1Tortured Souls
Part III – Training Day

The 11am Metro bus traveled towards the Haight-Ashbury district. Laura loved this part
of town. It is rich with history and culture which lives on to this very day. Today, she
was not a CEO, an architect or even Michael's girl. None of her worldly assets meant
anything where she was going.

With her legs folded comfortably under her, she sat listening to her iPod. She closed her eyes and once again drifted off to sleep. In her dreams, she saw a dark man who frightened her deeply, yet she found herself wanting to go to him. He reached out his hand to her, calling to her. Slowly she began to walk toward him, mesmerized. An evil breeze blew against her skin and through her hair. Powerless, she was unable to stop. He had her in a gravitational pull. There was no fighting him; she didn't want to. His eyes were dark and foreboding. She felt fearful, yet she wanted him.

Then out of the darkness there came a brilliant light. Covering her eyes she could
scarsley see, shielding herself from its brightness. Turning to the darkness, the man was gone. Laura was on her knees. She heard a man's voice calling to her from the light. "Laura! Stand up!" The voice commanded her.

Standing up, she looked down at herself; she was in warrior dress. The voice
continued. "You have a mission. It is your fate, Laura. You are the only one." She could barely make out the man's shape. He reminded her of Kiyoshi Yamigati, but many years younger.

"Who are you?" She shouted at the voice. "What is this mission? And what do you mean I am the only one?" But he was gone.

Startled, she heard Michael's voice behind her. "Laura. You must open your eyes...
NOW."

"Michael..."

"Laura. Please trust me. You need to open your eyes."

She awoke with a start! She looked around and something was not right. The bus was pulled over and the passengers were crying and looked horrified. There were emergency vehicles outside the bus which had come to a stop just inches from the entrance of an elementary school and the driver was being taken out on a stretcher. Laura stood up and walked forward. And elderly woman stood in front of her and put her hand on her shoulder. There were tears in her eyes. "Today is my 83rd birthday." She spoke half crying. "I thought today would be my dying day. " She sobbed and hugged Laura. "If it wasn't for you the bus would have crashed into that school and all of us would be dead. You are an angel! God bless you." She whispered. Again Laura found herself at a loss. She managed a smiled and touched the woman's shoulder then continued her way to the front of the bus. As she stepped off the bus, many of the passengers applauded her. She went over to the driver. He was unconscious, but the
paramedics had him on oxygen. She found one of the paramedics. "Is he going to be ok?" She asked.

The paramedic looked at her. "It looks like he will be fine, thanks to you. You saved the day, little lady. His family will be grateful." Laura just smiled. "Thanks. What happened to him?"

The paramedic looked puzzled. "Well Miss, I am sure you know he had a heart attack. If you didn't stop that bus and give him CPR everybody on that bus and many of these school children would be dead. You are a hero young lady!"

Standing there, she could hear vehicles coming from behind her. News crews started
arriving on the scene. "You stay there." The officer told her. "The reporters will want
to talk to you." And he left.

The news teams started buzzing around and she began to panic. The last thing she needed in her life right now was to be in the spotlight. She had to get out of there quickly. The dojo was just two blocks away. Grabbing her duffle bag, she ran away from the commotion unseen by onlookers. Let it be a mystery forever who saved the day. She told herself she would call and check on the man later.

As she stood in front of the dojo, she knew she had to put the last two days events out of her mind. Closing her eyes, she took deep, cleansing breaths. As she stepped through the door, she left the outside world behind her.

Laura walked into the dojo and set down her duffle bag. She stood with her arms at her side and bowed to the building. "Oise!" This was a Japanese idiom meaning push and perseverance. She walked into the women's locker room and changed to her black Gis. She pulled her hair back walked to the mat.

Standing there; eyes intent and focused. The Laura who walked through the door was not there. In the moment, she was a warrior. Approaching the mat, she bowed to her master. "O Kyoshi" She bowed (this was a term of respect to her master). He bowed in return.

He walked back and forth in front of her.
"HUT!" He shouted.

She slapped her arms to her side at attention.

"What is the student creed, Renshi?"

She shouted, completely focused. "As a dedicated student of the martial arts, I will live by the principals of the black belt. Modesty, courtesy, integrity, courage, perseverance and indomitable spirit."

"What's our Goal?"

"Black belt excellence, Sir!"

"How do we lead?"

"By example Sir!"

He walked to the center of the mat.

"Call your fight." He commanded her.

"Weapons, Sir!"

