A/N Smut Warning. Avoid the second section if you don't want to read fairly explicit m/m slash
Ch. 2: More Questions
Q reviewed the messages left on his tablet as James answered the door for room service.
The eight-hour time zone difference meant the pair could eat a hearty brunch together before Q headed back to London, but that didn't mean he could slack off on the data crunching.
"Anything new while we were sleeping?" James asked as he set a plate of scrambled eggs, whole-grain toast and fresh fruit in front of his spouse.
Q hummed. "I've got a few names. Our insider slept through last night, obviously. We sent you in so that we could divert any suspicion that might fall on our insider, but I did get an encrypted response to my note of last night. The main office workers aren't known to me, but I'll cross-check with the ICW this afternoon, local time."
"Meanwhile?" James bit into a chunk of star fruit.
"Meanwhile, M has been alerted to magical involvement, and is setting up a meeting with Kingsley for 8 a.m., London time. I have five hours before I need to be there." Q set his tablet aside and dug into his breakfast. "The intel is interesting, though. The searches confirm blueprints for a number of biological weapons delivery systems that could wreak havoc if deployed in populated areas."
"Lovely," James commented. "Is the company simply mercenary? Or is there an ulterior, nationalistic motive?"
"Hard to tell at this point," Q said. "It looks like it's pure capitalism, but we needed the intel on the server to track the source of the company's funding and truly identify the head of it. Our insider could only tell us that the president of Zanetech did not appear to be the one truly in charge of the company's work, and that all the different pieces and parts of the weapons they're allegedly making could add up to WMDs-which, of course, MI6 is interested in for purely defensive reasons."
James picked up his coffee and sipped. "And adding magical involvement?"
"It's a complex chain we need to unravel," Q allowed.
James sat back. "So what shall we do with the time you have left here?"
"This place have a pool? I'm seriously sick of London winter."
"Sunshine, it is."
IMBM
They spent an hour in the sunshine, basking about the pool, occasionally dipping into the cool water, and generally enjoying each other's company.
"Everyday I stop to think about it, I'm incredibly grateful I'm bonded to you," James told Q quietly, reclining in a lounge chair next to his spouse's. "And not only because you're the love of my life and my other half; but because I don't know how many other couples who have jobs like ours can sustain their relationship without the special skill set that allows you to be right here with me for a few hours without the hassle."
Q grinned. "There's always sat phones and Skype, but I confess I do prefer to simply pop by." He reached for James' hand, lacing their fingers together. "Nothing substitutes for the feel of you against me."
James' blue eyes darkened. "Keep talking like that, and we'll be cutting our sunshine time short."
Q leaned over and whispered in James' ear. "Promise?"
James squeezed Q's hand, then fluidly stood, pulling Q up with him. "Absolutely," he growled back.
Quickly and quietly, they moved through the hotel, taking the elevator back up to James' suite. They barely made it through their front door before James pressed Q back against it, taking Q's mouth with his own, and running his hands down Q's side to cup his firm buttocks. James swept in with his tongue, battling Q's for dominance as the pair devoured each other, heat rising between the two of them so quickly they almost couldn't keep up.
"Wanted to take my time," James broke off the kiss, his hands skimming Q's trunks off and branding his skin with his touch. "Wanted to gentle you down, open you up, and fuck you until you scream."
"What's stopping you?" Q breathed back, using his own hands to shove off James's Speedos.
"Fair point," James allowed, then scooped Q up and bore him back into the bedroom, tossing him on the bed and reaching for the lube on the nightstand.
The night before, the couple had satisfied themselves quickly with hands and mouths, not bothering to take the time for the prep that penetration would require. But they had time, they had a bed, and they'd taken the edge off the night before.
James petted Q, soothing his skin with his hands, before sucking down his cock and bringing a hand to the tight ring of muscle behind it, stroking lightly with lube-covered fingers, and taking time, as promised, to open him up. James kept Q on edge, sucking, soothing and stroking as he fingered him open, reveling in the sobs and moans Q couldn't help.
"Please, James, please!" Q begged as three fingers stroked him from the inside. "I need you!"
James pulled off, sat back, lubed himself up, and pushed home, riding Q hard and fast as they worked together to completion.
Q did scream, and as he came, James gave a growl of triumph, stroking into him quickly a bare few times before coming himself. He buried his face in Q's neck, panting hard, matching Q's own breathing, and struggling to calm down. Q languidly ran his fingers through James' hair, pressed a kiss to his temple, and deliberately slowed his own breathing as much as he could.
Eventually, James mumbled into Q's neck. "I don't know how that keeps getting better, but it does."
