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Title: Black Edelweiss
Series: Zeitgeist
Follows: One Giant Leap
Wordcount: 3,958
Summary: Two weeks after Claire Bennet's televised leap from the Ferris wheel, the 12th handles it's first case delving into the strange world of specials. Evidence points the investigation toward a former Company Agent, a man Noah Bennet would swear up and down doesn't exist.
Details: Minimal details due to inflation. Full warnings and details in main post.
PREV: Chapter Fourteen // MAIN // NEXT: Interlude 14
Chapter Fifteen: Reliquary
"History does not belong to us, we belong to it."
—Hans-Georg Gadamer
Konrad smiled as he hung up the phone, feeling a great deal more relaxed than he would have anticipated when this strange experience first began. He had been joking when he made the demand, of course, but it seemed as if due process was going to be Detective Beckett's approach in trying to gain his trust. Or perhaps it was simply her way of retaining a sense of control over an alarming and bizarre situation. Either way, her fair-dealing was a welcome surprise, and Konrad was more than happy to accept it graciously.
Having one less concern made it so much easier to try and wrap his head around everything else.
Konrad had always tried to avoid letting longevity distort his perception of time, but nine years really wasn't all that long, if he thought about it. Long enough that cultural changes were bound to be noticeable, if he looked, but probably not long enough for them to be jarring. Still, trying to maneuver around that blank spot in his memory was distressing. For all he knew, anything could have happened.
After all, it was clear that at least one potentially earth-shattering change had taken place...
It was strange to imagine a world where people knew about the existence of specials. Which was obviously the case, from the picture that was slowly taking shape. It couldn't have been for very long though, he thought, because it was clear from the way Konrad was being handled that the police station was nowhere near being properly equipped or prepared. Konrad supposed it was possible that was where Noah entered the picture—the way he had partnered with Detective Beckett clearly indicated he had some form of official authority. Though it was difficult for Konrad to picture a man like Bennet working for the government in any legal capacity. For all his humble beginnings, the man had taken to the shadows as if he had been born to them—
Though if anyone had the talent to keep his skeletons buried deep enough to pass muster, it would be Noah.
Stepping away from the phone, Konrad held out his shackled wrists for inspection. Apparently, Ms. Strauss had been given instructions to do so any time they were out of her direct line of sight—and every two minutes, even if they weren't. Once they returned him to his cell, that would relax, but as long as Konrad had access to the hallways, Bennet wasn't taking any chances. The tight security was more than a little flattering, but then Ivan had always loved to brag about his favorite student's knack for contingencies. Once satisfied, Tracy nodded to the uniformed officers that were serving as his escort.
None of them relaxed.
Throughout the brief excursion, the four men had all eyed him like a bomb that was about to go off. Konrad wasn't sure if Noah was responsible for that or not. He wasn't sure what they had been told—or if they had been told anything at all—though he had the distinct impression they at least knew what he was. Of course, there was also the question of whether they knew who he was...
Whether any of them had been acquainted with Kevin Ryan.
Konrad could imagine how strange that might be for them—after all, it was certainly strange enough for him. Looking over their faces, Konrad didn't feel any sense of recognition, not the way he had with Noah; or Tracy, who so closely resembled the girl he had watched grow up around the facility in Odessa—or even Detective Beckett for that matter. But Konrad had no way of knowing if that was significant or not. He didn't know these men, but one of them might have been his best friend for all he knew the difference.
His. Ryan's. He wasn't quite sure how to define the relationship there. It was all very confusing.
It was a different precinct than the one he last remembered working at, Konrad noted as he passed through the hallway. Though it seemed familiar enough that he might have been there at least once before. He couldn't be certain. Suddenly, it crossed his mind to wonder what had become of his partner, Susanne Maxwell. He also wondered how Detective Beckett might react if he asked. And Konrad was weighing the potential benefits of asking versus the potential fallout when he saw something that drove the question from his mind entirely.
Another familiar face, though one he had almost failed to recognize.
Konrad might not have noticed if not for the way the young Asian man was watching him so intently. If the others around him hadn't all been police officers, the man certainly wouldn't have stood out from the crowd. But it was his curious, bespectacled gaze and shy demeanor that immediately sparked a stunned recognition, and brought Konrad's steps to a halt.
Which probably wasn't the best thing to do when surrounded by four very armed, very jumpy policemen, but for the moment Konrad had all but forgotten them.
"Hiro-kun?"
The young man's eyes widened, and Konrad knew he wasn't wrong. A few of the officers had drawn their guns. Konrad felt a flash of cold from his left as Tracy tensed briefly as well, but her eyes followed his and after a moment she relaxed.
"It's alright," she said, reassuring the officers before turning to look at Konrad. "I can't let you stand around out here, but he can walk with us if you like?"
Konrad nodded faintly, grateful, though he was still taking in the sight of the boy—the man—in front of him.
While Konrad's curse and Angela's intervention had meant that most of the Company had forgotten him, the Company's founders most definitely hadn't. Yet while Bishop and Linderman might have been content to ignore him—out of sight, out of mind—the same could not have been said of Arthur Petrelli. Arthur had no love at all for anything he couldn't control, and having a deserter running around would have been a challenge to his authority. And the fact that Konrad had been a close friend to Arthur's wife would have only made it that much greater an affront to his power.
