Fiction: The Butterfly Part 2
Aug. 19th, 2011 05:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kethniName: The Butterfly – Part Two
Pairing: Matt/Nathan
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Overall – adult language, violence, sexual situations.
Word Count: 7000 approximately
Authors Note: For Anon
Nathan is the DA and sometimes employs Matt, an independent PI, to help him gather evidence for his cases. Now Nathan is currently representing NY in the case against Luke Campbell over a series of mysterious murders of specials. There's DNA evidence placing Luke at at least some of the crime scenes, but Matt is suspicious because Luke's memory has been wiped, and he can't get anything out of him. Honor compels him to investigate further, against Nathan's wishes. Author's choice if Luke is guilty and how this affects Nathan and Matt's relationship. Maybe they're already intimate, or maybe disagreement re: this case pushes them toward something more? How do they handle the tension, with respect or angry temper tantrums? :D
‘Back again?’ Audrey asks, raising an eyebrow.
‘I was wondering about unsolved murders and missing persons,’ Matt says, leaning in the doorway.
‘Any in particular or are you just really fucking bored?’
‘People who might’ve been in the bar when Martin was killed or in the depot where Doyle was murdered and have since gone missing or been killed.’
‘And if you find any you’re going to solve those as well before the end of the week?’ she asks.
‘Depends if they’ve got pretty relatives,’ Matt says deadpan.
Audrey snorts. ‘Well I can’t fucking tell you. We don’t have resources to chase down have the cases we’re assigned let alone some dick running out on his wife. But feel free to use the computer.’
‘I was hoping you could help me out there,’ Matt says guiltily.
‘Jesus! You can borrow a trainee and be damn grateful.’ She yanks up the phone and thumps a number. ‘Charlie, get in here.’
‘Thanks Audrey, I’m real grateful,’ Matt says meekly.
They’re partway through looking at the unsolved murders in the vicinity of the bar, when Matt’s phone rings.
‘Uh oh.’
‘Gosh I hope it’s not bad news.’
‘It’s the DA,’ Matt says, ‘and I don’t have much to tell him. I’ll take this outside.’
‘I’ll keep working!’ Charlie says, giving him a thumbs up.
‘Nathan, hi,’ Matt says, finding a quiet corridor.
‘Any news?’
‘Mohinder thinks it might be possible to prove that the microwave radiation had to have come from Campbell.’
‘Really? How?’
‘Matching frequencies… some physics thing. He seems pretty hopeful.’
Matt hears Nathan take a sip of something. ‘What about the other murders?’
Matt rubs his forehead. ‘We’re thinking there was an accomplice.’
‘An accomplice,’ Nathan says flatly.
‘Yes, Sir.’
‘Don’t fucking “sir” me, Parkman. Where’s this accomplice talk coming from?’
Matt shrugs to himself. ‘Luke Campbell doesn’t appear to have the strength to kill those men in those ways and he had no need to do so when he could kill them with microwaves.’ He listens as Nathan takes a deep breath and releases it slowly. ‘On the other hand, Mohinder figured maybe… maybe Campbell has some secondary electrowotsit power and he used that to do it.’
‘I don’t suppose he can back that up?’
‘He says if you clear it he’ll go to the prison and do some kind of tests. In the meanwhile he’s testing the unknown DNA that was found at the crime scene. He has his records but if you can shake someone loose at Primatech to give him access to their database it might be on there.’
Nathan groans deeply. ‘You want me to use evidence from Primatech?’
‘I’m damn sure you can’t use it in court, all that stuff was taken illegally in the first place. But if there’s an accomplice we can maybe panic one of them into turning on the other but without identifying that DNA we’re trading ifs and buts. It might not be on their files anyway.’
‘Well you’ve certainly been busy,’ Nathan says dryly. ‘I’ll arrange for Suresh to have access to Campbell and I’ll see what I can do about having the Primatech database imported into one of the governmental databases. Primatech won’t like it but since the data is there it’s idiotic not to use it.’
‘Whoa, Nathan, they’ve got all kinds of illegal data!’
‘Well the damn civil liberties groups can make their case and I’m sure they will. You can’t have it both ways, Parkman.’
Matt rubs his face. ‘I guess not.’
‘What’re you doing now?’
‘Going through the FBI database seeing if any murders or missing persons in the vicinity of the club or bus depot pop.’
There’s a long pause. ‘You think Campbell might’ve left Martin and Doyle to be discovered as a kind of message but hid the murder of witnesses?’
Sometimes Matt wonders who it is that has the mind reading. ‘Yeah, maybe. It’s a long shot.’
‘What else?’
‘How do you mean?’
Nathan sighs. ‘Matt, I know when you’re not telling me everything.’
‘Mohinder has a theory but there’s no evidence so it didn’t seem worth telling you about when you’re busy.’
‘Don’t suck up to me, Parkman,’ Nathan growls, ‘at least not in a professional capacity. Come by the office when you’re done for the day.’
‘What if you’ve gone home already?’
‘Then you’ve been working too hard.’
Matt laughs at that. ‘Yeah probably. Is that it boss?’
‘Don’t call me boss.’
‘I can’t call you boss; I can’t call you sir, what am I supposed to call you?’
‘Go look for your needle in the haystack, ass,’ Nathan snorts, and disconnects.
Matt tucks the phone back into his pocket and returns to the small office.
‘Oh hey,’ Charlie says, giving him a twinkling smile. ‘So, um, I couldn’t find anything about the bar but that’s probably because the parameters are so wide. But! I just started looking at the bus depot and as soon as I crosschecked against the nightshift I found this!’
Matt leans forward and looks at the screen. ‘A bus driver?’
‘Yuh huh, Craig Evans, but he didn’t disappear until a couple of days after. Maybe that’s why nobody connected it.’
‘Who reported him missing?’
‘His wife, Bernice,’ Charlie says without checking the screen. ‘They’ve been married twenty-three years and their older daughter is getting married in six weeks but nobody has heard or seen anything of him.’
Matt chews his lower lip. ‘We should see if he’s accessed his cards.’
‘They’re maxed out and have been for months,’ Charlie says apologetically. ‘I guess weddings are expensive.’
‘When was the last time he was seen?’
‘His wife Bernice says that two men came to see him the day he disappeared: one tall man in his early thirties and one younger man in his teens. Mr Evans left with them and was never seen again.’
‘He didn’t tell her why?’ Matt asks.
Charlie shakes her head. ‘He told her they’d be coming into some money.’
‘Great,’ Matt says sourly. ‘Can you find me a photograph of him?’ Matt checks his watch. ‘It’s time I picked my daughter up anyway.’
‘Absolutely!’
‘You’re late,’ Molly says, getting into the car.
‘Did you have fun at your Grandparent’s place last night?’ Matt asks brightly.
‘They made me go to mass!’
Matt smiles to himself. ‘I guess their faith is important to them. Your parents were Catholics too.’
Molly shrugs. ‘I guess. Sure was nice to be with one set of people all day,’ she says sourly.
Matt sighs and glances across at her. ‘Molls, we’ve discussed this before. Mohinder can’t look after you full time but there are times when Nathan and I need a bit of help.’
‘You and Mohinder didn’t need help,’ she says darkly.
‘We always needed help, we just never had it,’ Matt argues. ‘Nathan likes you,’ he offers.
‘I don’t care! Why should I care!’
Matt blows out his cheeks. ‘I’m not going to argue with you, Molly.’
She folds her arms tightly across her chest and looks at him. ‘Why not?’
‘Because you’re a young adult now and if you’re determined to be unreasonable then no amount of arguing is going to change your mind. I wish you could get on with Nathan but maybe you can’t. But no matter how you feel about him you can be polite.’
‘I don’t like him,’ she says more quietly.
‘Well that’s a shame but it’s no excuse for temper tantrums.’
Molly sighs and looks out of the window. ‘Mohinder misses you,’ she says.
‘Mohinder made his choice.’
‘You could still be friends!’
Matt looks at her. ‘We are friends. Who do you think makes sure he eats?’
‘You I guess.’
‘Damn right.’ Matt parks the car. He turns around to pick up a file off the backseat. ‘Before you go can you find this man for me?’
Molly looks at him darkly. ‘Mohinder says parents having their children use their ability for work is exploitation.’
‘I’ll give you twenty dollars.’
‘Fifty.’
‘Thirty you greedy little fink and that includes finding the body if he’s dead.’
‘Euw!’ Molly scowls and takes the file. She opens it and stares at it as Matt retrieves a roadmap from the glove compartment. ‘He’s not anywhere.’
‘So where’s his body. I’m not asking you to look at it, just give me a rough idea.’
Molly screws up her eyes and flicks through the pages. ‘There, it’s right there shoved in a refrigerator at the dump site. It’s an Amana one, green, with two doors. It’s about three hundred yards from the entrance on the left.’
‘Thank you,’ Matt says, jotting the location down on his notepad. So, either Nathan or I will pick you up after dinner okay? And tomorrow you have me all evening.’
‘Me and Nathan,’ she says, rolling her eyes.
‘Do you want to see Mohinder or not?’
‘Yes, of course!’
Matt kisses her forehead. ‘Don’t let Mohinder experiment on you.’
‘No, Matt,’ she says with a heavy sigh.
‘And do your homework.’
‘I can do it when I come home.’
‘No, you’ll do it now. Otherwise you’ll be too tired to do it when you get home and you won’t want to anyway because you’ll want to watch TV with us.’
‘With you,’ she says, and climbs out of the car.
‘I’ll see you this evening.’
‘Knock, knock,’ Matt says, wandering into Nathan’s office. ‘Get your ass in gear; we have to pick Molly up.’
‘How come my kids are fine with you but your child hates me?’ Nathan asks. ‘I inquire purely out of intellectual curiosity.’
‘Your kids don’t have a crush on me.’
Nathan blinks. ‘What?’
‘You heard, now come on. Us being late isn’t going to put her in any better of a mood,’ Matt points.