From behind his back, he pulled out a samari sword. "KIA!" He shouted. Anticipating his swing, Laura did a back flip and quickly recovered. He came at her again, but this time she was ready with her bo. As his sword came down upon her she blocked him in mid air. She did a gyration to the left and picked up a sai. When his sword came toward her once, she hooked his sword and flipped it away from him. Before she could take victory he spun around and knocked the sai from her hand. He picked it up and came at her. She spun around in a flying scissor kick temporarily disabling him. He recovered but not before she picked up the nunchakus swinging at him. He grabbed the ends of the nunchakus flipping her over. She recovered in mid-air and landed on her feet doing a double backflip to get away. She picked up the samari sword and ran toward him shouting. He was waiting for her with a bo which he swung at her legs. She jumped in the air and landed on her feet kicking the bo from his hand and knocking
him over. She put her foot on his chest. "KIA!" She shouted as she brought down her sword on him, stopping just short of his head.

Laura stepped aside and helped him to his feet. Kyoshi Yamagati bowed to her and she bowed in return. "Impressive. The student has beaten the master".

"This time." She smiled breathlessy. "You'll be ready for me next time."

"This is the second time you have beaten me this month. Most of my students go through a lifetime and never beat me. You are most powerful, Renshi. Soon, your time will be upon you."

"Ok, about that." She said. "Are you ever going to fill me on what 'this time' is you keep talking about?"

"When the time is right, I will tell you. The time is not right."

For a moment she thought about his words and what had happened to her today and yesterday. "Mr. Yamagatai, do you feel like going for a walk?"

He turned and smiled at her.

Although Laura had beaten him today, Mr. Yamagati was rarely beaten. He was 68 years old and every bit as fit as he was the day Laura came to him almost 20 years ago. She remembered like it was yesterday when he first put the white belt around her waist. On that day he told a white belt is a black belt that never quit. Laura vowed that day to never stop reaching for her goals. She fought hard for the prize and remembered with pride the day when she was twleve years old, standing in that same spot where a shy and frighten child had stood just five short years ago, he tied the blackbelt around her waist. As she bowed to him, she recalled seeing a tear in his eye that day.

Laura always knew she was special to Mr. Yamagati and he was special to her as well. When her mother died, he did not allow her to loose sight of her purpose. He made her take her pain and put it into her fight. A few years ago when her father died, again he was there for her. She had inherited her father's company at the age of 24. She knew how to be an architect, but she knew nothing about running a company. She was angry at her father for leaving her in this position. Again, he made her use her rage and instead of allowing it to consume her, he helped it empower her. There were days she wanted to quit, but he always propelled her forward. He became a second father to her and she loved the old man dearly.

Today Mr. Yamagati could sense Laura was troubled. In their street clothes they walked to Golden Gate Park. Laura came here often to think and meditate. Mr. Yamagati came here often with her to help her sort things through. Outside of the dojo, they were not student and teacher. They were equals is what Mr. Yamagati always told her, but Laura could never see herself as his equal.

"Why are you troubled, Laura?" He asked her.

"I don't know if you would believe me if I told you, Sir." She said thoughtfully.
"I might surprise you. Please. Tell me"

Laura told him about how she had fallen asleep while seeming to be elsewhere. She told him about the train yesterday and the bus today.

Mr. Yamagati did not look surprised.

"Laura, I have never kept it a secret from you that you are special. Even as a young child I could sense greatness from you. You were strong even then. Something has always told me that someday you would have powers that I could not begin to understand. A time is coming in your life and without knowing when that time will be; I have been preparing you for it."

He turned and looked over the hill below them.

He continued. "I have never known what this power would be; only that it would set you apart. But I do know this." He turned and looked at her again. "A power is only as strong as its possessor. You must respect it like your elders and nurture it as you would a child. It is a fine edge sword that separates the world of good and evil. There is darkness and there is light, but there are many elements that separate the two extremes."

He turned and looked at her again. "Your mother was also special. She was trained by my father and then by me." Laura looked shocked. He noticed, but continued, taking a deep breath. "Laura, I am going to tell you something right now that I never felt you were prepared to understand, until now."

She listened quietly.

"What I am going to tell you is going to change your life forever. You must tell me if you ready." He asked her.

"Yes, I am ready." She replied.

Kiyoshi Yamagati looked her deep in the eyes.

"You did not come to me by accident all those years ago. Your mother brought you to me to make you strong. Stronger than she was." He continued. "Your mother was a very powerful woman, but she chose to live a life devoted to her family. She could feel from the moment you were born that you were special and she felt it was her place to nurture you into the amazing woman you have become. She raised you to be worthy and deserving of your legacy.

She stood up and approached him. "What was my mother's ability?"

