Apocabigbang Fic - The Man Who Sold the World - Chapter 4
Title: The Man Who Sold The World - Chapter 4
Fandom: Heroes
Pairing: Adam/Peter, Mohinder/Sylar
Words: 3491/15,520
Rating/Warnings: PG-13, m/m relationships-but no graphic sex, spoilers for S2 and part of S3.
Summary: In a world where over 99% of the population has died, decimated by the release of the Shanti virus, Adam has worked hard to build an outpost of civilization for survivors in a paradise, a new Garden of Eden, where humanity can be shaped into the image of his choosing. But while most of the survivors have resigned themselves to this new world and struggle to find their own place and build lives within it, Peter refuses to do so. Despite the feelings he and Adam share, Peter won't rest until he manages to undo what was done, no matter the cost, and Adam must find a way to stop him before it's too late, and his perfect apocalypse is destroyed.
Parts: Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6
Notes: Thank you to my wonderful betas: kirsteena, risingfire and keep_them_safe
Fanmix to accompany: The Future Never Happened - by entwashian
Some enterprising soul had gotten the newspaper printing presses working, and Angela flipped through the paper as she sipped her coffee. Buildings that had been cleared, businesses that were ready for opening, supplies that had been found, the state of the harvest, and lists of people, always the lists. New arrivals, their names, their former residences, the family and friends they were searching for; names of those lost by those who wished to memorialize them; names of those still searching, no matter how long they'd been here and that they must have seen them all. A boat was coming in next week, and there would be a crowd at the dock, pressing against each other in frantic waves, searching the worn, terrified faces of the disembarking refugees in hope of catching a glimpse of someone they had lost. Sometimes cries went up, joyous and thankful, and tears poured out of everyone's eyes as they watched loved ones be reunited, falling to the boards of the pier, clinging in a tight embrace.
More often, the crowd dispersed slowly, with softer tears of resignation falling, while those in charge of greeting the newcomers and getting them settled took over with brisk, but kind, efficiency.
She was lucky, Angela knew. Friends had fallen and none of her social circle had survived that she knew of, but her sons were both well, and she could hear her grandsons laughing over something in the other room as they got ready for school. Across town, in another room, under a lock that couldn't be broken, even one she would have preferred to have lost paced back and forth in a sterile cell.
And the nightmares were gone. She'd dreamed last night, and the things she'd seen had hurt, but it was a quiet pain, a mother's pain, not horror of the future to come.
So, yes, she was lucky. She told herself that, every day. She had a home to which she was accustomed. She had the respect and protection of the leader of the surviving world. All it had cost was an apology, a little loss of pride, and a devil's bargain. The cost could have been so much higher.
"I'm gonna take the boys to school, then head on in to the office, Ma," Nathan said, coming out and grabbing a piece of toast off the table on the lanai, before leaning down to kiss her cheek.
"Don't you want some coffee?" Angela asked, giving him a look.
Nathan waved a hand. "I put some in a travel mug in the kitchen. I need to get in. Adam's got something to do and needs me to see to the preparations for the clearing out of Haleiwa. We're sending a team up there next week, and there's still a lot to be done."
"He thinks spreading out is a good idea already?" Angela asked, frowning. "We've hardly reached capacity here."
"Yeah, but reestablishing a presence on the North Shore will be helpful for the fishing industry," Nathan explained. "The shrimp beds are up there, for one, and some of the better fishing."
Angela nodded a bit, then took a breath, trying to shake off the melancholy from her dream. "All right. Did he say anything about coming by today?"
Nathan gave her a slightly surprised look, then nodded. "He did. He said he'd be by after breakfast with Pete, actually." He frowned a little. "Pete's okay, isn't he?"
Angela's smile was sad. "You know your brother. He'll be fine, but...."
"But he can't accept what's happened," Nathan said with a sigh.
"I'm not sure he ever will."
Nathan looked troubled. "Maybe I should try talking to him again?"
Angela mustered a smile and shook her head. "Maybe. But not today. Today...today you go on into work and let us take care of Peter."
Something more angry and protective than worried flashed in Nathan's eyes. "You're not going to hurt him." It wasn't a question.
Angela shook her head. "No. That's the last thing Adam wants. He's...very fond of your brother. But...he needs to be contained before he goes back and does something he'll regret for the rest of his very long life."
