Assassins by SLynn
Summary: It's time to undo the mistakes of the past.
Spoilers: V2/Set Three Months After 'Powerless'
Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: I'm just borrowing and will return them all when I'm done, virtually untouched.

Notes: Thank you, beta Tripp3235!

Chapter 2: The Devil You Know

Matt turned the key of his apartment door, not at all surprised by the quiet that greeted him.

"How did it go?" Mohinder asked, not even looking up from his papers from where he sat at the kitchen table.

"Not bad," Matt answered. "How's Molly?"

"Sleeping," the other man returned, finally setting down his pen. "She wanted to wait up for you."

"It's way too late," Matt said, stifling a yawn and suddenly feeling jet-lagged. "She's got school tomorrow."

"That's what I told her."

"Are you getting anywhere with that?" Matt asked, taking the chair opposite his.

"No," Mohinder sighed. "Not really. Three more people called today and I don't know what to say. I think it was easier when I was looking for them. Now that they're looking for me… Part of me just wants to tell them to hide. To runaway or forget about it."

"It doesn't work like that."

"I know," Mohinder said, shaking his head and looking off to the side.

For the past three months Mohinder had been inundated with calls and visits from people all over the world, who like Maya, had sought him out through his father's book. For the most part, Mohinder couldn't do anything more than listen to them. He'd ended his relationship with Primatech and had begun doing his own research again. It was slow work, funded largely by the Petrellis, but he was beginning to find answers; he was closer now than before. And, finally, it felt as if he was on the right side of things.

"So she came back with you?" Mohinder asked after a pause. "I can't imagine Bennet was very happy about it."

"No," Matt returned, with half a laugh. "He was not happy at all. But she wanted to come, what could he really do?"

"Well, nothing," Mohinder answered. "Not with Peter there."

"I don't think he's afraid of Peter," Matt said. "Not like he should be. I'm not even sure he knows… I think he's more afraid of Nathan. Of exposure. He made his peace with the company and now he may have to go down with them."

"We're really going to do this then?"

"There's nothing else we can do," Matt said as he stood up and stretched; exhausted from a very long couple of days. "It's all we've got."

"I thought Nathan was still working on an arrangement."

"Yeah," Matt scoffed. "He was. See what it got him?"

Mohinder rubbed his hands across his face.

"You can get out," Matt said, having heard his thoughts, as he got a drink from the refrigerator. "There's still time for you, Mohinder."

"No," Mohinder said, shaking his head. "There isn't. I'm… I'm in this as much as anyone. More even."

"But you don't like it."

"I don't like the idea of forcing hundreds of people to expose themselves because a few think it's the right thing to do."

"No one is going to force anyone to say anything," Matt countered. "No one is going to demand…"

"But that's what will happen," Mohinder interrupted. "I'm sorry, but history proves it. People will feel threatened. They'll demand protection and laws, which will lead to segregation and punishment. This is a very delicate situation."

"I know it is," Matt agreed. "I do. But, imagine for a minute you didn't know any of this…wouldn't you want to? I know people will be afraid, but doesn't the public deserve a chance to be informed? Right now Sylar is still out there and the general public has no idea what he is capable of. How many others…"

"Now you're starting to sound like the company."

"But that's just it," Matt said. "The company wants to be the only one with a say in this. They want to be the ones who decide who is dangerous and who isn't. They're collecting people with powers and using them to change the world. Indoctrinating them to their way of thinking; blackmailing and murdering without discretion."

"So we're back at the beginning," Mohinder said. "A select few deciding the fates of many."

"As long as that few isn't the company," Matt added, shaking his head.

"This could all be a huge mistake," Mohinder said. "I… I'm not like the rest of you. I have nothing to lose here. You know what could happen. I'm sure you've heard the phrase, 'Better the devil you know...' The consequences of exposure, of letting the world know your secrets..."

"I know," Matt said, sighing heavily. "But how else do we stop them? How else… Short of all out war, what else can we do?"

"I don't know," Mohinder admitted. "I really don't know what else can be done. I'm just… I'm reluctant. I've just got a very bad feeling about all of this."

"I know," Matt repeated, rubbing his hands across his eyes. "I do too. But we can't sit by and watch this… this mass manipulation continue."

"I agree, but…"

"But what?"

