The weather on the night of the 6th was miserable. It was sleeting and cold with a shifting, fitful wind. Peter sat in his car, assuming Nathan would avoid the weather and drive, but watching anyway just in case. He didn't think much about the butler leaving at 8:30. It was roughly the time his mother would dismiss him for the night. It was only when he realized the man wasn't getting into a car that he looked at him a second time. Peter tugged his hood closer over his head and pulled up his scarf. He got out of his vehicle. Sleet stung the exposed portions of his face so he kept his head down as he hurried after Grem.
The butler was walking more slowly. Peter caught up quickly. Grem paused in front of an alley and looked down it as if he heard something. Peter walked towards him. He got about 20 feet away when he was suddenly yanked through the air and into the alley, raised off the ground and slammed against the wall hard enough to drive the breath from him. He barely kept his head from hitting the wall. The pressure didn't let up, forcing the roughened edges of the bricks into his back. He couldn't breathe.
Grem walked closer, hand raised, eyes narrowed. They flew wide when the man recognized him. The hold released immediately and he slid to the ground with Nathan now stepping forward to catch him. "My God, Peter! I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't realize it was you. Are you okay?"
Peter got his breath and pulled away from him. Nathan backed off. He was going to have some new bruises, but fortunately these wouldn't be as prominent. At least in the alley they were out of the driving sleet. After an awkward pause, Peter said, "You expect to be attacked while walking home?"
"It's happened before," Nathan said neutrally.
Peter didn't know what to say to that. If it was a realistic concern, then Peter walking up on him unannounced was dumb and Nathan's reaction had been justified, at least to an extent. His back had other things to say about it though. After another awkward pause, he said, "Can we go somewhere? It's cold and I want to talk."
Nathan nodded. "If you're okay going to my house?" Peter nodded. Nathan added, "Heidi's been having those fake contractions, Braxton-Hicks, I think they're called. I don't want to stay away any longer than I have to."
"Do you want me to take a look at her?"
Nathan's nodded. "That'd be great, Pete. Make me feel a lot better. She tells me it's nothing to be worried about… but I worry anyway. Anyway you can tell how long it will be would help. I need to know… when." His voice sounded choked at the end, but they'd just stepped out of the alley and back in the wind.
"Okay," Peter nodded. "It's not that precise though, you know? My car's over here." Peter gestured back the way he'd come and headed that way.
Nathan caught up to him and put a hand on his shoulder. Peter looked at him and smiled a little. Nathan relaxed.
XXX
"I'm home! Peter's with me," Nathan called out and hung up his coat. He shifted his appearance, ridding himself of sleet and dampness, straightening his clothes. Peter looked at that, setting his first aid bag next to the door. "You use your powers constantly, don't you?"
Nathan looked back at him. "I love my abilities. Just wish I had better ones."
"You've got, what? Ten of them?"
Nathan looked off to the side and considered. "Hm. No, eleven now."
"Eleven?" Peter reached out and took Nathan's shoulder. He was very familiar with Nathan's file, having written a lot of it himself lately. "Now? Who?"
Nathan looked at him guardedly. "No one was hurt." He shrugged Peter off. Peter let him. Heidi walked in, or rather, waddled. She'd taken up the stride peculiar to gravid women.
"Hi Peter," she greeted him. "How are you doing? Take your coat off if you're staying. Would you like something?" She was much warmer towards him than ever before. The events of Christmas night had called a truce between them.
Peter smiled to see her, trying to shelve his apprehension about Nathan's increase in powers. He hung up his coat. "I'm okay. Something hot would be nice. Do you have some decaf coffee?"
"Sure. I'll go make some." She stopped to give Nathan a kiss.
He ran his hands across her arms lightly. "Everything okay?" he murmured to her.
"It's fine. You worry too much." She waddled off towards the kitchen. Nathan glanced at Peter and then followed her. Peter found his way to the parlor and sat down in an overstuffed chair.
Once in the kitchen alone, Nathan told Heidi, "I'd like Peter to check you, if that's okay?"
She turned and gave him a quizzical look after getting out the coffee. "God, you are worried. A house call?" She laughed. "I told you I had contractions for two weeks before Simon was born. I've only been having these off and on for two days."
He leaned against the counter and watched her busy herself with the coffee machine. His eyes lingered on her, dark with concern and haunted by his fears. When she was done, he said, "After that, Peter wants to ask me some things - privately. Are the boys in bed?"
"Yes, I sent them up just before you got here. Can you go up and check on them?"
