Thanks as always to readers and reviewers! You keep me going!
Previously on Heroes (Storm Clouds Gathering): Phoebe, Claire, and Hiro arrive at Meredith's cabin in Canada, and Phoebe finally meets her sister. Their relationship begins a bit awkwardly, with Meredith inferring that Phoebe is drawn to Peter because Gordon girls are drawn to Petrelli boys. Meanwhile, Peter is beginning to worry about his powers. He nearly has another pass-out episode in the train berth he shares with Nathan, and Nathan begins to think that this is going to be a rough night... Especially when the train begins to shake...
CHAPTER SEVEN
Phoebe was feeling strange by the time the sun set. She felt almost frantic with worry for Peter, for no reason in particular. As the two girls prepared for bed, Claire noticed the look on Phoebe's face. "Phoebe, what's wrong?" she asked, taking her toothbrush and toothpaste out of her bag.
Phoebe looked closely at her niece, who stood there in purple silk pajamas holding a toothbrush and toothpaste. "I don't feel… right," she said, sighing heavily and plopping down on the bed of the guest room. "I feel strange, and--and I'm worried."
"About what?" asked Claire. She quickly corrected herself. "Need I ask?"
Phoebe smiled wryly. "Yes, it's about Peter. I don't feel like me without him here."
Claire smiled and walked into the little guest bathroom. "You should just marry him when we get to Maine," she called brightly.
Phoebe felt herself blushing. "We've only known each other for a few months!"
"So?" Claire's voice was muffled, obviously coming through toothpaste and toothbrush. "You love each other. You now each other so well. And you have this strange connection."
"Strange connection…" Phoebe repeated, frowning. Words and images came to her all of a sudden: Peter and Meredith talking about sisters and brothers, all the gifted being connected in some way, her intense longing for Peter when he was not there… And the way they had met, in her dream. She did not have any sort of dream power. Peter did. How had he reached her, pulled her into his dream, stepped into hers? Claire was right. There was a strange connection between Peter and herself. Destiny, maybe…
Sighing, she fell back on the bed and just sprawled, weariness coming over her, weariness and an odd sense of loss. Sleep crept up on her, and she did not have the strength to fight it. Her dreams were of Peter.
At first, there had been five of them. Now there were three. Roger had simply vanished, and now Tyler had been sent on some mission.
John Shoe sat in the big, dark room with the most talkative of the group and the least talkative of the group. Both men intimidated him for some reason. The blond was always mischievous, restless, and loud, always grinning as if he knew something no one else did. And the darker man, the darker man also smiled. Somehow, his smile was scarier…
"What is it, John?" asked the dark man from the corner, where he sat reading Dante's Inferno.
John shrugged. "It's nothing. I'm fine." He was a bit startled that the dark man had spoken to him. Heck, he didn't even know the man's name.
The dark man chuckled and went back to his book.
John shivered involuntarily.
"Will," the dark man spoke up suddenly.
The blond man stopped pacing, quickly turning to the man in the corner.
"The girl will be alone soon," said the dark-haired man, not looking up from his book. "She'll leave the cabin and take a walk to be alone with her thoughts."
Will frowned for once. "How do you know?"
"A little bird told me," said the dark man, looking up at Will in annoyance. "Now go and snatch her will."
Peter and Nathan met Sasha and Heidi in the hall as they rushed out of their cabin. Other passengers were also spilling into the narrow space.
"Are you alright?" Nathan asked Heidi quietly, tentatively.
She nodded, not meeting his eyes. "I'm fine."
"Sasha?" Peter asked.
"I'm okay," she said with a quick, brave smile. "I'm just wondering what the heck is going on."
"Well so am I," said Nathan. He motioned to the others. "Come on."
They all followed him down the hall, Peter remembering to reach back for Sasha's hand. As soon as he closed his fingers around hers, Sasha gasped.
"What is it?" Peter asked, glancing back at her as he continued to follow Nathan and Heidi.
"Peter, you're sick," said Sasha, frowning worriedly.
"I'll be fine," he insisted. "Hey, Nathan!" he called to his brother. "Where are you taking us?"
"To see the conductor," Nathan replied, glancing back, first at Peter, then at Sasha. "Sasha, what's wrong with him?"
Sasha tightened her grip on Peter's hand. "I don't know. There's just… something wrong. Peter, you should be resting."
"I can't rest when something is--"
BOOM!
The train car shook, and people screamed as they were thrown off balance.
Heidi lost her footing and stumbled, only to be caught by Nathan.
Nathan held his breath, suddenly struck by how right it felt to hold Heidi close. She was warm and feminine and smelled like flowers. For a moment, he just stood there in the crowded hall of the sleeper car, supporting his wife against his chest.
