#future hartwin

Reverse side to A Thief’s Honor.

It was only years of previous experience that prevented Harry from startling behind the wheel at Merlin’s sudden interjection. 

“Take a left at this next light.” Merlin’s tone was tinged with something somber.

Question on his tongue about the detour Harry held it back behind his teeth, and put on his turn signal to take the direction. If Merlin was interrupting time Harry put aside to decompress after a successful heist then it was for a good reason. The semantics of a “good” cause might have been debatable Harry was willing to take it on good faith.

“Care to explain?” Harry asked as the leather of his driving gloves creaked faints as he adjusted his grip out of nerves. He was still wound a little tightly after evading interpol, again. They tended to be the most aggravating of the law enforcement he had to deal with given his career choice. Still Harry knew very well his prize was sitting just where he left it so his nerves would settle fine. Not even Merlin knew where the rubies were hidden away. Precaution of the trade.

“Keep straight for a ways. I’ll let you know when to turn off the main road. You’re going to hit side streets well before you reach your destination.” Merlin’s voice hadn’t lost the somber note Harry had heard, but the air of business about it made Harry relax. If Merlin was in a postion to give orders nothing was beyond saving. “We’re going to get a contact.”

Years had taught Harry that Merlin was often correct in his predictions. But what he meant by his statement was far more vague. Harry had called Merlin out on his vague wording of his predictions to no end. This didn’t seem to sit quite the same on Harry’s mind.

“Contact?”

With a job just finished it would be unwise for Harry to travel more than he needed to until the buzz about the theft died down. It wasn’t an international headline as he used to pull far too often in his youth, but time had taught Harry a measure of caution. 

Merlin told him he was a lying bastard whenever he made that claim.

“The Unwin boy landed himself into a bit a trouble. Caused quite a stir across ever police radio early this morning when he stole a car that belonged to his step-father.” Merlin went on to explain, at last.

Harry hadn’t known the Michelle had ever remarried after Lee. Not that they even saw one another since Harry’s initial attempt to repay the widow for his husband’s show of loyalty all those years ago. Over fifteen Harry’s mind told him when he did the math without being positive of the year but positive of the day. It stood to reason she at some point would have remarried for any number of reasons - love, simple companionship, or financial stability. 

“A little auto-theft really put so many feathers out of place?”

“When the boy leads half a dozen cars in pursuit their honor is on the line.” Merlin’s tone was amused, the kind that Harry knew meant there was a detail he was withholding.

“Ego will do that.”

“Especially in reserve without so much as a beat of hesitation.” Merlin sounded almost proud of the boy.

And Harry could appreciate that himself. He’d have to look into some CCTV footage of the joyride in question but he’d image it was a fair show. Frankly Harry found it sounded like something he’d do, for fun or professionally. 

But why would Lee’s son need to steal his step-father’s car? There was something amiss with this picture.

Harry kept his eyes on the road ahead of him, watching a woman two cars over talking distractedly into her cell phone. Harry at least was hands free. Yet that had more to do with the necessity of needing both for maneuvers in high-speed occasions. 

“Why did he steal the car, Merlin?”

The moment of silence before the answer to his inquiry was enough to imply that Harry wouldn’t like the details. 

Sure enough when Merlin spoke that somber note in his voice was heavier. And despite the man’s fair hold of his temper Harry heard it stir, low and as mean as he could recall it being.

“Dean Baker has a record of theft, distribution of illegal narcotics, breaking and entering, and assault. Not to mention a few incidents that led to police appearances at home concerning some calls about domestic disputes.” The timber of displeasure meant none of the accusations of abuse had held any water. Merlin had no tolerance for those who abused others in positions of lesser means. Harry couldn’t argue that abuse of power was perhaps one of the most underhanded of methodologies. 

Again Harry’s gloves creaked as he adjusted his grip on the steering wheel. This time in a moment of distemper. 

While it all painted a teling picture Harry wasn’t quite certain why he was being rerouted.

“Where am I going exactly?”

“Holborn Police Station.” 

If Lee’s boy, Eggsy if Harry recalled right, had been so capable of leading them in a merry chase why had he not managed to escape? it didn’t hold up to Merlin’s frank impression of the boy’s skills. 

“He was caught?” Harry heard the disapproval in his own voice. It waan’t logical of him but that changed nothing.

“Something ran into the road, some rodent or other.” Merlin explained with a gusty sigh the likes Harry was all too familiar with. Merlin gave them often when Harry did something he considered foolish. “He ended up jerking the wheel to avoid hitting the damn thing. Hit a poll and got himself cornered for it. Hit the car that had him caught to let his friends escape.”

Unwins were loyal by blood it appeared.

As it was Harry certainly had no qualms with going to deal with this now. Whether Merlin had planned to wheedle him into it or not Harry would have done what he could. He still owed the Unwins a debt, after all. 

“Show me the route in the GPS if you would. I’ll handle this myself.”

A hum of approval later Merlin voiced his last thoughts. “Don’t cause too much of a spectacle I don’t want to be erasing footage for a week thanks to your sense of vanity.”

Harry smirked, aware Merlin wouldn’t see it, and glanced at the updated route on his GPS. “I wouldn’t dare.”

