Fiction: Family Business
Nov. 2nd, 2011 05:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kethniName: Family Business
Character: Weiss
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Bad haikus
Word Count: 1463
Authors Note: For![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
aurilly who prompted ‘Weiss and Matt were brothers. Ergo, Weiss develops powers. What are Jack Bristow's or Sark's thoughts like?’
The needle slides into the pale skin and Weiss grits his teeth.
‘Is the big, strong CIA Agent afraid of a little needle?’ Mohinder asks archly.
‘Is the skinny, little geneticist afraid of what happens when he taunts the big, strong CIA Agent? Because he should be.’
Mohinder carefully draws the blood keeping his eyes on the syringe at all times. ‘The skinny little geneticist has dealt with men who crack open skulls, human plagues, time travellers, and someone nearly becoming a nuclear explosion.’ He finally looks at Weiss. ‘A grumpy CIA Agent is rather far down the list of what makes me frightened.’
‘Can any of those guys screw up your credit history and get you evicted? I can do that,’ Weiss says, rolling his eyes.
Mohinder grins and carefully labels the syringe. ‘I’m sure that you can do far more than that. I won’t know how far you are along with the manifestation until the bloodwork is done but the preliminary tests certainly indicate that you have manifested. That is to say the homo superior genes are present in your body and appear to be dominant.’
Weiss sighs and knits his fingers together. ‘That’s great. It’s done such great things for Matt.’
‘You’re not him, although given the experiences you’ve described it sounds as though you may well be manifesting as a mind reader at the very least.’
‘At the very least? What does that mean? Am I going to grow another head?’
‘I’m unaware of any evolved human manifesting a major physical change,’ Mohinder says tartly. ‘Mind reading can be a precursor to full telepathy. I don’t see any need to overburden you with information you may never need however. I’m sure that mind reading will present enough of a challenge for you.’
Weiss smoothes down his shirt sleeve and buttons the cuff. ‘Do you have anything useful to tell me?’
‘Don’t drink, and if you must do it alone, and don’t take drugs. Avoid large groups of people until you have your ability under control. If you aren’t completely sure that someone spoke aloud assume that they didn’t.’ Mohinder pulls off his gloves with a snap. ‘You’ll find it harder to control when you’re tired or extremely emotional.’
‘So I should just go live in a cave somewhere?’
‘No, as then your control would never develop. It will improve over time. Oh, if you can avoid it don’t read another telepath or mind reader and don’t try to read someone’s mind by force if they’re fighting it.’
‘Why?’
‘To which?’
‘To both,’ Weiss snaps.
‘If you try to read someone who has an associate power it won’t work and it’ll be extremely unpleasant for you both. If you try to read someone by force when they’re fighting it’ll be extremely unpleasant for them,’ Mohinder explains.
‘Not for me?’
‘Only for whatever shrivelled up remnants of a conscience the CIA allows you to retain.’
‘Ouch!’
Mohinder shrugs. ‘I’ve had unpleasant experiences with the security services.’
‘That wasn’t us,’ Weiss points out. ‘We don’t do internal security. I did what I could to help. You think Matt’s bank account kept reopening by itself?’
Mohinder folds his arms across his chest. ‘What will you do now? The authorities know about the emergence of homo superior and although they’re quiescent at the moment I don’t believe it’s safe to assume that situation will continue indefinitely.’
‘I have no intention of striding into work wearing a “Special and Proud” badge if that’s what you’re thinking,’ Weiss says dryly. ‘My team will know sooner or later, even if I never slip up they’ll figure it out.’
‘And you will slip up.’
‘Thanks for the vote of confidence.’
‘You’re still human,’ Mohinder points out. ‘An evolved human certainly but still human.’
Weiss looks at himself in the mirror. Eyes the same, hair the same, mouth, and skin, and nose the same. Nothing’s changed. Everything’s changed. He’s not quite human anymore. More than human. Same thing. He wonders what Matt thought when he realised what was happening to him.
