(A/N – as I'm sure you already realize, I'm not following the television mythology with Claire's Spontaneous Regeneration. There are numerous ways to thwart it, a few of them permanently. Also, her blood can heal wounds and cure diseases, but death is final. That was the one thing I didn't like about season two, how they cheapened death. Here, when someone dies, they aren't coming back.

Anyway, this is the start of the second story arc. From here on out, it may get more comic book-y. Consider yourself warned.)

Peter Petrelli

Toronto Canada

"Come on, Claire," he whispered, afraid to be the cause of whatever it is that was inhibiting her healing. "I've know you've been shot before. You can come back from this."

Nathan, having regained himself, came over and stood by Peter, putting a hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong? Why isn't she healing?"

Peter sighed. "It's her heart. She can't heal with a bullet in it." His head dropped. "I'm pretty sure that's it."

To Peter's surprise, Nathan smiled. "I know a guy who can help us. He used to be a surgeon. It'll be the easiest surgery ever. C'mon, Pete, we got to get her to New York."

"I can't fly anymore, you know that."

Nathan laughed. "Just take that damn bracelet off and you'll be fine."

Peter shook his head violently. "I don't know what'll happen if I do."

Nathan grabbed his brother, lifting him up off is feet and rammed him into Kate's now abandoned house. "This isn't the time or the place for this, Peter. Don't think about you or me. Do it for Claire. If something goes wrong, I'll take of it." He loosened his grip on him, letting him back to the ground. "I'll take care of you, Pete."

Peter nodded, unlatching the bracelet and putting it in his pocket.

"Now, help me lift her up." They held her between them, and with a slight leap, they took off, headed for New York.

Matt Parkman

Hart Center, Seattle, Washington

He led Molly into the building. It was some luck they got to Seattle before nightfall. Mohinder would still be at work, and he could help Matt disappear. If the Prometheus group did as he thought, they would have people swarming the city within hours.

Inside the building, he flashed his badge at the receptionist, and took the elevator up to Mohinder's floor. He found Mohinder's assistant, instead. The Canadian who could communicate with technology. "Hey, Agent Parkman. How's it going?" Viral asked.

"Not well. I may be in a lot of trouble, and I need help."

"What can I do for you?"

"We need to disappear." Matt looked down at Molly to include her in the statement.

Viral spun around in his chair and turned to the computer. With a few quick clicks on the keyboard, he glanced back at Molly, and asked, "How soon, and how far?"

Matt grimaced. "We probably shouldn't be anywhere in the country, yesterday, if that makes sense."

Viral nodded and continued to type for what seemed like ages. Matt tried to read the ex-hackers thoughts, but there was nothing in there but a bunch of blips and clicks. Finally, he turned back to Matt with a grin, and said, "Very well. Matt Parkman has just reserved two tickets to London."
Matt thanked him, and took Molly to one of the field offices that waited for Agents in town to use. It was small, and contained only the basics; a bed, a computer, a phone, and a mini-fridge. Molly lay down, while Matt dialed Mr. Bennet.

"Mr. Bennet's office," his secretary answered. "How can I help you?"

"This Agent Parkman, in Seattle, calling in a Code Six." There was a click, and then he was on hold. Matt hoped to God that she knew the meaning of a Code Six. It was an Agent in danger of capture, send help immediately, but he had to wonder, how much danger was he in? Did he just call in a phony emergency?

He thought of Sylar, and the doctor who committed suicide because his project had ended, and seriously doubted that he wasn't in danger.

Finally, the receptionist came back on. "Agent Parkman, we have one field agent in the area. He is currently unassigned, and is now on his way to the Seattle Hart Center. He should be there by morning. We'll fax over his file to you, momentarily. Please, remain at the Hart Center until your backup has arrived." She then hung up on him.

He sat, watching Molly sleep and waiting for the file to come. Someone would bring it to him, and hopefully a cup of coffee.

The door opened about half an hour later, and a male receptionist handed him the file. On the front, it read Ortega, Hector. He opened the file, looking over the more pertinent information. Power type, work history, that sort of thing.