Nathan turns off his computer and pulls on his jacket. ‘You’re later than I expected.’
‘I had to go talk to Mrs Evans.’
‘I see, and who exactly is Mrs Evans?’
‘She’s the wife of your fourth murder victim, Mr Craig Evans,’ Matt says. ‘He was hidden in a refrigerator out at the dump. His spine was snapped too but even if the FBI had found him earlier they probably wouldn’t have connected him to the other murders as he wasn’t an evolved human.’
Nathan shuts the door behind them as they leave. ‘You think he was a witness to something?’
‘He was a bus driver at the depot Doyle was killed in. He was working nightshift when Doyle was killed. He told his wife that their money problems were about to be over,’ Matt says.
Nathan rolls his eyes. ‘The amount of blackmailers that get murdered you might think that people would abandon it as a money making method but no, they just keep on trying. I suppose DNA or fingerprints on the body would be too much to hope for?’
‘It’s too early for that,’ Matt admits. ‘But we do have two things.’
‘What’re those?’
‘We’re got his wife’s eyewitness account of him going off with two men and never coming home.’
Nathan considers this. ‘Can she identify them?’
‘That’s the second thing, greedy. She already has. Luke Campbell and Gabriel Gray AKA Sylar.’
Nathan pauses halfway out of the door. He stares at Matt and then carries on to the car.
‘Nathan…’
‘Don’t talk to me,’ Nathan says brusquely, holding up a hand. ‘Not yet.’
‘Did you guys have a fight?’ Molly asks, halfway home.
‘What would make you ask a thing like that sweetheart?’ Matt asks, concentrating on the road.
‘Because you’re not talking to each other and Nathan looks like he swallowed a bug.’
‘No…’
‘Yes,’ Nathan says, turning around to face her. ‘Matt and I are fighting but it’s not serious and it’ll be over soon.’
Molly pulls a face. ‘Well at least one of you is honest about it.’
‘I didn’t want you to worry about it,’ Matt says, glaring at Nathan.
‘I’m not an idiot; I know when people are fighting.’
‘Adults fight from time to time,’ Nathan says to her, ignoring Matt. ‘It doesn’t mean anything. It’s perfectly normal and healthy.’
Molly squirms back against the seat. ‘I know that too.’
‘I didn’t want you to worry.’
‘I wasn’t,’ she says nastily.
‘After all if Matt and I split up well… he doesn’t have the money to look after you so you’d have to live with me full time.’
Molly’s eyes widen.
‘That was mean,’ Matt mutters under his breath as Nathan turns round and leans back against his seat.
‘She deserved it.’
‘Are you talking to me now?’ Matt asks as Molly stomps up to bed.
‘You want to get into this now?’ Nathan asks.
‘Well I’m not sleeping in the spare room so yeah; I want to get this sorted now.’
Nathan folds his arms. ‘I asked to look into these three murders and find evidence that Campbell was guilty. Instead you come up with a completely different crime…’
‘A connected crime.’
‘… for which Campbell is an accomplice at best. Christ, Matt, what did I say that sounded like “go off on a complete tangent and complicate everything”?’
Matt rests his hands on his hips. ‘Is it my turn?’
‘Sure, knock yourself out.’
‘Craig Evans was another victim. Look Nathan, I know it isn’t what you want to hear but he saw something during Doyle’s murder and he tried to blackmail them. They killed him in the same way they went on to kill Martin. There’s your connection between the murders. Were you really going to get “Agent Hanson’s gut feeling” as a connection past a defence lawyer?’
Nathan raises an eyebrow. ‘Campbell’s using a PD so you never know. There’s every chance.’
‘The corpse is with forensics right now so we don’t know yet if we’ll get anything usable from it. But we’ve can connect Evans to Doyle circumstantially and to Martin with the MO.’
‘That’s all fine Matt,’ Nathan says dryly, ‘if we were talking about Campbell but when the hell did Sylar come into the equation? Jesus, Matt, Sylar? You don’t think that little nugget was worth a heads-up?’
‘Okay look, we knew Luke was acquainted with Sylar, you told me that yourself. I was never comfortable that Luke committed these murders alone and I told you that. Mohinder suggested… he got this idea somehow that the body in the hotel room was Sylar but that’s a complete flyer. We’ve no proof who it is. I’m hoping Mohinder will come up with something.’
Nathan pinches the bridge of his nose. ‘I don’t even want to know where he’s got that idea from.’
‘This is why I didn’t say anything. I figured you’d rather get all the facts together rather than a bunch of unsubstantiated theories.’
‘I’d prefer not to get sandbagged with “oh by the way Sylar is the killer”, Matt!’
‘I’m sorry. You’re right. I handled it badly.’ Matt shrugs. ‘Will you forgive me?’
Nathan raises his eyebrows. ‘Just be in bed naked in the next fifteen minutes and I’ll consider it.’
‘Are you naked?’ Nathan asks, shutting the door behind him.
‘Under this sheet I’m naked as a babe,’ Matt says, wagging his eyebrows.
‘Then you’re not naked.’
Matt throws the sheet off him. ‘Do I meet your exacting requirements?’
‘It’s a start.’ Nathan stalks forward, unbuttoning his shirt. ‘You’ve been a bad boy, Matt. Do you know what happens to bad boys?’
Molly stabs at her cereal with her spoon. ‘Oh you’re awake are you? I had to get my own breakfast.’
‘You’re not a baby sweetheart,’ Matt says, kissing her forehead, ‘and all you did was put some cereal in a bowl and splash some milk on it. You’re perfectly capable of sorting yourself out for breakfast.’
‘You want some coffee Molly?’ Nathan asks.
‘You know she’s not allowed coffee!’
‘Well if we’re expecting her to act like a young adult it only seems fair to treat her like one.’
‘So there,’ Molly says primly.
‘Don’t team up on me,’ Matt says firmly.
‘Last chance for coffee,’ Nathan says.
‘Yuck, no,’ she says pulling a face. She finishes her cereal and stands up. ‘I’m going to do my reading until someone takes me to school.’
Nathan sits down at his table and checks his watch. ‘I’ll take you after I’ve had my breakfast, Molly. Matt’s busy hassling Mohinder and ruining my case today.’
‘Hey!’
Molly rolls her eyes. ‘Whatever,’ she says, and slopes out of the kitchen.
‘That was not cool,’ Matt says, scowling at Nathan.
‘You don’t want me to take her to school?’
‘You know exactly what I mean.’
Nathan takes a sip of his coffee. ‘Isn’t that what you’re going to be doing?’
Matt rips a mouthful of toast from the slice. ‘Don’t passive aggressive me, Nathan, it doesn’t suit you and you know it pisses me off.’
‘Spoilsport.’
‘I do have a busy day though. Did you manage anything with Primatech?’
Nathan nods. ‘It’ll take a while for the records to be integrated but they’ve been told to expect you and to cooperate fully. I know Suresh probably has students and the like but I’m sure they’re busy replicating the work of an entire FBI forensic laboratory.’
‘He has an assistant,’ Matt says sheepishly.
‘That’s it? You’re going to work the man to death.’
‘Trust me, Mohinder works too hard no matter what he’s doing.’ Matt takes a sip of his coffee. ‘Thank you.’
‘For what?’
‘The Primatech thing,’ Matt says. ‘It would’ve taken me forever.’
Nathan shrugs. ‘It wasn’t exactly contrary to my interests but you’re welcome.’ He sighs. ‘I’m going to visit Campbell in Riker’s later on.’
Matt stares at him. ‘What the hell for?’
‘Because you keep telling me that either he’s innocent or he had an accomplice, probably Sylar. So before I stand in front of a Grand Jury and announce he’s murdered three people, at least three people, I’d like to look him in the eye and be sure of my facts.’ Nathan shrugs easily. ‘Besides you said something about samples, I’ll take a nurse to do that for him.’
Matt snorts. ‘A nurse?’
‘Are you jealous?’
‘No, because we both know that however you fantasise about some cute nurse in a sexy uniform you’ll actually end up taking Peter,’ Matt says accurately.
‘I could find a cute nurse in a sexy uniform.’
‘Try it and sleep alone.’
Nathan grins broadly. ‘Well if you’re going to be like that about it.’
‘I wouldn’t want to disappoint you.’
‘Disappoint me?’
‘Sure,’ Matt says amiably. ‘I know you want me to be jealous.’
‘Forgive me for wanting to feel wanted,’ Nathan says with a grin. ‘Now I’m going to go drop Molly for school before that twinkle in your eye turns into you traumatising her for life by walking past with me over your shoulder.’
‘If I did I’d wipe it from her memory,’ Matt says, with a wink.
‘Then I’d get Peter to heal it again,’ Nathan retorts.
They stare at each other.
‘Would that work?’ Matt asks after a moment. ‘Restoring Luke’s memory?’
Nathan dabs his mouth with his napkin. ‘We don’t know why he doesn’t remember.’
‘But Nathan can still heal right?’
Nathan nods. ‘I’ll talk to him. We’ll need Campbell’s permission of course.’ He stands up. ‘I’ll let you know.’
‘Okay. Good.’
Matt waits a little while before ringing Mohinder. The other man was never an early riser and as far as Matt can tell living on his own has only exacerbated his night owl tendencies.
‘Hey, Monica speaking can I help you?’
‘Uh hi, this is Matt Parkman. Is M… is Doctor Suresh there please?’
‘Oh!’ she says in a voice so heavy with meaning that Matt wonders what on earth Mohinder has told her. ‘Oh, okay. Let me see if he’s here.’
Meaning of course, “let me see if he wants to talk to you”, it might be plausible if Mohinder’s lab wasn’t so small that it’s impossible not to know if he’s in or not. Matt can’t really blame her for being cautious, she’s not to know quite how the land lies.
‘Found him!’ she says. ‘Here’s the doctor now.’
‘Thanks Miss.’
‘Good morning, Matt,’ Mohinder says dryly. ‘If you come by in a few hours I’ll be able to tell you if Campbell’s microwave resonance matches the microwaves emitted in the hotel room.’
