[March 22nd] [The Man From U.N.C.L.E.] Freedom
Title: Freedom
Day/Theme: March 22nd - normal for the spider is chaos for the fly
Series: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (specifically, The Odd Man Affair episode)
Character/Pairing: Mr. Wye, Mr. Ecks
Rating: K+/PG
By Lucky_Ladybug
Ecks had complained at times of wanting to live a normal life. Wye remembered one occasion after a particular lesson in stealth and avoiding honey traps (brought on by Ecks’ continuing fascination with Vivalene) when Ecks had sprawled on his stomach on the couch and folded his arms in front of him, looking for all the world like he was bored out of his mind.
“I don’t find this sort of thing stimulating,” he said flatly. “No one should have to live this sort of life if they don’t choose it for themselves.”
“And what would you choose for yourself?” Wye grunted. “You don’t even know what it’s like to live in the outside world.”
“Exactly.” Ecks turned onto his side to face his mentor. “I would choose almost anything, just to try it.”
“Now that’s nonsense,” Wye scoffed. “You’ve got to have some kind of a plan. You can’t go barrelin’ head-first into something that you don’t know anything about.”
“It’s academic anyway, since there’s no way out of this organization once you’re in,” Ecks replied. “Except six feet down.”
“And we don’t want that.” Wye came and sat in a chair, facing the boy. “We have to focus on how to live good, normal lives within our current station.”
“Normal for us means havoc for someone else,” Ecks mused. “I’d rather wreak havoc on the organization.”
“You’re just lucky this place ain’t bugged!” Wye exclaimed. “And that I’m not the type to report a comment like that.”
“That’s why I’d dare to say it to you,” Ecks said with a bit of a smirk. He turned halfway onto his back, reminding Wye for some reason of a cat rolling over. Ecks was like a cat in some ways-aloof and serious and independent, and then suddenly playful and mischievous and friendly. Wye was the only one who saw all sides to his personality.
“Oh! What am I gonna do with you?” Wye said in partial exasperation.
“Keep teaching me,” Ecks said calmly.
“Yeah, and does it do any good? You pick up the lessons alright, but you’re still not happy.”
“I likely never will be. But I’ve accepted what I am and always will be. That’s the best you can hope for; I can’t change the way I feel so easily.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Wye sighed.
“I’ve never understood why you wanted to join the organization,” Ecks said. “You think the lot of them are daft. Did you really just join to laugh at them?”
“No, but it’s always entertaining to see what they’ll come up with next,” Wye replied. “Anyway, I don’t think all of them are daft. Mr. Zed, he’s the smartest one in the place. Mark my words, he’s got a plan to take over this whole ruddy operation someday. And he’s someone who’ll succeed.”
“Who’s making traitorous comments now?” Ecks grinned. “Supposing he does put some plan like that into action. Will you go along with him?”
“If he wants me to, and it’s likely he will,” Wye said. “I was his right-hand man long before you came along.”
“And now that we’re partners, I’d be part of the deal too.” Ecks’ eyes gleamed. “I hope he does come up with something like that. I’d be all for it.”
“Oh, you would.” Wye folded his arms. “Probably nothin’ would give you more pleasure than giving the bird to this entire set-up.”
Ecks laughed and sat up. “It would be fun, wouldn’t it? And if Zed won, we’d probably have higher positions in a new organization than we have right now.”
“That’s possible,” Wye said guardedly. “Probable, I suppose. But don’t get your hopes up too high. Zed might not even make a move for ages yet.” He paused. “And in any case, even in an organization run by Zed, you still wouldn’t be free. Cross him and you’d be out.”
“I know that,” Ecks said with impatience. “Neither of us will ever be free. Of course, I guess you don’t want to be anyway.”
“There’s a lot of ways to be chained up,” Wye said quietly. “Not just by being subservient to someone. I guess I just felt I was trading one chain for another. And that maybe this one would be a lot more profitable to me than the others.”
“Worth the captivity, you mean. Oh, I can’t think that any chain is worth it.” Ecks got up, restlessly moving about the room. “But as long as I can’t be free, I want to have what fun I can with what I’ve got.”
That finally brought a slight smirk. “We’re more alike than we realize sometimes.”
Ecks went over and leaned against the windowsill, still facing Wye. “Come into my parlor, said the spider to the fly,” he mused. “So tell me, are we the spiders or the flies?”
“We’re trained to be the spiders,” Wye said. “But I guess in some ways, we’re the flies at the same time.”
Ecks nodded. “We catch things in our webs, while meantime, we’re caught in bigger webs. Kind of sad, isn’t it?”
