2007-03-16: The Mind Is Not A Toy

Starring:

Matt_icon.gif Mohinder_icon.gif

Summary: A 'domestic' argument about Molly, and Matt's new 'toy'.

Date It Happened: March 16, 2007

Log Title The Mind Is Not a Toy


Suresh Apartment

To be entirely truthful, Matt is feeling much better after his brief conversation with FBI Agent Edward Boone than he has the past couple of days. Even so, after dinner the detective can be found pouring over files at the 'dining room' table, and those files still belong to the Sylar/Gabriel Gray case. Lent up against the wall behind him is a cardboard tube like the type that would hold a large poster.

Mohinder is seated in his office, home early for a change. He's at his desk, eyeing something on his laptop screen as he nurses a mug of chai. (What else?) There's a faint frown on his face at whatever it is he's looking at. A few keys are tapped at on the keyboard before he sets his mug down. A hand raises to rake through his hair, "Black tears.. possible poison emissions.." He shakes his head and pushes up from his desk. Carrying his mug with him, he exits his office and passes Matt at the table on his way to the kitchen.

As Mohinder passes him, Matt looks up. He's about to ask a question - his mouth is even open - but before he gives voice to the words in his head, the detective stops. Squinting slightly, he attempts to project them like he did this afternoon. (Who's got poison tears?) he asks, but unlike with Boone, Matt makes no attempt to quiet his voice so that it's hard to tell it's him.

Mohinder rinses out his mug in the sink and answers Matt, despite there being no question vocalized. "A young woman named Maya who came to see me. She and her brother clearly came a very long way. She's afraid of her power." Nothing unusual is thought of as he just answers while making a fresh cup of tea.

Matt can't help but smile when Mohinder answers him verbally. (I would be too,) he thinks, (if it hurt someone without…well, without me /wanting/ it to. Poison tears? Yeah, no thanks. But why not just be careful who you cry on?)

Mohinder waits for his teabags to steep and leaves his mug on the counter. He then starts getting things out for tomorrow's breakfast, as he plans on cooking. No quick bowls of cereal thank you. Expression grim, "It's not a matter of her crying on a specific person. There was a language barrier, so understanding just how it works was difficult. She refused testing, and was clearly quite afraid."

Matt nods, then finally starts to speak. "Doesn't sound like the sort of thing I'd offer myself as guinea pig for, if I were you." He lifts his own glass of soda from the table and takes a sip. "Did you have any luck digging up information about Sylar's release?"

Mohinder shakes his head, "We can arrange a safe environment for her to test in. Talk and view her remotely. She says she and her brother are immune to the effects. I did get a blood sample, and gave her a week's supply of medication to suppress her abilities. I gave them my number. I tried to talk them into staying. I think they crossed the border illegally, or are in some sort of trouble with the law." He dunks his teabag a few times in his mug of hot water to help with the steeping. "No, I'm sorry Matt. No one is saying a word around me. I'm not exactly trusted around the Company, and if they were responsible for Sylar's release.. I'm a low man on the totem pole."

Matt looks back at his paperwork and nods. "No, I understand. I think I might have found a safer place for Molly though. Wanted to talk to you about it before mentioning anything to her, though. The owner knows about The Company /and/ Sylar, and how much of a threat they both are."

Mohinder's brows raise as he disposes of the teabag. "It is safe for Molly, as safe as we can make it. Yes, Sylar's on the loose, without his powers he is still dangerous. But if you and I stay on our guard we can keep her protected. Sorry, the owner? Owner of what?" He rubs a hand across his face and sighs, "The Company is not .. nevermind. I won't get into that with you." Seeing as Matt has that whole kidnapping issue. "You know what I'm trying to achieve with them."

Matt shakes his head. "I know the Company has already had their dirty little fingers on Molly, but…" Well, the idea of them ever being able to /again/ is something that worries Matt. And with Mohinder as a mole… "It's just 'The Foundation,' I guess. Arianna Rockford-Johannsen heads it up. I've been in contact with her about their recent arson incident, which was apparently the fault of our /friends/ at the Company." (Bastards.) If Mohinder is looking at Matt, he'll notice that the last word is said without any movement of the other man's lips.

Mohinder frowns at Matt, "No. I don't know about them. I'm quite wary of this Foundation. I need to look into them. Molly's fine as she is, living with us and going to school. I want her to try and be normal as much as she can. No Company, no Foundation with her." About to say more, he hears that term invade his head and he blinks, looking straight at Matt. "Did you just.." His eyes narrow suspiciously at his roommate as he walks out of the tiny kitchen.

Despite the serious nature of their conversation, Matt smiles again. But wait, Mohinder is leaving! That only means that Matt has to get up and follow after him. (Did I just do what?) he asks. (Molly is safe here, sure, but it wouldn't take much for Sylar to find out she was here and come after her. Imagine if he could find someone, like Claire, just by thinking about her? Or get into someone's head?) Nevermind the fact that he'd have to kill Molly and Matt in order to do this - that's not the issue currently on the table. (As much as I love her, the safest place for her is the farthest place from either of us and /his/ stomping grounds. And you didn't like the Jersey idea.)

