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.

Notes: Wow! Over a hundred reviews! Thanks everyone!

Chapter 29: Security

Walking out of New York wasn't an easy thing.

It took them most of the night just to do that and a good part of the next day to find a functioning car to drive them south.

Of course they had plenty to talk about along the way.

Peter bombarded Ando and Niki with hundreds of questions about the past few years, about how they'd been and what they'd been doing, about everything; everything but that day.

"What about you, Peter?" Ando asked as they finally were on their way. "Where have you been all this time?"

"I'm not sure what you…"

"We know you've been at the colony for the past year," Niki interrupted, her eyes on the road. "But before then? Do you remember any of it?"

"No," he said with a slight shake of his head. "I mean, I remember being in the city, mostly the park, but…"

"So two whole years?" Niki asked sympathetically. "They're just…"

"Gone," Peter answered. "I wish I knew, but… it's hazy. It's like I was dreaming."

The three of them drove on in silence for a few more miles. Finally, Peter knew he'd have to begin it; he'd have to be the one to break the ice on what they all really wanted to talk about.

"When they found you..." he started but didn't quite know how to continue.

"Who?" Niki asked.

"Matt and Claire," Peter explained. "When they found you that day, why…"

"Do you think we didn't want to come help you?" Niki asked, actually sounding hurt.

"No, I just… I don't understand why…"

"They didn't find us," Ando answered. "Matt and Claire. Not that day. We thought… we thought they'd died as well. For almost a year we didn't see or hear anything from them."

"Claire had mentioned that they'd been together, looking for the rest of you, but I had no idea... I didn't know she meant that long. I kind of assumed…"

"It was awful," Niki jumped in. "We thought we'd never see you or them again. It took D.L., Micah and me a few weeks to catch up with Ando and Hiro, Isaac and Simone. We caught them at the tunnel, just before we left. Best luck we ever had."

"Wait," Peter said quickly as it dawned on him; as he remembered. "Simone? Where are Simone and Isaac? Why aren't they with you now? What…"

The look Niki and Ando exchanged wasn't lost on him.

"Did they…"

Peter couldn't even finish the question.

"Simone cut a deal," Niki said flatly. "I guess she was tired of living… living how we had to live. She made a deal with the Order about a year ago. She told them where to pick us up, all of us but they really wanted Claire; in exchange she and Isaac were supposed to be let free."

"What happened?" Peter asked frantically.

"We got about three minutes warning is what happened," Niki said in a much harsher voice. "Three minutes before it was supposed to happen Matt heard her thinking about it; worrying about it. She'd been watching the clock, watching the door. He must have just caught her at the right time, we never expected… As soon as we knew we scrambled. They arrived before we were ready and Isaac was shot. It was quick there wasn't anything we could do for him."

"And Simone?" Peter asked tentatively, unable to wrap his head around the situation; around how things could go so badly so quickly.

"She panicked," Niki said in that same dead tone. "She froze and they took her in. That's the last we saw of her. Audrey said she was locked up. I don't know. I don't really care."

"Peter," Ando said, much kinder. "I'm sorry you had to hear…"

He only shook his head, shook off the response.

What had happened between him and Simone was brief and nearly over before that day when his memory stopped. He'd cared for her, really cared for her, but she must have changed. He couldn't imagine the woman he'd once loved turning in her friends like that. Trading them all for what? False security. No. No, he'd rather not think about it.

"How much further?" he asked instead.

Niki sighed before answering.

"We'll probably be there before midnight."

"Then what?"

"We go to our safe house," Ando answered. "We have one set up there so that we could meet with Mohinder or Audrey when we had to. I've been a few times; I know the best way to go so that we attract the least amount of attention."

"And what's next? I mean, how exactly are we going to get inside?"

"I'm sure D.L. already has a plan in place," Niki said reassuringly.

Peter nodded but didn't look convinced.

"Look," Niki said much more lightly. "We've got a guy who can walk through walls, one who can burn through them and one more who can stop time. It's going to be cake."

"He just told you?"

"Yes, sir," Jenny answered with a self-satisfied smile. "Henry Jacobs. I did some research and he was on the original list. From what Parkman told me he can super heat the air around him, direct it even. It's how he was able to escape. Apparently he burned a hole right through the wall."

"Interesting," Nathan replied. "Do we know any more about him?"

"Not much I'm afraid. Most of the records…"

"Doesn't matter," Nathan interrupted. "We've got his photo from the detention center. That's all we need."

"So do you think…" Jenny started to ask but one look from Nathan stopped her immediately.

She wasn't allowed to ask questions.

"Good job," he said instead, rising from his seat.

Jenny got to hers as well when the door opened.

"Sir," Sullivan, Nathan's assistant, said quietly. "You have a guest."

"I told you I'm not…"

"Sir, it's Mr. Davies."

Any other time and Sullivan would not have dared to interrupt his boss, but this was important. He knew Mr. Davies was too important to waste time arguing.

Nathan did too.

"Send him in," he said, smoothing down the front of his jacket and tie.

"Should I go?" Jenny asked nervously.

"No. Stay. You might be useful."

Jenny nodded and couldn't believe it. She was certain Nathan would have hurried her out. It was incredibly lucky. Mr. Davies, she knew, was the main representative from the Republic. This was her chance to meet someone really important.

"Right this way, Mr. Davies," they heard Sullivan say as he opened the door.

