cruiscin_lan (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
cruiscin_lan) wrote2008-11-19 12:05 pm
cruiscin_lan) wrote2008-11-19 12:05 pm
FIC: Angel With a Broken Watch, Chapter 1
Title: Angel with a Broken Watch, Chapter 1
Characters/Pairings: Elle/Gabriel, The Haitian, Noah Bennet
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own Heroes or any of its characters
Word count: 1010
Spoiler alert: definite spoilers for episode 3x08, AU from there
Summary: It's in her best interest that she doesn't remember any of this...
A/N: You might want to start by reading the Prologue, but it's not necessary. In case it's unclear, the italic portions are the Haitian's thoughts and actions as he removes Elle's memories. This fic shows what could have happened if the events in 3x08 turned out differently...
Angel with a Broken Watch
He had been told to remove Elle's memories. The order had come from Bob Bishop himself.
One at a time the Haitian took them from her, turning them over in his own mind, examining each of them carefully, the way a jeweler examines a diamond of endless value. He took in every detail, every minor aspect, and made it his own. If she couldn't remember, the least he could do would be to remember for her.
When Elle had been told her first assignment was in New York City, she had something else entirely pictured. She imagined that it would be glamorous, that every person on the street would look like an impeccably-dressed supermodel, that the streets would be wide and inviting and that even the dullest things - the taxi cabs, the hot dog carts - would glitter. She hadn't expected to be pursuing her target in this grimy, claustrophobic Queens neighborhood, where apartments were stacked over storefronts almost haphazardly.
Noah Bennet, her partner, was waiting in a Primatech Paper van down the block and across the street. "Be careful," he had warned her, and even though he didn't care much for her, his words held more warmth than anything her father ever said to her. He had drilled her repeatedly on the scenario - all she needed to do was go in with the broken watch and engage the target while Bennet set up a surveillance system outside. What they needed, ultimately, was to catch a killer in action. Another agent, Eden McCain, had reported that Gabriel Gray was connected with a murder. Eden's evidence was circumstantial and shaky, but ordinarily that wouldn't stop the Company from apprehending and imprisoning someone. Something about the watchmaker's son merited greater caution, although Elle could only speculate as to what that "something" could be. Whatever it was, she had been warned specifically not to use her powers except for self-defense (a pity, she thought).
She stopped at the window that declared "Gray & Sons Clock and Watch Repair," shiny and clean and out-of-place in the neighborhood. Elle could make out her reflection in the glass, a reminder that she also didn't belong there. She leaned forward and cupped her hand around her eyes in order to look in.
She let herself in; a bell on the door tingled cheerfully. "Hello?" she called out. The interior was dark, and as she squinted, she could make out the form of a man through a pane of translucent glass in the back corner. He was... dangling... hanging...
"Oh, hell no," Elle thought. This was her first assignment, and she wasn't about to let her target ruin it before she even got started. If he died before she'd even made contact...
The Haitian remembered how excited Elle had been to finally be promoted from Company subject to Company agent. She'd invested so much time and energy in preparing for this. The Haitian had seen how her father's approval tied directly into her abilities and achievements, and nothing meant more to her...
Without thinking she sent a tiny bolt of electricity through the air. It connected just where the noose met the rafter to which it was tied. The rope crackled a little, then snapped. The man gasped as he hit the floor.
She ran to the back corner, behind the counter, where the man had fallen. Together they struggled to loosen the rope around his neck. "Are you all right?" she asked, feigning concern. "Say something."
His eyes darted wildly behind his glasses. "Forgive me," he stuttered, leaning in towards her. Elle didn't know what to do but pull him into an awkward embrace.
The man coughed a few times, shifting on the floor until he was sitting upright, back against the counter. He shook his head as he caught his breath. He pulled the noose over his head and let it drop to the floor beside him. He sat there in silence for a minute, and Elle crouched down beside him. She quickly became bored with the quiet, and she picked up the rope and examined it - a kitten playing with a ball of yarn. "It's okay, everything's going to be okay," she told him bluntly, trying to mask her voice with worry.
"No it isn't. I've done something unforgiveable," he tried to explain, unable to look her in the eye.
Elle suddenly remembered her assignment. She certainly hadn't expected to walk in on a suicide attempt; whatever scenarios she'd rehearsed were now useless, and she was being forced to improvise. "Everybody does bad things," she told him, the words coming forth clumsily. "Think I haven't felt exactly how you're feeling right now?"
Human interaction was never Elle's forte, the Haitian thought. Gabriel Gray was obviously not convinced.
Elle tried again. "Maybe if you talk about it, sometimes if you talk about it - "
"I can't!" he interjected, looking up at her for the first time since she arrived. He looked trapped, cornered by his own desperation. "A man had something I wanted, but I took it at a terrible price."
Elle nodded. This was the confirmation she needed to attain. Now all she had to do was to get him to do it again, on-camera... but that would be impossible if he killed himself first. She leaned in closely. "I know it seems hard to imagine, but you're going to get through this." She put a hand on his knee, and he turned to meet her eyes. "Because you're not a bad person."
"You don't even know anything about me," he sounded scared, confused.
"I know what I see," she replied. "A man who deserves a second chance. The rope broke. You can't tell me that's not a sign."
He smiled, almost relieved, almost hopeful. "I don't even know your name."
"Elle," she said with a lilt in her voice.
"Elle," he repeated. "Well, look at you, Elle, just showing up outta nowhere." He paused. "Like an angel."
She smiled, holding up the timepiece she'd brought. "An angel with a broken watch."
