A/N: Thanks again to 'ivefoundmygoldfish(melonpanparade)' for being such an awesome person and beta!

Planning Stage

For the first time since she started training for the position of Lancelot, Roxy entered the small, comfortable cottage of her childhood. Just like every other candidate before, she'd shared a room with her fellow trainees at HQ the past few months and had been too busy to return. Percival hadn't been home much either, so she hadn't seen the need to visit.

The door closed behind her with a soft click and Roxy slipped out of her shoes before entering the dark living room. A quick glance at the clock above the kitchen door told her it was shortly before midnight. She'd taken the train instead of the Kingsman shuttle to clear her head and it was later than she expected. Keeping the light switched off, she ascended the stairs guided only by the moonlight filtering in through the windows. She stopped in front of the first door, reached out to touch the door handle, yet froze before she could enter the master bedroom.

When she'd last been here, Roxy had just flown back from St. Andrew's in a hurry after receiving an urgent call from Merlin. Nothing, however, had prepared her for what awaited her at home. She'd found her brother lying on the carpet beside the bed, still wearing his suit and clutching one of James' shirts. After she'd woken him and guided him to the couch in the dining room, he'd told her of James' death and she'd cried in his arms; had mourned for the man who'd been so much like a father for her since he popped into her life when she was only six years old. He was one of the two people she looked up to, and the one with whom she'd gotten into all kind of trouble.

She let go of the handle hastily and turned towards her old room instead.

After changing into more comfortable clothes, Roxy collapsed onto the mattress and quickly piled pillows and blankets around her.

Once she'd snuggled into her fortress she closed her eyes and breathed in the familiar scent of the room, feeling oddly safe and yet lost. No matter how old she was, the knowledge that she'd never again cross the hallway after a nightmare and slip between the two people lying side by side in the dark of the opposite room followed her into sleep and haunted her dreams.

~oOo~

Blood. Everywhere. It smeared his hands and coated his suit. He couldn't tell whether any of the bodies piling between the banks and lying slumped against the walls were still alive, wasn't even sure if he himself was dead.

He stumbled over the corpses, looking up, only to meet the barrel of a raised gun, the finger pushing the trigger to release the bullet. Coming closer. Coming straight for his face.

Eggsy screamed — an unnatural high pitched sound that echoed of the walls and still rang in his ears when he opened his eyes. He hastily searched for the switch of the light on his nightstand with his right hand and was met with the familiar setting of his bedroom when it clicked.

He buried his face in his hands and tried to chase the image of Harry - lying on the asphalt with a hole in his head - out of his mind. Once his breathing had slowed down a little, Eggsy slowly lay down again. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't go back to sleep. And so he stared at the ceiling instead, waiting for the sun to rise.

~oOo~

Not having slept well, but feeling a lot better after taking a hot shower, Roxy set out breakfast at the table in the kitchen. The fridge didn't contain much, but she'd been able to locate some marmalade and grab some frozen bread out of the freezer. While she waited for it to thaw, Roxy went through the mail which had piled up since Percy had left. She also watered the few plants that had survived the regular absence of their owner.

This time she only hesitated briefly before entering the master bedroom to check on the cactus standing on the windowsill. Not having much need for water, it was in a much better shape than every other plant in the house. Before Roxy could turn around to leave the room, a familiar looking pair of glasses caught her attention and she scooped it up from where it rested on top of the wardrobe.

She recognised them immediately as James' Kingsman glasses, because they weren't designed to correct any visual defects, but to create a link between the agent and HQ.

James had always refused to wear them and insisted they looked ridiculous on him. After a few heated arguments Merlin had eventually given in and come up with a special button instead, and although not as efficient, it was able to transmit visual and audio data.

She fondly traced the frame with her right index finger and held the glasses at arm's length to look through them. Before Roxy could change her mind she put on the glasses, wrinkling her nose at the unfamiliar weight.

She closed the bedroom door behind her and returned to the kitchen to eat some of the bread left out earlier. It was still cold, frozen in places, even, but that didn't dampen her mood. Roxy left the house feeling a lot more like herself than when she'd come back from the V-Day mission. It seemed James had passed on some of his never faltering optimism - that had amused and annoyed everyone to no end – through his glasses to her, liftin a heavy weight off her shoulders.

~oOo~

"I'm glad you and Daisy are coming, Mum. Everything will be okay now, I promise." Eggsy was relieved he'd confronted Dean last evening. It had felt more than good to finally teach him and his abusive friends a lesson, although it probably hadn't been very gentleman-like. But he'd learned from the best after all.

Sitting beside him at the kitchen table was Daisy, and he leaned over to smile at her lovingly. There was no way he'd let anyone harm his family, especially not after he'd just lost someone so close to him. One more day and his mum and baby sister would be living in a proper home, without having to fear Dean's anger ever again.

