Chapter 2:
"…Businessmen, they drink my wine, plowmen dig my earth,
None of them along the line know what any of it is worth."
Bob Dylan – All Along the Watchtower
May 2008:
The news was all over the news channels: a former politician had been shot during a press conference. Her eyes filled with tears began scrolling down her cheeks due to shock of seeing those images. What troubled her most was the fact the man who had been shot was her own son, Nathan Petrelli and yet she knew it was going to happen and did nothing to stop it. In fact, she had approved such action.
Her cell phone rang: it was the stranger who had contacted her previously, telling her the truth of a dark and disturbing future which needed to be prevented whatever the cost was.
"It is done. I have no pleasure in doing this but you know it's necessary."
Angela heard the words knowing he was right by stopping Nathan to tell the world about people with abilities in spite of her broken heart telling her otherwise. - "I know, it was unavoidable. You do know now you've opened Pandora's Box…"
Abruptly, Angela hung up the connection leaving the stranger in its own thoughts. – "Businessmen, they drink my wine and now plowmen will dig my earth."
Odessa, Texas:
Another night but the same constant worry, as he watched his brother fighting to live another day. He remembered like if it was yesterday: After destroying the virus, he and his brother along with Matt called the press to announce to the entire world, the existence of people with extraordinary abilities. They were tired of suffering for the sins of their fathers.
When everything was about to set in motion, something awful happened: Nathan was shot, twice, in his chest, surprising everyone. Nathan fell in his arms as he desperately called for him, frantically hoping for a reply from his brother but nothing.
Immediately the police evacuated the location: the reporters were evacuated and seeing his brother losing his life, he knew he had to get his brother out of there and go to the nearest hospital.
"Matt, tell them to back off!" – Peter's demand was promptly executed by Matt, adding his personal touch.
"There's nothing here to see. Let's go people, everything out!" – Matt spoke inside their minds, breaking their will and forcing them to go away.
Meanwhile, carrying Nathan in his arms, Peter used his power and opened the nearest window: Seeing the empty room, he flew out of there with his brother to the nearest hospital where he landed at the main entrance.
"HELP! HELP!" – Peter screamed energetically when he entered inside, grabbing the hospital's staff attention: Immediately Nathan was carried on a stretcher and sent to the surgery. Peter wanted to follow but he was quickly stopped by nurse.
"You're not allowed to come in: only medical staff is." – His brother's condition was is top priority and there he stayed waiting for news. Moments became minutes and minutes became hours and no one could tell him how his brother was: In the mist of sadness and angst, something else got his attention.
"Peter…" – He heard a voice calling for him and it continued. – "Peter…Peter…"
Attracted to the voice, he walked in the apparent direction the voice had and followed it, crossing corridors, climbing down stairs until he reached its source: an abandoned room in the basement where a cloaked individual was calling him.
"Peter…"
The stranger's appearance didn't inspire any trust in Peter. - "Who are you?" – He asked, keeping a safe distance.
"No reason to get excited…" – The individual tried to calm Peter.
Since Peter didn't get an answer, he tried to read the individual's mind but surprisingly, he was blocked and advised by the individual.
"No peeking Peter: you won't like what's inside."
"How do you know my name? What is that you want?" – Nevertheless Peter demanded an answer.
"How's your brother Peter?"
Peter looked oddly at the person, wondering why the individual was asking such question and quickly the individual insisted. – "How many times are you going to let it happen?"
"What?"
"Letting your loved ones suffer: Because believe me when I tell you, this is just the beginning."
The affirmation looked more like a threat than anything else. - "What do you mean? What did you have to do with this?"
The answer was anything but pleasant. - "It means your brother's worst fears will come true: we are going to be chased, locked away, and executed. Let me show you."
The individual extended its hand and patiently waited: Peter was covered in doubt and confusion. Immediately, his brain was invaded by a series of thoughts which had only thing in common: total destruction… everything he knew was shattered, in ruins. Gigantic machines killing everything in its path, metallic skeletons walking around through the debris with laser guns in its mission of seek and destroy…the images, the thoughts tormented his mind terribly.
"I can't get no relief."
A cemetery somewhere in New York:
It took time but eventually she found her dead brother: Maya had been travelling to the United States with her brother to find a way to stop her abilities to find some sort of cure, in her perspective of things. Her journey had been rough, difficult and tragic. Her brother, Alessandro was killed by Sylar, a psychotic man who wanted all abilities, including hers. Fortunately she survived and looked for the corpse of her dead brother to give him a proper burial, showing him, her final respect.
