XIV

                                    

                                          
     Eggsy and I began to go down the stairs towards Harry's stash of scotch, when Eggsy paused to stare at the opened bathroom, right at Mr. Pickles. 
                          
      I gave him a few moments, letting him think about whatever he was pondering about, before I tugged his hand and poured us two glasses. 
                          
     Eggsy sat down as he drank his, but I stood, and downed the alcohol in one gulp. I was already numb as it was, and I just needed to feel something.
                          
      I caught my reflection in the polished glass. Not quite (Y/N)... not yet a Kingsman, and nothing like (S/n). The fiery drink burned my throat, and as I reached for more, Eggsy suddenly pulled me by the elbow and out the flat. 
                          
     I was quiet the entire ride, and it seemed like I was dragging bricks instead of my own limbs as I followed Eggsy into the tailor shop. 
                          
     We went past the fitting rooms, and into the dining room were Arthur was. I could barely contain a scowl. Why the fuck did Eggsy take me here?
                          
      "Arthur," Eggsy said. "Harry is dead."
                          
       "Galahad..." Arthur corrected, making me frown. "is dead. Hence, we have just drunk a toast to him." 
                          
       "Well, then you know what that psycho's doing. How many people around the world have got those SIM cards? Valentine can send his signal to any of them, all of them. If they all go homicidal at the same time then..." Eggsy replied darkly, his face scrunching up at the edges.
                          
     "Indeed." Arthur said easily. "And thanks to Galahad's recordings, we have Valentine's confession. The intelligence has been passed to the relevant authorities. Our work is complete, and a most distinguished legacy for our fallen friend, it is, too."
                          
      My eyes narrowed grimly. How could he just dismiss Harry's death like that? "That's it?" I asked, through clenched teeth. 
                          
     "Come and sit down, children." Arthur offered, gesturing to the seats beside him. 
                          
      I placed myself on Arthur's left while Eggsy sat across from me. 
                          
     Arthur pointed at the brandy in front of us. "This... is an 1815 Napoleonic brandy, and we only drink it when we lose a Kingsman. Galahad was very fond of both of you." He began to pour us each a glass. 
                          
     My eyes locked on Eggsy, who wasn't looked at me, but instead at Arthur's neck.
                          
       It all made sense. He's with Valentine. The guy who killed Harry. 
                          
     Eggsy's turned to me and nodded, confirming my suspicions. His eyes flicked over to my drink, but I shook my head. I can handle this, you take care of yourself. I tried to tell him with my eyes. 
                          
      "Are all these Kingsman?" Eggsy asked, pointing to the pictures behind Arthur. 
                          
       The corrupt Kingsman nodded, and turned around. "Yes, they're, uh, founder member." His eyes latched onto ours once more, but it was too late. His and Eggsy's glass had already been switched. "I want you two to join me in a toast." He raised his drink. "To Galahad."
                          
     "To Galahad." Eggsy and I say simultaneously. Arthur and Eggsy both take large sips of their glasses. 
                          
      I brought the alcohol up to my lips and lowered it back down just before the cool liquid was about to come into contact with me. Thankfully, Arthur's attention was more so on Eggsy, than on me.
                          
      He thinks I'm a useless little girl. He probably fucking thinks I'm stupid enough to drink it. What a fucking moron.
                          
       "I thought you were a big fan of alcohol." Arthur told me, not bothering to even glance at me. He doesn't even think I deserve to be looked in the eyes either, and he doesn't even care. 
                          
      "I was." I said truthfully. "But that was a different life... and as we all know, opinions, and sides change often." 
                          
       "Harry says you don't like to break the rules, Arthur. Why now?" Eggsy asked, looking at me worriedly for a split second. 
                          
      "You're very good, Eggsy." He sent a scowl my way before continuing his conversation with Eggsy. "Perhaps I will make you my proposal for Galahad's position. Provided, of course, that we can see eye to eye on certain political matters." Arthur picked up a very familiar pen from the table. "Can you guess," He pulled down the metal handle. "what this is?"
                          
     "Don't have to." Eggsy grinned "Harry showed it to us."
                          
     "You click it, we die." I added, leaning forward on the table. 
                          
     "I thought that brandy tasted a bit shit." Eggsy smirked sourly, crossing his arms across his chest. 
                          
      Arthur chuckled. "Bravo."
                          
     "Valentine won you over.. somehow." I said, running a delicate finger over the rim of my glass.
                          
         "Once he explained, I understood." Arthur shrugged.
                          
      "When you get a virus, you get a fever." Valentine said as Arthur listened on. "That's the human body raising its core temperature to kill the virus. Planet Earth works the same way. Global warming is the fever. Mankind, is the virus. We're making our plant sick." He lisped. "A cull is our only hope. If we don't reduce our population ourselves, there's only one of two ways this can go. The host kills the virus, or the virus kills the host. Either way..."
                          
     "The result is the same." Arthur finished. "The virus dies."
                          
      "So, Valentine's gonna take care of the population problem himself." Eggsy stated.
                          
     "Well, if we don't do something, nature will. Sometimes a culling is the only way to ensure that this species survives. And history will see Valentine as the man who saved humanity from extinction."
                          
     "And he gets to pick who gets culled or not, doesn't he?" I spat.
                          
      "All his rich mates," Eggsy added. "they get to live, and anyone he thinks is worth saving, he's keeping them safe, whether they agree with him or not." 
                          
      "And you... Eggsy." Arthur smiled. "In Harry's honour, I am inviting you to be part of a new world. It's time to make your decision."
                          
      Eggsy hesitated, making my nervous levels peak through the roof. "And what about (Y/N)?" He asked, nodding his head at me.
                          
       Arthur rolled his eyes. "I'm afraid she won't be needed in our new world."
                          
       Eggsy smirked, and clicked his tongue. "I'd rather be with Harry and (Y/N). Thanks."
                          
       "So be it." Arthur glared, clicking and pointing his pen at both Eggsy and I. We stared at each other in silence, until Arthur began to wince in agony. 
                          
       "The problem with us common types is..." Eggsy grinned, holding up his glass of brandy. "that we're light fingered." You sure are. "Kingsman's taught me a lot, but... sleight of hand... I already had that down."
                          
       "You dirty little fucking... prick." Arthur cursed, before turning to scowl at me. "At least you're good as dead, too."
                          
       I smiled innocently. "See here, the thing is, when you underestimate someone, you tend to find them standing over your grave, knife in hand, sooner or later."
                          
       "Bitch—" Arthur gasped, before he collapsed onto the table. 
                          
        Eggsy quickly took the pen from beside his hand and used the pointy end to take the chip out of Arthur's neck.
                          
      The old man's phone dinged, and I quickly picked it up. "It's a countdown." I said, and swallowed the saliva in my mouth anxiously. "For fucking V-Day."
                          
     "We have to go tell Merlin and Roxy."
                          
      I nodded, pushing myself out of the chair. "Let's go."