“Why did I ever agree to help you and not lock you away I’ll never know.” It was about the usual level of drama Merlin hung up with. 

Harry just shook his head at his friends antics. They were partners for a reason and had been for a great many years now. Clash as they might it had never been enough to turn them off of one another entirely. Not to say they never fought or even went to lengths to pain or avoid one another for childishly long periods of time. But they had held up under many things and would awhile longer.

Holborn Station would take another fifteen minutes to reach leaving Harry with more than enough time to plan a way to collect his clueless ward.

A simple disguise would do. Then it was just a matter of getting to the police lockers and finding a uniform that would fit him well enough for a getaway. With years of practice of much higher risk it would be child’s play. 

Harry pulled into a small, secure car park and took the ticket to go with his fair for parking. He’d have to collect the car later or send Merlin for it. His plan wouldn’t afford him making a getaway in something nearly so flashy as his personal vehicle. 

The station was small and only manned by a single woman who appeared to also be a dispatcher. She smiled at Harry who signed in citing an appointment with one of the detective for a consultation. In his impeccable suit and easy confidence she didn’t so much as hesitate to allow him to wait for the detective to come collect him. Quite amiable when Harry asked if she might let him in to make use of the restroom, as he’d gotten a little turned around on his drive in.

The restroom was empty save for himself at this time of the morning. Harry pulled out a small set of cosmetics from his suit coat and applied it along his face. Contouring his nose to make it look longer than it was, darkening under his eyes to give the appearance of bags, and adding more winkles than he actually happened to possess. 

The wig was of the salt-and-pepper variety. Sideburns trimmed and easy to glue into place were entirely silver while further up more black appeared over the crown of his head. His temples were silvery and lines of silver cut into the black that would be suited to a man that appeared to be this age, if he was lucky. 

Going darker with the pencil on his eyebrows was easier than having to go lighter, far less time consuming. Harry blended it with ease. Then for good measure gave his jaw line a smattering of specks to look like stubble. Some of is finer white and silver.

Despite being in the same suit Harry looked like an entirely different man. It would do for him to slip into the lockers and procure a uniform. The station was small enough they wouldn’t all be jammed in or have anyone lingering most likely. And true to Harry’s estimations he found no one in the lockers. They instead were likely getting to the first details of their work day, dragging feet to avoid the dull routine of it all.

Pulling on a uniform Harry received the call Merlin anticipated it would. It was a direct line Harry had access to almost always. On rare occasions during particularly difficult heists or high points of danger Merlin monitored the line instead. But Harry answered as he redressed in the uniform with a little modification. Rolling his suit coat and wrapping it in his shirtsleeves to tie around his waist to give the impression of having more body mass than he did.

“Customer complaints, how may I help you?” Harry asked effecting a more feminine voice. 

“’m Eggsy Unwin, sorry Gary Unwin, and I’m up shits creek-” The boy sounded as if he was indeed in dire straights. There was no bluster to the words but an unmistakeable pleading instead.

Harry buttoned up the shirt he’d pilfered and was working on knotting his tie. His next statement had more to do with buying time than anything else. “I believe you have the wrong number, I’m sorry sir.” Harry had no intention of leaving him.

“Wait!...wait,” Eggsy pleaded, “that is...oxford, not brogues?” And it sounded more like a question than a statement with such a weak voice.

Harry pulled the cap snug on the top of his head before fussing about the fit a little more. A glimpse at himself meant he was passable. it was time to collect the boy.

“Your complaint has been noted. We hope that we have not lost a valuable customer.” 

Eggsy’s only just hung up his one phone call when the door to the interrogation room opens with a uniformed officer. He’s in full uniform, including his cap which is pulled down to obscure most of his face. Eggsy can only catch the hint of a chin beginning to droop with age and gray hair along the man’s ears. Uniform even fitted, or old and undersized enough, to show a paunch.

Eggsy just assumes he’s about to be moved to general holding but instead the officer lifts his head to reveal a pair of brown eyes that don’t seem to sit quite right in the man’s face.

“Hands out.” His voice is hoarse and stern, frown deepening the lines about his mouth further. Even the faint crows feet at his eyes become more pronounced. 

With little other option Eggsy holds out his arms to be cuffed. Before the snap of the cuffs Eggsy spots the man’s badge and identification tag - Lupin, it reads. An odd name that nags at some part of Eggsy’s mind but is quickly forgotten as he’s tugged along by the arm back out into the corridor. 

Oddly enough Lupin keeps a hand on his shoulder and guides him along from behind. Not quick, jerking movements most officers provide that are mostly mean spirited more than helpful. The grip is solid but the guidance is mindfully gentle. It’s at odds with the gruff tone the man used, but how is Eggsy to know he isn’t just a soft-touch. If there was such a thing walking around in a bobby. 

No one stops them.

Which makes it awkward when Eggsy finds himself facing a fire door that clearly does not lead to any holding. Even stranger the grip on his shoulder leaves. 

Lupin comes around and is already removing the connection to the door with deft fingers. Little more than a reflex before he’s turning with key in hand and unlocked one half of Eggsy’s cuffs. All without a word one way or the other what he’s up to.

