Chapter Ten:
Matt Parkman was waiting for Nathan at the airport. Nathan's forehead wrinkled in confusion as the policeman finished off his donut and said, "I'm here to take the next flight to Vegas. If you saw Sylar there, then I'm on it."
Nathan nodded. "So they've got you on the case."
"Yeah," Matt said. "I have vital skills that no one else has."
"Well don't get killed," Nathan told him as they went to sit in a departure lounge café. Matt grinned and said, "Thanks man. How's Peter?"
"Going back to New York," Nathan said.
"Does he know you're his brother yet?" the policeman took a sip of his coffee after he asked.
"Not yet," Nathan said, rubbing at his head. "It's not the easiest thing to just bring up in conversation, particularly with the last few days we've had. I've told Becky though, and she says she'll help me out."
"Just don't let her steal your thunder," Matt said, standing up as his flight was called. He reached into his pocket as passed over a yellowing envelope. "I hope it's good news."
"Any news at this point is good," Nathan said. "Anything that explains… Thanks Matt."
"No problem," Matt said. "See you around."
Nathan watched him go for a few beats before turning his attention to the letter in his hand. Clearly written on the front of the envelope was 'Nathan Petrelli' in his father's sloping script.
August 2006
Los Angeles
Nathan, my beloved eldest son.
I want to begin by apologising for taking Peter from you just as you were really getting to know him. I have detailed my reasons here, and hope that afterwards you will understand my motives better and not view me as the monster you no doubt do.
Taking Peter and leaving you was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life, and as it draws to an end I don't think anything will be more difficult. I never wished up to break up our family, but under the circumstances I had no choice. Over the years I have constantly doubted my decision, especially at the times when Peter desperately needed a big brother and I was the reason he didn't have one to turn to.
I know that you have been looking for us, and I never expected you to forget him. We have actually spoken on the telephone more than once, but on all occasions I was able to convince you I was an Italian restaurant owner, or an angry old man. On one such phone call Peter was standing beside me at the time and had believed me to be going crazy as I pretended to be a Hollywood agent. So I commend you Nathan, for coming so close. If you are reading this before November 7th, Peter cannot be far from you.
Now for explanation. You of course remember that terrible day your daughter and Meredith died. I am horrified to inform you that your mother and I may have caused, indirectly, the fire at their home. We were determined to keep a close eye on Meredith and make sure our granddaughter was in the best hands. But somehow Meredith was spooked and set the house on fire to flush out the spies. The house burnt down and she was killed. Claire was not. Your mother and I decided that rather than leaving you with the life of a single father, which you would have coped with admirably I am certain, we would have Claire adopted. Your mother and 'friends' of ours had plans for you Nathan, and being a single parent was not one of them.
They also had plans for Peter, much more terrible plans.
As you have no doubt discovered by now, you the ability to fly. This was long known by your mother and me, as we have certain abilities as well. Peter is perhaps the most gifted of us all. He is able to absorb any other ability and use it as his own. Your mother and her cronies wished for a large proportion of New York to be destroyed, to propel you towards the White House as a great leader in dark times. But millions of people would die and Peter would be the one to do it.
I could not let that happen. I had kept my silence for many years as the plans for this terrible occurrence were drawn up, but I could not let Peter die. Even if he had the capacity to survive such a disaster, I would not let him be responsible for that number of deaths.
So I took him. I had his memory wiped, as no young child should have to deal with being severed from his family, and took him as far away as necessary. It was immensely difficult, especially as I had to maintain a silent presence so people knew not to look too close for him.
Peter, thankfully, has thrived. We grew very close, not surprisingly, and though we fought on occasion, I will never regret having the opportunity to shape him. When he left high school, with grades that rivalled yours, he wanted to become a nurse. I said he should try being a doctor. Peter threatened to move out, with a stubbornness that reminded me vividly of you. My health had begun to fail, and Peter ended up at UCLA doing Pre-Med. By the time med school came round he was determined to follow in my footsteps (and yours) and go to Yale. There he met the lovely Becky, whom he married last year.
