XVIII
"Agent Whiskey. Antidote confirmed at the target's location." Ginger informs over comms as Whiskey, Y/n, Eggsy, and Harry go through the ski resort and approach the lift. "Good luck."
When they're about to enter the lift, Whiskey turns to Harry. "Hold up. We need you down here, Galahad. To secure the control room."
"Probably a good idea, Harry." Eggsy agreed.
"Then I should stay down here, too." Y/n says, not wanting to leave her still slightly impared father behind.
"We need you up top with us." Whiskey denies.
"I-"
"He's right, Percival." Harry cut into her argument, and she looked at him in question. "You're more useful with them." She didn't argue against his wishes, but she was clearly unhappy.
"Call you from the top, yeah?" Eggsy said to Harry who nodded. The doors closed and the three began their ascent up the mountain. After a few minutes Harry alerted them that he was at the controls, and the lab soon came into view. "Keep this cable car here till we get back."
"Roger that, Eggsy."
Eggsy looked at his watch display. "Clara's definitely here. We're getting warmer." Y/n and Eggsy used the watches to scan for any secret entrances. "Looks like we've got a door." He said once his watch started beeping.
"Yep." Ginger affirmed the find.
"I seemed to have lost my keys, mind opening it for me?" Y/n quipped.
"There you go." Merlin called, and a section of the wall slid down to reveal a large area lined with shelves that were filled with rows upon rows of the antidote.
"I'll cover." Whiskey said as Y/n and Eggsy carefully stepped into the room. He stood by the door while they descended the stairs and approuched a man at a desk.
"Hi, there." Eggsy greets. "Whew. Sorry we're late. You guys did not make this place easy to find."
"Who are you?" The man asks.
"We're here to collect this antidote." He taps the case on the desk, foam lining protecting a row of vials tucked in metal tubes.
"For Singapore?"
"Yeah."
The man looks down at his papers, frowning in confusion when he looks back up. "You are Wu Ting Feng?"
"Yes." Eggsy said, trying to hide the sudden wash of panic from the name.
"Hey, how are you still alive?" Charlie suddenly calls, spotting the two agents that were supposed to have been blown to kingdom come.
Clara, who stands next to him, looks at the couple in confusion. "Willow, River? What are you doing here?"
"Willow? River?" Charlie repeats in question. Using the confusion Eggsy grabbed one of the tubes from the case while Y/n smiled at Clara.
"Oh, hi, Clara."
"What happens at Glasto, stays in Glasto." Eggsy repeated the blonde's words while Y/n blew a kiss with two fingers and winked.
Clara guiltily glanced at her boyfriend while realization dawned on him. "You motherfuckers!" He darted around her to get them.
"Bye, Charlie." Y/n and Eggsy took off up the stairs.
"Sound the alarm! You fucking cockroach!"
"Jam the door!" Whiskey ordered, and Ginger was quick to do as told. The three ran through the lab back to the cable car. "Galahad, we're coming. All clear at the bottom?" Harry didn't answer. "Galahad, come in!"
"Harry, come on, we're in. Let's go." Eggsy urged once they got into the lift.
"Away, butterflies." Harry mumbled.
"Butterfly? No, Harry. You've got to shut the doors, please. Come on. We've gotta go now. Please! Shut the fucking door, Harry!"
"Galahad, get your shit together, right now! Are you there?" Y/n yelled. Harry seemed to regain clarity as the doors closed and the car began to make it's descent.
"Well done, Harry. Good. Thanks, man." As they made their way down they spotted Charlie watching them. Eggsy, being the cocky man he is, waved at Charlie with the tube in his hand, a grin on his face. Charlie smiled back with a slow wave of his own.
"It's unbecoming to gloat, Eggsy." Y/n gently scolded.
"But you love it." Eggsy turned to her and winked, tucking the tube back into his pocket. She rolled her eyes, but didn't deny it. There was something about his bravado that really was damned attractive. "You all good down there, Harry?"
"All clear."
"Hello, Eggsy." Charlie's face appeared on the screen above the windows. "Enjoy the ride, bruv." He pressed a button and all of a sudden the car began to spin, making the three inside have to grab one of the handles above them.
"Oh, shit." Whiskey grumbles as they're lifted off of their feet from the increasing speed of the rotation.
"All the buttons are dead. Controls gone. Everything's in shutdown. You're on your own." Harry informed.
The agents shout as the force gets too strong and the handles break. They're then pressed against the windows like a fair ride gone wrong. Pretty soon their vision starts to black out and their heads become fuzzy. Struggling against the spin Whiskey manages to grab his lasso from his back, pressing the button to release the cord and electrify it. It sticks to the window and sparks as it cuts through the glass. As soon as the glass flies away the lasso flings out and cuts the cable. The three now scream for another reason as the car free falls and they float. Just when it looks like the car was going to hit the wall of a chasm they're caught on the end of the cable and they swing to snowy safety. They're thrown around as they swing through a tower supporting the cable car, which then falls after them as they slide on the snow.
