Unsung Heroes

By: Ro

Chapter 4: Two Steps Back

AN's

I don't own Heroes, wish I did though

Thoughts in italics

Thoughts heard by Matt in bold italics

All chapters reposted with small grammar and formatting corrections, forgive the lapse in courtesy good readers

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Matt Parkman

New York

As he walked down the crowded New York streets, Matt realized that getting close to a politician was easier said than done. His detective buddies often told stories of being trapped in red tape, but this was ridiculous. Every avenue he pursued lead to a dead end, every informant refused to talk, and even their thoughts yielded no information.

Matt really did hate the city. For more than an hour now he'd heard nothing but negative thoughts. What happened to the world? He hoped his son or daughter didn't grow up to be like these poor people.

Who is this Sylar character? I can't wait for the next issue!!

That snapped Matt out of his reverie. He looked around frantically, searching for the source of the thought. There! Two feet to his left there was a kid who was busy reading some comic book.

"Hey kid, mind if I see that?"

"What the hell, man?! I'm reading it!" Crap, I hope he doesn't search my back pocket, that weed cost me a lot of dough!

"Here's 10 bucks, give me the comic and I won't arrest you for the dope you have in your pocket."

If he hadn't been busy flipping through the comic, Matt would've taken the time to enjoy the wide-eyed stare of the kid as he ran off. On the last page was the drawing that the kid had seen, a shadowy figure named Sylar standing over a pile of bodies. One of those bodies looked eerily familiar, it wasn't until he saw the badge that Matt realized that the body was his.

Whoever drew this comic definitely knew something, about the Sylar murders, or maybe even other people with powers. He had to find out who this Isaac Mendez was; it had to be easier than tracking down Nathan Petrelli. He took out his phone and dialed a familiar number…

"Audrey? It's Matt; I need you to find the address of a person named Isaac Mendez…"

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Hiro and Ando

New York

"Hiro, come on we don't have time for this! Like you said, we need to see Mr. Isaac."
"Come on Ando, a hero needs his nourishment!"

"What if Linderman has already moved the sword or worse, destroyed it? I'm telling you, we just don't have the time."

"Nonsense, there's always time for waffles! So who's paying?"

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Peter Petrelli

New York: Nathan Petrelli's campaign headquarters

Peter winced as he held the icy pouch against his jaw. That Claude guy had a mean left hook but, to his credit, he had averted a major disaster. Speaking of blowups, I wonder what sort of lecture Nathan will be spouting at me today…

"What the hell happened to you?"

"Nice to see you to Nathan, how's the campaign running?"

"Nevermind that, you shouldn't have run off after that last hospital visit."

"Sorry, I had things to do."

"Sure you did, look, I called you up because I need a favor."

"Nathan, I don't have time, I need to find out a way to stop my powers from.."

"Shut up!! I don't want to hear about your delusions, and I certainly don't want others hearing them either."

"So that time on the roof, was that some sort of team delusion?"

"…This isn't about you, it's about me."

"Gee, I'm shocked…"

"A long time ago, I was involved with a woman named Meredith. I recently found out that she, and our daughter, didn't die in a fire like I'd thought. She just called me and said that my daughter, this Claire Bennet, recently took off. She didn't tell Meredith where she was going, only that she was going to look for her dad. This Claire might be in New York, I want you to find her, help her out."

"….help her out?"

"Well I obviously can't search for her. Imagine what the media would think. Still, there's no reason why she has to go through this world alone, without any sort of family. Find her and be there for her if possible."

"I….wow….looks like the tin man's grown a heart."

"Leak this to the press and I'll bury you, got it little brother?"

"There's the Nathan I know. I'll try and find her, but I won't make any promises."

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Claire and Zach

New York

Claire's POV

Walking around New York was a culture shock to say the least. It really was like an entirely different world. Everything was so packed together, bigger, and much more fast-paced than Odessa. Claire had to constantly remind herself not to stare around so much, no point in drawing attention to her and Zach.

Speaking of Zach, he seemed a bit edgy. Always looking around at all of the people near them, edging closer and a little in front of Claire every time someone came a little too close for comfort. It's not like I can be hurt anyway. It's still nice of him I guess, I'm glad he's here anyway.

"So, where was this Suresh guy going to hold the conference at?"

"Some auditorium a few blocks south of here. How about some lunch first?"

"Sure, this café looks good."

