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 24: Power

"I just recieved a very surprising offer."

"Really?" Nathan tried to ask with something like interest.

"For Claire Bennet."

"From who?" he asked, his attention fully caught.

"Mr. Petrelli," the voice on the other end of the line said condescendingly, "surely you don't think you are the only person on my payroll."

"No, but…"

"You were supposed to bring her to me."

"And I will. My men are…"

"Your men haven't been able to bring her in so far. It's been three years."

"Yes, but…"

"Mr. Petrelli, I don't like surprises. And I don't like failure."

"I assure you that whoever has told you that they have Claire Bennet is lying. My men are bringing her in as we speak."

"You have confirmation of this."

"I do," Nathan lied without hesitation.

"Good. We'll be there in three days to pick her up."

"Three days?"

"Yes," the man said coolly. "On Friday."

"Friday is not really a good time," Nathan said. "We've got an…"

"Execution taking place? Yes, I know. Matthew Parkman. I'm surprised you haven't tried to barter him…"

"No. Not him."

"Have it your way," the man replied. "We'll see you Friday. You and Ms. Bennet."

"Friday it is."

He'd been gone a day.

The guards had left Audrey and Mohinder to sit in their cuffs for a few hours before finally returning and undoing them, but wouldn't tell them a thing about Matt.

They'd had lunch and dinner and showers as was becoming usual, but still they hadn't brought Matt back to them.

Audrey hadn't been able to sleep that night. Instead, she'd paced. Up and down, and back and forth, all around the cell. Audrey paced and waited and paced some more.

Why hadn't they brought him back?

"Audrey," Mohinder said from where he sat on his cot watching her progress around the room.

That's as far as he ever got.

Mohinder had tried at least a dozen times to talk to her, to talk her down, but as soon as he said her name she'd turn and glare at him and he wouldn't know what else to say.

He could offer neither hope nor consolation.

Not knowing was killing them both.

Audrey heard movement in the hallway and as expected the head guard was back at the window, tapping and motioning for them to move to their spots by the back wall.

"Lunch time," he said as soon as he entered the room.

Audrey couldn't help but look disappointed.

They went through the routine, the same one they did for every meal, except this time the head guard took Audrey by the arm.

"I'll walk her down the hall," he said to Deputy Myers, the woman who normally took her.

Mohinder looked on uneasily as instead of heading towards the cafeteria the man walked with Audrey further into the complex, away from every one else.

"Why isn't she coming with us?" he asked, unable to keep from at least saying something. "What's going on?"

"Quiet, Suresh," he guard holding onto him said, dragging him away.

"Where…" Audrey started to ask for herself, but he squeezed her arm so tightly the questioned died in her throat.

"Stand here," he said loudly, too loudly, as he turned her away from him, facing a door.

Audrey felt her heart race, not sure what was happening and not liking the vulnerable position she was in.

She stood there, looking down at the door knob; just waiting for whatever was going to happen to be over with, for it to at least begin so it could be over with.

"What's the hold up down there?" they both heard Deputy Myers call from the very end of the hallway near the main exit where she stood.

The guard cleared his throat loudly causing her to turn slightly towards him.

He looked her straight in the eyes before looking back at the door.

Audrey looked as well with renewed interest but not just at the door, at the security window.

Rising up on her toes she could just see inside; and there he was.

Matt was there. Alive. Still alive.

Audrey breathed a sigh of relief as she rocked back on her heels.

"Come on," the guard said, leading her once more by the arm down the hallway and to the waiting Deputy Myers.

"What was that all about?" the woman asked as she took over possession of Audrey.

"Just get her down to the mess hall," was all he said in return.

Audrey turned to give him one last look and a nod, a thank you, but he had already moved away.

It didn't matter.

He was still alive. Matt was still alive.

Matt had vague recollections of being brought into the cell, of being dropped on the floor sometime after his little interview with Nathan, but he has no idea as to how long ago that actually may have happened.

He had lay on the floor most of the night until one or more of the guards finally moved him to the cot. Matt was just too weak to do it himself; still too weak to move much at all.

Most of his day had been spent going in and out of consciousness.

Matt was thankful for those moments of sleep, of blackness, at least those were pain free, but while he's awake, while he's awake he mostly just wished he was asleep again.

Later that afternoon he started to feel a little better, just well enough to move actually; not that he had any desire to do that.

That's when the door opened.

"Are you sure you want to be in here alone? He was pretty violent…"

"I'm sure," Matt heard a familiar voice say.

