Fic: Spiderweb ch 4/8
Title: Spiderweb 4/8
Author: Unsentimental Fool
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: Charles Magnussen, Mycroft Holmes, Jim Moriarty
Rating: Teen upwards
Word Count: (so far) 6,000
Summary: "He's a spider"
Spiderweb, on AO3
Chapter 4: Offer
There is no going back now, despite the unwanted spectator. Charles needs to clear his account with Jim Moriarty.
"You will be aware," he starts, looking down on the figure curled in the deckchair, "that certain enquiries..."
"No! No no no no no and no!" Moriarty's voice is sharp. "Charles! Really! It’s not as if you haven't seen how this is done often enough. Start again and do it properly this time."
Charles certainly does know how this goes. He also knows that anything he freely offers in the way of humiliation will never be enough. Jim will not be satisfied merely by the adhesion of the dirt of the park onto the knees of his expensively tailored trousers. That’s far too easy. Charles recalls some of the things that he has made other people do in vaguely similar situations, and he knows that he can’t bear it, not with an audience. Not with this particular audience.
He glances at Mycroft. The man has a slight frown, as if this is all just a little too distasteful. It might have been easier in some ways if Holmes had been laughing at him, but when does Mycroft Holmes ever laugh?
He feels dizzy, nauseous, recognises the symptoms. Too close to panic. He takes a couple of deep breaths. “I will apologise, but I will not grovel.” Charles thinks -hopes- his voice hasn’t been shaking.
“How disappointing. Oh well.” Moriarty starts to push himself up from the low slung chair.
Charles cuts to the only bit of his prepared speech that might still save him. “I can help with your project.”
Moriarty settles down again, smiling. “Really? Do tell me how.”
Charles has no idea what, if anything, Holmes knows about Richard Brook. He does not want to give any of Moriarty’s secrets away. “Archives,” he says, simply.
Jim watches him with bright black eyes for longer than is at all comfortable. Then he nods. “Maybe. I’ll think about it. You’ll hear from one of us soon.”
One of us? Charles doesn’t think Jim is talking about Mycroft. He raises an eyebrow.
Jim gestures back to the treeline. “The people with guns. Or me. Depending on whether I can use your offer or not.” He springs out of the deckchair, almost elegantly. “See you soon, boyfriend.” That to Mycroft, and he’s strutting across the park towards his people with guns.
Mycroft uses his umbrella to lever himself up. “This way. Don’t dawdle” he says to Charles, who understands perfectly well that once Moriarty has cover from Mycroft’s snipers they are no longer safe in the open. He follows Mycroft’s rapid stride, fighting back nausea. That had not gone the way he’d hoped and he has no idea whether he will now be targeted by Moriarty’s men or not.
They end up in an anonymous Whitehall office no more than a couple of hundred yards from where the St James Park confrontation took place. Charles has nothing much more to say to Mycroft but the man’s people have crowded him along that far without giving him any options; the debriefing is apparently compulsory. He gets his attack in first. “Boyfriend?”
Mycroft grimaces slightly. “A joke. Of sorts.” He doesn’t seem entirely sure of that.
“Is he a homosexual?” Charles asks. Keeping no records of Jim Moriarty has done him no favours so far. He intends now to find out everything that he can.
That gets a blank look. “I’m not sure the term is entirely relevant. He’s a predator.” Eyes flicker down the front of Charles’ suit. “Like you” hangs unspoken.
Charles wonders if Moriarty has at some point preyed on Mycroft Holmes, whether Jim shares his own predilection for sexually humiliating powerful men. There is something between them, undoubtedly, something more than official secrets. All he has retained in his filing system is the record of a link between Moriarty and Holmes; he has deliberately forgotten the nature of that link. Maybe he can dig it up again. He would very much like to have more useful material on Mycroft Holmes. The man is slippery and extremely powerful.
“When you asked for this… introduction, you did undertake not to work with Moriarty,” Mycroft says. His hands are folded on the desk in front of him.
“I don’t want to,” Charles tells him. “However a small amount of assistance might keep me alive.”
“A small amount?” Mycroft stretches his fingers out and then refolds his hands. “What is this project?”