Some twins finish each other’s sentences, know each other’s thoughts, and seem to exist in a perfect co-dependant bubble. Matt and Eric never did. Eric was two minutes older and ten times more resilient. At least that’s what he likes to claim. He knows that he merely reacted out against the things that Matt internalised. Matt fretted and obsessed about his weight but Eric went out and joined the football team and the wrestling team: anything where his size would be an advantage, not a hindrance. Matt was shy and he forced himself to be outgoing. You can hide better in a crowd than alone. When Maury left Matt was heartbroken but Eric was angry, furious.
Weiss knows he was lucky. He doesn’t share Matt’s dyslexia and so he was never crippled with doubt about his intelligence but Matt was never angry enough to act out the way Eric did. Taking his mother’s last name was a sign of defiance to Maury, sure, but it was expedient too. A good way to distance himself from that pesky sealed juvenile record. Not that the agency had minded. They’d recruited Weiss right out of college. Watched him half kill himself to make ends meet and still excel and decided he had the kind of mind they could use.
More than anyone could’ve guessed.
He should talk to Matt about this… thing. Skill? It doesn’t feel like it at the moment but Weiss knows that’ll pass. He’s just a little knocked out of equilibrium, that’s all. He’ll bounce back, he always does, and it won’t take too long. Then all he’ll have to worry about if what, if anything, he’s going to say to the guys at work. Weiss has heard enough stories about black ops, and been on enough black ops missions, to have no illusions that someone at the agency wouldn’t try to turn him into a guinea pig. No thanks.
He strolls into work a little early. Not enough to be odd but early enough that he can try to reassure himself everything is the same. That nothing’s really changed. He’s not Matt. He doesn’t have to let this thing ruin his life.
Ugly shirt, loud tie
Disguises the subtle wit
Poison to the eyes
Weiss stops in mid step. What the hell? He turns around slowly and briefly meets Jack Bristow’s eye.
‘Uh, morning.’
Bristow merely nods. Well he was never what you’d call chatty.
‘Hey Syd, do you think this shirt is ugly?’ Weiss asks, sipping coffee from his huge mug.
She hesitates several moments too long. ‘You’re a fashion pioneer, Weiss! Embrace your power.’
‘Uh huh.’
Well his mom bought the tie so the Bristows can go suck a lemon about that, Weiss says, scowling at this report.
If only he’d actually get out there. He’s got so much going for him! He’s cute, funny, and intelligent. He’s got a good job and he’s completely reliable. God, any girl with an ounce of sense would JUMP on that package.
‘Oh gosh, Weiss, I’m sorry,’ Syd says, putting her hand on his shoulder. ‘I didn’t mean to upset you.’
‘I’m fine,’ he says surprised.
‘You’ve gone all red in the face.’
Is that what she thinks of him? That he’s some boring, reliable type who deserves her pity for not having a string of women?
‘Guess I caught a touch of sun,’ he says, shuffling his papers.
Too many people are a problem, Weiss realises. Geez, how does Matt cope in a police station when sitting in this briefing is making Weiss’s head spin? Hardly anyone is thinking about the briefing. Marshall is thinking about some components that he’s waiting for in the mail, Vaughn is thinking about Sydney, Sydney is thinking about Vaughn…
Foolish child thoughtless
Prattling boy gabbles nonsense
The quiet bear waits
And god only knows what Jack Bristow is thinking about. Weiss takes a sip of his coffee and shakes his head. He’s not going to be able to get a thing done until he works out how to deal with this noise
Coffee hot and sweet
Wet the lips and fire the mind
Would he taste of it?
Weiss stares at the coffee cup in his hand. Nobody else is drinking theirs. He lifts his gaze and meets Jack’s eyes.
Oh fuck. Oh fuck. Oh fuck.
Branch snapped in the woods
Prowling bear is on the trail
Death or dishonour?
Jack raises and eyebrow and a threat of a smile passes across his face like sunlight across a river.
Having drawn the cards
Make your bet or fold Agent Weiss,
I await your answer.
Weiss stares down at his coffee. This sort of thing probably never happens to Matt.
The End
Character: Weiss
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Bad haikus
Word Count: 1463
Authors Note: For
aurilly who prompted ‘Weiss and Matt were brothers. Ergo, Weiss develops powers. What are Jack Bristow's or Sark's thoughts like?’The needle slides into the pale skin and Weiss grits his teeth.