He nodded. "Will do." He gave her a quick peck on the cheek before heading out. As he passed to the stairs he told Peter, "I need to check on the boys. If you could go talk to Heidi? I don't think I want to be there when you examine her." The idea of seeing Peter doing something intimate with Heidi made him want to throw one or both of them through a wall, even though he was perfectly aware of how silly that was under the circumstances.
Peter nodded and went to the kitchen. He made small talk with Heidi about the pregnancy. She suggested the guest room for doing the exam. He went back to get his bag and passed Nathan who was now sitting in the parlor, his expression troubled. "You okay?"
"Yeah," he said tightly.
Peter got his bag and came back, stopping to look at Nathan. "Really, what's wrong?"
Nathan rolled his eyes and drummed his fingers on the arm of the chair. "Peter, you're about to go touch my wife… privately. I love you. I love her. Go do what you have to do." He looked away.
"Ah," Peter said and walked off quickly. He'd never been on the receiving end of a jealous husband after an examination of some kind, but he'd had the displeasure of witnessing it a couple times. The quicker he got it over with and the fewer details Nathan needed was probably the better. Heidi was much more comfortable about the process and was pleased when he confirmed she wasn't ready.
They both returned to the kitchen where Peter disposed of his gloves and washed his hands again out of habit. Heidi poured up three cups and handed Peter's to him. She said, "This talk you're going to have with him - what's it about? Can I be there?"
Peter sighed. "It's about things he doesn't want to tell me, about the Company. I doubt he wants you to know either. I intend to press him pretty hard. It… would be better if we were alone."
She considered that and nodded as they walked out. "Okay. I'll be upstairs. Yell if you need help. I'm pretty good at twisting his arm," she said of Nathan as they walked into the parlor. She handed her husband his coffee and told him, "You should go to the study. More soundproof. Tell Peter what he needs to know. You keep too many secrets as it is." She kissed Nathan's cheek after he stood up and then she headed upstairs.
Nathan looked at Peter. Peter said, "She's fine. Everything's good."
Nathan nodded and watched her slow progress up the stairs. "How long does she have?" he asked in a strangled tone of voice.
Peter said, "Pregnancies don't come with timers, but it will happen eventually no matter what. Not in the next few days, I'd say. The calmer you can keep her the better. No more running off and upsetting her, okay?"
Nathan nodded soberly. He exhaled and led the way to the study.
Nathan shut the door behind Peter and turned to face him. Peter took a seat and looked back. Before he could speak, Nathan said, "Precognitive dreaming. Angela Petrelli. September, 2010."
Peter's mouth opened but nothing came out for a moment. Finally he said, "How?"
"Something Dad taught me. I don't have to kill to take powers, but it's damned hard to do it that way."
"Oh." Peter studied Nathan's face. He was pretty sure he was telling the truth. He wished he'd swapped healing for lie detection. He'd used healing only under dire circumstances since the incident at Christmas. It was still a great help, but being certain of Nathan's statements would do a lot to set him at ease. He suspected that taking one of Nathan's powers now would end the conversation entirely. He would have to trust him. Peter asked, "What about that hearing thing? What's that from?"
Nathan sat down behind the desk. "That's from Samson Grey. Associated ability, like Sylar can detect if people have powers. I guess I can detect life, but it's a pretty stupid ability."
"Okay," Peter said. He didn't think that was a stupid ability at all, but then again he'd thought flight was wonderful. Nathan had thought it was stupid as well, freakish even. "About the dreaming - does Mom know?"
"Yeah. I told her, back in October. All I have is nightmares. She said that's all she had for years too. Said I'm too emotional and it won't get better until I'm not so conflicted. Like that's going to happen. Apparently a lot of people lose their marbles with this power. She's been showing me how to just block them out. That's easier, but then of course I can't see the future."
"If it makes you feel any better, I never had much luck with her ability either. It wasn't nightmares so much, but just confusing."
Nathan shook his head. "They're definitely nightmares for me."
Peter quirked a brow at him, but his brother was staring at the floor, eyes unfocused. Peter said, "What are you seeing?"
"Death. Most recently they're about Heidi. She's giving birth. It's somewhere else, not a hospital, somewhere she doesn't want to be. She's alone, she's afraid, she's screaming. There's a lot of blood." His voice shook. "She's screaming for help and no one comes." His fists clenched and released.
Peter got up and walked over to Nathan, putting a disquieted hand on his shoulder.
Nathan looked up at him, distraught, his voice catching. "I don't know how to stop it, Pete. I don't know how it even happens. They don't make it. Not her, not the baby. I've seen them dead. I tell myself that maybe it's a triggered hallucination put in there by Parkman… maybe on Ma's orders to get me to do something... I don't believe it though."
