I'd Do It Different

Log Archive » Logs for September 2008 » I'd Do It Different

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Scene Title	I'd Do It Different
Synopsis	Daniel would do things different than Sylar or Peter, Jennifer soothes ruffled feathers with food.
Date	September 27, 2008

The Hangar

A wrought-iron fence borders several small garden beds and the stone stairs leading up to the house's front door. The house itself is a structure of old stone - not even concrete blocks, but quarried stone — with natural-color wood doors and window frames. The windows on the ground floor are barred.

Inside, the level is divided into only three rooms. The first is the foyer, with polished hardwood flooring, a freestanding coatrack on either side, iron-dark against soft-amber interior walls. The main staircase spirals up from one corner of the foyer, girded by a wrought-iron railing.

To the right from the entrance is the kitchen. The walls just off from white, the floor tiled in dark gray. In the center of the kitchen is a black-topped island, matching the counters that line the room. One wall is dominated by an eminently modern stove framed by an anachronistic brick hearth. Cabinets above the counters have glass doors; the windows above the sink are framed in light-colored curtains, the illumination they let in adding to the expansive atmosphere.

The dining room takes up the back of this floor. The far wall is brick and stone, with a facade of a fireplace mantle in the center. Interior walls have been painted a tone intermediate between amber and ivory, which is also the accent color in the dark rug beneath the long dining table.

Daniel turns up at the safe house. As he's been told, he doesn't come through walls or floors or anything. He has a sandwich in wax paper which he is eating, clearly a lunch-on-the-run after a long morning of courier-ing. "Hi." he says to Helena, in his soft tones.

Helena has taken some time off. She's not sure it's safe for her to go back at all, given how the attack on the Company went. "Daniel." she says warmly, from her spot at the dining room table. She's reading a history on the European Resistance in World War 2. Rising, she moves to give him a hug. "How are things at Alley Cat?"

Daniel gives her a hug. "Good. Everyone asks where you are. I told them you were elected to Congress." he says with that tiny smile. "You set for money? I got paid if you need something to tide you over until the heat's off."

Helena shakes her head. "I'm good, promise." she says, squeezing his hands and tugging him to the table. "But I'm thinking it might be best for you and West to be Claire's go-betweens when she's got info to give. I'm still working with her on how it's going to work, but once it does, between the two of you we should be able to keep info flowing."

Daniel sits down, focuses, says calmly, "What's the situation at the house? Whose side are they on? It seems weird that they're letting Claire stay there if they don't agree with her…"

"It's her grandmother." Helena says quietly. "I don't know if she's a prisoner, but she's not ready to leave yet. It's just as well, because she can ideally get information out of Angela Petrelli."

Daniel replies, "And why's that important? What does Angela Petrelli know?"

Helena grants Daniel a patient smile. "Angela Petrelli is Claire's grandmother and Peter's mother. Claire's biological dad is Peter's older brother. Angela Petrelli has ties to the Company. After that I'm fuzzy, but it could be useful."

Daniel says, "The Company again? It really didn't work out the last time we tangled with them…but if you and Claire think it could be useful for her to be there, then I'm up for it. What kind of security can I expect?"

"The Company is responsible for holding many, many Evolved, Daniel. The first tangle was sucktastic, but our agenda of liberating captive Evolved is still in place. We just need to be better at it." She considers. "I know there's a gate, and there's a buzzer. I don't know if there are security cameras, when I was there, I didn't see them. But I'll ask Claire to find out as much as she can about what's in place." She adds, "I also happen to have a key, but I'm holding onto it for emergency use."

Daniel says, "No need for a key. Is the fence electrified, that's my main question. If it is, I have to go under it, rather than through it. Getting through ground is sort of a chancy thing, since there's no light, but for short distances, I'm good."

"I'll do what I can to find out." Helena assures again. "But with you coming from below and through, and West coming from above, those are places people don't tend to look."

