Author's Notes:
Here we begin to see Burns' descent from the man he was into the man we see on the show.
Interesting note, the name of the dog in this scene, Wildfell, is a direct reference to Anne Bronte's "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall." In these flashbacks, there were several other hounds mentioned by name, many of them inspired by gothic literature.
Deleted because it simply wasn't relevant.
Johan, in case you're wondering was Burns' manservant during the Waylon Sr. era; in my headcanon.
Over the years, his solitary and reclusive habits had slowly eroded his more civil aspects; and replaced them with by a decidedly feral nature. He could still play the charming businessman at a social gathering, but in private, there was a decidedly malevolent aspect that had grown steadily stronger. His disposition, always mercurial had become harsher and more dangerous. What once might've been no more than an unpleasant prank on an unsuspecting intruder now took on a deadly tone.
Johan only remarked on this once, after Burns had fired several shots from his revolver at a traveling salesman.
Herr Burns, your haste to open fire on the man surprises me.
Bah, I've shot at those bothersome peddlers before, Johan.
Yes, Herr Burns. But this time, you aimed for his heart, not his heels.
Burns growled and circled the room again, his Doberman, Wildfell padding along at beside him. The mail would be up shortly. He wasn't expecting anything, but until it arrived, he knew there was no way he'd be able to concentrate on running his nuclear plant. Thankfully he had enough moronic drones to handle that. Aside from that incident around a decade ago, everything ran like clockwork.
No, he corrected himself. The Incident. It deserved proper noun status. He reached into his shirt collar and pulled out a thick white-gold ring he wore on a chain. Smithers had given it to him, a few weeks before the nuclear plant went online. A promise, a vow. Now, just a memory. He clenched the ring in his fist and ground his teeth together.