Fandomweekly Challenge 186 - In too deep
Jul. 23rd, 2024 10:58 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
m_findlowTitle: In too deep
Fandom: Arrow
Characters: Moira Queen, Malcolm Merlyn
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG.
Length: 1,000 words
Content notes: None
Author notes: Written for Challenge 186 - Reputation at![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomweekly
Summary: Moira must do the bidding of another to protect her family.
Moira caught herself wringing her hands as she stepped into the lobby of Merlyn Global and towards the reception desk.
The young woman on the desk just smiled. ‘Mrs Queen, how lovely to see you. Mr Merlyn mentioned that you were joining him for dinner this evening.’
Moira forced a smile onto her face. ‘Business first, I’m afraid.’
‘Of course, Mrs Queen.’ She handed over a security pass for the top floor.
Moira’s foot tapped impatiently in the lift the entire way up as she kept her fidgeting hands inside her coat pockets.
Malcolm was standing on the opposite side of the doors as they opened, nearly startling her with his congenial smile. ‘Moira, so good of you to come.’ He moved to take her coat but she stood resolute. If he was perturbed, he didn’t show it. ‘Can I interest you in a glass of the pinot gris? Just in from France this morning, and chilled to perfection.’
She didn't so much follow him through the foyer out of desire as she did necessity, her heels clicking sharply on the marble floors of the palatial penthouse. ‘Don’t be coy, Malcolm. You know why I’m here.’
The charming smile dropped from his face, turning to stony seriousness. ‘More than you know.’
Moira brushed past him, towards the large floor to ceiling windows that overlooked Starling City. Walter knows about the money. About Tempest. The company,’ she clarified. He didn't yet know what the Tempest Group were planning, thank God. It was bad enough there was a vigilante targeting them. The last person to try and back out and undo the planned Undertaking had ended up dead. Malcolm's work, of course, she now knew, and now she was in as deep as her husband had been, unable to escape.
‘I warned you to let me handle things in the first instance. Transferring the whole sum in one go from Queen Consolidated was clumsy.’ He locked eyes with her. ‘Amateurish.’ She felt the chastisement in every word.
Moira bristled. ‘I didn't expect Walter to go looking for it.’
‘He's your former CFO. I'd be disappointed if he hadn't. Did you really think you could fund an expedition to have the Queen’s Gambit wreckage salvaged and stored without someone finding out?’
‘You didn't,’ she said defiantly, raising her chin and meeting his eye.
He nodded, seemingly amused. ‘Not at first. I know a great many things about the comings and goings of the Queen family.’ He lifted the lid on a laptop and swivelled it around so that she could see. ‘For instance, I have CCTV of Walter paying Tempest’s warehouse a little visit two nights ago.’
Moira watched in horror as a high-definition image of Walter appeared at the entrance.
‘R-O-B-E-R-T,’ Malcolm said, watching Walter enter the passcode, reading off each letter as Walter input it. ‘Not his first guess, but still…’
Moira's hand went to her mouth as she saw Walter enter the warehouse, seeing what she'd been hiding from him. ‘What do we do?’
‘You do nothing. I've already taken the liberty of having the wreckage relocated. You know, before Walter sends in a team from Queen Consolidated’s security division.’
‘He wouldn't. He'd speak to me.’
Malcolm sighed. ‘You really are far too trusting. He'd already made arrangements. I just beat him to it. As you should have done.’ He dug his hands into the pockets of his suit trousers. ‘Of course, that doesn’t quite deal with Walter yet. That requires a more personal touch.’
Moira shook her head vehemently. ‘No.’
Malcolm arched an eyebrow at her. ‘No? He walked towards a panel on the far wall and touched it. A wood panel door slid across, revealing a hidden room. Moira could read the pleasure on Malcolm’s face as she saw the black vigilante clothing and the large bow and quiver of arrows, along with other knives and weapons all recessed into holders on the walls.
She twirled on him. ‘Someone will see you!’
Malcolm smirked. ‘Give me some credit, Moira. I’m far better at this than you think. After all…’ He leaned in close enough that she could smell the sharp spicy scent of his cologne and feel his hot breath against her neck. ‘I'm not the one who used her dead husband’s name as the combination for the warehouse lock. A little visit from the Dark Archer could be just what Walter needs.’
‘Don’t. I beg you.’
‘If I don’t, then you do. Vigilantes aren't known for their patience.’
‘What am I supposed to say to him?’
‘The truth, Moira. That you couldn't rest until you knew what really happened to the Queen's Gambit. And now you know it was nothing more than a terrible accident. A capsize at sea in bad conditions. Poor Robert.’
Her teeth clenched painfully inside her lip, fighting the urge to utter the words. Malcolm had planted explosives on board to silence Robert before he could expose Tempest and their plans. Malcolm had him murdered for the sake of their secret. She wanted to hate him for it and yet Robert had been unfaithful on so many occasions. She too had been unfaithful, but she regretted that it was Malcolm with whom she'd done so. He had her trapped, in every conceivable way.
‘Walter isn't going to stop digging,’ she warned him. She knew Walter.
‘He will,’ Malcolm assured her. ‘The threat of death is usually enough to stop even the most principled man. Queen Consolidated is going to need a new Head of Security. Make sure the appointment is someone we can trust. Someone being paid handsomely to be trusting.’
Moira shuddered. Another murder, and still Malcolm remained as cold and calm as ever. It scared her. Enough to know that she had to reign in Walter no matter what. She didn't put it past Malcolm to have Walter murdered as well if he kept prying. ‘I'll do this,’ she promised.
