Watchmen: Feet of Clay by Glitterburn
Title: Feet of Clay
Author: glitterburn
Fandom: Watchmen
Characters/Pairings: Adrian Veidt/Alexander the Great/Hephaistion
Length: 4643 words
Rating: R
Summary: Adrian goes back in time to Libya, 331 BC in order to meet the one man who’s ever truly meant anything to him.
Why this must be read/seen: It was really hard to pick an excerpt from this story because there are so many fantastic parts that hit straight home. It's fascinating to see Adrian so far out of his element, both arrogant and vulnerable, butting heads with someone he actually considers an equal, who he wants to impress even. Alexander is brilliantly characterised too, both in himself, and the way he makes Adrian appear in contrast.
“Where did you come from?” Alexander’s Greek is unmusical, his accent flat.
“I was sent here.” Adrian’s Greek is superb, his diction perfect.
The Macedonians nudge one another and venture nearer. Alexander walks around him, puts out a hand to touch the fabric of his suit. His interest seems idle, but Adrian catches a deeper curiosity. “The gods speak like Attic orators?”
“But not like Demosthenes.”
The reference to Alexander’s bitter-tongued Athenian opponent wins a chuckle. “If you spoke like Demosthenes, I would cut out your tongue.”
“Highness, you shouldn’t address a god with such disrespect!” Callisthenes protests.
“He is not a god.”
Silence spreads across the desert until, eyes bulging, Callisthenes squeaks, “Highness?”
Alexander points at Adrian’s suit. “Gods do not sweat.”
Adrian laughs. “I am not a god. I am... a watcher.”
“Are you here to judge me?” Alexander asks, his eyes narrowing. “Are you sent by the demons of Egypt to weigh my soul in the balance?”
“I do not judge. I merely observe.”
“You watch.” Contempt tinges Alexander’s voice. He lifts his chin and stares at Adrian, and in that moment Adrian feels the pull of a charisma greater than his own.
Feet of Clay
Author: glitterburn
Fandom: Watchmen
Characters/Pairings: Adrian Veidt/Alexander the Great/Hephaistion
Length: 4643 words
Rating: R
Summary: Adrian goes back in time to Libya, 331 BC in order to meet the one man who’s ever truly meant anything to him.
Why this must be read/seen: It was really hard to pick an excerpt from this story because there are so many fantastic parts that hit straight home. It's fascinating to see Adrian so far out of his element, both arrogant and vulnerable, butting heads with someone he actually considers an equal, who he wants to impress even. Alexander is brilliantly characterised too, both in himself, and the way he makes Adrian appear in contrast.
“Where did you come from?” Alexander’s Greek is unmusical, his accent flat.
“I was sent here.” Adrian’s Greek is superb, his diction perfect.
The Macedonians nudge one another and venture nearer. Alexander walks around him, puts out a hand to touch the fabric of his suit. His interest seems idle, but Adrian catches a deeper curiosity. “The gods speak like Attic orators?”
“But not like Demosthenes.”
The reference to Alexander’s bitter-tongued Athenian opponent wins a chuckle. “If you spoke like Demosthenes, I would cut out your tongue.”
“Highness, you shouldn’t address a god with such disrespect!” Callisthenes protests.
“He is not a god.”
Silence spreads across the desert until, eyes bulging, Callisthenes squeaks, “Highness?”
Alexander points at Adrian’s suit. “Gods do not sweat.”
Adrian laughs. “I am not a god. I am... a watcher.”
“Are you here to judge me?” Alexander asks, his eyes narrowing. “Are you sent by the demons of Egypt to weigh my soul in the balance?”
“I do not judge. I merely observe.”
“You watch.” Contempt tinges Alexander’s voice. He lifts his chin and stares at Adrian, and in that moment Adrian feels the pull of a charisma greater than his own.
Feet of Clay