Heroes Contest Entry!
Title: Sins of the Father
Author: silver_x_cross
Rating: PG13 ish.
Word count: 1283
Summary: Maury Parkman was never cut out for parenthood- for the heroes_contest One Shot challenge No. 5: ‘Parents’.
Maury Parkman could still remember the day he became a father. The absolute panic he felt as he held baby Matt for the first time. He'd cried. Matt that was, not Maury. Maury had simply stood there, his arms rigid with fear before his wife had glowered reproachfully and taken the infant from him. As soon as he was back with his mother Matt had stopped crying.
Looking back Maury felt he should have taken the hint then and there that he just wasn't cut out for parenthood.
Instead it took him years, too much drink and too many cheap affairs with cheaper women and his wife looking more and more tired and worn, before he finally just didn't bother coming home again. Part of him expected to feel guilty, but instead he just felt relief. Relief that he'd never have to see the anger and disappointment in the eyes of his son again.
He wasn't sure when he'd first realized he could read minds. The amount of alcohol he consumed on a daily basis numbed the senses quite beautifully. But eventually he realized that for the last few games of poker he hadn't just guessed when the players had been bluffing. He'd known it.
He wasted no time using his power to his advantage, cheating at cards and relishing in pushing the mind reading to the limits, sensing people from miles away. The joy he felt when he realized he could plant suggestions in people's heads was incredible.
Briefly he considered using his powers to check in on his son. Maybe later, there was a game to get to, money to win and drinks to enjoy.
Eventually his powers drew him to the attention of mild mannered Daniel Linderman, the powerful Petrelli's, the genial Bob Bishop and others besides. His telepathy allowed Maury to discover just how manipulative Linderman really was, uncovered the secret insecurities of the Petrellis and the coldness of Bishop chilled him to the bone.
When the Petrellis talked of their hopes and pride for Nathan and Peter he considered contacting Matt, trying to repair their relationship. Maybe even seeing if he'd inherited his father's genes and could be useful in increasing his influence within the Company. When he saw the ruthlessness Bob displayed in experimenting on and torturing his own daughter, pushing her powers to the limits to see how much she could take, he was actually glad he didn't.
Maybe he wasn't such a bad parent after all.
Still, when Adam Monroe talked of the superior race and the plans for the future, Matt didn't even cross his mind as he lapped up Adam's words. Superior. He was superior. He spent many evenings with Adam, talking with him and drinking with the other man, agreeing with all his promises for a better world.
Then when Kaito and Victoria persuaded the others that Adam was dangerous he agreed without hesitation, voting with the others to lock the immortal away. As the blonde was dragged away, kicking and cursing, Maury stayed back, out of sight, not wanting to be associated with Adam's betrayers. Just in case he ever got out again.
Years turned into decades. He saw the Petrelli's each choose their favourite son, grooming them for the roles they would play in their grand plans. He watched Bob determinedly turn his daughter into an insane little assassin. He barely noticed as Charles Deveaux and Kaito Nakamura began to subtly draw away, shielding their children from the sins of their parents. Occasionally he wondered why the others refused to have children at all.
Loyalties began to divide and soon the others were talking about concepts Maury didn't understand. He would sit in meetings, watching Bob twirl his pewter letter opener in his hand, changing it to gold and back again, almost absent mindedly as he talked of numbers and plots that left Maury feeling worse than stupid. His power was in the mind, not some little party trick, shouldn't he be the one leading their futures? Soon decisions were made without him even being told and he was gradually shunted aside in favour of other men. When he finally sneaked off and left he wasn't sure if any of them really noticed.
He went back to his life of drinking and gambling, using his abilities to hide himself from anyone who might come and judge him. On a whim he looked in on his son's mind. He was a cop now. Maury wondered if this was what pride felt like. Didn't feel like all that much.
One night, as he slept, he dreamed he was on the roof of the Deveaux building. He turned to see the older man sitting in a wheelchair, looking at him with that same slightly bemused, enigmatic expression he'd always worn.
"Hey Charles," He laughed nervously. "How you been?"
The first reply was a low rumbling chuckle as Charles Deveaux continued to give him that look. "Dying. You?"