Eggsy had texted Tristan last night after the fight in the bar to cover up his tracks and the older agent had immediately agreed to assign him one of the Kingsman houses. The keys would be given to his mum once he was back at HQ, and hopefully they would be able to move in soon after. In the meantime, Eggsy was more than confident Dean wouldn't dare send someone, seeing as he was still nursing a head injury in the hospital.

His mum beamed at him happily. "You'll follow us in a bit, won't you?"

"Of course, just have to go to the shop today," Eggsy answered, rising to put his plate into the dishwasher. He highly doubted his mother believed he was a tailor and was determined to tell her the truth soon, but for now — until everything had settled down, at least — he would have to stick to his cover story. For both their sakes.

"But don't worry, there're people looking out for you."

Giving his sister a quick kiss on the head — to which she responded with an excited squeal — and his mother a tight hug, Eggsy said his goodbyes and prepared to leave for HQ.

"I'll be back before you miss me."

~oOo~

This time, Roxy decided to take the Kingsman tube as well and she entered the shop to find Eggsy waiting for her in the dressing room with the elevator.

He greeted her with a hug and grinned sheepishly. "Nice glasses, Rox."

She smiled in response, but didn't reply, knowing this wasn't the right time for explanations.

After a ride spent in comfortable silence, they arrived at the mansion and walked straight to Central where both Tristan and Merlin were already waiting. While Tristan was his usual cheerful self, it was obvious Merlin hadn't rested for long. There were still dark patches under his eyes, but at least he seemed to have taken a shower and slipped on fresh clothing.

"Good morning, you two," Tristan chirped, standing behind Merlin whose eyes were fixed on the huge computer screen.

"Morning," Eggsy responded, nodding towards the quartermaster. "Anything we missed?"

"I was able get in touch with Bors and Lamorak who'd been laying low in India."

"Have they been injured?" Roxy cut in worriedly.

"Just a few bruises, but nothing too serious," Tristan answered. "Bors is flying to Australia right now to seek out Gawain, and Lamorak has gone searching for Percival in Iran."

Although not completely reassured, a Kingsman agent helping to locate Percy seemed to help comfort Roxy a bit.

"Morgana has reported back as well," Merlin said, opening a map on the screen. "And she's got some interesting news."

That awoke the two young agents' curiosity and they moved to stand beside Tristan. Looking over Merlin's shoulder, Eggsy saw a map of Berlin and what appeared to be the website of a scientific institute.

"Turns out Kay and Bedivere were spying on a corrupt firm that produces and tests new chemical and biological weapons. If the rumours are true, they've developed a highly dangerous neurotoxin and intend to use it to decrease the world's population by approximately 50%."

"What, again?" Eggsy asked incredulously. What was up with all the villains? What had happened to the classic striving for world domination?

"Why haven't Kay and Bedivere taken them down, yet?" Roxy asked with a frown. If a threat like this existed, surely the two agents would have acted without hesitation. It also didn't explain why Morgana had been called in as reinforcement.

"Whoever they are, they are not operating on their own. Their intel is far too detailed for a small firm like them and they don't have the means to spread the toxin. Furthermore, they appear to have knowledge about Kingsman," Merlin explained. "A week after Kay and Bedivere arrived in Berlin and started their investigation, several of the Kingsman employees in Germany were poisoned. Because another attack was very likely, Morgana left to help minimalise further damage and give medical advice."

"Forgive my bluntness, but I don't see how we can help them."

Merlin smiled at her and although it was still weak, Roxy counted it as a success. "You're right. We can't directly, but they have been able to hack into their system and steal a few files. You two will search them for any reliable information we can use."

The two young agents nodded, glad they would have something to do. Even if it wasn't a real mission.

"Good." Merlin handed them a stack of files and a tablet. "You can go to the library. I'll talk to the rest of the Kingsman employees while you're working. They have reported back and deserve an explanation, so don't let yourself get distracted by them running around the mansion."

Eggsy was about to ask how many people actually worked here, but thought better of it. Judging from the many laboratories and the fact that Merlin couldn't be handler for all missions, Kingsman had more employees than he'd guessed.

"And I'm leaving for Kentucky in a few minutes," Tristan added gravely, not looking any of them in the eye. They all knew what he would be doing. Eggsy wondered briefly if there would be a funeral, and if so, how many people would turn up. The thought that all the attendees were most likely in this room saddened him, and for a second he wished Tristan wouldn't go. If they didn't collect his body, Eggsy could pretend Harry was still alive, living somewhere in the States, oblivious to his former life. What a selfish, pointless hope.

Thanks to all the lovely people who stick with me and this story!
For those who asked about Percival: He will appear in the fifth chapter, so don't worry ;)