As Claire walked into the restaurant, she saw the one person she never thought she'd see again, Peter Petrelli. He was standing near a corner booth sipping coffee, which he almost dropped because of the mass of blonde hair that suddenly obscured his vision. She'd never been a particularly intimate person, but seeing him, seeing someone like her, triggered the old need for acceptance and reassurance.

Unfortunately he was still a stranger. He may have saved her life, but they never were properly introduced. It's been awhile since I've been this embarrassed…

"Oh no, I'm so sorry about your coffee!"

"It's alright, it happens….what are you doing here?"

"My friend Zach and I are here looking for you and others, the name's Claire by the way."

"Claire? Your last name wouldn't be Bennet would it?"

"Yeah it is, why?"

"Please sit down, we need to talk…"

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Zach's POV: A couple of hours later

"Wait, so you're telling me that you're my uncle? Then you must know my father. This…This is all too much."

While Claire put her head on her hands, a quick glance was exchanged between Zach and Peter. Nothing was said, but Zach knew things were about to get worse. He may not have liked this man, but, at some level, Zach was glad that Claire had a found a family member. Not just a blood connection, but another person with powers like hers. It would go a long way to making her feel more secure and confident about herself. He looks like he's enjoying that hug a little too much though!

"Well, I am your uncle, but I don't think I can help you meet your father."

"What?! Why not?!!"

"It's, um, complicated. My brother is a good person….deep, deep down. It's just that right now, his political career is important to him. It doesn't justify him not being there for you. I, well I can't make it up to you for him. Right now, we have other worries though, like finding the others…"

"The others?!!! He's my father dammit! W-Why doesn't he want too…"

Zach could see the meltdown coming from a mile away. The shivering shoulders, the quivering bottom lip, if he had been sitting across from her he could've seen her eyes start to mist over. Claire could be a strong person, but this really was too much for anyone to handle. He put his arm around her and did his best to calm her down.

"Claire, It's ok. Look around, you've got family now, an uncle, and friends."

"Zach, he's my dad! How could he not want to see me?"

"I don't know, but that's his loss. Remember why we came here, to find the others like you. I know it sounds lame, but these people share more in common with you than some deadbeat who abandoned his wife and kid."

"Is it because he knows about my freaky powers?"

"You're not a freak Claire, and I'm sure your gift has nothing to do with why your dad doesn't want to see you, right Peter?"

"Absolutely, actually, both my brother and I have powers."

"Really?! What can he do?"

"He can fly."

"Wow, some family."

"What do you mean?"

"My mother, my biological mother, she can control fire."

"What about you're adopted parents, your father for example, does he have a power?"

"I, um, I really should go freshen up…"

While the hasty exit came as no surprise to Zach, confusion was plain on Peter's face. That's what he gets for pushing the wrong button!

"Did I say something wrong?"

"No, Claire's gone through a lot these past few weeks."

"….Ok, so what do you know about her parents?"

"What I know, I can't tell you, sorry."

"Why not?"

"Up to now, Claire's life has been full of people she can't trust, her parents, her so called 'friends', even strangers who want to kill her for her power. She needs to know that there are people she can trust, people she can confide in when the world goes to hell. Claire's trusted me, I can't betray that trust. When she's ready to talk, she'll talk."

"Fair enough, I guess…"

"Have you met anyone else, anyone who has powers like Claire's?"

"Yeah, I've met many people with powers, but none like hers."

"Can you take us to them?"

"I've lost track of most of them, but I still know where to find one, a man named Isaac Mendez. He's a painter who paints the future."

"Excellent, we can…"

"Hey guys, what did I miss?"

"Nothing Claire, Peter was just telling me that there's a painter who sees and paints the future."

"Do you think he can tell us where to find the others, maybe paint a picture of where they'll be?"

"Maybe, it's worth a shot."

"We should get going, hopefully Isaac hasn't moved since the last time I saw him."

"Alright, I guess we'll see Mr. Suresh later. Zach, could you pay for this? I'm a little short."

Zach turned his head and cocked an eyebrow at his, once again, cheerful friend. He was just about to say "no" when she flashed him that radiant smile. Oh well, if it makes her happy, why not? Man, I'm such a sap…

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AN

Grr….it's much harder to write the "Jealous, but understanding" mood than I thought it would be. What do you all think, section rewrite or move on?

Chapter 5 Preview: The Meeting

Our cast of heroes meets at Isaac's loft. What will the painter reveal? How will our heroes realize their full potential? Will they do it in time to stop the bomb? Stay tuned to find out!