"You think Pete could be the one to cause...all those things you saw?" Nathan asked.
"I don't know," Angela said with a shrug. "He has the power for it, or he could have, or maybe he could just set things in motion to take us right to some outcome worse than anything we've ever imagined."
"Just...don't hurt him, Ma, okay? Don't let Adam get...the way he does. He listens to you." Nathan leaned down and gave her another kiss.
"I'll make sure your brother is kept safe," Angela promised.
Nathan nodded slightly, and then moved back inside, calling for the boys and herding them out the door. Angela watched him go with a thoughtful frown. Wouldn't it be lovely, if Maury's ability could work as smoothly on Peter as it had Nathan, quieting his doubts, bringing him on board with the plan, giving him a peace about it? But Peter healed from anything the telepath did, if he didn't outright resist it, and his fury over their meddling with Nathan's mind had nearly driven him from any ties with all of them. Only the sheer emptiness of the world pulled him back, she knew. She could still see the betrayal in his eyes when he looked at her. But it was a small price to bear, she told herself again. The irony that she had allowed to be done to Nathan what she tried to kill her husband for doing to her was not lost on her, but it was just this once, she swore. Just this once, just so they could all be happy.
She was lucky, and there was no use rocking the boat with what might have beens.
* * *
The car ride across town was quiet, which Adam appreciated. There was a knot in his stomach that had been there since he'd woken up wrapped in Peter's arms, and found himself imagining that every day could be like this, and questioning if the few moments he got of this would be the cost for what he was about to do. How much was too much to ask someone to forgive? Not that Peter had forgiven him the rest, but he found his way back to Adam's arms and bed like a moth to a flame, even in his anger and betrayal. But would this be the step too far?
Angela looked as composed as always, in a lightweight peach colored suit, as if this were a social call or a pleasant outing. There was a pensive line to her lips, though, if you knew where to look, how to look, and he saw shadows in her eyes. Had she dreamed something? Would she tell him if she had, or let him pursue this anyway? Her sphinx's gaze slid away any time he tried to catch it, settling on the passing scenery.
Rene sat across from them, as impassive and silent as ever, and if he had an opinion on what was about to happen, he wasn't volunteering it. Madame had told him to do as Adam ordered when he'd saved their lives, and the Haitian had proven himself a staunch ally since then. Adam flicked him a gaze, and met the quiet one he received. It would be a hard day for him, perhaps, or at least taxing. None of them were going to come out of this singing and dancing in pleasure, that was for sure, but Adam was killing two birds with one stone, and that evened out the twisting pain of it. It had to.
Peter looked between them with wide, anxious eyes. Rene's power had been rendering him helpless, normal, for over 24 hours now, and Adam knew it wasn't something he was used to. He hated to put him through it, hated more to do what he was about to, but it would just be temporary. Suresh would see to that. Once or twice Peter tried to speak up, to ask them where they were going, but no one answered, and he finally lapsed into an almost frightened silence, looking as if he wanted to reach out to one of them, any of them, but not knowing how to, or what would happen.
Adam took his hand when they got out of the car in front of the cold gray building, fingers curling around his in a strong grip he hoped was reassuring.
"What is this place?" Peter asked, resisting the tug toward the doors.
"It's sort of our equivalent to Level 5," Adam told him calmly. "In a world with so many specials, some of them are refusing to conform, even after having their lives saved and other incentives." Sylar had seen the wisdom of joining Adam quick enough. Others, sadly, had not. One wasn't offered the option.
"You're going to lock me up?" Peter stared at him, horror flickering in his eyes. "Put me back in a cage, and what? Throw away the key until I see sense? How could you? After what was done to you..."
Adam sighed. "No, Peter. The only people locked up are those who are a danger to the innocent survivors here. There is some debate if we should keep them here, where at least they are fed and have shelter, or turn them loose into exile off of the islands, back to the mainland. In the end, I suspect, the decision will be to offer them that choice to make for themselves."
"Then why are we here, if you're not...putting me here?"
Adam gave him an oblique look. "We're going to pay a visit to someone."
Peter fell silent, and they entered the building, nodding at the guards. No one spoke again as they moved down the corridors to a room in the center. Adam stared through the window dispassionately and met the furious gaze of the man he'd once called his best friend. No longer after the magnitude of his betrayal had sunk in, no more after what he'd learned of what he'd done to those Adam loved. But once upon a time, he'd trusted him with everything. He pressed the intercom.
