บท 22: Chapter 22
The Quiet Conversation: Marcus and Moira
Later that afternoon, after spending time at the children's hospital, Marcus agreed to a private conversation with his mother, Moira Queen. She had asked to meet him under the pretext of discussing company business, though both knew there were deeper matters to address. They had gone to Queen Consolidated's executive office, a place that provided them the privacy needed for this delicate conversation.
As they stepped into the sleek, glass-walled office that overlooked Starling City, Marcus gestured for his mother to sit. He leaned against the edge of the desk, arms crossed, a slight smile on his face as he looked at her.
"Before we get into whatever it is you want to talk about, I think I should clarify something." He gave a soft chuckle. "You know I come to the hospital once a week, right? It's not a rare event. I also visit an old-age home in the Glades when I need some decompression. A bit quieter than the kids, but just as rewarding."
Moira looked at him, surprised by the casual confession. This was the kind of thing Marcus rarely talked about—his softer side, the side that wasn't running clandestine operations or dismantling criminal empires.
"You visit a senior home?" she asked, her eyebrows raised.
Marcus smirked, leaning in slightly as if to share a secret. "Yeah. I go in, check on the seniors, treat them when I can with the Goa'uld hand device. You'd be surprised at how many grandmas try to set me up with their granddaughters."
Moira couldn't help but laugh softly, the tension between them easing for a moment. "Oh, I can imagine. You're quite the catch in their eyes."
He shrugged, still smiling. "What can I say? Some of those granddaughters are pretty persistent." The joke hung in the air for a second, lightening the mood before Marcus's expression turned more serious. "But it's more than that. These visits… they keep me grounded. Between everything going on with Malcolm, the League, and everything else… sometimes you need a reminder of what you're fighting for."
Moira nodded, absorbing her son's words. She had always known that Marcus was driven, but she was beginning to understand just how deeply he cared about helping others, even if he rarely showed it outwardly. There was a part of him that sought peace amidst the chaos he so often had to manage. But she also knew there was something more weighing on both of their minds.
The True Purpose of the Meeting
Moira folded her hands in her lap, taking a deep breath before speaking. "Marcus, I appreciate what you're doing for the city. But… we need to talk about us. About our family. About the secrets we've kept."
Marcus's eyes flickered with recognition, but he remained calm, letting her continue. He had anticipated this conversation for a long time, but now that it was here, he knew there was no avoiding it.
Moira hesitated, clearly struggling to find the right words. "The Queen's Gambit, your father, Malcolm… everything that's happened—it's all built on decisions that I made. Decisions that I've kept from you and Oliver."
Marcus looked at her, his expression unreadable. "I know, Mom."
Moira blinked, her heart skipping a beat. "You… you know?"
"I've known for a while. About the Queen's Gambit, about Malcolm's plan, and your role in it." His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it, as if the weight of those revelations had settled long ago. "Victory's been keeping track of everything. And I've been cleaning up a lot of the messes you and Malcolm created."
Moira felt a wave of shame wash over her, but Marcus's voice softened as he continued. "Look, I know why you did what you did. You were trying to protect the family, the company. But the problem is… those choices left scars. On us. On Oliver. On the city."
Moira's eyes filled with tears, the weight of her guilt pressing down on her. "I… I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought I could control it, keep everything from falling apart."
Marcus stepped forward, placing a hand gently on her shoulder. "You were doing what you thought was best. I understand that. But we can't keep hiding from these decisions. We need to confront them, and we need to be honest with Oliver about everything."
Moira wiped a tear from her eye, looking up at Marcus. "How do we tell him? After everything he's been through… how do we tell him the truth?"
Marcus sighed, running a hand through his hair. "We do it together. No more secrets. No more lies. We owe him that."
A Moment of Reconciliation
For the first time in years, there was a sense of understanding between mother and son. The walls that had separated them—built by years of secrets, lies, and betrayals—were starting to come down. Marcus wasn't the same boy Moira had raised, and she wasn't the same woman who had made those fateful decisions, but there was still hope for their family. A chance for them to face the truth, to make amends.
As they sat in silence for a moment, Moira reached out, placing her hand over Marcus's. "Thank you," she whispered. "For everything you're doing—for us, for the city."
Marcus gave her a small smile, nodding. "It's not over yet, Mom. There's still a lot to clean up. But I'm not going anywhere."
They sat in the quiet of the office, the weight of the past slowly lifting. There was still much to be done—conversations to be had with Oliver, battles to be fought with Malcolm—but in this moment, they were just a mother and her son, trying to make sense of the world they had built.
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