Fic: Yen, 11/12
Yen
By kalimyre
Pairing: Kensei/Hiro, Adam/Hiro
Rating: Adult
Summary: In which the fairy tale does have a happy ending, but not the one you were expecting.
Notes: As always, thank you to my fabulous betas: powered_otaku and soulpeddler.
Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five | Chapter Six | Chapter Seven | Chapter Eight | Chapter Nine | Chapter Ten
~~~
Part 11
The next time they met, there were considerably more of them.
The call came not from Nathan or Suresh, but from a man Adam didn’t know, and Hiro couldn’t offer much in the way of explanation. But he knew everyone involved and he gave them a time and a place, and Hiro was inclined to be trusting. Adam was not, but that was nothing new.
It was some empty field in Maine, of all places, and thanks to Hiro and his shortcuts, they were the first to arrive. Adam looked around, brushing his hands over the knee-high grass, just now turning green again after the winter. Hiro blinked up into the morning sun and shrugged at him. “I think this is it,” he said.
“All right,” Adam said, searching until he found a gap in the thick grass. It turned out to be a dirt road, and as they approached it, a car came from the other direction.
Adam slid in front of Hiro, blocking the line of sight to the car, and Hiro made an impatient little huff behind him but didn’t move. The car stopped beside them and Suresh got out, along with Nikki and two unfamiliar men. Adam eyed them warily; one was heavily built, with dark hair and eyes, the other older, thinner, with thick rimmed glasses.
“Hiro, Adam,” Suresh said, waving at them. “This is Matt, I’ve told you about him. And this is Noah Bennett.”
“Hey,” Matt said, and Adam noticed the way he cocked his head, as if listening to something.
“Hiro,” Bennett said, holding out his hand. “I’ve wanted to meet you. I understand you had a hand in helping my daughter survive Homecoming.”
Hiro frowned, confused, shaking the outstretched hand automatically. “Your daughter... the cheerleader?”
Bennett nodded. “If you hadn’t sent Peter there for her, things might have been very different. But of course, you know that.” He turned to Adam, nodding a greeting. “And Adam, good to have you with us.”
Adam smiled thinly. Bennett, like Bob, struck him as someone who only looked mild on the surface.
“Are Nathan and Peter here?” Suresh asked.
Bennett waved skyward, nodding. “That’ll be them now.”
Adam turned in time to see them come in for a landing, Peter skidding a little in the grass, Nathan steadying him. Nathan flashed them a look that tried to suggest he traveled like this all the time and it was no big deal, but the gleeful grin on Peter’s face spoiled the illusion.
“Flying man!” Hiro said, beaming. “Peter Petrelli! You have your powers back?”
“Yeah,” Peter replied, “looks like it.”
“And no exploding?” Hiro pressed.
Peter shook his head. “No, it’s there, but I’ve got a grip on it.”
“Oh, hi,” Nathan said, catching sight of Nikki.
She flashed an awkward smile and waved, then folded her arms, looking away. Adam saw Matt look at her sharply, then at Nathan, and remembered Matt was the one with a knack for finding out what people didn’t want to say.
“Everyone know each other now?” Bennett asked. “Good. Here’s the plan so far. First, we need to isolate Sylar, get him away from people. We don’t want the witnesses or the potential civilian casualties.”
“And how do we plan to do that?” Nathan asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Hiro,” Bennett said. “That will be your part. All you need to do is get close to him, just for a second, so you can take him where we want him.”
“Wait, you want Hiro to get close to him alone?” Adam protested. “That sounds like a suicide mission.”
“Not if he stops time,” Bennett pointed out.
“But it doesn’t work on Sylar,” Hiro argued. “I’ve tried that already.”
“My understanding is that you’re faster than he is,” Bennett said. “If you can see him from a distance, you’d just jump close, take him, then jump away. He’ll never see you coming.”
Hiro nodded doubtfully, but Adam said, “I don’t like it. There are too many things that could go wrong.”
“You’ll be there to back him up,” Bennett said. “How long is your blood effective, once it’s drawn?”
Adam blinked and shook his head, not entirely following the question. Bennett turned to Suresh, raising his eyebrows.
“I’m not sure,” Suresh said. “Every time we’ve tried it, it was freshly drawn. I can’t say how long it stays potent.”
“It’s better if I back Hiro up,” Peter cut in. “No offense,” he added to Adam, “but I can heal too, and a lot more besides. I’d be able to protect him.”
“Didn’t Sylar kill you last time?” Adam replied.
At the same time, Hiro protested, “I can do it.”