The guard must have been convinced because the next thing Matt knew the door was shutting and he knew it had shut with her on the inside.

"I'm not asleep," Matt said before she had the chance to say what was on her mind. "And you're wasting your time. I don't know anything about the colony."

"I'm not just here for that," Jenny said curtly.

"Still curious?" Matt asked, not even bothering to turn over and face her.

Jenny didn't answer. Instead, Matt was surprised when he felt her sit down beside him.

Matt turned his head, opened his eyes just enough to try and read her expression.

"I brought you some water," she said, holding out a bottle to him.

He continued to look at her with a curious expression of his own.

"Take it," she said. "You need to drink something."

"What's it matter?" he asked.

Jenny didn't say anything, nothing out loud, just gave the bottle a little shake.

Matt winced, turning over and sitting up; reluctantly taking the offered drink.

"Thanks."

Jenny stared at him for a moment, watching as he took a few small sips. It was a bit unnerving and Matt knew what she was up to. That she was already peaking inside his head, but only gently; very gently.

"Tell me about the colony," she said evenly.

"I don't know anything about the colony."

"I don't want to hurt you."

"I know," he lied. "I believe that, but I can't tell you what I don't know."

Jenny continued to stare, to probe his memories, but this time not so gently.

'I'm not that weak,' Matt thought at her.

The effect was immediate. Jenny, remembering the pain he'd caused her before, backed out of his head.

"This man," Jenny said after a lengthy pause, "the man who helped you escape, who was taking you to the colony. What was his name?"

"I told you that I never got it."

The corners of her mouth twitched slightly.

"I think you're lying to me."

Matt shrugged slightly, before taking another sip of water. When he looked back up at Jenny, Audrey was in her place.

It was jarring.

"Don't do this," he said, shaking his head.

"Do what? I just want you to tell me the truth, Matt. I'm not going to hurt you, I'm not going to make you see or do or hear anything you don't want to."

He didn't want to believe her. Matt really didn't want to, knew what Jenny was really like, but it was a very convincing act.

"You're good at truths, right?" she continued. "So tell me one. I already know where Claire Bennet was going, now I need to know who she was going with."

"Why is that so important?" Matt asked. "Why do you care…"

"Because, you should know that whoever it was, they've tried to sell her off."

"What? No. Now I know…"

Matt groaned, covering his mouth with his hand and shutting his eyes tightly. He hadn't been prepared. He wasn't strong enough to handle this; he wasn't ready.

And Jenny was definitely stronger than before. She'd been practicing. She'd been perfecting this.

"It's true. You want to hear it from me? Want to read it out of my head?"

Matt opened his eyes, honestly relieved to see Jenny beside him once more.

'Bounty hunters. Bounty hunters with lists of their own.'

"Why do you think I stay?" Jenny asked him seriously. "Out of loyalty? You know what it's like out there for people like us."

"Why though? What are they after? You know…"

"I don't know anything," Jenny answered flatly.

"Neither do I."

"Tell me who he was," Jenny urged. "Just his name. What good does it do you to keep quiet?"

"What good does it do me to talk?"

Jenny stared at him for a moment as if considering it.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"From you? Nothing."

"I could…"

"You lied to me," Matt said. "You told me that Audrey and Mohinder were going to be spared."

"You know Mr. Petrelli."

'I had no choice.'

"See, you say that but you also say that you stay here because you want to. It's safer here for you. No, I've got nothing to say to you."

"I don't want…"

"I don't believe that either," Matt interrupted. "You do want to hurt me. You like it, right? You say one thing but I know what you're thinking. You like having this power. This kind of control."

"And you don't?" she shot back fiercely. "What I can do, no one else can. No one. If I wanted, I could have you crying in the corner right now and begging me to make it stop. That's the kind of power I have."

"You have nothing," Matt said, suddenly angry now himself. "Nothing. You're more of prisoner here than I am. At least there's a way out for me. It's over on Friday. Done. How long are you going to have to stay? How long are you going to have to worry that you aren't living up to Nathan's expectations? That you might be sold off to the next bounty hunter who comes along? That you might not be as special…"

"Shut up!"

Jenny got up and moved about the room, somewhat confused.

"So this man," she finally said quietly after a few minutes silence. "You're not going to tell me who he is."

He only shook his head.

"Fine," she said crisply. "Have it your way."

Matt had only a split second to prepare himself for what happened next.