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chonaku55(toute critique est bienvenue ^^")
“Why would you want to help me?” asked Victor with a suspicious voice. He did not know the alien. They had never met before and during his short work time with Luthor, Victor learned more about the Kryptonian, not the Martian, thank to the man’s obsession about his nemesis. The Martian remained silent and as cold as he was. Victor frowned and his headache made him suffer more. It seemed like thousand bees in his mind and he was tired. However, it was impossible to show his weakness to a Batman’s friend, especially since they were in his cell. His visitor did not seem bothered of the cold atmosphere in the cell; Victor was angry simply by his presence. He did not like intruders, neither visit on his cell, especially from a telepathic alien.
“I have nothing to give you. And neither envy to get along with one of Batman’s friend. So, what’s even the point to talk with me ?” he insisted, his livid face was as neutral as usual.
“He takes care of your child.”
The tone was not cold, but the words hit hard, mostly because he did not really trust enough Batman to believe he always was able to permit visits or even to not talk about his crimes to Koonak. He missed his son, he missed his smile and his voice, he missed to hug him and to ruffle his hair, to read stories for him. he missed everything about him, even if he was in the same city, now. The mention of Koonak made him somber and his voice became harsh and colder.
“Yes, and so what? Would you take him from Batman and let me raising him after I leave Arkham?”
“No, I wouldn’t.” said Martian Manhunter. “Your child is at the safer place he could be for him and so you are.”
“No. He is not and neither me.” Victor said. “He is with the most paranoid and competent vigilant I know, but also the man able to turn children into soldiers and to let them die at the battlefield for his crusade’s sake. In addition, I am at the worst asylum ever, still asking why nobody could be enough sane and pragmatic to close it and to build another with real competent staff, able to cure or to take care of the inmates. I do not mention of every sociopath here, especially the Clown. So, I can’t mention how easily it could be to kill me in a riot by simply cut the air conditioning. Do you want to make another statement as intelligent as it, Martian Manhunter? Or do you prefer I praise Batman and his infanticide tendency? ”
“You are unfair. Batman lost only a Robin because of Joker’s cunning nature. It has nothing to do with him and neither has the dead of the other. In addition, it is ironical to blame Batman for putting children in danger when you are one of the people who pointed a gun on them.”
It felt almost like some years ago, when Koonak was not again here, when he was alone, when Nora died. Anger consumed him, sadness and rage. He remembered yelling as a animal, at the world, at the fate, at the void she had leave behind her. He remembered the boy, how he tried to jump after he misbelieve him for Batman (he had approached so close of him... it was more a reflex, one of his way to say “don’t dare pity me to Batman”). How he put the trigger of his gun and was unable to stop before the child was freezing and Batman yelled back.
He didn’t remember if he really wanted to kill someone this day.
Especially a child.
“Continue and you will make me angry, Martian.” He said with a neutral voice. He didn’t must to know, nobody should know how much he had feel empty this day, how much he would prefer the usual sidekick laughing at his misery and not the silent frozen child on the ice. Maybe saving Koonak was a way to avoid this image to haunt him again. It was one of his hypotheses for his past obsession to save the tiny dying stranger, night by night.
It was an improbable hypothesis, he still thought. How could a monster feel it?
He looked at his visitor, his greenish skin, his neutral face and the gloomy red eyes. He is different from the human-like Kryptonian and suddenly, Victor wondered what he had thought for coming here with the will of help him.
“Again. Why do you care about me ?” he said, his voice always metallic. “Or maybe, do you care about my child?” he spoke aloud. It would be more logic.
“Both.” He simply said. “I was a father once, like Batman is. Maybe it is a pointless reason to help for you, but for me, it is a valuable reason.”
“I don’t want your pity.” He said while pointing “was” in his mind. “I don’t want your friendship, your compassion, your sympathy. I don’t want a thing from you and Batman.”
“So, what do you want ?” ask this time Martian Manhunter, always with this strange soft voice.
Victor was reluctant to say what he wished, but since the Martian was telepath, it would be useless to remain silent. If he could choose, Victor preferred to answer by himself and not permit an alien to read his mind.
“My wife.” He answered. “My child. A life outside of this cage with them. And more than that, I want them alive, safe. Happy. If you are unable to give me that, you can go away.” He finished abruptly, more bitter than before.
Martian Manhunter frowned then, he said :”I can’t give you exactly you want, but I can give you some opportunities to have it.”
This time, Victor remained silent, so the alien explained himself : “I said Batman have your child. The day you will go outside of Arkham, your child will go with you. So, what do you want to give to him? Where will you go?
“That is nothing your business.”