Peter's concern was on his face, but he couldn't think of what they could do. Heidi was safe upstairs. "You said the other night the future wasn't writ in stone. It can be changed." He frowned. "No wonder you're so worried about her."
"Fuck yes," Nathan said vehemently and looked back down. Peter's brows pulled together. Nathan rarely used that word. Even though he was on the verge of tears, it seemed out of place in Nathan's mouth, more fitting in Gabriel's. Peter hugged him anyway. It didn't matter anymore - certainly not when he was being tortured with visions of losing his wife and son.
Peter said, "She's not in labor yet. We'll just keep an eye on her, all the time."
Nathan nodded. "I've taken off work," he said and added, "These agents have been tracking us, me and Ma. I assume they're the ones who are going to take her, or they're scouts for whoever will. I got one of them out on the street a couple weeks ago, right after Christmas. I've been trying to make myself a target, but no luck other than that. There were three but the other two ran. I figured one was enough and Parkman could take him apart. He did, or he said he did and there was nothing there." Nathan snarled in frustration. "If it wasn't so likely, I'd take Maury apart myself."
"I don't think I know what you mean."
Nathan shook his head. "No, it's… complicated."
"More stuff the directors have decided I shouldn't know?" Peter's voice was edged with irritation.
Nathan nodded.
Peter huffed. "I gather that keeping me in the dark has been a topic of conversation at these meetings. Why?"
"If you know the future, you might do something, even accidentally, that would change it. Then we'd lose the tactical advantage - assuming we even have one."
"Am I that important to the future? The world will go on without me, you know."
Nathan looked up at him then. "No it won't, Peter. You're critical. So am I. It's why Ma's been so desperate to keep me alive in any form, even after I killed her son."
Peter didn't know what to say to that. Into the silence, Nathan said, "Ma like to had a fit when she found out I had her ability. That's what she said she was having Maury do: muzzle me somehow, help me block it. Far as I can tell it only worked partway, but obviously I can't talk to her about the dreams anymore. I guess I'm lucky I don't sleep much."
Peter rubbed his shoulder sympathetically, but there wasn't a lot he could say without knowing more. As if he could read his mind, Nathan looked up at him and sighed. "Okay, go sit back down. I'll tell you." When Peter was sitting on the couch again, leaning forward and paying close attention, Nathan went on, "Dad has telepathy on his own. He would have picked up Rene's ability when he gained your repertoire. We know he was always able to give orders and anyone who heard him had to obey them."
Peter smirked slightly. "Except the dog."
Nathan smiled too at the memory. "Yeah, except Iggy. So the process is you get hold of someone, trap them in their mind with telepathy and get to work on them. You erase everything inconvenient to you and since you're in their mind, they can't hide from you, they can't refuse to listen and they can't get away. You're right there, you see it, you take it out. Telepathy and memory manipulation by themselves are really powerful. You use them together and you get synergy - they compliment each other.
"Once you've taken out everything you don't want, you start giving orders. You're in their head - they can't pretend they misunderstood you or get away with hackneyed interpretations. You can see which orders their basic personality will conflict with, which ones they'll fight and be able to get some leverage against. You can deal with that by cutting away more of themselves or tweaking the orders a bit, maybe burning it into them with more force. Again, it's a synergy - combined, the powers remove each other's weaknesses.
"You can create the perfect Manchurian candidate or fanatically loyal followers. There are other abilities that let you change personality at a core level, but the Company never used those on a routine basis. They never had regular access to them. Dad might though."
Peter blanched. "You mean the Company did use this process on people routinely?"
"Every agent. Every single one of them, Peter," he said quietly.
Peter blinked. "Wh- What?"
Nathan nodded. "They have an oath of loyalty all the agents take when they start their career. Requires absolute obedience, up to and including suicide orders. There's no way a person can apply something so broad without a lot of free will, but it's worded so the agent ends up having to interpret everything as much as possible to fulfill the interests of the Company, as expressed by the upper management, the directors. Obviously strong willed people, over time, can work around parts of it… I guess. But once a Company man, always a Company man.
"It's why we needed a telepath. We can only do it partway right now, but it's only a matter of time until we pick up someone cooperative who has the other abilities. Rene's not a candidate for day to day stuff like this. He used to do it, but he's grown a conscience since… since what Angela had done to me. In any case, Maury's advanced enough with telepathy he can twist it to compensate. It's not as clean, has a higher chance of inducing insanity, but we're doing it anyway. Better crazy than disloyal, I guess."
