Episode 1 One Giant Leap
Ted is asleep in the back seat of the car. Off screen, we hear the faint sounds of someone digging with a shovel. Out in front of the car, Tonks digs by the light of the headlights.
TONKS & TED LESTRANGE
OUTSKIRTS OF LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
Tonks continues to dig.
When evolution selects its agents, it does so at a cost.
Tonks digs. She hits something just under the surface.
It makes demands in exchange for singularity. And you may be asked to do something against your very nature.
Tonks drops the shovel and pushes the dirt aside with her hands.
She uncovers a skull.
She continues to dig. Finally she uncovers a hand. She removes the skull ring around the skeleton's finger.
She shakes her head and gets up.
Suddenly, the change in your life that should have been wonderful comes as a betrayal.
Tonks runs back to the car.
Tonks puts her hair up.
It may seem cruel, but the goal is nothing short of self-preservation. Survival.
Tonks opens the car trunk and shows the two bodies.
Mr. Malfoy opens the car trunk and pulls out the paper machete mascot.
HERMIONE MALFOY
ODESSA, TEXAS
So, if our team wins, there'll be a celebratory bonfire, where I need to represent. So it might be, like, midnight-ish.
Mr. Malfoy carries the stuffed doll for Hermione. A group of cheerleaders head for the front.
On a school night?
A celebratory school night.
As they walk past, Hermione smiles at Brody Mitchum. He smiles back at her. Mr. Malfoy notices the exchange.
So, is that the quarterback?
Who?
The boy that you like, right over there.
I don't like him. I mean, he's a very nice boy, but – She sighs. Yes, he's the quarterback.
If you really wanted to make me happy, you'd only date nerds, you know. Well, it worked out very well for your mother.
Jackie stops them.
I love your glasses, Mr. Malfoy.
Thank you, Jackie. Rumor has it you're a local hero. Pulled a man out of a burning train car.
You heard about that? O-M-G, does everybody know?
It was on the news. You told half the school to set their TiVos.
It's going to be the cornerstone of my campaign for class president. I'm running on a platform of moral, mental, and social advancement through good deeds. What do you think?
Jackie leaves. Hermione's smile is plastered on her face as she chuckles sarcastically.
I think I need to get something out of my locker.
She takes the stuffed mascot from her dad.
Hey.
He kisses her cheek. The school bell rings and he watches her lug the item as she heads for the doors.
Hermione. Be careful. Okay?
Hermione nods. He watches her go.
UCHI & SHOMA
TOKYO, JAPAN
On the monitor, Tonks Lestrange is performing on a video clip in her bedroom.
Shoma has it on his iPod. He watches the video clip when Uchi runs up to him.
Shoma-kun! Shoma!
Where have you been the last two days?
In Shoma's work cubicle.
I teleported myself into the future!
Haven't we been over all this?
Then explain this.
He shows Shoma the 9th Wonders! comic book, issue #14. It has Uchi's picture on the cover with the caption, "Uchi arrives in NEW YORK!"
It tells the whole story of my heroic journey.
Is this how you spend your time?
Read it!
Shoma grabs the comic from Uchi and flips through it.
I'm on the subway in Japan. Suddenly, I'm in New York! Five weeks in the future!
Been hitting the sake?
I found the book's author, but he was dead! Then, there's a nuclear explosion. Ka-Boom! It all happens in five weeks ... and you and I have to stop it.
Definitely the sake.
Look, you're in it too!
Uchi turns to the page with the exact same conversation he had with Shoma.
How could I know you were going to say that?
We have work to do. If you still work here.
Shoma gathers his papers and stands up.
Listen, if I can prove to you beyond a shadow of a doubt, will you come with me?
Uchi's watch beeps.
We have to go right now! A girl's life depends on us!
- and Uchi dashes off!
HEROES
Cedric stands on the edge of a rooftop. He spreads his arms out and looks up to the sky. He closes his eyes and looks down. He leans forward and steps off the edge -
THUD!
- and falls flat on the ground.
Cedric gets up.
CEDRIC DIGGORY
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK
He brushes the sand off his pants and climbs back up on the monkey bars. He walks over to the middle of the bars and stands on the edge.
A kid in a red cape drinking out of a large cup watches Cedric step off the monkey bars –
THUD!
- and fall flat on the ground.
Cedric looks up and sees the kid in the red cape watching him while drinking out of his large cup. Cedric gets up again.
Draco selects a tie and puts it on.
It'll work. We'll have the fundraiser here, not the ballroom. Makes me look fiscally responsible.
Yes, it does.
Cedric, just the man I want to see.
Cedric is standing just beyond his campaign manager.
I need to talk to you.
