This story is set back at the formation of the company, starting in 1961 and continuing throughout the years. It starts with the original four, and will recount how they made up the twelve, as well as the whole Adam saga and the drama that is caused by their split.
Chapter One – Socks – Angela Petrelli 1961
At first she had thought the shop window had held such potential. The window had practically glistened in the sun, the items beyond the glass were treasures that Angela could just stare at all day. She had always liked books, they held wonders that the real world simply didn't have. Handsome, strong princes that would come and sweep you off your feet, mythical evils that could be vanquished in the nick of time. But the real world wasn't like that, and looking at these books the young Angela could tell that she had lost something inside her. When Alice, and her parents had died some light inside of her had died, and now these books just held broken promises. The monsters were men in white coats, and her prince charming was a black man. Not that there was anything wrong with Charles, but in fairy tales the princes we're never black. Her weary eyes scanning the shelves she could see through the window, the breath in Angela's body got caught in her chest, at the sight of Alice in Wonderland. Not that the book held any significance to her, but Alice had loved it. She had read it, and then reread it and then pretended she was Alice in the garden. That book had been hope for her…and now it was probably lying somewhere in Coyote Sands, covered in blood and dust. Alice had destroyed most of the camp with her power, bringing lightning and ferocious winds down on her captors, and destroying most of the buildings and causing most of the guards to open fire on the inmates. Her father and Alice had died because they had used their powers to try and escape, she had learned that from one of the surviving guards, but her mother had been shot without a warning. She was human…she couldn't defend herself like the others could.
Feeling a small weight descend on her shoulder, Angela turned her head and found none other than her very own Prince Charming stood behind her. Charles was taller than her, and his dark skin was flawless and matched his chocolate brown eyes perfectly. His muscular arms and broad chest sometimes made Angela forget that she was a freak…that he was a freak. It made her forget everything. Until of course she saw Bobby and Daniel standing behind him, two freakish sentries that reminded her that she was part of a group now. She didn't have a family, or friends that she could go see, so shy Bobby, creepy Daniel and the handsome Charles were now her family and her friends. Turning to the three, Angela mustered a smile to her face and nodded at the three. They had been surveying the area, looking for police officers that could damage their plans. Getting a nod from the three of them, the foursome set off in the direction of 'Fuchs's Clothing emporium'. Walking in a line, with Bobby and Daniel on the outsides, and her and Charles on the inside she felt Charles' hand entwine around her own, his strong fingers that could be so delicate comforting the young girls heart. This of course got some stares, but she couldn't care less. Stepping into the clothing store, a small bell rang as they pushed their way through the door and the small jingle brought the store manager to the counter. He was a handsome man in his mid thirties, who looked like he should be walking into the sunset with some beautiful girl on the cover of a Cowboy story, not working in the small town clothes store.
"What can I do you folks for?" He asked them, smiling at Angela and the two younger boys, but ignoring Charles all together. People discriminated against him because he was black, but the truth was Charles was more powerful than any white, racist that shouted things at him in the street. Charles could wrap anyone around his little finger, he could probe the depths of your mind and find your weaknesses and fears, and he could wipe memories and create false ones…all those things were useful for what they had to do.
Charles, blunt and self appointed leader of the group, stepped forward towards the counter, causing the manager to finally acknowledge that this black man was in his shop. Looking back at the group, Charles smirked before turning back to the man
"Here's a hundred dollars" He said in his commanding voice, his already deep voice resonating in a strange echo type way, the way it did when he used his powers. His eye sight was firmly on the man in question, and Angela could see the tension in his shoulders relax, as Charles' mind took a hold of his. His pale hand slowly reached out and took the one dollar bill that Charles held out
"Me and my friends, are gonna grab a change of clothes and you can keep whatever's left over okay?" The man nodded slowly, and Charles turned to his friends and nodded, using his thumb to wipe a few beads of sweat from his lips that had accumulated when he used his power. Immediately the group split up, each of them grabbing a few changes of clothes as well as underwear, and a new pair of shoes. Angela picked a pale yellow dress, with short sleeves, that reached to her knees. To match she picked a pair of white shoes, and a white head band.
"Get changed, and then we'll go" Charles ordered, and immediately the group split once more, with Angela going behind a large rail of clothes to change, and the boys getting changed in the front. Coming back, the boys were all in different colored slacks, and each wore a polo shirt of different colors and Angela had to stifle a laugh, at the fact that they were all dressed in variations of the same outfit. Thanking the man, they each loaded their dirty clothes into a rucksack Charles had picked up, and started out of the shop with Angela herself bringing up the rear. Glancing back at the shop keeper, who had snapped out of his trance and was putting the one dollar bill in his shirt pocket, a satisfied look on his face, Angela glared at the racist and when he was clearly looking at her grabbed a pair of socks and ran from the store. Hearing him shout out behind her, Alice pushed past the boys and shouted back at them
"Come on! Run!" still running, she could hear the footsteps of the boys following her, and as she shoved the socks into the pocket of her dress, she thought of Alice. 'These are for you Alice…'
Turning a corner, Alice watched as each of the boys did the same with Bobby bringing up the rear, and each of them leant against the wall panting with exhaustion. When they had finally caught their breath, it was Daniel who spoke first
"What the hell was that?" He asked, his English accent making him sound much madder than his face showed, Angela shrugged her chest still rising and falling with exhaustion, and following the lead of Bobby, she sunk down to the concrete floor. Charles, the fittest of the four had already recovered and was glancing around the corner to see if the police, or the shopkeeper were following them.
"Don't worry Charles, I dreamt about this last night…we're gonna be fine." The only girl soothed, her hand resting on the tall teens strong leg.
"So you knew you were going to do that. Thanks for the warning Ange" Daniel commented, his pale face passive. He didn't actually care if he had to run from the law; he was in a country far from his parents, and his friends. He had nothing to lose…Shaking her head, Angela turned to the English boy and spoke
"My dreams are open to interpretation…we could've got caught." She said with a smirk on her face. Whenever she had a bad dream, which had been most nights since they had escaped from Coyote Sands about three weeks ago, the boys always assured her that her dreams could be interpreted differently.
"Does that mean that we don't have to start this company?" Bobby spoke, the youngest of the four who was still missing his parents more than the others
"I mean, you said we have to do real bad things to keep people like us a secret. Maybe someone else could do it if your dreams are…"
"Bobby! We gotta stop things like Coyote Sands from happening again…we have to protect other kids like us." Charles interrupted. This had been a conversation Bobby had brought up frequent times, like when they had been interrogating the remaining guards and scientists and Charles and erased their memories, or when they had agreed they needed more people and as soon as Angela dreamed up someone to help, that they'd go find them.
"Boys…last night, in my dream I…I remember something else…" The young brunette began, and feeling the attention of all three boys on her Angela continued
"I think I know where Doctor Suresh is…"