"Com on man, it's just one night. Come to the pub with us!" Eggsy throws his hands in the air, unpleased with his best friend.
"Eggsy, you know I would if i could. My job's just understaffed right now and I need to go." Alice grabs her keys, ushing her friends out the door. The three boys groan, protesting.
"You're a flaming tailor! It's not a very busy job, eh?" Jamal speaks over the others, taking a jab at her hobbie. She rolls her eyes, laughing and locking the door.
"Right well at least I have a job, ya tosser." she slaps his head, jokingly. "Come on, I'll drive you's, but if I'm late, I'll blame you lot."
The friends cheer, getting in the back of her car. "You're a bloody life saver." Eggsy laughs, sitting in the front with Alice. She smiles, flooring the pedal. The group had a thing for getting in trouble, the adrenaline rush.
But there was only one problem, anytime Alice found herself in a jail cell, a man of mystery would bail her out everytime, leaving the rest of the group locked up.
Of course, she knew who the man was, but could never talk about him. So they compromised, if she was bailed out, no questions were asked if she also got the caught friends out.
Which hardly ever happened, for it was either Eggsy or Alice taking the hit and keeping their friends out of the radar.
Alice speeds into the streets, swerving past cars and drifting around corners, until a pair of police cars were on their tail.
The group were swearing, excited but terrified. The boys waved to the police officers, pulling up their hoods, only smiles and teeth visible.
"Get us out of here!" Eggsy pats her on the shoulder, rolling down the window and flipping off the feds. "Hold on tight!" Alice swerved once again, the back wheels grazing the edge of a river and the car turning fully, front touching front with the police car.
She smiles at the officers, reversing now into the traffic, only just missing cars. The police sirens were only just blaring over the radio,
"Pull over! This is you're last chance!"
But Alice just smiles once again, the streets were now cleared, thanks to the help of her boss, so she turns the car around, speeding down some hills, the car basically coming off the ground.
A group of police cars come from the corner behind them, trailing behind. She swears under her breath, her friends not understanding how much of a shit hole she had dug them in to.
"Everyone out, get out of sight quickly, I'll lead them away." the boys didn't listen, angering her even more as time was ticking when she slowed down.
"Get out!" she yells, they all scramble out, Eggsy stops at the window, whispering a 'thank you, goodluck'.
She slams down on the pedal, leading the police cars away from the sight and to a river, luckily, she had swapped out her license plate that morning, otherwise, she wouldn't have Harry bailing her out this time.
The windows slid up, she turned one last corner, going into the water and flipping a switch, more buttons appearing in the car, she pressed a blue button, the wheels changing position and blowing out air.
She sighs, water draining from the rendezvous point underwater. A door hisses open, leading to a quiet space, a large metal tube at the end of the room. She quickly changed into a spare suit provided in the small room, sitting in the large tube.
Air hissed, the speed astronomically fast. She arrived at the Kingsman 'tailor' shop in under a few seconds, Harry waiting for her when she stepped from the mechanical 'vehicle', facing the dissapointed face of her mentor.
"Late again, Guinevere. What were you doing this time?" he passes her a pair of glasses, she stuffs them in a pocket, the pair making their way to the meeting room.
"Arthur." they both speak, entering the cold room, their leader at the head of the table, two chairs pulled out for the pair and two glasses of brandy on their mats.
"Galahad, Guinevere. Finally. The others were
concerned that we may be making a double toast." he adresses the two, they sit opposite eachother, putting on their glasses and nodding to the holographic agents.
They look to the empty seat, Lancelot.
"So I take it that it's Lancelot
we're drinking to." Alice puts her head down, adjusting in her seat from the awkward and deathly silence.
"I'm sorry. Now we're all present.
Gentlemen, I'm thankful to say that
it's been seventeen years since we last had occasion to use this decanter. And, as ever, the
circumstance make even a 1815 Napoleonic brandy taste bitter. Lancelot was an outstanding agent and a true Huntsman, he will be sorely missed."
They all raise their glasses, silently mourning their colleague, "To Lancelot."
Everyone downs their drinks in one, thinking to themselves until Arthur began speaking again.
"To matters practical, before we disperse. One, Galahad will take over Lancelot's current mission. Two, I intend to begin the selection process for Lancelot's replacement tomorrow. I expect each and every one of you, Guinevere excluded, to propose a candidate and have them report to UK HQ no later than nine PM GMT. Thank you."
One by one, everyone removes their glasses, Alice and Harry already knowing that she would be helping him find a recruit, for they were basically father and daughter with how close they are. They had met ten years ago, when she was stuck in the middle of a random Kingsman mission, Harry protected her with his life.
He had taken a bullet for her and saved her life, so she repayed him by doing her best in training when he had applied her for recruitment. She passed every test with flying colours, and is now one of the top agents.
"Do you have any ideas yet? I know you're always quick with them." Harry puts his hand on her shoulder, the two making their way to his taxi to brainstorm ideas in his house.
"Well, I have this friend, he's smart, a fighter and stubbord, just like you." she smiles, laughing at his disapproving shake of the head.
"Seriously, he's my best friend and I think he'd be a good fit. Oh and he's Unwin's kid."
Harry froze, his driver settling in the car.
"Just to Harry's house, please." she directed the man, knowing Harry needed time to think.
"I'll think about it, we will find more people, but I'll definitely look into him." and just as those words settled in the air, his phone rang.
"Galahad, we have Gary Unwin calling for you. He needs bailing out at the police station." a female voice rang through the speaker, the pair immediately rushing to his car.
"What's the plan, Harry?" she smiles, knowing that her mentor was very quick at deciding what to do.
"We pick up your friend and give him a gentleman's welcome." the two smirk at eachother, it was policy for the Kingsman to be gentlemen, no matter the situation, for, manners maketh man.
[]
"Eggsy! Would you like a lift?" The pair stand next to eachother, hands in their trouser pockets, he stares at his friend, confused.
"Who the hell are you?" he points to Harry, knowing that they were colleagues but not exactly trusting the man.
"The man who got you released." they start walking in unison, taking off their glasses at the same time, starting to creep him out.
"That aint an answer!" he turns to his friend, furrowing his eyebrows and stepping back as they moved towards him.
"How about we discuss it over a drink? We know a place." Alice puts her hand on Eggsy's shoulder, leading him to the car and instructing Harry's driver where to go.
"What the hell is going on, Ali?" he takes off his hat, brushing his hair, very confused and on edge.
"Listen, he knew your father and wants to pay you back, just hear him out, mate." she crosses her legs, hoping that she wouldn't need to use her watch and make him forget this whole interaction, wanting her closest friend to join the organisation.
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