What do you think? Red or blue?
Draco holds out two ties.
I don't know. Blue?
DRACO DIGGORY
MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NEW YORK
Draco looks at the two ties.
I'm gonna go red. The president wears red.
He hands one tie to the campaign manager and tosses the other tie aside. He puts his hand on Cedric's shoulder and is moving across the office.
So you gonna come tonight? Gonna break out the suit, have a couple of drinks?
Yeah.
Rebuff the advances of my cute interns? Emily.
Yeah, I'm gonna be there. But -
The pretty blonde girl rushes over with a file for Draco to sign.
Listen, I tried it again.
Tried what?
What do you mean what? What do you think that I mean? I -I tried to fly.
He hands the file folder back to Emily and the smile is plastered to his face. He turns and walks quickly across the office with Cedric following him.
Would you keep your voice down?
You were there. Last night I could fly. This morning, nothing. I nearly broke my neck trying.
Well, it would have solved one of our problems.
Yeah. So I went to the library to see if I could find anything on human flight.
He takes out Igor Karkaroff's book, Activating Evolution.
I came across this amazing book. Listen to this.
The campaign manager walks up to Draco with another clipboard for him to sign.
Cedric reads "Genes determine obesity, blood pressure. Out of the 30 billion possibilities, one might contain the potential for human flight." This guy knows what's going on. Igor Karkaroff. He's a genetics professor in India. I called. They said that he quit six months ago. They think he's here in New York. We gotta find this guy.
We've got a more immediate problem here.
What?
It's this woman reporter. She's poking around into why you jumped off the roof.
Look, Draco, we flew. Aren't you curious how this happened?
Yeah, I mean, I want answers, just like everyone else. I mean, just like you, okay? But right now, today, I'm trying to find a way to put a spin on this so it doesn't look like crazy runs in our family.
I need to figure out why this is happening to me. To us.
Responsibilities, Cedric, okay? I've got an election to win and a family to feed, okay?
Draco turns and walks away. Cedric follows him.
You are so - What do you want to tell that reporter?
I know one thing we can't tell her: the truth.
Draco drops the textbook on the desk.
Igor Karkaroff's book, Activating Evolution, is on the table. In the background, we hear Viktor typing on the computer.
VIKTOR KARKAROFF
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK
He hears the scrape of a key in the door lock and he grabs the gun off the table. He cocks the weapon as he hears the door unlock. The door opens and Cho walks in. In one hand she's carrying a casserole dish and in the other, she has the apartment keys.
Sorry. I still have your dad's keys. Maybe I shouldn't.
Sorry. After being attacked, every noise I hear - sorry.
He puts the gun in the desk drawer. Cho uncovers the casserole dish.
Well, this is macaroni and cheese. It's what Americans eat when they want to commit suicide slowly.
She puts the casserole dish in the kitchen.
Your dad said mine was the best he ever had, but he was from India, so –
Thank you. You're very kind.
You look like hell. When was the last time you slept?
All this work. I'm no closer to understanding my father's research.
Well, what about the program on your dad's computer? Didn't you say he cracked some code?
I thought he had. But the algorithm ... it's gibberish.
Know anybody who speaks gibberish?
She smiles at him. Viktor gets up and walks over to the wall map.
The man with the horn-rimmed glasses. He chased me around the world - Madras, Manhattan, this very apartment - looking for it. But this isn't anything.
Viktor walks past the desk and over to the far wall where he leans against the doorway.
Well, then, why would he build it?
Why? It was always this way with my father. Every question met with another question. Never an answer. Only "why?" Even after he's dead.
Well, what about the map?
Cho turns to look at the wall map. Viktor gets up and walks back to the map.)
The map. The map is nothing until I can decipher the principle behind it. You know, if I could find even one such person, it would validate everything he believed. But I can't.
Your father had a lot of faith in you.
My father only cared about proving he was right. He left his country, his family, chasing this insanity. And now I'm wasting my life trying to prove him sane. Where did it get me?
He closes the laptop and throws it on the floor. It lands in the next room. Cho jumps up and runs to get it.
Viktor!
I'm sorry. I'm just so tired.
Cho finds a notebook hidden inside the laptop. Viktor kneels next to her on the floor. She hands him the notebook and he looks through it. He stops on a page:
SYLAR
1146 TRENTON PLACE APT 1B
QUEENS, NY 11011
"Sylar."
He flips to the back of the notebook and finds a key.
What is it?
Yet another question.
They look at each other.
Ron is sitting in the interview room talking with FBI Agent Luna Lovegood. The wall clock behind him reads: 4:05.
Ron sighs. I don't know how else to explain this. I heard a little girl call for help.
