Don't Lie to Me

Peter needed direction. After the betrayal of Isaac, the abandonment of Claude, and the death of Simone, he was all alone. There was no one he could rely on, no one he could confide in. He was an island of misery and fear. In a matter of weeks he was going to explode killing everyone in New York City. There had to be a way to stop it.

Pulling a pen from his pocket he concentrated on Isaac and how he felt around him. Soon his eyes turned white, and he fell into a trance.

XXXXX

Denise was an average height female, with medium brown hair swept into a sloppy bun, and a cocky smile. She was currently rubbing down the counter of Happy Daze, the bar where she worked. Meanwhile she listened to Bob the regular spill his guts about his latest slip up at work.

"… Of course the incident was entirely my fault, but the supervisor didn't know that. How dare he take the word of some rookie line manager over an employee who's been with the company for 25 years."

"Didn't you mention you have seven write ups for being intoxicated at work?"

"Yes. And most of those are my fault, but two of those were setups by the previous manager trying to get me fired."

"Looks like he finally got his wish huh, Bob."

"Why am I telling all of this to you?"

"Because you're drunk, and I'm a bartender. I'm like a confessional plus booze."

"Yeah, whatever, another scotch."

"You got it." Denise paused long enough to note Tammy coming in, three hours late. "So what's your excuse?"

"I'm really sorry, Deni." she started sincerely. "I tried to be on time today, but my flavor of the week was so good in bed last night. And as I was heading out the door this morning, he started nibbling my ear. And the next thing I knew we were having mind-blowing, bone-shaking sex on the countertop." She cut off suddenly. "I did not mean to say that!"

"I bet you didn't," Denise smirked. "I'll let it slide on two conditions."

"Being?"

"You're going to cover the rest of the shift by yourself?"

"What? You're going to leave me alone with the happy hour crowd?"

"I've covered you five times this month, I deserve a night to myself."

"Ok, you're right. What's the other condition?"

"You call me tonight and tell me every detail of that mind blowing sex."

"It's a deal, Deni."

Tammy took Denise's place behind the counter, while Denise gathered her belongings. Denise shrugged into her jacket, put in her headphones, and headed out.

"Where's that scotch?" Bob barked roughly.

"Oh, sorry, Bob," Tammy cooed. "Coming right up. Another bad day at work?"

"Yes, that Jack off supervisor suspended me. And I didn't do nothing."

"Aww, I'm so sorry."

XXXXX

Peter's eyes cleared, and he looked at the slab of cardboard he'd been drawing on. It was no work of art, but the details were clear enough. It looked like three people on a subway car: two men talking to each other, and a woman standing near them, wearing headphones and reading something. Through a window he could see a sign: D-14. He had to get to that gate.

XXXXX

Denise tried to flag a cab. She liked the privacy they offered. Unfortunately they all seemed to have higher priorities that picking up a fare.

"Is everyone an asshole today or what?"

Reluctantly she headed to the subway. It was better than walking ten miles.

XXXXX

Mohinder tightly grasped the handle over his head. He and Zane had now visited four gifted people, and each time they went back to follow up, they found them dead, with their skull cut open.

"This can't be just coincidence can it? Every person we try to warn ends up dead?"

"I know it's strange, it's like this Sylar guy is following us."

"How is he doing it?"

"I don't know. But we have to keep going we have to keep trying to warn these people."

"But if he's following us, then we're the ones leading him to them. We're the one putting them in danger."

They paused their conversation as the subway came to a stop. People were shuffling in and out, and they didn't want to be overheard. Superhuman abilities, supernatural murders, not exactly typical subway banter.

XXXXX

Denise had bought a paper on the way to the sub station. She was currently in the process of figuring out the sudoku on the back. She became so engrossed in the puzzle that she accidentally walked right into someone. Pulling an earphone out she began to apologize.

"I'm so sorry I…"

There was no one there. She looked all around her feeling very confused for a minute. She then shrugged, put her headphones back in and went back to her puzzle.

The subway screeched to a stop in the station. Denise quickly shuffled through the crowd to find a spot. Near the door she noticed two rather attractive men talking to each other. One was Caucasian with short brown hair, and a five o'clock shadow. The other looked Indian, with soft curly locks. Maybe riding the subway wasn't such bad luck after all.

There were seats open, but she never sat on the subway. Creepy people and foreign stains made her prefer to stand. She widened her stance, wrapped her arm around a pole and continued working on her puzzle, casting the occasional admiring glance at the two men beside her.