Hiro had still been a teenager during Konrad's last visit, before he defected. Konrad had considered the risks several times, but as much as he would have liked to see Kaito or Angela again, it would have been far too dangerous for him to make contact. Only now, seeing Hiro stirred up a sharp pang of regret, and Konrad found himself wishing he had taken that chance.
Tracy crooked her finger at Hiro. He gave a rapid blink of abashed surprise, approaching with an excited grin that seemed a bit dazed. He came to a halt just in front of Konrad, dipping a short bow.
"Konrad-ojisan."
Konrad was taken slightly aback, momentarily hopeful.
"Watashi no koto o oboete imasu ka?"
But Konrad saw Hiro's face begin to fall before the question had even finished. He managed to catch his sigh of disappointment before it could escape. While Hiro clearly knew who Konrad was, the young man did not remember him. It had been foolish for Konrad to let himself think otherwise.
"Gomennasai."
Konrad shook his head in response to Hiro's regretful apology, not yet trusting himself verbally.
"I'd appreciate it if you would stick to English," Tracy interrupted gently. "If I don't keep track of your conversation, Bennet's not likely to be happy about it."
The pleading lilt of humor in her tone let him know that was not something she wanted to deal with. Konrad nodded with a sigh.
"I am sorry that I do not remember you," Hiro apologized again as they resumed their walk, "but my father would speak of you often."
"How is your father? And Kimiko?" Konrad asked, eager for the information, though he knew the intervening years were too much to hope to catch up on during their short walk.
A look of sadness crossed Hiro's face that made Konrad's chest tighten.
"Kimiko...is good," Hiro answered carefully of his sister. "She and Ando are very happy together. He propose to her months ago."
Though Konrad felt Hiro trying to dance around his question he couldn't help but smile, remembering the friend from whom Hiro had always been inseparable. But that feeling of regret was returning, and Konrad knew what Hiro was going to say before he even spoke.
"My father..." Hiro ducked his head, "I am sorry to say he is dead. He was killed four years ago."
Four years ago. It seemed to be a recurring theme. Bishop and his daughter, Adam, Kaito... Clearly the Company and those connected to it had seen a great deal of upheaval four years ago. And though Konrad didn't have the details, he couldn't help but wonder if things might have been different if he had been there. It was in his head to ask how it had happened, but he didn't think he could stand to hear it, not from Hiro. There would be time for that later.
He hoped.
"When he was younger, Kaito always had this energy about him," Konrad surprised himself by saying. "A kind of...pure light. It dirtied a little during the years he was involved with the Company, and he lost what remained of it when your mother died. He never lost his sense of honor, but that light couldn't survive her."
Hiro stared back at him, seeming very surprised himself. Konrad nodded with a faint smile, remembering.
And Konrad was honest enough with himself to admit he had been a little bit in love with Hiro's father—he and Angela had both it bad. His smile turned a little crooked as he imagined Hiro's startled reaction, should he choose say so out loud. Truthfully, Konrad had never really stopped, but Ishi had made Kaito so happy. It had been impossible to resent her for that.
"I'd never seen a love like theirs before," Konrad added distantly. "The kind of love that comes only once in a lifetime—if at all—even in one as long as mine. The kind that you just know it when you've found it."
And Konrad had known his share of love and loss during his long life, but he knew that was something he had never had. Not yet, and a part of him lived in fear that he ever would. Losing such an important piece of yourself wasn't something you could ever recover from, not entirely. He remembered how devastated Kaito had been when he had lost his wife, how much smaller, how diminished because of it. Never weak, that just wasn't a word one could apply to Kaito, but absent the subtle strength—the faith and purpose—he had once had. And while Ishi's loss might not quite have broken him, afterward Kaito had seemed almost hollow. It had been hard watching his friend live with such a deep, bitter wound, but Konrad had to imagine that, however Kaito had met his end, he would have gone to meet it content with the knowledge that he would see his wife again.
It was a peace Konrad might never know.
(—
=)
"I might not have your extensive criminal record, Angela, but don't even pretend this is the first time I've called you from jail."
In spite of the circumstances, Angela couldn't help but smile.
"No, I suppose it's not," she admitted, amused. "Still, murder is a new one, Kunz, if I'm not mistaken."
"Well you've already got the market cornered on sock theft," Konrad said, returning an easy grin. "An amateur like me could never dream of competing with you there."
A buzzer sounded and the bars slid open, allowing Angela access to the cell. Looking him over, she thought Konrad appeared well—even weighted down by the shackles securing his wrists and ankles. Angela resolved to have a talk with Noah about that later. For now, as disturbing as it was to see the imagery of her dream realized so literally, it was enough that he was there, that he was safe.
The rest could always be arranged at another time.
"It's good to see you again, Angie," Konrad said fondly as she joined him on the bench where he sat.
"It is," she agreed, eyes searching his face carefully, "though a few elements of this reunion have been somewhat...unexpected."
Konrad's eyes widened slightly as he caught her meaning, and he lifted a hand to his cheek, a faint smile lifting at the corner of his mouth.
