46 A Telepath I

"Are you okay, bud?" My dad's concerned voice pulled my attention away from the room to him, his face etched with worry.

"...Yeah, Dad. I feel great," I assured him with a cheerful nod, raising my bandaged right arm. "See, I'm all good." I flexed my bandaged muscles, trying to put on a brave face, but a sharp pang of pain shot through me, making me wince.

"Haha, well, at least your sense of humor is intact," my father chuckled, though there was still concern in his eyes. Then, he paused, his smile fading into a worried one. "But seriously, how do you feel?"

Seeing the deep concern and pain he was trying to hide in his eyes, I smiled wryly and shook my head after glancing at my body.

"...Well, apart from feeling weak, itchy, and sore all over, I think I'm doing okay, Dad. I actually feel refreshed," I replied truthfully, and he let out a sigh of relief.

"That's good, bud, very good. The doctors said you'll be able to go home by late afternoon," he said with a hint of emotion. "But I needed to hear it from you, to know you're okay. A father can never be too careful."

Still smiling, I nodded and opened my mouth to ask, "So, what happened after I fell asleep?"

Yesterday, after the paramedics brought Peter, and me to the hospital, accompanied by Claire, and the police secured the scene, my dad had been called, and he rushed over to see me while Claire kept me company.

However, I fell asleep before we could talk. Hmm, where was she anyway?

"...Not much, apart from the school being canceled for the day due to the ongoing investigations," He began, and then hesitated for a moment and then continued with a sly smile.

"Oh, and you should know that Claire stayed by your side throughout the night before her dad eventually came to pick her up. Xander...I don't know how you did it, but you really struck gold with that one. She's a keeper."

I rolled my eyes at his insinuation but I couldn't stop the smile that drew on my face when I thought of all the things she'd done for me, "It's not like that dad. We are just friends."

"Of course, you are. But do you know who I used to call that back in the day? Your mom." He smirked playfully and I couldn't help but facepalm.

"...Is that all dad?"

At my question, his smirk froze and fell as he seemingly remembered something, his expression now somber, "...And earlier today, the police came by to ask you some questions, but I refused since you were still asleep."

He sighed, leaning forward, propping his elbows on his thighs, and ran his hands through his hair, looking at me with a trace of sorrow in his electric blue eyes.

"The police mentioned that judging by the cuts on your body and the blood they found in the hallway wreckage, there was a fight in which you were somehow involved," He continued. "They showed me an unused knife they found in your pocket, which suggests you were at least prepared or had prior knowledge of the fight."

He paused again, closing his eyes, and I could see the fatigue taking its toll, making him appear older than he was.

"...So, bud, please tell me what happened in that hallway. Tell me, no, help me understand what's going on," he pleaded softly, his eyes locked onto mine.

I couldn't help but sigh helplessly, seeing the worry in his eyes. I wrestled with the decision. Should I tell him? No, it would only complicate things and possibly put him in danger. Should I lie? But that wouldn't sit right with me, considering all the love and care he had shown me since my arrival. I guessed I'd have to evade giving him an answer, at least until I could sort everything out.

"...It's complicated, Dad, and kind of a long story. Can we talk about it later?" I shook my head with a painful smile.

He didn't reply, just continued to stare at me. After a few seconds, he sighed deeply and nodded in understanding. "Alright, bud. I trust you, so take your time. We'll talk about it when you're ready."

I nodded with a grateful smile in response, and the next moment, the door to my left opened as a man and a woman entered the room.

The woman was in her early thirties, with short blonde hair, a freckled oval face, brown eyes, and thin pink lips. She wore a professional black suit with a blue tie, black trousers, and black shoes, giving her a stern appearance.

The man was tall, well-built, and appeared friendly with brown hair, a round face, brown eyes, and slightly thick pink lips. He wore a casual brown leather jacket over a white round-neck t-shirt, brown fitted trousers, and brown shoes. His outfit and demeanor gave off a friendly and easygoing vibe.

The man looked strangely familiar, like a character from the show.

My father raised an eyebrow, standing up to greet them as they approached.

"Mr. Andersen, sorry to disturb you and your son today, but we're here to ask him a few questions," the lady said in a serious, slightly masculine voice.

"...And who are you?" my father asked, his tone somewhat rude.

"Right. I'm Special Agent Hansen," she introduced herself, flashing an FBI badge at my father before turning to the man who was looking at me. "And this is my partner, Officer P—"

"I know you're FBI," my father interrupted rudely, a small frown on his face. "What I don't understand is your business with my son."

Despite my dad's rudeness, Agent Hansen's stoic expression remained unchanged, and she calmly explained, glancing at me, "We have reason to believe your son has been involved in a federal investigation. We're here to ask him some questions that may help with our ongoing case."

Hearing this, my father's frown deepened, replaced by a worried, fearful expression. "...Is my son in trouble?"

"No, not at all. We just want to ask him a few simple questions, and then we'll be on our way. Just consider it standard procedure," the man said to my father, his voice reassuring.

"It's okay, Dad. I'll be fine. They just have a couple of questions for me," I reassured my father with a small smile, seeing his worry grow.

He looked at me and let out a soft exhale, nodding at me first and then at the agents. "Since my son has no problem with it, go ahead. But don't take too long. He's still recovering and needs rest."

"We understand, Mr. Andersen. This won't take up much of his time," Agent Hansen and the other guy nodded in agreement.

"Good," he said, turning to me with a smile. "I'll be just outside, bud. If you need anything, just call me."

"Sure, Dad," I nodded with a smile. He walked out of the room, leaving me alone with the two agents.

As soon as the door closed, the man rushed to the window blinds, closed them, and then locked the door. Seeing his cautious actions, I narrowed my eyes, watching them with suspicion and ready to activate my power at any suspicious movement.

Were they really FBI, or was there something else going on here? Were they here to finish what was started? Unlikely, considering the number of witnesses. So, what did they want? If they just wanted to ask questions, why all the secrecy?

"Now that we're alone, tell me, Xander," Agent Hansen said seriously, standing with the man at the foot of my bed. "What can you tell me about Sylar?"

My eyebrows shot up in surprise, and suddenly, everything clicked into place.

Oh, no. If this was what I thought it was, then I knew who that man was. No wonder he looked familiar.

It was Matt Parkman, the telepath...

"...Matt Parkman... the telepath. He knows my name!" Matt Parkman muttered under his

breath, his eyes widening. "And he knows about what I can do!" He turned his head to look at Agent Hansen.

She glanced at his surprised face, frowned, and then turned to me with a stern look, stepping closer to the foot of my bed.

"Okay, young man, you need to start talking now," she demanded firmly, in a commanding tone.

I frowned, shifting my eyes to look at Matt Parkman, who had turned his head as if trying to listen to something, and then back to the agent.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said calmly, looking at Parkman out of the corner of my eye.

...Fucking mind reader. Now I understood why people hated telepaths in fiction. I felt violated, like he'd just R-worded my mind.

Fortunately, I had countermeasure created just for him and others like him the moment I found myself here. Let's see how he'd deal with that...