New Rules

The bank was filled with people who wanted to get their just received monthly pay. Not the best moment of robbing the damn thing, but Johnny Laymon was in a hurry, so he kinda had no other choice but to do it right now and here. Who knew that the prison would unexpectedly have open day anyway? If that would have been announced he would have made a plan but so he had to improvise. And to improvise one needed money.

He looked around to his partner, Dan Boid. They had shared the same cell as long as they´d been inside and now they would share the same getaway car. As soon as they had the money. Johnny stood in the line like all the other people and waited until it was his turn. No attention before they were ready to drop the bomb. And now that the woman before him was done, it was time to drop it. Johnny pulled his gun.

He aimed it at the woman behind the counter and opened his mouth to yell the classics: „This is a robbery. Hands in the air and money in the bags. And no wrong movements."

But he didn´t even get a chance to say the first word. Because right when he opened his mouth he heard a clicking sound behind him, that sounded suspiciously like a gun that got cocked. A second later he had the affirmation for this guess in his back.

„You better drop it, punk, except you feel lucky today." a growling voice said behind him.

Johnny recognized the voice. He´d heard it in the news, when he´d promised the city that he would catch all the escaped culprits from prison within a week and put them back behind bars or in the morgue if they refused to go back. Johnny had never been anyone to take these police guys serious but this guy that was now the chief of police seemed crazy enough to do it. So the bank robber decided that it was better not to try anything and dropped his gun.

„Way to go, Lassie." Shawn cheered and when the culprit got cuffed and led out by Juliet and McNab, the people in the bank, that had held their breaths until now, exhaled and started to applaude.

Shawn waved at them with a bright smile and started to take some bows to thank them for their kindness. Lassiter grabbed his collar and dragged him out of the door with him.

„What?" Shawn cried. „They want to celebrate us. It´s impolite to just walk away without showing some gratitude."

Lassiter let go of him and ignored the said things. Instead he watched O´Hara taking the two culprits into the car to transport them back to the Santa Barbara prison. This one had been incredibly easy. Better than he could have hoped for. So had been the two others they had busted at the bus station and in that car port where he´d tried to crack a Nissan. Those two had been easy because they had been stupid to show up on places that were watched by surveillance cameras. This one on the other hand …

„Honestly, Spencer." Lassiter said, not able to contain his curiosity no matter how much he wanted to. „How could you know they would come here?" he asked.

The first reaction he got from the fake psychic was a raised hand at his temple and an only too well known grin. But Lassiter would not give in to that, not this time. He threw him a gloomy face and reminded him: „We had an agreement."

Shawn´s grin decreased a little and he took down his hand, giving him a face that said: all right, all right. No reason to jump at me.

„The bank fitted Laymon´s pattern before he was imprisoned." he told him quietly. „And if I recall correctly our agreement also contained the promise not to ask any questions."

Lassiter nodded the same way Shawn had nodded earlier. Yeah, yeah, whatever.

„Any other fugitive you can bring me today?" he wanted to know.

Shawn shook his head. „No, I´m afraid … Wait." he then cried and instinctively raised his hand to his temple. „Actually there is one. From the mental hospital. He´ll climb up a radio mast."

„A radio mast?" Lassiter repeated. „Is he gonna jump or what?"

„No. No, he thinks he can communicate with aliens from up there."

„All right. I call some guys to check on the radio masts in the area."

While he was doing his call, Spencer went over to O´Hara to chat with her. For a change his face was not the usual goofy one Lassiter was used to see on him. The two of them actually talked rather serious. And hadn´t they every reason to be worried? The city was currently swamped with all the crap that they´d put behind bars already. Damn that was not fair. That was not the way it was supposte to be. As soon as he´d taken care of this problem he would find this bastard Nobody and rip him a new one for that.

Speaking of which. As soon as his duty call was done, he made another call. Bennet answered after three rings.

„How´s it going?" Lassiter demanded a status report.

„Not so good." was the disappointing answer. „Peter resisted everything we put on him so far. We can´t shoot him. We can´t sedate him because needles won´t penetrate his skin … We have hope on the respiratory part though."

„The what?"

„We hope that he will be effected by things he´s breathing." Noah explained patiently and this time his police friend understood.

„Like teargas." Lassiter guessed.

„For example." the Company man affirmed and looked over at Guster. The young man stood before the door behind which they´d locked Peter. He was watching fascinated through the glass how their little experiment was going.

„We´re testing it right now." Noah told his friend on the phone.

„Tell me if it worked." Lassiter demanded.

„I will." Noah promised. „See you." With that he hung up and walked back to stand by Guster´s side.

On the other side of that door, Peter was slowly vanishing behind a wall of fog. White gas was filling the room and it got obviously more and more uncomfortable for Peter to be in there. He was visibly trying to hold his breath but that didn´t help very much. He coughed again and again. Still he wouldn´t give in though. The effect seemed to need longer with him than it would for any other person.

