milliways_bar
Matt's been kidnapped, arrested, and had his memory wiped within a week.
He's also had a good week mind you. And one of the best days since forever.
There's a plus side to having a radio broadcasting everyone's deepest and darkest secrets. He wouldn't have believed it, but knowing just what his wife wanted, just where she wanted to be touched-
...Coming out on top. Life was finally starting to go his way. Never mind that he couldn't remember what he'd done for the past 24 hours, after it?
I am a new man.
[I can't believe Dad took me off his health insurance-]
[I need it for my halloween costume!]
[Just pay me the damn money man-]
[Smile nicely and maybe the brat will go away-]
It was like listening to an ipod. Those things that kids had constantly in their ears. Except it wasn't music, it was words-thoughts- I'm hearing people's thoughts
He had to focus. Focus. It wasn't bad. Not bad enough to warrant wanting to shoot someone. It wasn't Sylar-They were just people so many people-
The guy who held the door open was listening to M&M? No. He wanted M&Ms. He was listening to Eminem. And he wanted M&Ms-
Or was that the teenage daughter of the older man trying to get a slurpee?
Ice cream. Thank god for Arco. It was a short walk from their house.
[My god, how much ice cream can you eat? Pig]
Matt jerked upward, grabbing Coffee for Janice and waving a hand at the woman, "I skipped lunch." Bitch..
[Will Jill be online when I get home?]
[God, I need a cigarette]
[Grab it real quick. No one would ever have to know.]
[I have a six thirty flight-how long is this cashier going to take?]
Okay. This wasn't like it had been at the crimescene. This wasn't like it had been at the FBI either. This was everyone. This was total and all encompassing
And it wasn't just thoughts. There were pictures associated with the thoughts. Not just words, but pictures, obscure details about people he'd never met.
The woman who was thinking about his dietary habits had Hawaiian Roller Coaster from Lilo and Stitch stuck in her head. Her son and daughter were there for vacation with her bastard ex-husband but that was okay, they wouldn't betray her say anything, anything at all about her lonely nights-
The Man behind him was an ex airforce pilot thinking about his son in Iraq and the last letter he'd written about how bored he was-
"...Hey pal, you all right?"
Matt jumped. His feet had carried him to the counter.
"....Yeah. Yeah I'm fine."
[Yeah okay buddy. How much've you had to drink?] He'd had a drink before coming with his brother, his sister was getting married to an idiot who was only marrying her for her body and had a girlfriend on the side, they knew about it because she'd called their house by mistake looking for him-
"...Yeah-um-"
Guy behind him airforce pilot, woman with a stick up her ass, robber-
He'd been humming along to a Disney Song and wondering what life was like in Iraq, completely ignoring this guy.
[He looks at me I'll pump him full of lead.]
[He's looking at me. He's looking at me He's fucking looking at me]
The guy's thoughts blocked out everything else. He needed the money in the register. Marie was sick, sick bad, and her husband wasn't outta jail. Quick Robbery She was his sister Everything'd be okay. He could run. No cops. It'd be easy and if anybody-
She's my sister
Matt stepped back from the register, angling himself behind the potential robber and tilting his head.
Up closer it was worse. Like standing too close to the speakers at a Duran Duran Concert. He wasn't just hearing the thoughts, he was hearing the force behind the words, the guy's raw hunger and desperation-
Matt touched his elbow, "....Don't do it."
The guy jumped several inches off the floor and whirled around. Tattooed neck, shaved head, High as a fucking kite.
Matt tried to ignore the name of the guy's dealer and the guy's dealer's (family)
"...Okay. I know what you're thinking right now alright?" That was an understatement, "...It's not worth it. You're throwing your life away for what? A couple of twenties in the register?"
Hell, he'd give him the money if this guy wasn't so...so-
".....And I know you're not going to listen to me." It was kind of hard to ignore the "Don't touch me or I'll shoot you" vibes he was getting, "...But I need you to know that I'm a cop. "
[Oh SHIT.]
It was practically shouted. Matt winced, holding up both of his hands, "-Easy. Easy. I'm unarmed okay? unarmed. Asking you not to do this. "
He tilted his head, "...You've got Marie at home waiting for you." She was sick. Confined to her bed. Janice was probably sick with worry This throws a wrench into everything we just did-
He wanted to cry.
"...And Christian. Christian's gonna get out soon. He'll need you. They'll need you." Matt looked pained, "...So please-please just put the gun down. Walk away. Walk away okay?"
The thug was named Billy and he'd taken care of his sister ever since their dad had bailed and their mom and drunk herself to death. He'd been best man at her sister's wedding and been part of her husband's "crew" before he got arrested. He'd finally snapped when his girlfriend jumped him, going to Mimi the dealer downtown and taking his first Heroin shot-
He'd been religious. He'd been good friends with the nuns.
But Billy wasn't thinking when he bolted, dropping a 22. Saturday Night Special on the shelf.
Oh. Oh good Matt breathed a sigh of relief and stepped toward the counter, ready to be a Hero, ready to call the police and have them take care of this-
[Oh my god! He's got a gun!]
[It's a gun!]
[Oh god-Oh god-]
Hawaiian Mother, Pilot, Teenage Girl-
[He's got a gun!]
"No!" The volume was increasing. Some sadistic hand turning it up, "-No no! You've got it all wrong...all wrong-I'm just a cop...Just a cop-"
[Liar. He's got a gun and he's gonna kill us all-]
[Gun-]
[I just wanna get out of here]
[Please don't shoot me]
[Please don't shoot me]
[Please don't hurt] Me-
"You've got it all wrong! wrong-I'm a cop. I'm a cop I'm-"
It's pounding in his head, echoing off his skull and making him want to fall to the floor.
"...Please-"
He threw the gun at the floor, stumbling for the double doors-if he could just get home...