"I've brought you visitors."
"Well, isn't this a surprise? Hello, dear. Peter. How good of you to come to see me."
Peter was staring through the glass, shocked. He looked at Adam, then Angela, then stared back through the window. "...Dad?"
* * *
The aroma of fresh ground coffee brewing pulled Mohinder from sleep. He blinked hazily for a moment, trying to figure out why there was coffee. Keeping the maker plugged in all night to set the timer wasted electricity, so he just put a pot on to brew before he went and showered. Stretching, he ran his fingers over the rumpled sheets of the bed and found the other side of the bed still holding a lingering warmth.
That was enough to have him scrambling out of bed and into his jeans. In the kitchen, he stopped and stared at Sylar who was leaning up against the counter with a cup of coffee. A mixing bowl rested next to the stove, a griddle atop it heating. Mohinder's gaze flicked back to Sylar, who looked up from the book he'd been reading. The other man was just in jeans as well, bare feet and bare chest looking perfectly at home in Mohinder's kitchen, and for a moment, Mohinder was at a loss for words.
"Do you want eggs with your pancakes?" Sylar asked, as if they had this conversation every day.
"You're making breakfast?" Mohinder rubbed his eyes.
"Are you always this observant in the morning, Mohinder?" Sylar's lips curved in a bit of a smirk.
"You're still here."
"Very good. And this is a kitchen, and there is coffee, which I think you might need."
"You're never still here in the morning," Mohinder said, finally getting his point out.
Sylar watched him for a moment, then shrugged and turned to the cabinets to get another cup down, pouring Mohinder some coffee. He brought it over, placing it in the Indian's hand, giving him a look from under his brows. "I thought I'd try something new."
Mohinder clutched at the coffee like it was going to make everything make sense. "Oh."
They stood there for a moment, neither blinking or looking away, before Sylar moved, leaning in to brush his lips against Mohinder's in a gentle caress of a kiss that was nothing like the ones he'd assaulted him with before the first time and each subsequent time they'd wound up tangled in the sheets and each other. "Do you want eggs?" he repeated softly, breath warm over Mohinder's skin.
"Yes, please," Mohinder murmured back, swallowing as Sylar moved away again. His knees were a little shaky as he sank into the chair at the kitchen table.
"How do you like them?"
"Scrambled is fine." Mohinder took a long gulp of coffee, wincing as it burned his tongue a bit, but he needed something to insert reality into this situation.
"Adam called," Sylar remarked as he cracked eggs efficiently into another bowl.
That did it, jerking Mohinder awake. "What did he want?"
"Just to let us know he'd like you to bring the formula by the Petrelli place this evening," Sylar remarked.
"So soon?" Mohinder asked, dismay running through him.
Sylar shrugged, getting out a frying pan for the eggs and dumping some butter in it to melt. He looked back over his shoulder at Mohinder, fixing him with an intense look. "You said it was ready for testing..."
"Does he really want me to make Peter my first test subject?"
"I guess so."
"I can't do that," Mohinder said, mouth setting in a stubborn line. "I won't."
Sylar arched one eyebrow silently, inquiring with a look just what the hell Mohinder was thinking.
"Whatever he's doing to him to rip his powers away...it won't be easy on his body, and to just flood him with a formula immediately after...? As a test?" Mohinder looked appalled.
"He may not have thought of that," Sylar said after a moment. "I'll call him and point that out. But he's going to want it soon, and to know for sure...."
Mohinder looked down at his coffee cup, staring into the dark depths of it. "I can find out for sure."
* * *
Angela reached out a hand to slide it over Peter's, where Adam still held his other. "It's all right, Peter. Hello, Arthur."
"How...You said he was dead," Peter said, staring at Angela for a moment, before looking back through the window like Arthur was some sort of zoo animal.
"I thought he was. Turns out, he faked it," she said. "He was ill, and he chose to hide away. Adam found him in a private facility after the virus broke out. He healed him, then brought him here."
"Ill?" Arthur said scoffingly. "You poisoned me."
Peter stared between them, horrified. Angela just arched an eyebrow. "And you attempted to murder Nathan. I was protecting my son, and myself."