"Let go of me," Heidi told him quietly, looking anywhere but at him.
Nathan sighed, a pang of regret stabbing his heart. "Easy, Heidi. I was just trying to help." He let her go, and she walked around him.
"Come on," she called back to the others. "We need to find out what's going on."
Nathan sighed and looked down, shaking his head.
"Hey Nathan, you okay?"
Nathan looked up into the guileless eyes of his brother. He could not help but smile. Peter was pale and unsteady, and he was asking about Nathan. "I'm fine, Peter," said Nathan. He reached out to take hold of his little brother's shoulder. "You worry about yourself, okay?"
Peter grinned crookedly. "I can't do that, Nathan. That's your job."
The brothers eyed each other steadily for a moment, then grinned at the same time.
"And Peter needs looking after," Sasha spoke up.
"So does Nathan," Peter insisted.
Nathan rolled his eyes. "Come on." And he started down the hallway after his wife.
The small group continued down the hall, even as a voice came over the intercom, ordering everyone to return to their compartments.
The conductor was a short, solid older man with a balding pate and bowlegs. He looked Nathan up and down, then glanced around him to where Peter stood with the two women. "Congressman Petrelli. Well I'll be!" His accent was surprisingly Southern. "You should be back in your bunk where it's safe."
"I'm here to help," Nathan declared, looking for all the world like a hero, Peter thought. "What's going on here?"
The train shook again, and the conductor frowned. "I'm not really sure. I've got some men looking into it, but they can't seem to figger it out. I'm thinkin' it might have summin to do with this storm." As if on cue, lightning flashed outside the window of the engine car. "This weather just ain't right," the conductor intoned sagely, shaking his balding head. "It's cold weather, for heaven's sake."
"So you think the storm is shaking the train?" Peter asked, stepping out from behind Nathan.
"Could be, if the wind's heavy enough." The conductor narrowed his eyes on Peter. "You feelin' well, son?"
Peter nodded. "I'm fine." Then he coughed, earning a sharp glance from his brother. He frowned at Nathan and looked away. By chance, his eyes happened to focus on the window. And just outside it, lightning flashed, for a brief second, illuminating a face. "Hey! There's someone outside the train!" Peter exclaimed, pointing.
"Cain't be my boys," said the conductor. "I wonder what in tarnation's goin' on!"
"You just keep the train going," said Nathan calmly, hands on his hips. "We'll find out what's going on." He nodded to the others. "Come on."
"Hang on, just a second, son," said the conductor, raising a hand. "You're passengers. It's my responsibility to see that you're safe."
"Just trust us," Peter told the man, steadily meeting his eyes. "We can handle things."
The conductor raised an eyebrow. "Who are you people?"
Peter and Nathan glanced at each other, then at Sasha and Heidi. Sasha shrugged, while Heidi just stared blankly at them.
"We're just here to help," Nathan said finally, flashing a diplomatic smile.
The conductor watched them go with a puzzled look on his weathered face.
"Heidi, you stay here with Sasha," said Nathan when they were back in the hallway of the sleeper car, subconsciously taking his wife's hand. "Peter and I are going to take a look outside."
Heidi worked her jaw, her eyes unreadable, then finally, she nodded. "Alright. But… Be careful." She looked away from him, slipping her hand from his. "Take care of Peter, and… Take care of yourself."
"I will," said Nathan quietly. He turned to Peter, who was leaning one shoulder against the wall of the hallway. "Let's change into some warmer clothes and find out what's going on outside."
Peter nodded, dark eyes steady in his pale face. "Let's do it."
When Peter and Nathan stepped outside of the train, they were instantly met by a blast of frigid wind. Peter gasped and took a step backward.
"Careful, Pete." Nathan, standing just behind Peter, lifted a steadying hand to his younger brother's back. "What can you see?"
"Not much," Peter called above the whistling of the wind and the roaring of the train. "It's dark and foggy out here."
"And freezing," Nathan added.
"I think the conductor is slowing down the train," Peter said. He peered out into the darkness, wishing he had acquired some sort of nigh-vision skill from someone. "I don't see what could be causing the train to--"
Thunder boomed, and the train rocked. Peter braced himself against the railing of the platform on which the brothers stood. "What's shaking the train like that?" he called back to Nathan.
Nathan shook his head, frowning. "I don't know. I don't think the wind is strong enough to be doing that."
Peter turned to Nathan with wide eyes. "There's someone else out here, someone who's--" He suddenly grabbed Nathan and jerked him closer to the rail. "Look out!"
Nathan spun, backing against the railing beside Peter, just in time to see a dark figure leap down from the top of the train and onto the platform. "Who are you?" Nathan demanded.