Mr. Davies was a tall man with light hair and eyes, probably no older than Nathan. As far as Nathan knew, he had no first name. It was always just Mr. Davies.

"You're early," Nathan said with a smile as he shook the man's hand. "We didn't expect you until tomorrow."

"I like to keep you on your toes," he returned without a trace of humor.

Nathan continued to smile, but it wasn't easy. He motioned to Sullivan who quickly left, closing the door behind him.

"This is Ms. Yi," Nathan said, gesturing to Jenny. "She's our newest lead investigator."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," Jenny said, with a much more genuine smile than Nathan had offered, shaking his hand as well.

"For me as well."

"Have a seat?" Nathan asked.

Davies complied, sitting in the seat Nathan had just recently occupied, leaving the other two to sit opposite him.

"How was your flight?" Nathan asked.

"Excellent."

"So…"

"Where is she being held?" Davies asked, cutting right to the chase.

"In our most secure facility."

"You've said that before."

"Well," Nathan began, "believe me that this time…"

"And you're certain it's her?"

"Positive," Nathan said a bit curtly.

"Good," he said, getting to his feet. "I'd like to meet her."

"Are you sure that's such a…"

"Ms. Yi," Davies said, completely ignoring Nathan, "would you care to accompany me?"

"Of course," Jenny answered, immediately rising to go. "I'd be happy to."

Nathan watched and worried as the two of them left his office; there wasn't anything he could do to stop them.

Jenny could hardly keep the smile off her face as she walked down the corridor with Mr. Davies.

A week ago and she'd have been hiding from him, terrified, now she understood what power was; that power, powerful men like Mr. Davies, weren't to be feared, they were to be learned from. The closer she kept to him, to Nathan Petrelli, the better.

"So Ms. Yi," he asked casually, "do you enjoy your work?"

"Extremely."

"And how long have you been heading up the, um, investigations?"

"A few days now," she admitted. "But I've been on the investigation teams for nearly a year."

"And it doesn't bother you?"

"It only bothers me when we don't find what we're looking for."

"I see," he said quietly.

"This is the block Claire Bennet is being kept in," Jenny said as they entered the wing.

"Is Matthew Parkman here as well?"

"Yes."

"And what do you think should be done with him?" Davies asked as they neared the cell. "What would you do if you were in charge of the situation?"

Jenny paused, considering it. Knowing it was a loaded question. Mr. Petrelli obviously wanted him dead, but she knew that members of the Board thought he was overlooking a golden opportunity to turn Parkman over to Primatech as well.

Davies was essentially asking her to choose sides.

Jenny didn't hesitate long.

"I'd hand him over to you," Jenny returned smoothly. "His powers aren't that strong, but I'm sure you and your colleagues would make the most of them."

"Any reason why you think Mr. Petrelli is not doing that?"

"Yes, sir. He's made it personal. He's putting his needs above the needs of the Order."

Davies smiled.

"So," he continued, motioning to the door. "What is it you do exactly?"

Jenny looked at the door, concentrated for a moment on the woman on the other side and came up with an image nearly crystal clear.

"Would you like a demonstration?"

Despite the thickness of the walls Matt heard her. Matt heard Claire yelling, no screaming for help from across the hallway. Screaming in his head.

It was awful.

Matt jumped up and ran to the door, desperate to find out what was going on.

Looking out the security glass in his door he spotted a man he didn't recognize in front of Claire's door, watching whatever was taking place with some sort of sick satisfaction.

Matt pounded on the door as hard as he could with both fists. It was the only thing he could do. Claire was so loud in his head he could hardly concentrate, he could hardly stand upright.

The man, for his part, ignored him entirely, except for one fleeting glance, smile firmly in place.

It only made him madder, made him beat harder on the door, made him completely unable to block out the excess noise and do something.

Panic. It was sheer panic. Matt knew it, but he couldn't do anything about it. Nothing.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, it ended.

Claire had stopped and Matt was even more terrified by the end then he had been by the beginning.

Matt watched the door intently, waiting for her to come out. Knowing who would come out. Who it had to be.

When the door did finally open, he wasn't disappointed.

It was Jenny.

He watched as the two exchanged a few words, smiled and laughed, before heading down the hall again.

Matt knew she'd seen him. She'd seen him watching. She had to have known he would.

As they passed his cell she turned ever so slightly, just meeting his eyes, and winked.

Matt didn't know how to hate her enough.

"Very impressive," Mr. Davies said as soon as they were out of the block and heading back towards the main wing.

"Thank you."

"I'm surprised you haven't gone further in the Order."

"I certainly aspire…"

"But I wonder if you're really cut out for it. For the type of work it takes to succeed."

Jenny looked momentarily frightened, but quickly recovered.

"I'd be willing to do whatever it takes," she said firmly. "I assure you of that."

"And your loyalty?"

"Is entirely yours."

Mr. Davies raised an eyebrow at her questioningly.

"Your organization," Jenny explained, "is what ensures our survival. And as long as the Order survives, I do too."

"So your real loyalty is to yourself."

"Whose isn't?" Jenny asked.

He paused as if considering her statement.

"However," she continued, "I know what is and isn't possible. That if I want security I have to earn it. I'm willing to earn it."

"I have a job for you," he finally said. "A very important job."

"I'd be happy to assist you in any way I can."

"Good," he said with a smile. "And I guarantee that if you succeed at this, you'll never have to worry about your security again."