(A/N – For some unknown reason, my computer ate all my files, so I had to start the outline over. There may be a few continuity errors at first, but I hope not. Just call them to my attention if you see any. If I have other plans and it fits into my plot, then I'll just say so. However, this wasn't entirely a bad thing. I now know exactly where this arc is headed, and have all the room to go that way now. The arc is once again receiving a name-change, so I'm glad this isn't for television. Up until the end of the last arc till some time in the near future, the Arc is called "Wisdom of Elders", and I will use "Other's Like Us" later. I'd planned on introducing new characters in the arc with the latter name, but I wanted to cut back, so it seemed contradictory. Now, it can wait, and I'm happy/

One other thing, Elliesmeow asked why so many people were sent back in time to give a warning. The answer is many. Grant is from a fixed future. He only remembers the last time line he was in. He never learned of Peter's connection to Nathan, only that Nathan would be in danger. It is due to the manner of their powers. Grant's has nothing to do with time, being a Empathic Projector. "Charlie", however, is just a time traveler. While she cannot teleport from place to place, she can jump from timeline to timeline, learning as much as is possible. I didn't want to repeat the power exactly. And she isn't done. Charlie, shall we say, has issues.

Anyway, time for the next chapter! Love, Traumedy101)

Nathan Petrelli

Outside San Diego, California

The sun was an hour away, and Nathan couldn't sleep. Instead, he stood on the balcony outside their hotel room, looking at Grant make his way from the pool to the stairs. Grant was wet, and looked entirely different without his eye-patch. It wasn't the only change in his appearance, however, since he'd shaved recently.

Grant took a spot next to Nathan, looking out at the open expanse in front of the hotel, disrupted only by the occasional truck. After a what felt like an eternity, Nathan asked, "Is this the only way?"
With a quick motion, Grant covered one of his eyes, sealing his talent in. Then, he nodded. "I've told you time and time again what you must do, and you agreed at the time. Why this sudden change in attitude?"

"As if you didn't know," Nathan grumbled, turning away.

"I try not to pry, Mr. Petrelli," Grant said, shrugging. "Yes, I know."

The two of them held the secret of truth between them like they were as one, like Atlas when he held up the sky. Only a day after the escape from the other world, Grant came to Nathan with a message from his future self. It was strange to know your own words from god knew how many years in the future, but Nathan struggled through. "We're finally starting to connect, and now I have to leave her? It's just not fair."

"Charlie said," Grant started, but Nathan cut him off.

"Forget Charlie! This is my life, not hers or yours or anyone else's! Butt out!"

Grant put a hand on Nathan's shoulder, no doubt feeling the muscles shivering with an unknown fear. Some would mistake it for fury, but not Grant. "Who do you think told me to send you on this quest? I may take orders from Charlie, but I always worked for you."

Nathan looked at him with watery eyes, confused. "What about Claire, though? Who's going to be there for her, should this thing go south?"

"I will," Grant said. "I will walk with her every step I can. And Gavin is trust-worthy, you know. He means what he says."

"That's right, you can see feelings," Nathan said, once again turning defensive.

"A wise man once told me 'for want of a penny, the kingdom was lost," Grant said, staring off into the rising sun. "I'm sure you know what it means."

"Of course I do. I take it I was the one who told you." Grant nodded, and Nathan turned his mind once again to the task at hand. "What will you tell Claire?"

"That you went after Will, hoping to reconcile with him," Grant said.

Nathan nodded, noticing that Grant wouldn't look at him but ignoring it. He took to the air, flying north, in hopes of finding what Grant told him he would.

Gabriel Gray

Outside San Diego, California

He was going insane. The constant ticking that once lead his actions down a very dark road had returned full force after the appearance of the white dragon, and the scar the showed up itched. The sight of Claire hung heavy in his lungs; he wanted her power, but he couldn't even muster his own; the stolen ones, that is.

His telekinesis was gone; his cyrokinesis; super hearing; all of them. He could only assume that since he was remerged with the side of himself known as Sylar, they disappeared.

Outside his window, Gabriel heard the voice of Grant and Nathan, and he wondered what was so important for Nathan to leave his daughter when they were finally bonding. The only thing he could think of, however, was how easy it would be to get at the cheerleader now. He tried to shove the thoughts down and go to sleep, knowing that they were heading out at dawn.

