ataraxion | 001. video; Public Service Announcement

001. video; Public Service Announcement

Guessing everyone's feeling a little closer to compos mentis now. Great, that's gonna make this a whole lot easier.

My name is Nathan Petrelli. I'm Senator for New York, elected representative of the people, and recently made Head of Homeland Security by the President himself. It's my job to do what's in the best interests of the people, and in this case I figure that's gonna be easier said than done.

I don't want any of you to worry. Once I get up to speed on the details of what's going on here, I intend to get to the bottom of how we got here, why we were brought here, and how to go about getting back. And I mean how and why, not the bullshit they've been feeding you about jumping and wormholes and the ship needing a crew. There's a malicious intent here I'm gonna address, and then I'm getting everyone back where we belong.

I realise we're not all Americans here, and maybe you think I have no jurisdiction, but I earned the right to intervene the moment I woke up with a tube shoved down my throat, just like everyone else. I want to speak to people who know the most about this place, or be directed toward them. Captain Kirk: you're on my list for starters, but I'd rather speak to the real Captain, rather than some washed up wannabe.

Oh, and before I wrap this up, there's one other thing. A few of you will have spoken to my brother, Peter; he got here during the 'jump' previous to this one, and as I understand it he's been pretty liberal with his imagination ever since. Some time ago my brother convinced himself that he could fly. He stood on top of a twelve story building one day, called me up and told me he was going to show me he could do it. He jumped, and he fell - fortunately only as far as the fire escape - and a couple days later woke up in the hospital with minor injuries. It wasn't long after my father's death, right in the middle of my run for Congress, and I guess he was desperate for attention.

What I'm trying to say is that he's had brushes with depression before - it runs in the family - and he's not exactly stable right now. All of this doesn't make it any easier. If everyone could please be delicate with him, take what he says with a grain of salt, and inform me if it sounds like he's planning to do something that might hurt himself or others. I appreciate it.

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He gives people that impression. Damn good at it, actually. And then one day he'll turn around and tell you he met a Japanese ninja from the future who wants him to 'Save the cheerleader'. You gonna tell me that's sane?

Given how much he's told me, I wouldn't be surprised.

[ Part of Erik considers outing himself to Nathan, having already done so, but it's the mention of homeland security that has him hesitant; if anything it speaks already to his own paranoia and not necessarily Peter's. ]

You on the other hand, like every other politician out there, are less trustworthy.

Given how much he's told you, or given how easily you believed it? [ Pause. ] As for that, it's a hazard of the profession.

I'm not that gullible, Senator, nor am I inclined to tuck away secrets out of paranoia. [ Erik pauses, and while he's still calm in responding back his words are anything but passive at the moment. ]

You might want to watch your words, Senator. A man of your power shouldn't be making assumptions here.

[ Erik you fucking hypocrite. 'Not inclined to tuck away secrets out of paranoia' is exactly what you're doing. ]

That right? Then how about a smile for the camera.

[ Nathan switches over to video to make his point. ]

What am I assuming?

[ Bite him >:( ]

That you're naive enough to believe your brother is imagining things. This isn't the America you're familiar with, and Peter is not alone in what he can do.

[ You want him to smile for the camera? NOPE. All you get is another round of irritation in the meantime as he draws this out as long as necessary. ]

[ So stubborn. Nathan is too, watch him keep to the video feed anyway. ]

Yeah, I get it. This place is like some drug induced comic book nightmare gone nuts, right?

Doesn't change the fact that Peter jumped off a damn building. Doesn't change anything. [ Not confirming or disproving your suspicions, though, either. He's never explicitly said 'Peter doesn't have any powers', and that's the difference between political honesty and outright lying. ] Don't see how that means I'm making assumptions. If anyone is, it'd be you, assuming I can't be trusted just because I'm a politician.

[ Give him a few more rounds anyway, he'll flip his shit eventually. ]

Less nightmare, more reality. Unlike what he's told me, rounding up people because of what they can do? Right. [ Erik scoffs. ] Are you going to justify that or do I have to keep 'assuming'?

[ Thanks, Peter. Thanks a lot. Now he's at the crunch point. If he blatantly lies about this, then it is a lie. But if he admits it then how much else is true? All of it. Bringing the whole thing crumbling down.

He'll dance around it a little longer. ]

I'm confused. Does that sound more like a nightmare or a reality to you?

[ Congratulations Nathan, you got Erik to show up on video, unafraid. In the space of a simple conversation you've managed to not only piss him off but also earn an enemy in Erik. A press of the button, and Erik's face comes on directly, a mere foot away from his face. It's not clear if he's sitting or standing, but that shouldn't matter, given that Erik is letting the device hover. ]

You know what sounds like a nightmare to me?

Men like you in a position of power.

[ There's a hint of a threat, as Erik lifts up the gun with his hand, hovering inches over his palm. He's well aware others have considered it a magic trick, but the attempt is serious enough as Erik dismantles the gun, the weapon levitating easily as the components fall apart, from the barrel, to the ammunition, all of them easily taken apart before he puts it together seamlessly. Letting it turn to aim directly at the screen, Erik's voice is barely audible behind it. ]

So the next time you tell me my kind are delusional, I suggest you take a step back and learn where your authority ends.

[ He's seen power like that before. Peter had it. At least something that appears so similar that he literally can't tell the difference. He bristles visibly. ]

You think that just because you're a telekinetic means I'm afraid of you?

[ He's in a rather heated argument with Peter and his control is slipping. ]

I don't react well to threats.

I think you should be, Mr. Petrelli.

[ Whether or not Peter had it is irrelevant to him, but as long as it gets his attention in a way that's meant to instill fear, Erik doesn't care. And that is exactly what matters. ]

Because if there's one threat you need to pay attention to, is that your kind, [ Humans, he means, and it's quite apparent in the first place. ] are far outnumbered here.

[ Anger, actually. He knows Sylar has it too, and he's their number one threat. It just puts Erik much higher on the list of dangerous specials. Which is great, because he's pissed him off too.

He does, however, get caught out by that 'your kind', because shouldn't it be 'our kind'? And what kind of threat is that?

Unless Erik doesn't know. ]

The government were doing a damn good job of rounding specials up without powers of their own. As if it even matters up here. You gonna march to war? Don't you think there's more important stuff to be doing around here?

[ 'Rounding up specials'. Nevermind that Nathan may be one of them, at this point it's irrelevant, because Erik's single track mind horns in on the one phrase that has been a part of his life since he was twelve and interned at Auschwitz; the one phrase he has warned Charles again, had seen it was happening, only to see it occur. Not just in his own world, but Peter's own; Peter whom Erik had only just met and spoken to, and he really doesn't need to hear it again. ]

Mankind has rounded up others once before. [ Erik says flatly; he shouldn't be surprised in the slightest, and he isn't. ] Don't you pathetic humans ever learn anything?

Don't say anything you'll regret, Magneto.

Edited 2012-05-10 02:55 (UTC)

[ Oh no you don't, Remus. He does not need a voice of reason right now. ]

What's there to regret, Lupin? He's made his views quite apparent.

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video; oh my god i am so sorry for erik right now

video; private; threadjacking the hell out of this

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video; yeah as I wrote it I was like jesus nathan no don't do it

video; lajksdl i love your nathan though this is perfect

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[ not here, but she's sure as hell watching all of this, horrified ]

[ he is too, bb, he is too ]

[ you guys aren't the only ones ]

[cuppa.gif, someone go plug in the popcorn maker]