“I won’t tell you, obviously.” Charles says. “I know very little about it myself, having come across it entirely by accident. It does not as far as I know involve any serious crime or any threat to the United Kingdom’s national security.”
“And if you find out that it does?” Mycroft asks.
Charles doesn’t bother answering that. He has no obligations to the Crown.
“When did you meet Moriarty before?”
Charles shakes his head. “I don’t remember.”
“With your remarkable memory? Is that normal?” Mycroft asks.
“No.” He doesn’t intend to discuss his filing system with Holmes but nor does he want the man to start thinking he is regularly fallible. “As far as I know the event is unique.”
Mycroft watches him for a few more seconds. Charles is slowly calming down. He can handle Holmes. The man is extremely unlikely to try to have him killed. Charles has power over a lot of the people that Mycroft needs to manipulate; they frequently work together, if not precisely amicably, then at least efficiently. Without the pressure that Charles can bring to bear on recalcitrant individuals Holmes would find it considerably more difficult to run the British Government; without the leverage that Holmes can exert on the administration of certain laws relating to monopolies, accounting and libel Charles would find running that part of his media empire that is based in the UK rather more troublesome. They could both survive without the other, undoubtedly, but not without inconvenience.
It would be far better of course to have some direct control over Mycroft Holmes, rather than have to rely on mutual advantage. Not just to enable him to pursue certain of his own desires but, more importantly, to have that power at his beck and call without the need for negotiation. That is where Jim Moriarty might potentially come in useful, if Charles can stop the madman from just blowing his brains out on a whim. That “boyfriend” still echoes in his brain. An opportunity.
Charles watches Mycroft watching him, and he thinks about certain people high up in the security services who might know something, who might be pressured into telling him something, given certain things that he knows about them. It is not possible to successfully blackmail Mycroft’s people on an ongoing basis; the man somehow knows the instant that any pressure is brought to bear and the consequences are seldom helpful. But it is theoretically possible to extract historic information on a one time only basis. Holmes will find out of course but by then it will be too late.
Eventually Mycroft sighs. “There comes a point,” he says, looking down at his hands, “when I cease to be either able or willing to protect you. You are very close to that point now.”
That makes Charles’ decisions considerably easier, but he doesn’t tell Mycroft that. He nods and stands. No-one tries to stop him leaving this time.
Charles keeps things low key for the next few days, waiting. On the fifth day he gets a request from Evelyn Gantry for a meeting. This time she is even more nervous; she does not look at his face as she recites what she has been told to say.
“They want certain changes to the newspaper archives, both electronic and paper. The details are here.” She uncurls her hand around a memory stick, lets it fall to the desk, but does not quite have the nerve to push it over to him.
He has, in the past, occasionally made tiny changes to the official archives of his various publications. It is very rarely necessary and it carries a distinct and usually intolerable amount of risk. If anyone whom the public regards as trustworthy has copies already and the changes are spotted there is always the possibility of exposure and that could be disastrous. Evelyn knows this. She believes that there is no possibility that he will risk this for her anonymous client’s benefit. She expects not just to be refused but to be refused with extreme prejudice, hence her anxiety.
Charles is hugely relieved. Moriarty has found a use for him. He will not die just yet. He reaches out to sweep the small device up and drop it into the lapel pocket of his jacket. “Forty eight hours,” he tells her.
He has information now. He is fairly sure that he could get a copy of that memory stick to Mycroft without Moriarty finding out. That might keep Holmes on his side for a little longer, though with an obvious risk. Charles is agnostic about the data; he doesn’t care in the slightest what insane scheme Moriarty is up to. Holmes on the other hand might feel it incumbent on him to throw a few spanners in the works, spanners that Jim might well trace back to Charles.
No. He will keep Mycroft out of the loop. Furthermore, he will arrange for all Mycroft’s people that he can reach to be brought in and quizzed simultaneously. This will permanently destroy his co-operative relationship with the man but if successful will give him the pressure points that he needs to make Mycroft Holmes do what he is told. Then, with Mycroft and the British Government at his beck and call, he can turn to the really serious question of how to stop Jim Moriarty putting a bullet in his head.
