Well, I didn't get a lot of response to my last chapter, but I've decided to keep going. I like this story at least. Feedback is always needed and appreciated. Sometimes I bribe my students with candy. So who wants candy? Twizlers anyone?
Anyway, here are some answers. Enjoy!
Mr. Bennet never really wanted to be a super hero. When he was a child his father seemed to enjoy debunking sci-fi for fun. Just as soon as the boy Bennet would become enraptured in a Saturday morning cartoon while laying on the carpet he'd hear behind him a sigh and rustle of the morning paper. "Now son, you know that's not an actual spaceship, right? You can see the wire right there. Plus, an advanced alien race would not make their spaceships round. If they can travel across the galaxy to eat our brains they can at least figure out the simple law of aerodynamics. It's silly. Turn the station."
No, Mr. Bennet had been raised a realist. It served him well. Many people, if thrust into a world of superpowers would lose themselves in the amazement and then give away all reality and common sense. But Mr. Bennet knew the truth, that anyone with a power was still a person, a human being with a skill, not a God. And as a human being they had the same capacity and responsibility to do good or evil.
And as Mr. Bennet sat in the van, watching Hiro, Grace, and Suresh teleport from the glare of his head lights into the near by abandoned office building, he for the first time prayed, prayed to God that he would see him daughter again, logic and feeble hope be damned.
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As soon as Hiro felt the floor beneath his feet, he stopped the universe. It was getting easier and quicker to do so. He'd grit his teeth, eyes squeezed shut. Stop, stop, stop. And then, to his amazement still, it did.
They were in a room with no windows, probably an old office conference room. In the center was Claire, strapped to a table, IV running from one hand to an unmarked bag. Above her neck was a large saw, poised to fall on her neck. But Hiro knew that the true danger was in the man standing next to her, whom Suresh was inspecting closely. "Are you sure that's him?"
Grace, head encased in a black ski mask, placed a hand on his arm and was silent for a second then nodded. Without another word she left the room to look for Peter.
Suresh turned his attention back to Claire's prone form. "This is really ingenious, what he's done here," Suresh said, then paused. Hiro began to circle around the man. "He's managed to hook up Claire to detonated charges inside her body." Pause. The man was caught in an action figure pose, one leg and hand up. "Along with this device that would take off her head." Pause. His hand was clenched around something, thumb raised. "I guess the idea was that her body could only take so much trauma." Pause. There was a small button embedded in his hand. "And that she probably couldn't regenerate the head." Pause. The thumb moved. "You know I've always wondered if Claire's regeneration abilities came from her cellular structure," the thumb moved again, "or from commands from her brain. I wonder if he figured it out or if he was just making an educated guess." Pause. And then there was the scar that led from the button up his arm. A scar that went into his t-shirt, and peeked back out again on his chest, right about where the heart was. "Maybe I've underestimated Sylar. Maybe..."
"Dr. Suresh," Hiro cut in. "I think we have a problem."
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Peter was collapsed on the floor, too tired to move from where he'd been dumped shortly before, one hand was chained to a wall, the other still painfully attached to the slowing IV. He remembered that his captor had him stand on a crate and ask questions, and there was an electrical cord of some kind, taken off his shirt…and after that he didn't choose to remember.
He was vaguely aware of the door opening. A year ago he might have tried to get up and say something witty against his assailant, but today he stayed on the floor motionless. He felt the person move closer and crouch next to him. They took out the IV and rubbed the small bruise left behind then started to shake his shoulder. "OK Peter, time to wake up."
That voice. He must be going insane. This was one of his captor's tricks. "No."
"Come on."
"You're not real. Crazy."
The person now paused and he heard clothing being removed, then there were hands on his face. Peter flinched, expecting to be slapped. But instead he felt thumbs make small tender circles on his cheeks. "It's going to be alright. You need to open your eyes." He did. Things were blurry at first, but then he saw her, and all he could look at were her eyes. One was very blue, the other green. "That's a start."
"Who…" He was still feeling groggy.
"Long story. I'm here to help. You need to wake up and melt off your cuff here."
"Claire…" Peter tried to sit up, and she gave him a hand.
"Will be fine. Hiro and Suresh are helping her. I don't have the key, and my powers don't work that way, so you need to fire up those nuclear hands of yours."
"Why aren't I absorbing your abilities?"
She pointed to the IV. "I think whatever is in your veins is slowing you down a bit. Besides, you don't want my abilities, and if everything works out you won't have to have them." She shook her head. "We're off track. I know you're tired Peter, but you need to concentrate and get that cuff off now." Peter strained and his hand began to glow. "I'm Grace, by the way."
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"This isn't good." Suresh didn't respond. "This isn't good."
"I heard you the first time, and I'll thank you to not distract me."
Hiro paced. "His thumb, it's still moving."
"I've noticed. And there's nothing you can do about it?"
"No, he's just too powerful."
"Well, that's rather defeatist."
Hiro threw up his arms. "So, what do we do?"
"Shut up and let me work."
"I still don't get it."