"This isn't real," Maury muttered. "This is impossible."
"Are you really one to say what is or is not impossible when it comes to the mind?"
Maury merely looked away, fidgeting uncomfortably. Charles sighed before wheeling himself over to be next to Maury. He looked in the direction of two young adults in the greenhouse on the roof. With a start Maury realized the beautiful young woman was Charles's daughter, Simone, and the young man with her with paint splattered over his shirt reminded him a lot of another in the Company, Carlos Mendez. Something about the eyes. Through the window he could see an even younger man, clearly eager if a little nervous, with dark hair flopping into his eyes as he almost bounded over. That crooked little smile on his face so clearly marked him as Arthur Petrelli's son. His gaze was only for Simone as the other man left with a shrug.
"Do you ever question the legacy we leave for our children Maury?" Charles spoke again.
“Questions are for dying men,” Maury retorted. “I don’t plan on doing that yet.”
“Sometimes we have no choice.” There was a pause as Charles seemed to be weighing up in his mind what to say next. “I have many regrets in my life Maury, but the one thing I am truly proud of is my daughter. The one thing I did right was loving her.”
He gave Maury a calculating stare as Maury tried to bluster his way out of his embarrassment. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Charles shook his head and turned away. Seconds later Maury woke up.
He dismissed the dream as nothing. When he read of Charles’s death a few weeks later he dismissed it as coincidence. He considered briefly looking in on Matt again. He’d do it tomorrow, there was a game on tonight.
When he finally met his son, and he saw the anger and disappointment in his eyes, he knew he was never cut out be a parent. Adam was loose and Maury was doing what he did best; hiding in the shadows of people’s minds and doing everything he could to avoid detection from either the Company or Adam, sending the police red herrings to chase and putting that little girl that could see him into a coma so she could never talk. But still Matt found him. A good cop that boy. Maury should have felt pride but instead he was just afraid. Kaito had ultimately sacrificed himself to save his son. When Maury looked at Matt he felt no such loyalty. Without hesitation he stretched out with his mind, locking his son in his worst nightmares.
He’d never asked to be a parent anyway.
Author: silver_x_cross
Rating: PG13 ish.
Word count: 1283
Summary: Maury Parkman was never cut out for parenthood- for the heroes_contest One Shot challenge No. 5: ‘Parents’.
Maury Parkman could still remember the day he became a father. The absolute panic he felt as he held baby Matt for the first time. He'd cried. Matt that was, not Maury. Maury had simply stood there, his arms rigid with fear before his wife had glowered reproachfully and taken the infant from him. As soon as he was back with his mother Matt had stopped crying.
Looking back Maury felt he should have taken the hint then and there that he just wasn't cut out for parenthood.
Instead it took him years, too much drink and too many cheap affairs with cheaper women and his wife looking more and more tired and worn, before he finally just didn't bother coming home again. Part of him expected to feel guilty, but instead he just felt relief. Relief that he'd never have to see the anger and disappointment in the eyes of his son again.
He wasn't sure when he'd first realized he could read minds. The amount of alcohol he consumed on a daily basis numbed the senses quite beautifully. But eventually he realized that for the last few games of poker he hadn't just guessed when the players had been bluffing. He'd known it.
He wasted no time using his power to his advantage, cheating at cards and relishing in pushing the mind reading to the limits, sensing people from miles away. The joy he felt when he realized he could plant suggestions in people's heads was incredible.
Briefly he considered using his powers to check in on his son. Maybe later, there was a game to get to, money to win and drinks to enjoy.
Eventually his powers drew him to the attention of mild mannered Daniel Linderman, the powerful Petrelli's, the genial Bob Bishop and others besides. His telepathy allowed Maury to discover just how manipulative Linderman really was, uncovered the secret insecurities of the Petrellis and the coldness of Bishop chilled him to the bone.
When the Petrellis talked of their hopes and pride for Nathan and Peter he considered contacting Matt, trying to repair their relationship. Maybe even seeing if he'd inherited his father's genes and could be useful in increasing his influence within the Company. When he saw the ruthlessness Bob displayed in experimenting on and torturing his own daughter, pushing her powers to the limits to see how much she could take, he was actually glad he didn't.
