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A snippet from Old Friends and Enemies, for ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
shadadukal. Went a bit meta-y on the Five:
shadadukal. Went a bit meta-y on the Five:"How much?" Nikola asked, as softly. As carefully. Nigel smiled, and Nikola knew the answer before he spoke, knew exactly how much. To the last dollar. [Okay, firstly, Edison was a dick. Provided Tesla was telling the truth, of course, but judging by Edison's business methods in general, I don't think that's at all far-fetched. *grins* As a side note, I find it sort of amazing that since watching Sanctuary, I've started getting this little leap of joy in my chest whenever I see a real-life reference to Tesla. *shakes fist at the vampire*]
"Fifty thousand US dollars," the thief said, very quietly, and Nikola closed his eyes, let his hand curl around the key and clench tight. Because of course. Because it must be. [Because all the Five have a perfect sense of ... irony is the wrong word, but a sense of what is fitting. A sense of what is needed, at least with each other. They all have their own sense of justice, for each other as well as themselves] The price offered to a young, naive inventor, the reward for his work offered on a promise and stolen with a laugh, with a taunt. The number he'd spat at a friend, years ago in a fit of rage, when Nigel had laughingly said that he didn't understand the British sense of humour, and Nikola had been unable to keep himself from snapping. From explaining, white with fury, and watching genuine apology creep across blunt, unsubtle features that later learned secrets far too well. [I almost want to write this as its own little fic. One of the Five, probably Nigel, or maybe James, poking that one old wound and being shocked when Nikola loses it a bit. And then ... proving themselves friends. *smiles at them*]
"Of course," he said, faintly, feeling his mouth curve into an odd, soft smile. "It would have to be."
"Not much these days," Nigel acknowledged behind him, coming over to stand beside him in the light from the window, and look down at the little key. "I'd have tried for more, maybe, if I'd known how much trouble you were in. Though that probably would have garnered a bit of suspicion ... But this way, it's not a theft. This way, it's not stealing." [Again ... they all have their own sense of what's right. All of them. They all, to an extent, believe that they are above the rules, the law, because they have their own idea of justice, of right. Nigel is a thief, but he sees it as earning a living. Nikola is a megalomaniac, but I think he sees it as saving a world that's rightfully his. Helen ... lets not start on Helen. *shakes head* And, too, their loyalty to each other seems to supersede any loyalty to a nation or outside authority. If one of them does wrong, they'll deal with them themselves (John). If one of them is wronged ... well. You get this fic. *grins*]
Nikola felt his eyebrow quirk on sheer instinct, the sarcasm rolling rich and smooth onto his tongue. "I know quite a few people who would disagree with you on that," he pointed out, grinning just a little, and Nigel, never one to stand down from a fight, grinned back. [They're not unaware that others disagree, however. *grins* They just don't particularly care, unless it's one of their own]
"If they're the kind of people that can look at Edison robbing Melies blind and call it business, then I don't think I'll pay very much attention to 'em," he growled shortly, and shook his head. "But in this case, it isn't. You earned that, Nikola. You earned it twenty years ago in honest work. And if he can do what he does and call it business ... then I think we can do this, and call it nothing more than monies owed." [... Which is a point, and one that sort of makes me uncomfortable to make, since I try to believe in retribution within the law, where possible, but ... It's the Five. They make their own justice, always have, and woe betide anyone who gets in the way -_-;]
Nikola laughed, very softly, and bounced the key in his palm. Not enough, as Nigel said. Nowhere near enough to cover his current debts, nowhere near enough to resurrect Wardenclyffe, nowhere near enough to make his dream come true. But that wasn't the point. The money wasn't the point.
The point was justice, if only of a kind most people wouldn't recognise, the redressing of past wrongs on behalf of a friend. The point was looking out for your friends.
As Nigel said. A man should always look after his friends. [Seems to be the major principle all of the Five work on. They may disagree on many, many things outside of it, but that ...]
"You said you might ask for something, for this one?" he asked, quietly. Looking over at Nigel, smiling faintly. Not begrudging. Nikola had never begrudged anything genuinely owed, when it was his to give. And never to a friend. He never begrudged anything to a friend. [*smiles at him* He doesn't. In real life, in Sanctuary. If you're a friend, and you need his help, he gives it. He breaks contract so as not to bankrupt you, even though he'd have been a billionaire if he'd kept it. He builds you a superweapon to kill your daughter, in two days, with a crappy lab and Tiny Tim for an assistant. He pokes at humbling holographic pinatas for you. And yes, he has ulterior motives all those time, but ... when was he asked for help, and didn't give it?]
"Come back with me," Nigel asked, rough and casual as if he'd never kept a secret in his life, easy as if he hadn't come here to find Nikola near drowned in despair, and acted to help him. Blunt and calm as if he hadn't the first ulterior motive. Nikola found himself smiling. "Pay as much of your debts as you can, say sod the lot of them, and come home. America has never been bloody kind to you, Nikola. For all their talk, they don't buy big dreams over here. Come back with me." He smiled slyly. "Helen's back in England. And James, and all the other poor idealistic sods she's caught up in her crusade. You'd fit right in. You always did."