“No. But I want to ask you some questions, so you can think about it. You meet again your wife, your child knows all about you and he is safe, despite what you believe. What was your plan about your son ?”
“I suppose that if I don’t talk, you will read my mind. Or do you already read it ?”
“I have any interest to do it.”
Victor frowned, aware about the verity in the affirmation.
Finally, he whispered: “I wanted to send Koonak in a boarding school in Sweden, in two or three years, so he could have a normal life.”
“And what about to have a normal life, with you without lies and without separation ? ”
“But I...” he barely articulated. “Impossible. I am Victor Fries; I can’t... have a normal life.”
“You can build one. I can help you to do it.” Then, the alien turned into a normal human being. “I propose you to associate with me. In this identity, I am a private detective named John Jones who works at Denver, in the Colorado, but I can make another identity in order to justify our partnership. I can’t give you a perfect life, but I can help you to find a way to build a solid and safe social life where you could raise your child in peace.”
“We should lie to others. Ironical for someone who talked about a live without lies.”
The Martian as human frowned and appeared somber.
“At least, you will stop to lie at your child. I think it is more important than to fool or not strangers. You could give him a life where he could see you every day, where he will not worry about you and you will least worry about him. You could be together as long as it is possible for you.”
“Again. Why do you want to give me this life?”
“Why do you think I want something in exchange, Victor Fries?”
“Because everyone in my life wanted to.” He said without thinking. “Nora and Koonak are the only exception. Even Batman wants to help me by taking care of my child, in exchange of my promise to be quiet and to not hurt anybody.”
“Without Batman, would you want, anyways?” asked solemnly the human-Martian... Martian Human, he did not know.
“I would hurt every person who hurts or threatens my child and my wife. Batman will never change that. Otherwise, I do not care about other people. The least I interact with them, the better I feel.” He growled.
“You desire a very lonely life, Victor Fries.” The man pointed out. Victor nodded.
“I learned that in this world, to be alone is the better way to never be hurt.”
“It is also the better way to never heal." The Martian Manhunter stated with seriousness on his face. “Believe me.” He looked almost melancholic and Victor avoided his reddish brown eyes.
“Maybe. Nevertheless, it allows me to survive throughout these years, it allows me to be stronger that I once was as human; it allows to never being a tool or a slave again. Nobody can fool me now.” He declared, looking his visitor with a solid cold anger or a strong determination, even for him, it was impossible to know.
“You look rather like a broken soul.” The Martian remarked and once again, Victor growled: “I don’t want your pity. Let me alone.”
“I will let you alone only if you give me an answer.”
“About being your partner, detective?” He put the last word with a bitter and ironical tone. “Would you really want a partner like me ?” he smirked. “Or would you want to save me instead, where Batman was unable to?”
“I cannot save those who are not willing to be saved. If you want to, I will help, but if you prefer to let you rot, it is your choice, not mine. Think only about your child and what you can offer to him after your release.”
“Martian.” He stopped him. “You said you have a daughter, do you think of her everyday of your life ?”
“... Yes, I actually do.” He whispered.
“So, never implies I don’t do myself.”
And probably, you didn’t suffer as much as I did myself, he thought and the Martian’s voice answered in his mind: “I am sorry to say you are wrong.”
“What are you going ?” he said, his voice filled with anger and rage. “Get out of my mind. Go away, go away !” he finally yelled. “You talk about no lies, about being a partner and you are unable to no read my mind? How should I trust you?”
He thought about hitting him, even if it could be useless. A better plan would be to put him in a campfire, but Batman would not approve and he didn’t want lost Koonak for an alien.
“... You’re right, it was a bad gesture toward you. However, Batman warned me about you and so, I wanted to know exactly who I would have as a future partner.”
“You read my... since the beginning... ” he whispered, mortified.
“No. Believe me.”
“You make it hard.”
“I have my reasons.”
“Say it. You read my mind. I want information about you, now.”
-- Talk me about your daughter, he thought as strong as he could do.
“... She died a long time ago.” The Martian barely articulated. “By human standard, she was six years old. She loved to tell me her secrets and I dream every day to see her again, to hug her, to tell stories for her, I miss everything about her... is it enough for you?”
Victor missed Koonak’s smile and his voice; he missed to hug him and to ruffle his hair, to read stories for him. He missed everything about him...
-- Yes. Victor said, but he was not satisfied.
He felt empty.
He saw Batman during their first meeting, their first fight. I am sorry for your wife.
Victor remained silent.
-- Your wife ?
“That’s nothing your business, Victor Fries.” Martian Manhunter said coldly. “I will let you think about our discussion alone, as you wish and then, I will return.”
And then, he turned invisible in front of him and Victor remained always silent, unable to let his trouble go away.
