A/N: Some of the dialogue over the next few chapters is going to be very familiar, it's fun to spin it to the situation I've created here. Thanks for the positive reviews, this story has really taken a life of its own for me, and I hope you continue to have as much fun reading it as I am writing it!

Disclaimer: Heroes belongs to Universal and Tim Kring, and I receive no profit from this fanfic.

Chapter 4: Repercussions

"Why the hell didn't anyone tell me Sylar was on that flight?" Noah Bennet was never afraid to use the advantage of his height to intimidate, and he was definitely looming over Danko. Nathan Petrelli stood just behind Bennet, and his mouth was tight and thin.

They stood beside the burning remnants of the prisoner transport plane. Government agents swarmed over the plane and low hills surrounding it, beginning clean-up efforts.

Danko did not intimidate easily, if ever. He tilted his chin and calmly met Bennet's gaze. "You didn't know a lot of the prisoners on that plane, and he was captured like any of the others. He doesn't seem so special to me."

Bennet's mouth twisted, wondering once again why Nathan Petrelli had put this naive and fanatical hunter in charge. He was like a bull in a china shop, he had no idea of the delicacy something like this required. Normally Bennet would accede to Danko's idiocy, as he and Angela Petrelli had planned, but Bennet's abilities to push down his emotions and do the job were severely compromised where his daughter was concerned.

"You do not put a man like Sylar in general population. If I'd been told, this escape would never have happened."

"As near as we can tell, this escape happened because your daughter," Danko gestured at both of them, "snuck onto that plane and released him."

"Blame games are not helpful right now," Nathan broke in, his hands on his hips. "What's important is finding Sylar and getting Claire back. He's obsessed with her, he's obviously kidnapped her."

"Claire Bennet turned a simple transport flight into a national security emergency. She released a man you claim to be a danger to the general population, and you two are telling me I have to drop everything and go find her."

Danko turned his back on them and stalked towards the tent that served as his base of operations on the ground, snapping orders to soldiers as he did. Nathan and Noah followed along behind, their faces set in angry lines. When they got to the tent, Nathan moved to face Danko.

"Listen to me Danko. I am in charge of this operation and I am telling you that you have to go after Claire and Sylar. You do not comprehend how dangerous he is, and now he has my daughter."

"As soon as this plane went down and these so called people escaped, they were designated as terrorists. As such, I am in charge of operations on the ground, Senator Petrelli. I have to clean up this mess and get after the freaks who killed my men on that hill up there. Sylar was caught once, he'll be caught again. Claire made her choice, and she'll have to deal with the consequences. Now if you'll excuse me, I have important business to take care of."

Danko again turned his back on them, effectively dismissing them.

Noah and Nathan met eyes, and Noah hooked his head to indicate they should go outside. The two men saw eye to eye on very little, but on Claire's safety they were unified.

"Nathan, you have to make Danko go after her!" Bennet hissed when they had gotten clear of listening ears. Nathan gave him the same look we would extend a simpleton.

"You heard him, Bennet, and he's right. He does have operational authority and you know it. You're the man with the plan, you tell me how we're going to get Claire back."

"It's not as easy as that. Sylar is exceptionally good at keeping his head down when he doesn't want to be found. I tracked him across the country when he got free of our surveillance in New York City before this whole mess started, and I found nothing but bodies without their skulls attached."

"So what do we do?"

Noah almost snarled with frustration, but all he could say was, "We have to do what Danko said, we have to wait for Sylar to show himself."

"What happens to Claire in the meantime? She's trapped with Sylar of all people, he could do anything to her!"

"Sylar's had plenty of opportunities to kill my daughter if that's what he wanted. No, he's after something else."

"And what exactly is that?"

"I have no idea."