Suresh sighed, scalpel in hand, deftly cutting away while he talked. "Sylar has placed detonators in Claire's body. We need to remove them. However, I can't do that here. And Sylar has himself rigged to Claire, and he's going to hit that button before I can finish. Then he dies, and so does she."
"So what do we do?"
Suresh nodded at Hiro's sword as he took an IV out of Claire's hand. "I need you to cut off his hand, then quickly grab both of us and transport out of here. Back at the truck I have enough materials to get out the device before Sylar bleeds out." Hiro paled. "Oh come on. I've seen you stab him straight through before. If you can do that, you can cut off an appendage." Suresh rolled Claire up to a sitting position, and she let out a gurgle that sounded vaguely like daddy. Hiro still stared at them blankly. "We don't have much time. You can come back for Grace and Peter later. Do it. Live up to your name and whatever else you need to hear."
Hiro turned and took out his sword at the same time. The blade went up and came down hard on the floor. Hiro watched entranced as the freshly detached hand playfully bounced on the floor. Sylar screamed, and Hiro looked back up. Now the rolls were reversed, Sylar, returned to his original face from the shock, moving and writhing in agony while Hiro was rooted to the spot only two steps away.
"Hiro!"
Nakamura snapped back to reality and tried to move, only to discover that his sword was stuck in the increasingly bloody linoleum.
What happen next went so fast that years later Hiro was still confused as to how exactly they got out alive.
Suresh and a barely walking Claire moved closer as Hiro tugged at his sword. Sylar, suddenly aware that his prized capture was about to escape used his one good hand to reach into his pants pocket. Out came a little needle. Sylar put it between his fingers and swung for Hiro's neck. The weapon made contact just as Hiro removed his sword and made physical contact with Suresh and Claire.
And suddenly Sylar was left alone, short handed, and angry.
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The cuff was a pool of metal on the floor, but Peter was exhausted from the effort. He watched Grace with confusion as she put on her mask. "How are we getting out of here?"
Grace started to tug at his arm and Peter got to his knees then had to rest. "We are going to walk out the front door."
Peter shook his head. "This guy who has me, he won't let that happen."
Grace bent down and put his arm around her shoulders. "You don't know him like I do. I'm betting that just once we might get past." They stood up and Peter groaned in protest, feeling ashamed that he had to put most of his weight on Grace.
"Might?"
From another room they heard a deep male scream.
"Do you have a better idea?" Peter shook his head. "Look, we are going to start walking towards the door. If you start to feel better squeeze my shoulder to let me know that you can teleport us out. Deal?"
"How can I know to trust you? How do I know you're not going to take me right to him?"
Grace turned to look at him; their faces very close from having to hold him upright. "I don't like being touched, yet right now I don't even know you that well and we're practically hugging. We'll have to just trust each other."
They were able to shuffle out the door and into a small hallway without incident, and Peter could feel himself getting stronger ever so slowly. "I think I just need another minute."
Grace nodded, "Good."
They headed around the corner into a very long hallway, the outside door a beacon at the end. Peter smiled as they kept moving. One step. Two steps. They were going to make it.
Then farther down the hall a door blew open straight off it's hinges and crumpled on the floor. Peter cringed at his sight of his captor and the pair halted. Something was very wrong, however. The man was twisting and screaming and, to Peter's sly satisfaction, missing a hand. Blood was spattering everywhere, coving the walls in a horrific landscape. But suddenly he stopped moving and a look of uncommon cool turned toward Peter and Claire.
Peter finally recognized the man, and whispered, "Oh shit, it's Sylar."
"I know," Grace whispered back.
Sylar held up his good hand and it started to glow. Without emotion he brought his palm and stump together, and the smell of burning flesh filled the air. After a second he inspected his hand thoughtfully, as if saying that having only five fingers was better then ever having ten. Then he turned his attention to the two people clinging to one another at the end of the hall.
"Where do you think you're going?"
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They landed with a thud back in the van's headlights. Mr. Bennet was at Claire's side before the car door stopped swinging. Suresh was holding her upright carefully, and Hiro was passed out on the ground.
"What the hell happened in there? I heard screaming."
"I'll explain later. Help me get Claire into the van."
They were at the back doors. "What about Hiro?"
"I'll worry about him later."
They got inside and lay Claire on the floor. As Suresh gathered some medical supplies her eyes flitted open. "Dad?"
Mr. Bennet's heart soared. "It's going to be alright sweetheart, I'm here."
"What happened?"
"Shhhh, later." Suresh took a pair of scissors and began to cut off Claire's t-shirt much to Mr. Bennet's irritation. "What are you doing?"
"I'm sorry but Claire needs surgery right now if she wants to live."
Claire was brought back to reality instantly at the mention of that word. "I need what."
"You're abilities are weakened right now. There are charges right above your heart and at the base skull that could go off at anytime and kill you. They need to be removed immediately."
Claire nodded in astonishment. "OK, drug me up and let's go."
Suresh paused for a moment uncomfortably. "See that's the problem. I don't have any drugs here. You'll have to do without."
Claire sat up. "No."
"I'm so sorry Claire."
"You can't do this."