“Look, chances are this is not going to be as hard as we’re making it out to be,” Bennett told them. “All of us against one man, no matter how powerful, is not an even fight. But just in case, let’s play it smart, and that means putting Peter and Hiro together to isolate him.”
“Where do I bring him?” Hiro asked, before Adam could argue.
“Here,” Bennett said. “The nearest town is miles away, and there aren’t any heavy objects he can send flying at you.”
“And what if he goes nuclear?” Matt asked. “It would take us all down.”
“That’s why we have to be fast,” Bennett replied. “Ideally, Peter will take him down as soon as he arrives, but if that doesn’t happen, the rest of us will be here waiting for him.”
“Guns won’t work,” Suresh pointed out. “He just stops the bullets.”
“The key is overwhelming him,” Bennett said. “Come at him from all directions, as fast as possible. Nikki, you’ll be on hand to hand, in case he does stop the bullets. Peter can use the electricity, and a few other tricks besides, I’d imagine.”
“I could go invisible first, too,” Peter added. “So he wouldn’t know where it was coming from.”
“And I could be overhead,” Nathan said. “He might not be expecting that.”
“Aren’t you missing something?” Adam asked, waving a hand to get their attention. “If everyone is firing at once, there’s a very good chance someone else will be hit. And if Hiro is the one who brings him, is standing right beside him...”
“Oh,” Hiro said, eyes widening.
“That’s why I asked about the blood,” Bennett replied, and Adam got the feeling this was a man who had an answer for everything before the question was even thought of. “We’ll draw several syringes before hand, keep them ready, and you’ll be our field medic.”
“That would work,” Nikki said. “You wouldn’t even have to rush, since it works after death, too.”
“Very reassuring,” Adam muttered. “Being able to heal doesn’t make it all right for people to be injured or killed.” And by people, he meant Hiro, but he figured that went without saying.
“That’s exactly what it does mean,” Bennett argued. “This has to be done, and if we know for certain that we’ll be able to recover anyone who goes down, it becomes an acceptable risk.”
“Really,” Adam said, “and I suppose that means you’ll be inviting your daughter to fight too?”
Bennett’s eyes narrowed. “My Claire has the same ability you do; having two of you would be redundant. And she’s a child.”
Adam swallowed a retort when he felt Hiro’s hand on his back, quieting him. And yes, all right, it was irrational, but that didn’t make it any easier to know Hiro could be hurt-was likely to be hurt-and just accept it.
“Fine,” he said through his teeth. “Bring him here and kill him, good plan.”
“When?” Peter asked.
“As soon as possible,” Suresh said, and Adam was a little startled by the edge to the man’s voice; he’d had Suresh pegged as the bookish type, curious and harmless.
“Agreed,” Bennett added. “We’ve been lucky so far, he’s been lying low, but we can’t expect it to last.”
“Weren’t we going to find more people?” Hiro asked Suresh. “More with powers, from your list?”
Suresh shook his head, glancing at Bennett, who said, “We discussed it, and at this late juncture, I don’t want to add more people. It’s an unstable element. Right here, we have people who are sure of their powers, in control, who can trust each other. Let’s keep it that way.”
Adam thought that trust might be stretching the word a bit, but didn’t argue. Instead, he asked, “Where do Bob and the company stand in all this?”
“In a gray area, I’m sure,” Bennett replied dryly. “And frankly, I’m not interested in what they want. We’re taking it out of their hands.”
“Good,” Peter said. “Bob kept me locked up for months and convinced me it was in my own best interest. He’d probably lock Sylar up too if he thought it could benefit him.”
“He did arrange for me to be healed, too,” Nathan pointed out. “I’m not saying the guy’s pure as the driven snow, but still, that was a hell of a favor.”
“He did that for your mom,” Matt said, and Nathan and Peter looked at him. He shrugged, spreading his hands. “Hey, I hear things. Apparently back in the day, there was, you know...” He raised his eyebrows suggestively.
Nathan winced, rubbing his forehead. “I did not need to know that.”
“Anyway,” Bennett interjected. “Everyone understand the plan?”
They nodded, and Adam looked around their little circle, still caught off guard by the idea that he would be depending on these relative strangers, trusting them with what he held most dear. Beside him, Hiro squeezed his hand briefly, offering him a reassuring smile. Despite his worry, the corner of Adam’s mouth twitched up in response. (And Hiro still thought he was the brave one.)
“All right,” Bennett said. “Let’s gear up.”
