Malory archer has had enough

Malory took a long drink from the tumbler as the others left to do their respective jobs, hopefully. Before she could start her part she had to take care of the agent still standing in the corner, eyes fixed on the floor as he had been told. 

What to do with him however? Nearly jeopardizing peace between Britain and the united States was serious and if her contact wasn't able to help cover things up it was likely to end badly. All because of one man's incompetence. 

"Cyril, come here."

He turned and moved to stand before her eyes still flicking nervously about.

"Malory I-"

"Save it." She said, unable (and unwilling) to hide the irritation in her voice. He flinched and nodded fixing his gaze on his shoes.

She narrowed her eyes. "What to do with you."

"Is that a rhetorical question -" a glare cut him off. 

Failing to notify Lana or sterling of a threat then leaving a candy wrapper. So childish. Unable to contain his cravings for the mission and nearly causing a war. Still maybe will. 

They had limited time. She couldn't cause any serious damage, she still needed him after all. An idea popped into her head- unconventional but again anything the agency did was unconventional at best.

"Hand me your belt and bend over the table."

He snapped his eyes to hers and took a step back. "what?"

"You heard me."

"But that hardly seems like appropriate for an employer employee relationship-"

"And leaving a candy bar wrapper at a scene after waving to the security camera, threatening US Britain relations hardly seems appropriate for a trained spy, yet here we are." She arched a perfectly shaped eyebrow, hand held out expectantly. 

A quiet meep escaped his lips and he conceded hands fumbling with the belt momentarily before handing it off to her. 

"I'm sorry-"

"Not yet you're not." She said, "now over the table, pants and underwear down."

"You can't be serious?"

"Oh don't act so bashful, everyone in the office including myself has seen your bare ass on more than one occasion." She finished her drink setting the tumbler on a chair and folding the belt over in her hands. "Move it, we haven't got all day."

Cyril's face went red but as always he obeyed muttering something as he laid his chest on the table

"What was that?" The leather tapped firmly against the pale skin. 

"Nothing!" He supplied quickly.

She huffed . "That's what I thought. Hands out front."

Once in position she brought the belt down pulling a yelp from the man. She shook her head. Pansy. Three more swats had Cyril stomping his foot. 

"Honestly Cyril, you had one job." She snapped putting more strength into her swings for emphasis; by his cry it was felt. "Keepwatch!"

She landed three more swats across his sit spots. He was white knuckling the edge of the table but staying in place like the good boy he was always trying to be. 

"What happened Cyril?"

He sniffed hard shrugging as best he could. "I-I panicked. I'm sorry!"

Malory pinched the bridge of her nose. Crying already...but the man had softened considerably in the last several months. He whimpered with the next two swats.

"You were my best agent not long ago, Cyril," she said softening her tone. " doing so good."

The praise had him looking over his shoulder eyes brimmed with tears. "I- I was?"

The vulnerability in his voice reminded her of archer as a child, blubbering after a spanking. It wouldn't serve him to be that way, likely get him killed in the long and short term. She fixed her steely glare on him watching him watch her as she raised the belt.

"At one point, yes." The belt swung down and he snapped forward pressing his face against the table and breathing heavy. "Now? Not so much. But I believe, I know, you can do better. And I plan on helping you with that venture."

She finished her lecture focusing on the task at hand. She needed him fit for duty still so she only gave him 10 more licks with the belt. His ass was a monochromatic painting of reds, a few welts having formed where she added emphasis on the tops of his thighs. No bruising yet, likely not to be any she hadn't hit him that hard. He'd be complaining for days if she had. No, the normal amount of it was enough for her. 

"Alright, get dressed and go stand in the corner." She set the belt down in favor of her drink. Unfortunately empty but holding the glass was second nature at this point. "You have 15 minutes to think about the importance of staying focused as well as when and when not to have a snack." 

She ignored the audible sniffles and hiss of discomfort as his pants rubbed over the sore skin. He made no move to listen, however.

"But- isn't this mission time sensitive?" 

"You need to calm down. I can't have you a sniffling mess when we are out and about." She glared cutting him off as he tried to reply. "Do you want to be sitting in the corner?"

He shook his head shutting up. Eyes locked on the ground he shuffled to the corner he had been occupying previously.

"And no rubbing." She added.

Cyril's hands clenched into fists at his sides and he sighed heavily. though this act of anger was overshadowed by his sniffling and hunched shoulders.

15 minutes passed quickly and the man was mostly back to normal, looking like nothing happened. As long as no one paid any mind to his puffy eyes and red cheeks. Or stiff gate. Or the squirming as he sat. 

And well, if someone did figure out he had been spanked that was his problem not her's. Not like she hadn't spanked one of her employees before. 

******

She led them towards a park, Cyril still pouting. 

"I'm going to bruise." He groused finally. 

"You're being dramatic." She waved a hand. "I didn't hit you that hard."

"Hard enough!" 

Cyril's voice took on the high pitch it did when he felt indignant or slighted. Usually she could brush it off, however, she was in no mood to deal with a tantrum. 

"Unless you want to be bent over one of these benches for a quick lesson I suggest you change your tone."

Quiet at last. At least for now. They had much to do yet so little time. And though her team wasn't exactly the A team( or B, C, or D team) they always managed to pull it off when it got down to the wire. She just wished they didn't cut it so close everytime- it was exhausting.