Notes: Hey there!
Last chapter didn't have a lot of information, but... I hope you enjoyed it.
This story takes place a few months after the whole Valentine debacle, and it completly ignores the second movie. (Just like I will do for the rest of my life)
Here's the new one!
Chapter 1
25 years later
Harry Hart had adapted pretty well to his new life as Arthur. Well, considering that he had come back from the dead, found out his boss and mentor was a traitor and so were another 4 members of the Kingsman and had to basically restructure the whole agency, he thought he was doing very well.
But this? Fuck.
Seriously. Fucking fuck.
He was not paid to deal with this kind of shit.
Except that… He was. Kind of.
This was a mess.
Could he die again? Please?
Harry took a deep breath and reminded himself that he was not a little boy, to be whining about things. He was the leader of this damn agency and he was going to act like one, goddamn it!
His pep talk lasted for about 50 seconds, just enough time to enter the meeting room and see the other agents there, looking at him with the utmost trust.
Shit.
After the V-Day they found out just how deep the corruption of the agency ran. After the dust had settled they looked for the other agents and found 4 of them dead, heads blown.
Another knife in the back.
So there were only eight of them left and it was not enough, not with the mess that was left behind, not with an agency that had lost its faith on its values. Arthur needed more, but his agents had run dry. They had nothing else to give.
He couldn't ask for anything more, and yet…
Here he was, about to ask anyway.
Lord, Merlin was going to kill him.
"We have a situation." He declared directly, choosing not to waste anyone's time with long speeches.
"Fuck's sake, Arthur." Eggsy groaned. "What now?"
After everything the boy had done for the agency it seemed only logical that he deserved his place among them. Harry was to become Arthur anyway, so the boy took the name of Galahad.
Fair was fair on Harry's book.
Besides the boy they had Lancelot, Urien, Gareth, Bors, Percival, Dagonet and Caradoc left. Urien and Caradoc had almost killed each other during the whole V-Day thing and weren't on speaking terms at the moment, but at least they were here.
Merlin was also there, not sitting at the table, just on the corner, like he always did. "What's the problem, Arthur?" He asked, his voice so calm, so focused. Harry had been leaning heavily on Merlin these days. He couldn't do all of this if his friend wasn't there with him.
"The MI-6." Harry spoke softly.
"What?" Bors demanded, standing up.
"What do they want?" Urien asked, incensed.
"What they always wanted, obviously." Percival spoke, his voice carefully unconcerned. "To control us."
"The problem is that now they can." Harry informed them all.
"I beg your pardon?" Merlin arched a brow.
"What is going on exactly?" Roxy asked Harry.
"We always had a bit of a problem with the MI-6." Harry informed the youngest agents. "They've been trying to control us for many years. They want to use us."
"And we've managed to escape that so far, so what has changed?" Gareth demanded.
"V-Day." Harry sighed. "And the fact that Arthur was part of it."
"Shit." Bors cursed.
"So what are they saying?" Merlin wanted to know.
On the outside he looked pretty calm, Harry observed, however he knew Merlin better than anyone else. His voice was cold, bordering on freezing. His friend was pissed and he knew exactly why.
"We have no idea who else was involved on this on their side." Harry explained. "They said that there wasn't anyone, but we know that's bullshit. Either way, they insist that this is the result of them being 'too complacent' with us."
"Being too what?" Eggsy sputtered.
"If we don't accept their terms we're going to be considered criminals and they'll do whatever it's necessary to destroy all of us." Harry finished. "With the Interpol and CIA's full cooperation."
"What the fuck?" Eggsy got up and slammed his palms on the table. "They can't do that."
"Technically they can." Dagonet, who had remained silent until then, finally said. "We have no ties with governments or any kind of supervision. From a different perspective we're nothing but a bunch of vigilantes at best and terrorists at worst."
"So what, Harry?" Roxy asked, clearly worried. "What are they asking of us?"
"Our full cooperation." Harry informed, sarcasm heavy on his voice. "They didn't actually ask anything, per se. They mostly offered help."
Nobody spoke a word, but it was very obvious their opinion on the matter.
"Help?" Percival prompted him.
"They offered to 'lend' us two experienced agents and two candidates for new positions." Harry couldn't keep his frustration of his voice anymore. "They made a point of saying that we don't have to keep the candidates if we don't want to, but that they are great assets."
"And that way they have four agents inside our house." Caradoc rolled his eyes.
"Actually…" Harry cleared his throat. "Five. They'll send in a handler for them, as well as a liaison."
Bors was observing Harry very carefully and Gareth and Caradoc traded looks, but it was Dagonet who asked. "Something wrong, Arthur?"
"We know the handler." He admitted.
Merlin finally stopped pretending he was looking at his tablet and looked at Harry. "Who is it?" He demanded.
"Merlin, I tried to…"
"Harry." His voice was a blade.
Roxy and Eggsy were looking at him in shock, because they'd never seen Merlin act like this, especially towards Harry.
"It is Valentina." Harry said at last.
Gareth was spluttering from his place and Bors was yelling that 'no way in hell', while Roxy and Eggsy just stayed there, mostly confused, and Merlin…
Well, Merlin had no expression on his face. He didn't move, didn't say a word. Then he just started walking towards the door without saying one word. He left the room and slammed the door so hard that Harry thought it was going to fall from its hinges.
"Shit." Harry grumbled under his breath.
The other agents were looking in shock at the door, even Dagonet, who most of the time was impossible to be read.
"Is this a bad moment to ask who is this Valentina?" Roxy asked.
"Valentina Rizzo?" Urien's voice was full of derision. "Just the only Guinevere we've ever had in here."
Eggsy and Roxy looked at each other. "Well, fuck." Eggsy murmured.
Fuck indeed.
Notes: So... Valentina is a legend, and not in a positive way...
Let me know your feelings! In the next one we'll know Merlin's.