RON WEASLEY
FBI HEADQUARTERS, LOS ANGELES
Someone takes notes while watching the interview.
Over intercom. I went to her. That's all that happened.
So you just waltzed right in, found a kid hiding in a wall, then pulled the name Sylar out of your ass, when only a handful of us know that name.
It's like - it was like someone was talking to me. Except it was in my head.
Did the voices tell you anything else? They want you to do things? Rob a store, kill the president?
No. It's more like I can ... hear people's thoughts.
Or something. I don't know.
She walks over to him.
Can you tell me what I'm thinking?
No, I really can't control this. It just sort of happens.
Give it a shot, Carnac. I'm wide open.
You think I'm nuts. Or stupid.
Great trick. Stop wasting my time.
He sighs. Then, he hears her thoughts.
Luna thinking. Come on, Weasley, I need this more than you do. Nobody believes in me.
He looks at her.
Nobody believes in you. I know what that's like.
Luna turns and looks back at the observation room. Someone continues to take notes inside.
Ron sighs and rubs his face.
How much longer do I have to be in here?
Depends. How'd you like to work with the FBI?
He looks at her, surprised by the offer. He nods.
Hermione opens her locker and reaches for her GEOMETRY textbook. On the edges she has GEOMETRY written out and a drawing of the SYMBOL.
Hermione.
She takes her GEOMETRY book out of her locker. Poliaoff runs up to her.
What are you doing running off to an away game? That tape with all your attempts at bodily harm is still missing.
Yeah, well if someone finds it, we'll just tell 'em you're some visual effects geek who did it with his computer. Now, can I get back to my life, please?
So that's it? You're just gonna go pump your pom-poms, and pretend you're no different than any other girl on the squad?
Yes, actually.
But you are, Hermione. You are different. Don't you see that? Don't you see that none of this matters? School spirit doesn't matter. Being a pretty blonde cheerleader doesn't matter. It's not who you are anymore.
Who am I? So what, I can crawl through a wood chipper, and live to tell about it. That narrows my choices in life to freak or guinea pig. In most cases, both. What's wrong with wanting to be normal? You should try it.
She turns and walks away from Poliakoff, leaving him standing alone in the hallway. On the far wall behind them is a WILDCAT PRIDE! banner. The school bell rings.
A painting with the exact scene of Hermione walking away from Poliakoff in the school hallway, a WILDCAT PRIDE! banner hanging on the wall behind them.
Angelina moves the painting off the easel. Sirius walks into the studio. He's carrying a paper bag tucked in his arm.
ANGELINA JONSON & SIRIUS BLACK
NEW YORK CITY
What are you doing here?
The door was open. Sirius, you have to get back to work. Your editor - the comic book is late.
You were taking them, weren't you?
Yes, I'm going to sell them in my gallery. And with the money, we can get you straightened out. Into rehab.
Sirius grabs the painting and puts it back on the easel.
I'm not going into rehab.
I found all your junk. The drugs, all of it. I flushed everything.
How am I supposed to paint the future?
Nobody can paint the future. That's the drugs talking.
Look around you at all these paintings! Every one of them has come true.
Oh. And does that include this big one on the floor of New York going nuclear?
Yes. I don't know how, I don't know when, but - I have to stop it.
He walks over to her and cups her face in his hands.
I don't want to lose you, Angelina. But if you don't believe in me, then you shouldn't be here.
He steps away from her.
Fine. You think you can paint the future. Paint one without me in it.
She turns and walks away. Sirius's phone rings. He answers it.
Hello?
Uchi from phone. Rapidly in Japanese.
Sirius glances back at Angelina as she leaves the studio.
I can't understand a word you're saying. Stop calling me here. You've got the wrong number. Wrong number.
He hangs up and knocks the supplies off the table.
Uchi hangs up. Shoma follows him wherever he's going.
Who are you calling?
The comic book author. To warn him about the future.
Uchi takes out the comic book and looks through it.
He keeps hanging up on me.
Uchi and Shoma exit the mall and come to a street where kids are playing
That's because you're crazy. I'd hang up on you too, if I could.
Uchi stops abruptly.
This is the spot!
He points to the panel in the comic book of Uchi and Shoma. The clock in the next panel reads: 1:49 p.
A young girl dressed in a school uniform ... will step in front of a speeding truck. And we have to save her. See?
Shoma looks around the area.
What school girl?
They look around. Just then, a group of schoolgirls turn the corner and are headed in their direction.
Okay. Which one is she?
I don't know?
He flips through the comic book and sees something.
She has a red bow in her hair! I'll go this way, you go that way.
Uchi runs off.
Hey!