Now Elle would never be able to look back and remember the first time she met Gabriel Gray. The Haitian pressed on...
Characters/Pairings: Elle/Gabriel, The Haitian, Noah Bennet
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own Heroes or any of its characters
Word count: 1010
Spoiler alert: definite spoilers for episode 3x08, AU from there
Summary: It's in her best interest that she doesn't remember any of this...
A/N: You might want to start by reading the Prologue, but it's not necessary. In case it's unclear, the italic portions are the Haitian's thoughts and actions as he removes Elle's memories. This fic shows what could have happened if the events in 3x08 turned out differently...
Angel with a Broken Watch
He had been told to remove Elle's memories. The order had come from Bob Bishop himself.
One at a time the Haitian took them from her, turning them over in his own mind, examining each of them carefully, the way a jeweler examines a diamond of endless value. He took in every detail, every minor aspect, and made it his own. If she couldn't remember, the least he could do would be to remember for her.
When Elle had been told her first assignment was in New York City, she had something else entirely pictured. She imagined that it would be glamorous, that every person on the street would look like an impeccably-dressed supermodel, that the streets would be wide and inviting and that even the dullest things - the taxi cabs, the hot dog carts - would glitter. She hadn't expected to be pursuing her target in this grimy, claustrophobic Queens neighborhood, where apartments were stacked over storefronts almost haphazardly.
Noah Bennet, her partner, was waiting in a Primatech Paper van down the block and across the street. "Be careful," he had warned her, and even though he didn't care much for her, his words held more warmth than anything her father ever said to her. He had drilled her repeatedly on the scenario - all she needed to do was go in with the broken watch and engage the target while Bennet set up a surveillance system outside. What they needed, ultimately, was to catch a killer in action. Another agent, Eden McCain, had reported that Gabriel Gray was connected with a murder. Eden's evidence was circumstantial and shaky, but ordinarily that wouldn't stop the Company from apprehending and imprisoning someone. Something about the watchmaker's son merited greater caution, although Elle could only speculate as to what that "something" could be. Whatever it was, she had been warned specifically not to use her powers except for self-defense (a pity, she thought).
She stopped at the window that declared "Gray & Sons Clock and Watch Repair," shiny and clean and out-of-place in the neighborhood. Elle could make out her reflection in the glass, a reminder that she also didn't belong there. She leaned forward and cupped her hand around her eyes in order to look in.
She let herself in; a bell on the door tingled cheerfully. "Hello?" she called out. The interior was dark, and as she squinted, she could make out the form of a man through a pane of translucent glass in the back corner. He was... dangling... hanging...
"Oh, hell no," Elle thought. This was her first assignment, and she wasn't about to let her target ruin it before she even got started. If he died before she'd even made contact...
The Haitian remembered how excited Elle had been to finally be promoted from Company subject to Company agent. She'd invested so much time and energy in preparing for this. The Haitian had seen how her father's approval tied directly into her abilities and achievements, and nothing meant more to her...
Without thinking she sent a tiny bolt of electricity through the air. It connected just where the noose met the rafter to which it was tied. The rope crackled a little, then snapped. The man gasped as he hit the floor.
She ran to the back corner, behind the counter, where the man had fallen. Together they struggled to loosen the rope around his neck. "Are you all right?" she asked, feigning concern. "Say something."
His eyes darted wildly behind his glasses. "Forgive me," he stuttered, leaning in towards her. Elle didn't know what to do but pull him into an awkward embrace.
The man coughed a few times, shifting on the floor until he was sitting upright, back against the counter. He shook his head as he caught his breath. He pulled the noose over his head and let it drop to the floor beside him. He sat there in silence for a minute, and Elle crouched down beside him. She quickly became bored with the quiet, and she picked up the rope and examined it - a kitten playing with a ball of yarn. "It's okay, everything's going to be okay," she told him bluntly, trying to mask her voice with worry.
"No it isn't. I've done something unforgiveable," he tried to explain, unable to look her in the eye.
Elle suddenly remembered her assignment. She certainly hadn't expected to walk in on a suicide attempt; whatever scenarios she'd rehearsed were now useless, and she was being forced to improvise. "Everybody does bad things," she told him, the words coming forth clumsily. "Think I haven't felt exactly how you're feeling right now?"
Human interaction was never Elle's forte, the Haitian thought. Gabriel Gray was obviously not convinced.
Elle tried again. "Maybe if you talk about it, sometimes if you talk about it - "
"I can't!" he interjected, looking up at her for the first time since she arrived. He looked trapped, cornered by his own desperation. "A man had something I wanted, but I took it at a terrible price."
Elle nodded. This was the confirmation she needed to attain. Now all she had to do was to get him to do it again, on-camera... but that would be impossible if he killed himself first. She leaned in closely. "I know it seems hard to imagine, but you're going to get through this." She put a hand on his knee, and he turned to meet her eyes. "Because you're not a bad person."
"You don't even know anything about me," he sounded scared, confused.
"I know what I see," she replied. "A man who deserves a second chance. The rope broke. You can't tell me that's not a sign."
He smiled, almost relieved, almost hopeful. "I don't even know your name."
"Elle," she said with a lilt in her voice.
"Elle," he repeated. "Well, look at you, Elle, just showing up outta nowhere." He paused. "Like an angel."
She smiled, holding up the timepiece she'd brought. "An angel with a broken watch."
Now Elle would never be able to look back and remember the first time she met Gabriel Gray. The Haitian pressed on...
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