His Father's Fire
Part 1 of a 2-part Joshua/Jonathan story. Spoilers for "One Taelon Avenue" included.
Liam Kincaid glanced around the former Resistance HQ as he emerged from the elevator. He recognized several Resistance leaders from the surviving cells. There were people he didn't recognize, who must have been from Doors' secret cells. Renee was there, dressed in uncharacteristically somber black. Augur was there too, his shirt gray and his face haunted. And there, standing slightly apart from the rest, was Joshua Doors. The son of Jonathan Doors had a downcast gaze, not meeting the eyes of those around. The look of a guilty man, though he had committed no crime. For risk of blowing his cover, he had avoided the Doors' funeral, watching the coverage on the news and only stopping to visit his grave briefly at dusk to read the simple words chiseled into the granite: Jonathan Doors, Loving Father. As he took his place beside Renee, she whispered, "You're late." "Had to finish a report for Zo'or," he explained quietly. "Well," Renee said aloud, "I guess we can get started." Everyone in the HQ gave Renee their complete attention. "Today, we gather to remember Jonathan Doors. We all know him in different ways: as a superior, as a leader, as a father," she looked at each of them in turn, pausing briefly on Joshua. "But he was more than all that. He was, ultimately, a human being, and that is how I believe he wanted to be remembered as." She paused, then continued. "I was thrilled when I joined Doors International. The first time he shook my hand it was like I was shaking hands with someone out of a legend. He expected the best from all of us and we expected the best from him in return. He earned our loyalty. And when he created the Resistance, I was one of the first to join not only because I could see that what the Taelons were doing was wrong, but because I could trust and follow him to the end, and beyond." Liam thought he saw a tear welling in Renee's eye, but she turned away so quickly he couldn't be certain. Next it was Augur's turn. "You know, when I first started working for Doors I figured it was great, working on covert stuff for an eccentric billionaire and all that, plus the fact that he gave me the most interesting jobs. He gave me the best toys a hacker could ever dream of. Hell, he even sold me his secret hideout when he was done with it," he added with a grin that several of the assembled shared. "I used to think I was in it for the money and the chance to expand my art collection, but after a while . . . after a while I realized that something else was driving me. I believed in what he was doing. No matter what I thought of his methods, his dream was something worth fighting, worth dying for. Perhaps in the end, the best thing I can say is: 'Jonathan it was never dull.'" Augur ended with a smile, the stepped back into the shadows. Now Liam stepped forward. He made eye contact with everyone in the room, gathered his thoughts, and began to speak. "Me and Jonathan . . . never really got along. We argued about everything and anything. But the Resistance he created became my family, my friends, my home." He swallowed the lump in his throat. Jonathan had created the one place in the universe where the last of the Kimera fit in, was part of something larger than himself. The greatest gift anyone had ever given him. "Whatever our differences I share his dream of a world where humans can make their own destiny. And while I may not be entirely human, that's something that inspires me. I would like to think that we came to an understanding, that he had his way and I had mine. For his sake, I will continue what he started. Though he didn't live to see it, I will do everything my power to make certain that one day his dream will be given shape and the world he envisioned will come to pass." He lowered his head respectfully. Finally, all eyes turned to Joshua Doors. The lawyer-turned-executive took a few hesitant steps foward. "I spent most of my live hating my father. I blamed him for everything. To me he was everything wrong with big business. Every night he had to stay late at the office was a personal insult. Every time he wasn't there for me I cursed him. But . . . but now I know that it was hurting him just as much as it was hurting me. He knew that his success was costing him his soul and he knew he had to take it back and me as well. When he came to One Taelon Avenue he knew he was going to die, I'm sure of that. And even though I . . . " His voice was choked off with a sob, "I was killing him, he forgave me. Despite everything I said and did . . . He died bringing me back. I may not have pulled the trigger, but I am responsible for his death and I swear that will carry on and make amends in any way I can." Tears streaming down his face, he turned away and began walking towards the elevator, a confidence and strength in his steps that had not been there before. In that instant, Liam saw the ghost of Jonathan walking in his offspring's skin and he felt something he hadn't since finding Doors sprawled on the floor of One Taelon Avenue, broken and dying: hope. Then the apparition was gone, like smoke on the wind. Renee stopped Joshua with a hand on his shoulder. "You did good." Joshua nodded weakly. "There's somewhere I have to go . . . " "We understand," said Augur. Joshua entered the elevator and the doors shut with finality. "He's going to do well," Renee said. "I can see his father's fire in his eyes." "I hope you're right," Liam replied, staring at the elevator, "for all our sakes."
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