Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic comics, or the Heroes storyline.
Story: A new evolved species is coming. How can the Force hold up against those with abilities like reading minds, phasing through walls, or indestructibility? And not all of them are hesitant to use their powers. KOTOR Heroes.
Set before Commencement. AU.
Spoilers: Most definitely.
Pairings: Zayne/Lucien
Warnings: All sorts…
A/n: Based off of Heroes to celebrate the new season three, which kicks ass already. PUt out first before other fics and chapters because I'm in a Heroes mood.

Dead Men Walking
Chapter One: Nightmare's Beginning

It should've been just another practice. Nothing should've mattered, or been changed differently. But it wasn't just another practice. It had become something else entirely.

Zayne stared at his leg, where he'd just gained a lightsaber burn from practice. Except…the burn wasn't there anymore. It was just gone.

He prodded the spot a couple times, but it was like nothing had happened.

Frowning, he decided he should keep this to himself.

It was only days later, after a couple more incidents like it, that Zayne began to freak out and wonder. He'd hastily grabbed a holocam and set it to record as he stood atop an abandoned building. Setting it to follow his form, it recorded as he jumped from the building and fell ten stories. He impacted into the ground.

Miraculously, Zayne could feel his body mend back to normal and it was only minutes later that he was whole again. A broken body healed in a matter of minutes…

He had been curious and more than a little panicked about what was happening to him. He was terrified and morbidly fascinated, enough to see if a fall from a ten feet building would do anything to his body. Now, he'd seen the results and strangely enough, he was calmer about the whole thing.

It didn't stop him from wanting to see if his ability had any limits.

Whenever he could sneak away from the others, Zayne would attempt numerous ways of trying his ability, and wondering when it would finally be too much for his body to take. He guessed it sort of gave him a sick thrill, but then again he could be in a prolonged state of shock.

Horrifically, Shad had found out on Zayne's tenth attempt.

Once again, he'd set a holocam to record as he climbed to the top of a metal structure that was eighty feet high. When he was ready, Zayne jumped and landed with a loud, hollow thud on the ground. Grimacing slightly, his body mended and he sighed into the holocam.

"My name's Zayne Carrick and that was my tenth attempt."

"What…the kriff was that, Zayne?!" Shad's unwanted voice yelled incredulously, and Zayne whirled around to stare at a wide-eyed Shad.

'Oh shit,' was his only thought.

"So, you're like indestructible or something?" Shad asked him in shock.

"Yeah, something like that. I'm not sure. I don't know my limits. It's why I'm filming myself. And 'cause I'm still sort of in shock still," Zayne muttered.

Shad whistled, "Now that is one useful trick to know. Anyways, Master Lucien wanted me to find you. We have some kind of meeting or whatever."

"Great," Zayne groaned.

They began walking the long way back, coincidentally catching sight of a building on fire.

"Shad, film this, okay?" Zayne said, running without letting Shad answer.

The blond Jedi in training winced and held the holocam, watching Zayne enter the building. Inside, Zayne found a gray-bluish skinned man pinned down. Grabbing him, Zayne hauled him out, immediately running into a similarly skinned woman who called out to who he assumed was the man in his arms.

"Perero!"

She took him from Zayne's arms, noting quickly that 'Perero' was badly burned, while Zayne seemed to be completely unharmed. Before she could question him, Zayne ran away.

Catching up with Shad, they both began running back to the Tower.

"That…was the coolest shit, Zayne."

Zayne grinned, but inside he was feeling a little sick.

They'd reached the Tower in record time, though by the faces of their Masters and fellow Padawans, they were quite late.

"Sorry, sorry! There was a bunch of things going on! Like a building on fire that Zayne ran into –!"

Zayne elbowed Shad sharply in alarm, shutting him up. But the damage was already done.

"Why would you run into a burning building, Zayne?" Lucien stared at him critically.

"There was someone inside. I couldn't let them stay in the building," Zayne winced slightly.

"I see. Very well. Try to be more careful next time, at least," Lucien told him dryly.

Zayne shrugged and they all proceeded to start their meeting.

"The Knighting Ceremony must be held off. We are due in Coruscant in two days time, so quickly pack your things. We leave tonight," they were informed.

Shad started the round of protest, "But that's not fair! We've been waiting forever for this!"

"Shad's right! What's going on?" Kamlin followed.

The other two repeated similar sentiments, while Zayne kept quiet. It wasn't that big a deal to him, he wasn't going to be knighted anyway. He had more pressing thoughts on his mind, like if he was ever going to have a normal life or if his new ability was going to ruin his chances of normality.

"We need to be seen by one of the Jedi there. It is very important so behave," Q'Anilia admonished them.

Raana narrowed her eyes at Zayne, who remained quiet of the group.

The Padawans all left to pack, three fourths of them grumbling, and left the Masters to talk between themselves.

"That went as well as I expected," Feln rolled his eyes.

"It can't be helped. My mother insisted herself. They want to evaluate the Padawans before any action can be taken," Lucien scowled.