‘That sounds good, I’m on my way to Primatech to run it through their database and to check if they have files on the victims. I’ll swing by when I’m done there.’
‘Very well, Monica says she’d like some Chinese food for lunch today.’
‘Does she! Monica’s kinda cheeky isn’t she?’
‘She believes that if you don’t ask then you don’t get,’ Mohinder says primly.
‘I suppose you’d be happy with some Chinese food too?’
‘You know me, Matt; I’m easy going about that kind of thing.’
Matt snorts a laugh. ‘Tell Monica I’ll be sure and get Chinese food then.’
‘Was there anything else?’
‘Oh, yeah. Nathan’s going to the prison. He says if you let him know what samples you want he’ll have Peter take them. He’s going to see if Peter can put his healing whammy on Luke Campbell and get his memory back.’
Mohinder makes a clucking noise with his tongue. ‘I’ll speak to Peter.’
Primatech always gives Matt a cold shiver down his spine. Even though the Hartsdale branch isn’t the one in which he was imprisoned it doesn’t stop him remembering being caged like a lab animal. He knows some people would enjoy the anxious, worried looks he now attracts from the Primatech personnel but it only makes him uncomfortable. Matt knows that fear doesn’t breed respect, only resentment, and resentment is poisonous. He used to think that not being taken seriously was the worst thing in the world. Now he knows that inspiring fear is a thousand times worse. Fear gets passed on deepening each time. Matt knows that abilities like flying, breathing underwater, or healing only inspire jealousy but his own ability can only inspire fear and hatred. If the staff members here look at him with unease then how would people he works with, people in his apartment, and people in the street look at him if they knew?
It doesn’t help that it’s Candice he meets when he arrives. She smiles and flirts the way she had when he was captive in Texas before showing him to Angela’s office where he’s surprised to find her waiting. He hadn’t the best of relationships with her even before he and Nathan started dating. She’s working through some paperwork when he’s shown in but looks up as he sits down.
‘Candice, bring us some coffee,’ Angela orders before favouring Mat with a small and icy smile. ‘Mr Parkman. Nathan said that you would be gracing us with your presence.’
‘Yes, Ma’am, I’m looking to check some DNA on your database and also see if you have files on the victims.’
Angela leans back in her chair. She takes a black cigarette out of a case, puts it into a holder, and lights it. ‘Do you have a warrant, Mr Parkman?’
‘No Ma’am, would you like me to get one and come back?’
‘I wouldn’t put it past Nathan to have you issued with one.’ She puts the cigarette holder to her lips and inhales sharply. ‘What is it exactly that you want?’
Candice brings in the coffee and puts two china cups, with delicate saucers, down on the desk.
‘I want to ID some unknown DNA that was found at a crime scene and also find out what I can about Eric Doyle and James Martin, those are our victims. I’m sure there must’ve been some reason they were targeted. Something they had in common or perhaps someone targeted them due to their abilities.’
Angela blows a thin stream of smoke from between her lips. ‘There’s no guarantee that we have files on those individuals or that we have any record of the DNA you’re looking to match.’
‘I appreciate that but I still need to look if I can.’
She narrows her eyes and keeps looking at him. ‘That’s all you want?’
‘That’s why I’m here.’
Angela takes another slow drag on her cigarette. ‘I don’t approve of your influence over my son, Mr Parkman.’
‘I don’t approve of you, Ma’am, not the way you have always treated your children as mindless possessions, and certainly not the way you and the rest of the Primatech founders have consistently treated people of ability, your own kind, like fucking lab rats.’
Angela taps ash into an ashtray on the desk. ‘I’m glad that we had this chat, Mr Parkman. Enjoy your coffee and then Candice will take your sample for sequencing and find the files if we have them.’
‘So I hear you’re bumping uglies with Mrs Petrelli’s son now?’ Candice says with a leer. ‘What happened to that pregnant wife of yours?’
Matt considers simply making her shut up but reluctantly decides against it. ‘Candice, if I feel the need to discuss my private life with my boyfriend’s mother’s lowly assistant I’ll let you know.’
‘Hey buster I don’t have to help you,’ she snaps.
‘Yeah you do. That’s what Angela telling you to do it pretty much means.’
Candice glares at him. ‘And I thought you were cute.’
‘I am cute,’ Matt says with dignity. ‘That doesn’t mean you can ask me damn cheeky questions.’
Matt looks at the two files on the desk in front of him; one of them is a huge box file and the other file is a flimsy foolscap folder holding perhaps five or six pieces of paper.
The huge box file is Doyle’s and from Matt’s initial flick through is largely concerned with the numerous assaults he’s responsible for and his escape from Primatech custody. Matt scratches his forehead and turns back to the front page. Ability: control of motor functions of both other people and machinery.
Matt’s phone rings. He flips open the phone and presses it to his ear.
‘Matt Parkman.’
‘It’s me. I mean it’s Mohinder.’
Matt checks his watch. ‘Am I late for your lunch delivery?’
‘That’s extremely amusing, Matt,’ he sighs. ‘Unfortunately I’m calling to tell you that the microwave resonances don’t match. It could be that there’s a reason why Campbell’s resonance might change but I’ll have to look at it in more depth.’
‘Hell,’ Matt says, rubbing his forehead. ‘Are you saying it wasn’t him in the hotel room? Maybe it changed because it was so intense?’
‘No to both questions. When he was arrested he released microwave radiation at the same resonance as in the hotel room. Either his resonance has changed for some reason I’ve yet to ascertain or… or you’re looking for someone else.’
Matt bangs his head on the box file. ‘Oh.’
‘I’m sorry,’ Mohinder says quietly. ‘I’m still working on it.’
‘Okay, well, I’ll be there in a couple of hours with some food. I’ve passed on the DNA sample so if you don’t get a hit there’s a chance they will.’
‘I’ve had a hit,’ Mohinder says, ‘but the data is compiling. It should be ready in a few hours.’
‘Great! Why didn’t you start with the good news?’
‘Because I’d rather leave you feeling relieved with good news than depressed with bad news. Oh, I spoke to Peter. He and Nathan are heading out to the prison after lunch.’
Matt rubs his head. ‘Maybe they’ll get somewhere. Okay, thanks Mohinder.’
‘Don’t forget lunch, Matthew,’ Mohinder says, and disconnects.
Martin’s file is extremely basic: little more than his personal details and suggestions that he’s misusing his ability to commit multiple frauds. Surveillance was recommended but since he was considered to be low threat it was declined as unnecessary. Matt pushes his chair back and stands up. He can see Sylar wanting both abilities and maybe Luke just went along for the ride with his hero, but that doesn’t help Matt any.
Time to buy some Chinese food.
Matt has met Monica a couple of times before and found the young woman bright, cheery, and devoted to Mohinder in a way Mohinder almost certainly doesn’t understand. Matt sighs at that thought. Mohinder is a difficult man to know not least because he has almost no understanding of himself.
‘Oh I love Chinese food!’ she says, taking one of the bags from Matt. ‘The only time we get decent food is when we’re doing stuff for you.’
‘I’m not sure a variety of takeaway food counts as decent but I’m glad to do what I can,’ Matt says, following her into the lab.
‘Doctor Suresh tends to forget to cook,’ she says with a shrug. ‘When he remembers it’s great but since he hardly ever does remember…’ She shrugs again.
‘There are more important things than cooking,’ Mohinder says, appearing from somewhere to grab a bag.
‘You know he told me that you asked for Chinese food,’ Matt says to Monica.
She laughs uncertainly and then shrugs. ‘Well I… certainly do love it!’
‘I’m sure Angela was thrilled at you rifling through their files,’ Mohinder says dryly.
‘In the end there wasn’t much to see. Doyle’s a pervert who misused his ability to assault a bunch of women and Martin misused his to run scams and credit card frauds.’
‘What were their abilities?’ Monica asks.
Matt shrugs and swallows a mouthful of food. ‘Doyle controlled motor functions; he could march you across the room like a puppet. Martin could change what he looked like to mimic other people. Audrey Hanson thought maybe it was some criminal conspiracy but I can’t see it. Doyle and Martin were small fry and neither of them had any use for a partner that I can figure. They’re too small for a vigilante to bother with I’d have thought.’
‘Sylar could use both those abilities,’ Mohinder suggests. ‘The ability to change shape especially.’
‘We’ve got no reason to believe he’s involved,’ Matt says, shaking his head.
‘I believe he is. Call it intuition if you like,’ Mohinder says firmly.
‘Okay, I’ll bite. Say Sylar’s taken Doyle’s ability and Luke attacks him for… whatever reason, why doesn’t Sylar just stop him? If he’s got Doyle’s power he could stop Luke like that,’ Matt says, snapping his fingers. ‘He’s got healing ability so why would he lie on the bed and let Luke cook him?’
Mohinder shrugs. ‘Perhaps Campbell had drugged him?’
‘Mohinder I’ve seen this kid. He’s no you,’ Matt says dryly.
An alarm chimes loudly and Monica climbs to her feet. ‘I’ll go get it.’
‘Front door?’ Matt asks as she walks away.
‘Your DNA sequence,’ Mohinder corrects. ‘Shall we have a bet?’
‘If it was Sylar it’d have been identified by now.’
‘No, he was never arrested,’ Mohinder says firmly. ‘He was wanted in connection with crimes but neither questioned nor arrested.’
‘I’m starting to feel this is rigged.’
Mohinder clears her throat. ‘Guys, according to this your DNA belongs to Gabriel Gray.’
‘I win!’ Mohinder says.
‘Great, so Sylar can change his appearance to look like anyone, that’s fabulous,’ Matt says rolling his eyes.
‘I should think he’ll regret that soon enough,’ Mohinder suggests. ‘From what I’ve seen the ability to mimic another person’s shape can undermine even the strongest psyche and Sylar’s sense of identity has always been fragile at best. He’d probably end up confused who the hell he was. Matt, why are you looking at me like that?’
