HEROES: Duel p2
Disclaimer: I own nuttink!
Notes: Having written the bulk of "Darkness" before s3 played out, I found the show went in a different direction than I thought it would. I eventually figured out where my story and the show canon really diverged. Here's what happened in my AU, and it's all Matt's fault, as usual. (sorry, Grunny!)
Matt's actions have already altered the known timeline. Pinehearst still stands. Tracy has been subdued for now, and there are soldiers waiting to be injected with what little remains of the Formula. Sylar has killed Arthur Petrelli and moved on to attack PrimaTech's Hartsdale, NY complex (as seen in ep 3.13). Meanwhile, Ando Masahashi has volunteered himself to take a dosage to try and rescue his friend, Hiro Nakamura, from the past where Arthur Petrelli has literally left Hiro powerless to return to his proper time.
"I don't suppose any of you want to put Flint, here, in a holding cell?" Mohinder asked as the group returned to the lab. "Or at least, just get him out of here?"
"There are cells here?" Matt asked, incredulously.
"Yeah," Peter bitterly replied. "Dad locked me up in one after he took my powers."
Mohinder glanced at Peter, scrutinizing him.
Matt noticed and asked, "Something wrong, Prof?"
"No, it's just that--" he began. "Peter, would you mind staying here? I'd like to run a test on you to see if the Formula has stabilized in your system before I give it to someone else."
"If you think that's best?" he asked.
"Sounds like a good idea to me, Suresh," Nathan replied. "Then let my brother, the nurse, check you out, as well. You definitely look better than you did earlier, but...better safe than sorry, right?"
"I understand, completely, Nathan," Mohinder concurred. "Peter, you were a nurse before, right? This shouldn't be too different, just pay attention to what I do, and I'll walk you through the rest. Then we'll see to Mr. Masahashi, here." He nodded to Ando, who nodded back.
Peter agreed and told Nathan and Matt where to take Flint, as Ando and Daphne hung about, busying themselves with straightening up the easier parts of the chaos created earlier as Mohinder went to change into some non-Formula drenched clothes before beginning his tests.
"I want to check on the soldiers while we're downstairs, Matt," Nathan said as they hauled the unconscious body of his daughter's maternal uncle between them down the hall.
"What are you going to tell them?" Matt inquired. "Are they getting injections, or...?"
Nathan thought about it for a minute. "Not right now. I'll ask for the ones they have back, tell them we need to run another test before they take the doses."
"And tell them what, bad result in testing? Possible contamination?" Matt offered.
Nathan nodded. "That sound like a good excuse, especially if anyone sees us carrying Flint down to his cell. We can say he and Knox may have tampered with the Formula and we want to be sure it's pure. That way, we can always say they tainted the only batch, which had a unique element that we can't replicate."
"Lie to them with the truth, you mean?" Matt asked, chuckling. "You really are a politician." Nathan had to laugh at that, too.
As expected, a number of soldiers were milling about in a warehouse area-cum-rec room which they had to pass to get to the holding cells. Several approached, wondering what was going on. Nathan gave them the cover story they had just come up with, then asked a couple to help Matt escort Flint to his cell. Two men and a woman volunteered, with the men taking the load off Matt and Nathan, and the woman leading the way to the cells.
Matt felt self-conscious as he followed this new trio carrying the pyro. To break the awkward silence, he realized none of them had on their uniform shirts, so he had no idea what to call them. "So, uh, what are your names?"
"I don't think we should be talking to you, sir," said the younger man. The other man shot him a dirty look.
Matt didn't have to be a telepath to feel the contempt in his words. "And why is that?"
"He thinks that because you appear to be a civilian, sir," the second man replied, earning an equal glare of contempt from the first man.
"Look, guys," Matt chuckled, "I think I know more about what's going on here than you do and--"
The first man stopped and turned to Matt. "With all due respect, sir, we only take orders from our CO, Senator Petrelli or Ms. Strauss at the moment."