"Zayne was quiet," Raana said suddenly.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Xamar looked at her.

"He was quiet. He didn't protest. He even looked like he was barely listening."

"That is my Padawan, as usual. He never fully listens to us," Lucien said, irritated.

"No, something else is going on. He was…he seemed preoccupied with something. Like something was bothering him," Raana said, frustrated.

"What do you mean?" Lucien furrowed his eyebrows together.

"I-I don't know what I mean!"

Hesitantly, Q'Anilia interrupted. "I saw of vision of Zayne, Lucien…"

He tensed, "Relating to the vision on the Rogue Moon?"

She shook her head. "No…I saw Zayne. His body was broken. But then it started to mend itself! It was like he was never hurt."

"That doesn't make a lot of sense, Q'Anilia," Feln said quietly.

"I know it doesn't. But it is what I saw."

"We'll keep it in mind. For now, let us focus on the meeting with my mother."

"Perero, did you see? That boy who saved you…could he be one of the ones you've been looking for? Someone evolved? He came out of that building completely unharmed…" the bluish skinned woman said from before.

"I'm not sure, Jarael. We need to talk to him, and see for ourselves the truth."

"I understand. Shall I just focus on phasing?" Jarael asked.

Perero nodded, "For now, try going through the walls of this ship. I know you can go through regular walls from buildings, but it would be good to know if you can do so in space."

"Alright then. Perero…I think that boy is a Jedi. I saw a glimpse of one of those lightsaber things on his hip."

"I will hack into their database to see. Perhaps we may find out yet."

Elsewhere…

"Revan, we've just beaten back a faction of Mandalorians," a red armored Jedi told a hooded man.

"Good job, Alek," Revan murmured.

Alek hesitated but nodded, turning to leave.

"There is something bothering you."

Alek stopped. He anxiously asked the Revanchist, "Do you think people can fly? I mean, without ships. Just…jump into the air and fly."

"A lovely fantasy, Alek. Maybe there can be truth to it, and maybe not. Perhaps we'll see in time," Revan said cryptically.

Not understanding, but not wanting to pursue the subject any longer, Alek left.

"Lord Adasca, you seem distracted…"

The Arkaanian waved his assistant off. "It's nothing, Eejee. How are we on the Exorgoths?"

"We're making very good progress. Sir…are you alright?"

Arkoh glared at him. "I said I'm fine. Actually, I'm busy at the moment. Return later."

Eejee reluctantly left and Arkoh went back to staring at the time. Fixated, he closed his eyes and concentrated. Opening them, he saw that time had rewound five minutes earlier.

Grinning in triumph, he wondered at all the uses he could have with this ability. Next, he'll be teleporting all over the galaxy.

"Lord Adasca, there's a problem!"

He twitched. Well, there was always time later to mess with his newfound power.

Very similarly, Carth Onasi was beginning to experience his own manifestation of power.

'Kriffing piece of bantha spit! We need to get those Mandolorians in that sector. We shouldn't be sitting here idle!'

Carth snapped his heads towards his senior officer, whom he'd just sworn had just said something. Only, the man was gritting his teeth and just glaring. Admiral Saul Karath was busy glaring down a storm and hadn't noticed Carth at all.

"Sir, did you just say something?" he asked cautiously.

Saul scowled at him, "No! I didn't! Get back to work, Onasi, before I send you to the brig!"

Eyes flying into his hairline, Carth decided the Admiral was in a very bad mood.

But the more Carth walked to the station, the more whispering he began to hear. And these whispers weren't normal. People were talking, but they weren't saying the same things as what he was hearing.

"Move this over, and then set the new coordinates," someone said.

'Idiot better not mess it up or it's on my head.'

Same person, same voice, but the person hadn't said that last part…

Carth was freaking out.

"They are coming," the blonde lady said as she stared into the skies.

"Of course, Lady Krynda. Lucien had just sent a transmission. They should be here by the morning," a disfigured man replied.

Krynda closed her eyes. "No, Haazen. They are coming. The evolved ones."

Haazen paused, confused and a little bit unsure. "I don't understand, milady."

"They who are beyond the Force. Beyond us. A greater threat than the Sith will plague us all before the Second Coming," she told him cryptically.

Haazen felt himself grow cold. "A threat greater than the Sith?"

"Beware evolution," she whispered.

Started 9/25/08 –Completed 10/6/08

Who's Who:

Zayne Carrick: Claire Bennet: Rapid Cell Regeneration
Shad Jelavan: Zach: Zayne's Friend
Jarael: D.L. Hawkins: Phasing
Camper: Mohinder Suresh: Researcher
Revan: ??: ??
Alek: ??: ??
Arkoh Adasca: Hiro Nakamura: Space-Time Manipulation
Eejee Vamm: Ando Masahashi: Arkoh's 'Sidekick'
Carth Onasi: Matt Parkman: Telepathy
Krynda Draay: ??: ??
Haazen: ??: ??