Snapshots from Elsewhere

Chapter 20

Sins of the Father Part 3

In preparation for Volume 2 of "ELSEWHERE", Mr. Chaos presents a multi-part series, dedicated towards the newest main characters that will join the cast of his smash fic

In Part 1 and 2, we met the acid-tongued (and handed) Tina Linderman, the child of the crafty Mr. Linderman. But Tina isn't the only new character with a connection to the men and women of HEROES.

(Location Unknown- 4 months before the eclipse)

"Please state your name."

"My name? Is that what you want to know? I would think that you people would know my name well enough, considering that you knew exactly how to deal with me, how to bring me in." The man with the Russian accent said, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair.

The man in the dull suit tapped the tape recorder. "I need it for the records."

"And if I don't? What will you do, put me in some crummy room, take away my rights? Oh wait, you already did that."

The man sighed. "Just…state your name." He nodded towards his quiet associate. "Or would you prefer he poke through your head?"

The Russian leaned forward and spoke with a smooth glide to his words. "My name is Sergei Arkadiy."

"Place of birth?"

"New York City."

"Parents?"

"Nikolas and Natasha Arkadiy, of Moscow."

The man in the suit nodded, adjusting his glasses. "Why did they move to America?"

Sergei stared up at the ceiling, large hands curling up to his head, resting upon his curly black hair. "My father…he did many things for the men he worked for. Human life to him became nothing more then tools of the job. Send a man to kill another man for talking about another man. Rape this man's wife because the man's friend's wife disliked the first wife. Sell children to slavers in Siberia to touch their uncle and aunt not to cross his employers. My father did all this with never a care. It did not make him smile, know this for sure. But he understood that if he did not want to be a nameless man, a tool himself, he had to sacrifice others to the beast. "Better them then him" he would justify to my mother.

"Then, one day, he learned that his wife was pregnant. And suddenly, he did not see humans as tools. He saw those he did terrible things to as me, grown and in their place. And he knew at that moment he could not serve as the silent hand for a moment longer.

"Thus, he came in secret here, to America. He had heard of the American dream. Even islanders in Samoa know of the American Dream. My father thought that…perhaps here, things would be different. He was wrong."

"Tell me why you were in that alley."

Sergei smiled. "To understand that, you must first understand the events that occurred before."

&&&

(New York City- 5 before the eclipse)

"Thank God you came, Sergei."

Sergei gave his friend a sad smile as he took off his longcoat. "I was merely in the middle of a case…nothing important." He laid his hand upon his friend's shoulder. "I am so sorry about the accident, Nathan."

Nathan Petrelli placed his hand on his college roommate's shoulder as well. "I know you are." He gave a slight squeeze before motioning for Sergei to follow him into his office. "I want to talk you in private, however. Tell me…do you know why I called you up?"

"I assumed that it was because you wanted me to take over one of your cases…" He looked about the office in interest. "I do not fear Linderman, Nathan. I begged you to let me take the case. I have no loved ones left that he can touch. My parents are out of reach of even him, and I do not worry about what he could do to me."

"Even after what he did to me…to my family?" Nathan asked, bitter.

"Things have changed, Nathan." Sergei said, looking at his hand, running fingers along his knuckles. "Yes…things have changed from when we last spoke. Linderman will fear me, not the other way around."

"I haven't called you to take over the case." Nathan said bluntly. "If I was, I wouldn't be doing this all cloak-and-dagger."

Sergei had noticed how quiet the house was. "The children?"

"With their mother at the in-laws. My brother is…around. I don't pay attention to what Peter does these days."

"Finally letting the boy grow up." Sergei commented. "With how much you worried about him in college, I feared you would never let him lead his own life."

Nathan closed his eyes. "I'm just trying to be a good brother, Sergei. Peter always has his head in the clouds…he needs to be grounded." He chuckled humorlessly. "As ironic as that is."

Sergei let the comment go. "And I assume your charming mother is gone too?"

"Be nice." Nathan warned

The Russian shrugged. He'd hated Mrs. Petrelli since she first called him a poor piece of trash, unfit to room with her son. When he had stated that if it weren't for the fact that she was easy, she'd be selling herself on the corner to crack addicts, it had gone a long way to insure that both of them never got along.

"Tell then, Nathan, why you have called me away, if it is not because of a case or the accident."

Nathan took a deep breath. "It is about the accident, Sergei, just not what you would expect." He moved away from his friend, to the center of the room. "I said that I had been thrown free of the car that night. I wasn't truthful." He locked eyes with the Russian. "Don't scream."

And with that, Nathan rose in the air, rising towards the ceiling like tissue caught on a warm summer wind. He lazily flew around the room several times, circling Sergei's head, the Russian's face unreadable as he watched the impossible occur.

Finally, Nathan touched down where he had started, staring at his friend with passionate eyes. "I haven't told anyone else, Sergei. You're the only person I know that I can fully trust with this…the only person that won't pass judgment or lecture me or betray me. I…I can't hold this in any longer. I need someone to confide in…someone that will listen. I…I know this is a lot to take in, Sergei, but please, it's been so rough, what with Linderman and my mother and Peter being mad and the accident and…and I'm at the end of my rope. I need a friend Sergei…please." Nathan took a step closer to the silent Russian. "Say something…anything."

Sergei didn't speak for several moments. Then he slowly raised his right hand, fingers extended, before making a hard fist. Nathan jumped as the sound of wood splitting filled the room. Taking a step closer, he moved to oak cabinet setting off to one side, hand shaking as he slowly pulled out 3 thin black needles, roughly the width of pencil tip and 2 inches long, maroon in color.

The Russian looked at his hand, the three cuts between his knuckles where he had fired the blood barbs already scabbed over with his quick drying blood.

"It seems we are both in need of people to talk to." Sergei said simply.