Uchi walks through the group of schoolgirls looking for the girl with the red bow. He doesn't see her. He runs up to another girl with her back to him. He turns her around and sees she's wearing red earphones.
Uchi bows, Sorry.
Uchi looks around for the girl.
Shoma walks through a group of schoolgirls and looks for the one with the red bow.
Uchi looks around. Finally, he sees her. A girl with a red bow in her braided hair turns and waves to someone behind her as she crosses the road. A large truck is headed down the road toward her.
Shoma! Stop that truck!
Shoma sees Uchi waving to him. He turns and sees the truck. Shoma runs to the middle of the road, waving his arms and trying to stop the truck. The truck swerves to avoid Shoma.
Stop, watch out!
The truck swerves off the road and heads toward the girl. The girl turns and can't run.
Uchi closes his eyes and concentrates.
When he opens his eyes – everything around him is frozen. The girl jumping rope on the sidewalk is suspended in air.
Oh.
He takes a moment to look around, then quickly heads over to the girl right in front of the oncoming truck. The girl is suspended in mid-air as if jumping back in preparation for impact.
Uchi moves the girl to the other side of the sidewalk. TIME RESUMES: The truck continues through the road.
Uchi turns and looks at Ando and throws his arms up in the air.)
Uchi shouts YATTA ! I did it!
Uchi jumps up and down with elation as he walks over to Shoma, who is walking toward him. Shoma is astonished. The two friends jump for joy in the middle of the street.
You did it!
So you believe me now? You'll come with me?
Shoma stares at him, speechless.
Tonks continues to throw sand on the dead body and completely buries it. When she finishes, she pats the sand with the back of her shovel.
She stabs the shovel in the ground and rests for a moment. She tosses the shovel aside and heads back to the car. She opens the car door and gets inside. She looks at the skull ring for a moment, then glances in the rear view mirror at her own reflection.
Ted wakes up.
Hi.
Hi. How'd you sleep?
Good. Ted climbs up to get into the front seat and looks around the area. Where are we?
Tonks starts the car engine and backs up.
On our way to Grandma's house.
Tonks puts the car in gear and drives away.
Tonks knocks on the screen door.)
Grandma looks out and smiles when she sees -
Ted!
Grandma.
Ted runs into the house and gives Grandma a hug. Tonks lingers in the doorway. Grandma picks Ted up and swings him around.
Oh, my. You've grown.
You always say that.
I do.
Yes, you do.
Why don't you go on inside?
Ted goes inside. Tonks steps into the house. Grandma barely spares her a glance.
You look thin.
She heads into the kitchen. The teakettle whistles. She turns the stove off and pours a cup of tea.
Look, I know what it's like to raise a boy on your own. To be stretched so far, you wish you could be in two places at once. I get it.
Tonks glances at Ted in the next room reading a book.
But that boy needs more than you've been giving him. He needs a steady hand and a stable environment. I can give him that.
Why, because Blaize grew up to be such a model citizen?
My son, your husband, is a good man.
Tonks puts the skull ring on the table.
You recognize this? I found it in the desert.
What's that supposed to be?
This belonged to one of the men that your son murdered. I took it out of the grave. You know that all of Blaise's crew wore these.
Blaise wouldn't murder anybody. Ever.
Wrong. He robbed Dumbledore and got away with $2 million, and then he killed his crew.
My son was framed. And he'd be rotting in some prison if he hadn't escaped. Besides, if Blazie had $2 million ... Honey, he'd be on some tropical island someplace, sitting out his years, with.
I want you out of my son's life.
Yeah, well, people in hell want ice water. It doesn't mean they're going to get it.
Paulette, you have no idea what I am capable of.
Tonks takes the ring off the table and leaves the kitchen.
Ron and Luna Lovegood walk through the hallway.
You want to tell me why I'm still here, or am I just gonna follow you around?
I need you to talk to her. Find out what she knows.
Talk to who?
Lavender Brown. The little girl you found. We're keeping her here, where it's safe, until we can figure out what to do with her. She's been through a severe trauma. Both parents murdered right in front of her. She hasn't said a word since we brought her here.
What makes you think she's gonna talk to me?
Well, if you're really a mind reader, she won't need to.
They walk through double doors into another hallway.)
Who is this Sylar? What's he doing?
We've pieced a trail across a dozen states. All people impaled by household objects. Bones broken. All without any traceable sign of physical contact. But only some of them involve any mutilation of the head or neck, so they don't see the connections.
You think it's all him.
I think it's gonna get a lot worse if someone doesn't go after him.
Viktor knocks on the door.
Mr. Sylar? Hello?
There's no answer.
Shh.
She motions for him to use the key.
What are you actually gonna do if Sylar's in there?