"After what you did, I'm surprised she didn't shoot you," Adam remarked, almost cheerfully.
"Shut up, Adam."
"Now, now. Is that any way to talk to me when I've brought you a gift?"
Arthur flashed a look to him, eyes narrowing. "A gift? I don't suppose you'd like to come in here and shake my hand?"
Adam laughed. "I think I'll pass. But I thought you might want to have some...quality time with your son."
Arthur went very still, staring at Adam, then looked at Peter assessingly, before cutting his gaze back to Adam. "Why?"
Adam shrugged. "He's your son, Arthur. Don't you miss him?"
"That's not what this is about. The boy's causing you trouble, and you think I can fix it?"
"I think you are what you are," Adam said, mouth tightening into a firm line.
"What are you two talking about?" Peter demanded, fingers tightening on Adam's. "Adam...?"
"It's going to be all right, Peter."
"What are you going to do?"
"I'm not going to do anything." He tore his gaze away from Arthur's, flipped off the intercom and looked at Peter, lifting a hand to cradle his cheek. "Tell me you'll stop trying to change the past, Peter. Promise me you'll let things play out how they're supposed to, and we can leave..."
Peter shot a look through the glass, then back at Adam. "Why is my Dad in there?"
"Because he is dangerous," Adam said. "Because he hurt your mother. Because he hurt Nathan. Because I promised to keep them safe, and when I found out he was alive, killing him or locking him up was the only way to do that."
"He tried to kill Nathan? Not Linderman?" Peter looked to Angela for confirmation.
Angela nodded, tears in her eyes. "He did. And he...he's a telepath, Peter. A very strong one. He played with my memories for decades, making me do as he wanted until Daniel healed me after the attack on Nathan."
"Like what you did to Nathan," Peter said, giving Adam an angry look.
"Far worse," Adam said. "I just saw to it Nathan was able to be happy in this new world. Every decision he's made since then has been his own."
"Based on a lie..."
"He was going to let you blow up New York in order to save the world, Peter," Adam pointed out, a little dryly. "It was hardly much of a push to convince him I was right."
"Still..."
"There are more important concerns here, Peter, than what was or was not done to Nathan," Angela interjected. "Your father made him, and me, and you, in many ways, a victim for too long. Don't let him again. Do what Adam asks."
Peter spun from looking at Adam to stare at her. "Or what? He mindfucks me, too? It doesn't take, Mom. Rene can't erase my memories, and telepaths can't even read me."
"I know," Angela said, looking sad. "But you're so special, and what he could do..."
"What can he do?" Peter demanded.
"Take it all." Adam said, softly. "You mimic others' powers, Peter. He takes them, rips them out of them and claims them as his own, leaving the person a non-special."
Peter froze where he was, his breathing harsh in the stillness of the hallway. After a few long moments, he turned to look at Adam. "You wouldn't. I'd die....You like that I can't, and this...this would be just as bad as putting a bullet in my brain, in the long run."
"I've thought of that," Adam said, swallowing. There was no guarantee Suresh's formula would work the way he theorized it would, after all. "But I can't let you undo everything, Peter, and I would rather have you around for another fifty years than lose you forever now."
"You'd really kill me to stop me." It wasn't a question, not anymore. The realization was there in Peter's eyes, shocked and cold and empty.
"Yes, if I have to," Adam lied. "Don't make me."
"I won't forgive you. I won't...be with you if you do this," Peter threatened.
If Adam flinched internally, it didn't show. "That's your decision. Your choice. So is this. Promise me you'll stop, and we'll all walk out of here, and things can be how they're supposed to be. Or go in there."
"And when he has all of my powers?"
"I won't lock you up," Adam said. "I won't throw away your key. I can't do that to you. But I have absolutely no problem doing it to him."
"He'll be immortal," Peter said.
Adam shrugged, and realization flickered in Peter's eyes. "You're not going to keep him locked up. You don't have any problem doing anything to him that you would hesitate to do to me." Adam didn't say anything. Angela's fingers tightened on Peter's. "So, it's not just my powers or my freedom....it's my life for his."
Adam just looked at him. Peter glanced back at Angela. She still had tears in her eyes, but they weren't falling. He pulled free from them both and moved slowly to the door. A buzzer sounded somewhere. Peter stepped into the cell and the buzzer sounded again behind him, locking him in with his father, and Adam gestured at Rene to step away.