"I was a little surprised myself," he said quietly, clearly astonished at the thought. "I think I must have been suppressing my abilities unconsciously... I didn't even know that was possible. I've been trying to figure out how I did it. If I can do it again, I might finally be free of the Ghost's ability."
He seemed very excited about it. Angela couldn't blame him. If he could manage to find a way to neutralize the ability that made it so difficult for others to remember him, Konrad stood to regain so much of what he had lost.
"As for the aging thing..." Konrad said, voice a little soft as his smile widened, "I think I kind of like it."
"It suits you," Angela said to him, returning his smile warmly.
And it felt like a very long time had passed since she had smiled at anyone and truly meant it.
"So," Angela said, shifting the track of their conversation, "I'm assuming you're innocent of the crime you are being investigated for— Or should I assume?"
Konrad gave a faint snort.
"Well, I'm assuming I'm innocent," he answered, shaking his head, "but then I can't really know for sure, can I? Nine years... It doesn't seem like a lot until it's not there anymore."
He fell silent, and she could see him trying to make sense of everything that had been sprung on him so suddenly.
"The public knows that we exist. Noah's working for the government or something. Bishop and his daughter are dead. And Kaito. And Adam—" Konrad broke off, seeming almost overwhelmed. "What happened to the Company, Angela?"
And Angela felt his hurt deeply. Because for all his opinions of the organization had soured over the years, he had joined it to serve a good he had truly believed in. They had all believed in the Company, but watching the decline of its ideals had harmed Konrad more than most. After all, it hadn't been the first time he had allowed his principles to be lead astray.
"There is no Company anymore," Angela told him finally, "only its relics, like you and me."
"It was bad after you left, Konrad," she said. "Charles was already out by then, of course. With both of you, gone Kaito was all that was left of our conscience, and it wasn't long after that he too pulled out of the Company entirely. Daniel and Arthur stepped in to take the reins and began pursuing more...ambitious plans."
Her mind slid treacherously over what a powerful understatement that was.
"Arthur...tried to murder our son when Nathan threatened to interfere with those plans," she told him, voice turning sharp and chill at the memory. "He didn't succeed. After Arthur went to ground, and after Daniel's death, Bishop assumed control...and you know he never did have a head for what we were doing. He mishandled it, badly, and Adam and Maury took the opportunity to attack the Company while it was weakened.
"Charles and Daniel were already gone by then, Arthur still in hiding, but Adam managed to kill nearly all the rest of the original twelve who were still active. I only escaped by being held as a suspect in Kaito's murder.
"After Bishop's death, Arthur and Maury finished the job Adam had started. Though I've been informed both of them payed with their lives for the mistake of trusting my husband. And Arthur himself was finally killed by...a particularly vicious special. The same man who was responsible for the deaths of Bishop and his daughter, and who burned the facility in Odessa to the ground.
"The same monster who killed my poor Nathan," she concluded, painfully.
"Oh, Angie..." Konrad's voice, though soft, broke through her grief as he took her hand in his. "I wish I could have been there for you."
"It's a burden we share," Angela said after a slow breath, recovering herself sharply, "for the crime of outliving so many of those we cared about. But we share it, and the burden is lighter because of it."
Konrad nodded, offering her a sad smile.
"You always were the smart one," he said softly.
She returned his smile again, though it was thin, and for a few moments they sat together in silence.
"Charles," Konrad said after a while. "You said he'd passed before the others were killed. How did he die?"
"Kidney failure," Angela told him. "Four years ago, but before any of the ugliness had started."
"Was it..." Angela watched Konrad's forehead crease as he constructed his question carefully. "Was it easy? I mean—"
Konrad always had been difficult to talk to when it came to the subjects of disease, pain and death. As if he felt he had no right speaking about such conditions when was not subject to them. Angela squeezed his hand lightly.
"It's never easy," she said with an understanding smile, "but he was at peace. Peter was with him in his last months, as his nurse, and though I despaired of my son's choices at the time I can think of no one better suited for it. It was a mercy, I think, that Charles got to leave us before everything began to fall apart. "
And Konrad didn't speak at first, though he gave her a grateful nod, digesting it. When he spoke it was with a hesitant hint of a smile.
"That's good to know," he said, quietly, "Peter was always a great kid, and Charles... He was the best of us. A peaceful end...he deserved that more than any of us."
"He did," Angela acknowledged, carefully and sharply enough that it drew Konrad's eyes quickly back to her own, "but I know he's not really who you want to ask me about."
Konrad looked away suddenly, almost as if ashamed.
"It's not just because of what it might mean for me, Angie," he said quickly, anger rising in his voice, though she knew it was not toward her. "He was my friend, Angela. What he did—what Adam tried to do—was horrifying. But he still was my friend, once, and no matter how much I want to, I could never forget that. And I never expected—"
Konrad cut himself off, wetting his lips. After a pause, he let out a slow breath.
"Adam was the one person I thought I'd never have to lose," he said, voice gaining a brittle, sorrowful edge. "Even after he was imprisoned, he was still there."
"How did it happen?" Konrad asked finally.