Daniel says, "I can find out, but I'd rather know beforehand. I'll find a place to stake it out, get a feel for who comes and goes at what times. Vehicle list. Things like that. Anything else other than just a line of communication?"

Helena nods. "For now. We'll need to be ready to get her out of there when she decides she's ready, or circumstances call for it."

Daniel says, "All right. Anything else on the plate? I really think we ought to get out of the way of this Company for a little while. Let them think they knocked us off the corner. Find out where they get their support. Things like that. But if we pop up again, we're liable to all get got." Street gang tactics, he can do those.

"We're definitely focusing on taking care of ourselves right now." Helena admits. "We're looking into alternate locations for our new HQ, since we can't go back to the tenement. If HomeSec doesn't know about it, Sylar definitely does."

Daniel says, "Yeah. At least the government has a reason to look for him too. Though why he'd come after us when he already got who he wanted, who knows."

Helena shakes her head. "Sylar never stops wanting. I don't think he got who he wanted at all. It'd be havoc if he did. He collects powers - have you ever heard about what he does with his victims? He slices off the tops of their heads so he can get to their brains and take their powers. I don't know exactly how, but he does do something with people's brains. It's awful. Ask Claire, he almost got her once."

Daniel says, "I thought the whole setup was so that he could get Peter somewhere vulnerable and grab him? Isn't that why he dropped his name into the mix?" He seems confused. The gruesomeness of Sylar slides off of him, he looks almost embarassed not to be disgusted. "He actually wants more powers." Daniel shakes his head as if the concept is alien.

Helena shakes her head. "He was trying to get to one of the people in Level 5. Peter wanted to take him out, though." Very badly, but she doesn't share the emphasis or the reason behind it. "He didn't realize it was Sylar pretending to be Dr. Suresh until it was too late."

Daniel says, "Well, that's just weird, if this guy is so powerful, why didn't he go after the Company himself, why even put Peter in the mix if he wants to kill Sylar, is willing to do anything to kill him? That's like the mouse inviting the cat on a cheese run."

Helena blinks. "No. Sylar wanted to get the man in Level 5. He used us to try and get to him." She sounds slightly baffled, like she doesn't understand what Daniel is talking about."

Daniel explains, "If I want to get a guy in level five of the Company, I don't go and invite the HomeSec cops who want to grab PARIAH. But Sylar went out of his way to pick out a guy who hates him and wants to kill him to help him, and get him along."

"I don't know if Sylar was the one responsible for that. I'm not entirely sure how HomeSec ended up there." Helena admits. "But then again, Parkman can read minds, so maybe somewhere along the way, something got picked up. I don't know."

Daniel says, "My point is, I don't go to people who want to kill me if I want help doing something shady. Sylar did — he pretended to be this Mohinder character and went straight to Peter."

"You aren't able to shapeshift into an exact duplicate of someone." Helena can't help but point out. "Sylar can. He used us for canon fodder. Used Peter the same way. Why do the dangerous work if you can trick someone else into doing it for you?"

Daniel says, "Sure, but Peter can read minds, too, so much for shape shifting. And how could he be sure one of us wouldn't see through it? I guess what I'm getting at is I don't think we know for sure what Sylar or Peter really ever wanted with PARIAH."

"Peter doesn't just go around reading people's minds willy nilly." Helena protests. "And Peter said what he wanted, to liberate those Evolved who were being held by the Company and HomeSec. Sylar dangled the bait, and Peter — and we — took it." Her fists clench, Daniel's going down a road of speculation that she doesn't like.

Daniel says, like he's being generous, "Peter said he didn't read minds willy nilly, but how could Sylar be sure that he wouldn't, or that he wouldn't get suspicious? How could he know that one of us wouldn't be able to see through it? It seems an unnecessary risk for Sylar to take if his real goal was the Company prisoners." He notices Helena's discomfiture. "I'm not saying Peter knew anything he didn't tell us." He might think it, but he's not saying that. "I just think Sylar's situation is still up in the air."