Hector, it seemed, had the ability to generate and discharge electric currents from his hands, with a range of over six feet, depending on the circumstances. He had a background in the military, Special Forces.

Matt lowered his head to his chest as he set the file down by the computer. All was well.

Stanley Crane

New York, New York

"Ladies and Gentlemen," he said to his aides. "What we have before us is perhaps ever surgeons dream. This young girl has the ability to regenerate, but has a bullet in her heart, keeping her from doing so. Now, as long as we don't mess with the brain, we have nothing to fear."

Many of those around him sighed in relief. They were students after all, never before cutting into a person whose life rests in their hands. Now, there was plenty of room for error. Nothing they could do could permanently injure her, as long as they got the bullet out of her chest.

"There is one small thing we have to do once we finish," Dr. Crane said. "Once the bullet is out, and all obstructions are removed, we must hold the heart incision together until it heals. Once that happens, remove anything that doesn't belong, as I don't know what will happen to them."

Crane lifted the scalpel and started cutting into Claire's chest.

Peter Petrelli

New York, New York

"What is all this, Nathan?" he asked as they waited for Claire to come out of surgery.

"This is the New York Hart Center, situated at Kirby Plaza," Nathan said with a sigh. "It's a place for people like us to come and get help."

Peter fell into one of the chairs, his head spinning around all the implications of this. "So, people know that I nearly took out this city." It wasn't a question. If it had gone this far, people had to know. There was no way around it. Nathan didn't speak; he just nodded his head.

His heart went out to his brother, but there was no way to comfort him. He thought about all the ways he could, but nothing set aside the fact that he almost took one of the largest cities in the world. Not even the fact that he'd freed millions of people from the shackles of uncertainty and fear of themselves could make him feel better.

Nathan put an arm about his brother, taking the seat next to him. "What's done is done, Pete, and nobody holds a grudge. Nowadays, all people want to know is who else is like us. We saved people, Pete. It may not be obvious now, but it will be. Everything will be better."

He looked down at his brother's wrist; he'd put the bracelet back on, keeping his power absorption in check. It was for the best, what with all those with talents around the Center. Nathan pulled his brother close, as Peter began to cry.

Wyrm

Toronto, Canada

He stepped out of the wormhole right into Michael's living room. Nobody there looked at him, nor did he look at them. He just took a seat on the floor and waited. Kate was there, and so was Elle. Smokey and Michael. They all felt a great emptiness in them. Someone should be there with them, but wasn't.

He glanced quickly at Michael and saw in his eyes what his captain was thinking.

Jailbreak.

What Wyrm didn't know was that there was a plan already, come straight from Alphonse. Soon, the Angel would be with them again, and Michael would see to it.

Peter Petrelli

New York, New York

After his tears had dried up, Peter felt an intense urge to just leave, to wander the city, seek out somewhere familiar and hang on to it. It thought it was because of the massive changes he'd come back to, or perhaps it was because he was locked up for four months in the Prometheus Project. He stood up and started pacing, the only thing holding him there was Claire. He had to wait for her, just had to. Ever since the changes started, she was the first person he felt he could be completely honest with, and have that honesty pay off in the end.

Sure, he'd spoke with Isaac Mendez, shared his gift, but he'd never been close to him, nor ever would be. Simone just didn't believe him until it was too late. Hiro had his own problems to deal with.

And then there was Nathan. Nathan just denied everything, even ostracizing Peter publicly to win an election. At the time, Peter understood, but now, with everything else, it throbbed in mind like a sore tooth in a rotten socket. First, Nathan wanted nothing to do with the change, and now here he was, leading the revolution.

Peter stopped about to say something to his brother, when Dr. Crane entered the waiting room. Nathan leapt to his feet. "Well?" he asked, worry and concern in his voice like snakes intertwined.

Crane said nothing; he just smiled for a moment, and then stepped aside.

Claire stepped forward, moving a little awkward in the clothes they'd given her. For a moment, they stood there, staring at each other. Then, Claire ran, wrapping her arms around Peter.

Heidi Petrelli

New York, New York

She watched the young woman let go of Peter and move to Nathan. She could smell the trouble brewing, almost see it, thick around the three of them like fog clinging to the shore. "Let's give them a minute, see how this turns out," she said to Ando.