Being in a foreigner land with no relatives and no friends, she was almost alone on her brother's funeral: with her, there was Mohinder Suresh, the scientist who has going to find a cure for her.
The rituals had ended and Mohinder tried to comfort Maya one more time. – "Let's go home. I'll make a cup of tea."
"I want to stay a little longer." – Maya replied, still much embraced in her sorrow. Mohinder understood Maya and didn't insist.
"Okay…I'll get the car." – Mohinder walked away leaving Maya all alone, contemplating her brother's grave.
"Maya…" – She heard a voice calling for her and it continued. – "Maya…Maya…"
The calling was far too attractive to be ignored: Fascinated and curious, Maya followed the voice, looking in every direction until she spotted someone who looked like a monk near a tree, eating an apple: the face was hidden and cautiously, she walked in his direction until she stopped about five to six steps away from the monk, in a safety distance. - "Who are you?"
"It hurts, doesn't it? It seems it wasn't worth it. The thousands of miles you travelled, always running away from those who feared you: Alone, isolated, no one to love and all to hate."
Somehow Maya felt identified with that stranger's words but there too many questions in her mind about that individual. – "You haven't answered my question."
"I'm the one who holds the key to the future. I'm the one who can stop people from hunting people like you. How many times did you run away just because you're different? I know you want to live your life like any other but I'll tell you: They won't let you."
The speech was somewhat cryptic for Maya, no matter how identified she was by hearing those words. - "They who?"
"You know those who I speak of…the others, the common people. They are afraid of you and so they will chase you, forcing you to live like a rat, always hiding, always on the run, with no home. You know what I'm talking about, don't know Maya?" – The stranger's words echoed in Maya's mind, forcing her to remember the last few months of uncertainty, fear and desolation, people hunting her.
The stranger noticed Maya's inner struggle, her self recognisance of her life and took advantage. – "But all that can change…the fear, the inquisition, the hunt…"
"How?" – Maya was suddenly interested into hear what that stranger had to say.
"Follow me. Save what it can still be saved. Your life, your friends, the world…"
A sudden headache hit her with a strong presence of a single gold, pointing the direction she had to follow. -"I can't get no relief…"
New Orleans
Late night and he couldn't get any sleep: earlier in the day, it occurred his mother funeral. He became orphan of mother and father who died a few months earlier, victim of a gunshot. Nikki Sanders and D.L. Hawkins were no longer a part of his life as mother and father: both were gone and he didn't how life was going to be from that point. He was lost.
"I can't get no relief…" – He declared, looking at the stars through the window which was very come to his bed.
"Micah…" - He heard a sudden voice calling for him and it continued. -"Micah…Micah…" - As the voice kept calling him, he became more and more curious: The curiosity too over him and Micah got out of bed, walking out of his bedroom, searching for the voice which attracted him.
The creepy figure scared Micah and he ran away from it but as Micah turned direction, the figure appeared right in front of him.
"Micah,…don't be afraid." – The individual's attempt to calm Micah failed miserably. Micah stepped back, afraid of the stranger's intentions
"I know how it feels to lose someone you love: I've been there, Micah. It shatters your heart, rips off your soul. You feel lost; you don't know where you can turn to. There's a void you can't fill and it seems like you're going to be sucked into that void, staying there forever."
That stranger couldn't describe better the feelings Micah was having: Seeing that stranger more sympathetically, Micah confessed. – "I can't get no relief."
"I know." – The stranger hugged Micah, compassionately. – "But life can offer you a new purpose, to stop things like the things which happened to your parents. Fight for your future Micah. Let me show you the way. Don't let their deaths be in vain."
Psychiatric Hospital, somewhere in Philadelphia:
After the Nathan's attempt of life, Matt Parkman went to the hospital to visit his father for the first time since his father was admitted to that hospital: He was there, in the same room as his father was and the sight before him was leaving him indifferent.
His father had abandoned him at the age of thirteen becoming an absent figure in his life until the day he discovered his father was tormenting Molly and chasing the rest of the living founding members of the Company but the most surprising moment was when he, Matt Parkman, discovered that his father was one of the founding members. Matt saw him then, in completely different way:
"Such a wasted talent: If only he was pointed in the right direction." – Matt turned around, surprised how anyone could come so close without being detected: the face was covered, hiding its identity.
"Who are you?"- Matt stepped back, cautiously.
"Someone who wants to set things right." – The individual's answer didn't satisfy Matt's curiosity or demand and defensibly Matt tried to obtain his answers in a different way.
"Trying to read my mind… Clever but pointless." – The individual stated much to Matt's surprise: the individual stepped forward but Matt stepped back and grabbing his gun.