~~~
Only one part left! Thanks to everyone for staying with this (long!) story. ♥
Chapter Twelve
By kalimyre
Pairing: Kensei/Hiro, Adam/Hiro
Rating: Adult
Summary: In which the fairy tale does have a happy ending, but not the one you were expecting.
Notes: As always, thank you to my fabulous betas: powered_otaku and soulpeddler.
Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five | Chapter Six | Chapter Seven | Chapter Eight | Chapter Nine | Chapter Ten
~~~
Part 11
The next time they met, there were considerably more of them.
The call came not from Nathan or Suresh, but from a man Adam didn’t know, and Hiro couldn’t offer much in the way of explanation. But he knew everyone involved and he gave them a time and a place, and Hiro was inclined to be trusting. Adam was not, but that was nothing new.
It was some empty field in Maine, of all places, and thanks to Hiro and his shortcuts, they were the first to arrive. Adam looked around, brushing his hands over the knee-high grass, just now turning green again after the winter. Hiro blinked up into the morning sun and shrugged at him. “I think this is it,” he said.
“All right,” Adam said, searching until he found a gap in the thick grass. It turned out to be a dirt road, and as they approached it, a car came from the other direction.
Adam slid in front of Hiro, blocking the line of sight to the car, and Hiro made an impatient little huff behind him but didn’t move. The car stopped beside them and Suresh got out, along with Nikki and two unfamiliar men. Adam eyed them warily; one was heavily built, with dark hair and eyes, the other older, thinner, with thick rimmed glasses.
“Hiro, Adam,” Suresh said, waving at them. “This is Matt, I’ve told you about him. And this is Noah Bennett.”
“Hey,” Matt said, and Adam noticed the way he cocked his head, as if listening to something.
“Hiro,” Bennett said, holding out his hand. “I’ve wanted to meet you. I understand you had a hand in helping my daughter survive Homecoming.”
Hiro frowned, confused, shaking the outstretched hand automatically. “Your daughter... the cheerleader?”
Bennett nodded. “If you hadn’t sent Peter there for her, things might have been very different. But of course, you know that.” He turned to Adam, nodding a greeting. “And Adam, good to have you with us.”
Adam smiled thinly. Bennett, like Bob, struck him as someone who only looked mild on the surface.
“Are Nathan and Peter here?” Suresh asked.
Bennett waved skyward, nodding. “That’ll be them now.”
Adam turned in time to see them come in for a landing, Peter skidding a little in the grass, Nathan steadying him. Nathan flashed them a look that tried to suggest he traveled like this all the time and it was no big deal, but the gleeful grin on Peter’s face spoiled the illusion.
“Flying man!” Hiro said, beaming. “Peter Petrelli! You have your powers back?”
“Yeah,” Peter replied, “looks like it.”
“And no exploding?” Hiro pressed.
Peter shook his head. “No, it’s there, but I’ve got a grip on it.”
“Oh, hi,” Nathan said, catching sight of Nikki.
She flashed an awkward smile and waved, then folded her arms, looking away. Adam saw Matt look at her sharply, then at Nathan, and remembered Matt was the one with a knack for finding out what people didn’t want to say.
“Everyone know each other now?” Bennett asked. “Good. Here’s the plan so far. First, we need to isolate Sylar, get him away from people. We don’t want the witnesses or the potential civilian casualties.”
“And how do we plan to do that?” Nathan asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Hiro,” Bennett said. “That will be your part. All you need to do is get close to him, just for a second, so you can take him where we want him.”
“Wait, you want Hiro to get close to him alone?” Adam protested. “That sounds like a suicide mission.”
“Not if he stops time,” Bennett pointed out.
“But it doesn’t work on Sylar,” Hiro argued. “I’ve tried that already.”
“My understanding is that you’re faster than he is,” Bennett said. “If you can see him from a distance, you’d just jump close, take him, then jump away. He’ll never see you coming.”
Hiro nodded doubtfully, but Adam said, “I don’t like it. There are too many things that could go wrong.”
“You’ll be there to back him up,” Bennett said. “How long is your blood effective, once it’s drawn?”
Adam blinked and shook his head, not entirely following the question. Bennett turned to Suresh, raising his eyebrows.
“I’m not sure,” Suresh said. “Every time we’ve tried it, it was freshly drawn. I can’t say how long it stays potent.”
“It’s better if I back Hiro up,” Peter cut in. “No offense,” he added to Adam, “but I can heal too, and a lot more besides. I’d be able to protect him.”
“Didn’t Sylar kill you last time?” Adam replied.
At the same time, Hiro protested, “I can do it.”