XXXXX

Mohinder was beyond frustrated. He didn't know what to do. Everything he tried only ended in tragedy, and now with the additional crowd from the last station he couldn't even vocalize his frustrations.

"Who's the next person on the list?" Zane asked him.

"I'm not sure we should be talking about this in the open," Mohinder cautioned, indicating the woman standing next to him.

Zane looked at the young woman with the newspaper. The woman caught his glance and smiled flirtatiously at him. Zane returned the smile, and turned back to Mohinder. "She's plugged into her I-pod, she can't hear anything we say."

"Even so, any one of these people could be Sylar. I just don't know who I can trust anymore."

"Certainly not me," Zane admitted.

"What?" Mohinder stared at Zane suspiciously.

Flustered, "I don't know where that came from. I meant to say you can certainly trust me."

"I'm not so sure," Mohinder admitted. "Since I met you, you've had these rather suspicious moments." It was Mohinder's turn to look flustered. "I didn't mean to say that."

"I know you didn't," Zane said, beginning to suspect his surroundings.

XXXXX

Ever since boarding the subway, Denise had felt a tremendous headache setting in. Finally the pain became overwhelming and she collapsed onto her hands and knees. The Indian guy next to her was instantly by her side.

"Ma'am are you alright?"

"Who are you?" she asked. Her voice was cracked from trying to control the pain.

"My name is Mohinder. I'm a geneticist. Where's it hurt?"

"It feels like my skull is going to explode."

"What's wrong with her?" asked the man's friend kneeling beside her.

The pain in her head intensified fourfold. She let out a scream. "It's him! Get him away!"

Mohinder didn't know how to respond, "I don't understand? What do you mean?"

"Ask him who he is! Ask him what he's done!"

"Zane?"

"Zane's dead," the man said with a cold expression. "I killed him and took his power."

"Dear Kali," Mohinder exclaimed. "You're Sylar."

Sylar smiled cruelly before telekinetically tossing Mohinder into the wall of the subway car. Denise tried to crawl away from him but as he approached her she became helpless to the pain inside her head.

"Interesting gift you have there. I'd love to add it to my collection."

"Not happening Sylar!" A man called from across the car.

Sylar turned to face the voice, but instead found himself being hurled through the car window onto the tracks.

A young man materialized beside Denise. He was beautiful, like a dark angel. "Are you ok?" he asked.

"I'll be fine. What about him?" Denise lifted her head in the direction of Mohinder.

The young man went over to the Indian. He found a steady pulse. After checking to make sure his spine was intact, he gently shook the man. "Mohinder, you need to get up." The best he got was a glazed expression. "He has a concussion, he needs to get to a hospital." He gathered the man in his arms and looked at her. "Take my hand."

She looked at him confused.

"I need you to take my hand, and hold on tight."

She nodded once, grasped his wrist, and held on like it was a lifeline.

Suddenly all three of them were in a hospital supply closet. Denise screamed.

"Shh." Peter whispered. "I know you're scared. You have every right to be, but right now I need your help."

"To do what?"

"Mohinder needs a doctor. I can't let anyone see me. I need you to check him in, can you do that?"

"I think so," she answered borderline hysterical. "Lean him on my shoulder."

Mohinder was heavy, but Denise was built well, and she was running on adrenaline. She opened the door to the supply closet, and dragged him out of it.

XXXXX

Peter went invisible and followed the woman down the hall. She found a nurse, and frantically tried to explain her situation.

"Slow down, Miss. What happened?"

"We were on the subway, and this guy just threw him against the wall. I think he hit his head. Please help him."

"How did you get past the front entrance?"

"I don't know ok!? One minute I was on the subway, the next I was here. Now can you help him before he dies in the hallway?"

"Calm down, Miss. We're going to help him. Can you tell us anything else?"

"His name is Mohinder. That's all I know. I just met him on the subway." Tears were flowing freely down her face now.

Another nurse arrived with a wheelchair, and Mohinder was taken into Emergency.

"Now, Miss? I'm going to need you to go back to the waiting room. We're going to take care of him, and we'll tell you when there's any change."

"Ok, I can do that." As she headed in the direction of the waiting area she felt a hand on her back, guiding her, comforting her. "Is that you?"

"It's me," he answered. "I'm right here with you. You did good."

Once she reached the sofa she collapsed into massive sobs. Peter was right beside her comforting her as best he could.