Viktor takes the key out of the notebook.
Viktor quietly. If Sylar killed my father, I need to know why.
Viktor uses the key and finds it doesn't work.
I suppose that would have been too easy.
Let's go.
No, all the answers could be behind this door.
Viktor takes a screwdriver out of his satchel.
It's locked, and I'm kinda trying not to freak out now. So can we please just go?
He jams the screwdriver into the doorframe and lock and pushes the door open. He motions for Cho to follow.
Or we could just break in.
Cho steps inside and closes the door behind them.
Viktor takes a digital camera out of his bag and snaps photos of the apartment.
They walk inside and look around. Viktor finds Igor Karkaroff book, Activating Evolution, on the counter. He snaps a photo of the book. He continues to look around the apartment. Everything is neat, tidy and in its place.
Meanwhile, Cho finds a book open on the desk. It's open to a page showing graphic pictures of the human brain.
A little light reading before bed.
They walk up to a curio display case. Viktor moves his arm back to take a photo and bumps his elbow into the mirror behind him. The mirror opens into another passageway. He looks back at Cho, then enters the secret room.
This room is dark and dimly lit. It has bottles of samples on the wall. In this room, there is a wall map, similar to Karkaroff's wall map – strings and post-its litter the wall. More strings.
Oh, my God.
That map, those strings - it's exactly like your father's.
Viktor snaps a photo of the map.
Photos on the map show the Symbol drawn on some of their faces. This map has more information than Igor Karkaroff's map.
Not exactly. This map has more of them. Dozens more.
She points to an article photo of Draco Diggory.
I know that guy. He's running for Congress.
His life may be in danger.
Okay, can we please go now?
Not yet.
Viktor -
Viktor goes further into the room and pushes the plastic partition aside. He stops, his eyes wide at what he sees – mad writing on the wall – and in large red print: FORGIVE ME. It's repeated in smaller print over and over all over the walls along with: FOR I HAVE SINNED.
Dear God. What was my father involved with?
The elevator bell dings and the doors open. Luna and Ron step out into the hallway. The fluorescent lights flicker.
We're keeping her in a safe room down here.
Lavender Brown screams.
She takes out her gun and heads through the double doors and down the hallway.
It's him. It's Sylar.
Ron follows her.
At the end of the hallway, a large man in a dark-colored jacket and baseball cap is dragging little Lavender Brown out of the room. She screams and fights him.
Luna cocks her gun.
Freeze!
Sylar looks up and lets Lavender go. He runs away, disappearing behind the far corner.
Luna chases after him. Ron follows her. He slows when he passes the agent pinned to the ceiling with a chair. The agent is out cold. Luna passes Lavender. Ron stops and checks on her.
Hey. Hey, remember me?
Lavender looks at him.
It's okay. It's okay. No one's gonna hurt you, honey.
Lavender thinking. How could he find me?
That doesn't matter. That doesn't matter. You're safe now you're safe.
Lavender gets up and holds onto Ron.
All right. All right.
He closes his eyes and holds her.
Sylar runs through the basement corridor. Luna is right behind him. He turns and turns and stops when his passage is blocked.
Show me your hands! Do it or I'll put you down!
Sylar turns and faces Luna. Suddenly, she's thrown back against the wire mesh. She's forced to put the gun up against her own head and cocks the weapon. With her left hand, she grabs her own right wrist. Her finger flutters over the trigger.
Ron runs out between them and fires consecutively at Sylar. Sylar falls to the ground.
Luna is released and falls to the ground, also. She gasps for breath. Ron turns and looks at her.
You okay?
Luna nods. Her eyes widen.
Behind him, we see Sylar get up. Ron slowly turns around.
Sylar is gone.
Ron rushes forward and looks up at the height above them. Sylar is gone.
Uchi is in his seat reading the 9th Wonders! comic book. There's a woman seated next to him reading a book.
Shoma, who is sitting on the other side of the woman, leans forward and looks at Uchi
I'm confused. You said you called me when you went in the future.
Yeah. So?
So, shouldn't I be at home ... waiting for your call.
We're changing the future.
The woman sitting between them leans forward to put her book away. Uchi and Shoma continue their conversation behind her back.
By taking action we've changed something.
What if we make it worse? And if there's going to be a nuclear explosion ... Shouldn't we be flying away from the bomb?
A hero doesn't run away from his destiny.
The woman leans back in her seat and settles down to sleep.
My only concern is ... whether I need to hide my true identity. Perhaps a costume?
You even mention tights and a cape, I'm going home.
You can't go home. The comic book says we fly together, so we fly together.
Does it say we have to fly coach?
