Randomly Destined: Chapter Two
Thanks to dragonydreams for the beta!
Randomly Destined
Rating: PG
Pairings: Ensemble
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Summary: What happened after the finale
Previous chapters here
He couldn’t think about anything. He didn’t know where he was. Nothing existed except the energy and his tentative control over it. It seemed like the exploding would happen in his brain first because it just had to burst from the exertion he was drawing from it.
A cool breeze brushed against his consciousness. He found he could open his eyes. He remembered where he was.
“Nathan,” he gasped with effort. “You-you have to get away from me.”
“I’m not leaving you,” said his brother who was holding him as they soared into the sky.
“I can’t hold it much longer. You have time, time to save yourself.”
“Who will save you?”
Peter’s face almost started to smile, but it was too much on top of everything else.
“I can regenerate and I can fly. Where’s the downside here?”
“You don’t know if you can be put back together after exploding and who knows if you’ll be able to fly after the effort.”
Peter gritted his teeth. He had no time. Nathan was too stubborn.
“So fly far enough away that you won’t be hurt, and then fly back and save me.”
Nathan hesitated.
“Go!” Peter shouted and wormed his way out of Nathan’s grasp and floated with extreme effort. Nathan’s face struggled and then he said,
“I meant it.”
“I know.” Then Nathan was gone.
There was no way Peter could fly and keep the energy from being released.
He had no words for what happened to him next. Searing heat, unendurable stretching and tearing, power. Then peace and cold air. He plummeted to the earth below as his body started to piece itself back together. When his brain kicked back into gear, Peter realized he was falling, Nathan was nowhere to be seen, and he was going to have a nasty smash landing unless he could remember how to fly.
He pictured the card catalogue that Claude had suggested to him. He flipped to the F’s (funny how the card even looked like Nathan in his mind) and pulled out the right one quickly. His body then slowed down and pulled into a graceful upward movement. He hovered there for a moment before his still mangled body reminded him it would like to be on the ground while it cured itself further.
Peter landed next to a dumpster in an alley. He lurched forward and fell to his knees. Dimly, footsteps echoed around him and Peter tried to become invisible, not wanting anyone to see his body finish its healing.
“Not bloody likely to work.”
Peter raised his head and his vision cleared as his eyeball fixed itself back in its socket.
“Claude?”
***
Ando stepped off the airplane and felt a sense of excitement. He was back in New York where so much had happened just a short while ago. Sure, part of his adventures included Las Vegas, but the culmination of everything and the reason for his return was in New York City.
He just wondered where to begin. He didn’t have the address of anyone in New York except Isaac and now since…that had happened, the information would not help him. He hoped to find Peter Petrelli, the only other person he could think of who would know Hiro and want to find him. The only problem was he had no idea what had happened at the final showdown or if there even had been one. All he knew was that the bomb hadn’t gone off and Hiro was gone.
Ando did not think it would be a good idea to see Nathan Petrelli whose morality he was not sure of, but surely there would be a listing of Peter somewhere.
***
He could feel the healing. He didn’t know why it was happening, but it was definitely there. He was highly suspicious and wasn’t sure he liked it.
But whatever was healing him, he was being healed, so why was he still here? Here in this house with each room marked signifying its use. But there was no door out. He was trapped, he suspected, in his own mind.
He noticed something out of the corner of his eye-a picture on the coffee table. His family. He picked it up and gazed at his wife and son.
With renewed determination, DL looked for a way home.
***
When Mohinder and his guests arrived at the hospital the next day they were in for more disappointment. Niki and her son were allowed to visit her husband, who was in a coma and whose prognosis was not good. Mohinder and Molly were not permitted access to Matt; however, and they remained in the waiting room. Molly cried silent tears of fear and Mohinder held her on his lap.
“Why won’t they let me see him?” she asked, whispering in his ear. He wished he had an answer she would accept.
“They only let family members in, Molly,” he explained as gently as he could.
“But he saved my life. He’s my hero,” she whimpered.
“I’m sorry,” was all the reply Mohinder could muster. Glancing up, he saw the dark haired woman he’d seen before. As his shoulder grew damper he made a decision and stood up, still holding Molly.
“Excuse me, he said politely. The woman stopped her exit and turned her own tear-streaked face toward Mohinder.