Fandom: Heroes
Pairing: Adam/Peter, Mohinder/Sylar
Words: 3491/15,520
Rating/Warnings: PG-13, m/m relationships-but no graphic sex, spoilers for S2 and part of S3.
Summary: In a world where over 99% of the population has died, decimated by the release of the Shanti virus, Adam has worked hard to build an outpost of civilization for survivors in a paradise, a new Garden of Eden, where humanity can be shaped into the image of his choosing. But while most of the survivors have resigned themselves to this new world and struggle to find their own place and build lives within it, Peter refuses to do so. Despite the feelings he and Adam share, Peter won't rest until he manages to undo what was done, no matter the cost, and Adam must find a way to stop him before it's too late, and his perfect apocalypse is destroyed.
Parts: Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6
Notes: Thank you to my wonderful betas: kirsteena, risingfire and keep_them_safe
Fanmix to accompany: The Future Never Happened - by entwashian
Some enterprising soul had gotten the newspaper printing presses working, and Angela flipped through the paper as she sipped her coffee. Buildings that had been cleared, businesses that were ready for opening, supplies that had been found, the state of the harvest, and lists of people, always the lists. New arrivals, their names, their former residences, the family and friends they were searching for; names of those lost by those who wished to memorialize them; names of those still searching, no matter how long they'd been here and that they must have seen them all. A boat was coming in next week, and there would be a crowd at the dock, pressing against each other in frantic waves, searching the worn, terrified faces of the disembarking refugees in hope of catching a glimpse of someone they had lost. Sometimes cries went up, joyous and thankful, and tears poured out of everyone's eyes as they watched loved ones be reunited, falling to the boards of the pier, clinging in a tight embrace.
More often, the crowd dispersed slowly, with softer tears of resignation falling, while those in charge of greeting the newcomers and getting them settled took over with brisk, but kind, efficiency.
She was lucky, Angela knew. Friends had fallen and none of her social circle had survived that she knew of, but her sons were both well, and she could hear her grandsons laughing over something in the other room as they got ready for school. Across town, in another room, under a lock that couldn't be broken, even one she would have preferred to have lost paced back and forth in a sterile cell.
And the nightmares were gone. She'd dreamed last night, and the things she'd seen had hurt, but it was a quiet pain, a mother's pain, not horror of the future to come.
So, yes, she was lucky. She told herself that, every day. She had a home to which she was accustomed. She had the respect and protection of the leader of the surviving world. All it had cost was an apology, a little loss of pride, and a devil's bargain. The cost could have been so much higher.
"I'm gonna take the boys to school, then head on in to the office, Ma," Nathan said, coming out and grabbing a piece of toast off the table on the lanai, before leaning down to kiss her cheek.
"Don't you want some coffee?" Angela asked, giving him a look.
Nathan waved a hand. "I put some in a travel mug in the kitchen. I need to get in. Adam's got something to do and needs me to see to the preparations for the clearing out of Haleiwa. We're sending a team up there next week, and there's still a lot to be done."
"He thinks spreading out is a good idea already?" Angela asked, frowning. "We've hardly reached capacity here."
"Yeah, but reestablishing a presence on the North Shore will be helpful for the fishing industry," Nathan explained. "The shrimp beds are up there, for one, and some of the better fishing."
Angela nodded a bit, then took a breath, trying to shake off the melancholy from her dream. "All right. Did he say anything about coming by today?"
Nathan gave her a slightly surprised look, then nodded. "He did. He said he'd be by after breakfast with Pete, actually." He frowned a little. "Pete's okay, isn't he?"
Angela's smile was sad. "You know your brother. He'll be fine, but...."
"But he can't accept what's happened," Nathan said with a sigh.
"I'm not sure he ever will."
Nathan looked troubled. "Maybe I should try talking to him again?"
Angela mustered a smile and shook her head. "Maybe. But not today. Today...today you go on into work and let us take care of Peter."
Something more angry and protective than worried flashed in Nathan's eyes. "You're not going to hurt him." It wasn't a question.
Angela shook her head. "No. That's the last thing Adam wants. He's...very fond of your brother. But...he needs to be contained before he goes back and does something he'll regret for the rest of his very long life."
"You think Pete could be the one to cause...all those things you saw?" Nathan asked.