Matt chuckled again. "I don't think Nathan--Senator Petrelli would mind me asking your names, and Ms. Strauss is out of a job, right now."
Matt then noticed that the female recruit was rolling her eyes at the group. "When you boys are done showing your dicks, can we get this guy in his cell like Mr. Petrelli asked us?"
Matt smiled at her. "Lead the way, Miss--?"
"Mills," she replied curtly, turning on her heel and headed around down the next corner leading to the holding cells.
"Thank you, Miss Mills," Matt said. "I'm glad one of you hasn't lost your sense of civility."
"Speaking of civilians," the first man muttered under his breath.
"Shut up, Hanover," Mills shot back as she opened a door to the holding area. Matt stifled a chuckle as he followed them inside.
Being distracted by the attempted conversation with the soldiers, he almost missed the fact that Flint had drawn his legs up as the men attempted to put him in his cell. "He's awake!" Matt shouted as the men suddenly found themselves thrown off by their charge.
Hanover was thrown inside the cell, against the wall, as the other man, Sullivan, found himself being gut punched. Mills was behind the door and tried to slam it into Flint, but wound up hitting Sullivan's head, instead.
Matt barely had time to react as he saw Flint's hands alight with their blue flames. He dove for Mills and knocked her down, keeping her from being burned by the sadistic man's fire.
"What the hell is going on?" she protested.
Matt rolled off her and noticed that Sullivan had fallen free of the doorway, but Flint was still standing next to the door. Idiot, he thought as he kicked the door, knocking Flint back into the cell. He quickly stood and locked the door, only realizing his mistake as the blue light flickered across Hanover's body.
"You let me out of here, fat boy!" Flint yelled. "You let me out or I'll--" then he realized Matt wasn't looking at him, but behind him. He turned and saw the fallen soldier, who was in the corner, trying to back away from the man with the flaming hands. Flint smiled.
"Leave him alone, Flint!" Matt yelled.
"I got me a hostage, now!" Flint replied in his southern drawl. "You let me out of here, or I burn this boy into a crisp!"
Mills peered over Matt's shoulder, trying to see inside. "How-how is he doing that?" she asked.
Matt glanced to her, then back at Flint. "You're going to power down and let the soldier out of there, Flint," he ordered.
"I don't think so, fat boy!"
This pissed Matt off. "Shut the hell up! Power down and go to sleep!" He pushed this thought with all his might at the redneck.
Flint stared at Matt for a second, then his hands went dark. He turned and laid down on the bunk. Hanover, scared out of his wits, immediately made for the door and Matt opened it to let him out, then quickly slammed it shut, locking it.
"What the hell just happened here?!" Mills demanded.
Matt turned to her. "What did they tell you about the program you volunteered for?" he asked.
"Don't tell him, Rachel!" Hanover shouted.
Rachel Mills looked at Ryan Hanover incredulously, glanced at the cell door, then back to Matt. "An experimental booster drug that would make us better soldiers, to help the war on terror. Why?"
Matt frowned, glancing down the hallway they had come from. "Hide the truth in a lie," he muttered to himself. He started to answer Rachel's question, but then picked up her thoughts. He couldn't help it, as she was practically shouting inside her head as she glanced back at Flint.
"No! It can't be! There are more of us out there? How many? And now they've found a way to give it to others? It'll be total chaos!"
Matt studied her for a second, realizing she already knew about people like him, and what they could do. In fact, she sounded like she had secrets of her own. He glanced at the two men. Sullivan was just coming around.
"Hanover, help your friend, I need a word with Miss Mills in private for a second, okay?"
Hanover scowled at Matt, but did as he was told.
Matt pulled Rachel back into the hall outside. "Listen, I have a feeling you know what's really going on here, is that right?"
Rachel turned away from him. Matt took that as confirmation.
"Just between us," he began, "I didn't want any of this, but since I got pulled into this last year, I've done the best that I can with what I can do. Can you do the same?"