Noah knew what Ammonium distearate could do to a normal person´s breathing. It wasn´t a nice feeling. So Peter was either more resistent against it, now that he had Nobody´s power, or he was just too stubborn to admit how bad it felt. Noah guessed it was the first though. Not even a Petrelli could be that stubborn.

He threw a look at the bowl that stood in the ventilation, boiling and sending the nasty gas into the room. It was incredible. Just a few basic household products mixed together and they had had a potentially deadly gas. An idea, he had to admit that, that would have never occurred to him.

„Not bad by the way." he praised the pharmaceutical salesman by his side. „How do you know to do things like that?"

„Oh. I read a lot." Gus answered flattered. „Mostly on the internet."

„You can find something like that there?" Noah asked.

„Well … not really." Gus admitted. „I know a guy who works with these things. A chemist."

Noah nodded. Interesting. And quiet helpful in the current situation. He had been cautious when Guster had offered to come with them for these tests, but it had turned out to be a good asset. The Company might be able to provide them with rooms here in their building in Durham-Street and since Angela was back at its head, Noah had accepted the asset it was to have them here. But to have a room to throw everything that one could think of at Peter, was not very much, if one couldn´t think of very much to throw at him. After the bullets hadn´t worked and tasers had only a minor effect on Peter, Noah had been pretty much at the end of his wisdom. The gas had been Gus´ idea and it seemed to really work.

Peter started to cough more heavily now and at last he knocked against the door, demanding to be let out. They opened the door and he stumbled outside, bowing over and breathing in the gas-free air with rattling sounds. Gus tapped his back in a comforting gesture but of course that didn´t help much.

„All right." Noah commented the result of this test. „That´s promising."

„Only that I could have smashed the door to get out if I would have wanted it." Peter replied, wiping some tears and sweat off his face. His eyes were read from the gas. „Or even the walls." he added.

„Right." Noah understood the argument and sighed inwardly. It wasn´t helpful that they´d discovered that enormous strength came along with Nobody´s invincibility. „Means the gas is only a limited option." he summarized. „Except maybe if we can get him to be in a tight space for long enough."

„But there are types of gas that work much faster." Gus mentioned. „Maybe even nerve gas."

„Yes." Noah agreed. „But getting hands on that will be a problem and even if not, releasing it in a public place, what is most likely the place where we will face this guy, is not really an option, or is it?"

„No, of course not." Gus said uncomfortable, when he realized that he´d overlooked this detail.

„Then we have to find a better way."

„What about poisoning him with something he eats?" Gus offered another plan.

„Bring him to eat something." Noah held against this. „But you´re right." he then agreed at least halfway. „We have to test this."

Next to him Peter groaned, making a face as if he already felt sick before they could even start with testing it on him.

...

It was a cloudy day over Santa Barbara, almost as if the sky knew that the time wasn´t a nice one. But at least the breeze was warm. When Sylar stepped out of the plane he held his face into this wind and took a moment to take the sensation in. It wasn´t before someone nudged him in the back that he noticed he was blocking the way. Humbly he stepped aside and let the people pass. Mohinder threw him a glance and passed as well.

At the baggage conveyor belt the scientist took out his cell phone and started to dial.

„Who do you want to call?" Sylar cried, holding him back.

„The police." was the quick answer. „Detective Lassiter or O´Hara. Offering our help. Isn´t that why we´re here?"

„Would you … just wait with that for the time being?" Sylar asked.

„Why would I do that?"

„I´d like to have a look around first." Sylar explained. „Orient myself."

„You were in this town before."

„That´s not what I mean. Look, there are two parties involved in all of this. The police and the guy we´re looking for. They´re both involved and they both have only their own point of view. We´re outside of that frame so far. Maybe we can see something that they don´t see if we stay there. Watching, you see? Stay invisible. At least until we know what´s going on."

The scientist just looked at him uncertain. But at least he´d started to think this through. In the end he nodded. Reluctantly but he nodded.

„All right." he said. „But don´t you want to know if Shawn and Juliet are all right?"

Sylar shook his head. „Aren´t there ways to find that out without telling them that we´re here?" he asked.

„I guess there are." Mohinder mumbled with a frown. „Yes, of course." he found, spontaneously thinking of at least three different ways to accomplish that and wondering why he hadn´t thought about that at once. „All right." he agreed at last. „Then what do we do now?"

„Let´s get a car for a start." Sylar suggested. „We go into town. And then we´ll see."

Mohinder hated it but he had to admit that the idea was a good one. Maybe even better than to just run in like he´d planned it and to announce loudly: Hey people. Look who I brought you. The guy you thought to be dead. Isn´t that great?

