Chapter 3

Peter Petrelli couldn't stop thinking about anything else but the images he saw earlier: an absolute stranger approached him, warning him about a future where everyone was being hunted, whether you had abilities or not. Aside of the tormenting thoughts he had, there was another constant thought: The words a stranger had told a few nights before:

"How many times are you going to let it happen?"

"The assassination attempt on your brother. Because believe me when I tell you, this is just the beginning."

"It means your brother's worst fears will come true: we are going to be chased, locked away, and executed. Let me show you."

Then, he was given a terrifying gift: memories, pictures of a world in agony where people were chased, killed by walking metallic skeletons with bloody red eyes, crushing the corpses as they kept running after all humans matching the words the stranger had said to him earlier when he tried to read the stranger's mind:

"No peeking Peter: you won't like what's inside."

It didn't matter: it was a horrifying truth he slowly began uncovering with his drawings. Sat at the couch, he looked at the room where he was standing, was already full of papers with drawings with the same context as the memories of the Stranger: flames, wreckage, cryptic symbols he couldn't recognize, dead bodies, walking metallic skeleton. Peter knew the stranger was telling the truth.

"You're starting to know, aren't you?" – Suddenly Peter realized, he was sharing the room with the Stranger. – "You know the thoughts I gave you, are real."

Peter got up and already invested in the subject, Peter wondered if the Stranger had any plans. - "Yes…What will happen? What can I do to stop it? "

The stranger avoided Peter's question, asking for Peter's patience. – "There are others who need to know the truth."

"Who?"

"Matt Parkman, Maya Ramirez, Micah Hawkins and Claire Bennet." –

While the others didn't mean anything, Matt and Claire were familiar names. - "Claire? Matt? What do they have to do with this?"

"They are like us, people with abilities."

The vague answer didn't offer any peace of mind to Peter who wanted to know more about the incoming future. Instead of revealing more, The Stranger took out of his coat: four photos which he put on the table, one of Claire, one of Matt, one of Micah and last one of Maya, all for Peter to see.

"We need them Peter: Four of us, four destinations."

One by one, Peter grabbed the photos, taking each one, a second to view. The Stranger put his arm on Peter's shoulder. – "We should go now."

The sentence had an obvious intention: Peter realized the Strange wanted him to teleport to get the four individuals and Peter acted accordingly.

He looked at Claire's photo and closed his eyes, focusing on her: suddenly he opened his eyes and there she was, standing at his front.

Popping up so abruptly scared Claire but she was happy to see Peter again: however the stranger who had previously met her, was also there making Claire unease.

"Peter…what is he doing here?"

"Relax Claire, he's here to help us: he's going to explain everything. Please, you have to come with us."

After a few moments of hesitation, Reluctantly Claire grabbed Peter's hand and all three teleported out of there, for their next destination: Matt Parkman.

Popping up in Philadelphia, they were in same room as Matt who was watching his father, lat don in bed, in a profound coma.

Their sudden appearance surprised Matt: he recognized both Claire and Peter but Matt also recognized the Stranger, the same Stranger who put in his mid, the horrific images of a reality far too dark to be expressed in words.

"Is this a trick?" – Matt wasn't even sure Peter and Claire were real: in this mind the Stranger was a real powerful telepath and he could pull off a stunt like that.

"We're real Matt and you need to come with us."

"Why?"

Peter stepped forward, trying to convince Matt. - "Because there's a future which needs to be saved: I have seen it."

He looked at each one of them and his eyes fixed on Claire: if she was real, then he could read her mind and so he did and he was convinced. Without realizing Matt had read her mind while Claire tried to help Peter. -"I trust Peter. There's nothing else to say except I want to know also what will happen to us, to everything."

Assured with everything being true, he was still cautious while approaching Peter and Claire. – "I'm in."

The group, having then, four elements, went to pick up Maya who was then, at Mohinder's apartment, in New York City.

They appeared right in the middle of the small living room, scaring Maya who was putting the dishes for dinner. She yelled, catching Mohinder's attention who immediately ran, coming for Maya's aid. Once he arrived at the room, he was stunned to see the group.