She turned back to face him, her lips parted for a brief second.
He could tell she wanted to say something. "What can you do, Rachel?" he asked quietly.
She hesitated, jaw working. Matt picked up a flash of a sad memory. A funeral? Does she have a dangerous ability, he wondered, before he realized it wasn't her fault the funeral happened, it was --
"Nothing. I can't do anything," she lied.
Matt held her gaze for a second, then she turned away.
"Have you noticed anyone else here being able to do, uh, 'nothing' as well?" he pressed her as calmly as he could.
"No. No one else," she said in quiet defiance.
Matt knew she wasn't being entirely honest, but didn't inquire further. She would open up when she was ready. "Alright then, we need to get your guys upstairs and see Nathan and the rest of your squad," he told her.
She seemed relieved, then they both turned back to see Hanover standing there with the still dazed Sullivan's arm around his shoulder. He was glaring at them both.
"Uh-oh," they said in unison.
-
"Knox! Get up."
The former gangbanger roused himself, rubbing his sore head and tasting the trickle of blood that had dripped from his nose. "Who? What happened?" he asked groggily, not seeing anyone.
"Shut up and do as I tell you," the voice said. "I need you to free Ms. Strauss down the hall and give her a message."
"How are you doing this?" Knox replied. "I saw your dead body, P--"
"Shut up and do as I say, Knox!"
The surly black man fumed as he pulled himself up from the floor and cautiously stepped out into the hall, wary of being spotted by the Petrelli brothers or his old acquaintance, Matt Parkman.
He found the boardroom that Tracy had been kept in easy enough, and a few quick light slaps woke her out of the trance she appeared to be in. She glanced around, trying to orient herself.
"I'm supposed to tell you that you have to get into the safe in Mr. Petrelli's office," he told her. "Can you do that?"
Tracy's momentary confusion upon waking gave way to a wicked smile as she understood what was being asked of her. "Time for Plan B, huh?" she asked as she got up from the couch. "Do me a favor and go get my car, I'll be down in a few." She tossed him her keys and strode out into the hall.
-
Matt strode up to Nathan and pulled him aside. "We have a small problem."
Nathan raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me Flint is loose?"
Matt shook his head. "No, we've got him in a cell, but Hanover isn't exactly happy to find out what's going on," he said, nodding toward the smaller of the two men who returned with him.
He glanced over at the group that had returned. One man had a small cut and bruise forming on his forehead. A couple of the men who had field medic training were tending to Sullivan. "What happened?"
"Flint was faking it and fought back when we tried to lock him up," Matt explained. "We got him in his cell without too much trouble, but Hanover was in there for a minute and almost got barbecued. I managed to make Flint go to sleep, but Hanover is seriously freaked."
"Great, what about the other two?"
"Sullivan took a few lumps and missed the show, but he'll be okay," Matt explained, then hesitated. "Rachel...?"
"What about her?" Nathan asked, giving the young private a once over.
Matt's voice dropped to a whisper. "I think she's already one of us, Nathan."
Nathan's smirk dropped completely and he stared at her.
"She wasn't entirely surprised with Flint's fire or me telling him to sleep, and I think she's dealt with abilities in the past, unfortunately."
"Private Mills, can I speak with you a moment?" Nathan asked, then turned back to Matt. "Unfortunately?"
"I'm not sure, but not happy thoughts when I asked her if she knew anything," Matt explained.
Rachel stepped at attention to the two men. "Yes sir, Senator? Can I help you with something?" She cast a wary glance at Matt.
"Relax, private," he said calmly. "Mr. Parkman tells me there was some trouble downstairs? Is everything alright?"
Matt nodded at her and she answered, "Yes, sir. The prisoner put up a brief struggle, but everything's fine now, sir."
Matt had crossed his arms, putting one hand over his chin, one finger was curled up over his lips, indicating to her he didn't say what they had talked about. He glanced to Hanover, who was glaring at the trio with a dark look.