Mohinder heads for his office, thusly his back is to Matt, so he doesn't really catch onto the projection. Bad geneticist. "I could have sworn I heard you say something.. without actually speaking. I think I've been working too long." The mug is placed on his desk, but he doesn't sit back down. Back still to Matt, he looks towards the window, "I'm not sending her away." His tone has a ring of finality to it. "You know she won't want to be away from either of us. She needs people she trusts in her life and close by. I know that Sylar wouldn't hesitate to come after us again." Now he turns to look at Matt, his expression is grimly set. "There is no easy solution to this, and nothing either of us are going to agree on completely. I'll not let anyone harm her, even if it means my life."

"Don't say that like I don't feel the same way, Mohinder," Matt warns, his eyes narrowing behind the doctor's back. But he does have a point. Matt doesn't want to be without her either, not even taking into account the reason why he bought the map that's still in the tube behind his dining chair.

"That's not what I meant," Mohinder says apologetically without any sign of defeat in his voice. "I just want what's best for her. And right now, I think some form of normality is best. If it's required that we juggle our schedules so that one of us is with her at all times, so be it. Bob will have to understand."

"I don't want you taking her to the Company," Matt is quick to answer. But it stands that he obviously can't have a little girl trailing after him at work. "Maybe we can…I dunno, get her to take a class after school. Lessons or something." What would Molly be interested in? They don't really teach cartography to pre-teens.

"If it's avoidable, I won't," Mohinder says and that's as close to a promise as he's going to get. If Molly's life is placed on the line, he'll do what he has to. "She's more than welcome to spend time with me at the lab on Reed Street. We've been working on an electromagnet together. I'll certainly talk to her about after school activities. See what her school offers."

Matt nods, and is silent for a few moments. "Mohinder, can I have whatever files you might still have of your dad's relating to Sylar? I can make copies of them, but Demsky and this FBI stooge are sounding like they want to take the case the route of 'this crazy guy bent on these theories' route. It'd be nice to have anything your dad recorded on hand, you know?"

Mohinder turns to sit back down at his desk but stops as Matt makes his request. "Of course, I don't know how .. wait.. Mara had a visit from that, who was it, Agent Boone? Is that the same person?" He does retreat into his office to fetch the requested files. Calling out so that his voice carries, he says, "That's just odd that the FBI and local law enforcement would take such a thing seriously. It's a risky move to take, even when it's the truth that we're aware of." He carries the thick file to Matt, trusting the man to copy and return the originals. "I've even added my own notes to what my father compiled."

"I appreciate it, Mohinder," Matt says as he takes the file, but then he shakes his head. "They aren't taking it seriously. They're using it as a way to explain Sylar's motive and chalk him up as a nut. Matt furrows his eyebrows upward in an apologetic sort of expression before he adds, (Sorry, man. You know its not my first choice, but its all weve got right now.

"I appreciate it, Mohinder," Matt says as he takes the file, but then he shakes his head. "They aren't taking it seriously. They're using it as a way to explain Sylar's motive and chalk him up as a nut. Matt furrows his eyebrows upward in an apologetic sort of expression before he adds, (Sorry, man. You know its not my first choice, but its all weve got right now.)

"It's not a problem. As if I would throw away any of my father's work." Particularly a file as important as Sylar's. Mohinder slips his hands into his pants pockets as he looks at Matt, "I know it's.." He stops right there in his tracks. "You spoke, but your lips weren't moving.. Matt? How long have you been able to project your thoughts?"

That ghost of a smirk returns to one of the corners of Matt's lips. (I just tried today. Neat trick, huh?) "That Johanssen lady clued me in. She's like me." As opposed to being like Molly. "She said that with practice, I'll be able to do even more, since the brain is…the root of reality or something like that. I didn't mean to upset you," he adds, his smirk fading. Upsetting Mohinder would be a Bad Thing.

"/I/ could have told you that, but in more proper terms," Mohinder says. "Yes, it's a very neat 'trick', but one that requires responsible usage." Not that the scientist should have to point that out to Matt. "I see, she's a telepath too? Just be careful around her. She may not be with the Company, and for all we know, she could have worse intentions." As for upsetting him? He just waves it off.

"Obviously," Matt responds as if Mohinder had just proudly told him that two and two is four. "And I'll be careful. Get to bed before you fall over," he says as he starts back toward the dining room to clean up his stuff, presumably before he hits the hay himself. But his gentle command is as much for himself as for his roommate. If you haven't got your health, you haven't got anything.

Mohinder didn't mean to make it sound like a chastisement or.. nevermind. "I've got a few more things to tie up, but it's nothing that can't wait for the morning I suppose. I'll check in on Molly, unless you want to." He shuts off his laptop for the night and puts away a few sensitive files.

"I can do it," comes Matt's voice over the soft shuffling of papers. Of course, his checking in would be a touch more invasive, but he's careful only to skim the surface when he listens at Molly's door.

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