Chapter Text
The following days leading up to the night of their planned attack passes by quickly.
Percival and Eggsy had informed Agent Reyes of their new objective the day after they finalised their plan, and the Filipino agent looked skeptical with the sudden decision.
“We have not gathered enough intel on Rodriguez,” she had argued to Percival, trying - and failing rather dismally - to convince the British agents to change their minds. “We need to get as much evidence against him.”
“We’ve heard, or rather read, enough to draw to the conclusion that Rodriguez is nothing but a lowly, frustrated poor excuse of a human being,” Percival had calmly explained. Eggsy admired how the man had managed to keep his composure when Reyes was glaring daggers at him. “He has no motive behind these attacks. He just wants to be noticed by the media and be feared by your people. Not taking action now can prove to be a greater risk in the long run. Believe me in this.”
“Merlin -“
“Told us to do anything necessary to take down Rodriguez and his men,” interjected Eggsy, mindful of his accent at the time. “He trusts us to make the right call, and Percival and I have decided that the sooner we take them down, the less people will get hurt.”
“The reason Gary and I are here in the first place is because of your intel and because of your lack of agents following V-Day. Like it or not, Dana, we’re going to do our job.” Percival’s tone had brooked no argument.
Thankfully, Agent Reyes knew better and, unfortunately for her, let the matter go.
All in all, Eggsy was in a good mood the rest of the time he and Percival prepared. And sooner than later, the evening of their planned attack has finally arrived.
When the clock strikes 10 o’clock in the evening on a humid Wednesday night, it’s time to finally take action. And Eggsy is buzzing with nerves and anticipation for what’s to come in the next several hours.
“You have everything you need?” Percival asks as he zips up the duffel bag where his sniper is kept.
Eggsy double checks his own weapons that are on his person: his dart watch, five Ignite the Light’s, two Kingsman-standard TT-30 pistols with two extra magazines.
“Yeah, bruv,” he replies with a nod. He fixes his tie before grabbing the Rainmaker from his bed. “You’re all set?”
Percival nods minutely and then checks his hair on the glass window one last time - dark locks fixed into a side part pompadour (don’t ask Eggsy how he knows that bloody hairstyle) - before taking hold of his duffel bag from the coffee table.
“Right, let’s go. Wouldn’t want to be late.”
Eggsy snorts as he locks the door behind them. They’re both dressed in their bespoke suits - Eggsy in a charcoal single-breasted suit with a slate blue tie and Percival in a dark navy double-breasted pinstripe suit with a burgundy striped tie. Exiting the lifts, Eggsy thinks that they must look quite the pair as they confidently walk past the reception area, people they walk past doing double takes to openly gawk at them.
“So much for being discreet,” Eggsy mutters under his breath, his lips barely moving an inch as he throws a wink at a group of young ladies.
“They probably think we’re going to the casino,” Percival responds just as quietly. He ignores the looks being given to him, although Eggsy can see the smirk that he’s trying hard not to show.
“You cheeky tosser, you’re enjoying it!” Eggsy remarks, grinning mischievously with a gentle nudge.
The only answer he receives from the taller agent is an eye-roll.
There is an insistent beeping in Merlin’s tablet that stops him mid-talk. That couldn’t be good.
“Apologies, ma’am,” he says ruefully. “But I have to take this.”
“By all means, Merlin,” replies the elderly woman sitting in front of him with a nod. “Take your time, I know it must be important.”
“Thank you,” Merlin responds respectfully before he ducks his head and answers the call. “What is it, Artemis?”
Artemis, one of the best handlers in Merlin’s department - and who is currently handling Percival and Eggsy’s mission in Manila, replies in a clipped tone, “Sir, there’s been a situation. Percival and Unwin are currently infiltrating the warehouse in Makati.”
Buggering hell.
“That can’t be right. I spoke to Dana and the agents yesterday to wait until Friday night to find out where Rodriguez’s other warehouses are located. They agreed.”
There is a pause on the other end of the line.
“… Well, sir. They’re halfway through with taking down Rodriguez’s men.”
For fuck’s sake.
Merlin’s lips thinned, his stomach churning at what he’s just been told. Oh, the trouble Eggsy and Percival have gotten into this time. They can’t even follow such simple instructions.