Uchi shows him the picture of the sleeping woman between them with her head on Shoma's shoulder.
Just them, the woman between them clears her throat, shuffles in her seat and puts her head on Shoma's shoulder.
Uchi points to something in the comic book and laughs.
The elevator bell dings. Angelina walks across the lobby toward the elevators. Cedric steps out of the elevator and stops to talk with her.
ANGELINA JOHNSON & CEDRIC DIGGORY
APARTMENT OF CHARLES DEVEAUX
Angelina.
Oh, hey. I was just coming up to check on my dad. Where are you going? Aren't you supposed to be on your shift?
I was just filling in my replacement, and saying bye to your dad.
What?
Listen ...
He pulls her to the side.
No.
I'm quitting.
Why?
I called the agency and told them this morning.
But my father -
Caroline's gonna take really great care -
But she's not you.
This is not where I'm supposed to be. It's not what I'm supposed to do. I-I can't really explain it.
He sighs.
Well, try.
Look, the truth is, I've been trying to save the world, one person at a time. But I'm meant for something bigger. Something important. I know it now. That's - that's really all I can tell you.
They look at each other. Cedric puts a hand on her arm and heads for the door.
I'll miss you.
It's New York. Everyone runs into each other sooner or later.
Angelina nods.
Maybe it'll be sooner.
Cedric heads for the door. Angelina waits for the next elevator.
The bonfire is blazing in the center of the lot. Students mingle everywhere while rock music plays. Jackie Wilcox recounts her daring train wreck rescue to the other cheerleaders.
Flames were everywhere. Oh, my God, I could hear the poor man coughing somewhere inside the train car. But there was smoke everywhere. I couldn't see him. I was so scared, you guys. I was really scared.
Hermione isn't in the group. She's standing in front of the bonfire watching the mascot she made burn on the pyre. Brody Mitchum walks up to her.
Nice effigy.
She laughs.
Thanks. I stayed up all night stuffing it with newspaper.
I would have filled his head with firecrackers, but that's just me.
That would have been cool.
He puts his arms around her and pulls her away from the fire. Hermione's smile widens.
Careful. If you stand too close, you'll end up like that guy.
I'm not as flammable as he is.
Dale Ledgerwood's got a keg in the back of his truck.
Brody takes two plastic cups of beer from the smiling girl on the back of Dale Ledgerwood's truck.
Are you sure this is okay?
We're thirty miles from home. Who's gonna know?
Hermione takes a sip and coughs. They walk away across the grounds.
Jackie told me you wanna meet your real mom and dad.
I told Jackie that in confidence.
You do realize you were talking to Jackie, right? Is that why you're bummed? The whole adoption thing? I mean, you didn't, like just find out, did you?
Oh, no, no, no. They told me when I was really little. Why do you think I'm bummed?
You don't seem like yourself. Thought maybe something was wrong.
You don't know me well enough to know when I'm not being myself.
You never drink plain milk. It's always chocolate. You draw mermaids in the margins of your notebook. Put crackers in your sandwiches to make them crunch. And you're usually the first person to laugh at a joke. But I haven't heard you laugh in a while. Lately you seem sort of sad.
Have you been spying on me?
Hermione, my goal tonight is to hear you laugh.
CRACK-CRACK-CRACK! The firecrackers in the mascot's head explode.
Whoo!
Hermione is thrilled and laughs.
Did you put firecrackers in his head, just for me?
Brody smiles. He leans forward and kisses Hermione. Hermione and Brody walk away.
With a worried look on her face, Lori Trammel watches them leave the bonfire together.
Janice Wesley is on the bed working on her laptop. Files are spread out around her. The door opens and Ron walks in.
Hey, you waited up for me. Look, I know I missed our therapy session.
It's fine.
No, it wasn't. I'm sorry. I was supposed to call you, and I meant to. I had the craziest day today. You would not believe what happened to me. It was so strange, and it was amazing and - I don't even know how to describe it.
As he talks, Janice gathers her files off the bed and closes her laptop.)
Then don't.
That's it? That's it? You waited up all this time so that you could tell me that you don't want to talk to me?
Look, I really don't want this to turn into a fight. And if I say anything else, it will.
She puts her files back in her bag.
I'm really trying, Ron. You know, this marriage may not mean anything to you -
What? It does. Of course it does. What are you talking about? I have a lot of stuff going on right now.
So do I. It was supposed to be a good thing when I made associate, and you were suppose to be happy for me. But ever since, it's like you're mad at me for getting what I wanted, because you haven't.
Ron is quiet.
I don't mean to be. It's just - it's hard.
Janice thinking. I can't do this anymore. I can't do this anymore. I wish he would just leave.
Fine. I will.