“Why would you want to help me?” asked Victor with a suspicious voice. He did not know the alien. They had never met before and during his short work time with Luthor, Victor learned more about the Kryptonian, not the Martian, thank to the man’s obsession about his nemesis. The Martian remained silent and as cold as he was. Victor frowned and his headache made him suffer more. It seemed like thousand bees in his mind and he was tired. However, it was impossible to show his weakness to a Batman’s friend, especially since they were in his cell. His visitor did not seem bothered of the cold atmosphere in the cell; Victor was angry simply by his presence. He did not like intruders, neither visit on his cell, especially from a telepathic alien.
“I have nothing to give you. And neither envy to get along with one of Batman’s friend. So, what’s even the point to talk with me ?” he insisted, his livid face was as neutral as usual.
“He takes care of your child.”
The tone was not cold, but the words hit hard, mostly because he did not really trust enough Batman to believe he always was able to permit visits or even to not talk about his crimes to Koonak. He missed his son, he missed his smile and his voice, he missed to hug him and to ruffle his hair, to read stories for him. he missed everything about him, even if he was in the same city, now. The mention of Koonak made him somber and his voice became harsh and colder.
“Yes, and so what? Would you take him from Batman and let me raising him after I leave Arkham?”
“No, I wouldn’t.” said Martian Manhunter. “Your child is at the safer place he could be for him and so you are.”
“No. He is not and neither me.” Victor said. “He is with the most paranoid and competent vigilant I know, but also the man able to turn children into soldiers and to let them die at the battlefield for his crusade’s sake. In addition, I am at the worst asylum ever, still asking why nobody could be enough sane and pragmatic to close it and to build another with real competent staff, able to cure or to take care of the inmates. I do not mention of every sociopath here, especially the Clown. So, I can’t mention how easily it could be to kill me in a riot by simply cut the air conditioning. Do you want to make another statement as intelligent as it, Martian Manhunter? Or do you prefer I praise Batman and his infanticide tendency? ”
“You are unfair. Batman lost only a Robin because of Joker’s cunning nature. It has nothing to do with him and neither has the dead of the other. In addition, it is ironical to blame Batman for putting children in danger when you are one of the people who pointed a gun on them.”
It felt almost like some years ago, when Koonak was not again here, when he was alone, when Nora died. Anger consumed him, sadness and rage. He remembered yelling as a animal, at the world, at the fate, at the void she had leave behind her. He remembered the boy, how he tried to jump after he misbelieve him for Batman (he had approached so close of him... it was more a reflex, one of his way to say “don’t dare pity me to Batman”). How he put the trigger of his gun and was unable to stop before the child was freezing and Batman yelled back.
He didn’t remember if he really wanted to kill someone this day.
Especially a child.
“Continue and you will make me angry, Martian.” He said with a neutral voice. He didn’t must to know, nobody should know how much he had feel empty this day, how much he would prefer the usual sidekick laughing at his misery and not the silent frozen child on the ice. Maybe saving Koonak was a way to avoid this image to haunt him again. It was one of his hypotheses for his past obsession to save the tiny dying stranger, night by night.
It was an improbable hypothesis, he still thought. How could a monster feel it?
He looked at his visitor, his greenish skin, his neutral face and the gloomy red eyes. He is different from the human-like Kryptonian and suddenly, Victor wondered what he had thought for coming here with the will of help him.
“Again. Why do you care about me ?” he said, his voice always metallic. “Or maybe, do you care about my child?” he spoke aloud. It would be more logic.
“Both.” He simply said. “I was a father once, like Batman is. Maybe it is a pointless reason to help for you, but for me, it is a valuable reason.”
“I don’t want your pity.” He said while pointing “was” in his mind. “I don’t want your friendship, your compassion, your sympathy. I don’t want a thing from you and Batman.”
“So, what do you want ?” ask this time Martian Manhunter, always with this strange soft voice.
Victor was reluctant to say what he wished, but since the Martian was telepath, it would be useless to remain silent. If he could choose, Victor preferred to answer by himself and not permit an alien to read his mind.
“My wife.” He answered. “My child. A life outside of this cage with them. And more than that, I want them alive, safe. Happy. If you are unable to give me that, you can go away.” He finished abruptly, more bitter than before.
Martian Manhunter frowned then, he said :”I can’t give you exactly you want, but I can give you some opportunities to have it.”
This time, Victor remained silent, so the alien explained himself : “I said Batman have your child. The day you will go outside of Arkham, your child will go with you. So, what do you want to give to him? Where will you go?
“That is nothing your business.”
