[justprompts] You call me a dog, well that's fair enough...
justprompts : Do you prefer to be in control or let set someone else call the shots? Why?
"You're just a dog looking for a new master.
It was ironic to hear that from Sydney, of all people, when the CIA, itself, was an organization composed of obedient dogs, tugging at collars that were too tight and jerking on leashes as if testing how far they could go before the chain choked them back into line, but Sydney was her father's daughter in a lot of ways, so maybe she couldn't see it like that as clearly as he could, given the way she strained at her leash as if it wasn't there, all while never quite noticing when she fell back into place like all the others. If Sark knew anything about Jack Bristow, it was that Irina had left him a wolf when she betrayed him, one who could blend in with the other dogs seamlessly and then slip his collar and follow his own rules, only to slip back into it again before anyone realized quite what he was doing. Perhaps Sydney would grow into that or perhaps she'd simply continue to tug at her chain, testing the weaknesses, but never quite allowing herself the opportunity to break it even when the offer was there, enticing and taunting her every step of the way
Sometimes he wondered if even Sloane's departure from the CIA had little to do with disillusionment and more to do with the fact that he'd rather hold the leash, than wear the collar
Of course, Sark held no illusions about what he was or what he'd rather have- it's why he barely reacted to Sydney's words beyond smug dissatisfaction at the petty attempt at an insult- but if he was going to be a dog, he wanted to be the sort who could choose his masters. Where the CIA had a rulebook the size of the Oxford English Dictionary, he wanted there to be only one rule: obey the orders. Either because he was trained to be subservient or because it was just much easier to let someone else call the shots, he never held any aspirations of being the one in full control. Oh, he certainly liked power and control and anyone who knew him could tell he was ambitious, but all of that didn't change what he was. Some people are meant to be leaders and some are meant to be dogs, and he had the misfortune to be in the latter category, but with enough good sense to use that as an advantage.
While he could bite the hand that fed him and then carry his leash to another master who might provide him with something better than his last one, the CIA nipped at their masters' hands, but were too afraid to bite for fear of the repercussions. He held no such fears- flexible loyalties may have meant cowardice in some situations, and perhaps his leash had been handed over in fear more times than he'd like to admit, but to him it meant always having the advantage. The CIA could have their loyalty to a country that barely acknowledged their existence and keep their jaws closed tightly for fear of speaking even the slightest betrayal thanks to some sense of honor- Sark knew where he'd rather stand in the long run and that was beside whatever master treated him well and provided him with work that kept his life interesting and his hunger for risk and danger sated... Just until the circumstances shifted out of his favor, of course. Loyalty and honor were concepts for other people.
After all, if you had to be a dog, it was better to be one known to bite than one who let himself get maimed in the chase for some paltry ideology.
Muse: Julian Sark (Alias)
Word Count: 639