Ron turns and leaves the room. The door slams shut behind him.
Hermione and Brody are kissing in the bleachers away from the others.
He slides his hand up her leg. She grabs his hand to stop him.
Wait. Let's take a little break.
She sits up.
Want to go back to the party?
No, I just - I'm going through something, and I don't know if now's the right time.
He kisses the back of her neck.
You know what? You just need to relax.
He starts kissing her again. Hermione pushes him away.
What's gotten into you?
I just really like you, Hermione. Don't you like me?
He kisses her again, this time pushing her back down against the bleachers.
No, Brody, stop.
She rolls over to get out from under him and falls to the ground.
Ow-oh!
He moves over her.
Don't hurt yourself.
He continues kissing her. Hermione struggles.
Hermionepanicking. No, stop it! No!
He settles on top of her.
This is gonna happen, Hermione.
He presses his arm across her throat. Hermione cries and screams.
No, please!
Don't be a bitch. Let it happen!
He reaches down between them. Hermione kicks him off and scrambles to her feet to run. He gets up and pushes her into the wire fence.
Hermione bounces off the fence and falls on a pile of wood nearby. She doesn't move.
Hermione. Hermione!
He kneels to check on her and finds a branch stuck in her neck. Brody looks around, panicking.
She isn't moving.
Tonks is driving. Ted is quiet in the passenger seat.
You haven't said a word the whole way home. Boy, that has got to be a record.
Ted doesn't say anything.
Are you hungry? You know, I was thinking that we could stop by that ice cream shop on the way home. You know, the one with those ginormous banana splits?
Why don't you believe that Dad's innocent? I mean, you should be trying to help him.
I know that you want to believe in your father. But I know what's best, Ted. They're gonna catch him, and he's gonna go away for a long time.
They'll never find him.
How do you know that? Ted, do you know where he is?
A siren sounds behind them. Ted turns to look. Tonks slows and pulls over. The officer car stops behind them.
The officer gets out.
Is there a problem, officer?
Mr. Dumbledore wants to see you.
I'm with my son.
The officer opens her door. Tonks and Ted get out of the car. The officer shuts the door.)
The sign covering the far wall reads, VOTE DIGGORY. The room is crowded and conversations overlap over one another. Cedric takes a sip of his drink. He smiles and walks over to Angelina.
So I guess sooner rather than later. He raises his glass. To destiny.
Mmm.
May we recognize it when we see it.
To love. May we stay away from it when it's no good for us.
They clink glasses.
You know earlier today, when you were telling me how you'd changed?
Yeah.
I noticed it. There's just something different. It's like a look in your eye. A confidence.
There's something I should tell you. Something, uh ... I didn't think was right to say when I still worked for your father. Something I wouldn't have even said to you two days ago. I've been in love with you since the minute I first laid eyes on you.
Draco over speaker. Excuse me. Everyone excuse me.
Angelina looks beyond Cedric and over at the stage where Draco is. Cedric turns to watch.
I'd like to apologize about the rain. If you elect me, I promise I'll try and do something about it.
The audience laughs. Cedric barely smiles. Draco continues with his announcement.
I'd like to welcome you all here, on behalf of my family, my entire campaign staff. I'm sure that you know my brave wife would be here by my side, were she able. The life-altering event of my father's death is really what prompted me to run for Congress. My father hid a deep depression - an illness, really - up until the day he died. His loving wife, his attentive children, his loyal friends - we all knew about it, and yet he suffered alone. As many of you might have read, my brother Cedric had an accident. But what I have kept from the press thus far is that Cedric barely survived a suicide attempt.
He looks out at Cedric. Minerva turns around and looks at Cedric. The crowd murmurs. Cedric doesn't move. Draco continues.
My first instinct was to keep his illness hidden. But no one should suffer alone. Because we're all connected somehow. Cedric leaves. Everyone in this room. You, me, -
Softly Cedric -
- everyone in this city. And we need to look out for each other.
Cedric leaves.
LOS ANGELES
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Uchi is at the counter trying to rent a specific car.
Nissan versa. Nissan versa.
That's a popular choice. Let me check to see if we still have any left.
She turns to check the computer.
Nissan –
Shoma interrupts.
Uchi! We've got a connecting flight leaving for New York.
We're not flying.
Why not?
It says we rent a car.
Uchi opens the comic book and shows the panels to Shoma.
Eh? We drive all the way?
Yes. In a Nissan Versa.
Uchi matches the car to the hot sports car rental brochure.
Ah, Uchi, Do you know how long that's going to take? Suppose she doesn't have that exact car?
The clerk returns.
You're in luck. We have one left.
She holds the keys out.