‘An evolved human normally has a degree of immunity to their own ability, right? People who produce flame aren’t burnt by it,’ Matt says in a hollow voice.
‘Certainly.’
‘So in order to incinerate someone who produced microwave radiation, you’d have to use a massive dose. Much higher than you’d need to kill anyone else.’
Mohinder shrugs. ‘Yes I suppose so, altering the resonance frequency might also… Oh God!’
‘Nathan’s taking Peter there to try to recover his memory!’ Matt yanks out his phone and frantically calls a number/
‘Doctor Suresh, what’s going on?’ Monica asks quietly.
Mohinder puts his head in his hands. ‘The man is Rikers Island isn’t Luke Campbell. Luke Campbell is the body in the hotel room. The man in Rikers is Sylar and Peter Petrelli is about to make him realise who he really is.’
‘Maybe they’re not there yet?’ Monica suggests.
‘He’s not answering,’ Matt mutters.
‘There could be any number of reasons for that,’ Mohinder says. ‘Monica call the DA’s office and see if he’s left. Call on my phone. Matt, I’ll drive you to the prison.’
‘But…’
‘You’re in no fit state to drive,’ Mohinder says sharply, hustling him from the room. ‘More alacrity please, Monica!’
‘I’m going as fast as I can, Doctor!’ she calls, flipping frantically through the phone book.
‘Come on, come on,’ Matt growls as Mohinder speeds through the streets.
‘I’m already breaking the speed limit.’
‘I didn’t mean you,’ Matt says sheepishly, ‘the prison have me on hold.’
‘What do you plan to say to them when they answer? I’m not sure that they’ll take it too seriously if you tell them that they have a shapeshifter in custody pretending to be Luke Campbell.’
Matt grips the dashboard as the car screeches around a corner. ‘We’re going to get pulled over.’
‘Just keep sending the cops the other way,’ Mohinder says, and smiles when Matt blushes. ‘Did you think I wouldn’t notice the way they keep approaching at speed and then suddenly veering away?’
‘We’re trying to save God knows how many lives here.’
‘Primarily your lover’s.’
‘My partner’s, yeah.’
‘We’re about to hit the bridge,’ Mohinder says in a strained voice.
‘I… Yes, hello? This is Matt Parkman. I work for Nathan Petrelli and it’s vitally important that I talk to him. Yes Sir, this is a matter of life and death. No…I… He is. I… can you ask him to… I see. No. No. Thank you.’ Matt flips his phone shut. ‘He and another visitor are with one of the prisoners and have been for about thirty minutes.’
Mohinder’s fingers tighten on the steering wheel. ‘Is that long enough?’
‘I don’t know. I got know idea. Peter’s there. Maybe he can hold Sylar off for a while.’ Matt dials another number. ‘Mohinder, I need you to leave once you’ve dropped me off, okay?’
‘Don’t be bloody stupid! What’re you going to do, break into the prison?’
‘If I have to. I’m hoping I don’t.’ Matt bites his lip as someone answers the phone. ‘It’s Matt Parkman. We’ve got a problem with the Campbell case and I need your help.’
‘Mohinder, I’m not kidding, you need to go now!’ Matt insists as they run up to the entrance.
‘I’m not going anywhere, Matt.’ Mohinder grabs Matt by the shoulders. ‘You’re here to get Nathan out safely. I need to stop Sylar. If it’s a choice between stopping Sylar and keeping Nathan safe you have to pick Nathan, I understand that. Sylar murdered my father and tortured me. You know that. You know I can’t walk away.’ He drops his hands. ‘And if you make me, Matt, I’ll never forgive you.’
‘You finished being a drama queen?’
‘I believe so.’
Overhead military helicopters hove into view.
‘Crap, we’ve wasted too much time,’ Matt says, ‘come on.’
The grey-faced, twitchy guards wave them through on sight, not even attempting to take their phones or Matt’s gun.
‘Are you evacuating?’ Matt asks.
‘Fast as we can without raising suspicion,’ the guard says. ‘Not fast enough if half the stuff I’ve heard about this guy is true.’
‘Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,’ Matt says.
They’re swimming against the tide of evacuating detainees and prisoners when an explosion rips through the facility. Glass shatters and concrete cracks with the force of the blast.
‘You need them to go around us or we’ll never get through!’ Mohinder yells into Matt’s ear.
Matt’s first instinct is too insist there are too many people: that he can’t possibly influence this many panicking, desperate men and women. But Nathan’s in here somewhere.
Go around us. Go around. Go around us.
Something touches his face and when he opens his eyes, Mohinder is using a handkerchief to swab blood from his face.
‘At least you didn’t fall over,’ he says brusquely. ‘Get a move on.’
They run through the channel between the heaving mass of people towards the explosions and distant screams.
The air is full of dust and sunlight. Sylar has destroyed the roof and is stalking about the main floor looking for something, or someone.
‘Can you do something?’
‘I can’t concentrate. You know I have trouble with lots of noise and I’m distracted about Nathan. Probably when I know he’s okay.’
‘Oh wonderful!’
‘Why hasn’t he left?’ Matt whispers.
‘Can you feel Nathan and Peter?’
‘I never tried that before.’
‘Well try it now. Perhaps he’s looking for them,’ Mohinder suggests.
Sylar turns slowly and squints across the room. ‘I can hear you whispering, Mohinder. Who’s that you have with you?’
Rubble shifts and slides as Peter, coughing on dust, climbs to his feet. ‘Are you here to flirt, Sylar, or to fight?’
Mohinder grits his teeth. ‘As if I’d flirt with him!’
‘Can you maybe concentrate on the not getting killed part of the equation?’
‘I can see a shoe.’ Mohinder points to a pillar. ‘See?’
‘Stay here. If Peter goes down try to distract Sylar without getting yourself killed.’
Matt ducks down low and begins crawling over the rubble towards the pillar. Overhead the noise of helicopters fills the air.
Peter is flung backwards into a wall, several feet from Mohinder.
‘I suppose I should be grateful really,’ Sylar muses. ‘After all if Peter hadn’t healed me I’d have been stuck as Luke. That reminds me, I need to go find Guard Ellis and express my concern at the way he abuses his authority.’
‘Odd that you seemed to enjoy when you thought you were Luke Campbell,’ Mohinder calls, before ducking away.
Sylar smiles thinly. ‘We can all enjoy things we later regret, isn’t that so, Mohinder?’ He makes a gesture with his hand and Mohinder is pulled up into the air. ‘You were positively enthusiastic when you thought I was Zane Taylor.’
‘Poor Sylar can’t get anyone to sleep with you without pretending to be someone else,’ Mohinder retorts.
Matt reaches Nathan and presses a finger to his lips. Nathan waves a hand at the rubble covering his leg.
I’ll get it off and you get out of here.
What about you?
I’ve got to get Mohinder and Peter out of here before the air strike.
Nathan hisses as the last of the rubble is removed and opens his mouth to argue.
‘Go!’
‘Who’s that now? The last of our merry band?’ Sylar asks.
‘Put Mohinder down,’ Peter says, staggering up to his feet.
Matt grabs Nathan and hauls him across the room, shoving him out of the shattered doorway before leaping to the safety of a pillar.
‘Oh Peter, don’t you know when you’re beaten?’ Sylar sighs. He lifts Mohinder up onto the remains of mezzanine and concentrates on Peter.
Matt scrambles around on all fours behind Sylar as they hurl mortar and rubble at each other. Up above Mohinder is clinging to the disintegrating wall as he fights not to fall.
Jump!
Don’t be bloody ridiculous!
I’ll catch you.
I happen to be a full grown man!
Any minute now they’re going to bomb this place into oblivion!
Mohinder jumps. The impact knocks Matt to the ground but they manage to get to their feet.
‘Wasn’t that dramatic?’ Sylar asks, smirking at them. ‘Mohinder, are you still carrying a little bit of a torch for your ex?’
‘Why did you kill Campbell?’ Matt asks. ‘Why not take Doyle or Martin’s identity?’
‘I didn’t know them. I knew Luke well enough to pass muster even with his mother.’ Sylar flicks his wrist and sends Peter flying out of the room. ‘You’re the mind reader aren’t you? That’s going to come in handy.’
‘I can do that,’ Matt concurs. ‘I can do a few other things too.’
‘Oh, like what?’
Nathan slaps Matt’s hand. ‘Stop playing with your cast.’
‘I still think you could’ve stopped them bombing the place,’ Matt argues.
Nathan returns his attention to his papers. ‘You knew they were coming, you got Hanson to pass on the message so they’d be called in. You and Suresh were lucky that Sylar took the brunt of the explosion. Cuts, bruises, and broken bones were the least you could expect.’
Matt scowls and tries to scratch the skin underneath the cast on his leg again. ‘Thanks for your support.’
‘I’m babying you while you recuperate aren’t I? I should’ve insisted you stay at home instead of coming to the court.’
‘I have to give evidence!’
‘Not for days.’ Nathan puts down his notes and looks at his lover.
‘What?’
‘I ask you to find some additional evidence on three murders and you find another murder, prove the suspect is a completely different person, blow up Rikers Island, get me hurt, Peter stunned, Suresh bruised and dazed, you with a broken leg, and Sylar unable to use his powers.’
‘Well… the last part is good,’ Matt says meekly.
‘How did you do that anyway?’
‘I told him he couldn’t use them.’
Nathan raises his eyebrows. ‘How long is that likely to work for?’
‘I don’t know. The Haitian is with him and is going to stay with him until he’s transferred to the Primatech facility where he’ll be sedated until they finish the Sylar proof prison.’
‘I’d be happy if we had the death sentence,’ Nathan says dryly. ‘But it’ll do for now I suppose.’
‘Sorry I messed up your case against Campbell by proving he was already dead,’ Matt says, batting his eyelashes.
Nathan kisses him firmly. ‘You’re an ass, Parkman, but apparently I’m stuck with you.’