"You've gotta be fucking kidding!" Eggsy complains. The tower barely misses them, and they continue their high speed slide, their path leading them right into a retirement home, where the elderly residents were relaxing on the front patio, in full view of the coming terror.
"Oh, fuck me!" Y/n yelled in frustration once they saw what was in their way. Eggsy suddenly got an idea and turned to Whiskey. He grabbed the man by the collar and pushed him up against the hole in the glass and pulled the cord to his emergency parachute. The canopy billows out in red, white, and blue American glory. They scream yet again as the parachute does as hoped, eventually slowing them down until they barely graze the edge of the wooden porch.
"Harry, meet us at the emergency rendevous point." Eggsy said as they recover and exit the car.
"Roger that. Got you on the GPS."
The three are quick to make it to the rendevous point, a small cabin where they build a little fire to warm themselves. Eggsy pulls the tube from his pocket, then opens it and carefully takes out the glass vial holding the antidote. "So weird to think this tiny thing could save the world."
"Let me have a look." Whiskey holds his hand out to see.
"We should put it back in that tube until we get back to Statesman. It's too fragile and way too important." Y/n said as she took it from Eggsy's hold, planning to do just as she said when there was a rythmic knock on the door.
"Harry." Eggsy and Y/n get up to greet the man at the door.
"Am I late?" Harry asks.
"Right on time actually." Y/n says while Eggsy grabs the vial to show it off to Harry.
"You found the antidote."
Whiskey nods at the statement. He spots movement behind the three, multiple soldiers toting guns. "Get down!" He jumps up, knocking Eggsy's arm away and pushing Y/n to the side. The vial slips from Eggsy's hand and shatters on the ground. The four take cover as bullets fly through the windows and walls.
"You fucking dickhead!" Eggsy yells at Whiskey.
"Fuck you! I just saved your life!"
"Yeah, and cost millions of people theirs!"
Y/n and Harry took a couple shots out of the door and window, hitting a few men. The gunfire stopped and Whiskey peeked out of the window. "All right, they're going for cover and reloading. I'll fix their wagons. Cover me, boys!" Whiskey dashed out of the house and Eggsy shot off a few rounds from the doorway.
Harry suddenly pushed him back to cover. "Wait. Eggsy, Percival, I think he could be working for the other side."
"What the fuck is wrong with you? You're having a brain fart! Look! Does that look like he's working with them?" They glanced outside at Whiskey fighting several men by himself.
"Are you certain?" Y/n asked.
"Harry, are you seeing butterflies again?"
"I know what I'm seeing." Harry insisted, his gaze steadfast as he looked at his daughter. She was a little wary of his judgement since he wasn't fully healed, but even she had to admit something seemed a little fishy. A few things Whiskey has done on this mission had rung a few bells in her mind, most prominent the way he pushed her and Eggsy out of the way. He seemed to intentionally push the arm that was holding the antidote, causing it to break. But she wasn't so sure that he was a double agent for Poppy.
Whiskey managed to finish off the last of the men just as an armored car began to approach, and made his way back to the cabin. "Good job he didn't need our help."
"Thank fucking Christ I didn't need any backup!" Whiskey yelled as he shut the door behind him. "I'm out of ammo! Troop carrier coming in. What've you got?" He knelt over Harry's bag to search for useful supplies.
"Fuck." Eggsy and Y/n looked out the windows to assess the situation. "Shit! There's a fuck ton of 'em!"
"What is this?" Whiskey grumbled, holding random toiletries in his hands. "Looks like you packed for a fucking slumber party, not a mission!" He scolded Harry.
"They've got Gatlings." Y/n grimaced at the sight of the heavy artillery.
"You have 10 seconds to surrender before we open fire!" A man outside yelled.
"Guys, hurry up!" Eggsy yelled, glancing at Y/n in worry.
"10!"
"Hey!" Whiskey snapped his fingers at Harry.
"9!"
"Butterfly guy!"
"8!"
"You don't look like Ginger fixed you right." Whiskey stood up.
"7!"
"I said I'm empty!"
"6!"
"If you're gonna do something, fucking do it, we don't have time!" Y/n shouted.
"Give me yours." Whiskey reached for Harry's gun, but Harry pulled it away.
"5!"
"Harry, give him the fucking gun!" Eggsy yelled.
"4!"
Whiskey lunged for the gun and then Harry shot him in the head. "Harry, no!" Eggsy looked at him in horror.
"What the fuck?" Y/n glanced between her father and Whiskey's body in shock.
"Oh, fuck it! Fire!"