"Arthur," Angela told him. "He was recovering from...the consequences of his attempt on Nathan's life."
Angela didn't think Konrad noticed her pause. She also didn't think that, at this moment, his knowing of her own attempt to murder her husband in retaliation would do either of them any good.
"Arthur used his own ability to steal Adam's in order to heal himself. From the way it was eventually told to me, without it time caught up with him very rapidly. It was almost instantaneous."
Konrad looked at her, plainly horrified. She regretted putting that image in his head, but he had wanted to know, and there was no more kind way of putting it. His gaze drifted as he sat in silence, and after a moment he shook his head.
"That doesn't make any sense," Konrad said, voice faint with disbelief. "I mean, all of my abilities were neutralized while I was—whatever you want to call it. But I only seem to have aged normally."
"Arthur's ability works by a very different mechanism than the one that you seem to have used on yourself," Angela said. "After all, like your memories, the abilities were still there, merely dormant."
Konrad thought about that, seeming to accept the idea hesitantly.
"Maybe," he said, nodding faintly.
"When this is all over, I'll have to introduce you to my granddaughter," Angela said, hoping to avoid another protracted, heavy silence. And it wasn't as if she were quite changing the subject. "I think it would be good for both of you to get to know each other. Claire would benefit from having a friend she might not lose one day."
Konrad looked at her in surprise, a faint but genuine smile on his lips.
"I'll look forward to it," he said, though his smile turned a little wry as his eyes dropped down to the chains on his wrists. "If I ever have the luxury of getting to meet her."
"Noah would arrange for your escape if I asked him to," Angela said quietly. "He's building a new agency to step into the role the Company left vacant, and he'll need you. I've dreamed it."
Konrad frowned, but she continued before he could level an argument.
"I know you've never trusted him," she said, keeping her eyes sharply focused on his, "He's not one of us. But, ironically, Noah Bennet is the only meaningful legacy the Company left behind. He is all that's left of everything we built, and right now he's the only one guiding our future. He needs your experience and support, Konrad. If you promise to aid him, I'm sure he can find a way to get you out of here."
Konrad stared back at her mutely for a very long while before his eyes slid away into a more contemplative silence. He seemed...oddly conflicted. Whether it was simply reluctance to return to the game he had already once left, or something else entirely she couldn't quite tell. After a moment, he shook his head.
"That's kind of you to offer, Angie," Konrad said, offering her a sure smile, "but, no offense, I'd rather take my chances with Beckett than Bennet."
"The case connecting me to Zimmerman is pretty tough," he admitted, "but I really don't think I killed him. Once they realize that, well... We'll see where it goes from there."
"As for the rest," Konrad allowed, ruefully, "If you've dreamed it, it's not like I can really dodge it, anyway."
Angela sighed, favoring him with an indulgent smile.
"You never could resist a gamble," she said.
"Qui ne risque rien n'arien," Konrad said blithely, offering her a grin.
"Very well," she said, rising to her feet.
Konrad stood with her, taking her hands in his once more in farewell, and she leaned in to kiss his cheek. He noticed, of course, when the small object slipped from her hands into his own. Turning over his hand he looked down at the key resting in his palm. The numbers "806" were stamped into the back of it. She smiled when she saw the recognition in his eyes.
"In case you change your mind," she said very quietly.
It was difficult for her to leave him like this, but at the moment she had little other choice. Still, she reassured herself once more as she exited the holding area, the rest could always be arranged later. It was bitter reassurance, though, for even with Konrad there was no real guarantee that later would come.
But her troubled thoughts were quickly interrupted.
Distracted by the thought of seeing Konrad once again, Angela had managed to overlook him on her way in. Now, as she passed through the outer doors, the sight of him stopped Angela cold. Sitting at the desk beside the door which gave access to the cells was the dark-skinned man that had been haunting her recent dreams. He looked up at her as she entered, and his expression was every bit as troubled, guarded and unhappy as she remembered it—in fact, the look he leveled at her was almost a glare.
Angela recovered quickly from her surprise, taking a moment to assess him with a civil smile. The attention only seemed to discomfit him further. She would speak with Noah about it later, she decided, dipping the man a brief nod as she continued past. Knowing now the circumstances of Konrad's imprisonment—the one from which he had already been freed—Angela thought she understood who this man was.
What he was, though, and what it would mean for their futures still remained to be seen.
PREV: Chapter Fourteen // MAIN // NEXT: Interlude 14
Author's Note: I haven't had the Japanese in this chapter checked since first finding the notes. They might not be entirely accurate. The French, on the other hand, is courtesy of adja999, and I thank you for it. :)
A bit of trivia: In the original draft of this chapter, Konrad did choose to say those things about Kaito out loud. But that would have been seriously uncool, because nobody wants that kind of TMI when their parents are involved. Poor Hiro.
Oh, and in case anyone is interested, I did a creepy little photomanipulation of Konrad circa 1950s that can be seen here.
Translations:
"Watashi no koto o oboete imasu ka?" - "Do you remember me?"
"Qui ne risque rien n'arien." - "Who risks nothing has nothing."
