightly. You will each endure tests that will push your limits and hopefully prove which of you deserves a place in our prestigious agency." He lifted a canvas bag from under his arm. It was like the one Petra had stowed away. "Can anyone tell me what this is?" he asked.

The geeky boy in glasses (Petra later learned his name was Edward) raised his hand. Gawain nodded for him to answer. "It's a body bag, sir. The kind they put corpses in."

"You would be correct." He paused for dramatic silence. Petra wanted to laugh. Scare tactics rarely worked on those who came to expect them. "Grab your bags; I want everyone to write information on their next of kin. You're dismissed until dinner."

Each of the recruits fell out of line and went to their respective bunks. Three beds sat against each wall, and the three across from Petra were quickly occupied. She watched Harry as he took the bunk next to hers. Of course.

"Sorry, Pet," Harry winked at her. "Looks like you're stuck with me."

"Lucky me," Petra said sarcastically