“Look, chances are this is not going to be as hard as we’re making it out to be,” Bennett told them. “All of us against one man, no matter how powerful, is not an even fight. But just in case, let’s play it smart, and that means putting Peter and Hiro together to isolate him.”
“Where do I bring him?” Hiro asked, before Adam could argue.
“Here,” Bennett said. “The nearest town is miles away, and there aren’t any heavy objects he can send flying at you.”
“And what if he goes nuclear?” Matt asked. “It would take us all down.”
“That’s why we have to be fast,” Bennett replied. “Ideally, Peter will take him down as soon as he arrives, but if that doesn’t happen, the rest of us will be here waiting for him.”
“Guns won’t work,” Suresh pointed out. “He just stops the bullets.”
“The key is overwhelming him,” Bennett said. “Come at him from all directions, as fast as possible. Nikki, you’ll be on hand to hand, in case he does stop the bullets. Peter can use the electricity, and a few other tricks besides, I’d imagine.”
“I could go invisible first, too,” Peter added. “So he wouldn’t know where it was coming from.”
“And I could be overhead,” Nathan said. “He might not be expecting that.”
“Aren’t you missing something?” Adam asked, waving a hand to get their attention. “If everyone is firing at once, there’s a very good chance someone else will be hit. And if Hiro is the one who brings him, is standing right beside him...”
“Oh,” Hiro said, eyes widening.
“That’s why I asked about the blood,” Bennett replied, and Adam got the feeling this was a man who had an answer for everything before the question was even thought of. “We’ll draw several syringes before hand, keep them ready, and you’ll be our field medic.”
“That would work,” Nikki said. “You wouldn’t even have to rush, since it works after death, too.”
“Very reassuring,” Adam muttered. “Being able to heal doesn’t make it all right for people to be injured or killed.” And by people, he meant Hiro, but he figured that went without saying.
“That’s exactly what it does mean,” Bennett argued. “This has to be done, and if we know for certain that we’ll be able to recover anyone who goes down, it becomes an acceptable risk.”
“Really,” Adam said, “and I suppose that means you’ll be inviting your daughter to fight too?”
Bennett’s eyes narrowed. “My Claire has the same ability you do; having two of you would be redundant. And she’s a child.”
Adam swallowed a retort when he felt Hiro’s hand on his back, quieting him. And yes, all right, it was irrational, but that didn’t make it any easier to know Hiro could be hurt-was likely to be hurt-and just accept it.
“Fine,” he said through his teeth. “Bring him here and kill him, good plan.”
“When?” Peter asked.
“As soon as possible,” Suresh said, and Adam was a little startled by the edge to the man’s voice; he’d had Suresh pegged as the bookish type, curious and harmless.
“Agreed,” Bennett added. “We’ve been lucky so far, he’s been lying low, but we can’t expect it to last.”
“Weren’t we going to find more people?” Hiro asked Suresh. “More with powers, from your list?”
Suresh shook his head, glancing at Bennett, who said, “We discussed it, and at this late juncture, I don’t want to add more people. It’s an unstable element. Right here, we have people who are sure of their powers, in control, who can trust each other. Let’s keep it that way.”
Adam thought that trust might be stretching the word a bit, but didn’t argue. Instead, he asked, “Where do Bob and the company stand in all this?”
“In a gray area, I’m sure,” Bennett replied dryly. “And frankly, I’m not interested in what they want. We’re taking it out of their hands.”
“Good,” Peter said. “Bob kept me locked up for months and convinced me it was in my own best interest. He’d probably lock Sylar up too if he thought it could benefit him.”
“He did arrange for me to be healed, too,” Nathan pointed out. “I’m not saying the guy’s pure as the driven snow, but still, that was a hell of a favor.”
“He did that for your mom,” Matt said, and Nathan and Peter looked at him. He shrugged, spreading his hands. “Hey, I hear things. Apparently back in the day, there was, you know...” He raised his eyebrows suggestively.
Nathan winced, rubbing his forehead. “I did not need to know that.”
“Anyway,” Bennett interjected. “Everyone understand the plan?”
They nodded, and Adam looked around their little circle, still caught off guard by the idea that he would be depending on these relative strangers, trusting them with what he held most dear. Beside him, Hiro squeezed his hand briefly, offering him a reassuring smile. Despite his worry, the corner of Adam’s mouth twitched up in response. (And Hiro still thought he was the brave one.)
“All right,” Bennett said. “Let’s gear up.”
~~~
Only one part left! Thanks to everyone for staying with this (long!) story. ♥
Chapter Twelve