"If you are reading this then I am gone. There are man things I wished to tell you, Mohinder, many things about my life and my journey. Now, it is too late, for written words on a flimsy parchment are not able to express what needed to be said. Know, however, my son, that all you have felt, I have felt. Your joys, your disappoints, all of this I have know. There is nothing I would not do for you."

-Chandra Suresh

^&^&^&^

(Securitech Headquarters- Davidson, Michigan)

(May 28th, 1996)

"Daryl, can you get me those images from the 7-11 robbery?"

"Yes Mrs. Daniels."

^&^&^&^

{From the Files of The Company}

Name: Helena Daniels nee Sage

Age: 35

Position: The Company's Head Crime Scene Investigator and Security Advisor

Cover: Head of Securitech, home and business security company

Partner: Daryl Fray

Powers: None (human)

^&^&^&^

Helena took the tape and slid it into the VCR, watching the screen carefully. Behind her, Daryl stood, arms crossed over his chest.

Helena Daniels was the perfect woman for her job. Her mind was one of the most complex and calculating in the world. The CIA had originally thought of bringing her in as a spy, until the Company had snatched her up. She accepted the idea of people having powers with ease. And she could look at a crime scene and figure out what was wrong with it in an instance.

And she was very easy on the eyes.

Leggy, black cascading hair, a face that was made up or fake or overly done…but a simple, powerful beauty. Her employees called her Athena, others The Goddess.

"You see that there?" Helena asked, pointing to a slight blur on the screen.

Daryl nodded. "Yeah…speedster."

"I don't think so." She leaned in closer, watching the right corner. The screen showed a 7-11, the cashier in the back getting something. There was a flash, then, 4 minutes later, the cashier returned to find the till gone.

"It's a flash…that's speedster."

Helena smiled. "The hot dogs."

"What?"

"The hot dogs aren't turning. They stopped."

"So?" Daryl asked.

"This isn't a speedster…this is an illusionist…someone that knows about speedsters, and someone that thought to make it look like such so they could take their time with the cash…right there, the hot dogs in the warmer begin spinning again." Helena smirked. "Ok, say it?"

"You are The Goddess, perfection, my inspiration…"

Helena's phone rang. "Damn straight. Hello? Yes, I'm Mrs. Daniels…He…he did what?!?!"

^&^&^&^

"It was so good of you two to come for lunch." Sandra Bennet said, taking the plates away.

Claude Rains smiled, leaning back in his chair. "Always happy to come by and enjoy some of your dishes, Sandra."

(Bennet Residence- Odessa, Texas)

Noah nodded. "I figured I get Claude out of the warehouse for a while, get him some fresh air."

"How very kind of you, Noah." Sandra said, backing into the kitchen.

Noah's smile fell as he glanced over at Claude. "We have work we should be doing."

"You've been working yourself to death for the last 3 weeks…we came back from that Octopus man in Thailand, and you throw yourself into looking at old case files…you are spending too much time in your office, and you need to see your family." Claude sipped on his coffee. "This was the only way I could think to get you here."

"Daddy!"

Noah turned as Claire rushed into the room, the 5 year old's pigtails bouncing about as she flung herself against his leg.

"Missed you daddy!"

Noah smiled weakly. "I missed you to, Claire Bear, but what have I told you about yelling in the house?"

Claire looked down. "Sorry."

"That's ok, sweetie, I didn't mind." Claude said, scooping her up. Claire squealed as Claude tickled her, trying to bat his much larger hands away. "You are getting big, you know that, right?"

Claire nodded. "Yup! Mommy said I'm gonna go to school in a few months!"

"Well, that sounds exciting." Claude said, setting her back down.

"Yeah!" She turned to her father. "Daddy, want to see the backpack mommy got me?"

"Claire, I'm trying to talk to Claude…why don't you go and play and I will talk to you later tonight."

"Oh." Claire said quietly, dejected. "Ok." She turned to Claude and smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. "By Uncle Claude!"

"Bye Claire." As the little girl walked out of the room, he glared at his partner.

"What?" Bennet asked.

"You break that little girl's heart one more time, and I will be forced to explain to your wife why I gave you a shiner." He snapped.

Noah frowned. "Claire needs to learn guidelines…"

"Don't use learning the rules to cover up the fact that you are distancing yourself." He said, pointing his finger at Noah.

"Not this conversation again." Noah grumbled.

"Yes this conversation. That little girl gets more love from her father's partner than from her father…what does that tell you?"

Noah said. "She is my daughter…but in name only. She is an assignment…there is no love, only duty."

"For you." Claude said, grabbing his coat. "But you tell her that. All she knows is that her beloved daddy doesn't return her feelings. That when she looks up at him in love, she gets your bloody scorn." He made his way to the door. "I'm going back to work. Taking your car, find your own way."

"Claude!" Noah exclaimed.

"One of these days, mate, you are going to wish you had taken 3 minutes to look at that bloody backpack…I only wish I'm there to see it."

