Empty Gold ♔ Muke

I

Originally on ao3

"We're the underdogs in this world alone
I'm a believer, got a fever running through my bones. We're the alley cats and they can throw their stones. They can break our hearts, they won't take our souls."

- Empty Gold, Halsey

London, 1998

During a raid in the Middle East, a probationary secret agent that goes by the name Daryl Clifford has sacrifices himself to save his team. Clifford was part of a secret service of secret agents called, The Kingsman, a group of men and woman trained to save the world. Feeling guilt over the loss of his colleague, Agent Lucas Hemmings, code-named "Galahad," will personally deliver a special gift to Daryl's widow, Karen Clifford and her young son, Michael.

"I very much regret that your husband's bravery can't be publicly celebrated, Ms. Clifford." Agent Hemmings sits in front of the now widowed Karen Clifford, as he slowly sips whiskey. "I hope you understand." Karen's eyes are red. She has been crying ever since the news of her husbands death had reached her. "How can I understand?" A tear spills from her eye and runs down her face, slowly collecting in her glass of whiskey. "Why won't you tell me anything? I didn't even know he wasn't with his squad." Karen's young son sits beside her feet, playing with an old snow globe. He twirls it around in the palms of his hands.

Lucas pats the boy on his head and averts his attention back to Karen. "I'm afraid I can't say more, as most of the information on your husband's death is highly classified" Karen nods her head up and takes a swig of her whiskey.

Lucas reaches inside his coat pocket and pulls out a small medallion. "I would like to present you with this medal of valor." Karen doesn't take it. She just sits there staring at it. "If you look closely on the back, there's a number." He flips the medal over, showing Karen the small engraving of number on the back. "And as a more concrete gesture of our gratitude, like to offer you a...Let's call it a favor." Lucas strokes his thumb over the small object and smiles. "The nature of the favor is your choice. Just tell the operator: Oxfords, not Brogues. And then I'll know it's you." He hands Karen the medal, grabbing it by the ribbon strap.

Karen pushes the object away from her as tears start to form in her eyes again. "I don't want your help! I just want my husband back!" She continues to sob into her hands, enclosing her face. Lucas puts the medal back in his pocket and stands up, making his way towards the small boy, who is currently shaking another snow globe.

Lucas crouches down next to him, "What's your name, young man?" The small boy stops twirling around the globe and smiles back at the older man. "Mikey." Lucas smiles, "Hello, Mikey." He goes back to shaking his globe, the fake white snow moving rapidly around in the clear liquid. "Can I see that?" Lucas asks pointing to the snow globe. Mikey hands it to Lucas who then starts to shake it himself.

He smiles back at Mikey and reaches inside his coat pocket, pulling out the medal that his mother refused. "You take care of this, Mikey. All right?" He nods and takes the medal. Lucas pushes himself off the floor and gives Mikey another pat on your the head. "And take care of your mum, too." He sets down the snow globe and exits the apartment.