Apocalypse by SLynn
Summary: Three years have passed since the explosion and life has drastically changed for everyone. This isn't the world they imagined they'd be saving.
Spoilers: Up to 'Fallout'
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I'm just borrowing and will return them all when I'm done, virtually untouched.
Chapter 14: Interrogation
Matt sat perfectly still.
He was alone in the room they'd placed him in, handcuffed and facing the door. His mind was clear and he was concentrating harder than he had ever done before on reaching out to whoever was behind that door, waiting to come in.
Just listening.
Matt could sense them there. He could almost hear them. Almost. They were just out of range. A little closer, a step even, and he'd know. He'd know what was going on in their head and what was in store for him.
Not that he didn't already have an idea about that.
Rooms like this weren't made for social gatherings. This was going to be an interrogation. A real interrogation. And if Matt was right, and that person standing just out of his mind's reach was who he thought it was, it was going to be a rough one.
At last the suspense ended. Just before the door opened he caught a 'finally' and then he was in the room with him.
Nathan Petrelli.
A man he once thought was on his side. Once would have called his friend. There he stood, gloating with two or three of personal guards there with him.
Matt knew why they were there without having to reach for the answer. They had two purposes. They were Nathan's enforcers and his cover.
They were there to help cause confusion. Nathan knew that the more people in a room, especially a small room, the harder it was for Matt to pick out individual thoughts. And he was right. Well, he used to be right.
It used to be a problem.
Whatever Claire had done, however she'd fixed him, she'd done a very good job.
What would have before been an angry buzz now sounded more like actual conversation. Each voice, each thought, could be pushed aside and ignored much easier than before.
And the headache, that constant pounding that had lived inside his head for the past three years, was gone.
For having been dead a few hours ago, Matt felt pretty damn good.
"Hi, Parkman. It's been a long time."
Matt only looked up and glared at him.
"You always were the quiet one," Nathan remarked. "But I guess you don't have much reason to talk, right? Given what you can do."
'Self-righteous asshole.'
Matt couldn't help himself. Couldn't stop from acknowledging that he'd heard him by raising an eyebrow and giving a slight shrug.
Nathan laughed a cold and hollow laugh before turning so quickly, moving so quickly that Matt didn't even have a chance to flinch as he'd hit him square in the nose.
Matt briefly cradled his head in his hands, trying to slow the bleeding but not doing a good job of it.
"Want to talk now?"
"Go to hell," Matt answered, lifting his head back up and wiping his nose one last time with his sleeve.
"That's better," Nathan said, stepping back and seemingly cooler.
"If you want to fight why don't you take these off and make it fair," Matt stated, lifting his hands toward him. "But I don't have anything to say to you."
'We'll see about that.'
Nathan pulled a chair over and sat down directly in front of him.
"Where's Claire?"
Matt said nothing.
"We know that you were heading north," Nathan continued, "towards that colony that doesn't exist. Trenton is empty; we have men patrol there every few days. Whoever told you that lied."
'Audrey lied.'
It affected him more than he wanted it to, even knowing it wasn't true. Nathan knew he was listening and was just goading him. That had to be it. Audrey wouldn't have lied to them, to him. Yes, she'd been the one to tell them about Trenton but it was likely just a mistake. Like Jacobs had said, another bit of misinformation.
"So, where was it? Where were you going?"
Matt still said nothing.
"Come on, Parkman. Don't push me."
Matt wasn't going to budge.
"Fine," Nathan said shortly. "I figure there are two ways this can go down. First is, I let these guys here work you over for a bit; try and loosen your tongue. They're good at their jobs, extremely good, but I think we both know that isn't going to work. You're not afraid of pain and you'd rather die than tell me what I want to know."
Nathan had gotten up now, moved across the room and rapped twice on the door.
It was then, just then that Matt was sure he picked up something Nathan hadn't meant him too. Up until now, Nathan had been toying with him. Purposely taunting him with his thoughts. But with his back turned, and surrounded by his men, Nathan must have assumed Matt couldn't make out anything distinct or he certainly wouldn't have thought what he did; wouldn't have tipped his hand.
'Tell me already so I can kill you myself.'
"Or," Nathan continued, coming back across the room, "there is our second option. Any guesses?"
He had no answer. Nothing. He was still reeling from the pure malice he'd heard in the other man's head. Matt had long known that Nathan held him almost solely responsible for Peter's death, but until now he hadn't really understood.
Nathan was going to kill him; without a doubt, without hesitation and without remorse.
There was a huge difference between expecting an event to take place and putting it down as a certainty.
Matt had been so blindsided by it all that he was completely unprepared for what happened next.
Before he was aware, the door opened again and he felt his stomach drop as two more men entered the room dragging Audrey between them.
She locked eyes with him briefly and he could hear her, the way he could always hear her, loud and clear and practically screaming in his head.
'Don't say anything. No matter what, don't tell him. Don't tell him.'
"Any guesses now?" Nathan asked him with a sick smile.
Matt must have involuntarily tried to get to his feet because the next thing he knew there was one man on either side of him pushing him back into his chair.
"Let her go," Matt said. "She doesn't know anything. She's not involved in any of this."
"Now," Nathan said, as Audrey was placed in the chair he had just occupied. "Now I think we'll get somewhere."