Q smiled, still running his hand through James' hair. "I quite agree. Though I'll probably do mission briefings standing today."
James snorted. "Needs must, I suppose." He leaned up a bit, taking his weight off of his partner and looking down into his partner's green eyes. "I love you."
Q smiled back. "I love you, too."
IMBM
"It's still early in England, but some of these scans are yielding results I need to compile for the 8 a.m. meeting, so I suppose I should get back to the office," Q sighed over his tablet.
The couple had showered and dressed, and Q was looking over the intel gathered by James' breaking-and-entering the night before.
"Our insider is not in the know regarding magic, so we have little to go on to identify who's aiding Zanetech," Q observed. "But some of these blueprints … James, can you be available at 3 p.m., local, for a video conference call?"
"Of course." James sprawled over the couch in the sitting area of the suite. He hadn't dressed in one of his trademark suits yet; he wore a white button down shirt, the top button open, and a pair of khakis. "I'm a bored businessman on vacation; I'll enjoy breaking the tedium of leisure with a conference call."
Q rolled his eyes. "I thought you broke the 'tedium of leisure' with me?"
"Ah, but you're not actually here, darling," James pointed out, idly picking up the remote for the widescreen television. "Unless you've been seen by someone relevant, or on camera in the pool area. In that case, you're the fancy bit I picked up for a little slap-and-tickle."
"Ah, well, as long as we're clear on my role," Q said drily, making a final note on his tablet and leaning down to kiss James. "Stay safe, love."
James took advantage of Q's kiss, deepening it, before drawing back and letting him go. "Always."
Q smiled at him, stepped back, turned his heel, and disappeared with a pop.
IMBM
As Q walked into M's office for the 8 a.m. meeting, he was surprised to see Severus Snape seated beside Kingsley Shacklebolt.
"Severus," Q acknowledged with a nod. "How are you?"
Severus gave a half smile. "Well enough. Shacklebolt thought I might be of use."
M cleared his throat. "As did I. Thank you for coming. Q, are you ready for the briefing?"
"Yes, though let me connect 007," Q replied, setting up a tablet on a stand and tapping the screen to bring up the video with James.
Severus eyed the back of Q's neck, which was flushed red, as Q greeted his partner, and aimed the camera and screen at the rest of the group. "Get a little sun, Q?"
"Not sure how he could have, given he's been practically living in headquarters," M said crisply.
Q's face remained blank, as did James', so Severus only nodded. "As you say."
"007, you're being read in to this meeting because of your current mission status in Singapore," M said. "We need to make some decisions about the next course of action, and as you're in the know and on-site, it made sense to keep you in the loop."
"Of course, sir."
Kingsley leaned forward. "What's going on?"
M cleared his throat. "Three months ago, an intern in MI6 human resources told her supervisor about a sister that had stumbled across information at her company that made her uncomfortable. When pressed, our intern said her sister was concerned that the company she worked for, Zanetech, was hiding production of some sort of weapon in the blueprints for a heating and cooling system it intended to market. The sister at the company, an engineer, was a new hire, with a newly minted degree in electrical engineering, and had been hired away from Britain to work in Singapore.
"It became clear to the young engineer that the project she was hired to do, the H/C system, had extraneous parts. In an attempt to re-model the system for better efficiency, she stumbled across a secondary system within the piece that could theoretically deliver focused and concentrated air-borne materials through the system with great accuracy and efficiency. The engineer became concerned, brought the matter up to her supervisor to ask about the issue, and was brushed off with an explanation about air freshening and the like.
"The engineer accepted the explanation, and continued with her work, but mentioned her concerns to her sister the intern, who shared them with us. We sent 007 in last night to infiltrate the headquarters and clone its servers so that we could get a better idea about what we're dealing with. Q has that data.
"Over the course of the mission, it became clear that some sort of magic was involved in concealing the server. 007 managed to 'see' through this concealment with a device gifted to him by Q, and completed the mission. But it left us with more questions than answers.
"Q, what did the data reveal?"
Q took over. "As an engineer myself, I was able to see what our insider also saw-focused airborne delivery systems built right into standard heating and cooling systems that are also state-of-the-art. In and of itself, the air freshener explanation would make sense, but our larger concern are the contracts, buried on the server, with pharmaceutical companies. Together, the data suggest that the pharmaceutical companies are providing substances that could be disbursed via the air delivery systems in the H/C. Quite dicey. When added to the contracts, also on the server, that show the H/C systems have already been installed at office buildings commercial centers in London, New York, The Hague, Singapore, and Sydney, we have a problem."
M nodded. "Data suggest these buildings can be quickly overtaken with whatever pharmaceuticals the manufacturers wish to pump through their H/C systems."
