War And Wisdom~ Eggsy Unwin

O N E

A grunt of pain escaped my lips as a sudden weight fell onto my sleeping figure, a feeling that resembled a warm moist sponge, being dragged across my face multiple times, woke me properly. I gently pushed my sisters, golden Labrador's hyperactive face away from my own. "Stop it Thor." I grumbled as he continued to jump up and down whilst repeatedly licking me.

Sitting up I rubbed my eyes before wiping the trail of saliva Thor had left on my cheeks with an internal gag. "Thor." Stretching the R, I whined as he began to paw at my door, the light scratches making me cringe. Stumbling over I pulled on the handle watching him sprint for the kitchen with a small smile.

After washing my face and brushing my teeth I made my way down to fill Thor's bowls with food and water. Making myself a cup of coffee, I sat resting my head on the table. The shrill ring of the house phone demanded my attention as it echoed through the empty house.

Sobs ran through to me making my heart begin to beat faster. "Hello?" I asked tentatively.

"Athena...Athena your sister." My mother frantically cried my heart began to beat a whole lot faster and harder. "What, mum what's wrong with Astraea?" I questioned her, feeling myself become more frantic. "She, she's dead." My heart stopped and my mother's howls of pain became to much for me. "What no she can't be dead." My voice cracked as I spoke after a minute of silence. "How did this happen mum?" My mother didn't reply instead her cries became louder and longer.

Hanging up swiftly I put the phone back before sitting back down with my cup of coffee. My eyes bore into the murky brown liquid as my vision fell in and out of focus.

There's no way that Astraea is dead she can't be she just can't. She promised that she'd be back soon, she can't have left us, left me, all alone.

A harsh rapid knock pulled me from my thoughts, my hand hovered over the door handle for just a moment. I knew it was a horrible thought but I desperately wished my mother wasn't on the other side. "Harry?" Letting out a breath I didn't even realise that I was holding, I looked up at the older man in confusion.

"Athena dear pardon the intrusion, I came to speak with you about Astraea." My throat tightened making it difficult for me to swallow as tears burned my eyes, begging to spill and run freely down my face.

I opened the door wider and stepped to the side, "do come in." My voice came out strangled making me wince. As I lead Harry to the kitchen I composed myself, I would not cry; not yet, and most definitely not in front of Harry.

As he took a seat I turned to him a polite smile on my face, faker than the plastic in my mother's. "Would you like anything to drink; tea, coffee?" Sending a polite smile of his own he shook his head. "I'm alright thank you." Taking my seat opposite from him I wrung my hands as I looked up at him inquisitively; "what did you want to talk about?"

Clearing his throat he got to his point. "So as you know, your sister has passed away and well I wanted to tell you the true nature of her death." My eyebrows furrowed at his words. "The true nature of her death?" I repeated. "Precisely, what were you told?" I shrugged blinking profusely, "My mother wouldn't say so I just hung up on her."

"Um... alright but I have to warn you that what I'm about to tell you isn't pleasant." I nodded hesitantly and internally braced myself for whatever he was going to tell me. "So as you know your sister and I worked together," I nodded certain of that information. "Well your sister and I we're agents... kingsman agents and she was... murdered whilst on a mission." His face contorted to one of concern after receiving my blank stare.

"Athena... are you alright?" I blinked once and then once more before I looked at him again. "Agents...agents as in secret agents? Like spies?" He nodded slowly; "well I suppose you could describe it like that." I blinked at him once more. "Shut up."

"I beg your pardon?" I shook my head at him, "I'm sorry, but my sister can't have been a secret agent, that's absurdly impossible, she would've told me." Harry shook his head to disagree "Kingsman agents are sworn to secrecy, so Astraea was not at liberty to discuss her employment with you."

"Then why are you?" I asked him, "you see now that Astraea is... gone her position is open and she was very clear that if anything were to ever happen to her, then she wanted you to take her place." I shook my head at him; "I'm sorry what? Me an agent that's horrendous, what qualifications do I have to be an agent?"

"All of them."

"Anyways you're in a time of grieving and so I don't want you to make any rash decisions, think over it and let me know in two days time." He explains sending me a warm smile as he began to stand. "And Astraea wanted me to give this to you." Pulling a folded piece of paper from his suit jacket, he carefully handed it over. My shaky hands gripped the paper desperately wanting to open it right there.

After Harry had left I turned the smooth paper over in my hands. On one hand I wanted to open it more than anything, but on the other was I ready to read the last ever thing my older sister wanted to tell me?

After deliberating for a while longer I carefully unfolded the paper to find a phone number neatly written with a number three under it. My heart dropped slightly as I turned it over frantically looking for something, anything else.

Slumping down in my seat I grabbed my phone and typed the number in, my shaky finger hesitating over the call button. Pressing down I held my breath as I listened to the steady rhythm of the dial tone.

"Hi there thank you for calling this number-" The breath that I was holding came out shaky as I heard my sisters voice, it was the extra posh voice that she used to do when on the phone. I always used to make fun of it. I smiled at the memory wiping the tear that ran down my cheek.

"You should know the additional number needed for your needs, please press that now, if not please hold."  I patiently waited not knowing what to expect.

"Athena if you're listening to this that means that I'm not there with you anymore, I'm sorry Junebug, I didn't mean to leave you all alone but duty calls and when I accepted the job I knew the risks and was fully prepared to die for it. Athena I know that Harry will have explained everything to you but I also know that you'll be sceptical and, I know that you won't believe that you are capable for this but I know you and I know that you are ready, if you weren't I wouldn't have drafted you. Athena I really want you take this opportunity but I don't want you to feel forced, so please do take it but not for me, do it for yourself Junebug." I took a deep breath and thought it over should I take the offer.

"Athena Juno Bardot you are the wisest, most beautiful person that I know, I love you more than anything and everything in the universe." As she began to cry over the line I did too trying to keep my sobs quiet so that I could hear what was being said.

"My beautiful beautiful little sister, I'm so glad that I got custody of you and that your free from our parents, everything of mine, all of my money, my house and I'm even granting you permission to wear my clothes, even though you do that without my permission." I could hear the pain in her voice as she laughed at her joke.

"Athena there's just one thing that I want you to know; no matter what you decide to do I'll always be proud of you, the only thing that matters is that you're happy and doing what you want to. It's time for me to say goodbye now but just know that even though I'm not there with you anymore, I'm always watching over you so I'm not really gone okay? Don't mourn me too hard loser, live your life and please look after Thor.  I love you Junebug, see you soon." The line went dead.

I wanted more then anything to just break down and cry but I didn't, I held myself together and got up. I grabbed a bag of Thor's dog food and took it up with me to Astraea's room. I climbed into the bed and pulled the second pillow into me, I buried my face into it pretending she was still here with me and that I was sleeping with her as I usually did after a nightmare, or if we just lost track of time talking and watching movies.