‘Is the big, strong CIA Agent afraid of a little needle?’ Mohinder asks archly.
‘Is the skinny, little geneticist afraid of what happens when he taunts the big, strong CIA Agent? Because he should be.’
Mohinder carefully draws the blood keeping his eyes on the syringe at all times. ‘The skinny little geneticist has dealt with men who crack open skulls, human plagues, time travellers, and someone nearly becoming a nuclear explosion.’ He finally looks at Weiss. ‘A grumpy CIA Agent is rather far down the list of what makes me frightened.’
‘Can any of those guys screw up your credit history and get you evicted? I can do that,’ Weiss says, rolling his eyes.
Mohinder grins and carefully labels the syringe. ‘I’m sure that you can do far more than that. I won’t know how far you are along with the manifestation until the bloodwork is done but the preliminary tests certainly indicate that you have manifested. That is to say the homo superior genes are present in your body and appear to be dominant.’
Weiss sighs and knits his fingers together. ‘That’s great. It’s done such great things for Matt.’
‘You’re not him, although given the experiences you’ve described it sounds as though you may well be manifesting as a mind reader at the very least.’
‘At the very least? What does that mean? Am I going to grow another head?’
‘I’m unaware of any evolved human manifesting a major physical change,’ Mohinder says tartly. ‘Mind reading can be a precursor to full telepathy. I don’t see any need to overburden you with information you may never need however. I’m sure that mind reading will present enough of a challenge for you.’
Weiss smoothes down his shirt sleeve and buttons the cuff. ‘Do you have anything useful to tell me?’
‘Don’t drink, and if you must do it alone, and don’t take drugs. Avoid large groups of people until you have your ability under control. If you aren’t completely sure that someone spoke aloud assume that they didn’t.’ Mohinder pulls off his gloves with a snap. ‘You’ll find it harder to control when you’re tired or extremely emotional.’
‘So I should just go live in a cave somewhere?’
‘No, as then your control would never develop. It will improve over time. Oh, if you can avoid it don’t read another telepath or mind reader and don’t try to read someone’s mind by force if they’re fighting it.’
‘Why?’
‘To which?’
‘To both,’ Weiss snaps.
‘If you try to read someone who has an associate power it won’t work and it’ll be extremely unpleasant for you both. If you try to read someone by force when they’re fighting it’ll be extremely unpleasant for them,’ Mohinder explains.
‘Not for me?’
‘Only for whatever shrivelled up remnants of a conscience the CIA allows you to retain.’
‘Ouch!’
Mohinder shrugs. ‘I’ve had unpleasant experiences with the security services.’
‘That wasn’t us,’ Weiss points out. ‘We don’t do internal security. I did what I could to help. You think Matt’s bank account kept reopening by itself?’
Mohinder folds his arms across his chest. ‘What will you do now? The authorities know about the emergence of homo superior and although they’re quiescent at the moment I don’t believe it’s safe to assume that situation will continue indefinitely.’
‘I have no intention of striding into work wearing a “Special and Proud” badge if that’s what you’re thinking,’ Weiss says dryly. ‘My team will know sooner or later, even if I never slip up they’ll figure it out.’
‘And you will slip up.’
‘Thanks for the vote of confidence.’
‘You’re still human,’ Mohinder points out. ‘An evolved human certainly but still human.’
Weiss looks at himself in the mirror. Eyes the same, hair the same, mouth, and skin, and nose the same. Nothing’s changed. Everything’s changed. He’s not quite human anymore. More than human. Same thing. He wonders what Matt thought when he realised what was happening to him.
Some twins finish each other’s sentences, know each other’s thoughts, and seem to exist in a perfect co-dependant bubble. Matt and Eric never did. Eric was two minutes older and ten times more resilient. At least that’s what he likes to claim. He knows that he merely reacted out against the things that Matt internalised. Matt fretted and obsessed about his weight but Eric went out and joined the football team and the wrestling team: anything where his size would be an advantage, not a hindrance. Matt was shy and he forced himself to be outgoing. You can hide better in a crowd than alone. When Maury left Matt was heartbroken but Eric was angry, furious.