"I'm sorry. Hopefully your abilities will come back soon. But we absolutely cannot wait. "
Claire looked at her father with desperate eyes, and it took all off Mr. Bennet's strength to not look away. He put both hands on her shoulders and gently lay her on the floor. "It'll be alright honey."
Suresh finished removing Claire's top. "Please hold her down Mr. Bennet." He leaned over Claire. "I'd be lying if I said this wouldn't hurt. Right now you probably heal as well as a normal person. But I promise I will go as fast as I can. Don't resist passing out." Claire nodded.
Suresh took a deep breath and began.
Claire screamed.
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Peter felt frozen to the ground. They were dead meat.
"Keep walking." Grace whispered.
They took a step.
"Don't," Sylar called, removing a gun from the small of his back and pointing it at them. He felt a little weak from the loss of blood and realized that he probably couldn't move very fast. And when he tried to move at all, he found that something was holding him in place.
Another step. Sylar stared at them, the audacity.
"We're walking out of here Gabriel."
That voice. It couldn't be. "Take off your mask." Another step. Sylar cocked the gun. "Take off your mask or I shoot him."
Grace shifted and took the mask off. Sylar tried to not let the shock register on his face, but his gun wavered in its position. "Hello Grace."
"Hello Gabriel." She was crying tears of blood from one eye.
"That's not my name."
Another step. Sylar tried to throw the crumpled door at them, but as soon as it began to lift off the floor it was pushed back down. Grace's nose started to bleed. Peter was becoming very concerned. But he was also becoming stronger.
"It used to be your name."
"That was a long time ago." Sylar tried to throw or move everything around him, but was rejected each time.
"We're walking out of here Gabriel." Grace's nose was bleeding heavily, and her red tears flowed freely. Peter was now the supporter in their arm lock.
"No."
"You won't shoot me."
"Don't delude yourself that just because I once loved you that I won't kill you. Like I told you before you left, you aren't worth it." Another step. "You're weak."
Step. "If that were true, then why aren't Peter and I dead already, choked against that wall?" Sylar's eye twitched. "You still like to choke people, don't you Gabriel?"
They were maybe twenty feet from Sylar now, and Peter could feel his own powers ratcheting up higher and higher as Grace sagged lower. "Almost," he whispered.
Step. "If you're not the same man I knew, then you could at least admit that I'm not the same woman either."
Gabriel stared down the top of his gun at the two and laughed. "I'll admit, you're powers do appear stronger. But the real question is, are you good enough to catch a bullet?"
Grace raised her head to meet Sylar's gaze, a small trickle of blood running from the side of her smile. "Try me."
Sylar squeezed the trigger.
Peter squeezed Grace's shoulder.
Sylar was left alone.
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Hiro was just waking up from his tranquilized stupor when Peter and Grace were dumped back at the van's high beams and immediately collapsed in a heap. A second later Mr. Bennet came around from the back, gun raised in bloody hands. He relaxed when he recognized the two. "Oh thank God."
Grace got her feet unsteadily and began to try to walk away from the van. She got about five paces before collapsing and Peter was by her side. She shoved him. "No, go away."
"You're hurt."
Grace rose to her feet again and tried to walk, but crumpled. Peter caught her and gently laid her on the ground, one hand on her head, one on her waist. Grace shoved his arm. "Leave, now. You don't want my powers. Leave."
Peter looked down at his hands in the light of the car. They were covered in blood. He inspected Grace carefully; saw the glistening of her black top right under a breast. He hadn't been fast enough. "She's been shot." Mr. Bennet ran to get Suresh.
"Please Peter," her words were getting raspy, "leave me here. Save yourself my pain."
It was an easy choice for him. Peter shook his head and put pressure on Grace's wound. "No."
Suresh skittered to the ground next to them. "Let me see." It took him only an instant to know the truth. "The bullet collapsed her lung. She's lost too much blood. I don't think there's anything we can do."
Peter put his hand firmly back on Grace's stomach. "I'm so sorry."
"No," said Grace, "I am."
Peter smiled. "What for?"
Her eyes fluttered closed. "For this."
For Peter, gaining a power seemed to slow down time. He was watching Grace, when suddenly he became overwhelmed with her. He knew her favorite ice cream and books, how she got a scar, and the image of a beach. And he also felt her taking parts of him. He couldn't quite explain the feeling. A gateway, maybe. That gave Peter and idea. He began to think about how he healed himself, and his hand grew hot as he felt Grace's body knit beneath his hand. And just as quickly as it began, it ended as Grace began to lose consciousness.
Grace's eyes opened briefly. "Peter?"
He put a hand on her forehead. "Yeah."
In both of their minds an image of Sylar shoving Grace down a flight of stairs flashed. "Don't let him kill me in my sleep."
"OK," was all he could think to say before she was out.
Suresh sat back on his heels, amazed. "What just happened?"
Peter looked at the other man briefly. "I don't know. But I think we need to get out of here. Now." Suresh nodded and went back toward the van.
Peter stayed kneeling next to Grace and did the only thing he could think of. One hand rested on top of hers. The other stroked her hair gently. "It's going to be alright Grace," he whispered, "I'm here."
To Be Continued…..
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