‘Looks like,’ Matt agrees, and squeezes his hand.
The End.
Pairing: Matt/Nathan
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Overall – adult language, violence, sexual situations.
Word Count: 7000 approximately
Authors Note: For Anon
Nathan is the DA and sometimes employs Matt, an independent PI, to help him gather evidence for his cases. Now Nathan is currently representing NY in the case against Luke Campbell over a series of mysterious murders of specials. There's DNA evidence placing Luke at at least some of the crime scenes, but Matt is suspicious because Luke's memory has been wiped, and he can't get anything out of him. Honor compels him to investigate further, against Nathan's wishes. Author's choice if Luke is guilty and how this affects Nathan and Matt's relationship. Maybe they're already intimate, or maybe disagreement re: this case pushes them toward something more? How do they handle the tension, with respect or angry temper tantrums? :D
‘Back again?’ Audrey asks, raising an eyebrow.
‘I was wondering about unsolved murders and missing persons,’ Matt says, leaning in the doorway.
‘Any in particular or are you just really fucking bored?’
‘People who might’ve been in the bar when Martin was killed or in the depot where Doyle was murdered and have since gone missing or been killed.’
‘And if you find any you’re going to solve those as well before the end of the week?’ she asks.
‘Depends if they’ve got pretty relatives,’ Matt says deadpan.
Audrey snorts. ‘Well I can’t fucking tell you. We don’t have resources to chase down have the cases we’re assigned let alone some dick running out on his wife. But feel free to use the computer.’
‘I was hoping you could help me out there,’ Matt says guiltily.
‘Jesus! You can borrow a trainee and be damn grateful.’ She yanks up the phone and thumps a number. ‘Charlie, get in here.’
‘Thanks Audrey, I’m real grateful,’ Matt says meekly.
They’re partway through looking at the unsolved murders in the vicinity of the bar, when Matt’s phone rings.
‘Uh oh.’
‘Gosh I hope it’s not bad news.’
‘It’s the DA,’ Matt says, ‘and I don’t have much to tell him. I’ll take this outside.’
‘I’ll keep working!’ Charlie says, giving him a thumbs up.
‘Nathan, hi,’ Matt says, finding a quiet corridor.
‘Any news?’
‘Mohinder thinks it might be possible to prove that the microwave radiation had to have come from Campbell.’
‘Really? How?’
‘Matching frequencies… some physics thing. He seems pretty hopeful.’
Matt hears Nathan take a sip of something. ‘What about the other murders?’
Matt rubs his forehead. ‘We’re thinking there was an accomplice.’
‘An accomplice,’ Nathan says flatly.
‘Yes, Sir.’
‘Don’t fucking “sir” me, Parkman. Where’s this accomplice talk coming from?’
Matt shrugs to himself. ‘Luke Campbell doesn’t appear to have the strength to kill those men in those ways and he had no need to do so when he could kill them with microwaves.’ He listens as Nathan takes a deep breath and releases it slowly. ‘On the other hand, Mohinder figured maybe… maybe Campbell has some secondary electrowotsit power and he used that to do it.’
‘I don’t suppose he can back that up?’
‘He says if you clear it he’ll go to the prison and do some kind of tests. In the meanwhile he’s testing the unknown DNA that was found at the crime scene. He has his records but if you can shake someone loose at Primatech to give him access to their database it might be on there.’
Nathan groans deeply. ‘You want me to use evidence from Primatech?’
‘I’m damn sure you can’t use it in court, all that stuff was taken illegally in the first place. But if there’s an accomplice we can maybe panic one of them into turning on the other but without identifying that DNA we’re trading ifs and buts. It might not be on their files anyway.’
‘Well you’ve certainly been busy,’ Nathan says dryly. ‘I’ll arrange for Suresh to have access to Campbell and I’ll see what I can do about having the Primatech database imported into one of the governmental databases. Primatech won’t like it but since the data is there it’s idiotic not to use it.’
‘Whoa, Nathan, they’ve got all kinds of illegal data!’
‘Well the damn civil liberties groups can make their case and I’m sure they will. You can’t have it both ways, Parkman.’
Matt rubs his face. ‘I guess not.’
‘What’re you doing now?’
‘Going through the FBI database seeing if any murders or missing persons in the vicinity of the club or bus depot pop.’
There’s a long pause. ‘You think Campbell might’ve left Martin and Doyle to be discovered as a kind of message but hid the murder of witnesses?’
Sometimes Matt wonders who it is that has the mind reading. ‘Yeah, maybe. It’s a long shot.’
‘What else?’
‘How do you mean?’
Nathan sighs. ‘Matt, I know when you’re not telling me everything.’
‘Mohinder has a theory but there’s no evidence so it didn’t seem worth telling you about when you’re busy.’
‘Don’t suck up to me, Parkman,’ Nathan growls, ‘at least not in a professional capacity. Come by the office when you’re done for the day.’
‘What if you’ve gone home already?’
‘Then you’ve been working too hard.’
Matt laughs at that. ‘Yeah probably. Is that it boss?’
‘Don’t call me boss.’
‘I can’t call you boss; I can’t call you sir, what am I supposed to call you?’
‘Go look for your needle in the haystack, ass,’ Nathan snorts, and disconnects.
Matt tucks the phone back into his pocket and returns to the small office.
‘Oh hey,’ Charlie says, giving him a twinkling smile. ‘So, um, I couldn’t find anything about the bar but that’s probably because the parameters are so wide. But! I just started looking at the bus depot and as soon as I crosschecked against the nightshift I found this!’
Matt leans forward and looks at the screen. ‘A bus driver?’
‘Yuh huh, Craig Evans, but he didn’t disappear until a couple of days after. Maybe that’s why nobody connected it.’
‘Who reported him missing?’
‘His wife, Bernice,’ Charlie says without checking the screen. ‘They’ve been married twenty-three years and their older daughter is getting married in six weeks but nobody has heard or seen anything of him.’
Matt chews his lower lip. ‘We should see if he’s accessed his cards.’
‘They’re maxed out and have been for months,’ Charlie says apologetically. ‘I guess weddings are expensive.’
‘When was the last time he was seen?’
‘His wife Bernice says that two men came to see him the day he disappeared: one tall man in his early thirties and one younger man in his teens. Mr Evans left with them and was never seen again.’
‘He didn’t tell her why?’ Matt asks.
Charlie shakes her head. ‘He told her they’d be coming into some money.’
‘Great,’ Matt says sourly. ‘Can you find me a photograph of him?’ Matt checks his watch. ‘It’s time I picked my daughter up anyway.’
‘Absolutely!’
‘You’re late,’ Molly says, getting into the car.
‘Did you have fun at your Grandparent’s place last night?’ Matt asks brightly.
‘They made me go to mass!’
Matt smiles to himself. ‘I guess their faith is important to them. Your parents were Catholics too.’
Molly shrugs. ‘I guess. Sure was nice to be with one set of people all day,’ she says sourly.
Matt sighs and glances across at her. ‘Molls, we’ve discussed this before. Mohinder can’t look after you full time but there are times when Nathan and I need a bit of help.’
‘You and Mohinder didn’t need help,’ she says darkly.
‘We always needed help, we just never had it,’ Matt argues. ‘Nathan likes you,’ he offers.
‘I don’t care! Why should I care!’
Matt blows out his cheeks. ‘I’m not going to argue with you, Molly.’
She folds her arms tightly across her chest and looks at him. ‘Why not?’
‘Because you’re a young adult now and if you’re determined to be unreasonable then no amount of arguing is going to change your mind. I wish you could get on with Nathan but maybe you can’t. But no matter how you feel about him you can be polite.’
‘I don’t like him,’ she says more quietly.
‘Well that’s a shame but it’s no excuse for temper tantrums.’
Molly sighs and looks out of the window. ‘Mohinder misses you,’ she says.
‘Mohinder made his choice.’
‘You could still be friends!’
Matt looks at her. ‘We are friends. Who do you think makes sure he eats?’
‘You I guess.’
‘Damn right.’ Matt parks the car. He turns around to pick up a file off the backseat. ‘Before you go can you find this man for me?’
Molly looks at him darkly. ‘Mohinder says parents having their children use their ability for work is exploitation.’
‘I’ll give you twenty dollars.’
‘Fifty.’
‘Thirty you greedy little fink and that includes finding the body if he’s dead.’
‘Euw!’ Molly scowls and takes the file. She opens it and stares at it as Matt retrieves a roadmap from the glove compartment. ‘He’s not anywhere.’
‘So where’s his body. I’m not asking you to look at it, just give me a rough idea.’
Molly screws up her eyes and flicks through the pages. ‘There, it’s right there shoved in a refrigerator at the dump site. It’s an Amana one, green, with two doors. It’s about three hundred yards from the entrance on the left.’
‘Thank you,’ Matt says, jotting the location down on his notepad. So, either Nathan or I will pick you up after dinner okay? And tomorrow you have me all evening.’
‘Me and Nathan,’ she says, rolling her eyes.
‘Do you want to see Mohinder or not?’
‘Yes, of course!’
Matt kisses her forehead. ‘Don’t let Mohinder experiment on you.’
‘No, Matt,’ she says with a heavy sigh.
‘And do your homework.’
‘I can do it when I come home.’
‘No, you’ll do it now. Otherwise you’ll be too tired to do it when you get home and you won’t want to anyway because you’ll want to watch TV with us.’
‘With you,’ she says, and climbs out of the car.
‘I’ll see you this evening.’
‘Knock, knock,’ Matt says, wandering into Nathan’s office. ‘Get your ass in gear; we have to pick Molly up.’
‘How come my kids are fine with you but your child hates me?’ Nathan asks. ‘I inquire purely out of intellectual curiosity.’
‘Your kids don’t have a crush on me.’
Nathan blinks. ‘What?’
‘You heard, now come on. Us being late isn’t going to put her in any better of a mood,’ Matt points.
Nathan turns off his computer and pulls on his jacket. ‘You’re later than I expected.’
