Author's Note: Sorry, I've been busy and a funeral came up. This WAS typed before the show, but it's a little late in coming. This is why Company Man never showed and this has blips except for my interpretation of the tv-aired convo of Hiro and Nathan and a bit else that I saved from when this file got deleted, another reason I've been 'dead'. Note that this is not a continuity, I base all these off previous episode. Any links you find between my fics are because I never got to encorporate them into my prior versions and Heroes has not yet disproved it. I'll be faster on the next episode if it fares well. Thank you to my reveiwers!

"Lemme guess: you're still trying to get that sword from Mr. Linderman. Where's your friend?" He had half-expectated the America-loving childish man to be hanging on Hiro's back as they met, apparently casual but all business, outside the casino and across the street.

"Ando? I send him back to Japan. This mission getting too dangerous for him." He needed to work alone, Ando brought more responsibility, and added enough it was too much to bear. "Now, I must be lonely woof." He couldn't quite get the l pronounced.

"What?"

"Woof, woof. Like outside dog." He howled, panted in demonstration. "Aooooooh!"

"Wolf?"

"Yes, woof."

"Only...wolf."

"Wolf?"

"Yeah, wolf. I think I know what you mean." Let's get on with the conversation. He drove on the point. This man needed to trust him, like him or he'd never put in a good word with Linderman."You can't protect everyone, right? Sometimes it's better to go it alone. The more people you try and help..."

"...the more people get hurt." He and Ando had. More then just physical danger, emotional duress had finally come to a head. He wished he was a kid again, playing his Nintendo Gameboy while his father loved himconducting business, before his sister came. He never knew if he could face family and Ando again. Not now.

"Yeah." Like you, he thought. About to get hurt while I try to escape from a lady I had a fling with once, turned ruthless assasain seemingly overnight. Like me. About to get hurt by Linderman's thugs if nothing works out right. Or it works too well. He nodded complacently.

"You must help." Hiro pleaded. This man was the only one he knew who could do this. "I can't get past casino security giant." Thankfully he was at least able to spy enough and learn Nathan could help him. But Nathan couldn't know his powers were still worth anything. His father had taught him, if only one thing, restraint and how to play at cards. He didn't think the man was interested in anything but his pollitical career, not being unmasked as a hero, and about certain people. Like perhaps Peter, or him...

And now he put on a poker face. "I have no powers, only slow things and back." The same pleading look as when imitating a rather tame wolf spread across his face without sound as the other man seemed to consider his options. Changing the topic and looking at his hands were a sign of that. There must be something on this man's mind.

"Well, when I first met you I thought you were nuts." And only now I see I'm practically conning a good hearted-man, thought he with yet another glance over his shoulder. Guilt, tension, fear. Trying to break through. That spelled out his whole life.

"Is ok." Struggling to find the right words, he could see he had grown since his office work, carefree life. "When I first met you, I thought you were mean." But now he would help him. To get the sword. The sword was all that mattered now. A matter of destiny.

Appealing to some hidden feelings this man must have of caring, and beleiving truly that this man wasn't as mean as he looked just for meeting him, he spoke further. "But now I know." with urgency, as well. "You pretend not to care about anyone. But you care to much." he nodded his head and let that sink in.

"Its real important, that you get your powers back, huh?" Hell, maybe that was his problem. He cared for his family, all of them, and didn't know how. Well, despite whatever dangers. he thought, looking toward the casino again. I will use him, but he won't get hurt. And they will never know helped him. That was his solemn vow.

"It is important for everyone." He had made a sale, that wasn't really a sale. It was true. Hiro knew all heroes had a key role to play in the future. And this sword was his future.

"Alright...follow me." In pollitics, you always had a plan. And Nathan had come prepared with a few.

"I need to run some tests on you, Zane." Mohinder thought he was on the verge of discovery. Stop worrying about Sylar and focusing on the hero he had before him. And, as if he knew Sylar's secret, he whispered near-menacingly. "This is going to hurt."

"Yes, Mr. Mendez. Fascinating. Ok, from now on orders come from me. Including...yes, the ones I just gave. Goodbye." A man named Isaac had called, whom he recalled had discovered Claude was alive. You had thought many other people were dead, Bennet. And they're all coming back.

Mr. Bennet had a faint feeling in the back of his head of hiding something. He was unsure of what. It seemed as if he should know more then he should, and Thompson had practically tossed him out after learning that, according to him, the Hatian blocked his memory and ran off with a girl he adopted as his daughter...Claire, if her remembered correctly.