"Y/n, Harry, get down!" The three dropped to the ground just as it started to rain bullets. "I mean, honestly, Harry, what the fuck is wrong with you?"
"He broke the vial on purpose!" Harry defended himself as he dug through his bag.
"You're a fucking idiot! You're out of control, Harry!"
"Eggsy, shut the fuck up about that right now!" Y/n growled as she scrambled for Harry's bag, trying to grab something Merlin had told her he had given him.
"If we made it out of here, he was gonna kill all three of us!" Harry caught the bottle of aftershave Y/n tossed him and removed the cap.
"For fuck's sake, it looks like he wouldn't have fucking had to!"
"Oh, ye of little faith!" Harry pressed on the nozzle, releasing the blue chemical into the clear liquid and tossed it out the window. A moment later there was an explosion and a bright, blue light, then it was silent. Eggsy jumped up with gun ready, but soon lowered it when he saw all of the enemies had been impaled and incased in a blue colored material.
"This does not mean you're off the fucking hook!" Eggsy went over and kneeled next to Whiskey.
"We need to go dark. We don't know who else at Statesman could be working against us."
"We don't just shoot first and ask questions later, we investigate!" Y/n said, her own frustration making her tone sharp.
"Shit! This is all my fault. You weren't ready for the field and I pushed for it." Eggsy had rolled Whiskey onto his back and grabbed the alpha gel from inside his hat, quickly glancing over the instructions.
"He showed his hand. You think he'd have let us live?"
"We would have handled it if it were to come up." Y/n argued. "Now, if he survives and if he's really working against us, then you have showed your hand."
"You should be thanking me for saving our arses."
"Saving our arses?" Eggsy snapped. "Try saying that to fucking Whiskey!" Eggsy placed the wrap around Whiskey's head before he grabbed the syringes and injected them into it. The orange and blue solutions swirled together while they worked on the wound. "You are unbelievable!" He seethed at Harry as he got up and headed outside. "Merlin, can you hear me?"
"Yes, Eggsy."
"Whiskey's down. He's been shot."
"What happened?"
Eggsy turned around to face the Harts who now stood on the porch, glancing between Harry's curious gaze and Y/n's troubled frown. He lightly shook his head. "He got caught in the crossfire. I've applied the alpha gel. We'll bring him in. But first, I've gotta find a way to get back up to that lab and retrieve more antidote."
Y/n stepped off the porch and stood next to Eggsy, the two looking back up the mountain to figure out their next move. Not even a minute later the facility exploded, a helicopter presumebly carrying Charlie flying away from the blast. "What a fucking shit show." Y/n sighed as Harry moved to stand next to her.
"Merlin, change of plans. Wu Ting Feng, Singapore."
"Who?"
"Exactly. It's the only lead we've got."
"So I suggest you find out who he is. Come on." Eggsy gave Harry a strange look as the man casually walked away.
...
Y/n, Eggsy, and Harry stand in front of a window overlooking the Statesman hanger, waiting on Merlin to deliver news of Whiskey's condition. The bespeckled man comes through a door behind them with tablet in hand. "Good news, lady and gentlemen. He'll be back on his feet in no time."
"I'm not certain that's a good idea." Harry said.
"What do you mean?"
"I shot Agent Whiskey. Deliberately."
"Dad." Y/n looked at him surprised, he gently waved her off.
"What, why?" Merlin was confused.
"He was working against us. And until we find out why, I say we trust no one."
"Merlin, Harry's sick." Eggsy cut in. "This whole thing is my fault. I thought he was ready."
Y/n's phone starts to ring, and when she sees it's a video call from Tilde she excuses herself, walking further down the hall for a bit of privacy. "Hey, T, now's not a really good time. I-" She cuts herself off, hand covering her mouth in shock when Tilde comes into view, skin covered in the deadly blue rash.
"Heyyy." Tilde giggles.
"Oh, Tilde. What did you do?"
"Are you the banana man?"
"We're close to finding an antidote, I swear."
"Hey, Björn Borg." Her eyes widen slightly as she looks around, and then suddenly she stops moving, completely frozen.
"Tilde? Tilde, if you can hear me I promise you, I'm gonna get you help. I won't let you die. I love you, just hold on." She hangs up the phone and tucks it away, hands raking through her hair. "Fuck!" She tries to take a few breaths. Eggsy sees her stressed demeanor and hurries over to her, ignoring the conversation between Merlin and Harry.
"What's wrong, babe? Who was that?" He asks, gently taking her hands and untangling them from her roots.
"It was- it was Tilde. She's got the fucking virus, Eggsy."
"You're shitting me. How?"
"How else? She's been really stressed lately, the responsibilities of being next in line for the crown are not a light weight. She's been using weed to ease the tension. Fuck, fuck, fuck."
"Hey, hey. It's gonna be all right. We're gonna fix this. Come on." He takes her hand and leads them back down the hall. "Merlin! Have you got eyes on that location yet?"
