Setting the Plan in Motion
„I need a new home." – Declared Q unexpectedly out of the blue three days after 'The Explosion', as everyone had come to call it lately, while he was sitting at the desk in his office with Tanner and M perched comfortably on the couch in front of him.
M just raised an eyebrow at the sudden change of topic (they had been discussing Q-Branch's ideas about possible future improvements in the agents' mission-scheduling system), while Tanner noticeably tensed.
"I hope I just have déjà vu and you didn't really say what I think I heard you say, son." – He warned, narrowing his eyes dangerously.
"I'm nearly eighteen now, Bill."
"You've been seventeen for only a month, Q…" – Pointed out Tanner.
"Yeah, well, but what a month it had been! It's worth twelve others!"
"You've got to be kidding!"
"When I was fourteen you told me you wouldn't mind so much me moving out alone if I were eighteen. I moved out then anyway, and now I'm seventeen which is much closer to eighteen and-"
"I'm glad you still remember the order of numbers. Just a good advice, son: don't join a Debate Club. Your argumentation skills are shitty."
Before Q could answer to that, M intervened with the hope of maybe preventing an argument he knew from previous experience this situation could easily turn into.
"Nah, Bill, our little genius is a legal adult, he has every right to buy a real estate if he so wishes."
"So that it can be blown up again, possibly with him inside and not be able to flee this time?"
No such luck then…
"Why would it be blown up? It's not like this happens to me daily. I don't go looking for trouble; you know that. I was capable to live alone without major problems for years. And no, Bill, that one time with the toaster doesn't count! So, just because recently there was one minor incident-"
"A MINOR INCIDENT?" – Squeaked Tanner, seething. – "You call a grenade thrown into your bedroom while you were sleeping in it a minor incident? You could have died!"
The boy rolled his eyes, tired of melodramatics.
"Details…" – Tanner gasped scandalized and the boy wondered when he would start breathing fire like a dragon. Apparently, M had the same concerns, because he held up his index finger in warning for the man to keep his mouth shut and just let the teenager explain. – "Look, M, Bill; I have been searching. I have found a flat – actually, it's more like an apartment – near Hyde Park that's exactly what I'm looking for in a home: not too big but spacious with two bedrooms; so you could sleep there just like in the old one, Bill; cozy, very good location, close to HQ, busses and subways to just a few minutes' walk from it and they allow pets. Totally affordable and it doesn't scream 'secret service' at all, while it can be fortified with all kinds of security measures unnoticed to any outside observer. I'll even change the glass of the windows to Q-Branch' modified, high tech unbreakable ones if that'll make you feel better, Bill-"
"It would make me feel better if you just stayed in my flat like I-"
"- It's on the fourth floor so I doubt anyone would try to climb in through the window from the outside – no fire escape ladders nearby – and there's an elevator. See: it's perfect." – What he hadn't mentioned was that the room that would be converted into his own bedroom also had a big, American-style walk-in closet. He had of course no intentions of using it for its original purpose (no, he wouldn't store there his non-existent clothes); but it would be perfect to set up his computers to be able to monitor Sherlock from there, with his future and probably frequent visitors being none the wiser about it.
"You said the exact same thing about your first flat, too." – By now Tanner looked like he could get a heart-attack any time from anger and exasperation.
"Because it was perfect as well. It's not its fault it couldn't withstand an explosion and a fire. And the building is still standing so… I guess we should be grateful for small miracles, right? Imagine how much I'd have to pay if the whole house had collapsed." – Q soon realized his argumentation skills were indeed rubbish when he saw Bill's expression darken even further.
M frowned.
"Why would you have to pay anything? Didn't you have an insurance?"
"Well, sadly not for the case of grenade-attacks. Very negligent of me. I already tried: hopeless. And I don't think they'd believe for a minute the wind did it… Anyway, I'll have to come up for the costs of reparations myself."
"WHAT!? But… Q, you can't possibly have that much money? They don't really mean it, do they?"
"I'm afraid they do, Bill. Look…" – He showed them an official looking document that bore… numbers. Very large numbers. – "This is the list of necessary works to be done. And beside them you can see their prices. I'm glad you're both sitting already, otherwise you'd find yourselves quickly on the floor, I fear. I know I nearly fell when I first opened the letter."
Both men looked through the items with gradually widening eyes. Bill gasped.
"What the hell is that? 'Leaking roof'? 'Broken pavement in front of the building by the entrance' and "Cracked mirror in the lift'? What do all these have to do with the fire on the third floor?"
"Absolutely nothing whatsoever of course. They just want to seize the opportunity to make someone else pay for these long overdue renovations they would otherwise need to get the money together for themselves. They have been talking about these for ages on the residents' monthly meetings. Not that I participated on any of them but they were always nice enough to send letters with the records…"
"But then why aren't you fighting them about it? You need a good lawyer!" – Stated M, already thinking about whom he could ask to represent the boy. He had a lot of good friends, a few of whom owed him favors…
"I don't need a lawyer. Really, it's fine. They had a great scare and had to stand on the street in the middle of the night for hours in bitter cold weather. They're still living in a building that has a gaping hole in it… I think they might deserve some compensation for it."