“Can I help you?” she inquired.
“Are you Officer Parkman’s wife?”
“Yes, I-I’m Janice.” She looked down at her ring finger.
“My name is Mohinder Suresh and this is Molly Walker. I’m terribly sorry to intrude, but your husband is her hero after saving her life several times and she really wants to see him and know if he’s all right.”
Janice looked at the little girl as she removed her head from being buried in Mohinder’s shoulder. The older woman put one hand on her slightly bulging stomach and her heart melted at seeing the request in the girl’s eyes.
“It’s okay,” she said. “Come with me.”
They followed her to Matt’s room.
“He just got out of surgery,” Janice explained. “It went well, but there were complications-“ She choked back a sob. “I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s fine, please,” Mohinder assured her, setting Molly on the ground, who ran to the bed and grabbed Matt’s hand in hers, ignoring the IV and tubes keeping him alive. She started to talk in a low voice to him. Mohinder smiled at the sight.
“I’m so sorry,” he said again to Janice. “I know this is a very inconvenient time.”
“No,” she said in a quiet voice. “It’s nice knowing what he’s been doing.”
When the two left they found Niki and Micah waiting for them.
“How is he?” Mohinder asked her.
“The doctors can’t explain why his wound didn’t kill him. It’s now healed, but they also can’t explain the coma or why he doesn’t wake up.” She glanced over at her son talking to Molly who was listening with big open eyes. “He looks good though. What about her cop?”
“It’s a waiting game,” Mohinder answered. “But his wife has granted us full access to him-so Molly will be happy.”
“Good,” Niki said. “She’s a sweet kid.”
“Yes,” he agreed.
“Let’s be bad parents and go spoil them rotten to make up for everything,” she said with a sad smile. Mohinder gave a small smile in return.
“Let’s. I know a good ice cream store not far from here.”
“Perfect.”
***
There was an incredible flurry of activity around him. Many questions, fussing, he felt they all cared for him. But at the same time, he just wished he could be alone. Maybe if they let him gather his thoughts, unwind from everything, he could explain. His body was shaking, he realized. Probably still wasn’t handling all the power he absorbed very well. Idly, he wondered when the next time he would blow up or do something terrible because he couldn’t control what he soaked in would be.
“Peter, is any of this making sense to you at all?” his mother asked sharply at what was probably the end of a long tirade.
“Not really, no,” he admitted. “Just let me think, Ma.”
“After everything we’ve been through, you want to think?” she asked, exasperated.
“I know this wasn’t exactly how you wanted things to turn out,” he finally said, accusation in his voice.
“Well,” she said, seating herself beside him. “Things are never what they appear to be. You managed to do what I didn’t think was possible. That’s quite impressive, however you did it. But it would be nice for those of us who have worried about you to know what happened.” She gestured to Claire, Heidi and herself.
Peter took a deep breath and forced himself to focus. Briefly, he described the last few seconds in the sky before the explosion and how he landed.
“I can’t really remember too much after that,” he said. “I met a friend. I think he cleaned me up. Then I came home.”
“At least you had the sense to do so,” Angela said worriedly. “Nathan hasn’t shown the same intelligence.”
“He’s not here?” Peter’s head snapped up. Immediately Claire could see the guilt in his eyes.
“We don’t know what happened,” she told him quietly. “Even if…he made his own choice.”
“That’s true, Peter,” Heidi added gently. “Nobody made Nathan’s decisions for him.”
“Yeah,” Peter agreed distractedly. “I need a shower.” Angela nodded.
“Best thing to do.” Claire looked annoyed that after everything all that was going to happen was Peter was going to have a shower. But she didn’t say anything.
“Thanks for staying, Claire,” he told her on his way out of the room.
After his shower, Peter headed downstairs. He figured some food and then searching for Nathan would be his priorities. The doorbell rang while he was passing it, so he opened the door.
Two men he knew stood there, obviously not knowing each other.
“Peter, I’m so glad to see you,” the Asian said. “I need your help.”
“This who you hang out with?” The other man jerked his thumb towards his fellow door-knocker. “No wonder you can’t do anything constructive.” Then Claude pushed past Ando and an astonished Peter into the house. “Hand over the babies. I’m ready to teach,” Claude said grinning.
