Epilogue
I woke up in a hospital. The glaring, white walls making me think I was dead for a second, before the IV needle and hospital gown I was dressed in, brought me back to reality. I pushed myself upright, taking in my unfamiliar surroundings. A tugging sensation on my leg drew my attention to it. It was covered in plaster and suspended on a stirrup above the bed to stop me jostling it. I rubbed my eyes, the drugs in my system slowing my senses. I was in a private room, it looked like a high end hospital as well. The décor was calming and elegant, apart from the IV drip and hospital bed it could have been a hotel room. A large window was on one side, I didn't recognise the view. Some unknown city, in an unknown country.
I cast my gaze round to the other side of the room and nearly fell out of the bed in fright. 47 was sat in the chair beside me, his red tie loosened at the neck, his suit jacket was resting on the back of the chair and his shirt sleeves were rolled up. He was very still, his eyes closed, but I wasn't convinced he was asleep. I leant towards him, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest. After a moment one blue eye opened to stare at me, his mouth twitched at my intent expression. Slowly he opened the other eye and straightened up in the chair.
"Nice nap?" I shot at him, my mouth stretching into a cheeky grin. His half smile appeared, and he clasped his hands together, resting them on his knees.
"It was okay. Yours?" I glanced at my trussed up leg.
"How long was I out?" He turned to look at a clock on the wall behind him.
"Two days, twelve hours and fifteen minutes." His eyes creased at my shocked expression.
"Wow, that's the longest I've ever slept." My tongue felt sore and too big for my mouth, but it wasn't too painful. My knee throb steadily within the cast, the sharp, unbearable pain I had felt before was gone. 47 waited patiently for me to complete my physical assessment, tentatively feeling myself all over. My hand reached round the back of my head and touched a sensitive lump; that must have been the place Timothy had knocked me out. Satisfied all my limbs were still attached, just, I turned my attention back to the assassin sat beside me.
"Okay?" He asked, barely concealed amusement in his voice. I frowned at him.
"I think so. Have you been there the entire time?"
"No." I tried to ignore the twinge of disappointment at his response. I would have to deal with the inconvenient feelings that had come to the surface at some point; my relationship with 47 had to remain professional. "I had to leave for two hours earlier to meet with Diana." A brief flash of a proper smile transformed his face, but it had gone as quickly as it had arrived.
My eyes narrowed, "Did you just tease me?" I took the one raised eyebrow as a yes. I leant back against the pillows, the morphine making me weary. A sudden thought made me jolt back up.
"The intel?" 47 nodded, his expression becoming serious again. He reached down beside the chair and pulled up my laptop. Gently he passed it to me, I slid it onto my lap.
"We looked through it. There's some interesting stuff in there." I opened my computer, the familiarity of the desktop making me relax.
"There's definitely one thing I learnt from our adventure." I said, giving 47 a sideways look. "I do not intend to go into the field again anytime soon." I lovingly stroke my laptop, solidifying my promise. 47 chuckled, the sound was alien and I stared at him open mouthed. He was smiling a kind smile at me, not pretending, a proper friendly smile. I couldn't help but smile back.
"I think I can agree with you there Perry." We shared the companionable moment for a few seconds, for the first time since becoming his handler I felt like we understood each other completely. I turned my attention back to my laptop; the desktop had a number of new files on it. My bounty from the basement from hell. I began to flick through them, there were reams of intel on future projects; a plan to infiltrate all internet providers to control the internet itself, confirmation of the bill to legalise citizen monitoring and a design for a program to divert all electronic forms of money in banks around the world.
I gave a low whistle at the information I had digested so far. "These guys are serious." I saw 47 nodding in my peripheral vision.
"Some of those files reveal key members in Cicada. My meeting with Diana was her confirming the board have cleared us to take them out." I looked at my agent quizzically.
"Us?" His eyes locked with mine, unblinking.
"The board has acknowledged your bravery and ingenuity in the field, by clearing you for active duty again." Relief washed over me, even after everything I had been through, the things I had done and the people I had lost I still couldn't wait to start doing my job again.
"Good." I stated simply. 47 stood slowly taking the jacket from the back of the chair, and walking to the end of my bed.
"You've been given a month bed rest. We will complete the contracts, once you feel you're able." He paused for a moment, looking down at my plaster cast. "Perry, Diana told me to tell you if you need to talk to anyone about Timothy she is there to listen." He looked at me, his expression very serious. "Not many handlers have experienced killing a person themselves, she is understanding of what that might have done to you. As am I." I cocked my head to one side, a small smile on my face.
"I'm ok 47. It was necessary at the time, and he killed my friend. An eye for an eye and all." He half smiled at me.
"Indeed, it was a good shot. You never cease to amaze me Peregrine, I'm proud of you." I grinned at him, my cheeks coloring slightly at his praise.
"I'll await your instruction Perry." He gave me a piercing look as he turned and exited my hospital room.
I let the solitude close in on me, sorting through my thoughts. I had a lot to think about, Cicada was still at large but we had a realistic chance to take them down now. A spike of excitement shot through me at the thought of avenging Andy. There was no denying I was a changed person now, the girl that had met Tobias Rieper nearly 18 months ago no longer existed. Instead a confident, toughened stranger sat in her place already planning her next contract in her head.
I flicked through the other files searching for anything else of interest, a strong sense of determination taking me over. Whatever challenge awaited me I would always endeavor to do the right thing.
I was grinning to myself when a new message appeared in my inbox. Unmarked. My heart lurched as I clicked on the box and the ominous symbol of a Cicada dominated the screen. I read the message below, clearly written this time, a warning to me about the agency.
A slow feeling of horror spread through me, sweeping away the confident assurance that had been there a moment before. This couldn't be real, they were lying to me. Even the ICA wasn't capable of what Cicada was accusing them of. The incriminating words of the message burned into my retinas, my blood turning to ice.
If what Cicada had sent me was true, then it changed everything I had thought about the agency. Slowly I closed my laptop and stared at the closed door in front of me, planning my next move.
To be continued…
A/U: So that is it for this story, hope you enjoyed. 47 and Peregrine will return in the next instalment, Hitman: Revelation. Hopefully you will be eager to see what happens to them next. Cicada isn't done yet!
Thank you all for your reviews and comments, it's you guys I am writing this for. See you in the next story. :)