The chaos was over, though. He had been fired, and no doubt was being watched. He wasn't completely stupid. He did remember his wife having been significantly reduced in intelligence, and his son's memory faded once or twice, and Claude and Mr Nakamura...

Nonethless, he sat in an office which once gave him much prominance and now was used to look through the want ads. The doorbell rang, and as he was the only one home he answered it and saw a face he certaintly wanted to never see again.

"Hello, Mr. Bennet." She must have had something to do with Charlene, or...right. Claire. The memory of her was only that he had once liked her, and a faint face.

"Hello." The uncertainty he never would have had in the past must've shown, due to her response.

"Certaintly you remember assignments?" No, no, no! He didn't WANT to. His mission in life was...fufilled, that much he knew and now it was time to shut up and that the world blew over however it would.

"I said..." The rest of the words became a blur, a lovely song and suddenly he couldn't take his eyes off her. This must be some sort of trick, thought he. And suddenly she was on the couch arms around him.

"My name is Candice Wilmer,...Bennet. Siurely you remember that as well" She used his first name but he couldn't tell what it was, he was so entranced in thought. She's gorgeous. "...I can help you."

-Flashback-

"I love you Rain."

"I love you, Claude Engels."

That was his name when he worked with Bennet. Now he had forsaken another trainee of his, Peter Petrelli recently. It was too dangerous. Those closest to you died or worse. Clyde Rains had been his alias for years, a way to keep her part of him. He remembered his last encounter with Bennet, when both knew of the other's harboring slightly before Bennet's orders were given. Bennet's mocking words.

"I protect Claire for reasons beyond you. That was the only fault with you, Claude. You never knew the real chessmasters."

His response.

"Well then, I can only hope Primatech has the same weakness. I'll rat you out before they know."

"Good luck, Claude." Insincere. He doubted Bennet had cared for anyone but that girl Claire. Perhaps Sandra, once. Valued he and that Haitian kid as allies.

He had vanished, creeping silently into the office only to find Bennet already there. He heard the orders and formulated a plan. And Rain, well, she became a problem they dealt with. That he couldn't stop.

He had not abandonned Peter Petrelli to let New York blow up. He had abanndoned Petrelli for his own, selfish reasons. Like any other parasite, relations were eaten apart, until one of you was dead. Or worse. He didn't want that for Peter. He was too late for Rain.

Sylar wielded a unique handgun. He had put it together. From his origional 'power', if you could call it that. Sylar was his identity now, no longer an alias or mask. "Mohinder. You've discovered my dangerous secret. Now it will cost you: either your loyalty or your life."

"Uh...Mr. Linderman?"

"Yes, Senator Petrelli." At his best, Linderman was cold, strict, and businesslike. At his best. And now he seemed to be at his worse: haggered, annoyed, and shrewd.

"About the assain?"

"She's right here." Growled a girl so different then the one who he...had a night with. But deifnately her. Somehow.

"Senator Petrelli, you waste my time. No trying to half-in, half-out us. You belong to us, we give you a good life. You don't: she kills you."

Simone rose after Peter fell. She had no wishes. She was smart enough to know what was going on with the Petrelli's. Linderman had led to two interesting other men, and now her power needed revelation. Spreading her jacket, she taunted an amazed Isaac. "Come on, Isaac. Shoot me."

As she left just afer that, Isaac reached to the phone. "Mr Bennet? Oh, a colleague. Mr Thompson, I'll need...oh, I see. The code has been given, so I can proceed: Simone Deveraux has a power. As far as I can tell it's akin to Claire Bennet's. Orders, yes sir. Will do. Peter Petrelli is broken...oh, continue on. Forget for now...got it."

Hiro earnestly dug in, grabbed it. Saiyo, his sword of destiny. Odd how he hadn't thought of what he'd do afterwards he had grabbed it. Perhaps find one with experience to teach him. The sword was a godsend. He yelled in exuberation "Yata!"

His orders were to paint, and so he did. His fingers brushed the paintbrushes across the canvas, a delicate dance that still lost his mind, due to the precognition state, not drugs. The image was shocking, and it was unexpected from the spying he had done to the two men featured in it. One was the other man broken by Simone.

Claude Rains, laughing.

Peter Petrelli, dead at his feet.

Authors Note: Note the common themes, hope you enjoyed! I did have further plans for Sylar's 'secret '/Mohinder's 'discovery', Isaac's painting, Simone's power, but again I only got to blips. PPlans for the hiatus: a more detailed Next Episode, and if possible a small continuity will grow, stopping after the next airing of official episodes.