"Your mother was a warrior, as you are. She never confided in me her abilities. She hid them away when you were born. She only confided in me her desire for me to help you be strong in your power."

Standing before her, he continued. "After your mother passed away, your father
brought this to me with instructions to give to you when you were ready."

"My father knew about this?" Laura asked surprised.

"Your father was one of the finest men I ever knew, Laura." He continued. "He loved you and your mother and everything he did in his life was for his girls are what he always told me."

She smiled remembering her father.

"But your father was a practical man. He worked hard and he believed in things he could see and feel and understand. But he also believed in your mother, and he believed in your destiny. He left his worldly assets to you, but he always knew you were destined for something more. "

"The time for you to know your destiny has come." He pulled a velvet bag containing an idol out of his back pack and handed it to her.

Laura took idol and studied it. "It is just statue. It doesn't look very powerful."

"A few days ago, you didn't think you were powerful. You thought you were just
another body occupying the planet, but now you have learned you are someone
special."

"Point taken. But what do I do with it."

"This Talisman has been in your family for centuries. When you unlock its mystery, you will receive its power. But when you take it home, do not show it to anyone. You will have your answers at exactly the right time and not a moment before."

On the ride home, Laura remembered what Kiyoshi Yamagati had told her. She held the talisman tight in her hand remembering his warning.

"So what secrets lie within you?" She studied the talisman closely. There were no
openings. She tapped it, but there was only solidness.

The beeping of her blackberry startled her out of concentration. The message was once again from Wireless.

WIRELESS: Why didn't you leave town?
5107845578: How in the hell did you get this number?

WIRELESS: I have a power, just like you do, Laura.

5107845578: I told you I want proof! You have to give me something to confirm.

A video appeared on her screen of a news report about the bus accident and about the mysterious woman who saved the bus driver and disappeared before the TV cameras got there.

When the news report was over, there was a video of her walking into the dojo from its security cameras all the way to the end of her session with Kiyoshi Yamagati.

WIRELESS: Now do you believe me?

5107845578: Where are you?

WIRELESS: Get off at the next stop?

5107845578: How do you know where I am?

WIRELESS: Get off at California and Battery. I am on the corner.

As she got off the bus, she saw a dark haired woman she guessed to be of Israeli descent about her age standing under a green awning looking at her.

Laura approached her cautiously. "Wireless, I presume?" She asked, arms folded.

"My name is Hana Gitelman, Laura." She smiled. "Let's go find somewhere we can talk privately."

"My office is around the corner. We can talk there."

A few moments later, they were seated in Laura's office. She called Carol and asked to not be disturbed and to hold all of her calls.

"Do you want anything?" She asked her new friend. "Water, coffee?

"Im fine, thank you." Hana replied.

"Ok." She began. You have fifteen minutes to convince me you are not a mental
patient, and you can start by telling me who you are."

Hana sat motionless and looked right at Laura. "It is not who I am that is important. We will save that for another time because you are only giving me 15 minutes."
"Fair enough." Laura replied. "So, you say you are like me, you have a power. What is your power?"

Hana took a deep breath. "I am able to send and receive electronic media by just
thinking about it. Text messages, e-mail, instant messages."

"Prove it." Laura challenged.

Laura's computer gave off an instant message alert.

WIRELESS: Are you sold yet?

Laura was shocked. "How did you..." Before she could finish, her blackberry rang. She had a text message.

WIRELESS: How about now?

Laura looked at her amazed.

"Check your e-mail." Hana told her calmly.

"It's ok. I believe you."

"Check it." Hana repeated.

"Ok, I'll bite." Laura opened up her e-mail program. As was promised, there was an e-mail containing a photo of her and Greg talking in her office from the day before.

"Ok Hana, you have my undivided attention." Laura told her.

"Are you sure? Because I can tell you details about some of your intimate phone
conversations and e-mails with Michael that would make a sailor blush."

Laura was angry now. "That's private!"

"I don't listen in. Its just there."

"Ok. So...what do you want?"

"Laura, I know you have only just discovered your power. But what you don't know is that there are many people in the world that have powers. Some can fly, some can heal themselves, some can heal others; the list is very long. I also know that you are special even among the special. I know you will one day receive a power that will give you powers the rest of us can only dream of.
"Ok." Laura interrupted. "So, this is getting boring. I know all this. Now tell me what you want from me or I am going to have to ask you politely to leave?

"I do not want anything from you. I am here to warn you! You cannot let Sylar find you."

"Yeah, you mentioned that last night. So, who is this Sylar, and why does he want to kill me?

"Open your e-mail again." Hana told her abruptly. "I don't wish to frighten you, but you need to know what you are up against. You need to be afraid."