"Peter? Matt? Claire? Who is this? What's going on?" – Unease, the last person Mohinder glared at, was the Stranger.

"We've met back at the cemetery." – Maya declared, looking at the Stranger.

The stranger extended his hand. - "It's time, Maya. It's time to live your life without fear, without looking over your shoulder. Come with us."

Quietly, Maya took the Stranger's hand in a sign of accepting his invitation.

Still uncomfortable, Mohinder was worried about Maya: he couldn't let her go alone with that Stranger, in spite of Matt, Peter and Claire's presence. - "I'm going with you."

"You aren't a part of us, Mohinder." – The Stranger quickly declared, making no doubt, Mohinder wasn't welcomed.

"What?"

"This doesn't concern you." – The Stranger replied, categorically. – "Peter…"

Instantly, the group vanished with Maya leaving Mohinder all alone: the group had to make a final stop, Micah Hawkins in New Orleans.

In New Orleans, Micah was on his bed, reading the last comic book his father had bought for him: it was the only companion he felt, abstracting himself from the cruel world which took his parents.

Suddenly, in front of him, appeared a group of five people: He recognized the police officer, Matt Parkman, the blonde teenager, Claire, the one time glowing man, Peter and finally the Stranger.

"Micah…"

Before the Stranger continued, Matt stepped between the Stranger and Micah. - "What does he have to do with this? With us?"

The Stranger noticed Matt's attempt to protect Micah: baffled, he asked. – "It matters to all of us, people with abilities. I've given you a sneak peek of the shape of things to come. Your lack of faith baffles me, Matt. What can I do to earn your trust?"

"It would help us if you show us your face."- Matt replied, still suspicious about the stranger.

"My face won't matter when you see the future I want to fight." – The stranger replied.

"And what future is this?" -

"Peter here has the ability to time travel. We are all going to see what the future has in store for us." – The stranger looked at Peter, expectant, extending his hand to Peter. – "Peter, take us to where you had your latest vision…"

Slowly, Peter grabbed the stranger's hand and extended his hand to Matt who reluctantly grabbed Peter's hand: Soon, Maya, Micah and Claire followed Matt and grabbed each others hands, forming a circle among the six of them. Peter closed his eyes and an image appeared in his mind, most probably a courtesy of his latest vision he had about the future: Peter focused on that image and suddenly there they were.

Where? It was New York City and the when was different…The sunny day they were presented way earlier had been replaced by the tempestuous day they were facing then: the darkness was present everywhere in every avenue, in every street, in every corner. The majestic skyscrapers were replaced by ruins, debris: there was no signs of life and the only noise they could hear, was the howling wind interrupted occasionally by a few blasts they could see along the scenery.

"This is New York, 2032. Welcome to the future." – Peter, Matt, Micah, Maya and Claire noticed the irony in the stranger's voice, looking at the desolating landscape of death and destruction, surpassing any possible expectation they might have about the future.

"How this happened?" – Peter's question was in everyone's mind.

"Sheesh…Follow me." – The stranger lowered the tone of his voice and the rest of the group followed the stranger to a compartment where they could hide. The wind was strong and noisy but something else began to overcome the wind's noise and suddenly, a jet appeared, searching for any life form while the stranger signalled the rest of group to keep themselves quiet. They had to wait a few moments until the jet was gone to get out of lair.

"What was that?"

"A Hunter-Killer, SkyNet's courtesy." – The stranger declared flatly.

"What Happened? What is SkyNet?"

"Here's my story…Nathan Petrelli announced to the world, the existence of people with extraordinary abilities, who some believe to be the next step in the human evolution.

A few months later, The United States Congress approves the Registration Act: anyone with special abilities has the obligation to communicate those abilities to Homeland Security. A computer program called SkyNet is programmed to monitor these civilians and acting accordingly to the level of threat. People like begin to be persecuted, hunted and Martial Law is implemented.

Then Judgment Day… April 21st 2011: SkyNet goes out of control and launches a nuclear attack upon the major cities worldwide. 5 billion lives are lost in that day. Now you have history and the sight."

"Wait a minute…" – Peter spoke, still processing the entire scenario. - "My brother Nathan was shot and he never announced the existence of people like us."