"But why should it be by you? You didn't cause this, you were the victim! I think it's you who should be compensated in the first place." – Asked Tanner, not understanding at all.
"Well, who else would pay for it if not me? Though I suppose I could ask Moriarty to do it…" – Mused the boy as if deep in thoughts. – "That would be epic: 'Dear Mr. James Moriarty, sorry for disturbing you on your well-deserved rest after a work splendidly done, but would you mind paying for the damage you caused while trying to murder me, please? I would greatly appreciate your kindness; just send the check to my new address please – and do not include anything explosive this time if it's possible. Thank you.' I think I should write him a letter right away." – Finished Q sarcastically.
"Who is this James Moriarty?" – Asked M confused. – "I don't think I have ever heard this name."
"You wouldn't have. And with all due respect, sir: it's someone you don't want to meet, like: ever. Believe me." – He didn't mention that they had all already met him… in a certain way. And it had been an experience nobody wanted to repeat.
"What are you talking about: of course we should meet him! Well, a few Double-Os at any rate!" – Exclaimed Bill, jumping up and pacing up and down in the office to keep his newly rising anger in check. Q was honestly becoming worried about the man's blood pressure. – "That monster tried to kill you!"
"Yes and he'll be taken care of by the right people."
"You bet he'll be. I will…"
"No, you won't. Sorry, sir, but it's not something for MI6. It's a national conflict…" – Well, not exclusively, but they didn't have to know about it. This part of their scheme was still top secret after all. - "… and measures against him have already been taken or are in the process of being executed. Any other intervention would just unnecessarily complicate things further."
"I have contacts in MI5-"
"I think it's needless to say that I have those too…" – More so than anyone would think. – "… but still: MI5 is not involved either."
"Who is then? The Scotland Yard…?" – Now M was totally confused. This was not something the regular police force could handle in his opinion.
"I can't say more. Just wait and see. Just a few more days…"
"Son, if you're in any kind of trouble then we should know about it." – Warned Bill sternly. – "Does this have anything to do with the fact that you had to talk to both of your brothers after the fire? With the plot they were planning and you wanted part in? Are these things related?"
"Wait! What 'plot'? What is go-"
"It might or might not have to do with it." – He didn't want to reveal too much, for he only had to make them aware of the brothers' involvement, so that they'll keep an eye out for news about the 'big confrontation of archenemies' that was to come. He especially didn't want them to make the connection between Moriarty and Max Denbigh just yet. They would learn everything at the right time. Not a minute sooner.
"Well, that was immensely helpful."
"Gentlemen, please…" – Warned M in a vain attempt at making peace again.
"All right then… okay…" – Began Tanner, clapping his hands together with fake cheerfulness. – "You want to have a look at that flat? Then I'm going to accompany you just like last time. I want to make sure it's safe enough."
"You would never deem anything safe enough for me, Bill, except maybe for a quarantine. You know that as well as I do." – Sighed Q tiredly then looked Tanner into the eye apologetically. – "I already visited it yesterday and I have decided to buy it. You're welcome anytime of course, both of you."
"What, you have already decided? Without consulting me first? But… Why?"
"Because it's perfect and also urgent and you were busy. I'm sorry. Look, I have the contract here."
"I'm never too busy for you! Can I at least read it?"
Q just shrugged then signed it on each sites before handing it to Tanner to read. He also wrote the check to cover all the costs listed in the letter given to him by the representative of his old condominium. It didn't matter to him: while Benedict Holmes didn't have anything at all but his childhood room in Holmes Manor and Q only had his MI6 salary (though that was admittedly far from bad), Shadow had more money than he had ever cared to try to keep track of. Not that anyone had to know about it of course. But Shadow had volunteered to pay for everything and that was the only thing that mattered.
He ignored the two worried man, fully trusting them to start investigating the 'Moriarty-case' and alert the agents about it. He wasn't particularly concerned about it though: they would be just a tad bit too late to act of course but that was exactly what they needed. He had agreed with Sherlock and Mycroft that they just needed MI6 to pay attention to the happenings so that they could be fooled into believing their lies when it was time.
The next day, he would start moving into his new home then he'd meet Sherlock to brief and equip him for the mission, exactly the same way he would do it with any one of his agents.
The day after that, Sherlock and Moriarty would meet for the final time. They would fight and – as far as the general public was concerned – both would die: one defeated in the fight, the other by his own hands. In reality, if everything went according to plan, there'd only be one real dead body for Molly Hooper, the pathologist of St. Bart's, to take care of. At the same time, the 'late' Sherlock Holmes would lose his identity and disappear abroad for his new mission: to take out Moriarty's criminal web for good.
And his two brothers would help him do it. They'd make sure to assist him until he succeeded. Anything else was unacceptable.
For that, Q needed his new apartment to set up as base with any kinds of equipment and high tech computers to keep in touch with Sherlock even when he wasn't at work, surrounded by MI6's best gadgets. It couldn't wait. Money wasn't a matter – his brother, Sherlock, was.
To the world, he would appear to be mourning his late brother who had committed suicide after being found out as a fraud. To his MI6 family, he'd be the poor, depressed teenager they already seemed to think him to be. In reality, he would be more determined than ever to do this right, for they only had one chance.
They had to get it right at first try and they would.