Series: Zeitgeist
Follows: One Giant Leap
Wordcount: 3,958
Summary: Two weeks after Claire Bennet's televised leap from the Ferris wheel, the 12th handles it's first case delving into the strange world of specials. Evidence points the investigation toward a former Company Agent, a man Noah Bennet would swear up and down doesn't exist.
Details: Minimal details due to inflation. Full warnings and details in main post.
PREV: Chapter Fourteen // MAIN // NEXT: Interlude 14
Chapter Fifteen: Reliquary
"History does not belong to us, we belong to it."
—Hans-Georg Gadamer
Konrad smiled as he hung up the phone, feeling a great deal more relaxed than he would have anticipated when this strange experience first began. He had been joking when he made the demand, of course, but it seemed as if due process was going to be Detective Beckett's approach in trying to gain his trust. Or perhaps it was simply her way of retaining a sense of control over an alarming and bizarre situation. Either way, her fair-dealing was a welcome surprise, and Konrad was more than happy to accept it graciously.
Having one less concern made it so much easier to try and wrap his head around everything else.
Konrad had always tried to avoid letting longevity distort his perception of time, but nine years really wasn't all that long, if he thought about it. Long enough that cultural changes were bound to be noticeable, if he looked, but probably not long enough for them to be jarring. Still, trying to maneuver around that blank spot in his memory was distressing. For all he knew, anything could have happened.
After all, it was clear that at least one potentially earth-shattering change had taken place...
It was strange to imagine a world where people knew about the existence of specials. Which was obviously the case, from the picture that was slowly taking shape. It couldn't have been for very long though, he thought, because it was clear from the way Konrad was being handled that the police station was nowhere near being properly equipped or prepared. Konrad supposed it was possible that was where Noah entered the picture—the way he had partnered with Detective Beckett clearly indicated he had some form of official authority. Though it was difficult for Konrad to picture a man like Bennet working for the government in any legal capacity. For all his humble beginnings, the man had taken to the shadows as if he had been born to them—
Though if anyone had the talent to keep his skeletons buried deep enough to pass muster, it would be Noah.
Stepping away from the phone, Konrad held out his shackled wrists for inspection. Apparently, Ms. Strauss had been given instructions to do so any time they were out of her direct line of sight—and every two minutes, even if they weren't. Once they returned him to his cell, that would relax, but as long as Konrad had access to the hallways, Bennet wasn't taking any chances. The tight security was more than a little flattering, but then Ivan had always loved to brag about his favorite student's knack for contingencies. Once satisfied, Tracy nodded to the uniformed officers that were serving as his escort.
None of them relaxed.
Throughout the brief excursion, the four men had all eyed him like a bomb that was about to go off. Konrad wasn't sure if Noah was responsible for that or not. He wasn't sure what they had been told—or if they had been told anything at all—though he had the distinct impression they at least knew what he was. Of course, there was also the question of whether they knew who he was...
Whether any of them had been acquainted with Kevin Ryan.
Konrad could imagine how strange that might be for them—after all, it was certainly strange enough for him. Looking over their faces, Konrad didn't feel any sense of recognition, not the way he had with Noah; or Tracy, who so closely resembled the girl he had watched grow up around the facility in Odessa—or even Detective Beckett for that matter. But Konrad had no way of knowing if that was significant or not. He didn't know these men, but one of them might have been his best friend for all he knew the difference.
His. Ryan's. He wasn't quite sure how to define the relationship there. It was all very confusing.
It was a different precinct than the one he last remembered working at, Konrad noted as he passed through the hallway. Though it seemed familiar enough that he might have been there at least once before. He couldn't be certain. Suddenly, it crossed his mind to wonder what had become of his partner, Susanne Maxwell. He also wondered how Detective Beckett might react if he asked. And Konrad was weighing the potential benefits of asking versus the potential fallout when he saw something that drove the question from his mind entirely.
Another familiar face, though one he had almost failed to recognize.
Konrad might not have noticed if not for the way the young Asian man was watching him so intently. If the others around him hadn't all been police officers, the man certainly wouldn't have stood out from the crowd. But it was his curious, bespectacled gaze and shy demeanor that immediately sparked a stunned recognition, and brought Konrad's steps to a halt.
Which probably wasn't the best thing to do when surrounded by four very armed, very jumpy policemen, but for the moment Konrad had all but forgotten them.
"Hiro-kun?"
The young man's eyes widened, and Konrad knew he wasn't wrong. A few of the officers had drawn their guns. Konrad felt a flash of cold from his left as Tracy tensed briefly as well, but her eyes followed his and after a moment she relaxed.
"It's alright," she said, reassuring the officers before turning to look at Konrad. "I can't let you stand around out here, but he can walk with us if you like?"
Konrad nodded faintly, grateful, though he was still taking in the sight of the boy—the man—in front of him.
While Konrad's curse and Angela's intervention had meant that most of the Company had forgotten him, the Company's founders most definitely hadn't. Yet while Bishop and Linderman might have been content to ignore him—out of sight, out of mind—the same could not have been said of Arthur Petrelli. Arthur had no love at all for anything he couldn't control, and having a deserter running around would have been a challenge to his authority. And the fact that Konrad had been a close friend to Arthur's wife would have only made it that much greater an affront to his power.