Author: Unsentimental Fool
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: Charles Magnussen, Mycroft Holmes, Jim Moriarty
Rating: Teen upwards
Word Count: (so far) 6,000
Summary: "He's a spider"
Spiderweb, on AO3
Chapter 4: Offer
There is no going back now, despite the unwanted spectator. Charles needs to clear his account with Jim Moriarty.
"You will be aware," he starts, looking down on the figure curled in the deckchair, "that certain enquiries..."
"No! No no no no no and no!" Moriarty's voice is sharp. "Charles! Really! It’s not as if you haven't seen how this is done often enough. Start again and do it properly this time."
Charles certainly does know how this goes. He also knows that anything he freely offers in the way of humiliation will never be enough. Jim will not be satisfied merely by the adhesion of the dirt of the park onto the knees of his expensively tailored trousers. That’s far too easy. Charles recalls some of the things that he has made other people do in vaguely similar situations, and he knows that he can’t bear it, not with an audience. Not with this particular audience.
He glances at Mycroft. The man has a slight frown, as if this is all just a little too distasteful. It might have been easier in some ways if Holmes had been laughing at him, but when does Mycroft Holmes ever laugh?
He feels dizzy, nauseous, recognises the symptoms. Too close to panic. He takes a couple of deep breaths. “I will apologise, but I will not grovel.” Charles thinks -hopes- his voice hasn’t been shaking.
“How disappointing. Oh well.” Moriarty starts to push himself up from the low slung chair.
Charles cuts to the only bit of his prepared speech that might still save him. “I can help with your project.”
Moriarty settles down again, smiling. “Really? Do tell me how.”
Charles has no idea what, if anything, Holmes knows about Richard Brook. He does not want to give any of Moriarty’s secrets away. “Archives,” he says, simply.
Jim watches him with bright black eyes for longer than is at all comfortable. Then he nods. “Maybe. I’ll think about it. You’ll hear from one of us soon.”
One of us? Charles doesn’t think Jim is talking about Mycroft. He raises an eyebrow.
Jim gestures back to the treeline. “The people with guns. Or me. Depending on whether I can use your offer or not.” He springs out of the deckchair, almost elegantly. “See you soon, boyfriend.” That to Mycroft, and he’s strutting across the park towards his people with guns.
Mycroft uses his umbrella to lever himself up. “This way. Don’t dawdle” he says to Charles, who understands perfectly well that once Moriarty has cover from Mycroft’s snipers they are no longer safe in the open. He follows Mycroft’s rapid stride, fighting back nausea. That had not gone the way he’d hoped and he has no idea whether he will now be targeted by Moriarty’s men or not.
They end up in an anonymous Whitehall office no more than a couple of hundred yards from where the St James Park confrontation took place. Charles has nothing much more to say to Mycroft but the man’s people have crowded him along that far without giving him any options; the debriefing is apparently compulsory. He gets his attack in first. “Boyfriend?”
Mycroft grimaces slightly. “A joke. Of sorts.” He doesn’t seem entirely sure of that.
“Is he a homosexual?” Charles asks. Keeping no records of Jim Moriarty has done him no favours so far. He intends now to find out everything that he can.
That gets a blank look. “I’m not sure the term is entirely relevant. He’s a predator.” Eyes flicker down the front of Charles’ suit. “Like you” hangs unspoken.
Charles wonders if Moriarty has at some point preyed on Mycroft Holmes, whether Jim shares his own predilection for sexually humiliating powerful men. There is something between them, undoubtedly, something more than official secrets. All he has retained in his filing system is the record of a link between Moriarty and Holmes; he has deliberately forgotten the nature of that link. Maybe he can dig it up again. He would very much like to have more useful material on Mycroft Holmes. The man is slippery and extremely powerful.
“When you asked for this… introduction, you did undertake not to work with Moriarty,” Mycroft says. His hands are folded on the desk in front of him.
“I don’t want to,” Charles tells him. “However a small amount of assistance might keep me alive.”
“A small amount?” Mycroft stretches his fingers out and then refolds his hands. “What is this project?”
