Sovereign: This is a oneshot story that I had inside my head for a while and I finally had the time to write it. I hope you all enjoy reading it.


Despair

As he somberly walks down the streets of London, Dean Baker drinks down the last remnants of his beer. Knowing that this will be his final bottle of alcohol in a long while, Dean made sure to drink every last droplet of it before returning back to the harsh reality of the world around him.

Dean hangs his head down as he lowers his now-empty bottle, failing to see two men walking the opposite direction down the pavement. He bumps into the man on the left, causing Dean to drop his bottle and clumsily fall onto the pavement like a sack of bricks, while the man and his friend turn to him and gave him looks of annoyance.

"What the hell's wrong with you, retard?" The man yelled at the drunk who bumped into him earlier. Irritated by his insult, Dean snarls in rage as he gets back up to his feet and whirls about.

"What?! You want a fight with me?! Come on, you motherfuckers! Show me you got the balls to do it!" Dean bellowed at them, gesturing the two men to lay a hand on him. The two men momentarily turn their heads to each other before one of them swiftly swings his fist at Dean's face.

Dean couldn't even react in time before the man's fist collided against his left cheek and he finds himself falling onto the floor again. As the man proceeds to brutally stomp his boot onto Dean, his friend picks up the bottle which he had dropped earlier and continuously beats him with it like a baton. Dean cries in pain and agony, calling out to anybody who is willing to help him.

But there was no one else around them, leaving Dean to helplessly endure the savage beatdown from his assailants.


Dean fights back the urge to cry as he continued walking aimlessly through the streets of London, his face and limbs now covered with fresh and large bruises. And as he tromped down the pavement in pain and misery, Dean tried to recollect his memories, wondering how his life had suddenly ended up like this. How did he went from one of the toughest men in the London underworld, to becoming the most miserable and pathetic man in the entire world?

Before any of this happened, not only did Dean had a gang of his own, but also found a woman who not only provided him a roof to stay under but also someone he can use as his playmate. And whenever he felt angry and frustrated, he can always relieve himself from that by physically abusing Michelle and her son Eggsy. And after getting Michelle pregnant and had her give birth to Daisy, Dean already had plans not to take his daughter to school, but to groom her into a prostitute when she grows older so that she can work along with her brother to earn extra money for him in the future, just like all children should do for their parents.

And for a while, that's just how things were for Dean, and nothing can go wrong for him at all. He was even happier when Eggsy ran off from home one day, believing that he is nothing but a coward who can't protect his mother and baby sister, and leaving his family behind by the hands of his abusive stepfather.

But everything changed during his second reunion with his stepson at the bar that faithful day.

When Eggsy announced to him and Michelle that he had found a home and job of his own, and offering his mother and sister to live with him, Dean and his gang immediately threatened his life, telling him off that they will break his bones and send him to the hospital if he ever tries to take his precious wife away from him.

Unexpectedly, instead of taking his warning and never showing his face to him and his mother again, Eggsy threatened him back by locking themselves in the bar and willing to take him head-on. His gang members were shocked by this and tried to warn Dean of what Eggsy had become. But being the cocky and arrogant bastard he was back then, Dean ignored his thugs and thought he can easily take Eggsy down like he always does.

But after giving one final insult towards him, to his surprise, Eggsy responded to him by slamming a beer mug onto his head, causing him to pass out for an entire minute. According to his thugs, they tried to gang up on Eggsy and fight him after seeing their leader knocked out. But just like Dean, they were all brutally beaten and injured within just a single minute. And when Dean regained consciousness, he pulls out his gun and tried to kill his meddling stepson once and for all. But he never expected that Eggsy's umbrella would also act as a bulletproof riot shield, deflecting every shot he fired before his stepson got close enough towards his stepfather to deliver thirty seconds of violent beating upon him.

Dean never expected that every punch, stomp and swing of his umbrella Eggsy delivered would be equivalent to the strength of the professional mixed martial artist, and he simply laid on the floor, feeling both agonized by the pain his stepson is bringing down upon him, and incredulous how he had become so strong and powerful since leaving the apartment. He vividly remembered that the brawl came to an anticlimactic end when Eggsy warn him to never go near Michelle and Daisy ever again before delivering one final punch to his face, knocking him out and sending him into a state of unconsciousness again.

When Dean woke up, he was astonished to find himself inside a hospital ward along with all of his gang members, who shared a lesser amount of injuries than him from his stepson, but still left them in a critical condition. He learned from them that during his unconsciousness, Eggsy walked out of the bar unscathed with his mother. And because neither Dean nor any of his thugs were at his apartment, Eggsy also took Daisy along with him without any obstructions. Instead, he and his thugs spent the entire time lying helplessly in the hospital after their brawl with his stepson.

And for the next six weeks, Dean and his thugs simply laid on their beds, recovering from their injuries, and wondering why it isn't Eggsy who is in their place right now. They never get to spend a single penny, drink a single drop of alcohol, or even slept with a single woman during all that time.

When they finally recovered and ready to be discharged from the hospital, Dean and his men were startled to see the staggering amount of money they need to pay for their medical bills. They were able to pay them, but it cost them a lot of whatever amount of money that they ever have throughout their lifetime. Because most of their money had been spent on alcohol, drugs and women over the years, Dean and his gang find themselves nearly bankrupt after paying their medical bills, and they struggled to survive throughout the following months.

Being the worthless people they are, having dropped out of college or high school and do not possess any sort of degree or certificate, Dean and his men couldn't find any jobs outside the underworld. And because none of them had the balls to go near Eggsy and Michelle anymore, they couldn't demand them for money like Dean could in the past.

For the next four months, dark times fell upon Dean and his gang. Now that they have very little money, they were all forcibly kicked out of their apartments by their landlords when they can no longer pay for their rents and taxes.

