Crack in the persona - tag drgabrielgray and drpeterpetrelli

[howtheydied]

I meet with the forensic pathology department at Mercy Heights first. I guess I wanted to get a tour of the place, build up to meeting Dr. Petrelli again. Their facilities are good, the location is closer to my apartment, the staff is friendly enough, and they appear eager to have me. The head must have googled my name before I arrived. I

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[howtheydied]

What science fiction bullshit is this? I try to think of reasons why they'd be lying to me, other than a petty desire to pull one over on me- but again, they don't seem like the type. They take the time to explain it to me, mention problems they've encountered because of it...I don't believe them yet, but I'm not entirely ready to discount it.

And Gabriel's counterparts are serial killers? No. I have to keep from laughing there, especially since I want to hear the rest of it. But I manage it. Peter's been accused of killing his brother (now, Nathan I caught on a Google search, and there was certainly no mention of his death...). Well, I asked for bizarre. "Sorry to hear you were falsely accused," I say, and that I'd guess I'm right about. If I got pinned with a murder I hadn't actually committed, I'd be even more annoyed than if it was a fair catch. That seems to be the look on Peter's face right now. "At least you managed to get it cleared up."

I want to ask what his real brother is like, but Peter appears to be getting down to business. "I'm good at handling all sorts of situations, especially when it's in my best interest to stay quiet," I say, giving them both a small smile. "Obviously, being unflappable is a trait a lot of pathologists have, but this is something else." And what they're talking about is something else entirely.

"But how is this being kept so quiet? Especially if versions of people from outside this place are getting visibly killed, I'd assume that story would break quickly. Is it just too difficult for most people to parse?" I'm not saying I'm completely sold, yet. But I am trying to figure out how this would work.

[drgabrielgray]

Ted's bullshit meter is about to blow, and I don't blame him. It does sound impossible. He must think that Peter and I have worked on this routine for weeks in preparation. With a grin I finish the last of my drink and set my glass on Peter's desk and get up.

"I think we should show you," I say with a grin. "There's another Peter who's a resident in the ER. We'll drop by, and you can see him. Little shit hates me, and I love to make the little shit jump through hoops." Peter frowns for a second when I mention the other, but he knows it's the best way to show Ted that part of our story's the truth.

"If you want to see one of the other Gabriel Grays, we'll have to go to Brooklyn to see the tame ones." Ted gets one more smile. This time I'm letting him see a bit behind my mask of civilization. "Believe me when I say you don't want to meet the others."

[drpeterpetrelli]

"Yes, I had help clearing it up thanks to another Nathan." One that I can at least stomach. "But it's not something I'd wish to repeat." Killing Nathan I wouldn't have minded, killing that nobody in the ambulance bay is not something I would've done and yet I got caught in the net. Damn whichever Sylar did it.

Gabriel wants to introduce Ted to the doctor wannabe? Christ, Ted must've made more of an impression than I thought since Gabriel tends to avoid the asshole like the plague. "Avoiding the Sylars would be very good practice, whether you believe us or not. You'll be able to tell the difference in them, it's pretty easy." Which is why Gabriel was so pissed off at Nathan's lackeys.

Finishing off my drink, I pick up the empty glasses and set them in the sink, stoppering the scotch and putting it back too. "Lets go. If you have any questions, you can save them for after the tour, when we have a little more privacy again to discuss things. As for how it's being kept quiet, the Petrelli name and Phoenix, the company in charge of taking care of all this mess is very good at its job. Things do slip out but would you believe it if someone else had told you? People only believe what they want to." I let Gabriel lead the way.

[howtheydied]

I nod at Peter when he explains how he got out of that situation. Having the word of the guy you supposedly murdered would work pretty well, I imagine.