Hiro had still been a teenager during Konrad's last visit, before he defected. Konrad had considered the risks several times, but as much as he would have liked to see Kaito or Angela again, it would have been far too dangerous for him to make contact. Only now, seeing Hiro stirred up a sharp pang of regret, and Konrad found himself wishing he had taken that chance.
Tracy crooked her finger at Hiro. He gave a rapid blink of abashed surprise, approaching with an excited grin that seemed a bit dazed. He came to a halt just in front of Konrad, dipping a short bow.
"Konrad-ojisan."
Konrad was taken slightly aback, momentarily hopeful.
"Watashi no koto o oboete imasu ka?"
But Konrad saw Hiro's face begin to fall before the question had even finished. He managed to catch his sigh of disappointment before it could escape. While Hiro clearly knew who Konrad was, the young man did not remember him. It had been foolish for Konrad to let himself think otherwise.
"Gomennasai."
Konrad shook his head in response to Hiro's regretful apology, not yet trusting himself verbally.
"I'd appreciate it if you would stick to English," Tracy interrupted gently. "If I don't keep track of your conversation, Bennet's not likely to be happy about it."
The pleading lilt of humor in her tone let him know that was not something she wanted to deal with. Konrad nodded with a sigh.
"I am sorry that I do not remember you," Hiro apologized again as they resumed their walk, "but my father would speak of you often."
"How is your father? And Kimiko?" Konrad asked, eager for the information, though he knew the intervening years were too much to hope to catch up on during their short walk.
A look of sadness crossed Hiro's face that made Konrad's chest tighten.
"Kimiko...is good," Hiro answered carefully of his sister. "She and Ando are very happy together. He propose to her months ago."
Though Konrad felt Hiro trying to dance around his question he couldn't help but smile, remembering the friend from whom Hiro had always been inseparable. But that feeling of regret was returning, and Konrad knew what Hiro was going to say before he even spoke.
"My father..." Hiro ducked his head, "I am sorry to say he is dead. He was killed four years ago."
Four years ago. It seemed to be a recurring theme. Bishop and his daughter, Adam, Kaito... Clearly the Company and those connected to it had seen a great deal of upheaval four years ago. And though Konrad didn't have the details, he couldn't help but wonder if things might have been different if he had been there. It was in his head to ask how it had happened, but he didn't think he could stand to hear it, not from Hiro. There would be time for that later.
He hoped.
"When he was younger, Kaito always had this energy about him," Konrad surprised himself by saying. "A kind of...pure light. It dirtied a little during the years he was involved with the Company, and he lost what remained of it when your mother died. He never lost his sense of honor, but that light couldn't survive her."
Hiro stared back at him, seeming very surprised himself. Konrad nodded with a faint smile, remembering.
And Konrad was honest enough with himself to admit he had been a little bit in love with Hiro's father—he and Angela had both it bad. His smile turned a little crooked as he imagined Hiro's startled reaction, should he choose say so out loud. Truthfully, Konrad had never really stopped, but Ishi had made Kaito so happy. It had been impossible to resent her for that.
"I'd never seen a love like theirs before," Konrad added distantly. "The kind of love that comes only once in a lifetime—if at all—even in one as long as mine. The kind that you just know it when you've found it."
And Konrad had known his share of love and loss during his long life, but he knew that was something he had never had. Not yet, and a part of him lived in fear that he ever would. Losing such an important piece of yourself wasn't something you could ever recover from, not entirely. He remembered how devastated Kaito had been when he had lost his wife, how much smaller, how diminished because of it. Never weak, that just wasn't a word one could apply to Kaito, but absent the subtle strength—the faith and purpose—he had once had. And while Ishi's loss might not quite have broken him, afterward Kaito had seemed almost hollow. It had been hard watching his friend live with such a deep, bitter wound, but Konrad had to imagine that, however Kaito had met his end, he would have gone to meet it content with the knowledge that he would see his wife again.
It was a peace Konrad might never know.
(—
=)
"I might not have your extensive criminal record, Angela, but don't even pretend this is the first time I've called you from jail."
In spite of the circumstances, Angela couldn't help but smile.
"No, I suppose it's not," she admitted, amused. "Still, murder is a new one, Kunz, if I'm not mistaken."
"Well you've already got the market cornered on sock theft," Konrad said, returning an easy grin. "An amateur like me could never dream of competing with you there."
A buzzer sounded and the bars slid open, allowing Angela access to the cell. Looking him over, she thought Konrad appeared well—even weighted down by the shackles securing his wrists and ankles. Angela resolved to have a talk with Noah about that later. For now, as disturbing as it was to see the imagery of her dream realized so literally, it was enough that he was there, that he was safe.
The rest could always be arranged at another time.
"It's good to see you again, Angie," Konrad said fondly as she joined him on the bench where he sat.
"It is," she agreed, eyes searching his face carefully, "though a few elements of this reunion have been somewhat...unexpected."
Konrad's eyes widened slightly as he caught her meaning, and he lifted a hand to his cheek, a faint smile lifting at the corner of his mouth.