Jeremy Maddox

El Paso, Texas

The path to Vegas was clear, and Maddox loved every minute of his trip. The only problem was he knew it was only a matter of time before another part of his started to shut down. He had a three month gap between the tongue and the legs, then the feet would go another week after. It dug its way into his brain.

He wished he never left the damned facility in Mexico. Then, he would be given the next body parts, enough to last him five years. He would have to hunt, something he hadn't done in a decade, a decade of waiting in the frikin' glorified basement. He felt fat and spoiled.

Maddox sat behind the desk of an El Paso hotel, taking the names of the people who wanted to stay there for awhile. He didn't care what they did, as long as they kept giving him money. Lying next to the chair was the original night clerk, with a fork sticking out of his neck. Maddox looked at the man and laughed. The clerk had been a hell of a bleeder, hitting the ceiling in the first jut.

It was his first kill in freedom, and it was for fun as well as for training. He knew that he had to get control over himself if he was going to pull this off. Vegas was a breeding ground for mutants, he'd heard, and he planned on gaining as many of their talents as well as harvest their bodies as he could.

Sitting just out of sight was his notebook, which he jotted down the body parts he would need to put off the next shut down for five years, just like he would have gotten in the facility.

Claire Bennet

Outside San Diego, California

"No way!" Claire said. "Nathan wouldn't leave without saying goodbye at least. What happened?"

Grant shrugged. "He said he had business up north, something about that kid, Will. He said it was too bad about the way it was left.

Claire glared at the strange man, knowing that at the moment, Noel was hotwiring a car to take their shrinking group north to LA; Grant's chosen destination. He said he had work to do there, and that Claire would learn about the next leg of her journey. Claire didn't ask how he knew such things, just chalked up to the wisdom of her elders, like Alphonse, although that didn't really work out for her, did it. She hated the way these people that came with her looked for her for direction. She didn't know anymore than them, and yet they expected her to lead them to the Promised Land, like some modern day Moses, like she was going to raise her hands and split the fog of uncertainty that blocked their path.

"Claire," Grant said quietly, pulling her out of her thoughts. "Perhaps, you would like to learn how to fight with a sword. If you want, I could teach you." It was a half-question, but he didn't wait for an answer. He just walked off. Claire could have cheerfully clocked him, like she did Jackie back in the good ole days, when she was just a lonely freak in Texas.

The whole thing was going to far. She wasn't this great leader that everyone seemed to believe she was. She couldn't do anything without help. Hell, she couldn't even shoot Peter when he was about to blow up New York. Nathan had to fly in and save the day.

Thinking of the man who fathered her, she smiled. Come to think of it, whenever Claire really needed it, Nathan seemed to be there. Maybe he would come flying in to save her again.

Nathan Petrelli

Near San Francisco, California

He sat in the back of the paddy wagon, smiling and bleeding from his lip. This is what Grant wanted; for him to be caught by the Agency, so Nathan could do something there, something to draw the attention from what Claire was doing. He would do it with pride. For sixteen years, he wasn't there for her. He felt like he could make up for half of it with this one thing. If they tortured him, let them. With Claire in his heart, he would take on the world.

Claire Bennet

Los Angeles, California

She eyed the swords in the shop with fear at the death instruments. Grant seemed at home with the sharp, long knives. He held each sword with such skill that even the shop owner was impressed. Turning to Claire, he asked, "Well, see any you like?"

Claire shrugged, intimidated by the swords. "I don't know. What should I look for?"

Grant and the owner shared a laugh. "A sword is just an extension of yourself. Just tell me what's calling you, and I will tell you everything you need to know," Grant said, drawing looks from the owner.

She pointed to one, with a heavy price tag, and said, "I kind of like that one."

The owner lifted the sword from its case. "A French cutlass with a gilded basket hilt. Nice choice."

Grant took it by the butt and stepped away, swinging it. "Nice balance, light weight; yeah, this is the one for you. Here, hold it. Tell me what you think."

Claire took the sword from Grant. She was shocked at how well it fit her hand. It was like she'd been missing a part of her soul and now it was back, without her ever knowing it was gone. "Yeah, this is it. How much?"

"Three thousand," the owner said, with a straight face.