No, that was probably not a good idea. These people were already tensed enough right now. Not a good idea to add a supposedly dead serial killer to their list. Not as long as they could estimate the situation from far away too. So they went to the rental and got themselves a vehicle to do exactly that.

When they walked outside, carrying their luggage to the car, Sylar chuckled quietly.

„What?" Mohinder demanded to know.

The killer just shook his head, regarding the car. „Why is it striking me as funny that it is a Nissan?"

Mohinder rolled his eyes. „Just get in and be glad that we got one at all." he grumbled and went to the driver´s side. „It was the last one that wasn´t set aside for anyone."

As soon as their bags were in the trunk and Sylar sat in the passenger seat next to him, he started the motor and drove off.

...

It was getting late and the low but still somehow blinding sunlight of this cloudy day had taken on a darker shade. So it happened that it looked as if the day was almost over although it was only four in the afternoon. One could get the feeling of a quiet evening, especially when he watched the couple walking down the street, slowly and calm as if there was nothing to do on this planet but to talk to each other.

Only that this couple was not the normal couple one saw in the streets. Maybe it looked like that from the outside but if someone of the other pedestrians would have been able to see deeper into it, they would have run off screaming and would have never stopped until they fell down, dying from exhaustion.

Nobody was walking with wide steps his hands in the pockets of his coat and his hat pulled deep into his face. Next to him Yang was walking lightly, almost swinging with every step she took. Her coat was open and flapped lightly behind her, something she seemed to enjoy a lot.

„How long have you known that you can … you know?" she asked him.

„Survive every kind of deadly injury?" he completed her question and smirked. „Almost my whole life. That´s why I grew up on the streets."

Yang´s smile vanished and she looked at him with a sad and asking face. It wasn´t necessary that she said anything. He was only too ready to tell her his story.

„My parents were religious fanatics." he told her. „And when they saw that I couldn´t even cut myself, they were scared to death." he chuckled. „Funny, isn´t it? Parents that are scared because their kid can´t hurt itself. They tried to kill me to save my soul. I was just a baby. When they couldn´t kill me, they left me in the woods."

Yang gasped and opened her eyes wide in shock. „How did you survive?" she wanted to know.

„Wolfs." he answered her straight.

She stared at him in shock but then he threw his head in his neck started to laugh.

„A beggar found me." he told her the real story. „He took care of me for sixteen years." The smile that had enlightened his face for a moment went away as if it had never been there. „I lived on the streets my whole life." he recalled and then his face went really dark. „When he was killed by some assholes who had nothing better to do … I went after them. Made them pay." Yang watched him indulge in this memory for a moment. Eventually he shrugged and went on. „Since then I do practically nothing but wander around."

„How can you remember what your parents did to you?" Yang asked him after a while. „You said you were only a child."

„I don´t remember." he said. „They told me. I found them and asked them. And then I killed them."

Yang was about to make a comment about this but then she decided to better not to. Instead she looked around and kept her mouth shut for the time being. After another minute she realized something and frowned.

„You do realize that we´re heading for the police station." she mentioned.

„So what? I have work to do."

„What?" she stopped in her tracks. „You already attacked them once."

„I don´t plan to attack them again." Nobody assured her in a tone that told her not to worry. „Not like that at least."

„Then what do you want here?" she asked.

He lay a hand on her back and made her keep going. „You said you know the detectives that work my case." he recalled.

„Yes?"

„Show me the car of the female one."

Yang threw him an uncertain side glance. „What are you gonna do?" she asked him.

„What do you think? I´ll send a message." When he noticed her reluctance, it was him who stopped. „Are you feeling pity for them?" he asked.

Yang wrang her hands in an uncomfortable manner. „She´s the girlfriend of Shawn." she revealed at last.

„The fake psychic that works for them?" Nobody cried. „What do you have with him?"

„I like him."

„This skinny guy?"

„Not like this." she cried scandalized and wrang her hands again. „You know … I never had a son. And she means something to him so …"

Nobody groaned and threw his head into his neck. „For god´s sake, women." he cried. But then he made himself focus. „Look." he started to reason with her. „If that is so and he´s with this detective, you may comfort him after she´s dead."

Yang´s hands stopped wrestling with each other. That was a totally new thought for her. „Never saw it from that point of view." she said.

„See?"

„But … he´ll be mad with me because I helped you."

„Does he have to know?" Nobody rolled his eyes. „Come on."

She thought this over for a second. „Right." she found.

„So are you showing me the damn car or not?"

She clung to her hands for one more minute and then threw them away as if they were old garbage.

„All right, all right." she whined and walked with him until they reached the corner that led into the street that passed the station. She peeked around it and searched the parking lot with her eyes.

„It´s that one over there." she said and pointed the car out to him. He looked at it and a satisfied smile appeared on his lips.