Gabriel offers to have me meet another version of Peter that actually works the ER. My still suspicious mind wonders if they'd set this up with twins, but I can't really see them going to this much trouble just to mess with someone. Well, all right, maybe they would, but in this manner? I don't know, but I kind of doubt it. I smile back at Gabriel, cocking an eyebrow when he mentions I'd have to meet one of the 'tame ones' of his dopplegangers. That's right, the others are serial killers, aren't they? Peter calls them Sylars. Somehow I don't know if they'd be any more dangerous, really, but I bet they're a lot more obvious. I nod at their advice.

I stand when Peter starts putting the glasses away. I'm finding I'm a great deal more reticent around these guys than I even was around Jake's group. Maybe I'm still just in observing mode, but they don't seem to mind terribly much. "I suppose I wouldn't believe it, if I just heard it from some random guy. It does almost keep itself quiet. Thanks for showing me around, by the way. Now that I know about this other Peter, I have to admit...I'm curious to see what he's like." He must be quite a bit different than the one I know, if Gabriel dislikes him so much.

[drgabrielgray]

Ted follows along with us while we pretend to show off the hospital on our way to the ER. I end up stopping to sign my name to some report or other along the way.

"I am regretting taking that promotion more and more." And I am. I miss the operating room. I miss seeing all of my patients. I hate all the meetings too. I'll have to find a way to step down that doesn't make me look like a loser. I should be able to come up with something.

We don't even make it to the ER when I feel the hair on the back of my neck prickle. My eyes scan the area, and that's when I see him. One of the Gabriels, for all I know it's the one who hurt Peter, and since he's with Dr. Peter he probably is. If Ted wasn't with us, I'd kill them both right now, but instead I simply turn Ted, so he can see them as they head towards a patient's room.

"There you go, Dr. Grey. One Gabriel Gray and one Peter Petrelli." The look on Ted's face is priceless. "Remind me to make sure someone interrupts whatever they're up to up here."

[drpeterpetrelli]

Gabriel points things out as we move through the halls and I smirk when he gets stopped to fill out forms and sign them. He hates this part of his job but he's the one that Dr. Scully wanted and he's stuck for now. We'll see how long before his patience is worn too thin. "You do enjoy scaring the hell out of the new recruits though."

I feel them the same time Gabriel does and I wonder if Ted can feel it too. Whoever is here is very strong and there's more than one of them. I'm sure Peter's one but...oh yeah, there's a Gabe. I can't help taking a step back so the fucking bastard can't see me. I'm getting over the fear but it's still there, buried deep. At least they're moving away from us slightly.

Ted's eyes go wide as he stares at the other two. He should be able to see the differences between us, how there's no way we're pulling his leg now. I grind my teeth together. "I'll send a nurse over there, telling Peter he's needed elsewhere." As far away as possible would be nice and hopefully she can chase off the Gabe with him. It's the one that attacked me, it has to be, and I feel a shiver run down my spine.

[howtheydied]

The doctors almost seem to stiffen up next to me, the same instant I pick out the other Peter. He's actually standing next to another Gabriel. For a bare instant, I wonder if this is one of the 'dangerous' ones. He seems to make Peter- the one I know- nervous.

That's it. I shake my head and look over to Dr. Petrelli. "This is insane. But since it's real, guess I've got to believe you. Shall we get out of here?" They both seem to want to leave. I'd love to talk to the two down the hall- I have so many questions. But it's not going to happen.

It's going to take me a minute to get my jaw off the floor anyway.

[drgabrielgray]

"I'm done for the day. Let's get the hell out of here. You look like you could use a drink, and I'm hungry." Seeing the other two has spiked my hunger, but that's not all that's bothering me. That Gabriel has a Sylar that watches over him, and that's the fucker who killed me. I can almost feel him nearby too, and I don't want to be anywhere in his vicinity.

"My treat. Does steak sound good?" I ask as Ted scrapes his jaw off the floor, so we can head for the nearest exist. I leave my lab coat with a volunteer at the desk, and use a little persuasion to make sure that she doesn't forget to take it upstairs to my assistant. Ted won't notice a thing. I do love the subtle powers.

((That looks like a good stopping spot.))