[*smiles* This wasn't meant to be here originally, because I was bouncing around between 1906 and 1912 for a while, trying to decide when Nigel decided Thomas needed to go down. Then I found Melies, in 1902, and 1906 fit so Nigel could get in the crack about not ageing, and that put Nikola in a very dark place as his dreams start to fail, and fits so nicely with why he was back in England in 1910 snarking with Nigel and teaming up to play investigators down the docks ... So it became Nigel coming to bring him home. To have justice as the closing on Nikola's latest brush with the American dream, and bring him back to his friends. *smiles* Because Nigel sees without being seen, and that is a very interesting position. Heh.]
"Fifty thousand US dollars," the thief said, very quietly, and Nikola closed his eyes, let his hand curl around the key and clench tight. Because of course. Because it must be. [Because all the Five have a perfect sense of ... irony is the wrong word, but a sense of what is fitting. A sense of what is needed, at least with each other. They all have their own sense of justice, for each other as well as themselves] The price offered to a young, naive inventor, the reward for his work offered on a promise and stolen with a laugh, with a taunt. The number he'd spat at a friend, years ago in a fit of rage, when Nigel had laughingly said that he didn't understand the British sense of humour, and Nikola had been unable to keep himself from snapping. From explaining, white with fury, and watching genuine apology creep across blunt, unsubtle features that later learned secrets far too well. [I almost want to write this as its own little fic. One of the Five, probably Nigel, or maybe James, poking that one old wound and being shocked when Nikola loses it a bit. And then ... proving themselves friends. *smiles at them*]
"Of course," he said, faintly, feeling his mouth curve into an odd, soft smile. "It would have to be."
"Not much these days," Nigel acknowledged behind him, coming over to stand beside him in the light from the window, and look down at the little key. "I'd have tried for more, maybe, if I'd known how much trouble you were in. Though that probably would have garnered a bit of suspicion ... But this way, it's not a theft. This way, it's not stealing." [Again ... they all have their own sense of what's right. All of them. They all, to an extent, believe that they are above the rules, the law, because they have their own idea of justice, of right. Nigel is a thief, but he sees it as earning a living. Nikola is a megalomaniac, but I think he sees it as saving a world that's rightfully his. Helen ... lets not start on Helen. *shakes head* And, too, their loyalty to each other seems to supersede any loyalty to a nation or outside authority. If one of them does wrong, they'll deal with them themselves (John). If one of them is wronged ... well. You get this fic. *grins*]
Nikola felt his eyebrow quirk on sheer instinct, the sarcasm rolling rich and smooth onto his tongue. "I know quite a few people who would disagree with you on that," he pointed out, grinning just a little, and Nigel, never one to stand down from a fight, grinned back. [They're not unaware that others disagree, however. *grins* They just don't particularly care, unless it's one of their own]
"If they're the kind of people that can look at Edison robbing Melies blind and call it business, then I don't think I'll pay very much attention to 'em," he growled shortly, and shook his head. "But in this case, it isn't. You earned that, Nikola. You earned it twenty years ago in honest work. And if he can do what he does and call it business ... then I think we can do this, and call it nothing more than monies owed." [... Which is a point, and one that sort of makes me uncomfortable to make, since I try to believe in retribution within the law, where possible, but ... It's the Five. They make their own justice, always have, and woe betide anyone who gets in the way -_-;]
Nikola laughed, very softly, and bounced the key in his palm. Not enough, as Nigel said. Nowhere near enough to cover his current debts, nowhere near enough to resurrect Wardenclyffe, nowhere near enough to make his dream come true. But that wasn't the point. The money wasn't the point.
The point was justice, if only of a kind most people wouldn't recognise, the redressing of past wrongs on behalf of a friend. The point was looking out for your friends.
As Nigel said. A man should always look after his friends. [Seems to be the major principle all of the Five work on. They may disagree on many, many things outside of it, but that ...]
"You said you might ask for something, for this one?" he asked, quietly. Looking over at Nigel, smiling faintly. Not begrudging. Nikola had never begrudged anything genuinely owed, when it was his to give. And never to a friend. He never begrudged anything to a friend. [*smiles at him* He doesn't. In real life, in Sanctuary. If you're a friend, and you need his help, he gives it. He breaks contract so as not to bankrupt you, even though he'd have been a billionaire if he'd kept it. He builds you a superweapon to kill your daughter, in two days, with a crappy lab and Tiny Tim for an assistant. He pokes at humbling holographic pinatas for you. And yes, he has ulterior motives all those time, but ... when was he asked for help, and didn't give it?]
"Come back with me," Nigel asked, rough and casual as if he'd never kept a secret in his life, easy as if he hadn't come here to find Nikola near drowned in despair, and acted to help him. Blunt and calm as if he hadn't the first ulterior motive. Nikola found himself smiling. "Pay as much of your debts as you can, say sod the lot of them, and come home. America has never been bloody kind to you, Nikola. For all their talk, they don't buy big dreams over here. Come back with me." He smiled slyly. "Helen's back in England. And James, and all the other poor idealistic sods she's caught up in her crusade. You'd fit right in. You always did."
[*smiles* This wasn't meant to be here originally, because I was bouncing around between 1906 and 1912 for a while, trying to decide when Nigel decided Thomas needed to go down. Then I found Melies, in 1902, and 1906 fit so Nigel could get in the crack about not ageing, and that put Nikola in a very dark place as his dreams start to fail, and fits so nicely with why he was back in England in 1910 snarking with Nigel and teaming up to play investigators down the docks ... So it became Nigel coming to bring him home. To have justice as the closing on Nikola's latest brush with the American dream, and bring him back to his friends. *smiles* Because Nigel sees without being seen, and that is a very interesting position. Heh.]
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