"I don't know," Angela said with a shrug. "He has the power for it, or he could have, or maybe he could just set things in motion to take us right to some outcome worse than anything we've ever imagined."
"Just...don't hurt him, Ma, okay? Don't let Adam get...the way he does. He listens to you." Nathan leaned down and gave her another kiss.
"I'll make sure your brother is kept safe," Angela promised.
Nathan nodded slightly, and then moved back inside, calling for the boys and herding them out the door. Angela watched him go with a thoughtful frown. Wouldn't it be lovely, if Maury's ability could work as smoothly on Peter as it had Nathan, quieting his doubts, bringing him on board with the plan, giving him a peace about it? But Peter healed from anything the telepath did, if he didn't outright resist it, and his fury over their meddling with Nathan's mind had nearly driven him from any ties with all of them. Only the sheer emptiness of the world pulled him back, she knew. She could still see the betrayal in his eyes when he looked at her. But it was a small price to bear, she told herself again. The irony that she had allowed to be done to Nathan what she tried to kill her husband for doing to her was not lost on her, but it was just this once, she swore. Just this once, just so they could all be happy.
She was lucky, and there was no use rocking the boat with what might have beens.
* * *
The car ride across town was quiet, which Adam appreciated. There was a knot in his stomach that had been there since he'd woken up wrapped in Peter's arms, and found himself imagining that every day could be like this, and questioning if the few moments he got of this would be the cost for what he was about to do. How much was too much to ask someone to forgive? Not that Peter had forgiven him the rest, but he found his way back to Adam's arms and bed like a moth to a flame, even in his anger and betrayal. But would this be the step too far?
Angela looked as composed as always, in a lightweight peach colored suit, as if this were a social call or a pleasant outing. There was a pensive line to her lips, though, if you knew where to look, how to look, and he saw shadows in her eyes. Had she dreamed something? Would she tell him if she had, or let him pursue this anyway? Her sphinx's gaze slid away any time he tried to catch it, settling on the passing scenery.
Rene sat across from them, as impassive and silent as ever, and if he had an opinion on what was about to happen, he wasn't volunteering it. Madame had told him to do as Adam ordered when he'd saved their lives, and the Haitian had proven himself a staunch ally since then. Adam flicked him a gaze, and met the quiet one he received. It would be a hard day for him, perhaps, or at least taxing. None of them were going to come out of this singing and dancing in pleasure, that was for sure, but Adam was killing two birds with one stone, and that evened out the twisting pain of it. It had to.
Peter looked between them with wide, anxious eyes. Rene's power had been rendering him helpless, normal, for over 24 hours now, and Adam knew it wasn't something he was used to. He hated to put him through it, hated more to do what he was about to, but it would just be temporary. Suresh would see to that. Once or twice Peter tried to speak up, to ask them where they were going, but no one answered, and he finally lapsed into an almost frightened silence, looking as if he wanted to reach out to one of them, any of them, but not knowing how to, or what would happen.
Adam took his hand when they got out of the car in front of the cold gray building, fingers curling around his in a strong grip he hoped was reassuring.
"What is this place?" Peter asked, resisting the tug toward the doors.
"It's sort of our equivalent to Level 5," Adam told him calmly. "In a world with so many specials, some of them are refusing to conform, even after having their lives saved and other incentives." Sylar had seen the wisdom of joining Adam quick enough. Others, sadly, had not. One wasn't offered the option.
"You're going to lock me up?" Peter stared at him, horror flickering in his eyes. "Put me back in a cage, and what? Throw away the key until I see sense? How could you? After what was done to you..."
Adam sighed. "No, Peter. The only people locked up are those who are a danger to the innocent survivors here. There is some debate if we should keep them here, where at least they are fed and have shelter, or turn them loose into exile off of the islands, back to the mainland. In the end, I suspect, the decision will be to offer them that choice to make for themselves."
"Then why are we here, if you're not...putting me here?"
Adam gave him an oblique look. "We're going to pay a visit to someone."
Peter fell silent, and they entered the building, nodding at the guards. No one spoke again as they moved down the corridors to a room in the center. Adam stared through the window dispassionately and met the furious gaze of the man he'd once called his best friend. No longer after the magnitude of his betrayal had sunk in, no more after what he'd learned of what he'd done to those Adam loved. But once upon a time, he'd trusted him with everything. He pressed the intercom.