"Yes, it's true…" – The Stranger agreed but the landscape was telling them otherwise. - "This just proves my point, it's inevitable." – The Stranger concluded. – "They are going to learn about our existence soon or later and they will hunt us down, there will be no place to hide, we will lose our family, our friends… everything."

"This Skynet, it's the thing that destroys the world?"

"Yes because the others were jealous of us and got scared of us. They created Skynet and Skynet went out of control. Then it considered everyone as enemy: people like us and the others, the normal people. Skynet didn't make a distinction, it didn't matter anymore; all it did, was killing us, day after day, week after week, year after year."

Peter, Matt, Claire, Micah and Maya kept looking at the desolating landscape, overwhelmed: it's far too depressing just to stand there and do nothing.

"What can we do stop it?" – Matt asked, no longer caring about his suspicions concerning the Stranger.

"Work with me: Together we'll fight this future, we'll stop the machines from ever happening, and we'll make sure everything will change."

One by one, Peter, Micah, Maya, Claire and Matt were overwhelmed and once they all agreed: Paying close attention to each one of them, the Stranger knew he had earned their trust: there was no point staying for much longer. They had seen it, they experienced for minutes what he had experienced for decades. - "Peter…"

"Yeah?…"

"Take us back." – Again, everyone hold each other hands, forming a perfect circle waiting for Peter to make his move. They closed their eyes and after a few moments, they were back at the present, returning the majestic skyscrapers, the streets filled with life and the certainty to change things forever.

The Stranger looked at each one of them: he could see how shaken everyone was, how deeply disturbed they were but what they experienced for some minutes, he experienced for most of his life. Nevertheless, there was time to stop it. - "You've witnessed it: you know the shape of things to come. Let me warn you: Things will get worse before they get better. Tell me, can I count on you to stop it, to stop Judgement Day? "

Looking at each one, everyone was certain in stopping what they had just seen minutes ago. – "Good."

"So what are we going to do now?"

"We wait for Peter here."

"What? – Peter looked at the Stranger while everyone else was looking at him wondering what was going on.

"There's something I need you to do."

"What is it?"

"There's someone who needs your help."

"Who?" – The stranger didn't reply Peter's question: Instead he showed Peter, a photo. It presented a blond woman with icy blue eyes, blond hair, showing a wide smile, her arms around a man which Peter recognized immediately. – "It's me…" – Peter contemplated the photo once again just to see if his eyes were deceiving him but no, it was apparently real. – "Who is she?"

The natural answers popped up but the stranger refused to give Peter any straight answers. - "You have the power to find this woman: She's important to our fight."

"She has abilities like us?"

"Yes but mostly her knowledge is important to us."

"Why?"

The Stranger ignored Peter's question. - "We'll need her. You'll need her. She needs you."

The message, the answers the stranger was giving him were cryptic at best. - "What's that suppose to mean?"

"Her name is Kara. Bring her back Peter. That's all."

Peter looked at the photo, focusing his attention on that woman who had such an amazing smile, wondering who she was: seeing himself in that photo, he asked himself what were the possibilities.

"A tasteless joke? A manipulated photo? A likely future? If it was the future, were they friends? More than Friends? Lovers?"

Too many questions and yet no answers: perhaps that blonde woman he could see in that picture could give him some answers: seeing the future like he did and believing in the Stranger's affirmation, Peter didn't have second thoughts. He closed his eyes, focusing his thoughts on her, the icy blue eyes, the bright blond hair, the soft smile: it didn't take long and soon he was elsewhere.

Suddenly the wind began hitting him baldly: Opening his eyes, Peter faced a strange and hostile land, a desert with shades of grey, two suns lighting up the sky: he didn't need to be a genus in astronomy to know he wasn't on Earth anymore. Immediately he covered his face with his jacket as best as he could, looking in very direction trying to find a reference point to guide him but nothing: it was lifeless unlike anything he had ever seen in his life instead something else caught his attention: screams.

He turned around to see someone being attacked by a pair of dark presences, floating around a woman with blond hair: It didn't take too long for Peter to know who that woman was and immediately he ran to her aid.

"KARA!"

To be continued…