Disclaimer: I do not own Heroes or StarGate. If I did, Monday night's episode would have been extremely different, and Sylar would be 100 percent good already! And StarGate would still be running with O'Neill leading the team!
A/N: Thanks to all of you for your amazing reviews! You rock!
Meredith Gordon walked into the living room and sat down on the couch, glancing around for the remote. Spotting it, she turned the TV on with one hand and dug for her cigarettes with the other. As she lit up, she saw that the presidential candidates were just stepping onstage for their first debate. Grabbing the remote, Meredith cranked up the volume. As always, when she saw Nathan, her heart gave a little flutter. Memories of their marriage – however short it had been – flooded into her mind.
"Hey," said a voice. Meredith looked up as Claire leaned in the doorway. "What're you watching?"
"Come join me," Meredith said, patting the seat cushion beside her. "Your daddy's about to give a speech." Claire frowned, looked at the screen, and then walked off, passing Peter, who looked after her, concerned. He looked questioningly at Meredith, and then heard Nathan's voice on the television. He frowned and then walked into the living room, picked up the remote, and muted the sound. Meredith scowled at him. "I was watching that," she complained. Peter stood over her and she resisted the urge to slide back. This was her brother-in-law!
"I don't want Claire watching the election," Peter said firmly.
"May I ask why?" Meredith asked coldly.
"She doesn't need to see Nathan when he's like that."
"Like what?"
"I know how competitive he can get. Claire doesn't need to find that out."
"He's her father!"
"Exactly!" Peter snapped. "I know how focused he gets. If you put ideas in her head about him coming to visit while he's in town, she'll just get hurt when he doesn't show up! And I will not let her get hurt like that!"
"Nathan would never-!"
"He's not my father," said a voice. Both looked up to see Claire standing in the doorway, looking upset. "Nathan may be my biological father, but he never raised me or took care of me. Noah Bennett did. Nathan will never be my father!" Then she turned and walked out.
"Claire!" Meredith called, but it was no use. Sighing, she turned to face Peter, but he was gone.
--
"No answer," Daniel said, hanging up the phone.
"That's three times we've tried her cellphone!" Jack said, pacing. "Call her house again."
"We have already attempted to contact Major Carter's residence several times, O'Neill." Teal'c put in. Jack glared at him, but before he could reply, Daniel's phone rang. The archaeologist grabbed it almost before the end of the ring.
"Hello……Thank God, we were trying to call you………..Why? A holding cell? What for? I don't under-! Janet? Yeah, she's here, why? Sam, I-! Yeah, OK. I understand." Then he hung up. Before anyone got the chance to ask, he was explaining,
"That was Sam. She said the NID confiscated her phone and that they need our help. They're sending a car for us and sending a prisoner that they want us to take charge of."
"How far away?" Jack demanded. Just then, a call came over the loudspeaker:
SG-1 to the briefing room. SG-1 to the briefing room.
Scarcely had the order been given when several people out in the hall found themselves leaping out of the way as three men charged by.
--
"Look, she needs to see you," Peter said softly into the phone. "No, we can't come to you. I don't feel comfortable bringing him on a long trip to a town like that. You know how he is…………No, no it can't wait. Look, I'm not asking you to scale a cliff and cross the Red Sea, I'm asking you to-! Yeah, I understand. Just get here as soon as you can. All right, bye." He hung up and slipped the cellphone into his pocket, turning around just as Claire walked in. She tensed upon seeing him, and then relaxed, smiling.
"I should be used to you just teleporting in," she said, walking over to her bed and sitting down.
"But that would take out all the fun," he said teasingly as he joined her. She smiled and then sighed, laying her head on his shoulder. Peter sighed, too. "Something's wrong, isn't it?"
"I just miss Dad," Claire admitted. Peter nodded.
"I know," he said softly. "It's been rough for all of us – especially you – since he went underground."
"But why?" Claire demanded, her eyes filling with tears. "Why are they still coming after us? Why don't they just leave us alone?"
"I don't know," Peter said, frustrated. "I can't explain it. I just….I wish I could talk to them, you know? Explain to them that we aren't anything to be concerned with!" Claire sniffled and leaned into his chest as he put an arm around her. "Things aren't always going to be like this, Claire," Peter whispered. "We'll live normal lives again, I promise." She looked up at him, smiling.
"No tights?" Chuckling, Peter hugged her tightly.
"No tights."
"I know why they hate us," said a voice. Both looked over to see Molly standing in the doorway. Peter patted the mattress and she sat down beside him.
"Why?" Claire asked, smiling at her fellow hero. Molly grinned mischievously.
"They think we're dangerous," she said in a spooky voice. The three of them stared at each other and then started laughing.
"Peter?" called a voice. Peter looked up sharply. Micah and his cousin Monica were standing in the hallway.
"What is it?" Peter demanded.
"Mom's not home yet." Micah said, sounding worried. "She was just going to go to the store and get stuff for dinner. It's a fifteen minute walk. She's been gone for almost two hours." Peter stood up and walked by him, heading down the hall, passing rooms without a glance inside. He reached the door at the end of the hall and walked in without knocking. Its occupant was sitting on the bed, eyes closed in thought. Without opening them, he spoke,
"Something's wrong," Peter nodded, even though the listener couldn't see him nod.
"Nikki's missing." He turned and hurried out again.
Sitting on the bed, Gabriel Gray-Petrelli stood up and followed his brother out to the kitchen.
