It was late afternoon on the Warf in San Francisco, and the sun was just starting to set over the water. A crowd was slowly starting to gather at the end of center pier. The people of the crowd oood and awwd their faces lit up with excitement at the spectacle before them. In the center of the crowd stood a young man, he couldn't be out of his twenties, dark hair and dark eyes with a gentle glow about him, and his name is Manny Masters. Manny Masters "Master of the Mystic" was performing his nightly routine, dressed head to toe in black except for the bright red bowtie around his neck and the gold buckle on the brim of his top hat, which was placed just off center atop his head.

"And now for my finally of the night"

At the sound of this the crowd starts to sigh.

"Please please, I promise that not one face here will leave without a smile."

He pulls the top hat from the top oh his head, and slowly shows the empty inside to the audience.

"Now many of you have seen lesser magic men pull a rabbit from his hat."

He reaches into his hat and procures a live rabbit. Some of the audience begins a faint clap, to which Manny holds out his hand for silence and speaks again.

"Now, a lucky few of you have seen lesser magic men pull 2 rabbis out of there hat."

Manny begins to reach his hand back into the hat and stops just over the top.

"But I am no lesser magician; Ladies and Gentlemen I will now pull not one, not two, but TEN, ten live rabbits from my hat."

A select few from the audience laugh while the other just stare in disbelief. Manny close's his eyes, a deep look of concentration waves over his face; his hands make several passes over the hat. Faster and faster his hands move and with a quickness that only a magician's hands possess, finally he flips his hat and faces the empty crevasse to the ground and gives the top a gentle tap. At first a singular rabbit falls to the ground and gives the audience a frightened stare. A fierce and ominous rumble is heard the audience begins to search the skies and streets for the origin of the shake. When suddenly a horde of rabbits explodes from Manny's hat covering the surrounding crowd in a cloud of furry chaos. The audience scatters into the streets of San Francisco screaming and yelling for help.

Manny took the panic as his opportunity to make his exit; he grabbed his hat from the ground and headed down the Warf muttering to himself quietly.

"Ten, that's it ten rabbits that all I wanted. I can never get that trick right."

His thoughts are interrupted by the man who is now blocking his path on the sidewalk. He's tall, his hair is cut short and he has a very menacing look about him. There is a small pause while the two lock eyes, Manny waiting for the man to move in one direction or another, but the man simply staring at Manny taking him in every feature, every breath. They stand there just staring for a few moments, the sounds of the waves crashing against the pier a few gulls cawing in the sky. Feeling uncomfortable Manny finally speaks.

"If you're from the crowd I'm sorry, rabbits reproduce fast you know?"

"I'm not looking for rabbits" the man say's "I'm looking for you"

"If you're a cop, I'm not doing anything illegal" Manny reply's

The man just smiles, his grin is evil, it's enough to make the Grinch feel inadequate.

"That's a neat trick," the man says, "show me how you do that."

"Oh, No," Manny gets nervous and tries to walk around him. "You know how it is. A Magician never reveals his secret."

The Man steps in front of Manny to block his path.

" But I insist."

The man lunges forward for Manny, but by the time he reaches where Manny once stood he is gone. The man looks around in amazement for a moment finally stopping and smiling he lets out an evil laugh.

"Soon enough"

The man turns and leaves disappearing behind cars and buildings. Slowly as the man fades from sight a top hat lowers to where the almost scuffle took place. As the hat touches the ground a figure begins to lift it back up. Manny Masters "Master of the Mystic" begins to emerge from the hollows of the hat. He stops and waits for a moment then turns and heads down The Embarcadero toward home. Manny has no idea who this man is or how he knows about Manny's gift, in fact the only thing Manny noticed, was the watch of the would be attacker, they were wearing the same watch, a Sylar.

Miles away deep in the heart of Texas, a meeting is being held, this meeting is like any other. Held In a mid sized office at a very ordinary desk with a very ordinary light on it, surrounded by ordinary bookshelves with ordinary books on them. In fact the only thing special about this meeting is the topic of discussion, and the people discussing it.

"Look Noah, I have to face facts what you are bringing me is sub par. you've found a man who can smell anything and tell you the chemical compound of its base. Then a thirteen year old in Kansas who can grow and retract his hair at will. The only two you have brought me in the last 4 months who were worth the time are the three year old girl in south Dakota who belches acid and an acne faced little twerp in Canada who has a prehensile tail. This is not what the company pays you for; the people pose no threat or benefit to our goals here."

The man speaking doesn't look as angry as he looks disappointed. He's older but by no means "old". He's a heavier set balding man wearing thin rimed glasses and a button down shirt, the same man you expect to be giving an "I'm disappointed" speech to any employee at any office. But as previously stipulated this is no ordinary office and no ordinary people are involved. The next man to speak is tall thinning hair and big thick horned rimmed glasses, his brow is lowered and he wears a very angry scowl on his face. His name is Noah Bennet and he's not one to take such a reprimand without a fight.

"Well I'm sorry BOB but I'm sitting on my thumbs waiting for the assignment me and him were put together for in the first place."

He gestures to the man sitting on his left, he's a tall dark skinned man, not much is known about him even to his cohorts in the room with him, he speaks little and acts even less only jumping in when the moment calls for it the expression on his face is the only one Noah and Bob have ever seen, Blank, uncaring, he is a rock, and he is only known as the Haitian.

"STOP PUSSYFOOTING AROUD IT BOB" Noah screams, "you know what assignment I want, I want Syler."

Bob pauses for a moment, he's examines Noah's face, looking for anything, anything at all that will tell him that Scyler is still too far from Noah's reach. Noah does not give him an inch; his stair is hard and un-breaking. Bob looks to the Haitian for some support he is met with a hard blank stair. A deep sigh is let out from Bob, his desk drawer opens and from it he procures a file on the top of which only reads CONFIDENTIAL in big bold red print.

Three exits and two blocks from our secret meeting, Clair Bennet is sitting in her home gapping at the shard of glass that is now sticking clear threw her hand. Clair had forgotten her keys on the way to school and was now trying to break in through her bedroom window, she has failed. Her hand hurts, the throbbing is so immense she can even see straight. The blood running from her hand is slowly staining her cheerleaders outfit. Her long blond hair keeps getting in the way of properly examining the wound, and with both of her parents at work and her brother away at a friends house, she needs to amend the situation her self. She cleared the rest of the broken glass still attached to the window with her math book; she never cared for math much anyway. She quickly shimmied threw the window and rushed to the sink. Calming down, breathing steadier she slowly closed her eyes and braced herself for pulling out the shard. Clair sucked in one last breath held it and yanked the shard out of her hand.

Her screams of pain echoed threw the house, after letting the pain subside for a second her hand is plunged back into the sink to clear the blood. Swiftly Clair removes her hand from the water and wraps it in a towel without a second glance, she knows the sight of the wound will make her vomit. Hurrying herself to the medicine cabinet upstairs she flies threw the bathroom door and flings the cabinet door open with her good hand. Clair starts to pull antiseptic and gaws for her hand and placing them on the counter. Bracing her stomach for the sight of the wound she slowly unwraps her hand. A frighten looks waves over Clair's face, the wound she had set out to clean was now gone.

Meanwhile

Tokyo Japan 4:15 P.M., the home of Hiro Nakamoura (find out how to spell that) a mild mannered cubical dweller at his fathers company, not the tallest not the smartest, not the best looking, slacks and a button down shirt are his everyday ware, Hiro Nakamaura is the definition of average, but he always longed for more. And adventure of any sort would make Hiro happy a bank robbery, an attack by a horde of ninjas anything that took him away from his cubical. Hiro was typing away as he always did just another day at the office; his eyes begin to feel tired from looking into his computer monitor all day. Hiro removes his glasses and looks to his clock on the desk 4:16, time always moves slower when its close to the end of the day, he hated it when it felt like time was dragging on. Hiro places his glasses back on face and begins typing again, the monotony of it all, day in and day out processing the same forms, piles stack up, scan them in the system, put a new heading on, and forward to the correct department. His own father didn't trust him with more responsibility, the owner of a multi-billion dollar company and he gives his son a data entry position how degrading. Cursing his father for the life he has provided for him, Hiro continued to work on scanning and forwarding just another day at the office. Finally Hiro finished his stack of papers for the day, he triumphantly places his arms crisscrossed behind his head and once again looks to his clock 4:16. The sight is enough to knock Hiro out of his chair; Hiro pulls himself back up to his desk and reaches for his clock. He places his ear next to the clock but quickly discards this method once he realizes the clock is digital, he begins to shake it furiously and finally decides that it must be broken and tosses it into the trash.

After discarding the clock in the trash hiro slowly comes to a realization, it has been awfully quiet in the office for the past while. Slowly rising his eyes above the walls of this cubical Hiro glances around the office to see that his co-workers are frozen in place not moving just sitting, most with there fingers mid-keystroke some half asleep but making it look like there working. Rushing around the corner and into the cubical next to him Hiro frantically waves his hands in front of the young women's face. She does not move, she does not blink, she does not breathe, she just sits staring at the computer in front of her. Why is this happening, Hiro thought to himself, oh no… Ando! Hiro races out of the young girls cubical and down the rows and rows of similar cubicles, every person seated in them are frozen in place. He finally comes to a rest at the last cubical on the left, Hiro's head slumps in disappointment, his best friend Ando is also frozen in place.

Placing his hand on Ando's shoulder he whispers to his statue-esc friend (as a note from here on out if a character is speaking and it appears in italics it is in Japanese or is taking place in there head, I'm so not going to figure out how to say al of this in Japanese.)

"My friend, I will find what has done this and I will fix it."

A single tear falls from Hiros eye and lands upon Ando's shoulder; Hiro feels a hand placed on top of his.

"Hiro, I don't know what your talking about, but it sounds kinda gay."

Hiro's head rises to find Ando looking up at him.

