You're Gonna Go Far, Kid
I don't own any of the characters, franchises, songs, or concepts you may recognize. The italic text is a direct quote from the song "You're gonna go far kid" by The Offspring with a word replaced for decency's sake. Thanks for reading!
"You're gonna go far, kid."
Vincent Adler.
The man who made Neal Caffrey who he is today.
Is that a good thing, or a bad thing? Is he ashamed or proud?
But it doesn't matter, because he created something, someone.
We all are creating others, through our words, our actions- and our lies. Whether we know it or not.
But Vincent Adler knew it, and he savored it.
The con man's world is one of fleeting pleasures and infuriating smiles, of enmity and comradeship, of gloating and spoils, and at the end of the day you either got what you came for, or you didn't.
And if you didn't you were probably dead.
Neal was always a con at heart. Adler didn't make him that.
The world made him that, he made himself that. It was prewired in his brain to be deceitful, never to tell the whole truth, never holding on too tightly to anywhere or anyone.
Or so he thought.
Then his world came crashing down, and he rebuilt it again with lies that were somehow closer to what was real than any of the truths he'd ever told.
And he found that not everyone lived that way, constantly on their guard, constantly ready to give up everything in the hope of that next big catch, that one final blaze of glory.
And it was always the final one, there was never supposed to be a next time. But there always was.
Neal was always a con at heart. Adler didn't make him that.
Adler made him great, in the most terrible ways. He taught him to harden his heart, to never, ever trust, never love, and always remember that human nature will always prevail, that greed reigns supreme, and you might as well embrace it.
He taught him revenge instead of justice, wariness instead of trust, and ulterior motives in place of genuine partnership.
He taught him how to be great.
He taught him how to never get caught.
But Neal couldn't live like that.
So he learned, but he never accepted.
But damn, did he learn how to lie.
'Show me how to lie, you're getting better all the time
And turning all against the one is an art that's hard to teach
Another clever word sets off an unsuspecting herd
And as you step back in the line a mob jumps to their feet'
Charisma, lies and the ability to inspire such complete and utter hatred in so few words, was his. He could make them twitch, make them swoon, make them dance, and most of all make them pay.
'Now dance, lawman, dance, man, he never had a chance
And no one even knew, it was really only you'
He made sure his name was synonymous with the greatest crimes of the century.
But they never could prove it.
But after all, they got Al Capone on tax evasion.
And they got Neal Caffrey on bond forgery.
'And now you steal away
Take him out today
Nice work you did
You're gonna go far, kid'
Cons are ruthless. Brutal.
Once you've fulfilled your obligation, failed in your task, gotten in the way…
A silencer and a pistol would be your only tombstone.
Caffrey would do anything to get what he wanted.
But.
But he never killed, not once. It was his greatest strength, it was his only weakness, but Neal Caffrey never could take a life.
But, boy oh boy, he could make a life hell.
'With a thousand lies and a good disguise
Hit em right between the eyes, hit em right between the eyes
When you walk away, nothing more to say
See the lightning in your eyes, see em running for their lives'
A thousand lies, a thousand aliases, a thousand cities.
Danny Brooks, Benjamin Cooper, William Grey, Victor Moreau, Nicholas Monroe.
Nick Halden.
But they all burned, in more ways than one.
As soon as he reinvented himself, the FBI burned him, and so Nick Halden disintegrated, Victor Moreau disappeared, Benjamin Cooper faded away, and they turned to ashes, settling on top of the ashes from all the bridges he'd burned.
Neal's mind, his soul was a pile of ashes, but he was a burning flame who refused to be doused. Oxygen feeds the fire, and the heady rush of a con was like kerosene on white ash.
A short, bright flame, and then ashes.
Ever the settling of the ashes, fading to embers, yet smoldering behind his eyes.
And now, only now, are the burns beginning to heal.
'And now you'll lead the way
Show the light of day
Nice work you did
You're gonna go far, kid'
Neal Caffrey straightened his tie, and stepped out into the sunshine, linking his arm with that of the red-headed, laughing woman at his side.
'What's with the hat?'
'Oh, that's just my humble assault on the commonplace.'
Neal put his hat back on his head, and wished for a moment, that Vincent Adler could see him now.
~end~
A/N: Hello! This was a song-fic kind of thing best enjoyed while listening to You're Gonna go Far Kid by The Offspring. I always thought this song was perfect for Neal, so... here you have it.
I know there's bound to be mistakes, but I'd appreciate it if you tell me what you think.
I love White Collar, and was surprised to find there's not more fanfics for such an AMAZING show. Thanks for reading!
Love, Leviosa