𝐔𝐓𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐀

𝐈𝐈

"Here, this should be good for the night." Peter said, ushering Ashleigh into the abandoned caravan. They had been on the run non-stop for days now. Ashleigh nodded and followed him inside. It was small. Really small. They could only just stand up and there was barely enough room for both of them. It had a double bed at one end and a square table at the other end, with a few cabinets along the wall between them. Ashleigh panicked internally; looks like they'd be sharing a bed. "We'll get going tomorrow morning."

"Sure." Ashleigh agreed and took a seat at the table. "So, what's the story? How did this all start?"

Peter sighed and took a seat across from her. This was going to be a long story. "Well, I guess it started when my niece, Claire, jumped off of the Ferris wheel."

"Claire Bennet is your niece? I saw her on the news." Ashleigh butted in. of all the Specials she could've met, it had to be Claire Bennet's uncle. The uncle of the girl who started this war. Unintentional or not, she had no right to expose everyone's secrets like that.

"Yeah, she is. That stupid jump is what started this. She was always stubborn though. She wanted more than anything to live openly. So she tried, and it worked for a while. For about six months, things were alright; great even. The world just seemed...better.But of course, another 'Sylar' popped up." Peter basically spoke the last sentence to himself.

"What's a 'Sylar'?" Ashleigh frowned in confusion.

'Isn't Sylar a watch brand?' she thought. She remembered getting a Sylar watch for her grandpa once.

"Sylar is a serial killer. Or, was, a serial killer. He's on our side now, but the point is, he used to kill other specials and take their powers. He killed a lot of people, but he's changed now."

"Wait, wait, so a Special started killing other Specials and then, boom, war?"

"Not quite, a Special started killing Normals and then, boom, war." Peter clarified.

"That's so racist! They don't start wars when Normals kill Normals." Ashleigh frowned.

"It's because we're different. We're easier to blame, and we're outnumbered. So anyway, Normals started hiding out at Safe Haven, Executioners started killing or 'curing' us." The way he said 'curing' made it sound as if he didn't believe people were really being cured.

"You don't believe they're curing us?" it came out as more of a question than a statement. Peter shook his head.

"I believe they're trying; but they need guinea pigs."

"So when you say 'curing' you really mean..." Ashleigh trailed off, not liking where her sentence was heading.

"Yeah." Peter nodded grimly. "So now here we are. On the run from people."

"How do you even know Utopia is real?"

"I have this." He pulled out a small gold compass from his pocket and held it out for her to see. "This compass points to where a Special needs to go. Where they can be safe."

"What would happen if a normal got their hands on it?" Ashleigh was frowning again.

"Nothing. It only works if a Special is holding it. If a normal has it, it does nothing. Just seems broken." Peter smiled his breathtaking lopsided smile and Ashleigh found herself smiling back. His expression grew serious again before he spoke. "It used to point to the carnival. Now it points to Utopia."

Peter rummaged through his bag and pulled out two protein bars. He threw one to Ashleigh and the two ate in silence. She never would've thought that she'd be so happy to eat a protein bar. Then again, she never thought she'd be so hungry that she would be willing to eat nearly anything.

"We should probably get some sleep." Peter said, only glancing at Ashleigh. "Do you mind sharing a bed? If you're uncomfortable with it, I can always sleep on the floor." Peter said, ever the gentleman.

"No." she said a little too quickly. The only thing she was afraid of was roasting him alive. "No, it's fine."

"Alright." Peter got into the bed and gestured for her to get in too. She did, distancing herself from him as much as possible. Peter felt awkward as they lay far apart. He could tell that she was purposely staying away, but Peter would feel more comfortable with her closer to him. She was facing away from him, but he could see heat waves starting to radiate off of her. He slid closer to her and slipped an arm around her in an effort to reassure her. "It's okay. Relax." He whispered into her ear. When he felt her cool down, he smiled and closed his eyes, drifting to sleep with her still in his arms.