"Oi, Martin! We've just heard word that that Tribune guv's been...oh."
Noticing the two clan leaders engaged in what looked like a meeting, Oyez couldn't help but feel a very embarrassed and guilty look form on his face; watching him slowly slink away from and close the office door, the Megamart leader couldn't help but shake his head and sigh in good humour.
"Don't mind him, Walter. He's always jumping to conclusions."
"No worries. It's just nice to finally have a chance to speak to you, Mr Maegan."
"Please, call me Martin," he said, feeling a chuckle escape him when he noticed the other male's relaxed look. "Only important people get to call me Mr Maegan. And put the notepad away. You're not getting anything from me."
"Look, I'm not trying to pry," Walter explained, twiddling the pencil inbetween his fingers. "You just need to come out of your media shell, Martin. Megamart could have so many stories that the city isn't getting to hear."
"And it's probably best kept that way."
"It's talk like that that makes people think you're hiding something."
"And it's talk like that that makes me want to hurt you really badly."
Noticing the notepad that Walter had left to be on his desk, Martin quickly snatched it from the wood before the Tribune Leader could stop him; flipping through the scribbles and rough writing that the lined pages had to offer, the redhead couldn't help scoffing and shaking his head in an unimpressed manner.
"You certainly have an imagination on you, Walter," he said, throwing the notepad back at him. "But, you see...I know."
"Excuse me?"
"I know your game."
"My...game?"
"Yes, I know the little game you journalist types like to play," he snarled, a pure look of malice in his eyes. "Gather up all the media hot sauce and then print a web of lies that's gonna make me top myself! Well it's not going to work on me, you hear?! It's not...going...to..."
At that moment, Martin felt him slowly breaking down; head buried in his arms on the desk so Walter couldn't see his forlorn look.
"Martin," the other male began, sounding rather concerned. "Are...are you ok?"
"...of course I fucking am."
"Then why on earth did you just imply that I was scheming to make you commit suicide?"
Faced with nothing but pained silence at that moment, Walter couldn't help but feel his eyes drift over to the picture that stayed at Martin's side; managing to carefully lift it from the desk to take a closer look, he couldn't help but feel his 'self' slightly drop upon noticing a familiar face in the frame.
"I thought so," he said, once again sounding rather concerned.
"What are you blathering on about?" Martin asked, his eyes somewhat tear-stained as he slowly sat up straight and refused to look in his direction.
"Your father was Marlon Maegan, wasn't he? I remember just how much the media ripped into him, being such a scandal virgin and all. I'm...I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Now I realise why you hold such malice towards us."
"Don't you dare talk about him," Martin snarled, snatching the picture from Walter's grasp. "You have no right to talk about him after what you did!"
"If you're trying to imply that I had anything to do with it, then I think you should know that I wasn't with the Tribune back then. If I had been, then I might have been able to restrain those stories. And that wasn't even our Tribune, that was just a group of tabloid sleazes."
"Which you lot still are, let's be perfectly honest."
"Martin," Walter began, sighing but still managing to remain calm and gentle. "Times are changing and we're not out to get you. We're out to get the truth. You want to know the truth in regards to what I see right now?"
Once again welcomed with a pain silence and Martin's refusal to look him in the eye, Walter felt the need to place his hand on the redhead's own so they were actually making contact, despite said redhead's feeble protest to swat the other male's hand away.
"I see a fine, upstanding businessman who's taken a dire situation like his father's death and made his own legacy that said father would be proud of. No scandals, no lies, no rumours. Cross my heart and hope to-"
"I will not have you dying in my office, thank you very much," Martin interrupted, but he had a somewhat tearful smile on his face. It was safe to say that a member of the media being so genuine and honest to him was a little too much for him to take.
"You know I don't plan to," Walter retorted, but despite his nervous laughter it was all in good humour. "But you know, I could help you-"
"Well let's get you out of my sight then!" Martin suddenly exclaimed, standing from his seat; his head then slightly tilting like a curious canine, he couldn't help shaking his head as he noticed, through the window glass, a familiar figure bent down near the door who seemed focused on hearing every word.
"Oyez! I know you're eavesdropping, come inside please."
With a somewhat disgruntled "oh bleedin' hell", the Cockney obediently stood himself up, opened the door and stepped into the office space.
"Oyez, I'd like you to escort Walter out of my office, please."
As the employee signalled to the Tribune leader to get up from his seat, Martin raised his hand in a stop gesture as he had a surprisingly genuine smile on his face.
"But don't kick him out just yet. I'd like you to show him around the store. No note-taking or hot-scooping, mind. And just be careful around Colwyn if you go into the loading bay, Walter. He's been a little cranky lately and he's kinda like our...are you familiar with the Montana fellow, Griezzo?"
"Ah. Him," the black male responded, giving Martin a slightly uneasy yet knowing nod; Martin's little comparison meaning one of two things, Walter hoped it meant that Colwyn was just a misunderstood man-child and not that he was chained up in the basement and ready to crush the bones presented to him.
As Oyez turned to begin Walter's personal tour, he caught Martin's rather sinister wink and returned the favour with a cheeky wink of his own; turning back to the black male, shoe started spinning a few questionable 'webs' in regards to their potentially dangerous employee.
"Now if we meet Colwyn, the best thing to do is to look him in the eye. Lets him know that you're actually paying attention to him..."