- IC CONTACT POST FOR MASKORMENACE -

[slightlyoffchilt]

"Hello.

You've reached the direct line of Doctor Frederick Chilton. As I am not available at the moment, you might assume I'm quite busy with something pressing. State your name and business, and I will return your call."

Comments

[slightlyoffchilt]

You want me to expose to you the gory details of his torture of me?

[The skepticism in his tone wore like a dry sandstorm. It was a noble effort on Walt's part, he'd admit to that much, having couched the askance in a compromise of mutual gain. Nevertheless, Chilton was reluctant to exhibit his most gruesome ordeal. Perhaps after a numbing drink or two, the psychiatrist would be more loquacious.]

What he so fondly calls medicine -- the fear-stimulating toxin. It doesn't have to be a perfect imitation; hear me out, Walt. From my prolific profiling of variant narcissists and sadists, one magnificent truth holds universal: their art is on par with their lives. Their art is their identity, their philosophy. To threaten that is to grab them by the throat.

If you can mimic an approximation of that fear toxin, it would be even better, in fact. He would read it as an intentional slight. If we had minor outbreaks throughout different cities, not even imPort cities necessarily, but little plagues that he cannot call his own. Imagine how careless he could become.

Imagine if this copycat caught Batman's attention.

[An attack on the ego, leaving the body unscathed. Intangible, misleading, and abrupt -- Chilton was highly versed in illusion, after all.]

[kingpawn]

It sounds plausible. And doable, even. I would have no qualms about partaking in the chemistry and creating something similar. But I won't be the one to administer the toxin, Chilton. You'll have to find someone else to do that particular task.

[ A pause. ]

Why not our mutual acquaintance?

[slightlyoffchilt]

[A thoughtful beat.]

You do have an appreciation for elegant utility. I'm... Concerned about his competence. Perhaps I'm underestimating him, after all, he has proven resilient in other ways.

[kingpawn]

So you build him up and make him competent. Are you really going to tell me that's outside the scope of your abilities? I don't buy it. You're good, Chilton.

[ A pause and then the smirk can be heard in his voice. ]

And with me, you will be even better. Sodium barbital. That is what I did to Jesse that night. You have the sedatives. But I have the chemistry at my hands. The scope of my abilities is enormous.

We can break this man down and make him far more useful than simply a scapegoat. We can turn him into our willing tool, and if he does get caught by Batman or authorities, all the better. His "attack" on me was just the beginning of his downward descent into insanity. Hank might even view me as a hero for "retaliating" against him the way I claimed.

[slightlyoffchilt]

As long as you're seen as the hero, is that it?

[He couldn't help but point that out; within the immediate context of events, Walt's loyalties might seem somewhat fickle, but that was merely a deft deception. Walt had always been faithful to the one person whose agenda overruled all else: Walt himself.]

It would very likely result in the desired outcome, if you and I work together. [Said Chilton, after a considerable pause. Walt's argument was sound, the variables were realistic.] This vagrant, you know, he isn't someone with personality disorders.

[The quiver of a moral qualm. It was much easier to damn men and women who were already damaged goods -- or, as Chilton would frame it, remarkable.]

But you're right in that he'll be the essential component. All right.

[kingpawn]

[ What? What. Is Chilton really getting soft on him now? That one, telling statement about the man not having personality disorders compared to what Chilton has done otherwise -- to Walt himself and probably to countless others. ]

It better be all right, Chilton. Look, he is an unfortunate victim of circumstance, but if it comes down to either you or me with our lives on the line -- I'm sorry, but he is the one who has to lose. We've come this far. Are you really going to cower when it comes to Jonathan Crane because that's exactly what he wants.

No. You're smarter than that, Chilton. You're far more resilient. You know what has to be done, and you'll do it.

[ This is Heisenberg. Pure Heisenberg. ]

[slightlyoffchilt]

Thanks for the pep talk.

[Said with a sardonic flick of his tongue -- but he wasn't going to contradict anything Walt had just said. The man was correct. Chilton took a deep breath, closing his eyes. The gesture would have been unknown across the line, of course, but given the weight of pause he surrendered, it was clear he was thinking over Walt's words. There was something like granite in their reassurance.]

I'll do what I must. This won't happen as quickly, Walt, it's much easier to make someone misremember a single night than it is to rewrite their psychological motivation.

[kingpawn]

Just remember. You have me.

[ As though that would make all the difference in the world. There's a quiet pause and then his tone softens. Walter White, concerned friend. He acted this way toward Crane when he found out he was injured, too. ]

Do you need anything? Food or something from the pharmacy?

[slightlyoffchilt]

It's not something I'd be prone to forget. [And he considers Walt's invitation for aid, calculating his own needs -- not for sustenance, necessarily, but what his requests could mean for his asserted sway over Walt.

But no, he decided. Wouldn't do well to push his luck yet, not when he truly might require it.]

I'm fine, thank you. If any need arises... I know who to contact.

[kingpawn]

Good.

[ Chilton's already better than Crane. At least he's willing to take Walt up on his offer.

A beat. ]

Take care of yourself, Chilton. And for god's sake, if you're going to get kidnapped again, try not to do it on a Friday night, will you?

[ The last little bit is spoken like a tease, lightening the mood after all those embarrassing voicemails he left. ]

[slightlyoffchilt]

I will be sure to schedule any misfortune outside of and around your own agenda.

[These two, and their parting farewells.]