Jennifer has arrived.

"Obviously Sylar couldn't do it alone. Maybe you wouldn't have done the same, but you can't really be incredulous since he obviously at least somewhat succeeded. The fault lays in us for not being careful, for being duped, for being sloppy." Fists still clenched, Helena sits at the dining room table with Daniel. "I'm not going to sit here and be forced to defend Peter to you."

Daniel shrugs, "The only thing I'm saying about Peter is he really wanted to kill Sylar, and Sylar knew it, and Sylar used it. I don't think that's news to anyone." he says, then gets to his feet, silent again.

"So aside from stating what's news to everyone, what is the point you're trying to make?" asks Helena, her air becoming frustrated.

Jennifer comes into the safehouse. Door opens, in walks brunette. She tosses her pack aside, and sees people there. So, curiously, she starts to approach. "Hey, how's everybody— " She gets closer and sees clenched fists, and Daniel stands. " —doing?"

Daniel says, quietly, "Uh, nothing, I guess I wasn't saying anything, Helena, forget I even brought it up." He turns. "Oh, uh. Hi." he says to Jennifer.

Helena trying to unwork her clenched fists and tight jaw, she says with a somewhat distressed air, "This is Jennifer. She's with the Ferrymen. Jennifer, this is Daniel. He's one of ours." The conversation clearly bothered her, but now she's trying to get over it.

Jennifer nods. "Hi…nice to meet you?" She looks a little abashed at what is apparently a tense moment. "I brought dinner, is anybody hungry?" This is apparently as much an offer to defuse as anything else.

Daniel says, "I just finished up a sandwich, on the road back from work…" He pats the messenger bag on the chair next to where he stands. "But thank you. It's good to meet you." He's real polite. He's real quiet. He shuts his mouth a lot.

"I could use some food." Helena says quietly. She looks back at Daniel. "I saw Cat — you met Cat, right? — singing in that punk club, The Surly Wench? I wish you had been there. She was good. I think you would have liked it." For some reason, Helena seems to assume that Daniel likes punk. Maybe it's the shaved head.

Jennifer nods to Helena. "Meat, cheese, veggie, or everything? Pizza." she clarifies some at the end. The PARIAH people seem kind of tense, but that's not that uncommon for people around here.

Daniel tries to be peaceable and friendly with Helena too: "I met Cat." He smiles slightly. "Never been to a punk concert. When I was going to clubs it was strictly hiphop. Pretty much had to stop, got into too much trouble."

Things do seem to be slowly relaxing. "Cheese is fine." Helena says. "Bottle of coke too, if you have it?" Because the thing she needs most right now is to be jittery, yeah!

Jennifer nods. She heads back outside, and comes in with a bag from the local pizza place. She moves to the table, takes out four foil-wrapped slices, and unwraps till she finds the right one. "Diet or regular?" She takes out a 20 oz bottle of each.

Daniel asks, "How did you end up in the Ferrymen, Jennifer?" with gentle curiosity.

Helena blinks. "Are you duplicating all of that?" she asks in surprise.

Daniel tilts his head. Duplicating? Huh?

Jennifer chuckles. "I bought this. But I'll duplicate for whatever people want." She reaches out, and touches the partially-unwrapped cheese pizza slice. The air next to it shimmers, and then from core outwards appears a little dot of bread…then sauce, cheese, and foil. She hands it to Helena. "I'll dupe whichever drink you want. It's the cheapest way to feed lots of people." And she looks to Daniel. "Cause I didn't agree with the government, and my talents are more useful here than disappearing?"

Daniel says, "I can sympathize." which is a nice vague way of maybe-sorta saying he has abilities too, without giving any details. "That would have been really useful during the scav days." he says.

"Well, if we opt for the subway tunnels, we may end up needing that more then we'd like." Helena admits.