"But," Mohinder continued, trying hard to keep his voice low so as not to wake Molly, "there are so many things that can go wrong."

"So much has already gone wrong, I'm not sure we'd notice."

"I'm being serious."

"So am I," Matt contended. "This thing has destroyed my life. I feel like I'm fumbling around, half-blind, not knowing which way is up. Everything I thought I knew about right and wrong has been flipped on its head and most days I want nothing more than to run and hide, same as you want to tell all those people calling."

"So why not do it? Before it is too late."

"Because it was too late before I was even born," Matt said earnestly. "I can't… I can't walk away from this knowing… Me, Nathan, Peter, Hiro… we're part of this, even if we don't want to be."

Mohinder nodded, mumbling something that sounded vaguely like 'the sins of the father'.

"I can't walk away from this now," Matt said as he shut his eyes and slowly shook his head. "I'd rather take my chances with whatever the government might do, than with what I know the company will."

"Have we heard anything from them at all? Do we know what they'll do next?"

"No, not that I've heard," Matt admitted, "but I've been in California, so, who knows? Did Hiro call?"

"Not me," Mohinder answered. "Nathan, maybe, but not me or the lab. How long was he going back to Japan for?"

"I'm not sure," Matt returned. "He was going to try and find something more about his father. See if there was anything useful in his papers, but… I doubt he'll find anything. They don't work like that. They wouldn't leave anything to chance."

Mohinder nodded uneasily.

"How's your work coming?"

Mohinder smiled as uneasily as he'd nodded.

"The tests with Elle and Maya are going well," Mohinder said after he collected his thoughts. "Maya has really improved. She's getting very good at controlling her gift. Elle is… she's different. I'm not sure…"

"I don't trust her."

"Neither do I," Mohinder admitted. "Not completely, but she seems sincere. I do think her heart is in the right place."

"Yes, well, I'd feel better if she'd drop her guard," Matt said. "Just a little. All her thoughts are so ordered and precise it… it reminds me of Bennet. Whoever trained her did a damn good job."

"Her father trained her," Mohinder supplied, knowing Matt already knew that much for himself. "She's like the rest of you. She wants to make this right."

"You're right," he returned. "I know it; you're right. I just… it's like she's hiding something."

"Aren't we all?"

"Yes," Matt answered. "But… never mind. I'm being paranoid. I know. What else? How's Nathan? Any progress?"

"No," Mohinder said sadly. "None. Nothing I've tried has worked. He just keeps getting worse. At this rate, he doesn't have long."

Matt shut his eyes and shook his head slowly.

"Have you asked --"

"Yes," Matt interrupted, dropping his head into his hands without meeting his eyes. "I did. And I won't do it again. Nathan knows the situation and his answer is still no. He's still counting on you to figure this out on your own."

"But with her here," Mohinder said eagerly, only to be cut off again.

"If you'd like to ask him, go ahead," Matt said irritated now. "I've tried. Peter's tried. He won't do it. He doesn't want Claire to think that's the only reason she's here."

"Maybe someone should talk to Claire then. I'm sure if we asked for Nathan…"

"That's not a good idea," Matt interrupted, finally looking his way again. "It's really not."

"But…"

"Should I ask, or should you?" Matt cut in with a near hysterical laugh. "Maybe we can have Elle ask her? We're going to have a hard enough time convincing her that we're not trying to hurt her or use her without confronting her with all this."

"He's going to die if we don't do something."

"I know," Matt said, his voice losing its edge. "I do, but we can't interfere like that. Not you or me or anyone that's not… Peter will sort it out. He'll either get Nathan to see reason or he'll get Claire to help. Just… let's give it some time, okay? Peter will work it out."

"I'm not sure how much time Nathan has."

"It's gotten that bad?"

"Yes," Mohinder returned.

"Well, Peter will have to hurry," Matt said. "And we'll have to make sure he does."

"That still doesn't solve the problem," Mohinder said after a long pause. "That doesn't change what happened; that it could happen again."

"I know," Matt sighed, getting to his feet and ready to call it a night. "I do. And I'm working on it."

"Do you still think…" Mohinder began, trailing off as if the question was too awful to complete.

"Who else could it have been?" Matt returned, hearing the rest in his head as easily as if it had been spoken.