"Oh," Claire said, a little broken hearted. "We don't have that much. What else do you have like this that might be a bit cheaper?"
While this little exchange was going, Claire missed Grant digging into his back pocket and pulling out an envelope stuffed with cash. He paid the shop-keep, grabbed Claire by the arm, and dragged her out of the store. She'd missed something, but didn't know what. There was fear radiating from Grant, and it was catching.

"What is it, Grant?" Claire asked.

"There was a wanted poster behind the counter; you." Grant headed towards their hotel. "We might have to get out of the city, fast. Do you think Gavin could get the others to a safe place in Frisco?" Claire shrugged. "Do you have his number?"

Claire pulled out her cell phone, trying to go through the electronic phone book while be pulled sharply by the arm through traffic. "No," she said when the finally stopped outside a donut shop. "How bad is this?"

Grant looked at her, eyeing her closely. She felt exposed and naked before his gaze. "This isn't your fault, Claire. It's mine. I should have paid more attention," he said after a moment. "After all, you're just sixteen, while I'm forty-five. I'm getting slow in my old age."

That did the trick. Claire was ready to listen to the man out of pity for his seemingly scatterbrained mistake and do what needed to be done. It was her one big flaw; that she was so easily swayed for sentimental reasons.

Emily North

Los Angeles, California

"Listen, Gavin! This guy isn't right!" Emily struggled to get someone to listen to her. "He talks in his sleep about Claire, Nathan, Peter; the whole Petrelli Family. He calls out sometimes for someone named Etheridge. I don't think its safe for Claire to be by herself with this man!"

"Claire is a big girl, she can take care of herself," Gavin said, trying to listen through the walls to Gabriel. If only Noel was in the room with them, Gavin could get her to slip in through the wall. There were advantages to being a mutant; but during the daylight hours, Gavin was substantially weaker. There just weren't that many shadows, not like there were during the night.

"You don't understand! I think he's in love with Claire! We can't trust him!"

Gavin sighed. "Give me one good reason why he can't be trusted and we'll round up a posse to go find Claire."

Emily took a deep breath. She didn't think he would take this much convincing. "When I first met him, he called himself Emil Blonsky. Last night, he told me Grant wasn't his real name either. He told me he was from the future, and then cried. I think he did something to Nathan, to make way for himself in Claire's life."

"I just don't believe a man would an alias for an alias," Gavin said. "It's just too farfetched."

Claire Bennet

Los Angeles, California

"Listen up, Blondie," Grant said, taking his time now walking back to the hotel. "This is your first lesson. It's called the Rise and Fall of Legends."

"What are you talking about?" Claire asked, but got ignored.

"You see, there is a path a hero takes. It always starts with a rise. Like Will, back in Seattle, when he was taking back the streets. He was finally in his element. Then comes temptation; which for Will, came in the form of Peter in New York. Then the fall, or the death of Mackenzie. Self-doubt and mental frustrations are abound right now in is head. He can't decide who to blame, and is thinking about coming after you, Peter, Gavin, and Gabriel. He fails to see that he is the one at most fault."
"What does this have to do with me?" Claire asked. "I thought I was learning to use a sword."

"No," Grant said with an edge in his voice. "That's a part of the lesson, true, but not the only one. I'm going to teach you to be a hero, Claire Bennet." Offhandedly, he added, "My time is running short."

Jeremy Maddox

El Paso, Texas

Maddox tired of the game of "Hotel Clerk" and was running out of patience with all of El Paso. He knew he had a special talent, and wanted to try it out. A gift from a woman named Maya.

He shut his eyes. When he opened them, black goo poured out like tears. He walked out of the office into the courtyard, watching as the customers fell to the ground, writhing before finally falling still. He could taste their suffering, and it was sweet.

(A/N – Since this is a long chapter, I thought I'd throw in fun-facts. To start, in the original version, Claire went to a school operated by the Agency, to teach future agents, taught by Mohinder and Ortega. I had a few students planned out. Noel, Monica, Gavin, Luca the Duplicate Man of Warsaw, a German with super-speed, a French man with some power that I can't remember, and a man who deteriorates living tissue. The last was the original love interest for Claire.

Another little bit of info, Mackenzie was originally going to start a love triangle with Peter and Will, and she had the power of Cyrokinesis, the opposite power of Teagan, who was her twin.

The last fun-fact is that Nathan was originally supposed to die during the storm, while Peter fought with an African King who ruled like a tyrant with his power of Pyrokinesis, starting fires and burning his people's crops.

Love, Traumedy101)