"My apologies Lancelot," Merlin said as he emerged from the jet. "I had planned to pick you up sooner but…" He turned his head and coughed as Eggsy stuck his head out and ran down the stairs to give Roxy a hug.

"We did it Rox! We fuckin' saved the world!" he yelled as he picked her up and spun her around.

"Eggsy…ground please," Roxy said as she felt her feet leave the ground. "Still reeling after that horrible descent I made earlier."

"Sorry," Eggsy apologized as he put her down. He nodded at the plane and gestured for her to go first. She jogged up the steps and took a seat in one of the plushy seats while Eggsy sat opposite her. Merlin closed up the plane and began programing in the coordinates for the Headquarters.

"I've got a lot of cleaning up to do," Merlin sighed as he began to take off from the ground. "Have to file reports with the authorities, see who was in on Valentine's scheme within the organization…" He groaned as he thought of the mess of headless bodies he was probably going to come back to, which made Roxy and Eggsy exchange identical smiles. Merlin could complain all he wanted about being forced to handle all of this aftermath and taking charge, but both of them knew that he always had it in him to run the organization better than Arthur.

"So…you gonna tell me what took an extra half hour to pick me up from a frozen wasteland?" Roxy asked as she put down her slice of pizza. She wiped her mouth with her napkin and watched as Eggsy's ears reddened.

"Um…uh yeah see…" Eggsy stammered as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"I saw the partial feed Merlin caught from your glasses," Roxy said as she looked sideways at him. "She offered?"

"I only asked for a kiss Rox," he mumbled behind his beer glass. "I was just jokin' about the kiss and she offered more if I saved the world."

Roxy snickered as she shook her head before taking a sip from her glass. "Figures – princesses may seem all dainty and sweet on the outside, but secretly, they have filthy desires like the rest of us." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and changed the subject. "So, what did Merlin pull you aside for once we got back?"

Eggsy wiped his mouth and grinned widely. "Guess who's a Kingsman too?"

"See? I knew it! Chuffing good job Eggsy – you deserved it just as much!" Roxy said as she nudged him with a huge smile on her face. "So what's your agent name?"

Eggsy looked wistful as he picked up the slice on his plate. "Merlin said I'm the new Galahad – he said… it's…it's what Harry would have wanted." He took a huge bite from his slice and Roxy finished hers before standing up to grab another. She picked up a second slice for Eggsy and placed it on his plate before sitting down beside him and staring off into space.

"Hey," Roxy said as she tilted her head. "Remember the first day when there were nine of us? Seems so far away now, doesn't it?"

Eggsy snorted as he put his slice down and crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah I remember," he said with a faint smile. "Outta all of those snobbish wankers, you and Amelia were the only ones who didn't judge me right off the bat. Hey by the way, Amelia's not really dead – she's in IT at Kingsmen Germany."

Roxy turned her head towards Eggsy and raised a brow. "How do you –"

"Harry spoiled that for me – also told me that I coulda shot JB without guilt 'cause it was a blank," he admitted. "This was after I got sent home." He finished the rest of his beer and sighed contentedly. "We oughta reach to Amelia – let her know we made it, ya know?"

Roxy nodded before taking a bite from her second slice and watching as Eggsy put his plate on the table beside the couch. He slid his back against the seat of the couch, pulling his knees up, and draping his snapback over his face. She smiled and shook her head at Eggsy, who started to snore underneath his cap.

She stood up and put away the rest of the pizza in the fridge. She stuck the dishes and glasses in the sink and washed them, putting them on a drying rack. Eggsy was still sound asleep by the time she returned to the couch with a blanket for him, unfolding it and throwing it on top of him. She sat at the other end of the couch in case he decided to spread out more.

She felt tired but part of her was still wired after today's events. Her eyes wandered around her new flat which had been the previous Lancelot's place – a tad dated with the 70s shag carpeting and muted, earthy colors but all easy to change once she had a bit of time on her hands. She looked over at Eggsy, who had stretched his legs out and he was sleeping on his side.

I had a feeling that you were going to be better than everyone assumed you were, Roxy thought as she recalled the first day of initiation.

"Why hello Miss, are you lost?" Rufus asked when Roxy walked in with her suitcase. He strode over to her and grabbed her suitcase from her hand. "Because I think I just got lost in your beauty!"

She was tempted to roll her eyes at that ridiculously cheesy line but thought better of it. Instead, she shot him an amused look and narrowed her eyes ever so slightly as she looked at the young man who had her suitcase in his hands. "No I'm here for the Kingsmen initiation, like you," she replied before sticking her hand out for Rufus to shake. "Roxanne but I go by Roxy," she said. "What's your name?"

"Rufus," he replied as he shook her hand. "Allow me to help you with this – it's really too heavy for someone as delicate as you to handle."