Uchi takes the keys and looks at Shoma.
It's our destiny.
Uchi turns, grabs his bags and heads out.
Uchi rushes outside and opens the car door. Shoma gets behind the wheel. While Uchi looks at the comic book, Shoma takes a moment to look at Tonks' video on his iPod.
Shoma puts his iPod down.
The comic book shows the NORTH LAS VEGAS highway sign. And it shows – TO BE CONTINUED.
So, where to?
Las Vegas.
Suddenly, Shoma smiles.
It is our destiny.
Shoma starts the car and drives off.
Ron sits at the bar with his drink and pops a bar mix. The bartender walks up to him.
How you doing?
Well, I'm, uh -
Bartender thinking. It's a rhetorical question. Just say "fine" and order a drink.
Uh, fine. Whatever you got on tap.
The bartender fills Ron's order.
Man at the end of the barthinking. Do I have time for another one? I don't want to go home to that shrew. She's sucking the life out of me.
The bartender puts the drink in front of Ron. He picks it up and raises his glass to the man at the end of the bar.
Man at the end of the bar thinking. What's he looking at? What's he looking at? Barking up the wrong tree, pal. Barking up the wrong tree, pal.
Ron sips from his drink and hears a woman's thoughts. He looks around and sees a woman and a man sitting in a booth.
Woman in booth thinking. What am I doing here? Am I that desperate?
Man in booththinking. She is diggin' me. I am in for sure.
Ron finds it amusing. He looks around the room and stops at the woman sitting at the bar.
Woman at bar thinking. What if I just disappeared? Would they care? Would anybody care? Would someone notice I was gone? Would anybody care?
Thoughts fade in and out. Ron turns and sees the Haitian sitting in the bar. Then all thoughts fade away and Ron hears nothing.
This freaks Ron out. He drinks his beer and puts the glass down. He starts feeling woozy and starts staggering. He falls and hits the floor as he passes out.
Thunder rumbles. Viktor leads the two officers back to Sylar's apartment.
We were in the apartment. We saw everything.
Wanna tell me what you were doing in there?
Please, just follow me. They enter the apartment. I believe this man Sylar killed my father. He has a list of targets, including a man who's running for Congress.
Viktor stops. The entire apartment has been cleaned out. There's nothing left. Cho enters the apartment.
Viktor goes into the back rooms. Everything is gone. He turns and looks back at Cho.
It's pouring outside. Nathan is on his way to his car. He's surrounded by his entourage.
He turns around to the other one and says, "Holy cow, a talking dog."
Cedric steps out and punches Draco.
Unh!
You son of a bitch!
The security around Draco pushes Cedric up against the garage column.
Uhh!
Draco rubs his cheek.
Let him go.
They let Cedric go.
Easy, Cedric, that's our mother you're talking about.
There was no reporter on my story!
Yeah, there would have been, eventually. I had to take control of things before something happened. Do you under -
Cedric punches Draco again. The security grabs Cedric and pulls him away from Draco.
Ow.
Draco looks at Cedric.
You get it, right?
Cedric backs away from him.
Yeah, I get it.
Good man.
Cedric turns and leaves. He walks out on the sidewalk, getting soaked by the pouring rain. Thunder rumbles.
Sirius sits on the lit table looking at a sketchbook. His drug paraphernalia is at his feet. He flips through the various pages. He stops at a sketch of Angelina. He turns to the next page, another sketch of Angelina. He continues to flip through the pages.
Cedric tries to hail a taxi, but they keep driving by. Finally, someone holds a red umbrella over his head. He turns around. It's Angelina.
You're bleeding.
He steps back onto the sidewalk as he rubs his face.
Am I? Look, what Draco said, it's not true. I didn't try to kill myself.
Oh, I know.
They stop in the middle of the sidewalk.
Sirius is looking at a particular sketch in the book.
Cedric and Angelina look at each other. Cedric leans forward and kisses kisses him back.
Sirius stares at the sketch. It's of Angelina kissing a man under a red umbrella in the pouring rain. Lightning flashes and thunder rumbles. He looks at the drug paraphernalia on the table.
This force, evolution, is not sentimental.
Her eyes are clouded and open.
Someone grabs the tree branch in the back of her neck and pulls it out. The tree branch is tossed in the metal dish on the side.
Like the earth itself, it knows only the hard facts of life's struggle with death. All you can do it hope and trust.
Hermione's eyes clear and she regains consciousness right before our eyes! She takes a breath and coughs.
That when you've served its needs faithfully, there may still remain some glimmer of the life you once knew.
Hermione looks around and down at herself.
Hermione is cut open and spread out on an autopsy table.
Holy sh-
TO BE CONTINUED ...