"To what purpose?" Kingsley asked.
"Well, that's the issue, I think," Q said, "and one of the reasons we're concerned. We don't know. The sales of the H/C systems have been ongoing for the last five years, and installed in new construction. The contracts with pharmaceuticals have also been ongoing for the last five years, and the specific drug formulations are not listed on the contracts, so that's a bit of data we need yet. If we can get that information, we'll have a more clear idea of what the purpose would be."
"The fact that there's at least one magical involved-in Singapore, to conceal the server-is a red flag," M continued. "Is it an isolated employee adding a bit of protection without informing his or her employer? Or is it indicative of a larger plot?"
"Given magical involvement," Q added, "we decided it would be prudent to read you in, Kingsley, and ask for magical assistance to counter what might be found in the field."
Kingsley nodded slowly. "So we have what appears to be a global plot of some kind to overtake certain businesses in some way, for an unknown purpose, and there's magical involvement?"
"In a nutshell, yes." M nodded.
Severus leaned forward. "What would you ask of me?"
M cleared his throat. "You're already our primary magical consultant, besides Q; I'd like you to serve in that role again, and if necessary go into the field. Our magical double-oh, whom you know, is still in magical training. I'd like you to help step that training up in case we need to send him in, as well. Our primary need right now is to find out what drugs are being produced for delivery, and to what purpose. And our non-magical double-oh will need a magical partner on this mission."
Severus nodded. "Business is slow at the moment, anyway. I already meet with 006 twice a week, when he's in London, for defense training. I can increase that. Where will you be sending 007 next?"
James, actively listening on his video connection, raised an eyebrow. "Assuming I've gathered everything we need from this location."
Q nodded. "There's no indication of an additional server in Singapore, 007."
"I've contacted the CIA regarding the one drug company in their borders with which Zanetech is doing business, and they've assigned an analyst to determine what it could be used for. The other major company is located in Australia, and we have permission from their government to do that work ourselves. 007, you'll get your full briefing and materials from the Quartermaster, but I'm sending you to Australia to infiltrate that company."
"Which is called?"
"PresCo. It's in Sydney." Q tapped his screen and sent the data to James even as he read it off. "Headed by Martin Prescott, M.D. On paper, they focus on mental health solutions."
"Because that isn't ominous in its implications," James muttered, obviously paging through the material he'd just been sent.
"Yes, anti-psychotics, primarily, but they're also a research facility," Q acknowledged.
Severus steepled his fingers together. "Am I, too, going to Australia?"
"If 007 needs to break into the company, yes. He may need magical support," M said.
Q nodded. "I have my magical Q-branch minion cross-referencing known magicals against the Zanetech employee database to see if we can identify our Singapore interference, as well. The head person at Zanetech, a Robert Zane, has not been identified as a magical."
"So likely an employee adding a bit of extra security, then?" Kingsley asked.
"Likely, but for what purpose? If magicals are aware of these systems, imagine what could be done with them," Severus observed. "As a Potions Master, I can think of a list of potions that could be delivered via air and wreak havoc on the populace. If there's magical and mundane cooperation in this little plot, we have a serious problem."
"And that's why you're sitting here, Severus," M acknowledged. "You truly are the best person to help us figure this one out."
"I live to serve," Severus said.
Q smirked.
Kingsley shook his head. "All I can say, is keep me posted, and let me know if I can provide any additional assistance." He hesitated. "Severus, I'll put through an Unforgivable license if you think you might need it."
Severus cocked his head. "Am I re-assuming double-oh status?"
"Temporarily," M said. "We have a new 002, so I think we'll just assign you a new number."
Q grinned. "Normally, we have nine double-ohs at any given time. You'll be 0010. Double-oh 10. That way, we don't have to re-distribute or change any other numbers when we need to activate or deactivate you. That slot will remain open for a magical double-oh, as needed."
"An elegant solution," Severus commented, "and a prudent one."
"Agreed," M said.
Kingsley nodded, too. "Then that agent, 0010, will have the Unforgivable license. The job itself. In that way, I don't have to use names on the paperwork, and the magical license to kill stays with the job title, not the person. Not 0010? No license to kill."
"Excellent," Q said. "That will work very well."
Kingsley rose. "If there's nothing else, I'll go set that up."
"I'll contact 006 about his training schedule. I believe he's in London this week," Severus said.
Q nodded. "Came back from a mission just yesterday."
M rose as well. "I'll leave you to stock 007 and get him to Australia, then, Q."
"I'm on it, sir."
"Take 007 with you," M waved at the tablet from which James still viewed the room.
Q grinned. "Yes, sir."