“I won’t tell you, obviously.” Charles says. “I know very little about it myself, having come across it entirely by accident. It does not as far as I know involve any serious crime or any threat to the United Kingdom’s national security.”
“And if you find out that it does?” Mycroft asks.
Charles doesn’t bother answering that. He has no obligations to the Crown.
“When did you meet Moriarty before?”
Charles shakes his head. “I don’t remember.”
“With your remarkable memory? Is that normal?” Mycroft asks.
“No.” He doesn’t intend to discuss his filing system with Holmes but nor does he want the man to start thinking he is regularly fallible. “As far as I know the event is unique.”
Mycroft watches him for a few more seconds. Charles is slowly calming down. He can handle Holmes. The man is extremely unlikely to try to have him killed. Charles has power over a lot of the people that Mycroft needs to manipulate; they frequently work together, if not precisely amicably, then at least efficiently. Without the pressure that Charles can bring to bear on recalcitrant individuals Holmes would find it considerably more difficult to run the British Government; without the leverage that Holmes can exert on the administration of certain laws relating to monopolies, accounting and libel Charles would find running that part of his media empire that is based in the UK rather more troublesome. They could both survive without the other, undoubtedly, but not without inconvenience.
It would be far better of course to have some direct control over Mycroft Holmes, rather than have to rely on mutual advantage. Not just to enable him to pursue certain of his own desires but, more importantly, to have that power at his beck and call without the need for negotiation. That is where Jim Moriarty might potentially come in useful, if Charles can stop the madman from just blowing his brains out on a whim. That “boyfriend” still echoes in his brain. An opportunity.
Charles watches Mycroft watching him, and he thinks about certain people high up in the security services who might know something, who might be pressured into telling him something, given certain things that he knows about them. It is not possible to successfully blackmail Mycroft’s people on an ongoing basis; the man somehow knows the instant that any pressure is brought to bear and the consequences are seldom helpful. But it is theoretically possible to extract historic information on a one time only basis. Holmes will find out of course but by then it will be too late.
Eventually Mycroft sighs. “There comes a point,” he says, looking down at his hands, “when I cease to be either able or willing to protect you. You are very close to that point now.”
That makes Charles’ decisions considerably easier, but he doesn’t tell Mycroft that. He nods and stands. No-one tries to stop him leaving this time.
Charles keeps things low key for the next few days, waiting. On the fifth day he gets a request from Evelyn Gantry for a meeting. This time she is even more nervous; she does not look at his face as she recites what she has been told to say.
“They want certain changes to the newspaper archives, both electronic and paper. The details are here.” She uncurls her hand around a memory stick, lets it fall to the desk, but does not quite have the nerve to push it over to him.
He has, in the past, occasionally made tiny changes to the official archives of his various publications. It is very rarely necessary and it carries a distinct and usually intolerable amount of risk. If anyone whom the public regards as trustworthy has copies already and the changes are spotted there is always the possibility of exposure and that could be disastrous. Evelyn knows this. She believes that there is no possibility that he will risk this for her anonymous client’s benefit. She expects not just to be refused but to be refused with extreme prejudice, hence her anxiety.
Charles is hugely relieved. Moriarty has found a use for him. He will not die just yet. He reaches out to sweep the small device up and drop it into the lapel pocket of his jacket. “Forty eight hours,” he tells her.
He has information now. He is fairly sure that he could get a copy of that memory stick to Mycroft without Moriarty finding out. That might keep Holmes on his side for a little longer, though with an obvious risk. Charles is agnostic about the data; he doesn’t care in the slightest what insane scheme Moriarty is up to. Holmes on the other hand might feel it incumbent on him to throw a few spanners in the works, spanners that Jim might well trace back to Charles.
No. He will keep Mycroft out of the loop. Furthermore, he will arrange for all Mycroft’s people that he can reach to be brought in and quizzed simultaneously. This will permanently destroy his co-operative relationship with the man but if successful will give him the pressure points that he needs to make Mycroft Holmes do what he is told. Then, with Mycroft and the British Government at his beck and call, he can turn to the really serious question of how to stop Jim Moriarty putting a bullet in his head.