Chapter Text
The first time Elliot had noticed his new neighbor was the day he had moved in; right next door. Shayla’s apartment. Elliot hadn’t been inside of it since He had filled him in on everything. He couldn’t bring himself to, like a curse, her apartment an omen. “The beginning of the end.”
And it wasn’t like Elliot to put such superstitious meaning onto anything. No it wasn’t, but Mastermind had. His paranoia. His contempt. A hot ball of anxious anger that was, in normal circumstances, a realist. Mastermind held no belief in the supernatural or signs from the universe.
But Shayla’s apartment was different, too much had happened in there for it not to hold some kind of unseen significant and otherworldly presence. To him it truly had marked the beginning of the end.
That’s why it had stung Elliot for this...new person to take Shayla’s physical place. But how he felt couldn’t compare to what Mastermind had. He was angry and bitter and refused to accept this new neighbor simply for that fact alone. How dare he encroach in such a meaningful place? What gave him the right to? Well, technically, he did have every right to. Mr. Robot would add which in turn made Mastermind feel even worse because yes, technically, he was within his rights.
And for two weeks straight Elliot hadn’t talked to, seen, ran into or heard anything from his new neighbor. Not a single noise aside from an occasional bump of furniture moving. That was the strangest part about this neighbor. And that itch in the back of his mind, he’d now knew, had flared up and Mastermind, with the help of Robot’s curiosity, had taken the initiative to hack the new attendant.
The information was only surface level. Lars Lindstrom. 27. He has a brother and a sister-in-law, Gus and Karin Lindstrom, respectively. Karin was a nice woman, she loved her husband and she loved her child, she loved Lars too. In the way a mother just like her would love her child, she loved Lars. Gus was...a nice enough guy. He wasn’t cheating on Karin or anything like that, and he too, loved Lars but his emails with Dr. Dagmar suggested that he believed “socializing” his brother would help him become normal.
He was born and raised in Wisconsin. A personal email and a business email. He owned no social media, he was practically a ghost. That was enough to sustain Mastermind and Robot for the time being at least.
That flame of suspicion was stoked once again when Lars walked into Elliot’s new job, now that he was back to relative normalcy Elliot had moved on to another cyber security job. Yet Another Allsafe. He’d had it now for six months and was content with his work life, he was on talking terms with two or three of his co-workers and on very rare occasions they’d all go out for drinks.
It was no secret to the system how much contempt Mastermind had for Lars. His paranoia was quite infectious and his influence was too. He’d swayed everyone on his side of being at least a little wary of Lars. He justified it by saying he had reason to distrust Lars.
“He’s a fucking giant! And there’s no info on him anywhere aside from his dormant facebook and emails with a ‘family doctor?’ C’mon, I don’t buy his innocent act. His true colors will shine eventually. I know it man.”
He wasn’t a tech like Elliot—an intern or secretary or something like that. He’d sit at his desk, fidget in his seat, jingle a few paper clips around and when the phone would ring he’d freeze. Elliot would watch Lars with shaky hands he’d pick the phone up, bring it to his ear, inhale a large amount of air, exhale, then speak.
And Elliot would never forget the day when he finally met Lars. It’d been an odd day to begin with. No matter what he did Flipper wouldn’t stop barking, not even the promise of treats had calmed her. He was almost late to catch his train. A bird had shit on his shoulder so he had to take his hoodie off. And then he had been tasked with showing Lars the ropes of data entry. Something easy that would keep him busy.
It was just stuff that needed to be taken out of physical files and put into digital archives, all he’d need to do is take the information off paper and plug it into the corresponding boxes on screen. So Elliot had walked over which Lars of course noticed because nobody really ever willingly talked to him. He wanted to shrink into his chair, become nothing more than a speck or to disappear completely.
But unbeknownst to him Elliot would’ve liked to combust where he stood. Files in hand now in front of the taller man's desk. Even seated it was still very clear just how much bigger Lars was. And how hard he was trying to hide it.
“Yo..uhh…” What a great first impression, Robot joked which didn’t help the situation. Lars tries his best to conceal his grimace through a polite smile. He raised his brows as if to ask what Elliot needed without outwardly telling him to fuck off.
“Um Dona wanted me to teach you the basics of archiving these.” Elliot lifts his arms nodding his head in the direction of the files in hand. Lars pushes some stuff aside to which the shorter mumbles a thank you while he sets the stack down.
Elliot does as he’s told, teaching Lars went well enough. After he finishes Elliot goes back to his cubicle. For three weeks they don’t speak to one another nor do they exchange names, though Elliot knows already. Not even a ‘good morning’ or a handshake. A silent agreement between the two is established:
You leave me alone, I leave you alone.