Roxy gripped the handle of her suitcase and gently pried it out of his hands. "Thanks but I've got it," she replied as she locked eyes with him. She ignored the shocked look he gave her as she hoisted the bag high and carried it over to a bed in the middle of the room, setting it down at the foot of the bed.

Rufus silently sputtered at her subtle brush-off and Charlie nudged him. He leaned close to Rufus's ear and murmured, "Well done genius – that's exactly how you want to score with a lady. Now, watch me handle the situation." He fixed his jacket and ran his fingers through his hair before strolling over to Roxy, who was straightening her suitcase flush against the bed frame.

"So sorry about my friend Rufus over there – sometimes he forgets that women are equals to us now," Charlie began as he leaned against the empty bed on Roxy's left. "I'm Charles Hesketh but everyone calls me Charlie. What should I call you, love?"

Roxy straightened up and adjusted her plaid jacket before sticking her hand out to shake Charlie's. "Hello Charlie," she said as she shook his hand with a firm grasp. "Name's Roxanne, not 'love', but I go by Roxy."

"Fine then…Roxanne," Charlie replied as he dropped her hand. "Now, I thought I heard you tell my mate Rufus that you're here for the Kingsmen initiation. I must say, it's quite brave that you would want to put yourself out there for such a dangerous job, but I hope you know what you're in for."

Roxy kept the polite smile frozen on her face but deep down she wished that she could just punch this idiot and wipe that arrogant look off his face. She watched as Rufus walked over to Charlie's right and another boy came up to them on his left. She knew these guys and their agenda too well – they were just like the other stuck-up, self-confident prats she encountered while undergoing training. They already pegged her as a weak, yet pretty face that needed to be coddled like a damsel-in-distress but they were in for a rude awakening.

"I'm well aware of the risks associated with the job," she replied as she clasped her hands behind her back. "Prior to initiation I just completed military training at the academy."

"Huh," Charlie murmured with a slight nod. "We must have just missed each other because I graduated from the academy about two and a half years ago."

Roxy shot him a pity smile and shrugged her shoulders. She turned towards the other boy who had joined them and introduced herself to him.

"Digby," the young man replied. "Yeah I was in the Marines before all of this. What 'bout you Rufus?"

"Army," Rufus said as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Though I did contemplate military at one point but see, my family's always had a long standing –"

"Kingsmen initiation?" another female voice asked.

The guys turned their attention to the dark-haired young woman with blunt bangs dragging a rolling suitcase behind her. Charlie pushed past Roxy and introduced himself to the girl, whose name was Amelia, or that's what she heard. She didn't get a chance to get closer to the other girl as Rufus and Digby blocked her view, as they came up to introduce themselves to Amelia and asking her the same questions.

Thank God there's another girl here, Roxy thought as she craned her neck to get a better look at her. She didn't want to think about experiencing a repeat of the hazing tactics she underwent at the academy – knickers stolen, feminine supplies vanishing mysteriously when she needed them, taking quick showers to avoid getting some blackmail photo snapped of her when she wasn't looking… All childish pranks, which did result in a few recruits being suspended or expelled from the academy, but in many cases, some of the more persistent ones weren't deterred.

She heard the sound of rubber squeaking against the floor and she turned to see a young man strolling through the door, hands in his jean pockets and shoulders slouched. Charlie broke off his conversation with Rufus and Amelia about their experience as the newcomer entered, scanning him with a critical eye, a smirk crossing his lips when he saw the new guy's appearance. Roxy straightened up and started to stand at attention as she saw Merlin finish discussing something with another agent. Out of the corner of her eye, she studied the young man standing to her left.

A blue snapback sat low on his forehead and he folded his hands behind his quilted bomber jacket when Merlin called them to attention. Collared polo shirt, loose but not baggy jeans, flashy white trainers – he didn't look like the other well-groomed candidates here but she dismissed his appearance as being a personal style choice. After all, none of their mentors told them they had come dressed in a suit for initiation. Judging from his stance, build, and the way held himself, she was guessing Marines.

For a moment, his eyes narrowed at Merlin's description of what would happen if they exposed the organization and his tilted his chin up slightly. But he kept a stiff expression on his face until Merlin dismissed them with a command of, "Fall out."

She unclasped her hands from behind her back and watched as the young man walked over to the empty bed next to hers. He studied the body bag folded neatly at the foot of the bed and chewed his bottom lip. She sensed that he was probably thinking about someone close to him, someone who would probably take his death very hard if someone from the organization had to tell them. A tiny part of her envied him and she wondered what it was like to have someone support them, no matter what they ended up doing with their life.