‘Yes, you will. Everything I do, I do to protect us.’
Fandom: Arrow
Characters: Moira Queen, Malcolm Merlyn
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG.
Length: 1,000 words
Content notes: None
Author notes: Written for Challenge 186 - Reputation at
fandomweeklySummary: Moira must do the bidding of another to protect her family.
Moira caught herself wringing her hands as she stepped into the lobby of Merlyn Global and towards the reception desk.
The young woman on the desk just smiled. ‘Mrs Queen, how lovely to see you. Mr Merlyn mentioned that you were joining him for dinner this evening.’
Moira forced a smile onto her face. ‘Business first, I’m afraid.’
‘Of course, Mrs Queen.’ She handed over a security pass for the top floor.
Moira’s foot tapped impatiently in the lift the entire way up as she kept her fidgeting hands inside her coat pockets.
Malcolm was standing on the opposite side of the doors as they opened, nearly startling her with his congenial smile. ‘Moira, so good of you to come.’ He moved to take her coat but she stood resolute. If he was perturbed, he didn’t show it. ‘Can I interest you in a glass of the pinot gris? Just in from France this morning, and chilled to perfection.’
She didn't so much follow him through the foyer out of desire as she did necessity, her heels clicking sharply on the marble floors of the palatial penthouse. ‘Don’t be coy, Malcolm. You know why I’m here.’
The charming smile dropped from his face, turning to stony seriousness. ‘More than you know.’
Moira brushed past him, towards the large floor to ceiling windows that overlooked Starling City. Walter knows about the money. About Tempest. The company,’ she clarified. He didn't yet know what the Tempest Group were planning, thank God. It was bad enough there was a vigilante targeting them. The last person to try and back out and undo the planned Undertaking had ended up dead. Malcolm's work, of course, she now knew, and now she was in as deep as her husband had been, unable to escape.
‘I warned you to let me handle things in the first instance. Transferring the whole sum in one go from Queen Consolidated was clumsy.’ He locked eyes with her. ‘Amateurish.’ She felt the chastisement in every word.
Moira bristled. ‘I didn't expect Walter to go looking for it.’
‘He's your former CFO. I'd be disappointed if he hadn't. Did you really think you could fund an expedition to have the Queen’s Gambit wreckage salvaged and stored without someone finding out?’
‘You didn't,’ she said defiantly, raising her chin and meeting his eye.
He nodded, seemingly amused. ‘Not at first. I know a great many things about the comings and goings of the Queen family.’ He lifted the lid on a laptop and swivelled it around so that she could see. ‘For instance, I have CCTV of Walter paying Tempest’s warehouse a little visit two nights ago.’
Moira watched in horror as a high-definition image of Walter appeared at the entrance.
‘R-O-B-E-R-T,’ Malcolm said, watching Walter enter the passcode, reading off each letter as Walter input it. ‘Not his first guess, but still…’
Moira's hand went to her mouth as she saw Walter enter the warehouse, seeing what she'd been hiding from him. ‘What do we do?’
‘You do nothing. I've already taken the liberty of having the wreckage relocated. You know, before Walter sends in a team from Queen Consolidated’s security division.’
‘He wouldn't. He'd speak to me.’
Malcolm sighed. ‘You really are far too trusting. He'd already made arrangements. I just beat him to it. As you should have done.’ He dug his hands into the pockets of his suit trousers. ‘Of course, that doesn’t quite deal with Walter yet. That requires a more personal touch.’
Moira shook her head vehemently. ‘No.’
Malcolm arched an eyebrow at her. ‘No? He walked towards a panel on the far wall and touched it. A wood panel door slid across, revealing a hidden room. Moira could read the pleasure on Malcolm’s face as she saw the black vigilante clothing and the large bow and quiver of arrows, along with other knives and weapons all recessed into holders on the walls.
She twirled on him. ‘Someone will see you!’
Malcolm smirked. ‘Give me some credit, Moira. I’m far better at this than you think. After all…’ He leaned in close enough that she could smell the sharp spicy scent of his cologne and feel his hot breath against her neck. ‘I'm not the one who used her dead husband’s name as the combination for the warehouse lock. A little visit from the Dark Archer could be just what Walter needs.’
‘Don’t. I beg you.’
‘If I don’t, then you do. Vigilantes aren't known for their patience.’
‘What am I supposed to say to him?’
‘The truth, Moira. That you couldn't rest until you knew what really happened to the Queen's Gambit. And now you know it was nothing more than a terrible accident. A capsize at sea in bad conditions. Poor Robert.’
Her teeth clenched painfully inside her lip, fighting the urge to utter the words. Malcolm had planted explosives on board to silence Robert before he could expose Tempest and their plans. Malcolm had him murdered for the sake of their secret. She wanted to hate him for it and yet Robert had been unfaithful on so many occasions. She too had been unfaithful, but she regretted that it was Malcolm with whom she'd done so. He had her trapped, in every conceivable way.
‘Walter isn't going to stop digging,’ she warned him. She knew Walter.
‘He will,’ Malcolm assured her. ‘The threat of death is usually enough to stop even the most principled man. Queen Consolidated is going to need a new Head of Security. Make sure the appointment is someone we can trust. Someone being paid handsomely to be trusting.’
Moira shuddered. Another murder, and still Malcolm remained as cold and calm as ever. It scared her. Enough to know that she had to reign in Walter no matter what. She didn't put it past Malcolm to have Walter murdered as well if he kept prying. ‘I'll do this,’ she promised.
‘Yes, you will. Everything I do, I do to protect us.’
