Chapter Text
Harry’s eyes wandered idly around the cityscape. London was beautiful during night time, the starless sky casting an ominous blue glow on the city, lights reflecting on all those tall buildings. Civilians were still out and about, mingling and whatnot. He was sitting in the taxi cab, awaiting his destination patiently, enjoying the view. Merlin, pleasant white noise in his ears, was reviewing their target’s profile again.
The man is known as S, Merlin said. Little is known of his personal life. His company sold important car parts and car designs. However, the empire ran multiple drug cartels and also dabbled in human trafficking. He had 20 divisions in 20 countries…
Nineteen of which they had already destroyed. It took them the better part of a decade to bring them down. The mission was almost over, only the main office remained. They didn’t know where it was, the man was as secretive as the Kingsman. They thought he was based here, in England. Their Intel had multiple pictures of him wandering about thecountry. They assumed it was here because they had already destroyed the rest when he appeared.
The mission ran in the background as they await the final go. It came as a phone call by the man himself, confirming their suspicions. He requested Harry, strangely enough. He was to go alone at a time S specified. Armed or not, he did not say. The kingsman brought his handgun, a few more bullet magazines and his communication device. Nothing else was needed. He wore his lucky blue pinstripe suit, of course. He only wore it on the final stage of a mission he was sure was going to be a success.
He was picking off invisible lint off his trousers when the screen in front of him revealed the criminal mastermind’s face. Harry smirked as he heard Merlin grumble.
Wipe that smirk off your face, Merlin complained.
Merlin couldn’t see Harry’s face. He knew what the agent was doing because it had been a subject of ridicule for a long time. When pictures of S were presented to them, Harry had to laugh: the man looked so much like their technician. Merlin had said he didn’t see the resemblance but even there he was lying to himself. Beside the head full of dark hair, they looked like twins. Merlin didn’t mind the teasing at first but it got old very quick. Harry kept pushing and laughing. The agent just loved it when he got all riled up. Even before they went to sleep, as soon as Merlin set his head on the pillow, he had to turn the other way because Harry was still smiling. Harry knew it was getting old but he just couldn’t stop.
Are you done? Merlin asked a little irritated.
“It depends,” Harry replied. “Are you sure you don’t have an evil twin?”
Sod off, Merlin exclaimed.
Harry laughed; Messing with Merlin was always so fun. He just wanted to kiss the frown away when his lover was mad. When he did, those eyes would turn a tad affectionate. The agent revelled in it.
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The cab stopped and Harry sobered up. He got off and the car went away. The agent looked up at the building; it was all windows, like all modern buildings these days. They were all tinted so he couldn’t see inside. The building was at least 30 stories high, no different from the others around it. Hiding in plain view, clever that. Harry heard Merlin’s mad typing indicating he was trying to hack into the buildings security.
There’s nobody on the first ten floors, he said when he succeeded. Strange.
“Nonsense,” Harry countered. “They probably work nine to five.”
Merlin hummed noncommittally. The agent entered the building cautiously anyway. His gun cocked and ready to take down anybody. He swept the floor from side to side; He checked behind the reception counter, the multiple potted plants and anywhere else someone might be hiding. It was truly empty. Harry moved to the stairs, he didn’t want to alert anybody by taking the elevator.
As he approached the doors to the stairs, an elevator dinged and its doors opened revealing a blond woman in a grey pencil skirt, she was looking at her tablet, having no intention of looking up. Harry trained his gun at her as the doors opened. He stayed like this for a while until she raised a well sculpted eyebrow.
“We were waiting for you,” She finally said. She moved a little to the side, signalling him to get inside.
Harry stood still until Merlin groaned in his ear Just get in.
Harry listened and stepped in. She tapped on her device; the elevator closed and lurched to life. The agent stood at parade’s rest and examined her; she looked like she would be happier somewhere else but got stuck on the babysitting job. But under that façade the agent knew it hid deadly efficiency at what she does, whatever that is. She finally looked up and their eyes met. He smirked cheekily at her but her face stayed passive. He went to adjust his tie and looked at her under his eyelashes just to see if she would do something. She didn’t do anything but Merlin growled.