‘I had to go talk to Mrs Evans.’
‘I see, and who exactly is Mrs Evans?’
‘She’s the wife of your fourth murder victim, Mr Craig Evans,’ Matt says. ‘He was hidden in a refrigerator out at the dump. His spine was snapped too but even if the FBI had found him earlier they probably wouldn’t have connected him to the other murders as he wasn’t an evolved human.’
Nathan shuts the door behind them as they leave. ‘You think he was a witness to something?’
‘He was a bus driver at the depot Doyle was killed in. He was working nightshift when Doyle was killed. He told his wife that their money problems were about to be over,’ Matt says.
Nathan rolls his eyes. ‘The amount of blackmailers that get murdered you might think that people would abandon it as a money making method but no, they just keep on trying. I suppose DNA or fingerprints on the body would be too much to hope for?’
‘It’s too early for that,’ Matt admits. ‘But we do have two things.’
‘What’re those?’
‘We’re got his wife’s eyewitness account of him going off with two men and never coming home.’
Nathan considers this. ‘Can she identify them?’
‘That’s the second thing, greedy. She already has. Luke Campbell and Gabriel Gray AKA Sylar.’
Nathan pauses halfway out of the door. He stares at Matt and then carries on to the car.
‘Nathan…’
‘Don’t talk to me,’ Nathan says brusquely, holding up a hand. ‘Not yet.’
‘Did you guys have a fight?’ Molly asks, halfway home.
‘What would make you ask a thing like that sweetheart?’ Matt asks, concentrating on the road.
‘Because you’re not talking to each other and Nathan looks like he swallowed a bug.’
‘No…’
‘Yes,’ Nathan says, turning around to face her. ‘Matt and I are fighting but it’s not serious and it’ll be over soon.’
Molly pulls a face. ‘Well at least one of you is honest about it.’
‘I didn’t want you to worry about it,’ Matt says, glaring at Nathan.
‘I’m not an idiot; I know when people are fighting.’
‘Adults fight from time to time,’ Nathan says to her, ignoring Matt. ‘It doesn’t mean anything. It’s perfectly normal and healthy.’
Molly squirms back against the seat. ‘I know that too.’
‘I didn’t want you to worry.’
‘I wasn’t,’ she says nastily.
‘After all if Matt and I split up well… he doesn’t have the money to look after you so you’d have to live with me full time.’
Molly’s eyes widen.
‘That was mean,’ Matt mutters under his breath as Nathan turns round and leans back against his seat.
‘She deserved it.’
‘Are you talking to me now?’ Matt asks as Molly stomps up to bed.
‘You want to get into this now?’ Nathan asks.
‘Well I’m not sleeping in the spare room so yeah; I want to get this sorted now.’
Nathan folds his arms. ‘I asked to look into these three murders and find evidence that Campbell was guilty. Instead you come up with a completely different crime…’
‘A connected crime.’
‘… for which Campbell is an accomplice at best. Christ, Matt, what did I say that sounded like “go off on a complete tangent and complicate everything”?’
Matt rests his hands on his hips. ‘Is it my turn?’
‘Sure, knock yourself out.’
‘Craig Evans was another victim. Look Nathan, I know it isn’t what you want to hear but he saw something during Doyle’s murder and he tried to blackmail them. They killed him in the same way they went on to kill Martin. There’s your connection between the murders. Were you really going to get “Agent Hanson’s gut feeling” as a connection past a defence lawyer?’
Nathan raises an eyebrow. ‘Campbell’s using a PD so you never know. There’s every chance.’
‘The corpse is with forensics right now so we don’t know yet if we’ll get anything usable from it. But we’ve can connect Evans to Doyle circumstantially and to Martin with the MO.’
‘That’s all fine Matt,’ Nathan says dryly, ‘if we were talking about Campbell but when the hell did Sylar come into the equation? Jesus, Matt, Sylar? You don’t think that little nugget was worth a heads-up?’
‘Okay look, we knew Luke was acquainted with Sylar, you told me that yourself. I was never comfortable that Luke committed these murders alone and I told you that. Mohinder suggested… he got this idea somehow that the body in the hotel room was Sylar but that’s a complete flyer. We’ve no proof who it is. I’m hoping Mohinder will come up with something.’
Nathan pinches the bridge of his nose. ‘I don’t even want to know where he’s got that idea from.’
‘This is why I didn’t say anything. I figured you’d rather get all the facts together rather than a bunch of unsubstantiated theories.’
‘I’d prefer not to get sandbagged with “oh by the way Sylar is the killer”, Matt!’
‘I’m sorry. You’re right. I handled it badly.’ Matt shrugs. ‘Will you forgive me?’
Nathan raises his eyebrows. ‘Just be in bed naked in the next fifteen minutes and I’ll consider it.’
‘Are you naked?’ Nathan asks, shutting the door behind him.
‘Under this sheet I’m naked as a babe,’ Matt says, wagging his eyebrows.
‘Then you’re not naked.’
Matt throws the sheet off him. ‘Do I meet your exacting requirements?’
‘It’s a start.’ Nathan stalks forward, unbuttoning his shirt. ‘You’ve been a bad boy, Matt. Do you know what happens to bad boys?’
Molly stabs at her cereal with her spoon. ‘Oh you’re awake are you? I had to get my own breakfast.’
‘You’re not a baby sweetheart,’ Matt says, kissing her forehead, ‘and all you did was put some cereal in a bowl and splash some milk on it. You’re perfectly capable of sorting yourself out for breakfast.’
‘You want some coffee Molly?’ Nathan asks.
‘You know she’s not allowed coffee!’
‘Well if we’re expecting her to act like a young adult it only seems fair to treat her like one.’
‘So there,’ Molly says primly.
‘Don’t team up on me,’ Matt says firmly.
‘Last chance for coffee,’ Nathan says.
‘Yuck, no,’ she says pulling a face. She finishes her cereal and stands up. ‘I’m going to do my reading until someone takes me to school.’
Nathan sits down at his table and checks his watch. ‘I’ll take you after I’ve had my breakfast, Molly. Matt’s busy hassling Mohinder and ruining my case today.’
‘Hey!’
Molly rolls her eyes. ‘Whatever,’ she says, and slopes out of the kitchen.
‘That was not cool,’ Matt says, scowling at Nathan.
‘You don’t want me to take her to school?’
‘You know exactly what I mean.’
Nathan takes a sip of his coffee. ‘Isn’t that what you’re going to be doing?’
Matt rips a mouthful of toast from the slice. ‘Don’t passive aggressive me, Nathan, it doesn’t suit you and you know it pisses me off.’
‘Spoilsport.’
‘I do have a busy day though. Did you manage anything with Primatech?’
Nathan nods. ‘It’ll take a while for the records to be integrated but they’ve been told to expect you and to cooperate fully. I know Suresh probably has students and the like but I’m sure they’re busy replicating the work of an entire FBI forensic laboratory.’
‘He has an assistant,’ Matt says sheepishly.
‘That’s it? You’re going to work the man to death.’
‘Trust me, Mohinder works too hard no matter what he’s doing.’ Matt takes a sip of his coffee. ‘Thank you.’
‘For what?’
‘The Primatech thing,’ Matt says. ‘It would’ve taken me forever.’
Nathan shrugs. ‘It wasn’t exactly contrary to my interests but you’re welcome.’ He sighs. ‘I’m going to visit Campbell in Riker’s later on.’
Matt stares at him. ‘What the hell for?’
‘Because you keep telling me that either he’s innocent or he had an accomplice, probably Sylar. So before I stand in front of a Grand Jury and announce he’s murdered three people, at least three people, I’d like to look him in the eye and be sure of my facts.’ Nathan shrugs easily. ‘Besides you said something about samples, I’ll take a nurse to do that for him.’
Matt snorts. ‘A nurse?’
‘Are you jealous?’
‘No, because we both know that however you fantasise about some cute nurse in a sexy uniform you’ll actually end up taking Peter,’ Matt says accurately.
‘I could find a cute nurse in a sexy uniform.’
‘Try it and sleep alone.’
Nathan grins broadly. ‘Well if you’re going to be like that about it.’
‘I wouldn’t want to disappoint you.’
‘Disappoint me?’
‘Sure,’ Matt says amiably. ‘I know you want me to be jealous.’
‘Forgive me for wanting to feel wanted,’ Nathan says with a grin. ‘Now I’m going to go drop Molly for school before that twinkle in your eye turns into you traumatising her for life by walking past with me over your shoulder.’
‘If I did I’d wipe it from her memory,’ Matt says, with a wink.
‘Then I’d get Peter to heal it again,’ Nathan retorts.
They stare at each other.
‘Would that work?’ Matt asks after a moment. ‘Restoring Luke’s memory?’
Nathan dabs his mouth with his napkin. ‘We don’t know why he doesn’t remember.’
‘But Nathan can still heal right?’
Nathan nods. ‘I’ll talk to him. We’ll need Campbell’s permission of course.’ He stands up. ‘I’ll let you know.’
‘Okay. Good.’
Matt waits a little while before ringing Mohinder. The other man was never an early riser and as far as Matt can tell living on his own has only exacerbated his night owl tendencies.
‘Hey, Monica speaking can I help you?’
‘Uh hi, this is Matt Parkman. Is M… is Doctor Suresh there please?’
‘Oh!’ she says in a voice so heavy with meaning that Matt wonders what on earth Mohinder has told her. ‘Oh, okay. Let me see if he’s here.’
Meaning of course, “let me see if he wants to talk to you”, it might be plausible if Mohinder’s lab wasn’t so small that it’s impossible not to know if he’s in or not. Matt can’t really blame her for being cautious, she’s not to know quite how the land lies.
‘Found him!’ she says. ‘Here’s the doctor now.’
‘Thanks Miss.’
‘Good morning, Matt,’ Mohinder says dryly. ‘If you come by in a few hours I’ll be able to tell you if Campbell’s microwave resonance matches the microwaves emitted in the hotel room.’
