Chapter Eight-

After Percival had left, three weeks passed uneventfully. Harry managed to disarm Winter for the second time. She began teaching him French, in preparation for the mission. The week before Percival was scheduled to return, Harry decided to go visit Winter.

When Harry arrived at her room, he was surprised to find the door standing slightly ajar.

"Winter?" he called out softly. Frowning, he poked his head in. She was nowhere to be seen. Stepping inside, he vaguely heard a sweet voice singing and the pattering of the shower. He chuckled. She was singing in the shower. He settled himself on the sofa, and picked up a thin novel off the coffee table. He poured himself some tea, helped himself to a biscuit (it was an agreement between the two of them- when she was in his room, she could eat his food) and immersed himself in the storyline. He vaguely noticed the shower turning off a while later. He also heard a peculiar ticking noise- he assumed it was an alarm clock of some sort.

"What the fuck are you doing in here?" a voice suddenly screeched. Harry glanced up and promptly choked on his tea. Winter was wearing only a lacy black bra and panties (not that Harry was looking), with a towel wrapped around her wet hair. She screamed again, picking up the object on her left and hurling it at Harry, which happened to be a picture frame. In her panic, she missed, and the frame harmlessly bounced off the cushion beside Harry. The next time, she was far more accurate, and Harry had to duck to avoid a well-aimed tissue box. Yelling obscenities at him, Winter continued throwing things at him until Harry sprung up from his seat and grabbed her wrists. She tried to bite him, but he didn't budge.

"Winter! I'm sorry! Stop it!" he yelled. She bared her teeth at him.

"Why the fuck did you break into my room?"

"I didn't!" Harry protested. "Your door was open!"

"You know I never leave my door open!" Winter yelled. "Unless I want somebody to place-"

"A bomb under your pillow," Harry finished. They stared at each other, comprehension dawning on their faces when they heard the strange ticking noise Harry had heard earlier turn into an ominous, loud beeping. The beeping begin to accelerate. Without thinking, Harry grabbed her waist and threw himself with all his weight at the room's window, taking her with him. They went tumbling out of the shattered window just as the room exploded. Harry hugged Winter tightly to his chest, making sure he took the force of the blow when hitting the ground. Even though he braced himself, the wind was still knocked out of his lungs. They lay, frozen and shocked, for a few moments, breathing heavily. Harry tried to ignore the press of her bare skin on his body. Recovering first, Winter scrambled off him, patting his chest.

"Oh my god, are you okay?" she exclaimed, panicking. "Oh shit, I'm not wearing anything," she noted. Grimacing, Harry pushed himself off the ground, pulling off his jacket and dress shirt. She gave him a confused look. "The lady's needs come before the gentleman's," he breathed. She grinned. He handed her the shirt, which she hastily put on. It was big on her, ending a few inches above her knees. "Give me your belt," she said after a moment.

"Why?" Harry wheezed. He did it anyways. She strapped it around her waist. Scrolling up the sleeves past her elbows, she did a little pose for him. It suddenly looked as if she was wearing a fashionable dress. He managed a grin, shaking his head ruefully. She helped him up, dusting off his jacket for him.

"Goddamn lucky Clover is at the vet's for a checkup," Winter remarked, swallowing. Harry gave her a reassuring glance before the two of them looked up simultaneously at the smoke billowing out of the heard voices, and the pounding of feet. Arthur appeared in the distance, rushing towards them.

"Are you two okay?" Arthur asked anxiously. Several other agents followed behind him, carrying various weaponry.

"We're fine, sir," Harry responded. "Someone put a bomb in her room while she was in the shower."

"That's impossible," Arthur insisted.

"Well, do you suppose I blew up my room for the fun of it?" Winter asked angrily. Harry shot her a look. No point in getting Arthur pissed off. "Sorry," she amended. "Just a bit wound up."

"Understandable," Arthur replied curtly. "Search the area," he commanded the agents. "Call in the French Kingsman branch for back up," he told another familiar looking agent, likely Arthur's assistant, who appeared at Arthur's right side.

"Yes sir," she replied, nodding firmly. She dialed a few numbers into a small keypad in her pocket. "French HQ, this is UK HQ, do you read?" She paused. "This is UK HQ to French HQ, requesting back up. We have a Code Black, I repeat, a Code Black. Over." She paused again, listening. Frowning, she tapped a device sitting beside her ear. "French HQ, do you read? Hello?" She turned to Arthur, anxiety settling over her expression. "I can't connect."

"This is UK HQ," Arthur began, tapping the device beside his own ear. "Requesting immediate back up. French HQ, do you copy?"

"We have an emergency!" a voice suddenly hollered from the other end.

"Yes, a Code Black," Arthur replied irritatedly.

"No! UK Kingsman Agent Percival and Galahad-" Sounds of more yelling and gunshots were faintly heard.

"What? What the fuck is going on?" Arthur shouted into his mic.

"We have- cod-" The transmission shut off suddenly. An enormous blast of sound from the earpiece caused both Arthur and his assistant to jump. Harry and Winter exchanged worried glances. "I repeat!" the person on the other line yelled. "A code Omega!" Arthur stiffened visibly. The transmission went dead. Arthur's assistant froze.

"Did he say…" she trailed off. Arthur's mouth was set in a grim line.

"We have a code Omega," Arthur confirmed.

Dun dun dun! Okay, hope you enjoyed it, thank you for all the support!

-happynomnom