Maybe he wasn't such a bad parent after all.
Still, when Adam Monroe talked of the superior race and the plans for the future, Matt didn't even cross his mind as he lapped up Adam's words. Superior. He was superior. He spent many evenings with Adam, talking with him and drinking with the other man, agreeing with all his promises for a better world.
Then when Kaito and Victoria persuaded the others that Adam was dangerous he agreed without hesitation, voting with the others to lock the immortal away. As the blonde was dragged away, kicking and cursing, Maury stayed back, out of sight, not wanting to be associated with Adam's betrayers. Just in case he ever got out again.
Years turned into decades. He saw the Petrelli's each choose their favourite son, grooming them for the roles they would play in their grand plans. He watched Bob determinedly turn his daughter into an insane little assassin. He barely noticed as Charles Deveaux and Kaito Nakamura began to subtly draw away, shielding their children from the sins of their parents. Occasionally he wondered why the others refused to have children at all.
Loyalties began to divide and soon the others were talking about concepts Maury didn't understand. He would sit in meetings, watching Bob twirl his pewter letter opener in his hand, changing it to gold and back again, almost absent mindedly as he talked of numbers and plots that left Maury feeling worse than stupid. His power was in the mind, not some little party trick, shouldn't he be the one leading their futures? Soon decisions were made without him even being told and he was gradually shunted aside in favour of other men. When he finally sneaked off and left he wasn't sure if any of them really noticed.
He went back to his life of drinking and gambling, using his abilities to hide himself from anyone who might come and judge him. On a whim he looked in on his son's mind. He was a cop now. Maury wondered if this was what pride felt like. Didn't feel like all that much.
One night, as he slept, he dreamed he was on the roof of the Deveaux building. He turned to see the older man sitting in a wheelchair, looking at him with that same slightly bemused, enigmatic expression he'd always worn.
"Hey Charles," He laughed nervously. "How you been?"
The first reply was a low rumbling chuckle as Charles Deveaux continued to give him that look. "Dying. You?"
"This isn't real," Maury muttered. "This is impossible."
"Are you really one to say what is or is not impossible when it comes to the mind?"
Maury merely looked away, fidgeting uncomfortably. Charles sighed before wheeling himself over to be next to Maury. He looked in the direction of two young adults in the greenhouse on the roof. With a start Maury realized the beautiful young woman was Charles's daughter, Simone, and the young man with her with paint splattered over his shirt reminded him a lot of another in the Company, Carlos Mendez. Something about the eyes. Through the window he could see an even younger man, clearly eager if a little nervous, with dark hair flopping into his eyes as he almost bounded over. That crooked little smile on his face so clearly marked him as Arthur Petrelli's son. His gaze was only for Simone as the other man left with a shrug.
"Do you ever question the legacy we leave for our children Maury?" Charles spoke again.
“Questions are for dying men,” Maury retorted. “I don’t plan on doing that yet.”
“Sometimes we have no choice.” There was a pause as Charles seemed to be weighing up in his mind what to say next. “I have many regrets in my life Maury, but the one thing I am truly proud of is my daughter. The one thing I did right was loving her.”
He gave Maury a calculating stare as Maury tried to bluster his way out of his embarrassment. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Charles shook his head and turned away. Seconds later Maury woke up.
He dismissed the dream as nothing. When he read of Charles’s death a few weeks later he dismissed it as coincidence. He considered briefly looking in on Matt again. He’d do it tomorrow, there was a game on tonight.
When he finally met his son, and he saw the anger and disappointment in his eyes, he knew he was never cut out be a parent. Adam was loose and Maury was doing what he did best; hiding in the shadows of people’s minds and doing everything he could to avoid detection from either the Company or Adam, sending the police red herrings to chase and putting that little girl that could see him into a coma so she could never talk. But still Matt found him. A good cop that boy. Maury should have felt pride but instead he was just afraid. Kaito had ultimately sacrificed himself to save his son. When Maury looked at Matt he felt no such loyalty. Without hesitation he stretched out with his mind, locking his son in his worst nightmares.
He’d never asked to be a parent anyway.