"Can we trust your friend, Hanover, to keep his mouth shut?" Nathan asked her.
She hesitated. "I can't say, sir."
Nathan frowned. How are we going to explain this to them? He thought at Matt.
I think I know, Matt replied. "Rachel, were all of you given psych profiles before you came here?"
"I can't speak for the others, but I was given a basic screening, I think?"
"What do you think, Matt?" Nathan inquired. "Go over their files with each one before we decide to take the next step?"
"Better idea, for now," Matt said before turning back to Rachel. "Rachel, this experimental drug, you mentioned? Did they bring any samples down here?"
"I'm not sure," she replied. "I know they took Sergeant Scott upstairs earlier for the first test, but I haven't seen him since." She glanced at Nathan, who seemed to wince at the mention of the man's name. She briefly wondered what had happened. Nothing good, judging by his reaction.
"Nobody brought any samples down here, then?" Matt pressed.
"Not that I know of," she replied. Matt grimaced, clearly unhappy, and started to turn to Nathan. "I could ask Sgt. Davis?" She turned back to the group of soldiers milling around, some had been watching the proceedings with mild interest. "Hey, Don! Come here a minute!" she called to one of the stockier men.
Sgt. Jon Davis strode to the trio with a slightly curious look on his face. "Can I help you with something, Senator?" he asked, glancing from Rachel to Nathan to Matt, who was also sizing up Davis out of reflex, as the man was probably as strong as he was, plus he had more combat training than Matt's police training.
"Yes, Sergeant," Nathan replied. "I understood that there was a handful of vials brought down here earlier, is that correct?"
"Yes sir, if that is what was in the case Ms. Strauss brought them down earlier," he replied. "I'm not sure where she put them, though."
A sideways glance between Nathan and Matt was all it took for the telepath to do a quick scan. He shook his head.
Before Nathan could inquire further, Hanover jumped in.
"What the hell's goin' on here, Senator?" he yelled. "We were told we were going to be given some drug to make us 'super-soldiers' or something, but you keep us locked up down here, bring in civilians, have us lock up a guy who can throw fire and --"
"Stand down, Hanover!" Davis yelled. "That is an order!"
Hanover started to protest, but Davis snorted and the kid backed off.
"I'm sorry about that, Senator," he apologized. "The recruits are getting a little antsy from all this waiting and--"
"--and the damage is already done," Matt finished, looking around the room. Bored faces were now anxious with curiosity at Hanover's outburst.
Nathan followed Matt's gaze and didn't have to be telepathic to feel the sudden change in demeanor among the assembled soldiers.
Hanover realized this, too, and decided to take the opportunity to rile his compatriots up. "That's right!" he yelled to his fellow recruits. "That guy we took down to the brig? Yeah, there are holding cells down here! That guy we locked up can throw fire! He almost killed me," he exclaimed, then pointed at Matt. "And this guy, he shrugs it off and puts him to sleep with a few words!"
The soldiers were taking this in and throwing worried glances at each other. Ryan was loving it, being the center of attention.
"Hanover! Stand down!" Davis yelled again. "This is insubordination!"
Ryan ignored his commanding officer and continued. "Now they want to pump some unknown drugs into us!" he yelled and turned to Nathan. "What happened to Scott? You took him up hours ago and we haven't heard anything from him since!"
Nathan held up his hands in defense. "I can explain--" he began, but was shouted down by a growing number of soldiers asking what was going on.
"Stand down!" Davis yelled. "All of you! That's an order!" The soldiers, however, were letting their fears run rampant and ignored their CO, who continued to shout them down.
Nathan turned to Matt. "Can't you do something? Calm them down, somehow?" he asked as quietly as he could.
Matt was already concentrating. "I'm trying, but it doesn't seem to be working! I never tried to push a group this large before, much less this strong-willed!" He could already taste a hint of copper from the blood beginning to trickle out his nose.