"I was a little surprised myself," he said quietly, clearly astonished at the thought. "I think I must have been suppressing my abilities unconsciously... I didn't even know that was possible. I've been trying to figure out how I did it. If I can do it again, I might finally be free of the Ghost's ability."
He seemed very excited about it. Angela couldn't blame him. If he could manage to find a way to neutralize the ability that made it so difficult for others to remember him, Konrad stood to regain so much of what he had lost.
"As for the aging thing..." Konrad said, voice a little soft as his smile widened, "I think I kind of like it."
"It suits you," Angela said to him, returning his smile warmly.
And it felt like a very long time had passed since she had smiled at anyone and truly meant it.
"So," Angela said, shifting the track of their conversation, "I'm assuming you're innocent of the crime you are being investigated for— Or should I assume?"
Konrad gave a faint snort.
"Well, I'm assuming I'm innocent," he answered, shaking his head, "but then I can't really know for sure, can I? Nine years... It doesn't seem like a lot until it's not there anymore."
He fell silent, and she could see him trying to make sense of everything that had been sprung on him so suddenly.
"The public knows that we exist. Noah's working for the government or something. Bishop and his daughter are dead. And Kaito. And Adam—" Konrad broke off, seeming almost overwhelmed. "What happened to the Company, Angela?"
And Angela felt his hurt deeply. Because for all his opinions of the organization had soured over the years, he had joined it to serve a good he had truly believed in. They had all believed in the Company, but watching the decline of its ideals had harmed Konrad more than most. After all, it hadn't been the first time he had allowed his principles to be lead astray.
"There is no Company anymore," Angela told him finally, "only its relics, like you and me."
"It was bad after you left, Konrad," she said. "Charles was already out by then, of course. With both of you, gone Kaito was all that was left of our conscience, and it wasn't long after that he too pulled out of the Company entirely. Daniel and Arthur stepped in to take the reins and began pursuing more...ambitious plans."
Her mind slid treacherously over what a powerful understatement that was.
"Arthur...tried to murder our son when Nathan threatened to interfere with those plans," she told him, voice turning sharp and chill at the memory. "He didn't succeed. After Arthur went to ground, and after Daniel's death, Bishop assumed control...and you know he never did have a head for what we were doing. He mishandled it, badly, and Adam and Maury took the opportunity to attack the Company while it was weakened.
"Charles and Daniel were already gone by then, Arthur still in hiding, but Adam managed to kill nearly all the rest of the original twelve who were still active. I only escaped by being held as a suspect in Kaito's murder.
"After Bishop's death, Arthur and Maury finished the job Adam had started. Though I've been informed both of them payed with their lives for the mistake of trusting my husband. And Arthur himself was finally killed by...a particularly vicious special. The same man who was responsible for the deaths of Bishop and his daughter, and who burned the facility in Odessa to the ground.
"The same monster who killed my poor Nathan," she concluded, painfully.
"Oh, Angie..." Konrad's voice, though soft, broke through her grief as he took her hand in his. "I wish I could have been there for you."
"It's a burden we share," Angela said after a slow breath, recovering herself sharply, "for the crime of outliving so many of those we cared about. But we share it, and the burden is lighter because of it."
Konrad nodded, offering her a sad smile.
"You always were the smart one," he said softly.
She returned his smile again, though it was thin, and for a few moments they sat together in silence.
"Charles," Konrad said after a while. "You said he'd passed before the others were killed. How did he die?"
"Kidney failure," Angela told him. "Four years ago, but before any of the ugliness had started."
"Was it..." Angela watched Konrad's forehead crease as he constructed his question carefully. "Was it easy? I mean—"
Konrad always had been difficult to talk to when it came to the subjects of disease, pain and death. As if he felt he had no right speaking about such conditions when was not subject to them. Angela squeezed his hand lightly.
"It's never easy," she said with an understanding smile, "but he was at peace. Peter was with him in his last months, as his nurse, and though I despaired of my son's choices at the time I can think of no one better suited for it. It was a mercy, I think, that Charles got to leave us before everything began to fall apart. "
And Konrad didn't speak at first, though he gave her a grateful nod, digesting it. When he spoke it was with a hesitant hint of a smile.
"That's good to know," he said, quietly, "Peter was always a great kid, and Charles... He was the best of us. A peaceful end...he deserved that more than any of us."
"He did," Angela acknowledged, carefully and sharply enough that it drew Konrad's eyes quickly back to her own, "but I know he's not really who you want to ask me about."
Konrad looked away suddenly, almost as if ashamed.
"It's not just because of what it might mean for me, Angie," he said quickly, anger rising in his voice, though she knew it was not toward her. "He was my friend, Angela. What he did—what Adam tried to do—was horrifying. But he still was my friend, once, and no matter how much I want to, I could never forget that. And I never expected—"
Konrad cut himself off, wetting his lips. After a pause, he let out a slow breath.
"Adam was the one person I thought I'd never have to lose," he said, voice gaining a brittle, sorrowful edge. "Even after he was imprisoned, he was still there."
"How did it happen?" Konrad asked finally.
"Arthur," Angela told him. "He was recovering from...the consequences of his attempt on Nathan's life."
Angela didn't think Konrad noticed her pause. She also didn't think that, at this moment, his knowing of her own attempt to murder her husband in retaliation would do either of them any good.