Weiss knows he was lucky. He doesn’t share Matt’s dyslexia and so he was never crippled with doubt about his intelligence but Matt was never angry enough to act out the way Eric did. Taking his mother’s last name was a sign of defiance to Maury, sure, but it was expedient too. A good way to distance himself from that pesky sealed juvenile record. Not that the agency had minded. They’d recruited Weiss right out of college. Watched him half kill himself to make ends meet and still excel and decided he had the kind of mind they could use.
More than anyone could’ve guessed.
He should talk to Matt about this… thing. Skill? It doesn’t feel like it at the moment but Weiss knows that’ll pass. He’s just a little knocked out of equilibrium, that’s all. He’ll bounce back, he always does, and it won’t take too long. Then all he’ll have to worry about if what, if anything, he’s going to say to the guys at work. Weiss has heard enough stories about black ops, and been on enough black ops missions, to have no illusions that someone at the agency wouldn’t try to turn him into a guinea pig. No thanks.
He strolls into work a little early. Not enough to be odd but early enough that he can try to reassure himself everything is the same. That nothing’s really changed. He’s not Matt. He doesn’t have to let this thing ruin his life.
Ugly shirt, loud tie
Disguises the subtle wit
Poison to the eyes
Weiss stops in mid step. What the hell? He turns around slowly and briefly meets Jack Bristow’s eye.
‘Uh, morning.’
Bristow merely nods. Well he was never what you’d call chatty.
‘Hey Syd, do you think this shirt is ugly?’ Weiss asks, sipping coffee from his huge mug.
She hesitates several moments too long. ‘You’re a fashion pioneer, Weiss! Embrace your power.’
‘Uh huh.’
Well his mom bought the tie so the Bristows can go suck a lemon about that, Weiss says, scowling at this report.
If only he’d actually get out there. He’s got so much going for him! He’s cute, funny, and intelligent. He’s got a good job and he’s completely reliable. God, any girl with an ounce of sense would JUMP on that package.
‘Oh gosh, Weiss, I’m sorry,’ Syd says, putting her hand on his shoulder. ‘I didn’t mean to upset you.’
‘I’m fine,’ he says surprised.
‘You’ve gone all red in the face.’
Is that what she thinks of him? That he’s some boring, reliable type who deserves her pity for not having a string of women?
‘Guess I caught a touch of sun,’ he says, shuffling his papers.
Too many people are a problem, Weiss realises. Geez, how does Matt cope in a police station when sitting in this briefing is making Weiss’s head spin? Hardly anyone is thinking about the briefing. Marshall is thinking about some components that he’s waiting for in the mail, Vaughn is thinking about Sydney, Sydney is thinking about Vaughn…
Foolish child thoughtless
Prattling boy gabbles nonsense
The quiet bear waits
And god only knows what Jack Bristow is thinking about. Weiss takes a sip of his coffee and shakes his head. He’s not going to be able to get a thing done until he works out how to deal with this noise
Coffee hot and sweet
Wet the lips and fire the mind
Would he taste of it?
Weiss stares at the coffee cup in his hand. Nobody else is drinking theirs. He lifts his gaze and meets Jack’s eyes.
Oh fuck. Oh fuck. Oh fuck.
Branch snapped in the woods
Prowling bear is on the trail
Death or dishonour?
Jack raises and eyebrow and a threat of a smile passes across his face like sunlight across a river.
Having drawn the cards
Make your bet or fold Agent Weiss,
I await your answer.
Weiss stares down at his coffee. This sort of thing probably never happens to Matt.
The End
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2011-11-02 08:29 pm (UTC)I've been waiting for a free moment to read the Sark one. So far Matt-a-thon is amazing! Thank you!!!
no subject
Date: 2011-11-02 09:05 pm (UTC)Thanks so much! Hope you enjoy the rest of the fic <333
no subject
Date: 2011-11-03 03:40 am (UTC)<333
no subject
Date: 2011-11-03 06:11 am (UTC)Thanks!
<333
no subject
Date: 2011-11-04 02:13 am (UTC)Love it, hon! <333
no subject
Date: 2011-11-04 04:07 pm (UTC)Freeedom! heh.
<333