"Keep trying!" Nathan whispered as he pulled his friend back toward the exit.
"Both of you, get out of here!" Rachel pleaded, pushing them both toward the door. "We'll let you know when things calm down!"
Matt kept pushing, trying to exert a calming influence over the agitated men, but to no avail. He thought he bumped into something as he stepped backward, but a quick glance revealed nothing, or no one, there. As the pair backed down the hall, the group seemed to quiet down and all they could hear was Davis shouting orders.
"This is not good, Parkman," Nathan said.
"You're telling me," Matt scoffed as he dabbed the blood from his upper lip. He looked back to the doors they had just come from and saw Mills and Davis were pressed against the doors, unable to get free. "If we don't do something now, those two will be crushed."
"I'm open to suggestions, Parkman," Nathan replied.
"We open the doors, pull our two friendly soldiers out and try to keep the rest in," Matt suggested. "Sound good to you?"
Nathan nodded and the two approached the doors. Acting quickly, Matt sent a mental whisper to the pair to 'act fast' as he and Nathan pulled the doors open slightly and pulled them free, slamming the doors closed on the angered members of the squad.
"Thanks, guys," Davis gasped as he picked himself up after tripping over Rachel when they tumbled out. "It's almost like they were possessed or something?"
Matt glanced to Rachel, who had a sudden look of horror on her face, then Nathan, who returned his questioning gaze.
"Sergeant," Nathan began, "Are you sure Ms. Straus didn't inject anyone with that serum? Did she pull anyone aside, even for a few moments that you noticed?"
"Not that I saw, Senator," he replied, still shaken.
"We need to get upstairs and find the rest of that Formula," Matt said as he headed down the hall. "We can ask Tracy where she put the damn stuff!"
Nathan took one last look back at the angry crowd through the doors, then followed his friend. Rachel did the same as Davis brought up the rear.
-
"Waiting for these test results is so BORING!" Daphne moaned again. Ando nodded in agreement.
"Why don't you do a little recon and stretch your legs, then?" Peter suggested, even though he was just as bored watching Mohinder stare at his blood and computer screens.
"Are you sure?" she asked.
"Yeah, Nathan and Matt should be back any time," he replied. "You could look for them while you're gone."
"Then who's going to protect us?" Ando asked.
"Perfect excuse to recon, then, huh?" she smiled and immediately disappeared in a gust of wind.
Peter chuckled at Ando, who sat there, frowning.
Daphne figured the best place to start was checking on Tracy, to see if she was still where they had left her. She found an empty office room.
"Uh-oh," she said and immediately began searching the other offices in that hallway, making her way back to Arthur's personal office. What she saw made her pause long enough to be spotted by the room's lone occupant.
Tracy Strauss was again reaching into the safe she had frozen and shattered open when she felt a gust of wind at her back. She turned and smiled. "Miss Millbrook," she greeted the young speedster. "I would have thought you had left by now? Run off to steal another fortune, elsewhere?"
Daphne noticed the dead soldier and blood-stained carpet. What happened here? she thought as she put on her best brave face. "Yeah, well, I heard old man Petrelli had some expensive tastes. Thought I could pawn something and get some spending cash," she lied. She started mentally screaming for Matt, hoping he could find them as fast as he could.
Tracy chuckled. "I don't think so, small fry."
Daphne gulped and started to back out of the room, but found herself suddenly slipping and landed on the now- frozen carpet.
"I'm learning to enjoy my power," Tracy said, slowly walking toward the younger blonde, extending her hand. "I'm realizing all the potential in it, and what I can do with it," she smiled, sending chills down Daphne's spine as she struggled to get up.
"Don't touch her, you frigid bitch!"
Tracy froze inches from touching Daphne and looked up into the doorway. Matt and Nathan were standing there looking seriously pissed off.
Daphne chanced turning to see who it was and smiled when she saw Matt. "My hero," she whispered, smiling.
"Let me leave peacefully or she gets iced," Tracy threatened the two men.
