Runaway Tales pt. 3 (no, that's literally its name)
Author: Amata le Fay
Title: Runaway Tales - III. Vitruvian Man
Story: Coded Politics
Flavor(s): Summer Challenge TV Tropes Bunnies 1 (chekhov's gun)
Toppings/Extras: None
Rating: PG
Word Count: 610
Notes: There are a grand total of three people who've managed to escape the Borgia hacker ranks and not get caught for years.” These are each of their stories. // Two to go!
Machiavelli went by "Velli" to the world and "Niccolò" to his father, whom he in turn called "Roderigo" or, privately, "the Zombie". It had never been a secret who his real father was. His mother even seemed proud of her son being an illegitimate Borgia. She was constantly telling him how proud his father would be, how one day he would be so impressed by his boy that he would let him work for Borgia Enterprises. A slot amongst the top hackers of the world, under the wing of one of the most influential politician-scientists of the century... who wouldn't want that?
Well, Velli, for one, didn't.
What eventually got him into the job was stupid, beautiful love, also known as Leonardo da Vinci. Leo was a bona fide genius who hadn't yet been whisked away by one of the major corporations and wanted to stay that way. And in order to do that, Leo needed cash. He had never asked for donations or charity, but Velli was determined to fund him. A Borgia job paid exorbitantly, much more than Velli himself could possibly need. So if he took this opportunity, Leo would be free--forever. Free to do exactly what he loved doing.
A man's happiness given up for his lover's sake. In retrospect, that wasn't bound to end well.
Leo began to put the pieces together two and a half months in. Velli had become increasingly unwilling to talk about work. He tossed and turned at night. Borgia Enterprises' enemies had begun to fall due to massive security breaches. Velli was eating more, almost compulsively, but if anything he was only losing weight.
One night, Leo wrapped his arms around Velli, who was sitting on the couch, staring at Doctor Who on TV. The inventor murmured in his love's ear, "What are they doing to you?"
Velli replied without moving his gaze or his lips. "I don't know. But..."
"But what?"
"I heard Roderigo and his assistants talking. They said I was... I was conceived and born to be... experimented on, Leo. He conceived me because he needed someone to test a drug on." He began to breathe heavily now. "I'm being drugged and I have never had any other purpose than to be his plaything. That's all I am to him. That's all I am to the world, as far as he's concerned."
Leo paused for a moment. "A man who would do that--you don't need his approval. Nor do you need to listen to anything he says about your purpose in life."
"But don't you get it?" Velli's voice had an unusual snarl to it. "I'm a puppet in his mind. We're all puppets to him and too naïve to see it. But if only they all could see it... then change would happen." His eyes flickered forward in a determined glare. "Leo, give me your laptop."
"You're joining the Gray Hats? The resistance?"
"No. I'll work as an independent agent. I'm not that interested in hacking anyway, but I can damn well write an exposé." Machiavelli grinned at Leo as he began to type. "With lots of sarcasm."
"But how are you going to get out of the job?" Leo asked. "The Zombie's going to give you hell, and he runs everything in this town. You'll make yourself a target-"
"My father only knows me as Niccolò Machiavelli," he said. "Never heard anyone call me Velli. But you're under their radar, and as of now, we could run off without a trace if I took a new name like... Velli da Vinci."
Leo giggled. "Is that a proposal?"
Velli, just Velli, grinned. "What do you think?"
Title: Runaway Tales - III. Vitruvian Man
Story: Coded Politics
Flavor(s): Summer Challenge TV Tropes Bunnies 1 (chekhov's gun)
Toppings/Extras: None
Rating: PG
Word Count: 610
Notes: There are a grand total of three people who've managed to escape the Borgia hacker ranks and not get caught for years.” These are each of their stories. // Two to go!
Machiavelli went by "Velli" to the world and "Niccolò" to his father, whom he in turn called "Roderigo" or, privately, "the Zombie". It had never been a secret who his real father was. His mother even seemed proud of her son being an illegitimate Borgia. She was constantly telling him how proud his father would be, how one day he would be so impressed by his boy that he would let him work for Borgia Enterprises. A slot amongst the top hackers of the world, under the wing of one of the most influential politician-scientists of the century... who wouldn't want that?
Well, Velli, for one, didn't.
What eventually got him into the job was stupid, beautiful love, also known as Leonardo da Vinci. Leo was a bona fide genius who hadn't yet been whisked away by one of the major corporations and wanted to stay that way. And in order to do that, Leo needed cash. He had never asked for donations or charity, but Velli was determined to fund him. A Borgia job paid exorbitantly, much more than Velli himself could possibly need. So if he took this opportunity, Leo would be free--forever. Free to do exactly what he loved doing.
A man's happiness given up for his lover's sake. In retrospect, that wasn't bound to end well.
Leo began to put the pieces together two and a half months in. Velli had become increasingly unwilling to talk about work. He tossed and turned at night. Borgia Enterprises' enemies had begun to fall due to massive security breaches. Velli was eating more, almost compulsively, but if anything he was only losing weight.
One night, Leo wrapped his arms around Velli, who was sitting on the couch, staring at Doctor Who on TV. The inventor murmured in his love's ear, "What are they doing to you?"
Velli replied without moving his gaze or his lips. "I don't know. But..."
"But what?"
"I heard Roderigo and his assistants talking. They said I was... I was conceived and born to be... experimented on, Leo. He conceived me because he needed someone to test a drug on." He began to breathe heavily now. "I'm being drugged and I have never had any other purpose than to be his plaything. That's all I am to him. That's all I am to the world, as far as he's concerned."
Leo paused for a moment. "A man who would do that--you don't need his approval. Nor do you need to listen to anything he says about your purpose in life."
"But don't you get it?" Velli's voice had an unusual snarl to it. "I'm a puppet in his mind. We're all puppets to him and too naïve to see it. But if only they all could see it... then change would happen." His eyes flickered forward in a determined glare. "Leo, give me your laptop."
"You're joining the Gray Hats? The resistance?"
"No. I'll work as an independent agent. I'm not that interested in hacking anyway, but I can damn well write an exposé." Machiavelli grinned at Leo as he began to type. "With lots of sarcasm."
"But how are you going to get out of the job?" Leo asked. "The Zombie's going to give you hell, and he runs everything in this town. You'll make yourself a target-"
"My father only knows me as Niccolò Machiavelli," he said. "Never heard anyone call me Velli. But you're under their radar, and as of now, we could run off without a trace if I took a new name like... Velli da Vinci."
Leo giggled. "Is that a proposal?"
Velli, just Velli, grinned. "What do you think?"