"I've brought you visitors."
"Well, isn't this a surprise? Hello, dear. Peter. How good of you to come to see me."
Peter was staring through the glass, shocked. He looked at Adam, then Angela, then stared back through the window. "...Dad?"
* * *
The aroma of fresh ground coffee brewing pulled Mohinder from sleep. He blinked hazily for a moment, trying to figure out why there was coffee. Keeping the maker plugged in all night to set the timer wasted electricity, so he just put a pot on to brew before he went and showered. Stretching, he ran his fingers over the rumpled sheets of the bed and found the other side of the bed still holding a lingering warmth.
That was enough to have him scrambling out of bed and into his jeans. In the kitchen, he stopped and stared at Sylar who was leaning up against the counter with a cup of coffee. A mixing bowl rested next to the stove, a griddle atop it heating. Mohinder's gaze flicked back to Sylar, who looked up from the book he'd been reading. The other man was just in jeans as well, bare feet and bare chest looking perfectly at home in Mohinder's kitchen, and for a moment, Mohinder was at a loss for words.
"Do you want eggs with your pancakes?" Sylar asked, as if they had this conversation every day.
"You're making breakfast?" Mohinder rubbed his eyes.
"Are you always this observant in the morning, Mohinder?" Sylar's lips curved in a bit of a smirk.
"You're still here."
"Very good. And this is a kitchen, and there is coffee, which I think you might need."
"You're never still here in the morning," Mohinder said, finally getting his point out.
Sylar watched him for a moment, then shrugged and turned to the cabinets to get another cup down, pouring Mohinder some coffee. He brought it over, placing it in the Indian's hand, giving him a look from under his brows. "I thought I'd try something new."
Mohinder clutched at the coffee like it was going to make everything make sense. "Oh."
They stood there for a moment, neither blinking or looking away, before Sylar moved, leaning in to brush his lips against Mohinder's in a gentle caress of a kiss that was nothing like the ones he'd assaulted him with before the first time and each subsequent time they'd wound up tangled in the sheets and each other. "Do you want eggs?" he repeated softly, breath warm over Mohinder's skin.
"Yes, please," Mohinder murmured back, swallowing as Sylar moved away again. His knees were a little shaky as he sank into the chair at the kitchen table.
"How do you like them?"
"Scrambled is fine." Mohinder took a long gulp of coffee, wincing as it burned his tongue a bit, but he needed something to insert reality into this situation.
"Adam called," Sylar remarked as he cracked eggs efficiently into another bowl.
That did it, jerking Mohinder awake. "What did he want?"
"Just to let us know he'd like you to bring the formula by the Petrelli place this evening," Sylar remarked.
"So soon?" Mohinder asked, dismay running through him.
Sylar shrugged, getting out a frying pan for the eggs and dumping some butter in it to melt. He looked back over his shoulder at Mohinder, fixing him with an intense look. "You said it was ready for testing..."
"Does he really want me to make Peter my first test subject?"
"I guess so."
"I can't do that," Mohinder said, mouth setting in a stubborn line. "I won't."
Sylar arched one eyebrow silently, inquiring with a look just what the hell Mohinder was thinking.
"Whatever he's doing to him to rip his powers away...it won't be easy on his body, and to just flood him with a formula immediately after...? As a test?" Mohinder looked appalled.
"He may not have thought of that," Sylar said after a moment. "I'll call him and point that out. But he's going to want it soon, and to know for sure...."
Mohinder looked down at his coffee cup, staring into the dark depths of it. "I can find out for sure."
* * *
Angela reached out a hand to slide it over Peter's, where Adam still held his other. "It's all right, Peter. Hello, Arthur."
"How...You said he was dead," Peter said, staring at Angela for a moment, before looking back through the window like Arthur was some sort of zoo animal.
"I thought he was. Turns out, he faked it," she said. "He was ill, and he chose to hide away. Adam found him in a private facility after the virus broke out. He healed him, then brought him here."
"Ill?" Arthur said scoffingly. "You poisoned me."
Peter stared between them, horrified. Angela just arched an eyebrow. "And you attempted to murder Nathan. I was protecting my son, and myself."
"After what you did, I'm surprised she didn't shoot you," Adam remarked, almost cheerfully.