"Already cracking the ice jokes?" Matt asked, nonplussed.
Tracy twisted her lip in disgust at his pun.
Daphne rolled her eyes. My hero, she thought at him sarcastically.
"Back off, Tracy," Nathan warned her.
"Or what? Gonna have your fat friend here give me another nap? I don't think so," she replied.
Matt frowned. He had enough 'fat cop' jokes to last him a lifetime, but threatening his future wife? (keep them fingers crossed, Parkman!) Not gonna happen. He reached out, mentally.
Tracy suddenly stumbled back, losing her balance as she fell.
"Where's the Formula, Tracy?" Matt demanded.
Tracy answered as if she was in a haze. "Took it. Injected Scott. Arthur has rest." Then she dropped unconscious.
Nathan stepped over to her as Matt helped Daphne to her feet.
"So we don't know where the Formula went, is that it?" Nathan asked Matt over his shoulder as he checked out Tracy was okay.
"Shouldn't be too hard to find it," Matt replied as Daphne hugged him. "You're the boss now, if your dad is dead, right?"
"Arthur's dead?" Daphne piped up.
Nathan stood, glanced at her, then at the red stain on the carpet. "Yeah," he said, somberly. He looked at Scott's body. "We need to lock this place down, take care of Scott, then see about finding those vials."
"I don't suppose this place has a morgue, too?" Matt asked.
Nathan thought for a second. "We had one test subject that died. Mohinder would know what to do with the body for now."
Matt was aghast as Nathan brushed past him out the door. "Wait, you're serious?"
The couple followed Nathan back to Suresh's lab, where Mills and Davis had already arrived to wait for them. Nathan waved them down as the pair snapped to attention. He apologized to them, explaining what had happened to their comrade, then asked Mohinder about storing the body, asking Davis and Matt to retrieve it.
By the time Matt returned to the office, Tracy was already gone. Matt telepathically alerted Nathan then he, Davis, Peter, and Daphne did a quick sweep of the building, but found no sign of her.
When they had finally gotten Scott's body to the lab freezer, Nathan offered his condolences to Davis.
"That's okay, Senator," he replied. "I barely knew the guy, but he was a bit of an asshole." Nathan raised his eyebrow at this. "Too eager to fight, like he had something to prove," he explained. "Dangerous attitude in a combat situation for a kid like him."
"I talked to him briefly, earlier," Nathan said. "He said his unit was killed, wished he had been stronger, faster. He could have saved them."
Davis nodded. "There's a lot of guys who served that feel that way. Survivor's guilt."
Nathan nodded. "I know. I was a Navy pilot, Afghanistan."
Peter walked up to the men, interrupting them. "Mohinder's ready if you are."
Nathan looked at his brother. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
"We have to save Hiro Nakamura, don't we?"
Nathan sighed and nodded. "As long as he doesn't call me 'Flying Man' again," he joked.
The brothers turned to leave, as Davis shrugged off the comment as being an inside joke between them and this Nakamura who they had to rescue.
Mohinder was preparing the vials for injection, when he realized the two soldiers were still present. He turned to Nathan. "Are you sure you want them to see this?" he asked quietly.
"Matt says she might be one of us, and Davis needs to know what we're doing at some point," he assured the geneticist.
"Well then," Suresh acknowledged, turning to Ando. "Are you ready to try and save your friend?"
Ando nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be." He rolled up his sleeve as the two soldiers looked on with interest.
Mohinder injected the Formula into Ando's arm and they waited. Nathan and Mohinder were expecting him to seize up like Scott and Peter had, but nothing happened after a few tense seconds.
"How do you feel?" Suresh asked.
Ando flexed his arms, feeling a tingling sensation race through them. "Fine. In fact I--" He promptly collapsed.
Peter was standing beside him, so neither soldier realized he had moved faster than he should have to catch the man.
"Lower him slowly," Mohinder cautioned as Peter let the man sink to the floor.
