Grant Woodruff
Los Angeles, California
Early morning, the sun was just above the horizon, and Grant knew fear for the first time in fifteen years. He raced through the lobby of the hotel. He'd just received his first real communication with Charlie since he came back in time to see to that things went the way the should, and it scared him. Forces were going to converge over this hotel, all to gain the girl.
He hit the stairs, running, trying to force Claire from his mind. Time was running short, and he still needed to tell her things, about herself and where she needs to go after this.
From the lobby, he heard the first shouts of the staff as it hit the fan. Within seconds, the fire alarms went off. This could make getting to Claire easier. She could come down this stairwell in attempt to escape the fires.
Sure enough, there she was, with Gavin and Emily, the two in the group he really trusted. "We need to go," he said, trying not to convey his emotions.
"Yeah, there's a fire," Emily said, sarcastically. She was loosening up a bit; too bad it was only killing precious time.
"You don't understand," Grant said. "The fire is coming for you. It's not a fire at all; it's people."
"You know, I'm sick of hearing you say 'you don't understand'. Get some new lines!" Claire said, turning away.
Grant tried to control his anger. "This isn't the time to give me lessons on repetition, do you think? Just maybe?" He reached out to grab her arm and drag her out of the building, but Gavin grabbed his wrist.
"You want to watch your hands, or you just might lose them, old man," Gavin said, applying pressure to his wrists. Grant spun, flipping Gavin up and over his head and nearly tossing the boy downstairs.
Fire jutted through the open door, singing the bottom of Gavin's shoes, and Emily nearly screamed. "Time to go," Grant said, pushing the girls and dragging the boy up the stairs.
"Where you going?" a new voice asked, coming from one floor up. Grant glanced in time to see the barrel of gun pointed at his head.
"Piss off, Sterling," Grant growled, reaching for his sword.
From below them, one of the Pyrokinetic's sent by Elijah entered the stairwell and came up after them. "What the…" the FBI agent said, before losing his eyebrows in a jet of flame.
Grant's sword was out and swinging, nearly taking off Gavin's head as he fought the Pyro down below. The Pyro was a young man with thick black hair. Grant planted a foot in his chest, sending down the stairs. He heard the snap of the boy's neck break on the way down. "GO!" he screamed, grabbing Claire and leaving the others to fend for themselves.
Jeremy Maddox
Blueberry Hill, Nevada
Using the new legs he
picked up from a telekinetic, Maddox hurried through the building
with new vigor. The sirens blaring in his ears, the occasionally
scuffle with armed guards. It was great!
Maddox burst through a
door into a bright, interrogation room. Inside was a severely wounded
man tied to a chair. The man known as Avarice didn't hesitate; he
kicked the injured man in the chest, sending him backwards. Reaching
down to his own feet, Maddox knew now that this was the last piece of
the puzzle. He grabbed his feet and yanked, enjoying the sickening
plop as the came off.
He grabbed the man's feet and ripped, nearly crashing into the wall as the ankles gave way. The man screamed while Maddox put them to the stubs at the end of his legs, laughing at the tingling as the new flesh melded with the old.
His mind flooded with the memories of the man whose feet he now wore; a young male nurse trying to fly; the discovery of a daughter; cheating on a wife; two boys; near death next to an exploding man. It was the daughter that caught his attention the most. She was beautiful, almost perfect.
Smiling, Maddox said, "Claire," before taking to the sky with his newly acquired ability.
Peter Petrelli
San Ribero
The urge to run to Nathan was too much, and Peter shut his eyes, trying to teleport directly to his brother. "Where is he?" he asked himself again and again. If only he could have gotten Molly's talent. He wasn't around long enough to connect, though he tried every time she went around asking about Matt or Mohinder. The truth was the longer he stayed in San Ribero; the more he lost touch with those around him.
