a/n: whole work has been re-written over the last few months & i will try updating again.
If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.
Murphy's Laws
He was glad for the soothing darkness that greeted him when he opened the door to his apartment. It eased the headache pounding in the back of his skull, although he was still feeling like someone was driving nails into his brain and simultaneously setting it on fire.
Slowly, he stepped inside the flat and pulled the door as quietly as possible shut behind him.
The clicking of the noise was still as loud as a gunshot, making him flinch.
Pain flared up, intense enough to leave him breathless for a moment.
He shouldn't have neglected nearly every basic human need up to the point where he wanted to lay down and hope he wasn't going to wake up for the next week, yes, but work kept piling up and someone had to do it.
Even now, when he was so tired that he could barely stand, he would rather be at his desk in the headquarters than at home – or in a bed there, since he couldn't help but worry he was too far away, that he wouldn't make it back in time if there was an emergency. There had been plenty of emergencies in the last weeks.
But Eggsy and Roxy had insisted and it was hard to argue with them, especially if their arguments had seemed quite plausible at the time. They still did, certainly, and he wasn't the kind of man to deny these things, yet …
Merlin sighed, closing his eyes for a moment, the black swallowing him whole, and as long as he didn't think, it didn't hurt as much, he noted, but not-thinking was something he simply couldn't do, couldn't allow himself to do. In particular not, since he had taken over the duties of Arthur.
It had been supposed to be temporary … temporarily unlimited until they agreed on a successor for Chester, which they still hadn't one and a half years after his death – it was always just another mission, another job that had to be done immediately, and then another week had gone by, another month, with no room to breathe, with no end in sight.
The tensions sparked by the betrayal itself didn't help either.
And … he still didn't understand. Perhaps he was never going to. And perhaps he should leave it at that because there were no answers to be found in the dark of his own apartment in the middle of the night.
Still – he had been confident that he could judge people accordingly. He had known Chester for nearly half his life. Yet, he had been so wrong about this man; yet, he hadn't noticed he would betray them; yet, he had never even considered that he could have been responsible for Harry's death.
Sighing, he shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose.
For now, he needed to sleep.
Merlin took off his jacket and shoes, walking further into the room, not bothering with the lights. His head wouldn't thank him for it, neither would his eyes, and he knew his way around well enough to rely on his memory.
The parquet silently creaked beneath his steps.
But … there weren't only his.
Adrenaline rushed through his veins. He-
Knife on his throat. He froze.
Why hadn't he- why hadn't the alarm gone off?
"I hope you know how this works," the intruder said. "Save your bullshit and give me a straight answer or I'll cut your throat."
Their voice was muffled, nearly drowned out by the frantic beating of his heart.
The blade swallowed the bright city lights. Fear replaced the rush of energy he had felt seconds ago.
"Let's start easy," they continued slowly. "Who are the other Kingsmen?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Merlin stated.
"Really?" they asked, the sarcasm dripping from their words. "I mean this secret, exclusive spy agency that's really into discretion? Founded by tailors, agents running around in these fancy suits you British love so much, the stereotype gentlemen who can kick ass?"
He didn't answer.
"Doesn't ring a bell?" There … yes, there was confusion now and it sounded genuine enough that he believed it was real, but … it didn't fit. They seemed to be a professional. Professionals didn't mistake a target for another.
"No," he answered after a moment, his stomach twisting in agony.
"Don't fuck with me, Merlin," they said. He could hear the smug smile. "I know what Kingsman is. I know who you are. Now, give me the real names of the other agents."
He should have known better.
Analysis it was then.
His attacker had a knife, holding it to his throat. Probably more weapons. Definitely experience in situations like this.
He was at disadvantage and in a bad condition, so if he did anything, he better did it quickly.
A plan … he still had his-
His glasses. Right. And since they were transmitting the recordings right back to the headquarters, somebody had hopefully already alerted Eggsy and Roxy who had to be nearby.
"Oh, come on," the stranger said. "Hurry up already."
They … were smaller than him, judging from the way their arm pressed against his back.
First, he had to get rid of that knife.
Grabbing their arm wasn't going to end well, neither was moving too much in general. Unless … he could move backwards, make them stumble, just … well, if he hit the liver …
Gradually, he raised his arm.
Merlin waited for a moment when he had brought it up to the right height.
"Swallowed your tongue?" they asked with a sigh, moving the blade closer.
He tilted his head back, tensing with a shaky breath.
Then he shoved his arm back. His elbow connected.
The knife hit the ground with a rattle.
He whirled around.
They were staggering backwards.