And with that, he stormed out.

^&^&^&^

(Davison Private Elementary)

"My Carter." Helena said slowly, looking at the principal.

"Yes."

"You are sure."

"Very."

Helena paused. "Really?"

The principal sighed. "I will admit, considering everything…" She leaned forward. "The teacher said she caught your son and his friend, Kelly…"

"Raegan." Helena finished.

"Right. She caught him and Kelly holding the boy down and forcing him to eat a bar of soap."

"…my Carter?"

The principal nodded. "Yes Mrs. Daniels."

Helena let out a whoop.

"Mrs. Daniels…this is a serious…"

Helena cut her off. "My Carter…you know about everything that happened to him."

The principal nodded. "Abandoned at a church in Kermit, Texas. Raised in an orphanage till the age of 7…."

"Abused by said orphanage for most of his life."

The principal nodded. "Had a stutter he still fights, scared of crowds and authority figures, smaller than most of the children due to lack of a steady diet…"

Helena leaned forward. "I have worked 3 years to get Carter to be a normal child…the stutter is still there, he still cries if I try and leave him at the booth in McDonalds to use the bathroom, and if he wakes up at night he can't fall back asleep until I assure him that there are no babies in the house upset he woke them up…for whatever reason he has for that fear. My son has spent 7 years being traumatized…this is the first time he not only made a friend, but also acted like a normal child. So yes, damn right I am excited!"

"Mrs. Daniels…"

"Did you ask them why they did it?"

The principal sighed. "We were waiting for you…because of his…"

"Yeah." Helena opened the office door, watching as Kelly Raegan tried to comfort a sobbing Carter.

"Carter…" Her son cringed, whimpering. "Baby, mama isn't mad. I'm not going to hurt you," Carter shrank away as the principal took a step forward, "and neither is the principal." Carter shivered slightly, and Helena finally walked over and picked him up. "Come on…we just want to know why you did what you did."

"He protected me, Mrs. Daniels." Kelly said, tugging on her shirt. "Carter was brave."

Helena frowned. "Why did he protect you."

"B…" Carter began, stuttering. "b-b-b-b-b…" He closed his eyes, his teeth grit as he tried to say the word. "B-b-b-b-bad word." He looked up at his mother. "He called Kelly a bad word." He nuzzled her neck. "Bad words bad…"

Kelly nodded. "Bobby called me…" She frowned. "mommy and daddy said I shouldn't say that word…"

"What word?" The principal asked.

Kelly shuffled. "The n one."

Carter stiffened.

Helena adjusted her grip. "So you came to her rescue?"

Carter nodded. "y-y-y-yup."

Helena turned to the principal. "I'm assuming neither of them will be punished…" She held up her hand, "or do I let the chief of police know what that little punk called his daughter? I'm sure Chief Raegan would love to begin looking over this school a bit more carefully…"

The principal closed her eyes. "Well played, Mrs. Daniels." She turned to Kelly. "Kelly, you can go back to class…Mrs. Daniels, you can take your son home early today." Carter hiccupped. "He is in no shape to go back."

Helena nodded. "Say goodbye, Carter."

"Bye Kelly."

Kelly leapt onto the couch, giving Carter a kiss on the check. "See ya tomorrow Carter!"

Helena smiled as she left the office. "Soap?" Carter nodded. "Very proud of you. Never do it again…or at least let them catch you. Lets get ice cream."

^&^&^&^

A baby is crying.

He has awoken from his nap, and is letting the world know that he wants attention.

His room is blue and yellow, little baby ducks and pigs dancing along the wallpaper. A mobile of colorful balls hangs overhead, for once not delighting him. A teddy bear, miniscule for a normal person but perfect for his chubby arms to clutch.

The room is pleasant, slightly cool, perfect for sleeping. He is clad in a diaper that had been changed a few hours ago, so he still smells of baby powder.

Tiny arms and legs wiggled as he screeches, face puckered up like a raisin.

A woman enters, her hair done up in a simple ponytail, a t-shirt and denim shorts panted onto her. She scoops the child up, rocking him back and forth.

"Its ok sweetie." She whispers, carrying him out of the room and heading for the stairs.

The infant still sobbed

The house is a nice one, furnished with pieces that had been carefully selected to flow together perfectly. Plenty of light streamed through the windows, giving it the air of peace and love.

"Shh…its ok little man."

The woman is Kim Stiers.

She is not the child's mother.

The child's mother is the one on the ground, Her throat slashed and blood is oozing onto the carpet.

The carpet is beige, selected to cushion the little one when he finally begins to crawl.

Kim touches a rocking chair. Its one the mother had used to rock her child to sleep many, many nights.

Kim's hand glows red.

And the chair is now in flames.

Kim is carrying the baby out to a car.

The house is on fire.

The bear is on fire.

The mobile is on fire.

The dead body of a mother is on fire.

(20 Minutes Outside of Odessa, Texas)

A baby is crying.

^&^&^&^

To Be Continued…