The technician continued to give him information on his surroundings, A few henchmen are scattered around each floor, probably itching for a fight. They seem to be staying put for now. S is on the last floor. At my signal, you put him down, alright?
Harry nodded once, knowing Merlin would see his movement from his glasses’ feed. They stayed silent for the rest of the ride. The kingsman’s excitement got higher as they approached the last floor. He was getting a little jittery and itched to finally meet S.
Turn it down a notch, Galahad, Merlin reprimanded.
Harry was going to retort when the elevator lurched to a stop. The woman tapped on her tablet again and the doors opened, revealing a spacious office with a high ceiling. The agent step out and looked at his surroundings, amazed. The room was plunged in darkness; the only light source was from the window wall at on the opposite side. The walls had black panelling and the floor was covered in a plush deep red carpet. On the left side of the office had a mini bar and leather chairs and a small glass table between them, that wall had a screen with the company’s logo rotating. The other wall had a few expansive paintings and portraits. The room oozed of luxury. Harry saw the man standing back to him, behind his desk, looking down on the city below him, arms behind his back. Because of the light outside, he could only see the man’s silhouette.
“Thank you, Mary,” the man said with a dismissive gesture. “You can go home.”
“Thank you, sir,” Mary said. The elevator closed and she disappeared.
Harry was finally alone with the mastermind. As he approached the desk, he could see the man had shaved his head, he smiled to himself. The teasing would never end, unlike this man’s life.
“As my first few divisions crumbled,” S started. He even had that same gravelly voice Merlin had. Only the accent was different. “I was already looking for a similar pattern. I knew if I paid close attention, I would find whatever was binding the problems together.” He raised a finger, “And wouldn’t you know it, Mary had found the similarities between the attacks. I don’t know how she did it, that clever girl, but she was able to trace it to right here, in London.”
Harry stayed silent as S continued on his monologue, “Our technician, young Hoult, was even able to trace you to that little tailor shop. We weren’t able to get into your systems, sadly,” Merlin scoffed in the agent’s ear. “So we decided to spy on that little establishment as I tried to salvage what was left of my company.” He was getting angrier as he progressed. “I had built it from the ground up. An empire forged with my own BLOOD and TEARS!” He yelled.
He passed a hand on his smooth head, visibly trying to calm himself. He suddenly laughed, still sounding like Merlin. Chills ran down Harry’s spine, at this rate --
“Please take a seat, mister Hart,” S gestured to the little lounge area. Harry was a little curious as to how the criminal knew his name. Harry hesitated, of course. The man sensed it and turned around, his face still shrouded in darkness. He raised his arms, palms up, “I am unarmed.” Sounding amused.
Harry reluctantly went. He sat down on the plush chair and S went to fix himself a drink. The screen on the wall lit up and a picture of the shop appeared, and another as a new tenant entered.
“My network kept an eye on that shop for months,” S said, still doing that drink of his. “We knew the regulars and suspected a few of them. They didn’t raise any red flags.” The imaged changed to Harry entering the base, “Until you came in the picture, of course.”
“Cheers,” Harry said, cheekily.
He could see the mastermind smile as ice clinked in his tumbler. He poured the amber liquid and raised the glass to his lips, “At first, you weren’t different from the lot of them. Until, one of my spies spotted something very special.”
The imaged switched to Harry leaving the shop. What made him gulp was that Merlin was with him. The picture itself was innocent enough: Harry was leaning in Merlin’s ear, whispering something that made him smile. The image switched to him with Merlin entering the shop together and another of them someplace else. They had multiple pictures of them together. Harry was getting nervous and he could hear Merlin’s heavy breathing.