"Arthur used his own ability to steal Adam's in order to heal himself. From the way it was eventually told to me, without it time caught up with him very rapidly. It was almost instantaneous."
Konrad looked at her, plainly horrified. She regretted putting that image in his head, but he had wanted to know, and there was no more kind way of putting it. His gaze drifted as he sat in silence, and after a moment he shook his head.
"That doesn't make any sense," Konrad said, voice faint with disbelief. "I mean, all of my abilities were neutralized while I was—whatever you want to call it. But I only seem to have aged normally."
"Arthur's ability works by a very different mechanism than the one that you seem to have used on yourself," Angela said. "After all, like your memories, the abilities were still there, merely dormant."
Konrad thought about that, seeming to accept the idea hesitantly.
"Maybe," he said, nodding faintly.
"When this is all over, I'll have to introduce you to my granddaughter," Angela said, hoping to avoid another protracted, heavy silence. And it wasn't as if she were quite changing the subject. "I think it would be good for both of you to get to know each other. Claire would benefit from having a friend she might not lose one day."
Konrad looked at her in surprise, a faint but genuine smile on his lips.
"I'll look forward to it," he said, though his smile turned a little wry as his eyes dropped down to the chains on his wrists. "If I ever have the luxury of getting to meet her."
"Noah would arrange for your escape if I asked him to," Angela said quietly. "He's building a new agency to step into the role the Company left vacant, and he'll need you. I've dreamed it."
Konrad frowned, but she continued before he could level an argument.
"I know you've never trusted him," she said, keeping her eyes sharply focused on his, "He's not one of us. But, ironically, Noah Bennet is the only meaningful legacy the Company left behind. He is all that's left of everything we built, and right now he's the only one guiding our future. He needs your experience and support, Konrad. If you promise to aid him, I'm sure he can find a way to get you out of here."
Konrad stared back at her mutely for a very long while before his eyes slid away into a more contemplative silence. He seemed...oddly conflicted. Whether it was simply reluctance to return to the game he had already once left, or something else entirely she couldn't quite tell. After a moment, he shook his head.
"That's kind of you to offer, Angie," Konrad said, offering her a sure smile, "but, no offense, I'd rather take my chances with Beckett than Bennet."
"The case connecting me to Zimmerman is pretty tough," he admitted, "but I really don't think I killed him. Once they realize that, well... We'll see where it goes from there."
"As for the rest," Konrad allowed, ruefully, "If you've dreamed it, it's not like I can really dodge it, anyway."
Angela sighed, favoring him with an indulgent smile.
"You never could resist a gamble," she said.
"Qui ne risque rien n'arien," Konrad said blithely, offering her a grin.
"Very well," she said, rising to her feet.
Konrad stood with her, taking her hands in his once more in farewell, and she leaned in to kiss his cheek. He noticed, of course, when the small object slipped from her hands into his own. Turning over his hand he looked down at the key resting in his palm. The numbers "806" were stamped into the back of it. She smiled when she saw the recognition in his eyes.
"In case you change your mind," she said very quietly.
It was difficult for her to leave him like this, but at the moment she had little other choice. Still, she reassured herself once more as she exited the holding area, the rest could always be arranged later. It was bitter reassurance, though, for even with Konrad there was no real guarantee that later would come.
But her troubled thoughts were quickly interrupted.
Distracted by the thought of seeing Konrad once again, Angela had managed to overlook him on her way in. Now, as she passed through the outer doors, the sight of him stopped Angela cold. Sitting at the desk beside the door which gave access to the cells was the dark-skinned man that had been haunting her recent dreams. He looked up at her as she entered, and his expression was every bit as troubled, guarded and unhappy as she remembered it—in fact, the look he leveled at her was almost a glare.
Angela recovered quickly from her surprise, taking a moment to assess him with a civil smile. The attention only seemed to discomfit him further. She would speak with Noah about it later, she decided, dipping the man a brief nod as she continued past. Knowing now the circumstances of Konrad's imprisonment—the one from which he had already been freed—Angela thought she understood who this man was.
What he was, though, and what it would mean for their futures still remained to be seen.
PREV: Chapter Fourteen // MAIN // NEXT: Interlude 14
Author's Note: I haven't had the Japanese in this chapter checked since first finding the notes. They might not be entirely accurate. The French, on the other hand, is courtesy of adja999, and I thank you for it. :)
A bit of trivia: In the original draft of this chapter, Konrad did choose to say those things about Kaito out loud. But that would have been seriously uncool, because nobody wants that kind of TMI when their parents are involved. Poor Hiro.
Oh, and in case anyone is interested, I did a creepy little photomanipulation of Konrad circa 1950s that can be seen here.
Translations:
"Watashi no koto o oboete imasu ka?" - "Do you remember me?"
"Qui ne risque rien n'arien." - "Who risks nothing has nothing."
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Date: Sunday, 29 July 2012 12:51 am (UTC)From:Yes, the case will definitely be coming to a head in the next couple chapters. I don't think you'll be disappointed. :)
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Date: Monday, 30 July 2012 02:11 am (UTC)From: