Disclaimer: I do not own Heroes

Author's Note: The following chapters will focus in on one or two individual characters when they are fifteen years old. Since they are all different ages, each chapter will take place at a different time. I do realise that the characters mostly found out about their abilities during season one, when they were older. For the purposes of this story, they already know (or will be soon finding out) that they have one.

One. Hiro and Ando.

"Happy birthday!"

Hiro's eyes flickered open but all he could see was a mess of blurry shapes.

"Your glasses, stupid." That was his sister, Kimiko, he knew from her voice. That and the fact that no one else called him stupid. He felt the cold, wire-rimmed glasses being pressed into his hand and he hurriedly put them on, anxious to see the pile of presents waiting for him at the foot of his bed. Just because he was fifteen now didn't mean he couldn't get excited about his birthday.

He blinked the sleep from his eyes and gazed on the…disappointingly small pile of presents.

"This one's from me," Kimiko thrust an envelope into his face, "happy birthday."

Hiro found the seal and slowly, very slowly, began to peel it open.

"I hate it when you do that! Why can't you just rip it open like everyone else?" Kimiko grabbed the envelope, tore it open for him and upended it so that its contents spilled all across Hiro's sheets.

"Uh…" It was money. A lot of money. More money than Hiro had ever seen in one place. He was speechless.

"Just say thank you, little brother," Kimiko laughed, hugging him.

"Thank you," he grinned, "can I throw it up in the air?"

"Do what you want," Kimiko told him, hiding a smile, "it's yours."

Hiro laughed as he scooped up the notes and threw them into the air, watching them spiral down again. Kimiko started packing them back into the envelope.

"Maybe you can spend it on comic books or something," Kimiko shrugged, eyeing his extensive collection, "as if you need any more."

"Where's the birthday boy?" Ishi, Hiro's mother, waltzed into the large-but-cluttered bedroom and swept her son into a big hug. Kaito followed at a slower pace, looking far more serious, as ever.

"This one's from us," he told Hiro, lifting a very large parcel from the pile. It was wrapped in shiny silver paper which made it glint enticingly. Hiro took it, held it to his ear, and shook it.

"Don't shake it!" Ishi's hand darted out to steady the parcel.

"Why, is it valuable?" Hiro blinked at her through his thick glasses.

"Just open it, geek," Kimiko commanded, "and hurry up. I want breakfast."

Hiro ripped the paper off. He saw the much-loved apple logo on the box and he swore later that his heart skipped a beat. Now he started unwrapping in earnest, tearing into the box with all the focus and ruthlessness of a lion tearing into it's pray.

"The new Mac? Thank you so much mum, dad!" Hiro gasped, clutching the box to him. "I'm going to set it up right after I see Ando."

Ishi looked at Kaito and they both laughed.

"We knew you'd like it."

When the rest of the presents had been opened – which were mostly strange things from very distant relatives who clearly thought he was still five – Hiro pulled on a pair of jeans and an old t-shirt and went to visit his best friend.

"That was fun," he laughed as he teleported into Ando's tiny bedroom. There was no response from Ando, which prompted him to turn around. The tall, rather awkward fifteen-year-old was still fast asleep.

And he was wearing Smurf pyjamas.

Hiro stifled a laugh and screamed, "Ando! The house is on fire!"

Ando's eyes flew open as he let out a high pitched scream and rolled off the single bed in surprise. Hiro chuckled.

"Hi Ando," he grinned, putting out a hand to help his friend up.

"Don't do that, Hiro!" There was no real anger in his voice as he allowed Hiro to pull him onto his feet. "Uh…about the pyjamas."

"I didn't see them," Hiro smiled, "now get dressed. We're going to the comic book store."
"I don't have any money after our last visit to the comic book store," Ando protested.

"Don't worry," Hiro pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and showed Ando the notes inside, "comic books are on me today. And afterwards I'm taking you out for waffles!"

"We really are wild, Hiro," Ando said bemusedly, "I thought we'd be doing something special for your birthday, but we're just spending it like we spend every other Saturday."

"Are you saying no to free comic books?" Hiro raised an eyebrow.

"I'll go get dressed."

______________

Hiro and Ando reappeared in a secluded spot just around the corner from the comic book store. Hiro usually just teleported wherever he wanted, but Ando didn't like the stares directed their way when they appeared from nowhere in busy areas.

Hiro hadn't stopped talking about his new computer and it was starting to annoy Ando, whose ancient PC was close to death. It was the kind of machine that played text-only video games and it took up a whole corner in his already small room.

"Ando? Ando are you listening to me?"

"Of course I am. What were you saying?"

Before Hiro could answer, a guy in a black trench coat came sprinting down the alleyway towards them, a polythene bag clutched in his hand. As he passed, a few coins spilled out and landed at Hiro's feet. He looked at Ando and raised an eyebrow. Before Ando could say anything the owner of the comic book store appeared at the end of the alley.

"Thief!" He yelled. "That guy's taking my money!"

"Huh…" Hiro looked thoughtful.

"Don't, Hiro!"

"Maybe this is one of those times I get to use my superpowers in the name of justice!"

"Hiro, you shouldn't. It's out of your control."

But his friend was already gone.

Thank you for reading! We'll revisit Hiro and Ando in a later chapter. Please tell me what you think!