Matt looked into Audrey's eyes and saw the panic. Saw by the bruises on her face and body that they had already beaten as much information as they could out of her. Now they were either going to do it again for his benefit or worse, something much worse.
Even if he could push aside other people's emotions now, he couldn't do it with his own.
"Tell me where she is," Nathan said.
"I don't know," Matt said automatically.
"No," Nathan returned. "That won't work."
Pulling a gun from a holster hidden by his jacket, Nathan placed it to Audrey's temple.
"I really don't know," Matt yelled, once again held in place by the men beside him. "We got separated after we escaped. She could be anywhere."
Audrey's eyes were now shut tight with a few tears escaping down the side of her face.
"Where were you going?"
"Trenton," Matt answered. "Like you said. We were headed for Trenton."
"That's a lie," Nathan spat at him.
'Please,' he heard from Audrey.
"It's not," Matt argued. "We were. That's where the colony is. That's…"
Again, it was so fast. Nathan had hit him with the handle of the gun almost before Matt could register that he'd even moved.
Stars swam before his eyes and he felt like he might pass out.
Matt fought it, fought it hard and recovered as best he could. Sitting upright once more, he tried to focus. Tried to concentrate but felt like he might be sick.
"No it's not," Nathan almost screamed. "We know it's not there! Now, tell me the truth or say goodbye to Audrey."
"Don't," she whispered. "Don't do it, Matt. Don't…"
"There's still time to save yourself and your friend."
"Matt, don't say anything. It's not worth it. You know they aren't going to let either of us go."
"You're running out of time."
"No. Please, no…"
"It's in Allentown," Matt said.
The room went silent.
Nathan and Audrey were both looking at him with surprise.
"How do you know that?" Nathan asked as he put his gun away.
"The man who helped us escape said so," Matt answered, unwilling to look at either of them. "He said Trenton was a decoy to throw the Order off."
'So it's real.'
"Who was this man?"
"I don't know his name. There wasn't time to find out."
Matt still wouldn't look up but knew that Nathan hadn't bought that last bit.
"And that's where she is? Where she was headed?"
"I told you," Matt answered, finally meeting the man eye-to-eye again, "I don't know. We got separated."
Nathan gave him a brief nod.
'We'll see.'
"Come on," Nathan said to his men. "Let's give these two a chance to catch up."
Matt watched as they exited, waiting for the door to click shut before he turned back to Audrey who sat with her head in her hands.
"Audrey are you…"
"Why did you tell them?" she asked, looking up at him with tears in her eyes. "You know he's still going to kill us, right? You have to know."
"I had to say something," Matt whispered urgently, very much aware that there were probably cameras and microphones in the room.
"No you didn't. You could have kept your mouth shut."
"And watch?" Matt asked, his voice choking up at the thought. "You think I could just keep quiet and watch them do whatever…"
Matt hung his head, shaking it slowly; as if he could shake out all the bad thoughts.
Audrey moved forward in her chair until their knees touched, pressing her head to his. Matt responded instantly by taking hold of her hands.
'What about Claire?'
"She'll be fine," he whispered.
"But you told them…"
Matt looked back up at her, squeezing her hands tightly.
'It's not in Allentown.'
Audrey flinched, fixing him with an odd look. It was almost as if she was surprised to hear his voice in her head.
He loosened his grip on her hands, sitting back to take her in.
But Audrey quickly recovered.
'You're sure?' he heard her ask back.
Matt was still apprehensive.
Something felt off, he felt off. It wasn't a headache, it was closer to seasickness. Like the floor wouldn't hold still.
'He doesn't trust me.'
That snapped him out of it.
Matt moved back in, shaking his head before kissing her passionately.
"Don't say that," he broke off long enough to whisper in her ear. "You know it's not true."
"So why won't you…"
"To protect you."
Audrey looked struck.
"It's better for you if you don't know."
She looked at a complete loss. Like she couldn't understand why he'd do this. Why he'd take this kind of risk.
"But, they'll kill you when they find out," she said. "They'll…"
"They probably already know, but it doesn't matter. Nathan's going to kill me no matter what I say."
"He could change his mind."
Matt shook his head. Audrey wasn't thinking clearly, couldn't be. There was no way Nathan was going to let him live.
"Next time he comes," Matt said in a low voice, "he won't waste any time. I don't want to do it, but… I can't watch them hurt you. I can't. I'm going to try and make a deal with him first. Try and… I don't know. I don't think he'll…"
"Why? Why would you do that?"
"Because I love you," Matt answered honestly.
"You'd really tell him to save me. You would."
"I don't have a choice."
'What about your friends?'
"I can just hope they'll understand," he answered. "That they know I didn't want…"
Matt sighed, rubbing his eyes vigorously. Hating the position he was in. Hating having to decide between the two most important people in his life.
But Claire wasn't here. She wasn't in immediate danger. Audrey was.
"They'll be fine," he said for his own sake.
'Will she?' Audrey's voice asked.
'Claire's smart and she won't be alone. Nathan will have a hell of a time finding them in New York.'
Audrey hardly paused after hearing him. Almost as soon as he was done she leaned back in for a kiss as intense as the first had been.
'I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry.'
Matt pulled away in shock, recognizing neither voice nor face.
"I really am," Jenny repeated.