If my time is as short as I feel it is, you must find Peter before your mother does and keep them apart at all costs. She will have ways of making her plot happen, even at this late stage. When Peter finds out what I did, I don't think he will easily forgive me, whether he remembers you and your mother or not. You must stop Peter and your mother meeting until after November 7th. If you love your brother as much as I do, you must do this, whether you believe me or not.
I am immensely proud of you Nathan. The reform you have instigated at the DA's office is astounding. I am sorry to say that I will never get the opportunity to meet my grandsons, but Claire has grown into a stunning young woman who takes just after her father. If you wish to meet her ask Peter to introduce you to his cousin Claire. They are great friends, as I made sure we were present in her life.
I know that if you are reading this we will never meet again, and I am very sorry for that. A day did not pass when I did not miss you, and your mother. I just hope my sacrifice has not been in vain.
Please tell Peter I am sorry.
All my love,
Your father, Arthur Petrelli
Nathan stared at the letter, rereading it over and over as the words slowly filtered into his brain. It was ludicrous! How could his father and mother known about the powers? How could they interfere with his daughter so much? Did his mother really want Peter to kill millions of people? He took a deep breath and tried to get his mind straight. What his father had said had confirmed his earlier feeling; his mother wanted Peter for something more than an emotional reunion.
Peter wandered out of JFK airport and thought of his poor bank account and how he was incredibly grateful for his dad leaving him so much money. Cross-country travelling wasn't cheap. He squeezed Becky's hand as Mohinder started chattering on his phone again, apparently informing Isaac and the mysterious Japanese pair that they had arrived.
But the Japanese pair weren't very mysterious when met up close. The smaller one, Hiro, had nearly pulled Peter's arm off when he had shaken his hand a little too enthusiastically. Then he had started chirping, half in broken English, half in Japanese about a bomb.
"Terrible!" Hiro said, making the sounds and hand gestures of an explosion as the painter, Isaac, worked behind them in a fury. "You must stop!"
Peter blinked at him as the other man, Ando, conversed with Hiro in Japanese before announcing. "There will be a terrible explosion. Peter Petrelli is the only one who can stop it."
Peter sighed and looked at Becky who seemed to hesitate a little before shrugging. "I'm not him. My name is Peter Anthony."
Ando relayed it to Hiro who gabbled a bit more. "No!" Ando translated. "I met you, in the future; you are the one we need."
"You went to the future?" Claire, who had been silent since landing in New York, spoke. "You can travel through time?"
After a bit of Japanese and gesturing Ando said, "Yes. Hiro can bend time and space."
There was a silence after that until Becky whispered, "Cool."
"So you can go back in time?" Claire asked. "And save people?"
Peter looked over to her where she sat small and fragile on the painter's sofa. Her father was murdered in front of her and she had no idea where her mother and brother were. He reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder as Hiro, through Ando, explained the complexities of time travel as best he could. Claire smiled up at him and Peter looked up to meet Ted's eyes. The radioactive man said, "If there's going to be an explosion Peter and I would probably the ones to cause it, but I think those people who captured us have something to do with it."
"What do you suggest?" Mohinder asked and Ted gave a shrug. "I think me and Peter should go and hunt them down."
"What?" Becky stood up to her full height and glared at Ted. "I won't send my husband back into harm's way. He got shot last time!"
"That was an accident," Mohinder said defensively.
"Ted and I are the only ones with powers that can be used as weapons," Peter said, trying to calm his wife. She shook her head. "I can freeze things, I can help."
"You don't know where to go," Ando said, breaking from informing Hiro of the conversation.
"I do." They all looked up and saw Isaac holding painting of a building. In front of it stood three figures, Ted, Peter and Claire.
"That's our house!" Claire said. "The home where I grew up."
Peter squeezed Becky's hand again and said, "Then I guess we're going back to Texas."