„You know, I thought you wanted to go out for a walk to talk to me." Yang mentioned, undisguised disappointed.

„And we did, didn´t we?" he replied, spreading his arms.

She turned halfway away from him, pouting. He just looked at her, his head askew as if to say: Oh, come on, woman. Loud he said: „Are you coming or not?"

She hesitated. „I´d prefer not to." she said at last. „They know me in there. Better they don´t see me."

Nobody nodded. „Whatever. Suit yourself. I´ll be back when I´m done. Then you´re either still here …" he shrugged as if this really didn´t make any difference to him whatsoever. „Or not."

With that he just turned around and made his way along the street like a totally normal pedestrian. Only that this totally normal pedestrian had some very special message in his pocket and it was all meant for a certain blond junior detective called Juliet O´Hara.

...

Shawn was sitting in his office. He felt actually tired after this days work. Damn this time it had really been work, what he´d done. Five criminals on one day, and that were only the ones he´d been around. According to Jules there had been three other arrests and three more of the fugitives had been spotted all over the city. The hunt wasn´t over yet but so far it seemed to go on really promising.

Shawn had to admit that he hadn´t thought Lassie would be able to keep that promise he´d announced in his statement this morning. But somehow he´d managed it to at least have a good start. Hopefully it would stay that way.

His cell phone started to ring and he picked it up.

„Yep?" he answered while stretching himself. „What´s up?"

„Shawn, it´s me." a familiar voice that made his arms break out in goosebumps said. He immediately sat bolt upright in his chair.

„Yang?" he asked. „Where are you?"

„I´m very close to the man you´re looking for." she told him in a whisper tone. „The guy that shot down your police station?"

„Nobody? Where is he?"

„I know where he is. But I can´t tell you. You have to be careful with this guy, Shawn. He can´t get hurt you know. I mean not at all. And I´m not just saying that because I´m crazy. He showed me."

„I … I believe you." Shawn managed to say. „That´s why we need to catch him with a trick. Listen. I figure you´re not just calling me to say hallo." he said and forced himself to think quickly. „So would you help us with that? Catching him I mean."

There was a brief silence in the line. „I don´t know." she said hesitantly. „If I can. How?"

Shawn cheered inside and had to keep himself from jumping up immediately. „I need to talk to someone first." he told her and jumped up after all. Somehow he managed it to stay at his desk though. „We have people who can take care of him as soon as we have him in custody." he told her. „But we need your help to catch him first. Can I call you back?"

„Better not." she said. „I´ll call you again when I can. And then you better have a plan, Shawnie boy. He´s killing someone right now and I don´t think that you´ll like it when you find out who it is."

Shawn´s heart skipped a beat. „Who is it?" he asked. „Yang? Where is he now?"

„I can´t tell you that. You would try to come here and stop him and that would end with him killing you and I really can´t allow that."

„Yang, you´ve got to tell me." he urged her. His hands were clinging to the edge of his desk without him noticing it. He had a bad feeling about this. A really bad feeling.

„Yang?" he cried when there was no answer.

„You can´t save the poor soul, Shawn." she said at last in a sad tone. „But you can save others from the same fate. So go and do what you can do best. Gotta go. Bye, Shawn."

„Yang, wait." he cried but she´d already hung up.

...

It was already getting dark when Juliet finally left the police station. It had been a long day and she was graving for a hot shower and an evening on her couch. But the way her legs felt she might go to bed at once. It had been a really eventful day. Four arrests, the last one just an hour ago in a shop in downtown. McNab had brought the man in and Carlton had shared one of his rare moments of real praise. Something that had definitely made the week for the young officer.

Juliet smiled a little when she walked to her car and that was something worth as well. There would be very few reasons for her to smile these next days, so much was for sure. Nobody was still out there and just because they had arrested some of the criminals that had escaped after he´d attacked the prison, didn´t mean that things were over. Not by a long shot. She had the bad feeling that things were just getting started.

She reached her car and ignited the key to unlock it.

„Bye, Juliet." someone called behind her and made her look around. „Long day, huh?" the officer said with a face that showed the same tiredness that she felt.

„Yes." she agreed with a smile. „Will be a long week."

„I fear so." was the reply and Juliet joined her colleague in the sadness that followed the sentence. The thought of their dead colleagues was still too fresh in all of their minds.

At last she waved goodbye and watched the other one head for her own car before she turned back and finally turned the keys to unlock the door. It was a good feeling to sit behind her wheel, knowing that she was in the process of driving home now. It would be an even better feeling as soon as she sat down in her armchair at home. She closed her eyes for a moment to imagine this. But imagining it wouldn´t bring her closer to it, so she opened her eyes again and ignited the keys. She turned it and her motor came to life.

A second later a bright explosion set the parking lot on fire.