Heidi had received a call the Nathan and Peter were in the building, and she felt what she was sure was Nathan's triumph at finding his brother. Now, however, she felt something else. Something very similar to deceit.

"Don't say anything about this to them, okay?" she asked Ando, and he nodded. "All we need to say is that their mother is in the hospital, and then I'll take them there and you can get Hiro." Ando nodded again, unaware that she was talking more to herself then to him.

She led him forward, a false smile on her face. When she was within earshot, she said, "Peter!" She hugged him. It was good to see him after so long. She felt the tension grow between the young blonde woman and Nathan; Heidi had cut their party short. She turned to Nathan, intent on saying what she had to. What she saw between Nathan and the woman nearly took her breathe away. She stumbled over her words, before she finally spit them out. "Angela's back."

Nathan's face fell. Just after the explosion that changed everyone's lives, he'd confided in Heidi the hatred he felt towards their mother. She'd been in on the orchestration of the explosion, and had been intent on seeing come to fruition, with New York gone.

Peter Petrelli

New York, New York

Nathan and Peter stood next to the hospital bed, looking at the woman who'd given birth to both of them. Her face was horribly scarred, and the doctor's say she won't make it through the night. They also say that she is refusing treatment.

One of her eyes opened when Peter takes her hand. She parted her lips, wetting them with her tongue. Then, she spoke. "Boys, my boys, together again." She tried to smile, but couldn't manage and settled for half of one. "It's so good to see you both, even with what I've done.

"I'm sorry for what I've done, and for what I must do. I never wanted any real harm to come to you, but you have to do one last thing. When we started the company, there was a group of people with powers far greater than our own, powers like Peter's. They were so powerful, that when we captured them, we forced them deep underground.

"One of them broke out, taking numerous others with him, and started his own organization. It happened while we're getting ready for the explosion. You must destroy it. You must destroy the Prometheus Group."

Her eyes shut, and the heart monitor's beeping slowed, until it was one long continuous noise. Peter and Nathan hung their heads.

Claire Bennet

New York, New York

She stood in front of the vending machine, trying to decide what to get when Heidi came over. The older woman stood behind her, waiting for something. For the first time in a long time, Claire felt dread, not just fear, but dread. What she said would affect not only herself, but Nathan and Heidi, not to mention their children together.

Finally, Heidi spoke, and her question took Claire off guard. "How old are you? Seventeen, eighteen? Nineteen?"

"Sixteen."

Heidi nodded. "You're too young for either Nathan or Peter, especially Nathan." She took a deep breath, and then asked the question Claire was expecting. "Who are you?"

Claire froze. What was she supposed to say? It wasn't her job to break the news to Heidi that Nathan had a daughter with another woman, and telling Heidi her name would only confuse matters further. She opened her mouth to say something, but couldn't.

Heidi shook her head. "No. Don't tell me. I can do the math." She went and took a seat in the waiting room, weeping slightly.

Claire exhaled deep. She felt like she was free from the trap, but for how long? She knew Heidi would have to find out sooner or later. Whenever it did, Claire might as well have a good relationship with Heidi. She went and sat next to Heidi

As she sat in the chair, Heidi spoke. "I see the way he is with you. It only makes things more clear." She dabbed at the tears in her eyes. "Just like the way he is around Monty and Simon, and sometimes Peter. He was almost always on the road back then, and not once did I suspect anything. But, here is the proof, sitting right next to me."

Once again, Claire opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

Heidi continued, unaware that Claire couldn't say anything. "Of course, we were just dating back then, nothing too serious. I should have known he couldn't just keep waiting for me, when he was constantly gone. I suppose I should be thankful that in the end, he did learn to keep it in his pants."

Claire started to stand, but Heidi grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"There's only one thing I want to know from you," she said, staring straight into the back of Claire's mind. Claire held her breath, waiting for the killing blow, wondering how she would make, slow and painful or fast and painful. When Heidi opened her mouth to ask, Claire was ready for the worst. "Why hasn't anyone told me about you?"

Claire exhaled so hard, she nearly passed out. "I don't know," she said.