“If you say so,” Wye grunted. “That’s the structure of the whole world, really, not just the organization. Everybody answers to somebody else.”
“So basically, what you’re trying to tell me is that if I’m looking for something different outside the organization, I won’t find it.”
“No, not exactly. Of course some things are different. It’s just that you can’t expect that everything is a bed of roses out there. It’s got its problems.”
“I’d rather have those problems than these,” Ecks said darkly.
Wye sighed. “Then I wish you could, Ecks. I wish you could.”
****
Wye was watching Ecks again now. Curiously enough, the boy was once again sprawled on his stomach on the couch, this time staring at the newspaper in front of him.
“Well?” Wye couldn’t refrain from asking. “What do you think of the outside world so far?”
“It’s really too soon to tell,” Ecks answered. “It is a problem knowing what sort of job to take, and even more of a problem finding openings for the jobs we know how to do.”
Wye nodded. “Exactly. At least in the organization, there was always work.”
“We’ll find something,” Ecks said in determination. “At least here, we don’t have to worry about signing our souls away.”
“You might be surprised at how many ways there are to do that in the outside world,” Wye said. “I know we didn’t have a choice, but someday you might regret leaving the organization.”
“I doubt that,” Ecks grunted. He looked up at Wye. “Even though we’re off to a bit of a rocky start, for the first time in my life I really feel free.”
Wye had to smile a bit, despite his misgivings. “Just keep feeling that way, Ecks.” He turned away slightly. “Zed was always saying how I was good for you-that I’d loosen you up and such. I wonder if he ever really figured that you’d be good for me as well.”
Ecks blinked in surprise. “How?”
“You gave me something to think about and care for besides myself. You gave me a better sense of purpose. And . . .” He turned back. “It’s funny, how someone so cynical actually has an idealistic view in some ways. I know how the world is, but you keep telling me there’s more. And even though you’re just new to this whole ‘living away from the organization’ bit, I find myself inclined to believe you.”
Ecks was still surprised. He hadn’t really realized that he was having such an influence on an older, more experienced man like Wye.
“Wherever Zed is now, I don’t know if he’s still happy he brought us together, but I always will be,” Wye said. He came over to the couch. “Let me see that paper. Maybe I’ll find something you missed.”
Ecks willingly relinquished it, sitting up to watch Wye peruse its contents.
Before the evening was out, Wye had circled several job possibilities. And both men had a definite hope for their future.
Day/Theme: March 22nd - normal for the spider is chaos for the fly
Series: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (specifically, The Odd Man Affair episode)
Character/Pairing: Mr. Wye, Mr. Ecks
Rating: K+/PG
By Lucky_Ladybug
Ecks had complained at times of wanting to live a normal life. Wye remembered one occasion after a particular lesson in stealth and avoiding honey traps (brought on by Ecks’ continuing fascination with Vivalene) when Ecks had sprawled on his stomach on the couch and folded his arms in front of him, looking for all the world like he was bored out of his mind.
“I don’t find this sort of thing stimulating,” he said flatly. “No one should have to live this sort of life if they don’t choose it for themselves.”
“And what would you choose for yourself?” Wye grunted. “You don’t even know what it’s like to live in the outside world.”
“Exactly.” Ecks turned onto his side to face his mentor. “I would choose almost anything, just to try it.”
“Now that’s nonsense,” Wye scoffed. “You’ve got to have some kind of a plan. You can’t go barrelin’ head-first into something that you don’t know anything about.”
“It’s academic anyway, since there’s no way out of this organization once you’re in,” Ecks replied. “Except six feet down.”
“And we don’t want that.” Wye came and sat in a chair, facing the boy. “We have to focus on how to live good, normal lives within our current station.”
“Normal for us means havoc for someone else,” Ecks mused. “I’d rather wreak havoc on the organization.”
“You’re just lucky this place ain’t bugged!” Wye exclaimed. “And that I’m not the type to report a comment like that.”
“That’s why I’d dare to say it to you,” Ecks said with a bit of a smirk. He turned halfway onto his back, reminding Wye for some reason of a cat rolling over. Ecks was like a cat in some ways-aloof and serious and independent, and then suddenly playful and mischievous and friendly. Wye was the only one who saw all sides to his personality.
“Oh! What am I gonna do with you?” Wye said in partial exasperation.
“Keep teaching me,” Ecks said calmly.
“Yeah, and does it do any good? You pick up the lessons alright, but you’re still not happy.”
“I likely never will be. But I’ve accepted what I am and always will be. That’s the best you can hope for; I can’t change the way I feel so easily.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Wye sighed.
“I’ve never understood why you wanted to join the organization,” Ecks said. “You think the lot of them are daft. Did you really just join to laugh at them?”