Not that her parents weren't proud of her achievements – they were amazed and pleased with their daughter's work ethic and drive to succeed. She graduated from school with high marks and part of the top 10% at the academy but sadly, they had no idea what she was really doing at the moment. After graduation, her father expected her to work a regular office job and advance through the ranks quickly and her mother, well, she had hinted that Roxy could consider getting married to a nice boy while she was young, maybe start a family of her own. Because she cared deeply about both of them, she couldn't bring herself to tell them that she wanted to do more than just raise a family or be a top-level executive at an office. They believed that she was with her uncle, interviewing for a position with some firm that he claimed to be a manager of as his cover when visiting the family. They were blissfully unaware that he was living a double life as Percival of the Kingsmen organization.

She heard Charlie, Rufus, and Digby making comments amongst themselves about the new guy and his sloppy appearance and she made up her mind to walk over, her hand extended.

"Roxanne," she said as she looked the young man in the eye. "But…call me Roxy."

The young man turned and shook her hand. "Eggsy," he replied with a nod of his head.

She frowned and leaned forward after he introduced himself. Did she hear that correctly? Did his parents really name him…? "Eggy?" she asked as she tilted her head.

The young man allowed a small smile to spread across his lips and he replied, "No, Eggsy."

"Eggy?" one of Charlie's crew asked as they all approached him.

The trio introduced themselves, purposely calling Eggsy by the wrong name. Roxy pressed her lips together as the boys asked Eggsy where he was from, listing several respectable places that a typical candidate came from, before one of them pointed to Eggsy.

"Wait I know," one of them said, "were you the one who served me at the McDonalds?"

Eggsy crossed his arms over his chest and shrugged. "Nah but if I had, I woulda given ya an extra helping of Secret Sauce!" he replied as he mimicked a wanking motion with his hand.

Not a fan of these prats either, she noted as she watched the scene unfold. Part of her wondered if he was going to get up in Charlie's face and punch him but she had to commend him for playing it cool with the snarky, well-played comeback. Rough around the edges but seems sharp. Charlie and his sidekicks couldn't see it but she felt that he had the makings to go far in this initiation. She had to resist every temptation to smirk at that moment as the three initiates looked at each in confusion after realizing that Eggsy was unfazed by their insults.

"Ha funny," Charlie retorted as he retrieved his body bag to fill out.

"Ignore them," Roxy said in a low voice as she leaned towards Eggsy. "They're just being stupid." She turned and began filling out the information card for the body bag and Eggsy followed suit, his brows creasing as he read the lines.

Roxy looked up from filling out her bag and glanced over at Eggsy. She shook her head and said, "It's just for scare – no one's really going to die during this. Standard military tactics, really."

"Hmm," Eggsy murmured as he picked his up. He looked up when he heard someone ask, "Need a pen?"

"Cheers," he said as he accepted the pen from the young woman with the blunt bangs.

Roxy stepped towards the young woman and asked, "Amelia isn't it?"

The young woman nodded and Roxy gestured to Eggsy, "Amelia, this is Eggsy."

The young woman smiled as she extended her hand and Eggsy took it. "Hi Eggsy, nice to meet you," she said before leaning closer to his ear. "Don't pay any attention to those guys."

Roxy shook her head at Charlie and his crew, who looked up from writing on their body bags at Amelia's comment. "That's what I told him," she added before unpacking her pajamas for the night.

"Eh Rox? Sorry, I should probably head back," Eggsy murmured as he woke up, rubbing his eyes. He checked his watch and groaned when he saw it was 1:16 AM.

"Ya think the taxi would come and get me?" Eggsy asked as he sat up.

Roxy shook her head and Eggsy cursed as he replaced his snapback on his head.

"There's a spare room – just go ahead and sleep there," Roxy said as she stood up from the couch. "You know what? Stay as long as you'd like until you get your place sorted out."

Eggsy cocked his head towards Roxy. "You sure?"

She nodded and nudged his arm. "Eggsy, we're mates – think it's fair to let you stay over until Merlin gets this whole mess sorted out. God, I don't envy him right now." She sighed as she looked around at the dated décor and made a note to call her mum to send over some of her stuff from home so she could redecorate over the weekend.

Eggsy grinned as he stepped towards Roxy and pulled her into a hug. "Thanks a load Rox," he said. "And I don't mean for just the temporary room and board, but…thanks for not judgin' me like them others."

Roxy returned the smile as she wrapped her arms around Eggsy. "Of course," she said. "Thank you…for seeing me as a real contender and not just a stupid, weak girl."

"Well you ain't stupid or weak," he replied as he let go. "We've got the best fuckin' jobs in the whole world and look where those other wankers ended up?"

Roxy snorted as she thought about Charlie and the others, who were probably disgraced from their families or headless, in Charlie's case. Eggsy shook his head as he looked around the flat and winced when he saw one of the walls painted a weird shade of moss green.

"Not to judge your predecessor," Eggsy said as he scrunched his nose, "but he really had a thing for the 70s. God, the colors look –"

"Hideous," she finished as she shook her head. "Okay, first thing tomorrow if we don't get any new missions, new paint STAT."