The figure straightened. It was a man, tall and lanky. He looked up and met the eyes of the Petrelli brothers. "I'm the weather," he said with a smile.
"What are you doing to this train?" Peter asked him, stepping forward.
"You must be Peter Petrelli," said the man. "I've heard a lot about you. I'm nearly sick of it, to tell you the truth." He held up his hand and lightning flashed from it, sparkling up into the air. "I was glad when they sent me to stop you. No more Peter Petrelli."
"Who sent you?" Peter asked, taking a defensive stance.
"Not telling," the weather man replied insolently. He raised his other hand, and the wind picked up speed.
"Well come on and fight me, then," said Peter, raising his hands in front of him. Behind him, Nathan groaned.
"I have to take care of this train, first," said the weather man, shrugging nonchalantly. He turned toward the train and extended his arms.
"Your fight is with me," said Peter. "Leave the train alone. There are lots of innocent people on board."
The weather man glanced at Peter over his shoulder. "So?"
"So leave them alone," said Nathan, stepping forward to stand beside his brother.
"Or what?" asked the weather man.
Peter and Nathan glanced at each other. On three, we take him, Peter told his brother telepathically. Then we fly him off the train. Got it?
Nathan nodded ever so slightly.
One.
"Well? Or what?"
Two.
"Cowards," laughed the weather man, turning back to the train.
Three!
Peter and Nathan rushed their enemy, each grabbing one of his arms.
"Hey! What--!?"
The Petrelli brothers took off, launching into flight, dragging the weather man with them. The three men were swept upward into the foggy air by a powerful gust of wind.
"Tell us who you work for!" Peter yelled at the weather man, shaking him as he and Nathan flew above the train, keeping up with it.
The weather man only laughed.
"I don't like this, Pete," Nathan shouted over a loud clap of thunder. "He knows something he's not telling." He reached out and took the weather man by the throat. "You tell us what you're laughing about and who you're working for or we drop you."
Peter's eyes widened, but he said nothing, allowing Nathan to take control of the situation.
"You think I can fall?" the weather man choked out. "Maybe I can't fly like you guys, but the wind will never let me fall."
"Well you can choke," Nathan said through clenched teeth, tightening his fingers.
The weather man managed a laugh. "And you can fry."
"Nathan! Look out!" Peter cried. He gave a hard pull on the weather man, jerking all three men out of the way of a bolt of lightning that narrowly missed Nathan.
"Thanks, man," Nathan called to Peter.
"No problem," said Peter. "I'll just read this guy's mind and get it over with."
"Careful, Pete," Nathan cautioned.
The weather man turned wide eyes to Peter, seeming intimidated for once.
Peter closed his eyes and focused on the lanky villain, searching for his thoughts. For a moment, he achieved success. Who is this guy? He must be just as dangerous as everyone says. Still, he won't be able to stop me from--
Suddenly, an immense weariness washed over Peter. He felt as if he were being torn between his flying power and his mind reading power, as if he would not be able to hang onto both… But he had to! He tried to refocus on the weather man's mind…
"Peter! Pull up!" Nathan's voice called frantically.
Peter could feel himself dropping. He quickly opened his eyes and focused everything he had on flying. "I can't--I can't do both at once. Something--something's wrong. Something's happening," he managed, gasping between words.
The weather man was laughing again. "You'll never be able to stop it, then," he told the brothers, as his storm lulled momentarily. "Look."
Peter and Nathan quickly looked down at the train. "Oh no!" Peter cried. "We've got to do something!"
A skinny, twisting wall of wind and cloud was snaking its way downward toward the train.
A tornado!
Nathan jerked hard on the weather man, ripping him from Peter's grip. "My wife is down there!" he shouted. "Call it off!"
The villain shook his head. "No way, man."
"Call it off!" Nathan ordered, shaking the weather man roughly.
"Do as he says," came Peter's low, commanding voice. He stretched out his hand toward the villain.
"I'll never--Ah!!" The weather man shrieked with shock and rage as Peter used the nerve manipulation power on him, sending waves of pain through his body.
"Do it now," Peter ordered, his eyes dark and dangerous.
The weather man looked from Petrelli brother to Petrelli brother, eyes wide, face red. Then, abruptly he grinned.
Nathan yelled in shock as he was hit with a violent gust of wind. His grip on the weather man broke, he went tumbling sideways through the air.
"Nathan!" Peter called. He glanced at the weather man, who was laughing as he escaped on the wind, then looked to Nathan and instantly shot after his brother.
"I'm fine! I'm fine!" Nathan called as he righted himself in the air. "You can use his power!" He pointed frantically to the tornado. "You can stop it!"