Chapter Text
"WAKE UP!" My phone screams at me. Well, not the phone the alarm's ringtone is screaming, but my phone is going off.
"No." I groan, turning over and dismissing the alarm, and just wanting to sleep. I didn't get home until late last night, my boss gave me extra work, I just want five minutes to sleep. It's six am, and I was forced to stay at work past midnight.
It was worse when I was in MI6... but at least them the work was interesting.
My job with the British Government ended when I was captured and tortured for a month.
While I'm thankful I made it out alive, part of me wishes I didn't. This fate is worse than death, working a mundane office job for a multi multi-million dollar corporation isn't my idea of living.
There was a time when everything was wonderful, when I was invincible... but those days are far gone. I was trained as an assassin, and I was the best.
After my 'incident' I was retired... sort of... technically, I'm still employed by the government, and will be until the day I die due to how much I know. Maximum security clearance has it's drawbacks.
On the bright side, at least I still have my life... well, if this can be called a life.
My days are pathetic and consist of boring and mind-numbingly ordinary tasks.
Laying in bed isn't going to pay my bills.
This is going to be a long day.
"Yay... work." My desk is covered in stacks of paperwork, nothing can be seen aside from my computer monitor and the thousands of papers.
"Here, l/n." Steven, a co-worker, drops another stack on my desk.
There's got to be a better way than this.
Everyone is gathering in the break room, it's Steven's birthday. They seem to want to throw him a party. We don't get paid to party, we get paid to do our stupid job.
Silently, I clock in and begin filling out the paperwork, and of course scanning it into the company system. I'm so underpaid... I'm so sick of this.
My mind wanders to the time when I was tasked with protecting Mycroft Holmes from several people who wanted to kill him... by the end of the day I was ready to kill him myself.
"l/n, in my office." My boss calls with a sharp tone.
Oh, I've been here for five minutes and I'm already being called to the office? I'm sure it's more work that I don't have time for.
I hate this.
"Sit down, y/n." My boss regards me with a cool crisp edge to his voice as he closes the door behind me.
"Good morning, Mr. Gallows." I stand with my shoulders pulled back, almost as if I'm standing at attention. "What did you wish to speak with me about?"
"Sit down." He repeats.
What I want to do is ignore him and continue standing, but I can't...
He wants to control me, that's the whole point in making me sit down on command.
As much as I want to ignore him... I also know I don't need to lose my job. Without verbal protest, I sit down.
I may be sitting on the outside, but I'm standing up on the inside.
I never asked for this, I never asked to be forced to work for this corporate pig.
"We are making budget cuts, only the most productive employees are going to continue working here."
Meaning you're eliminating the only person who actually does their job, and everyone else's?
"I am aware that you were once employed by the British Government, but you are no longer needed working here."
"Don't sugar coat it, am I fired or not?"
"Yes, you are fired." He seems surprised by my brash tone. "Effective immediately, please clear your personal items from your desk, turn in your lanyard and your passes."
"Good luck replacing me." No, I'm not trying to keep my job. I hate this job. "Here's my passes and lanyard." I hand them over.
"Collect your personal items on your way out." He continues his pointless attempts to control me.
A sick smile spreads across my face. "I'm not stupid enough to keep anything personal in this den of thieves... I know what happens to peoples money when they invest in this
Ponzi scheme you call a company."
"Security, escort Mr./Ms. l/n out." Mr. Gallows' face reddens with anger.
"No need." With that I leave his office, not closing his door.
Well, this is not a good day, at least I got to tell Gallows off. That felt good.
I'm in the park now, sitting on a bench thinking about what to do now.
I have no where to be, I don't have a job... that means I'm about to become homeless though.
"Penny for your thoughts?" An Irish voice causes me to shift my attention to the man sitting next to me.
"Pardon?" I really don't have time for pleasantries.
"Penny for your thoughts." He repeats, a small smile playing at his lips. "You look like you're a bit lost in thought."
"Sorry." My tongue is working on its own, I'm not even sure why I'm talking to this man.
He looks familiar...
"No need to be sorry, I'm Jim." He holds out a hand for me to shake.
"Jim..." I nod, shaking his hand.
I don't know anyone named Jim... where do I know him from?
"Can I have your name?"
"Oh, shit, sorry, I'm y/n." I'm a bit embarrassed for some reason.
"Pleasure to meet you, y/n." He chuckles at my embarrassment. I find myself laughing with him. Something about him is oddly soothing, almost as if I already know him.
"So, what brings you out here?"
"Business."
"Okay... cool." A bit cryptic if you ask me, but we are complete strangers to one another.
"What about you, what bring you out here?"
"Thinking." A deep sigh escapes me when I remember that I was just fired. "It's nothing important."
"Now, now." He tuts. "What brings a lovely creature like yourself out here is it's not important?"
"My job." Why am I confiding in him? "The company I was working for was making budget cuts, they fired me... I really couldn't afford to lose my job."
"That's terrible." He nods, listening to me surprisingly enough.
"Yeah... I have to find a new job, but it's not going to be easy here in London."
"You know." He hesitates, glancing around as if to make sure no one is watching before he rests his gaze on me once more. "I think I know of a place that has a job opening."
"Really?" My heart flutters with hope.
"Why would I lie?" He raises an eyebrow before continuing. "There's a coffee shop, Furlington, it's the one closest to Scotland Yard... if you go there and tell them you're there for a job, they'll give you one, but be sure to tell them Jim sent you." He stands up.
"Okay... Furlington-wait, why are you helping me?" I'm confused, yet touched.
"Maybe I wanted to be nice." He smiles before leaving.
I like him, he's crazy. Like... mega crazy for even helping me.
What just happened?