‘That sounds good, I’m on my way to Primatech to run it through their database and to check if they have files on the victims. I’ll swing by when I’m done there.’
‘Very well, Monica says she’d like some Chinese food for lunch today.’
‘Does she! Monica’s kinda cheeky isn’t she?’
‘She believes that if you don’t ask then you don’t get,’ Mohinder says primly.
‘I suppose you’d be happy with some Chinese food too?’
‘You know me, Matt; I’m easy going about that kind of thing.’
Matt snorts a laugh. ‘Tell Monica I’ll be sure and get Chinese food then.’
‘Was there anything else?’
‘Oh, yeah. Nathan’s going to the prison. He says if you let him know what samples you want he’ll have Peter take them. He’s going to see if Peter can put his healing whammy on Luke Campbell and get his memory back.’
Mohinder makes a clucking noise with his tongue. ‘I’ll speak to Peter.’
Primatech always gives Matt a cold shiver down his spine. Even though the Hartsdale branch isn’t the one in which he was imprisoned it doesn’t stop him remembering being caged like a lab animal. He knows some people would enjoy the anxious, worried looks he now attracts from the Primatech personnel but it only makes him uncomfortable. Matt knows that fear doesn’t breed respect, only resentment, and resentment is poisonous. He used to think that not being taken seriously was the worst thing in the world. Now he knows that inspiring fear is a thousand times worse. Fear gets passed on deepening each time. Matt knows that abilities like flying, breathing underwater, or healing only inspire jealousy but his own ability can only inspire fear and hatred. If the staff members here look at him with unease then how would people he works with, people in his apartment, and people in the street look at him if they knew?
It doesn’t help that it’s Candice he meets when he arrives. She smiles and flirts the way she had when he was captive in Texas before showing him to Angela’s office where he’s surprised to find her waiting. He hadn’t the best of relationships with her even before he and Nathan started dating. She’s working through some paperwork when he’s shown in but looks up as he sits down.
‘Candice, bring us some coffee,’ Angela orders before favouring Mat with a small and icy smile. ‘Mr Parkman. Nathan said that you would be gracing us with your presence.’
‘Yes, Ma’am, I’m looking to check some DNA on your database and also see if you have files on the victims.’
Angela leans back in her chair. She takes a black cigarette out of a case, puts it into a holder, and lights it. ‘Do you have a warrant, Mr Parkman?’
‘No Ma’am, would you like me to get one and come back?’
‘I wouldn’t put it past Nathan to have you issued with one.’ She puts the cigarette holder to her lips and inhales sharply. ‘What is it exactly that you want?’
Candice brings in the coffee and puts two china cups, with delicate saucers, down on the desk.
‘I want to ID some unknown DNA that was found at a crime scene and also find out what I can about Eric Doyle and James Martin, those are our victims. I’m sure there must’ve been some reason they were targeted. Something they had in common or perhaps someone targeted them due to their abilities.’
Angela blows a thin stream of smoke from between her lips. ‘There’s no guarantee that we have files on those individuals or that we have any record of the DNA you’re looking to match.’
‘I appreciate that but I still need to look if I can.’
She narrows her eyes and keeps looking at him. ‘That’s all you want?’
‘That’s why I’m here.’
Angela takes another slow drag on her cigarette. ‘I don’t approve of your influence over my son, Mr Parkman.’
‘I don’t approve of you, Ma’am, not the way you have always treated your children as mindless possessions, and certainly not the way you and the rest of the Primatech founders have consistently treated people of ability, your own kind, like fucking lab rats.’
Angela taps ash into an ashtray on the desk. ‘I’m glad that we had this chat, Mr Parkman. Enjoy your coffee and then Candice will take your sample for sequencing and find the files if we have them.’
‘So I hear you’re bumping uglies with Mrs Petrelli’s son now?’ Candice says with a leer. ‘What happened to that pregnant wife of yours?’
Matt considers simply making her shut up but reluctantly decides against it. ‘Candice, if I feel the need to discuss my private life with my boyfriend’s mother’s lowly assistant I’ll let you know.’
‘Hey buster I don’t have to help you,’ she snaps.
‘Yeah you do. That’s what Angela telling you to do it pretty much means.’
Candice glares at him. ‘And I thought you were cute.’
‘I am cute,’ Matt says with dignity. ‘That doesn’t mean you can ask me damn cheeky questions.’
Matt looks at the two files on the desk in front of him; one of them is a huge box file and the other file is a flimsy foolscap folder holding perhaps five or six pieces of paper.
The huge box file is Doyle’s and from Matt’s initial flick through is largely concerned with the numerous assaults he’s responsible for and his escape from Primatech custody. Matt scratches his forehead and turns back to the front page. Ability: control of motor functions of both other people and machinery.
Matt’s phone rings. He flips open the phone and presses it to his ear.
‘Matt Parkman.’
‘It’s me. I mean it’s Mohinder.’
Matt checks his watch. ‘Am I late for your lunch delivery?’
‘That’s extremely amusing, Matt,’ he sighs. ‘Unfortunately I’m calling to tell you that the microwave resonances don’t match. It could be that there’s a reason why Campbell’s resonance might change but I’ll have to look at it in more depth.’
‘Hell,’ Matt says, rubbing his forehead. ‘Are you saying it wasn’t him in the hotel room? Maybe it changed because it was so intense?’
‘No to both questions. When he was arrested he released microwave radiation at the same resonance as in the hotel room. Either his resonance has changed for some reason I’ve yet to ascertain or… or you’re looking for someone else.’
Matt bangs his head on the box file. ‘Oh.’
‘I’m sorry,’ Mohinder says quietly. ‘I’m still working on it.’
‘Okay, well, I’ll be there in a couple of hours with some food. I’ve passed on the DNA sample so if you don’t get a hit there’s a chance they will.’
‘I’ve had a hit,’ Mohinder says, ‘but the data is compiling. It should be ready in a few hours.’
‘Great! Why didn’t you start with the good news?’
‘Because I’d rather leave you feeling relieved with good news than depressed with bad news. Oh, I spoke to Peter. He and Nathan are heading out to the prison after lunch.’
Matt rubs his head. ‘Maybe they’ll get somewhere. Okay, thanks Mohinder.’
‘Don’t forget lunch, Matthew,’ Mohinder says, and disconnects.
Martin’s file is extremely basic: little more than his personal details and suggestions that he’s misusing his ability to commit multiple frauds. Surveillance was recommended but since he was considered to be low threat it was declined as unnecessary. Matt pushes his chair back and stands up. He can see Sylar wanting both abilities and maybe Luke just went along for the ride with his hero, but that doesn’t help Matt any.
Time to buy some Chinese food.
Matt has met Monica a couple of times before and found the young woman bright, cheery, and devoted to Mohinder in a way Mohinder almost certainly doesn’t understand. Matt sighs at that thought. Mohinder is a difficult man to know not least because he has almost no understanding of himself.
‘Oh I love Chinese food!’ she says, taking one of the bags from Matt. ‘The only time we get decent food is when we’re doing stuff for you.’
‘I’m not sure a variety of takeaway food counts as decent but I’m glad to do what I can,’ Matt says, following her into the lab.
‘Doctor Suresh tends to forget to cook,’ she says with a shrug. ‘When he remembers it’s great but since he hardly ever does remember…’ She shrugs again.
‘There are more important things than cooking,’ Mohinder says, appearing from somewhere to grab a bag.
‘You know he told me that you asked for Chinese food,’ Matt says to Monica.
She laughs uncertainly and then shrugs. ‘Well I… certainly do love it!’
‘I’m sure Angela was thrilled at you rifling through their files,’ Mohinder says dryly.
‘In the end there wasn’t much to see. Doyle’s a pervert who misused his ability to assault a bunch of women and Martin misused his to run scams and credit card frauds.’
‘What were their abilities?’ Monica asks.
Matt shrugs and swallows a mouthful of food. ‘Doyle controlled motor functions; he could march you across the room like a puppet. Martin could change what he looked like to mimic other people. Audrey Hanson thought maybe it was some criminal conspiracy but I can’t see it. Doyle and Martin were small fry and neither of them had any use for a partner that I can figure. They’re too small for a vigilante to bother with I’d have thought.’
‘Sylar could use both those abilities,’ Mohinder suggests. ‘The ability to change shape especially.’
‘We’ve got no reason to believe he’s involved,’ Matt says, shaking his head.
‘I believe he is. Call it intuition if you like,’ Mohinder says firmly.
‘Okay, I’ll bite. Say Sylar’s taken Doyle’s ability and Luke attacks him for… whatever reason, why doesn’t Sylar just stop him? If he’s got Doyle’s power he could stop Luke like that,’ Matt says, snapping his fingers. ‘He’s got healing ability so why would he lie on the bed and let Luke cook him?’
Mohinder shrugs. ‘Perhaps Campbell had drugged him?’
‘Mohinder I’ve seen this kid. He’s no you,’ Matt says dryly.
An alarm chimes loudly and Monica climbs to her feet. ‘I’ll go get it.’
‘Front door?’ Matt asks as she walks away.
‘Your DNA sequence,’ Mohinder corrects. ‘Shall we have a bet?’
‘If it was Sylar it’d have been identified by now.’
‘No, he was never arrested,’ Mohinder says firmly. ‘He was wanted in connection with crimes but neither questioned nor arrested.’
‘I’m starting to feel this is rigged.’
Mohinder clears her throat. ‘Guys, according to this your DNA belongs to Gabriel Gray.’
‘I win!’ Mohinder says.
‘Great, so Sylar can change his appearance to look like anyone, that’s fabulous,’ Matt says rolling his eyes.
‘I should think he’ll regret that soon enough,’ Mohinder suggests. ‘From what I’ve seen the ability to mimic another person’s shape can undermine even the strongest psyche and Sylar’s sense of identity has always been fragile at best. He’d probably end up confused who the hell he was. Matt, why are you looking at me like that?’