Randomly Destined
Rating: PG
Pairings: Ensemble
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Summary: What happened after the finale
Previous chapters here
He couldn’t think about anything. He didn’t know where he was. Nothing existed except the energy and his tentative control over it. It seemed like the exploding would happen in his brain first because it just had to burst from the exertion he was drawing from it.
A cool breeze brushed against his consciousness. He found he could open his eyes. He remembered where he was.
“Nathan,” he gasped with effort. “You-you have to get away from me.”
“I’m not leaving you,” said his brother who was holding him as they soared into the sky.
“I can’t hold it much longer. You have time, time to save yourself.”
“Who will save you?”
Peter’s face almost started to smile, but it was too much on top of everything else.
“I can regenerate and I can fly. Where’s the downside here?”
“You don’t know if you can be put back together after exploding and who knows if you’ll be able to fly after the effort.”
Peter gritted his teeth. He had no time. Nathan was too stubborn.
“So fly far enough away that you won’t be hurt, and then fly back and save me.”
Nathan hesitated.
“Go!” Peter shouted and wormed his way out of Nathan’s grasp and floated with extreme effort. Nathan’s face struggled and then he said,
“I meant it.”
“I know.” Then Nathan was gone.
There was no way Peter could fly and keep the energy from being released.
He had no words for what happened to him next. Searing heat, unendurable stretching and tearing, power. Then peace and cold air. He plummeted to the earth below as his body started to piece itself back together. When his brain kicked back into gear, Peter realized he was falling, Nathan was nowhere to be seen, and he was going to have a nasty smash landing unless he could remember how to fly.
He pictured the card catalogue that Claude had suggested to him. He flipped to the F’s (funny how the card even looked like Nathan in his mind) and pulled out the right one quickly. His body then slowed down and pulled into a graceful upward movement. He hovered there for a moment before his still mangled body reminded him it would like to be on the ground while it cured itself further.
Peter landed next to a dumpster in an alley. He lurched forward and fell to his knees. Dimly, footsteps echoed around him and Peter tried to become invisible, not wanting anyone to see his body finish its healing.
“Not bloody likely to work.”
Peter raised his head and his vision cleared as his eyeball fixed itself back in its socket.
“Claude?”
***
Ando stepped off the airplane and felt a sense of excitement. He was back in New York where so much had happened just a short while ago. Sure, part of his adventures included Las Vegas, but the culmination of everything and the reason for his return was in New York City.
He just wondered where to begin. He didn’t have the address of anyone in New York except Isaac and now since…that had happened, the information would not help him. He hoped to find Peter Petrelli, the only other person he could think of who would know Hiro and want to find him. The only problem was he had no idea what had happened at the final showdown or if there even had been one. All he knew was that the bomb hadn’t gone off and Hiro was gone.
Ando did not think it would be a good idea to see Nathan Petrelli whose morality he was not sure of, but surely there would be a listing of Peter somewhere.
***
He could feel the healing. He didn’t know why it was happening, but it was definitely there. He was highly suspicious and wasn’t sure he liked it.
But whatever was healing him, he was being healed, so why was he still here? Here in this house with each room marked signifying its use. But there was no door out. He was trapped, he suspected, in his own mind.
He noticed something out of the corner of his eye-a picture on the coffee table. His family. He picked it up and gazed at his wife and son.
With renewed determination, DL looked for a way home.
***
When Mohinder and his guests arrived at the hospital the next day they were in for more disappointment. Niki and her son were allowed to visit her husband, who was in a coma and whose prognosis was not good. Mohinder and Molly were not permitted access to Matt; however, and they remained in the waiting room. Molly cried silent tears of fear and Mohinder held her on his lap.
“Why won’t they let me see him?” she asked, whispering in his ear. He wished he had an answer she would accept.
“They only let family members in, Molly,” he explained as gently as he could.
“But he saved my life. He’s my hero,” she whimpered.
“I’m sorry,” was all the reply Mohinder could muster. Glancing up, he saw the dark haired woman he’d seen before. As his shoulder grew damper he made a decision and stood up, still holding Molly.
“Excuse me, he said politely. The woman stopped her exit and turned her own tear-streaked face toward Mohinder.