Peter turned it over in his mind. "That's terrible, Nathan. That's… that's awful." He physically recoiled from the mental rape Nathan had described, his features clouding, lip curling in disgust. A part of his mind pointed out that it wasn't too different from what his mother had had Matt Parkman do to Nathan. Unable to handle it, he moved on to considering the agents Nathan had spoken of who were following him. "These people… they wouldn't even be working against you voluntarily. They're victims."
Nathan shrugged. "Victims or not, they have to be stopped. They're involved. The future I've seen has my wife and son dead. I could give a fuck about their free will if they're the ones who do that."
"Have you told anyone about this?"
"Who can I tell? Just Ma and Maury and they know about the dreams, I've told them. I gave them the agent I caught. They know. They're not doing anything. There's no one else I can go to." He voice caught and he stopped talking. Nathan shook his head, brows drawn together in pain. His hands began clutching at his clothes. He started rocking in his seat, then caught himself and stopped with a sudden inhalation just as Peter began to rise to go to him.
Nathan straightened up, smoothed his expression and looked professional and unworried. He waved Peter off casually. The younger man blinked at the transition, which didn't involve the use of abilities at all. In a level, rational voice, Nathan asked, "I'm fine. Sit down. What was it you wanted to talk about anyway, that was so important you staked out Ma's house and chased me through the sleet?"
Peter eyed him, sinking back to the couch. Nathan looked perfectly calm and attentive. If he hadn't seen him falling apart seconds before, he would have never guessed. Slowly he said, "How long can you keep that up?"
"Keep what up, Peter?"
"How long can you just shut off your feelings?"
Dryly he said, "Maybe one day I'll be able to do it in my sleep like Ma can. I can't fall apart right now. It wouldn't help anything. What did you want to talk about?"
Peter exhaled. He didn't like whatever Nathan was doing. It reminded him of how he'd acted drunk at the party or the stark transition between Nathan and Gabriel. Peter said, "I need to know about the Company and what they're doing. They're doing things to you. It's affecting you. I need to know what's going on."
Nathan smiled thinly. "It's not just about me. You remember last year, you told me that I didn't know what I was getting into?" The older man smirked at him. "You were so right. Ma's going to use you and I to bring down Dad. That's the simple version. The problem is I don't know the details. Neither does she, really. We're having to feel our way through this with glimpses and pieces of the puzzle. We really need one of those probability guys. Do you want the longer version?"
"Of course," Peter replied.
Nathan shrugged. "It won't help you. But fine. The longer version is that we've got agents, specialists, people with powers we've been recruiting - all those first contacts you've been making? We talk those over and pick who to follow up with, who to approach. They all have their roles to play. We have investments, facilities, resources. We have laboratories working on the formula, working on augmentation and blocking processes, working on weapons and drugs. That paralytic you used on me isn't off the shelf. We have neutralizer darts just finished that Bennet should be carrying next time you go out.
"We have three other doubled-up agent teams like yours that will start operations in the next two months or already have. Rene's on one of them. Parkman's on another - Matt, that is. Raymond's on the third. He comes highly recommended from England and he's managing European operations. We've opened relations with the Consortium in China and are keeping up with Yamagato in Japan. We're monitoring the ILD in northern India and Halo Group in Saudi Arabia and the US. We hold the European market and the US, as such things go, though there are at least seven other groups co-operating in the same areas with different goals. They don't conflict with us, so we stay out of their way.
"There's a couple scattered groups across the globe we're trying to come to terms with - small ones, cults of personality. They don't have much reach beyond their own abilities, which are usually physical or emotional. The powerful stuff, dangerous stuff, always involves knowledge.
"All of this involves supervision and direction or more frequently personal involvement. I only spend about half my time in the law firm. The rest of the time is spent herding cats for the Company. Ma and Maury are the same way. I understand why they had twelve directors before. We're not even trying to accomplish much of anything except keeping the lights on.
"We don't know much about our enemy. The important points are that Dad has layered precognition and time/space manipulation. Regeneration too, but that doesn't matter much. He doesn't have to steal powers anymore. All he has to do is be near them, like you used to be. If this fight's going to be solved with powers, then it's already over and he's won."
Peter sat quietly, absorbing that. It was a much more thorough answer than he thought he'd ever get out of anyone claiming a last name of Petrelli. Somehow it didn't answer his basic questions though. When it was clear Nathan was done, he asked, "Are you sure Dad's the enemy?"
Nathan smiled. "Very perceptive, Pete."
"What does that mean?"
"I've given you all the information I can - everything I know, without the details, and excepting the things we've decided not to tell you."
Peter took a deep breath and looked away, frustrated. Nathan chuckled and said, "It's like that for me too, Pete. I thought I'd get some explanations out of all this. All I have is more questions."