"Soon. The reconnaissance drone's about an hour away. Which gives us time to sort out-"
"Bollocks, we haven't got time for anything. We're leaving now. With or without you." He and Y/n stepped into the barrel lift, turning to the two men who merely glanced at each other before stepping in as well.
They boarded the Statesman plane, and while they were on their way to Cambodia Y/n had excused herself to call her uncle, aunt and Tilde's fiance to tell them about Tilde, wanting someone to be with her until she was able to get the antidote. Merlin busied himself with some preparations while Eggsy and Harry sat across from each other in the plush seats.
"I have a question for you, Eggsy." Harry suddenly spoke. Eggsy did his best to cover up how he suddenly tensed. He had an idea what Harry wanted to ask him, and he wasn't sure if he was supposed to be completely honest. "Are you involved with my daughter?"
That was exactly the question he was afraid of. "Uh, well, I mean-"
"I've seen how you two are together. I could tell you were attracted to each other in the beginning, but it's different now. You look at her the way I... The way I used to look at her mother." Eggsy was a little surprised at the mention of her mother, and a little more surprised at how soft Harry's expression looked.
"I know it's against Kingsman rules, having a relationship." Eggsy decided that there was no use in trying to hide it. "But it doesn't affect our work, Y/n definitely makes sure of that."
Harry got up from his chair and moved over behind the nicely supplied bar. "How about a martini? For old times' sake?"
Eggsy hesitated for a moment before answering. "Yeah, all right." He stood to stand opposite the man on the other side of the bar. Harry began to make the martinis and Eggsy watched him, remembering the first time he watched Y/n do the same. "Are you... Are you going to tell me to stop seeing her?" Eggsy couldn't help but ask. He loved Y/n, and he loved Harry. He isn't quite sure what he would do if Harry said he did want them to break up.
Instead of answering, Harry asked him something else. "When I was shot, can you guess what the last thing was that flashed through my mind? It was almost absolutely nothing. I had no ties except Y/n and her mother. But she's gone, and Y/n is grown and independent from me. And while I knew she would grieve, I also knew she would survive. In a sense I was leaving nothing behind."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be." Harry finished the drinks and picked them up, moving around the bar to stand in front of Eggsy and handing him one of the drinks. "Her mother taught me that having something to lose is what makes life worth living. So, no, I'm not going to ask that you stop seeing her. But I will say... Be good to her."
Eggsy nodded. "I will." And he meant it. For as long as she'd have him, Eggsy would treat her better than royalty. "I missed you Harry." Harry smiled as they clinked glasses and took a sip of their drinks.
A door opened and Y/n stepped through, glancing between her father and boyfriend. "You didn't make one for me? How rude." She joked.
"Here." Eggsy was quick to hand over his drink to her. "Have mine."
She smiled at him. "Thanks, love." She took a good swig of it just before Merlin came through the same door she had a moment ago.
The three turned to look at him. "Lady, gentlemen. I hate to break up a party. We're nearly there, so I suggest we get ready. Follow me." He tilted his head to the side. Harry finished his drink and Y/n handed hers to Eggsy for him to do the same before they followed Merlin into the bedroom behind the bar.
Merlin went to a wooden panel on the far wall and pressed a button, opening the closet to four neatly hung suits. "Oh, yes!" Eggsy exclaimed in delight. The four took turns in dressing.
When Y/n stepped out Eggsy whistled. "I love a woman in a suit."
"Down boy." She winked at him. Merlin was the last to don the field agents' attire.
"Hey, hey. Looking good, Merlin." Eggsy complimented.
"Feeling good, Eggsy." He chuckled and Eggsy smiled with a nod.
"Right. These are yours." He handed a pair of umbrellas to Harry and Y/n. "That's for you." He handed the briefcase to Eggsy who sat it on the ground by his chair. Merlin moved over to the pool table and pressed a button, the table top lifted open to reveal various specialty weapons. He picked up a baseball bat and handed it to Harry. "Press the 'S'." Harry did as told and the end opened out to panels in a cylindrical formation. "Minesweeper. Courtesy of Statesman."
"And what about these?" Eggsy picked up a baseball.
"Careful. Those are hand grenades." Eggsy seemed mildy impressed by the object. Merlin reached down and picked up what looked like a silver cuff, handing it to Y/n. "Never hurts to accessorize." Y/n pressed the hidden button and a thin blade jutted out from the cuff. She smiled, pleased with the object as the blade retracted and she slipped it on. Merlin then grabbed an eyeglass case. "As discussed... This is for the endgame. I'm entrusting it to you." He handed it to Eggsy. He opened it up to glance the syringe of a highly concentrated drug. "And I'm entrusting this..." He picked up a very large knife. "To me." He grinned like a child with a sweet.
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