Ando woke with a start as water was splashed on his face. He sat up to see Peter on one side with a glass beaker and Mohinder checking his pulse on the other.
"Did it work?" he asked.
"How do you feel, now?" Mohinder asked again.
Ando flexed his arms again. "I feel...good. Did it work?"
"Well, we know you can faint," Daphne chimed in. Matt stifled a snort as Nathan rolled his eyes. Rachel and Davis looked on in confusion from a distance.
Matt gave Mills a quick glance, picking up her stray thought. Is that what happened to me? Did mom...?
Peter and Mohinder helped Ando to his feet. "Do you think you can travel, now?" Peter asked.
"I don't know, let me try," he said and shut his eyes in concentration.
"Doesn't he squint more when he does that?" Daphne offered.
"You are right, Nemesis," Ando replied and tried squeezing his eyes.
"Too hard, just squint lightly," she offered again.
Matt and Ando gave her curious looks before Ando tried again, concentrating.
"Nothing," he said, giving up. He slapped the counter.
Red sparks erupted from his hand. The group stared in amazement.
"What the hell?" Davis said in confusion. Rachel looked on in astonishment.
Ando repeated hitting the counter. More sparks.
"What is that, electricity?" Matt asked, laying a hand on Ando's shoulder for a better look. He suddenly shouted in pain, dropping to his knees and clutching his head. Peter did likewise.
Nathan went to his brother as Mohinder went to check Matt.
"What did you do to him?" Daphne demanded, punching him in the arm. She disappeared in a flash of red sparks.
"What the HELL is going on, here?" Davis demanded.
Mohinder helped Matt up onto one stool as Nathan did the same with Peter.
"It felt like my mind exploded, I could hear everyone's thoughts, all at once," Matt explained, rubbing his head.
"I think I caught some of your backlash, Matt," Peter agreed as he rubbed his own head.
"So where did blondie go?" Rachel asked.
"Over here," Daphne replied, walking back into the room. "I hit him, then found myself out in the hall, somehow?"
"Teleported?" Nathan asked. Rachel gasped at the mention. Matt cast a curious look at her, but didn't say anything.
"No, I could hear myself shout from in here," Daphne countered. "It was like I was...I dunno, thrown back in time a few seconds?"
"What?" Nathan asked.
"I heard myself shout at Ando again, when I found myself out in the hall."
The men looked at each other.
"Time travel."
They looked at Matt. He shrugged.
"He sped up Daphne so she traveled back in time a few seconds," he explained. "Think about it, I touched him, my mind goes kablooey. She touches him, she travels back in time a few seconds."
"Oh my god," Mohinder said, staring at Matt. "He's right."
"When did you get so Einstein, Einstein?" Daphne teased.
"Science class," Matt shrugged again. "I paid attention in school. Mostly."
"Einstein's theory proven fact!" Mohinder exclaimed. "We can go back and save Hiro, now!"
"We can?!" Ando asked.
"Yes," Suresh continued. "If you can accelerate Daphne, here, back to the proper time, you can save your friend and hopefully return to the proper time." He went on to explain the basic idea to the pair as the others looked on. When he was sure they understood, he asked if they were ready.
Ando nodded. "Hiro would do it for me!" he exclaimed, remembering the bleak future the pair had once visited in which he had died in the Kirby Plaza explosion.
Matt pulled Daphne aside for a moment. "Are you sure you can do this?" he asked.
She smiled at him. "Don't worry so much, we'll be back before you know it." She gave him a quick kiss.
He smiled and nodded. "Fine. Go. Be the good guy--girl. Whatever." Just come back to me, he added to her alone.
She stepped to Ando. "Ready, Nemesis?"
"Will you please stop calling me that? I have a name!"
Ando winced. "Sorry...Daphne."
"Much better!" She grabbed his hand and they disappeared in a shower of red sparks. Matt started toward them, but they were already gone.