‘An evolved human normally has a degree of immunity to their own ability, right? People who produce flame aren’t burnt by it,’ Matt says in a hollow voice.
‘Certainly.’
‘So in order to incinerate someone who produced microwave radiation, you’d have to use a massive dose. Much higher than you’d need to kill anyone else.’
Mohinder shrugs. ‘Yes I suppose so, altering the resonance frequency might also… Oh God!’
‘Nathan’s taking Peter there to try to recover his memory!’ Matt yanks out his phone and frantically calls a number/
‘Doctor Suresh, what’s going on?’ Monica asks quietly.
Mohinder puts his head in his hands. ‘The man is Rikers Island isn’t Luke Campbell. Luke Campbell is the body in the hotel room. The man in Rikers is Sylar and Peter Petrelli is about to make him realise who he really is.’
‘Maybe they’re not there yet?’ Monica suggests.
‘He’s not answering,’ Matt mutters.
‘There could be any number of reasons for that,’ Mohinder says. ‘Monica call the DA’s office and see if he’s left. Call on my phone. Matt, I’ll drive you to the prison.’
‘But…’
‘You’re in no fit state to drive,’ Mohinder says sharply, hustling him from the room. ‘More alacrity please, Monica!’
‘I’m going as fast as I can, Doctor!’ she calls, flipping frantically through the phone book.
‘Come on, come on,’ Matt growls as Mohinder speeds through the streets.
‘I’m already breaking the speed limit.’
‘I didn’t mean you,’ Matt says sheepishly, ‘the prison have me on hold.’
‘What do you plan to say to them when they answer? I’m not sure that they’ll take it too seriously if you tell them that they have a shapeshifter in custody pretending to be Luke Campbell.’
Matt grips the dashboard as the car screeches around a corner. ‘We’re going to get pulled over.’
‘Just keep sending the cops the other way,’ Mohinder says, and smiles when Matt blushes. ‘Did you think I wouldn’t notice the way they keep approaching at speed and then suddenly veering away?’
‘We’re trying to save God knows how many lives here.’
‘Primarily your lover’s.’
‘My partner’s, yeah.’
‘We’re about to hit the bridge,’ Mohinder says in a strained voice.
‘I… Yes, hello? This is Matt Parkman. I work for Nathan Petrelli and it’s vitally important that I talk to him. Yes Sir, this is a matter of life and death. No…I… He is. I… can you ask him to… I see. No. No. Thank you.’ Matt flips his phone shut. ‘He and another visitor are with one of the prisoners and have been for about thirty minutes.’
Mohinder’s fingers tighten on the steering wheel. ‘Is that long enough?’
‘I don’t know. I got know idea. Peter’s there. Maybe he can hold Sylar off for a while.’ Matt dials another number. ‘Mohinder, I need you to leave once you’ve dropped me off, okay?’
‘Don’t be bloody stupid! What’re you going to do, break into the prison?’
‘If I have to. I’m hoping I don’t.’ Matt bites his lip as someone answers the phone. ‘It’s Matt Parkman. We’ve got a problem with the Campbell case and I need your help.’
‘Mohinder, I’m not kidding, you need to go now!’ Matt insists as they run up to the entrance.
‘I’m not going anywhere, Matt.’ Mohinder grabs Matt by the shoulders. ‘You’re here to get Nathan out safely. I need to stop Sylar. If it’s a choice between stopping Sylar and keeping Nathan safe you have to pick Nathan, I understand that. Sylar murdered my father and tortured me. You know that. You know I can’t walk away.’ He drops his hands. ‘And if you make me, Matt, I’ll never forgive you.’
‘You finished being a drama queen?’
‘I believe so.’
Overhead military helicopters hove into view.
‘Crap, we’ve wasted too much time,’ Matt says, ‘come on.’
The grey-faced, twitchy guards wave them through on sight, not even attempting to take their phones or Matt’s gun.
‘Are you evacuating?’ Matt asks.
‘Fast as we can without raising suspicion,’ the guard says. ‘Not fast enough if half the stuff I’ve heard about this guy is true.’
‘Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,’ Matt says.
They’re swimming against the tide of evacuating detainees and prisoners when an explosion rips through the facility. Glass shatters and concrete cracks with the force of the blast.
‘You need them to go around us or we’ll never get through!’ Mohinder yells into Matt’s ear.
Matt’s first instinct is too insist there are too many people: that he can’t possibly influence this many panicking, desperate men and women. But Nathan’s in here somewhere.
Go around us. Go around. Go around us.
Something touches his face and when he opens his eyes, Mohinder is using a handkerchief to swab blood from his face.
‘At least you didn’t fall over,’ he says brusquely. ‘Get a move on.’
They run through the channel between the heaving mass of people towards the explosions and distant screams.
The air is full of dust and sunlight. Sylar has destroyed the roof and is stalking about the main floor looking for something, or someone.
‘Can you do something?’
‘I can’t concentrate. You know I have trouble with lots of noise and I’m distracted about Nathan. Probably when I know he’s okay.’
‘Oh wonderful!’
‘Why hasn’t he left?’ Matt whispers.
‘Can you feel Nathan and Peter?’
‘I never tried that before.’
‘Well try it now. Perhaps he’s looking for them,’ Mohinder suggests.
Sylar turns slowly and squints across the room. ‘I can hear you whispering, Mohinder. Who’s that you have with you?’
Rubble shifts and slides as Peter, coughing on dust, climbs to his feet. ‘Are you here to flirt, Sylar, or to fight?’
Mohinder grits his teeth. ‘As if I’d flirt with him!’
‘Can you maybe concentrate on the not getting killed part of the equation?’
‘I can see a shoe.’ Mohinder points to a pillar. ‘See?’
‘Stay here. If Peter goes down try to distract Sylar without getting yourself killed.’
Matt ducks down low and begins crawling over the rubble towards the pillar. Overhead the noise of helicopters fills the air.
Peter is flung backwards into a wall, several feet from Mohinder.
‘I suppose I should be grateful really,’ Sylar muses. ‘After all if Peter hadn’t healed me I’d have been stuck as Luke. That reminds me, I need to go find Guard Ellis and express my concern at the way he abuses his authority.’
‘Odd that you seemed to enjoy when you thought you were Luke Campbell,’ Mohinder calls, before ducking away.
Sylar smiles thinly. ‘We can all enjoy things we later regret, isn’t that so, Mohinder?’ He makes a gesture with his hand and Mohinder is pulled up into the air. ‘You were positively enthusiastic when you thought I was Zane Taylor.’
‘Poor Sylar can’t get anyone to sleep with you without pretending to be someone else,’ Mohinder retorts.
Matt reaches Nathan and presses a finger to his lips. Nathan waves a hand at the rubble covering his leg.
I’ll get it off and you get out of here.
What about you?
I’ve got to get Mohinder and Peter out of here before the air strike.
Nathan hisses as the last of the rubble is removed and opens his mouth to argue.
‘Go!’
‘Who’s that now? The last of our merry band?’ Sylar asks.
‘Put Mohinder down,’ Peter says, staggering up to his feet.
Matt grabs Nathan and hauls him across the room, shoving him out of the shattered doorway before leaping to the safety of a pillar.
‘Oh Peter, don’t you know when you’re beaten?’ Sylar sighs. He lifts Mohinder up onto the remains of mezzanine and concentrates on Peter.
Matt scrambles around on all fours behind Sylar as they hurl mortar and rubble at each other. Up above Mohinder is clinging to the disintegrating wall as he fights not to fall.
Jump!
Don’t be bloody ridiculous!
I’ll catch you.
I happen to be a full grown man!
Any minute now they’re going to bomb this place into oblivion!
Mohinder jumps. The impact knocks Matt to the ground but they manage to get to their feet.
‘Wasn’t that dramatic?’ Sylar asks, smirking at them. ‘Mohinder, are you still carrying a little bit of a torch for your ex?’
‘Why did you kill Campbell?’ Matt asks. ‘Why not take Doyle or Martin’s identity?’
‘I didn’t know them. I knew Luke well enough to pass muster even with his mother.’ Sylar flicks his wrist and sends Peter flying out of the room. ‘You’re the mind reader aren’t you? That’s going to come in handy.’
‘I can do that,’ Matt concurs. ‘I can do a few other things too.’
‘Oh, like what?’
Nathan slaps Matt’s hand. ‘Stop playing with your cast.’
‘I still think you could’ve stopped them bombing the place,’ Matt argues.
Nathan returns his attention to his papers. ‘You knew they were coming, you got Hanson to pass on the message so they’d be called in. You and Suresh were lucky that Sylar took the brunt of the explosion. Cuts, bruises, and broken bones were the least you could expect.’
Matt scowls and tries to scratch the skin underneath the cast on his leg again. ‘Thanks for your support.’
‘I’m babying you while you recuperate aren’t I? I should’ve insisted you stay at home instead of coming to the court.’
‘I have to give evidence!’
‘Not for days.’ Nathan puts down his notes and looks at his lover.
‘What?’
‘I ask you to find some additional evidence on three murders and you find another murder, prove the suspect is a completely different person, blow up Rikers Island, get me hurt, Peter stunned, Suresh bruised and dazed, you with a broken leg, and Sylar unable to use his powers.’
‘Well… the last part is good,’ Matt says meekly.
‘How did you do that anyway?’
‘I told him he couldn’t use them.’
Nathan raises his eyebrows. ‘How long is that likely to work for?’
‘I don’t know. The Haitian is with him and is going to stay with him until he’s transferred to the Primatech facility where he’ll be sedated until they finish the Sylar proof prison.’
‘I’d be happy if we had the death sentence,’ Nathan says dryly. ‘But it’ll do for now I suppose.’
‘Sorry I messed up your case against Campbell by proving he was already dead,’ Matt says, batting his eyelashes.
Nathan kisses him firmly. ‘You’re an ass, Parkman, but apparently I’m stuck with you.’
‘Looks like,’ Matt agrees, and squeezes his hand.
The End.