"Shut up, Adam."
"Now, now. Is that any way to talk to me when I've brought you a gift?"
Arthur flashed a look to him, eyes narrowing. "A gift? I don't suppose you'd like to come in here and shake my hand?"
Adam laughed. "I think I'll pass. But I thought you might want to have some...quality time with your son."
Arthur went very still, staring at Adam, then looked at Peter assessingly, before cutting his gaze back to Adam. "Why?"
Adam shrugged. "He's your son, Arthur. Don't you miss him?"
"That's not what this is about. The boy's causing you trouble, and you think I can fix it?"
"I think you are what you are," Adam said, mouth tightening into a firm line.
"What are you two talking about?" Peter demanded, fingers tightening on Adam's. "Adam...?"
"It's going to be all right, Peter."
"What are you going to do?"
"I'm not going to do anything." He tore his gaze away from Arthur's, flipped off the intercom and looked at Peter, lifting a hand to cradle his cheek. "Tell me you'll stop trying to change the past, Peter. Promise me you'll let things play out how they're supposed to, and we can leave..."
Peter shot a look through the glass, then back at Adam. "Why is my Dad in there?"
"Because he is dangerous," Adam said. "Because he hurt your mother. Because he hurt Nathan. Because I promised to keep them safe, and when I found out he was alive, killing him or locking him up was the only way to do that."
"He tried to kill Nathan? Not Linderman?" Peter looked to Angela for confirmation.
Angela nodded, tears in her eyes. "He did. And he...he's a telepath, Peter. A very strong one. He played with my memories for decades, making me do as he wanted until Daniel healed me after the attack on Nathan."
"Like what you did to Nathan," Peter said, giving Adam an angry look.
"Far worse," Adam said. "I just saw to it Nathan was able to be happy in this new world. Every decision he's made since then has been his own."
"Based on a lie..."
"He was going to let you blow up New York in order to save the world, Peter," Adam pointed out, a little dryly. "It was hardly much of a push to convince him I was right."
"Still..."
"There are more important concerns here, Peter, than what was or was not done to Nathan," Angela interjected. "Your father made him, and me, and you, in many ways, a victim for too long. Don't let him again. Do what Adam asks."
Peter spun from looking at Adam to stare at her. "Or what? He mindfucks me, too? It doesn't take, Mom. Rene can't erase my memories, and telepaths can't even read me."
"I know," Angela said, looking sad. "But you're so special, and what he could do..."
"What can he do?" Peter demanded.
"Take it all." Adam said, softly. "You mimic others' powers, Peter. He takes them, rips them out of them and claims them as his own, leaving the person a non-special."
Peter froze where he was, his breathing harsh in the stillness of the hallway. After a few long moments, he turned to look at Adam. "You wouldn't. I'd die....You like that I can't, and this...this would be just as bad as putting a bullet in my brain, in the long run."
"I've thought of that," Adam said, swallowing. There was no guarantee Suresh's formula would work the way he theorized it would, after all. "But I can't let you undo everything, Peter, and I would rather have you around for another fifty years than lose you forever now."
"You'd really kill me to stop me." It wasn't a question, not anymore. The realization was there in Peter's eyes, shocked and cold and empty.
"Yes, if I have to," Adam lied. "Don't make me."
"I won't forgive you. I won't...be with you if you do this," Peter threatened.
If Adam flinched internally, it didn't show. "That's your decision. Your choice. So is this. Promise me you'll stop, and we'll all walk out of here, and things can be how they're supposed to be. Or go in there."
"And when he has all of my powers?"
"I won't lock you up," Adam said. "I won't throw away your key. I can't do that to you. But I have absolutely no problem doing it to him."
"He'll be immortal," Peter said.
Adam shrugged, and realization flickered in Peter's eyes. "You're not going to keep him locked up. You don't have any problem doing anything to him that you would hesitate to do to me." Adam didn't say anything. Angela's fingers tightened on Peter's. "So, it's not just my powers or my freedom....it's my life for his."
Adam just looked at him. Peter glanced back at Angela. She still had tears in her eyes, but they weren't falling. He pulled free from them both and moved slowly to the door. A buzzer sounded somewhere. Peter stepped into the cell and the buzzer sounded again behind him, locking him in with his father, and Adam gestured at Rene to step away.