#at least you are more than welcome to use this idea for wintersberg or any other ship if you'd like!

[maniacwatchestheworld]

So here are some things. Electricity and magnetism are so closely tied together that some people will even say that they are essentially the same thing. Where you have magnetism, you can get electricity, and where you have electricity, you can get magnetism. This is all to say that Heisenberg should ABSOLUTELY have access electric abilities in addition to his ability to control metal with his mind. (I mean, it's already stated that he does have electric organs and this is what allows him to control metal. So really it shouldn't be much of a surprise for him to be able to give people a pretty nasty shock if he so wishes.)

Personally, I like to think that he mostly just limits himself to ferrokinesis to show off. Like, sure. He can shock and stun people like an electric ray could. Maybe he can even kill people with this ability. But isn't it just so much cooler to be Magneto!? Electrocuting people is easy. But using the electricity coursing through his body to create magnetic fields which he can in turn use to manipulate metal? SO much cooler! Takes a bit of thinking and cleverness too. After all, we don't see any electric animals controlling metal in the wild!

I also very much think that he figured out how to do the electricity stuff before the metal bending stuff. I mean, for many animals with electric organs, shocking other critters is a defense mechanism, and I can very easily see Karl having discovered that he had this ability while trying to escape the experiments he was being subjected to, or after being attacked by something or other. Once he figured out that he was able to produce and control electricity within his body, he then realized that he could apply it in some very creative ways. (Basically, he quickly became a pain in the ass to anyone trying to keep him captive because once he figured out how to control metal, no metal locks could keep him contained, and anyone that tried to grab him without proper equipment would be in for a shocking surprise!)

But this train of thought also makes me think... You know, unless you more or less disable his abilities, or handle him only with non-conductive materials, (which is probably pretty difficult given that people are conductive and they are in a pretty small, isolated community...) Heisenberg doesn't really have to be touched by anyone that he doesn't want to. And given all of his scars, I imagine that he has probably been handled very roughly throughout most of his life and therefore tends to keep his guard up and doesn't trust anyone when it comes to others touching him.

And then THAT just makes me imagine... Poor man. Reflexively hurting anyone who tries to lay a finger on him. He's probably incredibly touch-starved. Just... Can you imagine the first time he brings himself to trust someone enough that he actually lets them touch him...? Him letting his guard down enough that he doesn't defensively shock this person whom he cares about when they get too close... And when he finally lets someone touch him he just... Melts into their hold, not having let anyone lay their hands on him in years. And his trust is rewarded with all the love and affection that he has denied himself out of fear but has been craving for a very very long time.

It's a long train of thought, I know, but DAMN do I want to see someone other than me play with these ideas!

Also whenever I'm reading a fic where Karl is being manhandled against his will, the fact that he should just be able to shock the shit out of them just creeps into my mind and starts to bug the crap out of me. And it's hella distracting! But this is solely a me problem, I think.