One gang member committed suicide when he could no longer tolerate how miserable his life had become since being discharged from the hospital. The other surviving thugs immediately blame Dean for his death and decided to quit the gang. Dean threatened them to stay, saying that they will send them to the hospital again if they walk out on him. But after personally witnessing their boss getting his ass kicked by his stepson, why should any of them feel intimidated by his threats anymore?

After walking out on him, Dean heard that they have since joined other gangs and spread the word to every bar in London to stay away from him, warning them that his presence will bring misery and agony to their lives. That was when Dean finally faced the harsh realization of his situation. No longer was he a man whom is feared by many in the underworld, but now rather a joke and a jinx. Not only had he lost his place in the underworld, but also a place where he belong. He had lost his money, his gang, his apartment, his wife, his children…he literally lost everything.

And to think none of this would ever happen if he had just kept his mouth shut.

Dean wondered how Eggsy and his family are doing right now. He mentioned that he has a friend who provided him a home and a job. He, Michelle and Daisy must be living in bliss and luxury right now, feeling overjoyed and relieved that they are finally free from Dean's abusive hands. Such a lucky man. If only Dean had a friend just like the one Eggsy has, he would be in the same situation as him right now. Instead, he has none.

Despite showing loyalty towards him for many years, Dean treated his gang members like dog shit on the side of the road. Whenever any of his gang members tell him that they have problems of their own, Dean would simply ignore their plight and call them 'idiots' behind their backs. And whenever they made a mistake, Dean would simply beat them up to a bloody pulp, with their apologies and pleas for mercy falling into deaf ears. But these acts of physical and verbal abuse towards others helped reinforced his men's fear and loyalty towards him, which strengthened his pride and self-indulgence as the leader of a gang in the London underworld. This abusive personality made Dean what he was back then, and what gave him the mentality that in this world, the best way to live is to only care and think about your own desires.

But after years of displaying such arrogance, selfishness, and cruelty towards others, Karma has finally come to bite him in the ass. If only he had just listened their warning about Eggsy that day, Dean would have never fall victim to his own pride and got him and his entire gang hospitalized. They would have never lose all of their money and continue drinking alcohol and having sex with women like they always do every day and night. And because his gang members never view him as a friend, they do not feel any guilt whatsoever when they decided to quit and turn their backs on their former leader.

Dean continued to hold back his tears as he lean against a nearby lamppost and slides himself down onto a sitting position on the side of the pavement. He never thought that one day, he wished he had friends. Right now, during this dark period of his life, how he wish he had someone who can cheer him up, show sympathy towards him and assure him that everything is going to be alright. But no. Dean knows that there is nobody who can help him. Not his gang members. Not Michelle.

He is truly all alone. And he has no one to blame but himself for letting this happen.

'It's all over for me.' Dean thought somberly to himself as he stares down at the pavement. 'I truly am a piece of shit.'

"Hello Dean."

Dean widens his eyes upon hearing that awfully familiar voice. He slowly lifts his head up and is incredulous to see who was standing right in front of him, dressed in his neat orange suit, black pants and shiny black shoes.

"Eggsy." Dean uttered.

"What are you doing here?" Eggsy asked flatly.

"I…I just…" Dean struggled to answer.

"If you want to take a nap, you should do it in your own apartment." Eggsy said. "Unless…you don't have one anymore, do you?"

"I…I…" Dean continued struggling to speak, failing to maintain his pride in front of his stepson any longer.

"If only you had been a decent man, had a proper job and stop wasting your time having sex with women and drowning in booze, you could not only have lots of money right now, but also a home of your own, even have a loving wife and some children." Eggsy said firmly as he places his hands behind his back. "But no. You chose not to. And now, look what you have become."

Upon hearing that final sentence, Dean couldn't fight back his tears any longer. For the first time in many years, Dean finally broke down weeping and sobbing in despair.

"Eggsy…I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…" Dean cried woefully as tears roll down his cheeks. "I never should have been an asshole to you and your mother…I shouldn't have spent all my money on drugs and beer…I had a chance to be a father…and I screwed that up…and now…I don't have anyone…don't have a home…don't have any friends…or even a single pound in my pocket…It's all over for me…"

Eggsy stares wordlessly at his pathetic stepfather as he bawled in sorrow and hopelessness. He couldn't feel anything but pity for him. But the pity he had for him is not of sympathy, but examining how far the once proud and arrogant Dean Baker has fallen.

As Dean continued sobbing in inconsolable grief, Eggsy inserts his hand underneath his coat and took out a cheque book. And when Eggsy took out a fountain pen from the side pocket of his coat, Dean managed to bring his sobs to a halt and watched in pained confusion as his stepson writes down on his cheque book.

A minute later, Eggsy closes his fountain pen and puts it back into his pocket. He tears out the cheque from the book and holds it in front of Dean's face. Dean took the cheque from his hand and his eyes widened as he stares at the huge amount of money his stepson has graciously given to him.

"Eggsy..." Dean uttered as he lowers the cheque and looks back at his stepson in astonishment.

"I'm not helping you because I've forgiven you." Eggsy said flatly as he puts his cheque book back into his coat. "I'm doing this because unlike you, I'm not a monster. Whatever you do with the money, it's all up to you. And until you are finally able to get back up on your feet, I wish you nothing but the best."

With that, Eggsy turned and walked away from his stepfather. As he sat on the pavement and leaned against the lamppost, Dean looks back at the cheque and resumes his weeping and sobbing a few moments later.

Despite everything Dean had done to him, he never thought that Eggsy would still show a display of mercy and kindness towards him.

And what happened to Dean afterwards, it shall be left to your own imagination.

THE END