Laura tried to prepare herself, but there was no preparing herself as a picture of a young woman just about her age with her head opened up and her brain missing. She was horrified.

"Oh My God!!!! Who could do this?"

"The crowned prince of evil and deception. He was born with the name Gabriel Gray, but the Super Genome population knows him as Sylar. He has the ability to extract powers by taking the brains of his victims".

Laura felt naucious. "And...what does he do with the brains once he gets them?"

"There are those who believe he ingests them." Hana said dryly.

Looking sickened, Laura turned to her. "You...mean...he EATS them?"

"That is the belief of some."

"And why do you think he is coming after me?"

"Well, he has been quiet for a while." She continued. "He committed four murders just over 2 months ago, and he seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth. The murders were in Chicago, Cheyenne WY, Boise Idaho, and Elko Nevada. It is believed he has assumed the identity of one of his victims and is hiding out from the authorities. He has been spotted in San Francisco and the east bay."

"How would I even know him if I saw him."

"Well, that is a big problem. His file has been stolen, most likely by him. His photos are missing from the FBI mainframe and there are no photographs for me to show you."

Laura was becoming frightened. A man could be coming to kill her and she did not know what he looked like even. "Why haven't they caught him?"

"He was in captivity briefly, but his captors underestimated his powers and he
escaped. He knows how to hide and blend in."

"So, how would he know where to find me? "

"Because he got a copy of the master list of super genomes from Dr. Suresh and you are on that list."

"Ok, lets just say I believe your story. If I am a super genome, and there are hundreds of us, then I am likely not the only one living on the west coast. What makes you think he is going to come for me and not for another person on the list?"

Hana looked troubled. "You are correct that there are others. We can't help them all."

Laura turned to her shocked. "What do you mean you can't help them all. Of course you can!" She looked her directly in the eye angrily. "There is a killer out there and you have prior knowledge of what he is capable of and you're just going to sit back and not even try and warn them?"

"It is not that I don't understand how you feel this way Laura, but you have to believe me when I tell you it's not that simple."

"Not that simple?" Laura nearly shouted. "Yes! It is that simple! You pick up the phone and call them."

Hana looked intently at Laura. "I contacted you last night. What did you do?"

Laura remembered the instant message from Hana from the night before. "I…told you I thought you were out of your mind and I…closed my computer off."

Hana half smiled. "Now your getting the idea."

Laura sighed, closing her eyes. "Ok...ok, your right. I understand. But why did you come to me?"

Hana smiled. "Because, as I said Laura, of all the people on that list you could very well be the most important. We believe you are the only one that will be able to kill Sylar."

Laura spun around shocked. "Are you freaking kidding me?" She nearly screamed. "You are telling me there is this psycho killer running around, maybe even coming after me, and you somehow think I am going to be able to have the skills to kill him. Let's leave the fact out of it for now that I have no idea what he even looks like. And what makes you think I can kill him? As far as I know the only power I have is the ability to be in two places at once. I am a four degree Black Belt, but if this guy is slicing up people's heads like this, frankly I don't think either of these talents are going to help me."

Hana stood up and walked to her putting her hand on her shoulder. "Laura, I know this is a lot to absorb. Just a few days ago, you knew nothing of this power. And now your whole world has changed."

Walking in front of her, she looked her direct in the eye. "But Laura, you are a part of something very special. Embrace it; do not let it frighten you. When you embrace it, the fear will be gone and you will know what you have to do."

Tearfully, Laura walked to the window and looked out. She continued to speak.
"Look, it's not that I don't want to help you. But you got the wrong girl. Maybe I am strong like you say I am, but to come here and tell me today that I am the savior of thousands from this" she pointed to the image of the woman with her head sawed open. "monster. I won't do it."

Turning toward Hana, she continued. "And, since you have been hijacking the personal details of my life, then you know there is somebody I love deeply. And he loves me too. So I hope you can understand that I am not just willing to put myself or him in harms way. I am going to spend the rest of my life with this man and have his children. So Hana, I am afraid you are just going to have to find yourself another rescuer because I can't help you."

Hana was dejected. She smiled sadly at Laura. "Just please promise me you will think about what we talked about. Please Laura."

Laura walked over and opened the door. "There is nothing to think about." She said firmly. "We're done here."

Hana had her answer. She walked through the door. She looked back at Laura once again. Laura shut the door.

Hana left the building and stood outside for a moment. She took an envelope of photos out of her pocket. There were several photos of Laura with Michael.

"Now how do I tell her the love of her life is really Gabriel Gray. She is in love with Sylar."

End of Part III