“No, but it’s always entertaining to see what they’ll come up with next,” Wye replied. “Anyway, I don’t think all of them are daft. Mr. Zed, he’s the smartest one in the place. Mark my words, he’s got a plan to take over this whole ruddy operation someday. And he’s someone who’ll succeed.”
“Who’s making traitorous comments now?” Ecks grinned. “Supposing he does put some plan like that into action. Will you go along with him?”
“If he wants me to, and it’s likely he will,” Wye said. “I was his right-hand man long before you came along.”
“And now that we’re partners, I’d be part of the deal too.” Ecks’ eyes gleamed. “I hope he does come up with something like that. I’d be all for it.”
“Oh, you would.” Wye folded his arms. “Probably nothin’ would give you more pleasure than giving the bird to this entire set-up.”
Ecks laughed and sat up. “It would be fun, wouldn’t it? And if Zed won, we’d probably have higher positions in a new organization than we have right now.”
“That’s possible,” Wye said guardedly. “Probable, I suppose. But don’t get your hopes up too high. Zed might not even make a move for ages yet.” He paused. “And in any case, even in an organization run by Zed, you still wouldn’t be free. Cross him and you’d be out.”
“I know that,” Ecks said with impatience. “Neither of us will ever be free. Of course, I guess you don’t want to be anyway.”
“There’s a lot of ways to be chained up,” Wye said quietly. “Not just by being subservient to someone. I guess I just felt I was trading one chain for another. And that maybe this one would be a lot more profitable to me than the others.”
“Worth the captivity, you mean. Oh, I can’t think that any chain is worth it.” Ecks got up, restlessly moving about the room. “But as long as I can’t be free, I want to have what fun I can with what I’ve got.”
That finally brought a slight smirk. “We’re more alike than we realize sometimes.”
Ecks went over and leaned against the windowsill, still facing Wye. “Come into my parlor, said the spider to the fly,” he mused. “So tell me, are we the spiders or the flies?”
“We’re trained to be the spiders,” Wye said. “But I guess in some ways, we’re the flies at the same time.”
Ecks nodded. “We catch things in our webs, while meantime, we’re caught in bigger webs. Kind of sad, isn’t it?”
“If you say so,” Wye grunted. “That’s the structure of the whole world, really, not just the organization. Everybody answers to somebody else.”
“So basically, what you’re trying to tell me is that if I’m looking for something different outside the organization, I won’t find it.”
“No, not exactly. Of course some things are different. It’s just that you can’t expect that everything is a bed of roses out there. It’s got its problems.”
“I’d rather have those problems than these,” Ecks said darkly.
Wye sighed. “Then I wish you could, Ecks. I wish you could.”
****
Wye was watching Ecks again now. Curiously enough, the boy was once again sprawled on his stomach on the couch, this time staring at the newspaper in front of him.
“Well?” Wye couldn’t refrain from asking. “What do you think of the outside world so far?”
“It’s really too soon to tell,” Ecks answered. “It is a problem knowing what sort of job to take, and even more of a problem finding openings for the jobs we know how to do.”
Wye nodded. “Exactly. At least in the organization, there was always work.”
“We’ll find something,” Ecks said in determination. “At least here, we don’t have to worry about signing our souls away.”
“You might be surprised at how many ways there are to do that in the outside world,” Wye said. “I know we didn’t have a choice, but someday you might regret leaving the organization.”
“I doubt that,” Ecks grunted. He looked up at Wye. “Even though we’re off to a bit of a rocky start, for the first time in my life I really feel free.”
Wye had to smile a bit, despite his misgivings. “Just keep feeling that way, Ecks.” He turned away slightly. “Zed was always saying how I was good for you-that I’d loosen you up and such. I wonder if he ever really figured that you’d be good for me as well.”
Ecks blinked in surprise. “How?”
“You gave me something to think about and care for besides myself. You gave me a better sense of purpose. And . . .” He turned back. “It’s funny, how someone so cynical actually has an idealistic view in some ways. I know how the world is, but you keep telling me there’s more. And even though you’re just new to this whole ‘living away from the organization’ bit, I find myself inclined to believe you.”
Ecks was still surprised. He hadn’t really realized that he was having such an influence on an older, more experienced man like Wye.
“Wherever Zed is now, I don’t know if he’s still happy he brought us together, but I always will be,” Wye said. He came over to the couch. “Let me see that paper. Maybe I’ll find something you missed.”
Ecks willingly relinquished it, sitting up to watch Wye peruse its contents.
Before the evening was out, Wye had circled several job possibilities. And both men had a definite hope for their future.