Sgt. Davis just sat in the corner and took all this in, still not believing what he was seeing.
Rachel shied away, but caught Matt's eye. He could tell she didn't like what was happening, but still couldn't bring herself to tell him what she was hiding.
-
All Ando could see was blurs of light and a fury of red sparks. He had to trust to Daphne that she could see where (when?) they were and when to stop.
He felt what he thought was her stumble, and suddenly Hiro was with them. He looked surprised, then smiled at his friend, who was confused about what had just happened.
Everything went dark.
It took them a moment to adjust to the fact they were no longer moving, much less they were outside at night.
Ando looked around. He could tell they were in a parking lot, but not much else. "Where?"
"Pinehearst," she gasped, pointing to the sign. "I think we're back when and where we belong," she said.
"What did you do?" Hiro yelled. "I had it! I could have destroyed the Formula for good!"
"I don't think so, Pikachu."
The trio turned to see Tracy striding up to them, two torn papers in one hand.
"The Formula!" Hiro exclaimed.
"And it's all mine," she said and raised her hand toward him.
Then she had a stunned look on her face and fell down, empty handed.
"No one calls him Pikachu except me!" Daphne announced, handing the papers to Hiro.
"Thank you, Nemesis!" Hiro said as he began to rip the papers to bits.
"Her name is Daphne," Ando announced to his friend, smiling at her.
"Get out of my way!" Tracy yelled, trying to grab some of the shredded paper as a red sports car came screeching up, Knox at the wheel.
Daphne grabbed the two men and pulled them out of the way, her wake scattering the remaining shreds. Tracy grasped at them again, but realized it was a futile effort and threw her hands up in defeat.
"Yo! We getting out of here or what?" Knox called to her.
She threw a scowl at the trio, then hopped in her car and Knox raced off into the night.
"Looks like mission accomplished, boys!" Daphne said as she strode back into the building, the two friends following.
As he drove away, Knox asked, "Did you get what you were supposed to get?"
Tracy pulled another folded paper from her cleavage. "Do you think I'm stupid? I made copies!"
"Did you get any of that Formula, just in case?" he asked.
She reached in her blouse again, pulling out a vial and small jump drive. He raised an eyebrow. "The other spot was full," she teased.
He smiled and floored it down the interstate.
-
"So the big question is, how long do we wait until we know if they succeeded?" Peter asked.
"They just left!" Matt exclaimed. "This isn't an exact science, she might have overshot the return trip!"
"Or overshot their destination, and are now lost in time, too," Nathan countered.
Matt glared at him. He pointed his finger. "Don't. Start."
"Don't start what?" Daphne asked, waltzing back into the room. "Celebrating?"
The group turned to see she was being followed by both Japanese men.
"Hiro! You made it!" Peter exclaimed.
"Welcome back, Mr. Nakamura!" Nathan smiled, offering his hand as Matt hugged Daphne.
She kissed him. "Miss me?"
"It seemed like forever," he replied, kissing her back.
"How long were we gone?" she asked.
"Barely a minute, by my clock," Mohinder offered. The couple turned to him and rolled their eyes.
Ando spoke up. "We saw Tracy Strauss leaving with a black man," he said.
"She tried to take the Formula, but we took it back and I ripped it up! It is gone forever!" Hiro proclaimed, puffing out his chest.
"Whattya mean we, Hiro?" Daphne asked, teasing him. She turned to Nathan, "Yeah, Tracy took off with Knox, I think. I didn't get a good look at her driver," she explained. "I thought it best to get the boys back inside and check with you before anything else happened."
"Just what, exactly, did happen?" Sgt. Davis spoke up.
Hiro jumped in surprise, not having noticed the man before.
Matt and Nathan shared a look. "That's a long story, Sergeant, and the reason you were recruited here."
"Care to explain, Senator?"
Nathan sighed. "Well, let's find a conference room and go sit down, it's a long story."
T~b~c~___________
Next: confessions and contemplations....