“Can I help you?” she inquired.
“Are you Officer Parkman’s wife?”
“Yes, I-I’m Janice.” She looked down at her ring finger.
“My name is Mohinder Suresh and this is Molly Walker. I’m terribly sorry to intrude, but your husband is her hero after saving her life several times and she really wants to see him and know if he’s all right.”
Janice looked at the little girl as she removed her head from being buried in Mohinder’s shoulder. The older woman put one hand on her slightly bulging stomach and her heart melted at seeing the request in the girl’s eyes.
“It’s okay,” she said. “Come with me.”
They followed her to Matt’s room.
“He just got out of surgery,” Janice explained. “It went well, but there were complications-“ She choked back a sob. “I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s fine, please,” Mohinder assured her, setting Molly on the ground, who ran to the bed and grabbed Matt’s hand in hers, ignoring the IV and tubes keeping him alive. She started to talk in a low voice to him. Mohinder smiled at the sight.
“I’m so sorry,” he said again to Janice. “I know this is a very inconvenient time.”
“No,” she said in a quiet voice. “It’s nice knowing what he’s been doing.”
When the two left they found Niki and Micah waiting for them.
“How is he?” Mohinder asked her.
“The doctors can’t explain why his wound didn’t kill him. It’s now healed, but they also can’t explain the coma or why he doesn’t wake up.” She glanced over at her son talking to Molly who was listening with big open eyes. “He looks good though. What about her cop?”
“It’s a waiting game,” Mohinder answered. “But his wife has granted us full access to him-so Molly will be happy.”
“Good,” Niki said. “She’s a sweet kid.”
“Yes,” he agreed.
“Let’s be bad parents and go spoil them rotten to make up for everything,” she said with a sad smile. Mohinder gave a small smile in return.
“Let’s. I know a good ice cream store not far from here.”
“Perfect.”
***
There was an incredible flurry of activity around him. Many questions, fussing, he felt they all cared for him. But at the same time, he just wished he could be alone. Maybe if they let him gather his thoughts, unwind from everything, he could explain. His body was shaking, he realized. Probably still wasn’t handling all the power he absorbed very well. Idly, he wondered when the next time he would blow up or do something terrible because he couldn’t control what he soaked in would be.
“Peter, is any of this making sense to you at all?” his mother asked sharply at what was probably the end of a long tirade.
“Not really, no,” he admitted. “Just let me think, Ma.”
“After everything we’ve been through, you want to think?” she asked, exasperated.
“I know this wasn’t exactly how you wanted things to turn out,” he finally said, accusation in his voice.
“Well,” she said, seating herself beside him. “Things are never what they appear to be. You managed to do what I didn’t think was possible. That’s quite impressive, however you did it. But it would be nice for those of us who have worried about you to know what happened.” She gestured to Claire, Heidi and herself.
Peter took a deep breath and forced himself to focus. Briefly, he described the last few seconds in the sky before the explosion and how he landed.
“I can’t really remember too much after that,” he said. “I met a friend. I think he cleaned me up. Then I came home.”
“At least you had the sense to do so,” Angela said worriedly. “Nathan hasn’t shown the same intelligence.”
“He’s not here?” Peter’s head snapped up. Immediately Claire could see the guilt in his eyes.
“We don’t know what happened,” she told him quietly. “Even if…he made his own choice.”
“That’s true, Peter,” Heidi added gently. “Nobody made Nathan’s decisions for him.”
“Yeah,” Peter agreed distractedly. “I need a shower.” Angela nodded.
“Best thing to do.” Claire looked annoyed that after everything all that was going to happen was Peter was going to have a shower. But she didn’t say anything.
“Thanks for staying, Claire,” he told her on his way out of the room.
After his shower, Peter headed downstairs. He figured some food and then searching for Nathan would be his priorities. The doorbell rang while he was passing it, so he opened the door.
Two men he knew stood there, obviously not knowing each other.
“Peter, I’m so glad to see you,” the Asian said. “I need your help.”
“This who you hang out with?” The other man jerked his thumb towards his fellow door-knocker. “No wonder you can’t do anything constructive.” Then Claude pushed past Ando and an astonished Peter into the house. “Hand over the babies. I’m ready to teach,” Claude said grinning.