--
Nikki awoke with a start. Gasping, she sat bolt upright, only to smack her head on something hard. Yelping in pain, she flopped back down onto……….a mattress? Confused, Nikki looked around, feeling panic rise in her chest. She was in a dimly lit room with gray walls and no windows. Currently, she was lying on the bottom bunk of a bunk bed which was – boringly enough – also gray. Nikki slid off the mattress onto the floor, careful to avoid hitting her head again. She stood up and looked around for some kind of mirror. She had to talk to Jessica or Gina, someone who knew something. To her dismay, there was nothing. Nikki curled into a ball beside the bed. This was wrong. She had to get out. But without knowing where she was, that might be next to impossible.
--
"Daphne, cancel all my meetings for the next twenty four hours," Nathan commanded as he grabbed his jacket. His assistant leapt to her feet and supersped to block his way.
"Why?" she demanded.
"I have to take some personal time," he answered.
"What about all the press conferences?" Daphne asked in bewilderment as he passed her on his way to the door. Nathan looked back.
"Tell them it's family related," he said. "They'll love it." Then he was gone.
--
Jack strode briskly through the halls of the NID headquarters. The ride had taken too long. Granted, they'd nearly been pulled over several times, but nothing short of lightspeed was fast enough for Jack. Daniel was at his side, trotting to keep up. Teal'c and their driver had given up and were taking their time behind him. Jack saw her through the glass and slowed his pace slightly. There she is, Jack, his brain told him. She's safe. See? Nothing to worry about. Despite this, Jack couldn't help but feel the urge to hug her when he and Daniel walked into the briefing room. Daniel must've had the same urge, because he darted forward, hugging Sam almost before she knew they were there. She laughed and patted his back.
"I'm OK, Daniel," she said, smiling. "Really."
"We got worried," Daniel said with a helpless shrug.
"They give you your phone back?" Jack asked. Sam held it up.
"They gave it back just after I called, sir."
"They say what they wanted yet?"
"Agent Barrett said he'd prefer to explain it to us, sir." Teal'c and the driver walked in, and the members of SG-1 then waited until Agent Barrett walked in a few minutes later.
"Sorry to keep you all waiting," he said, sitting down. "I just got off the phone with my supervisor. We owe you a great deal for letting us hold our prisoner at the SGC."
"Yeah, we saw her being unloaded just as we left," Daniel said. "What exactly is she being imprisoned for?" Barrett looked at them and then passed out a thick folder to each of them.
"What I am about to tell you is classified information," he said, dimming the lights and turning on the projector. "It must stay in the NID and the SGC." He pulled up several photos of people on the screen.
"Who are they?" Daniel asked.
"Matt Parkman, Claire Bennett, Micah Sanders, Nikki Sanders, Molly Walker, Meredith Gordon, Hiro Nakamura, Gabriel Gray, and Peter Petrelli." Barrett explained as the photos flashed across the screen, ending in a handsome-looking man in his early thirties whom Barrett called "Peter Petrelli".
"OK," Jack said, drumming his fingers on the folder impatiently. "And who are they?" Barrett smiled tensely.
"They're some of the deadliest people on this planet," he said gravelly. "And we need to capture them."
"I don't understand," Daniel said, already halfway through his file. "According to this, Molly Walker is twelve years old. How is she dangerous?" he asked as Jack tried to find the correct page. Barrett sighed and pushed a button on his remote. Instantly, the following lists came up:
Matt Parkman: Telepathic, can manipulate people through the mind.
Claire Bennett: Indestructible.
Micah Sanders: Technokinetic.
Nikki Sanders: Superstrength and Split Personalities.
Molly Walker: Clairvoyance.
Meredith Gordon: Pyrokinesis.
Hiro Nakamura: Time/Space manipulation.
Gabriel Gray: Intuitive aptitude, telekinesis, rapid cell regeneration (see Claire Bennett), alchemy, sound manipulation, clairsentience. NOTE: Gabriel Gray likely has other abilities other than those listed. However, due to his infection of the Shanti virus, it is believed that all of his former abilities are no longer active. Use extreme caution.
Peter Petrelli: Empathic mimic. Abilities currently include: Precognitive dreaming, flight, precognition, rapid cell regeneration, telepathy, invisibility, telekinesis, space/time manipulation, induced radioactivity, enhanced strength, lightning, phasing, pyrokinesis, superspeed, intuitive aptitude, technokinesis, and clairvoyance. NOTE: Peter Petrelli is the leader of those with abilities, and it has been noted that he will do anything to protect innocent lives. He is the most powerful and therefore the most dangerous. If any agent should see him, do not, under any circumstances, attempt to apprehend him.
The lights came back on and the projector turned itself off.
"And those are the people who are with Cassie?" Sam asked breathlessly. Barrett shook his head.
"Cassandra Frasier exited the building at 1700 hours this afternoon. She's safe."
"Thank God," Daniel said as SG-1 breathed a sigh of relief.
"So how can we stop these guys?" Jack asked. "Assuming you want our help in stopping them?"
"They're threats to society," Barrett said sharply. "Capable of doing a lot of harm to a lot of people. Yes, we want them stopped!"
"What can we do?" Sam asked. "From what you've told us, some of them are virtually indestructible!"
"Exactly, and we can't risk them deciding to rob a bank or turning evil and attacking an innocent family!" Barrett said.
"So how do we stop them?" Jack asked as the door opened.
"I don't know," Barrett admitted before looking back at the man who had just been led in. "How do we stop them, Noah?" He stared at the prisoner, who was still as silent as the dead, even after several months in captivity.
Chained hand and foot, Noah Bennett stared back at him.
Ta-Da! Here's another chapter! Let me know what you think!