After an hour, Peter knew it was too late to save his brother. He gave up, ready to spit in the face of Alphonse, or that bitch Charlie. Sweat poured down his face from the strain and worry, and he wobbled unsteadily on shaky legs. Something bad just happened, and it was happening again, only this time, to Claire.
Claire Bennet
Los Angeles, California
Will burst through the lobby window as Gavin and Claire ran through. Grant was supposed to be on the roof with the man he called Sterling. Emily was gone. Of Gabriel and Noel, there was no sign.
Gavin ducked as Will charged him. When Will's hands came up, both Gavin and Claire thought the fight just grew worse. Instead, the sonic blast went over Gavin's head and into to the pursuing pyrokinetic. "C'mon, Gavin!" Will said over the crackle of the burning hotel. "I thought you played football!" Will grinned like a fool as he grabbed their arms and pulled them towards the street.
Oliver Sterling
Los Angeles, California
He glanced down at the street, wondering how far to the ground it really was. They may have to jump. Five stories, an almost lethal combination. Sterling pulled his gun, and fired over the stranger's head, trying to hit the pyro's who had them trapped.
The strange man spun around, swinging his sword, and bringing it back into the stomach of their attackers. Then, he grabbed Oliver by the shoulders and screamed in his face. "Tell Claire to go to Aspen! Tell her to find Barnabas Hill! He is the next step for them!"
Oliver tried to ask what the hell that meant, but the man shoved him away. He got the hint and ran for the stairs.
Claire Bennet
Los Angeles, California
What the hell is going on? she asked herself. The world was going to hell fast was the best answer she could get. The three of them starred up at the roof where Grant was believed to be. They heard the sounds of a helicopter.
It was Claire who saw the first sign of Nathan flying in to save the day. She ran to where it looked like Nathan was landing. The person who greeted her was anyone but Nathan. His grin was skewed and blood trickled over his bottom lip. His hair was thatched with a sand colored mess of hair over a scarred forehead. His eyes were dark, but not empty. There was a sick kind of light in them, the kind of light that she once saw in the eyes of a killer as he held up Jackie and killed her, thinking that she was Claire.
"Hello, Claire," the stranger said, and then lunged, but got no further. Will threw him into the wall with a nearly brain-burstingly loud sonic blast. The strange man crashed through the brick and disappeared.
"Who the hell is that?" Will asked, but Gavin was more intent on giving Claire an envelope with her name on it.
She looked at it confused. "What is this?" she asked.
Gavin shrugged. "Grant asked me to give it to you."
Suddenly, Grant made a little sense to her. "When?"
"Last night," Gavin said. "He said something like this might happen."
All around them, gunfire erupted into life. The world was a battlefield, and Claire was caught in the middle of something she could never comprehend. Spinning, she caught things all out of order. The strange man stepping from the wall and two crimson holes opening just over his right breast; the man Grant called Sterling holstering his pistol; Grant, falling from the rooftop.
Grant Woodruff
Los Angeles, California
He watched the helicopter and he knew it was time. Grant lunged for it, trying to stall. Here came the woman, Codename: Pride, with three people behind her carrying identical lumps that looked like people rolled up in carpet. He swung his blade, only to watch it pass through Pride as harmless as it would through water.
"I can't be stopped that easily," she said with a sneer.
"Oh, but you will," Grant said.
He never saw the gunman open fire on him from the helicopter.
(A/N – Here we are again, at the end of an arc. It might be a few days while I finish plotting out the next arc, but I will update as soon as possible. The next arc will be entitled "Others Like Us" and will add a few more characters, as well as a glimpse at the future of mutants the way I see it.
By the way, beyond what I've said about it already, you probably will never full understand the All-Gift. It's just one of those things that no one can ever truly explain. Was Jesus really the son of God, doing miracles? That isn't for me to say. And even though I created the All-Gift, I don't think it's my place to fully explain it. I'm sorry if that upsets you, but it's the way I feel. There will be more in the way of explanation latter on, but that's the best I can do.
Love, Traumedy101)