Betrayal

By: Sari

Summary: Elle knew daddy loved her, no matter what Noah Bennet or any other of daddy's friends said. Didn't he? Elle/Peter. Clare/Elle friendship.

Chapter 1: Distrust

Noah Bennet smiled to himself as he threw the yellow ball at the wall one more time. Yes, he was locked up by The Company and more than likely he would be forced against his will to work for the man that he hated with every fiber of his being and had worked for years and years to kill or at least stop his efforts. But, unfortunately all he had managed to do was get his family endangered and risk his daughter's life too many times for him to count. He had did more harm than good, he had made so many mistakes, and he supposed that now he was paying for all those lives that he had altered or interrupted or even the people he killed. Villians or not. He couldn't even tell anymore, the world was filled with so many varying shades of gray. He even forgot sometimes whose side he was on.

No, he didn't forget whose side he was on, he realized. He was on his own side. He created his own rules and no company, all knowing or otherwise was going to scare him into compromising his beliefs. The Company was evil. He didn't care what Bob Bishop or any of his lackeys tried to tell his colleagues. They were evil and they needed to be stopped. He was sure of it. But yes, there was one good thing out of all the mayhem he had caused. Elle Bishop. She had came in here taunting him and he had left her with words that had chilled her to the bone. It seemed that daddy dearest hadn't told his little girl that she had been a test subject for 7 years of her life, and then had somehow gotten the Hatian or some other ability ridden psycho to repress her memory. He knew the knowledge would cause Bob a heap of trouble. The girl was barely controllable when she was loyaly to you, now with the seeds of doubt he had planted she would be a firecracker and Noah couldn't wait to see the fireworks.

His thinking was prematurely cut off when the door to his cell banged open and he was left looking at the teenage girl, not much older than his own daughter. She looked forlorn, and there was a hint of hysteria in her eyes. He knew she didn't want to look weak, but he was a parent, he was a pro at deciphering little girls feelings.

"How can I help you Elle?" He asked in a bored tone, still bouncing his yellow ball against the wall. "Your dad doesn't want you talking to me, you already know that."

"My dad is gone." Elle said, her tone hard and skittish at the same time. "He won't be back for hours, he's researching something. I'm supposed to be good and not see you but I knocked out the camera guy, he's not going to be happy with me when he gets up." She added with some glee. She sparked some electricity in her hand before letting it disperse. "I need you to help me."

"And why would I do that Elle? You've hurt my daughter, her boyfriend, my family, and you're not getting any better."

He watched her as she fiddled with the cast she still wore on her arm. She fidgeted nervously. "I don't like asking for help Noah." She said in a condescending tone. "But I need you to tell me what daddy did to me, and maybe if you're helpful I won't kill Claire the next time I see her."

He looked at her with disinterest. "Bob wouldn't let you do that, she's important to making sure I stay cooperative."

"I looked in his office." Elle said, voice low and unsteady. "I looked for files on me but there was nothing. Everything on the computer that has even a touch of my name is locked and unreachable unless I have a password. I talked to his staff no one will say a word. I don't know who to trust anymore and it's all your fault and you're going to tell me! You are going to tell me what he did to me!" She yelled, slapping a hand over her mouth in surprise at her own raised voice. She disappeared and Noah assumed it was to look around to see if anyone hear her. When she came back in, this time she stepped fully into his room and closed the door behind her.

"Please" she pleaded. "Something."

Noah smiled. Bingo. I've you now Elle. You need me, and you're going to keep coming back until Daddy either owns up or I get out of this place. I can bet which one's going to come quicker.

"I had just started the company." Noah started, and he smiled wider as she leaned in to hear him. "You were small then, older than Claire but not by much. You and Claire are only 2 years apart. Bob likes to know about his employees. He invites them over for dinner or some other meal and he shows off his daughter and lets the kids of the employees play with you. That's how I first met you, when I got the job and I learned about all this hero stuff he invited me over for dinner and told me to bring Claire along. He didn't know that Claire could do anything yet, he just knew that I had a daughter. You and Claire hit it off and it was a fine night that is until it was time to leave and Bob pulled me to the side. He had a special assignment for me."

"What, what special assignment?" Elle asked hurriedly.

"He wanted me to head over the testing on you. The guy he had in charge wasn't doing a good enough job. He wasn't cold enough, was his exact words. When Bob asked him to push harder, to test you even when you were screaming in pain the man he hired would cringe away, call him cruel. Bob doesn't like when people question his methods. Bob doesn't like when people question his parenting skills. He doesn't like people who flinch away when a little cries for her dad to stop. Do you remember it Elle? Do you remember screaming so hard your voice was hoarse and your throat bloody? Do you remember staying in the hospital unit for weeks on end because you could barely move let alone cause any electricity to come out?"

Elle's eyes were filled with tears, a faraway look in her eyes. Noah knew he had struck a chord. He didn't know exactly what the girl was remembering but he knew it was awful. Everything that happened to her had been awful, Bob was a monster.

"I..I…I have to go." She stuttered out, pulling the door open quickly and stepping out. Noah watched amused, but saddened as the door slammed shut locking itself behind her.

Noah may have hated The Company and every rotten employee that worked there, but he couldn't hate Elle, not truly. The girl was merely a product of years and years of torture and abuse. A child who had the misfortune of growing up with a man who cared for her in the most twisted ways possible. If she had it in her, he'd help her heal.

But of course, she would have to help him too. He wasn't going to stay locked up in here forever.