Prologue
He was invisible as he kept to the shadows. Following her, studying her. Missing her. He knew, because she told him, that she was on her way back to her father's house. Wanting a few hours in a place, another home, that turned out to be an illusion. She'd go to her bedroom, walk through all the memories she had there. Because good or bad, she wanted to hang on to what few she had. But, for him, the thought of her facing that alone was near unbearable. He wished more than anything he could hold her.
He stopped when she did. Smiled when she turned her face up to the cool night air, taking it in, claiming it as her own as well. Her hair fluttered in the breeze, a smile played at the corners of her lips. Other than the length of her hair, she hadn't changed at all. He thought he liked her longer hair better, because it was more her. But couldn't help but appreciate the way the shorter cut showed off the graceful curve of her neck. Either way she was beautiful, both ways she'd been his. Until he lost her, watched as she disappeared into the night and right out of his life. No, he gave his head a quick shake, he couldn't think that way. He could fix this, he was here to fix this.
She glanced back, the green eyes that held him so firmly scanning the darkened street. Looking back toward the school, the prom that was so far away and-for him-so long ago. Mentally he cursed himself when he thought of going back. To before the prom, before this night. He should have asked her, should have given her a new memory, a good memory. Danced with her, held her. But he thought of nothing but stopping her from leaving, of establishing, solidifying, his connection to her before another could interfere.
"I know you're back there, I know you've been following me." Her voice didn't shake despite the apprehension she felt. "I can hear you."
He knew she was frightened, more for him than for herself. She didn't want to hurt him, didn't want to do anything that would cause another to look at her with disappointment. That's what made her Jessi. Jessi. Her name was like a balm on his battered soul. My Jessi.
"How do you know my name?" She demanded.
He nearly smiled, of course she heard him. He was a man of many talents, capable of things many wouldn't believe unless they saw it with their own eyes. But he couldn't shut her out, couldn't close himself off from her. Even if he could, why would he want to.
"Answer me!" All along the street the light posts blew, leaving them in nothing but darkness.
"I'm not here to hurt you." He moved until he was within a breath of her. He could see her as clear as if the lights were still on.
Jessi could feel his eyes on her, studying her, watching her. His gaze heavy on her, like he knew her; better than Kyle, better than even herself. Like he knew who she'd been, who she was now, and who she would be. Like he missed her. "You can't hurt me."
"I can." He had. He'd been reckless, foolish, and selfish. He hurt her. Terribly. She hadn't been prepared, but how could she have been when he surprised even himself. "You need to go back."
"Where?"
"To the school. Kyle's in trouble. He needs you." It hurt watching her take off, but he knew she would. It was now as it would be; she went wherever Kyle needed her. Ten years and the resentment still burned inside him. But he knew he had to get passed that to fix what his jealousy had destroyed. He could not lose her. "I need you." Closing his eyes he imagined home, hoping she'd be there when he opened his eyes again.
Chapter 1
"Kyle, wait."
"Jessi?"
"No. Don't you hear that? Can't you feel that?"
Kyle Trager fought desperately against the urge to snap at his friend. He realized that she was risking a lot by helping him, but he was running very short on patience. He knew Amanda was somewhere in this building; he could feel her. And something told him that if they didn't get to her, get her out, as soon as possible, he may never see her again. Part of him wanted to snatch away from Jessi's grip, but something in her eyes stopped him. And that's when he heard it...felt it. They were not alone.
How?
Don't know. Jessi communicated back. But someone's-
What? Jessi, what? But then, even before Jessi shook her head, Kyle knew. Not only were they not alone in the room, someone had got into their heads as well. Immediately he shut down, making his mind a complete and total blank. He knew Jessi had done the same as well. Which made things slightly more difficult. How were they suppose to figure out the best way to get through this when they couldn't communicate.
When Amanda had gone missing, Kyle thought he would lose his mind with worry and fear. He didn't know if he'd been the one to call Jessi, someone in his family had, or she simply came back because she knew he needed her. Somehow their roles became reversed. He stopped thinking. Wanted-needed-to immediately jump into action. Finding Amanda was the most important- no- the only thing in his life. But Jessi pulled him back. Channeled her energy into him, brought him down. And together they followed the steps that lead them here. To a paper factory in Texas.
"Sir."
Kyle frowned. "Sir?"
"No." Jessi shook her head sharply. "C.I.R."
The light dawned. Kyle reached out for Jessi, his hands wrapping around her forearms as she did the same. Digging deep, he directed all his energy into her, the only thing holding him up was Jessi's grip on his arms. But then he felt the push from Jessi; all that he had, multiplied and redirected by her. His body jerked with the shock of it, then began to shake with raw energy. He could feel it humming through Jessi as well. Then it was like a trigger was pulled. They sent out a surge of energy so powerful it bounced off the walls.
They recovered at the same time; it was a trick they discovered. What little energy they had left was manipulated and passed back and forth between them until they were both on their feet.
"Jessi!" She was halfway out of the room when Kyle called out to halt her movement.
Following his line of vision, Jessi started towards the two prone bodies on the floor. The men, dressed in black much like Kyle and herself, looked to be in their mid to late twenties. "Who do you think they are?"
"I think the better question is, how did they make themselves invisible like that?"
"I never would have thought that was possible. Even for us." She knelt between the two unconscious men. Giving a sigh of relief when she felt a faint pulse at both their throats. For reasons she couldn't quite understand, her fingers lingered at the neck of the smaller of the two men. "They don't look-" Realizing what she was about to say, Jessi cut herself off. Better than anyone, she knew how deceiving looks could be. "Do you think they're like us?"