The agent tore his eyes from the screen. He heard Merlin swear as he gasped softly. S was lounging in the chair facing him, long legs crossed and arms dangling outside the chair, his drink in one hand holding it by the rim with his lengthy fingers. He wore a complete black suit paired with a black turtleneck, his polished oxford glinting from the telly. His face was finally visible, the relief of his features casting sharp shadows on half of it. His green eyes were clear and predatory. He looked so much like Merlin, Harry’s head was spinning. Obviously, they weren’t the only one seeing the similarities. S took a sip, never taking his eyes off Harry, gauging his reaction. He raised his head and looked at him from under his nose. The man, then, stared at the ceiling and exhaled, exposing his long neck. The agent was getting incredibly uncomfortable and his handler’s silence was not helping. S looked at Harry again, and took another sip of his drink.
“Mainstream media, nowadays,” The change of subject startled Harry, but he didn’t show it. “They like to depict the villains as Brits. Why is that?”
“Maybe, because we just sound right.”
The criminal chuckled deeply, “Maybe. They also seem to be more three-dimensional now: Having backstories and more meaningful goals and whatnot,” He waved a hand around.
“The villain is only as good as the hero, I suppose,” Harry was trying for nonchalance.
S had a glint in his eyes as he smiled, “I wondered that myself.” He said. “Did I have a deeper meaning for being who I am?” He faked thoughtfulness. He chuckled again, “No, it’s just good to be bad.”
They stayed silent for a while. It was unsettling how his eyes were so clear and calm. Yet, the power and danger behind them was palpable. Merlin’s own could be described as such. However, where S’s were cold, the technicians’ were warm. Harry had to turn away; he couldn’t look at him without thinking of his lover. He was looking at the screen again.
The agent’s eyes widened. Pictures of only Merlin were flickering about. Multiple of him alone; him having a stroll, him enjoying coffee, him going into his own apartment, him going into Harry’s house. They were getting more and more invasive: Images of Merlin enjoying a cuppa by the window, Merlin just looking on the street below, Merlin wearing Harry’s shirt…
Galahad, now, Merlin finally urged him.
But as he turned his head, S had set his tumbler on the glass table and rushed to him. He had a hand on his knee, nailing him in his seat. His face inches from Harry’s; he could smell the expansive alcohol on his breath. As he gasped at the invasion, the agent had a whiff of the man’s aftershave, the same as Merlin’s. Harry’s heart was beating so fast.
“Mr. Hart,” S practically purred. “How about we move this somewhere else?” He grinned, shark-like, his teeth were perfectly straight.
Galahad, take him down! Merlin roared.
Harry was finally able to move; he gave him a left hook, making the criminal grunt in pain and stumble but still standing. Harry took out his gun and pointed it behind his bald head. The kingsman was breathing hard, unsettled by the event. The man wiped the blood from his lips and laughed breathlessly. The agent butted him with his gun, he fell to the floor and Harry kicked him. The man went sprawling on his back, dazed. The kingsman jumped on him, bunching his lapel in one fist and punching him multiple times on the face. He hit until his fist glided on his face it was so full of blood, until he didn’t look anything like Merlin anymore.
“Harry! Harry, please stop.”
Harry stopped, fist in the air, sleek with warm blood. He was breathing heavily, he had obeyed without question. The order didn’t come from the comm, but from the man in his hands. It had come out as a gargled mess with Merlin’s accent. The criminal brought his hand to the one holding his lapel, Harry let him go like he was burned. He stood up, trying to get as far from this mess as possible.
“Harry,” S coughed out, still in Merlin's voice. “Why are you doing this?” he asked, distressed.
Harry couldn’t take it. His mind was a jumbled mess he didn’t know what to do. He could still hear the man’s wheezing. Suddenly, he heard laughing. Harry whipped around looking at his feet. The criminal was laughing and it got louder and louder. Harry took out his gun, aimed it at his forehead, still shaking.
“It was nice meeting you, Harry Hart,” He said at the same time as Merlin told him Now.
Harry pulled the trigger. The sound of the shot echoed throughout the room.