"ANDO YOUR OK" shouts Hiro

"Yah I'm fine, now stop yelling before we get in trouble"

"Ando look around."

Ando rises from his desk, and looks around the sea of cubicles around him.

"Hiro what is happening."

"I don't know Ando, but I think we are supposed to find out."

Matt Parkman did not know where he was; the heavier set man with his dark shortcut hair and button up shirt with its shiny new detectives badge on it, walked down the desolate streets. The decrepit buildings looks so familiar to him like he'd been here before. There are no people in the streets; no animals meandering around, just old beat up cars thrown to the sides of the avenue and trash covering the walkways. Matt did not even know how he came to be here last he knew he was sitting in his easy chair having a few beers in celebration of his newly acquired detective badge, and next he was here in the baron wasteland that he could not help but feel like he had visited long ago.

"HELLO" Matt screamed. "Is anyone still here"?

No sooner than the echo of Matt's scream had faded, Matt realized that was the worst possible thing he could have done. A faint ominous rumble began, gradually the faint rumble turned into a thundering quake, Matt stands with hands at his sides frozen by the sound. In a flash a crowd of came pouring onto the street Matt wandered, it wasn't for a moment but once Matt finally caught a glance at the mobs faces his heart sank, the crowd that surrounded him was barley recognizable as human, Many filled with open wounds leaking with pus there bodies missing limbs and replaced with blades and sharpened sticks. Matt turned to run, but in the panic of the horde that was not blocking his escape in front of him, he had not noticed the group that had surrounded him from behind.

"PLEASE, I'm just lost... I… I don't know where I am… I just want to go home."

The crowd he faces begins to part, a shrouded man carried atop a platform held by a ferocious group of beasts similar to that of the crowd. They kneel and place the platform on the ground and let their master take a few steps off before again rising to there feet. Matt cannot make out the face of the shrouded man only his eyes. His eyes are dark and cold, the man raises a singe finger to Matt's face when his hand begins to glow, jet black flames emanate from the mans hand and lash at Matt's body, as he feels the heat begin to surround him, he once again finds himself sitting in his easy chair, his beer still cold in his hand.

Back in Texas, Noah, the Haitian, and Bob are still deeply locked in conversation.

"Ok Noah," Says Bob "you want Scyler he's yours but don't say I never warned you, this guy is sick. Six people, all fully capable of defending them selves had…"

" The tops of there heads removed, except for the one that looks like it went threw a trash compactor… although he might have had the top of his head gone to be honest no one could tell one piece from another." Replied Noah " don't bull shit me with all of this I know the case I know the guy just give me a location and let me nail this guy."

Bob pushes the file he removed from his desk toward Noah.

"The last report we had on him said he was in San Francisco, doing some… magic act on a soap box near the wharf… Noah, be careful this guy is serious business, you realize what he means to the company."

Noah Takes the file from the desk and leaves out the door with the Haitian in tow.

It was still 4:15 in Tokyo, Japan, and Hiro Nakamura and his companion Ando (WTF is Ando's last name) walked casually down the street, its motorists and pedestrians alike frozen in place.

"Hiro, where are we going?" asked Ando

"That way" Hiro responded pointing straight ahead

"Hiro you know what I mean, what is our destination"

"We are going to the source of all knowledge Ando"

"What the library"

"Oh… well that's a good idea too, Maybe we can go there next"

"Then where are we going now?"

"The Mall"

"THE MALL" Ando shouts in anger "what could we possibly stand to gain in a mall"

"Simple we have to go to a crowded place incase there are more people who are not frozen" Replied Hiro

"Ok but what if we are the only ones not frozen"

"Then we can get something to eat before we go to the Library"

"Don't act like the library was part of your plan the whole time"

The two approach the mall parking lot scanning back and forth for any sign of movement. As the duo reach the entrance of the mall Ando makes a sudden realization.

"Hiro… if everything is frozen how is the motion sensor going to pick us up and open the door."

"I don't know… I never thought of that"

Shrugging his shoulders Hiro steps onto the sensor pad in front of the door, to both of there surprise the door swings open without pause. The two exchange a glance and proceed in, strolling down the walkways Hiro and Ando take in all of the frozen people some stuck mid purchase or halfway swallowing food but all stuck in time like living mannequins. A quick Thump is heard and out of the corner of his eye Ando catches a moving figure scurry out of the entrance of a women's fashion store and head toward the food court.

"HIRO!" Ando shouts and points franticly

The two take off as fast as they ever have after the wight, it is easy to follow the only moving thing in a crowd, Hiro and Ando shove living still life's out of the way and chance the figure to the beginning of the food court. When suddenly the creature they chance jumps and lands atop a table that a nice young couple whom, up until a moment ago, were sharing a nice meal. This figure is dark with a long black cloak and a hood over his head, Hiro and Ando stop in front of him.

"Who are you, and what have you done to everyone." Commands Hiro

The figure slowly removes his hood to reveal a much older Hiro with a long scar across his left cheek.