“No. But I want to ask you some questions, so you can think about it. You meet again your wife, your child knows all about you and he is safe, despite what you believe. What was your plan about your son ?”
“I suppose that if I don’t talk, you will read my mind. Or do you already read it ?”
“I have any interest to do it.”
Victor frowned, aware about the verity in the affirmation.
Finally, he whispered: “I wanted to send Koonak in a boarding school in Sweden, in two or three years, so he could have a normal life.”
“And what about to have a normal life, with you without lies and without separation ? ”
“But I...” he barely articulated. “Impossible. I am Victor Fries; I can’t... have a normal life.”
“You can build one. I can help you to do it.” Then, the alien turned into a normal human being. “I propose you to associate with me. In this identity, I am a private detective named John Jones who works at Denver, in the Colorado, but I can make another identity in order to justify our partnership. I can’t give you a perfect life, but I can help you to find a way to build a solid and safe social life where you could raise your child in peace.”
“We should lie to others. Ironical for someone who talked about a live without lies.”
The Martian as human frowned and appeared somber.
“At least, you will stop to lie at your child. I think it is more important than to fool or not strangers. You could give him a life where he could see you every day, where he will not worry about you and you will least worry about him. You could be together as long as it is possible for you.”
“Again. Why do you want to give me this life?”
“Why do you think I want something in exchange, Victor Fries?”
“Because everyone in my life wanted to.” He said without thinking. “Nora and Koonak are the only exception. Even Batman wants to help me by taking care of my child, in exchange of my promise to be quiet and to not hurt anybody.”
“Without Batman, would you want, anyways?” asked solemnly the human-Martian... Martian Human, he did not know.
“I would hurt every person who hurts or threatens my child and my wife. Batman will never change that. Otherwise, I do not care about other people. The least I interact with them, the better I feel.” He growled.
“You desire a very lonely life, Victor Fries.” The man pointed out. Victor nodded.
“I learned that in this world, to be alone is the better way to never be hurt.”
“It is also the better way to never heal." The Martian Manhunter stated with seriousness on his face. “Believe me.” He looked almost melancholic and Victor avoided his reddish brown eyes.
“Maybe. Nevertheless, it allows me to survive throughout these years, it allows me to be stronger that I once was as human; it allows to never being a tool or a slave again. Nobody can fool me now.” He declared, looking his visitor with a solid cold anger or a strong determination, even for him, it was impossible to know.
“You look rather like a broken soul.” The Martian remarked and once again, Victor growled: “I don’t want your pity. Let me alone.”
“I will let you alone only if you give me an answer.”
“About being your partner, detective?” He put the last word with a bitter and ironical tone. “Would you really want a partner like me ?” he smirked. “Or would you want to save me instead, where Batman was unable to?”
“I cannot save those who are not willing to be saved. If you want to, I will help, but if you prefer to let you rot, it is your choice, not mine. Think only about your child and what you can offer to him after your release.”
“Martian.” He stopped him. “You said you have a daughter, do you think of her everyday of your life ?”
“... Yes, I actually do.” He whispered.
“So, never implies I don’t do myself.”
And probably, you didn’t suffer as much as I did myself, he thought and the Martian’s voice answered in his mind: “I am sorry to say you are wrong.”
“What are you going ?” he said, his voice filled with anger and rage. “Get out of my mind. Go away, go away !” he finally yelled. “You talk about no lies, about being a partner and you are unable to no read my mind? How should I trust you?”
He thought about hitting him, even if it could be useless. A better plan would be to put him in a campfire, but Batman would not approve and he didn’t want lost Koonak for an alien.
“... You’re right, it was a bad gesture toward you. However, Batman warned me about you and so, I wanted to know exactly who I would have as a future partner.”
“You read my... since the beginning... ” he whispered, mortified.
“No. Believe me.”
“You make it hard.”
“I have my reasons.”
“Say it. You read my mind. I want information about you, now.”
-- Talk me about your daughter, he thought as strong as he could do.
“... She died a long time ago.” The Martian barely articulated. “By human standard, she was six years old. She loved to tell me her secrets and I dream every day to see her again, to hug her, to tell stories for her, I miss everything about her... is it enough for you?”
Victor missed Koonak’s smile and his voice; he missed to hug him and to ruffle his hair, to read stories for him. He missed everything about him...
-- Yes. Victor said, but he was not satisfied.
He felt empty.
He saw Batman during their first meeting, their first fight. I am sorry for your wife.
Victor remained silent.
-- Your wife ?
“That’s nothing your business, Victor Fries.” Martian Manhunter said coldly. “I will let you think about our discussion alone, as you wish and then, I will return.”
And then, he turned invisible in front of him and Victor remained always silent, unable to let his trouble go away.