Eggsy still hasn’t made sense of it when Lupin is tucking the removed cuffs into one his pockets and offering a sly smile that doesn’t suit him. There’s a hint of shadowy stubbly alone his jaw, paler in patches by the hinge of his jaw. 

“Come along, Eggsy. We haven’t all day.” Lupin says and pushes open the fire door that doesn’t alarm to alert the rest of building to opening. He holds out a hand and pulls him, urges more than pulls, to go over the threshold out onto the  narrow alleyway. 

The sun is bright outside and Eggsy winces against it first stepping out even in the shadow of the narrow walls. Lupin is just behind him and he gives Eggsy a nudge at the shoulder to keep moving. “Keep going, out to the parked cars if you please.” Calm and polite as the man’s words are is slightly ruined by watching him jam his baton so no one can follow behind them through the first door. 

Lupin is just a step behind Eggsy’s confused giat after that. The man’s legs are unfairly long and don’t match his aged face. The muscle tone isn’t proportioned to the paunch he has.

“Fuck is goin’ on?” Eggsy hears himself ask, barely above a hissed whisper.

For a second Lupin says nothing. 

“Getting to released. Your phone call was to that effect, was it not?”

Eggsy had forgotten about the medallion around his neck. He’d only given it a try as a last ditch effort and expected nothing to come of it. This is something straight out of a Bond movie really. Strange gent turning up and leading him out without a hitch without revealing anything. Eggsy would suspect Dean’s hand at it but his type aren’t nearly so delicate about their dirty work. 

The alleyway opens out to the small rear parking lot. Patrol cars are lined up and a few of the detective’s personal vehicles are in the closest spots. Every car is empty and Lupin slips around Eggsy without so much as a glimpse back.

Without any better option Eggsy rushes after the man. Lupin goes around to the side of the car and opens the door to one of the patrol cars without even having to unlock it. 

“Passangers for you.” Lupin says and his eyes look brighter under the shadow of his cap than they did inside the station. 

Before Eggsy can make heads or tails of it all Lupin is ducking into the driver’s seat. In an effort not to be left behind Eggsy hurries into the passenger’s seat. He whacks his elbow and hisses out his discomfort. But he’s in his seat by the time Lupin is turning keys in the ignition. 

“Seatbelt.” Lupin says just before starting to reverse out of the parking spot without much notice.

Thousand questions in his head Eggsy finds the least helpful tumble out of his mouth first, “Seatbelt, are you for fuckin’ reals?”

Lupin gives him a peevish look for that and puts far more weight onto the gas than he needs to to get them out of the lot. There are no screeching tires but Eggsy jolts and nearly hits his head on the dash.

“Mind your mouth.” 

Rather than argue Eggsy pulls his seatbelt down and snaps it into place before turning a sharp look at Lupin. It’s about then the name hits the right recognition points of his memory. A famous thief has the same name or a similar one - fictional but definitely not the kind of name you find morally bound. 

“Who the fuck are you?” Eggsy asks, something a little like hysteria starting to rise in his chest.

“The man who gave you that medal. And the man who kept you out of a cell; a little gratitude would be nice.”

“That ain’t an answer.” Eggsy grumbled but took a good look at not-Lupin once more. The paunch didn’t look natural with not-Lupin sitting. 

After removing the cap and a wig to reveal a head of a much more appealing chestnut-colored hair the man answered. “Harry Hart.” 

Whether removing the wig disturbed something or being in closed quarters with the man brought it about Eggsy could smell make up. Or it reminded him of his mom’s cosmetics. The way the powders smelled or the goop that came in the tubes did. Not a thing he could put into words but something Eggsy could recognize and categorize none the less. 

“You ain’t no cop.”

The statement stuccoed Hart as funny because he laughed, soft and almost breathless by the end that did something strange to Eggsy’s stomach. 

“I am indeed no such thing.”

The wig was tossed into the back of the car behind the plexi-partrition. The cap rolled some and hit the hard plastic seat. Harry was tugging at his shit collar and the primly buttoned collar gave under a firm pull of his fingers. Tie sliding and pulled loose enough to go over his head in short order. The tie joined the cap in back.

“I operate on the other side of the law, Eggsy.”

“Know a few in there that still apply, ya know.” Eggsy shouldn’t have been pleased at the amused nod in recognition he received.

Harry glanced sideways at him when he was forced to slow at the red light. “Tell me Eggsy would you perhaps be open to a job interview?”

Thoughts not able to settle into the meaning of that Eggsy gave into the hysteria-tinged laugh bubbling up his throat. “Why not.” Because nothing about the moment could get stranger.

“Ah excellent.” Harry’s eyes were before on the traffic well in time for the light to change to green. “How do you fancy becoming an apprentice international thief?”

Eggsy could only stare. Especially when Harry put his foot to the floor and wove through the traffic just barely after he put on the lights and sirens of the patrol car. Naturally people parted for them and they sped forward leaving the station further and further behind. 

“What have I got to lose...” It wasn’t a bold or dedicated response but there was only so much Eggsy’s mind could handle within fifteen minutes. When he caught up he might sing a different tune.