“What is the situation, then?” he asks, his thick Scottish brogue deepening.
Artemis only hesitates for a beat before she says, “Unwin is quickly making his way towards Rodriguez. The madman has activated another bomb to blow up the whole warehouse and Percival has just arrived in the building to defuse it.”
A bomb? Fan-fucking-tastic. Thank Christ it’s Percival that’s with Eggsy, as the man is a legend when it comes to defusing bombs.
Nevertheless, Merlin is still going to tear them a new one for being so bloody fucking stubborn.
“Continue as you are, Artemis,” the quartermaster says eventually. “I’ll wrap up my meeting and then I’ll take over from there.”
“Understood, sir.”
Merlin ends the call and then curses, unaware that his companion was attentively listening to him talk to his handler. Before he can utter another word, he hears the elderly woman clear her throat and address him.
“Merlin, dear, I do believe this can wait,” the woman comments kindly, but with a knowing look. “It’s apparent that you’re needed elsewhere.”
The Scottish wizard snaps his head up in mild shock.
“But -“ Merlin begins.
The latter interrupts him smoothly. “But nothing. That is an order, Merlin. We can re-schedule this meeting when their mission is complete.”
Merlin snaps his mouth shut, internally relieved that he doesn’t have to cancel the meeting himself as he considers it rude and unprofessional, notwithstanding the fact that he was the one to arrange said meeting.
Oh, he’s certainly going to have more than a word with Percival and Eggsy later. After those idiots finish their job.
With a final nod, he stands up from his seat and bows respectfully at the elderly woman.
“I do apologise again, ma’am. I’ll re-schedule our meeting after I deal with this situation.”
“Understood, Merlin. Good luck, and get our boys home safe.”
The Scottish wizard’s lips quirk upwards.
“Yes, Arthur.”
Thirty-six hours and a too long flight later, Eggsy and Percival’s plane touch down at Kingsman HQ’s hangar. Exhausted, the two agents slowly disembark, heedful of the injuries they acquired the previous night. Eggsy, who’s bringing up the rear, was about to make a joke about being in two different continents in the same day when he spots Merlin’s tall figure.
To say that the Scotsman looks pissed is the understatement of the century. Merlin looks furious. Eggsy gulps inaudibly then, and as he continues to observe his friend, the quartermaster’s frown only seems to deepen further.
“I think we’re more fucked than usual,” the young blond murmurs to Percival as he falls into step beside the taller agent.
“And here I thought we received the worst of his temper last night,” Percival murmurs back dryly.
Eggsy spares him a glance. “You don’t get to take the blame yourself, bruv. I was part of it, too.”
If Percival was surprised at his words, he doesn’t show it. Instead, the taller agent looks at him from the corner of his eye.
“I like to think of myself as generous sometimes, Eggsy. If that means I get to share Merlin’s wrath with you, then by all means.”
Eggsy smothers his laugh and ends up snorting, his lips twitching in barely concealed mirth. He looks up and sees the quartermaster’s sour face, and that just dampens his mood once more. They are a few feet away from Merlin, but before either of them can say anything the Scotsman beats them to it.
“Unwin, Macintosh,” is Merlin’s greeting, voice like steel. “Get your arses down to sick bay to tend to your injuries and then report to my office for your debriefing once you’re both cleared. Understood?”
“Yes, Merlin,” Percival replies respectfully, face carefully blank.
Eggsy fights through the lump he suddenly feels in his throat to croak out, “Merlin.”
Merlin’s owlish eyes swivel past Percival’s to fix the blond agent with a hard stare. In that moment, Eggsy feels like he’s been sucker-punched.
“Now, gentlemen.”
Merlin turns on his heel and briskly walks away from them. With every step the tall man took, a heavy weight starts to settle in Eggsy’s stomach – to the point where he feels nauseous.
One of the promises he made to himself after being knighted was to never disappoint Merlin. But it seems that Eggsy is used to letting the people he cares about down as he has broken that promise dozens of times already. He senses that this time is going to be different. This time, he will face the consequences.
“Shall we?” Percival utters quietly beside him, breaking him out of his thoughts.
Nodding, Eggsy squares his shoulders and fights through the throbbing pain in his knee as he and Percival start their trek to sick bay.
He is so not looking forward to the debriefing.