"Show yourself!" – Matt aimed the gun at the individual but to his surprise, the gun had disappeared right in front of him.
"For how long will you continue to live under your father's shadow?"
"I don't live under my father's shadow!" – Matt shouted energetically.
"You're trying to clean up the mess they made. The Shanti Virus…"
"We're trying to set things right: a new start…" – Matt tried to explain his actions but it didn't convince the stranger.
"And yet you keep paying for your father's sins…and ultimately it will lead to our end."
"And how do you possibly know that?"
Slowly the individual extended his hand to Matt who became baffled with the gesture. – "Grab my hand and you'll know the truth."
Patiently the individual waited: after a few moments of hesitation, Matt lowered his gun and grabbed the stranger's hand. Immediately, a flood of thoughts entered in his mind, of destruction, a nuclear apocalypse where all he knew was destroyed, burned to ashes. The images, the thoughts tormented his mind terribly.
"I can't get no relief…"
Seeing a tormented Matt, the individual stepped back and exited the room, knowing perfectly its mission had just begun. - "None of them along the line know what any of it is worth."
Vale Verde, California:
She waited for him: She was hoping their break-up would be a thing of the pass. Claire and West had met in their high school, learning each other secrets: he could fly and she could heal faster than anyone. They could rely, trust on each other but something torn them apart: she wanted to tell the world about them, their abilities but West dramatically opposed to that idea. It was simple, the truth or him…
They broke up and when she wanted to tell the truth to the world, her adoptive father, Noah Bennet came from the dead, claiming she couldn't tell the truth or the Company would take action.
Without her father and without the possibility to tell the truth, she was going, at least, to apologize to West and hope she could have his friendship, at best.
And so, there she was, standing in front of his house but unaware of what to say or act. Taking the final step was much more difficult than she predicted: Ring at his doorbell or perhaps on another day.
She chose the later and headed back home but she was half way she met West.
"Claire…"
"West…hi…"- She didn't know what to say or do: She was having that chance unexpectedly but before she could make anything, West took the initiative.
"Were you coming from my place?"
"Yeah…" – she confessed, hesitantly. – "I wanted to say I'm sorry and I've changed my mind: I'm not going to tell the world the truth about our abilities. I was still hoping we could be friends."
He approached her, grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently. – "More than friends…" – He smiled and leaned forward: to her surprise, they kissed. A quick kiss but it had a stamp of a make up.
"I love you Claire and I'm glad you respected my point of view and didn't tell the truth. We all have our secrets."
"Thank you for everything: You've always been there for me." – She squeezed his hand and smiled at him.
"I guess it's back to school tomorrow."
"yeah, I almost forgot what that is." – Both smiled at Claire's confession.
"Tomorrow…What time can I pick you up?"
"At 9 A.m."
"Ok." – They kissed each other goodbye. – "Bye."- Claire stayed there quietly watching West walking away: everything was starting to make sense again. She could again hope for a normal life, something she was asking for a long time. When she couldn't see West any longer, she decided to head home.
"We all have our secrets…Cute…"– Suddenly she realized the stranger's presence and defensively she stepped back. - "He won't be there for you forever, you know?"
"Who are you?"
Indifferent to her distrust, the stranger continued. - "He will die Claire, you'll watch him die and there will nothing to do to stop it unless you follow me."
Scared, frightened, Claire ran away from the stranger but to her surprise he appeared right in front of her.
"Running away Claire? That's what you have been doing your whole life." – The stranger mocked Claire, leaving her even more scared.
She stepped back, always keeping a safe distance. - "Who the hell are you?"
"Don't you want West to live? Don't you want to be happy with him?"
A million thoughts burst in her mind and the worst ones came strong. -"You're going to kill him!" – She turned around and headed back, hoping to find West and warn him but once again, the stranger stood between her and West.
"No reason to get excited, I won't kill him but the machines will." – The stranger's statement left her completely confused.
"Machines?"
The stranger extended his hand. – "The secret may have save your life for now but the truth will kill us all: Let me show my world, your future."
Claire hesitated: just when things would go back to normality, there was always something ready to mess up her life.
"You need to know the truth so that we can fight it. Only then you can help West." - The Stranger insisted.
She didn't who that individual was and she had no trust in him but apparently, he was faster and stronger than she was.
"I'm here to stay Claire. Don't run away from the future: face it or the only thing left for you will be pain."
Reluctantly Claire's hand met the stranger's hand and then she saw the horrific images of a ruined future.
"NNNNNOOOOOOOOOO!"
To be continued…