Kyle shook his head. "I don't know. But I think we need to find Amanda and get out of here."
The building's alarms had sounded only seconds after Jessi and Kyle found the room in which Amanda was being held. But before Kyle could take a step a man appeared and in a blink he was gone. Taking Amanda with him. It all happened so fast that for a moment Kyle and Jessi thought they had imagined the whole thing. Then the alarms went off. Jessi recovered first. Grabbing Kyle's arms she pulled him from the room. People were everywhere, no one noticed them.
"Amanda!" Kyle seemed to have finally gotten his voice back. "We have to go back."
"She's gone, Kyle."
"No! Jessi, let me go. We can't leave."
"Kyle!" Against her better judgment, she stopped. Realizing that Kyle was unable to comprehend what was going on. "She's gone. They took her. But we found her once, we'll find her again. Dig deep. She's alive. You know she's alive."
He was fighting her. He didn't want her calming him down, he didn't want to think about this rationally. Not when what he'd just seen was completely irrational. But his emotions were scattered. He couldn't concentrate. And finally, Jessi won out. "Your right. I know you're right."
"I promise, we'll find her again. But we have to go. Now."
They both turned, only to face the barrel of a gun. "You two. Hold it right there."
"You took the words right out of my mouth. Put your gun down."
Jessi and Kyle turned again to see the two men from earlier. This time they were accompanied by a tall blonde woman. The one who spoke was holding a gun as well. The woman held no weapon, but stood on the balls of her feet, seemingly ready to go at a moments notice. The other man didn't have a weapon either. But didn't really need one when his hands were emitting fire.
"You guys were knocked out by a couple of kids?"
"They're not regular kids. Besides, I don't know how you can say that when Monica's outside kicking ass Matrix style."
"Whatever helps you sleep at night."
"Do you guys actually think now is the time to be snipping at each other?"
Before any of them knew what was happening, they were surrounded. Then everything seem to happen all at once. Fire was shot at the ceiling, water began to rain down. Kyle and Jessi reacted immediately, manipulating the water until they were held, with three others, inside a protective bubble.
"I think I owe you an apology, Parkman."
"Apology accepted, Nikki."
"Who are you?" Kyle demanded. His intention was to protect himself and Jessi, but it seemed she had other ideas.
"We can ask you the same thing?" The one called Parkman shot back. Bullets were trying to penetrate the field Kyle and Jessi created.
"We don't have time for this." The man whose hands were still alight with fire, shot out. "On the count of three, drop the field."
Kyle was ready to argue, but it seemed Jessi had already made the decision for them. The water came down, Jessi pulled Kyle to the ground just as flames shot over their heads. The blonde was off and running and before Kyle could blink three guards were sent flying. He knew what Jessi was thinking and before he could stop her she was joining the blonde.
"Jessi!"
"The guns, Kyle." She called back. "Get their guns."
Nodding, he stood. The guards that remained on their feet were quickly disarmed. There was a blast, a hole appeared in the roof at the end of the hall. Kyle could only stare as a man literally flew through the hall. When he landed, the only thing out of place was his tie.
"Who's riding with me?"
"Grab Nikki and get out of here." There appeared to be lightening shooting from the man's hands now.
The one who flew in gave a quick nod before starting up the hall. He grabbed the blonde by the waist before shooting into the air and out of the building.
"Where the hell is Hiro?" Parkman shouted from where he was covered in a door frame.
"Hiro Nakamura reporting for duty." The man who had taken Amanda appeared before them, there was a crooked smile on his lips. "Where's my unit?"
"Right here." Parkman pulled Kyle by the elbow. "Let's go, kid."
"I can't leave, Jessi."
"Don't worry. Peter won't let anything happen to her."
"Don't say a word."
As he was dragged through space and time, Peter Petrelli wondered if this was how others felt when they traveled with him. Though he rarely held people in a half nelson when he jumped so...
"Shut up and stay invisible."
Looking at himself, or who he'd be at some point in time, Peter couldn't help but wonder what turned him into such an ass.
"You see that girl there? The blonde in the purple dress. Before the night is over she's going to be kidnapped."
"Who is she? Is she like us?" His questions received no answers. "Who is she? Is she important?"
"To him."
Peter's eyes went to the dark haired young man walking towards the outside doors. "So, he's important?"
"To the world." Placing a hand on his own shoulder, he moved them again. "To her."
They were on the roof now. On the other side, looking out over the edge, was a young woman. From the way she was dressed it was obvious she was not part of the dance happening below. She turned slightly. Her green eyes locking with his as if she were looking straight at him, straight through him. She knocked the air right out of his lungs. "Who is she?"
"Weren't you suppose to ask if she's important?"
Peter didn't have to ask. "Am I suppose to stop the other girl from being kidnapped?"
"The kidnapping happened two months from your present time." His eyes remained on the girl across from them. Tracking her every motion, listening to her rampant thoughts. "They took her to the Primatech facility in Texas. That's where you need to be tomorrow. You'll need everyone's help."
Peter nodded, the door leading back inside opened. Beside him, his future self tensed as the young man pointed out to him before walked out onto the roof. He watched the girl smile, felt his own lips curl in response. "Who is she?"
"That's for you to figure out."
Before he could asked for clarification, Peter was shoved back through time.