"Asshole," they muttered, catching themselves too fast, already leaping forward, hand curled into fist, going for his face.
He stopped the attack with surprisingly little-
A painful blow to his calf caused him to lose balance. His opponent kneed him in the stomach, making him double over on the floor when he went down.
Shit.
Even if he was twenty years younger, he wouldn't have been able to keep up with that speed.
Merlin stood up, launching himself forward, aiming at their temple.
They deflected the punch with their forearm, hitting his chin and forcing it back so hard he forgot to breathe.
He stumbled. An elbow connected with his chest. Something cut through his suit.
They withdrew. He regained his stand, panting, catching sight of … a dagger in their hand.
The knife was still on the floor.
He took a step in their direction, managing to catch their wrist, increasing the pressure on the nerve under his fingers. As expected, the weapon slit from their hand.
Next he knew was that he landed on the ground, the impact making him black out from the pain.
Heavy. On his chest.
They smashed his head against the floor. He groaned.
Metal against his throat. Knife. Cutting into his skin. Safety clicking off. Gun.
He stopped moving. His sight cleared.
The stranger sat on his chest, knee planted besides him, knife in one hand and gun in the other.
"One last chance," they … no, she warned. "Give me the real names of the other Kingsmen and I might shoot you before I cut off your head." She had a faint accent.
"Lovely," he muttered. "What if I refuse?"
"I cut off your head while you're still alive," she said dryly.
Indeed, a lovely choice.
"So?" she questioned, pressing the knife deeper into his skin until blood trickled down.
"If you kill me, you won't get your information," he warned her, eyes on the blade.
"Because it isn't like there are other agents I can have a nice talk with, right?" she replied with a snort.
"They are trained," he said, although he could barely speak. "They'll kill you."
"Like you?" she retorted, clearly amused. "That would make my job so much easier."
Merlin bit his tongue.
One sudden movement and he would dead. Or paralysed from the neck down. Both were things he'd like to avoid.
Someone was picking a lock. The lock on his door.
Her head snapped up while she tightened the grip on her weapons.
"Merlin," Roxy said over the glasses. "Merlin, hang on, we're nearly there." Her voice was barely a whisper.
The woman above him bit her lip.
The door sprang open.
Merlin grabbed her waist, shoving her.
She cursed, damping the fall with her hands. Then she was back on her feet, shooting.
He rolled away from her, putting a knee to the floor, before attempting to push himself up. Everything was spinning.
He stayed on the ground, looking up. There were the two agents, both of them hunched behind an umbrella for cover.
Dagger – flying dagger, piercing the ground inches away from them with an ugly noise.
The woman turned around towards him, aiming her gun.
Shot.
Hissing, she dropped to her knees.
Eggsy was now leaping at her her for an attack, but she bolted from her position, another dagger in her hands. The agent dodged; she kept attacking.
Roxy knelt down next to him.
"You okay?" she whispered. "You're bleeding." She pointed to his throat.
He touched the injury, barely noticing the cut in his skin.
"Yes," he answered, nodding, his gaze wandering back to the fight.
Eggsy had trouble standing his ground against the woman, struggling with the speed, brutality, and unconventionality of her style.
The other agent gave him a glance, before getting up. Cautiously, she approached the stranger from behind.
She dodged the attack, stepping to the side, before whirling around and hitting Roxy's stomach.
Eggsy targeted her hip with a kick. His foot connected, causing her to lose balance.
She fell to the ground and … she was trembling, when she got back up, but her right leg was giving in under her.
"Fucking-"
Merlin narrowed his eyes, slowly pushing himself into a standing position.
His friends had already gotten closer, cutting off any way to escape, since the woman's back was to the wall.
"Surrender," Eggsy demanded, his voice firm and confident.
Merlin wasn't so sure about it. It could be an act. It certainly would be an unusual one, especially for someone with such skills, but it was a possibility – she was so good, he couldn't imagine her failing.
"Yeah, right," she snapped. She tried standing straighter. Instead, she fell into a coughing fit, clutching the fabric of her shirt with one hand.
It … didn't make sense.
The two agents exchanged a short glance before leaping into action.
The woman dodged the first hit, bringing herself in direct line of Roxy's punch. It sent her staggering backwards.
She ended up collapsing.
Eggsy first looked at her, then at his friend, then at him.
Carefully, Merlin took a few steps towards the unconscious woman, kneeling down next to her, expecting something, but there wasn't anything. Her pulse was … weak, weaker than it was supposed to be, and her skin too cold.
He rose to his feet, turning around to the other two agents with a small sigh.
"Let's get her to the headquarters," he said. They nodded.